Morning Wire XX
[0] Former President Donald Trump is facing fraud charges in a New York civil case, setting the scene for what could be a lengthy legal fight.
[1] We're going to be here for months with a judge that already made up his mind.
[2] It's ridiculous.
[3] Other than that, things went very well.
[4] What were the key moments and how will the trial affect the 2024 campaign?
[5] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley.
[6] It's Tuesday, October 3rd, and this is Morning Wire.
[7] California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed an abortion activist to be the late Senator Diane Feinstein's successor.
[8] Since the dawn of patriarchy, women have had their power stolen.
[9] Who is LaFonse a butler and why is her California residency in question?
[10] And a new California program seeks to help homeless people suffering from severe mental illness.
[11] This is a dynamic of trying to engage people in long -term or continuous care to enter We break down the court -ordered program.
[12] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[13] Stay tuned.
[14] We have the news you need to know.
[15] On Monday, former President Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom to face charges that he engaged in fraudulent business practices, setting the stage for a high -stakes legal battle in the Big Apple.
[16] Here with more on the former president's defense is Daily Wire's senior editor Cabot Phillips.
[17] Cabot, a groundbreaking day in Manhattan.
[18] Set the scene for us.
[19] Yeah, so on Monday morning, Trump arrived at the state Supreme Court for opening statements, and it was a testy atmosphere inside the courtroom.
[20] Throughout the day, state prosecutors laid out their case, accusing him of, quote, lying year after year about his business operations and deceiving banks, lenders, insurers, and customers in the process.
[21] Trump's lawyers then fired back, calling their client's business practices legitimate and saying his properties were undervalued, if anything.
[22] They also called the case a, quote, dangerous precedent for all business owners in the state of New York.
[23] Now, unlike past trials involving Trump, this time there were a number of cameras present inside the courtroom, something his team has long been lobbying for him.
[24] Video shows Trump flanked by lawyers with a stern look on his face throughout the day, as Attorney General Letitia James can be seen in the background sneering at him.
[25] During one viral moment, the camera panned to the judge, Arthur Engron, who removed his glasses and offered the camera a wide grin before laughing in the direction of state prosecutors.
[26] Now, this case is different than some of the others that Trump is involved in.
[27] Tell us about what sets this one apart.
[28] Yeah, it's important to remember this is a civil case, which is unconnected to the four criminal trials that he's involved in.
[29] Attorney General James says Trump exaggerated the value of his businesses by upwards of $3 .6 billion in an attempt to, quote, enrich himself and cheat the system.
[30] Here she is outside the courtroom Monday morning.
[31] Donald Trump and the other defendants have committed persistent and repeated fraud.
[32] My message is simple.
[33] No matter how powerful you want.
[34] are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law.
[35] And as we've reported, remember, if Trump has found guilty, he could essentially be forced out of business in New York, as the court would force him to give up control of his numerous properties throughout the state.
[36] So there's a lot at stake here.
[37] Yeah, there certainly is.
[38] Trump has had quite a bit to say about Attorney General James.
[39] What did we hear from him yesterday?
[40] Yeah, so from the start, Trump and his team have said Attorney General James has a personal vendetta against the former president, and is only suing him to score political points with progressive voters.
[41] Here he is speaking outside the courtroom after the first hearings.
[42] This graceful trial put forward by an attorney general who's corrupt.
[43] We have murders going all over the city, all over the state, at a record level.
[44] It's an epidemic, and they waste their time with this.
[45] Trump says James made up her mind to go after him before she even took office or saw any of the evidence against him.
[46] For example, they point to comments like this from 20.
[47] 18 when she was running for office is proof that she has a clear bias against Trump.
[48] No one is above the law illegitimate president to going into the office of attorney general every day suing him and then going home.
[49] And remember, that's before she was elected.
[50] In other campaign videos, James can be heard telling supporters, quote, we're definitely going to sue him.
[51] We're going to be a real pain in the, we'll say, backside.
[52] He's going to know my name personally.
[53] And there's a good chance those comments actually backfiring.
[54] in court and hinder the state's prosecution.
[55] Right.
[56] Now, near the end of the day, Trump did get what could be one significant win.
[57] The judge seemed to agree with him that the statute of limitations applies to claims made before 2014.
[58] That last five minutes was outstanding because the judge essentially conceded that the statute of unaddictions is in effect.
[59] Therefore, about 80 % of the cases over.
[60] So we'll have to see how that plays out.
[61] Final question.
[62] How could this case impact the 2024 primary for Trump?
[63] Well, there are two sides of this, the political and the logistical.
[64] From a political perspective, it's one more arrow in the quiver for Trump, who, remember, has campaigned largely on the claim that the entire legal system in America is out to get him.
[65] His argument that a vote for him is a vote against what he calls the deep state certainly appears to be working.
[66] So whatever the final verdict in this case, it's unlikely it hurts him in the primary, though it could play a role in the potential general election.
[67] Right.
[68] Logistically speaking, though, this case and the others against him are a real hindrance to his campaign, especially financially.
[69] According to Open Secrets, the former president has so far directed more than $130 million worth of donor funds towards covering legal fees since he launched his reelection bid.
[70] It's his largest campaign expenditure by far.
[71] Now, Trump can say he's unfazed by the cases, but the reality is he would much prefer to be spending that money and time on campaign efforts.
[72] Right.
[73] The bills keep stacking up on that front.
[74] Yeah.
[75] Kavana, thanks for reporting.
[76] Anytime.
[77] After Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein passed away last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom has named her replacement.
[78] LaFanza Butler, the president of abortion activist group, Emily's List.
[79] Here to discuss the appointment is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo.
[80] So Amanda, first, tell us who is Butler and why did Newsom select her?
[81] Well, remember that Newsom in 2021 promised to appoint a black woman for the next senatorial seat opening, and now he's followed through with that.
[82] Butler is a black woman, and she'll be the first openly gay person to represent California in the Senate.
[83] Newsom actually boasted in his announcement that she will, quote, make history becoming the first black lesbian to openly serve in the U .S. Senate.
[84] Butler is also relatively young.
[85] She's in her 40s, and she's hyper -progressive.
[86] As John mentioned, she's the president of Emily's list.
[87] This is a pack that works to get pro -abortion Democrat women elected to office, and they raise big money.
[88] In the 2022 election cycle alone, for example, they spent $68 million.
[89] Butler was also the union leader of Service Employees International Union or SCIU, and she also notably served as a senior advisor to VP Kamala Harris' failed 2020 presidential campaign.
[90] Overall, it seems Butler struck a great deal for herself.
[91] Not only was she tapped for this seat, but she was chosen under no preconditions.
[92] That means if Butler wants to, she can run for this.
[93] already hotly contested seat in 2024.
[94] Now, there were other candidates, though, that were being considered for this appointment.
[95] Was Butler a surprise pick?
[96] Well, the only black woman who was actually running for this seat in 2024 Democrat rep, Barbara Lee, she was thought to be a shoe in for this position.
[97] One liberal commentator called this a, quote, slap in the face to leave.
[98] And the black caucus also urged Newsom to appoint Lee to this seat.
[99] Those calls, of course, when ignored.
[100] There's also an argument to be made that Newsom didn't want to put his thumb on the scale for this 2024 race, and that's why he didn't choose Lee.
[101] And it also matters that Lee is polling far behind both reps Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, who are also seeking the seats.
[102] Here's former California Congresswoman Jane Harmon, a longtime friend of Feinstein's reacting to Newsom's choice and how she believes Feinstein would have reacted to it herself.
[103] The new news for me is no preconditions.
[104] I had thought he was planning to.
[105] nominate a caretaker.
[106] But this does mix up the race, and there already is an African -American woman in the race, Barbara Lee.
[107] So what do we know about Butler's position on issues?
[108] Obviously, she's the president of Emily's list, so we can presume she would not support limits on abortion.
[109] Right.
[110] Her organization is known for backing candidates who support on -demand abortion till birth.
[111] She's also seen as a diehard progressive on LGBT issues.
[112] In addition, she oversaw a rebrand of Emily's list to expand the focus beyond abortion and to also include broadening voting options, climate justice, and fielding more diverse candidates.
[113] She also has an extensive background in political consulting with an emphasis on progressive candidates.
[114] There's also been a little bit of controversy with Butler regarding where she lives, which is not actually in California.
[115] Tell us about that.
[116] According to a recent federal election commission filing, that's correct.
[117] She lives in Silver Springs, Maryland, which is a suburb of Washington, D .C. It seems her team was scrambling over this issue this past weekend, because according to archived web pages, Emily's list has removed a line from its website indicating that Butler lives in Maryland.
[118] Newsom for his part, he downplayed her residency and said Butler will simply re -register to vote in California before being sworn in.
[119] Well, this is a Senate seat, so her votes are going to matter for all of us.
[120] Amanda, thanks for reporting.
[121] Sure thing.
[122] California's new court -ordered treatment program targeting severely mentally ill homeless people goes into effect this week.
[123] Meanwhile, San Francisco's mayor is floating legislation to make homeless benefits contingent on drug testing and treatment.
[124] Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allerty is here with the details.
[125] So Marade, on its face at least, this sounds like a major departure from the status quo.
[126] First, let's talk about this state -level initiative.
[127] What does the court order actually require?
[128] Good morning, Georgia.
[129] Well, the Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment or Care Act program, which went into effect this week, allows the families of adults suffering from serious untreated psychotic disorders to file a petition in civil court to pressure their loved one into getting treatment and housing.
[130] Clinicians, first responders, and others can also file a petition for treatment on behalf of an individual.
[131] If approved, a judge can order a year -long care plan, which can be renewed for a second year.
[132] The person will be connected with a treatment team as well as a housing plan.
[133] The Care Court program only targets the most severely mentally ill among California's huge homeless population.
[134] The program does not apply to mental illnesses like anxiety disorders, depression, or post -traumatic stress disorder.
[135] So if concerned individuals go through these steps to file the paperwork, the court can order treatment.
[136] Is there any enforcement mechanism or is this treatment voluntary?
[137] So technically the program is voluntary, but judges do have some leverage.
[138] Tau Clement is the deputy for the mental health unit.
[139] of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and he says the court can't force people to take medication or lock them up, but Clement says the court order is somewhat coercive in that if a person is not successful in care court, that can be used later to put a patient in a mental institution or conservatorship.
[140] So it builds a paper trail that can theoretically be used later to enforce more severe measures down the line.
[141] So this isn't for all homeless people.
[142] It's fairly exclusive.
[143] What are the requirements?
[144] Yeah, it definitely requires some administrative legwork.
[145] The petition for treatment must include an affidavit from a licensed mental health professionals saying they at least tried to examine the person on multiple occasions recently, or the petitioner must submit evidence that the person was detained for at least two periods of intensive treatments.
[146] So the program is being rolled out in seven counties with the expectation of expanding statewide by the end of the year.
[147] Counties will receive state funding for the program, including for new housing units, treatment, and behavioral health services.
[148] Governor Gavin Newsom has touted the plan as a way to help help.
[149] homeless Californians get treatment instead of being incarcerated or involuntarily hospitalized.
[150] So Newsom is still touting this as a way to avoid those harsher actions.
[151] Alternatively, though, San Francisco's mayor is actually swinging in the other direction.
[152] Tell us about the mayor's initiative.
[153] Yeah, that's right.
[154] Last week, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a plan to require all welfare recipients to comply with drug testing and treatment programs.
[155] We're here because we need to make a significant change.
[156] No more hands.
[157] handouts without accountability.
[158] So in order to get resources from our city, you will need to be in a substance use disorder program and consistently seeking treatment.
[159] According to Breed, the treatment programs could include anything from residential treatment to medically assisted treatment, including detox, as well as outpatient options and abstinence -based treatment.
[160] Importantly, individuals who are non -compliant would lose access to cash assistance.
[161] So this is Breed's proposal, how likely is it to get a green light?
[162] Well, the mayor is up against a heavily progressive city council that has historically preferred the housing first approach.
[163] But the fact that an idea like this is even being talked about in San Francisco is shocking.
[164] But the city is facing record fatal drug overdoses, so there may finally be an appetite for serious action.
[165] All right.
[166] Well, it'll be interesting to see what they do.
[167] Marade, thanks for reporting.
[168] Thanks, Georgia.
[169] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[170] Thanks for waking up.
[171] But us, we'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.