Evening Wire: TrumpRx Expands with Mark Cuban & Meta Unfriends Thousands | 5.19.26

Summary

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Morning Wire — Evening Wire: TrumpRx Expands with Mark Cuban & Meta Unfriends Thousands

Date: May 19, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

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Main Theme

This episode provides a concise roundup of the day's most pressing political, cultural, and economic news. The hosts focus on both breaking updates—such as the San Diego mosque shooting and the Ebola outbreak—and significant developments in tech, politics, and the pharmaceutical industry. Notable stories include Mark Cuban teaming up with President Trump to expand the TrumpRx program, sweeping layoffs at Meta, and commentary on growing anti-AI sentiment in the U.S.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. San Diego Mosque Shooting (01:22–02:09)

• Incident: Three victims, including school security guard Amin Abdullah, fell victim to a shooting at a San Diego mosque. Abdullah acted quickly, limiting the number of casualties.
• Investigation: Police are considering the incident a hate crime. The suspected shooters, ages 17 and 18, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
• Law Enforcement Response: One of the suspects' mothers warned police about missing firearms and her son's suicidal state, but authorities couldn't intercept the pair in time.

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2. Medicaid Fraud and Vivek Ramaswamy's Response (02:09–03:10)

• Campaign Trail Commentary: Vivek Ramaswamy praised The Daily Wire for its exposé on Medicaid fraud in Ohio.
  • Quote:
    “If you had not just reported the facts as you did a few weeks ago, the people in this room who are working hard to solve these problems, wouldn't have the platform to be able to actually make this a priority for our state. So thank you.” — Vivek Ramaswamy (02:20)
• Luke Rosiak elaborates: Widespread fraud includes companies billing millions while owners work full-time elsewhere and neglect taxes.
  • Quote:
    “This isn't about partisanship, it's about competence.” — Luke Rosiak (02:46)

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3. Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Dismissed (03:10–04:07)

• Outcome: A federal jury quickly dismissed Musk’s suit against Sam Altman on statute of limitations grounds. Musk’s main argument: OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission.
• Aftermath: Musk vows to appeal, calling it a “calendar technicality.” OpenAI counters that Musk’s lawsuit is motivated by spite.

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4. Ebola Outbreak Involving an American Doctor (04:07–04:54)

• Case: Dr. Peter Stafford, exposed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tests positive and, along with six high-risk contacts, is relocated to Germany.
• Response: WHO has declared a global health emergency, and the US blocks travel from the DRC and neighboring areas.

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5. Senate Confirms Expedited Trump Nominees (04:54–05:39)

• Details: Senate Republicans confirmed 49 new federal agency nominees, boosting the Trump administration’s confirmed picks to over 400 for 2025, outpacing prior years.
• Republican Strategy: Rule change to simple-majority confirmations is credited for the acceleration.

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6. Meta Lays Off 10% of North American Workforce (05:39–06:18)

• Scope: Layoffs affect up to 8,000 employees, with additional 6,000 job openings closed. Many workers previously reassigned to AI tasks.
• Context: Part of a larger trend, matching workforce cuts at Microsoft, Amazon, and Cisco.

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7. Anti-AI Sentiment on the Rise (07:21–08:29)

• Event: Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, was booed while promoting AI to college graduates.
  • Quote:
    “There is a fear.” — Eric Schmidt (07:43)
• Nationwide Backlash: Similar reactions noted at multiple commencement speeches. Recent incidents of violence cited against AI advocates.
• Stat: Only about 25% of Americans view AI positively.

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8. Mark Cuban Partners with President Trump to Expand TrumpRx (08:29–09:32)

• Announcement: More than 600 drugs—mostly from Cuban's online pharmacy—are being added to TrumpRx.
• Bipartisanship: Mark Cuban, who previously supported Kamala Harris, now teams up with Trump.
  • Quote:
    “I think other than you, I’ve been the biggest proponent of TrumpRx.com… Republicans want cheaper drugs, Independents want cheaper drugs, Democrats want cheaper drugs. And together I think we’re going to do something special.” — Mark Cuban (09:14)

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9. Trump Establishes $1.7B Fund to Combat Federal ‘Weaponization’ (09:32–10:15)

• Background: Settlement with IRS—Trump drops a $10B lawsuit, receives a formal apology, and secures a nearly $2B fund to compensate those alleging unfair targeting by federal agencies.
• Administration's Plan: Board led by acting AG Todd Blanche to oversee applications for relief.

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10. Trump’s Endorsement Shakes Up Texas GOP Senate Primary (10:15–10:58)

• Trump Endorses: Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn, influenced by Paxton's stance on the filibuster and the Save America Act.
• Quote from Endorsement:
  “[Ken Paxton is] a strong supporter of terminating the filibuster and, very importantly, the Save America Act.” — Donald J. Trump (paraphrased at 10:24)
• Impact: Race remains competitive heading into the final week.

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11. Long Island Railroad Strike Resolved, But Delays Continue (10:58–11:41)

• Resolution: A deal reached between MTA and five unions, but commuters remain stranded until service is restored later in the day. Both sides declare victory.
• Key Point: No new taxes for the deal; unions secured raises above the initial offer.

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12. Simi Valley Wildfire Prompts School Closures and Evacuations (11:41–12:06)

• Update: The Sandy fire has burned an expanding area, causing school cancellations and continued evacuation efforts, with 5% containment reported amid expectations of worsening winds.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Vivek Ramaswamy’s Acknowledgement of Journalism’s Impact:
  (02:20) “Wouldn't have the platform to be able to actually make this a priority for our state. So thank you.”
• Luke Rosiak’s Stark Assessment of Medicaid Fraud:
  (02:46) “Companies are farming elderly poor people for cash… This isn't about partisanship, it's about competence.”
• Eric Schmidt Facing AI Pushback:
  (07:43) “There is a fear.”
• Mark Cuban on Healthcare Unity:
  (09:14) “[W]e’re going to do something special.”

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• San Diego mosque shooting: 01:22–02:09
• Medicaid fraud and Vivek Ramaswamy: 02:09–03:10
• Musk–OpenAI lawsuit outcome: 03:10–04:07
• American diagnosed with Ebola: 04:07–04:54
• Senate confirms Trump nominees: 04:54–05:39
• Meta lays off thousands: 05:39–06:18
• Anti-AI sentiment: 07:21–08:29
• Mark Cuban and TrumpRx: 08:29–09:32
• Trump $1.7B anti-weaponization fund: 09:32–10:15
• Trump endorses Ken Paxton: 10:15–10:58
• LIRR union deal: 10:58–11:41
• Simi Valley wildfire: 11:41–12:06

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Summary

This Evening Wire edition spotlights critical national developments: news on public safety, healthcare, political maneuvering, tech sector shifts, and growing cultural tensions. The show's balanced, fast-paced run-through offers both informative depth and a view of America’s evolving priorities, making it a valuable listen—or read—for anyone wanting to stay in the know.

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Transcript

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[John Bickley]

More details come to light on the San Diego mosque shooting Mark Cuban joins the president to help expand Trump Rx and the political fate of Thomas Massie hangs in the balance as Kentucky voters take to the polls. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, May 19th. This is EveningWire.

[News Reporter]

More details have emerged about the shooting at a mosque in San Diego that left three victims dead on Monday. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce has the latest.

[Tim Pierce]

Of the three victims, one was a school security guard who has been identified as Amin Abdullah. Police say that Abdullah acted fast and played a pivotal role in limiting the number of victims to just those three. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall told reporters that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. According to NBC News, Police believe that two males, 17 and 18 years old, were behind the attack. One of their mothers alerted police ahead of time that her son, her firearms and her car were missing and that her son was suicidal, but law enforcement were not able to catch up with the pair before the attack. Police say that both assailants are dead and that they were found with self inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle not far from the mosque.

[John Bickley]

The Daily Wire's own Luke Rosiak and Brent Scher are on the campaign trail with Vivek Ramaswamy today, where he spoke to the potentially billions in Medicaid fraud that the Daily Wire helped expose.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

I think it's fair to say that if you had not just reported the facts as you did a few weeks ago, the people in this room who are working hard to solve these problems, wouldn't have the platform to be able to actually make this a priority for our state. So thank you.

[John Bickley]

Vivek then pointed to Rosiak, promising that when he comes back a year from now that Ohio will be, quote, an example not of national fraud, but of the solution which other states can emulate. Here's Rosiek speaking at the event.

[Luke Rosiak]

The issue is that if that many people were really sick, Columbus, Ohio would have the least healthy population in the entire, entire world. The companies are farming elderly poor people for cash. You research the owners and you find absurd red flags. They're working other full time jobs while billing the government $10 million a year. They're not paying their own taxes. This isn't about partisanship, it's about competence.

[News Reporter]

A federal jury in California abruptly shut down Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. Daily Wire reporter Drew Berkmeyer has more.

[Drew Berkmeyer]

The ruling came in yesterday that Musk waited too long to bring his claims under the state's statute of limitations. Jurors deliberated for 90 minutes before reaching their unanimous verdict following a three week trial. Musk sued the company in 2024, accusing Altman of abandoning OpenAI's nonprofit mission, a mission that Musk helped Bankroll with nearly $38 million before leaving the board in 2018 in favor of a for profit model. Musk, who is seeking $150 billion in damages, wasted no time in going straight to X to slam the ruling, which he dis as a calendar technicality. OpenAI, for its part, has cast the lawsuit as a spiteful effort by Musk, arguing that he previously sought to merge OpenAI with Tesla for his own benefit. Musk has denied this and has vowed to appeal the verdict.

[John Bickley]

An American doctor has tested positive for Ebola. Here's the head of the CDC.

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and has tested positive for a strain of Ebola. That American, as well as six other

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high risk contacts are going to be taken to Germany.

[John Bickley]

The man, Dr. Peter Stafford, was exposed to the virus while treating patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Stafford has worked at the Christian Mission hospital there since 2023. The Ebola outbreak was first identified last Friday. One day later, the WHO declared a global health emergency. US officials responded by blocking travel from the DRC as well as some other surrounding nations. The US is also now working to transfer Dr. Stafford and other potentially exposed healthcare workers to a hospital in Germany.

[News Reporter]

Senate Republicans confirmed 49 of President Trump's nominees to various agencies on Monday, bringing the total share of GOP confirmed picks for federal agencies to 60%. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has more.

[Zach Jewell]

The batch spans 20 different positions, including a dozen U.S. attorneys, several ambassadors, U.S. marshals and agency appointments. This marks the fourth time Republicans have moved nominees through in bulk, a practice made possible after the GOP lowered the confirmation threshold to a simple majority in response to Schumer's blockade of Trump's picks early in Trump's term. The rule change has paid off for the GOP, leading to the confirmation of 400 plus nominees in 2025 alone, a pace that surpasses both Trump's first term and Biden's total during the same window.

[John Bickley]

Meta is reportedly planning to lay off 10% of its north American employees tomorrow morning. Daily Wire reporter Brecker Stoll has more.

[Brecker Stoll]

Employees received a notice to work from home tomorrow in anticipation of the layoffs. As many as 8,000 employees are expected to lose their jobs. This comes amid massive reassignments at the company. Just yesterday, around 7,000 employees were reassigned to focus on AI projects. In addition to the layoffs, Meta has said they will be closing 6,000 open roles. Meta isn't alone in their payroll downsizing. Other tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Cisco have significantly slashed their workforce in recent months.

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[News Reporter]

Anti AI sentiment appears to be growing in the US the increasing disdain for AI tech went on full display last week in a series of commencement addresses that featured Eric Schmidt, the former head of Google. Daily Wire assistant editor Nathan Gay has the story.

[Nathan Gay]

Eric Schmidt was booed by a crowd of University of Arizona graduates when he seemed to encourage them to embrace the AI revolution.

[Eric Schmidt]

So today we stand on this edge of another technological transformation. It will touch every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, every person and every relationship you have. I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you. There is a fear.

[Nathan Gay]

Other speakers who talked about AI were met with similar derisions from crowds around the country. Recent polling shows that only about a quarter of Americans have a positive view of AI. Opposition to the tech has even turned to violence, such as last month when a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, or when 13 shots were fired at the door of an Indiana councilman who voted to approve a new data center.

[John Bickley]

Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban joined the president Monday to announce that the two have partnered together to expand Trump RX Daily Wire lifestyle reporter Lauren Baer has more.

[Lauren Baer]

President Trump is adding more than 600 drugs to his Internet drugstore, with most of them coming from Cuban's online pharmacy. The announcement was more notable because of Cuban's past support for Trump's 2024 opponent, Kamala Harris.

[Eric Schmidt]

Mark endorsed Kamala Harris back in 2020.

[Mark Cuban]

Well, he made a mistake. It was a big mistake.

[Lean Advertiser]

What does this say about what you

[Brecker Stoll]

two are building here?

[Mark Cuban]

The employee says, we love people, we love our country. He wants to he's got a good company and he's going to do a lot of business with this.

[Lauren Baer]

Cuban defended his, quote, special partnership with the administration at the Monday event.

[Mark Cuban]

Thank you for having me, Mr. President. I think other than you, I've been the biggest proponent of TrumpRx.com and the reason for that is Republicans want cheaper drugs, Independents want cheaper drugs, Democrats want cheaper drugs. And together I think we're going to do something special.

[News Reporter]

President Trump has established a $1.7 billion fund to fight deep state weaponization. Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham reports.

[Megan Basham]

The new fund is part of a settlement with the IRS, wherein Trump agreed to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency in exchange for a formal apology and the creation of an almost $2 billion anti weaponization fund at the Justice Department. The fund aims to compensate Americans of any political affiliation and who claim they were unfairly targeted by federal authorities, and it would compensate them for tangible losses such as legal fees. A board appointed by acting AG Todd Blanche will review applications and recommend relief.

[John Bickley]

President Trump finally made an endorsement in the Texas Republican primary for U.S. senate today. Daily Wire assistant editor Andy Valdez has the details.

[Andy Valdez]

Trump picked state Attorney General Ken Paxton over the incumbent, Senator John Cornyn. While the president has a history of using primaries to settle intraparty feuds, this time the president appeared swayed by Paxton's support for ending the filibuster. In his endorsement. Posted on Truth Social, Trump wrote, ken is a strong supporter of terminating the filibuster and, very importantly, the Save America Act. Trump's choice of endorsement is a blow to Cornyn's reelection in the final week of the primary. To date, the race has been competitive, with neither Cornyn nor Paxton polling above 50%.

[News Reporter]

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority struck a deal with the five unions that represent Long island railroad workers on Monday evening. Daily Wire Homepage managing editor Jordan Schroeder has more.

[Jordan Schroeder]

Despite the positive development, hundreds of thousands of commuters remained stranded on Tuesday morning. Governor Kathy Hochul warned that even with the strike's end, the Long Island Railroad would not resume operations until noon today, so full service would not be restored until 4pm she did not say what the final terms of the new deal are, but both sides have claimed victory. The governor touted that the agreement would not result in any new taxes. The union bosses said they pushed the MTA above its initial offer of a 3% raise in 2026.

[John Bickley]

And a wildfire has spurred evacuations in California's Simi Valley. The Sandy fire began yesterday morning and within hours had devoured hundreds of acres. By this morning, the fire had burned nearly double that. Firefighters worked through the night and with calm winds were able to contain it 5% ahead of windy conditions expected this afternoo. The Simi Valley Unified School District canceled all classes today because of the fire.

[News Reporter]

Those are your Drive Home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and in case you missed it, earlier today we covered some major stories, including the Trump administration warning the Cuban regime amid reports that it's arming up what the new fed chair means for Americans wallets and separating the facts from fear mongering on the new Ebola outbreak. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.