To celebrate the anniversary of the 2016 presidential election President Trump tweets “Congratulations Deplorables”:

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As CTH provides an overview of President Trump’s historic visit to communist China the majority of our review is toward the geopolitical aspects.  China is a communist nation; many people forget that.  China’s central command and control authority goals are to dominate the globe with a disposition that China is the world’s center.

Therefore the optics and presentations from Beijing contain more audiences, and more nuance, than what is customary in a state visit with a non-adversarial free society.
China, Xi Jinping and Beijing’s communist old guard, approach the U.S. presidential visit from a dynamic unfamiliar to most U.S. observers and political watchers.  There are multiple audiences, internally and externally for China, being managed in this visit.   Additionally, the engagement with President Trump and First-Lady Melania Trump is both cultural and political.
Despite the complexity of the dynamic it is possible to locate indicators within this controlled script that later allows us to analyze the U.S. and Chinese engagement as future events present.   These important reviews of how Beijing is controlling the visit are not related to personal relationship dynamics or disrespect toward the U.S. President. The considerations are about the politics not the personality.
The personality of the participants may change; but the dynamic of the politics, the geopolitical face, presented by Beijing toward their ongoing goals and objectives, will remain constant for many years.  For our endeavors, it is the dynamic of the geopolitical face that becomes more important.  We are looking beyond the mask; whether it’s a panda mask or a dragon mask, it matters not. It’s always a mask. [Hope that makes sense.]
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President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet complete with marching band and joyful children for the arrival of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
However, there will be strict controls on U.S. and Western media, so don’t expect too much unchecked communication; as well as expansive control over the optics of the general Chinese population. Beijing’s old guard will not want the optic of too warm a welcome from the uncontrolled population toward their primary geopolitical adversary.

Schedule:
2:40pm (Local) / 1:40am (U.S. Easern) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at Beijing Airport, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China
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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

President Donald Trump delivered a historic speech to the South Korean National Assembly in Seoul. Amid escalating tensions with North Korea, President Trump outlined his views, policy and perspective for the regional partners while calling for North Korea to reevaluate its path.

[WHITE HOUSE] PRESIDENT TRUMP: Assembly Speaker Chung, distinguished members of this Assembly, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the extraordinary privilege to speak in this great chamber and to address your people on behalf of the people of the United States of America.
In our short time in your country, Melania and I have been awed by its ancient and modern wonders, and we are deeply moved by the warmth of your welcome.
Last night, President and Mrs. Moon showed us incredible hospitality in a beautiful reception at the Blue House. We had productive discussions on increasing military cooperation and improving the trade relationship between our nations on the principle of fairness and reciprocity.
Through this entire visit, it has been both our pleasure and our honor to create and celebrate a long friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
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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 †

Tonight President Donald Trump will address the national assembly in Seoul, South Korea amid ongoing tensions with North Korea and regional allies over its nuclear program.  This speech is considered one of the most important policy speeches of the trip as President Trump is speaking directly to the National Assembly in the Republic of Korea.
The speech is scheduled at approximately 11:05am (local) / 9:05pm (U.S. EST)
WH Livestream Link – RSBN Livestream Link – Alternate (PBS) Livestream Link

At the conclusion of the speech (12:05pm / 10:05pm) the President and First Lady will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery prior to departing for China.
[1:25pm / 11:25pm departure from Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea en route to Beijing.]
[2:40pm / 1:40am Arrival in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.]
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Tonight there are 2017 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York.  The contests, particularly in Virginia, are being closely watched by political followers in an effort to determine the current tone and electoral sentiment for the current state of U.S. politics.
Virginia voters are choosing the Governor, Lt. Gov. and Attorney General.  New Jersey voters are picking the Governor; and New York City voters are picking the Mayor.
The Virginia Governors race between Ed Gillespie (Republican) and Ralph Northam (Democorat) will be the most watched race of the evening.

Ed Gillespie (Republican, left) and Ralph Northam (Democorat, right)

UPDATE: Democrat Candidate Ralph Northam wins the Virginia Governors race 52.6% to 46.2% and in New Jersey Democrat Candidate Phillip Murphy winds 55% to 42%.
Perhaps the GOPe will finally stop running Gillespie for offic… wait, wut,… nah, never happen.  Bright side: Mrs Dana “Bush” Perino, heartbroken… sad trombone.
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The role of Fusion GPS as an active participant in the 2016 election is growing in scope amid another report showing increased involvement.   Previously the DNC and Clinton Campaign teams were forced to admit they hired Fusion GPS to engage in political activity and research against presidential candidate Trump.  The outcome of their efforts centered around the Russian Dossier by Christopher Steele.
However, today a report shows the founder of Fusion GPS actually met with Russian operative Natalia Veselnitskaya immediately prior to her visit to Trump Tower and immediately after.
There is a concern that Fusion GPS might have been conducting a political operation against Trump using Veselnitskaya.

(Via Fox News) […] The June 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya occurred during a critical period. At that time, Fox News has learned that bank records show Fusion GPS was paid by a law firm for work on behalf of a Kremlin-linked oligarch while paying a former British spy Christopher Steele to dig up dirt on Trump through his Russian contacts.
But hours before the Trump Tower meeting on June 9, 2016, Fusion co-founder and ex-Wall Street Journal reporter Glenn Simpson was with Veselnitskaya in a Manhattan federal courtroom, a confidential source told Fox News. Court records reviewed by Fox News, email correspondence and published reports corroborate the pair’s presence together. The source told Fox News they also were together after the Trump Tower meeting.  (read more)

The leftist deep-state apologist side of political narrative building are selling a story of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a comparative persona to the DPRK’s Kim Jong-un.  However, a more accurate analysis might pose the question: is Robert Mueller the U.S. Jeffersonian version of Saudi’s Crown Prince?
Time will tell.  Indeed, time will tell:

DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian banks have frozen more than 1,200 accounts belonging to individuals and companies in the kingdom as part of the government’s anti-corruption purge, bankers and lawyers said on Tuesday.
They added that the number is continuing to rise.
Dozens of royal family members, officials and business executives have been detained in the crackdown and are facing allegations of money laundering, bribery, extorting officials and taking advantage of public office for personal gain.

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