The Presidential Daily Brief

Tucker Carlson Curates OZY’s PDB

He takes on liberals and conservatives alike. Today, Fox News host Tucker Carlson joins the ranks of recent OZY guest editors like Arianna Huffington, former Obama Housing Sec. Julián Castro, Karl Rove and Sen. Al Franken to share his take on today’s must-know news. He recently launched his nightly show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, focusing on current affairs with guests from both sides of the political aisle. Carlson is known to call out journalists for what he sees as shoddy reporting — and liberal bias, too. When he’s not engaged in Beltway banter, the San Francisco-born father of four loves to fly fish and travel.

Flynn Rightly Fires Back Over Intel Leaks

Michael T. Flynn stepped down this week as President Trump’s national security adviser and had his security clearance suspended by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Flynn may indeed have been the wrong man for the job, but there’s a flip side to this story: When intelligence agencies spy on American citizens in order to punish their political opponents, none of us is safe. We should worry — deeply — about how Flynn was forced out.

Can Trump Deliver Peace to the Middle East?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to town this week for his first meet-and-greet with President Trump, and there’s been lots of talk about there no longer being any daylight between the U.S. and Israeli leaders. The White House suggested that Bibi hold off on settlement expansions, and both leaders punted on whether a two-state solution remains the best way forward. Trump has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, and keep Israel as America’s closest ally. Can he do both? I’m skeptical.

Mexico Just Promised to Mess With Our Courts

Foreign country to the United States: We don’t like your policies, so we’re going to sabotage your justice system. That’s what Mexican activists are threatening to do by urging migrants who get targeted for deportation from the United States to take their cases to court. Mexico’s plan to bring our courts to a halt is every bit as threatening as anything Russia attempted during the election.

Trump Kicks Off 2020 Campaign, SpaceX Launches From Historic NASA Site and Kelly’s Immigration Preview

Know This: Donald Trump began his 2020 re-election campaign yesterday in Florida. Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched the first private rocket — ferrying supplies to the International Space Station — from Kennedy Space Center’s historic NASA launch pad, then landed the vehicle’s first stage nearby. And Iraqi forces have begun an effort to re-take western Mosul from ISIS.

Extremely Vetted: “This again is just a pause, until we look at a number of countries, seven in particular, and look at their vetting processes …. I can tell you right now they’re not very reliable — and find ways to vet in a more reliable way.” — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, explaining a “more streamlined” upcoming immigration executive order to replace the one stymied by federal courts.

Talk to Us:  We want your feedback on the Presidential Daily Brief — what you think we’re doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at pdbrief@ozy.com.