Earlier today, prior to departing for Michigan, President Trump delivered impromptu remarks to the media from the South lawn of the White House. [Video and Transcript]

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[Transcript] South Lawn – 4:17 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: So we’re going to Michigan. We’re opening up car plants in Michigan again for the first time in decades. They’re coming in — really pouring in. Car companies are coming in. Toyota just announced $13.5 billion coming into our country. And Michigan is booming and Ohio is booming, and North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida — a lot of places.
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Tonight President Donald J. Trump is holding a MAGA rally at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The anticipated start time for President Trump is 7:00pm with pre-rally events earlier.
UPDATE: Video Added

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Rand Paul appears on Fox and Friends to explain why he now believes that John Brennan was the Obama-era official who helped create and then push the Steele Dossier into the bloodstream of the intelligence community.  This links back to Brennan in July 2016.

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All research indicates CIA Director John Brennan enlisted the help of U.S. and foreign intelligence assets to run operations against the Trump campaign early in 2016. The objective was to give the false and manufactured appearance of compromise.  Once the CIA established the possibility of compromise that opened the door for FBI investigation.
It’s likely the operation run by Brennan targeting Papadopoulos is at the center of the two-page “EC” (electronic communication); an origination document given to FBI Director James Comey in July 2016 to start the counterintelligence operation (Crossfire Hurricane) against the Trump campaign.  Two of the intelligence assets Brennan organized were Joseph Mifsud and Stefan Halper.
I have much more on this coming, because it directly and unequivocally ties back to the White House, President Obama, NSA Susan Rice & chief-of-staff Denis McDonough.
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Earlier today President Trump tweeted a video segment from ‘Morning’s With Maria” where she interviewed HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes.  The entire interview has not been uploaded by FOX for redistribution.  However, here is a key part of the interview.

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Nellie Ohr is the wife of DOJ official Bruce Ohr. Mrs. Ohr was hired by Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS) to conduct opposition research of Donald Trump in late 2015.  Nellie Ohr’s work was used by Christopher Steele in assembling a Dossier then shared with the DOJ and FBI to target President Trump.  Today, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Doug Collins, released the transcript of her testimony (full pdf below):
[scribd id=403511818 key=key-2Vw30MghEjE6z8bfcPaC mode=scroll]
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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.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

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 †

Senator Lindsey Graham appears on Fox News with Laura Ingraham to outline his advice to AG William Barr for the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate FISA abuse and the activity by former officials within the DOJ and FBI to target candidate Donald Trump.
President Trump previously noted he is leaving decisions surrounding the Mueller report to Attorney General William Barr and Senator Lindsey Graham.  However, President Trump did not say he would abdicate decision-making on declassification and matters related to possible investigation of former officials.
House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes has stated he intends to move forward with individual criminal referrals to AG William Barr based on current evidence and testimony from prior officials.  Senator Graham prefers a Special Counsel instead of an existing U.S. Attorney. According to Graham, AG Barr is evaluating the issue.

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Tonight President Trump called-in to Fox News host Sean Hannity for an unusually lengthy interview.  The interview ran almost 45 minutes without commercial interruption.
There are multiple breaking news aspects to this interview including President Trump affirming his intention to declassify all of the material previously discussed [See Here]. As CTH noted last year, President Trump stated his lawyers directly advised him against declassification because such action would be construed as obstruction.  WATCH:

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I’ll be breaking down this interview for continued discussion.
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U.S. Senator Rand Paul posts a text today that has caught attention. The issue surrounds the Clinton/Steele Dossier and the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) from January 2017.

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While the public statement from Rand Paul is new, the backstory is one we have discussed before.  Yes, John Brennan put the Steele Dossier into the ICA, and he enlisted FBI Agent Peter Strzok as the author to facilitate the narrative.
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