Podcast Summary: Morning Wire – Evening Wire: Former Prince Andrew Arrested & Trump’s Iran Timeline | 2.19.26

Date: February 19, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

This episode of Evening Wire dives into a series of high-impact news updates:

• The arrest of former Prince Andrew in relation to Jeffrey Epstein allegations
• President Trump’s firm stance and new deadline for Iran as US forces amass in the region
• Several Democrats planning to skip Trump’s upcoming State of the Union
• Additional rapid-fire national and international developments

Throughout, the hosts provide crisp, fact-driven reporting, focusing on significant political, legal, and cultural headlines.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Former Prince Andrew Arrested Over Epstein Allegations

[00:21–01:16]

• Reported by: Lyndon Blake

• Details:

  • Former Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten Windsor) was arrested on his 66th birthday for suspicion of misconduct in public office related to Jeffrey Epstein.
  • Police searched his homes in Berkshire and Norfolk.
  • The central allegation: Andrew shared confidential material—including official trade documents for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam—with Epstein.
  • The BBC reported the assessment of a complaint regarding these leaks.
  • Andrew lost his royal titles in October 2025 amid previous revelations.
  • Consequences: If convicted, Andrew could face life in prison.

  “This confidential material reportedly included trade documents, with one email appearing to forward Epstein official trade reports for Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam.”
  — Lyndon Blake, [00:43]

2. Trump’s Peace Initiative and Iran Deadline

[01:16–02:10]

• Reported by: Cabot Phillips

• Details:

  • President Trump convened the first "Board of Peace" meeting, expressing that peace in the Middle East remains impossible as long as Iran possesses nuclear weapons.
  • Trump set a clear 10-day timeline for a deal, threatening consequences for noncompliance.
  • Celebrated achievements of the Board: raising $7 billion, resolving eight international conflicts, and starting Gaza’s reconstruction.
  • Recognized peacemaking contributions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and India.

  “Peace in the Middle east won't exist as long as Iran has a nuclear weapon…bad things will happen if they don't [strike a deal].”
  — Cabot Phillips quoting Trump, [01:30 & 01:41]

  “The meeting concluded with Trump gaveling out the Board of Peace for the first time in the institution's history.”
  — Cabot Phillips, [02:06]

3. EU Designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a Terrorist Organization

[02:17–02:46]

• Reported by: Georgia Howe
• Takeaways:
  • The EU aligns with the U.S., Canada, Israel, and Gulf states, formally designating the IRGC as a terror group.
  • Immediate freezing of IRGC assets and banning any resource transfers; affects EU businesses and individuals.

4. US Withdraws Troops from Syria After a Decade

[02:46–03:20]

• Reported by: Tim Pierce
• Summary:
  • The final 1,000 American troops to leave Syria over the next two months.
  • The shift is towards diplomatic engagement with new Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharra.
  • The White House claims they remain capable of countering any ISIS resurgence without a standing military presence.

5. Mistrial in Antifa-Related Federal Case

[03:20–04:08]

• Reported by: Jenny Tayre

• Incident:

  • Mistrial declared before jury selection in a case involving alleged antifa terrorists who ambushed federal agents.
  • Cause: Defense attorney Marketa Clayton wore a t-shirt featuring civil rights figures—considered by the judge as political and inappropriate.
  • Judge Mark Pittman compared Clayton’s attire to “a prosecutor sporting an ICE pin or a shirt with Donald Trump riding an eagle.”

  “I don't know why in the world you would think that's appropriate… Politics, as prevalent as they are, as divided as they are, don't have any business here.”
  — Judge Mark Pittman, [03:49]

6. Democratic Protest of Trump’s State of the Union

[04:08–04:55]

• Reported by: Breckah Stoll, Cameron Arcand
• Details:
  • Some Democratic lawmakers will boycott or protest Trump’s upcoming address.
  • “People’s State of the Union” counter-event organized by liberal groups, featuring notable progressive senators and reps.

7. Potomac River Sewage Crisis

[05:52–06:54]

• Reported by: Cameron Arcand, Jess Kramer

• Key Facts:

  • Massive wastewater spill due to a broken pipe; river cleanup remains ongoing, with high E. coli levels.
  • Water supply is reportedly safe, but public warned to avoid recreational river activities.
  • DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency seeking federal assistance, following urging from President Trump.

  “There is currently no impact to drinking water… but are telling people not to take part in any, quote, unnecessary activities in the river.”
  — Jess Kramer, [06:33]

8. Micron’s $200 Billion Data Center Expansion

[07:13–08:04]

• Reported by: Joel Niedler
• Economic News:
  • Micron announces enormous investments to meet sky-high demand for memory chips driven by AI companies (OpenAI, XAI, Oracle).
  • Boise, Idaho, and Syracuse, NY will host new mega-factories.
  • Chip prices have increased over 500% due to current supply constraints.

9. US-Taiwan Arms Deal Paused Amid China Talks

[08:04–08:36]

• Reported by: Georgia Howe
• Summary:
  • Pause on a major US arms sale to Taiwan after Xi Jinping raised objections in a phone call with Trump.
  • Deal delayed as US readies for a Beijing summit covering trade, nukes, and Taiwan’s status.

10. Pentagon AI Contract at Risk Over Usage Rules

[08:36–09:26]

• Reported by: Zach Jewell

• Update:

  • Anthropic’s $200 million Pentagon contract is in jeopardy because the company won't allow its AI models for domestic surveillance or autonomous lethal uses.
  • Rival AI firms (OpenAI, Google, XAI) are pitching more permissive policies.
  • Pentagon official Emil Michael emphasizes the need for flexible AI tools.

  “We have to be able to use any model for all lawful use cases. If any one company doesn't want to accommodate that, that's a problem for us.”
  — Emil Michael, undersecretary of war, [09:19]

11. Goldman Sachs Drops DEI Board Requirements

[09:26–09:52]

• Reported by: Georgia Howe
• Development:
  • Investment giant Goldman Sachs ends all diversity, equity, and inclusion filters for board candidates and IPO prospects.
  • The decision follows pressure from conservative advocacy groups.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Prince Andrew’s Allegations:

  "It was assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material with Epstein."
  — Lyndon Blake, [00:39]

• On Iran:

  “Maybe we're going to make a deal... you're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
  — President Trump (paraphrased), [01:41]

• On Legal Proceedings:

  "Politics, as prevalent as they are, as divided as they are, don't have any business here."
  — Judge Mark Pittman, [03:55]

• On AI & National Defense:

  “We have to be able to use any model for all lawful use cases.”
  — Emil Michael, [09:19]

Important Timestamps

• 00:21: Prince Andrew arrest details begin
• 01:16: Trump’s Iran peace plan and Board of Peace initiatives
• 02:17: EU designates IRGC as terrorist group
• 02:46: US troop withdrawal from Syria
• 03:32: Antifa terrorist trial mistrial declared
• 04:20: Democratic SOTU protest coverage
• 05:52: Potomac River sewage crisis update
• 07:13: Micron’s data center expansion
• 08:04: US pauses Taiwan arms deal
• 08:44: Anthropic’s Pentagon AI contract issues
• 09:26: Goldman Sachs DEI policy reversal

Tone & Style

The reporting maintains a brisk, factual delivery with a hint of skepticism toward mainstream narratives (matching Daily Wire’s editorial voice). The focus, as always, is on concise elucidation of significant, often underreported news developments for an informed, right-leaning audience.

For More Information

To explore these stories further, listeners are directed to dailywire.com.

End of Summary