The President’s Daily Brief

Host: Mike Baker
Episode Date: November 25, 2025
Episode Theme: Major developments in U.S.–Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, a UK–Russia naval incident, President Trump’s plan to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, and a significant courtroom win for James Comey.

Main Overview

This episode of The President’s Daily Brief delivers an in-depth breakdown of four critical international and domestic stories:

• A newly revised 19-point U.S.–Ukraine ceasefire deal and its implications for the Russia-Ukraine war.
• A sharp uptick in UK–Russia maritime confrontations, featuring a recent Royal Navy interception.
• President Trump’s moves to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and what that could mean.
• A federal judge’s dismissal of the DOJ’s case against James Comey over a procedural flaw.

1. U.S.–Ukraine Ceasefire Deal: 19 Points and Key Unresolved Issues

Segment Start: [00:18]

Key Discussion Points:

• Revision of Peace Plan:
  • The 28-point peace plan, initially pushed by Washington, was slimmed to 19 points following tense negotiations in Geneva, making it more favorable to Kyiv.
  • “If my math is correct, that’s 9 points less than President Trump’s reported 28-point peace plan. Hmm.” – Mike Baker [01:05]
  • Previous draft viewed as a “one-sided ultimatum” by European allies and Ukraine.
• Negotiation Tensions and Outcomes:
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Envoy Steve Witkoff led U.S. delegation; Ukraine was represented by Andrei Yermak and his team.
  • Oleksandr Bevs, advisor to Yermak:
    “The deal… has been reshaped enough that it can now, quote, be considered, whereas before it was an ultimatum.” [03:15]
  • Key provisions less favorable to Ukraine (such as Russian veto power over NATO aspirations) were removed.
• Major Sticking Point – Territory:
  • No progress on Russia’s demand for Ukrainian troop withdrawals from Donetsk or discussion of land swaps.
  • “Zelensky has not authorized anyone but himself to discuss land swaps or withdrawals, which meant negotiators made little progress…” [05:00]
  • U.S. appears unwilling to pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions now, wary of sparking unrest.

Notable Quotes:

• On the softened stance and process:
  “The priority is to finish the text, not force Kyiv into signing an unfinished document.” – Oleksandr Bevs [04:45]
• On the core unresolved issue:
  “Any perceived sellout on territory could, of course, spark protests or even military backlash in Ukraine.” – Mike Baker [05:35]

Europe and Russia’s Position:

• Europe:
  • Remained largely outside negotiations, but pushed edits: higher cap on Ukrainian peacetime military, US security guarantees more like NATO Article 5, use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
  • “While European leaders were in Angola for a summit, Washington and Kyiv were already rewriting the plan... Their priority was getting a viable draft on the table.” [07:50]
• Russia:
  • Kremlin has yet to receive official draft, but open to discussions.
  • Russian aide signals U.S. openness to meeting.
  • Putin had favored the original 28-point, more Moscow-friendly plan.

Conclusion:

• “We’ve gone from a 28-point American ultimatum that alarmed Kyiv and Brussels to a 19-point U.S.–Ukrainian deal that better reflects Ukraine’s red lines but may be a harder sell to Moscow and that Europe still fears as being finalized without their input.” – Mike Baker [09:10]

2. UK–Russia Naval Confrontation in the English Channel

Segment Start: [12:18]

Key Discussion Points:

• Incident Overview:

  • Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Severn intercepted a Russian corvette (Stoiki) and tanker (Yelnya) navigating the busy UK maritime corridor.
  • “Russian movements around UK waters have climbed by 30% over the past two years.” [12:55]

• Pattern of Aggression:

  • UK, with NATO allies, is tracking Russian warships and submarines more frequently.
  • Surveillance ramped up with Poseidon aircraft deployments, NATO cooperation.
  • Recent Russian actions include using lasers against British surveillance pilots and the suspected deployment of a Russian hydroacoustic sonobuoy off Wales.

• Political and Military Repercussions:

  • UK condemns Russian activity as “reckless and dangerous” – UK Defense Secretary John Healey [14:27]
  • Discovery of the sonobuoy underscores the multi-layered threat Russia poses:
    “That find added a new layer to Britain’s concern of a broader Russian campaign that extends from the surface to the seabed.” [15:10]
  • UK government weighing increased defense budget despite economic constraints.

Memorable Moment:

• On Russian denials:
  “The Russian Embassy in London accused Britain of, quote, whipping up militaristic hysteria and claimed Moscow has zero interest in undermining UK security. Of course they have zero interest. Nothing to see here, comrades. And by the way, you want to talk about whipping up militaristic hysteria, try invading Ukraine.” – Mike Baker [15:50]

3. Trump’s Plan to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Segment Start: [17:10]

Key Discussion Points:

• Trump’s Announcement:

  • Declared intention to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.
  • “He told reporters this will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms, with final documents already being drafted.” [17:18]

• Background:

  • Brotherhood is complex: movement and loose network, not a single entity.
  • Some national branches operate politically; others are militant or support extremist offshoots (e.g., Hamas).

• Policy Debate and International Context:

  • Allies (Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia) already classify Brotherhood as terrorist.
  • US governments traditionally hesitated, concerned about unintended consequences and diplomatic repercussions.
  • “Critics say the organization has spent decades presenting one face to the west, moderate, political, respectable, while nurturing a hardline anti Western ideology behind the scenes.” [19:35]

• Consequences of Labeling:

  • Would allow the US to target the Brotherhood’s finances, restrict travel, pressure foreign governments, and potentially impact domestic organizations accused of Brotherhood ties.
  • Described as potentially “one of the most consequential counterterrorism decisions of Trump’s second term.” [17:30]

Notable Quote:

• On the public challenge of classification:
  “For years, national security officials have wrestled with the question, do you treat the Brotherhood as a monolithic organization or a loose family tree with some branches engaged in terrorism and others not?” – Mike Baker [18:32]

4. Legal Win for James Comey: Indictment Dismissed

Segment Start: [22:18]

Key Discussion Points:

• Summary of Ruling:

  • Federal judge Cameron Curry threw out the DOJ’s indictment against former FBI Director James Comey due to lack of proper legal authority by the attorney who brought the charges.
  • Lindsey Halligan, who acted alone in presenting the case, was not a lawfully appointed U.S. attorney.

• Procedural Error:

  • “Judge Curry noted that Halligan was the only person handling the case. No career prosecutors from the Eastern District, no supervisors from the Justice Department…” [22:45]
  • The judge warned that to allow the case to stand would set a dangerous precedent:
    “The government could send any private citizen into the grand jury room. That cannot be the law.” – Judge Curry [23:06]

• Broader Impact:

  • Dismissal is “without prejudice”—DOJ could refile with proper procedure, but faces statute of limitations crunch.
  • Similar ruling applied to New York AG Letitia James in a separate, related case.

Memorable Concluding Note:

• “So for now, James Comey walks away from the indictment, not because the court weighed the evidence, but because of basic procedural mistakes.” – Mike Baker [23:50]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Any perceived sellout on territory could, of course, spark protests or even military backlash in Ukraine.”
  — Mike Baker [05:35]
• “The Russian Embassy in London accused Britain of…whipping up militaristic hysteria…Of course they have zero interest. Nothing to see here, comrades. And by the way, you want to talk about whipping up militaristic hysteria, try invading Ukraine.”
  — Mike Baker [15:50]
• “The government could send any private citizen into the grand jury room. That cannot be the law.”
  — Judge Cameron Curry, as quoted by Mike Baker [23:06]

Key Timestamps

• Ceasefire Deal Deep Dive: 00:18 – 09:10
• UK–Russia Naval Clash: 12:18 – 16:15
• Muslim Brotherhood Designation: 17:10 – 21:00
• James Comey Indictment Dismissal: 22:18 – 24:05

Tone & Takeaways

Mike Baker’s steady, incisive tone channels urgency and pragmatism, mixing dry humor (“Nothing to see here, comrades…”) with clear explanations meant for an informed but non-expert audience. Critical issues are explored with a focus on direct impact and strategic context, arming listeners with the essentials on rapidly-evolving world events—without unnecessary spin.