House Considers Epstein Files & Thomas Crooks Questions | 11.18.25

Summary

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Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: House Considers Epstein Files & Thomas Crooks Questions | 11.18.25
Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley (Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief), Georgia Howe

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Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on three major news stories dominating U.S. headlines:

• The imminent House vote on the release of the Epstein files and the high political stakes surrounding it,
• Intensifying questions about the 2024 attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump and the true nature of suspect Thomas Crooks,
• Renewed diplomatic and military tension between the U.S. and Venezuela, including the possibility of talks and growing military pressure.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. House Vote on Epstein Files

[02:12-06:28]

• Background:
  For years, both parties have pushed for the release of the Epstein files, suspecting explosive revelations tied to prominent political opponents.
• Recent Developments:
  • A petition to force a vote garnered the 218 signatures required after four Republicans joined all 214 Democrats, compelling Speaker Mike Johnson to move the measure forward.
  • Trump previously dismissed the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax,” angering his base and prompting Democrats to leverage the issue against GOP candidates.
  • Under mounting political pressure, Trump publicly reversed course and urged Republicans to vote for release.
• Election-Year Fallout:
  • Democrats have used Trump’s resistance to transparency as campaign ammunition, even in GOP-heavy districts.
  • Significant Republican discontent: “Polling shows that about 75% of Republicans want the files released in their entirety. While just 40% of Republicans approve of his handling of the Epstein files. On most other issues, he's around 90%.” [Cabot Phillips, 04:30]
• Notable Quote:

  "The train has left the station on this. Let's rip the band aid off and get it done. I wish the President realized that the more the White House pushes back on this, it's, you know, it just looks bad."
  — Rep. Don Bacon, replayed by John Bickley, [05:00]

• Republican Leaders’ Dilemma:
  By supporting the vote last-minute, Trump aimed to diminish embarrassment and protect GOP reelection prospects.
• White House Messaging:
  Trump’s team underscores his claimed lack of involvement while highlighting that the Biden administration also withheld the files during their tenure.
• Sample Released Emails:
  • Epstein disparaged Trump (“None as bad as Trump. Not one decent cell in his body.”) but also cryptically referenced Trump’s knowledge and actions (“Trump knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop”). [Cabot Phillips, 06:00]
  • “Trump World says it's... a compliment that Epstein hated him and... that the latter email clearly confirms President Trump's claim that he had ostracized Epstein over his shady behavior.” [Cabot Phillips, 06:15]

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2. The Thomas Crooks Assassination Attempt

[07:31-12:13]

• Backdrop:
  The FBI reports Thomas Crooks as a 20-year-old lone gunman with vague motives in the failed assassination of Donald Trump in July 2024. Many, however, now question this narrative.
• New Revelations:
  • Joe Rogan and Elon Musk reignited public skepticism, highlighting inadequate transparency and inconsistencies in the government's version of events (e.g., lack of detailed reports and unusual security protocols).
    • "There was never a formal report. There was never press conferences where they detailed all the information... Secret Service lady said [the roof] was sloped and it was dangerous. Meanwhile, the snipers that were on the other roof was a steeper pitch." [John Bickley paraphrases Rogan/Musk, 08:27]
  • Miranda Devine (New York Post) surfaced new findings via a confidential source accessing 17 of Crooks’s online accounts (Gmail, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.).
    • Revealed an ideological transformation:
      • 2019: Crooks praised Trump as "the literal definition of patriotism."
      • By 2020: Crooks labeled Trump "racist" and expressed fantasies about terrorism and assassination.
    • Crooks frequented niche pornography sites and used they/them pronouns, counter to initial FBI claims of “no meaningful online footprint or political motive.”
• Aftermath and Government Response:
  • Legislators (including Senator Kennedy and Congressman Burchett) now openly push for new hearings.
    • “I would ask them to release all of this, the assassin’s cell phone records... his history on social media. I would ask them to release all of the interviews they've done.” — Senator Kennedy [10:49]
  • The DOJ and FBI push back, asserting that Crooks acted alone and denying any official claim that he lacked an online presence.
    • Official FBI spokesperson Cash Patel: “No, the FBI never said that.” He further emphasized the scale of the investigation and affirmed no evidence of outside conspiracy or leaked plans.

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3. U.S.-Venezuela Relations: Tensions and Talks

[12:16-16:04]

• Context:
  With a massive U.S. military presence off the coast, new pressure mounts against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
• Trump Administration Position:
  • Trump hinted that negotiations with Maduro “could happen,” while simultaneously authorizing new hardline measures.
    • "It allows us to do that, but we haven't said we're going to do that. And we may be discussing. We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we'll see how that turns out. They would like to talk." — Trump, as relayed by Tim Pierce [12:53]
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated Maduro’s cartel (“Cartel de Los Solas”) as a foreign terrorist organization, enabling potential military and financial actions.
• Maduro’s Response:
  • Maduro calls for peace at a conspicuously large Caracas rally, ending with a public rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
    • "Peace, peace, peace. The imagination." — [14:16]
  • Nonetheless, U.S. intelligence reports note the White House is actively considering options including direct strikes, and has engaged in high-level discussions (involving VP J.D. Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, etc.).
• Escalating Pressures:
  • The U.S. has doubled the reward for Maduro's capture to $50 million, higher than the former bounty on Osama bin Laden, and greenlit further CIA activity within Venezuela.
  • There is significant optimism among the opposition that increased pressure might, at last, force Maduro's departure.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "The train has left the station on this. Let's rip the band aid off and get it done."
  – Rep. Don Bacon [05:00]
• “Polling shows that about 75% of Republicans want the files released in their entirety. While just 40% of Republicans approve of his handling of the Epstein files.”
  – Cabot Phillips [04:30]
• “[Crooks] was calling Trump a racist and fantasizing about terrorism style attacks, including assassination.”
  – Megan Basham [09:30]
• "I would ask them to release all of this, the assassin’s cell phone records...his history on social media."
  – Senator Kennedy [10:49]
• "Peace, peace, peace. The imagination."
  – Nicolás Maduro [14:16]
• "The possibility of US strikes against Venezuela remains very real. The US has about 15,000 troops in the region, as well as an armada of warships that includes the largest aircraft carrier in the world.”
  – Tim Pierce [14:27]

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Conclusion

This Morning Wire episode delivers an incisive, fact-focused exploration of three headline issues:

• An unprecedented push for government transparency on the Epstein files with major implications for both parties;
• Revived debate about the facts of the Trump assassination attempt, underscoring persistent mistrust in official narratives;
• Heightened tension and possible diplomatic shifts in U.S.-Venezuela relations amid robust military posturing.

The show balances news, analysis, and direct quotations, letting listeners catch up on breaking developments and ongoing controversies with clarity and depth.

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Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

All eyes are on Capitol Hill today as the House is expected to force the release of the much anticipated Epstein files.

[John Bickley]

I'm all for it, you know. We've already given 50,000 pages, but no matter what we give, it's never enough.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, November 18th, and this is MORNING Wire.

[John Bickley]

New details come to light about the suspect in the first attempted assassination of Donald Trump, sparking calls for transparency.

I don't believe them as far as I can throw the dome off the dadgum capitol.

[Georgia Howe]

And both the US And Venezuela signal a willingness to talk even as a massive US Warship floats into the Caribbean.

[John Bickley]

I'm not in love with the people running Venezuela. I love Venezuela. I love the people of Venezuela.

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

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[John Bickley]

After weeks of intense debate and political drama, the House will hold a vote today on whether to release the Epstein files.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips is here with the latest on the big vote. So Cabot, a really remarkable turn of events. This has dominated headlines for years now. How did we get to this point.

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, as you mentioned, for years now, voters and lawmakers in both parties have sort of taken turns demanding the release of the Epstein files, expressing confidence that they will be incriminating for the other party. Despite implying on the campaign trail that he supported full transparency regarding the Epstein case upon taking office, Trump did shift his tone and called the entire case a, quote, Democrat hoax, arguing that Epstein was, quote, somebody that nobody cares about. That response angered many folks on the right and also gave more ammunition to Democrats who've made this one of their key issues of late, demanding a vote in the House on whether or not to release the files. Now, Republican leadership opposed that effort at the behest of Trump. They had been blocking that vote, saying it was unnecessary because the House Oversight Committee was already releasing Epstein emails and other evidence as part of their ongoing investigation into the topic. But last week, a petition to force a vote reached the necessary 218 signatures when four Republicans joined in with all 214 Democrats. That left Speaker Mike Johnson with no real choice but to allow the vote to move forward. That vote will take place later this afternoon.

[Georgia Howe]

As we mentioned yesterday, President Trump is now urging Republicans to vote yes. What do we know about that shift?

[Cabot Phillips]

Right. The biggest reason for that shift really, is that he was facing immense political pressure. Trump's handling of the files has provided extensive fodder for Democrats who've really used it to their advantage in elections nationwide this year. For example, here's an ad running this month here in Tennessee, where Democrats are looking to defeat Republican Matt Van Epps to pick up a House seat in a district that Trump won last November by 22 points. The Epstein files are locked away. Matt Van Epps will keep him that way. Just a hedge fund puppet for the billionaire elite. But it's certainly not just Democrats who are opposing President Trump on this topic. Trump's MAGA base is deeply loyal to him on just about every issue, but not on this one. On this one, they've been very, very frustrated with him. Polling shows that about 75% of Republicans want the files released in their entirety. While just 40% of Republicans approve of his handling of the Epstein files. On most other issues, he's around 90%. So it really has become a thorn in his side among the right. And GOP lawmakers are very aware of that discontent. While only four Republicans ultimately signed the petition to force this vote, there was a good chance that a few dozen, maybe even more, maybe 100 plus, would have voted in support of the measure today, regardless of what Trump wanted For example, here's Republican Congressman Don Bacon speaking to CBS this weekend before Trump ultimately reversed course.

[John Bickley]

The train has left the station on this. Let's rip the band aid off and get it done. I wish the President realized that the more the White House pushes back on this, it's, you know, it just looks bad.

[Cabot Phillips]

So, bottom line, if Trump had continued to oppose this vote and then it passed with the support of dozens of Republicans, obviously it would be an embarrassing look for the White House and also potentially hurt the reelection odds for many of these GOP members. So by supporting it publicly at the last minute, he gives himself and a lot of those Republicans in the House some cover.

[Georgia Howe]

So that's what Trump said. What about the White House in general? What's their messaging been?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, Trump World maintains again that he has nothing to hide. And they've been quick to remind folks that the Biden administration did have all of these same Epstein files for years and did not release them. They say if Trump was implicated, why would Biden not have released them? They also argued that the Epstein emails, which have been released so far by Democrats, actually further prove Trump's innocence. For example, one of those emails, which got a lot of traction on the left, showed Epstein calling Trump, quote, dangerous, saying, quote, I've met some very bad people. None as bad as Trump. Not one decent cell in his body. In another email, Epstein claims that Trump, quote, knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop. Again, Trump World says it's, you know, a compliment that Epstein hated him and that the latter email clearly confirms President Trump's claim that he had ostracized Epstein over his shady behavior.

[Georgia Howe]

All right, well, we have a vote today. Hopefully we'll get some forward motion soon. Kaba, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

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[Georgia Howe]

Demands for answers about the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump are increasing. Though 20 year old suspect Thomas Crooks has long been painted as a lone gunman with no clear motive, new claims are prompting calls for more transparency.

[John Bickley]

Here to explain is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham. Hey Megan. So the accusations surrounding Crooks are coming pretty fast and furious in the last few days. The president has been demanding answers for months now. What is the latest information in this case?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, John, so what you have are a number of media and political figures right now on the right who say that they feel that they're not getting the full picture on what happened with Thomas Crooks, who of course was killed by an FBI sniper in the wake of that assassination attempt. So really all of this kicked off just a couple of weeks ago with Joe Rogan and Elon Musk discussing on Rogan's show what they think doesn't make sense about this case.

[John Bickley]

There was never a formal report. There was never press conferences where they detailed all the information we know currently and where the investigation stands at the moment. There's a lot of weird the fact that they wouldn't let people be on that roof because the Secret Service lady said it was sloped and it was dangerous. Meanwhile, the snipers that were on the other roof was a steeper pitch.

[Megan Basham]

So at that point, Tucker Carlson released a video previewing a podcast episode that he has coming up that allegedly is going to detail a whole lot more new information about Crooks's online activities. And then at the New York Post, Miranda Devine, who also hosts the Pod Force One podcast, really detailed what a lot of these allegations that this source is making, what they are. So here's some things she said. This new evidence is based on a confidential source who was able to gain access to Crooks's accounts on platforms like Gmail, YouTube, Snapchat. 17 accounts al together that were allegedly uncovered. And what they revealed is what I think you have to call a pretty shocking ideological flip. So back in 2019, when Crooks was only 15. He was something of a Trump fan. He called him the literal definition of patriotism. But by August 2020, amid those COVID lockdowns in, Crooks had really changed his tune. And at that point, he was calling Trump a racist and fantasizing about terrorism style attacks, including assassination. So these accounts also showed that Crooks was active on pornographic sites that catered to, quote, unquote, furries, and he was using they, them pronouns, very common in the transgender community. So all of this really flies in the face of what we were initially told by the FBI, which was that he didn't have much of an online footprint and that what there was didn't really point to any political or ideological motives.

[John Bickley]

All right, so certainly new questions to be answered here. What's the response to these revelations been?

[Megan Basham]

Well, I think now what you're seeing is a chorus of voices that are joining Rogan and Musk saying that we need more answers here. Some of them, again, like the New York Post, Miranda Devine, but also some more official voices, people like Congressman Tim Burchett and then on the Benny Johnson Show, Senator Kennedy is calling for new hearings.

[John Bickley]

Well, I would go back over their former testimony and ask them if it was still true. I would remind them repeatedly that they're under oath. I would ask them to release all of this, the assassins cell phone records, not just the metadata, but the conversations. If they have, and I'm sure they do, I would like that. I would ask them to release his history on social media. I would ask them to release all of the interviews that they've done.

Now Kennedy, they're referencing FBI Director Cash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. What are the FBI and DOJ saying about this?

[Megan Basham]

Well, they're very much pushing back on Carlson's claim that they said that Crooks had no online footprint. Cash Patel on the official Rapid response FBI X account said, no, the FBI never said that. And then on his own personal X account, Cash Patel really went into detail about the massive resources that he says have been poured into this investigation. And he said that all of them truly did find that Crooks was a lone actor and that there is no indication that he had leaked any information about his impending assassination attempt to anyone else before he tried to take that shot.

[John Bickley]

Well, hopefully more official information is released soon. Megan, thanks so much for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Yep, my pleasure.

[John Bickley]

President Trump has suggested talks could happen with Venezuela even as the US Continues to pressure dictator Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, Maduro is calling for peace.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest between Washington and Caracas. So, Tim, what exactly did the president say when he was asked about Venezuela?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, he said the talks could happen. Now, this took place on Sunday evening. Here's the full exchange with a reporter.

[John Bickley]

Update on Venezuela. Mr. President, on Venezuela. Update. No, no update on Venezuela. With the designation of that cartel associated.

[Tim Pierce]

With Maduro, does that mean that the.

[John Bickley]

US Government can target Maduro's assets or infrastructure inside? It allows us to do that, but we haven't said we're going to do that. And we may be discussing. We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we'll see how that turns out. They would like. They would like to talk.

[Tim Pierce]

The designation he talked about is a reference to something that Secretary of State Marco Rubio did on Sunday. Rubio said that the cartel run by Maduro, the Cartel de Los Solas, would be designated a foreign terrorist organization. And as you just heard, that designation allows Trump to direct military strikes against any cartel asset inside Venezuela. Now, Maduro is both the head of the drug cartel and also the head of state. So that means the line between the cartel's assets and the government's assets can be pretty blurry. The designation would also open up some financial levers as well that the administration can pull against Maduro and his top allies. The designation itself will be made official on November 24th.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, that's next Monday. So six days from now. Is there any indication of how Maduro's reacting to that?

[Tim Pierce]

He appears to be backing down. So last week, Maduro held a huge rally in Caracas and made calls for peace. He even punctuated those calls with a rendition of John Lennon's Imagine, which was something. Here's what that sounded like.

[John Bickley]

Peace, peace, peace. The imagination.

[Tim Pierce]

So it's nice to see even in dictatorships, politicians are still just as ridiculous. But on a more serious note, the possibility of US strikes against Venezuela remains very real. The US has about 15,000 troops in the region, as well as an armada of warships that includes the largest aircraft carrier in the world. Trump said Friday that he has sort of made up his mind about how to proceed against Venezuela. But then, of course, he said Sunday that talks could happen. So it seems like a lot of this still may be up in the air right now.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, what about the possibility of Maduro stepping down? How likely is that?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, well, that is still a possible outcome as well. All we really know is what's been publicly reported, and that is that the US has put a lot of pressure on Maduro and continues to put more pressure on Maduro every day, remember in the summer, the State Department increased the bounty on Maduro to $50 million. That's twice the bounty the US put on the leader of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. Trump also said he's given the green light to CIA operations against Maduro in Venezuela and has put in place more sanctions against Madur and his allies as well. Last week, the Washington Post reported that high level discussions are being had on whether or not to carry out strikes against Venezuela and what those strikes could look like. According to the report, those discussions have involved officials such as Vice President J.D. vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Kaine, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and of course, Secretary Rubio. All this together has given opponents of Maduro a lot of hope that the Trump administration is committed to forcing Maduro out eventually, one way or another.

[Georgia Howe]

So potentially more pressure than he's ever faced up to now to step down. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me on.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show, you can now watch the show for.

[Tim Pierce]

Free on Daily Wire.

[John Bickley]

Plus, we'll be back this evening with.

[Tim Pierce]

More news you need to know.