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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe.
--:-- John Bickley: [in a pre-recorded message] And I'm John Bickley, Daily Wire editor-in-chief. Unfortunately, I'm on vacation this week.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [laughs] Well, we're glad to have you back next week, John. It's Monday, March 11th. Today, President Biden apologizes for how he referred to Laken Riley's alleged murderer, a gold star father is arrested after disrupting the State of the Union Address, and a House bill banning TikTok gains ground.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: President Biden is under fire after apologizing for calling Laken Riley's alleged murderer an illegal, setting up a major immigration battle in the 2024 presidential campaign.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe, and we have Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo here to discuss the issue.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, President Biden did address the murder of Laken Riley during Thursday's State of the Union address, but his comments caused backlash from both sides of the aisle.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: That's right. Before we jump in, let's just listen to that clip. Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. But how many of thousands of people being killed by legal?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Well, numerous Democratic elected officials took issue with the fact that Biden referred to the 22-year-old's alleged murderer as an illegal immigrant.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Rep. Ilhan Omar, for example, quickly fired off a tweet reading, let me be clear, no human being is illegal.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Biden was then pressed about using that term during an interview on MSNBC, and he said he regretted using it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: You use the word illegal when talking about the man who allegedly killed Laken Riley. An undocumented person. And I shouldn't have used it. I shouldn't have used it as undocumented. And look, they built the country. The reason our economy is growing.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Now, that apology did not sit well with conservatives who were already furious with Biden over his initial comments about Riley's murder.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Biden actually flubbed Riley's name when he finally addressed the crime.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: According to White House transcript, Biden twice referred to Laken Riley as Lincoln Riley and then said her alleged killer was an illegal when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled that from her seat.
--:-- Georgia Howe: He seemed to be echoing the representative.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Allison Phillips, Riley's mother, posted to Facebook, quote, Biden does not even know my child's name. It's pathetic. If you're going to say her name, even when forced to do so, at least say the right name.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, the issue also became a talking point for President Trump over the weekend when he and Biden had dueling rallies in Georgia.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: That's right. Former President Trump actually met with Lake and Riley's family before he took the stage in Rome, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's Trump during that rally. When this monster showed up at our border, he was set free immediately under the program that Crooked Joe created.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: He got Laken's name wrong, calling her Lincoln.
--:-- Georgia Howe: No, he got the name wrong, Lincoln.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: And when he asked, what about all the legal citizens who kill people?
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's what he said. What about all the legal system when he was asked. What about all the legal?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: In other words, making excuses.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump also addressed Biden's apology for calling the alleged murderer an illegal immigrant.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Joe Biden went on television and apologized for calling Laken's murderer an illegal. He didn't want to call him illegal. He apologized. He said he should have called him an undocumented, not an illegal, and he wanted to apologize.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As for Biden, he seemed to continue to court the far left, which was a bit of a pivot from his State of the Union address, where he acknowledged the crisis and then blamed it on Republicans.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: At this rally on Saturday, he attempted to thread a difficult needle, claiming he did secure the border, while also suggesting that migration was a net positive for the country.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On my first day in office as president, I introduced a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure our border, provide a pathway for citizens, for dreamers and their families, farm workers, essential workers who helped us through the pandemic and are part of the fabric of our community.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Because unlike Donald Trump, I know who we are as Americans.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The immigration issue continues to be the most pressing in this Biden-Trump faceoff, where Trump from all available polling has a wide advantage.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Well, we'll have to see if it's enough to offset the anti-Trump vote.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Amanda, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: You're welcome.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Go to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off plus a free fiber and spice in your first order as a preferred customer. That's balanceofnature.com, promo code WIRE.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The father of a Marine killed in Kabul was arrested Thursday for disrupting President Biden's State of the Union address.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Steve Nakui says he wanted the president to acknowledge his son and 12 other service members who died during the U.S.'s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
--:-- Megan Basham: [Daily Wire culture reporter] So, Megan, a lot of people who watched the State of the Union may have briefly heard a disruption but not known who was shouting or what was being said.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Before we get to the interview with Steve Nakui, how did he come to be present at the State of the Union?
--:-- Megan Basham: He was there as a guest of Florida Congressman Brian Mast.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Mast had invited him because his son was Lance Corporal Kareem Nakui, a Marine and one of the 13 troops who was killed when a terrorist set off a bomb at Abbey Gate in Kabul Airport.
--:-- Megan Basham: Of course, President Biden ordered the U.S.'s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, and that decision has since had many critics.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So when the president said during his speech that America is safer today than when I took office, Nakui stood and shouted, remember Abbey Gate, his son's name, and then U.S. Marines.
--:-- Megan Basham: After he shouted that in the video, you can then see Nakui peacefully exiting at the order of the Capitol Police.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So I don't think people would be surprised that he was escorted out. But the fact that the grieving father was then arrested has shocked a lot of people.
--:-- Megan Basham: I spent about an hour talking with Steve, and it was a very emotional conversation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's very clear that he is still grieving.
--:-- Megan Basham: And he tells me that while he has the highest respect for the office of the presidency, he wanted President Biden to acknowledge his son and those 12 other service members who died, because Nakui says the president did not do that during his 2022 State of the Union address.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I remember like 56 minutes or something. I watch this whole thing for like 56 minutes. And then finally he brings up Afghanistan, you know, and he never said my kid's name, you know, and all he had to say was, you know, United States will never forget the brave and valiant, you know, service, you know, Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover made and then, you know, go down the list.
--:-- Megan Basham: We will never forget and we will always and that's all he had to do he didn't do that instead he then just sidetracked beelines for my son Bo died and you know and then he said he died of cancer and that's why I think the existential threat to you know our military is the burning of diesel fuel in in burning pits because I think that's how Bo got his cancer and I just started crying.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I was just blown away.
--:-- Megan Basham: He said he resented the president making a moment that should have been about the troops who lost their lives about himself.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What if I got drunk tonight and your little girl was walking down the street and because I was drunk, I plowed into her and she died. And then while you're there grieving, I come to you and say, hey, you know what, Megan? I feel your pain. I lost my kid too. You know?
--:-- Megan Basham: Nkui also told me that he had no intention of interjecting at this year's State of the Union.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But when the president began to talk about Americans being safe, he felt overwhelmed by what he believed was the Holy Spirit prompting him to speak.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, did Nkui say what he hopes the president takes away from his comments?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, he stressed a number of times that he forgives Joe Biden for what he believes were serious errors in judgment that left U.S. troops in Afghanistan vulnerable.
--:-- Megan Basham: But he would like to see this administration held accountable for the death of his son and for those 12 other service members who died in Kabul.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I'd like someone to admit, hey, we did this wrong, you know, because it's a real kick in my face, dude.
--:-- Megan Basham: Every time that that, you know, Meeks gets on there and he's like, no, remember, you know, it was Donald Trump's agreement. And it was. And if they would have followed his agreement, my son would have been alive.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And that's what America doesn't know, that he actually didn't follow the agreement.
--:-- Megan Basham: It's not clear right now what will happen with Nkui's misdemeanor charge, but he told me he does not regret speaking up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I don't think I disrespected anyone. I don't think I disrespected or dishonored my son.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well certainly everyone's heart must go out to Nkui and his family for their loss.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Congress is preparing to pass legislation this week that would force the sale of Chinese TikTok or otherwise ban the platform from app stores in the U.S.
--:-- Tim Pierce: [Daily Wire reporter] So, Tim, legislation against TikTok is currently making its way through Congress. What's in the bill?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Hey, Georgia. Well, TikTok is owned right now by the Chinese company ByteDance. The bill would force ByteDance to sell majority ownership of the platform to a company outside of China.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Either that or TikTok would be forced off app stores here in the U.S., or the government would issue a massive fine against any store that continues to offer TikTok.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The bill took a big step toward passing Congress last week when the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved it 50 votes to zero.
--:-- Tim Pierce: And proponents of the bill say it's necessary for a few reasons.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's GOP Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Fox News. TikTok is a grave danger to America. First off, it puts your data at risk because it hoovers it all up and sends it back to China.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Second, it's a grave danger for our youth. TikTok frequently exposes young women to videos about, say, eating disorders or self-harm, even if they haven't requested it, and young men to obscene sexual videos or violence.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And again, even if they haven't requested it.
--:-- Tim Pierce: But third, as we saw last week, TikTok can become a source of propaganda.
--:-- Georgia Howe: TikTok sent out a message to many of its users urging them to deluge Congress with calls saying, don't pass this bill.
--:-- Tim Pierce: So 50 to zero, that's a pretty convincing victory for those who support this legislation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Who's expected to vote against it?
--:-- Tim Pierce: It's getting some pushback from Republicans who, ironically, have been some of the most vocal proponents of some sort of action against TikTok.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The legislation earned an influential opponent over the weekend when former President Trump, whose administration initially launched the effort to ban the app, came out in opposition.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Trump posted on his True Social account that getting rid of TikTok would help platforms like Facebook, which Trump specifically referred to as a true enemy of the people.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Republican Senator Rand Paul, who tends to be more libertarian, also came out against the bill saying it would endanger the First Amendment and empower the federal government to ban social media platforms.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Amid the pushback, senators such as Lindsey Graham have kept their thoughts on the bill to themselves.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm really conflicted here. Banning TikTok, maybe that's necessary to protect American data from China, but if you can find a way to avoid that, that'd be good too.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Now, TikTok, though, is extremely popular. It's used by about 170 million Americans.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Is there backlash from the people?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah. As Cotton said, Congress was swamped in calls last week after TikTok sent a message to its users urging them to voice opposition to the bill.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But John McEntee, a popular conservative creator on the app, says trying to censor and control the app could cause more problems.
--:-- Tim Pierce: And these politicians are getting cute now and say, no, no, we don't want to ban it. Just force them to sell it. Sell it to who? An American tech company?
--:-- Georgia Howe: The same companies that have de-platformed conservatives for years?
--:-- Tim Pierce: The same ones that banned Donald Trump?
--:-- Georgia Howe: The same ones that suppressed legitimate news stories to sway the 2020 election?
--:-- Tim Pierce: That's their idea? Americans are fairly split on whether to ban TikTok.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to a Pew Research poll conducted last year, a plurality of U.S. adults, 38% support a ban.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Another 27% are against one, and 35% are unsure.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those numbers have swung significantly in favor of TikTok since a year ago, though, when support for banning the app was at 50%.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Well, it's really hard to put the genie back in the bottle now.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tim, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: If you're not sure where to start, check out American Citizenship and its Decline.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Go right now to hillsdale.edu slash wire to start. It's free and it's easy to get started. That's hillsdale.edu slash wire, hillsdale.edu slash wire.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
