The President's Daily Brief - May 7th, 2025: Red Sea Deal Announced After Houthis ‘Capitulate’ & Hegseth’s Surprise Order

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   President Trump says the Houthis have “capitulated” and will halt attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea—but is the danger really gone?   Ukrainian drones strike deep into Russian territory, forcing all four of Moscow’s major airports to suspend operations just days before Victory Day.   A surprise move from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halts multiple U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, blindsiding the White House in the early days of Trump’s second term.   And in today’s Back of the Brief—a close call over Damascus, as Israeli and Turkish fighter jets narrowly avoid a dangerous confrontation in Syrian airspace.   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. True Classic: Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @trueclassic at trueclassic.com/PDB ! #trueclassicpod Jacked Up Fitness: Go to https://GetJackedUp.com and use code BAKER at checkout to save 10% off your entire purchase Lean: Visit https://TakeLean.com & use code pb20 for 20% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last night, you spent two hours deciding what to wear to the party. This morning, it'll take you two minutes to list it on Deepop and make your money back. Just grab your phone, snap a few photos, and we'll take care of the rest. The sheer dress and platform heels you'll never wear again, there's a birthday girl searching for them right now. Your one-and-done look is about to pay for your next night out, or at least the right home. Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Deepop, where Taste recognizes taste.

It's Wednesday, the 7th 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. Well, start things off today with a big development in the Middle East. President Trump says that the hooties have capitulated agreeing to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea. But, you may ask, is the threat really over? Well, I'm glad you asked. We'll have those details.

Later in the show, India launches airstrikes against Pakistan. Keep an eye out on this developing situation, by the way, attacking nine sites in response to the terrorist attack in Kashmir, because, of course, what the world needed was more tension and conflict. Plus, just days into President Trump's second term, reportedly a surprise order from his new defense secretary, Pete Hengseth, halted multiple U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, catching the White House, reportedly. completely off-guard. And in today's back of the brief, a close call over Damascus,

Israeli and Turkish fighter jets narrowly avoided a confrontation during overlapping operations in Syrian airspace. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll begin with a major development out in the Middle East, where the U.S. and Yemen's Houthi militants have reportedly reached a breakthrough ceasefire agreement. Now, in a surprise announcement, President Trump said Tuesday, that the U.S. will stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen, effective immediately, after the Iranian-backed group allegedly consented to stop attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and end their disruption of one of the world's most vital shipping lanes. That's according to a report from Reuters. Trump said the Houthis capitulated due to America's intense bombing campaign against

the terror group, which has struck over 1,000 Houthi targets since it began back on March 15. The president told reporters in the Oval Office that the military campaign left the group reeling and that they told the U.S. they don't want to fight anymore. Trump said, quote, they said, please don't bomb us anymore and we're not going to attack your ships. And I will accept their word, he said, and we are going to stop the bombing of the Houthis effective immediately. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore, end quote. Following Trump's remarks, officials in Oman confirmed the breakthrough, saying they had mediated the cease fire in recent days. People familiar with the matter told CNN that the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff,

who's been leading nuclear negotiations with Iran, worked to broker the agreement with the Qutis through Oman over the past week in the hopes of building momentum for a new nuclear deal with the Iranian regime. According to the Omani foreign minister, the understanding between the U.S. and the Houthis not to attack each other will ensure, quote, freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping. Secretary of State Marker Rubio subsequently described it as an important development, saying the goal of the U.S. bombing campaign was always to stop attacks on global shipping and restore freedom of navigation in the region. As we've extensively covered here on the PDB,

since Hamas launched its terror attacks on Israel back on the 7th of October in 2023, the Houthis have carried out at least 145 attacks on commercial vessels and 174 attacks. attacks on U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Their attacks have rattled global trade, driving up shipping costs and disrupting critical supply chains across the world. Some 70% at 7-0 of global trade traffic is now diverting around South Africa to avoid Houthi attacks near the Suez Canal. So a halt to hostilities by the Houthis would bring welcome relief to global trade, but is the danger really gone? It's worth noting that the response from the Houthis to Trump's announcement was, well, somewhat contradictory.

A spokesman for the political wing of the Houthis claimed they had not conceded defeat and made no concessions to the U.S. Instead, saying America had retreated after realizing, quote, it is in a losing battle. Separately, the head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee simply said the Houthis would be evaluating the Trump administration's halt of, quote, aggression against the terror group. Critically, Trump's remarks and the statement from Oman made no mention of the Houthi's relentless attacks on Israel and whether they agreed to stop those provocations as well. But the head of the Houthi's Supreme Political Council later said their attacks against Israel would continue. He reportedly said, quote, to all Zionists from now on, stay in shelters or leave to your countries immediately,

as your failed government will not be able to protect you after today. That's not exactly the rhetoric of a group that plans to lay down their arms. As we've been closely tracking this week, Israel mounted a wave of retaliatory strikes against the Houthis on Monday and Tuesday after a Houthi missile attack on Sunday, which punched through Israeli air defenses and detonated inside Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurian airport's perimeter and injured several people. On Tuesday, Israel struck key infrastructure used in Houthi tunnel construction and weapons smuggling, including Sana' international airport in Yemen's capital. Following the strikes, Khuti officials promised more attacks, saying they would, quote,

meet escalation with escalation. So, is the U.S. leaving Israel to fight the Houthis on their own? At this time, it remains unclear. But according to our report from the Jerusalem Post, Israeli leaders were blindsided by Trump's announcement, which was not officially communicated beforehand. Separately, we should also note that it's unclear if Britain, which has participated in attacks on the Houthis alongside the U.S., has also approved the tentative ceasefire agreement, or if they were left in the dark, much like Israel. And I think we've also learned just how many times one person can say Houthis in an article.

All right, coming up after the break, India launches strikes on Pakistan and new reports that a surprise move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth blindsided. the White House. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you likely know me as a former CIA dude, a businessman, and host of the insanely popular President's Daily Brief podcast. But I'm also a bit of a fashion guru. It's true. Guys turn to me all the time for style advice. And that's when I tell them about True Classic. Now, True Classic has one mission to make sure guys look good and feel even better. They've nailed fit, feel, and price across your entire wardrobe, not just T's, but hoodies, jeans, activewear, everything you need to level up your everyday style. But True Classic isn't just about great clothes.

Their brand DNA is built on being highly intentional in everything they do, from creating high-quality essentials to delivering a five-star customer service, to giving back to the communities, every detail is done with purpose. True Classic offers a fit that's snug where you wanted and relaxed where you need it, no weird bunching or no awkward tight spots, just a clean, effortless fit that works, and nobody, frankly, I mean nobody, needs weird bunching or awkward tight spots. Forget overpriced designer nonsense. Skip the cheap throwaways.

True Classic delivers premium essentials built for real life. Grab yours at Target or Costco or head to True Classic.com slash PDB today. Contra the gardener is, Paradei, extra-fuerte, to alleviate for allergy, act more rapidly and super Clarity and Flownase

even at 24 hours. Parade, Adelante. Welcome back to the PDB. Late last night, India launched its largest ever peacetime missile strike against Pakistan, dramatically raising the strikes

between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The strikes come in direct retaliation for last month's terrorist attack in Kashmir, which killed 26, six Indian civilians. In an operation dubbed Operation Sindor, Indian Armed Forces targeted nine sites within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to an official statement from the Indian military, they hit terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and

Kashmir from where terrorists' attacks against India have been planned and directed. Altogether, they claim nine sites were targeted. The statement emphasized the strikes were, quote, focused, measured and non-escalatory, specifically noting that no Pakistani military facilities were attacked. India launched the missiles from within its own airspace, ensuring that no Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistani territory. Following the announcement of the campaign, the Indian Army posted on social media, quote, justice is served a Jai Hind. Jihind is a patriotic Hindi phrase, commonly used in India, which translates roughly to victory in India or long-lived. India. On the Pakistani side, authorities confirmed that the strikes caused casualties. At least

three people were reportedly killed and another 12 injured in a city known as the headquarters of Lashkar-A-Tayaba. The terrorist organization believed responsible for those brutal, hip-habil attacks in Kashmir. In response, Pakistan vowed retaliation. A spokesperson for Pakistan's armed forces warned via social media, quote, Pakistan will respond to it at a time and place of its own choosing. It will not go unanswered. The temporary pleasure of India will be replaced by enduring grief, end quote. In a post on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif called the strike an act of war. He declared, quote, the enemy will never be allowed to succeed in his nefarious objectives, end quote. Additionally, the Indian Army has confirmed that Pakistan has opened artillery fire along the

heavily contested line of control in Kashmir, heightening concerns about further escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals. Reacting to the developments, President Trump addressed the situation briefly saying to reporters, it's a shame, I just hope it ends very quickly. Yesterday strikes signal a significant escalation between India and Pakistan, underscoring, of course, the delicate balance of power and the volatility in the region. Okay, moving stateside. Roughly one week into President Trump's second term, a surprise order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth grounded 11 military cargo flights that were bound for Ukraine, reportedly without the knowledge of the president or top national security advisors, so in confusion among allies and officials. The order delivered verbally from

Hexsv's office via the Pentagon's joint staff to U.S. Transportation Command or Transcom, because everybody loves a good acronym, halted weapons shipments already authorized by Congress during the final months of the Biden administration. The flights, loaded with artillery shells and other munitions, had been scheduled to depart from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and then Air Base in Qatar, with final routing through a logistics hub in Poland. The freeze followed a 30 January Oval Office meeting where Hegsseth, reportedly encouraged by anti-interventionist aides, floated a draft memo urging a pause and aid to gain leverage with Moscow. Three sources familiar with the meeting said Trump declined to issue any formal directive, halting aid, and was unaware of

the SACDF's subsequent action. Nonetheless, the verbal order was issued shortly thereafter. According to internal Pentagon records reviewed by Reuters and multiple sources familiar with this situation, the move triggered a wave of confusion across Kiev, Warsaw, and Washington. Frantic calls from European and Ukrainian officials began on the 2nd of February, demanding clarification. Inside the White House, Pentagon, and State Department, senior officials reportedly scrambled to determine whether the disruption signal a broader policy shift or a unilateral misstep. By the time flights resumed on the 5th of February, well, the damage was done. The White House told Reuters that Hegeseth was executing what it described as a standing informal directive to reevaluate Ukraine assistance,

but the administration has not explained why the order was issued without informing key departments, or why it was quickly reversed. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt downplayed the confusion stating, quote, the bottom line is the war is much closer to an end today than it was when President Trump took office. Transcom initially estimated the cancellations cost the Pentagon over $2 million. That figure was later revised down to $1.6 million after one of the 11 flights incurred no charge. The brief halt exposed deeper fractures inside the administration's national security

ranks, where decisions with global implications were made absent interagency coordination. Then National Security Advisor Mike Walsz is said to have personally intervened to reverse the halt once its scope became clear. Ukrainian officials described the White House response as vague and at times dismissive. One told Reuters the miscommunication was waved off as, quote, internal politics. Behind the scenes, several of Hexeth's advisors aligned with the America First Foreign Policy Movement were quietly drafting proposals to scale back U.S. support for Ukraine and redirect focus toward countering China. On 15th of April, though, several of those aides were escorted from the Pentagon after being accused of unauthorized disclosure of classified information. The February freeze was followed

weeks later by a formal announcement on the 4th of March when the White House declared an official pause in military aid to Ukraine. Are you confused yet? It's worth noting that one of the the Trump administration has since recently approved new military aid packages, no new Ukraine assistance policy has been formally announced. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, a near miss in Syrian skies. Israeli and Turkish warplanes reportedly came dangerously close to a clash near Damascus. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. I want to take just a few seconds of your time to talk about fitness. It's important, right? Look, more and more Americans are making their health and fitness a priority again, and that is great news. And studies prove

that strength training does more to burn fat than just cardio alone. Plus, as we age, strength training is critical to maintain muscle mass and bone density. And, and here's important information, you want to be consistent with your workouts, right? You want to make it easy to find time to work out regularly. And the best way I've found to do that, well, is to work out at home. And that's what jacked-up fitness is all about. As an example, jacked-up fitness offers the commercial-grade jacked-up power rack pro. It's the ultimate all-in-one home gym system that lets you get a full-body workout right in your own spare room or garage. It's equipped with a cable crossover system and integrated 200-bound weight stack and a Smith machine, allowing you to perform hundreds of exercises. Everything you need to do

at the gym can now be done at home. And if you're new to strength training, well, their get-jacked-up program includes full-body video workouts led by celebrity fitness trainers Kim Lyons and Clark Bartram. Simply press play and follow along. It's that easy. No more excuses. Look, I've got a Power Rack Pro at home, and it is fantastic. The quality, the construction, is excellent. It's solid and smooth, just like the best commercial gym systems. And there's no more worrying about finding time to actually get to the gym, or whether it'll be crowded when you get there and you'll have to stand around waiting for benches or hardware. Visit Get Jacked Up. dot com for more information and to sign up for their free program and use promo code Baker,

that's B-A-K-E-R, just like you would think, to save 10% at checkout. That's get jacked-up.com. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's talk about dieting and weight loss. I know everybody's favorite topic, right? Now, are you a yo-yo dieter? You know what I mean by that. You diet, you lose weight, but then you gain it all back. Now, studies show that that type of behavior can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems. Breaking free of your yo-yo diet pattern is a main reason that doctors created lean. Now, lean is a supplement. It's not an injection and you don't need a prescription. The science behind lean is impressive. Its natural ingredients target weight loss in three powerful ways. Lean helps maintain healthy blood sugar. It helps

control appetite and cravings and helps burn fat by converting fat into energy. So if you're tired of losing weight and gaining it back and you want to lose weight meaningfully at a healthy pace, lean was created just for you. Let me get you started with 20% off when you enter code PDB20 at takeleen.com. That's code PDB20 at take lean.com. 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. 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. I wrote a little song to remind you, choice hotels get you more of the experiences you value. The can be a hotel's got it all. A rooftop bar, have a ball. Bring a date, your squad, oh, in your mom, book direct at choiceotails.com. In today's back of the brief, it appears that a dangerous confrontation between Israel and Turkey was narrowly avoided last week amid Jerusalem's bombardment of targets in Syria. As we covered on Friday, Israel's Air Force bombed an area adjacent to Syria's presidential palace in Damascus overnight last Thursday in what leaders in Jerusalem called a clear warning

to Syria's new Islamistled government to prevent further bloodshed against the countries. minority Druz community. It turns out, however, that during the strikes, Turkish and Israeli fighter jets were operating in the same airspace, according to a report from the Jerusalem Post. Given the tense relationship between Israel and Turkey, the encounter could have quickly devolved and sparked conflict between the two regional powers. But Turkish F-16s, conducting reconnaissance flights in the area, were able to send warning signals to the Israeli jets using their electronic warfare systems, alerting Jerusalem to their presence. Brief radio contact was then made between the aircraft, allowing both sides to narrowly avoid

what could have been a calamitous confrontation. And how many times have you heard anybody say calamitous confrontation? As a reminder, since the fall of Assad late last year, both Ankara and Jerusalem have moved quickly to shape Syria's future. Turkey is backing President Ahmed al-Shiraz's Islamist government and hoping to establish permanent military and installations inside Syria. Israeli leaders, meanwhile, remain deeply mistrustful of the new Sunni-Islamist government, particularly given al-Shara's past as a former al-Qaeda operative. They've been conducting airstrikes, targeting the former Assad regime's military infrastructure and armaments to prevent them from falling into the hands of the extremists. They've also called the Turkish presence a, quote,

danger to Israel, and accused Ankara of trying to convert Syria into a de facto protectorate. Additionally, Israelists carved out a demilitarized zone in southern Syria near the Golan Heights to protect their border from Islamist extremist groups and have repeatedly warned Syria's rulers from deploying forces south of Damascus. But to ward off potential conflict, Israeli and Turkish officials held technical talks last month in Azerbaijan to establish a de-escalation mechanism and prevent, quote, undesirable incidents. That's what we're calling them nowadays, undesirable incidents.

A rough mutual agreement was established with both sides promising to keep communications channels open in a desire to preserve regional stability, even as both nations work to impact the future direction of the war-torn nation. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, the 7th of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. Finally, and you may have heard this, reportedly the White House is set to be. make a big announcement during President Trump's upcoming trip to the Middle East. I suspect, but, well, can't confirm, that they plan to announce that as of today, the PDB's YouTube

channel at President's Daily Brief has officially gone over the 100,000 subscriber mark. Mm-hmm, you heard me correct. On behalf of the entire PDB team, I just want to say thank you to all for supporting the President's Daily Brief. The bar is now open. Let the festivities begin. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the BDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying.

It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants to switch you to MintMobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front 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.