The President's Daily Brief - May 21st, 2025: China Funding Anti-ICE Groups In The US & Europe Hits Russia With New Sanctions

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A disturbing new investigation finds China may be bankrolling a U.S. nonprofit that teaches illegal immigrants how to evade ICE, with ties traced directly to Communist Party-linked entities. Later in the show—new details emerge about an Israeli covert operation in Gaza. Special forces disguised as women penetrated enemy lines to eliminate a senior terror commander. Plus—Europe targets Russia’s shadow fleet. Nearly 200 oil tankers now face sanctions as the EU and UK aim to disrupt Moscow’s oil smuggling network. And in today’s Back of the Brief—a historic conviction. The Navy’s former second-in-command is found guilty of bribery, marking the highest-ranking U.S. officer ever convicted of a federal crime while in uniform. 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 Kikoff: Build credit fast and get your first month for just a dollar at https://GetKikoff.com/miketoday. Thanks to Kikoff for sponsoring us! Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Quiet. No. Krispy, saucy, and $4? Very. Only at 711. Valley 362326, participating stores only while supplies lastly out for full terms. It's Wednesday, the 21st of May. 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 begin today with a disturbing report. The Chinese regime may be bankrolling a U.S. group that teaches illegal immigrants how to evade ICE. A new investigation has traced money from the Chinese Communist Party-linked entities straight into the hands of this controversial non-profit. Now, I'd like to say that I'm surprised that the Chinese Communist Party might engage in these types of shenanigans.

But, well, I'm the opposite of surprised. Later in the show, new details about an Israeli covert operation in Gaza. Special forces disguised as women infiltrated deep into enemy territory to eliminate a senior terror commander. Plus, Europe cracks down on Russia's secretive shadow fleet. Nearly 200 oil tankers now face sanctions as the EU and UK move to choke off oil revenues that help fund Putin's war machine. And in today's back of the brief, a stunning fall from grace. The Navy's former Second in Command has been convicted in a historic corruption case, becoming the highest ranking officer ever found guilty of a federal crime while in uniform.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll begin today. the look at the subversive activities of China's communist regime and their latest attempts to destabilize American society from within by undermining U.S. immigration laws. Now, a disturbing investigation by some intrepid reporters at the Daily Caller News Foundation has uncovered evidence that the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, is actively using a shadowy financial web of Chinese government-linked entities to fund an American nonprofit group accused of trying to facilitate illegal immigration. The organization in question called the Chinese American Planning Council, or CPC, has previously been caught coaching illegal immigrants on how to evade apprehension by

immigration and customs enforcement agents or ICE agents, all while raking in millions of dollars in grants from the federal government. Of course, the federal government is giving them money. According to financial records reviewed exclusively by the Daily Caller, the CPC, a nonprofit based in New York has received up to $445,000 in funding from sources with links to the Chinese government since 2018. Some of the organizations, bankrolling, the nonprofit, include the state-owned Bank of China, the state-run industrial and commercial bank of China, and the Bank of East Asia, whose executives have served as delegates to the Chinese people's political consultative conference,

where they receive directives straight from the CCP, the, again, Chinese Communist Party. Another notable group linked to the nonprofit group is a fellow New York-based nonprofit called the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, whose billionaire patron, the aforementioned Wang, regularly meets with CCP leaders in China. The CPC, which is the nonprofit, their extensive ties have caught the attention of members of Congress and raised the prospect that the Chinese government is actively trying to undermine the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, told the Daily Caller News Foundation, quote, I'm deeply concerned that Americans' hard-earned taxpayer dollars

were potentially used by an NGO, a nonprofit, to help illegal aliens subvert our nation's laws. Even more troubling is the Chinese American Planning Council's alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. He added that his committee would continue investigating the nonprofit, along with any other NGOs that are using taxpayer dollars to, quote, make a mockery of our laws. The House Homeland Security Committee first announced their investigation of the nonprofit group, CPC, in mid-April over allegations that they've been using federal funds to facilitate illegal immigration. The committee took action after footage surfaced allegedly showing the CPC's chief policy and public affairs officer, teaching illegal immigrants on the most effective ways to dodge arrest by ICE agents.

In the footage, which was first obtained by muckraker.com, the CPC official instructed audience members to avoid ICE by, quote, hardening your physical space, identifying a list of individuals authorized to respond if ICE comes to the door, and training everybody who's going to be involved. Another speaker advised attendees to, quote, not open the door at all if ICE agents come knocking. We should note that while state and local officials are not obligated to assist federal immigration authorities in their efforts, it is a crime to stop or otherwise impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. The Trump administration has made cracking down on illegal immigration a policy priority, and the Justice Department has made it clear that they will prosecute those

engaged in attempts to obstruct justice. The Daily Caller report points to the recent arrest and indictment of a Wisconsin judge by the DOJ, who was accused of helping an illegal migrant evade detention by ICE. Again, when it comes to the Chinese-linked CPC, the nonprofit, the main concern for House Republicans is whether the group has been actively trying to subvert U.S. immigration laws, given the extensive funding they receive through federal and state government grants. The Daily Caller investigation found that roughly 55 percent of the CPC's total revenue comes from these grants. While it's unclear how much money they've received from grants to the state of New York, we do know that they've received more than one point.

$1.4 million in direct federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services since 2022. Given the nonprofit's close links to a slew of organizations with ties to China's communist regime, many are concerned that the Chinese Communist Party is directly trying to derail the Trump administration's immigration agenda. So far, the CPC, the nonprofit, has not issued a statement or responded to the Daily Callers' request for comment. The investigation by the House Homeland Security Committee continues. All right, coming up next, Israel's special forces go undercover in women's clothing to take out a top terror leader. And Europe targets Russia's secret oil fleet with sweeping new sanctions. I'll be right back.

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Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back to the PDB. In what sounds more like a scene out of a movie than a true military operation, IDF special forces disguised as women stormed into to Kahnunas early Monday and killed Ahmad Saurhan, a senior commander in Gaza's third largest terror faction. According to eyewitnesses and reports from the Hamas-linked Safa news agency, nine commandos stepped off a white civilian bus posing as displaced Palestinian women and stormed Sarhan's home. The senior commander was shot on site, his wife and children were reportedly detained. Sarhan, a senior operative in the Al-Nasa Salah al-Din brigades, the militant wing of the popular resistance committees was declared dead roughly four hours later by the terror group, which referred

to him as their quote, special operations officer. For those unfamiliar, the popular resistance committees are a jihadist-salafist militia, aligned with Hamas and responsible for a string of deadly attacks, including participation in the 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel. The terror group has a long history of carrying out rocket barrages, roadside bombings, and ambushes on IDF patrols, and Sarhan was a key architect in those efforts. Witnesses described the early morning raid as short but intense, lasting no more than 20 minutes and heavily supported by the Israeli Air Force. The home, reportedly damaged in a prior airstrike, came under renewed fire as Israeli tanks and helicopters provided covering fire for the commandos extraction. Palestinian media outlets reported that

more than 30 Israeli support airstrikes were carried out across the span of 40 minutes, blanketing Southern Conunis. Dozens were said to be killed or wounded, though those numbers have not been independently confirmed. Terrorist-affiliated media also claimed that the Israeli unit used a civilian vehicle with local license plates and concealed weapons under blankets and clothing to avoid detection. Safa News Agency alleged that Israeli forces had hoped to interrogate Sauron before killing him, though this has not been verified. The IDF has denied speculation that the raid was linked to a hostage rescue operation.

Also reported killed in the strikes, Madi Kawara, a Hamas commander in Southern Con Unis, though it's unclear whether he died in the raid or in concurrent air strikes. The targeted operation unfolded in tandem with Israel's renewed military campaign dubbed Operation Gideon's Chariots, which began over the weekend following a breakdown in ceasefire talks. Meanwhile, international backlash is mounting as leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada, later on Monday, threatened to take, quote, concrete actions, including sanctions if Israel continues blocking humanitarian aid to the enclave amid several days of heavy airstrikes. As PDB listeners know, the blockade resumed back in March when the broker January ceasefire collapsed.

Undergrowing pressure from Western Allies, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel would now allow what he called a, quote, basic amount of food into the enclave. Five-aid trucks were reportedly allowed through this week, though the U.N.'s humanitarian chief dismissed the deliveries as, quote, a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed, end quote. Even so, indirect talks between Hamas and Israel do continue in Doha, with mediators clinging to faint hopes, underline the word faint, of brokering a new agreement, as Israel's offensive intensifies by the day. Okay, shifting to Europe, the EU unveiled its 17th sanctions package against Russia, again taking direct aim at tankers in Moscow's so-called shadow fleet.

That's the clandestine armada, used to bypass Western restrictions and sustain the Kremlin's wartime oil revenues. In all, 189 vessels tied to illicit oil and grain shipments were blacklisted, alongside asset freezes and travel bans targeting Russian officials and companies. The measures, green-lit by EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, mark one of the bloc's most aggressive moves yet in the economic pressure campaign against Putin's war machine. EU foreign policy chief Kajik Halas didn't hold back. She stated, while, quote, Russian leader Vladimir Putin feint's interest in peace, more sanctions are in the works. Kallas warned that

Moscow's actions and those aiding them would face escalating consequences. Now, this isn't the first time that Europe has tried to hobble Russia's offshore lifeline. These ships, many of which are aging or poorly maintained and sailing under foreign flags to circumvent regulations, have quietly carried crude oil and diesel and Ukrainian grain, often under murky ownership structures and shielded by complicit insurance schemes. According to Ukrainian estimates, the shadow fleet consists of around 500 ships. Third-party assessments by firms such as S&P Global and the Think Tank Keeves School of Economics placed the number closer to 400. So far, the EU has sanctioned nearly 350 of these ships, yet concerns extend beyond revenue

loss and sanctions leakage. Back in December, Finland's investigation into the Eagle S-Tanker, suspected of damaging the S-link-2 undersea power cable with its anchor, sparked fears that parts of the fleet could be doubling as platforms for maritime sea. sabotage. The latest package of EU sanctions also blacklists 17 individuals and 58 entities, including an insurer, linked to the Shadowfleet's operations. Officials say the measures target financial and logistical nodes across the UAE, Turkey, and Hong Kong, all of which have played key roles in facilitating Russia's global oil trade despite the sanctions. In a coordinated

move, the UK rolled out its own slate of 100 new sanctions on Tuesday, aimed at quote, ramping up pressure on the Kremlin. Among them were 18 additional shadow fleet vessels and several firms supplying Iskender's short-range ballistic missiles. Those are weapons that have been repeatedly used to strike civilian areas in Ukraine. London sanctions also targeted sectors central to the Kremlin's military industrial complex, including energy exporters, propaganda outlets, and financial facilitators. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a blistering statement,

declaring, quote, Putin's latest missile and drone strikes once again show his true colors as a warmonger. He urged Moscow to accept a full, unconditional ceasefire and move toward real negotiations. Well, that should do it. I'm sure he'll get a call from Putin soon. According to Fox News, the sweeping sanctions come on the heels of President Trump's phone call with Putin, which failed to advance ceasefire negotiations. EU officials say work on the sanctions package began immediately after the last round was finalized three months ago. in an effort to strongarm the Kremlin to the negotiating table. Since the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February of 2022, the European Union has sanctioned roughly 2,400 Russian

officials and entities. And with Moscow continuing to Stonewall ceasefire overtures, EU diplomats say that this latest move won't be the last. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, a top Navy admiral convicted in a historic corruption case, marking the highest ranking officer ever found guilty of a federal crime while in uniform. I'll have those details next. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, coming up this July, you may have heard about this, there's a global summit of BRICS nations being held in Rio de Janeiro. Now, the block of emerging superpowers, it includes China and Russia and India and Iran,

they're meeting with the goal of displacing the U.S. dollar as the global currency. And they're calling this effort the Rio Reset. How's that for a catchy name? Now, as Brick's nations push forward with their plans, demand for U.S. dollars could decrease, bringing down, of course, the value of the dollar. And while the transition won't happen overnight, the Rio Reset marks a pivotal moment when Brick's objectives move from possibility toward reality. So, you ask yourself, what can you do to help protect your hard-earned dollar savings?

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In today's back of the brief, a historic conviction is sending shockwaves to the U.S. military this week. Retired four-star Admiral Robert P. Burke, once the Navy's second highest ranking officer, has been found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and concealing material facts in a federal corruption case. His conviction marks the first time an officer of his rank has ever been convicted of a federal crime committed while on active duty. According to federal prosecutors, Burke participated in a scheme to steer Navy contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly more, to a private training company in exchange for a

future job. The job came with a hefty salary, a $500,000 annual salary, and stock options to begin after his retirement. The timeline of events is, well, damning. In 2021, despite previous warnings from the Navy to avoid contact with the company, later identified by CBS News as a company called Next Jump, Burke met with its co-CEO's Youngchell Charlie Kim and Megan Messenger at a Washington-D-C. lunch. that meeting, they allegedly discussed Burke using his influence to secure the company a federal contract. In return, they offered him the lucrative post-service position. Soon after, Burke allegedly ordered his staff to award the company a $355,000 contract to train naval personnel stationed in Italy and Spain. He also tried, but failed, to persuade a senior

Navy commander to grant the company another contract. In August of 2021, Burke notified the Navy of his intent to retire the following May. The company had previously been cut off from Navy business after a short-lived training stint back in 2018 and 2019. Internal communications revealed during the trial show that company executives knew what they were doing. In one message, Kim allegedly wrote, quote, Burke wants to work for us, but we're asking for a deal first, and quote, well, that's quite the clue, while Messenger remarked at the arrangement, quote, felt slimy. Now, here's a pro tip. If you're typing a message that says what you're doing feels slimy, then maybe don't do it.

U.S. attorney Janine Piro put it bluntly. In a post to X, she wrote, quote, when you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent. She promised that her office will continue to pursue corruption no matter what title or rank the individual holds. Burke now faces up to 30 years in prison, sentencing is scheduled for August the same month that his co-conspirators are set to go on trial. Now, this conviction comes amid broader efforts to clean up Navy leadership following other scandals, including the infamous Fat Leonard case that ensnared multiple officers in a web of bribery and gifts and corruption. I mean, who could ever forget Fat Leonard?

And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Wednesday, the 21st of May. If you have any questions or comments for me, well, please reach out at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, which you can do, and it's very easy, 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. Ryan Reynolds here from Intmobile, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much.

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