It’s Friday.
The week has been long.
Monday former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn’s business partner was indicted.
Tuesday former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn appeared in court, where he accepted responsibility for lying to Federal Investigators, explained that the FBI did not entrap or mislead him, and where he said he was still cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Office. He is expected back in court in March of 2019.
Tuesday it was announced that President Trump’s charity foundation would be dissolved under judicial supervision.
Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate had reached a continuing resolution bill that would prevent a government shutdown, funding the Federal Government until February 8th, 2019.
Wednesday via Twitter President Trump announced that early reporting of his intention to withdrawal troops from Syria were true, and that “we have defeated ISIS.”
Thursday via Twitter President Trump explained that Russia, Turkey, Iran, and “others,” would have to fight ISIS, without the U.S..
Thursday the House Republican’s and President Trump caused chaos and confusion when the Senate passed C.R. that funded the government through the holidays and the State of the Union was blasted since it did not include the $5 billion President Trump has demanded for his “wall” to be built. The House later passed a C.R., that did include the funding for the “wall.” That C.R., heads to the Senate on Friday.
Thursday Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, resigned, though President Trump tweeted he was resigning in February of 2019.
Friday finds President Trump tweeting about the Senate, the looming government shutdown, how he’s been “tough, but fair,” on Russia, and how no Presidents before him had been as hard on ISIS as he has been.
1. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown!
Last week President Trump said he would be “proud,” to shutdown the government if border security wall funding was not in the spending bill.
TRUMP: “Yes. If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other…I will shut down the government. Absolutely. I am proud to shut down the govt for border security…I will take the mantle, I will be the one to shut it down. And I’m going to shut it down for border security.” pic.twitter.com/61aBwpBoDy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2018
2. I know tech better than anyone…
3. Properly designed and built Walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don’t.
In 2013 the government shutdown for sixteen days according to Standard and Poor’s as was reported by Huffington Post, at that time the cost of the shutdown was $24 billion taken, “out of the United States Economy.”
4. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World.
The House vote was 217 to 185, I can find no information on those returning to D.C., from “all parts of the world.”
5. There will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time.
Many media outlets are reporting the House Bill is likely to fail to gather the 60 votes needed in the Senate.
6. House Republican Vote, 217-185.
President Trump is boosting over the passage in the House because the presumptive future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), last week told President Trump during a meeting that he did not have votes to fund the border wall in either chamber.
PELOSI drags TRUMP for threatening to shut down the government despite fact his party still controls the entire federal government!
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2018
“There are no votes, in the House, a majority of votes, for a wall. No matter where you start.” pic.twitter.com/ndgIX9VjA3
7. Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security.
The Washington Post noted Thursday that those departments that come to a “halt,” include: those that govern homeland security, law enforcement, transportation, and the Treasury Department.
8. Even President Ronald Reagan tried for 8 years to build a Border Wall, or Fence, and was unable to do so.
No he did not.
Reagan: “Rather than…talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems and make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then while they’re working and earning here they pay taxes here.” pic.twitter.com/a3ogUdxHSW
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) December 21, 2018
9. Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done!
The Hill reports that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said earlier this year at an event, regarding the nuclear option that he has “told him repeatedly, the votes aren’t there to change it. They just aren’t there. I simply disagree with the president about the harm that [the filibuster] does.”
Reached for a comment Friday Leader McConnell’s spokesman David Popp, told The Hill, “The Leader has said for years that the votes are not there in the Conference to use the nuclear option. Just this morning, several Senators put out statements confirming their opposition, and confirming that there is not a majority in the conference to go down that road.”
10. Thank you Steve Daines.
11. There has never been a president who has been tougher (but fair) on China or Russia.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the Treasury Department, “intends to lift sanctions against the business empire of Oleg V. Deripaska, one of Russia’s most influential oligarchs, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by Mr. Deripaska’s companies.”
The companies in questions the Times reports are the “biggest in the aluminum industry.”
According to a deal reached between these Russian companies and the U.S., Deripaska is expected to give up “majority ownership,” which includes his stake in the second largest aluminum company, Rusal. Deripaska as an individual is still on the sanctions list, according to Andrea Gacki, the director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
As the News Blender reported, Deripaska is a Russian oligarch, with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Deripaska, which emails revealed also has close ties to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who is currently in prison while he awaits sentencing for tax evasion, and bank fraud.
12. All the geniuses who are protesting the withdrawal of troops from Syria are the same geniuses who cooked the books on ISIS intelligence and gave rise to ISIS.
Friday General Anthony Tata appeared on Fox News to discuss withdrawal from Syria and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ resignation.
13. The Democrats now own the shutdown!
14. Not even close!
As it’s the Friday before Christmas, I just wanted to point out that trending at the time this article was written, (11:03 a.m., west coast time) trending on twitter the hashtag #TrumpResign in the number #1 spot.
