They better negotiate a fair deal. With President Trump's finger on the trigger, negotiators make a last-ditch effort for diplomacy in Iran. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, February 23rd. This is Morning Wire. Secret Service takes down a would-be shooter at the president's home in Florida. in what may be yet another political assassination attempt. They confronted a white male that was carried a gas can and a shotgun. And Team USA closes out the Winter Olympics with a sudden-death overtime win on the ice. Drek Hughes wins it! The golden goal for the United States! We look at the biggest wins for the U.S. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Our sponsor, Z-Biotics, pre-alcohol probiotic drink is actually the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by a PhD scientist to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it works. 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Plus, it's backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so there's no risk. Subscriptions are also available for maximum consistency. Remember to head to zbiotics.com slash wire and use the code wire at checkout for 15% off. American and Iranian diplomats meet again this week to work toward a nuclear deal, as President Trump continues to threaten military action. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with the latest developments on this high-tension showdown. Hey, Cabot, so a lot happened over the weekend on the Iran front. Get us up to speed. Yeah, now that President Trump's military buildup in the Middle East is complete, he has a range of options at his disposal, and the world is waiting to see which way he'll go. White House officials say that he could launch limited strikes on nuclear facilities in the coming days with the message, you know, capitulate or we will go harder. He could also specifically target the supreme leader and also his son, who's widely viewed as his successor. Or he could simply keep these forces in place and allow negotiations to continue, albeit with a very different dynamic than before. Now, Iranian officials on social media and during speeches across Iran have sort of taunted the U.S., vowing to send our warships and aircraft carriers to the bottom of the sea. But on Sunday, as the U.S. continued to send more forces to the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi offered a much more diplomatic message. If they want to find a resolution for Iran's peaceful nuclear program, the only way is diplomacy. There is no need for any military buildup, and military buildup cannot help it and cannot pressurize us. But contrary to those claims, it does appear the Iranians are feeling the pressure for obvious reasons. Last Tuesday, when the latest round of nuclear talks stalled, the Iranians said they would need two weeks to come up with a new version of their offer. But the ensuing military buildup on their shores appeared to get their attention and expedite that process. And now White House officials are saying that they're expecting the latest version by tomorrow. And on Thursday, the two sides will sit down again in Geneva for another batch of talks. For his part Steve Whitcoff that President Trump top negotiator in the Middle East said over the weekend that Trump is actually surprised that Iran has not done more to reach a deal despite this military buildup on their shores He curious as to why they haven I don't want to use the word capitulated, but why they haven't capitulated. Why under this sort of pressure with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, we profess that we don't want a weapon. So here's what we're prepared to do. The other factor complicating this entire situation is concern over how Iran would respond to a broad attack. Pentagon officials have reportedly warned the White House that the regime could direct proxies in the Middle East to conduct retaliatory terror attacks on Western targets, including in the U.S. Remember, for years now, as we've talked about on the show, the DHS has been warning that Iranian-backed sleeper cells could have crossed the border undetected under the Biden administration. So all that to say, a preemptive attack opens up a whole new set of concerns. But again, an attack like that would prompt a massive military response from the U.S. No question, yeah. Now, as for Trump, do we have any sense which way he's leaning in terms of military action? Yeah, it's interesting. For all his bluster, there are still plenty of indications that he prefers a diplomatic solution here. Yes, he often brings up his successful capture of Maduro and that successful bombing operation on Iran last summer. But even more frequently, he brings up all of the treaties and peace deals that he's negotiated since retaking the office. For obvious reasons, he would love to be the president who finally convinces Iran to abandon their pursuit of nukes. And it would bolster his peacemaker-in-chief persona that he has really tried to foster this term. For the optimists hoping for a deal, there was a report this weekend that offered a sliver of hope. According to Axios, President Trump is considering a deal with Iran that would force them to dismantle their facilities working towards a nuke. but allow them to keep what they're calling a, quote, token nuclear program that could only be used for civilian purposes. Now, critics of that deal say that it's too similar to the failed nuclear agreement signed with President Obama, in which the Iranians said they would abandon their pursuit of nukes, but ultimately kept it up in secret. No doubt, though, President Trump will address this entire situation tomorrow night, the State of the Union, if he hasn't made a decision before that. Right, and we should note that you're going to be covering that for us on Daily Wire Live. Yes, I will tune in. 8 o'clock Eastern. It's going to be a packed night for sure. Indeed it will. Kevin, thanks for reporting. Absolutely. I'd like to introduce you to Gabby Stout. She's a high school junior in North Carolina who was inspired by Charlie Kirk and wanted to honor his legacy by painting a message on her school's spirit rock. But after school officials gave Gabby permission, they reversed themselves, censoring Gabby's message and publicly accusing her of vandalism. The accusation even aired in local news. Gabby was punished for standing up for the biblical values that Charlie spent his life defending. Now, our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom are representing Gabby in court to hold the school district accountable for violating her constitutional rights. We want to make sure Gabby knows she's not standing alone. With just a few minutes, you can go to joinadf.com slash wire or text wire to 83848 and send her a quick message of support. That's joinadf.com slash wire. Send Gabby an encouraging note or verse that will lift her spirit today. Gabby's courageously standing up for the values that Charlie fought for and that The Daily Wire stands for, including free speech. Go to joinadf.com slash wire or text wire to 83848 for Alliance Defending Freedom today and support Gabby. Authorities shot and killed an armed man who walked through one of the main gates of Mar-a-Lago early Sunday morning. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about what happened at President Trump's Florida home over the weekend. So Tim, what do we know so far? Yeah, pretty dangerous situation at Mar-a-Lago. According to authorities, a young man walked into the inner perimeter of Mar-a-Lago at around 1.30 in the morning. He was carrying a gas can and a shotgun, and he walked through one of the club's main gates as a vehicle was exiting. Law enforcement who were assigned to Mar responded that would be two Secret Service agents and a sheriff deputy Here Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw explaining what came next during a Sunday press conference He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene. The dead man has been identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin. He is originally from North Carolina, where his family reported him missing coincidentally about the same time he was killed. Early on Sunday morning, a family member told a sheriff's deputy for North Carolina's Moore County that Martin had been unreachable since about 8 p.m. on Saturday. Later that morning, a couple hours before the Secret Service's initial statement on the shooting, Martin's mother actually posted about her son on Facebook asking for help finding him. As for where he got the gun, authorities suspect he obtained it not long before he arrived at Mar-a-Lago. Do we know anything about the motive? Yeah, nothing concrete yet, but it's hard not to think that this could have been yet another attempt on President Trump's life. The president was not at Mar-a-Lago this weekend. According to the White House calendar, he stayed in Washington. But it was almost a year and a half ago that authorities arrested Ryan Ruth after he attempted to assassinate Trump just a couple miles away at his West Palm Beach golf course. It seems that people who want to do harm to the president tend to look for him around Mar-a-Lago, which is his private residence. But it also still operates as a high-end club and events venue with, of course, the Trump International Golf Club nearby. So potentially a third attempt on President Trump's life, but that's unconfirmed right now. Right. And as you're noting there, it seems like it's part of a troubling trend. In July 2024, Thomas Crooks nicked Trump's ear and killed a member of the crowd corps comparator in Butler, Pennsylvania. What's still interesting about Crooks's case is that the authorities still have not said what specifically motivated the assassination attempt there. But then just a few months after Butler, Ryan Ruth was arrested after setting up in a sniper's nest at Trump International. He was sentenced to life in prison just a few weeks ago. And then there was the assassination of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah this past September. Authorities have described attempts against Vice President J.D. Vance and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vogt. Last year, a gunman killed the Democratic leader in the Minnesota State House and her husband and had dozens of others on a hit list. Then there was also an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's official residence. And just last week, a man armed with a shotgun was arrested as he ran at the U.S. Capitol building. Right. Well, a totally unsustainable trend. Tim, thanks for coming on. Good to be on. The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have drawn to a close, but not before delivering one of the most emotionally charged finishes in decades. From the U.S. men's hockey team Golds to breakout stars like Alyssa Liu, these games have reignited patriotism back home. For more on the final Olympic headlines, we're joined by our culture reporter Megan Basham. Morning, Megan. So let's start with the big picture here. What's standing out to you with the games wrapping up? Well, you know, John, I don't know about you. I think we're about the same age. And I remember those Reagan-era Olympic moments pretty well. I remember names like Mary Lou Retton and Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton and those huge wins. These games have ended up feeling very much like that. It's a time to be sentimental and to wave those American flags without any apology. So the U.S. men defeating Canada in overtime for Olympic gold. That was the country's first hockey gold since 1980. The miracle on ice. So, you know, impossible not to connect these moments. And that alone makes it pretty historic. But the way it happened in overtime against Canada with the entire arena on the edge of their seats. I mean, you don't get more memorable than that. No, you don't. And then we had Jack Hughes winning goal that sent the U bench into chaos and reignited those memories of American hockey defining moments This was what Hughes said after winning that gold This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable. The USA Hockey Brotherhood is so strong. And we have so much support from next players. I'm so proud to be American today. We're such a team. And we're so proud to win for our country. So obviously, you know, that reaction back home has been electric. And I would say people just aren't celebrating a win here. They're celebrating what it symbolizes. And that's a sense of strong American identity. Yeah, that sense of unity really seems to be a recurring theme. Another name Americans can't stop talking about is Alyssa Liu. Georgia mentioned her. She didn't just compete. She captured hearts. Why is that? Yeah, I mean, when you look at her, once again, this is a story that is much more than medals. She skated with this openness, with just unequivocal American authenticity, right? And I think that's what resonated so deeply with people. Viewers saw this young athlete who carried herself with humility, with joy, with visible love for country. And I think Lou's success was particularly poignant when contrasted against skier Eileen Gu, who, though born an American, agreed to skate for China. So I think that made Liu's victory all the sweeter. And certainly her performances were emotional. They were technically strong. And they were original. So that when she finished her program, the reaction, it wasn't just applause. Like you said, it was this overwhelming sense of affection. Indeed. And her backstory really was like something out of Hollywood, too. Yeah, I think if you scripted this, it couldn't be more on point to just make everyone love her as an Olympic figure. Her father, Arthur Liu, was born and raised in China and became a student activist during the pro-democracy movement during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Now, he was faced with the threat of imprisonment or worse for standing up to the Chinese communist government. He fled China, sneaking onto a boat bound for Hong Kong before then eventually making his way to the United States as a political refugee. Incredible. Flash forward some 35 years and his daughter rejected recruitment efforts by the Chinese government. Liu spoke to Minneapolis outlet KARE about how after this, China actually sent spies after her and her father. They continued to go after him. They had sent like a couple of spies to the U.S., not just for my dad and me, but like for some others as well. I think when you see her spunky spirit, her original hair, the fact that she chose to step off the ice for a time before coming back with her own style just really made her an instant American icon. Yeah, I feel like we haven't seen the last of her for sure. Final question, the final count, how did the total medal haul turn out? Yes, such a guy question. You want to know the statistics, so let me give them to you. So Norway really ran away with this, you have to say. They racked up 41 medals, including 18 golds. But the U.S. does have a lot to be proud of here, taking home the second most medals with a total of 33. That includes 12 gold, 12 silvers, and 9 bronze. So a lot of American necks out there adorned with medals. No doubt we'll be talking about these wins for years to come. Megan, thank you so much for coming on. Yep, my pleasure. Another story we're tracking, Mexican tourist town Puerto Vallarta came under siege Sunday after the Mexican army killed a major drug kingpin. The military took out drug lord Nemeseo Oseguera, commonly known as El Mencho, on Sunday, triggering violence in the tourist town. By Sunday afternoon, American tourists were being told to shelter in place as a standoff between Mexican officials and the cartels escalated. Look for the latest on DailyWire.com. Thanks for waking up with us. And for those listening to the show, you can now also watch the show free on Daily Wire Plus. We'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.
