Transcript of Rubio Rallies Gulf Allies & The Left Loses Ground in Latin America | 6.24.26

The White House fires back at claims from Iran about the terms of the deal.

They're wrong. They know they're wrong. They told us inside, and we have it down 100% inspections. And if they were right, I'd cancel the meetings right now.

I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, June 24th. This is Morning Wire.

Major League Baseball's Christian targeting controversy grows after the league responds to a Republican senator's demands.

This is a climbdown by MLB, and that's as it should be, because what they were doing was stupid. It was ridiculous. It violated the First Amendment, and it's nice to see them say that they were wrong.

And a Trump-backed candidate in Colombia is heading to the presidency amid growing backlash in South America against socialism.

He called me last night. And he thanked me for the endorsement. He won, he won the election. It wasn't— he wasn't anticipated to win. It's just an honor. He was just a good man.

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned, we have the news you need to know.

Here's something hiring managers say matters a lot more than most people realize: enthusiasm. According to CNBC, nearly half of hiring managers say a candidate's enthusiasm for the job is one of the most important factors they consider. Well, if you need to hire for your business, how can you separate the candidates who actually care about your job from the ones that are just meh? The answer: zip ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter has a new feature that lets you see the most interested qualified candidates first so you meet the right people faster. Candidates can even tell you why they're interested in the role, and ZipRecruiter smart matching technology helps connect you with qualified candidates right away. Use ZipRecruiter and find enthusiastic talent fast. 4 out of 5 employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day, and now you can try it for free at ziprecruiter.com/wire. That's ziprecruiter.com/wire. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter.

President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are furiously defending the current state of the Iran deal against what they say are false claims coming from the Iranian side.

Joining us with more is Ben Domenech, Daily Wire opinion editor and host of The Big Ben Show. Ben, great to have you back on.

Great to be with you.

All right, so Rubio is in the Middle East and he's been very busy already, uh, not just with this series of sit-downs, uh, with other countries, but also correcting the record on the Iran talks. It's been fascinating to watch. We've also heard from Trump on this. Uh, first, what are we hearing from the White House on the current deal?

The White House, I think, uh, really is in defense mode on this. They feel like the criticisms that have been leveled against them by key members of the U.S. Senate in particular, but also by outside figures, have been unfair, and they've been pushing back against that over the last couple of days. But I think particularly Marco Rubio pushing back against it is meant to send a message to people like Tom Cotton and others on Capitol Hill who have said that this deal may not be the kind of thing that the US should do. We also have additional polling data now since we've had enough time to look at this deal to see where the president's base is. And unfortunately for the president, at least according to the latest CBS poll that came out, only 39% of Republicans support the deal. That's something that I think is an indication of the fact that a lot of Republicans are looking at this scenario and saying, Why are we sending money to a regime that we hate? And I think that that's something that, you know, is, uh, one that the administration would push back against, saying it's not actually money that's coming from us, it's money that's going from other sources or that's being unlocked for the Iranians.

But still, I think it feels like for a lot of Republicans, like, this is something that is being done weekly on bended knee where we're asking the Iranians to come along with us. The White House is trying to push back against that, and particularly I think Marco Rubio is trying to send the message that this, this deal, to the extent that it is a deal, uh, requires an overhaul of the entire Iranian approach to sponsoring terror across the Middle East, as they have done for decades.

Yeah, staying on Rubio here a bit more, uh, how significant is it that he's now the one front and center in these talks with our allies in the region? And then do you think his messaging has been effective?

Well, I think Rubio is very used to talking about foreign policy. It's something that has always been part of his bailiwick. And so when it comes to national security and these types of negotiations, I just think that he presents as a stronger figure. When it comes to the situation, uh, with JD Vance, the vice president, obviously they are often pitted against each other. Uh, the photo op scenario that Vance participated in was not one that the president liked. And in fact, multiple people have told me that off, you know, off the record and/or on background, that the president was unhappy with the way that that whole thing played out, essentially feeling like it looked like Vance was the one begging for a feel when the president wants to have always a more strong and robust approach to foreign policy, where he's bending the knee of the other party as opposed to, uh, the Americans feeling like they're approaching things in meekness. That's something that I think he's very cognizant of. And so because of that, deploying Marco Rubio is basically saying we are going to have someone who's friendlier with the hawkish side of the party go out there and, and make the case for this, not just, you know, to the American public, but also be the face of negotiations.

And I think that's something that probably the Israelis would prefer when it comes to having somebody at the table who has more experience.

Now you're dialed into all things DC. Iran, obviously on everyone's mind, but there is more going on, of course, including a certain reflecting pool that's been in and out of the news for the last few days. It's kind of crazy what's happening there. Uh, what else is a priority in the city right now?

Well, the reflecting pool for some reason has taken over the conversation. It's become this viral thing and, and people are disputing whether there was some kind of vandalism involved. Whether, you know, this type of, the no-bid contracts, whether those were the right things to do. You know, the president has said it's gonna get all fixed. But I think that one of the things people should have pay attention to is this is a long-running problem in DC. Multiple presidents have lived through an algae-filled reflecting pool. It's not new. There's a reason that they call Washington, DC a swamp. It's because it's built on one, and the people who are in it certainly have gotten used to inhabiting it that way. For whatever reason, this became a national story. On Capitol Hill right now, People are, I think, frustrated with the president, and there's going to be a meeting, uh, today, uh, where Donald Trump meets with the U.S. Senate. They've said a lot of, uh, different negative things about his current agenda and his current plans, uh, Tom Tillis in particular from North Carolina being very critical. And I think that that's going to be something that a lot of reporters, myself included, pay attention to.

Yeah, we will be watching that very closely. Ben, always great to have you on. Thanks so much.

Great to be with you.

Alliance Defending Freedom knows that freedom belongs to those who fight for it. Americans have carried that legacy for 250 years. Now we must do so again. Censorship is rising, threatening your free speech in every sphere, from classrooms to counselors' offices and even online. Unborn babies are dying as abortion drugs continue flooding states nationwide. Parents are being cut out of kids' critical decisions for their lives. Your best gift by June 30th will help defend courageous Americans like Frank Kneppa, a counselor facing nearly $90,000 in fines for sharing his Catholic faith; Rosalie Markusic, a young woman whose former boyfriend coerced her to take mail-order abortion drugs, killing her unborn baby; and Dan and Jennifer Mead, parents whose 13-year-old daughter was socially transitioned in secret at school. Every dollar you give today will be doubled by a $1 million matching grant, only while funds last. Go to joinadf.com/wire or text WIRE to 83848. Please give your best gift now to defend the next 250 years of freedom. That's joinadf.com/wire or text WIRE to 83848.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is defending the league's handling of Pride promotion, telling Senator Josh Hawley that several players who wrote Bible verses on their Pride-themed caps will not be punished. But the commissioner's response has sparked more blowback.

Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham is here now with the details. So Megan, we had Senator Hawley on last week to discuss his demand hands of the commissioner. He's now gotten a response. That itself is causing a stir. But first, why has this saga become such a big story, particularly with Christians?

You know, Georgia, the league wants to make this a minor issue about following uniform rules, but I think to many Americans, particularly Christians, and that includes Senator Hawley, well, they see something that's much larger at play here. They see the league suppressing Christian free speech while forcing players to endorse an ideology that goes against those deeply held beliefs. The controversy began after several San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote references to Genesis 9 on their pride-themed caps. Now, that's the chapter that describes God's covenant with Noah and the rainbow. So Giants management then issued an apology to the LGBTQ community for the pain and anger this allegedly caused them. And the league issued a warning to the 3 players about altering their uniforms. Now, that's the point where Senator Hawley stepped in. He sent a letter to Commissioner Rob Manfred demanding answers for why the league seemed to be trying to silence Christian players who were conscientiously objecting in an unobtrusive way. So on Monday, Manfred finally responded, and he said this wasn't about religious discrimination, but simply about enforcing a consistent uniform policy, and that these players are not now or ever going to be disciplined over this.

But Holly told us that the league did allow messaging for Black Lives Matter back in 2020, including writing on cleats. So he says this is inconsistent.

Well, the double standard is absolutely glaring, and I think they know that, and I think it's why they had to admit they'd done the wrong thing here. In his letter to me, the commissioner admitted that he was wrong to even verbally discipline or question the players. He admitted that he did that without knowing what the circumstances were. He shouldn't have done it, and he promised to me there will be no fines, no discipline, not only for this incident but never for any player expressing their religious beliefs. He also said that the players are not in fact forced and cannot be forced to wear these uniforms, which I think, to be honest with you, was news to a lot of players. I think they realized it's time to get off the woke train. You know, the country doesn't want it, their fan base doesn't want it, the First Amendment doesn't allow it, and enough is enough.

Manfred did acknowledge that Giants management did not communicate clearly that simply opting out of the Pride gear was an option. But I do think when we look at management's statement after the incident, we can kind of see why the Christian players might have felt like they needed to communicate a little bit more about why they weren't willing to wear the Pride gear. Now, while Manfred did stress that the league does also have Christian-themed nights, it doesn't have any specially branded uniforms for those games. There are no Jesus fish ball caps, and the league itself doesn't signal alignment with Christianity in the same way that it does with Pride, where you get those official MLB social media posts endorsing it. And it's the same thing with Manfred emphasizing in his letter to Hawley that the league has other themed uniforms for things like Mother's Day and raising awareness for childhood cancer. He said no one's ever complained about that, but of course childhood cancer and celebrating mothers are not controversial issues. That's not the case with Pride. Only 38% of Americans now believe that changing genders, which is one of the causes represented in that flag, is moral.

And only 37% of Republicans now agree with the Supreme Court's decision to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. Only 61% of Americans overall now say that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable. Now, that is down 9 points from only 4 years ago. So there's really no other issue that is this contentious for which the league takes an official position endorsing one side.

Right. And increasingly, it seems like a risk for the business to take. Megan, thanks for reporting.

Yeah, my pleasure, Georgia.

As America celebrates 250 years of innovation and opportunity, Comcast is investing in the connections that help communities big and small thrive today. And for generations to come. Over the past 5 years, Comcast has invested nearly $200 billion to expand fast, reliable, and secure broadband, support jobs, and strengthen communities nationwide. From the sports and entertainment people love to new theme park experiences, we're investing in connection and in the economic growth of our country. Learn more at comcastcorporation.com/investment.

A growing number of countries across Latin America are shifting politically, moving away from a wave of leftist governments toward more conservative leadership amid economic frustration, crime concerns, political instability, and corruption scandals.

Joining us now to break it all down is David Shedd, former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a longtime intelligence official with deep experience in Latin America. David, great to have you on.

Delighted to be here with you.

So we've had a lot of movement to the right in South America in particular. We've also had some major developments with Cuba and how the US is handling Cuba. Let's start there, actually. We just had new sanctions from the US announced. What do we need to know there, and how significant is this move from the US?

It's important to realize that the pressure campaign that the administration now has mounted against the Cuban regime of 67 years is tightening up. And with the announcement by Secretary Rubio of these 6 additional sanctions, several of which overlap with GAESA. GAESA is— accounts for somewhere between 40 and 70% of all the economic activity on island, and it is tied inextricably to the Cuban military and to the Cuban Communist Party. So to be very clear, it deserves all the sanctions that can possibly be put on And so these additional sanctions, I would say, is part of once the oil was cut off soon after January from Venezuela and the capture of Maduro and his wife and brought to the Southern District of New York, and then the pressure on President Sheinbaum out of Mexico to cut off the oil. Those are additional pressure points on the regime to capitulate in many ways toward either an economic opening or a change of regime outright.

Moving to Colombia and then Peru. In Colombia, we've just seen this Trump-backed candidate win razor-thin margins with the elections there. Can you speak briefly to both of those situations? How significant are these elections and where do you see these countries going?

Let me start with Colombia. The outcome of having Abelardo de la Espriella win the elections by 1, maybe 1.5% points over Iván Cepeda is a victory for the center, center-right that really restores the course of the relationship with the United States that have suffered over the last 4 years under President Petro, a communist Marxist himself, that would've gone in a very different direction had Cepeda won the elections. Who was even a harder line leftist Marxist than even what we've had in President Petro the last 4 years. So the significance is, and you opened with this, is that this is another manifestation of the center, center-right. And so what I envision with Colombia is a presidency that's very closely aligned with the Trump administration. Now, in Peru, you even have a closer call in terms of the election. In having Keiko Fujimori winning the presidency by an extremely small margin, counted in about 40,000 votes in her favor out of 18 million Peruvians that voted. Now, once again, the implications to having had Roberto Sánchez win would've been dramatically different, much like it would've been if Cepeda had won in Colombia. In terms of the Marxist ideology and that direction.

But what I want your audience to realize is that these are manifestations of how divided these societies and electorates are. These, these very thin margins are a reflection that there is virtually no mandate, regardless who's winning, in any significant way With an exception of President Kast in Chile, who won by a significantly larger margin and is the most center-right president there in Chile, where I lived for 10 years, since the time of Augusto Pinochet and the military junta that ruled Chile.

Yeah, that division creates a very volatile situation, I would imagine. Thank you so much for coming on.

Always welcome the opportunity to talk about Latin America.

Very important. Thank you so much.

Thanks for waking up with us. The reporting that fuels this show is only possible because you tune in every day and because of our Daily Wire subscribers.

To enjoy the show ad-free and join our mission, become a member at dailywire.com. We'll be back this evening, more news you need to know.