Charlotte Tragedy Fallout & LA ICE Raids Enabled | 9.9.25

Summary

Morning Wire (Daily Wire)

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

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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.

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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.

Transcript

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[Georgia Howe]

The fallout over a brutal North Carolina murder continues as President Trump weighs in.

[John Bickley]

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. Is this yet another consequence of soft on crime policies?

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, September 9th, and this is Morning Wire.

[John Bickley]

As the Five Eyes allies look to crack down on illegal immigration, the Supreme Court allows for Trump's big city ICE raids to continue.

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It's going to be good for us.

[John Bickley]

To be able to go out there.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

And use this ruling to apprehend more.

[John Bickley]

People that should not be in the country.

[Georgia Howe]

And RFK Jr is firing back at Democrats demanding he step down, vowing to deliver new blood and integrity to public health.

[John Bickley]

The Trump administration is going to do is return gold standard science and make this agency a lead agency for public health in the world. Once again, thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[John Bickley]

I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman, a lunatic. That was President Trump addressing the shocking video of the deadly stabbing on Charlotte's light rail. The attacks raising questions about crime prevention failures in America's inner cities.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with the details is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham. So, Megan, first off, as a Charlotte resident, I just want to ask, how's the community doing? Well, you know, what you're seeing is a lot of shock and anger from people. They're starting to question the policies that helped contribute to this crime that really has appalled the entire community. I really want to set the scene for you here, Georgia, and say that this is not a dangerous area where this crime took place. It's in South End. It's an area of bustling boutiques and shops, very trendy restaurants. My family and I go there frequently. But really the character of the area has started to change in the last couple of years. You're starting to see more homeless people on the streets. You're seeing them camped out, congregating. And so a lot of people have talked about how they no longer feel safe riding on that train where Irina Zarutska was killed. And I'm going to show you a little bit of that video for those who are watching. This is disturbing. So I want to give you that warning. And if you're just listening, what we're seeing is an image of the alleged killer, Decarlos Brown, rising with the knife in his hand, getting ready to attack Zyritska. And then to give you some hard numbers here, Georgia, Charlotte saw a 25% increase in the homicide rate last year. It was the second highest year on record. The previous high was in 2020, same year that saw those Black Lives Matter riots. Robberies in our inner City are up 54% and general violent offenses are up nearly 8, 10%. And then most shocking, perhaps, shootings into occupied property is up 42%. So it appears to fit into a troubling pattern that's been going on for a few years now. What policies do people feel are playing a role in these crimes? Well, I actually want to start by highlighting the response of Charlotte's mayor, Democrat Lai Viles, because a lot of this was really surprising to people. Her initial statement did not mention the victim at all, and instead she spoke about the perpetrator and she said this. We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health. I want to be clear that I'm not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or who are unhoused. Mental health disease is just that, a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease. So portraying this man as a real victim here. North Carolina Congressman Mark Harris was fairly astonished at Lyle's comments. And this was what he told us.

[John Bickley]

I'm not even sure that she understands what she means by that. I'm not sure anybody does. The bottom line is that this is a criminal that had an incredible rap sheet. I mean, 14 arrests. I understand that there was a mental health issue here, and I think we that doesn't excuse the crime.

[Georgia Howe]

But Lyle's sentiment has been reflected in North Carolina policies that were implemented in starting back in 2020. So two weeks after George Floyd was killed, North Carolina's governor, then AG Josh Stein announced a task force for Racial equity in Criminal justice.

[John Bickley]

We will review law enforcement recruitment, training and accountability, as well as court issues.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Including pretrial release and the use of fines and fees.

[Georgia Howe]

So after that announcement, the Racial Equity Task force did indeed recommend increasing pre trial release and decriminalizing law, homelessness and quote, unquote, public behavior. So basically being a menace on public streets. It also implemented implicit bias training for judges and prosecutors. So these are the very factors that played into the alleged killer Decarlos Brown being on the streets. He had at least 14 previous arrests, including armed robbery, felony breaking and entering and assault with a deadly weapon, though he did serve five years for that robbery. On most of these arrests, he was credited with time served and received probation and community service. His most recent arrest was in January for misusing 91 1. And in that case, a judge, despite his long record, did once again give him pretrial release. So that really goes to decriminalizing homelessness and public behavior and how these policies left him on the streets, though he was known as a violent threat. Well, just a reminder, Zarutska escaped from Ukraine totally intact and this happened to her on American soil. So shameful. Megan, thanks for reporting. Yep, anytime.

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[John Bickley]

Today.

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[Georgia Howe]

The Trump administration's border policies are back in the news this week, thanks to a major Supreme Court decision and a high profile international trip.

[John Bickley]

Here to break it all down for us is Daily Wire Washington editor Tim Rice. Tim, it's been a minute. We haven't seen you a bit. So lots of border news already this week. Where should we start? Well, John, how about we start overseas? Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is in London for a meeting of the Five Eyes. That's the intelligence sharing alliance that includes the U.S. the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. This week's meeting is all about border security, specifically efforts to crack down on international human smuggling. Britain's Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmoud is leading the talks despite only joining Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet on Florida Friday. Her office said that the Five Eyes will devise policies to, quote, smash criminal smuggling gangs as well as stop the opioid trade. Days before the summit, Mahmoud pledged to crack down on illegal immigration in the UK and on Monday, she said that the British government could soon suspend visas to countries that refused to accept citizens turned away by British authorities. That seems like a pretty major shift for the UK at least in tone, correct? Yeah, that's right. 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. Like most of Western Europe, the UK has seen record numbers of immigration. In fact, Mahmoud's first day on the job actually saw the highest number of people crossing the English Channel ever. Britain has also been grappling with the revelation that Thousands of young girls were systematically groomed and raped by groups of predominantly Pakistani immigrants. And that officials not only failed to stop this abuse, but in many cases, punished the victims instead of the abusers. So we'll have to see exactly what comes out of this Five Eyes summit, but so far, it seems like good news for the White House. It does. Now, back here domestically, we have a significant win for the Trump administration related to its immigration agenda. Tell us about this SCOTUS ruling. Yeah, that's right. The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that federal immigration officials can continue their sweeping raids in the Los Angeles area, raids that a judge had blocked, calling them indiscriminate. The court's ruling means that federal officials like ICE will be able to detain people on the suspicion that they are in the country illegal, legally, and they'll be able to weigh things like accents and ethnicity in their decisions. Writing for the liberal trio, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a characteristically, let's say, dramatic dissent, writing that 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. As if anticipating Sotomayor's rebuke, border czar Tom Homan made it clear over the weekend that he had no sympathy for those here in the country illegally. Ice, ISIS is sending a message to the whole world that there are consequences for entering the country illegally. There are consequences of being here illegally, and there are consequences especially for being here illegally and committing crimes. So ISIS focusing on public safety threats, and I looked at the numbers this morning. 70% of everybody ICE arresting is a criminal. The other 30% are gang members who don't have criminal histories. National security threats. As we've reported on this show, Trump's immigration crackdowns in blue cities are definitely yielding results not only in places like LA, but also now here in D.C. his takeover has yielded over 1600 arrests, with many of those being illegal immigrants, including suspected gang members and other violent offenders. And numbers the administration has been touting in its bid to send more troops to more cities. That's right. Tim, thanks for reporting. You bet. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Is standing up for the MAHA agenda as Democrats amp up calls for the secretary to resign.

[Georgia Howe]

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So, Amanda, a bit ironic that Democrats have really zeroed in on Kennedy as their most hated Cabinet member. What are they asking for?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Well, at least a dozen Democrat senators have called on Kennedy to resign. And if you caught any legacy media shows this past weekend, you might have noticed that it's pretty much all the same message. The knives are out for Kennedy. The focus from Democrats is largely on the CDC and vaccines. There have been some shakeups at the CDC and resignations. We've covered those here. And Kennedy has routinely said that trust in the CDC in particular is broken. That's something he's trying to fix. Kennedy said during last week's Senate hearing that he had to fire people at the agency because they simply weren't doing their jobs. At least 11 Democrat senators on the Finance Committee signed onto a letter demanding Kennedy resign. They argued that he has a dangerous anti health and anti science agenda. Senators Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, though technically an independent, Elizabeth Warren and Raphael Warnock all signed onto that letter on one of those weekend shows. Chris Christie attack Kennedy, too. He called him a joke. Now, Christie was a Republican governor and presidential hopeful, but he's become a very fierce Trump critic. And this attack on rfk, unsurprisingly, is centered around Trump.

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[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

We're also seeing a lot of opposition to Kennedy on the state level. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, she signed an executive order on Friday. And this is going to allow all New Yorkers, including very healthy young children, to access prescription free Covid shots. Now, under new FDA guidance, healthy people under 65, they'll have to talk to their doctor first before getting that shot. This order overrides that. Democrat, Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker. He recently signed legislation that allows full access to the highly controversial chemical abortion pill called mifepristone. The idea here is to override the FDA if they were to assess that that pill is not safe for young women or not safe without certain regulations.

[Georgia Howe]

Wow. So let's talk about RFK's response to all of this. Has he addressed any of these things directly?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah, well, you know, we know that Kennedy is no shrinking violet. We've seen him in hearings, fiercely defend himself and the Maha agenda, which, by the way, has wide support among the American people. If you look at polling, Kennedy has recently called out major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. He says they have too much influence from big Pharma corporate sponsors. These groups routinely oppose Kennedy and the Maha agenda. Here's a bit of Kennedy defending recent changes at the cdc. He's going after the medical establishment here.

[John Bickley]

These people are the people who ordered our children to walk around en masse, the people who closed our schools. They're the people who impose social distancing with no science, shut down our businesses and, and they need to go. We need new bloody 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.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

In addition to fiercely fighting back, Kennedy is moving at an unprecedented pace at hhs. So far, the department has reformed baby formula standards. They've worked with major companies to phase out artificial food dyes. HHS is now requiring transparency so Americans can compare drug prices and out of pocket costs. They've stopped funding for gender surgeries and treatments for minors. They're working right now to reform nutrition guidelines. They've most recently cracked down on medical information blocking. And, you know, the list just goes on. And next on the horizon for HHS is an upcoming vaccine panel meeting. That's acip. They're going to look at the childhood vaccination schedule. Democrats are already furious over that meeting, which you know has yet to happen. And we'll also have an update this month on research related to the potential causes of the massive spike in autism. We'll be keeping tabs on all, all of those forthcoming updates.

[Georgia Howe]

Certainly a lot to keep your eye on. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

You're welcome.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe. We'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.

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