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Join Tony Perkins as he unravels the complex web surrounding religious persecution in Nigeria and the state of our cultural battles for children’s safety online. Hear from Missouri Attorney General on the latest age verification policies set to shield minors from explicit content, and stay updated on the actions being taken at both local and global levels to combat the weaponization of loneliness against our youth. Plus, get engaged with real-world solutions through personal anecdotes and expert interviews.
SPEAKER 11 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Today the Department of Justice is announcing a civil lawsuit against the Maine Department of Education. The Department of Justice will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports. This is about sports. This is also about these young women’s personal safety.
SPEAKER 14 :
I was Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier today announcing a lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to allow men and women’s sports and spaces. Welcome to this April 16th edition of Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Coming up, Florida Congressman Greg Stubbe, author of the Protect Women’s Sports Bill that passed the U.S. House in January, joins me for an update and reaction. Meanwhile, the state of Illinois is considering a bill to legalize so-called suicide pills for terminally ill patients.
SPEAKER 16 :
I call this assisted suicide. It’s offensive to some of those proponents, but I consider the terms medical aid in dying and death with dignity offensive because it’s candy-coating what we are doing. We are not alleviating suffering. We are purposely drawing up overdoses intended to kill a person.
SPEAKER 14 :
That was Dr. Brian Callister testifying last week before a Senate hearing in Illinois. Ten other states already allow doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs. Illinois State Representative Bill Halter will bring us the latest from Springfield. And parents, you won’t want to miss the second half of the program today. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will discuss his recent efforts to protect children from online pornography. And this isn’t just a Missouri issue. Other state leaders need to pay attention to this. And if you’re not already convinced of the dangers lurking online, you will be. Terrorism experts are sounding the alarm. Children as young as 12, 13, and 14 are being radicalized through exposure that begins online with pornography and violent content. We’re going to talk with Stella Morabito, author of The Weaponization of Loneliness, about this growing threat. And don’t forget, Session 9 of our God and Government series is now live on the Stand Firm app. In this episode, we take a biblical look at poverty, its root causes, and who Scripture says is responsible for addressing it. If you don’t have the Stand Firm app to access this episode, well, text the word COURSE to 67742. That’s COURSE to 67742, and I’ll send you a link. As mentioned earlier today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its lawsuit against the state of Maine over its refusal to comply with President Trump’s executive order protecting safety and opportunities for female athletes. Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, in response accused the Trump administration of being, quote, bent on imposing its will instead of upholding the law, end quote. But who is really upholding the law and who is imposing their will and who has the advantage in this matchup? Joining me now to discuss this, Florida Congressman Greg Stubbe, who has been leading on this issue in the U.S. Congress. Congressman Stubbe, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, anytime. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 14 :
All right. So I want to first get your response on the DOJ’s decision to sue the state of Maine.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think it’s great. There has to be repercussions for states that are ignoring federal law, that are ignoring executive orders. And it’s about time, and I’m thankful for Pam Bondi to be putting the full force of the United States against these states that are violating the law and allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports. So I think a lot of this is a test from some of these Democratic states and Democratic mayors and Democratic governors. to see if the Trump administration is really willing to step out and sue them and take their funding away and do all these sorts of things. But the Trump administration is absolutely willing to do that. And I applaud them for that.
SPEAKER 14 :
You know, I find some on the left a little duplicitous here where they’re arguing, well, this is a state issue. The federal government shouldn’t be forcing these states. Well, I mean, is that what the Biden administration did? They were forcing these states to change their laws or their policies as it pertained to women’s sports?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that’s absolutely what the Biden administration was doing. They changed the definition of a woman. They pushed it out that they had to states had to comply to allow transgender females or transgender males to compete in women’s sports. And they absolutely tried to push that down. It’s a state issue, but I think it’s also a safety and security issue. And I’m very happy and thankful that the president decided to do an executive order on this. We passed the bill to protect women’s sports in the House. But of course, we can’t get 60 votes in the Senate because we only have 53 Republicans. So unfortunately, the bill stalled in the Senate at this time.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, let’s talk about that for just a moment, Greg, because a lot of what President Trump has done has been through executive order. All of that can be undone. I mean, four years from now, we could be right back where we’re seeing men in women’s locker rooms and on the playing field competing against women.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that’s why we’re doing this big reconciliation package on taxes and energy and border policies, because we only need 50 plus one votes in the Senate to get that done. So you’re right, if we can’t get and strike some bipartisan support for these things. But the political reality of this, especially this women’s and girls in sports bill that I passed, is they put members on the board and every Democrat voted to allow biological men and women’s sports And some of those senators are in tough races in 2026, like Ossoff in Georgia. So these are big political issues to put Democrats on the board that will be very helpful politically as we go into the 26 election cycle in the midterms with some of these very important Senate races. So I applaud the Senate for at least having a vote on it and having the different states know how their senators feel on this. You’re right. We have to come behind President Trump and do everything we can to try to codify what he’s doing. And unfortunately, this bill didn’t pass the Senate.
SPEAKER 14 :
You talk about how this could be an issue in the next election, the midterm election. But talk about wasn’t this a pretty big issue in the just recent election, the 2024 election?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I think it’s one of the reasons, one of the many reasons why Trump won. But if you look at the polling across political parties, this is a 75%, 80% issue. Democratic moms don’t want their daughters with men in their locker rooms. I mean, it’s a pretty well supported thing across the country, regardless of political affiliation. And I think We made that statement pretty loud as the president supporting this and him getting elected. And I think there was a lot of independent and suburban women who supported the president because they were sick and tired of biological men in their daughter’s locker rooms and competing with them on the playing field. So I agree with you. I do think that was an issue this past election. And I think it will definitely be an issue going into 26 for some of these senators that didn’t have to vote on that bill the last time. And now they did.
SPEAKER 14 :
You picked this up early. You were leading this when other people didn’t really want to touch it, because we’ve been working on that issue of the transgenderism, trying to protect children. You took up the sports, women’s sports. A lot of people, as I said, didn’t want to touch it. Things have changed in the last four, five, six years on this issue. From my perspective, I want to get yours. Do you see a groundswell building or a realization settling in that we cannot tolerate this nonsense?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, when I first filed this, I filed it as an amendment to the Equality Act that the Democrats were doing on the House. We were in the minority at the time. And Nancy Pelosi wanted to push through this equality bill that redefined and had no definition of what a woman was. And I said, well, at least we can protect Title IX sports that Congress created for women’s sports. And every Democrat voted against it. And back then, the argument was, this never happens. We’re making this up. And even though we had instances where this has happened, but fast forward to the day, I mean, just go on YouTube or Facebook or any type of social media and you can find all sorts of instances where women have been denied scholarships, women have been denied medals, women have been denied all sorts of athletic opportunities because biological men competing with them. And you’ve seen it all across the country. You’ve seen it in the Olympics. And so suddenly that we got this bill passed, Trump did the executive order. The Olympics have pulled back on what they’re doing. The NCAA has pulled back on what they’re doing. What a difference true leadership from the White House makes changes in all these different areas.
SPEAKER 14 :
Without question. But I would add to that that it starts small and it builds because we had I mean, as I said, you filed the bill, but we had parents. I remember discussing this with you back then. You had parents reaching out to you that were concerned about what their daughters were being exposed to. We had parents showing up at school board meetings, even some being arrested, being labeled, you know, domestic terrorist victims. We’ve got to speak up, and if we take those stands, we can see change. Today, the UK Supreme Court unanimously decided that the meaning of the terms women and sex in the UK’s Equality Act refer to biological women and biological sex. I don’t think they would have gone along with that unless the people—and it started here, but it’s been all across, literally around the globe— if we stand up for what we know is true, eventually, you know, others will see it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And I think what was going on here in the United States and they’ve seen the transition going into the Trump administration, the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t support that and the huge backlash that it’s been for Democrats all across the board. And that’s great to see. And, and you’re, and England is not is more, I view us as a center right country. I don’t view them as a center right country. So for them to come out and make this court decision, I think is great for women. It’s great for girls. And it’s, I’m very happy to see that other countries across the world are protecting women and girls in sports.
SPEAKER 14 :
We’re talking about sports. We’re talking about women. The fact that as the president in his executive order related this, said there are two genders, male and female. Are we seeing a shift culturally in our country that goes beyond just women’s sports?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think after the election, and Trump has taken a very strong stand on this issue, I think you’ve seen a lot of the universities pull back. The NCAA pulled back. You see a lot of your local schools pulling back significantly, even in Democratic areas. because I think they’re seeing this, this is a losing issue nationwide. This isn’t something that’s widely supported. And the Biden administration pushed this on the American people. They basically said, you’re either going to do this or lose your federal funding. And so they pushed this edict that we’re going to allow men and women’s sports all across the country. And it really backfired, like a lot of their policies really backfired. And you saw that in the last election cycle.
SPEAKER 14 :
Congressman Stupi, I want to shift gears here. We just have a couple minutes left. You also serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. Not only are you addressing many of these issues, you’re on the Intelligence Committee as well. But I want to get you to weigh in as Congress, out for a couple weeks, come back, taking up, as you made reference to earlier, a reconciliation bill, which is going to have a lot of policy in it. but also the economy, economic issues. The U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave remarks today saying the economy is in a solid position, but suggests that growth has slowed. What do you see going forward in terms of Congress coming back and tackling some of these fiscal issues, the debt deficit that is, some say, choking our economy?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, after the Holy Week break, we’ll go back in earnest because the budget reconciliation bill has passed. So each one of these different committees that handle pieces of the reconciliation bill will start marking up these different pieces of legislation. So for me in the Ways and Means Committee, it means taxes in a tax package, making Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent that we had five years ago. If we don’t do that, then anybody that has… 1099 or 199A deductions, any small businesses across the country is going to get a 20% tax increase. So E&C is going to be looking at an energy policy. Anything that we can add that has a budgetary impact, we’ll be adding to these different bills and the different committees. We’ll put it together on the floor and vote it out. So that’s what Congress will be doing when we come back from after the break.
SPEAKER 14 :
A lot of work, a lot of work still ahead. Greg Stubbe, I want to thank you for joining us. Always great to see you. Anytime. Thank you. Congressman Greg Stubbe of Florida’s 17th Congressional District. All right. Coming up next, assisted suicide is currently legal in 10 states. Could Illinois become the 11th? We’re going to talk about that after the break. So don’t go away. A lot more Washington Watch straight ahead.
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At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. That’s why FRC President Tony Perkins went to Capitol Hill to testify on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Islamist terror groups target Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria with brutal violence. Representative Chris Smith, who chaired the hearing, said 55,000 people have been killed and 21,000 abducted in the last five years alone. The congressman also stressed that 89% of Christians in the world who are martyred are from Nigeria.
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Yet the government of Nigeria has failed to make progress against religiously motivated persecution of Christians despite religious freedom being enshrined as an essential human right in their constitution.
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Tony Perkins called for the United States to send an unmistakable message.
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This is systematic religious violence. Nigeria must be redesignated a country of particular concern. The Biden administration’s removal of this designation was a reckless mistake that emboldened the very terrorists who are slaughtering Christians.
SPEAKER 07 :
Redesignating Nigeria will enable the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians.
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These are not just numbers. These are fathers, they’re mothers, they’re children, they’re families.
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Bishop Wilfred Anagabe risked his life to speak out, sharing firsthand accounts of the danger faced in his church district in central Nigeria.
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We live in fear because at any point it can be our turn to be killed. But to remain silent is to die twice. So I have chosen to speak.
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FRC is calling on President Trump to act now to promote religious freedom around the globe and speak up on behalf of Christians in Nigeria.
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Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today and join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We’ve created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective, read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family and church members and stand firm everywhere you go.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 14 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. All right, there are several concerning bills that are being considered in the state of Illinois. We’ve talked about some of them. Among them is one on medically assisted suicide, Senate Bill 9. Now, Catholic bishops in the state are calling for unified opposition to the bill, and it has drawn national attention. How close is the state to becoming the 11th in the nation to legalize assisted suicide? Well, here to discuss this, Illinois State Representative Dr. Bill Halter. He is a board-certified physician who continues to practice the medicine at the St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He represents the 87th district, state district in Illinois. Dr. Halter, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for taking time to join us.
SPEAKER 12 :
Good afternoon, Tony.
SPEAKER 14 :
I’d like to get your take on this bill as a physician. I mean, I think the Hippocratic Oath makes very clear what you’re supposed to do as a physician. This would turn that on its head.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, what we’re seeing in Illinois is, I call it liberal progressive FOMO. They see in other states in Canada more liberal policies and they get a fear of missing out that Illinois doesn’t have the most liberal policies. So they have glommed onto this physician-assisted suicide. And I call it, Tony, I call it physician-assisted suicide. I don’t call it medical aid in dying. That’s what they’re trying to call it. They want to control the language. We have medical aid in dying right now in medicine. It’s called hospice care. It’s called palliative care. So we have that already. And we don’t want physician-assisted suicide. As you mentioned, it goes against our very oath, our sacred oath that we took as healers, as physicians who would be advocates for our patients, try to comfort them, try to control their pain. And instead, again, we see this all over medicine. It’s just like a culture of death. We see this all over our state, our state policies, whether it be abortion policies. There’s just a culture of death. And this is just another example of that.
SPEAKER 14 :
So this would allow physicians to basically prescribe a suicide pill. Patients can take this. Now, there are some parameters. I think they have to be diagnosed with less than six months. They have to be over the age of 18. But the bottom line is still the same. It is ending a life. What’s the status of the bill at present?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, they introduced a House bill and a Senate bill, and it’s mostly going through the Senate side, and it passed their committee. And again, it’s going to be, I think, in my opinion, it’s actually going to be harder to pass. There’s bipartisan opposition to this, and there’s strong opposition from the Christian communities, Catholic Christian communities, And even the disability community is really strongly against it.
SPEAKER 14 :
You’ve had some really, I’m just going to say bad bills in Illinois this year. What’s going on up there?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, like I said, it’s a liberal progressive FOMO is some of it. And, um, You know, I call it a tug in cheek, but I call Illinois the Illinois General Assembly. I call it the stupid idea factory. It’s just incredible what they will present. I mean, Tony, you don’t see even half of what is brought up and then just quickly dies because it’s so outrageous. But what we have is we have a state that’s very much more liberal than its population. And if you look at Illinois, it is mostly like every other Midwestern state, whether you look at it’s very comparable to Indiana, Ohio. You know, Missouri, but then we have Cook County. And so we have a huge population in a very, very liberal, progressive city. And their policies, you can see what their policies do in the city of Chicago, the crime, the schools that are failing, the flight out of Chicago, the high taxes. And so they want to take this total destruction of a city. They want to take this statewide. And so we’re in the super minority in Illinois as Republicans, as conservatives, but we are not a super minority in the state of Illinois. We’ve been put into a super minority status by unfair maps and media and money and the machine of politics of Chicago.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Doc, let me ask you this question. We’ve got listeners, viewers in Illinois, and I’m sure you could use some reinforcements. What can they do to help out on this?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, you know, we saw I don’t know if you have seen this bill, Tony, the homeschooling bill.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, that’s the other crazy bill I’ve been referring to. We’ve talked about it before in this program.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, we saw just an outpouring of opposition. The homeschoolers just, they came out and they were so passionate. I’ve never seen the Capitol so full of any advocacy group. And so they filled out witness slips. So what you can do is witness slips and it’s a typical Illinois bureaucratic way of kind of surveying our constituents. We have this process of filling out witness slips, and I’m sure you can direct them online. We have ways, Facebook, to direct you to fill out witness slips as opponents to this bill. That’s really big, but also calling your state rep or emailing them and letting them know your opposition to this bill. That’s what you can really do. We saw it so effectively work with the homeschoolers, and so we’re hoping that it will work again. with this bad bill.
SPEAKER 14 :
Dr. Howder, we just have about a minute and a half left. People say, well, I’m healthy. It’s not going to bother me. I’m not going to use it and kill myself. But this puts the poor, the marginalized, and the disabled at significant risk. And it also creates this culture that you referred to earlier. So we have a responsibility to stand up against this.
SPEAKER 12 :
so true. And, and, um, you know, we, I call it the slippery cliff because it’s not a, it’s not a slope and everywhere it’s been tried, it quickly expands. It quickly gets out of control. And you just look at Canada, you look at, uh, Oregon, it would look at Europe. I mean, it is incredible how quickly it expands. And now it’s the, I think it’s the fifth leading cause of death in Canada. A suicide is the fifth leading cause of death by physician, you know, And now it’s offered in so many people, it will change their relationship with their physician, it will change their relationship if they have any, but the kind of the possibility. contract you have with your insurance company, what’s the cheapest care for insurance companies? It’s going to be your doc who’s going to be the cheapest care.
SPEAKER 14 :
Excellent point. Doc, we got to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us, folks. Stick around. We’re back after this.
SPEAKER 05 :
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 world view. 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’re 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 14 :
The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, get the Stand Firm app. That way you have access not only to Washington Watch, but the Washington Stand, as well as Stand on the Word. All right, Dr. Howder’s making a great point there. Sorry, we ran out of time. But given where insurance companies are, and they are not… All right, I know this might… offend our insurance people out there, but they’re not your friend. I mean, the bottom line is the bottom line. And as he pointed to, what’s the cheapest way to eliminate people? I’d be very concerned about these laws. So anyway, if you live in the state of Illinois, I encourage you to go to the website, TonyPerkins.com. We’ve got some follow-up information there. But to weigh in on Senate Bill 9 is the one that’s making its way through the Senate. Weigh in. Let your voice be heard. Our form of government was not made for spectators. It’s made for participants. All right, let’s move on to our next topic. Protecting our children today has unfortunately proven to be a challenge. Industries that promote pornography or transgender mutilation have been taking aim at our children, making it even more important to be vigilant and proactive. Thankfully, we have some in our government at various levels who have been watchmen on the walls and are doing the best to combat these efforts. One of those leaders is my next guest, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who recently instituted a dual age verification policy in his state for porn sites. Attorney General Bailey joins us now by phone. General Bailey, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 15 :
Hey, thank you, sir. Appreciate you having me on.
SPEAKER 14 :
All right, let’s start with this new rule that you’ve enabled. According to current law, you found a way to put this into place requiring age verification for pornographic websites. Explain that.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, Tony, look, I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children, and we use every tool at my disposal to make that happen. This rule is about protecting kids and reinforcing parental rights to determine what is appropriate for our children to be exposed to. There are smut peddlers across this country who have flooded the Internet with explicit imagery and websites that are dangerous for children, quite frankly, and so… It’s important that we have age verification before youth are able to access these sites. This is the strongest age verification rule in the United States of America. It requires verification on both the website and the device. And so I’m proud of the work we’re doing using current consumer protection law and laws that criminalize the distribution of pornography to minors to stand in the gap and protect kids from these dangerous images.
SPEAKER 13 :
Has it been challenged yet? And do you anticipate it will be? It is not.
SPEAKER 15 :
I anticipate it will be. Look, there’s a lot of money to be made in this industry. And for too long, these people have made it way too easy for children to access these materials. And, you know, there are a lot of people who say, look, freedom on the Internet is important and you shouldn’t be passing a rule in one state that interferes with other states’ ability or individuals passing through a state to be able to access these websites. But I would challenge them and say, look, if I go onto a website that sells firearms or ammunition… New York and California passed laws that I have to prove I’m 18 before I can access a gun website. And there’s a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. And so all we’re saying is that there’s got to be some kind of safeguard in place. The rule will be promulgated on May 1st. It’ll take 90 days to go through the notice and comment period. It’ll be effective after that. But we’re confident in our legal authority. Our state statute provides broad authority for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office to promulgate rules to protect consumers in the marketplace and specifically from activities like these.
SPEAKER 14 :
Can you walk us through the process of how this age verification will work and why it’s different?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. So this is different, again, because it requires age verification at not only the website that is producing the pornographic material, but also the device accessing that website. The rule also requires immediate deletion of any data that’s obtained in the accessing of the website in order to prevent data harvesting or online tracking. And so there are robust protections for the consumers and for children and to enforce parental rights, search engines have to block explicit images unless the user can provide that age verification.
SPEAKER 14 :
The Internet is, I mean, it’s the Internet. It’s everywhere. Years ago when I was in the legislature, I ended up passing some legislation similar to this, but it was on gambling. I tried to keep minors from online gambling, tried to restrict that. But because most of these are offshore, reaching the long arm of the law is sometimes not long enough. How do you plan to enforce it?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, we have broad authority to subpoena issues, investigatory subpoenas to any entity that we have reason to believe may be violating our state consumer protection law. And we’ve used that as it’s been upheld by the courts. And so we can use that power to conduct broad investigations. And there are both civil and ultimately criminal penalties for violations. And look, what I would say is that foreign actors who do business in the United States of America subject themselves to the laws of the United States of America to include state consumer protection code.
SPEAKER 14 :
Do you expect other states to follow your lead on this?
SPEAKER 15 :
We’ve seen several other states that have actually charged into the gap and passed similar laws in their states. I think that I might be the first attorney general’s office to promulgate a consumer protection rule to this effect. But at the end of the day, this is not a new or novel concept. I mean, age gating to protect children from pornography has been the standard for printed materials for a long time, and we’re going to make it the standard for digital images online as well.
SPEAKER 14 :
We only have about 40 seconds left, but quickly want to ask you this question. Pornography is really the tip of the iceberg of what kids are being exposed to online. It is a dangerous world. Isn’t that part of what’s prompting you to take these actions?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. Everyone knows, based on the documentation in the public domain, that dangerous health outcomes, mental and physical, inability to reach full maturity, negative outcomes from children being exposed to pornography, and that the age at which children have been exposed to pornography. It’s gotten lower and lower in the past years with its increased availability online. We know that the average age of exposure is 11 to 12 years old. Now that’s two young 90% of boys, 60% of girls by the time their teens have seen pornography. We’ve got to do more. We can and will make Missouri the safest state in the nation for children.
SPEAKER 14 :
The effects are long-lasting. General, always great to talk with you. Thanks so much for joining us. Folks, stick with us. We’re back after this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Are you ready to transform your trials into triumphs? Dive into the book of Daniel with FRC’s new study guide, Daniel, Visions and Valor. Perfect for those seeking courage and wisdom from one of the Bible’s most faithful figures. This 13-day journey is ideal for small groups or individual study as part of our ongoing Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. It’s a timeless resource ready to deepen your engagement with Scripture. Explore how Daniel’s life and God-given visions offer a blueprint for navigating challenges. Each day includes Scriptures, reflection questions, and space for notes to enhance your understanding and application. Available in digital and physical formats, order your copy of Daniel, Visions and Valor today and start your journey of transformation. To order, text the word DANIEL to 67742. That’s DANIEL to 67742.
SPEAKER 05 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God’s will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn’t impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can’t do that. It’s not that you don’t love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God’s opinion more than your neighbor’s opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you’re the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that’s not all. They’re also engaged in our government. They’re voters. They’re more likely to be involved in their community, and they’re making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That’s what we’re working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That’s S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 14 :
This is Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Good to have you with us. All right, I have a new study guide out that’s been published for the book of Daniel. And I encourage you to order a copy of Daniel, Visions and Valor. It’s a great resource for anyone as they navigate through tough times and face pressures, challenges, and worries. That’s what life is. Well, you may also find it helpful if you’re a part of the Stand on the Word journey through the Bible. We’ll actually be in the book of Daniel at the end of the month. So if you’d like to get a copy of this new guide, Study of Daniel, it’s hot off the press. Text the word Daniel. That’s Daniel to 67742. Daniel to 67742. And I’ll send you a link. Speaking of the Bible, our word for today comes from Ezekiel 35, where the prophet delivers a message of judgment to Edom, which represents the enemies of God’s people. I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your city shall not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord, because you said these two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them, although the Lord was there. Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you according to the anger You see, Edom coveted the land God had given to Israel. Their hatred and arrogance led them to believe that they could claim what was not theirs. But God heard their words and he responded. Scripture and history make one thing abundantly clear. Those who try to take what God has given to Israel will ultimately lose. It might not happen today, but it will eventually happen. God’s covenant is not just a matter of ancient history. It’s a present and prophetic reality. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. All right, in the last segment, we were discussing with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey about his efforts to protect minors from pornographic websites. And as I alluded to on the way out of that conversation, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the threats and the dangers that children are facing online. And I say children. I mean, we’re talking about 12, 13, 14-year-old kids. Violence and gore are designed to desensitize children, and in some cases, according to the experts, intentionally radicalize them. We’re seeing children being radicalized in a matter of months online. And all of these sites are becoming increasingly accessible and becoming progressively more graphic and extreme. Now, you say, well, I’ve not seen it. Well, yeah, you’re probably not looking for it. It’s there. How pervasive is it and how pervasive is the threat? How serious is the threat? What warning signs should parents be looking for and what can be done? Well, here now to discuss this, Stella Morabito, a senior contributor at The Federalist and the author of The Weaponization of Loneliness, How Tyrants Stoke Our Fear of Isolation to Silence, Divide and Conquer. She also previously served in the Central Intelligence Agency as an analyst with a focus on propaganda and media analysis. Stella, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you so much for having me, Tony.
SPEAKER 14 :
So my interest was piqued earlier in this week. I was reading an Associated Press story about a French boy who was radicalized on the internet into becoming an Islamic extremist. And years ago, I worked in the field of anti-terrorism long before the internet was an issue. It was the old kind of terrorism. But we’re seeing this used as a very effective tool of jihadists and others. What do we know about how kids are being radicalized through porn, violence that’s readily accessible on the Internet?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, what I know basically is that, based on my book and my thesis about the weaponization of loneliness, is that children in particular are highly suggestible, but even more so if they don’t have strong bonds of family, religious faith, and good friendships. And so often, the internet and all of these really you know, awful influences are gonna be more, have more of an effect on them. And as you said in your intro, desensitize them to a lot of this gore, violence, pornography, So that they kind of act, they can end up acting out in real life. And a lot of this has to do with the fact that I don’t believe they have strong enough real life relationships that are healthy and strong. I think we can go right back to the issue of family breakdown and what’s been happening in the schools that don’t really allow children to develop the ability to think independently, and especially that fear, that threat of being ostracized has a huge effect on how susceptible they are to other influences. that serve as cheap and harmful substitutes for true companionship.
SPEAKER 14 :
So it’s kind of an alternative community that they’re seeking online. I mean, and part of this comes through the games that are online, too. They’re creating these communities, and some of these games are extremely violent.
SPEAKER 10 :
Very addictive, too. I mean, that’s another point. But, yeah, the loneliness epidemic, as you I’m sure know, is off the charts. And this lack of real-life social connection makes them a whole lot more susceptible to these really bad influences. So I think… You know, what needs to be done is to develop stronger relationships and, you know, as your organization, Family Research Council, has worked so hard and so well to do, build more of an awareness of the importance of real life relationships to avoid that threat, you know, that I talk about in my book of the weaponization of loneliness. I mean, their sense of loneliness is being weaponized by these bad influencers.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, it’s not just happening. It’s intentional. You know, we’ve seen this before, testimony before Congress with the online, you know, social media platforms that are constructing their algorithms to feed upon these vulnerabilities within these children. But I want to go to what you were talking about here, the preventative aspect of this. I’m concerned. In fact, I was having this conversation just yesterday with an educator about how in our schools today, you know, you don’t have textbooks. You have computers. And you’re reading everything online. And so kids, it’s just natural to be online. And, you know, before you know it, you’re someplace where you shouldn’t be. What are the symptoms? What are the things that parents should be looking for that should cause concern? And then we’ll talk about some preventative steps.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. Well, I think an obsession with social media, number one, it can be, you know, social media can actually be good in certain circumstances, you know, to connect. Like we use the telephone. I mean, communications technologies keep people connected. But the overuse and obsession with social media, when it becomes so addictive that it takes the place of of real life interactions. That’s really dangerous. And parents who are connected and concerned will be able to detect this sort of detachment, I think. putting it in their children and you know it’s what’s really crazy is that you’ll see a bunch of kids together you know where they’re physically together but every single one of them on their little smartphone uh and even texting one another uh when they could just talk to them standing right next to them you know i’ve actually i’ve seen that in airports i’ve and i i’m
SPEAKER 14 :
I sometimes get amused at it where you’ll have families and they’re communicating with each other. They’re all on different devices and they’ll sometimes be, you’ll see them turn and look at the other one after they text them something. It’s just, we’ve become so focused on technology that I think we’re almost losing the ability to have this interpersonal relationships, which were created. I mean, that’s the way God created us, to have that type of interaction. What are some of the other behavioral changes that take place that parents should be looking for to say, hey, wait a minute, we’ve crossed a line here?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, detachment, number one. Behaviorally, I think, you know, you would see them maybe hanging out with friends You know, kids who aren’t connected, you know, who might draw them into cult-like situation, gang-like situation. It may not be noticeable at first, but, you know, these other influences or also, you know, You know, as you said earlier, it’s intentional. If you look at things like certain magazines, for example, that might be hard magazines, but mostly online, like I don’t know how familiar your listeners, viewers are with a magazine called Teen Vogue, which is aimed primarily at teenage girls, but it is highly politicized and highly sexualized and If they pick up a copy of that, I mean, your antenna should really go up. I mean, if you see them looking at that kind of content, and they even tell you who to vote for. And if a child gets really obsessed with a particular celebrity who basically will tell them how to act or how to vote or all of those things, to the point that they… can’t really think on their own, that they are so, you know, it’s easy for a child to become, I don’t know, just obsessed, or obsessed maybe is not the right word, but charmed by a celebrity. But all of that relates to, I believe, how they feel they are being viewed by others. That is number one. You know, caring so much about what your peers think is natural to a certain extent. I mean, I think that as human beings, we are all so hardwired for companionship, for connection. I mean, the epigraph from my entire book, The Weaponization of Loneliness, is it is not good for man to be alone. And that’s true in every aspect of our being. And we need strong relationships, a relationship with God, a relationship with family, a relationship with friends, companions, in healthy relationships so that we can interact in healthy and strong and effective ways. And if your child is, you know… you know, falling away from that path that gives us inner strength. I mean, that’s why tyrants have always targeted traditional religion, family, and even friendship. It is targeted because isolation and creating isolation is absolutely essential for tyranny and controlling what people think and what they do and what they say. So anyway,
SPEAKER 14 :
Let’s talk a little bit then about some of the preventative steps that parents can see even before they might see these warning signs. I mean, first off, parents need to be aware that this is out there. And, oh, that’s not going to happen to my kid. This AP article just talks about how these kids who ended up in court because they were radicalized and they plotted to engage in, in some cases, mass murder. arrested in court and their parents said, I had no idea. So it’s there and it can happen, especially for those that are isolated and really withdrawn. So let’s talk a little bit about parents taking preventative steps. First off, something that’s been lost in our culture is actually sitting down over a meal and having a meal together and listening to your children. I mean, I know it might not be possible every night, but you ought to focus on at least a couple nights a week where you’re sitting around the table listening to what your kids are saying, asking them questions about what they’re seeing and experiencing. That’ll give you some insight, will it not?
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. I mean, and to talk to them about things that are of true interest to them that are not related to social media or the internet. I mean, a child might have a strong interest in music or sports or something, and to kind of develop a healthy interest in things that, you know, hobbies and things like that that are… you know, healthier and allow a child a better path to strong development. And of course, faith and, you know, to emphasize that, but also to make sure if there’s a way to, through church or through other family or friends to kind of stimulate that healthy social environment for a child. If your child is in a public school where they’re being propagandized half the day, it’s pretty hard to keep track. But if you know who they’re talking to and what they’re doing, and allow them, give them other outlets that are fun and will build on that strong social connections that are healthy and a strong sense of identity. I think what’s happened through the media and academics is, you know, they’ve gotten away from that very natural development of individuation.
SPEAKER 14 :
And the connectedness that we talked about. Stella, we’re out of time. I want to thank you for joining us. Thanks so much. Appreciate your insights on this.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, thank you very much for having me, Tony.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. And folks, another thing you do is take time out from the social media. Maybe one day a week, put the cell phones down. Don’t use the computers. See how your kids react to that. But we’ve got to be engaged. And don’t discount the influence you have as a parent. Many kids will say, the greatest influence in my life is actually my parents. They’re not going to tell you that. But that’s true. Lead. Lead your home. Take care of your children. All right, we’re out of time. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 11 :
Until next time, just keep standing. 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.
