Morning Wire - Biden’s Apology Fallout & Gold Star Dad Arrested | 3.11.24

Episode Date: March 11, 2024

President Biden apologizes for how he referred to Laken Riley’s alleged murderer, a gold star father is arrested after disrupting the State of the Union Address, and a House bill banning Tik Tok gains ground. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Hillsdale: "Enroll for FREE today at https://www.hillsdale.edu/wire" Balance of Nature: Get 35% off your first order as a preferred customer + free Fiber and Spice supplements. Use promo code WIRE at checkout: https://www.balanceofnature.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden is under fire after apologizing for calling Lakin Riley's alleged murderer and illegal, setting up a major immigration battle in the 2024 presidential campaign. How did the two presidential contenders handle the issue during their dueling rallies this weekend? I'm Georgia Howe, and Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley is on vacation this week. It's Monday, March 11th, and this is Morning Wire. Before I took off, his murderation up 30 percent. 30% they went up. The biggest increase in history.

The Gold Star father arrested for interrupting Biden's state of the union address is speaking out. I mean, I'd like all this to go away. I'd like to have closure on it. I'd like to have the right answers. In a first on Morning Wire interview, Steve Nakui explains what compelled his outburst. And lawmakers seem united in their opposition to TikTok. A vote to ban the app comes this week, but there is some opposition. I spend an unhealthy amount of time on TikTok, and I've never once seen any Chinese propaganda on the app.

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Are you a few years or decades out of school and wanting to further your education? Well, you're not alone, and it's not too late. Hillsdale College is offering more than 40 free online courses. If you're not sure where to start, check out American citizenship and its decline. The course is self-paced so that you can start whenever and wherever. Go right now to Hillsdalecollege.edu slash wire to start. It's free and it's easy to get started. That's hillsdale.edu slash wire.

Hillsdale.edu slash wire. Responding to criticism from the far left, President Joe Biden has publicly apologized for referring to Lake and Riley's alleged murderer as an illegal immigrant. The death of the Georgia nursing student continues to be a lightning rod issue on the campaign trail. Here to discuss his Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestoge Lachamo. So Amanda, President Biden did address the murder of Laken Riley during Thursday's State of the Union address, but his comments caused backlash from both sides of the aisle.

Before we jump in, let's just listen to that clip. Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That's right. But how many of thousands of people being killed by legal? So why was the left upset about those remarks? Well, numerous Democratic elected officials took issue with the fact that Biden referred to the 22-year-old's alleged murderer as an illegal immigrant. Rep Ilhan Omar, for example, quickly fired off a tweet reading, Let me be clear, no human being is illegal.

Biden was then pressed about using that term during an interview on MSNBC, and he said he regretted using it. You use the word illegal when talking about the man who allegedly killed Lake and Riley. An undocumented person. And I shouldn't have used it as undocumented. And look, they built the country. The reason our economy is growing. Now, that apology did not sit well with conservatives who were already furious with Biden over his initial comments about Riley's murder. Biden actually flubbed Riley's name when he finally addressed the crime.

According to White House transcript, Biden twice referred to. to Lake and Riley as Lincoln Riley, and then said her alleged killer was an illegal when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green yelled that from her seat. He seemed to be echoing the representative. Alison Phillips, Riley's mother, posted to Facebook, quote, Biden does not even know my child's name. It's pathetic. If you're going to say her name, even when forced to do so, at least say the right name. Well, the issue also became a talking point for President Trump over the weekend when he and Biden had dueling rallies in Georgia. What happened there? That's right. Former President Trump actually met with Lakin Riley's family before he took the stage in Rome, Georgia. Here's Trump during that

rally. When this monster showed up at our border, he was set free immediately under the program that Crooked Joe created. He got Laken's name wrong, calling her Lincoln. No. He got the name wrong, Lincoln. And when he asked, what about all the legal citizens who kill people, that's what he said. What about all the legal citizens? When he was asked, what about all the legal? In other words, making excuses. Trump also addressed Biden's apology for calling the alleged murderer an illegal immigrant. Joe Biden went on television and apologized for calling Lakin's murderer and illegal. He didn't want to call him illegal. He's apologizing. He said he should have called him. undocumented, not an illegal, and he wanted to apologize.

As for Biden, he seemed to continue to court the far left, which was a bit of a pivot from his state of the union address, where he acknowledged the crisis and then blamed it on Republicans. At this rally on Saturday, he attempted to threat a difficult needle claiming he did secure the border, while also suggesting that migration was a net positive for the country. On my first day in office as president, I introduced a comprehensive, comprehensive plan, to fix our immigration system. Secure our border, provide a pathway for citizens for dreamers and their families,

farm workers, essential workers who helped us through the pandemic and are part of the fabric of our community. Because unlike Donald Trump, I know who we are as Americans. The immigration issue continues to be the most pressing in this Biden-Trump face-off, where Trump, from all-available polling,

has a wide advantage. Well, we'll have to see if it's enough to offset the anti-Trump vote Amanda, thanks for reporting. You're welcome. Hey, guys, producer Brandon here. Balance of Nature is our go-to way to get whole-food ingredients every day.

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in your first order as a preferred customer. That's BalanceofNature.com promo code wire. The father of a Marine killed in Kabul was arrested Thursday for disrupting President Biden's State of the Union address. Steve Nekui says he wanted the president to acknowledge his son and 12 other service members who died during the U.S.'s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Here with more as Daily Wire Culture reporter, Megan Basham. So, Megan, a lot of people who watched the State of the Union may have briefly heard a disruption but not known who was shouting or what was being said.

Before we get to the interview with Steve Nakuwi, how did he? come to be present at the state of the Union? So he was there as a guest of Florida Congressman Brian Mast. Mast had invited him because his son was Lance Corporal Kareem Nekui, a Marine and one of the 13 troops who was killed when a terrorist set off a bomb at Abbey Gate in Kabul Airport. Of course, President Biden ordered the U.S.'s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, and that decision has since had many critics. So when the president said during his speech that America is safer today than when I took office, Nukui stood and shouted, remember Abby Gate, his son's name, and then U.S. Marines. After he shouted that in the video, you can then see Nukui peacefully exiting at the

order of the Capitol Police. So I don't think people would be surprised that he was escorted out, but the fact that the grieving father was then arrested has shocked a lot of people. I spent about an hour talking with Steve, and it was a very emotional conversation. It's very clear that he is still grieving. And he tells me that while he has the the highest respect for the office of the presidency. He wanted President Biden to acknowledge his son and those 12 other service members who died because Nekui says the president did not do that during his 2022 State of the Union address. I remember like 56 minutes or something.

I watch this whole thing for like 56 minutes. And then finally he brings up Afghanistan, you know. And he never said my kid's name, you know. And all he had to say was, you know, United States will never forget the brave and valiant. you know, service, you know, staff sergeant Taylor Hoover made and then, you know, go down the list. We will never forget. We will always say, and that's all he had to do. He didn't do that.

Instead, he then just sidetracked beelines for my son, Bo died and, you know, and then he said he died of cancer. And that's why I think the existential threat to, you know, our military is the burning of diesel fuel in burning pits. because I think that's how Beau got his cancer. And I just started crying, you know? I was just, like, blown away. He said he resented the president making a moment that should have been about the troops who lost their lives about himself. What if I got drunk tonight

and your little girl was walking down the street? And because I was drunk, I plowed into her and she died. And then while you're there grieving, I come to you and say, hey, you know what, Megan? I feel your pain. I lost my kid too. You know, how would you feel? Nekui also told me that he had no intention of interjecting at this year's state of the union.

But when the president began to talk about Americans being safe, he felt overwhelmed by what he believed was the Holy Spirit prompting him to speak. Now, did Nekui say what he hopes the president takes away from his comments? Well, he stressed a number of times that he forgives Joe Biden for what he believes were serious errors in judgment that left U.S. troops in Afghanistan vulnerable. But he would like to see this administration held accountable for the death of his son and for those 12 other service members who died in Kabul. I'd like someone to admit, hey, we did this wrong, you know, because it's a real kick in my

face, dude, every time that that, you know, MEC gets on there and he's like, no, remember, you know, it was Donald Trump's agreement. And it was. And if they would have followed his agreement, my son would have been alive. And that's what America doesn't know, that he actually didn't follow the agreement. It's not clear right now what will happen with Nekui's misdemeanor charge, but he told me he does not regret speaking up. I don't think I disrespected anyone.

I don't think I disrespected or dishonored my son. Well, certainly everyone's hearts must go out to Nakuwe and his family for their loss. Megan, thanks for reporting. Anytime. Congress is preparing to pass legislation this week that would force the sale of Chinese-owned TikTok or otherwise ban the platform from app stores in the U.S. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the potential ban of one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.

So Tim, legislation against TikTok is currently making its way through Congress. What's in the bill? Hey, Georgia. Well, TikTok is owned right now by the Chinese company Bite Dance. The bill would force ByteDance to sell majority ownership of the platform to a company outside of China. Either that or TikTok would be forced off app stores here in the U.S. or the government would issue a massive fine against any store that continues to offer TikTok.

The bill took a big step toward passing Congress last week when the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved it 50 votes to zero. And proponents of the bill say it's necessary for a few reasons. Here's GOP Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Fox News. TikTok is a grave danger to America. First off, it puts your data at risk because it hooveres it all up and sends it back to China. Second, it's a grave danger for our youth. TikTok, frequently exposes young women to videos about, say, eating disorders or self-harm, even if they haven't requested it, and young men to obscene sexual videos or violence. And, again, even if they haven't requested it.

But third, as we saw last week, TikTok can become a source of propaganda. TikTok sent out a message to many of its users, urging them to deluge Congress with calls saying, don't pass this bill. So 50 to zero, that's a pretty convincing victory for those who support this legislation. who's expected to vote against it? It's getting some pushback from Republicans who, ironically, have been some of the most vocal proponents of some sort of action against TikTok. The legislation earned an influential opponent over the weekend when former President Trump,

whose administration initially launched the effort to ban the app, came out in opposition. Trump posted on his true social account that getting rid of TikTok would help platforms like Facebook, which Trump specifically referred to as a true enemy of the people. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who tends to be more libertat, also came out against the bill saying it would endanger the First Amendment and empower the federal government to ban social media platforms. Amid the pushback, senators such as Lindsey Graham have kept their thoughts on the bill to themselves. I'm really conflicted here. Banning TikTok, maybe that's necessary to protect American data from China, but if you can find a way to avoid

that, that'd be good too. Now, TikTok, though, is extremely popular. It's used by about 170 million Americans. Is there backlash from the people? Yeah, as Cotton said, Congress was swamped in calls last week after TikTok sent a message to its users urging them to voice opposition to the bill. But John McEntee, a popular conservative creator on the app, says trying to censor and control the app could cause more problems. And these politicians are getting cute now and say, no, no, we don't want to ban it. Just force them to sell it. Sell it to who? An American tech company?

The same companies that have de-platform conservatives for years? the same ones that banned Donald Trump, the same ones that suppressed legitimate news stories to sway the 2020 election, that's their idea. Americans are fairly split on whether to ban TikTok. According to a Pew Research poll conducted last year, a plurality of U.S. adults. 38% support a ban.

Another 27% are against one, and 35% are unsure. Those numbers have swung significantly in favor of TikTok since a year ago, though, when support for banning the app was at 50%. Well, it's really hard to put the genie back in the bottle now. Tim, thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me.

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.