Evening Wire: Hegseth’s ‘Secret Mission’ & AOC’s Ethics Complaint | 3.31.26

Summary

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Evening Wire: Hegseth’s ‘Secret Mission’ & AOC’s Ethics Complaint | March 31, 2026

Podcast: Morning Wire
Hosts: John Bickley (Editor-in-Chief, Daily Wire), Georgia Howe
Date: March 31, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode covers heightened tensions in the Middle East with new threats from Iran, Pete Hegseth’s undisclosed military visit, a federal judge’s ruling against defunding public broadcasting, high-profile legal and ethical controversies involving U.S. politicians, and major First Amendment debates. The hosts analyze political, legal, and cultural news shaping national and international headlines.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Iranian Threats & Middle East Escalation

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Threatens U.S. Interests
  • The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warns it will target U.S. companies across the Middle East from April 1.
  • Employees and civilians near potential targets are advised to evacuate.
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu positions Israel’s war as an effort to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, stating:

    “Tehran is pursuing the ability to threaten not just Israel, but eventually the US as well.” (01:09, paraphrased)

  • UN Security Council meets over rising violence in Lebanon: three peacekeepers have been killed since the conflict's start.
    (00:51-01:30)

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2. Pete Hegseth’s ‘Secret Mission’

• War Secretary’s Middle East Visit
  • Pete Hegseth secretly visited U.S. troops involved in “Operation Epic Fury,” meeting pilots and missile operators.
  • At a press conference, Hegseth praised the dedication and brotherhood of the troops:

    “The trip was an honor. I had a chance to bear witness and I witnessed the best of America. I witness warriors, a brotherhood of men and women, warriors all and their commitment to the mission.” (01:48, Pete Hegseth) (01:30-02:01)

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3. D.C. Drone Defense & Aviation Safety Controversy

• New Anti-Drone Measures Considered
  • Officials considering the installation of an anti-drone laser defense system at Fort McNair, D.C., amid unusual drone activity and concerns over surveillance.
  • Aviation authorities warn about airspace safety near Reagan National Airport.
  • Decision is pending as discussions continue.
    (02:01-02:41)

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4. U.S.-France Tensions & Defense Policy Fallout

• Trump Criticizes France Amid Iran Crisis
  • President Trump calls out France’s refusal to let U.S. military planes cross its airspace, posting on Truth Social:

    “[France has been] very unhelpful with respect to the Butcher of Iran... USA will remember.” (02:50, paraphrased)

  • In response, Israel halts all new defense purchases from France.
    (02:41-03:14)

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5. Trump’s Executive Order Blocking PBS/NPR Funding—Struck Down

• Court Rules Executive Order Unconstitutional
  • U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss permanently blocks President Trump’s order to strip federal funding from PBS and NPR, calling it unlawful viewpoint discrimination:

    “The government cannot engage in, ‘viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of that kind.’” (03:25, Virginia Kruta quoting Judge Moss)

  • The First Amendment cited in the judge’s ruling; the administration suffers a significant legal defeat.
    (03:14-04:07)

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6. Eric Swalwell, the FBI, and “Election Interference”

• FBI May Release Files on Swalwell and Chinese Spy Ties
  • Congressman Eric Swalwell threatens legal action, claiming FBI record releases would constitute election interference.
  • Swalwell’s press conference:

    “This effort to weaponize the FBI against the president's political enemy at a time that we are at war shows a distraction.” (04:31, Eric Swalwell)

  • No charges filed; records reference alleged Chinese operative Christine “Fang Fang” Fang.
    (04:07-04:54)

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7. AOC Faces Ethics Complaint over Campaign Funds

• Controversy Surrounding Psychiatrist Payments
  • Watchdog group alleges Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign spent ~$19,000 on a psychiatrist specializing in ketamine treatments, listed as “leadership training and consulting.”
  • Potential breach of campaign finance law if funds used for personal benefit.
  • Case now referred for broader review.
    (04:54-05:31)

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8. “Let’s Go Brandon” Sweatshirt Case—Supreme Court Bound

• Student Expression and Vulgarity Limits
  • Two Michigan students punished for wearing “Let’s Go Brandon” sweatshirts challenge their school’s dress code on First Amendment grounds.
  • 6th Circuit ruled for the school—calling the phrase a “vulgarity” exception.
  • Law Professor Jonathan Turley calls the ruling:

    “One of the worst free speech decisions to come out of the appellate courts in years.” (06:32, paraphrased) (06:32-07:10)

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9. Supreme Court Sides with Christian Counselor in Free Speech Case

• Ruling Against Colorado Counseling Law
  • Supreme Court rules 8-1 for counselor Kaylee Chiles, who challenged Colorado’s ban on counseling aimed at helping “gender confused” children accept their biological sex.
  • Majority opinion by Justice Neil Gorsuch:

    “While the First Amendment protects many and varied forms of expression, the spoken word is perhaps the quintessential form of protected speech. And that is exactly the kind of expression in which Ms. Chiles seeks to engage.” (07:41, Gorsuch via Jordan Schroeder)

  • Liberal justices join in a concurring opinion; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissents.
    (07:10-08:14)

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10. Canada’s “Hate Speech” Bill Removes Religious Exemptions

• Threat to Religious Free Speech
  • Canada’s House passes Bill C9, removing religious belief as a carve-out from anti-hate laws.
  • Critics warn of punishment for publicly expressing religious views; supporters say it closes hate speech loopholes.
  • Bill now moves to the Senate for further debate.
    (08:14-09:12)

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11. Providence Mural Controversy—Crime, Politics, and Censorship

• Mural Honoring Ukrainian Victim Removed
  • Democratic officials in Providence, RI, call for removal of a mural commemorating Ukrainian stabbing victim Irina Zarutska, claiming it doesn't reflect city values.
  • Assembly member David Morales argues:

    “We want to make sure every community member that calls Providence home feels safe and we can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence's values, nor does it reflect the creativity that we want to see in our city.” (09:40, David Morales)

  • Mayor calls mural “divisive”; critics claim decision is political censorship.
    (09:12-09:55)

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12. Tiger Woods DUI Update & California Police Car Death

• Tiger Woods Pleads Not Guilty
  • Charged with DUI after crash; officers found him with hydrocodone but no alcohol detected. (09:55-10:51)
• Eric Valencia’s Mysterious Death
  • 37-year-old found dead in an unused, unlocked police cruiser days after his release from jail in Azusa, CA.
  • Police admit the car should have been secured; investigation ongoing.
    (10:51-11:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hegseth on Troop Visit:

  “I had a chance to bear witness and I witnessed the best of America. I witness warriors, a brotherhood... and their commitment to the mission.”
  (01:48, Pete Hegseth)

• Swalwell vs. FBI:

  “This effort to weaponize the FBI against the president's political enemy at a time that we are at war shows a distraction.”
  (04:31, Eric Swalwell)

• Supreme Court (Gorsuch) on Free Speech:

  “The spoken word is perhaps the quintessential form of protected speech... And that is exactly the kind of expression in which Ms. Chiles seeks to engage.”
  (07:41, Justice Gorsuch via Jordan Schroeder)

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Important Timestamps

• Iran’s Threats to U.S. Companies — 00:51–01:30
• Pete Hegseth’s Secret Mission — 01:30–02:01
• Pentagon’s Drone Defense Plan — 02:01–02:41
• Trump-French Tensions on Airspace — 02:41–03:14
• PBS/NPR Funding Court Ruling — 03:14–04:07
• Swalwell, FBI, and Chinese Spy Claims — 04:07–04:54
• AOC’s Ethics Complaint — 04:54–05:31
• Let’s Go Brandon Supreme Court Case — 06:32–07:10
• Supreme Court Free Speech Ruling — 07:10–08:14
• Canada’s Hate Speech Bill — 08:14–09:12
• Providence Mural Removal — 09:12–09:55
• Tiger Woods DUI & Police Car Death — 09:55–11:33

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For detailed coverage on these stories and more, visit DailyWire.com.

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Transcript

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[John Bickley]

Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatens American companies across the Middle East Pete Hegseth reveals his secret trip to meet the troops and AOC faces an ethics complaint over campaign spending. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, March 31st. This is Evening Wire.

[Cabot Phillips]

The Iran conflict widens beyond the battlefield with new threats against American interests across the region. Host of Wired in Live. Cabot Phillips has more.

[News Reporter]

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is now threatening to target US companies across the Middle east starting April 1, warning employees to leave and telling civilians living nearby to evacuate. The threat comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war is aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons and the long range missiles to deliver them, arguing Tehran is pursuing the ability to threaten not just Israel, but eventually the US as well. The UN Security Council is also meeting today over Lebanon, as three UN Peacekeepers have been killed there since the conflict began.

[John Bickley]

War Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed today that he visited troops in the Middle East. The secret trip involved Hegseth meeting with service members involved in Operation Epic Fury. From the pilots flying strike missions into

[Daily Wire Reporter]

Iran to the operators tasked with intercepting Iranian missiles and drones. Hegseth described the experience in a press conference this morning.

[Pete Hegseth]

The trip was an honor. I had a chance to bear witness and I witnessed the best of America. I witness warriors, a brotherhood of men and women, warriors all and their commitment to the mission.

[Cabot Phillips]

The Pentagon is weighing a new layer of defense right in the nation's capital. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has more.

[Zach Jewell]

Officials are considering deploying an anti drone laser system near Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. where top officials including War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reside. The move comes after reports of unusual drone activity in the area, raising concerns about potential surveillance during a time of heightened tensions with Iran. But the plan is not without controversy. Aviation officials warn the powerful laser system could pose risks in the already crowded airspace near Reagan National Airport. For now, discussions are ongoing as the US Looks to counter a growing drone threat on its own doorstep.

[Daily Wire Reporter]

President Trump is slamming France over the country's refusal to allow US Planes to fly through French airspace. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce has the details.

[Tim Pierce]

In a post on Truth Social Today, the president wrote that France had been, quote, very unhelpful with respect to the Butcher of Iran. But then Trump warned that the USA will remember another reminder from the president that Europe should not take U.S. assistance for granted. French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out French involvement in Iran or the Strait of Hormuz in response to French obstruction. Israel's government has announced it will stop all new defense purchases from the country.

[Cabot Phillips]

A federal judge has blocked an executive order from President Trump which would have stopped federal funding from going to pbs and NPR Daily Wire senior editor Virginia Kruta has the story.

[Virginia Kruta]

U.S. district Judge Randolph Moss in Washington permanently blocked President Donald Trump's executive order, ruling that the move was unlawful and unenforceable under the First Amendment. In his opinion, Moss said that the government cannot engage in, quote, viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of that kind, pointing to Trump's own public statements that he wanted to defund the outlets because he viewed them as biased toward Democrats. NPR has argued that the administration was trying to punish it for the content of its journalism by cutting off access to grant money, money appropriated by Congress. The ruling keeps the order from taking effect and hands the administration a significant legal defeat in its efforts to strip federal support from public broadcasting.

[Daily Wire Reporter]

A political showdown is brewing between Congressman Eric Swalwell and the FBI Just weeks before California voters head to the polls. Swalwell is threatening legal action after reports that the bureau may release files tied to his past connection with a suspected Chinese spy.

[John Bickley]

His attorneys warned the move would violate federal law and amount to election interference. Swalwell addressed the FBI's efforts at a press conference yesterday.

[Eric Swalwell]

This effort to weaponize the FBI against the president's political enemy at a time that we are at war shows a distraction.

[John Bickley]

The FBI has not yet commented. The records reportedly involve Christine Fang Fang Fang, an alleged Chinese operative who had ties to multiple California politicians. Swalwell denies any wrongdoing and no charges have been filed.

[Cabot Phillips]

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is facing a new ethics complaint over her campaign spending. Daily Wire senior editor Joel Niedler has more.

[Joel Niedler]

A watchdog group alleges nearly $19,000 in campaign funds were used to pay a psychiatrist known for controversial ketamine based therapies. Expenses listed as, quote, leadership training and consulting. The complaint argues the payments may have been used for personal use, which would violate federal campaign finance law. Ocasio Cortez has not responded publicly and no findings have been made. The case has now been referred for review, potentially setting up a broader ethics investigation.

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[Cabot Phillips]

a case over two middle schoolers in let's go Brandon sweatshirts will head to the Supreme Court. The case involves two Michigan brothers who were told to remove their hoodies for allegedly breaking the school dress code. The brothers then sued, arguing that the school had violated their First Amendment rights. Earlier this year, the sixth Circuit ruled in favor of the school, finding that the phrase let's go Brandon fell under the first Amend exception to vulgarity. The phrase is a popular euphemism for an explicit insult against Joe Biden. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley has called the 6th Circuit's decision one of the worst free speech decisions to come out of the appellate courts in years.

[John Bickley]

The Supreme Court handed down a major conservative win in a near unanimous decision today. Daily Wire Homepage editor Jordan Schroeder has

[Jordan Schroeder]

more the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 Tuesday in favor of a Christian counselor, Kaylee Chiles, who challenged a Colorado law she said could punish her for helping gender confused children become comfortable with their own bodies. Instead of pursuing irreversible transgender medical procedures. The law prohibits counseling that, quote, attempts or purports to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. Chile said that the law violates her First Amendment rights and has prevented her from accepting several clients. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion that the courts failed to apply rigorous First Amendment scrutiny in the case and said, quote, while the First Amendment protects many and varied forms of expression, the spoken word is perhaps the quintessential form of protected speech. And that is exactly the kind of expression in which Ms. Chiles seeks to engage. Liberal Justices Sotomayor and Alina Kagan wrote a concurring opinion. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone dissenter.

[Cabot Phillips]

Canada's House of Commons has passed a new hate speech bill which according to critics removes protections for religious belief in public discourse. Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham has the story.

[Megan Basham]

The House of Commons just passed Bill C9, sending the Liberal government's anti hate legislation to the Senate. The bill became contentious after Liberals agreed to remove a long standing religious exemption from Canada's hate speech law, a protection that currently shields people who, quote in good faith, express views rooted in religious belief or religious texts. Critics say removing that carve out could expose people to punishment for publicly voicing traditional religious views on issues such as homosexuality or gender gender. If those statements are deemed hateful under the law, supporters argue the change closes a loophole in existing hate speech protections. Bill C9 now heads to the Senate where the fight over the limits of religious speech in Canada is far from over.

[Daily Wire Reporter]

A mural of Ukrainian stabbing victim Irina Zarutska in Providence, Rhode island is being removed at the request of two local Democrat politicians. 23 year old Zarutska, who had recently fled Ukraine, was brutally stabbed on a Charlotte train in August of 2023, allegedly by repeat violent criminal. The mural represented a damning indictment of the soft on crime policies that led to her death. Here's Democrat General assembly member David Morales speaking to the press about why he thinks the mural should be erased.

[David Morales]

Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member that calls Providence home feels safe and we can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence's values, nor does it reflect the creativity that we want to see in our city.

[John Bickley]

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, who ultimately ordered its removal, called the mural divisive. The suspect, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. Was a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests, including armed burglary, and had recently shown signs of psychosis. Conservative activists, including Elon Musk, who funded the mural, say he should never have been on the streets and Tiger woods has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from his latest DUI arrest in Florida. Authorities say two hydrocodone pills were found in his pocket after he crashed and overturned his SUV near his home. Officers noted woods showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot eyes and slowed movements, though a breath test showed no alcohol in his system. Investigators believe he was under the influence of medication at the time of the crash. He faces charges of driving under the influence, property damage and refusing a chemical test. A California man was found dead in an out of service unlocked police car days after being released from jail.

[Daily Wire Reporter]

Daily Wire assistant editor Andy Valdez has the details.

[Andy Valdez]

Family and friends of 37 year old Eric Valencia are demanding answers after his body was found March 26 in the backseat of a police car parked outside of the Azusa police station. Three days earlier, officers arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence, but he was later released for a lack of evidence. Relatives said they reported him missing after his release, and now they want to know how he got into the vehicle and why he remained there for days unnoticed. Police Chief Rocky Wenrich said the car should have been secured, that an independent firm is investigating and that Valencia's cause of death remains unknown pending an autopsy by the Los Angeles county medical examiner.

[Cabot Phillips]

Those are your Drive Home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and in case you missed it, earlier today we covered some major stories, including the White House weighing boots on the ground in the Middle East, Cuba receiving a tanker full of much needed oil, and NASA preparing to launch its first manned mission around the moon in more than 50 years. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning wire.

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