The President's Daily Brief

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: The ceasefire between the United States and Iran has officially collapsed, with both sides once again exchanging military strikes across the Middle East. Former White House National Security Council official Richard Goldberg joins the show to break down what triggered the renewed fighting, what comes next, and whether the region is now headed toward a b...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—For years, Iran has openly vowed to kill President Trump. But this week, those threats may have taken on a far more dangerous dimension. Israel has reportedly warned Washington that Tehran could be considering a new assassination plot. Later in the show—President Zelensky says China privately warned Vladimir Putin against using nuclea...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Even as U.S. and Iranian forces continue exchanging strikes, a new power structure is quietly taking shape inside Tehran. We examine who is really running Iran following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—and why the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may now be the country's true center of gravity. We take you inside the Oval Office as new intellige...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Ukraine opens a new front in its campaign against Russia's wartime economy, launching an unprecedented wave of drone strikes against dozens of oil tankers tied to Moscow's shadow fleet. We explain why these ships have become one of Kyiv's highest-value targets. The United States and Iran continue trading strikes as the latest round of fighting intensi...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—the standoff between the United States and Iran enters a dangerous new phase. I'll explain what's changed, why the ceasefire appears to be unraveling, and what options President Trump now has moving forward. Later in the show—President Trump signals a major shift in strategy toward Ukraine, backing long-range strikes deep inside Russia while...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears to have collapsed after Tehran's attack on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz triggered a new round of U.S. military strikes and Iranian retaliation. We break down the latest developments and what they could mean for the future of the conflict. Russia is reportedly deploying pow...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Troubling signs out of Moscow suggest the Kremlin may soon order another military mobilization. We examine why Vladimir Putin may be running out of volunteers, what a new draft could mean for the war in Ukraine, and why such a move could become one of the biggest political gambles of his presidency. President Trump signals he's open to restoring Turk...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up— just days after another round of U.S.-Iran negotiations ended without a breakthrough, Iran is accused of launching missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Later in the show— Russia's campaign in Africa is encountering fresh trouble. We'll take you to Mali, where Tuareg fighters claim they've shot down one of Moscow's...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Cuba's next-generation Castro is stepping out of the shadows. We examine the first-ever interview between Raúl Castro's grandson and a U.S. news outlet, why he's suddenly reaching out to the American people, and what it may reveal about Havana's strategy toward the Trump administration. President Trump heads to the NATO summit in Turkey with a clear...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: China conducts a rare submarine launch of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into the Pacific, prompting alarm across the Indo-Pacific. We explain why U.S. allies are calling the test destabilizing—and what it reveals about Beijing's rapidly expanding nuclear capabilities and evolving nuclear strategy. Hamas says it's prepared to step aside from gove...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: U.S. intelligence is warning that Russia may be preparing a military provocation inside Poland in an effort to test NATO's resolve. We break down the reported threat, what it could look like, and why officials in Washington and Warsaw are taking it seriously. Iran held a massive funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but his successor, Supreme Leader Mo...

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Ukraine is tightening the noose around Crimea while Russian civilians grapple with growing fuel shortages at home. Retired Lt. General Ben Hodges joins us to explain what this new phase of the war could mean—and whether mounting pressure inside Russia is beginning to change the strategic picture. The U.S. and Iran have wrapped another round of indirect...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: A new battlefield assessment suggests Russia has now suffered an estimated 1.4 million casualties in Ukraine. We examine the staggering new figures, why Moscow may be losing troops faster than it can replace them, and what the report reveals about the changing nature of modern warfare. German prosecutors say they've solved one of the biggest mysteries...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Violence is surging in Iran's Kurdish northwest, raising a critical question: are we witnessing the early stages of a new insurgency against the regime? Mike Baker examines the latest attacks on Iran's Revolutionary Guard and what they could signal about Tehran's internal stability. A mystery is solved. A new report suggests Russia's years-long drone...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up — After weeks of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and fuel infrastructure, Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged that Russia is experiencing fuel shortages. We examine why the Kremlin's rare admission matters, what it reveals about Ukraine's strategy, and whether it signals a new phase of the war. Later in the show — Negotiators are...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Could Iran actually build a nuclear weapon? Mike Baker examines the state of Tehran's nuclear program, what remains after recent military strikes, and how close Iran may be to producing a bomb. We explore the technical hurdles Iran still faces—from enriching uranium and weaponization to building a reliable delivery system—and why possessing nuclear m...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Artificial intelligence is transforming far more than chatbots and consumer technology. Mike Baker examines how AI is reshaping modern warfare, intelligence collection, and military decision-making. We explore how autonomous drones, battlefield targeting, cyber operations, and intelligence analysis are already being enhanced by artificial intelligence...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Could China actually invade Taiwan? Mike Baker examines the military, political, and geographic realities behind one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints. We explore the enormous challenges Beijing would face in launching an amphibious invasion—from crossing the Taiwan Strait and securing beachheads to sustaining a prolonged military campaign un...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Can Russia still win the war in Ukraine? Mike Baker examines where the conflict stands after more than four years of fighting and what victory would actually look like for Moscow. We explore Russia's military strengths and weaknesses, the state of Ukraine's defenses, and how manpower, industrial production, sanctions, and Western support are shaping t...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Could Vladimir Putin actually be overthrown? Mike Baker examines the foundations of the Russian president's grip on power, from the loyalty of the security services and military to the influence of oligarchs and competing political factions. We explore why so many predictions of Putin's downfall have failed over the past two decades, what the Wagner...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up—Ukraine says it has entered a new phase of the war, launching a 40-day campaign of deep strikes designed to pressure Russia into ending the conflict. We'll explain what this new strategy looks like and whether it could change the trajectory of the war. Later in the show—Washington and Tehran are putting the brakes on their latest military con...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: The U.S. and Iran are trading strikes once again, with Tehran now targeting American bases in the Gulf. We'll break down what's happening and what it reveals about the fragile ceasefire. Israel agrees to withdraw from two positions in southern Lebanon under a new U.S.-brokered framework agreement. But Hezbollah is already rejecting the deal as a surr...

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Oil tankers are returning to the Strait of Hormuz, and with them, confidence is slowly returning to global energy markets. Daniel Turner, Executive Director of Power The Future, joins us to discuss what the recovery means for oil prices, shipping, and the broader geopolitical picture. China is quietly surrounding Taiwan, transforming what were once temp...

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—the peace process between the U.S. and Iran is already showing signs of strain. A drone strike on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz has reignited tensions, prompting a sharp response from President Trump, and raising new questions about whether the ceasefire can actually hold. Later in the show—Ukraine unleashes one of its biggest drone...

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: The Trump administration continues to ratchet up pressure on Cuba, but if tensions were ever to turn military, Havana may have little ability to respond. We'll examine the dramatic collapse of Cuba's once-feared armed forces and how one of the Cold War's most formidable militaries became a shadow of its former self. Ukraine continues taking the fight...