As America stands at a crossroad of politics and faith, Washington Watch brings to the fore pressing issues that test the nation’s values and security. With the backdrop of leadership struggles in Congress and troubling national security incidents, the episode addresses the critical need for unity and strategic legislative actions. Join us for an informed dialogue featuring expert analyses, historical context, and a call to action to maintain and restore a moral and secure nation.
SPEAKER 02 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 12 :
Our nation is counting on us to band together and solve these problems and get this done. I’ve said before that I believe God has elevated each one of you, this is my belief, to your positions of leadership. And it’s an act of providence that you’ve all been placed in your specific roles in this specific moment at this historic time, at the 250-year inflection point of the greatest nation in the history of the world. It is no small thing.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson speaking to members of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this afternoon after he was reelected as Speaker of the House for the 119th Congress. We’ll get an update from Capitol Hill from Alex Miller, Capitol Hill reporter for The Washington Times. While not the multi-day 15-round affair that kicked off the 118th Congress, there was some wrangling and message sending. We’ll talk with Missouri Congressman Mark Alford a little bit later, one of Mike Johnson’s supporters. Today starts the 119th Congress, and as it begins, it does so with the backdrop of the terrorist attack in New Orleans. We’ll probe deeper into the domestic threat of terrorism with Tim Miller, former Secret Service Special Agent and President of Lionheart International Services Group. And speaking of the tragic events in New Orleans, on Sunday evening, I’ll be joined by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry for a special prayer event. The event will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern time. To join us, text PRAY, P-R-A-Y, to 67742. That’s 67742. Or download the Stand Firm app. That’s this Sunday night with Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana as we pray for our nation. Well, there was some drama this afternoon during the election of the House Speaker for the 119th Congress, but not as much as many anticipated. In the end, it took only one round. It took a while, but just one round of voting to re-elect Congressman Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. Still, it was a journey, or perhaps more of like an obstacle course. Joining us now is Alex Miller, Capitol Hill reporter for The Washington Times. Alex, welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 15 :
Hey, Tony, thank you for having me. I think that’s very apt to say it was an obstacle course, kind of describing the events of today. It certainly could have been a lot more rough, you know, thinking of McCarthy’s four-day bout, but a couple hours in the chambers, a lot better than a multi-day affair.
SPEAKER 06 :
There was a lot of external pressure for the members to kind of come in line. I mean, I mentioned the terrorist attack in New Orleans that had a sobering effect. The president weighed in. We had two members, Keith Self and Ralph Norman, who were pulled aside with the speaker, and the president had a conversation with them. What was the sense there on the Hill as this was all unfolding?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I think a lot of us believe that this could go beyond one round, right? There was plenty of holdouts that were making a series of demands, whether it was getting confirmation or some kind of deal set in place to have spending cuts, to have bigger changes in the upcoming reconciliation packages. And there was a feeling that these guys would stay entrenched in that. Right. You know, just ahead of the vote, there was almost a dozen Republicans that were kind of on the fence with this thing. Ultimately, we saw three vote against Johnson on the floor that whittled down to just Thomas Massey out of Kentucky. But. There was a lingering feeling that we were going to be here for a while and that Johnson was going to have to hash it out with these folks. But to your point, President Trump did come in for a while. He seemed to be kind of keeping things at an arm’s length. Right. You know, we got an endorsement of Johnson just before. The vote actually happened. And then he took two of those members, Ralph Norman and Keith South aside. And in that side door conversation, Trump called and they discussed primarily getting more people involved in the reconciliation process. And that seemed to warm them over. And I don’t think Johnson’s quite out of the woods yet, but it does get things rolling for the Republicans and kind of their fresh start on this trifecta.
SPEAKER 06 :
There were a number of members who did not vote as their name was called, so alphabetical roll call. They didn’t vote, even though they were in the chamber. Were they sending messages?
SPEAKER 15 :
I believe so, yeah. So many of those were members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Andy Biggs, Ralph Norman included, Chip Roy, who’s been a pretty vocal critic of Speaker Johnson’s. And, you know, ultimately, those guys did come around in the end. Right. But shortly after the vote, they did put out a letter and statement saying, hey, we did this now so that we can get the certification process for Trump done. Right. Like everybody is trying to coalesce and unify around moving ahead with Trump’s agenda. But they’re going to keep an eye on how Johnson handles things. And, you know, part of that is including them in more negotiations, particularly when it comes to spending. I mean, that is their their main thing. Let’s cut the deficit. Let’s cut spending.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Alex, let’s I mean, from your perspective, what’s the alternative for those members?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, in terms of a different speaker.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. I mean, if they’re you know, we’re going to keep an eye on things. You know, we want to keep you on a short leash. So what’s the alternative? I mean, we went through that exercise, you know, two years ago and it was a pretty painful exercise. And then, of course, halfway through the process, they pulled the rug out from Kevin McCarthy. And there was a lot of public discontent with the kind of that circus atmosphere that took place on the Hill.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. Well, so I think there’s a lot of folks that are very hesitant to try and touch that hot iron again. So for today example, in a couple hours, they’re going to be voting on a new rules package to raise the threshold for that motion to vacate, which was used to get rid of McCarthy. Would they opt to go for a different speaker in that letter they sent? They kind of they all but say that. Right. They basically said, we’re going to be keeping tabs and you’ve got to meet these demands so that we can make good on Trump’s promises and Trump’s agenda. And if Johnson’s the guy, they’ll back him. If not. He’s on pretty thin ice with them. But as far as an alternative, you know, we had House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan’s name thrown out today. Representative Byron Donalds, along with minority or majority whip Tom Emmer. He was considered today. Now, all those guys did run for speaker during that month long process. And Jordan was close, but as we saw, it didn’t quite work out. There were folks that were upset with what happened to McCarthy. But as to if we’ll see that happen again, I personally hope not because it was a struggle up here.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think, of course, there’s a different environment because now it is a Republican president in the White House. It is a Republican Senate, although, you know, marginal control over there. And so there’s work to be done. I don’t know that the country can tolerate another circus atmosphere like that when there is so much work that the American people want to see accomplished.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think, too, that today was really a true test of the power of Trump’s endorsement. Right. So Trump comes out and he says Johnson’s the guy. He’s almost got 100 percent support. Let’s get him a speaker. And as we saw with some of the holdouts, they decided eventually to agree with the president. How long that agreement will last is questionable. We’ve already seen it be put to its limit when we were getting ready to leave for Christmas, right? Trump had requested that there be an extension to the nation’s debt limit, and a lot of fiscal conservatives and debt hawks didn’t like that idea. They voted against it. So they gave him a victory today, and as long as Trump likes Johnson, Johnson’s probably gonna stick around.
SPEAKER 06 :
Alex, let’s talk a little bit about that rules package that you talked about. That’s a pretty significant change, upping the threshold to eight from simply having one. That was something that was negotiated back before they left before Christmas. What else is in that rules package?
SPEAKER 15 :
So they actually added some last minute tweaks today. I’m glad you asked. So on the motion to vacate, it now changes it to where only a member of the majority party. So right now, only Republicans could decide to boot the speaker. So if if. eight Republicans are upset with Mike Johnson. They could bring it to the floor and try to oust him. Democrats probably will not be keen to try to help him out this time. They did earlier last year, especially because he backed them on Ukraine funding. But this time around, most likely not. Some other changes include extending subpoena powers from the last Congress, particularly to get a hold of the her tapes, which were of The interview conducted by Special Counsel Robert Herb, President Biden, when he ultimately decided to not follow through with criminal charges. I believe after that interview, he called him a well-meaning old man, something to that effect. But Republicans have been hounding the Justice Department to get a hold of those tapes, and this rules package would extend that. It also changes how suspension bills will operate. Getting into the weeds a little bit here, but… Effectively, say there was a major funding bill that was brought up under suspension, they could only do it Monday through Wednesday. They can’t do that Thursday or Friday anymore. And that’s got Democrats pretty upset so far.
SPEAKER 06 :
So that’s a concession to conservatives.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes. Yes, absolutely. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff that’s included into this new package that that is really has conservatives fingerprints all over it. And Democrats are pretty upset about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, this was negotiations with the Freedom Caucus to bring them along in the process, which was still interesting today. Many of them came supporting Mike Johnson, but kind of dragging their feet, kicking and screaming, even though so many concessions have been made for them.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. And I think… One big thing about how things worked out for Speaker Johnson in the last session of Congress is they had such a thin majority that for a lot of must-pass bills, he did have to deal with Democrats. And that really riled up a lot of conservatives, and they took that out on him in numerous different ways. It’s not going to be a whole heck of a lot different. For at least the first couple of months of this session of Congress, Johnson will effectively have a zero-vote majority.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. And this is when the president is going to be advancing his 100-day agenda. So you can’t lose a single Republican based upon, you got Mike Waltz, who’s going to be resigning to become the national security advisor to the president, Elise Stefanik, who is going to be is has been nominated once she’s confirmed to be U.N. ambassador. That’s another vacancy. That’s not going to be filled until I don’t know, until she resigns. Then they’ll set. I think it’s 90 days, 70 or 90 days. So he’s going to have a very he’s going to be walking a tightrope.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. Yeah. It’s I mean, it is, I think. The battle for the recent government funding extension that we saw right before Christmas gives us a really good taste of what these next couple months are going to look like. You’re going to have the same issues cropping up. You’re going to have the same voices getting mad. And I think you put it very well right there. Johnson will be walking a tightrope to get virtually anything passed. Now, of course, it does help that you have Republicans controlling the White House and the Senate, right? Right. But ultimately, whether they can coalesce and work together to pass a lot of Trump’s big ticket items, especially in the first of two reconciliation packages, it’s going to be a heavy lift and people are going to have to compromise.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, the good thing is, is Mike has good balance. So I think he can walk that tightrope. Alex Miller, great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us and giving us an update.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely, Tony. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. Alex Miller with The Washington Times. After the break, we’re going to be joined by Congressman Mark Alford for his for his perspective.
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During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we’re making an eternal impact. 2024 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray Vote Stand Summit. to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC’s outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with a community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God’s intervention in America. In May… FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel’s peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government. Launching in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 03 :
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Back to Washington. Watch this Friday edition. Glad that you are with us. The website tonyperkins.com. Better yet, download the Stand Firm app. And if you do, you can join us for a special prayer event with the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, this Sunday night at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, 6 p.m. Central. If you do not have the app, just text the word PRAY, P-R-A-Y, to 67742. All right, we’ve been discussing today’s re-election of Mike Johnson as House Speaker, and we’re now going to go to Capitol Hill to talk with Congressman Mark Alford, who will be serving on the House Appropriations Committee, the Small Business Committee, in the 119th Congress. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Missouri. And he may have to run to the House floor here in just a moment as they’ll be voting on that rules package that we were just talking about. Congressman Alford, welcome back to the program and Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 08 :
Happy New Year to you, Tony. Good to be with you. And I’m so glad this is behind us now. We can move on with America’s agenda.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I agree. I was watching the vote. I actually talked to the speaker last night. He didn’t know what the outcome would be, but he was very confident that whatever the outcome would be, it would be fine. And one thing he did say is that he was not going to be making deals. And I think that held fast that he did not make deals. He simply told the entire conference where he stood. Give me your perspective on how things unfolded today.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, some of us were thinking this may go to two or three votes, but Mike Johnson said from the beginning, he told people, hey, we’re going to stay here until this gets done today. We’re not going to have a vote, a failed vote for his leadership in the House, and then break and then go to conference like we did with McCarthy. We’re staying here until we get this done or I’m not speaker. And it was very clear from the beginning with a couple of holdouts, I think we had three that voted against him, that those minds were going to have to be changed. So we thought, I thought we were just going to have another vote and keep doing this. Well, he got these three people in a room apparently with Marjorie Taylor Greene, there was Tom Massey, Ralph Norman, and one other person. And I guess President Trump was on the phone and he convinced these others that they needed to vote for Mike Johnson to get this ball moving forward so that we can carry out the president’s agenda. That’s what the American people wanted, and that’s what we now have to deliver.
SPEAKER 06 :
So give me a little sense of the chatter that was going on among your colleagues as this was all unfolding. Sure. I mean, you were, I mean, the conversations were taking place. Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t, I thought you were going to play a soundbite. No, no, no. No, I want you to do the sound for me. Okay.
SPEAKER 08 :
Here’s the chatter that I hear. There are people who are frustrated with the process, and there are people who are frustrated with the individuals. And there’s a third part that’s frustrated with both of them. And I kind of fit that mold being in the third part there. Look, I know that this is not a perfect process, and we have work to do. There is no bill that is going to be perfect. And we’re going to have to be voting, now that I’m on appropriations, we’re going to be voting on some very tough things to move the ball forward to make sure that all 12 appropriation bills get out of committee like we did this last 118th, this last year, but even more so to make sure that we get those on the House floor and that they are passed and sent over to the Senate. We passed five of those out of the House this year. That wasn’t good enough. We did not fund the government. That’s why we had a continuing resolution. And if you’re gonna stand against little things in a bill that hold you up for voting on that, maybe it’s time to start looking at the bigger picture that we can be more effective for President Trump and the America First agenda in getting our funding done. Now, we’ve got to get our spending under control. We’ve been over this before. We’re $36.5 trillion in debt. I think it’s the biggest existential threat to the United States of America. But the president’s going to come out with his budget at the end of February. He is going to negotiate with Mike Johnson and with the new president. the new leader over in the Senate, Mr. Thune, and then the Democrats as well, to come up with a number that we have to work under on the Appropriations Committee to make sure that we fund our government and put an end to this intransigence in the U.S. House of Representatives where we don’t get our job done, then we go back to work in our district in August, and then we come back and we get stuck with the CR, and then it’s Christmas time again, and we’re stuck with what we had this last go around. That’s got to end. Do you think it will? yes i do uh i think we here’s a couple of reasons why mike johnson listens to people he understands their differences but we’re he’s also trying to move people along and you you in order to move people along you have to listen mike you know mike he is a conservative to the heart and so he gets i mean he used to be in the freedom caucus i believe he gets uh that side of it and he understands where they’re coming from But we also have the leadership of Tom Cole, who’s done a masterful job. He knows this place. He knows the people. He knows the process. And he knows how to get these bills out of committee, ready for Steve Scalise to tee up so that we can finally pass these things. The American people are tired of what’s going on here on Capitol Hill. They want action. And it’s our job to fulfill this destiny that we’re on right now to truly, and I know it sounds trite, President Trump said, make America great again, but we are on a path to do that and we are ready to take off. Number one, we’ve got to get this reconciliation done where we are able to renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is gonna be a tremendous boon to our economy. If we don’t do that, the average family in America is going to end up paying about $3,000 extra in taxes. This economy is going to start cooking, but we’ve got to get out of the way and help really kindle the wood under this fire that’s going to do that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Congressman Mark Alford. What’s the sense in terms of the, I mean, you’ve returned now to Congress. You’re a veteran. Compare this to the 118th Congress. Is there an anticipation, kind of an excitement of what’s ahead?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think so and look, it was so frustrating two years ago and my wife is here and my kids were in the gallery and they didn’t get to see me get sworn in. Now I have a bunch of friends that got to see me actually sworn in today. I think there’s a buzz and excitement uh from the new members this new energy new blood and and this is the people’s house all different backgrounds come together and bring the best of america here to do the job for the american people and there’s an excitement for that the newness but there’s also an excitement that that we have a leader who is under the direction of god almighty who who wants to put god first and in our country and our families and get, as he said in the speech today, not just to make America great again, but to really make families great again. Lisa McClain talked about that. To get back to the true American values. I’ve said this in my speech before. You know, I want to get back to a Norman Rockwell America. I feel like we’ve been living in a Rocky Horror Picture Show under President Biden. And it’s time to get back to sanity and the common sense that President Trump stands for.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we’re going to have that opportunity. Congressman Mark Alford, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you, Tony. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back with more on today’s events right after this.
SPEAKER 16 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you. I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I absolutely love my experience in turning to FRC.
SPEAKER 16 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord. It’s really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC’s internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you. I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned. other places and they’re responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that but here we get real hands-on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of
SPEAKER 05 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it’s never gonna be on the ballot. He’s the King of Kings, and he’s the Lord of Lords, and nothing’s gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we’re to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You’ll have access to prayer points Scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Good to have you with us on this Friday. The website, TonyPerkins.com. I hope you’ve downloaded the Stand Firm app where you can take Washington Watch with you wherever you go. You can also get our Daily devotional, Stand on the Word, as well as other special programs like the one coming up this Sunday. I’ll be joined by the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, for a special prayer event that will be at 7 p.m. Eastern time this coming Sunday. To find out more, text the word PRAY, P-R-A-Y, to 67742. All right, we’re going to hear, I think, from another member of Congress. They’re calling for votes. On the rules package we were talking about earlier, do we have Congressman Weber? All right. Well, I’m going to go I’m going to go to the normal Friday host of Washington Watch Congress, former Congressman Jody Heiss. And well, I think we now have I’m going to bump Jody. I think we got Randy Weber calling in from the cloakroom there off the House floor. I think we have him. We have Congressman Randy Weber, who represents the 14th District of Texas. Congressman Weber, welcome back to Washington Watch and Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thank you, Tony. Glad to be here. Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you for stepping off the House floor there in the cloakroom to give us a call. So we’ve been discussing today’s re-election of the House Speaker Mike Johnson, and there was a little drama, not much, but some. Give us your sense of how things unfolded today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, of course, there was a handful of people who had made the statements that they wouldn’t necessarily support Mike Johnson, which I never personally understood. Mike, as you know him quite well, Tony, he’s a man of character. He’s a Christian, loves the Lord Jesus. He’s a legal scholar. I think he’s worked on bills that have been, I mean, on filings that have been laid out before the Supreme Court. He’s just a real deal. Of course, he’s from Louisiana next to Texas. strong energy state, Texas strong energy state family man. I’ve been here a while. I’ve watched him up close and comfortable the last whatever it is, eight or so years. He’s been here maybe a little more. And why they wouldn’t support him is beyond me, other than maybe to get attention or maybe to call attention to some things that really, quite frankly, Speaker Johnson has already agreed to change. So I didn’t quite understand it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. I want to talk a little bit about the peer pressure. Now, I know each member of Congress is elected by their constituents, and so they’re all leaders. Each one of you are leaders. But you obviously come together, you elect a leader, and you’ve got to kind of walk together in this process. Does peer pressure come to play in a vote like this?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I think if you’re smart, you listen to your constituency, obviously. I’m from a very conservative district in the Texas House. When I was in the Texas House in 2009, I had the most conservative voting record. And so you listen to your constituents. Mike Johnson listens not just to his constituents in Louisiana, but the members up here who, of course, are listening to their constituents.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right.
SPEAKER 09 :
But you do have to balance that just a little bit and say, okay… I get this, and you need to explain that to your constituents back home, that we’re trying to do the best that we can for the most that we can, so we have to have a little give or take, which, as you know, Tony, I’m a Christian conservative Republican in that order.
SPEAKER 06 :
You are.
SPEAKER 09 :
And so we have to say, look, we want to do what we think is best for the most. We’re willing to talk. We’re willing to negotiate. No name-calling, no back-door deals, that kind of stuff. And I think Mike Johnson has exhibited, he’s exactly that kind of person you can count on, that kind of leader you can count on. So I was a little disappointed by the reluctancy of some to play ball early on.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, Congressman Weber, you understand this, and I would think most of the members understand this, that, of course, Mike is a very conservative man, as you described him, a Christian, conservative Republican. I’ve known Mike since law school, prayed with him last night over this vote today. But the reality is when you’re speaker and you’ve got to move things forward, the 219 members that are currently in the House that are Republican are very diverse. And trying to bring all them together takes a lot of give and take, does it not?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, it does. And of course, one thing that we love, we so appreciate Washington Watch and all the attention you draw to the process up here, and we really appreciate that, Tony. But the thing about it is you’ve got to be willing to give and take. And remember, you’ve got to be able to explain that. And if you’re going to have some situations that you don’t necessarily like or don’t necessarily agree with, how about we get behind closed doors? And how about we hammer that out and have that discussion about giving and taking? Let’s not do it in social media. And I think that’s one of the things that we need to learn up here. Let’s have the family get back behind closed doors, have a family discussion. I can tell you, Mike, you already know because you know him from the past, Mike’s the real deal. He’s got America’s best. First of all, he’s a Christian, as I said. He’s got God’s plan on his mind. He’s got America’s best interest in his heart. And he’s going to do the right thing. We just need to learn to have this discussion. don’t malign one another in the media, and actually work together.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, Congressman Weber, that’s a great analogy as a family. I mean, if you’ve got a dispute with your family, if you want to resolve it, you don’t go tweeting about it. You actually get into a room, you sit down and have a conversation about it and even pray about it. That’s why I appreciate you. Randy Weber, thanks so much for joining us. I know you got to run down to the House floor and vote. Thanks for joining us. And again, Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thanks, Tony. Happy New Year. The Lord’s blessings to you.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. Congressman Randy Weber of Texas. In fact, on the StandFirm platform, we have profiles, kind of profiles in leadership, a special series. And Congressman Weber is one of those. If you’ve not seen it, I encourage you to download the StandFirm app. Learn more about Congressman Randy Weber, who has a very interesting past. All right, when we come back, we’re going to dive a little deeper into what took place this week in New Orleans and what does the future hold when it comes to the radicalization of Americans. Don’t go away. Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let’s not be discouraged. Don’t lose heart. Don’t lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let’s stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 11 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don’t defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 01 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don’t say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You’re naive if you think that, because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 14 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we’ve relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource. and we’ve relied too little on the power of God and God’s ability to open doors that we can’t open and do things that we couldn’t even hope to begin to do.
SPEAKER 04 :
This may not be an easy task, But we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know always that we are not alone, that his spirit empowers us and protects us, and that he can do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to happen.
SPEAKER 06 :
father we thank you you have entrusted us with this moment in history and i pray that we would be found faithful and that as a result of our faithfulness to you that thousands millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in jesus christ amen Welcome back to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. Good to have you with us, and again, Happy New Year. I do want to invite you to join me and Governor Jeff Landry, along with a number of other leaders like Jack Hibbs, Pastor Carter Conlon, for a special time of prayer for Louisiana and our nation this Sunday night at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. To find out how, simply text PRAY, P-R-A-Y, to 67742. That’s 67742. Our word for today comes from Isaiah 48. Here was the situation. They called themselves by the name of Israel. They swore by the name of the Lord. They made mention of the God of Israel, but they did not do it in truth and righteousness. They were, I guess what we would call ancient rhinos, righteous in name only. They talked of God, called themselves by his name, but worshiped idols and practiced wickedness. It’s not what you say, it’s what you do. Identifying as a Christian is not the same as living as a follower of Christ. To join us in our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. As investigations continue into the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have sent out a joint bulletin advising law enforcement nationwide to be hyper vigilant and prepared for potential copycat attacks. The bulletin also notes that ISIS has been promoting the use of vehicles as terrorism weapons over the past decade. but that the terrorist group has been ramping up their calls for attacks amid the Israel and Hamas war. But is it more warnings and vigilance that we need? Can we really simply ramp up enough security to fend off these types of attacks? Joining me now to discuss this is former Secret Service Special Agent Tim Miller, founder and president of Lionheart International Services Group. He’s a 30-year law enforcement and military professional whose extensive background includes leadership roles in Homeland Security, law enforcement and United States Marine Corps. Tim, welcome back to Washington Watch Semper Fi.
SPEAKER 07 :
Semper Fi, Tony. It’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 06 :
First, before we jump into some of the particulars I want to talk about, can you share with us the latest that’s come out over the last 24 hours on these two incidents?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, Tony, the concern that you have in any major incident is that there’s a free flow of information initially, but then more substantive information begins to come out, and not everybody’s so focused on it anymore. In the case of the New Orleans attack, it couldn’t be a worst-case scenario because it was a double whammy. It was a U.S. military member causing traumatic loss of life and when you look at the radicalization process and that’s what’s been coming out within the last 24 hours it is very evident that he was radicalized everything about his value system changed uh even post uh you know saying that he was going to kill his own family um and decided not to because he didn’t want to take away from the greater cause So I think, you know, it’s shocking. The thing you touched on, Tony, I think it’s so critical. In the Secret Service, when we had an attack, we had to assume that there were lots of other folks out there just waiting to do the same thing. And because of that, I think we need to be as vigilant as we can. In L.A., you know, the attack in Las Vegas – I’m sorry – More information is coming out that is truly shocking. Perhaps it wasn’t what was represented, a disgruntled person. There’s information coming out that indicates he was a very reliable member of the 10th Special Forces Group, which you know that unit. And so there’s a lot of information flowing. all of which suggests, Tony, that I think we have a rough road ahead in 2025.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, the Las Vegas leaves me more puzzled than New Orleans. The radicalization of the attacker in New Orleans makes sense. I don’t, I’m waiting for more information on, I mean, this guy was five bronze stars in Las Vegas.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Currently on active duty.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and to the that point, Tony, there is more information. There’s a lot more information. The initial story doesn’t add up. All of us have said that. And as early or as late as a few hours ago, I saw some information that suggested he had tried to notify a lot of folks about some things going on. And I think you’re going to see breaking news soon that maybe it wasn’t what was portrayed by the media. And to that end, it’s a tragedy because That man lost his life. We all know, Tony, you and I know, If he’d applied his professional capabilities to do mass damage, he could have done a horribly more impacting attack. And that didn’t happen. The question which you raise, why?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, because, I mean, just basic improvised devices that he could have put together. I mean, what was in the back of that vehicle was, I mean, no one that has any kind of professional skills would have put that together. I mean, very rudimentary. But I want to go a little deeper on this, Tim, because, by the way, headlines this afternoon, the AP, New Orleans attack and Vegas explosion highlight extremist violence by active military and veterans. And so here we go. We’re going to start pinpointing veterans and military personnel as a threat to our nation. We’ve seen this before. I mean, obviously, those are individuals who are trained. And as you said, this man in Las Vegas could have done a lot more had he really wanted to because of his training. But I want to go to the issue. of the radicalization and how this is happening. I mean, it’s one thing to have an external threat. And I know people saying, we’ve got to close down the border. And I’d agree. We’ve got to close the border. But the border closure wouldn’t have affected these two cases. These are Americans. And these are individuals who, native to this country, radicalized somehow. The only thing I’m left with, Tim, and I don’t have as an extensive background as you do, but I did work in anti-terrorism. I worked as a police officer. I was in the Marine Corps. There are some things you just can’t protect against. We have to rely upon divine protection at some point as a nation. And we’ve created this spiritual vacuum that’s being filled by a hateful ideology. My take.
SPEAKER 07 :
No, I think you’re spot on, Tony. And it does beg the question, what changed from when we were in to now? And I think there are some very important things that we’re not calling out because of political correctness. We’ve allowed… Every kind of ideology to be celebrated and, you know, even in the U.S. military drag shows. And there is an absolute moral vacuum that used to not be because everybody that came into the military understood we were all united under the banner of the red, white and blue. And when you compromise those values, you constantly tell people, well, I know your conscience says this, but you must believe this. It does create a freefall, which I think we’re seeing. I talk to a lot of military members who are incredibly frustrated because the values that they believe in, Christian values, are being scorned, mocked, and sometimes suppressed. And so I’m hopeful under this new administration that we can let the U.S. military get back to being what the U.S. military is because it is a call up. Tony, you and I entered the military because it was something bigger than ourselves. And as believers, you were serving the nation. We got to get back to that.
SPEAKER 06 :
And here is part of my concern, Tim. We all want security. I mean, that was a big issue in this election, the crime. And people want security. They want their families to be secure. I do, but not at the cost of my freedom. And if we’re going to have a government that’s big enough to protect us, absent a moral foundation that we govern ourselves by, It’s a government that’s big enough to take all the freedoms that we cherish.
SPEAKER 07 :
Amen, Tony. And I’ll tell you, brother, I really believe that it starts with holding the government accountable, with remembering they’re the primary enforcers of our rights. You know, we the people have established rights that they have to enforce. And when you see things being done, unfortunately, by government entities like opening the borders, letting jails be emptied of violent criminals in other countries, who are here now, it puts us in an awkward position. But everybody, we train organizations all over the world. Everybody I talk to, I encourage that you now are your own security director. You have to be in a position where you learn the skills, have the mindset to protect yourself. That doesn’t mean we’re crazy, you know, weapons wielding people, but it does mean we understand we must protect ourselves. But back to your point, Tony, it all starts with a very solid document called the Constitution. Right. Where we were guaranteed rights and we have to hold the government accountable. We need to stand if there ever is a time. That’s why I love being on with you. You are standing strong. Every believer in this nation needs to stand strong for Christ. Because I’ll tell you, we’re at risk of losing this great nation if we don’t begin to put things back in place like values and morals and Christian ethics that made us great to begin with.
SPEAKER 06 :
And that’s right. The path to greatness begins with moral goodness. And as you make reference to the Constitution, which is the agreement by which we as citizens agree to be governed. But John Adams, second president of the United States, he said our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. And so there was a presupposition that there was going to be a foundation of morality, but we’ve had the government in the last, I would say going all the way back to the 1960s, pushing consistently that morality connected to Christianity out of the public space. It’s left this huge vacuum. People then become radicalized by these other ideologies, Because evil hates a vacuum, a void. It’s going to fill it. And here we are. And this is what we have today.
SPEAKER 07 :
That is so true, Tony. And I’ll tell you, I can remember faces and names of Christians in the U.S. Marine Corps that showed what it looked like to walk with God, that weren’t shy in sharing their faith, that stood on the moral high ground, that reached out and helped Marines that were struggling. Now, if you do that, you can get court-martialed. So to your point, we’ve got to get back to being men and women of courage, of faith. And because, you know, if not, we’ve seen what happens, Tony, when we kick God out of the schools. Schools now are the most violent places that you can be. Why? Because we kick God out and now we’re shocked that Satan walked right on in the door.
SPEAKER 06 :
And this is not about government imposing religion. It’s allowing people, it’s allowing believers to live out their faith, as you just described a moment ago, that when that faith is on display, it’s attractive. People that are having challenges want to know, hey, how can I have that peace? You seem to have it all together. Can you tell me the secret behind that? And when we’re able to be open about our faith and we are courageous about sharing our faith, which not every Christian is, but we should be, that has a contagious effect.
SPEAKER 07 :
Tony, it so does. And really, it’s not our idea. It’s God’s idea. We actually live out as a living testimony to the Lord. We say, no, you can make those choices, but we believe God has more for you. But even that spirit now, if you think about it, it’s been ideal. Identified as extreme, right? It’s been identified as radical Oh, but by the way, we don’t care that Isis is blowing up, you know folks in our cities That’s not considered radical because that doesn’t fit you and I know it’s extreme radicalism but the bottom line is that oh that the level of evil is allowed to prosper because we no longer value the righteousness that we once valued and that can only be found in in the living God.
SPEAKER 06 :
Tim, we just have about two minutes left. I want to go back to something you said kind of at the beginning of our conversation, and that is we need to be, we need to basically put on the seatbelt, buckle the helmet for 2025 and what’s ahead. These challenges, it’s going to get a little more turbulent before it gets better, right?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I certainly think it is, Tony, but we can’t ignore that, you know, policies have consequences. You know, elected leaders making bad calls cost people a lot. And in this case, I believe it’s going to cost people their blood because we’ve let so many evil people in. You know, there was a season in our country where we only let people in that wanted to be Americans. They wanted to have our values. But we’ve let folks in, Tony, that are incredibly evil. We’re seeing crime on the streets. We’re seeing gang takeovers in certain U.S. cities. Now we’re seeing the rise of of terrorism. Quite frankly, Tony, I don’t think we’ve even seen the beginning of the terrorists. There are so many folks angry at the US for a number of reasons, but now they used to be in Tehran screaming death to America. Now, the day after the New Orleans attack, they’re screaming it in Manhattan. And you have to ask yourself the question. We’ve invited evil right into the front door and we need to be prepared for that.
SPEAKER 06 :
We’ve left the door wide open and they have come in and we wonder how they have invaded our home. Tim, I want to thank you for joining us. Always great to talk with you. Thanks so much for giving us your insights today. And again, Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you, brother, for having me. I’m praying for you and for all that you’re doing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you so much. Tim Miller, founder and president of Lionheart International Services Group. To find out more, go to the website, TonyPerkins.com. Also, as we’ve been talking about the way forward here, we need to pray. We need to pray that America will return to God. We need to pray for those first responders. Pray for our leaders. Pray for the victims of the attack in New Orleans. And you can join us Sunday. At 7 p.m. Eastern Time, text PRAY to 67742. All right, folks, have a great weekend and hope to see you Sunday.
SPEAKER 02 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
