Trump Tweets China Trade and Impeachment for Thursday’s Open Thread

January 16, 2020 12:28 pm EST Tiff Trump Tweets (Open Thread) 2
Trump Tweets Logo. Image by Lenny Ghoul.

Impeached President Donald Trump has tweeted 7 times and retweeted 8 times for Friday Eve, so far.

The U.S./China Trade Deal Phase One tweets.

On Wednesday the President along with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the U.S./China Phase One Deal.

The Financial Times broke down the 80 plus page deal that was revealed for the first-time on Wednesday.

Intellectual Property. (chapter one. pg. 6 of the PDF)

China has agreed to make it easier for U.S. companies to seek “recourse in both civil and criminal proceedings for the theft of trade secrets, without disclosing confidential business information. The deal also includes stricter measures related to patents, trademarks and geographical indications to prevent piracy and counterfeiting.” Critics of chapter one say China has not made “sweeping commitments to combat cybertheft.”

U.S. Good Purchases. (chapter six. pg. 54 of the PDF)

China has agreed to buy $200 billion more in U.S. goods than it did in 2017, over the course of two years.

The purchases broken down include $32 billion in farm goods, including oilseeds, meats, grains, and seafood.

Farmers for Free Trade spokesperson Michelle Erickson-Jones, a Montana wheat farmer issued the following statement regarding the U.S./China trade deal.

While Phase One makes incremental progress, it remains to be seen whether it will deliver any meaningful relief for farmers like me. This deal does not end retaliatory tariffs on American farm exports, makes American farmers increasingly reliant on Chinese state-controlled purchases and doesn’t address the big structural changes the trade war was predicated on achieving. The promises of lofty purchases are encouraging but farmers like me will believe it when we see it.

In the months ahead, we will be closely scrutinizing the purchase promises in this agreement. We will see whether Phase One takes steps to dig out from the hole the trade war created or whether like previous ag purchase promises it is all talk. In the meantime, the Administration should waste no time in returning to the negotiating table and reaching an agreement that ends the trade war for good.

Michelle Erickson-Jones 01/15/2020.

Reuters reported that the deal will “roll back only some of tariffs that the two sides have been imposing on each other. The rest remain in place for what looks to be another tricky phase of talks.”

Minority Senate Leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to President Trump’s tweeter attack.

The Impeachment Tweets with a side of bribing jurors.

On Wednesday as the News Blender reported Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced the House Impeachment Managers that will present the House’s findings that President Trump abused his power, in his attempt to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival and that he Obstruction Congressional oversight by refusing to turn over documents relating to Ukraine military aid.

“There is no crime here.”

On Thursday the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan agency that reports to Congress found that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by withholding funds from Ukraine.

According to their report in the summer of 2019:

OMB withheld from obligation approximately $214 million appropriated to DOD for security assistance to Ukraine. OMB withheld amounts by issuing a series of nine apportionment schedules with footnotes that made all unobligated balances for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) unavailable for obligation. As explained below, we conclude that OMB withheld the funds from obligation for an unauthorized reason in violation of the ICA. (See 2 U.S.C. § 684.)

We also question actions regarding funds appropriated to the Department of State (State) for security assistance to Ukraine.

GAO Report 01/16/2020.

“Looking Strongly Into This.”

In a real trial we call this jury tampering.

As to the book the President is promoting according to Breitbart.com Amazon Charts (the link they use goes to most read and most sold not pre-ordered) said that the new Peter Schweizer book “Profiles in Corruption,” was the most anticipated book on the list.

The Other Tweet.

From the Daily Caller article:

“The Flint Registry gives anyone exposed to Flint water from April 2014 until October 2015 — an estimated 150,000 people — access to services and programs,” the Flint Journal reported in 2019. “The Registry is funded in part by a $14.4-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
The registry increased the “thank you check” amount from $25 to $50 in December.

The Daily Caller 01/15/2020.

Happened on the Hill. (I’ll attempt to have a feed for Chief Justice Roberts swearing in and the Senators. Which takes place at 2 p.m. eastern.)

Earlier on Thursday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for handing out engraved pens after she signed the Articles of Impeachment heading to the Senate.

This post will be updated within reason.

This is an Open Thread.

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About Tiff 2832 Articles
Member of the Free Press who is politically homeless and a political junkie.