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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, September 27, 2018 7:54 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Thursday, September 27, 2018


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=001-9e4&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Thursday, September 27, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• GOP Highlighting Biden’s ‘91 Remarks On FBI Amid Kavanaugh Controversy.
<#S1>

• Biden, Boehner, Others Join AJC In Calling On US To Maintain Western
Alliances. <#S2>

• Biden: Democrats Will Retake Congress This Fall, Liberating Republicans
From Trump. <#S3>

• American Possibilities PAC Offering Small Donors Chance To Win Trip To
Meet Biden. <#S4>

• Biden Endorses Baer’s Bid To Unseat Mast In FL18. <#S5>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Says China Trying To Interfere In Midterms. <#S6>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump Endorses Two-State Solution, Vows To Release Peace Plan Within
Months. <#S7>

• Haley: Kerry’s Outreach To Iranian Officials “Absolutely Is
Anti-American.” <#S8>

• Pompeo: Kim Has Been “Very Consistent In His Commitment” To
Denuclearization. <#S9>

• Trump Claims Credit For Saving Idlib From Syrian Offensive. <#S10>

• Khalilzad: New Mission In Afghanistan “Deja Vu All Over Again.” <#S11>

• Trump Open To Meeting With Maduro At UNGA. <#S12>

• Trump Signals Trade Talks With Canada Going Poorly. <#S13>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Trump Calls Allegations Against Kavanaugh “A Big, Fat Con Job.” <#S14>

• Trump Says He Would “Much Prefer” Keeping Rosenstein As Deputy AG. <#S15>

• Trump Will Sign Spending Bill Despite Absence Of Wall Funding. <#S16>

• Senate, House Reach Agreement On Opioid Bill. <#S17>

• Fed Raises Fed Funds Rate, Signals Intent To Continue Increases Into 2020.
<#S18>

• DOJ, Education Dept. Probing Claim Yale Discriminates Against
Asian-Americans. <#S19>

• Texas Student Sues Over Expulsion For Refusal To Rise For Pledge Of
Allegiance. <#S20>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• US-Cuban Biotech Joint Venture To Bring New Cancer Therapies To American
Patients. <#S21>

• St. Jude’s Collaboration Aids Pediatric Cancer Patients In Poorer
Countries. <#S22>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S23>

• Washington Post. <#S24>
Biden in the News
GOP Highlighting Biden’s ‘91 Remarks On FBI Amid Kavanaugh Controversy.

On its website, Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=002-fc4&t=c>
(9/26, Singman) reported, “Republicans are seizing on a vintage clip of
then-Sen. Joe Biden during the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings
that show him dismissing the usefulness of having the FBI investigate”
accusation lodged by Anita Hill “against the Supreme Court nominee. It
comes as Democrats are calling on the FBI to investigate allegations of
sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.” Biden,
who in 1991 chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, said at the time, “The
next person who refers to an FBI report as being worth anything, obviously
doesn’t understand anything. The FBI explicitly does not, in this case or
any other case, reach a conclusion, period. Period.” In a Tuesday tweet,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “My Democrat friends might
want to consider this from then-Judiciary Committee Chairman JOE BIDEN
(D-DE) In 1991: The ‘FBI explicitly Does Not, IN This Or Any Other Case
Reach A Conclusion, Period.’”

Writing for the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=003-605&t=c>
(9/26), Kristine Phillips also highlighted McConnell’s tweet and adds, “An
article by the Federalist Society, one of the outside groups that Trump has
entrusted to cull his list of judicial prospects, argued that Biden himself
has done a complete about-face in telling the ‘Today’ show that the FBI
should investigate the allegations against Kavanaugh.” However, ex-Biden
chief of staff Ronald Klain “said the former vice president’s point was
that the FBI’s purpose is to investigate and take statements from
witnesses, as the agency did in 1991.” Klain is quoted as tweeting, “‘m
sorry @SenateMajLdr, maybe you should listen to my ex-boss a little more
carefully. He makes the point that the FBI takes statements from all
witnesses. And THAT is exactly what is missing now.”

*Angela Wright On Hill-Thomas Hearings: Biden “Was Pretty Much
Useless.” *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=004-1ab&t=c>
(9/26, Chira) reports, “During the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for
Clarence Thomas in 1991, Senate Democrats chose not to call Angela Wright,
a former colleague of Judge Thomas’s who was prepared to accuse him of
sexual misconduct.” The Times provides “an edited and condensed” transcript
of an interview it recently conducted with Wright, who “reflected on both
the Hill-Thomas hearings and the Judiciary Committee session scheduled for”
today involving “Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford.” Wright was asked,
“How would you compare the way Senator Grassley is running the hearings
compared to the chairman at the time of the Hill hearings, then-Senator Joe
Biden?” Wright replied, “I think Joe Biden was pretty much useless. He
tried so hard to be ‘neutral’ when the situation called for anything but
neutrality.”

*Boston Globe’s Vennochi: Anita Hill Would Haunt A 2020 Biden
Bid. *Joan
Vennochi writes in her Boston Globe
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=005-b71&t=c>
(9/26) column that while Biden recently said that “he regrets how Hill was
treated 27 years ago,” his “colleagues weren’t the only ones to mistreat”
her. Biden “also posed questions designed to humiliate her. That
inconvenient flashback to 1991 comes” amid the Kavanaugh controversy “and
just as Biden positions himself for a 2020 presidential run.” If he runs
for president, says Vennochi, Biden’s “problem is a large and diverse field
of” rivals “whose resumes won’t include footage from 25-plus years ago,
showing a panel of insensitive men putting a woman on trial for daring to
accuse another powerful male of inappropriate conduct. That unpleasant
blast from the past is also a reminder of just how far back Biden goes in
American political history. Sorry, but it will take more than saying he was
wrong back then to make Biden the right presidential candidate in 2020.”
Biden, Boehner, Others Join AJC In Calling On US To Maintain Western
Alliances.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=006-870&t=c>
(9/26) reports, “Top former officials of both parties joined an American
Jewish Committee appeal to maintain traditional Western alliances, an
implicit rebuke to President Donald Trump’s rejection of the structures.”
In a statement, the AJC said, “We rise in defense of the precious alliance
of democracies – and its treaties, institutions and norms – that has
sustained peace and generated prosperity from the Cold War to the present
day. As students of history, we know all too well the terrible price that
has been paid when these principles were not respected and protected.” The
report adds, “Among those signing on are Democrats like former Vice
President Joe Biden and Republicans such as former U.S. House of
Representatives Speaker John Boehner,” as well as former UK Prime Minister
Tony Blair.
Biden: Democrats Will Retake Congress This Fall, Liberating Republicans
From Trump.

The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=007-382&t=c>
(9/26, Visser) reported that during an appearance at the University of
Pennsylvania, former Vice President Joe Biden “predicted Tuesday that
Democrats will win control of both chambers of Congress in November’s
midterm elections, freeing Republicans from pressure to support President
Donald Trump.” Said Biden, “It’s going to liberate a lot of Republicans who
know better,” adding, “My dad had the expression. ... He’d say, ‘Joey
there’s no sense on dying on a small cross. If you’re going to die, make it
a big one.’ Well, my Republican colleagues don’t want to die on a small
cross.”
American Possibilities PAC Offering Small Donors Chance To Win Trip To Meet
Biden.

In an online article, CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=008-c19&t=c>
(9/26, Daniels) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden’s political
action committee, American Possibilities PAC, “is using a trip contest to
encourage small dollar contributions from individual donors.” The group “is
asking for donations of as little as $5 in return for the chance to win a
$3,500 trip to meet” Biden, who is traveling “around the country to support
Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. ‘We’ll fly you
out, and put you up,’ said email online solicitation from the PAC. It
offers ‘the opportunity for winner and winner’s guest to meet Vice
President Joe Biden on the campaign trail.’”
Biden Endorses Baer’s Bid To Unseat Mast In FL18.

Florida Politics
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=009-751&t=c>
(9/26, Nicol) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday
endorsed ex-Obama Administration official Lauren Baer’s (D) bid to unseat
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) in the FL18. Biden is quoted as saying, “Lauren Baer
is exactly the kind of leader we need in Washington. Having served six
years as a senior adviser in the State Department during the Obama-Biden
Administration, she knows what it takes to get things done.”
Leading the News
Trump Says China Trying To Interfere In Midterms.

As he chaired the UN Security Council Wednesday, President Trump accused
China of trying to interfere in the midterm elections because it opposes
his trade policies. Media coverage of Trump’s claim is relatively heavy,
but it is largely negative, with most reports pointing out that he offered
no evidence to support it.

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00a-109&t=c>
(9/26, story 7, 0:10, Glor) reported Trump “accused China of wanting him to
lose the next election” and said in his news conference that “he may no
longer be friends with Chinese President Xi Jinping.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00b-03e&t=c>
(9/26, Miller, Lemire) says Trump “made his accusation against the backdrop
of the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the
last election to help him and amid concerns that this November’s elections
also could be vulnerable.” However, the White House “provided scant
evidence of anything akin to the level of Russia’s meddling in the 2016
presidential election.” Asked what evidence he had, Trump said there was
“plenty” but “didn’t provide details.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00c-d05&t=c>
(9/26, Salama, Volz) also points out that Trump provided no details or
evidence to support his accusation. Andrea Mitchell reported on NBC Nightly
News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00d-1a6&t=c>
(9/26, story 6, 1:45, Holt) that the timing of the accusation “appears tied
to his trade war with China, with the US slapping tariffs on $200 billion
of Chinese exports this week.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00e-f08&t=c>
(9/26, Enjeti) reports, “This is not the first time Trump has accused China
of attempting to meddle in the election.” Similarly, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=00f-e4b&t=c>
(9/26, Landler) reports that Trump “has accused the Chinese of election
meddling before, but never so bluntly or in such a high-profile
international setting.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=010-409&t=c>
(9/26, Bayoumy, Nichols) quotes Trump as saying, “China has been attempting
to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against
my administration.” Reuters adds that he “made no reference to suspected
Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and provided no evidence for his
allegation about China.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=011-b42&t=c>
(9/26, Shesgreen, Fritze) also says Trump “did not offer any specific
evidence of China’s meddling,” but adds that in a tweet later Wednesday,
“he highlighted a four-page advertorial that ran Sunday in the Des Moines
(Iowa) Register newspaper.” Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=012-b68&t=c>,
“China is actually placing propaganda ads in the Des Moines Register and
other papers, made to look like news. That’s because we are beating them on
Trade, opening markets, and the farmers will make a fortune when this is
over!” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=013-308&t=c>
(9/26, Moore) also says Trump “followed up on his claim” with the tweet
highlighting the Chinese ads.

To Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=014-bbc&t=c>
(9/26, Shamon), Trump’s comment was “a striking assertion” that “echoed
recent remarks by White House national security adviser John Bolton, who
pointed the finger at China without giving concrete evidence of Beijing’s
interference with U.S. elections.” Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=015-058&t=c>
(9/26, Vavra) reports that Bolton “has previously said the government is
concerned about Chinese interference in U.S. elections, but the
administration has not yet provided specific evidence of direct tampering
or misinformation campaigns of the sort Russia pursued in 2016.” The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=016-e74&t=c>
(9/26, Boyer, Taylor) reports that Trump later indicated “that he was
referring in part to China’s retaliatory tariffs against U.S. farm
products, as opposed to the type of cyber-hacking that Russia conducted in
the 2016 U.S. elections.” Trump told reporters, “You have statements made
[by the Chinese] that they were going to hit our farmers, those are my
voters. ... I love the farmers, I’m taking care of the farmers. I’m opening
up markets like nobody’s ever opened markets before.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=017-20c&t=c>
(9/26, Nakashima) says that “in a hastily-arranged press call on ‘Chinese
interference,’ a senior administration official offered no examples of
activity specifically constituting interference in the 2018 election,” but
said that China has hurt “farmers and workers in states and districts that
voted for the president because he stood up to the ways China has taken
advantage of our country economically.” While CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=018-a6f&t=c>
(9/26, Bennett) says the official “provided scant examples of a
Russia-style disinformation warfare campaign,” the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=019-234&t=c>
(9/26, Nelson) says “the senior official offered a broad critique of China,
going beyond allegations of election-related interference.” The official
“said China was responsible for ‘cyberbullying’ American scholars” and
attempting to “stifle free speech on U.S. college campuses.” In addition,
“he said China wrongfully penalizes critics by withholding travel visas.”

According to Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01a-0b7&t=c>
(9/26) US national security officials “are on high alert for attempted
election interference by a foreign adversary,” but “Russia has been seen as
a more likely threat than China.” Bloomberg says that on September 12, DNI
Coats said China is “one of several countries with ‘capabilities; to
interfere in the elections,” but added, “it’s more than Russia here that
we’re looking at,” and “he didn’t allege that Beijing had taken any
action.” Mitchell also said on NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01b-ba2&t=c>
(9/26, story 6, 1:45, Holt) that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was
present for Trump’s remarks, is “strongly denying” the President’s
accusations. Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01c-eb8&t=c>
(9/26) showed Wang saying, “We did not and will not interfere in any
country’s domestic affairs. We refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations
against China.”

*B-52s Flew Over South China Sea Last Week. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01d-803&t=c>
(9/26, Ali) reports that US B-52 bombers flew “in the vicinity of the South
China Sea this week” in “a move that is likely to cause anger in Beijing
amid heightened tensions between the two countries.” According to Reuters,
“Such flights are common, but usually upset Beijing. In June, China’s
foreign ministry said no military ship or aircraft could scare China away
from its resolve to protect its territory after two U.S. Air Force B-52
bombers flew near disputed islands in the South China Sea.”

*WSJournal Details China’s Systematic Extraction Of US Firms’
Technologies. *Citing interviews with corporate and government officials in
the US and China and a review of regulatory and other documents, the Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01e-57a&t=c>
(9/26, A1, Wei, Davis) reports that China’s removal of technology from US
companies has become systematic.

*Media Analyses: Trump Reveled In “Freewheeling” News
Conference. *Several
news outlets run colorful analyses of what the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=01f-e03&t=c>
(9/26) calls Trump’s “freewheeling” Wednesday news conference. The AP says
Trump “dismissed as ‘fake news’ reports that he was laughed at during his
speech to the U.N. General Assembly, said he wanted Rod Rosenstein to
remain in his Justice Department job, said he rejected a one-on-one meeting
with the Canadian prime minister, and accused China of interfering in the
2018 midterm election.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=020-507&t=c>
(9/26, Grynbaum) reports Trump “doubted the character of George Washington
(‘Didn’t he have a couple things in his past?’), urged a wire-service
reporter to ask a tough question (‘Give it to me, Reuters!’) and referred
to a Kurdish correspondent as ‘Mr. Kurd.’” The Times writes that while
Trump “denounces news organizations as ‘the enemy of the people,’” he “made
clear that he is never more comfortable, never more engaged, than when he
is sparring with the news media that he loves to say he hates. ... ‘I could
be doing this all day long,’ Mr. Trump said happily, after an hour of
challenging, cajoling, teasing and shouting down the reporters in the
room.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=021-1f4&t=c>
(9/26, Parker) says that “an animated Trump delivered bluster, falsehoods,
insults, breaking news and, as he quipped at one point, more than a hint of
his trademark “braggadocios.” But what was perhaps most remarkable was just
how transparent and revealing Trump continues to be.”

*Haley: World Leaders Laughed At Trump Because They Loved His
Honesty. *USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=022-753&t=c>
(9/26, Kelly) reports UN Ambassador Haley said Wednesday that world leaders
who laughed during Trump’s UNGA speech on Tuesday did so because “they
loved how honest he is.” Haley told Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=023-ef4&t=c>
(9/26), “They loved how honest he is. It’s not diplomatic, and they find it
funny.” She added that diplomats were “falling over themselves” to get a
picture with Trump and tell him “how great his speech was.” Haley told Fox,
“They love that he’s honest with them and they’ve never seen anything like
it. So, there’s respect there. I saw that the media was trying to make it
something disrespectful. That’s not what it was. They love to be with him.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Endorses Two-State Solution, Vows To Release Peace Plan Within Months.

Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=024-2a7&t=c>
(9/26) reported that President Trump “for the first time” is endorsing a
two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Fox’s John Roberts
added[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=025-014&t=c>
that Trump, who “briefly met” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu on Wednesday, said a two-state solution “would work best, and he
touted the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, suggesting the
Israelis would have to make a concession to the Palestinians.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=026-44b&t=c>
(9/26, Lee) likewise says the comments marked “the first time since taking
office” that Trump “endorsed a two-state solution as the best way to
resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.” Trump told
reporters he believes that two states “works best.” To the AP, he “has
previously been vague on the topic, suggesting that he would support
whatever the parties might agree to.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=027-bd3&t=c>
(9/26, Schwartz) calls it a shift by Trump, while Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=028-53b&t=c>
(9/26, Ravid) says “the Palestinians have been anxiously waiting for Trump
to say this.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=029-8e1&t=c>
(9/26, Landler) reports Trump “said Wednesday that he hoped to present his
long-anticipated peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians within four
months.” Speaking before meeting with Netanyahu, Trump “was more
declarative than he has previously been about both the timing and nature of
the proposal his administration has been working on in secret for nearly 20
months.” While the White House “has kept timing of the plan...under tight
wraps,” the President said he planned to release it “over the next two to
three to four months.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02a-276&t=c>
(9/26, Boyer) reports he said, “We’re working along on” the plan, adding,
“I really believe something will happen. It is a dream of mine to be able
to get that done prior to the end of my first term.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02b-54e&t=c>
(9/26, Gearan, Eglash) says Trump also “put the Israeli leader on the spot
by saying that his decision last year to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv
to contested Jerusalem must be reciprocated by Israeli concessions to the
Palestinians.” Said Trump, “Israel will have to do something that will be
good for the other side.” Netanyahu, however, “did not respond.” The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02c-13b&t=c>
(9/26, Steinbuch) reports Trump said “that while he’s with Netanyahu ‘100
percent,’ Israel will have to do something that is good for the other
side.”

*Jordan’s King Abdullah: One-State Solution Would Be “Disaster For
All Of Us.” *Jordanian King Abdullah II was asked on Fox News’ Special
Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02d-50b&t=c>
(9/26) about his “concerns about the peace process.” Abdullah said, “What
I’m worried about is we will go from the two-state solution to a one-state
solution, which is a disaster for all of us in the region.” He added that
he “can understand Palestinian frustration,” because “at the moment the
Americans are speaking to one side and not speaking to the other, so that’s
the impasse we are at.”

*Abdullah Seeks Aid For Palestinians, Help With Refugees. *Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02e-59a&t=c>
(9/26) reported Jordanian King Abdullah II is “urging” the UN to continue
humanitarian aid for Palestinians “after President Trump cut off $350
million in aid for the UN agency that distributes the funding.” Abdullah is
also “asking for help for Jordan with refugees.” Abdullah said in an
interview on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=02f-5b3&t=c>
(9/26) that 21 percent of Jordan’s population is refugees, and “that’s not
to count almost a million illegal workers that we made a decision not to
send back to Egypt because it would destabilize their economy.” He said the
refugee situation puts a “tremendous” amount of pressure on Jordan,
likening it to “60 million Canadians just appearing on [the US] border in a
period of two to three years.” Abdullah added that Jordan needs to “become
self-sufficient, but donor fatigue is a major problem and it’s an
international responsibility. ... We’re actually taking the load off a lot
of other countries. Help us because we are doing the right thing.”
Haley: Kerry’s Outreach To Iranian Officials “Absolutely Is Anti-American.”

Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=030-457&t=c>
(9/26), UN Ambassador Haley said former Secretary of State John Kerry’s
meetings with Iranian officials have been “hurtful to America.” Haley
added, “When we are sitting there trying to get Iran to come to the table
in a way that they understand: the ballistic missile testing has to stop,
the support of terrorism has to stop, they have to quit selling arms to the
Houthis – to have another American go in and say, ‘don’t worry about it,’
that absolutely is anti-American, and it was hurtful to the American
people.”

*Haley: Iran “The Biggest Issue” Facing US Right Now. *Also during
her Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=031-bb9&t=c>
(9/26) appearance, Haley said, “Honestly, Iran is the biggest issue we have
right now. ... We are having multiple attacks from their proxies on our
Embassy in Iraq. They are very involved, whether it’s Lebanon or Yemen,
they are constantly in the middle of trouble. And they are not on our side.
What we have to do is make sure that the international community knows
trying to do business with Iran is only helping terrorists. You are not
helping the international community.”

Meanwhile, during an interview with CBS This Morning[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=032-fcf&t=c>
(9/26, O'Donnell), Secretary of State Pompeo condemned Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani’s speech at the UN on Tuesday in which he likened President
Trump’s “tendencies” to a “Nazi disposition.” Said Pompeo, “It is
outrageous for him to say such things, for a holocaust-denying country that
is threatening Israel to compare the United States or its leader to Nazis
is among the most outrageous things I have heard.”

*Despite Iran Threat, US Pulling Some Missile-Defense Systems Out
Of Mideast. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=033-e7b&t=c>
(9/26, Lubold) reports that the Pentagon is removing some US missile
systems from the Middle East in October, US military officials said. The
Journal warns that the move that will leave US allies in the region with
fewer defenses even as the Administration ramps up its rhetoric against the
threat posed by Iran.

*Perry: Oil Markets Will Be “Stable” After Iran Sanctions Take
Force. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=034-cd2&t=c>
(9/26, Cama) reports Energy Secretary Perry predicted Wednesday that world
oil markets will be “stable” after the Administration reimposes sanctions
on Iran on November 4. Amid “fears of massive price spikes from a major oil
producer effectively dropping out of the market,” Perry told reporters, “In
the short run, is there potential for price spikes? Sure, I mean a lot of
things could happen out there, I don’t want to speculate on them because
they haven’t happened.” He added, “It’s not in anyone’s interests for these
oil prices to spike, so everything that we can do to send a message to the
global market that we’re going to do everything within reason to keep a
stable supply of crude...is a good message.”

*EU Mulls Special Trade Status For Iran Amid Renewed US Sanctions. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=035-355&t=c>
(9/26, Campos) reports EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said
Wednesday that “a so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under
consideration to facilitate trade with Iran could be in place ‘before
November,’” when the US reimposes sanctions. The SPV “aims to keep trade
flowing even if possible US sanctions hit Tehran.”

*Iranian Foreign Minister Criticizes Renewed US Sanctions. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=036-d54&t=c>
(9/26) reports that during comments at a meeting at the UN General Assembly
about “eliminating nuclear weapons,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif criticized the reimposition of US sanctions, calling the move
“an act of ‘unprecedented vengeance.’” He “issued a statement calling the
US withdrawal from the nuclear deal ‘unlawful and unjustified’” and
“criticized Trump for pushing for even more modern nuclear weapons.”

*Rouhani: Iran Does Not Want To Go To War With US Forces In Region.
*Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=037-fda&t=c>
(9/26, Hafezi) reports Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that
Tehran “had no intention to go to war with US forces in the Middle East.”
Rouhani told reporters, “We do not wish to go to war with American forces
in the region.” Regarding the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, Rouhani
said, “As long as the deal serves our interests we will remain in the pact.
... Remaining members of the deal have taken very good steps forward but
Iran has higher expectations.”

*Experts Warn Administration’s Stance On Iran May Increase US
Isolation. *USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=038-b6e&t=c>
(9/26, Shesgreen, Fritze) reports that experts are warning that the US may
“end up isolated” as it seeks “global support” during this week’s UN
General Assembly meetings for the reimplementation of sanctions against
Iran. For instance, USA Today reports that during this week’s UN meetings,
“French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
both plan to meet with Iran’s leader, Hassan Rouhani, on the sidelines of
the UN’s formal sessions,” and indication they may want “to continue
working with Tehran despite the US pressure.” Experts also caution that
“the red-hot rhetoric used by Trump and his advisers at this week’s UN
meetings may widen the rift over Iran, rather than rallying allies to
America’s side.”

*Iranian-Made Parts Found In Explosives Used By Houthis. *The
Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=039-db8&t=c>
(9/26, Boylan) reports that “to fight Arab Coalition forces, Yemen’s Houthi
rebels have standardized and mass-produced landmines and improvised
explosive devices with Iranian-made components, according to a new report
released Wednesday” by the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) organization.
The report also shows that improvised mines and explosive devices (IEDs)
“are mass-produced by Houthi forces on a scale only previously achieved by
Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria.”
Pompeo: Kim Has Been “Very Consistent In His Commitment” To
Denuclearization.

In an interview with CBS This Morning[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03a-b95&t=c>
(9/26, O'Donnell), Secretary of State Pompeo said that in private messages
to President Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been “very
consistent” on his “intent on denuclearizing’ the Korean Peninsula.” Said
Pompeo, “He understands that, he understands the scope of that and what
that means, he’s been very consistent in his commitment in delivering on
that promise, we need to find our way forward to achieve that for the
world.” Pompeo also confirmed that North Korea will be allowing inspectors
into nuclear testing sites, and said he will be traveling to Pyongyang
“before too long” in order to get the conditions “just right.” Said Pompeo,
“We’re working our ways to make sure that this verification that we have
talked about since the beginning, and many have been skeptical, we’re going
to get this right. We’re going to deliver on the commitment that Chairman
Kim has made to the world and then there’s going to be a brighter future
for the North Korean people.”

*Pompeo To Visit North Korea In October. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03b-f76&t=c>
(9/26, Muñoz) reports that on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson
Heather Nauert confirmed that Pompeo will visit North Korea in October.
Said Nauert, “Secretary Pompeo accepted Chairman Kim’s invitation to travel
to Pyongyang next month to make further progress on the implementation of
the commitments from the US-DPRK Singapore Summit.” The visit is designed
to focus on denuclearization as well as “the second summit between
President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03c-ab9&t=c>
(9/26, Hudson) reports “a senior State Department official” said the
upcoming trip “will focus on laying a foundation for a successful summit”
between Trump and Kim, “and creating a basis for more negotiations.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03d-ccd&t=c>
(9/26, Shesgreen, Fritze) reports the State Department announced Pompeo’s
trip after he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on the
sidelines of this week’s UN General Assembly. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03e-4c9&t=c>
(9/26, Brunnstrom, Holland) reports Pompeo said he had a “very positive”
meeting with Ri on Wednesday and will travel to Pyongyang again next month.
On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=03f-415&t=c>,
Pompeo said the meeting involved discussion about the second summit as well
as “next steps toward denuclearization of #NorthKorea.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=040-1d6&t=c>
(9/26, Klug) reports Pompeo also said, “Much work remains, but we will
continue to move forward.”

*Trump Says Details Of Kim Summit To Be Announced Soon; Warns Deal
Could Take Years. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=041-304&t=c>
(9/26, Muñoz) reports Trump told reporters at the UN General Assembly on
Wednesday “that his administration will announce details about his second
meeting with Kim Jong-un ‘in the very near future.’” He said, “I’ll be
meeting with Chairman Kim in the very near future.” Trump added, “We’ll be
announcing where and when in the very near future.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=042-b36&t=c>
(9/26, Sanger) reports Trump also warned that a nuclear deal with North
Korea could take years, “reversing the position he took a year ago that
Pyongyang had to disarm rapidly.” The President told reporters, “I don’t
want to get into the time game. I got all the time in the world. I don’t
have to rush it.”

Trump, the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=043-b11&t=c>
(9/26, Miller) reports, also said former President Obama “confided that he
almost went to war with North Korea.” Trump told reporters that Obama made
the admission during the transition, “when he also said that nuclear-armed
North Korea was one of the biggest challenges facing the country.” Said
Trump, “He told me he was very close to going into war. That could have
been a world war very easily. ... If I wasn’t elected you would have had a
war.”

*Pompeo To Chair UN Security Council Meeting On North Korea. *Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=044-a52&t=c>
(9/26) briefly reported Pompeo on Thursday will chair a UN Security Council
meeting focused on North Korea.
Trump Claims Credit For Saving Idlib From Syrian Offensive.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=045-014&t=c>
(9/26) reports President Trump on Wednesday “claim[ed] credit for saving
the rebel-held Syrian stronghold of Idlib from a Russian-backed offensive
that could have resulted in thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis.”
Trump told reporters at the UN “that he instructed his national security
team to warn Russia about the operation after he heard about it from a
supporter at a rally and read a news story.” He “also recalled that he used
his Twitter account to warn of consequences in the event that chemical
weapons were used there.”

*Senate Panel Advances Sanctions Targeting Russia For Syria
Support. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=046-ba4&t=c>
(9/26, Demirjian) reports the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
Wednesday “advanced the latest legislative effort to hit Russia with new
sanctions – this time, for its support of the government in Syria and its
role in what human rights advocates and international officials have
identified as mass atrocities akin to war crimes.” The bill would impose
sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over “war
crimes” and “crimes against humanity,” including his use of chemical
weapons. It would also extend sanctions “to individuals and entities
supporting Assad’s government and its war effort – a prohibition that by
definition includes countries such as Russia and Iran.”
Khalilzad: New Mission In Afghanistan “Deja Vu All Over Again.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=047-3f5&t=c>
(9/26, Morello) reports the quest to end the war in Afghanistan “now partly
falls on the shoulders of Zalmay Khalilzad,” a veteran US diplomat who
describes the experience as “deja vu all over again.” Khalilzad helped the
Bush Administration “plan the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001,” and later
became special envoy to Afghanistan and Ambassador to Kabul. Last week, he
was “sworn in again as a special envoy – this time tasked with helping
jump-start talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.” In an
interview, Khalilzad said, “It seems some Talibs, or the Taliban as a
whole, are looking for possible reconciliation and a political settlement
to end the conflict. And my job is very narrow this time, narrowly focused
on testing that proposition and helping, if there is reality to it, to
facilitate and help the parties to reach an agreement and to participate,
if needed, in the meetings and discussions leading to a possible
agreement.”
Trump Open To Meeting With Maduro At UNGA.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=048-6f7&t=c>
(9/26, Nichols, Ulmer) reports Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro headed
for New York on Wednesday to attend the UN General Assembly and President
Trump “said he would be open to meeting.” Said Trump, “I would certainly be
open to it, I’m willing to meet with anybody. We’re going to take care of
Venezuela, if he’s here and he wants to meet, it was not on my mind, it was
not on my plate, but if I can help people that’s what I’m here for.” The
White House, however, “said no meeting was planned between the two leaders,
and Venezuela’s information ministry did not respond to a request for
comment.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=049-f93&t=c>
(9/26, Morello, Faiola) reports that although Maduro did not meet Wednesday
with Trump, he did hold talks with “two men who symbolize adversarial
relations with the United States – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.”

The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04a-dcc&t=c>
(9/26, Wyss), meanwhile, reports that during his address to the General
Assembly on Wednesday, Maduro accused the US and its allies “of trying to
assassinate him to end his ‘socialist revolution’ and seize Venezuela’s
vast oil and mineral wealth.” Maduro “said Washington was scared of
Venezuela’s autonomy and independence and determined to stop it all costs.”
He also “reiterated his claim that the US and Colombia were behind the Aug.
4 explosion of a drone at a military parade in Caracas where he was
speaking.”

*Neighbors Refer Venezuela To ICC For Rights Abuses. *The New York
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04b-2db&t=c>
(9/26, Londoño, Simons) reports that “five Latin American countries and
Canada on Wednesday urged the International Criminal Court to consider
prosecuting senior officials in Venezuela for extensive human rights
abuses, the first time that member nations have referred another member to
the tribunal.” The Times says the step by Argentina, Chile, Colombia,
Paraguay and Peru “represented an extraordinary rebuke of President Nicolás
Maduro.”

*Morales: US Not “Interested In Upholding Democracy.” *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04c-de1&t=c>
(9/26, Olorunnipa, Epstein) reports Trump was “forced to sit through a
lengthy tongue-lashing” Wednesday from Bolivian President Evo Morales at a
meeting of the UN Security Council. To Bloomberg, it was “likely the
harshest any foreign leader has ever spoken to Trump in public.” Said
Morales, “I would like to say to you, frankly and openly here, that in no
way is the United States interested in upholding democracy.” He added, “The
United States could not care less about human rights or justice. If this
were the case, it would have signed the international conventions and
treaties that have protected human rights. It would not have threatened the
investigation mechanism of the International Criminal Court, nor would it
promote the use of torture, nor would it have walked away from the Human
Rights Council. And nor would it have separated migrant children from their
families, nor put them in cages.”
Trump Signals Trade Talks With Canada Going Poorly.

Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04d-926&t=c>
(9/26) reported President Trump on Wednesday “said...that things are not
going well in trade talks with Canada,” and that he “denied” Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau a meeting at the UN General Assembly “because of
that.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04e-0d0&t=c>
(9/26, Rappeport, Tankersley) reports Trump “said he rejected a meeting”
with Trudeau and “threatened on Wednesday to punish Canada by taxing the
cars it exports into America, signaling a new low in relations between the
two nations.” Said Trump, “Frankly, we’re thinking about just taxing cars
coming in from Canada. That’s the mother lode. That’s the big one. We’re
very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada.”

*Trudeau: Canada May Not Agree To Revised NAFTA By US-Set Deadline.
*Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=04f-563&t=c>
(9/26, Lawder) reports Trudeau on Wednesday “shrugged off US pressure to
quickly agree to a deal on NAFTA and indicated it was possible the three
member nations might fail to conclude a new pact.” In doing so, Reuters
says, Trudeau “cast further doubt on the future of” NAFTA as “business
groups are openly fretting about the damage that a collapse could provoke.”
Trudeau “has repeatedly said he is ready to walk away from the talks rather
than sign a document he thinks is bad.”

*CEO Says Trump Tariffs Have Cost Ford $1 Billion. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=050-c99&t=c>
(9/26, Carey, Shepardson) reports that Ford CEO James Hackett said
Wednesday that “steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump
administration have cost Ford...about $1 billion in profits.” Hackett is
quoted as saying, “From Ford’s perspective the metals tariffs took about $1
billion in profit from us. The irony of which is we source most of that in
the U.S. today anyway. If it goes on any longer, it will do more damage.”
Hackett “did not specify what period the $1 billion covered, but a
spokesman said the automaker’s CEO was referring to internal forecasts at
Ford for higher tariff-related costs in 2018 and 2019.”

*Many Farmers Say Federal Aid Will Not Offset Tariff Damage. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=051-b03&t=c>
(9/26, Newman) reports that US farmers are expected to experience a 13
percent overall drop in income this year due mainly to tariffs, and many
are concerned payments from the federal government’s aid package will not
fully compensate them. To date, the USDA has given out $35 million in aid
from the $5 billion it dedicated to offset losses from global trade
disputes last month.

*Dixon Ticonderoga Getting Federal Benefits Despite Moving Most
Production Out Of US. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=052-74a&t=c>
(9/26, A1, Paletta) reports on its front page on how Dixon Ticonderoga has
been using US trade law “to reap government benefits and protection as it
also moved almost all pencil production to Mexico and China. The company
has collected nearly $5 million in federal funding aimed at victims of
foreign trade abuse since 2005 and has requested millions more.” The fact
that the company “has a Georgia distribution center has allowed Dixon to
successfully petition the US government to impose a 114.9 percent tariff on
Chinese competitors – more than doubling the costs for some other pencil
makers.” The US International Trade Commission has “removed Dixon’s
designation as a ‘domestic’ manufacturer because it made so few pencils at
its Georgia plant.”

*Powell: Trump Tariffs Are Not Causing Inflation. *Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=053-2fe&t=c>
(9/26, Carney) reports that in his press conference Wednesday, Federal
Reserve Chair Jay Powell said the Fed is “not particularly concerned that
escalating tariffs will hold back economic growth or cause consumer prices
to rise.” According to Breitbart, Powell “said that although the Fed has
heard concerns from business leaders the data do not show tariffs pushing
up prices.” Powell is quoted as saying, “We’re not seeing it yet. We just
aren’t. We’re watching very closely.”

*Trump: Abe Has Agreed To Bilateral US-Japan Trade Talks. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=054-832&t=c>
(9/26, Holland) reports Trump announced Wednesday that he and Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to “start talks on a bilateral free
trade agreement that Tokyo has been resisting.” According to Reuters,
“Trump has made clear he is unhappy with Japan’s $69 billion trade surplus
with the United States – nearly two-thirds of it from auto exports – and
wants a two-way agreement to address it.” Japanese officials, however, are
“worried that Trump will demand a reduction in Japanese auto imports, and
fret that Trump could impose steep import tariffs on autos and auto parts,
which would deal a big blow to the export-reliant economy.” The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=055-6fe&t=c>
(9/26, Miller) says a “centerpiece of the proposed deal would be increased
US car sales in Japan and Japanese agriculture sales in the US.” Trump said
of the deal, “It can only be better for the United States. It couldn’t get
any worse than what has happened over the years.”
Domestic Policy
Trump Calls Allegations Against Kavanaugh “A Big, Fat Con Job.”

President Trump on Wednesday addressed the allegations against Supreme
Court Justice-designate Kavanaugh during an afternoon press conference. In
his remarks, Trump once again accused Senate Democrats of being behind the
spate of accusations. NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=056-130&t=c>
(9/26, lead story, 3:35, Alexander) showed Trump saying, “They know it’s a
big, fat con job, and they go into a room, and I guarantee you, they laugh
like hell. ... You have this other con artist, [Michael] Avenatti, come out
with another beauty today. These are false accusations.” The CBS Evening
News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=057-1b2&t=c>
(9/26, lead story, 5:00, Glor) noted Trump also said, “What they’ve done to
this family, what they’ve done to these children, these beautiful children
of his, and what they’ve done to his wife. And they know it’s a big, fat
con job, so it wouldn’t have mattered if the FBI came back with the
cleanest score, and you understand that very well,” that “if they would
have come back with the most perfect, we found everything, and he’s
perfectly innocent of everything, it wouldn’t have made a difference. You
wouldn’t have gotten one vote.”

Another NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=058-49e&t=c>
(9/26, story 4, 1:50, Holt) segment showed Trump being asked whether all
Kavanaugh accusers are liars. He replied, “I can’t tell you. I have to
watch tomorrow. I just heard about one a little while ago. I can tell you
her lawyer is a low life, okay? I can’t tell you whether or not they are
liars until I hear them. I’ll be watching. Believe it or not, I’m going to
see what is said. It’s possible that they will be convincing. Now, with all
of that being said,” Kavanaugh “has been for many years one of the most
respected people in Washington. Every single person knows him, a lot of
people know him well, and those people don’t believe what’s going on. I can
always be convinced. I have to hear it.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=059-778&t=c>
(9/26, lead story, 5:05, Karl) showed Trump saying, “People are going to
have to make a decision. Thirty-six years, there’s no charge. All of a
sudden, the hearings are over and the rumors start coming out. The senators
are very capable people, they’re very good people. I know many of them,
they’re friends of mine. These are very talented, very good people. They’re
going to have to believe what they believe.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=05a-386&t=c>
(9/26, Shear) points out that while he said the allegations against
Kavanaugh “are all false,” Trump also told reporters “he ‘can always be
convinced’ after watching the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.” The
Times goes on to call Trump’s press conference “rambling and combative.”

Jake Tapper said of Trump’s remarks on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=05b-4ee&t=c>
(9/26), “I think he did himself no favors when it came to the idea of
supporting Kavanaugh. He did, a few times during this press conference, say
things to try to suggest that he had an open mind about it, he wants to
hear, he could be persuaded. But I think overwhelmingly the idea was this
is a con job, these women are lying, their accusations are false, I don’t
believe it. ... He painted this picture of sexual assault as if it is just
a world full of women waiting to make false accusations against men and
none of them are accurate, none of them are true.”

*Trump Says If He Nominated George Washington, Democrats Would Be
Against Him. *Politico
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(9/26, Shamon) notes that during his press conference, Trump also said,
“Look, if we brought George Washington here and we said, ‘We have George
Washington,’ the Democrats would vote against him.” Trump went on to quip,
“He may have had some – I think – accusations made. Didn’t he have a couple
of things in his past? George Washington would be voted against 100 percent
by [Senate Minority Leader] Schumer and the con artists. One hundred
percent. One hundred percent. So it really doesn’t matter from their
standpoint.”

*Trump: GOP Senators “Could Not Be More Respectful” Of Ford. *
Politico
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(9/26, Morin) reports that “Trump on Wednesday praised the way Senate
Republicans have handled sexual assault allegations against...Kavanaugh,
saying GOP lawmakers ‘could not be more respectful] to accuser Christine
Blasey Ford.” Said Trump, “I think the Senate, the Republicans could not be
nicer in the way they’re handling this. ... They could have pushed it
through 2 1/2 weeks ago and you wouldn’t be talking about it right now,
which is frankly what I would have preferred, but they didn’t do that.” CQ
Roll Call
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(9/26, Bennett) notes Trump also said, “I think I might have pushed it
ahead a lot faster.”

Meanwhile, Breitbart
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(9/26, Spiering) reports Trump also “said Wednesday that Republicans on the
Senate Judiciary Committee should have forced a vote to confirm...Kavanaugh
sooner.”

*Trump: Past “False Charges” Against Him Give Him Unique
Perspective On Kavanaugh Saga. *The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
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(9/26, lead story, 5:00, Glor) reported that Trump was asked how the past
allegations of sexual impropriety affect his reaction to the Kavanaugh
charges, and he said, “Well, it does impact my opinion, you know why?
Because I’ve had a lot of false charges made against me. I’m a very famous
person, unfortunately. I’ve been a famous person for a long time. But I’ve
had a lot of false charges made against me. Really false charges. I know
friends that have false charges. People want fame. They want money. They
want whatever. So when I see it, I view it differently than somebody
sitting home watching television where they say, oh, judge Kavanaugh this
or that. It’s happened to me many times.”

*ABC’s Vega: Trump Comment On Presumption Of Innocence “Astounding
Moment.” *ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
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(9/26, lead story, 5:05, Karl) reported Trump “was also asked what message
he’s sending to young men across this country by defending judge Kavanaugh
so strongly, even before he hears from Dr. Ford.” ABC’s Cecilia Vega added,
“This is the message to young men President Trump is sending. Quote: ‘When
you are guilty until proven innocent, it’s not supposed to be that way.’ He
just called this a dangerous period in our country, a powerful cultural
moment. I’ve got to tell you...this was an astounding moment in covering
this presidency. More than an hour and 20 minutes, more than a dozen
different topics covered. This was supposed to be...Trump making his case
for his nominee ahead of tomorrow’s hearing. The question” is: “Did he help
or did he hurt him?” Breitbart
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(9/26, Spiering) notes “Trump said that he grew up hearing the phrase
‘innocent until proven guilty,’ suggesting that it was the proper
application of justice in America,” and “said that the allegations of
sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh set a different standard by his enemies
because he was nominated to the Supreme Court.” Said Trump, “I think that’s
a very very dangerous standard for our country.”

According to a Washington Post
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(9/26, Rucker, Costa, Dawsey, Parker) analysis, however, “Trump’s expansive
argument cast doubt on the credibility not only of the three women who have
accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, but also on scores of other women who
have claimed sexual abuse by prominent men, including the president
himself.” With “his defiant rush to rescue Kavanaugh’s nomination, Trump
effectively sought to draw a line in the sand against the growing number of
allegations that have felled male authority figures in politics, the media
and business.”

Washington Post conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018092701biden&r=email-b5c4&l=064-9d4&t=c>,
“Defending Kavanaugh, Trump laments #MeToo as ‘very dangerous’ for powerful
men... can’t get anything by that guy. Yes, the age of unchallenged rich
guy privilege is drawing to an end”.

*Flake Urges Colleagues To Keep Open Mind, Slams Trump’s Comments
On Allegations. *USA Today
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(9/26, Groppe) reports that Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) – “one of the potential
swing votes on” Kavanaugh’s confirmation “called on his colleagues
Wednesday to have an open mind about the allegations against Kavanaugh and
to recognize that both Kavanaugh and his accuser are human beings.” Flake
“said he doesn’t believe Kavanaugh is ‘some kind of serial sexual
predator’” nor “does he think Christine Blasey Ford is part of a vast
conspiracy to smear him.” Rather, “he called them ‘unwitting combatants in
an undeclared war.’” Flake also “disclosed that he’s received a death
threat from a man who called his Arizona office to say he is tired of Flake
‘interrupting our president.’”

The Hill
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(9/26, Carney) reports Flake also “ripped both President Trump and his
fellow lawmakers on Wednesday for their handling of a sexual assault
allegation against...Kavanaugh.” Said Flake, “I do not believe that a claim
of sexual assault is invalid because a 15-year-old girl didn’t promptly
report the assault to the authorities, as the President of the United
States said just two days ago. ... How uninformed and uncaring do you have
to be to say things like that, much less believe them? Do we have any idea
what kind of message that sends, especially to young women? How many times
do we have to marginalize and ignore women before we learn that important
lesson?”

*Flake’s Upcoming Visit To New Hampshire Stokes Speculation About
2020 Run. *The Washington Times
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(9/26, McLaughlin) reports Flake “is scheduled to return to New Hampshire
next week, a visit that is sure to stoke speculation about him running
against...Trump in the 2020 GOP nomination race or launching an independent
bid.” The Times adds that “Flake, who is not seeking re-election, has been
one of the most vocal Republican critics of Mr. Trump and also is one of a
few GOP lawmakers that has been coy about whether they plan to support the
nomination of...Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.”

*Kennedy Says He Wants To Hear From Ford. *In an interview with the New
York Times
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(9/26, Peters), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said he wants hear Ford’s “story
first hand. There’s been a lot of coverage in our media, predictab