Keiser Report: Neoliberalism Strikes Back

In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max and Stacy discuss neoliberalism “striking back” as China gets to have a plan: one that involves buying up German high tech companies. In the second half, Max visits Piedmont Biofuels, a community-scale biodiesel project in Pittsboro, North Carolina, to talk to its president and co-founder, Lyle Estill.

- Source, RT

The Next Economic System Expands West, Will The US Join The New Trade System?

The central bankers are pushing very hard to get everyone away from Bitcoin. They are pushing their agenda because they are very worried. Bitcoin is being used by the US Olympic teams to offset their costs. Credit markets are flashing red, this is another indicator that the system is coming down very quickly. The US has a choice, join the new trade system or be left out, if the US is left out of the new trade system the country will implode.

- Source, The X22 Report

Eric Hadik: 2018 Will be an Amazing Year for Gold

Eric joined us to give his views on market action. Gold followed according to expectations, rallying the end of the year and into February. He's expecting it to go lower heading into March and then reassert the bullish trend through November. Oil went higher and then corrected slightly, probably in anticipation of higher prices later in the year. 

The dollar had a bounce and is likely to head lower later in the year. And stock markets are showing much more volatility and getting ready lower prices. 2950-2980 in the Stoxx 50 index is the important level to watch. 

They could be heading to their 2016 lows, which would trigger some liquidation in markets around the globe. Finally, when Bitcoin saw its final surge into December it was indicator of things to come in other markets. As a result gold saw a surge from anti-dollar money flowing into it. It's got a few more months to go before it goes into the next uptrend.

- Source, SD Bullion

Russian Gold Reserves Explode, The Long Term Plan to Dethrone King Dollar Continues

For almost a decade now, I have been highlighting an ongoing trend. A trend that first started as a rumble, but now, in recent years has turned into a deafening roar.

Russia and China have been pushed closer and closer together, whether through sanctions, hostilities, or just their common disdain for the West. They have however on the surface played "nice" and not stirred the pot too much, while behind the scenes, they have taken numerous steps to dismantle the long term stability of the US dollar.

I have written numerous articles throughout the years, showcasing the steps that this "unholy" alliance has made. These steps have included circumventing the US dollar, by setting up trade settlements for oil and other commodities with their own currencies, something previous not seen before.

They have broken economic sanction after sanction, ignoring the feeble threats from Western officials, knowing that they will never act, or take any real action against them, as the results would be catastrophic to all.

In addition to these slights, they have also been steadily and rapidly accumulating as much physical gold as they can. To me, this is the greatest threat to the West, and unsurprisingly, is one that you rarely, if ever at all, hear the Mainstream Media talk about.

This is a trend that is showing no signs of slowly down, in fact, it is accelerating, as the world becomes increasingly more and more geopolitically unstable with each passing day.

In the past, China has had the title as the largest holder of precious metals of the two. Today, that has changed. Russia now wears the crown and they intend on keeping it.

Russian "official" gold reserves are now the fifth largest in the world, having recently added a record 224 tons of gold throughout 2017!

This massive increase in gold reserves comes off the back of adding already huge sums of gold in previous years. In fact, Russia has added 576 tons of gold since 2015 alone! Proving that they don't sign up to the Western dogma, that gold is a "barbarous relic".

(Chart via Smaulgld)

These numbers represent only what Russia has "officially" stated they have acquired and alone makes one take notice. However, these are only the "official" numbers and I truly do believe that the real numbers are much, much higher.

China has also been adding to their reserves and show no signs of slowly down, even if they have not been adding to their reserves as feverishly as Russia has in the past year.

In my opinion, and the opinion of other precious metals experts, who have much more experience than even I, these actions should not be ignored, as I believe they are part of a long term plan to de-throne the US dollar as the reserve currency of the world.

Their plan is to overtake the dollar and the disable the tremendous power that it allots the West. Their plan is to snatch that power and use it as their own, backing their new reserve currency with a basket of assets, that include most notably, gold.

 - As first seen on the Sprott Money Blog

Michael Pento: Profound Chaos is Coming

Money manager Michael Pento predicts, “For the first time in 40 years, you are going to have bond prices and equity prices in free-fall. That happened in the 1970’s, but it’s going to be worse because in the 1970’s, you didn’t have an insolvency concern. 

The chaos coming to markets is here. It’s not going away, and it’s not going to be brushed under the rug. It’s not going to stay on the sidelines for another few years. 

The years from 2007 to 2017 were the years central banks were buying everything. There was no volatility, and stocks just went up. Those days have ended, and the volatility is only going to become much more profound.”

- Source, USA Watchdog

Vince Lanci: Gold Could See $1,400 In Two to Three Months

Real interest rates should stay negative as the Fed raises rates, creating a buying opportunity for gold, says Vince Lanci, founder of EchoBay Partners. 

“If an unqualified spike in inflation were to come out, the stock market should definitely sell off,” Lanci told Kitco News, “gold should sell off…gold should react the same way as stocks in the short term.” Lanci said that since the Fed’s monetary policy has historically trailed inflation, real interest rates would still be kept low as nominal rates rise to keep up with rising inflation. 

Negative or low interest rates are a boon for gold prices. On key levels for gold, Lanci said that above $1,300 on ounce, investors may see some short covering, and a rally up to $1,350. “If we stabilize above $1,330 with the stock market where it is, then I think we’re on path to $1,400 in two or three months,” he added.

- Source, Kitco News

The Next Power Move Will Have To Be Soon, This Is Why

The X22 Report is "one man's opinion". Anything that is said on the report is either opinion, criticism, information or commentary, If making any type of investment or legal decision it would be wise to contact or consult a professional before making that decision.

- Source, X22 Report

Ron Paul: Mueller's Russia Indictments, Covering Up For The Deep State?

Suddenly "Russian meddling" is back in the headlines and no one is talking about FBI collusion to present false information to FISA for permission to spy on the Trump campaign. No one is talking about a foreign agent (Christopher Steele) who actually did produce a document that influenced the election. It's back to the Russians. Why?

- Source, Ron Paul

Gold Prices Are Exploding But Can It Keep it Up?

Gold prices were on fire Wednesday, rebounding from losses made in the wake of stronger than expected U.S. inflation data. Kitco News caught up with Maxwell Gold of ETF Securities. 

“What sparked gold’s price move today is the increase in inflation. I think that is boosting inflation expectations, and I think that’s giving some consideration into what the Fed is going to do this year,” Gold told Kitco News. 

He added that higher inflation expectations provide tailwinds for all cyclical commodities, not just gold. Spot gold was up 1.4 percent at $1,349.94 an ounce at 1:05 p.m. EST. The ETF Securities director said that despite recent turbulence in the markets and with commodity prices, gold’s current rally can be sustained due to other macroeconomic factors. “Beyond the inflation factor, we’re seeing the dollar remain weaker,” he said, “I think that we are structurally in a dollar bear market and I think that it could boost gold prices in this range.” 

The dollar initially rose after the morning's inflation report which showed U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in January. The market expert added that should we see more equities volatility, gold could spike upward to the $1,400 range.

- Source, Kitco News

Are the Petrodollar’s Days Numbered? Is That Number 40 and Falling?

Is March 26, 2018 the date we will look back on as the beginning of the end of the USD’s longtime reign as the world’s oil-trading currency? If China has their way, then yes.

Since the 1970s, the global oil trade has almost entirely been conducted in US dollars. The largest energy consumer, China, is interested in having oil contracts in its own currency. Beijing wants to create an Asian crude oil benchmark that would better reflect pricing for the oil imported and consumed in the world’s top importing region.

The Chinese government announced plans last year to start a crude oil futures contract priced in yuan and convertible into gold. The contract will enable the country's trading partners to pay with gold or to convert yuan into gold without the necessity to keep money in Chinese assets or turn it into US dollars.

The contract could reportedly be launched on March 26 on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE). The exchange has recently received the approval from China’s State Council.

- Source, Russia Today

Because Nobody Votes for More Pain: The Toxic Economics of Politics

An enormous problem with our political system is that all elected officials are highly, highly incentivized to do things that benefit people now, today, immediately. And there is zero penalty for punishing those same people in the future. Or even worse, their children and their children’s children.

So if creating money out of thin air will make it so that people don’t have to feel the pain, or even normal consequences, of free market decisions, so be it. Less pain = more votes.

We are moving into a crisis of monumental proportions. There has been a serious fundamental problem infecting economic policy on a global scale. This conflict has been between monetary and fiscal policy. While central banks engaged in Quantitative Easing, governments have done nothing but reap the benefits of low-interest rates.

Economic growth has been declining year-over-year and we are in the middle of a situation involving low-productivity expansion with high and rapidly rising budget deficits that benefit nobody but government employees. Once upon a time, 8% growth was average, then 6%, and 4% before 2015.75. Now 3% is considered to be fantastic.

Private debt at least must be backed by something whereas escalating public debt is completely unsecured. The ECB wanted to increase the criteria for bad loans, yet if those same criteria were applied to government, nobody would lend them a dime.

- Source, Armstrong Economics

Why the Debt Ceiling Means Nothing, Yet Everything

Over the past month, we have heard a growing roar of dissent and fear, as people within the United States and around the financial world became increasingly worried about a rapidly approaching deadline, a deadline, that if reached, would spell disaster for all!

This deadline, a self imposed one by Congress, is an artificial ceiling that has been put into place to reign in the controls of big government and keep it in check! If it is reached, look out below, things are going to fall apart and chaos will erupt.

If you caught on yet, I'm being sarcastic. The debt ceiling means nothing, and is absolutely meaningless as it exist in its current shape and form.

For decades this ceiling has been raised time and time again, at a faster and faster rate, as the United States has expanded its global empire, supplanted governments and placed so many military bases around the world, that it would make the Roman Empire blush.

For decades this debt ceiling has been utterly and completely useless. Yet, you wouldn't know this if you were listening to the Mainstream Media over the past month, who have been absolutely hysterical and panicked about this approaching deadline. Something they have barely bothered to even notice over the last eight years. Odd indeed.

So what has changed? 

The answer is obvious. Trump has changed. Since being elected, the debt ceiling has been of particular interest to the MSM, as they are by and large, almost exclusively left leaning. This is ok in and of itself, and it is good that they are finally starting to inform the general public of this ticking time bomb, but their intentions are obvious and therefore despicable.

If the lying MSM actually cared about this matter, they would of course been along for the ride over the last few decades, as members of the precious metals community have been, warning the masses about this threat.

Now, as it stands, the debt ceiling has once again been put off until March 2019. Extend and pretend is here to stay and as I have been stating for years now, its end goal is infinity.

The question is now, what can the United States do about it now? What can one do to reign in an "official" debt of $20.6 trillion?

The answer may shock you, but is very start forward. Nothing.

Nothing can be done at this point. Changes can be made, that could benefit society as a whole, however, the facts are the facts and these are frank. What cannot be repaid, will not repaid. Period.

The United States government, fueled by reckless and out of control spending has not only gone over the cliff, but have continued on and jettisoned into orbit. They have left planet earth and are so disconnected from reality, that reality no longer applies, at least in the short term.

Politicians know this, the ones loaning them money know this, and everyone who doesn't is asleep at the wheel, blissfully ignorant.

So what happens next?

This is a multi pronged question and one that goes counter intuitive to what you would typically think.

The government should keep spending, but spending on the right things. Infrastructure, buying natural resources and hard assets should be at the top of their priority. Bringing their troops home and securing their homeland with the most state of the art military defenses money can buy should come next.

For you see, the day is eventually going to come when the piper demands his due and this whole farce comes crashing down. The US will default and the dollar will become worthless. Precious metals will explode higher in price and those who were wise enough to take action early will partake in one of the greatest wealth transfers this world has ever seen.

Meanwhile, if the United States takes my advice (don't hold your breath), they will be in a key position to rebuild and restructure, after a major default. Sitting on a horde of real, valuable assets, that they bought with phony fiat money. In addition, they would have a strong military force, that none would dare oppose, for decades to come.

But then again, what do I know? I'm just a simple silver bug, typing away behind a computer screen, attempting to forecast a storm somewhere over the horizon, somewhere in the distance, that the majority of people would simply rather ignore.

- As first seen on the Sprott Money Blog

Everything Is Not What It Seems, It's All Happening Behind The Scenes

DHS just proved that the corporate media lied to us about Russian hacking. Grassley says that Susan Rice wrote a very strange email to herself. 

Pentagon sending troops near China, this is a normal rotation, but the corporate media is making it seem like we are preparing for war. The CIA intelligence agency used a paid mercenary army to attack and they claim it was a Russian force that died in the attack. 

This was a setup, the US and Russia have open channels 24/7 so they know where each force is. This was pushed to provoke a war. Russia is reporting that the paid mercenaries are preparing a chemical attack, they spotted containers of chlorine. Coats is out there pushing the idea that North Korea, Russia might be preparing to cyber attack the US.

- Source, X22 Report

Another Problem for the Democratic Party: What Little Leadership They Have is Inept

The left is crumbling and they cannot find their feet. The mid-terms are rapidly approaching and still they are without a strong, unified leader. Will they find someone in time, or are they destined for failure?

- Video Source

The Agenda, Transition The Economy Away From The Central Banks

The infrastructure is now moving towards the blockchain, the system is being prepared to moved onto the new system and it is slowly being built. BoA critical stress detector is now blinking we are headed for something very scary. Other indicators are reporting that the economy is breaking down rapidly. The CIA is now implicated in paying for the dossier.

- Source, X22 Report

Compounding Problems Threaten to Tear the Democratic Party Apart

If they choose a rust belt friendly union middle classer they probably underperform in the wedge-issue southwest. If they persist in identity politics Trump may well use jobs and taxes to woo the rust belt even more red than it was in 2016.

- Source, Styxhexxenhammer

Score One for Patriots, the Deep State Was Just Duped, Trump Wins this Time

The deep state has been duped, the plan set forth between China and Russia is working, this was the double freeze plan. North Korea stopped testing and the US stopping have drills. The French see no evidence that Syria used chemical weapons, the deep state is still pushing their agenda. 

The attack on the coalition forces was completely fabricated, the deep state used this plan back in 2016 when they attacked the Syrian Army, they are now using the same tactic but the story is falling apart very quickly. There is a high probability that the deep state might try something during the Olympics.

- Source, X22 Report

Disaster for the Left Looms: The Democratic Party is Almost Broke Headed into Midterm Season

The MSM just until weeks ago, were trumpeting the end of Trump and the Republican party, citing polls that indicate the rise of the left and the fall of the right. Now the coin has flipped and support for the Democratic party has all but collapsed.

In addition to this, they are completely and utterly broke as their wallets dry up in conjunction with their support. With no clear leader yet in sight? How will they fair in the 2018 mid terms? I think you can make an educated guess.

- Video Source

The Stock Market War Is On, The Elites Attempt to Bring Trump Down

The velocity of money is hit the bottom, the inflation indicators are off the charts. The stock market has declined by another 1000 points, the stock market wars are in full swing. The battle wages on, the system is on the brink of disaster, the central banks want to bring it down, the transition is not complete, this is why they need to bring it down now.

- Source, X22 Report

Ignore The Noise, Gold Is In A Bull Run

Gold was off to a good start this year but has not rallied in the face of recent volatility in equity markets. 

Bill Baruch, president of Blue Line Futures, said that a lot of gold’s rally in the new year was due to seasonal factors. “Ultimately, I do feel that there is a seasonal play,” Baruch told Kitco News, “people look for that time to reinvest or purchase gold as they look at and re-evaluate their portfolios.” 

Gold has not been rallying on the back of stocks falling because investors are selling gold to cover margin calls, according to Baruch. “People position long gold ahead of a stock market correction, and not necessarily buying gold after a stock market correction,” he said, “and because of that, after a correction, people have to rebalance their portfolios; assets come out of gold in order to meet margin calls in stocks.” 

Baruch said that gold is currently in a bull phase and maintains his bearish dollar view in the long run. “Ultimately, I think there’s going to be a really great buying opportunity here for gold,” he said, “the dollar index, I’m watching very closely, it has a little bit more upside, right around 91.75 – 92, and on the downside, the euro is a big part of that trade, and I think there’s a lot of support in the euro around 122.” 

Baruch said that he is waiting for the currency side of the trade to get to gold-bullish levels. “The currencies were really a big part in why gold rallied in January; the dollar got clobbered,” he added.

- Source, Kitco News

The Hidden Economic Agenda Is Now Being Pushed, Will It Succeed?

Debt has hit an all time high, credit card, auto and student debt, savings has hit an all time low and we are starting to see an acceleration in delinquencies. 

The student loan debt defaults are rising and more and more students cannot pay back their loans. Congress just approved more spending and tax cuts, this mix is not going to end well. 

The market is fluctuating and the real agenda is starting to take shape. The bill to audit the Fed has been re-introduced and this time it might get pushed through.

- Source, X22 Report

Gold’s Behaving Like It’s 2008 And Here’s What it’s Saying

Total gold ETF holdings are at their highest level since May, 2013, and this could be due to a growing interest in commodities in general. 

Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, told Kitco News that growing interest in gold is driven by two main factors: “weaker U.S. dollar, and more volatility and increasing fears of inflation in the market.” 

Rhind compares gold’s recent failure to rally in response to stocks dropping earlier in the week to what happened in 2008. “When you have a big shock in the market, what actually happens initially is that gold prices don’t respond in a very positive way,” he said, “and the reason for that is because the immediate risk-off trade is normally into the U.S. dollar and U.S. treasuries, and that’s exactly what happened in 2008; gold actually fell first when [stocks] crashed, but only then really started to pick up.” 

On monetary policy, Rhind doesn’t see rate hike expectations weighing on gold. “I think the rate hikes are priced into the gold market. If you look at what happened to the dollar when the tightening cycle started, the dollar started to fall, and gold prices and commodities started to move up,” he said. 

Rhind added that investors should focus less on monetary policy when assessing gold’s future and more on the dollar and equity market volatility.

- Source, Kitco News

Is Gold About To Break Out And Destroy Everything?

Last year may have been ruled by bitcoin and the crypto space but is 2018 shaping up to be the year of the yellow metal? 

Watch the much anticipated debate between three titans of the gold space; bestselling author Jim Rickards, Sprott’s Rick Rule, and Kitco Metals global trading director, Peter Hug give their matter-of-fact, point of views on the metal. 

With Rule kicking things off by noting, “gold did what it had to do in 2017,” does he expect it come out with a bang in 2018? And what about Rickards? Is he holding onto his $10,000 gold call and if so, what context does he see this happening under? 

Hug, known as the most conservative of the three with his gold forecast, also surprises viewers with some thoughts. So watch now and find out who thinks this is the beginning of the greatest bull market of his lifetime!

- Source, Kitco News

Did The Deep State Just Threaten The US With An Event?

The corporate media is pushing the idea that Nunes doesn't know what he is talking about because he didn't read the memo, the fact is he sent Trey Gowdey to read the memo. 

Steele wrote the memo based on Clinton's information. Schiff threatens the US with another false flag. North Korea and South Korea are meeting before the Olympics. The cabal (deep state) pushes the propaganda about North Korea and where they go their nuclear technology. US is removing the troops from Iraq and re-positioning some of them in Afghanistan to go after the IS. 

The cabal knows there will be more information coming out into the open, investigations have been opened against the FBI, DOJ and special counsel has been hired to investigate.

- Source, X22 Report

The Market Just Erased All Of 2018 Gains, Distraction? False Flag?

The economic system is breaking down, retail, gdp, housing and now the stock market. The market has dropped a considerable amount and it has wiped away all of the 2018 gains. 

Is this a distraction, is this the economic crash, watch gold. The government is slated to borrow another trillion dollars to keep the entire system running, this borrowing and the amount of debt we are in is completely unsustainable.

- Source, X22 Report

Chaos Is Their Tool, False Flags Is Their Weapon

The memo was released and the propaganda is being pushed to show its a conspiracy, that Trump is trying to cover up the Russian collusion, this is all a distraction. Trump speaks to Moon Jae in prior to the winter Olympics. 

Henry Kissinger says that a strike on NK is very high. This is part of the cabal's (deep state) plan to make everyone believe that war is coming. 

The rebels in Syria shot down a Russian plane, the man-pad was supplied to the Kurd's and then transferred to the paid mercenaries, This was a message to Russia that their planes can be shot down and its part of the agenda to push a war.

- Source, X22 Report

James Corbett: Are We Looking at a Crypto Based Totalitarian Regime?

First, James Corbett demystifies the confusion between Bitcoin and blockchain. 

These terms are not interchangeable, and much of the confusion has led to a irrational hype. However, Corbett sees the blockchain in combination with a cryptocurrency could change the financial system as we know it. 

It could almost completely disintermediate the financial system, making everyone their own banker. But a cryptocurrency can also be controlled. 

If central banks issued cryptocurrencies, the currency could become a tool of totalitarianism. Corbett says we cannot let this happen.

- Source, The Silver Doctors

John Kelly Thinks Claims About FISA Memo Are Overblown, Far Left Overreacting

In a report that repudiates the FBI's argument that releasing the FISA memo would have "grave consequences" for national security, Washington Post reported Friday that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly believes the memo's contents wouldn't harm national security. In fact, he believes the House Intel Committee's salacious claims about the document and its probable impact have been overblown.

However, Kelly also advised President Trump that releasing the document wouldn't compromise national security (a credible endorsement, considering Kelly's extensive resume in that area).

During the Jan. 18 call where two House conservatives - Rep. Jim Jordan and Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Mark Meadows - first raised the subject of declassifying the Nunes memo, Trump was unfamiliar with the topic and more focused on trying to stave off a government shutdown.

This would change however after Trump listened to Rep. Trey Goudy argue for the memo's release on Fox News. Around that time, Trump became convinced that the memo should be released before he even read it after discussing the memo with friends, advisers and Republican lawmakers.

The president did not actually see the memo - written by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Nunes’s staff - until Wednesday afternoon, following the committee’s Monday vote to initiate its release, officials said. White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly marched the document into the Oval Office so that he and Trump could briefly discuss it before the president’s meeting with regional reporters.

The president was then left alone to read the memo in its entirety.

A White House official said Kelly returned a few hours later and shared with the president his opinion: that releasing the memo would not risk national security but that the document was not as compelling as some of its advocates had promised Trump.

Still, even before viewing the document, the president recognized its potential utility, reportedly mused to senior aides that the memo might provide the cover he needs to fire Rosenstein, or make other changes at the DOJ...

According to WaPo, Kelly even met Monday afternoon with FBI Director Christopher Wray and Rosenstein and listened to their arguments against the release, saying the memo could expose classified information and was an "inaccurate depiction of the bureau’s investigative methods." But Kelly remained unconvinced. Wray called Kelly later the night to make one final pitch, which Kelly rebuffed.

On Tuesday, five FBI officials, including at least one from counterintelligence, went to the White House to discuss their concerns with Kelly, a White House official said.

Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats also met with Kelly at the White House this week to express his reservations, one U.S. official said.

But Kelly was not swayed.

Vice President Mike Pence is also reportedly on board with the memo's release, with he and his team also pushing for its release. Pence hinted at his view in an interview Wednesday with Politico.

"I’ve always believed in the public’s right to know, and I stand by that principle," Pence said. "But we’ll respect whatever decision the president makes concerning that memo."

To be sure, the White House has recognized the potential for political pitfalls, ad has orchestrated the process so that Congress will have "full ownership" of the memo in the event that it is "a dud." So the president’s advisers made a decision to create at least the perception of distance between the White House and the House Intelligence Committee, leaving the public cheerleading for the memo’s release largely to Republican lawmakers.

This way, Trump has managed to skew the risks of releasing the memo in his favor. If the memo gives him the cover to make the changes at DOJ - fantastic. But if it's a dud, Nunes will take the brunt of the criticism. The White House said it would approve the release of the memo Friday, but final decision lies with Nunes and company...

- Source, Zero Hedge

John Rubino: Silver Could Jump $10 per Day in the Foreseeable Future

After hitting the key resistance level of $1360, gold became overbought, and corrected back down, Rubino says. A currency reset is the only way out of our financial problems, Rubino says. 

The fundamentals of gold and silver are "outrageously bullish." Plus, China, Russia, and India are buying massive amounts of gold. Rubino sees if interest rates continue to rise, a bond market collapse could result. "A bond market crisis could set off a huge bull run for precious metals." 

Since silver is such a small market, "It would be easy to picture silver going up by huge jumps - $10 in a day - for five or six straight days.... That's completely feasible."

- Source, The Silver Doctors

Trump Blasts FBI Leadership For "Politicizing The Sacred Investigative Process"

After a week of intense speculation, Speaker Paul Ryan has backed President Trump's wish to release the infamous "FISA Memo" on Friday (despite Nancy Pelosi's demands that its main architect, House Intel Committee Chair Devin Nunes, be moved from his position), the president pushed back against accusations that he's politicized federal law enforcement, claiming that the FBI's leadership is truly to blame.

"The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!," the president said in the first of two tweets.

In the second, he included a quote from Judicial Watch head Tom Fitton about the Democratic skullduggery that was involved in the creation and funding of the memo, which may have been used improperly by the FBI to secure a FISA warrant against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

"'You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.' Tom Fitton, JW"

Republican leaders have pushed back against Democrats' objections by calling for increased transparency at the law enforcement agencies.

As reported on Thursday, Trump reportedly has viewed the memo and been briefed on its contents. Once he signs off, it will be up to Nunes and his peers to deliver the final OK.

Meanwhile, the FBI has promised to release a rebuttal of the four-page memo that it says provides crucial details and context for the information compiled by Nunes, while also warning that the bureau has "grave concerns" about the memo's release. Meanwhile, one Republican lawmaker said the FBI is right to be concerned - because the revelations in the memo will "shake the FBI to its core"...

Some of Trump's critics have warned about the national security implications of releasing the memo over the FBI's objections. Former CIA Director Leon Panetta even went so far as to say the release could even trigger "a constitutional crisis," during an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd.

Nunes has said the memo contains evidence of "egregious abuses" of the FISA power by the FBI during the Obama era.

On Thursday, Rep. Jeff Duncan said that "Having read “The Memo,” the FBI is right to have “grave concerns” - as it will shake the organization down to its core - showing Americans just how the agency was weaponized by the Obama officials/DNC/HRC to target political adversaries."

- Source, As Originally Seen on Zero Hedge