Join Tony Perkins in a riveting episode where Washington politics meets global affairs. The House has made a decisive move to release the Epstein files, unveiling a rare political consensus but revealing deeper divides on the use of tragic events as political strategy. With insights from Washington reporter Casey Harper and House Speaker Mike Johnson, explore the implications on transparency and justice while dissecting the Democratic narrative surrounding President Trump’s alleged involvement.
SPEAKER 20 :
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.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is a political exercise for Democrats, and it pains me to say it. I wish that was not the truth, but it is, and it’s undeniable. This is as deceitful and dishonest as their pointless stunt was to shut the government down. Democrats are using the Epstein tragedy, the unspeakable evils that this guy committed with his trafficking ring and all of the abuses that they— that they made these young women go through. They’re using that as a political weapon to try to distract from their failures as a party and to try their best to try to tie President Trump somehow into this wretched scandal.
SPEAKER 11 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier today as the House voted to release the Epstein files, accusing Democrats of playing politics. Welcome to this November 18th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for joining us. Well, coming up, President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House today. His first visit to the U.S. since 2018 to discuss Israel. Defense deals including the sale of F-35 fighter jets and the future of the Middle East. Congressman Randy Fine joins us later to break it all down. Plus, Senator Roger Marshall weighs in on the debate over the Epstein files as the House votes overwhelmingly for a measure calling on the administration to release the documents. Question is now, what will the Senate do? Well, as I mentioned, the House of Representatives took decisive action today voting almost unanimously to release Justice Department records on Jeffrey Epstein. The vote comes after President Trump, who has consistently maintained he had no involvement in Epstein’s crimes, ended his opposition to the measure, allowing Congress to focus on transparency and accountability. a positive development. Joining me now is Washington San reporter Casey Harper, who’s been following today’s main stories. Casey, what happened today in the House vote on the Epstein files? How did it go and what comes next?
SPEAKER 18 :
Thanks, Tony. So after a heated House debate, lawmakers voted 427 to 1, a rare show of unity, to release the DOJ records on Jeffrey Epstein. House Speaker Mike Johnson, though, accused Democrats of politicizing the suffering of the victims.
SPEAKER 05 :
Democrats are trying to use the Epstein matter as a political weapon to distract from their own party’s failures. And in a desperate attempt, they’re trying to somehow tie President Trump to the scandal. President Trump has nothing to do with it. He has said himself he has nothing to hide. And that’s clearly what they’ve been trying to do.
SPEAKER 18 :
They’re trying to attack President Trump. Now, President Trump, who previously opposed the release, said he had no connection to Epstein and called the issue a Democratic hoax, though some Republicans have been pushing for transparency. Now, the vote comes after months of political tension over the files and highlights the ongoing nonstop pressure to investigate Epstein’s ties to the powerful figures. The measure now moves, which Trump said he would sign it, but now it’s moving to the Senate for consideration, Tony.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, Casey, this is exactly what I’ve been calling for, transparency. I mean, there’s nothing to hide. There’s nothing to hide. Just put it out there. I think this goes to the issue of a lack of trust that the American people have in the government, and transparency is one way to rebuild it. All right, on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Trump hosted the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Casey, what is the readout on that meeting?
SPEAKER 18 :
Sure, Tony. So President Trump met with the Saudi Crown Prince, as you said, and they discussed the Abraham Accords, with Trump saying he got a positive response. The Crown Prince stressed that Saudi Arabia wants to join the accords while ensuring a clear path for a two-state solution in Israel for the Palestinians. Trump also announced, and this is important, a U.S.-Saudi defense deal, which includes the sale of those important F-35 fighter jets. And he said a civilian nuclear deal could be possible in the future.
SPEAKER 06 :
We’re going to have a deal. They’re going to purchase F-35s. They’re buying them from Lockheed, and it’s a great plane. We make, by the way, the best military equipment. You saw that during the Iran little skirmish. We make the best planes, the best missiles. We make the best offensive missiles. We make the best military equipment in the world.
SPEAKER 18 :
Now, the president’s right about that. We do make the best planes, which is why Israel is concerned about Saudi Arabia having them. They’re watching this issue closely with officials emphasizing that any sale of those planes has to be tied to Saudi Arabia formally normalizing relations with Israel. Because right now, the IDF is the only military in the region who has the F-35, Tony.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, and this brings into question current federal law that says that Israel will have qualitative advantage militarily. We’ll have to see how that works out. All right. Thanks, Casey. You know, as we mentioned yesterday in the show, the U.N. Security Council endorsed President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and authorized the International Stabilization Force to support the peace deal. We talked about this yesterday. What has been the reactions to this U.N. resolution?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, Tony, it may surprise you or not, but Hamas terrorists have rejected the resolution. They say it doesn’t protect Palestinians’ rights. As you know, Hamas is very concerned about Palestinian rights. But they’re also concerned about the whole area being put under international control. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meanwhile calling for Hamas to be expelled from the region. It’s kind of amazing that hasn’t happened yet. He made those comments a day after the U.N. Security Council endorsed President Trump’s plan. Now, that measure passed with 13 votes in favor and none against. However, Russia and China, they did abstain, arguing the plan gives the U.S. too much power and leaves the U.N. with too little power. Now, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said after the vote that the resolution offers a path forward for Palestinian self-determination.
SPEAKER 19 :
Per the carefully negotiated language in the 20-point plan, This resolution charts a possible pathway for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority has completed the necessary reforms, where rockets will give way to olive branches and there is a chance to agree on a political horizon. It dismantles Hamas’s grip. It ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow, prosperous and secure.
SPEAKER 18 :
Grand optimistic words there. Now, the resolution supports the first phase of last month’s agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was the ceasefire and hostage release. And now it lays the groundwork for a transitional governing body and future reconstruction of Gaza. It also authorizes an international force tasked with demilitarizing Gaza. President Trump, he’s calling the vote a moment of historic proportion, Tony.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. Thanks, Casey. I tell you, I have concerns about the explicit path toward dividing the land of Israel. I’m going to talk more about that later with Carolyn Glick, advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Thanks so much, Casey. Thanks. All right, but first I want to go back to a pressing domestic matter. In just a few weeks, the COVID-era Obamacare subsidies are set to expire. Now, as a part of the deal struck with Democrats to reopen the government after its 43-day shutdown, Congressional leaders agreed to hold a vote on extending these subsidy programs, these subsidies for the Obamacare program, that are not only extremely costly, $1.5 trillion, that’s with a T, but also compel taxpayers to continue underwriting abortion coverage and transgender medical interventions. Joining me now to break this down and give us the latest is Suzanne Bowdy, editorial director and senior writer at The Washington Stand. Suzanne, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks, Tony. All right. The FRC government affairs team has been busy communicating with Senate offices on the Hill regarding this issue. What seemed to be a non-issue now is front and center, and we could very well see a vote on this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. And we’ve really gone from zero to 60 in Congress. We went from nothing going on at all to now you have an avalanche of things happening. And at the forefront of that, now that we’ve moved past the shutdown in the Epstein files, is this crisis the Republicans have known is coming for a long time. I think you talked to a lot of them. They would have predicted in 2010. that we were careening toward a cliff where this program was concerned. And right now, the problem is there’s a December deadline for these subsidies. And because Congress was out because of the shutdown that Democrats thought they could use to jam Republicans into extending these subsidies, we’re at a real inflection point in Congress about what we do. And our government affairs team has been on the hill, as you said. They’ve been fanning out across offices. While there was a shutdown, they were able to meet with a lot of members and staff. And just reiterate, the most important thing about the healthcare program, whichever one we coalesce around, is that it does not include abortion or gender transition procedures funded by taxpayers.
SPEAKER 11 :
I know we’ve talked a lot about this, but I also know that you’ve got to talk a lot about things for people to really grasp what we’re talking about. This the subsidies in large part, they were done during covid.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right.
SPEAKER 11 :
But they really were a a way to prop up a failing system.
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. It was a bandaid. So Republicans knew that their system was failing. And the one thing they knew they could do to keep it afloat was to throw more.
SPEAKER 11 :
I’m sorry, Democrats, because Republicans, Republicans have. They never voted.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, they not. Not one time have they voted for it. But Democrats just thought, well, if we keep throwing money at this, if we keep shoveling taxpayer dollars, we can prop up the system. We can put a Band-Aid on it with these subsidies. And what’s happened is the Band-Aid is being ripped off and we’re seeing the gaping hole behind it.
SPEAKER 11 :
So what is going to happen in December when these subsidies expire?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, what’s happened now, as a result of the shutdown, Republicans did agree to hold a vote on extending the subsidies. Now, there are some moderate Democrats who are a little squishy on this. They come from blue states. Republicans. Sorry, I’m really getting my parties confused.
SPEAKER 11 :
Blue, red, blue, red.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, purple. But the purple ones, the Republicans, are a little squishy on this issue. They seem to think, well, we’ve been giving these constituents some free health care, some subsidies that have helped pay for it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, and we’re also coming into an election year.
SPEAKER 12 :
And we are. And really ripping away a program like that is not something that you want to tell voters, I’m sorry, we’re taking away the money that we’re using to fund your premiums, which could double as we know if these subsidies aren’t extended.
SPEAKER 11 :
So this is a pressing matter.
SPEAKER 12 :
It’s a very pressing matter.
SPEAKER 11 :
So there’s going to be a vote. And as you’ve just described, there could be some Republicans. There will be Republicans. And you don’t have to have many in the House, three, to pass something along those lines. Family Research Council has been working on is to ensure the underlying Obamacare, which is at the heart of the issue, is that it will not fund abortion, no longer fund abortion or transgender interventions, which it has been doing.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right, and this is not controversial. As recently as January, the Marist polling company asked Americans, do you want your taxpayer dollars to fund abortion? 57% said no, and 41% of those were self-described pro-choicers. This is not a popular policy to funnel taxpayer dollars to abortion.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, even more so on the transgender surgeries.
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, absolutely, and you’re looking at a 70% to 80% issue where Americans are concerned. It’s not health care to kill an unborn child, and it’s not health care to mutilate perfectly healthy children.
SPEAKER 11 :
So, folks, there is a petition that we have going to Capitol Hill, to the leadership, to the House and Senate leadership, and you can be a part of that. Simply text ACA to 67742. That’s ACA to 67742, and I will send you a link. At the same time, there are members and we’re working with some of them to provide a long term solution to a failed system of Obamacare working back toward the private care, the private health care system.
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. And handing more power back to patients and to plan holders. And that’s something that President Trump, along with a lot of Republicans, are floating right now. You see in the House and the Senate, their plans being created that would would invent a sort of a Health care savings account. Right. Which would be tax exempt and it would allow patients to choose their care.
SPEAKER 11 :
But also protected by Hyde to ensure that tax dollars are not. Exactly.
SPEAKER 12 :
And that’s what FRC is most concerned about. We want to drive down costs for patients. We want people to have control over their care and choose their doctors.
SPEAKER 11 :
But you don’t drive down costs by aborting babies.
SPEAKER 12 :
You don’t. No, you raise costs and you create disaster in your wake.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. So, folks, text ACA to 67742. That’s ACA. The letter’s ACA to 67742. And you can sign that petition. Obviously, this is going to be something between now and the end of the year that’s going to be coming to the forefront.
SPEAKER 12 :
And we should be grateful that there are House and Senate leaders who are with us drawing bright red lines where these issues are concerned.
SPEAKER 11 :
Suzanne Bowdy, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks, Tony. All right, folks, coming up, we’re going to talk about the Epstein File Transparency Act that passed the House today. It now goes to the Senate. Senator Roger Marshall joins us next. For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 11 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in and being a part of the program. Earlier this afternoon, as we mentioned, the House of Representatives voted almost unanimously, 427 to 1, to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Ahead of the vote, Speaker Johnson told the reporters he would vote in favor of the bill despite concerns about the bill’s language. Now, the concerns, and I spoke with him about this over the weekend, was they want to make sure that the victims are protected. And there’s also concern about some of the files related to the transcripts of the grand jury investigation. And they just want to make sure that the process is protected because this is in some ways setting precedent. But again, I think this is reflective of where the American people are in terms of their trust of government. And I do believe that we’ve got to be at a place where we have, until we can restore trust in our government, which there’s almost zero, there has to be maximum transparency. But there has to be protection for the victims as well. The bill now heads to the Senate, which is we’re going to see if they’re going to take up the bill and what they’ll do with it. So joining me now to talk about this and a bit more is Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. He serves on several committees, including the Budget Committee and the Finance Committee. Dr. Marshall, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 04 :
Tony, it’s always great to be with you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hey, before we get into the Epstein file, Senator, we were just talking in the last segment about the health care debate and the vote to extend the subsidies. But the bigger issue for us is making sure that Hyde provisions protect taxpayers from being drug into the abortion business. What’s the latest?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Tony, we got your back on this one. Whatever we do, if we do anything, we’re going to use the Hyde language, the Hyde Amendment language to protect any type of federal dollars. When the ACA was written, they didn’t do a good job of protecting those dollars. So if we take some of that money from the big, rich insurance companies and give them to people out there, hardworking Americans, we’re gonna make sure that it has life protections as well as protections from transgender surgeries, those types of things. So we hear you loud and clear, we hear your listeners loud and clear, and we’re gonna make sure that we protect the sanctity of life.
SPEAKER 11 :
And Dr. Marshall, there’s also some, and you, I didn’t mention this in the intro, but those who watch the program frequently know that you’re on the program a lot. You are a medical doctor. You’ve delivered over 5,000 babies. There are some of you working to provide an alternative to the failed ACA, the Obamacare health care, something that will actually work that takes into consideration the dynamic aspects of the private health care system.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. To me, the number one thing we need to do with the ACA is get rid of the fraud. There’s probably $25 or $50 billion of fraud going in there. There’s some simple principles that we can attach to that. The next thing we need to do is we’re giving $150 billion billion dollars a year to very successful insurance companies, monopolies in many case, let’s take some of that money and put it in the hands of consumers out there. And if they want to choose a health ministry plan, if they want to choose an association health care plan, then they can do that as well, as long as it’s high protected as well. So I think that’s the principles. And the other principle we’ll be using is transparency, that we want to require hospitals surgery centers, imaging centers, to put a price tag on everything that they do before you have the procedure.
SPEAKER 11 :
Senator Marshall, isn’t that kind of like school choice, just giving the end user more of a choice in the process?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, you got it. I mean, it’s a founding principle of our founding fathers is to let the hardworking American people decide what’s best for them, where they want to go to church, where they want their children to go to school, where to get their health care done. and how to pay for it as well. What we know is that Obamacare was a miserable failure, that premiums have doubled. The average deductible for a family now, a family of four, is around $7,000 to $9,000 a year, making essentially healthcare unaffordable for many, many Americans.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, Senator, I want to turn back to the Epstein files. It’s worth noting that there is an ongoing bipartisan investigation into the Epstein crimes and that it’s already produced tens of thousands of pages of documents from the DOJ and from the Epstein estate. And while the Democrats may have had, you know, may not have had pure intentions. I mean, I think there’s some political motivation here. I mean, they could have released this during the Biden administration, but they didn’t. They’ve been calling for it. But isn’t it a good practice, given the low level of trust that the American people have in government for transparency?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, Tony, absolutely. Since day number one, since I first heard of this, I’ve called for release of everything. And I mean everything. Of course, we want to protect the innocent, protect the victims. But, you know, beyond being a senator, I’m a father and a grandfather of a daughter and grandchildren. And I think when you saw how these young ladies were sexually abused, we know that they can never get that part of their life back. And some have committed suicide. Others are traumatized for life. And all the therapy in the world, it’s hard to put it all back together again. So we need to connect the dots here, hold the people accountable. and certainly let the American people know as well. So I certainly, like I said, from day number one, I call on release of everything. And I mean everything beyond something that will identify the victims.
SPEAKER 11 :
And the House speaker made comments that the Senate needs to change the bill to increase the protection for the victims because that’s not in the current language. What do you see happening in the Senate? Is the Senate going to take this up? Yeah, Tony, we’re definitely gonna take it up.
SPEAKER 04 :
We’re gonna see if we can make some technical changes, like you mentioned here, that we can give better protection to the victims, make sure it follows the Constitution, and make sure everything’s released right now. The way I read this resolution right now, it says that if there’s someone under investigation, that they don’t have to release that part. I’m ready to rip the Band-Aid off. I just want it all out there. So we are taking it up. We’ll see if we can make a couple easy technical changes to improve it and get everything out there.
SPEAKER 11 :
So Senator Thune and the leadership, they’re committed to moving forward with the vote?
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, absolutely. And I don’t know whether it’ll be tonight or tomorrow. Things in the Senate move a little slowly. That’s what we’re supposed to do. You know, the House is the coffee cup and we’re the saucer. Let’s make sure we get this right. And again, my principles are let’s make sure we protect the victims. And number two, make sure we get everything out there that we can. So maybe we can make a couple of short tweaks tonight and maybe vote on it either later tonight or in the morning. Very good.
SPEAKER 11 :
Senator Roger Marshall, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks so much for taking time to join us today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Tony. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 11 :
And folks, let me encourage you again to weigh in on this issue back on the health care issue when it comes to abortion funding and transgender procedures being funded with your tax dollars. We need to make sure that the leadership and they’re with us, but they need to hear from you. And we need to make sure that this is taken care of once and for all. It wasn’t when Obamacare was passed. I don’t know, about 15 years ago. We can deal with it now. Text ACA to 67742. That’s ACA to 67742. All right, coming up next, more Washington Watch. Congressman Randy Fine joins us.
SPEAKER 14 :
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.
SPEAKER 11 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. The website is TonyPerkins.com or you can get the Stand Firm app in the App Store and you can watch on the app and you’ll have access to the Washington Stand, our news and commentary from a biblical perspective. That’s the Stand Firm app. President Trump welcomed Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to the White House today, and they had much to discuss, from sales and investments to the path forward for the Middle East. Today’s visit by the de facto ruler of the desert kingdom marked his first time back on American soil since 2018. Joining me now is Congressman Randy Fine, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as the Judea and Samaria Caucus. He represents the 6th Congressional District of Florida. Congressman Fine, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me. I want to start with your takeaways from President Trump’s exchanges today with the Saudi prince.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I think they’re great. Look, Saudi Arabia is committed to invest a trillion dollars in the United States. That’s pretty amazing. And as we want peace in the Middle East, I think getting Saudi Arabia and Israel together down the line will bring the kind of peace to that area of the world that we’ve sought for generations.
SPEAKER 11 :
President Trump says he intends to sell the F-35 fighter jets to the Saudis. Now, this would require congressional approval. Do you think Congress provides it?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think we’re going to take a hard look at it. Look, Saudi Arabia is with us in the fight against Iran. And so we need them to be protected from that terrorist regime. So it’s certainly something I’m open to taking a look at.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now, there were victims of 9-11 that were expressing opposition to the president’s meeting with the Saudi prince. There’s also questions about the Saudi prince and his connection to Khashoggi, the journalist that was murdered a few years ago. In fact, I want to play this clip from an exchange that took place today between a reporter and the Saudi prince and the president.
SPEAKER 17 :
Your Royal Highness, the U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist. 9-11 families are furious. Who are you with? Who are you with? Who are you with? I’m with ABC News, sir. You’re with who?
SPEAKER 06 :
ABC News, sir. Fake news. ABC fake news. One of the worst in the business.
SPEAKER 11 :
So the question is a legitimate question. U.S. intelligence, our own CIA, suggested that he was involved in the murder of this reporter, Khashoggi. Are there concerns about the past activities that Saudi has been involved with?
SPEAKER 08 :
Look, I think there are fair questions. I don’t think Saudi Arabia has clean hands. I think a lot of the people that President Trump has chosen to engage in may have done things in the past that we may not like. The question is, how do we move forward? And what you’ve seen this president do is embrace these countries with a bear hug to try to bring them closer to the United States, whether it’s Syria, whether it’s Qatar, whether it’s Saudi Arabia. We can have those concerns, and believe me, I have them as it relates to Saudi Arabia. They have done bad things. But I think we can either push them away or we can try to bring them towards us. And I think that’s what the president’s trying to do.
SPEAKER 11 :
I would certainly agree that we bring them towards us as we can, if we can reform them. And one of the big objectives of the Trump administration, and I support I supported the Abraham Accords. That’s what that’s kind of the the big thing. ask is they want Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel and to become a part of the Abraham Accords. The Crown Prince says, yes, we would like to be a part of it, but there’s a big but there. The asterisk is they want a clear path to a two state solution. Isn’t that problematic?
SPEAKER 08 :
it is and that may be what what leads me to not be able to support selling them the planes i mean i don’t believe a two-state solution is possible there is a two-state solution jordan was the second state what these folks want is really a three or a four-state solution Remember, Israel gave Gaza to the Arabs to operate by themselves in 2005, effectively as their own state. So it has been tried. It has failed. And I think if Saudi Arabia wants access to our best technology, they need to get on board with our foreign policy and recognize the state of Israel.
SPEAKER 11 :
Congressman Fein, I could not agree with you more. I think October the 7th showed us what a de facto two-state solution leads to. Gaza, which they took over in 2007 after the Israeli disengagement in 2005, became a launchpad for terrorism. That’s right.
SPEAKER 08 :
Israel left Gaza. People need to understand this. Israel left Gaza. It effectively was its own state governing itself. And it chose to take billions of dollars of aid and turn it into a terrorist machine, building tunnels and weapons. We can see where it goes. And until the folks who live in that part of the world are de-radicalized and want to live in peace with Israel, a two-state solution isn’t a possibility. The problem is we can’t wait. Saudi Arabia can’t wait the years and years and years it’s going to take. They have to make a decision. Are they going to recognize the de facto superpower in that part of the world, which is Israel?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I think we also have to interject into this conversation, Congressman, finding that the two-state solution is looking at land in Judea and Samaria, which is – so much, about 24 times larger than the Gaza Strip. And it’s in the heart of Israel. So if a strip on the southern tip in Gaza was a threat to Israel, what would the center of the country being turned over to jihadists mean?
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s simply not an option. And there are too many people in that part of the world who want to kill everyone else. So a new state for Arabs in that part of the world is a long way off. It’s not going to happen anytime soon. We saw what happened on October 7th. But the decision that Saudi Arabia has to make is a short term decision. Do they want to join us in creating peace in the Middle East? And I don’t think they’re going to be able to tie the two together, at least with me, if they want to get those planes.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, Congressman Randy Fine, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate your insights and your input. Thank you. All right, folks, a lot to pray about. Coming up next, Carolyn Glick from the Israeli prime minister’s office will join me in studio to discuss some of these developments and really kind of the way forward and what you and I as believers need to make of the situation of this current situation, how we need to pray and how we need to act. So don’t go away. Our founding scripture for this is Ephesians 6, verse 13. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore.
SPEAKER 10 :
Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit 2025 brought together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action.
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We are equipping the body of Christ to understand that what is happening around us is not just political. It’s not just cultural. At its heart, it is spiritual.
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We gather in a nation that has torn the foundation apart, and we have separated our governing documents from our divine source, Jesus Christ. We need truth now more than ever to guide us.
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I’m believing, God, let this be a testimony of the American church, that we become so full of the fire of the Word of God that we cannot contain it. We have to tell people about it. We have to make disciples.
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The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from governments. They come from our divine creator, right? Government’s main job is to protect those rights. And because that was the foundation of America, we’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years, more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world. And that should be celebrated.
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We are living in a moment. What’s that moment? It’s a prophetic moment on God’s timeline. That’s right. And so he needs the church more than ever to act biblically for the blessing of our political leaders and of our nation.
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The number one issue facing America domestically, which is the epidemic of fatherlessness. 40% of all American children today enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.
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We cannot win the pro-life fight without acknowledging that this is the pro-family fight, that this is the pro-marriage fight. We’re never going to end abortion if we do not secure and shore up marriage.
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We pray that this would be an opportunity, Lord God, for you to use us mere little mortals, but we possess the name of Jesus. God, use us mightily. We pray in Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. The website is tonyperkins.com or better yet, get the Stand Firm app. You can go to the app store and get Stand Firm. That way you’ll have access to Washington Watch. You’ll have access to the Washington Stand, which is our news and commentary from a biblical perspective. And by the way, we now have a store for the Stand on the Word. And it’s just in time for Christmas. If you want to take a look, just text the word STORE to 67742. That’s STORE to 67742. And I’ll send you a link. But here’s the catch. If you want to get it by Christmas, you need to order by this weekend. So text the word STORE to 67742. speaking of the word our word for today comes from first timothy chapter four paul writes these things command and teach let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word in conduct in love and spirit and faith and purity He goes on to say, till I come, give attention to reading the Word of God, to exhortation, the work of teaching and encouraging others, to doctrine. That’s the right application and understanding of God’s truth. Do not neglect the gift that is in you. Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine, for in doing this, you will save both yourselves and those who hear you.” Leaders, and that includes parents and grandparents, are called to lead by example in word, in godly conduct, in genuine love, in a spirit-filled life, in bold faith, and in purity of heart. But how can any of us live up to that? Paul’s answer is woven throughout the passage. Stay rooted in the scripture. Keep close watch over your life. Use the gifts God has placed within you and give yourself fully to his calling. Faithfulness grows from daily obedience. To find out more about our journey through the Bible text, Bible to 67742. As we reported yesterday on the program, shortly after the vote, the U.N. Security Council has adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution based on President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. And while there are concerns over parts of the resolution that mentions a possibility of a pathway to a Palestinian self-determination and statehood, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed yesterday’s vote as an endorsement of the president’s peace plan. Joining me now in studio, To discuss this more is Carolyn Glick. She is the international affairs advisor to the prime minister of Israel. Carolyn was previously a senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate and a frequent guest on Washington Watch. Carolyn, welcome back to the program.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thanks so much, Tony. It’s great to be with you again here in Washington.
SPEAKER 11 :
So let’s talk about let’s start with the U.N. Security Council vote yesterday. This solidifies some things in terms of trying to bring peace to to Gaza. What does this mean about the future of Hamas and their ability to be armed and in control of elements of Gaza?
SPEAKER 13 :
So what it means is that Hamas has no future. The resolution, like the president’s 20-point plan, makes clear that Hamas has to be dismantled and disarmed, and the population of Gaza has to be de-radicalized going forward. So I think, from that perspective, we welcome the UN Security Council’s embrace of Trump’s plan because we don’t think that there’s any prospect for peace in the region or between Israel and Gaza for the people of Gaza so long as Hamas continues to exist and is armed and rules parts of Gaza. So I think that The 20-point plan that the president put forward that is the basis of this resolution, I think that that is, in fact, the way forward, which is why Prime Minister Netanyahu is very supportive of this and working very closely with President Trump to implement his vision and his plan.
SPEAKER 11 :
You know, there’s been many attempts at peace in the Middle East. A lot of U.S. administrations have pursued this peace. And it’s been, and look, I don’t think there’s anyone in here that wants peace more than the Jewish people who live in Israel. I mean, they want peace.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 11 :
But that peace generally is short-lived because it’s built on, I think, a false understanding of what really is going on here. What is at the core of this, I would just say, hatred of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people?
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s a good question. I mean, I think that you’re right. Pace you reach through strength. And Israel won this war along seven fronts of Iran and all of its terror proxies in the region. And now it’s just about who dismantles Hamas, who disarms Hamas. And so the… resolution that was passed yesterday like the president’s 20-point plan provides an alternative to the idf doing it to the israeli military doing it with this international security force and either they’re going to be successful or not and and so when you ask you know why do people why is why has peace eluded us why has peace not happened what is the predicate for peace i think it’s israeli strength and the defeat of our enemies because when you look at the creed of Hamas and of like-minded actors in the region, in Palestinian society, and throughout the world. Their creed is hatred and annihilation and genocide in the name of, for Hamas, in the name of Allah. And that has to be defeated in order for there to be peace. And the only way that we know of to defeat it is through strength. Israel isn’t going to convert anybody. That’s not our way and that’s certainly not within our power. But what is within our power is divesting them of the notion that through their creed they’re going to move anywhere positive. And I think that that’s really the main thing is that you have to defeat the notion that their belief in annihilation is going to move anybody forward.
SPEAKER 11 :
And I think that’s why Israel still exists in large part because you’ve done just that. But I want to go to Hamas. Hamas has rejected this plan. Yeah.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, they signed on to it and then they rejected it afterwards when they realized that it was serious.
SPEAKER 11 :
So does this wall off the element that Hamas controls of Gaza? I mean, is there really any expectation that this international force made up of primarily Arab and Islamic nations are actually going to take on Hamas?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, you know, they’re going to have an opportunity, and if they manage, great, and if not, fine. I mean, the problem for us is Hamas is not keeping the ceasefire. The ceasefire is not being honored at all by Hamas just today, and it happens every day. They breach it. They try to reach our forces. They want very badly to kidnap Israeli soldiers to reinstate the hostage drama. And they’ve already killed three of our soldiers since the ceasefire was announced last month. So they’re not actually keeping the ceasefire. The people who are keeping the ceasefire are the idea of forces there that are blocking Hamas from reinstating hostilities by taking action against anybody who tries to cross the line to hurt them. But I think that, you know, we have to bear that in mind. There’s only one side that’s faithful to the ceasefire, and that’s, as it always has been, is Israel.
SPEAKER 11 :
You said that there was a seven-front war that you were fighting over the last two years. I would say there’s probably an eighth front war, and that’s been the media.
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. We saw it just now with the BBC actually came out and said they lied about everything relating to Gaza. And it’s not just the media. There’s a whole complex of organizations. Even on the right. Everywhere.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, we’re seeing that among conservative talking heads and entities here in the United States.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, Israel is very concerned about it, frankly.
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I want to go to something that is really at the heart of the issue for me, and I’ll just be very candid up front. I have concerns about this U.N. security resolution, not because I don’t want peace in the area. I want the Israeli people to live in peace. But I believe it’s built on a faulty foundation by this promising, at least alluding to a pathway to a Palestinian state. And it’s not specifically stated here, but it’s understood that they’re talking about Judea and Samaria. But the prime minister is very clear on that. There is no Palestinian state west of the Jordan.
SPEAKER 13 :
Exactly. At Sunday’s government meeting in Israel, the prime minister responded, because this also came out in a press release during the Jewish Sabbath on Friday evening, that there was going to be some sort of move towards establishing a Palestinian state. And he said flatly to the public, to the world, no, Israel’s not going to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.
SPEAKER 11 :
You would accept it elsewhere.
SPEAKER 13 :
Sure.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, there’s a lot of land out there, isn’t there?
SPEAKER 13 :
We’re not responsible for those lands.
SPEAKER 11 :
But not on your land.
SPEAKER 13 :
No.
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So, look, you know— I’m sorry, I don’t want to cut you off, but for the benefit of our viewers and listeners, Judea and Samaria, which is the focus of this so-called two-state solution, is the heartland of Israel.
SPEAKER 13 :
But I live in Judea. I live in the town of Ephrat, which is south of Jerusalem, just across from Bethlehem. And that’s where Rachel died. She died in Bethlehem on her way to Ephrata. That is where King David grew up. That’s where the story of Boaz and Ruth occurred in my neighborhood. So that this is where my children are being raised, where they’re growing up, is where King David grew up. And that is extremely meaningful and important because that really is the reason why we’re in the land of Israel, because we’re going home. And so, you know, for us, there’s no question about that.
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And those that are going back to Judea and Samaria are disproportionately the practicing Jewish people whose faith are real and vibrant, and they feel that they’re being a part of fulfilling biblical prophecy.
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This is true, but we have to remember that most Israelis are observant Jews. So it’s not that, you know, there’s a major majority somewhere else that’s different in kind from the Jews who live in Judea and Samaria. That’s not true. Israel is a very religious nation. You don’t necessarily always see that sort of.
SPEAKER 11 :
You do it on Shabbat because everything’s closed down.
SPEAKER 13 :
Right. Well, no, I meant like in the media, you don’t necessarily recognize that to be the fact. But Israeli society is very traditional. And so I think that, you know, that that’s important to note. But, you know, the issue of whether it would be possible to reach some sort of a coexistence west of the Jordan between Israel and the Palestinians from a political perspective, It used to be sort of a 60-40 question, 60 percent, based on the experience that we’ve had with the Palestinian national movement, said no. And 40 said yes, more or less, usually less, sometimes a little. That’s like the peak support. But after October 7th, it became a 90-10 percent question or 99-1 percent. Because what we saw on October 7th really was that the most basic expression of Palestinian nationalism such as it is, is the annihilation, the sadistic annihilation of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. And so it was, to borrow a term, a come to Jesus moment. Not literally, but I mean that Israelis saw… Well, you pray what you want. We don’t pray that. But the Israeli people saw exactly what it meant. They were calling these very… The whole world should have seen it. Well, we did. And what the world sees, the world sees. What we saw, we saw. And so, you know, there can be placed conditions on what they have to do in order to… but we’re talking about a fundamental transformation of how they view reality, how they view their place in the world, because what we’ve seen over the past 50, 100 years of Palestinian nationalism, so-called, is that it really is just a negation of Judaism and Jewish national self-determination and nothing else.
SPEAKER 11 :
To be fair, there are Arabs living in and under the Palestinian Authority that don’t want to be under them. They would rather be under the Israeli government.
SPEAKER 13 :
This is true. But again, the question isn’t even that. Yes. And that we live in peace with with Arabs inside of Israel. 20 percent of Israeli society are Arabs. They’re integrated into all walks of life inside of Israel.
SPEAKER 11 :
It’s not like there’s a movement for these among some of the the the tribes, the families living in Judea and Samaria. The clans would prefer to have like an Emirates and be under Israeli government.
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s right. We have the Emirates plan going forward in the town of Hebron where you have the sheikhs of the prominent clans in Hebron that want to separate from the Palestinian Authority.
SPEAKER 05 :
Because they’re corrupt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, because they’re corrupt and because they don’t actually faithfully represent the Arabs of these areas. And we have the same thing happening in Gaza with a lot of these clans inside of Gaza that are trying to… Is the media reporting on that? I don’t think so.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, because it shows the reality of what’s happening on the ground there.
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s true. Look, I mean, what we’ve seen for the past two years and really for so many, many, many years before October 7th is that the media is playing a role here. They’re not reporting news. They’re creating a narrative of Israeli cruelty and murderousness, which is really reflective of the Palestinians to try to change the way that people perceive Jews in Israel.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, we just have like a minute left, Carolyn. But that narrative from the media, in my view, and you can agree or not, but I think that’s fueling the anti-Semitism that we see in the world.
SPEAKER 13 :
I agree with you. And I think it’s very disturbing because I think that the idea of anti-Semitism is really not just a strike on the Jews. It’s a strike on human freedom and specifically on this country, on the United States, which has always been the leader of the free world since its inception, since before it was even established, when it was just an idea. And so, you know, I think that Americans have to have to understand that they’re being acted upon here by forces who want the United States to forget who it is. And that’s something that really has to be fought.
SPEAKER 11 :
30 seconds, Carolyn. Speaking to Christians here in this country, standing with Israel, is it more important to look at this as a biblical issue or a political issue?
SPEAKER 13 :
I don’t think that you can separate them when it comes to the Jews, unfortunately or fortunately. I think that hatred of Jews is a spiritual disease. And I think that the stronger that people cling to faith in God, the more apparent that becomes to them. And so I think the closer that you are to what God wants us to do, the more obvious it is that Israel is what you have to stand with. on a moral level, on a spiritual level, and on a geostrategic level.
SPEAKER 11 :
Carolyn, I stand with you and the Jewish people.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you. God bless you. God bless America.
SPEAKER 11 :
Folks, thanks for joining us today. We’re out of time. Until next time, keep standing.
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