Sometimes geo-politics can be funny and deserve a little snark in discussion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank, are holding a conference in DC. this weekend.  Deplorable Secretary Mnuchin represents U.S. and Trump interests.

Amid the earlier G20 Summit the Trump effect ended up with changed language from the finance leadership.  Titan Trump’s election changed the way the IMF and World Bank globalists talk about international trade.   Bi-lateral and nationalism are no longer dirty words.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – International Monetary Fund members on Saturday dropped a pledge to fight protectionism amid a split over trade policy and turned their attention to another looming threat to global economic integration: the first round of France’s presidential election. (more)

However, funnier still is the resurfacing of a familiar face.  You might well remember former Mexican Finance Minister Augustin Carstens resigned as Mexico’s central bank chief just after the election of Donald Trump.   Well, apparently, the job of saving face for the changed approach of the IMF/World Bank is now squarely on Carsten’s shoulders.

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The basic media opposition to President Donald Trump is so severe that most of their representative silliness is now ignored.  However, every once in a while, they goofiest of them find a way to push the scope of their Trump Derangement Syndrome to such a ridiculous level that it becomes noteworthy simply to ridicule the ridiculousness of it all.

Such an example surface from MSNBC and Rachel Maddow who twisted herself into a pretzel to find a way to blame President Trump for the protests in Venezuela.

At the 01:13 moment of this video, for ten seconds, it is possible to look through the stargate into bizzarro world. [Prompted, just hit play]

https://youtu.be/_7WYMl7Zc1Q?t=1m10s

 

…”there have been weeks, and weeks, and weeks of rioting and violent protests. And now today Venezuelans are enraged anew – by this brand new FEC filing from the White House“..

Yes, somehow, twisted though it may be, Baghdad Maddow is claiming the people on the street in Venezuela are protesting because the owner of Citgo donated to the Trump inauguration fund.  Folks, you just can’t make up this level of moonbattery.

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There is a massive psy-ops and social media propaganda campaign currently being pushed by the Venezuelan government in order to cover for their violent responses toward the average citizen in the country.  Liberal/Hollywood media are lax in covering the crisis because Venezuela represents a failure of their previously heralded socialist state.

What is continuing to happen in Venezuela is heartbreaking. Today Venezuela’s opposition march in silence honor a dozen people killed during protests demanding that the government of President Nicolas Maduro hold delayed elections and address a growing economic crisis. Watch:

Added STs
PLEASE watch, forward 2 @POTUS

We can’t sit by & do nothing
simply because Venezuela isn’t on anyone’s talking pt#SOSVenezuela? pic.twitter.com/auYIpHPf3K

— Из России с?MamaReg (@MamaReg2) April 22, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Twelve people have been killed in a renewed wave of demonstrations this month in incidents primarily involving security forces or armed civilians. Another eight were electrocuted in a looting incident that took place following a protest as people search for food.

No Comments #MarchaEnSilencio #Caracas #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/J8WTTjr8xY

— Laura Machado (@machadolarralde) April 22, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

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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

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

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 †

President Trump delivers the weekly address from the White House for April 21st 2017:

[Transcript]  My Fellow Americans,

A new optimism is sweeping our country as we return power from Washington and give it back to the American People, where it belongs.

For too long, American workers were forgotten by their government – and I mean totally forgotten. Their interests were pushed aside for global projects, and their wealth was taken from their communities and shipped across the world, all across the seas.

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Vice President Mike Pence is in Australia today and will be attending a joint press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at 9:30pm tonight (U.S Eastern).

PM Turnbull previously began the relationship with the Trump administration poorly by attempting to paint President Trump into a corner on accepting illegal immigrants.  The relationship did not get off to a good start. This presser might be interesting.

UPDATE: Video Added. Yes, it was interesting. Toward the end of the presser Pence was asked about the controversial illegal immigrant deal. Pence said POTUS Trump “out of respect, would live up to the deal“, but also added “that doesn’t mean he admires the deal”.

Prime Minister Turnbull sure is a weasely fella. Put Barack Obama and Ted Cruz into a blender, mix them up, reconstitute, and you just about get a Malcolm Turnbull.  A Sketchy talker with a creepy deceitful, stab-you-in-the-back kinda vibe…

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U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis was in Israel earlier today where he participated in a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Liberman.

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President Trump visited the Treasury Department today so sign one executive order and two presidential memorandums.

The executive order requires Treasury to identify and lessen burdens from tax regulations issued in 2016.  The two memorandum focus on examining and possibly revisiting two areas of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law in an effort to remove the regulatory and compliance burdens on smaller banks.

When Dodd-Frank was instituted it was sold to the electorate as a bill to stop banks from becoming too big to fail, there were 12 massive banks under that definition.  The goal was to create more national banks.  Since passage those ‘too big to fail banks‘ have become even bigger.  Twelve banks, are now five even bigger banks.  Go figure.

[Transcript] 2:55 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Steve. Great honor, I must say. It’s a great pleasure to be at the United States Treasury Department and to meet so many dedicated public servants.

I went through that beautiful hallway where those incredible paintings of past secretaries, and it was really very interesting. I want to read every one, I want to learn about every one of them, but we have one that I hope will go down as one of the greats. I think Hamilton is tough to beat, but maybe you can do that too. We’ll take it, right? But thank you very much.

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Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney appears on Bloomberg News to discuss the seismic, epic, thundershock confrontational clash that is about to take place between the Trump administration and the DC UniParty.

There are no adjectives capable of describing the scope and immeasurable scale of the battle that is about to transpire between the White House and the Democrat/Republican UniParty.

MONEY is where every entity within the full-swamp goes nuclear against President Trump and the administration.  Despite all prior discussions toward this end, it is doubtful that more than one-in-a-million people can fully grasp the dynamic at play.

Because the procedural wonk is so inherently riddled with ten thousand tentacles of political schematics, I will defray the wonk-speak until after the video.

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If you are interested in deep political weeds, keep reading. However, if you have blood pressure issues or are concerned about your physical or mental health, STOP HERE and go enjoy life. Believe me.

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