Signal Snafu & Soda Wars | 3.26.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: "Signal Snafu & Soda Wars | 3.26.25"

Release Date: March 26, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley (Editor-in-Chief) and Georgia Howe
Co-Host: Amanda Presto Giacomo

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1. National Security Signal Chat Scandal

The episode opens with a deep dive into a recent national security controversy involving the misuse of the Signal messaging app by Trump administration officials. This incident has stirred significant debate on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers expressing serious concerns over potential breaches of classified information.

Key Points:

• Incident Overview: National security officials were questioned on Capitol Hill regarding the addition of journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing imminent military strikes against Houthi terrorists. The revelation that Goldberg, a public figure, was privy to these sensitive discussions has ignited bipartisan scrutiny.

• Congressional Hearings: During the hearings, Democrats accused Trump officials of compromising national security by exposing classified information. The officials, however, staunchly defended their actions, asserting that no classified material was shared.

Notable Quotes:

• John Bickley (00:03): "National security officials are grilled on Capitol Hill amid dueling accusations of a military strike."
• Georgia Howe (00:08): "There was no classified material that was shared in that."
• Tim Pierce (02:39): "Director Ratcliffe insisted that there was nothing inherently wrong with national security officials discussing military plans on Signal and noted it was approved under the Biden administration."
• John Ratcliffe (03:30): "There was a big step away from Democrats. The death of the Green New scam is upon us."

White House Response: White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt publicly downplayed the incident, labeling Goldberg's reporting as "sensationalist spin" and denying that any classified information was discussed in the Signal chat. President Trump has largely supported Michael Waltz, a key figure in the incident, stating that it was "the only glitch in two months" and minimally concerning.

Future Implications: The situation remains fluid, with ongoing investigations and potential repercussions for those involved. President Trump’s initial defense suggests that Waltz may retain his position despite the controversy, indicating a possible long-term impact on the administration's approach to national security protocols.

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2. Soda Wars: Government Restrictions and Industry Response

The podcast transitions to the burgeoning conflict between government efforts to restrict the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) funds for purchasing sugary drinks and junk food, and the aggressive lobbying by major soda and food companies to maintain these subsidies.

Key Points:

• Government Initiatives: Under the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, there is a strong push to limit SNAP benefits from being used to buy soda, candy, and other unhealthy food options. This initiative has gained traction both federally and across several states, including Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Texas, and West Virginia.

• State-Level Actions: West Virginia recently passed a bill banning numerous food dyes commonly found in junk food and sugary drinks, set to take effect in 2028. This move is seen as a direct blow to the soda industry, with significant implications for school food programs starting that summer.

• Industry Lobbying Efforts: Big food and soda companies are mounting a formidable resistance against these restrictions. They argue that such measures represent government overreach and infringe upon personal choice. The American Beverage Association (ABA) has been particularly vocal, emphasizing their commitment to zero-sugar options and clear product labeling.

Notable Quotes:

• Georgia Howe (07:29): "The food industry is working across numerous fronts to try to protect these profits."
• ABA Vice President Meredith Potter (08:03): "The ABA was not behind that campaign and is unaware of who is."
• President Trump (05:08): "Waltz has learned a lesson and is a good man."

Influencer Involvement: A significant aspect of the battle includes the strategic use of influencers to sway public opinion. Right-leaning influencers have been actively promoting the narrative that SNAP restrictions on soda are a form of government overreach, often highlighting President Trump’s preference for Diet Coke to bolster their arguments. There are unverified claims that these influencers were compensated by groups affiliated with Big Soda, although some, like women's rights advocate Riley Gaines, have publicly declined such offers, receiving commendation for their integrity.

Economic and Social Impact: Approximately 10% of SNAP spending is allocated to soda and sugary drinks, amounting to roughly $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies. Eliminating these subsidies poses a substantial financial threat to major soda companies. Additionally, the restriction efforts aim to combat childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits among SNAP beneficiaries.

Industry Strategies: In response to the proposed restrictions, companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Walmart are not only lobbying against the measures but are also engaging directly with Trump administration officials to emphasize their commitment to healthier products and maintain their market share.

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3. Environmental Policy Overhaul by the EPA

The final segment of the episode addresses the Trump administration's aggressive rollback of environmental regulations under the leadership of EPA Chief Lee Zeldin. This marks one of the most significant shifts in U.S. environmental policy in over a decade.

Key Points:

• Policy Reversals: Zeldin has been instrumental in dismantling numerous climate regulations established by previous administrations. This includes the repeal of Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, which aimed for half of all new cars sold to be electric by 2032, and the overturning of the Obama-era endangerment finding that regulated greenhouse gas emissions.

• Funding Cuts: The EPA has reclaimed over $22 billion in contracts, notably targeting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that previously benefited from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Zeldin criticized the allocation of funds to middlemen and "pass-throughs," arguing that taxpayer money was being squandered.

• Impact on the Energy Sector: These regulatory changes have accelerated the shift back to fossil fuels, with the Department of Energy greenlighting numerous oil and gas projects. This has led to a decline in green investments and a hesitancy among oil and gas executives to continue supporting renewable energy initiatives.

Notable Quotes:

• Lee Zeldin (11:18): "The death of the Green New scam is upon us. The people across this country who have seen a Green New Deal that if fully implemented, will cost tens of trillions of dollars, and people who cannot afford to be able to heat their home to purchase a car."
• Tim Rice (11:00): "The Trump administration, and Zeldin in particular, are aggressively attacking Democratic climate policies and green programs."
• Meredith Potter (07:22): "The ABA was not behind that campaign and is unaware of who is."

Legal and Social Repercussions: In addition to policy changes, a landmark court case recently found Greenpeace USA liable for nearly $700 million due to their involvement in violent protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. This verdict sets a precedent aimed at deterring extremist tactics from activist groups, reinforcing the administration's stance against disruptive environmental protests.

Economic Ramifications: The rollback of environmental regulations is intended to stimulate economic growth by reducing operational burdens on small businesses and energy producers. However, critics argue that these changes may have long-term negative effects on environmental sustainability and public health.

Future Outlook: With the administration’s clear intent to prioritize energy dominance over environmental concerns, significant transformations within the EPA are expected to continue. This includes further deregulation and financial reallocation to support fossil fuel industries, signaling a robust shift away from the green policies of the previous decade.

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Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, John Bickley and Georgia Howe, along with co-host Amanda Presto Giacomo, provide a comprehensive analysis of two major fronts: the National Security Signal Chat Scandal and the ongoing Soda Wars between government regulation and industry lobbying. Additionally, they shed light on the Trump administration's sweeping changes to environmental policies under EPA Chief Lee Zeldin. Through detailed discussions, notable quotes, and insightful commentary, the episode offers listeners a thorough understanding of these pressing issues shaping the current political and social landscape.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

National security officials are grilled on Capitol Hill amid dueling accusations of a military strike.

[Georgia Howe]

Text chain There was no classified material that was shared in that.

[Tim Rice]

So then if there are no classified material, share it with the committee.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Editor in Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, March 26th, and this is Morning Wire. Big food companies are fighting to keep soda and snacks on the menu.

[Georgia Howe]

Are they okay?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Okay with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children. And EPA chief Lee Zeldin is taking swift action to dismantle cumbersome environmental regulations.

[Lee Zeldin]

There are people who are congressional Democrats who are not going to be happy with our actions.

[John Bickley]

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

[Brandon]

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[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Top national security officials were on Capitol Hill yesterday where lawmakers grilled them on how a journalist was added to a group chat about military operations.

[John Bickley]

Here with a look at what they said and how President Trump has reacted is Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice. Say, Tim, so we're now on day three of this Atlantic saga. What more have we learned now?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah. Good morning, John. So just to refresh everyone's memory, around two weeks ago, a user named Michael Waltz added Atlantic editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat where Trump national security officials discussed upcoming strikes on Houthi terrorists. Goldberg reported this on Monday and there's obviously been a lot of fallout. On top of all that, a bunch of the people in the group chat were already scheduled to testify before Congress this week to report on the global threat assessment. Needless to say, yesterday's hearing quickly became all about the signal chat, with Democrats accusing Trump officials of exposing classified information and the officials defending their actions. This exchange between Georgia Senator John Ossoff and CIA Director John Ratcliffe is pretty emblematic of how the hearing went.

[John Ratcliffe]

Director Radcliffe, this was A huge mistake. Correct. No. A national. Hold on. No, no, you.

[Georgia Howe]

No, no.

[John Ratcliffe]

Director Radcliffe, I asked you a yes or no question and now you hold on. A national political reporter, you can characterize it if you want, was made privy the White House sensitive information about imminent military operations against a foreign terrorist organization of adding a reporter. And that wasn't a huge mistake. That wasn't a huge mistake. I think they characterized embarrassment. This is utterly unprofessional. And by the way, we will get the full transcript of this chain and your testimony will be measured carefully against its content.

[Tim Pierce]

Ratcliffe insisted that there was nothing inherently wrong with national security officials discussing military plans on Signal and noted it was approved under the Biden administration.

[John Ratcliffe]

One of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA director was Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA as it is for most CIA officers. One of the things that I was briefed on very early, Senator, was by the CIA records management folks about the use of SIGNAL as a permissible work use. It is.

[Tim Pierce]

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, also a member of the chat, told Virginia Senator Mark Warner that, quote, there was no classified material that was shared in that Signal chat. This came after Warner unloaded on Gabbard and Ratcliffe and strongly implied that the members of the Signal chat should be fired.

[Tim Rice]

If this was the case of a military officer or an intelligence officer and they had this kind of behavior, they would be fired.

[John Bickley]

So a lot of fiery words, but also many strong denials that any classified information was actually discussed in this Signal chat. What about the White House? How is the White House reacting to all of this?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah. Yesterday morning, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt wrote on X that Goldberg is well known for his sensationalist spin and denied that war plans or other classified material were discussed in the SIGNAL thread. Her language there mirrors Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments to reporters on Monday. Comments that Goldberg says were lies.

[Brandon]

He was texting war plans. He was texting attack plans. When targets were going to be targeted, how they were going to be targeted, who was at the targets when the next sequence of attacks were happening. I didn't publish this.

[John Bickley]

My final question, there was some speculation that Waltz may take the fall for this whole incident. Will he have to resign?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, Trump hasn't said much about the saga yet, but so far it seems like he's standing by Waltz and the entire team. The President told NBC yesterday that Waltz has learned a lesson and is a good man. Trump added that he's not very concerned about the story saying it is the only glitch in two months and it turned out not to be a serious one.

[John Bickley]

I'm sure this is not the last we'll hear of all of this. Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

You bet.

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[John Bickley]

Food lobbyists are fighting tooth and nail to stop the Trump administration from limiting taxpayer subsidies for junk food.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So, Amanda, we've been covering Make America Healthy Again as a movement. What kind of changes could we see to snap?

[Georgia Howe]

Hey, Georgia, Yeah. So there's a strong push to restrict soda, candy and other unhealthy options from purchases being made with snap, which are commonly known as food stamps. Now, federally, these changes have been discussed openly by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. And Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. She'll play a key role in administering those benefits. There are also a number of bills in the House looking to federally restrict junk food and soda from snap. Movement has also picked up steam on the state level. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has asked the feds to allow her state to restrict snap. And lawmakers have made similar moves in Idaho, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Texas, Wyoming and other states. Also, something to watch for. West Virginia has just passed a bill that bans a number of food dyes often found in junk food and sugary drinks. That will affect the soda industry, too. And they ran a very strong opposition campaign that bill. Republican Governor Patrick Morrissey signed that bill on Monday. It will go into effect in 2028, though it will affect school food programs this summer.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

So about the opposition. What are we seeing in terms of the lobbying effort from the big food companies and soda companies?

[Georgia Howe]

Well, the food industry is working across numerous fronts to try to protect these profits. About 1 in 8Americans receive SNAP benefits currently with soda as the most frequently purchased item. About 10% of all snap spending goes towards soda and sugary drinks and another 10% toward junk food. American taxpayers reportedly subsidized roughly $4 billion worth of soda products through SNAP. Now, losing that subsidy would be a big blow to these companies. So, unsurprisingly, there's been a full court press to try to keep them in snap, including from even influencers. Right.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

So there's been a lot of buzz about that online. What are these influencers saying or being paid to say?

[Georgia Howe]

Well, we're seeing influencers online who, mainly lean right wing, posting very similar messages on X about how restricting soda from SNAP is government overreach, a violation of personal choice, and politically unpopular. And almost all of them mentioned Trump's love for Diet Coke. There are unconfirmed reports that these influencers were paid to post those messages by groups tied to Big Soda. And women's rights advocate Riley Gaines said that she was approached to do the same, but she turned them down. RFK actually publicly thanked Gaines for her integrity. And he added, quote, it's troubling that some companies now think they have a right to demand taxpayer money to poison our children. Now, there's also been a campaign to cozy up to trump. Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig, Dr. Pepper have all directly engaged with Trump administration officials. They're talking up their commitment to zero sugar options and clear product labeling. Coca Cola also met with Trump in January, and they gifted him that personalized bottle of Diet Coke. The American Beverage association, or the aba, which reps all of these big soda companies, they gave money to Trump's inauguration, as they have with past presidents. They also made a public political pitch. They said working families voted for Trump to lift them up and not leave them behind. But SNAP restrictions would, quote, betray those voters and that promise. In a press conference on Tuesday, ABA Vice President of Public Affairs Meredith Potter argued that that West Virginia law that bans numerous food dyes would hurt West Virginia consumers and the economy in the state over ingredients that she said have been proven safe. She said that the ban was rushed and that beverage companies would need at least five years to phase out some of these dyes or update their recipes. I was also able to ask her if the ABA paid influencers to create those posts against SNAP restrictions on soda. And she clearly and emphatically told me no, The ABA was not behind that campaign and is unaware of who is. Now, we also have Walmart, one of the largest retailers where SNAP benefits are spent. They've engaged in lobbying efforts to stop these restrictions. And believe it or not, there was a lobbyist from the American Heart association who advocated against these types of restrictions. That was first reported by The Daily Wire's Luke Rosiak and the AHA has since claimed that the lobbyist who traveled to Washington miscommunicated.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Well, incredible that the American Heart association is campaigning for soda. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Georgia Howe]

You're welcome.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

The second Trump administration could oversee one of the largest shifts in environmental policy in over a decade. EPA chief Lee Zeldin is leading the transition with an aggressive effort to cut extensive climate regulations.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to detail the environmental transformation taking place at the epa. Hey, Tim. So Zeldin has been one of the most active Cabinet secretaries when it comes to government reform. What can you tell us about his policies so far?

[Tim Rice]

Sure. The Trump administration, and Zeldin in particular, are aggressively attacking Democratic climate policies and green programs. It's all part of President Trump's stated goal of energy dominance. It's also a big step away from Democrats. Green New Deal. Here's Zeldin earlier this month declaring Democratic environmental priorities dead.

[Lee Zeldin]

The death of the Green New scam is upon us. The people across this country who have seen a Green New Deal that if fully implemented, will cost tens of trillions of dollars, and people who cannot afford to be able to heat their home to purchase a car. Small businesses are struggling to operate. People have been put out of work, and it's going to end.

[Tim Rice]

Zeldin wants to reform and repeal dozens of the most burdensome climate rules. That includes, for example, Biden's electric vehicle mandate that aims to force a radical change to the automobile market, with half of new cars sold being all Electric by 2032. Even bigger than that, Zeldin's EPA has also set its sights on Obama's 2009 endangerment finding. That rule essentially set the basis for the EPA to police greenhouse gas emissions in the US and spawned a massive amount of environmental regulation.

[John Bickley]

So that's on the regulatory side of it. But Zeldin has also cut and reclaimed funds from climate programs as well. How much taxpayer money was that?

[Tim Rice]

Zeldin spoke about that during Monday's Cabinet meeting. Here he is.

[Lee Zeldin]

Has now canceled over $22 billion worth of contracts. $2 billion going to this NGO that Stacey Abrams was tied to. They received only $100 in 2023, and then the Biden administration gave them $2 billion. The director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund saw his former employer get $5 billion. So $20 billion went to just eight NGOs, and they're all pass throughs. What you have is all these extra middlemen. They're taking their cut and the taxpayer ends up getting screwed.

[Tim Rice]

Zeldin has been very aggressive in getting that money back. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was the largest single investment in green energy projects ever, and the largest pot of cash the EPA has ever been responsible for doling out. A lot of that money went to groups that had never before received grants so large. Remember, we're talking about billions of dollars in some cases a lot of money.

[John Bickley]

How are these changes affecting the energy sector?

[Tim Rice]

Yeah, we're currently seeing a big shift to redirect resources. Trump's energy secretary Chris Wright has worked alongside the EPA to greenlight a lot of oil and gas projects. And Wright has also been cutting regulations on energy producers, so much so that oil and gas executives are actually reneging on green investment pledges and pausing the transition to green energy that Democrats have wanted. There was also a major court case punishing Greenpeace USA for their extreme protest strategies. Last week they were found liable in a nearly $700 million judgment for helping violent protesters destroy and vandalize property in their attempts to sabotage the Dakota Access pipeline. The trial revealed that Greenpeace USA organizers had trained protesters and even purchased supplies the protesters used to commit illegal acts. So that will hopefully deter other activist groups from engaging in intentionally destructive protests.

[John Bickley]

It's definitely a significant court precedent there. Tim, thanks so much for joining.

[Tim Rice]

Thanks for having me.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us and if you enjoyed what you heard this morning, Share this episode with a friend.

[Brandon]

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