The President's Daily Brief - February 12th, 2024: Egypt’s Ultimatum, Cartel Concerns, & Biden’s Brain

Episode Date: February 12, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We delve into the escalating tensions in the Middle East as the Israel Defense Forces gear up for a significant offensive in the city of Raffa, while Egypt sends a severe warning that could disrupt long-standing peace. An examination of the Ukrainian aid bill that's carving its path through the U.S. Senate and its potential collision course with the Republican-majority House. A revealing look at Mexican drug cartels and their alleged efforts to create a new bastion within the U.S. heartland. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, we dissect the shifting political landscape as President Biden's mental sharpness becomes a bipartisan issue in light of the recent special counsel report by Robert Hurr. 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

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It's a guaranteed way to start your day off right. Pour yourself a delicious cup or two or three of American-made Blackout Coffee, family-owned, premium coffee, fresh-roasted and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. It's almost like they're taking the beans right out of the roaster and putting them in your mug. Go to Blackout Coffee.com, promo code PDB, for 20% off your first purchase. It's Monday, 12 February. 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 in the Middle East, where the Israeli defense forces are preparing for their final offensive into the city of Rafa. In response, Egypt has issued a stark warning to Israel, threatening to abandon a key agreement that has maintained peace between the two nations for decades. Later on, an update on the foreign aid bill currently making its way through the United States Senate,

setting up a possible showdown with the Republican-controlled House. Plus, we'll take a look at how the Mexican drug cartels are reportedly establishing a new stronghold in America's heartland. And in today's back of the brief, the mental acuity of President Biden has been criticized for some time now by the right. But now, with the relationship, the relationship. release of Robert Hurst's special counsel report, and the subsequent somewhat odd follow-up press conference by the president, it seems Democrats are now questioning the president's fitness

for office. It's almost like they're setting the table for his removal from the ticket. But first up, the PDB spotlight. Israel appears poised to press forward with its military action in Rafah, the last major urban center in southern Gaza to be dealt with in the IDF's operations. This move intensifies the already critical situation for approximately 1.4 million Palestinians displaced by the conflict in the north, now concentrated in Rafa. The high density of the displaced population in Rafa is obviously front and center in any operational planning for the counteroffensive against Hamas. Over the weekend, the Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed his resolve to continue the offensive, stating in a televised interview on Saturday, quote, we're going to do it. Well, that's

pretty clear. He emphasized that the Israeli defense forces, the IDF, would facilitate safe evacuation routes for civilians seeking to leave the conflict zone. However, Netanyahu's strategy is encountering significant pushback, notably from Egypt. According to a report from the Associated press, Egypt as warned of suspending the Camp David Accords, a pivotal peace agreement with Israel, should the invasion of Rafa proceed. Now, if you're unfamiliar with the Camp David Accords, they've been the cornerstone of peace between the two nations, Egypt and Israel, for more than four decades. The Accords were a series of agreements signed by Egyptian president at the time on War Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister at the time in Acha Megh in September of 1978, which laid the

groundwork for a lasting peace treaty and normalization of relations between the two countries. Before this agreement, the two nations had engaged in five wars. Needless to say, if Egypt abandons the peace deal, it would be a major blow not only to bilateral relations with its neighbor, but regional stability as a whole. In response to the potential Israeli offensive, Egypt has strengthened its military presence along the Gaza border, deploying an estimated 40 tanks and armored vehicles to northeastern Sinai. The move doesn't suggest that Egypt is preparing to invade Israel, but rather that they fear Palestinians could attempt to flee the offensive by attempting to rush the Egyptian border. And that is a key point here. Egypt, along.

along with every other Arab state, has spent the past many decades avoiding the Palestinian problem. As much as the anti-Semitic lobby would like to make this an Israeli-Palestinian issue, the reality is that Arab states have done little to nothing to actually aid or improve the lives of Palestinians. Egypt's move to beef up security at its border is all about keeping the Palestinian refugees from swarming into Egypt. Egypt's caution is echoed by a other nations in the Middle East, gutter, Saudi Arabia, and others have cautioned Israel of serious consequences if the advance into Rafa takes place. Adding to the international concern, European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borell stated that an Israeli assault on Rafa could

lead to a severe humanitarian crisis and escalate tensions with Egypt. Even the White House is trying to pull Israel's reins on this one. Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby said any offensive in Darofa under current conditions would be a, quote, disaster and noted that the U.S. government would not support it, particularly given the negative impact that it could have on the Biden campaign's efforts to win in November. It's interesting, yet not surprising, that the international community is not, apparently, as interested in exerting pressure on the Iran-backed Hamas to release their hostages and cease any and all terrorist activity against Israel. Now, Dan Yahu reportedly spoke with Biden for nearly 45 minutes yesterday

with the president warning the Israeli prime minister that the Rafa offensive shouldn't proceed without a credible plan for ensuring the safety of the Palestinian civilians who are currently sheltered there. All right. Coming up next, the U.S. Senate is moving on a foreign aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, setting up a confrontation with the Republican-controlled House of representatives. Ben, we'll take a look at reports about how Mexican drug cartels are establishing a stronghold in the state of Montana. I'll be right back. How many discounts does USAA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount. Safe driver discount. New vehicle discount. Storage discount. How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com

slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. Welcome back. The United States Senate continues to move on a standalone foreign aid bill that would deliver tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. During a special session held on Sunday, the Senate agreed to end debate on the bill, paving the way for a full vote later this week. Surprisingly, the legislation found some support among Republicans, 18 of whom voted along with. Democrats to advance the bill. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was the only Democrat to vote against the motion to end debate. In total, 67 senators voted in favor of moving the bill forward, with just

27 opposing. That's important because it means that the bill supporters appear to have a filibuster-proof majority. As we've discussed previously on the show, the package is worth about $95 billion in aid. that includes $60 billion to support Ukraine's efforts against the Russian invasion and approximately $14 billion in security assistance for Israel. If the bill is eventually passed by the Senate, and frankly at this point it looks like it will, its next stop is the U.S. House of Representatives, where it's unclear whether Republican Speaker Mike Johnson would hold a vote on it as many House Republicans are opposed to further aid to Ukraine. However, it's worth noting that Speaker Johnson has not declared this one dead on arrival,

as he did with the Senate border deal. He even said last week that the idea of providing aid to Ukraine has, quote, not been abandoned. This whole ordeal puts Johnson in a bit of a tough spot. If he does choose to introduce the bill to the House floor, it could lead to a rebellion from the Republican caucus's right flank and ultimately cost him his job. If he does face a mutiny, he'll need to rely on moderate Democrats to cross the aisle in order to save his speakership. Now, those in Congress opposed to providing further aid to Ukraine, while they posture to themselves as America First proponents, admonishing that the U.S. shouldn't send any more money overseas until they deal with problems at home.

While that's a popular opinion with their base, it fails to address the reality that the world is interconnected. We don't live in a bubble. The U.S. cannot just draw the curtains and pretend like what happens in the outside world won't seriously impact America. The U.S. is no longer a nation unto itself, sealed off from the rest of the world by the comfort and protection of the oceans. Ignoring the realities of the world, failing to deal with its key competitors because, while the U.S. wants to be self-indulgent and just look inward, will only create larger, more costly and potentially fatal problems down the road. Withdrawing or stopping aid to Ukraine now will result in Putin eventually owning Ukraine. And that will encourage him to continue his long-stated desire to rebuild

the Soviet Union in some fashion. All right. I want to turn now to a part of the world that does not get mentioned particularly often, and that's the U.S. state of Montana. Now, Montana is known for its sprawling landscapes. It's a beautiful part of the country. country, big sky country, as it's commonly called, but it's now facing a threat not usually associated with its tranquil vistas, drug cartels. Reports indicate that Mexican drug gangs have been infiltrating the state, zeroing in on Indian reservations where tribal leaders are sounding the alarm on rising crime rates and a surge in fentanyl overdoses. An NBC News report reveals traffickers have devised manipulative strategies to ensnare Native Americans into the drug trade.

The cartels have basically identified Native American populations as key targets for the sale and distribution of narcotics. The methodology being employed by cartels is to provide Native Americans and initial supply of drugs to sell only to become addicts themselves and snared in debt to the cartels. In more egregious cases, cartel members have established intimate relationships with Native American women, creating inroads to peddle narcotics within the local communities. Cartels have reportedly determined that Indian reservations present prime opportunities for distribution due to the prevalent drug addiction issues and the scarcity of law enforcement resources. Montana's vastness adds to the complexity of combating the drug trade,

as law enforcement faces the challenge of patrolling extensive territories, and the tribal police forces, often underfunded and understaffed, are left overwhelmed. On at least one reservation, residents have taken matters into their own hands, forming a vigilante group to combat the drug-related crimes that have plagued their community. Now, you might be asking yourself, why Montana? Well, the financial allure for the cartels is significant, The powerful opioid fentanyl can fetch a price in Montana's market 20 times higher than in areas closer to the border. The pills themselves can be produced for mere pennies in Mexico, and while they can sell

for $3 to $5 in urban areas, their price soars to as much as $100 in some parts of Montana, offering a huge return, of course, for the cartels. And the human cost of this crisis is stark. Between 2017 and 2020, the rate of opioids, overdose deaths in Montana nearly tripled. In 2020 alone, the State's Department of Health and Human Services reported nearly eight overdose deaths per 100,000 residents. A tragic testimony to the deepening grip of this epidemic. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Democrats are now sounding the alarm about President Biden's mental acuity after a damning report from Special Counsel Robert Herb accuses the president of having a quote,

quote, poor memory. I'll be right back. Exema is unpredictable. But you can flare less with ebbglyse. A once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month- or longer dosing phase, about four and seven people taking ebbglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks.

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Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Kayak, got that right. In today's back of the brief, I want to take a look at some of the fallout from Special Counsel Robert Hurrah's report into President Biden's mishandling of classified documents. The 388-page report, 388 pages, is the culmination of an investigation that has been going on for a little over a year. First, the good news for President Biden. report finds that Biden, quote, willfully retained classified materials, including documents that

indicate sensitive intelligence sources and methods. Her ultimately concluded that no criminal charges were warranted. And now the bad news, the report describes Biden as having, quote, diminished faculties and faulty memory and describes him as a, quote, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory, end quote. At various times, investigators, note how the president's memory appeared hazy when discussing the war in Afghanistan debate. That was once so important to him. Investigators add that Biden couldn't remember important details about his own life. The report says, quote, in his interview with our office, Mr. Biden's memory was worse.

He did not remember when he was vice president, and he did not remember even within several years when his son Beau died, end quote. Now, Biden's mental acuity has been a topic of conversation even since the the 2020 campaign, Republicans have frequently spotlighted the president's faulty memory, confusion, and gaffes. However, since the release of hers report and a somewhat bizarre press conference that President Biden held on Thursday to discuss the report's findings, the president's mental fitness seems to have become a bipartisan concern. On Friday, the New York Times editorial board published an opinion piece entitled, quote, The Challenges of an aging

president. In the piece, the editorial board says of the press conference, quote, the president raised more questions about his cognitive sharpness and temperament as he delivered emotional and snappish retorts in a moment when people were looking for steady, even, and capable responses to fair questions about his fitness, end quote. The piece adds that Biden's assurances didn't work and stated that he must do better. The stakes in this presidential election are too high for, Mr. Biden to hope that he can skate through a campaign with the help of teleprompters and AIDS, end quote. If that were bad enough, even former First Lady Hillary Clinton was forced to admit during an MSNBC interview that she believes President Biden's age is a, quote, legitimate

campaign issue. Now, all of this bears watching. For the New York Times and for Hillary Clinton to come out discussing legitimate concerns about the president's acuity implies that there there may be a seismic shift underway within the Democrat Party, that they may be setting the table at this point for a wholesale change in the ticket. Look, despite the moronic narrative from Democrat pundits that the president is sharp as attack and that any suggestions otherwise is just ageism, reasonable and intelligent people across the political spectrum can agree that an 82-year-old man is not the ideal candidate to lead the free world. Corporations routinely move out CEOs in their mid-60s.

Military leaders retire in their mid-60s. Pilots for commercial airlines are required to wrap it up at 65, and yet somehow voters in the U.S. are supposed to imagine that it's okay to elect someone in their early 80s to take on the most demanding job in the world. And the reality is, if the Republicans were running anywhere, other than Donald Trump, the Democrats would gently move President Biden off the ticket without hesitation. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief from Monday, 12th February.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th. The powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavat Theater.com. Only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary.

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