Trump’s Press Conference & Wisconsin’s School Shooting | 12.17.24

Summary

Morning Wire: Trump’s Press Conference & Wisconsin’s School Shooting | December 17, 2024

Hosted by Georgia Howe and John Bickley, Daily Wire’s Morning Wire provides comprehensive coverage of the latest developments in politics, culture, education, sports, and more. In this episode, the focus is on former President Donald Trump’s first post-election press conference and a tragic school shooting in Wisconsin.

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1. Donald Trump’s First Post-Election Press Conference

a. Economic Initiatives and SoftBank Investment

In his inaugural press conference after the 2024 election, Donald Trump outlined ambitious economic plans aimed at revitalizing the American economy. A significant highlight was the announcement of a major investment from Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank.

• John Bickley ([02:00]): “Trump announced that SoftBank would invest $100 billion in America over the next four years, creating at least 100,000 American jobs.”

• Donald Trump ([02:19]): “We’re going to go full prosperity and build the greatest economy the world has ever seen.”

This investment aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to attract international businesses to the United States, fostering job creation and economic growth even before his official inauguration.

b. Border Wall Material Sale Controversy

A contentious issue addressed by Trump was the Biden administration’s decision to sell off construction materials intended for the border wall at significantly reduced prices.

• Donald Trump ([07:32]): “They’re trying to sell it for 5 cents on the dollar. That has nothing to do with a smooth transition. That has to do with people really trying to stop our nation.”

Trump criticized the administration’s actions as an attempt to undermine his border security initiatives, suggesting that the sale of these materials would lead to substantial future costs for rebuilding the wall.

• Tim Pierce ([08:16]): “GOP lawmakers want to look into it. Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter demanding full accountability and transparency from the Department of Defense about the disposal of excess border wall materials.”

Despite efforts to halt the sale, the Department of Defense stated that the materials were sold as government surplus under the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, making it challenging to reverse the transactions.

c. Legal Actions Against Media Outlets

Trump also addressed ongoing legal battles with major media organizations, highlighting a recent settlement with ABC and indicating plans to pursue further actions against other outlets perceived as defamatory or interfering in elections.

• Donald Trump ([05:57]): “We have to straighten out the press. Our press is very corrupt.”

This stance underscores Trump’s commitment to challenging what he views as biased or misleading reporting from established media entities, positioning himself as a defender against media corruption.

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2. Wisconsin School Shooting Incident

A heartbreaking incident unfolded at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old female student opened fire during a late-night study hall.

a. Incident Details and Immediate Response

• Zach Jewell ([10:22]): “At least two people were killed and seven others were wounded after a 15-year-old female opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School.”

The shooter was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound upon police arrival. Rapid response by medics, who were nearby due to a training exercise, was credited with saving lives.

• Chief Sean Barnes ([11:05]): “A teacher and a teenage student were pronounced dead at the scene. Six other students and a teacher were injured.”

b. School Profile and Security Measures

Abundant Life Christian School serves approximately 390 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, emphasizing academic excellence within a Christ-centered environment.

• Zach Jewell ([11:42]): “The school does not allow staff members to carry guns on the property.”

Details about existing security measures during the incident remain limited, and the school has requested privacy as investigations continue.

c. Shooter’s Profile and Investigation

Initial ambiguity surrounded the shooter’s identity and motives, with early reports only confirming fatalities without specifying the perpetrator’s demographics.

• Chief Sean Barnes ([13:07]): “We have not been able to verify that it’s authentic. We’re looking into some of the things written in that particular document.”

Speculations about the shooter’s motives, including unverified claims about transgender identification, were addressed by Chief Barnes, who urged the public to refrain from spreading unconfirmed information.

• Chief Sean Barnes ([13:41]): “Whatever happened today has nothing to do with how she or he or they may have wanted to identify. I encourage people to be responsible with your social media.”

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities seeking more information to understand the circumstances leading to this tragic event.

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Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire, Georgia Howe and John Bickley provided an in-depth analysis of Donald Trump’s post-election press conference, highlighting his economic initiatives, challenges with border security material sales, and ongoing legal confrontations with major media outlets. Additionally, the podcast covered the distressing school shooting in Wisconsin, offering detailed reporting on the incident, the affected community, and the ongoing investigation. Listeners are kept informed with timely quotes and insights, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of these significant events.

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For more detailed coverage and daily updates, tune in to Morning Wire presented by Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and co-host Georgia Howe.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump gives his first post election press conference laying out his plans for 2025.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen.

[Cabot Phillips]

We break down the highlights, including a deal promising to create 100,000 jobs.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor in chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, December 17th, and this is Morning Wire. Donald Trump demands the Biden administration stop trying to sabotage his border wall by selling off materials for pennies on the dollar.

[Donald Trump]

This has nothing to do with Democrat or Republican. This has to do with common sense.

[Cabot Phillips]

And multiple people are dead and several others injured after a school shooting in Wisconsin. What do we know about the incident and the shooter?

[Georgia Howe]

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

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[Georgia Howe]

In his first post election news conference, Donald Trump laid out his second term plans and weighed in on a wide range of pressing issues.

[Cabot Phillips]

Here with the highlights is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Philip say Cabot. So this press conference getting a lot of attention yesterday for good reason. What did we hear from the soon to be president?

[John Bickley]

Well, dude, the event started with major economic news as Trump announced that Japanese telecommunications company Softbank had agreed to invest at least $100 billion in America over the next four years. According to the company's CEO, who joined Trump at the podium, that investment will create 100,000American jobs.

[Donald Trump]

We've just concluded a very productive meeting and today I'm thrilled to announce that SoftBank will be investing $100 billion in America, creating 100,000American jobs at a minimum. And he's doing this because he feels very optimistic about our country since the election.

[John Bickley]

Now, Trump campaigned on a promise to attract businesses from around the world and create jobs here in America. And this is quite the start before he even takes office.

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, indeed. Now he also touched on another story that's dominating the news cycle, the drones in New Jersey and other states. What did we hear on that front and what's the latest? There's.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. This story has only gained attention as more and more sightings have been reported. Like you said, not just in New Jersey, but a number of other surrounding states. Over the weekend, unknown drones were spotted over Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. That's one of the largest such bases in the country. That drone activity prompted officials to close airspace over the base for roughly four hours early Saturday morning. Here's just fascinating audio of air traffic control warning a plane of quote, extreme UAS activity over the base. UAS means Unmanned Aircraft Systems, AKA drones. Med flight at Patterson Tower. Use extreme caution for heavy UAS movement on the base. Security forces is handling the situation suggests that or above 1700 AGL that we.

[Tim Pierce]

Will maintain 2000 on our transition for.

[John Bickley]

My flight 8 and I got to keep the lights down so that security forces can see. Lawmakers have continued to express outrage with the Biden administration and Pentagon saying the American people deserve answers. They say if the drones belong to the US Their silence on the matter is only creating more fear and confusion. And if they aren't ours, the Pentagon ought to be taking action to get them out of our airspace. For his part, Trump said he believes the White House and Pentagon know what's going on but are hiding it from the public.

[Donald Trump]

The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from and for some reason they don't want to comment. And I think they'd be better off saying what it is. Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason they want to keep people in suspense.

[John Bickley]

Trump would not comment on whether he's received intelligence briefings on the drones, but did say he was confident they do not belong to a foreign adversary.

[Donald Trump]

I can't imagine it's the enemy because it was the enemy that blasted out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it. Something strange is going on. For some reason they don't want to tell the people and they should.

[John Bickley]

Later on, he addressed alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione and specifically the folks who've celebrated him as a hero.

[Donald Trump]

I think it's really terrible that some people seem to admire him. Like him. That was a terrible thing. It was cold blooded, just a cold blooded horrible killing. And how people can like this guy is. That's a sickness, actually. That's really very bad, especially the way it was done. It was so bad right in the back.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, one final note. The president also discussed his recent settlement with ABC, which agreed to pay 15 million after falsely claiming he'd been found guilty of rape and another million for his legal fees. He suggested some further action. Tell us about that.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, a major victory there with abc. But Trump said Monday he'll continue to pursue legal action against a number of other media outlets he feels defamed him or engaged in election interference. That list includes CBS for seemingly editing a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Remember, they seem to remove bad answers of hers. That includes author Bob Woodward, who Trump says repeatedly misquoted him, and the Pulitzer Prize board for giving awards to reporters covering the now debunked Russia collusion story.

[Donald Trump]

I'm doing this not because I want to. I'm doing this because I feel I have an obligation to. We have to straighten out the press. Our press is very corrupt.

[John Bickley]

So Trump vowing to continue his legal fight against a number of legacy media outlets and reporters. I'll certainly be following those cases very closely as he prepares to take office.

[Cabot Phillips]

Indeed, as well those legacy outlets, no doubt. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[John Bickley]

Anytime.

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[Cabot Phillips]

Donald Trump called on President Biden to stop the fire sale of construction material for the border wall. In the event that Biden won't, Trump said he's seeking a restraining order until he can take office on January 20.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about Trump's plan to stop the border wall sale. So, Tim, what can you tell us about this sale?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah. Trump gave his first press conference since he won the 2024 election and chose to directly address a story that was first reported by the Daily Wire, the sell off of tons of construction materials from the southern border. Here's Trump calling this almost criminal.

[Donald Trump]

It's almost a criminal act. They know we're going to use it and if we don't have it, we're going to have to rebuild it and it'll cost double what it cost years ago. And that's hundreds of millions of dollars because you're talking about a lot of wall.

[Tim Pierce]

Trump slammed Biden for what he described as failing his commitment to a smooth transition.

[Donald Trump]

They're trying to sell it for 5 cents on the dollar. That has nothing to do with a smooth transition. That has to do with people really trying to stop our nation. And all it means, really, is that we're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more.

[Tim Pierce]

Trump said that he is already hearing offers to sell sections of the border wall back to the federal government at a price much higher than what the Biden administration is selling it for now.

[Georgia Howe]

So how could Trump stop this sale if he wanted to?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, we'll see. Trump said he was working with officials in Texas on an application for a restraining order to block the sale of what border wall material was left.

[Donald Trump]

I spoke with the attorney general of Texas, I spoke to the senators of Texas, I spoke to a lot of people, and hopefully they'll be able to stop. We're going to be, you know, having a restraining order. But just think about how ridiculous it is.

[Tim Pierce]

And that's not the only way Texas is trying to help. After the Daily Wire reported on this, state officials offered to buy what the Biden administration is putting up for sale to sell it back to the federal government after Trump is in office. However, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has said that the materials put up for sale so far are useless. Patrick wrote in a post on X, quote, the Texas Facilities Commission told us today that the material for sale was mostly junk, with most panels covered in concrete and rust. He said the few panels that might have been usable weren't worth the cost of shipping from Arizona to Texas.

[Georgia Howe]

And is Patrick correct about that? Is most of the material junk?

[Tim Pierce]

We're not sure. But either way, GOP lawmakers want to look into it. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday to, quote, demand full accountability and transparency from the Department of Defense about its role in the disposal of excess border water materials. Now, according to Fox News, the Defense Department says it is selling off excess materials as was authorized in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. According to one defense official, the materials being sold currently have already been purchased by Gov Planet. That's the government surplus site the materials are being auctioned off on. But the important point is that the DoD can't stop the sale of this material because it doesn't belong to the government anymore.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, this is taxpayer funded materials, correct?

[Tim Pierce]

Right.

[Georgia Howe]

Very frustrating. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me.

[Cabot Phillips]

Several people are dead following a shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin on Monday.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell. So Zach, first off, what do we know about what happened?

[Zach Jewell]

At least two people were killed and seven others were wounded after a 15 year old female opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison during a late night press conference. Police said the shooting happened in a classroom study hall, something they say had several students from different grades. Earlier on Monday, the Madison Police Department reported that five people including the shooter were killed, but they later amended that number. The teenage shooter who police say attended the school was found dead when officers arrived on the scene from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound. Police arrived on the scene after a second grader called 911 and they immediately began life saving efforts on the wounded. Here's Chief Sean Barnes.

[Sean Barnes]

A teacher and a teenage student were pronounced dead at the scene. At that school, six other students and a teacher were injured and taken to area hospitals. Two students remain in critical condition and have life threatening injuries. A teacher and three students were treated for non life threatening injuries. Two of these have been released and discharged from the hospital.

[Zach Jewell]

Fortunately, the medics who responded to the scenes were at a training just three miles away at the time of the shooting. So that contributed to a fast response time.

[Georgia Howe]

What do we know about the school where this happened?

[Zach Jewell]

So the website for Abundant Life Christian School indicates the students range from kindergarten through 12th grade and according to the Associated Press, there are around 390 students. The school was founded in 1978 to offer students academic excellence in a Christ focused context. The school said it will share more information as it's able and ask for prayer from the community. Right now we don't have any information about what kind of security they had in place, if any, or what measures were taken when the shooting occurred. A representative of the school said that they do not allow staff members to carry guns on the property.

[Georgia Howe]

Now this is obviously very reminiscent of the Nashville Christian School shooting. What do we know if anything about the shooter or the motive?

[Zach Jewell]

Yeah, initially the only information we had was that the shooter was dead prior to police arriving. Chief Barnes said at the press conference that responding officers did not fire a single shot after arriving on the scene. Police have since reported that the female student used a handgun and that was later recovered from the scene. The Madison police initially did not release the age or gender of the shooter, but in the third press conference of the day, the police chief finally revealed that the shooter was a 15 year old female. Barnes also said that the shooter's family has been contacted by authorities and is cooperating with the investigation. The chief also addressed social media rumors surrounding a Google Doc allegedly being the shooter's manifesto.

[Sean Barnes]

We haven't been able to verify that it's authentic. We're certainly aware that it's been posted. And the person who posted it alleged to have a connection with the victim. We have not located him yet. So I cannot say whether or not that's something that she was a part of. As soon as we can, we'll let you know. The good news is we have shared that with our partners with the FBI, and so we're certainly looking into some of the things that were written in that particular document.

[Zach Jewell]

The chief also addressed rumors spreading about the shooter identifying as transgender.

[Sean Barnes]

I don't think that's even important. I don't think that's important at all. I don't think that whatever happened today has anything to do with how she or he or they may have wanted to identify. And I wish people would kind of leave their own personal biases out of this. So whether or not she was he, was, they were transgender is something that may come out later, but it is of no consequence at this time. And so I would encourage people to be responsible with your social media.

[Zach Jewell]

So far, police are releasing less information than we typically get in these cases, but we will likely get more in the next few days.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, another extremely disturbing crime. And yes, hopefully we will get more information soon. Zach, thanks for reporting.

[Zach Jewell]

Thanks for having me.

[Cabot Phillips]

Hey, thank you for listening. This morning we created the show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and stand with that mission, consider subscribing, giving us a five star rating and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.

[Georgia Howe]

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