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[0] This episode is brought to you by Black Rifle Coffee.
[1] Start your morning with America's Coffee from black rifle coffee .com.
[2] On Tuesday, Americans witnessed something they have never seen before.
[3] A former president of the United States arraigned on criminal charges.
[4] These are felony crimes in New York State, no matter who you are.
[5] We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conducts.
[6] We discussed the clashing protests, competing media coverage, and the defiant response from former.
[7] President Trump.
[8] The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.
[9] I'm DailyWire editor -in -chief John Vickley with Georgia Howe.
[10] It's Wednesday, April 5th, and this is Morningwire.
[11] Chaos erupted at the Tennessee State House this week after protesters took over one of the chambers.
[12] We've got rules of order that the House follows, that the House is set up pursuant to the Tennessee Constitution.
[13] Why are three representatives now facing expulsion.
[14] Thanks for waking up with MorningWire.
[15] Stay tuned.
[16] We have the news you need to know.
[17] Hey guys, producer Brandon here.
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[27] Donald Trump was arrested and arraigned in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, marking the first time a former president has ever faced a judge in such a setting.
[28] Unsurprisingly, the court appearance was a media circus that gripped the nation's attention.
[29] Here to discuss the historic event as Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
[30] Hi, Dave.
[31] First, there were protests and counter protests in New York on Tuesday, and there had been fears that they could get out of hand.
[32] Did we see any of that?
[33] As we speculated on Monday, the protests such as they were were very mild and more or less without incident.
[34] This despite the fact that Mayor Adams had put the city on high alert, which could have been a political move as much as anything else.
[35] Every NYPD officer was on standby.
[36] That's over 35 ,000 cops.
[37] And reportedly some said that they weren't entirely Honestly, at the courthouse, the news media probably outnumbered the gathered crowd.
[38] It was almost a metaphor in a way because while this was an unprecedented and arguably historical event, I mean, it's also a bookkeeping case.
[39] People can only get so excited about spreadsheets.
[40] But at the same time, you know, it's Donald Trump.
[41] Right.
[42] He certainly changes the equation.
[43] So let's talk about Trump's approach to the moment.
[44] This is a situation where many people would want to lay low, but that was not the former president's angle.
[45] Yeah, Trump was not shy about this court appearance at all, which is no shock.
[46] There were members of his entourage tweeting pictures from his jet.
[47] We had the O .J. Simpson -style helicopter coverage of his motorcade.
[48] And his team was telling the media exactly when and where he'd arrived at the courthouse.
[49] This is a spectacle that he wanted, at least outside.
[50] His team did successfully object to video cameras in the courtroom, which makes sense, because that's an environment they can't really control.
[51] And it's worth noting that Manhattan D .A. Alvin Bragg was in the courtroom, which is rare.
[52] Generally, only the prosecutors directly involved in the case would be there.
[53] Right.
[54] That's notable, though, maybe not surprising.
[55] How did Trump appear as he made his way to the courthouse and arrived?
[56] You know, there's some still photos, which may well become iconic from both of those settings.
[57] And he looked somber.
[58] You know, there was speculation about how he might handle the moment.
[59] But he wasn't smiling.
[60] It was a raised fist, right?
[61] not a thumbs up.
[62] It's hard to read too much into that, but he certainly didn't appear to take it lightly.
[63] And all theater aside, for a period of over a half hour, the former president of the United States was not allowed to leave.
[64] He was, for all intents and purposes, locked up.
[65] One can only imagine what was going through his mind.
[66] It's certainly not a scenario he's faced before.
[67] Now, CNN reported that Trump might speak at the courthouse, which did not happen.
[68] Can we read anything into that?
[69] I don't think so.
[70] I mean, the reporting could have been wrong or Trump may have changed his mind or been talked out of it by his attorneys.
[71] He was already planning to give remarks at Mara Lago, as Cabot will be covering here in a second.
[72] He may well have just wanted to get out of there, which would certainly be understandable.
[73] Right.
[74] Now, finally, this was something the nation had never seen before.
[75] What does it mean not just for the country, but also specifically for the 2024 presidential race?
[76] The indictment of a former president was unprecedented, but it might not be.
[77] be for long, as Trump's also facing potential charges in Georgia for election interference and a federal probe into January 6th, the question is whether the American people are going to view these as a partisan, politically driven pile on, or as a preponderance of evidence suggesting Trump really did commit crimes.
[78] As a matter of politics, which of those takes is more widely adopted really could tell the tale.
[79] Yeah, that is the question hanging over this, politically speaking.
[80] David, thanks for coming on.
[81] Thanks for having me. That was Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
[82] Coming up, we break down the charges in Team Trump's response.
[83] Hey guys, producer Brandon here.
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[91] Following the arrest and indictment of former President Trump, new details have emerged about the allegations against him and how he plans to respond.
[92] Here with Moore's Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
[93] Cabot will get to Trump's response, but first, there was speculation about the charges remaining sealed, but that's not what happened.
[94] They were released quickly after the arraignment.
[95] What did they say?
[96] coming into the day, we knew there were 34 total charges, but now that the indictment has officially been unsealed, we get more information about what exactly prosecutors are alleging.
[97] Each of the 34 charges relate to the falsifying of business records.
[98] Specifically, they involve hush money payments that Trump allegedly illegally concealed.
[99] Now, it's worth noting, in New York, those charges are just misdemeanors, but they could be considered felonies if they're part of a broader effort to break the law.
[100] That will be the key here.
[101] Will prosecutors be able to prove that Trump acted with intent to commit another crime or aid in the concealing of a crime.
[102] While the indictment accuses Trump of a scheme to, quote, influence the 2016 election, it does not appear to cite the specific other crime that elevates those 34 counts to felonies.
[103] That is a major sticking point that a lot of legal analysts are highlighting.
[104] Now, each of those 34 charges would carry a maximum of four years in prison, though it's pretty unlikely he'd actually spend any time behind bars if found guilty.
[105] Probation or some other disciplinary measure would be more likely.
[106] Now, as expected, Trump pleaded not guilty in the arraignment, but the Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg, insists he's got a case.
[107] We heard directly from Bragg after Trump left the building.
[108] Tell us about what he said.
[109] Yeah, in a statement following the arrest, Bragg said, quote, we cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct.
[110] Here he is after the arrest.
[111] It is a felony to falsify business records with intent of the fraud and intent to conceal another crime.
[112] That is exactly what this case is about.
[113] 34 false statements made to cover up other crimes.
[114] Now, Trump's legal team and other allies were quick to jump on those comments, noting that during his tenure as DA, Bragg has downgraded the majority of felony cases that reach his desk to misdemeanors and repeatedly given lenient sentences to violent felons.
[115] Yeah, what more can you tell us about the response from Trump's legal team?
[116] They continued with their insistence that Trump is innocent and the charges are politically motivated.
[117] They've also noted what they view as holes in the prosecution's case.
[118] case, particularly that it requires connecting his actions to a federal crime.
[119] To that point, here's Trump's lawyer, Joe Takapina, speaking on Good Morning America.
[120] I don't think this case is going to see a jury.
[121] I think it's going to go away on papers.
[122] I think there's a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully.
[123] A state prosecutor is bringing charges on a federal campaign law violation theory that has never been prosecuted before.
[124] And it's worth noting that even some Trump critics have blasted the charges.
[125] Here's John Bolton on CNN.
[126] I think this is even weaker than I feared it would be.
[127] And I think it's easily subject to being dismissed or a quick acquittal for Trump.
[128] And of course, on Tuesday night, President Trump gave his highly anticipated response.
[129] In the speech at Marilago, he took aim at the charges and once again proclaimed his innocence.
[130] Here are a few of the highlights from the speech.
[131] As it turns out, virtually everybody that has looked at this case, including rhinos and even hardcore Democrats, say there is no crime.
[132] The criminal is the district.
[133] because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury for which he should be prosecuted or at a minimum he should resign.
[134] We recently had another trial and the same judge told the fine man who worked for me for many, many years that if you admit your guilt, you will be in jail for 90 days.
[135] But if you don't, if we go through a trial and you're found guilty, you can going away for 10 years and maybe longer, which for a 75 -year -old man with a great family really means life.
[136] They can't beat us at the ballot box, so they try and beat us through the law.
[137] That's the country in which we live, however, right now.
[138] The USA is a mess.
[139] Our economy is crashing.
[140] Inflation is out of control.
[141] Russia has joined with China.
[142] Can you believe that?
[143] Well, I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot more from the former president in the days to come.
[144] Cabot, thanks for reporting.
[145] Any time.
[146] That was Daily Wire's senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
[147] Republican State House members introduced resolutions to expel three Democrats from the chamber on Monday, after an unprecedented riot at the state capital last week.
[148] Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to tell us about what took place and how this is a potentially historic move.
[149] So, Tim, these motions to expel were filed on Monday after protests in Nashville.
[150] last week.
[151] Tell us a little bit about what happened.
[152] Hey, Georgia.
[153] On Thursday, protesters crowded into the state capital and three Democratic lawmakers, the ones now facing expulsion, encouraged the protesters to enter the House chamber and disrupt proceedings.
[154] One of the representatives, Justin Jones, had a bullhorn and led protesters in chants from the House floor.
[155] The protesters shouted down the chamber for nearly an hour.
[156] Here's what that sounded like.
[157] House Speaker Cameron Sexton eventually got state troopers involved, and they escorted the protesters out and restored some order in the chamber.
[158] Now, what is each side saying about what transpired?
[159] Well, the chamber is divided along partisan lines on this.
[160] Republicans are furious.
[161] Sexton called what Jones and representatives Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson did an attempted insurrection.
[162] Republican member Gina Bolso, one of the three Republicans to introduce these motions to expel, told the Daily Wire that he agreed with Sexton's remarks.
[163] Here's what Bolso had to say.
[164] These three representatives put themselves outside of the House.
[165] House.
[166] And really, all these resolutions are doing are confirming that they voluntarily disqualified themselves from further service because we all take an oath to uphold the Tennessee Constitution.
[167] And the Tennessee Constitution gives the House the authority to set its own rules, which we do every session.
[168] And rather than comply with their oath to the Constitution and comply with the rules, they decided to go outside of the House and effectively shut it down.
[169] And so what we're simply doing is recognizing that they voluntarily chosen to put themselves outside the house and formally expel them.
[170] It's worth noting that Jones, Johnson, and Pearson have already been stripped of their committee assignments over this.
[171] So even if they're not expelled, they'll have a much more limited role in the state house.
[172] That said, Bolso is confident that the three Democrats will be removed from office.
[173] It doesn't look like anyone plans to pursue criminal charges against these lawmakers or any protesters, but removal from office is definitely possible.
[174] 73 of 75 Republicans voted to expedite these motions on Monday.
[175] Now, what are Democrats saying about what happened?
[176] Yeah, Democrats say that they're facing reprisal for caring too much about the victims of the Covenant School shooting last week.
[177] Here's Jones earlier this week.
[178] We are members who were standing in the well, telling the Speaker and our colleagues that kids should not be murdered in school.
[179] And rather than address that issue, the Speaker has spent more time on Twitter this weekend talking about a fake insurrection than he did about the deaths of six people, including nine -year -old children.
[180] If these expulsion orders are passed and Republicans have the supermajority to do it, it would be a historic moment in Tennessee State House history.
[181] Only two other members have been expelled from the House since the Civil War.
[182] One of those was Jeremy Durham in 2016.
[183] He was expelled for sexual misconduct.
[184] If they are expelled, the county commission for each of their districts can appoint someone to fill the role until the governor sets a date for a special election.
[185] or they may choose to let the seat stay vacant.
[186] It will be up to the county.
[187] All right, well, we're going to continue to monitor.
[188] Tim, thanks for coming on.
[189] My pleasure.
[190] That was Daily Wires, Tim Pierce.
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