← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 8th, 2025: REVEALED: What FBI Agents Took From John Bolton's Home & Trump Hostage Protection Order
00:14:21
Loading summary
Transcript3 lines
- [00:00]
A
Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets? Well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to the number 989-898 and you'll get a free no obligation information kit and you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to the number 989898. Foreign 8 September welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get ourselves briefed. First up, newly unsealed court records show exactly what FBI agents took from the home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. I'll have the details later in the show. The Trump administration takes aim at countries that wrongfully detain Americans with a new executive order promising penalties for governments that use U.S. citizens as bargaining chips. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We're starting off today with a story that we've been following here on the the dramatic raid on the home and office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Court records just unsealed are now giving us a much clearer picture of what federal agents boxed up and took away from the searches. Now, in case you haven't been keeping up with this story, here's the backdrop. Late last month, FBI agents showed up at Bolton's house in Bethesda, Maryland, and also searched his Washington, D.C. office. The raid was part of an investigation into whether Bolton mishandled classified information material tied to his time inside the Trump White House. The raid itself made headlines at the time with video of FBI agents hauling out boxes from Bolton's home. But you asked yourself at the time what was in those boxes. That was unclear until now, according to an inventory filed in court. Because they're obligated to submit an inventory of what they took, agents seized quite a haul. They walked away with three computers, including a desktop and two laptops, along with two iPhones, a hard drive and two USB drives. But it wasn't just the electronics. They also collected four boxes of quote, printed Daily activities, plus typed documents in folders labeled Trump 1 through 4. One more item that jumps off the page, a white binder labeled Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes. There's no detail on the specifics of what that binder or the other documents contain, but taken together, the list suggests that Bolton was keeping a pretty detailed paper trail from his time in government. So why does this matter? Because investigators say that this is all tied to the possibility that Bolton improperly removed or retained national defense information language that comes directly from provisions of the espionage act of 1917. Let me stress this point. This isn't espionage in the cloak and dagger spying for foreign powers sense. This is about whether he kept sensitive government records that he wasn't supposed to have and whether he shared them in ways that he wasn't authorized to. And yes, according to modern English rules, I can finish a sentence with the word to. If prosecutors were to bring charges under those statutes, Bolton could, in theory, be facing decades in prison, up to 25 years. Now, it's worth noting that Bolton hasn't been arrested and he hasn't been charged with any crimes. The affidavit supporting the search warrant is still sealed, which means we don't know what evidence actually led the judge to sign off on the raid. And here's where the story takes on a political edge. According to reporting in the New York Post, the investigation was originally shelved during the Biden administration, but when the current FBI director came across the file earlier this year, he ordered it reopened. Officials speaking to the Post go so far as to suggest that Biden's Justice Department may have given Bolton a pass for political reasons, being that he's been a longtime critic of Trump. Bolton, for his part, isn't lying low. He's no shrinking violet. He's been active on social media and in op EDS since the raid, hammering Trump's foreign policy. In one piece, he even compared the raid on his home to what he described as the Trump administration's chaotic handling of Ukraine. And on X, he was blasting Trump's approach to India, saying the president's maneuvers have pushed New Delhi closer to Russia and China. So where does this leave us? On the one hand, we've got a former top national security official under investigation for mishandling classified material, a storyline, of course, that's already loomed large in American politics over the past few years. On the other hand, Bolton remains a very public critic of Trump, which guarantees that this investigation will continue to be viewed through a partisan lens no matter what happens next. Coming up next, the Trump administration's new executive order on wrongful detentions, what it means for Americans held overseas, and which countries are in the crosshairs. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. And let me ask you a question. Now, when you hear about inflation worries, or when you see that the national debt in the US is over $37 trillion, or just when you look around at all the global uncertainty, do you ever think to yourself, hmm, I wonder if now would be a good time to buy gold. Well, that would be a logical thought. You see, whether it's a hedge against inflation or peace of mind during global instability or just for sensible diversification, Birch Gold Group believes that every American should own physical gold. So they've created something special that I want to tell you about until September 30th. If you're a first time gold buyer, Birch Gold is offering a rebate of up to $10,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. To claim eligibility and start the process, just request an information kit. It's very easy. Just text BDB to 989-898 plus. Birchgold can help you roll an existing IRA or 401K into an IRA in gold and you're still eligible for a rebate in free metals of up to $10,000. Find out why tens of thousands of customers trust Birch Gold and see whether now is the right time for you to buy gold. Take advantage of a rebate up to $10,000 when you purchase by September 30th. Text PDB to 989-898, claim your eligibility and get your free information kit again. Text PDB to 989-898. Mike Baker here. Let me take a moment to talk about probably the most important subject you can talk about and that would be your health. Now, by the time the Average person hits 60, did you know that many have lost and then regained several hundred pounds? That's right. Doctors call it weight cycling and half of Americans do it. And if you do it enough well, you're at risk of diabetes, of liver damage, heart attack and stroke. Weight cycling is when you lose £10 or so and then you put the pounds back on plus a couple more. And that puts tremendous strain on your organs and can lead to serious health issues. Bottom line, most people need help to stop weight cycling. And here's a great way to do that. It's called non Prescription Lean L E A N and it was created by doctors. Lean's an oral supplement. It's not an injectable and the science is impressive. Its studied ingredients target weight loss in three powerful ways. Lean helps maintain healthy blood sugar, it helps control appetite and cravings, and it helps burn fat by converting it to energy. And burning fat helps keep the weight off. So if you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off and add lean again, that's Lean L E A N to your diet and exercise lifestyle, get 20% off when you enter PDB@takelean.com that's code PDB@takelean.com Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take a minute of your time to talk about your online security. I want to tell you about a great company out there that's, that's working hard to keep you safe and secure online. And I'm talking about Express VPN. Now, going online without ExpressVPN is like forgetting to mute yourself on a zoom zoom call, right? You might think that no one's paying attention, but you're still broadcasting everything for strangers to see and hear. In the U.S. internet service providers can see every website you visit and even sell that information to advertisers. ExpressVPN keeps you private by hiding your IP address so third parties can't track you, routing all your traffic through secure encrypted servers so your ISP can't see your browsing history and, and working seamlessly on all your devices. And that's important. Phones, laptops, tablets, and more. So you're protected no matter where you are. And that's important as well. Look, I spend a lot of time on the road, as you PDB faithful know. And so I trust ExpressVPN when using airport or hotel Wi Fi. I use ExpressVPN anytime I'm on public WI fi because it just makes good sense. Protect your privacy today@expressvpn.com Baker that's B A K E R to get up to four extra months free again. ExpressVPN.
- [09:20]
B
Running a business comes with a lot of what ifs, but luckily there's a simple answer to them. Shopify. It's the commerce platform behind millions of businesses, including Thrive Cosmetics and Momofuku. And it'll help you with everything you need, from website design and marketing to boosting sales and expanding operations. Shopify can get the job done and make your dream a reality. Turn those what ifs into sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com SpecialOffer.
- [09:50]
A
Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Turning now to the White House, where President Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at governments that wrongfully detain Americans overseas. The move gives the administration new tools to punish countries that use U.S. citizens as bargaining chips. According to the order, the State Department will now have the authority to impose penalties on foreign governments that hold Americans without justification. Those penalties could include economic sanctions, export controls, and or travel restrictions on government officials and other individuals. The administration says the policy is modeled on how the US Designates state sponsors of terrorism. A senior official told reporters the aim is to prevent wrongful detentions altogether, saying we're going to cripple their economic systems now. The official specifically named China, Iran and Afghanistan as countries under review as the new rules take effect. They did not confirm whether Russia would be included. The executive order also opens the door to potential travel restrictions for U.S. passport holders who want to visit countries on the State Department's list. That possibility has already drawn criticism. The National Iranian American Council called that measure a form of collective punishment that could unfairly impact diaspora communities. Now, for some context, wrongful detentions of Americans abroad have challenged Republican and Democratic administrations alike. The Foley foundation, which tracks these cases, says at least 40 US nationals are currently held hostage or wrongfully detained across 14 countries. That includes Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and China. Trump used the signing event to criticize the previous administration, claiming, and I should note without evidence, that more Americans had been taken prisoner than freed under President Biden. The Trump team says it's secured the release of 72Americans since returning to office in January, though that figure includes both wrongful detention cases and a broader category known as cases of concern. Elizabeth Richards of the Foley foundation, which again tracks these cases, said, quote, it's a good day whenever an American returns home and we want any administration in office to know they have the backing of the American people to make the tough decisions to that will bring hostages home, end quote. One of the most high profile Americans caught up in this issue is Paul Whelan, a former Marine who spent more than five years behind bars in Russia after being convicted of espionage. That's a charge that U.S. officials have long said was a deliberate setup. He was released in 2024 as part of a prisoner swap arranged under the Biden administration. Whelan said the new order could be a strong deterrent if enforced and urged the administration to push for compensation for victims using frozen assets from the regimes responsible. The bottom line, this new executive order gives the administration sharper tools to punish foreign governments that wrongfully hold Americans. Whether those tools will be applied consistently and whether they actually deter governments like China, Iran or Russia, well, that remains to be seen. And that, my friends, is the BDB afternoon bulletin for Monday 8th September. If you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. As I've mentioned before, you can do that and you can do it very simply. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Foreign. Hey, Mike Baker here. You know those nights when you just don't sleep well, if at all? You know what I'm talking about? A fitful night's sleep. Oh, it's terrible. Tossing and turning. And then the next day, you know what? You're dragging, you're exhausted, and everything just feels harder. Well, that's where CBD from CB Distillery can make a real difference. And it's not just sleep products. CB Distillery has solutions that work with your body to help with stress, pain, after exercise, even mood and focus. And it's all made with the highest quality clean ingredients. There's no fillers, just premium cbd. Imagine waking up rested or enjoying your day without those nagging aches and pains. That's the real win of CB Distilleries Solutions. That's why over 2 million people trust CB Distillery. Look, I use their relief balm for after workouts because frankly, at my age, well, every workout involves some pain and it really works. So if you're ready for better sleep and less stress, try CBD from CB Distillery. And right now, you can save 25% off your entire purchase. Just visit CB Distillery and use promo code PDB. That's CBDistillery.com promo code PDB, CBD.com. specific product availability depends on individual state regulations.