Trump Sentence Delayed & Senate Leader Showdown | 11.13.24

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary Episode: Trump Sentence Delayed & Senate Leader Showdown | 11.13.24

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1. Trump’s New York Hush Money Trial Delayed

Timestamp: 00:03 – 05:26

The episode opens with host John Bickley discussing the recent developments in former President Donald Trump's New York hush money trial. Judge Juan Mershon has postponed a decision to dismiss the case, which was initially brought forward to hinder Trump's potential election bid. John Bickley remarks, "It was really only brought in the first place to try to prevent him from being elected. And since it didn't succeed, I think it should land on the dustbin of history" (00:03-00:15).

Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo provides an in-depth analysis of the delay:

• Legal Arguments for Dismissal: Trump's legal team argues that continued prosecution is unconstitutional as it interferes with his presidential duties. They reference a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, which was favorable to Trump’s position. Harmeet Dhillon, founder of the Dhillon Law Group, supports this stance, stating, "He should dismiss this case. Should have dismissed it before he knows it's an exercise in futility" (03:04-04:16).

• Impact on Related Cases: The delay impacts other ongoing cases against Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith has requested a delay in the 2020 election interference case, likely leading to its dismissal post-Trump’s 2024 victory. Additionally, a federal case regarding classified documents is on appeal after a Florida judge dismissed it, and the state election case in Georgia awaits further decisions amid allegations of misconduct by DA Fani Willis.

John Bickley summarizes, "That's a lots to watch, but certainly massive setbacks for these cases at the very least" (05:16).

2. FEMA Supervisor Fired for Skipping Homes with Trump Signs

Timestamp: 06:06 – 10:30

The podcast transitions to a controversial incident involving FEMA supervisor Marnie Washington, who was dismissed after directing her team to avoid homes displaying Trump signs during Hurricane Milton in Florida.

Key Insights:

• Marnie Washington’s Actions: Washington claims she was following FEMA directives to "avoidance first and then de-escalation," a protocol she states is widespread within the agency. She explains, "This is A colossal event of avoidance, not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas" (07:47-08:07).

• FEMA’s Response: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell condemned Washington’s actions, stating they violate FEMA’s core values by discriminating based on political affiliation. However, Washington disputes this, asserting that such practices have been standard at FEMA for years and accuses the agency of scapegoating her.

• Internal Conflicts: An unnamed former FEMA official corroborates Washington’s claims, indicating that avoiding Trump-supporting homes is an "open secret" within the agency. Washington emphasizes, "FEMA is very well aware of the incidents that take place" and accuses the organization of fearing retribution by aligning with Trump (08:43-09:48).

Amanda Presta Giacomo highlights the broader implications, mentioning upcoming congressional hearings and investigations that will further explore these allegations.

3. Republican Senate Leadership Race

Timestamp: 10:30 – 14:10

The episode shifts focus to the high-stakes battle for the Senate Majority Leader position following Mitch McConnell’s tenure. With McConnell stepping down, three candidates—Senators Rick Scott (FL), John Cornyn (TX), and John Thune (SD)—are vying for the leadership role.

Highlights:

• Candidate Profiles:

  • Rick Scott: Seen as an outsider and renegade within the Republican Party, Scott gained momentum with endorsements from influential Trump allies like Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. Georgia Howe notes, "Scott's outsider status seems like it's helping him a lot more this time around" (11:53-12:36).

  • John Cornyn: A seasoned politician with four Senate terms, Cornyn holds endorsements from figures like Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.

  • John Thune: Also in his fourth term and former Senate Minority Whip, Thune is considered a top choice among Democrats and has raised substantial campaign funds, including $31 million for Republican candidates this cycle.

• Trump’s Influence: While Trump hasn't officially endorsed a candidate, his preferences are evident. "He hasn't endorsed anyone outright, but he's not staying out of the race entirely," Georgia Howe explains, adding that all candidates support measures like recess appointments to expedite Trump's nominees (13:15-14:00).

• Current Standings: Rick Scott’s early endorsements and outsider image are positioning him as a strong contender, but Thune and Cornyn remain formidable opponents due to their experience and established support within the Senate.

John Bickley concludes this segment by acknowledging the tight race and the significant influence Trump holds over the outcome.

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Conclusion

The episode of Morning Wire on November 13, 2024, delves into significant political and social issues:

• The postponement of Trump’s hush money trial and its broader implications on ongoing legal battles.
• The contentious firing of FEMA supervisor Marnie Washington and the ensuing debate over political bias within federal agencies.
• The intense race for the Republican Senate Majority Leader position, highlighting the candidates’ profiles and Trump’s pivotal role in shaping the outcome.

With expert analysis and firsthand reports, Morning Wire provides listeners with a comprehensive overview of these critical developments shaping the current political landscape.

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Note: Advertisements and promotional content were excluded from this summary to maintain focus on the episode’s primary discussions.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

The judge in Donald Trump's New York hush money trial has delayed a decision on tossing out the case. It was really only brought in the first place to try to prevent him from being elected. And since it didn't succeed, I think.

[Georgia Howe]

It should land on the dustbin of history.

[Megan Basham]

Is the lawfare effort against Trump running out of steam?

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Weyer Editor in Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, November 13th, and this is Morning Wire. The now fired FEMA worker who told employees to avoid homes displaying Trump signs is speaking out.

[Marnie Washington]

FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de escalation. So this is not isolated.

[Megan Basham]

And now that Republicans have secured the Senate, they vote today on which lawmaker takes the lead in that crucial chamber.

[John Bickley]

This is a secret ballot.

[Tim Ricey]

It should be an open ballot.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

I think that everybody in America should.

[John Bickley]

Know who is voting for whom. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

[Tim Ricey]

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[Megan Basham]

The New York hush money case was further delayed this week by Judge Juan Merchant.

[John Bickley]

Here to discuss the latest developments in the Trump lawfare saga is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo. Hey Amanda. So first, tell us about this delay ordered by Judge Mershon and what it means for the case.

[Harmeet Dhillon]

So Mershon was expected to decide yesterday on how a July Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, which was favorable for Trump, affected this hush money conviction. Trump's team wanted the conviction tossed on those grounds. Instead, Mershon froze the case until at least November 19th. He made that decision to give prosecution more time to respond to Trump's more recent request that the case be outright dismissed since he won the 2024 election. In an email sent to the judge, a Trump attorney said that a dismissal is necessary to avoid unconstitutional impediments to President Trump's ability to govern. That language is notable since it's the same reason those two federal cases against Trump are being dropped by the doj. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office agreed to the delay and actually initiated the request for one, citing unprecedented circumstances again related to Trump's 2024 victory. Meanwhile, sentencing is still set for November 26, but that date is now in serious doubt in light of these recent developments.

[John Bickley]

Okay, so not entirely surprising, but still potentially significant delays here. What are the arguments for this case to be dismissed entirely?

[Harmeet Dhillon]

Well, Trump's team seems to be claiming that any continued prosecution is unconstitutional because it's going to get in the way of Trump's duties as president. As I mentioned earlier, it's why the federal cases are being dropped. They also cited the Supreme Court ruling on immunity for the case to be outright dismissed. That view has been shared by other legal scholars, too. Collees Dimpson from the Heritage foundation said last week that a, quote, normal judge would have dismissed the case based on that immunity ruling, seeming to reference Mershon's hostility toward Trump. Morningwire also spoke to Harmeet Dhillon, founder of the Dhillon Law Group, about a potential dismissal, and here's what she told us. He should dismiss this case. Should have dismissed it before he knows it's an exercise in futility. At this point, Trump's not serving any time in prison. If he wants to do the right thing and help unite the country, like everyone should be doing at this point, we should put an end to prosecuting people for their political beliefs and for their political leadership. Our side shouldn't do it. The other side shouldn't do it. Maybe he'll do the right thing.

[John Bickley]

There are still other pending cases against Trump. What are the latest developments there?

[Harmeet Dhillon]

So the federal cases are not going to move forward. Special counsel Jack Smith, days after Trump's win, asked for a delay in the 2020 election interference case until Dec. 2. That's so the DOJ can figure out its next move, likely winding down those charges. He's expected to leave his position before Trump takes office. Trump famously said that he would fire Smith in, quote, two seconds if he's still there when he gets to the White House. The DOJ, though, is still moving full speed ahead in prosecuting J6 defendants. The Department made that clear last week and said that Trump's win will not be affecting that. Yeah, the federal case related to classified documents is currently on appeal by the DOJ after a Florida judge dismissed it. Then there's the state election case in Georgia. We're still waiting to find out if DA Fani Willis and her office will be allowed to prosecute Trump because of her apparent misconduct related to hiring her boyfriend Nathan Wade to be on that case.

[John Bickley]

That's a lots to watch, but certainly massive setbacks for these cases at the very least. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Harmeet Dhillon]

You're welcome.

[Tim Ricey]

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[John Bickley]

A FEMA supervisor who was fired after she ordered workers to skip houses with Trump signs is breaking her silence and she's accusing the agency of scapegoating her. Marnie Washington said Monday that this kind of avoidance is widespread within the agency.

[Megan Basham]

Here with the latest details is Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham. So Megan, the Daily Wire, which produces this podcast, broke the initial story that in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Florida, FEMA supervisor Marnie Washington directed her team to skip over homes that had indicators of Trump support in the yard. Now Marnie is speaking, speaking out. What is she saying?

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

Well, she's saying that she was following FEMA directives that have also been implemented in other states. So she said in this interview that it's standard protocol in the agency to skip over some homes where workers believe they could experience unwelcome behavior or political hostility. And that was something that she called avoidance. And she suggested that Trump supporting homes are seen as potentially hostile and that's why she gave the order. And this is key. She said that she had the approval of her superiors at FEMA to do this. So for its part, FEMA has completely disavowed Washington's actions. In a statement on Saturday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called Washington's behavior reprehensible and said that it was a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. But Washington told podcaster Roland Martin that this was actually standard practice and probably occurred after her Hurricane Helene in the Carolinas as well.

[Marnie Washington]

This is not isolated. This is A colossal event of avoidance, not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas. Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know. But if you ask the DSA crew, leads and specialists what they are experiencing in the field, they will tell you.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

And then to go along with that. An unnamed former FEMA official told the New York Post that skipping the homes of Trump supporters has been an open secret within the agency for years. But FEMA is completely denying that, basically saying that this was a rogue employee's decision, which she now forcefully disputes. So the organization is not supplying any hard evidence that Trump supporters were more dangerous than anyone else. But Washington herself did seem to draw a correlation between Trump signs and hostile behavior, though she didn't really go into detail.

[Marnie Washington]

Once we start seeing a trend, for example, if they just so happen to have these Trump campaign signs in front of their home, and that's the characteristic that's coming along with that, we have to proceed with precaution.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

Washington claims that she's not a partisan, and she also claimed that if Trump supporters had come out asking for help, her workers knew to offer it.

[Marnie Washington]

If any of those residents come outside, they have the Trump campaign signage and they say, hey, I want to register. Well, welcome to arms. We will let you register. Great. Wonderful. But we will not subject our people to continuous verbal abuse or hostile encounters.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

But I think it's important to note that she said FEMA decides to avoid certain homes due to community trends.

[Megan Basham]

So it's fair to say that Washington is accusing FEMA of throwing her under the bus here?

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

Yeah, absolutely. That's what she's saying. The Daily Wire did reach out for comment before publishing that initial report, and Washington provided no comment. But now, after FEMA's response, she's coming forward. Clearly, she feels that they're scapegoating her.

[Marnie Washington]

FEMA is very well aware of the incidents that take place, not just with my crew, but with all of the crews in the state that's declared. And instead of just saying, hey, this is how we're going to mitigate it to protect our people, they decided to fire me and make sure Donald Trump knows that they are loyal to him because they fear retribution.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

So we'll be learning a lot more about what's been going on in the agency, I'm sure, in the weeks to come with these congressional hearings and several investigations already launched.

[Megan Basham]

Well, we will continue to report on what's uncovered. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presta Giacomo]

Anytime.

[Megan Basham]

Election Day may be behind us, but there's still one More race that has Washington in a frenzy.

[John Bickley]

Here with the latest on the fight for Senate Majority leader is Daily Wire Deputy Managing editor Tim Ricey. Tim, so what can you tell us about this leadership battle?

[Georgia Howe]

Yeah, John, Today's the day we learn which senator will replace Mitch McConnell, the longest serving Senate leader in history, who's helmed the Republican conference since 2007. Utah Senator Mike Lee hosted a candidate forum for the three candidates yesterday, and Senate Republicans will elect a new leader in a closed door vote later today. There are three candidates vying to replace McConnell. Florida Senator Rick Scott, Texas Senator John Cornyn, and South Dakota Senator John Thune. Scott, who was just reelected to a second Senate term, only declared his leadership bid in May, months after the two Johns threw their hats in the ring. That headstart was one reason Scott was initially seen as an underdog, the other being his relative lack of experience. Thune, who's currently on his fourth Senate term, has been Senate minority whip, McConnell's number two, since 2021. Cornyn, also in his fourth term, preceded Thune as whip. But Scott gained an advantage in recent days thanks to endorsements from a number of crucial Trump allies, including Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. Inside the Capitol, Scott has racked up endorsements from Senators Margot Rubio and Mike Lee and Florida Congressman Byron Donald.

[John Bickley]

So some momentum building for Scott in recent days. What could be behind that?

[Georgia Howe]

Well, Scott's an outsider. Unlike Cornyn and Thune, he's seen as a bit of a renegade within the Republican Party. He ran an unsuccessful insurgent campaign to unseat McConnell as minority leader in 2022, saying at the time that the status quo is broken and big change is needed. Scott pledged to advance a bold conservative agenda and listen to Republican voters, a not so subtle dig at the so called establishment leadership that McConnell represents. Scott has made similar promises this time around, saying the presidential election gave Republicans a mandate and vowing to change the way the Senate is run to get Trump's agenda done.

[John Bickley]

All right, so Scott's outsider status seems like it's helping him a lot more this time around. But it's still anyone's game, correct?

[Georgia Howe]

Yeah, that's right. Thune, who Musk, called the top choice of Democrats, raised around $31 million for candidates this cycle while crisscrossing the country attending over 200 campaign events. He's also got the endorsements of Senators Mark Wayne Mullen and Steve Daines, both of whom have Trump's ear. Cornyn raised $33 million for Republicans this cycle and has the endorsement of Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. So the Johns may not have the benefit of Scott's outsider status, but let's remember, being in leadership has its advantages too.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, for sure. Now you've mentioned Trump a few times here. Obviously the next Senate Majority leader is going to work very closely with him and so Trump is looming large in this race. Has he signaled his support for a candidate?

[Georgia Howe]

He hasn't endorsed anyone outright, but he's not staying out of the race entirely. On Sunday, Trump said that he expects whoever replaces McConnell to greenlight recess appointments, a move that would allow Trump to quickly fill the ranks of his administration with his top choices without lengthy confirmation processes, something that dogged his previous administration. All three majority leader candidates quickly agreed with Trump taking to social media to say that if chosen for the top spot, they will do whatever it takes to help Trump get his nominees through as quickly as possible.

[John Bickley]

Well, it seems like a tight race, but we'll find out soon enough who Senate Republicans choose. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for having me.

[Megan Basham]

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.

[Tim Ricey]

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