If you’ve followed the entire strategy for a while you’ll note President Trump has no intention for direct military conflict with the DPRK. There’s simply no reason to use military intervention when the reality is: China driving N-Korea behavior to gain economic leverage.
The key to resolution is to defeat the economic objectives of Beijing. However, for purposes of providing the cornerstone for the Trump Doctrine, the military option must always remain available and visible.  The military option enables the economic leverage.
Secretary Tillerson is in Texas today and after calling numerous ASEAN allies he is communicating via phone and video links with the White House.  U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman James Dunford appeared together outside the White House today to deliver a statement after North Korea conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date.

President Trump has hinted at deconstructing a trade deal with South Korea.  Geopolitical “experts” clutch their pearls at the possibility of President Trump targeting S-Korea at the same time that North Korea threatens the region.

WASHINGTON – President Trump confirmed Saturday that he was talking with advisers amid reports that he had instructed aides to prepare to withdraw the U.S. from its free trade agreement with South Korea.
“I am. It’s very much on my mind,” Trump told a reporter covering his day trip to Texas and Louisiana when asked if he was talking to advisers and would do something in the coming week. (more)

Media pundits join in deep sighs of concern. Oh noes, he didn’t..
CTH laughs.
People need to get their mind right with the entire principle behind ‘America-First’ and looking out for America’s best interests.  It wasn’t so long ago that South Korea was snarking back at POTUS Trump, the United States and were dismissive about paying for THAAD missile defenses etc.
(more…)

There are a lot of heroes in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey; from the local first-responders to the Cajun Navy, to the ordinary American who just makes a commitment to help their neighbor – even when that neighbor might be a thousand miles away.   There are a ton of great uplifting stories that make us all proud to be American.
One of those groups is the Texas military and Air National Guard, and when the sun goes down, they don’t quit.  Even right now, moments ago, in the middle of the night, they are on patrol as earthly angels rescuing people in the dark of night.  Stunningly incredible people….. Truly the pride of Texas.

Sunset doesn’t stop these crews from continuing to answer rescue calls and search for people in remote flooded areas; places where the media cannot reach.  Obscure rescue stories that will never make the media headlines.
Just people, ordinary people, ordinarily quiet invisible Americans who now need assistance, and the intensely brave men and women of the U.S. military who are answering those calls.  God Bless these people.
(more…)

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the National Guard Armory in Lake Charles, Louisiana to thank the military, first-responders and Cajun Navy prior to meeting with those impacted by TS Harvey and the subsequent Louisiana flooding.
First Lady Melania arrives with La/FLOTUS ball cap, and Governor John Bel Edwards  immediately says: “I love your hat”.

President Trump, First-Lady Melania Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz along with the administration’s heads of emergency response efforts visit Houston NRG center. President Trump delivered some remarks for the victims, relief workers and media.

(VIA AP) President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers a $7.9 billion request for an initial down payment for Harvey relief and recovery efforts.
The request, expected to be swiftly approved by Congress, would add $7.4 billion to rapidly dwindling Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid coffers and $450 million to finance disaster loans for small businesses.
The initial Harvey package is just the first installment for immediate disaster response like housing assistance, cleanup and FEMA-financed home repairs. The White House says more than 436,000 households have registered for FEMA aid.
(more…)

President Trump announced a decision on DACA will be Tuesday.  Will this finally begin the “Big Ugly” confrontation?  Possibly, but one thing is certain, right now he’s probing.
CTH is not a seer of Donald Trump, and anyone who would claim they are should be necessarily dismissed.  President Donald Trump is the only entity who knows specifically what he’s going to do in the moments leading up to what he’s going to do; no-one else.  However, that said, CTH does have a pretty good sense of what evaluation processes Trump takes prior to action.  There are indications Tuesday might be the day.
There is one political enterprise within Washington DC and national politics.  There is only one enterprise.  That enterprise is the UniParty.  There is only one political party in Washington DC, with two internal caucuses – Republicans and Democrats.
The “Big Ugly” is the moment when President Trump decides to rip the masks off the remnants of the Republican wing of the UniParty within Washington DC.  In many ways the “Big Ugly” is the elimination of the Republican party, and the beginning of an era when a second party, a MAGA party, actually enters the blood stream of U.S. politics and stands against the UniParty.

The confrontation is inevitable.  It has been inevitable since the entire GOPe apparatus, including every single GOPe candidate within the 2016 Republican primary, stood up against Donald J Trump.   Candidate Donald Trump held an entirely different series of campaign platform issues the Republican apparatus abhors.  That’s why he won, and they didn’t.
(more…)

No current events have as much impact on the lives of ordinary paycheck-to-paycheck Americans as the NAFTA trade negotiations.  Every person in the U.S., our children and the lives of following generations, are impacted by the ongoing economic battle. The consequences are epic in proportion, yet the MSM insufferably avoids discussion.
Against the backdrop of NAFTA Round #2 renegotiations beginning in Mexico, the massive Multinational Corporations fight back to retain their market exploitation.  Decades-long established masks are dropping; the grand usurpation’s are being exposed; there are trillions of dollars at stake.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Trade negotiators from Canada and the United States gathered under rainy skies in Mexico City on Friday to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement, with the mood darkened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s persistent threats to pull out.
Teams from the three countries were due to kick off a second round of talks on 25 areas of discussion, with subjects such as digital commerce and small businesses seen as areas where consensus was possible, Mexican officials said.
The Sept. 1-5 round will also touch on more thorny topics such as rules governing local content in products made in North America, Mexico’s economy ministry said in a statement. Mexican officials believe Trump wants to include rules that some content must be made in the United States.

(more…)

Earlier today President Trump gathered with a group of faith leaders in the Oval Office to announce a national day of prayer for Sunday September 3rd, 2017 .  Prayers for Texas and for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent Rescue, Relief and Recovery effort.

[White House] BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION:

Hurricane Harvey first made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Rockport, Texas, on the evening of August 25, 2017. The storm has since devastated communities in both Texas and Louisiana, claiming many lives, inflicting countless injuries, destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes, and causing billions of dollars in damage. The entire Nation grieves with Texas and Louisiana. We are deeply grateful for those performing acts of service, and we pray for healing and comfort for those in need.
(more…)

Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivers the White House press briefing from the Brady room.  Approximate start time 2:45pm – 3:00pm EDT:
UPDATE: Video Added