The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 12th, 2024: Biden Warns Trump Over New 'Axis Of Upheaval' & Suspect in CEO Slaying To Plead Not Guilty
Thu, 12 Dec 2024
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the Biden administration has issued a final national security memorandum warning of the stark dangers posed by China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, who they dubbed as the new, quote, "axis of upheaval." Then, an update on the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as we learn the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione, intends to plead not guilty despite a mounting pile of evidence tying him to the brazen killing. 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. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the 'axis of upheaval' mentioned by Biden?
First, ahead of President-elect Trump's return to the White House, the Biden administration has issued a final national security memorandum warning of the stark dangers posed by China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, who they dubbed as the new, quote, axis of upheaval.
Then, an update on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as we learn that the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione, intends to plead not guilty, despite a mounting pile of evidence tying him to the killing. But first, our afternoon spotlight.
Chapter 2: What update do we have on the CEO slaying case?
President Biden is using his final days in office to offer the incoming Trump administration some advice on the pressing threats posed by the warming relations between America's chief adversaries, namely China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
The Biden administration issued a new national security memorandum on Wednesday, outlining essentially a roadmap on how to counter this growing alliance in the East, which the White House dubbed the new axis of upheaval. They also refer to it as a quartet of chaos, but I'm going to stick with the axis of upheaval, according to a report from Voice of America.
Chapter 3: What are the key threats outlined in the national security memorandum?
Two senior White House officials said the classified national security document was designed to help the incoming Trump administration understand the new geopolitical landscape and build its approach so they can hit the ground running on day one.
While Trump could reject the guidance, a senior administration official said the document is nonpartisan, telling reporters, quote, I don't think they'll see anything in it that is trying to box them in or tilt them toward one policy option or another, end quote.
The classified memo was described in general terms to reporters during a briefing on Wednesday, but has not been publicly reviewed due to its sensitive findings. It reportedly outlines four broad recommendations aimed at containing Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. It calls for improving U.S.
government interagency cooperation, faster sharing of information among allies regarding these adversaries, bolstering preparations to manage simultaneous crises involving these countries, and better calibrating and coordinating sanctions and other economic tools to leverage them for maximum impact.
Well, after reading that list, I'd argue that you don't need to be a senior national security official to come up with those suggestions. The White House officials said that despite their warming ties, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have not yet coalesced into a cohesive bloc that directly threatens U.S. security, and the U.S.
must lead a full-court press with our allies to ensure the status quo doesn't change. The memo notes that Russia's main goal is to meet its wartime needs for military equipment and manpower in Ukraine, which of course has caused them to rapidly expand their ties with North Korea and Iran, who are, again, as reported here on the PDB, providing the Kremlin with military aid.
As you know, North Korea in particular has become deeply involved in the Ukraine war, recently sending some 10,000 combat troops to bolster the ranks of the Putin regime. In return, North Korea, which seeks to diversify its alliances, avoid sanctions, and crawl out from China's shadow, they're receiving fuel, fighter aircraft, missile defense, and space technology from Russia.
According to the memo, the Putin regime has also, quote, de facto accepted North Korea as a nuclear weapon state. Iran, also eager to find new ways to dodge Western sanctions, primarily seeks to bolster their flailing economy. But the memo singles out China as the wild card, describing them as the economic and military heavyweight of the group that poses the biggest direct challenge to the U.S.
on the global stage. Again, I don't think you need to be a national security official to come up with that assessment. China is benefiting from Russian technical know-how, partnering with the Putin regime on building next-generation military technology. Russia is also currently conducting joint patrols in the Arctic region with China.
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Chapter 4: How are China and Russia cooperating in military efforts?
Chapter 5: What is the significance of North Korea's involvement in Ukraine?
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Luigi Mangione, accused in the high-profile killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, intends to plead not guilty despite mounting evidence tying him directly to the crime. Police arrested Mangione on Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He's facing forgery and firearm-related charges while battling extradition to New York, where he's charged with second-degree murder for Thompson's shooting outside the Manhattan Hilton on 4 December. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mangione's lawyer, Thomas Dickey, said his client will plead not guilty to all charges.
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Chapter 6: How does the Biden administration view China's role among adversaries?
Dickey firmly stated, quote, I haven't seen any evidence that Mangione is the shooter. Well, apparently then the lawyer hasn't looked at the evidence. The NYPD commissioner offered a starkly different perspective on Wednesday, as you might imagine, pointing to forensic evidence that seems, well, well, fairly damning.
The commissioner revealed that a 3D-printed ghost gun recovered during Mangione's arrest matches the shell casings found at the crime scene. So, okay, step one, that would qualify as evidence. These casings were inscribed with phrases critical of the health industry, including, quote, delay, deny, and defend. The evidence doesn't stop there.
Investigators discovered Mangione's fingerprints on a water bottle and a kind bar left at the scene. That would be more evidence. A cell phone found in a nearby alley also bore his prints. Huh. The evidence keeps mounting, though further NYPD analysis is still underway on that device. According to CBS News, a notebook found during Mangione's arrest could be a game changer.
What was his lawyer thinking of when he made that claim that he hasn't seen any evidence? The notebook allegedly contains grievances against the health insurance industry and a chilling claim of responsibility for Thompson's murder. Well, that also would be, I suppose, a clue. Law enforcement suggests Mangione initially considered using a bomb but opted for a firearm to avoid harming bystanders.
NYPD officials have called the document key to understanding his motive. Meanwhile, the shockwaves from Thompson's assassination are reverberating throughout the healthcare industry in Manhattan. Ominous posters targeting healthcare executives have appeared, carrying messages like, quote, Wanted, denying medical care for corporate profit. Healthcare CEOs should not feel safe, end quote.
The slogans on some posters eerily mirror the phrases found on the bullet casings, sparking fears, of course, of copycat violence by psychotics. These posters, now widely shared online, have stirred alarming conversations. As you may have seen on social media, some users have celebrated Thompson's murder, even encouraging further attacks on healthcare leaders.
In response to these online threats, the NYPD issued a bulletin Tuesday, warning that the posters could represent a potential, quote, hit list, and urging executives to ramp up security measures. Health insurance companies are taking these threats seriously while that's good.
Many have removed images of their leadership from public websites and are reexamining their safety protocols due to the growing public resentment towards the industry. The tension is palpable, with healthcare executives across New York City on high alert as investigators continue to connect the dots in this still-ongoing case.
And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Thursday, December 12. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. To listen to the show ad-free, well, you know what to do. You become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by simply visiting pdbpremium.com. See, it's very simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow.
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