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- [00:00]
Announcer
It's tax season and at Lifelock, we know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to hear. Billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it, guaranteed. One last big number. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for the threats you can't control. Terms apply. They better negotiate a fair deal.
- [00:37]
John Bickley
With President Trump's finger on the trigger, negotiators make a last ditch effort for diplomacy with Iran. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, February 23rd. This is Morning Wire.
- [00:56]
Georgia Howe
Secret Service takes down a would be shooter at the President's home in Florida in what may be yet another police political assassination attempt.
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Announcer
They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun.
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John Bickley
And Team USA closes out the Winter Olympics with a sudden death overtime win on the ice. We look at the biggest WINS for
- [01:21]
Georgia Howe
the U.S. thanks for waking up with MORNING Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
- [01:29]
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- [02:40]
Georgia Howe
American and Iranian diplomats meet again this week to work toward a nuclear deal as President Trump continues to threaten military action.
- [02:47]
John Bickley
Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with the latest developments on this high tension showdown. Hey, Cabot. So a lot happened over the weekend on the Iran front.
- [02:57]
Tim Pierce
Get us up to speed.
- [02:57]
Cabot Phillips
Yeah. Now that President Trump's military buildup in the Middle east is complete, he has a range of options at his disposal. And the world is waiting to see which way he'll go. White House officials say that he could launch limited strikes on nuclear facilities in the coming days with the message, you know, capitulate or we will go harder. He could also specifically target the supreme leader and also his son, who's widely viewed as his successor. Or he could simply keep these forces in place and allow negotiations to continue, albeit with a very different dynamic than before. Now, Iranian officials on social media and during speeches across Iran have sort of taunted the US Vowing to, you know, send our warships and aircraft carriers to the bottom of the sea. But on Sunday, as the US Continued to send more forces to the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi offered a much more diplomatic message.
- [03:46]
John Bickley
If they want to find a resolution for Iran's peaceful nuclear program, the only way is diplomacy. There is no need for any military
- [03:56]
Announcer
buildup, and military buildup cannot help it
- [03:59]
Tim Pierce
and cannot pressurize us.
- [04:01]
Cabot Phillips
But contrary to those claims, it does appear the Iranians are feeling the pressure for obvious reasons. Last Tuesday, when the latest round of nuclear talks stalled, the Iranians said they would need two weeks to come up with a new version of their offer. But the ensuing military buildup on their shores appeared to get their attention and expedite that process. And now White House officials are saying that they're expecting the latest version by tomorrow. And on Thursday, the two sides will sit down again in Geneva for another batch of talks. For his part, Steve Witkoff, that's President Trump's top negotiator in the Middle east, said over the weekend that Trump is actually surprised that Iran has not done more to reach a deal despite this military buildup on their shores.
- [04:39]
Announcer
He's curious as to why they haven't, I don't want to use the word capitulated, but why they haven't capitulated. Why under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, we profess that we don't want to be, we don't want a weapon. So here's what we're prepared to do.
- [05:01]
Cabot Phillips
The other factor complicating this entire situation is concern over how Iran would respond to a broad attack. Pentagon officials have reportedly warned the White House that the regime could direct proxies in the Middle east to conduct retaliatory terror attacks on Western targets, including in the U.S. remember, for years now, as we've talked about on the show, the DHS has been warning that Iranian backed sleeper cells could have crossed the border detected under the Biden administration. So all that to say a preemptive attack opens up a whole new set of concerns.
- [05:31]
John Bickley
But again, an attack like that would prompt a massive military response from the U.S. no question.
- [05:35]
Cabot Phillips
Yeah.
- [05:36]
John Bickley
Now, as for Trump, do we have any sense which way he's leaning in terms of military action?
- [05:41]
Cabot Phillips
Yeah, it's interesting. For all his bluster, there are still plenty of indications that he prefers a diplomatic solution here. Yes, he often brings up his successful capture of Maduro and that successful bombing operation on Iran last summer. But, but even more frequently, he brings up all of the treaties and peace deals that he's negotiated since retaking the office. For obvious reasons. He would love to be the president who finally convinces Iran to abandon their pursuit of nukes. And it would bolster his peacemaker in chief Persona that he has really tried to foster this term. For the optimists hoping for a deal, there was a report this weekend that offered a sliver of hope. According to Axios, President Trump is considering a deal with Iran that would force them to dismantle their facilities working towards a nuke, but allow them to keep what they're calling a, quote, token nuclear program that could only be used for civilian purposes. Now, critics of that deal say that it's too similar to the failed nuclear agreement signed with President Obama in which the Iranians said they would abandon their pursuit of nukes but ultimately kept it up in secret. No doubt, though, President Trump will address this entire situation tomorrow night, the State of the Union, if he hasn't made a decision before then.
- [06:46]
Announcer
Right.
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John Bickley
And we should note that you're going to be covering that for us on Daily Wire Live.
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Cabot Phillips
I will tune in 8:00 Eastern. It's going to be a packed night for sure.
- [06:54]
John Bickley
Indeed it will, Kevin, thanks for reporting.
- [06:56]
Cabot Phillips
Absolutely.
- [06:57]
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- [08:00]
John Bickley
Authorities shot and killed an armed man who walked through one of the main gates of Mar A Lago early Sunday morning.
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Georgia Howe
Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about what happened at President Trump's Florida home over the weekend. So, Tim, what do we know so far?
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Tim Pierce
Yeah, pretty dangerous situation at Mar A Lago. According to authorities, a young man walked into the inner perimeter of Mar A lago at around 1:30 in the morning. He was carrying a gas can and a shotgun and he walked through one of the club's main gates as a vehicle was exiting. Law enforcement who were assigned to Mar A Lago responded. That would be two Secret Service agents and a sheriff's deputy. Here's Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw explaining what came next. During a Sunday press conference, he was
- [08:41]
Announcer
ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the das can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy of the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene.
- [09:02]
Tim Pierce
The dead man has been identified as 21 year old Austin Tucker Martin. He is originally from North Carolina, where his family reported him missing, coincidentally about the same time he was killed. Early on Sunday morning, a family member told a sheriff's deputy for North Carolina's Mo county that Martin had been unreachable since about 8pm on Saturday day. Later that morning, a couple hours before the Secret Service's initial statement on the shooting, Martin's mother actually posted about her son on Facebook, asking for help finding him. As for where he got the gun, authorities suspect he obtained it not long before he arrived at Mar A Lago.
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Georgia Howe
Do we know anything about the motive?
- [09:40]
Tim Pierce
Yeah, nothing concrete yet, but it's hard not to think that this could have been yet another attempt on President Trump's life. The president was not at Mar a Lago this weekend, according to the White House calendar. He stayed in Washington. But it was almost a year and a half ago that authorities arrested Ryan Ruth after he attempted to assassinate Trump just a couple miles away at his West Palm beach golf course. It seems that people who want to do harm to the president tend to look for him around Mar A Lago, which is his private residence. But it also still operates as a high end club and events venue with, of course, the Trump International Golf Club nearby.
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Georgia Howe
So potentially a third attempt on President Trump's life. But that's unconfirmed right now.
- [10:20]
Tim Pierce
Right. And as you're noting there, it seems like it's part of a troubling trend. In July 2024, Thom Crooks nicked Trump's ear and killed a member of the crowd, Corey Comparator in Butler, Pennsylvania. What's still interesting about Crooks's case is that the authorities still have not said what specifically motivated the assassination attempt there. But then just a few months after Butler, Ryan Ruth was arrested after setting up in a sniper's nest at Trump International. He was sentenced to life in prison just a few weeks ago. And then there was the assassination of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah this past September. Authorities have described attempts against Vice President J.D. vance and of Management and Budget Director Russ Vote. Last year, gunman killed the Democratic leader in the Minnesota State House and her husband and had dozens of others on a hit list. Then there was also an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh AO's official residence. And just last week, a man armed with a shotgun was arrested as he ran at the U.S. capitol Building.
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Megan Basham
Right.
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Georgia Howe
Well, a totally unsustainable trend. Tim, thanks for coming on.
- [11:21]
Tim Pierce
Good to be on.
- [11:24]
Georgia Howe
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have drawn to a close, but not before delivering one of the most emotionally charged finishes in Decades. From the U.S. men's Hockey Team Golds to breakout stars like Alyssa Liu, these games have reignited patriotism back home.
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John Bickley
For more on the final Olympic headlines, we're joined by our culture reporter, Megan Basham. Morning, Megan. So let's start with the big picture here. What's standing out to you with the Games wrapping up?
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Megan Basham
Well, you know, John, I don't know about you, I. I think we're about the same age. And I remember those Reagan era Olympic moments pretty well. I remember names like Mary Lou Retton and Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton. And those huge wins, these games have ended up feeling very much like that. It's a time to be sentimental and to wave those American flags without any apology. So the US Men defeating Canada in overtime for Olympic gold, that was the country's first hockey gold since 19. The Miracle on ice. So, you know, impossible not to connect these moments, and that alone makes it pretty historic. But the way it happened in overtime against Canada, with the entire arena on the edge of their seats, I mean, you don't get more memorable than that.
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John Bickley
No, you don't.
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Megan Basham
And then we had Jack Hughes winning goal that sent the US Bench into chaos and reignited those memories of American hockey's defining moments. This was what Hughes said after winning that gold.
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John Bickley
This is all about our country right now. I love the usa. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable. The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support from ex players. I'm so proud to be American today. We're such a team, and we're so proud to win for our country.
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Megan Basham
So obviously, you know, that reaction back home has been electric. And I would say people just aren't celebrating a win here. They're celebrating what it symbolizes. And that's a sense of sport, strong American identity.
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John Bickley
Yeah, that sense of unity really seems to be a recurring theme. Another name Americans can't stop talking about is Alyssa.
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Megan Basham
Lou.
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John Bickley
Georgia mentioned her. She didn't just compete, she captured hearts. Why is that?
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Megan Basham
Yeah, I mean, when you look at her once again, this is a story that is much more than medals. She skated with this openness, with just unequivocal American authenticity. Right. And I think that's what resonated so deeply with people. Viewers saw this young athlete who carried herself with humility, with joy, with vision, invisible love for country. And I think Lou's success was particularly poignant when contrasted against skier Eileen Gu, who, though born an American, agreed to escape for China. So I think that made Lou's victory all the sweeter. And certainly her performances were emotional. They were technically strong, and they were original. So that when she finished her program, the reaction, it wasn't just applause, like you said. It was this overwhelming sense of affection.
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John Bickley
Indeed. And her backstory really was like something out of Hollywood, too.
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Megan Basham
Yeah. I think if you scripted this, it couldn't be more on point to just make everyone love her as A an Olympic figure. Her father, Arthur Liu, was born and raised in China and became a student activist during the pro democracy movement during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Now he was faced with the threat of imprisonment or worse for standing up to the Chinese Communist government. He fled China, sneaking onto a boat bound for Hong Kong before then eventually making his way to the United States as a political refugee. Incredible Flash forward some 35 years, and his daughter rejected recruitment efforts by the Chinese government. Lou spoke to Minneapolis outlet K a r e about how after this, China actually sent spies after her and her father.
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Georgia Howe
They continued to go after him.
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Sponsor/Advertiser Voice
They had sent like a couple spies
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Megan Basham
to the US not just for my dad and me, but like for some others as well. I think when you see her, her spunky spirit, her original hair, the fact that she chose to step off the ice for a time before coming back with her own style just really made her an instant American icon.
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John Bickley
Yeah, I feel like we haven't seen the last of her for sure. Final question, the final count. How did the total medal haul turn out?
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Megan Basham
Yes. Such a guy question. You want to know the statistics? So let me give him to you. So Norway really ran away with this. You have to say they racked up 41 medals, including 18 golds. But the US does have a lot to be proud of here, taking home the second most medals with a total of 33. That includes 12 gold, 12 silvers, and nine bronze. So a lot of American necks out there adorned with medals.
- [16:02]
John Bickley
No doubt we'll be talking about these wins for years to come. Meghan, thank you so much for coming on.
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Megan Basham
Yep, my pleasure.
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Georgia Howe
Another story we're tracking. Mexican tourist town Puerto Vallarta came under siege Sunday after the Mexican Mexican army killed a major drug kingpin. The military took out drug lord Nemeseo Oseguera, commonly known as El Mencho, on Sunday, triggering violence in the tourist town. By Sunday afternoon, American tourists were being told to shelter in place as a standoff between Mexican officials and the cartels escalated. Look for the latest on dailywire.com thanks
- [16:35]
John Bickley
for waking up with us. And for those listening to the show, you can now also watch the show free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.