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The President's Daily Brief
February 12th, 2025: Is The FBI Sabotaging The Border Crackdown? & Vance To Meet With Zelensky
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It's Wednesday, the 12th of February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start off today's show with a startling accusation. Top Trump administration officials are pointing the finger at the FBI claiming it deliberately leaked details of ICE operations to the media. Now look, if true, this isn't just a bureaucratic blunder. It's a direct attempt to sabotage immigration enforcement by leaking information that frankly could endanger the lives of law enforcement officials involved in the operations. However, the the big caveat is if it's true. Later in the show, Vice President J.D. vance prepares to meet with Ukraine's Zelensky as President Trump announces a $500 billion rare earth minerals deal. Plus, the United nations has suspended humanitarian operations in Yemi's Houthi controlled territory after dozens of UN Staff members were abducted by the group. Well, what is the world coming to when an Iranian REG proxy group abducts UN Workers? That is shocking. And by that I mean it's not shocking at all. And in the back of the brief, a power struggle in the world of artificial intelligence as Elon Musk makes an offer to buy open AI only to be rebuffed with prejudice by the company's CEO, Sam Altman. It's a billionaire slap fight over one of the most important technologies of our time. But first, today's PDB Spotlight, an extraordinary claim coming from Trump administration's top immigration officials today. Now, they say the FBI has been leaking information to sabotage ICE operations. If that's true, and that's if it's a major breach of trust that could be putting law enforcement and national security at risk. And look at that. I just won today's PDB Statement of the Obvious award. As we've covered here on the pdb, there have been multiple reports of high profile ICE operations being compromised by leaks to the media. In the most recent case, the Los Angeles Times reported on a planned large scale ICE operation action in LA set to take place before the end of February. The newspaper claims it learned about the operation after obtaining an internal government document. Now, this wasn't an isolated incident. Just last week there was another leak, this time about an immigration raid in a Denver suburb. That tip off allowed members of the Trenduragua gang, or tda, a violent Venezuela linked criminal organization, to escape before ICE could take them into custody. Now top administration officials are pointing the finger directly at the FBI. Border czar Tom Homan told Sean Hannity of Fox News that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland are investigating the leaks. And he said, quote, some of the information we are receiving tends to lead toward the FBI. Homan also claimed that investigators have identified the person responsible for leaking details of the Colorado operation, saying this individual will not only lose their job and pension, but will also go to jail. Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem echoed the accusation, going even further in her public statements, she shared the Los Angeles Times article on social media, writing, quote, the FBI is so corrupt, we will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law. End quote. Now, if there's that word again, if these accusations are even remotely true, well, it's a massive problem, and here's why. First, we should note that it's no secret that U.S. law enforcement at the federal and state and local levels, as well as intelligence agencies, they don't always get along. They compete for resources, they guard their information, and frankly, they don't always trust each other. We saw this dysfunction play out, of course, in the worst possible way before 9, 11. The CIA, as an example, knew about Al Qaeda operatives with US visas, but failed to share that intel properly with the FBI, which was tracking terrorist threats inside the country. Meanwhile, the NSA intercepted key communications between Al Qaeda members, but failed to flag them properly. In short, the intelligence was there. But because agencies were too busy protecting their turf, the dots never got connected. And we all know, of course, that that ended tragically. But this, well, now this current case would be somewhat different. If the FBI really is leaking information to undercut ICE operations, it's not just an interagency turf war or bureaucratic inefficiency. It's active sabotage. It means the Bureau wouldn't just be withholding intel from ice. It would be deliberately handing information over to outsiders in a way that compromises and frankly endangers law enforcement. Now, that's not incompetence or miscommunication. That's political interference, a breach of operational security and potentially obstruction of justice. And it's a whole new level of dangerous. Because here's the thing. Leaking details of an upcoming law enforcement operation doesn't just let illegal immigrants slip through the cracks. It gives criminal organizations and violent offenders a heads up. It gives them time to arm themselves, to prepare and to disappear. And that doesn't just mean failed arrests. It means real risks for the officers on the ground. It means putting the lives of law enforcement at risk. All because someone inside the government is wallowing in their own self righteousness and decide to play politics. If this. There's that word again. If. If this is in fact happening and at this stage, again, it's just if, then the evidence needs to be presented to back up Homan and Gnomes accusations and allegations. They need to come forward with evidence. They can't just make allegations and accusations. You have to back that up for something this serious. But if in fact it is correct, then those responsible need to face justice. Alright, Coming up after the break, VP JD Vance prepares for a meeting with Zelensky as Trump announces a $500 billion minerals deal. Plus the UN halts aid in Yemen after Houthi abductions of UN workers. I'll be right back. Running a business isn't easy. I know that firsthand. As a business owner, I've seen how managing expenses and finances can turn into a time consuming headache with endless receipts, approvals and expense tracking slowing everything down. And that's where Ramp comes in. Ramp streamlines finance operations by automating the entire process. No more chasing receipts or manually logging expenses. Ramp takes care of it all instantly. Matching receipts, categorizing purchases and approving transactions while integrating seamlessly with your ERP for real time visibility. 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Welcome back to the PDB. Turning now to Europe, US Vice President JD Vance is set to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference next week amid growing signs that the Trump administration is recalibrating its approach to Kiev. Zelensky will lead Ukraine's delegation at the annual conference, which kicks off on the 14th of February. Oh, that's Valentine's Day. How romantic is that? With Vance also in attendance, I hope they get each other something. The meeting comes as President Donald Trump has floated the idea of engaging directly with both Zelensky and Russian President Putin in a bid to broker an end to the war. Speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump told reporters he, quote, may meet with Zelensky in Washington and also hinted at a conversation with Putin. Trump stated, quote, I'd like to see that war, end quote. However, no official plans for a Trump Zelensky meeting have been announced. Behind the scenes, US Officials have been exploring possible diplomatic off ramps. A Ukrainian delegation met last week at the State Department with Ukraine Russia envoy General Keith Kellogg. Now, Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the war, which began with Russia's full scale invasion, of course, back in February of 2022. As part of a broader shift in strategy, Trump has proposed linking future military aid to Ukraine with access to the country's rare earth minerals. In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed Ukraine has, quote, essentially agreed that to provide the US with $500 billion worth of these resources in exchange for continued support. Trump continued stating, quote, ukraine has tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth minerals. I want to have our money secured because we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars in Ukraine, making it clear that he expects US Access to Ukrainian natural resources to be guaranteed regardless of of whether a peace deal with Russia materializes. In a redline statement, Trump added, quote, they may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday or they may not be Russian someday. He's really covering his bases, but we're going to have all this money in Ukraine and I say I want it back. End Quote, Zelensky appeared open to such an arrangement, telling Reuters Friday that he supports a reciprocal resource deal with the US in exchange for security guarantees. The Ukrainian president said, quote, if we're talking about a deal, then let's do a deal. We are only for it, end quote. Though he emphasized that Ukraine was not proposing to, quote, give away its resources, but was willing to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship, it's important to note that Ukraine is home to approximately 5% of the world's mineral resources, including rich deposits of titanium, uranium, lithium and rare earth minerals, all critical for electric motors and national security components. Zelensky warned that Putin is already working to exploit these resources. He stated, quote, putin is not just grabbing minerals along with the land. He's already thinking about how to get other partners in his alliance. That would be North Korea and Iran and he'll give them access, end quote. Trump, for his part, remains confident in his ability to strike a peace deal, stating, I think we've made tremendous progress in the last week. I think there's going to be something, end quote. But Zelensky made it clear that Trump must meet with him before engaging with Putin, warning that bypassing direct talks with Kyiv would effectively sideline Ukraine in the negotiations. Zelensky stated, quote, it's important for people to understand that Ukraine is negotiating, not accepting ultimatums from Russia, end quote. Okay. Shifting now to Yemen, where the UN has suspended relief operations in the Houthi controlled Sauda province after the Iran backed terrorists abducted dozens of UN staffers, further complicating aid efforts in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. In a statement on Monday, the UN condemned the abductions. Well, that's good as extraordinary. Are they emphasizing that the Houthis have made it impossible to guarantee necessary security conditions and guarantees for relief efforts? The Houthis, who have a long track record of targeting international personnel, were already holding at least two dozen other UN staffers prior to these latest abductions. The move underscores a broader pattern of aggression by the terror group who have not only detained foreign aid workers, but have also cracked down on Yemenis linked to the now shuttered US Embassy in the capital Sana'a. In response, the UN has halted its operations in Houthi controlled areas, hoping to pressure the terrorists into releasing the abducted staff and restoring the basic security measures necessary to continue aid work. The organization already suspended all travel into Houthi controlled zones late last month over mounting security threats. The Houthis entrenched in a decade long war against Yemen's internationally recognized government have built their rule on brutal repression. Since seizing Sana'a back in 2014, the Iran backed terrorists have imprisoned thousands as part of their broader campaign to silence dissent. That campaign has only intensified in recent months, with at least 44 people sentenced to death in a wave of crackdowns. And yet, in a calculated move earlier this year, The Houthis released 153 war detainees, an apparent attempt to ease tensions in the wake of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Similar prisoner releases in the past have been used as bargaining chips to restart negotiations over Yemen's civil war. But as the Houthis tighten their grip on northern Yemen, their ambitions are reaching well beyond the country's borders. The terror group has openly threatened to launch attacks on Israel if it resumes military operations in Gaza and fails to uphold the ceasefire agreement. In a televised speech on Tuesday, the Houthi leader warned, our hands are on the trigger and we are ready to immediately escalate against the Israeli enemy if it returns to escalation in the Gaza Strip. End quote. All right, coming up in the back of the Brief, a high stakes battle in the world of artificial intelligence between elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. I'll be right back with those details.
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In today's back of the Brief, a major showdown in the world of artificial intelligence. Elon Musk has made a nearly $100 billion offer to buy OpenAI. But CEO Sam Altman, well, he's not biting. Musk, who co founded OpenAI before walking away back in 2018, has been a vocal critic of the company's direction. He claims it's abandoned its nonprofit roots and is now chasing profits over AI safety. To drive the point home, he's even filed lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing it of misrepresenting itself. Now, instead of just competing through his own AI startup, which would be xai, Musk is trying a different tactic. And that's, well, offering to buy OpenAI outright. His offer, it's a staggering $97.4 billion. But Altman wasted no time in shutting it down, telling Bloomberg TV quote Elon tries all sorts of things for a long time. This is the latest this week's episode. I think he's probably just trying to slow us down now. It's a high stakes fight with serious implications. OpenAI has been looking at restructuring its for profit division under its nonprofit umbrella. But Musk's offer just complicated those plans. Even if OpenAI rejects it outright, the massive bid sets a new valuation benchmark, making any future moves more expensive and difficult to justify. Musk's legal battles with OpenAI go beyond financials. He's also accusing the company of a reckless sprint toward artificial General Intelligence AGI. Now OpenAI, for its part, insists it's still guided by its nonprofit mission, though it's clear that the company is making serious bank off its AI tools like ChatGPT. And then, well, then there's the personal animosity. That always plays a role, doesn't it? Asked whether Musk is acting out of insecurity, Altman took a swing, saying, quote, probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity. I feel for the guy. I don't think he's a happy person, end quote. Right? I mean, who could be happy with all those billions? Not to mention your own rocket ships. With Musk throwing legal challenges and business maneuvers and now a massive buyout offer at OpenAI, clearly this battle of the billionaire nerds, well, it won't be cooling off anytime soon. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Wednesday 12th February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and of course, if you're jonesing for an ad free experience, well, we can make that happen. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.