There’s a lot of news this week reflecting a great deal of oppositional alignment against the presidency of Donald Trump. CTH can get down in the weeds of each specific issue to discuss the motives and intents (we will, and do), but the big picture MUST remain at the forefront of understanding. If we lose track of the big picture, the weeds are overwhelming.

…“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.”
~ Niccolò Machiavelli

♦POTUS Trump is disrupting the global order of things in order to protect and preserve the shrinking interests of the U.S. middle-class.  He is fighting, almost single-handed, at the threshold of the abyss. Our interests, our position, is zero-sum; if POTUS Trump fails, there will never be another available route to confront the Big Club.
President Trump’s aggregate opposition seeks to repel and retain the status-quo. They were on the cusp of full economic control over the U.S. just before candidate Trump snatched away their victory.  There are trillions at stake. They won’t make that mistake again.
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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 †

Democrat Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is the representative from Long Island City where Amazon was going to put their headquarters.  Along with many other Democrats Ms. Maloney is stunned at how the moonbat wing of the party has taken over.
AOC and her followers think a ‘tax abatement’ is an actual bucket of pre-existing cash they can now spend to improve New York schools and infrastructure.  No, seriously, they actually believe this… It’s far beyond economic dissonance, it’s Moonbattery.

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70% tax rates. Free college and medicare for everyone. Cars and airplanes made illegal. A ban on cows and meat. Social justice mobs who cheer destroying jobs… Alexandria Occasional-Cortex and her millions of followers is the gift that keeps on giving.
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United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin concluded the second round of trade negotiations in China with a meeting with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Liu He.
Both teams are working on a way-point memo of understanding (MOU). Talks will continue. Both sides extending diplomatic courtesies and presenting an optimistic face.

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[White House]  This week, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, officials from the United States traveled to Beijing to continue negotiations on the trade relationship between the United States and China. On the United States side, the talks were led by Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative, and the Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, the Secretary of the Treasury.
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When a liar lies they often have trouble keeping their statements consistent.  Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe gave an interview to CBS and wrote an op-ed, a book excerpt, in the Atlantic with outlining a specific sequence of events, dates and statements surrounding the days immediately after James Comey was fired.  However, a review of the timeline and the statements he delivered to CBS is contradicted by his prior congressional testimony.

In his published book excerpt (The Atlantic) McCabe outlines a series of contacts and meetings with President Trump on May 9th, 2017, the day Comey was fired, and then again on May 10th, 2017, the following day.

McCabe (Via The Atlantic) On Wednesday, May 10, 2017, my first full day on the job as acting director of the FBI, I sat down with senior staff involved in the Russia case—the investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. As the meeting began, my secretary relayed a message that the White House was calling. The president himself was on the line.
[…] As requested, I went back to the White House that afternoon. The scene was almost identical to the one I had walked into the previous night. (more)

Note “the previous night” would have been Tuesday May 9, 2017, the day Comey was fired.  So McCabe met with POTUS the evening of the 9th, and the afternoon of the 10th.
Now listen and watch McCabe discuss with Scott Pelley the date he decided to open the criminal investigation of President Trump under the auspices of obstruction of justice.
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Earlier today President Donald Trump delivered remarks announcing his intention to use a national emergency declaration to fund border security measures at the U.S-Mexico border.  This comes on the heels of a legislative compromise to avoid a government shutdown.
The move is expected to face a swift and forceful legal challenge that could stall the attempt in the courts for the near future. But the declaration and other money-moving plans allow Trump to continue to fight for border wall construction while also averting another partial government shutdown — which would have been triggered at midnight absent the new funding package. [Video and Transcript]

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[Transcript] Rose Garden – 10:39 A.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, everybody. Before we begin, I’d like to just say that we have a large team of very talented people in China. We’ve had a negotiation going on for about two days. It’s going extremely well. Who knows what that means, because it only matters if we get it done. But we’re very much working very closely with China and President Xi, who I respect a lot. Very good relationship that we have. And we’re a lot closer than we ever were in this country with having a real trade deal.
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CTH shared this hilarious video on February 6th; today President Trump shared it with the world.  Epic and hilarious:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1096485376087097344
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Chicago police have arrested two Nigerian brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo (pictured below), and are calling them potential suspects in the alleged attack against actor Jussie Smollett.

The arrest could be problematic for the victim if the police request a line-up to identify the perpetrators. Previously, the actor stated the attack was carried out by two white males wearing MAGA hats. Based on an investigative review of the alleged attackers they do not appear to meet the profile.

Chicago – Two potential suspects in the alleged racial attack on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett have been arrested, Chicago police said Friday.  […] Police also confirmed “they have a relationship with [Jussie].”
This news comes hours after police told ABC News they were classifying them as potential suspects.

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The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue of the 2020 census citizenship question, and legal challenges per the Commerce Dept -vs- New York.

(pdf link)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday that it will take up the battle over a citizenship question for the coming census, agreeing to hear and decide the case before the court’s term ends in late June. (more)