Plane Crash Recovery & Cabinet Hearings Clashes | 1.31.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: Plane Crash Recovery & Cabinet Hearings Clashes | 1.31.25

Released on January 31, 2025, Morning Wire, hosted by John Bickley and Georgia Howe, delves into the latest developments in politics, culture, education, and more. In this episode, the hosts cover the tragic plane crash in Washington D.C., the contentious confirmation hearings of President Trump’s cabinet nominees, and the implications of the administration’s immigration policies on local school systems.

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1. Tragic Plane Crash in Washington D.C.

Overview of the Incident

The episode opens with the somber news of a tragic plane collision in Washington D.C. President Trump addressed the nation, describing the event as "a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history" (00:09). The crash involved American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Blackhawk helicopter, resulting in the presumed deaths of all 67 individuals on board.

Recovery Efforts

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce provides a detailed update on the recovery operations, which are now in their third day. According to Pierce, the plane broke into three parts, with segments landing upside down in waist-deep water, complicating the recovery process. Divers are working diligently to retrieve victims, many of whom remain buckled in their seats. Human remains have also been found in various locations along the Potomac River (02:01).

Investigation Developments

The investigation into the crash has revealed potential causes related to air traffic control decisions. Originally scheduled to land on Runway 1, Flight 5342 was diverted to Runway 33, requiring the pilots to deviate from their path and ultimately collide with the helicopter (03:08). President Trump suggested that both air traffic controllers and the helicopter pilots might share responsibility, highlighting issues such as understaffing in the FAA and implications of the Biden administration’s DEI policies (04:11).

Victims and International Impact

A significant number of victims were associated with the figure skating community, including athletes, coaches, and their families. Additionally, Russian nationals, including former world figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Namov, were among the passengers. President Trump assured that their bodies would be repatriated to Russia (05:05).

Notable Quotes:

• President Trump (00:09): "This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history."
• Kash Patel (00:43): "That's an abject lie and you know it. I never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement."
• Tim Pierce (07:35): "The investigation has really just gotten started and no definitive evidence has come out yet."

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2. Capitol Hill: Confirmation Hearings of Trump’s Cabinet Nominees

Nominee Overviews

The podcast transitions to Capitol Hill, where three of President Trump’s most notable cabinet nominees—Kash Patel for FBI Director, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—faced rigorous confirmation hearings. Senior editor Cabot Phillips provides live coverage of these hearings, highlighting the intense scrutiny and partisan clashes (06:07).

Kash Patel’s Hearing

Kash Patel, nominated for FBI Director, presented himself as a committed public servant aiming to restore trust in the FBI. Despite aggressive questioning from Senate Democrats regarding his alleged support for January 6th rioters, Patel maintained his stance on combating violent crime and ensuring “full transparency” (06:20).

Notable Exchange:

• Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar (07:10): "If he said that the FBI headquarters where they investigate cybercrime and terrorism, shut down and open as a deep state."
• Kash Patel (07:35): "The best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations."

Tulsi Gabbard’s Hearing

Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for Director of National Intelligence, delivered a passionate opening statement, addressing criticisms head-on. She faced questions about her past support for Edward Snowden and her interactions with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. Gabbard emphasized her commitment to transparency and national security, despite facing potential procedural hurdles in advancing to a full Senate vote (07:50).

Notable Exchange:

• President Trump (09:10): "Is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America?"
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (09:15): "As someone who has worn my uniform in combat, I understand how critical our national security."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questions regarding his loyalties and policy positions. He vehemently denied being a "puppet" for any foreign or domestic entities, asserting his allegiance to "God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States" (08:51). The hearings also touched on issues of pharmaceutical industry influence and potential corruption within Congress, with Trump criticizing the acceptance of pharmaceutical contributions by many members (10:21).

Notable Exchange:

• President Trump (10:21): "Almost all the members of this panel are accepting, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry."

Outcome and Implications

The hearings highlighted significant partisan divides, with Democrats aiming to block at least one nominee. The confirmation process for these nominees remains uncertain, with potential votes and debates pending in the Senate (11:00).

Notable Quotes:

• Kash Patel (06:51): "We must tackle violent crime. The priority of the FBI, if I'm confirmed, will be to ensure that our communities are protected."
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (08:51): "The fact is, what truly unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet."

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3. Immigration Policy Changes and Impact on School Systems

Policy Rollback and Financial Implications

President Trump announced the rollback of President Biden’s policy that barred ICE from entering sensitive areas such as schools and churches. This policy reversal has significant repercussions for local school districts, particularly in managing the education of illegal immigrant children. Georgia Howe introduces Luke Rosiak, an investigative reporter, who explains how progressive groups like the Century Foundation advocate for resisting deportation efforts to maintain school funding (11:13).

Economic Analysis

Rosiak details how illegal immigrants contribute financially to school budgets by attending public schools, thereby preventing declining enrollments from causing budget deficits. For instance, in Fairfax County, Virginia, the cost of educating English learners far exceeds that of American students, leading to substantial financial strains. The Century Foundation argues that maintaining enrollment through illegal immigrants helps preserve school funding, despite the increased costs associated with specialized educational services (11:43).

Case Study: Fairfax County

Fairfax County exemplifies the financial tension, where educating migrant children has led to a $300 million budget deficit threatening essential services like the fire department. The county spends approximately $158 million annually on English learner programs, a significant factor in the budget shortfall. Rosiak suggests that schools may be either failing to effectively teach English or misreporting proficiency levels to secure additional funding (12:50).

Broader Implications

The influx of illegal immigrant students has complex implications for public education and taxpayer burden. While it stabilizes enrollment numbers and funding, it also imposes higher costs for specialized education programs, potentially leading to cuts in other critical services. Rosiak highlights the paradox where financial logic for school districts to retain immigrant students may result in long-term fiscal instability for taxpayers (13:42).

Notable Quotes:

• Luke Rosiak (11:43): "Immigrant students have helped keep the public school district budgets from shrinking due to declining enrollment."
• John Bickley (12:57): "So now people in this county, which is one of America's wealthiest, are being told they can't afford basic services like fire."

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Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, John Bickley and Georgia Howe provide comprehensive coverage of pressing national issues. From the heartbreaking plane crash and the ensuing recovery efforts to the high-stakes confirmation hearings of Trump’s cabinet nominees, and the intricate financial challenges posed by immigration policy changes in local schools, the podcast delivers in-depth analysis and authoritative insights. Notable quotes and expert commentary enrich the discussion, offering listeners a thorough understanding of the day's most critical events.

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Morning Wire continues to deliver the latest news and in-depth analysis, ensuring listeners are well-informed on the issues that matter most.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

President Trump addresses the tragic plane collision in D.C. as more details about the crash come to light.

[President Trump]

This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history.

[Georgia Howe]

What caused the crash? And what do we know about the passengers on board?

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Editor in Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, January 31st, and this is Morning Wire. Three of the president's most controversial nominees make their case to the Senate, resulting in several contentious back and forths.

[President Trump]

Tell them you're proud of what you did, Mr. Patel. They're right there. They're guarding you today. Tell them how proud you are.

[Kash Patel]

That's an abject lie and you know it. I never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement.

[Georgia Howe]

And local school systems are breaking under the strain of educating illegal immigrants.

[John Bickley]

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

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[Georgia Howe]

Victims of Wednesday's fatal plane crash are still being retrieved from the Potomac as more details come to light about the cause of the crash.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to update us on the investigation into the crash above Reagan National Hatem. So we know a lot more than we did yesterday about this crash. What have we so far?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, recovery operations are now into a third day. The belief is that there are no survivors from the crash, and the goal now is to recover the bodies of all the victims. 64 people were on the plane and three soldiers were in the helicopter, so all 67 are sadly now presumed dead. Here's President Trump giving an update on the crash in a press conference at the White House on Thursday.

[President Trump]

The work has now shifted to a recovery mission. Sadly, there are no survivors.

[John Bickley]

As we reported yesterday, a massive rescue and recovery operation was launched immediately after the crash. What do we know about the recovery process?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, the plane reportedly broke into three parts and one or more of the segments landed upside down in waist deep water. The helicopter also landed in water, divers have been attempting to retrieve victims from inside the fuselage, many of whom are still buckled in their seats. But there have also been human remains removed from other locations in the river.

[John Bickley]

Extremely painstaking and I'm sure heart wrenching process. Now, we noted yesterday that investigations were underway about what led to this crash. What do we know now on that front?

[Tim Pierce]

The New York Times reported on Thursday that the American Airlines Flight 5342 was originally slated to land on Runway 1, one of DCA's longest runways, but the control tower diverted them to Runway 33. In order to make that work, the pilots had to deviate slightly from their path. They collided with the helicopter just seconds later. Now, this is a recording of air traffic control as they witness the collision.

[John Bickley]

Did you see that?

[Luke Rosiak]

Go around, turn left in 2-50-CL3000.

[Tim Pierce]

This has raised larger questions about the amount of traffic congestion around Reagan. In a White House presser, Trump suggested that the air traffic controllers as well as the pilots of the Blackhawk helicopter may have been at fault. The FAA did reveal that the number of air traffic controllers on duty at the time of the crash was not normal for the quantity of aircra, with a single controller monitoring both planes and helicopters. Trump also seemed to imply that lower standards as a result of the Biden administration's DEI policies might have played a role.

[President Trump]

There was some warnings, but the warnings were given very, very late. It was almost as they were given a few seconds later. There was a crash should have been brought up earlier, but the people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going. I can't imagine people with 2020 vision not seeing, you know, what's happening up there.

[Tim Pierce]

That said, the investigation has really just gotten started and no definitive evidence has come out yet. And that was the message of officials with the National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday as well. The NTSB is ultimately responsible for investigating the crash, and they said in a press briefing that they haven't determined anything for certain.

[Kash Patel]

We're here to assure the American people.

[John Bickley]

That we are going to leave no stone unturned.

[Tim Pierce]

But they need to verify a lot of information before they can get facts to the public.

[John Bickley]

Right now, we've also learned a little bit more about some of the victims here. Tell us about that.

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, we've learned that about a third of the passengers were either figure skating athletes or coaches or their family members. According to U.S. figure Skating, they were all on a return trip from a competition in Wichita. Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan broke down while talking about the tragedy at the skating Club of Boston, which lost members in the crash.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

My response was to be with people I care about and I love, and I needed support.

[John Bickley]

So that's why I'm here.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

And I don't know, a little bit at a time.

[Tim Pierce]

The Kremlin reported there were Russians on board the flight as well, including former world figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Namov. President Trump said Thursday their bodies will be returned to Russia.

[John Bickley]

Well, their prayers are certainly with their families and those involved in the recovery process. Tim, thanks for joining us.

[Tim Pierce]

Good to be on.

[John Bickley]

It was a busy day on Capitol Hill Thursday with confirmation hearings from three of President Trump's most notable cabinet nominees, Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F.

[Georgia Howe]

Kennedy Jr. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips hosted the Daily Wire's live coverage. So, Cabot, let's start with the hearing for Trump's nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel. Give us an overview of how that went.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Yeah. From what we're hearing out of Washington, Patel has the best shot of the three to win confirmation, mainly because he's more of a known commodity on the right, having served previously as chief of staff for the DoD under the previous Trump administration. He was also a DOJ prosecutor before that. Despite some furious questioning from Senate Democrats who expressed major concerns over his supposed support of January six rioters, things went pretty smoothly, all things considered. Patel kicked things off by vowing to address the public's erosion of trust in the FBI.

[Kash Patel]

We must tackle violent crime. The priority of the FBI, if I'm confirmed, will be to ensure that our communities are protected. The second way we do this on equal track, is aggressive constitutional oversight from Congress. The public trust can only be restored if there is full transparency, and I am committed to that full transparency.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Democrats went on to question Battelle on past statements he'd made about the FBI, more broadly, specifically comments from last year in which he called for the bureau's headquarters to be shut down and turned into a, quote, museum of the deep state. Here's Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar hitting him on that.

[Kash Patel]

Just answer the question. If he said that the FBI headquarters where they investigate cybercrime and terrorism, shut down and open as a deep state.

[Georgia Howe]

Mr.

[Kash Patel]

Chair, the museum. Did he say that the headquarters should be shut down? The best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations. The only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, we also had the first day of Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation she's Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence. How did things go for Gabbard?

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Well, the Trump administration is expressing confidence publicly that she'll get the necessary votes. But behind closed doors, there are real concerns that she might not even make it to the floor for a vote. First, she's got to make it out of the Intel Committee, where Republicans do hold a slim 98 majority. But that vote could be held behind closed doors, meaning Republicans on the fence about Gabbard would have, you know, a lot more freedom to vote no. For Gabbard's part, though, she came out swinging with a fiery opening statement, taking on that criticism of her head on.

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States, accusing me of being Trump's puppet, Putin's puppet, Assad's puppet, a guru's puppet, Modi's puppet. The fact is, what truly unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate, was also asked a lot of questions about her past comments supporting former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Early on in the hearing, she was asked numerous times to call him a traitor, something she refused to do. Here's an exchange she had on that topic with Senator Michael Bennett.

[President Trump]

Is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America?

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

As someone who has worn my uniform in combat, I understand how critical our national security.

[President Trump]

Apparently you don't.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Gabbard was also pressed about a 2017 meeting she had with Syria's then President, Bashar Al Assad. For what it's worth, she claims that she pressed Assad during that meeting about his human rights record.

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

I shed no tears for the fall of the Assad regime, but today we have an Islamist extremist who is now in charge of Syria, who danced on the streets to celebrate the 911 attack, and who has already begun to persecute and kill and arrest religious minorities like Christians in Syria.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, lastly, we had the second day of RFK's hearings. What did we see there?

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Well, once again, there was a heavy vaccine focus from Democrats while Republicans were still looking for confirmation that RFK will implement Trump's policies on issues that pertain to life, despite his personal views on abortion. Contributions from pharmaceutical companies to lawmakers was also a big topic of discussion. Here's RFK and Senator Bernie Sanders going at it on that front.

[President Trump]

The problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies. It's in Congress, too. Almost all the members of this panel are accepting, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry.

[Tim Pierce]

Oh, no.

[President Trump]

Protecting their interests. Oh, I thought that that would come. No. I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical. They came in 2020. In 2020, you were the single large a pharmaceutical money.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

So now again, we wait to see whether these three make it out of committee. At that point, they'll head to the Senate floor for another round of debate and then a final vote.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, Democrats have been open about the fact that they're hoping to block at least one of these. Cavett, thanks for reporting.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Anytime.

[Georgia Howe]

Donald Trump has rolled back Joe Biden's policy barring ICE from entering sensitive areas like schools and churches.

[John Bickley]

Many school districts have come out swinging against this, and one progressive group has made a controversial case for why. Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak joins us now to discuss. Hey, Luke. So we've been covering the worst first arrests by ice, but there's a lot more going on with immigration. What's going on with illegal immigrant children in schools?

[Luke Rosiak]

Hey, John. So the Century foundation, which is an influential progressive group helmed by a member of Barack Obama's Domestic Policy Council, said school districts should resist deportation efforts because illegal immigrants bring in money for their budget. In other words, they're kind of saying the quiet part out loud. More than a million Americans withdrew their children from public schools in the last couple years, feeling let down because of COVID critical race theory and other issues. That would have meant layoffs for teachers and administrators, except that illegal immigrants have largely replaced them. Century said it makes financial logic for school districts to stand in ice's way, saying the task is keep students in school, maintain enrollment and funding. Let me read verbatim from this education policy group. Immigrant students have helped keep the public school district budgets from shrinking due to declining enrollment. Public schools in the United States lost more than 1 million students between 2019 and 2022. These enrollment losses can lead to significant layoffs. However, English learner enrollment has grown significantly, making up for some losses and bringing enrollment depending funds back to public schools.

[John Bickley]

All right, so here's an admission that each illegal immigrant is essentially a big check for teachers union members.

[Luke Rosiak]

Exactly. We spend a lot more educating a child that doesn't speak English than we do for Americans. In Fairfax County, Virginia, the cost is $20,000 per American, about $25,000 a year for school for English learners, because the Extra teachers required. So what makes financial logic for teachers actually means ruin for taxpayers? That's caused huge problems throughout the country. Fairfax went from a budget surplus to a $300 million budget deficit, which is now threatening cuts to the fire department. What Fairfax leaders never point out in these pained discussions about the deficit is that the County School spent $158 million teaching English to migrant children last year, more than half the deficit. That's an unexpected cost, rising $70 million in just the last few years.

[John Bickley]

And now people in this county, which is one of America's wealthiest, are being told they can't afford basic services like fire.

[Luke Rosiak]

Yeah, I mean, you look at an enrollment chart for, say, Denver, which came out swinging against this new Trump policy, and it's remarkable. The schools had been hemorrhaging students for years. But then they get that godsend, a lot of new students who require a lot of very labor intensive services, even though their parents pay very little in taxes.

[John Bickley]

And since illegal immigrants can't afford private school, I guess they're basically captive customers in a sense, correct?

[Luke Rosiak]

Yeah. And they don't need to bother with upping the quality of schools to lure back Americans. There are also questions about whether schools are essentially defrauding taxpayers. In Fairfax, they say that more than one in five students needs these English learner services. So they're either totally failing to actually teach them English for years or they're falsely claiming they still don't speak it to keep getting that extra cash.

[John Bickley]

No matter how you slice that, this is problematic, to say the least. Luke, thanks so much for digging into this and coming on.

[Luke Rosiak]

Absolutely. John.

[Georgia Howe]

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