The President's Daily Brief - March 28th, 2024: Hostage Survivor Recounts Hamas Horrors, Top Kremlin Ally Undermines Putin, & The Economic Fallout Of The Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Episode Date: March 28, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:     For the first time a former Israeli hostage is opening up about her 55 days in captivity, recalling routine beatings and sexual assault. We’ll have the harrowing details on her ordeal. While President Vladimir Putin continues to push a spurious Ukrainian connection to Friday’s terror attack, one of his key allies—Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko—appears to be undermining his efforts. The latest on the devastating bridge collapse in Baltimore and the potential ripple effects the incident could have on the US economy. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, a self-styled "migrant influencer" who was using TikTok to cross the border and encourage migrants to squat in U.S. homes is now on the run from immigration authorities. 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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It's Thursday, 28 March. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. For the first time, a former Israeli hostage is opening up about her 55 days in captivity, recalling routine beatings and sexual assault. We'll have the disturbing details on her ordeal. Later in the program, while President Putin continues to push a fictional Ukrainian connection

to Friday's terror attack in Moscow, one of his key allies, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, appears to be undermining his efforts. Plus, we'll have the latest details about the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore and the potential ripple effects that the incident could have on the U.S. economy. And in today's back of the brief, I'll have the story of a self-styled migrant influencer who was using TikTok to cross the border and encourage migrants to squat in U.S. homes. He's now on the run. from immigration authorities. But first, today's PDB spotlight.

For the first time, a freed Israeli hostage taken by Hamas is coming forward with graphic details about her 55 days in captivity. 40-year-old Israeli lawyer Amit Susanna was taken from Kabutzqfar Aza on October 7th and was routinely beaten and sexually assaulted by her captors. Susanna told the New York Times that she was speaking out, in order to raise awareness of the conditions faced by the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Now, it's worth noting, Hamas continues to refuse to provide any insight into the health or conditions of the remaining hostages, nor any details about how many of the hostages remain alive.

According to Susanna, she was kept in multiple locations during her captivity. In one particular location, she was kept chained to a bed, the man guarding her, who only went by the name Muhammad, would routinely enter the room, sit beside her, and molest her. Susanna recounted that one day she was unchained and allowed to wash herself. While in the bathroom, her guard shoved a gun to her forehead, dragged her into his room, and forced her to commit a sexual act on him. The Times agreed not to disclose the specifics. After the assault, she recalled that the man showed remorse, saying, I'm bad, I'm bad, please don't tell Israel." End quote. In addition to sexual assault, she recalled numerous instances of being beaten and tortured by

her captors. Following her release, along with 105 other captives during a ceasefire in late November, Susanna publicly shared only limited details about her ordeal in the Gaza Strip, hesitant to speak about such a distressing event. She stated that she feigned good treatment by her captors in a video recorded by Hamas just before her release. Now, a spokesman for Hamas denied the story telling the New York Times that the victim's recollections were so detailed that it was, quote, difficult to believe the story unless it was concocted by security officers. The Hamas spokesman also said that Hamas sees the human body and especially that of women as sacred. And anyone who believes that claim from the Hamas spokesman is either a terrorist apologist or a complete idiot.

Of course, one doesn't rule out the other. The statement from the Hamas spokesman is difficult to reconcile, and by that, I mean impossible to reconcile, with the reports and evidence of sexual violence committed by Hamas not only against their hostages, but also against numerous women during the 7 October medieval slaughter in Southern Israel that started the current conflict. As we reported earlier this month, the United Nations issued a report finding clear and convincing evidence of widespread sexual violence, including gang rapes, sexual torture, and mutilation. So no, nothing the Hamas spokesman or Hamas in general says is credible or believable. Coming up after the break, Russian President

Putin persists with dubious claims linking Ukraine to the recent terror attack as one of his closest allies seems to be subverting Putin's make-believe narrative. Plus, the latest on that devastating bridge collapse in Baltimore and its implications for the U.S. economy. I'll be right back. Welcome back. As Russian leaders continue to suggest Ukrainian and Western involvement in the deadly ISIS terrorist attack in Moscow, Vladimir Putin's top European ally appears to be blowing holes in his narrative. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko contradicted a key element of Putin's claims on Tuesday, saying that the terrorists initially tried to cross into Belarus to flee Russia, not Ukraine. Lukashenko said that the attackers were rebuffed.

due to increased security measures implemented after the attack. These included checkpoints being set up on roads between Russia and Belarus and the deployment of the military along the border. Lukashenko told reporters Tuesday, quote, that's why there was no chance that they could enter Belarus. They realized it, so they took a turn and headed to the Ukraine-Russia border, end quote. As we discussed earlier this week, Putin has continued to suggest that Ukraine, along with Western intelligence agencies

helped facilitate the deadly ISIS attack in Moscow, something that leaders in Kiev have repeatedly said are baseless lies. Putin's supposed smoking gun evidence is the fact that the militants attempted to flee Russia through the Ukrainian border. In his remarks following the massacre, Putin said their intelligence indicated that a, quote, window was prepared for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the border.

Lukashenko, however, made it clear on Tuesday that the terrorist's intended route of escape was to cross into Belarus. He continued, quote, they're handlers, and we have suspicions about some of them. I'll call Putin and share my suspicions, he said, knew that it would be a very bad idea to try to enter Belarus because Belarus immediately reinforced security measures, end quote. Now, Lukashenko went as far as to say that in the immediate aftermath of the attack, as intelligence indicated that terrorists were heading towards a city near the border of Belarus, he and Putin agreed to seal off a section of the road

that could have been used by the militants to escape. Ironically, he said he was sharing this information publicly to stick up for his pal Putin, as some critics have questioned why it took Putin so long to address the public after the massacre. Lukashenko said he wanted to make it clear that he and Putin were in command of the situation in the aftermath of the attack.

Now, as we discussed on yesterday's show, Lukashenko is not the only person in Putin's orbit who was contradicting his public remarks. Our report from Bloomberg said members of Putin's inner circle agree that there is no link between the ISIS attack and leaders in Kiev. Putin was reportedly at a meeting where officials discussed this conclusion, but he is allegedly determined to leverage the tragedy to rally public support for the war effort. All right, shifting gears.

I want to return to our coverage of the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore and the enormous economic ripple effect its destruction is expected to have throughout the country. As we discussed earlier this week on the PDB, a nearly thousand-foot container cargo vessel struck the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the early morning hours of Tuesday, causing most of the 1.6-mile-long crossing to crumple instantaneously into the waters. At least eight members of a road repair crew that had been working overnight to fix potholes on the bridge plunged into the river below. While two were rescued, one with serious injuries, the remaining six are presumed dead, though search efforts are still being conducted. While the loss of life is tragic enough, of course,

officials are now warning that the disaster will have devastating and prolonged economic repercussions far beyond Baltimore. Following the bridge's collapse, the port of Baltimore was shut down, and the debris of the bridge is also currently blocking ocean access to the port. At least 10 commercial ships heading for the port have been forced to drop anchor off the coast as cleanup continues. And a timeline for cleanup and rebuilding, well, that's not clear, but experts say it will take months, if not years. The port of Baltimore is one of the busiest in the U.S. It's ranking 9th among U.S. harbors for both tonnage and the dollar value of foreign cargo that comes through the port, that's according to an Axios report. It serves as the top hub

for U.S. imports and exports of cars and light trucks, as well as heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar and imported gypsum. The port handled a record 52.3 million tons of international cargo in 2023 worth approximately $80 billion. Additionally, the port supports more than 15,000 direct jobs and nearly 140,000 indirect jobs. That totals roughly 3.3 billion, and personal income. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson announced Wednesday that the state would be passing an emergency bill to pay the salaries of any impacted workers. Ferguson said, quote, the economic and stability loss to the thousands impacted in the days ahead cannot be understated, end quote. In terms of the cost of repairs, President Biden has already pledged that the government

will pick up the tab. Now, to make matters worse, the Francis Scott Keybridge serves as a vital artery for vehicle traffic on the East Coast moving mostly between New York City and Washington, D.C. The bridge carried roughly 30,000 cars per day, amounting to roughly 11.3 million vehicle crossings per year. Traffic in the greater area is expected to be a disaster for the foreseeable future, and supply chain disruptions are expected, as truckers have to find alternative and potentially longer routes. Sean McNally, an official with the American Trucking Association, warned Quote, the Key Bridge and Port of Baltimore are critical components of our nation's infrastructure and supply chain.

Aside from the obvious tragedy, this incident will have significant and long-lasting impacts on the region, end quote. All right, coming up in today's back of the brief, I'll have the story of a self-styled migrant influencer who knew there was such a thing on TikTok, who was now reportedly on the run from U.S. immigration authorities. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, a self-styled, quote, migrant influencer on TikTok, who encouraged illegal immigrants to squat in U.S. homes is now reportedly on the run from U.S.

immigration authorities. Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan native who entered the U.S. illegally in April of 2022, gained notoriety last month after a video went viral on TikTok of him bragging about living off the American taxpayer. He claimed that he and his wife and young. daughter were receiving $350 a week in government handouts, all while he claimed to be making more than a thousand a day as a TikTok influencer for migrants, and yes, that's apparently a thing in today's world. He would regularly tell his audience of more than $500,000 that he planned to make a

business out of, quote, invading abandoned houses and using squatters' rights laws to take them over before flipping them for a profit. it. Recently, he even encouraged his followers to support the Venezuelan migrant behind a February shooting in New York City's Times Square. It appears, however, that his luck has run out. Moreno was admitted into the U.S. under what's called the Alternatives to Detention Program, which allows authorities to release apprehended migrants and track them using ankle monitors. Oh, this sounds like a great idea. According to an exclusive report from the New York Post on Wednesday. Morano has cut off his ankle monitor and is now regarded as a, quote,

absconder by U.S. immigration authorities. What a gentle term for an illegal on the run from law enforcement. Oh, he's just an absconder. Makes him sound like a real rascal, a scamp. Former Border Patrol officials said Moreno's story underscores the utter failure of current U.S. immigration policy. John Fabricatore, a former Icefield office director, told the New York Post, quote, we have witnessed yet another individual who was allowed entry into the U.S. under the alternatives to detention program only to abscond, well, there's that word again, and make TikTok videos explaining how to break the law. The question stands, he says, how many thousands more are out there unaccounted for after fleeing this program? End quote. That's a good question, John.

When it comes to the border situation, I'd love to hear from PDB listeners. Look, if you had to describe the border situation in one word, and let's make it a clean, listener-friendly word, well, what would it be? Send your responses to PDB at thefirsttv.com. Now, finally, on a sad note, former four-term U.S. Senator and one-time vice-presidential candidate, Joseph Lieberman, passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Lieberman was known as a centrist, an old-school moderate Democrat, who spent his later years trying to build bridges between the two parties and find areas of compromise. Now, of course, that was an increasingly difficult task in an increasingly partisan Washington, D.C. And that, my friends,

is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 28 March. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And be sure to check out our new premium membership at pdbb premium.com. Same great product, now with zero ads. Mike Baker, I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.