Texas Election & Progressive DAs Face Removal | 6.16.22

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Host (Georgia Howe): Texas congressional seat flips Republican in a special election. Mayra Flores becomes the first Mexican-born female to serve in Congress. It is time that we have real representation in Washington. And unfortunately, the Democrat Party has taken us for granted. They feel entitled to our vote. We have a full report on what her win means for Texas, as well as the results from primaries in other states. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, June 16th, and this is Morning Wire.

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Host (John Bickley): Just a week after San Francisco's progressive district attorney was recalled over rising crime, two more progressive district attorneys are being challenged. Are liberal voters turning against the progressive prosecutor movement? And China has been quietly increasing its influence in Latin America, raising concerns among national security experts. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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Host (John Bickley): This week, Republicans flipped a majority Hispanic congressional district in Texas that hadn't gone red in 150 years, offering more evidence of a seismic shift among a voting bloc long dominated by Democrats. Here with the latest on that race and other important primaries taking place this week is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.

Cabot Phillips: So, we talked on the show last week about how Republicans appeared to be making inroads with Hispanic voters based on 2020 results and recent polling. But there were still questions about if people were just temporarily upset with President Biden or whether they'd actually flip parties and show up to vote for Republicans. Well, on Tuesday, we got an overwhelming answer to that question. Republican Mayra Flores just won a special election by eight points in a district that has not had a Republican Congress member, get this, since 1881. It's been 150 years. For context, this is the second most heavily Hispanic district in the country. It's 85% Hispanic.

Host (John Bickley): Wow. Now, the other interesting thing here is how Flores won. There's long been a narrative that Hispanic voters were turned off by Republican rhetoric on illegal immigration and strong borders. But listen to her campaign ad. As the wife of a border patrol agent, I pray for his safety now more than ever. I'm Mayra Flores, and I approve this message because we must secure our borders and keep our families safe.

Cabot Phillips: Now, because there was redistricting in her area, Flores will be up for election once again in November. And she face a tough opponent Congressman Vicente Gonzalez Now it is worth noting that Democrats did not spend much on this race They were quick to point out on Wednesday that they saving their money for November when Gonzalez will be on the ballot against Flores But for now, Flores is the first Mexican-born woman to serve in the House and a Republican at that. Not something we expected to see just a few short years ago.

Host (John Bickley): Now, I want to get into some of these other races this week. What can you tell us about the South Carolina primaries?

Cabot Phillips: Yeah, in South Carolina, we were tracking incumbent Republicans Nancy Mace and Tom Rice. Both had criticized President Trump pretty heavily at times, and he responded by endorsing their primary opponents. Mace was in her first term and had drawn attention after saying on CNN that Trump had wiped out his entire legacy on January 6th. She later walked back those comments, and despite the fact that Trump had endorsed her opponent, campaigned as someone who would carry on the Trump movement. She definitely did not run from him. That message evidently worked, and she was able to survive with 53% of the vote. But Representative Tom Rice was not so lucky. Remember, he was one of the 10 Republicans who had voted to impeach Trump, and that seemed to weigh heavily against him, especially in the primary. Unlike Mays, who had walked her comments back, Rice leaned into them and routinely criticized Trump throughout the campaign, and he ended up losing badly. He just got 24% of the vote.

Host (John Bickley): So for those keeping an eye on how Trump's picks would fare, it's hard to draw any definitive conclusion. Bit of a mixed bag in South Carolina. Now, what about Nevada?

Cabot Phillips: So Nevada is going to be one of the most important states to watch this November. Biden won there by just two points in 2020, and Republicans are hoping to pick up the seat currently held by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. In the Republican primary, Attorney General Adam Laxalt survived a late challenge from political newcomer Sam Brown. Now, in addition to having the support of President Trump and other Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Ron DeSantis, Laxalt's father and grandfather both served in the Senate. So he has widespread name recognition in the state, which should help come November.

Host (John Bickley): Well, it's definitely one of the states we're going to be hearing more about. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

Cabot Phillips: Anytime.

Host (John Bickley): That was Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Coming up, two more progressive district attorneys face potential removal.

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Host (Georgia Howe): Just a week after San Francisco's progressive district attorney was recalled over rising crime, two more progressive district attorneys are facing similar challenges. On the East Coast, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner is facing impeachment proceedings launched by Pennsylvania Republicans who say he's refused to control crime, while on the West Coast, LA's DA George Gascon is on the verge of facing recall. Here to discuss is Daily Wire investigative reporter Mara DeLorty.

Mara DeLorty: So, this attempt to oust Philadelphia DA Krasner was announced by three Republican state house representatives on Monday. They even launched a website that allows crime victims in the city of Brotherly Love to tell their horror stories. One of the state reps, Josh Kail, said that they recognize impeachment is a, quote, extraordinary measure, but he says unchecked violent crime in Philadelphia has simply reached a breaking point. Kail blames Krasner's, quote, willful refusal to enforce existing laws. Representative Torrin Ecker added that gun crime is part of the widespread lawlessness that has gripped the city. Krasner took office in 2018. He's a former civil rights lawyer who ran on a platform of ending cash bail, addressing police misconduct, and ending mass incarceration. He part of the progressive prosecutor movement that began a few years ago In the late 20 through the defund the police movement of 2020 a number of progressive prosecutors were elected in several major U cities many with significant campaign assistance from billionaire George Soros Their approach to crime has been controversial, with many saying they are too soft on criminals.

Host (Georgia Howe): Right, we're hearing more and more of that. Now, how has the DA Krasner responded?

Mara DeLorty: Well, Krasner called the move clearly unconstitutional and said that the GOP state reps are only trying this because they didn't, quote, get what they want from Philadelphia voters. It's unclear whether the impeachment will be able to get off the ground, but polling of Philadelphia residents shows they are very concerned about crime. A March survey from Axios showed that the majority of Philadelphia Democrats believe the city is on the wrong track and that increased crime is their number one concern. Alarmingly, 40% of respondents, which again only included Democrats, said they were much more worried about being the victim of a crime over the past six months. And an additional 27% said they were somewhat more worried. That's nearly 70% of Democrats who said they're at least somewhat worried.

Host (Georgia Howe): Yeah, it sounds like it. Now, Krasner is not the only progressive DA being challenged this week. Let's talk about LA. What's the latest there with Gascon?

Mara DeLorty: Right. Right. There's an ongoing attempt to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, and as of Wednesday, the activist group campaigning for the recall claimed it had collected enough signatures to get the recall on the ballot. Those signatures still need to be audited, so it's not confirmed yet, but it looks like a recall could be likely. Judging by how things went for Chase Abudin in San Francisco, Gascon could be extremely vulnerable if that happens. Gascon is also part of the progressive prosecutor movement, but he actually predates a lot of his peers. He was elected as LA's DA at the end of 2020, but he was formerly San Francisco's DA from 2011 to 2019. Interestingly, Gascon started out as a police chief in Arizona and a Republican, but he quietly changed his affiliation to Democrat prior to running for DA in San Francisco, though he has been consistently progressive throughout his political career. Like Krasner and Boudin, critics say Gascon is soft on crime and that his policies have ruined the city. Notably, a lot of this criticism is coming from prosecutors in Gascon's own office. Meanwhile, crime has been on the rise in L.A. Just on Tuesday night, two LAPD officers were fatally shot as they responded to a possible stabbing at a motel.

Host (Georgia Howe): Well, we'll certainly be watching to see if this becomes an even larger trend. Maraed, thanks for reporting.

Mara DeLorty: Thanks, John.

Host (Georgia Howe): That was Daily Wire investigative reporter Mara DeLorty.

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Host (John Bickley): China has quietly built economic inroads into Latin America and the Caribbean, signing a number of bilateral trade agreements and incorporating over 20 countries into its Belt and Road Initiative. U.S. national security experts are concerned about China's growing influence in the region and close relationships with authoritarian regimes in the region. Here to tell us more is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce.

Tim Pierce: So, the Belt and Road Initiative is an economic and geopolitical project by China to modernize trade routes throughout the world. China basically goes into partner countries and builds out their infrastructure, like roads and bridges, and in return, China gains influence over their commerce. They've reportedly developed participation with at least 145 countries, mostly in the Middle East, Africa, and as of 2018, Latin America. So how long has this project been going on and how much has been built out in the Americas at this point?

Host (John Bickley): The Belt and Road Initiative first began in 2013. And like I mentioned earlier, they began signing on with Latin American countries in 2018. It's widely considered to be the centerpiece of Xi Jinping's foreign policy strategy. But China really began building economic relationships and partnerships with Latin America in the early 2000s. At this point, China's economic power in the region rivals that of the United States In recent years China actually eclipsed the U as South America top trading partner But when you factor in Mexico the U is still the largest trading partner for all of Latin America That because U trade alone is worth more than the United States trade with every other Latin American country put together. Trade between the two countries amounted to $677 billion in 2019. But if you remove Mexico from the data, you get a better idea of how much influence China has gained in Latin America. Not counting Mexico, China's total trade with Latin American countries hit $247 billion last year. The United States trade with those countries lagged substantially behind at $174 billion, according to a recent report by Reuters.

Host (John Bickley): Now, what kinds of products are they trading? Generally speaking, Latin America is a source of raw materials for China, so that includes things like ores, oil, and agricultural goods. In return, Latin American countries receive cheap manufactured products such as computer chips and machinery. China has gotten at least 20 countries in Latin America to sign on to its Belt and Road Initiative, which essentially puts China in charge of a country's key infrastructure, such as building out its network capabilities and standardizing its freight lanes. Chinese banks have also done a significant amount of investing in Latin America. Loans from Chinese banks, all of which are tied in closely with Beijing, are generally easy to access with few restrictions, so they have become a common way of securing capital for Latin American governments and companies. In 2020, Chinese overseas foreign direct investment in Latin America amounted to roughly $17 billion. China has been a non-borrowing member of the Caribbean Development Bank since 1998 and the Inter-American Development Bank since 2008, financing the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Host (John Bickley): So all considered, there has been a huge amount of Chinese development over the past 20 years with acceleration in the past five years. Right, so China's really building its place on the world stage. Tim, thanks for reporting.

Tim Pierce: Anytime.

Host (John Bickley): That was Daily Wire's Tim Pierce.

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Host (Georgia Howe): Other stories we're tracking this week. The Federal Reserve officially increased its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a point on Wednesday. That's the most aggressive rate hike since 1994. Stocks were volatile until Fed Chairman Jerome Powell issued a statement saying he does not expect moves of this size to be common. After decades of debate, scientists believe they have finally discovered the origin place of the Black Death plague. Analysis of ancient human teeth found in a burial ground in modern-day Kyrgyzstan suggests the plague began in 1338 in Central Asia. The Black Death plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, lasted almost 400 years, with most cities losing 30 to 60 percent of their populations during outbreaks.

Host (John Bickley): All entrances to Yellowstone National Park are closed due to unprecedented flooding this week, damaging and destroying roads, bridges, homes, and infrastructure. The northern portion of the park in Montana will likely remain closed for the remainder of the season. Montana's governor declared a state of disaster on Tuesday as officials evacuated the park and helped communities trapped without power or safe drinking water.

Host (Georgia Howe): And on Wednesday, the Biden administration announced a $1 billion military aid package to Ukraine as it defends its eastern Donbass region against heavy Russian artillery. President Biden confirmed the aid with President Zelensky before announcing the package, which includes long-range howitzers, ammunition, and coastal defense systems.

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