Trump’s Asia Victory & South America’s Right Turn | 10.31.25

Summary

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Morning Wire – October 31, 2025

Episode: Trump’s Asia Victory & South America’s Right Turn
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Notable Guests: Cabot Phillips, Jenny Tar, Andres Martinez Fernandez

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Overview

This episode focuses on two major international stories:

1. President Trump’s high-stakes diplomatic breakthrough with President Xi Jinping, leading to new US-China trade agreements and reduced tensions.
2. The fast-moving political rightward turn in South America as administrations in Argentina, Bolivia, and other countries align more closely with US interests under Trump, examined with a particular focus on recent elections.

Additional topics include the Trump administration’s clampdown on commercial licenses for illegal immigrants following deadly truck accidents.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Asia Victory: US-China Trade Thaw

The Summit with Xi Jinping

• Duration & Tone: The meeting between Trump and Xi lasted 90 minutes—shorter than expected, but “all smiles” emerged. Xi described the mood as “warm,” and Trump called it “an amazing meeting.”
  (03:02–03:36)
• Quote (Trump):
  “Overall, I guess on the scale of from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.”
  – Donald Trump (03:29)

Key Outcomes from the Talks

• Fentanyl Tariff Reduction:
  Trump stated that Xi had agreed to actively curb fentanyl exports to the US, leading Trump to immediately halve the fentanyl-specific tariff from 20% to 10%.
  Quote (Trump):
  “Based on his statements today, I reduced it by 10%. So it’s 10% instead of 40%, effective immediately. I believe he’s going to work very hard to stop the debt that’s coming in.”
  – Donald Trump (04:00)
• Energy & Agriculture Commitments:
  China has committed to “purchase American energy, potentially oil and gas from Alaska,” aiming to wean itself from Russian oil and boost US exports. Additionally, China agreed to buy large amounts of US soybeans, sorghum, and other agricultural products.
  Trump’s message to US farmers:
  “Go out and immediately buy more land and large tractors.”
• Rare Earth Minerals:
  China will resume the sale of rare earth minerals, vital for tech production, which was a priority for the White House.
  Quote (Trump):
  “All of the rare earth has been settled … There’s no roadblock at all on rare earth. That will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary for a little while.”
  – Donald Trump (05:04)
• Trade Barriers Eased:
  Overall tariff rates on Chinese goods will decrease from 57% to 47%. Threatened escalations above 100% were averted. Port fees impacting cross-Pacific cargo vessels have also been removed.

Market & Economic Impact

• Stock Markets:
  Since the initial imposition of “Liberation Day” tariffs in spring, US indices have soared:
  • Dow Jones: +13%
  • S&P 500: +21%
  • NASDAQ: +35%
    (06:01)
• Federal Reserve:
  Lowered its benchmark rate to between 3.75 and 4%, the lowest in three years, which is expected to further stimulate the rally and foreign investment.

Diplomatic Next Steps

• Trump will travel to Beijing in April; Xi may visit the US or Mar-a-Lago, indicating a “reset” in relations.

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2. Trucking Tragedies: Illegal Immigrant CDL Crackdown

Background of Issue

• Multiple fatal truck crashes involving drivers with illegal immigration status and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) have triggered public outcry and policy changes, especially after a viral video from Florida. (07:40–09:49)

Legislative and Enforcement Failures

• Under the Biden administration, illegal immigrants, upon applying for asylum, had a six-month window before work permit eligibility, making it possible for them to obtain CDLs in states like California.
• Federal rules require English-language tests; however, written CDL tests may be administered in other languages, and skills testing enforcement in English has reportedly “not been enforced for years.”

Trump Administration Response

• Policy Changes:
  • Barring illegal immigrants and all non-English speakers from obtaining CDLs, except for legal immigrants like green card or specialized visa holders.
  • States instructed to audit CDL records; illegal immigrant license holders are being ordered to turn in their CDLs.
• Enforcement Actions:
  • ICE agents increasing roadside checks in states like Oklahoma and Indiana, resulting in dozens of arrests of illegal immigrant truck drivers.
  • Potential threats: Citing possible links between illegal truckers and national security threats, including terrorism.
  • Quote (Jenny Tar, reporting ICE perspective):
    “The head of ICE said on Thursday that there could be a nexus to terrorism with some of these drivers.”
    – Jenny Tar (11:24)

Human Impact

• The case of six-year-old Delilah Coleman, gravely injured in California by a truck driven by an illegal immigrant, puts a human face on the crisis.
  • Quote (Marcus Coleman, Delilah’s father):
    “Governor Newsom needs to stand up and be responsible for his constituents instead of sitting there throwing the blame on everybody else.”
    – Marcus Coleman (11:09)

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3. South America’s Right Turn: The Trump Administration's Influence

Argentina’s Landslide: Javier Milei and the Pro-US Realignment

• Significance:
  Javier Milei’s party secured a landslide victory, consolidating a rightward shift after decades of leftist, anti-American leadership.
  • Quote (Andres Martinez Fernandez):
    “As far as relations with the United States, we’ve likely never had a more aligned leader in Argentina.”
    – Andres Martinez Fernandez (12:47)
• Role of US Support:
  A $40 billion US package just ahead of elections was pivotal in providing economic stability and confidence, directly credited to the White House and Donald Trump.
  • Quote (Andres Martinez Fernandez):
    “President Trump deserves a lot of credit for the victory … [The package was] a major sign of confidence … which I think translated into more confidence from Argentines in the President’s ability to stabilize the economy and chart a path forward.”
    – (13:59)

Bolivia’s Conservative Breakthrough & Regional Trends

• Bolivia elected its first conservative president in 20 years; this shift signals a broader trend across Latin America, with conservative momentum seen in Ecuador, and right-wing parties gaining in Chile, Brazil, and Peru.
  • Quote:
    “The shift in Bolivia specifically is historic. … The people just overwhelmingly, despite all that, rejected that movement and now have a more conservative leader … also shifting towards the United States and Western alliances.”
    – Andres Martinez Fernandez (15:04)
• US Policy’s Role:
  Trump administration’s active engagement with these new conservative leaders is credited for cementing alliances and encouraging continued regional political change.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump rating the Xi meeting:
  “On a scale of from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.”
  (Donald Trump, 03:29)

• On rare earth minerals:
  “There's no roadblock at all on rare earth. That will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary for a little while.”
  (Donald Trump, 05:04)

• On potential security threats from illegal truckers:
  “We don’t know what they’re carrying across state lines in an 18 wheeler. Terrorists will stop at nothing to harm the United States.”
  (Georgia Howe, 11:45)

• On South American politics:
  “We’ve likely never had a more aligned leader in Argentina.”
  (Andres Martinez Fernandez, 12:47)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Trump-Xi summit recap & results: 02:39–07:02
• Illegal immigrant truckers controversy: 07:40–12:05
• South America’s right turn: 12:08–16:38

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Conclusion

This episode of Morning Wire is a thorough, urgent exploration of US international relationships entering a new phase—Trump’s diplomatic gamble with China is paying financial and strategic dividends, while his administration’s pro-right, pro-market approach is reshaping South America’s political landscape. Domestically, enhanced restrictions on commercial licenses for illegal immigrants signal a renewed focus on border integrity and public safety. Economic optimism is in the air, but the show underscores the careful monitoring required as reforms are enacted and new alliances build.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

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[Georgia Howe]

President Trump returns after his face to face with Xi Jinping, bringing home trade deals and a thaw to relations with China.

[Donald Trump]

I thought it was an amazing meeting. He's a great leader. Leader of a very powerful, very strong country, China.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, October 31st, and based on what Georgia's wearing, apparently this is a Halloween edition of Morning W.

[Host/Announcer]

After a series of truck crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers, the Trump administration is shifting its crackdown into high gear.

[John Bickley]

The question becomes, if you can't understand English, you can't understand road signs. How in the heck can you ever pass a test to be issued a commercial driver's license?

[Georgia Howe]

And a series of seismic elections in South America is dramatically shifting several countries in the region toward greater alignment with the Trump administration.

[Host/Announcer]

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

[Jenny Tar]

Know.

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[Host/Announcer]

Following his showdown with Xi Jinping. President Trump has returned from his Asia tour with new trade deals in hand and perhaps most importantly, reduced tensions with China.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips, who is not in a costume, is here to break down the monumental visit. Hey, Cabot. So let's start with this big meeting with Xi. The fruit of that meeting still kind of. We're learning about that now. What do we know so far about what went down?

[John Bickley]

Well, first, the meeting between the world's two most powerful men only lasted about an hour and a half. That was significantly shorter than the three to four hours that officials had predicted earlier. Now, typically, when it comes to diplomacy, that is not a good sign if it ends short. But the two men were all smiles when they emerged with Xi described it as feeling, quote, warm when he met Trump. And then Trump touting what he called a, quote, amazing meeting. Here he is grading the talk aboard Air Force One.

[Donald Trump]

But overall, I guess on the scale of from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.

[John Bickley]

Now, we're still waiting on the official terms of this deal to emerge, which Trump said were, quote, very close to resolved. But it appears the big ticket items on his wish list that we've talked about earlier in the week were all met in a truth social post early Thursday, Trump said that Xi has, quote, agreed to work diligently with us to stop the flow of fentanyl into our country. As a result of those assurances, he announced plans to lower the existing fentanyl tariff that had been in place.

[Donald Trump]

I've agreed, as you know, I put a 20% tariff on China because of the fentanyl coming in, which is a big tariff. And based on his statements today, I reduced it by 10%. So it's 10% instead of 40%, effective immediately. I believe he's going to work very hard to stop the debt that's coming in.

[John Bickley]

And then on top of that, Trump also said that Xi had agreed to, quote, purchase American energy, potentially oil and gas from Alaska. Now, remember, that's important because Trump is looking to keep Beijing from buying more Russian oil. So that would obviously be a win win if this happens. On the agricultural front, President Trump says that China has now also agreed to begin the purchase of massive amounts of American soybeans, sorghum and other farm products. With that news, he encouraged farmers to go out and, quote, immediately buy more land and large tractors. And finally, he said the Chinese would resume the sale of rare earth minerals that are used for tech products and large magnets. That was very important for the White House. Here's Trump on that front.

[Donald Trump]

But all of the rare earth has been settled and that's for the world. There's no roadblock at all on rare earth. That will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary for a little while.

[John Bickley]

Now. Big picture, Trump says that the overall tariff rate for Chinese exports will now fall from 57 to 47%. So there are still significant tariff barriers in place, but is a far cry from the 100% plus rate that had been threatened if a deal did not come to fruition by next week. The two countries also agreed to remove port fees that had been impacting cargo vessels from each side. So, looking ahead, Trump said the two leaders are going to continue talking. It seems like they've cleared the air a bit. The vibes are good. And that Trump said he will now travel to Beijing in April and then the G will come to the US Potentially even Mar a Lago down in Florida. So sort of a reset on their relationship.

[Georgia Howe]

So we're still waiting on a broader deal to officially be signed, but it seems like the big hurdles have been cleared at this point. Now, this is good news for investors. Tell us about that.

[John Bickley]

Exactly. Now, on Thursday, the markets did take a minor step backwards after multiple days in a row of record highs, but they're still way higher than they've ever been before. It feels like years ago, but remember when Trump first announced his Liberation Day tariffs? Back in the spring, markets absolutely tumbled. But since that day, the dow is up 13%, the S&P 521%, and the NASDAQ is up, get this, 35%. So with each trade deal that's been signed and tariff lowered, investors have grown more and more bullish. And that's not the only good news for Trump, who famously keeps a very close eye on the markets. This week, the Federal Reserve also lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point, between 3.75 and 4%. That's the lowest that rate has been in over three years. Now, that is music to the ears of Trump, who for months now has accused Fed Chair Jerome Powell of acting too slowly and keeping the economy sluggish by keeping rates high. The White House is confident that cut is only going to further stimulate the economy at a time also when hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investments are set to start pouring in.

[Georgia Howe]

All right, so lots of reasons for optimism, but again, waiting on the exact terms of that deal. Cabot, thanks so much for reporting.

[John Bickley]

Absolutely.

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[Georgia Howe]

The Trump administration has pledged to crack down on illegal immigrant drivers. But Americans have been left wondering, why do these crashes keep happening?

[Host/Announcer]

Here with more is Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Tar. So, Jenny, we've seen now multiple of these cases where we have illegal immigrants who have received CDLs, these Commercial Driver's licenses, despite not having citizenship paperwork, sometimes not even speaking English. How is this still happening?

[Jenny Tar]

Right. So we saw this viral video back a few months ago of Harjinder Singh making an illegal U turn in Florida that resulted in the deaths of three people on the road there. That really brought this issue to light. We're seeing now other instances of illegal immigrants who were handed commercial driver's licenses that have been on the roads for years. Many of these illegal immigrants actually carry California issued commercial driver's licenses, which states like Florida have really zeroed in on and taken legal action. The Trump administration is also threatening to hold up funding to the state over this. Now, I've spoken with some trucking experts in the industry and they say that there are a lot of things to blame for this. One is that under the Biden administration, you had illegal immigrants coming across the border by the thousands every month. And what the Biden administration was doing and what still continues to be done is that if you cross the border illegally, you have a six month window after you apply for asylum where you can wait. And then after that time, you're able to get a work permit. So that's given illegal immigrants that go to states like California the ability to get those CDLs. And then you had another issue, which was that federal authorities weren't enforcing the rules on the books about testing that needs to be done in English. So the written tests are done in any language right now. And the skills testing is supposed to be done. This is with a driver in the car. It's supposed to be done in English only. And there's been a lot of speculation lately that that hasn't been enforced for years. And that's also what's contributed to this.

[Host/Announcer]

So a lot of factors contributing, but lax enforcement maybe was one of the bigger ones. Now the Trump administration is trying to stop this. What are they doing?

[Jenny Tar]

So the Trump administration is now closing the doors on the opportunity for any illegal immigrants and any non English speakers to get this. So you can be an immigrant to the United States. You could be a green card hold, you can have a specialized work visa, but you can't have just jumped the border and gotten a work permit after applying for asylum like so many did. They're asking states to go through their records of who's obtained a cdl and if they have obtained a CDL and they're an illegal immigrant, they're getting notices in many states. I mean, I spoke with many migrants down at the border during the Biden years. One of them reached out to me recently and said that the state of North Dakota had issued him a letter that asked him to turn in his CDL immediately, which he did. But this is something that's happening widespread. It's showing that we're starting to see this really take effect. We recently spoke with Marcus Coleman, the father of Delilah Coleman. She's a six year old who was actually victimized by one of these illegal immigrant CDL recipients in the state of California. And she is fighting for her life still. Marcus is a truck driver himself. Here's what he had to say.

[John Bickley]

It was mainly just the, the, the.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Laws that need to be changed.

[John Bickley]

Governor Newsom needs to stand up and be responsible for his constituents instead of.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Sitting there throwing the blame on everybody else.

[Host/Announcer]

Now, you've reported before that ICE has been specifically targeting some of these drivers for enforcement. Can you share more about that effort?

[Jenny Tar]

So in states like Oklahoma and Indiana, ICE has been out in full force on major interstates. They've been pulling people over, trying to look for illegal immigrants who have CDLs. And they've actually gotten dozens arrested through this effort. The head of ICE even said on Thursday that there could be a nexus to terrorism with some of these drivers.

[Georgia Howe]

We don't know what they're carrying across state lines in an 18 wheeler. Terrorists will stop at nothing to harm the United States. And it's well within the realm of possibility that some of these trucks could be carrying toxic chemicals, bombs, or God knows what.

[Host/Announcer]

Well, this does seem like some low hanging fruit when it comes to improving public safety. Jenny, thanks for reporting.

[Jenny Tar]

Thank you.

[Host/Announcer]

Massive political shifts are taking place in South America, including rightward shifts in multiple countries, including Bolivia and Argentina. And the Trump administration is playing a key role on several fronts.

[Georgia Howe]

Joining us to discuss the Trump administration's relationship with South American governments is Andres Martinez Fernandez, senior Policy Analyst for Latin America at the Heritage Foundation. Andres, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me. So we've seen rapidly changing dynamics between the administration and various political leaders in South America. Let's start with Argentina. We just saw Javier Milei's party win a landslide victory. How significant is this victory in the country?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Well, it's really significant because President Milei is representing a major departure from what has been for the past couple decades, Argentine leadership, which is typically left, far left leaning and socialist in its nature for economic policies. And also that has brought about generally an anti American bent. But President Milei has brought an agenda which is really the opposite of all those very pro market individual responsibility, cutting government, which has just generated a massive crisis in the economy in Argentina. And as far as relations with the United States, we've likely never had a more aligned leader in Argentina. So this victory really solidified with his victory a couple years back for the presidency, a massive shift. But it really solidifies that with this legislative win, which is going to help him with his agenda.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, the US recently helped Argentina with a $40 billion support package. How much of a role did that play in the election?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

I think a very significant role. And President Trump deserves a lot of credit for the victory that we saw for Milei's party. What we saw was just in the days prior to the elections was the White House meeting with President Milei and President Trump and the announcement of this package, which is directly aimed at stabilizing the financial crisis, which again was generated by the socialist policies which have dominated in Argentina for so long. This is a vital economic stability move. But in addition to that, it's a major sign of confidence from the United States and from the world, which I think translated into more confidence from Argentines in the President of Argentina's ability to stabilize the economy and chart a path forward.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, turning to Bolivia, we recently saw a monumental election there. The first conservative president in 20 years. What is the significance of that election there and does it fit into a larger trend in South America?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Yeah, absolutely. It does seem to be certainly part of a broader trend that we've seen in a lot of ways. President Malay was the start of this as far as the current wave of right of center leaders coming to power, Bolivia being the most recent. But before that we saw elections in Ecuador which solidified a more conservative leader and also elsewhere in the region. And we have upcoming elections in countries like Chile and Brazil and Peru, where a conservative candidate is well poised also for victory. There's and I do think part of that is centering from the impetus that we see from the successes of Argentina, but more broadly, the Trump administration's very positive engagement with these partners. The shift in Bolivia specifically is historic. This is a country which has just been completely controlled politically by the socialist movement there, which has dominated institutions and weaponized those to maintain power. And the people just overwhelmingly, despite all that, rejected that movement and now have a more conservative leader who's going to who has promised to do a series of shifts not only as far as domestically aligning with more pro market economic and stable policies, but also as far as shifting towards the United States and Western alliances.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, many fascinating and promising developments in South America. Andres, thank you so much for talking with us.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Thank you for having me.

[Host/Announcer]

Thanks for waking up with us. And for those just listening to the show, you can also see our smiling faces on Daily Wire plus for free.

[Georgia Howe]

And the bird in George's hair and the smoke filling up the back of.

[Host/Announcer]

Your and the candelabra.

[Georgia Howe]

We'll be back this evening with the news. You need to know.

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