The President's Daily Brief - July 22nd, 2024: Biden Bows Out, Israel Bombs Yemen, Trump Security Denied

Episode Date: July 22, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We’ll start things off today with the big news: President Joe Biden has officially decided to end his reelection campaign, choosing instead to endorse his Vice President Kamala Harris. We’ll have the latest details. A major escalation of hostilities in the Middle East as Israeli fighter jets bomb targets in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen, following a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv. The latest on the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including a damning report that the Secret Service has been denying the former president additional security for two years. In today's Back of the Brief, continued chaos for airlines and passengers after a global tech outage linked to an update from CrowdStrike cybersecurity software. 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. Email: [e-mail] ☕ Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Code: PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch, solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy, ultra-concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power. Find your euphoria. Discover the Euphoria Elixir Collection by Calvin Klein. Get your day off to a great start with a terrific taste of Blackout coffee. It's family-owned, premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Get that. Within 48 hours of roasting, those beans are sent out in a bag.

They land on your doorstep. They go in your cup. Bob's your uncle. Go to blackout coffee.com promo code PDB for 20% off your first-time purchase. It's Monday, 22 July. 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 the latest U.S. political news, and my, do we have some news. President Biden has officially decided to end his re-election campaign in the face of growing pressure to bow out, choosing instead to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris. You might remember her. Now, the speed with which this happened is rather astounding. It seems like it was just last month

that Kamala Harris and a close cadre of enablers were still trying to deceive the American public into believing that Joe was sharp as attack, remember that line, and more vigorous than fellas half his age. Look how vigorous he is. We'll have the latest details. Later in the show, a major escalation of hostilities in the Middle East,

a day after a Houthi drone killed one and injured ten others in Tel Aviv, Israeli fighter jets bombed targets in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen. Plus, we'll have the latest on the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including a damning report that the Secret Service had been denying the former president additional security for two years. And in today's back of the brief, airlines and passengers are still having problems after a global tech outage linked to an update from CrowdStrike cybersecurity software grounded and canceled countless flights globally. We'll have an update on that story. But first, today's BDB spotlight.

Well, it had really become more a question of when rather than a question of if. And President Biden officially announced on Sunday that he's suspending his campaign for re-election, putting an end to weeks of speculation and pressure by powerful Democrats to push him out of the race. Of course, that pressure followed months of those same Democrats blowing smoke up America's backside by telling us that Biden was sharp as attack and working day and night. Biden first announced his intention in a post to social media platform X, and from now on, frankly, I think that's where everyone should post their resignation letters. Ooh, I'm looking at you, Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatel.

He wrote, quote, It's been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president, and while it's been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country, for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term, end quote. Biden added that he'll speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision. In a follow-up post, Biden also gave an endorsement to Vice President Kamala Harris. He wrote, quote, today, I want to offer my full support in endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee

of our party this year, end quote. Now following his announcement, Republicans, began calling on Biden to step down as president. However, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates put that to bed quickly, saying in a statement that Biden plans on finishing out his term and pointing out that Joe is as sharp as attack. Former President Trump reacted to the news and a message on his truth's social page. Trump declared, quote,

Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president and is certainly not fit to serve and never was. He only attained the position of president by lies, fake news, not leaving his basement." With its nominee bowing out of the race so late in the game, the Democratic Party is faced with an unprecedented scenario. The party will now be forced to coalesce around a new standard bearer less than one month before their national convention, which begins on August 19th in Chicago.

Complicating matters is the fact that Democrats were planning a virtual vote to officially nominate their candidate ahead of the convention. and if they proceed with that virtual vote, well, Vice President Harris, who has the endorsement of President Biden in her back pocket, would be the obvious frontrunner. She's already picked up several endorsements, including from Bill and Hillary Clinton, remember them, and at least 35 House Democrats and 14 Senate Democrats. Of note, former President Barack Obama did not endorse Harris, saying instead that the best candidate will be chosen during the DNC in August. Oh, you mean they might? they might actually practice democracy rather than just anointing someone. However, it's still not a sure thing for the vice president.

Recent polls indicate that she is a weaker candidate than several other Democrat politicians. Donors and delegates alike have questioned whether she's the best choice. Also, let's not forget, and here's some PDB straight talk. Harris was a DEI pick for vice president. Biden promised during his campaign that he would select. a woman of color for his VP. He didn't say he'd pick the best candidate. So right out of the gate, Harris, well, she's been saddled with that baggage. Now, the upside for her could be that the Democrats may not have the stomach to push her aside. I mean, frankly, the optic, well,

wouldn't be good. Despite having Biden's nod, the 3,900 delegates who are committed to voting for him at the convention, well, they're not obligated to support Harris, and there are quite a few Democrats who might be convinced and launch their own bids for the nomination. The most notable names already being floated as potential successors to Biden include Senator Mark Kelly out in Arizona and a slew of governors, including Andy Bashir from Kentucky, Westmore from Maryland, Josh Shapiro, from Pennsylvania, Gavin Newsom, of course, in California, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Now, interestingly, Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell mentioned just the other day that Whitmer would not be seeking any office outside her governor's role.

If Democrats failed to coalesce around a candidate by mid-August, were likely to see an open convention, that's a scenario the party hasn't experienced since the chaotic 1968 convention when it nominated Hubert Humphrey. Remember that? No? Okay. It's worth noting that the convention also took place in Chicago, where it's taking place this year.

And back in 1968, that convention was rock-react. by anti-war protests. Coming up in August of this year in Chicago, well, the DNC is expecting sizable protests related to the conflict in Gaza. Coming up next, Israel launches a major attack against Houthi rebels in Yemen, marking a major escalation and hostilities in the region. Then, later, growing calls for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheedle, as a new report reveals her agency, had been denying additional security to of former President Trump for at least two years. Now, you may recall when that accusation first serviced a week ago shortly after the assassination

attempt, well, officials dismissed it outright, saying they had not been denying their requests for additional security. We'll have those stories when we come back. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds-fuelling AI or crypto's trillion. dollar swings, there's a money side to every story, and when you see the money side, you

understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did, and have one of your assistance assistants to switch you to MintMobil today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra.

Seeful terms at mintmobile.com. Welcome back to the BDB. In what is arguably the largest escalation of hostilities since the October 7th attacks by Hamas, Israel carried out a major air assault on Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, on Saturday. The retaliatory strike occurred just one day after the rebel group launched an Iranian-made drone attack against Tel Aviv, killing one civilian and injuring at least 10 others. The operation, which was aptly codenamed outstretched arm, targeted the Red Sea port of Haudita. According to Israeli officials, the port is being used as a main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons,

such as the drones used in the attack in Tel Aviv on Friday. According to the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health, six people were killed and 87 wounded in the strike. The Houthi-run government in Yemen's capital of Sana'a stated that these strikes targeted oil storage facilities and a nearby power plant. Video of the attack shows it triggered a raging fire in the port city and massive plumes of black smoke. In a statement, the IDF said, quote, after nine months of continuous aerial attacks by the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel, Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted an extensive operational strike over 1,800 kilometers away against Qutti terrorist military targets. The statement went on to say that the IDF is capable of operating anywhere required and that they'll strike any force that endangers Israelis.

In a televised address following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, quote, anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression. In a statement posted to social media, Houthi official Muhammad Abdul-Slam called the Israeli strike a, quote, brutal act of aggression against Yemen. Hmm. I'm no idea what he's called the

Quti attack on Tel Aviv the other day. On Sunday morning, the Houthis attempted to retaliate, launching a missile from Yemen. However, the Israeli military said they shot it down before it crossed into Israel's airspace. Meanwhile, in another major development, Israeli military officials report increasing evidence that last weekend's significant air strike on Gaza may have killed Mohamed Dief, the Hamas leader, believed to have orchestrated the October 7 attacks

on Israel, sparking of course the ongoing conflict. The Times of Israel reported that ID of spokesman, Rear Admiral Hagari, said, quote, the signs are mounting regarding the successful elimination of Mohamed Dief. Haghari noted that Hamas is withholding information about Def's fate. following that 13 July operation, when IDF forces dropped five 2,000-pound bombs in the Al-Mawesi area, also killing senior Hamas commander Rafa Salameh. Now, Hagaray confirmed that Salome and Dief were, quote, next to each other at the time of the bombings, and he verified that Salome was, quote, definitely eliminated in the attack. All right.

Continuing our coverage of the attempted assassination of former President Trump, new revelations have emerged. In the two years leading up to last weekend's assassination attempt, Secret Service officials repeatedly rejected the Trump team's requests for additional security at large public events. The assassination attempt by 20-year-old Matthew Thomas Crooks, who opened fire from a slightly sloped rooftop during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has led to significant changes in Trump's security detail. Following the shooting, where the former president was grazed in the ear, the Secret Service increased Trump's security to match that of the security package provided to President Biden. Initially, the agency denied claims that Trump's camp requested additional securities,

such as magnetometers and extra snipers for outdoor venues before the shooting. Under pressure to resign, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatel reiterated this denial in a meeting with Trump campaign leadership in Wisconsin. However, the agency has since acknowledged that Trump's request for additional security had been denied. A Secret Service spokesman admitted to the Washington Post that specific specialized units or resources were not provided to Trump and that the agency had relied on state or local partners to fill these gaps. For the Butler rally, local law enforcement had been recruited due to the Secret Services denial of Trump's request for extra resources. Typically, Trump's personal detail would request resources from the agency's headquarters,

which would then approve or deny these requests. If denied, well, then local field offices would work to backfill with available resources, including local law enforcement. Representative Brendan Boyle, the first Democrat to call for Cheeto's resignation, expressed his lack of confidence in her leadership via a statement on X. He emphasized the necessity for Cheathel to, quote, resign immediately, to restore trust in the Secret Service, citing, quote, unacceptable operational failures. Yeah, that would be a fair categorization.

Despite these calls, a Secret Service spokesperson confirmed Thursday that Sheetl has no plans to resign. Although, now, she did say that the buck stops with her, but thus far, she's been working overtime to pass that buck. She did state her commitment to a transparency, well, that's nice, and pledged cooperation with the various investigations now being carried out, including the agency's own internal investigation. Cheeto is set to testify before Congress today. That should be interesting. Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz warned that if Cheetah failed to attend the hearing, she should resign or be dismissed.

She should resign or be dismissed whether she attends the hearing or not. Whatever happened to consequences in Washington, D.C. House Speaker Mike Johnson has already demanded her, resignation and announced a bipartisan task force to investigate the incident. Now, during a briefing, Cheatel admitted to, quote, mistakes and gaps, oh, there's a big admission, in the agency's protective measures. Tensions escalated during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP lawmakers confronted Cheatel about the security lapses. Lawmakers are particularly concerned about why enhanced security measures were not implemented, despite intelligence, on an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

That's a topic previously reported on the BDB. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, an update on the global tech outage that caused mayhem across multiple sectors last week. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, returning now to what's being called the largest IT outage in history. Of course, okay, let's all remember, though. It's not like we've had hundreds of years of IT outages. Operations are slowly being restored across multiple.

sectors, but the ripple effects, well, they continue to cause chaos. As an example, thousands of airline passengers remain stranded and essential services are still disrupted. As we previously reported on the PDB, the outage was initially feared to be a global cyber attack, but the culprit, well, was nothing nefarious, as it turns out. It was a single faulty software update from the global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that apparently triggered the breakdown. across systems using Microsoft Windows services. Experts indicated that while a fix has been deployed, the process of restoring all systems will be lengthy and complex.

A significant area of difficulty is flight operations, with Flight Aware reporting over 1,600 flight cancellations and more than 2,400 delays in the U.S. alone as of Sunday. Friday and Saturday saw higher numbers with more than 3,000 cancellations and over 11,000 delays. major airlines are working to restore services with United Airlines and Delta reporting partial recoveries. Now, despite these efforts, Delta still faced over 500 cancellations on Sunday and expects more as the week progresses. International airlines like Jet Star Japan, Hong Kong Express, and

Sebu Pacific have begun gradually restoring their operations. Worldwide, nearly 2% of flights have been canceled, significantly impacting a number of major transit hubs. Compounding the chaos, cyber criminals exploited this situation by promoting fake websites, of course they did, loaded with malicious software. The U.S. government and cybersecurity professionals issued warnings to the public to avoid these threats. A concerted effort involving private sector and government agencies, including the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, has been working to restore services since the outage was first reported. Despite these efforts, the manual process of restarting individual systems remains a significant challenge for many organizations.

Although CrowdStrike quickly released information to fix the issues, experts indicated that resolving the problem would be labor intensive requiring manual removal of the flawed code. Steve Cobb, chief security officer at Security Scorecard, noted that the problem likely stemmed from inadequate vetting or what's called sandbox. of the update files. Sandboxing refers to the process of isolating the file in a controlled and secure environment to test it before deploying it to the main system. Well, that sounds like a good idea. This is used to ensure that the update is safe and functional and free from harmful effects. John Hammond, principal security researcher at Huntress Labs, emphasized that ideally such updates

should be deployed to a limited group first to avoid widespread disruptions. The incident has drawn parallels to past issues, such as McAfee's 2010 antivirus update, that similarly caused widespread system crashes. Hmm, when was the last time you heard anyone reference the great McAfee crash of 2010? Well, that's the sort of fine context and analysis you get here on the PDB. And that, my friends, is the president's Daily Brief for Monday, 22 July. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at BDB at the first. TV.com. And of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, it's very simple. Become a premium

member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdb premium.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.