John Bickley (2:24)

Well, I hope we have full attendance. We got a big Snowstorm coming to D.C. and we encourage all of our colleagues, do not leave town, stay here, because as you know, the Electoral Count act requires this on January 6th at 1:00pm so whether we're in a blizzard or not, we are going to be in that chamber making sure this is done.

Cabot Phillips (2:43)

Now, the House needs a simple majority of 218 members present to reach a quorum, and it seems like most members have stayed in town over the weekend. Marjorie Taylor Greene even said she would walk to the Capitol if need be. So it seems like Johnson has every reason to be confident that come 1pm Vice President Kamala Harris, acting as president of the Senate, will convene a joint session of Congress, and at which point lawmakers will vote to certify Donald Trump's landslide victory.

John Bickley (3:07)

Right. A very momentous occasion. And now this calls to mind maybe forever, the last presidential certification vote on January six. We have Trump coming into office now, and he's been vowing to take action related to that. Tell us about that.

Cabot Phillips (3:20)

Absolutely. Some 1600 of the President's supporters have been charged for their role in the 2021 riot, and hundreds have been sent to prison. Trump has said repeatedly that he's open to pardoning many of those charged and has frequently spoken out against what he says is very unfair treatment of mostly peaceful protesters. Here's what he said during an appearance on Meet the Press in December.

Tim Rice (3:39)

They arrested an old woman because she. I don't think she did anything. They don't even know what she did. These people have suffered. Their lives have been destroyed. And yet in Portland, where they burn down half the city, they burn it down all the time. It's like a, you know, routine occurrence. They don't do anything.

Cabot Phillips (4:00)

Trump has indicated that he's not considering a blanket pardon, saying that there would be some exceptions for those found to have done something really criminal. But by and large, I wouldn't be surprised if pardoning January 6th defendants is one of the first big things Trump does in his second term.

John Bickley (4:14)

Truly a remarkable prospect and a remarkable turn of fortune for potentially many of the defendants.

Cabot Phillips (4:19)

Oh, absolutely. I mean, from January 6, basically through election Day, you had Democrats in the legacy media calling these people domestic terrorists and saying it was an attack on the country. People really thought Trump would wind up in jail because of January 6, or at the very least, that his political career would be over. And none of that happened. Trump, of course, won in a landslide, despite Democrats efforts to paint him as a threat to democracy. And Matthew Graves, the D.C. attorney general who prosecuted the January 6th defendants, just announced that he's stepping down before Trump returns to the White House. And public opinion has really come around to January 6, too. Fewer and fewer people think that Trump did anything wrong or that the day was a real threat to democracy.

John Bickley (4:57)

Well, as we've seen, a lot can happen in four years. Tim, thanks for reporting.

Cabot Phillips (5:01)

Anytime.

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John Bickley (5:41)

New York Judge Juan Mern has denied Trump's motion to dismiss his conviction in a controversial hush money case. Merchan has scheduled sentencing for Trump this Friday, just 10 days before inauguration Day.

Georgia Howe (5:54)

Here to discuss the ruling and what it means for Trump is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So Amanda, let's get into this ruling. What was Trump convicted of here and what did Mershon say in his ruling?

Amanda Presto Giacomo (6:06)

Yeah, so Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts on charges relating to falsifying business records. This all stems from a payment Trump's former lawyer made to stormy Daniels in 2016 without Trump's knowledge. From the start, the case has been pretty controversial, and some legal scholars have even argued that at most you could maybe squeeze out a trivial misdemeanor offense on some record keeping, but certainly not 34 felonies. Trump and his supporters believe the case is clear political targeting, starting with DA Alvin Bragg and including Judge Mershon. He's a Democrat who donated to Joe Biden and he's been pretty hostile to Trump throughout this whole process. And that leads up to Mershon's latest ruling. He's denied Trump's bid to have this case tossed in light of the recent U.S. supreme Court decision on presidential immunity. The denial was expected from Merchan, though Pretty questionable. And it's still an avenue that Trump will continue to pursue in this case. So instead of tossing the case or potentially putting it on hold until Trump serves out his term as president, Merchand said in his ruling that it's in the public interest that Trump be sentenced as soon as possible.

Georgia Howe (7:11)

Right now, Merchand signaled that he'd impose something called an unconditional discharge at this sentencing. What would that entail and what can we expect from Trump?

Amanda Presto Giacomo (7:21)

Yeah. An unconditional discharge would mean that Trump wouldn't serve any jail time or any probation. It would officially end the trial, and Trump could move to appeal the 34 felony convictions. But it also would formally brand Trump as a convicted felon. Heading into the inauguration. It's unclear what Trump's next move will be, but he could possibly seek an immediate appeal on the immunity claims that Mershon just rejected in this latest decision. Or he could show up virtually or in person on the 10th and as I mentioned, go on to appeal those convictions.

Georgia Howe (7:51)

There's been a lot of reaction to Mershon's ruling. First, how has Trump responded?

Amanda Presto Giacomo (7:56)

Trump swiftly condemned Merchan. He said online that Mershon effectively made up these charges, and he called him the most conflicted judge in New York State history. Trump also denounced New York's court system as corrupt, and he said it's one of the reasons so many people and companies are fleeing the state. Some prominent legal scholars honestly weren't that far off in their criticisms of merchandise. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, for example, he called Merchant's recent decisions the, quote, final cathartic act for lawfare warriors. Turley said the sentencing day effectively provides the media with the Inauguration Day talking point that Trump will be the first person sworn into presidential office as a convicted felon. Legal scholar Andy McCarthy, who formerly served as the Assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, he made a similar argument. McCarthy said that the pre Inauguration Day sentencing appears to be a bid by Mershon to ensure that Trump enters office as a formally convicted felon.

Georgia Howe (8:54)

Now, before you go, this isn't the only case that Trump is dealing with. What's the status of the others?

Amanda Presto Giacomo (9:00)

Yes, the two federal prosecutions against Trump, one concerning J6 matters and the other classified documents, they've both been dropped. And special counsel Jack Smith has quickly closed up shop. As for the Georgia election related case, Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her office have been disqualified from prosecuting Trump. Willis is now in the process of appealing that decision. If she were to win that, she could go after Trump, but she couldn't do that until after he's out of office. And if she loses her bid, the case would be kicked to somebody else. They could continue to go after Trump or they could drop some or all of those charges. Trump is also in the process of appealing a civil fraud judgment that totals nearly half a billion dollars. That case, which notably involves no crimes, no injuries, and no losses, was brought by AG Letitia James. And finally, Trump is also appealing a civil verdict in the likewise highly controversial E. Jean Carroll case.

Georgia Howe (9:55)

So still a lot of irons in the fire. Meanwhile, Merchan's sentencing is just a few days away. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

Amanda Presto Giacomo (10:03)

You're welcome.

Georgia Howe (10:06)

Nearly a week after a pair of attacks rocked New Orleans and Las Vegas, new details are coming to light regarding the suspects and their motives.

John Bickley (10:14)

Here are the latest, including some Daily Wire exclusive information. Is senior editor Cabot Phillips a. Cabot? So let's start in New Orleans where the death toll now sits at 14. What more have we learned in recent days?

Kevin (10:26)

Well, first, investigators say the man responsible, Shamsu Din Jabbar, was wearing a pair of meta glasses equipped with a camera that could have allowed him to film a firsthand account of his attack. He also wore those glasses on a number of earlier visits to the French Quarter. It's believed he used footage gathered then to help plan out his. We're also learning more about Jabbar's background. According to investigators, the 42 year old from Houston originally contemplated attacking an ex wife and other family members, but ultimately decided on a terror attack to focus on, quote, the war between the believers and disbelievers of Islam, that is.

Cabot Phillips (11:01)

Yeah.

Kevin (11:01)

Jabar's brothers say he was raised Muslim but left the religion as an adult. However, investigators say he returned to Islam in recent years, but it's not yet clear how or when he became radicalized. To that point, investigators are taking a very close look at a month long trip he took to Egypt in 2023. Yeah.

John Bickley (11:19)

Now as we've reported, he appears to have been an ISIS supporter. What have we learned about any ties he might have had to that group?

Kevin (11:25)

Yeah. In the hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos online proclaiming his support for the terror group which he says he had joined, quote, before this summer, according to the FBI. So there's no doubt he pledged allegiance to and at least took inspiration from the group. But the big question now for investigators is whether Jabbar had ever communicated directly with ISIS or received any sort of help in planning. Remember, initially the FBI indicated there were as many as four other suspects who may have planted explosives around the city that understandably set off a frenzy in New Orleans. But those claims were eventually walked back after investigators determined those individuals were not involved. But investigators still say just because no one was present with him, you know, during the attack, it doesn't mean he was a true lone wolf attacker. Here's Republican Rep. Michael McCall, former chair of the Homeland Security Committee. On ABC Sunday, he was involved with.

Tim Rice (12:17)

A rare Bomb making material that was not available in the United States. So I know that they're saying this is, you know, kind of a lone wolf type situation, but there are some, seem to be some real ISIS connections here that need to be followed up.

John Bickley (12:34)

Now, this all comes amid renewed concerns over an ISIS expansion and resurgence. Talk to us about that.

Kevin (12:41)

Right. While ISIS was largely eradicated under President Trump's first term, the group has slowly rebuilt in recent years, claiming responsibility for numerous terror attacks around the globe in 2024. And national security experts have been warning in recent months that the turmoil in Syria could well open up a dangerous power vacuum that allows ISIS to regain an even larger foothold. So as President Trump prepares to take office, he'll be faced with a seemingly resurgent isis. Now, the big question will be how aggressive of an approach he takes. As I mentioned, he's certainly shown a willingness to go after these groups hard, but he did campaign largely on staying out of the Middle east in his second term. So some very big, consequential decisions.

John Bickley (13:22)

Sure. Now, before we go, let's get to the latest from that separate bombing incident in Las Vegas. What do we know there?

Kevin (13:28)

So investigators are working to piece together what exactly drove Matthew Livelsberger, a 37 year old army Green Beret, to set off that car bomb outside Trump Hotel in Vegas, which ended up killing himself and injuring seven others. Police say one of Levelsberger's devices contained a journal entry urging veterans and all Americans to, quote, wake up regarding our government, which he said was, quote, weak and only serves to enrich themselves. He later allegedly added, quote, this was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake up call.

John Bickley (13:58)

Now, the Daily Wire also got some additional details about what happened before the incident. Tell us about that.

Kevin (14:03)

Right, so as the FBI works on the timeline leading up to the incident, the Daily Wire spoke exclusively with the owner of the Tesla cybertruck that he used. He told us Levelsberger initially claimed to be visiting the Grand Canyon, but set the car to navigate to Trump Hotel from the very beginning. He also says the suspect asked him how to operate the power outlets in the trunk. That's where the bomb was set. And whether they could be turned on from outside the vehicle. And importantly, he says cameras in the truck showed the suspect making a stop at a sporting goods store before the incident, coming back to the car with loads of bags, potentially picking up materials used for bomb making. No doubt investigators will be looking into all those details as they get to the bottom of this very strange, tragic event.

John Bickley (14:46)

Yeah. Still more questions to be answered. There for sure. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

Kevin (14:50)

Anytime.

Georgia Howe (14:53)

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.