Morning Wire XX
[0] California Senator Diane Feinstein is facing pressure to step down amid concerns about her age and ability to perform legislative duties.
[1] Why are Democrats concerned about the senator?
[2] And who is vying to replace her?
[3] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[4] It's April 15th, and this is your Saturday edition of Morning Wire.
[5] Good morning.
[6] I bring greetings from the free state of Florida.
[7] Governor Ron DeSantis has racked up an impressive list of conservative policy wins in Florida, fueling popularity on the right and criticism from the left.
[8] Will the governor announce a presidential run?
[9] And if so, when?
[10] And a new Harry Potter series has been greenlit by HBO.
[11] But the involvement of Potter author J .K. Rowling already has LGBT activists calling for a boycott.
[12] What do we know about the show and what is HBO saying about the controversy?
[13] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[14] Stay tuned.
[15] We have the news you need to know.
[16] According to a recent poll, almost two -thirds of Americans don't have a will.
[17] That's kind of like being afraid your house will burn down and not having homeowners insurance.
[18] Don't put it off any longer.
[19] For just $119 and in as little it's five minutes, Epicwill can help you create your last will and testament, living will, and even health care power of attorney.
[20] Go to Epicwill .com slash wire to save 10 % off your complete will package.
[21] That's Epicwill .com slash wire.
[22] U .S. Senator Diane Feinstein has asked to be temporarily removed from the Judiciary Committee amid growing calls for her to step down after decades holding the seat and reports of health concerns.
[23] Here with more is Daily Wire Managing Editor Greg Wilson.
[24] Hey, Greg.
[25] So a lot of attention falling on Feinstein this week and growing pressure from her fellow Democrats to take some action.
[26] What do we need to know here?
[27] Well, John Feinstein, who will be 90 in June, has held her seat since 1992, and she's the old member of the Senate, or the House for that matter.
[28] She's been on leave since March as she recovers at home from shingles.
[29] And earlier this week, she asked the Democrat Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, to temporarily replace her on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
[30] Democrats have complained that her absence from that panel has delayed confirmation of some of President Joe Biden's judicial nominations.
[31] And this comes after she's already announced that she's going to retire, correct?
[32] Right.
[33] She said she's finally going to hang it up when her current term ends in 24.
[34] Well, I haven't made that decision.
[35] I haven't released anything.
[36] It would be my plan.
[37] You put out the statement?
[38] I didn't know they put it out.
[39] So it is what it is.
[40] I think the time has come.
[41] I have a whole other year.
[42] I have things that are underway.
[43] I expect to achieve them.
[44] I hope.
[45] And so we'll see.
[46] And that has several California lawmakers, including representatives, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, and Katie Porter, all scrambling for her seat.
[47] Two other House Democrats, Roe Kana of California and Dean Phillips of Minnesota, this week called for Feinstein to quit.
[48] California Governor Gavin Newsom would appoint someone to finish Feinstein's term should she stepped down.
[49] He said he would choose a black woman and that he has, quote, multiple names in mind.
[50] Should that happen, Newsom's choice would have a leg up in the 2024 race.
[51] But Feinstein's old friend, Nancy Pelosi, defended her colleague and suggested calls for her to resign were sexist.
[52] The two go way back.
[53] Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988, and Pelosi chaired the California Democratic Party during much of that time.
[54] Yeah, that's right.
[55] Now, aside from shingles, does Feinstein have any other confirmed health issues?
[56] Well, you may recall that back in 2020 during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney -Ber.
[57] Barrett, and for Brett Kavanaugh two years before that, there were questions about her cognitive state after she made some confusing statements.
[58] That's right.
[59] But what really made Democrats mad at her then was her praise for Republican Lindsey Graham's handling of Barrett's confirmation.
[60] They pressed her to step down as the top Democrat on the committee, which cost her the chance to lead the panel when Democrats took the Senate in 2021.
[61] It's also worth noting that earlier this year, Feinstein was passed over for the job of President pro -tempoor of the Senate.
[62] That's a post that typically goes to the longest serving senator of the majority party.
[63] It would have placed her in the presidential line of succession right after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
[64] And there have been some accusations of ageism, with some critics pointing to Republican Chuck Grassley as someone who's also up there in age, but getting far different treatment.
[65] What's the sort of buzz on that?
[66] Right.
[67] That seems to actually be the counter to the ageism claim.
[68] While Feinstein's age is certainly a factor, she's only three months older than Grassley.
[69] And Grassley is known for his early morning jogging routine, his annual tours of all 99 counties in Iowa, and his sharp questioning of those who testify on the hill.
[70] So people defending the calls for her to step down point to her performance, not her age.
[71] One other note about Feinstein, last week she sold her 36 -acre vacation estate in Aspen for a cool $25 million.
[72] She said to be worth about $100 million.
[73] Not too bad.
[74] Speaking of senators who have been out of commission recently, what is the latest on Pennsylvania Senator John Federman?
[75] Well, Federman was, of course, just elected in November after a campaign in which he suffered a stroke.
[76] He stepped away from the job for a month and a half, citing depression.
[77] He was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on March 31st and says he'll be back when the Senate goes into session again next week.
[78] He's expected to chair the subcommittee on food, nutrition, specialty crops, organics, and research.
[79] Not exactly a plum assignment.
[80] No. But then again, unlike Feinstein, Federman is just beginning his career in Washington.
[81] Right.
[82] Well, a lot of eyes will be on him next week.
[83] Greg, thanks for reporting.
[84] Sure.
[85] That was Daily Wire Managing Editor, Greg Wilson.
[86] As he mulls a potential presidential run, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will first finish his state's legislative session, hoping to build on a series of conservative policy wins.
[87] On a wide range of issues from his handling of COVID to education, DeSantis has made conservative wins his political calling card.
[88] Here to discuss is Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
[89] Hey, Dave, so let's talk quickly first about COVID, which really put DeSantis on the map.
[90] How did his approach differ or stand out from the rest of the crowd?
[91] Good morning.
[92] So Desantis was not the only Republican governor who, as we put it, opened their state, but she was as aggressive as any in doing so.
[93] He didn't just refuse to have state man. on things like masks and vaccines.
[94] He also forbade cities from enacting many of their own restrictions.
[95] This made him a huge target for the left.
[96] I mean, you might recall the nickname Death Santos.
[97] But with the results now in, Florida is thriving, and he just won re -election by 20 points.
[98] Even before his re -election win last year, which turned out to be a landslide, DeSantis was focused on issues of education.
[99] How has his education agenda played out in Florida and nationally?
[100] Yeah, there's a lot.
[101] The big newsmaker was a bill that forbids the teaching of gender ideology and sexual orientation to the youngest of public school students, a bill his opponents farcically called the don't say gay bill.
[102] There's also been extensive movement in the area of school choice, which is enormously popular, and a unique focus on state colleges.
[103] He brought the Manhattan Institute's Christopher Rufo in to help revamp the very progressive state school system.
[104] Rufo is a well -known champion against wokeness and is already moving to dismantle diversity equity and inclusion programs across state universities.
[105] Right, there was a lot of outcry about that from Democrats.
[106] Now, another recent win for the governor was on gun rights where he signed legislation allowing more Floridians to carry guns.
[107] How sweeping is the change and are conservative voters going to credit DeSantis for it?
[108] It's a big change, and I think in large parties going to get a lot of credit because it was a campaign promise fulfilled.
[109] In addition to this measure, he fired a George Soros back prosecutor who was refusing to enforce Florida law.
[110] He's taken a hard line on illegal immigration.
[111] It was DeSantis, you recall, who flew the migrants to Martha's Vineyard, which really was sort of the first time that Democrats began admitting there was a problem there.
[112] You know, all of this, it points to some pretty strong political instincts.
[113] So if DeSantis runs for the presidency, is it fair to say that he'll focus his campaign on what you've highlighted here, run as a sort of policy candidate?
[114] For sure.
[115] Look, DeSantis endorsed Trump for president in 2020.
[116] He can't turn around and say, well, actually, Trump's awful.
[117] What he can say is that Trump's bombast and outsider qualities transform the GOP in populist ways, but that he has the specific skills to actually advance that agenda into laws and policies, sort of an ability to get things done with less drama involving porn stars and indictments.
[118] That's really central to his pitch to voters.
[119] Yeah.
[120] Now, for his part, Trump has gone really hard after DeSantis, who hasn't even announced that he's running yet.
[121] Is this a sign that the former president fears a DeSantis run?
[122] Possibly.
[123] Pro -Trump PACs have been running anti -Dissantis ad, specifically on Fox News, at some considerable costs.
[124] It seems like with his upswing and polling, including a post -indictment bounce, Trump would like to land a knockout blow that keeps DeSantis.
[125] from announcing.
[126] If he can get DeSantis into single digits by the end of May when Florida's legislative session ends, maybe the governor might view Trump's lead as insurmountable and forego a run.
[127] But I wouldn't count on that.
[128] DeSantis' polling is still in the low to mid -20s, and if he can keep his hands up and stay on his feet, he'll be in a position to fight, possibly with even more policy wins firmly notched on his belt.
[129] Well, most people at this point would be very surprised if DeSantis doesn't jump in and soon.
[130] David, thanks for joining us.
[131] Thanks for having to be.
[132] That was Daily Wire contributor, David Marcus.
[133] HBO is moving forward with a Harry Potter series and author J .K. Rowling has signed on as an executive producer.
[134] The announcement is drawing outrage from trans activists.
[135] Daily Wire culture reporter, Megan Basham, joins us now to discuss.
[136] So, Megan, obviously HBO knew that the minute they announced this series, they would face some blowback.
[137] How much has there actually been?
[138] Well, you know, there's definitely been some.
[139] some online chatter, but nothing really internally from HBO employees.
[140] And that's really the kind of thing that typically gets those big headlines.
[141] Transgender entertainment journalist Zoe Rose Bryant said a potter reboot is, quote, absurdly unnecessary, given Rowling's quote, hateful rhetoric.
[142] A former fan site that now agitates against Rowling says it will also call for a boycott.
[143] But so far, there's really not been much more.
[144] How is HBO responding?
[145] Well, it seems pretty obvious that they don't think there's going to be much of a drawback for the series in the long run.
[146] At a press conference announcing the show, CEO Casey Blois said he thinks that this kind of controversy is mostly going to stay online, and it's not something the company is going to get into.
[147] Those were his words.
[148] He also said his priority is what's on the screen.
[149] And let's be clear, what they've announced here is not just a trial run.
[150] It's a 10 -year massively expensive commitment to a long.
[151] long series with an entirely new cast.
[152] Obviously, as an executive producer, Rowling is going to be playing an integral role in what viewers see.
[153] Her name is very prominently attached.
[154] And this comes just as she's starting to speak more openly about the controversy surrounding her position that women have a right to politically advocate for themselves as women, separate from biological men who claim to be women.
[155] And she argues that they have a right to demand women -only spaces.
[156] On a recent episode of the podcast, The Witch Trials of J .K. Rolling, she talked about the moment she decided to speak out about the transgender issue.
[157] I was angry.
[158] I was getting really angry.
[159] What happens was I flipped open Twitter and I saw this article creating a more equal post -COVID -19 world for people who menstruate.
[160] So I was angry and I was flippant.
[161] You'll notice there was no courtesy call to my management of this.
[162] point.
[163] And I tweeted, in quotes, people who menstruate, I'm sure they used to be a word for those people.
[164] Someone helped me out.
[165] Wumbun, whimpered, and that was like dropping a hand grenade into Twitter.
[166] So Warner Brothers has clearly weighed the pluses and minuses of that hand grenade and any future hand grenades and decided it's still worth it to have rolling on board.
[167] Is there any sign that rolling now regrets, kind of getting into this political fray?
[168] No, I really don't think so.
[169] On that same podcast, she said, frankly, that anyone who thought she was especially invested in protecting her legacy doesn't understand her.
[170] I never set out to upset anyone.
[171] However, I was not uncomfortable with getting off my pedestal.
[172] And what has interested me over the last 10 years and certainly in the last few years, the last two, three years, particularly on social media.
[173] where you've ruined your legacy.
[174] Oh, you could have been beloved forever, but you chose to say this.
[175] And I think you could not have misunderstood me more profoundly.
[176] So, while I don't think Rowling is going to become a full -time activist anytime soon, she has continued to speak out in support of feminists who are arguing that the trans movement is damaging women's rights.
[177] And it doesn't sound like she has any plans to stop doing that.
[178] All right.
[179] Well, I am a Harry Potter fan, so I'm looking forward to this.
[180] Megan, thanks for reporting.
[181] Yeah, anytime.
[182] That was Daily Wire Culture Reporter, Megan Basham.
[183] Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
[184] We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation.
[185] If you love our show and stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five -star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
[186] Thanks for waking up with us.
[187] We'll be back later this afternoon with an extra edition of Morning Wire.
[188] Do you love Morning Wire?
[189] Well, you can shop the collection at Dailywire .com slash shop.
[190] Start today with your favorite podcast and coffee from your very own Morning Wire mug or rep the news you need to know with Morning Wire t -shirt, hoodies, and tote bags.
[191] That's dailywire .com slash shop.