← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
December 3rd, 2024: Putin Strikes Back in Syria & Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat
00:20:18
Loading summary
Transcript3 lines
- [00:01]
Mike Baker
This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online and more personal info in places that could expose you to identity theft. That's why Lifelock monitors millions of data points every second. If your identity is stolen, their US Based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry with Lifelock. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast terms apply. This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets and protect your future. Speak with the knowledgeable folks over at Patriot Gold today. Now they've been the top rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. Go to patriotgoldgroup.com or call 1-888-621-3856. For a free investor, it's Tuesday the 3rd of December. Oh, look at that. Three weeks to get your holiday shopping done. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed today. We begin with an update from Syria, where government forces supported by Russian air power are intensifying efforts to counter advancing rebel forces moving south. Well, look at Putin. He may be busy still with his invasion of Ukraine, but not so busy that he can't help out a fellow despotic dictator in need. Later in the show, another potential trade war on the horizon as President Elect Trump threatens BRICS nations with a 100% tariff if they attempt to replace the dollar. Plus, Trump and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum are giving different accounts of a phone call in which she reportedly agreed to halt migration through Mexico. And in today's back of the brief, sad news from Israel as an American once believed to be a Hamas prisoner is now presumed dead. But first, today's PDB Spotlight, we'll begin with an update on the violence engulfing Syria, where the Assad regime, with assistance from Russia, is stepping up strikes on opposition forces who manage to capture the country's second largest city, Aleppo, in a surprise offensive last week. Now, as we've been tracking here on the pdb, the rebel coalition has wasted little time since they captured Aleppo, consolidating their gains over the weekend by seizing key military sites in the east of Aleppo city and pushing further south into several towns in the countryside near Hama, Syria's fourth largest city. Over the past 24 hours, however, their advance has been blunted somewhat as the government of President Assad ramps up airstrikes against the Islamic rebels with the help of Russian forces stationed in the region. That's according to a report from cnn. Russian and Syrian government warplanes began their aerial counterattack in earnest Sunday evening into Monday, hitting opposition positions in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, claiming to have killed at least 400 insurgents. At least 20 civilians were also reported killed during these strikes, though the figures cannot yet be independently verified. Russian President Putin reportedly spoke with Iranian President Masoud Bezoskian on Monday to discuss the escalating situation. A spokesman for the Kremlin unconditional support was expressed for the actions of the legitimate authorities of Syria to restore constitutional order and to restore the political, economic and social stability of the Syrian state. Peseschkin has been taking the lead on shoring up the Assad regime's delicate hold on power, sending Iranian militias as reinforcements. At least 300 members of Iranian backed Iraqi militias crossed the border into Syria on Monday to bolster Assad's forces on the front lines in the north. Assad himself traveled to Russia in recent days to plead with the Putin regime for greater assistance. That's according to sources who spoke with the Wall Street Journal. We also learned that on Sunday, Moscow dismissed the general in charge of its forces in Syria. Now for Russia, the stakes in Syria are high. The civil war which began in 2011 has largely been stalled since 2020 and Russia has been obviously increasingly distracted since 2022 with their invasion of Ukraine. The rebels are hoping this will play to their advantage and limit Russia's ability to fully commit to the defense of the Assad regime. For some background, Russia entered the fray several years into the civil war back in 2015 on the side of Assad. Some 5,000 Russian troops were dispatched, along with extensive supplies of weapons and military equipment, which played a pivotal role in a years long military offensive to retake control of the country, culminating in the retreat of the rebels from aleppo back in 2016. Russia framed their entrance into the conflict as an extension of their fight against Islamic terror groups like ISIS and Hayat Tahrir al Sham, which are also designated terror groups in Russia. More broadly, however, Putin sought to roll back US Influence in the Middle east by propping up the Assad regime, ensuring that Syria remained a strategic regional ally alongside Iran as well as a viable economic partner for arms sales, kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. We certainly continue to support Bashar al Assad and continue our contacts at relevant levels. The sweeping success of the Islamist rebels poses the biggest challenge to Assad's rule in the eight years since his government retook Aleppo. Now, while the US has long sought to undermine Russia's hold on Syria. Analysts have said this particular conflict poses a dilemma for Western governments. Well, yes, it does. While the insurgents have put Russia and Iran on the back foot, their victory would mean that Syria would then fall into the hands of hardline radicals. An analyst for the Brookings Institution told cnn, quote, should they be cheering the opposition taking over Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, or should they actually worry about the city falling under Islamist rule? On Monday, officials with the US State Department urged de escalation and called for a political settlement to the years long civil war. Okay, well, not to sound cynical, but that's not going to happen. Alright. Coming up next, President elect Trump threatens BRICS nations with steep tariffs over their potential challenge to the US Dollar. And Mexico's President Sheinbaum disputes President elect Trump's account of a migration deal. I'll have those stories when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you've heard me talk about the importance of lifelong learning before, right? You should never be too old or too busy to learn something new. And of course, time is our most precious commodity. And I know that it can be difficult, right, to find the time to study, to learn and improve your knowledge. That's why I'm excited that Hillsdale College is offering more than 40 free online courses in some of the most important and enduring subjects. You can learn about the works of C.S. lewis, the stories in the book of Genesis, the meaning of the US Constitution, the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, or the history of the ancient Christian church with Hillsdale College's online courses. And they're all available for free, correct? I did say free. Now I personally recommend you sign up for a course called Marxism, Socialism and Communism. This brand new online course is unlike anything that Hillsdale has produced before. Over the course of six documentary style episodes, you will hear from Hillsdale professors of history, politics and economics as they look at Karl Marx's life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of Communist China, and the proliferation of cultural Marxism in America. You'll explore how many of the ideas in current American politics today are rooted in Marxism. It's critical that we take these ideas and historical figures seriously so that we can see the injustice and the evil inherent in them and so that we're better equipped to defeat them. Start your free course, Marxism, Socialism and Communism Today. Now go right now to Hillsdale Edu pdb to enroll. There's no cost and it's easy to get started. That's Hillsdale Edu PDB to register. Welcome back to the pdb. Turning to the latest news from the Trump transition, the president elect has issued a new trade threat, vowing to slap 100% tariffs on any BRICS nation that attempts to replace the US Dollar with a rival currency. As he often does. Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to make the declaration saying, quote, the idea that the BRICS countries are trying to move away from the dollar while we stand by and watch is over. Trump then put every member of the alliance on notice saying, we require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new BRICS currency nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US dollar or they will face 100% tariffs and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. economy, end quote. As a reminder, the BRICS alliance has been made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa since 2011, but has recently expanded to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt. Russian President Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have been working to accelerate efforts to expand the bloc of emerging economies, seeing it as a counterbalance to western influence. Currently, 34 other nations have expressed interest in joining. That's according to a report from the BBC. Just last year, Brazilian President Lula da Silva proposed that the alliance create a common currency to reduce their reliance on the US Dollar while using an alternative currency and banking networks outside the US Dollar system would allow BRICS nations to circumvent Western sanctions. Broad economic and geopolitical disagreements within the alliance have limited their ability to make progress on that issue. Ahead of a landmark BRICS summit in Russia back in late October, Putin said discussions about an alternative to the US Dollar would not yet be under consideration. Putin said its time has not come yet. We need to be very careful and act gradually without any rush. Instead, Putin said the BRICS alliance was studying the possibilities to make wider use of national currencies, potentially reducing the use of the dollar in trade between member countries. He also said that they were discussing enhanced coordination between member central banks to support trade. But if his statement is anything to go off, Trump will make disrupting the effort of brics to move away from the dollar a top priority. He punctuated his message to the BRICS alliance by saying the group can go find another sucker. But Russia and China, well, they quickly issued a rebuke. There's a shock. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump's threat of, quote, economic force would likely backfire and actually accelerate the trend of countries switching from the dollar to national currencies. For international trade, he said the dollar has long been losing its appeal as a reserve currency, and uncertainty over how the US May wield it as a financial weapon in the future would only deepen international mistrust. Representatives for the Chinese embassy in the US Echoed these sentiments, telling Newsweek the US has long used its dollar hegemony to shift crises, spread US Inflation to other parts of the world, and made it become a geopolitical tool which damages international economic and financial stability and disrupts international order. Well, you know what else disrupts international order? That would be conducting massive military drills around Taiwan, deliberately ramming other nation's naval vessels, decades long theft of intellectual property and economic intelligence. And well, there was that pandemic, which may or may not have originated from the Wuhan lab. I mean, we'll likely never know since Xi's regime can't be bothered to provide transparency into its origins. But I guess I digress. Trump has already been using the threat of tariffs as a key negotiating tool ahead of his return to office in January. Last week, Trump threatened Mexico, Canada and China with steep tariffs if they don't act expeditiously to rein in illegal immigration and illicit fentanyl trafficking. Ok, Staying with President Elect, he claimed a victory in curbing illegal immigration following a conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Though the leaders offered conflicting narratives. Taking to truth Social Last week, Trump asserted that Sheinbaum had agreed to stop migration through Mexico and into the United States, effectively closing our southern border. However, Sheinbaum described the discussion differently, underscoring that Mexico's position remains focused on managing migration without closing its borders. In a post on X, Sheinbaum characterized the conversation with Trump as excellent, but clarified that she had reiterated Mexico's outline to address migrant caravans. Sheinbaum stated, I explained to President Elect Trump the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has followed to address the migration phenomena, respecting human rights. For background, this exchange followed days of heightened tensions after Trump threatened a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada, citing illegal immigration and drug trafficking as justifications. Sheinbaum initially responded with defiance to the tariff threat, vowing reciprocal measures if tariffs were imposed and declaring, there is no subordination here. Speaking to reporters, Sheinbaum clarified that tariffs were not a focus of her call with Trump. Instead, they discussed immigration and fentanyl trafficking, which Trump had cited as key justifications, of course, for his tariff threats. Sheinbaum reassured Trump that a migrant caravan he had expressed concerns about would not reach the US Border, but reiterated Mexico's stance against closing its borders. Facing significant diplomatic pressure from the U.S. mexico has undertaken its most extensive migrant crackdown, transporting non Mexican migrants to its southern regions, well away from the US Border. Notably, Sheinbaum struck a more conciliatory tone during her remarks to reporters downplaying the likelihood of a trade war and describing her conversation with Trump as, quote, very amiable. She affirmed that there was, quote, no possibility of tariffs escalating tensions and expressed a shared commitment to continue with our talks as Trump prepares to take office in January. Now, even if no tariffs are imposed, Trump may frame this episode as evidence of his ability to secure concessions through tariff rhetoric. This tactic could then set the tone, of course, for his administration's future dealings with Mexico and other trade partners. With just weeks until Trump's inauguration, the evolving dynamic between the two leaders emphasizes the challenges ahead for U. S. Mexico relations. Sheinbaum's remarks reflect a balancing act between managing domestic Mexican pressures and fostering a productive relationship with the incoming US Administration. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, sad news from Israel, where an Israeli American soldier initially believed captured alive by hamas during the October 7 attacks, is now believed to have been killed that day with his body taken into Gaza. I'll have the details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, look, I don't mean to alarm you, but Christmas is right around the corner. Hmm, Sorry. There I went and alarmed you, didn't I? It's time to start working on your gift list. Of course, and here's a tip. Well, don't wait. Do yourself a favor. Right. Shop Cozy Earth now before their most sought after Christmas gifts sell out this holiday season. Now, I think for many of us, I know it's true, for me, a favorite Christmas memory is sitting by the tree in the evening, the glow of the lights filling the room, maybe Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin singing some ditties on the record player. And basically just a feeling of peace. Now, Cozy Earth can help you recreate that magic by transforming your home into a sanctuary. A cozy, comfortable, peaceful, safe haven. Look, when we talk about Cozy Earth products, you have to start with their bamboo sheet set. It's the ultimate in luxury. It's designed to be incredibly breathable, and it keeps you several degrees cooler for a night of uninterrupted rest. Try saying that three times fast. Uninterrupted rest, very important. With a durable weave guaranteed to last 10 years, it's a thoughtful gift everyone will love and they'll use every day. And for those slow holiday mornings, maybe made a little slower with a few mimosas or Bloody Marys. Well, Cozy Earth's long sleeve bamboo pajama sets are just the ticket. Luxuriously soft and stylish, they're perfect for lounging in total comfort. Look, you want your Cozy Earth gifts by Christmas? Of course you do. Order by December 13th for free shipping, and expedited shipping is available until December 20th. But don't wait till then. Give the ones you love the gift of luxury with Cozy earth. Head to cozyearth.com PDB and use my exclusive code, which, as you might imagine, is PDB for up to 40% off. Yes, I did say up to 40% off. That's cozyearth.com PDB you've been prescribed medication.
- [18:07]
Unknown
For BPH or enlarged prostate. You don't like the idea of a daily medication for the rest your life. If you have to take it forever, is it really worth it? But that's what the doctor ordered, and symptoms from BPH were negatively impacting your life. A weak flow, an urgent need to go interrupted sleep. Now you feel stuck between medications that aren't really doing the trick and the idea of invasive surgery. There may be another option, a minimally invasive procedure covered by most insurance called the Urolift System. The Urolift System may provide up to three times the symptom relief as a common BPH medication based on early data from a head to head study. Men 45 and over. Go to nobphmeds.com to learn more and find a Urolift System trained doctor near you. Most common side effects are temporary and can include discomfort when urinating, urgency, inability to control the urge, pelvic pain and some blood in the urine. Rare side effects, including bleeding and infection may lead to a serious outcome and may require intervention. The minimally invasive Urolift system. Go to nobphmeds.com in today's back of.
- [19:08]
Mike Baker
The Brief the Israeli Defense Forces, the IDF confirmed the death of Captain Omer Neutra on Monday, a 21 year old from New York who was killed during Hamas 7 October terror attack, and they said that his body is being held hostage in Gaza. Neutra, referred to as a lone soldier because his parents were not in Israel, served as a tank platoon commander in the IDF's 7th Armored Brigade and had previously been believed to be alive and held hostage. He was stationed near the Gaza border when his tank came under attack from Hamas terrorists with rocket propelled grenades and explosives. Infamous footage from the attack captured the tank covered in smoke and flames with Palestinians in civilian clothing standing on and around it as the tank crew was dragged out by Hamas terrorists into Gaza. The confirmation of Neutro's death on Monday, based on findings from the military rabinate and new intelligence, comes 14 months after the attack. 14 months. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu extended condolences to Neutra's family, vowing to bring his body back to Israel for burial. In a statement, Netanyahu described Neutra as a man of values, blessed with talents and a Zionist in every sense of the word, emphasizing Israel's commitment to recovering the bodies of all hostages and victims. In an official statement from the White House, President Biden stated, our hearts are heavy today. Jill and I are devastated and outraged to learn of the death of Omar Neutra, an American citizen. He dreamed of dedicating himself to building peace. Biden recalled meeting Neutra's parents at the White House less than a month ago in prayer for the safe return of their son. Biden condemned Hamas actions in the statement and reaffirmed his dedication to bringing all remaining hostages and victims home. Currently, 97 of the 251 individuals abducted by Hamas on 7 October remain in Gaza, including a minimum of 35 confirmed dead. Netanyahu has vowed relentless action until every hostage is returned home. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday 3rd December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com of course, as your mother probably told you all those years ago to listen to the show Ad free become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting pdbpremium.com One should always, of course listen to their mum. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Cumba Casino has over a hundred online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus now@chumbacino.com sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary VGW Group Void where prohibited by law 18/ terms and conditions apply.