Morning Wire XX
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[5] I'm Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe.
[6] It's Tuesday, February 4th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
[7] Two of President Trump's most controversial cabinet picks are moving closer to being confirmed.
[8] Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more.
[9] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has passed the Senate Finance Committee hurdle by a narrow 14 -13 party line vote.
[10] He now heads to a floor vote in his bid to head up the Department of Health and Human Services.
[11] Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard has made it through the Senate Intelligence Committee in her nomination for director of national intelligence, despite having a tough confirmation hearing.
[12] She made it through with a narrow 9 -8 party line vote.
[13] Ahead of the vote, Gabbard secured critical GOP support from Senators Collins, Lankford, and Young, who had been on the fence.
[14] During her hearing, she defended her record, pledging stronger oversight on intelligence leaks.
[15] We'll have more on the confirmations tomorrow morning.
[16] President Trump is considering using his executive powers to gut the Department of Education.
[17] He then plans to push Congress to abolish the agency entirely.
[18] Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice has the details.
[19] The order would slash most of the department's functions, reassign some programs to other federal agencies, and retain certain functions required by law.
[20] The move aligns with Trump's campaign promise to return control of education to the states and stop the agency from promoting what he calls the indoctrination of American youth.
[21] The plan may be delayed until after Education Secretary -designate Linda McMahon's Senate confirmation, as officials worry it could impact her confirmation.
[22] If implemented, the order would mark one of the most significant federal education rollbacks in U .S. history.
[23] As Erica Donalds of the America First Policy Institute told News Nation, this order gives power back to parents.
[24] We know that the Department of Education at the federal level has certainly failed us.
[25] The NAEP scores continue to show us that.
[26] As last week, we saw just a third of our eighth graders in America are reading and doing math proficiently on grade level.
[27] What President Trump wants to do and what he got elected to do was...
[28] put the power and ultimately the funding in the hands of parents to decide the best education environment for their children.
[29] And we think that is what's going to help children thrive academically.
[30] The Daily Wire has learned that the president is also set to sign an executive order related to men competing in women's sports.
[31] Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan has the scoop.
[32] We first reported that Trump will sign the order tomorrow surrounded by advocates for women's sports and opponents of gender ideology.
[33] It's currently unclear what exactly the bill will cover as far as age ranges and grades.
[34] But the move comes amid growing national debate fueled by high -profile cases like that of Riley Gaines, who competed against a male athlete who went by Leah Thomas.
[35] This issue was a key concern for American parents, especially suburban women, during the 2024 election, and the Trump campaign leaned into the topic aggressively, citing fairness and safety in women's spaces.
[36] The signing coincides with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, emphasizing the administration's focus on protecting female athletic opportunities.
[37] Morningwire also spoke to Congressman August Pflueger.
[38] Here's what he told us.
[39] This is common sense.
[40] This is fairness.
[41] It is being transparent.
[42] It's helping not Republican women, not Democrat women.
[43] It's helping all women.
[44] It's helping our society come to grips with, it's okay to be a male, but you need to play male sports.
[45] It's okay to be a woman.
[46] You need to play women's sports.
[47] I think the first litmus test is just go check in with your communities and ask them what they think, because I guarantee you this isn't a Republican or a Democrat thing.
[48] This is an American thing.
[49] New York Attorney General Letitia James is telling hospitals to ignore Trump's executive order and to continue performing sex change procedures on minors.
[50] In a letter to hospitals, James cited state discrimination laws.
[51] warning that refusing to provide so -called gender -affirming care would result in a violation.
[52] James wrote, quote, regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York state laws.
[53] Trump's executive order bans federal money from going toward child sex change procedures, something he called a dangerous trend.
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[58] Over 20 ,000 federal workers are taking the Trump administration up on their invitation to resign.
[59] Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta -Giacomo has more.
[60] As we've previously reported, the buyout deal allows federal workers to continue receiving salaries through September, even after leaving their posts.
[61] The Trump administration aims to cut the federal workforce by 10 percent.
[62] And while the current number only comes out to about 1 percent, they do expect a spike as Thursday's deadline approaches.
[63] Meanwhile, unions are urging caution, calling the program an effort to pressure workers into quitting.
[64] The Office of Personnel Management has provided detailed guidance to address concerns with more departures expected soon.
[65] Here's White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt last week.
[66] The order simply directs federal agencies to come up with a return to work plan.
[67] And so this isn't a purge and this isn't forcing every single individual in Washington, D .C. to return to work, only if they are able and, of course, within the law.
[68] The Trump administration has begun the transfer of detained illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay.
[69] The first two flights landed this morning at the U .S. naval base in Cuba.
[70] Guantanamo has historically held migrants intercepted at sea, but its current capacity of 120 detainees is set to expand dramatically.
[71] The administration plans to accommodate up to 30 ,000 migrants as part of its broader immigration enforcement strategy.
[72] And China is now hitting back after Trump's new 10 % tariff on all Chinese imports.
[73] China is now slapping a 15 % levy on coal and liquefied natural gas and 10 % on crude oil, agricultural equipment and large engine cars.
[74] Trump's newly imposed 10 % tariff is on top of others that were already hoisted onto Chinese imports.
[75] Beijing will also restrict exports of rare earth metals vital for tech.
[76] President Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon.
[77] Those are your drive home updates this afternoon.
[78] To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire .com.
[79] And in case you missed it this morning, we covered some big stories, including the ongoing tariff war, growing immigration protests and the USAID shutdown.
[80] Thanks for tuning in.
[81] We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.