Ukraine Strike Russia & Tren De Aragua Expands | Afternoon Update | 11.19.24
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This episode is brought to you by Balance of Nature. Go to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer, plus get a free bottle of fiber and spice. That's balanceofnature.com, promo code WIRE. I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, November 19th, and this is your Morning Wire Afternoon Update. ♪

New York prosecutors have requested a stay in the hush money case against Donald Trump, delaying sentencing until at least 2029. Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has more.

Trump was convicted in May on charges of falsifying business records related to payments allegedly made to an adult film star, which could have landed him four years in prison. This latest request follows Trump's reelection, with prosecutors seeking time to assess the impact of his new status. Trump's defense team, which is moving to dismiss the case altogether, argues that certain evidence was inadmissible due to a Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents presumptive immunity, raising questions about how state convictions will be impacted.

Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy joined Morning Wire to discuss these updates. He says that while Justice Department guidance only covers the federal side of things, on the state side, the Constitution's supremacy clause still applies. Even though it's been held presumptively that federal courts won't interfere in state criminal proceedings, they make an exception for any state proceedings.

criminal action or any state procedure that could impede the federal government's ability to carry out its constitutional functions. And obviously, there's no more important constitutional function in our federal framework of government than the executive power, which is reposed in one official, the president.

Ukraine fired American-made long-range missiles into Russia for the first time earlier today, prompting threats of a nuclear response from Russia. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pearce has the latest. Missiles struck an ammunition warehouse in the Bryansk region. American and Ukrainian officials confirmed Kiev used Army tactical missile systems in the attack. This escalation comes just two days after President Biden approved their use. This was a significant shift in U.S. policy.

Experts like Victoria Coates of the Heritage Foundation questioned Biden's timing. The question is, why is this a good idea now? Why wasn't it a good idea two years ago when Ukraine had the advantage? Now it looks like we're kind of drifting towards World War III, as the president-elect has said, and as Don Jr. said, in a kind of a weird incremental way. Russia's Ministry of Defense says six missiles were used in the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a decree today lowering the threshold for use of nuclear weapons. He announced the plan in September, but the timing of his signing is significant. Here's Putin further explaining the decree. In the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on Russia.

Russia will also consider the possibility of using nuclear weapons when receiving reliable information about a massive launch of means of aerospace attack and their crossing of our state border. This includes strategic and tactical aircraft, as well as cruise missiles and drones, hypersonic and other delivery vehicles. An attorney representing two women who testified in the House ethics investigation into Matt Gaetz is making the rounds on mainstream media. Daily Wire reporter Mairead Elordi has the latest.

Joel Leppard says his client testified that she saw Gates having sex with her friend at a party. Gates denies all the allegations and points out that the Department of Justice investigated the claims and declined to press charges. A statement from the Trump transition team's Alex Pfeiffer said, These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration.

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans approve of Donald Trump's cabinet picks so far. Echelon Insights found that 53% of voters approve of Trump's transition efforts, with 58% optimistic about the direction of the country heading into 2025. The poll reflects a political paradox of sorts, because despite Trump's favorability rating sitting at 49%, a majority of voters still want him to succeed.

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FEMA's director is being grilled on Capitol Hill today, and she's agreed to an independent investigation into political discrimination by the agency. During testimony before a House committee today, Director Deanne Criswell confirmed that workers were indeed instructed by a supervisor to skip Trump-supporting homes. But Criswell also insisted there was no broader directive. Does the investigation include her immediate supervisors and several steps above that?

The investigation includes those that were deployed in this particular incident, and we have found no evidence that there is anything beyond this one employee's specific direction.

FEMA official Marnie Washington has disputed that claim, saying this is not an isolated incident. This is a colossal event of avoidance, not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas. Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know. But if you ask the DSA crew leads and specialists what they are experiencing in the field, they will tell you.

The Venezuelan prison gang known for violent crime and human trafficking has expanded to at least 16 states. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Tren de Aragua has extended its reach into the likes of California, Florida, New York, and even Tennessee. Members are often involved in theft, fraud, assaults, and human trafficking operations. Donald Trump has promised to prioritize cracking down on Tren de Aragua through deportations and military action once he reassumes office.

And a new bill introduced in the House this week would require members to use bathrooms that align with their biological sex. The proposal comes as Democrats prepare for Sarah McBride, that's the first trans-identifying member of Congress. Critics, including Representative Becca Balint and McBride, decried the bill as cruel and divisive, while some Republicans have expressed openness to it.

The bill, which was introduced by South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, seeks to shield women's restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms and aims to protect the safety and dignity of women in the House. Here's Mace defending the bill. I'm absolutely 100 percent going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way.

Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune into our full episode of Morning Wire every morning.