The President's Daily Brief - September 4th, 2024: China Targets US Voters, Deadly Missile Strikes, & CCP Espionage in NY

Episode Date: September 4, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Chinese government-backed trolls are ramping up their efforts to influence U.S. voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. By assuming fake identities on social media, they aim to sow division on hot-button issues like gun control and the Israel-Hamas war. Ukraine endured a devastating day as Russian missiles struck a military training facility, claiming the lives of at least 50 people. This marks one of the deadliest attacks since the war began. Authorities have made arrests after uncovering that a Chinese Communist Party agent infiltrated the highest levels of New York state government, working closely with Governor Kathy Hochul. In today’s Back of the Brief, bizarre news out of Venezuela as the country’s dictator Nicolas Maduro arbitrarily declares that Christmas will begin on October 1st this year. 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. Email: [e-mail] 🏅 Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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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. First up, Chinese government-backed trolls are ramping up their efforts to influence U.S. voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. By assuming a wide variety of fake identities on social media, their goal is to sow division on hot-button issues like gun control and the Israel-Hamas war. The disinformation and misinformation and misinformation is designed to increase the partisan divide to get Americans fighting amongst themselves and questioning the credibility of the electoral process and government institutions.

Hmm. So, seems like they're having success. Later in the brief, Ukraine endured a devastating day as Russian missiles struck a military training facility claiming the lives of at least 50 people. This marks one of the deadliest attacks since the war began. Plus, authorities have made arrests after uncovering that a Chinese Communist Party agent infiltrated the highest levels of New York State government, eventually working closely with Governor Kathy Hockel. And it stays back of the brief. Bizarre news out of Venezuela, as the country's dictator Nicholas Maduro arbitrarily declares

that Christmas will begin on October 1st this year. I'm not going on a limb here when I say that. the despotic dictator Maduro, and he's also a stealer of elections, sits on the throne of lies. And you're welcome for the elf reference. But first, today's PDB spotlight. I want to begin with a look at China's sprawling cyber operations, as a new report warns that CCP-backed hackers are engaged in an intensifying propaganda push targeting U.S. voters across the political spectrum ahead of the 2024 presidential election, which is, of course,

just around the corner. An assessment from the cyber research firm Graphicum found that the prolific Chinese influence network, known as spammiflage, is at the center of the CCP's aggressive efforts to undermine confidence in U.S. elections. Their hackers assume fake identities of politically active voters on social media platforms aiming to sow divisions around polarizing topics such as race, gun control, and the war in Gaza. According to the the Wall Street Journal, which reviewed Graphica's report, the CCP-backed trolls are less interested in shaping the outcome of the election, that's somewhat unlike the governments of Russia and North Korea, and are instead focusing their efforts on stirring chaos and uncertainty. They're targeting

potential voters of both former President Trump and Vice President Harris as they attempt to make misinformation narratives go viral. While researchers noted that these operations typically fail to gain much traction, some have had a large impact, particularly on the CCP-linked social media platform TikTok. In one example, a hacker posing as a 31-year-old conservative Trump supporter with an account called The Harlan Report published videos pushing fake narratives that collectively garnered millions of views. The most notable video was posted July 10th and it was of President Biden at a recent NATO summit in Washington. Biden remarked to NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg about, quote, talking to your wife, but the video was edited to make it appear that Biden said something extremely

crude and was subsequently viewed more than one and a half million times. Jack Stubbs, chief intelligence officer at Graphica, warned the journal, quote, one of the world's largest covert online influence operations, an operation run by Chinese state-linked actors, has become more aggressive in its efforts to infiltrate and sway U.S. political conversations ahead of the election, end quote. TikTok, which appears to be the hacker's favorite propaganda vehicle, banned the Harlan report following an inquiry by the Wall Street Journal, saying they regularly work to remove covert influence operations from their platform. Still, the graphic report warns that the platform is still littered with foreign cyber trolls. They pointed to one network pushing thousands of anti-Trump videos

with the aid of artificial intelligence tools that are linked back to accounts in China, Nigeria, Iran, and Vietnam. But obviously, it's not just a problem on TikTok. Graphica said they identified 15 active accounts tied to China's spammiflage network on X and said the hacking collective also operates accounts on Instagram and YouTube. Now, the name spammiflage may sound familiar to regular listeners of the PDB. the group which operates thousands of accounts in any given time has been tracked by U.S. intelligence agencies since at least 2019 and appears to serve as the CCP's primary network for cyber operations.

The network has long traded in misinformation and threats of violence, which they direct at everyday Americans in an effort to silence global dissent and to shape the public narrative regarding the regime of Xi Jinping. In the past, they've largely targeted dissidents, of CCP rule in the U.S. and abroad, but as the graphical report documents, in recent years, they've expanded their scope to include sophisticated disinformation campaigns designed to steer the U.S. political debate and to foster a perpetual state of fear and paranoia among the American public. Again, well, it seems like it's working. Social media companies such as meta, Google, YouTube, and X are struggling to stay ahead of the activity due to the sheer volume of posts and

scale of the network. While private researchers discovered the Chinese operation more than four years ago, the U.S. government and META were only able to publicly confirm its ties to the CCP this past fall. To the surprise of no one, China continues to deny that any such networks exist. Ah, we never heard of such a thing. A spokesman for China's embassy in Washington told the journal that the report, quote, has no factual basis and is full of prejudice and malicious speculation against China end quote. Now, the problem with these efforts by the Chinese regime and others, notably Russia and Iran, is that they have the easy job. All they do is just keep throwing crap at the internet wall and see what sticks. The American public, well, they've got the heavy lift. The public has to try and ascertain what is true,

what's accurate, corroborated by facts, and, conversely, what is crap. The problem is most folks, well, become comfortable just reading and watching what they happen to agree with. So you get siloed. You're in an echo chamber, which makes the job of hostile actors like spammoflage in the Chinese regime all the more easier. And frankly, it's only going to get worse between now and November 5th. So it's down to the individual to take the time and effort to try and understand if what they're reading on social media is accurate, to understand the actual source of the post, to figure out what is and isn't crap before pushing the repost button or sending it on to friends and family. All right, coming up after the break, Ukraine suffers one of the deadliest attacks of the war as Russian missiles hit a

military facility, killing at least 50. And arrests are made after a Chinese Communist Party agent infiltrates New York State government, working closely with Governor Kathy Hochel. We'll have those stories when we come back. 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.

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as the Putin regime continues their relentless bombardment of the country. Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles at a military training academy and a nearby hospital in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 200. Ukrainian officials said it was among the deadliest, Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory since the conflict broke out, that's according to a report from the Associated Press. One of the missiles tore through the main building of the Poltava Military Institute of Communications in the eastern Ukrainian city of Poltava, collapsing several

stories and showering the area in concrete and glass. A nearby hospital was also struck and 10 apartment buildings sustained damage. The scene on the ground was grim, with witnesses describing seeing pools of blood outside the military academy as search and rescue workers sifted through the rubble to look for survivors. As of Tuesday evening, the death toll stood at 51, but officials said another 18 people were still thought to be buried under the debris. Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned the strike and said he has ordered an investigation, and the regional governor of Pultaba called it, quote, a great tragedy for the region and ordered citizens to observe three days of mourning beginning on Wednesday.

In a telegram post, the regional governor said, quote, The enemy certainly must answer for all its crimes against humanity. Now, for some context, the Poltava Military Institute of Communications trained soldiers in military communications and electronic warfare tactics, including drone operations. And, of course, the drone operations have proven critical to Ukraine's recent battlefield successes inside Russia's Kursk region. The Kremlin has not commented on the strikes,

and it remains unclear whether the dead and wounded are limited. to Ukrainian military personnel or if civilians who are often directly targeted by Russia were among the victims. In the wake of the attack, Zelensky called for Western allies to boost their military aid to Ukraine, particularly with air defense systems like the Patriot missile system. He also reiterated his request that allies supply long-range missiles and ease current restrictions to allow Kiev to strike deeper into Russian territory, something that the U.S. has balked at in the passed over fears of escalation. But on that score, it does appear that the Biden administration is warming to the idea. According to our Reuters report, the U.S. is close to signing an agreement with

Ukraine to supply long-range cruise missiles that could reach deep into Russia. While the agreement is not finalized, an announcement is expected sometime this fall, though Kiev will reportedly still have to wait several months as the U.S. irons out unspecified technical issues. Okay, turning our attention back to the U.S. Linda Sun, the former deputy chief of staff, to New York Governor Kathy Hochel, was arrested Tuesday on federal charges for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent for China, accepting millions of dollars in exchange for actions that benefited the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP. The 41-year-old son had been employed in various roles within the New York State government for nearly 14 years, serving under

Governor Hockel and her predecessor Andrew Cuomo. Sun's roles focused on business development, Asian American affairs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Her employment was terminated by the state in March 23 after misconduct was discovered. Now the 65-page indictment outlines 10 criminal accounts against Sun, including violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment shows how her financial dealings, disguised as legitimate business transactions, influenced New York's state policies, and these actions allegedly benefited the CCP and the People's Republic of China, where she was born. Among her alleged actions, Sun is accused of using her influence

to ensure Taiwanese officials were denied access to the New York governor's office, as well as blocking potential meetings between state leaders and representatives from Taiwan. Additionally, Sun reports, reportedly attempted to arrange an official visit to China for Governor Hockel and organized meetings between PRC delegations and state officials. In one instance, Sun directed an assembly member to decline an invitation for Governor Hokel to meet with the ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, stating, quote, no meeting, please kindly decline, do not want her to wade into this China-Taiwan sensitivity, end quote.

Sun's manipulation, extended to altering, sometimes eliminating, references to Taiwan in state communications to avoid offending Chinese sensitivities. Son is said to have received numerous financial benefits in exchange for these actions, including assistance with millions of dollars in business transactions linked to her husband, Chris Hugh, who was also implicated in the indictment with money laundering and other charges. Now, the indictment alleges that Sun and her husband laundered money through various channels to acquire high-value assets, including a $4.1 million home in Long Island, a $2.1 million condominium in Hawaii, and luxury vehicles like a 2024 Ferrari.

Jeez. You know, she could teach Goldbar Bob Menendez a thing or two about profiting from foreign governments. Among the laundered finances and gifts that Son and her husband received, the CCP and PRC gifted Nanjing-style salted ducks to son's parents. What? So Linda got multi-million dollars homes in a Ferrari while her mom and dad got some duck. Son's cousin allegedly received an offer of employment in the PRC. Now, despite these transactions, Son reportedly failed to disclose any benefits she received from the Chinese government or the CCP as, well, required by law for government employees. It's likely that she failed to disclose any benefits because she was operating as an asset of the CCP,

and usually, well, that's frowned upon here in the U.S. As a couple began the legal consequences of the charges against them in court on Tuesday, the case underscores potential vulnerabilities within state government and emphasizes the broader issue of foreign influence operations within the U.S. Now, you may ask yourself, why would the Chinese regime and Chinese intel go after sources and recruits inside of a state government? Well, it's because they play the long game, and they understand the importance of influencing individual state's policies.

And oftentimes, it's an easier target, an easier lift than pursuing a recruit within the high levels of the federal government. Look, the Chinese regime in their intel apparatus, they understand that, for example, if they can influence a state in the U.S. to restrict mining, to enact regulatory policies that limit mining or some other critical activity, well, that benefits the Chinese regime. They play the long game. Okay, coming up in the back of the brief, after ordering his political rival jailed, Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro makes a major announcement. He's declared that Christmas will be celebrated in October this year. I'll be right back.

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Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. In today's back of the brief, Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro announced an early start to the year's Christmas celebrations. they'll begin in October, according to the despot. The announcement comes just hours after the Attorney General's office ordered the arrest of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Well, that's not really keeping with a holiday spirit. In a televised address, Maduro stated, quote, it is September, and it already smells like Christmas, end quote.

Well, actually, it smells like corruption and stolen election, but I digress. Maduro added, and that is why this year, an homage, to you and gratitude to you, I am going to decree the advancement of Christmas to the 1st of October, end quote, because frankly nothing, says Christmas, quite like rolling blackouts, a shattered economy, widespread arrests, and a stolen presidential election. This move, though, mirrors 2020 and 2021, when Maduro advanced the start of Christmas those years, a tactic believed to distract from Venezuela's economic hardships and political unrest. The early holiday season, season typically sees the government ramping up the distribution of aid and food packages.

That's a strategy criticized as a tool to placate the population and maintain control. So, government handouts to mollify the crowd. What a concept. The next thing, you know, he'll be canceling student debt and handing out money for first-time homebuyers. In the same announcement, the dictator also addressed the nationwide blackouts, which affected roughly 80% of the country last week. Maduro blamed the blackouts on, quote, a criminal electrical attack, supposedly orchestrated by his adversaries abroad, of which he, of course, provided no evidence.

Shortly after the actual Christmas holiday on 10 January 2025, Maduro is set to take office for a controversial third term, based on the disputed election results, released by the National Electoral Council, an entity which, well, just happens to be under Maduro's control. Now, despite political and judicial persecution, demonstrators against Maduro's regime continue to take to the streets ever since the 28 July election, holding out hope that the international community will stand with them in not recognizing Maduro's continued assumption of power. Look, not to be cynical, but not even Santa can deliver an effective response from

the international community. I mean, at best, at best, Santa could maybe put a harshly worded letter of condemnation from the international community in Maduro stocking. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday for September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. To listen to the show ad-free, well, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. And don't forget, check out our YouTube channel. It's chalk full of good stuff.

Just go to YouTube and look for at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment.

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