Morning Wire - Macron Survives Vote & China’s Xi in Moscow | Afternoon Update | 3.20.23

Episode Date: March 20, 2023

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I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Monday, March 20th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. French President Emmanuel Macron survived a crucial vote of no confidence today. The vote came as the embattled leader found himself with the worst approval ratings in his presidency and the subject of mass protests after he reformed the nation's pension system, including raising the retirement age by two years. Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on what Beijing labeled a mission of peace.

Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo has more. She's Visit underscore strengthening ties between the two powerful nations and comes as the Chinese leaders trying to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. opposes any deal expressing concerns that a Beijing-brokered peace pact would be one-sided in favor of Russia. On Monday, she said he assured. his visit will be, quote, fruitful. That meeting comes a day after Putin made a surprise visit to Mario Pol, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, where he spoke briefly with supporters. 16 people on the FBI's Terror Watch List were stopped along the southern border in February,

according to new data. Here with more is Daily Wire writer Tim Meads. A total of 69 individuals on the Terror Watch List have been arrested at the U.S. southern border in fiscal year 2023. And authorities say that the U.S. is already already on pace to shatter last year's 98 encounters. Immigration officials also report that the agency has encountered at least 214 people combined on the terrorist screening database at both the northern and southern U.S. borders. In an update to our lead story from this morning's episode, potential 2024 GOP candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on former President Donald Trump's claim that he was going to be arrested Tuesday on charges brought by Manhattan

District Attorney Alvin Bragg. I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just, I can't speak to that. But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about corn star hush money payments, You know, that's an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that that's fundamentally wrong. At the federal level, a trio of Republican committee chairman announced a probe into Alvin Bragg.

Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, oversight committee chairman James Comer, and House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Steele wrote to Bragg's office on Monday and accused the Manhattan prosecutor of unprecedented abuse of authority. The House lawmakers sought records and communications related to Bragg's investigation of Trump, as well as a transcribed interview with the prosecutor. The lawmakers' letter comes days after Trump said Bragg intends to charge him in what would be the first ever indictment of a former U.S. president. Bragg has investigated Trump for more than a year now over alleged hush money Trump paid Pornstar Stormy Daniels

to cover up an affair prior to the 2016 election. An American hostage, Captain Niger for six years, has been freed from captivity. the State Department announced on Monday. Jeff Woodke was a Christian humanitarian aid worker stationed in West Africa when he was taken hostage by a terrorist group. Secretary Anthony Blinken thanked the government of Niger for their help securing his release. I also want to thank our team, starting with Special Envoy Roger Carstons, all of those who have been working at the department to bring him home, tireless efforts,

and I'm very pleased that we are now seeing that come to fruition today. As you know, I have no higher priority or focus than bringing home any unjustly detained American, wherever that is in the world. We won't rest until they're all home. And like Jeffrey, reunited with their families. The mayor of Miami Beach has called for canceling spring break after two men were shot and killed over the weekend amidst wild partying on the streets of the city. In a statement, Democratic mayor Dan Gelber said, quote,

it's too rowdy, it brings too much disorder, and is simply too difficult to police. Miami Beach residents and business owners say out-of-control crowds and extensive property damage have become the norm in recent years. A midnight curfew was implemented Sunday night by Gelber. And today marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Roughly 2,500 U.S. ground troops still remain stationed scattered throughout the country. Those are 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 the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.