WEDNESDAY PDB – How far Trump would go. What emerged in two interviews with Trump, and conversations with more than a dozen of his closest advisers and confidants, were the outlines of an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world.
To carry out a deportation operation designed to remove more than 11 million people from the country, Trump said he would be willing to build migrant detention camps and deploy the U.S. military, both at the border and inland.
EXCELLENT – THAT'S WHAT I'M VOTING FOR!
Trump says he'd use the National Guard to deport migrants if reelected. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said he wasn't opposed to using active-duty military if needed but that he thought the National Guard would do the job.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Austin pushes back on lawmaker's F-35 criticism: Not a ‘paperweight.' Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III rebuffed criticism from lawmakers on April 30 that the F-35 program has proved too costly and unreliable to serve as the backbone of America's and allies' future fighter fleet.
HOMELAND SECURITY
CYBERATTACKS – Volt Typhoon hacks likely to inspire copycats, CNMF's Mahlock says. The Volt Typhoon hacks that targeted U.S. critical infrastructure won't be the last of their kind, according to a Marine Corps cyber leader.
Ex-NSA worker, Army veteran sentenced for selling classified info. The ex-employee who sold classified information to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a Russian official was sentenced Monday to nearly 22 years in prison.
Troops on the border: ‘We have to adapt every night to every scenario.' New Hampshire National Guard Lt. Ryan Camp looked through the border fence separating Texas and Mexico and made a mental note of the pickup truck crawling back and forth along the bank of the Rio Grande.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
DON'T CONFIRM THIS DIVISIVE CRT HACK – With promotion still blocked, Air Force officer's eligibility extended. The officer whose promotion continues to be the last to remain blocked by the Senate now has another year to see if he'll be made brigadier general.
POLITICS
NO MORE ANTI-AMERICAN JEW-HATERS IN US! – White House considers welcoming some Palestinians from war-torn Gaza as refugees.
House lawmakers press Austin on Rafah, Israel aid and Gaza pier plans. Austin said Israeli forces would respond if U.S. troops came under fire from Hamas or other militant groups.
Supreme Court rejects military chaplains' lawsuit claiming refusal of COVID-19 vaccine hurt their careers. The case involves 39 military chaplains who say they continue to face recrimination for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons.
US POWER OVERSEAS
‘Rogue Army major' convicted of smuggling guns to Ghana, lying about marriage fraud ring. The officer assigned to Fort Liberty was convicted of five charges related to trafficking firearms overseas.
Mali claims killing extremist linked to 2017 deaths of US troops. A senior Islamic State group commander wanted in connection with one of the deadliest attacks on U.S. forces in Africa was reportedly killed in an operation by Mali's security forces.
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST TERROR
Why Israel is so determined to launch an offensive in Rafah. And why so many oppose it. Even as the U.S., Egypt and Qatar pushed for a cease-fire deal to avert an assault on Rafah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated on Tuesday that the IDF would move on the town “with or without a deal” to achieve its goal of destroying the Hamas militant group.
Hezbollah stumbles into a war of attrition. The Lebanese group isn't ready for a larger conflict. Israel shouldn't let that opportunity go to waste.
IRAN THREAT
April Red Sea recap: Fight against Houthis continues after lull. The Navy destroyed several missiles and drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants in the Middle East over the last month, even with a pause in reported engagements..
Portuguese-flagged ship is hit far in Arabian Sea, raising concerns over Houthi rebel capabilities. The container ship came under attack by a drone in the far reaches of the Arabian Sea.
CHINA THREAT
AS I'VE REPEATEDLY SAID – IN REAL TERMS, CHINA'S BUDGET IS BIGGER – China's real military budget has quietly become almost as big as ours. Americans are too often put at ease by the erroneous statistic that the U.S. spends “more than the next 10 countries combined” on its military.
China launches Pakistan's Hangor submarine, despite engine row with Germany. The first of eight Hangor II submarines for Pakistan was recently launched in Wuhan, China, though it's uncertain what could be powering the boat given Germany's block on an engine export.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
What do Russians really think about Putin's war? Polling has gotten harder as autocracy has tightened.
UK eyes Chinese drone parts for Ukraine. Like Kyiv itself, London may prioritize price over sourcing concerns.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
AGAINST CHINA, TOO – South Korea considers joining alliance for sharing military technology with Australia, US and UK.
South Korea plans $4B in new weapons investments, including $583M of SM-3s. In addition, it will buy four new frigates and create a new air-to-air missile; all told, the three projects will represent roughly $4 billion in investments.
SPACE THREAT
Millennium wins ‘FOO Fighter' contract for SDA missile tracking. The Space Development Agency selected Millennium Space Systems to build eight satellites carrying advanced missile tracking sensors, part of an experiment aimed at improving SDA's ability to target threats from space.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Two major NATO naval exercises underway. Dynamic Mongoose 24 in the North Atlantic and Neptune Strike 24-1, which involves four large-deck strike groups and spans both the Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea as well as parts of the Baltic Sea.
US MILITARY
What Marines may be learning from Houthi tactics in the Red Sea. To some observers of the Marine Corps' modernization plans, aspects of the Houthis' operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden sound familiar.
Marine Corps says it wants counter-drone capabilities ‘yesterday' as it rushes to roll out new systems. Since that is not possible, the service says it's looking to get them to Marines right now, or at least very soon.
Air Force expects 100 CCAs operating within five years. Though it plans to buy as many as 2,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft through the late 2030s, only about 100 will be built by 2029, Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers.
TWO YEARS FOR SHORTS AND A T-SHIRT?! THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE PENTAGON – New Air Force PT uniforms roll out after 2-year delay. The service's newest airmen are finally working out in the service's upgraded physical training uniforms.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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