President Trump hosts a dinner at the White House honoring Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the close relationship between the USA and Japan.
At the beginning of the dinner, President Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered remarks. WATCH:
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During congressional testimony today, Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw, a man who is leaving congress at the end of this term having lost his primary race, took the opportunity to question FBI Director Kash Patel about FISA-702.
As most are aware the reauthorization of FISA-702 has a deadline if mid-April this year, and there is a great deal of background debate surrounding it. Apparently, Dan Crenshaw wants to ensure the renewal is successful.
Crenshaw begins his defense by asking a very specific question to FBI Director Kash Patel about President Trump’s Crossfire Hurricane targeted and whether FISA-702 was related to that investigation. Here it is important to remember that the NSA database was exploited in 2016 (Spygate) that ended with the Title-1 FISA warrant (Russiagate).
Both are correct in that FISA-702 was not the legal underpinning for the Carter Page FISA warrant, ultimately targeting Donald Trump. However, conveniently omitted in the questioning is the original surveillance of the 2016 GOP candidates from November 2015 through April 2016 that did involve exploitation of the database under the justification that FISA-702 creates. WATCH:
These are not “myths” Mr Crenshaw. You are both correct that there is no “authority granted under 702” to conduct surveillance. However, in 2016 conducting surveillance using 702 as a justification is what took place.
The collection of American citizen metadata does factually take place. At this point no-one denies it.
That data is then stored in a searchable database, a library of U.S. citizen data colloquially known as the “NSA database”.
Within the NSA database that metadata collection creates, there is a process to search it based on “identifiers.”
The collection of data, the database itself, as well as the search functioning therein, is part of the toolbox for FISA-702 surveillance.
Representative Elise Stefanik is a strong supporter of Israel and has concerns about current narratives swirling around the politicization of Intelligence Community information to shape anti-Israel sentiments. Part of that collective effort is a not-so-subtle effort to remove DNI Gabbard from her position by questioning her loyalties. A considerable segment of Washington DC wants to return to a more Dan Coats style DNI.
As a tenured member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), Mrs. Stefanik used her time during the congressional testimony of Gabbard, Ratcliffe and Patel to confirm the Trump administration policy toward the IC to remove all political interests. WATCH:
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In the political horse racing analogy, the stable of Peter Thiel has taken major hits recently as the stable of Larry Ellison is gaining considerable influence. However, it’s a steeplechase and anything can happen.
Peter Thiel <-> Elon Musk <-> Larry Ellison
Today, President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House. The anticipated start time is 12:00pm ET with Livestream Links Below:
UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other national security officials testify on threats to the U.S. amid the Iran war before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
The testimony begins at 10:00am ET, with livestream links below:
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, hold a press briefing at the Pentagon.
Secretary Hegseth and General Caine spoke of attending the return ceremony for the refueling crews killed in the recent combat mission, then gave an operations update. General Caine noted the recent operation to drop 5,000/lb ground penetrating bombs along the coast to destroy underground missile and drone launch facilities.
General Caine also confirmed that A-10 Warthog fighters are deployed to hunt and destroy Iranian fast boat terror missions. The media Q&A begins at 20:05. WATCH:
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The South Pars/North Dome field is a natural-gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is by far the world’s largest natural gas field, with ownership of the field shared between Iran and Qatar. According to the International Energy Agency, the field holds an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of in-site natural gas.
President Trump is not happy about Israel’s unilateral decision to strike at the Pars gas field; however, pay attention to what Trump diplomatically describes as the motive:
[TRUTH SOCIAL] – “Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran. A relatively small section of the whole has been hit. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.
Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility.”
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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 †
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Representative Don Bacon is openly and publicly in opposition to every President Trump policy. Bacon is a ‘professional republican’, a traditional DeSantis republican.
Appearing on CNN the Nebraska Republican says if President Trump were to leave NATO, “there would be a civil war in the republican caucus.” WATCH (prompted):
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