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July 12th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 174

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Saturday July 12th – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Melania Trump Delivers a Heartfelt Message to Flood Victims

Traveling with President Trump to visit the families and those devastated by the recent floods in Texas, Melania Trump delivered a message to those in the region. WATCH:

Full video of the roundtable discussion and remarks below.

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President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Travel to Texas to View Flood Region

With approximately 120 killed in the devastating floods, President Trump and First Lady Melania travel to Texas today to visit with those impacted.  The President and First Lady departed Joint Base Andrews earlier and RSBN will be covering the day’s events.

Together the first couple will survey damage, meet with the families of victims, and President Trump is expected to join local and state officials for a roundtable about current recovery efforts.

Video of the departure is below and RSBN ongoing livestream coverage is below the fold.

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Trump Attempts to Slow the Inertia of War – Now Sending Weapons to NATO Instead of Ukraine

Everyone can see the play by President Trump. Essentially, the “coalition of the willing” (U.K, Germany, France) are not willing to go to war against Russia without the United States in front of them.  Giving the coalition the weapons puts the consequences of their use on the heads of NATO allies.

Despite the majority of Washington DC, specifically the Senate thirsting, pleading and demanding an expanded NATO war, President Trump does not want to go to war against Russia. However, simultaneously Trump has to try and steer the war machine controlled by DC, the Senate, USIC and NATO.

The INERTIA for expanded war is evident.  President Trump is now trying to split the baby regarding Russia, by sending patriot missiles and weapons to NATO as opposed to sending them directly to Ukraine.

In February Marco Rubio earnestly and honestly said, “The Ukraine conflict is a proxy war for the United States against Russia.”  President Trump has concurred with that statement and through his prior comments he attempted to extricate the U.S. from this dynamic.

The shipment of missiles to NATO instead of Ukraine is simply a way of trying to stop direct support, yet Trump is forced by the inertia toward war to maintain a footing of expanded conflict with Russia.

To be very clear, Russian President Vladimir Putin is clear-eyed on this situation with NATO, and he has been all along.

Putin has said repeatedly that NATO was/is in direct conflict against Russia despite Ukraine not being a NATO member.  This conflict with NATO well precedes Putin’s decision to conduct a ‘special military operation’ within Ukraine.

Now, we see through Trump’s approach the dropping of pretenses.  Putin was correct.  With NATO directly providing the war weapons to Ukraine there is no pretense, no doubt. NATO countries are funding an offensive war against Russia using a non NATO proxy state, Ukraine.

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July 11th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 173

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Friday July 11th – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio Debriefs Media Following Discussions with Chinese and ASEAN Counterparts

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters at the conclusion of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While the topic of trade and tariffs was not the intention of the assembly, the issues around trade with the USA and tariffs was obviously of keen interest.  WATCH:

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To Retain Exports Japan Slashes Auto Prices 20 Percent, Now Face Problem with Wages

It’s the reverse rustbelt issue.  In order to retain their market share, Japanese automakers are slashing the prices of their export vehicles to the USA.  However, simultaneous with the anticipated drop in profits, the Japanese economists are worrying what impact this will have on autoworker wages.

Not accidentally this is exactly the problem U.S. workers suffered through during the era of offshoring our manufacturing. Apparently, Japan is heading into the dynamic the U.S. rustbelt previously suffered.  Imagine that.

The Straits Times – TOKYO – Japan’s automakers slashed the price of products exported to the United States at record pace, in a sign that companies are sacrificing profits to remain competitive as President Donald Trump’s tariffs hit cars.

In June, the export price index for vehicles shipped to North America plunged 19.4 per cent from a year earlier on a contract currency basis, the biggest drop in records going back to 2016, according to the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) corporate goods price report on July 10.

The data adds to signs that Japanese automakers are trying to avoid a major price increase to remain competitive in the US, even after Mr Trump began to impose 25 per cent auto tariffs in early April. The flip side of the move is it raises concerns over companies’ profitability and whether they can continue to keep raising wages – a key component of the Bank of Japan’s sustainable inflation goal.

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A Significant Geopolitical Problem for President Trump and Us

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur today.  Against the backdrop of multiple questions to him about the outcome of their discussion, let us first discuss the problem being avoided.

In the mind of President Putin, and in the growing awareness of the American electorate, the President of the United States does not control the Intelligence Community. It is entirely possible for the USIC to take America deeper toward war despite the President and people of America not wanting that to happen. Putin is simply prepared for that outcome.

This reality explains a dynamic where President Trump engages with President Putin in an effort to stop the war in Ukraine, yet President Putin continues the war in Ukraine; because ultimately he knows President Trump does not control the elements that facilitate the Ukraine military.

People struggle to accept this dynamic. However, I would remind everyone that right now YOU are paying for the entire government of Ukraine to exist. Including the Ukraine govt payrolls, retirement benefits, healthcare and operational budget of Ukraine overall.

Americans do not want to pay for that. President Trump does not want to pay for that. Yet, here we are, paying for that.

The same inertia process applies to the literal Ukraine war and conflict with Russia.

You might not want it. President Trump might not want it. Yet, here again we are providing weapons, intelligence, satellite communication, personnel and systems for the war.

This is the reality of the situation regardless of your/my willingness to accept it. This reality is what President Vladimir Putin discusses and accepts.

The problem for President Trump is not that this reality exists; the bigger political problem for President Trump is that people are increasingly becoming aware of this reality.

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