--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible. Financial geniuses. Monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.
--:-- [Sound effects: A stormy weather sound]
--:-- John Bickley: Millions brace for impact as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida. We can rebuild homes. We can rebuild businesses. We can get people back on their feet, but only if they survive the storm. We discuss storm preparations and accusations that it's being politicized.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, October 9th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Kamala Harris's new media blitz strategy is already sparking backlash. So you think after all this time of thinking about how she would do things differently from Joe Biden, she would have a well-prepared answer for the interviewers on The View.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And in a Daily Wire exclusive, Donald Trump says he'll bring back peace through strength. I rebuilt the military. I had no wars. I defeated ISIS. Remember, I started no wars. I stopped wars.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Kalshi.com slash wire. That's K-A-L-S-H-I dot com slash wire. Deposit $100 and you get $20 free to trade. Kalshi.com slash wire.
--:-- [Sound effects: A news ticker sound]
--:-- Georgia Howe: A million residents are ordered to evacuate as Florida braces for what could be a historic storm due to make landfall tonight. Here with the latest is Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice.
--:-- Tim Rice: So Tim, first and foremost, what do we know about Hurricane Milton.
--:-- Tim Rice: Yeah, good morning, Georgia. Milton is expected to be the worst hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay area in over a century, bringing a 15-foot storm surge to an area still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Earlier this week, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued a dire warning to residents. I can say without any dramatization whatsoever, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're going to die.
--:-- Tim Rice: Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 51 of the state's 67 counties, closed airports in certain areas, and directed those in evacuation zones to shelters.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The National Weather Service office in Tampa is warning of catastrophic damage that may make some homes uninhabitable for weeks or months.
--:-- Tim Rice: Wow, so truly scary stuff. Hopefully our listeners in the affected areas are staying safe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, unfortunately, there's also been a political element injected into this story involving Kamala Harris and Ron DeSantis. What's going on between those two?
--:-- Tim Rice: Yeah, it started on Monday when NBC News reported that DeSantis was refusing to take Harris's calls, which prompted her to level accusations against the governor to a reporter.
--:-- Tim Rice: Utterly irresponsible and it is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship. Instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.
--:-- Georgia Howe: DeSantis was asked about the claims and fired back in interviews on Fox News.
--:-- Tim Rice: We been on an emergency footing for two weeks straight around the clock 24 So that been my sole focus But I'd also say it's not about you, Kamala. It's about the people of Florida.
--:-- Tim Rice: My focus is exactly where it should be. And I can tell you this, I've worked on these hurricanes under both President Trump and President Biden. Neither of them ever tried to politicize it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: She has never called on any of the storms we've had since she's been vice president until apparently now.
--:-- Tim Rice: Why all of a sudden is she trying to parachute in and inject herself when she's never shown any interest in the past?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, we should note that DeSantis has been in contact with FEMA and the White House and that Biden praised his handling of recent hurricanes just yesterday afternoon.
--:-- Tim Rice: The governor of Florida has been cooperative. He said he's gotten all that he needs. I talked to him again yesterday. and I said, no, you're doing a great job. It's all being done well. We thank you for it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And I literally gave my personal phone number to call.
--:-- Tim Rice: Now, here's another wrinkle. DHS's inspector general says FEMA has $8 billion set aside from previous disasters. But, and this is a big but, because the deadline for using those funds has technically passed, FEMA isn't allowed to put that money towards Milton prep and response efforts unless the agency makes some kind of exception.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, the IG notes that FEMA has made this kind of exception in the past using subjective criteria, so it's unclear what justification there is for not taking similar action now.
--:-- Tim Rice: Well, hopefully they figure something out soon.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, all eyes on Florida as it braces for this second storm.
--:-- Tim Rice: Thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for having me.
--:-- [Sound effects: A news ticker sound]
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--:-- [Sound effects: A news ticker sound]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Vice President Kamala Harris continued her media blitz on Tuesday when she was pressed on her role in the Biden administration over the past three and a half years.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Harris finally talking to the press this week and a number of viral moments have already followed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yes, there have been a number of rocky moments this week as again, she finally sat down for interviews.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, here is a clip of her recent 60 Minutes appearance that was quickly blasted out by the Trump campaign this week.
--:-- [Clip of Kamala Harris's 60 Minutes interview plays]
--:-- Cabot Phillips: There was an historic flood of undocumented immigrants coming across the border the first three years of your administration. As a matter of fact, arrivals quadrupled from the last year of President Trump.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Was it a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It's a long-standing problem and solutions are at hand. And from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What I was asking was, was it a mistake to kind of allow that flood to happen in the first place?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: I think the policies that we have been proposing are about fixing a problem, not promoting a problem.
--:-- Georgia Howe: OK, but the numbers did quadruple. And the numbers today because of what we have done we have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half We have cut the flow of fentanyl by half
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now a new controversy surrounding this interview is developing So CBS has been accused of having edited out an embarrassing moment for Harris from that interview after initially airing the full clip One version released on Monday appears to be edited to make at least one sort of rambling answer from the VP that when viral appeared to be more concise.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, the Trump campaign is demanding that CBS release the full transcript so people can see for themselves. But CBS has not yet responded.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So we will keep tracking that story as it develops.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Indeed, we'll certainly follow up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, one of the most notable moments from her media blitz so far came during an appearance yesterday on the liberal talk show The View.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: She was asked the following question. Well, if anything, would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?
--:-- Georgia Howe: There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, look, that is a remarkable answer for a few reasons. First, Harris is well aware that the Biden administration is wildly unpopular with the American people.
--:-- Georgia Howe: For example, a New York Times poll yesterday showed that just 22% of voters believe Biden-Harris policies have helped them.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Because of that reality, Harris has done just everything possible to distance herself from the administration that she's served in for three and a half years now.
--:-- Georgia Howe: She stopped using the term binomics. She's largely avoided touting her record as VP to begin with, opting instead to focus on her time as a prosecutor and senator.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And she's really portrayed herself as an agent of change. For example, one of her top campaign slogans has been a new way forward.
--:-- Georgia Howe: If you listen to her stump speech, it's easy to get the impression she's a political outsider, not the sitting vice president.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But those attempts to create daylight with the Biden administration not only contradict what she said on The View, they also contradict the words of President Biden himself.
--:-- Georgia Howe: He had this to say about Harris's role in his administration last week.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: We're singing from the same song sheet. She helped pass all the laws of being employed now. She was a major player in everything we've done, including passage of legislation which we were told we could never pass.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And so she's been and her staff is interlocked with mine in terms of all the things we're doing.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, it's worth noting, there are those who believe that answer was an intentional effort by Biden to undermine his VP.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The two speak glowingly of each other in public. But according to numerous reports, behind closed doors, the relationship is now icy.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: President Biden has reportedly been offended not only by Harris's eagerness to replace him on the ticket, but also by her efforts to now distance herself from him after, you know, he gave her a shot as VP.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So keep a close eye on how he talks about Harris in the coming weeks.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And remember, there's always more than meets the eye in D.C.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, to say the least.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Kevin, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As Kamala Harris was continuing her so-called media blitz, former President Trump sat down Tuesday for a wide-ranging interview with Daily Wire editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The pair discussed a variety of issues, including the response to Hurricane Helene, polling, foreign policy, and of course, Kamala Harris.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta-Giacomo.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Hey, Amanda.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, Trump's interview came as Harris was appearing on The View after her 60 Minutes interview as Cabot just broke down for us.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: First, Hurricane Helene and the federal response has been one of the most important news stories this week.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What did Trump say about that?
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Trump has been on the ground in both Georgia and North Carolina, and he said he's hearing frustration from residents about the slow federal response.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: He said Harris just doesn't know what she's doing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: He also made an interesting point about Hurricane Helene and potentially Hurricane Milton impacting the election as some analysts have actually already pointed out Getting to the polls or even sending a ballot by mail is going to be more difficult in hurricane hit states like North Carolina, for example.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: That was vital for Trump in 2016, and he also won it in 2020.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's Trump on that.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: And I hate to say help because people are dying and they're dying. And that's more important than anything we're talking about, actually. But representation is very important and representation for the country is so important.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Continuing on this theme of the election, Shapiro and Trump discussed polling in swing states and how tight the overall race is.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Trump suggested that based on past performance, he could be polling higher than what's being reported.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump said, For whatever reason, poll numbers haven't been very accurate in me and they tend to be low, like with Hillary.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: I was given a 3% chance and then won quite easily. So I think that when you see the numbers, you may very well then see much higher numbers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A lot of people say it could be because they go out and they see signs. They see Trump signs about every single house, all over the place. And they're saying, you know, it just doesn't feel like it's that close an election.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Shapiro also asked Trump about what he thought Kamala Harris's responsibility is when it comes to the clear cognitive struggles of President Biden.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump's response made headlines.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: They pulled him out because he wasn't mentally competent. He's still not mentally competent. But Kamala Harris has not invoked the 25th Amendment. Does she have a responsibility to invoke the 25th Amendment and oust him from office and actually take responsibility for the administration at this point?
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Actually, now that you're mentioning it, I think they should do a double 25th Amendment. Get them both out. Who's third online? Because it's just terrible. This has got to be the worst administration ever. They both don't know what the hell they're doing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, just a day before the interview aired, Shapiro was with Trump on October 7th. That's, of course, the anniversary of that attack on Israel by the Iran-funded terror group Hamas.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Trump slammed Biden and Harris for giving Iran access to tens of billions of dollars.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Iran was broke. We had no terrorism. We had no attacks. We had no Hamas problems, no Hezbollah problems. We had nothing because Iran didn't have the money to give to them because I put sanctions on and I dealt directly.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Trump also broadened out to his own foreign policy in the White House. And he really emphasized how there was largely peace during his tenure.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Our policy is very simple. Peace through strength. We had no wars. And I'm not an isolationist. I helped a lot of countries. I kept countries out of war.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Russia and Putin never would have attacked Ukraine when I was there. He never would have attacked under any circumstances.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Number one, the oil prices were much lower when I was president, so he didn't have the money to attack. But it's not that reason. The reason he wouldn't have attacked was because of me.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Trump also took aim at the legacy media, which he rebranded the corrupt media, saying his past moniker of fake news was just no longer strong enough.
--:-- Georgia Howe: One other note, John, you mentioned the Harris 60 Minutes interview. Trump specifically brought that up and really teed off on Harris for how she handled that.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: I got to watch last night, 60 Minutes, and she answers questions like a child. This is not a president. She's a very low-intelligence person and that she could be leading this country. It's just ridiculous.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So once again, Trump not pulling any punches.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Yeah, Trump never really does.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: You're welcome. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks to our sponsors, Kalshi and Stamps.com.
