WEDNESDAY PDB – Trump's unprecedented federal criminal booking. Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he illegally kept classified documents.
Donald Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.
Navy veteran Walt Nauta charged in Trump classified documents case. He served as a White House military valet to former President Trump.
Trump-Milley feud played key role in classified documents case. The feud between Trump and the nation's highest-ranking military officer, Gen. Mark Milley, played a key role in the historic indictment over Trump's alleged criminal mishandling of classified documents.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
EXCELLENT – GOP budget bill would ban abortions, transgender services at VA. Abortion procedures, transgender surgeries and LGBTQ Pride flags would all be banned at Veterans Affairs medical centers under a budget bill adopted by House Republicans.
Conservative group requests ‘immediate investigation' into Navy drag queen Harpy Daniels. A conservative legal organization is demanding top U.S. Navy officials investigate an active-duty sailor and drag queen whom the service used as a “digital ambassador.”
NATIONAL SECURITY
WHAT DID BIDEN KNOW? – US warned Ukraine not to attack Nord Stream. CIA pressed Kyiv weeks before explosions sabotaged the natural gas pipelines bringing Russian gas to Europe.
House seeks to codify quiet military aid to US-friendly militias. A House panel would codify into law the ability of U.S. special operations units to arm irregular forces for warfare in volatile regions as a tool for deterring adversaries like Russia and China.
HOMELAND SECURITY
National security officials make case for keeping surveillance powers. With Section 702 set to expire, the administration claims warrantless wiretapping powers have resulted in intelligence successes and new procedures have limited abuses.
CHINA THREAT
China's economy is way more screwed than anyone thought. Instead of the exuberant recovery that Wall Street was expecting, we are witnessing the last gasps of the Chinese economic miracle. And almost no one was ready. This is a problem for U.S.
WEAK AND DESPERATE – Blinken set for high-stakes China trip this weekend, but there's no sign of a thaw yet. The top U.S. diplomat will travel to Beijing Friday to hold talks with senior Chinese officials, a long-awaited rescheduling of a visit that was canceled over the spy balloon saga.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 476. Ukraine's president hailed the “forward movement” of his troops near the long-besieged city of Bakhmut in the east and on the war's southern front.
Lawmakers want US to provide Army tactical missiles to Ukraine. They want to compel a resistant Team Biden to provide long range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine as it fends off Russia.
US rushes replacement armored vehicles to Ukraine after battlefield losses. By attacking through minefields while under Russian artillery fire, the Ukrainian army has already lost at least 16 Bradleys and four Leopard tanks.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
GOP senator blocks arms sale to Hungary for stalling Sweden's NATO bid. The rare move by Sen. James E. Risch comes as relations between the U.S. and Hungary have become increasingly combative as Budapest complicates the Western response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
KC-135s pull off ‘monumental' air bridge to get scores of aircraft to exercise in Europe. Air Defender 23, the German-led air exercise that is the largest in NATO history, kicked off June 12 with roughly 100 of the 250 participating aircraft coming from Air National Guard units across the U.S.
For the 1st time in Romania, Air Force B-1B Lancers receive hot-pit refuel. B-1Bs from the 7th Bomb Wing of Texas' Dyess Air Force Base participated in a hot-pit refueling Monday in Romania as part of German Air Defender 23
US military police reinforce security at one of Germany's most crime-ridden train stations. U.S. military police stationed at Bavarian bases have stepped up weekend patrols at Nuremburg's main train station, one of Germany's most crime-plagued transportation hubs, under a recently announced cooperation agreement with the city.
US pushing India to seal big armed drone buy for Modi visit. Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Team Biden is pushing New Delhi to cut through its own red tape and advance a deal for dozens of U.S.-made armed drones.
US MILITARY
Female Army enlistments down after Vanessa Guillen's death. The 2020 disappearance and murder of a young Army specialist that prompted service-wide reckoning and reform may still be affecting efforts to recruit female soldiers.
Army aviation plays central role in Pacific. The military considers Hawaii an increasingly critical training ground and operational hub as tensions simmer in the Pacific.
Marines eye a stronger amphibious force with much larger capabilities. As the Marine Corps shifts from counterinsurgency ops, and transform per “Force Design 2030,' they may be taking on larger operations.
END of PDB
“General” Milly was in command of the Afghanistan fiasco. He’s only just another od Biden’s boot licking yes men.
Milley should be hanged for treason or maybe firing squad.
100% CORRECT.
Gen Milley should have been court martialed when he warned Chinese military about Pres Trump. That was treason! The whole indictment is illegal as Trump had the authority to do what he did ..btw Gen Milley and Biden did not!
I wouldn’t doubt that traitor Milley isn’t behind the whole thing.
It would not surprise me at all.
Milley is not fit to hold his rank or office!
Retired Army Officer
Milley should be stripped of his citizenship and finish his life in GITMO
Milley is a 4 letter word that starts with S and ends with a T
Milley is a Traitor & must be treated as one.
Does anyone ever “proofread” anymore? You have a blatant misspelling of FEUD in the headline. You spelled it fued! How can I ever trust the content of your articles if you don’t know how to spell?
MILLY IS A DISGRACE TO THE 101st AIR BOND