The President's Daily Brief - January 8th, 2026: Trump’s Endgame in Venezuela: Forcing Out China, Russia, and Iran & Iranian Protesters Make A Dramatic Plea

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—the Trump administration’s endgame in Venezuela is coming into focus, as Washington moves to push rival powers out of the country and reassert U.S. influence over Caracas’s security services and oil sector. Later in the show—dramatic scenes out of Iran, where protesters have reportedly renamed a street after President Trump and issue a stark plea as security forces move to suppress nationwide demonstrations. Plus—new developments in Ukraine peace talks, as Kyiv points to what it calls concrete progress on security guarantees during high-level meetings in Paris. And in today’s Back of the Brief—Greenland is back on the White House agenda, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling lawmakers President Trump wants to purchase the Arctic territory. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief PDS Debt: You’re 30 seconds away from being debt free with PDS Debt. Get your free assessment and find the best option for you at https://PDSDebt.com/PDB  ZBiotics: Visit https://zbiotics.com/PDB for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, I am indeed back on the road. All right, let's get briefed. First up, the Trump administration's end game in Venezuela is coming into focus as Washington moves to push rival powers out of the country and reassert U.S. influence over Caracas's security services and oil sector. Later in the show, dramatic scenes out of Iran where protesters have reportedly renamed a street after President Trump, and no, I'm not making this up.

And they've also issued a stark plea as security forces move to suppress nationwide demonstrations. Plus, new developments in Ukraine peace talks, as Kiev points to what it calls concrete progress on security guarantees during high-level meetings in Paris. And it's today's back of the brief. Well, look at that. Greenland is back on the White House's agenda, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling lawmakers that President Trump wants to purchase the Arctic Territory. But first, today's PDB spotlight. The Trump administration's ultimate goal in Venezuela is coming into sharper focus today, and of course it goes well beyond the removal of Nicholas Maduro. In the days since Caracas began transitioning away from Maduro,

rule, Washington has moved quickly to try and define what comes next. And according to new reporting, the message from the White House is this. Venezuela's future hinges on pushing rival powers out of the country and realigning its political and security and energy relationships squarely in the U.S. camp. U.S. officials are now pressing Venezuela's interim government to remove suspected intelligence officers, security advisors, and other non-diplomatic operatives, to China and Russia, Iran, and Cuba. This does not include standard diplomatic personnel or embassy staff. The focus is narrowly on intelligence and security personnel,

who became deeply embedded inside Venezuela during the Maduro years. It's a targeted effort to dismantle foreign influence inside Venezuela's security services and military structures and internal intelligence apparatus. Networks that Washington believes gave rival powers, long-term leverage in the Western Hemisphere. Of course, and here comes a statement of the obvious, this all is easier said than done. As we've reported here on the PDB, Venezuela's government and security institutions were deeply intertwined with foreign personnel, particularly Cuban officers and intelligence specialists,

long before Maduro's ouster. During the U.S. operation to remove Maduro, the Cuban government confirmed that 32 Cuban military and police personnel were killed in the officer. operation to seize him. These officers were serving in Venezuela's request and highlight the extent to which Cuban security and intelligence elements were integrated into Venezuela's domestic security apparatus. And the pressure campaign from the White House doesn't stop its security. The administration is also tying Venezuela's economic recovery, specifically its oil industry, to those same conditions. According to U.S. officials, familiar with the discussions,

expanded oil production and access to U.S. markets will depend on Caracas, severing energy ties with China and Russia, and partnering exclusively with the U.S. firms. For years, Venezuela's oil exports helped anchor relationships with Beijing and Moscow. China became a major buyer of Venezuelan crude, while Russia deepened its role through financing and security cooperation and energy infrastructure support. Those ties gave both countries influence inside Venezuela, long after Western sanctions took effect. The Trump administration now appears intent on unraveling that structure. By conditioning oil production on alignment with Washington, the U.S. is signaling that Venezuela's

reintegration into global energy markets will come with geopolitical strings attached. Those conditions, well, they're designed to reduce rival access, limit intelligence penetration, and lock in a U.S.-centered framework for Venezuela's recovery. This approach reflects a broader strategic calculation. From Washington's perspective, Venezuela is not just a post-Moduro transition problem. It's a test case in great power competition inside the Western Hemisphere. Removing entrenched security influences from China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba sends a message well beyond Caracas, one that reinforces U.S. expectations about foreign military and intelligence activity in the region. It also marks a ship. in how pressure is applied. Rather than relying solely on sanctions or diplomatic isolation, the administration is combining security demands with economic incentives, access to markets, investment, and energy cooperation to shape outcomes. So, what should we be watching for next? Well, first, whether Venezuela's interim authorities begin taking concrete steps to remove foreign intelligence

and security personnel tied to those rival nations. That will be the clearest signal of how much influence Washington currently holds. Second, watch the oil flows. Any noticeable shift in export destinations, new contracts, or U.S. company involvement will offer early indicators of whether Caracas is moving forward with this framework that's being outlined. And finally, when it comes to Beijing and Moscow, Tehran, and Havana, pay attention to actions, not statements. Public responses may be predictable, but practical adjustments, economic or diplomatic, will be far more telling. The takeaway here is relatively straightforward.

From the Trump administration's perspective, this is all about shaping the future of Venezuela by reducing rival power presences, reasserting U.S. influence, and using security and energy leverage to lock in a strategic realignment, one that Washington hopes will endure long after the immediate crisis phase. All right, coming up next, Iranian protesters make a direct appeal to President Trump as the regime tightens its grip. Well, Ukraine points to concrete movement on security guarantees in high-level talks with U.S. and EU allies in Paris. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, it is a new year. Yes, I suppose you already knew that. And maybe, maybe it's time for a fresh start, right? That's kind of what a new year is all about. And for many

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Welcome back to the PDB. As Iran's nationwide protests intensified, the demonstrators aren't just chanting against the regime. They're now openly appealing to President Trump. In footage posted online as an example, one protester in Tehran can be seen renaming a street after Trump, placing signs and stickers over existing street posts. Other videos posted on social media show handwritten messages to Trump

and the world that are even more direct, reading, quote, don't let them kill us. Clearly, this isn't subtle messaging. It's a protest movement. movement deliberately reaching beyond their country's borders and addressing a foreign leader that the protesters believe could influence the actions of the Mullas and the Revolutionary Guard Corps. That matters, especially when placed alongside what Trump said days earlier. The president sent a warning to the Mullas on truth social that the U.S. would intervene if authorities,

quote, shoot and violently kill peaceful protesters. Since then, analysts tracking the demonstrations say his comments have circulated rapidly inside Iran, and more footage has emerged of protesters invoking President Trump's name directly. That appeal is unfolding as Iranian authorities become increasingly aggressive in dealing with the protests. Armed units have been deployed near sensitive civilian locations in Tehran, and tear gas has been used in and around hospitals, shopping centers, and major transit hubs. According to the anti-regime news outlet Iran International, the unrest has continued across the Capitol, with Tehran's Grand Bazaar emerging as a focal point. Exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Palavi has framed the unrest as something far more consequential

than just another protest cycle. Speaking on Fox News, he described the moment as a rare opening to dismantle the Islamic Republic, arguing that the scale and persistence of demonstrations point to a regime facing a deeper legitimacy crisis. Palavi emphasized, that the protests show the growing involvement of Iran's traditional merchant class, calling developments inside the bazaars a cultural turning point. He also claims defactions are increasing, insisting that, regardless of how events ultimately unfold, the regime is, quote, very close to collapsing.

Now, whether or not that assessment proves accurate, the span of participation marks a departure from the more isolated protests in the past, and that growing challenge has increasingly spilled into open conference with the regime, as protests expand to more than 300 locations across now 28 of Iran's 31 provinces. New footage shows protesters lighting fires in the streets of heavily populated cities like Shiraz while chanting, quote, death to Chahmanee, a direct challenge to Supreme Leader Ali Chamini. In other cities, demonstrators urge police to defect, chanting, quote, law enforcement, return to the side of the nation.

The cost of that escalation is now becoming clearer. Talley's from the Human Rights Activists' News Agency report at least 36 people killed as protests enter their 12th day, with more than 2,100 arrested. And Iran's military leadership has responded to increased pressure with warnings rather than concessions. Army Chief Major General Amir Khatami is threatening preemptive action against any government over what he described as hostile rhetoric toward the Islamic Republic. A reference understood to include President Trump's remarks. Okay, shifting to the war in Ukraine, the message from Kiev after two days of coalition of the willing talks in Paris is guarded but optimistic, with officials pointing to progress on

post-war security guarantees, even as the hardest questions of territory remain unresolved. And of course, there's the fact that the Russians are not engaged in any meaningful peace discussions. Ukraine's newly appointed chief of staff, Karilla Budanov, emerged from the latest round of discussions pointing to what he called, quote, concrete results, while also drawing a firm line around the country's core interests. In a message posted to Telegram, Budenov acknowledged that not everything could be shared publicly at this stage, but stressed that Ukraine's national interests, quote, will be defended as negotiations continue. That framing lines up closely with how Ukrainian President Zelensky has been describing the talks. Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian and

U.S. officials have been exploring what he calls, quote, some ideas to address territorial questions, and he was clear about why that matters. As we've long discussed here on the PDB, territory remains the most sensitive and unresolved issue in the entire peace process. And for Keev, it's also the clearest red line. When Zelenskyy talks about territory, he's, of course, referring to the Donbass. Keeve has long rejected the Kremlin's demand that Ukraine withdraw from the industrial heartland in exchange for peace, and that position hasn't shifted during these recent talks in Paris. Ukrainian officials acknowledge that one concept floated by Washington involves creating a free economic zone in parts of the Donbass, tied to military withdrawals. But Kiev has been careful

to say that proposal has not been accepted and that any arrangement must preserve Ukraine's sovereignty. But where the Paris talks begin to look somewhat different from past diplomatic efforts as in the Western discussions of security guarantees for Kiev. For the first time, the U.S. formally backed a broad coalition of Ukraine's allies, pledging binding security guarantees in the event of another Russian attack. As we've been tracking, those commitments were outlined during these coalition of the willing talks. What stood out this time, though, was the level of American engagement. The meetings have been attended by White House Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff,

as well as President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Their presence signals Washington isn't just endorsing the framework from a distance, but helping to shape it. Speaking at the end of day two of the summit, Whitkoff said President Trump, quote, strongly stands behind the emerging security protocols, describing them as a deterrent and a defensive backstop. Whitkoff said allies are, quote, largely finished agreeing on the core security architecture. That's a notable claim, given how long the discussions have dragged on, while also acknowledging that territorial question, remain the most difficult. European leaders said the talks are also moving closer to military commitments.

Britain and France both said they're prepared to deploy forces to Ukraine following a ceasefire. If there is a ceasefire, a step that Moscow has repeatedly warned, it would reject. French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, said that, quote, several thousand French troops would be sent as part of a post-war stabilization mission. At the same time, coalition leaders agreed to participate in a proportion of a proposed U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. As we discussed yesterday, sources knowledgeable with the talks say the effort would rely on drones and sensors and satellite surveillance

rather than American ground troops. But still, none of this means that Moscow is on board, of course. Russia has given no indication that it would accept a settlement built around these kinds of guarantees, and it has long opposed the presence of NATO-led forces inside Ukraine. But from Keith's point of view, the Paris talks are not about securing Russian approval. They're about locking in Western Resolve first. For now, diplomats at the talk say the outlines of a post-war security framework are coming into view,

even if a ceasefire or peace deal is nowhere in sight. Okay, coming up in today's back of the brief, buying Greenland is once again under consideration inside the White House. I wonder what the price tag will be. We'll have those details. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, I have been known in my time to enjoy the occasional ice-cold gin martini or two, maybe even on a somewhat regular basis. But here's the thing.

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Rubio made the remarks during a closed-door briefing with members of Congress from the Armed Services and Foreign Policy Committees, where lawmakers pressed him on recent comments from the president and senior aides, suggesting renewed interest in acquiring the Arctic territory. Rubio told lawmakers that President Trump favors purchasing Greenland and has asked AIDS to provide an updated plan for how such an acquisition might work. That request, officials say, was made earlier this week. The briefing itself was focused on Venezuela, but Greenland came up after a series of public remarks reignited questions about U.S. intentions towards the Danish protectorate.

Greenland is a sparsely populated, largely self-governing territory that technically falls under Denmark, of course a NATO ally. Denmark has controlled the island since the 18th century and later granted it autonomy, though Copenhagen still handles defense and foreign policy. In recent years, Greenland has taken on new strategic importance because of its Arctic location, increased shipping routes, and its potential wealth of critical minerals. Following the renewed attention from Washington, from six NATO countries, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland, joined the Danish Prime Minister in issuing a joint statement, reaffirming support for Denmark and Greenland sovereignty. The statement emphasized that Arctic security should be handled collectively

through NATO and in line with international law. Reportedly, the White House has not ruled out any options. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said President Trump views acquiring Greenland as a national security priority, citing the need to detain. her adversaries in the Arctic. She added that a range of options is being discussed and noted that the use of military force is always within the president's authority as commander-in-chief. The administration has pointed to growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic as part of its rationale, though the U.S. already maintains a military presence on Greenland, including a long-standing base used for missile warning and Arctic operations. Vice President J.D. Vance, by the way,

paid a brief visit to that base just last year. Trump's renewed focus on Greenland also aligns with broader themes in his second-term national security strategy, which prioritizes U.S. dominance in the Western atmosphere and surrounding regions. That approach has already been on display in recent U.S. actions in Venezuela and elsewhere. For now, U.S. officials say discussions remain preliminary, but the fact that Greenland is once again being discussed at the highest levels, underscores just how central the region has become to U.S. strategic planning. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 8th of January. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

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