Morning Wire (Daily Wire)

Episode: "Charlotte Tragedy Fallout & LA ICE Raids Enabled"
Date: September 9, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

Episode Overview

This episode of Morning Wire explores the mounting anxieties about crime policy in America, sparked by a shocking stabbing in Charlotte, NC. The hosts look into the role of soft-on-crime policies, the broader urban crime wave, and the controversial political responses. Additional segments cover the Five Eyes international alliance on immigration, a Supreme Court decision enabling ICE raids in Los Angeles, and the intensifying Democratic opposition to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his reforms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Charlotte Light Rail Stabbing: Community Shock & Policy Backlash

Segment Begins: [02:35]

The Incident & Community Response

• John Bickley introduces former President Trump's reaction, who directly links the tragedy to what he sees as failed crime prevention:
  • "Just viciously stabbed. She's just sitting there. We have to be able to handle that. If we don't handle that, we don't have a country." [00:32]
• Georgia Howe brings in Megan Basham, a Charlotte resident and Daily Wire culture reporter, to discuss community sentiment:
  • The murder occurred in Charlotte’s "South End," once a trendy and safe district. Residents now see increases in homelessness, public disorder, and don't feel safe riding transit anymore.
  • Basham provides alarming statistics: Charlotte homicides jumped 25% last year, robberies up 54%, violent offenses up nearly 10%, and shootings into occupied property up 42%. [04:03]
    • “It's in South End... But really, the character of the area has started to change... Charlotte saw a 25% increase in the homicide rate last year. Robberies... up 54% and general violent offenses are up nearly 8, 10%. Shootings into occupied property is up 42%.” — Megan Basham [03:11]

Political & Policy Reactions

• Charlotte’s Democratic Mayor, Lai Viles, focused on mental health and homelessness in her response—without mentioning the victim:
  • "We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health... Mental health disease is just that, a disease like any other that needs to be treated..." [04:44]
• Criticism from NC Congressman Mark Harris:
  • “I'm not even sure that she understands what she means by that... The bottom line is that this is a criminal that had an incredible rap sheet. I mean, 14 arrests... that doesn't excuse the crime.” [05:26]

Policy Roots of the Crisis

• Basham and the hosts explain that current "soft-on-crime" measures trace back to the post-George Floyd period:
  • In 2020, NC Governor Josh Stein launched a "task force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice". Key reforms included:
    • Expanding pretrial release
    • Decriminalizing homelessness and “public behavior”
    • Mandating implicit bias training for legal officials [06:04]
• The suspect, Decarlos Brown, had 14 previous arrests, including violent felonies, but benefited repeatedly from leniency due to these policies.
  • "He had at least 14 previous arrests, including armed robbery... On most of these arrests, he was credited with time served and received probation and community service." — Megan Basham [06:31]

2. International Immigration Enforcement & Supreme Court Ruling

Segment Begins: [08:29]

Global Context: Five Eyes Meeting

• Tim Rice, Daily Wire Washington editor, discusses Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's London meeting with intelligence partners (the Five Eyes: US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada) focused on cracking down on human smuggling and the opioid trade.
• Britain’s new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmoud, is leading with tough rhetoric, threatening to suspend visas to countries that refuse to repatriate their illegal migrants.
  • “Mahmoud's only been on the job for a few days, but she already seems to be positioning herself closer to the Trump administration on this immigration question.” — Tim Rice [09:23]

Supreme Court: LA ICE Raids Can Continue

• The Supreme Court ruled that federal officials can continue large-scale ICE raids in Los Angeles, using criteria such as ethnicity and speech accents—previously blocked by a lower court as “indiscriminate”.
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor, for the liberal dissent:
  • “The court was, quote, needlessly subjecting people to the indignities of being grabbed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed simply because of their looks, their accents, and the fact that they make a living doing manual labor.” [10:55]
• ICE chief Tom Homan defends the crackdown:
  • “ICE is sending a message... There are consequences for entering the country illegally, and there are consequences especially for being here illegally and committing crimes.” [11:30]
• Statistic: “70% of everybody ICE arresting is a criminal. The other 30% are gang members... or national security threats.” — Tim Rice [11:52]
• Noteworthy results: Over 1,600 arrests in D.C. alone since the policy shift. [12:06]

3. HHS Secretary RFK Jr.—Democratic Revolt & Policy Shake-ups

Segment Begins: [12:17]

Pushback Against RFK Jr.

• At least a dozen Democratic senators and various governors are calling for RFK Jr.'s resignation, citing an “anti-health and anti-science agenda” tied to his skepticism of the CDC and vaccine policies.
• High-profile attacks include a critical letter signed by Sens. Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Raphael Warnock.
• Former Republican Chris Christie, now a Trump critic, on TV:
  • “The president's smart enough to know RFK Jr doesn't belong in that job... he wanted to show everybody, I can do whatever I want to do...” [13:34]

Policy Flashpoints & State Resistance

• NY Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order overriding FDA guidance to allow easier access to COVID shots for healthy children.
• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker enacted laws countering any potential FDA restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. [13:53]

RFK Jr.’s Response & Agenda

• RFK Jr. positions himself as a reformer battling entrenched interests:
  • “These people are the people who ordered our children to walk around en masse, the people who closed our schools... They need to go. We need new blood and we need new people who are committed to public health and integrity...” — RFK Jr. [15:09]
• His changes at HHS include:
  • Reforming baby formula standards
  • Phasing out artificial food dyes
  • Requiring drug price transparency
  • Halting funding for gender surgeries on minors
  • Reforming nutrition guidelines
  • Cracking down on medical information blocking [15:33]
• Upcoming actions: Vaccine panel review of the childhood schedule and new autism research updates are forthcoming.
  • “Next on the horizon for HHS is an upcoming vaccine panel meeting... Democrats are already furious over that meeting, which you know has yet to happen.” — Amanda Presto Giacomo [16:20]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Bickley, on law & order:
  "Just viciously stabbed. She's just sitting there. We have to be able to handle that. If we don't handle that, we don't have a country." [00:32]

• Megan Basham, on Charlotte’s turning point:
  "My family and I go there frequently. But really the character of the area has started to change in the last couple of years... a 25% increase in homicide..." [03:11]

• Mark Harris, on criminal accountability:
  "This is a criminal that had an incredible rap sheet... that doesn't excuse the crime." [05:26]

• Justice Sotomayor, in dissent:
  "Needlessly subjecting people to the indignities of being grabbed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed simply because of their looks, their accents..." [10:55]

• Tom Homan, on ICE’s message:
  “ICE is sending a message to the whole world... especially for being here illegally and committing crimes.” [11:30]

• RFK Jr., on public health bureaucracy:
  “They need to go. We need new blood and we need new people who are committed to public health and integrity and gold standard science. And the Trump administration is going to make sure that happens.” [15:09]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlotte Stabbing / Urban Crime: [02:35] - [07:28]
• Immigration: Five Eyes & LA ICE Ruling: [08:29] - [12:17]
• RFK Jr. HHS Fight: [12:17] - [16:28]

Conclusion

This episode delves into the intersection of violent crime, immigration, and public health controversies, tying local tragedies to national policies and global trends. The hosts and guests emphasize policy consequences—intended and unintended—and foster a climate of skepticism toward establishment narratives and liberal reforms.

For listeners wanting to catch every significant moment, this summary highlights the policy debates, community impacts, and punchy soundbites that shaped the day’s headlines.