On today’s program: Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at The Washington Stand and Host of the “Outstanding” podcast, shares highlights from Charlie Kirk’s memorial, a deadly attack with anti-Semitic undertones at a wedding, and the
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from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
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On the cross, our Savior said, Father, forgive them for they not know what they do. That man, that young man, I forgive him.
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That was Erica Kirk in a powerful moment at yesterday’s memorial service, breaking down in tears as she forgave the alleged shooter who killed her husband, Charlie Kirk. Welcome to this September 22nd edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up today, powerful reflections on Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Phoenix, where forgiveness and the gospel took center stage. Our own Casey Harper and Travis Weber join me later in the program for more. Senator Chuck Schumer blames President Donald Trump for a possible government shutdown. Now, the House passed a clean funding bill at the end of last week, but the Senate hasn’t. Congressman Robert Adderhall will join me in just a bit to discuss what happens next. And Britain and several other countries announced on Sunday they now recognize Palestine as a state. A declaration coming as the United Nations General Assembly gathers in New York this week. Jonathan Shanzer from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies will break it all down for us. More than 63,000 people gathered outside Phoenix yesterday afternoon for memorial service honoring Christian conservative leader Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old was shot and killed while answering a question from an audience member at an event at Utah Valley University on September the 10th. Faith in Jesus Christ was front and center at yesterday’s event with speakers like Pastor Rob McCoy and Christian apologist Frank Turek sharing how important the gospel was to Charlie. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who has been following this story. Casey, what more can you tell us about the memorial service yesterday?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, thanks, Tony. Yesterday’s event, it drew some of the nation’s biggest political and Christian figures from President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance and, of course, Charlie’s widow, who you featured there, Erica. And at one point, she broke down in tears as she told the crowd she forgave the alleged killer.
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That man…
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I forgive him.
SPEAKER 13 :
I’ve seen that clip many times, but it gets me every time, Tony. But at the event, the gospel was shared through messages from Charlie’s pastor, Rob McCoy, and even his mentor and Christian apologist, Frank Turek.
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Now, I want you to know that Charlie right now is in heaven. not because he was a great husband and father, not because he saved millions of kids out of darkness on college campuses, not because he changed minds and chased votes to save the country, not because he sacrificed himself for his savior. Charlie Kirk is in heaven because his savior sacrificed himself for Charlie Kirk.
SPEAKER 13 :
That clip was Frank Turek, president of the Christian Apologetics Group, crossexamine.org. This event was streamed live by Turning Point USA and is estimated to have reached millions of viewers, Tony.
SPEAKER 18 :
Thanks, Casey. I actually spoke with Frank Turek earlier this morning and thanked him for such a clear presentation of the gospel. And our prayer is that the message of the gospel will continue to reach the hearts and minds of people. Casey, what else are you tracking?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, New Hampshire officials, this is an interesting story and very sad, they say 23-year-old Hunter Nadeau shot and killed a man and wounded two others with a handgun. Now, the shooting happened Saturday night at a restaurant during a wedding. Notably, a witness said the suspect shouted, the children are safe and free Palestine. Of course, earlier this year, a man shouting that same phrase killed two at the Israeli embassy. They were staff members near the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., Tony. So these acts of violence, they’re part of this growing wave of anti-Semitic attacks that are, of course, tied to the ongoing war against the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. The incident in New Hampshire, it comes on the heels of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, which began today. And Britain, related to that, Britain announced yesterday it’s officially recognizing a Palestinian state. France announced today they’re making the same official. So they say Israel has failed to meet key conditions, including a ceasefire and the nearly two-year Gaza conflict. Now, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said the move aims to revive hope for peace and this so-called two-state solution, though many say this proposal threatens the very existence of Israel. The U.K. joins many countries, including, as I noted, France, Canada, Australia and Portugal, in recognizing the Palestinian state, Tony.
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You know, Casey, it’s hard to see how rewarding the barbaric behavior of Hamas by recognizing a Palestinian state will actually lead to peace. I mean, this is they’re giving in to these terrorists. Anyway, we’re going to explore this topic more with Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a little later. Casey, what’s the latest from Capitol Hill on the pending government shutdown?
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Well, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, he’s on the verge of shutting down the government, but he’s blaming President Trump. He says President Trump hasn’t been willing to negotiate, to have a sit-down, to avoid the shutdown, though, breaking news, there are reports now that they are supposed to meet, so there could be a breakthrough there. Schumer’s been blaming Republicans for, he says they’re pushing for a partisan funding bill without Democratic input. Of course, the House passed a clean funding bill last week, but the Senate has not. They don’t have the Democratic votes yet. And without a deal, the government could shut down on October 1st, Tony.
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All right. Thank you, Casey. We’ll talk to you a bit later. Joining me now to dive further into the government funding fight is Congressman Robert Adderhall, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chair of the Values Action Team. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Alabama. Congressman Adderhall, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, Tony. Good to be with you and good. Thanks for having me on this afternoon.
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Well, let’s talk about the House finished its business before it left town last week, passing a clean, continuing resolution. But the Senate hasn’t done anything with it. What are you hearing?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it was interesting. I was listening to some of the Sunday talk shows yesterday, and, of course, Chuck Schumer was one of the ones that was being interviewed. And I think that – well, I think from my reading between the lines on what’s going on right now, the Democrats are not sure what they’re going to do. I think they see it’s a real problem that if they shut down the government, that that could cause a real problem for them as well as other problems for the entire nation. But at the same time, I think there’s a tremendous amount of pressure from their base is they want to fight Donald Trump. So they’re in a really a lose-lose situation the way that I see it. And I think over the next few days, they will be talking to their constituents and talking to their members and finding out. you know, really watches the course of least resistance. And whichever one they decide, that’s the one they’ll move in. I think right now it could go either way. I think that at the end of the day, I think that Schumer was very reluctant to go ahead and say, I’m shutting down the government or I will shut down the government because I think a lot of his members are very reluctant.
SPEAKER 18 :
You know, Tip O’Neill used to say all politics is local. I mean, I think this is a local issue when it comes to the Senate Democrat leader, Chuck Schumer. You talk about the base. Part of this is the base in the state of New York that could threaten his political existence because they’ve become so radical.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, exactly. And that, like you said, the base is really, I think, what is they’re so frustrated at Donald Trump and the Republicans. And they are wanting a good fight. And this is the only way they know to fight right now. So I think that Schumer knows the dangers of shutting down the government. You could see from the interview yesterday that he was very reluctant to say that he’s committed to shut down the government because he knows the ramifications. But at the same time, if they get pressure and their base says you got to do it, then, you know, it may happen. But I don’t think any decision has been made right now. I think they’re waiting to see over the next few days. Congress is in recess this week, both the House and the Senate, and members will be back with their constituency to find out what’s going on. And I think they’ll be deciding over the next week exactly which direction they’re going to go.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, Congressman Adderhall. What appears to be the most likely scenarios then? How do you see this playing out?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think that at the end of the day, the Democrats will see that it’s too risky and they will come to some, now they’re going to want something. Right now, what they’re asking for is government subsidies on the Obamacare and several other healthcare-related issues. But that’s the main thing right now is they’re wanting to do subsidies for Obamacare, and I think that’s a bridge too far. And so they may cut and notch it down, ask for a little something to save face, and then an agreement will be made.
SPEAKER 18 :
So you at this point do not think there will be a shutdown?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think there is a good chance the Democrats will come to the table. That’s correct. However, you know, longer this goes, you know, the more likelihood it would be. But I think it’s they’re taking a real chance for them to shut down the government. And I think that would really be a bad look for them.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, Congressman Adderhall, we just have about two and a half minutes left. I want to talk more about the appropriations. You’re one of what they call the cardinals in the appropriations. You oversee one of the areas of appropriations. The speaker who’s been on the program many times, we’ve talked about appropriations. getting the Congress back to regular order when it comes to appropriations. I mean, we have to go back almost 20 years to see Congress actually functioning in that role. We were discussing that last week with one of your colleagues, suggesting that maybe it’s time that Congress works to two-year appropriations because there’s just not enough time to deal with the volume and the size of the government budget each and every year.
SPEAKER 03 :
Obviously, that would be a serious option. The problem with that, as someone on the Preparations Committee, is that suppose you get someone like a Biden in there as opposed to someone like a Trump that we agree with, and so they’re given free reign of the government for a period. and i think that’s dangerous so i think we have to take that in consideration so um it’s there’s pros and cons to everything uh as you well know but i would be reluctant at this point to say go into a two-year right now would be fine with donald trump as president but he is not always going to be president and so i think we have to be looking for those long-term issues where in a few years we might have a Democrat and very well fit.
SPEAKER 18 :
But you would agree you would agree the current situation is not working because the Congress is not passing appropriations bills.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, no, I agree. There’s really, a matter of fact, you said about 20, it’s been almost 30 since we passed the preparation bills by September the 30th. So, no, you’re exactly right. The question is, do we, they’ll move it, move some of the, because we’re gone during the month of August.
SPEAKER 18 :
Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
And so that really hampers the ability to try to get some of these negotiations going. Well, you could a lot…
SPEAKER 18 :
You could align it with the two years or even a four-year budget along with a presidential term. I mean, there’s several options to look at. But Congress really needs to take the lead here and not allow executives to drive. the budgeting process as they do so often at the CR.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that’s the thing that I’m concerned about. If you did a two-year period, then that’s really you give the administration a two-year time period to do a preparations, and you have no way to try to hold the reins back from them if they decide to do something crazy.
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All right, Robert, we’ve got to leave it there. Always great to see you. Drive safely. Talk to you soon.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you.
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Congressman Robert Adderholt of Alabama. All right, on the other side of the break, the United Nations is holding a meeting this week talking about two-state solutions. That’s next.
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Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail-order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. The Family Research Council invites you to join our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan as we reflect upon the life of Jesus, the Word who dwelt among us. Come with us and discover the glory of the Word. Read the Gospels and witness the life-changing story of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Come read how Jesus transformed the lives of common people and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come with us for 10 to 15 minutes a day and read the entire New Testament before the new year. Find our Bible reading plan in daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us and stand on the word.
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Welcome back to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. All right. As we speak, world leaders are gathering at the United Nations headquarters in New York. And just a couple hours ago, they started their discussion on the so-called two-state solution. ahead of the meeting and the start of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, the nations of Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal all announced, and I believe France as well announced, their formal recognition of the so-called two-state, the state of Palestine. So what can we expect to see from the United Nations this week? Joining me now to discuss this, Dr. Jonathan Shanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is also author of the book Gaza Conflict 2021, Hamas, Israel, and the 11 Days of War. Dr. Shanzer, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us today. My pleasure. Now, I was told you just returned from Germany where the Palestinian state issue was the focus of meetings there. What can you tell us about what’s going on internationally and what we might see in New York this week?
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Sure. Well, I mean, I think the first thing that you need to understand is that this is not a new initiative. This is something that has actually been pursued by the Palestinian Authority since 2005. There was actually a vote in 2012 where the UN saw 138 countries come out and recognize the state of Palestine or what they call the state of Palestine. That still didn’t do anything to further the cause. And the reason why is that This will only matter if it is voted upon and accepted at the UN Security Council. So a General Assembly vote, where 193 countries could all vote in favor, would matter not even a bit. It has to be at the Security Council, and that’s where the United States has a veto. And the United States has vowed to veto this. The Trump administration has said that it is a rewarding of terrorism. It is a rewarding of Hamas for the war that it launched on October 7. And so, yes, I do expect there to be a number of countries that come out and openly state their support for a Palestinian state for a so-called two-state solution. But in the end, it will matter very little. There will be some political pressure that will be placed on Israel as a result of this. But the U.S. has Israel’s back, and I think the pressure will at some point dissipate.
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So, Jonathan, is this political theater on the international stage?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. I mean, in a word, yes. I mean, what I think you need to understand here is that most of these world leaders that are declaring Palestinian statehood are deeply unpopular at home. I mean, you see the government in France teetering Kyrgyzstan, numbers, and England are plummeting. The Portuguese are, I think, traditionally just unstable. So these are all countries that don’t particularly have significant standing among their own populations. And they have large Muslim populations who have been speaking out against the war in Gaza.
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Let’s take U.K. Starmer yesterday saying this. Originally, back in July, he said he laid out conditions, one of those being that Hamas would have to release the hostages, they would have to disarm, no future role in Gaza. None of those conditions have been agreed to or met, but yet he’s now calling for recognition of a Palestinian state. And how many states do we have that have no… defined boundaries or constitutions? I mean, how often does that happen?
SPEAKER 16 :
It really doesn’t. I mean, and by the way, it’s not just that they don’t have a constitution. It’s not just that they don’t have defined boundaries. They don’t control arms within their so-called borders. In other words, they’re armed gangs that are running around in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The only thing that they are able to do that would meet the criteria of statehood is engage in diplomacy. So one out of four. Not looking real good for the Palestinians here. The last country that was admitted to the UN, just use that as an example, that was South Sudan. They suffered from similar problems. weak governance, armed factions running around, porous borders. And when you look at South Sudan right now, that is a disaster. The Middle East does not need another failed state. And that’s why I think this is a real mistake to pursue right now.
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Jonathan, I want to go back to your statement in terms of the U.S., position on this, that they feel that this is rewarding Hamas. I mean, I don’t know how you see it any different. I don’t see how you can see it in a different fashion, because on October the 7th, they brutalized, they killed, and now we’re rewarding them. The international community would be rewarding them with the state. But let’s take this a little further. For all of these countries, as you said, that are already a little bit unstable, what does this do to terrorists that may want to focus on their countries?
SPEAKER 16 :
Look, I think it is a green light for violent factions in Kurdistan, for example, or in other areas where you have people without a homeland. Look, I’m not an opponent of Palestinian nationalism, Kurdish nationalism, or any other people that are looking for statehood. But when you see a group like Hamas launch a war two years ago murder people, 1,200 people in cold blood, and take hostages, 48 of whom have still not yet been returned. This is the kind of thing where you just scratch your head and wonder, why wouldn’t they offer statehood after an agreement is struck, after the hostages are returned, after the core components of this conflict are resolved? This makes a lot of sense to me right now. But the other organization is an opponent of the Palestinian Authority and the West Bank. It makes no sense to me right now why they’re doing this.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, Jonathan, we just have a little bit over a minute left. The international stage there in New York with the United Nations meeting and the General Assembly, there’ll be lots of speeches, lots of things said about this. Is the Security Council scheduled to meet? When are they scheduled to meet? And when will we see potential action on this?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, I am actually not even sure that there will be a vote. I think you’re going to see General Assembly action on this. You’re going to see a lot of people come and speak out about this. But everybody knows exactly what’s going to happen at the end here. Donald Trump is not going to be swayed. The United States will not be swayed here. And so this is posturing. It’s a lot of virtue signaling right now. And there is much more important business to attend to at the United Nations. We’ve got a war with Russia and Ukraine. You’ve got snapback sanctions against Iran. These are the things that we should be focused on, not something that we know that’s not going to pass.
SPEAKER 18 :
Dr. Schanzer, thanks so much for joining us today. Appreciate your insights on what I think is a very important and significant issue. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Thanks for having me. And folks, I would encourage you to be praying. I know that as he just laid out, it’s not going to go anywhere, but it is fomenting that hostility, the anti-Semitism. It just makes the world a more difficult place. All right, don’t go away. We’re back with more after this.
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I’m defending the family by working in the Center for Biblical Worldview to provide cutting edge research and resources for pastors, ministry leaders, and Christian parents.
SPEAKER 11 :
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SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you for your support. It is so critical to the work that we at Family Research Council are doing day to day as we support and strengthen the family. So thank you.
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Welcome back. All right. Today on Washington Watch, we’re introducing a new weekly feature, Standing Together, a special segment where we highlight organizations that share our commitment to advance the kingdom of God by championing faith, family and freedom. And none of us can meet today’s challenges alone, but together. Together, we can advance God’s truth in our culture and public policy. Well, today we’re joined by Nina May, founder and chairman of the Renaissance Foundation and Renaissance Women Production. Nina, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you very much for having me. Really appreciate it.
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So following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I and others have noted how the present environment harkens back to another time of turbulence, the 1960s, in which our nation witnessed the assassination of John F. Kennedy, president, his brother, attorney general, Martin Luther King Jr., But following that period was a countercultural Christian phenomenon known as the Jesus Movement, which exploded across the U.S. It spurred a nationwide spiritual awakening and left a legacy. And that’s the subject of a movie, Jesus Freaks, a movie you produced that premiered earlier this summer and will actually be rebroadcast online October the 4th. Tell us about it. Tell us why it’s timely and why you did it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it really is amazing when you think about it. 50 years before the Jesus Freak movement and the Jesus Revolution, they did the movie out on the West Coast. This is kind of a sequel to it. But 50 years before that was the Azusa revival. Then you had Jesus Freaks, and now you’re having the Gen Z revival 50 years after the Jesus Freaks. So it’s really interesting. It’s kind of a jubilee sort of countdown for those three right in a row. And so something always happened. Society changed. People’s lives were changed. There was more of a hunger for God. It wasn’t just establishment churches, but there was something else that was happening. I remember when we were growing up, we obviously knew Jesus. We loved Jesus. But we were flannelboard Christians. We didn’t understand who the Holy Spirit was. In fact, you were not really… You’re told not to talk about the Holy Spirit. Jesus was okay. God, of course, is wonderful. But you started talking about the Holy Spirit and suddenly people go, well, we don’t do that here. And we all wondered why. What is the problem with that? Because that’s the power. And when you reject the power that God has created us to have with the Creator, then you’re really rejecting what your destiny is that he’s designed you for. So we are seeing crazy things happening now. But remember 50 years ago, In the early 70s was when we were, all this was happening to us. We had the end of the Vietnam War. We had abortion. I mean, that was big on the rise. And of course, drugs were now becoming acceptable, not totally mainstream, but not quite as bad as they were. So we were having things that we had to deal with. And knowing Jesus and knowing the power of the Holy Spirit to get through some of these hard times was just, it was miraculous. It was wonderful. And we want miracles like that today. We’ve got to expect miracles.
SPEAKER 18 :
So storytelling is very powerful because if it happened before, it can happen again. And this movie, based on a true story in 1972, share a little bit about that. We’ve got a couple of minutes. Just kind of share the storyline.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it’s based on a true story. It’s basically… My husband’s name is Colby, so it’s mine and Colby’s story of becoming born-again believers on a college campus in the Southeast. The Jesus Revolution story was on the West Coast. This is the East Coast. And again, it’s on a college campus where it was much more… The discussion was much more cerebral. It wasn’t just, you know, was it drugs, rock and roll, sex, drugs, rock and roll? It wasn’t that at all. It was basically… Why do you think you need Jesus? And it was our story, and there was miracles that happened. I mean, that was how Colby became a Christian. He had an encounter with the Lord and the Holy Spirit on the soccer field at night and a vision. And a whole column of light came down. It’s all in the movie. There’s tons of miracles that are in the movie. And we really want young kids to use this. First of all, the Gen Z group to use this as a tool of witnessing for their friends, but also looking at it themselves as a deep dive that they can have with the relationship with God. Because again, he calls us to be a co-creator. And I take that calling very seriously. It’s a lot of fun. You know, a fun time with it. But bottom line, I probably had no idea I was doing this. I was doing it as our anniversary. So I made a movie without him.
SPEAKER 18 :
So it’s going to be online. Share how people can join and watch this coming up in just a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it’s now on Amazon Prime. It’s on Tubi. It’s on several other network platforms like that. But on October 4th, it’s going to be on TCT TV. So it’s real fast. And they’re putting it all over the country. They love it. They’re doing this on their dime. I mean, they just really think that this message has to get out there, especially for the young people to understand that God does have a purpose for their lives. And it’s fun finding out what that purpose is. And you just never know.
SPEAKER 18 :
And there’s going to be some online discussions and follow up?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, on September the 28th at about, I think, 4.30 to 5.30 that afternoon, it’s sort of the making of, the behind-the-scenes making of the movie. And we’ve got several testimonies from people that you would know that have testimonies from that time period. That’s when they became born again. And they all have amazing stories to tell. And again, their names today are household names. But if it had not been for the move of the Holy Spirit, At that time on that campus, I don’t know if you would have some of the things that you have, some of the preachers, some of the books, some of the authors, some of the entertainers, some of the major pastors that we have. They all became Christians and born again during that time period.
SPEAKER 18 :
Very quickly, where can people find out more?
SPEAKER 04 :
Go to jesusfreaksmovie.com, and all of it’s in there, all the dates and times and everything, because it is confusing. But jesusfreaksmovie.com, and you can find more about it. You can see the trailer, which we’ve gotten wonderful label reviews for, and we’re very excited about it.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, Nina Mae, thanks so much for joining us, and thank you for sharing the gospel and its powerful transformative effect upon our lives. Great to see you.
SPEAKER 04 :
My pleasure. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 18 :
And folks, if God did it before, he can do it again. And America needs it again. All right, don’t go away. More straight ahead.
SPEAKER 05 :
Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
SPEAKER 15 :
Jennifer, it’s so exciting to be here with you today talking about our new book, Embracing God’s Design. Who is actually going to benefit from reading this book in your view?
SPEAKER 06 :
There are so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, because we have some material in there where we really address the gender dysphoria diagnosis and what is wrong with it. We have information for people who are wanting to go back to embracing God’s design for their life.
SPEAKER 15 :
This is really magical to have the therapist and the individual who suffered come together and write about why this is happening and why we’re seeing this.
SPEAKER 06 :
And we brought all of that experience to the table. We want to see people walking in the fullness of who God has called them to be and not a false identity.
SPEAKER 15 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture. and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 18 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. All right, I want to invite you to join like-minded believers for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California. Now, this powerful event brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. I mean, this is the moment. So I invite you to come and join us. To find out more or to register, visit PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org. Our word for today comes from Galatians chapter 1. The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man, for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood. nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus. When Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he didn’t launch into a ministry right away. Instead, he went into the desert for three years. God often uses the desert, a place of isolation and scarcity, to prepare his people. Paul then spent nearly another decade in hidden preparation before his world changing ministry began. In all, it was over a dozen years in training before preaching the gospel widely. The lesson is pretty clear. Leaders and teachers must be tested, shaped and proven before they can be safely followed. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. And I invite you to join us. All right, as we heard earlier, potential government shutdown is looming. And world leaders are also gathering at the United Nations headquarters in New York, beginning today, where several European countries are promoting the recognition of a Palestinian state. So here to offer some analysis on what we’re tracking here at the Family Research Council this week is our panel of pundits for today, Travis Weber, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, and Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at the Washington Stand. Travis, Casey, thanks so much for joining me today.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you, Tony. Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 18 :
I want to follow back up, Casey, where you and I started earlier in the program. Yesterday, many in our audience watched the memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, as did tens of thousands who flocked to the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to attend the service in person. Share with us some of the major themes running throughout the day.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, but it was really… to, of course. And one major theme was forgiveness, Tony. We saw the powerful moment where Erica forgave her killer. She burst into tears. And I don’t know if you noticed this, but when you look into the crowd, you can see several grown men crying at that moment as everyone stands and gives their standing ovation. It’s very powerful. I cried. I’ll admit it. It was a really powerful moment. So that theme of forgiveness, I think, is the strongest. You also heard this word, which is a great word, the word revival. And that’s really a nod to the way that so many youth, both in conservative politics but more pronounced in their faith, have come out posting on social media, making videos. and in other ways saying that they’re rededicating their life to Christ or they’re coming to Christ for the first time. Now, there was a lot of good news came out of this and if we want to just stay on honoring Charlie, that’s fine. But I do think there were some darker elements of the speeches that came through and people have been talking about that as well. You would hear one speaker who would speak and they would be in the spirit clearly and what they were saying was really powerful. And then another speaker would come up and it would be good mostly, but it was kind of in the flesh. And so you had this theme of power, of revival, but then the flesh coming into it.
SPEAKER 18 :
So I talked to a reporter today, called me, getting my thoughts on the event. And I really think it’s a picture of the current conservative movement, if you will. I agree. I mean, there could not have been a clear presentation of the gospel that was given. And literally millions of people heard it. And as I mentioned earlier in the program, I talked to Frank Turek today, and I’ve known Frank for years. And, I mean, he is so spot on with the gospel. And he goes to college campuses. In fact, he’s going to be in my home state of Louisiana this week on a college campus at McNeese. So that was great. And when was the last time we saw that? It had been a long time. But at the same time, as you said, there were some that – It was almost like a political gospel that was spoken. And I was troubled by a few of the speeches that I heard. And I think we got to be very careful that as the gospel, we want the gospel in that arena. We want the gospel impacting government. But we don’t want to think that our future, the advancement of the kingdom of God is going to be done by politics. We’re going to impact politics, but we don’t want politics impacting the gospel and the kingdom.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, I mean, on the one hand, Paul celebrated. If anyone preaches the gospel, even if they have bad motives, we do celebrate that and we want it. But at the same time, I think I go back to what spirit was on it. Some of the speeches that came out yesterday were basically we’re going to crush our enemies. And I’m glad Erica forgave this guy, but I don’t think I can do it. So what is the spirit driving this presentation?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, I think, again, I think, Travis, I think it shows the contrast between the kingdom of God, which is countercultural, which is counterintuitive to the world. And I think we actually saw that on display in the conservative movement yesterday.
SPEAKER 14 :
I agree, Tony. Just thinking about this topic as we’re having our discussion here today, it strikes me that the politicians, political leaders who are interested in politics are drawn to Charlie Kirk because of his massive following. But the core of the application of his convictions into the political realm led him to conservative positions like many of us hold, but they started with a biblical analysis. They were drawn from biblical principles, principles of transcendent truth. And so That’s, you know, we see this interplay, this intersection between faith and politics. But one of those is going to reign supreme on the heart of every person. As we’re talking about it today, which one is it? Which one must it be for the believer? It must be the spiritual. It must be the identity in Christ that we have. And then we apply that to politics, as Charlie Kirk did. But we’re not living ultimately for politics. We’re ultimately answering to a higher power.
SPEAKER 18 :
You know, Casey, what encourages me about it is because actually Charlie’s journey was that he was a conservative who really grew in his faith. And so as we were confronted with some of these culturally crazy ideas like gender, I mean, that’s what there are many in the conservative movement that are coming to faith from that door. And so, but there can be some conflict along the way when some are coming to faith through their politics while others are coming to politics because of their faith.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah. I mean, when you look at, you study the history of revivals that often are kind of messy and things like, you know, in situations like this is after some kind of pandemic or amid a lot of political chaos and turmoil, or as you said earlier in the show in the sixties, I mean, it’s great to look back at the Jesus revival now and I’m due and I’m very grateful for it, but it was, there was kind of controversial at the time. A lot of people opposed it. It was. I think it’s part of it, the messiness. I think sometimes we have to be woken up, and the only way God can get the church to wake up and people to wake up out of their spiritual stupor is things to get so shaken up. But we don’t like the shaking, but sometimes that’s what it takes.
SPEAKER 18 :
But through it all, if we want to keep our peace and stay on course, we have to be rooted and grounded in the word. And I think that’s what has to be front and center through this is we need to keep the word of God because that will give us a clear path forward. All right. I want to switch gears here, Travis. I want to go back to you because you were down last week. You were in Columbia for a gathering of leaders, governmental leaders and others on the life issue. Tell us quickly about your trip down there and what was the focus.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, so Tony, this was the second annual pro-life convention of the Congress of Columbia’s pro-life caucus. So if we imagine the leaders in our Congress, the pro-life leaders getting together and holding an event, that’s basically what occurred. But the interesting thing was this drew in really the pro-life community of Columbia. So it drew in pastors, activists, folks running pregnancy resource centers and other ministries related to the life issue to convene in the Congress of Columbia, the actual building in the chamber where we held an event. And it featured speeches from the leadership, the pro-life leaders. And these are these are leaders who I’ve gotten to know over the past year or so when I was there last year, have stayed in touch with and been very encouraging to walk alongside of them as they defend life in Colombia. So I was down there able to do that once again and speak to them, encourage them where they’re at at this moment. as they see a United States which is resetting things globally, hopefully for life and family as well. But they face a government in Colombia that is very hostile to these issues. One of the things I learned is that Colombia has introduced a maternal mortality resolution at the UN featuring abortion and LGBT language, right? And that’s just some of the stuff we’ve seen in the past that’s just horrible happening at the international stage. Very encouraged to be with the leaders in Columbia. It was a blessing to them. And, you know, I believe it’s just exciting to see the Lord using FRC and Family Research Council, what we’ve been doing here for many years, blessing and serving those overseas who want to do what we’re doing but need help and need a helping hand.
SPEAKER 18 :
Travis, before I move on, a lot of those pro-abortion, pro-LGBT policies that we see have popped up in Central and South America were planted there by the Biden administration, by the Obama administration, and forced upon them using our foreign aid dollars.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yeah, it’s absolutely what’s been happening. And then in concert with global powers like the UN pushing the 2030 agenda. But, Tony, you know, I know of incidents where the U.S. embassy under Biden pulled, called in Colombian leaders, legislators to lobby them to push an LGBT bill in Colombia. You know, why would the U.S. government be doing that? I mean, we’re, like we’ve seen elsewhere, you know, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot diplomatically, but it’s tragic. And we’re glad that this, the reality that this is happening, has happened, is unearthed now under President Trump, and USAID has gone through a reboot. But it’s not just USAID, but it’s, it’s, it’s broader foreign policy. It needs to be cleaned out. The U.S. tax dollars should in no way be going towards that type of thing.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, that is certainly something I applaud the Trump administration for doing and dismantling because it’s going to take some time for the left to reestablish it with when and if they get in control again. Speaking of the United Nations, Casey, we’re talking about earlier in the program that the General Assembly is meeting this week. Today, all of this noise regarding a so-called Palestinian state, as we heard from our guest earlier today, You know, it’s a lot of political theater. It’s not going to happen because for that to actually happen, it has to go to the Security Council. The United States has the veto ability there. But this is this is designed to create a lot of pressure on Israel, is it not?
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s created a lot of pressure on the U.S., so by proxy on Israel. I mean, Israel’s pretty resolute and defiant at this point on this issue. I think they’re not going to cave. But it increases pressure on the U.S., on U.S. leaders. I think a Democrat administration would have folded by now because of this pressure. So you’re seeing that. I think a point was well made earlier that we are seeing the new politics of Western nations with vocal Muslim minorities. And I think this is a new reality that’s here to stay. And we haven’t really grappled with that, but this is the new norm.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, but that’s an important point when you talk about immigration, how your politics can shift, because what’s happened in Europe with these open borders and migrating Islamic populations that have high fertility rates, you are shifting and these politicians who have no moral core are pandering to those political bases. But, Travis, this will fuel I don’t see how it cannot fuel the growing tide of anti-Semitism, not only here in the United States, but around the world.
SPEAKER 14 :
No, it will. You know, Tony, the recognition at the UN level of Palestinian state is not totally new. Since the 80s, at least, countries have been recognizing, you know, based on political positioning, they’ve recognized the Palestinian state. What is new is Western European democracies increasingly recognizing it. And that’s what we’re seeing in the past week or so. I think France is the most recent. 155 countries now have recognized it. But if you read the Reuters article, and, you know, I’m looking at the opening Reuters report on this right now, reporting on these countries recognizing the move born out of frustration over the Gaza war and intended to promote a two-state solution. That is not a basis to recognize a state, and under international law and long accepted diplomatic norms, states have recognized each other based on criteria, including a population, ability to defend itself, conduct international relations. If we remember the U.S. attempt to recognize Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader that eventually kind of fell apart because he didn’t have control of the military. So he could not effectively represent Venezuela. He wasn’t in control to represent them at the international level. We have to deal with that current regime down there at this moment. So it doesn’t even line up. If you look at what’s happening, we recognize it as raw political posturing and anti-Israel bias, sadly.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right. We just have about a minute and a half left. And so this is my final question. Give each of you 30 seconds on this. Israel will respond. Casey, what do you think Israel will do in response to the political theater of the United Nations this week?
SPEAKER 13 :
Gaza City and kill the 3,000 Hamas militants there. I mean, Hamas militants sent a letter to Trump kind of begging for a 60-day ceasefire, and they would release half the hostages. But it was really a sign that taking a Gaza City is a bigger deal. I think it’s kind of lost on some maybe American audiences that doesn’t know the geography of Gaza. But they’re taking a Hamas stronghold right now. And I think once they take that, it’s going to shift the table here. So the timing of the show, U.N., Gaza City, all this negotiations right now is very powerful, Tony.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, Travis.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, no, Tony, I think they’re going to respond in kind, perhaps making a point by declaring sovereignty over Judea and Samaria or doing so and or doing so in furtherance of their own security. So we’ll have to wait and see. But I think we’ll see a counter move by Israel.
SPEAKER 18 :
Both of you are right. I think they’ll do both. I think we’ll see the intensity of Gaza City understanding that the clock is ticking and they have to move quickly. And I do believe we will see a move to declare sovereignty or the creation of more communities that may divide both east and west in Judea and Samaria so that they cannot have a contiguous so-called Palestinian state. So you’re both right. All right, guys, thanks for joining me today.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 18 :
And folks, all the more reason to pray. So much to pray about. And that’s part of our mission here with Washington Watch, not only to inform you, to educate you, but to give you prayer points, to be praying for our nation and encourage you that there is hope because our hope is rooted in the eternal word of God. Until next time, I leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians chapter six, where he says, when you’ve done everything that you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, and when you’ve taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 12 :
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.
