Chopper Pressers are the best pressers. This morning as President Trump departs the White House for a trip to Scotland, the most transparent president in history stops to take questions and deliver remarks to the assembled press pool.
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President Trump states he is anticipating meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit to Turnberry, Scotland, and takes questions on a variety of subjects including, trade, dollar value, EU trade agreement, Russia/Ukraine, Iran nuclear ambitions, Gaza, Hamas, the Federal Reserve, the economy, President Obama’s immunity status, the ongoing review and investigation by DNI Tulsi Gabbard and more.
The Japanese essentially did not want to face a 25% tariff on automobiles exported to the USA. At the same time, they did not want to permit full USA access to several sectors of their market. The solution is quite remarkable.
Japan agrees to be the bank, to essentially finance any national security priority of President Trump to the tune of $55o billion. In return, Japan gets a 15% tariff on automobiles, and 10% return on the profit of the ¹business they finance in the U.S. Japan is essentially purchasing a lower tariff rate.
PRESIDENT TRUMP – “We just completed a massive Deal with Japan, perhaps the largest Deal ever made. Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits. This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs — There has never been anything like it. Perhaps most importantly, Japan will open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things. Japan will pay Reciprocal Tariffs to the United States of 15%. This is a very exciting time for the United States of America, and especially for the fact that we will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explains:
EXAMPLE: President Trump wants generic drug manufacturing in the USA. U.S. company ‘Main Street Drugs’ agrees to build a $100 billion manufacturing plant. Japan finances the building and company creation. Main Street Drugs owns and operates the business, keeps 90% of the profits, Japan gets 10%.
Trump (USA) has $450 billion in financing left to spend on the next priority, perhaps a railroad connection or transit system.
Sean Hannity and John Solomon have apparently ejected Sara Carter for “Tick Tock Term-2”, seemingly replacing her with James (‘sounds like Gopher from Winnie the Pooh‘) Comer.
In the latest iteration of the tick-tock walls closing in, at least according to Solomon, the FBI is currently doing a “grand conspiracy” investigation of Barack Obama, James Comey, John Brennan and James Clapper.
Solomon says below, “This is a criminal conspiracy. And by treating it as a conspiracy, you eliminate the five-year statutes on individual crimes. So if something happened in 2016, but it was part of an ongoing conspiracy that continued with Jack Smith raiding Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, it can be charged in the larger conspiracy. Even though, if you tried to charge it as an individual case, you wouldn’t get it.” WATCH:
According to Solomon, even Lee Zeldin is a potential candidate to lead a special prosecution team against the former conspirators, and the evidence is so overwhelming … “a special prosecutor would have a jumpstart. This could be wrapped up in a couple of years.”…
I can’t even begin to wrap my head around how ridiculous this claim by Hannity, Solomon and Representative ‘Gopher‘ Comer actually is. Who believes this nonsense? We are years beyond believing the FBI is structurally doing anything to return fire against the Obama administration; yet here is Fox News selling bulk hopium to their viewers.
As expected, no one in the media pool asked the key question. If Ukraine is not a NATO member, and Russia is not a NATO member, then why is NATO even involved? Not a single media outlet cared enough to even ask the brutally obvious.
LET US NOT PRETEND. There is good news and there is bad news within the outlined strategy. More good than bad, despite the spin room narrative engineering being immediately spread by U.S. media.
First, President Trump is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin 50 days to finish his strategic military operations in Ukraine, before a 100% tariff rate is executed against the Russian economy. With direct U.S. trade with Russia already not happening, the tariff would likely be applied toward any country purchasing any goods or resources from Russia (specifically India, China, Iran, etc.).
Second, despite Lindsey Graham and the EU leaders discussing the confiscation of Russian assets held in EU/USA bonds, neither President Trump nor NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte mentioned it. Again, the media never asked that question. Thankfully, President Trump seems to realize if such a confiscation took place, the financial credibility of the entire western finance system would be compromised. No nation would want to put their national wealth at risk by buying U.S. and EU treasury bonds.
Third, the part the MSM will focus on. In the interim of the 50 days, NATO will be both purchasing and moving offensive and defensive weapons systems into Ukraine. On the defensive weapon side, Germany will likely send Patriot missile batteries, and NATO will replace them with new U.S. purchases. In addition all NATO states will provide increased offensive weapons and purchases will be made from U.S. stockpiles. Those new offensive weapons will likely be held back until the end of the 50 days, giving Putin something to think about to bring him to the table.
Summary. Putin has 50 days. In the interim NATO is approved by Trump to ship offensive and defensive weapons into Ukraine. The Senate sanctions package will continue to be assembled, perhaps approved, but not deployed until after the 100% tariffs are executed if Russia is non compliant in getting to the table.
The carrot is the 50 days to get finished. The stick is all hell will break loose on Russia, including new and powerful offensive weapons, if Putin doesn’t end the conflict prior to the 50-day deadline.
Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumental appear on CBS with the always dramatic Margaret Brennan to discuss what President Trump is going to do against Russia and President Vladimir Putin tomorrow. Senator Lindsey Graham is very happy with the plans President Trump will outline tomorrow; very happy.
The action appears to center around the confiscation of Russian assets, Russian central bank reserves held in European bonds. The money belongs to the people of Russia in the form of bonds previously purchased by Russia using a system that many nations follow, including all those nations who buy U.S. treasuries.
If the USA or Europe end up confiscating those funds, the only thing this action would prove is that the western financial system cannot be trusted. Many Nations are already reluctant, some fleeing from EU/U.S treasuries as a result of this threat, and we are seeing changes in the bond rates as a result. Senator Graham doesn’t care about the strategic financial interests of the USA, he’s more concerned about fighting Russia regardless of long-term ramifications. WATCH:
[TRANSCRIPT] – MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation. We have a lot to get to this morning. So, let’s begin with Senator Lindsey Graham in Clemson, South Carolina, and Senator Richard Blumenthal in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They both just returned from Europe, where they met with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Good morning to you both, Senators.
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Good morning.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Good Morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Graham, I want to start with you. Russia is escalating. They’re not ending this war in Ukraine. NATO’s Secretary General is going to be here, in Washington, this week and will be meeting with President Trump, who is, according to our reporting, considering fresh funding for Ukraine. That would be the first time since he’s taken office. What do you know about what is coming?
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.
CNN state media narrative engineers (think State Dept. in all things CNN) are running with a story to promote a new book by Josh Dawsey (Wall Street Journal – Author), Tyler Pager (New York Times – Author), Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post – Author) where they write about an audio segment by candidate Trump telling NY donors how he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping.
The leaked audio is essentially unremarkable as President Trump has told this story several times. However, the background context is more interesting when we consider the motives of the WSJ, NYT and WaPo. Here’s the segment:
The WSJ is against President Trump based on economics; WSJ representing Wall Street. The NYT is against President Trump based on DHS/DOJ domestic opposition from within DC. The WaPo is against President Trump based on the CIA position and larger intelligence community. None of the motives within these outlets are challenged by the intellectually honest political observers.
I’ll put the entire cabinet meeting in another post. It is interesting that RFK Jr. was not present (?).
For this outline, let’s focus on the issue that is exploding the MAGA and anti-MAGA universe on social media right now. President Trump and Pam Bondi’s response to a question about Jeffrey Epstein and the controversial DOJ/FBI memo that now states there is no “third party” or “client list” connected to the Epstein sex trafficking.
Obviously, President Trump is not happy with attention focused on the Epstein issues. The most likely reason for the frustration expressed is simply that President Trump is unaware how much the Epstein issues are -and have been- part of the background focus within the base of his support. Here’s the segment. WATCH:
First, kudos to Marco Rubio for his stone faced and remarkably unaffected disposition within the exchange. It takes time and experience to remain stoic at this level. Exceptional control.
Second, everyone here has a reasonable BS detector – meaning we can tell when a person is not telling the truth. It is transparently obvious AG Pam Bondi is extremely uncomfortable with the Epstein issue, and her responses indicate she is not being honest or forthright. You could say, she’s lying; however, the facts of her presentation are a little more complicated.
The main issue around Bondi’s less-than-fulsome response is the motive. Is she lying because she’s just grossly incompetent about the issue, or is she lying because she is nefarious in her intent. The Occam’s Razor answer to her obvious parseltongue is a combination of both.
Appearing on CNBC to explain the big picture economics, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlines how debt and deficit hawks are seemingly blind to the need for GDP growth to deal with federal spending.
From the outset of President Trump’s MAGAnomic policies in his T-1 and T-2 platform, growing the U.S. economy, expanding the size of the GDP is a key facet to dealing with debt and deficits. President Trump has always promoted economic policy that expands the size of the pie rather than focus on making smaller portions of each spending slice.
Secretary Bessent also explains the current status of the tariffs as delivered by the Trump administration. The next few days are exceptionally busy with incoming requests to renegotiate trade terms, and avoid countervailing duties. WATCH:
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Big picture: Trump, Lutnick and Greer are now transmitting 1. Baseline tariffs (10-20%), 2. Reciprocity tariffs (trade imbalance) and 3. Section 232 tariffs (ex. Steel and Aluminum). Countries are notified and their tariff rate begins on August 1st.
President Trump held an impromptu presser aboard Air Force One traveling to New Jersey after July 4th celebrations. Interesting comments about Ukraine and Russia as President Trump took several questions.
At 07:51, “Mr President, are you confident you will be able to find a way to end the fighting in Ukraine?” President Trump responds, “That’s an interesting question”…. WATCH:
