Assad Regime Falls & Trump’s World Stage Strength | 12.9.24

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: "Assad Regime Falls & Trump’s World Stage Strength" | December 9, 2024

Hosted by John Bickley and Georgia Howe, Morning Wire delivers a comprehensive analysis of current political and global events. In this episode, the focus is on President Donald Trump's recent activities on the world stage, the collapse of Bashar Al Assad's regime in Syria, and the ongoing Daniel Penny trial.

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1. Donald Trump’s Diplomatic Maneuvers

Trump’s Visit to France

President Donald Trump made a significant appearance on the international stage by traveling to France for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. This event marked his first major diplomatic engagement since securing a second term.

• Meeting with Emmanuel Macron: The relationship between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, previously tense, took a notable turn. During their meeting, Macron extended a warm welcome, stating, "It's a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later. Welcome back again." (02:51)

• Shift in Macron’s Tone: Previously critical of Trump, Macron adopted a more conciliatory stance, indicative of a broader shift among world leaders seeking favor with Trump’s administration. This change is further exemplified by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to Mar-a-Lago for a friendly dinner after Trump hinted at imposing tariffs on French goods.

Engagement with Ukrainian President Zelensky

In a pivotal development, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia. Unlike the current U.S. stance under President Biden, who has pledged continuous support to Ukraine, Trump advocated for bringing both sides to the negotiating table.

• Zelensky’s Shift: Zelensky, previously opposed to any peace deals with Putin, stated, "President Trump is, as always, resolute. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. Peace through strength is possible." (04:19) This marks a potential breakthrough in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

Trump’s Interview on Meet the Press

In his first interview since re-election, Trump outlined his primary objectives for his new term:

• Economic Policies: Trump emphasized his commitment to imposing tariffs on countries he accuses of taking advantage of the U.S.

• Border Security: He reiterated his plans to reinstate border policies reversed by the Biden administration, including ending birthright citizenship.

• Justice System Reforms: Trump vowed to purge the federal government of individuals who have politicized the justice system, stating, "I'm going to be acting very quickly. Within your first 100 days."

• Pardons for January 6th Convictions: He announced intentions to pardon thousands of Americans convicted in relation to the January 6th events, signaling a move to address what he perceives as overreach by previous administrations (04:30).

Domestic and International Reactions

Trump’s assertive stance has garnered mixed reactions. While some international leaders are seeking alignment with his policies, domestic critics raise concerns about potential abuses of executive power and the implications of revising foundational policies like birthright citizenship.

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2. Collapse of Bashar Al Assad’s Regime in Syria

Fall of Assad’s Government

The longstanding regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has collapsed amid the rise of the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a faction with roots in Al Qaeda. Assad has fled to Russia, signaling a dramatic shift in Syria’s political landscape.

• Assad’s Exile: "He's in exile in Moscow. The Russians have granted asylum to him and his family." (07:25)

• HTS’s Rise to Power: Led by Abu Mohammed Al Golani, HTS has seized control of Damascus with minimal resistance, capitalizing on depleted Russian and Iranian support due to regional conflicts.

HTS Leadership and Intentions

Governor Abu Mohammed Al Golani presents HTS as a moderate force committed to institutional governance and minority rights. However, skepticism remains given HTS’s origins and Golani’s past associations with terrorist leaders.

• Golani’s Statement: "We are talking about something that aligns with the traditions and nature of the region. The most important thing is to build institutions." (08:20)

• International Concerns: The U.S. has designated HTS as a terrorist organization, placing a bounty on Golani. Turkey’s backing of HTS adds another layer of complexity, with President Erdogan likely influencing Syria’s future.

Global Reactions

Western nations have mixed feelings about Assad’s downfall. While his regime was notorious for human rights abuses, the emergence of HTS raises alarms about regional stability.

• Israel’s Precautionary Measures: In response to the power vacuum, Israel has deployed military forces to the Syrian border for the first time since 1974, as a precaution against potential threats (09:19).

• U.S. Position: President Elect Trump has advised the U.S. to stay out of Syria’s affairs, highlighting Russia’s weakened position. Conversely, President Biden has expressed intentions to support allies and prevent ISIS from regaining power, indicating ongoing U.S. involvement (10:16).

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3. Daniel Penny Trial Developments

Case Overview

Marine veteran Daniel Penny is on trial for the death of Jordan Neely. The case has become a focal point for debates on race, mental health, and criminal justice.

Dismissal of Top Charges

During the trial's fifth day, Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed the principal charge of second-degree manslaughter, allowing the jury to focus solely on criminally negligent homicide.

• Judge’s Decision: "Manslaughter two was dismissed, and that they would be back on Monday to deliberate only the second count against Penny." (12:07)

• Defense’s Argument: Penny’s legal team contends that the dismissal undermines judicial integrity, suggesting it allows prosecutors to overcharge defendants with the expectation of downgrading charges if necessary.

Public and Political Reactions

The trial has sparked significant public interest and protests, reflecting broader societal tensions.

• Protests: Racially charged demonstrations have erupted outside the courthouse, with activists vocally condemning Penny despite the lack of evidence linking the case to racial motives.

• Support for Penny: Supporters cite Penny’s actions as necessary responses to increasing violence and mental health crises in New York City. New York City Mayor Eric Adams publicly praised Penny for his role in protecting fellow passengers (13:57).

Future Implications

Should the jury convict Penny on the lesser charge, his defense is poised to appeal, maintaining the case’s contentious status. Additionally, the state’s strategy to reduce charges mid-trial raises concerns about prosecutorial tactics and judicial fairness.

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Conclusion

This episode of Morning Wire provides a thorough examination of pivotal events shaping the current political and global landscape. From President Trump’s strategic international engagements and the seismic shift in Syria’s governance to the highly publicized Daniel Penny trial, John Bickley and Georgia Howe deliver insightful analysis and key perspectives on these unfolding stories.

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For those looking to stay informed on the latest developments in politics, culture, education, and more, Morning Wire by The Daily Wire continues to be a reliable source of news and analysis.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

Donald Trump travels to France and projects strength on the world stage as yet more chaos rages abroad.

[Georgia Howe]

We had a lot of success working together on defense and offense too, and it certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now.

[John Bickley]

Yeah.

[Georgia Howe]

And we'll be talking about that.

[Cabot Philips]

How was the former president received by world leaders and is he already making progress on his priorities?

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Weyer Editor in Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, December 9th, and this is Morning Wire. The regime of Bashar Al Assad collapses as the Syrian dictator flees to Russia, who's poised to take control of the war torn country.

[Tim Pierce]

It's a Turkey backed jihadist group that used to be part of Al Qaeda.

[Cabot Philips]

And the jury in the Daniel Penny trial enters its fifth day of deliberations following the judge's stunning dismissal of the case's top charge.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to.

[Brandon]

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[Cabot Philips]

Six weeks out from inauguration and with yet more instability abroad, President Donald Trump returned to the world stage this weekend, meeting with world leaders in France for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

[John Bickley]

Here with more details on the visit in a high profile interview Trump just gave as Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Philips, a Cabot. So we'll start in France, where Donald Trump met with world leaders. What did we see there?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, Joe Biden might be the sitting president, but it was Donald Trump who represented the US In Paris this weekend, where the Notre Dame Cathedral reopened five years after suffering severe fire damage. Foreign leaders from around the world descended on France to celebrate, but really, all eyes were on Donald Trump, who first met one on one with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two had a, we'll call it combative relationship during Trump's first term. Macron blasted his leadership as, quote, brain dead, while Trump called him, quote, nasty and said France would be speaking German to today, if not for the U.S. but amid rising anti liberal sentiment in France and Trump's threats to implement tariffs on French goods, Macron adopted a much more gracious deferential tone this go around, have a listen.

[John Bickley]

It's a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later. Welcome back again.

[Amanda Presto]

Thank you.

[Unknown]

We are very happy to have you here.

[Tim Pierce]

Now, that warm message is indicative of what we've seen for weeks now. Foreign leaders, many of whom spent the last few years mocking Trump, now rushing to curry favor with him after his return to power. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for example, made a public about face flying to Mar a Lago for a friendly dinner with Trump after he threatened new tariffs. And then there was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who famously has criticized Trump for the last year, but met with him in Paris this weekend for a friendly.

[John Bickley]

Face to face a potentially very significant meeting there. What came of that?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, first, remember, Zelensky has for the last few years said he would not accept any peace deal with Putin and would continue fighting until Russian forces have been expelled from Ukraine entirely.

[John Bickley]

Right.

[Tim Pierce]

That message was backed by President Biden, who vowed to provide weapons and financial aid for as long as necessary to aid the war effort. But Trump had a very different approach, saying he would force both sides to the negotiating table. And within just a few days of our elections, Zelensky changed his tune. He agreed to work with Trump to find a diplomatic solution that would end the war. And on Saturday, the two reportedly discussed what the end to that war would look like. Afterwards, Zelensky said, quote, president Trump is, as always, resolute. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way, peace through strength is possible.

[John Bickley]

So perhaps some progress there between the two leaders. Coming back stateside, President Trump also sat for a high profile interview on Meet the Press. What did we hear there?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, this was Trump's first sit down interview since winning a second term. And it offered insights into his day one priorities. He reiterated his intent to impose tariffs on countries that he says have been taking advantage of the U.S. he said he would implement border policies the Biden White House rescinded and clean out those in the federal government who've weaponized the justice system for political gains. He also vowed to end birthright citizenship either through executive action or other means.

[Georgia Howe]

You know, if somebody sets a foot of just a foot, one foot, you don't need to on our land. Congratulations. And you are now a citizen of the United States of America. Yes, we're going to end that because it's ridiculous.

[Tim Pierce]

Later on, Trump again stated his intention to pardon thousands of Americans convicted and imprisoned on charges related to January 6th.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm going to be acting very quickly.

[John Bickley]

Within your first 100 days.

[Georgia Howe]

First day, first day, first day. Yeah, I'm looking for these pardons. These people have been, how long is it, three or four years? You know, by the way, they've been in there for years and they're in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open.

[Tim Pierce]

And also, as we've noted, President Biden is reportedly considering issuing pardons for people Democrats and the media have said the new administration could target for prosecution when Trump is back in office, including Anthony Fauci, Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney, among others. But when Trump was asked whether he would seek retribution on his political enemies, he signaled that he's not looking to get even.

[Georgia Howe]

In that way, retribution will be through success. If we can make our success, this country successful, that would be my greatest. That would be such a great achievement. Bring it back.

[Tim Pierce]

So six weeks to go before inauguration. Donald Trump promising success will be his.

[John Bickley]

Retribution, a theme we heard in the closing days of his successful campaign. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Anytime.

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[John Bickley]

The regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria appears to be over after an Islamist rebel faction conquered large swaths of the country. The chaotic downfall of Assad has left the US and its allies in the region wondering what's next.

[Cabot Philips]

Here to talk about Assad's ouster and what could happen next is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. So, Tim, Syria is changing leadership now for the first time since 2000. First off, where exactly is Assad now?

[Unknown]

He's in exile in Moscow. The Russians have granted asylum to him and his family. As far as his regime in Syria, it looks like it's done. Militants led by the terror group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, or hts, took over Syria's capital, Damascus over the weekend, Assad's forces barely put up a fight. In the past, Assad has been able to rely on heavy assistance from his allies in Russia and Iran. But the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle east have depleted tons of military resources. And for its part, HTS has said it has prepared for this moment for years and taking the time to build up a disciplined fighting force.

[Cabot Philips]

So who's in charge in Syria now? And then also, what does that mean for the country?

[Unknown]

That's the big question. Now HTS is led by a man known as Abu Mohammed Al Golani. In recent years, he has tried to sell himself as a freedom fighter and a moderate dedicated to protecting minority rights. Here's Golani in a recent interview on cnn.

[Abu Mohammed Al Golani]

People who fear Islamic governance either have seen incorrect implementations of it or do not understand it properly. We are talking about something that aligns with the traditions and nature of the region. The most important thing is to build institutions. We are not talking about rule by individuals or personal whims. It's about institutional governance.

[Unknown]

Now there's good reason to doubt Golani's intentions. His group hts, evolved from the terror group Nusr Front that was the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. Before Golani was head of hts, he was working for the late terrorist leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, who was killed by the Trump administration in 2019. Golani later broke from Al Qaeda and Baghdadi. But the Trump administration declared HTS a terror group in 2018, and the US has placed a $10 million bounty on Golani's head. It's also worth noting that Golani and his forces have been backed by Turkey. So Turkish President Erdogan will likely have sway in what happens next in Syria.

[Cabot Philips]

So how's the west reacting to this?

[Unknown]

Yeah, Western leaders were generally glad to see Assad go. Assad's regime was notorious for gassing and torturing its own people. But many are also apprehensive about what comes next. Israel, especially since it shares a border with Syri. The Israeli military took up positions in the buffer zone along the Syrian border for the first time since 1974. Netanyahu said it's a temporary move to protect Israel and contain any threats that may develop in Syria. Meanwhile, President Elect Trump said over the weekend that whatever happens in Syria, the US should stay out of it. He also suggested that Syria's fall is a sign of Russia's weakness and that President Putin should start peace talks. But however Trump wants to approach the conflict, he's not president yet. President Biden spoke yesterday from the White House and said his primary goals would be supporting US Allies near Syria such as Israel and Jordan, as well as working with groups within Syria to construct a new government. To that end, Biden said the U.S. is committed to not letting ISIS into power. Here's that.

[Joe Biden]

We're clear eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capabilities and to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen. In fact, just today, US Forces conduct conducting dozens of precision strikes, airstrikes within Syria targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives.

[Unknown]

And with that, it looks like the US Will play some role in shaping what happens next in Syria.

[Cabot Philips]

Well, that explains why millions have tried to flee the country. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Unknown]

Glad to be on.

[Cabot Philips]

A Manhattan judge has dismissed the more serious charge in the case of Marine veteran Daniel Penny. Penny, who's been charged in the death of Jordan Neely, still faces the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide as the jury returns to deliberations today.

[John Bickley]

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto. Giacomo. Hey, Amanda. So a lot went down in this case on Friday during a fourth day of deliberations. Catch us up to speed as we head into day five.

[Amanda Presto]

Hey, John. Yeah, there was a lot of drama that went down so early in the day. This jury, which is made up of seven women and five men, told Judge Maxwell Wiley that they were having a hard time reaching a consensus on the first charge, which is second degree manslaughter, and it brings up to 15 years behind bars. In response, the judge issued an Allen charge, which basically encourages the jury to keep deliberating to find a verdict. Then, in a move that really shocked a lot of people, the assistant district attorney, Daphna Yorin, asked the judge to dismiss the top charge so the jury could focus only on the lesser second count, criminally negligent homicide, that holds up to four years in prison. Judge Wiley quickly agreed to that. He told the jury that manslaughter two was dismissed and that they would be back on Monday to deliberate only the second count against Penny.

[John Bickley]

And there's been a lot of reaction to this move by the judge. What's Penny's side saying?

[Amanda Presto]

Yeah, they argue that dismissing a harder charge in the middle of jury deliberations sets a dangerous precedent for prosecutors in the future. This means they can overcharge defendants, knowing that they can still maneuver at the last minute if deliberations don't seem to be going their way. Penny's team also said that this was effectively coercing the jury or illegally pressuring them for a guilty verdict. Now, according to jury instructions, if the jury finds Penny not guilty of manslaughter because the state was unable to prove that his actions weren't justified, they also have to find Penny not guilty on count two, rendering a full acquittal. Now, some legal commentators view the dismissal request as an attempt by the state to put this case on life support, to try to squeeze out a conviction on the lesser charge instead of ending up with a full acquittal or possibly a hung jury. So if the jury does end up coming back with a guilty verdict on that lower charge, you can bet the defense will be firing off an appeal very quickly.

[John Bickley]

So even more controversy around this case now, and as we've reported, it's already become a political lightning rod for a host of reasons, even sparked protests outside the courthouse during the trial. What's the mood about this case in New York City?

[Amanda Presto]

Well, there have been a dozen or so racial activist protesters who've screamed things like murderer and guilty at Penny as he's walked into court. We saw a push early on in the media and then by the prosecution during the trial to make this case about race. Since Penny is white and Neely black, though, we should un underscore that there's no evidence of that at all. But there are supporters of pennies outside the courthouse, too. Increasing crime from repeat offenders, especially on the subway and the mental health crisis have become unavoidable and overwhelming for a lot of New Yorkers. And it seems to be a big reason for why the city shifted to the right in the last election. In fact, here's Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a recent interview, praising Penny for protecting other passengers.

[Joe Biden]

Now we're on a subway where we're hearing someone talking about hurting people, killing people. You have someone on that subway who was responding, doing what we should have done as a city in the state, those passengers were afraid.

[Amanda Presto]

It's also noteworthy that the state has conceded that Penny was right to step in and try to protect fellow passengers from Neely. Initially, they really couldn't get around that. Instead, they're arguing that Penny went too far and was reckless about restraining Neely, ultimately resulting in his death.

[John Bickley]

Okay, so the jury will be back at it today and only deliberating on that lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.

[Amanda Presto]

That's right.

[John Bickley]

We'll see if today brings any new twists. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presto]

You're welcome.

[Cabot Philips]

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.