Morning Wire - Americans In Afghanistan & Trump Case Jury | Afternoon Update | 3.23.23

Episode Date: March 23, 2023

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I'm Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Vickley with Georgia Howl. It's Thursday, March 23rd, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken admitted Thursday that there are still more than 100 Americans left stranded in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The Biden administration pulled U.S. troops from the Middle Eastern nation more than a year and a half ago. Here's Blinken testifying before Congress. Congressman, there are several Americans who are being detained by the U.S. the Taliban. We are working to secure their freedom. The families have asked that we protect their identities and don't speak publicly to their cases. Let me put it this way. Since August

31st of last year, we have helped about 975 American citizens who wished to leave Afghanistan do so. As we speak, American citizens who identify themselves to us who are in Afghanistan, some of whom have been there since the withdrawal, some of whom went back to Afghanistan. There are about, that we're in contact with, about 175. Forty-four of them are ready to leave, and we are working to effectuate their departure. Also today on Capitol Hill, skeptical U.S. lawmakers grilled TikTok's CEO, despite his assurances that the app prioritizes user safety. Lawmakers asked a host of questions ranging in topics from content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its alleged spying on journalists.

Here is one testy exchange with Congresswoman Anna Eschew Thursday morning. Congresswoman, I have seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data. They have never asked us. We have not provided. I've asked that question. I find that actually preposterous. I have looked in. I have seen no evidence of this happening. For its part, the Biden White House has not disclosed whether it supports banning the app. One Democrat congressman, Jamal Bowman of New York, defended TikTok during a press conference Wednesday, listing the purported benefits of the platform and taking aim at Republicans for criticizing

the app. TikTok as a platform has created a community and a space for free speech for 150 million Americans and counting. That includes many of the content creators that I just met with in my office. They talk to me about a sense of family. They talk to me about a sense of community. They talk to me about a place that is helpful to their mental health and to their sense of belonging and well-being. I just realized something. Republicans ain't got no swag. That's why they want to ban t-tick-tog.

Republicans ain't got no swag. That's the problem. The Manhattan grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump did not meet again on Thursday, and sources say that an indictment, if it happens at all, isn't likely until next week at the earliest. Meanwhile, District Attorney Alvin Bragg is criticizing the Congressional GOP's probe of the matter. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce reports.

Bragg's office shot back at House Republicans on Thursday, calling their probe into the Trump-Hush money investigation unprecedented. The Manhattan DA's in-house counsel, Leslie Dubek, said the Republicans had made a, quote, unlawful incursion into New York sovereignty when they requested documents and testimony from Bragg's office earlier this week. Dubek said the DA wouldn't allow interference in the exercise of New York's sovereignty. sovereign police power. In response to Republicans' request, the DA's office has instead offered to meet with the Republicans to see if there is any legitimate purpose to their inquiry. And Buster Murdoch, the surviving son of convicted murderer Alec Murdoch, denied what he called vicious rumors that he was involved in the 2015 death of South Carolina teen Stephen Smith. Smith's body

was found in the middle of a road about 15 miles from the Murdoch family estate. According to a source close to the Smith family, Buster may have been involved in a secret romantic relationship with Smith. Well, there's your drive-home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to Dailywire.com, and for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.