The Megyn Kelly Show - Bonus Episode ｜ The President's Daily Brief with Mike Baker

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00:00:30.900 Hey everyone, it's Megan Kelly.

00:00:32.280 I want to tell you about a podcast I think you might enjoy.

00:00:35.140 It's called The President's Daily Brief.

00:00:37.980 Each morning, the president of the U.S. receives a highly classified briefing

00:00:41.560 on the most important issues facing the country

00:00:43.860 and it's called The President's Daily Brief or PDB.

00:00:47.840 You can now get your very own PDB hosted by the great Mike Baker

00:00:52.400 which you can listen to an episode of right here.

00:00:55.620 And then go ahead and subscribe on his feed if you like it.

00:00:59.620 Talk to you soon.

00:01:11.980 It's Tuesday, 16 April.

00:01:14.280 Welcome to The President's Daily Brief.

00:01:16.360 I'm Mike Baker.

00:01:17.240 Your eyes and ears on the world stage.

00:01:19.660 Let's get briefed.

00:01:20.580 We're over 72 hours removed now from the historic attack on Israel by Iran 1.00

00:01:26.620 and a handful of their proxies.

00:01:28.580 Let's not forget them.

00:01:29.860 We're now getting a more complete picture of how the strike played out

00:01:33.000 and what it all says about Iran's military capabilities.

00:01:36.460 I'll bring you the latest details.

00:01:38.780 Coming up later, we'll pivot to Eastern Europe

00:01:41.300 for insights into the latest responses from Russian and Ukrainian leaders

00:01:45.560 following this weekend's events

00:01:47.480 and what these developments could mean for the conflict in Ukraine.

00:01:51.860 And in today's Back of the Brief, we'll turn to the Far East

00:01:55.100 where China's reaction, or lack thereof,

00:01:58.420 is raising questions about the Communist nation's claims

00:02:01.420 to diplomatic leadership on the world stage.

00:02:04.720 But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

00:02:06.940 A few days after Iran launched its attack on Israel, 0.55

00:02:10.940 we're getting better insight into the successes and failures

00:02:14.640 of the Islamic Republic's efforts.

00:02:17.480 First, the successes.

00:02:19.780 Now, contrary to earlier reports,

00:02:22.140 Iran managed to strike two air bases during the attack

00:02:25.580 with at least nine missiles that penetrated Israel's air defense network.

00:02:30.180 Most significantly, five ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim air base,

00:02:34.120 which Iranians claim was used to launch the sortie

00:02:37.640 that killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus earlier this month.

00:02:42.520 Now, that's a symbolic win for the Iranian regime, 0.99

00:02:45.040 but the impact of the missiles was fairly limited.

00:02:48.140 According to officials, the strike managed to damage

00:02:50.400 a single C-130 transport aircraft,

00:02:53.340 an unused runway, and empty storage facilities.

00:02:57.020 Four additional ballistic missiles hit the Negev air base in Israel's south,

00:03:01.380 but there were no reports of significant damage.

00:03:04.120 This all runs counter to official Iranian state media reports,

00:03:08.280 which claimed the base had sustained heavy blows.

00:03:11.360 All right, then there's Iran's failures. 0.88

00:03:14.580 Specifically, the success rate of the ballistic missiles

00:03:17.660 the Iranians used during the attack,

00:03:20.000 well, it doesn't speak highly of the quality control

00:03:22.600 of the Iranian arms industry.

00:03:24.920 According to U.S. officials speaking to the Wall Street Journal,

00:03:28.540 roughly 50% of the ballistic missiles Iran launched at Israel

00:03:32.640 failed to reach their intended targets,

00:03:35.440 now either due to failing during launch or malfunctioning during flight.

00:03:40.420 U.S. officials said that Iran launched between 115 and 130 ballistic missiles

00:03:47.600 that targeted Israel in total.

00:03:49.700 So, based on my kung fu-like grip on mathematics,

00:03:53.280 that would mean around 60 missiles either failed to make it off the launch pad

00:03:57.620 or veered off track and landed harmlessly in the desert.

00:04:01.260 As one U.S. official put it,

00:04:02.820 quote,

00:04:03.400 so much for the vaunted ballistic missile capability of Iran, end quote.

00:04:07.740 Now, none of this is meant to minimize the threat that Iranian weapons represent. 1.00

00:04:12.580 It's clear that what the regime lacks in quality,

00:04:15.720 they more than make up for in quantity.

00:04:18.080 While not a single drone managed to penetrate Israeli airspace,

00:04:21.700 these cheap weapons have the ability to overwhelm the country's air defenses,

00:04:25.800 and that appears to be precisely the strategy that they intended to use this weekend.

00:04:31.080 The Iranian regime has warned that if Israel retaliates now,

00:04:34.640 the next attack will be at least tenfold greater.

00:04:37.600 One other thing we've learned in the days following the attack

00:04:41.120 is the extent of America's role in defending Israel.

00:04:45.040 In a post-2X, U.S. Central Command revealed that U.S. forces,

00:04:49.460 supported by European command destroyers,

00:04:52.100 took out more than 80 drones and at least six ballistic missiles

00:04:55.420 that were fired from both Iran and Yemen.

00:04:58.740 CENTCOM said that included a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle

00:05:01.940 and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground

00:05:04.500 prior to their launch in areas controlled by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

00:05:09.240 All right, coming up after the break,

00:05:11.400 we turn our attention to Eastern Europe,

00:05:13.680 examining responses from Russian and Ukrainian leaders

00:05:16.360 in the aftermath of this weekend's Iranian attack

00:05:19.140 and the potential impact on the Ukrainian conflict.

00:05:23.320 I'll be right back.

00:05:25.920 Welcome back.

00:05:27.380 It appears that, at least on the surface,

00:05:29.460 the bromance between Vladimir Putin and the Iranian mullahs 0.84

00:05:33.060 may be experiencing some relationship issues,

00:05:36.200 at least when it comes to Russia's response

00:05:38.420 to Iran's weekend bombardment of Israel with drones and missiles.

00:05:41.860 If the mullahs in Iran were banking on the full-throated support of the Kremlin

00:05:46.000 for their unprecedented retaliatory operation against Israel,

00:05:50.140 they were likely somewhat disappointed.

00:05:52.740 Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday

00:05:55.000 saying that they were alarmed at the escalation by Iran,

00:05:58.640 adding that it is, quote,

00:05:59.760 in no one's interests, end quote, according to a CNBC report.

00:06:03.860 Now, the foreign ministry added,

00:06:05.460 quote,

00:06:05.800 we prefer that the Iranian regime give us the drones and missiles 0.87

00:06:09.020 for our war with Ukraine,

00:06:11.200 rather than wasting them on Israel.

00:06:13.520 Okay, that was a made-up quote.

00:06:15.780 I'm sorry about that.

00:06:17.300 While the Kremlin called on all parties involved to exercise restraint,

00:06:21.040 they stopped short of either voicing support for Iran

00:06:23.660 or condemning the regime outright,

00:06:25.400 and reiterated their position that Iran has a right to self-defense.

00:06:30.140 They also said the primary driver of the current violence

00:06:33.320 is the Israel-Hamas conflict,

00:06:35.540 and criticized the West for not doing more to ease tensions

00:06:38.780 through the UN Security Council.

00:06:40.940 The Kremlin failed to note that there is currently an Israel-Hamas conflict

00:06:45.620 because, well, the Iranian-sponsored Hamas started the conflict

00:06:49.140 with their slaughter of Israeli citizens in early October.

00:06:51.740 Now, I'm sure that that was just an oversight.

00:06:54.180 They forgot to put that in their official statement,

00:06:56.380 and I'm sure they'll do better next time.

00:06:58.960 The foreign ministry said, quote,

00:07:00.280 we express our extreme concern

00:07:01.960 at yet another dangerous escalation in the region.

00:07:04.880 We call on all parties involved to exercise restraint.

00:07:08.400 We have repeatedly warned

00:07:09.600 that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East,

00:07:12.860 primarily in the area of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,

00:07:15.960 which are often fueled by irresponsible, provocative actions,

00:07:18.800 will exasperate tensions, end quote.

00:07:21.740 And that's quite the run-on sentence from the Kremlin.

00:07:24.840 That last line, referencing, quote,

00:07:26.740 provocative actions, appeared to be a dig at Israel

00:07:30.080 for the strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria

00:07:32.480 that preceded this weekend's attack by Iran.

00:07:36.080 Despite Russia's not-so-veiled criticism of the U.S. and Israel,

00:07:39.960 leaders in Iran are likely disgruntled

00:07:42.520 with what they see as a lackluster response

00:07:45.900 from their supposed ally.

00:07:47.360 As a reminder, Russia has been relying on Iran, among others,

00:07:52.000 for drones and missiles and other munitions

00:07:54.040 to resupply their shrinking stockpiles in Ukraine.

00:07:57.380 Since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022,

00:08:01.080 Russia has significantly expanded

00:08:03.000 their military cooperation with Iran,

00:08:05.180 and Iranian drones in particular have been used

00:08:07.760 to very damaging effect by the Putin regime.

00:08:11.520 Now, the former head of the Iranian parliament's

00:08:13.960 National Security Committee lashed out at the Putin regime

00:08:17.160 on Monday over their refusal to defend Iran's attack

00:08:20.660 on the global stage.

00:08:22.120 He said, quote,

00:08:23.020 "...the developments showed that Iran is alone in the region.

00:08:26.340 The world's powers came to Israel's aid

00:08:28.140 to reduce the aerial pressure on Israel,

00:08:30.780 but other powers did not come to Iran's aid,

00:08:33.540 even in wartime conditions." 0.79

00:08:35.520 Okay, no doubt, given their friend group

00:08:37.680 of despot nations is pretty small,

00:08:40.180 the two nations will kiss and make up soon.

00:08:42.140 I wouldn't look for this spat to impact

00:08:44.680 their long-term relationship.

00:08:46.980 Speaking of the war in Ukraine,

00:08:48.680 President Zelensky is warning that Iran's attack

00:08:51.220 on Israel should serve as a wake-up call to the West 0.95

00:08:54.560 to do more to support their beleaguered allies overseas.

00:08:58.140 Zelensky and his top officials said the remarkable success

00:09:01.060 of Israel and its allies in defending against Iran's attack

00:09:04.720 shows what Ukraine could achieve against Russian forces

00:09:07.720 if it only had greater support from its international partners.

00:09:11.220 Leaders in Kyiv used the moment to put the pressure

00:09:14.600 on U.S. officials, particularly Republicans in Congress,

00:09:18.220 to approve new financial and military aid for Ukraine

00:09:21.400 that's been languishing in a deadlocked Congress

00:09:24.040 since the fall.

00:09:25.600 Zelensky said, quote,

00:09:26.860 "...it is critical that the United States Congress

00:09:28.900 make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies

00:09:32.300 at this critical time.

00:09:33.780 Words do not stop drones and do not intercept missiles.

00:09:37.160 Only tangible assistance does." 0.65

00:09:39.220 The parallels between Iran's attack on Israel

00:09:42.820 and the situation in Ukraine are striking,

00:09:44.900 as Russia has subjected the people of Ukraine 0.54

00:09:47.560 to a near-constant barrage of drone attacks

00:09:50.180 targeting their energy infrastructure.

00:09:52.640 These drones are often the very same Iranian-made Shahed drones 1.00

00:09:56.280 that the Islamic regime used to attack Israel on Saturday.

00:10:00.920 Ukrainian officials reiterated their pleas

00:10:03.100 for the country's Western allies

00:10:04.680 to provide more air defense systems,

00:10:07.360 pointing to the effectiveness of the Israeli Iron Dome,

00:10:10.360 which prevented serious damage or casualties

00:10:12.640 during the Iranian bombardment.

00:10:15.400 Zelensky said, quote,

00:10:16.240 "...the whole world sees what real defense is.

00:10:18.920 It sees that it is feasible." 0.65

00:10:21.200 End quote.

00:10:22.480 Now, allies of Zelensky were also mobilized

00:10:24.800 in the wake of the Iranian attack,

00:10:26.420 some speaking directly to Republicans

00:10:28.400 and former President Trump.

00:10:30.680 Ukraine's former infrastructure minister

00:10:32.280 was particularly direct, saying, quote,

00:10:35.260 "...I hope that Iran's attack on Israel 1.00

00:10:37.040 will send a powerful message to Republicans,

00:10:39.380 namely to Mr. Trump.

00:10:40.720 He cannot wait a side anymore.

00:10:43.080 China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea

00:10:44.980 persistently attack the West." 0.83

00:10:47.600 End quote.

00:10:48.980 It appears that U.S. leaders are feeling the pressure

00:10:51.900 following the events of the weekend.

00:10:54.180 U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson

00:10:55.780 vowed Sunday that he will attempt

00:10:58.520 to bring a roughly $95 billion

00:11:01.180 supplemental aid package for Ukraine and Israel

00:11:03.900 to the floor for a vote this week.

00:11:06.760 Within that package,

00:11:08.080 roughly $60 billion is earmarked for Ukraine.

00:11:11.680 Now, Johnson will have to find a way

00:11:12.780 to sway the more conservative wing of the GOP, however,

00:11:16.220 who have grown, let's call it weary,

00:11:18.580 of sending continued aid to Kiev.

00:11:21.380 As a reminder,

00:11:22.740 U.S. aid to Ukraine officially dried up in January,

00:11:25.280 and the White House has been trying

00:11:26.820 to get new assistance approved ever since.

00:11:29.040 A previous attempt by Speaker Johnson

00:11:30.720 to tie the $60 billion aid proposal

00:11:33.100 to immigration reform

00:11:34.360 ultimately failed in February.

00:11:37.620 All right, coming up in the back of the brief,

00:11:39.720 we'll examine China's muted response

00:11:41.640 to this weekend's attacks

00:11:43.180 and what it reveals about their stance

00:11:45.780 as a global leader.

00:11:47.480 I'll be right back.

00:11:50.020 In today's back of the brief,

00:11:52.060 I want to shift our focus over to China

00:11:54.120 to address their, well,

00:11:56.240 we'll call it muted, shall we,

00:11:57.720 reaction to this weekend's attack.

00:11:59.860 In a statement posted

00:12:00.920 to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website,

00:12:03.340 they wrote,

00:12:04.340 China calls on relevant parties

00:12:06.020 to remain calm and exercise restraint

00:12:08.360 to avoid further escalation of tensions.

00:12:11.340 They went on to call on the international community,

00:12:13.760 especially what they termed influential countries,

00:12:16.720 to play a constructive role

00:12:17.900 in maintaining regional peace and stability.

00:12:20.080 Now, that's not exactly a hard-hitting statement,

00:12:24.000 especially for a country that's been attempting

00:12:26.420 to demonstrate a position of leadership

00:12:28.500 on the world stage.

00:12:30.340 Moreover, it's worth noting

00:12:32.140 that China failed to even condemn the Iranian attack,

00:12:35.060 even though it did condemn the strike

00:12:36.940 on Iran's consulate in Damascus earlier this month.

00:12:40.240 This stance is obviously a stark contrast

00:12:42.720 to other regional players,

00:12:44.340 including Japan and South Korea,

00:12:46.640 both of which condemned Iran.

00:12:48.120 China's weak statement didn't go unnoticed by Israel,

00:12:52.540 which has publicly stated their disappointment

00:12:54.360 with the response.

00:12:56.120 The deputy chief of the Israeli mission in China

00:12:58.060 said at a press briefing on Monday,

00:13:00.300 we were hoping for stronger condemnation

00:13:02.340 and clear acknowledgement of Israel's right

00:13:04.660 to defend itself.

00:13:05.760 Unfortunately, we did not see that,

00:13:08.080 which is why we were unhappy with the statement.

00:13:10.400 End quote.

00:13:11.560 China's statement follows a pattern in recent months,

00:13:14.500 as they failed to contribute anything helpful

00:13:16.360 during the Gaza war or in the events that followed.

00:13:19.660 Now, this isn't the first time

00:13:21.320 that China has failed to show up.

00:13:23.680 As a matter of fact,

00:13:24.860 this is almost the same exact reaction

00:13:26.640 Israel gave to China's initial response 0.93

00:13:28.480 to the October 7th attacks

00:13:30.140 when China failed to condemn Hamas.

00:13:33.260 And that's something they still haven't

00:13:35.080 mustered enough energy to do.

00:13:37.540 In the event that the UN Security Council

00:13:39.560 is actually pressed to condemn

00:13:41.120 or sanction Iran for their attack, 0.58

00:13:43.180 it will be interesting to see

00:13:45.000 if China takes a stand one way or the other.

00:13:48.060 While we know what cards Russia will play

00:13:50.280 as a member of the Security Council

00:13:51.960 when it comes to Iran,

00:13:53.560 there is the slightest of chances

00:13:55.860 that China will not fall completely in line

00:13:58.780 with the Iran-Russia evil league of evil. 0.89

00:14:02.600 And that, my friends,

00:14:04.140 is the President's Daily Brief

00:14:05.520 for Tuesday, 16 April.

00:14:07.480 If you have any questions or comments,

00:14:09.240 please reach out to me

00:14:10.380 at pdb at thefirsttv.com.

00:14:13.520 I'm Mike Baker,

00:14:14.480 and I'll be back later today

00:14:15.560 with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.

00:14:18.100 Until then, stay informed,

00:14:20.300 stay safe, stay cool.

00:14:22.160 We'll be right back.

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The Megyn Kelly Show - April 16, 2024

Bonus Episode ｜ The President's Daily Brief with Mike Baker

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