Latest / The President's Daily Brief / PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 8th, 2026: CENTCOM Finalizing Plans for Renewed Iran Fighting & Mall of America Terror Plot Foiled

Transcript

PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 8th, 2026: CENTCOM Finalizing Plans for Renewed Iran Fighting & Mall of America Terror Plot Foiled · The President's Daily Brief

• 0:12
  It's Thursday,
• 0:12
  the 8th of October.
• 0:14
  Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin.
• 0:16
  I'm Mike Baker,
• 0:17
  your eyes and ears on the world stage.
• 0:19
  Alright,
• 0:20
  let's get briefed.
• 0:22
  First up,
• 0:22
  the US military buildup around Iran.
• 0:25
  is moving into a new phase with
• 0:27
  Centcom now reportedly ordered to complete preparations
• 0:31
  for another major round of fighting.
• 0:33
  Later in the show,
• 0:34
  federal authorities
• 0:35
  say they disrupted an ISIS-inspired plot targeting the Mall of America,
• 0:40
  arresting an 18 year old Somali man after an undercover gun sale.
• 0:44
  But first,
• 0:45
  today's afternoon spotlight.
• 0:47
  Here on the PDB we've been watching the military
• 0:49
  buildup around Iran for the past several weeks,
• 0:52
  reporting on the secret Camp David war council,
• 0:54
  the 3rd carrier strike group movement,
• 0:57
  and thousands of additional American troops headed towards the region.
• 1:00
  Now there's another significant development.
• 1:03
  Axios reports that the Pentagon has instructed US Central Command,
• 1:06
  CENTCOM
• 1:07
  to finish preparations for the possible resumption
• 1:10
  of major combat operations against Iran.
• 1:13
  Reportedly,
• 1:13
  the White House has not made a final decision to attack,
• 1:16
  and there's no indication the strike order has been issued.
• 1:19
  But according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios,
• 1:22
  CETCOM is now being told to make sure that the military
• 1:25
  options are ready if the president decides to use them.
• 1:29
  The ships and troops are moving into position,
• 1:31
  and now the command responsible for any American operation against Iran
• 1:34
  is reportedly being told to complete the planning for what could come next.
• 1:39
  Axios says a renewed campaign could involve
• 1:41
  extensive strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities,
• 1:45
  energy infrastructure,
• 1:46
  and other targets,
• 1:47
  with Israel likely playing a major role alongside the US.
• 1:51
  And the timing is important.
• 1:53
  Yesterday we told you that Vice President JD Vance
• 1:55
  had publicly laid out one of Washington's clearest conditions yet
• 1:59
  for ending the war.
• 2:00
  Iran would have to make a meaningful reduction
• 2:02
  in its uranium enrichment capability,
• 2:05
  particularly its stockpile of uranium
• 2:07
  enriched to 60%.
• 2:09
  But
• 2:09
  According to Axios,
• 2:11
  those negotiations have yet to produce a breakthrough.
• 2:13
  Well,
• 2:14
  there's a surprise.
• 2:15
  Qatari mediators are reportedly still waiting for Iran
• 2:17
  to respond to the latest American proposal.
• 2:20
  There are also signs that coordination between
• 2:22
  Washington and Jerusalem is picking up.
• 2:25
  Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday,
• 2:28
  their second conversation in several days after a
• 2:30
  lapse in communication between the two leaders.
• 2:33
  Netanyahu has also convened his national security team
• 2:37
  to discuss Iran,
• 2:38
  and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
• 2:40
  spoke with him earlier in the week.
• 2:42
  Now,
• 2:43
  fair enough,
• 2:43
  none of that proves another attack is imminent,
• 2:46
  but the high-level ramped up communication
• 2:48
  is happening alongside the military preparations,
• 2:51
  and Israeli officials are openly discussing the possibility of renewed strikes.
• 2:55
  Axios also reports that Israeli
• 2:58
  officials believe Tehran is increasingly concerned
• 3:01
  about being surprised again.
• 3:02
  And that of course raises its own danger.
• 3:05
  When both sides believe another round of fighting may be coming.
• 3:08
  Preparations themselves
• 3:09
  can be misconstrued or become destabilizing.
• 3:12
  One side moves forces because it wants to be ready.
• 3:15
  The other side sees those movements and starts
• 3:17
  wondering whether it needs to act first.
• 3:20
  We don't know whether Iran is preparing to do that,
• 3:22
  and the reporting does not establish that it has made any such decision.
• 3:26
  But that risk grows as more military assets move into the region
• 3:30
  and operational plans are completed.
• 3:33
  And there's still a major unanswered
• 3:34
  question surrounding Iran's nuclear program.
• 3:37
  Well,
• 3:37
  OK,
• 3:38
  to be fair,
• 3:38
  there are numerous major questions surrounding Iran's nuclear program.
• 3:42
  Reuters reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency,
• 3:45
  the IAEA
• 3:47
  believes roughly 200 kg of uranium enriched to 60%
• 3:51
  may remain at Iranian facilities,
• 3:53
  much of it associated with the underground complex at Isfahan.
• 3:57
  Inspectors still do not have access to the sites damaged during earlier strikes,
• 4:02
  meaning there are significant gaps in what
• 4:04
  the outside world knows about what survived,
• 4:07
  where all of Iran's nuclear material is located,
• 4:09
  and what Tehran may still be capable of rebuilding.
• 4:12
  Shortly before the previous attacks,
• 4:14
  Iran had also informed the IAEA that it
• 4:17
  was preparing another underground enrichment facility near Isfahan.
• 4:21
  That current status of the facility remains unclear.
• 4:25
  So if the US and Israel are considering another campaign
• 4:28
  against Iran's nuclear infrastructure,
• 4:30
  they would be doing so with some
• 4:32
  fairly important intelligence questions still unresolved.
• 4:35
  And that brings us back to where the story stands today.
• 4:38
  We already know
• 4:39
  that American forces were moving toward the region.
• 4:42
  We already knew,
• 4:42
  of course,
• 4:43
  that senior officials had gathered at Camp David to discuss Iran,
• 4:46
  and we already knew Washington was increasing pressure on Tehran
• 4:49
  to make nuclear concessions.
• 4:52
  But now,
• 4:53
  well,
• 4:53
  now we know that CENTCOM has been instructed to finish preparations
• 4:57
  for another major round of combat.
• 5:00
  All right,
• 5:00
  coming up next,
• 5:01
  the FBI says an 18 year old who wanted to join ISIS overseas,
• 5:05
  instead planned a mass shooting at the Mall of America.
• 5:08
  I'll be right back.
• 5:10
  Hey,
• 5:10
  Mike Baker here with a very important message about
• 5:13
  watching out for,
• 5:14
  safeguarding and protecting your family's future.
• 5:17
  Now,
• 5:17
  it's not a pleasant thought,
• 5:18
  but it is important.
• 5:20
  If you're the provider for your family.
• 5:22
  Well,
• 5:22
  what happens if you're no longer around?
• 5:24
  Look,
• 5:24
  things happen.
• 5:25
  Life can change quickly,
• 5:26
  but
• 5:26
  you need to ensure that you can provide for your family,
• 5:29
  even when you're gone.
• 5:30
  And that's why I wanna talk to you about Ethos Life Insurance.
• 5:33
  That's Ethos,
• 5:34
  E T H O S.
• 5:36
  What I like about Ethos is how simple they make the whole process.
• 5:39
  Everything's done 100% online.
• 5:41
  You can get a quote in seconds,
• 5:42
  apply in minutes,
• 5:44
  and potentially get same day coverage.
• 5:46
  There's no medical exam,
• 5:47
  you just answer a few simple health questions online.
• 5:50
  Ethos offers coverage amounts up to $3 million and
• 5:53
  some policies are as low as $30 a month.
• 5:56
  They also have a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot
• 6:00
  with over 4000 reviews.
• 6:02
  Take 10 minutes to get covered today with life insurance through Ethos.
• 6:06
  Get your free quote at ethos.com/PDB.
• 6:09
  That's ethos,
• 6:09
  E T H O S ethos.com/PDB.
• 6:13
  Application times and rates may vary.
• 6:15
  The Trustpilot rating is as of 8-1-2026.
• 6:20
  Hey,
• 6:20
  Mike Baker here.
• 6:21
  Let me ask you a question.
• 6:22
  What kind of shopper are you?
• 6:24
  Uh,
• 6:24
  well,
• 6:25
  if you're like me,
• 6:25
  you're always looking for high quality workout gear,
• 6:28
  for example,
• 6:28
  but
• 6:29
  you're tired of overpaying for basic shorts or rotating
• 6:32
  through the same worn out joggers every week.
• 6:34
  And that's why I want to tell you about Fabletics,
• 6:36
  right?
• 6:36
  Have you heard about them?
• 6:37
  You gotta check this company out.
• 6:38
  The prices are amazing,
• 6:39
  but that does not mean that there's any skimping on quality.
• 6:43
  The clothes have a feel and quality that frankly,
• 6:45
  normally would command much higher prices.
• 6:47
  Their training shorts and everyday tees feel amazing,
• 6:51
  holed up through heavy workouts and,
• 6:53
  and they look sharp outside the gym.
• 6:55
  Fabletics is a definite one-stop shop for activewear,
• 6:58
  golf gear,
• 6:59
  and everyday essentials.
• 7:01
  Putting together excellent fits,
• 7:02
  as the kids say,
• 7:03
  has never been easier,
• 7:04
  saving time and money.
• 7:06
  Plus,
• 7:07
  new styles drop.
• 7:08
  I believe that's another thing the hep kids say styles are dropping.
• 7:11
  Fabletics has flexible membership options.
• 7:14
  Shop now at Fabletics.com/PDB to get 70 to 80% off
• 7:19
  everything when you sign up as a new VIP.
• 7:22
  Take a quick style quiz and be sure to select PDB when prompted to unlock this offer.
• 7:27
  This is a limited time offer,
• 7:28
  so don't wait.
• 7:30
  Again,
• 7:30
  that's Fabletics.com/PDB
• 7:33
  for 70 to 80% off everything as a new VIP.
• 7:38
  Welcome back to the PDB afternoon bulletin.
• 7:40
  An 18 year old Somali in Minnesota allegedly wanted to travel overseas to join ISIS.
• 7:46
  When he couldn't afford the trip,
• 7:48
  the FBI says he decided to bring the terror stateside instead,
• 7:51
  with a planned mass shooting
• 7:53
  at the Mall of America.
• 7:54
  Federal authorities announced Wednesday that they've arrested
• 7:57
  Sheikhdoun Abdullahi Mohammed,
• 8:00
  a US citizen from Richfield,
• 8:02
  that's a Minneapolis suburb.
• 8:04
  Now,
• 8:04
  the FBI investigation stretches back to December 2024,
• 8:07
  when Mohammad began exchanging what the
• 8:09
  Justice Department says became hundreds of messages
• 8:12
  with a confidential source across multiple social media and messaging platforms.
• 8:17
  Investigators say those conversations included plans to travel to Somalia
• 8:21
  to fight for a terrorist organization.
• 8:23
  Reuters reports that he initially expressed interest in al-Shabaab
• 8:27
  before turning his attention to ISIS.
• 8:29
  By May of 2025,
• 8:30
  agents were concerned enough to visit his home.
• 8:33
  Well,
• 8:33
  that's nice.
• 8:34
  His mother told them he wasn't back from school yet
• 8:37
  and called his father.
• 8:38
  He declined to speak with the agents,
• 8:39
  saying he would pass their contact information to his lawyer.
• 8:42
  This is all very civilized,
• 8:44
  especially when you're talking about an aspiring terrorist.
• 8:46
  Apparently by July of this year,
• 8:48
  prosecutors say Mohammed was talking about what stood
• 8:51
  in the way of his overseas plans,
• 8:53
  and that would be the price.
• 8:54
  He couldn't afford the trip,
• 8:55
  so he would prepare an attack in Minnesota
• 8:58
  instead.
• 8:59
  The target he allegedly chose was the Mall of America in Bloomington,
• 9:02
  the largest shopping center in the US.
• 9:05
  As for why he chose it,
• 9:06
  the criminal complaint describes an explicitly anti-Semitic motive.
• 9:10
  Mohammed said he picked the mall
• 9:12
  because he believed it was owned by Jewish people.
• 9:14
  He also allegedly described the impact he wanted an attack to have.
• 9:17
  In one text message.
• 9:18
  He wrote,
• 9:19
  quote,
• 9:19
  If I kill even 30 people,
• 9:21
  no one would go back.
• 9:23
  Over August and September,
• 9:24
  prosecutors say he began discussing how to carry it out,
• 9:27
  including purchasing a firearm.
• 9:29
  And recruiting others to participate.
• 9:31
  He also allegedly sent a video of himself
• 9:34
  pledging allegiance to ISIS.
• 9:36
  Investigators say he then settled on the 24th of October,
• 9:39
  when the mall would host a Hmong arts celebration.
• 9:43
  Now that's an event celebrating the culture of the Hmong community
• 9:46
  with roots in China and Southeast Asia.
• 9:48
  And he allegedly intended to target the people attending it.
• 9:51
  Now,
• 9:52
  how Mohammed the terrorist managed to connect his anti-Semitism
• 9:55
  with the desire to kill members of the Hmong community
• 9:58
  is,
• 9:58
  well,
• 9:59
  anyone's guess.
• 10:00
  That brings us to Tuesday when the FBI put its undercover operation into motion.
• 10:04
  An undercover employee arranged to meet Mohammed near
• 10:07
  his home to sell him an AK-47 rifle
• 10:09
  and 200 rounds of ammunition.
• 10:11
  The bureau had made it so that the rifle was inoperable.
• 10:15
  During the transaction,
• 10:16
  prosecutors say
• 10:17
  Mohammed again confirmed that he intended to use the
• 10:19
  weapon and ammunition to shoot people at the mall.
• 10:22
  He handed over about $600 and took possession of the items,
• 10:26
  and shortly afterward,
• 10:27
  the FBI arrested him.
• 10:29
  Christopher Dodson,
• 10:30
  the FBI special agent in charge in Minneapolis,
• 10:33
  explained the bureau's response this way,
• 10:34
  quote,
• 10:35
  When the FBI receives credible evidence indicating someone
• 10:39
  is seeking to carry out a violent attack,
• 10:41
  we unremittingly pursue the threat,
• 10:43
  end quote.
• 10:44
  Well,
• 10:44
  yes,
• 10:44
  that,
• 10:45
  that would seem to be the thing to do.
• 10:47
  From Minnesota,
• 10:47
  this case follows earlier ISIS-related investigations.
• 10:50
  In 2014 and
• 10:52
  2015,
• 10:53
  federal prosecutors brought cases against several men who
• 10:56
  traveled or planned to travel overseas.
• 10:58
  To join terrorist organizations
• 11:01
  this time prosecutors are moving forward with one
• 11:03
  count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition
• 11:06
  in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
• 11:09
  Mohammed made his initial court appearance Wednesday,
• 11:12
  represented by a federal public defender.
• 11:14
  Speaking to reporters that same day,
• 11:16
  the US attorney for Minnesota said the charge
• 11:18
  demonstrates that quote,
• 11:20
  the threat of terrorism
• 11:21
  in support of ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations
• 11:25
  is active and continuing,
• 11:26
  end quote.
• 11:27
  Well,
• 11:28
  I cannot spot the lie in that statement.
• 11:31
  And that my friends,
• 11:32
  is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday,
• 11:34
  the 8th of October.
• 11:35
  Now,
• 11:35
  if you have any questions or comments,
• 11:36
  and I hope you do,
• 11:37
  just reach out to me
• 11:38
  at PDB@thfirsttv.com
• 11:41
  and to listen to the show ad-free,
• 11:42
  it's very,
• 11:43
  very doable.
• 11:44
  Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief
• 11:47
  by visiting PDBpremium.com.
• 11:49
  I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow.
• 11:51
  Until then,
• 11:52
  stay informed,
• 11:53
  stay safe,
• 11:54
  stay cool.
• 12:10
  Hey,
• 12:10
  Mike Baker here with an important message for pet owners.
• 12:13
  Now,
• 12:13
  there is a specific kind of panic that hits
• 12:16
  when you call your pet's name and they don't come back.
• 12:18
  You know what I'm talking about.
• 12:19
  Maybe a gate was left open,
• 12:20
  maybe a leash has slipped,
• 12:22
  a door is held open a second too long.
• 12:24
  If you've lived it once,
• 12:25
  you know that feeling that comes when
• 12:27
  you know your pet is lost.
• 12:29
  But with FI,
• 12:30
  that panic fades fast.
• 12:32
  You just open your phone,
• 12:33
  you see where they are,
• 12:34
  and you go get them.
• 12:35
  It's that simple,
• 12:36
  really.
• 12:37
  FI makes the world's smartest GPS and health trackers for dogs and cats.
• 12:40
  Trusted by millions of pet parents worldwide.
• 12:43
  FI answers the two things you want to know
• 12:46
  where they are and how they're doing.
• 12:48
  We use FI with our lovable but slightly dim-witted King Charles Spaniel Monty.
• 12:53
  We know exactly where he is at any given time.
• 12:56
  Plus we can track his activity and sleep.
• 12:58
  Habits,
• 12:58
  alerting us to any health changes.
• 13:01
  With FI
• 13:02
  you'll stop guessing about your pet.
• 13:04
  Get peace of mind with FI.
• 13:06
  Right now,
• 13:06
  FI is offering our PDB listeners up to
• 13:08
  30% off and free shipping when you visit FItracking.com
• 13:14
  and enter promo code PDB.
• 13:16
  That's FItracking.com
• 13:19
  promo code PDB.