The President's Daily Brief - July 23rd, 2024: Top Dems Back Harris, Secret Service Grilling, & Netanyahu in D.C.

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   Breaking political news: Top Democrats are clearing the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the party’s presidential nomination following President Biden’s announcement that he’s stepping aside. We’ll have the latest updates. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced tough questions on Capitol Hill on Monday, appearing evasive and unprepared. We’ll examine the highlights from the hearing. Israel’s offensive continues in Gaza as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarks on a diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. In today’s Back of the Brief, a caravan of migrants from around a dozen countries left Mexico’s southern border on foot this weekend, hoping to reach the U.S. before the potential election of Donald Trump. 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] 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's stage. Let's get briefed. We'll start with the latest. in U.S. political news. Members of the Democrat elite are clearing the way for

Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the party's presidential nomination following President Biden's announcement that he's stepping aside. Apparently, the party elites are more comfortable with a coronation than that old pesky democratic process of voting for a nominee.

We'll have the latest update. Later in the show, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheedell faced tough questions on Capitol Hill from both parties on Monday, appearing evasive and unprepared. And remarkably, she still refuses to step down, stating that she's the best person to lead the Secret Service. We'll examine the highlights from the hearing.

And we'll ask the question, does anyone ever get fired in Washington, D.C.? Plus, Israel's offensive continues in Gaza, as Prime Minister Netanyahu embarks on a diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. It's unclear if he'll meet in person with President Biden, who reportedly is still recovering from COVID, while some are reporting that in a classic case of self-righteous performative art that's so popular with progressives these days, Kamala Harris has indicated she will choose to not preside over the Senate during Netanyahu's speech. Hmm, that seems super presidential. She'll reportedly meet privately with him at the White House,

thus avoiding the public optic of being seen in public with the Israeli prime minister, and, of course, then upsetting the progressive anti-Israel folks. Again, profiles and courage. In today's back of the brief, a caravan of migrants from around a dozen countries left from Mexico's southern border on foot this weekend, as they attempt to make it to the U.S. border, hoping to complete the journey before the potential election of former President Trump. But first, today's BDB spotlight. We'll kick things off with our continued coverage of President Biden's decision to step down as

the Democrat nominee for president, as the world watches and waits to see who will formally take his place. Now, despite her relative unpopularity, even within the Democrat Party, it does appear that a path is clearing for Vice President Kamala Harris to clinch the nomination in the wake of Biden's exit. As you're likely aware, President Biden endorsed Harris in a statement on Sunday. but Democrat power brokers were somewhat slow to unite behind the vice president, raising the prospects of a power struggle ahead of the Democrat National Convention in late August.

By late Sunday, however, notable party members began to fall in line and coalesce around Harris as the nominee, possibly more likely out of fear of the DEI zealots than their belief that she's commander-in-chief material. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, all trickled in with endorsements for Harris on Sunday night. Now, their endorsements were significant, as all had been considered potential presidential contenders if Biden stepped aside, but it appears that they're keeping their powder dry for the next presidential run. Newsom, probably the most disgust alternative to Biden, said, quote, with our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to

prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America's vice president, Kamala Harris, end quote. The Clintons also threw their weight behind Eris in a statement on Sunday night, saying the future of democracy depends on electing Harris. Wow. That, of course, will be the Democrats' continued theme over the next few months, Armageddon. The destruction of democracy, the end of the world as we know it, dissent into hell. That's pretty much the narrative we can expect. And it seems like just yesterday when Biden and Democrat leaders were calling for more civility and to tone down the rhetoric. More endorsements from notable Democrat

leaders continued to pour it on Monday, including from Maryland Governor West Moore, Kentucky Governor Governor Andy Bashir, Massachusetts Governor Morah Healy, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who also said she'll serve as the coach. chair of Harris's presidential campaign. Democrat leaders in Congress also began to line up behind Harris on Monday. Senator Dick Durbin, the Democrats know how to get in line, don't they? Senator Dick Durbin, the number two Senate Democrat, gave his endorsement early in the morning, followed swiftly by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called Harris, quote,

brilliantly astute, end quote. Okay, look, not to sound cynical, but calling Harris brilliantly astute, it's like calling Trump diplomatic and eloquent. Now, there are still some significant outliers, and if we've learned anything over the past week, it's that anything can change at any time as we barrel towards the November elections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stopped just short of giving Harris an outright endorsement on Monday, releasing a statement saying she was, quote, off to a great start, and we're excited to meet with her and her team shortly, and that's according to her report from Politico. Now, the most notable outlier is, of course, former President Barack Obama, who put out a statement Sunday evening that danced around the question of Biden's successor, not even mentioning

Harris by name. Instead, the former president called for the party to, quote, create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges, end quote, makes sense, doesn't. doesn't it? So far, Obama is the only individual displaying courage in the face of the mob, meaning those looking to immediately call any naysayers on Harris either sexist or racist or both. Now, hopefully he won't change his tune. Hopefully, he and others will continue to suggest that an open convention is merited to select the person best suited for the job. And look, it's not about gender, race, or anything else. It's about merit and competency. But campaign donations are flowing back into Democrat coffers as of Monday, with the Harris campaign

announcing they had raised a record-breaking $81 million within the first 24 hours of her campaign. That's a sure sign that the DNC's donors are going all in on Harris. Because one thing the Democrats do well is align behind an idea or an individual and then stick with that message. If the Trump team imagines this will somehow be an easy race, they are likely in for a surprise. Democrats are keen to avoid any signs of chaos during the DNC in mid-August, and they are already working to demonstrate unity and support for their likely nominee. If Harris can indeed secure her party's nomination, the next question is who she will tap as a running mate. Now,

many of the names I mentioned earlier are thought to be in contention, including Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Phil Murphy, Pete Buttigieg, and Andy Bashir. Other names being floated include Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, but it could always be someone off the radar. So far, only Westmore of Maryland and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have taken their names out of the race, clearly stating that they have no interest in being the vice presidential candidate. Coming up next, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheathle faces tough questions about the failures leading to the July 13th assassination attempt on former President Trump. Plus, Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives in Washington on a diplomatic mission. We'll have

those stories when we come back. I wrote a little song to remind you, choice hotels get you more of the experiences you value. The Can be a Hotels got it all. A rooftop bar, have a ball. Bring a date your squad or even your mom. Book direct at choiceotails.com. Welcome back to the PDB. sticking with events in Washington, D.C., embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheedell faced brutal questioning on Capitol Hill on Monday, where she admitted that the attempted assassination of former President Trump was, quote, the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades, end quote. As hearings go, this hearing before the House Oversight Committee was, well, nothing short of

a disaster for Cheel. It lasted nearly five hours, and Cheatel faced criticism over everything from her leadership of the agency to how she handled the fallout from the attempted assassination, after which she failed to even give a press conference. That's according to her report from ABC News. The anger and frustration channeled towards Cheeto was largely bipartisan, with many House Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in calling for her immediate resignation, including the committee's ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin, who said Cheatel had, quote, lost the confidence of Congress. Well, look at that. Cheetaheel has managed to find a vote. find common ground between the Republicans and Democrats. And to that point, Republican committee

chair James Comer stated, quote, this committee is not known for its model of bipartisanship, oh, you think? And I think today we came together unanimously in our disappointment. We don't have the confidence that you can lead, end quote. Now, Cheeto offered little in the way of answers at the hearing. She repeatedly refused to elaborate on questions concerning the Secret Services Security perimeter, what officials knew of potential threats and when, why no agents were stationed on the slightly sloped roof used by the shooter, and why there was a communications breakdown between agents and local authorities. There was a widespread feeling in the chamber that lawmakers were being stonewalled. When asked for something as simple as Secret Service radio

communications, which Cheetah acknowledged were typically archived, she responded that the agency has no radio communications from the day of the attempted assassination. Where did they go? Republican Representative Pete Sessions in a moment of exasperation demanded, quote, Tell us what went wrong, tell us, and don't try and play a shell game with us, end quote. Well, instead, Cheetah repeated the same platitudes that we heard last week, namely that while the buck stops with her, she can't get into specifics due to the FBI's investigation and the agency's ongoing internal review, which she said will take roughly 60 days to complete. As an aside, my company, my job.

private sector business has done countless sites surveys, risk and threat assessments, and after-action reports. We could accomplish this internal review inside of two weeks, no question. Undiscoring the bipartisan anger surrounding Cheetah, Democrat representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, skewered the idea of a two-month delay for answers, saying, quote, the notion of a report coming out in 60 days when the threat environment is so high in the United States, irrespective of a party, is not acceptable. End quote. Now, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I couldn't agree more with AOC. Look at that. Cheeto has also found common ground between me and AOC. The most brutal moment came during an exchange between Cheatel and

Republican Representative Nancy Mace, who asked how Cheetah's opening statement was leaked to the media ahead of the hearing. Now, any kids that are listening to the PDB right now, earmuffs, Cheathle said she had no idea how the leak happened, to which Mace replied, quote, bullshit. Mace then asked if Cheetah had provided all pertinent audio and video recordings to the committee, with Cheatel responding that she would have to get back to Mace. Mace then exploded, saying, quote, oh, kids, earmuffs, quote, that is a no, you're full of shit today, you're just being completely dishonest, you are being dishonest or lying, end quote. Well, she could be doing both. While Cheetaheel spoke about taking

accountability, lawmakers noted that not one person has been fired or faced repercussions, Since the assassination attempt on July 13th, well, come on, it is Washington, D.C., after all. Lawmakers, of all people, should know there's almost never any accountability or consequences. Cheetah acknowledged that she was ultimately responsible for the agency's failure, but refused repeated bipartisan calls to resign. Uh-uh, not going anywhere. In a breathtaking moment, she called herself the, quote, best person to lead the Secret Service at this time, end quote.

Seriously? I'd rather have Paul Blart, Mulcop, leading the service than Cheatel. Okay, shifting our focus to the war in Gaza, where the Israeli military has ordered civilians to evacuate from a designated humanitarian zone as it prepares for an offensive against Hamas militants. This directive coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to the U.S. to address a joint session of Congress. The Mawesi humanitarian zone in Gaza, a densely populated area, stretches roughly eight miles along the Mediterranean and reportedly houses some 1.8 million Palestinians.

Now, the planned forceful operation by Israel focuses on the eastern part of the Mawesi zone, near the city of Kan Yunus, where Hamas militants have reportedly regrouped, once again embedded within the civilian population, and launched rockets towards Israel. Following the evacuation order, Israeli strikes targeted the vicinity of Kan Yunus. the Hamas-run health ministry reported 49 deaths and 186 injuries resulting from the attack. Amid the planned operation, Israel's offensive continues in central and southern Gaza. Israeli military officials are also reporting the deaths of two hostages held by Hamas, Alex Dansig and Yagev Abukhtab.

Their deaths are under investigation by the IDF. U.S. and Israeli officials remain hopeful for progress in ongoing negotiations. for a ceasefire and a hostage release. Netanyahu's office recently announced the deployment of a negotiating team to Egypt on Thursday, where talks facilitated by Qatar and the U.S. continue to work for a ceasefire. As the offensive continues on the ground in Gaza, Netanyahu is in Washington on a diplomatic offensive scheduled to meet with U.S. officials. Now, Netanyahu was supposed to meet with President Biden today, but it looks like that meeting has been canceled, presumably, because of the president's COVID-19 diagnosis. Netanyahu said, quote, this will be an opportunity to thank Biden for the things he did for Israel in the war

and during his long and distinguished career in public service as a senator or vice president and president. Unfortunately, he won't be able to tell him that in person. Invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Netanyahu will address Congress, emphasizing Israel's bipartisanship and its unwavering alliance. with the U.S., regardless of the upcoming presidential election outcome. Analysts suggest Netanyahu's speech will aim to balance the expectations of his ultra-nationalist partners, the Biden administration, and the Republican Party, particularly supporters of former President Trump.

Additionally, Netanyahu will attend a memorial service for the late Senator Joe Lieberman. It remains uncertain if he'll meet with Trump during this visit. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, a caravan of migrants from around a dozen countries left Mexico's southern border this weekend, hoping to reach the U.S. before the potential election of former President Trump. More on that when we come back. Looking for a protein shake that tastes as good as it performs? Meet rockin protein max. Packed with 50 grams of fuel, it'll help you keep up when your day won't slow down.

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Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Today's back of the brief, hundreds of migrants from over a dozen countries began their journey from Mexico's southern border on foot Sunday. They aimed to reach the U.S. before the November elections fearing potential border closures if former President Trump is reelected. The current caravan, known as Caravan 35, or the Way of the Cross migrants, left from Ciudad Hidalgo near Mexico's border with Guatemala. The caravan comprises individuals and families from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and 17 other countries embarking on the 1,800-mile trek.

Ciudad Juarez, situated directly across from El Paso, Texas, is one of the key locations where migrants aimed to cross into the U.S. illegally. While some migrants in the caravan are headed towards Mexico City to schedule appointments via the CBP-1 app to enter the U.S., and that's a process that permits the entry of up to 30,000 migrants each month, others will continue their journey towards Ciudad Juarez. In June, 2024, around 41,800 appointments were made through the app, yet more than double that number, crossed illegally. To assist the U.S., Mexico has increased difficulties for migrants traveling by bus or train to the southern border, rarely granting travel permits to those who entered without visas who most likely planned to enter the U.S.

illegally. Thousands have been detained and sent back to southern towns. So, you ask yourself, why are the migrants racing to the southern border before Biden leaves office? Well, data from the Department of Homeland Security reveals the Biden administration saw five million migrant encounters in the first 26 months of his presidential term compared to Trump's $1.4 million. The difference is during Trump's administration, he implemented immigration policies, including the Remain in Mexico program, which required migrants seeking asylum to remain in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date. The Biden administration scrapped that policy in 2021 at the outset of their tenure. Current migrant fears stem from Trump's 2024 campaign promises of tougher border controls,

such as potential border closures and the reinstallment of a policy similar, if not the same, to his 2019 remain-in-Mexico program. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Tuesday, 23 July. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me. at PDB at thefirstTV.com. Now, as you may have heard from family and friends, to listen to the show ad free, well, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief

by visiting PDB Premium.com. And remember, the PDB is available on all podcast platforms and our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed,

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