The Megyn Kelly Show - Trump Nears Major Ukraine Deal, NYC Migrant Center Closes, Joy Reid Signs Off: AM Update for 2/25

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

AM Update for 2/25: The U.S. and Ukraine are reportedly nearing an economic deal. NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces the closure of a major migrant center as illegal immigration declines. The Trump administration prepares to reinstate Title 42. A major shakeup at MSNBC sees Joy Reid ousted.We Heart Nutrition: Go to https://WeHeartNutrition.com/MEGYN for 20% offByrna: Go to https://Byrna.com/MEGYN to save 10%

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, and this is your AM Update. The agreement's being worked on now. They're very close to a final deal. Despite some tension between Presidents Trump and Zelensky, the U.S. and Ukraine are close to signing an agreement. As the U.S. prepares to make a significant financial investment into Ukraine, European leaders step up to provide security assurances. We're able to announce the closure of this site. We're closing 53 sites within the span of a year. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announces the closure of the four-star hotel that was used as a command center to receive thousands of migrants under the Biden administration. And a major shakeup at MSNBC leaves viewers without any joy. All that and more coming up on your AM Update. So many people these days are super focused on their health,

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personalized supplement subscription recommendation delivered right to your door each month. And right now they are giving you 20% off your first order with my code, Megan. Invest in your health. Go to weheartnutrition.com and use the code Megan for 20% off. That's weheartnutNutrition.com, code M-E-G-Y-N. Despite many public barbs and expressions of discontent, the U.S. and Ukraine are reportedly within inches of signing a deal that would forge an extended economic partnership. The latest details confirmed to Axios by Ukrainian officials call for a reconstruction investment fund. The U.S. and Ukraine will be co-managers. The Ukrainians will contribute $500 billion to the fund, double what the U.S. will put in, expected to take the form of minerals.

This appears to be a compromise from President Trump's initial position that Ukraine would have to pay the U.S. back for its support over the last three years. The draft of the agreement reads, quote, the government of the United States of America intends to provide a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine. The fund will invest in projects in Ukraine, which they hope will lure other investors into Ukraine, along with new development prospects. Further details from the agreement stipulate some direct repayment to the U.S. for its aid, though the exact terms remain unclear. President Trump commented on the agreement from the Oval Office yesterday while

hosting French President Emmanuel Macron. I will be meeting with President Zelensky. In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice. I'd love to meet him. We'd meet at the Oval Office. So the agreement's being worked on now. They're very close to a final deal. It'll be a deal with Rare Earths and various other things. And he would like to come, as I understand it, here to sign it, and that would be great with me. I think they then have to get it approved by their counsel or whoever might approve it, but I'm sure that will happen.

President Trump stating the war could end within weeks, quote, if they are smart. Terms of the deal do not include any type of U.S. military commitment in Ukraine. It is purely an economic proposition backed by the idea that an area of strong financial interest for America will not be an easy target for the wandering eye of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since taking office, President Trump repeatedly stated his expectation is for European leaders to take more of a lead in protecting Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron has been a leader in rallying European leaders to contribute more, holding two emergency sessions to coordinate Europe's response. Mr. Macron spoke about those efforts yesterday at the White House via a translator.

And we've also been able to speak about some of this work with our British partners to talk about deployments of peace forces on Ukrainian soil, which are part of these security guarantees. Other countries are ready to join in this effort. We have the same wish, the renewal of an international situation where we are all able to shoulder our responsibilities, Europeans shouldering their responsibilities alongside their American allies who will shoulder their own responsibilities. Europeans need to do more for security in Europe, for defense in Europe, and to more fairly share the security burden that your country has been carrying for so many years. Earlier in the day, President Trump was asked if President Putin will accept European troops in Ukraine as peacekeepers. The president responding from

the Oval. Yeah, he will accept that. I've asked him that question. You talked to me? I've asked him that question. Look, if we do this deal, he's not looking for more war. He doesn't mind. But I've specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it. President Trump says at some point he will meet with Mr. Putin. Over the weekend, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov telling Russian state media the groundwork for the summit is underway and topics will include wider talks on global issues, not just the war in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday for further

discussions on European participation in Ukraine's security. Meanwhile, in Germany, the potential next chancellor is telling his European counterparts the U.S. cannot be relied on. Friedrich Merz, hot off his Sunday election win, criticizing the Trump administration's approach to negotiations with Russia, saying the attempt to make a deal with Russia on Ukraine, in his view, without the Europeans or Ukraine, is unacceptable. Mr. Mertz saying if they, quote, do not just make America first, but America alone, their motto, then it will be difficult. He followed up on that comment with optimism that he will succeed in maintaining the transatlantic partnership.

But before Mr. Merz can shape Germany's foreign policy, he has to secure his own path to power at home. Germany's parliamentary system means parties have to form coalitions. Merz's center right coalition secured just 29% of the seats. In second place, the AFD, the Alternative for Germany party. They won about 21 percent of the seats. The conservative government voted for by about half of the German population will likely not come to fruition, however. Historian Victor Davis Hansen explained further on The Megyn Kelly Show yesterday. Constructive criticism, it says, we want you to live up to your Western obligations to ensure free speech. And it's going to make it much worse because if you took the AFD's vote and Merz's vote, it's about 50, 51% of the people

and they should have a conservative government. But he's going to reach out to the Green Party and the Social Democrats and there's not going to be a conservative voice in Germany. And that's going to make people even angrier after they feel they voted for a conservative majority. Coming up, New York City Mayor Eric Adams says the Roosevelt Hotel converted migrant processing facility is closing. And a big shakeup at MSNBC leaves viewers joyless.

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thanks to the sound policy decisions of our team, we're able to announce the closure of this site and help even more asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys while simultaneously saving taxpayers millions of dollars. With this closure, we're closing 53 sites within the span of a year. A flashpoint of the immigration debate, the four-star accommodation rented out by taxpayers under a $220 million contract providing lodging for thousands of migrants brought in under the Biden administration. The city quickly began to collapse amid the influx of migrants bused to the city by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

The 4,000 migrants arriving per week in New York at that time, just a tiny fraction of the onslaught Texas was dealing with along the southern border. In December, Mayor Adams' office reported that the arrivals had fallen to just 800. New York City is a sanctuary city with a right to housing, meaning the city was barred from cooperating with ICE officials, and they were required to provide shelter for all new arrivals. The Roosevelt Hotel and other shelters will officially close by June of this year. With the arrival of the Trump administration, Mayor Adams promised to increase cooperation between city and federal officials. Critics of the mayor say this closure is the product of a quid pro quo deal. Mayor Adams was facing corruption charges brought under the Biden administration. They were dropped by the Trump DOJ. Mayor Adams denies the allegations.

He began publicly speaking out about the immigration crisis in the summer of 2023, saying, quote, our cup has basically runneth over. We have no more room in the city. Documents obtained by CBS suggest the Trump administration is preparing to implement Title 42, the order used during COVID to expel incoming migrants on the grounds of health concerns without entertaining any asylum claims. Title 42 was first implemented under Trump 1.0. The Biden administration kept it in place until 2023. CBS reporting the CDC is planning to issue an order labeling the illegal immigrants as a public health risk. In May 2024, a measles outbreak in Chicago was traced back to a migrant shelter. Joy Reid out of a job as MSNBC's new president makes major programming changes.

Reid is the highest profile star of the network to get the axe, though others are now going to. In December, Reid was reportedly required to take a pay cut from her alleged $3 million salary in order to hold on to her chair. Never a good sign. The network plans to fill the time slot with a panel show hosted by Simone Sanders Townsend, who previously worked as a senior advisor to Kamala Harris, Michael Steele, Never Trumper, who at one point headed the RNC, and left-wing journalist Alicia Menendez, the daughter of former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez. The final episode of The Readout aired last night. The Readout worked because everybody from the interns on up put their whole heart into it.

Much love to everybody, everybody who made The Readout great. Shout out to our amazing readers, our audience. I just love running into y'all in the airport, on these streets, and on social media. I could not love or appreciate you more. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for holding us down almost five years. We are a toddler and we out in these streets in this world and we are not going to stop. Those four viewers are really going to miss her. Alex Wagner, host of the 9 p.m. slot four days per week, is getting a demotion to correspondent. Former Biden White House press

secretary Jen Psaki will take over that time slot after the conclusion of the first 100 days of the Trump administration. That's when Rachel Maddow goes back to work hosting just one day a week while still earning her $30 million paycheck, reportedly. Earning? That'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for The Megyn Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.