The President's Daily Brief - January 20th, 2025: Hostages Released in Israel & TikTok In Limbo

Episode Date: January 20, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A ceasefire is now in effect between Israel and Hamas, with the release of the first three hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. TikTok has gone offline in the United States, leaving users in limbo, as President Trump considers a 90-day extension to bring the platform back. Tom Homan, the incoming "border czar," reevaluates immigration raids in major cities like Chicago and New York following media leaks. And in today’s Back of the Brief, a senior Taliban official publicly challenges the group’s harsh policies toward women, offering a rare moment of dissent and hope. 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

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making my way towards Akaba during a trek of 700 miles, but the PDB team will they continue working hard to keep you informed. While I'm off the grid, Mike Slater is holding down the fort. Thanks, Mike. It is Monday, January, 2025. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief on Mike Slater, filling in for the great Mike Baker. Let's get briefed. In today's spotlight, we're tracking developments from Israel where a ceasefire is now in effect, and Hamas has released the first three hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Later in the show, we'll cover TikTok's abrupt shutdown in America after going offline Friday evening. The video sharing platform is now awaiting a potential 90-day extension by President Trump. Plus, Tom Holman, the incoming border czar is reportedly

rethinking immigration raids in cities like Chicago, New York, following media leaks. And then in today's Back at the brief, a surprising moment of dissent from within the Taliban ranks. A senior official speaks out against the group's harsh treatment of the female population, offering a rare glimpse of hope for Afghanistan's women. But first, we'd be remiss if we did not start with the biggest story in the world, and that's the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump sworn in as the 47th president at 12 p.m. Eastern, marking the beginning of his second term in office.

He is only the second president in America. American history behind Grover Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President Donald Trump, the 45th and 47. Past inaugurations have been held outdoors in front of the Capitol, but Mr. Trump announced on Friday that this year's ceremony is going to move indoors to the Capitol Rotunda, citing extreme cold in the forecast. However, the Capital One Arena will be open for live viewing of his inauguration address. The day is going to be filled with lots of pageant country, performances lined up from Carrie Underwood, the village people who performed last night

at a speech that Trump gave, Kid Rock, and even Stoop Dog, a military parade and three formal balls are going to round out the festivities. Among the notable attendees will be former President's Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as a who's who of the tech world, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Google, and also the CEO of TikTok. On the international front, several world leaders are expected to attend, including Argentina's president, Javier Malay, Italy's prime minister, and also Ecuador's president, all world leaders who are following in the footsteps of Trump more populist leaders on the world stage. Notably absent will be the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who declined the invitation, but

is sending an envoy in his place. It is shaping up to be a historic day in our nation's capital. Now, on to our PDB spotlight, an update on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The first three Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity and reunited with their families on Sunday. This initial release represents a tentative pause in the 15-month war that has devastated the region. The hostages, all women, were escorted through Gaza City. Escorted is a tough word. It was a tense scene. There were armed Hamas terrorists wearing the Iran-backed group's signature grids.

green headbands and the crowd ballooned into thousands of people. The terrorists escort struggled to maintain control before transferring the three hostages to Red Cross vehicles for medical and psychological evaluations in Israel. Outgoing President Joe Biden confirmed that the hostages appeared to be in good health. That's relative. Upon their arrival, a moment that brought visible relief and cheers from Israelis gathered around large television screens in Tel Aviv, watching the three women reunite with loved ones.

The six-week truce, Harold as a fragile yet significant step, outlines the phased release of 33 hostages, beginning with three to four hostages per week. The next group is slated for release on Saturday. Simultaneously, the agreement has opened floodgates for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, with hundreds of trucks delivering supplies

to the battered enclave. Displaced Palestinians, some returning to what remains of their homes, now share a rare moment of respite. Meanwhile, Israel has agreed to, free between 90 to 95 Palestinian prisoners as a part of this exchange. However, the ceasefire has not erased underlying tensions. Its implementation was delayed nearly three hours due to Hamas's failure to produce a list

of hostages scheduled for release. Before the ceasefire officially began at 11.15 a.m. on Sunday, Israeli air strikes reportedly killed 26 people in Gaza. The Hamas-run Health Ministry reports. The Israeli military warned Palestinians and Hamas terrorists to stay clear of the warrants. their movements as the military retreats to buffer zones inside Gaza. Political ramifications in Israel are already surfacing, hardline coalition member Itamar Ben-Gavir withdrew his Jewish power faction protest of the ceasefire agreement, weakening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.

Despite the withdrawal, the agreement between Israel and Hamas will remain intact. Netanyahu acknowledged the precarious nature of the agreement, affirming that military operations could resume if necessary, a position. supported by President-elect Donald Trump. Across Gaza, celebrations erupted as Palestinian residents welcomed a reprieve from Israeli airstrikes, yet the presence of heavily armed Hamas terrorists underscore the precarious stability of the ceasefire. According to the Associated Press, crowds chanted slogans in support of Hamas,

as many masked, camo-fatigued AK-47-willing terrorists rolled through the streets, waving flags, dawning the crest of the terror group, signaling its unyielding dominance. in the territory. The slain Hamas leader, Yaya Sinwar, his brother, Muhammad, has reportedly stepped in to rebuild the terror group's fragmented command structure. The agreement marks the second ceasefire since the war began, following a week-long November pause. Talks for phase two of the agreement are scheduled to begin in two weeks, focusing on the release of remaining hostages and broader stability measures. Yet questions linger, such as whether hostilities will resume and how smoothly the remaining hostages will be freed. For now, the

region holds its breath as cautious optimism and enduring uncertainty to find the fragile peace. Coming up after the break, TikTok's sudden shutdown left users in limbo this weekend. An incoming borders are Tom Holman reconsiders immigration rates in major cities. All of those stories, we get back. How many discounts does USA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount. Safe driver discount.

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TikTok is back online in the United States just 12 hours after a blackout, with the platform crediting its return to President-elect Donald Trump's intervention and delaying a law banning the app. The app became inaccessible late Saturday night when 170 million American TikTok users were met with the notification that read, quote, a law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Stay tuned. This followed a Supreme Court ruling on Friday upholding the bipartisan legislation

mandating that bite dance, that's TikTok's Chinese parent company, divest its U.S. operations by 19 January due to national security concerns. This blackout extended to TikTok's removal from Apple and Google app stores. By early Sunday, however, Trump announced plans to issue an executive order delaying the law's enforcement, providing TikTok with a lifeline. This time, users were greeted with a notification that cheerfully credited Trump for the platform's return, stating, quote, thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.

The move secure is a political win for Trump, even at the dawn of his presidency. Trump urged TikTok's partners to allow the app to be restored, stating, quote, the order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order, citing the law enforcing up to $5,000 per user against companies that host access to the app. The CEO of TikTok, Shoe Chu, praised the decision, emphasizing the quote, clarity and assurance that Trump's intervention provided to service providers. Chu, who's set to attend Trump's inauguration, expressed the company's commitment to collaborating

with the incoming administration on a long-term solution to remain operational in the United States. The legislation banning TikTok, signed in April by outgoing President Joe Biden, cited national security concerns over bite-dance potential data sharing with the Chinese government, While Biden delayed its enforcement by a day, the Supreme Court ruling brought the issue to a head, forcing TikTok offline. Trump's executive order, expected shortly after his inauguration, extends Bight Dan's divestment deadline. On truth social, Trump framed his intervention as a pragmatic and symbolic gesture, stating, quote, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, attributing his November electoral success, particularly with young voters to the platform. Trump proposed a 50-50 joint venture between Bight Dance and a U.S.

U.S.-based owner, but acknowledge that bite-dance's prized algorithm, central to TikTok's success, complicates negotiations. Meanwhile, potential buyers are circling TikTok's U.S. operations, according to CNN, reports suggest interest from billionaire Frank McCourt and Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary. McCourt floated a plan to purchase TikTok without its algorithm, creating an American-only version of the app, a proposition experts regard as technically daunting. As we reported on the PDB last week, Elon Musk has also floated as a potential buyer. According to Bloomberg in the Wall Street Journal, Musk possesses the resources to buy the app,

but it's unclear that he would want to, and he's not publicly commented directly on the acquisition reports. On Sunday, Musk posted on his ex that he opposes the TikTok ban, stating, quote, because it goes against freedom of speech. Despite Trump's efforts, TikTok's future remains precarious. Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts' vocal quack. critics of the President-elect's plan argue that only a complete severance from bite dance will ensure Americans data security. In a joint statement, the senators said, quote, now that the law has taken effect, there's no legal basis for any kind of extension, calling for an uncompromising stance to protect national security. Moreover, Trump's executive

order may face legal challenges, as an executive order cannot override a law passed by Congress. For now, TikTok users can return to creating and sharing content, but the platform remains a tug-of-war over security and sovereignty. Whether Biden will capitulate to U.S. demands or if Congress will revisit the ban remains to be seen. Staying stateside, President Trump's administration is reassessing plans for immigration raids in major cities like Chicago and New York, after details of the operation were leaked to the media, raising officer safety concerns and compromising secrecy. Tom Holman, Trump's designated border czar and a former acting director of Immigration and Customs enforcement ICE, candidly addressed the leaks in an interview with the Washington Post.

noting that the administration had not yet made a final decision on the operations. Holman said, quote, anyone leaking law enforcement operations puts officers at great risk. The border czar emphasized that ICE's enforcement goals remain focused on public safety and national security threats rather than indiscriminate sweeps. Holman added, quote, this is a nationwide thing. We're not sweeping neighborhoods. We have a targeted enforcement plan. The proposed operations initially slated to begin less than 24 hours after Trump's inauguration

centered on Democratic strongholds with large immigrant populations such as Chicago and New York, while extending to other urban centers, including Miami. Sources revealed that the multi-day operations would mobilize between 100 and 200 officers. Advocacy groups in Chicago reported an uptick in fears across immigrant communities, with rumors spreading rapidly on social media. Messages circulating on WhatsApp warned of ICE agents patrolling from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. on inauguration day and detaining immigrants on Tuesday, heading to home or work. Local officials in Chicago have met the leaks in the proposed raids with firm resistance.

Mayor Brandon Johnson doubled down on the city's pledge to shield immigrant communities, declaring, quote, we intend to stand by and protect Chicago's immigrant communities against threats from ICE. This defiance came on the heels of the Chicago City Council rejecting measures that would allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, exacerbating tensions between city leadership and the incoming administration. Holman, in response, criticized Chicago's leadership, urging city officials to emulate the approach of New York City's mayor, Eric Adams,

by engaging in dialogue. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Holman previously told a Republican group, quote, Chicago's in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks. End quote. Holman further warned of potential legal consequences for obstructing federal immigration enforcement, such as Mayor Johnson, stating,

and quote, if Mayor Johnson doesn't want to help, get the hell out of the way. If he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him. Despite assurances from the Trump administration that the raids would not intentionally separate families, Holman admitted that such outcomes might be unavoidable. Holman, in his interview with the Post, stated, quote, if you put yourself in that position, it may happen, underscoring his belief that families facing deportation bear responsibility for their circumstances. Holman elaborated that parents of dreamers, its children of undocumented immigrants born in the U.S., have two choices.

Self-deport or remain in the U.S. without legal status, risking eventual arrest. The acting director for ICE during the Obama administration, John Sandwig, decried the leaks for jeopardizing officer safety and the success of enforcement efforts. Sandweg described the media leaks as, quote, reckless. Also saying, quote, historically, this is something we kept very close wraps on for officer safety reasons. Sanweg noted similar breaches allowed fugitives to evade capture, undermining enforcement efforts. But despite the leaks, Holman and Trump's aides remain resolute in their commitment to enforce immigration laws. In a recent interview with Fox News, Holman made the Trump administration's policy clear,

declaring, quote, we're going to take the handcuffs off of ice and let them go arrest criminal aliens. Coming up in the back of the brief, a surprising moment of dissent from within the Taliban ranks, a senior official speaks out against the group's harsh treatment of Afghanistan's women. We'll be back with more on that. This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them.

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a senior Taliban official. Shur Abbas Stonixai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, publicly criticized his own government's ban on female education. He called it a, quote, personal choice, not an interpretation of Sharia law. In his speech aired Sunday,

Stonik's eye said there's no justification for denying girls and women access education. He didn't hold back, declaring that the Taliban's policies are doing a grave injustice to half of Afghanistan's 40 million person population. This isn't the first time, he's spoken out, but his comments are the harshest yet and directly challenges the edicts of the Taliban's reclusive leader. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban chief has enforced strict bans on girls attending school beyond sixth grade and on most women participating in public life. The world has widely condemned these restrictions, which has left millions of Afghan

women without basic freedoms or opportunities. International voices like Nobel laureate Malala Yusufzai have been equally vocal. Speaking at a summit in Islamabad last week, Malala urged Muslim leaders to reject the Taliban's treatment of women, describing it as a betrayal of Islam's teachings. The United Nations and global human rights groups have echoed these sentiments, repeatedly denouncing what they call an institutionalized system of discrimination. The Taliban's deputy foreign minister, his speech did not just focus on education. He also criticized practices like forcing women into marriages and even hinted that the Taliban's treatment of women is one reason why their government remains unrecognized internationally.

Also noteworthy, this foreign minister had some kind words for Donald Trump, calling him a, quote, decisive leader and expressing hope that the incoming Trump administration will improve relations with Afghanistan. While his remarks are far from a solution, they do offer a flu. of dissent within the Taliban's leadership, something Afghanistan's women desperately need. Whether it leads to real change and whether or not President Trump believes it could possibly lead to change remains to be seen. And that is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 20 January. To listen to the show ad-free, you can become a premium member of the President's daily brief by going to PDB Premium.com. I'm Mike Slater from the podcast, Politics by Faith,

Hosted the morning show on Sirius XM Patriot. We'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon Bolton. Until then, stay safe. Spread the word. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings,

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