By Ron Paul
One of the most encouraging and promising things President-elect Trump said in his post-election acceptance speech was, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars…” We all understand that campaign promises often have a short shelf life after the election is over, but the Trump campaign’s repeated talk of peace over war at least demonstrates that he finds it a winning point to make to American voters. Will that talk of peace turn into action in the second Trump presidency, especially with the hawks he has named to senior foreign policy positions in his incoming Administration? It is hard to say, but last week’s report that he sent Elon Musk to meet with the Iranian Ambassador to the UN would be a good sign if true. Iran has denied that any such meeting took place, and with rumors swirling of Trump talks with Putin and other world leaders it may just be a media creation. But even if it is not true that Trump sent Musk to meet with the Iranians it would be a good idea to do so. Why Musk? Because Musk is not expected to take on a formal role in the incoming Trump Administration he can be seen as an informal advisor and friend of the President-elect. Plus, as a businessman Elon Musk speaks a different language than government diplomats. Why meet with the Iranians? What’s there to talk about? One important topic to bring up would be claims made by Biden’s FBI that there was an Iranian plot to assassinate then-candidate Trump. As many commentators including former CIA analyst Larry Johnson have asserted, the plot as outlined in the FBI indictment seems improbable. Is it possible that deep state hawks cooked up this alleged plot to guarantee that once taking office President Trump would not be tempted to open to Iran? There is a history of terror plots cooked up by the FBI so, sadly, this cannot be discounted. Does that mean that Iranian denials should be trusted? Of course not. But it is worth discussing. It is widely expected that in his second term President Trump will return to the “maximum pressure” policy of his first Administration. That would be a mistake. Trump will not be stepping into the same world when he steps back into the White House. More than ever, the proxy war in Ukraine has demonstrated the futility of sanctions and pressure as a tool of foreign policy. The countries under US sanctions have increasingly joined together and formed their own pathways to trade and diplomacy without the US. In other words, we did not isolate Russia, China, and Iran with our sanctions upon sanctions. We isolated ourselves. We are seeing this clearly with the emergence of organizations such as BRICS. A more prosperous America requires more foreign trade, not less. Frédéric Bastiat is quoted as saying, “When goods don’t cross borders, soldiers will.” We have already seen too much of that lately. Someone wrote recently that if only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only Trump can go to Iran. Making peace with Iran would be an achievement that would reverberate across the Middle East and beyond. It would even benefit Israel to have the current near state of war with Iran turned down. War destroys, peace builds. Let’s hope for a new approach.
The much anticipated Cabinet appointment of RFK Jr. to the HHS has finally come to fruition. In addition to the military-industrial complex, the medical industry in America has become a major thorn in the side of the American people. After a long train of abuses, trust has been shattered and the word “expert” has become an anathema. Who better to come in to pick up the pieces than RFK Jr.?
Col. Douglas Macgregor (ret.) is one of the most innovative thinkers of our time. In today's Liberty Report, he explains his recently-published detailed blueprint for a less expensive - and better - US military; and a safer America.
Read Macgregor's article here: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/navigating-the-fiscal-storm-a-new-course-for-u-s-national-defense/ 
President-elect Trump has selected a US military veteran and Fox News commentator to be his next Defense Secretary. Official Washington is panicking due to his "lack of experience." Is this a good move or a bad move? Also: Huckabee to Israel? And make way for DOGE.
Yesterday was a bad day for those who endorse "America first" in our foreign policy. With reported Trump appointments of neocons Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador), Mike Waltz (National Security Advisor), and...Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many who hoped that Trump 2.0 would be different than Trump 1.0 are feeling dejected and betrayed. Is there any hope left? Also today: Iran strongly denied any plan to assassinate Trump - who's lying?
According to Politico, lawfare partisans in the Department of Justice are heading for the exits, terrified that they may be brought to justice over their four - or eight? - years of abusing their authority for political gain. Also today: Could it be...Vivek? Finally, yet another reason to hate FEMA.
By Ron Paul
Two days after Donald Trump became the first American since Grover Cleveland to win nonconsecutive presidential elections, the Federal Reserve announced a quarter percent cut in interest rates. Following this announcement, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell held a press conference where he said that he would not comply with any presidential request that he step down before his term ends in May of 2026. Powell claimed that the president lacks the legal authority to fire the Fed chairman. So, if President Trump tells Chairman Powell “you’re fired,” Powell could bring suit asking a court to review Trump’s action. President Trump and Chairman Powell are at odds over President Trump’s desire to require the Federal Reserve to consult with the president before changing interest rates or taking other significant actions. Powell is likely to do all he can to convince Congress to reject any legislation giving the president any type of official role in setting monetary policy. After all, Chairman Powell is so protective of Fed autonomy that he opposes auditing the Fed on the grounds that it could threaten the Fed’s independence, even though there is nothing in the Audit the Fed legislation giving the president or Congress any new authority over the Fed’s conduct of monetary policy. Requiring the Fed to consult with the president regarding monetary policy would likely increase price inflation and dollar devaluation. Politicians usually like low interest rates because they associate low rates with economic growth. Politicians also want the Fed to keep rates low so the federal government can keep racking up huge amounts of debt. Without a central bank that is ready, willing, and able to monetize the federal debt, the welfare-warfare state would not exist. Despite the claims of Chairman Powell and other central bank apologists, the Fed has never been free of political pressure. Presidents were trying to influence the Federal Reserve long before Donald Trump began posting “mean tweets” about Jerome Powell. Requiring the Fed to consult with the president would at least make the president’s efforts to influence monetary policy open and transparent. President Trump and other Fed critics such as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren think they are more capable of determining the “correct” interest rate than the Fed. This ignores the fact that interest rates are the price of money and like all prices are shaped by a variety of constantly changing factors. When the Fed manipulates interest rates, it distorts the signals sent to investors. The result is the boom- bust business cycle. The fiat system is also responsible for rising income inequality and the decline of the dollar’s purchasing power, which has lowered most Americans’ standard of living. President Trump should work to eliminate the need for the Fed to keep interest rates low. He can do this by fighting for massive spending cuts, starting with the military-industrial complex. He should also push Congress to pass the Audit the Fed bill. Additionally, President Trump should support legalizing all competing currencies. The forthcoming tax bill should include a provision exempting precious metals and cryptocurrencies from capital gains taxes. The key to making America great again is to make money free again.
This week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell was asked if he would step down if President Trump asked him to resign. Powell answered “No.” The law does not permit the president to fire the Fed chairman. Powell didn’t mention, however, that The Federal Reserve is unconstitutional to begin with. No power was ever granted to the federal government to create a monopoly bank that manipulates interest rates and counterfeits money. So the big issue is not who has more authority over the other; the president or the Fed chairman. The issue is that the Federal Reserve should not exist at all!
Despite the good foreign policy instincts apparent in President-elect Trump and his incoming VP JD Vance, there is a real danger that his appointments may have other ideas. Can he successfully navigate DC's dangerous waters? Also today...who keeps sending B-52s to the Middle East?
With the 2024 election in the bag, there is no shortage of surprises. Including the surprising campaign appearance of anti-Fed, anti-spending, and even anti-neocon sentiment. And record viewership of the Liberty Report. Also today...Politico warns of Trump seeking "revenge"...but is it really revenge or justice?
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