--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: Amid calls for his impeachment, as well as officials predicting an unprecedented wave of illegal border crossings, the Homeland Security Secretary is defending the decision to end Title 42. We've had a plan for months, as I mentioned, since fall of last year for the eventual end of Title 42. So what I did was I published a 20-page memorandum that set forth greater details about our plan.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We hear from Secretary Mayorkas and talk to Texas Governor Greg Abbott about the actions his state is taking to address the crisis. I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, May 2nd, and this is Morning Wire. A grand jury in New York that has been investigating Donald Trump for months is now dissolving and after bringing no charges. We'll discuss the significance of the development and what remains of the efforts to prosecute the former president.
--:-- John Bickley: And with crime rates skyrocketing, more minorities are purchasing guns for self-defense. We'll look at the factors driving the new trend. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: This show is brought to you by The Pearl Source. One of the best gifts you can get for mom this Mother's Day is beautiful pearl jewelry from The Pearl Source. They cut out the middlemen and sell directly to customers at up to 70% off of retail prices. The Pearl Source offers free two-day shipping and a 60-day money-back guarantee. So it's risk-free. For a limited time, Morning Wire listeners can take 20% off with promo code MORNINGWIRE at thepearlsource.com.
--:-- John Bickley: After coming under fire on Capitol Hill last week over border policies his critics say are to blame for record illegal immigration, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the rounds on Sunday morning news programs. During his appearances, he defended the decision to end Title 42, which fast-tracked deportations. Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Mayorkas insisted the administration would try to speed up the asylum process, but also admitted that the immigration system is broken.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Individuals who are encountered at the border often make claims for relief under our laws. If they do not make a claim, they're apprehended and they do not make a claim, they are promptly removed. If they make a claim, then they have a right under our law to seek to advance that claim before an immigration judge. If the judge denies their claim, they are removed. There is unanimity about the fact that the system is broken.
--:-- John Bickley: The secretary also acknowledged on Meet the Press that it often takes years to process asylum claims. Historically, it's been six, eight years plus. And we're going to take that six to eight year period over time as we ramp up. We're going to take that to under a year.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Fundamentally, though, Chuck, we need Congress to pass legislation. The state being hardest hit by the border crisis is Texas which has also taken the most aggressive action trying to contain it That includes signing agreements with four Mexican states to better police the border from their side busting migrants to other areas including D and deploying the Texas National Guard.
--:-- John Bickley: Now John Morningwire has talked to the governor of Texas Greg Abbott about the border What did he say? Right. Well, we first asked him about Title 42 and what repealing it would mean for Texas, and he reacted very strongly.
--:-- Georgia Howe: He said the situation will be dire not just for his state, but the entire country. It would be a total disaster for Texas and for the United States. Just look at the numbers that were put out by the Biden administration themselves. The Department of Homeland Security said that with the removal of Title 42, it would result in about 18,000 illegal immigrants being apprehended coming across the border every day, remembering that not everyone who comes across the border is apprehended.
--:-- John Bickley: But extrapolate that math on an annual basis, it would mean that more than 6 million people would be coming across the border illegally every year.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We also asked Abbott about Operation Lone Star. That's an initiative that involves the Texas National Guard. So we've deployed 10,000 National Guard, and they work in collaboration with about 1,000 Texas Department of Public Safety officers. And the National Guard have been nothing but heroes. They've done a terrific job, and I'll list several of the things that they're doing.
--:-- John Bickley: They've laid down tens of miles of razor wire to make it impossible for anybody to come across the river and come into the state of Texas. They did the groundwork for the border wall or for parts of the border wall that were put up. They are now turning back people who are trying to come across the border illegally. The last count I saw, which this is now week old data, but it was well in excess, 15,000 turnbacks that had been achieved by the Texas National Guard where they were rejecting people from coming across the border in the first place.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And they are also assisting the Texas Department of Public Safety in this new program that we created where we actually arrest people who do make it into our state for trespassing. And as opposed to going free, they go to jail in the state of Texas.
--:-- John Bickley: We then asked the governor if these actions have actually had an impact on gang activity like human smuggling and drug trafficking. He said emphatically that they have.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, listen, as you point out rightfully, and that is the cartels really run the border. And no one comes across the border and nothing comes across the border without the cartels working it. And they've been pushing human trafficking and importing fentanyl across the border, et cetera. But we are seeing some consequences as a result of what Texas is doing, because go back in time of this time last year or this time last summer, whatever the case may be. It seemed like it was only Texas that was being penetrated in such a heavy way.
--:-- John Bickley: What we have found is that the Gulf cartel, which is the main region in the Mexican state that has the most crossings into the state of Texas, we've been effective in shutting down some of their routes. And as a result, they actually are losing business to cartels to the west of them. And there's more activity going into New Mexico, into Arizona, into California as a result of our efforts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, with Secretary Mayorkas committed to ending Title 42, we're going to see if those projections about illegal crossings are correct.
--:-- John Bickley: Yeah, and it's clear that the administration is really bracing for something pretty overwhelming.
--:-- John Bickley: Coming up, a grand jury investigating former President Trump comes to an end with no prosecutions. Meat and seafood prices are up 20% in the last year. You can combat this out-of-control inflation with a Good Rancher's subscription. When you subscribe, your price is locked in for the life of your subscription. Get American meat sourced from local farms delivered to your door at a consistent, affordable price. Visit GoodRanchers slash wire or use code wire at checkout to get off and free shipping today Lock in your price today with a Good Ranchers subscription and say goodbye to food inflation
--:-- John Bickley: After a months-long investigation into Donald Trump's business dealings, a grand jury in New York has declined to file charges against the former president. Joining us to discuss is columnist and Daily Wire contributor David Marcus. Good morning, David. With the grand jury dissolving this week, does this mean that the investigation into Trump is over?
--:-- David Marcus: Good morning. And no, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg insists the investigation is ongoing and there's flexibility. But most observers believe that this effectively means Trump will not face any charges.
--:-- John Bickley: Reports suggest that Bragg shied away from prosecution over concerns about whether and how to use testimony from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
--:-- David Marcus: But it seems he didn't think that he had enough evidence against Trump. Now, just a quick refresher for our listeners. Michael Cohen was Trump's lawyer and close confidant who later became a vocal critic of the president. Exactly. Cohen served some time in jail for his own business dealings and was a close member of the Trump inner circle. Some called him Trump's fixer. His flipping on Trump had been seen as key to several potential prosecutions, including this one.
--:-- John Bickley: This might be the last turn on stage for one of the more colorful characters of the Trump years.
--:-- David Marcus: Right. And when was this grand jury impaneled and what were they looking for specifically? Grand jury was impaneled in October of last year. So post Trump presidency. Correct. It was started by Bragg's predecessor, Cy Vance. And they were looking for criminal discrepancies in Trump business filings, inflating asset values to get better loans, that kind of thing. Relatively minor crimes, but significant since no president sitting or otherwise has ever faced criminal charges. Even an indictment would have been a black eye for the former president.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, just over a month ago in March, Mark Pomerantz, he's a veteran prosecutor, resigned from the DA's office over frustration that the office was unwilling to charge Trump.
--:-- David Marcus: Well, Bragg is a very progressive prosecutor. If he thought he could prove crimes against Donald Trump, it's difficult to see why he wouldn't. But that's what Pomerantz is alleging. It was a very public spat and one that spread more confusion than it shed light. It was certainly a sign that things weren't going well for prosecutors. And now we see the result of that. The Pomerantz resignation gives some ammunition to those who believe Trump's crimes are being covered up. But ultimately, that remains speculation.
--:-- John Bickley: And this investigation obviously got a huge amount of media attention, but similar to some previous investigations, it didn't ultimately lead to criminal charges.
--:-- David Marcus: Is this a political win for Trump? It's hard to say. I mean, it's definitely a story. But at the same time, the walls have not closed in as many in the media promised they were for years. Trump will likely see this not just as an exoneration, but as further evidence that the establishment or deep state is stacked against him.
--:-- John Bickley: Given the rather muted media response to the end of the grand jury, it doesn't appear this development will move the needle much. And there are still a handful of investigations ongoing. So the story isn't over, but a significant chapter in it has closed.
--:-- David Marcus: All right. Well, David, thanks so much for coming on. Thank you.
--:-- John Bickley: That was Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
--:-- John Bickley: After two years of skyrocketing crime rates nationwide new data shows a record increase in the number of Black Americans and other minorities purchasing firearms for self Here are the latest on what's driving the surge and what it means for upcoming midterms is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Cabot, first, can you break down these numbers for us? How big of an increase are we actually talking about?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It's major. So six years ago, just 14% of Black American households owned a gun. Today, that number is all the way up to 25%. And more recently, if you look at the latest data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there's been a 58% increase in Black Americans buying guns, along with a 49% increase for Hispanic Americans and a 43% increase for Asian Americans.
--:-- John Bickley: So bottom line, there's a huge shift in gun ownership that's taking place around the country.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, it's very significant. What can you tell us about the timing of this spike? Yeah, if you look more closely at the data, you can really see a clear spike in the summer of 2020. Remember, that was a few months into COVID lockdowns and right at the peak of social unrest around the Black Lives Matter movement. It was also when we saw a huge spike in violent crime, especially in minority communities.
--:-- John Bickley: And that increase in crime hasn't really slowed down since then.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, last year alone, 14 major cities, including Philadelphia, Louisville, Baton Rouge, and Indianapolis, each had more murders than at any point in history. And experts say it's no coincidence that gun ownership rates spiked right after that violent crime spike.
--:-- John Bickley: On that note, I talked to Antonio Okafor-Cover of Gun Owners of America about the trend and the role that 2020 played. I do think that it's been a backlash of what we saw in 2020, where people saw on TV people rioting and harming people's property and keeping them from living the American dream. And so I think people resonate with that and want to defend themselves and those that they care about.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So it's vital to look at this gun ownership spike in the context of what's going on nationwide. A poll showing that people are more worried about crime is one thing, but millions of people flocking to buy guns for the first time is real evidence that Americans are deeply concerned for their safety.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, obviously, anytime we see a significant cultural shift like this, there's political fallout. How does all this play into the upcoming midterms?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: You're absolutely right. Democrat leaders had initially said the spike was temporary or would subside when COVID lockdowns ended, but that hasn't happened. So looking ahead, you can expect to see them kind of change their tune on crime. To that point, we've already seen a few Democrat candidates run away from the defund the police narrative and instead now embrace law and order, which would have been hard to imagine back in 2020.
--:-- John Bickley: And it's indicative also of just how the country has shifted as crime rates have shot up and stayed up. One Gallup poll this month, for example, found that Americans' concern over crime is at its highest level in six years. And there's a particularly stark increase there and concern among Black and Latino voters, two demographics that Democrats have historically relied upon.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So don't be surprised if you see Democrat candidates pulling back on the idea of defunding the police or pushing strict gun control measures, because those are increasingly unpopular with much of their voting base.
--:-- John Bickley: Definitely an interesting new trend that could have some major ramifications there.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Cabot, thanks for the reporting. Anytime.
