The President's Daily Brief - June 11th, 2024: Stalled Offensive, Mass Migrant Release, & Iran’s Election Drama

Episode Date: June 11, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Putin's latest gamble seems to have failed. Russia’s offensive in the Kharkiv region has stalled amidst heavy casualties and the arrival of western weapons. We’ll examine a new report that suggests the White House is considering unilateral negotiations for the release of five Americans that are currently being held hostage in Gaza. According to a leaked memo, agents in California have been advised to release migrants from over 100 countries into the US, despite the Biden administration’s new “crackdown.” In today’s Back of the Brief, we’ll have the latest in the Iranian Presidential elections, where America’s old nemesis Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been barred from seeking office. 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

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. Start your day off right. Pour yourself a cup or two or maybe three of Blackout Coffee. It's a great family-owned American business.

Premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. It's like they're taking the beans right out of the roaster and putting them right in your cup. Go to blackout coffee.com, promo code PDB for 20% off your first-time purchase. It's Tuesday, 11 June. 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 off today's show in eastern Ukraine, where

Putin's latest gamble seems to have failed, Russia's offensive in the Kharkiv region has stalled amidst heavy casualties and the arrival of Western weapons. Later on, we'll examine a new report that suggests the White House is considering unilateral negotiations with the Iranian-backed terror organization, Hamas, for the release of five Americans that are currently being held hostage in Gaza. Then, we'll turn our attention to the U.S. southern border, where, according to a leaked memo, agents in California have been advised to release migrants from over 100 countries into the U.S. despite the Biden administration's new crackdown. I'm not sure if crackdown is the right way to put it, but that's the word I used. And finally, in today's back of the brief,

We'll have the latest in the Iranian presidential elections, where America's old nemesis, who are nemesis, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been barred from seeking office. Apparently, even the mullahs and the terror-loving IRGC consider Ahmadine to be bad news. But first, today's BDB spotlight. Beginning with the war in Eastern Europe, it appears that Vladimir Putin's latest offensive in northeastern Ukraine has stalled out as U.S. weapon. arrive on the front lines, and the Russian military reportedly suffers significant casualties. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan delivered the U.S. assessments in an interview on

Sunday, saying the arrival of U.S. weapons, approved by the U.S. Congress in April, helped Ukrainian forces turn the tide in recent weeks, preventing Russia from advancing further on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and that's according to a report from Voice of America. appearing on Face the Nation on Sunday, Sullivan said, quote, Kharkiv is still under threat, but Russians have not been able to make material progress on the ground in recent days in that area, end quote. He noted that President Biden's recent approval for Ukraine to use American-made weapons to strike certain targets inside Russia had helped leaders in Kiev diminish Moscow's ability to sustain their operations. Ukrainian officials confirmed the first official,

use of these weapons last Tuesday, which they used to destroy Russian missile launchers in the Belgorod region, roughly 20 miles or so into Russian territory, and those systems were being used to bombard Kharkiv. Sullivan said, quote, the Russians really have kind of stalled out up there, and their advance on Kharkiv is all but over, end quote. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy cautiously echoed those sentiments, cautiously, in his evening address on Saturday, where he declared that Russia's offensive in northeastern Ukraine had failed. He stressed, however, that fighting in the region continued, and Ukrainian forces were working to contain Russian forces and destroy their remaining units. Now, as we've been tracking on the BDB,

Russia officially opened up a new front in their war against Ukraine on the 10th of May, when they mounted a cross-border offensive in the northeast region of Ukraine, throwing some 30,000 troops at Ukraine's frontline defenses. Russian forces managed to penetrate much of Ukraine's border defenses in the region, advancing as far as six miles into Ukrainian territory before reinforcements halted their progress. Since that time, Ukrainian forces have managed to retake some border villages and parts of the border city of Vofchansk, while reportedly decimating Russia's ranks. Now, while independently verified details are hard to come by, Russia has reportedly been losing troops at a staggering rate, with Zelensky claiming Russia's losses

during the offensive are eight times higher than Ukraine's. Ukraine's defense ministry said on June 1 that Russia had lost more than 38,000 troops during the month of May, which, if true, would mark the deadliest month for Moscow's military since their invasion began in February of 2022. The defense ministry claimed that in just one day of fighting last week, Russia lost 1,300 soldiers, 48 artillery systems, and a total of 125 military vehicles, including 22 tanks. We should stress again that these figures cannot be confirmed, and Ukraine has had a habit of issuing casualty numbers that are far higher than the estimates of Keeves' Western allies. The update out of Kharkiv came just days after President Biden met Wazelensky

in Paris and apologized to the Ukrainian leader for the months-long delay in American military aid. Biden said the delay had been exploited by Russian forces in northeastern Ukraine and, of course, laid the blame squarely on conservative members of Congress. Now, despite turning the tide in the northeast, leaders in Kiev are urging caution. Officials have previously said that Russia's operations may have been geared at testing Ukrainian defenses and stretching keeps military thin ahead of a larger summer offensive. Now, the Putin regime has also threatened escalation, of course they have, in response to the limited use of Western-made weapons inside Russia. Putin suggested last Wednesday that he may begin arming American and European adversaries with

Russian military weapons to attack the West, while also issuing a fresh nuclear threat. All right, coming up after the break, as Israel continues to celebrate the rescue of four hostages from Hamas, we're getting reports that the Biden administration is considering unilateral negotiations to secure the release of five American citizens still being held in the Gaza Strip. Also, a recently leaked memo suggests that the White House's crackdown on the border is little more than smoke and mirrors. I, for one, would be shocked if that turns out to be true. I'll have those stories when we come back. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right,

so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade. Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak. trip, right. Kayak. Got that right. I wrote a little song to remind you, choice hotels,

get you more of the experiences you value. The Canberia 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. Returning to our coverage of the conflict in Gaza, reports are emerging that the Biden administration is considering going around Israel to strike a deal. for the release of American hostages. As a reminder, among the more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas, five are American citizens.

Two senior U.S. officials, speaking anonymously to NBC News, said that if the current ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ultimately break down, the Biden administration will seek a unilateral deal with Hamas. The negotiations would reportedly be conducted through Qatar, which has been mediating six. ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel. In addition to the five American hostages, U.S. officials

want to secure the remains of three Israeli Americans killed during the 7 October attacks by Hamas. Now, it's worth noting that Hamas has failed to provide any information regarding the status or condition of the hostages, so, frankly, it's unknown how many remain alive. However, the discussions are apparently far enough along that all parties have been briefed on a potential negotiating framework. Officials did not offer clarity regarding what the U.S. might give Hamas in exchange for the hostages, but noted that the terror organization may have an incentive to cut a deal, seeing it as a way to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Israel at a time when relations are already strained. Officials said they were also weighing whether a unil or a unilessal,

bilateral deal may put enough pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to the current ceasefire proposal. Netanyahu is currently facing immense pressure to act on a recent ceasefire proposal and to outline his plans on what a post-war Gaza will look like. Hmm, a post-war Gaza, what would that look like? Well, how about this? If pressure from the Biden administration, the UN and other international elements pushes Israel into a ceasefire while Hamas remains in control of Gaza, then a post-war Gaza will look exactly like it did prior to Hamas starting this war. There. That wasn't too difficult, was it?

As we covered on Monday, moderate Israeli minister Benny Gertz officially withdrew on Sunday from the emergency government formed after the 7 October attacks over Netanyahu's handling of the war and his failure to secure a deal for the release of the remaining hostages. He accused Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival. over the return of Israel's hostages. I'm sure that Ben-Ganz's desire to be Prime Minister has nothing to do with his decision. Netanyahu, for his part, has maintained that the only way to ensure Israel's long-term security is the eradication of Hamas militants in Gaza through military operations. Following Israel's rescue of four hostages in Gaza in an operation

on Saturday, President Biden reiterated his call for a ceasefire. Biden said, quote, we won't stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached. That's essential to happen." The current truce offer reportedly calls for a six-week ceasefire with a temporary withdrawal of Israeli military units and the release of a number of hostages. No longer than 16 days into the initial truce, the plan calls for negotiations about a second stage, which could potentially involve a permanent end to the war. Really? permanent? Okay, let me just see a show of hands. How many of you think that that's likely?

Hamas has yet to offer a formal response to the proposal, but have said they will only accept terms that will not allow Israel to resume fighting after the release of hostages. Israeli leaders, meanwhile, have said they are committed to their stated objective of destroying Hamas, suggesting a permanent withdrawal is not in the cards. and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, apparently will travel to Israel this week for further discussions regarding American hostages and to attempt to push Netanyahu towards accepting a ceasefire. All right, shifting gears. A leaked memo obtained by Fox News is raising new doubts about just how serious the White House's new border executive action is. The internal Border Patrol memo, which applies to agents in the San Diego sector, directs the release of single adults from all but six countries in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Now, for those of you keeping score at home, that would be over 100 countries. The memo, which was initially reported by the Washington Examiner, declares that only adult migrants from Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, will be immediately sent for removal from the U.S. the rest will be released into the interior with a notice to appear before court at a future date. The memo appears to be a major loophole, oh, you think, in President Biden's executive order, which, as you may recall on the PDB, orders officials to halt asylum requests if the average number of encounters between legal ports of entry reaches 2,500 or more per day.

If then border encounters remain below 1,500 for seven straight days, while the border theoretically reopens two weeks later. Confusing? You bet. However, despite President Biden's executive order, it appears that the overwhelming majority of the migrants, at least in the San Diego sector, will still be released into the U.S. They're just not eligible for asylum. Hmm, this is in addition to a number of other loopholes, including around 1,500 people daily, who used the CBP-1 app and those allowed entry for law enforcement or safety humanitarian or public health reasons.

Meanwhile, during an interview on ABC News this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended President Biden's executive order despite criticism from both sides of the aisle. ABC host Martha Raditz pointed out that border crossings had never fallen to the target threshold of 1,500 or fewer during Biden's presidency. Majorcas didn't predict if it would happen before the election,

stating, quote, we are at a very early stage. Implementation, as you noted, has just begun. It's early, the signs are positive, end quote. Majorcas added, hey, we're just making this stuff up as we go along. Come on, give me a break. All right, that was made up. I literally just made that up. Republicans have criticized the president's executive order

as nothing more than an election year's stunned. Could be. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell commented, this is like turning a garden hose on a five-alarm fire, and the American people are not fools. They know that this play is too little, too late, end quote. All right, coming up next, Iran's ruling guardian counsel has fired the starting gun in the nation's presidential race. There goes the starting gun, and they're off. Choosing six candidates to potentially replace late president, Ibrahim Reisi. We'll have the details on who made the cut and who did. didn't in today's back of the brief. I'll be right back. 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, 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.

In today's back of the brief, the Iranian presidential election campaign is now officially underway, with the ruling Guardian Council handpicking six candidates to potentially replace late President Abraham Reisci. How democratic of them. The council, overseen by Supreme Leader Ali Homanie, gave the greenlight on Sunday to a total of six candidates, most of whom have one thing in common. They're all hardliners. And men. of course. As of right now, the country's hardline parliament speaker appears to be the front-runner. The former Tehran mayor and now parliament speaker has strong ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and is probably best known for crackdowns on university students, including ordering live gunfire in 2003

during his time as police chief. He ran for president in 2005 and 2013, supporting Reisi in 2017. Last week, Khomeini offered praise for the Parliament Speaker, something that backers see as a nod of approval from the Supreme Leader. Other top contenders include a former senior nuclear negotiator, the current mayor of Tehran,

a former hardline justice minister, and Raiisi's former vice president. Now, there is one lone, uh, Lomodem, do air quotes here, reformist in the field. He's a member of Iran's parliament and a former House. minister, but he's likely to collect somewhere between zero and no votes. The council maintained

its streak of not accepting a female candidate, shocking, or anyone advocating for really significant changes to the country's governance. And that again is such a surprise. The Iranian supreme leader opted not to choose a female as a presidential candidate, and he seems so, I don't know, progressive. Now, there's one notable name, missing from the list of contenders. and that would be former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad, who's known for his controversial defense of Iran's nuclear program, severe handling of the 2009 Green Movement protests, and hostile rhetoric toward the West,

had previously attempted candidacies in 2017 and 2021. He was once again disqualified by the Guardian Council this past weekend, so so much for the devil we know, and that's what happens when you get sideways with the Supreme Leader, Clearly, Akhmedinajad has a really frosted Hamanese butt at some point. And honestly, I'm not sure if that phrase will translate well into Farsi. And that, my friends, is the BDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 11 June. A reminder that if you want to listen to the show ad-free, please be sure to check out our

premium membership at bdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird.

Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront 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. See full terms at MintMobile. com.