Morning Wire: "SCOTUS Weighs Tariff Authority & ICE Checks Mamdani"

Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe (solo for this episode)
Produced By: The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

This edition of Morning Wire dives into three major political and legal news stories:

• The Supreme Court's major case on President Trump's authority to impose tariffs,
• Rising tensions between New York City leadership and federal immigration enforcement,
• The nationwide ramifications of California’s new Prop 50 and its gerrymandering impact.

Throughout, the episode features in-depth reporting and commentary from Daily Wire reporters, with direct quotes and first-hand insights that frame the critical stakes for trade, immigration, and American governance.

1. Supreme Court Weighs Trump’s Tariff Authority

Segment Start: [02:16]

Background and Case Details

• Reporter: Amanda Presto Giacomo
• The Supreme Court hears arguments in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, a case challenging President Trump’s authority to enact broad tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Seven businesses and several Democrat-led states argue the President overstepped, causing significant financial harm with widespread tariffs (often 10% on imports from most U.S. trading partners).

Key Points of the Case

• Plaintiffs’ Argument:
  • Tariffs are essentially taxes, and "the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the President."
  • IEEPA does not explicitly authorize the President to impose tariffs, having instead been used mainly for sanctions during emergencies.
• Trump Administration’s Stance:
  • IEEPA is broad enough to allow tariffs during emergencies—including those relating to trade deficits and border crises.
  • Tariffs are presented as a lever for protecting American industry and security.

Supreme Court Dynamics

• Host Analysis: Georgia Howe highlights the case as potentially “a major pillar for the Trump administration.”
• Notable Exchanges:
  • Justice Kavanaugh presses on possible inconsistencies in the plaintiffs' interpretation:

    “Your interpretation of the statute ... would allow the President to shut down all trade ... but would not allow a [1%] tariff. And that ... an odd doughnut hole in the statute that doesn't seem to have a lot of common sense behind it.”
    — Justice Kavanaugh, [04:38]

  • Justice Gorsuch warns of allowing unchecked executive power:

    “Could the president impose a 50% tariff on gas powered cars and auto parts to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat from abroad of climate change?”
    — Justice Gorsuch, [05:28]

  • Government's response:

    “It's very likely that that could be done. Very likely.”
    — Government Respondent, [05:39]

Trump Administration’s Framing

• Trump elevates the significance, calling it "life or death for our country" in a Truth Social post.
• Press Secretary Caroline Levitt underscores economic security:

  “This year alone, we are going to cut the deficit by $600 billion, namely because of the President's effective use of tariffs...economic security is a matter of national security.”
  — Caroline Levitt, [06:28]

Decision Expected: By the summer, possibly sooner due to the case’s urgency.

2. New York Immigration Standoff: ICE vs. Mayor Mamdani

Segment Start: [06:58]

Context

• NYC’s new mayor, Zoran Mamdani, vows non-cooperation between NYPD and ICE/DHS (except for criminal enforcement).
• Federal officials, including former border czar Tom Homan, pledge to maintain or escalate ICE activity despite “sanctuary city” policies.

Inside Perspective

• Reporter: Jenny Terre
• Homan’s Direct Quote:

  “We're going to be in New York City and President Trump said it two weeks ago, we're going double down, triple down in sanctuary cities.”
  — Tom Homan (as reported by Jenny Terre), [07:19]

• Terre explains sanctuary status mainly blocks ICE from direct access to arrested illegal immigrants, often leading to the release of such individuals back onto NYC streets.

Status and Outlook

• Howe: “Okay, so more of the status quo it sounds like.”
• Terre: “Yes, absolutely.” [08:15]

3. Surprising Texas Story: Illegal Immigrants Registering Vehicles

Segment Start: [08:17]

Key Details

• Texas—despite tough stances and voter-approved restriction on non-citizen voting—has allowed illegal immigrants to register vehicles even without a valid driver’s license.

• Recent ICE operations in Texas led to 120 illegal immigrants being arrested in a single day, highlighting the issue.

• Reporter: Jenny Terre

  “Illegal immigrants can obtain vehicle registration to drive on the roads in Texas even if they don't have a driver's license...”
  [08:29]

• State Representative Brian Harrison has requested clarity from the DMV and threatened legislative action if loopholes aren’t closed.

4. California’s Prop 50 and the Evolving Redistricting Battlefield

Segment Start: [10:20]

What Prop 50 Does

• Passed with overwhelming support, largely due to Democratic funding.
• Allows California to redraw up to five congressional districts to favor Democrats—as a direct response to Texas’ efforts to engineer a pro-GOP map.
• Reporter: Cameron Arcand

“It overturns our constitutional ban on gerrymandering and instead institutes one of the most gerrymandered maps in modern history.”
— Cameron Arcand quoting critics, [00:59], [also 11:08]

Legal and Political Impact

• Sparks a likely nationwide redistricting battle; suits already filed, including one by California Republicans claiming racial gerrymandering.
• Pending Supreme Court Case: Louisiana case could potentially gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, with ripple effects for district drawing across America, possibly favoring GOP states in the South.

“If the Supreme Court does, say, make major reforms to the way the Voting Rights act is as it stands right now, that could end up being extremely beneficial to Republicans in the south...”
— Cameron Arcand, [12:23]

Who Gains More?

• Republicans have long complained of under-representation in states like Massachusetts; Democrats are eager to counter President Trump’s push for Texas redistricting.

“Now Democrats really want to show that they can stand up to Trump, especially in the later half of his term...”
— Cameron Arcand, [13:19]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Quote & Context | Speaker | |---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | [04:38] | "Your interpretation ... would allow the President to shut down all trade ... but would not allow a 1% tariff...an odd doughnut hole..." | Justice Kavanaugh | | [05:28] | "Could the president impose a 50% tariff ... to deal with the ... threat ... of climate change?" | Justice Gorsuch | | [05:39] | "Very likely that that could be done. Very likely." | Gov't Respondent (to Gorsuch) | | [06:28] | "This year alone, we are going to cut the deficit by $600 billion, namely because of the President's effective use of tariffs..." | Caroline Levitt (Press Sec) | | [07:19] | "We're going to be in New York City ... we're going double down, triple down in sanctuary cities." | Tom Homan (as reported by Jenny Terre) | | [00:59] | "It overturns our constitutional ban on gerrymandering and instead institutes one of the most gerrymandered maps in modern history." | Cameron Arcand (quoting critics) | | [12:23] | "If the Supreme Court ... make major reforms to ... the Voting Rights act ... that could ... be extremely beneficial to Republicans in the south..." | Cameron Arcand | | [13:19] | "Now Democrats really want to show that they can stand up to Trump, especially in the later half of his term..." | Cameron Arcand |

Recap: Episode Takeaways

• Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on tariffs could redraw the limits of executive power and alter the country’s future trade policy balance.
• ICE remains undeterred despite local political resistance, signaling ongoing federal-local discord over immigration enforcement in major U.S. cities.
• Loopholes in Texas law permit illegal immigrants to register cars, raising bipartisan questions about regulatory oversight even in so-called "red" states.
• Prop 50 in California previews an escalating national fight over district lines, with possible Supreme Court decisions set to reshape representation for years to come.

For the full legal and political context plus continued coverage, tune in to the next Morning Wire.