Morning Wire — "Shutdown Deal Divides Dems & Florida Probes JPMorgan"

Episode Date: November 11, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe

Episode Overview

This episode dives into three hot-button topics:

• The fallout among Democrats over a Senate deal to end the government shutdown
• Florida’s legal probe into JPMorgan Chase regarding alleged cooperation with the Biden Administration's "Arctic Frost" investigation targeting Trump
• How the shutdown and recent political developments are impacting U.S. veterans and active service members
  With reporting and analysis from Daily Wire journalists and exclusive interviews, the show seeks to "get the facts first" for listeners wanting a clear breakdown of complex stories.

1. Government Shutdown Deal Fractures the Democratic Party

[02:36–06:50]

Key Points

• The Senate achieved a last-minute agreement to fund the government through January 30th, avoiding prolonged shutdown.
• Speaker Mike Johnson quickly recalled the House for a vote, expressing optimism that it would pass with support from President Trump.
• The markets responded positively: Nasdaq up 2%, Dow and S&P 500 near record highs.
• Significant discontent erupted among Democrats. Progressive figures and grassroots voices demanded changes in party leadership, focusing criticism on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
• High-profile Democrats, including AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and California Governor Gavin Newsom, derided the deal as a "surrender" and demanded stronger resistance to Republican concessions.
• Party leadership defended the compromise. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Schumer’s efforts to wage a “valiant fight on behalf of the American people” ([04:25]).

Notable Quotes

• Amanda Presa Giacomo ([02:54]):
  "Cautious optimism is probably the best way to describe it. After the Senate reached a breakthrough Sunday night ... they passed a clean continuing resolution to keep the government funded through January 30th."
• Rep. Ro Khanna (via paraphrased tweet, [03:44]):
  "If you can't lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?"
• Hakeem Jeffries ([04:25]):
  "Yesterday, Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats over the last seven weeks have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people."

Segment Highlights

• Schumer faces possible primary challenge from AOC.
• Several Democrat senators voted for the deal, none of whom are up for reelection in 2026, suggesting calculated political moves.
• New polling: 45% of Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown, but only 33% blame Democrats. Despite this, "Democrats blinked first" by agreeing to end the shutdown ([05:30]).

2. Florida Launches Probe Into JPMorgan and "Arctic Frost"

[07:58–11:18]

Key Points

• Florida Attorney General James Uthmeyer opened an investigation into JPMorgan Chase for allegedly assisting the Biden administration's "Operation Arctic Frost" in targeting Donald Trump and his allies.
• The probe centers on claims that JPMorgan provided the DOJ with sensitive financial information about Trump Media and "debanked" the company before it went public.
• JPMorgan's response: they follow the law in responding to subpoenas, insist they do not discriminate based on politics, and criticized regulatory policies that make banks "overly cautious."

Notable Quotes

• Mary Margaret Olahan ([08:27]):
  "Usmeyer suspects that JP Morgan Chase was providing sensitive banking info to the Department of Justice and to Smith as part of the malicious prosecutions into the president."
• JPMorgan spokesperson (via Olahan, [08:54]):
  "JP Morgan doesn't discriminate against anyone based on politics ... it's terrible that people can lose their bank accounts because of broken policies that encouraged banks to be overly cautious, adding, it's not fair and it shouldn't happen."

Judicial Fallout

• Judge James Boasberg, who signed warrants for FBI access to phone records of Republican lawmakers, faces calls for impeachment.
• Sen. Eric Schmitt ([10:05]):
  "But Judge Boasberg, what he did to Senator Cruz and maybe other senators ... is worthy of impeachment proceedings. There has to be accountability."
• Rep. Byron Donalds ([10:17]):
  "You have a judge who has a responsibility to uphold the law, but what he participated in is the largest spying operation against your political rivals in American history. Everybody loves to talk about Watergate with Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon never even dreamed of something like this."

3. Shutdown and Service: Veterans and Morale

[11:34–15:26]

Key Points

• Interview with Marine Corps Major (ret.) Chris Lovell, now CEO of Lovell Government Services, on the impact of the shutdown and politics on service members.
• Shutdown created uncertainty and delays in some veteran services, notably in VA outreach and transition programs. Anxiety about pay persisted, but the administration ensured active duty received pay.
• The Trump administration is credited with boosting military morale by ensuring timely pay and appointing former Marine (JD Vance) as Vice President.
• Lovell emphasized the importance of strong, supportive leadership and the morale boost from seeing fellow Marines in top government roles.
• On Veterans Day, Lovell advocates for civilians to attend ceremonies and reach out to veterans in their community.

Notable Quotes

• Chris Lovell ([12:05]):
  "There's been a little anxiety, John, with some veterans not sure whether you get paid or not. ... I think there's a backlog now of about 10,000 at last count [in VA programs]."
• Chris Lovell ([13:40]):
  "The Marine Corps has never been stronger in terms of morale. There's just the sense of missions."
• Chris Lovell, on Veterans Day ([14:18]):
  "Even if you're not a veteran, I would encourage you to go to a Veterans Day ceremony. ... If you have friends and family that served, reach out to them, ask them about their time in service."
• Chris Lovell on Major James Capers ([14:49]):
  "He did some superhuman things that I think are well deserving of the Medal of Honor. ... I didn't know his backstory. All I knew is that guy had something, he was tough and I wanted to be like him."

Key Takeaways by Timestamp

• [02:36–06:50]: Senate deal to end shutdown divides Democrats; key Democratic voices call for new leadership, while House and Senate leaders try to hold the line against party fractures.
• [07:58–11:18]: Florida investigates JPMorgan over alleged cooperation with government probe into Trump. Judge Boasberg faces mounting GOP calls for impeachment tied to surveillance on Republican lawmakers.
• [11:34–15:26]: Veterans and active service members express mixed feelings; while anxieties over pay and services rose during the shutdown, new administration policies reportedly boost morale and support within the ranks.

Memorable Moments

• AOC, Newsom, and other prominent Democrats openly rebuking party strategy, illustrating the depth of ideological fracture.
• GOP lawmakers drawing parallels between judicial actions under "Arctic Frost" and the Watergate scandal.
• Major Lovell’s heartfelt story about the impact of iconic Marines like James Capers and his call for Americans to honor veterans by learning their stories.

The episode paints a vivid picture of a Democratic party at odds, a Republican coalition sensing momentum, and the ripple effects of Washington’s decisions on real Americans—especially those in uniform.