Morning Wire - Trump Meets Zelensky & ICE Ride-Along | 4.28.25

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

President Trump huddled with Zelensky and European leaders in Rome, Pope Francis is laid to rest, and our reporter joins ICE during arrests in Boston as part of our special Trump 100 Days coverage. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Lumen: Go to lumen.me/WIRE to get 15% off your Lumen. Beam: Go to shop.beam.com/WIRE for up to 40% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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like on our own.com on-one. Trump sits down one-on-one with Zelensky in Rome and ramps up pressure on Putin. There's no reason to suspect that Vladimir Putin will respond in any way to this unless and until the United States changes its attitude

to bringing this war to an end. Russia's latest attack on Ukraine, where do peace talk stand now? I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howl. It's Monday, April 28th, and this is Morning Wire. Hundreds of thousands of mourners gather in St. Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis. We're celebrating a man of God who returned to God. And Trump vowed to make America safe again. Now 100 days into his second term, we ride along with ICE agents in Boston as they arrest illegal immigrant

criminals. This is what the administration wants. This is what the American people voted for. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. When your metabolism is working correctly, you feel the benefits in every aspect of life. With Lumen, the world's first handheld metabolic coach, you can gain insight and stay on track when it comes to improving your health. By simply breathing into my Lumen each morning, I can discover if my body is burning fats or carbs. The warmer months are coming. Spring back into your health and fitness. Head over to Lumen. Dot me slash wire to get 15% off your Lumen. L-U-M-E-N dot me slash wire for 15% off your purchase.

Thank you, Lumen, for sponsoring this episode. President Trump traveled to the Vatican on Saturday for the first foreign trip of his second term. There, he honored the Pope and met face-to-face with Vladimir Zelensky as well as other European leaders. Daily Wire's senior editor Cabot Phillips joins us now with the latest A Cabot. So we'll get to the Pope's funeral with Megan in the next segment. But first, some big meetings took place this weekend. and some iconic images actually came out of it. What did we see?

Well, the first international trip of Trump's second term was a brief one. It only lasted 14 hours, but it was certainly consequential. While waiting for the funeral to start, President Trump and Vladimir Zelensky, huddled with Britain's Kier-Starmer and Francis Emmanuel Macron. It was a remarkable scene of political strength and, importantly, unity there in St. Peter's Basilica. Another image shows Trump and Zelensky intensely meeting one-on-one on that famous floor. Now, keep in mind, this was their first encounter since Zelensky's just disastrous visit to the White House back in February. But this time, there were no advisors, translators, or video cameras.

And by all accounts, things went much more smoothly this go-round. Zelensky called it a, quote, very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, adding that he and Trump discussed a full and unconditional ceasefire and reliable and lasting peace. Now, for his part, the president certainly seemed more pleased with Zelensky than last time, writing on Truth Social that it was time for a high-level summit to, quote, finish it off. In his words, most of the major points are agreed to. Well, now, following that, meeting, Trump really ramped up the pressure on Putin, and he took to social media.

What did he say to the president of Russia? Yeah, for months, Trump has been taking a more diplomatic approach with his Russian counterpart, implying it was actually Zelensky, who was the reason that a deal had not yet been struck. Following Saturday's sit down, he took a rare public shot at Putin, writing on social media that, quote, there is no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he does not want to stop the war. He's just tapping me along.

It has to be dealt with differently through banking or secondary sanctions. Too many people are dying. So Trump really escalating threats against Russia while these peace negotiations are going on. And where do those talks stand now? Well, it's been just an up and down few days. Last week, the White House threatened to abandon peace talks entirely that the two sides did not show more of a willing to negotiate. And that seemed to get the ball rolling. On Friday, Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, traveled to Moscow for a three-hour meeting with Putin, which the Kremlin

described as, quote, constructive and quite useful. They added the two sides had, quote, narrowed differences. That same day is a sign of their willingness to make a deal. Ukraine reportedly sent the White House a new peace proposal that included a major concession. They would not demand all of their land back that Russia had taken. As Linsky sees it, Russia is the one holding up a deal. says that peace can only be reached if the U.S. continues to exert pressure on Putin. The Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro traveled to Kiev last week to sit down with Zelensky, and here he is making that argument.

Now the question is Russia, and that is the only element in this construct that is not yet ready to put into this war, and we high hope on the strengths of the United States and the influence that United States has on Russia. So for the Russia to agree to put an end to this war, it depends on them. Now, with regard to the international balance of power, we have a major election on our own continent going on this week. It actually relates to Trump in some ways. Tell us about what's happening in Canada.

Yeah, a wild election for control of the prime minister's office will be decided today. And like you mentioned, in many ways, the defining issue of this race has been Donald Trump. Yeah. The election has hinged on which party Canadians feel, will stand up to Trump best. To that point, 39% of Canadians now say Donald Trump was their top concern this election. That is second behind only the cost of living.

In the winter, it looked like Pierre Polyev's conservative party would cruise to victory, but acting Prime Minister Mark Carney's liberal party has been surging in the polls, and in large part, it's due to his promise to fight Donald Trump. Let's give you an idea of that message. Here is his closing statement to supporters this weekend. America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. President Trump is trying to break us

so that America can own us. For his part, conservative Pierre Paliyev has taken more subtle jabs at Trump and instead chosen to focus on combating mass migration and reversing liberal Trudeau era economic policies. But the polls are tight. This looks like a toss-up. You can bet the White House is going to be watching these results very closely tonight.

I'm sure they are a very crucial election for Canada in so many ways. Kappa, thanks so much for reporting. Absolutely. I want to introduce you to you to be a very important. Beam's dream powder. It's a healthy nighttime blend packed with science-backed ingredients, shown to improve sleep so you can wake up refreshed. Dream is made with powerful all-natural ingredients such as rashi, magnesium, and L-thianine, among others. Try Beam's best-selling dream powder and get up to 40% off for a limited time. Head over to shopbeam.com and use code wire

and use-com slash wire and use code wire for up to 40% off. The world bid farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday with World Leap faithful Catholics and mourners gathering in St. Peter's Square to honor his legacy. Joining us with the details is Daily Wire Culture Reporter, Megan Basham. So, Megan, take us through the day. What was the scene like in the Vatican? Yeah, Georgia. I mean, obviously this was a very emotional atmosphere. It was a reverent atmosphere, one of profound emotion. There were an estimated 250,000 people filling the square and surrounding streets and millions more. watching at home worldwide to pay their respects to Francis.

The funeral was held at 10 a.m. local time in Rome, and it was very much a blend of tradition and the simplicity that Francis was so well known for championing. Just a bit about him. During his papacy, he chose to live in a simple guesthouse rather than in the papal palace. He also chose to live without internet and was famous for reading only one Italian newspaper a day,

and he vowed to give up television 30 years ago and kept that vow until his death. And that simplicity very much guided his final wishes. His open wooden coffin was a departure from the traditional triple casket. It lay at ground level in St. Peter's Basilica because Pope Francis wanted to be at ground level to show that he was with the people and not above them. And he also chose to be buried in his old black shoes rather than in the traditional, more elegant red shoes.

Saturday's Mass was led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Ray, whose homily called Francis a Pope among the people, really highlighting his warmth. He was the first pope from Latin America. He was also the first Jesuit Pope. And after the service, his coffin was carried in a modest process to the Basilica Santa Maria Majorie, where Francis was laid to rest.

And that was also a departure from tradition, but it fulfilled his personal wish to be buried at a site that he held personally very dear. Now, Megan, the guest list at this event was very remarkable. Who were some of the people there? Yes, as Cabot alluded to, this was a significant diplomatic gathering as well, with some 170 foreign dignitaries gathered. It included dozens of heads of state, just a few, of course.

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron was there, Argentine president, Javier Malay, representing Francis's native country. And then arriving in Rome, this was what Vice President J.D. Vance, himself, of course, a Catholic, had to say to C-SPAN when they asked about his being one of the very last people to meet with the Pope. I try to just, you know, remember that I was lucky that I got to shake his hand and tell him that I pray for him every day because I did and I do. And then another notable moment here, Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, was also among the mourners. He attended

with his family to thank Francis for supporting him during his imprisonment. Now, Francis was also controversial in some ways and a trailblazer on some issues, correct? Yeah, very much. His nickname was the great reformer, and we do have to note that those reforms did tend to lean towards the progressive side. So we're going to see if the College of Cardinals selects a new pope who continues to follow in Francis's footsteps. Now, about that process, how does that work? Well, the conclave, of course, is a centuries-old tradition, and it takes place inside that sacred Sistine Chapel. Typically begins about 15 to 20 days after the death of the previous Pope.

So we're expecting it to start to take place somewhere between May 5th, May 11th. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote. So this time, there are going to be about 135 eligible cardinals. And their first meeting, again, we'll see it in early May. and they will be under a strict oath of secrecy. These cardinal electors are sworn not to discuss anything that happens in that room. They are not to communicate with the outside world. No news media, no computers, nothing online.

So when they've reached that two-thirds majority, indicating that they have selected a new pope, we will know by the white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel. All right. Well, we're going to be watching that smoke very carefully. Megan, thanks for reporting. Of course, my pleasure. Since President Trump took office 100 days ago, encounters at the southern border have dropped significantly by as much as 95%.

His promise of mass deportations is also underway. Daily Wire reporter Cassie Akiba just joined ICE as they patrol the streets of Boston on an enforcement mission, and she joins us now. Hey, Cassie, so what did you see on your trip? Hi, John. I just wrapped up a six-hour long ride-along with the ICE director, Todd Lyons. I was with him and his agents and also other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, and we were there to arrest criminal legal aliens. So today we're out here. The Boston Field Office, both ERO and HSI, have a bunch of high-profile targets, the worst of the worst, that are out here in Massachusetts, either they were released by a sanctuary jurisdiction who didn't honor an ICE detainer or they're wanted on some type of immigration violation here in the United States.

Director Lyons said that while his team in Boston is highly effective and actually one of the most effective in the country, there are many challenges because they are operating in a sanctuary jurisdiction, which means the local governments provide essentially no help. And they even take the criminal aliens from jails and release them onto the streets without giving ice any warning. A police department, a sheriff's department, the state police have deemed these individuals a public safety threat and lock them up. Yet instead of working with the federal government, they decide to release them back on the street, which to me makes absolutely no sense. Now on this mission, you saw a few arrests, correct? Correct. So on this

They had five targets. Only two were arrested. And the reason for that is before they arrest them, they surveilling them, they're getting their movements. They're trying to figure out the best time to approach them. And oftentimes, the best time is to approach them is when they're leaving their house to go to work. You don't really want to arrest them when they're close to home because they might run back into the house and then you need a warrant. So when they see them on the streets on their way to work, they pick them up. But it was raining. And a lot of these guys work outside. So because of the rain, they didn't go to work. Two were arrested. And they are the worst of the worst. Look at the first one we got, right? He had two counts of sexual assault of a child, right? That's not someone you want in your community. That's not someone who came here for a

better life. That's someone that's committed in violent crimes, and especially against the youth of the community. Second guy, you know, he killed someone and left the scene on a vehicle accident, right? So these are definitely the worst of the worst. You know, I think this shows exactly what President Trump and what Secretary of Nome have been saying all along, that ICE's main focus is getting those worse in the worst out of the communities. So how have ICE agents' roles changed since Trump took office? One, they're working a lot more.

And two, they feel like they actually have support. They have other agencies bringing people in and giving them what they need. They have an administration that is telling them that they have their back. So they feel good. They feel like there's morale. And they really kicked it into gear in the last 100 days.

The first 100 days, we did more arrest than the previous state of administration did last year. And I think when you look at those and you see those serious cases that were out there getting, it shows that this administration is serious about public safety and making America safe again. We actually feel the backing to get out there to do our job. We also have the backing of the American public, though, right? Americans voted overwhelmingly that they want the worst of the worst. They want these criminal aliens out of our neighborhoods, out of our communities.

Morale has increased because we have that leadership backing that we never had before. So what I saw first, firsthand in this raid is that these agents are energized through mission focus, and they're feeling that they have the momentum to go after these 100 days. You can definitely sense that morale is improved there through your footage. Cassie, thank you so much for bringing us this report. My pleasure. You're welcome. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with more news you need to know.