Trump’s NATO Win & Senate Debates OBBB | 6.26.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary
Episode: Trump’s NATO Win & Senate Debates OBBB | 6.26.25
Release Date: June 26, 2025
Host: John Bickley & Co-host: Georgia Howe
Presented by The Daily Wire

---

1. President Trump Secures Major NATO Funding Commitment

Overview:
In a significant foreign policy triumph, President Donald Trump successfully pressured NATO allies into committing to a substantial increase in their defense spending. This achievement marks a pivotal shift in the United States' role within the alliance and addresses longstanding concerns about the disproportionate financial burden shouldered by the U.S.

Key Points:

• Defense Spending Increase:

  • Georgia Howe opens the discussion by highlighting Trump's success in persuading NATO allies to commit to increasing their defense budgets. (00:04)
  • John Bickley emphasizes the commitment from NATO members to raise their defense spending to 5% of GDP, a target previously deemed unattainable. (00:10)
  • Donald Trump elaborates on his criticism of NATO, asserting that the U.S. was previously overburdened. He states, "President Trump was still taking a sort of victory lap following his successful strikes on Iran and the subsequent ceasefire. And on Wednesday, he scored yet another feather in his foreign policy cap." (02:21)

• Historical Context and Impact:

  • Trump points out that the United States had been financing more than two-thirds of NATO's defense budget, a disparity he sought to correct. (03:24)
  • NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledges the shift, stating, "For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment. And that changes today." (03:35)
  • The collective decision by all 32 NATO members to invest over $1 trillion in defense by 2035 signifies a monumental reallocation of resources and a more equitable distribution of financial responsibilities within the alliance. (02:21)

• Commitment to Article 5:

  • In a pivotal move, Trump reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which stipulates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members. He remarks, "If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here now." (04:34)

• Spain’s Resistance:

  • Georgia Howe inquires about resistance from any member countries. Trump identifies Spain as the lone dissenting nation, where the Prime Minister declared the 5% commitment "unacceptable" and opted instead for a modest increase from 1.2% to 2% of GDP. (04:37)
  • John Bickley voices strong disapproval of Spain's stance, stating, "They're the only country that won't pay the full up. They want to stay at 2%. I think it's terrible." (05:06)

• Iran and Israel Conflict:

  • The summit also addressed the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Trump discusses his recent military actions against Iran, asserting, "their nuclear program was, quote, completely and fully obliterated." (05:29)
  • He announces upcoming meetings with Iranian officials aimed at preventing future nuclear weapon pursuits, highlighting a potential de-escalation in the region. (05:55)

---

2. Senate Debates on the "One Big, Beautiful Bill"

Overview:
The podcast delves into the impending Senate vote on the GOP-majority-backed bill, dubbed the "one big, beautiful bill." This legislation, a signature initiative of President Trump, aims to stimulate economic growth but faces opposition from within the Republican ranks, particularly concerning fiscal responsibility.

Key Points:

• Senate Vote and Republican Divisions:

  • Cabot Phillips introduces the topic by mentioning the Senate's upcoming vote on the bill and the potential for a GOP majority to secure a victory for President Trump. (00:30)
  • Georgia Howe highlights Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's objections to the bill, citing concerns over raising the debt ceiling and the proposed $5 trillion expansion of the credit line. (07:06)

• Economic Arguments and Defense of the Bill:

  • Cabot Phillips brings in Stephen Myron, Chairman of the nonpartisan Council of Economic Advisors, to discuss the bill's implications. (07:29)
  • Stephen Myron argues that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) overlooks the bill’s potential to stimulate economic growth, which in turn would increase tax revenues and reduce the deficit. He states, "CBO just ignores growth altogether. CBO is also ignoring in its score tariff revenue." (09:52)
  • He elaborates on various mechanisms within the bill designed to foster economic expansion, including incentives for business investments, full expensing of factories and equipment, and support for research and development. These measures are projected to generate significant revenue and savings, aiming for an $8.5 to $11 trillion reduction in deficits over a decade. (08:40)

• Defending Against CBO’s Critique:

  • Myron contends that the CBO's analysis fails to account for the holistic benefits of the bill, particularly the anticipated economic growth and increased tariff revenues, which he believes will offset the projected deficits. (09:52)

• Impact on American Workers:

  • Cabot Phillips inquires about the bill's benefits for the average American. Myron responds by emphasizing that economic growth will lead to job creation, higher wages, and a booming economy, thereby directly benefiting workers. He asserts, "The number one best way to help the average American is to create an environment in which the economy is booming and therefore firms want to hire them." (10:26)

• Conclusion of the Debate:

  • As the discussion wraps up, Cabot Phillips acknowledges the substantial arguments presented by Myron and comments on the potential for the GOP to secure the necessary votes to pass the bill. (07:17 - 11:07)

---

3. Whistleblower Allegations Against Santa Clara University’s Psychology Program

Overview:
The podcast shifts focus to an investigative report on Naomi Epps Best, a California psychology student who alleges systemic ideological bias and unethical practices within her graduate counseling program at Santa Clara University. Her claims spotlight concerns about academic freedom and the integrity of psychological training programs.

Key Points:

• Allegations by Naomi Epps Best:

  • Georgia Howe introduces the story, mentioning Best’s whistleblower role regarding her graduate counseling program’s problematic practices. (07:07)
  • Mark Rutte conducts an in-depth interview with Best, who accuses Santa Clara University of embedding sexually explicit and ideologically driven content into its curriculum. (11:21 - 15:14)
  • Best describes her experiences in a human sexuality class, where she was required to write an extensive sexual autobiography and was exposed to disturbing BDSM-related materials. She states, "I immediately discovered in the syllabus Sadomasochistic Erotica, a crassly written pornographic illustration guide." (11:59)

• Institutional Response and Attempts to Resolve:

  • Despite requesting accommodations to avoid the sexual autobiography requirement, Best was denied and faced institutional indifference. She escalated her complaints through various administrative levels, including the professor, department chair, dean, provost, president, Title IX office, campus ministry, and ombudsman, all to no avail. (12:00 - 12:37)
  • When re-enrolling, Best hoped to take the class remotely but instead encountered further inappropriate requirements, such as anonymously expressing dislikes about her own body parts and being exposed to bondage videos without proper clinical framing. (12:37 - 13:39)

• Ethical Concerns Raised:

  • Best criticizes the level of personal sexual disclosure expected from both students and guest speakers, deeming it unethical for professional training environments. She asserts, "The manner in which this material was presented was promotional." (13:39 - 14:09)
  • Her official Title IX complaint, alleging quid pro quo sexual harassment, was ultimately dismissed by the university, prompting her to publicly speak out against the program's practices. (14:04 - 14:21)

• University’s Response:

  • Santa Clara University defends its curriculum, stating that the human sexuality class has maintained similar teaching approaches since the mid-1990s. They dispute Best’s characterization, claiming that those present in the classes disagree with her assertions. (14:41 - 14:54)

• Broader Implications:

  • Best argues that psychology and counseling education have been ideologically captured, promoting a singular worldview grounded in critical theory. She calls for greater diversity of perspectives and tolerance for traditional and religious viewpoints within the therapeutic profession. (14:41 - 15:14)

• Host’s Commentary:

  • Georgia Howe remarks, "Well, it's hard to shock me at this point, but this did Mairead thanks for reporting," underscoring the gravity and surprising nature of the allegations. (15:14 - 15:18)

---

Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, listeners are presented with a comprehensive overview of President Trump’s diplomatic achievements within NATO, the contentious debates surrounding the GOP's pivotal economic legislation, and a critical investigation into alleged unethical practices in a California university's psychology program. Through in-depth discussions, expert interviews, and firsthand accounts, John Bickley and Georgia Howe deliver an engaging and informative analysis of the day's pressing issues.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump (02:21): "For years, Trump has been a vocal critic of NATO, saying the US is being taken advantage of by our allies there who spend far less money than we do on defense for the alliance."

• John Bickley (03:24): "This week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that 5% of GDP, something that no one really thought possible. And they said, you did it, sir, you did it."

• Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (07:06): "I'm not for raising the debt ceiling $5 trillion. I think that's a mistake to have such a large expansion of the credit line to a Congress that has shown disregard for fiscal responsibility."

• Stephen Myron (08:40): "We're cutting red tape everywhere we can. There's also lots of revenues from tariffs, right? We'll get about $3 trillion of revenue from tariffs over the next decade."

• Naomi Epps Best (11:59): "I immediately discovered in the syllabus Sadomasochistic Erotica, a crassly written pornographic illustration guide."

---

This detailed summary encapsulates the episode's key discussions, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the topics covered and the perspectives presented.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

Trump departs the NATO summit with another feather in his cap after convincing US Allies to open up their wallets.

[John Bickley]

This week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that 5% of GDP.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley. It's Thursday, June 26th, and this is Morning Wire.

[Cabot Phillips]

The Senate is set to vote on the one big, beautiful bill Will the GOP majority hand the president a win on his signature legislation?

[Georgia Howe]

And a psychology student blows the whistle on her graduate counseling program after it turned into a crash course in sexual fetishes.

[Naomi Epps Best]

My final straw was a sex dungeon tour in which a woman was flogged, gagged and wrapped bare in plastic.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for waking up with Morning wire. Stay tuned. News you need to know.

[Mairead Elordi]

I've discovered this incredible tool that gives me real time insights into my metabolism through something as simple as my breath. It's called Lumen. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. All you gotta do is breathe into it first thing in the morning and you'll know exactly what's happening with your metabolism. Whether you're burning fats or carbs based on your measurements, Lumen creates a personalized nutrition plan just for you. Since your metabolism is basically the engine behind everything your body does, whether it's working really well, you get all kinds of great benefits. You'll find it easier to manage your weight, you'll have more energy throughout the day, you'll see better results from your workouts, and you'll even sleep better. That's a big one. It all connects back to having a healthy metabolism. I just breathe into it before and after workouts and meals, and then I know exactly what's going on in my body in real time. And Lumen will give me tips to keep on top of my health game and improve my metabolic health. It's so simple, yet so insightful for creating healthier habits in my life. The warmer months are coming. Spring back into your health and fitness. Go to Lumen Me wire to get 10% off your lumen. That's L U M E N me wire for 10% off your purchase. Thank you, Lumen, for sponsoring this episode.

[Cabot Phillips]

In a significant foreign policy victory for President Trump, European allies agreed Wednesday to his demands that they increase defense spending.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here to break it all down. So Cabot the annual NATO summit wrapped up and Trump got his wish. What happened?

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, President Trump was still taking a sort of victory lap following his successful strikes on Iran and the subsequent ceasefire. And on Wednesday, he scored yet another feather in his foreign policy cap. For years, Trump has been a vocal critic of NATO, saying the US Is being taken advantage of by our allies there who spend far less money than we do on defense for the alliance. He arrived at the Hague this week demanding that member states up their defense spending from 2% of GDP to 5%. And they quickly agreed. Leaders from all 32 NATO states signed a declaration committing to, quote, invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense and security related spending by 2035. That means a trillion plus dollars in new defense spending from all across Europe. Here's President Trump announcing that significant move.

[John Bickley]

This week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that 5% of GDP, something that no one really thought possible. And they said, you did it, sir, you did it. Well, I don't know if I did it, but I think I did.

[Donald Trump]

Now, for context, one country, the United States, currently accounts for more than two thirds of NATO's entire defense budget. Here's NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to that point.

[Mairead Elordi]

For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment. And that changes today. President Trump. Dear Donald, you made this change possible. Your leadership on this has already produced $1 trillion in extra spending from European allies since 2016. And the decisions today will produce trillions more for our common defence to make us stronger and fairer by equalizing spending between America and America's allies.

[Donald Trump]

So in exchange for that, increased defense spending. For his part, President Trump reiterated his commitment to abiding by Article 5. That is the NATO clause that says an attack on one member is an attack on all. Ahead of the summit, he had expressed doubts about Article 5, saying he wasn't sure where he stood on it and that it, quote, depends on your definition. But once the other members agreed to step up funding, the President offered his full Support for Article 5.

[John Bickley]

That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here now.

[Georgia Howe]

There was one outlier that was dragging their feet with this new defense plan. Tell us about that country.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah. While some countries may have been upset about that increased spending, only one really said so out loud, and that was Spain. While they technically signed onto the deal, their prime minister said 5% was, quote, unacceptable and would force him to cut social services. Instead, they planned to up their spending from 1.2% to 2%. So not much of an increase. That clearly angered Trump, who, who said in response that he would make them pay higher tariffs.

[John Bickley]

Oh, I think Spain's terrible. What they've done. No, I do. They're the only country that won't pay the full up. They want to stay at 2%. I think it's terrible. We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much. And I'm actually serious about that.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, we'll see if Spain changes their tune there. Now, a major focus of this conference has been the Iran and Israel war. What's the latest there?

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, there were questions coming in about how NATO members would respond to to President Trump's strikes this past weekend and they were largely supportive. Later on, President Trump also refuted reports that Iran's nuclear facilities only suffered minor damage in those strikes. And he reiterated that their nuclear program was, quote, completely and fully obliterated. He then announced that Iranian officials will be meeting with the US Next week to ensure the country does not pursue a nuclear weapon in the future.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, if this ceasefire holds, that is a serious win for the whole region. Kabat, thanks for reporting.

[Donald Trump]

Absolutely.

[Mairead Elordi]

Have you ever been caught in that cycle of yo yo dieting? You know the pattern. Losing weight only to regain it all back plus a few extra pounds, then repeating the cycle again and again. Not only is that frustrating, it can be dangerous for your health. Research shows that this pattern may increase your risk of serious conditions like heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and other health problems. That's why doctors created Lean, a natural supplement designed to help break the Yoyo dieting cycle. Unlike prescription medication or injections, Lean is an accessible supplement that works with your body. The science behind Lean is built on studies natural ingredients that target weight loss in three key helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels, supporting appetite control and reducing cravings and promoting fat burning by converting stored fat into energy. Harry owned Daily Wire account executives. Butch started taking Lean and has already dropped seven pounds in just two weeks. He's been so impressed with how effective Lean has been in just a short period of time. Let me get you started today with 20% off when you enter [e-mail] again, that's code [e-mail] today.

[John Bickley]

I'm not for raising the debt ceiling 5 trillion. I think that's a mistake to have such a large expansion of the credit line to a Congress that has shown disregard for fiscal responsibility.

[Georgia Howe]

That was Kentucky Senator Rand Paul voicing his concerns over President Trump's big beautiful bill. The Republican led Senate is set to vote on that bill this week. Despite some continued divisions within the gop.

[Cabot Phillips]

Joining us now to discuss is Stephen Myron, Chairman of the nonpartisan Council of Economic Advisor. Chairman, thank you so much.

[John Bickley]

Coming on.

[Stephen Myron]

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now we're expecting a Senate vote on the one big beautiful bill this Friday. What are the pain points within the bill that have some senators threatening to vote? No?

[Stephen Myron]

Look, you know, it is so important that we get this one big bill, this one big beautiful bill over the line because if we don't, it's going to be the biggest tax hike in history. It's going to be a $4 trillion tax hike on American families and American workers. It'll plunge the economy into recession. The number one sticking point that some senators are hung up on is the debt and the deficit. And I understand why they're concerned. But what I think these senators hopefully will come to understand, and we just put out a paper on the Council of Economic Advisors website on this yesterday morning, is that we are taking a holistic approach to reducing the deficit. And there's been, I think, too much of a focus on the score from the Congressional Budget Office, which really looks at only a small part of the deficit picture. It just looks at sections of the bill in isolation without thinking about the big picture. But the big picture is there's lots of stuff that's going on to reduce the deficit.

[Cabot Phillips]

And what are those exactly?

[Stephen Myron]

So on our calculations, we're going to reduce deficits by about eight and a half to $11 trillion over the ten year budget window. Now, those are absolutely huge numbers, but let me tell you how we get them. First of all, better economic growth. Economic growth boosts revenue for the government because more economic activity means more income. More income means more tax revenues. More tax revenues reduce the deficit. And so the best way to reduce deficit and debt is to grow the economy. And there are very powerful incentives in there for creating economic investment, right? Things like full expensing of factories, full expensing of equipment and R and D. Those are extraordinarily powerful incentives to get firms to invest in America, to get firms to invest in American economic growth, to build new facilities, new sites, new factories and hire new workers. We're cutting red tape everywhere we can. There's also lots of revenues from tariffs, right? We'll get about $3 trillion of revenue from tariffs over the next decade. We'll get about 1 1/2 trillion dollars of savings from discretionary budget cuts to waste, fraud and abuse, right? These are the things the White House has laid out on its budget a few weeks ago. So you add all these things up, you get to about 8 1/2 to $11 trillion deficit savings over the 10 year window. It's really, truly historic.

[Cabot Phillips]

All right, so you're arguing that when the CBO says the bill will add 3 trillion to the debt over the next decade, it effectively fails to take into account the growth aspects of the bill.

[Stephen Myron]

CBO just ignores growth altogether. CBO is also ignoring in its score tariff revenue. Right. Tariffs are bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue every year. So tariff revenue raised from foreigners to finance to pay for tax cuts on Americans is just amazing policy.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, Trump touts this bill as pro family, pro business, and pro worker. How do provisions in this bill help the average American?

[Stephen Myron]

So the number one best way to help the average American is to create an environment in which the economy is booming and therefore firms want to hire them. And that is what this bill does. Deregulation, creating a pro business environment in which businesses are expanding and expansion requires more workers. More workers require more wages. Right. And so workers will bid up for employees. So this is a blue collar boom aimed at working Americans. It worked in the past, it'll work again. Americans know that. And that's why they overwhelmingly voted in a landslide to elect to give President Trump a second term.

[Cabot Phillips]

We'll soon see if the GOP gets the votes to pass this. Chairman, thank you so much for joining us.

[Stephen Myron]

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

[Cabot Phillips]

The following story is not appropriate for younger listeners. A California psychology student training to be a therapist is blowing the whistle on alleged ideological bias in required sexual disclosure in therapy training.

[Georgia Howe]

Naomi Epps Best says she was required to write a sexual autobiography and was subjected to gratuitous amounts of smut in one of her classes. Daily Wire investigative reporter Mairead Elordi has more so marad. This is a crazy story. What is this graduate student claiming is happening at her Catholic university?

[Mark Rutte]

Hi, Georgia. Yes. So Naomi Epps Best is a graduate counseling psychology student. She's 26 and she's a wife and mom of a one year old. And earlier this month, she decided to go public with allegations against Santa Clara University near San Jose. We interviewed Best about this situation. Here's what she said happened in her human sexuality class.

[Naomi Epps Best]

I immediately discovered in the syllabus Sadomasochistic Erotica, a crassly written pornographic illustration guide. And the final Exam was an 8 to 10 page comprehensive sexual autobiography. When did I start masturbating? Chronicle my sexual past and present. I requested an accommodation not to complete this sexual autobiography and I was denied. I went up the chain to the professor, the chair, the dean, the provost, the president, the Title IX office, the campus ministry office, and the ombudsman. And I was met with institutional indifference to my ethical concerns.

[Mark Rutte]

Best said she still had to take the human sexuality course to graduate. So she enrolled again and asked for the accommodation that she had heard was offered to Muslim students, that is, to take the class remotely. But instead, the professor asked to meet with her and promised that there would be no required sexual disclosure and everything would be professional.

[Naomi Epps Best]

In this new class, I was required to write something down anonymously about my. Something I disliked about my breasts or my genitals. We watched bondage videos, tutorial videos. I walked out of that class. The images were quite disturbing of the violence against this woman. And there's an argument to be made that therapists should be aware of the breadth of human sexual practices, including bdsm. I am not contesting that, but the manner in which this material was presented was promotional. And when the video ended, the professor said, so what do you think? Who wants to try it? There was no clinical framing. I want to be able to talk with clients about sex if they want to talk about it.

[Mark Rutte]

Best said she was also disturbed by a trans identifying psychologist who allegedly came to the class as a guest speaker. And she also said the main professor who goes by they them talked about attending kink festivals.

[Naomi Epps Best]

That person also described their own erotic response to viewing themselves in the mirror. And that level of personal sexual disclosure from a psychologist is unethical.

[Mark Rutte]

Best said she went up the chain at Santa Clara University, but her official complaint was ultimately dismissed.

[Naomi Epps Best]

I filed a Title 9 complaint alleging quid pro quo sexual harassment because they were requiring me to write my comprehensive sexual autobiography as a condition of receiving a degree.

[Mark Rutte]

We reached out to Santa Clara University, and they claimed their human sexuality class has been taught with a similar approach and similar assignments since the mid-1990s. And the school said, quote, we do not agree with many of the students public assertions about the class, and that, quote, people who were present dispute best characterization of classroom discussions and course content.

[Naomi Epps Best]

Psychology and counseling has been ideologically captured. That means that there is one permissible worldview for upcoming therapists to hold, and it is grounded in critical theory. This is happening at educational institutions, training grounds in professional bodies, and licensing and accreditation bodies. We need a set of therapists with diverse worldviews and more importantly, tolerance for people with diverse worldviews, including traditional and religious ones.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, it's hard to shock me at this point, but this did Mairead thanks for reporting.

[Mark Rutte]

Thanks, Georgia.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, like and subscribe, we'll be back this evening on Daily Wire, Apple, Amazon and Spotify with the news you need to know.