The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 29th, 2025: REPORT: Russia Training Chinese Forces To Invade Taiwan & Michigan Church Attack

Episode Date: September 29, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A new report reveals that Russia is quietly training and equipping Chinese forces for an airborne assault on Taiwan. We’ll break down how Moscow��s Ukraine playbook could be adapted to help Beijing seize the island. Plus—the latest on the tragic attack on a Mormon church in Michigan. 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 TriTails Premium Beef: Reclaim dinner from the jaws of school-year chaos Visit https://trybeef.com/PDB. Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking to diversify and protect your hard-earned assets, well, schedule a free consultation with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to 989-89-89-8-8, 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, just text PDB to 989-89-89. It's Monday, the 29th of September. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, a new report says Russia is quietly training and equipping Chinese forces for a possible airborne assault on Taiwan. We'll explain how Moscow's playbook from Ukraine could be used to help Beijing seize the island. Later in the show, and we'll have the latest on that attack on a Mormon church

in Michigan. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. A startling report from the Royal United Services Institute, that's a respected think tank based in London, says Russia is quietly helping China prepare for the potential invasion of Taiwan, because, of course, that's what the world needs, another belligerent power invading another country. A little background here to put things in context. Analysts believe that a Chinese assault on Taiwan would be among the most difficult and risky military operations in modern history. Amphibious landings are limited to just a handful of beaches, most of which are narrow, shallow, and very well defended. Taiwan's military knows exactly where China's landing craft would have to go, and they're prepared to crater those beaches with artillery and missile fire.

And while seizing airfields could offer China a way to bring in reinforcements, runways are, after all, easily destroyed. Russia learned that the hard way, when it tried and failed to hold Hostomel Airport in Ukraine back in 2022. So Beijing has been searching for alternatives, and according to this new report from the think tank, Moscow is delivering. Leaked contracts obtained by a hacktivist group and verified by independent experts show that Russia agreed in 2023 to supply China with an entire battalion's worth of air-droppable armored vehicles. Russia is quietly handing over air-drop armor, anti-tank firepower, command and control kits, and drones, basically everything you need to parachute fighting power onto firm ground near ports

and airfields. If true, Beijing could bypass Taiwan's beaches for the most part and seize critical infrastructure. But it's not just the hardware that Moscow's providing. The deal requires Russian instructors to train Chinese paratroopers in how to use the vehicles, both at Russian facilities and later at training grounds inside China. The contracts even include a technical support hub to be built on Chinese soil, with full documentation provided, so Beijing can eventually localize production and modernize the designs. And here's why this all matters. Because it gives a People's Liberation Army, the PLA, a potential way to bypass Taiwan's greatest defensive advantage. Instead of focusing solely on risky amphibious assaults, Chinese airborne units could parachute armored vehicles into

open ground, places like golf courses or sports fields or farmlands, near ports. and airfields. Once on the ground, of course, those lightly armored but mobile forces could seize key terrain, disrupt Taiwanese defenses, and open corridors for follow-on forces. Think about the difference here. Lightly armed infantry parachuted in, well, they're vulnerable. That's what doomed Russia's air assault outside Kiev. But paratroopers with armored vehicles and mobile firepower are a far tougher opponent. It would force Taiwan to spread its defenses more thinly and complicate American and allied planning to help reinforce the island. And it's not just Taiwan. The report says Russia is also equipping Chinese special forces with advanced parachute systems that allow operators to jump from as

as high as 32,000 feet and glide up to 80 kilometers undetected. That means covert infiltration missions not only against Taiwan, but according to the report potentially across the South China Sea, in the Philippines, for example, where the U.S. is building up new bases to counter Beijing. The most important part of this deal may not be equipment at all, but the training. Russia's airborne forces have real combat experience and have learned some very tough lessons during their war in Ukraine. China's airborne troops, by contrast, are untested. By training with Russian instructors, they're learning how to conduct battalion-scale airmen. maneuvers, how to command and control units once they're on the ground, and how to integrate

airborne operations into larger campaigns. It's a sign of just how far military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has grown since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Historically, Russia was reluctant to sell its most advanced capabilities to China, fearing theft of designs and loss of its technological edge. But today, well, Moscow needs Chinese money to keep its defense industry afloat, and in return, Beijing gets valuable capabilities and know-how to prepare for a possible fight over Taiwan. For Washington and its allies, there are some major implications. An invasion attempt in the Taiwan Strait could, of course, trigger a much wider conflict across the Pacific, and an airborne assault capability, complete with vehicles, firepower, and training, makes that operation

more feasible than it was even a year ago. It also highlights a dangerous reality. As Russia ties down, NATO resources in Europe, it's simultaneously helping China build up the tools to challenge U.S. power in Asia, two authoritarian powers aligned militarily and industrially, looking to stretch America's ability to respond in both theaters at once. Coming up next, the death toll has risen to four in a deadly shooting and arson attack on a Mormon church in Michigan. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. I want to take just a moment of your time to talk about my favorite purveyor of steaks and beef. And of course, I'm talking about the great Tritails Beef. Now, as I'm sure you're aware, right, it's back to school season. And of course, that means the usual chaos around the

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The attack unfolded in Grand Blanc Township, just outside Flint, around 10.30 a.m. The suspect, driving a pickup truck flying two American flags, smashed into the church's front doors before spraying the Mormon congregation with rounds from a semi-automatic rifle. Local police chief William René told reporters that officers responded within 30 seconds, but by then the chaos and carnage were in full swing. Witnesses described worshippers shielding children, diving behind pews and others running to safety. Within minutes of the bullets flying, the sanctuary was an inferno.

Fire officials believe the gunmen deliberately set ablaze, likely using gasoline or another accelerant. Flames tore through the building with startling speed, sending plumes of black smoke over the town and collapsing part of the roof. Federal investigators later confirmed three improvised explosives were recovered at the scene, though they have not said whether the device is detonated or played any role in the fire. About eight minutes after the first 911 calls, the shooter was gunned down by officers as he attempted to flee. Still, the police chief cautioned that several members of the congregation remained unaccounted for, with up to seven feared missing as search teams continue to comb through the wreckage today.

While the investigation is ongoing, authorities identified the attacker as a 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of nearby Burton, Michigan. From what we know of his background, Sanford was a Marine veteran, who served in Iraq back in 2007 and rose to the rank of sergeant. Court filings show he married in 2016 and had a young son. Federal agents searched his residence, but investigators have yet to disclose what they found or whether Sanford harbored any ties to the Mormon Church. As for a motive, officials say it remains unknown at this time. The FBI has now thrown more than 100 agents on the case, labeling the attack a, quote, act of targeted violence. Yeah, that sounds accurate. ATF teams are working to identify the composition of the explosives found. Michigan State Police also reported

bomb threats phoned into other local churches on Sunday, though none were substantiated. As for who called in those threats, that remains under investigation. The targeted church is one of the largest Mormon congregations in the region, home to about 150 members. President Trump denounced the rampage on truth social, labeling the shooting, quote, yet another targeted attack on Christians in the U.S. and demanding that, quote, this epidemic of violence end. Vice President J.D. Vance said the, entire Trump administration is monitoring developments. And Mitt Romney, the former U.S. Senator for Utah and presidential candidate, who is one of the country's most prominent morbid politicians, called it a, quote, tragedy and said he was praying for the victims and their families.

Sunday's carnage adds to a roster of assaults on houses of worship in recent months, as we covered here on the PDB back in late August, a shooter opened fire during a back-to-school mass in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing two children and wounding 21 others. In July, a gunman stormed Richmond Road, Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, gunning down a police officer and two worshippers. The latest church shooting in Michigan underscores a growing wave of violence against religious communities across the country. Incidents that federal investigators say increasingly resemble planned, targeted attacks.

And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, the 29th of September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can do that, and it's very 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 tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile,

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