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In this episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins delves into the political and social issues shaking the core of Washington, D.C., and beyond. Beginning with a breakdown of President Trump’s unexpected call for a more flexible approach to the Hyde Amendment, the discussion explores how this suggestion has fractured party lines, prompting concern from pro-life advocates. Significant time is given to analyze the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, unpacking the legal and military implications of this bold U.S. intervention. The ongoing political division on Capitol Hill over these issues showcases the increasing polarization in the United States
SPEAKER 11 :
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 04 :
Now, you have to be a little flexible on hide. You know that. You’ve got to be a little flexible. You’ve got to work something. You’ve got to use ingenuity. You’ve got to work something. We’re all big fans of everything, but you got to be flexible. You have to have flexibility.
SPEAKER 15 :
That was President Donald Trump today suggesting Republicans need to be flexible with the Hyde Amendment, which protects the unborn. Welcome to this January 6th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for joining us. We’re coming up. President Trump is now facing criticism from pro-life advocates for urging flexibility on the Hyde Amendment as Congress debates extending Obamacare subsidies. Texas Congressman Michael Cloud will join us to discuss this important issue and give us a readout on today’s gathering. Plus, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed Congress on the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro as senators prepared to vote on a war powers resolution limiting U.S. military action. U.S. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota joins us to break down what’s next. Well, as I mentioned, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed Congress on the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, triggering sharp division on Capitol Hill. Democrats raised concern over the scope and consequences of the operation, while Republicans defended it as a major national security win following the detention of Venezuela’s President Maduro, who now faces charges in the United States. Joining me now is Washington Stan reporter Casey Harper, who has been tracking all of today’s main stories. Casey, lawmakers are back in D.C. today. So how are they responding to the news of Maduro’s capture?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, that’s right, Tony. I’ve got Maduro’s indictment right here. I’ve been pouring through it today. And it’s really a story that’s gripped Washington and divided lawmakers. So Venezuela’s dictatorship, it’s become the center of divide with Republicans hailing it as an operation that captured him, was lawful, national security victory. But Democrats are questioning its legal basis and long-term implications. Of course, Democrats led by Senator Chuck Schumer criticized the briefing they received as vague and warned against regime change efforts.
SPEAKER 09 :
I did not receive any assurances that we would not try to do the same thing in other countries. And in conclusion, when the United States engages in this kind of regime change and so-called nation building, it always ends up hurting the United States. I left the briefing feeling that it would again.
SPEAKER 10 :
Kind of a predictable response from Senator Schumer. But Republicans say that Maduro’s detention is protecting U.S. interests and weakening these dangerous and in some cases terrorist criminal networks tied to Venezuela. Tony.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, Casey, in this politically polarized environment, Democratic opposition does not surprise me one bit. I think they would be against Trump if he cured cancer. But what’s most telling is Republicans. Was there any Republican criticism of the action?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, one thing we saw was House Speaker Mike Johnson insisting that this operation, it doesn’t violate the War Powers Act and it’s not an act of war.
SPEAKER 06 :
Despite the claims by some of my colleagues under the War Powers Act, there is no requirement for prior congressional approval or prior notification. And in fact, in this case, the intelligence was so sensitive, the conditions had to be perfect. There was no predetermination of when exactly it would occur.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now, to your question, Tony, about the Republican response, we’ve seen some hesitancy from Republicans. Many in the America First movement, the MAGA movement, have been very opposed to what they would call interventionism, though it’s unclear what even some of these terms mean anymore. But similar to the strike in Iran, they’ve really praised that no Americans were killed and that they were able to get in and out without a prolonged military intervention. For Maduro’s part, he pled not guilty in a Manhattan court, and his next hearing is set for March 17th.
SPEAKER 15 :
Casey, I want to shift to a domestic issue that is creating controversy and concern with the president’s base of support. As you mentioned earlier, as I mentioned earlier, President Trump told House Republicans they needed to be flexible on abortion funding rules as Congress debates extending Obamacare subsidies. Now, at this GOP retreat, Apparently, President Trump suggested Republicans may need to compromise on the Hyde Amendment. What kind of response are we getting to this case? I mean, this is pretty significant because Hyde has been in place for nearly 50 years. This is established policy.
SPEAKER 10 :
That’s right. This year, this fall will be the 50th year of the Hyde policy, which of course prevents taxpayer funding for abortions. I can’t imagine what it was like in that room. I imagine there was some awkward silence and some tension. And even that clip, you can feel that Trump is trying to navigate that tension. But right off the bat, You saw senators like James Langford, Steve Daines, Rick Scott come out and say they support the Hyde Amendment and come out clearly. And I think that’s really notable because in this era of Trump, lawmakers are maybe less likely to publicly voice their support, maybe do a behind the scenes. And so to see that public opposition to the president, it is really notable. But we’re going to play a clip here. Trump urged Republicans to show flexibility on the Hyde Amendment, which, as we said, it critically blocks federal funding for abortion.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, you have to be a little flexible on Hyde. You know that. You got to be a little flexible. You got to work something. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work. We’re all big fans of everything, but you got to be flexible. You have to have flexibility.
SPEAKER 10 :
So you can sense there, Tony, that the president is acknowledging that this is going to be an uphill battle getting Republicans to be, quote, flexible on Hyde.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, unfortunately, Casey, I think the administration’s policies on the life issue are increasingly departing from the GOP’s longstanding ironclad support of the unborn. Now, we saw this at the RNC convention when the life language was removed from the party platform. We see it in the abortion drug policy that even has red state, Republican state attorneys general suing the Trump administration over the abortion policy. Is there a sense that this could be a political liability for the Trump administration? And especially as he pointed out, the midterm elections are important for him and for Republicans.
SPEAKER 10 :
It certainly is. I mean, a lot I think there’s going to be a lot more, you know, discord behind the scenes and what we’re seeing publicly. And we’ve seen this from the president that he repeatedly sees being tough on being strong pro-life as a political liability. But we’ve seen, Tony, and you know this better than I do, that when Republicans have stood strong on pro-life issues, they’ve done well. And there was a lot of doomsday prophesying in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. the Democrats were going to somehow have a blue wave, but that never materialized. So maybe a fear not based in much fact on this one.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, Casey Harper, thanks so much. All right, I want to get a congressional perspective on this. Congressman Michael Cloud of Texas, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and also the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He represents the 27th Congressional District of Texas. He was there at today’s gathering congressman cloud welcome back to washington watch i know you’re joining us by phone as you step out of the meeting um but before we get into the subject matter we were all kind of stunned this morning with the news of the loss of one of your colleagues and a friend uh congressman doug lamoffa of uh of of california represents the first district of california that was quite a blow oh it was and i appreciate you taking the time to mention that uh
SPEAKER 03 :
Sometimes when you’re sitting at home, you forget that this is a human place as well. As we were coming in, expecting to see his smiling, gregarious face today, to hear the news instead as we walked in, it was quite a blow. Our hearts and prayers are going out to his family. It’s a reminder for all of us, of course, as we just remember why we’re here and to make sure that this life’s counting and And we know where we’re going when it’s all said and done. Yeah. But, yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
It speaks to the, you know, we think we’ve got forever, but we really don’t. And we’re here today, gone tomorrow, and we need to be prepared. And he was prepared. I had those conversations with Doug. I know he had a deep abiding faith and he knew why he was in Washington to serve the Lord. I want to talk about, you know, when we talk about our faith, we talk about policy. The president’s comments today on being flexible on Hyde, I have to believe that didn’t sit well with many of the Republicans.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and he didn’t get into specifics. I’m not exactly sure what he was thinking along those lines. But for many of us, this is a matter of faith and conviction. And even, I think, constitutionally, you can talk about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These founding principles that our nation was founded on, you can’t have the liberties without guaranteeing. The right to life. And so this has been a longstanding policy of Congress that we made even great gains on it. And frankly, President Trump has been one of the most pro-life presidents, if not the most pro-life president. And we want to certainly see that continue. You know, even those on the side of who would advocate for abortion, many of them agree that there’s no reason why someone should be forced to pay for someone else’s abortion through taxing. And so the idea that we need to have federal funds going to fund abortions is… It’s a non-starter for a lot of people. And I heard that always.
SPEAKER 15 :
I mean, I would think so. I would definitely think so. I mean, it’s almost 50 years. We were talking about it earlier, 50 years of policy, settled policy, going back to Henry Hyde.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, I want to… And frankly, I… I was just going to say, frankly, I think we, you know, we can get President Trump’s agenda done without having to make that, you know, we can get it done.
SPEAKER 15 :
There are proposals on the table. There are proposals on the table to do just that. Senator Rick Scott has one that uses the health savings accounts, which I fully support. I think that’s exactly the direction we need to go. But we also need to keep taxpayers out of not just abortion funding, but also the radical transgender experimentation that is mutilating our children. I mean, that’s being funded through this as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, there’s issues you can come to Congress and certainly some you have to, you know, compromise on in the sense of, you know, roads or farm policy or those kind of things. But when it comes to these moral issues, right and wrong, you’ve got to stick your flag there on the side of what’s right and just. And so I think that’s where we’ll be long term. I think that’s where everybody’s heart is, generally speaking. And, you know, we’ll keep moving in.
SPEAKER 15 :
And I think the president’s going to have to go with Congress on this because with the slim majority, I mean, you can lose one vote. That’s it. And so I’m sure that you’re not going to have enough Republicans to to pass anything that would fund abortion in it. All right. I want to go on to some of the other issues. Just got a minute and a half left. Congressman Cloud, what were the other big takeaways from today’s gathering?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, a lot of it’s going through the big issues of what bills expire this year that will need reauthorization, but really just planting a vision for what we need to get done. We’ve got a lot done already in what’s been less than a year of a Trump administration. Some of it we need to communicate better on those things. But also, there’s still a lot left to be done. And so we can celebrate the border being secure. We can celebrate a lot of what’s happened in the one big beautiful bill and the tax cuts that were there for families and a number of different school choice being a big win for the first time. So a lot to celebrate, but we still have a lot of work to do. We want to make sure that we’re providing that for the American people, and so us kind of all coming on the same page and knowing what the big rocks are, along with the other stuff we’d like to get done. What must we get done for the American people, and then what are some things we’d like to get done, and really putting that vision out. And today is really the start, or I should say the continuation. It’s not really the start. We’ve been working on these issues for quite some time, but just bringing into focus what needs to be done over the next several months. And those conversations are ongoing and will continue.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, Congressman Michael Cloud, thanks so much for joining us. Always great to have you on the program.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, sir. God bless you all.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right. Coming up, we’re going to discuss the latest on the aftermath of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela. U.S. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota will join us to talk about the response to the briefing that the Senate received yesterday and what the future looks like. So don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
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The book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the Word is Family Research Council’s journey through the living and active Word of God. Follow the plan with us. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God’s word, and over the course of two years, discover that the Bible is one big story, a story of many words pointing to the word, the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. because the Word is alive and His name is Jesus. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us as we stand on the Word.
SPEAKER 01 :
At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been slaughtered, as staggering 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today are from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC President Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the U.S., President Donald Trump has responded.
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Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
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This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 15 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Check out the website, TonyPerkins.com. Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials briefed congressional leaders on the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. According to reports, another briefing for all members of the Senate has been scheduled for tomorrow morning ahead of a vote later this week on a war powers resolution that would prohibit U.S. military action in Venezuela without approval from Congress. So how might this all unfold in the days ahead? Joining me now to discuss this, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who serves on several Senate committees, including the Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Senator Rounds, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity to visit with you this afternoon.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I’d be interested to know if what you heard in the briefing, and I know some of it may be classified, but anything that was surprising to you that was not reported in the press previously?
SPEAKER 08 :
We haven’t received our briefing yet. We’ve got three of them scheduled now. The one that was for yesterday was for what we call the Gang of Eight, which is basically Senate leadership. We have an all-members meeting tomorrow morning, and that’s at 10 a.m. Eastern time. And then after that, we also have an Armed Services Committee meeting, which will be a classified discussion as well. And then finally, over the next week or so, we’ll be having a Senate Intelligence Committee meeting as well, with the same issues at hand, talking specifically about issues surrounding, first of all, the armed services, and then the intelligence community’s role in the operations that occurred in and around Venezuela as well. So I don’t have a lot of classified knowledge on this particular matter yet. And as you know, even if I did have it right now, we couldn’t talk about it. But I can tell you that the president made the right choice when, after literally years, he decided that it was time to bring – you know mr maduro uh into custody this is appropriate he had uh you know uh we’ve had a we’ve had a long-standing demand that if anybody could bring him to justice that that you know there there was a there was a payment there was a reward for his capture and in this particular case i think the president made the right move by by going in and bringing him out. And, you know, I can just tell you this operation that was put together by our Department of Defense, the Department of War and our intelligence community could not have been accomplished by any other nation on the face of the earth. It’s just one of those things that we should be very grateful to the good Lord that our young men and women in uniform, those who participated in this, came away safely. And we should be thankful that, you know, the president made the right choice in this case and brought this person to justice.
SPEAKER 15 :
Let’s talk, Senator, a little bit about the activities that Maduro was involved in. I mean, this was a really a criminal syndicate that he was running from the vantage point of a, you know, a quasi state leader. Talk about some of the things he was involved in that justified the United States taking the actions that it did.
SPEAKER 08 :
laundering money, laundering receipts from drug operations. They were facilitating the transfer of drugs from other countries through Venezuela, then back out again, back into the United States, coordinating with the actual people who were actually developing the drugs in the first place, setting up the financial facilities so that they could… collect the dollars, bringing it back through Venezuela, coordinating with his own armed services to protect some of these entities basically on their travels and so forth. So this guy is not a good person at all. I mean, this has been going on literally for a decade. So it was even before he was actually the leader there during the time in which he was part of their legislative body. He was involved in it. So this has been an ongoing process and the conspiracy goes back years.
SPEAKER 15 :
So, Senator, we see in many countries where you have a. Government officials that just turned a blind eye that just either because the infrastructure is weak or they just really don’t care, they just allow these things to happen. That was not the case here. It’s he’s personally involved. This was I mean, he was running a criminal syndicate as that is correct.
SPEAKER 08 :
That is correct. There’s a big difference between organizations where you have strong drug cartels and the leadership is simply afraid of them and they don’t know what to do about it. That’s not the case here. Maduro was one of the organizers of it. He facilitated it. He cooperated in it. He received funding because of it. And it’s been an ongoing program. It’s been… in existence and operational literally for a decade. And remember, this isn’t something that President Trump just decided to do on his own. This is one that literally Democrats criticized him for not going after Maduro early in his first term. And then we had a bounty out on him. The Biden administration recognized that this was a bad guy. And so this isn’t something that’s political in nature. This is a case of where it was high time that an individual who had uh… you know the uh… the ability to really cause great harm in our country was time to take him out and uh… look there are thousands of americans are dead because of what this guy did in facilitated and made money on And besides that, on a bigger scale, this is the guy that’s bringing in influences from China and from Iran. If you take a look at the people that are protesting the fact that we took this guy out of power and brought him to the United States to face justice, these are some of the adversaries that we contend with around the world. This was their place in the Western Hemisphere that they were headquartering in. It’s high time that we send a message that the Monroe Doctrine is still effective. President Trump responded accordingly. And with our young men and women that wear the uniform of this country achieved an effective one-shot mission that took care of the problem. So once again, congratulations to the administration for having the guts to go in and to do it. But second of all, for the young men and women that wear our uniform and the job that they did that nobody else in the world could accomplish.
SPEAKER 15 :
Senator, 30 seconds left. It wasn’t a political decision, but it’s been made political by some of your Democratic colleagues who now are pushing for a war powers resolution. That’s going to come up later this week. What happens?
SPEAKER 08 :
Nothing. The War Powers Resolution, even if there are some Republicans who support it, there may be a few, but even if it does, it will go nowhere because it would require House approval. This is not going to happen. It is a political event to say once again, and some of my Democrat colleagues might very well agree that something had to be done, but what they’re saying is that there should have been prior notification to Congress and so forth. I don’t know how we could have had a prior notification in this particular case.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, we’ve got to leave it there, Senator. Stick with us, folks. 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 launch pad 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. All right. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host, and I am so glad you’re with us. Yesterday, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Are you ready for this? All right. They’re the ones that distribute federal funds to NPR, PBS and the other public radio and TV stations in the United States. Listen, prepare yourself for this. They announced. that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization following Congress’s rescission of its federal funding last summer. Now, NPR and PBS have long been accused of political bias and promoting far left ideologies, which they call trusted news and educational programming. Well, in last year, something was finally done about it. And this is this is quite significant in my view, because what we are seeing is that through the funding, cutting this funding, there is a disassembling of the left’s infrastructure that has been used for decades. And what Republicans historically have done is they’ve come into government, they’ve gotten control and they just push the pause button. Trump is not pushing the pause button. He’s pushing the eject button and it’s stomping on the tape. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman Pete Sessions, a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he chairs the subcommittee on government operations. He represents the 17th Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Sessions, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, thank you very much. What you’ve just talked about, defunding PBS and NPR and these areas is something that has been necessary for many years. NPR did not act like a balanced author of news. They talked about things and put Republicans on the defensive time after time to make sure that their agenda was well heard. I’m proud of my vote.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it’s needed to be done, but it’s never been done. I mean, let’s go back to my favorite president. I say that with respect. But with Ronald Reagan, I served in the United States Marine Corps under Ronald Reagan. And and I mean, I thought he he was a turning point for this country. He wanted to to to get rid of the Department of Education and others. But he never did this. He never disassembled the left’s infrastructure. So as soon as they got power again, they started right back up where they left off. This is I don’t think people understand how significant this how significant this really is.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, and in fairness to Ronald Reagan, he never had the majority of either the House or the Senate. And it does take majorities. Common sense is what Ronald Reagan was best at. But let’s just tell the truth. The left knew they could count on this as a reservoir, a pool of people who would come into journalism, who would come and take these issues on. And it was high time we did it. And we did.
SPEAKER 15 :
What’s next? I mean, this is a case study, I think, on how you change the trajectory of government is by not just stopping the funding, but ending these entities.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, Tony, we’re still struggling as the president is with the president’s management agenda that is winding its way, obviously through ports, and that is getting the remaining some 30% of federal employees, non military, non law enforcement to come back to work. They are still not reporting to work. And while the administration doesn’t come and tout this very much, It is still happening. Thousands of federal employees do not answer their emails, do not come to work, and could care less. And we still have a good bit of work to do. We’re at the end of year one. Beginning of year two, we have our hands full.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, I just want for clarity, I want to go back on this with PBS. There’s kind of the umbrella where the funds went to these other entities. NPR and many of the state entities will continue, but they won’t be doing it with federal tax dollars.
SPEAKER 16 :
That’s the whole point, the federal tax dollars. They’ve got a beautiful building here, or perhaps did in Washington, D.C. 501C3 and 403B didn’t pay a dime to help pay the rent, the taxes here in Washington. So long, farewell, hate to see you, goodbye.
SPEAKER 15 :
I’ve got about a minute left, Congressman. I’m going to get your take on actions that took place over the weekend in Venezuela. You have a history with your family in law enforcement. Your father was the director of the FBI. Military operation or law enforcement operation?
SPEAKER 16 :
No, there’s no doubt in my mind it was from start to finish. It was a law enforcement exercise. This is a we were dealing with a cartel type activity. We were dealing with the need to make sure. However, when that happened that we as part of our assault took down, stop their ships. So it was a joint exercise that was seen by us. But no doubt this was a law enforcement exercise. Start to finish.
SPEAKER 15 :
Will Republicans stand with the president on this?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes, I don’t think there’s a problem about that. I mean, the people who don’t like this are socialists in the streets. We recognize the difference. But this is something that has these strongmen that are in these areas. need to know that the United States of America will not allow our borders to be violated the way they did this.
SPEAKER 15 :
And I know you care about this as well. It’s not just the supply, but it’s the demand as well. We’ve got to address the demand side of this equation. Congressman Pete Sessions, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks so much for joining us. Tony, thank you. Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas. Well, as I mentioned at the top of the program today, as I was talking with Congressman Cloud, a great friend of FRC and of mine and of Congress, Congressman Doug LaMoffa passed away overnight. He had some health complications, aneurysm and then a heart attack. Great guy. 65 years old, represented, he was a farmer, elected to Congress representing the northern part of California, which is a beautiful part of the state. He was just a prince of a guy, and he’s going to be sorely missed. But we are praying for him and his family, and we invite you to pray for them as well.
SPEAKER 14 :
Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, He examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of Scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian’s support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian Support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
SPEAKER 12 :
What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates. We’ll uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Join us to defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You can view the course at prayvotestand.org slash godandgovernment or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 02 :
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 15 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch, and thanks for making us part of your day. All right, I’ve got a great suggestion for you as this new year starts. Here it is. Join me and thousands of others in a daily journey through the Bible. And look, it’s not too late. We’re just starting. It’s a chronological reading of the Bible. It could be one of the most impactful choices that you make for 2026. To find out more, simply text the word Bible to 67742. That’s the word Bible to 67742. Well, speaking of our journey, our word for today comes from Genesis chapter 14. Now, when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his 318 trained servants who were born in his own house, and he went and pursued as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah. which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and all the people. So here we see Abraham, a wealthy herdsman, yet with no title granted by men. He was not elected to office, held no government authority, and commanded no formal army. He was simply a man walking in obedience to the Lord and faithfully stewarding what God had entrusted to him. Yet when crisis arose, Abraham was ready. His household was disciplined, trained, and prepared to act. Without hesitation, he pursued the enemy and rescued Lot and the others taken captive. Our battles as Christians are not physical. They’re spiritual. But spiritual victories also require preparation. We must be ready to stand in prayer, truth, and obedience for our families, our communities, and our nation. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. Well, protests in Iran that were sparked by the country’s widening economic crisis have grown to become the largest since the protests back in 2022. And over the past 10 days, they’ve continued to spread across the Islamic Republic, despite efforts by the Iranian regime to quell the unrest. Could the crippled regime be at a tipping point and our outside forces helping fuel this discontent? Here to discuss this is Greg Roman, the executive director of the Middle East Forum, a think tank which focuses on protecting American interests and values in the Middle East. He previously served as the political advisor to the deputy foreign minister of Israel and worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defense. He joins us from Israel. Greg, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks.
SPEAKER 13 :
Tony, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right. So let’s bring everybody up to speed. A lot of distraction over the holidays. What triggered this latest round of protest in Iran and how significant is it?
SPEAKER 13 :
I want to call it the perfect storm for Iranian seekers of freedom and democracy and the most imperfect situation for those who they are protesting against. The Iranian rial, their currency, was able to be devalued at an all time low. on December 26, the day after Christmas. A day later, the Iranian bazaar, which went on strike back in 1979, it was considered largely to be the death knell of the Shah’s government. That was the government in place before the Islamic Republic came under Ayatollah Khomeini, went on strike again. 49 years later. And you find yourself in a situation where because of the inability for simple shopkeepers, commercial merchants, truck drivers, even government workers, who are now subsiding on an average salary of $100 a month, They can’t even afford basic goods like milk, eggs, bread, and subsidies that the government has given out for oil, gas, electricity. Everything that could go wrong in the country is not working. And it all came to a head with this latest devaluing of the currency and this 50 percent inflation rate. So if you consider the economic factors that the regime has been weakened with its ability to clamp down on public protests after Operation Midnight Hammer and the Israeli-Iran war back in June. The individuals who are the most affected by this, the shopkeepers who couldn’t even sell their goods, couldn’t even afford to buy these goods coming in from imports with overseas markets, decided to go on strike. And now the entire country in 30 out of 31 provinces has erupted into what we see now on day 10 of these protests.
SPEAKER 15 :
So, Greg, the difference here from 2022, where that was more driven by social unrest than necessarily economic, but the government doesn’t have the capacity at present to squash this. And they’ve been exposed. They no longer have all of their outer lying surrogates that are able to, you know, impress the world, or deceive, I should say, the world that they have some type of tremendous power. It’s been exposed. And I think even the people in Iran, even though the media hasn’t been reporting it there locally, they see that this is not the same regime that it was two years ago.
SPEAKER 13 :
Not at all. It’s not even the same regime it was six months ago prior to the Israeli-Iran war. I mean, the protest that started in September of 2022, which became known as the Women Life Freedom Protest, was over the mandatory wearing of hijab or the head covering hijab. that Iranian Muslim and non-Muslim women were forced to wear according to the aims of the morality police and the laws of the Islamic Republic. But after the June war, there was a general sort of protest movement against the hijab six months ago, where a lot of women started walking around Iran’s capital, and even in some major cities like Shiraz, Tabriz, Isfahan, which are outside of the capital of Tehran, to no longer wear hijab. And in doing so, the morality police didn’t crack down because they knew that their ability to respond en masse to another women-like, freedom-like protest, like three years ago when millions of Iranians came up because of a social issue, would be weakened. But now we see this perfect storm, as I said before at the beginning of the segment, of economic unrest, people still having feelings about what happened back in 2022. And even going back before that, 2019- and really the Green Movement back in 2009, which would have succeeded had President Obama not said to the public that this was an internal Iranian issue. And to add on top of that, I mean, there’s a lot of factors here. President Trump giving support to the Iranian protesters by threatening the Islamic Republic that if they violently respond to these protests, that the U.S. may step in, not with boots on the ground, But protecting protesters’ lives, airstrikes, warfare, more economic disruption, has really given a new wind of support in the sails of the Iranian protest movement. And I think we finally see the Iranian people stepping up and saying, we’ll take care of this of ourselves. Just make sure that you have our back in case we need you. Not with invasion, but with public support.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and we know after the attack on their nuclear facilities, the elimination of those facilities, Israel has eliminated their ability to defend their skies. And so, you know, drone strikes or whatever could easily be taken to eliminate some of those that are prosecuting or persecuting the protesters. So let’s talk about, Greg, the… this perfect storm, they no longer have this axis of resistance. All of their outer lying surrogates have been decimated. The people see it. The regime is basically naked. People know the capacity that they have and they don’t have. What will it take to tip this over? What’s the tipping point?
SPEAKER 13 :
I think what the Iranian people need to know is that a catalytic event, very much like before the 1979 revolution really started going, would have to take place. Perhaps it’s the son of the Ayatollah leaving Tehran. Perhaps it’s marching on the Iranian parliament. You might even get to the point where there starts to become fissures in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. And we even saw that happen in a protest tonight. You had soldiers who were in sniper positions around a small town outside of Tehran, where the soldiers all of a sudden went down from their sniper perches and joined the protest against the regime. So when your rank and file enforcers, who are supposed to be beating and arrested, and even in some cases killing protesters, start joining the protest, you may see yourself at the tipping point. And I really think that the one thing that the Iranian people are asking for is international support in condemning the leadership of the Islamic Republic. statements like President Trump made, statements like what Prime Minister Netanyahu made two days ago in Israel, perhaps the British Prime Minister, the French President, that the Iranian people know that the international community supports their struggle for freedom against the repression and suppression of the Islamic Republic is what is needed. And the more public outcry that comes from world leaders, I think the more successful you may see the Iranian people stand up for their rights, for freedom, for life, and for really stopping Islamism in their country, which prior to 1979 Iran was a diverse country. I don’t mean diversity in the equity and inclusion sense, but you had all these religions living peacefully together. And I think that that’s the direction that the country wants to move back to, to have that great Persian pride, but also to embrace the West very much like it was after the 1906 constitutional monarchy came into place. And this is one last thought on this. The U.S. can help this civil war, which looks like it’s emerging, without having to fire a shot. They can affect electronic infrastructure, make sure that there’s an umbrella by not having the Iranian anti-air missile systems work, making sure that they can create strike funds for members of the Iranian rank and file working class to have substance without having to rely on the regime. There are many things that the U.S. can do through information operations, through information warfare. through psychological operations, targeting the regime, which will help support the protests without having to have one American soldier on the ground in Iran.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, Greg, you laid out the history of Iran much different than some of the surrounding Middle Eastern countries where we’ve seen regime change that has gone from bad to worse. What do we need to do, though, to ensure that this tipping point that we’re at, that if in fact it comes and we see a change that we get a change that is beneficial to the entire Middle East.
SPEAKER 13 :
So I think we have to look at this as a controlled implosion, a housing demolition, if you will. You know that there’s 3,000 years of Persian history, which is on the side of the Iranian people, which I think that they would very much enmesh and embrace. And you even have a transition plan that’s been brought forth by other organizations in Washington, D.C., like the National Union for Democracy in Iran, the Iran Prosperity Project, and not going so far as like we did in Iraq or Afghanistan, but destroying state institutions. You take off the political leadership, you allow the mid-level bureaucrats to continue doing their job, and you put into place a consultative constitutional assembly that will try to bring freedom and liberty and other items by the Iranian people, decided for the Iranian people, without any Western influence insofar as it relates to governing state institutions. And I think the second that you lift sanctions on a government that is not the Islamic Republic, everything else will fall into place. Iran can be the antebellum, can be the bellwether experiment of how the West and the Middle East country works together by allowing the country to do its own construction rather than having it being guided by the United States or Israel or a European government. Just give them the keys. They’ll know how to drive the car.
SPEAKER 15 :
Greg, what would that make the Middle East look like? How would that change today’s Middle East?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, there’s, I think, a good and a bad here. And there’s also an ugly that you have to be aware of. Iran’s proxy forces defeat between October of 2023 after October 7th and the June 2025 war has removed the threat, except maybe for the Houthis and Iraqi Shia militias, who are a different case, but the larger threat of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Assad regime. So if you look at Israel as being the first footprint of the West in the Middle East, those immediate threats have been removed. You remove Iran and the Islamic Republic from the chessboard, the Houthis are by themselves, the Iraqis will fall in line and really rely on domestic Iraqi politics. But it creates a vacuum. This is where the bad comes in. For Pakistan, for Turkey, for Qatar to replace Shia Islamism with Sunni Islamism. the idea that you get jihadi forces of the Muslim Brotherhood and even, dare I say, Al-Qaeda derivative force that may fill that vacuum. And the ugly side of it is that Middle East Christians, Middle East minority groups, Jews in Israel, will be the ones that have to fight those battles now. The removal of Iran does not mean that the Middle East is a less dangerous place. It means that the U.S. and the West has to take a forced posture, not by putting troops on the ground, but by realigning the way in which it thinks about the region to clearly say that Shia extremism and Sunni extremism will not be tolerated, that Turkey will be treated the same way that Iran is treated, and that we have to rely on U.S. allies like Israel, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, even to a certain extent some of the other Gulf countries, not including Qatar, maybe Egypt to a certain extent. to fill the gap. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m afraid that more pernicious forces with a lot more resources that are sort of frenemies of the United States will take Iran’s place.
SPEAKER 15 :
Greg, we just have about a minute left, but as I look at this, this is historic in terms of the geopolitical shifting that’s taking place. I mean, you have to go back centuries to see the significance all triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel and Israel’s response to protect themselves and go it alone for the initial part of their war, this multi-front war. And now we see the remaking of the Middle East.
SPEAKER 13 :
100%. And I think in great moments in history, it’s one kinetic event. It’s one Archduke Ferdinand-like assassination or one-day battle, or even on a larger extent, the fall of the Ottoman Empire with the Battle of Vienna that really takes history to change itself. But if there’s one thing that I think that your audience should take away from this is that Israel and the United States are now in a position to allow the U.S. to have a gradual withdrawal of its forces from the region, And to give Israel, I don’t want to say the hegemony, but the responsibility for creating sort of a Pax Israeliana. To allow Israel to take the step of guardians of Middle East Christians, guardians of Middle East minorities, guardians of the Abrahamic alliance that includes four Arab countries. But now to extend that, to sort of have the role of guarding the covenant between Abrahamic faiths.
SPEAKER 15 :
And I think Israel is ready for that position. We’re going to have to cut it off there, but that’s got to be clearly articulated and not just assumed. Greg Roman, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us. Great insight. Folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well. Obviously a lot to pray about, but an exciting time. And I think 2026 is going to be a year filled with opportunity. All right. Until next time, keep standing.
SPEAKER 11 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
