What Is the President’s Daily Brief?

The President’s Daily Brief (PDB) is a summary of high-level intelligence and analysis about global hot spots and national security threats written by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. While the intelligence community produces many reports and assessments, the PDB is written specifically for the president and his top advisers.

Its origins trace back to a daily intelligence summary given to President Harry Truman starting in 1946, according to the C.I.A. Its current form began with CIA briefings for President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The intelligence community tailors the PDB to each president’s interests and style of absorbing information. At times, the briefing has included a “deep dive” into a specific question that a president may have asked or information that briefers believed he needed to know, such as the early August 2001 briefing President Bush received at his Texas ranch reporting that Osama Bin Laden was determined to strike inside the United States. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, President Bush received a supplement called the “threat matrix,” which listed more detailed intelligence about potential terrorist plans. Under President Obama, the brief has taken on some new topics and different forms, including a periodic update on cyberthreats against the United States. The P.D.B.’s form has also evolved. For example, President Bush preferred oral briefings to accompany the document, while President Obama has preferred to read the briefing on a secure tablet computer that lets him page through, underlining specific details.