The President's Daily Brief – January 26, 2026

Host: Mike Baker (former CIA Operations Officer)
Podcast: The First TV
Episode Theme: Iran’s Alleged Chemical Weapons Use, Minneapolis Shooting Fallout, and Updates on Russia-Ukraine-US Trilateral Talks

Episode Overview

On this episode, Mike Baker delivers the most critical overnight global and domestic stories, focusing on:

• Explosive new reports of chemical weapon use by Iranian security forces against protesters.
• The aftermath and controversy surrounding a deadly Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis amid ongoing immigration enforcement.
• Outcomes from the latest US-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.
• In the “Back of the Brief”: President Trump’s claim of a secret weapon (“the discombobulator”) used in capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Iran’s Alleged Chemical Weapons Use Against Protesters

[02:30 - 10:40]

Context & Allegations

• Reports from multiple sources, including UK officials, claim Iranian security forces used lethal chemical agents against demonstrators.
• Victims reportedly suffered “severe respiratory distress, sudden collapse and prolonged breathing complications,” going “far beyond what you'd expect from standard riot control agents like tear gas.”
  — Mike Baker, 04:00
• Some symptoms appeared with delayed effects, with deaths occurring days after exposure.

Eyewitness and Visual Evidence

• Footage shows security personnel in full hazmat suits and protective gear, strengthening suspicions of chemical agent deployment.

Verification Challenges

• Independent confirmation is difficult due to Iran’s strict information controls.
  “Access inside Iran remains tightly restricted… the regime has offered no transparency. I know. I too am shocked.”
  — Mike Baker, 06:30

International Consequences

• Use of such agents would “mark a major escalation” and could carry “enormous legal and moral and strategic consequences,” but Iran’s leadership may be “increasingly willing to accept international condemnation for short-term control.”
• Chemical weapons are banned under international law; confirmation may trigger UN statements and further isolation.

Regime Precautions

• Iran’s leadership is reportedly bracing for potential US military action. Supreme Leader Khamenei has reportedly moved to a fortified underground bunker as US military forces amass in the region.

Regional Response

• Allies (Jordan, UAE, UK) may possibly support a US strike against Iran, though none have confirmed plans.

Notable Quote

“If Tehran did in fact deploy chemical agents against civilians, that would represent not just another brutal episode in its long history…but a step into territory that carries enormous legal and moral and strategic consequences, none of which would likely bother the Iranian regime.”
— Mike Baker, 07:15

2. Minneapolis Shooting: Immigration Crackdown Fallout

[11:20 - 19:00]

Incident Recap

• Federal Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man (identified as Alex Pretti) during an immigration enforcement operation.
• Occurred amid ongoing protests against ICE presence in Minneapolis, where agents have been active for over a month.

Sequence of Events

• A crowd gathered near the enforcement action.
• Witnesses and video footage show a chaotic struggle.
• Officers shouted, “he's got a gun,” and were seen retrieving a 9mm handgun from Pretti.
• In the commotion, shots were fired at close range. Pretti died at the scene.

Disputed Accounts

• Some video appears to show Pretti holding a cell phone, not a gun.
• Minneapolis police confirm Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a carry permit; unclear at what point the weapon became visible.

Official Responses

• DHS says agents “engaged in a federal arrest action... not a random patrol.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized:

  “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots.”
  — Kristi Noem, summarized by Mike Baker, 16:10

• President Trump criticized Minnesota leadership, accusing them of failing to protect federal officers and fueling disorder.

Community and Official Tensions

• National Guard deployed to restore order as protests escalate.
• This is the second federal shooting incident in Minneapolis in January, compounding local tension.

Host Commentary

“The problem, as always in this world of social media and smartphones, is there’s always a rush to judgment or a rush to exonerate before an actual investigation identifies all the facts.”
— Mike Baker, 15:30

3. Russia-Ukraine-US Trilateral Talks in Abu Dhabi

[19:10 - 21:00]

Diplomatic Developments

• First trilateral meeting between US, Ukraine, and Russia (following last week’s Davos summit).
• Discussions aimed at outlining possible parameters for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Progress & Limitations

• Optimism expressed, but “little actual progress” on core issues (especially territorial control in Eastern Ukraine).
• Negotiators paused talks, with plans to reconvene in February.

Composition of Delegations

• US: Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, General Grinkowich.
• Ukraine: President Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff, National Security Adviser Rustem Umerov, military chiefs.
• Russia: Admiral Igor Kostakov, Chief of Russian Military Intelligence.

Sticking Points

• Major challenge is Russia's insistence on Ukrainian withdrawal from disputed regions.
• Zelenskyy maintains that any territorial decision must be decided democratically by Ukrainians.

Notable Quote

“From Kyiv's perspective... not about producing a deal on the spot. It was about keeping the format intact... and keeping talks from stalling out entirely.”
— Mike Baker, 20:00

4. Back of the Brief: Trump’s ‘Discombobulator’ and Venezuela Raid

[22:16 - 25:10]

Claim of a Secret Weapon

• President Trump confirms existence and use of a classified weapon, “the discombobulator,” during the US operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.
• Trump stated:

  “The discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
  — Donald Trump via New York Post, 22:35 “They never got their rockets off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked... That's got to be frustrating.”
  — Donald Trump, 23:10

On-the-Ground Effects

• Eyewitnesses described radar and missile defenses failing before the raid, with regime guards experiencing:

  “...like a very intense sound wave. It felt like my head was exploding from the inside.”
  — Maduro’s security guard, paraphrased by Mike Baker, 24:15

• Suspicions the weapon may be a form of directed energy/pulse weapon, potentially similar to theories around “Havana Syndrome.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Baker [06:30]: “I'm shocked that the mullahs and the Revolutionary Guard Corps have not been transparent about their brutal efforts to remain in power.”
• Mike Baker [15:30]: “The problem, as always in this world of social media and smartphones, is that there's always a rush to judgment or a rush to exonerate before an actual investigation identifies all the facts.”
• Donald Trump [22:35]: “The discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” referring to the classified weapon used in Venezuela.
• Eyewitness account [24:15]: “[I]t was like a very intense sound wave. It felt like my head was exploding from the inside.”

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------------|-----------| | Iran chemical weapons claims | 02:30-10:40| | Minneapolis shooting fallout | 11:20-19:00| | Russia-Ukraine-US trilateral talks recap | 19:10-21:00| | Trump's 'discombobulator' in Venezuela | 22:16-25:10|

Overall Tone and Style

Mike Baker’s approach is direct, often wry and acutely analytical. He maintains a balance between skepticism and seriousness, especially regarding government transparency and social media narratives, injecting occasional sarcasm for emphasis.

Summary Conclusion

This episode of The President’s Daily Brief delivers a focused, clear-sighted update on several major international and domestic crises—raising fresh concerns over Tehran's extremity in repressing dissent, dissecting the facts and ambiguity surrounding a deadly immigration enforcement incident in Minnesota, and logging the slow progress of high-stakes diplomacy on Ukraine. The episode closes on the surreal yet serious claim of high-tech “secret weapons” in covert US actions, underscoring the sense of a world where every day’s brief contains the unexpected.