Navy Seizes Blockade Runner & Kash Patel v. The Atlantic | 4.20.26

Summary

Morning Wire – "Navy Seizes Blockade Runner & Kash Patel v. The Atlantic"

Date: April 20, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Episode Theme:
This episode dives into three headline-making stories: heightened tensions in the Middle East with the U.S. Navy seizing an Iranian cargo ship, FBI Director Kash Patel’s pushback and lawsuit against a controversial media report, and renewed concerns over Supreme Court leaks following a recent bombshell report involving the liberal justices.

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1. U.S.-Iran Tensions: Navy Blockade and Seizure

[03:22–07:41]

Main Points

• Collapse of Ceasefire:
  Optimism gave way to tension after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, targeting international ships and accusing the U.S. of "maritime piracy."
• Impact on Global Markets:
  Initial reopening of the strait triggered drops in gas prices and surges on Wall Street. Closure reversed that optimism.
• Incident with Indian Tanker:
  • Iranian authorities gave clearance to an Indian oil tanker, then fired on it; unclear if this was a miscommunication or a deliberate act.
  • Released audio captured the tense exchange.

    “Sepa Navy, Sepa Navy, this is Motoringa. You gave me clearance to go. My name second on your list. You gave me clearance to go.”
    — (Indian captain, 04:44)

• US Military Action:
  • U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged tanker after repeated warnings were ignored; Marines boarded and secured the ship.
  • Marked the first such seizure since the blockade’s start.
• Internal Iranian Power Struggle:
  • Moderates and hardliners within Iran are at odds.
  • Confusion over who in Iran directs policy; contradictory statements between the Foreign Minister and the military.

    “We will open [the strait] by the order of our leader, Imam Khamenei. The not by the tweets of some idiot.”
    — (Iranian navy broadcast, quoted by Kevin, 06:09)

• Next Steps — Peace Talks:
  • The U.S. is optimistic for talks in Islamabad as the original ceasefire expires; Iran hasn’t confirmed attendance.
  • President Trump’s message:

    “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal and I hope they take it because if they don’t, the U.S. is going to knock out every single power plant at every single bridge in Iran.”
    — (Truth Social post, paraphrased by Kevin, 06:53)

  • U.S. blockade remains in force until a deal is reached.
• Iranian Arrest in the U.S.:
  • U.S. authorities arrested an Iranian woman at LAX for allegedly trafficking arms, including drones and bombs, on behalf of Iran to Sudan. She faces up to 20 years.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “As long as the U.S. does not agree to the complete freedom of navigation, the situation … will remain tightly controlled...” — Iranian official (05:00)
• “It was another roller coaster 48 hours for sure.” — Kevin (03:34)

---

2. Media Controversy: Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic

[08:39–13:26]

Main Points

• The Atlantic’s Allegations:
  • Published a story, based on anonymous sources, alleging Patel’s drinking problem negatively affected his work as FBI Director.
  • Specific claims: missed meetings, security detail unable to reach him, considered using "breaching equipment."
• Patel’s Response:
  • Denies all allegations, files a defamation lawsuit.

    “You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I’ll see you in court.” — Kash Patel (08:39)

• Skepticism of Reporting:
  • Reporting based solely on unnamed sources.
  • The Atlantic has a history of high-profile, anonymously sourced stories later found unreliable.

    “The Atlantic does have a history of publishing negative and damaging stories about the Trump administration relying entirely on anonymous sources.”
    — Megan Basham (09:51)

  • Example: Their 2020 report on Trump calling soldiers “suckers and losers” remains unverified.
• Missing Evidence:
  • No verifiable records, such as calendars, missed meeting logs, or dated incidents provided.
  • Patel’s close associates, like chief aide Clint Brown, weren’t contacted by the Atlantic.

    “I would think if someone spent every waking minute with the FBI director, as I did … the reporter might want to ask that person for their take.” — Clint Brown (11:49)

• Atlantic’s Defense:
  • Reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick stands by her story, citing her investigative credentials.
  • But, as Basham notes, “on the record sources are generally considered more credible than unnamed sources…” (12:49)
• Daily Wire’s Editorial Policy:
  • Refuse to run stories based only on anonymous sourcing.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I’ll see you in court.” — Kash Patel (08:39)
• “Has the Atlantic put forward any receipts to support their reporting? No, they haven’t.” — Megan Basham (12:29)

---

3. Supreme Court Confidentiality Crisis: Another Leak

[13:59–17:59]

Main Points

• New Leak Reported:
  • The New York Times published a story citing internal Supreme Court memos, raising alarms over yet another breach of court confidentiality.
• Shadow Docket Debate:
  • The leak centers on the Court’s "shadow docket" — urgent rulings made without oral arguments or full written opinions.
  • Focus is on a 2016 stay of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, led by Justices Roberts and Alito, due to concerns of regulatory overreach and high economic costs.
• Suspicion Falls on Liberal Justices:
  • Much speculation centers on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson due to her recent speech at Yale criticizing the shadow docket.

    “There is a serious concern that the Supreme Court’s modern stay practices are having an enormously disruptive and potentially corrosive effect ...”
    — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (14:41)

  • Leak dynamics suggest someone with access to both official and draft communications, including those from Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
• Longstanding Problem:
  • Echoes unsolved Dobbs draft leak from 2022.
  • Chief Justice John Roberts under pressure to restore the Court’s integrity.

    “Roberts needs to act decisively here to catch the leaker and deter future leaks before even worse damage is done.”
    — Legal expert Jonathan Turley, paraphrased by Cabot Phillips (16:18)

• Narrative Challenge:
  • Despite Times’ focus, past use of the shadow docket also benefited left-wing cases.

    “In both those cases, the rulings please the left rather than the right, like in the Clean Power Plan case.”
    — Cabot Phillips (17:46)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “The pressure is really on Chief Justice John Roberts at this point. Legal experts say that unless he wants his court remembered as the one in which confidentiality … broke down, he has to get a handle on these leagues.” — Cabot Phillips (15:49)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ceasefire Fractures/U.S.-Iran Blockade Action: 03:22–07:41
• Kash Patel Lawsuit Against The Atlantic: 08:39–13:26
• Supreme Court Leak & Shadow Docket Controversy: 13:59–17:59

---

Memorable Moments & Speaker Quotes

• Kevin on the Iran conflict:
  “It was another roller coaster, 48 hours for sure.” (03:34)
• Indian captain, pleading with Iranian navy:
  “You gave me clearance to go. My name second on your list.” (04:44)
• Kash Patel issue:
  “Bring it on. I'll see you in court.” — Patel (08:39)
• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the shadow docket:
  “…having an enormously disruptive and potentially corrosive effect…” (14:41)

---

Takeaways

• Rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, with the U.S. engaging in direct action to enforce its blockade and uncertainty over peace talks with Iran.
• The growing trust crisis in legacy media, highlighted by the contested allegations against FBI Director Kash Patel and broader issues of anonymous sourcing.
• Persistent concerns over Supreme Court integrity stemming from back-to-back leaks, with renewed calls for accountability and examination of the Court’s emergency decision practices.

---

A succinct, content-rich episode delivering the latest in global conflict, media accountability, and judicial integrity for news consumers seeking facts and context.

Transcript

[Alliance Defending Freedom Representative]

If you're listening to the Daily Wire, you already know how important the fight for our fundamental freedoms is. That's why we want to take a moment to share what we're doing at Alliance Defending Freedom. We are a Christian legal ministry dedicated to advancing free speech, religious freedom, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God's design for marriage and family. We've secured major legal victories like helping topple Roe v. Wade and winning a landmark free speech case at the Supreme Court on behalf of a graphic designer, Lori Smith. For right now, we're taking on some of the most pressing issues in our culture today, from protecting women's sports to pushing back against mail order, abortion, drugs. We rely on the support of people like you to continue defending freedom, both in the courtroom and across the culture. And for a limited time, every dollar you give will be matched. That means $25 becomes $50, $50 becomes $100, but only while matching funds last. Go to joinadf.com wire or text wire to 83848 to double your impact for freedom.

[John Bickley]

After Iran violates the ceasefire, the US Captures an Iranian flagged cargo ship trying to bypass the blockade.

[Cabot Phillips]

It's the blockade, the US Navy and

[Kevin]

President Trump who's ultimately deciding what gets in and out.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, April 20th. This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

FBI Director Kash Patel is going on the offensive after what he's calling a libelous hit piece by a popular legacy media outlet.

[Cabot Phillips]

If the fake news mafia isn't hitting you personally with faceless information in Washington, D.C. then you're not doing your job.

[John Bickley]

And another significant leak shakes the Supreme Court, prompting claims that a left wing justice was involved.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Today's show is brought to you by Quince. Quince is an online retailer that sells high quality clothing and home items made of real materials like cotton, cashmere, silk, leather, etc. All for extremely affordable prices. And today I am wearing almost head to toe quints. A rare opportunity to see my lower half. But I want you to see this skirt I have. It has such great movement. It is inspired by a very similar item from Jenny Kane which I also have in a different color and the two are extremely similar, but the Quint's version was a fraction of the price. And also I'm wearing this cashmere T shirt which is a staple for me. It's super soft and it's just a little fancier than a regular T shirt. I have it in multiple colors. I love to wear it. So if you are looking to update your wardrobe with a few high quality items that look and feel designer, you need to check out Quince. You can support our show by going to quince.com wire plus that link will get you free shipping and 365 day returns. Plus that deal extends to Canadian listeners as well. So go to q U-I-N c e.com wire for free shipping and a full year to decide about your items. That's quint.com wire the ceasefire fractured over the weekend after the Iranian military violated the agreement by targeting ships.

[John Bickley]

Joining us now with more is Cabot Phillips, host of Wired in Live. Morning, Cabot so there's been anticipation building for a second round of peace talks, but now we've had some major military action. Where do things stand now?

[Kevin]

Right. It was another roller coaster, 48 hours for sure. So heading into the weekend, there was quite a bit of optimism from the White House that a permanent deal was imminent. Iran had reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices started to tumble to pre war levels and Wall street surged. Nasdaq and S&P 500 each hit all time highs. And the Dow closed at its highest mark since February. So the vibes were high. But on Saturday, Iranian state media abruptly announced that they were closing the straight, once again blaming the ongoing US Blockade, which they called, quote, banditry and maritime piracy. In their words, any vessel attempting to pass through would be considered to be, quote, cooperating with the enemy. And within hours, they began once again firing missiles at numerous vessels, including those from India, France and Britain. And they did strike at least one. In another case, an Indian oil tanker was given permission by the Iranians to pass through, but was fired upon shortly after. It's unclear if it was an attempted trap or simply a communication error within the Iranian military. Audio of that incident, though, was released Saturday and you can hear the frantic Indian captain begging the Iranians to let him turn around after shouting, quote, you gave me clearance to go.

[John Bickley]

Sepa Navy, Sepa Navy, this is Motoringa. You gave me clearance to go. My name second on your list. You gave me clearance to go.

[Megan Basham]

You are fighting.

[John Bickley]

Now let me turn back.

[Kevin]

And then following those attacks, Iranian officials said, quote, as long as the US does not agree to the complete freedom of navigation for vessels, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous state. But the president did not back down. On Sunday, he announced that for the first time since the blockade began, the US had seized an Iranian flagged tanker after it refused to turn around. Ignoring numerous warnings over the course of six hours, U.S. forces eventually messaged the crew to evacuate the engine room before firing multiple rounds into that portion of the ship. Marines then boarded it. The ship is currently in American custody. This episode really lays bare the conflict within Iran between the more moderate voices who want a deal and the hardline fundamentalists who view any compromise with the US as unacceptable. President Trump has expressed satisfaction with Iranian negotiators calling them reasonable, saying they want to make a deal. But there are questions in Washington regarding whether those negotiators actually represent the broader desires for the regime itself, which still has more than a few radicals. For example, after the country's Foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi tweeted that the strait was fully opened, the Iranian navy broadcast a message of their own to vessels in the strait reading, quote, we will open it by the order of our leader, Imam Khamenei. The not by the tweets of some idiot.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, it's still unclear who's really in charge there. And that brings us to the peace talks. What's the latest there?

[Kevin]

Well, despite the straight being closed once again, the White House says they are still confident peace talks will move forward Tuesday in Islamabad, Pakistan. That's the day the original ceasefire is set to expire. However, the Iranians for their part, have yet to confirm that they will actually attend. There was even an Axios report that they believed the US Was preparing a surprise attack.

[Cabot Phillips]

So.

[Kevin]

So we'll have to see if they actually do show up. Now, for his part, President Trump is keeping the pressure and the threats on writing on Truth Social this weekend. He said, quote, we're offering a very fair and reasonable deal and I hope they take it because if they don't, the US Is going to knock out every single power plant at every single bridge in Iran. In the meantime, he says the US Naval blockade will remain in effect until a permanent peace deal is reached.

[John Bickley]

So really keeping the pressure on there. Now one more note before you go. The arrest of the Iranian national here in the U.S. what happens there?

[Kevin]

Yeah, really a crazy story. So more details are still coming to light, but on Friday, authorities arrested an Iranian woman at LAX for allegedly, quote, trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. The charges say that Shamim Mafi, a 44 year old woman, allegedly attempted to facilitate the sale of Iranian made drones, bombs and ammunition to Sudan. If convicted, she faces 20 years in federal prison.

[John Bickley]

We'll be hearing more on that I'm sure. Meanwhile, we'll see if things continue to escalate in the straight. Kevin, thanks so much for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Absolutely.

[Alliance Defending Freedom Representative]

I want to tell you about our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF is a Christian legal ministry dedicated to advancing free speech, religious freedom, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God's design for marriage and family. They've scored huge legal victories like helping to topple Roe v. Wade and securing a landmark free speech win at the Supreme Court on behalf of graphic designer Lori Smith. And they're fighting some of our culture's most pressing issues, from the protection of women's sports to stopping mail order abortion drugs. ADF relies on the generous support of people like you to protect freedom in the courtroom and the culture. Every dollar you give to ADF will be matched. That means $25 becomes 50, 50 becomes 100. Only while their matching funds last. Go to joinadf.com wire or text wire to 83848 to have your gift to ADF matched. That's joinadf.com wire or Text wire wire to 83848 to double your impact for freedom.

[Cabot Phillips]

You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I'll see you in court.

[John Bickley]

That was FBI Director Kash Patel reacting to a controversial report that claims he has a drinking problem that's affected his leadership of the agency. Patel's not just denying the allegations, he's filing a lawsuit.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now with more. So, Megan, what exactly is being alleged in this report?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, Georgia. So this report comes from the Atlantic, and they say that they spoke to two dozen current and former FBI, FBI and DOJ officials, but no one who was willing to go on the record. But the sources told them that Patel is known in Washington circles for drinking heavily and sometimes for being unavailable for work after late night outings. Now, these anonymous sources claim that meetings occasionally had to be moved to later in the day because he was recovering from these nights of drinking. And in one incident, members of his security detail reportedly had trouble reaching him behind locked doors and they actually considered using breaching equipment to get inside.

[Georgia Howe]

So some very troubling allegations, if true. But there's a lot of skepticism about the reporting in this story. Why is that?

[Megan Basham]

Well, Georgia, there's a number of reasons. But to start, the Atlantic does have a history of publishing negative and damaging stories about the Trump administration relying entirely on anonymous sources. This is the same outlet that in 2020 reported that Donald Trump privately called American soldiers killed in war suckers and losers. Those claims were based on four unnamed sources. But on the record sources who were there that day in question said that the Atlantic's claims were completely false. And no one has been able to verify the anonymous claims since then. And then details from another Atlantic story, also in 2020, about Ivy League admissions were found to be false in. The ATL retracted that entire story. And then you have the Patel defenders who have pointed out that the reporter for this story, a reporter named Sarah Fitzpatrick, was one of three NBC reporters who published a story in 2018 promoting allegations against then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. They alleged that he drugged women at parties in college so that he and other men could gang rape them. Now, the accuser, Julie Swetnick, later retracted pretty much all of the key details for that, and it came out later that she had a history of false allegations. So back to this report. Georgia. I made some calls, and I wasn't able to find anyone who was willing to corroborate the Atlantic's reporting. In fact, some of the people I spoke to said point blank that they don't believe there's any way this can be true. For example, Clint Brown is a senior GOP operative who's worked very closely with Patel. Brown served as Patel's Sherpa, and that just means chief guide and strategist for months as Patel prepared for his Senate conference information hearing. Now, Brown told me that he's one of the key people that any reporter should reach out to for information on Patel. Yet he says the Atlantic never contacted him. He says if they did, he would have told them that Patel is one of the most disciplined people that he's ever worked with, and he never saw him over drink. He also told me that to his knowledge, the Atlantic didn't reach out to any of the other D.C. staffers that he would have expected them to contact for a story like this. Now, Brown told me, and I want to quote this directly, I would think if someone spent every waking minute with the FBI director, as I did, when he's moving into his job, the reporter might want to ask that person for their take.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, as we heard at the top, Patel is suing over this. Has the Atlantic put forward any receipts to support their reporting?

[Megan Basham]

No, they haven't. No verifiable records, no documentation, including for things like calendars or records of missed meetings, something that you would expect if Patel were missing meetings like this regularly due to being out late the night before. But the Atlantic and Fitzpatrick say they're standing behind this story. I am a very careful, very diligent, award winning investigative reporter with a history of award winning work across multiple organizations. I stand by every word of this reporting. Important to note for non journalists out there though Georgia that on the record sources are generally considered more credible than unnamed sources and also that you would typically expect to see at least something like a specific date for a missed meeting or someone being spotted out drinking to excess. And there's nothing like that in this story.

[Georgia Howe]

Right? And we've certainly refused to run stories from anonymous sources. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Yep, my pleasure.

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[Georgia Howe]

Another major leak from the Supreme Court hit the front pages of the New York Times over the weekend, raising concerns about the Court's culture of collegiality and confidentiality. Breaking down down here with more is

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce. Morning, Tim. So the Times came out with this article about the Court's shadow docket. They cited internal memos from some of the justices. But the bigger issue seems to be that this is another major breach of the Court's confidentiality. What do we know so far?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, we have a lot of speculation and conjecture. A lot of that is focused on the Court's newest Justice, Katanji Brown Jackson. And there's reason for that. She made a speech at Yale just a few days ago against the Court's shadow docket.

[Georgia Howe]

There is a serious concern that the

[Megan Basham]

Supreme Court's modern stay practices are having an enormously disruptive and potentially corrosive effect on the functioning of the federal judiciary's usual decision making process.

[Cabot Phillips]

Some people have looked at those comments and seen evidence of clear bias and an interest in having a story like the one just leaked to the public. There's also some conjecture that involves the evidence of the story itself. All the memos cited in the Times piece are from official letterhead from Supreme Court justice except for one, a memo from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, which was written on plain paper. Jonathan Adler, a professor at William and Mary Law School, says this suggests that whoever leaked to the Times had access to Sotomayor's draft memos, not just her official internal communications all right, so it

[John Bickley]

looks like a lot of the focus is on the liberal justices. And that was the case for the first major leak, the Dobbs decision. The early draft of that was leaked back in 2022. Again, speculation that one of the liberal justices was involved, but we never got an answer to who was behind that. What can we expect here?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, the pressure is really on Chief Justice John Roberts at this point. Legal experts say that unless he wants his court remembered as the one in which confidentiality and integrity finally broke down, he has to get a handle on these leagues. It may already be too late. In some respects, it's not hard to see justices being a bit more reticent to be as open and, frankly, disagreeable directly with one another. So the walls may already be going up internally and hurting discussion between them. But. But as legal expert Jonathan Turley pointed out, Roberts needs to act decisively here to catch the leaker and deter future leaks before even worse damage is done.

[John Bickley]

Now, for those who haven't read the Times story, can you explain what the shadow docket is and what this story in particular was about?

[Cabot Phillips]

Right. The shadow, or emergency docket, essentially refers to initial Supreme Court rulings that are published without oral arguments or the usual pages of explanations. These rulings aren't considered final, but prioritize speed to stop what could be irreversible harm to one of the plaintiffs. The gist of the Time story is that in 2016, the Supreme Court took an unprecedented step and stayed the Obama EPA's Clean Power Plan in a case that was still in the lower courts. Justices Roberts and Alito at the time led the push for the stay. In the leaked memos, they said that the regulation seemed a huge overreach that was likely to be struck down. And Roberts also said that the costs were extreme, nearly half a trillion dollars. And he and Alito were both concerned that the Obama EPA was actually trying to run around the court because of an incident two years before. But by doing this, the court set a new precedent that now effectively results in dozens of significant decisions every year without the full deliberative process. Now, that's Times version, but SCOTUS blog editor Sarah Isker pointed out that the Court had used the Shadow docket in 2013 and 2014 to stop a ban on same sex marriage in Utah as well as an abortion ban in Texas. Unlike in a Time Story, in both of those cases, the rulings please the left rather than the right, like in the clean Power Plan case.

[John Bickley]

So that really disrupts the Times narrative there. Now we'll see if the court can catch a leaker on its second go around. Tim, thanks so much for coming on.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for having me.

[John Bickley]

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

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