theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-20--President Trump Delivers Commencement Address, Hope for Prisoners Graduation Ceremony – Video and Tr

President Trump Delivers Commencement Address, Hope for Prisoners Graduation Ceremony – Video and Transcript…

Today President Trump will be delivering the commencement address at Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony in Las Vegas , Nevada .
Anticipated start time 2:45pm ET .
[ Transcript ] – THE PRESIDENT : Good to see you .
How long have you been doing this ?
MR. PONDER : Yes , sir .
Thank you .
THE PRESIDENT : Jon has been doing this for 11 years , and he ’ s done incredible .
And so many people have such respect for him and — I shouldn ’ t tell you this .
Should I tell it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Laughter . )
THE PRESIDENT : So they ’ re all saying , “ He ’ s done so well .
He ’ s saved so many lives .
He ’ s created happiness in so many families.
” “ Sir , would you consider Jon Ponder for a full pardon ?
” ( Applause . )
And I love doing it .
I love doing it .
And we are — we are giving him absolute consideration , and I have a feeling he ’ s going to get that full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a feeling .
I can ’ t tell you , but I have a feeling .
Great gentleman .
That ’ s — first thing they said to me when I walked in .
And — but everybody knows who you are .
I know who you are .
( Laughter . )
Eleven years of this .
That ’ s fantastic .
What a tremendous story .
Thank you very much .
Congratulations .
Because I ’ m going to give him an early congratulations , all right ?
( Applause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s big stuff .
So thank you very much , Jon .
And two years ago , I was honored to celebrate your story of faith and transformation as you stood with me in the Rose Garden of the White House .
It was a great day , a beautiful day .
Now I ’ m thrilled to come to Las Vegas Police Department .
And thank you very much for being — what a group that is .
That ’ s some job you guys do .
( Applause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of friends too .
A lot of friends .
To take part in your organization ’ s Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony .
We are here to reaffirm that America is a nation that believes in redemption .
And that ’ s what it ’ s about : redemption .
We believe in second chances .
And we want to bring returning citizens , great people — great people — in many cases , great people , and not in all cases .
I ’ m not going to be too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) — right ?
Not in all cases , but in many cases .
We want to rebuild their lives ; they want to rebuild their lives .
They want to help us and rebuild our country .
And , please , everybody , please sit down .
A little bit late with that one , wasn ’ t it ?
( Laughter . )
Thank you .
That feels better , doesn ’ t it ?
Huh ?
But to the 29 graduates : You ’ re returning to your families .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shown a commitment to change .
You ’ ve overcome many challenges : broken free of addiction , learned new skills , and replaced old habits with fresh resolve .
And Jon told us just outside , a little while ago , that it ’ s a — it ’ s an incredible class — incredible class of talent .
That word , “ talent , ” is very important .
And now you have a chance to begin a new chapter that you are proud to call your own .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be very , very successful .
Your future does not have to be defined by the mistakes of the past .
Today we declare that you are made by God for a great and noble purpose , and you understand that .
( Applause . )
I mean , it ’ s a great and noble purpose .
And you ’ re valued members of our American family , and we are determined to help you succeed and we ’ re going to work with you .
And you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else in this really incredible place that you ’ ve all put together , Jon .
And you ’ re going to be so successful .
You ’ re going to say , “ I ’ m going to be more successful than Trump.
” ( Laughter . )
Going to be more — and I ’ ll be happy if you do it , I ’ ll tell you what .
( Applause . )
I ’ ll be very happy about it .
But as long as you work hard and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contribute to your communities , your best days are just beginning .
The best part of your life is beginning .
I really believe that .
And your greatest years are just ahead .
And to all of the family members and loved ones — who have been through so much — of the graduates who joined us today , we know your journey has not been an easy one , but your love and support make all of the difference .
And we are tremendously grateful for the families , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re even more grateful , because without them , you wouldn ’ t be here .
You wouldn ’ t be here .
( Applause . )
So I want to thank you .
And joining us for this ceremony are two leaders who have devoted so much to advancing medical cures to help people overcome the stranglehold of addiction : Sheldon and Miriam Adelson .
And they ’ ve been great friends of mine for a long time .
( Applause . )
Stand up , Sheldon .
What a family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a doctor — a great doctor .
She doesn ’ t have to be a doctor .
You can trust me — her husband doesn ’ t need the money .
( Laughter . )
But she devotes her life — it ’ s the most important thing to her — to addiction .
And every time she learned something new — and there ’ s still plenty to learn — but she ’ ll call me and tell me what they ’ re learning about addiction .
And the job you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve done , Sheldon , just overall is incredible .
( Applause . )
And really great .
Two great people .
Just great people .
And they like a place called Israel very much .
Would you say that ’ s correct ?
( Applause . )
Maybe I have to use the word “ love ” a place called Israel , right ?
In your case .
Thank you as well to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman for being here .
Carolyn , thank you very much .
Great — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And also , the tireless advocate — because Carolyn has been very much involved with criminal justice reform along with Jared Kushner , who has been very , very much involved .
I don ’ t know — ( applause ) — I think — I think , Jared , I ’ m starting — where is Jared ?
Thank you , Jared .
We ’ re going to — he never wants any credit .
He does a lot .
He works hard .
But that ’ s working out very well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It ’ s working out well for everybody .
And tremendous support .
And we had liberal support , we had conservative support .
And they came to me and they needed some help , and we got help from some very unexpected places .
Votes .
We needed votes .
And we got some great people — Republicans in all cases , in this case .
But we got some great people to vote for criminal justice reform .
So — in fact , very conservative Republicans .
So that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it was a terrific thing , and we really — we did something that they ’ ve been trying to do for a long time , and we got it done .
We get a lot of things done .
We get a lot of things done .
( Applause . )
Now , you see a lot of press back there .
So before we go any further , I want to address today ’ s sentencing of a man , Roger Stone .
Roger Stone .
He ’ s become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last little while .
And I ’ m following this very closely , and I want to see it play out to its fullest because Roger has a very good chance of exoneration , in my opinion .
( Applause . )
I ’ ve known — and you people understand it probably better than anybody in the room .
I ’ ve known Roger Stone and his wife , who ’ s really a terrific woman , for a long time .
And Roger is definitely a character .
Everybody sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And most people like him .
Some people probably don ’ t , but I do and I always have .
He ’ s a smart guy .
He ’ s a little different .
But those are sometimes the most interesting .
But he ’ s a good person .
His family is fantastic .
He ’ s got a fantastic family .
And there ’ s always a reason for that , isn ’ t there ?
Roger was never involved in the Trump campaign for President .
He wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , long before I announced , he may have done a little consulting work or something , but he was not involved when I ran for President .
And he ’ s a person who , again , he knows a lot of people having to do with politics .
His whole life is politics .
That ’ s what he is .
And it ’ s my strong opinion that the forewoman of the jury — the woman who was in charge of the jury — is totally tainted .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have a person like this ?
She was a anti-Trump activist .
Can you imagine this ?
( Laughter . )
Now , you wouldn ’ t know about a bad jury .
Anybody here know about bad ?
No ?
( Laughter . )
These people know more about bad juries than everybody here , including the sheriff and the mayor and everybody .
( Laughter . )
They know about bad juries .
We ’ re not going to say it too much , so let ’ s not say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
( Laughter . )
But you ’ re my experts , okay ?
No , but this is a woman who was an anti-Trump person , totally .
Now , I don ’ t know if this is a fact , but she had a horrible social media account .
The things she said on the account were unbelievable .
She didn ’ t reveal that when she was chosen .
And she ’ s , I guess , from what I hear , a very strong woman , a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to do whatever she wants .
And she got on , and then she became the foreperson , forewoman , on the jury .
And I assume they asked her a question : “ Do you have any bias ?
Do you have any… ” She didn ’ t say that .
So is that a defrauding of the court ?
You tell me .
But does this undermine our fair system of justice ?
How can you have a person like this ?
Did she delete her social account ?
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury to be guilty before the judge issued a sentence — and he was determined to be guilty — and she started going a little wild .
She ’ s very happy .
And she started saying things that people said , “ That ’ s strange .
That ’ s strange.
” And then they started looking at it , and how can you have a jury pool tainted so badly ?
It ’ s not fair .
It ’ s not fair .
And , you know , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , because you could — look , I won ’ t name names , but everybody knows who I ’ m talking about .
What ’ s happening over there ?
Nobody , nobody .
There are people that are even in Roger Stone ’ s basic business of politics that were going to be in big trouble .
Well-known people .
The biggest people .
Big trouble .
They were forced to leave their firm .
One man was forced to leave his firm and he was going to — bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following day .
Nothing happened .
Nothing happened .
He was the biggest ; nothing happened .
But it happened to Roger Stone , and it happened to General Flynn .
And it happened to — I won ’ t name names .
( Laughter . )
It happened to a lot of people , and destroyed a lot of people ’ s lives .
And I ’ m here to make a fair system .
Again , Roger is not somebody who worked on my campaign .
I know Roger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Everybody sort of knows Roger .
And what happened to him is unbelievable .
They say he lied .
But other people lied too .
Just to mention , Comey lied .
( Laughter . )
McCabe lied .
Lisa Page lied .
Her lover , Strzok — Peter Strzok — lied .
You don ’ t know who these people are ?
Just trust me , they all lied .
( Laughter and applause . )
You had people that forged documents .
You had people that wrote fake dossiers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used people in the Justice Department to get them to the FBI .
And these people know — in the front row , you know better than anybody in this room what the hell I ’ m talking about , probably .
( Laughter . )
So I ’ m only responding to you .
I ’ m not even talking to the folks all the way ( inaudible ) .
( Laughter . )
But they get it better than anybody too .
A lot of bad things are happening , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re cleaning the swamp .
We ’ re draining the swamp .
I just never knew how deep the swamp was .
( Applause . )
So if this woman was tainted , I hope the judge will find that she was tainted .
And if she isn ’ t tainted , that will be fine too .
But I ’ m not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a President of the United States .
I want the process to play out .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do , because I ’ d love to see Roger exonerated , and I ’ d love to see it happen because I personally think he was treated very unfairly .
They talk about witness tampering .
But the man that he was tampering didn ’ t seem to have much of a problem with it .
( Inaudible ) think they know each other for years .
And it ’ s not like the tampering that I see on television when you watch a movie .
That ’ s called tampering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads and lots of other things .
So we ’ re going to see what it is .
Maybe there was tampering and maybe there wasn ’ t .
But I can tell you that there was tremendous lying .
Really , lying and leaking classified documents .
That , you don ’ t know about .
But they leaked classified documents .
You know , there was a young sailor who took pictures of an old submarine and sent them to his mother and a friend .
And they destroyed his life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were considered classified .
Now , Russia and China , I guarantee you , have the pictures of this submarine , for a long time .
The submarine was like 30 years old .
They had them in the first year ; they didn ’ t have to wait for the 30th year .
But this is a famous story .
And they had these pictures , and they put him in jail .
He sent them to his mother and to his friend .
His friend was not interested in what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other cases where documents were leaked , even accidentally .
It ’ s so — classified documents are so important that even if they are leaked accidentally — Now , Hillary Clinton leaked more classified documents than any human being , I believe — ( laughter ) — in the history of the United States of America .
Right ?
And she deleted 33,000 emails .
And she said , “ Oh… ” And , by the way , if you did it : five years , maybe more .
Okay ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Very few people have access .
She deleted 33,000 emails .
I kept waiting .
Because , you know , they can talk Benghazi ; they can talk 100 different things .
What people understand is when you get rid of this kind of evidence — so the United States Congress said they subpoenaed her .
They wanted to see her emails .
After getting the subpoena , she deleted 33,000 emails .
And they said — do you remember this ?
— “ yes , the emails were about her yoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter ’ s wedding.
” Thirty-three thousand about her daughter ’ s wedding ?
( Laughter . )
That must have been the greatest wedding of all time .
( Laughter . )
And nothing happened to her .
And yet , they ’ ll put a young sailor in an old submarine , with a picture — a couple of pictures — they ’ ll put him into jail .
And I pardoned him because it was unfair that she was able to do it at the highest level , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did was , it was confidential .
“ Confidential ” is a much lower class then “ classified.
” So I tell you this because it ’ s interesting .
This is part of our nation .
This is what ’ s going on now .
So I ’ m going to let this process play out .
And we want to have a great and fair court system .
And I hope you had a fair and — you know , fair and wonderful court system .
But perhaps you didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if you didn ’ t , we want to straighten it out .
But we have to straighten it out also at the top level .
So we had a lot of dirty cops .
FBI is phenomenal .
I love the people in the FBI .
But the people at the top were dirty cops .
And if you would have read the report written about Comey — 78 pages of kill , with a reference of “ Go get him.
” They really said it : “ Go get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCabe and you see what they said .
It ’ s so bad .
And we ’ re just waiting .
I ’ m not doing any — I ’ m just sitting here , standing here , talking to you .
We ’ re waiting .
( Laughter . )
So I just want to let the fake-news media know that — ( laughter ) — I just want to let them know , because there ’ s few people more dishonest than these people , I will tell you that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A hell of a lot more dishonest than most of you in the audience were .
( Laughter . )
But I ’ m going to let the media know that I ’ m going to watch the process ; I ’ m going to watch it very closely .
And at some point , I ’ ll make a determination .
But Roger Stone — and everybody — has to be treated fairly .
And this has not been a fair process .
Okay ?
( Applause . )
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I pledged to fight for those who have been forgotten , neglected , overlooked , and ignored by politicians in our nation ’ s capital .
And you understand that very well .
For decades , no one was more forgotten than citizens coming out of prison who were ready to go into a brand-new , beautiful start but couldn ’ t find a job .
They couldn ’ t find people who believed in them .
And one of the great things that happened is I , and my administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that work with me , we created the strongest economy in the history of our country .
( Applause . )
We have the best unemployment numbers .
We have the best unemployment numbers for African American .
Best in history .
Asian American — best in history .
( Applause . )
Hispanic American — best in history .
( Applause . )
Our country is booming .
We ’ ve never done better .
It ’ s the best economy we ’ ve ever had .
So when people come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re going to get great jobs .
And I ’ ll tell you the end result — and we do studies on this : People with businesses are going to hire you .
They want you more than you want them .
This is the first time this has happened .
Okay ?
( Applause . )
This is the first time .
They want you to do it .
And they wouldn ’ t have given you that second chance .
We call it “ second chance.
” But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second , and in some cases , a third chance .
That ’ s okay .
But they wouldn ’ t have given you that second chance .
Now they ’ re doing it because they need people , because the economy is so good .
And I ’ ll tell you the end result : Employers are calling .
The numbers that we ’ re getting , the respect that you ’ re getting from people that are doing the hiring — they can ’ t even believe it .
I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — he had seven people came out of prison .
He ’ s got seven people working for him .
He said , “ They ’ re among my best.
” ( Applause . )
He said , “ They are among my best people.
” He said , “ I can not believe it.
” And you know what ?
( Inaudible ) always work out .
I ’ m not going to say everybody is perfect because it ’ s not .
Nobody is — you take a group , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that doesn ’ t work out .
But he said , “ I can ’ t believe it .
They are… ” He ’ s got seven now .
They ’ ve been with him for quite a while .
He said , “ They are among the best people I have ever employed.
” He is so happy .
It ’ s going to happen with you .
It ’ s going to happen with them .
What do you think ?
I think it ’ s going to happen with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once I came into office , leaders from all different backgrounds asked me to make changes to our criminal justice system .
And the more I learned about the issue — a big issue — the more I knew that criminal justice reform was really not about politics .
Because you have people that are for and against it on all different levels — Republican , Democrat , conservative , independent , liberal .
Some love it , some don ’ t love it , but they ’ re starting to love it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it .
And it ’ s about doing the right thing .
Because Alice Johnson — you know , I ’ ve really gotten to know her well .
And she ’ s like an incredible person .
And because of Alice , we ’ re taking in — we ’ ve just let out three other people that she knew .
And I say to people , “ And you may have references and recommendations when you were — wherever you may have been , frankly .
You know some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alice was in for 22 years .
She had another 18 years to serve , and — for a crime , but not that kind of a crime .
And I learned about Alice Johnson .
And when I learned , it really — you know , it was really something special .
She ’ s an incredible woman .
She came out of prison .
You ’ ve seen the whole thing .
We actually did a commercial on it .
I did the commercial for people to see what this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you couldn ’ t hire an actor in Hollywood to have the emotion and the love and the tears and everything .
She came out and she saw her family , who had totally grown up without her .
And some big , strong young men .
Some wonderful women .
Just all family .
And she was grabbing them and they were all hugging and kissing outside of this massive prison wall .
And they were just screaming with joy .
It was an incredible thing to see .
You couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
It had to be natural .
It had to come from the heart .
It had to come from the heart .
So it was really — So I say to Alice , and I say to other people , and I ’ ll say to you , and I ’ ll say to you — you ’ re going to have some recommendations .
Do you think I ’ m making a mistake with him ?
What do you think ?
THE PRESIDENT : Okay .
But you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want your recommendations .
Because you have — we have thousands of people in prison that have stories like Alice Johnson .
Thousands and thousands of people .
And I love doing it .
I love doing it .
And , you know , you can be poor .
You can be middle income .
You can be rich .
It ’ s — injustice is injustice .
But you have thousands of people that shouldn ’ t be there .
And I love finding those people .
So , as you find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but you can ’ t let me down .
They ’ ve got to be right .
( Laughter . )
Because there are some people you don ’ t want to do this with .
You do know that .
I said to Alice , “ So , Alice , let me ask you .
You have a lot of people like yourself , right ?
” “ Yes.
” “ But you have bad people too , don ’ t you ?
” “ Yes , we do .
Some very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Good because I wouldn ’ t want somebody to say , ‘ No everybody is good , ’ because that ’ s not the case.
” But she ’ s given us great recommendations , and she ’ s a great woman .
To redress unfairness in the justice system , just over one year ago , I led the effort to pass the criminal justice reform .
And others had tried and failed .
And they didn ’ t try too hard because they know it couldn ’ t be done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law rolls back provisions of the really terrible 1994 criminal — Clinton crime law that disproportionately impacted the African American community .
I mean , they liked Clinton , but they passed a law that was a disaster .
You know that .
But we did something about it .
They were unable to do it all the way back .
We did something about it .
( Applause . )
And my recent budget provides over $ 400 million to expand vocational training , drug treatment , and critical reentry programs just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Okay ?
You know that .
He knows it .
By enacting criminal justice reform , we ’ re sending a powerful message to prisoners who have reformed their lives : When you return to society , we are not going to leave you behind .
We ’ re not leaving you behind .
But now we don ’ t have the excuse of a bad economy .
They used to have the excuse , “ Well , we can ’ t do it .
The economy is no good.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re down to 3.5 percent .
We ’ re probably going lower .
And wages are going up — first time in 21 years .
They ’ re really going up , and going up substan- — it ’ s a beautiful thing .
If you ’ re , like , in my world , it ’ s a beautiful thing to watch .
It ’ s like a picture .
Everyone in this room is here to make sure that you have the support that you need to succeed , thrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back .
( Applause . )
You ’ re not going to look back .
We ’ re not going to look back .
( Applause . )
And we ’ re joined today by many great pastors and faith leaders — some of whom I know pretty well — who trust the power of prayer and the mercy of God to transform their lives .
And I want to thank you all for being here .
Thank you .
Great , great faith leaders .
Thank you .
( Applause . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Great .
Thank you .
Thank you , Father .
Great job .
I ’ ve actually been to a couple of their churches .
Thank you very much .
Also with us are employers of many different industries who are here to recruit you .
Don ’ t ask for too much .
Just take it nice and easy .
( Laughter . )
Don ’ t forget , they want to make a good deal , but you do too .
( Laughter . )
But they want to recruit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re here .
Who are the people that are looking ?
Who are the people — the employers ?
Please .
Yeah , stand up , please .
That ’ s great .
That ’ s great .
( Applause . )
That ’ s great .
Great .
You ’ re going to be happy .
You ’ re going to be very happy .
Including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce , who really has done a fantastic job over the years .
I ’ ve known how hard they work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Station Casinos , Martin and Harris Construction , Civil Werx General Contractor , Silver State Transportation , Keolis Transit , and Workforce Connections .
And I want to thank you all .
And we have a lot of others outside that are coming in , too .
And you ’ re going to have a lot of — you ’ re going to have a lot of fun .
It ’ s nice to be loved , right ?
It ’ s nice to be wanted .
You ’ re wanted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Finally — ( applause ) — yeah , you ’ re wanted .
Right , Jon ?
Finally , we ’ re proudly — really proud to be joined by more than 80 men and women — these people are so incredible — of law enforcement .
( Applause . )
The job they do — Sheriff — ( applause ) — the job .
Please stand up .
( Applause . )
You don ’ t know how much people respect you .
You don ’ t hear it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ People respect you like you wouldn ’ t believe .
So we just want to thank you all .
The job you do is incredible .
The law enforcement .
We honor your selfless service and bravery .
By the way , Fire Department , also .
I just left an area of the country where two firemen were just killed , and — terrible — up in a certain portion of a beautiful place in California , where a building collapsed .
Two people killed .
Two firemen killed .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place yesterday .
But they ’ re fantastic .
But I want to thank law enforcement because the job you do is incredible .
And the respect that people have for you — you ’ ll never — you ’ ll never know how strong it is .
It ’ s strong , and I think it ’ s stronger now than ever before .
And now you have an administration that loves you , backs you .
We give you the equipment that you need .
We give billions of dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — military equipment , incredible stuff — sitting in hundreds of warehouses all over the United States .
And , for some reason , other people didn ’ t want to give it out .
But I gave it out , and I assume you got some of it .
Right ?
You got some of it ?
( Applause . )
I know the man .
He probably got most of it , right ?
That ’ s good .
It keeps you safe .
As you know , Hope for Prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement , which has given strength and support to former inmates like Lois Hockersmith .
And she joins us today .
Lois .
( Applause . )
Where is Lois ?
For many years , Lois struggled with addiction .
In May of 2012 , she found herself pregnant and in jail .
After she served her time , Lois participated in Hope for Prisoners program .
She graduated in 2013 .
And since then , Lois has stayed totally sober .
She ’ s earned back custody of her precious , beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best case managers here at Hope for Prisoners .
Is that right ?
( Applause . )
That ’ s good .
That ’ s good .
Thank you .
Wow .
Come on up , here , Lois .
Come on up here .
Through it all , Lois has been encouraged by her mentor , who is the same officer who arrested her nearly eight years ago — Lieutenant Steve Riback , who also joins us today .
Hey , Steve , come on up .
Is Steve here ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
( Applause . )
THE PRESIDENT : Well , we ’ re with you 100 percent .
It ’ s great .
Please , would you like to say something ?
MS. HOCKERSMITH : Yes .
So , first of all , I want to thank this officer .
He saved our lives that night that he arrested me and my son .
He arrested me .
( Laughter . )
I was pregnant with him and I gave birth to him that night .
And not all our heroes wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he not been doing his job that night , I wouldn ’ t be here .
Jon Ponder , listen , we ’ ve been through a lot of things together .
2012 — that ’ s when I went through the program , and my life changed that day .
I am standing in front of the President .
I ’ m a little bit nervous .
( Laughter and applause . )
I just want you to know that I ’ m standing amongst heroes , but you guys — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come back in and for being able to pour back into you — this is how I keep it : by giving it back to you guys .
Thank you .
( Applause . )
And thank you , Mr. President .
THE PRESIDENT : Thank you .
Take care of mom .
Right ?
So beautiful .
Would you like to say thing ?
Please .
( Laughter . )
He feels very comfortable , you can see .
LIEUTENANT RIBACK : I had a well-prepared speech for this .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent , goes to Lois .
And , to be completely candid , I was doing nothing no different than I had done for years and years that night .
I definitely believe it was divine that we came across each other .
But the credit goes to her , the credit goes to Jon , the credit goes to you guys as — as hopefuls .
And I just wish you a tremendous amount of success in the rest of your life .
It ’ s only forward at this point .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incredible community , and I ’ m so honored to be a part of it .
But , again , the credit goes to these people right here .
Thank you .
( Applause . )
THE PRESIDENT : That was a good job .
That was a good job .
( Applause . )
Wow .
He did okay , fellas , right ?
( Laughter . )
He did okay .
He did a great job .
Thank you both , Lois and Steve .
You remind us , really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that anything is possible .
And Lois is among the roughly 100 Hope for Prisoners alumni here today , all of whom are doing incredibly well .
Please stand .
Please stand , all of the alumni .
( Applause . )
Wow .
That ’ s great .
That ’ s great .
That ’ s great .
( Applause . )
Great .
Congratulations .
Thank you very much .
But they ’ re really a testament to the bright future that awaits you all .
It ’ s a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our country in so many ways .
Our military is strong , our country is just strong .
We ’ re stronger in , I would say , just about every way than we ever have been before — militarily .
You take a look at what we ’ re doing with the stock market .
We ’ ve had 144 out of three years — I ’ ve been here just a little more than three years .
And in a little more than three years , Jon , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , that ’ s good for everybody .
It ’ s good for your 401 ( k ) s and it ’ s good for jobs .
And it ’ s good for — those are the ones that I think about first : jobs , 401 ( k ) s. And people are making a lot of money and people are getting tremendous — you ’ ll be investing some of your money in this now .
You ’ ll be doing fantastically well and you ’ re going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the equivalent .
And you ’ re going to do fantastically well .
And , you know , as I say sometimes in speeches : The best is yet to come .
We have tremendous potential .
We have just made some incredible trade deals that will soon start kicking in .
It ’ s going to make it a different country , economically .
As good as it does , it ’ s going to be much better .
We had horrible , horrible deals , or no deals at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We made a massive deal with China .
Then we did the USMCA ; that ’ s Mexico , Canada .
We did a 40-billion-dollar-a-year deal with Japan and we did a deal with South Korea , and we have other deals too .
And I ’ m going to India next week and we ’ re talking about — you know , they have 1.5 billion people , and Prime Minister Modi is number two on Facebook .
Number two .
Think of that .
You know who number one is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
( Applause . )
Trump .
Number one .
I just found that out .
The head of Facebook , Mr. Zuckerberg , came in three weeks ago .
He said , “ Congratulations.
” I said , “ On what ?
” He said , “ You ’ re number one on Facebook.
” I said , “ That ’ s cool.
” ( Laughter . )
Number one on Twitter too .
But that ’ s because — ( laughter and applause . )
It ’ s true .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could never say it because it would be breaking news that — ( laughter ) — that Trump told a fib .
No , number one .
And I congratulated Prime Minister Modi .
I said , “ But , you know , you have 1.5 billion people .
I have 350 million .
You have an advantage.
” But we ’ re going to India , and we may make a tremendous deal there , or maybe we ’ ll slow it down .
We ’ ll do it after the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So we ’ ll see what happens .
But we ’ re only making deals if they ’ re good deals , because we ’ re putting America first .
Whether people like it or not , we ’ re putting America first .
( Applause . )
So to help you find housing , jobs , and support , I established , as you know very well , the Council on Crime Prevention and Reentry .
They ’ ve done a fantastic job .
And here with us today are new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would you just come up and say a few words , please ?
Tony Lowden .
Thank you , Tony .
( Applause . )
He looks good .
( Laughter . )
Hi , Tony .
MR. LOWDEN : Thank you , sir .
To God be the glory .
Listen , this is what reentry looks like : when our law enforcement , our returning citizens , our faith community , business in our community , along with their children , can come together in a holistic approach and bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has showed America what reentry looks like .
( Applause . )
They say , “ What happens in Vegas , stays in Vegas.
” ( Laughter . )
But I want to tell you that , today , the entire world have been put on notice that here , Jon , under this President and our administration , this will no longer be a secret .
This will be the norm for America .
God bless you .
( Applause . )
THE PRESIDENT : Thank you , Tony .
Wow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , Tony .
Wow .
That ’ s great .
Respected guy .
For too long , citizens with a record were not even considered for jobs — you know that — even if they were qualified , rehabilitated totally , and ready to go to work .
They wanted to go to work .
But all of that is changing .
And we began a nationwide campaign to encourage businesses to expand Second Chance hiring .
We call it “ Second Chance hiring.
” When we say “ hire American , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans .
( Applause . )
And our entire nation wins when citizens with a record have a chance to succeed .
It ’ s such a tremendous — what ’ s happened over the last three years is incredible .
People came out , they didn ’ t have a chance , and now they ’ re not only having a chance — you ’ re going to see it a little while when these guys try and make a deal .
“ I want a little bit more .
Get me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Together , we ’ re rebuilding the most prosperous economy and the most inclusive society , Jon , ever to exist .
We are becoming a very inclusive society , much more so than in the past .
And a lot of people haven ’ t figured that out yet , but I think they will .
I think people are going to figure it out pretty soon .
We want every citizen to join America ’ s unparalleled success and every community to take part in America ’ s extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have created 7 million new jobs .
( Applause . )
The unemployment rate has reached the lowest rate in over 51 years .
Think of that : 51 years .
Half a century .
( Applause . )
And , by the way , the 7 million jobs — they thought it might be 2 million , if we ’ re lucky .
You go back three years , they were saying “ 2 million.
” We did 7 million , and it ’ s pretty amazing .
African American poverty has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Applause . )
But I think one of the things we ’ re most proud of in this incredible economy — we ’ ll call it “ Trump economy.
” Call it — we ’ ll call it the “ Ponder economy.
” We ’ ll call it something .
( Laughter . )
But whatever we call it , this economy has been great .
And the thing that might be the best of all is what we ’ ve done with criminal justice reform .
I really think so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market is so strong that businesses are recruiting the former prisoners off the sidelines in , by the way , record numbers .
Record numbers .
Never happened anywhere even close to these numbers .
We know that having a job gives you the best chance to work hard , to earn the paycheck , care for your families , chase your dreams , and succeed .
Through our Pledge to America ’ s Workers , spearheaded by a very famous young woman — did you ever hear of Ivanka ?
( Laughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s — she said , “ Daddy , I want to help with jobs.
” I said , “ Well , I ’ ll put you here , there.
” “ No , no .
I want to help with jobs .
I want to get people jobs .
They have to be trained .
They have to be… ” So she had a goal of 500,000 jobs .
That ’ s a lot — half a million jobs .
She just broke , Jared , I guess — is Jared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just broke — Jared Kushner — she just broke — the father of criminal justice reform .
He really is .
I mean , he works so hard .
And Ivanka just was broke 15 million jobs .
Fifteen .
( Applause . )
Mayor , that ’ s good , right ?
( Applause . )
And this is where they — they train the people in the companies .
The government can ’ t do this .
Walmart took a million people .
Think of it .
These big companies take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s very complicated stuff , with computerization and all of the things you have to learn .
That ’ s not for government .
Fifteen million people taken by many of the biggest companies , but also midsized companies , even some smaller .
But she broke 15 million people about two weeks ago .
And her goal was 500,000 people over a fairly long period of time .
Fifteen million .
But if you know Ivanka , you ’ re not at all surprised .
Believe me .
I wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , “ So what else is new ?
” ( Applause . )
To every returning citizen here today , I know that there are some in our society who want to tell you what you can ’ t do .
They ’ re going to tell you what you can ’ t do .
It ’ s one of the reasons I wanted to be here .
I wanted to say what I had to say to Jon , too , because I sort of had that on my mind for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time I met him .
But they want to tell you what you can ’ t do .
They want to tell you why you can ’ t succeed ; no way you can succeed .
You don ’ t want to listen to them because you ’ re proving different .
They want to say why you can ’ t make it in this country , why you can ’ t make it in any country .
They think you ’ re not going to make it , period .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second , because I ’ m here today because I believe in what you can do .
You ’ re going to be incredible .
You ’ re going to be incredible .
You ’ re going to see it , and it ’ s going to go quickly .
Each of you is a citizen of the greatest country on Earth .
There is more opportunity , more equality , and more potential in America today than in any society in the history of the world .
It ’ s true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a comeback .
We made a comeback with our country .
We call it the “ great American comeback.
” This is the great American comeback , and you ’ re doing the same thing .
This is a nation where anyone can rise .
And this is the time when anyone can reach for the American Dream .
That beautiful American Dream .
It ’ s what you ’ re doing .
( Applause . )
And whenever you have any doubt , whenever the road gets tough — and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
I ’ ve had those days .
( Laughter . )
I mean , I didn ’ t do anything wrong , and they impeached me a few weeks ago , right ?
They impeached and I said , “ What happened ?
What did I do ?
” Ay-ya-yay .
( Laughter . )
You think that was fun ?
Mayor , you think that ’ s great to be impeached ?
The good news : My numbers went through the roof .
I mean , you explain — explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Explain this to me .
( Applause . )
But you ’ ll have those days , right ?
You ’ re going to have those days .
But you ’ re Americans , and you ’ re great Americans .
And Americans meet challenges .
You defy expectations .
You never give up .
You never lose faith in the redeeming power of Almighty God .
And from this day forward — I ’ m here , I ’ m the President .
I don ’ t have to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I wanted to be here , and we — I had plenty of choices .
One thing as President — the Mayor can tell you — we have plenty of choices .
Right ?
We have a lot of choices .
I wanted to be here .
But I ask each of you to seize your unlimited future .
If you do , you will make the most of your incredible newfound freedom .
You ’ re pioneers in a way , because you ’ re at a point in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
You will unlock your unique talents and skill and aspirations .
You ’ ll join a great project of national renewal .
And together , we will make our country stronger than ever before .
Thank you very much for being here .
God bless you , and God bless America .
Thank you .
( Applause . )
Thank you .


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--White House Personnel Office Begins Reevaluation of Administration Staff…

More good signs .
Last week we noted Johnny McEntee ( pictured right w/ Stephen Miller ) was promoted to run the White House personnel office responsible for filling hundreds of top political jobs throughout various federal agencies .
Mr. McEntee replaced Sean Doocey , who moved to the State Department .
The personnel office has been a key point of contention for the administration as several political appointments later became weak points with people not in alignment with the policies and objectives of President Trump .
The objective of McEntee would be to assist in finding and vetting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA skillset , for the right job .
Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday , in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump , three sources familiar with the meeting tell Axios .
Behind the scenes : McEntee , a 29-year-old former body man to Trump who was fired in 2018 by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly but recently rehired — and promoted to head the presidential personnel office — foreshadowed sweeping personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested the most dramatic changes may have to wait until after the November election .
• Trump has empowered McEntee — whom he considers an absolute loyalist — to purge the “ bad people ” and “ Deep State.
” • McEntee told staff that those identified as anti-Trump will no longer get promotions by shifting them around agencies .
( more )

More good signs. Last week we noted Johnny McEntee (pictured right w/ Stephen Miller) was promoted to run the White House personnel office responsible for filling hundreds of top political jobs throughout various federal agencies. Mr. McEntee replaced Sean Doocey, who moved to the State Department.
The personnel office has been a key point of contention for the administration as several political appointments later became weak points with people not in alignment with the policies and objectives of President Trump. The objective of McEntee would be to assist in finding and vetting the right MAGA person, with the right MAGA skillset, for the right job.
Today Axios is reporting:
Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday, in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump, three sources familiar with the meeting tell Axios.
Behind the scenes: McEntee, a 29-year-old former body man to Trump who was fired in 2018 by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly but recently rehired — and promoted to head the presidential personnel office — foreshadowed sweeping personnel changes across government.


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--Washington Post (CIA) Starts: “Bernie is a Russian Asset” Narrative…

The CIA leaks narrative spin to the Washington Post .
The FBI leaks their narrative spin to the New York Times ; and the State Dept .
primarily uses CNN for the same purposes .
This media distribution model is the one constant in an ever changing universe .
Today ’ s Club narrative was too predictable .
Everyone who does not support the DC intel apparatchik immediately becomes a Russian asset .
Now , “ according to people familiar with the matter ” , the Russians are trying to help Bernie Sanders : WaPo – U.S. officials have told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest , according to people familiar with the matter .
President Trump and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also been informed about the Russian assistance to the Vermont senator , according to people familiar with the matter , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence .
( more ) It really has become silly at this point .
Hillary Clinton accuses Tulsi Gabbard of being a Russian spy .
The Club is desperate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bernie is winning despite their efforts ; and now Bernie is sideways labeled a Russian asset by the takeaway from the intel apparatus .
Everyone should have seen this coming… We certainly did :

The CIA leaks narrative spin to the Washington Post. The FBI leaks their narrative spin to the New York Times; and the State Dept. primarily uses CNN for the same purposes. This media distribution model is the one constant in an ever changing universe.
Today’s Club narrative was too predictable. Everyone who does not support the DC intel apparatchik immediately becomes a Russian asset. Now, “according to people familiar with the matter”, the Russians are trying to help Bernie Sanders:
WaPo – U.S. officials have told Sen. Bernie Sanders that Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest, according to people familiar with the matter.
President Trump and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also been informed about the Russian assistance to the Vermont senator, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. (more)
It really has become silly at this point.
Hillary Clinton accuses Tulsi Gabbard of being a Russian spy. The Club is desperate to stop Bernie Sanders and cloud his campaign…. Bernie is winning despite their efforts; and now Bernie is sideways labeled a Russian asset by the takeaway from the intel apparatus.
Everyone should have seen this coming… We certainly did:
Russians… gottabe. Watch, they'll morph this into claiming the real reason behind Bernie Sanders grassroots support is super-secret Russian activity…. Watch. pic.twitter.com/4JMQbGj946 — TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) February 21, 2020


Bloomberg’s Silly Billboards…

At first this seemed like some kind of spoof… .
alas , in reality , this is what billionaire Mike @ @ @ @ @ on .
Good grief , the left really can ’ t meme .
Apparently this @ @ @ @ @ kind of hit against President Trump… but it ’ s just plain silly .
The @ @ @ @ @ is highlight President Trump as an ordinary person ; heck , Trump likes ketchup too @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s a boomerang message ; because the implied message is Billionaire Michael @ @ @ @ @ What a doofus .
This is what Bloomberg ’ s spending his money on ?
@ @ @ @ @ Eats McDonald ’ s French Fries ” …

At first this seemed like some kind of spoof…. alas, in reality, this is what billionaire Mike Bloomberg is spending his money on. Good grief, the left really can’t meme.
Apparently this is supposed to be some kind of hit against President Trump… but it’s just plain silly. The only thing this billboard does is highlight President Trump as an ordinary person; heck, Trump likes ketchup too. So what?
However, there’s a boomerang message; because the implied message is Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s elitism. What a doofus. This is what Bloomberg’s spending his money on? Next up: Donald Trump Eats McDonald’s French Fries”…


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--Massive President Trump Keep America Great Rally – Las Vegas, Nevada – 3:00pm ET Livestream…

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Today President Trump delivers a rare mid-day Trump rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today’s Keep America Great rally is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. President Trump is expected to speak at 3:00pm EST. [Livestreams Below]
RSBN Livestream Link – Trump Campaign Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream Link


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--Key Intelligence Aide Joins Acting DNI Richard Grenell – Mandate: “Clean House, Top to Bottom”…

Kash Patel previously worked as Devin Nunes ’ senior staffer on the House Intelligence Committee ( HPSCI ) .
It @ @ @ @ @ lead author of the Nunes memo exposing corrupt conduct of the FBI and DOJ officials @ @ @ @ @ joined the National Security Council ’ s International Organizations and Alliances directorate last February and @ @ @ @ @ counterterrorism role at the NSC mid-summer 2019 .
According to recent reporting Patel is now @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence Richard Grenell as a Senior Advisor and Catherine Herridge is reporting the objective is @ @ @ @ @ .

Kash Patel previously worked as Devin Nunes’ senior staffer on the House Intelligence Committee (HPSCI). It was Patel who was the lead author of the Nunes memo exposing corrupt conduct of the FBI and DOJ officials during Crossfire Hurricane.
Patel joined the National Security Council’s International Organizations and Alliances directorate last February and was promoted to the senior counterterrorism role at the NSC mid-summer 2019. According to recent reporting Patel is now joining Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell as a Senior Advisor and Catherine Herridge is reporting the objective is to ‘clean house‘.


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--Fake News Constructs Russia Narrative 2.0 via Democrat Intel Briefing Spin…

The New York Times and a host of allied political narrative engineers attempted to spin up another Russia narrative yesterday .
The claim surrounds a briefing by DNI Joseph Maguire ( pictured below ) to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ( HPSCI ) .
Adam Schiff and house democrats in the briefing claim DNI Maguire stated Russians favored President Trump and would work to assist his re-election .
The Democrat spin was to claim President Trump replaced Maguire as an outcome of this briefing ; and Trump wants to ignore Russia interference assistance .
etc .
etc .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrat narrative ; and the political operative piled-on .
However , in a surprise move Jake Tapper actually undercuts the narrative engineering through his own sources with information on the reality of the briefing : ( 1 ) DNI Joseph Maguire never said Russia was , would , or is working to interfere in the election to help President Trump .
Rather the briefing nuance was that Russia has an understanding of Trump and would likely view him as a deal-maker they could work with and Sanders , Buttigieg et al were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t angered at the Maguire briefing ; however , he was angered that he had to find out about the briefing from GOP members of the HPSCI instead of Maguire briefing the President on the material prior to briefing congress .
The executive office was blindsided by committee members asking questions of the White House , when Maguire never informed the President of his briefing material in advance .
Those two points were spun wildly by the left-wing media .
Kudos to Jake Tapper for setting the record straight .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump to end the tenure of Maguire as DNI given this end-run around the President and the possibility Maguire ’ s motives might just be another example of the intelligence community undercutting the office of the President .
[ I would say that ’ s highly likely ] The fact DNI Joseph Maguire would brief congress without informing the White House of the briefing material highlights a possible intent by Maguire to undermine the President .
Whether that intent is accurate is a moot point .
The action by Maguire leaves open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgement created a mess for the White House .
Therefore Maguire ’ s action showed poor judgement and a compromise within his position .
Given the sensitive nature of the position he holds , both issues are fatal flaws .
Hence , President Trump selected a more dependable Richard “ Ric ” Grenell to replace Maguire as interim Acting DNI .

The New York Times and a host of allied political narrative engineers attempted to spin up another Russia narrative yesterday. The claim surrounds a briefing by DNI Joseph Maguire (pictured below) to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Adam Schiff and house Democrats in the briefing claim DNI Maguire stated Russians favored President Trump and would work to assist his re-election.
The Democrat spin was to claim President Trump replaced Maguire as an outcome of this briefing; and Trump wants to ignore Russia interference assistance. etc. etc. The media ran with the framework of the Democrat narrative; and the political operatives piled-on.
However, in a surprise move Jake Tapper actually undercuts the narrative engineering through his own sources with information on the reality of the briefing:
(1) DNI Joseph Maguire never said Russia was, would, or is working to interfere in the election to help President Trump. Rather the briefing nuance was that Russia has an understanding of Trump and would likely view him as a deal-maker they could work with and Sanders, Buttigieg et al were unknowns.
(2) President Trump wasn’t angered at the Maguire briefing; however, he was angered that he had to find out about the briefing from GOP members of the HPSCI instead of Maguire briefing the President on the material prior to briefing congress. The executive office was blindsided by committee members asking questions of the White House, when Maguire never informed the President of his briefing material in advance.
Those two points were spun wildly by the left-wing media. Kudos to Jake Tapper for setting the record straight.
However, it is not a surprise for President Trump to end the tenure of Maguire as DNI given this end-run around the President and the possibility Maguire’s motives might just be another example of the intelligence community undercutting the office of the President. [I would say that’s highly likely]
The fact DNI Joseph Maguire would brief congress without informing the White House of the briefing material highlights a possible intent by Maguire to undermine the President. Whether that intent is accurate is a moot point. The action by Maguire leaves open the possibility, and his lack of judgement created a mess for the White House.
Therefore Maguire’s action showed poor judgement and a compromise within his position. Given the sensitive nature of the position he holds, both issues are fatal flaws.
Hence, President Trump selected a more dependable Richard “Ric” Grenell to replace Maguire as interim Acting DNI.


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--President Trump Considered Doug Collins for DNI – Collins Response: “Thanks but No Thanks”…

Last night it was reported that President Trump was considering Doug Collins amid a group of four names for the Director of National Intelligence .
However , Collins is currently running for a Georgia senate seat .
Appearing on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo this morning Rep. Collins outlines he is appreciative of the consideration but not interested in the position .
The dynamic for the Georgia senate seat is another example of Mitch McConnell and the Club -vs- grassroots MAGA voters .
Georgia doesn ’ t have a Senate primary vote , so the November senate election will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp appointed mega-donor Kelly Loeffler to the Senate seat in December .
Kemp ’ s political explanation was that he views a suburban womens ’ vote as more necessary to retain the seat in November .
Democrats are running Reverend Raphael Warnock for the seat and if Collins and Loeffler split the republican vote , the Democrat could come out on top .
It was strongly speculated that President Trump offering the DNI job to Collins was/is a way to avoid the contentious GOP fight in Georgia , and without a primary the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more republican support in Georgia than Loeffler , but the GOP machine , including Mitch McConnell , is supporting Loeffler .
President Trump is being leveraged by the machine to support their nominee and turn his back on Collins .
However , President Trump knows Collins is an ally for his agenda… Worth keeping an eye on this one .

Last night it was reported that President Trump was considering Doug Collins amid a group of four names for the Director of National Intelligence. However, Collins is currently running for a Georgia senate seat.
Appearing on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo this morning Rep. Collins outlines he is appreciative of the consideration but not interested in the position.
The dynamic for the Georgia senate seat is another example of Mitch McConnell and the Club -vs- grassroots MAGA voters. Georgia doesn’t have a Senate primary vote, so the November senate election will be a jungle ballot.Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appointed mega-donor Kelly Loeffler to the Senate seat in December. Kemp’s political explanation was that he views a suburban womens’ vote as more necessary to retain the seat in November. Democrats are running Reverend Raphael Warnock for the seat and if Collins and Loeffler split the republican vote, the Democrat could come out on top.It was strongly speculated that President Trump offering the DNI job to Collins was/is a way to avoid the contentious GOP fight in Georgia, and without a primary the seat is at risk.Collins has more republican support in Georgia than Loeffler, but the GOP machine, including Mitch McConnell, is supporting Loeffler. President Trump is being leveraged by the machine to support their nominee and turn his back on Collins. However, President Trump knows Collins is an ally for his agenda…Worth keeping an eye on this one.


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-21--Jon McNaughton’s Latest Artwork: “You are Fake News”…

Artist Jon McNaughton presents his latest artwork centered around the current state of U.S. politics and President Donald J Trump @ @ @ @ @ ] Chopper pressers are the best pressers…

Artist Jon McNaughton presents his latest artwork centered around the current state of U.S. politics and President Donald J Trump. [Visit Website Here]
.
Chopper pressers are the best pressers…


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-22--February 22nd – 2020 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1129

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
Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-22--Saturday February 22nd – Open Thread

Saturday February 22nd – Open Thread

Our Father , who art in heaven , hallowed be thy Name .
Thy kingdom come .
THY WILL BE @ @ @ @ @ it is in heaven .
Give us this day our daily bread .
And forgive @ @ @ @ @ we forgive those who trespass against us .
And lead us not into temptation , @ @ @ @ @ .
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory , forever and @ @ @ @

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 †


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-22--White House Briefing on Upcoming President and First Lady Trip to India…

The White House has provided a great deal of background information on the upcoming trip to India by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump .
WHITE HOUSE – SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : Good afternoon , everyone .
Thanks to everyone for joining this call .
The topic of the call : This is a background briefing with senior administration officials on President Donald J. Trump ’ s travel to India .
The briefing is embargoed until 2:30 p.m. and it ’ s offered on background attributed to a “ senior administration official.
” Now , for your information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials with us today .
We have [ senior administration officials ] .
Now , please , again , this is on background , attributed to a “ senior administration official , ” so that will be your information only .
So , at this point , I will turn it over to [ senior administration official ] , who will begin our briefing .
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : Hello , and thank you for being here .
First , I ’ ll run through the official delegation for the trip to India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lady , there will be a 12-person official delegation .
That will include : * Ambassador Ken Juster , the United States Ambassador to of India * Secretary Wilbur Ross , of Commerce Department * Secretary Dan Brouillette , of the Energy Department * Mick Mulvaney , Assistant to the President and Acting Chief of Staff * National Security Advisor Robert O ’ Brien * Ivanka Trump , Assistant to the President and Advisor to the President * Jared Kushner , Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President * Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senior Advisor for Policy * Dan Scavino , Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Digital Strategy * Lindsay Reynolds , Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady * Robert Blair , Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Telecommunication Policy and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff And the final member of the official delegation is : * Stephanie Grisham , Assistant to the President and Press Secretary and Director of Communications for the President and First Lady * Adam Boehler , Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finance Corporation * Ajit Pai , Chairman of the FCC * Lisa Curtis , Deputy Assistant to the President for South and Central Asian Affairs * Mr. Kash Patel , Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism * And finally , Mr. Mike Passey , Director for India , National Security Council I ’ ll quickly run through the schedule , give an overview .
The President will arrive in India , in Ahmedabad , in the state of Gujarat , on Monday , where he ’ ll deliver remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Modi .
The President and the First Lady will then go with Prime Minister Modi to visit the Taj , in Agra .
They will then fly to New Delhi and rest overnight in New Delhi , and have a full program on Tuesday .
This will include ceremonial events , bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister , a business event with Indian investors , with a special focus on companies that are investing in manufacturing in the U.S.
He ’ ll have a meet-and-greet with embassy staff and a meeting with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it off , there will be a state dinner at the presidential palace , called Rashtrapati Bhavan , on Tuesday evening .
And I ’ ll give just a few overview remarks before we go into the Q & A about what the President hopes to accomplish in this visit .
The President is going to India as a demonstration of the strong and enduring ties between our two countries .
These are ties based on shared democratic traditions , common strategic interests , and enduring bonds between our people .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the very close relationship between the President and Prime Minister Modi .
So the visit will focus on several key areas .
First , we ’ ll focus on building our economic and energy ties .
Just to note that two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $ 142 billion in 2018 , and there ’ s certainly much more room to grow , particularly in energy .
The Strategic Energy Partnership that was launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in 2017 has paid major dividends .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged the production of more energy .
And it ’ s facilitated Indian imports of U.S. crude oil , LNG , and coal .
And , certainly , India is the fifth-largest economy in the world , has huge energy needs .
And the U.S. is ready to help India meet those needs .
Indeed , in 2016 , U.S. energy exports to India have grown 500 percent to nearly $ 7 billion .
Second , we will focus on defense and security cooperation to both fight terrorism and promote a free and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India that is strong , with a capable military that supports peace , stability , and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region .
Indeed , India is a pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy , and we continue to work together to promote this vision of a free and open international system based on market economics , good governance , freedom of the seas and skies , and respect for sovereignty .
And our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific really goes to the heart of what binds our two countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic systems that place a premium on citizen-centric governments .
In fact , India has a strong foundation of democracy , going back to the early days , right after independence .
India is a country rich in religious , linguistic , and cultural diversity .
In fact , it ’ s the birthplace of four major world religions .
Prime Minister Modi , in his first speech after winning the election last year , talked about how he would prioritize being inclusive of India ’ s religious minorities .
And , certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain religious liberty and equal treatment for all under the rule of law .
So , to sum up , this visit will build upon our many shared values , our strategic and economic interests , and lock in those gains made in the relationship by the administration over the last three years .
And that concludes my opening remarks .
Thank you .
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : So , Operator , I think we ’ re ready now to take a few questions .
Q Hi , it ’ s Andrew Feinberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this call .
Given your remarks just now about your commitment to ensuring religious freedom in India , is the President planning on saying anything to Prime Minister Modi about his government ’ s attempt to keep Muslim migrants from being able to gain Indian citizenship , or the National Registry of Citizens , which is , some reports are saying , excluding Muslim — people of Muslim descent who have lived in India for many years from retaining their citizenship ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : Thank you .
I think President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private .
He will raise these issues , particularly the religious freedom issue , which is extremely important to this administration .
As I talked about , we do have this shared commitment to upholding our universal values , the rule of law .
We have great respect for India ’ s democratic traditions and institutions , and we will continue to encourage India to uphold those traditions .
And we are concerned with some of the issues that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President will talk about these issues in his meetings with Prime Minister Modi and note that the world is looking to India to continue to uphold its democratic traditions , respect for religious minorities .
Of course , it ’ s in the Indian constitution — religious freedom , respect for religious minorities , and equal treatment of all religions in India .
So this is something that is important to the President and I ’ m sure it will come up .
Q Hi , this is Kathleen Stubbs with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this call .
My question is : What will be the nature and structure of the press conferences ?
When might they be scheduled for ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : The details will be worked out on the site there .
We can ’ t provide the specific details of the logistics at this time .
Q Hi , this is Mara Lee from International Trade Today .
I wanted to see if you all had any thoughts on the likelihood that India ’ s participation in the Generalized System of Preferences could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to be an announcement during this trip , but might there be enough progress to get that done later in 2020 ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : The concerns that led to the revocation , suspension of India ’ s GSP access remains a concern for us .
And to remind those on the call it was really the failure of the Indian government to provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors .
We continue to talk to our Indian colleagues about addressing these market access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USTR have been in touch with their counterparts over the past several weeks .
That engagement will continue .
The trade and economic relationship with India is critically important to the United States , and I think also access to the United States market is critical to the Indian government .
We do want to make sure that we get this balance right .
We want to address a bunch — a lot of concerns , and we ’ re not quite there yet .
We will likely have discussion with the Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion beyond this visit .
Q Hi , there .
This is Jill Colvin from the Associated Press .
I just wanted to be clear : So , do you expect any progress whatsoever on the trade front ?
Are there specific discussions that are planned ?
The President had sort of alluded that there could be potentially some progress made .
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : Well , we have had a number of announcements coming from India in the past several weeks , which are making the discussions a bit more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India have made the protectionism concerns in India even greater .
So we will be discussing those concerns .
And what we see as an increase in barriers , not a decrease , this will certainly come up among the leaders .
Whether or not there will be announcement on a trade package is , really , wholly dependent upon what the Indians are prepared to do .
That said , we have a number of significant commercial deals , which are of great significance that we ’ re very pleased to announce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Q Yes .
Hi , this is Adam Behsudi with Politico .
Can you say with any more detail on where the sticking points were on some of the trade issues in terms of not being able to come together ?
Or was it really down to the actions that India has taken in the last couple months and weeks on trade ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : I think many of the concerns about private sector are well documented .
Certainly throughout the GSP process , you had a number of key market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
But the Make in India push of the Indian government , as I noted , has made the protectionism concerns even more of a concern to us .
We ’ ve seen India ’ s budget process recently used to raise tariffs on products of interest in the United States .
We continue to see important divergences on e-commerce and digital trade .
So it ’ s a pretty wide scope , frankly , of important service and goods access barriers that we need to address .
Q Hi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hindu .
I guess my question is to [ senior administration official ] .
Thank you for your comment .
I was wondering , should we expect President Trump to offer to mediate on Kashmir again ?
And will there be any discussion on Afghanistan ?
There are reports about Indian troops in Afghanistan .
Should we expect some sort of request from the U.S. side on that ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : I think what you ’ ll hear from the President is very much encouraging a reduction in tensions between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries to engage in bilateral dialogue with each other to resolve their differences .
We continue to believe a core foundation of any successful dialogue between the two is based on continued momentum in Pakistan ’ s efforts to crack down on terrorists and extremists on its territory .
So we continue to look for that .
But I think the President will urge both countries to seek to maintain peace and stability along the line of control and refrain from actions or statements that could increase tensions in the region .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your question , I think was that on the — what was the second part of your question ?
Q The question was on Afghanistan .
Will there be an ask for India on that ?
Will President Trump ask for Indian troops ?
There are reports about this .
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : Right now , the U.S. is focused on the peace process in Afghanistan .
You saw there was a major announcement by Secretary Pompeo where we have finalized an understanding with the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ step forward , and we ’ re focused on that .
With regard to India , we would just encourage India , as we are all regional countries , to do whatever it can to support this peace process so that it can be successful and we can potentially end 19 years of military , [ DEL : diplomatic , economic : DEL ] engagement .
You know , that we can end the military engagement .
We will be continuing our diplomatic and economic engagement , which has been there over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would look to India to support this peace process — an important country in the region , important to the overall stability of the region .
So I think if the issue comes up , that is what would be the request from the President .
Q Hi , this is Alex Lawson from Law360 .
There was some talk yesterday in the private sector about the potential for some kind of MOU , a memorandum specifically on intellectual property .
I know there ’ s been a number of sort of sticking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pharmaceutical patents in India and some other things .
Do you have any details on what might come on that front during the trip ?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL : I don ’ t have any specific details on that particular MOU .
We ’ ll be looking at a few handful of agreements on the defense , ( inaudible ) , energy front , but I don ’ t have any specific details on the MOU that you mentioned .
OPERATOR : We have no other questions at this time .
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you everyone again for joining us .
And again , the backgrounder is from senior administration officials on background .
And you ’ re now — we ’ ll lift the embargo at this point , and you are free to go ahead .
So thank you very much for your time and help .
Bye-bye .

The White House has provided a great deal of background information on the upcoming trip to India by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
WHITE HOUSE – SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks to everyone for joining this call. The topic of the call: This is a background briefing with senior administration officials on President Donald J. Trump’s travel to India.
The briefing is embargoed until 2:30 p.m. and it’s offered on background attributed to a “senior administration official.”
Now, for your information only, we have two senior administration officials with us today. We have [senior administration officials].
Now, please, again, this is on background, attributed to a “senior administration official,” so that will be your information only.
So, at this point, I will turn it over to [senior administration official], who will begin our briefing.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hello, and thank you for being here. First, I’ll run through the official delegation for the trip to India. With the President and the First Lady, there will be a 12-person official delegation. That will include:
* Ambassador Ken Juster, the United States Ambassador to of India
* Secretary Wilbur Ross, of Commerce Department
* Secretary Dan Brouillette, of the Energy Department
* Mick Mulvaney, Assistant to the President and Acting Chief of Staff
* National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien
* Ivanka Trump, Assistant to the President and Advisor to the President
* Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President
* Stephen Miller, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Policy
* Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Digital Strategy
* Lindsay Reynolds, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady
* Robert Blair, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Telecommunication Policy and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff
And the final member of the official delegation is:
* Stephanie Grisham, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary and Director of Communications for the President and First Lady
And additional bilateral meeting participants include:
* Adam Boehler, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
* Ajit Pai, Chairman of the FCC
* Lisa Curtis, Deputy Assistant to the President for South and Central Asian Affairs
* Mr. Kash Patel, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism
* And finally, Mr. Mike Passey, Director for India, National Security Council
I’ll quickly run through the schedule, give an overview.
The President will arrive in India, in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, on Monday, where he’ll deliver remarks at Sardar Patel Stadium with Prime Minister Modi.
The President and the First Lady will then go with Prime Minister Modi to visit the Taj, in Agra.
They will then fly to New Delhi and rest overnight in New Delhi, and have a full program on Tuesday. This will include ceremonial events, bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister, a business event with Indian investors, with a special focus on companies that are investing in manufacturing in the U.S.
He’ll have a meet-and-greet with embassy staff and a meeting with the President of India. And to cap it off, there will be a state dinner at the presidential palace, called Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Tuesday evening.
And I’ll give just a few overview remarks before we go into the Q&A about what the President hopes to accomplish in this visit.
The President is going to India as a demonstration of the strong and enduring ties between our two countries. These are ties based on shared democratic traditions, common strategic interests, and enduring bonds between our people. And, in part, this has been exemplified by the very close relationship between the President and Prime Minister Modi.
So the visit will focus on several key areas. First, we’ll focus on building our economic and energy ties. Just to note that two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $142 billion in 2018, and there’s certainly much more room to grow, particularly in energy.
The Strategic Energy Partnership that was launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in 2017 has paid major dividends. It’s improved energy security. It’s encouraged the production of more energy. And it’s facilitated Indian imports of U.S. crude oil, LNG, and coal.
And, certainly, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world, has huge energy needs. And the U.S. is ready to help India meet those needs. Indeed, in 2016, U.S. energy exports to India have grown 500 percent to nearly $7 billion.
Second, we will focus on defense and security cooperation to both fight terrorism and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. The U.S. wants an India that is strong, with a capable military that supports peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indeed, India is a pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy, and we continue to work together to promote this vision of a free and open international system based on market economics, good governance, freedom of the seas and skies, and respect for sovereignty.
And our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific really goes to the heart of what binds our two countries together, and this is our shared democratic systems that place a premium on citizen-centric governments. In fact, India has a strong foundation of democracy, going back to the early days, right after independence. India is a country rich in religious, linguistic, and cultural diversity. In fact, it’s the birthplace of four major world religions.
Prime Minister Modi, in his first speech after winning the election last year, talked about how he would prioritize being inclusive of India’s religious minorities. And, certainly, the world looks to India to maintain religious liberty and equal treatment for all under the rule of law.
So, to sum up, this visit will build upon our many shared values, our strategic and economic interests, and lock in those gains made in the relationship by the administration over the last three years.
And that concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, Operator, I think we’re ready now to take a few questions.
Q Hi, it’s Andrew Feinberg with Breakfast Media. Thanks for doing this call. Given your remarks just now about your commitment to ensuring religious freedom in India, is the President planning on saying anything to Prime Minister Modi about his government’s attempt to keep Muslim migrants from being able to gain Indian citizenship, or the National Registry of Citizens, which is, some reports are saying, excluding Muslim — people of Muslim descent who have lived in India for many years from retaining their citizenship?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. I think President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private. He will raise these issues, particularly the religious freedom issue, which is extremely important to this administration.
As I talked about, we do have this shared commitment to upholding our universal values, the rule of law. We have great respect for India’s democratic traditions and institutions, and we will continue to encourage India to uphold those traditions.
And we are concerned with some of the issues that you have raised. And I think that the President will talk about these issues in his meetings with Prime Minister Modi and note that the world is looking to India to continue to uphold its democratic traditions, respect for religious minorities. Of course, it’s in the Indian constitution — religious freedom, respect for religious minorities, and equal treatment of all religions in India.
So this is something that is important to the President and I’m sure it will come up.
Q Hi, this is Kathleen Stubbs with the Asahi Shimbun. Thank you for doing this call. My question is: What will be the nature and structure of the press conferences? When might they be scheduled for?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The details will be worked out on the site there. We can’t provide the specific details of the logistics at this time.
Q Hi, this is Mara Lee from International Trade Today. I wanted to see if you all had any thoughts on the likelihood that India’s participation in the Generalized System of Preferences could be restored. I take it there’s not going to be an announcement during this trip, but might there be enough progress to get that done later in 2020?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The concerns that led to the revocation, suspension of India’s GSP access remains a concern for us. And to remind those on the call it was really the failure of the Indian government to provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors.
We continue to talk to our Indian colleagues about addressing these market access barriers. Our trade teams led by USTR have been in touch with their counterparts over the past several weeks. That engagement will continue.
The trade and economic relationship with India is critically important to the United States, and I think also access to the United States market is critical to the Indian government. We do want to make sure that we get this balance right. We want to address a bunch — a lot of concerns, and we’re not quite there yet.
We will likely have discussion with the Prime Minister about these concerns and continue the discussion beyond this visit.
Q Hi, there. This is Jill Colvin from the Associated Press. I just wanted to be clear: So, do you expect any progress whatsoever on the trade front? Are there specific discussions that are planned? The President had sort of alluded that there could be potentially some progress made.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, we have had a number of announcements coming from India in the past several weeks, which are making the discussions a bit more difficult perhaps. Recent announcements on Make in India have made the protectionism concerns in India even greater. So we will be discussing those concerns. And what we see as an increase in barriers, not a decrease, this will certainly come up among the leaders.
Whether or not there will be announcement on a trade package is, really, wholly dependent upon what the Indians are prepared to do. That said, we have a number of significant commercial deals, which are of great significance that we’re very pleased to announce in a number of key sectors.
Q Yes. Hi, this is Adam Behsudi with Politico. Can you say with any more detail on where the sticking points were on some of the trade issues in terms of not being able to come together? Or was it really down to the actions that India has taken in the last couple months and weeks on trade?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think many of the concerns about private sector are well documented. Certainly throughout the GSP process, you had a number of key market access issues raised by stakeholder communities in the United States.
But the Make in India push of the Indian government, as I noted, has made the protectionism concerns even more of a concern to us. We’ve seen India’s budget process recently used to raise tariffs on products of interest in the United States. We continue to see important divergences on e-commerce and digital trade. So it’s a pretty wide scope, frankly, of important service and goods access barriers that we need to address.
Q Hi, this is (inaudible) from The Hindu. I guess my question is to [senior administration official]. Thank you for your comment. I was wondering, should we expect President Trump to offer to mediate on Kashmir again? And will there be any discussion on Afghanistan? There are reports about Indian troops in Afghanistan. Should we expect some sort of request from the U.S. side on that?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I think what you’ll hear from the President is very much encouraging a reduction in tensions between India and Pakistan, encouraging the two countries to engage in bilateral dialogue with each other to resolve their differences.
We continue to believe a core foundation of any successful dialogue between the two is based on continued momentum in Pakistan’s efforts to crack down on terrorists and extremists on its territory. So we continue to look for that.
But I think the President will urge both countries to seek to maintain peace and stability along the line of control and refrain from actions or statements that could increase tensions in the region.
And with regard to the second part of your question, I think was that on the — what was the second part of your question?
Q The question was on Afghanistan. Will there be an ask for India on that? Will President Trump ask for Indian troops? There are reports about this.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Right now, the U.S. is focused on the peace process in Afghanistan. You saw there was a major announcement by Secretary Pompeo where we have finalized an understanding with the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan. So we see this as a major step forward, and we’re focused on that.
With regard to India, we would just encourage India, as we are all regional countries, to do whatever it can to support this peace process so that it can be successful and we can potentially end 19 years of military, [DEL: diplomatic, economic :DEL] engagement. You know, that we can end the military engagement. We will be continuing our diplomatic and economic engagement, which has been there over the last 19 years.
But we certainly would look to India to support this peace process — an important country in the region, important to the overall stability of the region. So I think if the issue comes up, that is what would be the request from the President.
Q Hi, this is Alex Lawson from Law360. There was some talk yesterday in the private sector about the potential for some kind of MOU, a memorandum specifically on intellectual property. I know there’s been a number of sort of sticking points in the U.S. business community about pharmaceutical patents in India and some other things.
Do you have any details on what might come on that front during the trip?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I don’t have any specific details on that particular MOU. We’ll be looking at a few handful of agreements on the defense, (inaudible), energy front, but I don’t have any specific details on the MOU that you mentioned.
OPERATOR: We have no other questions at this time.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Great. Well, thank you everyone again for joining us. And again, the backgrounder is from senior administration officials on background. And you’re now — we’ll lift the embargo at this point, and you are free to go ahead.
So thank you very much for your time and help. Bye-bye.
END 2:21 P.M. EST


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-22--NEC Director Larry Kudlow Discusses, Coronavirus, China and U.S. Economy…

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on CNBC for an extensive interview on upstream economic issues .
With China ’ s economy at a standstill ; and with the troubles of the coronavirus spreading outward ; what does that mean for us ?
There ’ s some good questions in this interview .
Domestically , as we noted yesterday , the U.S. economy is strong and growing .
However , the Wall Street multinationals are very exposed to the China issues .
On the bright side the overall China issues are helping to push more corporate decisions toward domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these lessons being learned , I sure wish we didn ’ t have China involved in making our medicines and medical products .
The administration needs to look at this more .
Director Kudlow also appeared on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs .
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is planning a 5G summit at the White House in early April as part of its global effort to ensure that Chinese telecom giant Huawei does not become dominant in next generation communications technologies , officials told CNBC .
The event has not been officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top economic advisor , Larry Kudlow , told reporters Friday that such a meeting would happen .
“ We ’ re going to have a lot of them in the White House to have a discussion .
I ’ m sure the president will join us in part .
That would include Samsung , that would include all of our guys , ” Kudlow said .
The development comes at a crucial moment for U.S.-Chinese relations .
China , which is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak , last month signed a “ phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides look to complete additional phases .
Behind the scenes , a senior administration official said telecom and technology CEOs have been visiting with President Donald Trump at the White House to explain their views on how to make sure that American firms continue to dominate the communications industry .
( more )

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on CNBC for an extensive interview on upstream economic issues. With China’s economy at a standstill; and with the troubles of the coronavirus spreading outward; what does that mean for us?
There’s some good questions in this interview. Domestically, as we noted yesterday, the U.S. economy is strong and growing. However, the Wall Street multinationals are very exposed to the China issues. On the bright side the overall China issues are helping to push more corporate decisions toward domestic investment and away from Beijing.
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is planning a 5G summit at the White House in early April as part of its global effort to ensure that Chinese telecom giant Huawei does not become dominant in next generation communications technologies, officials told CNBC.
The event has not been officially announced yet. The president’s top economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, told reporters Friday that such a meeting would happen.
“We’re going to have a lot of them in the White House to have a discussion. I’m sure the president will join us in part. That would include Samsung, that would include all of our guys,” Kudlow said.
The development comes at a crucial moment for U.S.-Chinese relations. China, which is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak, last month signed a “phase one” trade deal with Trump as both sides look to complete additional phases.
Behind the scenes, a senior administration official said telecom and technology CEOs have been visiting with President Donald Trump at the White House to explain their views on how to make sure that American firms continue to dominate the communications industry. (more)
Given these lessons being learned, I sure wish we didn’t have China involved in making our medicines and medical products. The administration needs to look at this more.Director Kudlow also appeared on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs.


theconservativetreehouse--2020-02-22--Devin Nunes Shreds Washington Post Fake Russia News: “I Have to Sue To Get Their Lies to Stop”…

House Intelligence Committee ( HPSCI ) ranking member Devin Nunes attended the intelligence briefing that has been the topic of @ @ @ @ @ .
Nunes notes the leaking from Democrats to their media allies is entirely false .
@ @

House Intelligence Committee (HPSCI) ranking member Devin Nunes attended the intelligence briefing that has been the topic of so much recent fake news. Nunes notes the leaking from Democrats to their media allies is entirely false. WATCH: