President Donald Trump didn’t wait long to make good on a Dec. 31 tweeted threat to Iran. The assassination of Iranian General Qassam Soleimani Thursday, probably the number two man in Iran, threatens to upend investor calculations about oil and the Middle East. Unsurprisingly, oil rose over 2% to about $62.50 per barrel.

A major question over the coming days will be whether President Trump becomes a successful crisis management leader when America comes under a revenge attack from Iran, or will he lead by tweeting when personal action is required. Events over the weekend may tell how Iranian/US events will impact the impeachment process as the President and Congress return to Washington, D.C. Will there be a crisis atmosphere coming together or will both sides be looking for fights, in order to draw battle lines in anticipation of the 2020 election?

While events on the crisis with Iran will dominate the news, on the positive front the White House announced a January 15 signing date for the US/China Phase One deal, though no language has been released. Similarly, on the trade front the first order of business for the Senate Finance Committee next week will be consideration of the USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA, and the trade agreement seems ripe for an early 2020 win f...

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