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--:-- John Bickley: Former President Trump secures another major Republican primary win, this time in South Carolina. Thank you very much. Go home. Get rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Why does Trump's only remaining rival say she's staying in the race? And which states are both candidates setting their sights on next? I'm Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, February 26th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: National outrage after a Georgia nursing student is murdered, and the suspect turns out to be an illegal immigrant with a criminal record. He did not know her at all. I think this was a crime of opportunity. This was an individual who woke up with bad intentions on that day. And new evidence could prove fatal to the ability of Fulton County DA Fonnie Willis to continue her case against Trump.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Is your business selling a little or a lot? Shopify helps you do your thing however you cha-ching. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. From the launch your online shop stage all the way to the did we just hit a million orders stage. Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the internet's best converting checkout, which is 36% better on average compared to the other leading commerce platforms. Get a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com slash morningwire. That's shopify.com slash morningwire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Former President Donald Trump secured a resounding victory in South Carolina this weekend, cementing his standing as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. Here are the latest on what we learned from the race and what it means for the general election is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hey, Cabot. So a decisive win for Trump again here. First, how did things turn out Saturday?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, Trump came out on top yet again, this time in the home state of his lone remaining rival, Nikki Haley. Haley built her career in the Palmetto State, serving as governor for six years, and had argued that voters there would reward her with an upset victory. But that did not happen, as Trump ultimately brought in 60% of the vote to Haley's 40.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But despite that crippling defeat for the former governor and U.N. ambassador, Haley again vowed to continue on, claiming Republicans have made clear they want a Trump alternative on the ballot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president. I'm a woman of my word.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For his part, as the results came in Saturday night, Donald Trump celebrated his win, touting the fact that he received more votes than any primary candidate from either party in the history of South Carolina elections.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: I was just informed that we got double the number of votes that has ever been received in the great state of South Carolina. So that's pretty good. There's never been a spirit like this. And I just want to say that I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: All right, so calls from Trump to unify the party and he takes another big step towards the nomination. What comes next? Well, the Michigan primary will be held tomorrow. That'll be the last major contest before the all-important Super Tuesday on March 5th.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: All told, over the next two weeks, 21 states and territories will be up for grabs. And with Haley expected to lose all or nearly all of those upcoming states, the pressure for her to drop out will only intensify.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: In many ways, though, the question of if or when she quits comes down to money. That decision may be coming soon, and it may be made for her. As Americans for Prosperity Action, one of the main super PACs supporting Haley, announced yesterday their plans to stop spending money on her campaign.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So while she did pull in nearly $10 million in campaign contributions last month, this new cut could be the beginning of the end. Primary candidates historically stick around until the fundraising wheels fall off, and this certainly steers Haley onto that route.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Right. Now, Haley and other Trump detractors say he's got the Republican base locked up, but won't be able to branch out enough to beat Biden in November. What's their argument there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah. So the main argument from Trump holdouts is that he might have a rabid base of supporters, but he's less likely to beat Biden in a general election. They point to the fact that Trump's success in the primary so far has largely been driven by his overwhelming support among older white voters, those without a college degree, and also those who believe the 2020 election was stolen.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Trump detractors say that those demographics are not reflective of the larger electorate and that the primary results so far sort of give a skewed perception of his popularity nationwide.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, while Haley has struggled mightily among the GOP base, they point to her strength with independents and moderates in both parties as evidence of her electability. And for example, if you look at polling, on average, she does beat Joe Biden in a head-to-head race by around five points.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Trump is also ahead, but by a smaller margin of two points. However, as you know, those general election polls mean nothing if you can't win the primary. And there is no disputing that barring a once-in-a-century upset, Trump will be the nominee.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, definitely seeing growing confidence on the Trump team and a lot more pressure building on Haley. Kevin, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Anytime. We'll see you next time. slash MorningWire. That's netsuite.com slash MorningWire. A college student is dead and an illegal immigrant is back in custody after tragedy struck in Athens, Georgia last week. University of Georgia nursing student Lakin Riley was killed while on a jog early Thursday. Her death has sparked blowback against President Biden and demands to secure the southern border.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the tragedy and its aftermath. So Tim, a horrific event that's really shaken the community in Georgia and sparked national outrage.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah, this has been a huge shock for the campus and the locals in the area. It's the first homicide at the University of Georgia in decades. The trail that Riley was running on is popular for students and locals as it runs through a wooded area near the university intramural fields and Lake Herrick on the UGA campus.
--:-- Tim Pierce: It's added pressure to the university and campus law enforcement to increase security, especially on the more isolated parts of the trail. To that end, the university has said it will be putting up more lights and security cameras throughout the area to help people feel safe again.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Now, what have we heard from Riley family? They released a statement on Saturday calling Riley an amazing daughter sister friend and overall person and said her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life.
--:-- Tim Pierce: And that's been the tone of the reactions since her passing. Now, a lot of the outrage we've seen is related to the immigration status of the suspect. What do we know about him so far?
--:-- Tim Pierce: His name is Jose Antonio Ibarra. He is 26 from Venezuela and immigrated to the U.S. illegally in 2022. He was in Border Patrol custody but was released into the U.S. on parole because, as reports indicate, detention facilities were full and because he was from Venezuela.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Last week, he was living in an apartment in Athens, Georgia, close to the UGA campus. The trail on campus where Riley was killed and Ibarra's apartment building are only about a mile apart. Now, Ibarra is in custody at the Clark County Jail and is being held without bail.
--:-- Tim Pierce: He has been charged with kidnapping and murder counts in Riley's death, as well as aggravated assault, false imprisonment, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another person. Now, a lot of the anger around this case is that Ibarra had been arrested before.
--:-- Tim Pierce: What do we know about his history? He was arrested in New York in September of last year. Prosecutors charged him with acting in a manner to injure a minor and gave him a license violation as well.
--:-- Tim Pierce: New York authorities released him before he could be turned over to ICE. And then, according to a Georgia state lawmaker, Ibarra was also arrested in Athens for allegedly shoplifting, and he had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear in court.
--:-- Tim Pierce: So several serious charges, but he was continuing to roam free. Yeah. Now, do we know what the motive could have been? Not really. Riley didn't appear to know Ibarra. We also don't know what took place before Riley's death other than officials saying she died from blunt force trauma.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Authorities described it as a crime of opportunity. But more than the motive, one of the main focuses in this case is that Riley's death was preventable. Georgia politicians have said this tragedy happened because officials are unwilling to deport people who have demonstrated they are dangerous.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Here's Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Fox News on Sunday. Why are we allowing people to come here that are not U.S. citizens and break our laws and then not send them back home. I mean, it's so frustrating. I mean, this individual, from what I've heard with rumors that are leaking, was supposedly supposed to be in New York.
--:-- Tim Pierce: These are the answers that we need to get from the Biden administration. Has the White House responded to these criticisms? In general, yes, but not over this case in particular.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The White House has not put out any statement acknowledging Riley's death. We'll keep on top of that if anything changes. Tim, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for having me. The case against Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia, faces a potential crippling blow against the DA who brought the charges. New evidence is casting further doubt on testimony by District Attorney Fannie Willis and her lead prosecutor Nathan Wade regarding when their romantic relationship started.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Both Willis and Wade have said under oath and in affidavits that their affair began only after Wade was appointed to head the election interference case. But now cell phone data seems to be telling another tale.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to discuss the discrepancies and how it might impact the future of the case against Trump is Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
--:-- David Marcus: Hey, Dave. So first, what did this cell data show exactly?
--:-- David Marcus: Morning, John. According to the data that Trump's legal team is seeking to introduce, Wade's phone was located at Fannie Willis' residence or near about 35 times before he was appointed to the Trump case in 2022.
--:-- David Marcus: One incident from November of 2021 shows the phone arriving after midnight and staying at the condo until almost five in the morning. So either this was an epic game of Axis and allies or well something else was going on.
--:-- David Marcus: In any event the data directly contradicts Willis sworn testimony that Wade never stayed over at her place before 2022. Thus far, the district attorney's office has not denied the authenticity of the records, but has argued that the data is not relevant to the case, a claim that most observers believe strains credulity, to say the least.
--:-- David Marcus: Yeah. So where does this new evidence leave the trial against Trump, which had been slated to begin as early as this spring? Judge Scott McAfee has scheduled a March 1st hearing to determine whether Willis and Wade can remain on the case.
--:-- David Marcus: The big ask from the defendant's attorneys was that they be removed, but the implications are far bigger than that. And there's a few reasons. One, the judge could also bar the entire prosecution team from the case, meaning it would have to start from scratch.
--:-- David Marcus: And that is if another DA in Georgia is even willing to take up the prosecution. It also seems clear that unless the judge allows Willis and Wade to remain on the case, it will likely not come to trial prior to the election in November, something that is absolutely a goal of Trump's legal team.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, obviously, being removed from the case would be a severe outcome here for Willis and Wade. But could there be further consequences for them? Yeah, perjury is a crime for anyone. And for attorneys, it's obviously a punishable ethical violation.
--:-- David Marcus: Legal expert Jonathan Turley has suggested that it is possible that Judge McAfee could refer this case to the bar in an effort to get them disbarred or even recommend it for criminal prosecution.
--:-- David Marcus: Willis insisted during her rather combative testimony that it was the defendants, including Trump, who were on trial, not her and Wade. But the tables may have significantly turned here.
--:-- David Marcus: And look, the voices calling for Willis to be removed are growing pretty deafening at this point. Trump's GOP opponent, Nikki Haley, here calls for just that.
--:-- David Marcus: I think she needs to be off the case. I think they need to do what they're going to do without any more distractions.
--:-- David Marcus: And finally, with Super Tuesday just about two weeks away and Trump poised to win the GOP nomination, how significant could a major delay or even the end of this case be in the general election? It could make a huge difference because this is a case that speaks directly to a campaign issue in a way that the classified documents or business fraud cases don't.
--:-- David Marcus: Trump's actions after the 2020 election and on January 6th are a big part of Democrats' attacks on him. And don't forget, this is a case in which several defendants already pleaded guilty and are potentially set to testify against Trump.
--:-- David Marcus: Clearly, that's something the campaign would be eager to avoid. Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smith's federal J6 case is also held up in the courts right now.
--:-- David Marcus: So what really had looked like what was going to be a rather demanding trial schedule for the presumptive GOP nominee over the next eight months could be clearing up considerably. And that is something, John, that even two or three months ago appeared extremely unlikely.
--:-- David Marcus: I'm getting less and less surprised these days by unlikely things happening.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks for having me.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for coming on. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know. How do you protect your family in the midst of all the chaos in the world? Well, a great place to start is by protecting your savings. Invest in gold with Birch Gold Group today.
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