Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Tragedy Strikes Minneapolis & Whistleblowers Receive Settlement
Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe, John Bickley (Daily Wire)
Major Guests: Cabot Phillips, Amanda Prestagiacomo, Megan Basham, David Bonson

Overview

This episode covers three major topics:

1. A deadly school shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, focusing on immediate aftermath, background on the shooter, calls for gun reform, and responses from officials.
2. Settlements reached with FBI whistleblowers who were allegedly punished under the Biden administration, exploring details of the settlements, background on whistleblower issues, and broader political implications.
3. Cracker Barrel’s failed rebrand and subsequent PR crisis, examining internal pushback, the role of President Trump, and expert analysis on what really ails the company.

Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting

[02:42–07:09]

Key Facts & Timeline

• Incident: At 8:30am, a gunman dressed in black opened fire using multiple firearms–a semiautomatic rifle, shotgun, and handgun–through the windows of Annunciation Catholic School, as children gathered for Mass.
  • Two children (ages 8 and 10) killed in the pews.
  • 17 others injured (14 of them kids); 4 in critical condition.
  • The shooter was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted wound.

    "Officers described finding terrified children hiding all throughout the building." (Cabot Phillips, 03:42)

Eyewitness Account

• A fifth grader described a classmate shielding him during the shooting:

  "He was like laying on top of me, like making sure I was safe and he got hit. So that was really brave of him." (Anonymous Student via Megan Basham, 03:34)

Police & Political Response

• Police Chief Brian O'Hara:

  "This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible." (Brian O’Hara, 03:58)

• Mayor Jacob Frey made comments that were widely criticized, perceived as minimizing the “thoughts and prayers” response:

  "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying elsewhere." (Jacob Frey, 04:29)

• Immediate calls for gun control by Democratic lawmakers.

  "We cannot even make it through the first week of school without mass shootings...the GOP will continue to do absolutely nothing while our kids are being gunned down." (Quoting Gov. Gavin Newsom, 04:40)

• Flags ordered at half-mast by President Trump.

Shooter Background & Motive

• Identified as Robin Westman, 23, a transgender Minneapolis native (formerly Robert). His mother previously worked at the school.
• Uploaded disturbing YouTube videos the night before, showing weapons with:
  • Anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and anti-Trump slogans (“kill Donald Trump for the children,” “6 million wasn’t enough”).
  • Videos displayed church layouts and defaced religious imagery used as targets.
• The FBI is now investigating as a hate crime and act of domestic terrorism.

Advance Warnings & Missed Security

• After a previous Christian school shooting by a trans-identified shooter, Minnesota Catholic and independent schools requested additional security in a widely circulated letter.
  • Governor Tim Walz did not provide additional resources, despite an $18B budget surplus, but did sign legislation making Minnesota a “transgender refuge state.”
  • School official stated: “The tragedy from last week at Covenant School must never happen in Minnesota.” (Paraphrased from Cabot Phillips, 06:27)
• Emotional reflection by hosts on the gravity and horror for affected families.

FBI Whistleblower Settlements

[07:12–10:47]

The Settlements

• The Trump DOJ settled with 10 FBI whistleblowers who were allegedly punished during the Biden years for “sounding the alarm on political weaponization.”
• Terms included financial payouts, full back pay, benefits restoration, and in some cases, return to active duty. None required to resign.
• Over 12 years worth of punitive suspensions among them.

  "These individuals were unfairly punished with demotions. They had their security clearances yanked, and some were put on unpaid administrative leave." (Amanda Prestagiacomo, 07:29)

Reasons for Retaliation

• Example:
  • FBI Special Agent Stephen Friend was suspended indefinitely for objecting to use of SWAT teams on cooperative January 6 defendants.

    “[Friend] said it was not appropriate and completely unsafe to use a SWAT team to arrest a cooperative J6 defendant over a misdemeanor charge.” (Amanda Prestagiacomo, 08:14)

• Biden DOJ allegedly used the FACE Act to target pro-life protestors.
• President Trump’s administration has prioritized ending “political weaponization,” pardoned J6 defendants, narrowed FACE Act enforcement.

Importance of Whistleblowers

• Senator Chuck Grassley:

  "The whistleblowers are just patriotic people. You ought to listen to them. And if you listen to them, these corrections will be made and they won't have to come to me." (Chuck Grassley, 09:15)

Crime in D.C. – Public Opinion & Trump’s Approach

• Crime ranks highly among American concerns:
  • 81% see crime as a major urban problem
  • 53% approve of Trump’s “crackdown” measures, especially among white and Hispanic voters, less among black Americans.
• Trump federalized D.C. Metro Police, called in National Guard, and push for comprehensive crime legislation.

  "The results have been swift and honestly, pretty remarkable." (Amanda Prestagiacomo, 10:29)

Cracker Barrel PR Crisis & Rebrand Failure

[12:03–16:05]

Internal Pushback & Timeline

• In May 2024, new CEO Julie Masino launched a $700 million rebrand, led by a trendy agency.
• Sardar Biglari (major investor and turnaround expert) warned against the move, presenting a 120-page report calling it “obvious folly” and “catastrophic.”
• Biglari’s feedback dismissed as “activist investor” input. He reiterated his warning in November, citing risk to the beloved country-store brand identity.

  "[The] redesign did not address the fundamental problems at Cracker Barrel and actually risked harming the brand of old timey country store that so many customers loved." (Megan Basham, paraphrased, 13:10)

Why Was Cracker Barrel Struggling?

• Wall Street veteran David Bonson: Labor costs (not branding) are the real culprit.

  "Nobody even mentioned minimum wage laws as, as a part of what’s going on … labor costs have skyrocketed. They've had a drop in profits because again, costs have grown more than revenues have." (David Bonson, 14:32)

• Bonson argues for a focus on cost structure, not aesthetics.

Trump’s Influence & Brand Reversal

• After President Trump tweeted in favor of the old logo, company rapidly reversed rebranding, restoring both logo and decor.

  "You can't help but wonder if President Trump had maybe a little something to do with that, given that only hours after he tweeted … the company announced that it was doing exactly that.” (Megan Basham, 15:08)

• Bonson: The current CEO lacks the ability to communicate a new vision, PR firm needs to “take some risks” and perhaps make light of the situation.

  "They need a better messenger than this CEO to kind of communicate what they're trying to do. And honestly, a PR firm that's willing to take some risks to come out and almost make fun of the thing at this point." (David Bonson, 15:32)

Cultural Impact

• Corporate America is now fearful of “woke backlash,” as seen with Target, Bud Light, and now Cracker Barrel.

  “It’s put the fear of God into some corporate boardrooms … they want to avoid being the next cautionary tale.” (David Bonson, 15:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible."
  – Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara (03:58)

• "These corrections will be made and they won't have to come to me."
  – Senator Chuck Grassley on listening to whistleblowers (09:15)

• "They need a better messenger ... and honestly, a PR firm that's willing to take some risks to … almost make fun of the thing at this point."
  – David Bonson on Cracker Barrel's brand crisis (15:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Minneapolis School Shooting Breakdown: 02:42–07:09
• FBI Whistleblower Settlements: 07:12–10:47
• Cracker Barrel Rebranding Crisis: 12:03–16:05

Tone & Style

The episode remains anchored, fact-driven, and pointed, with analysis and direct quotes illuminating the news. The focus is on providing context, immediate facts, voices of those involved, and expert perspective—aimed at listeners seeking a conservative perspective on headline news.