Trump Teases “Golden Fleet” & Fulton County Concerns Confirmed | 12.23.25

Summary

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Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Trump Teases “Golden Fleet” & Fulton County Concerns Confirmed
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley
Produced By: The Daily Wire

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Episode Overview

This episode covers three major news stories: President Trump’s intensifying military and political confrontation with Venezuela—including the announcement of a new, state-of-the-art “Golden Fleet” of battleships; shocking new revelations about large-scale social welfare fraud in Minnesota; and Georgia election officials admitting to serious ballot certification issues from the 2020 election. The discussions examine the facts, political implications, and future outlook in each situation.

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1. Trump’s Naval Blockade and the “Golden Fleet”

[00:03] – [06:15]

Key Discussion Points

• Escalating U.S. Pressure on Venezuela:

  • Trump’s blockade began as a crackdown on illegal drug flow but has now evolved into a full-scale naval operation keeping Venezuelan oil tankers from exporting crude in defiance of American sanctions.
  • At least two tankers were seized in December, and U.S. Coast Guard pursued the large Venezuelan vessel “Bella One” after it was caught sailing without a valid national flag.

• Significance and Messaging:

  • The U.S. intends to send a clear message beyond Venezuela. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated:

    “The illegal activity that Bandero’s participating in cannot stand.” ([03:33])

    • She continued:

    “They’re using these dollars to funnel and purchase and proliferate drugs around the world… That’s killing the next generation of Americans.” ([03:43])

• Wider Context—Trump vs. Maduro:

  • Trump maintains pressure on Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, demanding the return of U.S. assets seized under Venezuela’s oil nationalization programs.
  • White House adviser Stephen Miller called it, “the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property in history.” ([04:17])
  • The situation is tense enough that Russia reportedly began evacuating its diplomats from Venezuela, fearing escalation to armed conflict.

• Trump’s “Golden Fleet” Announcement:

  • Channelling Teddy Roosevelt’s “Great White Fleet,” Trump announced from Mar-a-Lago the construction of a new “Golden Fleet”—battleships with “100 times the force of power” to be deployed by 2028.
  • Trump:

    “There’s never been anything like these ships… These are the best in the world.” ([05:38])

• Global Implications:

  • The move is widely interpreted as both a direct show of force and a warning to Russia and China, especially given China’s recent major infrastructure investments in Latin America.

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2. Minnesota’s $9 Billion Welfare Fraud Scandal

[06:31] – [10:13]

Key Discussion Points

• Scale and Scope of the Fraud:

  • Federal prosecutors revealed that up to $9 billion in taxpayer money may have been stolen through fraud in Minnesota, particularly impacting 14 state-funded programs since 2018 out of a total of $18 billion.
  • Prosecutor Joseph Thompson described the situation:

    “I think we’re an outlier in a bad way… Every day we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme. That shouldn’t be the case in a state of our size.” ([07:22])

• “Fraud Tourism”:

  • Scammers allegedly traveled to Minnesota specifically to take advantage of lax enforcement, creating companies solely for fraud.
  • Thompson said:

    “These defendants came here not to enjoy our lakes… They came here because they knew and understood that Minnesota was a place where taxpayer money could be taken with little risk and few consequences.” ([07:54])

• Terrorism Funding Rumors:

  • Early reports suggested stolen funds may have indirectly supported terrorism via transfers to Somalia, where the Al Qaeda ally Al Shabaab controls territory. Thompson clarified:

    “There’s no indication that the defendants that we’ve charged were radicalized… Some money went to Somalia indirectly. Some money might have gotten into the hands of Al Shabaab, which controls significant parts of Somalia and imposes a tax there.” ([09:18])

• State Political Response:

  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz denied the claimed scale, accusing prosecutors of sensationalism.
  • Attorney General Keith Ellison released a video touting his anti-fraud efforts, but was widely criticized amid the scandal.

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3. Georgia’s 2020 Ballot Chain of Custody Breach

[10:17] – [14:59]

Key Discussion Points

• Major Chain of Custody Error:

  • Fulton County failed to properly sign and certify tabulation and zero tapes for approximately 315,000 early-in-person votes in 2020, violating Georgia election rules.
  • These admissions came during a December 9, 2025, Georgia State Election Board meeting.

• Explanation from Election Officials:

  • Fulton County’s attorney, Ann Brumbaugh, admitted:

    “We do not dispute that the tapes were not signed. It was a violation of the rule. We have new leadership and…training has been enhanced.” ([11:17])

• Importance of Certification:

  • State election board vice chair Janice Johnston explained:

    “That is the one document that promises what’s in the ballot box… It’s a break in the chain of custody.” ([12:32])

• Potential Consequences:

  • Local activist David Cross, who uncovered the issue, argued that since the tapes weren’t certified, the county had no lawful authority to certify its advanced voting results.
  • State officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, downplayed the error, emphasizing ballot recounts and the lack of any reversal mechanism for the 2020 results.

• Broader Impact:

  • The issue set off renewed debate over election integrity. DOJ lawsuits against Georgia and other states for voter information continue as the Trump administration signals plans for heightened election security ahead of 2026 and 2028.

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Notable Quotes

• Kristi Noem [DHS Secretary], on Venezuela:

  “The illegal activity that Bandero’s participating in cannot stand.” (03:33)

• Stephen Miller [White House adviser]:

  “The largest recorded theft of American wealth and property in history.” (04:17)

• Trump, on the ‘Golden Fleet’:

  “There’s never been anything like these ships. These are the best in the world.” (05:38)

• Joseph Thompson [US Attorney], on Minnesota fraud:

  “Every day we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme. That shouldn’t be the case in a state of our size.” (07:22)

• Ann Brumbaugh [Fulton County Election Attorney]:

  “We do not dispute that the tapes were not signed. It was a violation of the rule.” (11:17)

• Janice Johnston [GA State Election Board]:

  “That is the one document that promises what’s in the ballot box… it’s a break in the chain of custody.” (12:32)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump’s Venezuelan Blockade and Golden Fleet: [00:03] – [06:15]
• Minnesota Fraud Exposé: [06:31] – [10:13]
• Georgia Election Certification Blunder: [10:17] – [14:59]

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Tone & Language

The tone is direct, urgent, and occasionally wry, with a focus on policy impacts and accountability. The hosts maintain a fast-paced, matter-of-fact delivery, punctuated by pointed quotes from major newsmakers.

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Conclusion

This episode presents a stark portrait of growing skepticism and volatility across American politics and institutions, spanning military strategy, public sector oversight, and election security. Each segment illustrates a central tension: how to restore integrity and credibility in an era of both real and perceived institutional failures.

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Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

As President Trump tightens the naval blockade on Venezuelan tankers, he announces plans for a new fleet of battleships.

[John Bickley]

They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, December 23rd, and this is Morning Wire.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Officials uncover more shocking evidence on the sprawling Minnesota fraud schemes that have bilked taxpayers up billions.

[Joseph Thompson]

The fraud is not small. It isn't isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated.

[Georgia Howe]

Industrial scale fraud and Georgia officials admit to egregious ballot counting errors in the 2020 election.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

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

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[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Amid a massive naval buildup in the Caribbean, President Trump announced new efforts to crack down on Venezuela's socialist regime.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with more on the escalating tensions. So Cabot DC Might be slowing down a bit for the holiday, but the Trump administration is not relenting at all toward Venezuela. What's the latest?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, that is the truth. Now a quick refresher. Trump's push in Venezuela originally began as a crackdown on illegal drugs flowing into the U.S. but in recent days, the operation has shifted into a full blown military blockade, keeping Venezuelan tankers from selling oil. For context, the Venezuelan government has been relying on what the Pentagon calls a quote, dark fleet of oil tankers sailing under false flags with fraudulent paperwork trying to evade American sanctions. The Coast Guard and Navy have already seized two of those tankers this month. And on Sunday and Monday were in, quote, hot pursuit of a third. That vessel, called the Bella One, is one of Venezuela's largest oil tankers. It was returning to the country to fill back up when it was spotted by the Coast Guard. It was allegedly flying without a valid national flag, making it a, quote, stateless vessel and subject to search under international law. But when the Coast Guard ordered it to stop, they refused and went on the run. Pentagon has yet to confirm how that chase ended, but did say the fact it was forced to turn around and flee Venezuela was in itself a victory. Now, more broadly, the Trump administration says the crackdown is intended to send a message to the rest of the world, not just Venezuela. Here's DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the Coast Guard, making that case.

[John Bickley]

The illegal activity that Bandero's participating in cannot stand.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

He needs to be gone and we.

[John Bickley]

Will stand up for our people.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

They're using these dollars to funnel and.

[John Bickley]

Purchase and proliferate drugs around the world.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

That'S killing the next generation of Americans.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, all of this is part of a broader pressure campaign against the Venezuelan government. And this has been a years long point of tension. Can you give us some context on the Trump Maduro conflict?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, there's no doubt the administration is ramping up the pressure on Nicolas Maduro, again, the socialist strongman leading Venezuela. Trump has repeatedly said that his days are numbered and last week issued a new demand calling on Maduro to return all American assets seized over the years. For context, since the 70s, the Venezuelan government has nationalized the oil industry, taking control of virtually every private company operating there, including a number of American businesses like Exxon Mobil. White House adviser Stephen Miller called it the, quote, largest recorded theft of American wealth and property in history. And now Trump says the blockade will continue until Venezuela, quote, returns to the United States of America all of the oil, land and other assets they previously stole from us. Now, Maduro is highly unlikely to give in to those demands, as oil revenue is basically the only thing keeping his economy afloat. So the big question now becomes how far Trump is willing to go to make him. There are those who believe this could escalate into a military regime change type conflict. For example, Moscow has ordered evacuations for their diplomats and families living in Venezuela, so they are fearful of potential conflict. But we'll see again how Trump reacts and if he uses the military further.

[Georgia Howe]

So let's get to Trump's shipbuilding announcement yesterday that some interpreted as a show of force. What did we hear on that front?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, Teddy Roosevelt famously had his great white fleet and now Trump is christening what he calls the Golden Fleet. We know Trump. He loves his gold. Speaking from Mar a Lago, on Monday, the president announced plans to build a next generation fleet of battleships that'll protect America's trading vessels and other larger ships around the world. Here he is with more details.

[John Bickley]

They will have 100 times the force of power. There's never been anything like these ships. These have been under design consideration for a long time. These are the best in the world.

[Cabot Phillips]

The plan is for those ships to be unveiled by 2028. And of course, the timing is probably not a coincidence given everything going on right now. As the president continues to exert power in the Southern Hemisphere, he's also sending a message to adversaries like Russia and of course, China.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, and some context there just in the past 10 years, China's Belt and Road initiative has drastically expanded in Latin America.

[Cabot Phillips]

Right.

[Georgia Howe]

Cabot, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

America's first responders rely on FirstNet, a wireless network built with and for first responders covering the nation and keeping us all safe. FirstNet built with AT&T. Learn [e-mail] Public Safety First.

[Georgia Howe]

Stunning new details have surfaced in Minnesota's sprawling fraud scandal which is largely tied to the state's Somali community.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Here to break down the latest is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. Hey, Amanda. So we've been covering this scandal for weeks now. Just keeps getting bigger and sort of more jaw dropping. First, just how much money do authorities now believe has been stolen?

[News Announcer/Reporter]

Well, after a shocking press conference from federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson, we've learned that $9 billion or potentially more of taxpayer money could have been stolen. He called this, quote, industrial scale fraud. There were 14 taxpayer funded programs in particular that have been rife with fraud since 2018. Those programs cost $18 billion. And Thompson said it's possible that half of that or more could have been fraudulently claimed. Here's Thompson.

[Joseph Thompson]

I think we're an outlier in a bad way. Yes. You don't see fraud on this scale in other states. And part of that is just we sit here as a team and it's a relatively small team or a relatively small U.S. attorney's office. And every day we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme. That shouldn't be the case in a state of our size. Certainly other states have problem with frauds But I think our problem is unique.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

Now, building off of that, Thompson actually said scammers became aware that Minnesota was, you know, a great place to rip off the government, that it actually created what's called fraud tourism.

[Joseph Thompson]

I mean, these defendants came here not to enjoy our lakes. Our beautiful summers are warm people. They came here because they knew and understood that Minnesota was a place where taxpayer money could be taken with little risk and few consequences.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

Thompson added that people in the state or those traveling there would create companies entirely dedicated to fraud. This wasn't upcharging for services, which is typical with Medicaid fraud. This was something entirely new and bigger. And as for new indictments, Thompson laid out many, including that of Hassan Ahmed Hussein and Ahmed Abdurishin Mohammed. They're accused of stealing $750,000 thousand dollars from a housing program, falsely claiming that they were helping addicts who were leading treatment facilities. Camille Omar Salah is accused of stealing more than $1 million in that same housing scheme. He's apparently now fled the country. And Asha Faran Hassan, who was charged with stealing 14 million in funds to help children with autism. She recently pleaded guilty.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now, there were initial reports that this money was going back to Somalia and potentially even funding terrorist operations. And have we learned anything more about that?

[News Announcer/Reporter]

So Thompson said that this is a nuanced issue, and I would guess that's because the Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group Al Shabaab controls large portions of territory in Somalia. Here's Thompson.

[Joseph Thompson]

Well, there's no indication that the defendants that we've charged were radicalized or seeking to fund Al Shabaab or other terrorist groups. Some money went to Somalia indirectly. Some money might have gotten into the hands of Al Shabaab, which controls significant parts of Somalia and imposes a tax there.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now, with all this new information coming out, what have we heard from state leaders?

[News Announcer/Reporter]

So Democrat Governor Tim Walz, who's really in the hot seat over this scandal, he's claiming Thompson is engaging in sensationalism and says that there's no evidence that the scope of the scandal is $9 billion or more. Then we have the state's Democrat AG Keith Ellison. He actually put out a video over the weekend praising his own efforts to stop scammers in the state. No surprise here. That generated a lot of criticism online given the circumstances.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah. When industrial scale fraud and fraud tourism are being used to describe your state, it's hard to see this as evidence of a job well done. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[News Announcer/Reporter]

You're welcome.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Election officials in Georgia say that Fulton county violated State election rules when it certified some 315,000 ballots in the 2020 election.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the admission and what it means for election integrity. So, Tim, what exactly have these election officials admitted happened here and how significant was this error?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, essentially, there is a chain of custody issue that affected hundreds of thousands of ballots in the 2020 election. The issue is over tabulation tapes and zero tapes. State election rules say that these tapes have to be signed by election workers to certify their authenticity. But for most of the polls across Fulton county, the tapes weren't certified. Those tapes account for essentially every early in person vote cast in Fulton county in 2020. That's about 315,000 votes in total. All this was revealed publicly in a December 9th Georgia state election board meeting and reported on by the Federalist. Here's the attorney for the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections and Brumbaugh admitting the mistake.

[John Bickley]

I've not seen the. The tapes myself, but I. We do not dispute that the tapes were not signed. It was a violation of the rule. We have new leadership and a new building and a new board and new standard operating procedures. And since then, the training has been enhanced. The poll watchers are trained specifically. They've got to sign the tapes in the morning and they've got to sign the tapes when they're run. At the end of the day, when the tapes come back to the hub for, you know, with all the documentation, they are checked again. And if somebody forgot to sign a tape, then Fulton initiates an investigation. We don't dispute the allegation from the 2020 election.

[Tim Pierce]

Tabulation tapes are printed for each ballot scanner at the end of each day, and the tape is basically a summary of the ballots that machine processed on that day. Those tapes are supposed to be signed and then cataloged as part of the process to track the work of vote counting. Zero tapes are just tabulation tapes made at the start of the day, and those have to be certified, too, to ensure that each machine is starting the day from zero. That ensures no ext ballots from tests or prior elections are being counted as well. Here's state elections board vice chair Janice Johnston on what missing that certification means.

[John Bickley]

That is the one document that promises what's in the ballot box, that we don't count the ballots, you know, but what's in the ballot box is the right number. So if you open on a tabulator, but you close on a different tabulator, not going to work. It's a break in the chain of custody.

[Tim Pierce]

Correct.

[John Bickley]

So I find this, this case very troubling.

[Tim Pierce]

All this was uncovered by David Cross. He's a local election integrity activist who said he paid nearly $16,000 to receive about 77 megabytes worth of election records through an open records request.

[Georgia Howe]

So these admissions from officials have really set off a lot of alarm bells. How consequential was this to the 2020 election results?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, there's no way to retroactively change the outcome, though. If those votes from Fulton county were thrown out, President Trump would have won Georgia but still lost the 2020 election. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is now running for Georgia governor, downplayed the findings. He said in a statement, quote, georgia has the most secure elections in the country and all voters were verified with photo ID and lawfully cast their ballots. A clerical error at the end of the day does not erase valid legal and others have pointed out that Fulton County's votes were recounted and recounted again. So while the process may have been shoddy, every ballot was eventually individually certified. Cross has a different opinion, however. Because no tape was ever legally certified, Fulton county had no lawful authority to certify its advanced voting results to the secretary of state. Yet it did. The secretary, Raffensperger accepted and folded those uncertified numbers into Georgia's official total without questioning them. This is not partisan. This is statutory. This is the law. When the law demands three signatures on tabulator tapes and the county fails to follow the rules, those 315,000 votes are by definition uncertified. Now, the Department of Justice has filed suit against Georgia and a host of other states for voter information. The Trump administration said this is part of its efforts to enhance election security ahead of 2026 and 2028. And with these new revelations, we'll see if the admin administration puts even more scrutiny on Fulton county in particular.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, fortunately, it sounds like Georgia has made significant efforts to clean up their systems. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Before you go, some programming notes as we go into the Christmas holidays, we will be changing up a few things. We won't have evening wires for the next couple of weeks, but no worries. We will continue to offer fresh content every morning. That includes our regular news show for the first half of this week, followed by some original interviews and special episodes. And as always, if there's any massive breaking news, we won't hesitate to drop a special episode. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news you need to know.