Record ICE Arrests, Epstein Associate Found Dead, Tropical Storm Threatens LA and TX: AM Update 7/23

Summary

The Megyn Kelly Show - AM Update 7/23 (July 23, 2026)

Podcast: The Megyn Kelly Show
Host: SiriusXM (AM update by Emily Drechinski)
Date: July 23, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode provides an early-morning news roundup covering U.S. political developments, record ICE enforcement numbers, the ongoing fallout from Jeffrey Epstein’s network, and the threat of Tropical Storm Bertha to the Gulf Coast.

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Episode Overview

Emily Drechinski, filling in with the morning update, delivers quick-fire headlines and deep dives on four leading stories:

• Donald Trump’s Georgia rally and intensifying campaign rhetoric
• Record-setting ICE arrests and evolving immigration enforcement
• The death of a Jeffrey Epstein associate under investigation by French authorities
• The impact and path of Tropical Storm Bertha

Throughout the episode, Drechinski integrates direct audio commentary from Donald Trump, ICE and Homeland Security officials, and excerpts from recent interviews.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Georgia Rally and Political Strategy

• Event Details: President Donald Trump appeared at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, to support Republican candidates ahead of the midterms, targeting Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff in a race deemed a national bellwether.
  • “President Trump stomping for Georgia Republicans as the party looks to unseat Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff in one of the nation's closest races.” (00:53)
• Crime & Drugs: Trump boasted of achievements on crime and border security, though figures voiced were hyperbolic and debated by critics.
  • “Nationwide, crime has been the lowest numbers we’ve had in many, many decades… We cut the flow of fentanyl across our border by 67% and drugs coming in by ocean... was cut 97%.” (Trump, 03:22)
• Military Tribute: Trump attended the dignified transfer for four service members killed in renewed fighting with Iran. He told an emotional story about inviting one fallen officer’s family aboard Air Force One.
  • "It’s the toughest thing I do of anything I do… we will carry Tyler's memory and our hearts forever." (Trump, 04:43)
• Attack on the Left: Trump painted the Democrats as ‘Communist’ threats, equating their policies to historic national crises and warning about ‘free everything’ leading to “absolute squalor, turmoil and death.”
  • “Communism is the single greatest threat to our country and its history... These people are stone cold crazy.” (Trump, 05:55)
• On Jon Ossoff: Trump accused Ossoff and other Democrats of being soft on the border, promoting radical gender policies, and voting against Americans’ economic interests.
  • “Jon Ossoff and the Democrat Communists want to let the Marxists into power, bankrupt your families and leave you totally undefended.” (Trump, 07:02 / Also at 00:43)
• Senate Filibuster: Trump renewed calls for Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster to pass his ‘Save America Act’.
  • “They should terminate the filibuster and approve everything because the Democrats are going to do it.” (Trump, 08:23)
• Polling Update: Ossoff leads by 2.3 points per RealClear Politics. (08:02)

2. Record ICE Arrests

• Statistics: ICE recorded over 43,000 arrests in June, the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term. The majority are felons or face felony charges.
  • “ICE enforcement accelerating sharply… more than 43,000 arrests in a single month.” (Drechinski, 01:09; reinforced at 09:19)
  • “Over 70% of the arrests we do daily are felons or have pending felony charges… total removals is 3 million, the record." (ICE Official, 09:55)
• Change in Approach: New Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen touts a “lower profile” but more intense strategy—aims for operational efficiency without public outcry.
  • “I’ve turned down the temperature of the stove to try to get it correct without boiling.” (ICE Official, 09:55)
• Recent Slowdown & Rebound: Temporary drop in early 2026 is attributed to the DHS budget standoff; numbers have surged with restored funding.
  • “Numbers were down... because the department was shut down… now the numbers are trailing up 40% because we are fully funded.” (Homeland Security Official, 10:52)

3. Epstein Associate Found Dead in France

• Who: Daniel Siad, a modeling scout with documented links to Jeffrey Epstein, found dead outside Paris.
  • “French authorities now investigating the death of Daniel Seod, a modeling scout whose extensive communications with Jeffrey Epstein placed him under scrutiny.” (13:08)
• Investigative Context: Identified as a potential witness in two active French inquiries into Epstein’s network; had not been formally interviewed or charged.
  • “Paris prosecutor Laure Becaud identifying him in February as one of the people investigators could question...” (13:08)
• Allegations: Faced a rape accusation by former model Ebba Carlsson (which he denied); years of emails show Siad discussing underage models with Epstein, even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
  • “Siad told the disgraced financier he was searching for a young, attractive assistant to work for Epstein.” (Drechinski, 13:08)
  • Memorable Interview:
    • Interviewer: “You didn’t think... sending young women, young models to the US to meet Epstein after he had a conviction... that there may be any risk in that at all?” (14:59)
    • Siad: “He has been very professional with me. Never.” (15:14)
    • Interviewer: “But you’re not a young woman.” (15:17, repeated by Drechinski at 15:19)
  • Siad’s attorney emphasized he had never been criminally charged and maintained innocence.
• Pattern: Siad is the second Epstein-connected modeling agent to die in France.
  • “French modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel was found dead in a Paris jail cell in 2022…” (16:08)

4. Tropical Storm Bertha Threatens Gulf Coast

• Storm Status: Bertha, second named storm of the season, is moving slowly west from the Mississippi coast toward Texas.
  • “Bertha packing sustained winds of roughly 50 miles per hour yesterday, already pushing Gulf waters 2 to 3ft above normal…” (Emily Drechinski, 16:08)
• Impacts: 1–4 inches of rain, up to 6 inches in isolated areas, risk of flash floods and storm surge from NW Florida through southern Texas.
  • “Rain from northwest Florida to southern Texas through Friday... isolated totals reaching six inches and the potential for flash flooding.” (16:08)
• Forecast: Season expected to be relatively quiet due to strong El Niño conditions suppressing hurricane activity.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump’s hyperbolic claim linking communism to greater existential threat than “World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, 9/11" (Trump, 05:55)
• On mourning the fallen:
  • “Very, very tough to watch, to be honest with you. Very tough. I think it’s the toughest thing I do of anything. I do, I do all this stuff, but... it’s the toughest thing I do.” (Trump, 04:43)
• Blunt interviewer challenge to Siad:
  • “But you’re not a young woman.” (Interviewer, 15:17)
  • Siad’s flat denial: “He has been very professional with me. Never.” (15:14)
• ICE Official on enforcement:
  • “I’ve turned down the temperature of the stove to try to get it correct without boiling.” (09:55)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:43 | Trump attacks Jon Ossoff, frames Georgia race | | 03:22 | Trump on crime, drugs, and border stats | | 04:43 | Trump eulogizes fallen service member Tyler Feehan | | 05:55 | Trump: “Communism is... the single greatest threat...” | | 07:02 | Trump attacks Ossoff’s record and platform | | 08:23 | Trump on abolishing Senate filibuster | | 09:19 | ICE arrests hit record highs in June | | 09:55 | ICE Official explains strategy shift and statistics | | 10:52 | Homeland official on arrest statistics' swing | | 13:08 | Report on Daniel Siad’s death and Epstein connections | | 14:59-15:53| Siad’s last interview: questions about facilitating Epstein | | 16:08 | Bertha’s storm surge, rainfall, and forecast summary |

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Episode Takeaways

• Polarized Politics: Trump’s Georgia rally is emblematic of a charged national mood, pitting “democracy vs. communism” and emphasizing culture war issues, security, and legislative gridlock.
• Immigration Enforcement: New ICE leadership claims a “smarter” crackdown, setting arrest records and emphasizing removal of felons, while detractors note the pendulum swing in enforcement style and volume.
• Epstein Network Fallout: The mysterious death of Daniel Siad, along with previous deaths, casts a long shadow over ongoing efforts to unravel Epstein’s network and assess the complicity of international associates in abuse and trafficking.
• Climate Risks: As Bertha batters the Gulf, the show links local extreme events to bigger climate trends, noting the rare “quiet” season prediction due to El Niño.

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For more in-depth discussion, tune to The Megyn Kelly Show later in the day, or catch Emily Drechinski on "Afterparty."

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Transcript

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[Emily Drechinski]

Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Drechinski, host of Afterparty and the Megyn Kelly Wrap up Show on SiriusXM channel 111. It's Thursday, July 23rd, 2026, and this is your AM update.

[Donald Trump]

Jon Ossoff and the Democrat Communists want to let the Marxists into power, bankrupt your families and leave you totally undefended.

[Emily Drechinski]

President Trump stomping for Georgia Republicans as the party looks to unseat Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff in one of the nation's closest races.

[Homeland Security Official]

The numbers are up. Last month, June highest numbers of arrests in the history of the agency.

[Emily Drechinski]

ICE enforcement accelerating sharply as agents make more than 43,000 arrests in a single month. A modeling scout who spent years connecting young women to Jeffrey Epstein, found dead in his home outside Paris and Tropical Storm Bertha pushing west along the Gulf coast with potential for flash flooding threatening Texas. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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[Emily Drechinski]

President Trump speaking yesterday at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, using the appearance to rally support for the state's Republican ticket ahead of November's midterm elections. Mr. Trump joined by several of the party's top candidates, including gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson and Congressman Mike Collins, who is challenging Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff. The president highlighting his administration's work to tackle crime nationwide and slow the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

[Donald Trump]

Nationwide, crime has been the lowest numbers that we've had in many, many decades. Last year we achieved the largest drop in the murder rate ever recorded to the lowest level in 125 years. That's since 1900. That's before my father was born. My father before my father was born. Think of it, from the year 1900, lowest murder rate. We and that's despite the fact that we had millions of people poured into our country who were in many cases very, very dangerous people. We cut the flow of fentanyl across our border by 67% and drugs coming in by ocean, sea by water was cut 97%.

[Emily Drechinski]

Mr. Trump traveling to Georgia after participating in the dignified transfer of four fallen American service members at Dover Air Force Base. The President observing the return of 28 year old Angel Rampersad of New York, 30 year old Michael Swinton of North Carolina, 25 year old Tyler Feehan of Hawaii and 19 year old Isabella Gonzalez of Texas, all four killed over the weekend amid the renewed fighting with Iran after learning that Lt. Feehan's parents and uncle were heading home to Georgia. The President inviting them to make the trip aboard air Force One. Mr. Trump recognizing Lt. Feen's family from the stage.

[Donald Trump]

This is a son who is like a flawless, perfect person, Beautiful, beautiful son, handsome in every way, brilliant, respected by everybody. This his sheet read so beautifully and I told them that their beloved son and it's his name was Lieutenant Tyler Feehan. And he was a person that was going all the way. He was going to be a general. He would have been a general very quickly. He was heading in that path. But I just want to thank Tyler's mother Sherry, his father Stephen and his uncle David. Great people. I got to know him a little bit on the plane and standing There, watching this site, which is. Oh, it's very, very tough to, very tough to watch, to be honest with you. Very tough. I think it's the toughest thing I do of anything. I do, I do all this stuff, but I think it's the toughest thing I do. But to Sherry and Steven and David, we will carry Tyler's memory and our hearts forever. And I just want to thank you. It's an honor to have you here today. Please.

[Emily Drechinski]

The president drawing a sharp contrast with Democrats warning that the party's growing embrace of DSA backed far left candidates poses an existential threat to the country.

[Donald Trump]

Communism is, in my opinion, communism is the single greatest threat to our country and its history, including even World War I and World War II, Pearl Harbor, 9, 11. I think it's the greatest threat that I've ever seen to our country. These people are stone cold crazy. And it is the enemy of the free people everywhere. And everywhere in the world, you see it happening. And every time it starts to happen, the areas where it's at, whether it's blue states, you see the blue states are all going bad. They're all going bad because communism is a loser. The concept, the policy, it's a loser. And it always has been and it always will be. And you know, they want to give everyone everything away. You want free rent, you want free house. You want. What they don't say is that a year from now there'll be absolute squalor, turmoil and death. And that's the way it's happened, all the way. It goes back thousands of years by different names, but that's the way it happens all the time.

[Emily Drechinski]

The president then turning his attention to Democrat Senator John Ossoff, who has represented Georgia in the Senate since January 2021.

[Donald Trump]

John Ossoff and the Congressional Democrats voted against securing our border. They voted against our massive tax cuts that you have. They voted against the Trump accounts for your children. They want to raise your taxes by a lot, not lower them. We lowered your taxes. We gave you the greatest tax cut in the history of our country twice now. And they want to raise your taxes substantially. They voted in favor of the transgender mutilization of your children and in favor of. In favor of men playing in women's sports. Isn't that lovely? They voted against lower energy prices, lower car prices and bigger paychecks for everyone. They voted against every one of these things. Jon Ossoff and the Democrat Communists want to let the Marxists into power, bankrupt your families and leave you totally undefended with Wide open borders. But we will not let that happen to our country. We're not going to let it happen.

[Emily Drechinski]

The latest realclair Politics polling average showing Senator Ossoff with a slight edge in the race, leading Congressman Collins by just 2.3 points. The president also renewing his call for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, arguing it is the only way to overcome Democrat opposition and pass his signature election integrity legislation, the Save America Act.

[Donald Trump]

They should terminate the filibuster and approve everything because the Democrats are going to do it. The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance. And then they're going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They're going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They're going to get like 40 electoral votes if they are allowed to do that. By that time, I'll be sitting home and I'm not a big crier. I don't think you want to see me cry. You know, there are some people, they do very well when they cry, but you don't want to see me cry. But I may be crying when I, I'll be sitting home and I'll say, I told them they got to really terminate the filibuster. Get everything approved right away, because you're going to have a stoppage. You're going to have a stoppage in September. The Democrats won't approve everything. They become deranged

[Emily Drechinski]

ICE agents arresting a record number of people in June, according to CBS News's analysis of newly released agency data. The agency recording more than 43,000 arrests over the course of the month, its largest monthly tally of President Trump's second term. The increase unfolding without the kind of sweeping, highly visible operations previously launched in several major cities under the direction of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen telling reporters last Friday the department is deliberately keeping a lower profile under his leadership while intensifying enforcement and setting new daily arrest records.

[ICE Official]

442,637 total deported last year in 25 to date. Well, these are yesterday's numbers. We have 403,294 that we've done in 2026. Our rest are up. We're hitting single day records every single day. But what we've done is I've turned down the temperature of the stove to try to get it correct without boiling. Over 70% of the arrests we do daily are felons or have pending felony charges. 70%. We should all be able to work together with that. Total removals is 3 million, the record

[Emily Drechinski]

setting June total, marking a sharp reversal from the drop in ice arrests earlier this year. White House border czar Tom Holman attributing that slowdown to the partial shutdown of DHS during a major budget standoff in Congress.

[Homeland Security Official]

I've been frank from the beginning. Numbers were down for a few months because the department was shut down. Of course numbers are going to go down when targeting less and officers, you know, less overtime and all those other reasons when you shut, you know the government down there's going to be less due. And I was very honest from day one the numbers were down 12 to 16%. But now the numbers are trailing up 40% because we are fully funded. I stop. They're doing their job. But I'm really tired of the false narratives going out there about what this administration is doing. The numbers are up. Last month, June, highest numbers of arrests in the history of the agency.

[Emily Drechinski]

Coming up, a modeling scout tied to Jeffrey Epstein found dead outside Paris just months after French prosecutors identified him as someone they could question. And Tropical storm Bertha bringing flooding, rain and storm surge to the Gulf Coast.

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[Emily Drechinski]

French authorities now investigating the death of Daniel Seod, a modeling scout whose extensive communications with Jeffrey Epstein placed him under growing scrutiny. The 69 year old was found dead Monday evening at his home in Colombe just outside Paris. An autopsy is expected to reveal the cause of death. Siad emerging as a potential witness in two broader French investigations involving Epstein's network. Paris prosecutor Laure Becaud identifying him in February as one of the people investigators could question, though she said in May that the inquiries remained in their early stages and interviews had not yet begun. French prosecutors were also examining a complaint from former Swedish model Ebba Carlsson, who accused Siad of raping her at a villa on the French Riviera in 1990. Siad denied the allegation. His connections to Epstein documented across thousands of pages released by the DOJ earlier this year. The record showing years of regular communication along with tens of thousands of dollars in payments from Epstein to Siad. Their correspondence repeatedly focused on young women and teenage girls Siad encountered through the modeling industry. In one 2009 email, Siad describing a Latvian woman, quote, She's 20 years old, but she looks younger. Another exchange from 2014, discussing a 15 year old French girl hoping to begin modeling along with other girls who were 16 and 17. And in 20, 18 years after Epstein's conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Siad told the disgraced financier he was searching for a young, attractive assistant to work for Epstein. Siad telling CNN last month that he had connected Epstein with roughly a dozen models over 15 years, while insisting none had ever returned to him with complaints. CNN confronting Siad over why he continued helping Epstein even after his conviction.

[Interviewer]

You didn't think in that time that sending young women, young models to the US to meet Epstein after he had a conviction for child sex offences, that there may be any risk in that at all?

[Daniel Siad]

He has been very professional with me. Never.

[Interviewer]

But you're not a young woman.

[Emily Drechinski]

Sorry, you're not a young woman.

[Daniel Siad]

My work with him has been strictly professional. I never doubt that because I never heard anything from anyone introduced him who came back to me that they had a bad. A bad situation with him.

[Interviewer]

You sent an email in 2018 that said you were looking for a good looking young assistant. If you're looking for models, yes. Why are you then looking for an assistant for Jeffrey?

[Daniel Siad]

He asked. He asked me for assistant. Maybe he was not on the phone, but when I met him.

[Interviewer]

Was that your job?

[Daniel Siad]

Sorry, no. But because I trust in him, I believe this guy is professional person. He needs somebody he knows. I have good connections around. If I find the right person who can assist him, I am honored.

[Emily Drechinski]

Siad's attorney, Minya Arab Tigrin, releasing a statement yesterday stressing that her client had never been charged or formally placed under investigation and had consistently maintained his innocence. Siat is now the second prominent modeling figure connected to Epstein to be found dead in France. French modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel was found dead in a Paris jail cell in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges that included the rape of minors. Tropical Storm Bertha crawling west along the northern Gulf coast, threatening communities from Louisiana to Texas with torrential rain, gusty winds and rising coastal waters. Bertha is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, developing just a few hundred miles from the United states in what AccuWeather meteorologists call a homebrew tropical storm. The storm moving near the Mississippi coast yesterday before beginning a slow journey along or across southern Louisiana. The National Hurricane center expecting Bertha to continue west toward the upper Texas coast today, with tropical storm conditions possible in portions of southwestern Louisiana and coastal Texas by this afternoon or tonight. Bertha packing sustained winds of roughly 50 miles per hour yesterday, already pushing Gulf waters 2 to 3ft above normal in portions of the Florida panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana, according to AccuWeather. That surge expected to continue spreading along the Gulf Coast. The storm expected to bring 1 to 4 inches of rain from northwest Florida to southern Texas through Friday, with isolated totals reaching 6 inches and the potential for flash flooding, particularly in urban areas. RHA arriving during what forecasters expect to be a quieter than normal Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane center says that is partly because of a strong El Nino, a weather pattern that raises average global temperatures and generally suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Dryshinski, host of Afterparty. Go and check out more at AfterpartyEmily.com, catch the MegaCon Kelly show later today. I'll be the guest live on SiriusXM's the Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com Megyn Kelly and all podcast platforms.

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