The President's Daily Brief

Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Date: October 15, 2025
Episode Title: Torture & Starvation: Hostages Reveal Treatment Under Hamas

Overview

In this October 15th episode, host Mike Baker delivers a sobering look at the testimonies of Israeli hostages released by Hamas, detailing harrowing conditions including torture, starvation, and psychological torment during their captivity. The episode also covers Russia's continued assault on Ukrainian infrastructure and escalating rhetoric over missile supplies, the Venezuelan regime’s reaction to a Nobel Peace Prize awarded to an opposition leader, and a military coup in Madagascar. Baker contextualizes these events and their wider geopolitical importance, all with his signature mix of gravitas and sardonic humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. PDB Spotlight: Hostages Return and Reveal Hamas Brutality

[03:00 – 09:16]

• Hostages’ Suffering:

  • The last group of Israeli hostages has returned, with many sharing details of their ordeal. Captives, especially men seen as soldiers, reportedly suffered the harshest treatment: held underground, beaten, deprived of food, and kept in isolation.
  • Avi Natan Orr spent 737 days in virtual solitude without seeing anyone or daylight and lost up to 40% of his body weight.
    • Quote:
      “His first request upon returning home was simple: to sit and share a cigarette with his girlfriend, Noah Agamani.” – Mike Baker [04:35]
  • Elkanah Bobot was chained in a tunnel for so long he lost track of time. On his wedding anniversary, he begged to shower in honor of his wife; his captors eventually relented, a rare “small moment of humanity.” [05:10]
  • Gali and Ziv Berman, brothers, didn’t know they were captive near each other for almost two years, experiencing severe hunger and occasional communication from guards in Hebrew.
  • Hostages describe psychological warfare: forced participation in propaganda videos, threats of execution, and being coerced into card games—a cruel mimicry of normalcy.

• Special Focus on Soldiers:

  • Mitan Anglest, a young Israeli soldier, was "severely tortured" for months yet reportedly refused cooperation throughout.
    • Quote:
      “He never broke, refusing to cooperate with what he called the monsters who held him.” – Mike Baker [06:27]

• Post-Rescue Changes:

  • Following the daring June 2024 Israeli rescue operation of Noah Agamani and others, Hamas isolated the remaining hostages further, cutting off almost all outside contact.

• Medical Aftermath:

  • Released captives exhibit extreme malnutrition and muscle atrophy. Some were force-fed in the final weeks, likely to prepare for international scrutiny.
  • Their testimonies are expected to inform both Israeli policy and potential future war crimes investigations.

• Ongoing Tragedy:

  • Hamas has begun to transfer bodies of deceased hostages; as of the episode, about 30 remain unreturned.
  • Israeli officials accuse Hamas of cruelty for stalling on returning remains and for violating ceasefire terms.
    • Quote:
      “Officials have accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by stalling the return of the bodies, calling it another act of cruelty toward the victims' families.” – Mike Baker [08:57]

2. Russia-Ukraine: Hospital Bombed, Trump Floats Tomahawk Threat

[09:50 – 14:20]

• Russian Airstrike:

  • Russia strikes a Kharkiv hospital with glide bombs, injuring civilians; part of a continuing campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.
  • Moscow denies targeting civilians.

• Trump’s Response:

  • President Trump, aboard Air Force One, suggests to reporters the provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine—a major escalation.
    • Quote:
      “Ukraine needs Patriot missiles very badly. They’d like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up.” – President Trump (quoted by Mike Baker) [11:12]
    • “Does Russia want to have the Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.” – President Trump [11:39]
  • Trump frames the missile offer as leverage to bring Russia to negotiations.

• Russian Reaction:

  • Former President Dmitry Medvedev warns that supplying Tomahawks “could end badly for everyone, especially President Trump,” suggesting any such launch could be perceived as nuclear.
    • Quote:
      “‘Once a Tomahawk is launched, it’s impossible to tell whether it carries a nuclear or conventional warhead… How should Russia respond? Exactly.’” – Medvedev, via Telegram (summarized by Mike Baker) [12:38]
  • Kremlin claims that U.S. personnel would need to operate such systems, escalating the risk.

• Zelensky’s Visit:

  • Ukrainian President Zelensky heads to Washington for talks centered on air defenses and “long-range capabilities to put pressure on Russia for the sake of peace.”

3. Venezuela: Nobel Prize Fallout and Diplomatic Retaliation

[14:22 – 17:26]

• Maduro’s Outrage:

  • Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro lashes out after opposition figure Maria Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize; calls her “a demonic witch.”
    • Quote:
      “He also threw his teddy out of the crib and now is refusing to eat his vegetables. How very Venezuelan strongman of him.” – Mike Baker [02:06, 15:01]

• Diplomatic Actions:

  • Venezuela shutters its embassy in Norway and announces closures in Australia, while opening new ones in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, citing “alliances with the global south” and a “new world order based on justice, solidarity and inclusion.”
  • Norway describes the moves as “regrettable.”

• Internal Crackdown:

  • Machado remains in hiding; other opposition leaders forced into exile or targeted by violence, with recent shootings of activists in Colombia.

• Broader Context:

  • The Trump administration has labeled Maduro’s regime a narco-terror cartel and backed opposition figures, with Machado vocally supporting U.S. sanctions and dedicating her Nobel to Trump.

4. Back of the Brief: Madagascar Military Coup

[20:39 – End]

• Unrest and Coup:

  • Youth-driven protests over power cuts, water shortages, and corruption erupt in late September, expanding rapidly.
  • CAPSAT, a powerful military unit, sides with protesters; soon after, the unit takes over the capital, impeaches the president, and declares military rule, promising elections in two years.
    • Quote:
      “Within days, its troops entered the capital and announced they were taking control of the armed forces. Yesterday, the lower house of parliament voted to impeach the sitting president as he fled the capital.” – Mike Baker [20:52]
  • This mirrors earlier political upheaval in 2009, raising skepticism about genuine reform.

• Public Sentiment:

  • Some welcome the ouster of an unpopular leader; others fear another repeat of military-dominated politics.

• Ongoing Situation:

  • The streets of the capital are “tense but calm”, with Gen Z activists vowing to continue pushing for real reform, not just new leadership.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Hostages:
  “Most of the freed hostages say they were moved deeper into Hamas’s tunnel network after Israel’s dramatic rescue of Noah Agamani and three others in June 2024.” – Mike Baker [07:08]

• On Trump and Putin:
  “If he were to speak with Putin over the phone, he would say, ‘Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I may send Ukraine Tomahawks. Russia doesn’t need that.’” – Mike Bakerr, paraphrasing Trump [12:02]
  “I really think that President Putin would look great if he got this settled, and I think he’s going to settle it. If he doesn’t, it’s not going to be good for him.” – President Trump (quoted) [13:45]

• On Venezuela:
  “Machado has been in hiding since the summer of 2024, when Maduro claimed victory in an election widely seen as fraudulent. Many independent analysts believe the opposition won. Well, that would be because they probably did.” – Mike Baker [15:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 — Hostages reveal details of Hamas captivity
• 07:08 — Changes in Hamas tactics post-Israeli rescue
• 09:50 — Russia bombs Ukrainian hospital, Trump’s Tomahawk comments
• 12:38 — Medvedev’s nuclear warning, Russian reaction
• 14:22 — Venezuela’s diplomatic shutdown, Maduro’s rhetoric
• 17:26 — Violence against exiled Venezuelan activists
• 20:39 — Madagascar military coup and civil unrest

Tone & Language

• Baker blends factual reporting with dry, sometimes sardonic commentary (“How very Putin of Putin”; “He also threw his teddy out of the crib…”)
• Quotes and paraphrases maintain the voices of the original speakers
• The host acknowledges his on-the-road circumstances and construction noise, connecting with listeners in a personable, candid manner.

Conclusion

This episode provides a clear-eyed, often unsettling update on crises from the Middle East to Eastern Europe to Africa. Through personal accounts, analyst commentary, and signature humor, Baker unpacks why these stories matter domestically and globally. The segment on the returning hostages is both harrowing and deeply humane, a grounding reminder of the real stakes behind headlines.