Morning Wire - Arizona Manhunt & Trump’s Thoughts on RFK | Afternoon Update | 8.22.24

Episode Date: August 22, 2024

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I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, August 22nd, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. An urgent manhunt is underway in Arizona for a man who has allegedly plotted another assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Trump is in Cochee's County, Arizona today, delivering remarks at the southern border. According to authorities, 66-year-old Ronald Lee Sirvid made threatening comments on social media, targeting the former president, at this particular event. In light of the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania just six weeks ago, Cochise County law enforcement has ramped up security and are taking a zero-tolerance approach to threats of violence. Meanwhile, information about the first would-be assassin of Donald Trump continues to emerge. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo has the latest.

Thomas Matthew Crooks had encrypted messaging accounts on platforms in three foreign countries. That's according to Republican Congressman Mike Waltz. Waltz, who, who is a retired Green Beret, is on the Congressional Task Force investigating the assassination attempt. He told the Daily Wire that the would-be assassin had encrypted messaging accounts on platforms in Belgium, Germany, and New Zealand. Waltz said the information raises even more questions. Why does a 19-year-old kid who is what a health care aid need encrypted platforms, not even based in the United States, but based abroad, where most terrorist organizations, know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into.

That's a question I've had since day one. Waltz also criticized the FBI and Secret Service for not releasing more information from the investigations into the attempted assassination. They need to be releasing information as they come across it because this wasn't an isolated incident. The threats are continuing. Iran's threats are continuing.

Donald Trump praised RFK Thursday morning amid reports that the independent presidential candidate would be dropping out Friday and possibly endorsing Trump. The former president told Fox and friends that he'd be honored to receive Kennedy's endorsement. So I've known him for a long time. He's a, as you know, he's a little different kind of a guy. Very smart guy. He's a very good person. If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it. I would be very honored by it. He really has his heart in the right place. He is a respected person. Women love some of his policies, and I guess some people don't like some of his policies. Kennedy is expected to hold a press conference Friday in Phoenix to discuss the future of his candidacy.

Trump will be holding a rally that evening in nearby Glendale, Arizona. Target's CEO blasted Kamala Harris's claim that retailers are price gouging. Harris announced last week that her plan to combat the inflation that is skyrocketed during the Biden-Harris administration was to implement a form of price controls. Target CEO Brian Cornell was asked during an interview with CNBC if his company had tried to gouge customers. If you boosted any of your profits from gouging on prices yet, and how prevalent and pervasive do you think that was in terms of causing the recent 40-year highs in inflation? You two talked to industry leaders in every different sector. Is there a more competitive space than retail? We're celebrating this morning in the fact that we delivered margin rate of over 6%. You talked to other.

CEOs who are delivering income of 20, 30, 40, and 50%. So we're in a penny business, and it's a very competitive space, and we provide the value that consumers are looking for. He also discussed the value of lowering taxes on corporations, a key component of Trump's economic policies. We're a full fair payer. When it was 35, we paid 35%. When it dropped at 22, we pay 22.

They say no one does that. Well, we did. But more importantly, Joe, when the taxes were reduced, we put our capital to work. Since 2017, when the corporate taxes were reduced, we've spent close to $50 billion of capital, building new stores across the country, remodeling over a thousand stores.

Would that have been less if it was 28%? Well, it certainly gave us a chance that accelerated investments. But we put the dollars back into our business. A federal judge ruled Thursday that Americans with well-treated HIV can no longer be barred from enlisting in the U.S. military. The ruling strikes down the pen. Pentagon's last remaining policy limiting the service of those with the virus.

U.S. District Judge Leone Brinkema condemned the policy as, quote, irrational, arbitrary, and capricious, adding that it contributes to the stigma surrounding HIV and hampers military recruitment. Critics of the policy argue that the condition could lead to unforeseen medical complications or logistical challenges, particularly in combat or deployment situations. All right, there's your drive home updates. this afternoon and be sure to tune in again tonight to ElectionWire's live coverage of the DNC. Tonight, the show kicks off at 7.45 p.m. Central with Ben Shapiro offering all of his insight and analysis on the DNC. Election Wire host Cabot Phillips will be joined by Michael Knowles and Warrooms Natalie Winters.

We'll have reactions to Kamala Harris' speech as well as live reports from Chicago. Be sure to join us live on Dailywire.com.