The President's Daily Brief - February 3rd, 2025: Trump Launches Purge Of The FBI & US Forces Strike ISIS

Episode Date: February 3, 2025

In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: The Department of Justice orders a sweeping purge of FBI officials, targeting agents involved in Trump-related investigations and national security cases. Canada fires back against President Trump’s trade restrictions with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, escalating economic tensions between the two allies. The U.S. military launches its first airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia under Trump’s second term, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming coordination with Somalia’s government. And in today’s Back of the Brief: An update on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where North Korean forces appear to have suffered heavy losses, prompting a sudden pullback from the front lines. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. It's Monday, 3 February. Well, look at that, a brand new month, just in case you were wondering. 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 things off today with reports that the U.S. Department of Justice, the DOJ, has ordered a sweeping purge of FBI officials, targeting agents involved in Trump-related investigations and high-profile national security cases. And honestly, I did not have sweeping purge on my bingo card for the beginning of 2025. Later in the show, Canada and Mexico are hitting back in response to President Trump's new trade restrictions. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, warning that the move will have real economic consequences for Americans. Plus, the U.S. military is back in action against ISIS, launching airstrikes in Somalia, and that's the first such operation of President Trump's second term. And in today's back of the brief, an update on Russia's invasion of Ukraine where North Korean forces

appear to have been pulled back from the front lines after suffering heavy losses. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Late Friday night, a number of FBI officials were fired, forced into early retirement, or just flat out, told to quit. Some were reportedly escorted out of the building. Others were were left wondering if their names are next on the chopping block. This came after a directive from the Department of Justice, the DOJ, ordering the termination of at least eight FBI employees and demanding an internal review of all agents who played a role in investigations tied to January 6th or Hamas-related cases. The memo was signed by Acting Deputy Attorney General Amil Bov and was

sent to the acting FBI director, making it clear certain officials were out. and others were under review. One of the biggest names on the list was David Sunberg. Sumberg ran the D.C. field office, and that's one of the most important FBI outposts in the country. He was appointed in 2022 under former FBI Director Christopher Ray and oversaw multiple high-profile investigations, including cases involving President Trump. As you might imagine, that makes him a controversial figure in some circles, seen by critics as part of the so-called deep state within the FBI. But Sundberg wasn't the only one who was given his walking papers on Friday. Reports say this was more than just firing a few top officials.

The heads of roughly 20 FBI field offices were removed, along with rank-and-file agents involved in Trump-related cases. So, you ask yourself, what's really happening here? Well, I suppose that all depends on who you ask. Trump and his allies see this is a long overdue correction, a way to clean house and remove officials that they argue have weaponized federal law enforcement against conservatives. They point to the years of investigations into Trump, his campaigns, and his presidency as proof of a biased agency.

On the other hand, critics say this is a dangerous political crackdown, a move that could weaken federal law enforcement at a time when threats both foreign and domestic remain high. And some see it as the behavior of a banana republic, where every time someone new comes into power, they clean out existing intelligence or law enforcement and replace them with their own supporters. Look, the primary concern should be operational, not political. It's about national security. So when you got an agency like the FBI, it doesn't just affect political cases. It affects organized crime investigations, counterterrorism, and frankly everything in between. Now, FBI officials weren't the only ones getting pink slips this weekend. The Justice Department

also fired dozens of federal prosecutors involved in January 6th cases. The prosecutors were informed of their dismissal in a letter from Interim D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin. Martin told approximately 30 fired federal prosecutors that they were being removed as a direct result of their role in the prosecution of some of the more than 1,500 individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol back on January 6th of 2021. Martin's letter also cited President Trump's day one executive order pardoning January 6th defendants, which referred to the prosecutions as, quote, a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years, end quote. Okay, so what happens next? Well, this is most likely,

the beginning, and you can safely bet that more firings are on the way. The DOJ has informed the FBI that it was initiating a review process to determine if thousands of agents that worked on capital riot investigations should also be terminated. If agents assigned to January 6th are under scrutiny, that could also mean additional leadership shakeups in the coming weeks. All right, coming up after the break, Canada fires back with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. and the U.S. military launches its first airstrikes against ISIS of Trump's second term. I'll be right back, unless, of course, I'm caught up in a sweeping purge. Hannity presents in the red corner the undisputed, undefeated weed whacker guys.

Champion of hurling grass and pollen everywhere. And in the blue corner, the challenger, extra strength, Hannity! Eye drops and work all day to prevent the release. of histamines that cause itchy allergy eyes. And the winner by knockout is Palladay. Padiday. Bring it on. Welcome back to the PDB. Canada and Mexico hit back against President Trump's tariffs just hours after his

administration imposed them on Saturday in a move that could upend North American supply chains. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that his government would impose tariffs on $107 billion worth of U.S. imports. Warning that Trump's measures would have tangible consequences for American businesses and consumers, Trudeau framed the response as a necessary countermeasure against economic aggression. The Canadian countermeasures against its longtime ally will be implemented in two stages. The first, covering $21 billion in U.S. goods, will take effect immediately on Tuesday, and that's the same day that Trump's tariffs go live. The remaining

$86 billion will be subject to duties in three weeks. Trudeau's decision comes in direct response to Trump's imposition of 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, as well as a separate 10% duty on Chinese goods. Now, this is a step that economists warn could ignite a full-scale trade war, disrupt critical supply chains, and stoke inflation. Washington also announced a 10% tariff on all energy imports from Canada, prompting Ottawa to target a wide range of American products in return. Beer, wine, bourbon. Seriously, bourbon, isn't anything sacred anymore?

Clothing, sports equipment, household appliances, and more. Canada's trade ties with the U.S. of course, run deep. The two countries exchange more than $2.5 billion in goods and services daily, with Canada exporting nearly $378 billion to the U.S. in 2023, and that's over three-quarters. of the country's total exports. Trudeau directly appealed to Americans during a press conference in Ottawa in an urge to make his stance clear. The Prime Minister threatened, quote, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially

shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities, end quote. Beyond tariffs, Canada is exploring additional economic countermeasures, including potential restrictions on critical minerals, energy procurement, and other key partners. The timing of Trudeau's retaliation is politically fraught. Facing record low approval ratings, he announced in early January his resignation after nine years in office. With a leadership race now underway in his Liberal Party and polls suggesting a conservative landslide in the next election, Trudeau is urging Canadians to rally behind domestic businesses. Meanwhile, south of the U.S. border, Mexico is also moving to hit back.

President Claudia Scheinbaum, responding to Trump's 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports, ordered reciprocal duties of her own. Taking to X, she stated that while her administration prefers dialogue over confrontation, Mexico has no choice but to defend its economic interests. She did not specify which American products would be affected, but sources indicate that Mexico is preparing tariffs, ranging from 5 to 20% on U.S. pork, cheese, fresh produce, and manufactured steel and aluminum.

The auto industry for now remains exempt. The stakes are high for Mexico. The U.S. is its most important trade partner, and in 2023, Mexico surpassed China as the top destination for U.S. exports. In 2024, U.S. exports to Mexico totaled more than $322 billion, while imports from Mexico surpassed $475 billion. Notably, nearly a third. of Mexico's GDP is directly tied to trade with the U.S.

An economist's caution that if Trump's 25% tariff remains in place for the full year, Mexico's GDP could shrink by 4% in 2025. Shinebaum, for her part, pushed back against Trump's rationale for the tariffs, dismissing his administration's claim that the Mexican government collaborates with drug cartels as, quote, slander. Trump, meanwhile, defended his move, pointing to Mexico's failure to curb fentanyl trafficking and what he describes as unchecked migration surges into the U.S. With two of its largest trading partners retaliating now, Washington faces the prospect of a prolonged

trade war, one that could send shockwaves through North American supply chains and force businesses and consumers on all sides to pay the price. Okay, turning to Somalia. The U.S. military carried out airstrikes Saturday, targeting Islamic State operations. in the first such operation in the African country under President Trump's second term. Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth confirmed U.S. Africa command carried out the strikes at Trump's direction in coordination with the Somali government. An initial Pentagon assessment reported the operation killed, quote, multiple ISIS operatives with no reported civilian casualties.

Trump later took to truth social to claim the strikes targeting the senior Islamic State attack planner had destroyed the terror group's cave hideouts. Trump's post stated, quote, our military has targeted this ISIS attack planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn't act quickly enough to get the job done. I did, end quote. Hmm. The president added, quote, the message to the Islamic State and all others who would attack Americans is that we will find you and we will kill you. End quote. However, Trump stops short of confirming whether the attack planner, the primary target, had been eliminated. The Somali government quickly praised the operation, with the President's office calling it a testament to the strong security partnership between the two

nations. Officials in Mogadishu echoed that sentiment on X, reaffirming their commitment to working alongside allies to combat terrorism and stabilize the region. The strikes come at a critical time for U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Africa. In 2024, under then-President Biden, American forces suffered a major setback when they were expelled from Chad and Niger, key operational hubs for counterterrorism in the Sahel region. The loss of these bases significantly hampered U.S. military operations against jihadist groups, leaving a vacuum that terrorist factions are increasingly exploiting. U.S. military officials warned that Islamic State cells in Somalia are gaining strength with direct support from the group's core leadership, now reportedly operating out of northern. Somalia. Intelligence assessments suggest Islamic State operatives in the country have been instructed on kidnapping Westerners for ransom, countering drone surveillance, and even constructing weaponized drones. And

those are tactics mirroring the group's strategies in Iraq and Syria at its height. The Islamic State Somalia affiliate first emerged in 2015 as a splinter faction from al-Shabaab. That was a al-Qaeda-linked insurgency that's long dominated Somalia's jihadist landscape. Unlike al-Shabaab, which primarily wages war against the Somali government, the Islamic State Somalia focused on building a foothold in the Galgala Mountains where it established training camps and safe houses. Despite being a smaller force than al-Shabaab, Islamic State Somalia managed to carve out influence beyond its strongholds, launching attacks in central and southern regions

and funding its operations through extortion, smuggling, and illicit taxation. The terror group is believed to have several hundred fighters, and U.S. intelligence reports indicate that it's sought to expand control over local businesses along Somalia's coastline, potentially positioning itself as a growing economic player in the region's black markets. While sustained pressure from Somali government forces, U.S. airstrikes and rival jihadist factions have kept Islamic State Somalia from emerging as a dominant force, the terror group does remain a persistent threat in the region. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, North Korean forces are reportedly having a rough go of it in Russia and have been pulled back from the front lines after suffering heavy casualties.

I'll be back with the details. In today's back of the brief, North Korean troops stationed along Russia's Kursk front lines vanished and have not been seen there in three weeks, fueling speculation that Pyongyang quietly pulled them from the battlefield after suffering heavy casualties. Ukrainian officials estimate that of the 12,000 North Korean soldiers deployed, roughly 4,000 have been either killed or wounded. Speaking in Switzerland last week, Ukrainian President Zelensky noted about a third of the North Korean forces had been eliminated. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, these troops first appeared in Kursk in November, reinforcing Russian positions against Ukraine's cross-border incursion. Despite Russia's efforts to show up its defenses, Ukrainian forces maintained relentless pressure in the region.

A Ukrainian commander with the Sixth Special Operations Forces Regiment described the North Korean soldiers as, quote, young, trained, and hardy fighters, but added they were entirely unprepared for modern drone warfare, stating, quote, they're prepared for the realities of war in 1980 at best, end quote. Yet their battlefield effectiveness wasn't entirely dismissed. another Ukrainian servicemen noted that North Korean troops displayed remarkable marksmanship, reportedly able to shoot down drones from distances of up to a football field. Despite this, Russia primarily deployed them as expendable foot soldiers as cannon fodder,

throwing them into mass wave assaults that led to catastrophic casualties. Still, neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially acknowledged the deployment or now the disappearance of North Korean troops from the front lines. But their involvement, of course, underscores the growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia. Last year, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a landmark defense pact, pledging immediate military assistance if either country were attacked. The agreement, widely seen as a revival of their Cold War era 1961 mutual defense treaty, positioned Pyongyang as one of Moscow's most unconventional battlefield partners.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief from Monday, 3 February. I hope you had a chance to catch our latest episode of the PDB Situation Report this weekend. Our guests included Ben and Ben Taliblu from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and author and military analyst Brandon Weikert. We covered a lot of turf from Iran all the way to deep space. Now, you can watch this past weekend's show and previous episodes on our YouTube channel. You can find that at President's Daily Brief and all podcasts. platforms. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the BDB afternoon bulletin.

Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.