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--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire, and I'm joined by Georgia Howe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Today, SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth navigates a heated confirmation hearing, California lawmakers focus on combatting Trump as the fires get worse, and Israel and Hamas inch closer to a ceasefire deal.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. And we've got the latest on all of these stories.
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--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's get to the news. Our first story is on the confirmation hearing for SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth. Cabot Phillips, senior editor at The Daily Wire, joins us with the highlights.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, Cabot, we expected this hearing to be particularly contentious, and it was. What were the takeaways?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, so first, quick refresher on the debate surrounding Hegseth. Democrats say he's unqualified for the role and painted him as a Fox News host, a role he did hold most recently. But it's a bit disingenuous to just call him a TV personality.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] Wait, Cabot, can you explain that?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hegseth graduated from Princeton before enlisting in the Army, serving 20 years as an officer with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he received numerous medals, including two Bronze Stars. After that, he ran Concerned Veterans for America, a large nonprofit advocating for vets.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: During his opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth laid out his and Donald Trump's vision for the Department of Defense. When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability, and readiness. Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans, We are not Democrats, We are American warriors. Our standards will be high and they will be equal not equitable. That's a very different word.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] That's a great point, Cabot. And I understand there were some protesters at the hearing.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, there were. The audience was full of his supporters, including dozens of Navy SEALs and Green Berets, but there were also a handful of protesters who tried to disrupt the hearing before being physically carried out by police.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the Democrats' line of questioning? What did we hear from them?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, they went after Hegseth on both a personal and professional level. A number of Democrats brought up Hegseth's past infidelity, along with uncorroborated reports of sexual misconduct. Hegseth strongly denied those allegations, but conceded that he had been unfaithful in the past and had asked forgiveness from God.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: You've taken an oath like you would take an oath to be secretary of defense in all of your weddings to be faithful to your wife. Is that correct? I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully, I'm redeemed by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the media reports claiming he came to work drunk?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: According to Hegseth, those stories were part of a smear campaign organized by those threatened by him taking control of the DoD. Why do they want to destroy me? Because I'm a change agent and a threat to them, because Donald Trump was willing to choose me, to empower me, to bring the Defense Department back to what it really should be, which is warfighting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Later on, Hegseth also touched on the topic of race and gender quotas in the military. In his words, lowering the standards to accommodate DEI quotas leaves the military unprepared.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the vote? When might he be confirmed?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, a vote could come as soon as next week. And it seems like the party appears united around him.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] Thanks for reporting, Cabot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
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--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's move on to our next story. California lawmakers have allocated $50 million to fight the incoming Trump administration, with $25 million specifically set aside to defend illegal immigrants. Ash Short, senior editor at The Daily Wire, joins us with the latest.
--:-- Ash Short: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, Ash, what's the latest on the situation in California?
--:-- Ash Short: Well, the state's lawmakers have agreed to allocate $50 million to fight the incoming Trump administration, with $25 million specifically set aside to defend illegal immigrants.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the wildfires? How are they affecting the state?
--:-- Ash Short: The wildfires are still raging in Los Angeles, and more than two dozen people have lost their lives. The state's lawmakers are being criticized for their handling of the situation.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] And what about Mayor Karen Bass? What's the latest on her?
--:-- Ash Short: Bass is facing serious backlash for not even being in L.A. when the fire started. She was on a taxpayer-funded trip to Ghana, even though she had said she would not take overseas trips as mayor.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the online petition demanding she resign?
--:-- Ash Short: The count's now well over 100,000, so a grassroots effort to get her out is underway.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] Thanks for reporting, Ash.
--:-- Ash Short: You welcome.
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--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's move on to our next story. Israel and Hamas are inching closer to a ceasefire deal. Tim Rice, deputy managing editor at The Daily Wire, joins us with the latest.
--:-- Tim Rice: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, Tim, what's the latest on the situation in Gaza?
--:-- Tim Rice: Well, 466 days after the Hamas October 7th attack on Israel, the two parties may finally be striking a deal to release the remaining hostages in Gaza.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And how likely is it that this deal goes through?
--:-- Tim Rice: According to sources close to the negotiations, Hamas is very amenable to the deal and very close to signing on the dotted line.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] And what about the terms of the deal? What do we know so far?
--:-- Tim Rice: The Jerusalem Post reported that the deal will unfold in three phases. Phase one is expected to last 42 days, and on day one of that phase, 33 hostages will be released.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the Israeli defense forces? What will they be doing during this time?
--:-- Tim Rice: They will begin withdrawing from Gaza, though they will maintain a presence in a still undefined security perimeter.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] And what about the reaction from Israeli leaders? What are they saying about the deal?
--:-- Tim Rice: Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called it a surrender deal and said it was a catastrophe for the national security of the state of Israel.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Interrupting] And what about the speculation about the role of Donald Trump in this deal?
--:-- Tim Rice: There's speculation that the imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House has lit a fire under things. Trump envoys joined negotiations alongside representatives from the Biden administration in recent days, and it seems like their presence had an impact.
--:-- John Bickley: [Interrupting] Thanks for reporting, Tim.
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--:-- John Bickley: And that's all for now. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for joining us, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Don't forget to check out our sponsors, Balance of Nature and Lumen.
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--:-- John Bickley: Go to https://balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for an exclusive offer!
--:-- Georgia Howe: And head to http://lumen.me/WIRE for 20% off your purchase.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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--:-- John Bickley: Morning Wire is presented by The Daily Wire.
