Vice President Mike Pence, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Senate Majority Whip John Thune describe the events at a White House meeting with President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Dick Durbin….  Things did not go well:

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It would appear congress is at loggerheads over border security, with democrats unwilling to provide any funding that might secure the southern border.  Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have stated the border is secure; there are no illegal border crossings actually taking place; and there is no crisis.  As such, the partial government shutdown continues.
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Reports from inside the DOJ to allied resistance media announce that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will leave the DOJ once special counsel Robert Mueller (the team, not the person) submits their investigative report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Generally speaking, media reporting can be taken with a grain of proverbial salt; however, with these events it’s likely allied resistance media have embeds within the special counsel and DOJ coordinating leaks on their behalf.  Additionally, this latest report aligns almost identically with the CTH prediction for legislative action.  In short, it just makes sense.

WASHINGTON — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who had been overseeing the special counsel investigation, plans to step down after Robert Mueller submits his report, according to administration officials familiar with his thinking.

A source close to Rosenstein said he intends to stay on until Mueller submits a report to the Justice Department on the Russian meddling investigation. The source said that would mean Rosenstein would remain until early March.

Several legal sources have said they expect the Mueller team to submit its report by mid-to-late February, although they said that timeline could change based on unforeseen investigative developments. (read more)

This report aligns with the predictable sequencing of events we previously outlined from reviewing Democrat plans and Pelosi’s legislative rules requests and schedules.
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Surrounded by key Decepticon leadership, Barrasso, Graham, Thune and McConnell, together with Vice-President Mike Pence –  President Donald Trump tells reporters at the U.S. Capitol that Senate Republicans are “unified” as he seeks border security funding before ending the government shutdown.

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Vice-President Mike Pence is the President of the U.S. Senate. Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) is President Pro Tempore. Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) is Senate Majority Leader. Senator John Thune (SD) is Senate Majority Whip. Senator John Barrasso (WY) is Chairman of the Republican Conference.
Note: Watch Barrasso’s eyes.
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President Donald Trump signs the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (S. 1862) which tightens criteria for whether countries are meeting standards for eliminating trafficking.
After discussing the issues surrounding the horrific human trafficking network, President Trump connected the human trafficking crisis to urgent need for border security.  The President also answered questions from the media about ongoing issues within government.

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President Trump has signed four bills in recent weeks that demonstrate the bipartisan commitment to end human trafficking.
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Comprehensive border security, and funding for a barrier therein, is the central topic in President Trump’s first Oval Office address.  President Trump will speak directly to the American people at the close of Day 18 of a partial government shutdown.  The anticipated start time is 9:00pm EST.   WH Livestream Link
UPDATE: Video Added

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[Transcript] Oval Office – 9:01 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans: Tonight, I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.
Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them, and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country.
America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation. But all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled, illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
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Following a meeting between Vice-President Mike Pence, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting WH chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney, the House leadership team (Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney) deliver remarks to the capitol press:

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White House – We are no longer in a status quo situation at the Southern Border but in a crisis situation. Status quo funding is not enough.

• In fiscal year (FY) 2018, 17,000 adults at the border with existing criminal records were arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and border agents.
• In FY2017 and FY2018, ICE officers arrested approximately 235,000 aliens on various criminal charges or convictions within the interior of the United States—including roughly 100,000 for assault, 30,000 for sex crimes, and 4,000 for homicides.
• We are now averaging 60,000 illegal and inadmissible aliens a month on our Southern Border.

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In hindsight it is quite clear the professional political class had two approaches toward candidate Donald Trump:
♦ Approach #1 was to eliminate him: see spygate, surveillance, FBI, DOJ and CIA operations to destroy the threat etc.; the Special Counsel Mueller investigation is an ongoing continuance of that primary approach.
♦ Approach #2 was an effort involving the republican side of the deep state apparatus, who could be deployed as a controlling influence, on the inside.  [These would be the same people who earlier constructed the failed 2016 campaign ‘splitter strategy’ to help nominate Jeb Bush.]  Ongoing decepticon turnover, in opposition to the Trump policy implementation, seemingly reflects the consequences of the secondary approach.
While in charge of the transition team, Vice-President-elect Pence relied heavily on former Bush Secretary of State Condi Rice for cabinet and administration recommendations:

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Condi Rice recommended: Rex Tillerson, HR McMaster, Nikki Haley and James Mattis.
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White House policy counselor Kellyanne Conway delivers impromptu remarks to the media about the primary administration concerns surrounding the current crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Ms. Conway outlines a compelling case around the President’s concerns about human trafficking, drug smuggling, entry-points for terror threats, and the intent of open-border advocates to overwhelm the U.S. immigration system (800,000 asylum claim backlog).  However, at 05:34 of the video below – the insufferable Acosta happens:

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The New York Times is quick to the typeset to explain how Brussels is desperately offended because President Trump and Secretary Pompeo have lowered the importance of the EU.   Officials from the European Union are apoplectic that U.S. officials have downgraded their status amid the official registry of diplomatic protocols.

BRUSSELS — The Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change, a European official said on Tuesday.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was inaugurated today and moments later reports surface from the Miami Herald that corrupt Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is packing up his office and preparing to be suspended.   Let us hope this is accurate….

(Via Miami Herald) It appears that Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is preparing to pack up his office.
The two-term sheriff, the object of fierce criticism over BSO’s handling of the Parkland massacre, told his top commanders that he will be removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sources have told the Miami Herald.

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