Trump praises 4 countries in UN speech

President Trump spotlighted four countries for praise in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, as he called for a world of "sovereign and independent nations." "Humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique, and each shining brightly and its part of the world," Trump said. "There is India, a free society, over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class," he told world leaders in New York. "There is Saudi Arabia, where the king and the crown prince are pursuing bold new reforms," he continued. "There [is] Israel, proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land." "In Poland, the great people are standing up for their independence, their security, and their sovereignty," he continued. The geographically diverse countries mentioned in the speech each have had their leaders visit Trump at the White House.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/trump-praises-4-countries-in-un-speech

Trump administration sanctions Nicolas Maduro's wife, other top Venezuelan officials

The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions against four members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s inner circle, including his wife and vice president. The Treasury Department slapped the sanctions on Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, Maduro’s wife; Delcy Eloina Rodriguez Gomez, Venezuela’s executive vice president; Jorge Jesus Rodriguez Gomez, minister of Popular Power for Communication and Information; and Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Venezuela’s defense minister. “President Maduro relies on his inner circle to maintain his grip on power, as his regime systematically plunders what remains of Venezuela’s wealth,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement. “We are continuing to designate loyalists who enable Maduro to solidify his hold on the military and the government while the Venezuelan people suffer.” As a result of the sanctions form the Trump administration, U.S. entities are prohibited from doing business with the four officials, the Treasury Department said.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a number of Venezuelan officials over the span of Trump’s presidency, including Maduro. During a speech Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump criticized the Venezuelan leader and his regime. “Virtually everywhere socialism or communism has been tried, it has produced suffering, corruption, and decay,” the president said. “Socialism’s thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression. All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-administration-sanctions-nicolas-maduros-wife-other-top-venezuelan-officials

Steny Hoyer: Not ‘realistic’ for Democrats to require higher threshold for speaker vote

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., threw cold water on a petition by a handful of Democrats calling for a rule change that would require a candidate for speaker to secure a majority of the House in the party’s private caucus vote. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., threw cold water on a petition by a handful of Democrats calling for a rule change that would require a candidate for speaker to secure a majority of the House in the party’s private caucus vote. When Democrats choose a speaker or minority leader after the election, they'll hold a private caucus vote before a floor vote at the start of the new Congress. Right now, whoever runs for speaker or leader only has to nail down a majority of the Democratic caucus and then a majority of the House on the floor. A number of Democrats, mainly those opposed to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s ongoing reign, are trying to change that threshold. In a letter to Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., last week, 10 Democrats called for a vote to change the rule. Hoyer said Democrats are going to discuss it this week before Congress adjourns for a more than month to campaign ahead of the November election. “It’s an interesting idea,” Hoyer said of the proposal. “I think that members want to make sure that we can elect a speaker, and elect a speaker that has broad support, and that’s what their objective is.” “My own view is [that] requiring 218 votes may be requiring a number that, you know, may be 90 percent of the caucus,” Hoyer continued. “I don’t know that that’s realistic, in the sense that if you have three or four candidates, it’s very tough to get to that number.”

The majority of the Democrats who signed onto the letter are vocal Pelosi defectors, or have voiced support for others to run for the top spot. Some saw the letter as an attempt to strengthen support for Rep. Jim Clyburn, who has offered himself as a “bridge” candidate for speaker, should Pelosi fall short of the votes. But others who helped craft the letter aren’t Clyburn supporters, arguing that just moving around the top three doesn’t shake up Democratic leadership. When asked about the effort before the letter was finalized, Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., said there needs to be a change in all of the top three leadership posts. “My call for leadership change wasn’t just about Nancy Pelosi, it was about the whole team,” Rice told the Washington Examiner earlier this month. “It doesn’t mean just switching the chairs, it means getting, opening up all of those positions for new people to run.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/steny-hoyer-not-realistic-for-democrats-to-require-higher-threshold-for-speaker-vote

To Germany and Poland, a tale of two Trump messages at the UN

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Trump issued a stark warning to Germany over its increasing reliance on Russian energy supplies: "Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course." Here, Trump is referring to Germany's submission to the Russian-originated Nord Stream II pipeline. That pipeline, from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, will provide natural gas supplies into western Europe. Yet by insulating Vladimir Putin's energy export economy and making Germany more dependent on Russia, Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successors will find less inclination to support tough measures against Russian aggression. Nor will Germany be inclined to do more to live up to its responsibilities under NATO by spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense. This is a stark reality that many European leaders refuse to accept, yet it cuts to the heart of western security in the 21st century.

Trump was also clear in noting that some European nations – Poland, especially – are challenging Russia's energy blackmail. Praising Poland for its increasing use of Norwegian oil as a substitute for Russian gas, Trump showed he understands that it takes more than fine words at international summits to assert one's independence from foreign energy-based extortion. It depends on the choice to invest against powerful adversaries. As my colleague David Drucker highlights, Trump should have mentioned Russia's seizure of Crimea as an example of adversarial conduct against sovereign nations. Still, the president's words on Russia's energy extortion strategy deserve praise. Ultimately, the sharp distinction between Trump's words towards Germany and Poland were perfectly suited for the U.N. audience. After all, it is Germany that is casually regarded as the leader of the free world in the era of Trump. Yet measured where it matters most, Poland is the nation that is the better ally of western security. The U.N. deserved this wake up call.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/to-germany-and-poland-a-tale-of-two-trump-messages-at-the-un

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