In this episode of Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast, we begin with a heartwarming story of human kindness as a shrimp basket cook in Florida goes out of his way to help a regular customer in distress. This segment reminds us all of the power of community and the impact a single good deed can have. Moving on, we delve into the latest in entertainment as Jimmy Kimmel faces a ratings dip post-suspension, highlighting the volatile nature of viewer engagement in today's media landscape.
SPEAKER 02 :
Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast, sponsored by Kel-Tec.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is awesome. I love stories like this, people helping people. So this is ABC3. A shrimp basket cook goes above and beyond to save an elderly regular from a dire situation. And this is in Pensacola. This cook at Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, his name is Donnell Stallworth. And they said that there was a regular. And when you scroll halfway down the article, then you get to the actual story. ABC3, you need to do a better job at that. So basically, they had a regular come in, a 78-year-old. And he said that the guy came in regularly and that he noticed that he stopped coming in. And then the staff actually tried calling him because he's such a regular that they were concerned that he wasn't showing up. And they even had like, by the way, they even threw a party for him at this restaurant to celebrate his 78th birthday. So Stallworth was like, you know what, I'm going to swing by the guy's house because this is weird. And he said, I knocked on the door. Nobody answered. Third time I knocked. I didn't hear anything. And he said, I stayed for a minute. And then I heard a weak voice say help. And I said, who is it? And he opened the door and he saw the guy laying on the ground. The guy was laying on the ground for like days. He had fallen. He had suffered multiple broken ribs. He had bruising all over his body and he was in tears. Stallworth called paramedics immediately. And now he's been checking on the guy regularly. And the guy's in physical therapy and he's, you know, regaining his his function again. So that's awesome. So he said he goes he was going to take him a thing, a gumbo. when he went to visit him next. So that guy's awesome. What a great friend. And that's just being a good steward or your fellow man. That's what it's about right there. You know, how many times would that happen in the real world? So shines a good deed in a weary world. So I hope many good things happen to Don L. Stallworth in his life because he deserves it. Oh, I don't want that one. Not getting that one. Not doing that story. Oh, no. It's a bad one, guys. I cannot. No, I am not following up that sweet story about Donald Stallworth helping the elderly man with what I just saw.
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Listen to you, Casey Kasem.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, my gosh. You can't make me go into an up-tempo song after a dead dog story. You can't do it. If you've never heard that, it's one of the funniest things ever. A few other things. Jimmy Kimmel's ratings are back in the toilet. You guys aware of that? His ratings fall off a cliff again after the post-suspension viewer bump. The ratings bonanza. So everyone watched him the first night that he was back, and then no one's watching him again now. And Kane, what did you say? The ratings were lower than what they were going into this.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Going in, he had... He had like a four share. It was 129,000. And now it's just a hair above 100,000. So he actually has lost viewers after everyone tuned in to hear him apologize, which he didn't do. And now he's lost even more.
SPEAKER 05 :
He lost viewers, and I think that they were, some people wondered if he was ever, maybe he's going to finally be funny, and he wasn't. So he ended up losing that. Not only that, but listen to this. This is from New York Post. Over 1.7 million users canceled Disney and then Hulu and ESPN. Now, here's what's funny. It's like a combination of both. So a bunch of people canceled it because they were livid that Kimmel said the stuff that he said. And then after he was suspended, people canceled because they were mad because he got suspended. So Disney got hammered. This is a riot. The cancellations were recorded between September 17th and the 23rd. And that is according to an industry periodical that tracks this stuff. And they said that it was... The 1.7 million cancellations represented a 436% increase above baseline subscriber churn. Dude, that's so bad. That's so bad. And I am loving it because nobody deserves it more, Cain, than Jimmy Kimmel. Nobody deserves it more. Oh, yeah. A couple of other things here as well. We've been talking about the shutdown. We've been talking about some of the culture stuff. Can I touch on the Serena Williams cotton thing? I can't believe that this is the thing, but it is. So Serena Williams, tennis star, right? She was at a hotel. Yeah, I think so. So she was at a hotel and she decided to take issue with... Like this vase and an arrangement of Hobby Lobby cotton. You know how like you see it everywhere, like these sticks with cotton on them. Do we have this? Can we play this real quick? Can we play this for the folks?
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All right, everyone. How do we feel about cotton as decoration? Personally, for me, it doesn't feel great.
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So actually, it feels like no polishing for cotton. Natural.
SPEAKER 05 :
I don't know. You know, she's wearing cotton. Like, is she? This is so stupid. By the way, I don't know why she's. Doesn't she have like she has like a sculpture of that includes cotton in her home. Somebody posted on social media. Is she, Kane, is this her trying to be woke or is this her like this sculpture is just trash or this display is trash?
SPEAKER 11 :
No, she's trying to be woke.
SPEAKER 05 :
You think it's trying to be, I was really trying to give her benefit of the doubt there for a moment. I'm like, maybe she's just like, what is with it in this fine hotel? What is with this arrangement? But you think it's because she's like, oh my gosh, it's cotton and I feel triggered.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, I guess there's room.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, white people pick cotton, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, I just want to throw that out there. I know you're not supposed to say that stuff, but like we literally have like our we have a family friend whose family they worked in sharecropping and they were white. So I just wanted to throw that out there.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, that's an important little point there. But you're reaching to be upset at something when you look at a display that actually looks good in the room. If you look actually at that display. It works well for that room. You having that sort of reaction or that meaning or whatever you've defined cotton as now, you can't because of, I guess, black people picked cotton back in the day. So now today, cotton triggers you. I mean, that's more you than the about the hotel.
SPEAKER 05 :
Why did she pick it off the branch? I just why do people do this? She's gotten drug on social media for this. And she did have this like sculpture that has cotton on it in her house. It's like a like a donkey pulling a wagon of cotton. And it's she apparently she has in her house. I just don't. Stop it. You're getting upset over something that you never did. What are you talking about?
SPEAKER 11 :
And then she acted cringy when she used the cotton appropriately on the nails. And it was like, ooh, like she got the shivers from doing it. It's like, is that really? Are you doing that for the camera or is that really how it is for you?
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I just cannot stand drama for the sake of drama. I am allergic to drama queens. Like I get ragey no matter what it is. You're just like creating drama so you can be seen as a victim and people baby you. Just stop it. That's so stupid. If you're that upset over that, then ditch the blonde hair, ditch the wearing cotton, ditch all the fake nails, ditch all that stuff because all of it's appropriation. And if we're going to go that far, let's go all the way. This is so stupid. Stop trying to create drama in a nation that is completely just already overdosing on it. Stop it. Our partners that help bring you this hour, our friends at Caltech, the KS7 Gen 2 shotgun. This is a shotgun to have. I think it was this one that was in one of the WIC films. I was actually trying to remember because I know that they had, or maybe it was a KSG, but this is the KS7. It's awesome. Absolutely awesome. It's the next evolution in home defense and innovation. And the KS7 Gen 2, you got tons of upgrades on this. First off, you got five slot Picatinny style accessory rail. So you can add vertical grips. You can add lights, you know, keep it flush and sleek if you want, whatever, however you want to do it. It's a smooth pump action for faster, cleaner cycling. You've got enhanced durability, but it's ultra light. I mean, it's like 6.8 pounds unloaded. It's a compact bullpup design, so you've got lots of maneuverability in tight spaces, ambidextrous downward shell ejection, a 7 plus 1 capacity, so you have serious stopping power. It is a go-to for home defense. Range days, fun. I mean, if you're seasoned or if you're a first-timer... The KS7 Gen 2 Defender is for you, and the Defender package ups the game as well. You've got Vortex, Crossfire, Green Dot, Extended Butt Pad. You've got the Magpul RVG Vertical Grip, all kinds of stuff. And you can get it classic Helltech Black or as a part of the Defender series, totally kitted out and ready to rock. MSRP, $639. I know. It's performance within reach. It's from Kel-Tec. KS7 Gen 2. Everything is made right here in the U.S. of A. American materials, American workers, everything. Learn more at Kel-Tec Weapons dot com. That's K-E-L-T-E-C Weapons dot com. Tell them Dana sent you. Now, here's where Trump made made Chuck Schumer really mad. This is a video. I can't believe you guys know it's a real actual real video. Watch it. Audio soundbite for.
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Look, guys, there's no way to sugarcoat it. Nobody likes Democrats anymore. We have no voters left because of all of our woke trans bulls**t. Not even black people want to vote for us anymore.
SPEAKER 01 :
Even Latinos hate us.
SPEAKER 03 :
So we need new voters. And if we give all these illegal aliens free health care, we might be able to get them on our side so they can vote for us. They can't even speak English, so they won't realize we're just a bunch of woke pieces of s**t. You know, at least for a while until they learn English and they realize they hate us too.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think this is, you know, I thought this was a real video. I mean, it's a real video because, hey, if a man can demand that you recognize him as a woman, this is a real video. Prove me wrong. It's a real video. That was a real sombrero that Hakeem Jeffries was. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's a video that identifies as real.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, that video identifies as real. So we're going with that. Yeah, absolutely. Now, Hakeem Jeffries. Should I wait on this? Do we have time? Eric Swal... It's like everybody from everybody on the left. They're livid over... Sec War and Trump talking about military, right? And first you had Swalwell, who got mad that Hegseth said F-A-F-O. He goes, quote, if necessary, our troops can translate that for you. And Eric Swalwell retweeted it not too long ago and said only a weak and secure man would use the acronym, you know, because their new thing is cussing. And I just retweeted it and said, you banged a Chinese spy. And then you had John Harwood, who I barely remember who he is. He is... I think he was like a token, like whatever, filler. He was like a regular, like a Marxist, filler Marxist on CNN and NBC or whatever. I don't really know. I just remember he's like an old dude who's always been on TV forever. And he goes, he tweeted this, he tweeted this quote, Pete Hegseth has made clear that if he had his way, the US military would have no blacks in leadership positions and no women at all. First off, Hegseth literally never said that. And I asked, I go, why are you such a sad and weak little male that you have to fabricate things for drama? this is what the left reverts to they hear something that they don't like and they think that they can just make up something and invoke black america and that black america is going to go to war on behalf of their marxist ideals that that that's what he did that's why he tweeted it that's why he put that out there because he thought i'll just make something up and get uh black americans on twitter all mad and they'll go to war for me that's like i'm sorry but you john harwood Thinks he's a slave owner in 2025. Like, no, that's not how this works. You crusty old thing. That's not how this works. That's disgusting. Just to make up something like this, just to just to make this stuff up. So, you know, the video that Trump retweeted that everybody was mad about Hakeem Jeffries reacted to this video. He wasn't he wasn't happy. Cut five, please.
SPEAKER 06 :
going to see it. They'll see it in other ways. It's easy to find. But it is absolutely disgusting in every way. It is a lie. It's the man you met with has now lied about what you said after that meeting. Could you give us your reaction to that Trump posted video tonight?
SPEAKER 12 :
It's a disgusting video, and we're going to continue to make clear. Bigotry will get you nowhere. We are fighting to protect the health care of the American people in the face of an unprecedented Republican assault on all the things, Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act.
SPEAKER 05 :
Lawrence O'Donnell, his mouth. Oh, gosh, how do I say this? How do I do this? You know, because he's an older individual, but not so old that he should have that shape of his mouth. One of my grandmothers, who was not on my mom's side, just a mean woman. And she had that mouth where she was always in a scowl. And it, for the lack of a better way to say it, it turns into like sphincter mouth, right? She's just, that's what he looks like. He looks like that worm actually from Star Wars, you know, on tattooing where the huts are, the sandworm that comes out, like that's his whole mouth. He's just mean and mean like that. And he starts this thing. Isn't it horrible that he said this? He's so horrible, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to monologue for five minutes question. And then Hakeem Jeffries, I'm going to repeat everything that you just said in your monologue. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Not really answer your question. See? Who watches that stuff? That's just so boring. It's brain rot. It's absolute brain rot. It just... It's... But... They're they're upset. What they're really doing with this shutdown is they're fighting for things for illegal immigrants harder than they are for the American taxpayer. And that's okay. And that was a point that you were making as well. And that's true. That's exactly what they're doing to your point.
SPEAKER 11 :
That's using parody to essentially expose the truth. There is always in comedy a little thread of truth.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. Completely. Absolutely. A couple of things still because we're watching, you know, we got the government shutdown. It's going to happen and it's all going to happen because Democrats are wanting things that they didn't get because they lost an election. They're wanting things that American voters don't want because if American voters wanted these things that Democrats wanted, then they would have voted for Democrats. So there you go. All Family Pharmacy. This is one of this is probably one of my most favorite sponsors that we have. So I literally I was getting sinusitis after we went to the memorial for Charlie Kirk. I started getting sinusitis and I overnighted medications to me that were waiting for me at my door when I got home. And I've had look. It's doctor's prescription, all the inputs, all the precursors, everything, every bitty bit of this medicine is made in the US of A, right? Anything you want, antibiotics, your everyday meds, emergencies, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, which I took, all kinds of stuff. And you can get it in two to four days. You can get it overnighted in a pinch. It's affordable. You don't have to go through a million gatekeepers. You know your body. I know I'm getting sinusitis. I had it a million times. Had my meds. And guess what? I was able to be well on my birthday. Because you guys remember, I was getting sick last week. Y'all remember. Well, All Family Pharmacy helped a sister out. You can stock up now at allfamilypharmacy.com slash Dana and use code Dana10 at checkout. That saves you 10%. Allfamilypharmacy.com slash Dana. Code Dana10 to save 10%.
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With physical fitness and appearance. If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look. It is bad, and it's not who we are. So whether you're an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger, a brand-new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test. And as the chairman said, yes, there is no PT test. But today at my direction, every member of the joint force at every rank is required to take a PT test twice a year, as well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year, every year of service. Also today at my direction, every warrior across our joint force is required to do PT every duty day. Should be common sense.
SPEAKER 05 :
Why is this such a big deal? Why are people freaking out over a SEC war saying that this is just one of the things that you should have to do this? I remember back when if you had flat feet, you weren't admitted. You weren't admitted into the military. There was somebody I knew that had a peanut allergy that wasn't able to enlist that tried to. It was a friend of mine in high school. It was a grade above me, and his brother went in, and he was going to go in, and he was allergic to peanuts, and they wouldn't take him. Can you believe that? Flat feet, I know. Well, my husband, he tried to enlist. He had knee surgery because he blew out his knee during football in high school, and he had knee surgery when I think it was like his junior year of high school, and they wouldn't take him because he had knee surgery. Is that crazy? That's wild, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
That's the standard I'd expect.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, that's exactly. That's what you would expect. Welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you at the bottom of this first hour. The military is not supposed to be like a place for you to go and have your ego stroked and your feelings held tightly and caressed. If that's what you think it should be, get out because you're going to make us lose wars and you're going to get our sons and daughters killed, our husbands and wives killed. I just think immediately you are invalidated. You should be ineligible for consideration if that's your purpose, if that's your priority. And, you know, it was. It was. The media was livid. Audio Soundbite 14. They were so mad this morning, guys. Listen.
SPEAKER 04 :
And Maya, let's talk about this. We know there actually are some serious things. I'm sorry.
SPEAKER 05 :
Full stop. Full stop. What the hell was the hair that I just saw? Juan, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. Juan's like, dear heavens. Can I just get, like, you don't have to do any of your awesome editing thing. I just want to pause for a moment. Okay. I did see what I saw. I thought, is that what I saw? I mean, you're like a 60-year-old woman. Am I being mean when I say that? I mean, look, I don't care. When I get old, make fun of me. I don't care. But I'm just saying, like, maybe don't dress like a Pee Wee's Playhouse contributor. Okay, go ahead. Full video. I'm sorry. Sorry.
SPEAKER 04 :
about this we we know there actually are some serious things are just being discussed this meeting as well the policy new pentagon policy directives about perhaps uh de-emphasizing uh true presence in europe uh making more of a focus on the homeland and the like but that's the kind of stuff that's going to happen behind closed doors will come out in the hours and days ahead what we were there for full display for the cameras was a political speech and it was an anti-woke you know something you'd hear from a fox news host I guess that's appropriate rather than someone who is the secretary of defense.
SPEAKER 05 :
What are you talking about that you would expect to hear from a Fox News host? I feel like this guy wouldn't be able to do a pull up to save his life. What is the problem with what Hegseth said? Hmm. My tax dollars that I'm bent over a barrel and and forcibly taken. Four, don't go towards rearranging somebody's junk below the waist to make them feel better about their affirmed cosplay. That's not what we do. The military is about... I mean, quite literally kicking ass and winning wars. That's it. What's the purpose of it otherwise? If you want a scientific experiment, I mean, you've gotten the schools, you've gotten arts and entertainment, you've gotten all this stuff. So if you wanted any of this, then you already have those fields in which to experiment. The military is not one of them. Lives are at stake here. I mean, imagine being so self-obsessed. that you're actually willing to endanger the lives of other individuals because you want to do it your way. Honestly, those are like the worst of the worst of the people. They're so – Audio Sunbite 15, this Nepo baby. She's like just, you know, her – I don't know. Her mom was this big author and that's this chick's claim to fame. So her mom was an author and so the 60-year-old whatever got her job on MSNB because she's a Nepo baby. Audio Sunbite 15, this is stupid analysis. I'm sorry. You're going to talk to some author Nepo baby? To analyze the military? Somebody who dressed like Joker? They dress like Joker? Seriously? No, I'm not going to be nice. Everyone can literally go to hell. I'm not going to be nice about this. If you have a problem with it, die in an AIDS fire. I don't care. I'm so tired of this stuff. Play 15. Sorry. Thank you, Juan. I mean, I think we're going to see pushback to this.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think a lot about the Vietnam War, which was... sort of a moment and why do you think of that you know the the an end of discrimination you know there was much the white the army really focused on making an anti-discrimination and they ended up really helping the army in a lot of different ways because people were a lot you know it was just a much more egalitarian articulate a sentence and it ended up what the hell is she saying military I mean, woke doesn't come from recent. It comes from experience in the military. So I do think this is kind of bizarre. And if you think about like, you know, Winston Churchill, the idea that people have to be thin in order to run the military seems kind of bizarre.
SPEAKER 05 :
Wild. Molly Jongfast is one of the stupidest old broads that I've ever had the misfortune of hearing. It's not about being thin. Good heavens. Clearly, the ability to comprehend things that your mother has didn't pass to you. So it's evident that you got your contributorship strictly based on your genetic lottery, which by the looks of it isn't a great haul. That being said, it's not about thinness. It's about fitness. I'm embarrassed for these people. Don't ask me to unify. Don't ask me to be courteous. I've spent 20 years being courteous. I'm out of give a dams. I'm out of courteousness. I'm out of all of it. That is such an asinine analysis. It's not about thinness. It's about being fit. Can you do what is required physically? Can you meet the standards, the performance standards physically? That's what it's about. It's not about being thin like, oh my gosh, no. It's not about whatever ozempic dreams you have, lady. It's not about that. It's about physical fitness. Something that clearly escapes most of the roster on any of the left-leaning alphabet networks. It is about fitness. It's about stamina. It's about endurance. It's about health. And it's also about mental strength and mental fitness. That is the point. You have a bunch of these pencil pushers who... They have all of these things pinned to their uniforms. They're pencil pushers that have never won wars, and yet they're all wokery. I mean, Milley comes to mind. Some of the individuals in charge during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan come to mind. That's what it's about. What are you talking about invoking Winston Churchill? What in the Kamala Harris hell word salad did we just hear? Just talk. See, if I was the host, I'd slap somebody. I'd be like, can you just spit it out? Golly, you're killing my soul because you're so stupid you cannot articulate a simple sentence. Heaven help us all. And he said this. He added this to add. This is so great. 16, listen.
SPEAKER 08 :
This administration has done a great deal from day one. To remove the social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department. To rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction or gender delusions. No more debris. As I've said before and will say again, We are done with that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, see, that's what I want to hear from my sack war. I want to hear that. By the way, do you guys know he did the patent with the stage set up, right? George C. Scott, when he did in which is a great film patent, the big flag behind him. Yeah. I mean, I don't think that that was by by accident. I got to say. So what's wrong with anything that Hegseth said? It's rhetorical because nothing's wrong. There's literally nothing wrong with it. My gosh, have we gotten so soft and panzified as a nation that we're expecting people to be physically fit? Oh, my gosh. So mean. OK, well, then then be fit. This is military we're talking about. This is this is this is exactly it. This is what it's all about. Audio soundbite 12. Trump nailed it right here. Listen.
SPEAKER 01 :
But as leaders, our commitment to every patriot who put on the uniform is to ensure that American military remains the most lethal and dominant on the planet, not merely for a few years, but for the decades and generations to come for centuries. We must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us, and so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's called peace through strength. The left thinks that strength comes from how many times that you can be victimized. Oh, well, I'm like a Latino, trans, gay, man, cis, whatever, furry. who's also maybe Indian and also like Ukrainian and whatever. How many labels can you add? The more labels you have, it's supposed to be like the more powerful you are. That's progressive mentality. We all know in real space that that doesn't work. This is peace through strength. And this is exactly what our military is supposed to be for. This is what our defense posturing should be. You want to be friends with us and you don't want to make us mad, right? It's peace through strength. We don't want to go to war, but we want you to know that if you provoked us to the point where we had to, to protect ourselves, we won't just take you out. We will burn a scorch mark in your family tree that will go all the way down into the ground beyond the roots. That's what needs to be understood. And just so long as they know that that's a potential risk with doing something that could potentially alienate or make angry the United States, and they don't do anything to alienate or make angry the United States, then we're good, right? I mean, that's the way, what the hell do I care what another country does with their defense? I'm only concerned about where my tax dollars are forcibly taken and used here. This is what literally the only job of the government is defense. The only job of the government is defense. That's it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks for tuning in to today's edition of Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast. If you haven't already, make sure to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In this compelling episode, we dive deep into the heart of military standards and expectations, focusing on the importance of physical fitness across all ranks. We examine historical reasons for medical exclusions in the armed forces and discuss how these standards have shaped today’s military. With keen insights from our speakers, the conversation exposes why fitness is seen as integral to military readiness and leadership.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
With physical fitness and appearance. If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon. and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look. It is bad, and it's not who we are. So whether you're an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger, a brand-new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test. And as the chairman said, yes, there is no PT test. But today, at my direction, every member of the joint force at every rank is required to take a PT test twice a year. as well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year, every year of service. Also today, at my direction, every warrior across our joint force is required to do PT every duty day. Should be common sense.
SPEAKER 15 :
Why is this such a big deal? Why are people freaking out over a SEC war saying that this is just one of the things that you should have to do this? I remember back when if you had flat feet, you weren't admitted. You weren't admitted into the military. There was somebody I knew that had a peanut allergy that wasn't able to enlist that tried to. It was a friend of mine in high school. It was a grade above me and he his brother went in and he was going to go in and he was allergic to peanuts and they wouldn't take him. Can you believe that? Flat feet. I know. Well, my husband, he tried to enlist. He had knee surgery because he blew out his knee during football in high school and he had knee surgery when I think it was like his junior year of high school and they wouldn't take him because he had knee surgery. Is that crazy? Is this wild, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
That's the standard I'd expect.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, that's exactly. That's what you would expect. Welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you at the bottom of this first hour. The military is not supposed to be like a place for you to go and have your ego stroked and your feelings held tightly and caressed. If that's what you think it should be, get out because you're going to make us lose wars and you're going to get our sons and daughters killed, our husbands and wives killed. I just think immediately you are invalidated. You should be ineligible for consideration if that's your purpose, if that's your priority. And, you know, it was. It was. The media was livid. Audio Soundbite 14. They were so mad this morning, guys. Listen.
SPEAKER 06 :
And Maya, let's talk about this. We know there actually are some serious things. I'm sorry.
SPEAKER 15 :
Full stop. Full stop. What the hell was the hair that I just saw? Juan, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. Juan's like, dear heavens. Can I just get, like, you don't have to do any of your awesome editing thing. I just want to pause for a moment. Okay. I did see what I saw. I thought, is that what I saw? I mean, you're like a 60-year-old woman. Am I being mean when I say that? I mean, look, I don't care. When I get old, make fun of me. I don't care. But I'm just saying, like, maybe don't dress like a Pee Wee's Playhouse contributor. Okay, go ahead. Full video. I'm sorry. Sorry.
SPEAKER 06 :
about this. We know there actually are some serious things are just being discussed in this meeting as well. There's some new Pentagon policy directives about perhaps de-emphasizing true presence in Europe, making more of a focus on the homeland and the like. But that's the kind of stuff that's going to happen behind closed doors. It will come out in the hours and days ahead. What we were there for full display for the cameras was a political speech. And it was an anti-woke, you know, something you'd hear from a Fox News host. I guess that's appropriate rather than someone who is the secretary of defense.
SPEAKER 15 :
What are you talking about that you would expect to hear from a Fox News host? I feel like this guy wouldn't be able to do a pull up to save his life. What is the problem with what Hegseth said? Hmm. My tax dollars that I'm bent over a barrel and and forcibly taken. Four, don't go towards rearranging somebody's junk below the waist to make them feel better about their affirmed cosplay. That's not what we do. The military is about... I mean, quite literally kicking ass and winning wars. That's it. What's the purpose of it otherwise? If you want a scientific experiment, I mean, you've gotten the schools, you've gotten arts and entertainment, you've gotten all this stuff. So if you wanted any of this, then you already have those fields in which to experiment. The military is not one of them. Lives are at stake here. I mean, imagine being so self-obsessed. that you're actually willing to endanger the lives of other individuals because you want to do it your way. Honestly, those are like the worst of the worst of the people. They're so – Audio Sunbite 15, this Nepo baby. She's like just, you know, her – I don't know. Her mom was this big author and that's this chick's claim to fame. So her mom was an author and so the 60-year-old whatever got her job on MSNB because she's a Nepo baby. Audio Sunbite 15, this is stupid analysis. I'm sorry. You're going to talk to some author Nepo baby? To analyze the military? Somebody who dressed like Joker? They dress like Joker? Seriously? No, I'm not going to be nice. Everyone can literally go to hell. I'm not going to be nice about this. If you have a problem with it, die in an AIDS fire. I don't care. I'm so tired of this stuff. Play 15. Sorry. Thank you, Juan. I mean, I think we're going to see pushback to this.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think a lot about the Vietnam War, which was... sort of a moment and why do you think of that you know the the an end of discrimination you know there was much the white the army really focused on making an anti-discrimination and they ended up really helping the army in a lot of different ways because people were a lot you know it was just a much more egalitarian articulate a sentence and it ended up what the hell is she saying military I mean, woke doesn't come from recent. It comes from experience in the military. So I do think this is kind of bizarre. And if you think about like, you know, Winston Churchill, the idea that people have to be thin in order to run the military seems kind of bizarre.
SPEAKER 15 :
wild. Molly Jong fast is one of the stupidest old broads that I've ever had the misfortune of hearing. It's not about being thin. Good heavens. Clearly the ability to comprehend things that your mother has didn't pass to you. So it's evident that you got your contributorship strictly based on your genetic lottery, which by the looks of it, isn't a great hall. That being said, it's not about thinness. It's about fitness. I'm embarrassed for these people. Don't ask me to unify. Don't ask me to be courteous. I've spent 20 years being courteous. I'm out of give a dams. I'm out of courteousness. I'm out of all of it. That is such an asinine analysis. It's not about thinness. It's about being fit. Can you do what is required physically physically? Can you meet the standards, the performance standards physically? That's what it's about. It's not about being thin like, oh my gosh, no. It's not about whatever ozempic dreams you have, lady. It's not about that. It's about physical fitness. Something that clearly escapes most of the roster on any of the left-leaning alphabet networks. It is about fitness. It's about stamina. It's about endurance. It's about health. And it's also about mental strength and mental fitness. That is the point. You have a bunch of these pencil pushers who... They have all of these things pinned to their uniforms. They're pencil pushers that have never won wars, and yet they're all wokery. I mean, Milley comes to mind. Some of the individuals in charge during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan come to mind. That's what it's about. What are you talking about invoking Winston Churchill? What in the Kamala Harris hell word salad did we just hear? Just talk. See, if I was the host, I'd slap somebody. I'd be like, can you just spit it out? Golly, you're killing my soul because you're so stupid you cannot articulate a simple sentence. Heaven help us all. And he said this. He added this to add. This is so great. 16, listen.
SPEAKER 08 :
This administration has done a great deal from day one. To remove the social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department. To rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction or gender delusions. No more debris. As I've said before and will say again, We are done with that.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, see, that's what I want to hear from my sack war. I want to hear that. By the way, do you guys know he did the patent with the stage set up, right? George C. Scott, when he did in which is a great film patent, the big flag behind him. Yeah. I mean, I don't think that that was by by accident. I got to say. So what's wrong with anything that Hegseth said? It's rhetorical because nothing's wrong. There's literally nothing wrong with it. My gosh, have we gotten so soft and pansified as a nation that we're expecting people to be physically fit? Oh, my gosh. So mean. OK, well, then then be fit. This is military we're talking about. This is this is this is exactly it. This is what it's all about. Audio soundbite 12. Trump nailed it right here. Listen.
SPEAKER 10 :
But as leaders, our commitment to every patriot who put on the uniform is to ensure that American military remains the most lethal and dominant on the planet, not merely for a few years, but for the decades and generations to come for centuries. We must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us, and so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's called peace through strength. The left thinks that strength comes from how many times that you can be victimized. Oh, well, I'm like a Latino, trans, gay, manses, whatever, furry. who's also maybe Indian and also like Ukrainian and whatever. How many labels can you add? The more labels you have, it's supposed to be like the more powerful you are. That's progressive mentality. We all know in real space that that doesn't work. This is peace through strength. And this is exactly what our military is supposed to be for. This is what our defense posturing should be. You want to be friends with us and you don't want to make us mad, right? It's peace through strength. We don't want to go to war, but we want you to know that if you provoked us to the point where we had to, to protect ourselves, we won't just take you out. We will burn a scorch mark in your family tree that will go all the way down into the ground beyond the roots. That's what needs to be understood. And just so long as they know that that's a potential risk with doing something that could potentially alienate or make angry the United States, and they don't do anything to alienate or make angry the United States, then we're good, right? I mean, that's the way, what the hell do I care what another country does with their defense? I'm only concerned about where my tax dollars are forcibly taken and used here. This is what literally the only job of the government is defense. The only job of the government is defense. That's it. And that's where we are. So this is not a... controversial speech that either SecWar gave or that POTUS gave. There's nothing controversial about it. The only controversial idea in this sphere is is the idea that you should accommodate everyone else's completely irrelevant identity, garbage, whatever, and prioritize that over unit readiness and performance and standards and purpose. that that should be prioritized. That's the only controversial thing in all of this. We have more on the way as we move our partners over at Webroot. Webroot is, this is one of the things where I think you would rather have it And not need it, then need it, not have it because it is so easy to scam people online and scammers are really, really sophisticated. So here's the deal. I can sit here and run down the list of all of the stuff that WebRoot does, which some of – let's be real. You're not going to know some of this. I mean unless you're like a total computer nerd like one of my kids, you're not going to know it. They got the VPN. They got everything that you need to protect yourself online and not just you, but your family. So they got the real-time protection against the malware ransomware. You know this stuff, the phishing, the built-in network monitoring. The other thing I think is incredibly important is credit and financial monitoring with alerts because they monitor the dark web. They have advanced monitoring. You get up to a million dollars in theft-related expense reimbursements. Now, You also get identity health status updates because there's more than one way that people try to scam you out of your identity. Finance with any kind of medical, anything like that. And the coverage isn't just for you. It extends to your kids, students, your parents, because heaven knows parents are like, is this real? Should I respond to, because God love them, they just think everybody's as nice as they are. Should I respond to this? No, you shouldn't respond to this person. This is all the reason why you need WebRoot. You get VPN, you get protection for your devices, the whole nine yards. And right now they're offering 50% off of WebRoot Total Protection or WebRoot Essentials. And the only way that you can get the 50% off is at webroot.com slash Dana. You won't get it 50% off anywhere else. You can live a better, safer digital life with WebRoot 50% off right now only at webroot.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 21 :
Should property taxes just come to an end? Truly owning your own home shouldn't be a piggy bank for government to extract revenue. Property taxes will forever make you not an owner, just nothing more than a surf on the Lord's Manor.
SPEAKER 22 :
Check out the Watchdog on Wall Street podcast on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
Get the lowdown on the latest news with a side of laughs whenever you want. Subscribe to the Dana Show podcast on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast.
SPEAKER 05 :
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of the United States.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you go back before the 20th century, there were no income taxes. There were no regulations on business. You could earn as much money as you want, leave 100% of it to your children with no taxes. That's the world they want back. And to get it back, they need society to change. They need people to be less modern. They need people to want fewer things.
SPEAKER 15 :
Why does Simplejack here find such a problem with this? This is not, again, this is not a controversial thing. Why is this such a problem? Yeah, we want to not be taxed and we want our businesses to not suffer from a ton of regulation under a ton of regulations. We would like an actual free market. What is so bad about this? Is she mad because she wants money that she didn't earn? Because it's welfare. I mean, if you're trying to demand the fruits of someone else's labor, that makes you a thief. That makes you sinful because you're coveting what your neighbor wants, and that's sinful. And just because you're using the government to take it doesn't absolve you of the theft. I hope, by the way, people who support and I do believe this. I think that if you support federal like income tax, I think if you support property tax, I think you're a thief. I think that you're a sinner. I think that you are morally compromised because you believe that you are absolved of this covetous nature and this sinfulness because the government's doing it on your behalf. And that's just you're just using an agent. You're using a middleman to carry out your sinful desires. So that's I absolutely believe that if you support property tax and you support theft, you're coveting what your neighbor has. If you support income tax, you support theft. You are coveting what your neighbor has. You are sinning. So you need to ask God for forgiveness on that stuff. And I and you know, she probably that's a long list of stuff that she needs to ask forgiveness for. But that's the truth of the matter. We got second hour on the way. Stick with us. All family pharmacy. This is one of this is probably one of my most favorite sponsors that we have. So I literally I was getting sinusitis after we went to the memorial for Charlie Kirk, I started getting sinusitis and I overnighted medications to me that were waiting for me at my door when I got home. And I've had, look, it's doctor's prescription, all the inputs, all the precursors, everything, every bitty bit of this medicine is made in the US of A, right? Anything you want, antibiotics, your everyday meds, emergencies, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, which I took. All kinds of stuff. And you can get it in two to four days. You can get it overnighted in a pinch. It's affordable. You don't have to go through a million gatekeepers. You know your body. I know I'm getting sinusitis. I had it a million times. Had my meds. And guess what? I was able to be well on my birthday. Because you guys remember, I was getting sick last week. Y'all remember. Well, All Family Pharmacy helped a sister out. You can stock up now at allfamilypharmacy.com slash Dana. and use code Dana10 at checkout. That saves you 10%. Allfamilypharmacy.com slash Dana. Code Dana10 to save 10%.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
The Trump administration's effort to label as dangerous free speech critical of him. White House senior staff calling the Democratic Party fascist. The Trump appointed FCC chair threatening to revoke broadcast licenses and the approval of a merger in order to silence late night comedians. Trump's threats to jail political opponents. You cannot call this anything except an attack on the Constitution.
SPEAKER 15 :
This didn't happen. This is like, why does J.B. Pritzker rape women? Why does he beat women? Did you hear the story about how he beat a woman to death and buried her in his backyard? Same thing. I can make up stuff, too, just off the top of my head. Isn't it fun? Let's see how fun it can get. Welcome back to the program. Dana Lashley at the top of this second hour. Don't ask me to unify with these cretins. Because no, I'm no interest in unifying. None at all whatsoever. He's, oh, well, they are going after people's licenses. Where did that happen? They think you are so stupid. That's what really galls me. They think you are morons. All they have to do is just tell you this is what happened. Can you believe it? Trump is going after these licenses. He did no such thing. I don't care if you like or dislike Trump because I don't care about you, the drive-by. I don't. I don't care if you love or hate him. I really don't. But you're not entitled to your own facts. You're not entitled to just make stuff up. You're not entitled to create a different reality and then demand that we all believe it. That's not how this world works. So this these accusations and then and then to top it all off after he says all of these like absolute demonstrably proven lies, then he's like, well, and then he's, you know, he's the he's he's a Trump is, you know, saying that we're fascist. And that's well, I mean, Antifa is fascist. And the way that you behaving, the behavior is very similar. But you don't get to make all of these false claims. And then nobody, J.B. Pritzker hasn't learned. J.B. Pritzker so badly wants to run for president, but he's not a good candidate. He's not a good governor. He's not even a good family man. And he's just not a good person. Nobody wants him. He does not have a political future outside of Illinois. He does not have one. At all whatsoever. Do you guys remember when he locked down the state of Illinois and fully endorsed, like firing people if they didn't get the injection, fully endorsed, citing you, literally giving you a ticket if you walked outside without a face mask? Remember all of that? How he demanded that your children be kept at home without any being around any other kids, without any teachers for the year? Yeah. And you guys remember what J.B. Pritzker and his family did, right? They left the state. They flew to Florida. His whole family waited out. They have a ranch in Florida. They waited out all of his edicts in Illinois. They waited it out in Florida. Were you guys aware of that? Because that happened. He got some heat for it, but he didn't care because that's, you know, typical limousine Marxist. That's exactly how they operate. He didn't care. So he desperately wants to be like a Gavin Newsom kind of thing. But he doesn't, Gavin Newsom barely has it. Gavin Newsom's just annoying. J.B. Pritzker is just smarmy and insufferable. And I don't even think his own party outside of Illinois likes him. They just like his money that his family earned. That's it. That's all they like. But this guy, he's the one who has not slowed his role on the rhetoric and tone at all whatsoever. Like, not at all. And he's a nepo baby. J.P. Pritzker is a nepo baby. All of the men in his family who are smarter and more successful than him earned his family's money. And now he has it. So it's not like he contributed anything to himself. You know, he didn't he didn't actually contribute. I don't know if you're familiar with J.B. Pritzker's background, but he really never had to cut his teeth or prove himself in the private sector because he's had everything handed to him, just like a Marxist limousine Marxist. He immediately, like when he was younger, he immediately was working, you know, for his family and, you know, all of this. And he had all of these trusts set up for him. He was a beneficiary of a huge overseas trust that his grandfather set up for him. And then he went to law school. And then immediately started working with the family business. He never had to earn anything by himself. Everything has always been given to him. He doesn't understand how investment works. He doesn't understand basic economic principles. Because all of the people in his family earned all of this money. And then he just gets it. And he's never had to really do anything. And they have all of these, you know, this structure set up to make sure he doesn't like burn through it. But that's it. That's all. J.B. Pritzker is like one of the nation's biggest nepo babies. Democrats only have NEPO babies that they are considering for 28. Gavin Newsom is a NEPO baby. J.B. Pritzker is a NEPO baby. That's they all are. So I'm not impressed with J.B. Pritzker at all. He's never. I mean, the only difference between J.B. Pritzker and Bernie Sanders is that Bernie Sanders. Well, he doesn't have the billions that J.B. Pritzker does. His wife did run through a bunch of money and bankrupt a girls' school, though. Correct, Cain? That's right. That's Bernie's wife. Bernie's wife did do that. And he does have three houses now. But he has nowhere near the amount of money that J.B. Pritzker has. And that's really the only difference between them. Bernie Sanders at least—I can't believe I'm saying this—at least was the editor of a little zine, a little— that, you know, alternative magazine that, you know, you'd put together in your garage when he was in his early 20s. That's literally all he ever did in the private sector. J.B. Pritzker doesn't even have that. He's only ever worked in jobs given to him by his family within the family company. That's it. Now, Do I actually don't really have a problem with that. But the left does, because you heard what Joy Reid said the last segment of last hour. And we played her saying, can you believe they just want to make money and pass it on? Yeah. J.B. Pritzker, though, hates this type for anybody but his own family. That's the problem with the left. When they have money that they pass on to their next generation, they don't want anyone else to be able to do it. So I really dislike JB Pritzker, like like at a cellular level, even it's that it's that much. We have a few other things to touch on. OK, so let's what did I not get that last hour that I wanted to make sure I got to because I'm like behind with everything. So we got this shutdown that's going to be that's happening tonight. at not midnight, but 12.01 a.m., right, technically. So 12.01 a.m., that's when the shutdown happens. And right now, Chuck Schumer is trying to blame Republicans. He said he's not going to support any kind of stopgap to avoid a shutdown. Now, here's what you need to know about the shutdown. The CR, the continuing resolution, was already passed in the House. Republicans passed it in the House already. They sent it to the Senate. Democrats don't want to vote for it. And they're simultaneously accusing Republicans. And by the way, I think I think this is all stupid. I think it's dumb. You should have a budget. We shouldn't be doing CRS. But aside from that, this is not something that Republicans are gumming up. This is Democrats refusing to support it. Schumer said that he's not going to support any kind of stopgap. We're going to have to do this again in 30 days, too, by the way, just so you know. It's not going to happen. And it's interesting that there's so many of them on the left that are infuriated by this. They're they're livid over their own leadership, Senate leadership's refusal. And they're trying to blame somehow blame Republicans for this. And it doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense. This is let's see, where do we where do we got? Oh, we've got. Oh, this is the AI video. This was funny. There's a lot here. So let me set this up. So first off, we got seven. Let's hit audio soundbite seven. I have a note to make about this, but let's play seven really quick first. But if there is a shutdown, how many federal workers do you plan to lay off?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, we may do a lot, and that's only because of the Democrats. And as you know, they wanted to be able to take care of people that are coming to our country illegally. And no system can handle that. And so we're totally opposed on that. But we can't take it. We just can't do it. I'd love to do everybody. I'd love to do the whole world. But our country can't handle people that come into our country illegally. And they want to give them full health care benefits. They want to open the wall again. Can you believe it? I can't even believe it. They want to open the wall.
SPEAKER 15 :
So here's the thing that Trump said. And the reason I'm playing this is because there's a caveat to this. So he says that there's going to be a lot of federal layoffs coming, right? He's playing a game here with the left. He's trolling them with that. And let me explain. Have you heard the number that there are going to be 100,000 federal workers that are going to quit? Well, you know that's all BS, right? The 100,000 federal workers, it's actually the 100,000 federal workers that took that deferred resignation program. And the separation date for that is today, September 30th. And with that being at the end of the fiscal year. But that's not as attractive a headline, is it? Is it? So they're trying to act like they're doing this big thing and they're all quitting, but they're not. They had already agreed that September 30th was going to be their last date. And they did. They agreed on that like months ago, like what, four or five months ago? Longer, I think maybe when that program came to be. So. He's trolling them, really, and trying to get them to say more stupid things. But that's it. It's just the 100,000 people who are quitting, they're not quitting. They actually agreed months ago, and they took that deferred resignation program. Remember the program that was offered? Well, if you don't want to sit here and do what POTUS is asking and get out, and here's your... You can leave, and here it is. You'll, you know, severance, whatever. And they took that. They all took that package. So you had 100,000 people that took that package. So... Don't let them don't let them lie to you and misstate what this actually is. Now, here's where Trump made made Chuck Schumer really mad. This is a video. I can't believe you guys know it's a real actual real video. Watch it. Audio soundbite for. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 14 :
Look, guys, there's no way to sugarcoat it. Nobody likes Democrats anymore. We have no voters left because of all of our woke trans bulls**t. Not even black people want to vote for us anymore.
SPEAKER 01 :
Even Latinos hate us.
SPEAKER 14 :
So we need new voters. And if we give all these illegal aliens free health care, we might be able to get them on our side so they can vote for us. They can't even speak English, so they won't realize we're just a bunch of woke pieces of s**t You know, at least for a while until they learn English and they realize they hate us too.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think this is, you know, I thought this was a real video. I mean, it's a real video because, hey, if a man can demand that you recognize him as a woman, this is a real video. Yeah. Prove me wrong. It's a real video. That was a real sombrero that Hakeem Jeffries was. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's a video that identifies as real.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, that's that video identifies as real. So we're going with that. Yeah, absolutely. Now, Hakeem Jeffries. Should I wait on this? We have time. Okay, all right. I'll play Hakeem Jeffries' reaction coming up. Also on deck, real quick, just so you know. The Charlie Kirk letter to Netanyahu. You know the letter that all these Johnny-come-lately grifters who actually didn't really know him very well were insisting that it wasn't a real thing? But it was. And all the people who did know him and people who read the letter, they just very calmly sat by him. And waited until the organization released it. And how sad is it that the organization that Charlie built felt it necessary to even release this in the first place to shut some of these grifters who wanted to posthumously hijack his legacy for their own ends after the fact? How sad, right? have more on that coming up did you know that fall is one of the best seasons for planting many trees and plants thrive when planted now but knowing where to start makes all the difference that's why you should turn to fast growing trees the largest online nursery in the united states they offer thousands of plants from fruit trees to privacy hedges all tailored to your climate, so landscaping feels stress-free. Plus, their Alive and Thrive guarantee means that your plants arrive ready to grow. No more loading up a dirty car or wandering around a nursery with limited options. And grown to last by American farmers, all on American soil. Whether you want privacy, shade, or natural beauty, fall is the time to plant. And with fast shipping, expert support, and top quality plants, Fast Growing Trees makes it happen. Get up to 50% off of select plants at FastGrowingTrees.com. Use code Dana at checkout for an extra 15% off of your first purchase. Visit FastGrowingTrees.com and use code Dana for an extra 15% off. Offer valid for a limited time and terms apply.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 15 :
So at a gender reveal party, the dad sank 10 pints, snorted coke, and stabbed a bouncer. Luke Allman, 26 years old. He partied hard, man, at a gender reveal party. A gender reveal party. Seriously, what is your deal? And then he got nine years in jail for this. So he took cocaine down 10 pints and then stabbed a doorman to celebrate at a gender reveal party. I can't, I'm like, what? By the way, who has a gender reveal party at a bar? Yes, I do. I am going to criticize you. Like take your, your just no class have an ass and go to someplace respectable and have your stupid gender reveal party. Look, I love babies. I'm all about celebrating babies, but some of y'all take this like, oh my gosh, we got to blow up the whole neighborhood a little bit too far. This 26-year-old, he got mad and apparently he didn't like how long he was waiting for a table for the gender reveal party. And it's all on CCTV, so he's in big-time trouble. Also, let's see here. This is crazy. Three days away from your phone is linked to more dopamine, serotonin, and improved well-being. And limiting phone usage to two hours a day has similar effects. I really don't care. I mean, I gotta be on my phone for work and also that's where my solitaire is. So what am I supposed to do, man? A truck slammed into six parked cars with people inside and the driver fell into the Whittier Canal. Dang, that's kind of crazy. Oh, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. Shrimp recall. FDA is being a massive shrimp recall. And now they're also finding radioactive contamination in spices, too. So apparently some of the shrimp that they're recalling had some no-no stuff in it. And it was an import alert imposed in August on PT Bari BMS Foods. They send millions of pounds of shrimp to the U.S. each year. So, yeah, they found some no-no stuff in it. Stick with us. More on the way. Well, I need relief. I need relief factor from the everyday aches and pains of having to live with Marxists in my country. Yeah, it's one of those days. I just, you know, everybody just needs to take it and just be happy. Look, it targets inflammation that can keep you from doing the things that you love. If pain or everyday aches, and by the way, it doesn't matter if you're like a million years old or if you're in your 30s. Inflammation is a major issue with health today, and nobody really wants to focus on it or address it. They want to deal with reactionary. They want to deal with treating it after it's left to kick off some other issues within the body instead of being proactive and treating it from the get-go. Relief Factor combines a ton of really good things, resveratrol, turmeric, all kinds of stuff. that helps target and support your body's natural inflammatory response it's 100 drug-free it's a research-based formula all created to support a healthy response to inflammation and decrease discomfort from like exercising or just you know everyday living and you can try relief factors three-week quick start for just $19.95 it's 95 cents a day less than a cup of coffee So don't wait. Visit relieffactor.com or call 800-4-RELIEF and get your three-week quick start today for just $19.95. Support your body with natural anti-inflammatory power and see if Relief Factor is right for you.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
Make some common sense of the crazy headlines with the Dana Show podcast. Your on-the-go guide for getting up to speed on today's most important stories. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, or your favorite podcast platform.
SPEAKER 15 :
Welcome back. To the program, Dana Lash with you. You can watch us do the radio show, Channel 347, DirecTV. And you can also check us out on X, Facebook, the chats at Rumble as well, Substack, Chapter and Verse. So we were telling you about all of the weeping and gnashing of the teeth from the left. Hang on. Where's this at? Because I just saw it. I'm in a mood today. So I don't know why. Like, I feel a lot better because, you know, all family pharmacy came in clutch and, you know, got over my sinusitis. Anyway, I saw... We'll pull this up because this is what I was doing on break, in case you were curious. It's like everybody from everybody on the left. They're livid over... Sec War and Trump talking about military right and first you had Swalwell who got mad that Hegseth said F-A-F-O he goes quote if necessary our troops can translate that for you and Eric Swalwell retweeted it not too long ago and said only a weak and secure man would use the acronym you know because their new thing is cussing And I just retweeted it and said, you banged a Chinese spy. And then you had John Harwood, who I barely remember who he is. He is... I think he was like a token, like whatever, filler. He was like a regular, like a Marxist, filler Marxist on CNN and NBC or whatever. I don't really know. I just remember he's like an old dude who's always been on TV forever. And he goes, he tweeted this, he tweeted this quote, Pete Hegseth has made clear that if he had his way, the US military would have no blacks in leadership positions and no women at all. First off, Hegseth literally never said that. And I asked, I go, why are you such a sad and weak little male that you have to fabricate things for drama? This is what the left reverts to. They hear something that they don't like and they think that they can just make up something and invoke black America and that black America is going to go to war on behalf of their Marxist ideals. That that's what he did. That's why he tweeted it. That's why he put that out there, because he thought, I'll just make something up and get black Americans on Twitter all mad and they'll go to war for me. That's like I'm sorry, but you John Harwood. Thinks he's a slave owner in 2025. Like, no, that's not how this works. You crusty old thing. That's not how this works. That's disgusting. Just to make up something like this, just to just to make this stuff up. So, you know, the video that Trump retweeted that everybody was mad about. Hakeem Jeffries reacted to this video. He wasn't he wasn't happy. Cut five, please.
SPEAKER 03 :
going to see it. They'll see it in other ways. It's easy to find. But it is absolutely disgusting in every way. It is a lie. It's the man you met with has now lied about what you said after that meeting. Could you give us your reaction to that Trump posted video tonight?
SPEAKER 02 :
It's a disgusting video, and we're going to continue to make clear. Bigotry will get you nowhere. We are fighting to protect the health care of the American people in the face of an unprecedented Republican assault on all the things, Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act.
SPEAKER 15 :
Lawrence O'Donnell, his mouth. Oh, gosh, how do I say this? How do I do this? You know, because he's an older individual, but not so old that he should have that shape of his mouth. One of my grandmothers, who was not on my mom's side, just a mean woman. And she had that mouth where she was always in a scowl. And it, for the lack of a better way to say it, it turns into like sphincter mouth, right? She's just, that's what he looks like. He looks like that worm actually from Star Wars, you know, on tattooing where the huts are, the sandworm that comes out, like that's his whole mouth. He's just mean and mean like that. And he starts this thing. Isn't it horrible that he said this? He's so horrible, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to monologue for five minutes question. And then Hakeem Jeffries, I'm going to repeat everything that you just said in your monologue. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Not really answer your question. See? Who watches that stuff? That's just so boring. It's brain rot. It's absolute brain rot. It just, it's bleh. But. They're they're upset. What they're really doing with this shutdown is they're fighting for things for illegal immigrants harder than they are for the American taxpayer. And that's Kane. That was a point that you were making as well. And that's true. That's exactly what they're doing. To your point.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's using parody to essentially expose the truth. There is always in comedy a little thread of truth.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. Completely. Absolutely. A couple of things still because we're watching, you know, we got the government shutdown. It's going to happen and it's all going to happen because Democrats are wanting things that they didn't get because they lost an election. They're wanting things that American voters don't want because if American voters wanted these things that Democrats wanted, then they would have voted for Democrats. So there you go. Trump has met with Schumer and Jeffries. He's tried to convince try to convince them to come around there. They're they're not willing to. They're not willing to come around. I think that they're getting themselves into a trap because they're they're they're they're walking themselves into something where they have no way out. You have the health care for illegals. This is a part of the deal. It's a one point five trillion dollar deal. The VP called it a hostage deal, and that's correct. They're demanding health care for people who who came into the country illegally. A portion of the funding that they have allocated as far as the expansion of the horrific Obamacare is literally earmarked for that. That's in the language of the legislation, which is available online for people to read. And you don't have to if you don't want to read the whole thing, just control F your way through it. Control F, put a keyword in and then just glide on through. Right. Because it's in there. Absolutely. And the realization Democrats don't understand that has not hit them yet. The realization that the things that. that they're trying to shove onto the American people that are in this legislation are things that we've already voted against. That's why they didn't win this last election. You also have a memo that OMB, Office of Management and Budget, sent out. They were telling various government agencies, get ready for firings, et cetera, things like that. And of course, don't forget, you also have those 100,000 federal workers that already agreed to the resignation program months ago. And that deadline is today. So they were already leaving. But the funding is not going to exist for programs that are not statute not required by statute that they're, they're not required. And so some of those staff reductions that they were preparing, that's not even going to be considered a layoff there. That's it. Uh, so they don't really, Democrats don't have a lot of negotiations in this. Um, they, um, they really don't, they're trying to hold out for federal, the, for the expansion of federal government and the, um, subsidies for health care as it concerns illegal aliens. Yeah, that's it. Oh, and then they keep going, oh, my gosh, they're trying to Republicans don't want to fund health care. But one of the problems with that is the cuts that Republicans are talking about doing are the the covid era emergency appropriations that are way overdue to go. And Democrats are insisting that they remain. So this is some of the stuff we're talking about with us. We're going to continue with it as well as we roll because so far they don't have a deal. I want to touch on this letter because this came about – I think this was in the early days in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. And he sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he talked about the allyship with Israel, etc. And there were a bunch of people out there who were trying to hijack his legacy for their own means, which I found gruesome. And he had said he wrote in his letter that was released, quote, one of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization. And he said that he regrets to report the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic trends are at record levels on social media. He said that his team, they spent months analyzing these trends. And he said he started, you know, it made him want to... reach out and and write to netanyahu because of the stuff that he was seeing and he gave him i mean he basically gave him suggestions on what to do and we're saying you need something like an israel israel truth network and he also said you know it shouldn't seem like you know other people are advocating more for israel's welfare more so than the israel's own government and is one of the things that he had said. He goes, Israel needs to do a better job explaining the Iranian threat. And I agree with that. I think that Israeli leaders would do well to take these concerns to heart. But none of this stuff, and I've read this letter like three times now, none of the stuff that's in this letter at all whatsoever shows what people, some of these grifters have been claiming. At all. Whatsoever. This is a person who is speaking in love to an ally. And I mean, it's very obvious. Like he talks about how do you think of Israel as a political candidate? You know, you need to market Israel as I mean, it's actually a really he's got some really smart suggestions in here. And he's really focusing on younger generations as well, because there is an issue with that with younger generations. And this I think that there is an anti-Semitic rise. And I say anti-Semitic and not just critical of Israel, because the people that I see on social media that are engaging in this, they can't even tell you how Israel's government is structured. They can't tell you who the leaders in Israel are. They can't even tell you anything about the latest policy that's been introduced. But they tried to mask what's just, I mean, at its heart, really anti-Semitic trends on social and this sentiment that's developing. They try to mask it as such. And you can't do that. I mean, there's a difference. What Charlie Kirk did in his letter is give suggestions as to how Israel can best handle some of this stuff, even lawfare and things of that nature. And he gets into it and he and he he said that, you know, he gave his private number and he said, you know, we we can't let this slip away. And, you know, if you want to talk to me further, et cetera. This is not anything what these people said it was not a single bit. And remember, first you were told this letter didn't exist. Then you were told, oh no, the letter exists and it's just pages of him blasting Israel. Well, that's not what the letter shows at all. And there were a lot of people who went on their little podcasts and everything else trying to mislead you for their own gain. And a lot of those people, if they were honest and if they were really conservatives, because they're not, they make an idol of race and they make an idol of faith, like the practice of not Christ, right? These individuals, if they were really conservative and they were really America first, they would apologize for misleading you in the same way that the legacy press does. Some of these people on the right are no different than the legacy press, right? They're actual progressives, but they realized that they could make more money masquerading as members of the right. And they were never in the battle when it really counted. Never. Never. This is all about advancing their own brand and it's all about their own advantage. And so a lot of these people owe a lot of apologies, but they're not honest or authentic enough as conservatives or Christians to do that. Because real Christians don't mislead the way that a lot of these people who like to say Christ is king, but then they spit on his name with their behavior. they don't mislead people like that. This letter speaks for itself. And I think that the people who misrepresented it are ghoulish. And I do think it's interesting that there were a lot of individuals who knew what this letter said, and they just sat quietly and they waited for the organization to release the letter and correct all of the really bad progressive disinformation that was out there. I mean, that's no different than the Russian collusion story, what they were trying to do to Charlie Kirk's legacy. And I just find it absolutely ghoulish. So they need to, if they're going to sit here and say Christ is king, they got a lot of forgiveness to ask for. You know them by their fruits, and I think we do. We have a lot more on the way as we roll towards. Florida, man. And as we do so, the folks who help make it possible, the program, it's the people over at Burna Gun. I'm always going to carry. I have literally zero issues with carrying, using lethal force to protect myself or my loved ones. We train regularly. We got a lot of hours and training on it. But I also understand, too, that it's good to have a diverse weapons array. Right. You want to make sure that you have something that meets every occasion, different calibers, you know, pistols and rifles and blades and all kinds of stuff. This is where burn a gun comes in. I think that this is actually a really good option for college kids who are old enough to go and serve their country overseas and carry full auto. But they are not granted the full rights of citizenship by being able to carry here while they're living on, you know, living alone and going to college. under the age of 21. Or if you're disarmed by private property or municipal restrictions. Burna shoots chemical irritant projectiles that can deter threats from up to 50 feet away. Compared to a regular stun gun, they only have one or two rounds. The Burna CL, which stands for compact launcher, has 15 rounds in its cartridge, right? So you have a lot more opportunity for defense. Easy target acquisition. There's no recoil. But here is the big thing. And by the way, you can get a red dot on this thing, which is actually quite I've never thought about that. But you can get a red dot on a burner. But it doesn't care about gun free zones. At all. That's irrelevant. Gun-free zones are irrelevant. It goes at where you go. And it's legal in all 50 states. There's no background checks. There's no fees. There's no nothing. And they can send it right to your door. The CL Compact Launcher from Burna, B-Y-R-N-A. You can find it at Burna.com slash Dana. B-Y-R-N-A. Burna.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 15 :
This is awesome. I love stories like this, people helping people. So this is ABC3. A shrimp basket cook goes above and beyond to save an elderly regular from a dire situation. And this is in Pensacola. This cook at Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, his name is Donnell Stallworth. And they said that there was a regular. And when you scroll halfway down the article, then you get to the actual story. ABC3, you need to do a better job at that. So basically, they had a regular come in, a 78-year-old. And he said that the guy came in regularly and that he noticed that he stopped coming in. And then the staff actually tried calling him because he's such a regular that they were concerned that he wasn't showing up. And they even had like, by the way, they even threw a party for him at this restaurant to celebrate his 78th birthday. So Stallworth was like, you know what, I'm going to swing by the guy's house because this is weird. And he said, I knocked on the door. Nobody answered. Third time I knocked, I didn't hear anything. And he said, I stayed for a minute and then I heard a weak voice say help. And I said, who is it? And he opened the door and he saw the guy laying on the ground. The guy was laying on the ground for like days. He had fallen. He had suffered multiple broken ribs. He had bruising all over his body and he was in tears. Stallworth called paramedics immediately. And now he's been checking on the guy regularly. And the guy's in physical therapy and he's, you know, regaining his his function again. So that's awesome. So he said he goes he was going to take him a thing, a gumbo. when he went to visit him next. So that guy's awesome. What a great friend. And that's just being a good steward or your fellow man. That's what it's about right there. You know, how many times would that happen in the real world? So shines a good deed in a weary world. So I hope many good things happen to Don L. Stallworth in his life because he deserves it. Oh, I don't want that one. Not getting that one. Not doing that story. Oh, no. It's a bad one, guys. I cannot. No, I am not following up that sweet story about Donald Stallworth helping the elderly man with what I just saw.
SPEAKER 05 :
Listen to you, Casey Kasem.
SPEAKER 15 :
Oh, my gosh. You can't make me go into an up-tempo song after a dead dog story. You can't do it. If you've never heard that, it's one of the funniest things ever. Third hour on the way. Stick with us. The folks who help make it possible. It's over at Super Beats. You guys are very familiar with Super Beats. The Super Beats Chews helps with your energy, stamina, all of that good stuff. The Super Bering is all about targeting healthy metabolism and blood sugar support as well. It's doctor formulated with a unique form of high absorption berberine. It also has an added boost of Italian olive fruit extract. for antioxidant and cardiovascular support. And it's not just any old berberine that they use. It's a unique berberine that's clinically studied to deliver nearly 10 times higher absorption than standard berberine. This means fewer pills to swallow. You get the metabolism and healthy blood sugar support benefits in just one highly concentrated, easy to swallow capsule daily. And this clinically studied form of berberine, it helps to fuel your metabolism while minimizing GI distress. And olive fruit extract helps to support heart and vascular health. You can find both the new Superberine and the number one best-selling Super Beats Heart Chews at Sam's Club. Stock up and save on healthy blood pressure support with $5 off of Super Beats Heart Chews 90 count from August 27th to September 21st at Sam's Club. Start today and get on the road to better cardiovascular health support.
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SPEAKER 20 :
This right here, ladies and gentlemen, is what we're talking about. 24 pages. It's a continuing resolution to fund the government through November the 21st. I don't know where they're saying this is some huge partisan thing. This is something we do fairly routinely. And when the Democrats had the majority on 13 different occasions, they had the majority. President Biden was in the White House. We passed continuing resolutions to fund the government. This is purely and simply hostage taking on behalf of the Democrats. The Republicans are united. House Republicans, Senate Republicans, President Trump. The House has passed a clean funding resolution to fund the government until November the 21st. It's clean, it is bipartisan, and it is short-term. But it gives us enough time to finish the appropriations process, which is the way we should be funding the government.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I mean, that's the way it's supposed to happen, but I don't think that that's what Democrats are going to allow to happen. The meeting that they had at the White House, it didn't go so well yesterday. Welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you. We're at the top of this third hour. It didn't really go well yesterday, the meeting that POTUS had. He met with Senate's Chuck Schumer, and then he met with the House's Hakeem Jeffries, and Didn't go didn't go well. Apparently they left empty handed, I guess. And then that's when Trump decided to troll them. And Chuck Schumer keeps saying things like you're shut down, you're shut down. Once again, Republicans passed the CR in the House. That is the CR that Democrats are looking at right now in the Senate. Republicans passed it. And for whatever reason, Democrats, they don't. Well, I know why. They have no interest in passing it because they don't want to have to cut things like health care, expanding health care to cover people who come into the country illegally, the COVID era expansions, all of that other stuff. They don't want to cut any of that. But that's but see, when you lose elections, that means people reject those ideas at the ballot box. And so that's what happened. They got rejected. So, yeah. Anyway, this is this is the whole problem with it. So they I mean, this is their shutdown. That's that's their shutdown. It's going to be their shutdown. And then if they have the reduction in discretionary agencies, so they're not going to have layoffs. We were talking about that. Oh, gosh, the word I forgot, Cain. Furlough. Thank you. It's one of those days. One of those days. You know what's going to happen? If those people are out, then... And they have to refill those positions. You're just going to have MAGA people in them and they're going to be entrenched and Democrats will have allowed that to happen. Kind of like that idea, though. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, they're literally in a no win situation.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. And it's a situation they caused.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right. So when if they have these agencies once again funded. And they can and people can start hiring for those agencies that you can have like mega people that could get those jobs. Right. And because of the previous rulings on civil service, they're going to be protected and it's not going to be an issue. And look at that. There you go. Bottom line is this. And I'm pulling up a poll, actually a couple of polls. Bear with me. I was trying to pull this up and it didn't. I'm going to have to archive it because I didn't want to get pulled up. There are a number of polls that are out showing where the American public think about where the American public stands on this. And the... There was a couple of pieces. In fact, I think every poll that has been released, every survey for the of the American public, these individuals are they're not they don't believe Democrats claims that these are That it's a Republican shutdown. They just they don't believe it because they've watched the fight over the CR in the House because we went through this. What did we go through? This was like three months ago, correct? And then like right before then and right before then. So let me pull this up there. really isn't a lot that blames Republicans. But if you're looking at polling as it pertains to Democrats, this comes from America's this majority project. They did a survey. Only 18 percent of those surveyed want. Now, this is I will say this is plus three Republican. That's not, you know, major. And it was September 19th that this was taken by. fewer than one in five voters want Congress to pass a budget that increases spending. A plurality, which is over 40%, would blame Democrats if the government shuts down. This is one survey. It also, pulling this up, this is a YouGov and Americans for Prosperity survey. Now, Americans for Prosperity is, it is a more of a right-leaning entity, but it is more of a, I would say more moderate right. They did a separate poll and 61 percent. They're like, yes, you know, the shutdowns are going to hamper Congress's ability to help get the things that we voted for passed. However, the majority of them actually voted. They like 60 something percent of them believe that this is really a Democrat shutdown simply because the House did what it was supposed to do. It passed the continuing resolution. It sent it to the Senate. And all of a sudden, the CR that was able to get through the House is suddenly untenable in the Senate. And so now we have and they're demanding one point five trillion in additional government spending. So there's not a lot. out there that supports Chuck Schumer's positioning that this is a Republican shutdown, because it isn't. And this is a bad strategy. I was reading this op-ed that Newt Gingrich had, because they had a big shutdown fight in the 90s. And he was writing about how they went toe-to-toe with Bill Clinton. And we were demonstrating that we were serious about cutting spending and balancing the budget. And less than a year after we closed the government, we were reelected. And that actually did. That was a huge earthquake. And Gingrich notes that that actually set the stage for four consecutive balanced budgets from 1998 to 2001. And they were the first in decades. And then in 96, when Clinton was reelected, they pushed through the welfare to work legislation. That was the personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act. And they were fighting over it for that. But he said that. It doesn't hurt Republicans to go toe to toe with Democrats on this stuff. Go back to 2010. The same thing happened. There was a big shutdown looming and Republicans went toe to toe with Democrats. And even though the media and everyone else said that Republicans were going to lose in midterms because of the shutdown. And then what happened? It was described by Obama as a shellacking. Republicans destroy Democrats in midterm election, partly because they they were very consistent in their messaging about how they were trying to preserve fiscal sanity and and be fiscally responsible. But they also message this is what Democrats are wanting to do with your tax dollars. And I really feel like Republicans have been and I. Mark this one for the record books. I feel like Republicans have been doing a decent job at messaging that like you. You guys know this. You guys know why this is being held up in the Senate. One point five trillion in additional spending. You guys know that it's all this stuff that you voted against. I mean, literally health care for people who enter the country illegally, keeping the covid expansion. I mean, that's just some of the stuff that's up there. They're two of the biggest, I think, for people. So you guys know this because people have been very consistent in messaging this. So we'll see. We're going to talk with Congressman Chip Roy about this here coming up because he was there when it was passed through the House. He saw all of this stuff. A few other things. Jimmy Kimmel's ratings are back in the toilet. You guys aware of that? His ratings fall off a cliff again after the post-suspension viewer bump. The ratings bonanza. So everyone watched him the first night that he was back, and then no one's watching him again now. And Kane, what did you say? The ratings were lower than what they were going into this.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Going in, he had... He had like a four share, barely. It was 129,000. And now it's just a hair above 100,000. So he actually has lost viewers after everyone tuned in to hear him apologize, which he didn't do. And now he's lost even more.
SPEAKER 15 :
He lost viewers, and I think that they were, some people wondered if he was ever, maybe he's going to finally be funny, and he wasn't. So he ended up losing that. Not only that, but listen to this. This is from New York Post. Over 1.7 million users canceled Disney and then Hulu and ESPN. Now, here's what's funny. It's like a combination of both. So a bunch of people canceled it because they were livid that Kimmel said the stuff that he said. And then after he was suspended, people canceled because they were mad because he got suspended. So Disney got hammered. This is a riot. The cancellations were recorded between September 17th and the 23rd. And that is according to an industry periodical that tracks this stuff. And they said that it was... The 1.7 million cancellations represented a 436% increase above baseline subscriber churn. Dude, that's so bad. That's so bad. And I am loving it because nobody deserves it more, Cain, than Jimmy Kimmel. Nobody deserves it more. A couple of other things here as well. We've been talking about the shutdown. We've been talking about some of the culture stuff. Can I touch on the Serena Williams cotton thing? I can't believe that this is the thing, but it is. So Serena Williams, tennis star, right? She was at a hotel. Yeah, I think so. So she was at a hotel and she decided to take issue with... like this vase and an arrangement of Hobby Lobby cotton. You know how, like, you see it everywhere, like these sticks with cotton on them. Do we have this? Can we play this real quick? Can we play this for the folks?
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, everyone. How do we feel about cotton as decoration? Personally, for me, it doesn't feel great. So, actually, it feels like no polishing for cotton. Natural.
SPEAKER 15 :
I don't know. You know, she's wearing cotton. Like, is she? This is so stupid. By the way, I don't know why she's. Doesn't she have like she has like a sculpture of that includes cotton in her home. Somebody posted on social media. Is she, Kane, is this her trying to be woke or is this her like this sculpture is just trash or this display is trash?
SPEAKER 05 :
No, she's trying to be woke.
SPEAKER 15 :
You think it's trying to be, I was really trying to give her benefit of the doubt there for a moment. I'm like, maybe she's just like, what is with it in this fine hotel? What is with this arrangement? But you think it's because she's like, oh my gosh, it's cotton and I feel triggered.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, I guess there's room to have that.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know why people pick cotton, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
I mean, I just want to throw that out there. I know you're not supposed to say that stuff, but we literally have a family friend whose family, they worked in sharecropping, and they were white. So I just wanted to throw that out there.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, that's an important little point there. But you're reaching to be upset at something when you look at a display that actually looks good in the room. If you look actually at that display... It works well for that room. You having that sort of reaction or that meaning or whatever you've defined cotton as now, you can't because of, I guess, black people picked cotton back in the day. So now today, cotton triggers you. I mean, that's more you than the about the hotel.
SPEAKER 15 :
Why did she pick it off the branch? I just, why do people do this? She's gotten drug on social media for this. And she did have this like sculpture that has cotton on it in her house. It's like a donkey pulling a wagon of cotton. And apparently she has it in her house. I just don't. Stop it. You're getting upset over something that you never did. What are you talking about?
SPEAKER 05 :
And then she acted cringy when she used the cotton appropriately on the nails. And it was like, ooh, like she got the shivers from doing it. It's like, is that really? Are you doing that for the camera or is that really how it is for you?
SPEAKER 15 :
I just cannot stand drama for the sake of drama. I am allergic to drama queens. Like I get ragey no matter what it is. You're just like creating drama so you can be seen as a victim and people baby you. Just stop it. That's so stupid. If you're that upset over that, then ditch the blonde hair, ditch the wearing cotton, ditch all the fake nails, ditch all that stuff because all of it's appropriation. And if we're going to go that far, let's go all the way. This is so stupid. Stop trying to create drama in a nation that is completely just already overdosing on it. Stop it. Whenever anybody's wrong on the internet, I'm on my phone. It's Patriot Mobile that delivers the you're wrong message on social media. Look, I could sit here and tell you a whole bunch of stuff. They do all these things. They have great service. They do. You're going to pay less. They got plans to be tailor made. That's all great. They're the only cell phone service that's not a Marxist, you know, blank bird. They're the only cell phone service out there that's not spending hand over fist money on gun control and DEI. They're the only conservative party. Christian cell phone service out there that actually works to protect the things you vote for at the ballot box. So I'm going to be real with you right now. If you have not switched your cell phone service and you want to talk a big game and act like you're working with companies that support your values, your cell phone service more than anything else is betraying you with the amount of money that you send in every month for this stuff. People talk about, well, I don't want Netflix and I don't want Amazon. I don't want to support this stuff. With your cell phone service, unless you've got Patriot Mobile, you're supporting it three times over more than anybody else with a regular Netflix or Amazon account could ever do. So you need to not be all talk and you need to put some action and you need to switch today. They make it easy. They're going to take so good care of you. I sound like Shorzy. They're going to treat you so well over at Patriot Mobile. Like I said, it's affordable. They're super friendly, 100% U.S.-based customer service team. They're going to get you set up in minutes. You don't have to make a trip to the store. You can sit on your sofa and argue on Twitter, on your laptop, or Facebook. And you can be on the phone with Patriot Mobile, and they'll get you switched up and all set up in minutes. Keep your phone or keep your number. Get all new everything. Don't tell on your family so that they can't call you or text you and bother you. It's your choice. It's entirely your choice. But just make the switch. All you have to do is visit PatriotMobile.com slash Dana. It's very simple. Just go over to PatriotMobile.com slash Dana and make the switch today. And when you use code Dana, you will get a full month, a free month of service. And veterans and first responders, you get 15% off your bill every month. 15% every month off your bill. Switch today. PatriotMobile.com slash Dana. Promo code Dana. 972 Patriot.
SPEAKER 05 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 15 :
I'm really trying to understand the story. So it says fake movie money is being circulated in a New Jersey town. And they're passing it as legitimate currency in local businesses. How is this possible? Because literally at the top where it would say Federal Reserve Note, it literally says motion picture use. So... How is this happening? Are people not looking at it when they exchange it? I mean, then it makes you wonder, okay, how often does that happen? That's crazy. 58 million pounds of corn dogs and sausage on a stick, products recalled, because wood pieces may be inside. That's kind of why there are corn dogs and sausage on a stick. And Humane Society is telling public, keep a distance from the sea lions in Bellingham in Washington. Keep a distance. Congressman Chip Roy is next.
SPEAKER 11 :
Keep your finger on the pulse with the Dana Show podcast, delivering timely news with insightful analysis. Whenever you want, straight to you on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 16 :
Credit President Trump showing real leadership. He's operating in good faith, and that was on display by bringing the leaders in. He heard the arguments and the debates. They're baseless. I mean, Chuck Schumer is now arguing exactly the opposite of what he has always said in his career and why. You hit the nail right on the head, Sean. He's doing it out of political desperation. He is willing to force the government to shut down just to oppose President Trump for temporary political cover for himself, and he will abandon the American people just to do that. It's really something to watch.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and that is, and I think Democrats are kind of walking into a trap here. I'm all for that, though. And I because it serves us better. But that was Speaker Johnson who was talking about this opposition that Democrats in the Senate have. Republicans passed the CR through the House. Democrats are holding it up in the Senate. I don't get this whole language from Schumer that it's like a Republican shutdown. We all know that's nonsense. Joining us on this now, Congressman Chip Roy from the great Republic of Texas by video. Congressman, it's good to see you. So you guys did your job in the House. You did what you were supposed to do. Now Democrats in the Senate need to do their job, but they don't want to do it.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, Dana, that's exactly right. I mean, look, Speaker Johnson hit the nail on the head. President Trump is exhibiting great leadership, hauling in the Democrat leaders into a meeting. And the Democrats walked out and they doubled down on their crazy strategy to shut down the government for no purpose except for political grandstanding. That's all they're doing. Look, Dana, I've never been a blind adherent that we must go, oh, my God, we got to go fund the government for the sake of it. Right. But what we've done as Republicans is fund the government, including our troops and the Border Patrol pay and all the things that we all support as conservatives. But we've funded it at a reasonable level, i.e. flat, holding spending flat, continuing to do that while we're looking to find other ways to cut spending like we did in the big, beautiful bill. That's responsible. President Trump is responsibly carrying out the duties of government, securing the border, trying to find ways to expand health care freedom. rooting out all of the woke nonsense like we saw Pete Hegseth do today at the Pentagon. And now the Democrats want to shut down. Why? To double down on the failed experiment of socialized medicine for subsidies to be $40 billion a year of COVID-era subsidies expanded to enrich insurance companies, while the average American is eating $25,000 a year to pay for health insurance that doesn't even get them the health care they want. That's the modern Democrat Party.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I noticed that. And with that, you mentioned the COVID era subsidies. I was actually I knew I we don't need these. We don't need these subs. Why is I can't even believe they're fighting to keep these in here. I don't even understand the argument that they would make for that.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, what they're fishing for is a reason to shut down the government, a reason for fighting, because they're getting their butts handed to them on the border. They're getting their butts handed to them on the economy. They're getting their butts handed to them in terms of what we're doing to dismantle the woke machine. They see the effectiveness of this administration and this Republican Congress, and they're scrambling. So they want to pick a fight on something they think they can win at the polls because polling shows, oh, we can win on health care. And I think that's actually wrong. line here. And we demonstrate that we believe in doctors and patients, not insurance companies. We believe in health care freedom and health savings accounts and direct primary care and driving down prices with transparency and the ability to compete. We don't believe in feeding a monster K Street lobby driven health care world in D.C. that spends 750 million dollars a year lobbying which is six times more than the entire defense contractor space. We're fighting for people, hardworking families. Democrats know they're on their heels. That's what they're doing, trying to pick a fight to try to get on offense.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. And and I've also heard they sent out. Well, there was an OMB memo saying to prepare for mass firings. And then I saw Democrats and for those joining us, we're talking with Congressman Chip Roy from the Great Republic of Texas. I saw I'm looking at some of the tweets now. Some of them say, no, there's going to all of these federal workers. One hundred thousand of them are going to lose their jobs. But isn't that aren't those the workers that accepted that early resignation program offer? And the deadline was like today, September 30th.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, that's part of it. And this is all up to now. And this is why they're panicking. Democrats are panicking because they're going to empower my good friend, Russ Vogt, to be able to, as director of OMB, make decisions as they go through the prioritization process. In other words, if you shut down government, you have to prioritize spending. We take in tax dollars on a monthly basis, quarterly basis. We get those dollars and then they have to do something with them. So what do you do? You pay the interest on the debt so you don't default. You pay Social Security benefits because so people can live on those. And then you get busy deciding where the dollars are going to go. And if you can lay off workers and cut the bureaucracy, then you're doing what you need to do to try to reduce dollars that are going out the door. And frankly, dollars that will have to go out the door when we have to pay workers on the back end of a shutdown. So Russ is going to have a lot of power here, a lot of flexibility, and Democrats know it. And I think Schumer and I think Hakeem Jeffries, they're going, oh, my gosh, we might have walked ourselves into a box canyon here. We're empowering President Trump and Russ Vogt to do more to go after the bureaucracy. Meanwhile, we're picking a fight that we're losing. And we want to say that we now want to give more to insurance companies and to pay the health care of illegal aliens to the tune of one and a half trillion dollars. That's a loser.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's a huge loser. Americans are not buying what they're hearing from people like Chuck Schumer. They they saw what y'all did in the House. They know because you guys have been really good at Republicans have been really good at messaging this. I think this time, which I haven't always said, but they've been really good at it. So I feel like the public really is informed and they're not buying this, that it's the Republicans shutdown. So, I mean, I guess my question is, they really are walking into a trap here. Is there what other than maybe convincing some of these Republicans to be holdouts? Do you anticipate this this, I guess, fight extending past midnight tonight?
SPEAKER 17 :
Right now, it looks like Democrats have got themselves in a trap and they picked a fight that they can't walk away from before midnight. It would seem that they were headed to a shutdown. Who knows? Maybe they'll come back and try to do some short term spending deal in the Senate, send it to the House.
SPEAKER 15 :
Schumer said he was against any seven to 10 day stopgap.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right, and we passed a seven-week bill that gets to November 20th. All they have to do is take that up and pass it, and the government is funded until November 20th. But also remember all of the work that went into this in the months leading up to it. People don't realize all of the stuff we've been doing to continue to build a coalition to deliver. It took weeks, obviously, or months to get the big, beautiful bill done. It took the last two months of working to get to this point to get ACR done and to get it passed out of the House so that we would have the negotiating leverage on the Senate Democrats. We did that. And by the way, a lot of conservatives, a lot of my friends, Freedom Caucus conservatives, non-Freedom Caucus conservatives, they don't like CRs. I don't love CRs. I'd rather pass appropriations bills. We've done a lot of that, but we don't have them passed because we need 60 votes in the Senate and you have Democrats blocking us for getting good policy. So the alternative is do a CR, keep government funding flat, grow the economy, constrain spending through rescissions, which Russ Vogt is doing, winning at the courts by getting pocket rescissions, which Russ and the president got done, and what we did in the big beautiful bill that the Democrats want to undo. They want to get rid of the work requirements on Medicaid. They want to get rid of the restraints on illegal aliens getting health care. We passed all of that. Now they're trying to undo it, and that's why the American people are saying, wait a minute, these guys are crazy. Republicans are doing their job.
SPEAKER 15 :
I don't want you to give away your strategy, but you mentioned pocket recisions, and I know you and I have talked about this before as a strategy. It was funny because no one in the Republican Party really wanted to talk about it too much as we started getting closer to fall. So I don't want you guys to give up your strategy because I know where you're going on this. But will there be more of those maybe that come out before? Because I know it's about timing and it's about running out the clock to make sure that these items stay unfunded. Is that part of the strategy?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, and again, to your credit, I don't want to get too much in the details there. But look, here's the point. We have a long marathon type approach to this administration, right? We are in nine months into four years of President Trump term two. And we're doing the things that we set in motion over a year ago, right? The big, beautiful bill was months in the planning. We put $150 billion of defense spending in there, which a lot of conservatives said, wait, why would you do that? You know why? So defenses now has what they need while the Democrats try to play politics with our regular appropriations bill. The $150 billion for the border funding, we can keep removing people because we put money over their side through the big, beautiful bill and on rescissions. We needed to do it methodically. We passed rescissions that Democrats are now all upset about, right? We did it on a majority vote to get rid of NPR, PBS, and cut and save $9 billion, including foreign aid. What else, though, we do is the pocket rescissions. To Russ Vogt's point, and guess what? We just won in the court. The court said, yeah, you can do that. That was step one. Now we've got to do the other steps to keep having executive branch do what they should do to restrain spending, put pressure on legislators to restrain spending like we did in the big, beautiful bill and in the rescissions bill. Let's hold spending flat. We're beating back the appropriators and the swamp creatures, both Democrats and Republicans, by the way, who always want to spend money. We're holding them in check and we're winning. But we got to slog through these four years being methodical and smart.
SPEAKER 15 :
Last question for you. Midnight tonight. There's no deal. Government shuts down. I mean, really, you know, you and I, I mean, we just talked. We think Democrats own this. But what's what is what's the strategy after that? Because how long feasibly can it go?
SPEAKER 17 :
Look, so long as Republicans don't blink, so long as we stand firm that we stand with hardworking families and Democrats' cries about these subsidies are all incorrect and the cries about the illegal aliens, make them own that, okay? If we don't blink, Democrats will have to come back to the table and then we can get busy doing our job. We have appropriations bills we need to move. Republicans ought to stay on message, stay making the case to the American people, and then we can focus in on November 20th, what we need to do to keep the funding going, pass appropriations bills. But the big thing is, if Republicans don't blink, The American people are with us. So I stay on that path, and I'm going to keep messaging it all through this week as long as Democrats are being foolish enough to shut down the government for a ridiculous fight for $40 billion into the pocket of insurance companies and health care for illegal aliens.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I can't believe, I mean, I can believe, I don't know why I'm saying I can't believe it. I can actually believe that the left is, they're willing to go to the mat on behalf of illegal aliens, but not so much for the American public. Well, I think that this, honestly, it feels the same as it did in 2012 when Republicans just took it to Democrats and then there was the shellacking after. And I was reading Gingrich's editorial this morning in the New York Times where he was saying, yeah, we did this back with Clinton, went toe-to-toe with Clinton and look what happened, like conservative revolution. So, I mean, this could just be stacking win on win. So we'll see how it unfolds. But we appreciate you standing strong. Congressman Chip Roy from the beautiful Republic of Texas. We're going to watch. We're going to be watching and we're going to know who blinks in the Senate. So I'm glad that you all did your job. Thank you. Good to see you, my friend. We have more to come, folks, as we wrap up this hour. Also, yesterday, POTUS up on deck outlined this 20 point plan for Gaza. We're going to touch on that real quick before we rock.
SPEAKER 11 :
The Dana Show podcast, your fast, funny, and informative news companion for those always on the move. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me say this. President Trump has amassed the best cabinet of public servants and folks who really want to fight crime, like General Bondi, Secretary Noem, FBI Director Kash Patel. These folks know how to keep Americans safe. And you know what? Tonight, we're sending the Department of War a request to send the National Guard, asking them to deploy the National Guard here in Louisiana into our cities like New Orleans. and Baton Rouge and others so we can continue to reduce the amount of violence on our streets. Why would you not want your citizens to be safe? Yeah, such a good point.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who, by the way, I love Louisiana accents. Oh, my gosh. Like super Southern Georgian accents. And then you heard Landry, the God. I love it. I love the accents. Oh, my gosh. Well, Welcome back to the program. Dana Lash with you. He sent the admin a letter about the extended deployment of National Guard to help fight crime because New Orleans, they've been having, you know, you got car, Democrat mayors, Democrat, Democrat, Democrat. So where you got Democrats, you got crime. So I feel like Democrats also think that by shutting down the government, they can stop funding for this. So they thought one other quick thing. If you are over at Substack, I got a piece that we talked about this yesterday, but I was looking at this multiple this 20 point plan that POTUS announced yesterday for Gaza. And there are a couple of sticklers in here or a couple of questions that I had because they they noted. Now, Trump did say Hamas had 72 hours to accept this deal. And if they don't accept it, then Israel's free to do whatever Israel wants to do in response, which is really the response that everybody should have had after October 7th. But they said one of the questions that I had was, why do we have to have oversight of it? I get it. I mean, if it's a temporary stabilization force. I just we don't even get a discount on the crude for babysitting this multi-decade fecal storm. So that's kind of, you know, I'm just I got some, you know, why does Israel have to release terrorists in exchange for innocent civilians? So this was one of the things that was outlined in this. And they said that Israel will release some of their who they have in captivity. But these the people that they took, they're not like these innocent grannies and kids. These are actual like adult terrorists that they've. So why do they have to exchange terrorists for innocent civilians taken by Hamas? And also absent is the demand that Qatar stop playing both sides and stop funding Hamas. Because remember, Qatar shares a gas field with Iran in the Persian Gulf. And so they are they're still friendly with the Iranian regime. So I'm just Israel's accepted Hamas. They're still crickets. So we'll see how this pans out. But those are some of the questions that I had, particularly within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement. All hostages, you know, they have to they have to be returned. But they're also saying Israel has to any anybody that they haven't. No, if you're a terrorist. That's why I think that if you're caught terrorizing as a terrorist, you get put down in the field. That's just how I view it. All right, today in Stupidity Camp.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Juan, it's cut 28. I just want the part where Rosie O'Donnell says this. I'm not sure if you know where that's at.
SPEAKER 15 :
Oh, my gosh. Her? Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's like she just doesn't have enough TDS. She needs more. Listen.
SPEAKER 13 :
It's happening to everyone. And when the Medicaid cuts go in, old people are going to start to die. Oh, my gosh. To die. What he's done yet hasn't even hit us yet. And if he's not stopped now, we have lost our country.
SPEAKER 15 :
And I don't know. My favorite thing is how it none of neither of them are looking at the camera because they're too busy looking at themselves. And they're going like this instead of looking at you when they're talking about this. The hyperbole is off the charts. Folks, that does it for us tonight. Find us at Substack, Chapter and Verse, YouTube, Facebook, like and subscribe. We will be back with you tomorrow. Maybe there's a shutdown.
On today's program: Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at The Washington Stand and Host of the "Outstanding" podcast, reports on the latest Democrat government shutdown, the 20-point plan for Gaza, speeches by the President and Secretary of
SPEAKER 02 :
From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 01 :
We stand at the precipice of a government shutdown because they're afraid to talk about the real issue, which is health care for American citizens.
SPEAKER 05 :
That was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor opposing the continuation of current funding of the federal government, which sets the stage for a government shutdown at midnight tonight. Welcome to this September 30th edition of Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, President Trump said today that if Democrats shut down the government, people will lose their jobs. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma will join me shortly. Texas Congressman Keith Self will also join me later to discuss President Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, which Hamas is still reviewing. The question is, will they be smart and accept it? Well, with the clock ticking down to midnight, Congress remains deadlocked. Republicans say Democrats are holding up a simple funding deal by pushing unrelated Obamacare expansion demands and others, risking a shutdown that could disrupt government services worldwide. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who has been following this story all day. So, Casey, what's the latest?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, Tony, you know, this feels familiar. You've been around a little longer than I have, but we've seen this before. We've actually seen about half a dozen government shutdowns averted. You know, it's always at the last minute in the last two decades. But in this case, if we're going to avoid a shutdown tonight, it's only going to happen if the Senate agrees to what the House has already passed. They don't seem inclined to do that. Democrats in the Senate are demanding that over a trillion dollars in new spending be added, Tony. Here's what President Trump had to say about it.
SPEAKER 21 :
We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.
SPEAKER 20 :
So that was President Trump earlier today at the White House. And he went on to warn that, quote, a vast number of people will lose their jobs if Democrats shut down the government. And of course, if no deal is reached by tonight, that's probably true. Critical services will grind to a halt. And Tony, Republicans say voters are going to believe that Democrats are the ones who forced the shutdown.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Casey. Well, obviously, we're going to be watching that one very, very, very closely. Anything else making headlines today?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah. So from Quantico, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, He criticized generals and diversity efforts in a pretty fiery speech today, and he blamed them for the decline of the military. He was standing next to President Trump, really adding gravitas to the speech, and he told commanders that if they don't back his reforms, they should resign.
SPEAKER 07 :
No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions. No more debris.
SPEAKER 20 :
Strong words from the secretary. He went on to defend firing top officers. He called the military culture broken and even promised to change how discrimination and misconduct cases are handled. As far as the international front, President Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, it's being reviewed by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, he accepted the plan after meeting with President Trump. But whether Hamas will remains a mystery, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
Very, very interesting. So let's talk about Louisiana is stepping up its enforcement of pro-life laws with a rare criminal case targeting out-of-state abortion pill providers. Now, Casey, this is something we've been tracking as we see these abortion pills going into pro-life states. What can you tell us about this latest legal action by Louisiana officials?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Tony, this is a rare but important case. Louisiana, they're taking a strong stand on illegal abortion practices. And what they did was the state issued a criminal arrest warrant for a California doctor who's accused of mailing abortion pills out of state to a woman in Louisiana. Now, the doctor involved in all that is charged with violating Louisiana's pro-life laws by sending those abortion drugs to a woman in 2023. The woman in question, she says she was pressured into taking the pills and that they were actually ordered without her permission, her full consent. Now she says that this experience was traumatic, and she says it actually wouldn't have happened if telehealth prescriptions were banned. So it's an interesting case. It's one of the first since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and it digs into this question of empowering states like Louisiana to protect the unborn, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right. Thanks, Casey. Actually, coming up later in the program, Louisiana State Attorney General Liz Merrill will join me to discuss this case. In July, Family Research Council led Southern Baptist leaders across the country in a letter to President Trump on this. And we urged him to restore FDA safety rules requiring ultrasounds before abortion pills like Mifeprestone are given and enforce the federal law that prohibits these things from being sent through the mail. All right. But we're going to talk more about that a little bit later. But now joining me to discuss the latest on the government funding battle is Oklahoma Senator James Langford. He serves on several Senate committees, including the Finance Committee. He's also the vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Senator Langford, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks, Tony. All right, give us the latest. What is happening on Capitol Hill? Is the government going to turn the lights off at midnight?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so the lights won't go off, but the clock is definitely ticking at this point. Democrats are having to decide if they're going to leave the government open for the next seven weeks while we negotiate or if they want to try to close it down. Once they close it down, if they fight off literally the proposal that's sitting in front of them, the House has already passed, just maintain the status quo for the next seven weeks while we negotiate. If they turn that down, then it becomes a challenge of how do they reopen the government? What is it that they can then vote and say, no, just kidding, now I want to open the government up? They did this under the first Trump administration. They demanded DACA citizenship for all of the DACA recipients. We were closed for a weekend, and then they came back and said, just kidding, we'll just go ahead and open it and leave it open. My concern is they're going to do the same kind of thing again, where they're going to demand some big thing, which they're doing right now, a trillion-dollar spending rollback and to take away the one big, beautiful bill and to wipe that away. That's what they're demanding. There's no way that's going to happen, obviously. And so now we're trying to be able to get to the end and say, just vote to keep the government open, straightforward, and let's keep negotiating.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, we know that the coming up this week, Yom Kippur starts. So Congress is out the end of this weekend. House is not in. So if the Democrats do not go along with the clean CR that was passed by the House last week, there's Congress is not going to be back in till next week to deal with this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that's correct. So Yom Kippur, we're going to honor the Jewish holidays, obviously. And so that begins at sunset on Wednesday night. And so we'll be closed down. And so that's the challenge that we have here is that Democrats choose to be able to shut this down. We may be down for several days just with the Jewish holiday and all that's around that. So we don't know where it's going, nor do we know what they would say to be able to just come back and to be able to vote for the straight seven-week extension that we're already doing.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, you may see it differently, Senator, but you were in the House before going to the Senate. And the House often got rolled by the Senate. And the House speaker has talked to him about this over the weekend. I mean, he basically said, we did our work. We went home. And that's why he has not called the Republicans back into session this week, because he doesn't want to be forced into these false negotiations. The Democrats have what they have. Either they take it or they don't.
SPEAKER 03 :
THAT'S CORRECT. BUT THE CRAZY THING ABOUT THIS IS THERE WERE 13 OF THESE IN THE FOUR YEARS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHERE THEY WERE JUST SHORT-TERM, WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH NEGOTIATIONS, WE NEED JUST A FEW MORE WEEKS ON IT. THIS PASSED WITHOUT AN ISSUE ON THIS. THERE WERE ALWAYS VOTES HERE IN THE SENATE AS WELL THAT GAVE We're just going to keep open. We're going to keep negotiating." Now suddenly Democrats are determining they don't want to do that. This, I think, goes back to the March of this year, when Chuck Schumer and about 10 Democrats voted to be able to keep the government open at that time. Their far-left liberal base just went apoplectic on them and attacked them and said, you can't do anything with Trump. You shut the government down. You fight him at every time. Be the resistance. But the problem is, it just hurts the country. It doesn't hurt President Trump. It just hurts the country.
SPEAKER 05 :
So one more question and then I want to move on to another topic. Is this more about Democrats, in particular Chuck Schumer's personal politics in the state of New York where he's vulnerable to his left?
SPEAKER 03 :
Is that really what's driving this? This is all about Chuck Schumer's personal politics, all about it. Multiple Democrat senators that I've talked to have said, hey, we should just keep it open, we should keep it going, except for Chuck Schumer and his politics that he's in right now. So we're there. I get it for that. I mean, we've got the socialist that's leading the mayoral race in New York City right now. The New York politics have shifted hard, hard, hard to the far, far, far left. And Chuck Schumer is trying to be able to fight off the far left socialist in his own party on it. And we'll see where that goes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Senator, I know you just have a couple of minutes left. I want to get your your thoughts on yesterday's meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump and the agreement on this 20 point plan. You and I have been to Israel together. We share the same concern over Judea and Samaria. Your thoughts on the latest developments.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it was interesting to be able to get this description where the president was saying, OK, there would be a stop at hostilities, release all the hostages. But then he kind of turned towards having a Palestinian state at the end of it in the final part of that agreement and saying, hey, we don't want Israel to annex any of the West Bank. Well, that Judea and Samaria is historic Israel. Some of those areas are referred to as Area C. Israel already does all the security there. But we're talking towns like Jericho and where Shiloh is, the historic place for the tabernacle. This is biblical Israel here, and it's areas where Israel already provides security. And so what I'm trying to be able to communicate to everybody in the administration is, Hey, let's allow Israel to be Israel and to be able to deal with its own boundaries and its own history and future here and not try to be able to impose something on them as they're trying to be able to work towards long-term agreements. But long-term agreements are hard with the Palestinian Authority there. There is no lead negotiator for them. So they don't have anyone to even make an agreement with at this point that would count.
SPEAKER 05 :
A minute left, and now you got to go. Can you really look at this region of the world without having a biblical, historical, and spiritual understanding in terms of managing peace?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, there's a lot of history in that region and a lot of things you've got to be able to look at, not just the last 10 years or the last 75 years. You look at the last thousands of years to be able to see the pattern and the path that's in that area. We also can impose a Western concept of what governance looks like over a Middle Eastern tribal community clan. SHAKES, ALL OF THAT CONCEPT, FAMILY-DRIVEN CULTURE, VERY, VERY DIFFERENT IN THAT REGION THAN IT IS IN AMERICAN CULTURE. AND AT TIMES THERE'S AN AMERICAN IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT THINGS WILL LOOK LIKE RATHER THAN AN ACTUAL MIDDLE EASTERN MINDSET.
SPEAKER 05 :
RIGHT. IT'S THAT WESTERN VIEW THAT'S BEEN PLACED ON THEM. SENATOR JAMES LANGFORD, ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU AND HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM. THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO JOIN US. THANKS, TONY. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. Senator James Langford of Oklahoma, as I made reference to when he was in the House, we took one of the first two official congressional delegations into Judea and Samaria and visited those areas that he made reference to that prior to, I think that was in 2012 or 2013, prior to that, there had been no official congressional delegation. And then we talked about this on the program, but in August last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson was the first House Speaker to ever go into Judea and Samaria. And why is this important? Judea and Samaria, often referred to as the West Bank, and I know this is repetitive to those who listen to the program a lot, but that's 80% of what we read about in the Bible took place in that area. In fact, Judea, it's where the term Jew came from. But yet this is what the international community, under a two-state solution, wants to give away and create a Palestinian state. And my concern about the 20-point plan is that buried deep in there is the plan from 2020, which does call for a future Palestinian state if certain criteria is met. Now, it's unlikely that that criteria will be met, and that's what people often say, but we should not be promoting policy that runs counter to the Word of God. All right? And I don't know when all that's going to be fulfilled in the Word of God, but I think we ought to be moving in the same direction, not in the opposite direction. All right. When we come back, we're going to continue Washington Watch. But I mean, I'm going to be joined by Texas Congressman Keith Self. We're going to talk a little bit more about Israel, but also about an unprecedented gathering of top U.S. military leaders at Quantico, Virginia, this morning, where the president and the secretary of defense or secretary of war spoke to them. So don't go away.
SPEAKER 09 :
The Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn't outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there's a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let's stand for life and end this mail-order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 18 :
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. Family Research Council invites you to join our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan as we reflect upon the life of Jesus, the Word who dwelt among us. Come with us and discover the glory of the Word. Read the Gospels and witness the life-changing story of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Come read how Jesus transformed the lives of common people and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come with us for 10 to 15 minutes a day and read the entire New Testament before the new year. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us and stand on the word.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us today. Let me encourage you to download the Stand Firm app and share that with your friends because you might have some friends that are not within the reach of one of the 850 radio stations that carries Washington Watch, but they can listen and watch on the app Stand Firm. Not only do they get the Washington Watch program, but they get our news feed as from commentary and news from a biblical perspective, the Washington Stand, and my morning devotional, Stand on the Word. All of that can be found on the Stand Firm apps. Go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. Share it with your friends. Earlier today, President Trump told reporters that he will give the Hamas terror group three to four days to respond to his 20-point peace plan, which Israeli's prime minister accepted yesterday during his visit to the White House. And if Hamas doesn't accept it, President Trump says it's going to be a very sad end. With the second anniversary of the October 7th terror attack just one week away, are we on the verge of seeing an end to the war one way or another? Joining me now to discuss this and a bit more is Congressman Keith Self, who served our country for 25 years in the United States Army, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is a member of several House committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Self, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. You bet, Tony. Great to be here. Let me start with this question. Do you think Hamas will be smart enough to accept this plan?
SPEAKER 04 :
That is exactly the question, Tony. I doubt it. If they do, they will give up their sole leverage point, which are the hostages, dead and alive. So that is the decision. And look, Hamas is on the clock. 72 hours. They've got less than 50 hours left. And you might remind them, Iran was on the clock. And look what happened in Iran when they ran the clock out.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I think they're trying to hide behind a lot of civilians as well there in Gaza City. But looking at the plan, I will say there are some things that concern me about the plan, especially as it pertains to the way forward, because the 2020 peace plan that was put forward by the last Trump administration calls for the creation eventually of a Palestinian state, which I think is problematic. But I have to say, Hamas would have to be stupid not to accept this plan. This is their only way out. And it's a very generous plan, quite frankly.
SPEAKER 04 :
It certainly is. But remember, they've had a state known as Gaza with elected leadership known as Hamas, and they destroyed their state. They took their aid. They built tunnels with it. So, look, two-state solution, if you talk to the Israelis and the people in Gaza, the two-state solution, I think, is dead. So let's set that one aside. But yes, if they do accept it, though, I go back to the fact that they would have to give up their leverage. And do we really believe the people who train their children, indoctrinate their children to hate Jews are going to make the change to living peacefully and changing their mindsets, as it says in this plan, that quickly? I find it hard to believe. Tony, I've worked in the Middle East with the Israelis. I've been on the ground there, and I find it's hard to believe.
SPEAKER 05 :
I was just going to mention that. I know you've served there working alongside the IDF. You and I have talked about this before. And I just asked this question to Senator Lankford. He was just on the program talking to it. It's really hard to understand the complexity of the Middle East, Israel in the midst of all of that without having a biblical and quite frankly, spiritual understanding.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely it is. The land is talked about quite a bit in the Old Testament. And I know you and I share a view on that, that the land has been promised. And we don't know how God is going to work this out. But we do know that his promises stand firm across time in ways we don't understand. And all of this goes back to those two half-brothers and is continued down through the millennia.
SPEAKER 05 :
You make a really good point, Congressman. We don't know when God fulfills that plan. My point has always been, but we know it will be fulfilled at some point in time, so we shouldn't be moving in the opposite direction. We should be moving in the direction of that plan.
SPEAKER 04 :
I will point out one more thing, Tony. That's the right to return. The right to return in Israel is very, very contentious, because it goes back to 1948. If we put the right to return into this agreement, would it then be extrapolated to Israel proper? That also concerns me.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I share some of those concerns. I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to go to the president, secretary of war today, meeting with unprecedented meeting of military brass. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with what the secretary had to say and how forceful he was as a as a Marine veteran. I think the military is there to fight and win wars, period, full stop.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely, Tony. Lethality is the single measure whether we win or lose, and we cannot lose. We cannot lose the next war. But I will tell you, words, this was important for the general officers to hear directly from the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of War. But words do not make a lethal military. We also need to focus on the technologies that are coming, space, hypersonics, drones. We need to make sure that we can supply the weapon systems and the ammunition for the next war. Look, amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics. Let's make sure that we back up the words that we heard today with a lethal military that is able to win the next war.
SPEAKER 05 :
And the reality is we're a little bit behind the curve when you look at China.
SPEAKER 04 :
We are.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is a very dangerous world.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's a very dangerous world in Europe as well. They have already lost more people in Europe than they did prior to the lead-up of World War II. We are in a shooting war that is very dangerous in Europe. China is on the horizon. This is a dangerous world, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
And to the Secretary's point, our military in many ways have been playing these games with, you know, DEI games as opposed to preparing for these conflicts that are on the horizon.
SPEAKER 04 :
You cannot take your eye off the ball, and that's what we've done for the last four years. Our eye has been taken off of the ball of a lethal military ready to go in harm's way and do damage to our enemies, our adversaries, and protect the American way of life. The eye has been taken off the ball. Let's get it back on the ball. Let's get ready to fight the next war. I don't know when we're going in harm's way again, but our young men and women will go in harm's way again.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, the stronger we are, the less probability that that does happen. I mean, it is a dangerous world, but if we're strong, nobody wants to pick on us. Congressman Keith Self, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you, Tony. You know, during my time in the Marine Corps, which was in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president, you know, he came in pulling ships out of mothballs because it was peace through strength. And he built up our decimated military. Guess what? No conflicts. All right. Don't go away. We're coming back with more after this.
SPEAKER 19 :
Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today. You can 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 of course, Stand Firm wherever you go.
SPEAKER 17 :
At Family Research Council, defending the family isn't just a mission, it's our daily calling. Every team member at FRC uses their God-given talents to stand for biblical truth, protect life, and uphold religious freedom.
SPEAKER 08 :
Here at Family Research Council, we face many threats to the family, threats that have been with us for some time. Abortion, the gender ideology threat, the attacks on marriage, the attacks on parental authority, and the attacks on religious freedom. We have to promote, support, strengthen, and incentivize family growth so families take their place in society in a place of honor.
SPEAKER 13 :
I'm defending the family by working in the Center for Biblical Worldview to provide cutting edge research and resources for pastors, ministry leaders, and Christian parents.
SPEAKER 11 :
Through my work at the Washington Stand, I passionately defend what God has defined for marriage and family. I don't see the Washington Stand as just a place to talk about cultural events. It's a place to share biblical truth. It's a perfect outlet to advance and defend what God has defined as good, true, and beautiful.
SPEAKER 14 :
Because of you, we're able to frame things in such a way that help Christians stand for truth on the things that matter most, like life, faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you for standing with us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you for your support. It is so critical to the work that we at Family Research Council are doing day to day as we support and strengthen the family. So thank you.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, welcome back. In just, actually less than three weeks, like-minded Christ followers from across the country are going to gather at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills in California for our Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. Now given what's happening in our country today, I tell you, there's never been, I think, a greater need for God's people to cry out to God to move in our nation. It's a great opportunity, but great challenges. And so I encourage you to join us, because we're gonna pray, we're going to talk about affecting our culture and our government by voting and ultimately standing for truth. So I encourage you to join us October 17th and 18th in California for a powerful, powerful gathering. To find out more and to register, go to PrayVoteStand.org. That's PrayVoteStand.org. Attorneys representing a pro-life journalist who was assaulted on camera earlier this year will be filing a civil lawsuit against the Office of Manhattan's District Attorney. That's Alvin Bragg, a name that you've heard before. Well, he failed to prosecute the felony assault charge, although the entire assault was recorded in a video that went viral on social media. The DA's office downgraded the original second-degree assault charge against the assailant to a misdemeanor before the case was completely dismissed. New York apparently just loves lawlessness. Well, considering the political climate we find ourselves in today, what message does that send? Joining me now to discuss this is Christina Bennett, a news correspondent at Live Action and a colleague of the woman who was assaulted. Christina, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, so the attack on your colleague, Savannah, was shocking. I mean, how can someone get away with what was clearly, clearly an assault, a sucker punch on camera?
SPEAKER 12 :
It was shocking, and I think that's why it got national attention, because people were horrified to see that type of violence. Savannah was questioning her about her pro-life opinions, and this woman, Breonna, she sucker punched her. And after that, she repeatedly mocked the situation, made jokes about it online, and now she's making light of the fact that her charges were dropped, and it's really just unjust.
SPEAKER 05 :
So what message does this send, not just to pro-lifers, but just in terms of civility in our society today? I mean, you're having a conversation. Look, she could have walked away. She's like, I don't want to answer your questions. I don't want to talk to you about this. I mean, I get it all the time on the streets of New York. I mean, on the streets of D.C., you've got Planned Parenthood and all these others wanting to talk to you about abortion. I say, look, I don't have time to talk to you. And I just walk on. I don't hit them.
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. Violence is never acceptable. We fight with words and ideas and debate and civil dialogue. And that back and forth is a beautiful thing. And that is a gift that we have as Americans, a protected right that we have for freedom of speech. And so violence is never the answer. And it really shows people this dropping of the charges, shows people that you can commit an act of violence and get away with it. And that is not the message that we need right now in America.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, Christina, you bring up a very good point, and that is having dialogue and discussion, even when we disagree. And I know you're a little younger, but there was a time in this country when that's what we did left and right. We had conversations. We had debates. I mean, there were debates, but we had conversations. We were in dialogue now. What we've seen, it seems like those on the left have gone so far out, and there's probably even some on the right as well, have gone so far out they can't defend their positions, and so they resort to violence to shut the other side up. That's no way to run a country.
SPEAKER 12 :
You're right, it's not. But I want you to know that there is still hope for dialogue today. Our president and founder, Lila Rose, just a few weeks ago, she came to Yale University and she had a debate on abortion. And she won that debate in a room full of students. Earlier in the spring, I went to Dartmouth University and I debated a Black pro-choice activist. And we had a respectful dialogue about the issue of abortion. And so you can still have these conversations. Of course, not everyone wants to have them. But many of us do. And we are going to continue doing that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Last time I was invited to Harvard, I went. But the other side didn't show up. They didn't want to have a conversation. They didn't want anyone to have a debate. So I just took the opportunity to have a conversation myself. I do think we have to show up and I think we have to be willing to engage people in a conversation. as I would describe a Christ-like manner. I mean, I like to have conversations with people. They don't have to agree with me, but let's have a conversation about it. And I've actually built a number of relationships with people on the other side of issues just by treating them with kindness. I mean, they're human beings. They carry the image of God, and so they're worthy of interacting with. By the way, you mentioned Lila. Lila is going to be one of our speakers at the upcoming PrayVote Stand Summit in Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills. So we look forward to having her there. She's been a champion on this life issue, and we're so grateful for live action. And I want to thank you, Christina, for joining us today as well. Appreciate all that you all are doing to help communicate the message of life.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, we're honored to do this work. We're honored to fight to save lives. And I thank you so much for having us. We are not giving up. We're not going to be silent in the face of oppression. We're going to continue to speak and continue to fight for pre-born lives to be saved.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I know you will. And that's why we're honored to partner with you. Christina, thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you. God bless.
SPEAKER 05 :
And folks, I want to encourage you, come join us at the PrayVoteStand Summit. I think in the wake of all that's been happening in our country, people are, they realize life is fragile. They realize that there are things happening, quite frankly, they don't completely understand. But there is a battle raging. And it's not a political battle. I mean, I know it's manifesting itself in the political realm, but it's spiritual. And we must use our spiritual weapons. That's why we changed the values voter summit to the pray vote stand. We have to pray first. Then we engage in the political realm. But ultimately, it's up to us to stand for truth, just like live action and so many others are doing. All right. Don't go away. We're coming back with more Washington Watch right after this.
SPEAKER 16 :
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. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That's PrayVoteStand.org.
SPEAKER 22 :
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 14 :
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 22 :
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 14 :
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 22 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
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 05 :
All right, welcome back to Washington Watch. Hey, if you're a Newsmax watcher, a viewer, I'll be on tonight with Todd Starnes, who's filling in for Greg Kelly on Greg Kelly Reports, so tune in tonight. Our word for today comes from 1 Corinthians 10. Paul writes, "'Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware "'that all our fathers were under the cloud, "'all passed through the sea, "'all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.' All ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now think about that. They began with great spiritual advantages, God's protection, his provision, even his presence. Yet they still fell short. Why? Well, Paul lists the reasons they lusted after evil things, longing for Egypt's food while despising the manna. They bowed to idols. They committed sexual immorality. They spoke against God. And they murmured, questioning his justice." Then Paul says this, quote, now these things became our examples. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. That's a strong reminder for us. Past blessings don't guarantee future faithfulness. We must walk humbly, depending daily on Christ. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible. to 67742, that's Bible to 67742. All right, the decision by the Biden administration's FDA to roll back safeguards on the abortion drugs after or during COVID is getting pushback from a growing number of officials in states where pro-life laws are being violated by out-of-state doctors. Now, this policy put in place by the Biden administration still remains in effect. Well, the latest is coming from my home state of Louisiana, a very strong pro-life state, which I'm proud of. And it revolves around the abortion drug because the abortion drug is accounting for a large and growing majority of abortions in America. We're going to talk about that coming up just a little bit. Pro-life states are doing what they can to stop those who are undermining their ability to enforce their pro-life laws. Now, could this case... be the one that turns the tide. Joining me now to discuss this is the Attorney General of Louisiana, Liz Murrell. Liz, thanks so much for joining us here on Washington Watch once again.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thanks. It's great to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, General, I want to thank you for stepping into this legal battle, and I know that this is not – well, you're passionate about this. You have a long track record of being pro-life, but here you're supporting the laws of the state of Louisiana, and you're being joined – in trying to help women who are being, in this particular case, coerced into taking the abortion drug. Tell us about what happened to her in the steps that you're taking to try to stop this.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, Rosalie's story, you know, is similar to some of the others that we've seen in some other states and here where the pills were obtained by somebody else and they coerced her into taking them. And You know, she is someone now who speaks about it and her regret and that she still, you know, is sad about the loss of her child. And, you know, Tony, the biggest problem is that the Biden administration never should have withdrawn the restrictions on these pills to begin with. I've been litigating in this space from the day I walked into the attorney general's office in 2016. And, you know, the abortion lobby and cartel was trying to basically take down all of our abortion laws and all restrictions on access to these pills. It's dangerous. And now we have drug dealers basically from other states who are mailing them illegally into our states to anybody who asks for them. And it's just—we've seen a number of cases where coercion is involved. A couple, you know, Thomas Presley, one of our state senators, his sister was poisoned with them when her estranged husband tried to abort their child by putting the pills into her food.
SPEAKER 05 :
What's happening is that this is, Louisiana is like one of a dozen states that is resolute in protecting the unborn, strongest pro-life laws in the nation. And the Dobbs decision, which you were very much involved leading up to that, acknowledged the states have a right to protect the unborn and the women from exploitation. The Dobbs decision said that. So Louisiana's got some very strong laws as a result of that recognition that the court gave. But they're being undermined by these abortion pills that are coming in from New York and California, are they not?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and it's not just that. I mean, I think that, you know, we certainly have seen these doctors and other organizations like Aid Access who are willing to facilitate obtaining the pills. Now, they'll give them to anybody that asks for them. I mean, you can lie. You can set up fake Facebook accounts. You know, they're not careful. There is no medical, you know, relationship here. They take your money and they mail you these pills and you don't know where they came from. And And they don't know who they're sending them to. So that's concerning enough. But when we try to enforce our laws, as we have against the doctors in other states who are participating in this illegal scheme, we've been blocked by the governor of New York from trying to extradite a doctor who was indicted here for violating our criminal laws. And I expect that we will be blocked by Governor Newsom when we try to extradite a California doctor who also sent the pills to Rosalie's boyfriend.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. So there's about eight states, including California, New York. They have these shield laws. In fact, I think it was yesterday or last Friday, California passed an even more of a broader shield law for physicians there so that they can send these abortion pills into states without the doctor's name even being on the prescription. What can the federal government do? I mean, since this was a Biden era policy, can this not be undone?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely can be. And that's what we've asked the Biden administration to do. And so, you know, we have requested that they do that. They have indicated that they are reviewing the rule. I don't think this is hard. The data was never there for the rule that they put in place in the first instance. So, you know, I think they need to withdraw it based on the the complete lies that were relied on to withdraw the REMS protocols that used to be in place on these pills. You know, before the Biden administration basically took all these restrictions away, the rules required a face-to-face relationship with a doctor who conducted an ultrasound to ensure that there was not an ectopic pregnancy, and they required a follow-up visit three weeks later to make sure that the woman wasn't going to potentially be subject to developing sepsis or some other kind of life-threatening... So, I mean, even under circumstances where someone takes them by consent, it is very dangerous for women. Right. And if you do it without checking to see whether you have an ectopic pregnancy, then you can... You can cause extremely, you know, you could become infertile. So, I mean, it's terrible.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, General, it's pretty simple what you just described there. If if those protocols were put back in place that were there before the Biden administration changed them during covid, that means that. They couldn't send pills from California or New York because it would require a in-person consultation. And so they're not going to fly up to New York and fly back and then fly back again. I mean, and it's not going to undermine the laws of the pro-life states, correct?
SPEAKER 15 :
And to be clear, it is illegal to send these pills by mail, even under federal law. That violates the Comstock Act. But that's not being enforced. It's not. And that would be federal, you know, federal officials that would have to enforce it. And so it is frustrating. It's never been legal to mail these pills. Under the prior law, there were restrictions. And if a doctor prescribed them in this state legally, they still had to comply with all of those restrictions.
SPEAKER 05 :
So in the meantime, last question for you, General Merle. All of the work that Louisiana and like-minded states have done to protect the unborn is now being assaulted by states like, blue states like California, like New York, and in large part because of the policy that is currently in place at the federal level.
SPEAKER 15 :
Right. And I don't think another state should have the ability to nullify the laws of this state when someone is committing a crime in this state intentionally. You know, I mean, it is no different than if they were dealing fentanyl or anything else that we've declared illegal or subject to very, very restrictive use under only certain circumstances.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's because it's abortion.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's treated differently. All the rules go away when it involves abortion, and it's incredibly dangerous to women. It's just appalling.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, General Merle, I want to thank you because you have a long track record of fighting for the unborn and fighting for women in our state of Louisiana. So I want to thank you, and I want to thank you for joining us today. And keep up the fight and let us know how we can help.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thanks. It's great to be with you.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right. Attorney General Liz Merle from Louisiana. By the way, we need you to help weigh in on this. The Trump administration could could change this policy. I know they've announced that they're looking at it, but look, we've got to change this. It's not that difficult. Text the word LIFE to 67742 and sign our petition that we're going to be delivering to the Trump administration. LIFE to 67742 to deal with what we were just talking about with Attorney General Merrill. All right, I want to continue this discussion very quickly as we wrap up the program today. The abortion drug Mifeprestone, and I'm going to bring in Dr. Michael New, Senior Associate Scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Dr. New, welcome back to Washington Watch. I want to ask you this question. First, the Guttmacher Institute released some new data today, and they're saying that the number of abortions provided by abortionists have declined for the first time since the Supreme Court Dobbs decision. Now, I think we got to take that with a grain of salt because what they leave out of that, they're talking about brick and mortar institutions that are doing physical surgical abortions. But 63 percent plus of abortions are now being done by the abortion pill that we were just talking about with Liz Merle. So the this may not be an accurate picture.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, I certainly don't think it's an accurate picture at all. Right now, policy regarding chemical abortions is the Wild West. You have women getting telehealth abortions, ordering pills from other states with shield laws that aren't reporting. You have women ordering pills from other countries. So the data presented by Guttmacher is not the complete picture. I'm not confident at all that numbers actually are, in fact, going down.
SPEAKER 05 :
So it was interesting. There was some data they put out earlier on the abortion bill that showed their numbers of abortion prior to Dobbs being about 930,000 a year, now up to almost 1.1 million. But now they're saying with the closure of these Planned Parenthood clinics as a result of the defunding and the reconciliation bill, they're now saying, oh, women are not able to get abortions, when in fact the real picture is, and we don't know for certain because the reporting requirements are not there, But all indications are abortion has actually gone up in the country.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, long-term, there's certainly been an increase. I mean, once the FDA derated chemical abortions, numbers went up. It all started in 2017, where they reduced the number of in-person visits from three to one. Then during the pandemic in 2020, they said there could be no in-person visit, and women could just get these pills through the mail without any medical supervision. So ever since then, you've seen numbers going up. You know, I do think some of the individual pro-life laws are doing some good, but you've seen a long-term increase. Why? Because chemical abortions are totally unregulated. Again, the Trump administration could stop this tomorrow if they wanted to.
SPEAKER 05 :
So what happens, Dr. New, if the Trump administration did dial back the Biden policy and put back just what was in place before the Biden administration? As the attorney general was laying out, you had to have the in-person consultation. What do you think that would do to the abortion numbers in America?
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, I think they would fall dramatically. I mean, telehealth abortions have only been with us since 2020. I mean, this is meant to be a temporary measure during the pandemic. The Biden administration unwisely continued. So if you put back the old rules in, telehealth abortions are illegal, and that means women living in pro-life states won't obtain these chemical abortions through the mail. They'll carry pregnancies to term. They'll get help from pro-life pregnancy help centers. And women, children, unborn children will be protected.
SPEAKER 05 :
which would be the intent of what the Dobbs decision was, allowing lawmakers to set these policies and not just at the state level, it's also at the federal level. I know that's another argument to have with some people, but at a minimum, everybody agrees that Dobbs gave the states the right to regulate the sanctity, defend life through their policies. If that's in place, And we see the nation trending toward a pro-life nation, which was the intent of Dobbs.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. I mean, pro-lifers worked long and hard to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now that Roe is overturned, we can put some policies in place that actually provide strong legal protection for pre-born children. But sadly, that's being undermined. Again, women can go online, get these chemical abortion pills, mail them. There's no medical supervision. And it's just undermining all the hard work pro-lifers have done.
SPEAKER 05 :
Dr. New, it's also, I mean, it's keeping up with the trends. I mean, just like the big brick and mortar stores are closing, more people doing business through Amazon. I mean, this is really the abortion industry is moving in that direction. They're saying they're hurting because they're closing down these clinics. But in fact, they've already adopted a business model that is using the abortion pill.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, they've been, you know, very savvy. I mean, you know, at first I think they had some trouble adjusting to things like the Texas Heartbeat Act and ADOBS, but they've realized that chemical abortions are a way around these good, strong, solid pro-life laws we've worked hard to pass. You know, they're working with groups like Aid Access to send these chemical abortion pills into states in violation of state laws. So our opponents are always very savvy. You know, pro-lifers need to work hard and be very diligent to counter them.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Dr. Michael New, I want to thank you for joining us. Always great to have you on the program. Appreciate the great work you do for the benefit of the unborn and their mothers.
SPEAKER 1 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, folks. Man, we covered a lot of ground in that segment, but I think you understand we've got a problem. While the states were recognized as having the right to protect the unborn and adopt decision, it's not happening. Abortion rates have gone up. Women have been put at risk because of the abortion pill. It's got to change. Text the word LIFE to 67742. That's LIFE to 67742. And help us convince the administration to do the right thing and protect the unborn and their mothers. All right, I want to thank you for joining us today, and I want you to tune in again tomorrow. And until then, I want to leave you once again with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, found in Ephesians 6, where he says, when you've done everything that you can do, when you've prayed, when you've prepared, and when you have taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
In this engaging episode of Rush to Reason, John Rush dives deep into the imminent government shutdown, analyzing its potential impact on federal workers and exploring whether these shutdowns are more political strategy than necessity. With listener calls and insightful discussions, we explore the nuances and possible repercussions of the country's political climate, engaging with the idea that politicians could be using these shutdowns as a strategic maneuver for upcoming elections.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 19 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 06 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 18 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did.
SPEAKER 15 :
Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 12 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 15 :
Are you crazy?
SPEAKER 03 :
Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 16 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush, presented by Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, hour number two, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Again, thank you all for listening. Yes, we're having some issues on the streaming side for some of you that maybe are able to hear us over the air but are struggling to hear us on an app. Yes, there's a Comcast regional outage that is... causing issues all around town not just with us but in general causing issues so if you're having that you can notify me but we know and when it's back it's back and as you guys all know anybody that's had any kind of internet outages with Comcast know that we have zero control over that end of things and I'm sure there's a lot of people that are very passionately trying to get that resolved with them. And, again, we are all beholden to what they tell us. So, all right, government shutdown is looming October 1st. And I saw some hyped-up news today where there's some claims that there will be 100,000 government workers that are looking to resign. And just so you all know, That is a minute number when it's all said and done. It sounds like a big number, 100,000 workers, but in relation to all government workers, it's not. In fact, I will look up here what the actual number is right now. It's in the millions. And federal government, I should look up. There's 2.9, so almost 3 million federal government workers. 20 million, by the way, state and local government. Totally 23 million. Too much, by the way. Too much. Far too much, in my opinion. That's about, what, 8% or so, Charlie, probably of the total, well, not quite, 5%? No, it's higher than that. I've got to do the math. 7% is my guess of workers, or not workers, of the population. Keep in mind, that includes kids and elderly that aren't working and can't work and won't work and have no ability to work, I should say, because there's roughly 340 million people in the U.S. and 23 million of them... are government workers of some type. Too many across the board. Especially now with AI. Far too many. And that's the one thing that I'm hoping for. A lot of you will text me at times and say, here's an AI article. We know how much you love AI. And just so everybody knows, it's not that I love it. It's not that I hate it either. I'm not a lover or hater of AI. It's a tool. Just like when I go to my toolbox and I did some work over the weekend on some things, just when I go to a toolbox and pull out a wrench, I don't love or hate that wrench. Now, some wrenches I really do like because they're made very well. And I'm a snap-on guy when it comes to wrenches. And I'm not going to go down that path because there's haters and lovers of. But at the end of the day, it's not that I love or hate a tool. It's a tool. No more than I love or hate a computer or a phone or anything else. It's a tool. In my opinion, it's a tool. I don't look at any differently than that. I look at AI exactly the same way. What I'm hoping for, though, when it comes to AI is on the government sides of things, I am hoping that AI will come along and replace a certain amount of government workers and improve the efficiency of government through AI. And hopefully it will. The problem with government is they're not going to like that. Because once a government worker, always a government worker. Sorry, if there's any of you out there listening that are government workers, I'm sorry, but you probably are really hardworking, but I guarantee you, you could verify some of what I'm saying based upon some of the people that you even work with. And by the way, I know that's the case because some of you have told me that. You have verified what I say at times when it comes to government workers because you are one and you work around some. And you know exactly what I'm talking about. And you'll verify what I'm saying. Most aren't worth having and are really there because they got the job or they're not going anywhere and they know they can't be fired. So going back to the shutdown, which this is, I think, a big mistake on the part of the Dems. I think this could very easily backfire on them. I'm not really sure what they're thinking about. They, of course, in a nutshell, we talked about this some last week, but they're not in favor of passing the current bill that would continue government on for another, what is it, 60 days, I want to say, Charlie, roughly 45 to 60 days. Don't quote me on that, but I think that's what it is. They don't want that because they want a lot of the things that we're taking out of budget in the big, beautiful bill. They want some of those things reinstated or they're not going to continue to run government. And what they're going to do. during this next election cycle in 2026 is they're going to come back to voters and say, look, see what we did? We were fighting for your best interests. We wanted those things put back in. So we decided to shut government down to take a stand. Now, remember, this is the party that every single time in the past that the Republicans didn't want to vote for something and they wanted to shut government down, and Trump even did for the longest time in history ever during his first term. And all the left does is blame Trump. conservatives and the right for doing so. So again, to me, this is going to backfire on them because they're essentially going to eat their own words. They're going to be for something that they've said all along they're not for. So it'll be interesting to see how this works out. We'll take a quick break. We'll come right back. Have plenty of time for Bob that way. Paul Lumberger, my good friend and my insurance broker, is there to help you with all of your insurance needs. Give Paul a call today. Call him at 303-662-0789.
SPEAKER 11 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Flesh Law, we talked about criminal or civil cases earlier, by the way, but Kevin can help you with criminal or civil cases today. Flesh Law, 303-806-8886.
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SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 13 :
Putting reason into your afternoon drive. This is John Rush.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush. Bob, you're next. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, you know, John, I sent you some background on all this. Let's talk about the Federal Reserve. You had somebody on last week talking about the Federal Reserve, and I think I told you that it was concocted in the year 1910 on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia with a bunch of, not a bunch, a handful of wealthy bankers at that time scattered throughout the country was a lot of private banks. That's why the bad guys used to rob banks, because that's where the money was. And they decided that it would be a good idea to have a central bank. And so in 1913, that passed, and it went into effect in 1914, roughly 110 years ago. Their original employment there was 40 people.
SPEAKER 08 :
Forty.
SPEAKER 03 :
Forty. You know what it is now?
SPEAKER 1 :
25,000.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I was going to say thousands today.
SPEAKER 03 :
400 of which are Ph.D. economists. And they still can't figure stuff out. And they're arguing over a quarter of a point of interest. I could settle that with a flip of a coin.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, me too.
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean, it's absolutely absurd.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and those are, in my opinion, Bob, you know, we talk about the shutdown and some of the different people that, you know, the unessential, non-essential workers that will be let go, or not let go, but furloughed, as you know. The reality is, Bob, there's 25,000 of them there you could do that with.
SPEAKER 03 :
If they're non-essential, that means they're of no value.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'll give you another example. I have one of those old posts out in front of my house with a mailbox on it. John, I could screw a garbage can to that and take the mail that I get and throw it directly into the trash. I have absolutely nothing that comes from the post office that has any value whatsoever. None. Zero. You know how many times we need direct mail from the post office? Perhaps once a week.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, yeah. I mean, I think for me there are some things I still get in the mail, you know, payments and things like that, Bob. But, yeah, even then, all in all, I could do a Wednesday delivery and be just fine.
SPEAKER 03 :
I get nothing. All I get is a bunch of advertising.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and again, for the non-business folk, that's probably, I mean, truthfully, you could maybe even do something where if you're a business, you get delivery on a more frequent basis, but everybody else is a once-a-week deal. And, yeah, I think, Bob, most people would be just fine with that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Let's get back to these interest rates, though. Okay, so there's John Rush and there's Bob. And Bob wants to borrow some money from John. And John says, I got some money. I'll loan it to Bob, and I'll loan it to him for X amount of years for 5%. And Bob says, that sounds okay. I can do that. Now Bob's got some money, and John's a really poor risk, and he wants to borrow some money. And I say, well, you know, John, you're a poor risk. It's going to cost you 8% or 9%. Mm-hmm. I'll loan you that for that. And that's how interest rates should be, not some idiot that says a quarter of a point is going to change the world overnight. Right. Oh, you can – other than the Defense Department, which I love – I bet you we could get rid of 75% of federal employees.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, good grief, Bob. Easily. Yeah, there are so many. You go to the state level and could, frankly, probably do the same thing. On the state level, look at, A, what could we farm out to somebody else? In other words, what's being done that we could farm out to a contractor and get done at a more – uh reasonable price and get a better job at the end of the day because there's accountability there where let's face it bob in a lot of cases there's not when it comes to government workers i'm with you no you you could take that you know roughly three million federal workers and scale that down to at least a million if not less oh yeah uh let me give you an example the state of wyoming all right uh
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you know that the state of Wyoming is the only state in the union in every county that has never borrowed a nickel?
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. I didn't know that. No.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know what? If we followed their example and if we followed Oklahoma, did you know that Oklahoma has zero elected Democrats? Zero.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I did know that. Yeah, I did know that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. So let's take a look.
SPEAKER 08 :
I guess the biggest reason for that, Bob, is Californians haven't moved there yet.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, no, they won't go to Oklahoma.
SPEAKER 08 :
No, wind blows too much, and they don't like the terrain and everything else, so they've done pretty well at keeping them out. But here and other places, oh, man, we have been inundated with them, as you know.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you know, the people in Wyoming are very nice, and I'll give you the example of John from Cheyenne. He's a New Yorker, as I am. When you go to Cheyenne, they're very nice people, and they'll welcome you. But don't think about staying. Move on. And Oklahoma, if you're not with them, they will shun you. You're not welcome here. So that's what that's all about.
SPEAKER 08 :
And again, to me, Bob, and this is just a side note question for you, though, when it comes to the shutdown, which I think is going to happen. I don't think they're going to get this thing fixed by tomorrow night. I'll be shocked if they do. I think the Democrats are planning on a shutdown. They're planning on using that against us in the 2026 election. election cycle, but I think they're sorely mistaken because there's so many sound bites out there, Bob, against us from them talking about a shutdown that I don't see how they can reverse course. I get it. The hardcore liberals are going to believe whatever they tell them, but I don't see how that middle-of-the-road independent voter, if you would, that unaffiliated voter, Bob, I don't see how they can switch gears with them and tell them that they were against it and now they're for it. I don't see how they can make that switch.
SPEAKER 03 :
Here's what's going to happen. We've had these shutdowns before. They're worthless. I mean, there's, oh, well, let's do this. Okay, now we have the House, slim margin. Senate, slim margin. We've got the presidency. If they want to shut it down, the hammer is going to come down. There is going to be a lot of divisions and a lot of employees that are going to be looking for jobs at McDonald's because they are going to clean house.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think you're right, Bob, and I think that's where the left, or the Schumers of the world, they're not looking at this correctly. And by the way, I think Schumer himself, this is my take on things, Bob, I think he knows exactly what you and I are saying, but his party is pushing for this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, he backed off on it last time we had one of these.
SPEAKER 08 :
He knows that this doesn't bode well for them in the end.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm getting real sick of these shutdowns. I bet you we have four or five a year.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, last time we did a long one was under Trump, so I'm guessing that's coming again Wednesday.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, no, yeah, but I mean, we've had four or five a year that come up to the last second. Oh, I know.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don't think this one is, though. This one's not going to get figured out. I don't think they're going to give in.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, I think the hammer's coming down. I think the hammer's coming down.
SPEAKER 08 :
I'm going to run, Bob. Thanks, man, as always. I appreciate it. John and Cheyenne, you're next. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey, thanks, Bob. That was nice of you to say that. Yeah, very nice of you. I'm sorry. Really, John, I think Trump is going to use this shutdown like he said he was going to do and go through every federal worker that's deemed nonessential and say, okay, is your job funded? Or are you one of those employees that got in a position 10 years ago for some two-year project and they never let go? And he's going to get rid of a whole bunch of people. And the Democrats don't realize that he's going to use this and say, Nope, we're not bringing him back. The other thing, and I don't know who would do this other than maybe a Rand Paul, if he would sponsor a one-page bill that says if the government shuts down, Congress nor any employee of Congress will get paid and won't get paid and won't get back pay when they come back to work. The government would never shut down again. They're too greedy.
SPEAKER 08 :
Agree. John, just the whole back pay. If you even said, listen, from now on, if there's a shutdown, there's no back pay given. If they missed two days, four days, 14 days, whatever the number is, they're missing a period and there's no back pay. If they did that even, it wouldn't happen.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, here's the other thing. I would love to see them this time say, no, we're not giving you back pay. If you have vacation time, you could use that when you were out of work. And that would, because federal employee, when I was in the army, I got 30 days paid leave a year. I think federal employees are about at the same rate, 30 days vacation. I'm not sure if it's a seniority based thing or whatever, but I know they get, they get a bunch of weeks vacation and they can, uh, You know, no, we're not paying you back pay. You get to use your vacation time if you want to be paid, or we'll just no pay you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 04 :
And how many people would lose their minds if they didn't, you know, because all these federal employees are looking at this and saying, all right, we get an extra two weeks vacation while the government's closed. They don't care. They want this to happen because never in the past shutdown have they not gotten back pay.
SPEAKER 07 :
Correct. Correct.
SPEAKER 04 :
And so... The other thing you were talking about is all you have to do is go into any state or I'll give you a prime example. National Forest Service headquarters is in Laramie for Medicine Bow Route National Forest. Walk in that office to get an annual pass and see how many people are just sitting around that Forest Service office. And my question is, why aren't they out in the forest? checking the trails, doing all this other stuff. They're sitting in the office, and what do they do when they get our money? I mean, same thing, National Park. I bet you walk into the office at Rocky Mountain National Park, probably half the staff that works in the office could be let go.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, John, you could run through every department and do that. Absolutely. Every department without any problem.
SPEAKER 04 :
But that's the thing. I know for a fact my nephew, I'm going to say this, John, he works for the Federal Reserve Bank. But he's IT support. He's an IT guy. He has to work. He has to be available. He told me one time there was a conference call to Japan, and they called him at 1 o'clock in the morning because they were having a Zoom issue, and he had to jump on and start working and get it squared away. Those are the kind of people that won't get laid off. But the guy that's sitting in the office drinking coffee, he's the guy that's going.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yep. You're right. But I'm hoping it goes for a week. We'll see. You could be very well right, John. All right, man. Appreciate you very much. Thank you for that. One last thing before we go to our next break, pothole damage. I was reading something today where who pays? And here's the kicker. If you can determine through some research that a particular pothole that damaged your vehicle had been there for a while the particular government entity that's in charge of said pothole had been notified there had been ample time to actually get that pothole repaired and yet it hadn't been you may actually be able to get them to pay for damages now you got to figure out everything i just said a moment ago but that's the way that quote unquote the law works is if there's been notification And there's been ample time to get out and fix said pothole, i.e. 24, 48 hours, whatever that amount of time is. I don't know exactly what that amounts to, by the way. But if there's been ample time to fix said pothole after them being notified and it still hasn't fixed and you actually run into it. And or maybe it gets bigger over time because it's not being fixed. Yes, you actually have a case against said city, state, whatever the case, depending upon where that pothole is actually at. That's the other thing, by the way, that can get really tricky sometimes is depending upon the road, who is actually responsible for the maintenance. There's a lot of city streets that actually are but aren't maintained by that city. They're maintained by the state because it's actually a highway. So those are things you have to determine and kind of know where the pothole is, notify what agency is actually in charge, what department is actually in charge of fixing that particular portion of the road, and, and, and. But I learned that today. Typically in the past, I've never known anybody to get – But after reading this, there is a way to actually do that, and that's how you actually make that happen. Golden Eagle Financial is next. Al Smith did an interview here of late. Listen in. We'll be back right after that. In the meantime, give Al a call. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
TJ here with KLZ and Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial. And Al, I have a question for you. I've been putting money away for a while in a savings account or maybe a couple of investment accounts. But what am I doing wrong and what can you do better than that?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, I think a savings account is important because all the financial gurus, including myself, agree you should have three to six months savings that you have ready liquid access to. But retirement planning is a bit more long term and it's a bit more strategic. We want to take a look at the sum of money you'll need way into the future. And we want to look at how that money can last by providing you income for as long as you live.
SPEAKER 15 :
What kind of planning or strategy do you provide for folks with that that have a big savings but haven't made that next step?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, that's a good question. If someone has a large amount in savings, one of the things I do is we have a conversation about their risk tolerance. Nobody's comfortable losing money, but having money in the market over a long period of time is a mechanism to accumulate wealth. And so we talk about the different levels of risk and the different products that are available. And we don't put everybody into one box, but I have an enormous assortment of financial products. And it's not that there's good ones or bad ones. It's there are some that are more appropriate for some people, but not for others.
SPEAKER 15 :
And that sounds excellent. How can folks get in touch with you for that meeting?
SPEAKER 14 :
You can reach me at 303-744-1128. And if I'm not there, it goes to voicemail, but I return my voicemails promptly. And we could have a conversation in the office. If you live a considerable distance away, we can have a long phone conversation or a Zoom call, whichever you would prefer.
SPEAKER 15 :
And as always, you can find him at klzradio.com slash money. Al, thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, thank you, TJ. Thanks for the conversation.
SPEAKER 15 :
You bet.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. And for those of you listening, we should get an update here from Richard here in a moment. We've got a couple of car reviews that we're going to do. And for all of you that like getting those reviews and so on, keep in mind we've got those. They've been posted back for, gosh, we've been doing reviews now since 2008. Now, some of those old reviews are probably buried away someplace, but I'm not sure how many people are worried about a 2008 vehicle at this point in time, but some of you might be. Now, one thing I'll always stress, and I do this all the time, did this even over the weekend for some folks, if you're looking to buy a car or you're interested in a particular car or you're wondering about a particular car, then you're always welcome to just send me a text message. And you can always do that. Just go 307-200-8222, 307-200-8222, and I'll help you with some of that. And somebody asked me the other day, well, how do we do that? Do we charge and so on? No, I do not charge to help you buy a car, if that's something you're interested in. All right, Richard, give us the update from the weekend of sports.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hmm, that's an interesting one, Dad. It was... A lot going on.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so let's start with college, the Buffs. I didn't stay up and watch the game. I hate those late games, by the way. I don't know. I mean, I know why they do that is so more people theoretically can watch them. But an 8.30 start game for CU and Boulder is, in my opinion, far too late. And I won't stay up and watch it. It's too late for me.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, unfortunately, and I'm with you, it's not even the more people watch. It's basically TV inventory, right? And the Buffs, even with them... I mean, not as great as they were obviously last year. It's competitive. It's exciting. Those sorts of things. They're still a decent draw. I mean, they're still getting nationally televised games. That window is a funky window. There's not necessarily a lot of teams. And it's kind of like when the Nuggets and the Avalanes start at like 830. and they are a bummer because they you know the games don't get over till again 11 o'clock at night same thing because everyone seems to think that we are on the west coast when we're not we're in the mountain time zone and it's not you know like we're starting a game at midnight for sure but it is it is still much later than than expected but yeah that you know the late games to that you know tv national tv those sorts of things however it is Man, Dad, that team up there right now is rough to watch. I mean, I did stay up and watch it. And all I'll say is as much as I like Coach Prime as the coach and the CEO of the organization, and I think that he's actually really brought in a lot of talented coaches and recruiters and things like that, and I think they have a lot of guys, they seem to be lacking this year. And even Deion seems to be – showing lacking as a coach and he's never been known to be an exit in those coaches right dad he was the guy that was supposed to you know just bring in the recruits all get the coaches that can coach them up you know all find these you know get these you know really good players those sorts of things and and he's done that several times right you know he did that with Travis Hunter a few years ago and obviously that we had him for two years at CU and he did it obviously obviously Shadur wasn't going to go anywhere else and he's brought some good kids in I mean again Jordan Seaton's are left tackle, he's probably a bona fide first-round pick. I mean, he still has some growth to do, but he's really talented. We have some defensive linemen that are really talented, even some receivers that are talented, but it just seems like, honestly, the most important position, I think the two of the most important positions on the field are one that's on the field and one that's off the field, and that is the quarterback, obviously, and that is the offensive coordinator with Pat Shermer, and he was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos for a few years. I don't know if that was at Fangio or or maybe even before Vance Joseph, I can just say this. I think Schirmer's a nice enough guy. He just struggles when it comes to creativity. And in today's world, you need creativity to succeed. And you have an offense that actually ran the ball really well. which they didn't do last year. But you're lacking some of those creative thoughts that I think you can succeed at with the playmakers that you have. And then on top of that, Dad, you kind of put the piece, which is, I struggle with them. Well, I struggle with their choice of quarterback. Salter, he was brought in from Liberty. Played really well there, was proficient, but you're stepping up to big boy football, right? And that is the Big 12, and it's the Power 4 now. And he just hasn't – to me, there's guys in the NFL, right? And we're not talking NFL, but there's guys in the NFL. They are your quintessential backup quarterbacks, right? They're steady players. They're not going to make a lot of mistakes, but they're also not going to wow you with their play. They're just going to be kind of there. That guy for us for all those years, Bobby Brister. He was that guy in the NFL for the Broncos and for a lot of teams. He could come in. He could steady your team. He did this, I think, one of the Super Bowl years. Elway was hurt for a few games. And he just basically made sure he didn't drive the team off a cliff. And that's kind of what Salter is to me. He's the kind of guy... that can come in, be that steadying force, not really screw up a game, but then he tries to win the game for you. When he does try to win a game, it causes problems. For example, I think it was in the fourth quarter or early fourth quarter or late third, but they had a third and three. Well, he takes a 22-yard sack because he was trying to make a play. And my issue with that is you just can't do that. The door sort of became synonymous with really making plays last year and running out of sacks. But you're seeing this year with the NFL. He can't do that. You know, several preseason games, he took really, really bad sacks because he was trying to make a play, and it just wasn't right for him.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and for everybody listening knows this, but in case you don't, and Richard, you know what I mean by this, the speed. I mean, they always talk about how, you know, the best college team could play the worst NFL team, and it's likely that that college team could, you know, could give a really good run against that pro team. And I always laugh at that because, no, they can't. The reality, Richard, as you know, as you step up to the pros, everything is at a higher level. The speed, the intensity, the hits, the knowledge, the anticipation. There's nothing that's even close to what it is in college, Richard.
SPEAKER 05 :
And like you said, it's proportional, right? The step up from even freshmen on high school teams to a varsity, right? It's faster, right? Guys are bigger, faster, make decisions. You then go to Division III or NAIA for college, or Division II even, or even the FCS, right, where the North Dakota states and some of those schools are at. And then you get to your college, Division I, but then again you get to these lower-level programs where they just don't play as many of the big teams.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, you get the SEC, it changes completely.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, exactly. You get to the SEC Big Ten, and even those guys sometimes are faster than the Big 12 guys are. That's right.
SPEAKER 08 :
And you take another step up when you go to the pros, and even one of the worst, you take, for example, the Browns. I'm trying not to pick on them, but you go to the Browns, and the reality, Richard, is even that level is way above where the best guys in the SEC are at.
SPEAKER 05 :
you are 1,000% correct. And that's where I think, again, back to CU, where I think Salter's struggle is he's realizing that this game is fast. And, again, in that situation, third and three, maybe you're not going to go for it, but you can't take that sack, right? You've got to give your defense a chance to come in. Either you punt the ball away or do whatever it might be. And so, to me, Dad, there's a lot of things at play with CU. Again, I still like Dion. I still think he's the right coach for it. I just think they need to make some changes. And I know he really likes Pat Shermer. I would get rid of Pat Shermer. I would bring in someone else that's a little bit more creative, and I would maybe give the Salter guy one more game, and then I would probably bring in the young freshman that they have, and you see what he's got. And if he's a player like they think he is, then he'll prove you right, and he'll really do well, and then you can play around him. If he's not, then you can move on. It's kind of like what you do in the pros. You figure out if you've got a guy, and if you do, then great, you can build around him.
SPEAKER 08 :
If not, you do what you can to make that work.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, yeah, and then you move on, right? You know, okay, we know this quarterback's not it, so we're going to go get someone else, right? We're going to go sign someone else, do something else. And so that's where I feel like they're kind of between these two. You're just stuck in the mud here, right? They're just kind of threading their tires or they're spinning their tires, and I don't think they're making progress. You know, Dion, after the game, was talking about how he – some of the guys didn't raise up to some of the moments. It's like, well – No offense, Dion, and this is one of my criticisms, Dad, right? When he came in, he talked about how he was bringing his Louie. Well, you've got to keep bringing them. You can't just bring them for those couple years that your sons and Travis Hunter were there. You've got to keep bringing those kids in to play. And I actually think they have good enough athletes. I just think at those two key positions, offensive coordinator and quarterback, they are really lacking. And I think Deion, honestly, to me, he's a little bit too loyal of a guy. And that's where he's sort of... In other words, he sticks with a guy too long. Yeah, and maybe he shouldn't. Honestly, his first year, he actually had a guy who's actually the head coach of San Diego State now. I forgot his last name, but Sean Lewis. That's what it is, Sean Lewis. And I actually thought he was really creative and he really did a good job, but he didn't mesh well with Shador, right? He wanted sort of the on-time, you know, you're going to throw a quick play here, you're going to do this, and Shador is more of a kind of free sort of learning in the NFL. You can't necessarily do that. So that's one of the things, honestly, to me that I feel like they've struggled with a little bit is they've lacked in their creativity. And again, Shermer's been around the NFL game. I think he knows a lot about football. He probably knows more than all, or he's probably forgotten more than I will ever begin to know about the game. But I just think that at some point in time, it does pass you by a little bit, especially if you're not willing to adapt and change.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right. Last question before we go into car reviews is watch the game last night. Don't always watch Sunday football, but last night was a pretty decent game back and forth between the Cowboys and the Packers and ended up in a tie, which you rarely ever see.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, it's not very common. I think it's about one, one game out of the 200 or however many games there are per season. Yeah. One, it's, It doesn't happen very often, maybe one time a year. And to me, you and I were talking about this earlier, they've got to figure out a solution. Yeah, and we've talked about this. They've updated the overtime rules over the course of time. They've changed them to where each team gets a possession, or basically a possession, unless the first team scores a touchdown. those sorts of things, and it just feels so weird, right? It feels like if it ends in a tie, Dad, then they should do something, you know, a kickoff. Something. You know, taking turns on field, you know, throw a ball at the goal post. I don't know. You know, do something that it will just decide a winner, because to me, in the years of our Lord, 2025, that we're still deciding, and I'll say this, Dad, you know, in soccer and other sports around the world, if they want to accept ties, sure, go for it.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don't think we should have it in the NFL. That's my feeling.
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm just saying that we have prided ourselves here in America on being different, and everyone makes fun of us for it. You know what? About time we at least embrace it, and let's get rid of this. No ties.
SPEAKER 08 :
I agree. I don't know why they don't go back to some of the rules they once had. And, again, there's ways to do it where you could even take last night, okay, you guys played this short quarter. You both got a field goal. Okay, great. Here's how this is going to work. Moving forward, we're going to give you each a chance at the 45-yard line to make a field goal. And guess what? The first guy that misses, that team loses.
SPEAKER 05 :
I don't know if you're necessarily crazy. So we'll see. I doubt it's going to happen, but you know stranger things have happened. I mean, again, I'm with you.
SPEAKER 08 :
This whole tie thing is just a joke if you ask me.
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm with you 100%. And to me, that's where I would, if I was commissioner of the NFL, that would probably be one of the first things I'd change because, and again, I know it doesn't happen very often, but it just, again, my oldest came up to me this morning. He's like, Jess, they had a tie. Are you sure? I said, no, buddy, that just kind of happens sometimes. He goes, well, that doesn't make sense. And I said, you know what, from the mouths of a third grader, you're right, it doesn't make sense. We need to change this.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, one last question. Text it in. What about the Broncos tonight? What are your thoughts there?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, Dad, tonight they're playing against a beat-up Bengals team. Joe Burrow's not playing. A few other injuries for them. Get out with a win. I know some people are going to say, well, they need to really kill the – I don't care. Obviously, yes, I would love the offense to show that they've got it. I would love the offense to show that they can put up 30 points on this team because I don't think the Bengals' defense is very good. And I would love for the defense to shut them down. But at the end of the day – Get a win. Get on the right track. You've got another tough game against Philly next week, and you've kind of got an easier part of your schedule coming up. So to me, find a way to win this game. As long as it doesn't come down to a last-second field goal, in my opinion, I can live with whatever happens, as long as it's a win.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and I agree. And I think the predictions are that they should do fairly well. This texture said if Peyton loses this one, he might be looking for a job. And frankly, I'm not sure I can disagree with that.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, as much as I would love, because I think that Peyton is a little bit overrated in some aspects, he needs to get back to the basics of run the football, Play great defense, let your quarterback do a few certain things that he does well, and then move on. Stop trying to prove that you're the smartest guy in the room.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's all. I can't disagree with you at all on that one as well. All right, let's talk about cars. We've got time for our car reviews. Let me do this. Let me make sure I set this up correctly so we can replay this again on Saturday. All right, that time of the week where we do our car reviews. Richard, what have you driven lately?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, Dad, so I drove a couple of fun cars recently. Most, I guess, a little bit different car on the luxury side of things is a 2026 Genesis GV70, which you've actually had some listeners call about this car recently. And it's their smaller, sleeker, I guess it's the compact SUV, right? And so as far as what it is, it's a luxury compact SUV. It's got some subtle changes, a redesigned grille, some larger skids. Skid plate, some different exhaust tips, those sorts of things. Outside of that, Dad, this is a car that's kind of – it's gotten really good reviews in years past. It's got the biggest change, Dad, is a brand-new 27-inch OLED display all across the interior of this car, which is phenomenal and fantastic. It ran phenomenally. And I will say this, the interior of this car, Dad, as with Genesis, and you and I have talked about this on other cars of theirs – It's just beautiful. They've just done a really good job at putting these vehicles together. It feels nice. I actually went to a Bronco game with it because it was funny. It actually had blue seats and orange seat belts. So here in Denver, it was like the perfectly themed Broncos car, to be honest with you, that I didn't have to – you wouldn't have to change anything. So if you were looking for a Broncos-styled car, you could actually go out and find this. So it's got a base 300-horsepower turbocharged inline-four, or it's got an upgraded, which is the one that we drove – twin-turbo V6 that puts out about 375 horsepower, and I will say, Dad, this car runs really, really well, even at our altitude. The price of the vehicle, as we said, I don't have the sticker in front of me, but I believe it was about $72,000 is where it sat, and some of your listeners are going to say, well, wow, Richard, for a Compact SUVs. Competitors in the similarly equipped vehicles, size, everything else, are going to be about $10,000 more, right? And so this is actually a really good value for this compact luxury market. And again, you've driven this vehicle. I know you actually spoke about it recently. It's one of our more favorite compact luxury SUVs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. In fact, as I told a listener that called in, oh, I know it was a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday where we actually had a listener asking about that particular car. Is that a car that I would own and so on and so forth? And the answer was absolutely. If you look at the value that that car brings and what it competes against at the end of the day, would I own it? I absolutely would own that car.
SPEAKER 05 :
It was great, Dad. It was introduced back in 2022. It's got some, again, beautiful luxury enhancements as far as interior lighting and just certain safety features that way.
SPEAKER 08 :
And really quick, Richard, it's a good-looking car to boot.
SPEAKER 05 :
I was going to say that, that it's got that kind of that aggressive sloped roof line. Looks really beautiful. If you've seen this car on the road, you know exactly what we're talking about.
SPEAKER 08 :
That pillar slopes back. The glass is sloped. It's got nice body lines down the side. They've done a really nice job on the way this car looks.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, they have absolutely, Dad. And one nice thing, again, I did mention the top of the line because, folks, a lot of times we do get the top of the line of these because they want to show us every single thing that's available. Dad, you can get, again, the base model of this with that four-cylinder engine that I was telling you about that's still turbocharged for just over $51,000. So you may not want to go for the... you know very cream of the crop which is totally fine this has got a really nice broad uh swath of choices and options for you depending on what you want to choose on it i mean again you can get a panoramic sunroof heated and ventilated seats 360 degree parking system all of the different things that But overall, I would just tell your listeners, like you mentioned earlier, get out and test drive this vehicle. See if you like it. See the different engine options, the different trim levels, whatever it might be, because what we like, you may not like and vice versa. And when you do that, again, local Genesis dealer, when you do that, let them know that John and Richard Rush from Drive Radio and Rush to Reason sent you.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, second vehicle you drove, which this is one where I get lots of listeners that comment on this particular vehicle. This is a very popular vehicle in our neck of the woods, in all of our listening audience, and that is the Toyota 4Runner. So which year, which model of that did you drive?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, Dad, so we've been looking forward to this car and waiting for this for a little bit, which is the 2025 4Runner. This was the Limited, which gives you the third row on this vehicle. And some of your listeners are going to say, well, why the 2025? Well, this is, especially if you're listening to this now or in the future, This is when they redesigned it, right? So we've been waiting for the redesigned 4Runner, Dad, for years now. They finally delivered it. All of them now come with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. You've got updated interior. And I'll just say this. If you're wanting to know what the interior looks like, number one, go out and see it yourself. Number two, Toyota's really synonymous, Dad, with kind of keeping what works in a lot of their other vehicles, especially their SUVs, and kind of transferring it. So it's got the big old display in the front, similar-styled knobs. And it works well, Dad, because if you've gotten into one and then you hop into another, you know where everything's at. You're not constantly searching for this button or that button or whatever it might be. Their infotainment system works really, really well, which is fantastic. Let me see what else here. Oh, so again, I did mention this does have a third row. I will say this, Dad, that third row isn't going to do much other than being able to say it's a third row. Even for my kiddos, getting into that third row is hard-pressed, and especially when you put it up, you do not have a lot of room behind that third row for cargo. However, if you maybe just need that extra seat, Dad, right, you need that extra little bit of room, and you can keep one side down, you can put the other side up, definitely would be something that I consider because the Limited, I believe, is one of the trim levels that does have it. Price point, Dad. The SR5 is kind of a low level, about $43,000. And we drove, again, we drove the Limited, and I actually do have the window sticker on this car, Dad, as it sits 62740. But again, that's on the higher end, Dad. It's got all of the bells and whistles that you want on it, all of the different things that you would like. People are going to ask, well, how does this run, Richard? Well, that turbocharged engine, Dad, which is a very similar engine that they've been putting in a lot of their other vehicles, their SUVs and trucks, runs really well at our altitude. However, I will say this. You're not going to gather a whole lot more fuel economy as a result of it, Dad. But at the same time, I don't know if you're buying a – well, I'll just say this. If you're buying a 4Runner for your fuel economy, I'm not sure you're buying it for great purposes. Mm-hmm. Outside of that, Dad, it still is, and you've done this because you've driven these forever, done work on them, all sorts of things.
SPEAKER 08 :
ready off-road equipped vehicle straight from the lot that you can buy out there right and yeah pretty much i mean the only competition for this of course is you know bronco or or a wrangler of course but they're both different vehicles the forerunner again has its own i'll say it colt following whereby there's people that will only buy a forerunner and i'll also say this a lot of them probably never see a gravel road you know you know at the end of the day, but it really doesn't matter. If that's the vehicle they like, that's what they're buying, and that is a very popular vehicle, meaning the resale value on it has been, will be high, just like they always have been.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. And again, this is a car, Dad, that you can take, especially here in Colorado, go up and out, go up to the mountains, do whatever you want to. And again, with that updated engine, you have the ability to pretty much go wherever you want to go, Dad. And like you say, it does hold its value. It is a Toyota. They're still tried and true. They've done that forever. It's got a lot of the off-road features that maybe you would add that kind of come standard on them, especially depending on the trim level you get, right? You can kind of get as much or as little of those as you want. And then the last thing I'll say is this. you get a lot of that off-road functionality, Dad, without having to give up some on-road comfort with some of those other competitors you mentioned. That's right. You kind of do, right? You have to give up a little bit in the way of creature comforts in order to get some of those off-road pieces. So outside of that, folks... I know a lot of you have been wanting to learn more about this. There's only so much we can cover in these reviews. Check it out yourself. Head to your local dealers. I know they're starting to get to dealers lots more and more. And then also call, ask questions, email us. But when you do go to the dealer, let them know that John and Richard Rush from Drive Radio and Rush Trees have sent you.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Richard, that's it for today. Appreciate you very much. And up next, Roof Savers of Colorado. Whatever you need when it comes to your roof, the rejuvenation of, talk to Dave, 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 18 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
All right, and for your estate planning, that is Michael Bailey, our mobile estate planner. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
Michael Bailey, the mobile estate planner, has the key to wisely protecting your college-aged kids. Think about it. If your kiddo goes off to college and gets hurt, the hospital won't let you make decisions for them because at age 18 and above, they are technically an adult. What if they're unconscious? Will a doctor let you make health care decisions for an adult and stay informed about their medical condition? No. Before they're 18, it's a given. You can make those decisions. But after 18, there is typically no spouse or someone already approved to legally make those crucial decisions. Michael Bailey can help make short work of a general medical or financial power of attorney for your college goer in one easy appointment. I'll see you next time.
SPEAKER 10 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
We don't yell at you, we inform you. Now, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, that's going to wrap things up for today. And again, if you have any questions at all in buying a car, new or used, by all means, reach out. You can send me a text message, and I'll help you with that. I just had somebody text me a moment ago along those same lines. Always here, willing to help you guys. Again, 307-282-22. All right, tomorrow, Andy's going to be with me. We're going to find out exactly how the GOP State Committee meeting, the leadership, went over the weekend. We'll get an update from Andy on that. Have a great night. Be safe. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 1 :
I'm a rich guy
In this episode, we dive into the recent release of Charlie Kirk's letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unraveling its implications and the reactions that have followed. With Logan Sekulow and a team of experts, we analyze how this letter has stirred conversations across political and social spectrums, highlighting some misinterpretations along the way. As we discuss Israel's ongoing PR struggle on the global stage, we come to understand the intricate connections between political influence and public perception.
SPEAKER 06 :
On today's show, Charlie Kirk's letter to Benjamin Netanyahu has been released.
SPEAKER 04 :
Keeping you informed and engaged, now more than ever, this is Seculo. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110.
SPEAKER 06 :
And now your host, Logan Sekulow. Welcome to Sekulow. We are going to take your phone calls today at 1-800-684-3110. A jam-packed show in the studio with me right now. My brother Jordan Sekulow is in the studio. Will Haines as well, executive producer here of the show. And then later on we'll be joined by Rick Grinnell. and mike pompeo so you're not going to want to miss any of that give me a call right now though if you can at 1-800-684-3110 or if you're just joining us online share with your friends we are talking about the breaking news item which happened last night which was that A letter that had caused a lot of stir and a lot of controversy of what was going to be said that was from Charlie Kirk just from a few weeks ago to Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, Benjamin Netanyahu had referred to this letter and pulled out some selective quotes. And a lot of people, sadly, on the right, questioned not necessarily the authenticity of those quotes, but that you were getting the full picture. But the full letter was released, and what this letter really showed was that, look, I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth, but if you read this multi-page letter from Charlie Kirk, it lays out a pretty specific plan about how to get the American people back on the side of Israel as he saw that there was an issue coming, which we all have said, by the way, for years, that Israel... fails on the PR battle. And this is precisely what he wanted. And when you actually read this, I don't think there is a second in here that makes you consider whether... I think I've said all of this on air before. Same. That he is wavering from his support of Israel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Different times in history of different conflicts Israel's been in because we've represented Israel's position at the ICC. We've always talked about there's a difference in how Israel gets the two days of... The world's saying, yes, what happened to you is bad, the rockets, and then they respond like any other sovereign nation and the whole world then starts to condemn them. But I want to just read the first part of the letter because of all these other influencers, I'll name them out, Candace, Tucker, they were all saying this letter was going to be, oh, he was moving away. Let me read you the first paragraph. Let me ask you if you think Candace had no idea what this letter was or just lying, Tucker as well. Dear Mr. Prime Minister, one of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization. Most recently, I'm proud to have taken over Ambassador Huckabee's show on TBN, and I will tell you, because I've been on that show a number of times, and now he's the ambassador to Israel, where we continually support Israel and the Jewish people. As Mohammedism spreads, and that's, of course, radical Islam, into Western societies, it's critical that Jews and Christians stay united in the effort to contain and roll back radical Islam and Sharia law. Here's the part that we've been talking about that the Candaces and Tuggers tried to jump on is he was moving away from Israel. It's the opposite. I regret to report that anti-Israel and anti-Semitic trends are at record levels on social media. These negative sentiments then flow downstream into college campuses and even seep into the conservative MAGA community. He goes on to say, basically, we need more support.
SPEAKER 06 :
We're going to still wave your flag. Let's create a coalition. Let's get people behind it. We'll break this more down when we get back. But this totally undoes a narrative.
SPEAKER 07 :
That's just paragraph one.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, this totally undoes a narrative that was being spun by sort of the far right, what they call the woke right, I guess what you'd say, influencers that were coming at this. And look, some of them are very popular. And I see in the comments, people are questioning even the authority of this letter. Now, of course, we've checked. A lot of sources have reported that this is accurate, that this is coming from real sources here. Nobody has said this isn't real. No one has said it isn't real.
SPEAKER 07 :
It would have come out immediately if it wasn't.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I think this is a moment where we need to go, okay, question your sources, sure, but question also what you're hearing. Because, again, if you listened to Charlie Kirk's statements or something like that, they were taken in and out of context, whether that's on Megyn Kelly, whether that was on Candace Owens, whether that was from Candace Owens or from Tucker. Sure, conversations were happening. But here is this letter that kind of proves the opposite. The PR battle for Israel has always been very tough. Israel does a lot of things good, but they have really stunk in terms of getting the mainstream media and to getting influence and everything to understand what they're doing and why what they're doing is right. We have said that. We have preached that gospel for years and years and years and tried to help as much as we can. But you know what? It actually is that little bit of a language barrier that happens. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Secular. We do want to take your phone calls also at 1-800-684-3110 right now. Of course, we're also talking about President Trump and Netanyahu were meeting yesterday. We did pretty much most of the show on that. But they released what would be their plan and their plan, and we talked about it. And it seems to be getting more traction than maybe we were going to potentially give it credit for. It seems like we're headed towards some form of deal.
SPEAKER 07 :
We've got it. Big news out of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority is welcoming this deal. And part of this deal requires the Palestinian Authority to basically stand down as well. Now, Mahmoud Abbas, who leads it, is 89. We looked it up. Looks decent for 89. He's billions of dollars in corruption. He can go to Dubai. He could probably stay in the West Bank if he wants. But what they're saying is new leadership. After that international community... Remember, Tony Blair's been doing this for two or three decades. So he's got a lot of trust on both sides.
SPEAKER 06 :
He's not a young man either.
SPEAKER 07 :
He's in his 70s. Although it's not going to be much of an Israeli component. It's going to be all Arab countries. So the citizens of Gaza, the people in Gaza and the West Bank... It isn't like Israel's going to be... It's the opposite. Israel's going to immediately withdraw if you accept these terms. And all they really have to do is stop fighting, give us back the people who are alive and the bodies that you've got, and you're not going to be killed, you're not going to be arrested, and the prisoner release... is an unbelievable concession by Israel. So if you don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu, all those people say he's a warmonger and all those conspiracies about Jews, if he's willing to release that many hardened killers to get to peace for the children of Gaza... that's not a hardened hater of air.
SPEAKER 06 :
I saw a lot of people posting yesterday, and I'm pretty connected to that world, sort of the Zionist influencers, if you will. And a lot of them were just sort of like, you know what? If this is what it takes, this is what it takes. And most of them were not happy with a lot of the concessions, including me. That's concessions. But they go, if this is what it takes to end it and to get the hostages home. What they were showing a lot was a lot of people saying... Say no to this. They're showing the other side saying, say no to this deal. This deal is not a good deal. You're not getting what you want here. It's like, oh, so really it wasn't about the children. It really was about Hamas and destroying Israel.
SPEAKER 07 :
You can demilitarize Gaza. And the West Bank, which has some still pockets of very radical... I mean, areas where if you went in as an Israeli, it's different terror groups, but they're there and they kill you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, in the last couple of days, they actually found a munitions factory in the West Bank that was owned by Hamas. But once again, that's under the control over the oversight of the Palestinian Authority.
SPEAKER 07 :
Because Janine and some of those places, I think Hebron as well, like... The Palestinian Authority basically can't even go in. The times I've been in the West Bank when Hamas was coming up, when they took control of the Gaza Strip, the police in the West Bank for the Palestinian Authority, who have a good working relationship with Israeli police forces, they were all masked. because of the same concerns like our ICE agents have here right now, which is that there's enough Hamas operatives walking around that if they're unmasked, they're going to be killed in their place they're protecting. So I know there are very good... and great Palestinian people because I've worked with them my entire career. And I've been praying for a moment like this. I wish it didn't take so much loss of life and horrible attacks on October 7th and then the war that followed to get to even this discussion. But the fact that the Palestinian Authority is saying this looks pretty good, I mean...
SPEAKER 06 :
What happens, though, to the Hamas? I mean, they're saying, yes, they have to say, I'm not going to be violent.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, there's going to be an international force there of Arabs.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, true. It does feel a bit pipe dreamy.
SPEAKER 07 :
But remember, that international force is there until they're demilitarized. But it won't be Jews or Israelis, IDF, fighting back Hamas. It will be...
SPEAKER 06 :
arab countries it'll be kind of like a un peacekeeping mission made up only of uh of people who speak the same language and follow the same faith and i'm hoping that this is a moment where the tide turns uh when you have the letter from charlie kirk coming out that kind of debunks the narrative that was out there saying that he was uh pressure being pressured to uh really turn on israel now you're pressured to he wanted to turn on israel uh which is what they were saying that he was getting pressured not to uh when you have this full-fledged letter which i think we can break down even more and then you have this uh really a very moderate agreement coming out of the of israel uh one that you could say is uh like i said has a lot of concessions in it um it kind of starts changing that narrative and i was like i was watching the house of david last night i was watching that it's like man this has been going on You know, for thousands and thousands and thousands of years, you know, in the fight for Israel's safety. And I know some people will argue with me and say, different Israel, different time. But you know what? When you look at the struggles that were going on even then, not so different, not so different at all.
SPEAKER 05 :
and when you go back to this letter one it debunks what some of the uh conservative influencers like candace and tucker have been lying about or or making up about that one that you know he was changing his mind no this entire thing is actually how to combat the rhetoric coming from some of these influencers that have turned their back on israel and and and play into these wild thousand year old anti-semitic tropes and conspiracy theories but i
SPEAKER 06 :
just turned their back on Israel or said, you know what, that's not an issue I care about anymore. I'm America first. I don't care about what goes on in Israel and the Middle East. That is one thing. And I'm not for that either, but I can at least say that's it. That is saying I no longer want to be affiliated with this political issue, war, and these kind of things. It's when they start adding in all of the tropes and all of the conspiracy theories. and all the things that don't just loop in Israelis. They loop in the Jewish people as a whole. And look, and I will tell you, from just the content I've seen, and I've seen quite a bit from them, it's not that, we're not, you know, bloviating here, that the right, this sort of extreme right, was starting this process. And looping it in, lumping it in with a lot of their issues with immigration, a lot of issues with a lot of things, support of Israel started coming in.
SPEAKER 07 :
Benjamin Netanyahu had to come out and say, we didn't kill Charlie Kirk. And in fact, Charlie Kirk, how many visits he had made, he talked about this letter, the support, how he was trying to help Israel. And people said he was trying to steal the moment. No, he only had to do that because a bunch of people with huge microphones in the US were blaming Jews for killing Charlie Kirk and specifically Netanyahu.
SPEAKER 05 :
And then gaslighting the American people or their audience when, oh, why would he say that? Why would he have to come out and say that? No one was saying that. It's like, yes, you actually were inferring that. You directly were. And this is a part I think, once again, it goes to what you and Jordan and everyone at the ACLJ has said for a long time on this broadcast and in our work with ACLJ Jerusalem about Israel needing to find a better way to present themselves to the world, especially to the American audience. But this even pushes back that, you know, the Israelis were trying to buy him. That's been a narrative that's been pushed disgustingly after his death and assassination. But it says he gives some examples of things he's hearing at his events from conservatives that are coming to his events. And then he says above are just a sampling of the negative Israel Jewish comments and questions I confront on college campuses. I am accused of being a paid apologist for Israel when I defend her. Does that sound familiar? However, if I don't defend Israel strongly enough, I'm accused of being anti-Semitic. I know you've got a seven-front war, and my kvetching pales in comparison. but I'm trying to convey to you Dennis Prager played a huge role in his life and he mentions that and he says but I'm trying to convey to you that Israel is losing support even in conservative circles this should be a five alarm fire and then instead of saying so you deal with it I'm out of here he gives this is a seven page letter examples and plans like here's some i know these are unsolicited recommendations but my team and i suggest this to you if you're open-minded about a communications reset starts giving him a playbook of how to speak to american conservatives because as you mentioned sometimes it gets lost in translation when you're trying to speak to an american conservative audience and unfortunately some people with big platforms and big microphones as jordan said are going to tell lies to get their point across in their dollars people think
SPEAKER 07 :
APAC does this? APAC plays very down the middle. It's a bipartisan group to just try and keep U.S. support from Israel by both Republicans and Democrats. They're not the right group to be doing this for a specific conflict. What he's saying is we need, which conservatives, we've always known this is why we have CPAC. It's why we have the Leadership Institute. Prager is doing the education. He was saying you need to put together these surrogates who aren't you.
SPEAKER 06 :
yeah and educate us on and so we can educate you too on messages that will actually resonate to the people we're talking to in america understand we've been on those calls and emails with people israel for decades about this conversation this is an ongoing conversation because israel somewhat knows they lose this battle it is does get lost in translation because a conservative israeli is very different than a conservative uh american They have similar political views, but it's definitely not one-to-one. It's not one-to-one culturally. It's not one-to-one socially. There's a big difference. So you have to figure out how to talk to people about these issues. I am going to address something real quick as we go to break. There's some people in the YouTube chat saying they want to super chat to help support this channel and everything. What I'm going to encourage you to do is actually go to ACLJ.org. and make a donation we'll know that if it's coming in in this hour that it was because of this show and know that we appreciate that that's tax deductible that helps us out a lot more more money gets to the right people if you make that donation through aclj.org you can cut out youtube as a middleman you know google takes their cut and all that if you do super chat nothing wrong with doing a super chat we appreciate it but if you're just looking to financially support the organization and this show go to aclj.org if you do it today know right now if you're doing it during this show we'll know it's for this we'll know it's for this reason and look for all the other people who are on there the haters on there we understand too you know what you've been brainwashed a little bit we'll do our best to help fix that call in 1-800-684-3110 either side i'd like to hear from you yep very back Welcome back to Secular. We still would love to hear from you, by the way. Phone lines are completely open, I'll be honest with you, and it's a good time to call.
SPEAKER 07 :
If you disagree, unless you start screaming and calling us names, we're not going to cut you off. If you can do it in a way that we're just going to have a conversation, you don't have to agree with everything we're saying or everything that Charlie Kirk was writing in this letter, but I did want to read this one part because... again, this idea that he was somehow criticizing Netanyahu instead of saying, no, here's how I think we can actually help more. I'm not going to stop doing it, but I think I can do more since I'm getting 50% of my questions on Israel now at these campus events. And he said, Israel never asks American troops because Israel does its own fighting. I suggest the same approach for the information war. You lead talking to Netanyahu and people like me will follow. That doesn't sound like someone who was reconsidering his support for Israel or even his support for Netanyahu's policies. He is not against the war, the conflict. He knows that they try to clear people out. He knows the human shields, as he says. It's that regular people don't even understand what a human shield is.
SPEAKER 06 :
We looked at the multi-point plan. We were talking about this yesterday, and one of them was the demilitarizing, obviously, and the disarming of Hamas. Like, is that anything short of just leveling what is left because of knowing how much the tunnel systems are and all that? I mean, that is the part that's tough.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and to that point, and that is one reason you're going to end up getting Qatar and you're going to end up getting the UAE and you're going to end up getting Saudi Arabia all pushing Hamas as hard as they can say, you better take this right because they will be doing the security force because let me tell you, they're pretty tough guys. It says funding from the Arab and Muslim countries for the new administration in Gaza and for reconstruction and development of the enclave. So once again, this deal that President Trump put together is very businessman minded.
SPEAKER 07 :
Remember when he was mocked when he said we can make this like another Mediterranean? Right. If you actually look at the Gaza coast and you see even Tel Aviv, they've got some even clearer Mediterranean water that looks more like almost like the Greek Mediterranean. They have warm water, tons of area for warm water ports, just like Haifuk, because they're on the same. So much potential, and he was mocked. They were like, oh, put a Trump hotel there. First of all, we want the Muslim world to invest. If there was a Trump hotel one day in the Gaza Strip, great. You know what that means? You, me, when we go to Israel, now we visit the West Bank, we can actually finally go visit some of our clients that we've represented in Gaza, and I'd be happy to do so.
SPEAKER 06 :
It also just means that the safety and security is finally at bay. Even during the good times. It was always risky.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Israelis would love to do business with Gazans. Remember, so many of those people who were killing those people on the kibbutzes were people the kibbutzes were smuggling across the border and working on their farms and communities. That's how they knew how to get there. So Israelis have never had an issue. with employing palestinians in fact i don't know how many come in a day from the west bank but it's it's like a hundred thousand plus um so and that hasn't stopped so there's and that doesn't sound like apartheid no and and of course there's many arabs israelis inside the government of israel as well uh who are muslim and i think again it doesn't flow much the other way And I think that's okay.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, here's also the point to this redevelopment as well that's in this plan and why the neighboring countries will be on board. You think of the Jordans, even the Egyptians that have economic prowess as well to pour in. We talk about the issue of because the UN schools have been training these children in Gaza. to become Hamas fighters. We know that this is the fact. It's been Hamas propaganda that there were teachers from the UN schools that were participating in October 7th, that were harboring the terrorists in their homes, that were keeping hostages prisoner in their homes. When you have a complete culture shift where it's redeveloped and it gives children that never had opportunity, their only opportunity came from what they were indoctrinated with from the schools to hate Jews and to hate Israel. as well as no real economic pathway to ever get out of wherever they were. When there's development and there are jobs and there's an actual economy and all of the resources coming in aren't being stolen by Hamas to be used in terror tunnels and to feed their fighters. Right. That is a way that people start to change their outlook on life because they're no longer. Now, it's not easy, but they once they have an opportunity as opposed to only facing death and fighting for Hamas, things get a lot different.
SPEAKER 07 :
major travel hubs are able to open and major ports are able to open those are high-paying jobs even in those parts of the world so are they hard jobs tough jobs yeah but they're a lot better than having no job or being forced into fighting for a terror group and if you saw a video out of last week if you don't do exactly what that terror group wants uh they throw you down in the who they threw down the middle of the street, kick them around like they're an animal, and shoot them in the head. And they're laughing about it. So I think it's going to be very different, Logan, when it's not the IDF there, but it's the Arab militaries. Because let me tell you, they get the mindset better, and those guys are tough. So they're not going to take that.
SPEAKER 06 :
What's interesting, that story of Rami Ayyad we've learned is always sourced when you talk to AI about Christian persecution in Gaza or West Bank.
SPEAKER 07 :
It was really the beginning of how bad it got.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you say, was it? They go, oh, yes. And it refers back to it. Grok does it. If you even say, are Christians persecuted in Gaza? It will go back to that case. Yes. It's just pretty interesting because that's the one we talk about.
SPEAKER 07 :
I thank God for Israel that we were able to get that family out. Yep. And, you know, they did that the day before Operation Cast Letters.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is a family that we spent time with, had dinner with. Many times.
SPEAKER 07 :
I've brought student groups to meet. And you know why? Because I wanted them to see when we were in Israel that across the border in the Palestinian territories in the West Bank, there are a lot of believers like you, a lot of Christians, a lot of good people who want to live in peace and we're just in a bad situation. And Israel... Two hours before a war began, made sure her and her children were able to cross the border. I was on the phone with a Hamas guy and he said, there is no way this border is opening. I don't know why this woman's here, but everybody keeps telling me, I'll let her walk across fine. And then when she got halfway, they have to close their door Israel appeared, they weren't there before, opened their door and I remember getting a phone call, it's Christmas day and we were there. Literally when we landed, the war in Gaza had begun.
SPEAKER 05 :
So they care that much about one family. And that points out, it destroys the narrative that they are keeping Gazans in. These were a Palestinian family. The husband and father of the kids was brutally murdered In the streets for running a Christian bookstore. The only one. I mean, talk about courage to even have that in Gaza.
SPEAKER 07 :
There's something called the Palestinian Bible Society. It was in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and in the West Bank. And it still is in those two places. And are they always saying that they think that everything Israel does is perfect? No. But do they share a Christian faith? Yes. Which means they don't see violence as the answer. They understand that they have leadership that... is preventing actual dialogue. But what is so key is that I think this plan also elevates those people and allows them, potentially in the future, and as Christians, this is wonderful for those communities, to preach the gospel again, where people don't have to fear that they'll be executed in the street for even opening up a Bible.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's right. Hey, phone lines are open for you. As we come to the second half hour, I want you to join with us in this conversation. Of course, support the work of the ACLJ if you can. You heard about our decades-long support. What did you say? I mean, this is the work we do every single day. Every day.
SPEAKER 07 :
We don't talk about it all the time. We do this work for those people every day. We, I think, have represented more individual Palestinians than Israelis.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's probably true. Go to ACLJ.org right now. Support our work. We have a second half hour coming up. If you don't get us on your local station, find us broadcasting live 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern time on ACLJ.org or YouTube. And you can obviously find us archived later on. Have a good podcast. Be right back.
SPEAKER 04 :
Keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever. This is Sekulow. And now your host, Logan Sekulow.
SPEAKER 06 :
Second half hour coming up. Jordan Sekulow in studio. Will Haynes in studio as well. We're going to have a packed second half hour here. Rick Grinnell's joining us in the next segment, followed by Mike Pompeo after that. We're going to talk about the agreement that looks like it may be going through between not only America and the plans they put through BB&N and Yahoo, but of course that would be a a really the end of the war i mean you could say it's that aggressive that's what it says in the a permanent ceasefire i mean that's what you would assume that means the end of the war and if that is planning to happen we're also talking about the charlie kirk letter that was released of course it was a controversial moment when uh benjamin and yahoo said some quotes from a letter he'd gotten from charlie kirk earlier in the year a lot of people called foul on it, said that that's not what Charlie really meant by it. He was writing this letter because he was showing that he was turning on Israel. And after reading the letter in full, you cannot take that as any kind of truth. This was someone who just was saying the obvious and saying the facts that we had as well to the Israeli government, which we've been involved in with so many years, which is just Israel often fails on the side of PR. They often lose. and getting new people on board and how, what can we do? What can we do to help? Whether that's in the church or whether that was, we always said it was in the church. Now it was within the MAGA movement. And how do you make sure that they stay on board? That's what he was concerned about. Of course, we're all concerned about that. That being said, in the next couple of segments, we're not going to have time to take a lot of calls. So let's go ahead and take these calls that are coming in. Roberta's calling in Colorado. Roberta, go ahead.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, this is my question. I heard President Trump say there will be no Israeli citizens in Gaza. It will be governed by Palestinians and other countries. Am I the only one that heard that?
SPEAKER 07 :
I know that the force that will eventually go in. Now, that's like part three. We'll transfer from the IDF withdrawing. So that would mean Israeli military out. Those are the only Israelis I know that are there. So it's military. So they would be out once the international forces, which is really a regional force of other Arab countries, goes in and is able to set up. and keep things under control the IDF will then keep pulling back keep pulling back then ultimately leave Gaza I don't know if he said that there will never be Israeli citizens allowed in Gaza maybe not Israeli run government but that's what I think he was trying to say this is not going to be because there was a talk of that Israel yes what is going to happen is that Israel will withdraw when the Arab countries in this joint force are able to coordinate with the IDF keep the security at a certain level and then Israel continues to withdraw and then of course Hamas has to do the release of the living hostages as well as the bodies and Israel after that fully pulls out.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. And Roberta, to your point, I did pull I watched the whole thing and I also pulled up the transcript. I'm not finding that exactly. But what he's saying is that the at least what I'm looking at and remembering as well is that it won't be the Israelis that are going in and redeveloping. doing the security, because that is the big concern. And honestly, it is the better thing for the PR of Israel that it's not an occupation of Gaza again. So I think the goal, obviously, in any sort of peace would be that the two sides can live peacefully next to each other and cooperate and have a an actual neighborly relationship in this situation which is not something that is in the history of Israel been something with Gaza and Israel so to that point I don't think there was that direct no Israeli citizens are allowed in.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right let's continue on well you only got one minute all right yeah stay on hold Pat. And stay on hold, and we'll make the decision whether we're going to be able to take calls anymore coming up in the next segment. So just stay on hold for just a minute. We'll do our best to get you if we can. But we got Rick Grinnell joining us. We also have Mike Pompeo joining us. So it's going to be packed. We'll do our best to get to some calls. If you want to support the work of the ACLJ, I encourage you right now. If you like this show, we're not funded by major sponsors. You may hear sponsors. If it's on YouTube, that's a very small amount of money. If it is through the radio or what you see on other networks, we don't get any of that. Often we pay to be on. You may say, why do we do that? Because then no network can tell us what to do. We've seen censorship come in in full force in mainstream media. They can't do it to us. But that's only because people like you support the work of the ACLJ. So I encourage you, if you enjoy what you see here, be a part of this group. Go to ACLJ.org right now. And of course, you can subscribe as well, however you get your podcasts. Welcome back to Sekulow. I want to kick this segment off. Rick Grinnell's joining us, but with a call. I want to go to Ann in Pennsylvania. Ann, thanks for holding. You are on the air.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, my gosh. Thank God. Oh, you guys are such a blessing, what you're doing. There's so much on my heart, and I just wanted to talk about this whole Gaza thing, what you just recently discussed. I totally agree with what the president is doing and the situation with Gaza, but I just, with the whole, you know, aspect of people in our own party who are actually, you know, they're saying things about Israel, accusing Israel of financial this or whatever that, you know, and that somehow, but not also, even if that was remotely true, but they're not summing it up with, but Israel is still our spiritual sister nation. You know, we have always supported Israel. And then quickly, I also wanted to say with all of this, oh, it's all about just, you know, criticizing the government and what Netanyahu is doing. Fine. You have a criticism, but don't throw Israel under the bus. Israel itself has been defending itself against this radical, extreme element of For many, many, many years. We could even argue going back hundreds of years, if not thousands.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. And I think that that has been an ongoing thing with the ACLJ, as we've always been saying that. And look, there have been times where there's been governments in place that we agreed with more or less in Israel, but it's not necessarily about that. Look, it's similar. to how you'd feel about your own country with America. Obviously, we always want America to thrive, even if it's under an administration that we don't necessarily agree with. It's not like we're sitting here wishing for the worst. I think that's hopefully how we feel about the entire world. We're joined now by Rick Grinnell. Rick, there's obviously a lot going on. We are talking about that multi-point plan that came through yesterday with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. I want to get your thoughts.
SPEAKER 03 :
Look, this is a classic peacemaker strategy from President Trump. I think he's been frustrated. He's articulated that he's been a little bit frustrated about not being able to find solutions faster. And yet this is a plan that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have worked very hard on. And it's a good solution. I mean, Hamas would be ridiculous to not immediately grab this plan. We need to be able to have the United States of America doing diplomacy, bringing people into the room, strong arming people towards peace. And this is, I think, a President Trump strength.
SPEAKER 05 :
Rick, when you look at the plan and you see something that's maybe different, and once again, you see the president taking different strategies, listening to different people, not the same people within the establishment diplomacy state that we have here, and taking things where... The neighboring countries will provide security and do development of Gaza and things of that nature. It has that economic piece that I feel like is so lacking from so much of our diplomatic work a lot of times. A lot of times it's all about preventing war or ending war and not the development, the economy. And when you see that, how quickly... The Arab neighbors, many of which have already signed on to Abraham Accords, are willing to, yeah, we'll step up. We'll do this. It can really change the tone and also can put that pressure on Hamas because then they've got no one really backing them if they don't take this anymore.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think you hit it on the head. The uniqueness of President Trump on all of these diplomatic endeavors is that economic peace. He's a businessman. He knows you can't have politicians and diplomats sitting in a room trying to come up with political solutions and words if it really doesn't matter to the people on the ground. And what President Trump has been very good at is focusing on how do you get the people to support it? It's not really, the politicians are always people who just go along with what the people want. And so appealing to the people about economic development, future peace, jobs, the economy, their family hope, right? Being able to give a job to somebody means giving hope to the family. And I think that's what President Trump does really well. I saw him do it firsthand with Kosovo and Serbia. We've seen it in Rwanda and the DRC when you talk about mining. and critical minerals that's about jobs that's about economic development that's just not asking one side to like the other or to issue a statement that you're going to get along that's all politics and words economic incentives jobs hope for the family that's what's going to move people to support peace plans
SPEAKER 05 :
Rick, and you bring up Kosovo and Serbia, something that is near and dear to your heart, something that you've worked very hard on. And I think that even that aspect of what President Trump was able to accomplish that you worked very hard with as well, people may not realize, you know, they think of how Gaza and Israel, so much hatred, so much hostility. the Kosovo and Serbia so much hatred and hostility throughout generations that that is a very remarkable thing that's just not the headline that everyone is reading all the time or debating in public or marching about on college campuses but there are a lot of parallels to that type of negotiation and what we see here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, there's no question. It's decades of war. It's families who have been experiencing tragedy, family members who have been killed by the other side. It is a generational hatred because of fear and because of tragedy and because of war and death. And so it's difficult to get past that emotions. One of the things that I did was come in right up from the start and just say, look, I'm not, filled with the emotions that you are on both sides for Kosovo and Serbia. I don't understand the generational tragedies that you both have felt. And so I hope you understand that there's a value in me looking forward, just like I have to understand that there's a value looking backwards and trying to understand the pitfalls. But the only solution is looking forward and appealing to the next generation. That is the only way that you're going to get through the emotions of tragedy like this.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, Rick, I actually wanted to read from the Palestinian Authority statement that they issued, which we know this is their official news agency, Wafa News, and they said, quote, they welcome President Trump's sincere and determined efforts to end the war in Gaza and that they have affirmed our desire for a modern, democratic, and non-militarized Palestinian state committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power. So right there, you've got, you know, the Palestinian Authority, one half of this puzzle is, I mean, and I think, Rick, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Israel said it's not going to be us occupying and kind of making sure that Hamas demilitarizes. It's going to be fellow Arabs and Muslims in a joint force. And the Palestinian Authority is ready to move on it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, this is where the regional players, Egypt, Jordan, and others really have to step up and put pressure on the Palestinian Authority. My first thought is I'm wondering if Abbas issued that statement from Paris where he's been sitting. The Palestinians have had a leadership that was elected in 2005 to a five-year term. So I don't have great faith in the Palestinian leadership. I think that's part of the problem. And so we really need to have the regional players step up. But again, you can't do that and just talk about politics. You gotta talk about hope. and economic development and why families are going to want to embrace this because it is going to be an economic plan that's going to allow them to stay in the neighborhood, in their home for future generations because they're able to have a job and support their family.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, Rick, I think that is one of the problems I see. And look, our listeners are saying, and I see in the comments, I was talking to my wife about this yesterday. Of course, most of our gut jump reaction is, oh yeah, like they're going to stick to this. Like this is a play. These are, these are not always the case, but this is a little bit different. Like you said, if we focus on hope and, At least there's some potential for positive outcome when we've been dealt with really death and destruction for the last number of years.
SPEAKER 07 :
If we can get that international force in and the IDF out, even that step. Even Tony Blair. That's not getting all the way there yet. Even that step would be huge.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. Look, I'm really comfortable with the public being skeptical and complaining about, oh, they're never going to do this. And, you know, if you're a member of the public, if you're listening, you have that right to be extremely skeptical. That's your role. But I hope you understand that people in government positions, diplomats, cannot be this negative. We have to embrace hope. We have to keep trying. We have to be smart about what we put forward. But we have two different roles.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Rick, thank you so much for joining us. It's always great to hear your insight. And it is a very interesting time here at the ACLJ. And I want to make sure everyone out there understands that we have been fighting these fights for so many years. I mean, decades upon decades when it comes to Israel. And understand that we get whether you're skeptical. We're skeptical, too. We're always going to be looking forward to what could possibly happen, but making sure we keep ourselves balanced in reality as well. As Rick said, we can have hope. We can pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for the peace of Israel, and even pray for the peace of Gaza. We would love to see the war end. And look, if this is what it takes, like I said, my hope is that even though looking at some of these events, concessions and feeling bad about them and don't feel like they're right you go you hope president trump and prime minister netanyahu have the right intentions and i really know what's going on and i will put my trust somewhat in that that being said we're going to continue on next segment we're going to be joined by mike pompeo you're not going to miss that uh let's tell pat unfortunately i don't know if we're going to be able to get to pat on the air today uh so we'll have mike pompeo coming up tell him to call back tomorrow we'll do our best to get him up front we'll be right back on cyclone Welcome back to Secular. To wrap up today's show, we're joined by Senior Counsel for Global Affairs, Mike Pompeo. Secretary Pompeo, obviously, this is coming after. We know your work with the Abraham Accords that have been brought up now an endless amount of times, I feel like, in the last 24 hours, 48 hours. As a deal starts to maybe come into fruition between Israel and... And Hamas with somehow the U.S. involved with the PLO, the Palestinian Authority involved with it feels like Tony Blair involved. They're throwing out all these people that are going to be involved in this potential new leadership. But with that being said, the president has given Hamas three or four days to decide on this peace deal. The clock is now ticking. I just want to get your thoughts on. where things stand and the deal in general, because it's someone who has worked there. Like I was telling our last segment, I said, look, I told this to my wife and her first reaction was, you know, they're never going to go for it because that's somewhat what we've been trained to believe and trained to have a little less hope than maybe we should.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, look, the Palestinians have continuously for decades now rejected proposals that would have been good for their own people. This is another example of that proposal that is good for them. I hope they'll sign up for this. I hope they'll say, yes, this makes sense. And then maybe even more important than saying yes in this moment, that they'll actually deliver against this because these are serious commitments, right? You have to return all of the hostages, both those that are still alive and those that have been deceased. They've got to disarm. They've got to declare that they're going to recognize Israel. This is something that the leadership, because frankly, it's being driven by Iran. The leadership in, whether it's the Judea and Samaria or in Gaza, has never been prepared to do that. So they've never wasted an opportunity to blow an opportunity. I hope they don't blow this one. And my second idea here is, This strikes me very much as what President Trump did with Iran just a couple of months back now. Right. He gave them a window. He gave them a time and said, if you don't do it, we're going to go. We're going to go self-help. We're going to go solve this problem on our own. In this case, just as in the last, the Israelis went and did a lot of the work. And in this case, they're prepared to do that again. I hope not only Hamas, but Hezbollah sees that this this path towards peace is in their best interest and they execute on an agreement that President Trump has now brokered.
SPEAKER 05 :
We see kind of a tale of two diplomacies this week where earlier last week you had the UK, France, Australia, Canada decide in kind of a Michael Scott way, we declare a state of Palestine. And with nothing to it. Now you have this other side of it where there's a real plan. It's a tough plan, I think, for both sides. There are hurdles to it that... You wouldn't have been able to see even a few years ago. But I think also I want to get your take. What makes this different is the work that you did with things like the Abraham Accords, where there weren't partners in the region with Israel that could have done it this way and ensured the security of the Israeli state. now that there are the Abraham Accords, many of these people that would be going in, so Israel doesn't have to be an occupier of Gaza, can help redevelop, ensure security. And these are now people that are diplomatically friendly with the state of Israel, which never were before.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, that's spot on. Now, this is a corollary. This is a follow-on to all the hard work that went into building the Abraham Accords now, goodness, six years ago. All that work is now paying off with creating a real opportunity for the people of the region, not just the people in Israel, not just the people in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, but for the entire region. I think you've precisely got it right. This could not have happened but for that, and but for the remarkable leaders, right? Whether it's President Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Zayed in the Emirates, uh the leadership in israel right all prepared to do something that's hard this is hard this was hard for prime minister nate yahoo there are many that are in his coalition that think this deal is not sufficient it's not good enough and are opposing it so this was politically difficult for him but i think he has confidence that the united states will continue to stand with them be with them and gives the space for exactly this kind of an outcome look if you can actually not only get this deal but execute it over the coming months and years this would be an outcome that is absolutely lovely for every human being in the region
SPEAKER 07 :
It changes the region, Secretary Pompeo, for so many people, both Israelis and Palestinians, including Christian Palestinians, who are sometimes facing severe persecution, especially in Gaza. Some tolerance in the West Bank, depending on what city you're in and what terror group is operating and holidays are going on. But, you know, so the long term impact, not just for the people of Israel, but for the people of Gaza, for the people of the West Bank and for those Arab nations surrounding them, the ability for potentially new warm water ports and again, businesses, it could change the entire Middle East.
SPEAKER 08 :
This kind of agreement would be truly historic if it's executed. You make a really good point. There are Christians living in Judea and Samaria. There are Arabs living in Israel. This is not about faith. This is about people understanding that sovereign nations matter, that Israel is the Jewish nation and has the right to be there. It's been there for an awfully long time, and it's going to continue to be, and accepting this as a rational basis to move forward. And if you can build on that and having the Gulf Arab states prepared to participate alongside the United States at providing security guarantees for the Israelis. This is a powerful change. You talk about energy, you talk about ports, you talk about commerce, the lives of the people. You've got these protesters on these campuses saying stupid stuff, saying, no, we want Hamas to still be in control in Gaza. This would be an outcome that would stand that on its head, put leadership in place, a governance model in place that would really deliver what it is those students claim they really want, better lives for the people in those regions. I pray that we can get to yes on this from all the parties and then that the parties will work diligently towards executing against what will be a very difficult agreement to implement and execute. But lots of folks will have eyes on and be working to do that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Mr. Secretary, final thought here. And this is something we talked about yesterday on the broadcast that last week at the end of the week, Bill Maher was talking about Nigeria on his show, real time. Something that I just want to acknowledge for our audience and for you, the hard work that you did as Secretary of State that we fought for as well, of pointing out the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. You listed them as a country of particular concern. because of what Boko Haram and these terror groups are doing against Christians. And it's not something that gets talked about enough. It's something we advocate for here that you fought hard for as Secretary of State. And when you're starting to see people like Bill Maher that's saying, why is the media not covering this? This is clearly a genocide. It's sometimes thankless work when you are fighting for Christians in places aren't getting. But when you keep doing the good fight, it does get recognized and hopefully we can make a change in places like that too.
SPEAKER 08 :
I'm going to say something I don't say often. Kudos to Bill Maher. Look, I must say the ACLJ has been just relentless in fighting for Christians all around the world. And your point's well taken. It doesn't make the news so much. It's not in the headlines in the same way that what we see in Gaza taking place is in the headlines. But it is really important to protect Christians and their religious freedom in places like Nigeria. where they have not had that is something that I was proud to work on alongside you all at the ACLJ for the years I was Secretary of State. And that's true for Christians in northern Iraq and many places that often go to unnoticed. We can deliver better outcomes for those Christians. And I pray that we all stay at it in spite of the fact that it is sometimes not rewarded, not in the headlines, but it is important, noble work. And that's a blessing that the ACLJ stays at this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Secretary Pompeo, thank you so much. Thanks to all of you who have been watching today. We appreciate it. If you're just catching the end here, you can obviously go back and watch the rest of the show on ACLJ.org or however you get your podcasts on YouTube. There's over 500,000 people that join us on YouTube. That's 524,000 subscribers currently. Let's get that to a million. Let's march to a million. Be a part of that right now. Hit the subscribe button if you haven't yet, or go to our YouTube channel, ACLJ, official ACLJ. Do it today. Be a part of it. And of course, if you could donate, great time to do it. Keep this show on the air. Keep us in court. ACLJ.org.
Join Angie Austin and Jim Stovall as they dive into the significance of the Harvard Happiness Study, which highlights the importance of relationships in achieving true happiness. Angie shares her experiences of rekindling old friendships and adventures in the Rocky Mountains, emphasizing the joy and fulfillment that such connections bring. The discussion takes a deeper turn as Jim offers profound insights from his Winner's Wisdom column titled 'Wishes and Reality', inspiring listeners to identify their true desires without the limitations of circumstances.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to the good news with Angie Austin now with the good news
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey there, friend, Angie Austin and Jim Stovall with the good news. Hello, Jim Stovall.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, hello, Angie Austin. It's great to be back with you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, my goodness. I can't wait to tell you what I did this weekend. First of all, you and I have for the last probably two years been talking about the Harvard Happiness Study, which started in the 1930s, has been going on for decades. Every two years, people would get a questionnaire. They'd either fill it out or, you know, sometimes the questions were in person. And then they followed generations of people to find out what true happiness, you know, how you come about it. And they found that a career, you know, your fancy car, how much money you make, all of that was secondary to the number one indicator of happiness. Relationships, connections, and family. So over the course of the last couple of years since you and I started talking about it, I've rekindled some important relationships that, you know, over the years fall by the wayside, you know, your high school best friends, you know. I've got a bunch of friends from NBC in Los Angeles that I worked with in my 20s and 30s, and we used to travel a lot, and I told you recently that In the last six months, we started traveling again. So one of the girls, Tracy Savage, one of my favorite reporter and anchor friends, she's also – she was in Friday the 13th, and she did a lot of acting when she was young. Anyway, she and I just took our sixth trip of our lifetimes, but our third in the last few months. And we went to – they all came out, my NBC friends. There were four of us. We went up to the Rocky Mountain National Park, and we went to Estes Park outside of there – And stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies. And we saw, you know, I don't think people realize they think, oh, elk and deer, they're similar. Elk are as big as my Tesla. Like as I was driving through the park, the elk that came near my car that ran past the front of my car ran. It was the size of my car. And we got to see them up close. Literally, I hid behind my car as this elk rushed. The three other males were trying to move in on his harem. And so he, from time to time, would rush them. Now, I didn't see them fight with their racks. But, you know, he ran them off. And the clip that those things can move when they pick up speed is mind-blowing, especially when they move within a car length of you, you know, within 10 feet of you or so. It was – my friends said they've never seen anything like it in their lives. And it was the most amazing weekend. But we've just been strengthening those friendship bonds, and it brought so much joy to everyone.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I think when it's all said and done and you look back on your life – at where were the really choice moments. It's friends and family and things like that. And I have been to that YMCA camp several times to speak there. And it's just an amazing place. When I first got married, we developed a big acreage up on the lake northeast of here, kind of the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. And the Oklahoma Wildlife Department decided they transplanted a male and female elk, and they were going to see if they could survive there, because there's huge acreages out there around the lake and everything. Well, we didn't know this. Well, somebody in their infinite wisdom, some guy shot the male. So now we have this widowed elk down there. Well, Crystal's out down in our field, and there's berry patches there, and she's picking some berries. She comes around a corner, and wow, she said, I thought it was a horse or a camel.
SPEAKER 07 :
They're like a horse. You're right. Some of them are as big as a horse.
SPEAKER 03 :
Because the female doesn't have the horns, exactly. And she said, I didn't know what to do. And so, you know, and she backed out. But from then on, she kind of got familiar with it. She named her Molly, and Molly would hang around. And, you know, I think they coexisted there for a while. And Crystal actually called the wildlife department and said, we've got this elk here. And they said, would you like us to remove it? And they said, no, why don't you send a mail? And, I mean, she's here all by herself. And they said, well, people just shoot them. And so anyway, but magnificent animal. And, yeah, and just amazing. You know, it's those shared experiences with friends and family that are just really priceless, amazing stuff.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, priceless is a great way to put it. Oh, and we went to the Stanley Hotel, you know, where the Shining. Jack Nicholson, yeah. Yeah, Mr. King wrote. I guess he got the idea for the Shining there. A lot of people think that they filmed it there, which they didn't. It was on a sound stage and then also in Oregon. Like Mount Hood or something. But he was in a room where he had a nightmare, apparently. And that's where he came up with the idea for the book. And you can see when you're up there, it really does. You do believe that he would come up with the idea for that movie, that book when you're up there.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's a fabulous old hotel. I did a convention there, and I'll never forget. You know, when I speak, the first four minutes, whether it's a corporate event or in an arena or whatever, the first four minutes are just canned. I mean, it's like doing the Pledge of Allegiance for me. It's all the same. And I was at the Stanley Hotel, and I realized that morning, I was up there thinking, my timing's off. Something's weird today. You know, what is this? And I kept doing it, and then I realized, you know, I usually get all the way to the end of that statement and then take a breath and start, but they don't have enough air up there. I mean, whoever's in charge. Oh, that's what my friend said, too. You need to get some more oxygen up there. And, of course, you're used to it because you're up there. But the Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs, and I had been up there for training. And even as a young guy, boy, you get used to it. I mean, wow, there's not enough air up here. But the theory is if you can compete here, you can compete anywhere in the world. And so they do that. Right, right, right.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, my goodness. All right. Well, I just thought you'd get a kick out of that story. We are talking about Jim's Winner's Wisdom column this week. It's Wishes and Reality. So what are you teaching us this week?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, this comes out of, you know, I have 10 million books in print all around the world, and I put my contact in all of those books, 60 different titles. So I hear from many, many people daily. And I remember talking to a woman not long ago, and she said, I just don't know what to do next in my life. And I said, okay, if you could do anything you wanted to do, what would you do? And she said, well, I have no idea. And I said, well, you need to get an idea. I mean, the whole world, it's a smorgasbord. You do, hey, let's assume time and money and circumstance, nothing was an object. What would you do? She said, well, it is an object. I said, no, you don't get the how are you going to do it mixed up in the what are you going to do phase. Or you'll never do anything bigger than you are right now. And that's a huge mistake that so many people make is, well, what do you want to do next? Well, I don't know because I don't have this and I don't have that and I don't have that. And the next thing you know, they've talked themselves into this little tiny box of, And, you know, so learning how to embrace all the possibilities, it's not something we need to learn. It's something we need to relearn. Because this woman I'm talking to, if instead of her I was talking to the five-year-old version of her when she was in kindergarten, and I said, what do you want to do? Well, I want to be an astronaut, and then I think I might be president, and I want to be a fireman. I want to do all that. You know, and everything's possible when you're a kid. And there are no barriers. There's no nothing. And then over time, we let people shrink our world for us. And, you know, I am grateful I didn't know what I was getting into. I mean, I started narrative television to make TV accessible for blind people. And, you know, and only years later when I understood, wow, that was a big undertaking, and I didn't know it, you know. I didn't know what it was really going to do. But, you know, it was such a... an undertaking, but you don't know, so ignorance becomes your friend. And then, you know, when one of our movies got won the best picture at a film festival, you know, the guy was telling me, you know, wow, it's so amazing because only one in a thousand books becomes a bestseller, and only one in a thousand bestsellers becomes a movie. So a thousand times a thousand is a million. So it's a one in a million shot. And I thought, well, it's happened nine times for me. I mean, I didn't know that. And I'm glad I didn't know that. I mean, you just, you know, you need to know what to take the first step. So the point here is that when you think of your life and the possibilities, you've really got to get down to, if I could do anything I wanted to do, what would it be? And then figure out how to do that. Don't get the two involved. I mean, decide what you want to do, close that door, burn that bridge, and now that we've decided to do this, I wonder how you do that thing. And that's what becomes really powerful, is when you can get beyond where you are. Angie, you're just circled in the same block. You're just doing the things that you know how to do. And the world is so much bigger than what you or I know how to do.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. But I think a lot of us do like wander in a circle at some points in our lives, just like not, you know, you know, it was a pretty big dream you had, you know, to come up with the narrative television network and really something that was before its time. You know, I mean, you have to be the first one to do something and, you know, really cutting edge and really opened a whole new world to blind people up, you know. vision impaired even you know just not being able to clearly see what they're watching and I think though a lot of us just wander in circles and also I think fear is a huge dream killer well you're right but it was before its time but I actually quoted Victor Hugo in today's column and
SPEAKER 03 :
And he said, nothing is so powerful as an idea whose time has come. I mean, it's kind of like when the student is ready, the teacher arrives. Well, when you and I are ready, the inspiration arrives. But so many people, like we've talked about, they want all the lights to be green before they'll leave the house. And they've got to have all the questions answered. But it doesn't work like that. Give us this day our daily bread. I mean, you get enough to move another day. And then you figure out, okay, where do I go from here and where do I go from here? And that's the way amazing things are done. But I just, this process, I call it deconstruction. I do with corporate CEOs and creative people and where we get down, why do you do what you do? And it's amazing how many people You know, they've been in a 20-year career. Why do you do this? Well, because of this. Why did you do that? Because of this. And then when you get right down to it, well, I was out of college, and they had a recruiting thing on campus, and there was a table over there and a table over here, and my friends all went over there, so I went over there, and I got a job with them. And here we are 20 years later, and they built their world around this random thing that happened to them. And I'm not saying it was a bad choice. What I'm saying is, Could you consider maybe some other possibilities? And what else could you do? What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail and everything was an option? And then once you decide that, then figure out, how am I going to do this thing? And that's when it becomes powerful.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'd say that again.
SPEAKER 03 :
What would you do if you knew – And there were no obstacles. Time, money, circumstances were not an obstacle. You could do anything you want to do. What would you do? And I just had a young lady in my office. She was looking for a job, and she said, I've always been in sales. I want to do that. And I asked her that very question. What would you do if you could do anything? Well, but I've always been in sales. I said, I didn't ask what you've always done. If you could do anything, magic lamp right over here. I actually have one we used in the movie, The Lamp. I said, here's your magic lamp. If you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be? She said, well, I'd like to run a nonprofit. I said, well, why don't you? She said, well, I've never done it before. I said, nobody's ever done anything before they did it. If you think you have experience in sales... It's not that much different than running a nonprofit. You're going to go out to individuals and corporations and foundations, and you're going to sell them on this solution you have to some problem in the community represented by your nonprofit. And she left here 20 minutes later. you know, going to go find out how to start a nonprofit. Wow.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you sure gave us a lot to think about today, Jim. Jim Stovall dot com. I'll have to get that movie or your book, The Lamp. Thank you, my friend. Thank you. Be well.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
Evergreen is tuned to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 07 :
well if you are just joining us this is angie austin with the good news you know we all know that taking the psat the sat all of those t's is a rite of passage for millions of high school students across the country each october i have three kids in that age range and it connects them to so many opportunities after high school and it also really gets them into a few schools like my kids had to retake it because you have to maybe reach a certain threshold to get in But it's also beyond nerve wracking to take these tests, especially for one of my kids who has ADHD. So we really went through the ringer with this. Well, joining us is an expert on all things SAT, et cetera. Priscilla Rodriguez, senior VP with College Readiness Assessments. Welcome, Priscilla. Hi, thank you so much for having me. You are welcome. So first of all, let's just kind of give the basics. So people hear all these letters thrown around. What is the PSAT and the NMSQT, and what's the difference between the PSAT and the SAT, and why are they important? So let's just get the basics first of all.
SPEAKER 05 :
Sure, yeah, I appreciate that question. So we're talking at a really important time of the year for high school students because throughout the month of October – millions of 10th and 11th grade students in schools across the country are going to take a test called the PSAT NMSQT. One test, just about two hours long, and what all those letters stand for is Preliminary SAT National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. There's a lot of opportunity and information that comes from this test. So I'm excited to talk about that. But you mentioned the SAT as well. So one place to start is to share that the PSAT NMSQT, again, 10th or 11th grade, October every year, is great practice and preparation for the SAT that comes a little later in high school. The tests are the same structure, two sections, same skills, same kinds of questions, same timing. It's really a lower stakes, lower stress opportunity to get comfortable and familiar with what's going to be on the SAT.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I would agree with you because it maybe takes a little bit of the stress away or their expectations are, you know, in place. Even if it's difficult for them, they know what to expect. And they also have to know, you know, how they have to sit for a while. And some kids get accommodations. I know my daughter got like little breaks, I think, in between or could have a snack or something. And I think she might have gotten a little bit of extra time as well. So parents also need to look into if their kid has like a 504 plan or, you know, some kind of a learning plan in place at school to talk with their advisor to see if there's anything that they can give them for accommodations. Because I think a lot of parents, I wasn't aware of that initially. And it can help, especially with kids that are freaked out by time limits. Because my daughter said prior to getting her accommodations, she would stare at the clock all the time, you know, and keep looking at the clock. Or every person that got up and finished, it would freak her out. And sometimes they'll allow you to take it and tell me if I'm wrong here in a different setting, maybe not in a room with all of the kids.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, everything you said is right, and I appreciate you sharing your personal experience with that. That's exactly right. So for students who have educational plans, like you mentioned, 504 plans, some other ones are called IEPs, College Board, we're the organization that runs the PSATs and SATs. We work together with schools and parents to make sure that students who have those kinds of needs and those kinds of plans get the accommodations they need. That can include extra time, Additional breaks or you're right, taking it in a separate room where they won't be distracted by students taking it under the standard timing who may stand up and leave early, as you mentioned. So that's a real commitment we have as a nonprofit to making sure that students who get those kinds of supports during their regular schooling can also get them with us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and it's wonderful. It does make a difference. I'm so glad that you do that. And it can make the difference between a kid that has a learning situation, learning difference, getting into college or not. Because like back in the old days, I know with my mother, for instance, she had... ADHD and she was dyslexic, they may not have even been able to go to college because people didn't understand that they learned differently, that they were as intelligent, but that they maybe needed a different setting or more time. So that shouldn't keep you from going to a university. So I'm so impressed by what you and others have done in the learning arena to accommodate kids who have a different manner of learning.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, we've come a long way in recognizing that. Yeah, there's lots of ways to learn and process information. And You know, the SAT is the same for everyone. It is NPSAT. They're testing foundational reading, writing, and math skills, the same skills that students are being taught and tested on in their high school. So it's the same for everyone, but you're right. I think we've kind of collectively come a long way in understanding that people learn and process in different ways. And so, again, we make that commitment to partner with schools and families regularly. to support their students so they can show what they've learned in reading, writing, and math.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, there's no shame in that game. The kids should not be ashamed of that, of those accommodations. Now, I want to get into what the scores mean, but first, I'm going to ask you, the thing that perplexes me the most and i think that my kids have had the most difficult time with i've got a junior this year so she'll be taking that psat soon how to prepare how do they prepare because i've heard so many stories about kids doing prep where they have greatly increased their scores and none of my kids did that let's just be but but i'm not saying that this this one the junior can't so what what can they do to help better their scores or prepare oh it's a great question um
SPEAKER 05 :
So we, again, at College Board, as a nonprofit, we're really committed to making sure that every student who wants to practice and prepare is able to do that with world-class tools for free. Money should not be a barrier. You mentioned your kids. I'll share, when I was in high school, my family didn't have the resources to pay anybody to tutor me or prepare me for a test. So I'm so proud of what we've done at College Board to kind of knock down those barriers. So let me share two things. They would serve as great preparation for the PSAT and MSQT and definitely for the SAT. So two things. The first is these tests are now given digitally. A lot of adults don't know that. We took it on paper with little bubble sheets. Some of your kids might have too. But about two years ago, we transitioned these tests to digital. Kids take them on a laptop or a tablet. By the way, they love it. That feels a lot more natural to them than a bubble sheet. So They take these tests on an app called Blue Book. It's free for students to download. And inside of Blue Book are full-length practice tests for the PSATs and the SATs. They look and work exactly the way the real test will. So not only can they get familiar with the questions and even the timing, right, how to manage your time, they can get used to the app itself. How do you flag a question you want to come back to? How can you use the little crosser outer so you can cross out answer options that you know are not right? How do you use the calculator that's built in there? So it's really important practice, whether they take the full test in two hours or they just kind of, like, hop around in the practice test and do some questions. The second of the two ways to practice is with our partners, another nonprofit called Khan Academy. A lot of students and parents are already familiar with them. They are the leaders in online teaching and tutoring for students, free, nonprofit. We partnered with them about 10 years ago to say, we write the test and you guys are the best at teaching students online. We should be able to come up with the best practice in the world for the SAT. And we did do that. So students can also go over to Khan Academy and do practice questions organized by skill area. And they have like tutorial videos and exercises. You can really actually learn these skills over on Khan Academy and then bring them over to our practice test to see how you're doing.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Okay. And so Khan Academy and then also give me the name of the app again.
SPEAKER 05 :
Blue Book. Blue Book is the student testing app. Free to download. It's what they're going to use on test day anyways. So it's wise to download it in advance. Take some time in the practice test and get used to the app.
SPEAKER 07 :
That is so cool. All right. I wrote both of those down. That's great information. Now, in terms of the score reports when they come out, so the PSAT and MSQT, when they do get their scores, what can they learn from those?
SPEAKER 05 :
A lot. So students get their scores and the score report a few weeks after test day. And on that they are going to get their score right they get a reading, writing score a math score, but just as importantly, they get an indication of how they did on the skills in each of those sections. So that can help illuminate the student, wow, I've really mastered these parts of reading, writing, or math, but I have some areas I either need to refresh or make sure I learn. I'll use a geometry example because that was one I needed to work on when I was in high school. And so you would see that. You would see, okay, within math, geometry was the place I struggled the most. And again, that's when you can go over to Khan Academy and do that more focused learning and practice. to use your time wisely, right, in the few areas where you have the most room for improvement. Besides the score and the sense of what skills are their strongest and their weakest, students are also going to get connected to a great resource we offer at College Board for free called Big Future. It's bigfuture.org. That is a rich set of resources that enable students and the adults around them to do college work career and scholarship exploration. They can take how they scored, their interests, and start looking at colleges, jobs, and scholarships that could be a good fit for them.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow, this is great info. Okay, and now in terms of, you know, I knew that my daughter that just started, she got a scholarship for volleyball, and her grades were okay, but they had a threshold where if you didn't have a certain GPA, like let's just throw out 3.5. Then you had to get a certain score on the SAT or ACT. Well, that freaked her out. Like literally when I told her that she had to take it again and get a certain score, she burst into tears and cried for an hour. Like it was like the most stressful thing in her life. And I tried to get every way around it. Like can we write recommendations? Can we explain your situation? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, it turned out that no, that there was no ifs, ands, or buts. You had to get this certain score or she wouldn't get her volleyball scholarship. So in terms of the PSAT and the NMSQT playing a part in college or career planning, it's actually a lot bigger deal in career planning and college planning than I think some people think. Now, not every college is going to require a certain score. And there's always the avenue of the kids could go to maybe a community college and work their way up to go into the school they want to buy with their grades, you know, by getting good grades and then gradually working their way into the school they want to go into. But if they want to start right out of high school in their dream college, can you talk about the part that the PSAT and the NMSQT play in their college and career planning?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, no, and I appreciate you sharing that story. I'm sorry that your daughter had that stressful experience. And I'll say, you know, Every college is different in terms of what they require students to provide on an application and the different requirements they have to meet. But certainly the SAT can play a role, right, in helping students apply. So what I would say is I think the way to think about the PSAT and MSQT that students take in 10th and 11th grade, again, it's not a judgment. It's not a score that's going to go to a college. It's for you. Correct. To see where you are. what you've learned, where you can improve. Based on your score, you might already get some scholarship money through our partners at National Merit and other partners we have. So it can help you, but it's not going to keep you from anything. It's a moment to take a look at where you are, decide where you want to focus, and start exploring things that could be a good fit. Then the SAT comes along. And again, in a world where we are right now, which is that most colleges are test optional now. That happened really kind of as a result of the pandemic. And SAT score is generally something that can only help you at this point. So a lot has changed. And I think it's great that students have options and different ways of showing what they've learned.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Priscilla, tell me if I'm wrong. Just one last question. Can't you also keep even your SAT score, not the PSAT, but the SAT score, you can keep it to yourself until you decide to release it to a university. Is that correct? They can't access it. Okay, perfect. Okay. That's so important for people to know that if your kid takes it, don't let them freak out thinking, yes, they choose if they're going to release it to the university and it's when they're ready. So they could take it numerous times if they wanted to and then release it.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's exactly right.
SPEAKER 07 :
Perfect. All right. Where can people go to get information besides the Blue Book Student Testing app that's free to download and the Khan Academy where they can get help as well?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, so two places. The first is for information about the test, the PSAT and MSQT, what it is, what to expect, how it can help you. Students and families can go to psat.org. For that resource that has the scholarship search tool and career and college planning resources, that one is called bigfuture.org.
SPEAKER 07 :
Perfect. Thank you so much, Priscilla. Great information. You certainly helped me.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. You bet.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
Join us as former Senator Kevin Lundberg shares his insights into the importance of term limits and the role of citizen initiatives in shaping state governance. With years of experience in the legislative process, Lundberg offers a unique perspective on the balance between maintaining institutional knowledge and welcoming new ideas into political discourse. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the power dynamics within state legislatures and the continuous push for reform.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 13 :
That seems to me like government is establishing a religion.
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The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 13 :
If you give people rights, women's rights, gay rights, whatever, there can't be equal rights if there are special rights.
SPEAKER 06 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
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Surveys show that people still really prefer freedom over government force.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome to The Kim Monson Show. I am Jill Vecchio, and I'm guest hosting the show today. Let's have a conversation. Thank you all for listening. Each of you are treasured and valued and have a purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. We were made for this moment in history. Thank you, producer Joe and Kim's entire team for all the wonderful work you do. And since this is my first time guest hosting Kim's show, if I make a mistake, I've given Joe complete authority to give me a hard time because I'll deserve it. Listened to Kim's show so many times, I should have this memorized by now. The website is Kim Monson, and that's K-I-M-M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter. I get it all the time. You'll get a first look at all of her upcoming guests, as well as the most recent essays, and I guarantee they are really good. You can email Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. I want to say thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show. It is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. And thank you to Hooters Restaurant for their sponsorship. There are three locations, Aurora, Westminster, and Loveland. They have great lunch specials Monday through Friday for dine-in or to-go. Wednesdays, that's tomorrow, is a wings day. Buy 20 wings, get an additional 10 for free. The offer's for to-go or dine-in. Hooters Restaurant's a great place to get together with friends to watch your favorite teams. So today's word of the day is one of my favorite words. It is obstreperous. And it is spelled O-B-S-T-R-E-P-E-R-O-U-S. Obstreperous. It is an adjective meaning noisily, unruly, or defiant. Hmm. I think we see that pretty much every hour of every day, don't we, Producer Joe? Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, ma'am, we do. It is filled in the air.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, that's why I love this word. You can use it every day. Here's an example of its use. The restaurant owner ejected the obstreperous customer. And we see all the time on YouTube, you can find all these videos of passengers on airplanes getting all wound up about things and being very obstreperous, and they get kicked off the airplane. Another definition, attended by or making a loud and tumultuous noise, clamorous, noisy, vociferous. That's another really good word. Another definition, resistant to control, unruly. Sometimes I'm kind of like that. I imagine my husband would say. Let's see. So that is obstreperous, O-B-S-T-R-E-P-E-R-O-U-S. And our first quote of the day, and I kind of like this one too, although we don't even really know who said it. It has been attributed to Mark Twain, John Stewart, or Ambrose Bierce. God created war so that Americans would learn geography. I've always loved that, because every time there's a war, you have to get the Atlas out, right? You have to get a map and go, wait a second. Where is Bosnia? Where is Herzegovina? Where is Ukraine? Where is Crimea, Odessa? So, yeah, that tends to be my case, too. Wait a second. Who's doing what where? Let me find out where that is. Let's see here. Headlines of the day. Well, I couldn't pass this up, obviously, because Trump and Netanyahu... had their talks on the Gaza peace plan yesterday. And now, we didn't talk about that yesterday that I heard on Kim's show, and I think the agreement wasn't reached until later. So I'm gonna read you some of this because this is huge. So President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached an agreement yesterday on the U.S. proposed Gaza peace plan that was introduced last week. And I think Trump introduced it at a meeting of U.N. It's a 20-point plan. Let's see here. Hamas was not there. No leadership from Hamas was present at this summit with Trump and Netanyahu, but Trump had also presented these ideas to several different, to leaders and representatives from several different countries. Let's see here. The deal can't move forward unless Hamas consents to it. If Hamas does not consent, Netanyahu, with Trump's approval, will finish the job by themselves, not with US troops, but Trump will support Netanyahu's decision to finish off Hamas in Gaza if they reject this proposal. Trump has given Hamas 72 hours to release all hostages both alive and deceased from the October 7th attack. Let's see here. I'm just kind of skipping through. Trump presented this peace plan to Arab leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York City. Netanyahu has accepted the finalized agreement. They have agreed to release 250 prisoners serving life sentences, Palestinians that is, along with 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7th. Netanyahu has agreed to that. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza, and they've got a little map where they're going to be changing. Depending on how the process progresses, they will change the borders of where Israel is controlling Palestinian territory. Let's see, they want to, let's see, the peace plan also states that when the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program, it could prepare the conditions for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. But I understand there's no mention specifically of the term two-state solution. Trump thanked Arab, Muslim, and European leaders for supporting the proposal. So that's a lot of support, which is really great. And praised Netanyahu for endorsing it, which he said will bring an end to the death and destruction. Netanyahu also called Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Abdullah Rahman Al-Thani to apologize for violating Qatari sovereignty during Israel's recent strikes against Hamas leaders in Doha. I thought that was kind of remarkable. Trump will be the chairman of a new international body called the Board of Peace that will oversee the rebuilding of Gaza. The board will manage a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. Kind of an infrastructure committee, it sounds like. And I remember in Iraq, there were huge problems with running to try and... make the transition to the new Iraqi government that they didn't have proper infrastructure people, and it was really difficult. Nothing was working in the country of Iraq at the time. So hopefully they learned their lesson and will change that for Gaza. Let's see. The committee will oversee funding for Gaza's redevelopment until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program and is ready to take control of Gaza. So rather than Hamas, they'll have the Palestinian Authority. Oh, they want... The body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment, according to the plan. The plan also includes de-radicalizing Gaza, making it a terror-free zone. Hamas will play no role in the governance of Gaza. All military terror and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt according to the plan. No one will be forced to leave Gaza. Those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. The United States, Arab nations and other international partners will create a temporary international stabilization force to immediately deploy in Gaza. The new force will be long-term internal security solution and will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza. All parties will agree for a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw in phases. See, I mentioned that. And then they have, like I said, this is an article from the Epoch Times, but there's a little map that talks about that. Trump also said leaders of Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have all backed the peace plan. That's huge. There was a joint statement of these foreign ministers saying, that said they welcome President Donald J. Trump's leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace. That's pretty cool. Let's see. Netanyahu, during their press conference, said if Hamas refuses a plan or actively works against it, then Israel will continue its military operations in Gaza. He says this can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done. trump agreed saying israel will have his full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of hamas if the terrorist group refuses the peace deal this is pretty big stuff i i'm very encouraged and you know folks just kind of say your prayers that we can get this something at least temporarily and just move in the right direction for a change don't you think producer joe
SPEAKER 15 :
I absolutely agree. It would be nice to see some growth somewhere. I feel like we've been stalled out for such a long time. And I've seen Trump trying to do things, but it seems everywhere that he does, it goes just a little bit further and then stops.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. It almost seems like we've been looking for this for so long, it almost seems as if it couldn't ever happen, right?
SPEAKER 15 :
You're absolutely right. I feel like the rug is going to get pulled out any second now.
SPEAKER 17 :
Exactly. You were just, yeah, right, waiting for the proverbial second shoe to drop and all that. Everything to just fall apart. Who knows? This is interesting, but we've also never really seen a piece planned quite like this. This is unusual where there's a lot of incentive for the Palestinians to agree to this. Let me go before our next segment. A great sponsor of the show is Roger Mangan, State Farm Insurance Team. They want you to be able to...
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That's 303-880-8881. Call now. That's twice the distance of Paul Revere to sound the alarm. Quickly.
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Assemble at my father's house.
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The Kim Monson Show is our modern-day Sybil Luddington, bringing us the latest breaking news in the battle for truth and freedom. Ben's Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling is proud to stand with Kim. Will you stand with us? Get engaged with the issue that keeps you up at night so that you can influence your school and community with truth and justice. And for quality craftsmanship at a fair price, call or text Ben's Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at 303-995-1636. That number again is 303-995-1636.
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The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back. I'm Jill Vecchio, and I'm filling in for Kim Monson today. Check out Kim's website at KimMonson.com and email her at Kim at KimMonson.com. Thank you for contributing to support Kim's independent voice and the exercise of our right to freedom of speech. Through all of Kim's work with veterans, she's honored to highlight the USMC Memorial Foundation and all they're doing to raise the money to remodel the official USMC Memorial, which is located right here in Golden, Colorado at 6th and Colfax. Paula Sarles is the president of the foundation. She's a Marine veteran and a Gold Star wife. Paula and her team are working diligently to make the remodel a reality. You can help by donating at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That's usmcmemorialfoundation.org. We have one of my favorite people as our guest. Our first guest this morning is former Senator Kevin Lundberg. He's up in Larimer County, and he has been just such a blessing to the state of Colorado for so long. I guess that tells you we're both a little getting up there in years that we've known each other for so many years. But I was so excited that Kevin was going to be on the show today. He has so many things going on. He has been a former state senator, the head of the Republican senators for years at our state capitol. And he did such great work. And he's never stopped. He's never stopped working for everybody. So welcome to the show, Kevin.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Jill, it's great being with you. And yeah, I can say you've never stopped either. I remember the first time we met was I don't know how many years ago, but we were talking about some important issue that needed to be dealt with at that point in time that had some impact on everybody. So we're here swinging the sill. And just for a little bit of clarity, it's the Republican Study Committee of Colorado. It's both senators and representatives, kind of the conservative party. wing of the Republican caucus at the legislature. And we just try to encourage people to get back to the core issues that really hold this republic together.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. Exactly.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's one of the things I do. And it's It's a good exercise to keep me plugged in with the legislature, which I have spent a good deal of time in. I was down there for 16 years as both a state representative and a state senator. One at a time, of course. But term limits wrap that up after that period of time. And And yet the work goes on. And a lot of my colleagues that not everybody, some people just kind of disappear into the woodwork after they're done with their their term of office. But but there are several who really stay engaged at one level or another. And you discover that you've got a little more latitude when you get out of office because you can focus in on what you believe is the most important issue. components, and we all have an effect. That's one thing I've learned, is whether or not you've been down in the legislature, as a citizen, we the people really have the authority to get things done, and that's one thing I've kind of focused on recently, is working with citizens on citizen initiatives, and we'll probably get into that a I believe everybody who is a citizen of Colorado, and I use it in those terms because that's really what the 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution says. It says you are a citizen of your state and a citizen of the United States. And we need to take both of those responsibilities very seriously.
SPEAKER 17 :
And I kind of, just in watching what you've done over the years, it's sad that somebody that's really valuable like you were in the House and the Senate was term limited out of your position but at the same time if you think about it term limits are another i think another good reason to have them is so that people like you can't don't stay in office in that same place doing the same thing for years and years you leave and you you like you said you you find a niche or an area that you're passionate about and you teach other people the system and how to work this and how to work that and you train other people and then new people come in and it's it's almost just like a like a corporation and you just kind of move up and into a different area but you into a different area of interest but you still have all of that very important experience that you take with you everywhere, and then it allows new people to come in into their kind of their training program. So I really still really do like term limits for that reason, especially in your case.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I'm one of the rare people who has been termed out who does support term limits. There's actually a national organization that works on trying to put term limits in Congress. And I fully support that. Just to start off with, I don't know that I would have made it into office had it not been for term limits, because quite often people get kind of comfortable, especially if they're in a in a reliable district for their particular party. And at that time, I was. Now, they've juggled things around so that, lo and behold, I have Democrats representing me in both the House and the Senate right now. Right, right. Thank you. Retrawing all those. And sometimes gerrymandering is the way I look at it. Right. But overall, I believe that that we need to maintain, especially in Colorado, where we have a citizen legislature. That means it's not a full-time job. When a state legislature becomes full-time and they start piling on all sorts of staffers and other things like that, they very easily lose sight of where they came from. In Colorado... Now, I'm not going to sing accolades for the current legislature because I think they've been doing terrible things, and we've discussed that on Kim's show many, many times.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right.
SPEAKER 08 :
But overall, if you have a citizen legislature, you have people coming from every walk of life. You know, the pay is not so huge that you just have to stay there for the hat. Right. with that you know, that cycling of people coming through the legislature, it does stay focused. And I did discover that to be kind of a principle that every attitude an opinion that has any degree of popularity within a state, you can find in the legislature, especially a citizen legislature like Colorado. And here's an interesting economic factor. I don't remember where the study came from, but somebody compared the economic vitality of the individual states and compared that to were they a full-time legislature or a part-time legislature and there was a clear pattern that if it was a full-time legislature it had too many rules too many laws and the economy was really not that healthy but it was quite the opposite if it was a citizen legislature and and term limits really reinforced that principle in my opinion now i've got some good friends on the other side that say, oh, but you lose too much institutional knowledge. And there are times that I question where in the world they come up with some of the things they do just procedurally, because nobody has been there long enough to understand how the process should work in an orderly fashion, whether you're the majority or the minority. The legislative process has really been developed to to give everybody a place at the table, but to give the dominant opinions the power to govern.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. Well, and term limits allows... Well, it forces. It forces... newness you know it forces new people to come in with new ideas and different ways of doing things you know when you use the term institutionalize i mean it's almost kind of like yeah like it becomes an asylum well you know it can become very uh very petrified at the same time right exactly
SPEAKER 08 :
And we saw some of that in Colorado, where some people who had been there for a very, very long time really weren't open to... how things have been changing. Now, again, I don't want to give anybody an impression that I therefore think that things are being handled properly right now. They aren't. And that leads me back to my effort right now with citizen initiatives because that's the safety valve we have in the state of Colorado and several other states, not all of them, but many states have... We as citizens have the ability.
SPEAKER 17 :
So that's what we're going to talk about in the next segment. We have this conversation thanks to great sponsors like Karen Levine. Stay tuned. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 14 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back. I'm Jill Vecchio, and I'm filling in for Kim Monson today. Sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter at Kim's website, KimMonson.com. That's K-I-M-M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And email Kim at Kim at KimMonson.com. Thank you for contributing to supporting our independent voice and the exercise of our freedom of speech. And Kevin has been doing a lot of work on freedom of speech, so we're going to talk about that in a little bit, too. But are you ready for financial freedom? Call our friends at Mint Financial Strategies. As an independent firm and an accredited investment fiduciary, they always put your interests first. Mint means more than money. It stands for a meaningful relationship, information sharing, a network of smart strategies, and a thoughtful advisor who puts you in control. No cookie cutter plans. Everything is tailored to you. Call Mint Financial Strategies today at 303-285-3080. That's 303-285-3080. Now, we're back here with... Former Senator Kevin Lundberg, and he has done so many different things, and he has been a great supporter of free speech. Kevin, tell us about, you have a weekly newsletter, and you are also, you're doing a project called Protect Kids Colorado, and kind of all of these things are... You're combining all of those talents to three initiatives that are going to be on the ballot. Did you want to talk about those?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, there's a whole lot in what you just said there. Let me try to handle briefly on some of them. Yeah, I have been publishing a newsletter. I mention it quite often on the Kim's program weekly. I started doing this when I was in the legislature. Um, and for the first few years I was there, uh, you know, we'd go through things and I'd try to kind of report to people and send out an email here and there and stuff like that. And at the end of a session, I would look back and I think, man, so many things happened and I really haven't kept track of them very well. Uh, and I, uh, I'd be like most legislators. I'd know what the big issues I was working on and some of the big issues that came up that dominated everybody's opinion and the like. But after a few years, I realized I need to start documenting this in a daily and a weekly manner. And out of that grew this newsletter that I have been publishing on my website, KevinLundberg.com, for, I don't know, probably 15 years or so.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, I think that's about how long I've been getting it. Yes.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, yeah. And, by the way, the newsletter itself is on my website. I find it's a lot cleaner that way. You know, with all the cancel culture, I've had email services in the past that would, you know, you'd put out something that was a rather big issue, and they would censor it. You know, they'd say, oh, well, we can't talk about that. So I just put it up on my website, and we have a server that – that is not tied up with, you know, all the big conglomerate systems that are out there as well. So it's pretty reliable.
SPEAKER 17 :
Can you give us the name of your website again? And kind of spell your last name just in case.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it's KevinLundberg.com. And Lundberg is L-U-N-D-B-E-R-G. Kind of Google around that and you can probably find it if you didn't get that quite clearly. But... Every week, I publish what I think are four or five, maybe six or seven, if it's a really busy week, important issues that I want to draw people's attention to. And I don't write big, huge articles on it. I try to keep it very concise. And I send out an email, but the email simply says, these are the titles. And if you really want to know the meat of the subjects, it's on the website. under Lundberg Report. But it's just meant to be a starting point. I'll put a lot of links in there so that you can go watch this or read this story or whatever. And it's my... I spend... Far too many hours, frankly. I and my wife digging through things that pop up in news sources and on the different Internet feeds. X seems to be the most productive place nowadays. Thank you, Elon Musk, for rescuing that from, you know.
SPEAKER 17 :
well everything that was going down but so you just kind of you kind of consolidate you're almost you kind of consolidate stories and kind of put things together for people that's what i found when i when i used to you used to send out the newsletter i used to get it and i just loved the way that you kind of you you did so much homework that i didn't then have to do all i had to read was your newsletter, and you made the important points. You kind of said, think about it this way, or this is the risk for this. This is what's good. This is what's bad. Yeah, so I recommend that people seek out your newsletter, and it's going to save you a whole lot of trouble, especially when it comes to, you know, anybody who reads it, especially when it comes to Colorado stuff, because it's not always easy to get the full story on things that are happening more locally and just in the state of Colorado. Now, you also did a movie called Art Club and you art art club movie. And I know you've talked about this before. I watched that the other day after talking to you. It was amazing. You and you did the filming. You wrote, directed and filmed it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Well, I've been doing media work for many, many years, and I've done a couple of other documentaries through the years. Way back in the 80s, put together a documentary called A Civilized Adventure, which was a 16 millimeter film on the narrow canals of England. The British Waterways Board sponsored myself and a friend of mine to go and do that. And then in the, fast forward to the 90s, another 10 years passes, and my wife and I were very involved in homeschooling, and so I did a documentary on homeschooling and did that with cooperation with Homeschool Legal Defense Association, the national group that works with homeschoolers and several state organizations on homeschooling. That's great. And then four years ago, I was asked to speak at a pastor's meeting in Fort Collins along with a lady who had a story about what happened to her daughter and their family through this whole transgender ideology that has just taken over so much of our country, unfortunately, and particularly in our schools. And I was so impressed with her story. I was asked to come and just give a legislative perspective. How in the world is it possible for something like this to occur in Colorado? How do the laws allow this? And I actually come to find out that the laws don't just allow it, they promote it. But anyway, I heard this lady's story. Her name is Erin Lee, and most people, especially on Jim's program, know exactly who I'm talking about because she has such a gift of communication and such a an important story that people need to know about that. I asked her, so who's doing your documentary? And she's like, oh, that's an interesting thought. And so we did. We tackled that. And a couple of years ago, we actually came out with the film. And it's It has grown into a real movement here in Colorado to address this issue as citizens through the initiative process. And we tried to get a couple of initiatives going last year, and it was just a little bit too close to the election. We didn't quite have enough time to get it done. But through that, we formed an organization called Protect Kids Colorado. And people can find out more if they go to protectkidscolorado.org. And out of that, the big project we're on right now is encouraging the signature gathering of three specific initiatives that deal with protecting kids. in a variety of ways. One is to ban the child mutilating surgeries that occur for what they call gender care, which is really medical malpractice in my mind. But the legislature has has gone the exact opposite direction and put in place laws that that specifically protect any medical professional and of course that was your field your world right um but protect them from any liability of if they engage in in some of these practices and this doesn't address every aspect but it goes after what i think is that is is the The biggest medical crime, and that's when doctors actually get in and start carving up children, basically. Right.
SPEAKER 17 :
uh make them think that they're you know this boy is now a girl and vice versa well and it's interesting because you know colorado when i was in medical school in the 80s um colorado was notorious right we were famous you know across the country for oh what was the name of the town uh uh down south trinidad trinidad trinidad that was the only place i think one of one or the only one or one of very few in the country that did transgender or gender change surgery sex change is what we call it sex change surgery they didn't do very many and and the patients had to go there and spend months and months in psychotherapy to evaluate them and see if mentally this was a reasonable decision for them or if they had other mental illnesses and that sort of thing that this was going to mess them up even more. We had two... Men who transgendered had the sex change to women. When we were in medical school, they came and spoke to the medical students. And I tell you what, both of them said, yeah, I believed that I was a woman and I had this surgery, but if I had it to do over again, I would not do it. I am no happier. It did not change. solve any problems? And the idea that we're being so flippant and the doctors are just doing this and giving these medications at the drop of a hat without really doing any kind of a psychiatric evaluation is crazy. This is just malpractice.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and let's take this a step further because did they do it to children?
SPEAKER 17 :
No. No.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that's the... Yeah, and this is an initiative Now, if you're an adult and you want to go play games like that with your body, we're not addressing that. That's another subject. But to actually allow this to occur to children. And back in 2019, the legislature passed a bill and the governor signed it. that allows a 12 year old to determine their own care for um specifically for mental health issues in other words a parent doesn't have a say uh a child talks to the you know the the medical professionals directly if they're 12 or older and uh anyway With that as a backdrop, this initiative simply says you're not going to engage in this kind of surgical procedure on a child in Colorado, and that means anybody under 18. Hear, hear.
SPEAKER 17 :
That's wonderful.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Now, that's one initiative that we're working on.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, you know what? Let's go to break. Let's go to break. And then we'll cover the other two initiatives all at one time. And, you know, that fourth segment always goes pretty quick. So we have this conversation to thanks. Thanks to great sponsors like Karen Levine. So stay tuned and we will be back.
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SPEAKER 20 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
welcome back i'm jill vecchio and i'm filling in for kim monson today check out kim's website at kim monson k-i-m-m-o-n-s-o-n dot com and email kim at kim kim monson dot com thanks for coming back and i'm s i made by my a mistake Before we went to break, I should have been thanking for this wonderful conversation. Of course, we love Karen Levine, but also Boson Law. So I apologize to Boson Law. And I'll apologize in person on the next hour when we get to talk to them over the line. So we're coming back. with Senator Lundberg in just a moment, but we would love to thank the Center for American Values. They are located in Pueblo on the beautiful Riverwalk. The center is focused on the foundational values of America, which are honor, integrity, and patriotism. Through their K-12 educational programs, training for educators and portraits of valor of over 160 Medal of Honor recipients, the center is helping to instill honor, integrity and patriotism for our next generations. Check out their website. It is AmericanValuesCenter.com. That's AmericanValuesCenter.com. Now, welcome back, Kevin. And we're going to continue. I want to hear what these other two, so the first initiative is on gender surgery for minors. And then the other two, let's just go through because this time goes fast. So let's just say what the two are and then we'll talk about them.
SPEAKER 08 :
Sure. Well, one is prohibiting any men participating in sports programs that are specifically designed for women. So prohibiting men in women's sports programs. The final one is dealing with the whole sex trafficking of minors, of children, and basically that's against the law right now. But what we're doing is we're increasing the penalty to basically say in Colorado, don't do this, period. If you're convicted of buying or selling a child for sex, It's called Life in Prison Without Parole. Bingo. And that is, you know, some people say, well, isn't that kind of a strong, well, yeah. And, you know, when you do that to a child, you give them a life sentence of that in their background and the changes that makes. People need to realize that this is a serious, serious crime. And our intent is... Not to punish as much as it is to prevent. To tell people just stay out of that game in Colorado. Right, exactly. So those are the other initiatives. All three, we're collecting signatures for all three. We've got literally hundreds, really well over 1,000 people have said, yeah, give me a set of petitions. I want to collect signatures here. We've only got a few months to do it in. You're limited to 180 days, and that started back in August. But really, between now and Thanksgiving is the big push. And so...
SPEAKER 17 :
So people should, if they're interested in passing around and collecting signatures for these petitions, how should they contact you?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's through the website protectkidscolorado.org. There we're set up. You can sign up online and we've got it broken down into county captains. And so there's somebody locally just about everywhere in Colorado that you can connect with. And we've printed, I don't know, I think it's like six or seven thousand petition packets for each of these initiatives. And those are spread out all over the state as well. And so it's a big job because this is volunteer. You understand most initiatives are something that somebody bought their way onto the ballot with. And it's very expensive. But I kind of like the idea of the citizens getting involved in a volunteer basis. And that's what we're doing. And I believe we've got a good prospect of getting this done if everybody will put their shoulder to the wheel and help us, you know, like myself. Last Sunday, I was at my church and they gave me permission to put up a table and collect signatures there, you know, wherever you're at, your neighbors, your friends, your family, your your church or some organization you meet with people. Collect signatures and let's get this done.
SPEAKER 17 :
Absolutely. And you know, churches are, that's a no-brainer. I mean, are they going to kick you out? I don't think so. For one, these initiatives, every church should be behind these initiatives.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, they should. Actually, let me discuss that a little bit because a lot of them are reticent to do this and that's unfortunate.
SPEAKER 09 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don't recommend that you just show up and start doing it as much as I recommend you talk to the leadership of the church. And actually, here's one very big church or organization of churches, I should say, that has taken this on a very serious way, and we're very thrilled with this, and that's the Catholic Church. The bishops here in Colorado have all – they wrote a very – a strong letter of support for what we're doing, and literally instructed every parish to collect signatures. Wonderful. And, you know, if you attend a Catholic church, make sure they're doing it there. But if you attend an evangelical church or any church, take the initiative to see how you can get things done there, because I believe that there is an important component for the church to engage with the culture. And on this particular issue, and it's an issue that most Coloradans agree on all three of these, that it should be law. We did some careful research to ensure that the language worked and that the people of Colorado were ready to take this step, and they are. We just need to get it on the ballot, and I believe it will have a dramatic effect on the political culture here in our states, too. Imagine how our legislature is going the wrong direction. Well, this is the right direction. Let's retrain their attention.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, exactly. And it is still government by the people. And if the people you elect aren't doing the right thing, then, you know, if you can't change them out right away, you know, you've got to override them. And, you know, it's with the churches, because we know that, like the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, so many different denominations have... have adopted the LGBTQ tolerance stand, which is unfortunate in some ways, but we're all God's children. But that's different than the gender surgery for children. That is not the same thing as LGBTQ. If it's gender surgery for adults, legal adults, that's one thing. But for children, that's where we're... That's where the line should be drawn. This shouldn't be offensive to a church that supports LGBTQ or the LGBTQ community themselves, because this is about the children.
SPEAKER 08 :
Actually, last year, we had a very active participation from a group called Gays Against Rumors. which demonstrates that. But that's a much larger discussion than we've got time for right here and now. You know, the basic principle here is something's going wrong in the state that needs to be corrected. And even as the Colorado Constitution, where it establishes the legislature, says it's in Colorado Constitution, it's Article 5. And in Section 1, it says we're establishing this legislature, but we the people reserve the right to make law independent of the legislature. And that's what we're doing right here. We're exercising that right that was established with this state when it was actually formed back in 1876, nearly 150 years ago now. So let's get with the reality of this state was established for citizen participation. And even as I was a legislator, but I realize I'm always a citizen, And I'm engaged in this, and I invite everybody else to be there, too.
SPEAKER 17 :
Absolutely. Now, before we go any further, why don't you give the website again for people where they can get petitions and so forth or make donations?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that's... ProtectKidsColorado.org. ProtectKidsColorado.org. And, yeah, it takes some dollars to buy those petitions. You know, we're looking at well over $50,000 just to get them printed, not to mention distribute and give all the other supplies.
SPEAKER 17 :
Now, is this a 501c3 or a c4?
SPEAKER 08 :
We're a C4, and we very intentionally, and that means that we can be more aggressive in the political arena. There are some limitations when you're a C3, and the distinction is, Donations are not tax deductible directly through a C4, but we knew that we needed that flexibility to really be able to do things like this. Exactly. We're doing other things. There was a bill this last year dealing... Kevin, I'm sorry to interrupt you.
SPEAKER 17 :
We need to get you back on the show then to talk about some other things, but we're getting toward the end of the show, so I've got to wind it up. Thank you so much, Kevin, for being here. Well, thank you, Jill. Take care and good luck. So quote of the day, double think means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously and accepting both of them. And I think just in our conversation this past hour, you can see it's funny how some people can Free speech for you as long as you agree with me, but I get to have free speech all the time. It's that kind of double standard that we need to constantly battle against, especially these days. So today, be grateful. Read good books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. You are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America. And get on this website and get active, folks. You know, freedom is not a spectator sport and government is not a spectator sport. We all need to do our part and stand up. And believe me, it's actually fun. You meet some great people and you will have a great time with the people in Colorado. A lot of hard workers here. So stay tuned for hour two. I have five seconds left. Hmm. Let me just I'll repeat the quote of the day. Double think means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously and accepting both of them. This was from the book 1984 written by George Orwell.
SPEAKER 10 :
Talking about.
SPEAKER 02 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's the Kim Monson Show. Analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 13 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 06 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 13 :
Under this guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 06 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 13 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome to the Kim Monson Show. I am Jill Vecchio, and I'm thrilled to host the show. Kim is out today. Let's have a conversation. Thank you for listening. Each of you are treasured and valued and have a purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. We were made for this moment in history. Thank you, Producer Joe and Kim's entire team for your wonderful work. And an extra special thank you to Producer Joe for having to put up with me as a guest host today. He's like, okay, now do this. Now do this. Yay. Thank you, Producer Joe.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's my pleasure, Joe.
SPEAKER 17 :
Kim's website is kimmonson.com. And sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter. You'll find they're really great, and her website is beautiful. You'll get first look at all of her upcoming guests on her newsletter, as well as the most recent essays. And you can email Kim at Kim Monson. I'm sorry. Email Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Thank you for contributing to support our independent voice and the exercise of our freedom to freedom of speech. Thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show. It is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. From Parker to Golden, Little Ricky's Pizza and Pasta is your go-to for real New York-style pizza, hearty pastas, and that unbelievable local vibe. Little Ricky's is serving up daily specials, quick and tasty weekday lunch deals. At a happy hour, the locals actually build their plans around. Whether you're bringing the crew, catching up with friends, or flying solo for a hot slice, Little Ricky's is your neighborhood hangout. So today's word of the day is another of my favorite words, teleology. And I learned this in medical school. It's a noun. It's spelled T-E-L-E-O-L-O-G-Y, teleology. And usually I use it in a sentence like teleological, like a descriptor. And the definitions that I found were pretty kind of philosophically kind of dense and thick. But essentially, I'll give you examples to make it make more sense. Teleology, the study of evidences of design in nature. A doctrine, as in vitalism, that ends are imminent in nature. A doctrine explaining phenomena by final causes. You see what I mean? It's philosophically dense and incomprehensible. Let's see here. The fact or character attributed to nature or natural processes of being directed toward an end or shaped by a purpose. That's probably the best one. The use of design or purpose as an explanation of natural phenomenon. So I'm going to give you an example because teleology became one of my favorite words ever. When I was in medical school, because every time we learned about a part of the human body, how perfectly it interacts with another part of the human body, how the hormone regulatory systems work is unbelievable. So here's one example. Just in order... to maintain constant specific levels of hormones throughout our bodies, chemicals throughout our bodies, nutrients in our bodies, absorption of fluids versus release of fluids. For optimal performance, the human kidneys filter all of the blood in the vascular system 60 times per day. Your kidneys. Think about that, 60 times a day. In other words, the kidneys filter all of the blood in your vascular system two and a half times per hour. And it's like, wow, it's crazy. What do you think about that, Producer Joe?
SPEAKER 15 :
I didn't know that at all. That's surreal.
SPEAKER 17 :
Isn't that wild? Okay, here's another thing that's just crazy. So when I had kidney cancer, I had to have my right kidney removed, and that's as an adult. This is wild. So at one point in the surgery, they clamp off the arteries and veins going to my right kidney to remove it. At that moment, immediately, my left kidney had to take up where my right kidney was leaving off. So it had to do double duty immediately. And it did. That to me is just like miraculous. So teleology, that is why, you know, this whole thing, in order to keep your body running at optimal performance, your kidneys have to do this. And it always just amazed me how perfectly wonderful the human body was made and designed. And I don't think that it happened in a big bang, but that's just my opinion. So teleology. Let's see here. Ah. Oh, yes. Great. So we have John Boson joining us. Hi, John. How are you?
SPEAKER 12 :
Good morning, doctor. Doing well. And there's no way a big bang just happened.
SPEAKER 17 :
I know. Right. Right. Now, you have some interesting stuff to tell us about some of these weight loss drugs. Is that right?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, the GLP-1 drugs. Also heard you're going to talk about the covid shot so either one of those if you want to talk about well personally i would love to talk about the glp1 because uh i have some friends that are on that and i tell you their personalities seem to have changed or something what do you what are you finding out what's coming up with that well i've i've heard that um i've heard a lot of things there's a lot of stuff coming up on a on a regular basis in terms of other issues and problems uh that these things are causing folks but uh know was originally designed to help diabetics and then they figured out people did that they were losing a lot of weight and so the manufacturers of the different types of glp-1s they jumped on board that train in a hurry started producing you know different variations and as so happens so often with with these products and i was involved in the fen fen litigation 20 plus years ago people start having issues and problems and then it's a matter of what the manufacturers knew when they knew it why why they didn't more quickly disclose the problems or if they knew that there were problems before they even started pushing it out there and that's again what we're finding with the glp once people are having intestinal problems is one of the most common problems and significant problems And you're probably familiar with gastroparesis, and I've heard that pronounced different ways.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right, yeah, gastroparesis or gastroparesis, either one is correct.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, but that's the really big one. That's the common one. That's the one that we've seen a lot of. And often it happens with people that really don't need to lose much of any weight, but they want to lose just a couple pounds. And what we see happening is when people go back in, And they adjust the dosage. They up the dosage. And it can be just slightly, but that seems to be a reoccurring theme in terms of when the problem develops, when people start really having some issues.
SPEAKER 17 :
So gastroparesis, for people that don't know, that's like essentially your stomach stops moving things through it. So you eat and it just sits there.
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. And that's a horrible problem. Yeah.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, very uncomfortable, but you can't... So we're representing... I'm sorry, go ahead.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, no, no, please, go ahead. Describe that, because that's... Yeah, I mean, that is the problem. So we're representing folks that have been diagnosed with that who've been on one of the various GLP-1s, and it's a matter of, again, we're early into the litigation. There is a MDL... multi-district litigation set up in eastern Pennsylvania handling all these individual claims. We're upwards of 2,000 collectively around the country cases that have now been filed. And again, more information is coming out on a regular basis in terms of who knew what when. But it's early in the litigation, so there's much more that's going to be coming out. But anyone that's had or been on a GLP-1 that has suffered health consequences should give me a call so we can look into it much further at 303-999-999, all nines, and make a determination if they've got a claim.
SPEAKER 17 :
Great. Thank you so much, John. And we're going to skip the headlines because I really wanted to hear what he had to say, so thank you very much. A great sponsor of the show is the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team. They want you to feel safe and well-served, to understand your insurance coverage, and to know that their office will respond to your call or text 24 hours a day. For that 24-hour peace of mind, call Roger Mangan at 303-1050. 795-8855. Like a good neighbor, Roger Mangan's team is there.
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SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back. I am Jill Vecchio, and I am pleased to host the show today, filling in for Kim. Kim's website is kimmonson.com. Sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter. You'll get first look at all of her upcoming guests, as well as the most recent essays. And you can email Kim at kimmonson.com. Thank you for contributing to support our independent voice and exercise of our right to freedom of speech. Through all of Kim's work with veterans, she's honored to highlight the USMC Memorial Foundation and all the work that they're doing to raise the money to remodel the official USMC Memorial, which is located right here in Golden, Colorado at 6th and Colfax. Paula Sarles is the president of the foundation. She is a Marine veteran and a gold star wife. Paula and her team are working diligently to make the remodel a reality. You can help by donating at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That's usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And you know, we're going to have, we have a new guest tonight. this hour is Brad Miller, and some of you may have already heard him speak on Kim's show in the past. He has a remarkable personal story with regard to the COVID vaccine, although he has, we're gonna talk about something a little different that he's doing today. So, you know, I didn't have time in the last segment to give the quote, but it's better that I give it right now. The quote is, who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. This was in the book 1984 by George Orwell. In other words, whoever wins gets to write the history book. And whoever writes the history book also gets to determine what happens next. So Brad, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey, thanks for having me on. Really happy to be here and hoping for a great conversation, which I'm sure we'll have.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, now I can give you a little bit of an introduction or do you want to do it yourself?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I'll just take a moment just to introduce myself. So my name is Brad Miller. I grew up in North Carolina, but I currently live in Tennessee. I went to West Point. I graduated from there in 2003, went into the Army and served a total of just over 19 years of active service. I attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. And in fact, I was a battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division at the time that the COVID shot mandate went into effect. This would have been in the summer of 2021. and then just through a long series of events but the the short version of the story is that um because of my refusal to comply with that unlawful mandate i was relieved of command and then i i a few months later resigned altogether from the service so i ended up leaving the service in 2022 so i've been out for about three years um as i said i served a total of just a hair over 19 years of active duty And now I, in addition to my day job, I still continue to be outspoken about government overreach or outspoken in terms of encouraging others to stand up for truth and freedom.
SPEAKER 17 :
You know, and 19 years, so you were so close to pension, you don't have your pension. Is that correct?
SPEAKER 04 :
That is correct. So yeah, so I was about eight and a half months shy. So the way that I typically describe that is, Yes, it's true that I lost my retirement pension. That is true. Many may be aware that at 20 years of active service, you can qualify for your retirement pension. So, yeah, so I missed that by about eight and a half months. However, I like to say that I left the military service with my integrity intact and my oath to the Constitution unbroken.
SPEAKER 17 :
You know, it's always inspirational to meet people like you who are willing, were willing, and actually followed through with just sticking to your principles. And yes, absolutely, 100%. And I really respect that. now tell us about the current journey you are currently on you've been on the show talking about i think with and with dr jack who i i know as well from from different um shows during covid that i did with kim and dr jack it was always dr jack and dr jill which is a little you know That's a little silly. But he has a series of really great courses, and you are teaching one of those courses. So tell us a little bit about that, and let's go on, because you've got three really great things that you want to touch on that I can't wait for this discussion.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. So I met Dr. Jack in the summer of 2023, and many of your listeners are probably familiar with him, Dr. James Lyons Weiler. And he does. So he came out of the world of academia. Of course, he is a scientist. But over the last couple of years, he has established a pretty remarkable adult education forum, which is known as IPAC EDU. Now, the IPAC is an acronym that stands for the Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge. EDU is just the education arm of of that organization. And people can find that at the website, just ipac-edu.org. And again, IPAC is I-P-A-K. So the way that this started was it involved a series of courses that were primarily within the field of science. Of course, he's a scientist. Many of the other individuals that he invited to teach courses were also scientists. But over time, over the last five or six years, it has certainly expanded in terms of the catalog of courses offered. So in the summer of 2023, when he and I got to know each other, we started talking about maybe some additional courses, maybe even some humanities-type courses. So one of the courses that I developed was one that I launched in the fall of 2023, but that I am teaching again right now, and it is called Literature as Resistance. And the subtitle attached to that course is Recognizing, Unmasking, and Countering Totalitarian Tendencies. And here's what the course involves. It basically involves us studying some of the well-known dystopian texts, almost what you could consider to be the canon of dystopian texts. like 1984, which you referenced in that well-known Orwell quote, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451. There's also a Russian novel called We that we're going to read. But what the course involves is taking these texts, reading through them as a group, and then trying to use those as a type of interpretive lens to better understand what's happening in our world right now. Because as we well know, when we look at events that have transpired over the last couple of years, I don't think it is much of a stretch at all for us to say we have seen many elements of dystopia or totalitarianism within our own governments.
SPEAKER 17 :
Exactly. And just reading, I think I've read Atlas Shrugged three times and first time was 20 years ago or no, it's more than that. It's like 35 years ago. And then I read it again 20 years ago and again, you know, 10 or 15 years ago. And every time you're like, oh, my God, oh, my God, we're that much closer. We're that much closer. Right. Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, exactly. So what this involves is us just basically – my joke is that I refer to it as a book club for people of action. So we're not just reading the books to understand the books themselves. It's not literature for the sake of literature or understanding literature. we are using them as a vehicle to do something. We want to take the warnings that are inherent to these books. We want to understand the insights. We want to understand the commonalities between those books themselves, but then also what they have in common with much of what we're seeing today, right now, or in the last couple of years, so that then we can maybe have a little bit of a better foresight picture as to what may come ahead. And then, well, how do we get in front of that? How do we stop that? Or how do we at least prepare ourselves to deal better with it so that we can align ourselves with truth and preserve our freedoms?
SPEAKER 17 :
That's a great place to stop. And everybody stay tuned because we're going to keep going and we're going to kind of dovetail into some really interesting things with Brad. We have this conversation thanks to great sponsors like Second Syndicate.
SPEAKER 16 :
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SPEAKER 20 :
All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That's kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back. I am Jill Vecchio, and Kim is taking a very well-deserved day off. The website is Kim Monson. That's K-I-M-M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. You can sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter. You'll get a first look at all of our upcoming guests, as well as the most recent essays, which are always really, really good and very insightful. You can email Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Thank you for contributing to support our independent voice and the exercise of our right to freedom of speech. We're discussing some interesting stuff with Brad Miller. He's giving a course... going through kind of dystopian literature like 1984 and several other texts, but with an emphasis on kind of dystopian resistance and a call to action. Does that seem like a decent explanation, Brad?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I think that is the appropriate characterization of what we're going to do. We're we're reading these again, not just to read them and better understand the books themselves. That is a a vehicle for us to inform our own decision making and then make the decisions that are most appropriate for ourselves, our families, our communities and and ultimately our country. So that's and also it's. We're going to read some nonfiction as well. There are also plenty of other elements from history that we're also going to introduce into the course to kind of tie it in. So it is a pretty comprehensive, well-rounding course. But the core is, of course, those dystopian novels.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. And you and I talked about... And some other hosts on podcasts that you've been with have talked about kind of the reinstatement, the attempts to rebuild the military and maybe reinstate people who were kicked out like you or... encouraged to resign due to the COVID vaccine. And then you also talked about an Operation Gladio. So I have my notes that those were kind of next to each other. How would you address those? I'll let you explain what you mean by those.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. So we'll talk first about the reinstatement. So There have been some actions that have been performed by the Department of Defense, which now, of course, over the last couple of weeks has changed its name to the Department of War. So there have been some actions that the Department of War has performed ostensibly to try and repair a lot of the damage that was done through the unlawful COVID shot mandate. Now, first and foremost... The Secretary of Defense, now war, Pete Hegseth, has admitted both in writing and verbally that the mandate was unlawful as implemented, which people like me have been saying for years.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
So finally, the Pentagon has come out and unequivocally admitted that they also have. i would say they have misrepresented the amount of action that they have taken to try and repair the situation i'm not saying that they have done nothing they have not done nearly as much as they would like the public to believe that they have done so they have created a policy actually a series of policies for a reinstatement process focused on bringing some of these individuals back or at least inviting them to come back But again, they want the public focused on this number of about 8,600 service members who were kicked out involuntarily from the military. What the Pentagon does not want the public focused on is the much larger number of about 100,000 service members who left the service altogether. Some of them, involuntarily, they were kicked out against their will, and others... quote-unquote voluntarily, but even that term, I would say, must be applied very loosely because a lot of those individuals left after being subjected to all types of undue coercion, much of which itself was unlawful. And if we use my own situation as an example, technically, the military would consider me to have left voluntarily because I resigned. But this was after being asked to comply with an unlawful order, being asked to give an unlawful order to my own troops, and then relieving me of command when I failed to do so. So again, we're talking about someone being considered a voluntary separation from the military, but only after being subjected to a lot of unlawful coercion. Right. So the military has kind of separated these groups into the involuntary and the voluntary. Much of their efforts are focused on those who left involuntarily. So this group of 8,600... and not the much, much, much larger number of potentially 100,000 or more. But regardless, regardless of the distinctions that they make between those two groups, which are important because back pay is only being considered for that much smaller group, not for the larger group. But also, very, very, very low numbers of service members are even considering coming back. Why? Well, I would say it comes down to lost trust. Many people who left, they saw the way their leaders treated them. They saw the way that their leaders, even senior military leaders, broke the law, and they just do not want to return to the military. And so the Pentagon is in a situation where it can't get a lot of these people to come back. And so it has started to misrepresent the type of action that is performed to try and get people to come back because the truth is not very comforting to the American citizens.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. I think the military has... The average kind of military non-general has really good reasons for not believing that those generals supported them when the generals should have been standing up and saying no. The individual soldiers should not have had to take the stance that they did. It should have been the generals. It should have come from the top down.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's right. So now your rank and file service members realize that when push comes to shove, the senior military leaders, the generals and the admirals, will not stand up for their service members. They will not necessarily obey the law. And yes, they will openly violate their oaths to support and defend the Constitution. That's ultimately what this comes down to.
SPEAKER 17 :
Exactly. Yes, yes, yes. So, yes. And, you know, I think a lot of people maybe don't necessarily know that A service member is not required to obey an unconstitutional order. I don't think that gets discussed enough. Do you think?
SPEAKER 04 :
You're right. So this is something that is not very well understood. And it should be. It needs to be understood, I would say, better in the minds of the public. So, yes, the military is built on orders. Yes, you must maintain good order and discipline. Yes, you must obey orders that you do not like. Yes, you must obey orders that you even think are tactically unsound. And hopefully, before having to carry that out, you would have an opportunity to perhaps approach the issuing authority for that order and explain some of your hesitance about that order. Of course, there are situations in which that is possible and others in which it is not. However, all of that changes. when we talk about orders that are unlawful or unconstitutional or immoral and in fact the military does a pretty good job about teaching even its most junior service members that they are not obligated to follow unlawful orders. And in fact, they have a duty obligation to disobey those unlawful orders. So why did that not happen? Why did virtually all of our leaders in the military go along with the COVID shot mandate, which was unequivocally unlawful, but also disobeyed? Aside from the legal dubious nature, it was also incredibly harmful. And it was almost immediately obvious that it was incredibly harmful to our overall readiness state because of all the physical injuries, to include death, that it created.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, and you in the military and me in medicine were right in the same game because, exactly, it was medical malpractice. And the doctors just jumped right on. The corporate health care... machine force the doctors to do the same thing. So it was very much a parallel situation, I think, between the military and medicine, which is really a sad and nearly criminal kind of situation. Now, You mentioned this Operation Gladio, and it's not really the same as this, but in a way it's similar in that it raises... Questions about how truthful events are and what we can and can't trust when it comes to military operations and things like that. We can talk about it for a couple of minutes, then we're going to take a break and we come back. But I loved I really would love for you to explain to the listeners what this is.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so maybe before the break, I will just explain what Operation Gladio is, and then afterwards we can talk about why I use that as a historical analog to understand what's going on today. So Operation Gladio involves what were known as stay-behind networks. This is after World War II in Western Europe during the era that we now call the Cold War. And so this was all based on the premise that there is this huge looming threat from the Soviet Union and that the Soviet Union could invade westward into Western Europe. And of course, there was this specter of communism that was behind that. And so what happened was the CIA and then also the intelligence services from Britain, so the MI6, were heavily involved with a lot of the intelligence services from these nations in Western Europe through NATO. in basically setting up these secret paramilitary structures of individuals and weapons caches that would be there behind enemy lines in the event that the Soviets did invade westward and then take over Western Europe. But what ended up happening is they took... a lot of control of a lot of these European countries' intelligence services to a degree that a lot of functionaries in these governments did not even necessarily know to what extent their own intelligence services had been subverted to some degree by the CIA, MI6, etc., through NATO. And what they were doing is they ended up using these paramilitary networks a lot of times to... stage certain events to include false flag attacks and then blame them on leftist extremist groups that they would say were communist in nature and therefore supported by the Soviet Union. So in essence, because the invasion from the Soviet Union never came, ostensibly what they did was they invented that invasion. They basically said, well, we still have all of these communist threats here in our country. They're staging all these attacks, such as bombings of rail stations, etc. And what that did was it created a strategy of tension amid the public, where people realized at any moment in time, you could be an innocent victim of a bombing of just whatever public place you might be at on that day. And so that allowed a lot of these right-wing authoritarian governments, because of the public sentiment, the strategy of tension, it allowed a lot of these right-wing authoritarian governments to basically infringe on their own citizens' liberties through very authoritarian security measures. And the public, of course, went for it because the situation was so tense.
SPEAKER 17 :
Right. They're kind of creating boogeymen. And it also supports... I'm sure it was also used politically for funding, constantly spending crazy amounts of money on latest technology, increasing technology for military and military spending. It's a real manipulative thing. strategy to make people believe whatever you want them to believe and to justify whatever actions you may be doing in a subversive um in a subversive fashion right exactly yeah and i think to some degree this is quite analogous to a situation that we see playing out right now in our own country right before our very eyes Well, and I think we've seen it around the world. I mean, we know the CIA and the State Department, according to Victoria Nuland herself, under congressional testimony, said, yeah, you know, we've been involved in regime change in America. In Ukraine. Yeah. So that happened years ago and probably even more than once. Is it possible, Producer Joe, to take an early break? Okay, let's take a break a little bit early and then we'll come back and have a little bit more time to go into this a little bit deeper. We have this conversation thanks to great sponsors like Lauren Levy.
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SPEAKER 19 :
There's so much noise coming at us. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force. Force versus freedom. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at kimmonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
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SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back. I'm Jill Vacchio, and I'm pleased to host the show. Kim is out of the studio today, but I'm sure she's still working hard. She doesn't sit still for two seconds. Kim's website is kimmonson.com. That's K-I-M-M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for Kim's weekly email newsletter. You'll get first look at all her upcoming guests, as well as the most recent essays. Email Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Something that should be on your bucket list is to visit the Center for American Values located on the beautiful Riverwalk in Pueblo, Colorado. The Center for American Values was co-founded by Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix and Emmy Award winning documentary maker Brad Padula. The center is focused on honoring our Medal of Honor recipients and teaching and upholding the principles of America, which are honor, integrity, and patriotism. For more information, check out their website, americanvaluescenter.org. That's americanvaluescenter.org. We were talking about this Operation Gladio and how all of these intelligence, deep intelligence, MI6, CIA, all of these kind of spook organizations, as they say, have been operating in a – somewhat uh rogue fashion and it seems as if it's been increasing over several decades now um i've used the term before false flag with people and it can be a difficult term to explain do you want to explain what a false flag event is for people brad sure let's talk about that and then let's see if we can um
SPEAKER 04 :
In the remaining minutes that we have, explain how Gladio may apply, again, as a historical case study or as an analog to what we're seeing now. Okay. So a false flag, it's a naval term. And basically what it meant at the time that the term first came into use is that a ship might carry out an attack on another ship or a harbor or whatever. And in doing so, what they would do is they would literally raise a false flag or a flag representing some other country or entity to attribute the attack they were getting ready to carry out to that other entity or country or whatever. So that's what a false flag is. It's where something is done, but it is done in a way to mask the true perpetrator and attribute the action to some other individual or group. Great. And so the
SPEAKER 17 :
I always think of the movie Princess Bride, where the king hired some shady characters to kidnap his future bride, but they made it look as if a different country did it so they could start a war, right? That's kind of the Princess Bride false flag analogy.
SPEAKER 04 :
And that's how a lot of false flags have been used. They've been used as a pretext for, for war. We saw that with, you know, many people are aware of some of the kind of classic false flags throughout history that have been used for war, etc., to include World War II. But there are many other false flags that have happened throughout history, and many of these are now admitted. And so, With Gladio, what we saw was some of these false flags were used so that people would then respond in a way that increased tension that then allowed for a lot of these security measures that, absent those false flags, would have never been permitted by the people. They just would have never allowed their government representatives to get away with that. But let's tie this to the quotation that you used at the very beginning of today's show, at least with me, where you said, Quoted Orwell from 1984, it's this classic quotation that many people are familiar with that says, who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. So there's kind of this interesting relationship, according to Orwell, between these various points on the timeline. And so what he is saying is, In order to control the future, you have to control the past. But to control the past, you've got to control the present. So whoever is in control right now, what do they do? Through their control of history, through them pushing certain narratives of history, they can then shape the future. So that's the way that we have to understand it. So what does this have to do with Gladio? There are a couple of things, just to use a term that many people are familiar with because it's just become so common in household speech these days. Let's just talk very briefly about the deep state and what that name means. Because that name, interestingly enough, It's not an American term. It actually comes from Turkey, and it largely comes from this same time period in which we're kind of talking about Gladio. So several decades ago, kind of during the Cold War era. But it's a term that came from Turkey, and what it means, of course, is like this secret nexus of intelligence services, military, secret police, secret societies. and that they together kind of form this secret network that becomes almost the true levers of governance, the deep state, the state behind the state. But what has happened is, as that term has become imported into the West, largely through the work of Professor Peter Dale Scott, and this wasn't his intention, But it has kind of lost its meaning. And we have come to associate the deep state with either just bureaucracy in general, which is not what it means, or just leftists or the Democrats. And in reality, this is a uniparty phenomenon. And it is important that we understand that because here is the danger if we don't. Because a lot of Christians and many other conservatives, a lot of times if they fail to see where the true problem lies, then it just becomes harder to address it. Now, I myself am a Christian. I'm also very, very conservative. So I completely understand some of the problems that can come from the left. And I think we do need to be on guard about that. However, if we focus all of our problems on the left, and this is why I kind of – Use this case study with Gladio. If we just focus all of our problems on the left, we may not realize that we may be in a situation which we're being manipulated to focus there and that the same people that are causing those problems that supposedly come from the left. are the ones that are getting us to focus our attention there, when in reality they may also cause the response that is coming from the right. So in this country, I do think that we very much are controlled by a uniparty. It's important that we understand that and that we don't get sucked into kind of a false interpretation of certain events that happen and that we allow our emotions to get manipulated in such a way that we focus on an enemy that is not necessarily the true enemy, because that's not actually going to get us into a situation in which we are aligning with truth and preserving our freedoms.
SPEAKER 17 :
And the way that you put it, I love the way that you put it, because Kim and I have talked on the show many times about that actually most Americans agree on more things than they disagree on, but the things that we disagree on are the only things that anybody wants us to talk about. That's right. Right? And so the uniparty agenda, it serves both sides because as long as Republicans can convince us through fear and innuendo or whatever that the left is out to get us, then we are supposed to give the Republicans money, right? That's how they make money. If they solved all the problems, they may not get reelected because nobody's going to give them money. And it's always done through fear. And it's kind of like never let a good crisis go to waste. But in so many instances, I think we can say they actually create the crisis purposely so that... They can use that crisis, as you said, in order to increase the restrictions at the airport, right? Stuff like that.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's exactly right. And in this kind of neo-Gladio style that I'm kind of painting it up in, a lot of times the left or groups in the left, which are extremists, I'm not saying that some of these aren't problems. I'm not saying that. But they become the avatars of chaos. to then get good conservative people, many of whom are Christians, to then, because they get whipped up into their emotions, that's why this is called a strategy of tension, they then permit the infringement upon their own liberties that they would never ever permit, absent some of these moments of chaos that are being orchestrated. at bottom by the exact same people who are also pushing these security measures. So it's the old dialectical construct of problem, reaction, solution, where the people that are ultimately causing the problem are the same ones who are offering you the solution. But if we get so whipped into the frenzy, then we don't realize that the solution that is being offered is not a true solution. It was a predetermined agenda that had been decided upon long ago before the so-called problem was launched. That doesn't mean that the problem isn't a problem. It is still a problem, but what it probably means is that the solution is not a solution. So anyway, I'm rambling a little bit there, but hopefully that made some sense.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, exactly. And in one of today's headlines that I didn't get a chance to address, in the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said, proposed digital ID will be mandatory for work. And they blame, they say, oh, well, we have to make, you have to have this digital ID, number one, which, you know, I think that's a whole other show in itself. You have to have this digital ID card or something on your phone, a digital ID, that really is for a totally different purpose. But they said, we're going to make it mandatory. In other words, you can't have a job unless you have this digital ID. And we're doing that to protect British citizens from illegal immigrants taking their jobs. Right? So they create this immigration problem or they decide to use the immigration problem. I think they most likely are just using the immigration problem in order to that you have to have a digital ID and we're doing it for your safety, right? Which is just ludicrous. It's just crazy. So yeah, I think that you have, and all these, Colorado at the airport, they're here, now voluntary, here, start using your digital ID. And Colorado is one of the few states that's starting to embrace that right now. Be careful, folks. And I'm so glad you talked about this, Brad, because people need to start communicating you know, opening their eyes and getting their antenna up about this. And I want to thank you, Brad. We're getting to the end of the show here. Thank you so, so much for giving us all this great information and kind of insight into how things work.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thanks so much for having me on. It was a great conversation.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you, Brad. Take care and have a great day. Thank you. The final quote, there was truth and there was untruth. And if you clung to the truth, even against the whole world, you were not mad. That's again from the book 1984 by George Orwell. So today, be grateful. Read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate, and listen well. Live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. You are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America, and thanks for letting me join you today, folks.
SPEAKER 09 :
This is my right
SPEAKER 10 :
talking about
SPEAKER 02 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
In this episode of Rush to Reason, host John Rush delves into the intricacies of Colorado's open primary system. With guest insights from Eli Bremmer, listeners will explore the legal and practical implications of opting out of this system, how it affects candidate selection, and the broader consequences for Colorado's political landscape. John and his guests provide a comprehensive breakdown on why understanding these dynamics is crucial for both local candidates and voters. Listeners will also enjoy lighter moments, such as celebrating John's birthday and discussing historical innovations like Volvo's generous release of their three-point seatbelt patent aimed at saving lives. As always, advertisements for local services are woven in, providing resources for community-focused solutions. Join John, Andy Pate, and other experts as they navigate the often murky waters of political strategy, voter intentions, and how grassroots movements can sometimes become entangled with the entrenched interests they seek to disrupt. This episode promises to inform and engage anyone interested in the mechanics of modern democracy.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 13 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 03 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 13 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did.
SPEAKER 07 :
Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 13 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 06 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush, presented by Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right. Happy Tuesday, everybody. Welcome Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Myself, Andy Pate, Charlie Grimes, of course, our engineer. And a question of the day here in a moment, but how's Andy today? Andy is doing well, sir. How are you? It's a great day outside.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, it's a great day for you. Aren't you going to say why?
SPEAKER 15 :
No, just another day.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, never mind. Okay.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's my birthday today. It's just another day, Andy.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's John's birthday.
SPEAKER 15 :
When you get this old, it's just another day, Andy.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, it's amazing, folks. You wouldn't believe how old he looks right now. You can just tell. Once this day hit.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right. It's over.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Happy birthday, John. Thank you, Andy. I appreciate that. And several of you have texted me as well, and thank you as well. I appreciate that greatly. But really, I am serious. To me, it's just another day. Kids all came over on Sunday. We had a good time celebrating and all of that, so that was great. Did your wife get you a walker? It's coming.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's on order.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right.
SPEAKER 15 :
I hope I don't need one of those anytime soon. Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right. Yesterday's question of the day. What patent did Volvo give away in 1962 to save lives? One person texted and had the right answer. The three-point seat belt. Charlie, yesterday said seat belt, but it's the three-point seat belt, the shoulder harness that keeps you from flying forward, keeps your body upright. They gave that away to the rest of the automotive world to save lives.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's pretty great, isn't it?
SPEAKER 15 :
Pretty kind of them to do that, actually.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Their statement was, few people have saved as many lives as Nils Bohlen. And they are right. Nils Bohlen is the little-known Volvo engineer who invented the V-type three-point seat belt in 1959, saw his innovation through to universal adoption across the motor industry. His new cross-strap design made seat belts much easier to use, much safer as well. It is hard to imagine now cars without them. And yes, it is. Well, we owe a lot to them. Good job, Nils. All right. Today's impossible question of the day. Which composer's final symphony is known as the choral symphony? Charlie, know that answer? No? Do you know that answer? It's known as the choral symphony. The choral symphony.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, golly. I don't know. Mozart?
SPEAKER 15 :
Nope. Okay. Anyways, good answer, though. All right, we've got a lot to talk about today because Andy's going to give us an update on what he did over the weekend, which there's a lot of things going on in regards to the Colorado GOP, the meeting that was this past Saturday. It all involved, not all, but a good portion of the meeting involved the open primary system that we have in Colorado. There are certain individuals inside of the party. Andy and I have talked about this in depth, but maybe you haven't heard us talk about it before. But there's a certain amount of individuals inside of the Colorado GOP that would like to see the open primary go away. And really quick, for those of you that maybe don't know our system, maybe you're new to Colorado, maybe you're just listening to us for the first time, thank you, by the way, for that. We appreciate it. In Colorado, it was voted upon. It was a ballot initiative voted on by all of the voters in Colorado, not just a single party or by both parties, but by everyone involved. in this in the you know anybody that could vote voted on this particular issue right and it wasn't so it wasn't like written in and imposed by the legislature it was the voters this was a ballot initiative and i'm not going to get into the details of where that came from because it doesn't matter it was a ballot initiative it made it onto the ballot it was voted overwhelmingly By the majority of Coloradans that they wanted an open primary system, meaning that if you're a unaffiliated voter, as we call them in Colorado, if you're unaffiliated voter, you can vote in either one, the Democrat or the Republican primary. You get to choose you like Charlie. Charlie's unaffiliated. He gets both ballots. So when it comes to the primary, you get both ballots, Democrat or Republican. You can't vote in both.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right, you can pick one or the other.
SPEAKER 15 :
There's a misconception that these people get to vote in both. No, you pick one or the other. And the argument against open primary is that those people that are unaffiliated, maybe they're really truly Democrats, they can actually vote in the primary. On the GOP side, on the Republican side, they can actually vote in that primary and skew those elections on the primary side. And Andy and I have argued this one. We'll do a little bit more of this today. The reality is that's a really, really weak policy. because at the end of the day, typically if those people do – because the argument is, well, we can't get the people we want elected. The caucus system we have and these particular individuals that we want to get elected, we can't get them elected because all of these people vote against us In the primaries. Actually, it's the opposite is true, Andy. Yes. Most of the time, those particular Democrats that are actually coming over to the Republican side to vote in the primary will likely vote for those of you that actually pick the ones through caucus, because frankly, they're in most cases, not all, but in most cases, especially in the big elections, they're the worst candidate. Well, yeah. And by the way, even let's say even if they weren't the worst candidate, they are. But they are.
SPEAKER 05 :
But even if they weren't, the Democrats think they are. That's all that matters. There is no question, and we always use Ron Hanks as the example because it's just such an obvious one.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's an easy one.
SPEAKER 05 :
The Democrats look at these, shall we say, liberty, quote-unquote, grassroots, badly used.
SPEAKER 15 :
Liberty candidates is a good way to say it.
SPEAKER 05 :
Badly used term, but grassroots. But that's what they look at. Okay. And I say Davidian just because it wraps up that whole group together, supporters of Dave Williams. Okay. The Democrats look at those candidates as far easier to beat. If the Democrats are going to intrude on our primary, they are going to vote for those candidates because those are the ones they're going to want to face. And as proof of that, they even donate money and spend a ton of money on ads helping those candidates.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right. Great point.
SPEAKER 05 :
And yet the supporters of those candidates are complaining that Democrats in our primaries are killing their candidates. It's exactly the opposite.
SPEAKER 15 :
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Right. Nothing. And it's it's by the way, I'll just say this. I don't care. I'll say this on air. You're delusional if you think otherwise. I'm using those words on purpose. Literally, you are delusional if you think that's not the way this works. In other words, you've got your head in the sand. You've got cognizant dissidence so bad that you can't see reality because you think that this is the way it is when, in fact, it's the opposite of what you think.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. And they can't even defend themselves. I've had a number of people who will say, what makes you think that Ron Hanks would not have won? And I calmly say, no problem. Let me give you a list. I list several reasons. In each case, they run away.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 05 :
They never debated.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. All right. We're going to get into more of that, so that was just our kickoff to this. Don't worry, we'll be back in a moment. Dr. Scott is up next. He is my doctor, by the way. He would love to be your doctor as well, and he does things way different than the average doctor does. Call him today, 303-663-6990.
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SPEAKER 03 :
Country. Reason. Now back to John Rush.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Giving a recap of what happened this past Saturday. Andy gave a pretty good rundown. We'll get into more of the details of it. Eli Bremmer joining us now because Eli's, well, Eli, first of all, thank you for joining us. Second of all, you're a, you know, I would say an expert when it comes to the legalities of a lot of things that happen, even though there's a lot of folks out there that would accuse you of not knowing what you're doing. I would argue that and say, yeah, there's not often you're wrong when it comes to the legal aspects of things.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, thanks, John. It's great to be on your show again. And I really appreciate the service you do to talk about these things, because I think it's important for Colorado voters to be educated about what's actually going on because this really affects all of us.
SPEAKER 15 :
Correct. Absolutely, it sure does. Okay, so Andy, you gave the recap.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, yeah, I gave the recap online. And first of all, before we go any further, I want to credit Eli Bremmer and Todd Watkins for guiding me in a lot of that, guiding me to the sources, where to get the information to make sure I had this right.
SPEAKER 15 :
Make sure you said it correctly.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I've got a Facebook post out that people can read. But Eli, before we get into that, I just want to read to you From your favorite news source and mine, Rhino Watch.
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, jeez, those clowns.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay. And I kid, of course.
SPEAKER 12 :
It could be worse. It could be MSNBC.
SPEAKER 05 :
Is that worse?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, I'm not sure.
SPEAKER 15 :
I'm pretty equal, I think.
SPEAKER 05 :
Pretty equal. I think it's a tie. It's a dead heat. Okay, listen to this. Here it goes. Free at last, free at last, the Colorado GOP finally opts out of the disastrous semi-open primary. At Saturday's State Central Committee, the Colorado GOP voted overwhelmingly to opt out of the semi-open primary imposed on us a decade ago by the Democrats. While some on the left, they're talking about us, are trying to confuse or deny the victory long sought by the majority of our party, the facts are simple and undeniable. In April of last year, at the Colorado Republican Convention, over 90% of the delegates voted to get rid of the semi-open primary and instructed the SCC, which just met this past Saturday, to notify the Secretary of State as required by law. Okay. Eli, would you like to comment on that? So what they're basically saying is, and I was at the meeting, they said that because of this vote that was held at the SCC in April of 2024, that vote forced the SCC, which we just which we I'm sorry. I mixed them up after a while, okay? The convention. The convention vote. The convention vote, April 24th, forced us last Saturday to approve the opt-out. Is that true?
SPEAKER 12 :
No. Okay. Well, thanks for joining us, Eli.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's good. Really quick, I know you guys are the experts on this, and Andy was actually at the meeting. But, Eli, I know how things work when it comes to boards and committees and different things along those lines. You cannot say today, I'm going to impose in perpetuity my decision today moving forward, no matter who else gets elected and who else comes along. That can't happen, Eli. It doesn't work that way. Am I correct in what I'm saying?
SPEAKER 12 :
No, 100 percent. But I also want to back up to the first falsehood that you read there, Andy, was that a majority of Republicans want this. That's simply not true.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's not true.
SPEAKER 12 :
The vast, vast, vast majority of Republicans want to be able to vote on their candidates. And so that's pretty important. Now, I'm going to give a trigger warning. If you've got snowflakes out there that don't like how the law actually works, probably want to tune this out. But the supreme law of the land is the Constitution. Under that, you get federal law, you have state law, you've got local laws, and then you have inside a corporation bylaws. And you cannot violate the laws that are above you. The state law can't violate federal law. and bylaws cannot supersede state law. So what you have here is a group of really progressive Republicans, and we've talked about this on your show for several years, who believe that they have the right to interpret the rules in whatever fashion that they want based on really their emotional whims, and they can't win at the ballot box. Their ideas are clearly failed. They want to cancel the primary, and obviously the people that vote in the primary, which is a whole lot of Republicans, don't want to cancel the primary. So the whole thesis behind this was that they would use a state convention, which has a couple thousand people in it, to usurp the will of a million Republicans who are protected under state law. So this is basically saying a private corporation can manipulate its own rules, because they violated their own rules in trying to do this, and then disqualify a state law. Thank God we live in a republic because, folks, that just doesn't fly here. If you're a corporation, you cannot violate the law. If you're the state law, you can't violate federal law.
SPEAKER 05 :
And Eli, really quick here. I read in detail today the state law. I've read it before, but I read it again. The state law on the Colorado's open primary. Nowhere does it say that the convention or assembly can override the state central committee. It says in no uncertain terms, if you want to opt out of the open primary, you must get 75%. of the total membership of your state central committee to vote for it. There's nothing else put in there. There's no, oh, but if you want to override this and change this rule, you can do that at your state convention. There's nothing in there like that. They totally invented this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Andy, this is the progressive wing of the Republican Party that believes that the end justifies the means and that they get to do whatever they want based on their emotional whims. And really, this comes down to a fundamental problem that we've got in this state, which is that there's a small group of people that ironically call themselves the grassroots, who are really the deep entrenched establishment. They don't help our candidates win. They don't raise money for our candidates.
SPEAKER 15 :
I want to back up for one moment, too, in what you're saying, because, by the way, you're a thousand percent correct. And I couldn't agree with you any more than what you're saying. I'll go one step further, though. They also suck at picking candidates because they pick candidates just like them. They can't reach the market.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, that's exactly true. And, you know, they have a horrible history of picking candidates that, frankly, you know, have never been vetted. They you know, their finances are often a disaster. You know, they have personal problems, things that Colorado voters – Colorado voters are smart people. We're probably the third most educated state in the country. And so, you know, when – a couple years ago when I was running the Senate, you know, we had a candidate that was supported by this, you know, insider establishment cabal who would just go around and say, you know, lunatic things that just simply weren't true and, you know, had – issues and background and stuff like that, but they're okay with that and they don't want to do vetting. And if you think vetting is not important, look at the New Jersey gubernatorial race where Mikey Sherrill, who's had a number of flip-ups, is looking to potentially lose what should be a given Democrat seat. Okay, so this is not a left-wing, right-wing, Republican-Democrat issue. Voters don't like it when candidates lie to them. They don't like it when candidates have financial issues in their background that could affect their their time in office um there's a reason why we vet candidates to make sure that you know you went to the schools you said you went to and you you know you held the jobs that you say you held i mean it's just basic stuff and remember when we had remember when we had dan mays we did that right he was a He was the establishment, you know, the real establishment, these sort of party insiders. Right. They picked him. You know, they didn't bother checking to see if he'd gone to the college where he said he went to. Kind of basic stuff, but, you know, that matters. But, you know, folks, that's the problem with our system. And what we're seeing is a symptom of really the worst governance model in the country, which is the Colorado caucus system. You have most of our listeners... I'm sure are going to be good conservatives. They care deeply about their families, their communities, their jobs. And the meeting this weekend was described to me by someone who has been to more political meetings than I have as the worst dumpster fire he had ever seen. It was. And look, good people don't have time for that. Good people are tending to their families. And so this is simply a result of bad governance. And I like to point out the problem with socialism isn't that we don't have the right people running it. The problem with socialism is you can't have good people running it. And as long as we have this this asinine caucus system in our state, which is the only state left with this kind of caucus system, you're going to have a group of they're not really radicals. They're just insider corrupt. You know, they are the establishment. who care way more about getting their friend to be the candidate, largely because they feel like they can bleed money off into their own pockets if they do that, than they do about caring about, you know, are we winning? Guys, we won four out of eight congressional seats today. And zero were picked by this.
SPEAKER 15 :
I know Andy wants to say something, but I just want to interject really quick. I want to add one more word, Eli, to what you just said about these particular individuals as a description. They're also ignorant in a lot of ways, especially in what the state of Colorado and the voters here want.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, completely. But, John, to be honest, I don't think they care.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, they don't. They don't care.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, you're right. It is about their power.
SPEAKER 15 :
It's really, Eli and Andy, it's blind ignorance. I mean, they've got this mantra that they're heading down this path, come hell or high water. It doesn't make any difference what else comes along. It doesn't make any difference what other facts are out there. I don't care what the market wants. I don't care even what the voters of Colorado want, which is the market, by the way. But at the end of the day, we're voting this way because we're right, you're wrong.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and also because, as Eli says, they want the money. That's right. You get a lot of money. Well, Eli, really quick.
SPEAKER 12 :
Let's point out, these were the never Trumpers. It's quite literally the same people.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, they were the Ted Cruz people. Good point.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, okay. So let's be real honest here. Donald Trump has revolutionized the Republican Party. He's the most significant political figure, I believe, since World War II, okay? And if you don't think he's the best politician in America in terms of his political skill, you need to really ask yourself the question, are you using fair analysis? And these people literally stood up at the convention in 2016 and said, we're going to try to keep Trump from getting elected president. They don't have a good track record.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and once again, let's get back to the power thing, because you were saying that they are all into wanting the caucus. And on Saturday when I was there, they came out and openly stated they want the primary gone and they want our candidates chosen through caucus and assembly. Less than 1% of Colorado Republicans attend caucus and assembly. So that means they want our candidates chosen by 1% of one party. And that's how they believe that it's going to reach the market. Let me ask you something. How can you want a system that is not wanted by 99% of your party and still claim to be representing the grassroots. How can the 1% be the grassroots, Eli? I thought the 99% were the grassroots.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it's because all animals on the farm are created equal, but some are more equal than others. Oh, my bad. And I will tell you, if these folks had their way, I can tell you three candidates who would have lost, Congressman Jeff Crank, Congressman Jeff Hurd, Congressman Gabe Evans, and I can tell you one who would have won, which would be House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries. So we don't really have to guess. they are not interested in helping Donald Trump govern with a majority in the House. Let me be really clear. We have a majority in the House because of Colorado, and had these caucus establishment insiders had their way, Hakeem Jeffries would have been the Speaker of the House. Guaranteed. Guaranteed.
SPEAKER 15 :
Eli, I mean, and Andy, you can answer this too, but are they... I mean, I have a hard time believing it at times, guys, because, I mean, yes, I know they're fairly ignorant in certain areas. And I mean, that's in the most sincere of ways. They're ignorant in finances as far as how they handle some of their own and picking candidates and on down the line we go. But I guess ultimately I have a hard time. believing that they really feel like their way at the end of the day moves the football forward in Colorado because Eli and Andy both, you guys, there isn't a single data point out there that would tell you that they are on track in the area that I just mentioned. In other words, if you go their direction... You lose everything. I mean, we don't have a snowball's chance if you go their direction. They can't be that dumb to believe that's the case, Eli, or am I wrong?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, let me really quick here. Eli, let's split it into two groups. It's their leaders and candidates, and then their peoples, the hordes, their backers.
SPEAKER 15 :
I'll give you that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Their backers do believe they can win. But they can't. I know they can't, but I believe they're, by backers, I mean they're supporters of the people you debate on Facebook.
SPEAKER 15 :
They're cheerleaders.
SPEAKER 05 :
But they're leaders and candidates. I think they know they can't. Go ahead, Eli.
SPEAKER 12 :
Look, I'm just going to be brutally harsh and honest here. I wrote an op-ed. a couple years ago where I said the problem with the caucus system is its incentives. The people with the least opportunity costs are the ones who have the highest propensity to spend the most time here. Right. Meaning I run a company. I'm actually at a trade show today with my housing company that I launched last year. I've got a lot of other things I have to do. Yeah, I know the feeling. These folks are, you know, writ large, you know, they're lesser employed, have lesser family situations. Yep. And it's an economic definition. I mean, I was an econ major in college, and we studied this. We studied economic interest. And so what you wind up with is the people running this are the people who, frankly, if I were picking for my corporate governance at one of my companies, the worst people I could imagine. You're self-selecting for the people who have the lowest opportunity cost. And for the five or ten people out there that are avid caucus goers whose brains are exploding right now and furious with me, This is a mathematically provable statement. The caucus system rewards those with the least opportunity cost, which is the opposite. So, John, that's why they actually will pass a lie detector test because we have free screen for a system... that quite literally brings the least productive, least accomplished people to the forefront.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and I want to add one thing to what you just said, because Andy and I have talked about this many times. This is also where you attract all the political grifters from around the country, because we've got a horde of them here, Eli, where they are not even Colorado, not even close to being a native. They've been here five, six, seven years, and all of a sudden they're ingrained in our political system in Colorado. And I'll just be straight up honest, they have no clue what's gone on in Colorado over the last several decades. So in my opinion, am I wrong in saying it attracts political grifters as well?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it does, and there's an entire ecosystem around it. You've got companies that make millions and millions of dollars a year on petition gathering. This is why they don't want a liberalized, and I use that in the classical sense, a liberalized ballot access system where you could go out with a group of volunteers and collect the signatures on a weekend to run for state house or even U.S. Congress. you're dealing with probably a $10 million per year petitioning infrastructure here. And there are people, these political consultants, have no interest in us winning elections. They have an interest in protecting their
SPEAKER 15 :
uh their finances and and they've sold us out they have they have you're right it's a pretty insidious system no and i'm going to push the break off just because this is too good to just stop midstream so we'll just keep going i'll combine some breaks here for for you eli i know you're at a trade show you're working i'll honor your time as well in doing so but as you know this is a big deal to me personally because this particular group of people that are, and I think you guys are correct, and it's really even less than the 1%, because Andy's right. It's a small, small group of people, even inside the 1% that go to caucus and assembly, that somehow brainwash and convince the remaining 1% that this is the direction we all need to head. It really, I don't know the exact numbers, Eli, but I'm I'm guessing and being around some of these people and even interviewing some of these folks over the years and being close to them for really the past decade plus here on air, Eli, I will tell you that we're probably talking about 100 or less people that are really in control of what you're talking about. Am I wrong in my thought process?
SPEAKER 12 :
I think that's probably accurate when you look at sort of the statewide setup.
SPEAKER 15 :
Meaning, really quick, if we go down the path that they're wanting to go down, you talk about the elite, quote-unquote, I'm using that not in the elite term of money and so on, but it's the elite of the party, 100 or so, that are going to dictate to the entire state of Colorado, Republican, conservative, end of things, how things work.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, and what they typically do is they'll go off and recruit the most naive people they can find with no opportunity cost for their time. And so you've got a small group of these leaders. They find some sheep to follow them, and the sheep are naive, and they don't know that they're being led to the slaughter by these folks. And what you'll notice is that it's that tiny little group, and it may be well under 100, who are sort of the core group. And then they'll have their sheep, and about two years in, three years in, the sheep get very disillusioned, realize they've been lied to, and they leave because it's a really horrible system. And it sort of feeds off itself. But how scary is that, that it's a state of its prominence? I mean, guys, right now, looking at the national polls, Colorado should be in striking zone of a Republican governor and flipping a Republican Senate seat. And I will tell you, at the national level, people are looking at it and saying, until you guys fix your governance problems, until your Republican Party gets their act put together, We have trouble seeing that we can win in Colorado versus New Jersey. New Jersey.
SPEAKER 15 :
Wow. That's amazing. Sorry, you took the words out of my mouth, Andy. That is amazing. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is amazing. Here's the bottom line. Look, that group, okay, and I call them Davidians. You can call them what you want. I don't know. They know that they can overrun the 1% with their activists. Correct. Okay, that's why they want the 1%. To decide at caucus, to decide who our candidates are, not the 99% in the primary because they can't overrun the 99%. What I saw Saturday was the result of caucus and assembly. I saw the state party, 60% of it is run by Democrats. crazies and i mean i'm serious i'm sorry but they these people were not rational they were screaming they were shouting they were yelling it was an absolute rage fest it was unlike anything i've ever seen in my life and this is what they put up there i have i have had homeless people scream out at me on street corners who are more rational than what i heard much of the time out there it was incredible go ahead let me tell you who republicans are nationally
SPEAKER 12 :
They're the people that I sat with in my church, and I put a Facebook post about this, after Charlie Kirk was viciously assassinated, who, praise God, worshipped him, and who didn't go out and yell at people. Right. The liberals went out and rioted and burned cities down.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 12 :
The behavior this last weekend of the self-declared leaders of the Republican Party aligns with the far-left Antifa activists who go out there and yell and burn things. That's what I was thinking.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah. If you if you go look at the video, the media and post it online and you tell me, is that actually the Republican Party? The Republican Party is made up of good men and women who fear God, who believe in traditional conservative values, who are self-controlled, who are respected by their neighbors. And these people are the antithesis of that. And I want to come back to it's not about them. It's about the system. And like I said before, it's socialism will never work because the incentives are wrong. And until Colorado changes its governance system, we get rid of guys. We are the last state in the country that utilizes this type of a caucus system. Forty nine other states got rid of it or got to better systems than we did. And at some point, we're going to have to get together, we're going to have to raise the money, and we're going to have to get rid of this governance system.
SPEAKER 15 :
That was going to be my next question, Eli. So walk us through, how would that work? If you were able to wave a magic wand, how would that work?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I would let people who want to run for office run for office, because what this is about is these folks can't win elections. And so what they do is they try to use weird archaic outdated rules to keep people from running for office who can win.
SPEAKER 15 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 12 :
So instead of, again, it's like socialism. Instead of making yourself good, you drag everybody else down. So I would, I know this is a crazy idea, if you want to run for office, I'd have a very small ballot hurdle. If you want to run for Congress and you can collect 1,000 signatures, actually right now that is the threshold you should. Statewide it costs about a million dollars to hire one of these petition firms to get on the ballot, and that's with hard money. I take that down and say it should be 5,000 signatures. I can go collect 5,000 signatures with 50 volunteers in a weekend. If you're serious and you want to run for office, you should be able to run for office. And then don't let the self-appointed leaders, air quote, leaders of the party. who have failed us at every turn, stop good candidates from getting on the ballot. Because the reason we have trouble attracting really good, bright, fresh new leaders to run for office, if they take one look at the system and say, they'll look at the video from this last weekend and say, wait a second, those people determine on whether or not I make the ballot? I don't want to be in the same room with them.
SPEAKER 15 :
I've thought of doing numerous things, politically speaking, and the challenge is exactly what you just said. Given what I've done, given how outspoken I've been against those particular individuals, there's not a snowball's chance of me ever getting past that end of things, period.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, there's no way you could go to all the Republicans in the state, which is close to a million people, right, and tell them, hey, if you want to vote on who your candidate is in a primary... You can't do it anymore. You have to go through the whole caucus process. I don't think you'd get 10% of them who like that.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, and I would get rid of the whole caucus process and say, if you want to run for office, take your message to the people directly. We've got social media. It doesn't take tons of money to do this. I mean, look at Donald Trump. I mean, his first campaign was very underfunded. They used social media to get out there. His campaign Third campaign, they used TikTok like nobody had. So we're at a time now where you don't need these political insiders to prescreen candidates. I would say take your case to the primary voters. And let's get these, you know, feckless, corrupt insiders out of the process, because when you do that, you're going to incentivize good people to run. And, you know, I use this. My face got rubbed in this, you know, three years ago when the political insiders, partly because I've spoken out against them, said, we don't want you on the ballot. I got a call the next week saying the National Republicans had polling yesterday. that showed that I was very, very close to the incumbent candidate who wound up winning by quite a lot, and that the person who won that assembly was pulling 17 points down. And I'll tell you something, those assembly voters couldn't have cared less about winning. No. They're activists. Yeah, they're trying to make a statement. They're not trying to make a policy change. And, you know, I've been trying to help us recruit good Senate candidates here right now where, you know, we don't have anybody who's credible running for the Senate. We don't have anybody who's running for attorney general in a year where these are races that we should be able to win. And good people are looking at it and saying, I'm not going to put myself up for judgment by people who act like Antifa, not like people who act like the Republicans who went to church and praised God and cried after Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
SPEAKER 15 :
OK, so all of what you just said, by the way, makes total sense, Eli. But still, how does that eliminate caucus?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, what it does is caucus is no longer about ballot access. It's about ballot denial. And that's why they're so dead set to end the primary.
SPEAKER 15 :
So then, OK, I mean, I get that. Then how does, though, again, at the end of the day, how does caucus go away?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it becomes irrelevant in the State House House to eventually, you know, would it need to be? Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. Would it need to be a ballot amendment? Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I'm not being very clear here, I guess. Legally speaking, how does that change get made at that point?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, there are parts of it that are baked into the Constitution. Parts of it are in state law. And so the problem we face right now is the state House and state Senate lack the political will to go modernize our election system. The Democrats don't flat out don't want to. And half of our, not quite half of our Republicans in the House and Senate. can't get jobs elsewhere, and they use the caucus as job preservation. So realistically, if you take away the incentive to do caucus as ballot denial, then the people in the State House and State Senate right now who are too scared of running the legislation to modernize our ballot access would probably be emboldened to go out and say, okay, let's finally go fix this. Because everybody knows it's a terrible system.
SPEAKER 15 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 12 :
um you know everybody you know behind closed doors like oh yeah this this thing's a dumpster fire but they're scared of the angry mob attacking them eli you know if you take eli really quick here i think the democrats are against getting rid of the caucus system because they love how it's destroying the republican party yeah that way that it ensures them a win in a lot of cases eli uh i'll tell you uh just wait until jared paul's jared paul is let's not forget, is somewhere around a billionaire. He's probably one of the most sophisticated political people I've ever come across.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 12 :
And he was who set the system up so that he could become governor. He has so much money that he has been able to swamp the system and control it. He is exiting stage left. He's done. And if you want to see the chickens come home to roost, watch the fringe lunatics. You know, we're going to start seeing Colorado's version of Mondami pop up here through the caucus system. True. And they're going to start primarying. It's coming home to roost with the left, and just mark my words, this cycle or next cycle, you're going to start seeing the few moderate Democrats out there be overthrown by fringe lunatics like AOC and Mondami.
SPEAKER 15 :
So the same thing is going to happen to them as it's happened to us, in other words.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, and let me tell you, that's crazy left-wing and crazy right-wing don't balance each other out.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, they do not.
SPEAKER 12 :
Principled conservatives who can have conversations like Charlie Kirk did, talking to pragmatic people on the left, can do a whole lot better. And guess what? That's probably where our state's going to have to wind up. We're not going to be Texas. We're not going to be Florida. OK, but if we can get back to, you know, winning the governor's race every other cycle.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, but, you know, can we be like can we be Arizona, for example? That's that's the question I would have, because I don't look at them being like Texas or Florida. They are Arizona. And I'd be fine even being like them.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, we're Nevada. I mean, that's another great one.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 12 :
So, you know, but but we're like we're not like California. We're like San Francisco. And that's the problem. the ruling party is that far out of touch with the citizens, there should be a rebound effect. But because of the caucus system and because of the sort of the fringe that controls that, we put terrible candidates forward who the average mom and dad in Colorado look at and say, well, that, you know, I don't like the policies of the Democrat, but my gosh, the Republican is just a bad person. And that's not where you want to be. We should be putting up good people. We should be putting up people who are principled, ethical, above reproach, articulate, and this is not who we're producing with this current system.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, we're not. You're exactly right. One of the complaints I've had on this program for years is I have interviewed so many of them, and I'll just say it straight up, and I'm not trying to be rude to anybody, Eli, but I've had so many candidates that have rolled through here that I have interviewed on our side of the aisle. that when I'm done with the interview, I'm literally shaking my head, and sometimes I'll even tell Charlie in his microphone, this is, of course, all off air, they don't have a snowball's chance of winning. And it's all because of everything you just said. I can just sense from lack of articulation, lack of knowing what the actual things are. I mean, they get their two or three talking points, that's all they're able to run on. They can't answer any questions outside of that. At the end of the day, it's a dumpster fire.
SPEAKER 12 :
lack of empathy yeah these are not if you watch that video from saturday these are mean people yeah you're right or angry people you're right eight colorado voters you're right and And, you know, if you want to win an election, you can't do that. You're going to have to show you care about your constituents.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right, Eli.
SPEAKER 12 :
It's just that simple.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thousand percent correct. Well, I went long. I appreciate your time. I know you're busy, Eli. Thanks for taking time out of your day. At some point, you and I, maybe Andy, we just need to get together and talk even off air and kind of see, okay, how do we move this ball forward? Because right now it's not being moved at all.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I appreciate all you guys do because you really shine a light on this and you've got a big listenership. You're doing a great job of keeping our listeners educated on these topics.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thanks, Eli. Appreciate your time. Thank you, man. Appreciate you. Thanks for the kind words as well. All right, let's do this. We'll take a longer break because we went really long with Eli. Veteran Windows and Doors goes straight to the source when it comes to your windows and doors today. Find them at klzradio.com.
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SPEAKER 15 :
All right, we are back, and hopefully that was a really good explanation to some of you listening as to where we are in Colorado with politics. And I don't want to discourage anybody. I don't want people to think for one minute, listen, there's no hope for Colorado. I think Eli just laid it out very well. There is hope for Colorado. If we do some of the things that he has stated, and I will tell you this, it is a tough battle because you've got a very, very, very small percentage of quote-unquote leaders in the Colorado GOP. And I'm guessing I said 20, 25, maybe 100 overall if you take some of the ancillary folk that are there. But really, you've got about 20 to 25 people that are really right now controlling the party in Colorado. Yes. And by the way, they'll be the first to tell you that, no, they're not. It's the establishment that's controlling things. They have become— The establishment. I hate that word, by the way, but literally they've become the establishment. And I'm not going to rattle off names. If you guys want to know who some of these people are, you know, send me a text message and I'll rattle off a few names. But the reality is these are people and Eli's correct. And I've said this numerous times. These are people that literally can't make it in the real world, quote unquote. can't hold down really good solid jobs struggle in that particular area now that's not all of them i get there's some that have done okay for themselves financially speaking and so on but by and large these are people that that i hate to say it this way i grew up in the church world and i think charlie will agree with this andy probably might agree but didn't grow up the way i did right and i got a couple of minutes to explain this and this is not again not a knock this is just how it is there's a lot of churches whereby somebody loses their job. And the church immediately feels like, oh, that guy's got, or that gal's got really great talent in such and such an area. We should hire them. And by the way, this is typically people that have been unemployed for several months. Typically, if you're really good at what you do, you're employed rather quickly. And that's not a judgment call, but relatively speaking, if you're really good at what you do, typically speaking, there's not much gap between job to job. But churches, for some odd reason, feel like because this person is really good at what they do and we really like them and they're really this and they're really that and they just lost their job and they've been out of work for three to six months, let's hire them. So the church does. And that cycle continues. You're seeing the exact same thing happen here in Colorado when it comes to the GOP. These are people that, for whatever reason, can't really go out into the real world and do well. So they figure, you know what, maybe it's a life of politics that works well for me. And Eli just mentioned that. There's some folks down there serving right now at the Statehouse that, frankly, if they had to go and get a real job and have real income, probably couldn't. Right. And that's not all of them. There's some really good folk that are down there, and I'm not talking about them, but there are some of those, and I've talked about it here before. They're the political grifters. They figure out a way to get in and start really making money benefiting from the system we have here in Colorado to their benefit.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, but it doesn't benefit the party.
SPEAKER 15 :
It doesn't benefit the party. It doesn't benefit you as a voter. Right, not at all. But it benefits them. And that's really, at the end of the day, all that. Now, that's all they care about. Now, they will tell you that, oh, no, no, we're looking out for the greater good, and we're principled, and we're this, and we're that, and we really care about all these other things. And really, at the end of the day, do they? No. Their actions don't say that they do.
SPEAKER 05 :
No. Look, I saw some of those grifters who were in charge of the mob. Because at this meeting on Saturday, and I'll talk about it more next hour, Britta Horne was not in charge of that meeting. The rage mob was in charge of that meeting.
SPEAKER 15 :
Which, again, really quick, and this is not a jab at Britta by any means, but I can tell you this much. If I was running that meeting, I'd have been in charge.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well... And there are some things I will say in the next hour that I would have done differently. Let me just say one right now. I think she would have benefited from a prepared script in advance on how to go point by point through this. You can't go into that setting winging it when you know 60% of the people there are there for two words, rage and power.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right. No, Andy, in that case, you have got to be overprepared. Yes. Not underprepared, overprepared.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. And it wasn't just her. I mean, the people at the podium, the group that was at the podium, wonderful people. Wonderful. I support them. They were not prepared at all for what was coming their way. And to me, I was just wondering why. You saw my post before the meeting started. I was joking about how I'm going the death march or whatever. I kissed my wife goodbye. I'll never see her again. This is going to be horrifying. Then it was even worse.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, and Andy is exactly right. And again, had I been running that meeting, not bragging by any means, but folks, I've run many meetings. And I've run some meetings in the past at different times where things weren't very – let's just say it was controversial to have the meeting in the first place, sometimes even inside of churches and things like that, where you're talking about a particular topic or you're bringing something up that not everybody cares for. So you – and to Andy's point – You over-prepare so that you've got every single answer to every question that might even be posed your way. It's what you do as a quote-unquote leader. And if I would have been coaching Britt on that, I would have had her all dialed in because I would have had her ready to go on that front from day one because you knew what you were up against. Yeah. I knew what was going on, and I'm not even involved.
SPEAKER 05 :
The leadership was not prepared for the tidal wave of hate and rage that was coming their way.
SPEAKER 15 :
And these are wackadoodles. I mean, you've got to be prepared for the wackadoodles that are coming along. Sorry, but I'm going to call it what it is. These people are absolute wackadoodles. They are living on rage and rage alone, and my fear is they do that in every area of their life, and I feel sorry for the people that are around them. Right. If we—yeah. Yeah. Am I right?
SPEAKER 05 :
You are right. And I hate to say this, but because of the nature of the caucus system we have in Colorado, that group can overrun it and seize power.
SPEAKER 15 :
And then you have Looney Tunes running the party, which is where we're at right now, unfortunately. Right. These lunatics, and that's really what they are, are running the party. All right. More to come. Leslie Corbley is going to join us next hour at the top of the hour talking about the Democrats voting against Charlie Kirk, by the way. And then Andy will continue on with what happened at the meeting on Saturday as well. Hour 2 is next. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 1 :
The Rich Guy.
Dive deep into the unexpected challenges faced by iconic locations like Georgetown, as we explore the sheer power of nature's allure. John and Andy unravel stories of vibrant foliage, the consequential visitor surges, and the often overlooked preparedness required to accommodate such an influx. In the second half, we pivot to an insightful discussion with Leslie Corbley, attorney and author, who critiques the often undiscussed biases within the progressive left. Discover what toxic femininity means in today’s cultural landscape and learn why political activism on college campuses could be shaping future generations.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 14 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 06 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 15 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 09 :
Are you crazy?
SPEAKER 11 :
Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 03 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right, we are back. Hour number two. Myself, Andy Pate, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Again, Charlie Grimes, our engineer, and a beautiful, I was going to say Saturday, but it's not Saturday. It's Tuesday. But, man alive, it looks gorgeous out. We have a little bit of color changing now down at the lower elevation. And I will tell you that if you've been in the higher country, still a good time to go up. Not a problem. It all looks like our guest is not going to be able to join us at all, Andy, so we can continue on with our last conversation.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, did you see what happened to Georgetown? I did not. They had to shut down Georgetown. Really? On Saturday. So inundated? Yeah, it got totally overrun with just people, leaf watchers. I did not know that. No, I did not see that. And they're wonderful people up there. Corey and I like going to Georgetown. We like going to a lot of those towns. And Georgetown got so overrun because the leaves were so nice that they had to shut it all down. And I think they even had a power outage that hit. And so, yeah, I mean, and so luckily, I guess a lot of their restaurants are expect that. So they have the generator generators ready, but they were packed. They were packed, lined up and down the street.
SPEAKER 16 :
I did not know that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. And it got to where the cars could not get in and out of the city, period. okay and you it was kind of funny because i saw they had a story of it on you know online and they were talking about it given the reports and so cory my wife she goes to the um her phone brings up georgetown solid dead deep red everywhere you couldn't move a car in or out very popular i okay makes sense now where the where the leaves still good i mean how far up
SPEAKER 17 :
Oh, I think it depends on where you're at. I know up towards Allen's Park and some of those areas, they've already fallen off, so not great there. But I had pictures from folks even over the weekend sending me stuff up in the, you know, Vail and that area. And still a lot of green still, meaning there's probably one more weekend. This next weekend will probably be the, you know, it'll start going downhill after that, I guess I'm trying to say. Got it. All right, so continuing on with our last hour's conversation, our guest isn't going to be able to join us, so it works perfect. We can just dovetail into what we were talking about. So one thing that we didn't get a chance to do in the first hour because we got to talking to Eli, which was a great, great time, by the way. Not saying that in a bad way. Andy learned a lot from Eli, and I like Eli, have a lot of respect for Eli. I guess what I'm really trying to say there. I think he's a great individual, knows a lot about what needs to happen inside of the party to get us back on track. Although it was a dumpster fire on Saturday, was it not?
SPEAKER 05 :
It was. It was a complete dumpster fire. I have never seen anything like that in my entire life. And what you have is this, John. The caucus system and caucus assembly system in Colorado, which is attended once again by less than 1% of Republicans, is totally controlling the Republican Party. 99% of Republicans in Colorado... are having no say whatsoever in who runs the party. And I'm not just talking state chair. I'm talking at the county level, district level, and so forth. The only way you can do that is if you go to these meetings that virtually no one wants to go to because of the opportunity costs involved.
SPEAKER 17 :
Which is what Eli explained.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. And the grassroots, as they call themselves, that's a joke because 1% is not the grassroots. No, it is not. 99% is. These people are the insiders.
SPEAKER 17 :
That's a better way of saying it, by the way.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I always call them this, insiders and activists. That is who runs the caucus and assembly. And so when I went to this meeting, I watched – and by the way, these are not bad people. I'm not saying, oh, these are all terrible, evil people, insiders and activists. That's not the point. I'm saying that people who are insiders, who are connected, and people who are highly mobilized, motivated activists – are the ones running the show. And by definition, people who are insiders and activists are probably not going to be very connected to the market. They need to win.
SPEAKER 17 :
Good point.
SPEAKER 05 :
And you really see that.
SPEAKER 17 :
Good point. Okay, makes sense. Okay, you did get our guest, right, Charlie? Okay, we do have our guest joining us. Great. Leslie Corbley joining us now. Leslie, welcome. How are you?
SPEAKER 12 :
Doing great. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 17 :
No, you're very welcome. I appreciate you joining us. And you wrote a, you're an, I should say, author and attorney, author of Progressive Prejudice, Exposing the Devouring Mother. First off, what's the book about?
SPEAKER 12 :
Sure. So it blends autobiography and cultural commentary to critique the prejudices of the progressive left. So it kind of takes on that, the, yeah, like I said, the prejudices of the left, specifically in relation to toxic femininity.
SPEAKER 17 :
which we saw a lot of, by the way, I should say the left in really who they are after Charlie Kirk's assassination.
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. I think that really shines a spotlight on the prejudice of the left, specifically in some of their sanctuaries of power, like college campuses, that frankly operate in a very, very much weaponizes empathy, compassion, nurturance, things that are typically associated with With with feminine care that tends to be weaponized on the left. And I think that's becoming more clear to the public in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, Leslie, talk about that, because in the wake of Charlie's assassination, largely it was women that you would see online and in these news reports who were lashing out and screaming profanities and hate. Now, I understand a lot of these people are activists are paid. I get that. Right. But you would see a lot of women, way more women lashing out in hate. So discuss toxic femininity and how that's playing into this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, sure, there's a lack of self-reflection among those on the left, and they view themselves as tolerant, kind, you know, on the side of righteousness. And so the idea that they engage in hate, I think, is sort of, they're kind of incapable to some degree of understanding that. And obviously, young females are a core constituency of those on the left. So as campuses have become more left-leaning, they've also become much more dominated by women. So I don't think there's any shock that, like I said, the weaponization of empathy, compassion, things like that tend to come from those on the left. And it's no shock to me that there would be a high degree of overlap with those who are engaged in a lot of feminist rhetoric to sort of have a lot of antipathy and hatred for those on the right, like Charlie Kirk, who aren't able to internalize his hatred.
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm sorry. I thought you were done. I'm so sorry. But how did it become so toxic? Where is the compassion and empathy? Because there is none.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I think it's really because those on the left think that they have, to some degree, a right to... um to decide who is worthy of compassion and care because at the end of the day every worldview says some people are to some degree beyond the reach of compassion like there's there's a degree of um stigma and taboos no matter what worldview you adopt right so those on the left i think just see themselves as the arbiters of who should access compassion which is why they label their opposition fascist you know misogynist whatever the pejorative is that justifies removing those individuals from the realm of people for whom you should have compassion.
SPEAKER 05 :
Why do they keep fighting against the patriarchy when it doesn't exist?
SPEAKER 12 :
I don't know. I don't know. I guess, I mean, I guess to some degree the patriarchy exists in the sense that there are patriarchal orders. But I think what's more interesting is that those on the left aren't able to critique non-patriarchal power. So when you look at, for instance, a matriarchy or a society that sort of worships women in a way, I don't think they're really able to critique the harms that could come from that. It's a very limited, narrow-minded worldview, and I think that's what those on the left are struggling with, is that they haven't had to justify or defend their worldview for decades.
SPEAKER 17 :
And they can't see that the very party that they're involved in, in the way that it believes and what it does in regards to transgenderism and a lot of other topics and beliefs, they can't see through that that in all actuality that's harming them, not helping them. They can't see that. That's the part that's so confusing to me.
SPEAKER 12 :
I think that they're very ideologically possessed in a very religious manner. So there's a lot of zealotry surrounding the purity of their belief system and that they're righteous people. as opposed to these other individuals who are on the side of hate or intolerance, things of that nature. So I don't think that they're able to see clearly not only that it's a political liability, but that it actually causes harm. So that's especially true in the case of transgenderism, where they're incapable of understanding how irreparable of a harm it is for someone to alter their body when they're in their teenage years. Right, and how easy it would be for them to regret, say, not having breasts or operative genitals in five to ten years. Like, they can't see that as a legitimate harm.
SPEAKER 17 :
So in other words, they have righteous beliefs that aren't righteous.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, yes, it really is like an inversion. I would consider it sort of a, from a worldview standpoint, a perverse world. Not that everyone involved in this is intentionally perverse.
SPEAKER 17 :
No, no, no, I understand exactly what you're saying. It's a perverse worldview, not in the sense of perverse, like we would talk about pedophilia and things like that, but it's perverse because they're literally doing the opposite of what they believe in.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, exactly. Yeah. So again, they struggle, I think, with the concept of self-examination to understand, oh, I'm engaging in the kind of hatred I preach against. So it preaches tolerance but practices a lot of prejudice.
SPEAKER 05 :
Correct. Leslie, I want you to test my belief here. I believe that all people can be toxic. but you're going to see more toxic with whatever group a society empowers. Okay. And I believe in our society, they empower the feminine much more for a number of reasons. And so I believe that's why we're seeing a lot of toxic femininity. Is that true?
SPEAKER 12 :
I would absolutely agree. It's also because I think we really struggle to identify toxic femininity because male forms of power are more overt. You know, when you're punched in the face, I'm an attorney, just speaking in a family law system, you have evidence. When you engage in forms of emotional manipulation, it's not something you can see. It's not tangible. And that's where women tend to dominate. So, for example, the most...
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, I was just going to, you're going right there. I was going to say, give an example of that toxic femininity. Flesh it out. Give us a couple examples of how you can see that.
SPEAKER 12 :
Sure. So when I use the term the devouring mother, and in the book I use as an example of that, I'm not sure if you're familiar with Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the girl who was, you know, she went to prison. Her mother had much housing by proxy, and she plotted to kill her. Munchausen by proxy is a disorder where a caregiver, almost always a woman, I think over 90% of individuals with Munchausen by proxy are women, and they create fictitious disorders for the person in their care, usually their children, and then they treat them for fictitious disorders, which is obviously a form of abuse. Now, if you take the structure of that and you remove the physicality element, what it is would be a woman projecting something onto a child for her own benefit under the guise of care. You can't really see that. Even in Gypsy Rose Blanchard's case, frankly, she probably would have never left her mother's house if she hadn't killed her. She probably was. This sounds horrible, but better off in prison than in her mother's house. Because, I mean, the web of lies is, I mean, it's so hard. How is she supposed to gather the evidence, right? She's in a wheelchair.
SPEAKER 01 :
Great point.
SPEAKER 12 :
She doesn't need to be in a wheelchair. But, you know, without evidence, you can't really do much to stop abuse. And so if you remove the medical element, again, you have a lot of relational abuse. And women talk a lot, particularly those in the feminist movement, speak a lot about violence. emotional labor and how they have to do more caretaking and how that's a form of a burden. But what isn't talked about very often is how that same burden is a form of power. Because if you're more emotionally literate and you have more power and more emotional labor, well, you have more power in that domain. So we don't talk a lot about how women actually control future generations because they are the primary caregiver of children. They're the primary educators. They sort of form the world that children navigate before adulthood. And that's just not talked about because it's taboo. It's taboo to talk about women as having power outside of behaving like men.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, one last question. Looking forward, let's talk politics and fatigue. I think that a lot of society is getting fatigued with this toxic femininity. I think they're tired of just getting yelled at this way. But I wanted to ask you, how do you think it's going to affect things politically with all these women raging after Charlie Kirk and saying what a terrible person he was? How do you think that's going to affect politics going forward?
SPEAKER 12 :
I think it's going to poison politics to a degree, but I think it will have a large effect on younger generations. As this power structure where there's more toxic femininity is more entrenched, it's going to be easier and easier for younger generations to see that. And that can have two effects. One is good and one is negative. The good effect of that would be a return to healthy masculinity and femininity, but what I'm concerned it will do is also have a pendulum swing too far, where you can have a lot of anti-female rhetoric because... The perverse or malevolent form of female power is never discussed. You have to be able to talk about both masculine and feminine forms of power and benevolence in in their own as they actually operate in the world or else you're going to get i think something that would look like a pendulum swing too far and i think you're seeing that in some red pill movements on the right where people go way too far the other direction understandable reaction to the environment that we live in well yeah because men can be toxic too not me and john but everybody else everybody else absolutely uh leslie how do folks get the book Oh, sure. So it's on Amazon. You can just look it up on Amazon or it's on my website, lesliecorpley.com.
SPEAKER 17 :
Awesome. Leslie, it's been a joy having you. As you can tell, we've had a lot of fun and you're welcome anytime. I appreciate you very much. Keep doing what you're doing.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER 17 :
You're very welcome. Appreciate it very much. Again, the book is Progressive Prejudice, Exposing the Devouring Mother. Get that on Amazon. Great interview, by the way. She was a lot of fun.
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, she's brilliant.
SPEAKER 17 :
I enjoyed her. Yeah, very well-spoken individual, by the way. I love that. Veteran Windows and Doors coming up next. And again, go right to the source. Get those windows and doors right to you. Sidestep all that middleman's nonsense that actually raises prices. Talk to Dave today. Find him at klzradio.com.
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SPEAKER 06 :
Putting reason into your afternoon drive. This is John Rush.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right, we are back, and I just have to do this. I can't help myself, Andy. Everything she just talked about in regards to folks on the left, females on the left, describes the folks that we were talking about in the first hour regarding who was at the meeting this last week, what's really happening inside of the Colorado GOP right now here in Colorado and so on. She literally described, almost to a T, not knowing these people, the exact same people.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, and can I say something here before we get into that? I'm sorry that I keep using the term Davidians, okay? Because I know some people don't like it. They say it sounds cult-like, like branch Davidians.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, it kind of is.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, yeah, but here's the thing. The reason I use that term is because none other works. Because you can't call them the grassroots. Because they're not. When you want 1% to control the party, you're not for the grassroots. I don't want to call them the establishment, even though they are the new establishment, because that confuses people. I don't know what to call them because they follow Dave.
SPEAKER 17 :
I want to interject because, Andy, because we talked about this during the first hour. I want to make sure that I'm clear on this. It's not even the 1%.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, it's less than 1%.
SPEAKER 17 :
We've got almost a million registered Republicans in Colorado. It's like 970,000 or something. So it's just shy of a million. And you literally have. We talked about this a few minutes ago. You've literally got about 25 people. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that. I said 100 earlier. It really probably is more like... 25 that then influence maybe 100 that then go out influence these several hundred that were actually at the meeting.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, you're talking Mark Hampton.
SPEAKER 17 :
You're talking Dave Williams. You're talking a very small group. Very small group. So it's not even 1%. It's a very small number of people that are controlling things right now.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. That rage mob that I saw on Saturday, which, by the way, I expected. Okay, and we'll talk about that later. But that rage mob... controls the Republican Party in Colorado. Think about that. And that rage mob is controlled and led by a couple dozen people. Think about that.
SPEAKER 17 :
It's really sad.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, Rhino Watch, Chuck and Julie, they lead the rage mob that holds a majority of the state central committee of the Colorado Republican Party. Okay. And it was unbelievable. Okay. Back to what you were saying, though, because you were talking toxic femininity. John Leslie, any group in any situation that gets outsized power. So a few people who get a bunch of power in a situation. It can be in a corporation. It can be on a church board. Absolutely. It can be anywhere. People are sinners. Sin is the one constant in the universe outside of gravity. This is one thing. Even before I became a Christian, I had no problem with the concept of sin because I knew people.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay? There were so many people, how can you call me a sinner? I was just like, well, that part's easy. What are you kidding?
SPEAKER 16 :
Exactly.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, look around.
SPEAKER 16 :
Look at you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Have you ever had a job? Right. Are you kidding me? Okay. Sin is the one constant. And I'm going to tell you, when you give outsized power to any small group, they are going to become toxic. Now, this group right now, Obviously, it's toxic, but let's go before them.
SPEAKER 17 :
Unless there are exceptions to this, by the way, there are people that can, you know, take control, i.e. Trump and the folks that are around him now and overwhelm them. Yeah. The difference is, though, what's the motive? With Trump, I believe his motive is he loves this country. He wants to see what's best for this country. He wants to see what's best for the individual workers of this country. He's tired of what the left and the establishment and that the swamp, if you would, have done to people over all the years. And so his motives are pure, Andy, but that's not the case with these folks here in Colorado.
SPEAKER 05 :
And here's the thing, though, John. Here's the thing. We are complex individuals. We aren't just one thing or the other. And what I mean is this. It's not like a lot of those people who were at that meeting didn't don't feel the same about America. I'm going to be sitting down with a couple of them for lunch here pretty soon, who are the Davidians. And I want to talk to them about, look, we want the exact same things. How can we work together to get there?
SPEAKER 17 :
But the motives or the direction, the strategy in how to get there are completely different.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, the strategy is totally different. But my having a different strategy doesn't mean that I'm anti-MAGA or that I hate Trump or that I hate America. That's right. And The thing is this, most of those people there, in fact, I would say out of the people who were at this meeting, and it was about 430 people, okay, out of 506 who were on the SEC. Okay. Most of those people there, I believe, definitely love America and support Donald Trump and love his vision. But, John, people are complex. Even if you have those good motives, will they be overwhelmed by bad motives if you are given outsized power? And I will tell you this. There were a few people there who I don't think give—pardon my French—give a damn about Trump. or his power there are a few people there who are grifters and who were there to and they were leading this they were going up to the microphone point of order point of order point of order and they were doing this to play to the angry crowd and to leave lead the mob with the torches and pitchforks so that they could you know kill the frankenstein monster that they believe britta is okay and this is what they would happen when they killed christ
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, it is. Sorry, but it is.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is. It is. Bring us Barabbas. Bring us Barabbas. Yeah, and I'm not saying Britta Horne is Jesus. But I'm just talking about the crowd dynamic.
SPEAKER 16 :
That mob mentality is the same thing.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, and it was a mob mentality. And the mob took over. By the way, I felt terrible for the people there, the campus cops who had to watch this and secure the area. There was one, a young lady, and she was very bright. She was a cop. And had this bright red hair. She was a very nice lady. And at the beginning, I thanked her for being there. And, you know, we really appreciate it. And she said, well, you know, we know that you guys really appreciate us. And it was very positive. By midway through, her face was shell shocked. She had never seen. And so what I'm saying is this. What happened at that meeting is going to be played over and over and over in the public eye now by the Democrats. They are going to humiliate us with this. The mob has taken over. Now, this right now, that group, the Davidians, I call them that because I don't have another word.
SPEAKER 17 :
OK, it fits.
SPEAKER 05 :
It fits because they do act like they do act like a cult. They do follow above all one person politically in Colorado. Okay. Everybody says they love Trump. That doesn't count. Okay. In Colorado, they follow Dave. They right now are in charge. They have dramatically, grossly outsized power. They are a fraction of a fraction of one percent and they're running the state party. OK, they are in control and they were enjoying it. The bully mob. It was incredible to watch. But if you go back, I don't know, 20 years and you think to who are we talking about before? But he endorsed Biden later. Oh, I can't stand him. Ryan Call. Yeah, I will call out Ryan Call because he endorsed Biden, and I can't stand that.
SPEAKER 17 :
He's a previous GOP chair for all of you listening.
SPEAKER 05 :
Ryan Call was considered the other end of the party, okay? The elites, the ones, and it was people like him that enraged the other people to where they formed the mob that we now have. So I think the mob that we now have was actually caused by people like Ryan Call, which is kind of funny because that mob will equate Eli with Ryan Call. Eli and Ryan Call, their views are totally different. Eli loves Trump. Ryan Call endorsed Biden. But, you know, anybody who's not them, they say, is a rhino and he's on the other side. That group that we, you and I would even call rhinos, used to be in charge.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
And they had outsized power.
SPEAKER 16 :
Good point.
SPEAKER 05 :
And they were toxic.
SPEAKER 16 :
Good point.
SPEAKER 05 :
And they used the levers of power to hold people down and silence them and run over them in elections. So I'm just saying this has been done from both sides of the Colorado Party. Right now, this side is doing it, and they're going to do it for a while. Because what I saw, Britta right now, I mean— You know, I would have handled things differently from the podium, not just with Britta, but with a number of speakers. But I'm telling you what, even if that was handled perfectly, it could have been Charlie Kirk up there, and he would have gotten blown off the stage.
SPEAKER 17 :
Wow, that's a shame. All right, we'll be back with more to talk about along those lines. Dr. Scott's coming up next. My doctor, he could be yours as well. And Scott thinks of health care much differently than big insurance and big pharma does. Talk to Scott today. Call him at 303-663-6990.
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SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Call in to the KLZ studio line, 303-477-5600. Now, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 17 :
And we are back, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, myself and Andy Pate, of course. Marty, what's going on, sir?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I guess I just want to get you guys' thoughts. Are you as surprised as I am about this sort of unicent agreement, understanding this is what happened in the Charlie Kirk situation? We've mourned him, we've buried him, we're going to live in his honor, but we've moved on, case closed. Are you guys as surprised as me as there's been this sort of just almost 100% compliance with the narrative? Which narrative? There have been several. Well, the narrative of the government, which is we have a lone homosexual shooter that used his grandfather's .36, and he sent those messages, and he put it together about a week ago. Case is closed. There wasn't any help.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, I'm fine with that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, thus far, the evidence would strongly seem to indicate that.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, I don't see all of the other quote-unquote things that I've seen out there. I watched one yesterday that somebody sent me, by the way, Marty, and as I look through some of these other videos where people claim that this happened and his lapel mic blew up and somebody behind him actually charged it and this, that, and the other, all a bunch of nonsense, Marty. Total, utter nonsense. Really?
SPEAKER 07 :
So no concern with the no autopsy? Not a problem?
SPEAKER 17 :
There's an autopsy. I don't think we've got the results yet, but they're doing an autopsy. I did some research on that last week, and I haven't seen anything that says there's no autopsy.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I've not seen that at all. Well, and the reason it leads that way is because they had the physician at the emergency room sign the death certificate and was the one that concluded that it was Charlie's neck bone. that stopped that 30-06. And again, they've got the angle. So again, and the reason I say this is because history is repeating itself in this sort of trauma happens, government is very quick and early to establish the story, and then people start to just, okay, got it. They repeat that over and over. I go to Bill and he's telling me, guys.
SPEAKER 17 :
So what's the... Marty, what's the alternative? I mean, if that's not what happened, then what should? And I guess I'm asking you the question. Yeah, who did it? Yeah, and furthermore, does it really change the outcome of anything? Who's behind it?
SPEAKER 05 :
Marty, who do you think's behind it? Who do you think was really behind the murder of Charlie Kirk?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it's an intelligence hit. Why?
SPEAKER 17 :
I'm going to be a devil's advocate. Why? What do they benefit from that, Marty?
SPEAKER 05 :
What intelligence agency and how do they benefit?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you know the most lethal is Mossad's CIO.
SPEAKER 05 :
I knew it was going there. Don't go there. I was actually working you that way, Marty.
SPEAKER 17 :
Don't go there, Marty. Not with me, please.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let's not beat around the bush.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you for doing that.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER 17 :
That has got to be the dumbest thing, Marty, I've ever heard.
SPEAKER 05 :
There is absolutely no evidence that Mossad took him out. None. Zero.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, gosh, no. Well, we're not getting there yet. That's my whole point of the conversation. We're not going to get there.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's going to be the stuff put out by the Tuckers and Candaces. Look, that is not going to be put out by the evidence. None of the evidence is led that way. The fact that some national voices really don't like Israel and Mossad and are therefore trying to put out all of these conspiracy theories about Mossad behind everything. I heard another one that they were putting out. They were insisting that Netanyahu is going around insisting that he is running Trump, that he is controlling Trump.
SPEAKER 17 :
Nobody controls Trump.
SPEAKER 05 :
And so I had several people online say that. And to each one, I said, please give me one piece of evidence. They all vanished. There isn't any.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, how about the fact that Trump has put his blessing back on all these wars? He's rearming Ukraine, and he has said— Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Marty. Blessing on wars?
SPEAKER 17 :
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Marty, hang on. I missed that. Hang on, I've got to stop you, because, yeah, I haven't seen that. In fact, his latest statement about Gaza and having a two-state system, which goes against what Israel and Netanyahu would actually want at the end of the day, tells you right there that, no, they are not controlling him, Marty, not in any way, shape, or form.
SPEAKER 07 :
You haven't heard the change in tone, twist in tone, when it comes to the rearming and defense of Ukraine? That's out there.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, because that's the only way he's going to defeat Putin. Of course that's the way it's going to be, Marty.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, obviously, because look, Marty, that's a fluid... Let's take a look at Ukraine and Russia really quick here. Marty, can I finish? I was right. I was mid-sentence. I'll let you talk. Please, of course. I'll let you talk. Okay. Okay. Let's take a look at Ukraine and Russia. That is a very fluid situation where he's been negotiating with both sides. For this month, he'll be down on this side. And for that month, he'll be down on that side. And he'll press, press, press, press, press. And then he'll get angry when Putin goes too far and starts shellacking Ukraine again. Look. Donald Trump is a dealmaker. Donald Trump knows that you do complex leveraging of each side, and you do it in the media. This is what he does. I've got to be honest. He does it better than anyone I've seen.
SPEAKER 17 :
As far as Ukraine and Russia go, as much as I don't want to be there, I'd be doing exactly what Trump's doing to get rid of Russia. That's exactly what I'd be doing.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, I don't appreciate that, guys, because the underlying, we've been told, is World War III.
SPEAKER 05 :
No.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, stop!
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, Tucker predicted that would happen when Trump hit Iran. What happened? Nothing.
SPEAKER 07 :
But that's why we're supposed to be so scared, though, remember? So scared of what? Of what? of Russia. I mean, this idea that Russia is going to take Ukraine and they're moving to Poland and they're moving to England... Do you not know the history of Putin and what he really wants, Marty?
SPEAKER 17 :
I mean, you're not that clueless.
SPEAKER 07 :
Are you suggesting that right now, Putin... aims to regain the Soviet Union's former glory.
SPEAKER 17 :
Marty, he is an old KGB guy. He absolutely wants the old USSR back.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 17 :
No denying that at all. But I don't think he'll get it. No, he's not going to get it.
SPEAKER 05 :
Do I think he would like to take Poland? Yeah. Do I think he'd go for England? Absolutely not. It's ludicrous. And by the way, I don't think he'll get to Poland. I don't think he's going to get that far. Here is why Trump is now saying, hey, I can help you. arm Ukraine and we're going to do this and we're going to fight and we're going to drive them all the way out. The reason he's doing that is because Russia is B has had excellent meetings with China and India. They're getting great purchases of their oil and they need to see a big show of force from the other side to get them to stop this war. Otherwise they're going to press on China and India have made sure that they can do it. So they need to hear Russia. From Trump, hey, we're willing to come at you with both guns sizzling. It's not going to be World War III. But would he fight him back? Yes. He's got to draw a line. Look, look at it this way, Marty, and then I'll let you talk. With China and India empowering Russia in that way, what if Trump did nothing? What would Russia do? Wouldn't they just keep pressing on?
SPEAKER 17 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Not really.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's really hard to take care of an empire that large, especially if there's not some kind of strategic advantage. Listen, Putin has tried to take back Crimea and the Donbass.
SPEAKER 05 :
He did take back Crimea.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right, exactly. And look at what that's caused on the global stage. So I don't know that he's going to start declaring victory over all these other nations, but I just want to make sure what you guys just spelled out, though, that in theory, 2026, 27, 28, 2030, doesn't matter. As long as this thing is going on, Americans and the U.S. taxpayer dollars should be contributing somehow. Is that what you're saying? I didn't say that.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, no, no. And Trump... And come on, Marty, you know Trump. Trump doesn't believe in long engagements. You know that. He doesn't want any more.
SPEAKER 07 :
What's he doing? He could have said, you know what?
SPEAKER 05 :
He wants a short, hard, fast, and quick pushback if Russia doesn't come to the table. Right now, everything he's doing is to bring Russia back to the table. It's leverage. Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You can't. It takes two to tangle. Just because the other person doesn't come to the table doesn't mean that you aren't working to leverage the best to get them there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, we're way into this thing way too long. The second thought on this international chaos is that he did say, as if Hamas didn't give back these Israeli prisoners, what do you call them? Oh my gosh, I'm blank on it.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's okay, the hostages.
SPEAKER 07 :
The hostages. Excuse me, the hostages.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's okay.
SPEAKER 07 :
He's given Bibi the green light to flatten the region, and it's their fault. And I guess, though, I mean, are you okay with that? Because he said it was already like room beyond him.
SPEAKER 17 :
Marty, I was of the opinion early on that Israel should have flattened them from day one. So you're talking to the wrong guy on that end of things. I thought they should have flattened it, brought in dozers, and scraped the whole thing off and start over is what I said.
SPEAKER 07 :
If we kill every kid, what do we get out of it?
SPEAKER 17 :
Oh, you're talking about kids. Come on. You must not have heard me back then, Marty, because I said, you know, send out leaflets, drop them, give them a week to get everything out of there. This is what's going to happen on X day. And then you flatten them. And if they're still there at that point, they're still there. That's on them.
SPEAKER 07 :
You'll be homeless in the desert somewhere.
SPEAKER 17 :
You're talking to a guy, Marty, that has no sympathy for Hamas or any Hamas supporter which voted those folks in in the first place. Everybody on your side must have forgotten that they voted these knucklehead terrorists in.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right, a majority of Gazans voted for a terrorist organization that was pledged to remove their neighbor off the face of the earth. And you don't think that there's going to be, no, I'm not done, and you don't think there's going to be repercussions of that? What if Canada had a majority of their citizens vote for leadership that pledged to remove America off the face of the earth? Are you telling me there wouldn't be repercussions? Would we flatten it, though? I mean, there's 50,000. I would hope so. If they came in and did what happened on October 7th, if they came and did that to us, yeah, we would.
SPEAKER 07 :
Great. The only difference is this is America. That's Israel. We're not related. We're not family. So, again, on our homeland, totally different story. Who says we're not? Where is the brotherhood?
SPEAKER 17 :
There are only real allies, Marty. How are we not related in that end of things?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, they're our best ally in the worst part of the world.
SPEAKER 17 :
There are only real allies we have, Marty.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, where were they on 9-11? We really needed that support on 9-11.
SPEAKER 17 :
You wanted the Jews to stop 9-11? We didn't need any help, Marty. We were fine on our own. What were they supposed to do? Go up in the buildings and stop it?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, there are eyes and ears in the middle.
SPEAKER 17 :
You're a guy, Marty, who doesn't believe the planes flew in and actually took the building down anyways, correct?
SPEAKER 07 :
I don't at all. And I think if you look at building seven fall down.
SPEAKER 17 :
I can tell you one thing, knowing how those buildings were built, knowing the structural integrity of things, knowing that end of things like I do as somebody that has been in that world for some time now, Marty, those planes brought those buildings down.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. And by the way, Marty, because just because there are eyes, by the way, Marty, just because there are eyes and ears in the Middle East, which, by the way, they are. And they've given us a lot of great intel, not just them. The Qataris have given us a lot of great intel. But just because of that, that doesn't, let me finish, just because of that, that doesn't mean they know all things. That doesn't mean that Israel somehow would have known that we were going to get hit on 9-11. They're not God. I mean, are you proclaiming them God? Are they all knowing?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I mean, that would be one of the useful tools of Israel. Hey, there's a terrorist activity right next door to us, and we hear about it. It would have been beautiful had they known. But they didn't, so they'll try again next time. You know, we do pay about $3 billion a year in aid for that friendship.
SPEAKER 17 :
It's actually a very, very small price to pay, Marty, to keep the Middle East. They are a cheap date for what they give us. Cheapest of any country we help, Marty.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah. For what we get out of that, that is a beautiful, my gosh, we should pay more.
SPEAKER 07 :
Can you guys, though, just point to one thing right now that, say, without Israel, we wouldn't have this, or this is a success in America because of this? Can you give me one example?
SPEAKER 17 :
The Middle East would be in utter turmoil, and you would have World War III if Israel weren't there. I've got to close with that, Marty. I'm going to break. We'll be right back. Golden Eagle Financial coming up next. Al Smith did a great job here recently on an interview. Listen in. You'll hear Al tomorrow, by the way, between 2 and 2.30. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 09 :
TJ here with KLZ and Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial. And Al, I have a question for you. I've been putting money away for a while in a savings account or maybe a couple of investment accounts, but what am I doing wrong and what can you do better than that?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I think a savings account is important because all the financial gurus, including myself, agree you should have three to six months savings that you have ready liquid access to. But retirement planning is a bit more long-term and and it's a bit more strategic. We want to take a look at the sum of money you'll need way into the future, and we want to look at how that money can last by providing you income for as long as you live.
SPEAKER 09 :
What kind of planning or strategy do you provide for folks with that that have a big savings but haven't made that next step?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, that's a good question. If someone has a large amount in savings, one of the things I do is we have a conversation about their risk tolerance. Nobody's comfortable losing money, but having money in the market over a long period of time is a mechanism to accumulate wealth. And so we talk about this different levels of risk and the different products that are available. And we don't put everybody into one box, but I have an enormous assortment of financial products. And it's not that there's good ones or bad ones. It's there are some that are more appropriate for some people, but not for others.
SPEAKER 09 :
And that sounds excellent. How can folks get in touch with you for that meeting?
SPEAKER 11 :
You can reach me at 303-744-1128. And if I'm not there, it goes to voicemail, but I return my voicemails promptly. And we could have a conversation in the office. If you live a considerable distance away, we can have a long phone conversation or a Zoom call, whichever you would prefer.
SPEAKER 09 :
And as always, you can find him at klzradio.com slash money. Al, thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, thank you, TJ. Thanks for the conversation.
SPEAKER 09 :
You bet.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Myself, Andy Pate, Charlie Grimes. We'll rattle off a few things, by the way, that we actually do get from Israel in regards to Marty's last question. We had to take a break, so I didn't have any choice but to go ahead and move on. But one of the things, and I'll start this, Andy.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER 17 :
A lot of the technological advancements that we have today in regards to not just the military end of things, but other things in general is huge. We wouldn't have without that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, they're, by the way, getting to where they can take down missiles with lasers, and they're going to share that with us. You know, just as a quick example, okay, John, I want you to imagine. If you could give $4 billion a year to every one of the major countries in the Middle East, and if they did these things, would you do it in a heartbeat? Number one, have a full functioning democracy. Number two, no terror camps sponsoring no terror around the world, such as 9-11 or anywhere else. Number three, no oppression of women. Number four, no oppression of Christians. Number five, no oppression of gays. Number six, total intel sharing on their area. Number seven, we have a foothold in the area that we don't have to fight for. And we don't have to defend ourselves.
SPEAKER 17 :
Don't have to have a base there.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. Okay.
SPEAKER 17 :
We spend no money on bases or anything along those lines right there.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. I think that's seven. Let me do eight. Number eight, they vote with us at the UN every time, while the other countries almost always vote against us.
SPEAKER 17 :
I want to add one more thing on the technological end of things. That's not just military weapons, things like that, but the drugs and all of the life-saving things that we actually have today, you can contribute a lot of that partnership we have with them as well.
SPEAKER 05 :
Exactly. Now, if you could have every nation be just what I described there, in the Middle East, we would have virtual world peace. Okay? Do you realize that? We would have virtually world peace. They are the cheapest date on the planet.
SPEAKER 17 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is like taking a girl out. And having her pay. Yeah. And you offer to take her to the best restaurant down in the tech center, and she says, no, no, no, I'll pay. I mean, $4 billion for that? Can you imagine if we gave that to Iran and they became all those things? Or if we gave that to Libya or Syria?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, if they would become those things, that'd be great, but it doesn't work that way.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. North Africa. If we gave that to Tunisia, if we gave that to any of these places and they became all those things, we would pay that in a heartbeat. And by the way, one last thing. What would be our Defense Department's needs at that point? They would go way down.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, hugely down. Oh, gosh, yes. Hugely down, absolutely. All right, we'll come right back. I've got one thing I want to share with you in regards to some international news as well. Cub Creek Heat and Air Conditioning coming up next. Again, get that furnace tune-up special. Call them today. Go to klzradio.com.
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SPEAKER 06 :
This isn't rage radio. This is real, relatable radio. Back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right. Article I read this morning. Very interesting, by the way. Germany has just found 43 million tons underground of lithium. Yeah, I saw that. Meaning that if that turns out to be true, which it sounds like it is, and they can actually mine that and make that happen, China just lost a ton.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, they did.
SPEAKER 17 :
That really hurts China. And I'm guessing China just lost a ton because typically Germans are, because of their heritage, A, they don't like being wrong, meaning they're not going to produce any kind of news that they can't come along and back up because it's the nature of who they are, Andy.
SPEAKER 05 :
Am I right? That's very true. Yeah, you don't hear a lot of conspiracy kook stuff come out of there.
SPEAKER 17 :
No, they're very, you know, they've got that engineering type mind, if you would, where they want to be very accurate in what they're doing and so on, almost to a fault, by the way.
SPEAKER 05 :
Although they shared the conspiracy kook stuff against Israel that we heard earlier.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, again, you can't, you know.
SPEAKER 05 :
But no, generally when Germany says something, it's on the up and up. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 17 :
So point being, 43 million tons, and they're learning, by the way, how to use lithium in ways and continue to advance that to where you're getting more with less, I guess is the best way for me to describe that. Right. In fact, there's even some other technologies coming along in the battery end of things where lithium might actually get supplanted with some other things that are out there. It'll be interesting to see how that works. But at this point in time, this is a big hit to China, by the way.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 17 :
Huge.
SPEAKER 05 :
And it's just hugely valuable. And by the way, that's going to change the trade balance on the world stage, which I think could be pretty fun.
SPEAKER 17 :
And remember this, too, that Germany has had its own green setbacks, quote-unquote, meaning they are looking at alternatives and saying, okay, wait a minute, this whole green energy thing is not working out so well for us. This whole immigration thing, by the way, that we thought was so great isn't working out so well for us. Maybe we ought to look further at what the U.S. is doing and maybe get back on track here.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, they should. First of all, they should be trading to use more oil and gas. But also, in my opinion, if you've got all that lithium, you should invest more in nuclear. Sure. Okay. Produce all that energy and then store it.
SPEAKER 17 :
43 million tons. That's a big find for them.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 17 :
Helps their pocketbook immensely, by the way, at the end of the day. So, again, we've got a whole other hour coming your way. Don't go anywhere. Myself, Andy, and Charlie, we'll be right back. This is Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 1 :
The Rich Guy.
In this compelling episode, John Rush welcomes Matthew McWhorter, who shares his remarkable transition from a hard-line atheist upbringing to embracing Christianity after surviving cancer and a heart attack. Listen as Matthew discusses the insights gained from his journey of faith, including his extensive research into the authenticity of the Bible as an attorney. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of how personal trials can lead to a deeper understanding of life and faith.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 16 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 04 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 16 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did.
SPEAKER 01 :
Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same, and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 02 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 09 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 05 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush, presented by Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, we are back. Hour number three, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Myself, Andy Pate, and our next guest, Matthew McWhorter, is with us. Matthew, welcome. How are you? Very good. Thanks for having me. Happy to be on. No, we appreciate it. And a little back story. I wanted you to be on. Andy's with me on Tuesdays and Fridays, and I wanted you to be. We always have a fun day on Fridays. We do movies and other stuff, so we kind of get rid of all the politics and all the rest of the stuff that we normally do and have a lot of fun on Fridays. So I wanted you to be here on a Tuesday with Andy because you and Andy have similar stories other than Andy didn't stop being an atheist because of a near-death experience. You just kind of did that through other means.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, bottom line, I converted myself out of atheism into Christianity when I was around, I don't know, 20-ish, 18, 19, 20. And it was just reason. I was actually raised, long story short, in a hard-left atheist family, and I became the only Christian.
SPEAKER 10 :
There you go. Yeah, very similar story. I had been raised in just an uninterested family. We didn't talk about religion or care about it. And my name's Matthew Mark, though, so when I had my medical problems, I read the books I was named after and started exploring Christianity and the whole case for Christ and whether or not it's really true.
SPEAKER 06 :
Did you even bother with Luke and John or just ignore those?
SPEAKER 10 :
I moved on to them eventually. Oh, okay. You know, they're clearly second-rate. They are second-rate.
SPEAKER 18 :
I mean, obviously, obviously. Hey, now, I'm a John, so be careful there, guys. They were put in for people like John. Be careful, be careful. Okay, so talk about the medical, you know, your major medical problem that got you looking in the first place. What happened?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I discovered, I think it was October, that I had cancer. So they made a plan to operate and save me from the cancer. And in between discovering that and the operation, I had what's called a widowmaker heart attack. So in addition to being extremely lucky to survive the heart attack, but then it complicated the cancer and everything else. So it was quite a scare for somebody who had been healthy his whole life up until then.
SPEAKER 06 :
How old were you at that time?
SPEAKER 10 :
42, I think, 43, I think, 42 when I had cancer and 43 when a heart attack, so it was right around my birthday.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, that's scary. How did it affect you?
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, I wasn't all that affected at the time. I was a very shallow thinker, so it was sort of like, eh, whatever, you know. It was only sort of later afterwards that it's like, well, like I said, it's kind of a bucket list thing of like, well, life might not be as long as I thought it was going to be. And then once I got into Christianity, etc., I realized how shallow I was, right? That I should have been concerned about a whole lot of things that I wasn't concerned about.
SPEAKER 06 :
What did you think about Christians before then? I know I was more of a philosophical guy. It sounds like you guys didn't look too much at religion, but what did you think about those Christians?
SPEAKER 10 :
I had nothing against them, but I thought of it as just something that you choose to do on Sundays. Like some people play golf, some people go to church. And, you know, I didn't take their beliefs seriously or think there was anything to them or anything of the sort. Did you commit your life to golf? Yeah, I did not. Oh, okay, just checking.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
And I should also mention, too, your book, Canon Crossfire, does the Protestant Bible blow up in the case for Christianity? And I should just ask, you know, quickly, when did you write that book, and is it available, and how do people buy it?
SPEAKER 10 :
It's available right now. It was part of how I came into this journey. It's basically understanding that there's two questions that I had to answer at the same time. One is, what is the right Bible? And number two is, is Christianity true? And so I had to look at both of those, and that's what the analysis is. It's available at my website, canoncrossfire.com, or on Amazon. And, you know, every Protestant who's read the book has liked it. It is a piece of scholarship about who has the right Bible.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. So when you're an attorney, so I'm assuming you looked at some of these things in a very case-oriented type basis, or am I wrong in saying that?
SPEAKER 10 :
Totally, 100%. And that's where I think I was somewhat an unusual background of reading myself into this, dealing with both questions at the same time, and being an attorney, a retired attorney, willing to do the work. And so what I did was a lot of research that no one had ever done into what exactly... We have a standard of proof in the case for Christianity, and the question is, what is the evidence for these books that the Catholics accept and the Protestants don't, and how does that measure up to that standard?
SPEAKER 18 :
Interesting.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, before even looking at Catholic and Protestant, what got you to look at Christ? And what I mean is this. What put you over the top? What made it so you finally said, you know what? My goodness, this isn't just a study. This is real. This happened. This is really God. I can really be saved. I can really live forever. And all of that. What put you over the top? What was the reason?
SPEAKER 10 :
It really is the case for Christ. Do we have good evidence that he rose from the dead? And there are a number of lawyers, Simon Greenleaf and Lionel LeCoultre named two famous lawyers, and a lot of pastors will tell you lawyers convert more often than other professions. It's looking at the four Gospels and saying, gee, this looks just like eyewitness testimony to me, and then wondering whether that really is the case and what the proof is, etc. But Lawyers are familiar with the idea that if four people tell a story and everything matches, they're lying. Other people seem to think that these little discrepancies and little things that are in the differences in between the Gospels are signs that it's not true. But to a lawyer, no, that's actually what eyewitness testimony looks like.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right, because they didn't coordinate their stories. In other words, they just told their stories, but they do work together.
SPEAKER 18 :
Like people watching an accident, right?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, exactly. Seeing it from different angles. Really quick here.
SPEAKER 10 :
If your mom and your dad disagree about some story from your childhood, why would you expect four witnesses to Christ all agree? It doesn't make sense. I agree, fully, absolutely.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, if mom and dad disagree, dad is wrong. Just saying, that's my theological position. But okay, what about the fact that you had these people who are eyewitness accounts, but also that they were willing to be literally tortured to death? Absolutely. Absolutely. And they did it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely, and they did it over four different times. It wasn't like they were all tortured and killed at the same time. They knew what was coming, and they continued to preach it, which is a very different level of believing something, right?
SPEAKER 18 :
How long did that journey take you to where you finally decided, you know what, wow, I've been enlightened. I've now seen some things I didn't realize were even there. I kind of poo-pooed all of this up until now. To your point earlier, you really kind of looked at it like, yeah, these are things people do on Sundays just like they go play golf. How long did it take you to come to the realization that, oh my word, all this stuff is real?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, it took several years because I did a lot of background research and stuff just to make sure, and it also sort of came in phases. Like, you know, I was so clueless, I didn't even realize you have to go to church. So I think I was kind of a Christian in name only in that I was believing it but thinking, oh, I'll never go to church. Why would I do that? But then over time, you keep reading and you start realizing why you have to. But yeah, it sort of developed.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. Sorry, I keep jumping in right when I think you're done. I'm so sorry about that. What did you give up? Okay, I'm just going to tell you a long story short once again. I basically lost my family and all my past to become a Christian. I was raised in the hard left corner. And I don't say that in any kind of bitterness. I say that feeling bad because it was very hard on my family. Was it hard on some of your loved ones when you went through this transition, or were they very accepting?
SPEAKER 10 :
They were more accepting. I had a brother who had become Protestant years before me, but I had left home. Okay. you know, wasn't part of that or anything like it. But that sort of softened it, I think, a little bit. The thing on my end was I had retired, you know, and I had plans for my retirement and all that sort of thing. And then all of a sudden I'm up to my eyeballs in a church and writing a book and out there preaching and doing stuff. So I'd say that's more of what I never imagined I would be doing. You didn't give up anything for that.
SPEAKER 18 :
You gained.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Oh, totally. But if you're looking at it from the atheist perspective... I suppose. I suppose.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, so the website is canoncrossfire.com. I'll put that in my notes. And again, I wanted to have you on with Andy here because I figured you two would relate, which you have. And I, Matthew, I appreciate your time and just what you're doing and what you're still doing right now for the body. I appreciate it greatly. Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. You're very welcome, Matthew. You have a great rest of your day. And yeah, I wanted to have him on just with you, Andy, because I knew that that would...
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and I did not know this was coming, folks. I had no idea. John likes to spring these things on me. He seems like a heck of a guy. I like him.
SPEAKER 18 :
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SPEAKER 18 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
Putting reason into your afternoon drive. This is John Rush.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Okay, this is making some waves today. Okay. And since Andy used to be in the military, I thought, again, this was fitting for him being here today.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, you're talking the big speech to the generals.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, me playing this would be very fitting to have Andy on with me and... I've heard and watched so many different opinions on not only this speech, but just what Pete Hegseth is doing inside of the whole military end of things right now. And by the way, I don't agree with most of what's being said.
SPEAKER 06 :
About him, you mean?
SPEAKER 18 :
Against him.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, I thought you meant by him. No, against him. Yeah, before you play it, can I just say this? Pete Hegseth is one of my big-time man crushes. This guy's great. I think he's great. I think he was an awesome choice for the job.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, so let me play what he actually is saying, too. This is an address to top generals and admirals, but frankly, he is saying what I think a lot of us myself included, have been thinking for decades now, and I mean that literally decades. Let me play it.
SPEAKER 19 :
It's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look. It is bad, and it's not who we are. So whether you're an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger, A brand new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test. And as the chairman said, yes, there is no PT test. But today, at my direction, every member of the joint force at every rank is required to take a PT test twice a year. As well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year. Every year of service.
SPEAKER 18 :
Really quick, did he just do an ad for Ozempic?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes, he did. Sorry, sorry.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yes, he did.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, but I know part of what he's doing is just coming against the entire woke culture. He is. But let me tell you something else, John. He is speaking, and he has always been, a voice of the troops at the generals. Yep. He's not done. I've got more to play. I know, but let me just say this. There are a lot of people in the troops, and I was in the military. We would look at our generals. We understood age wins. We get that, but they'd be totally out of shape, and we're running our laps, and we're kind of thinking, you know, guys, you can at least represent a little bit. Yeah, I agree. Okay, keep going. I agree.
SPEAKER 19 :
Also, today, at my direction, every warrior across our joint force is required to do PT every duty day. Should be common sense. Most units do that already. But we're codifying it. And we're not talking like hot yoga and stretching. Real hard PT, either as a unit or as an individual. At every level, from the joint chiefs to everyone in this room to the youngest private, leaders set the standard. And so many of you do this already. active, guard, and reserve. This also means grooming standards. No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression. We're gonna cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards. Because it's like the broken windows theory of policing. It's like when you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes. So you have to address the small stuff. This is on duty, in the field, and in the rear. If you want a beard, you can join special forces. If not, then shave. We don't have a military full of Nordic pagans. But unfortunately, we have had leaders who either refused to call BS and enforce standards, or leaders who felt like they were not allowed to enforce standards. Both are unacceptable. And that's why today at my direction, the era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos. The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done. Simply put, if you do not meet the male level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test, or don't want to shave and look professional, it's time for a new position.
SPEAKER 18 :
In other words, go find something else to do.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'm okay with that, by the way.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, part of the reason he can do this is because their recruitment levels are through the roof. Right. You see, when you got plenty of people coming in, John, you can get pickier. You can get a lot pickier. By the way, I'm for it. And let me tell you something. A lot of these people who are coming into the military right now are pretty muscled up young guys. OK, and they are competitive. When I was in the military, you know, here at Lowry, probably two, three times a week, me and a bunch of it was a training base for all four branches and me, a bunch of guys, you know, from the Marines and Navy and so forth in the army. We would all play basketball. you know, for long lunch times.
SPEAKER 18 :
Sure, sure.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, let me tell you something, John. These guys were in shape. I was in shape, okay?
SPEAKER 18 :
Which, by the way, I would hope, given the fact that I'm paying for you to defend our country, my rights, and so on, my freedoms, I want you in shape, Andy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I remember a guy, David Martinez. He was Sergeant Andy Pate, Sergeant Dave Martinez, and we were in the same area. Both of us would have laughed at this speech. we'd have been like, what do you think we do already, man? Right. Bring it. And there's probably others that are doing the same thing.
SPEAKER 18 :
Then we'd go hit the weights. On the same token, there's probably some leadership inside of the armed forces right now that are saying, oh, crap.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
Where is that Ozempic?
SPEAKER 06 :
I had a chaplain, Chaplain Larson. He would love this. Chaplain Larson, he was also in the weight room, and he was running laps. Look, most of the people in the military are in very good shape. I'm going to say that. The military, on average, is in far better physical condition than civilians. But... They have let this woke, lower standard creep its way into the military. It's got to go. I agree with everything he's saying.
SPEAKER 18 :
Fully agree. I hope, again, I want him to continue this. Now, here's a question.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
If another administration comes in, does this change or how would that work out?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, obviously not if it's one of our administrations, because I'm still the belief that Vance and Rubio are going to be taking over in 28. But obviously when a Democrat goes in, yeah, this all goes to hell.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. Yes. Okay. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I hope that doesn't happen for a while either, you know, because that would be really bad. I don't know, John. Like I said, I was in many years ago, of course. I'm an old guy. But the physical standards back then, and we had women in the military. Guess what? They could run laps. They were tough. Okay. And nowadays, I look at some of these military members, and I'm just like, look. John, for a lot of people who don't know this, because a lot of people don't know this, you could be somebody who's a pencil pusher like I was in the military. But all of us knew that at any moment we could be mobilized and put into combat with an M16. And if you're in combat with an M16, God help you if you're not strong enough to pull somebody out of the fire.
SPEAKER 18 :
Right, right. Okay, so moving along. Yeah, go ahead. I got a text message a second ago from a good friend of mine, which I won't name names because I don't want to have anybody throw him under the bus, but I don't think anybody would. I think most people are going to agree with this. Now let's do the same with our police force.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I got to be honest, most of the cops that I see in Aurora are pretty ripped.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
But they all should be.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, thank you. That's not all forces, unfortunately.
SPEAKER 06 :
Like that, yeah. The other day, Saturday, we had, now this was the campus cops. Right. But I'm going to tell you, for the most part, they were in good shape. That young lady I told you, she had very intensely dyed red hair like these young kids do. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER 18 :
Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
She was in good shape. Okay. She can handle herself. I can tell.
SPEAKER 18 :
Unfortunately, that's not the majority of what I see. That's not all of them.
SPEAKER 06 :
No.
SPEAKER 18 :
No. And I wish we'd get now, you know, government entities, cities, counties, sheriff's departments, and so on, that would start looking at this in very much the same way that, hey, you know what, guys? I get it. We've been a little sloppy in our, you know, regiments, if you would, in regards to health and weight and PT and so on.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, what do you think about, because a lot of the newbies are in pretty good shape, okay, a lot of the newbies. But what do you think about the ones who have been riding behind a desk for too long and the belly has gotten too big? What happens if they do have to go out? Now, don't get me wrong. They're not going to be going out there busting perps because they got young people to do that, but they're still a cop. And they are still setting the standard.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, thank you. You took the words out of my mouth. I think you have to look at that, and it's a leadership lesson. It's the old monkey see, monkey do end of things. Are you looking the part, whether you're out in the field or not, when those guys come and go from the station, even those underlings, when they show up and – they're dropping off their paperwork or they're doing this or they're doing that or you're all you know going to an event together or whatever the case may be some of you even work off duty together what image are you giving the rest of those folks by how you are right and nobody's saying that we all have to look like michael jordan no no no i'm not saying that yeah like saying that like i always talk about you know once again the uh black tech sergeant big mike i called him who changed my life who was over me
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, Big Mike, he wasn't the thinnest guy. Okay. But if I had arm wrestled him, he would have thrown me through a wall.
SPEAKER 18 :
And I'm okay. By the way, he's a wonderful Christian. I'm okay with a guy having a few extra pounds. But, Andy, I want that guy or that gal to be able to run down that perp.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
Right?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and Big Mike, I wouldn't want to face him in combat.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, Eric's got a comment. We'll come back and talk to him. Hang tight, Eric. We'll get you as soon as we come back. Roof Savers of Colorado coming up next. And again, folks, don't forget, you can rejuvenate your current roof, therefore extending the life of, in a lot of cases, helping you when it comes to your insurance policy as well. Talk to Dave today. Find out how that works. 303-710-6916.
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SPEAKER 17 :
Stay up to date with Rush to Reason after the show on Twitter at Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, we are back. Eric, you're next. Go ahead, Eric. Hey, John. How are you doing today? I'm good, sir. Welcome. Glad to hear from you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. No, it's just kind of crazy because Andy's talking about the fitness and lack thereof. As you know, I was Army. I got out in 95. I was 165 pounds. I'm up to 175. you know, five pounds in all those years. Wow. You slob. I go, I tell you, I have just lost it. I go in on the bait. I go in on, on Schriever or Pete. I get on some of these ops floors and it's like, I've got a platter gut in a bigger chest than a lot of these other chair force guides. And that's what I was. I was army space, you know, and, and, Here I am. I'm one year younger than you, John. I'm 60 just this month, September. And I look more fit than a lot of these guys. Way to go.
SPEAKER 18 :
Eric, I'm glad you're calling in, by the way, because you're a living testament to what we're talking about. I'm not trying to be mean or rude or anything along those lines, but my wife and I at times, we'll comment. We'll see, not necessarily military, but we'll see somebody police force-wise, and it's like, You know, Eric, I can outrun that person, and I'm a 61-year-old guy with a bad back. I mean, at the end of the day, I shouldn't be outrunning anybody, and I want them to for sure be able to outrun me and the perp they're chasing.
SPEAKER 03 :
Is that wrong? Well, no, that's not wrong. You know, matter of fact, just this Saturday, I was up at Silverthorne, and I set out and I did four hours solid hiking up and over a mountain, went to Lilypad Lake, on over, back down to almost 570, came back up and over with very minimal resting.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Eric, you're a fitness nut, but let me ask you this, okay? When you were in the Army, what kind of shape was your superiors in?
SPEAKER 18 :
Good question.
SPEAKER 03 :
Most of mine were darn good shape. That doesn't surprise me. It's kind of funny because even as, you know, like I said, I was Army space. We had enough who would be guys that, you know, that even we had a guy, a sergeant, smoked like somebody just set an ashtray or something on fire, trash can on fire. That guy could outrun almost everybody. And it's like, how can you even run with as much as you smoke? It's just like, I just do it. I just keep going.
SPEAKER 06 :
That amazes me.
SPEAKER 03 :
That amazes me. Yeah, oh, it truly blew my mind that he could do so well.
SPEAKER 06 :
What really blew my mind, Eric, when I was in the military was, look, I was surrounded by a lot of people who were generally in really great shape, but let me tell you something. When the weekend came, they could down a few bottles.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me tell you something. You didn't want to keg next to these guys, and you wonder, how do they drink that much and still be in shape? And then you see them a couple mornings later out there running laps. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, we had a few people like that, not so much in the space sector, but, you know, we did have a few guys. And, yeah, it was always like you would expect them to be fat from all the beer they were drinking, and they weren't, you know. I guess they just did enough PT to burn it off and turn it into muscle.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, that was the case with us. Go ahead, John.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, so question for you, and Andy and I were talking about this during the break, so I wanted to mention this on air, though. Eric, when you look at other countries, because we're talking military, not police and fire and all that. We're just talking the military right now. When you look at other countries and what they're putting up for their infantrymen and their jet fighter pilots and, and, and, and even, by the way, some of their upper echelon generals and so on, I see a distinct difference from us. Am I wrong in that?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, no, no. You know, I went over to South Korea before I got out, and their average guy put some of our best to shame. You know, just because, among other things, they live to threat Davis.
SPEAKER 18 :
Correct. Correct.
SPEAKER 03 :
Every day they're at risk. Correct. Very true.
SPEAKER 18 :
And by the way, that's a great point, and I'm not taking that lightly. On the same token, though, and you and Andy both would agree with me here, I'm sure, we are supposed to be the elite of the elite of the elite. You know, we have the best fighting machines, the best warfare, you know, the best of everything, Eric. So shouldn't our people be the same?
SPEAKER 03 :
Our people should be. Our people should be. To a degree, we have gotten complacent, depending upon...
SPEAKER 06 :
uh our equipment instead of yep thank you you took the words out of my out of my mouth we're relying too much on technology not enough on the actual quote-unquote grunt work well yeah and really quick here eric and i want to ask your opinion because i think ben shapiro makes a good point he says modern day americans can't handle a war that's more than 35 seconds long They start immediately turning on it and saying, when are you going to get us out of this war? When are you going to get us out? Back when I was in the military, we basically felt physically, man, I've got to be able to move like a cat if I'm going to be taken up to the front lines. Even though I'm just a computer guy, pencil pusher, they may put an M-16 in my hands and put me out there. I don't want to be an easy target. Great point. And nowadays, I don't think any of these kids expect to really be in combat unless they are, you know, paratroopers or so forth.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and that's just it. Like I said, I go on these air bases, they're now Space Force bases. And these people are, well, I specifically signed up for Air Force because I'm not going to have to go to the field. Yeah, your average Air Force doesn't. But I guarantee there are... The people that are going down to South America on drug interdiction and other stuff, they'll put any Army Ranger to competition. They do the Siri training. They do all of that. They're not to be laughed at.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, they're not.
SPEAKER 18 :
Amazing. Again, my point was, and I want to make sure I mentioned it, is we are up against all of these other nations, and frankly, I feel we should be setting the stage for all of that and not being outranked. That's not the right word, I know, but you get what I'm saying there. I don't want to be outdone by another country, Eric.
SPEAKER 03 :
I fully agree. My oldest boy, he's a Marine. God only knows why. I haven't figured that one out.
SPEAKER 18 :
Raised him wrong. That's all right. That's awesome. Well, tell him thank you, by the way. Thank you as well, Eric. Every time you call in, I appreciate it, man. I learned so much from you. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, the thing is, he's a smart guy, and he's climbed rank. He's going to pin on his D6, which for a Marine is good. He looks at all the different forces and their reserves, and he just shakes his head.
SPEAKER 18 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
He says, you know, I admire Marine Corps Reserve because they actually get out there and they keep training and they stay in shape. And, you know, whereas you look at Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and some of those people are more roly-poly than... yeah anything else yeah yeah good point and uh good point no you know but yeah no it just it just bugs me oh and then you know you were talking on you know about the announcement you know you're going to be clean shaved my marine and i rolled up to buckley to go you know get him some new new pt shoes and stuff while he was in town And the security guy, security forces guy, had a full beard. And here I'm handing my civilian credentials, showing that I'm a contractor and, you know, his Marine credentials. And, you know, my boy's just like, what's that? And I said, very disgustedly, where the security guard could hear it, that's the new standards.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hmm.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, are you sure it was a guy? I mean, we still have some Biden effects. I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. I have run into a few of those on some of the bases.
SPEAKER 18 :
Wow. Amazing. Eric, as always, man, I appreciate it. Thanks for all you do. Tell your son the same. Very well. All right, man. Appreciate you very much. John and Cheyenne, go for it, sir.
SPEAKER 09 :
Hey guys. So I was laughing when I was listening, uh, Secretary Hegsat, because everything he said was what I lived for 11 and a half years. You know, we got up. I was a Bradley mechanic, which means I was in a Mech Infantry Battalion. And our battalion commander said, no, no, you guys are just grunts with toolboxes. That's what he called us. And he treated us exactly the same as the infantry guys. We had to do PT with them. We had to go to the range with them. We had to train with them. Oh, yeah. Because he said when something blew up and when we went to Desert Storm, you might have to use that M16. And I want to make sure you guys can shoot as good as my infantry guys. So we would go to the range and do all that other training. But we had to be clean shaven because, you know, I was in the training of the, we were going to fight the Russians, the Soviets, still the same. And their main thing of everything we understood from intelligence is the first thing they were going to do to us was gas us. And if you didn't have a clean shave, you couldn't get a solid seal on your mask.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Good point.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, and so things like that. But I was just laughing at the little things that he's going to bring back And I remember what my daughter told me. She retired from the Navy in April. But her last year, or shortly a little less than her last year, she was on a cruise on the Roosevelt. They went to the Far East and the Middle East. And she said that the squad or the CAG immediately changed and went to the old school Navy the day they pulled out of port because they were now on a combat cruise and there was no time for nonsense.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hmm.
SPEAKER 09 :
So all of a sudden, all these kids that were getting away, as she called them, I'll call them that, too, that were getting away with murder weren't getting away with it anymore. They were having to, you know, do their job across the board.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
And it was, you know, it was pretty interesting that, you know, you talk to some of the Desert Storm. That's my generation or the next, the Iraqi and Afghanistan war vets. Once they got into country, all this politically correct crap went out the window. Once you were in a zone, in a combat zone, you were...
SPEAKER 06 :
expected to soldier as we yeah well that's why i don't like the entire military thing the what the left has done with the military turning into a place of social experimentation look we are sending these people into combat right if we need them and i look man in combat you can't be somebody who's worried about your feelings or wondering about your gender identity you've got to be ready to die Okay? Or to hopefully not die. And you've got to have somebody else's back. I never understood this when they turned it into social experimentation. That's not what it's about. Rush Limbaugh said it best. The military is to kill people and break things. And that's their job.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's what we do best. Everything else is just secondary.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 09 :
Good point. Oh, and you were talking about fitness levels, John, in an infantry division. Oh, yeah. everybody except maybe the sergeant majors who were old time, you know, the old sergeant majors, they were the only ones who may be not in perfect shape, but they were usually in their mid forties at 30 years in. So they weren't in the shape that, but everybody else, I mean, our brigade commander used to take us on a brigade run once a month and he was right with us every time, you know, And that would be a three-mile run, and everybody had to do it once a month. Plus, we ran three miles three times a week. And then the other two days, we did sprints.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, John, at my time, in my day, it was pretty competitive, too. The young guys, you didn't want to be the one who wasn't in total tip-top shape.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, you didn't want to be the guy that just barely passed the PT test.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER 09 :
You had to get 180 to pass, 300 was max, and you wanted to be closer to 300 than 180. Yeah. And it changed. I think it still does. The older you get, the less you have to do because you're not as strong. But when you were 18 or 19, you were expected to work out.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, good point.
SPEAKER 09 :
I will let you guys know. All right, no, good stuff, John.
SPEAKER 18 :
As always, man, appreciate you very much. Thanks. We'll be back. Talk to Joe in a minute. Don't go anywhere. Ridgeline Auto Brokers up next. If you're looking for a new used car, they've got you covered. They can finance that car. Take your car on trade. Sell your car as well. RidgelineAutoBrokers.com.
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SPEAKER 04 :
It's time to leave your safe space. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560. All right, we are back. Myself, Andy. Joe, what's going on?
SPEAKER 08 :
John, I've got mixed emotions or mixed feelings about the announcement. And maybe I don't understand it clearly, but, you know, the military has thousands of jobs where you will never be required or expected to carry a weapon or to, you know, do a hike with a 40-pound bag. I mean, you've got... Navy, you've got doctors. You've got military doctors who are women. They're heart surgeons. You've got jet engine mechanics who are female. There's a new documentary series on TV started two weeks ago called Top Gun, The Next Generation. It's about the training of Marine fighter pilots. And the women fighter pilots are outperforming the men. And if you're a Marine fighter pilot, yeah, you might get shot down and have to practice your survival skills. But you're not ever going to have to do a 10-mile hike with a 40-pound pack carrying an 8-pound rifle.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, actually, if you get shot down by enemy lines, you may have to carry a lot of stuff a long ways, man.
SPEAKER 08 :
But not a 40-pound pack. But you're not going to hike 10 miles in a 40-pound pack. My point, and then even if you look on the aircraft carrier, you've got this, you're feeding 3,000 people every day. You've got this huge galley with, you know, cooks and, you know, and they're preparing food for, you know, they're serving 9,000 meals a day. If you're a cook, a culinary specialist on an aircraft carrier, do you have to have the physical strength to do a 10-mile hike?
SPEAKER 18 :
Yes, in my opinion, yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
Didn't you ever see Under Siege? Come on, that's totally real.
SPEAKER 18 :
And I guess the way I look at it, Joe, is just like any other structure that's out there whereby you may not on a day-to-day basis have to do the things that you just mentioned, but what if you do? And you have to, and I still look at this as, you know what, what's good for the one should be good for the all. As Pete said, from the generals all the way down to the infantry, I feel like they ought to all pass the same standards. They're in the military. I'm paying their wages as a taxpayer. Granted, it's a pretty good bargain on my end because we don't pay those guys near enough. That's probably a conversation for another day, frankly, but I don't think we pay them enough. But at the end of the day, they still work for us.
SPEAKER 08 :
But, John, I look at risk-reward. So let's say, yes, there's a chance that out of a a thousand fighter pilots, one or two, you know, over the next five years, one or two may get shot down in combat. But let's say, but you might have 200 highly qualified women who can fly the snot out of those things.
SPEAKER 18 :
My feeling is if they were able to handle the G-force and everything else it takes to fly, they're in pretty good shape, Joe. They're not the ones we're talking about.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's a non-issue. But again, if they can't do a 10-mile hike carrying a 40-pound pack in four hours... I guarantee you they can. Oh yeah, they can.
SPEAKER 18 :
I bet those gals can.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me tell you something, Joe. The girls that I was in the military with could.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, I'd be surprised. And here's my point, too, Joe. And this is me. And this is somebody, for everybody listening, I have struggled with my weight forever. I am constantly watching what I do, what I eat, the amount of exercise, et cetera, Joe, because it runs in the family. and it's one of those things that I just have to watch on a regular basis. So personally, I look at this as, and I know it's not the same for everybody. Some people can eat all they want, frankly, still aren't that healthy at the end of the day because of their body makeup, and they might look healthy, but they're not. But in general, Joe, people that are overweight, in my opinion, and I'm sorry, I'm going to say this because I am one, it's a discipline issue, Joe. So I look at this as if you're going to be in the military and you're not going to be disciplined enough to keep your PT up and your weight off, you know what? That's a problem then.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and one last thing, if I may, John. The women who are fighter pilots, I guarantee you they are highly competitive with the guys.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'm not talking about them.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'll bet they're in pretty good shape.
SPEAKER 18 :
That side of it, I've already been through. I don't see that as an issue, Joe. I'm talking about, to your point, even that cook. I want the cook to be in shape, too.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, and I agree. And I agree. And, John, when it comes to the weight issue, John, if they don't have the discipline to control their weights, I agree they have no place in the military, but to expect a 120-pound woman who might have incredible skills— Well, keep in mind what Pete said was male standards.
SPEAKER 18 :
To my understanding, the female soldiers, they've got a different PT test to pass. They don't pass the same test that a male does.
SPEAKER 06 :
Am I correct in that or not? No, I believe he's trying to impose— So he wants it to all be the same? Yes, but it's a minimal male standard across the board, okay? And I believe the standard that he would impose, that 120-pound girl is probably going to pass it just fine. Okay, and if we're comfortable, they can do that.
SPEAKER 08 :
But she's going to want to be ripped. Go ahead. And if we're prepared to go there, and I agree, you know, people who are overweight, if they can't get their weight under control, they need to be ripped out of the military. But I would hate to say because a A 120-pound woman can't do some of the things.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, but, Joe, let me throw this at you. If she's a 120-pound woman and she does end up in combat and she's got to try to rescue someone or bring somebody that's been injured back out of the line of fire, if she can't do it, should she be there?
SPEAKER 08 :
If she's a heart surgeon, absolutely. If she's a heart surgeon working in a hospital, absolutely, John. Or if she's a cook on an aircraft carrier, why not? She's never going to have to carry somebody out. If you're a cook on an aircraft carrier, you're never going to have to carry anybody on your back out of an enemy, out of a combat.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's no guarantee, actually.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah. But okay. All right. I'm going to leave you with that, Joe. We'll talk more on Thursday, of course. Tom, go ahead. I'm going to give you a couple of minutes. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. I want to tell you that Jersey Joe is never wrong except in this case. He doesn't understand those military standards and what they stand for. I'm a civilian, but all my kids were in the military. I sailed for eight days on the Tarwa with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. I saw the cooks inside the ship. Everybody is to a standard. Doctors, everybody. That's what makes our military different than everybody else.
SPEAKER 18 :
I agree with you, Tom.
SPEAKER 11 :
And all the female girls in the Marines and all the Navy girls were tough girls. They hit the fitness standards. I can guarantee you they'd run the three miles, get their push-ups and their sit-ups in, where a lot of people right now cannot do that. And so we've got to get back to that standard. And I think if Joe had been around the military a little bit, he'd understand it right away.
SPEAKER 18 :
And, Tom, I come from you, again, because of having kids. I didn't go to the military, but I had kids that did. I understand all of what we're talking about. I get where Joe's coming from, where you've got some highly technical, skilled positions where we need people to be there no matter what. But on the same token, I look at that and say if they're really skilled and they're really disciplined, they'll have no problem with us anyways, Tom.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. We sponsor two Air Force cadets, and they're both in the— uh space force program and they're they're into the chair side of that thing and these kids are ripped and they're ready to go for anything at any time and that's just as they should be every marine is a rifleman yeah as they should be yeah and we're not asking women do struggle with push-ups we're not asking them to do 15 reps at 225 okay i mean come on exactly yeah yeah and every listen every marine i saw on that ship and all my years of being around all these female marines You wouldn't want to tangle with one, and that standard needs to stay where it's at.
SPEAKER 07 :
I agree.
SPEAKER 11 :
And even the doctors. I've got a friend that runs in sports medicine. She's a colonel at the Air Force, and that girl runs 10, 12 miles every day. And it's the standard that those people set as leaders that trickles down, and you can't give the exceptions away for certain people. Otherwise, the mechanism breaks.
SPEAKER 18 :
Otherwise, Tom, there's no standard.
SPEAKER 11 :
Exactly right.
SPEAKER 18 :
That's why we've got generals in some cases probably, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this, that are probably 100 pounds overweight. We shouldn't have that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh yeah. If you notice during the speech, the Marine, the Marine generals were all laughing at the rest of the branches because you looked at every Marine general, those guys are ready to eat a piece of steel.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 11 :
And they know that the softness lurks inside the other branches right now.
SPEAKER 06 :
Tom, do you think the Marines enjoyed the speech?
SPEAKER 11 :
I, I, I believe that they did. I didn't get all of it, but I'm pretty sure my entire family's Marines. And I've got one son who's an operator and, uh, And I know that those guys are war fighters and they believe in this. If you see the Mets, the kids lining up outside of Mets now, downtown Denver to go in to sign up.
SPEAKER 18 :
That's awesome.
SPEAKER 11 :
Are out the door now. That's awesome. Before you couldn't get anybody in. That's awesome. Now they're lining up the door.
SPEAKER 18 :
That's awesome. And by the way, this is going to do nothing but make it better.
SPEAKER 11 :
Exactly right. It's the best of all. It's a straightening out of the weakness and the softness and the DPI that creeped inside of our military ranks.
SPEAKER 18 :
Bottom line, before I go to break, Tom, I'll say this. I think every other country listening to that probably just realized that, oh, crap, we aren't up against who we used to be anymore.
SPEAKER 11 :
That is exactly right. And they'll think twice before they want to tangle with us. It's a deterrent, and it makes peace.
SPEAKER 18 :
That's right. That's exactly right. Peace through strength, Tom.
SPEAKER 11 :
Very good.
SPEAKER 18 :
Thank you, man. Appreciate you very much. Thanks for the call. I appreciate it very much. Have a great evening. Mile High Coin up next. And I say it all the time. If you've got a collection of things that you've been sitting around trying to figure out, do I turn this into cash or not? Get it appraised. That's a free appraisal for Rush to Reason, KLZ listeners. Mile High Coin, 720-370-3400.
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SPEAKER 04 :
We don't yell at you. We inform you. Now, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right. Great last hour, by the way. Thank you all for calling in and for listening. I appreciate it greatly. Andy, thank you as well. It was a lot of fun. It was a great day. It was. Have a lot of fun tonight. You guys enjoy. Be safe. Charlie as well. Thank you all. We'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same place. Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush. KLZ 560.
