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--:-- John Bickley: Donald Trump remains trapped in a New York courtroom while Joe Biden hits the campaign trail. Don't mess with the movement of America. I'm here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning. What do yesterday's battleground polls say about the race for the White House?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with guest co-host Sage Steele, host of the Sage Steele Show. It's Thursday, April 25th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Sage Steele: Anti-Israel protests on college campuses show no signs of letting up. And every single one of you students that support Hamas are an absolute abomination.
--:-- John Bickley: And the Supreme Court heard a challenge to Idaho's abortion law. Are the restrictions constitutional? And what will the decision mean for other states?
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- John Bickley: The Trump trial resumes today in New York as prosecutors seek to convince jurors that the former president engaged in financial crimes to influence the 2016 election. Here to discuss the monumental trial and how voters are reacting is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, we've now got a much clearer picture of the case they plan to make over the next few weeks. The heart of their argument is that Trump used his media connections and wealth to cover up negative stories as part of what they call a, quote, criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, to this point, prosecutors have focused on David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer. He testified on Tuesday that he was in regular communication with Trump and his lawyers throughout the 2016 race and engaged in a so-called catch-and-kill scheme in which they would pay off individuals threatening to come forward with negative stories about Trump.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, Pecker has admitted under oath to running made-up stories about Trump's then-primary opponents, including one accusing Ted Cruz's father of being involved in the assassination of JFK. And while those stories might be salacious or seem like dirty campaigning, to this point, most legal experts agree that we've yet to hear any claims that would constitute illegal election interference.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That is the bar they'll have to meet. Even the New York Times ran a piece with the headline calling it a, quote, legal embarrassment and historic mistake.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And while the general sense among legal experts is that the case against Trump is weak and unlikely to result in a conviction, we are already seeing the tangible impact it's having on the 2024 election.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While President Biden held campaign events in Florida this week and spent his time speaking with union members in Washington, Trump has still been stuck in New York, where he must attend every day of the trial in person or face jail time.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yes, certainly a major hindrance to his campaign. So how are voters responding to this legal drama?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, first, it's important to remember this case carries special political weight because it's likely the only of the four Trump trials that will go before a jury before Election Day.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And while the trials up to this point had, if anything, a positive effect for Trump, especially in the GOP primary, if he's convicted, that could change.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: However, experts say it is the least compelling case from a legal perspective. And voters do seem to agree.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Latest polling from the Associated Press found that only about one third of Americans think Trump acted illegally in the hush money case, while just 30 percent say prosecutors are treating Trump fairly.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That's 30 percent nationally, not just among Republicans. So it does seem that voters in large part agree with Trump's claim that it's being targeted for political purposes.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Meantime, yes, he's stuck in court all week, but he did get some good news on the polling front. Tell us about that.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, throughout the winter, we saw Trump pulling ahead of Biden in national polling, at one point holding a four-point lead on average.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But in recent weeks, things have certainly tightened considerably, at least at the national level, with Trump's lead shrinking to under one point.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, Democrats have touted those findings as evidence of momentum, but if you look at the data from the swing states, which will ultimately decide this race, Trump is still in a very strong spot.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Latest polling from Bloomberg this week showed the former president ahead in six of those seven swing states. In Wisconsin, he was up four, Arizona, seven, Nevada, eight, Georgia, six, and North Carolina, 10.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Those numbers are all well outside the margin of error. So while national polls have shown Biden gaining ground, popular vote is not what counts.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Whether folks like it or not, this race will come down to just seven or eight states. And all the data we have shows Trump in a strong spot there.
--:-- John Bickley: Goodness, it is going to be a fascinating summer leading up to November.
--:-- John Bickley: Cabot, thank you.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
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--:-- John Bickley: Officials at Columbia have set deadlines for the anti-Israel protesters to remove their encampments while House Speaker Mike Johnson makes an impromptu appearance at the chaotic scene on campus.
--:-- John Bickley: Johnson's appearance comes just a day after Columbia extended the deadline for protesting students to abandon their encampment by 48 hours and as over 100 arrests rolled the streets at nearby New York University.
--:-- John Bickley: Here to talk about where things stand and where they may be headed is Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
--:-- David Marcus: Morning, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Johnson met with Jewish students who have expressed fear at being on campus amid this anti-Israel and frankly, sometimes pro-Hamas occupation of the main lawn.
--:-- David Marcus: He then spoke, joined by representatives Nicole Malliotakis and Michael Lawler of New York, among others, on the steps of the library.
--:-- David Marcus: He announced a solidarity not just with the Jewish students at Columbia, but with the state of Israel itself and promised that neither would have to stand alone.
--:-- David Marcus: There was heckling and yelling to be heard. At one point, Johnson quipped at his detractors, quote, enjoy your free speech.
--:-- David Marcus: Johnson repeated calls for Columbia's president to resign and said federal funding could be cut for schools who allow these activities.
--:-- David Marcus: The speaker also pointed out that Hamas itself has now praised the protestors, calling them the future leaders of America. That line in particular seemed to be aimed at Americans writ large not just those in immediate reach of his voice.
--:-- John Bickley: Here are some of Johnson's remarks: Those who are perpetrating this violence should be arrested.
--:-- John Bickley: I am here today joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafiq to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos.
--:-- John Bickley: As Speaker of the House, I am committing today that the Congress will not be silent as Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and stay home from their classes hiding in fear.
--:-- David Marcus: So one of the key elements of this temporary detente was a pledge from the occupying students to expel anyone who is not a student or affiliated with the university from the encampment.
--:-- David Marcus: We've stressed this in our coverage all week, John, because the NYPD has expressed concern about professional agitators in the protesters' midst.
--:-- David Marcus: And also just generally, these kinds of occupations have a history of attracting a criminal element.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, Columbia University is not an impregnable fortress, and people have been sneaking on campuses for as long as campuses have existed, albeit usually for more amorous reasons.
--:-- David Marcus: But clearly, the college is much more comfortable with the situation being all, or at least mostly, made up of actual students.
--:-- John Bickley: So what are the possible ways that the standoff at Columbia could actually wrap up?
--:-- David Marcus: There's basically three ways this can end. One, Columbia reaches a deal with the protesters and they leave.
--:-- David Marcus: Two, Columbia does not reach an agreement and has the NYPD clear out the encampment.
--:-- David Marcus: Or three, Columbia agrees to allow the encampment to stay.
--:-- John Bickley: This third option is one that would put the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams in a tough spot because they are not allowed to act without Columbia's approval unless they are responding to an active crime or the credible belief that crime is happening there.
--:-- John Bickley: Yeah, you can see how that would be very problematic.
--:-- David Marcus: We did see some further spread of the protests to campuses in other parts of the country, including the very red state of Texas.
--:-- David Marcus: Is it even possible to measure how quickly this is or isn't catching hold at schools across America?
--:-- John Bickley: It's hard.
--:-- David Marcus: So we did see a few more pop up as at the University of Southern California.
--:-- David Marcus: According to Speaker Johnson, some 200 schools have seen some kind of protest.
--:-- John Bickley: And as you said, most notably yesterday was at University of Texas in Austin.
--:-- John Bickley: But look, UT is, again, a fairly large and elite institution.
--:-- John Bickley: And for Texas, Austin is a fairly liberal place.
--:-- John Bickley: We still have not seen much of this at smaller, less politically active colleges.
--:-- David Marcus: That could still happen, or the Columbia encampments and others could soon be shut down.
--:-- John Bickley: One way or another, a tipping point feels imminent.
--:-- John Bickley: Dave, thanks for reporting.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks for having me.
--:-- John Bickley: The Supreme Court heard a challenge to Idaho's abortion restrictions this week, the first time since Roe v. Wade was overturned, that the court has considered whether a state abortion law is constitutional.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraida Lordi is here with the details.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Hi, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So the court heard oral arguments in a case known as Moyle v. United States.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: This case deals with whether Idaho emergency room doctors are required by federal law to perform abortions to stabilize pregnant women in medical crisis.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Idaho bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape and incest.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Doctors who perform abortions outside those circumstances can face criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison and the loss of their medical license.
--:-- John Bickley: So what exactly is the Biden administration arguing here?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Well, it says Idaho's abortion law conflicts with a federal law, the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act known as EMTALA that requires hospitals receiving federal funds to provide patients with stabilizing care or risk losing Medicare funding.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: The federal law MTALA requires hospitals to care for people with an emergency medical condition including pregnant women in situations where and I quoting here the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in putting the health of the woman or her unborn child in serious jeopardy.
--:-- John Bickley: The Biden administration is claiming the federal law should override Idaho's abortion law, since in some cases, stabilizing care will supposedly mean an emergency room abortion.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: But Idaho officials disagree.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: They counter that the Biden administration is simply trying to undermine the state's abortion law.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Idaho's Attorney General Raul Labrador alleges that the administration is attempting to use federal law to turn Idaho emergency rooms into abortion enclaves.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: They also say it would make it easier for women to obtain medically unnecessary abortions.
--:-- John Bickley: One of Idaho's lawyers said a pregnant woman could potentially claim that her mental health required her to get an abortion.
--:-- John Bickley: We spoke to Dr. Ingrid Skopp, who is a board-certified OBGYN in San Antonio and director of medical affairs for the Charlotte Lozier Institute.
--:-- John Bickley: She explained there have been some intentional efforts to confuse doctors about the laws.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Misinformation is spread about women allegedly suffering miscarriages or other adverse outcomes due to state abortion law.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: We've seen stories of doctors who have failed to intervene in the wake of the Dobbs decision who say they would have intervened prior to Dobbs.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: This is not the fault of the law. The medical organizations who usually will explain a law to doctors, of course, most doctors are not attorneys.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: They don't feel confident interpreting a law on their own.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: But most of these organizations have not explained the law to the doctors.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: And as we've seen, so many doctors are afraid that they are going to lose their license or be charged with a felony because they don't understand the law.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: And in fact, to my knowledge, there has never been a doctor prosecuted for doing an abortion when he's done it to save the life of the mother.
--:-- John Bickley: So these doctors need to be encouraged that they can use their reasonable medical judgment.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: The law specifically allows them to do that.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, this case is being closely watched because a broad decision could potentially affect other states, correct?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: That's right.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: And more than a dozen states have strict state abortion restrictions.
--:-- John Bickley: The justices appeared divided on the case largely along ideological lines on Wednesday.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: However, there appeared to be a split along gender lines as well.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: The court's four female justices, including conservative Amy Coney Barrett, pushed back on Idaho's claim that its abortion law supersedes the federal law.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Barrett's criticism was less about the abortion issue itself and more about how much discretion doctors have to make decisions in emergency medical situations.
--:-- John Bickley: We should note, too, as the election cycle heats up, Democrats have hammered the abortion issue and seized on personal stories of women who were prevented from obtaining an abortion in their home state.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Right. We've seen Democrats make that a key talking point in their campaigns this year.
--:-- John Bickley: Marit, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Thanks, John.
--:-- John Bickley: A developing story we're tracking. An Arizona grand jury handed down an indictment against 18 people Wednesday night for allegedly attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election by submitting an alternate slate of electors.
--:-- John Bickley: Only 11 of the names have been released thus far, including former Arizona GOP chairwoman Kelly Ward.
--:-- John Bickley: CNN is reporting that Rudy Giuliani and President Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, are also among those charged.
--:-- John Bickley: The state's Attorney General, Chris Mays, who is a Democrat, announced the indictment Wednesday night.
--:-- John Bickley: Charges include conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
--:-- John Bickley: Trump is not charged in the indictment, but is listed as unindicted co-conspirator number one.
--:-- John Bickley: The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding Trump's claims of presidential immunity today.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know.
