Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Pricing

Mike Baker

👤 Person
54048 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

What's not clear, however, is whether the Operation Southern Spear label pertains to ongoing U.S.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

operations near Venezuela targeting narco smugglers, which to date have killed at least 80 people, or whether it signals the start of a new, expanded mission.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

That's according to a report from Axios.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

but deliberations are intensifying in the halls of the White House.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

Behind the scenes, CBS News reports that President Trump was briefed this week on new military options for Venezuela.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

Those options include airstrikes on cartel-linked military sites, covert operations against regime assets, and most notably, limited ground raids targeting trafficking infrastructure near Venezuela's northern coast.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

The sources emphasize, however, that Trump has not yet made a decision on how to proceed.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

I'm guessing that those same sources did not emphasize that they probably aren't supposed to be talking about possible covert activity.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

As we've been tracking on the PDB, the Pentagon has positioned carrier groups and bombers and drones and Marines and reconnaissance aircraft and special operators throughout the Caribbean.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

The unprecedented buildup has boosted the number of troops in Latin America to some 15,000, leaving, of course, all options on the table.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

While announcing Operation Southern Spear, Hegseth declared that the Western Hemisphere is, quote, America's neighborhood and that the U.S.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

intends to act like it.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

It's an unmistakable message to both Caracas and its foreign backers in Moscow and Beijing and Tehran.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

Adding to the tension, intelligence assessments shared with the White House confirm Maduro has been reaching out to Russia and Iran for military assistance during an imminent U.S.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

strike.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

Russian lawmakers and state media have openly warned that the U.S., quote, may be in for surprises.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

And as we covered last week,

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

Moscow claims to have begun delivering air defense systems to Venezuela with hypersonic missiles still a possibility.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

U.S.

The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 14th, 2025: Kyiv Torches Critical Russian Oil Hub & Trump’s 'Southern Spear' Tightens the Noose Around Maduro

officials are not commenting publicly on those claims, but it appears Maduro is hoping that foreign support will be enough to deter Washington's next move.