On today’s program: Dr. Roger Marshall, U.S. Senator from Kansas, shares the key takeaways from his meeting with President Trump on reconciliation, as well as his reaction to Elon Musk’s criticism of the Big Beautiful Bill. Kevin Hern, U.S.
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 06 :
We had a very positive discussion about the path forward on the big, beautiful bill and the reconciliation bill. And I think it was a reminder that we are all in this together. This is a team effort and everybody is going to be rolling in the same direction to get this across the finish line.
SPEAKER 12 :
That was Republican Senate Leader John Thune moments after the Senate strategy session with President Donald Trump yesterday on the path forward for the reconciliation package. Welcome to this June 5th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. Well, ahead on the program, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall was in that Oval Office huddle. He joins us in just a moment with a readout and his take on whether the one big, beautiful bill can clear the Senate. And the measure hit sudden turbulence when Elon Musk took to Axe to torch it, cooling what had been a warm rapport with President Trump.
SPEAKER 14 :
Very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate because that’s billions and billions of dollars, and it really is unfair.
SPEAKER 12 :
We’ll break down the rift and its possible implications. The president yesterday announcing a new travel ban covering citizens from 12 countries.
SPEAKER 14 :
We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States. That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.
SPEAKER 12 :
We’ll get reaction from Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hearn, part of the House GOP leadership team. And a fresh poll from the Barna Group and the National Religious Broadcasters reveals encouraging trends for Christian broadcasting. NRB President and CEO Troy Miller joins me to unpack the numbers.
SPEAKER 07 :
For us, we can’t relent on changing what we believe to be scriptural truth for the current place of where the culture is at. And for some reason, that then deems us as a hate group.
SPEAKER 12 :
That was Jim Daley, president of Focus on the Family, responding to the Southern Property Law Center’s decision to add Focus to its hate list. Well, the SPLC slapped that label on FRC 15 years ago. We were probably the first. And just as we warned then, its blacklist has only grown. We’ll analyze the left’s ongoing effort to marginalize and silence biblical voices with FRC’s Travis Weber and Washington Stand editor Jared Bridges. Hey, by the way, have you signed up for the FRC 21-Day Family Bible Challenge? Starting June the 11th, as a part of our Stand on the Word reading plan, we move into the New Testament, and you and your family can walk together through the life of Christ in the book of Matthew. Study guide, weekly discussion questions, kid-friendly activities, and much more. To join, text the word MATTHEW to 67742. Again, text MATTHEW to 67742. Well, Republican senators met with President Donald Trump yesterday in the Oval Office to work out a way forward on the reconciliation package, also known as the one big beautiful bill. Here to discuss this is Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas. Senator Marshall is a member of the Senate Budget Committee and the Finance Committee, which met yesterday with President Trump. SENATOR MARSHALL, WELCOME BACK TO WASHINGTON WATCH. THANKS FOR JOINING US.
SPEAKER 22 :
HEY, TONY, IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU AND I COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK AS YOU WERE TALKING TO JIM DALEY EARLIER WHAT A GREAT INFLUENCE JAMES DOBSON WAS ON MY LIFE. AND I HAD TO SIT THERE AND THINK WHAT WOULD JAMES DOBSON THINK OF THIS BILL? And I think it’s important to communicate with you and your listeners that we defund Planned Parenthood in this bill, that we cut funding for the Obamacare insurance policies if they do abortions, that we stop federal funding for any of the transgender surgeries. We increase the child tax credit. We try to make this a pro-family, pro-American value bill. And before we dive into all the economics of this, I just want you to know that there’s a moral part of this that’s important to you,
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. And these are provisions that you’ve been working on independently with other legislation. Now we’re able to get a lot of this into the reconciliation package. For instance, you said two big issues, total defunding of government or taxpayer funding of abortion. entities or providers, that’s not going to be in there anymore. So the almost $800 million that Planned Parenthood got from taxpayers, that goes away. And something you’ve been working on, very passionate about, is the issue of these transgender procedures on minors and others that the taxpayers have been paying for. That’s gone under this bill.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah, Tony, very proud of the work. And this is all because of President Trump’s leadership, his commitment to making America great again, making America healthy again. I’m especially grateful for this opportunity to stop the funding of mutilation of our children. Yeah, I just can’t. I mean, this is child abuse. And I am just so honored that we can be part of stopping the federal process.
SPEAKER 12 :
And I should mention, I didn’t mention this in the introduction, but you are a medical doctor, delivered some 5,000 babies before getting elected to Congress and then serving in the Senate. So you know a little bit about health care. Let’s talk, let’s, I want to talk about health care in just a moment because a lot of concerns that have been raised, false concerns, I think, having worked with the House on this bill. But first, I want to get a characterization of you of the meeting yesterday that took place in the Oval Office. A lot of people wondering. In fact, I was talking to some reporters saying, I wish I had been a fly on the wall of that meeting. So you weren’t a fly, but you were in there. Tell us about the meeting.
SPEAKER 22 :
YEAH, I JUST WISH PEOPLE COULD GET TO KNOW THE PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT I KNOW, THAT JUST EVERY TIME I SEE HIM, HE’S UPBEAT, HE’S POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, AND HE ONLY USED THE TERM THAT, LOOK, AMERICA’S HOT RIGHT NOW. AMERICA IS HOT, OUR ECONOMY IS GROWING, HE’S SO PROUD. WE’RE HAVING A GDP GROWTH MAYBE YOU KNOW, THE OLD THUG SET THERE AND THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A HALF A PERCENT, BUT IT’S PROBABLY 4.6%. THERE’S LOTS OF TARIFF MONEY COMING IN RIGHT NOW, WAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING. $15 TRILLION IN PROMISED INVESTMENT. SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS ONE BIG PRESIDENT TRUMP IS TRYING TO SHARE WITH US WHAT HE THINKS IT WILL DO ECONOMICALLY, THAT IT’S GOING TO GROW THE ECONOMY 3 OR 4%. NOW, YOUR CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, AND IT’S SO BORING TO EVEN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT JUST THINK OF THEM AS YOUR BORING ACCOUNTANTS ARE SAYING THAT WE’LL ONLY HAVE 1.8% GROWTH. PRESIDENT TRUMP THINKS WE’RE GOING TO HAVE 3 OR 4% GROWTH. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS BILL IS GOING TO IMPACT TO THE GOOD $8 TRILLION TOWARDS OUR NATIONAL DEBT. THAT THIS BILL IS GOING TO LOWER OUR NATIONAL DEBT SOME $8 TRILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
SPEAKER 12 :
So let’s talk about two issues that are drawing attention, one of them mostly in the House before it left. And that was and it’s going to pop back up in the Senate. And that is the taking Medicaid and making sure that those who are in need have access to it so that those who are able bodied and could work have to work if they’re going to stay on it.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah, Tony, our Christian duty is to take care of those who are the least amongst us. And I will guarantee you that I will do everything I can to protect Medicaid for those who need it the most. That would be our senior citizens in nursing homes. It would be people with disabilities. It would be children, especially. But we now have over 90 million people on Medicaid. We’re spending a trillion dollars a year on Medicaid. It’s grown 50% in the last five years. Meanwhile, we have 7 million healthy American men working age that aren’t working right now. Let’s do them a favor. Let’s help them get a job. You know, the best safety net out there is a job. It’s good for your mental health. It brings purpose to your life. So many great things. And every job is important to me. I don’t care whether you’re the hedge manager or you’re trimming the hedge. All those jobs are important. They bring meaning to life. So we want to do our godly duty and get people a hand up, not a handout.
SPEAKER 12 :
And some of those that are being taken off of the Medicaid under this bill are those who are here in the country illegally.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah. So if whatever report you hear from the headlines, maybe let’s just say, though, a number out of 10 million people could lose Medicaid. One and a half million of those are people that are here illegally. Another half are people that should never have been on Medicaid in the first place. They’re on it fraudulently. And then the other half are working men for the most part, not people or women that don’t have dependents, working age men or working age women that we want to help encourage to get back to work. And again, There’s so many opportunities out there right now. There are plenty of jobs. If you can go through a two-year technical program or a community college program in my home state, you’re going to walk away with an $80,000 a year job and no debt. And they’re great jobs. They’re fun jobs. They help provide energy to America. It helps all the great technical skills out there that we need in manufacturing. in the aerospace industry. So I’m just so upbeat, Tony. You can’t tell. I’m just, for the first time in years, I’m excited about America, and I’m excited about the opportunities here.
SPEAKER 12 :
It is. We’re at a turning point. Things are turning around. I want to talk about some of the other criticisms, Senator Marshall, that kind of surprise people. Elon Musk, who was heading Doge, was a part of this, in the White House all the time, working on it. Now, all of a sudden, he’s soured on the bill. The president pointing to something in his comments yesterday when he was asked about the post that Elon had put up, that it comes down to the actual cuts that are in the reconciliation bill dealing with electric vehicles.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah, well, certainly, you know, a big difference between being a CEO, Elon’s a CEO, but here the president has a board of 435 members on the House side, and here in the Senate, there’s another 100 members that are on the board, and not everyone thinks like Elon. That’s a big difference between me running a hospital or being a church board chairman versus being your senator, is that I have to work with other people, and I would love to cut more money from what the House did, and that’s my goal. The House cut $1.6 trillion over 10 years. I’ve said all along I wanted to get north of $2 trillion of cuts so we could pay for some of the president’s programs that he wants so badly. So I still think we’ve got more work to do. I still believe that the number one long-term challenge this country faces is our national debt. To face that problem, the first thing we do is grow the economy. And that’s what this bill is going to do. By making the Trump tax cuts permanent, we need to continue to roll back regulations. We will see the Trump growth in this economy. The next thing we need to do is freeze spending. Would love to cut it. I’m going to try to cut it. But if you cut things too fast, this big ship we call America will turn, will flip over. We’ve been on a sugar high here for four, for five years, spending $2 trillion more than we’re taking in. And then eventually we’ll need to cut spending, but we’ll need to do that through the appropriations process as well. Grow the economy, stabilize the spending, and then cut spending.
SPEAKER 12 :
So let’s talk about the way forward here in the Senate. We just have two minutes left, Senator Marshall. But there are a number of your colleagues that want to see more reductions in this. Do you think… Now this is kind of odd because usually the Senate is not more conservative in the House, but do you think the Senate will serve up a more conservative reconciliation package?
SPEAKER 22 :
I absolutely do. And I’ve already seen some of the reports coming out of the committees that’s going to have more spending cuts than the House does. I don’t know if we’re going to get to my $2 trillion magic number, but I expect us to be there. And I think, again, we’re just trying to be frugal. Tony, one of the greatest joys of my life was being our board chairman, our church board chairman for four years. And I’m telling you, I took better care of other people’s money than my own because you feel that obligation. And that’s the way I feel up here. Whether it’s the Medicare trust fund or Medicaid dollars or whatever, I feel very responsible for the money that hardworking Americans have given us. And I think there’s an opportunity to make some more trimming here.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I wish more had that perspective of the money, because I think some people treat it less responsibly than their own funding. And it’s a real honor, but also obligation to be in that role of stewarding what the people have entrusted to the government of this country. Senator Roger Marshall, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Thank you, Tony. Thank you so much. Let’s make America great again. Amen. Well, let’s make it good again. We want to make America great, but the path is being good. And this is one of the reasons that we’re doing this 21 day Bible reading plan, because the moral foundation of our nation is tremendously important to sustaining the building of a great nation. So join us in this 21-day Bible reading challenge. Text the word Matthew to 67742 and pray. Pray for senators like Roger Marshall and others who are doing the work up here in our nation’s capital. All right, we’re back with more Influence. Hello, I’m Tony Perkins and we’re here in Jerusalem, the city of King David. And I’m excited to announce the launch of our Family Bible Challenge to read through the Gospel of Matthew. Now, this 21-day challenge begins on June the 11th, and it’s a part of our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. It’s in bite-sized readings. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes a day, and we provide a toolbox full of resources to help you along the journey, including a study guide titled, Matthew, the King and His Kingdom. We also provide downloadable resources such as age appropriate questions to engage children. And we have a variety of family friendly projects as well as this, listen, a coloring book, coloring pages about the life of Jesus for the younger kids and your grandkids. Think about it, what could be a better summer activity than to go on a journey through the life of Jesus as a family? Just think what God could do in the lives of your loved ones as they read Matthew, unforgettable stories about the greater son of David, Jesus the Messiah. I hope you’ll join us for our Family Bible Challenge beginning June the 11th. Text the word Matthew to 67742. I hope you’ll join us.
SPEAKER 18 :
In a time when Washington seems clouded by compromise, a bold group of lawmakers are standing firm in defense of the values which our nation was built upon. At FRC Actions 100% Awards, 171 members of Congress were honored for voting 100% in line with policies that promote faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 04 :
Faith and family made our country, it’s the foundation that made our country not only great, but good.
SPEAKER 05 :
The values that make America, faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility. I mean, that to me is the heart of FRC and grateful for everything that they do.
SPEAKER 23 :
It’s very important for us to have organizations such as FRC. First of all, I think it keeps us grounded. In addition to which, the issues that you champion are issues that we should all be championing.
SPEAKER 08 :
FRC is very, very good at honing in on those things that really affect Christians’ lives. Also, working with members of Congress, too, to make sure that those values are instilled in the legislation that we create.
SPEAKER 15 :
Having the Family Research Council to guide us is critically important to being able to do the right thing consistently.
SPEAKER 18 :
These lawmakers have drawn the line, not just in policy, but in principle. This is more than politics. This is conviction in action. Visit frcaction.org for more information on how you too can make a difference.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us on this Thursday. Well, yesterday, President Trump issued a new set of travel bans and restrictions primarily targeting nations that contribute to threats of national security and public safety. President Trump had issued a similar set of restrictions in his first term to address other pressing issues at the time, primarily countries involved in terrorism. This list, however, comes as anti-Semitism and terrorist attacks are on the rise. And many countries just don’t have tight security in putting America and others at risk. Here to discuss this and more, Congressman Kevin Hearn, who is a member of the Border Security Caucus and chair of the Republican Policy Committee. He represents the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma. Congressman Hearn, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 24 :
Tony, it’s so great to be with you.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right. Before we get to the president’s announcement on the travel restrictions, I want to address the Senate meetings yesterday with the president concerning the one big, beautiful bill. There’s a lot of noise coming from the Senate side of the House. And I want to get your sense of where things stand.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, we’re sort of in the eye of the storm. We had these discussions at length for the first few months of the presidency, but even before that, anticipating back last year and then getting to the election November. So we had a running start. The Senate was behind because they had a change in leadership from McConnell to Thune. They also had to deal with YOU KNOW, THE CONFIRMATION OF THE CABINET. AND SO WE HAD QUITE A HEAD START ON IT. SO THEY’VE BEEN WATCHING US FROM AFAR ON THE OTHER END OF THE CAPITOL. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY SEEING THEM, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS. BUT HERE’S THE FACT, TONY. IF YOU DON’T VOTE FOR THIS BILL, YOU’RE VOTING TO RAISE TAXES SOME 20% PLUS ON ALL AMERICANS. AND THAT’S JUST UNCONSCIOUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF 20% PLUS INFLATION UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. SO WE CAN’T DO THAT TO THE The Senate wants to put their fingerprints on it. They can. They just can’t put their whole fist on it or the whole weight of their body.
SPEAKER 12 :
So maybe two hands, but not two hands and two feet. It’s got to be limited. What do you make of Elon Musk now kind of trying to blow this thing up, trying to kill it?
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, again, as I’ve shared with a lot of people, you know, as a business person, this place really is hard to comprehend. You have great ideas. You want a perfect bill. I’m a strong conservative, fiscal conservative. But I also know that, you know, the so-called phrase of Rome wasn’t built in a day. Our deficits of $2 trillion and $36 trillion in debt wasn’t done overnight. It wasn’t done in the last four years. So we’ve got to start crawling so we can walk and run. What Speaker Johnson has done with such a slim majority is incredible. In fact, I had a very prominent Democrat, actually a couple Democrats standing together, they’ve been around a long time, very influential, say to me personally, TO DO WHAT YOU GUYS DID WITH ONLY A FOUR-VOTE MARGIN IS REALLY SPECTACULAR. WE APPLAUD YOU. WE WILL NOT DO IT ON THE PRESS. WE WON’T DO IT ON THE TONY PERKINS SHOW, BUT WE APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD, AND WE HAD SPENDING BILLS. SO TO DO IT WITH A TAX BILL IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. SO KUDOS TO THE SPEAKER. KUDOS TO EVERYBODY THAT WORKED HARD ON THIS. AND NOW THE SENATE NEEDS TO DO THE SAME THING.
SPEAKER 12 :
YOU KNOW, I SHOULD JUST MENTION FOR CONTEXT FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR VIEWERS AND LISTENERS THAT MAY HAVE NOT SEEN YOU ON THE PROGRAM BEFORE. You’re a business owner. You owned a couple of dozen McDonald’s franchise. So, I mean, you know about business, making a payroll, and how to operate in the black. But matching that with an understanding of how government works, it’s a balancing act.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, you have to build an allegiance. And again, the speaker has done a phenomenal job at that, trying to find all the dissimilar interests and then putting those into a bucket. And we worked night and day at the White House. And we did our trips back and forth to the White House as members of Ways and Means, as members of the House leadership, as I am with the policy chair role. And then the speaker and others went to the White House. If you’re part of the, you know, the staunch conservatives that didn’t want didn’t think it cut enough or you wanted to deal with salt differently, the state and local tax exemptions. So all of these things mattered. Again, it was about threading the needle, came down to the last minute and we passed it with one vote.
SPEAKER 12 :
OK, let’s move to the travel restrictions that the president issued by executive order. And this is something he actually started in January. He just got the results of an analysis. Twelve countries he’s identified as countries that have bans on citizens from those countries traveling here. Now, in 2017, there were lawsuits against this, and it got modified and changed. But the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld the president’s authority to do this. Do you think this latest executive order and these limits will stand on solid ground and not be taken down in court?
SPEAKER 24 :
I do. One thing about the president, he cares about the safety of the American people. You’ve seen what he’s done at the southern border. No laws were changed, as he said in the joint address back earlier this year, that you just need a new president. And now we’ve seen almost no crossings coming across, bringing fentanyl that are killing Americans. It was the number one killer for the last five, six years. He’s lessened that problem in America. What he’s doing around the world, trying to stop war, This president and President Trump cannot stand where these inhumane killings are going on. What happened in Colorado is just a travesty. I think what you’re seeing also, even back in Oklahoma in the first district, you’re not hearing people talk about deportations anymore. You’re not hearing people talk about the border anymore. You’ve got Democrats in Colorado. You look at the governor. You look at the AG. You look at Congressman Neguse, which is his district. I talked to him on the floor yesterday. He was talking about how expeditiously FBI and law enforcement in general showed up for that. And he said it was truly amazing. So people understand safety. You don’t have a nation if you don’t have a safe nation. And this president, President Trump, is going to make sure that happens.
SPEAKER 12 :
And I think we are seeing, I mean, here in the District of Columbia, just down the street from the Capitol, just a few blocks from us at the Family Research Council, a shooting of two young Jewish staffers at the Israeli embassy. We’ve had the shooting, as you made reference to, in Colorado. So the threat is real. It’s real.
SPEAKER 24 :
It is real. And, you know, by the time it gets to you mentioned the Jewish couple, which is just really sad, the whole of it all unfolded, you know, by the time it gets to that point and the people are here, you know, with anti-Semitic views, you know, the president pushing back on the universities. We saw what he did at Columbia. We’ve seen the battle with Harvard and things going on there. That has to stop in America because people are dying because of those kind of conversations. And by the time people are going to have a hard time living free, because by the time they get out on the streets, it’s too late. So the president’s trying to keep people out of the country and trying to keep people off the streets that are willing to harm others.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yep. And I think that’s the way the American people see it. Congressman Kevin Hearn, always great to see you. And thanks so much for joining the program today.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thanks again, Tony.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, folks, there you have it. I think the president is taking the right steps to keep America safe. But we also need to be praying because we need God’s hand of protection upon this nation as well. Coming up next, a new report from the National Religious Broadcasters and the Barna Group shows promise in Christian media. I’m going to talk with Troy Miller of NRB, so don’t go away.
SPEAKER 10 :
The Center for Biblical Worldview’s all-day workshops delves into the formation of a worldview, what it is, how it’s formed, when it’s formed, what that means to them personally and their churches and communities.
SPEAKER 19 :
My hope for people when they come to these worldview workshops is that they will come away better equipped to engage the people and the ideas that they’re living with and around. And our goal is to give people more confidence in the gospel, in the fact that what God said to us actually is true, actually is the path to happiness and human flourishing for all of us, but also more confidence in their ability to have these conversations and help lead other people to the truth.
SPEAKER 13 :
for Bible-believing Christians to know what God’s Word says on these issues and to learn how they can apply it to their lives. And we believe that the more Christians that we equip, that’s how we’ll change the nation.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hey, fam, listen, Pastor Sammy here at Lighthouse Church, and I cannot tell you how equipping, how empowering, how… incredibly educating this conference has been. And so I just want to encourage anybody that either has not been part of or is thinking about hosting this event, certainly to pastors, leaders, even CEOs for that matter. This conference is lights out. Stand behind it myself. I can’t commend it enough. We’re going to be talking about this for some time to come.
SPEAKER 02 :
The culture is kind of squeezing in on us as God’s people, forcing those of us with biblical views to change those views or to suppress those views. It’s forcing us to engage with issues that we’ve never had to engage with. And so what this teaches us is what those issues are, what the Bible says about those issues, and then how we can critically engage our culture on these things in a way that is committed to biblical principle.
SPEAKER 22 :
Visit frc.org slash worldview for more information.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. And don’t forget to take the FRC 21 Day Bible Challenge, the Family Bible Challenge, where as a family for 21 days, you can walk with us through the book of Matthew. to take the challenge simply text matthew to six seven seven four two that’s matthew to six seven seven four two and when you do you’ll get a link to all kinds of resources not only the reading guide but you’ll have study guides you’ll have activities for the family even ITEMS TO DO FOR THE KIDS. WE’VE GOT SOME COLORING PAGES FOR THE KIDS, ALL UNDER THE 21-DAY FAMILY CHALLENGE. SO TEXT MATTHEW TO 67742 AND JOIN THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. AND BEGINNING JUNE THE 11TH, WALKING THROUGH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW. A new landmark study from the Barna Group and the National Religious Broadcaster shows that Christian media is becoming a shaping force in the US. Christian media, according to the NRB, is not only surviving, it is thriving. This news seems surprising given the attempts to label Christians as hateful people. But with Americans’ trust in media at the lowest point in over five decades, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that people are tuning to sources that believe in absolute truth. Here to discuss this is Troy Miller, the president and CEO of NRB. Troy, welcome back to Washington Watch. Tony, great to be with you again. So I guess, you know, the stereotyping of Christian media is kind of of the past, you know, big hair and bad makeup. That’s a thing of the past.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, that stereotype of the televangelist is really gone. And people, as you said, are tuning in. Look, 60% of Americans, that’s Americans, not just Christians, of Americans tune into Christian media in some form, whether it’s traditional broadcast, radio, television, social media, or on just websites. So that’s a huge number.
SPEAKER 12 :
So what’s the driver? Why are people tuning in to Christian Broadcasting? Is it the fact that it’s more accessible? Is it the fact that there’s a trust factor there, as I made reference to? What are the main drivers?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I think there are two main things there I think that our people are tuning in. 66% of people said that they find Christian media both trustworthy and important, important to tune into. So that’s a huge driver to the fact, as you said, started. that mainstream media’s factor is down in the 14%, 15% range of people who trust mainstream media, and yet Christian media is in that really high 66 range. The other thing that was there is people are looking for hope and encouragement. That was the number one reason, number one response when asked, why are you tuning into Christian media? And hope and encouragement was at the top of the list.
SPEAKER 12 :
You know, I think that’s important, Troy, because as Christians, and it’s here at the Family Research Council, we speak the truth, we do so with hope, and we do so with courage and excellence. Those are our four guiding principles. And I think the truth… the truth is hopeful because as Jesus said, the truth is what will set you free. And when we talk about even here on this news program, Washington Watch, we challenge people to pray about the news because we don’t wanna just frustrate people. We’re not here to make people angry or upset. We want to give them, number one, a way to pray, and number two, a way to take action. And I think, you know, as Christians, we should be filled with hope, and that should be passing on to others through our messaging.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, Tony, I also think it really tells us that there’s a rejection of the mainstream messaging out there. You know, so much of the mainstream media, whether it’s news or entertainment, is just, you know, really full of hate. It’s full of despair. It takes away purpose in life. And it’s very depressing. And so I think people are what we see here with this, people reaching out in such big numbers, you know, 66 percent, two thirds of the country looking for to find that hope and to find that encouragement. That really is a rejection of what’s going on in the rest of media.
SPEAKER 12 :
Troy, there’s something else I found very interesting that I want you to talk about, and that’s the the demographics, those that are tuning in. I mean, some people would think, oh, it’s just the, you know, kind of the older demographic. That’s not the case.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. You know, we still had strong numbers for those older generations, baby boomers and ex-genners, right? But look, the Gen Z led the way with 64% of Gen Z tuning into Christian media in some form, mostly social media and web, but that’s a huge number. And then followed up by the millennials at 58%. So young adults, young people are reaching out and look, they’re the ones that have been targeted the most by the progressives. And again, Tony, I think that’s a big repudiation of a rejection of that message.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I also think it goes back to your first point of the hope and the trust in a time where you can’t really rely on anything they’ve been lied to for so long. And if you look around, there’s a lot of reasons to be discouraged. unless you find the source of hope. And that’s what I think Christian media offers, as you pointed out. Any other surprise? We’ve got about a minute left. Any other surprising facts that came out of this study?
SPEAKER 11 :
Just one more, just the impact that Christian media is having, 75% of the voters, we wanna know what the impact voters, Christian voters relied on Christian media to help guide their decisions in the elections and what’s going on in the culture. So that was another big number, I think, for all of us out there that are in Christian media, I just want to say you’re having an impact. You’re reaching the culture. So don’t think don’t buy the message that, you know, mainstream media is the place where people are getting their news or getting their information. As you said, they’re looking for absolute truth. They’re looking for hope and they’re looking for encouragement. And and by these results, Christian media is providing those things.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, and Troy Miller, you’re doing a great job at the National Religious Broadcasters helping lead the effort of Christian broadcasters all across the country. So thanks for what you do. And thanks for taking time to join us today. Thanks for having me, Tony. All right. All right, folks, more Washington Watch truth and hope coming your way right here on Washington Watch. Don’t go away.
SPEAKER 03 :
Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. Early bird discount ends May 31st. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
SPEAKER 09 :
Jennifer, it’s so exciting to be here with you today talking about our new book, Embracing God’s Design. Who is actually going to benefit from reading this book in your view?
SPEAKER 21 :
There are so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, because we have some material in there where we really address the gender dysphoria diagnosis and what is wrong with it. We have information for people who are wanting to go back to embracing God’s design for their life.
SPEAKER 09 :
This is really magical to have the therapist and the individual who suffered come together and write about why this is happening and why we’re seeing this.
SPEAKER 21 :
And we brought all of that experience to the table. We want to see people walking in the fullness of who God has called them to be and not a false identity.
SPEAKER 02 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
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 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Hope you have the Stand Firm app. That way you can watch Washington Watch no matter where you’re at. You also have access to The Washington Stand, our news and commentary from a biblical perspective. So go to the app store and get the Stand Firm app. Our Word for today is found in Nehemiah 10, which records a watershed moment. The returned exiles, from priests to gatekeepers, joined with their brothers and bound themselves with a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law. After rebuilding the walls, they rebuilt resolve, pledging that every choice, public or private, would be measured by Scripture. Their example draws a clear boundary. We live among the people of the land, but we are not shaped by their patterns. Jesus echoed this same distinction. His followers are in the world, yet not of it. This isn’t a call to isolation. It’s a summons to allegiance. Values, ambitions, and habits must flow from God’s Word rather than the cultural current. For the exiles, the oath carried weight, blessing if they obeyed, consequences if they drifted. The cross frees us from the curse of the law, yet the principle endures. Obedience still matters. Today, let’s cross the same line of separation. Open the Bible, recalibrate your life, and publicly declare. I will walk in your truth. Loyalty to Christ begins and is sustained by loyalty to his word. For more on our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. Late last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center released the newest update to its flawed, bigoted, and anti-Christian hate map. You may recall the Southern Poverty Law Center slapped a hate label on the Family Research Council 15 years ago, placing us on their hate map, which… Inspired, now convicted terrorist Floyd Corkins to come into our building in 2012, intent on committing mass murder. Had 100 rounds of ammunition and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches that he hoped to smear into the faces of his victims. Gratefully, the heroic actions of our building manager, Leo Johnson, prevented Corkins’ plan from coming into fruition. But even a terror attack on our D.C. headquarters could not stop us. The next day, we were on the street, out in front of our building, saying we would not be silenced. We knew what the SPLC was up to, and we knew that they would not stop with organizations like ours and our nation’s capital that advocate policy from a biblical perspective. We knew that the march would continue, that they would go after other groups, even into homes for anyone who would dare align with biblical truth. We gave that warning 15 years ago, and we’re seeing it come into fruition. The Turning Point USA, now Focus on the Family, have also received the label. Should we be surprised? No, not at all. What we should do is we need to continue to speak truth. Here now in studio to unpack the implications of the labeling by the Southern Poverty Law Center is Travis Weber, FRC’s Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, and the Washington Stands Editor-in-Chief, Jared Bridges. Travis, Jared, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you, Tony. Glad to be here.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, Jared, let me start with you. Your initial reaction when you heard the news that Focus on the Family and Turning Point USA were now so-called hate groups, according to the SPLC.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, it’s only a matter of time, right? The Southern Poverty Law Center is, you know, they started years ago with focusing on groups like the Ku Klux Klan. They’re raising money on it continually. And when the money dries up from there, they have to move on to somewhere else. So early in the 2000s, they put Family Research Council and a few other Christian groups on the list. You know, to date, they’ve amassed $731 million. They have an endowment. They’re sitting on that. They’re still raising money. So they just keep adding to the list. Over the years, they’ve had… They added Alliance Defending Freedom to the list. They put Ben Carson on the list and then sort of took him off. They overstepped a little bit there. Now they’ve got focus on the family. PragerU is on there, makes conservative videos.
SPEAKER 16 :
Travis, there’s no appeasing evil. There’s no appeasing evil. Tony, in a situation like this, I think it makes sense to pause and ask what’s under the surface, what’s behind this. So we examine what are they really opposing? They’re opposing God’s design for marriage and the family laid out in Genesis 1 and 2. Anyone who stands on that, they’re ultimately going to be in the crosshairs of the SPLC. And that becomes apparent when we examine the history here.
SPEAKER 12 :
And not just the SPLC. They happen to be the tip of the spear for the left, but it’s really the intolerance toward biblical truth.
SPEAKER 16 :
Exactly. The SPLC is an indicator of where that intolerance will go when it’s carried out.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah. And, you know, there were those—I mean, we were early on. I mean, we were kind of like at the vanguard of those being hit by the cancel culture, because we’re right here in our nation’s capital. We’re shaping policy unapologetically from a biblical perspective. And they assumed that if they shut us down, that they would scare others away. And some did. You know, some folded when it came to biblical truth as a result, because they didn’t want to be labeled. They didn’t want to be taken off cable television and the different things that we’ve had to endure. But we’re not going to surrender truth. And I think what people need to understand is that there is no appeasing evil. You can’t say, okay, well, I won’t say it out loud. I won’t put anything on my social media. I’m just gonna be quiet about it. Well, our silence is acquiescing to the march of evil.
SPEAKER 16 :
And Tony, I think in these moments, we have to, anyone who believes the Bible, who would say my faith and my life are staked upon the word of God, those people who would agree with us, the Christians around America need to understand that’s what this is about. It is not some other political thing, some random thing that they’re not connected to. They’re very connected to it by their agreement with God’s word.
SPEAKER 12 :
Let me ask you this, Jared, because we refuse to be silent. Now, I mean, we took our knots, you know, we took our lumps, and we, you know, we had people trying to debank us. I mean, everything that’s happened, we’ve experienced. We just haven’t talked about it a lot. But because we didn’t fold, because we didn’t surrender, because we didn’t wave a white flag, we’re at a cultural turning point. I mean, look what’s happened with the transgender procedures. You know, when we stake the flag on that issue over the SAFE Act in the states, I mean, it’s turning now. They understand the power of those who refuse to be silent.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. And you and I both were in the building that day in 2012 when the terrorist attack happened. And it’s a testament to which way you’re going to fold. Are you going to be— Which way are you going to be moved by this? Are you going to be moved toward truth, toward God’s truth, or are you going to back down? We’ve stayed the course. And I think to these other groups that are coming on— I would say, where have you been? Yeah, and I think they’ve been there, and that’s the point, is that if you are on the side of biblical truth, you’re in this.
SPEAKER 12 :
You might as well just own up to it. If you’re going to speak truth, and Jesus said this, look, they hated me before they hated you. So, look, you just have to deal with it. But here’s something I think is really, really important. is that we have to put on the armor of God that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6, the breastplate of righteousness. And part of that is to guard our heart from wounds that would lead to bitterness. So, I mean, I’m not angry at the LGBTQ community. I feel compassion toward them because I want them to be free. That’s why we continue to speak truth. So, I think it’s very important as Christians as we engage in what we know is a spiritual battle that we have the armor on so that we don’t become wounded, bitter, and angry.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah. And if we are wounded, we don’t need to look to… the aggressors, we look to Christ. And he’s the only one who is going to be the source of healing.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, your comment on that makes me think of John Bevere’s book, The Bait of Satan. That’s a book about Satan’s attempt to get us to be offended, right? But that’s an opportunity we need to guard against with the love of Christ. We’re standing fully for the truth in love. And then when we’re doing that, we’re aligning with the kingdom and the kingdom will advance as God works through us.
SPEAKER 12 :
It’s like the book that was just, Jennifer Bowens just released. Embracing God’s design. Embracing God’s design. Thank you, Jared. It’s a biblical approach to human sexuality. And there are those that wouldn’t want that book out there, but it’s going to bring freedom to those who are bound up in this illusion that they can define their own sexual identity.
SPEAKER 16 :
And Tony, this, you know, as you mentioned in that resource, this is so important for us to clarify that, you know, and Jennifer, while in the book layout, how do we understand, how do we think about this? That’s a truth perspective. We have to have that. And we’re doing it in the heart of love. How do we, how do people walk through it? How are they navigating it? How are they guided through it? And how do the Christians around them take their hand representing the love of Christ? We have to bring that message right now to the country.
SPEAKER 12 :
I want to move on, but first, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the government has actually been using them as a resource. I mean, for years, the FBI, using their designations for groups that are threats to the country, including their hate list. We have a petition that would call upon the administration, the FBI, to… Quit using the SPLC as a source. So, folks, I want to encourage you to sign that petition. Just text SPLC to 67742. That’s SPLC to 67742. We’ve got about five minutes left. I want to shift gears on hate. I’m talking about real hate. The anti-Semitic Boulder, Colorado terrorist attack was partially an impetus for the president’s updated travel ban that he put in place. But before we go to that travel ban, I want to today we had Travis, we had a group, actually a former hostage that was just released in February and family members of hostages that are being held in Gaza were here in our building to to meet with us, expressing appreciation for the fact that we’re speaking out on their behalf. here in the United States.
SPEAKER 16 :
It was so powerful, Tony, as you were there, we were able to hear from this hostage who’d experienced the horror of what happened on October 7th. And we also heard from family members of hostages, those with family members still in captivity and siblings of those folks. And what was apparent, Tony, this is a community, it’s a Jewish community that is grieving, that is being attacked and assaulted by Hamas. And right now the question for the world is who’s standing with them and who’s standing with their enemies.
SPEAKER 12 :
And I think it was very interesting because the hostage that was here—I was in the kibbutz back last year when I went right after the attack. The kibbutz are not conservative—I mean, they’re very liberal from an ideological standpoint. They’re not religious at all. And for—in fact, some of the religious Jews would call them almost Marxist in the way that their ideology is. but they’re finding their greatest friends and allies as evangelical Bible-believing Christians. This is a unique moment, is it not, Jared?
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, it is. And where the love of Christ can be shown to people who are suffering, and we have… People who are daily being, as this anti-Semitic hate is rising even in the U.S., this is a prime opportunity for Christians to reach out.
SPEAKER 12 :
Let’s talk about that from a standpoint for just a moment. We’ve got about three, three and a half minutes left. As evangelical Christians, why should we address the issue of anti-Semitism, Travis?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, I mean, Tony, I think if we just, you know, we’re talking about scriptures with the SPLC, right? If we open our scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate them and speak to us, we know Jesus left us the helper in the form of the Holy Spirit. And he says, I’m going to go, but I’m leaving you the helper. The helper, the counselor can illuminate the scriptures. And Tony, I believe when we do that, the Spirit of God will speak to us about his love for and his story and his oversight of the Jewish people. So we’re partnering with God and we’re aligning with God when we examine scriptures and say, Lord, we want to pray what’s on your heart and cooperate with you for the Jewish people at this moment in history. We trust Jesus is the Messiah who has come, but we’re aligning with what God is doing. And Tony, we look around, even if we go back to 1948, the establishment of the modern state, what’s happening to the Jewish people, the way they’re treated at the UN, the ridiculous irrationality of it, that alone should clue us in. Lord, what is happening?
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. I mean, when you see it, it’s so inexplicable that you have to see the Spirit. You have to see into the spiritual to understand it. And Jared, we know God’s ultimate plan. for the Jewish people to say that he’s actually written it down for us so we don’t have to guess. Now, we don’t know the timeline, but we know the direction he’s going. I think as a nation, I think as Christians, we should probably be moving in the same direction as God.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, yeah. And he’s calling people to himself, right? So that’s the way we need to be going and coming alongside people who are hurting.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right. Two minutes left. I want to go back to a policy issue real quick. Reconciliation bill came out of the House over in the Senate this week. Yesterday, we talked about this earlier, Senator Marshall, Senators meeting with the president. One aspect that was in this bill, I talked about this program on the program this week, which was not didn’t really get a whole lot of attention. It is a, I think, very innovative bill. voucher system, privately funded through people making contributions to organizations that give out scholarships. Started in Arizona with former Congressman Trent Franks. But it’s something new, and it applies to homeschoolers.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah. And as a homeschool parent, I know that it’s expensive, right? And if you’re looking around and seeing all the tax dollars go into the public institutions that you may not want your children attending because of the values they’re teaching your children. The opportunity to just be able to have some of that tax dollars is very helpful.
SPEAKER 12 :
But the thing about this is it’s not direct tax dollars from a standpoint it’s a someone that you you have tax credit they get a tax credit so there’s no there’s no direct link right the tax dollars to the educational institution therefore the government can’t control it right it’s going to be much harder which is a much better way to go than a direct voucher system right so it’s i think it’s pretty exciting And I think it’s going to be revolutionary.
SPEAKER 17 :
Especially with the increase in homeschooling since COVID.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. And it’s only growing. It’s growing rapidly because I think parents understand—well, there’s a growing understanding, and, of course, we want to help with that, that parents have been given by God both the authority and the responsibility to teach their children. And we can’t outsource that. Jared, Travis, thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you. And folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well. Let me one more time remind you of the 21 Day Bible Challenge through the book of Matthew. It’s for families, young and old. So text the word Matthew to 67742 and join us. That’s all we have time for today. Thank you for being with us. And until next time, keep praying and keep standing.
SPEAKER 20 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
Dr. Roger Marshall, Kevin Hern, Troy Miller, Travis Weber, Jared Bridges
On today’s program: Dr. Roger Marshall, U.S. Senator from Kansas, shares the key takeaways from his meeting with President Trump on reconciliation, as well as his reaction to Elon Musk’s criticism of the Big Beautiful Bill. Kevin Hern, U.S.
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