There are three big Senate confirmation hearings this week, starting with HHS nominee RFK Jr on Wednesday, and then DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard and FBI nominee Kash Patel on Thursday.

Robert F Kennedy Jr will have two days in front of two different committees (Wed and Thursday).  Gabbard will have her Senate Intel Committee hearing and Kash Patel will have his hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee.  None of the three are sure things with each of them having about a 50/50 chance of confirmation out of committee as current opposition is aligned.

♦ Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr starts the week Wednesday at 10:00am EST in front of the Senate Finance Committee.  Kennedy’s opposition group consists of one of the largest lobbying groups in Washington DC, Big Pharma and Big Agriculture.

RFK Jr’s goal of reshaping HHS, FDA and USDA faces significant opposition from the lobbying groups who have paid for influence on policy and regulations and the Senators who have received funding to turn that lobbying into legislation and regulation.  On the positive side, the general public sentiment is supportive of the MAHA agenda. Public pressure could be the factor that secures the nomination, but nothing is certain.

♦ Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard represents the biggest internal threat to the Intelligence Community power and control structure within Washington DC.  However, recent reports now reflect that former Senate Intel Committee Chair Richard Burr is her guide in the nomination process.

As SSCI Chairman Burr was in favorable position with the IC in ’17, and ’18, but then after two years of passive support for the Trump targeting operation, he began to get wobbly in the eyes of the Seven Ways from Sunday group. They then carried out an operation to remove Burr via public leaks and investigative ends around Burr’s stock purchases and financial arrangements.  Burr was softly excommunicated from his status and replaced with Marco Rubio.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth started his first official day on Monday morning, by answering a few questions from the media on the steps of the Pentagon. Hegseth committed to supporting President Donald Trump’s initiative of mass deportations.  WATCH:

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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.

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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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An interesting interview between Maria Bartiromo and recently confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Within the interview Director Ratcliffe outlines the big picture instructions and direction he has received from President Trump during the second term in office.  In essence, the request from President Trump is for all of the IC silo heads to begin completely removing the elements of political manipulation from within the operations they are now going to lead.

To accomplish the goal, the ultimate goal, President Trump has instinctively told the incoming IC administrators to regain trust through transparency.  This approach is not only to regain the trust of the American people, but also -importantly- to regain the trust of President Trump’s office, which has -obviously- been targeted by the same IC silos the new cabinet members are charged to steer.  This is a critical approach. Do not filter information, just provide the sunlight upon the information as assembled.

In alignment with Vice-President JD Vance’s recent comments on the issue, Ratcliffe notes this was one of the primary reasons he quickly released the CIA assessment on the Wuhan Lab in China as the most likely origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic virus.  While it is far too early to tell how effective Ratcliffe (and others) might be in this new priority goal, at least Ratcliffe outlines the importance of it very well.  WATCH:

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Within this example the American people not only see the deliberate nature of President Trump’s intent to carry out America-First policy, we are also getting an unmistakable confirmation of how our government could have previously stopped all of the bad activity in the past.

Using economic influence as a national security strategy, President Trump responded to the repatriation denials of the Colombian president with focus and the benefit of very fortuitous timing. With Valentines Day only two-weeks away, and with all floral contracts with Colombian growers previously locked in, any tariff, inspection delay or import embargo would have destroyed their industry.

President Gustavo Petro was facing an immediate 25 percent tariff on all goods imported from Colombia, visa restrictions, a travel ban, enhanced border patrol inspections and financial sanctions. Petro conceded to Trump’s responsive terms within hours, even retweeting the message from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

[SOURCE]

In addition to all other notes evident in this example, all other national leaders are now on notice about what will happen if they refuse repatriation of illegal aliens.  #FAFO

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be well received in his previously scheduled upcoming visits.

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Senator John Thune appears with Maria Bartiromo for a discussion on legislative intents and the schedule to confirm President Trump’s Cabinet nominees.  Senator Thune outlines his expectation that 12 nominations gain full senate confirmation within the first 15 days.  WATCH:

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A very non-pretending Tom Homan appears on ABC This Week with Martha Raddatz to discuss the deportation operation currently underway.  Martha asks the same question 4 or 5 different ways and keeps getting the same answer.  She just can’t believe that illegal aliens are going to be deported.  WATCH:

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There are moments in life to just savor. This is one of them.

Apparently, Colombia has refused repatriation flights of illegal aliens.  President Trump responds forcefully, in what can only be described as epic, in part due to the timing of this.  Colombia is the #1 exporter of long stem roses (and other flowers) to the USA.  Valentines Day is about two weeks away.  I love Trump!

President Trump (via Truth Social) – I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people. Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures:

-Emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States. In one week, the 25% tariffs will be raised to 50%.

-A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.

-Visa Sanctions on all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.

-Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo on national security grounds.

-IEEPA Treasury, Banking and Financial Sanctions to be fully imposed.

These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States! (Source)

Seriously folks, there could not be better timing.

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CBS’s Margaret Brennan is desperate to secure her role as an established leader of the media resistance; in part, due to her peers losing their jobs, positions and relevance in the aftermath of President Trump’s reelection and the collapse of the business model for multiple media outlets.

Vice President JD Vance is interviewed by Brennan in part due to her intent going in.  Vance was very well prepared in substance and structure to confront the insufferable media narrative represented in the tone, content and construct of Brennan’s activist and contrarian position.

The majority of Americans hate the media; Margaret Brennan showcases why.  However, the interview (or transcript – below) is well worth reviewing, because JD Vance took her narrative talking points, wound them into a tight intellectual cloth and slapped her across the face for almost 20 solid minutes. WATCH: 

The part about Tulsi Gabbard is really good.

…”She recognizes the bureaucrats have gotten out of control, and we need somebody there who’s going to rein them in and return those services to their core mission of identifying information that’s going to keep us safe.“

Not identifying or outlining “action.” Not “actionable priorities.” Not articulating targeted “stakeholder” interests. Not creating action. Simply “identifying information“… Yes. Yes. Yes. Let the executive, the commander in chief, determine outcome. Just provide clear, raw, factual, intelligence information. Full stop. Core mission. Nothing more. He knows.

[TRANSCRIPT] – MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Vice President, if you’re ready, we’ll dive right in.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE: Ready to go.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, both defense secretaries from President Trump’s last term were confirmed overwhelmingly, 90 percent of the vote. Pete Hegseth, it was a tie, bipartisan opposition, smallest margin since the job was created. You had to break that tie. If the nominee can’t unite your party, how is he going to lead three million people?

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