DOJ Sues LA & Trump Targets The Fed | 7.1.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary Episode: DOJ Sues LA & Trump Targets The Fed
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Presented by: The Daily Wire

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1. DOJ Takes Legal Action Against Los Angeles’ Sanctuary Policies

DOJ Lawsuit Details
At [00:04], Georgia Howe introduces the topic of the Department of Justice (DOJ) suing Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies. John Bickley elaborates at [02:06] that the DOJ alleges Los Angeles is violating the Constitution by enforcing sanctuary policies that discriminate against federal immigration officials. The lawsuit claims LA’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement undermines law enforcement efforts and constitutional mandates.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Statement
Pam Bondi weighs in at [02:06], stating, “The sanctuary policies are the driving cause of the violence, chaos and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles” ([02:06]).

Broader DOJ Actions Against Sanctuary Cities
Bickley mentions that the DOJ is also targeting sanctuary policies in other cities like New York and New Jersey, emphasizing a nationwide crackdown on municipalities that resist federal immigration enforcement.

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2. Escalation of Immigration Enforcement and Deportation Efforts

Increase in ICE Operations
At [03:21], Bickley discusses the surge in ICE worksite raids across states such as California, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania. He highlights that in June, ICE averaged around 1,200 daily arrests, surpassing the Trump administration’s initial targets.

Border Czar Tom Homan’s Appeal for Resources
Tom Homan passionately advocates for increased immigration funding at [03:56]:
“What the hell’s the matter with everybody up in Congress? People are dying. Every day is just wrestling three times as many criminals that the Biden administration did.”

Historic Number of Detenues
Bickley notes that there are currently 59,000 immigrant detainees in custody, the highest in U.S. history, with facilities operating well over capacity.

Recent Raids and Terrorism Concerns
A significant raid in Los Angeles targeted a residence allegedly harboring Iranian illegal aliens with terrorist ties, resulting in the arrest of two individuals ([04:34]). This follows a previous raid at the same location where seven Iranian nationals were detained.

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3. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Policy Changes Affecting Haitians

Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
At [05:28], Bickley reports that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the end of TPS for up to 500,000 Haitians effective September 2. This decision is framed as restoring integrity to the immigration system, with officials asserting that Haiti’s environmental conditions have sufficiently improved to safely return its citizens.

Impact and Reactions
Secretary Noem emphasized the temporary nature of TPS and the necessity of its termination to ensure the immigration system functions as intended ([05:28]).

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4. Trump Administration’s Assault on the Federal Reserve and Harvard

Pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
At [07:26], Caroline Levitt reports that President Trump sent a critical letter to Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve Chair, urging him to “lower the rate by a lot” ([07:43]). Attorney General Pam Bondi echoes this sentiment, criticizing Powell for costing the USA billions and dismissing current inflation concerns ([07:55]).

Attack on Harvard University Over Antisemitism
The Trump administration has also targeted Harvard, accusing the university of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Jewish and Israeli students ([07:26]). Pam Bondi details the administration's findings, citing incidents where Jewish students faced physical assaults and harassment, leading to threats of federal funding withdrawal unless Harvard implements significant changes ([08:18]).

ICE Block App Controversy
Levitt introduces concerns about a new app called ICE Block that allows users to locate ICE agents, potentially inciting further violence against law enforcement ([08:49]). Pam Bondi criticizes the app, highlighting a 500% increase in assaults on ICE agents and warning against its promotion ([09:19]).

Visit to Alligator Alcatraz Prison
Pam Bondi describes President Trump’s visit to the newly established Alligator Alcatraz in Florida, a high-security facility designed to house up to 5,000 criminal illegal aliens. She underscores its strategic importance for mass deportation efforts, emphasizing its isolated location and capacity to handle large-scale detainees efficiently ([09:52]).

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5. Legislative Battle Over Trump’s Budget Bill

Senate Debate and Democratic Opposition
At [10:58], Cabot Phillips outlines the extended Senate debate on Trump’s budget bill, highlighting Democratic tactics to introduce amendments aimed at stalling the process and forcing Republicans to address contentious issues like Medicaid funding and tax cuts for the wealthy.

Republican Defections and Internal Conflict
Phillips notes that some Republicans, such as North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, have opposed the bill, with Tillis criticizing the administration’s stance on Medicaid funding ([12:19]). This internal conflict has led to discussions about potential primary challenges, although Tillis has announced he will not seek reelection ([12:59]).

President Trump’s Response and Strategic Moves
Trump has condemned Republican defectors, accusing them of “grandstanding” for publicity ([12:39]). He remains committed to passing the bill in its entirety, aiming for a House vote on Wednesday and a potential signing on July 4th ([10:58]).

Public Reception and Polling Concerns
Despite legislative progress, Phillips highlights that the bill faces unfavorable public opinion, with polling showing negative net ratings from Pew, Fox, and Quinnipiac ([13:38]). The White House maintains confidence that visible financial benefits will sway public sentiment as the bill takes effect ([14:10]).

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6. Trade Negotiations and Tensions with Canada

Digital Tax Dispute and Market Impact
At [14:17], Cabot Phillips reports on the Trump administration’s fallout with Canada over a newly announced digital tax targeting American tech companies. President Trump’s immediate response was to terminate ongoing trade talks and threaten tariffs on Canadian goods within a week ([14:34]).

Canadian Withdrawal and Resumption of Negotiations
In a swift turn of events, Canada rescinded the digital sales tax and agreed to resume broader trade negotiations within 24 hours, leading to a positive reaction in the stock markets with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ reaching new highs ([14:34]).

Upcoming Developments
Trump’s handling of the trade dispute showcases his administration’s assertive stance in international negotiations, aiming to secure favorable terms for American businesses ([15:01]).

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7. Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

Anticipated Legislative Success and Challenges
As the episode concludes, the hosts reflect on the ongoing legislative efforts and the administration’s strategies to overcome both internal and external opposition. With the budget bill nearing passage and trade negotiations showing resilience, the Trump administration appears poised for continued policy advancements, albeit with significant public relations and political hurdles ahead.

Invitation to Stay Informed
John Bickley and Georgia Howe emphasize the importance of staying updated with Morning Wire for comprehensive coverage on these critical issues, encouraging listeners to engage with their platform for the latest developments.

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Notable Quotes:

• John Bickley ([00:11]): “The violent criminals in our country are the priority now.”

• Pam Bondi ([02:06]): “The sanctuary policies are the driving cause of the violence, chaos and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles.”

• Tom Homan ([03:56]): “What the hell's the matter with everybody up in Congress? People are dying. Every day is just wrestling three times as many criminals that the Biden administration did.”

• Pam Bondi ([07:55]): “Jerome, you are, as usual, too late. You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so.”

• Pam Bondi ([08:18]): “The majority of Jewish students reportedly experienced negative bias or discrimination on their campus...”

• Pam Bondi ([09:19]): “It's a very good question. I'll have to go back and watch the clip myself. But surely it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers.”

• Pam Bondi ([10:05]): “There is only one road leading in and there is the only way out is a one way flight...”

• Cabot Phillips ([12:39]): “What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not there anymore.”

• Pam Bondi ([13:28]): “This bill strengthens Medicaid. It will protect those benefits that hardworking Americans need.”

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Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe delve into significant developments surrounding DOJ’s actions against sanctuary cities, escalating immigration enforcement, the Trump administration’s challenges against the Federal Reserve and Harvard, the legislative tussle over the budget bill, and the dynamic trade negotiations with Canada. Through in-depth discussions and expert insights, the episode provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these pressing political and social issues.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

The DOJ drops the hammer on the city of LA and its sanctuary policies while ramping up criminal illegal arrests.

[John Bickley]

The violent criminals in our country are the priority now.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, July 1st, and this is Morning Wire.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Trump continues his assault on Jerome Powell and Harvard, targeting both the Fed chairman and the Ivy League institution.

[Pam Bondi]

If you break federal law, you should not be receiving federal tax dollars.

[Georgia Howe]

And Democrats try to slow Trump's budget bill as the clock ticks down on the self imposed July 4th deadline.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

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

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[Mary Margaret Olahan]

The Trump administration has sued Los Angeles over its sanctuary city status while taking other steps to further tackle immigration.

[Georgia Howe]

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So Amanda, lots going on on the immigration front, but let's start with this lawsuit against Los Angeles. What's the administration saying?

[John Bickley]

Yeah, so the Justice Department filed this lawsuit yesterday and it says that LA is violating the Constitution when it enforces this so called sanctuary city status. The DOJ argues that LA is discriminating against the federal government specifically by treating immigration officers differently than other law enforcement officials. The suit says LA sanctuary policies are invalid and therefore they should be blocked from being enforced. And to remind listener with this sanctuary status, local law enforcement in LA won't cooperate with the Feds on immigration and the city prohibits the use of its resources for federal immigration enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement on this lawsuit and she blamed these sanctuary policies for these recent anti ice riots. She said these policies were the, quote, driving cause of the violence, chaos and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles. She added that jurisdictions like LA that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level. Bondi said that all ends under President Trump. The DOJ has also targeted other sanctuary city policies, including in New York and New Jersey.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, aside from targeting sanctuary policies, where do things stand with the general deportation agenda?

[John Bickley]

Yeah, I mean, we're continuing to see an increase in work site raids. Dozens of these have been carried out across the nation in states like California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and many others. It appears that illegals with and without criminal backgrounds, aside from entering the US Illegally, have been picked up in those rates. There's also 59,000 immigrant detainees in custody. Officials say that's the highest in US History. These facilities are reportedly well over capacity right now. Here's border czar Tom Homan discussing this issue and really pushing for Trump's big, beautiful bill. So immigration has more funds.

[Tom Homan]

What the hell's the matter with everybody up in Congress? People are dying. Every day is just wrestling three times as many criminals that the Biden administration did. We're taking public safety threats and national security threats off the street every single day. We got over 600,000 illegal aliens with criminal histories walking the streets of this country. We got less than 5,000 deportation officers. This should be a no brainer the more resources we get. If we get this bill passed, we got more agents on the road, we buy more beds, we get more transportation flights. More agents mean more bad guys arrested, taken off the streets of this country every single day.

[John Bickley]

Daily immigration arrests have also skyrocketed. In June, ICE has averaged around 1200 daily arrests, with some days surpassing 2000. That's nearly double the daily average under Trump's first 100 days. So, really picking up steam there. But the goal is actually 3,000 per day, so we're gonna continue to see how that progresses. Additionally, as reported by the Daily Wire, Customs and Border Protection raided a Los Angeles residence that it says was being used to harbor Iranian illegal aliens with ties to terrorists. On Friday, two unidentified individuals were arrested that followed a previous raid at the same house. And that one resulted in the arrest of seven Iranian nationals, some of whom are on the FBI terror watch list and associated with an Iranian human smuggling network.

[Georgia Howe]

Right now. There was also recent action from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem affecting Haitians specifically. Tell us about that.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, NOME will end temporary protected status, known as TPS, for up to 500,000 Haitians on September 2. DHS said in a press release that this decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that temporary protected status is actually temporary. The spokesperson added that the environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it's safe for Haitian citizens to return home.

[Cabot Phillips]

Wow.

[Georgia Howe]

So gnome not messing around. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[John Bickley]

You're welcome.

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[Georgia Howe]

A busy day in the nation's capital Monday as the White House continued to push its economic agenda while also battling the nation's most prominent university over antisemitism.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Here with the report from DC Is Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olahan. Hey, Mary Margaret. So Jerome Powell and Harvard both came under fire from the president yesterday. Let's start with Powell, the Fed chair. What's the latest there?

[Caroline Levitt]

Good morning, guys. Yes. So Caroline Levitt yesterday opened the briefing by telling us about a letter that President Trump sent to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. That letter was pretty scathing and it included a handwritten note from the president in which Trump urges Powell to lower the interest rates by quote, a lot. Here's what she had to share.

[Pam Bondi]

Jerome, you are, as usual, too late. You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate by a lot of hundreds of billions of dollars are being lost and there is no inflation.

[Caroline Levitt]

Another huge news item. The Trump administration informed Harvard yesterday that it found the university in, quote, violent violation of Title 6 of the Civil Rights act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin, through its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students. If Harvard fails to take action on these things and to immediately institute adequate changes, the university could lose all its federal funding. Here's what she had to say on.

[Pam Bondi]

That the majority of Jewish students reportedly experienced negative bias or discrimination on their campus, while a quarter of Jewish students at Harvard felt physically unsafe. Jewish and Israeli students were assaulted and spit on they head their kippahs for fear of being harassed and concealed their Jewish identity from classmates for fear of ostracization. These are all facts that Harvard cannot dispute and that's why the administration has found them in violation of title via and has threatened to withhold their federal funding.

[Caroline Levitt]

I was also able to ask Caroline about another newsy item that's raising some eyebrows around here, a new app called ICE Block, through which people are able to tell where ICE agents are. And given that there's been a lot of violence directed at ICE agents around the country and that locals in California are doxing the locations of these agents, we thought this was pretty interesting to ask about. I just watched a CNN segment on a new app called ICE Block and it kind of appeared to be promoting this app where you can tell people where ICE agents are. Given recent an app that tells people.

[Pam Bondi]

Where ICE agents are.

[Caroline Levitt]

Yes, and given the rise, I believe, 500% increase in assaults on ICE agents, I wanted to see if you could comment on that and why CNN would be promoting such an app.

[Pam Bondi]

Well, it's a very good question. I'll have to go back and watch the clip myself. But surely it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers. As you know, as you stated, there's been a 500% increase in violence against ICE agents, law enforcement officers across the country who are just simply trying to do their jobs and remove public safety threats from our communities.

[Caroline Levitt]

Caroline also shared that the President is today headed to Alligator Alcatraz, a new prison for illegal aliens in Florida that's sure to be causing some controversy. She described this prison in dramatic detail. Here's what she had to say.

[Pam Bondi]

There is only one road leading in and There is. The only way out is a one way flight. It is isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain. The facility will have up to 5,000 beds to house, process and deport criminal illegal aliens. This is an efficient and low cost way to help carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in American history.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

A notable trip there for sure. And as usual, a jam packed day from the White House. Mayor Margaret, thanks so much for reporting.

[Caroline Levitt]

Thanks for having me.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Democrats pulled out all the stops yesterday to thwart Trump's sweeping legislative agenda which has slowly pushed its way through Congress despite despite some Republicans joining the opposition.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the latest. So Cabot, you've been following this for a few weeks now and we just had a series of votes on this. Where do things stand in the process now?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, a long process indeed for President Trump to get his long wished for big beautiful bill. The Senate yesterday held a so called vote, a rama that lasted all day well into the evening, with Democrats forcing votes on amendments to the bill as a way of stalling, but also forcing Republicans to go on the record regarding topics like Medicaid funding and tax cuts for the wealthy. Two issues they believe Republicans are out of touch on. But ultimately they cannot stall forever. At the time of this recording, the debate is still going on. A vote still has not been held, but Republican leaders say once the Democrats run out of stall tactics, a vote will be held and they're confident it'll pass. Now look, a few months ago the idea of this thing getting through Congress seemed a bit unlikely, especially given Republicans slim majority in both chambers and all of the competing interests within the party. Typically in situations like this, the President will push for their agenda to be broken up into smaller pieces and then voted on piecemeal. Trump was adamant from the start that everything had to be included in one bill. And it looks like he's now going to get his wish. After leaving the Senate, the bill will head to the House for a likely vote on Wednesday. And then Trump, true to form, is expected to sign this bill into law on July 4, just hours before the fireworks start going off.

[Georgia Howe]

Now all along though, there has been significant opposition, even from Republicans.

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, you're right. From the start, President Trump made clear that he expected Republicans to get in line with his agenda, which he says reflects the will of the voters who put him there in the first place. And he went hard after Republican defectors, especially North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who voted against the bill and slammed President Trump from the Senate floor.

[John Bickley]

What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not there anymore. Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise.

[Cabot Phillips]

As you can imagine, that opposition drew swift condemnation from President Trump, who accused him of grandstanding, quote, in order to get publicity. Trump went on to say that he would be meeting with potential candidates to launch a primary challenge against tillis in the 26 midterms. But ultimately that will not be necessary. That's because the three term senator announced Sunday he would not be seeking reelection, apparently reading the writing on the wall. And it's worth noting, the White House disputes Tillis claim that Medicaid funding will be cut under this bill.

[Pam Bondi]

This bill strengthens Medicaid. It will protect those benefits that hardworking Americans need. And that's why the president wants this bill to pass. The the senator was wrong.

[Cabot Phillips]

So while President Trump seemingly has won the battle in Congress, or at least will very shortly, he'll now have to win the messaging battle to win over voters on his signature legislation. The reality is polling says this big beautiful bill is not all that popular with Americans right now. Pew has it with a net favorable rating of minus 20, Fox has it at minus 21 and Quinnipiac minus 26. So they've got some work to do on that front. For their part, the White House says they're confident that once it goes into effect and folks see the extra money coming into their paycheck every month, they'll change their tune quickly.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, pivoting here, the other big news coming out of Washington over the past few days was regarding the trade deal with Canada. What's going on there?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, President Trump is having a good week. Another win here, this one on trade. On Friday, amid ongoing trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada, the Canadians came out and announced a new digital tax that would cost American tech companies billions of dollars. President Trump was furious and responded by terminating those ongoing trade talk, vowing to, quote, let Canada know the tariff that they will be paying to do business with the US within the next week. Now, initially, the Canadians doubled down, bowing new tariffs on US steel imports. But within 24 hours, they retreated, saying they would instead rescind that digital sales tax and resume negotiations on a broader trade deal. That news once again sent markets soaring, with The S&P 500 and NASDAQ each hitting new record highs.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, a big week for President Trump. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

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