The Daily Signal - Trump, Putin to Call Off Peace Summit, Mike Johnson Makes Statement on the Epstein Files and NYC’s Second Mayoral Debate | Oct. 22, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 At Desjardin, we speak business. We speak equipment modernization. We're fluent in data digitization and expansion into foreign markets. And we can talk all day about streamlining manufacturing processes. Because at Desjardin business, we speak the same language you do. Business. So join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count on us. And contact Desjardin today.

Starting point is 00:00:25 We'd love to talk, business. As America searches to broker a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have called off what would have been their second summit of Trump's second term. But not for the reason you might think. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson makes a big announcement regarding the effort to release more information about the Epstein files. And three major candidates to become the next mayor of New York City,

Starting point is 00:00:59 prepare for a big debate. I'm Daily Signal Politics editor Bradley Devlin, in for Tony Kinnett. The date is October 22nd, 2025, and this is your top news in 10. President Donald Trump's second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been called off. The meeting, which was announced last week, was going to take place in Budapest, Hungary, very soon, and would have been a quick turnaround for a second summit just two months after Trump met with Putin in Alaska. The White House's announcement on Tuesday followed a Monday call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. An unnamed White House official told Politico that Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive

Starting point is 00:01:48 call. The call was so productive that an in-person meeting between Trump and Putin put together with haste is no longer necessary, according to the official. Quote, an additional in-person meeting between the secretary and foreign minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future." End quote. Addressing reporters in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov provided some details about his call with Rubio. Specifically, Lavrov said Russia's requirement that a peace deal is inked before the two sides stopped fighting has not changed. Lavrov said, quote, I believe American officials have concluded that Russia's position has remained largely unchanged over time, and

Starting point is 00:02:30 remains within the bounds of its initial maximalist demands, end quote. And he added that, quote, Russia has not altered its positions compared to understandings and prolonged negotiations between Putin and Trump in Alaska. We remain entirely committed to this formula, and I confirmed it yesterday in the conversation with Marco Rubio, end quote. Trump previously announced the now canceled Budapest summit after a phone call with Putin the day before Trump hosted Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that he will not block a floor vote on a resolution for the release of the Epstein files. The mechanism members of Congress are attempting to use

Starting point is 00:03:14 to bring this resolution to the floor is called a discharge petition. A discharge petition is a procedural mechanism that forces a bill out of committee and onto the floor for consideration, even if the committee chair or party leadership oppose it. The discharge petition in question was brought forth by Republican Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massey and Democratic California Congressman Roe Kana. The discharge petition needs 218 signatures, a majority of the legislative body, to get it forced to the floor. Johnson said, quote, if it reaches 218 signatures, it comes to the floor, end quote. Johnson also assured reporters that this measure would not be blocked if it reached,

Starting point is 00:03:59 is the threshold it needs to be forced to the floor. Trump, who once fought for the release of the Epstein files, has recently become hostile to their release, going so far as to call them a hoax. And despite pressure from Trump and some in GOP leadership, three Republicans, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, and Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Bobert, have joined Massey in signing the petition. In theory, that could be enough Republicans to force the measure to the floor if all Democrats sign on when current vacancies are ultimately filled. Tonight, the candidates running to be the next mayor of New York City will square off yet again on the debate stage. The race features two prominent Democrats, one a rising star, the other a fallen star, and one Republican.

Starting point is 00:04:54 Of course, the rising star is Queen's Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani, the out-and-presenter. proud Democratic Socialist who has floated making public buses free, you know, except for the taxes, and having the local government run grocery stores. The fallen star is none other than former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned that office because of a sexual harassment scandal, which followed his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. His COVID-19 policies regarding nursing homes, for example, led to thousands of elderly people dying from the disease, and some called these deaths needless. Curtis Slewa is the lone Republican in the race, and calls are increasing for Slewa to drop out. The New York Post editorial board called on Slewa to drop out of the race on

Starting point is 00:05:40 Monday, writing, quote, moving forward and with no disrespect to Curtis Slewa, if the Republican party wants to be a viable alternative to the Democrats for citywide office, it has to do better. Slewa has worked hard in this run, getting well briefed on all the issues, showing up every day all over the city and even setting aside his perfound red beret. But he is an oddball, with a sometimes shady past and zero experience relevant to running the behemoth that is city government. Yet the GOP's county bosses lined up firmly behind Sliwa. If Republicans had come up with a more credible candidate, with a second line less eccentric than protect animals, we'd likely now be demanding that Cuomo drop out. But the fact

Starting point is 00:06:24 remains that Mamdani is poised to win and do major deadly damage to the lives of all New Yorkers. He must be stopped. It stinks, but for the sake of the city you love so deeply, Curtis, please swallow this bitter pill." Others from New York politics and business have joined the post's call for Slewa to drop out, including Republican billionaire John Katz Mattis. But Slewa told reporters on Tuesday that he is in the race until Election Day, and even suggested some had offered him to drop out of the race. Quote, let's be very clear.

Starting point is 00:06:58 I am not dropping out under no circumstances, the GOP nominee for mayor said at a press conference on Tuesday morning. I've already been offered money to drop out. I said no. End quote. Current polls of the three-way race show Mamdani with a 10 to 15 point edge over Cuomo, but those calling for Slewa to drop out says a two-way race would be a toss-up. Regardless, tonight's debate could be the last chance for Sliwa.

Starting point is 00:07:24 and Cuomo to land major blows on Mondani before Election Day. That is your top news in 10 for October 22nd, 2025. This is Bradley Devlin, politics editor for The Daily Signal, signing off. We'll see you tomorrow.

The Daily Signal - Trump, Putin to Call Off Peace Summit, Mike Johnson Makes Statement on the Epstein Files and NYC’s Second Mayoral Debate | Oct. 22, 2025

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.