← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 2nd, 2024: Biden's Sweeping Pardon For Hunter & Iranian-Backed Iraqi Militias Join The Fight In Syria
00:13:33
Loading summary
Transcript8 lines
- [00:00]
Mike Baker
This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets. Take the time to speak with the experts over at Patriot Gold now. They've been the top rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row and that's quite frankly, a lot of years in a row. Go to patriotgoldgroup.com or call 1-888-621-3856. For a free investor. It's Monday, the 2nd of December. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, in a move that frankly should surprise no one, President Biden has granted his son Hunter Biden a full and unconditional presidential pardon, insulating him from facing justice for crimes dating back a decade. Then an update on the intensifying fight in Syria where Iranian backed Iraqi militias have crossed into Syria to aid forces of the Assad regime as they attempt to mount a counteroffensive against rebel groups who seized control of Aleppo last week. But first, our afternoon spotlight. After a long legal odyssey, President Biden has decided to issue a sweeping presidential pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, ahead of the return of President Elect Donald Trump to the Oval Office. The legal breadth of the pardon is, well, rather extraordinary, not only protecting Hunter from his upcoming sentencing related to federal felony, gun and tax convictions, but also retroactively covering any offenses committed between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024. We should also note that the move reverses numerous past promises from President Biden that he would respect the legal decisions regarding his son and not use his executive authority for the benefit of his family. Now, that's fine when a president is talking about, well, just an unrelated individual. I mean, you can make that sort of unemotional, disconnected decision. But the dynamic, the decision was always going to be a pardon because you're talking about a father dealing with his son. Now, you can seriously disagree with the decision, for sure, but anybody with a kid would be hard pressed to honestly say that they would have not pardoned their own child if given the ability. When announcing the pardon on Sunday, Biden spoke of Hunter's past struggles with drug addiction and argued that the trials against his son were the result of a political witch hunt designed to, quote, break him and his family. President Biden said, quote, no reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son. And that is wrong in trying to break Hunter. They've tried to break me. And there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough. End quote. Now, Hunter, well, he did break the law. Frankly, any ordinary citizen who committed similar acts as Hunter would have been tried and convicted long ago. So he wasn't simply singled out, as President Biden said, because his last name is Biden. In truth, he managed to avoid earlier legal consequences for his actions because his name is Biden. But also, on the other side of that fence, it's a truism that presidential pardons are, well, commonplace in Washington politics. Look, Trump himself previously pardoned his son in law, Jared Kushner's father, for tax evasion and he's just nominated him as the new ambassador to France. My point being? Well, it's Washington, D.C. and both sides play the same game. As a reminder, in June of this year, a Delaware jury convicted Hunter Biden of three felonies for lying about past drug use on a form when purchasing a gun in 2018. He was due in court on December 12 to face sentencing on the charges which many expected would land him a stint in jail. Separately, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor in several felony charges in September for unpaid taxes totaling at least $1.4 million. Sentencing for the federal tax evasion charges was scheduled to take place on December 16th. Taken together, the 12 counts hunter was either convicted of or pled guilty to carried a maximum possible prison sentence of 42 years. On Sunday evening, with the stroke of a pen, albeit a presidential one, his father, Joe Biden, wiped the slate clean. In his statement, President Biden said, quote, I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice. And once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision, end quote. Now, according to a report from Politico, it's the most sweeping presidential pardon seen in generations, drawing comparisons to the blanket pardon given by President gerald Ford in 1974 to, of course, Richard Nixon. Legal analysts say the pardon was likely written to be deliberately vague to cover any potential new accusations or charges leveled by the incoming Republican led Congress. Many Republican congressional leaders have threatened to launch new investigations into the business dealings of the Biden family come the new year. Margaret Love, a former US Pardon attorney with the Justice Department, told Politico, quote, I have never seen language like this in a pardon document that purports to pardon offenses that have not apparently even been charged with the exception of the Nixon pardon, even the broadest Trump pardons were specific as to what was being pardoned, end quote. Now, the pardon cannot be undone by President elect Trump when he takes office in January and will prevent his Justice Department from reopening criminal probes into Hunter Biden. Still, the Trump transition team reacted swiftly to the news, blasting the Biden administration for, quote, weaponizing the justice system against Trump without mentioning Hunter directly and vowing substantial reforms. Trump himself took to Truth Social, where he hinted at mass pardons for defendants of the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump said, quote, does the pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the January 6th hostages who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice, end quote. For those wanting to question President Biden over the pardon, well, they'll have to wait. In the wake of Sunday evening's announcement, Biden flew off to Africa for a long delayed trip to the nation of Angola, likely his last foreign trip as president before leaving office. Coming up, an update on the intensifying violence in Syria where Iranian backed Iraqi militias have crossed into the country to join a counteroffensive on behalf of the Assad regime. I'll be right back.
- [07:05]
Cozy Earth Advertiser
Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, look, I don't mean to alarm you, but Christmas is right around the corner.
- [07:12]
Mike Baker
Sorry.
- [07:13]
Cozy Earth Advertiser
There I went and alarmed you, didn't I? It's time to start working on your gift list.
- [07:17]
Mike Baker
Of course.
- [07:18]
Cozy Earth Advertiser
And here's a tip. Well, don't wait. Do yourself a favor. Right. Shop Cozy Earth now before their most sought after Christmas gifts sell out this holiday season. Now, I think for many of us, I know it's true. For me, a favorite Christmas memory is sitting by the tree in the evening, the glow of the lights filling the room. Maybe Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin singing some ditties on the record player. And basically just a feeling of peace. Now, Cozy Earth can help you recreate that magic by transforming your home into a sanctuary, a cozy, comfortable, peaceful, safe haven. Look, when we talk about Cozy Earth products, you have to start with their bamboo sheet set. It's the ultimate in luxury. It's designed to be incredibly breathable and it keeps you several degrees cooler for a night of uninterrupted rest. Try saying that three times fast. Uninterrupted, very important. With a durable weave guaranteed to last 10 years, it's a thoughtful gift everyone will love and they'll use every day. And for those slow holiday mornings, maybe made a little slower with a few mimosas or Bloody Marys. Well, Cozy Earth's long sleeve bamboo pajama sets are just the ticket. Luxuriously soft and stylish, they're perfect for lounging in total comfort. Look, you want your Cozy Earth gifts by Christmas? Of course you do. Order by December 13th for free shipping and expedited shipping is available until December 20th. But don't wait till then. Give the ones you love the gift of luxury with Cozy earth. Head to cozyearth.com PDB and use my exclusive code, which, as you might imagine, is PDB for up to 40% off. Yes, I did say up to 40% off. That's cozyearth.com PDB at a public urinal.
- [09:03]
Urolift Advertiser
It just feels like you're standing there too long. What used to seem like a high pressure hose filling a bucket, now it's more like a trickle. You notice a weaker flow, an urge to urinate more often. Sleep is interrupted by multiple trips to the bathroom and it has steadily gotten worse. You didn't think about going to a doctor for it? They may call it enlarged prostate or bph. I mean, no one talks about this. We're supposed to suck it up, right? That's what we do. But we know we need to do something or life is going to be different. But what can you do about enlarged prostate? The good news? There is a minimally invasive procedure covered by most insurance called the urolift system. Men 45 and older go to helpbphnow.com to find a urolift system trained Dr. Near you. Most common side effects are temporary and can include discomfort when urinating, urgency, inability to control the urge, pelvic pain and some blood in the urine. Rare side effects, including bleeding and infection may lead to a serious outcome and may require intervention. The Urolift system may be an alternative to medications or invasive surgery. Go to helpbphnow.com to learn more and find a Urolift System trained doctor near you.
- [10:04]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. Iranian backed Iraqi militias are mobilizing in Syria to bolster President Bashar al Assad's forces in a critical counteroffensive following a surprise insurgent advance that captured Aleppo, the country's second largest city, just this past week. The escalation marks one of the most significant challenges to Assad's regime in years and raises the specter of renewed violence in a region obviously already strained by multiple conflicts. As we've been tracking, the insurgent offensive led by Hayat Tahrir, al Sham, or group known as hts, has pushed deep into Aleppo, Idlib and Hama provinces, threatening to reopen a violent front in Syria's long running civil war. On Monday, Assad's forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, reported killing 400 insurgents in the last 24 hours. As government troops race to encircle rebel strongholds, Tehran has taken a leading role in the counteroffensive to shore up Assad's regime. Iran's President Masoud Beseshkian pledged full support during a call with Assad on Monday, while Iranian militias have sent reinforcements. According to the Syrian Observatory for human rights, 200 fighters crossed the border overnight into Syria to join the fight for Aleppo. The Iranian foreign minister said that the Iranian regime stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to Assad as Iran seeks to prevent the insurgency from undermining its decade long investment in propping up Syria's regime. And Russia, a key ally of Assad, has echoed Iran's position, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reaffirming Moscow's commitment to stabilizing Syria. The renewed violence is a sharp embarrassment for Assad, who's forces and allies, including Iran and Russia, are stretched thin by overlapping conflicts. Assad's failure to anticipate and repel the insurgent attack underscores the fragility of his regime even after years of foreign support. Neighboring Iraq has responded by increasing security along its border with Syria. Wary of potential spillover from the fighting, Iraq's Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed heightened deployments along the border with Syria. The escalating conflict also risks drawing in other key players. Turkey, which backs certain rebel factions, has been silent so far but remains a pivotal actor in the region. The broader stakes extend, of course, beyond Syria as the insurgency unfolds against the backdrop of heightened tensions involving U S backed Israel and Iranian aligned groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Whether the counteroffensive succeeds or the insurgents hold their ground, the violence has of course fueled fears of deeper regional instability. Not something that we need drawing yet another front into a web of conflicts that already threatens to overwhelm the Middle East. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Monday to December. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbthefirsttv.com and finally, as you've likely read in all the major dailies, to listen to the show ad free, well simply become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting pdbpremium.com told you it was simple. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay co.