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--:-- Georgia Howe: Iran strikes back, targeting a U.S. base in Qatar. Kilimar Abrego-Garcia is released for now. And a Democratic socialist pulls ahead in the New York City mayor's race. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Monday, June 23rd, and this is Evening Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes today, targeting a U.S. base in Qatar, but no casualties were reported. Qatar air defenses intercepted the missiles and condemned the attack. The Al-Udayd airbase is the largest U.S. military installation in the region. Three Iranian officials say the move was symbolic retaliation, aimed at minimizing casualties while signaling strength. They likened the strategy to Iran's 2020 missile strike on an Iraq base after the killing of General Qasem Soleimani.
--:-- John Bickley: Following Iran's retaliatory strikes, Israel struck the regime for a second time. That comes several hours after Israel hit one of Iran's nuclear facilities that the U.S. struck over the weekend. The IDF says it struck roads to Iran's Fordow nuclear site this morning to disrupt access to the underground site, which was hit by a U.S. bunker buster bomb on Saturday. Meanwhile, Iran says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard headquarters was hit as well as one of the country's most notorious prisons. Explosive footage shows the prison gates blown open, allowing some political prisoners to escape.
--:-- John Bickley: President Trump stirred up debate about regime change in Iran following this weekend's strikes. In a Truth Social Post Sunday, Trump wrote, quote, If the current Iranian regime can't make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change? He applauded the U.S. military's precision strikes, calling the damage monumental. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated President Trump on the mission. History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons. His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace. Electronic billboards across Israel show Trump with the message, quote, thank you, Mr. President.
--:-- John Bickley: Meanwhile, Iran is blasting the move as an act of aggression. At an emergency Organization of Islamic Countries meeting yesterday, Iran's foreign minister warned the U.S. would be, quote, solely responsible for any fallout. While President Trump was elected on a platform of putting an end to America's costly involvement of forever wars in our part of the world, He has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal Iran has called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting and is reportedly holding talks with Russia.
--:-- John Bickley: Iranian officials aren't the only ones condemning the U.S. strikes. Democrat members of Congress have responded online with a vengeance, with some on the right joining in as well. On the progressive side, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed Trump, quote, has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment. Others, like Senator Bernie Sanders, echoed that rhetoric.
--:-- John Bickley: Democratic Senator John Fetterman, however, broke with his party, voicing strong support for U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Here he is on Fox News.
--:-- John Fetterman: I've been always calling to destroy these nuclear facilities. Now, let's talk about the context in the middle of all that now, too. Now, our party has been often wrong, and they were pushing for a ceasefire last year. And now Israel pushed through that and has broken Hamas and Hezbollah as well now, too. And now here it is right now. Israel has air supremacy over Iraq right now. And now here's where Iraq—I mean, excuse me, where Iran is right now. Their capabilities are severely limited. And now that was an entirely appropriate to finally take out those nuclear facilities.
--:-- John Bickley: On the other side of the aisle, Representatives Thomas Massey and Marjorie Taylor Greene both voiced opposition to the strikes. President Trump will attend a two-day summit of NATO leaders in the Netherlands starting Tuesday. The U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program loom large over the meeting with American allies expected to increase national defense spending to five percent of GDP. This would be a notable departure from their current rates, which the president has often criticized.
--:-- John Bickley: A judge in Tennessee has denied the government's motion to keep Kilmar Abrego-Garcia in pretrial detention. Daily Wire reporter Spencer Lindquist has more. The Salvadoran man, accused of trafficking illegal aliens, was previously deported but returned to the U.S. after a Supreme Court order demanded his release. Judge Barbara Holmes ruled that the government failed to prove the case involved the minor or that Abrego Garcia posed an unmanageable danger to the community.
--:-- John Bickley: For more about this ruling, Morning Wire spoke to Tennessee Star reporter Tom Papert. He says that this legal saga is far from over.
--:-- Tom Papert: Last week, I reported that he is no longer represented by public defenders in this criminal case out of Tennessee, but instead has secured representation from four private defense attorneys that are very well respected in their respective areas. The first one is Rasko Dean, the son of former Mayor Carl Dean in Nashville, who created the Office of New Americans. The Dean family is also connected through a foundation to various immigration nonprofits that it's given more than $200,000 to over the past five years.
--:-- John Bickley: The first one is Rasko Dean, the son of former Mayor Carl Dean in Nashville, who created the Office of New Americans. The Dean family is also connected through a foundation to various immigration nonprofits that it's given more than $200,000 to over the past five years. He pleaded not guilty and denies any ties to MS-13, despite the DOJ's allegations. Even if released, ICE says it will detain Abrega Garcia under separate immigration authority.
--:-- John Bickley: The case has drawn national attention amid growing political tensions over President Trump immigration policies in his second term.
--:-- John Bickley: A left activist group helped a child rapist escape from federal authorities Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo has the details. Jose Reyes Leon de Ros, an El Salvador native who's wanted for child rape in Italy, was under surveillance by both ICE and the FBI. On Friday, the ICE Denver field office blasted the Colorado Rapid Response Network on X, alleging that the group alerted the illegal to his impending arrest and allowed him to escape.
--:-- John Bickley: The Colorado Rapid Response Network, in its own words, seeks to build a robust statewide network of people resisting deportations in their communities. In the same post, ICE noted that groups interfere with their ability to keep communities safe, and they asked for tips regarding the location of Leon de Ras, who is still at large.
--:-- John Bickley: A jihadist suicide bomber killed 20 people and wounded dozens at an Orthodox church in Syria yesterday. The attacker opened fire on the congregants before detonating an explosive vest. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has more. The ISIS-affiliated terrorist targeted Mar Elias Church on the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday. According to one witness, a group of church members charged the attacker and, quote, tried to stop him before he blew himself up.
--:-- John Bickley: The bombing marks the first successful jihadist attack on a Christian church in Syria since the Assad regime fell in December. The Islamic State was behind multiple recent attacks on Christian churches in Syria, but none had been successful until now. Syrian churches regularly face both government oppression and Islamic extremism, and the country ranks as 18th in the world for anti-Christian persecution.
--:-- John Bickley: In a near miss over the weekend, churchgoers in Wayne, Michigan, averted a tragedy when they took out a would-be shooter during a Sunday service. Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong described the incident at Crosspoint Community Church in a statement yesterday afternoon. The suspect arrived at the church and began to drive recklessly, drawing the attention of church staff members. The suspect exited his vehicle wearing a tactical vest armed with a long gun and a handgun. He approached the church building and began firing his weapon.
--:-- John Bickley: Several staff members from the church approached the gunman. A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly. At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing fatal wounds. According to police, the shooter was a 31-year-old man who did not appear to be a member of the church. Local, state, and federal authorities are on the ground investigating the shooting.
--:-- John Bickley: The prosecution against Sean Diddy Combs has wrapped up, but many questions remain. A former federal prosecutor notes that some key witnesses were not called. Combs' chief of staff was not called to testify, even though a witness said she ran the enterprise. A woman named as another victim in the indictment also did not testify.
--:-- John Bickley: As lawyer Nicole Blank Becker tells Fox News, the jurors may have trouble separating fact from a motion. It is very difficult as jurors and or as humans to separate things when you hear them Those types of things are often used not only to show what the government trying to bring show in their case, but it definitely brings an emotional side to a human. And sometimes that emotional part, it's very difficult to overlook when you're back there as a juror.
--:-- John Bickley: Combs attorneys told the judge they'll need two days to present a defense. Closing arguments could be as early as Thursday.
--:-- John Bickley: A far left Democratic socialist might become New York City's next mayor. Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has more. The Emerson College polling picks 11 and the Hill survey shows Zohran Mamdani beating former governor Andrew Cuomo in the ranked choice primary. The poll gave Cuomo a three-point lead in the first round of voting. Mamdani got over 50% in the eighth round.
--:-- John Bickley: The poll shows most supporters for eliminated candidates backing Mamdani instead of Cuomo. Cuomo's team dismissed the poll as an outlier. A previous poll showed Cuomo with a double-digit lead. Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, says he plans to spend $65 million on transgender medical procedures, including for minors. Some of his other policies include free public bus fares, free child care, and city-run grocery stores.
--:-- John Bickley: The primary takes place tomorrow.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Maine Governor Janet Mills was booed off the stage at a recent moose lottery. So please welcome Governor. Go! Go! Mills has supported trans-identifying athletes in sports, even though most of her state is against it. The federal government has filed a lawsuit against the state and frozen federal funds.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And? Thunder have taken the NBA by storm. For the first time, the NBA champion resides in Oklahoma City. The storybook season is complete. The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions. Here with more on their historic win is Crane & Company co-host David Cohn.
--:-- David Cohn: The Thunder took Game 7 of the finals over the Indiana Pacers 103-91. It's the franchise's first title since 1979 when they were still the Seattle Supersonics, and their first since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. MVP Shea Gillis-Alexander led the way with 29 points and 12 assists, earning Finals MVP honors. Jalen Williams added 20, and rookie Chet Holmgren came up big with 18 points and five blocks. The Pacers lost star guard Tyrese Halliburton to a first-quarter Achilles injury and could not recover. Oklahoma City pulled away with a dominant third quarter, capping a magical season with a title win.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, there's your drive home updates. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it this morning, we covered some major stories, including the United States' massive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, plus a conversation with an Iran military expert. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with a full edition of Morning Wire. Thank you.
