Morning Wire: Trudeau’s Political Turbulence & RFK Rallies Support | December 18, 2024

Hosts: John Bickley and Georgia Howe
Published by: The Daily Wire
Release Date: December 18, 2024

1. Trudeau’s Political Turbulence

Economic Crisis and Resignations

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds his administration on shaky ground as Canada grapples with severe budget overspending. John Bickley opens the discussion highlighting the gravity of the situation:

[00:03] John Bickley: "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's regime teeters on the edge as Canada severely outspends its budget."

The economic strain led to the resignation of Christa Freeland, Canada’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Freeland cited the "catastrophic economic situation" as her reason for stepping down:

[00:09] Christa Freeland: "I and the Prime Minister have increasingly found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada."

Impact of U.S. Tariff Threats

Georgia Howe probes the influence of former President Donald Trump's tariff threats on Trudeau's predicament:

[00:18] Georgia Howe: "How are Trump's tariff threats playing into Trudeau's shaky situation?"

John Bickley elaborates on the mounting pressures from the U.S., where Trump has threatened a 25% tariff unless Canada addresses drug trafficking and illegal immigration:

[02:09] Victoria Coates (Heritage Foundation): "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has struggled to navigate this new normal, trying to seem tough at home, but assuring Trump that he's going to play ball."

Opposition’s Criticism and Rising Conservative Leader

The Conservative leader, Pierre Poliev, amplifies the criticism against Trudeau, drawing parallels to Donald Trump’s populist style and suggesting he could succeed Trudeau if a resignation occurs:

[03:19] Pierre Poliev: "Out of control inflation has followed out of control money printing... Justin Trudeau has lost control, and yet he clings to power."

Victoria Coates underscores the dire economic indicators, including a national budget deficit exceeding promises by 50%:

[04:27] Victoria Coates: "Canada's national budget deficit was more than 50% above what the Trudeau regime had promised it would be. 62 billion versus the supposed guardrail maximum of 40 billion."

Freeland critiques Trudeau’s focus on political gimmicks over addressing imminent economic threats:

[05:15] Christa Freeland: "Trudeau's policies personalize this. From what I've seen from a lot of Canadians online is they feel like he is very allied with a kind of global elitist class that consider themselves the betters of Canada and aren't paying attention to the issues that matter to Canadians."

Potential Leadership Change

Given the escalating crisis and political dissent, there is speculation that Canada may see a leadership change in the upcoming year:

[05:54] Victoria Coates: "So who knows, perhaps Canada will follow in our footsteps and inaugurate a new leader in the new year."

2. RFK Jr. Rallies Support for HHS Nomination

RFK Jr.’s Congressional Meetings

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is actively seeking support for his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Georgia Howe introduces the segment:

[06:49] Georgia Howe: "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is on Capitol Hill this week meeting with senators as he makes his case to be the head of the Department of Health and Human Services."

Stance on Abortion

RFK Jr.’s past and current views on abortion have been a focal point during his meetings. While he previously supported late-term abortions, he now emphasizes reducing the number:

[07:21] Pierre Poliev: "My belief is we should leave it to the woman." [07:27] Mary Margaret Olahan: "Now, that clip worried a lot of pro lifers and Republicans."

Despite initial concerns, senators like Mark Wayne Mullen express confidence in RFK Jr.’s alignment with pro-life policies:

[08:16] Tim Rice: "If he's willing to say that I have no problems with him becoming secretary of HHS, and I'll support him completely."

Position on Vaccines

Kennedy's cautious stance on vaccines has sparked debate. While he advocates for additional safety testing and informed consent, he clarified that he does not intend to eliminate essential vaccines like the polio vaccine:

[09:08] Mary Margaret Olahan: "He's also pushed back on the idea that he's anti vaccine, arguing in a recent news appearance that if vaccines are working for people, he's not trying to take them away."

Following media misinterpretations, Trump reaffirmed support for critical vaccines:

[09:04] Georgia Howe: "Trump clarified on Monday that the polio vaccine isn't going away."

Senatorial Support

Senators such as Josh Hawley have lauded Kennedy’s commitment to reinstating pro-life policies and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not used for abortions:

[09:04] Mary Margaret Olahan: "After meeting with Kennedy on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley said that not only did Kennedy promise to reinstate Trump's pro life policies..."

Public Reception and Responsibilities

While Kennedy enjoys popularity and a strong public following, his potential role as HHS head carries significant responsibilities, given that HHS is the largest federal department:

[08:33] Mary Margaret Olahan: "HHS is the largest department of the federal government, and with that comes a lot of responsibility."

3. Biden Administration’s DEI Hiring Spree

Proliferation of DEI Positions

As Donald Trump prepares to take office, the Biden administration is aggressively expanding its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workforce. An analysis by Tim Rice reveals:

[10:37] Tim Rice: "There are currently 1200 diversity related positions where a job ad was posted to USAjobs.gov..."

High Salaries and Strategic Roles

These DEI positions come with substantial salaries, some reaching up to $310,000 annually, and are intended for high-level roles that influence policy and cabinet decisions:

[12:00] Tim Rice: "Some of them are actually high level positions involving policy and reporting to cabinet secretaries."

Examples include:

• HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health: Up to $221,000 (12:00)
• Federal Deposit Insurance Commission’s Diversity Roles: Up to $310,000 (12:00)
• Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute’s Social Media Specialist: $113,000 (12:00)
• SEC’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion: Up to $251,000 (13:17)

Implications for the Incoming Administration

With Trump poised to dismantle DEI initiatives, these high-paying, potentially entrenched positions pose a significant challenge. Tim Rice discusses the difficulty in removing civil service employees:

[11:23] Tim Rice: "If the agencies don't cancel the job listings, they'll join the career civil service, where employees are notoriously difficult to fire."

He highlights the financial implications, with total annual costs potentially reaching $160 million:

[13:17] Tim Rice: "That's more than the median household income in America."

Public and Political Reactions

The proliferation of these roles has drawn criticism for prioritizing DEI over other government functions and investing heavily in positions that may not deliver substantial policy changes:

[13:49] Tim Rice: "There are also a shocking number of equal opportunity employment specialists whose job it is to field complaints about discrimination from other employees at their agency."

Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, John Bickley and Georgia Howe provide a comprehensive analysis of Canada's political and economic challenges under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, highlighting significant resignations and opposition pressures that may lead to a leadership change. Simultaneously, they delve into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to secure the HHS nomination amidst scrutiny over his positions on abortion and vaccines, noting substantial senatorial support despite controversies. Additionally, the hosts critique the Biden administration's extensive hiring for DEI roles, emphasizing the financial and political ramifications as the United States approaches a pivotal presidential transition.

Notable Quotes:

• "[00:03] John Bickley: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's regime teeters on the edge as Canada severely outspends its budget."
• "[03:19] Pierre Poliev: ... which is headed by a newly elected president with a strong and fresh mandate, a man who can spot weakness from a mile away."
• "[07:04] Mary Margaret Olahan: Kennedy is a former Democrat, and he's also described himself as not only pro choice, but also formerly supportive of late term abortions."
• "[09:04] Mary Margaret Olahan: ... Kennedy promised to reinstate Trump's pro life policies, he also promised to end taxpayer funding for abortions domestically..."

This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the December 18, 2024 episode of Morning Wire, capturing the essence of the discussions without including advertisements or non-content segments.