The President's Daily Brief – December 8, 2025

Host: Mike Baker, Former CIA Operations Officer
Podcast: The First TV
Episode Date: December 8, 2025

Overview of the Episode

This episode of The President's Daily Brief delivers incisive updates on major global and national security issues relevant to the U.S. and its allies. Host Mike Baker focuses on a developing trend of hybrid warfare in Europe—specifically, military-grade drones targeting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s plane over Ireland—and explores the implications of these incursions. Additional stories include a confession in the long-unsolved D.C. pipe-bomb case, a surge in U.S. counterterror airstrikes in Somalia, and the European Union’s landmark €120 million fine against Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), escalating tensions over digital regulation and free speech.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Military Drones Threaten Zelenskyy’s Plane in Ireland

[03:00-09:00]

• Incident Details:
  During President Zelenskyy’s official visit to Dublin, multiple unidentified military-grade drones breached a temporary no-fly security zone as his plane approached Dublin Airport. Irish authorities identified four to five drones entering restricted airspace from the Irish Sea.

• Nature of the Drones:
  These were not recreational devices, but “military grade systems; larger, longer range, and far more capable than anything flown by recreational users” (Mike Baker, [04:45]). Authorities are treating this incursion as deliberate, with investigatory resources deployed to analyze flight paths and intercept communications.

• Potential Motives & Attribution:
  No group or nation has claimed responsibility. The lack of attribution, especially amid a pattern of similar activity in other European countries (Germany, France, Baltic States, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium), raises concerns of shadow/hybrid warfare—likely Russian, as implied by Baker:

  • Quote: “If it walks like an Utka and quacks like an Utka—well, it's probably a Russian Utka.” ([07:55])
  • The incident is seen as a test of “European defenses and political resolve,” exploiting ambiguity, causing insecurity, and forcing costly responses—all classic features of hybrid warfare.

• Broader Pattern:
  The breach in Ireland was echoed by recent drone flights over sensitive French military installations, including a nuclear submarine base.

  • French defense minister called these incursions “serious and unacceptable.”

• Implications:
  The widespread geographic spread—from the eastern to westernmost edges of Europe—has alarmed intelligence services, particularly because targets include critical military infrastructure and now even a visiting head of state.

2. D.C. Pipe-Bomb Suspect Confesses After Five Years

[09:59-14:44]

• Case Background:
  The man responsible for the bomb threats outside the RNC and DNC headquarters, placed on January 5, 2021 (eve of January 6 events), has confessed following a review of existing, previously unproductive evidence.

  • Quote: “It was just a dogged review of existing material… Why wasn't that dogged review done in, I don't know, 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or even 2024?” (Mike Baker, [11:10])

• Suspect Details:
  Brian Cole Jr., 30, confessed during prolonged FBI interviews. He is charged with intent to kill/injure and attempted malicious destruction with explosives. He did not enter a plea at his appearance.

• Political Undertones & Investigational Critique:

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino criticized prior handling.
    • Bondi: The case had “languished under the previous Biden administration.”
    • Bongino: “This is what it’s like when you work for a president who tells you to go get the bad guys.” ([12:14])
    • FBI Director Cash Patel: No new leads; the investigation was “engineered from scratch, retracing steps that had gone cold…”

• Motives Remain Unclear:

  • Cole reportedly expressed belief that Trump won in 2020, but his statements “shifted, contradicted each other, and never formed a clear motive.”
  • Public records discount strong partisan affiliation.
  • Quote: “While investigators finally have a suspect and a confession, the picture is still incomplete. We now know who, clear clues about the how... We're just missing the why.” ([13:55])

3. U.S. Dramatically Escalates Somalia Airstrikes

[14:44-17:50]

• U.S. Counterterror Surge:
  U.S. AFRICOM has conducted over 100 airstrikes in Somalia this year (2025)—ten times greater than in the previous year, largely targeting ISIS Somalia with 60+ missions.

• Recent Major Operations:
  Notably, a late November operation involved an airstrike and a four-hour gun battle near Bosaso, with reports suggesting up to 10 terrorists killed and the probable elimination of a senior ISIS figure. No U.S. casualties were reported.

• Coordination & Strategy:
  Mission was conducted with Somali government cooperation. Local reports claimed U.S. ground involvement (denied by the military).

• Strategic Assessment:

  • AFRICOM frames this as the “most intensified counterterrorism operation in years,” aimed at denying ISIS Somalia a safe haven and stemming recruitment.

  • Contextual Weakness:
    Political rifts in Somalia, especially between central and regional governments, “weaken” counterterror coordination—risking Al Shabaab exploitation even as ISIS is pressured.

  • Expert View:

    • Chatham House: “[Political] fractures have undermined coordination efforts, raising fears that Al Shabaab could grow despite the Americans’ campaign.”

4. EU Hits Elon Musk’s X with Giant Fine, Stoking U.S.-EU Tension

[21:11-end]

• The Fine & Its Allegations:
  The EU has fined X (Twitter) €120 million (≈$140 million) for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly around:

  • The “Blue Check” paid system (claimed to enable misinformation via lack of ID verification)

  • Ad repository transparency

  • Restrictions on researcher access to data

  • Quote: “Brussels maintains these findings are purely technical… But in Washington… the decision landed like a targeted shot at an American platform at the center of a global debate over free speech…” ([21:46])

• Transatlantic Fallout:

  • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the fine as “an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people.”
  • VP J.D. Vance and FCC Chair Brendan Carr decried EU targeting of successful U.S. firms and stifling of free speech.
  • EU officials, including Commission spokesman Thomas Reigner, insisted the move “wasn't political… not targeting any jurisdictions based on their country of origin.”

• Deeper Tensions:
  The penalties, largely impacting U.S. tech companies, are seen as a brewing regulatory clash between Brussels and Washington, especially under the Trump administration’s emphasis on “protecting U.S. tech innovation and free speech.”

  • Next Steps:
    X must address the violations within 60-90 days or face further penalties.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Russian Hybrid War Tactics:

  • “If it walks like an Utka and quacks like an Utka—well, it's probably a Russian Utka.”
    — Mike Baker ([07:55])

• On the Drone Threat:

  • "Make your adversaries feel insecure in their own nations without having to fire a shot… Exploit ambiguity. Force your targets to burn time and resources…"
    — Mike Baker ([08:22])

• On D.C. Pipe-Bomb Case Review:

  • “The question, of course, is why wasn’t that dogged review done in 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or even 2024?”
    — Mike Baker ([11:10])

• On Political Reaction to EU Fine:

  • “The decision landed like a targeted shot at an American platform at the center of a global debate over free speech…”
    — Mike Baker ([21:46])
  • “Europe’s most aggressive digital penalties consistently hit American firms. At some point… US companies are correct to question whether they’re being regulated or targeted.”
    — Former Trump ambassador Andrew Pudster (paraphrased, [22:50])

Important Timestamps

• [03:00] – Main story introduction: drone threat to Zelenskyy’s plane, expansion of hybrid warfare in Europe
• [04:45] – Details on the drone incursion, types of drones, Irish investigation
• [07:55] – Attribution suspicions and “Russian Utka” comment
• [09:59] – D.C. pipe bomb arrest, confession, and new political oversight of investigation
• [14:44] – U.S. airstrike campaign surge in Somalia, tactical details, expert analysis
• [21:11] – EU’s fine against X, legal and political implications, reactions from both sides of the Atlantic

Episode Tone and Style

The episode exudes Mike Baker’s signature matter-of-fact, wry, and pragmatic tone, blending intelligence-driven analysis with pointed commentary. Political overtones are clear, especially regarding U.S. domestic agency performance and transatlantic tech regulations. The host underscores both urgency and ambiguity in international developments, pushing listeners to consider underlying motives and future consequences.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary provides a concise but thorough understanding of the most consequential issues discussed—demonstrating the complexity of current global security threats and the intersection of politics, technology, and national defense.