--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm Georgia Howe here with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump and Putin agree to begin negotiations to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. We want to end that war. That war is a disaster. Could this be a turning point in the conflict? And how is Ukraine's president reacting?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The two parties duel over DOGE in its first hearing on the Hill, with Republicans decrying waste and Democrats railing against Musk. We will fight the war on waste shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, Elon Musk and the Doge team. If an unelected, unbedded, individual private citizen is hacking our government systems, breaking the law, we are going to fight you in the courts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And the years-long nightmare of a Pennsylvania teacher wrongfully held prisoner in Russia finally comes to an end with a White House welcome home. Knowing I had the support of my fellow Pennsylvanians, my family, my friends, it brought me to my knees and it brought me to tears. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Just hours after welcoming freed Russian prisoner Mark Fogel to the White House, President Donald Trump made some major announcements about Ukraine and Russia. Here to unpack what Trump said and what it means for the war is Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice.
--:-- Tim Rice: So, Georgia, Trump shared that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since returning to the White House. According to Trump, their call was lengthy and highly productive. And at a Truth Social post, Trump said that he and Putin discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy and artificial intelligence, as well as the history of American-Russian relations.
--:-- Tim Rice: Trump said Putin agreed with him that the war with Ukraine needed to end and that the U.S. and Russia will immediately begin negotiations to end the war. Hours later, it was announced that the two planned to meet at a later date, possibly in Saudi Arabia, and Trump made clear that he would begin negotiations by speaking with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
--:-- Tim Rice: That conversation actually happened shortly after Trump's initial statement, as White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt noted during Wednesday's briefing. They were very good calls. They were very positive. And the administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end once and for all the Russia war.
--:-- Tim Rice: Levitt also rebuffed the idea that Trump and Putin were negotiating as allies saying that quote this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region at times an adversary. Still the thaw in relations between the U and Russia has sparked concerns that Kiev and Zelensky will be frozen out of future peace negotiations.
--:-- Tim Rice: That said, Trump promised to work closely with both Putin and Zelensky to bring a swift end to the war. And he said his approach to this issue, like any other issue, would be governed by the twin poles of Common Sense and America First.
--:-- Tim Rice: Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon and addressed his negotiation efforts, including requiring Ukraine to secure the U.S. aid loans. We're getting security on our money. We're going to have it secured by Earth and they have oil and gas and they have a lot of other things. And we're asking for security in our money. Ukraine has agreed to it.
--:-- Tim Rice: Now, has Zelensky responded to this? He has, and he actually seemed to take it pretty well. He said that his conversation with Trump was meaningful and that they discussed opportunities to achieve peace and ways that Ukraine and the United States could work together in mutually beneficial ways.
--:-- Tim Rice: And separately from all this, it seems like Zelensky is coming around to the notion that the war with Russia will end in negotiation, not total victory. Earlier this week, he proposed the land swap deal between Ukraine and Russia as a first step to ending the war.
--:-- Tim Rice: It's unclear exactly what that will look like because Russia occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine, while Ukraine occupies around 500 square kilometers of Russia. But still, it's a sign that Zelensky is willing to come to the negotiating table, something he may soon have to do thanks to Trump.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, this is potentially a huge development. Tim, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, or DOGE, held its first hearing in Washington. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with the highlights from the fiery hearing.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hey, Cabot. So some remarkable moments yesterday on the Hill. Get us up to speed.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, shortly after President Trump's victory, House Republicans announced the formation of a new committee that would partner with the Department of Government Efficiency to, quote, identify and investigate the waste, corruption and useless parts of our federal government.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Think of the committee as the congressional arm of Musk's Doge Department, which isn't technically a government agency. On Wednesday, the Doge Committee held their inaugural hearing, which Chair Marjorie Taylor Green said marked the launch of their war on waste.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: In her opening statement, Green made the case for Doge, highlighting America's $36 trillion debt crisis. I believe enslaving our nation in debt is one of the biggest betrayals against the American people by its own elected government.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The American people's anger over this betrayal is what gave birth to the concept of Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency. Throughout the afternoon, Republicans called witnesses to give details on the scope of government fraud and abuse.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, here's Haywood Talco, the CEO of LexisNexis, talking about how much money could be saved by implementing new identity verification technology. You can save $1 trillion a year by simply putting in front-end identity verification, eliminating self-certification, and monitoring the back end of the programs that are providing the benefits.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, the hearing was originally intended to focus on ways for both parties to work together and cut government waste. But it quickly devolved into a debate over Elon Musk.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Democrat after Democrat used their time to slam Musk, saying he was an unelected bureaucrat who was just using his newfound power to enrich himself and other billionaires.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, here's Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. I'm upset about the guy that runs Twitter who for sure is doing nefarious things because I don't understand if you are trying to conduct audits and figure out where the waste fraud and abuse is I don't know why you would go to some tech guy.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And then there was Democratic rep Robert Garcia, who said he would display a D pick. I'll let you fill in what D stands for. He then held up a large poster board of Elon Musk's face.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yes, you heard that right. In the last Congress, Chairwoman Greene literally showed a d*** pic in our oversight congressional hearing. So I thought I'd bring one as well. Now this, of course, we know is President Elon Musk. He's also the world's richest man.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So for context there, Garcia is referring to the Hunter Biden investigation when Marjorie Taylor Greene displayed graphic photos of the president's son engaging in drug use and other illegal activity with prostitutes.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For their part, Republicans pushed back on criticism of Musk, saying Democrats had no problem with, quote, unelected bureaucrats having power when that power was being used for other purposes. Where were they whenever their god, Anthony Fauci, was forcing vaccine and mask mandates on the American people for four years? Where were they whenever unelected Alejandro Mayorkas was facilitating the invasion of our country by illegal aliens?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So this hearing comes as President Trump has given Doge new powers. Tell us about that.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, when Doge was first announced, there were some who thought it would be more of a symbolic gesture. But it's abundantly clear now that President Trump is serious about empowering Musk to treat the federal government like a business and root out waste.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: To that point, the two met in the Oval Office this week, where Trump signed a new executive order that will force federal agencies to comply with Doge's efforts to cut their existing workforces and limit the number of future hires.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Specifically, the order says that federal agencies may only hire one new employee for every four who are going out the door. In addition, the order will install a new Doge team lead within each federal agency. That person will be given oversight over hiring and firing decisions.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: According to the text, agency heads are ordered to, quote, promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force consistent with applicable law. All right, so clearly going scorched earth here.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, before you go, one more story from Washington, the confirmation of Trump's cabinet. What's the latest there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, on Wednesday, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was officially confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote. The lone dissenter among Republicans was former majority leader Mitch McConnell.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This, again, is a huge win for Trump as Gabbard was initially viewed as the nominee with the lowest odds of confirmation. And it just further underscores how united this GOP is around the president.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Up next will be Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will be voted on today. He's expected to win confirmation as well. Yeah, another big one. And the prospects are looking good for him.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Since President Trump took office 23 days ago, his administration has been fighting to bring home wrongfully detained Americans. Late Tuesday night, Trump welcomed Mark Fogel to the White House. Fogel is an American teacher who had been wrongly detained in a Russian prison for over three years.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Hey, Cassie. So you've been closely tracking this for months now and have been in touch with the Fogel family, particularly Mark's mother, Malfin. Before we get to his release, this has really taken a toll on the Fogel family. What has this been like for them?
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Sure. So this has been a three and a half year nightmare for the family that started in August of 2021 For those of you who have not been tracking this Mark is a 63 teacher who was living in Moscow teaching diplomats children at the Anglo school when he was arrested for possession of marijuana.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: He had 17 grams of marijuana on him, which had been prescribed by an American doctor for chronic pain. He was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 14 years in the Rubinsk penal colony. His family has been desperate to get him out.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: All right, so very similar to the Brittany Griner situation. Yeah, extremely similar, but Fogel did not receive the same attention, even though he was actually arrested about six months before her.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Instead, the family was repeatedly met with stonewalling from the previous administration. As we reported at the time, when Mark was passed over in Biden's prisoner exchange last August, he sunk into a depression.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Here's heartbreaking audio we obtained of his phone call with Vicky Eisman, a spokesperson for Free Mark Fogel. It's hard, but you need to have faith in us. And I think we knew this administration is just not going to be there for you.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: I don't know why, but regardless of the fact, there will be a new administration. Hold on. Please hold on. They won't even mention my name, Vicki. Well, one person. They can't even say my name. I love one person who could be president has. And that's a lot further than you've gotten in three years.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Right now, Trump famously reached out to the family last year. What can you tell us about their meeting?
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Yes, he did. Trump met with Mark's mother, Malfine, at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally, where moments later, he was shot by a would-be assassin. His mom was actually set to take to the stage before the shooting.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: He wanted to know all about Mark. You know, he asked me a couple times how long he had been there and why, and I gave him all the details. And he said, if I get in, I will get him out. And he pointed his thumb up towards the sky. He seemed very sincere.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: And I told him he had to remember Mark's name. Trump quickly worked to keep his promise to bring Mark home. Fogel exited the plane with an American flag draped around his shoulders and literally kissed the ground after setting foot on U.S. soil.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: This all culminated with him being welcomed home at the White House Tuesday night by President Trump himself. I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are the heroes. She's got a great mother and when I saw the mother at a rally, She said, if you win, will you get my son out? And I promise she's 95 years old. And I said, we'll get him out.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: And we got him out pretty quickly. Just an incredible emotional moment. You can feel his overwhelming relief. And wonderful to hear his mother being shouted out for her endurance in all this. What a week for the Fogel family. I can't imagine.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Cassie, thank you so much for tracking this story and reporting for us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Another story we're tracking this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that she's suing New York State and several of its key officials for thwarting federal immigration enforcement.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know. Thank you.
