Morning Wire - Epstein Release Raises Eyebrows & Vance Visits Armenia | 2.10.26

Episode Date: February 10, 2026

The latest release of FBI files reveals little evidence that Jeffrey Epstein ran a sex-trafficking ring, Vice President JD Vance becomes the highest-ranking American official to visit Armenia, and the Chinese government sentences pro-democracy British businessman Jimmy Lai to prison. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2625- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Equip Foods - Equip’s Prime Bar is a real food protein bar with nothing to hide: just 11 ingredients and 20g of clean protein - made from ingredients you can pronounce like collagen, beef tallow, colostrum, cocoa butter - and sweetened naturally with just date and honey. Bringing good, clean habits into 2026 is made simple with Equip. Morning Wire listeners will get 25% off one-time purchases, or 40% off first subscription orders for a limited time by heading to https://equipfoods.com/wire and using code WIRE at checkout.Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

60% of the vans on Amazon come a vendor independent like Sac Magic. Hello, here Camille of Sac Magic. Our compresses, show of fraud are fabriced in Quebec, and our presence on Amazon

enlarge our clientele to the world entire. Trouvee de petitions like one other. On Amazon.C. New files suggest the FBI found little evidence that Epstein was operating

a sex trafficking ring for powerful men, but some lawmakers remain skeptical. Our law says that the FBI and the original grand jury needs to be unredacted. Of course, they have been protecting some of these men. Maybe it was not intentionally, but the law is very clear. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley.

It's Tuesday, February 10th, and this is Morning Wire. J.D. Vance makes history with a diplomatic trip to Armenia, forging key peace and trade deals. Peace is not made by cautious people, pieces not made by people who are too focused on the past, pieces made by people who are focused on the future. And a British businessman faces 20 years in a Chinese prison. Is President Trump the key to his release? Jimmy Lai and presidency are big enemies, but it's been a long time, and I will be, it'll be on my list. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. This episode is sponsored by Brickhouse Nutrition. You've probably heard about those weight loss injections that everyone's been talking about, and for good reason. The results can be pretty

incredible. They work by helping regulate blood sugar and keeping your appetite in check. But here's the thing. Not everyone wants to deal with weekly injections, especially when you start hearing about some of the side effects that can come with them. That's where lean comes in. It's a weight loss supplement developed by doctors, and people are seeing some really impressive results. The ingredients in lean are backed by research, showing that they can help lower blood sugar, turn stored fat into energy, and reduce those constant cravings that make dieting so hard. This stuff is no joke. I am one of those people that eat sometimes a lot when I'm stressed. But once Lean came into the picture, I was able to rein in my cravings. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping

so you can add Lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit TakeLean.com and enter Wire for your discount. That's promo code wire at takelein.com today. Analysis of newly released Epstein documents showed that the FBI found little evidence that Jeffrey Epstein was running a sex trafficking ring for powerful individuals. Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter, Amanda Prestige Okimo. So Amanda, this new reporting has been unexpected. Some people are still skeptical. First, let's start with these apparent FBI findings. What did they reveal? Yeah, so analysis of millions of documents that were just recently released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act that was signed by Trump in November, the FBI apparently found insufficient evidence that Epstein was operating a sex trafficking ring that involved other wealthy or influential people.

So these media reports do say that documents indicate that photos and video sees during the investigation do reveal abuse by Epstein and longtime confident Galane Maxwell. But while these files confirm Epstein sexually abused underage girls, there was not enough evidence to prove that he supplied minors to other powerful men. Basically, feds couldn't find enough evidence for federal charges despite referrals to local law enforcement about allegations of abuse. Now, to be clear, these conclusions are based on media reporting of newly released DOJ and FBI documents like internal memos, and the DOJ has not independently issued a statement confirming these findings. Now, not everyone is satisfied with these findings. What are the main complaints? Yes, some politicians and commentators, they say that there are just far too many redactions and not enough of these documents have been released. both Democrat Roe Kana and Republican Thomas Massey. They've voiced these concerns.

They want to know if redacted or unreleased documents contain any client lists or other information about Epstein working on behalf of a foreign government or intelligence service. The DOJ says that many documents just could not be released to the public for a number of reasons, including victim privacy. Here's Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explaining. The categories of documents withheld include those permitted under the Act to be withheld, files that contain personally identify information of victims or victims personal and medical files. Child pornography was obviously excluded. Anything that would jeopardize an active federal investigation. And finally, anything that depicts or contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury.

Blanche did say that members of Congress could look at material that has been redacted, Massey and Kana did just that on Monday and then spoke to the press. Here's Massey. We went in there for two hours. There's millions of files, right? And in a couple of hours, we found six men whose names have been redacted, who are implicated in the way that the files are presented. Now, there was also a Super Bowl ad that ran on Sunday about the files and those redactions.

Tell us about that ad. Yeah, so the ad features alleged victims demanding more transparency surrounding these Epstein files. It also specifically takes aim at AG Bondi. Here's a few seconds of that ad. We all deserve the truth. Now, this garnered a pretty interesting reaction online. We saw Democrats like Chuck Schumer posting it, but others questioned the timing of it and felt it was possibly political. The Daily Wires, Matt Walsh, for example, he commented, quote,

These women could also just name their abusers at any time. Instead, they've embarked on a months-long publicity campaign. which curiously didn't start until the exact moment Biden left office. Now, this sparked a response from Elon Musk. He said that he would pay for the defense of anyone who speaks the truth and is sued for doing so. So we'll have to see what happens there. Now, wrapping up, Galane Maxwell appeared virtually from prison for a closed-door house deposition. What happened there?

Well, she pleaded the fifth. She refused to answer questions, but she did say through her attorney that she will provide the public with the unfiltered truth if her sentence is to be cut short. The attorney for Maxwell also said that she alone could explain by President Trump and former President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein. So some strategic silence there from Maxwell. Also on the radar, Georgia, the Clintons have a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee, and that's scheduled for the end of this month. Well, that's coming up. Hopefully we can get some answers. Amanda, thanks for reporting. You're welcome.

If you're trying to hit your protein goals in 2026, you might want to actually read a protein bar label. Most often it's like reading a candy bar full of chemicals you can't pronounce and then leaving you bloated and unsatisfied. Bars with way and processed junk that just don't work. That's why we're into Eqip's prime bar. Our sponsor Eqip is all about making healthy habits simple and sustainable. Each bar boasts 20 grams of clean protein and just 11 ingredients, including collagen, beef tallow, colostrum, dates, and honey. Plus, they have fantastic flavors like chocolate and peanut butter and mixed berry. I have been taking these bars everywhere.

It's such a convenient way to not only hit my goals, but also satisfy the sweet tooth craving I didn't know I had while keeping me on track. Starting today, our listeners will receive an exclusive discount on Prime Bar, which has become our team's favorite protein bar on the market, with 20 grams of protein in every bar. Go to equipfoods.com slash wire and use code wire at checkout to get 25% off one-time purchases or 40% off your first subscription order for unlimited time. That's EQUIPFoods.com slash wire and use code wire at checkout.

Vice President Vance became the first president or vice president in American history to travel to Armenia this week. He met Monday with Armenia's prime minister who signed a document reaffirming Armenia's commitment to peace with Azerbaijan. A peace negotiated six months ago by President Trump after more than 30 years of conflict. What President Trump and the prime minister have accomplished together is really visionary. We're not just making peace for Armenia. We're also creating real prosperity for Armenia and the United States together. The vice president also announced a deal for the U.S. to sell Armenia $11 million in drone technology and that the two countries are working on a civil nuclear agreement.

Joining us to discuss is Stepan, who is from Armenian as a former governor who works closely with the prime minister. Stepan, thank you so much for joining us. It's a pleasure. Thanks for the invitation. So many Americans are familiar with the peace. deal worked out last year between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but not many people know the history of that conflict, and particularly why the U.S. got involved. Can you give us some context there? U.S. was involved since the 90s during the first phase of the conflict, obviously because of humanitarian reasons to eventually resolve the killing between the two nations. But also,

United States has strategic interest into region because both Armenia and Azerbaijan, being in the South Caucasus, represent an important corridor, which serves a bridge between east and west, be it for various oil and gas pipelines, or trade between China and Europe, overall, a key piece of real estate in the Eurasian landmass. Now, you personally helped organize the first ever national prayer breakfast in Armenia, and you were inspired by the U.S. Obviously, the Christian heritage of Armenia goes back centuries to the 300s.

Do you see many refugees from countries that persecute Christians flowing into Armenia? Armenia is one beacon of religious freedom in the entire region. Armenia on all three sides is surrounded by Islamic countries, as you referred already earlier.

So with some of them, we've been at war. Frost relations with Iran, we've had great friendly relations, but without betraying our Christian roots, we have been able to both remain Christian, but at the same time offer refuge not only Christians persecuted in other countries, but also other religious minorities, Yazidis, Kurds, even Muslims who had been persecuted by Islamic State in Syria and, you know, corresponding territories of Iraq, who could find Armenia as the safe haven to come and both find physical. security and also liberty to exercise their faith. Now, you mentioned the strategic location of Armenia, in particular when it comes to trade.

The Trump trade routes are a major part of these negotiations. Where do things stand now with those talks? J.D. Vans, the vice president of the United States, the highest ranking official, American official, to visit Armenia, held press conference with the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nicole Pashinian. They signed documents one pertaining specifically to cooperation between Armenia and United States in the sphere of nuclear energy. So the trip project, as we call it, as is commonly known, the Trump route for international peace and prosperity, is a key corridor of railways, energy corridor, IT, all kinds of fiber optic cables. that's meant to solidify and institutionalize the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It's meant to carry, ferry, all kinds of goods, oil, gas, not only within the region, but also as far as Central Asia, perhaps even as far as China. And right now, both the Americans and Armenians and the Azerbaijani counterparts are working very diligently and very expeditiously to bring it into fruition. And just as the vice president said during the press conference, that means a lot of investment, but it's not just about money. It's about peace building.

Well, truly transformative negotiations taking place right now and really exciting to see the American vice president for the first time ever in your country. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for the interview. And what's being seen as a major blow to the pro-democracy movement In Hong Kong, British media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in Chinese prison yesterday.

Lai's newspaper Apple Daily was widely seen as the last free press outlet in China. Here to discuss Lai's sentence is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. So, Tim, Lai is 78 years old. A 20-year sentence could mean he spends the rest of his life in prison. What are his chances of getting out? Yeah, it seems like it's going to come down to President Trump and whether he can negotiate a deal with President Xi for Lai's release. Trump has previously pushed for Lye's release, and he has another meeting scheduled with

she in April, and that could be where a deal for Lye is negotiated. According to Father Robert Serico, he's the founder of the free market think tank, the Acton Institute, and a longtime friend of Lye. That's really Lye's best bet. Serico spoke to the Daily Wire in December after Lye was sentenced, and he said that Lai should be a top priority despite the complexity that bargaining over Lai's life would cause in international relations. Here's a bit more from Sariko.

I'm just determined to not let this thing be forgotten. This needs to be in everybody's face. We are being judged by this. The way we react to this man, this man needs to be a Solzhenitsyn. He needs to be a Mandela. He needs to be seen in that light. Now, Lai was convicted of violating Hong Kong's new national security law, but a lot of people thought that was just a contrived offense that came from the CCP because they didn't like

what Jimmy Lai was doing with his newspaper. Can you describe why they were so upset with him? Yeah, Lai's case is really about free speech and the consequences of standing up to a dictatorial regime. Lai was a very successful entrepreneur before he decided to take on the Chinese government, and afterward, he made the decision to stay in Hong Kong, essentially ensuring he would be arrested for his outspoken stance against the communist Chinese. Here's Sariqo again. Tiananmen Square hit, and he was deeply moved about the land of his ancestors, but didn't think of it. in political terms until then. And then he began printing up t-shirts,

defending the protests. And China didn't like this very much. So they basically said, you'll either stop or we will close you down. So he sold out his interest in the textile company and then put the money into Apple Daily. I think actually he began a media empire before that, but then he really built.

it and it became the number one selling newspaper in Hong Kong. The last edition sold one million copies. Apple Daily was kind of an amalgamation between the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal and the National Enquirer. So it had a lot of gossip and stuff and entertainment stuff and all that kind of thing. And then a very serious editorial position and news content. And he took on the Chinese and he insulted some of the high political leaders. And then when, of course, the umbrella revolution came back in 2000 or a little bit before that, when you had almost the entirety of the population of Hong Kong, there's 7 million people. I think they had 4 million on the streets, very creatively demonstrating the communists in Beijing finally said,

we're going to kind of clamp down on all this. They instituted the security law, which enable them now to pride Jimmy, which he's been in jail for four years, solitary confinement, to today. Serico is also a Catholic priest, and he encouraged people to remember and pray that lie will be returned to his family soon. Think of your freedom. Say a prayer, or if you don't pray, have some good thoughts or whatever that does. You know, pray. Pray. Even if you have to pray to whom it may concern, pray that this man is free. Well, a disturbing situation, but no doubt lie is an incredibly brave person. Tim, thanks for reporting.

Thanks for having me. 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. More news you need to know.