Lev Parnas sat in for Dean Blundell, and every story led back to Russia.
Katie Zacharia gave her first briefing as White House press secretary and left after 14 minutes. She read a statement, called on three friendly reporters, announced that the president had asked Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign, took a question about her children and ended it. Along the way she said "my president," then corrected it to "my husband." Zev: stage managed, a corruption firing announced from the podium with no follow-up allowed. Lev: "She's from Central Casting." Outside Marine One, Trump did the cleanup: "She wasn't a member of my family." Zev: she was engaged to Don Jr., and now he barely remembers her.
Wall Street Journal reporters found Ken Paxton, Trump's pick for the Texas Senate seat, in a Dubai high-rise on New Year's Eve with his girlfriend and two men under federal indictment in Illinois. One of them, Anosh Ahmed, gave Paxton's campaign $190,000, including $25,000 days after his indictment. Lev: they go to Dubai because there is no extradition. The same night in Ohio, JD Vance opened for Trump with "I'm the vice president, not James Talarico," and Trump told the crowd about examining a candidate's body on stage: "I don't do this with men very often."
The Journal reported last week that Guilfoyle asked donor Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill before her confirmation hearing, by wire so it would leave no paper trail, in exchange for access to administration officials. Her lawyers deny she sought money. NBC reports the State Department's inspector general is investigating. Lev: it reminded him of paying Rudy Giuliani's American Express, and his sources say Deters is about to go "scorched earth" on Guilfoyle and on Trump. Zev: the corruption is one degree from the president's son.
Zev walked through Chapter 10: Liquid Funding, the Bermuda company Jeffrey Epstein built with Bear Stearns, borrowed $6.7 billion against almost nothing, made the margin calls that broke American Home Mortgage in July 2007, and was the only lender paid in full. Whoever controls when a market collapses controls when to sell and when to buy. Lev: the same play is running now, in energy.
The Treasury licensed Russian diesel into the United States for six months after Trump's call with Putin, up to 4.8 million tons in stages. Zev: the deal feeds Russia's army and is timed to get Trump through the midterms. Asked why both sides say there is no ceasefire, Trump said: "They agreed because I said they agreed." Lev says his sources describe a larger plan: Nord Stream, pressure to push Zelensky out, and a halt to intelligence sharing he cannot yet confirm.
**BONUS: **Pope Leo XIV had part of his right lung removed in Rome after doctors found cancer, the Vatican said. And Zev and Lev agreed to build a regular Ukraine and Russia show.
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