The President's Daily Brief

Host: Mike Baker
Episode Title: Putin Begins Purge Of His Own Supporters & Trump’s High-Stakes Talks With Saudi Arabia
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In today’s episode, host Mike Baker unpacks major developments on the world stage, focusing first on a dramatic shift within Russia: Vladimir Putin’s regime cracking down on pro-war bloggers who once drove support for the Ukraine invasion. Baker analyzes the motivations behind this purge and what it reveals about the current state of Putin’s power.
He then shifts to Washington, covering President Trump’s high-profile meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), where sweeping investment deals, security agreements, and Middle East diplomatic ambitions take center stage. Additional segments address a significant Mexican drug cartel takedown in Spain and wrap with the UN Security Council’s rare endorsement of Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Putin’s Crackdown on Pro-War Bloggers

[01:05 – 09:10]

Context and Targets

• Putin’s regime is silencing pro-war bloggers – individuals who once fervently supported the invasion of Ukraine via massive social media platforms.
• Specific cases:
  • Roman Al Yonkin: Labeled a “foreign agent,” effectively cutting off his online presence.
  • Tatiana Montian: Labeled a “terrorist,” despite ardent pro-war stances.
  • Oksana Kobileva: Detained after posting frontline complaints from soldiers.
• Reference to earlier cases, notably Igor Girkin, a former FSB officer turned hardline critic, now in prison.

Analysis: Reasons for the Purge

• Control over the Narrative:
  • As the war drags on, casualties and sanctions mount, and frustration grows. The regime perceives independent commentary—especially from credible, pro-war voices—as dangerous to its image.
  • “Pro-war bloggers have something that Russian state TV doesn't—credibility. Many of them are in direct contact with soldiers...When they say that equipment isn't arriving or that commanders are incompetent, their followers believe them, and that makes them dangerous, according to the Kremlin.” (Mike Baker, 05:14)
• Fear of Alternative Power Centers:
  • Prigozhin’s mutiny in 2023 still haunts the Kremlin, serving as a lesson in the risks of allowing any network that could mobilize large segments of the population—even if ideologically loyal.
  • “Putin learned that lesson. He can't allow any independent power centers to emerge, even if it's patriotic and pro-war.” (Mike Baker, 06:43)
• Kremlin Insecurity, Not Confidence:
  • Increased repression signals weakness, not strength. Economic strain and public discontent are simmering.
• Election Security:
  • With the heavily managed 2026 elections on the horizon, the regime wants to avoid any sign of instability, especially from its nationalist base.
• Shift from Tolerance to Obedience:
  • Early in the war, bloggers were useful. Now, the regime’s priority is “discipline,” with no room for independent voices, even if supportive.

Key Quote

• “What does this tell us? Well, it tells us that Russia's leadership sees the greatest threat not from the anti war movement… but from within its own ideological base. The ultra nationalists, the hardliners, the people who want the war run more effectively—not ended.” (Mike Baker, 08:30)

2. Trump Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince MBS: New Investment, Security, and Diplomacy

[09:38 – 13:45]

Event Overview

• Trump greeted MBS with a military flyover and a ceremonial South Lawn welcome, signaling a strengthening of U.S.-Saudi ties after tension in the Biden years.
• Focus of talks:
  • Massive Saudi investment into the U.S. ($600B previously pledged, now increased to $1T)
  • Economic cooperation spanning AI infrastructure and civil nuclear energy.
  • A summit at the Kennedy Center with major U.S. and Saudi business leaders.

Security & Regional Diplomacy

• Trump authorized the sale of F35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, downplaying traditional U.S. cautions regarding Israel’s military edge.
• Abraham Accords Expansion:
  • Trump sees normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel as a domino that could bring regional peace.
  • Saudi support contingent on a two-state solution and formal U.S. security guarantees.
  • “Trump… has long argued that if Saudi Arabia normalizes relations with Israel, quote, 'everybody in the Arab world goes in'…” (Mike Baker, 12:29)

Khashoggi Case

• The 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a major rift in U.S.-Saudi relations, is now minimized.
  • “Trump brushed off the matter, stating, quote, 'things happen', as both governments made clear. They see the episode as history, not the center of the relationship, as the Biden administration did.” (Mike Baker, 13:18)

3. Major Cartel Takedown in Spain: Jalisco New Generation Cartel

[13:46 – 16:55]

Operation Details

• Spanish police arrested 20 individuals tied to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—now formally considered a terrorist organization by the U.S.
• Cartel’s operation involved:
  • Smuggling cocaine and meth hidden inside construction machinery.
  • Establishing logistics networks that connected to Italian mafia groups.
  • Use of Spain as a gateway due to its role in international drug trade channels.

Significance

• Synchronized raids with DEA and Dutch authorities: close to 2 tons of cocaine seized, alongside cash, crypto, arms, and vehicles.
• Several top cartel targets taken into custody; El Mencho, the CJNG kingpin, still on the run with a $15M U.S. bounty.
• “The cartel wasn't just testing European waters. They had carved out a stronghold, relying on trusted fixers and alliances with Italian organized crime groups to keep the whole thing running.” (Mike Baker, 15:14)

4. UN Security Council Backs Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan

[20:57 – 24:25]

Details of the Resolution

• Security Council approved a U.S.-drafted resolution supporting Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan.
  • Calls for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza through 2027.
  • Oversight structure (“Board of Peace”) chaired by Trump, guiding reconstruction and transition to a new Palestinian administration.
  • Future Palestinian self-governance/statehood tied to benchmarks for disarmament and internal reforms.

Reactions and Realities

• Israel welcomes the plan (publicly), but quietly questions any path to Palestinian statehood.
• The Palestinian Authority signals openness; Hamas outright rejects the foreign stabilization force.
• As yet, no country has volunteered personnel for the ISF, and the U.S. does not intend to contribute combat troops.
• “What had been a Washington led proposal is now formally backed by the world's most powerful diplomatic body. Ooh, did I say powerful? I meant feckless.” (Mike Baker, 21:25)
• Baker’s take: Diplomatic win for the administration, but with major uncertainty about real-world implementation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pro-War Blogger Crackdown:
  • “The Kremlin can't afford any independent commentary that exposes failures or corruption or mismanagement, especially when that commentary comes from people who can't be dismissed as Western stooges.” (Mike Baker, 04:48)
• On U.S.-Saudi Ties:
  • “Trump didn't just greet the crown prince, he showcased him, turning the arrival into a message that the partnership he views as essential is not only repaired… but carrying more weight than it has in years.” (Mike Baker, 10:03)
• On UN Gaza Plan Vote:
  • “The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor, while Russia and China abstained. But the key point is that this gives the US Plan international legitimacy.” (Mike Baker, 21:21)
• Cynical Sign-Off:
  • “I'm sorry to sound so cynical and that, my friends is the President's Daily brief for Wednesday 19th November.” (Mike Baker, 24:13)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |---------|-------------|-----------| | Putin cracks down on pro-war bloggers | Background, high-profile cases, motivations | 01:05 – 09:10 | | Trump & MBS meeting, U.S.-Saudi Initiatives | Investments, security deals, Abraham Accords | 09:38 – 13:45 | | Spanish police takedown of CJNG drug ring | Operation details, cartel adaptations | 13:46 – 16:55 | | UN Security Council backs Gaza peace plan | Details, reactions, implementation doubts | 20:57 – 24:25 |

Tone and Style

Mike Baker brings levity to a serious analysis, using wry humor and plainspoken explanations while maintaining a focus on practical implications for listeners (“Eh, it’s all well and good until it bumps into reality”). His language is direct, blending intelligence expertise with accessible commentary, often injecting skepticism toward official narratives or international bodies.

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