Trump Ends Shutdown & Venezuela Mobilizes Troops | 11.13.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Trump Ends Shutdown & Venezuela Mobilizes Troops
Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley (Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief), Georgia Howe
Key Reporters/Guests: Cameron Arkand, Cabot Phillips, Tim Pierce

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Overview

This episode covers three major stories:

• The end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history
• Violent protests erupting at a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley
• Heightened military tensions between Venezuela and the United States

The hosts deliver analysis, direct quotes, and on-the-scene reporting for each topic, focusing on political implications, security issues, and international relations. The tone is factual, urgent, and at times strongly opinionated.

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1. Government Shutdown Ends

Key Developments

• The House passes a resolution to fund the government through January, effectively ending the record-breaking shutdown.
• Eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to break the filibuster, making passage possible.
• The shutdown, lasting over 40 days, led to widespread impacts nationwide—from grounded flights to frozen food stamps.
• Healthcare, particularly Obamacare subsidies, now becomes the next legislative flashpoint heading into December.

Insights & Discussion

• Political fallout:

  • Republicans express satisfaction and frame the outcome as a victory after a “grueling battle.”
  • Democrats are split; some are upset, others helped move the deal forward.

• Speaker Johnson (R) highlights voter backlash:

  • "Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their lives... so that they could look tough to the radical elements of their base. And real people suffered because of that game." (05:09)

• President Trump lambastes Democrats’ tactics:

  • "This was a no brainer. This was an easy extension, but they didn’t want to do it the easy way... They deprived more than 1 million government workers from their paychecks and cut off food stamp benefits for millions and millions more Americans in need. They caused tens of thousands of federal contractors and small businesses to go unpaid." (05:44)

• Future debates:

  • Next flashpoint is the continuation of Obamacare subsidies.
  • House Democrats propose a three-year extension; Republicans express sustainability concerns.

Memorable Moment

• Celebratory, yet exhausted tone as the shutdown ends:
  • "This couldn't have come soon enough." (06:31, John Bickley)

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2. UC Berkeley TPUSA Event Turns Violent

Key Developments

• TPUSA sees increased activism following the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk.
• Final tour stop at Berkeley descends into violence:
  • Hundreds of masked protesters chant, insult, and physically attack attendees.
  • A man is assaulted and taunted: "Hey white boy, you’re bleeding, white boy." (09:24)
• FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force launches an investigation—targets antifa’s involvement and the university's handling of security.
• DOJ probes potential First Amendment violations, suggesting university policy may have “punished conservatives for potential threats from the left.” (From Cabot’s summary, 11:30)

Firsthand Reporting & Quotes

• Cabot Phillips describes firsthand experiences:

  • "There’s just been this shift that I’ve seen among conservative students on campus since Charlie’s death. There is just a palpable determination in the room that was not there before. The crowds are bigger and more enthusiastic than they’ve ever been." (11:44)

• Event under lockdown:

  • Only half of the 2,000 ticket holders allowed in "because of what we called the heckler’s veto—the violent mob allowed to fester outside." (10:30, Georgia Howe quoting DOJ’s Harmeet Dhillon)

• Escalating pattern:

  • Instances of administrative restrictions, student disruptions, and growing conservative defiance.

Notable Quotes

• Chant from protesters:

  • "When fascists come and cause a wreck, they get a bullet in the neck." (08:56, paraphrased by Cabot Phillips)

• DOJ’s warning to universities:

  • Potential for universities to be held accountable if they restrict events due to threats from opposing groups.

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3. Venezuela Mobilizes Troops in Response to U.S.

Key Developments

• Venezuelan military mobilizes 200,000 troops in response to U.S. deployments.
• U.S. sends largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean amid accusations that President Maduro is a drug lord.
• U.S. efforts focus on disrupting drug trafficking—20 boats/submarines destroyed so far.
• Diplomatic stalemate: U.S. demands Maduro’s ouster; Caracas offers economic access but won’t meet that condition.

Analysis

• Possible scenarios:

  • Direct invasion unlikely given military ratios (U.S. troops: ~15,000 vs Panama 1989: 27,000; Venezuela is much larger).
  • U.S. aims to pressure with presence, disrupt trafficking, and isolate Maduro diplomatically.

• Comparison to Panama 1989:

  • Both feature U.S. confronting dictators accused of drug trafficking, but Venezuela’s defenses and alliances (Russia, Cuba) make for a higher-stakes scenario.

Notable Quotes

• War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s warning:

  • "If you’re trafficking drugs to poison the American people and we know you’re from a designated terrorist organization, you’re a foreign terrorist and a trafficker, we will find you and we will kill you. No one is better at tracking and networking and mapping and hunting than the American military." (13:40)

• President Trump’s coy response regarding military presence:

  • "It’s got to be somewhere. It’s a big one." (14:13)

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:35 | President Trump signs the bill to reopen government | | 02:45 | Government shutdown ends: Causes, resolution, and next steps | | 05:09 | Speaker Johnson reacts to end of shutdown; party responses | | 05:44 | President Trump criticizes Democrats’ shutdown tactics | | 07:46 | Berkeley Turning Point USA event devolves into violent protest | | 09:24 | Assault at Berkeley: "Hey white boy, you’re bleeding, white boy." | | 10:30 | DOJ’s Harmeet Dhillon on “heckler’s veto” and First Amendment | | 11:44 | Cabot Phillips: Surge in conservative activism post-Kirk murder | | 12:33 | Venezuela mobilizes; U.S. military pressure analyzed | | 13:40 | Pete Hegseth on drug traffickers, U.S. military commitment | | 14:13 | Trump’s ambiguous answer on carrier deployment | | 15:15 | Historical comparison: Venezuela crisis vs. Panama 1989 |

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Notable Quotes & Highlights

President Trump on shutdown:
"This was a no brainer. This was an easy extension, but they didn’t want to do it the easy way... The Democrats do. They deprived more than 1 million government workers from their paychecks..." (05:44)

Speaker Johnson on political consequences:
"Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their lives..." (05:09)

Cabot Phillips on campus climate:
"There is just a palpable determination in the room that was not there before. The crowds are bigger and more enthusiastic than they’ve ever been." (11:44)

Pete Hegseth on U.S. military action:
"We will find you and we will kill you. No one is better at tracking and networking and mapping and hunting than the American military." (13:40)

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Summary

This Morning Wire episode delivers a brisk, detailed look at three headline stories. The government shutdown’s end is treated as both a political and practical relief, but also sets up heated healthcare debates in December. Campus violence at Berkeley signals escalating tensions and ideological divides as both student and federal authorities face tough questions about political violence and free speech. On the international stage, Venezuela’s sabre-rattling and U.S. military posturing in the Caribbean portend an ongoing, high-risk standoff, drawing historical comparisons but also underscoring the unique stakes of the current moment.

Listeners receive context, eyewitness insight, and a preview of the debates and crises shaping America’s near future.

Transcript

[Brandon]

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[President Trump]

It's an honor now to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again.

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump brings the government shutdown to a screeching halt after the House approved a resolution to turn the lights back on.

[Brandon]

On this vote, the yeas are 222.

[Tim Pierce]

The nays are 209.

[Brandon]

The bill is passed. The motion is adopted.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive ed John Bickley. It's Thursday, November 13th, and this is Morning Wire.

[John Bickley]

The DOJ is investigating after riots surrounding a TPUSA event turned violent.

[Georgia Howe]

What we have here is a terrorist organization allowed to run wild in an American city on an American campus, funded by taxpayers. And a standoff in the Caribbean is brewing as Venezuela mobilizes its troops and the US Sends its biggest warship to the region.

[John Bickley]

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

[Brandon]

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[Georgia Howe]

The longest government shutdown in history finally came to a close on Wednesday.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arkand has more. Hey, Cameron. So we hoped that we wouldn't be reporting on a shutdown today. We're not. We're talking about the end of the shutdown. So that's some progress there. So how did this final end?

[Cameron Arkand]

Yesterday we basically saw the House vote on the legislation to continue funding the government through the end of January. This is after eight Senate Democrats sided with the Republicans the other day to break the filibuster and then go ahead and vote on that continuing resolution to continue to fund the federal government. After over 40 days, we saw impacts all across the country, whether it was flights to food stamps. Americans really felt this. And now there is the light at the end of the tunnel with this, with the House coming together and voting to fund the government once again.

[John Bickley]

Right. And despite all the travel complications, enough of the Congress made it to actually vote. So what comes next in this process?

[Cameron Arkand]

The next thing is obviously the debate is gonna very quickly switch over to healthcare Obamacare subsidies. This was something that the Democrats were using as a rhetorical tool to not fund the government for the past 40 days. And so when they went and voted to reopen the government over the weekend, part of deal was we will bring that debate back in December. On the Senate side. Now, there is a lot up in the air when it comes to that. Right now on the House side, House Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries have proposed a three year continuation of those subsidies. Now that's the Republican majority House. There's a whole different set of calculus. There's a lot we don't know about the continuation of those subsidies. Now keep in mind the argument from a lot of Republicans and the opponents of this who didn't back the Affordable Care act from the start was the fact that, hey, the, maybe this program wasn't sustainable to begin with.

[John Bickley]

Now, as we've documented, this was a grueling battle over 40 days and really high political stakes for both parties. Republicans really coming out with the victory here. What are we seeing in terms of the response from both parties on the Hill?

[Cameron Arkand]

Yeah. So obviously we've had Republicans very pleased with this outcome right now. But some Democrats, while some did vote to reopen the government, others are not so pleased. Of course, Speaker Johnson and other Republicans are touting this as a victory. Let's hear what the Republicans have to say on that.

[Speaker Johnson]

I'm really sad that it took us so long to get here. It was so much pain that had to be endured to get to this point. Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their lives. They're going to remember that they did this for their own selfish purposes, so that they could look tough to the radical elements of their base. And real people suffered because of that game. So now that we've got the lights back on, we've got the government reopened.

[Cameron Arkand]

And of course, President Trump, who has to have his signature on this spending bill, had his own thoughts on the end of the shutdown as well.

[President Trump]

This was a no brainer. This was an easy extension, but they didn't want to do it the easy way. They had to do it the hard way. And they look very bad. The Democrats do. They deprived more than 1 million government workers from their paychecks and cut off food stamp benefits for millions and millions more Americans in need. They caused tens of thousands of federal contractors and small businesses to go unpaid. And the total effect of the damage their antics caused will take weeks and probably months to really calculate accurately.

[Cameron Arkand]

Obviously a very long chapter coming to a close here. I mean, we saw flight cuts, people at risk of losing food stamps, that being held up in court. We really saw those drawn out impacts of the federal government simply not being able to keep funded.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. And particularly with the flights and the holiday season coming, this couldn't have come soon enough. Thank you so much for reporting for us.

[Cameron Arkand]

Thank you.

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[John Bickley]

The DOJ is investigating a bloody protest outside of a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley this week.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here now with the details. So first off, Cabot, welcome back.

[Cabot Phillips]

It's good to have my voice back, at least partially.

[Georgia Howe]

So tell us what happened at Berkeley this week.

[Cabot Phillips]

So Turning Point USA has understandably gotten a lot more attention over the last few months since Charlie Kirk, the group's founder, was assassinated. Now, in the wake of that tragedy, rather than pull back, Turningpoint has gone all in, bringing conservative speakers to college campuses and in their words, picking up Charlie's microphone to continue his work and also his speaking tour. And while a number of those events have faced significant protests thanks to increased security, most have been peaceful. But during the final stop of the Turning Point tour this week at Cal Berkeley, things unfortunately turned violent. In the hours leading up to the event, hundreds of black clad protesters descended on the campus, hurling insults and threats at conservative students who were attending the event and mocking Charlie Kirk's murder. Here's one group chanting, f you're dead homie. In obvious reference to Kirk. You're dead homie.

[Brandon]

You're dead homie.

[Cameron Arkand]

You're dead, homie.

[Cabot Phillips]

Other chants throughout the night included quote, when fascists come and cause a wreck, they get a bullet in the neck. At one point, a group of protesters attempted to rob a man of his necklace and then proceeded to beat him up when he attempted to stop them. As the victim, who was briefly detained by police himself, stands up, you can see on video here he's dripping blood from his face. Some of the crowd began to taunt him, saying, white boy, you're bleeding.

[Tim Pierce]

Police.

[President Trump]

Break it off.

[Brandon]

Hey white boy.

[President Trump]

Break it off.

[Brandon]

Hey white boy, you're bleeding, white boy.

[Cabot Phillips]

As the evening progressed, hundreds more demonstrators showed up and the protest then devolved into an all out riot. Turning Point staffers say that rioters set off smoke bombs and tear gas outside the venue and then hurled fireworks and glass bottles at those trying to get in. That included a number of parents carrying small children. And then as the event ended, large groups of rioters then blocked exits and hurled even more threats at those leaving.

[Georgia Howe]

Now this chaos reached the level at which the FBI is stepping in, correct?

[Cameron Arkand]

Right.

[Cabot Phillips]

Attorney General Pam Bondi says the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force will be investigating specifically antifa's role in, quote, orchestrating acts of political violence. And they're also going to be seeking out the identities of specific agitators. The Justice Department also sent a letter to the University of California Board of Regents notifying them that an investigation had been opened into their handling of the riot. They also ordered them to preserve all internal records regarding security preparations ahead of time. Here's the DOJ's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Harmeet Dhillon on CNN.

[Georgia Howe]

There was a sold out crowd of over 2,000 tickets for this event with Rob Schneider, the comedian, and in fact, only a thousand people were allowed to enter. There were shenanigans with the ticketing, but a lot of people didn't come because of what we called the heckler's veto, the the violent mob allowed to fester outside. Now, you yourself have spoken at a handful of Turning Point events, and you've seen some of this firsthand. What have you seen?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, I've spoken at a dozen or so Turning Point events since Charlie's murder. And while I haven't faced this sort of rioting, there has definitely been plenty of pushback. A number of times there have been students attempting to shout me down before being removed by police. And then at the University of Iowa, there was a transgender protester who flipped over a table that was advertising my speech. Those watching the show can see that video here. And then it's worth noting that same student did the exact same thing ahead of a separate Turning Point event the next week. Thankfully, they were arrested and have been charged. And it's worth noting it's not just protesters. There's also been administrative pushback that I've seen. At the University of Maryland, for example, school officials said that my event could only go forward if the Turning Point chapter there agreed to fund outside security. That was because the school deemed my speech as controversial and said there was potential for pushback from the left. Now, Hermet Dhillon from the DOJ again weighed in there, calling it a potential First Amendment violation and warning that the school was essentially punishing conservatives for potential threats from the left. But I gotta say, through it all, there's just been this shift that I've seen among conservative students on campus since Charlie's death. There is just a palpable determination in the room that was not there before. The crowds are bigger and more enthusiastic than they've ever been. And a lot about half of the students I now meet said that they have never been to a political event before and that Charlie's murder made them want to. Now get involved.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, definitely a change of temperature on campuses for sure lately. Cab, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[John Bickley]

Venezuela says it's launched a massive mobilization of its armed forces as the United States largest aircraft carrier arrives in the region.

[Georgia Howe]

Here to talk about the tensions between Caracas and Washington is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. So, Tim, there's been a major US Military buildup in the Caribbean and now it looks like Maduro has responded. What does this response looked like?

[Tim Pierce]

Right. As John mentioned, Maduro's defense minister on Tuesday announced a military buildup in Venezuela to counter what he called the imperialist threat from the U.S. that buildup included military exercises yesterday that reportedly involved around 200,000 troops. And there have been reports that the military has prepped anti aircraft systems across Venezuela in case Trump decides to order land strikes like he's teased a few times now.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, regarding the US Sending in some very valuable resources. What's the goal? Is the goal land invasion? Just drug boat attacks in the sea? What are they planning to do?

[Tim Pierce]

Probably something in between. Drug traffickers have been the primary targets of the administration. US forces have blown up about 20 boats and subs so far that officials have said were carrying illegal drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl. And the administration has continued to hammer that point. Here's War Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday.

[Cabot Phillips]

I mean, if you're trafficking drugs to poison the American people and we know you're from a designated terrorist organization, you're a foreign terrorist and a trafficker, we will find you and we will kill you. No one is better at tracking and networking and mapping and hunting than the American military.

[Tim Pierce]

But now with the addition of the United States largest and most advanced warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, there's probably something more at play. President Trump has been coy about saying exactly what, though. Here he was on CBS News earlier this month.

[Georgia Howe]

Why do we need an aircraft carrier and strike group out there?

[President Trump]

It's got to be somewhere.

[Cameron Arkand]

Okay.

[President Trump]

It's a big one.

[Tim Pierce]

The administration has made clear that it sees dictator Nicolas Maduro as an illegitimate ruler and it wants him out. It's called him a drug lord and a criminal and indicted him on drug charges and it's also upped his bounty to $50 million.

[Georgia Howe]

Now presumably Caracas is also in discussions with the United States. Do we know anything about the diplomacy going on?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, well, they were, but the New York Times reported last month that the diplomatic relationships between the capitals has basically broken down. They broke down over Maduro's refusal to vacate his leadership position for a long Caracas has offered the United States a majority stake in its oil and other mineral wealth. Part of that agreement would have been that Caracas would have distanced itself from powers hostile to the United States, such as China, Russia and Iran. But the US Walked away because it could not get what it really wanted, which is Maduro, to step down.

[Georgia Howe]

So what are we expecting to see next? We've heard some comparisons between this situation now and the situation in Panama in 1989. Is that an accurate comparison?

[Tim Pierce]

In some ways, yes. And in other ways, no. There are a few similarities between Venezuela today and Panama then a dictator in charge accused by the United States of trafficking deadly drugs. But there are a lot of key differences as well. Maybe the most obvious is that Venezuela is a much larger country than Panama is and it has a larger military. And Maduro is protected by special forces from Cuba. Venezuela also has powerful allies such as Russia, which has promised to step in in the case of a U.S. land invasion. Also in 1989, the United went into Panama with about 27,000 troops. But even with the addition of the Gerald R. Ford in the Caribbean Sea, the US military buildup there is only around 15,000 troops so far.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, 15,000 is still quite a few. 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 also watch us now for free on Daily Wire Plus. We'll be back this evening with more news. You need to know.

[Georgia Howe]

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[John Bickley]

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[John Bickley]

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[Georgia Howe]

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