Morning Wire: "Trump Presses Zelensky & Biden’s Immigration Ignorance"

The Daily Wire, December 9, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Key Contributors: Tim Pierce, Luke Rosiak, Jenny Terre

Episode Overview

In this episode, Morning Wire tackles three major stories:

• Stalled peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, including Trump’s active mediation and concerns over Ukrainian corruption
• A Senate investigation into the federal 8A minority contracting program and longstanding government waste
• New revelations that President Biden ignored key warnings about his immigration policies, and the consequences felt at the border and across America

The show is packed with fresh reporting, notable interviews, and direct quotes—from Capitol Hill to transatlantic diplomacy—delivering listeners an incisive, fact-driven look into today’s most pressing stories.

1. Ukraine Peace Negotiations & US/EU Tensions

[02:43 – 06:35]

Main Discussion Points:

• President Trump’s ongoing mediation between Russia and Ukraine appears stalled, with growing frustration directed at President Zelensky for not engaging with the latest US proposal.
• The US plan reportedly involves Ukraine ceding the remainder of the Donbass to Russia in exchange for security guarantees and financial support—a proposal Zelensky cannot agree to due to constitutional and political constraints.
• European leaders, notably the UK, France, and Germany, are aligning with Zelensky against what they see as a US-led pressure campaign, insisting any peace deal must reflect a “just and lasting ceasefire.”
• A major report from The New York Times details significant corruption within the Zelensky administration, including the alleged siphoning of $100 million from a state-owned enterprise, complicating the Western backing Ukraine receives.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• Trump’s Frustration:

  "I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn't yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago. His people love it ... Russia’s fine with it. Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country."
  — John Bickley quoting Trump [03:16]

• European Unity:

  "The principles remain ... we stand with Ukraine and if there's to be a ceasefire, it needs to be a just and lasting ceasefire."
  — UK PM Keir Starmer (via Tim Pierce) [04:31] "Remain strongly behind Ukraine and giving support to your country, because we all know that this destiny of this country is ... the destiny of Europe. I'm skeptical about some of the details which we are seeing in documents coming from [the] US side..."
  — German Chancellor Friedrich Mears (via Tim Pierce and Luke Rosiak) [04:49]

• Corruption Fallout:

  "According to the Times report, anticorruption authorities say Zelensky's inner circle has siphoned off $100 million from Ukraine's state owned nuclear power company alone."
  — Tim Pierce [05:28]

• Western Calculations:

  "European officials seem to think that their overriding interest still lies in backing Ukraine against Russia, even if a lot of that money lines the pockets of corrupt officials."
  — Tim Pierce [05:44]

• NATO’s Cautious Praise:

  "I think the Ukrainian president is taking all the necessary steps to root out corruption."
  — Quoting NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda [06:12]

2. Senate Probe: The 8A DEI Contracting Program

[07:38 – 12:22]

Main Discussion Points:

• Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak will testify before the Senate about the Small Business Administration’s 8A program—a federal set-aside initiative for minority-owned businesses.
• Rosiak describes a system rife with abuse, loopholes, and government complicity, where contracts are awarded based on minority status rather than merit, sometimes resulting in unqualified work or blatant pass-through arrangements.
• Special preference for "disadvantaged" groups can be gamed; e.g., majority-owned businesses registered in a spouse’s name or by high-income ethnic groups not originally intended by the policy.
• Rosiak asserts the government is not being duped, but actively using the program to bypass competitive bidding—a practice compared to “something out of Russia” in terms of fostering corruption.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• Personal Origin Story:

  "About 15 years ago ... a well-dressed black man ... said, 'I see you're programming in C. Do you want to come work for me?' ... I was not programming in C ... But for all I know, he was ready to task me with building some sensitive government system ... He said, 'well, it's 8a contract. I just get the contract and find random people to do the work.'"
  — Luke Rosiak [08:06]

• How the Grift Works:

  "What's the percentage that ATI will retain from that 100 million? ... 65 for us being the prime."
  — Interview Exchange (Jenny Terre, Luke Rosiak, John Bickley) [09:10] "If you're a racial minority, the government can give you a contract without trying to find the best price or the best person."
  — Luke Rosiak [09:31]

• On Government Complicity:

  "The government wasn't being tricked, they were actually in on the grift ... They just wanted to get money out the door to a regular firm quickly without doing the paperwork ... This is like something out of Russia. It enables corruption, and it inflates the cost of everything because you have these middlemen skimming off the top."
  — Luke Rosiak [10:45 – 11:44]

• Reform on the Horizon?:

  "If Congress winds up killing the 8A program after half a century, it'll truly be a sign that the swamp is being drained."
  — Luke Rosiak [11:57]

3. Biden, Warnings Ignored, and Border Backlash

[12:56 – 16:54]

Main Discussion Points:

• A New York Times report reveals that Biden was repeatedly warned—even before his presidency—that his proposed immigration policies would trigger a border crisis and political chaos. He ignored the advice.
• Former Biden officials now acknowledge “mistakes were made,” specifically citing the removal of asylum restrictions and the “Remain in Mexico” policy as contributing to a spike in illegal crossings and poor vetting.
• The crisis, the hosts argue, played a major role in President Trump’s renewed electoral success. Consequences include overwhelmed communities, criminal activity, and a rise in violent incidents involving illegal immigrants.
• A recent Charlotte train stabbing—perpetrated by an illegal immigrant with multiple prior deportations—serves as a prominent example of the real-world impacts of these policies.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• Biden’s Warnings:

  "President Biden was warned actually before he even assumed office while on the campaign trail that some of his policies ... would lead to political chaos. And that's exactly what happened ... millions of illegal immigrants coming across in an absolute free for all."
  — Jenny Terre [13:15]

• Policy Decisions, Real World Consequences:

  "Biden himself ... said, you know what? I'm gonna still go with my guts here ... to take away things like asylum restrictions, remain in Mexico ... We saw 8 million illegal immigrants cross into the country."
  — Jenny Terre [14:11]

• Specific Criminal Event:

  "This is four months after that Ukrainian refugee was killed brutally on her way to work. ... Now we have this illegal immigrant who was twice deported ... He already had a rap sheet ... He got into an argument ... and that's when he decided to stab this man brutally and then run off the train. ... Not only shouldn't he have been in the country, but also was banned from the Charlotte public transportation system before this happened."
  — Jenny Terre [15:33]

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 02:43 – Ukraine negotiations update; Trump’s mediation [Tim Pierce]
• 04:31 – European leaders’ public stance on ceasefire, with direct quotes
• 05:28 – Ukrainian corruption allegations and impact on negotiations
• 07:38 – Luke Rosiak previews Senate testimony on 8A DEI contracting
• 09:31 – How set-aside programs are exploited (explained)
• 10:45 – Government complicity in contracting abuse
• 13:15 – Biden immigration warnings ignored
• 14:11 – Biden’s decisions and consequences, as described by former officials
• 15:33 – Notable Charlotte train stabbing incident tied to illegal immigration

Memorable Quotes

• "I think the Ukrainian president is taking all the necessary steps to root out corruption."
  — John Bickley quoting NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda [06:12]
• “This is like something out of Russia. It enables corruption, and it inflates the cost of everything because you have these middlemen skimming off the top.”
  — Luke Rosiak [10:45]
• "President Biden was warned ... while on the campaign trail that some of his policies ... would lead to political chaos. And that's exactly what happened."
  — Jenny Terre [13:15]

Tone & Style

• Direct, fact-driven reporting with minimal spin
• Frequent, candid quotes from both hosts and reporters
• Underlying critique of government inefficiency and elite accountability, consistent with The Daily Wire’s editorial stance.

Summary Wrap-Up

This Morning Wire episode shines a harsh light on slow-moving geopolitical peace talks, exposes enduring patterns of government waste hiding behind the banner of diversity, and paints a consequential portrait of ignored policy warnings at the US border—all backed by fresh reporting, firsthand interviews, and a brisk, conversational approach.