Deadly Church Assault & FBI Admits J6 Presence | 9.29.25

Summary

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Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Episode: Deadly Church Assault & FBI Admits J6 Presence
Date: September 29, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley and Georgia Howe, with reporting from Amanda Presa Giacomoso, Cabot Phillips, and Tim Pierce

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Overview

This episode covers three major news stories:

1. A deadly assault and arson at a Mormon church in Michigan, with analysis on the ongoing investigation and political reactions.
2. President Trump's escalation of his national crime crackdown, specifically his decision to deploy troops to Portland and the political fallout.
3. A significant admission from the FBI about the presence of hundreds of plainclothes agents in the crowd during the January 6 Capitol riots, along with the political and legal implications.

The episode aims to provide fact-driven updates and in-depth context on these issues, with a focus on crime, government accountability, and public trust.

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Tragedy at Michigan Church

[02:39–06:54]

What Happened

• On Sunday morning, a man attacked the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan (a suburb of Flint), by ramming his truck into the building and opening fire on congregants.
• Ten people were shot. The assailant set the building on fire with an accelerant, engulfing the church in flames.
• As of recording, the suspect and four victims are confirmed dead. Officials fear the casualty count will rise once searches resume post-fire.

Notable Quote:

"Just hundreds of people just practicing their faith. We do know that there are some that are unaccounted for."
— William Rennie, Grand Blanc Police Chief [00:41]

Emergency Response and Investigation

• The suspect was neutralized by police at 10:33 a.m. in the church parking lot. Identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from nearby Burton, MI.
• Pickup truck had two large American flags; some reports (unconfirmed) suggest the suspect may be an Iraq War veteran.
• Active search warrants are being executed at the suspect's home and phone records are being reviewed for motive.

Notable Quote:

"We do believe that we will find additional victims once we're able to search that. Once there's no signs of a fire."
— William Rennie [04:06]

Political and Community Reactions

• President Trump condemned the attack, calling it “yet another targeted attack on Christians,” and urging prayer and an end to violence.
• The FBI quickly dispatched agents to assist local authorities.
• Ongoing investigation involves coordination with federal law enforcement due to the number of witnesses and scale.

Notable Quote:

“This epidemic of violence in our country must end immediately.”
— President Trump (via Amanda Presa Giacomoso) [05:37]

Police Coordination:

"We had FBI, you know, they're devoting 100 agents to this area because...that's a lot of witness information statements that we have to obtain."
— Police Chief William Rennie [06:20]

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Trump’s Crime Crackdown: Troops to Portland

[07:54–12:13]

Announcement and Context

• President Trump announced, via Truth Social, the deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon to protect ICE facilities, in response to persistent crime and Antifa activity.
• The move echoes recent federal crackdowns in other Democrat-run cities, notably Washington, D.C.

Notable Quote:

“I’m directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war ravaged Portland. I’m authorizing full force if necessary.”
— President Trump, via Cabot Phillips [08:11]

Why Portland?

• Since 2020, Portland has seen homicides spike over 200%.
• Designated as an "epicenter" for Antifa violence, particularly around ICE facilities, with ongoing attacks and civil unrest.

Designation:

• Trump administration officially labels Antifa a “domestic terror organization,” opening the possibility for RICO statutes and elevated charges.

Notable Quote:

"This is part of an organized campaign of radical left terrorism. It is structured, it is sophisticated, it is well funded, it is well planned. It is terrorism on our soil."
— Trump advisor Stephen Miller [09:48–09:58]

Local Resistance and Legal Challenges

• Portland’s city government, led by Democratic officials, reaffirms its status as a “sanctuary city,” vowing non-cooperation with federal agents.
• The state of Oregon and the city of Portland jointly filed a lawsuit to block the deployment of the National Guard.
• In contrast, Tennessee welcomes increased federal presence to tackle Memphis crime.

Notable Quotes:

“There is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our major city. They are not needed here.”
— Oregon Governor Tina Kotek [11:11]

“The story of crime in Memphis is about to be a story of the past.”
— Tennessee Governor Bill Lee [12:13]

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FBI Admits Presence at January 6 Capitol Riot

[13:21–17:20]

The Admission

• After years of vague responses, the FBI now acknowledges that around 280 plainclothes agents were present in the crowds during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
• The revelation sparks questions about previous denials and the conduct of then-FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Notable Quote:

“This is different from what former FBI Director Christopher Wray stated over and over again. ... they got caught lying.”
— President Trump (via Tim Pierce) [13:49]

Fallout and Accusations

• Newly appointed FBI Director Cash Patel claims agents were sent “against FBI standards” and criticizes past leadership for lying to Congress and the public.
• After Action reports describe deep dissatisfaction inside the Bureau, with complaints of politicization and “woke ideology.”

Notable Quote:

“This was the failure of a corrupt leadership that lied to Congress and the American people about what really happened.”
— Cash Patel [14:34]

Insider’s View:

“By 2020, his own rank and file... told an after action report of Congress that they believe the FBI had become incurably biased, that it was infected with WOKE ideology and it was beginning to treat liberals and conservatives differently.”
— John Solomon, journalist [15:09]

Legal and Political Implications

• Questions arise about possible perjury by Wray. Rep. Andy Biggs cites a 2023 exchange where Wray appeared evasive about the presence of agents.
• Legal experts note that perjury is difficult to prosecute due to the need to prove intent and Wray’s careful phrasing.

Notable Exchange (2023 Hearing):

“Are you acknowledging then there were undercover agents? ... As I sit here right now, I do not believe there were undercover agents on scene.”
— Rep. Andy Biggs questioning Wray [16:15]

Bottom Line

• While Trump calls for answers, and some politicians seek consequences for Wray and former Director Comey, the path to legal accountability remains uncertain.

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Memorable Moments

• Police Chief Rennie’s somber confirmation of expected additional victims at the church: [04:06]
• President Trump’s forceful condemnation of violence and direct linkage to a broader “epidemic”: [05:37]
• Stephen Miller’s strong words on Antifa as a terror threat: [09:48]
• Transparency finally forced from the FBI on January 6, and the subsequent reactions from current leadership and lawmakers: [13:49–16:45]

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Episode Highlights With Timestamps

• Michigan Church Attack (Details, Police, Motive): [02:39–06:54]
• Trump’s Deployment of Troops to Portland (Government, Local Response, Legal Challenge): [07:54–12:13]
• FBI Admits J6 Presence (Scope, Director Accountability, After-Action Report, Legal Analysis): [13:21–17:20]

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Tone & Takeaways

• The episode delivers urgent, no-nonsense reporting with a focus on facts and speaker perspectives.
• Hosts and reporters emphasize the gravity of church violence, the complicated politics of federal crime response, and the enduring questions about government transparency.
• Listeners come away with a clear sense of escalating national tensions—over violence, political division, and public trust in authorities.

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Transcript

[Host/Advertiser]

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[John Bickley]

Mass casualties in Michigan after a man opens fire on a Mormon congregation, leaving the church in flames and a community grieving.

[William Rennie]

Just hundreds of people just practicing their faith. We do know that there are some that are unaccounted for.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, September 29th. This is Morning Wire.

[Cabot Phillips]

President Trump's war on crime is expanding as he announces plans to send troops to another Democrat run city.

[John Bickley]

You go out to Portland and you.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

See what's happening in Portland. This is like nobody's ever seen anything.

[John Bickley]

Like it every night. And this has gone on for years. And the FBI finally admits to having hundreds of plainclothes agents in the crowds on January 6th.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Apparently there were 274 FBI agents in the crowd on January 6th.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[Cabot Phillips]

Tragedy in Michigan after a man attacks a Mormon church yesterday, opening fire on the congregants and leaving the building ablaze.

[John Bickley]

Joining us now with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presa Giacomoso. Amanda, a truly horrific scene in Grand Blank, Michigan yesterday that's really shaken the nation, the Mormon community in particular. First, what do we know so far about what took place?

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

Yeah, it was a really horrifying attack yesterday John. Probably everybody's now seen footage of that church being completely engulfed in flames. That church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and as you said it's located in Grand Blank. That's a small community of about 8,000 people. It's a suburb of Flint, so about 50 miles from Detroit. What we know so far about the sequence of events is that the shooting occurred around 10:30am local time. This happened while the church was in service. Hundreds of people were worshiping when the suspect rammed his truck in the building. He then opened fire on the congregants hitting 10 people. At some point the church was set on fire and officials believe that this was intentionally done by the suspect. They're still investigating how exactly that fire was set but they believe an accelerant like gasoline was used. The fire went on to completely engulf the church. As of this recording the suspect has been confirmed dead and two of the people who were shot have died as well as two others who were in the church. But officials say that they fear the casualty number from the fire is going to rise.

[William Rennie]

And we do believe that there was people up there that were near that fire and they were unable to get out of the church. So we do believe that we will find additional victims once we're able to search that. Once there's no signs of a fire.

[John Bickley]

Reigniting, it's truly terrible situation. Now as for the suspect, as you said, he is dead. What do we know about the suspect so far?

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

While officials released information throughout the day yesterday about him, what we've learned so far is that he's a 40 year old man from Burton, Michigan, which is just a few miles from the church. Here's Police Chief William Rennie in a press conference yesterday describing officers encounter with the shooter.

[William Rennie]

The suspect again we're in the preliminary stages right now was neutralized at 10:33:44 in the parking lot of that church. That suspect is a 40 year old male from the city of Burton who we identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford reporting.

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

From the Wall Street Journal has indicated that the pickup truck that rammed through the church had two large American flags in the cab. Other reports have said that the suspect is an Iraq War vet, but authorities have yet to confirm that. Authorities are investigating this. Right now, they're executing a search warrant at the suspect's home and they're going through his cell phone records to learn about the motive of this attack.

[John Bickley]

And I'm sure more details will come to light over the course of the next few days. Now, President Trump and other officials have responded to this. What have we heard from them?

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

Right. President Trump quickly issued a statement denouncing the attack on the church. He said that this appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. He added that Americans should pray for the victims and their families and added, quote, this epidemic of violence in our country must end immediately. Keep in mind this comes just one month after the attack on the Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota. The Attorney General and FBI Director Cash Patel also quickly responded. They confirmed that federal agents were on scene very quickly and they are assisting local authorities. Patel added that violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Here's Grand Blank Police Chief William Rennie talking about the investigation, including the coordination with the FBI.

[William Rennie]

We had FBI, you know, they're devoting 100 agents to this area because as you can imagine, there's a lot of witnesses that were within the church and that is a lot of witness information statements that we have to obtain.

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

So we expect to be learning more in the coming days about what exactly took place here and the man who carried this out. In the meantime, a lot of people are praying for these victims and their families.

[John Bickley]

Indeed, just an unspeakable act of evil yesterday. And we join in those prayers. Amanda, thank you for reporting.

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

You're welcome.

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[John Bickley]

President Trump continues to take his crime crack down nationwide, announcing plans to deploy troops to Portland to protect ICE facilities.

[Cabot Phillips]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more. So Cabot, the president has hinted for weeks that he plans to deploy troops to more locations. What did we learn this week?

[Host/Advertiser]

Yeah, he's clearly feeling emboldened to expand his crime crackdown after the successful operation we saw in Washington, D.C. this month. And now he's looking for similar results in Portland, Oregon, a city that's been ravaged by crime and violent political riots over the last five years. Writing on Truth Social on Saturday, he announced, quote, at the request of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, I'm directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war ravaged Portland. I'm authorizing full force if necessary. Now, Trump did not get into the specific details on a timeline for deployment or how many troops he's planning to mobilize. But if D.C. was the blueprint, you can expect him to move, move very quickly.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, of all the cities he could have chosen, why did he choose Portland?

[Host/Advertiser]

Well, as with many places, crime there exploded around 2020, with homicides spiking more than 200%. But the main reason is that the city is really the epicenter of activity for antifa, the far left political organization that's been responsible for riots and violent demonstrations for years now. According to the dhs, ANTIFA militants have repeatedly laid siege to ice processing facilities in the city, attacking agents with rocks, fireworks and smoke grenades, blocking entrances, setting fires, even doxxing agents, posting their home addresses on message boards and flyers all across the city. In response to that violence in Portland and elsewhere last week, the Trump administration officially designated ANTIFA as a domestic terror organization, calling it a, quote, militarist anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States government, while using a, quote, campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals. Here's top Trump adviser Stephen Miller speaking about the group in this order from the White House earlier this month.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

These are not lone, isolated events. This is part of an organized campaign.

[Tim Pierce]

Of radical left terrorism.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

It is structured, it is sophisticated, it is well funded, it is well planned.

[Tim Pierce]

It is terrorism on our soil.

[Host/Advertiser]

So more broadly, this designation opens the door for authorities to use RICO statutes to target antifa members and then organizers and even those funding them and potentially seek elevated domestic terror charges against those arrested.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, Portland being a hub for antifa, they're kind of walking into the lion's den here. Are they putting up any kind of resistance already?

[Host/Advertiser]

Well, the group reportedly posted flyers around the city this week calling on members to, quote, squad up, make travel plans, bring ppe, that's personal protective equipment and your unhinged Portland Energy. For their part, though, Democratic lawmakers in the city have sort of doubled down on their opposition to Trump here. The city's official website still has a permanent banner at the very top that reads, quote, portland is a sanctuary city. They then link to an anti ICE hotline and reassure residents that law enforcement there will not cooperate with immigration agents. That includes anyone who might be coming into the city now under Trump's order. Over the weekend, Democratic lawmakers from across the city decried Trump's efforts as authoritarian, saying they had things under control. Here's far left Governor Tina Kotek speaking with dozens of other Democratic lawmakers at a press conference Saturday.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Portland and the state of Oregon believe.

[Amanda Presa Giacomoso]

In the rule of law and we.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Can manage our own local public safety needs. There is no insurrection.

[Tim Pierce]

There is no.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our major city. They are not needed here.

[Host/Advertiser]

And then later Sunday, the state of Oregon and city of Portland went even further, filing a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to block the deployment of the state's National Guard. Their suit claimed in part, quote, far from promoting public safety, defendants provocative and arbitrary actions threatened to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry cry. And it's worth noting Portland is only the latest city that will soon see an increased federal presence. Trump has also ordered an influx of ice, DEA and ATF agents to Memphis to crack down on crime and support immigration enforcement there. Unlike Oregon, though, that move has been welcomed by state officials, including Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who says, quote, the story of crime in Memphis is about to be a story of the past.

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, as a former Memphis resident, I really hope that's true. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

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[Cabot Phillips]

According to the FBI, the Bureau placed hundreds of plainclothes agents in the crowd around the U.S. capitol on January 6, 2021. The admission follows over four years of the Bureau refusing to reveal the scope of its presence at the Capitol that day.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the new revelations and what this means for the FBI. Hey Tim, so we've had four years of really non answers to this question. Now we have this new revelation. What are we to make of this?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, the actual presence of plainclothes officers at the Capitol that day isn't all that shocking. Many people have suspected as much. But the years long refusal of the FBI to acknowledge the roughly 280 agents until now has brought a lot of questions about past Bureau leadership. President Trump aired some of those frustrations on his true social on Saturday. He wrote, quote, this is different from what former FBI Director Christopher Wray stated over and over again. Trump lumped in Ray with former FBI Director James Comey as two who quote, got caught lying. The President later told NBC News that he would certainly imagine that Ray is being investigated by the Justice Department.

[John Bickley]

All right, so quite the accusation there from Trump. Now Cash Patel, the FBI director, has responded to this. What has he said so far?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, he's taken a similar tone to Trump. He told Fox News that the plainclothes agents were sent in against FBI standards and that quote, this was the failure of a corrupt leadership that lied to Congress and the American people about what really happened. He didn't name Ray personally, but he's obviously the first person to look to in this and there are plenty of questions For Ray to answer many, even from rank and file FBI agents who served that day. An After Action report just revealed to Congress last week reveals a whole host of issues that agents have had with FBI leadership. Here's just the News's John Solomon explaining on Fox News's Hannity after he broke the story.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

It began on his watch. Leaking, lying, usurping the power of the Justice Department, launching false investigations. And by 2020, his own rank and file, the agents that used to work for James Comey, he handed off the Ray. They told an after action report of Congress that they believe the FBI had become incurably biased, that it was infected with WOKE ideology and it was beginning to treat liberals and conservatives differently. They were looking at political stripes and not the evidence.

[Tim Pierce]

According to this After Action report, FBI agents have felt that the Bureau's mission has been deeply influenced by politics over the course of Comey and Ray's tenures.

[John Bickley]

All right, so there's some strong suggestions here that Wray could be prosecution prosecuted for perjury just like James Comey. Is that the expectation?

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Tim Pierce]

Trump didn't go that far. In his truth Social post, he stopped at saying that Ray had, quote, some major explaining to do. But others have been less accommodating for the former director. Republican Congressman Andy Biggs said Ray will be held accountable and pointed to an exchange he had with Ray in 2023. The suggestion being that Ray has perjured himself.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

I understand that, but I, I just, I thought I heard you say you didn't know whether there were FBI agents or informants or human sources in the Capitol or in the in vicinity on January 6th. Did I misunderstand you? I thought that's what you said. Well, I referred very specifically to undercover agents. Yeah. And so are you acknowledging then there were undercover agents? As I sit here right now, I do not believe there were undercover agents on scene.

[Tim Pierce]

Now, if it comes to an indictment, there's probably going to be some discussion over what constitutes plainclothes versus undercover. You'll note that Ray prefaced what he said, that he believed it to be true, not that it absolutely was. And this just underscores that as much frustration as is out there over the FBI, perjury cases are typically very difficult to bring. Many legal experts will tell you that intent in these cases is very hard to prove, even without Ray's qualified responses.

[John Bickley]

Well, the Justice Department seems very confident in its case against Comey. We'll see if it says something similar about Ray. Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me on.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, please like and subscribe. We'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.

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