The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 1st, 2025: Trump Greenlights Weapons For Ukraine In Major Policy Reversal & National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Ousted From White House

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First, with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin continuing to stall efforts to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump is approving the sale of "$50 million or more" worth of weapons and other defense-related products to Ukraine, the first direct military aid granted by Trump to Kyiv since his return to office. Later in the show—National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who has been embroiled in controversy ever since the Signal chat scandal, is reportedly being ousted from the Trump administration after losing the confidence of the president and other senior officials. 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 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. Plus, for a limited time enjoy 5% off on almost everything site-wide excluding subscriptions and B-stock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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All right, let's get briefed. First up, with Vladimir Putin, continuing to stall efforts to end the war in Ukraine, President Trump is approving the sale of some $50 million of weapons and other defense-related products to Ukraine, the first direct military aid granted by Trump to Keeve since his return to the Oval Office. Later in the show, National Security Advisor Mike Walts, a key member of what some referred to as SignalGate, because in what Washington, D.C., any event that you want to paint as a scandal needs to have the word

gait after it, is reportedly out as the national security advisor, but he's in at the UN as the new ambassador for the Trump administration. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We'll begin today with a major reversal from President Trump. He's moving to open the tap on military aid to Ukraine as he reportedly loses patience with Vladimir Putin's failure to engage in peace talks. late on Wednesday, the Trump administration formally informed Congress of its intention to authorize the sale of $50 million or more of defense-related products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales. The approval of aid, the first from Trump since his return to the Oval Office, signals a major shift in the president's stance towards Kiev, suggesting that he's willing to up military pressure

on the Putin regime as negotiations with Russia to end the war remain stalled. that's putting in mildly, according to a report from the Kiev Post. The aid deal, authorized under the Arms Export Control Act, allows the president to control the export of U.S.-made defense articles, technical data, and other services to Ukraine, though officials have not yet specified the types of weapons or defensive services that will be included. Unlike foreign military sales that are announced publicly and managed between governments, the direct commercial sales approved by Trump on Wednesday, allow U.S. defense contractors and foreign buyers to privately negotiate these weapons transactions. An analyst at the Tochny Research Group told the Kiev Post,

quote, all direct commercial sales deals operate under the radar. The news here is basically that U.S. arms sales to Ukraine continue, despite everyone predicting that Trump would cut Ukraine off completely, end quote. In December, under then-president Joe Biden, Congress had approved over one billion dollars worth of arms for Ukraine, but earlier this year, Trump initiated a broad review of all Ukraine-related military assistance as he launched his diplomatic push to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the war, according to our report from Newsweek. He's previously been highly critical of the roughly $120 billion in U.S. aid given to Ukraine since the war began, but Putin's stubborn behavior appears to have changed Trump's calculus. The move also comes just weeks after

Ukrainian President Zelensky, announced his intention to purchase $30 to $50 billion worth of air defense systems and weapons from the U.S. as a form of a security guarantee, though it's unclear if that proposed exchange will move forward. But the newly approved arms transfer suggests that the Trump administration is willing to continue the flow of weapons to Ukraine, albeit quietly, perhaps in a bid to pressure Putin to take negotiations more seriously. Now, we should underscore that the authorization allows the sale of $50 million or more of defense products, meaning that, effectively, there's no real ceiling to how much aid the administration could ultimately approve. Defense analysts said the shift from Trump will help the White House retain its

strategic influence amid the administration's ongoing efforts to end the war. An analyst at Rand Corporation, of course, a defense and security nonprofit group, told the Keefe Post, quote, If U.S. military aid for Ukraine continues, whether through an existing package or a new drawdown authority, it will strengthen U.S. leverage. The Trump administration has repeatedly communicated its desire for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. To achieve its goal will require leverage with both Kiv and Moscow, end quote. So, what else may be behind the major shift on military aid from the Trump administration, you ask? Well, the reported arms sale came the same day, the Keeve and W. Washington finally inked a long-anticipated economic partnership agreement that will grant the U.S.

access to Ukraine's extensive mineral resources in exchange for establishing an investment fund that could help rebuild the war-torn country. We'll have more on that minerals deal and what it means for the future of the war during tomorrow's PDB. All right, coming up next, national security advisor Mike Walts, who took heat from the now infamous signal chat group kerfuffle, is being removed from his current position and reassigned to the UN. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. It's grilling season. Ah, you knew that, right? Temperatures rising that covers off the grill. And here I'm about to tell you where to get the finest beef to throw on your grill. Of course, I'm talking about a classic American business. It's generations of family,

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to depart the White House today, potentially, in part, as a result of fallout from the sensitive information leak in the Signal Group chat. Walsh, however, isn't being banished from the administration, far from it. He'll be assuming a new role as a UN ambassador. But the exit from the National Security team follows Waltz's admission that he mistakenly added the Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a signal group of administration officials. That chat, as our PDB regular listeners will recall, contain some sensitive details about the 15th of March strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen after a surge in attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Initially, Trump stood by Waltz, telling NBC news in March that the former Green Beret and Florida congressman was, quote,

a good man who had, quote, learned a lesson. Hmm, is that standing by him? I'm not really sure. But the support didn't last long. I mean, Washington is a famously fickle place. Sources say Waltz never offered to resign after confirming the authenticity of the leak behind closed doors, and the president didn't press the issue at the time, though many inside the administration believed his exit was inevitable. According to two-way co-founder Mark Halperin, who first reported the looming reshuffle, the tide inside the administration turned decisively in recent days, with senior aides losing confidence

in Waltz's leadership and judgment, or possibly, as senior aides searched for a scapegoat in the classic Washington game of Cover Your Ass. Shortly after news of the move, Trump announced that Waltz will take on a new role as the U.N. ambassador, while he said Secretary of State Marker Rubio will serve as the interim national security advisor. The shift was framed as part of a broader reorganization of the national security apparatus, minimizing the signal incident. The thinking, apparently, is to avoid handing a win to the media and the Democrats. So far, the administration is playing it close to the chest. State Department spokeswoman Timmy Bruce told Fox News, quote, the talent bench in this country, and for this government, is deep, end quote. Walson Wong, which, well, frankly sounds like a

comedy duo, have yet to issue any statement regarding their departure from the national security team. And there's no word yet on who will potentially replace them, though multiple sources say several former Trump officials and current national security staffers are already being vetted. As mentioned, Marco Rubio will temporarily step in and do double duty as both national security advisor and his regular job, his day job, as Secretary of State. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday, the 1st of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me. me at PDB at thefirstTV.com. And as your mom always said, to listen to the show ad-free,

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