Islamic Terror Sends Shockwaves | 12.15.25

Summary

Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Title: Islamic Terror Sends Shockwaves | 12.15.25
Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

Overview

This episode covers a devastating weekend marked by a major terrorist attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration in Australia, a fatal ISIS shooting of American troops in Syria, a mass shooting at Brown University, and contentious judicial decisions involving alleged illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes. The tone is urgent and fact-driven, with political analysis and emotional reactions from involved parties and leaders.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Terror Attack at Sydney Hanukkah Celebration (02:47 – 06:00)

• Event Details:

  • Two gunmen, motivated by Islamic extremism, opened fire on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, Sydney.
  • At least 15 dead, over two dozen injured, including a local rabbi and a 12-year-old girl.

• Targeted Antisemitism:

  • Attackers focused on “beachgoers who were visibly Jewish,” not firing indiscriminately.
  • “It was clear that the men were not just shooting at everyone, but again, specifically targeting beachgoers who were visibly Jewish.”
    – Cabot Phillips (03:30)

• Heroic Response:

  • An unarmed Muslim bystander tackled one of the shooters, was shot twice, disarmed the attacker, and survived.
    • “That heroic bystander, who was himself a local Muslim man, was reportedly shot twice in the process, but still managed to disarm the gunman and thankfully he is expected to make a full recovery.”
      – Cabot Phillips (03:50)

• Aftermath:

  • One attacker killed by police, the other wounded and in critical condition; IEDs found in their car did not detonate.
  • Authorities investigating possible coordination with Iran or other terror groups.

• Reactions:

  • Australian Prime Minister condemned the act as “an act of evil antisemitism terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.” (04:42)
  • President Trump urged Jewish Americans to respond “by celebrating Hanukkah proudly.” Israeli PM Netanyahu criticized Australian leaders for failing to address rising antisemitism.

---

2. ISIS Attack on US Troops in Syria (05:36 – 06:53)

• Summary:

  • Lone ISIS gunman infiltrated government security, killed two US soldiers and an American translator, wounded five more.
  • Perpetrator was a vetted security detail member—an “ISIS infiltrator.”

• Administration Response:

  • President Trump offered condolences and promised “very serious retaliation.”
    • “This was an ISIS attack on U.S. and Syria. And again, we mourn the law and we pray for them and their parents and their loved ones.”
      – Donald Trump (06:17)
  • Potential US airstrikes on ISIS targets expected.

---

3. Brown University Mass Shooting (08:00 – 12:14)

• Incident Timeline:

  • Shooter entered the university’s engineering building, killed two, injured nine during midafternoon study session.
  • Students sheltered-in-place for up to 12 hours during the hunt.

• Student Accounts:

  • Chloe Chen: “Had to hide in like literally our ball closet with four other people. It was so scary. We were in there for four hours.” (08:51–08:57)
  • Ben Marcus described helping shuttle students to safety through the night. “We've been awake all night shuttling students… It's definitely been a long night.” (09:39–09:57)

• Investigation:

  • Initial suspect (24, from Wisconsin) released after evidence proved insufficient; shooter remains at large.
  • President Trump eulogized the victims; Senator Chris Murphy blamed Trump for fomenting violence.
    • “Over the last year President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to violence in this country, and I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.”
      – Sen. Chris Murphy (11:49)

---

4. Immigration Controversies: Judicial Rulings & Release Orders (12:49 – 16:55)

A. Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case

• Situation:

  • Alleged MS-13 gang member and human smuggler Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody by a federal judge appointed by President Obama.
  • Judge’s order bars ICE from redetaining Garcia until a restraining order hearing.

• Garcia’s Response:

  • Spoke publicly: “I stand here today with my head held high. I will continue to fight and stand firm against all the injustices this government has done upon me.” (13:57)
  • His legal team and activists condemned the Trump administration.

• Administration Response:

  • DHS official: “Naked judicial activism.”
  • Trump officials vow to appeal, highlighting Garcia’s immigration and criminal history.
  • Details of a prior human trafficking stop in 2022 in Tennessee included—suspected, but not detained at the time.

B. Detroit Judge’s Sentencing Decision

• Case Details:
  • Obama-appointed Judge Judith Levi praised a Honduran immigrant and declined to increase his sentence, despite a 2022 rape conviction.
  • Controversy over judge’s reference to the convict as “an ambassador for living up to our immigration restrictions.” (16:16)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | 03:30 | “It was clear that the men were not just shooting at everyone, but again, specifically targeting beachgoers who were visibly Jewish.” | Cabot Phillips | | 03:50 | “[A] heroic bystander, who was himself a local Muslim man, was reportedly shot twice… still managed to disarm the gunman.” | Cabot Phillips | | 04:42 | “This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah…” | PM Anthony Albanese| | 06:17 | “This was an ISIS attack on U.S. and Syria. And again, we mourn the law and we pray for them and their parents and their loved ones.” | Donald Trump | | 08:51 | “Had to hide in like literally our ball closet with four other people. It was so scary. We were in there for four hours.” | Chloe Chen | | 09:39 | “We've been awake all night shuttling students… It's definitely been a long night.” | Ben Marcus | | 11:49 | “Over the last year President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to violence in this country…” | Sen. Chris Murphy | | 13:57 | “I stand here today with my head held high. I will continue to fight and stand firm against all the injustices this government has done…” | Kilmar Abrego Garcia|

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Australia Hanukkah Terror Attack: 02:47 – 06:00
• ISIS Attack on US Troops in Syria: 05:36 – 06:53
• Brown University Shooting: 08:00 – 12:14
• Kilmar Abrego Garcia & Immigration Judges: 12:49 – 16:55

---

Tone & Style

• The hosts and reporters keep to a factual and somewhat urgent tone, reflecting the gravity of the events.
• They include firsthand accounts and direct reactions, maintaining the emotionally charged context of each incident.
• Political analysis is presented with clear attributions, balancing reporting and commentary.

---

This episode offers a gripping, fact-first recap of a weekend shaped by violent attacks and heated debates over the intersection of immigration and justice. The show delivers a digest of the facts, reactions, and implications—providing listeners with a thorough understanding of the news that’s shaping the day.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI transformation at rubrik.com that's R U B R-I K.com. Over a dozen people are dead and many more injured after terrorists opened fire into an Australian Hanukkah celebration.

[Donald Trump]

We have two definite offenders. I cannot confirm there is a third offender, but I want to make sure there's no stone left unturned.

[Georgia Howe]

The tragedy follows a deadly attack on American soldiers in Syria.

[Donald Trump]

We had three great patriots terminated by bad people and not the Syrian government. It was isis.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, December 15th.

[Tim Pierce]

This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

The hunt for the gunman continues in the deadly Brown University shooting that killed two and injured several more.

[John Bickley]

And a judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be released and bars ice from redetaining the alleged human smuggler.

[Donald Trump]

It's too bad that we have these activist judges that legislate from the bench and put MS.13 gang member members back out on the streets.

[Georgia Howe]

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

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

Have you ever heard of Gold Belly? It's this amazing site that celebrates the best of America by shipping our country's most iconic food from legendary restaurants straight to your door anywhere in the usa. It's perfect for hosting loved ones and is truly a magical, unforgettable gift making this holiday season one that they'll talk about for years. Get iconic restaurant meals delivered nationwide through our sponsor Gold Belly. I love the variety of choices that you can get with Gold Belly. I've gotten Lou Malnati's authentic Chicago Style Pizza plus some amazing bagels from New York City. But this holiday season I'm steering towards something a little more sweet at Gold Belly. They've got choices galore for desserts and I've got my eye on a Christmas pie cake in from the famous New York bakery by the same name and Guy Fieri's Holiday Trash Nachos. So if you're looking for that perfect gift for everyone on your list or want to impress your friends and family with an unforgettable meal and make hosting a breath breeze this holiday season, head over to goldbelly.com and get 20 off your first order with promo code wire, that's goldbelly.com codewire for 20 off your first order.

[Georgia Howe]

Over a dozen people are dead and many more are injured after a terror attack in Australia targeted a Hanukkah celebration.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the latest on this horrific scene as well as a separate attack on American troops in Syria. Hey, Cabot. So let's start with this devastating news out of Australia that broke yester. What do we know so far?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah. On Sunday, hundreds of people, most of them Jewish, had gathered at Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. That is when two men reportedly motivated by Islamic extremism opened fire with rifles. They killed at least 15 people and wounded more than two dozen others in the largest single attack on Jews since October 7, 2023. Among victims were a prominent rabbi in the community as well as a 12 year old girl. Witnesses said it was clear that the men were not just shooting at everyone, but again, specifically targeting beachgoers who were visibly Jewish. As the gunman poured shot after shot into the crowd, a heroic bystander took matters into his own hands. Stunning video from the scene shows an unarmed man creeping towards the gunman from behind a row of cars. He gets within a few feet and then leaps on one of the terrorists, wrestling the rifle away from him. For our audience watching on Daily Wire, here is that incredible footage. And even more incredible, that heroic bystander, who was himself a local Muslim man, was reportedly shot twice in the process, but still managed to disarm the gunman and thankfully he is expected to make a full recovery. Ultimately, one of the terrorists was killed by authorities responding to the scene, while the other was also shot and taken into custody. He's now in hospital in what authorities call life threatening condition. Authorities say they also found what appeared to be a number of improvised explosive devices in the car of the suspect who was killed. Thankfully, they did not go off and bomb technicians were able to dispose of them safely. Here's Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacting to the attack.

[Donald Trump]

This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith, an act of evil antisemitism terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.

[Cabot Phillips]

For his part, President Trump told Jewish Americans Sunday that they are safe here and should respond to this attack, quote, by celebrating Hanukkah proudly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was understandably outraged by the attack and did place some of the blame on Australian leaders whom he accused of being silent over the last few years amid growing anti Semitism there. Now, according to a number of reports from Israel, authorities there are investigating right now to see whether these gunmen have been coordinating with Iran or potentially other terrorist organizations. A big part of the story there that they want to get to the bottom of.

[John Bickley]

Indeed. Now, sadly, this wasn't the only Islamic attack this weekend. The US Also directly impacted. Tell us what happened in Syria.

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah. On Saturday, a lone gunman ambushed a group of American service members engaged in counterterrorism operations in Syria. The gunman, who the White House says was an ISIS member, killed two American service members and also their American translator. He also wounded five others, including three more Americans. And even more disturbing, according to numerous reports, the gunman who was thankfully killed at the scene was a, quote, ISIS infiltrator. He was actually working as part of a government security detail that day. Here's Trump addressing the tragedy from the White House.

[Donald Trump]

This was an ISIS attack on U.S. and Syria. And again, we mourn the law and we pray for them and their parents and their loved ones.

[Cabot Phillips]

And that statement was followed up by another Truth Social post in which the president vowed that, quote, there will be very serious retaliation. Obviously, we're still waiting to see what that will look like, but there's a good chance we see targeted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds or ISIS leadership throughout Syria. Keep a very close eye on what that retaliation looks like.

[John Bickley]

And Trump has not been shy about very aggressive responses to these kinds of situations. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

This episode is sponsored by Vanta. Customer trust can make or break your business. And as your business grows and scales, the security and compliance tools you rely on inevitably become more complex and harder to manage. Without the right systems in place, managing security and compliance can quickly spiral into chaos. And chaos isn't a security strategy. That's precisely where Vanta comes in. Think of Vanta as your always on AI powered security expert that grows alongside your business. No matter what stage you're in, Vanta takes the complexity out of compliance by automating the tedious processes, continuously monitoring your security controls in real time, and providing you with a single unified source of truth for all your compliance and risk management needs. So whether you're a startup like Cursor racing to Scale, or an established enterprise like Snowflake managing sophisticated security requirements, Vanta integrates seamlessly into your existing workflows. That means your team can focus on what they do best, building and growing, while maintaining the robust security posture that earns and keeps your customers trust. Get started at vanta.com MorningWire that's V-A-N-T A.com MorningWire.

[John Bickley]

Two Brown University students are dead after a gunman opened fire inside a classroom on Saturday.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here with the latest on the shooting. So Tim, this was a harrowing situation that took place over 12 hours on brown campus on Saturday. Can you walk us through what happened?

[John Bickley]

Yeah.

[Tim Pierce]

This was a horrifying incident that lasted all throughout Saturday night and into Sunday morning. It began around 4 in the afternoon on Saturday. A gunman entered Brown University's Barris and Holly engineering building, killed two students and injured nine others while they were studying for an economics final. The gunman initially seemed to get away from law enforcement. Students sheltered in their dorms and classrooms wherever they thought that they could find a safe space. Brown tennis player Chloe Chen locked herself in a closet for hours.

[Cameron Arcan]

It was, it was just insane.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

Like I was playing tennis and I.

[Cameron Arcan]

Had to hide it in like literally our ball closet with four other people. It was so scary.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

We were in there for four hours.

[Tim Pierce]

Brown University sent a couple of alerts out over an active shooter on campus. Around 6:30 in the evening, authorities held their first press conference. Information was limited. They said two people were dead and the shooter had not yet been found. Over the next few hours, Brown continues to warn students to stay sheltered. At 9:30, authorities gave a second press conference and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley confirmed that the attack wounded nine and killed two. Police released a video of a man dressed in dark cloth they say is a person of interest in the attack. At around 11, police began to evacuate non residential buildings around the university. Brown senior Ben Marcus said he stayed up all night transferring students.

[Cabot Phillips]

We've been awake all night shuttling students back and forth to their dorms, to.

[Cameron Arcan]

Their apartments from the gym where a lot of them were evacuated to.

[Cabot Phillips]

A lot of my friends who ended.

[Cameron Arcan]

Up sheltering just random places needed rides.

[Cabot Phillips]

Back to their, back to their apartments.

[Tim Pierce]

To where they're living.

[Cabot Phillips]

So it's, it's definitely been a long night.

[Tim Pierce]

A person was finally detained at around 3:45am on Sunday morning. The FBI, local and state law enforcement worked together to track this person down. It was nearly 6am Before Brown announced the shelter in place order lifted. The university has since said that it has canceled all finals and many students are already on their way back home for Christmas break.

[Georgia Howe]

You said someone's been apprehended. What do we know about the shooter?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, the information has been slow to get out. Authorities have been pretty cautious because of the ongoing investigation. Law enforcement did yesterday pick up a person of interest, though. According to the Washington Post, sources briefed on the investigation say police picked up a 24 year old Wisconsin man at a hotel about 30 miles outside of Providence. Police allegedly found two firearms in his possession. NBC News reports that the police were looking into the man's mental health history and potential ties to the university. But then late last night, night officials announced that they were letting that person of interest go. The Rhode island attorney general said that the evidence initially pointed in the direction of that man, but that evidence now points in a different direction. Mayor Smiley said at the same press conference that he still believes the community is safe, though this obviously means a shooter is still at large somewhere.

[Georgia Howe]

The university has put out several statements and President Trump has also released some statements. What did he say?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah. In Washington, President Trump paid respects to the victims in the Brown University shooting attack and to others who were also victimized this weekend.

[Donald Trump]

I want to just pay my respects to the people. Unfortunately, two are no longer with us. Brown University, nine injured and two are looking down on us right now from heaven.

[Tim Pierce]

Of course, it didn't take long for this tragedy to get political. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy appeared on CNN yesterday and blamed President Trump for the shooting.

[Cameron Arcan]

This is not shocking because over the.

[John Bickley]

Last year President Trump has been engaged.

[Cameron Arcan]

In a dizzying campaign to violence in this country. And I think you're unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.

[Tim Pierce]

It's worth noting that Rhode island has some of the strictest gun laws in the country and many have pointed to that fact and said that right now the focus should be on the victims. And on that point, we join those in praying for the victims and their families.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, a tragic weekend here and in Australia. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

The holidays are a time to gather with family and celebrate the season. There's no better way to bring people together than with quality, flavorful meat that makes every meal memorable because great food creates joy and connection around the table. That's why you need good ranchers. Enjoy pre portioned 100% American trustworthy meat from local farms delivered straight to your door so you spend less time prepping and more time connecting. Get 40% off plus free meat for life with our code wire. That's code wire for $40 off and free meat for life when you subscribe.

[Georgia Howe]

At goodranchers.com alleged MS.13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released back onto the streets Friday and he's now vowing to Fight the Trump Admin Daily Wire political.

[John Bickley]

Reporter Cameron Arcan joins us now with the latest. Cameron, thanks for coming on. So we have yet another judge order here related to alleged human trafficker Abrego Garcia. This one is supposed to be more forceful than the others. First, what exactly did the judge order this time?

[Cameron Arcan]

Yeah, this immigration saga just won't end here. So the US District Judge Paula Shinnas, who was appointed by President Barack Obama back in 2016, ordered that Abreu Garcia, who, you know, he's became so well known as, you know, the Maryland man, should be released from ICE custody. He was being held at a processing center down in Pennsylvania. And the kicker is that this time the judge ordered he cannot be re detained by ICE until the court conducts a hearing for a motion for a temporary restraining order. So for now, he's home free.

[John Bickley]

All right, so now he is out. And in fact, we've already heard a good bit from him. Tell us about that aspect of this. What have we heard from Abrego Garcia?

[Cameron Arcan]

Yeah, so the response so far from him, I mean, has really turned quite a few heads. Some of his critics have said, you know, this sounds like it's a political campaign. And he even appeared for a routine check in with ICE in Baltimore on Friday, and he ended up delivering remarks in Spanish before a crowd of activists. His remarks essentially translated to the fact that he plans to fight the Trump administration. He said, quote, I stand here today with my head held high. I will continue to fight and stand firm against all the injustices this government has done upon me. And even his legal team has also condemned the Trump administration, saying they need to also face consequences. This is all, of course, drawn a lot of criticism from those who have pointed to him being illegally in the country in the first place since all the way back in 2011. And the allegations brought against him by the administration of human trafficking and allegedly being a member of the gang ms.13, as well as some domestic violence allegations from restraining orders in past years.

[John Bickley]

Right now, this order by the judge is, of course, controversial. The Trump administration is obviously not happy with it. What have we heard from them so far?

[Cameron Arcan]

Yeah, so they're certainly not happy with this. Homeland Security assistant secretary Trisha McLaughlin has called this in naked judicial activism, and the department is pledging to fight this tooth and nail in the courts. Now, the Trump team also continues to highlight allegations against Abrego Garcia. When the administration sent him back to his home country of El Salvador back in March, he was ordered back to the United States. But at that point, he was Brought back on human smuggling churches stemming from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Officials say that body camera footage showed him behind the wheel with eight other passengers in tow. The group had been on the road for days as they made their way from Texas to Maryland, and they had no luggage in the car. A responding officer noted that he suspected a human trafficking situation, but they ultimately let him go with a citation for driving with an expired license at that time.

[John Bickley]

One last question before you go. That involves another judge and another illegal immigrant accused of criminal behavior. U.S. district Judge Judith Levi from Detroit. She's getting a lot of blowback. She praised a Honduran immigrant and declined to extend his sentencing. Briefly, what happened there?

[Cameron Arcan]

Yeah, so similar to the Abrego Garcia situation, this judge was appointed by President Barack Obama and she spared an illegal immigrant from two more years in prison for those immigration crimes. But this is very important. He was sentenced in 2022 for raping a woman with cerebral palsy. He can now walk home as soon as July 2028 because the sentence was not extended. The fact that the judge even referred to him as an ambassador for living up to our immigration restrictions has certainly raised a lot of eyebrows given the nature of why he's currently behind bars.

[John Bickley]

Not hard to see why. There's a lot of outrage about that decision in those comments from the judge.

[Donald Trump]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us.

[Cabot Phillips]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Liberty Savings Ferry unwritten by Liberty Mutual.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[John Bickley]

Thanks so much for reporting.

[Cameron Arcan]

Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.