Shutdown Fuels “No Kings” & Legacy Media Revamps | 10.16.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Shutdown Fuels “No Kings” & Legacy Media Revamps | 10.16.26
Air Date: October 17, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

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Overview

This episode dives into three key stories shaping America’s political and media landscape:

1. The ongoing government shutdown and the related “No Kings” protests in D.C.
2. Dramatic shake-ups at major legacy media networks (NBC & CBS), notably concerning DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programming.
3. The exclusion of conservative journalists from a major “nonpartisan” media conference, exposing shifting attitudes within the industry.

The tone is urgent, skeptical of legacy media's motives, and openly supportive of alternatives like The Daily Wire.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Government Shutdown and “No Kings” Rally

• Status and Stalemate

  • The federal government is in the 16th day of a shutdown, matching the 2013 Obamacare-related closure and nearing the 2018 shutdown’s 35-day record (02:57).
  • Both parties remain entrenched:
    • Democrats demand Republican concessions on healthcare, notably extending Affordable Care Act tax credits.
    • Republicans insist the government must reopen before negotiations (03:29).

• Role of Leadership and Public Opinion

  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer leads Democrats, but there are indications of growing pressure from rank-and-file members for a deal (04:02).
  • Republicans are winning the messaging war by emphasizing efforts to ensure that essential workers, like soldiers, are paid despite the shutdown (04:28).

• Notable Quote

  • President Donald Trump (on blaming Democrats):

    “This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown and he’s trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he’s a loser. I’ve known him all his life. He’s always been sort of a loser, but an intelligent one. But I think he’s losing IQ points with time.”
    ([04:52] President Trump)

• “No Kings” Rally

  • Scheduled for the weekend with Schumer and other Democratic leaders set to attend (05:32).
  • Internal documents show the rally is being used to amplify shutdown messaging and feature speakers affected by layoffs due to the government closure.

• International Tensions

  • In parallel, Ukrainian President Zelensky is meeting Trump at the White House. Trump also recently called Russian President Putin. Potential movement on the Ukraine-Russia War is anticipated (06:00).

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2. Legacy Media Shakeups: NBC, CBS & The DEI Backlash

• NBC Layoffs and DEI Restructuring

  • NBC to cut 7% of its news staff (~150 out of 2000 journalists), heavily impacting DEI-specific roles (07:28).
  • DEI teams covering Black, Asian American, Latino, and LGBTQ+ issues are “hit the hardest.” These topics will now be “farmed out” to the general newsroom (08:45).

• Interpreting the Cuts

  • Megan Basham suggests that DEI initiatives are being cut due to changing public opinion and financial pressures (08:50).
  • Trend observed across media—CNN and Los Angeles Times previously cut similar verticals focused on race and ethnicity (10:03).
  • Possible influence from Trump administration policies against DEI, suggesting a broader cultural and strategic shift (10:03).

• Notable Quote

  • Megan Basham on DEI layoffs:

    “…In lean times, trendy products are the first to go. And that’s especially true if public opinion has shifted on those trends. And I think we can say that we have seen quite a shift in the last couple of years on that question of DEI.”
    ([08:50] Megan Basham)

• CBS Revamp

  • CBS recruits Bari Weiss, known for her independent views, to shake up its newsroom. This is seen as a move to broaden perspective and separate from its cable networks’ overt political leanings (10:03).

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3. Conservative Journalists Removed from Media Conference

• Media Fest Exclusions

  • Daily Wire's Mary Margaret Olahan and The Daily Signal’s Virginia Allen were uninvited from a “nonpartisan” event, Media Fest.
  • Ostensible reason: their reporting and faith-based views, which were labeled “anti-LGBT” by organizers (12:15).

• Firsthand Accounts

  • Mary Margaret Olahan

    • Was to speak on a faith panel about abortion, marriage, gender, and family.

    • Accuses organizers of suppressing conservative/journalistic diversity in favor of preferred ideologies (12:48).

    • Notable quote:

      “…A lot of the reporters who are giving us our news right now are not currently people of faith, and they’re very religiously illiterate. So we could have been offering a really interesting perspective here, and unfortunately, we won’t be.”
      ([12:48] Mary Margaret Olahan)

    • Highlights double standard: left-leaning figures like Nikole Hannah-Jones (1619 Project) were welcomed (13:57).

  • Virginia Allen

    • Says she was excluded for reporting on unaccounted-for migrant children found during Trump’s administration (14:13).
    • Feels the issue was their open pro-life, pro-traditional marriage stance and willingness to report positive Trump news.
    • Notable quote:

      “I think at the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that they didn't like individuals speaking at their conference who are openly pro life, who openly believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and who quite frankly are bold enough to sometimes report some of the good things that the Trump administration is doing for our country.”
      ([14:27] Virginia Allen)

• Changing Media Environment

  • Allen notes increased openness from the current Trump administration compared to “radio silence” under Biden, enabling more direct access for conservative outlets (15:32).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Shutdown Messaging:

  • “No one ever really comes off great in a government shutdown fight, but Republicans have really managed to stay on top of this one.”
    — Tim Rice, [04:28]

• On Legacy Media Cuts:

  • “Prior to these layoffs, NBC had teams specifically dedicated to those DEI categories… those are still going to exist. But pretty much all of the dedicated staff… they’re gone.”
    — Megan Basham, [08:45]

• On Media Fest Exclusion:

  • “At the end of the day, that seems pretty biased to me to get rid of a different perspective.”
    — Mary Margaret Olahan, [13:24]

• On New Openness in the Media:

  • “Now all of a sudden, we have an administration that’s willing to engage and speak to all media… a tone change that started in D.C. and now has rippled out across the rest of the country.”
    — Virginia Allen, [15:32]

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Key Timestamps

• 02:57 — Shutdown’s current status and context
• 03:29 — Entrenched party positions and prospects for ending the shutdown
• 04:52 — President Trump blames Democrats
• 05:32 — “No Kings” rally strategy and Democratic involvement
• 06:00 — Zelensky and Trump/Putin diplomatic developments
• 07:28 — NBC layoffs and the focus on DEI roles
• 08:50 — Analysis of why DEI is being cut
• 10:03 — Broader industry trend, CBS’ new approach
• 12:48 — Mary Margaret Olahan on her Media Fest exclusion
• 14:13 — Virginia Allen details the organizers’ rationale
• 15:32 — Allen on the Trump-era shift for conservative media access

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Conclusion

This episode is a brisk, punchy look at the volatile intersection of politics, protest, and media. The hosts position themselves and The Daily Wire as both correctives to and victims of legacy media’s perceived bias, showing how deep political currents—from shutdown standoffs in D.C. to the fate of DEI in newsrooms—are reshaping the American discourse and who gets a microphone.

For those seeking a rundown of this week’s drama—on Capitol Hill, in newsrooms, and at media conferences—this episode is a snapshot of the shifting ground beneath both politics and journalism.

Transcript

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[John Bickley]

DC Braces for the anti Trump no Kings protests as Democrats refuse to budge on the shutdown. It's simply a function of five Democrats.

[Georgia Howe]

Joining the three Democrats who are already voting to open up the government, and I think that's the quickest way to end this. The protests come as President Trump talks with Putin and Zelensky working to end the war in Ukraine.

[President Donald Trump]

This could have led to World War three. That won't happen, but it could have.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, October 17th. This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

Two legacy media outlets face dramatic overhauls as NBC plans to slash its DEI programs and CBS rebuilds from the inside out.

[John Bickley]

And the largest media convention in the country uninvites two prominent conservative journalists, including one from the Daily Wire.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

This narrative was counter to the ideology that these organizers are pushing. We were subsequently removed from the event.

[Georgia Howe]

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

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[John Bickley]

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[Georgia Howe]

It's been another crazy week in Washington, and the madness shows no signs of stopping.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire D.C. bureau Chief Tim Rice is here with an update from our nation's capital atm. So loaded question here. What's going on there?

[Tim Rice]

What isn't going on, John? Today is day 16 of the government shutdown, which means that we've now tied the 2013 shutdown over Obamacare and are quickly approaching the 2018 shutdown over the southern border wall, which at 35 days was the longest government shutdown of all time. And with lawmakers flying home later today, the shutdown is guaranteed to last at least until early next week. This has been a pretty intractable fight from the beginning. And as our congressional correspondent Amber Jo Cooper reports from Capitol Hill today, neither side want wants to move first.

[Amber Jo Cooper]

All week we've seen both parties just really standing firm. Democrats are doubling down on demanding negotiations with Republicans over health care. And Republicans are saying that they want the government open first and then they'll talk. Chuck Schumer is remaining firm that they want to negotiate when it comes to health care, specifically extending the Affordable Care act tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.

[Tim Rice]

Now, Amber, Joe told me that the conventional wisdom here in D.C. is that the shutdown will drag on until President Trump does something to stop it, but or if rank and file Democrats revolt against their leadership.

[Amber Jo Cooper]

We're hearing rumors of possible off ramp discussions swirl around the Hill and a source familiar with the ongoing talks told me that discussions are ongoing and rank and file Democrats are clearly looking for an off ramp. The source said the clearest path to reopening the government is through rank and file Democrats, not Democratic leadership.

[John Bickley]

So let's talk about that issue leadership for a second. Schumer has been really holding the line here, but is it possible that he's losing the war of public opinion?

[Tim Rice]

It's certainly starting to seem that way. Look, no one ever really comes off great in a government shutdown fight, but Republicans have really managed to stay on top of this one. They've stuck to their messaging. They're making it clear that they're going to find ways for soldiers and other essential workers to get paid, even though funding has technically dried up. And they're certainly not afraid to pin the blame on Democrats and pin it hard. Here's President Trump speaking in the Oval Office earlier this week.

[President Donald Trump]

This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown and he's trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he's a loser. I've known him all his life. He's always been sort of a loser, but an intelligent one. But I think he's losing IQ points with time.

[Tim Rice]

It also doesn't help that Democrats seem excited about keeping things closed. Schumer caught a lot of flak last week for saying that the shutdown gets better every day. And people are starting to notice that Democrats are programming events in a way that seems to suggest they know the shutdown isn't ending anytime soon. Wednesday night's town hall with AOC and Bernie Sanders was scheduled days in advance. And then, of course, there's this weekend's no Kings rally, which Democrats are now using to push their shutdown messaging.

[Amber Jo Cooper]

All week we've heard Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, say that they didn't expect the government to reopen until after the no Kings rally. It may sound like a conspiracy theory, but we obtained the protest's internal documents which listed the shutdown as a talking point, and it encouraged hosts to lock in speakers who were laid off due to the shutdown. Now we're also learning Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is planning to attend the rally. We'll have eyes on the protest this weekend and keep you updated on social media.

[Tim Rice]

And that's really just what's happening on the hill. Elsewhere in D.C. we've got Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky coming to meet with Trump at the White House today to discuss the war. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday for the first time since August. So we may see some movement on the Ukraine Russia war just days after we saw a temporary resolution to the war in Gaza.

[John Bickley]

Well, it sounds like you guys are going to be busy for the foreseeable future. Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Tim Rice]

You bet.

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[John Bickley]

Across the broadcast media landscape, NBC announced it's laying off 7% of its news staff. According to reports, diversity, equity and inclusion roles are especially on the chopping block.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now with the details. So, Megan, before we get into who's being laid off at NBC, let's start with why they're making these cuts and how deep they go. So what's the story there?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, so what we're seeing is that NBC is planning to lay off about 7% of its workforce, so about 150 journalists out of 2,000. And the reason that they're doing this is because they're going to be spinning off their cable networks, places like cnbc, msnbc, into their own entity called Versant. So NBC management says that these cuts simply reflect redundancy of the staff that was shared between msnbc, CNBC and NBC. But of course, we know that the RAP dug a little deeper and said there's maybe more going on here. So what they found was that the DEI positions are especially being targeted. And what they're reporting is that these terminations are hitting those dedicated teams, quote, covering issues affecting black, Asian American, Latino and LGBTQ plus groups the hardest.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, are there any theories as to why the DEI divisions are being so disproportionately affected?

[Megan Basham]

Well, you know, I mean, I have my theories, and one is that in lean times, trendy products are the first to go. And that's especially true if public opinion has shifted on those trends. And I think we can say that we have seen quite a shift in the last couple of years on that question of dei. Prior to these layoffs, NBC had teams specifically dedicated to those DEI categories and they specialized with these websites called verticals. So these vertical websites were devoted to things like black audiences, Latino audiences, Hispanic audiences, and LGBTQ audiences. So each one had its own specialized website and those are still going to exist. But pretty much all of the dedicated staff that were working on these dedicated vertical websites, they're gone. There's just two remaining editors who are going to be overseeing that. And NBC says that while the coverage will continue, it's going to be, you know, farmed out across the the editorial and reporting staff in NBC. So just now, is it too much.

[Georgia Howe]

To read into this to think that maybe this is an attempt to steer NBC back to the center? We've seen some other networks that have tried to do that.

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, I think that's a very fair question to ask, particularly as we're seeing some really interesting moves across broadcasting generally. Certainly CBS bringing in the free presses, Barry Weiss to head up its news coverage. And you know, on dei, specifically, Georgia, it's, it's been a bloodbath out there in the broadcasting business. So just to give you a few examples, during a major round of layoffs at the Los Angeles Times In January 2024, the paper cut the team for Delos. And that was a vertical launched in 2023 specifically to cover the Latino community. And a reporter that was hired especially to cover Asian Americans, that person was also cut. We turned to CNN in July 2024. It dismantled its race and equality team as part of its restructuring strategy. Just like with NBC, CNN team would be integrated into the larger newsroom. And I think it's clear that a lot of this stems from the leadership and the tone that is being set by the Trump administration because of course, we know that we have seen a lot of executive orders targeting any DEI programs all throughout the federal government. So I think at this point, while NBC says that it's restructuring is because they want to make this strategic shift to focus on streaming, it does give them a moment to maybe put some separation between them and their cable networks that are known for being a little more, let's say, overtly left. So just the latest example of that. MSNBC is currently under fire for not going live to coverage of President Trump posthumously awarding the Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk and noteworthy there that they were the only cable network that made that choice.

[Georgia Howe]

Yeah, well, I think it's going to be very hard to shake that reputation. But, you know, good luck to them. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

My pleasure.

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[Georgia Howe]

Journalism Review published a report revealing that a supposedly nonpartisan conference media fest that's taking place this week pulled both Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olahan and the Daily Signals, Virginia Allen from the event. The reason a student advisor said that those two women supposedly espouse anti LGBT views.

[John Bickley]

Joining us first to discuss what exactly went down is Mary Margaret. So you were abruptly uninvited to this media fest event. We're just now learning the real reason why. First, what were you there to participate in?

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Hey, John. So, yes, I had been asked to be on a faith panel at this event. So as a Catholic, as a reporter, someone who has covered the culture issues, I would have been talking about these issues that I've covered so closely. Abortion, marriage, gender, family, all these different life issues. Let's face it, John, a lot of the reporters who are giving us our news right now are not currently people of faith, and they're very religiously illiterate. So we could have been offering a really interesting perspective here, and unfortunately, we won't be right.

[John Bickley]

Instead, you were disinvited. Did the organizers give you a journalistic rationale for pulling you out of the event?

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Well, at first, they said that they had objections to our reporting, and they tried to say we had accuracy issues. The story that they were really upset about that I wrote was an exclusive from Congressman Brandon Gill, and we wrote about legislation that he was trying to pass that would say that you could not flush aborted baby body parts into our water systems. What we now know is that they appear to have a problem with the fact that we're conservative journalists, so we would not be pushing the ideology that they would prefer we would be pushing. And at the end of the day, that seems pretty biased to me to get rid of a different perspective.

[John Bickley]

Well, as the Daily Wire noted in an editorial, while you two were excluded, the organizers had no problem inviting Nicole Hannah Jones, the author of the 1619 Project. So the double standard, pretty impossible to miss there. But thanks, Mary Margaret.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Thanks for having me, John.

[John Bickley]

Joining us now is Virginia Allen. Now, as I understand it, you were told that you were being removed due to a report that you wrote on the 13,000 missing migrant children that the Trump administration had found. What exactly was the organizer's complaint there?

[Virginia Allen]

Well, you know, I wish I knew. I think they took issue with the fact that I had cited individuals in the Trump administration who have been very critical of the Biden administration for literally losing thousands of kids. And I assume that they wanted me to also include someone from the Biden administration claiming, no, we didn't, in fact, lose hundreds of thousands of children. But by their own admission, by the own documents that came out from the Biden administration. They did in fact lose the location of unaccompanied alien children. I think at the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that they didn't like individuals speaking at their conference who are openly pro life, who openly believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and who quite frankly are bold enough to sometimes report some of the good things that the Trump administration is doing for our country.

[John Bickley]

The Trump administration is obviously taking a very proactive, pretty aggressive approach to really shifting the landscape in terms of the new media. Are you seeing there in D.C. the effects of those shifts? Are there some positive signs for conservative journalists?

[Virginia Allen]

Oh, absolutely. Under the Biden administration, you know, we were, we were asking questions, we were sending those emails to the White House asking for comment and it was, you know, nine times out of 10, radio silence. And now all of a sudden we have an administration that's willing to engage and speak to all media, regardless of how big or small, leftist or conservative. And I think it's a tone change that started in Washington D.C. and now has rippled out across the rest of the country as more and more Americans are waking up to great news outlets like the Daily Wire, like the Daily Signal, who report fair and balanced, but are also very open about, hey, we are conservatives and we're going to bring you the straight and we're not going to put any leftist spin on it.

[John Bickley]

Well, we've certainly been excited here to see this shift. Meanwhile, we'll see if conferences like Media Fest are relevant at all in the future if they continue to go down this path. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Virginia Allen]

Absolutely. Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, please like and subscribe. We'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.

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