The President's Daily Brief: Afternoon Bulletin

Episode Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Podcast: The President’s Daily Brief
Main Themes: Russia’s military support for China’s potential Taiwan invasion, and a violent attack on a Michigan Mormon church.

Episode Overview

On this episode, host Mike Baker discusses two primary issues:

• Emerging military cooperation between Russia and China in preparing for a possible Chinese assault on Taiwan, as reported by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
• Breaking news of a deadly attack on a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, including details about the incident, ongoing investigation, and national responses.

The host uses a direct, no-nonsense tone, often marked by dry wit and careful contextualization.

Segment 1: Russia Training Chinese Forces for a Possible Taiwan Invasion

[00:37 – 09:02]

Key Points

• New RUSI Report
  • Russia is “quietly helping China prepare for the potential invasion of Taiwan” (00:41).
  • The operation would be “among the most difficult and risky military operations in modern history.” (00:50)
• Challenges of Amphibious Assault on Taiwan
  • Taiwan’s beaches for landings are extremely limited and heavily defended.
  • “Taiwan’s military knows exactly where China’s landing craft would have to go, and they are prepared to crater those beaches with artillery and missile fire.” (00:56)
• Russia’s Support for Airborne Alternatives
  • Leaked contracts from 2023 show Russia agreed to supply China with a battalion’s worth of air-droppable armored vehicles, anti-tank firepower, and drones.
  • “Russia is quietly handing over airdrop armor, anti-tank firepower, command and control kits and drones—basically everything you need to parachute fighting power onto firm ground near ports and airfields.” (01:36)
  • Training by Russian instructors for Chinese paratroopers, both in Russia and China.
  • Plans for a technical support hub on Chinese soil, and documentation for local Chinese production.
• Significance of Training
  • Russian airborne forces possess real combat experience, especially from Ukraine—training Chinese forces in detailed airborne tactics.
  • “The most important part of this deal may not be equipment at all, but the training.” (03:42)
• Operational Consequences
  • Chinese airborne units, instead of lightly armed infantry, could deploy with armored vehicles for rapid seizures of key locations, potentially bypassing fortified beaches.
  • “Paratroopers with armored vehicles and mobile firepower are a far tougher opponent. It would force Taiwan to spread its defenses more thinly and complicate American and allied planning to help reinforce the island.” (04:41)
• Expansion Beyond Taiwan
  • Advanced parachute systems provided by Russia could enable Chinese special forces to infiltrate “not only against Taiwan, but... across the South China Sea in the Philippines, for example.” (05:35)
• Strategic Implications
  • “It’s a sign of just how far military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has grown since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.” (06:19)
  • Russia’s financial need is driving this partnership, giving China access to advanced military capabilities and expertise in return for funds.
• Wider Threats to U.S. Interests
  • “As Russia ties down NATO resources in Europe, it’s simultaneously helping China build up the tools to challenge US power in Asia. Two authoritarian powers aligned militarily and industrially looking to stretch America’s ability to respond in both theaters at once.” (07:20)

Notable Quotes

• “A Chinese assault on Taiwan would be among the most difficult and risky military operations in modern history.” – Mike Baker (00:50)
• “If true, Beijing could bypass Taiwan’s beaches for the most part and seize critical infrastructure.” (01:46)
• “It also highlights a dangerous reality... Two authoritarian powers aligned militarily and industrially looking to stretch America’s ability to respond in both theaters at once.” (07:20)

Important Timestamps

• 00:41 – RUSI’s bombshell report introduced.
• 01:36 – Details of the Russian-Chinese contract.
• 03:42 – The primacy of training over hardware.
• 04:41 – How Russia’s support changes the battlefield calculus.
• 07:20 – The bigger picture: stretching U.S. and allied resources.

Segment 2: Michigan Church Attack

[10:18 – 16:40]

Key Points

• Incident Summary
  • A lone gunman, Thomas Jacob Sanford (40), rammed his truck (flying two American flags) into a large Mormon church near Flint, Michigan, during Sunday worship before opening fire on congregants with a semi-automatic rifle.
  • “A lone gunman rammed his truck into a Mormon church in Michigan during Sunday worship and opened fire on churchgoers, leaving at least four dead.” (10:20)
• Sequence of Events
  • Officers responded within 30 seconds, but chaos and carnage had already erupted.
  • Witnesses reported dramatic scenes of worshippers shielding children and fleeing.
  • The sanctuary was soon engulfed in flames, possibly set intentionally with an accelerant.
  • Three improvised explosives were found at the scene; the FBI has not disclosed if they detonated or were simply present.
  • The shooter was shot dead as he attempted to escape about eight minutes after the attack began.
• Victims and Unaccounted Individuals
  • Four confirmed dead; up to seven missing as search continues through the burned church.
• Attacker Background
  • Sanford was an Iraq War veteran (Marine, sergeant), married since 2016 with a young son. No disclosed ties to the Mormon church or details on motive.
  • FBI is investigating, labeling the attack as an “act of targeted violence.” (12:30)
• Broader Security Context
  • Recent unsubstantiated bomb threats phoned to other area churches.
  • Federal officials are treating the case with high urgency; over 100 FBI agents assigned.
• National and Community Responses
  • “President Trump denounced the rampage on Truth Social, labeling the shooting, ‘yet another targeted attack on Christians in the US’ and demanding that ‘this epidemic of violence end.’” (13:53)
  • “Mitt Romney...called it a, ‘tragedy’ and said he was praying for the victims and their families.” (14:13)
  • Reference to similar recent church shootings in Minneapolis (August—two children killed, 21 wounded) and Lexington, Kentucky (July—three killed including a police officer).
• Wider Trend
  • “The latest church shooting in Michigan underscores a growing wave of violence against religious communities across the country, incidents that federal investigators say increasingly resemble planned targeted attacks.” (15:16)

Notable Quotes

• “A lone gunman rammed his truck into a Mormon church in Michigan during Sunday worship and opened fire on churchgoers, leaving at least four dead.” (10:20)
• “The FBI has now thrown more than 100 agents on the case, labeling the attack a, quote, act of targeted violence. Yeah, that sounds accurate.” (12:30)
• “Sunday’s carnage adds to a roster of assaults on houses of worship in recent months as we covered here on the pdb.” (14:54)
• “The latest church shooting in Michigan underscores a growing wave of violence against religious communities across the country, incidents that federal investigators say increasingly resemble planned targeted attacks.” (15:16)

Important Timestamps

• 10:20 – Incident details: gunman enters church, opens fire.
• 12:30 – Shooter ID’d and initial investigations.
• 13:53–14:15 – National leaders’ statements.
• 15:16 – Contextualizing the event within a nationwide trend.

Memorable Moments

• Mike Baker’s sardonic remark on the international situation:
  “Because, of course, that’s what the world needs, another belligerent power invading another country.” (00:45)
• The comparative analysis of Russia’s failed Hostomel Airport attack and its military lessons now being transmitted to China (01:09).
• The blunt tone in describing the scale and speed of violence at the Michigan church, and the frank outlining of the perpetrator’s background and unknown motives.

Final Notes

• This episode provides a sobering look at the deepening Russia-China alignment, the growing threat to Taiwan (and U.S. interests), and rising violence against religious communities in the U.S.
• Mike Baker’s style is factual, often dryly humorous, and concise—he avoids speculation and sticks close to available evidence, even when covering sensitive breaking news.

Contact:
Host invites listeners to reach out at pdb@thefirsttv.com.
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