Zelensky and Euro Leaders Visit WH After Trump's Putin Summit, Baby Missing in CA: AM Update 8/18

Summary

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The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update 8/18/25

Episode Theme:
Megyn Kelly delivers a brisk, information-packed morning roundup of major political, domestic, and world news: President Trump’s landmark summit with Vladimir Putin and today’s consequential White House visit by Ukrainian President Zelensky and top European leaders; updates on the disturbing disappearance of a California infant amid swirling suspicions; and Hurricane Erin’s historic rampage across the Atlantic.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. White House Diplomacy: Trump, Putin, and the Road to Ukraine Peace

[00:32–09:25]

• Friday’s Summit Recap: President Trump held a highly publicized, six-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, complete with a show of military force (B2 and F-35 aircraft flyover) but no ceasefire agreement.
  • "There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them I would say. A couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there. But we've made some headway." – Donald Trump, [06:11]
• Media & Political Reactions:
  • Democratic officials and former national-security staffers deride the summit as a win for Putin, citing the red carpet treatment and the lack of concrete results.
    • "That meeting was a disaster. It was an embarrassment for the United States. It was a failure." – Sen. Chris Murphy, [07:12]
    • "It looked like Putin was in control... a historic embarrassment..." – Andy Richter reading Ben Rhodes, [07:29]
  • Trump’s team and surrogates like Steve Bannon and Steve Witkoff defend the summit as a necessary and “positive step” toward peace.
    • "Our goal here is not to stage some production for the world... Our goal here is to have a peace agreement to end this war." – Steve Bannon, [04:37]
    • "You're not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin." – Steve Bannon, [08:48]
  • Discussion of a potential “game-changing” Russian concession—accepting US security guarantees for Ukraine—to be hammered out at the White House meetings.
• Zelensky & Euro Leaders at the White House:
  • Major euro leaders (von der Leyen, Starmer, Mertz, Macron, Meloni, Stubb, and NATO’s Rutte) join Zelensky; bilateral and group meetings reportedly focus on moving peace discussions forward.
  • Media narrative frames Euro presence as “backup” for Zelensky to resist bullying—vehemently denied by Trump officials.
    • "They're not coming here tomorrow because Trump is going to bully Zelensky... We invited them to come." – Steve Bannon, [04:37]
  • Reference to Zelensky’s prior stormy White House meeting in February:
    • "You're gambling with World War 3 and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country." – Donald Trump to Zelensky, [03:17]

Notable Quotes & Segment Timestamps

• Trump explaining the summit’s value:

  “We've become the hottest country anywhere in the world in a very short period of time, and we look forward to that. We're going to try and get this over with.” — Donald Trump, [06:11]

• Rebuking the media/critics:

  “If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the deal, the fake news... would say I made a terrible mistake in a very bad deal.” — Megyn Kelly reading Trump post, [09:25]

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2. Missing Infant in California: Mystery, Suspicions, and a Family Under Scrutiny

[01:00, 10:55–14:18]

• Incident Recap:
  • 7-month-old Emmanuel Harrow reportedly kidnapped in Yucaipa, CA; conflicting statements and lack of evidence fuel suspicions.
  • Mother, Rebecca Harrow, describes being attacked while changing the baby’s diaper in a shopping center lot:

    "I fell on the floor and as I got up I couldn't find my son... somebody said hola. And that's all I remember." – Rebecca Harrow, [11:35]

  • No Amber Alert: Authorities say criteria not met (no suspect/vehicle info).
  • Sheriff’s Department statement highlights inconsistencies in mother’s story and her subsequent decision to stop cooperating.
  • Both parents have ceased cooperating with authorities and hired a lawyer.
  • Reports detail the father’s criminal past, including a child cruelty conviction (2018, with a 2023 guilty plea).
  • Uncertainty about other children in the home and prior removal of a two-year-old.

    "The grandmother has confirmed… the couple is no longer cooperating with investigators and has lawy[ered] up just hours after they made that desperate public plea for their son's safe return." – Emmanuel’s Grandmother, [13:45]

  • Child advocate group withdraws search/reward, citing lack of parental cooperation.

    "...too much is missing in this case... what parent would do that?" – Uvalde Foundation for Kids statement referenced by Megyn Kelly, [12:15]

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3. Hurricane Erin: Extreme Weather, Historic Intensification

[14:18–18:03]

• Storm Status:
  • Hurricane Erin, first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, grew from Cat 1 to Cat 5 in 24 hours before being downgraded to Cat 3.
  • Currently off Puerto Rico, threatening the Caribbean and generating warnings for the Eastern US, Bahamas, Bermuda, and parts of Canada.

    "Erin is likely to remain a dangerous hurricane through the middle of the week." – Megyn Kelly quoting the National Hurricane Center, [15:30]

  • Notable moment:

    "We went from what was a little kitten to a big ferocious Tiger in literally 24 hours... we ramped those winds up by nearly 90 to 95 miles per hour in just 24 hours. We literally call that 'rapid intensification.'" – Fox Weather's Michael Estamy, [17:23]

  • Erin’s rapid strengthening described as among the fastest ever recorded in the Atlantic; marks a fourth consecutive year with at least one Cat 5 hurricane.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Putin Summit:

  • “No deal until there's a deal... it's ultimately up to them.” – Donald Trump, [06:11]
  • "That meeting was a disaster. It was an embarrassment for the United States." – Sen. Chris Murphy, [07:12]
  • "Our goal... is to have a peace agreement to end this war." – Steve Bannon, [04:37]

• On the Missing California Baby:

  • "Rebecca was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview." – Sheriff's Department statement, [12:15]
  • "She's just going crazy, you know, she can't handle it anymore." – Emmanuel's Grandmother, [14:09]

• On Hurricane Erin:

  • "We went from what was a little kitten to a big ferocious Tiger in literally 24 hours." – Michael Estamy, [17:23]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:39] – Steve Bannon on Trump critics
• [03:11–03:30] – Trump and Zelensky’s prior Oval Office clash
• [04:37] – Steve Bannon on European leaders’ White House visit
• [06:11] – Trump recaps Alaska summit results
• [07:12–07:36] – Criticism from Chris Murphy and Ben Rhodes
• [11:35] – Rebecca Harrow’s account of the baby’s disappearance
• [13:45] – Grandmother confirms family’s lack of cooperation
• [17:23] – Michael Estamy on Hurricane Erin’s intensification

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Summary Takeaway:
This fast-paced AM Update episode features Megyn Kelly contextualizing President Trump’s outsized, controversial approach to foreign policy with Putin and Zelensky, while also shining a spotlight on a disquieting missing-child case in California with growing allegations and inconsistencies, and wrapping up with a deep dive on Hurricane Erin’s alarming historic surge. The tone is direct, informed, with pointed quotes from all sides, and the pacing is brisk, giving listeners a comprehensive but accessible briefing on the day’s most important news.

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Transcript

[Andy Richter]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like?

[Megyn Kelly]

Son, can we talk about your drinking? Yeah, Dad, I think we should.

[Andy Richter]

Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] an OHA initiative.

[Megyn Kelly]

Good morning everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Monday, August 18, 2025 and this is your AM update.

[Steve Bannon]

I mean, critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticize. You don't even pay attention to it anymore.

[Megyn Kelly]

Team Trump making the rounds on Sunday, combating Democrat and media narratives, suggesting Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin failed while the next step toward peace in Ukraine takes place today at the White House in a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky.

[Rebecca Harrow]

More I fell on the floor and I and I said as I got up I couldn't find my son.

[Megyn Kelly]

Investigators unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of a seven month old California baby whose parents say he was kidnapped. And Hurricane Aaron, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, on a wild ride in the Caribbean tracking where the powerful storm is headed next. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your a.m. i've been talking a lot about Riverbend Ranch lately because I love their steaks. Those Riverbend Ranch steaks are something else. Riverbend Ranch has taken Black Angus beef to a whole new level. Did you recently hear rfkj, head of the Maha movement saying, really, all he eats is red meat and fermented products? Hello? Riverbend Ranch has got you covered. For the last 35 years, Riverbend Ranch has been creating a very elite Angus herd by using ultrasound to select genetically superior cattle with a focus on flavor and tenderness. When you buy from Riverbend Ranch, you're not only supporting the 64 Cowboys and Cowgirls and their families who work on the ranch, but you're also supporting over 260 other US ranches and the hundreds of American families who work on them. It is born in the USA, raised in the USA and processed in the USA. It is aged to perfection for 21 days and and shipped directly from the ranch to your home. This is not your average Black Angus beef, so order from Riverbendranch.com use the promo code Megan for 20 bucks off your first order and let me know what you think. Riverbendranch.com promo code Megan President Trump continuing to take the lead in high stakes diplomacy today, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European heads of state at the White House days after a landmark summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Today's meeting marking Mr. Zelensky's first return to the White House since that infamous Oval Office clash back in February. A quick reminder of how that went.

[Chris Murphy]

Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office, try to litigate this in front of the American media.

[Donald Trump]

You're gambling with World War 3 and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country. This country.

[Chris Murphy]

Have you said thank you once this entire meeting? No, in this entire meeting. Have you said thank you?

[Megyn Kelly]

The result, lunch canceled. A rare earth minerals business agreement between the US And Ukraine delayed for a couple of months, potentially delaying the prospects of a peace deal this time around. Several European leaders making the trip to Washington, European Union Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. President Trump expected to meet for bilateral talks with Mr. Zelensky alone before the entire group takes part in a discussion Sunday on cbs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasting host Margaret Brennan and others in the media with similar criticism for suggesting the European leaders are joining Mr. Zelensky to prevent President Trump from bullying the Ukrainian president into accepting a bad deal. You know, there is concern from the Europeans that President Zelensky is going to be bullied into signing something away. That's why you have these European leaders coming as backup tomorrow.

[Steve Bannon]

They're not coming here tomorrow. This is such a stupid media narrative that they're coming here tomorrow because Trump is going to bully Zelensky into a bad deal. We invited them to come. We invited them to come. The president invited them come. Our goal here is not to stage some production for the world to say, oh, how dramatic he walked out. Our goal here is to have a peace agreement to end this war, okay? And obviously we felt, and I agreed, that there was enough progress, not a lot of progress, but enough progress made in those talks to allow us to move to the next phase. If not, we wouldn't be having Zelensky flying all the way over here. We wouldn't be having all the Europeans coming all the way over here.

[Megyn Kelly]

Today's White House visit follows the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin on Friday. The summit beginning with a red carpet arrival on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson as Presidents Trump and Putin walked to the presidential limo for a private ride together. Mr. Trump greeting the Russian president with a show of military force, a flyover involving a B2 stealth bomber accompanied by four F35 jets. The B2, considered a symbol of US military power. It can fly around the globe without stopping, carrying nuclear or conventional weapons. The same kind of bomber used by the US to bomb Iranian nuclear sites in June. After about six hours on the ground in Alaska. The summit concluding with brief remarks, no questions and no ceasefire deal. However, both leaders hailing the event as a positive step forward. President Trump at a brief Friday press conference signaling future economic cooperation with Russia once the fighting stops.

[Donald Trump]

And I will say that I believe we had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there. But we've made some headway. So there's no deal until there's a deal. And I'll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today's meeting. It's ultimately up to them. They're going to have to agree with what Marco and Steve and some of the great people from the Trump administration who've come here, Scott and John Ratcliffe. We also have some tremendous Russian business representatives here. And I think, you know, everybody wants to deal with us. We've become the hottest country anywhere in the world in a very short period of time, and we look forward to that. We look forward to dealing. We're going to try and get this over with.

[Megyn Kelly]

Critics blasting the summit as a win for Vladimir Putin, pointing to the lack of a ceasefire and the red carpet reception for the Russian leader. Here, a sampling, beginning with Democrat Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy.

[Chris Murphy]

That meeting was a disaster. It was an embarrassment for the United States. It was a failure. Putin got everything he wanted. Trump's number one priority is just keeping his friend Vladimir Putin, happy.

[Steve Bannon]

I don't know if Donald Trump is or is not a Russian asset. He certainly acts like one.

[Andy Richter]

It looked like Putin was in control of this summit. What happened on Friday was a historic embarrassment for the United States.

[Steve Bannon]

This is what Putin wants. He wants to be seen as an equal of the US President. President, he made no concessions. Russia has not changed its positions on the Ukraine war one inch.

[Megyn Kelly]

That last soundbite from President Obama's former deputy National Security Adviser, Ben Rhodes, whose boss was once caught on a hot mic telling then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev he'd have, quote, more flexibility with Russia after his 2012 reelection team. Trump countering the critics special envoy Steve Witkoff, who participated in the summit, hitting the Sunday shows, outlining multiple concessions the Russians are willing to make, including accepting U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, which Mr. Wyckoff calls, quote, game changing. The exact scope of that commitment reportedly could be hammered out at today's White House meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another member of Friday's delegation on abc, slamming critics for suggesting the war can end without President Trump meeting with Mr. Putin. Popping circumstance, the red carpet, the warm handshake that President Trump simply lost, that, that Putin gained there just by being on the world stage and walking down a red carpet with the President. Your reaction to that?

[Steve Bannon]

Well, I mean, critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticize. You don't even pay attention to it anymore. But I will tell you this. Putin is already on the world stage. The guy's conducting a full scale war in Ukraine. He has the world's largest tactical nuclear arsenal in the world and the second largest strategic nuclear arsenal in the world. He's already on the world stage. When I hear people say that, oh, it elevates him. Well, all we do is talk about Putin all the time. All the media has done is talk about Putin all the time for the last four or five years. That doesn't mean he's right about the war. That doesn't mean he's justified about the war. You're not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin. That's not, that's just common sense. I shouldn't even have to say it.

[Megyn Kelly]

President Trump blasting the media yesterday morning on Truth Social, quote, if I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the deal, the fake news and their partner, the radical left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake in a very bad deal. The President following up Sunday night with another true social post. Quote, president Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. The effect of today's visit could have massive global implications. We'll bring you the very latest coming up. A seven month old baby missing in California. Parents say he was kidnapped. Investigators have their doubts. And Hurricane Aaron setting records in the Atlantic. Will this powerful storm affect the East Coast? As President Trump is settling into his new administration? One of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards. But they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for [e-mail] and you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late. California's San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announcing on Saturday it is unable to rule out foul play in the Thursday disappearance of seven month old baby Emmanuel Harrow. Baby Emanuel's mother, Rebecca Harrow, originally reporting the baby missing around 7:47pm Thursday evening, telling authorities she was changing her son's diaper in a sporting goods store parking lot in Yucaipa when an unknown male attacked her. Harrow, sporting a black eye, recounting her story to Los Angeles's ABC7 on Friday.

[Rebecca Harrow]

I fell on the floor and I and I said as I got up I couldn't find my son. I got him out of the car seat and I laid him down so I could get his diapers ready and somebody said hola. And that's all I remember and I saw white and a hearing sound. I fell on the floor and I and I said as I got up I couldn't find my son. I checked all around my truck and I ran into Big five and I asked the lady if she saw a baby or someone with the baby. She said no, it was Happy Boy.

[Megyn Kelly]

Canine teams and helicopters deploying deputies from San Bernardino and Riverside counties conducting an extensive search that night, yielding no results. Police have not yet said whether there is any relevant camera footage from the alleged scene. Authorities searching the couple's home on Saturday reportedly bringing cadaver dogs. It is unclear if evidence was recovered. The Sheriff's Department releasing a statement on Saturday morning that reads in part, rebecca was confronted with inconsistencies in her initial statement and declined to continue with the interview. At this point in the investigation, investigators are unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance of Emmanuel. Investigators will continue their investigation to locate Emmanuel Harrow. The statement did not name the mother, Rebecca, or the father, Jake, as suspects, nor did it expand on what inconsistencies they found. We asked the Sheriff's Department on Sunday if it remains the case that they have no suspects but have not received a response. On Saturday, the Uvalde foundation for Kids, a national child advocacy and violence prevention group, announced it was withdrawing its search teams and reward offer for Emanuel, saying too much is missing in this case and noting, quote, the inconsistencies in the details and the sudden decision by the mother to end communication with law enforcement. The group asking, quote, what parent would do that. Emmanuel's grandmother speaking out in support of her daughter Saturday to KTLA tonight.

[Emmanuel Harrow's Grandmother]

The grandmother has confirmed to us that the couple is no longer cooperating with investigators and has lawy up just hours after they made that desperate public plea for their son's safe return.

[Megyn Kelly]

They're not gonna hurt that baby.

[Donald Trump]

Those that couple were just homebodies.

[Emmanuel Harrow's Grandmother]

The grandmother also says investigators asked her daughter to take a lie detector test, but her husband said no until they had a lawyer.

[Megyn Kelly]

She's just going crazy, you know, she can't handle it anymore.

[Emmanuel Harrow's Grandmother]

And we have learned tonight that the baby's father does have a criminal record.

[Megyn Kelly]

The Orange County Register reporting Mr. Harrow has a June 2023 conviction for child cruelty stemming from a 2018 arrest. He was scheduled to 180 days in jail and 48 months of probation and is scheduled to appear in court in early September for an alleged probation violation. The grandmother also noting a two year old child had been moved out of the home, though it is unclear if that choice was made by parents or mandated by authorities. Also unclear if and how many other children live in this house. Harrow originally telling investigators she went to a sporting goods store to purchase a mouth guard for her stepson who plays youth football. Authorities have yet to activate an Amber Alert saying the criteria has not been met with no suspect or vehicle description. Baby Emanuel said to weigh about 21 pounds, approximately 24 inches tall, brown hair, brown eyes and is said to be cross eyed. He was last seen wearing a black Nike onesie. Anyone with information about Emanuel's disappearance is asked to call 911-OR the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department at 909-890-4904. Hurricane Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025 and the fifth named storm on a wild ride through the Caribbean. Erin at one point reaching a Cat 5 level hurricane, the fiercest designation, but as of Sunday night downgraded to a Category 3 with sustained winds of 125 mph centered just over 310 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The hurricane center predicting the storm will continue to fluctuate in size and intensity. The 5pm advisory warning quote, Erin is likely to remain a dangerous hurricane through the middle of the week. While its maximum winds diminished, the storm's overall size grew. The hurricane center reporting Saturday night that Erin was experiencing an eyewall replacement cycle where the storm becomes so powerful and its eyewall so intense that a new eyewall forms, enlarging the radius of the storm's eye, ultimately strengthening the storm potentially. Hurricane Erin still expected to avoid a direct landfall passing north of Puerto Rico, then curving northeast into the open Atlantic between the east coast coast and Bermuda. But the hurricane center warning Erin could still produce life threatening rip currents along the Bahamas, the US east coast, Bermuda and all the way up to parts of Canada over the next several days. Turks and Caicos and the southwest Bahamas bracing for tropical storm conditions today. Nearly, all of St. Thomas island reportedly losing power with scattered outages throughout the rest of the US Virgin Islands. Erin making the history books jumping from a cat one on Friday morning to a cat five in just over 24 hours. One of the fastest intensifications ever recorded in the Atlantic. Fox Weather's Michael Estamy with more on the record breaking nature of this storm.

[Chris Murphy]

We went from what was a little kitten to a big ferocious Tiger in literally 24 hours. This was yesterday at about 11 o' clock in the morning, 75 mile per hour winds and we ramped those winds up by nearly 90 to 95 miles per hour in just 24 hours. We literally call that, quote, rapid intensification. That though is when you see winds increase by 35 miles per hour in 24 hours. This was 90 plus miles per hour in 24 hours. So almost a super rapid intensification is what we're calling it.

[Megyn Kelly]

This marks the fourth straight season with at least one Category 5 hurricane. AccuWeather forecasters tracking two other potential systems, one with a low chance of development, the other with a medium chance. Peak hurricane season is in September. The full season extends through November and that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly show live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at Nice Time on YouTube.com MeganKelly and on all podcast platforms.

[Andy Richter]

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