President's Daily Brief - Purpose and History

Purpose and History

The PDB is intended to provide the president of the United States with new international intelligence warranting attention and analysis of sensitive international situations. The prototype of the PDB was called the President's Intelligence Check List; the first was produced by Richard Lehman at the direction of Huntington D. Sheldon on June 17, 1961. The CIA produced the first PDB for President John F. Kennedy in 1960 and the first issues were trial runs.

Although the production and coordination of the PDB was a CIA responsibility, other members of the U.S. Intelligence Community reviewed articles (the "coordination" process) and were free to write and submit articles for inclusion.

While the name of the PDB implies exclusivity, it has historically been briefed to other high officials. The distribution list has varied over time, but has always or almost always included the Secretaries of State and Defense and the National Security Advisor. Rarely, special editions of the PDB have actually been "for the President's eyes only," with further dissemination of the information contained left to the President's discretion.

Production of the PDB is closely linked to that of another publication, historically called the National Intelligence Daily, that contains many of the same items but is distributed considerably more widely than the PDB. Former Presidents are entitled to receive the PDB, if they so desire, only after the sitting President actually receives his daily briefing.