President Trump and Melania Trump attend a briefing in Corpus Christi Texas to show their support and learn more about ongoing Hurricane Harvey flood efforts.

Showing support for the people of Texas as they deal with historic flooding from Hurricane Harvey, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive.

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

There is an saying people use to criticize President Trump based on the people around him:

“People are policy, and policy is people”…

The basic argument is that Mr. Trump can be swayed or distracted from his mission by his staff and those he hires.
This is a common catch-phrase brought about by historic and conventional wisdom.  However, when applied to President Trump, it’s also just plain wrong.
No similar cliche is appropriate for Donald Trump, nothing deters or influences him from his larger decades-long ‘America-First’ economic strategy. Nothing.
Donald Trump is the policy. There’s no assembly of advisers on economic issues that can ever sway his instinct.
Example:

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump last month rejected a Chinese proposal to cut steel overcapacity, despite the endorsement of some of his top advisers, the Financial Times said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Beijing proposed cutting steel overcapacity by 150 million tonnes by 2022 in a deal twice rejected by Trump, who instead urged advisers to find ways to impose tariffs on imports from China, the paper said, citing the sources.

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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 †

The media are so predictable it becomes a little funny after a while.  CNN specializes in the State Department and sells their narratives. Washington Post specializes in the CIA and sells their narratives.  NYT focuses on DOJ, FBI and Intelligence Community overall.
Senator Bob Corker leaks a letter he received from Secretary of State Tillerson directly to CNN.  Secretary Tillerson is informing Senator Corker of State Department downsizing.  Republicans in congress have already threatened to sue Trump administration to force more spending on State Department.

(Via The Hill) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is preparing to eliminate or downgrade special envoy positions at the State Department, CNN reported Monday.
The secretary, in a letter addressed to Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) obtained by CNN, proposed shaking up as many as three-dozen posts, by either letting go or transferring the envoys.

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Beijing (China) is attempting to “trigger” President Trump’s internal neo-con and militaristic opposition. Stay frosty, avoid emotional reports demanding military engagement, and remain steady with a high altitude perspective.
Multiple reports now confirming that North Korea has conducted a missile test. The flight path escalates the issues by crossing over part of Northern Japan. In essence, Beijing China just threw an elbow at President Trump. [The likely “Why” follows breaking report]

TOKYO (Reuters) – North Korea fired a missile that passed over northern Japan early on Tuesday, the Japanese government said. The government’s J-Alert warning system advised people in the area to take precautions, but public broadcaster NHK said there was no sign of damage.
The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile, which passed over Japanese territory around 6:06 a.m. local time (2106 GMT). (Reuters)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after the launch, said the missile appeared to have passed over airspace and that the government was urgently collecting intelligence on the incident and doing everything to ensure the safety of its citizens, according to remarks broadcast on NHK, Bloomberg News reports.
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President Trump met with Finland’s President Niinistö in the Oval Office prior to the East Room press conference. During their remarks President Trump discusses his upcoming trip to Texas and the ongoing coordinated efforts between federal, state and local officials in the massive impact zone.

President Trump holds a joint press conference today with President Niinistö of Finland.  The anticipated start time is approximately 4:30pm EDT the third livestream is currently active.
UPDATE: Video Added

You may have heard of the guy in Colorado named Joshua Witt who claimed he was stabbed for having a neo-Nazi haircut earlier this month.  The claim gathered national attention and was widely distributed by social media and by MSM.
Well, the entire story was faked.
Yup, he made it up.  Mr. Witt stabbed himself. He was just arrested.
Fake hate.

(Via Denver Post) Sheridan police arrested a man after he admitted cutting himself and making up a story about being stabbed by someone who asked if he was a “neo-Nazi.”