--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, November 7th.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Former President Donald Trump took to the witness stand in his New York fraud trial, leading to several heated exchanges with the judge.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm not here to hear what he has to say. That was what rang true and could not have been more honest. Coming from the judge, who has already predetermined that my client committed fraud.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And it's election day for millions of Americans. What are the races you need to watch and what will they tell us about the 2024 presidential race?
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Podcaster Stephen Crowder has released what appear to be three pages of writings from the trans-identifying shooter who killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville earlier this year.
--:-- Megan Basham: So Megan, my understanding is that the shooter left hundreds of pages of writing and Crowder only released three of those. So caution is probably warranted in assuming just how much insight they might provide. But given that, what do the pages show?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, so they appear to come from a sort of diary that the shooter left in her car in the school parking lot. And she says she wants to, quoting, kill crackers with white privileges. And another page says, kill those kids, those crackers going to private fancy schools with those fancy khakis and sports backpacks with their daddy's Mustangs and convertibles.
--:-- Megan Basham: She then directs a tirade of profanity at children with, quote, mops of yellow hair. And she also describes them with a gay slur. And then one page shows the shooter's planned schedule for the killings, and she expresses a hope that she would have a high death count and that God would let her wrath take over her anxiety.
--:-- Megan Basham: But then, as you said, Georgia, these pages are only a very small slice of the writings that this trans-identifying shooter reportedly left behind. According to court filing, she had written at least 20 journals, a suicide note, and a memoir, and those were recovered at the crime scene and at her parents' home, and the public has obviously still not seen those.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, typically with this type of crime, any writings the killer left are released to the media very quickly, but that hasn't been the case here. Why is that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, there's been a very intense legal battle that's still going on right now over the suppression of these records. So the family of the shooter legally turned ownership of her writings over to a group of 100 families whose children attend Covenant Christian School.
--:-- Megan Basham: And they have actually fought to block this release saying that doing so would give voice to a horrendous criminal. Now Brent Leatherwood is the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, That the lobbying arm of the Southern Baptist Convention which is the largest Protestant denomination in the US.
--:-- Megan Basham: And he's been leading this group of parents. And he said in a statement that they've told their attorneys to leave no stone unturned to prevent any of these writings from ever seeing the light of day.
--:-- Megan Basham: And at the same time, in both his capacity as ERLC head and in his personal capacity as a covenant parent, Leatherwood has lobbied in support of a red flag gun control bill.
--:-- Megan Basham: So in part because of how all of this is being used in this gun control debate, along with the issue of her transgender identification, you also have a number of groups arguing that the public does have a right to see this so-called manifesto, which could shed some light on the shooter's motives.
--:-- Megan Basham: So the National Police Association, Tennessee State Senator Todd Gardenhire, and a gun rights group have all filed suit for its release on that basis. And a group of more than 60 Tennessee House Republicans have also called for the shooter's writings to be made public.
--:-- Megan Basham: And then a number of news organizations, of course, that includes the Daily Wire, have filed freedom of information requests for their release.
--:-- Megan Basham: And it's also worth noting, I think, that not all the family members of Covenant victims want this manifesto suppressed. Reggie Hill, who is the brother of Covenant custodian Michael Hill, who was killed that day, has said that the document should be seen by the public.
--:-- Megan Basham: And I'll also add that this situation is not totally unprecedented. Back in the 2000s, Columbine parents fought for the release of those killers' writings, some audio tapes and videotapes as well. And eventually they won and those records were released.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, do we have any idea who the source of the leak was?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said that his office is launching an investigation into that. And Nashville PD put out a very short statement yesterday afternoon. And they said that the leaked pages are not crime scene images that they took and that they too are investigating.
--:-- Megan Basham: But they didn't say much beyond that. An attorney for the shooter's family said that they have never seen the manifesto and that they did not leak it. So that is very much still an open question.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, continued prayers for those families that are still grieving. Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Time.
--:-- David Marcus: Donald Trump testified for five hours Monday in his New York civil trial, and there were fireworks both inside and outside the courtroom.
--:-- David Marcus: Trump's sons, Don Jr. and Eric, testified last week, and on Monday, Judge Arthur Ingeron heard from the former president himself, at times hearing more than he wanted to.
--:-- David Marcus: Morning. The trial isn't on TV, but according to reporters in the room, Judge Angeron lost his temper with Trump and his attorneys on a few occasions.
--:-- David Marcus: Angeron was irked that Trump was giving long speeches in response to yes or no questions from prosecutor Kevin Wallace. He also yelled at Trump attorney Alina Habba to sit down as she tried to argue that the judge should just hear out the former.
--:-- David Marcus: And as another Trump lawyer, Christopher Kice, put it, future president of the United States. And Gorin got so angry that at one point he threatened to dismiss Trump and quote draw every negative inference end quote
--:-- David Marcus: At one point Trump mused that this is a very unfair trial and I hope the public is watching. He also looked at Attorney General Letitia James at one point, called her disgraceful, called the trial a witch hunt.
--:-- David Marcus: Outside the courtroom, he had also called her a racist. So by all accounts, things got a little nuts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Sounds like it. Before getting to that question of the public watching, on the legal front, What defense did we hear from Trump? And was it consistent with what his sons testified to last week?
--:-- David Marcus: Yeah, it was entirely consistent. All three argue that they were only slightly involved in the allegedly inflated value of assets on loan applications.
--:-- David Marcus: They basically argue that they trusted their accountants the way anyone would, that this is why you have accountants. As we've stressed, Trump has already been found liable for fraud. It's just a matter of how much of the potential $250 million fine he and his sons will be liable for.
--:-- David Marcus: And importantly, if Trump will be allowed to do business in New York State. So his antics notwithstanding, Trump was trying to distance himself from the actual transactions, though he did make the point that the loans were all paid back and nobody lost money.
--:-- David Marcus: Right, a crucial point there. So back to public perception, is this combativeness from Trump politically motivated? Does he think this helps his electoral chances?
--:-- David Marcus: Oh, absolutely. Here's how Andy McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, put it last week. I think Trump figures legally any recourse he has is going to depend on the appellate process down the road.
--:-- David Marcus: And the judge has already told him legally how the case is coming out. So he's decided to fight it as a political case. Trump's lawyers thought that the testimony was great, calling his answers brilliant.
--:-- David Marcus: And I do. I think they meant that politically, as clearly the judge who will decide the penalty wasn't a big fan. They're painting this as a political persecution, not a legitimate prosecution.
--:-- David Marcus: So they think that having Trump rail against the unfairness of the trial supports that assertion and will play well with the voters.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, this trial is not televised, but was Trump's dramatic testimony effective? And could this be a clue as to what we'll see in this Georgia case, which will be shown live?
--:-- David Marcus: I think there's no doubt that Trump would have liked for this to be on TV. Video of the exchanges would have gone extremely viral, especially on social media, in a way that reading a transcript just can't.
--:-- David Marcus: And in part, this is exactly why many courts don't allow cameras. To your second question, yes, this is how we should expect the televised trial in Georgia to go.
--:-- David Marcus: And honestly, it's not clear what the judge will be able to do to stop it. I mean, throwing Trump in jail for being in contempt of court is very possibly exactly what Trump wants in order to prove he's being unfairly targeted.
--:-- Georgia Howe: One thing's for sure, John, it ain't going to be boring. It's a good bet there.
--:-- David Marcus: Dave, thanks for joining us.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's election day for millions of Americans with voters set to make their voices heard in a number of crucial races from Kentucky and Virginia to Ohio and Mississippi.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, tell us, what are you going to be watching today?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, we'll start with the election that's gotten the most national attention. That in Kentucky where incumbent Democrat Governor Andy Beshear is facing off with the state Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This race will tell us a lot about the ability of Democrat incumbents to succeed in states where President Biden is deeply unpopular. Now, you might not expect a Democrat to be the favorite in a deep red state like Kentucky, but Beshear has really tried to distance himself from his fellow Democrats, saying the election, quote, is not about the White House and avoiding any connection with Joe Biden.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Since winning election narrowly in 2019, that more nonpartisan message has appeared to work. He consistently ranks among the five most popular governors in the country with an approval rating in the low 60s and does come into election day having quadrupled Cameron's fundraising haul.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, a month ago, this race appeared set for a blowout with polling showing Bashir up by 16 points. But the final polls this week showed the two men dead even.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Cameron has gained attention nationally. He's the first black man elected to a statewide office in Kentucky history. If he pulls off the upset here, The expectation is that he'll have national ambitions in the future.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now we've got another high-profile governor's race happening in Mississippi. What are we seeing there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, this appears to be the tightest governor's race the state has seen in decades, with incumbent Republican Tate Reeves in a surprisingly tight race against Democrat Brandon Presley, former small-town mayor and cousin of Elvis.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While polling is relatively scarce, his lead appears to have narrowed from double digits down to around five points. Reeves has been dogged by allegations of corruption after state auditors discovered that $77 million in federal welfare funds had been mishandled during his time as lieutenant governor.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While he was never charged and appeared completely unaware of the scheme, Presley has sought to tie him to that scandal and apparently had some success with voters. It's looking like a surprisingly close race there.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So heading up to the Commonwealth of Virginia, what's at stake there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, voters in Virginia will decide today whether to give Republicans total control of the legislature after two years of divided government.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Virginia is really a perfect example of a state that went from purple to blue over the last decade and appeared on the verge of becoming a Democratic stronghold, but has instead shifted back to Republicans after Governor Glenn Youngkin won a shocking victory back in 2021.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, Youngkin is not on the ballot this year, but the election is largely viewed as a referendum on his performance. He's hoping Republicans will win control of the state Senate to go along with their majority in the House of Delegates.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, we'll end with Ohio. We have two important referendums on the ballot today. Tell us about those.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So voters in Ohio will have the chance to weigh in on two really hot button issues, abortion and marijuana.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: On the ballot today is a measure that would amend the state's constitution to establish the right to, quote, make and carry out one's own reproductive decisions on matters including abortion and fertility treatment.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While the measure would restrict abortions past the point of viability, which is typically around 22 weeks, doctors would still be granted the power to determine, quote, on a case by case basis, whether the unborn child could survive outside the womb.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, back in August, Ohio voters overwhelmingly opposed a separate measure that would have made it more difficult for this abortion proposal to appear on the ballot today.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So with that in mind, this referendum is expected to pass. Same goes for the marijuana measure, which would make Ohio the 24th state to legalize recreational weed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right. Well, a lot to keep our eye on. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right. That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know. Bye.
