While it is good news, excellent news, the Israeli and foreign ‘hostages’ are slowly being released by Hamas, the politics of the dynamic are abundantly clear.

Biden was under extreme political pressure to gain the release of “American” hostages held captive by Hamas and affiliates in Gaza as a result of the October 7th attack and kidnappings.  Prior to Joe Biden taking a victory lap for the release of 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, an Israeli-American dual citizen, all of the key players in the region made advanced notification of the impending release.

Qatari [think Muslim Brotherhood] Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Face the Nation the release was imminent. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan also made the same prediction, as did several people associated with Gaza relief efforts and the larger agenda to create the two-state solution for Palestinian and Israeli citizens.  In essence, politically Biden needed an American release, and that message was the driving force from Qatar to their allies in Hamas.  Abigail Mor Edan was released as a result.  Biden immediately took a victory lap.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden confirmed Sunday that the 4-year old American Abigail Mor Edan who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza is now free.  “She’s free and she’s in Israel now,” Biden told reporters Sunday from Nantucket, where he was spending Thanksgiving weekend with his family. (more)

The background effort is also very clear.  The aligned interests of the Muslim Brotherhood and the U.S. Biden administration is to maintain a gauntlet approach where the two-state solution is the only option for Israel, backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a corner.

[…] “Abigail was among 13 hostages released today from Gaza under the brokered and sustained though intensive U.S. diplomacy. She is now safely in Israel. And we continue to press and expect for additional Americans will be released as well,” Biden said.

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Speaking to our CTH audience following direct conversations in the EU, I can assure you that privately it is well known that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is at a designed stalemate. Russia has solidified the western frontlines in Ukraine in exactly the position originally intended. Additionally, the fortifications are of such strategic scale no one in the Western alliance would dare to propose any effort for direct confrontation.

This is the reality on the ground in Ukraine, and if you look carefully at western reporting, you will see indications of the unspoken truth.

Bild reported that inside the German govt, there are leaks about conversations between U.S and German officials. “While outwardly expressing full support for Ukraine, behind closed doors in Berlin and Washington plans are being hatched to force Ukraine into talks with Russia to freeze the war on its current front lines, German newspaper BILD said in a report published on Nov. 24.” {link}

The Biden administration, specifically the Dept of State and CIA are now managing the narrative. The Eastern EU bloc (NATO realists) well understand the dynamic, although you will see opaque indications from traditional western media. However, if you look carefully, you will note one of the indications of this dynamic can be found in the unwillingness of the U.S. to provide logistical support for advanced M1A2 tanks to engage the Russian lines {link}.

[…]  Since receiving its first batch of Abrams in September, Ukraine has likely mixed them with the US-made M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Cancian told BI.

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It should serve as a source of inspiration to know there is a great deal of work taking place in the background of the U.S. political system by people and groups outside the DC network.

For several years CTH has been discussing the futility of expecting elected political officials to deconstruct the corrupt administrative state, and the support network therein, from the inside.   In the past several weeks the alignment of activity outside the beltway -independent state and private sector pushback- is starting to deliver results.   Be of good cheer, live your very best life and keep faith in a loving God who shields the righteous.

…”This is a difficult time for our country, but do not lose heart or lose hope because by the time we celebrate next Thanksgiving, our nation will be well on its way to being stronger, safer, more prosperous and greater than ever before.”

~Donald J Trump

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Tucker Carlson delivered some remarks that have a familiar refrain for CTH readers.  Beginning with the topic of trusting your instincts, Carlson walks through a deliberate warning about the United States in 2024 as the presidential election looms.   There is a lot within this speech that is familiar.  WATCH:

…”Carlson painted a grim picture of what the election year may bring as he revealed his concerns about the deepening division and paranoia among Americans. he 2024 election will be “like nothing we’ve ever seen,” Carlson said amid the promising look that former President Trump will be the GOP nominee— something the Democratic Party has fought long and hard to prevent.”…

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As noted by the New York Post, “a brilliant new crowdfunded documentary, “The Fall of Minneapolis,” aims to remedy our collective amnesia about the events of May 25, 2020 — a time when the country was already half-mad from the ravages of COVID-19 and forced lockdowns, and when Democratic Party operatives, including candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, seized on the “Defund the police” movement, in order to bring down President Donald Trump.”

The film is based on Liz Collin’s Amazon bestseller, “They’re Lying: The Media, The Left, and The Death of George Floyd,” which exposes the holes in the prevailing narrative surrounding George Floyd’s death, the trial of Derek Chauvin, and the fallout the city of Minneapolis has suffered ever since (more). Here is the full video documentary:

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An interesting follow-up poll from Harvard Harris [DATA HERE] shows the continued strength of the Trump MAGA base against the field of GOP/Dem candidates and useful idiots.

With Donald Trump holding a commanding 67% lead over all other GOP candidates, one must ask why they remain in the nomination process without being able to break single digits.  The answer to that question reveals their corporate agenda.

[DATA HERE]

Remarkably on page 25 of the poll the results show Kamala Harris is the most favored candidate to replace Joe Biden for the 2024 nomination.   Harris holds 24% as the replacement for the DNC nomination.

However, on page 33 of the poll, the question of Trump -vs- Harris is asked and President Trump handedly crushes Kamala Harris 52% to 40%.

Be of good cheer….  The nominee coming out of the DNC convention is unlikely to be Joe Biden.  However, as this poll reflects, even the substitute will start with an uphill battle.

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Everything happening in/around the courtroom of Judge Engoron in New York City has been ridiculous in the extreme.

Even left leaning pundits and political commentators have begun to retreat from the fevered pace of the NY civil case because they can see the appeals court intervening.

Earlier today appellate judge David Friedman finally intervened in the insufferable gag order and put some common sense back into the case putting a stay on the lower court order.

NEW YORK (AP) — A gag order that barred Donald Trump from commenting about court personnel after he disparaged a law clerk in his New York civil fraud trial was temporarily lifted Thursday by an appellate judge who raised free speech concerns.

Judge David Friedman of the state’s intermediate appeals court issued what’s known a stay — suspending the gag order and allowing the former president to freely comment about court staff while a longer appeals process plays out.

The trial judge, Arthur Engoron, imposed the gag order on Oct. 3 after Trump made a false comment about the judge’s law clerk on social media. He later fined Trump $15,000 for violations and expanded it to his lawyers after they questioned the clerk’s prominent role in the trial.

Ruling at an emergency hearing Thursday, Friedman questioned Engoron’s authority to police Trump’s speech outside the courtroom — such as his frequent gripes about the case on social media and in comments to TV cameras in the courthouse hallway.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr has once again cancelled elections within the nation, preferring to continue his rule by unilateral fiat.

A growing opposition movement to Zelenskyy is very visible, and the Ukraine President has refused to consider a need to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed as irresponsible any notion of holding an election in wartime as talks have heated up recently whether Kyiv should be voting when under Russia’s assault.

Calling for unity to avoid pointless political discussion, Zelenskiy’s comments appeared to rule out any suggestion Ukraine should hold a vote to demonstrate its democratic credentials remain in good order.

[…] In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said it was critical to concentrate on the military challenges facing Ukraine as it tries to push out Russian forces occupying nearly one-fifth of its land more than 20 months after launching their invasion.

“We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are many challenges, it is utterly irresponsible to engage in topics related to an election in such a frivolous manner,” he said. (read more)

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Much is being made of the New York Times/Siena poll of background states [Full Poll DATA HERE].  Indeed, the professional Democrats are apoplectic with the results, and the deeper you dig into the poll the worse it looks for Joe Biden.

(NYT) – Trump leads Biden in five of the six states — Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Michigan — which would likely be enough to give him the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Biden leads in the sixth state, Wisconsin.  Trump leads by at least four percentage points in each of the other five states:

[NYT Article Link] – [ Crosstabs Link ]

Extending the results, if the election were held today, President Trump would win over 300 electoral votes.  However, lesser discussed is the structure of the race that is specific to MAGAnomics and President Trump.  Within the poll, President Trump is carrying the largest coalition of support amid black Democrats (22%) and Latinos (40%) in Republican history.  This is very unique to President Trump and not transferable to any other Republican candidate.

Within that reality, you find the reason for Politico [SEE HERE] and David Axelrod [SEE HERE] to sound the alarms.  “Not ‘bed-wetting,’” but legitimate concern, Axelrod wrote, as he simultaneously suggested that Joe Biden drop out of the race.  Axelrod says, “the stakes of miscalculation here are too dramatic to ignore. Only @JoeBiden can make this decision,” he continued. “If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s?”

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First things first.  Did you notice the byline on the NBC report we discussed about U.S. and EU officials beginning talks with Ukraine about peace-talks to end the stalemate.  For those who didn’t notice, Kristen Welker was one of the reporters who wrote the article {NBC LINK}.  Then today, Zelenskyy appears on NBC Meet the Press, with Kristen Welker, to discuss the status of the Ukraine war and say there is no “stalemate.”  Funny, but not accidental, how that happens.

The full interview link is here (and below); however, during the interview Welker asked Zelenskyy about President Trump saying he would end the conflict within 24 hours.  Zelenskyy scoffs at the possibility and rejects that any peace negotiations could take place.  WATCH (3 mins): 

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I’m going to try and put the absurd nature (literally his World War Reddit disposition) of Volodymyr Zelenskyy over there on the side for a moment [that’s not easy], and accept his pronouncements are with what he genuinely believes, with the full weight and support of the U.S. State Dept/CIA to frame his reference.

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