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--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The Biden administration announces billions in aid to Ukraine, just as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky arrives in D.C. to address Congress. Putin thought he would weaken NATO. Instead, he strengthened NATO. We discuss Zelensky's visit and the contentious debate over Ukraine funding. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, December 22nd, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Trump's tax returns are now in the hands of Democrats in Congress, and they've already begun releasing their findings. What have we learned so far? And what's next in the Trump tax return saga?
--:-- Georgia Howe: And New York City has seen an influx of more than 30,000 illegal immigrants in the last few months. And now the mayor is warning the city's residents that some basic services may have to be cut back.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Imagine the joy of pre-scheduled coffee delivery. Your favorite roasts at your door, when you need them. It's really the gift that keeps on giving. Right now, you can go to BlackRifleCoffee.com and use promo code WIRE for 10% off coffee, merchandise, apparel, or when you sign up for a Coffee Club subscription. Stuff your family's Christmas stockings with all the highest grade coffee roasted right here in America by veteran-led teams of coffee experts. Go to BlackRifleCoffee.com with promo code WIRE for 10% off.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky made a surprise visit to Washington, D.C. Here with more on the visit and how American leaders responded is Daily Wire's senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, news of this visit was really kept under wraps. We didn't actually know he was coming until the day before his arrival, which in a city like D.C. where almost everything leaks to the press is surprising. And it gives you an idea of the length the Biden administration and the Ukrainians went to keep this secret.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Zelensky has yet to make an international trip that we know of since Ukraine was first invaded 300 days ago. So the fact he chose the U.S. shows just how important he views the relationship between our two countries.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Zelensky headed first to the White House, holding a press conference with President Biden, where he presented him a medal on behalf of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line and thanked him more broadly on behalf of the Ukrainian people. He then headed to the Capitol for a rare address to Congress.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll get to his remarks there, but first, tell us about the broader purpose of this visit.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Zelensky said that he wanted to thank the U.S. for its support over the last year, but more importantly, he wanted to lobby for further support, and he got it. President Biden announced that included in the latest $2 billion worth of weapons and military support will be the all-important Patriot missile defense system.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's the most advanced ground-to-air system in the U.S. arsenal. Ukrainian officials reportedly view the weapons not only as a military advantage, but also as a sign to Russia that American support is escalating, not declining, as the war drags on.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Right, so some symbolic importance there. Yeah. So tell us about the primetime address to Congress.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, Zelensky essentially reiterated what he's been saying on social media and calls with foreign leaders throughout the past year. He called on the Western world to stand for democracy by supporting the Ukrainian people Zelensky also offered an ominous message about the threat of continued Russian aggression.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Just peace is no compromises as to the sovereignty freedom and territorial integrity of my country The payback for all the damages inflicted by Russian aggression.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, so what about the timing? Why is this visit coming now?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, according to the White House, President Biden invited Zelensky after a phone call two weeks ago. But it does seem like there's some political strategy with regard to the exact timing. First, there's the fact that Congress is currently debating passage of the massive omnibus bill, which includes $45 billion in new military funding and economic aid for Ukraine.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Some think it's not a coincidence that Zelensky chose now to speak to Congress, right, as they're debating a bill that would nearly double the amount of aid that we've given to Ukraine throughout the entire conflict.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, it makes sense. And remember, this session is also the last time that Congress will meet before the GOP takes control of the House next month. And it's expected that Republican House leaders will be more hesitant to approve of continued aid to Ukraine.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Zelensky could be making a final appeal to Congress while they're still controlled by Democrats who have had fewer reservations about funding the war there.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, about that, what are we hearing from Republicans when it comes to support for Ukraine?
--:-- Georgia Howe: So there does appear to be a growing faction of Republicans who question whether the funding is necessary. Their general point is that at a time when our southern border is being flooded by record numbers of illegal migrants and deadly drugs, that we should be spending those billions of dollars on issues that more directly impact American citizens.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They're also concerned about just how long this funding will be needed and how long the conflict will drag on. And finally, they voiced concerns over the fact that there's just very little oversight when it comes to how the money that we're sending to Ukraine is actually used and whether our involvement could make a serious World War III-type conflict more likely.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But there are certainly Republicans who do still support funding the war. They say it's crucial to show Vladimir Putin that America will stand up to his aggression and that our actions can prevent further military invasions like this in the future.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: On that note, here's Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this week.
--:-- [Audio clip of Mitch McConnell plays]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Coming up, President Trump's taxes are finally being revealed. Look your best at the Christmas party this year with Jenny Cell Skin Care. Now, through Christmas, Jenny Cell's most popular package is 70% off. This includes two months' worth of Jenny Cell's best sellers, plus their hyaluronic acid serum, free with your purchase. Treat yourself and a loved one to the skin care that will take years off your skin. Visit JennySell.com slash wire and use code wire for an additional 10% off your order.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: After years of legal wrangling, the Democrats finally got their hands on former President Donald Trump's tax returns, and information is starting to come forward. The House Ways and Means Committee approved the release of former President Donald Trump's tax returns on Tuesday. Here to discuss the committee's vote and what we learned about Trump's taxes is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Hey, Georgia. Not that much, really. The committee approved the release of six years of Trump's tax returns from 2015 to 2020, but half of those we've already seen. The New York Times reported the returns for 2015, 16, and 17 two years ago. The new tax returns aren't released yet, and they may not be public for several more days until they finish redacting personal information.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Joint Committee on Taxation released a summary of the returns after the vote on Tuesday giving a few highlights What they do show is that Trump used tax credits to significantly minimize his federal income tax burden in 2016 and 2017 and he paid no federal income tax in 2020 In four of the six years, Trump claimed a loss on his income. His biggest loss was in 2016 when he claimed a net income of negative $32 million.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Now, was Trump audited while he was in office? Yes, the records show that he was audited once during his presidency. That audit was never finished, though. The audits were Democrats' main justification for seeking Trump's tax returns in the first place, at least nominally. They wanted to make sure that the IRS was auditing Trump's taxes every year in line with IRS policy.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Technically, the IRS doesn't have to audit the president, but Democrats on the committee want to pass a law that would make an annual presidential audit mandatory. They said it's necessary for transparency.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Here's Democrat Representative Judy Chu after casting her vote. The American people have a right to know about this alarming state of noncompliance with the mandatory presidential audit.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But you know what? They can't take our word for it. They need to see the returns themselves.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Just a side note, there was no evidence that Trump pressured the IRS against pursuing audits, and no one is claiming that he did. The main reason the audit was not completed is that Trump's taxes were extremely complicated and the IRS didn't want to devote the necessary resources to it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, every Republican voted against this. What was their justification for that?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah, they said that this was an unprecedented attack on personal privacy. They also said that Democrats will regret their votes in the future when this new political weapon is used against them.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's what Representative Kevin Brady had to say after the committee hearing. Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee have unleashed a dangerous new political weapon that overturns decades of privacy protections for average taxpayers.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The era of political targeting and of Congress's enemies list is back. And every American, every American taxpayer who may get on the wrong side, the majority in Congress, is now at risk.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The committee's vote ends in over a three-year legal battle between the committee and Trump. Trump sued the committee back in 2019 to keep his tax returns private. After getting their final win in court last month, Democrats pushed to vote on releasing Trump's tax returns before Republicans take over Congress next year.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Well, this has been a long time coming. We'll definitely follow up when the details come out.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tim, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Anytime.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The crisis on the southern border picked up in intensity this week, but it's not just a crisis for border towns anymore. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now warning that some basic services in the city will have to be curtailed if the rate of migrants flowing in does not subside, let alone if the end of Title 42 opens the floodgates even further. Here to discuss is columnist David Marcus.
--:-- David Marcus: Morning. The shelter system is the most obvious one. It's been absolutely overrun now by the 31,000 migrants who've entered New York in the past few months. But Adams said the city, quote, may very well be forced to cut or curtail programs New Yorkers rely on, end quote.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This could mean a whole host of things from school lunches, job programs, drug treatment programs. The bottom line, quite literally, is that the city projects this influx is going to cost it $1 billion a year until 2026. Even for a city the size of this one, that's a lot of money.
--:-- David Marcus: Yeah, it is. Now, Adams has said that he will not be forced to choose between services for what he calls new arrivals and current New Yorkers. But isn't he going to have to make that choice at this point?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Of course he already making that choice By treating migrants just as he would any other New Yorker in some cases like Xboxes at adult housing facilities arguably a bit better He's asking the people who already live here to sacrifice.
--:-- David Marcus: The irony is that by promising such a rich suite of services to migrants, Adams is creating exactly the kind of magnet to the city that the Biden administration has brought to the southern border as a whole.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And you mentioned it's 31,000 migrants in New York in the last few months. And we just saw that El Paso has actually seen 84,000 migrants in just three months released.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, Adams has expressed frustration at the lack of federal dollars coming into a system and handling this problem. Is there any hope at this point that more money could be directed his way?
--:-- Georgia Howe: So far, no, not really. And he's expressed quite a bit of frustration about that.
--:-- David Marcus: It's interesting because New York boasts Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, soon to be House minority leader, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who I'm sure we all recall was photographed weeping at the conditions on the border when Trump was president. She doesn't want to be anywhere near the border right now, neither does Schumer or Jeffries.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Democrats have spent two years saying this isn't a crisis at all. If they suddenly support massive funding packages for places like New York City, specifically because of the migrant spike. That narrative goes out the window and they'll look pretty foolish.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, even though it was the Democrats in the Biden administration who have said in the past that they want Title 42 ended, there now seems to be sort of a sense of relief that the Supreme Court has stepped in.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Do you think Adams shares that sense of relief?
--:-- David Marcus: I'm certain that he does, but it's a temporary stay and there are already thousands and thousands of people just on the other side of the Rio Grande waiting for this rule change.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Neither Adams or the city are out of the woods on this yet. And maybe that's fair, given that, you know, for two years, those faraway little border towns, as you mentioned, have been even deeper in those woods that just suck their resources dry.
--:-- David Marcus: At the very least, I think Adams putting this problem front and center makes it harder for Democrats to continue ignoring it. And that's a good thing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, I'm sure.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Other stories we're tracking this week. The latest round of Twitter files have been reported by The Intercept's Li Fang. According to Fang, the files show that Twitter colluded with the Pentagon to spread U.S. propaganda, including misinformation and disinformation in foreign countries, particularly in the Middle East.
--:-- [Audio clip of Li Fang plays]
--:-- Georgia Howe: The alleged direct assistance Twitter provided to the Pentagon goes back at least five years, Fang reports. Three months after the suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea, intelligence officials say they still don't have concrete evidence of who's to blame.
--:-- [Audio clip of European official plays]
--:-- Georgia Howe: One European official said recently, quote, there is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to The Washington Post, the comment echoes the assessment of 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed in recent weeks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, please consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, that's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.
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