The President's Daily Brief - November 10th, 2025: U.S. Deploys “Ghostrider” Gunship South of the Border & a Rift in the Kremlin

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: The latest sign that Washington may be gearing up for something big south of the border. Satellite imagery shows one of America’s most formidable attack aircraft—the AC-130J Ghostrider—has been deployed to the region. The Kremlin is pushing back on reports that Vladimir Putin has sidelined his long-time foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, after a failed attempt to organize a Trump summit. Another mystery in the skies over Europe. Flights were halted again after another drone sighting near one of Belgium’s busiest airports, raising new concerns about airspace security. And in today’s Back of the Brief—North Korea is rattling sabers again, threatening “offensive action” after a U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea just a day after its latest missile launch. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Tax Relief Advocates: End your tax nightmare today by visiting us online at https://TRA.com  Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/BRIEF and use promocode BRIEF at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 and get your trip right. Bad advice?

You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. Looking to diversify and protect your hard-earned assets, well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metal specialists. Just text BDB to the number 989-8-8-8, and you'll receive a free, no-obligation information kit, and you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to 989-89-88. It's Monday, the 10th of November. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. and ears on the world stage. And haughty-dadi, you betcha, old miss, another big win,

uh, not unexpected, frankly, 49 to zero over the Citadel over the weekend, improving their record to 9 and 1. Nice job. All right, let's get briefed. First up, the latest sign that Washington may be gearing up for something big south of the border. Satellite imagery shows one of America's most formidable attack aircraft has been deployed to the region. I'll have the details. Later in the show, the Kremlin is pushing back on reports of Vladimir Putin has sidelined his longtime foreign minister. Oh, say it ain't so, Sergey Lavrov, after a failed attempt to organize at Trump's summit.

Rumors have been flying recently. Ned Putin and Lavrov are on the outs. Plus, another mystery in the skies over Europe. Flights were halted yet again after another drone sighting near one of Belgium's busiest airports, raising new concerns. of course, about airspace security. And in today's back of the brief, North Korea is rattling sabers yet again.

Pyongyang is threatening, quote, offensive action after a U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea, just a day after the Hermit Kingdom's latest missile launch. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We're starting things off with the newest addition to America's military footprint south of the border. As we've been tracking in recent weeks,

Washington's presence in the Caribbean has expanded faster than at any point since the 1980s. Warships, bombers, and now we can add gunships taking up position just beyond Venezuela's doorstep. The New York Times reports that U.S. forces have begun operating the AC130J, known as the Ghost Rider, a heavily armed attack aircraft, from El Salvador's main airport. Now, the AC 130 is no standard patrol plane.

The Ghost Rider is essentially a flying gun ship. purpose-built to rain down fire on ground and sea targets. It's operated by the Air Force Special Operations Command. It carries a rather devastating arsenal, side-mounted 30-millimeter and 105-millimeter cannons, precision-guided missiles, and smart munitions. Its infrared sensors and advanced radar, allow it to track and destroy moving targets at night, in bad weather, or maybe through jungle canopy. The Times found that at least three different American military aircraft began flying missions from El Salvador's main international airport in mid-October. Alongside the AC-130, analysts identified a Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane, that's a long-range surveillance aircraft

capable of launching torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, and an unmarked Air Force C-40 clipper jet that rarely appears in public flight logs. El Salvador's president, Naiboucale, has welcomed the arrangement, His close alignment with Washington has already seen him imprisoned deportees from the U.S. and opened his ports to American operations. This move takes that partnership to a new level, effectively turning El Salvador into a forward base for potential strikes in the hemisphere. Now, the last time the AC130 was moved into a region on alert, it was preparing for combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two U.S. military officials told the times that the deployment is tied to an increase in counter-narcotic. missions. But with roughly 10,000 U.S. troops along bombers and drones and nearly a dozen

Navy warships now spread across the Caribbean, the buildup looks like something more, a regional power projection, perhaps, aimed squarely at Venezuela's Nicholas Maduro. And the timing is likely no coincidence. Just as those aircraft appeared in El Salvador, two more U.S. B-52 bombers were tracked along Venezuela's northern coast. According to Newsweek, their flight path, the edge of Venezuelan airspace, a rather textbook show of force, signaling that Washington is watching every move that Caracas makes. Now, this is the third such U.S. bomber demonstration in as many weeks, and apparently the message was received by the Venezuelan military. Hours after the bomber's appearance, footage began circulating online that appeared to show

Venezuelan F-16s scrambling into the sky. The video hasn't been verified, but it matches a familiar pattern. In past standoffs, Venezuela has responded to American flyovers with highly publicized fighter launches, part national defense, part propaganda for domestic audiences. Whether those jets actually intercepted anything or simply made a symbolic loop for the cameras isn't clear. In addition to the increased military activity, a new report from the Washington Post says that Venezuelans in the U.S. are now fleeing in large numbers. Their temporary protected status expired on Friday, ending legal protections for hundreds of thousands. Many are reportedly selling their homes, closing businesses, and boarding flights out of the country, fearing that war

between the U.S. and Venezuela may no longer be an abstract idea. Some of those leaving told reporters that they're afraid of being trapped between two governments, one that they fled years ago and another that they say no longer trust to keep them safe. All right, coming up next, the Kremlin denies reports that Putin has sidelined his top diplomat, and new drone sightings force more flight disruptions across Europe. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, we've all seen those scary ads about owing money to the IRS, right? You know the ones I'm talking about, just trying to frighten you into calling. Well, let me tell you about a different kind of business. They're called tax relief advocates.

Now, if you owe the IRS, whether it's $5,000 or $50,000 or $5,000, or $5,000, or $5,000, $500,000, TRA tax relief advocates has solutions to help resolve your tax problems. The good news is that you can get help anytime simply by visiting tera.com, and TRA could reduce or even eliminate what you owe. Their team is passionate about helping individuals and businesses fix IRS issues, and they have over a thousand five-star reviews on Google plus an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Look, you no longer need to be afraid of the IRS. Generous programs are available to give you a fresh start. And your tax troubles today by visiting tera.com. That's tera.com. Tax relief advocates, real solutions for real people. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business.

From designing a website to marketing to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz and all birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into, sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. Welcome back to the PDB. There are hints in Moscow that Russian President Putin and his long time foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, well, that their relationship may be on the rocks. I know, it sounds very dramatic. After his failed attempt to organize a summit between President Trump and Putin

in Budapest, the Kremlin's mouthpiece, Lavrov, has been unusually quiet. It's a noticeable shift. For two decades, Lavrov has been the face of Russian diplomacy. The man dispatched to defend Putin's wars, absorb Western outrage, and make Moscow somewhat unshaken. Now, according to Comberson, a pro-Kremlin daily outlet, he was quoted as deliberately absent from a key security council meeting where Putin ordered his top regime officials to explore new nuclear testing proposals. And when Russia's delegation heads to the G20 summit later this

month in Johannesburg, South Africa, it won't be Lavrov sitting at the table, but instead it will be Putin's deputy chief of staff. The timing is hard to ignore. Lavrov's absence comes not long after his failed bid to arrange the Budapest summit slated for late October. It was a meeting that Trump pitched as part of his broader diplomatic push to end the Ukraine war. As we discussed, the White House framed it as real diplomacy backed by leverage. But Moscow's end of the conversation didn't go well. According to Western reports, a tense call between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio derailed the entire plan. That call was meant to pave the way for an in-person meeting in Budapest ahead of the Trump-Pudin summit. But after Washington concluded that Moscow wasn't ready to compromise

or negotiating good faith, the plan was shelved. Just days later, Trump, Trump announced sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, a move seen inside the Kremlin as a personal rebuke and also proof that the old playbook of stonewalling and threats no longer worked. The denials from the Kremlin that Lavrov has been sidelined have since come fast. Putin's press secretary, Dmitri Peskov, told journalists Friday, quote, there's nothing true in these reports. Lavrov is working as foreign minister, of course, end quote. But the optics do tell a different story. For two straight weeks, The foreign ministry has released no details of Lavrov's travel schedule.

His last confirmed public appearance was in October when he hosted North Korea's foreign minister in Moscow. Lavrov, long one of Putin's most loyal and combative defenders, may be finding himself edged out as the Russian strong man leans more heavily on his military chiefs to handle both the battlefield and sanctions fallout, leaving the Soviet-era diplomat with fewer visible responsibilities. Still, Lavrov is trying to project normalcy. Yesterday, he told state-run news that he remains in contact with Rubio, saying, quote, it is important for discussing the Ukrainian issue and promoting the bilateral agenda. That is why we communicate by telephone and are ready to hold face-to-face meetings when necessary, end quote.

His comments came as he reiterated Moscow's conditions for peace. Unchanged, since Putin's June 2024 demands that Ukraine must renounce. NATO ambitions and withdraw from all Russian-occupied eastern regions. In Washington, however, Trump officials view Lavrov's statement that he's now ready to meet with Rubio as an attempt to salvage credibility after his failed effort to approach the first proposed meeting. Okay, turning now to the skies over Europe, where the story keeps repeating. Another drone over a Belgian airport grounded flights again on Friday in what was the second closure in a week, amid a month month's long wave of incursions.

Morning operations at Lillijer Airport came to a sudden halt when radar detected an unidentified drone entering restricted airspace. Within minutes, the airport was shut down, its runways cleared, and departures frozen. The halt lasted only half an hour, but the disruption was enough to rattle Belgian and European Union officials already on edge. As our regular PDB listeners are aware of by now, it's a familiar pattern. drones appearing over airports and military installations across the continent, at times weekly. Early last week, drones hovering over both Brussels and Lijes, forced dozens of flights to divert or cancel,

leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Just days before that, three unauthorized drones were spotted near a Belgian military base that houses NATO's nuclear deterrent. Belgian defense minister Theo Franken said, quote, What began as drones over our military bases has become a coordinated attack on civilian infrastructure across Europe. The Belgian government has since repeatedly convened emergency meetings as authorities scrambled to react. The country has since accepted German military assistance

part of what is a broader push to deploy new anti-dron systems around major infrastructure sites. Francon said several European partners offered similar help as Belgium moves to reinforce its defenses amid the ongoing airspace breaches. As we've discussed, the incidents mirror a growing pattern across Europe, from Sweden and Norway to Denmark and Germany, where mysterious drones have breached airspace for months on end.

Denmark's intelligence service described the incursions as a form of, quote, hybrid warfare designed to put pressure on Europe, that's according to Reuters. As for where that pressure is coming from, Brussels and its allies increasingly suspect Russian involvement. Belgian intelligence officials admit that they have no hard proof, but note the timing coincides with renewed EU discussions about using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. That plan, which is still under legal review, would transfer more than $160 billion from Moscow's

frozen sovereign holdings, much of it kept in Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the drone incursions are part of a deliberate effort, quote, to sow division within the block. Moscow, of course, continues to deny any connection. We have no idea what's going on. Still, EU officials increasingly view the pattern as a coordinated attempt to probe its defenses and to test Western military response times. For now, Belgian officials say they're ramping up surveillance in counter-drone systems nationwide, aware that spotting and stopping these low-cost, hard-to-trace aircraft may be Europe's toughest new security challenge. Coming up in the back of the brief, North Korea is issuing new threats after the arrival of a U.S. Carrier Strike Group in South Korea.

I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with a message from our friends over at Birch Gold Group. Now, it's that time of year again, and by that, of course, I mean, it's the one time of year that Birch Gold Group gives away free gold with every qualifying purchase. That's right. You didn't see that coming, did you? For Black Friday, when you convert an existing IRA or 401k into a tax-sheltered IRA and gold, Birch Gold will send you free gold for every $20,000 purchased. Look, gold started this year around $2,600 an ounce, and by October, it was over $4,000 an ounce. You ask yourself why?

Well, in a nutshell, global uncertainty. 2025 has been defined by trade wars and real wars and general uneasiness, and central banks are pulling away from the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency. So here's a fact. Gold thrives in times of uncertainty. And if you're looking to diversify your savings, birch gold can help you. Plus, now through November 30th, get free gold with a qualifying purchase. Just text PDB to 989-89898 to claim your eligibility and for a free information kit on gold. And remember, your opportunity for free gold with qualifying purchases ends on November 30th. So don't wait.

Text PDB to 989-89-8-8-8 for all the details. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about your security, specifically your online security and a great company called Delete Me that's out there working hard to keep you safe online. Look, Delete Me makes it easy, quick, and safe to remove your personal data online at a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. Delete Me.

sends you regular personalized privacy reports, showing what information they found, where they found it, and what they've removed. If you're like me, you care about protecting your personal data. That is incredibly important. And I know that Delete Me helps us stay ahead of threats, like identity theft and doxing, by removing information from data broker sites.

Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me. Now at a special discount for our PDB listeners. Get 20% off your digital. delete me plan when you go to join delete me.com slash brief and use promo code brief at checkout. Again, the only way to get 20% off is to go to join delete me.com slash brief and enter code brief at checkout. One more time, join delete me.com slash brief code brief. Fox News is now streaming live on Fox One. When it matters most, turn to the voices you

trust. We go beyond the headlines, bringing you the stories you won't hear anywhere else. Live coverage, sharp analysis, real perspective. At home or on the go, stay connected when it counts. Stream Fox News on Fox One. Download today. 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.

In today's back of the brief, North Korea is added again, threatening new strikes on its enemies after the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in South Korea. It's the regime's go-to move, of course, whenever pressure builds. This time it's from new sanctions, as well as the joint U.S.-S.-South military exercises. The saber-rattling remarks carried by the North's state-run news agency came a day after Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off of the country's east coast that was on Friday. The launch was time to coincide with the U.S. Navy's deployment of the USS George Washington to Busan and took place just over a week after President Trump completed his Asia tour. North Korea's defense minister vowed that the regime will, quote,

show more offensive action against the enemy's threat on the principle of ensuring security and defending peace by dint of powerful strength, end quote. I have no idea what that means. Adding also that, quote, all threats encroaching upon the sphere of the North's security would become so-called, quote, direct targets, end quote. North Korea news said the statement was made in response to the annual South Korea U.S. consultative meeting and the carrier's arrival in port. The missile launch also followed Washington's announcement of new sanctions against eight North Korean nationals and two entities,

accused of laundering funds tied to the regime's cyber operations. Those cyber operations are a key source of revenue for Kim Jong-un's clandestine weapons program. In the same statement, Pyongyang singled out Secretary of War Pete Hegset's visit to the DMZ, calling it, quote, a stark revelation and then unveiled intentional expression of their hostile nature against the DPRK, end quote. Hegset's arrival on the peninsula came ahead of high-level security talks in Seoul and was part of what Washington described as a show of unity with its ally. The Secretary of War said the alliance's core remains focused on deterring North Korea, though President Trump's administration also envisions a more flexible regional posture for American troops, one capable of responding to broader threats across the Indo-Pacific.

As for Friday's missile launch, it was the latest in a rapid series of tests this year. It came just over a week after President Trump reaffirmed his willingness to meet Kim if conditions permit. It's a prospect that South Korean intelligence believes Pyongyang is quietly weighing. The deployment of the George Washington, and its accompanying Fifth Carrier Strike Group, coincides with large-scale joint exercises known as freedom flag. Pyeongyang routinely condemns the Seoul-Washington drill as rehearsals for invasion, while the U.S. insists they're defensive in nature. But for now, both sides remain locked in a familiar pattern.

North Korean provocation met with American deterrence, but with one key difference this time. The Trump administration has left open the door to renewed diplomacy with the North. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, the 10th of November. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please, Reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And I hope you had a chance to get the latest episode of our extended weekend show. That, of course, would be the PDB Situation Report. It was, as they say, a barn burner.

If you missed it, well, don't fret. You can catch it in past episodes on our YouTube channel. Just head over to YouTube and search at President's Daily Brief. And while you're there, you might as well subscribe. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.