Morning Wire XX
[0] Testimony given by a White House aide to the January 6th committee is now being directly disputed.
[1] We lay out the facts and the falsehoods from Tuesday's hearing.
[2] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley.
[3] It's Thursday, June 30th, and this is Morning Wire.
[4] A week after Roe was overturned, the Biden administration is still scrambling to appease their pro -abortion constituents, all while violence against pro -life centers continues.
[5] And one of the WNBA's biggest stars, Brittany Griner, who has been detained in Russia for months now, is told this week that she faces years in Russian prison.
[6] We discuss how the Biden administration is handling the troubling case and reports of a potential prisoner swap.
[7] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
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[20] On Wednesday, some significant doubt began to set in about key elements of the January 6th testimony of former Trump Administration aide, Cassidy Hutchinson.
[21] Several contradictions to Hutchinson's sworn testimony given under questioning from Liz Cheney have emerged, and scrutiny on the committee is growing as a result.
[22] Here to discuss the apparent unraveling of some of these bombshells is columnist David Marcus.
[23] David, good morning.
[24] So what was the biggest inconsistency that came out in the hours after the hearing?
[25] Good morning.
[26] There were a few.
[27] They say a lie goes around the world before the truth can get its pants on, and much of Wednesday was spent watching the truth put on its pants.
[28] The biggest issue was around the bizarre, and I should point out secondhand hearsay story, that Trump tried to commandeer his limo, like resulting in fisticuffs with the Secret Service.
[29] Hutchinson was not in the vehicle, and the people who were have now said that they'll testify under oath that it never happened, which is also what Trump claims.
[30] Now, were there any other inconsistencies, or was that the main one?
[31] I mean, another huge one surrounded a note that was written with language for Trump's January 6th statement to the rioters.
[32] Hutchinson said it was her handwriting, but former White House lawyer Eric Hirschman came forward saying that he wrote it.
[33] And it's worth noting that we've seen a lot of damning testimony in these hearings from Hirschman.
[34] So this is not someone who's unwilling to criticize Trump.
[35] And a broader question seems to be, how much of this contradictory evidence did Cheney have access?
[36] to before she presented these things as unchallenged facts.
[37] So on Tuesday evening, after the hearing, the media reaction was swift and damning.
[38] And there seemed to be a consensus even on some right -wing friendly outlets that the testimony had been decisive.
[39] Has the media started to back off with any of this new information?
[40] Yeah, I mean, this is another example where anything that can hurt Trump is granted immediate credulity.
[41] And yes, they're backing off the disputed claims.
[42] But, you know, they aren't admitting that they should have.
[43] have been more cautious.
[44] Instead, they've shifted focus from the salacious stories to Cheney's claim based on anonymous text messages that Trump may have engaged in witness intimidation.
[45] But regarding the disputed claims, the damage is already done.
[46] This stuff will move into Trump lore, whether it's true or not.
[47] Now, there have been some voices, including Rudy Giuliani, who have called for perjury charges against Hutchinson.
[48] Is that something that could really happen?
[49] That seems extremely unlikely.
[50] I mean, first of all, she was testifying.
[51] to things she thought she overheard during what was an incredibly hectic moment in history.
[52] It'd be hard to show a clear intent to lie.
[53] But I do think you can argue that Cheney, by pruning Hutchinson's live and video testimony and really offering no support for it, opened her up to a lot of scrutiny, if not a prosecution.
[54] Now, where does the committee go from here?
[55] They have promised more hearings in July.
[56] is the plan to release this information in a slow drip manner?
[57] I'd love to tell you where it goes.
[58] I mean, so far we've had canceled hearings, surprise hearings, prime time hearings.
[59] So, I mean, there's little that would be shocking.
[60] But yes, to your point, the committee has tried to use cliffhangers to tease future revelations about connections to the proud boys or the alleged witness tampering.
[61] But there's a clock here.
[62] You know, if, as expected, the GOP takes the House in November, this committee almost certainly goes away.
[63] So if they have the goods, it's getting to be time to show them.
[64] All right.
[65] Well, David, thanks so much for coming on today.
[66] Thanks for having me. That was Daily Wire contributor, David Marcus.
[67] Coming up, the Biden administration scrambles to respond to the Dobbs ruling.
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[72] In the wake of the Dobbs decision, pressure from the left is mounting on the president to take action to enshrine abortion access into law.
[73] DailyWire senior editor, Cabot Phillips, is here to break down the president's messaging, which some on the left say isn't enough.
[74] So Cabot, President Biden has repeatedly displayed a desire to protect abortion access despite the ruling.
[75] What is he able to do on that front?
[76] The simple answer is not much.
[77] He offered a statement last week condemning the ruling as a sad day for America.
[78] But the general message from the White House has been that defending abortion rights at this point is out of their control.
[79] He essentially placed the responsibility on voters and Congress.
[80] For example, he's urged pro -choice voters to turn out in the midterms, saying that, quote, Roe is on the ballot this fall.
[81] And here he is calling for Roe v. Wade to be codified?
[82] The only way we can secure a woman's right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal law.
[83] Now, President Biden has directed the HHS to protect access to certain abortion pills, but refusing to go beyond that has really angered many Democrats who feel he's not doing enough to defend abortion.
[84] And that frustration is really being felt especially from the party's progressive base.
[85] On that front, many are angry that Biden has turned down calls for abolishing the filibuster or allowing for abortions on federal land as a loophole to the Dobbs ruling.
[86] So he's stuck right now between his base who wants action and the legal reality, which is that he can't do much on his own right now.
[87] Right.
[88] Well, thanks, Cabot.
[89] Now, the administration is also reluctant to take action to protect churches and pro -life centers, which are now being targeted by protesters.
[90] Joining us now to discuss is Daily Wire DC correspondent, Mary Margaret O 'Lahan.
[91] Welcome.
[92] Mary Margaret, you've been on the ground, the protest.
[93] What's the latest on these attacks?
[94] Well, we already know that churches and pro -life centers have faced an increasing number of attacks over the past few months.
[95] Data compiled by the Susan B. Anthony List and Catholic vote has found that dozens of centers have been attacked since the early May leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roeby Wade.
[96] And since the overturn of Roeby Wade, we've seen a slew of other attacks.
[97] Here's a few examples from the weekend.
[98] In Longmont, Colorado, authorities are investigating a fire and vandalism at Life Choice's Pregnancy Center.
[99] And in Lynchburg, Virginia, Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center was vandalized, windows were smashed, and the words, if abortion ain't safe, you ain't safe, were graffitied on the wall.
[100] At St. John Newman Catholic Church in Reston, Virginia, and at St. Patrick Parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, these were also vandalized with graffiti.
[101] And in probably the worst incident, St. Coleman, a historic Catholic church in West Virginia, was burned to the ground.
[102] Then in Portland, activists attacked a pro -abortion center, mistakenly believing it to be a pro -life pregnancy center, smashing the center's front windows and graffitiing the walls.
[103] These are acts of vandalism.
[104] What about the rioting?
[105] Any examples of rioting in any cities?
[106] Yes, so we've seen a lot of protesting and to a far lesser degree, rioting at times.
[107] As for the protests, even elected officials have joined in, including Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio -Cortez and Maxine Waters, who both urged supporters to get out in.
[108] into the streets.
[109] Now, you were at the protests in the aftermath of the ruling.
[110] Can you tell us what you saw?
[111] Yes, so I attended the protests in D .C. during the day and the night that the decision was released.
[112] While the focus was on anger at the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe, many of the abortion activists blamed President Biden as well.
[113] And they expressed strong resentment towards the administration, which prides itself on being the most pro -abortion administration in United States history.
[114] Are we expecting things to remain mostly peaceful in D .C.?
[115] Well, we expected more unrest during the evening after dark over the last few days, but nothing really happened, at least in D .C. Now, what about in other cities?
[116] What have we seen there?
[117] In Los Angeles, we know that authorities are investigating a man who attacked a police officer with a makeshift flamethrower during abortion demonstrations.
[118] That was during protests that the LAPD actually declared unlawful.
[119] Officials said that two people were arrested and four officers were injured.
[120] And then in Portland, black -clad marchers smashed windows and scrawled graffiti on businesses.
[121] One message warned, death to SCOTUS.
[122] Well, Mary Margaret, thanks for all the reporting you've done on the ground during this historic ruling.
[123] That was DailyWire DC correspondent, Mary Margaret Ollahan.
[124] WNBA star Brittany Greiner, who is still being detained in Russia, appeared in court this week.
[125] Joining us for updates on Greiner's situation is sportswriter and Crane & Company co -host David Cohn.
[126] David, welcome.
[127] Thank you for having me. Now, first, for those who haven't been following this case, how How did Brittany Griner find herself in this situation?
[128] And then what's the latest regarding her detainment in Russia?
[129] Yep.
[130] So as you've covered on this show, this case goes all the way back to February when Britney Griner, who is the most high profile player for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at a Moscow airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle in vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
[131] Now, her arrest happened just a few days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
[132] so news of Griner's detainment didn't break until early March.
[133] So she's now been detained in Russia for several months with basically no change until this week, correct?
[134] Correct.
[135] This week, Griner appeared in Russian court for a preliminary hearing, and there were two new developments.
[136] The first, a start date for her trial has been set, and that will take place this Friday, July 1st.
[137] It's worth noting, Georgia, this is the fourth time Griner's.
[138] pre -trial detention was moved.
[139] The second development was that her detention was extended by six months, which means she will be detained throughout the course of her trial, and she is facing a potential 10 -year prison sentence if convicted.
[140] So she's facing 10 years in Russian prison and at least another six months just for trial.
[141] Yes.
[142] Now, the State Department has classified Greiner's imprisonment as wrongful detainment.
[143] What does that mean exactly?
[144] You are correct.
[145] the State Department reclassified Griner's detainment as wrongful in May. This was after three months of avoiding that classification.
[146] Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told CNN, and this is a quote, he has no higher priority than to make sure Americans who are illegally detained come home.
[147] But there's been no explanation as to why Griner's imprisonment is illegal.
[148] Either the State Department is implying the charges brought against Griner have been fabric, or that the charges, while true, are being overly punished in order to create some sort of leverage against the United States, basically.
[149] Now, there's been speculation that this political leverage involves a possible prisoner swap.
[150] Is there any news on that front?
[151] Speculation, yes, though it's not concrete.
[152] Apparently, Russian officials have indicated they are willing to negotiate Britney Griner's release, and there has been much speculation around a potential prisoner swap.
[153] involving convicted arms dealer Victor Bout, who is often referred to by the nefarious moniker, the merchant of death.
[154] He is currently serving a 25 -year sentence.
[155] The Russians have downplayed the possibility of this exchange on state -sponsored media and elsewhere, but even if a prisoner swap becomes a possibility, it's highly likely that Griner would first need to be convicted and sentenced.
[156] Obviously, this situation has been made much more complicated.
[157] given the current state of relations between America and Russia.
[158] Right.
[159] And Russia's handling of this is very troubling.
[160] David, thanks for coming on.
[161] Thank you for having me. That was sportswriter and co -host of Craning Company, David Cohn.
[162] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[163] A South Texas trucker said the rig in which 51 migrants died was cloned and not one of his family's trucks.
[164] He also thinks the Department of Transportation number was copied.
[165] West Hollywood voted to slash their police department's funding, despite a 137 % increase in crime this year.
[166] NATO officially invited Sweden and Finland into the alliance after Turkey dropped its objections on Tuesday.
[167] NATO hopes their expanded alliance will present a strong, united front against Russia and even China.
[168] CVS, Walmart, and Wright Aid set purchase limits for Plan B pills after demand for the contraceptives soared in response to the Supreme Court's Dobs decision.
[169] Galane Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's co -conspirator and confidant, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison and fined $750 ,000 following her conviction for sex trafficking in December.
[170] Maxwell is reportedly on suicide watch.
[171] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[172] Thanks for waking up with us.
[173] We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.