The President's Daily Brief - February 12th, 2025: Is The FBI Sabotaging The Border Crackdown? & Vance To Meet With Zelensky

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A bombshell accusation—top Trump administration officials allege the FBI deliberately leaked ICE operation details to the media. If true, this would be a direct attempt to sabotage immigration enforcement. Vice President JD Vance prepares to meet with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as President Trump announces a $500 billion rare earth minerals deal. The United Nations suspends humanitarian operations in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled territory after dozens of UN staff members are abducted. And in the Back of the Brief, a power struggle in the world of artificial intelligence as Elon Musk makes a massive offer to buy OpenAI—only to be rejected outright by CEO Sam Altman. 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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Ramp: Get $250 when you join Ramp. Go to ramp.com/PDB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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turn your big business idea into... Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. It's Wednesday, 12 February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right. Let's get briefed. We'll start off today's show with a startling accusation. Top Trump administration officials are pointing the finger at the FBI, claiming it deliberately leaked details of ICE operations to the media. Now, look, if true, this isn't just a bureaucratic blunder. It's a direct attempt to sabotage immigration enforcement. by leaking information that frankly could endanger the lives of law enforcement officials involved

in the operations. However, the big caveat is, if it's true. Later in the show, Vice President J.D. Vance prepares to meet with Ukraine's Zelensky as President Trump announces a $500 billion rare earth minerals deal. Plus, the United Nations has suspended humanitarian operations in Yemeni's Houthi-controlled territory after dozens of UN staff members were abducted by the group. Well, what is the world coming to when an Iranian regime proxy group abducts UN workers? That is shocking. And by that, I mean it's not shocking at all. And in the back of the brief, a power struggle in the world of artificial intelligence as Elon Musk makes an offer to buy open AI, only to be rebuffed with prejudice by the company's CEO Sam Altman. It's a billionaire slap fight over one of the most important technologies of our time.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. An extraordinary claim coming from Trump administration's top immigration officials today. Now, they say the FBI has been leaking information to sabotage ICE operations. If that's true, and that's if, it's a major breach of trust that could be putting law enforcement and national security at risk. And look at that. I just won today's PDB statement of the obvious award. As we've covered here on the PDB, there have been multiple reports of high-profile ice operations being compromised by leaks to the media. In the most recent case, the Los Angeles Times reported on a planned large-scale ice operation action in LA, set to take place before the end of February. The newspaper claims it learned about the operation after obtaining a

an internal government document. Now, this wasn't an isolated incident. Just last week, there was another leak this time about an immigration raid in a Denver suburb. That tip-off allowed members of the Trenteragua gang, or TDA, a violent Venezuela-linked criminal organization, to escape before ICE could take them into custody. Now, top administration officials are pointing the finger directly at the FBI. Borders are Tom Holman told Sean Hannity,

Fox News that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the leaks. And he said, quote, some of the information we are receiving tends to lead toward the FBI. Homan also claimed that investigators have identified the person responsible for leaking details of the Colorado operation, saying this individual will not only lose their job and pension, but will also go to jail. Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Christy Noem echoed the accusation, going even further in her public statements. She shared the Los Angeles Times' article on social media, writing, quote, the FBI is so corrupt. We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law, end quote.

Now, if, there's that word again, if these accusations are even remotely true, well, it's a massive problem, and here's why. First, we should note that it's no secret that you U.S. law enforcement at the federal and state and local levels, as well as intelligence agencies, they don't always get along. They compete for resources, they guard their information, and frankly, they don't always trust each other. We saw this dysfunction play out, of course, in the worst possible way before 9-11. The CIA, as an example, knew about al-Qaeda operatives with U.S. visas, but failed to share that intel properly with the FBI, which was tracking terrorist threats inside the country. Meanwhile, the NSA intercepted key communications between al-Qaeda members,

but failed to flag them properly. In short, the intelligence was there, but because agencies were too busy protecting their turf, the dots never got connected. And we all know, of course, that that ended tragically. But this, well, now this current case would be somewhat different. If the FBI really is leaking information to undercut ICE operations, it's not just an interagency turf war or bureaucratic inefficiency, it's active sabotage. It means the Bureau wouldn't just be withholding intel from ice, it would be deliberately handing information over to outsiders in a way that compromises and, frankly, endangers law enforcement. Now, that's not incompetence or miscommunication. That's political interference, a breach of operational security,

and potentially obstruction of justice. And it's a whole new level of dangerous. Because here's the thing. Leaking details of an upcoming law enforcement operation doesn't just let illegal immigrants slip through the cracks. It gives criminal organizations and violent offenders a heads up. It gives them time to arm themselves, to prepare, and to disappear. And that doesn't just mean failed arrests.

It means real risks for the officers on the ground. It means putting the lives of law enforcement at risk all because someone inside the government is wallowing in their own self-righteousness and decide to play politics. If this, oh, there's that word again, if, if this is in fact happening. And at this stage, again, it's just if, then the evidence needs to be presented to back up Homan and Nome's accusations and allegations. They need to come forward with evidence. They can't just make allegations and accusations. You have to back that up for something this serious.

but if in fact it is correct, then those responsible need to face justice. All right. Coming up after the break, VP J.D. Vance prepares for a meeting with Zelensky, as Trump announces a $500 billion minerals deal. Plus, the UN holds aid in Yemen after Khutti abductions of UN workers. I'll be right back. Running a business isn't easy. I know that firsthand. As a business owner, I've seen how managing expenses and finances can turn into a time-consuming headache, with endless receipts, approvals, and expense tracking, slowing everything down. And that's where Ramp comes in. Ramp streamlines finance operations by automating the entire process.

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Download today. Welcome back to the PDB. Turning now to Europe. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is set to meet with Ukrainian President Zelens at the Munich Security Conference next week, amid growing signs that the Trump administration is recalibrating its approach to Keev. Zelensky will lead Ukraine's delegation at the annual conference, which kicks off on 14 February. Ooh, that's Valentine's Day. How romantic is that? With Vance also in attendance, I hope they get each other something. The meeting comes as President Donald Trump

has floated the idea of engaging directly with both Zelensky and Russian President Putin in a bid to broker an end to the war. Speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump told reporters he, quote, may meet with Zelensky in Washington, and also hinted at a conversation with Putin. Trump stated, quote, I'd like to see that war end, end quote.

However, no official plans for a Trump Zelensky meeting have been announced. Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have been exploring possible diplomatic off-ramps. A Ukrainian delegation met last week at the State Department with Ukraine-Russia envoy, General Keith Kellogg. Now, Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion, of course, back in February of 2022.

As part of a broader shift in strategy, Trump has proposed linking future military aid to Ukraine with access to the country's rare earth minerals. In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed Ukraine has, quote, essentially agreed to provide the U.S. with $500 billion worth of this. these resources in exchange for continued support. Trump continued, stating, quote, Ukraine has tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth minerals. I want to have our money secured because we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars in Ukraine, making it clear that he expects U.S. access to Ukrainian natural resources to be guaranteed, regardless of whether a peace deal with Russia

materializes. In a red line statement, Trump added, quote, they may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday. He's really covering his bases. But we're going to have all this money in Ukraine, and I say, I wanted back, end quote. Zelensky appeared open to such an arrangement, telling Reuters Friday that he supports a reciprocal resource deal with the U.S. in exchange for security guarantees. The Ukrainian president said, quote, if we're talking about a deal, then let's do a deal. We are only for it, end quote, though he emphasized that Ukraine was not proposing to, quote, give away its resources, but was willing to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship.

It's important to note that Ukraine is home to approximately 5% of the world's mineral resources, including rich deposits of titanium, uranium, lithium, and rare earth minerals, all critical for electric motors and national security components. Zelensky warned that Putin has already worked. working to exploit these resources. He stated, quote, Putin is not just grabbing minerals along with the land. He's already thinking about how to get other partners in his alliance, that would be North Korea and Iran, and he'll give them access, end quote. Trump, for his part, remains confident in his ability to strike a peace deal, stating, quote, I think we've made tremendous progress in the last week.

I think there's going to be something, end quote. But Zelensky made it clear that Trump must meet with him before engaging with Putin, warning that bypassing direct talks with Kiev would effectively sideline Ukraine in the negotiations. Zelensky stated, quote, it's important for people to understand that Ukraine is negotiating, not accepting ultimatums from Russia, end quote. Okay, shifting now to Yemen, where the UN has suspended relief operations in the Houthi-controlled Saldiv province after the Iran-backed terrorists abducted terrorists abducted abducted dozens of UN staffers, further complicating aid efforts in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

In a statement on Monday, the UN condemned the abductions, well, that's good, as, quote, extraordinary, are they? Emphasizing that the Khutis have made it impossible to guarantee, quote, necessary security conditions and guarantees for relief efforts. The Khutis, who have a long track record of targeting international personnel, were already holding at least two dozen other. U.N. staffers prior to these latest abductions. The move underscores a broader pattern of aggression by the terror group, who have not only detained foreign aid workers, but have also cracked down on Yemenis, linked to the now-shuttered U.S. Embassy in the capital, Sana'a. In response, the U.N. has halted its operations at Houthi-controlled areas, hoping to pressure the terrorists into releasing the abducted staff and restoring the basic security measures necessary to continue aid-wet.

work. The organization already suspended all travel into Khutti-controlled zones late last month over mounting security threats. The Khutis, entrenched in a decade-long war against Yemen's internationally recognized government, have built their rule on brutal repression. Since seizing Sana' back in 2014, the Iran-back terrorists have imprisoned thousands as part of their broader campaign to silence dissent. That campaign has only intensified in recent months, with at least 44 people sentenced to death in a wave of crackdowns. And yet, in a calculated move earlier this year, the Houthis released 153 war detainees, an apparent attempt to ease tensions in the wake of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Similar prisoner releases in the past have been used

as bargaining chips to restart negotiations over Yemen's civil war. But as the Houthis tightened their grip on northern Yemen, their ambitions are reaching well beyond the country's borders. The terror group has openly threatened to launch attacks on Israel if it resumes military operations in Gaza and fails to uphold the ceasefire agreement. In a televised speech on Tuesday, the Houthi leader warned, quote, Our hands are on the trigger and we are ready to immediately escalate against the Israeli enemy if it returns to escalation in the Gaza Strip, end quote. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, a high-stakes battle in the world of artificial intelligence

between Elon Musk and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. I'll be right back with those details. How many discounts does USA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount. Safe driver discount. New vehicle discount. Storage discount. Legacy. How many discounts will you stack up?

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tactic, and that's, well, offering to buy Open AI outright. His offer? It's a staggering 97.4 billion dollars. But Altman wasted no time in shutting it down, telling Bloomberg TV, quote, Elon tries all sorts of things for a long time. This is the latest. This week's episode. I think he's probably just trying to slow us down, end quote. Now, it's a high-stakes fight with serious implications. Open AI has been looking at restructuring its for-profit division under its non-profit umbrella. But Musk's offer just complicated those plans. Even if Open AI rejects it outright, The massive bid sets a new valuation benchmark, making any future moves more expensive and difficult to justify.

Musk's legal battles with OpenAI go beyond financials. He's also accusing the company of a reckless sprint toward artificial general intelligence AGI. Now, Open AI, for its part, insists it's still guided by its non-profit mission, though it's clear that the company is making serious bank off its AI tools like Chat. GPT. And then, well, then there's the personal animosity. That always plays a role, doesn't it? Asked whether Musk is acting out of insecurity, Altman took a swing, saying, quote, probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity. I feel for the guy. I don't think he's a happy person, end quote. Right? I mean, who could be happy with all those billions, not to mention

your own rocket ships? With Musk throwing legal challenges and business maneuvers and now a massive buyout offer at OpenAI. Clearly, this battle of the billionaire nerds, well, it won't be cooling off anytime soon. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Wednesday, 12 February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And of course, if you're jonesin for an ad-free experience, well, we can make that happen. Just become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed.

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