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The President's Daily Brief
January 22nd, 2025: The Trump Purge Begins & Biden Pardons a Murderer
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Mike Baker
It's Wednesday, the 22nd of January. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And as you may have noticed, I'm back in the PDB saddle sooner than anticipated. The desert trek through Saudi Arabia and Jordan on behalf of the UK's special forces benevolent Fund continues its epic journey. But I have been sidelined with an injury. As we approached the Hejaz Mountains in Saudi, I managed to tear some abdominal muscles during what can only be described as an unfortunate dismount from my camel. Now, I, I too, was surprised at the injury because honestly, I didn't know I still had AB muscles. I haven't seen them in years. Regardless, although I'm now on the disabled list, or I guess they now call it the injury list in sports, the rest of the team, and it is an amazing team, let me tell you that much. It continues on towards Aqaba in Jordan. And if you're able, please go to sfcbf.org that stands for Special Forces Club Benevolent Fund, that's www.sfcbf.org. to learn more about the trek and the vital work of the Benevolent Fund on behalf of UK veterans and their families. Seriously, it'll. It'll take you two minutes to go to that link. Learn more about the trek and if you're able, click on the donate button, maybe give the price of a cup of coffee. It will make a difference. Now, while I was gone, I may have missed out on important news, but I know that thanks to the most excellent Mike Slater PDB listeners, well, you stayed informed and up to date. I want to thank Mike for stepping in and working with our PDB team. It's very much appreciated. All right, let's get briefed. The purge, well, has begun. President Trump has launched a sweeping removal of Biden appointees from his administration, starting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. He's also revoked the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials. I'll bring you those details later in the show. Speaking of personnel changes, a major shakeup in the Israeli Defense Forces as IDF chief of staff and the head of the Israeli Southern Command announced their resignations, citing failures leading to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Plus, as the ceasefire holds in Gaza, the IDF initiated a major counterterrorist operation in the west bank that's expected to last several days. And in today's Back of the Brief, one of Biden's final acts as president is now under fire. The now former president pardoned a man convicted of killing two FBI agents, sparking outrage within the ranks of top law enforcement officials. But first, today's PDB President Donald Trump may have only just returned to the Oval Office, but he's wasting little time in shaking up the D.C. bureaucracy and delivering on his promise to purge holdovers of the Biden administration from government. Shortly before midnight on Monday, President Trump took to Truth Social to announce that he'd begun the process of identifying and removing more than 1,000 appointees from former President Biden's administration. Closing out the post with his signature TV line, you're fired. Trump said he'd already fired four high profile individuals with immediate effect. Retired General Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sat on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council celebrity chef Jose Andres, who served on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who worked on the President's Export Council and former diplomat Brian Hook, who was a trustee of the Smithsonian's Wilson center for Scholars. Milley's accent has garnered the most attention due to his tumultuous relationship with Trump, which soured in the waning days of Trump's first term in office. Trump's allies accused Milley of undermining the president just before he exited office in 2021 by back channeling with a Chinese general following the January 6 Capitol riots. Since Trump left office, well, there's been no love lost between the pair, to put it mildly. Millie has publicly called Trump a, quote, wannabe dictator and, quote, fascist to the core, while Trump has suggested that Millie committed, quote, a treasonous act with his call to the Chinese and said that in days gone by, he would have been executed. Yeah, it sounds like they're not getting along. Merely continued serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until retiring in September of 2023, but was subsequently appointed by President Biden to the president's National Infrastructure Advisory Council. He'd recently expressed fears that he would face court martial if Trump returned to the White House. But on Monday, just hours before Trump's inauguration, Biden granted Milley a, well, frankly, controversial preemptive presidential pardon. Preemptive. Just one of many preemptive pardons handed out by Biden, including several to Biden's own family members. Trump, unsurprisingly, immediately slammed the move as, quote, disgraceful, arguing that Millie was, quote, very, very guilty of very bad crimes, end quote. And that, if you're not counting, is a lot of varies within Hours of retaking the Oval Office, Trump reportedly ordered the Pentagon to pull down Millie's portrait from a hallway filled with paintings of his predecessors. The portrait had only gone up 10 days earlier. The dismissals of Jose Andres and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President's councils, well, they garnered less attention, as both were expected to be moving on from their roles. But the firing of Brian Hook caught many by surprise. Hook was a key former policy operative during Trump's first term, helping to craft the president's maximum pressure campaign against Iran. He was appointed to the Smithsonian's Wilson center think tank by Trump after serving as his special envoy to Iran. Like Trump, Hook has faced death threats from the mullahs in Tehran over the 2020 assassination of Qasem Soleimani. But Hook maintained close ties with Trump's former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who Trump has increasingly distanced himself from. Still, it was reported November that Hook was advising the Trump transition team well, so it's not clear what prompted his dismissal. In addition to the firings, President Trump signed an executive order Monday revoking the security clearances of the 51 intelligence officials who signed a letter ahead of the 2020 presidential election, dismissing reports about Hunter Biden's infamous laptop as, quote, Russian disinformation. Last year, the FBI confirmed the authenticity of that laptop, leading to accusations that the letter from intelligence officials was politically motivated. You think we should note, many of these former intelligence officials have said they stand by their statements, arguing that they were concerned about Russian interference in the 2020 election. Text of the executive order said signers of the letter had, quote, weaponized the gravitas of the intelligence community and imperiled its public reputation. Among those who will have their clearances stripped are former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Directors John Brennan and Michael Hayden, and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Trump's former National Security adviser, John Bolton, was also included for publishing, quote, sensitive information in a memoir he released in 2020. Now, the move may really not mean much to a number of those 51 former intel officials, given that clearances expire. And it's likely that many of them no longer hold, need, or want active clearances. So you could argue the move may be considered more theatrical than impactful. Additionally, the Executive Order directs the Director of National Intelligence to deliver a report within 90 days regarding, quote, any additional inappropriate activity that occurred within the intelligence community by anyone contracted by the intelligence community or by anyone who held a security clearance, end quote. Well, that's rather broad, isn't it? Coming up after the break, top Israeli military leaders resign over failures tied to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, as at the same time the IDF launches a major counterterrorist operation in the West Bank. I'll have those stories when we come back. Welcome back to the pdb. Turning to Israel in a major shakeup of military leadership, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Hertzi Halevi and Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Jarlan Finkelman announced their resignations Tuesday, taking responsibility for the military's security failures ahead of the 7 October 2023 Hamas terror attack. Halevi, the first IDF Chief of staff in 17 years to resign before completing a three year term, will step down on 6th March. His resignation will align with the conclusion of the initial phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. In a letter to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Halebi stated, quote, on the morning of October 7th, under my command, the IDF failed in its mission to protect Israel's citizens. My responsibility for this terrible failure remains with me every day, every hour, and will remain with me for the rest of my life, end quote Halevi's public appeals for external oversight reflect a growing demand for transparency to investigate the military's failures. In a televised statement, Halevy stated, quote, the IDF must provide answers and conduct thorough, high quality and fully transparent investigations, end quote Halevy added he would complete the IDF's internal investigations and ensure a smooth transfer of command to his successor, preparing the military for any future challenges. Similarly, Finkelman, tasked with overseeing the Southern command during the 7 October terror attack, submitted his resignation in a handwritten note to Halevi. Acknowledging his failure to protect the Western Negev, Finkelman stated, quote, this failure is seared within me for life, though he also emphasized the valor of his troops, describing their efforts as, quote, chapters of heroism and excellence in the history of the idf. Finkelman did not specify the date that he intends to step down. These resignations add to a growing list of senior officials stepping down following the terror attack 15 months ago, including the former chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate and the former Gaza division commander. Brigadier General. The head of the Shin Bet Security Agency also acknowledged responsibility for failures but has not resigned. Despite the shift in leadership and the growing accountability among military leaders, Prime Minister Netanyahu and most of his coalition have resisted widespread calls for a state commission of inquiry into the attack, insisting that such matters be addressed after the war concludes. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Katz has begun the process of selecting Halevi's successor with Halevi's deputy and also the head of the Northern Command. Among the top candidates, Katz expressed gratitude for Halevi's four decades of service and his leadership during what he described as a difficult war that was imposed on us. As Israel navigates the ongoing stages of a hostage release and ceasefire with Hamas, Halevi's call for transparent investigations and external oversight remains a focal point. While Halevi underscored the military's successes in his letter stating, quote, the military achievements of the IDF have altered the Middle east, his and Finkelman's resignations are an acknowledgment of the missteps that failed to prevent the 7 October terror attack. Sticking with Israel while the ceasefire holds in Gaza the IDF launched a sweeping counterterrorism operation codenamed Iron Wall in the northern west bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, deploying drones and airstrikes against terrorist infrastructure. This operation, which began with precision drone strikes against imminent threats, is expected to extend over several days. Prime Minister Netanyahu framed the campaign as a direct confrontation with what he terms the Iranian axis. The operation comes in the wake of a deadly roadside bomb attack just days earlier in the region that killed an Israeli reservist soldier and wounded four others, including a senior Israeli officer. Prior to submitting his resignation letter, IDF Chief of Staff Halevi foreshadowed significant military operations needed to preempt threats in the West Bank. Speaking on Monday, Halevi also emphasized the urgency of preventing Hamas from maintaining its influence, particularly in the wake of its ceasefire agreement with Israel. The concern here is that the ceasefire is in place but there's no agreement or process for future governance in Gaza, which of course creates a vacuum likely to be filled by the remnants of Hamas. As we've been tracking here on the pdb, the ceasefire agreement details a planned release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of deadly terror attacks. Now the backdrop to the Iron Wall operation in the west bank is is the Palestinian authorities shaky truce with terror groups in Jenin ending a six week standoff in the city and adjacent refugee camp. The so called Jenin Battalion, a coalition aligned with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has challenged the Palestinian Authority's governance, compelling their withdrawal as Israeli forces advanced. This withdrawal reflects the PA's struggle to assert authority while attempting to to project stability in its bid to assume the leadership role in Gaza from Hamas. Israel's resumption of airstrikes in Jenin marks a shift in strategy as the IDF had paused such actions while the PA conducted its own operations. Israeli forces advanced with a large number of troops, including special forces Shin Bet operatives and border police in a coordinated effort to neutralize the terrorist strongholds. While the long term impact of the Iron Wall operation remains uncertain, of course, its immediate consequences are a recalibration of Israel's approach to counterterrorism in the west bank in the ongoing struggle for some form of lasting peace, and the renewed tension now between the PA and terrorist factions. Alright, coming up in the back of the Brief, one of President Biden's final acts is causing a backlash. A last minute commutation so controversial that even former FBI Director Christopher Wray is calling it out. I'll be right back. In today's Back of the Brief, I want to draw your attention to a last minute commutation issued by former President Biden that has left the FBI and law enforcement fuming in the final hours of his presidency. On Monday, Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a radical left wing Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents 1975 in South Dakota. Peltier was serving two consecutive life sentences for the killings, as well as another seven years for an armed escape attempt. But after the commutation, Peltier, now in his 80s, will serve out the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. Oh, isn't that nice. According to a report from Fox News, prominent supporters of Peltier, such as the self described Indian Native Senator Elizabeth Warren and fellow senator but not fellow Indian Native Bernie Sanders, have long petitioned for his release, claiming he was wrongly convicted of the murders. Now we should note that former Democrat Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both denied clemency requests for Peltier after extensively reviewing his case. Apparently Senator Warren knows better. His latest parole bid in July also failed due to the nature of his crimes. For background. Yeah, let's get a little background here. Peltier was in a vehicle stopped by FBI Special Agents Ronald Williams and Jack Kohler on June 26, 1975 near a Sioux Indian reservation in South Dakota. Peltier was already the subject of an arrest warrant for the attempted murder of a police officer in Wisconsin, though the agents were unaware of that fact. When they stopped the vehicle, a shootout ensued, leaving both agents wounded. According to the FBI, agents Williams and Kohler were then executed at point blank range by gunshots to the head traced back to Peltier's AR15. Yeah, he seems like a solid candidate for forgiveness by the outgoing Biden administration. Biden's move to free Peltier has left the FBI community, well, stunned. It came just days after outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a letter to Biden, urging him not to grant Peltier clemency, arguing it would, quote, be shattering to the victim's loved ones and undermine the principles of justice. In the letter, Ray said, quote, on behalf of the FBI family and out of an abundance of caution, I want to make sure our position is clear. Peltier is a remorseless killer who brutally murdered two of our own. Granting Peltier any relief from his conviction or sentence is wholly unjustified and would be an affront to the rule of law. End quote. Ray noted that over the past 50 years, 22 federal judges, multiple parole boards, and six presidential administrations have studied the evidence and upheld Peltier's conviction. Still, Biden overruled Ray and moved forward with Peltier's release. Of course, Natalie Barra, president of the FBI Agents association, issued a blistering statement condemning the commutation on Monday, calling it, quote, disgraceful and cowardly. Well, she's not wrong. She added, quote, it is a cruel betrayal to the families and colleagues of these fallen agents and is a slap in the face of law enforcement. End quote. Well, perhaps some enterprising objective journalist could ask Senators Warren and Sanders to go on the record this week explaining their support for Peltier. That would seem fair. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Wednesday, 22 January. Now, of course, to listen to the show ad free, which you could do, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief simply by visiting PDB premium.com See? I told you it was simple. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with a PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, well, you know the drill. Stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.