There are visible economic indicators today that positive U.S. MAGAnomic results are overwhelming the voices of purchased political leaders trying to sell a narrative of doom around President Trump’s tariff proposals and reciprocal trade reset. A key point is the U.S. stock market growth amid tariff, trade and NAFTA withdrawal discussion. As CTH has discussed the eventual trade outcomes appear baked into the latest market analysis.

Bolstered by election results showing increased momentum for team MAGA, and decreased likelihood for a Democrat wave, the overall economic news -and factual corporate bottom line results- are flooding the zone with optimism. Amid the strong foundation for U.S. investment and economic growth, the reciprocal trade strategy is no longer heavily feared. Simply put, the ‘America First’ policies are working.

Not only are Trump’s economic policies working (jobs, wages, investment growth), but they are gaining massive momentum as analysts begin to quantify the possibilities of expanded economic growth well beyond the -formerly outrageous- 3% GDP target. The ceiling is being raised faster than the winnamins can be digested.

Amid this U.S. MAGAnomic environment, threats of counter-tariffs by Mexico, Canada and the EU are as useless as feathers in a hurricane:

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President Donald Trump granted clemency today for Mrs. Alice Marie Johnson, a week after Mrs. Kim Kardashian West advocated on her behalf during an Oval Office meeting with the President.

Mrs. Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother is a first-time nonviolent drug offender who was given a life sentence without parole. She will be released from a federal prison in Aliceville, Alabama, where she has been serving her sentence since 1996.

White House – Today, President Donald J. Trump granted a commutation to Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother who has served almost 22 years in Federal prison for a first-time criminal offense.

Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades. Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates.

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National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow conducts a press conference to discuss the upcoming G7 summit in Canada; the pending North Korea Summit; and the current U.S. trade initiatives.

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While no-one has yet to see the actual Inspector General Mike Horowitz report outlining how the DOJ and FBI handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the media are beginning to shape the narrative.

In a summary of Bill Priestap’s testimony, via The Hill, the narrative begins by focusing on James Comey:  “Priestap “completely” backed up everything that Comey said, according to a source familiar with his testimony.”  The narrative construct gains clarity with a report from ABC highlight James Comey as “insubordinate”:

(Via ABC) The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that James Comey defied authority at times during his tenure as FBI director, according to sources familiar with a draft report on the matter.

One source told ABC News that the draft report explicitly used the word “insubordinate” to describe Comey’s behavior. Another source agreed with that characterization but could not confirm the use of the term.

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UPDATE: 7:45pm – According to email from congressional staff, participation at the closed hearing was limited to only those selected by Committee Chairman (Gowdy, and Goodlatte).  The hearing was not available to all committee members.  Only Jordan, Meadows and Krishnamoorth were allowed to participate. 

Yesterday FBI Director of Counterintelligence E.W. “Bill” Priestap testified to a joint session of the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees.

The hearing was a matter of strong public interest.  Mr. Priestap was questioned for approximately seven hours.  However, journalist Olivia Beavers covering for The Hill dropped a detail that most, including myself, might find rather curious:

(The Hill) […] Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), however, said he felt that Priestap didn’t say anything that would indicate there was “political bias that motivated the Hillary Clinton email investigation.”

Priestap “completely” backed up everything that Comey said, according to a source familiar with his testimony.

Only three lawmakers — Jordan, Meadows and Krishnamoorthi — attended the hearing, which took place on the first day after a weeklong recess.

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President Trump participates in the signing ceremony of the VA Mission Act of 2018, a bill that will introduce sweeping reforms to the Veterans Affairs healthcare system.  Anticipated start time 12:15pm EST

UPDATE: Video Added

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Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) discusses FBI agent Peter Strzok’s involvement in the Clinton email probe and the Russia investigation; along with the anticipated DOJ-OIG report:

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The backstory is important here.  Two days ago internet researcher Nick Falco discovered a potentially damning text dated December 28th 2015 within a previously released set of Lisa Page and Peter Strzok text messages.  The original text was redacted in one section (Page #31); however, somehow further down the release (Page #159) the same text was not redacted.  It is presumed the FBI redacted the word “lures”, whereas the IG did not.

In one release (page #31) the word “lures” was redacted.  In the second release (page #159) it was NOT redacted.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Chairman Ron Johnson, released over 500 pages of documents and texts.  On page #159 (pdf here) the unredacted version of the following message appears:

(Link to pdf – page #159)

“You get all our oconus lures approved?”

“OCONUS” means Outside Continental U.S.  “LURES” in this context is ‘spies’; or as Chris Farrell discusses, likely double agents.  The messages were December 28th, 2015.

•Peter Strzok asking Lisa Page:  Did you get all our outside U.S. spies approved?
•Lisa Page responds: “No, it’s just implicated a much bigger policy issue. I’ll explain later. Might even be able to use it as a pretext for a call…”

The implication is this could have been the pre-planning for #Spygate. This is what Lou Dobbs and Chris Farrell are discussing; and apparently President Trump noticed:

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Wait, what?  We’ve obviously come a full 180° from the place where Democrats were proclaiming McCabe’s innocence; and we’ve entered the phase where McCabe is requesting criminal immunity in exchange for testimony about what he knows of the corrupt FBI operations in 2016 and 2017. [Worm Turning Speech Increases]

In a series of letters going back and forth between Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Michael Bromwich, the attorney for fired Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Bromwich is requesting criminal immunity in exchange for cooperation.

On May 31st, 2018, Chairman Grassley invited Andrew McCabe to testify [SEE HERE]; On June 4th Bromwich responded [SEE HERE]  Grassley is requesting emails McCabe said he sent to Comey about talking to the media.  According to McCabe, despite his false statements to FBI and INSD investigators (under oath), his conduct was with the full knowledge of FBI Director James Comey.  Grassley was asking for proof.  Bromwich responded by saying McCabe doesn’t have the emails, the current FBI does.

Here’s the response letter:

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FBI Director of Counterintelligence E.W. “Bill” Priestap has been delivering testimony to a joint congressional committee for more than seven hours.

This is Bill Priestap’s first testimony to congress.  Previously all of Priestap’s statements have been made to FBI and INSD (Inspection Division) investigators.  This is also likely the first time many congressional members will have heard of the scale and scope of the abuse by the DOJ-NSD and FBI.

The joint House Judiciary and Oversight Committee has been hearing testimony from Bill Priestap all day. A tweet from Chad Pergram notes: “Colleague Catherine Herridge rpts a mbrs familiar w/Hse closed-door i-view w/FBI espionage chief Bill Priestap has been cooperative. But says FBI Agent Strzok played an more central role than previously known in Clinton email/Russia investigations beyond Strzok/Page text messages.”

It appears there will be confirmation of prior research.  There was always a strong suspicion FBI Agent Peter Strzok was working around his boss Bill Priestap and reporting directly to Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and to a lesser extent FBI chief legal counsel James Baker.  Activity in both the Clinton email and Russia investigations that was outside normal chain-of-command structure.

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