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--:-- Georgia Howe: Hezbollah terrorists promised to retaliate after a series of airstrikes and targeted bombings rock Lebanon. Is the Israel-Hezbollah war reaching a new phase?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, September 20th, and this is Morning Wire. I think right now both sides have to take a step back and really reevaluate what the commitment is to working people. America's largest union refuses to endorse Kamala Harris as she finds herself neck and neck with Trump in the crucial battleground states. And more companies abandon their DEI goals. Are we witnessing a cultural shift in corporate America?
--:-- Georgia Howe: We have every right to say that we don't want to be sponsoring and supporting companies that are driving this harmful ideology on our kids.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- [Sound effects: Upbeat music transitions to a news segment]
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Hezbollah is promising retribution for a series of attacks and explosions that rocked the terror group this week. Top officials in Israel, widely believed to be behind the attacks, say the war with Hezbollah has reached a new phase. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest on the escalating fight between Israel and Hezbollah.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Hey, thanks for having me on.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So what can you tell us about this tense situation now in Lebanon?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon considers the risk of a ground war between Israel and Hezbollah very high right now. Israel is widely believed to have conducted a series of attacks over the past few days that have killed dozens of Hezbollah militants and wounded thousands more. The terror group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, called the attacks a major and severe blow that crossed all red lines and laws. He promised that tens of thousands of Israelis that were forced out of their homes in northern Israel nearly a year ago wouldn't be allowed to return safely until the war in Gaza ends.
--:-- Georgia Howe: For its part, Israel hasn't claimed responsibility for the attacks, but officials haven't discouraged that assumption either. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a short video statement on Tuesday in which he reiterated his pledge to, quote, bring the residents of the north securely back to their homes.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Now, as we reported, the U.S. recently warned Israel against escalation with Hezbollah. What do we know about how the Biden administration is reacting to these attacks?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Well, the Biden administration has distanced itself from Israel after these attacks. Here is Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a press conference in Egypt on Wednesday. The United States did not know about nor was it involved in these incidents and we're still gathering the information and gathering the facts. Broadly speaking, we've been very clear and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we're trying to resolve.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to reports, the friction between the Biden administration and Israel continues to increase behind closed doors. Biden officials have blamed Netanyahu personally for the divide, but it's worth noting that constant attacks from Hezbollah have kept tens of thousands of Israelis out of their homes for nearly a year now. The Israeli security cabinet added the return of those Israelis to their homes to its list of war goals earlier this week, a day before the pager bombs went off.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Now, the conflict in the Middle East continues to be a key political issue here in the U.S. ahead of the presidential election. What are we hearing from the campaigns?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Vice President Harris, in her second high-profile interview of the campaign, towed the administration's line in front of the National Association of Black Journalists. Here's some of that.
--:-- Kamala Harris: Well, one of the things that we have done that I am entirely supportive of is the pause that we've put on the 2,000-pound bombs. But ultimately, the thing that is going to unlock everything else in that region is getting this deal done. But let me be very clear also. I support Israel's ability to defend itself. And I support the need for Palestinians to have dignity, self-determination and security as we move forward and get a two-state deal done.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who lately has been one of Trump's chief backers on the networks, reacted to Harris's comments on Fox News.
--:-- Tom Cotton: It's rich for Kamala Harris to say that she supports Israel's right to defend itself while trying to deny the tools to defend itself. It's not just 2,000-pound bombs, which Israel needs to reach Hamas and the deep-buried tunnels in Gaza, but a whole host of other weapons that the administration withheld for weeks earlier this year. And if it happened with Joe Biden, it'll be much worse if Kamala Harris is elected.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So some fairly stark political rifts around Israel that will likely get more severe if the conflict with Hezbollah continues to escalate. Yeah, and with less than two months to go into the election.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah, and with less than two months to go into the election.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tim, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Good to be on.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: 45 days out from Election Day, the 2024 presidential race continues to be among the closest in modern history. Here are the latest from the campaign trail is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So another week, another batch of polls, these really tight. What are we seeing?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, we are seeing a true toss-up play out. Get this. According to RealClearPolitics, If you average out the polling numbers from the seven battleground states, the margin between Harris and Trump is one-tenth of one percent. So it is not an exaggeration to say that this might just be the closest race in American history with 45 days to go. And that means both campaigns have reason for optimism.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah. Give us the positive developments for the two campaigns. So we'll start with Democrats. The big question all along was whether Kamala Harris could separate herself from President Biden despite being his number two in command. especially on the economy. And she has had seemingly some success on that front. Polls now show her within five to 10 points on the question of which candidate would better handle the economy a topic that Biden once trailed on by around 20 points.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The Trump campaign, for their part, has been buoyed by recent numbers showing his favorability ratings rising to an all-time high. According to Gallup, his favorables have jumped five points in the last month to around 46%. That is higher than at any point during his first term in office. The Trump campaign is also polling well ahead of where they were in the last election. So at this point in 2020, Trump trailed Biden by six and a half points. That election ultimately was decided by just 80,000 votes, despite the polls showing Biden with a large lead. So if Trump's support is again being undercounted, he is in a solid spot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: On that note, I spoke to veteran political reporter Mark Halperin. He told me those polls are, quote, junk. Media polls and academic polls are done on the cheap. That's one problem with them. But the second big problem is what you cited. partly relates to undercounting Donald Trump supporters systematically. And even though there have been some, some good faith efforts to correct and not undercount Trump supporters, there's reasons to think that's still happening.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, this entire race likely hinges on Pennsylvania. Where do things stand there now?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, a week ago, we saw four straight polls showing Harris in the lead. So it looked like she was the favorite. But in the last two days, four straight polls have now shown the race tied or with Trump in the lead.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, for Trump, there have been two positive developments in Pennsylvania. First, the Teamsters Union released internal polling showing that at least 60% of their members wanted the group to endorse Trump, compared to just 34% for Harris. If Trump can replicate those numbers among other union members and working-class voters in PA, he will be hard to beat.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And second, the number of registered Republicans in Pennsylvania has actually increased dramatically this year. For context, in September of 2020, Pennsylvania had around 560,000 more registered active Democrats than Republicans, over half a million. This month, that Democratic advantage has shrunk to just 169,000. So their lead has shrunk by two-thirds.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, there's another important story that we're tracking this week out of Nebraska. Tell us about what's developing there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Nebraska, you rarely hear about the Cornhusker State this time of year, but they could play a massive role in the election. That is because unlike most states, they do not have a winner-take-all system for their five electoral votes. Instead, they give out two votes to the popular vote winner and one apiece for whomever wins each of their three congressional districts. And because one of those districts is blue, Trump could win Nebraska by 20 points like he did last election, but only carry four of their five electoral votes.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This week, however, Nebraska Republicans convened at the governor's mansion to discuss planning a new law that would give all five votes to the popular vote winner. That would essentially ensure that Trump picks up that extra electoral vote. And in a race this close, that one vote could make all the difference.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Nebraska could play a big role come November. And just when you think you've heard it all. That's what I'm here for, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Kevin, thanks for reporting. Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: After facing pressure from consumers, corporations like Lowe's tractor supply Harley-Davidson and most recently Caterpillar have cut ties with progressive groups. But conservatives say there's still a problem with major companies getting involved in politics, and they're turning their attention to nationwide insurance. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham is here with the latest.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, Megan, it seems like we're seeing something of a vibe shift, as the kids say, when it comes to corporate America taking up progressive causes. What's driving that?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, you know I think after a lot of years losing ground in the culture wars it seems like conservative groups have finally hit on a successful formula for bringing their own pressure to bear on major companies. And it starts with targeting those that are known to cater to more conservative customers.
--:-- Megan Basham: So for example if you look at tractor supply, it sells farm equipment, meaning its consumer base tends to be more rural and more red state. Yet it had not only been cooperating with the LGBTQ activist group human rights campaign in setting its internal employee policies, it also earned a perfect score from HRC.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Tractor Supply was politicking in a way that you could say was well to the left of a lot of its customers. When conservative activists like former GOP congressional candidate Robbie Starbuck publicized that, it created something of a backlash. So after that, Tractor Supply retreated. It said it would no longer submit data to HRC, and it also said it would stop sponsoring Pride festivals and retire its DEI goals.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, something very similar has happened with John Deere, Lowe's, Harley-Davidson, just to name a few, in just the last couple of months. So tell us what's going on now with Nationwide Insurance.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Ohio-based Nationwide is one of the largest insurers in the country, and it's one of the biggest employers in Ohio. Now, the Center for Christian Virtue, which is an Ohio religious policy group, says it's also one of the driving forces of woke politics in that state and really nationally due to its political lobbying.
--:-- Megan Basham: So one example they point to is that the company has been supporting Ohio's Fairness Act, and that's legislation that would require men to be allowed in women's restrooms and other private spaces. Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, told me many of Nationwide's customers aren't aware of these activities.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, you take a company like Nationwide Insurance that has put itself out there as a family-friendly company who has a large portion of its business that it's in its agribusiness, its farmers, and yet here they are driving woke politics in Ohio and America. That makes them vulnerable to these types of campaigns. They have to care about what farmers say, and farmers predominantly don't want their insurance companies sponsoring drag queen story hour and pride parades.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, I have heard some critics, though, say that this is no different than using cancel culture in the way the left does.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, I did ask Bayer about that, and he told me he doesn't disagree that corporations can take any policy position they want, but he said that doesn't insulate them from criticism. At the end of the day, all we're doing is letting Ohio's farmers and other insurance buyers know what Nationwide is doing. Nationwide acts one way in the city of Columbus and in Washington, D.C., and then pretends to be something else on TV and in rural parts of the country. If Nationwide is embarrassed by what we're saying, they should just stop. Get out of these culture wars, get out of the political game, and just focus on selling good insurance to all customers, no matter what side of the aisle they're on.
--:-- Megan Basham: And it does seem like a lot of companies are now sensitive to this kind of pressure. Just a few months ago, the Wall Street Journal noted that dozens of companies, I named a few before, but also Kohl's, GameStop, some that are less known for catering to conservatives, announced that they too were dropping their DEI programs and pride donations. So definitely a pullback just from a few years ago.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But, you know, these examples still are, it seems, the minority. Is it premature to say that the tide is turning?
--:-- Megan Basham: I think that conservatives can be cautiously optimistic. A lot of it's going to depend on how they're able to influence those companies like Kohl's or GameStop that serve a more mixed customer base. But we have seen even some like Target at least mute their pride politicking due to some of this backlash. So I think time will tell.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, definitely one of the more interesting cultural trends to watch. Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Anytime.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know. Bye.
