Nigerian Christians Slaughtered & Ukraine’s Peace Obstacle | 10.23.25

Summary

Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Nigerian Christians Slaughtered & Ukraine’s Peace Obstacle
Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley
Podcast: Morning Wire, The Daily Wire

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Brief Overview

In this episode, hosts Georgia Howe and John Bickley break down two urgent international crises: the intensifying persecution of Christians in Nigeria and the latest setbacks in efforts to broker peace in Ukraine. The episode also discusses the escalation of violence in Israel, new U.S. policy pushback against illegal immigration, and the intersection of media coverage with all these issues. The tone is urgent, critical of mainstream reporting, and advocates for policy action and honest journalism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalating Christian Persecution in Nigeria

Segment starts: 02:32

• Mass Killings and Systematic Attacks

  • Over 7,000 Nigerian Christians reported killed since the beginning of 2025, with many massacred in attacks by Islamic groups (03:05).
  • Entire Christian villages have been burned; victims are often the elderly, women, and children unable to flee (04:35).

• Quotes & Notable Insights

  • Senator Ted Cruz: “It is specifically religious persecution. They're going after them because they're Christian … that is unacceptable. And I think we need to stand up and fight back at it.” (02:32)
  • Judd Saul (founder, Equipping the Persecuted): “They move in, they populate, and once they gain population, they start taking political control. And once they gain political control, the killing starts.” (04:23)

• Media Silence and Denial

  • The Nigerian government denies religious motives, blaming “herder-farmer clashes.”
  • Western media, often beholden to official government narratives, rarely report on-the-ground realities (04:56).
  • Judd Saul: “The mainstream media never shows up to Nigeria. What they do is they take the Nigerian government's word for it … every time Christians are killed, it's always these unknown gunmen, it's always these bandits." (05:15)

• Emerging Evidence

  • Disputed narratives are being challenged by footage of burned churches, mass graves, and dire humanitarian conditions (05:28).

• U.S. Response and Legislative Push

  • New legislative focus via Senator Cruz’s Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act, aiming for sanctions on Nigerian officials enabling religious violence (05:46).
  • Existing blasphemy and Sharia laws in parts of Nigeria exacerbate Christian oppression (06:06).
  • “We also have 12 states in Nigeria and the federal government... that have in place blasphemy laws and Sharia laws … frequently used to oppress Christians.” – John Bickley (06:06)

2. Ukraine: Peace Prospects Dimming

Segment starts: 07:54

• Cancelled Peace Summit

  • A planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest was abruptly canceled amid new Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, which killed seven (07:54).
  • Donald Trump: “I don't want to have a wasted meeting.” (09:16)

• Escalation and U.S. Policy Shifts

  • Russia escalated attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy sector. A key moment includes Ukraine’s use of a British cruise missile to strike inside Russia (08:17).
  • The U.S. has allegedly authorized deeper Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory, though Trump disputes this (08:17).
  • U.S. imposes harsher sanctions on Russia.

• Stalemate and Stalled Negotiations

  • Discussion of Trump's position: freeze battle lines as a precondition for talks—a stance EU and Zelensky endorse (09:36).
  • Zelensky, via Megan Basham: “He [Trump] proposed stay where we stay and begin conversation. … that was good compromise, but I'm not sure that Putin will support that.” (09:49)

• Diplomacy and Military Realities

  • Zelensky advocates for advanced U.S. weaponry; claims Russia’s interest in diplomacy fades whenever Ukraine’s long-range capabilities wane (10:02).

3. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Efforts

Segment starts: 10:26

• U.S. Mediation Attempts

  • VP Vance led attempts at brokering peace, working towards an international security force to ensure safety in Gaza (10:54).
  • VP Vance: “Part of ensuring that we get to a durable peace is to broaden the scope of the area that's safe. And the international security force is a big part of that. We don't yet have the international security force set up.” (10:54)

• Media Critique

  • Vance criticizes mainstream media pessimism toward the peace process:
    “There's almost this desire to root for failure … It's not the end … We are doing very well.” (11:17)

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4. U.S. Immigration Enforcement & Violence Against ICE

Segment starts: 12:36

• Los Angeles Shooting Incident

  • ICE officers shot an alleged illegal immigrant and TikTok personality, Carlitos Ricardo Pariahs, after he rammed a federal vehicle and attempted to flee arrest (12:52).
  • Pariahs is known for exposing ICE operations to 100k+ TikTok followers and was recently lauded by LA’s city council for “tireless efforts to safeguard our neighborhoods from illegal raids” (13:35).

• Federal Response

  • U.S. Attorney is pursuing major charges to ensure Pariahs will be deported, citing both immigration and assault charges (14:35).

• New York City: Canal Street ICE Raid

  • Large ICE operation on Canal Street led to the arrest of several illegal immigrants, many with serious criminal records, only to have some released due to sanctuary policies (15:16).
  • Sanctuary laws and bail reform policies are said to impede ICE’s ability to remove criminal aliens from the streets.
  • ICE Official: “Once NYPD arrests them, either due to bail reform or the sanctuary policies, they are released back into the community. … ICE is never called. So we don't know about it.” (16:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Senator Ted Cruz: “It is specifically religious persecution. They're going after them because they're Christian … that is unacceptable.” (02:32)
• Judd Saul: “Once they gain political control, the killing starts.” (04:23)
• Donald Trump: “I don't want to have a wasted meeting.” (09:16)
• VP Vance: “There's almost this desire to root for failure … We are doing very well.” (11:17)
• ICE Official (NYC): “ICE is never called. … being a transient population moving around, it's tough to pinpoint exactly where they might be at that time … this one [Canal Street operation] had many leads …” (16:12)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Christian persecution in Nigeria: 02:32 – 07:08
• Ukraine: Peace summit & war update: 07:54 – 11:53
• Israel-Hamas peace efforts: 10:26 – 11:53
• Violence against ICE/immigration enforcement: 12:36 – 17:11

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Episode Tone & Final Thoughts

This episode emphasized skepticism of mainstream news coverage and called for more direct, fact-based engagement with international crises often omitted from headlines. Listeners are encouraged to question media narratives, support legislative action against religious oppression, and follow policy developments on international conflict and domestic security.

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Transcript

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[Georgia Howe]

Persecution reaches a fever pitch in what's being called the Christian murder capital of the world.

[Narrator/Anchor]

Why are media outlets claiming it's not happening? And how is the US Responding?

[John Bickley]

You have a government that is not doing nearly enough to protect those Christians. This legislation is designed to change that.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley. It's Thursday, October 23rd, and this is Morning Wire. Russia ratchets up its saber rattling, staging a nuclear drill as a peace summit between Trump and Putin is put on hold.

[John Bickley]

We canceled the meeting with President Putin.

[ICE Official]

It just, it didn't feel right to me.

[Host/Advertiser]

But we'll do it in the future.

[Narrator/Anchor]

And as attacks on ICE continue to skyrocket, an illegal immigrant is arrested for allegedly ramming an ICE vehicle while trying to escape. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[John Bickley]

It is specifically religious persecution. They're going after them because they're Christian. And, and, and that is, is unacceptable. And I think we need to stand up and fight back at it.

[Narrator/Anchor]

That was Senator Ted Cruz calling out the Christian genocide in Nigeria. The violence has claimed thousands of lives this year alone. But human rights advocates say the Nigerian government has turned a blind eye.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with more is Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham. So, Megan, for people who haven't been following this story, can you summarize what's been happening to Christians in Nigeria?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, so it's, it's devastating, Georgia. The numbers, as many as 7,000 Christians killed since the beginning of this year alone in Nigeria alone. And in some cases, advocacy groups are saying as a result of these Islamic attacks, some Christian villages and communities are being entirely burned to the ground. Now, this has been going on somewhat for the last Dec. And it's kind of flown under the radar. The US Government has not paid much attention. We're starting to see that change now. In particular, Senator Cruz and Representatives Nancy Mace and Alex Mooney are calling for Nigeria to be reclassified as a country of particular concern for religious persecution.

[John Bickley]

Many in the media share the same woke mindset that they will not call out radical Islamic terrorism for what it is, especially when it's Christians who are the victims. And so it takes the rest of us to, to, to highlight this needs to end.

[Megan Basham]

I also spoke with Judd Saul, who is the founder of Equipping the Persecuted. That's a group on the ground in Nigeria that's trying to minister to these Christians that are being persecuted and attacked. And he said that this crisis has been building for a decade as more and more Muslims and Islamic groups are moving into Nigeria and into these Christian areas.

[Host/Advertiser]

But what they have done is they move in, they populate, and once they gain population, they start taking political control. And once they gain political control, the killing starts.

[Megan Basham]

And what I really want to emphasize for you, Georgia, is that so often the Christians that are being killed here are the elderly, their women, their children, essentially people who are unable to easily flee when they know that the violence is coming.

[Georgia Howe]

So if this violence has been so widespread and it's been going on for years, why have we not heard more about it from the mainstream press?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, that's one of Judd Saul's biggest frustrations. He says that the Nigerian government essentially controls what gets reported, and Western outlets too often will repeat the official denials of the government without getting out on the ground to record or document what's happening there themselves.

[Host/Advertiser]

The mainstream media never shows up to Nigeria. What they do is they take the Nigerian government's word for it. Every time there's an attack, every time Christians are killed, it's always these unknown gunmen, it's always these bandits.

[Megan Basham]

But now what's happening is footage is emerging of burned churches, mass graves, displaced families living in tarps or under tents where they have no food, water or medicine.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, you mentioned earlier that the US Government is starting to take notice. What kind of response are we seeing?

[Megan Basham]

Well, one major effort that we're seeing from Senator Ted Cruz is the Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability act of 2025. He introduced that just this month. And what it will do is impose sanctions on Nigerian officials who are accused of facilitating violence against Christians or any other religious minorities.

[John Bickley]

We also have 12 states in Nigeria and the federal government in Nigeria that have in place blasphemy laws and Sharia laws. And those blasphemy and Sharia laws are a tool that is frequently used to oppress Christians as well.

[Georgia Howe]

And what about the Nigerian government? Are they responding in any way?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, the Nigerian government is continuing to deny that these killings are the result of religious persecution. What they say is that this violence is simply clashes between herders and farmers. But a lot of international watchdog groups are simply saying that that is a false narrative. Saul says that the Nigerian military has repeatedly failed to respond to advance warnings of attacks. So it's because of this kind of inaction that many Niger Christians are now looking to the US Government, hoping that America's influence on the international stage will turn a spotlight on what they've been experiencing.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, an extremely troubling story. I'm glad we're covering it. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Yes, thank you.

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[Narrator/Anchor]

President Trump canceled a second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And hours later, a fresh barrage of Russian missiles rained down on Ukraine, killing seven.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest in Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. So, Tim, there were some hopeful signs as of last week, but maybe that was premature. What's going on in Ukraine?

[Tim Pierce]

That's right. Moscow just doesn't appear to want to end the war. And as John noted, Russia recently launched another major missile and drone strike against Ukraine that killed seven people. It was designed to be part of Russia's campaign to knock out Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter. But according to the Wall Street Journal, the US has given Ukraine the green light to launch its own attacks deep inside Russian territory. Now, Trump has denied that report, but on Tuesday, Ukraine used a British Storm Shadow cruise missile to hit a plant in Bryansk, Russia. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen also announced yesterday a substantial pickup in sanctions against Russia. All this came as Trump backed out of a second peace summit with Putin. This one was supposed to be held in Budapest, Hungary. Zelensky had doubts about it, but he was prepared to join as long as Trump was there to mediate between the two sides. But the White House canceled the summit after a phone call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Here's Trump explaining Tuesday why he backed out of that summit.

[Megan Basham]

No, no, I want to.

[John Bickley]

I don't want to have a wasted meeting.

[Jenny Terr]

I don't want to have a waste of time. So I'll see what happens.

[Tim Pierce]

While this certainly deflates some of the optimism from earlier in the week, some foreign policy experts say this was a necessary move by Trump. It's a recognition that Putin just doesn't feel enough pressure yet for peace talks to mean much of anything yet.

[Georgia Howe]

So what sort of deals are on the table right now?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, Trump said this week that the battle line should be frozen right where they are as a precondition to peace talks. And that's been the position of Europe as well. And it has support from Zelensky here. He, after landing in Oslo, Norway, after.

[Megan Basham]

Our conversation, you saw messages, public messages from Trump. He proposed stay where we stay and begin conversation. I think this, that was good compromise, but I'm not sure that Putin will support that.

[Tim Pierce]

I said it to President. The Ukrainian president continued to press his case for Tomahawk missiles after his disappointing meeting at the White House last week. Zelensky said in a post on X, quote, russia continues to do everything to weasel out of a Ceasefire and that quote, as soon as the issue of long range capabilities for Ukraine became less immediate, Moscow's interest in diplomacy faded. This signals that deep strike capabilities may hold the key to peace.

[Georgia Howe]

Now pivoting a bit, the Trump administration has also been brokering a peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Vice President Vance was in Israel working on that just this week. What, what came of that meeting?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, the visit first and foremost signaled the Trump administration's investment in these ongoing peace negotiations and Trump's 20 point plan for peace in the Middle East. Now, there's only so much that can be done at this stage regarding Hamas's refusal to disarm. Here's the Vice President talking about that.

[Vice President Vance]

You basically have two regions in Gaza, one of which is relatively safe and one of which is incredibly dangerous. And part of ensuring that we get to a durable peace is to broaden the scope of the area that's safe. And the international security force is a big part of that. We don't yet have the international security force set up. That's something we're working towards.

[Tim Pierce]

He was also critical of media coverage of the Gaza cease fire as well.

[Vice President Vance]

There's almost this desire to root for failure, that every time something bad happens, that every time that there's an act of violence, there's this inclination to say, oh, this is the end of the ceasefire, this is the end of the peace plan. It's not the end. It is in fact exactly how this is going to have to happen. When you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a very long time. We are doing very well.

[Tim Pierce]

So a lot of questions still up in the air about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but the White House really showing that it is invested in securing a durable peace in the Middle.

[Georgia Howe]

East, well, that would be a major accomplishment if they can land that plane. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Good to be on.

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[Georgia Howe]

An illegal immigrant was shot by federal authorities in Los Angeles after he tried to evade arrest for a second time and allegedly rammed a federal vehicle. The illegal immigrant behind the attack is a well known tiktoker who regularly exposes ICE operations online.

[Narrator/Anchor]

Joining us now to discuss is Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Terr. Hey, Ginny. So what do we know about what led up to this shooting?

[Jenny Terr]

He was previously wrapped up in an ICE raid when he was apparently trying to impede on their operations. Now, he's since been identified. His name is Carlitos Ricardo Pariahs. He's an illegal immigrant from Mexico. At the time, the officers had handcuffed him and they were trying to load him into their vehicle when outside agitators actually scooped him up and brought them into a car and drove him away, apparently to a nearby hospital. So this is something that was shown in a separate TikTok from his account that sources shared with me. He was involved again in trying to impede an ICE operation this week. He tried to ram the vehicle of the ICE officers and because of that, those officers chose to fire defensive shots at him. He was shot and a ricochet bullet also hit a U.S. marshal. Both were taken to the hospital and are expected to be okay. But he's notorious for these types of actions. At the same time, we learned that he was actually recognized by the Los Angeles City Council recently for his efforts in exposing ice. They even said on the award that it was for his, quote, tireless efforts to safeguard our neighborhoods from illegal raids. So he's known as this kind of individual that goes on TikTok that posts about this to his over a hundred thousand followers and also apparently is now wrapped up with the law.

[Narrator/Anchor]

All right, so here we have a known activist, had a prior incident and then he was awarded by the city for his past action actions. Do we know if the Trump administration is doing anything to stop this?

[Jenny Terr]

They're really trying to throw the law at him when it comes to any charges they can carry out against him, in addition to immigration violations. So the U.S. attorney in California, Bill Aseli, has also hit him with charges for assaulting a law enforcement officer. And having those two consecutive cases will really ensure that he is removed from the United States because no matter whose custody he's in, he will eventually end up in ICE custody, where the goal will be to remove him from the United States.

[Narrator/Anchor]

Now, on the other side of the country in New York City, we're hearing about A major ICE operation that took place on the infamous Canal street on Tuesday. Can you tell us what exactly occurred there?

[Jenny Terr]

Right, so Canal street is an area that is known for the sale of counterfeit goods, drug markets, all kinds of illicit activity. ICE has done operations in this area for a while. But because there's so much scrutiny on the Trump administration right now, you're seeing a lot of attention towards this issue, this raid that happened that even drew a mob of rioters. So there were nine arrests of mostly illegal immigrants from Africa. Five of them actually were let into the United States by the Biden administration. And they have pretty egregious rap sheets for things like forgery, for drug trafficking, for assaults. And the reason that these individuals were out on the streets, despite having already been wrapped up with the law, is because of the sanctuary laws that have protected them. So we actually spoke with the head of the ICE office in New York and this is what he said about.

[ICE Official]

The issue, the residents and the business owners, about them being in front of the, you know, the area. You have the regular public that sometimes interacts with them, complains because they get harassed by them. So it's something that NYPD has done quality of life operations on, which is great. The only issue is with the sanctuary status here in New York City. Once NYPD arrests them, either due to bail reform or the sanctuary policies, they are released back into the community. They're never turned back over. They're never ICE is never called. So we don't know about it. And we have to then try and find them and research them. And like I said, being a transient population moving around, it's tough to pinpoint exactly where they might be at that time. But we had an intelligence driven op for this one with many leads in this area.

[Narrator/Anchor]

Well, as usual, a lot going on on the immigration front. Ginny, thank you so much for reporting on this for us.

[Jenny Terr]

Thank you.

[Narrator/Anchor]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe. We'll be back this evening with more news you need to know know.

[Jenny Terr]

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