| 'THE POLITICS ON THIS HAVE CHANGED': Former President Donald Trump's demand that congressional Republicans reject anything other than a "perfect" deal on the border so he can make immigration reform the centerpiece of his reelection campaign is threatening to derail delicate negotiations aimed at also freeing up more than $60 billion in military assistance desperately needed by Ukraine. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told a closed meeting of Senate Republicans yesterday that the politics of the border has flipped for Republicans, casting doubt on linking Ukraine aid to a border deal, according to Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News. "When we started this, the border united us and Ukraine divided us," McConnell reportedly told his GOP colleagues. "The politics on this have changed." "McConnell referred to Trump as 'the nominee' and noted the former president wants to run his 2024 campaign centered on immigration," according to the Punchbowl report. "We don't want to do anything to undermine him," McConnell reportedly said. "We're in a quandary." The question is whether the Ukraine aid will be severed from the border debate or whether the continued linkage will doom the money for Ukraine. SCHUMER: 'TOO MUCH AT STAKE TO PLAY GAMES': In remarks on the Senate floor yesterday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did not mention Trump by name, instead referring to "some on the fringes" who want to "sink this supplemental package from afar." "Both sides have an obligation to ensure those voices stay in the minority," Schumer said. "We must, must, finish the work on the supplemental. We are not there yet, but we will continue working." "The goal, of course, is to come up with a proposal that can get at least 60 votes in the Senate. That means both sides must accept that they won't get everything they want. It means that maximalist demands, stonewall tactics, and attempts to sabotage negotiations before they even finish must be shunned by the membership of this body. There's too much at stake to play those games," he said. "The Senate has an obligation to make sure Putin regrets the day he questions America's resolve. … We have an obligation to answer the call to defend democracy in its hour of need. We have an obligation to help our friends fighting for their survival." TRUMP DOESN'T WANT BIDEN TO 'CHALK UP A VICTORY': Trump reached out to several Republican senators yesterday, according to the Huffington Post, telling them to reject any deal. "Trump wants them to kill it because he doesn't want Biden to have a victory," the source reportedly told the Huffington Post. "He told them he will fix the border when he is president. … He said he only wants the perfect deal." Last week on his Truth Social network, Trump said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) should only accept a deal that is "PERFECT ON THE BORDER." "I do not think we should do a Border Deal, at all, unless we get EVERYTHING needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions and Millions of people," Trump wrote Jan. 17 on his social media page. "Senate Republicans engaged in a lengthy debate behind closed doors over the future of US aid to Ukraine, but the GOP emerged still divided over the best path forward as lawmakers remain stuck over how to get a bill to aid Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the US border across the finish line," CNN reported. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE SENATORS SAY BIDEN SHOULD SEEK AUTHORIZATION: A bipartisan group of four senators, Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Todd Young, (R-IN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) have written President Joe Biden arguing it's time for him to seek congressional authorization for U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. "The administration has stated that the strikes on Houthi targets to date have not and will not deter the Houthi attacks, suggesting that we are in the midst of an ongoing regional conflict that carries the risk of escalation," the senators wrote. "As tensions in the region rise, we believe that American participation in another war in the Middle East cannot happen in the absence of authorization by Congress, following an open debate during which the American public can be informed of the benefits, risks, and consequences of such conflict." "Every president has inherent power under Article 2 to defend the United States. That has always been understood to defend U.S. personnel and U.S. military assets and possibly even U.S. commercial assets. He doesn’t need to ask the permission of Congress," Kaine said on CNN. "But when you go on the offense against a group and if it is more than just self-defense and, suddenly, it is a back-and-forth and it’s escalating, that is classically when it becomes an offense and not just a defensive operation." "What is the strategy? How do we de-escalate. And what are your legal authorities? We need to be debriefed on that," Kaine said. "And I think Congress needs to be brought into it because the last thing we need to do is to slide into another war in the Middle East without a careful consideration and debate in front of the public." An hour later, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded: "This is about self-defense, and it’s under the president’s authority as commander in chief. Article 2 of the Constitution gives him that authority to do what he has to do to protect our troops, our facilities, our ships at sea. And that’s what these attacks are largely designed to do. They are self-defense strikes, and we will have to continue them as long as the Houthis choose to continue to conduct their own missile attacks." US MILITARY AIR POWER IS ALIVE AND WELL WITH STRIKES IN THREE COUNTRIES SINCE SUNDAY HOUTHIS STRIKE AGAIN: After a five-day lull, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen appear to have recovered enough from recent U.S. airstrikes to mount another attack on a commercial ship. This time, the target was the U.S.-flagged, owned, and operated container ship M/V Maersk Detroit, which was transiting the Gulf of Aden, accompanied by U.S. warships. "One missile impacted in the sea. The two other missiles were successfully engaged and shot down by the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely," the U.S. Central Command said in a press release. The Associated Press reported that two American-flagged ships were being escorted because they were carrying cargo for the U.S. Defense and State departments. WHO WAS ON THAT PLANE? Russia is accusing Ukraine of shooting down a Russian Il-76 cargo plane near the Ukrainian border with Belgorod that was transporting 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers who were headed for a swap of prisoners of war. Ukraine has not denied shooting down the plane, but Ukrainian media reports suggest the plane was actually carrying S-300 air defense missiles. "'Facts' is the key word now," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. "It is obvious that the Russians are messing with the lives of Ukrainian captives, the feelings of their relatives, and the emotions of our society." "The Main Intelligence Directorate is clarifying the fate of all captives. The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating all the circumstances," Zelensky said. "This is yet another atrocity committed by Zelensky's criminal regime," Russia said in a statement from its foreign ministry. "Kiev was well aware of the planned exchange. It also knew how the POWs were to be moved and by what route. The attack against the plane was a deliberate act. This terrorist act clearly demonstrates the Kiev regime's inability to negotiate." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in New York, called for an urgent Security Council meeting to address what he called an act of terrorism. RUSSIAN MILITARY PLANE CRASHES NEAR UKRAINE BORDER CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: US military air power is alive and well with strikes in three countries since Sunday Washington Examiner: Russian military plane crashes near Ukraine border Washington Examiner: 'Time will tell' if Trump can end war in Ukraine, says Russia's Lavrov Washington Examiner: Russia backs North Korea as Kim Jong Un raises fear of new war Washington Examiner: US and Iraq to discuss future military presence in country Washington Examiner: Biden administration demands Texas grant border access following Supreme Court decision Washington Examiner: Defiant Abbott tells Biden Texas has 'right to self-defense' after Supreme Court border ruling Washington Examiner: Border blues: House sets date to advance Mayorkas impeachment Washington Examiner: New Hampshire prioritized immigration because northern border crossings are up 600% Washington Examiner: Wife of American detained by Taliban begs Washington for help: 'I'm not going to stop fighting' Washington Examiner: Congress running low on time to address AI misinformation in elections Politico: 'A Bill That Will Be Due:' Pentagon's Middle East Buildup Costs $1.6B CNBC: How Chaos In The Red Sea Is Putting The U.S. Navy To The Test AP: Death on the Arabian Sea: How a Navy SEAL fell into rough waters and another died trying to save him Wall Street Journal: Israel Builds Buffer Zone Along Gaza Border, Risking New Rift With U.S. New York Times: Orban Uses Sweden's NATO Bid To Take Center Stage In Europe New York Times: Biden Urges Congress to Quickly Approve F-16 Sale to Turkey Reuters: China Rebuts Vietnam’s Claims To Disputed South China Sea Islands AP: A US Congressional delegation affirms bipartisan support for Taiwan in first visit since election Defense One: The Race Is On To Prepare Australia For Nuclear Subs Yonhap: Tough N.K. Rhetoric Stirs Debate Over Its Intentions, Provocation Possibility Air & Space Forces Magazine: Budget Officials: USAF Modernization at Risk If Sequester Hits, But Sentinel 'Will Be Funded' Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon: Ukraine Expected to Employ F-16s in 2024 The Aviationist: How The US Air Force Will Keep Its F-16s Flying into The 2040s Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Now 'Very Weak', New Report Says, But Space Force Is Gaining Strength The War Zone: The Last USAF F-15C/D Eagle Instructor Pilots Are Now in Training Space News: Blue Origin Gets US Space Force Funding for New Glenn 'Integration Studies' DefenseScoop: Pentagon CIO Launches New Office to Strategically Enhance Customer Experience Breaking Defense: Budget Disputes Put Pentagon's Early JADC2 Goals in Jeopardy: Official AP: Proud Boys member sentenced to 6 years in prison for Capitol riot role after berating judge Sports Illustrated: Deion Sanders Brings In Marines For Next-Level Military Drills THE CALENDAR: THURSDAY | JANUARY 25 9:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion:”Defense Disruptors,” about the future of the U.S Marine Corps, with Marine Corps Assistant Commandant Gen. Christopher Mahoney; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology; and Dan Patt, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology https://www.hudson.org/events/defense-disruptors-conversation 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies in-person and virtual event "PONI Live Debate: U.S. Nuclear Targeting," with James Acton; Jessica Mathews, chairwoman and co-director, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Heather Williams, director, Project on Nuclear Issues and senior fellow, International Security Program, CSIS; and Franklin Miller, senior adviser (nonresident), International Security Program, CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/poni-live-debate-us-nuclear-targeting 11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation launch of the 2024 China Transparency Report, with George Calhoun, director of the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Financial Systems Center; Willy Wo-Lap Lam, senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation; Nadia Schadlow, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute; Jeff Smith, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center; and Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/asia/event/launch 11:50 a.m. 1700 Army Navy Dr., Arlington, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association discussion: “DISA’s (Defense Information Systems Agency) Priorities for 2024 and Beyond," with Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, DISA director and commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network https://afceadc.swoogo.com/disa24 12 p.m. — Rand Corporation virtual discussion: “Not the X-Files: Where Are Americans Reporting UFOs?” with Marek Posard, Rand military sociologist, and Ashley Gromis, Rand associate behavioral/social scientist https://www.rand.org/events/2024/01/not-the-x-files.html 1:35 p.m. — National Defense Industrial Association Cybersecurity Division virtual meeting: “Cybersecurity and the Role of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Section 702,” with Bryan Vorndran, assistant director for the FBI Cyber Division. RSVP: [email protected] 2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group and Palo Alto Networks virtual discussion: “AI Future Threats and How to Combat Them,” with La’Naia Jones, chief information officer and director of the information technology enterprise at the CIA; Jim Smid, Defense Department/intelligence community field chief technology officer of Palo Alto Networks; and George Jackson, vice president of events at GovExec https://events.govexec.com/ai-future-threats-and-how-to-combat-them 3 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion Ukraine’s Patronal Democracy and the Russian Invasion, with co-editor Balint Madlovics, junior research fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute; co-editor Balint Magyar, senior research fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute; co-contributor Oleksandr Fisun, professor of political science at the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University; co-contributor Oleksandra Keudel, associate professor at the Kyiv School of Economics; co-contributor Mykhailo Minakov, senior adviser at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute; and co-contributor Uliana Movchan, associate professor at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/ukraines_patronal_democracy 6:30 p.m. Grand Rapids, Michigan — Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation book discussion: UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There, with author Garrett Graff https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register FRIDAY | JANUARY 26 12:30 p.m. — Arms Control Association and Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction virtual discussion: "The Sentinel ICBM program: Risks, Costs, and Alternatives," with Sebastien Philippe, research scholar, Princeton University Program on Science and Global Security; Sharon Weiner, associate professor, American University School of International Service; Frank von Hippel, professor emeritus, Princeton Program on Science and Global Security; and Zia Mian, physicist and co-director, Princeton University Program on Science and Global Security https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register MONDAY | JANUARY 29 2 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute event. "A Conversation with Rep. Darrell Issa on U.S.-South Asia Relations," with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Aparna Pande, Hudson research fellow, India and South Asia https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-conversation-with-rep-darrell-issa WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 14 4 a.m. Brussels, Belgium — NATO defense ministers meet at NATO Headquarters, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg scheduled to give a press conference https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news | | | | "We don't want to do anything to undermine him. … We're in a quandary." | | Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reportedly told his GOP colleagues that former President Donald Trump wants to run on the immigration issue, so he's urging rejection of the Senate border compromise, according to Punchbowl News |
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