A 'More Reasonable Regime' & NASA's Next Moonshot | 3.31.26 - Morning Wire

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: A 'More Reasonable Regime' & NASA's Next Moonshot
Hosts: John Bickley (Editor-in-Chief, Daily Wire), Georgia Howe
Date: March 31, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode delivers updates on key international and space developments with a focus on U.S.-Iran negotiations under President Trump, Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis amid Russian intervention, and NASA’s imminent Artemis 2 lunar mission. The tone blends urgency, analytical commentary, and excitement as the hosts and guests break down newsworthy events shaping politics, global security, and scientific progress.

1. U.S.-Iran Tensions: “A More Reasonable Regime?”

Timestamps: 00:34–06:58

Key Points:

President Trump claims ongoing “serious discussions” with a new, more reasonable faction inside Iran, signaling potential diplomatic progress while warning of escalated military action if the Strait of Hormuz isn't reopened soon.
The White House is actively debating deploying ground troops or special forces into Iran to retrieve enriched uranium as part of “Operation Epic Fury.”
Despite U.S. assertions of progress, Iranian officials publicly deny any direct talks and accuse Trump of market manipulation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully lists U.S. objectives: neutralize Iran’s air and naval capabilities, diminish missile capacity, and destroy weapons factories—emphasizing containment over regime change.
Experts note the risk for Iranian civilians and the lack of evidence for an impending popular uprising.
Trump claims a de facto regime change has occurred, citing a decimated hierarchy post-bombing campaign.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

President Trump on the intractability of talks:
"But you never know with their end because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up." (00:41)
Trump’s warning on further escalation:
"If a deal is not reached and the Strait of Hormuz is not opened very soon, we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their electric generating plants, oil wells and Carg island, and possibly all desalinization plants, which we have purposely not yet touched." — Cabot Phillips reporting (03:40)
Rubio’s clearly spelled-out goals:
"Number one, the destruction of their air force. Number two, the destruction of their Navy. Number three, the severe diminishing of their missile launching capability. And number four, the destruction of their factory so they can't make more missiles and more drones to threaten us in the future." — Marco Rubio (05:01)
Expert skepticism on internal resistance:
"I don't think we should be putting the cart before the horse when it comes to trying to ask why an unarmed population is not going to go out into the streets while bombs from friendly countries are falling on their own territory." — Ben Talablook, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (05:49)
Trump (via Axios) on regime change:
"Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets when they'll just get mowed down?" (06:17, paraphrased)

2. Cuba’s Energy Crisis & Russian Involvement

Timestamps: 08:05–12:33

Key Points:

Cuba remains on the verge of a total energy collapse with daily blackouts, a direct result of both failing infrastructure and effects of the U.S. embargo.
Russian oil tanker delivery provides only brief relief, expected to last no more than “three to seven days” before returning to crisis conditions.
Russian motives are questioned; experts suggest the delivery may serve as a test of the Trump administration’s resolve or for intelligence-gathering—“not a fix, just a test.”
The U.S. has slightly eased its embargo, allowing humanitarian shipments but not broader support. Trump remains dismissive regarding the potential for reversal of Cuba’s political status quo.
Washington may use this as a signaling opportunity, demanding serious concessions from Cuba and watching for evidence of real humanitarian reforms.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

Energy expert on Cuba’s blackout crisis:
"Cuba's energy system basically runs near the edge of total collapse on a daily basis... this tanker is basically just a band aid on an aging and abandoned infrastructure." — Sandy Acosta, Wilson Center (08:52)
On the fleeting nature of relief:
"It'll basically take them three to seven days to process through their refineries... and probably a week or so after that, prioritizing their failing medical system, which doesn't provide much anyway to the poor Cuban people and prioritizing their own facilities." — Sandy Acosta (09:28)
Trump on Cuba’s grim prospects:
"Cuba is finished. I have a bad regime, they have very bad and corrupt leadership. And whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter." (11:19)
Political calculation angle:
"It might be demonstrating a way of showing that they're willing to negotiate and that they mean business, that they're not going to let up on the hard stuff and that there, there need to be some serious concessions." — Sandy Acosta (11:39)

3. NASA’s Artemis 2: America Returns to Deep Space

Timestamps: 12:36–17:08

Key Points:

Artemis 2 prepares to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since Apollo, aiming to test all major onboard systems before a future lunar landing.
Key concern addressed: the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield suffered unexpected damage during the unmanned Artemis 1, leading to extensive review and redesign.
If safe, Artemis 2 will enter a “free return trajectory” around the moon, setting a record for human distance from Earth.
Artemis 3 won’t land on the moon but will test two private lunar landers (SpaceX and Blue Origin). Actual landings are slated for Artemis 4 and 5.
Long-term plan: establish a moon base at the lunar south pole with supporting infrastructure like a nuclear power plant.
Former astronaut Leroy Chao credits renewed geopolitical competition (especially China’s lunar ambitions) with reviving the “space race” mentality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

Leroy Chao on the mission’s purpose:
"The main purpose is to check out the Orion spacecraft, really exercise the life support systems, thermal control systems, comm systems with astronauts on board. [...] that's why it's taken three years for all the smart engineers at NASA and the contractors get their arms around what was going on and get confidence that the changes that they've made will make it safe for the astronauts to fly this one." (13:22)
On historic new distance for humanity:
"The astronauts will be the farthest humans ever, ever from the earth on any flight." (14:08)
Moonbase ambitions:
"A big goal is to launch a nuclear reactor and land it on the moon. Now, why do you want a nuclear reactor on the moon? Number one, you're going to get a lot of power out of there, which is what you're going to need for a lunar base." (15:15)
Chao on historic perspective and American ingenuity:
"We went from no NASA, no rockets, no astronauts, and then the creation of NASA to landing humans on the moon. And in just under 11 years. Right. Pretty incredible. [...] Now here we are, 22 years into the current exploration program, and we're just launching the first astronauts." (16:18)
Artemis 2 launch info:
"You can look forward to seeing the space launch this Wednesday at 6:24 Eastern. And we will be streaming it on the Daily Wire." — Cassia Akifa (16:56)

Episode Highlights

Geopolitics and brinkmanship: The episode underscores high-stakes U.S. foreign policy decisions, the ambiguity around diplomatic versus military actions, and the interplay between Russian, Iranian, and U.S. strategies.
Expert analysis: Detailed input from field experts contextualizes why civilian uprisings in Iran are unlikely during conflict and how short-term fixes in Cuba reflect longer-term strategic rivalries.
Renewed space race: NASA’s Artemis program is depicted as both a technological comeback and a renewal of national ambition, spurred by competition with China.

For Listeners:
This Morning Wire episode blends on-the-ground analysis and sober assessment with moments of optimism about American scientific achievement. It is an essential listen for anyone tracking international policy, the state of American leadership abroad, or the “new moonshot” in space exploration.

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

1. U.S.-Iran Tensions: “A More Reasonable Regime?”

Timestamps: 00:34–06:58

Key Points:

President Trump claims ongoing “serious discussions” with a new, more reasonable faction inside Iran, signaling potential diplomatic progress while warning of escalated military action if the Strait of Hormuz isn't reopened soon.
The White House is actively debating deploying ground troops or special forces into Iran to retrieve enriched uranium as part of “Operation Epic Fury.”
Despite U.S. assertions of progress, Iranian officials publicly deny any direct talks and accuse Trump of market manipulation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully lists U.S. objectives: neutralize Iran’s air and naval capabilities, diminish missile capacity, and destroy weapons factories—emphasizing containment over regime change.
Experts note the risk for Iranian civilians and the lack of evidence for an impending popular uprising.
Trump claims a de facto regime change has occurred, citing a decimated hierarchy post-bombing campaign.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

President Trump on the intractability of talks:
"But you never know with their end because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up." (00:41)
Trump’s warning on further escalation:
"If a deal is not reached and the Strait of Hormuz is not opened very soon, we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their electric generating plants, oil wells and Carg island, and possibly all desalinization plants, which we have purposely not yet touched." — Cabot Phillips reporting (03:40)
Rubio’s clearly spelled-out goals:
"Number one, the destruction of their air force. Number two, the destruction of their Navy. Number three, the severe diminishing of their missile launching capability. And number four, the destruction of their factory so they can't make more missiles and more drones to threaten us in the future." — Marco Rubio (05:01)
Expert skepticism on internal resistance:
"I don't think we should be putting the cart before the horse when it comes to trying to ask why an unarmed population is not going to go out into the streets while bombs from friendly countries are falling on their own territory." — Ben Talablook, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (05:49)
Trump (via Axios) on regime change:
"Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets when they'll just get mowed down?" (06:17, paraphrased)

2. Cuba’s Energy Crisis & Russian Involvement

Timestamps: 08:05–12:33

Key Points:

Cuba remains on the verge of a total energy collapse with daily blackouts, a direct result of both failing infrastructure and effects of the U.S. embargo.
Russian oil tanker delivery provides only brief relief, expected to last no more than “three to seven days” before returning to crisis conditions.
Russian motives are questioned; experts suggest the delivery may serve as a test of the Trump administration’s resolve or for intelligence-gathering—“not a fix, just a test.”
The U.S. has slightly eased its embargo, allowing humanitarian shipments but not broader support. Trump remains dismissive regarding the potential for reversal of Cuba’s political status quo.
Washington may use this as a signaling opportunity, demanding serious concessions from Cuba and watching for evidence of real humanitarian reforms.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

Energy expert on Cuba’s blackout crisis:
"Cuba's energy system basically runs near the edge of total collapse on a daily basis... this tanker is basically just a band aid on an aging and abandoned infrastructure." — Sandy Acosta, Wilson Center (08:52)
On the fleeting nature of relief:
"It'll basically take them three to seven days to process through their refineries... and probably a week or so after that, prioritizing their failing medical system, which doesn't provide much anyway to the poor Cuban people and prioritizing their own facilities." — Sandy Acosta (09:28)
Trump on Cuba’s grim prospects:
"Cuba is finished. I have a bad regime, they have very bad and corrupt leadership. And whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter." (11:19)
Political calculation angle:
"It might be demonstrating a way of showing that they're willing to negotiate and that they mean business, that they're not going to let up on the hard stuff and that there, there need to be some serious concessions." — Sandy Acosta (11:39)

3. NASA’s Artemis 2: America Returns to Deep Space

Timestamps: 12:36–17:08

Key Points:

Artemis 2 prepares to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since Apollo, aiming to test all major onboard systems before a future lunar landing.
Key concern addressed: the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield suffered unexpected damage during the unmanned Artemis 1, leading to extensive review and redesign.
If safe, Artemis 2 will enter a “free return trajectory” around the moon, setting a record for human distance from Earth.
Artemis 3 won’t land on the moon but will test two private lunar landers (SpaceX and Blue Origin). Actual landings are slated for Artemis 4 and 5.
Long-term plan: establish a moon base at the lunar south pole with supporting infrastructure like a nuclear power plant.
Former astronaut Leroy Chao credits renewed geopolitical competition (especially China’s lunar ambitions) with reviving the “space race” mentality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments:

Leroy Chao on the mission’s purpose:
"The main purpose is to check out the Orion spacecraft, really exercise the life support systems, thermal control systems, comm systems with astronauts on board. [...] that's why it's taken three years for all the smart engineers at NASA and the contractors get their arms around what was going on and get confidence that the changes that they've made will make it safe for the astronauts to fly this one." (13:22)
On historic new distance for humanity:
"The astronauts will be the farthest humans ever, ever from the earth on any flight." (14:08)
Moonbase ambitions:
"A big goal is to launch a nuclear reactor and land it on the moon. Now, why do you want a nuclear reactor on the moon? Number one, you're going to get a lot of power out of there, which is what you're going to need for a lunar base." (15:15)
Chao on historic perspective and American ingenuity:
"We went from no NASA, no rockets, no astronauts, and then the creation of NASA to landing humans on the moon. And in just under 11 years. Right. Pretty incredible. [...] Now here we are, 22 years into the current exploration program, and we're just launching the first astronauts." (16:18)
Artemis 2 launch info:
"You can look forward to seeing the space launch this Wednesday at 6:24 Eastern. And we will be streaming it on the Daily Wire." — Cassia Akifa (16:56)

Episode Highlights

Geopolitics and brinkmanship: The episode underscores high-stakes U.S. foreign policy decisions, the ambiguity around diplomatic versus military actions, and the interplay between Russian, Iranian, and U.S. strategies.
Expert analysis: Detailed input from field experts contextualizes why civilian uprisings in Iran are unlikely during conflict and how short-term fixes in Cuba reflect longer-term strategic rivalries.
Renewed space race: NASA’s Artemis program is depicted as both a technological comeback and a renewal of national ambition, spurred by competition with China.