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--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Former President Trump lays out his much-anticipated position on abortion. Now it's up to the states to do the right thing. How does Trump's announcement change the 2024 political landscape? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, April 9th, and this is Morning Wire. The Vatican unequivocally spells out Catholicism's stance on gender theory and sex change procedures. And House Speaker Mike Johnson walks a political tightrope as Congress reconvenes and debates a controversial funding bill for Ukraine.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. 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.
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--:-- John Bickley: Former President Trump laid out his official position on the issue of abortion on Monday, saying it should be left to the states. His statement suggested that if elected, he will not support abortion limits at the federal level.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here with more on Trump's abortion stance and how it could impact the election is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham. So Megan, a lot of pressure on Trump to put out a statement on this. What's his official position?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, as John said in that video statement that he posted to Truth Social, Trump actually stopped short of outright saying that he wouldn't support a federal ban like say a 15-week limit. But that seemed to be the implication of his remarks. So he repeatedly stressed that the issue should be decided on a state-by-state basis.
--:-- Georgia Howe: My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others. And that's what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, that's noteworthy because in the past, he had hinted that he might back a federal 15-week or 16-week compromise, with some exceptions for rape and incest. And many of his high-profile supporters, like Senator Lindsey Graham, do take that position. Also, his former rival, Ron DeSantis, promised that he would sign such a ban. So it had been shaping up as something of a possible GOP consensus. But the presumptive Republican nominee making a statement like this changes the political landscape on the right significantly, I think.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But you are hearing a lot of his backers saying that this had to happen because abortion has been an incredibly effective issue for the Democrats in the last couple of election cycles. So no doubt the Trump campaign is hoping that his comments will help neutralize abortion as an effective wedge issue.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, also, it sounds like President Biden is planning to make this a big part of his campaign. Yeah, and they are definitely planning to continue beating this drum. So the Biden camp has already responded. Almost immediately, they put out statements. President Biden said Trump is lying. And he said, and I'm quoting, let there be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on his desk, Trump will sign it into law.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So no surprise, really, given that abortion is one of the few issues where right now Biden is outranking Trump in the polls. But it also seems like Trump is risking angering a very significant percentage of his base. You know, you think of pro-life activists, evangelical voters, they backed him in a huge way in 2016.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, you know, you're certainly seeing statements that register a certain level of unhappiness, but significantly, they're not outright pulling any support for Trump. So Krista Hawkins, who is the president of Students for Life, said on X that the pro-life base has to understand that staking out a federal standard on abortion would undermine newly elected state laws that have lowered thresholds against abortions, like at six and eight weeks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But on the other hand, Susan B. Anthony, pro-life America, was much more condemnatory. They said in a statement that they are deeply disappointed with Trump's remarks and that the Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act. But that said, they also stressed that they still plan to work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and, quoting their words, extreme congressional Democrats.
--:-- Megan Basham: And I think that's why, even though he's framing it as a states' rights issue, Trump really tried to differentiate himself from Democrats, even in this statement, casting them as extremists. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. Trump also reminded the base that he delivered on his promise to appoint Supreme Court justices that would overturn Roe. And that's why we're even having this debate right now.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, when you look at how this performs as a ballot measure, it really shows how this is such a difficult needle for the GOP to thread. Yep. Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Anytime.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The Vatican issued an official document Monday, five years in the making, that unequivocally spells out the Catholic Church's opposition to gender theory. The document comes after a November release caused significant confusion around the Catholic Church's position on trans-identifying people. Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraid Elordi is here with the details. So Maraid, what does the Vatican now say about transgenderism and transition?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Hi, Georgia. So Monday's document from the Vatican touches on a few topics related to gender and sexuality, but most notably, it clarifies the Church's opposition to gender theory. It says that medical sex change procedures threaten the unique dignity of a person. The document is called Dignitas Infinita or Infinite Dignity and it was signed by Pope Francis.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here a quote from the document Human life both physical and spiritual is a gift from God Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the gospel.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The Vatican document also notes that experts have considerable debate over gender theory's scientific coherence. It also says gender ideology is problematic because it denies sexual difference, which threatens a family. Now, with regards to threatening the family, what other issues did the document discuss?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, it specifically affirmed the importance of traditional heterosexual couples. The document says that in male-female couples, sexual difference results in the miracle of new human beings in the world. Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The document goes on to say that because of this, it is unacceptable that gender ideology asserts itself as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, some of the headlines claimed that the church specifically condemned sex change procedures. Is that accurate?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Yes, actually. On medical sex change procedures, the church's position is that humans are inseparably composed of both body and soul, and that humans are called to protect our humanity, which means respecting it as it was created. It goes on to say, any sex change intervention as a rule risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception. As a reminder to our listeners, medical sex changes can include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, genital surgeries, double mastectomies, and more.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So why did they release the document now? Well, it's been in the works for a while. Monday's document actually comes after a Vatican document released back in November resulted in significant confusion around the Catholic Church's position on trans-identifying people.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: That November document intended to clarify that people who previously received gender surgery or hormone treatments can still be baptized and be godparents under the condition that, despite how they may have lived in the past, they've accepted the church's teachings and met the same qualifications as anyone else joining the faith.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On the godparent issue, the Vatican said that people who have undergone transgender medical treatment can serve as godparents, but pastoral prudence demands that it not be permitted if there's a risk of scandal.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Now, I think a lot of people were watching the church closely to see if they were going to move left with the culture on this, but it sounds like they're drawing a pretty firm line right now.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, they are. But there are signs that secular culture is also approaching a limit as well. Several European countries have cut way back on transgender medical interventions for children, including some banning it outright. Britain, Finland, and Sweden have been at the forefront on this. Here in the U.S., at least 24 states have also imposed limits on these medical interventions for minors.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: That's largely been the result of research showing that children typically grow out of gender dysphoria and that the treatments have significant long-term side effects.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, certainly a significant statement here from the Vatican. Maraid, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Thanks, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As Congress returns to Washington this week, the fate of a massive Ukraine funding package and the political future of Speaker Mike Johnson hangs in the balance. Here with the details of the bitter debate in D.C. is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Hey, Cabot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hey, Georgia. So here we go. Congress is back in session and a crucial piece of legislation is on the docket. What's the latest there?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, back in February, the Senate overwhelmingly passed an enormous foreign aid package that included tens of billions of dollars for Israel and Taiwan and importantly, about 60 billion dollars in military and economic aid for Ukraine. While Speaker Johnson has offered support for Ukraine funding, he opposed the version from the Senate and vowed to construct his own package in the House.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That set off a heated debate in the chamber over what that final product should look like. And at the moment there is doubt that any new funding for Ukraine can even get through the House at all. Remember roughly half the GOP conference led by hardline conservatives says the U.S. has already sent enough money to Kiev and should focus on securing our own border and prioritize tax dollars here at home.
--:-- Georgia Howe: They argue that the longer we continue funding the war in Ukraine, the greater the likelihood that America is ultimately drawn into that conflict.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, those in support of funding say that without U.S. support, Putin will score a decisive victory and all of America's support to this point will have been for nothing. That leaves Speaker Mike Johnson walking a very narrow political tightrope.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, really a difficult situation for him to navigate. How is he planning to get this through the House?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Johnson is looking to appease those hardline conservatives with a few concessions. First, he's promised to only support Ukraine funding if it comes along with new border reforms. He's floating the idea of converting some of the aid into loans that would theoretically be paid back down the road. And he's also exploring the idea of funding the package not with tax dollars, but with Russian assets that are currently frozen around the world.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But look, the reality is Johnson will almost certainly have to win over a sizable chunk of Democrats if this thing is going to pass, which will be difficult. That's because a growing number of Democrats say they'll vote no on any package that includes more funding for Israel, which is a problem because many of the Republicans who are currently on board say they'll only vote yes on Ukraine aid if Israel funding is included.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So if Johnson does indeed need to appease Democrats to ultimately secure passage, it'll only pour more fire on those Republicans who've already threatened to try and oppose him over all this. And what are those threats looking like now? Is his speakership really on the line here?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, it's precarious for sure. A number of those hardline GOP members have expressed very public anger with Johnson. They say he's no more conservative than his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy. At the end of March, just as the House was breaking for recess, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia representative, filed a motion to oust Johnson. But that move does not appear to have much real support at this point.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While many Republicans are indeed upset with Johnson, they've expressed fear that ousting him could pave the way for a Democrat speaker. Remember, it would only take a few disgruntled Republicans siding with Democrats to result in Hakeem Jeffries being named speaker. Florida rep Matt Gaetz, who led the charge against McCarthy last year, spoke to those fears, telling reporters, quote, if we vacated the speaker, we'd end up with a Democrat. I worry that we've got Republicans who would vote for Hakeem Jeffries at this point.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So while Johnson might be safe for now, it all gives you an idea of the fractures forming within the House GOP more broadly.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, sure does. Now, this all comes as NATO continues to debate whether Ukraine will gain membership eventually, which has massive implications, obviously. Tell us about that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long pleaded for NATO to grant Ukraine membership, something supporters say would strengthen their defenses and send a message to Putin that the West is united behind Ukraine. But detractors fear it'll escalate the conflict further and risk drawing U.S. forces directly into that war.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While all 30 member states would have to agree unanimously on Ukraine membership, the Biden administration last week reiterated their support publicly for the move. Here's Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. Ukraine will become a member of NATO. Our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership and to create a clear pathway for Ukraine moving forward.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And while the White House has yet to make clear a proposed timeline for Ukrainian membership, their public support of the move is a very important step that, understandably, is getting a lot of attention in Washington.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It would be a significant move, to say the least.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
