The President's Daily Brief - March 6th, 2025: Trump Leaves Ukraine In The Dark & White House Negotiations With Hamas

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have agreed to meet for negotiations—just days after Washington cut off intelligence sharing, leaving Kyiv in the dark as the war rages on. We’ll have the latest. The Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited Gaza reconstruction plan backed by Arab leaders, standing by its own vision of transforming the territory into a “riviera.” Plus—the White House has confirmed it’s been holding direct talks with Hamas over the release of U.S. hostages in Gaza and the possibility of a broader deal to end the war. And in today’s Back of the Brief—China fires back at the new U.S. tariffs, warning it’s prepared for, quote, ‘any type of war’ with the United States. 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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Thursday, 6 March. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with the news that U.S. and Ukrainian officials have agreed to meet for negotiations, just days after Washington cut off military aid and then intelligence sharing, leaving Keeve in the dark as the war rages on. We'll have the latest. Later in the show, the Trump administration has rejected a long, weighted Gaza reconstruction plan backed by Arab leaders, standing by its own vision of transforming the territory into the Riviera. Of course, Arab states responded by declaring that the U.S. proposal to relocate the population of Gaza isn't going to happen. Plus, President Trump

unloads on Hamas, declaring that if they don't release the hostages now, it's, quote, over for you. And in today's back of the brief, China fires back at the new U.S. tariffs, warning that it's prepared for, quote, any type of war with the United States. We are, as they say, living in interesting times. But first, today's PDB spotlight. The Trump administration is continuing to put the screws to Kiev following last week's Oval Office dispute between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky. U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that the CIA and Intel community temporarily suspended

all intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this week. That's a move that came soon after the Trump administration paused all military aid to the war-torn nation. White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said the pauses and assistance will remain in place until Ukraine agrees to come to the table for peace talks with Russia, and that's according to a report from Axios. The consequences for Ukraine are, well, immediate. A source with knowledge of the situation told Axios that the suspension of intelligence sharing will severely undercut Ukraine's ability to conduct attacks inside Russian territory and will likely also hamper the Ukrainian army's defensive operations. While Ukraine will continue to receive intel support from NATO members other than the U.S.,

the move by the White House will undoubtedly negatively impact Ukraine's capabilities. Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. intelligence to predict Russia's next battlefield moves. It also provides an invaluable tactical edge for Kiev, allowing them to track Russian troop movements and positions for weapons, guidance, and targeting. The move provoked further alarm among European allies, who are obviously already anxious over Trump's diplomatic overtures to Moscow. It also rattled some congressional Republicans. Senator Lindsay Graham, a close ally of Trump, said he was, quote, very worried about the long-term consequences for Ukraine's security. But while the actions are extreme, the pressure campaign does appear to be yielding some results. According to a source close to the Ukrainian government, the intelligence sharing pause was the key factor that prompted Zelensky to issue a public statement on Tuesday, expressing regret for his public argument with Trump.

That's a message he reiterated in a letter to Trump that the president read aloud during his address to Congress on Tuesday evening. In the note, Zelensky said he was ready to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. and work towards a peace deal, while praising Trump's, quote, strong leadership on the issue. That was followed by news that Zelensky's chief of staff spoke with White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Wednesday to discuss, quote, the next steps toward a just and lasting peace, and that a meeting had been scheduled for the near future to discuss potential negotiations with Russia. Zelensky later mentioned the renewed dialogue in his daily address, saying, quote, everyone can see how fast diplomatic events are developing.

Today, our Ukrainian and U.S. teams have started working on a meeting. There is a positive movement, end quote. CIA director John Ratcliffe said in an interview that the quick turnaround from Ukrainian leaders proved Trump's tough approach is working. He said following the verbal brawl at the White House last Friday, Trump was left with serious doubts about Zelensky's commitment to the peace process and that the pauses on weapons supplies and intelligence sharing were intended to make Zelensky rethink the current approach to diplomacy. But Ratcliffe added that the measures will likely be lifted

once a viable timeline for peace negotiations is established. Waltz later echoed these sentiments, saying, quote, if we can nail down these negotiations and put confidence-building measures on the table, the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause, end quote. Now, not to point out the obvious, but I think I'm about to, we still haven't seen any indication from Moscow that they're willing to sit down at the negotiating table, nor is there any indication that Putin intends to soften his hardline demands. It's unclear whether the White House plans on taking a hardball approach to dealing with Putin as they have with Ukraine. All right, coming up next, the Trump administration rejects an Arab-backed Gaza reconstruction plan at the same time as the

Arab states again reject the Trump administration's proposal, while the White House now confirms that they've held secret talks with Hamas over U.S. hostages. I'll be right back. Welcome back to the PDB. The Trump administration has outright dismissed a Gaza reconstruction proposal backed by Arab leaders, doubling down on its own vision that calls for the removal of Palestinians and the transformation of Gaza into a, quote, Riviera under U.S. ownership. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes defended the rejection Tuesday night, insisting that the Egyptian-led plan presented at the Arab summit earlier in the day, fails to account for what he called the, quote, currently uninhabitable state of Gaza,

citing extensive destruction and the presence of unexploded ordinance. Hughes stated, quote, President Trump stands by his own vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas, adding that the administration looks forward to further discussions on reconstruction. As we've been following here on the PDB, unlike Trump's plan, which centers on the removal of Palestinians from the enclave, all 2.3 million of them, the Arab-backed initiative sought to keep Gaza's residents in place, sideline Hamas while establishing an interim governing body, one that, over time, would hand power to a reformed Palestinian authority. The ultimate government goal of the Arab-back plan would be to unify Gaza and the West Bank under a single Palestinian

state. Speaking at the summit in Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to holding general elections in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem for the first time in nearly two decades, saying, quote, if circumstances are suitable, end quote. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has remained vague about his own vision for post-war Gaza, but has seen, signal the open support for President Trump's, quote, different Gaza plan, rejecting both Hamas and the PA as governing entities. Israeli officials, for their part, have made it abundantly clear that a two-state solution is not on the table. The Arab-backed $53 billion reconstruction plan, endorsed by multiple regional powers, envisions clearing the millions of tons of debris and rebuilding

Gaza by 2030. The blueprint includes an ambitious, economic framework anchored by shopping malls and international convention center and even an airport all within five years. But cracks in regional unity were evident at the Cairo summit. Key financial backers, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the United Arab Emirates, were conspicuously absent, raising serious doubts about the plan's viability. Algeria's president outright boycotted the event, dismissing it as being, quote, monopolized by a limited and narrow group, of Arab countries, end quote. Egypt's president emphasized that any lasting peace

depends on the creation of a Palestinian state. The reconstruction plan itself acknowledged the challenge of disarming Hamas, stating that any such effort would only succeed with, quote, a clear horizon and a credible political process. But Hamas has flatly rejected any move to strip the terror group of its weapons. A senior Hamas official told Reuters, quote,

the weapon of the resistance is a red line and it is not negotiable. We will not accept any deal to trade weapons for reconstruction." End quote. Despite issuing conflicting statements on its own role in Gaza's future, Hamas has also hinted at a willingness to step aside on the condition that any leadership transition remains strictly an internal Palestinian matter. Another Hamas official told Saudi's state-owned media, quote, as long as there is national consensus, Hamas will not be involved in the governance. For now, with the Trump administration pushing for an overhaul of the enclave,

Israel refusing to recognize either Hamas or the PA as legitimate authorities, and Arab states rejecting the notion of relocating the entire population of Gaza and divided on how to move forward, well, the future of Gaza's governance and reconstruction remains deeply uncertain. And just like that,

I win the PDB statement of the obvious award for today. Okay, staying in the Middle East, President Trump is making it clear to Hamas that he wants the hostages released, and he wants them released now. On Wednesday afternoon, Trump posted a message on Truth Social, which read, quote, Shalom Hamas means hello and goodbye.

You can choose. Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you. end quote. He went on to call the terror group sick and twisted and declared that he's sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, adding that not a single Hamas member will be safe if they don't comply. He also addressed the people of Gaza to whom he said, quote, A beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are dead, end quote.

Trump's statement came after Trump met with a group of freed hostages in the Oval Office earlier in the day. It was also revealed yesterday for the first time that the administration has been engaging in direct secretive negotiations with Hamas, aiming to secure the release of American hostages in Gaza and potentially broker a broader deal to end the war. The White House confirmed the talks on Wednesday following an exclusive report from Axios, marking a major departure from Washington's long-standing refusal to engage with groups that it designates as terrorist organizations. The negotiations led by presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Bowler, took place in Doha over the past several weeks.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed that Israel had been consulted, though some Israeli officials reportedly learned of the talks through other channels. While the discussions primarily centered on securing the release of American hostages, they also touched on broader efforts to free all remaining captives and to establish a long-term ceasefire. But as of now, no agreement has material. materialized. White House envoy Steve Whitkoff had been scheduled to visit Doha this week for a meeting with Qatar's prime minister regarding ceasefire negotiations, but that trip was abruptly scrapped on

Tuesday night after U.S. officials determined there was, quote, no progress from the Hamas side. Currently, 59 hostages remain in captivity. Israeli officials have confirmed that 35 are dead, while intelligence reports suggest that 22 remain alive. The status of two others is unclear. Now, among the captives are five Americans, including 21-year-old Eden Alexander, who was believed to be alive. Four other American hostages have been declared dead by Israeli authorities. The direct talks come as the 42-day ceasefire, part of the first phase of the broader deal, expired on Saturday, without an agreement to extend it. Though fighting is not resumed, Israel has halted all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, where 90% of the population has been displaced.

Israeli officials say withholding aid is an attempt to pressure Hamas into accepting a deal that Jerusalem claims has U.S. backing. Levitt, speaking at Wednesday's briefing, stressed that President Trump views these negotiations as, quote, the right thing for the American people, saying, quote, there are American lives on the line. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, China responds to the new U.S. tariffs with a bold warning, saying it's prepared for, quote, any type of war with the United States. I'll be right back. Wireless can feel like a world of traps, but not with visible. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot, powered by Verizon for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. Plus, for a limited time, new members pay just $20 a month for one.

year on the visible plan using the code fresh start refresh your wireless with visible tap the banner to switch today terms apply limited time offer subject to change see visible dot com for plan features and network management details USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance with USAA you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10% tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usaa.com slash bundle restrictions apply welcome back to the PDB In today's back of the brief, China has issued a stark warning to the U.S. after the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Chinese goods to 20% on Tuesday. As we discussed earlier this week, officials with the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP,

quickly hit back, retaliating with a 15% tariff on U.S. exports of chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton, and a 10% tariff on U.S. sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, fruits, vegetables, and dairy product. Now, they're warning the U.S. that they will not bend to the economic pressure and are ready to fight, quote, any type of war, according to a report from the BBC. The fiery remarks came as Chinese leaders announced Wednesday they will boost their defense spending by 7.2% over the next year. In a statement on X, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, quote, if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, were ready to fight till the end, end quote. Now, it's the strongest rhetoric we've seen from China since President Trump began his second term and suggests that the U.S. could be in for a long trade war with a defiant CCP.

Chinese leaders appear eager to demonstrate their confidence in their economy's ability to grow, despite the new tariffs, which they decried the previous day as a form of economic intimidation and bullying by the U.S. But whether China can weather this storm remains uncertain. The CCP has been grappling with persistently low consumption, a ballooning dead bubble, a property crisis, and high rates of unemployment, particularly among the younger population. Still, their premier warned Wednesday that China must stand firm as, quote, changes unseen in a century are unfolding across the world at a faster pace.

As we discussed earlier this week on the PDB, Trump imposed the tariffs due to the high levels of fentanyl that continue to pour into the U.S., as China serves as a main manufacturing hub for the deadly opioid. The president said that the Chinese regime has failed to take meaningful action to crack down on illicit manufacturing operations and that tariffs are the best remedy to force the CCP into action. But China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pushed back on this justification. saying, quote, the fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. Pressuring, coercion, or threats are not the right way of dealing with China, end quote. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 6 March.

Now, if you have any questions or comments or polite suggestions or humorous anecdotes, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And as you've undoubtedly heard from your favorite celebrities, to listen to the show ad-free, well, it's simple. Just 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.