It is interesting to watch the Trump Cabinet debate the Obama Cabinet (U.S. media). In this interview between White House National Security Advisor John Bolton and ABC’s Martha Raddatz the central topic is Iran; the detailed conversation is deep weeds therein.

After Bolton presents the administration position and reasoning for exiting the deeply flawed, unsigned and unenforceable Obama Iran “deal” (not treaty), essentially a JCPOA pathway to the land of broken promises, Ambassador Bolton then reaches the part of the discussion where sanctions against European companies come back into play.  This is the best part.  WATCH:

Massive U.S. economic leverage, and the strategic application therein, is an aspect that drives the left-wing Iranian apologists bananas.  A weaponized $20 trillion U.S. economy is the unavoidable atomic sledgehammer at the foundation of the Trump Doctrine.  It is far more powerful than a military weapon and drops all nations to their knees in compliance.

Everything is about the economics. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Every point of opposition; every forward MAGA policy; every initiative, including freedom; every move toward success; everything is about the economics.

Look at the immediate take-away published by Reuters.

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Remarks by President Trump and German Chancellor Merkel earlier today in the Oval Office.

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The Senate voted Thursday to confirm CIA chief Mike Pompeo as President Trump’s next secretary of state.  Secretary Pompeo was confirmed on a 57-42 vote.  All Republicans present voted to confirm Pompeo. Seven Democrats voted yes.

After the vote, Pompeo was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the West Conference Room of the Supreme Court:

I am pleased with the Senate’s confirmation of Mike Pompeo to serve as our country’s top diplomat. Having a patriot of Mike’s immense talent, energy, and intellect leading the Department of State will be an incredible asset for our country at this critical time in history. He will always put the interests of America first. He has my trust. He has my support. Today, he has my congratulations on becoming America’s 70th Secretary of State.

~ President Donald J Trump

When President Trump left the Davos economic forum, Secretary T-Rex traveled to Poland for a bilateral meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.  Many readers are aware how the U.S. and Poland have formed a very strong bond, a very strategic alliance, since the Trump administration took office.
Last year President Trump visited Warsaw to solidify a geopolitical relationship based on common interests and a desire to help Poland push back against Russian leverage based on energy dependence. Poland is a key strategic ally for the Trump administration, and more importantly a trusted ally; arguably more so than the U.K.
T-Rex held a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz. Video:

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After the visit to Poland, T-Rex flew to London (there now) for the opening of the new U.S. Embassy.  While in the U.K. T-Rex will be meeting with Boris Johnson to discuss mutual interests and continue trying to determine if the U.K. is a willing trade partner.
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Following a year where Europe has suffered more casualties from terrorist attacks than all other threats, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has spent the past two days meeting with NATO leadership.
Following those talks, today Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivered remarks and answered questions during a NATO press conference in Brussels, Belgium. One of the topics during the Q&A regarded Israel and the movement of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
In the first answer to a ridiculous question from U.S. AP Reporter Josh Lederman, T-Rex verbally beat the idiot over the head. [Transcript Below Video]

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SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, good afternoon, all. It truly is a pleasure to be back in Brussels. Someone reminded me this is my seventh trip to Europe already this year. But it is great to be back. I had a great visit with our tri-mission here in Brussels. These are the people who represent America’s interests here at NATO, but it – with the EU and here in Brussels, as well. Really working hard. And had a chance to meet their newest member of their family, a two-week-old son that was born to one of our folks that’s located here from the U.S.
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Just because western media doesn’t understand how President Trump executes a geopolitical strategy based on economic leverage, that doesn’t mean adversaries are not fully aware of the effectiveness of the approach.
The Trump Doctrine has two avenues toward dealing with national security adversaries.
The first route is direct assignment of responsibility toward the enablers: see China for North Korea; The Gulf States for Qatar (Sunni extremism); Russia for Syrian terrorism (Assad); and Pakistan for Afghanistan (Taliban); as recent examples.

However, when the geopolitical threat stems directly from the enabler, and not the enabled, the Trump Doctrine has a distinctly different and far more encompassing, approach.  Route two goes through leveraging regional allies and partners: See ASEAN and India for ¹China; and France, Poland, Baltic States for ²Russia.  And now President Trump is beginning to shift toward ³Iran.
In each case: China, Russia and Iran, unlike Western media, these powers assemble volumes of research to assist them in understanding the most likely sequence of events President Trump will take.
When we say volumes of research, we indeed mean hundreds of people researching and drafting position documents based upon every scintilla of every deal Donald J Trump has engaged in.  No expenses are spared as these state actors assemble information toward their own strategy to counter the most unpredictable adversary they have faced.
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Good interview with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and CBS John Dickerson.  Worth noting the nuance in Tillerson’s statements about messaging toward China, specifically Beijing.  Those who have followed CTH analysis of the administrations China/DPRK strategy will note how Tillerson discusses the enmeshed relationship and the strategy of using economics as leverage toward China.
Tillerson also discusses the upcoming President Trump U.N. speech and the geopolitical alliances the administration has assembled to confront freedom’s adversaries.

QUESTION: Good morning and welcome to Face the Nation. I’m John Dickerson. We’ll get to the story that dominated news coverage most of last week, that of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, but there’s a lot of other news coming up this morning and so we’re going to begin by talking to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Mr. Secretary, welcome. Let me start with the Paris climate accord. The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration was looking for a way to stay in it, but in June President Trump said it was time to exit. So what is the administration position?
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CNN interview with Dana Bash, John King’s ex wife, and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley discussing DPRK, London Bombing, DACA and additional administration policies.
Two quick points:  #1] Overall Haley does well.  However, those who watch closely will note Haley continues to keep one solid foot in UniParty/GOPe position.  She’s straddling the MAGA fence.  Obviously evaluating her career against the party apparatchik.
#2] Don’t be surprised to see less angst toward Trump’s foreign policy strategy.  Obviously the corporate media TDS moonbats won’t change their stance; however, those who look at the larger geopolitical issues are beginning to see indications of how The Trump Doctrine is actually beginning to make significant strategic sense.  They’re late to this comprehension, but it their awakening is notable nonetheless.

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The Real Battle is the Battle For Your Mind…

CTH takes a different approach at significant world events.  We share the untold stories as they shake out, in real time, in granular details not noted by the MSM.  Readers here know the back-story behind the most consequential headlines when they happen.
♦We outline the policy approach and the intent of each sequential step in achieving a larger objective never discussed by the MSM; ♦we share the results as the significant horizon moments are encountered; ♦and then we share how the MSM shapes victories in the best diminishing way possible.  The latter point is specifically how the biased media shapes the mind of the consuming audience while the audience doesn’t actually notice it happening.

Cue today’s audio visual demonstration.
Everyone knows the first North Korean missile test was conducted during Bill Clinton’s presidency. That was over 20 years ago.  It would be intellectually dishonest in the extreme to think that after two decades, and with modern technological advancement, North Korea would not have missile capable nuclear weapons.  Of course they would.
Today the Washington Post, together with the “intelligence community” (note such leak and narrative partners are not accidental – they act in synergy) maneuver to diminish the hard won and historic policy and security advancement of the Trump administration -that could not be achieved by Bush or Obama policy- by pushing a “NEW HEADLINE” that North Korea already has nuclear missiles.
See what the media objective is there?
The left-wing media goal is to take the strategic policy win from the administration they oppose, and position it such that no win is actually worth celebrating.  See how they do that?
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The unapologetic U.K. wolverine, and friend of President Trump, Nigel Farage, delivers a speech to the Young American’s Conference (the leading edge of Gen-Z).
Farage is a national treasure and well received by the audience.  During his remarks Nigel Farage discusses the comparison between Brexit in June and the U.S. victory for Donald Trump in November. WATCH:

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Following the speech Mr. Farage held a Q&A to answer audience questions.  He dives deeper into the economics of globalism, multinational corporations and the inherent political corruption which follows as a result. (video below).
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