The President's Daily Brief - August 13th, 2024: Netanyahu vs. Gallant, Hezbollah’s Rocket Barrage, & Trump’s FBI Briefing

Episode Date: August 13, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We start with reports of deepening infighting within Israel's government, as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant dismisses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's promise of absolute victory in the ongoing war as "gibberish." Later, while Iran has reportedly delayed its retaliation against Israel, Hezbollah has escalated its attacks, firing at least 30 rockets into the country’s northern frontier. Plus, we’ll reveal what former President Donald Trump discovered in a private FBI briefing about the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, including disturbing new details about the 20-year-old suspect, Thomas Crooks. In today's Back of the Brief, we’ll update you on the foiled ISIS plot against a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, as authorities detain a third suspect in the ongoing investigation. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Start your morning off right with a cup or two or three or four, if you're up for it, of Blackout Coffee. Blackout coffee is a terrific American company. That's what I'm talking about. They're a family-owned business. They're all about premium coffee, fresh roasted, and get this shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. You know what that means? That means that it goes from the roaster to a package, to your patio, it goes in your mug and bobs your uncle. Go to blackout coffee.com. Promocode PDB for 20% off. first-time purchase. It's Tuesday, 13 August. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll start today's show with reports of increasing

infighting within Israel's government as defense minister Yov Ghaland dismisses Prime Minister Netanyahu's promise of absolute victory over Hamas in the ongoing war as, quote, gibberish. And when was the last time that You heard someone say the word gibberish. I think we actually need to dust it off and use it more. Later in the show, while Iran has reportedly delayed its retaliation against Israel, Hezbollah has escalated its attacks, firing at least 30 rockets into the country's northern frontier. Plus, we'll reveal what former President Trump discovered in a private FBI briefing

about the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, including new details about the 20-year-old suspect, now terminated, Thomas Crooks. And in today's back of the brief, another Taylor Swift update, we'll catch you up to date on the foiled ISIS plot against a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna as authorities detain a third suspect in the ongoing investigation. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll begin in the Middle East, where tensions are flaring within Israel, Israel's government as Hamas's new leadership pours cold water on any hopes for a renewal of

ceasefire negotiations. The latest leadership disagreement in Israel came during a classified briefing in Tel Aviv on Monday where defense minister Yov Ghalent dismissed Prime Minister Netanyahu's talk of total victory over Hamas as pure nonsense. The remarks reportedly shocked members of Netanyahu's Likud Party who called for the prime minister to immediately fire Ghalin, according to reporting from the Jerusalem Post. Now, the dismissive comments came during a broader discussion of Israel's possible paths forward regarding the war in Gaza, with Gallant speaking in favor of a hostage deal and a prolonged ceasefire. Gallant also spoke against escalation with Chazbollah and Lebanon,

arguing that the conditions with Lebanon are, quote, the opposite of what they were at the beginning of the war. Gallant has faced pressure as to why Israel has not conducted major preemptive strikes on Hasbullah as their attacks along Israel's northern border intensify. When pressed for answers at the meeting, Gallant reportedly countered that he had, in fact, supported a preemptive strike on Hasbullah in the days following the 7 October Hamas attacks, but was ultimately opposed by Netanyahu, who was persuaded by President Biden to stand down at the last minute. Now, Gallant says the evolving situation with Lebanon has changed the equation. Many leaders in Israel now view their options as binary. Either they can forego rescuing the remaining hostages, focus on the complete destruction of Hamas, and prepare for a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, or they can pursue a prolonged ceasefire

that releases the remaining hostages and cools regional tensions for the time being, but that ultimately lets Hamas survive in the interim. Netanyahu struck back later on Monday, accusing Gallant of weakening Israel's negotiating position with their many adversaries, while noting that given his position within Israel's leadership hierarchy, he, too, is bound to the doctrine of, quote, absolute victory. A statement from the Prime Minister's office said, quote, when Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he hurts the chances of reaching a deal for the release of the hostages, end quote. The argument was enough to alarm National Unity Party Chairman Benny Gantz, who himself is no stranger to public disagreements with Netanyahu,

particularly after he resigned from the now-defunct War Cabinet, and that was in early June. Gans warned about the boiling internal divisions, saying Monday, quote, if we don't come to our senses, there will be a civil war here. The patriotic Israeli majority should stop the hatred and make amends, end quote. Now, despite the internal debate over what path to pursue, regarding the war in Gaza, it would seem that Hamas is leaving Israel with little to no options. As we discussed last week, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar were attempting a last-ditch push to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, inviting both sides to emergency negotiations,

slated to begin Thursday where a, quote, final bridging proposal would be presented. While Israel immediately agreed to send a delegation last Friday, calling it a now-or-never moment for a deal, Hamas ultimately rejected the invitation on Sunday, that's according to Axios. As of last week, following the death of former Hamas leader Ishmael Hanya in Tehran, Hamas is squarely under the leadership of 7 October mastermind and hardline terrorist Yaya Sinwar, who has a history of sabotaging promising ceasefire talks as he hides in the tunnels underneath Gaza. Sinwar, unsurprisingly, blamed Israel for his decision to reject negotiations, claiming such discussions only, quote, provide cover for the occupation's aggression, end quote.

Israeli officials said Sinwa was likely making a tactical play for better negotiating terms in light of Iran and Hezbollah's expected retaliatory strikes on Israel. One official told Axio said if Hamas won't come to the table, quote, we will continue decimating their forces in Gaza, end quote. All right, coming up next. As Iran bides its time, Hezbollah continues to escalate its attacks on northern Israel. Plus, former President Trump gets a private FBI briefing on newly discovered details about would-be assassin Thomas Crookes. I'll be right back.

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Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. Welcome back to the PDB. Sticking with the Middle East, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward northern Israel on late Sunday evening, though Israeli officials are still preparing for a more comprehensive retaliatory strike

from the Iranian-backed militants, and of course, Iran itself. Officials with the Israeli defense forces said that Hasbullah fired roughly 30 rockets from locations inside Lebanon that struck near Western Galilee, though no deaths or injuries were reported. Many of the rockets reportedly struck open areas, sparking fires while others were intercepted, according to the times of Israel. In a bit of a mishap, an Iron Dome interceptor hit the roof of a house in a northern Israeli community, causing extensive damage, but again, no one was. injured during the overnight barrage. In a statement, the militant group said the strike was in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Sunday in southern Lebanon.

As we noted, a further, more wide-scale retaliation by Hezbollah over a July 30th Israeli strike in Beirut that killed their deputy chief, Wad Shoker, is still expected. IDF spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagar, said that Israel's instructions to both the population and the IDF, who remain on high alert, remain unchanged as they await Hezbollah's response. They are also still anticipating Iran's potential large-scale retaliation over the killing of senior Hamas political leader Ishmael Hanyi two weeks ago in Tehran. Intelligence regarding Iran's plans has been very contradictory, to say the least. Reports over the weekend indicated that,

Iranian leaders had shelved plans for a response in the face of international pressure, along with pressure from the newly installed Iranian president. But by Monday, Israeli intelligence had shifted, predicting that Iran may launch a major attack within days. Regardless, Hezbollah has been unwavering in their threats, and as we discussed last week, appear ready to act independently of their backers in Iran. Now, again, the term independent is relative here. If their Iranian puppet masters told them not to attack, then Hezbollah would stand down. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed last week to retaliate, quote, regardless of the consequences, end quote. Israeli officials warned the Iranian-backed militants late last week that they'll suffer a devastating and disproportionate military response if any Israeli citizens are targeted in their retaliation.

Now, looking to avoid an all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the statement, was reportedly meant to draw a clear line to define what would compel Israel to escalate the conflict. In a sign that the militants got the message but are unwilling to back down, Lebanese media reported Monday that Hezbollah has evacuated its headquarters in Beirut, moving all personnel, computers, and other equipment to unknown locations. The report suggested that Hezbollah is, quote, preparing for the worst ahead of their retaliation. Okay, moving on.

Former President Trump received a private briefing from FBI agents regarding the ongoing investigation into the attempted assassination at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on 13 July. The meeting held last week intended as a standard victim interview instead provided Trump with new details on the background of his would-be, now-dead assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks. The FBI has been thoroughly investigating Crook's motives, trying to piece together how he was able to get himself in position and fire rounds at the former president in the first place. Sources, familiar with the meeting, told ABC News that despite Crook's high intelligence, scoring reportedly over 1,500 on his SATs, he may have suffered from an undiagnosed disorder, you think? Investigators have interviewed his family and acquaintances but have not been able to determine a clear motive for his actions. Crooks had researched political figures online before targeting Trump, and that may have been simply because he was the next major political figure to visit Pennsylvania. During the briefing, Trump inquired about the possibility of foreign involvement.

The FBI told him that while they accessed Crook's foreign email accounts, they found no evidence of external involvement. The emails primarily concerned weapons purchases. The FBI also walked Trump through Crook's movements. on the day of the attack, noting that the shooter had bought the AR-15-style rifle from his father months prior and retrieved it just before heading to the rally. The FBI also denied the crooks was spotted on the roof long before opening fire and telling Trump that law enforcement had only 30 seconds to react once they identified him as an armed threat. Last week, body cam footage,

released by the Butler Township Police Department, shows the tense moments leading up to the shooting. The footage captures officers scrambling to find a way onto the roof, with one officer falling to the ground after encountering crooks who pointed the rifle at the officer. Now, he, the officer, injured from the fall, attempted to alert other authorities moments before a secret service sniper neutralized crooks with a single shot. Trump praised the sniper's quick and precise action, calling him, quote, unbelievable in his ability. This week, the House of Representatives, launched a formal investigation into the attempted assassination of Trump,

consolidating a number of previous inquiries into the matter. The bipartisan Trump-shooting task force, led by representatives of Republican Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democrat Jason Crow of Colorado, will spearhead the probe. The task force, which consists of seven Republicans and six Democrats, has sent letters to key officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Ray requesting all relevant documents and briefings by 16 August. The representatives are requesting staff-level briefings from each agency and department. Kelly and Crow are considering a visit to the rally site in Pennsylvania

to gather firsthand insights into the attempted assassination. Hmm. Well, look, not too sound cynical here, but we're talking about yet another congressional investigation. and, as I may have said on more than one occasion, Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. is where all investigations go to die. I'm just saying, let's not expect results anytime soon. Coming up in the back of the brief, we'll update you on the foiled ISIS plot against a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna as authorities detain a third suspect in the ongoing investigation.

I'll be right back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes. and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usaa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. In today's back of the brief, authorities in Austria detained a third suspect linked to an alleged plot to attack Taylor Swift's concert goers in Vienna, intensifying concerns over extremist security threats to the pop stars tour. An 18-year-old Iraqi citizen with ties to the Islamic State was apprehended on Thursday evening.

The 19-year-old, who was arrested on Wednesday as the main suspect in the investigation and allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS. The 18-year-old was reportedly not directly involved in the attack plan, but was in contact with the primary suspect. Additionally, a 17-year-old Austrian was detained on Wednesday, and a 15-year-old accomplice was interrogated, but not detained. The planned assault, which bore similarities to the tragic 2017 Manchester attack, at an Arianda Grande concert, consisted of knives and possibly homemade explosives,

intended to target Vienna's Ernst Hoppel Stadium, where approximately 20,000 fans were expected to gather last week. Austrian authorities, tipped off by U.S. intelligence due to Austria's limited capabilities in monitoring instant messaging apps, moved quickly to prevent the potential mass casualty attack. Austrian Chancellor, called Nihamur, praised the security forces for preventing the attack, attack, but warned that an abstract threat posed by extremist networks, especially those linked to the Islamic State, remains. The Chancellor emphasized the need for continued international cooperation in combating terrorism and announced a forthcoming meeting of Austria's National Security Council

to address the issue. Swift is set to continue her ERA's tour with five scheduled performances at London's Wembley Stadium beginning on Thursday. Despite the foiled plot, London Mayor Sadiq assured the public that the concerts will go ahead as planned. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 13 August. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And, should you be so inclined, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com. It couldn't be any easier than that.

I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, well, you know the drill. Stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.