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Join our host, Jody Heiss, as he navigates through the unexpected political landscape with President Biden’s shocking decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. This decision has sparked a whirlwind of reactions and analysis, highlighting the tension between upholding justice and familial bonds. Through insightful discussions with Congressman Andy Biggs, the show unravels the implications of this pardon and what it conveys about our current judicial systems.
SPEAKER 15 :
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. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, good afternoon, and let me begin by saying that all of us here at Washington Watch and at the Family Research Council as a whole Hope that you and your family had a fantastic Thanksgiving. And now we welcome you back. I am Jody Heiss, a senior vice president here at the Family Research Council and president of FRC Action. Honored to be filling in today for Tony. He’ll be back tomorrow, and we’re thrilled to have you on board as well. We’ve got a lot coming your way. Let’s begin with this.
SPEAKER 19 :
I am satisfied that I’m not going to do anything. I said I’d abide by the jury decision. I will do that, and I will not pardon him.
SPEAKER 03 :
That, of course, was President Biden back in June saying that he would not pardon his son, Hunter Biden. It was an announcement that at that time was praised by the legacy media.
SPEAKER 18 :
The contrast is profound. To sit there and say, well, I’m not going to intervene in the legal process and I wouldn’t pardon my son. One side, Democrats and Joe Biden protecting the justice system.
SPEAKER 17 :
And on the other, Republicans and Trump protecting Trump. A current president of the United States has so much respect for the law that he has said he would not pardon his son.
SPEAKER 16 :
He is not pardoning his son, which he could do. These are federal charges. He is not doing that. He is not doing it because he is living what it means to have a rule of law in this country.
SPEAKER 03 :
So where is the legacy media today? As of course yesterday, President Biden went ahead and you guessed it, he pardoned his son. In fact, it was a sweeping pardon. So what does this tell us? Well, I’ll be joined in just a few moments by Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs to discuss this. And speaking of 180s, the FBI is another agency that the incoming Trump administration is seeking to turn around. And they’ve tapped to lead the bureau. Kash Patel is a former deputy FBI director who has called for the eradication of government tyranny within the FBI.
SPEAKER 11 :
There are serious problems at the FBI. The American public knows it. They expect to see sweeping change, and Kash Patel is just the type of person to do it. He’s probably the best at uncovering what’s happened at the FBI, and I look forward to seeing him taking it apart.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was Senator Bill Hagerty yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press. And I’ll be joined a little bit later in the program by former FBI agent Jonathan Gillum and get his take on the latest Trump pick and what needs to be done in order to clean up the FBI. And then we have some good news. Have you heard this? The Bible has seen a 22% jump in sales this year alone. Well, what’s driving all of that? And how can we go from Bible buying to Bible reading? Well, we’ll discuss that with FRC’s National Prayer Director and Chaplain, Jay Johnston, a little bit later in the program. And lastly, I’ll be joined by CBN News’ Chris Mitchell from Jerusalem to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including a clash between rebel forces and the Syrian government. So as usual, we have a lot going on. coming your way here in the next hour. If you miss any part of it, our website, of course, is TonyPerkins.com, where you can find not only this edition of Washington Watch, but past editions as well, in addition to tons and tons of resources. So be sure to bookmark that page, TonyPerkins.com. And also, with tomorrow being Giving Tuesday, I want to encourage you to join Family Research Council in shining the light of biblical truth here in Washington, D.C. And to make things a little bit better, thanks to a generous $50,000 challenge match, every dollar that you give will be doubled. from now to Giving Tuesday. So help FRC continue serving as a prophetic voice in our nation. You can do so by simply texting the word LIGHT, L-I-G-H-T, LIGHT, to 67742. We encourage you to give today and make an eternal impact. All right, let’s go ahead and jump into the stories. Yesterday, President Biden did what he repeatedly said he would not do. He signed a pardon for his son, Hunter. And that full and unconditional pardon is for crimes that he has committed. Did you get that? Crimes that he has committed or that he may have committed or that he may have taken part in. all during a period from January 1st, 2014 through December of 2024. We’re talking like 11 years. Unbelievable. 11 years for crimes that he has committed or may have committed. So what does this tell us about President Biden’s respect for the justice system? which, by the way, the legacy media said was demonstrated in his vow not to pardon his son, how much he respected the rule of law and the justice system. Well, all that is turned on its head at this point. Well, joining me now to discuss this, is Congressman Andy Biggs. He serves on the House Judiciary Committee as well as the Oversight and Accountability Committee. He serves the 5th Congressional District of the great state of Arizona. Congressman Biggs, my friend, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 20 :
Great to be with you, Jody. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, listen, let’s begin. We got a lot to cover. President Biden said that he kept his word as it related specifically to not interfering with the Department of Justice decision making. But he didn’t keep his word when it came to pardoning his son. Your reaction to all of this?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, first of all, I wasn’t surprised. I may be one of the few people in America, because I predicted six months ago when he was replaced by Kamala, I said, you know, in the end, he’s going to get a pardon for himself, his family, and do what’s necessary in his mind. And that is what happened here. But the biggest surprise, Jody, and you guys have touched on it quite a bit, is that the scope of this pardon is huge. It’s perhaps the largest in American history. It’s 11 years. It’s any crime he has committed, may have committed, may have taken part in. Anything you can imagine, he’s going to be pardoned from it. And Jody, that is unprecedented. And that says a lot about what his father knows that Hunter Biden was engaged in. And also, quite frankly, it provides some protection for Joe Biden as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Very interesting. And I take this in a powerful kind of way coming from you. Not only because of the committees that you serve on, Andy, but the fact that you’re a retired attorney. I mean, you know this stuff inside and out. I’m sure you saw this. President Biden made a statement. He said no reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s case can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out because he’s my son. Give me your reaction to that statement.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, that was an outrageous statement. So let’s consider about three different things. First of all, he had a jury trial. The jury convicted him. Second of all, he could have had another trial, but he chose to plead guilty. And the third thing is the Justice Department, under Joe Biden, actually allowed the statute of limitations to run on the most serious charges related to tax fraud and evasion. So that Hunter Biden would never even be prosecuted for those. So for him to say, oh, yeah, this is all based on politics is just that’s flat out bogus. And anybody who’s looked at this closely is going to be able to tell you, yeah, he doesn’t. He was being very, very disingenuous at best and flat out lying at worst.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, the president continues to say that Hunter was treated differently. But as you just commented, he himself pled guilty to all of this kind of stuff. And all the while you have the Justice Department, Merrick Garland, claiming that they followed the facts and all this sort of stuff. So who’s telling the truth here? I mean, you have even the Justice Department under this administration saying something different from what the president is saying.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, you know, I haven’t been a big fan of Merrick Garland, but they, you know, David Weiss, I haven’t been a big fan of him either, but he actually prosecuted the cases. He went where the facts took him. And I was working with, and you sat on the oversight committee before you left Congress. And so you’re familiar with this, but I sat there and the oversight committee, we looked at all kinds of documentation and, And the fact that this went back to 2014, Jody, really says a lot because Joe Biden was the vice president. Joe Biden and the family were getting money from the Ukrainians. Hunter Biden, Joe Biden had been placed in charge of the State Department book on Ukraine at the time. And so somehow Hunter Biden’s was hired and given all this cash and money coming in when he had no experience and no information on Ukraine. And then you have the same thing going on with China. So for me, I look at the timing of it or the period of time covered by this, and I say they knew that there were some very serious allegations that we had been uncovering and there was a chance that you might actually get an attorney general who would actually do something. So when he says it was politicized, if it was politicized, it was to actually go easy on Hunter Biden, in my opinion.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. Well, the fact that he’s acknowledging that the Justice Department has been weaponized, I mean, we’ve all seen that for quite a while. If I can, Congressman Biggs, switch gears on you a little bit. I wish we had a whole hour with you. But Congress is coming back. There are some major issues. to-do items for Congress, among them is the funding of the government before December 20th, the deadline there. What are you hoping is going to happen? What do you hope to avoid? What’s your anticipation in all this?
SPEAKER 20 :
I would, what I think is going to happen is a CR, a continuing resolution. It’ll probably be a two or three month CR, which means that you keep all the spending at the same levels, keep all the programs alive that are there now. And that includes things like funding to Planned Parenthood, funding to World Health Organization, participation in the CDC, all of those things that I just mentioned. I’m totally against. I don’t want to see that, but I think that’s what’s going to happen. I would be more content on December 20th going in and actually having a budget lapse in funding for a period of about 10 or 15 days. Why? Because virtually every employee will have received all of their checks for December, and we’re going into a new administration. It would be nice to start with a clean slate at that point. But I don’t believe that my colleagues have that in them to do. And I think they’re going to go to a CR.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I guess I hear your point. And it’s hard to argue. On the other hand, the CR being short term would likewise kind of give the president, would it not give him the opportunity to kind of fresh start when he actually is inaugurated and takes office?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, except for it’ll probably go for about three months, Jody. And that means that you’re going to keep funding basically unlimited abortions for three months, all the DEI and woke programs around the country, participate in the international institutions that hate the United States, all this bad stuff going on. And you’re going to be adding about $800 billion to your national debt over that same period. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thank you, Congressman Andy Biggs. Dear friend, always great to have you on the show. Thanks for all you do. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving. Appreciate you coming to Washington to watch with us again.
SPEAKER 20 :
Absolutely. Best of the duty and hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you so much. All right, friends, after the break, I want to discuss one of the latest nominations by President-elect Trump and how the incoming Trump administration is going to be able to clean up the FBI. We all know this has been an issue that’s been brewing for a long, long time. And now with the nomination of Kash Patel, the left is up in arms. We’re going to get into this after the break, so stay tuned. Much more coming your way.
SPEAKER 05 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it’s never gonna be on the ballot. He’s the King of Kings, and He’s the Lord of Lords, and nothing’s gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we’re to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10 week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You’ll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let’s not be discouraged. Don’t lose heart. Don’t lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let’s stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 14 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don’t defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 12 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don’t say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You’re naive if you think that, because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 04 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we’ve relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource, and we’ve relied too little on the power of God and God’s ability to open doors that we can’t open and do things that we couldn’t even hope to begin to do.
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This may not be an easy task, But we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know always that we are not alone, that His Spirit empowers us and protects us, and that He can do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to happen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Father, we thank you. You have entrusted us with this moment in history, and I pray that we would be found faithful and that as a result of our faithfulness to you, that thousands, millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPEAKER 03 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, an honor to be sitting in today for Tony. All right, as President-elect Donald Trump continues announcing the men and women that he’s tapped to join his incoming administration, there’s a lot of discussion about the changes that he’ll be ushering in. And among the discussions is how a second Trump administration will reform an FBI that’s rife with serious problems, including, not the least of which, is targeting of political opponents. And the pending nomination of Kash Patel as the FBI director provides a glimpse of what we might expect. So with me now to discuss the president-elect’s pick and what needs to be done in order to clean up the FBI is former FBI special agent and former Navy SEAL Jonathan Gilliam. Jonathan, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to have you. Good to be with you, my friend. Well, thank you. Listen, just give me, what was your initial reaction to the Kash Patel nomination to be FBI director?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I had a couple of reactions. And as most people know, I’m blatantly honest when I give my opinion on things because I try to reach these opinions from an educated standpoint in my training experience. I think Kash Patel is a very loyal individual. And I think that that’s very important for Trump because there’s not many loyal people in D.C., not many people that he can trust. But the problem that I have with Kash Patel is that he’s an attorney and his resume speaks of the things he’s done as an attorney. And that’s been a problem with the FBI since before Louis Freeh and after Louis Freeh. Louis Freeh is one of the only FBI agents that we’ve had and the only one since him that was an FBI agent. And this is something that all the agencies in DC suffer from, is that political appointees do not know the agencies that they’re representing. And it would be easy to put Kash Patel in there and have him get rid of all the executives on the seventh floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building and clean up that. But the problem is the left and all of these what I call mafias within the Bureau and all these other agencies, those people are not in plain sight. And so if we don’t come up with an effective solution to purging these people and not letting them repopulate in 2028, they will just come out of hiding and repopulate their ranks. Because once they, the reason I call them mafias is once they get into a rank, into an authority position, they stack everybody in a supervisor position under them with like-minded people. And that’s what all these agencies are like.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and that’s a problem, and I saw it when I was there in Congress. The deep state is for real. Do you think that there is a way to clean up the FBI, or are you just not confident that Kash Patel may be the one to be able to do it?
SPEAKER 09 :
So I do believe that there is a way to do it. But it has to be whoever’s going to clean up these agencies cannot be the same person that is going to run the agencies. And see, that is where I think the Trump administration and their picks, they’re missing this, right? You pick an attorney that’s experienced to run the DOJ. And you know that that attorney understands federal prosecution. But in all these other agencies, you have to have somebody who can run and reorganize and rebuild these agencies. And that in and of itself is a four-year job for whoever gets appointed. But somebody else, a task force, just like Holman is the czar of the border czar, there needs to be a justice czar and somebody who, or a reorganization czar, who takes a team of people that are from these agencies, looks broadly at all of them to get like or similar issues, and then look at them each individually to see where the left and all these other mafias are entrenched and then systematically expose those people, show them to the director, to the AG, and allow them to get rid of them. But Kash Patel or anybody else that comes in and runs the FBI is not going to be able to do both of those things because we need a dedicated director of the FBI and we need a dedicated team to purging the FBI. Those are two totally different full-time jobs.
SPEAKER 03 :
Very interesting take. And I’ll just say, in all honesty, I don’t know Kash Patel. I’ve never met him. I really don’t know anything about him. So hearing your opinion and your insight on this is very helpful to me. Let’s just suppose, though, given that task that he has now been given, assuming he is confirmed. What are some of the areas based on your experience in the FBI that he needs to clean up first? What are some of the glaring problems that need to be addressed?
SPEAKER 09 :
First and foremost, the executive level needs to be gone. The executives in the FBI are corrupted. And even if they’re good guys that somehow were pulled up to that level, they are still a part of a system that is broken. So that immediately needs to get fixed. The other thing that is immediate is recruiting has to change, because if you fix the top but you don’t plug the hole at the bottom, then they’re going to continuously pull activists in and careerists in. That needs to change. And once those two things are done, They can start systematically looking for these mafias. And when I say mafias, I want you to understand exactly what I’m talking about. Leftists. Leftists build a chain underneath them of like-minded people. SWAT team members who have little experience in anything. Maybe they’re an attorney, but they get into SWAT and they get… up in rank, they will stack the board with SWAT team members who have no investigative experience in these particular areas. I have to say it, the lesbian mafia, it is real. And once they get somebody in position, they will stack the ranks under them with people that are that are friendly to their activism, and the next thing you know, you have a whole rank of nasty, not just women, but other people who are sympathetic to that, and they will go after, as we’ve seen, after conservatives, Christians, and other people that they don’t agree with politically. So systematically, they have to look for all these and purge those things and plug those holes.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jonathan Gilliam, former FBI special agent, thank you so much for your insight. We appreciate it. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. You got it. God bless. All right, friends, on the other side of the break, we’re going to be looking at what is driving a 22% increase in Bible sales. Wow, it’s going to be great. Stay tuned. We’ll be back in a moment.
SPEAKER 06 :
It begins here and here and here. every day. Before you stand, you need solid ground. Standing in a culture that wants you to surrender the truth won’t work unless you have a firm foundation. At Family Research Council, we have that firm foundation and you can find us standing. We stand for the value of all human life. We stand for the right of families to flourish. And every day we stand for your freedom to believe and to live out those beliefs both at home and abroad. We work with government officials, educating them on the issues from a biblical worldview. And when necessary, we hold them accountable. We equip Christians across America to be informed and to take action in their communities. With our daily radio program, television appearances, and vast online presence, we reach people where they are. We envision an America where all human life is valued, families flourish, and religious liberty thrives. And that won’t be realized if we’re not standing. Stand for faith. Stand for family. Stand for freedom. Stand with us at FRC.
SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
good afternoon welcome back to washington watch i’m honored to be sitting in today for tony he’ll be back tomorrow but thank you for joining us as well all right there’s a recent wall street journal article don’t know if you saw this or not but it really has some good news and his news is just in time for the christmas season but the bible yes the bible has seen a 22 jump in sales this year and many are saying is probably due to rising anxiety among many Americans who are searching for hope. And what great news that so many of them are going to the Bible for that hope. Certainly buying a Bible is a great first step and it will decrease anxiety, but that’s just one step. You got to go to step two and that’s actually reading it. And then step three would be practicing it. All those things are necessary to see results, but certainly that all can be easier said than done. And I want to remind you that FRC has a two year stand on the word Bible reading plan. It helps guide people wherever they are in their walk with God to go on to the next step. And here now to share more is Dr. Jay Johnston. He’s the National Prayer Director and the chaplain here at the Family Research Council. Pastor Jay, thanks for joining us today. It’s great to see you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thanks, Jody. Thanks for having me today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it is our honor and thanks for all that you do for so many of us here at FRC and beyond. But let me get your thoughts on this news that the Bible has seen a marked increase in sales this year. I think that’s tremendous news.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I certainly rejoice at that news and just grateful that, you know, the word of the Lord is just there’s a demand and we’re grateful. I think there’s people all over looking for hope and people are directing them to God’s word. And, you know, Jody, the thing about it, it’s not just to know the Bible, not just to read the Bible, but to know God. And I think that’s the beauty of God’s Word. And, you know, the Bible reading plan that Family Research Council has been using now for a number of years, Stand on the Word, is just a great resource for people to engage in reading God’s Word. So I certainly recommend that and encourage folks to get it. into the word of the Lord and stand on the word is one of those. And I would also just say this, Jody, it is important to read God’s word. It’s important to study God’s word. It’s also very vital to find a church that is teaching and preaching the word of God and to get engaged with a local church where they can study with others God’s word. So I just would encourage people. in that way to take that opportunity. Remembering Psalm 119, 105 is a word from God’s word that the Lord used in my life many, many years ago, that the word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And so I just encourage people to certainly look at Stand on the Word. But I would also just say, as I was searching early in my Christian life, there were all kind of Bible plans out there. And it becomes really confusing if you’re not used to it. And the bottom line is just to find something, open up God’s Word beginning to read god’s word but stand on the word can be found you know at frc bible.org i believe that’s the correct um site you know but it really is important uh for people to to come together and to study god’s word not only quietly um with your daily time, but getting with other people. And Jodi, I’ll just say this, you know, often people say something about Washington, D.C., and they say, boy, if we could get D.C. fixed. You know, one of the things that I’m so excited about Washington, D.C., is all of the Bible studies um that are taking place not just in government buildings and churches but you can walk into a coffee shop at almost any time of the day and there is one or two people together um just with the word of god uh just studying and reading god’s word together so i would just encourage people to to to grab hold of this good news and open up the word of God, just like I have mine right here. Open up the word of God and begin reading, studying, praying the word of God.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. I think those are all excellent points, Pastor Jay, that you brought up from reading the Word to studying it to appropriating it to being in a Bible-believing church. I mean, on and on and on. And the Bible reading plan that we have here at FRC, Stand on the Word, is something that all of us at FRC, participate in. We begin with a Bible study every morning as we meet as an organization. And I think there’s a lot of questions. There’s reflection. Tony has, in fact, a daily devotional that he does. It corresponds with the Stand on the Word that we have. So there’s a lot there that people can draw from and come alongside with us. And we’re together. We’ve only got about 30 seconds or so left. But any closing comments that you’d like to say?
SPEAKER 08 :
No, the point of, you know, what Tony also offers, I hear a lot of people say, you know, they they tune that in as they’re getting up or, you know, as they’re. preparing for their day. So that is a great way to also hear. But don’t let that be the only thing. You’ve got to open up the Word of God. And often people will say, you know, I open it up, I read something, but my mind goes every which way. And I just encourage people, Jody, to start out by praying, asking for divine guidance. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 03 :
you know jay johnson thank you so much and thanks for all you do we appreciate it all right friends we’ve got a lot happening in israel in the middle east it’s coming your way right after the break stay tuned
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 01 :
Everything we do begins as an idea. Before there can be acts of courage, there must be the belief that some things are worth sacrificing for. Before there can be marriage, there is the idea that man should not be alone. Before there was freedom, there was the idea that individuals are created equal. It’s true that all ideas have consequences, but we’re less aware that all consequences are the fruit of ideas. Before there was murder, there was hate. Before there was a Holocaust, there was the belief by some people that other people are undesirable. Our beliefs determine our behavior, and our beliefs about life’s biggest questions determine our worldview. Where did I come from? Who decides what is right and wrong? What happens when I die? Our answers to these questions explain why people see the world so differently. Debates about abortion are really disagreements about where life gets its value. Debates over sexuality and gender and marriage are really disagreements about whether the rules are made by us or for us. What we think of as political debates are often much more than that. They are disagreements about the purpose of our lives and the source of truth. As Christians, our goal must be to think biblically about everything. Our goal is to help you see beyond red and blue, left and right, to see the battle of ideas at the root of it all. Our goal is to equip Christians with a biblical worldview and help them advance and defend the faith in their families, communities, and the public square. Cultural renewal doesn’t begin with campaigns and elections. It begins with individuals turning from lies to truth. But that won’t happen if people can’t recognize a lie and don’t believe truth exists. We want to help you see the spiritual war behind the political war, the truth claims behind the press release, and the forest and the trees.
SPEAKER 03 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your host today, Jody Heiss. Glad to be with you and honored to be sitting in today for Tony. Again, I want to encourage you to join FRC in shining the light of biblical truth here in Washington, D.C. And thanks to a $50,000 challenge match, every dollar you give to FRC is going to be doubled from now through Tuesday, Giving Tuesday, we’re calling it. That’s tomorrow. So help FRC continue serving as a prophetic voice for our nation. You can do so by texting the word LIGHT, L-I-G-H-T. Text the word LIGHT to 67742. And in advance, thank you so much for helping us out. All right, the US and other Western governments are closely monitoring some developments in Syria right now, where Islamist rebels recently launched an offensive attack against government forces that have resulted in more than 400 deaths. And earlier today, Syria’s army said that its forces were working to secure parts of the region around Aleppo, which is the second largest city there in Syria, and that city the rebel forces have actually taken control of. So what do all these latest developments mean for the Middle East? And more specifically, could this impact the war that Israel has underway with Hamas? Joining me now from Jerusalem to discuss this is Chris Mitchell. He’s the Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. Chris, great to see you. Thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Great to be with you, Jody.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, well, let’s just begin. So much is happening right now in the entire region, but for those who perhaps have not been tracking this and what’s been unfolding in Syria, can you kind of give us a walk through some of the timeline of what’s taken place this past week?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Jody, several days ago, two main jihadist groups, the HTS, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and also the Syrian National Army, launched an offensive. And we believe were tacitly approved by Turkey. And they went down the civil war between the Bashar Assad regime and these rebel groups. has really been sort of on hold for many years. And then they launched this offensive, and presumably they have taken over Syria’s second largest city, Aleppo. And this is very strategic. First time the rebels ever controlled that city, and then they’ve gone either even further south. Now, they do represent a possible threat to the Bashar Assad regime. And right now, so you have Turkey on one side. There’s a lot of geopolitics going on right now. You also have on the other side Iran and Russia. Syria to Iran represents a key component of its regional plan, and they use Syria as a land bridge to be able to supply weapons to Hezbollah. Now, Hezbollah has been largely decimated by the IDF in the last couple of months. And also, the fact that Israel has attacked and degraded Hezbollah has allowed some sort of a vacuum to allow these Syrian rebel groups to come down to other south and take over Aleppo and other places. So right now, we understand that Iran and Russia are fighting back against these rebel groups. So a lot happening, as you say, Jodi. And this represents just one more turmoil here in a very, very volatile region.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so much turmoil. Is there anything, Chris, that you’re aware of that really was the that ignited this? Was there anything that that took place that was the spark for all of this? What is the reason behind the timing?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think one thing, Jody, is the vacuum left by Hezbollah and the weakness of this Iranian proxy group that had been in Syria before. And actually, if you go back several years, the Hezbollah, as well as Russia, were able to stop the advance of the rebel groups in the Syrian civil war. So the degrading by Israel of Hezbollah has allowed this vacuum to take place. That’s one of the factors that really is constituting what’s happening right now.
SPEAKER 03 :
So just that vacuum was enough to do that. It seemed like, as you said, with so much other turmoil taking place in the region, that there would be some degree of hesitancy with it. I guess when they saw a potential weakness, they just jumped on it. Now, you mentioned that this is taking place kind of in the northwest part of Syria, but that they were moving southward, if I heard you correctly, which obviously is coming closer to Israel. So what could this potentially mean? Is this going to have some sort of effect on Israel in at least a significant way?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that they’re closely monitoring what’s happening there in Syria. Right now it doesn’t necessarily represent an immediate threat to the Jewish state because geographically where the rebels are right now is still Pretty far away from the Golan Heights and Israel’s northern border. So right now they don’t represent an immediate threat. Let me mention a couple of other factors why this offensive may have taken place right now, Jody. Russia, one of the key… Factors there in inside Syria has been distracted by its war with Ukraine and also Iran has been distracted and weakened by attacks by Israel and also its two main proxies that surround Israel, both Hezbollah and Hamas. But right now, it seems like it’s a long way down to either Damascus. which is the headquarters of the Bashar Assad regime, and or the Golan Heights and Israel’s border. But both of these actors, Jody, to remind people, these groups are jihadist groups. This is branches of al-Qaeda or derivatives of al-Qaeda. These are groups that want to take over the entire Middle East and certainly ambitions to destroy Israel. But right now they’re pretty far away from Israel’s northern border.
SPEAKER 03 :
Just absolutely fascinating. It just seems like it’s one thing after another after another that’s taking place in the entire region while Israel continues to do an incredible job in securing Israel and eliminating these enemies of Israel. many respects enemies of the world, but it just seems like yet another layer unfolds. So if we can, let me just transition, Chris, with all of this. One of the big news items here has been the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. How is that holding up and how do you anticipate it holding up?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, just in the last few hours, Jodi, there was an attack by Hezbollah. Two mortars were fired against a place called Mount Dov. That’s a disputed area right along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel takes that very serious, that violation. Since the beginning of the ceasefire several days ago, there’s been a number of violations by Hezbollah. Israel has been quite forceful in responding to any sort of violation, whether it’s a rocket launcher or terrorists coming into what right now is a no-go zone for anybody from Lebanon. Right along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the IDF still maintains positions there, and that is there as a buffer to protect any Israeli residents to go back to their homes along the Israeli side of the border. But right now, it’s still tentative. Israel seems to be enforcing forcefully what it can do to strike back at Hezbollah for any violations there in southern Lebanon.
SPEAKER 03 :
So is it fair to say that the ceasefire has really not taken effect, or is this just a matter of it’s in effect to some extent, but there’s still a little flexing of the muscles? How would you describe this?
SPEAKER 07 :
I would say flexing of the muscles, certain by Hezbollah what they did in the last few hours. And I would say it’s a fragile ceasefire. And I would say that Israel is taking interpreting the terms of the ceasefire in a very robust way to to hit any sort of violation by Hezbollah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. So what is the Israeli government hoping as we here in the United States are seeing a transition of power from the Biden administration to the upcoming Trump administration? What is Israel hoping that President-elect Trump will be able to do to build upon the ceasefire that is pretty tenuous, as you describe?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, well, it is a 60-day ceasefire, so it’s going to expire right about January 20th when President Trump’s going to take office. I know President Trump is saying he’s there to stop wars, not start wars. And I think what’s going to happen, Jody, is that there’s going to be a much more meeting of the minds with the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government. Through the past beginning of the war since October 7th, the Israeli government has been fighting the Biden administration in many ways. For example, there is a limited arms embargo by the Biden administration against Israel, not necessarily giving it all the weapons they need to fight either Hamas. in Gaza or Hezbollah up in Lebanon. Also, politically, they have tried to undermine the government. You probably remember famously Senator Schumer asking Israelis that maybe they should choose another government. So I think that’s been the history for a number of months, but the relationship with the White House and the current Netanyahu coalition government. Looking forward, I think there’s going to be a much more better relations, warmer relations. I think they’re going to be on the same page in regards to Iran, the biggest threat here in the Middle East, and Iran’s nuclear program, an existential threat to the Jewish state, as well as the threat of Hezbollah and Hamas. And looking forward as well, I know Lindsey Graham, senator from South Carolina, was saying President Trump really wants to see a ceasefire. He also wants to see the release of the hostages as well. And that’s something people here in Israel have been hoping and praying for ever since October 7th.
SPEAKER 03 :
wow so much so it seems like so many moving pieces i remember chris being there personally when the embassy was moved to jerusalem and the celebration of the israeli people and i remember the front page of the jerusalem post had a huge picture of president trump saying promises made promises kept and there was this great celebration i would think that there’s a degree of that same sense of positive anticipation with the transition of the incoming Trump administration and how it’s playing out there in Israel. Is that an accurate portrayal or are people there excited to see what they believe will be an administration for the United States that will have Israel’s heart very close to the heart here in the U.S.? ?
SPEAKER 07 :
Very much so, Jody. You know, when the election results were announced here, there were some TV stations directly celebrating and singing during the campaign. If the polls here said that 66 percent of Israelis supported President Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. So there definitely is an anticipation of a much better relationship. cemented, I think, by the nomination of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. And I think he’s going to bring a whole fresh relationship between the government here and the upcoming White House and administration. And I think a lot of people are just waiting, anticipating a very sort of fresh start in January 20th and beyond.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that, how Governor Huckabee was being received, and you just hit on that, because, I mean, obviously, people like you and myself, believers here in the United States, as well as those there in Israel, I would think would be very excited about the potential role of Governor Huckabee, the ambassador to Israel. But you say that is being received with great favor and positive anticipation.
SPEAKER 07 :
Very much so, Jody. You know, looking forward to Mike Huckabee has been here more than 100 times. I think it’s been 52 years since he first came here to Israel as a close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, just a few hours after he was nominated, he got a call from Benjamin Netanyahu. So I think Governor Huckabee brings a historical understanding of the situation here. He brings a biblical understanding of the situation as well. And so I think many people are quite excited, not only here in Israel, but many evangelical Christians in the United States as well celebrate his nomination. And I would add this, Jody, you know, with all the things going on right now in Syria, the Hezbollah on the northern border, Hamas on the southern border, Really a profound reminder to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to pray for the release of the hostages, and pray for the comfort for the people of Israel. They’ve gone through nearly 14 months of war. Many people are experiencing PTSD. They need the comfort, and they certainly need an ally in the White House.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I did want to ask you how we can be praying specifically for the people of Israel. And I appreciate you sharing those things. And we certainly will be praying. Let me ask you this, Chris, what about the Syrian Christian community? How are they being pulled into all of this or their safety or anything along those lines? How can we be praying for the Syrian Christians?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, there’s not too many left. And unfortunately, over the last 15 years or so, or maybe more, you know, there’s really been a massive Christian exodus from the Middle East with the rise of ISIS and all the jihadi groups that have risen in the last 15, 20 years. But there are Christians, we believe, in Aleppo, about 20,000. And they need prayer because right now, Aleppo being controlled by a jihadist group that is very… has great animus against Christian believers. You know, they they can go through forced conversion. They can go through, you know, death. And so a lot of threats against potentially against these Christians in Syria. So really, it’s very, very important to be praying for them, their safety during this very tumultuous time there in Aleppo and Syria.
SPEAKER 03 :
i think it’s so important chris that we remember what you just said there’s so much at stake for israel and we need to be praying for israel but there are major issues right now for syrian believers and others who are trapped in this horrible scenario this developing and i just thank you as always chris mitchell for your tremendous reporting and keeping us up to speed as to what’s going on there in israel and be able to give these updates as you do. Man, we just appreciate it so much. Tremendous blessings to you, the peace of Israel and the Israeli people as a whole. Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thanks so much, Judy. God bless.
SPEAKER 03 :
God bless you as well. All right, friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Again, I want to thank you so much for joining us, for staying abreast of what’s going on and for joining us in prayer for all these situations. Have a great evening. We’ll see you tomorrow right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 15 :
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