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Trump could ignite global chaos by giving the wrong ‘wink and nod’ on China trip: analyst



President Donald Trump may send the wrong signals to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he travels to China later this week, and that could ignite a new round of global chaos, according to one analyst.

Trump is scheduled to visit China between May 13 and 15, where he will meet with Xi and perform what is known as the "great kowtow," according to political columnist David Rothkopf of The Daily Beast. He noted during a new episode of "The Daily Beast Podcast" with host Joanna Coles that it will be the first time in American history that the President of the United States visits China while not being the most powerful leader in the world.

Rothkopf also noted that the dynamic between the two world leaders has some people worried that Trump may inadvertently send the wrong message to Xi, one that escalates the likelihood of another global conflict.

"There is a long history of world leaders making their way to China, the middle kingdom, because it was so important," Rothkopf said. "In this case, we have our wannabe king going to their successor to the emperor, but Xi Jinping is the emperor, and what is going to happen is that same thing that has happened throughout history, which is called "The Great Kowtow," when these leaders come in, and they have to bow to the Emperor of China. Trump is going to do a bunch of that. You just know that he is."

Rothkopf noted that there is plenty of stuff Trump could ask Xi for help with on the trip, such as his disastrous war in Iran. That could give Xi enough leverage to get Trump's help with a move that benefits China.

"In private meetings, this is what really worries people: Is he going to give a wink and a nod and say, 'I don't really care so much about Taiwan, ' or 'Help me out on Iran, and I'll help you out with Taiwan,'" Rothkopf said. "Nobody knows because everybody knows Trump doesn't actually believe in anything that doesn't put money in his pocket."

Ted Cruz snaps as Dem invokes  famous 2013 clash: ‘You’re not Dianne Feinstein’



Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) interrupted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing Tuesday to tell the Texas Republican she felt "personally aggrieved" by his lecturing — only to have Cruz fire back by invoking the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, snapping, "You're not Dianne Feinstein."

The blowup came after Cruz delivered a lengthy monologue at a hearing on the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling — a 6-3 decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act — accusing Democrats of believing Black candidates can only win in gerrymandered districts.

"The Democrats are fond of telling this story that is, and I wish I could find a kinder way to say it, a flat-out lie," Cruz said, rattling off Black Republican lawmakers elected in majority-white districts: Sen. Tim Scott, Reps. Burgess Owens, Byron Donalds, John James, and Wesley Hunt.

"In the Democrats' world, you're not Black if you're not a liberal Democrat," Cruz declared. "There is an arrogance to African American voters."

The Texas Republican then accused Democrats of being the real gerrymandering offenders, demanding to know how many Republicans represent New England in the U.S. House.

"Zero. Zero," Cruz said. "They've drawn every district in a naked gerrymander, and yet they're very upset that their illegal pursuit of power has now been stopped by the Supreme Court."

That's when Hirono cut in.

"Point of personal privilege," she said. "I feel personally aggrieved to sit here and to be lectured by my colleague from Texas."

Hirono then reached back more than a decade to invoke a now-famous clash between Cruz and Feinstein, who memorably told a freshman Cruz during a 2013 hearing on gun safety that she was "not a sixth grader."

"This reminds me of the time when he was first elected to the Senate, and the Judiciary Committee had a hearing on gun safety, and he felt a need to lecture Dianne Feinstein," Hirono said. "And she said to him, something along the lines of, 'I did not sit here on this committee for however many years she did, only to be lectured by you.'"

"And that is how I feel," Hirono continued. "So why don't you just stop lecturing the rest of us? Just because you think you are the smartest person in the world doesn't mean the rest of us agree with that."

Cruz didn't let it go.

"I knew Dianne Feinstein. I served with Dianne Feinstein," he shot back. "And you're not Dianne Feinstein."

Hittin’ the Note with Todd Eberwine

https://www.youtube.com/embed/o0CIzRenDfc