More Jobs, More Rioting, Confronting Communist China

Friday, August 7, 2020
More Jobs
 
The economy created 1.8 million new jobs last month as more businesses reopened from the unprecedented coronavirus shutdown. The unemployment rate fell from 11.1% in June to 10.2% in July. 
 
Once again, both figures beat the expectations of most economists who had predicted 1.4 million new jobs with an unemployment rate of 10.6%.
 
 
 
More Riots
 
While most Americans are trying desperately to return to normal, rioting appears to be the new normal in Portland. Last night, demonstrators blockaded a police station, barricaded the exits and attempted to set the building on fire with officers trapped inside. 
 
This was finally too much for radical Mayor Ted Wheeler. He condemned the rioters for "attempting to commit murder." 
 
Meanwhile, an elderly woman with a walker attempted to put the fire out. She was assaulted by the radical demonstrators who covered her in white paint
 
This is outrageous! But I have some questions: 
 
Are there any God-fearing, law-abiding, America-loving men left in Portland? Are they all cowering in their homes? 
 
Why was it left to an elderly woman to stand up for law and order in our country?
 
I don't know what's more depressing: what happened to this woman or that she's the only one out there standing with the police.
 
 
 
Confronting Communist China
 
In the past 24 hours, President Trump has taken several important actions to confront communist China. 
 
Trump made good on his promise to ban Chinese social media apps that threaten national security. In two executive orders, Trump targeted TikTok and WeChat because they "capture vast swaths of information" and allow "the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information."
 
Just to be clear, President Trump is not alone in his concern about these Chinese apps.   The Pentagon banned TikTok in January. Last night, the Senate passed legislation banning the app from all government devices. The House passed a similar ban last month.
 
The president also issued an executive order strengthening America's domestic medical supply chain. As we have previously noted, the United States is incredibly dependent on communist China for the medicines we need. 
 
How did that happen? How did the world's leading free market economy become so dependent on the world's largest communist nation? It happened because far too many politicians and corporate elites were willing to put profit before principles.
 
Well, not this president! 
 
Trump is putting America first by ensuring the safety of our domestic medical supply chain. The order requires federal agencies to purchase American-made medical products and to identify and correct potential vulnerabilities in the medical supply chain.
 
And today, the Trump Administration imposed sanctions on several Chinese officials, including Carrie Lam, Beijing's puppet leader in Hong Kong.
 
 
 
Disorder In The Court
 
As I noted yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence made big news going after Chief Justice John Roberts. He reminded Americans that the Supreme Court has a tremendous impact on religious liberty, our Second Amendment rights, the sanctity of life and so much more.
 
In recent days, there have been disturbing news reports about the high court's latest term. The reports are disturbing because they involve highly unusual leaks about the justices' deliberations, and all of them come at the expense of the court's conservative justices. My good friend Mark Levin believes the leaker is Chief Justice John Roberts
 
On Fox News this morning, Carrie Severino, a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, said that "pressure from outside the court" may be influencing Roberts. This is going to renew concerns that have been around for a while. 
 
We know the Obama Administration politicized and weaponized our intelligence agencies. They spied on the Trump campaign. I believe they deployed similar tactics against those of us opposed to the Iranian nuclear deal, including members of Congress. They even hacked the Senate Intelligence Committee. 
 
When the conservative chief justice voted to uphold Obamacare, many of us wondered if the Deep State had something on Roberts. 
 
At any other time in our history, I would have dismissed such a notion as unfounded speculation. But given what we know now about what happened under the Obama Administration, I think it is a legitimate question to ask.
 
 
 
Abrams vs. The Ayatollah
 
Kudos to Elliott Abrams
 
Elliot is an old friend going back to our days in the Reagan Administration. He is one of the most astute strategists and observers of foreign policy that I know. I am pleased to report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that Elliott will be the new U.S. Special Representative For Iran.
 
Elliott is a strong supporter of Israel, and he clearly understands the threat posed to the United States and the Jewish state by the ayatollah's radical regime.