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The President's Daily Brief
March 18th, 2025: Trump’s High Stakes Meeting With Putin & A Shocking Lab Leak Admission
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- [00:01]
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- [00:42]
Mike Baker
It's Tuesday, the 18th of March. 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. President Trump is set to speak directly with Russian President Putin today, pushing for a 30 day ceasefire in Ukraine. But Russia isn't budging, demanding ironclad guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO as part of any deal. Later in the show, the US Ramps up airstrikes on Yemen's Iranian backed Houthi rebels, keeping the pressure on the group as its sponsors in Tehran vow retaliation. Plus, Venezuela is blasting the White House for the deportation of hundreds of Trends members, also known as tda, to El Salvador, calling the move illegal. That's coming, of course, from Nicolas Maduro. We'll examine if the White House actually cares what the despotic Maduro regime says about anything. Okay, look, you and I know that the White House in fact doesn't care what Maduro says. In reality, the Venezuelan strongman has stolen more elections than even Putin. And in today's Back of the Brief, after years of dismissing it as a conspiracy theory, the New York Times is finally acknowledging what many sane people have suspected all along, that a lab accident in China may have been the real origin of COVID 19. And US government officials well, worked to suppress the notion of a lab leak during the pandemic. I, for one, am shocked that there's gambling at Rick's. But first, today's pdb. President Trump is set to speak one on one with Russian President Putin today, marking the most direct effort yet to get Putin on board with a ceasefire in Ukraine. It's a high stakes move because while Ukraine and the US signed off on a 30 day ceasefire during talks in Saudi Arabia last week, Russia hasn't budged from its maximalist position. And last time we checked, a ceasefire only works if both sides stop shooting. Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he and Putin would discuss dividing up certain assets. That would include land and, curiously, power plants. Now, one assumes that the Ukrainians would also want a say in divvying up Ukrainian assets. When referencing power plants, Trump didn't elaborate on what exactly that means, but most likely he was referring to the massive Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Yeah, it's the largest power plant in Europe and is currently sitting well smack in the middle of Russian occupied Ukraine. Trump appeared to be somewhat optimistic ahead of the phone call, telling reporters, we want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance, end quote. But here's the problem. Putin has shown no interest. That would be zero interest in a ceasefire unless it locks in Russia's gains from the war. He's been clear about his priorities. He'll keep the land that he's taken and he'll shut the door on Ukraine ever joining NATO. Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reinforced that message, telling Russian media that the Kremlin will demand ironclad security guarantees, meaning that Kyiv would be permanently excluded from NATO and Ukraine would have to agree to total neutrality. And it's not just about land or alliances. Gruzko also made it clear that Russia wants no foreign troops, not even peacekeepers on Ukrainian soil as part of any post war deal. That could be a sticking point because both Britain and France have floated the idea of sending forces to monitor any ceasefire. So you ask yourself, what does all this mean for Ukraine? Well, it's not great. And by that I mean it's the opposite of great. And as we've been reporting here on the pdb, Ukraine's position is frankly weakening by the day. They've now been all but completely pushed out of the small foothold they had in Russia's Kursk region. That's a position that at its peak last August covered some 500 square miles of Russian territory. It was a massive propaganda win at the time and a potential point of leverage to at least have a card to bring to the negotiating table. Now, that's been whittled down to a tiny sliver on the border. The fighting there is less about holding land at this point than and more about survival. Preventing Russia breaking through and pushing deeper into Ukraine's Sumy region, that would open up a whole new front in the war, something that Ukrainian forces, which are already stretched thin, can hardly afford. So with Ukraine losing ground and Russia unwilling to negotiate without major concessions, you ask yourself again, you keep asking yourself questions. What can Trump actually offer Putin to get him on board? That's the big question heading into today's call, because right now Russia appears to hold all the cards and Putin seems to be well aware of his hand. We'll keep a close eye on what comes out of this conversation today, but frankly, don't expect any breakthroughs, at least not without Ukraine making some painful compromises. Alright. Coming up after the break, the US Steps up airstrikes on Yemen's Houthis as Iran vows retaliation and Venezuela slams the White House for deporting TDA gang members to El Salvador. Now, to be fair, Venezuela's Maduro went to a lot of trouble to export his TDA criminals to the US and now he probably feels like all that work went for nothing. I'll be right back.
- [06:47]
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- [07:50]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the pdb. The US has launched another wave of airstrikes on Yemen, hammering Houthi terrorist positions in response to renewed threats against shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Monday's strikes hit key locations in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida and the Al Juf governorate that's north of Yemen's capital, Sanaa. According to the Associated Press, the death toll has climbed to at least 53 people and and around 100 injured. The airstrikes are an extension of military actions that began over the weekend under President Trump, who authorized the largest US Military operation in the Middle east since taking office. The strikes come on the heels of the interception of roughly a dozen Houthi drones on Sunday, which the US Military says were targeting the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier strike group in the red sea. A U.S. official told Reuters that none of the drones came close to the Truman before being shot down. And U.S. forces also tracked a missile that splashed down off the coast of Yemen. The Iran backed Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi has vowed retaliation against US Ships if the strikes continue. Warning if they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation now. The terror group has also threatened to resume attacks on Israeli linked vessels, though no such strikes have yet materialized. A Houthi military spokesman, without providing any evidence, claimed the Iran backed terror group launched a second attack on the Truman Strike Group. Amid the growing escalation, US Air defense stockpiles are being rapidly depleted to counter Houthi drone and missile barrages, raising concerns about the sustainability of interception efforts. The Pentagon maintains that its latest operations aim to defend American interests, deter enemies and restore freedom of navigation. A U.S. official told Reuters that the air campaign could extend for weeks as Washington simultaneously tightens economic pressure on Iran while seeking leverage in nuclear negotiations. In a post on Truth Social, Trump escalated his rhetoric against the Iranian regime, posting, every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran. The President accused the mullahs and their Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, of quote, dictating every move by the Houthis and fueling their terror attacks with weapons and funding and intelligence. Well, he's not wrong. Iran predictably dismissed US claims that it directly controls Houthi military operations. Iranian state media continue to insist that the Houthis act independently in response to the US Airstrikes. IRGC General Hossein Salami warned that Tehran would respond decisively and destructively to any perceived threats from Washington. As regional tensions intensify, analysts warn that continued U.S. airstrikes could backfire, bolstering the Houthis resolve to, rather than degrading their capabilities. You see, despite relentless Saudi led bombardment during Yemen's civil war, the terror group has demonstrated impressive resilience, embedding itself further into regional power struggles. Okay, turning now to the intensifying fallout from President Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies act, which triggered a legal standoff in the US As Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro blasts the mass deportation of TDA gang members to El Salvador. As we reported Monday on the PDB, the Alien Enemies act of 1798 is a wartime law granting the President broad authority to detain or expel foreign nationals from enemy nations with minimal due process. Now, the law has remained dormant for more than 80 years. It was last used during World War II to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. Now Trump's executive order is bringing it back to life, specifically targeting Venezuelan nationals aged 14 and older on allegations of TDA gang affiliations. Maduro's regime wasted no time in denouncing the deportations, framing them as, quote, kidnapping of 14 year old children, end quote. His outrage, however, well, it does kind of ring hollow against the backdrop of his regime's well documented political crackdowns, arbitrary detentions, election thefts and state sanctioned violence against any dissenters seeking regional backing. Though Maduro appealed to the community of Latin American and Caribbean states to formally condemn Trump's move, setting the stage for a broader geopolitical standoff. Meanwhile, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele confirmed early Sunday that the 238 TBA deportees arrived in the country and were immediately transferred to a high security terrorism detention center. We also learned from the Associated Press, citing an internal memo, that Washington paid San Salvador $6 million for the arrangement, money that also covered the deportation of 23 Ms. 13 gang members. Back in the US the legal pushback was swift. Just hours after deportation flights departed, a federal judge in Washington issued an emergency order halting further removals and ordering any airborne flights to return. The Justice Department, however, countered that the ruling came too late, as deportees had already left American airspace. The administration's response to the judicial order has been anything but conciliatory. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, openly defied the ruling in a Fox News interview Monday, calling the deportation policy a game changer. He vowed defiantly that deportation flights would continue daily regardless of judicial or political pushback. Homan stated, quote, we are going to make this country safe again before doubling down and stating also we are not stopping. I don't care what the judges think, I don't care what the left thinks, end quote. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt was equally unyielding, dismissing the judge's ruling as having, quote, no lawful basis and signaling that the administration is prepared to escalate the legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, the White House is standing firm on its hardline stance, urging illegal immigrants to self deport as the legal and political firestorm intensifies. This confrontation is shaping up to be a defining test of executive power, judicial oversight and the limits of immigration enforcement in the United States, not to mention the ability of a trial judge to interfere with U.S. foreign policy and national security actions. Regardless, with an overall approval rating hovering somewhere around 27% or so, that's just above the basement level. The lowest in decades, might we add. The Democrats find themselves having to explain to the public why they are fighting for the rights of criminal gang members operating in the US Illegally. While they obviously oppose anything coming out of the Trump White House, they well, they might want to think about the optics and perhaps be a little more careful about picking their battles. All right, coming up in the back of the brief. After years of dismissing it as a conspiracy theory, the New York Times is finally admitting that a lab accident in China may have been the real origin of COVID 19. Imagine that. I'll be right back.
- [15:34]
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- [17:07]
Mike Baker
In today's back of the brief. Well, it only took what, five years? But it looks like the New York Times is finally ready to acknowledge the possible True Origins of COVID 19. In a new opinion piece, columnist Zeynep Tufeki lays out a damning case that the so called consensus on the virus's origins wasn't just wrong, it was actively manipulated. Tuvechi highlights how in early 2020 the lab leak theory Was dismissed as a conspiracy. Remember that. Despite real concerns about the Wuhan Institute of virology's research, she writes, to promote the appearance of consensus, some officials and scientists hid or understated crucial facts, misled at least one reporter, orchestrated campaigns of supposedly independent voices, and even compared notes about how to hide their communications in order to keep the public from hearing the whole story, end quote. Now that's not just scientific debate. That's a coordinated effort to control the narrative, to manipulate the narrative. She points to the now infamous Nature medicine paper from March 2020, which ruled out a lab leak. But internal communications later revealed that some of its authors actually believed a lab leak was likely. One of them, evolutionary biologist Christian Andersen wrote privately, the lab escape version of this is so friggin likely to have happened because they were already doing this type of work and the molecular data is fully consistent with that scenario. End quote. And yet in public, he and his colleagues insisted the opposite. Why? Well, according to Tufekshi, they sought guidance from Jeremy Farrar, who's now the chief scientist at the World Health Organization. Farrar even suggested they revise their paper to more forcefully rule out a lab leak. Then there's the Lancet letter, which dismissed the lab leak theory as a conspiracy. Turns out that letter was secretly organized by Peter Daszek, the head of EcoHealth alliance, the same nonprofit that funneled US grant money to the Wuhan lab for risky virus research. Daszak even strategized on how to hide his involvement. Tufekshi also points to newly surfaced communications from Dr. Anthony Fauci's senior advisor, David Morenz, who wrote in an email, quote, we're all smart enough to know to never have smoking guns, and if we did, we wouldn't put them in emails. And if we found them, we'd delete them. End quote. Oh my. Well, how about that? That sounds an awful lot like an admission of a cover up. So what now? Tufekshi argues that we still haven't learned our lesson. Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology are still conducting dangerous research on bat coronaviruses under questionable safety protocols. She concludes, we may not know exactly how the COVID pandemic started, but if research activities were involved, that would mean two out of the last four or five pandemics were caused by our own scientific mishaps. Let's not make it a third. All right? Well, it's swell that the New York Times has decided to run an op ed of this sort, but it's five years after Elvis had has left the building and it falls seriously short of the New York Times using their extensive resources to do what used to be referred to as. What did they call it? Oh, serious investigative journalism. I mean, developing actual human sources, digging through mountains of paper to uncover just how complicit the Chinese regime under Xi Jinping was in covering up the origins of the pandemic. You'd think the Times would consider that effort newsworthy. I mean, if for no other reason than perhaps scoring another Pulitzer. The Chinese regime has basically received a free pass over the years. The global community failed to demand transparency from them, and there was never any hope that Xi's government would, on its own, offer up serious cooperation or assistance in understanding what happened. It may sound like I'm simply talking about history now. I'm just rehashing what happened in the past, but I'm actually. I'm actually talking about the future. There is no doubt that we'll have another global pandemic, and our response is going to be less effective to the next pandemic because the Chinese regime failed to open up the Wuhan Lab to the scientific community to understand everything possible about the origins and early days of COVID 19. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday 18th March. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and to listen to the show ad free. Well, I suspect you know what to do. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief Simply by visiting pdbpremium.com I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDP Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
- [22:35]
Mike Slater
Hey, I'm Mike Slater. I have a podcast called Politics by Faith. We have a very simple mission. We take the news of the day and we filter it through a biblical worldview. So here's the big story of the day. What does the Bible say about it and how can we apply it? It's amazing. There's nothing new under the sun. The Bible has something to say about everything that's going on today. So basically, we thumped the Bible over on Politics by Faith. I think we ought to keep MAGA going. And I think the way to take it beyond just a political victory into a true rebuilding and awakening and revival in America is to make sure that this is all grounded in biblical principles. And that's what we do on the podcast Politics by Faith. And you can subscribe to Politics by Faith wherever you're listening to the show right now.