This Christmas Eve, Washington Watch takes you to the Middle East with compelling insights from Washington, D.C. and beyond. Jody Heiss hosts a heartfelt discussion on the present-day challenges faced by Israel as Tony Perkins shares firsthand experiences from Jerusalem. With Chris Mitchell, explore the changing dynamics in Syria and the hopeful undertones for the future. As the holiday season approaches, reflect on the deeper meaning of Christmas and the ongoing hope and resilience that bind communities of faith across borders.
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 soundbites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 08 :
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTMAS EVE EDITION OF WASHINGTON WATCH. I'M JODY HEISS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HERE AT THE FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL AND PRESIDENT OF FRC ACTION. IT IS AN HONOR, INDEED, AS ALWAYS, TO BE FILLING IN FOR TONY AND SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US ON THIS CHRISTMAS EVE AS WELL. WE'VE GOT A LOT COMING YOUR WAY ON THE PROGRAM TODAY. OF COURSE, IT'S CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD. IN BETHLEHEM OVER 2,000 YEARS AGO IN THE HOLY LAND. AND YET THE HOLY LAND TODAY REMAINS A CENTER OF POLITICAL TURMOIL BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. ISRAEL HAS BEEN AT WAR NOW FOR MORE THAN 14 MONTHS. AND AS WE NOW FIX OUR EYES ON OUR HEARTS ARE ALSO WITH THOSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHERE THE SITUATION HAS BEEN CHANGING SO MUCH FOR THE PEOPLE IN THAT REGION. SO ON THIS SPECIAL EDITION, I'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS JOINING ME FROM JERUSALEM. Chris Mitchell, Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News, will join me to talk about how this Advent season and the last have been different for the people in Israel and the Middle East as a whole. And how can we here be praying for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East? And then I'll be sharing with you a discussion I had with FRC president and, of course, the main host of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins, who joined me from Israel last week. So what was he hearing while on the ground there? And how should our leaders here in the United States be standing with our closest ally in the Middle East? All that will be coming up shortly. And then to close out the program, I'll be joined by Dr. Jay Johnston, National Prayer Director and the Chaplain here at the Family Research Council. And we'll be talking about how the Christmas season uniquely provides opportunities for discipleship and for connecting people to the truth. How can Christ followers right now make the most of this time? And how should that be carried out throughout the year? So we've got a great program lined up for you. And if by chance you miss any portion of it, again, always keep in mind that you can catch it by going to our website, TonyPerkins.com, where, of course, not only this edition of Washington Watch, but past editions also are available online. AS WELL AS TONS OF RESOURCES. SO BE SURE TO BOOKMARK THAT WEB PAGE. AND THEN LET ME JUST SAY THIS AS WELL BEFORE WE JUMP INTO IT. FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL INVITES YOU TO JOIN US AS OUR COMMITMENT IS TO CONTINUE SHINING THE LIGHT OF BIBLICAL TRUTH IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND BEYOND. AND DURING THESE DANGEROUS DAYS IN WHICH WE'RE LIVING, FRC LITERALLY IS SERVING AS A TYPE OF WATCHMAN ON THE WALL. We're here protecting faith and family and freedom from all sorts of attacks coming from every direction. And thanks to a $1.5 million challenge match right now. Every dollar you give to FRC between now and December 31st, every dollar will be doubled. Folks, let that sink in. This enables you to double your impact. So we're asking you to come alongside FRC. Stand with us, enabling us to continue being a prophetic voice for biblical truth. You can join us by texting the word LIGHT, L-I-G-H-T, to 67742. So together, let's make an eternal impact. Let's continue being the light that God intends us to be. All right. As I mentioned earlier, FRC president and the main host of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins, was in Israel last week. And while there, he joined me to talk about his latest trip and what he heard there on the ground. Here's that interview. Tony, thanks so much for joining us today. And Merry Christmas from Israel.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, thank you, Jody. Merry Christmas, and thanks for filling in for me. I'm actually, for those watching, I am standing just outside of the walls of Jerusalem. In fact, you can see the city of Jerusalem behind me, and to my left, you can't see it, but over in the distance is the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born a little over 2,000 years ago.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's amazing. Well, Tony, I know you've got a lot of meetings, a lot of things that have been taking place for you there in Israel. But while you're on the ground, what are you hearing? What are you seeing? What's the mood like there?
SPEAKER 06 :
With Jody, there's a real sense of optimism on a couple of things. One is I met with various leaders in the Israeli government and some of the military leaders. I met with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and some in the foreign policy, foreign administration, foreign ministry leaders. And there's optimism and it's even on the streets. Number one, because of the elections in the United States and the Trump administration coming into power, is that given what they did last time in supporting with Israel, there's a great optimism, especially with the backdrop of the Biden administration, that they're going to have a friend once again in the White House. And then, secondly, Jody, the tables have turned since I was here in March of this year, where Israel kind of had their—they were up against the ropes, so to speak. Now we see this ring that Iran had of proxies around them, Hezbollah, Hamas, And even the Houthis in Yemen have been pounded by Israel. And then, of course, Iran, they're now kind of teetering. It's changed tremendously. And so there's a sense of optimism there, as well as, you know, by the time people hear this, as we're pre-recording it, the hostages may have been released, at least some of them. That deal is very close to happening.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, that's what I wanted to ask specifically, the ceasefire and the hostage release. I know Trump, as you mentioned him and the attitude that he is bringing to the table there, he's been very strong saying that there's going to be tremendous consequences if the hostages are not released before he's inaugurated. So I'm assuming that really has brought a sense of optimism to Israel, but also a little fear and trembling to the terrorists.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. You know, I've thought about that. What I have made that statement, because he's drawing a very bright line, which means he has to follow through on that. What does that look like? I'm not sure anybody really knows. And I think that's the fear and trembling that it creates that fear and trembling because nobody really knows what that means. But they know that he is not traditional in the way he deals with these issues and generally what he says he does. And so there has been a lot of movement during this week. We've been in Israel and the officials that we've talked to, they've been very tight lipped about the hostage situation, not wanting to to say anything, go on the record about anything. And so that suggests to me that they're very close to reaching some type of a deal that would bring this chapter to a close, bringing some of, if not all the hostages home immediately or over a staged process.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's been 14 months that I'm sure it's just been unimaginable for Israel and the people living there, which, of course, Israel has been a safe harbor for the Jewish community for a long time and for many others, for that matter. How has that changed? Have you seen—I know it's been 14 months that it's changed drastically, but how is it right now?
SPEAKER 06 :
It's interesting, Jody, because and this is one of the things that that I've noticed having as it had been here in March, is that the nation hasn't forgotten. They haven't moved on. It's not like, OK, well, that was last year. That was 14 months ago. The nation has drawn closer together now. There is laser focus on these hostages. You cannot go anywhere and not see posters or billboards or signs saying, bring them home. And they keep a list. They have pictures of all the hostages that remain. I was at Hostage Square during my time here in Tel Aviv. I met with some of the hostage families. And so there's a focus that continues to be on these families, encouraging them, standing with them and saying, we are going to bring these hostages home.
SPEAKER 08 :
I can only imagine what kind of national celebration that is going to spark when those hostages are finally released. It's got to be, it may end up being a national holiday of sorts. I can't imagine the joy that is going to be exhibited when that happens.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you consider since 1948, when Israel became a state, you know, they've had wars, six state wars. They've had short periods. They've never had this long of a conflict with this many different nations that they've been focused on, where literally, you know, the world was betting against Israel, pushing against Israel, and Israel has completely completely turned the tables to where now other nations are trembling and fearful of what Israel may do. And I do think you're right. I think when those Israelis and others, there's others and just Israelis, others being held hostage, when they come home, I think you're going to see a grand celebration.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, as we enter into this last few days before Christmas and by the time this airs following it, what is the biggest prayer need as you are out and about with people there and with the leaders in Israel? How can we be most targeted and specific in praying for Israel right now?
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, Jody, first, I think we need to understand the importance of Israel and what took place here and what it means to us as Christians. As I said at the beginning, just a stone's throw from where I'm at, Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. The fact that this is a place where so much of what we, almost everything we read in the Bible is found here in Judea and Samaria. And we need to be praying for the peace of this land as Psalm 122 encourages us to do or tells us to do. We need to be praying for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I don't know of another individual in the entire world that has as much weight upon his shoulder and decisions that are such consequential decisions that affect literally the entire world, Western civilization. and praying for their peace, praying for the fulfillment of God's word and for continued revelation of God's power on their behalf and the spiritual awakening that is taking place here in Israel. Continue to pray that the Holy Spirit would move in a powerful, profound way as the word of God is fulfilled here in this land in Israel.
SPEAKER 08 :
Tony, I want to thank you so much for joining us. Thank you specifically for that direct. avenue for us to be praying. And we have, of course, our viewers, our listeners all over the country right now. You've heard some very specific ways that we can pray. And I want to encourage every single one of you today to take time to take these words that we've heard from Tony and specifically pray for the prime minister, for Israel, for the peace of Jerusalem, for wisdom, for spiritual awakening. Let's be very specific as we pray. Tony, I know you've got a lot to do. Again, I want to thank you for joining us. You've got a busy schedule. Merry, Merry Christmas to you and Luana and the family. Safe travels home. Look forward to seeing you soon.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Jody, Merry Christmas to you as well. And Merry Christmas to all of our Washington Watch viewers and listeners. Great.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you so much. Well, that was my interview last week with Tony, who joined me from Jerusalem. And after the break, I'll be joined by another guest from Jerusalem, CBN Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell. So don't go away. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 11 :
During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we're making an eternal impact. 2024 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC's outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with a community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God's intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government, Launching in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 04 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into Scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 08 :
WELL, MERRY CHRISTMAS. WELCOME BACK TO WASHINGTON TO WATCH. I'M JODY HEISS FILLING IN TODAY FOR TONY. SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU. AND OF COURSE CHRISTMAS WAS VERY DIFFERENT LAST YEAR IN THE HOLY LAND FOLLOWING THE VICIOUS ATTACKS BY HAMAS AGAINST ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 7TH. AND TODAY IS MORE THAN 14 MONTHS OF THE WAR. AND HOW IS THE MOOD NOW IN ISRAEL THIS ADVENT SEASON? FOR THE ISRAELI CITIZENS DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES. JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS THIS IS MIDDLE EAST BUREAU CHIEF FOR CBN NEWS AND DEAR FRIEND OF WASHINGTON WATCH, CHRIS MITCHELL. CHRIS, WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM. ALWAYS AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU.
SPEAKER 14 :
IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU,
SPEAKER 08 :
WELL, THANK YOU. I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER PLACE FOR MERRY CHRISTMAS WISHES TO BE COMING FROM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT A GREAT DEAL. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AS WELL. WELL, WE ARE PRE-TAPING THIS, SO THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN NOW AND CHRISTMAS EVE, BUT LET'S JUST START, IF YOU CAN, CHRIS, WITH GIVING US THE LATEST IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION THERE IN ISRAEL.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Jody, the current situation has changed so dramatically in just the last few weeks with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the takeover by many rebel groups within just about two weeks or less than that. Just remarkable changes. And the changes just keep coming, Jody, whether it was the degrading of Hamas in the Gaza Strip or the way that Hezbollah really disintegrated for the last three or four months. Just these changes have been remarkable, historic changes, biblical changes, it seems. And it's really hard to keep up sometimes. But we know that the Middle East is developing, shaking, moving and just dramatic and powerful ways. A reminder to be keeping praying for the peace of Jerusalem and all the peoples here in the lands.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And yeah, the change is unbelievable. And we're all just deeply grateful for it. You've just been a special and powerful voice in keeping us up to speed as to what's happening. Just in terms of Christmas, Chris, I'm just curious, you've been there in Israel for quite a while now. How has this Advent season been compared to last year and even the years before October 7th?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, you mentioned 14 months and counting. I would say that many of the people here in Israel are weary of the war. It's very, very difficult to continue what's going on. And it's almost affected every single Israeli person here in the land, whether it's a son or daughter or cousin, brother that's in combat and has been fighting, whether in Gaza or up in the north against Hezbollah. But I also say that there is just a remarkable resilience of the Israeli people here. And so this Advent season, obviously, it's the Christians here in the land that are marking the birth of Jesus Christ. And I would say it's, you know, for many people, regardless of whatever your faith is, a very, very hard time to go through, a very wearying time. But, you know, as believers in Jesus, we have the hope. and that we can look to and remember the birth of Jesus, which is actually just about five miles behind me where I'm standing right now, Jody. So 2,000 years ago, that's where the angels said the good news of glad tidings, for unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
SPEAKER 08 :
AMEN. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SO MANY CHANGES TAKING PLACE AROUND THE WORLD AND SPECIFICALLY NOW IN ISRAEL, THE ENTIRE WORLD CHANGED 2,000 YEARS AGO. AND THANK GOD IT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY THROUGH HIS GRACE AND MERCY. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST I'M CURIOUS YOUR TAKE ON CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA AND ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. OF COURSE WITH THE FALL OF THE BRUTAL HASSAD REGIME, I'M CURIOUS HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND WHAT'S THE SITUATION LIKE FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA AND OTHER PLACES?
SPEAKER 14 :
That's a very, very important issue, Jody. And I think people, Christians around the world and the United States in particular, I think need to be aware of what's happening to our brothers and sisters inside Syria. Now, they lived under the Assad regime. It wasn't the best of circumstances by far. But what's happened right now is that the groups that have taken over, which one is called HTS, the other is SNA, but both jihadi groups sponsored and backed by Turkey, and they want to implement Sharia law inside Syria. Now, what that means for Christians is that they would basically be second-class citizens, and there could be varying degrees of what Sharia law looks like, but it would be a restriction of their faith, their livelihood, perhaps. They might have to pay what's called the jizza tax for non-Muslims. So it's a very, very important time to be praying for our brothers and sisters, and also a time to be talking to leaders who have influence and policymakers. People that I've talked to, Jody, that we've been reporting on, are saying a lot of this comes from President Erdogan in Turkey and Turkey They hope and pray that he could be stopped. Now, I'll explain just a little bit what's happening in the western part of Syria that's really been taken over by HDS. The eastern part is under threat as well. In northeast Syria, over the last number of years, there's been an autonomous region where they have set up a democratic form of government. where Christians, Yazidis, Kurds, and Arabs all working together. Now, that is under a threat by what's this group called SNA. And that as well, people need to pray that they could be restrained so that this really beacon of hope and freedom and democracy in the Middle East could be preserved from these Turkish-backed groups.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Chris, I do want to keep you, if you can, over the break and come back and continue this discussion. But it's not just the believers there that are going to experience massive changes. In fact, I understand many of them have already fled. But what are some of the implications of a new Syrian government for Israel, as well as the rest of the Middle East, but Israel in particular?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, it really poses a threat to them. And that's why, in fact, even today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon is a geographical barrier between Lebanon, Syria and Israel. And now Israel, because of all this chaos in the last few months, has taken over the strategic Syrian part of Mount Hermon, as well as a buffer zone between this new HDS jihadi group that wants to implement Sharia law in Israel. So long term, it does represent a possible very serious threat to Israel. They have stated they want to come here and take over Jerusalem. So that's where their goals are eventually. In the meantime, Israel has been destroying as much as 80 percent or more of the Besar al-Sham military infrastructure. They started right when the rebels took over, and they have continued to do so, so that these strategic weapons don't fall into the hands of this jihadist group.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, keep that thought. We'll come back after the break. We're going to continue our conversation with Chris Mitchell. So don't go anywhere. We'll be back in just a moment.
SPEAKER 03 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 16 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 16 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 16 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that, but here we get real hands-on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 15 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
america has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until january the 20th join family research council for operation prayer shield a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation from now until january 20th our country faces global challenges a transition of leadership and a lame duck session of congress This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
SPEAKER 08 :
MERRY CHRISTMAS. AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY ON WASHINGTON WATCH. I'M JODY HEIST. FILLING IN TODAY FOR TONY. AND WE'RE CONTINUING NOW OUR DISCUSSION WITH CHRIS MITCHELL. HE'S THE MIDDLE EAST BUREAU CHIEF FOR CBN NEWS. HE IS JOINING US FROM JERUSALEM. CHRIS, THANKS AGAIN FOR STAYING WITH US OVER THE BREAK. WE APPRECIATE IT. Iran, let's talk about them. For a long time, they've been a threat to Israel. How has the war affected them right now? It looks like it's been pretty significant.
SPEAKER 14 :
Jody, who would have known after October 7, Hamas, a group funded and helped by Iran, and Hezbollah funded and helped by Iran as well, both of these groups have basically been decimated. And Iran itself is under threat. The reason for that is right now, on October 26, Israel launched an attack against Iran's facilities, and they hit much of their air defenses. In addition to that, Israel has already hit out most of the air defenses inside Syria. So it seems like there's a window of opportunity and almost a safe path for any Israeli action against Iran's nuclear facilities. We don't know if that might happen in this window between where we're talking now and January 20th, when President Trump is inaugurated. But it does seem like an opportune time for Israel to go ahead and destroy what has been the existential threat hanging over the Jewish state for decades, which is Iran's nuclear facilities and the potential to have a nuclear arsenal.
SPEAKER 08 :
YEAH, THAT HAS LONG BEEN A MAJOR THREAT. AND I AGREE. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IF THERE'S EVER A TIME TO DO SO, IT WOULD BE NOW. AND THEN WE HAVE ON THIS SIDE OVER HERE, PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP, OF COURSE, HE HAS PROMISED TO BE THE MOST PRO-ISRAEL PRESIDENT IN HISTORY. AND AT LEAST FROM MY ESTIMATION, HE CERTAINLY WAS OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE TOP IN HIS FIRST TERM. I THINK IT'S AN HONOR OF A LIFETIME FOR ME PERSONALLY TO BE THERE WHEN THE EMBASSY MOVED TO JERUSALEM, AND THAT WAS ALL PRESIDENT TRUMP PUSHING THAT. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ISRAEL IS HOPING FOR WITH THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, BE IT THE FIRST 100 DAYS OR BEYOND?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, I would think right now, Jody, I think the first thing would be to help Israel either allow Israel, give them the green light to go ahead and attack Iran's nuclear facilities or actually help the U.S., I mean Israel, and that the U.S. would cooperate with them to go ahead and destroy that. Now, that could lead, possibly, and I think... That's what maybe the Mullahs are concerned about right now in Tehran, to an overthrow of the Iranian regime. Because as we have talked before, many of the people, probably 80, 90 percent of Iranians despise the regime, and they would love to see it overthrown after decades of oppression against the public. So I think that's one thing. The other thing, Jody, is that they want to see working together. Over the last 14 months since October 7th, many Israelis have felt that the Biden administration really was an obstacle to Israel's war against Hamas and really a seven-front war and also trying to undermine the Netanyahu government. So I think there's going to be a huge change come January 20th. We've already seen it right now, just in the last day or two. Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump have also had a conversation, which Trump described as a very good conversation. And he's looking forward to a good situation in the Middle East, possibly an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and then possibly eliminating Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish people.
SPEAKER 08 :
WELL, THAT'S EVERYTHING YOU SAY THERE RESONATES. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TWO VERY, VERY STRONG LEADERS BETWEEN NETANYAHU AND TRUMP, AND THEY'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE SENSE OF FEAR AND TREMBLING FROM THOSE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE. THEY'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLOCK IS TICKING, IT WOULD SEEM, FOR THEIR CONTINUED CONTROL AND HARASSMENT AND Now, we're all thinking as we wrap up, Chris, here at Christmastime, we're thinking and praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle East, for Israel as a whole. What would you say to Americans here? How can we be praying for them as we celebrate Christmas?
SPEAKER 14 :
Pray for their protection. Pray that there'd be a godly policy that would really push back the forces of darkness, whether that's Turkish-backed militias or the mullahs in Tehran that would protect the Jewish people. They're remarkably resilient after 14, 15 months of being at war. But pray for comfort. It says in Isaiah 40, comfort, comfort ye me people. And also, you know, Psalm 126, verse 6, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And Isaiah 62 that says, he has put watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, to give him no praise till he makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth. And that ultimate praise will come, Jody, when our Savior comes back here to Jerusalem to rule and reign. And many people here in the Middle East would say, come, Lord Jesus.
SPEAKER 08 :
And we would join that. And he is indeed coming. And real quickly, Chris, how about you, your family, your team at CBN? How can we be praying for you?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, pray for protection, pray for anointing, pray that God would give us the wisdom of all the stories he wants us to report. We feel like maybe we're watchmen on the walls and that we can report what's happening, whether it's Washington Watch or our program Jerusalem Dateline, what's happening here so people could be informed, educated, and so people can pray.
SPEAKER 08 :
WELL, WE CANNOT FULLY EXPRESS TO YOU THE DEEP GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION THAT WE HAVE FOR YOUR FAITHFUL WITNESS, YOUR FAITHFUL PRESENCE THERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND YOUR COMING ON KEEPING US INFORMED. GOD BLESS YOU, CHRIS, MITCHELL, ALL OF YOU AT CBN, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD THERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISRAEL AS A WHOLE.
SPEAKER 14 :
Merry Christmas, Jody. And I just want to say we have a great team here in our bureau. They're doing a great job.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, friends, after the break, Pastor Jay Johnson will be joining us. You don't want to miss it. Stay tuned. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let's not be discouraged. Don't lose heart. Don't lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let's stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 09 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don't defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 01 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don't say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You're naive if you think that, because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 13 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we've relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource, and we've relied too little on the power of God and God's ability to open doors that we can't open and do things that we couldn't even hope to begin to do.
SPEAKER 05 :
This may not be an easy task, But we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know always that we are not alone, that His Spirit empowers us and protects us. and that he could do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to happen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Father, we thank you. You have entrusted us with this moment in history, and I pray that we would be found faithful, and that as a result of our faithfulness to you, that thousands, millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPEAKER 08 :
Merry Christmas. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony and so honored to have you joining us as well. All right, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, I hope you'll join Family Research Council in shining the light of biblical truth right here in Washington, D.C. and across the nation. This Christmas season, every dollar you give will be doubled exponentially. YES, IT WILL BE DOUBLED AS THROUGH A GENEROUS LIMITED TIME CHALLENGE MATCH. AND ALL OF THAT IS HELPING US TO DEFEND FAITH, FAMILY AND FREEDOM IN THIS COMING YEAR. AND SO TOGETHER, AS WE ALL JOIN FORCES TOGETHER, WE CAN STAND FOR BIBLICAL VALUES AND PROCLAIM THE ONLY TRUE SOURCE OF HOPE FOR AMERICA, AND THAT IS JESUS CHRIST. So if you'd like to join us and give, you can do so by texting the word LIGHT to 67742. And together, we can shine the light of truth this Christmas and beyond. And speaking of Christmas... Three out of four Americans agree that people have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas. Perhaps that's why this clip from a Charlie Brown Christmas shared by Family Research Council on social media, it's attracted millions of people.
SPEAKER 12 :
I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights, please. And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid, and the angel said unto them, Fear not. For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. THIS IS ALL ABOUT CHARLIE BROWN.
SPEAKER 08 :
AMEN TO THAT. WOW. LITERALLY, WE'VE HAD MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DOWNLOAD THAT AND WATCH IT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I MEAN, LOOK, WE ALL RECOGNIZE YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND SUCH A CLEAR PRESENTATION OF WHAT CHRISTMAS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT ON THE BIG TV NETWORKS TODAY. BUT WHETHER THEY AIR IT OR NOT, perhaps more so now than ever. And here to discuss why is Dr. Jay Johnson. He's a national prayer director and chaplain here at FRC. Pastor Jay, welcome back to the program. Always great to have you, my friend.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you. IT'S A GREAT IDEA. IT'S A GREAT IDEA. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AS WELL.
SPEAKER 08 :
MERRY CHRISTMAS, JAY. I LOVE THAT CLIP. I REMEMBER AS A CHILD WATCHING THAT. IN FACT, OUR WHOLE FAMILY USED TO WATCH CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND THERE WAS UTTER SILENCE WHEN IT CAME TO THAT PART EVERY SINGLE YEAR. WHAT DO YOU TAKE OF THE VIRAL
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, one, it probably brings those that are older great memories, but I think it's also a great reminder of people seeking truth and hope. And that clip just encourages people. It's one of those clips that... You know, you feel great about it, you know, and so it's an exciting clip. And I think that's just it demonstrates, again, also the hunger I believe people have right now for for truth, for something bigger than them.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. I think you and I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago with how the Bible now has jumped in sales some 22%. People are, as you just said, looking for truth. And they are, fortunately, many of them, going back to God's Word to find that truth. Don't you think that perhaps the Christmas season And particularly the season that we're having now with all the issues we're facing in our country and around the world, that somehow this uniquely opens the doors, opportunities for further Bible study, for actual discipleship and connecting people to the truth of God's word in a special way.
SPEAKER 07 :
I really do, Jody. I just really sense there is just a tremendous hunger of people. And I think with all of the things happening in the world, things that are happening in the U.S., You know, there's heartache, unfortunately, almost on every corner, but there's also hope at every corner as well. And I think those of us who know Christ can point people at those corners to the hope that they can find in Christ in the midst of despair. And so I do believe that people are just longing right now for something bigger than themselves. And the time's right. With everything that's happening, right now is the time to get people engaged in Bible study, you know, in prayer groups. And, you know, it's just that great time. I've mentioned in the past to you and to others, and it just happened recently. Last week, I walked in a couple of places there in D.C., and there were people just sitting at tables opening with their Bibles open. And I was just so encouraged. These are public places. And whether it's in your home or in a public place, in your church, connect group, whatever it may be, right now is just a great time to open God's Word. And I do want to just take a moment here. On Christmas Day, a great opportunity to not only join Family Research Council and stand on the word Bible study moving into 2025, but on Christmas Day, you may not have been on the journey with us, but I would just encourage you, open your Bible with your family. to Luke chapter two, read the verses beginning in verse one, before you do anything else with your family and let the word of God speak. Let the hope that is in Christ. Christ is the one who reigns on the throne today, but you're gonna read about his birth account. And there's so much hope there, so much encouragement. And that's the way you can begin with your family. Start on Christmas Day and then every day after, maybe it's a verse, maybe it's the several verses or chapter, even with Stand on the Word. But I just encourage you to start and Christmas Day is a great time by opening your Bible to Luke chapter two. Now that's not the place where we are with Stand on the Word for that particular day, but it's a great place to start if you've not been on the journey.
SPEAKER 08 :
IT'S A GREAT, GREAT WORD. AND I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP HOPE. WE ARE LIVING AT A TIME IN HISTORY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE LOST HOPE. THERE'S SO MUCH TURMOIL, SO MUCH BROKENNESS, SO MUCH ANXIETY AND UNCERTAINTY IN OUR WORLD, And for you, someone with such a pastor's heart that you have, and I love praying with you. I love hearing you pray. I love being with you when you pray, Pastor Jay. But you pour your heart out for our country and for believers around the world. But during this time of hope, WHAT IS THE PRAYER? WHAT IS THE HEART PRAYER FOR OUR COUNTRY AND OUR WORLD DURING THIS TIME OF TURMOIL?
SPEAKER 07 :
I THINK IT'S REALLY, IT'S A SIMPLE PRAYER AND IT'S AN UMBLE PRAYER. AND SIMPLY, GOD, I NEED YOU. I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE MORE THAN I NEED ANYTHING ELSE. AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO ARE LONGING FOR HOPE EARLIER TODAY I WAS PRAYING WITH A FAMILY THAT REACHED OUT TO US HERE AT FRC AND JUST HEARTBREAKING OVER WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH. But I just encourage them to call upon the name of the Lord. And that's what I would encourage all who are watching or listening. Just simply cry out to the Lord. Say, God, I need you more than anything else in my life. And just begin establishing that relationship with God every single day of your life.
SPEAKER 08 :
THAT'S A GREAT WORD. GREAT WORD. YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS ALSO, THE CONVERSATION IS RIPE TO CALL ON THAT SAME THING FOR CHURCHES. SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SO MANY THINGS ARE RAGING WITHIN THE HEARTS OF SO MANY PEOPLE AND THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ALSO FOR THE CHURCH TO RESPOND, FOR CHRISTIANS TO RESPOND TO THEIR NEIGHBORS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE BODY OF CHRIST AS WE ENTER INTO A NEW YEAR?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I would just say to the pastors that are listening, just know that there's people praying for you. I love the local church, and I love being a part of the local church. And I am a pastor. I have a pastor's heart. I love pastors. And I would just say, too, don't grow weary in the midst of well-doing. But let people share ministry with you. Get involved. Get them involved with you. And now is the best time for the church to arise and to reach the community for Christ. one person at a time, one neighborhood at a time, one city at a time. Just get out there and begin sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. And I would just encourage you too, Pastor, and Bible study leaders, get involved in Bible study, daily Bible study. Don't let it be a Sunday to And the next Sunday, daily in that. And again, I'm going to just mention Stand on the Word, which is a good opportunity for people to engage in the Bible and to study. But there's others out there. So whatever works best for you. But I would just encourage you to do this. Read the Bible. Think about what you just read. Pray it. start living it and get out and share it because as you do that the word of the lord is going to come alive the church is going to come alive and right now is the best opportunity for those of us who are followers of christ to get out and tell a world that is desperately looking for hope, looking for something that we can tell them about the one who's come for all mankind and who loves us dearly.
SPEAKER 08 :
Great word. And what you're talking about there, Pastor Jay, is life. Life is found in Christ. And let me just say, if those who are listening and watching right now are not familiar with or are not part of the Stand on the Word Bible study that we have each day, they can get it, simply go into the App Store or text the word APP, A-P-P, text APP, TO 67742 AND JOIN US. GREAT TIME TO JOIN US IN THE NEW YEAR. PASTOR JAY, LET ME ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE AND I LOVE YOUR TAKE ON IT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT, OF COURSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT THIS PAST YEAR ON THAT. NO DOUBT THERE'S GOING TO BE CONTINUED BATTLES IN THE YEARS TO COME. BUT OUR BATTLE FOR LIFE IS NOT JUST FOR LIFE IN THE WOMB. WE'RE BATTLING FOR LIFE AT EVERY STAGE. And many of us need to open our eyes a little bit wider to that reality. Explain your heart on that issue.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I long stand for life and value the very life in the womb and grateful for every mom that carries that baby. But I also know there's a fight. There's a fight for life when that baby's born and not everything's right. I've been in the NICU units. I've been in the pediatric care units when a family's surrounding. But there's also the fight for the mom that got pregnant without a partner. And now that child's 3, 5, 7, 10, 15. Are we as the church ready to walk with that mom through all of that child's life? Are we ready to value the end of life, not to see the growth of assisted suicide, but to walk? with people wherever they are in life and to value them just as God values us. He loves us dearly. And we are in a battle here in America for all of life. There's too many shootings on the street. There's too much bullying in the school. There's too much fragmentation in the home. There's too much bickering in the church house. We all need to just come together and begin recognizing that we all have a purpose, and God has a plan and a purpose for us, and that we can value life and fight for every life, whatever the circumstances are. We just need to get in there and begin walking with people wherever they are, whatever they're facing day in and day out. It's not easy. It's dirty. It's hard. It's not contained to one place. But I can tell you this, walking with people is the best opportunity we have to demonstrate the love of Christ. And so I just encourage folks as well. There's so much in my heart about this. I'm just not fully aware to go with it all, Jody. But I just know that we got to get people around just looking at every life and knowing that that we can't see the life taken on a street by a gunshot or somebody just running somebody over in a vehicle is just, All the lives matter. The little guy out on a soccer field that may not be the most talented, his life matters. We can encourage him on. At every place, there's a place for us to plug into life. And so I just encourage people to join in wherever that is and just show love to one another. Let's start right there.
SPEAKER 08 :
Great, great work. Thank you, Dr. J. Johnson. Deeply appreciate you, National Prayer Director and Chaplain here at the Family Research Council. Merry Christmas to you, your dear family, and we look forward to working with you, sharing the light of Christ in 2025. Friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Merry, Merry Christmas to each of you. God bless you.
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.
Join Bill Gunderson as he takes listeners through the financial landscape in this spirited end-of-year episode. Discussions cover the surprising strength of the airline industry, market expectations for 2025, and how tech giants like Amazon and NVIDIA continue to maintain their competitive edges. Rumble's potential to carve out a niche against established players like YouTube is also explored, alongside new market entries such as Tras Pharmaceutical making waves with antiviral innovations.
SPEAKER 05 :
He's been seen on CNBC, the Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Channel. His articles can be found on MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TheStreet.com, and many other places. He's the author of the weekly Best Stocks Now newsletter and the inventor of the Best Stocks Now app. He's president of Gunderson Capital Management. Here is professional money manager Bill Gunderson.
SPEAKER 07 :
And welcome to the Tuesday, the hardest working guys in the industry doing a live show on Christmas Eve morning. And we are live here on this December 24th. And I'll tell you what, looks like the market has got a little present wrapped up under the tree right now. We'll see if it can last during the day. But right now you've got the Dow up. ah the dow is up 94 points to 43,001 of course it's been to 45,000 we've seen a few thousand points shaved off the dow since the trump election the s&p 500 is up 30 right now that puts it back above 6,000 puts it at 6,004 that'd be a nice little stocking stuffer but the big one here the nasdaq uh 19,917 up 152 on the day and all of these indexes are near their highs for the year it's always good to close off a year knock on wood we've got seven days to go at the highs the Russell 2000 not participating today. It's down a couple of points. Interest rates have been moving higher here recently. In fact, interest rates are closing in on their 52-week high, which is not a good thing. And the market's good.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's pretty interesting that you've got that and the market. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER 07 :
We're at 4.62 on the 10-year high. 4.70 is the 52-week high. So welcome to today's Best Stocks Now show with professional money manager Bill Gunderson, president of Gunderson Capital Management, on this Christmas Eve. I think Christmas Eve actually is my favorite day of the year. You know, Christmas is like, eh, you know, it's the buffet.
SPEAKER 06 :
A little free-for-all sometimes, yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
I like the anticipation and just the magic in the air and everything like that. My least favorite day is the day after Christmas when it's trash day and you've got all the boxes and the wrappers and everybody's headed home and everybody's sick and full. Taking stuff back. Yeah, it doesn't fit. This doesn't look right. Okay, anyways, but we're here on this Christmas Eve and As always, we've got a lot of best stocks now to talk about here today. There's always something happening, although this is a slow time in the market. There's not any companies reporting earnings. There's not a lot of mergers and acquisitions this time of year. Not a lot of breakthroughs and this and that. But there's still plenty to talk about. as always in the markets. And we are having a good day. I don't know why. Interest rates are going up. I think that's the most notable chart there. We're at 4.63. The high for the year is 4.70. And I would not want to see the 10-year break above that 4.70 area and head towards 5%. That would not be good. I mean, that's restrictive on the economy for sure. And I mean, even though the Fed has been cutting rates, cutting rates, we just got another 25 on top of a 50. And it has done not a thing to the bond market. The market has taken it right back up despite the Fed's rate cuts.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and it does put a lid on valuations, right? You've been talking about us being at elevated P.E. ratios, and as interest rates go up, there's kind of less conviction in that higher P.E. ratio because theoretically it should go the other direction when rates are high.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, but we will take this rally. Yeah. Yale Hirsch had a theory. He died a couple years ago, but he wrote the Stock Traders' Almanac. His theory was if you don't get that Christmas rally, look for a bad year coming the following year. Anyways, I don't know if it holds true. I like statistics. I'm a statistics kind of guy, but it just seems to be that no two years are alike. I understand maybe 60% of the time, 65% of the time, but I still think every year is very, very unique. The sell in May and go away and all this kind of thing, I think it depends upon the year and upon the conditions at the time. Well, we had a little gain in the markets yesterday. The Dow was up 67%. The NASDAQ was up yesterday 192 points. Pretty good day, actually, despite the 10-year rising by 7 basis points to 4.60%. And as I said, the high for the year is 4.70. Higher for longer. That is one of the topics that's in the news today. Does higher for longer, meaning higher interest rates for a longer period of time, which is one of the surprises for 2024 for me was how stubborn interest rates were yesterday. despite the cuts by the Fed. What if the Fed hadn't done those cuts? Where would we be? I don't know. Maybe we would be right where we're at anyways. I thought NVIDIA had a really good day today. It is following through today. NVIDIA has kind of been dead in the water here for several months. Now you've got a constructive chart on it. It's hitting 141. We haven't seen it up at that level for about a month or so. And it continues to trade in a sideways band right now between 132 and 152. And we're kind of right in the middle of that band at 141. I still like NVIDIA from a valuation point of view. I think it has a lot of upside potential. I don't think it's done by any stretch of the imagination. And we continue to own NVIDIA in our premier growth portfolio. It's one of just 18 stocks there. We own it in our dividend and growth portfolio because it does pay a little dividend. It's only one of about 17 stocks in that portfolio. Just giving you an idea of how special a company has to be to make it into our portfolios. We're very strict. And it's also in our ultra-growth portfolio where we first initiated a position a long time ago in NVIDIA. And I like that chart on NVIDIA.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it's interesting. You've talked about it kind of just almost being forgotten to a certain extent. And if you look at the volume chart, you can see how excited. You can see the volume in the first half of the year versus the volume in that name in the second half of the year. It's pretty striking. It's almost like everybody already owns it. And so they're maybe just holding it and not trading much shares.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, everybody who could own it already owns it. If you're getting in now, I still don't think it's too late myself. Now, this would be the fourth day of up movement on decent volume in NVIDIA, which it has not had in a long time. So there seems to be a little bit of interest there. coming back into NVIDIA.
SPEAKER 06 :
And a 47 forward multiple seems palatable. I mean, look at the earnings growth figures. I mean, I've seen some pretty elevated PE ratios as of late, and 47 doesn't sound as bad.
SPEAKER 07 :
I haven't seen anybody come along with the competitive chip. Probably will come out of China. I mean, I'm sure they're reverse engineering it while we're speaking here today, trying to figured out, but AMD doesn't seem to have an answer. The one that seemed to have the answer was Amazon that came up with an AI chip, and that's helping Amazon also. So anyways, look, tomorrow the market's going to be closed, obviously, Christmas Day. Closing at 1 o'clock today. And closing at 1 o'clock today, just before the grandkids hit. You know, I'm glad I'm going to get everything done, and then I hear that pitter-patter. Coming up to Grandpa's door, knock on the door, and there they are. Okay, we'll have a lot. We'll have a crew here. I've got the train set ready and ready to play all day once we get through this trading until 1 o'clock. I play until 1 o'clock. Then the real work begins when the grandkids get here. Okay, Rumble was up 81% yesterday. And, yes, an investment by Tether, which is the stable Bitcoin. Right? That's the one, or a stable crypto. That's backed by U.S. dollars somehow. I'm not quite sure how that works. But I like that better than being backed by nothing, which Bitcoin is backed by nothing other than supply and demand. and rumble is rumbling again today it's up 11 so i have to look into rumble i honestly i know some people that are strictly on rumble won't go near youtube uh maybe i've got to do both but that's one of my goals for uh before the year begins is to get my youtube channel back up and running and Maybe run it on Rumble, too. That's right. They're on my list of things to do before the end of the year. Wow. How would you like to get to the airport this morning and hear that all American Airlines flights have been grounded due to a technical issue? Oh, man, can you imagine? They weren't able to scan as you get on the plane. The scanning system was down. Luckily, they got it fixed. But the carrier issued a statement on social media site X. We're currently experiencing a technical issue with all American flights. The good news is they've got it fixed. We'll be right back. And welcome back here to the second quarter of today's Best Stocks Now show. Well, this ground stop this morning of American Airlines brought back some memories. 2022 when Southwest experienced a major technical outage that caused widespread disruption to holiday travel for more than a week. when their computer system went down. You know, the airlines have had an unusually good year, however. I'm not a fan of owning airline stocks, but American and Delta and Alaska and Allegiant all have very strong stock patterns. And they had a very profitable year. You know, fuel prices have remained relatively low. I think people are flying more than ever. And it's pretty rare to not get on a full plane these days. But they've had a good year. It's just not an area of the market that I like are the airline stocks. Okay, so we mentioned Rumble and Tether and that's a good chart. Now the question is, you know, once somebody gets a foothold like YouTube and of course Google got a foothold in the search business. And NVIDIA's got a foothold in the AI business. And Microsoft seems to have a foothold in the chat GPT AI for consumer, retail people business. Can Rumble carve out, you know, go up against YouTube? You know, it's hard to follow all of these different social media sites. So I'd have a hard time myself investing in Rumble. I'd have to take a look. I don't know what the stats are, how many people are on Rumble versus how many people are on YouTube. And how many people are on both. Yeah, I mean, that's pretty much what determines how much the company's worth because the advertisers are going to spend where the eyeballs are. And I'd have to look. Maybe you can just AI that thing, chat GPT, how many users. I would imagine that the users on YouTube are 10 to 1, maybe even more than that, versus the users on Rumble. But like I say, I have a hard time investing in Rumble.
SPEAKER 06 :
Especially after an 81% yesterday. Yeah. But maybe having that tether money behind them helps out anyways. Okay, now, here's the coal in your stocking here today.
SPEAKER 07 :
There's always some bad news coming from somewhere, but this is a little scary. Pakistan's a little bit of an unstable nation. They've had some changes. They've had some revolutions. They've had some coups recently. And a nuclear nation too, right? Yeah, and they're working on a long-range missile that could hit us. So let's be nice to Pakistan, all right? The Biden administration said Pakistan is building a long-range ballistic missile that could provide the nuclear-armed country with the ability to strike the United States. So there's one more thing to think about as you lay your head on your pillow at night. things to worry about uh... we've got uh... this not this this to me is that proof in the pudding that you've got to be a stock picker in today's marketplace if you look at the s&p five hundred equal weight the equal weight s&p five hundred was up eleven is up eleven point seven percent year-to-date The S&P by weight is up 25.3%. So that's a big difference. Now, I would just say the equal weight is like owning Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark and IBM and AT&T and Verizon and all of those. What makes the difference in that the S&P cap weighted being up 25.3? Well, it's having the big winners. It's having Tesla. It's having NVIDIA. It's having Palantir. It's having the big winners in the market. And I call them best stocks now. Without those best stocks now and those dominant performers, it makes a huge difference. We've had some portfolios transferred to us here recently. They've been pretty bad. I would call them stinkers probably. I mean below soggy, below soggy. It's amazing to me that a lot of brokers are still using mutual funds. which it's almost impossible for a mutual fund to beat even the indexes because they're spread so thin, and they have to own so many stocks, and they don't time the market at all, and they're pretty much spread way out. Expenses are high. I don't get it.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's hard to, yeah, they can't capitalize on their best ideas because it's all watered down because, you know, a lot of these large funds, you know, if they owned what they wanted to own, they would own too much of it and it would be, you know, regulators wouldn't allow them to hold, you know, 25% of Microsoft or what have you. So it's just, you know, as they've attracted money over the years, they've, you know, basically watered down their strategies because they only have so many places to go. Yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, okay, and this really shows up when you take a look at the top five NASDAQ performers in 2024, and I'm proud to say that we currently own four out of five, and one we own for the better part of the year. The number one performer in the NASDAQ 100, believe it or not, is App Lovin'. Which we found using the app. And we've caught almost the entire run in app loving. It's up 755% year to date. We cut it in half once because it became about 20% of our emerging growth portfolio. That portfolio is up about just over 50% this year, and a lot of that's because we had a big winner like App Lovin' in that portfolio. The number two performing stock in the NASDAQ this year is NVIDIA, which obviously we've owned all year long. It's up 172% in 2024, and I don't think it's done yet. Number three is Broadcom, and most of that happened here in the last couple of weeks. Broadcom's up 97.8% year to date. Number four is Constellation Energy, which is Three Mile Island. which is the one that made the deal with Microsoft to sell energy for the next 20 years to power their data centers. And number five, and of course, Constellation's up 94.2. That's really helped our dividend and growth portfolio. When most people own the traditional utilities, okay, Dominion, whatever, Edison, just your traditional utilities, no. We own Vistra and Constellation, which have a heavy link to this, all of a sudden, this rebound in nuclear energy. Constellation up 94.2%. That's number four. And number five is Netflix up 86.7%. And by the way, tomorrow, Christmas Day, guess where the football games are going to be? They're going to be streamed live on Netflix, which is a big gamble by Netflix. Their boxing match didn't work out so good with Tyson because it kept buffering and all this kind of... I think Tyson was buffering, too. But tomorrow, your football games will be on Netflix. That's how big Netflix has become. We'll be right back. This is Bill Gunderson. Thank you for tuning in to today's Best Stocks Now, Best Inverse Funds Now show. I put several hours of research in during the wee hours of the morning each day to bring you the very best cutting-edge stories that I can. To get two free weeks of my newsletter, go to GundersonCapital.com. To talk to us about our fee-based only money management services, call us at 855-611-BEST. Now, back to the second half of the show.
SPEAKER 02 :
And welcome back here to the second half of today's Best Stocks Now show. The rally, let's see, has the rally collapsed? No, okay, not yet. The NASDAQ is still up.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's going to quiet down now as the day goes on. But it's up 166. That's pretty good. The Dow's up 160. That's pretty good. We're having a really good day here today, up three-quarters of a percent so far. And I would like to mention that, you know, Barry, as we talk about individual companies that have phenomenal growth, which we like to invest in, Our business is up about 45. We probably have about 45% growth this year, year over year. Same crew, you know. That's pretty good. And so, you know, I've got to mention the names here. Of course, Barry Kite, who talks to most of the folks, you know, when they ask for information about us and want to. talk about their portfolio or whatnot. Of course, he's a chartered financial analyst and a certified financial planner. Jennifer Green, who is our chief operating officer, she works out of north of Atlanta, up near Tennessee. What's the town? Chattanooga. And she's a big Georgia Bulldog fan. I mean, go Bulldogs. And, of course, they're alive. They're very much alive. Are they one of the four?
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, yeah. They're one of the four. They'll be in the game this weekend.
SPEAKER 07 :
She keeps the ship from rocking too much, right? Keeps the steady ship going. And, of course, out west in Scottsdale, we've got Edie, who's been with us for quite some time. And a lot of times, she'll be the first person you talk to. Your first person you talk to is good old Edie. about how did you like the newsletter, blah, blah, blah. Would you like to set up an appointment with Barry? This kind of thing. And then if you decide to open an account with us, we've got Sandy McManus out there in the Phoenix area who's a big hockey fan. She's from Michigan. When we visited Michigan, I sent them to the Detroit Red Wings game.
SPEAKER 02 :
I couldn't go.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's past my bedtime, 830. I got to get ready to get ready for the show the next day. But we went and saw the Red Wings. I don't know if Sandy got kicked out of the game. Did she make it?
SPEAKER 06 :
Was she thrown out? Detroit basically put it on the Penguins the whole time. Okay, good. She was happy.
SPEAKER 07 :
Was she throwing rubber chickens on the ice again?
SPEAKER 06 :
There were some squid thrown on the ice from the Red Wings.
SPEAKER 07 :
And she hated to see the Phoenix Coyotes leave for Salt Lake City. But I sent her to the last game. in phoenix for her it was on her birthday or something like and then of course we have new addition jeff fairly new jeff webster who's really getting his uh learning the business very quickly of course he's got a whole career in the tech industry so he fits right in and in sales and everything uh and then ed dayer who is my brother-in-law out in san diego california vista california he takes care of anybody that's having an issue with their subscription I can't open my newsletter, blah, blah, blah, this and that. He keeps all the subscribers happy. Our subscription business, so look, I tried, number one, 80, 90% of our business is managing money for other people, fee-based only in the five or six, I can't remember, is it five, six portfolios that I manage, okay? But we have a large, large worldwide audience of do-it-yourselfers that I feel like, you know what, I'm going to help them out too. Most of them don't have $100,000, which is our minimum to open an account. And they manage their own money. And so I have this subscription thing, which is pretty intense. I mean, you compare it with what Kramer does. Go ahead. Take a free trial of Jim Cramer's offering and compare it with what I'm doing on a daily basis. I know because I've tried out Cramer's. For me, it was absolutely useless. But that's just me, okay? I try to teach. I try to give examples. I try to make people money if I can, you know. I do everything I can. I lay it on the field every single day. So I have to give hats off to my crew. This time of year. And we're geared up. We're ready for 2025. So is, let's see.
SPEAKER 06 :
And it's been interesting, too, you know, since the, you know, and we certainly appreciate you, too, Bill. It's been certainly a big part of that. But in terms of just since the election, right, I mean, talking to folks, it's just, you know, there's a bit of optimism. And, you know, you're seeing it in certain parts of the market. And I'm certainly looking forward to 2025. And it's been a great 2024.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, so one of my jobs is to worry, and I do worry about the valuation because a lot of growth that they're expecting from Trump has been built into the market already. So we have to kind of tiptoe, and we have to be careful, and we always have to watch in the rearview mirror about these valuations. Now, Citigroup spotlights their optimism for the S&P. This is one of the lower values. uh... target prices however there at sixty five hundred uh... we're almost there i mean we're at six thousand now so what would that be uh... five hundred points on six hundred not very good uh... as far as upside potential uh... but most of the firms are around seven thousand And, of course, the earnings estimates for next year are somewhere in the $270 range. Compare that with 2009, which was $60. This year is about $240, somewhere in there. So the earnings beat, the earnings growth continues to, and that's what drives valuations of companies higher more than anything. Now the multiple is the second part of that and we're more worried about the multiple than we are the earnings. At some point it will come to an end and earnings will start to flatten out and the S&P and the whole thing will go into another bear market and we always have to be vigilant looking ahead. The market is looking ahead by one to two years. Okay, so Citi lays out their $6,500 target price number one. Their top picks for the year, Meta. I would agree with that. I think Meta is still a very good buy at its current level. You may not like Zuckerbucks, but do you like earnings? The earnings train continues. They're expected to make $25 per share next year. They also like Amazon. Believe it or not, Amazon is still one of our biggest holdings. It still makes sense from a valuation point of view. Now they've got an AI chip, which makes it even that much more powerful. Amazon is getting ready to break out again to a new all-time high. at 2.4 trillion dollars and city groups third one they mentioned is one that i gave up on way too soon door dash door dash is a disruptor even though it's a simple business someone pulling up in front of your house and leaving a sack on your front door it's not exactly high tech but i do believe that with robo taxi out there and with what was that yesterday the google wing lowering your dinner? I want to see this. I want to see that happen. That's going to happen in Dallas, Texas.
SPEAKER 06 :
Probably not a good time to test that out in New Jersey, so I'm sure Texas is probably a better test market at this point.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and I don't know. Yeah, I mean, well, we'll see. But DoorDash is definitely, I agree with DoorDash. I would be looking to get back into it. Citigroup also likes Reddit. And Zillow, okay, I'm not a fan of Zillow because I think that the housing market is going to have another rough year. The housing stocks, that's definitely come to an end, the high interest rates, etc., now uh what else do they mention well zillow and reddit you know my problem with reddit is there's no profit there there i know it's it's got to be a uh a what do you call these meme stocks it's got to be a meme stock for sure because that's where meme came from and reddit is now valued at 31 billion dollars And what are their sales here at Reddit? I can't fault, they got about a billion dollars, a little over a billion dollars.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, one new line for them, and this is what's kind of driven that price, is that they've got a lot of information, right, in terms of things that have been typed into Reddit for a long time now. And they're selling that to AI models, and AI models are picking it apart and using it to train their models, essentially. So that's one of their new lines of revenue. Yeah. Yeah, I don't think they haven't had any actual earnings, have they?
SPEAKER 07 :
No, not yet. Now, they're expected to make in 2025 76 cents per share. And with the stock trading at 176, I mean, that's a very, very, very rich 200 times earnings, 250 times earnings, something like that. But it's the ultimate meme stock, RDDT. We do not own it. We'll be right back to talk about the biotech of the day that is exploding to the upside. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 1 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
And welcome back here to the final segment of today's Best Stocks Now show. Well, almost every day a stock pops up on the radar that has something new and it's not in the database, and we add it to the database. I remember the day not too long ago, maybe a month ago, when we started first talking about the quantum stocks. Man, those things have really taken off since then. They're still out there on the horizon, though. They are long-term in nature, which is going to make them very, very vulnerable. To invest in them at this point in time is a little on the iffy side. To invest in them short-term, maybe a month or two, or whatever the case may be, they are very volatile.
SPEAKER 06 :
And each of them have their own set of execution risks, right? Yeah. It's not unlike, you know, it's almost I think of it as the biotech of technology, right, in terms of AI with the, you know, we've been hearing the term quantum for decades. an extended period of time, but it's one of those kind of elusive things in terms of when's it going to be here, who's going to be the leader in the space. So it's certainly a high-risk, high-reward there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, of all of them. I mean, there's a few, QBTS, and I think Rigetti looks like the real deal. But we'll see. Okay, today's new entry into the database is Tras Pharmaceutical, T-R-A-W, which is working on bird flu. Okay, they're an antiviral kind of a company. They're very small, but yesterday it had a huge day. Tras was up, let's see, I think 87%. Let me find that story. Yeah, there it is, 260% Monday morning. After the company announced progress in developing its influenza treatment, Tivo Zaxvir Marboxyl for the treatment of H5N1 bird flu. I don't want to wake up with that. But anyways, the drug developer has seen some good progress in this, T-R-A-W. So it is now on my watch list. Okay, and now what I want to do is look underneath the surface of the market at what is really, because it's a pretty good day, believe it or not. There's no, everybody's buying today. It doesn't seem like there's a lot of sellers out there. And we're going to take a look real quickly here at where the leadership in the market is. We'll look at the Dow first, which I expected a really, really quiet day in the market. You know, I would say there's not any real big winners. Apple's up in the Dow. Visa's up. Amazon is the winner, up 1.6%. In the Dow, as it relates to the S&P 500, SMCI is up 8.8%. But Tesla, which we own, is up 4.7% today. Man, that's another huge day for Tesla. Palantir, which is becoming a monster, is up 3.2% today. Broadcom is up 2.2% today. Those are your winners in the S&P 500. On the downside, who's under pressure today? Anybody? Yeah, I'm sure there's some. Okay, let's see. I can't seem to sort. There it is. Okay, yeah, no, nothing of note there, really. Okay, now we're going to look at the... We're going to look at the NASDAQ because the NASDAQ is really having a good day here today. And the winners in the NASDAQ, I'm sure, are, you know, I was going to say that the biggest loser in the NASDAQ this year, I forgot to mention that, was Intel. Intel was down 60%. No wonder the CEO, who obviously is a devout Christian, was asking for prayers and fasting. for the employees at Intel, which has fallen on some pretty hard times. Tesla's the biggest winner in the NASDAQ today, up 4.6%. And that's helping us drive the bus here. And let's see, anything else? Let's look at the Granite shares real fast. I was back there. You don't want to be short Tesla 2X today, down 9.5%. That's the wrong side of that trade. But two times long super microcomputer, now that takes some real, that's a volatile deal. It's up 17.4. Two times long Tesla is up 5.9. And two times long Palantir, which I did a quick trade on last week in the trading, the incubator trading portfolio. It's up 5.9% or 5.2% today on those one-stock ETFs, which are juiced 2 to 1. And there are some that are inverse, okay? And then one other one here that I think there's a couple of these nuclear stocks. I really like the chart on Nano Nuclear Energy, NNE. which we have a small position in in the incubator portfolio. That's another one that's way out there on the horizon. And that's a very good chart right now. We own it in the incubator portfolio. And the other one I like still is Oklo, O-K-L-O, which seems to have some pretty good connections and some pretty big people sniffing around, making deals, letters of intent, etc., etc., So those are a couple out there on the horizon and, you know, good for a little bit of speculative trading activity. in these kinds of stocks. Well, okay, we'll be open until 1 o'clock today. If you'd like to call us, make an appointment. We'll be working on Thursday and on Friday and, you know, and then the following week to set up an appointment with us to talk to us, 855-611-BEST, 855-611-BEST. We must be doing something right to grow by, 45% over the last 12 months. But you have to determine that for yourself by having a conversation with us. And, you know, if you're a do-it-yourselfer and are looking for some help and guidance, I'm in the market every day broadcasting from my boat. Not my boat, but my desk. I'm like a fishing guide, and I'm telling you where the fish are biting, what color is the best. And when the tide changes, I also let you know that also. And I try to teach. I teach. I'm a player coach, I guess. You can sign up for four free weeks. Four weeks. by going to GundersonCapital.com. GundersonCapital.com. Have a great day, everybody. Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 04 :
This show is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Bill Gunderson or clients of Gunderson Capital Management may have long or short positions in stocks mentioned during the show. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Gunderson Capital Management is a fee-based registered investment advisory firm. All accounts are held at Charles Schwab. Schwab is a member of SIPC and FINRA.
This week's episode of Rush to Reason sheds light on the current state of the NFL as host Andy Pate and guest Richard Rush engage in lively debates. Discover their insights on AFC and NFC dynamics, defense strategies, and quarterback performances. Will Denver’s defense be enough to carry them into the playoffs? Can the Bengals and Chiefs maintain their momentum? Tune in to uncover the expert predictions and strategic insights that could determine the rest of the football season.
SPEAKER 16 :
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 15 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 13 :
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 08 :
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 12 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 14 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 09 :
Actually, it's Andy Pate, party of choice.
SPEAKER 04 :
And welcome to hour number two here on Rush to Reason. I'm Andy Pate filling in for John Rush along with Mr. Todd Watkins. You having fun?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, on the line right now we have Richard Rush. Richard, um... I would think that for Christmas you want a playoff berth. Am I right?
SPEAKER 16 :
You know, Andy, it would be great. And if this were any, you know, at the start of the year, Andy, if you told me that the Broncos had an opportunity to get into the playoffs at Christmas time, I would say, oh, my, this is a resounding success. But it feels like if we don't, the season's kind of a failure, which is funny how things turn.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think you're going to the playoffs. I really do. And there's two reasons, Richard. First of all, your quarterback is no longer a rookie. It's time to toss the R word because, first of all, I don't think people understand how much football he played in college. This kid came in seasoned. Yeah, he came in seasoned. And secondly, we're not in week two, week three anymore. He has seen a lot. I think he's ready to go. He's highly intelligent, very highly intelligent. Basically, we're dealing with a young Drew Brees here. And right. And by the end of his first year, Drew Brees was pretty wicked.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. Yes, he was. And he obviously was coming into his own, Andy, although he didn't fully blossom until later. But I'm with you, Andy, and my hope is that he continues. He maintains this kind of upward trajectory. You know, he's had a few dips here and there, which is not to be unexpected of a rookie by any stretch of the imagination. I just hope he keeps it up, Andy. But, man, we have got a tall task this week with the old, I'll just say it, old Joey Burrow is on one of those heaters that he gets on, Andy.
SPEAKER 04 :
He is on a heater, but come on now. Denver is, Denver has a whole team. Okay, because the other thing that I was going to say is that you guys have a top five defense. Your defense gets after it. Now, I understand last week you ran into a quarterback who just had one of those ridiculous days. And that's going to happen. Where he was making throws that, let's face it, very few mortals ever make. And he was just making them. That happens. You can't do anything about it. You just shake it off and move on. But all around, Denver's defense has been locked down for most of the year. Cincinnati has no defense. I mean, literally. I don't think they even run anybody out on the field. I think they just let you walk down the field. They have no defense whatsoever. Their running game is average. All they've got is Joe Burrow. Is that going to be enough against a total balanced team like Denver? I don't think so.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I'm with you, Andy. I don't think it's necessarily enough either. I guess that's my hope is I think that he's going to come back to earth. It is supposedly supposed to be a little bit more of a, well, how do you say it's supposed to be more of a, well, there's broadcasting weather, Andy. I'll just say that. And so to me, it's a situation of I feel like Maybe that can equalize it a little bit, and then maybe we can just score a few more points than them, hold on, because, again, their defense is not going to stop our offense. So maybe we can shorten the game and make it a little bit better that way, Andy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Richard, you and I, a couple old guys could walk out. Well, I'm old. You and I, a couple guys could walk out there playing catch and move down the field on Cincy's defense. We would do okay. I totally agree with you. They are wretched. I mean, between them and Atlanta, I don't know who has the worst defense. It is really, I mean, it's kind of fun to watch their games because it's like watching a video game. Just score, score, score. Here's what I think. If there's any weather at all, Denver's going to blow them out because physical teams win in weather.
SPEAKER 16 :
I don't disagree with you. I got a question for you, though, based on it. Jordan Love, they've got a chance to not get the division but get one of those top seats.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, we'd have to have a few things break our way. I don't expect that. Because, you know, you need some very good teams to lose who just aren't losing. I mean, Minnesota is not losing games. Philadelphia lost one game.
SPEAKER 16 :
You are correct there. They're not losing any, but they're coming on, and maybe they're coming on at the right time. And that NFC, though, Andy, well, I guess it'll be interesting with Jalen Hurts, how that ends up coming together, because he's now hurt. How bad? How bad is he hurt? Well, it's a concussion, so that remains to be seen.
SPEAKER 04 :
OK, OK. Well, golly gee, you know, I don't know. I will say this. Jordan Love right now is playing as well as any quarterback in the league right now. Now, he hasn't had that good of a year. You know, he's had the year two of starting kind of thing where people haven't figured out and it took him a while to come on. Also, he was injured for a while, but he right now he's red hot. Is that going to be enough? I don't know. I don't think Green Bay has that great of a defense. I love my team, but honestly, I look at Detroit. Once they get a few defenders back, I think they're unbeatable.
SPEAKER 16 :
Andy, the only thing for Detroit that worries me, and I know we're kind of jumping around here, but that's okay. The thing about Detroit that worries me, in all honesty, is are they going to get enough to come back? You saw, obviously, they did well against Chicago. Ben Johnson, their offensive coordinator, is in his bag, but no offense, Andy, that dude's auditioning for the Bears shot, basically. I mean, that's really what he's doing. And so then you get into, because he's getting interviewed for that job, which goes back into successive teams that have their coordinators interviewed, all sorts of things, right? But neither here nor there. My thing for not only the Lions, Andy, and just the team as a whole, but is... The NFC, I feel like there's a lot of flawed teams. And you can argue the same thing with the AFC, although we'll get to Buffalo here in a second.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think the AFC's top teams are much more flawed than the NFC's top teams. Really? Oh, yes. I think Detroit's the best team in the NFL, hands down, once they're healthy on defense.
SPEAKER 16 :
Even with their, well, that's the question, but how healthy are they able to get?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, they're going to get several guys back. They've been holding them off because they know how good they are and they can win without them. That's why they're arresting them. And Philadelphia, yeah, they had a hiccup against Washington. But first of all, Washington's a very good team. And secondly, even really good teams have a hiccup, but Philadelphia has been killing people. I believe that when Philadelphia and Detroit play in the NFC Championship game, that's the Super Bowl. I don't think anyone in the AFC is in that level.
SPEAKER 16 :
You're not a Sam Darnold believer.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, boy. You know, I do believe Minnesota's the third best team, and I think they could give a run at those guys. By the way, if Minnesota were in the AFC, I'd be picking Minnesota. That's how good I think the NFC top teams are versus the AFC. I am not impressed with the AFC. I think the AFC right now is the best football player, and he's playing quarterback for the Bills. Yeah. I'm sorry. I just think overall he is the guy. I mean, he's Elway-esque. He's a dude. He's a dude. But I don't think they have a total team that can go up. I think Detroit would kill Buffalo, frankly.
SPEAKER 16 :
Andy, it pains me to say this. It feels like this is the year where the Chiefs, for example, or mainly the example, are flawed. And the teams should be able to get them. They should take advantage of this year. But it's like these teams can't get out of their own way to take advantage, right? You know, poor Detroit, I get how I would have argued, would have taken them down, no questions asked, nothing. But then now they're hurt, so they're going to be battling injuries. And the Eagles, again, I think are flocks. I think they've got their own internal problems there in the Bills. Yeah, they've got Superman. Although, Andy, I compared it like this. And, again, I know I'm scatterbrained for a second. I compared Josh Allen for the Bills this year to Mahomes for the Chiefs a few years ago. Remember when Mahomes just... and he kind of did it this year, but he was flicking balls behind his back and left-handed throws against the Bronx. It just felt like no matter what you did, you could not stop the dude. That's how it feels with Josh Allen this year. No matter what you do, you're not going to stop him.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it doesn't matter, though, because I guarantee you, Buffalo's defense is not going to stop Detroit's offense once.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, they did it last week, though.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think when it matters, I don't know that Detroit will punt. I'm sorry, but there's just such a talent differential there. Detroit is so talented when they're healthy.
SPEAKER 16 :
The only thing I care about in the upcoming playoffs, and regardless of my Broncos make it or not, As long as the Chiefs lose, I do not care who wins the Super Bowl.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, let me tell you something. My first team that I am picking to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs is Denver. I think Denver is a very well-constructed team for the playoffs. Defense wins when the temperature gets colder. And quarterbacks really don't like getting hit. And you guys have the best, the number one sacking defense in the league. I'm telling you what, that is fast defenses. Come on, man. You saw what you guys did for years. With your ferocious defense. And when the playoffs came, you started just running people over. Denver could win the AFC. I think the AFC is that level. I'm not saying Denver will. I'm going to give it to Buffalo. I'm going to give them the edge in the AFC. But I'm not that impressed with anybody. I don't think Denver could be in the top three in the NFC.
SPEAKER 16 :
And I would agree with you there. I just think the Broncos... We're a year ahead of schedule, Andy, right? This is where we were supposed to be next year. And so anything that happens is gravy, but I'm still greedy. And, yes, greedy at Christmas time. My apologies. Lord Jesus, baby. You know, six-pound, eight-ounce baby Jesus. If you would forgive me, that would be great.
SPEAKER 04 :
You're still that little kid on Santa's lap who won't shut up for a half hour.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. Yes. And I won't shut up because I want to. I don't care if it's this week or next. I mean, I prefer this week so I can enjoy my week 18 for the NFL. But, man, Andy, if you can go in and beat Cincinnati, even though they're not technically a winning team yet, if you can go in and beat Cincinnati, especially right now where they're getting hot, you can beat a lot of teams. Now, I also think the Broncos still have a shot because Cincinnati has to play Pittsburgh. At Pittsburgh, their last game of the season, and that could very well be for the division. at that point in time. And so I think that there's a good chance that – because as long as Cincinnati loses one, and same with Miami, the Broncos will be in no matter what happens. But, yeah, I'd like to go in winning one, beating a winning team. That would make me feel a little bit better.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right now I feel – and let's take a break here in a moment. We'll come back and do picks. But right now I feel in the AFC the third most dangerous team after Buffalo and the Chiefs – come on now, they've been there – is the Broncos. That's who I have third in the AFC right now.
SPEAKER 16 :
I hope you're right, although I will say Baltimore, if Lamar and the Ravens play like they did this past weekend against the Steelers, if they play that way... Let's put them third.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's a good point, because you're right. Lamar's really been playing well.
SPEAKER 16 :
But his biggest red flag, Andy, is playoffs, right? He doesn't do what he does in the regular season, the playoffs. And so I guess it shall remain to be seen until it happens. So it'll be exciting. Andy, last two weeks of the NFL season is arguably the best time of the year in football.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, tell you what, when we come back from break, let's go lightning fast. We've got all 16 games. First up is Bruce Simmons with American Liberty Mortgage. If you're 62 or older, call Bruce Simmons, and he'll show how a reverse mortgage makes your home investment pay off right now. That's 303-467-7821.
SPEAKER 11 :
Your parents still have a mortgage payment weighing on them every month, and our reverse mortgage expert, Bruce Simmons, might be able to help. In many cases, our parents keep paying their mortgage and waiting for the house to finally be paid off when Bruce could potentially get them set up with a reverse mortgage. That would eliminate their principal and interest payment. That can even be true if your parents live in other states where Bruce's company works, including Florida, Texas, Arizona, and more. A lot of the parents that Bruce works with like to fully involve their families for checks and balances. Bruce will gladly do that too. And Bruce can also set up a line of credit for your parents for emergencies and unexpected expenses. This is a great way to preserve your parents' independence and keep them in their own home. While reducing the monthly financial burden on their budget and keeping everyone informed.
SPEAKER 14 :
The holidays are the busiest season for plumbers, and High Five Plumbing, Electrical, Heating, and Cooling wants you to be ready now. There are several things you can do to prevent freezing, busted pipes, and other plumbing issues just as guests arrive. If you have plumbing inside cabinets, leave the doors open to warm them. especially if they are on an exterior wall. Hi-5 can better insulate pipes if this is a constant issue. And if you're going away for a vacation, don't forget to turn the water off to prevent those really bad emergency pipe breaks. When the cold dips lower than normal, leaving your faucets dripping will keep water flowing and prevent it from freezing. Plumbing inside your home is constantly degrading. So even if you haven't had an issue in previous years, Hi5 can help you make sure it's still working. Have them out for a pre-holiday inspection and receive a waived inspection fee just for being a KLZ listener. Schedule your inspection today at klzradio.com slash plumbing.
SPEAKER 03 :
No need.
SPEAKER 02 :
Have you recently received a letter saying that your roof is no longer covered under your insurance due to its age? The insurance industry is changing the face of roof replacements, but we want to ensure that you can keep your roof alive and out of the landfills. With over 4 million square feet treated every week, We here at Roof Savers Colorado strive to maximize the life of your residential or flat roof. Up to 90% of older or damaged roofs do not require a full replacement. Extreme weather conditions here in Colorado lead to the drying, cracking, and granule loss that slowly kills your roof. Dave and his team are here to save it. With the rejuvenation treatment, we can put critical oils that bind your roof together back into the asphalt shingles, adding up to 15 years of life to your existing roof. And it's 100% people, pet, and plant friendly. For your commercial or flat roof needs, we provide a silicone-based coating with up to 95% UV reflectivity and a 50-year ponding warranty. Call the Roof Savers team today to set a free roof inspection at 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
Don, we now are ugly sweaters. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 04 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush on the line. We got Richard Rush. Richard, let's do some games. You ready? Let's do it. All right, let's cue it up right away. The Chiefs are a three-point favorite on the road at the Steelers. I know you're rooting for those Chiefs. You love them. Are you doing the tomahawk chop?
SPEAKER 16 :
I am rooting again this week, Andy, because if they beat the Steelers, the Steelers have more to play for in week 18, and the Chiefs have less to play for because if they win, no matter what happens with Buffalo, the Chiefs will lock up the number one seed for week 18. So, and besides the point, I think that the Steelers are sort of struggling a little bit right now, which is not typical of a Mike Tomlin team, Andy, but typical of Russell Wilson of the past two years that I saw firsthand. So, I'm going to go the Chiefs here, Andy. I think it'll be a competitive game because Mike Tomlin and the Steelers will keep it competitive. But I don't think that the Steelers will get the Chiefs. Although, Andy, this will be the longest game even out of the play of the Broncos. It'll be interesting because Russell Wilson could get the Broncos over twice because if he beats the Chiefs, that means the Chiefs have more to play for in Week 18 where they could then knock the Broncos out of the playoffs. And how sick and twisted would that be?
SPEAKER 04 :
That would be pretty sick and twisted. I'm going to take the Chiefs as well, Richard, because honestly, I think the Steelers' defense carried that team for so long this season, they're worn out. I've been watching them. They look like their legs are going. I don't think the Steelers' defense is what it was earlier in the season. I'll take the Chiefs next game. The Ravens are favored by five at the Texans. You know, the way the Texans are playing, is that enough?
SPEAKER 16 :
Um, no, because they, and they just lost Tank Dell. They're going to bring on, and the Ravens need this win, Andy. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, now again, I think that the Ravens, or maybe the Texans are coming on kind of the end of the year, but I think D'Amico Ryans is realizing how hard it is in your sophomore season to coach and C.J. Stroud. So, yeah, I'm going to go with the Ravens here, Andy, at least by five, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I agree. D'Amico's still a great coach, but he's going to get overwhelmed by the Ravens. I'll take the Ravens next game. Seahawks, who have really had a hard go lately, they are favored by three and a half at the Bears.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, Andy, they have, but Geno's back. The Bears are terrible. They really need to just lose as many games to get more weapons for Caleb Williams, but the biggest weapon he needs is a new coach, which he'll get in the offseason. I'm going to go with the Seahawks, Andy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I would say new coach and a couple offensive linemen. I don't think he would get too upset at those either. I'll take the Seahawks. Next game, the Chargers. The Chargers, who survived your Broncos, are favored by 5.5 at the Patriots. That seems a little low.
SPEAKER 16 :
It does, Andy, although the Patriots played the Bills the toughest last weekend and the Chargers with Harbaugh. They feel like they sort of play up and down at times. So I'm not going to pick the Patriots by any means. I think the Chargers will get them. But it may be closer than the limited Charger fans that are out there would like.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, the Broncos are on the road. I'm agreeing. I take the Chargers. The Broncos are on the road at Joe Burrell because that's all the Bengals have is one player. And so the Broncos are three-and-a-half-point underdogs, which surprises me. Who do you pick?
SPEAKER 16 :
They are, Andy, which tells you actually they're closer than you think because on a neutral field, it would almost be a pick-em. But I'm going to go with the Bengals here, Andy, mainly for two reasons because I think the Bengals will get them. Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are just really good, Andy, and the Broncos are still a young team. I'm hoping by picking against my team, they come back and say, see, Richard, we can do this. So, you know, twofold.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, I disagree. I think the Broncos have one of the only players in the league you can put one-on-one on Jamar Chase, and that's going to make the Bengals have to actually earn it on offense, and the Bengals have no defense. I think the Broncos score well into the 30s and win this game. Next game, Cardinals are on the road at the Rams. Rams favored by 5.5.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, Andy, the Cardinals don't have anything to play for. The Rams, I think, locked up a playoff. They're just playing for seeding now. But, man, they look – Matt Stafford looks old. He may very well retire after the end of the season, Andy. I'm going to go with the Cardinals as an upset, to be honest with you. I like it. I don't feel confident about that. Just I think you and I may agree on too many of the other games. So I'm going to go Cardinals.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I'll take the Rams. Just I don't like either team right now. Okay, Jets are at the Bills. Bills favored by 10. Don't waste our time. Go.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, Bills. It'll be the Bills. They're fighting for that top seed.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, okay, next game, the Raiders are at the Saints. Saints favored by one and a half. I don't like either team.
SPEAKER 16 :
Who's the Raiders at Saints?
SPEAKER 04 :
Saints.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, both teams are terrible. Raiders shot themselves in the foot last week, but I'm going to go with the momentum, Andy. Give me the Raiders on the road.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, you know what? I'm actually agreeing. I'm going to take the upset as well. Raiders, next game. We've got eight left. Colts are favored by eight at the Giants.
SPEAKER 16 :
Giants are terrible, Andy. Going for Shador Sanders may be much to the chagrin of John from Cheyenne. But, yeah, I'm going to go with the Colts here, Andy. even though you don't know which Anthony Richardson version you're going to get. But yeah, the Colts.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I'll take the Colts. Next game, the Cowboys are on the road at the Eagles. Eagles still have something to play for. They're favored by 9.5.
SPEAKER 16 :
They do. Cowboys will make a competitive Andy just because that's who they are right now, which is surprising to say. But I'm going to go with the Eagles.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, Panthers on the road at the Buccaneers. Bucs favored by eight.
SPEAKER 16 :
Panthers looking better, Andy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 16 :
I'm actually going to take the – well, I'm not going to take the upset because the Buccaneers need to win in order to be in competition for the division. But I think this game's close. I actually like the Panthers' chances, and Bryce Young I really like as well. But I'll go with the Bucs at home.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think he's got a nice future. I do. But they gave up too much to get him. I'll take the Bucs as well. Next game. Yuck. The Titans are playing the Jaguars. Jaguars are favored by a half point.
SPEAKER 16 :
Two terrible teams, Andy. Flip of the coin. I'll go Tennessee. Mason Rudolph pulls them in at the end.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Actually, I'm going to take the Titans as well. Next game. Dolphins favored by six and a half over the lowly Browns.
SPEAKER 16 :
Andy, I need the Dolphins to lose to make me feel better about stuff at that point. I don't know if it's going to happen. The Browns are playing for draft picks, so I'll go with the Dolphins here, although I don't like either team.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. Okay, my Packers, this is weird. They're going into Minnesota. Minnesota's only favored by one and a half points.
SPEAKER 16 :
Interesting, Andy. I'm not confident in the Vikings. I know that they've played well. I just am not confident. I'm going to take your Packers. You may not. I'm going to take your Packers here.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'll take the Vikings. They're at home. They're a better team overall. Yes, we have the better quarterback. It will not matter. Next game, the Falcons are on the road at the Commanders. Commanders only favored by four.
SPEAKER 16 :
Interesting, Andy, especially with this last week. Jayden Daniels, after his big games, he typically has a letdown. This may be it, but I just think that, I'll be honest, I think that Dan Quinn's going to cook up something for Michael Penix that he hasn't seen before. So I'm going to go with the Falcons here, or sorry, with the Commanders, Andy, at home.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I'll take the Commanders as well. Okay, last game, interesting game. The Lions, still with a bunch of guys out on defense, favored by three and a half, going into San Fran.
SPEAKER 16 :
San Fran's eliminated, Andy. I would not surprise me if those dudes started hanging it up. They've got a real problem there, and the Lions obviously need to win to maintain that number one seed advantage because they cannot lock it up because, believe it or not, the Vikings can actually take that number one seed, Andy, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. But I'm going to go with the Lions.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I'll take the Lions as well. That is all the games. Hey, Richard, really quick, if I was right, then you get a playoff spot, so I'm your Santa Claus.
SPEAKER 16 :
You will be my Santa Claus, Andy, and trust me, you will receive a very nice text message from me on Saturday if that is to happen.
SPEAKER 1 :
All right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Richard Rush, thanks again for joining us. We'll talk to you next week.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks, buddy. See you, man.
SPEAKER 04 :
You bet. Up next is Veteran Windows. They tell you to shop around first because they got the best value. Call Veteran Windows and Doors. Let them know Rush to Reason sent you, and you're going to get their best deal. That's 303-529-0720.
SPEAKER 12 :
Customize your entry and patio doors with Veteran Windows and Doors. Veteran offers full customization with a wide range of options to complement your home's design, including different woods, color, paint, and finishes. Owner Dave Bancroft will also guarantee that your customized doors are up to code for your area of Colorado, saving you money with tax rebates too. Big corporate window and door companies may use Provia doors like Veteran, but their door will not be engineered for Colorado, let alone the country. And the big corporate companies won't even finish the job completely. They will install your door, but it's up to you to finish, paint, or stain the door yourself, costing you even more money and time. Veteran has saved people thousands of dollars with their new doors just by being honest and transparent with every customer. Call Veteran Windows and Doors and receive a Christmas special of 40% off your door with free installation by going to klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 11 :
The holidays are full of issues that can negatively affect your nest egg, and Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial will help you stay secure. This time of year, you have demands all around you. Even if you're retired, there's shopping to do, dinner parties, or office functions. You just need a few minutes to make sure your required minimum distributions are taken. Let Al Smith take the pressure off of you this holiday season. You can meet with him for free, and he'll work with you on a strategy to identify the best way he can help you. And when you hire him to manage your retirement, you won't be fending those demands off this year because he's got you covered. Al communicates with you and minimizes the time you would spend strategizing because you can lean on his decades of experience helping folks just like you retire with confidence. Find Al Smith and Golden Eagle Financial on the klzradio.com advertisers page and get started with your free meeting. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC. Registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 12 :
You need an affordable, trustworthy company to help you heat your home this holiday season. You need Cub Creek Heating and AC. Imagine, you click on your thermostat, you hear the air flowing and check the vent only to find freezing cold air. You wonder what you'll do to fix it, and you can't afford a brand new heater right now before the holidays. Rheem Certified ProPartners Cub Creek Heating AC are HVAC technicians that you can trust in an emergency. They come right out to diagnose the issue, and if it turns out you need a new unit, they can help you finance the expense so your holidays aren't ruined. Cub Creek will work with you on a solution and let you know all the options you have available. So when you're in a chilly situation, remember to find Cub Creek on klzradio.com's advertiser page and let them help you get warm again.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you for welcoming us into your home. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 04 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush, along with the great Todd Watkins. You having a good time, sir?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yes, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, let's talk about the big four. Now, the big four are, in my opinion... Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy.
SPEAKER 05 :
And that is a big four, isn't it?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, yeah. And what I mean is this. Remember last time Donald Trump swept into Washington, he was a newbie, and he was appointing people because, let's face it, the insider said, hey, you really need this person, you really need that person. And he didn't really know who to go with, and some of them turned on him, some were fine, some were not. It was kind of a mix. But basically... Trump was kind of alone. He was a rebel on his own going into Washington.
SPEAKER 05 :
A true maverick. A true maverick. A true political maverick. And I got to watch that his first four years, his first administration from the kind of maybe not the front row pew, but definitely somewhere near the choir. Yeah, what were you doing? You were working for him. I was an assistant chief with the U.S. Border Patrol.
SPEAKER 01 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
So I belonged to our headquarters, our national headquarters. And as I was saying on the break, I mean, if I had to guess his first administration, I would say because of all of the lawfare and the obstruction from the Obama deep state, it's real. Right. He wielded, I would say, maybe half of the actual power and authority that the executive has. Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
I agree. But we have to keep in mind, though, all their lawfare just helped elect him. Right, exactly. And so, you know, I'm not sure the Democrats are going to have the same appetite to do lawfare, lawfare, lawfare, lawfare, hold him back, hold him back, hold him back, hold him back. Because if they do that, the voters have shown this time they will churn on them.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yep. So – and I've got to believe that the first – that first administration, he learned. He learned where to step, where not to step. And I think he hopefully learned what – What affronts from the other side he has to actually address or listen to and what others he can just completely disregard.
SPEAKER 04 :
He is so much smoother this time. You know, that press conference he did last week was so smooth, calm, presidential, in control. Yep. He knew when to answer a question. He knew when not to. He even looked at a reporter at one point and says, how can I answer that question? If I say yes, it's this. If I say no, it's that. He said, I'm not going to tell Iran what we're going to do. You know, it was just he is on his game right now. Now, I want to play really quick here a clip from Megyn Kelly. And she was talking to Steve Bannon. And she was talking about how the media is trying to divide Trump and Elon Musk. And so what the Democrats are trying to do is they're trying to come out and say President Musk is in charge.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. All they've got is ridicule and vitriol, and I think we're smart enough to see that that's all it is. These are the mean girls on the playing ground.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, they're losing their strut, and it's starting to happen. Okay, listen to Megan here. This is pretty interesting.
SPEAKER 01 :
So here's what happened first. It was Pramala Jayapal, a member of the squad, who tweeted out, it's not clear who's in charge. She's got a picture of Elon at the Resolute desk. And it's not President-elect Donald Trump. Shadow President Elon Musk spent all day railing against Republicans' CR, succeeded in killing the bill, and then Trump decided to follow his lead. Then somebody retweets this and says, for awareness, note the language here. It's very intentional strategy. The goal is to weaken Trump and Elon by fomenting tensions between them, by jabbing Trump about not being the alpha. The idea is to provoke him, to sideline Elon and to fray the relationship. And Elon retweeted that saying, that is exactly the goal. The political and legacy media puppets all got their new instructions yesterday and are now parroting the same message to drive a wedge between Donald Trump and me. They will fail.
SPEAKER 04 :
OK, they will fail. Now, first of all, Todd, correct me if I'm wrong. I thought Donald Trump was a dictator. I thought that he was a king. I thought he was coming in as a dictator and a king who was going to override and overwhelm everything. I thought everybody in the Republican Party nationwide is nothing but a puppet. And Donald Trump was pulling the strings. Remember, because Donald Trump, you know, he'll come out and say, look, if you don't tell the line, we're going to primary you. All right. We're going to we're going to be tough on you. And he wants Republicans to kind of toe the line. I thought that he was an absolute fascist. OK, so now all of a sudden that changed. Wait a minute. He is not even in office yet. He's not even in office yet. That's that's a month away. And we're being told now somebody else is president.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, they've got to get a head start, right? That's how far behind they are because Biden hurt them. The Biden administration was such an abject disaster that now they have to start this much further ahead before even the new guy gets in. But isn't the president – I mean, yeah, we want Trump. We want the mandate, right? Hey, it's going to be great. But part of his job is not to – Like you said, he's not a dictator. No, he hires really smart people to advise all these specialized areas of what to do. That's the mark of a good leader, not to be the smartest guy in the room, but to hire the smartest guys on all these different issues to advise you and steer your administration.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, two things. First of all, what do you think of people who immediately change their message the moment it's not working? It's dictator Trump, dictator Trump, dictator Trump. Oh, Elon's in charge. We don't know who's president right now. Elon's in charge. If they have to keep changing. Right away, because they're there. What do you think of them? Doesn't it just sound like they're lying? They don't even believe themselves.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
So you see now here's what we saw in Trump when he did that press conference. I wish I could play it, but it just takes too long. OK, I saw boardroom Trump. Boardroom Trump is a guy who doesn't mind deferring to this person or that person. Boardroom Trump is the calm, confident Trump. You see, what we saw too much over his first administration was lashback Trump.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 04 :
Emotional Trump. Angry Trump. Vengeful Trump. Right? Now, they're trying to get him to be vengeful. They're saying... Are you going to try to get these people, if anybody votes against you on your nominees, and he was asked this, if anybody votes against you on your nominees, are you going to make sure that they are primaried? He said, no. He says, all we ask, they can vote against my nominees. He says, all we ask is that they be fair in their questions and that they don't just vote against them out of some vengeful reason, but just give all the nominees a fair vote. chance that's all he asked he is coming off as boardroom trump as calm confident uh gracious smart he doesn't have to overrun everybody and then somebody who is a good ceo what does he do he empowers his lieutenants like that's why you have musk that's why you have them so i think now that he's won this election
SPEAKER 05 :
We should see less of the stark partisan Trump. And I think what you just described is good governance Trump.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. He's more powerful now. These people who worry about, oh, my gosh, we're seeing too much of Vance. We're seeing too much of Elon. We're seeing too much of Vivek. Folks. Turn the channel. That's because Donald Trump is confident. Okay. If he wasn't confident, if he had low self-image, if he was worried, if it was all ego Trump, remember the left always tells us big ego, big ego. Yep. Really? If he has such a big ego, why is he letting those three run out there making statements all over the place?
SPEAKER 05 :
Because he made good hires.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's what that is. That's exactly what you want to see.
SPEAKER 04 :
Donald Trump does not have as big an ego as people think. I'm going to say it right now. Donald Trump's ego is not that big.
SPEAKER 05 :
It might not be.
SPEAKER 04 :
He doesn't mind sharing the stage. In fact, he kind of enjoys it.
SPEAKER 05 :
Again, I think this is what he learned from that freshman term in office is this is how you get to good governance is you bring in the experts. to drive your policies. He's vision and intent. And then you get your lieutenants to execute it. And that's what you're going to see from Vivek.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, wouldn't you agree? Donald Trump is a visionary. Yes. There's no question. He's a visionary. Okay. You know what he's lousy at? He's a lousy debater. Yeah. OK, he is. He is. It's not his thing. I don't care. I don't want a debater in chief. I want to I want a president. I want a commander. Right. He is a visionary. And so what he does is he gets these guys. Here's the here's the big problem that the left has with the other three. OK, with Vance Vivek and Elon, all of them can rip you to pieces in a debate. All of them. Elon surprises me. I didn't think he'd be that good at this. He is. OK. And Elon also owns the biggest platform in the world.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Right. All right. Which we never had before. Bought it from the left.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think Trump is sitting back and enjoying this. I think he's having a ball. He's not being he doesn't have less power. He has comfortable power. Well, he's happy.
SPEAKER 05 :
He likes these guys. He expanded his power. He expanded it. Because he's got his lieutenants out, you know, conquering the political world, conquering the world of American government at this point.
SPEAKER 04 :
And they are shredding people. And let's toss Tom Homan in there as well. Oh, yeah. These four guys. Okay. I threw in Tom.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, because we're subtracting Trump.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm putting four under Trump. Okay. These four guys, Vivek, Elon, Vance, and Holman, they are... They are a wrecking ball to the media. They are a wrecking ball to the left. They are tearing people apart out there in debates. Every time they go in on CNN or anywhere else, they are so at ease. They just go in and win. And Trump has got to be – his only weakness is debate. So he sends these four out and they're crushing people.
SPEAKER 05 :
And they're going to try and goad Trump into doing something New York – Street brawl type thing where he's going to say something that's embarrassing that'll give him a clip. He doesn't have to. Nope, doesn't have to. Old Trump would have. Yeah, but he learned from this also. You can't say, well, this is not what the American people want. Oh, but it is. Yes, it is. Resoundingly so. Look at the numbers from November. Tell me what the American people want. And they want the Trump mandate. And that really angers the left.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Todd, tell me this and then we'll go to break here. What do you think? How do you think it's going to go for mayors and governors unless they are in deep, deep, deep, deep, deep blue territory? How's it going to go for them to fight against Tom Holman and the deportation plans, especially the early ones where they're really going after the criminals, the dangerous ones?
SPEAKER 05 :
It's called 8 U.S.C.
SPEAKER 1 :
1324.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay. That is the federal statute that covers alien smuggling, which we charged profusely in the field as a Border Patrol agent, but it also covers harboring, inciting,
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, I know they're going to lose by the law. I understand that, but I'm talking PR. How's it going to go in the press for the, you know, how's it going to go in the, well, forget the press, but in the public consciousness, the approval ratings, how are those things going to go for people who try to fight Tom Holman, really, who try to fight Trump's big four?
SPEAKER 05 :
It shouldn't go well for them. And I guess, like you said, and if it's, you know, deepest, darkest Portland or Seattle or San Francisco, something like that. But the thing is, they are... treacherously close to criminal charges if they resist this.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, they are. Okay, tell you what, when we come back, I actually, I was going to talk about something else. I was going to talk, well, we can talk a little bit about Matt Gaetz when we come back, but I also want to talk about Tulsi Gabbard. I want to talk about going into the intelligence. The DNI. Well, not just Tulsi, but all of them who are going to go in and clean out the FBI.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, so that's Cash, Cash Patel.
SPEAKER 04 :
Cash Patel, Tulsi, all of these people who are going to go, because it's not just the FBI, it's the entire intelligence network.
SPEAKER 03 :
The 17 agencies.
SPEAKER 04 :
Because when they go in, Todd, they're going to have to clean out the deep state, and the deep state hates them. Let's talk about that when we come back. All right. Up next is Ridgeline Auto Brokers. Hey, when you're looking at used cars, you want good selection and the best inspections. Ridgeline has both, and you can find both locations at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 09 :
Are you in the market for a reliable car, truck, or SUV that won't break the bank? Does your vehicle need high-quality auto repair? Then look no further. Ridgeline Auto Brokers and Legacy Auto Repair specialize in quality used cars that cost between $15,000 and $25,000, making them a great option for first-time drivers or anyone looking for a great deal. At Ridgeline, we pride ourselves on providing a transparent and happy hassle-free car buying experience. That's why we never charge any dealer fees. Plus, all of our vehicles are inspected by our team of ASE certified technicians. You can trust that the car you're buying is in excellent condition. And remember, we can also service your vehicle after the sale. At Ridgeline, we can take your current vehicle on trade, and we also offer competitive financing options for vehicle purchases and also for vehicle repairs. Ridgeline now has two locations, one in Boulder and now a second location in Fort Collins located at 1101 North College Avenue. Both locations offer full-service auto repair and a host of off-road accessories. Check out all their services at RidgelineAutobrokers.com. Ridgeline, the smart way to buy or service or accessorize your car, truck, or SUV.
SPEAKER 10 :
Interested in buying a new home? Well, the cost may have just gone down. It's been a seller's market for years, and buyers are regaining some authority. Want to cut your costs when you buy? Take AIM, Affordable Interest Mortgage, 720-895-0500. Recent changes to buyer's agent compensation now helps the buyer spend less. Sellers no longer need to raise the price to cover compensation for both sides. Your pre-approval now gives you more control in pricing and compensation. Make sure you work with a knowledgeable mortgage broker that will save you money. Take AIM 720-895-0500. AIM has a team of broker agents willing to negotiate their compensation and save you thousands. They know the new law. They're experienced and professional. Before you sign with an agent, protect yourself with a real pre-approval letter that puts you in charge. Take AIM. Affordable Interest Mortgage, 720-895-0500. We have that team willing to work for you. That's 720-895-0500. Regulated by Dora and MLS, 217-147, Equal Credit Lender.
SPEAKER 06 :
American Stonehenge by Mike Goldstein is more than just a children's book. It's a way to connect with the children in your life and encourage them to read to you and for themselves. When Mike Goldstein started writing American Stonehenge, he went after a specific problem. Children today don't think for themselves, and test scores nationwide show that. American Stonehenge is gorgeously put together, so it'll draw their attention. It's filled with action, the prose flows as smooth as sand through an hourglass, and it's historically accurate from the stories and the illustrations. But it's also a portal to quality time with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. It's a way to connect with them while tacitly teaching them the importance of critical thought and giving them a break from scrolling in their free time. Find American Stonehenge on klzradio.com slash read and bring your family together this holiday season.
SPEAKER 07 :
Is your office ready for a new copier? Business Equipment Service has you covered. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, Business Equipment Service has current model Konica Minolta and Canon copiers on sale right now. Our models have very minimal usage at a fraction of the cost of buying new. We stand behind our equipment with a 90-day parts and labor warranty, as well as a one-year or 100,000-page performance warranty. giving you the reliability you need to keep things running smoothly. Right now, get free delivery and installation when you mention this ad. Why choose us? Aside from saving thousands on high-performance copiers, we have lease options starting at $100 per month, we service and supply what we sell, we offer full service maintenance plans, fast on-site service, and remote support. For over 20 years, Business Equipment Service has helped hundreds of Colorado businesses find affordable, reliable office solutions. Visit us at besofcolorado.com or call 303-825-5664.
SPEAKER 15 :
Wishing you holidays filled with fun and laughter. Thanks for listening to Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 04 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush along with Todd Watkins. Todd, one thing really quick. Because I want to get to the deep state. But first, Matt Gaetz, the House Ethics Committee report just dropped. They made it public, which I kind of wonder about if that sets a bad precedent going forward. But setting that aside, we don't have time, okay? Right. It looks awful. It looks really damning. And what they're saying is they have all kinds of witnesses who just flat out say – This guy took a bunch of money from, I mean, gave a bunch of money to many women for sex. And it was clear the women were interviewed. It was for sex that he was doing this. He took, this started in 2017, went through like 2020, I think. And he was doing a lot of drugs apparently during that time. This is what's being alleged. Okay. Okay. I'm an innocent till proven guilty guy, so I'm not going to say he's guilty of any of this. And by the way, no charges have been brought. All right. So my first question is, why didn't anybody bring charges if you have such great evidence? But setting that aside, isn't it kind of in poor taste with all of this? Because this has all been hovering over him anyway. Isn't it in very poor taste for the Colorado Republican Party to have him as a keynote speaker in a major assembly like they did? I mean, it's not a good image. And I mean, the guy, when they had him as a keynote speaker, he had just cost us three seats in the House with his, let's face it, ill-conceived speech. mutiny that he had and it's so funny because now all they do is complain about coups and mutinies right which is hilarious they think a coup and a mutiny is the worst thing in the world but they praise matt gates for doing it and matt gates cost us three seats in the house and mccarthy's gone now okay and it's done us no good right anyway really quick just give me a you know 20 seconds what are your thoughts on matt gates
SPEAKER 05 :
I hope it's not true. I mean, of course, right? You don't want to see somebody who is, you know, that emblematic of the cause that we find ourselves working towards. You know, he was a big face, a prominent face of MAGA America first. And to have that sort of thing, you know, if it's true... I mean, it's a terrible mark. It looks really, really bad.
SPEAKER 04 :
It does look bad.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I know that the state GOP and several county GOPs had him as a keynote speaker at some significant events.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, Lincoln Day and so forth.
SPEAKER 05 :
Lincoln Day, yeah. And you wonder, did you not know that that was happening when you did that? It never came up, I can tell you that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, all I can say is this, innocent until proven guilty. He's a brilliant guy, a tremendous litigator up on the Hill. But he has also been somebody who's made a lot of enemies, and that's another reason why you can't buy everything you hear. Why? Because there's so many enemies who are up in these, who are running these investigations.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's the skullduggery thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, yeah. I don't know. All I know is this. That's a guy who had too much of a cloud over his head. I don't think it was a wise appointment by Trump to begin with when he had Pam Bondi sitting right there, who's so wonderful. Look, I'm sorry, but it's not like he didn't have a deep bench. He didn't have to take chances like that. He didn't have a chance. Whatever. He's gone. Okay, we got about three minutes here. Sure. Deep state. How is Trump going to be able to root out some of the deep state? And I'm talking especially in terms of FBI, the intelligence agencies, and law enforcement.
SPEAKER 05 :
Go. So the deep state that we're talking about is not the tinfoil hat, fever dream, deep state, shadow government. We're talking about long-term control. Not presidential appointments, but career hires. Yep. Bureaucrats, GS, SES level government employees. Set in cement. Oh, yeah. It's nearly impossible to get rid of a government employee. So... What you see happening, and I saw this when I was working in headquarters. You have a lot of Obama appointments or hires and appointments that turned into career hires. Then you had Trump who didn't get rid of them. And then God knows how many more came in under Biden. And this goes to Elon Musk and the Doge effort, right, to thin some of this out.
SPEAKER 04 :
So they can't just go in and wield the axe and fire all these people? Not really. Why not?
SPEAKER 05 :
Title V. Explain that.
SPEAKER 04 :
You've got 30 seconds.
SPEAKER 05 :
So they're protected. Once you've become vested, you can't just fire.
SPEAKER 04 :
Then how do you get rid of them?
SPEAKER 05 :
For cause. But what I would do, if I was Elon and Vivek, in order to kind of neutralize the impact of the deep state on some of these initiatives, because you'll never see where they're blocking you, where they're stumbling, because it goes within the bureaucracies of each of these different agencies, is reassignments.
SPEAKER 04 :
reassign especially move everybody around where they don't want to be well or to where they're not handling some of these so they can be at that outpost in alaska right yeah they're the doorman okay so so what we will so what you're saying is they're going to see a bunch of people who they know are obamaites and bidenites and they're going to reassign them yeah you don't fire them you just put them someplace else put them where they don't want to be yeah kind of like in office space the closet in the basement yeah yeah they can ask for their red swing line you know
SPEAKER 05 :
Wow. Do you think it'll work? I know you can do that. I know.
SPEAKER 04 :
You think that they will dig in and say, no, I'll stay forever and just wait for the next Democrat to put me where I belong? Or do you think they'll give up? Or do you think it'll be a mix?
SPEAKER 05 :
A little bit. I'm sure if they're retirement eligible, maybe they pull the plug at that point. But yeah, you just, I mean, some of these would be kind of career killers too. Wow.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, this is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to Doge, the bulldozer, as I call it. And I'm looking forward to the big four, actually the big five with Tom Holman, whipping through Washington. I think Washington is as afraid right now as they have ever been.
SPEAKER 05 :
I hope so. They should be.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think they're terrified. I think a lot of them are going to be out of work. What do you think?
SPEAKER 05 :
I would start with the attorneys in each, every one of those departments and agencies. Reassign them. Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wonderful. Good idea. Okay, folks, that's it for our number two. Thank you, Todd Watkins. In our three, we're going to be joined by Jersey Joe for all things crazy on the national political stage. Until then, keep it right here on Rushed Reason, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 13 :
I'm a rich guy.
"Rush to Reason" is more than just a talk show—it’s a call to action for those who refuse to settle for mediocrity. Hosted by the unapologetically direct John Rush and supported by fiery guest hosts like Andy Pate, the show dives deep into the issues shaping our world. From political analysis and cultural commentary to the fights for freedom and integrity, Rush to Reason isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
Expect spirited debates, sharp wit, and thought-provoking perspectives. Whether it’s dissecting government policies, exposing media bias, or sparking honest conversations about justice, this is the space for those ready to stand firm in their beliefs. Presented by High Five Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, where every call ends with a high five—because life’s tough, but your talk radio shouldn’t be.
SPEAKER 05 :
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 15 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 11 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. 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 16 :
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 High Five Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, where every call ends with a high five.
SPEAKER 04 :
Filling in is Andy Pate, party of choice. And I'm your host, Andy Pate, filling in for John Rush.
SPEAKER 06 :
John's taking a couple weeks off here. Well-deserved, very well-deserved. He works hard. You guys have absolutely no idea what a workaholic John Rush is. It's amazing. So, John, wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying yourself. I am joined today by Mr. Todd Watkins of the... Go ahead.
SPEAKER 07 :
El Paso County Republican Party.
SPEAKER 06 :
The El Paso County Republican Party. You're still allowed... On the El Paso County Republican Party. Sort of. Is the El Paso County Republican Party kind of a microcosm of the state party?
SPEAKER 1 :
100%.
SPEAKER 06 :
Just this incredible division.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, folks, we're going to be talking later on this hour and much of this hour about the Colorado Republican Party. I know people are going to be like, oh, no, I don't want to hear about Colorado Republican Party. I want to hear about Trump. Yeah, that's coming. Okay. And by the way, I'm so excited about Trump.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, we all should be, right?
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, my gosh. It's beautiful.
SPEAKER 07 :
Everybody who thought he was, you know, wrong, orange man bad the first four years, all it took was four years of, you know. Orange man gone. Right. Orange man gone.
SPEAKER 06 :
I like that.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm going to keep using that to realize, oh, wait a minute. Maybe we do need law and order in this country.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, yes. And by the way, law and order is gone. We got another example of that today. Now, I know this is a little heavy, but folks, I'm coming in hot. I am coming in mad. All right. And that is at Joe Biden. Now, look, I know it's not him doing it. He doesn't do anything now. It's all the people who are pulling the strings and running things. He's a puppet. At this point, he's a vegetable, basically, at least in terms of governing.
SPEAKER 07 :
He was for the four years. He was pretty much. It was weekend at Bernie's for four years.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, pretty much it was. And look, today, what do they call it? Commuted the sentences of 37 out of the 44. Federal death row inmates. And now they have life in prison.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
And, folks, we could go through and give a bunch of examples. We don't have time here. Let me just give one, though. Little Lexus Roberts, she was only 12 years old when she watched Thomas Sanders murder, kill her mother. Now, here's the problem. That made her a witness. So Sanders then... did the same to her and murdered her okay 12 year old girl just slaughtered them both and by the way these weren't quick kills okay folks I'm not going to go into any details but the man is a savage the man is a monster Okay, now my question is, why is this person still alive? They should be dead. I am all for the death penalty, folks. Obviously just in extreme cases. These are extreme cases!
SPEAKER 07 :
It kind of takes extreme actions to get put on death row anymore these days. I mean, horse thieves don't get hanged any longer. It takes abominable murders to get that kind of sentence.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. And also in all these cases, the evidence was overwhelming. It's not like the Hollywood movies where, you know, this poor person, this poor guy gets sent up the river when there's not good evidence. No, no, no, folks. In every single one of these cases, the evidence is overwhelming. They were guilty, guilty, guilty. They had done it and we knew they had done it. And now he is going to give them life in prison. And I just want to deal really quickly here with a couple of the. I'm just going to say what the left will say. You know, their protests against capital punishment.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. One is that they say this lowers us to their level. You're killing. You're killing just like they're killing. You're a killer just like they're a killer. How can you be that? No, no, no. You see, until I kill an innocent mom. and then kill her innocent 12-year-old whose only crime was witnessing me killing her mom? Until I do those things, no, I am not the same as the person pulling the switch to end this murderer's life. These people who killed, they chose to kill innocent victims. They did not choose to end the life of savages and monsters who killed other people.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, also, the murderers generally don't go through probable cause findings and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, 39 different reviews of the case and appeals.
SPEAKER 06 :
So you're telling me, you know, that, what's his name here? Thomas Sanders didn't first... have lexus roberts and her mom go through a whole court system to make sure that they deserved to be slaughtered by his hand correct oh and then there was no appeals process either oh well you know that's slightly different here's another one they say well they've just been given life in prison they've been given life in prison that's enough really i got news for you their victims aren't given life in anywhere Their victims are dead. Their victims are gone. Here's another one. They say, well, it's not that much of a deterrent. First of all, I think it is a deterrent.
SPEAKER 07 :
It could be more of a deterrent if it was used more judiciously than it is now. Now it's a joke. It takes 20, 25, 30 years.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exactly. The problem is not the punishment. It's not applied well. The problem is the system. Because they know, my gosh, I could get off. I could have it stretched out. I could have it dragged out by lawyers. I can have the system wielded in my favor to where I avoid that punishment for decades on end. Folks, that's why it's not nearly as much of a deterrent. What if they knew? Okay, once you are really found guilty, guilty, guilty, and we're not talking self-defense. We're not talking anything that's even borderline. We're talking you are a savage murderer.
SPEAKER 07 :
Cold-blooded murder.
SPEAKER 06 :
We're talking rare cases. We're talking like the guy from Guatemala who just burned a woman alive on a New York subway. Yeah. She woke up on fire and he watched her and watched her burn. The man should already be dead in my view.
SPEAKER 07 :
And I don't believe New York has a death penalty anymore. I believe that was it was abolished.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. Well, you know, they need one. OK. If any place. Let me ask you something, Todd. Why? And at this point, I'm not just looking at the fact, you know, the death penalty versus not death penalty. I'm looking at the entire system that keeps these people on alive on endless appeals for on death row forever. Okay. Why? What? What? Why are the American taxpayers who bust their tails every day to make enough money to live by the rules and pay for their kids to go to school and pay for their mortgage and pay for food that's skyrocketing in price because of our president and pay for all these things in life so that they can survive and they work so hard and they save up to where maybe they could take a vacation, right? These people who use their money this way, why are those American taxpayers having to pay one red cent to house, clothe, feed, and guard these monsters when they could simply be ended?
SPEAKER 07 :
A couple of reasons. Why? I would argue. First of all, there's the sensible conscientious part, where as a nation of laws, and a nation of laws, we want to be a nation of laws. We are. That is properly... And legally applied. I know I just used... Yeah, I'm all for that, but it doesn't have to take 20 years after someone's already been found guilty. No, you're right. I agree with you there. But there is this... a burdensome task that we placed on ourselves, I think, as a government, as a people, to ensure that we're doing the right thing in the right way. So that's why there are so many appeals. But you're right.
SPEAKER 06 :
There shouldn't be this many appeals.
SPEAKER 07 :
It shouldn't, because this is the left coming in, wanting to, you know, hug and forgive everybody and try to derail that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Todd, I'm in favor of the appeal process. Don't get me wrong. I think a review. But it needs to be reviewed. You can go to a higher court. You can have it reviewed. You can have the evidence reviewed. But at some point, once it's done, it's done and that's it. Death row should be a very short walk. This is ridiculous.
SPEAKER 07 :
Even in Texas. There is an automatic appeal. So the judge sentences someone to a death sentence. It goes right to an automatic appeal, and everything is reviewed. And I'm with you on that.
SPEAKER 01 :
There you go.
SPEAKER 07 :
You done did it. Sounds good. Yeah, I want to make for sure, for sure. Especially today with the type of technology that there is in crime scene analysis, in forensics. They're pretty much... Dern sure that the person that they've convicted is the person who did it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. You see, I'm not looking for quick, clumsy, reckless justice. All right. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. But I'm talking move the process along because right now we've we've got the opposite. They're dragging it out just so they can have no justice. They're dragging it out just so they can. And why are they dragging out all the people who are in favor of dragging it out? are people who oppose the death penalty, period. Right. Okay. These are not people who support the death penalty. They just want to make for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure. No. The people who drag these things out for decades on end.
SPEAKER 07 :
They're trying to make it untenable so that it's repealed. Right. Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
In other words, they are denying justice to the families of those who were slaughtered by these savages.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think you could make a case that they're actually taking advantage of the fact that our criminal justice system is generally composed to protect the rights of the accused so that somebody who is accused is not falsely, wrongly, maliciously, vindictively accused.
SPEAKER 06 :
To a degree, that's fine. But we've gone way past that degree.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it gets exploited, right? Right. So that the criminal's rights matter far greater than the person who is harmed.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exactly. I have no problem with the appeals process, the basic appeals process, and make them for sure, for sure. I love that. I'm for that. I want that, okay? Yeah. But it's being abused, as you said. It is. It's being abused, and now people who deserve justice are going to watch while their kids... There were a number of these people who murdered children. Their children will never grow up. They're dead, okay? And these guys get to live... For life. On our tax dollars. On the tax dime of the American taxpayer who are already busting their tails just to survive every day. And they have to keep these monsters alive. It is despicable. I've had it.
SPEAKER 07 :
There's also something else to consider with these commutations. And if somebody out in radio land knows... the answer definitively i believe in the federal system if somebody is given a life sentence because that's what this is we're commuting a death sentence to a sentence of life in prison i believe they get a in a a parole hearing after x number of years i believe it's there's not an option to deny them a parole oh i thought you could have without possibility of parole it's Some states have that. A lot of states have. There's no such thing as without parole.
SPEAKER 06 :
Personally, I don't care.
SPEAKER 07 :
They do get a parole hearing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Personally, I don't care. They should be dead. OK, you're right.
SPEAKER 07 :
But just note that they they could come up on a parole hearing in five, six, 10 years and get out.
SPEAKER 06 :
I want all 37 of those, including the last three. There are three who weren't given this deal. One of them is one of the Tsarnaev brothers with the Boston Boston bombing. Here's what I believe. They should all have life sentences and very short life sentences. OK, they should all be dead. OK, these have all gone through the process. They've gone through the appeals process. They've gone through it all. We know they're guilty. We know they did it. These are monsters. We should not be paying them. They should not get one more meal on the back of the American taxpayer who they killed.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
OK, that's my thinking. Sorry, folks, coming in a little hot, but I'm mad. I'm mad because how dare he do what he just did? This is proof once again. And one last message for all you who voted for Joe Biden or vote for Democrats. You are accessories to what just happened. This does not happen. And this has not happened. The memory of these children does not get shamed like it just was if it weren't for your vote. You made this possible. We have a lawless president who is also selling off parts of the wall so we can be further invaded. Look, we have a lawless presidency, and you made it happen. If you voted for this man even once, you're an accessory, and you need to apologize to America. You need to apologize because it is going to take a lot of work for Trump to help us make it back from this, and it'll take more than four years. Okay, let's take a break. When we come back, we're going to talk to Natalie Tennant, who is going to be on the line, and we're going to talk about the Colorado GOP and some of the funny things they've been up to because it is getting really scary. Up next is someone who's not scary at all. That's Golden Eagle Financial. Prepare your financial future by maximizing your present with Al Smith. No one does it better, so call Al at 303-744-1128, or you can find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
The holidays are full of issues that can negatively affect your nest egg and Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial will help you stay secure. This time of year, you have demands all around you. Even if you're retired, there's shopping to do, dinner parties or office functions. You just need a few minutes to make sure your required minimum distributions are taken. Let Al Smith take the pressure off of you this holiday season. You can meet with him for free and he'll work with you on a strategy to identify the best way he can help you. And when you hire him to manage your retirement, you won't be fending those demands off this year because he's got you covered. Al communicates with you and minimizes the time you would spend strategizing because you can lean on his decades of experience helping folks just like you retire with confidence. Find Al Smith and Golden Eagle Financial on the klzradio.com advertisers page and get started with your free meeting. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, registered investment advisor, BCM, and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 06 :
Roof Savers. No state has weather harder on roofs than Colorado. So get your roof the treatment it needs, it deserves, and it'll last 5, 10, even 15 years longer with Roof Savers. Call Dave Hart at Roof Savers, 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 09 :
At Roof Savers Colorado, we are about more than roofs. We are about helping you make the best decisions with the right information. Being a homeowner isn't getting any easier or cheaper, and neither is getting your roof the solution it needs. Deductibles are going through the roof, and with every passing year, insurance covers less than the one before. Due to a record amount of hailstorms recently, insurance companies have started limiting your coverage and pulling out of states entirely. We know the industry. With over 3,000 roofs under our belts and 23 years of experience, Dave Hart and his team are ready to complete a free roof inspection and discuss the option that is best for you. Don't wait. Policy renewals are increasing by as much as 50%. Now is the time to get the solution you need. Call Roof Savers Colorado today at 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com. That's 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com to schedule your free inspection and start saving your roof today.
SPEAKER 06 :
American National Insurance. Paul Leuenberger is now an insurance broker representing nine great companies to help with all your insurance needs. Call Paul at 303-662-0789.
SPEAKER 10 :
Looking for top-notch home, auto, classic car, and business insurance? Look no further than Paul Leuenberger. Paul is now an insurance broker with access to industry leaders like Hartford, Travelers, Safeco, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Allstate, AIG, Chubb, Pure, Berkeley, Grundy, and Hagerty. Paul has you covered. Paul is also proud to continue his work with American National for all non-property insurance needs as well. Paul Leuenberger now serves Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas with more states on the way. Paul's mission is simple, to connect you with the right coverage at the best value. Are you ready to protect what matters most? Call Paul Leuenberger today at 303-662-0789. That's 303-662-0789.
SPEAKER 15 :
A little more sparkle, a little less stress. This year at Christmas, we wish you the best. Happy holidays from Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 06 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush. Not always happy during the holidays. Not when President Biden lets a lot of really bad people off death row. I am here with Todd Watkins on the line right now. We've got Natalie Tennant. Natalie, how are you today? Hi, Andy. Hi, Todd. How are you guys doing? Hey, Natalie. I'm good. We are doing well. Natalie, you held a meeting, you terrible person. I mean, does that make you a criminal? I'm just asking. You held a meeting online. And what was your meeting about? Because this is really important. A lot of people are wondering, well, what are you talking about, Andy? Here's what I'm talking about. Hope Scheppelman, vice chair of the Republican Party here in Colorado, actually attended your meeting. And she came out a couple of days ago and put out a video, which I found hilarious, that basically you could tell was highly scripted. It was written by probably a group of people. And it basically said that you people are endangering the lives of the leadership of the Colorado GOP. Is that what you're doing, Natalie? Do we need to – well, wait, Natalie, what I want to ask is, do we need to call Joe Biden and see if he can, you know, get your sentence reduced?
SPEAKER 13 :
Get me pardoned?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 13 :
Listen. What happened at the meeting? A lot of good things as far as I knew. I attended. I was present. So I just don't – I don't know where to go with this anymore because while I was on hold, I was trolling through Facebook, and here she is waving the white flag again wishing me a Merry Christmas. Like, huh? I don't understand it because she's, like, flip-flopped so much that I don't know when to take her seriously. So, yes, we held a – they keep calling it a town hall because the handle for it was Colorado Town Hall. And Never Surrender was a co-host to that, which is me. And what I did was I reached out to Steve Peck, who is Douglas County Chair, because there was a lot of controversy about one of the commissioners, Laura, stepping down to fill the vacancy. We have to have a vacancy meeting. So I went direct to the source. Hey, Steve, I've met him over all this controversy stuff. And I said, this doesn't make sense to me because of the way that it happens in Weld County. The county chair doesn't choose. We have a county council. So I wanted to understand process. So I reached out to him. He said he was going to do a video. And I said, hey, let's do a Twitter space. Because there was so much controversy back and forth. Like he did this. He did that. This was this. This is that. No, he's lying. She's lying. And that's all that keeps happening.
SPEAKER 06 :
Just so people get an idea what the meeting is about. Basically, they had an election for Douglas County Commissioner. There are three commissioners in Douglas County. Two are already in place. They are a Republican. The third one who was also a Republican was leaving the position. That was Laura Thomas. And so they held an election, you know, on election night. And the Republican won one handily. It's Douglas County.
SPEAKER 01 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
One handily. And through, I don't want to get into the reasons why, but Laura decided to step down early before the end of her term. And so that meant that we had to fill her seat. And the question was, well, could the county chair, which I didn't even know the county chair had that power. In Douglas County, they do?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's fine.
SPEAKER 07 :
It has to do with the composition of the Board of Commissioners. Got it. So the three commissioners in Douglas County are at large. They don't have districts. Right. They're not geographically limited. So therefore, the Douglas County Republican Party Central Committee would act as the vacancy committee committee.
SPEAKER 06 :
for a vacancy with the commissioners hence this the chair okay that's fine yeah and steve peck's the chair so the idea was and i'm just going to kind of cut through a bunch of it here really quick natalie because i just want to get to you know you guys wishing death upon the leadership of the republican party which which is hilarious um and no you did not um So basically, the idea was supposed to be like within 10 days or whatever, he was supposed to appoint the guy who won the election to jump in and start early to fill Laura's seat. About four weeks early. Right. But to do this, he would have had to call a meeting of the full committee during the holidays. Yes. And here's the real here's here's why that would have been really stupid, folks. Why would you first of all, you got to get a quorum together from people who are already traveling over the holidays. Secondly, you don't have to do it. You can just go to the governor and say, hey, can you just appoint the guy now and put him in place? And let's say the guy and the governor does what they call a gentleman's agreement. Right. And the governor says, yeah, sure, I'll put him in. And the governor happens to be Jared Polis. Now, even if Jared Polis, let's say that he had gone back in his word and put a Democrat in the position, wouldn't have mattered, folks, because first of all, the Republican would have been in within a month anyway. It's over the holidays. There's no business. And by the way, that person is still outnumbered by the other two Republican commissioners. They couldn't have done anything. There is no way Polis could have put some Democrat in the position and caused any harm in any way, shape or form.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. So the quorum that yes, you're right. The chair would have to establish a quorum and state statute requires that the quorum for a vacancy for a county commissioner seat is 50 percent of the whole body. So, right. It's not it's not just one of those. Hey, whoever shows up is the quorum. They had to get half half of them had to show up for it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, they said. Yeah. OK. And now this is the hilarious part. Hope comes out and she says two basic things. Number one, that you guys were endangering their lives. And I'm sorry, that's so ludicrous. Folks. She's retracting that now, by the way. But go ahead.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, of course she's retracting it because she lied. She never named me. She's saying that I was never named. I was named. Dave Williams named me on a podcast. He named me in an email.
SPEAKER 06 :
And he named me, too. And by the way, I'm hurt that he didn't name me. I'll name you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I just want you to know. And Andy Pate.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you. Now I've been named. Why am I never included on these things? I mean, look, here's the bottom line. None of the resistances I'm going to call you guys against Dave Williams and Hope Shepelman, none of you have ever... threatened them with their with any violence ever you've never called for any threats of violence you've never supported any threats of violence the one guy who brought some threats of violence you guys didn't even know him he was simply invited to come on the call okay he was invited to come on the call because he had cured some ballots who cares and it didn't happen during the call and it didn't happen it didn't even happen during the call it happened after the fact
SPEAKER 13 :
Right, Natalie? Yes. The call was perfect. It was a perfect call. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
By the way, Natalie, I hear Hope was on her best behavior as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Apologizing for stuff.
SPEAKER 13 :
I was shocked. Great.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 13 :
I reached out to her via Facebook message and I said, thank you for that. I thanked her for it because I mean what I say. And I did. And I thought this could be a good pivot. Maybe Hope has seen, you know, I'd like to think she's her own individual and she is not puppeted by Dave and co. But that's my opinion. And I just... I scratch my head because I have a Facebook group. I try to be involved. I've gotten involved locally. I've helped candidates get elected. What have you done? What have you done but cause disruption? They're disruptors. And like this thing with Steve Peck in Douglas County, yes, he did not follow the procedure. But for what reason? Like, do we not do that? Are we not smart Republicans? Do we not think, why should we waste more money?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, well, the bottom line, it would have taken time and money to get together a quorum, which you didn't need, because the governor could simply appoint the guy, and it wouldn't make any difference. You're getting the same guy. And even if the governor reneged on his agreement and put in a Democrat, the Democrat would have been powerless for a month. It would have meant no difference. Steve Peck was absolutely right in what he did in not calling the meeting. But let's take a step further here, Natalie, because then. Hope, in her statement, I forget how she put it. But in so many words, she said that you guys had given that Steve Peck, by allowing the governor to be so magnanimous as to appoint a Republican who had already won easily in a Republican district and give him a month early to be on there. I'm sorry, it's hard not to laugh. She indicated that this was going to help Jared Polis with his national ambitions. This was going to be such an incredible bipartisan act of Jared Polis because he seeded a Republican who had won a month early because his predecessor stepped down, that this was something that Jared Polis could tout as being so bipartisan of him that it would actually help him nationally in other words get the white house in other words steve peck helped jared polis win the white house it's it's a magnificent calculus there pardon me for just a moment may i i mean that's crazy oh yes yes yes i get i i just want to tell jd vance i'm sorry 2028 you got no chance
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, because it's Jared all the way because he seeded Van Winkle early.
SPEAKER 06 :
He seeded Kevin Van Winkle a month early. Look, you know, and wait a minute. I just got a call here. It's in my ear here. Donald Trump is stepping down. He's not going to be president. He understands it's a foregone conclusion. He's already lost all power. Steve Peck is insured that Jared Polis, now, by this incredible bipartisan act of seating a guy a whole month early who already won his election. that Steve Peck has already given the White House to Jared Polis. So, Natalie, why do you love Jared Polis so much? Why do you want to help him get the White House?
SPEAKER 13 :
Hey, I've been on every recall of him, and I've done my best to expose him, so not a fan at all. The thing that aggravates me the most, Andy, is that the call was good. In the call, the space was to talk to Steve Peck. He had, I think, the secretary may have been on. I could be messing that up. But somebody else from Douglas County spoke in how the process worked. The attorneys were called. You know, it was very detailed. I gave the platform. Britt and I gave the platform for us to have the conversation about that. Then at some point after Steve spoke, somebody had said Hope was on the call. And I was kind of shocked. I didn't see her pop on. So I saw that she was there. I welcomed her on to speak if she wanted to. She opened the door, dang it. Like, she opened the door because she waved that little metaphorical white flag and all the things. Go listen. You don't have to take my word for it.
SPEAKER 06 :
From everything I've heard, Natalie, it was a very conciliatory tone that she had. And by the way, nobody was aggressive. From what I heard, it was just a very friendly tone overall.
SPEAKER 13 :
It was. And I was very proud of the call getting off of it. Very proud of it. And I thought, you know, I spoke with some others after the call. I got a lot of feedback about the call. I mean, we had almost 200 people tune in. The analytics of it were great. And that's because they made it turn into a bad thing. There's nothing bad about that call. And I will stand on that. And if you doubt it and haven't listened to it, shame on you then. Because if you want the truth, go listen to the call, form your own opinion.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 13 :
And now here we are. It's it's what did we go through over the summer? Was it Betsy Freedom? Like, I feel like this is a 2.0 in a sense, not saying there are there is a police report filed because I am named in this. I reached out to get information. They've been in communication with me. So I'm taking this seriously because what you're talking about, the guy who who threatened the leadership.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, yeah. But here's the thing. OK, some nutcase threat who comes on your call because you put out a very wide. I was invited on this thing, too. You put out a huge invitation to tons of people. A number of people came on. He was one of them. He asked a couple of questions on there. There were no threats on there. Later on, he makes these ridiculous threats against the state party, which, by the way, are legit threats. I believe he should have had the cops called on him. He did. There you go. OK, Chavez, I think his name is.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, whatever. OK, so done. Yeah. But here's the thing. What the state party is trying to use this for, Natalie, now is to say any criticism of them endangers them. And by that by that measurement, virtually all political speech. could be labeled as dangerous. That's right.
SPEAKER 07 :
Am I right, Todd? And who does that sound like?
SPEAKER 06 :
That sounds like Joe Biden. That sounds like the Democrats.
SPEAKER 07 :
The squad and everybody else.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. That sounds exactly like the Democrats. It's the Saul Linsky tactics. Yeah, these are Saul Linsky tactics, right? You demonize all criticism of the left as dangerous to the left and say that you're promoting. Look at how long they milked January 6th. And the way they did now, they're trying to milk one threat from one nutcase guy. That's right. The exact same way. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let me let me pull that thread for a moment. Go ahead. So in in as much as we are accused of inciting violence, let me tell you who actually did incite violence from this incident. Who? Dave, Hope, the CLGOP.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, and how did they do it?
SPEAKER 07 :
So within days of them saying, coming out publicly, very publicly, blasting emails to an email list.
SPEAKER 06 :
They were saying that you guys were endangering their lives. Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER 07 :
So I'm at the gym two days in a row. This female woman, El Paso County, she's part of the, you know, Dave and Vicki, very supportive of them. Sure. Vicki is the chairwoman of the El Paso County Republican Party. That's a whole other show, by the way.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right.
SPEAKER 07 :
But she comes up to me and she says, I just want to tell you to stop speaking out against the Colorado GOP. You're going to get people killed. She would not leave me alone. But it's... What I want to highlight in this, it wasn't stop bad-mouthing, stop maligning, stop brutalizing, anything like that. Her words were very – it resonated with me. Stop speaking out. In other words, do not exercise your right to political speech.
SPEAKER 06 :
Your First Amendment right. Right. Basically, they are trying to cancel out the First Amendment. Yes. Guys, we've got to take a break. We'll come right back because, Natalie, when we come back, I want to talk about it in case people are wondering, well, why are you guys trying so hard to remove these leaders of the state party? I just want to remind people in really quick bullet points just some of the things they've done, and I'm going to turn it over to Natalie. We're talking to Natalie Tennant here on Rush to Reason. Up next is... High Five Plumbing, the holiday season means plumbing emergencies. So you need quality you can trust and a number you can remember. To get both, call High Five at 877-WE-HIGH-FIVE.
SPEAKER 05 :
You want to party in style this season and high five plumbing, electrical heating and cooling has what you need to do that. Even on the patio high five is currently offering $100 off a patio heater installation. So you can party into the wee hours without getting chilly running electrical to the patio. Isn't an issue with high five either. They can move outlets wherever they are needed, including under roof eaves for dazzling Christmas lighting. Entertain friends and family in style this year with hot tub hookups, outdoor kitchens, and anything else you can imagine. Hi-5's technicians are fully licensed and insured, so your holidays will also be safe. Hi-5 can schedule as soon as the same day, and for a limited time, they'll take $100 off of any electrical installation. Whether that's a hot tub hookup, extra outlets, a patio heater, or anything else you can dream up. You know you're getting the best price. Contact High Five now on the klzradio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 06 :
Dr. Scott Faulkner, hey, he doesn't serve big pharma. He only serves you. For a total approach to your total health, call Dr. Scott at 303-663-6990.
SPEAKER 01 :
Are you tired of crisis care and instead want true health care? Do you want to improve your overall fitness and beauty? Do you have a chronic medical condition that no one has taken the time to understand? Are you trying to meet a health or weight goal? Or maybe you're just looking for a great doctor who thinks the way you do. Dr. Scott is a board certified internal medicine specialist, bringing decades of experience and expertise to the table. Dr. Scott is a true advocate of the latest advancements in health care. That's why he uses umbilical derived stem cells, which have been clinically proven to be the most potent stem cells available. Worried about being lost in the crowd of impersonal health care? Fear not. Dr. Scott is a big picture doctor, not beholden to big pharma or big insurance like some other providers. He takes the time to understand your unique needs and will customize your health care to fit you, your body, and your lifestyle. Reach your full potential and achieve your goals. Call Dr. Scott today at 303-663-6990 or visit him online at castlerockregenerativehealth.com or find him at rushtoreason.com. Dr. Scott Faulkner and Castle Rock Regenerative Health Care is your path to a healthier tomorrow.
SPEAKER 06 :
Michael Bailey Law. Hey, procrastinating with your will? That could cost those you love most. Don't wait. Call Michael Bailey at 720-730-7274.
SPEAKER 05 :
Your ghost of Christmas past is you haven't gotten that estate plan done. And with KLZ's mobile estate planner, Michael Bailey, here to help you, it's going to be okay. Some of us also worry about what will happen in the future. You can deal with that ghost of Christmas future too. Get started on your estate plan now with Michael Bailey so you don't have to worry about the past or the future. Ebenezer Scrooge learned how to change his ways in the present, and you can decide to make changes too. Taking care of a will or estate plan in the present means you don't have to worry. It frees up the future to be whatever you want it to be. You can have happiness, peace, joy, love, although probably not from your estate plan, but at least you will have peace of mind knowing it's done. Let your, I should have already done this, fears and worries go. No judgment here. Just call our mobile estate planner, Michael Bailey at 720-730-7274 or go to the klzradio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 15 :
One sure sign that you're getting older is how Santa seems to look better each year. Merry Christmas from Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 06 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, Andy Pate, filling in for John Rush, along with Todd Watkins. Todd, you having a good time?
SPEAKER 07 :
I am.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is great. Well, good. On the line, we've got Natalie Tennant. Natalie, are you having a good time?
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 06 :
In the presence of great people. I consider you both friends. Oh, thank you so much. Okay. For those who are, maybe you're listening from Wyoming or around the state, or maybe you're just passing through, it's the holiday season, and you're wondering, why is this such a big deal? Guys, well, this stuff happens all over the place. I got news for you. No, it doesn't. And what I'm going to do is list off in bullet point fashion very quickly. So listen close, everybody. Listen close. I'm going to show you why what's being done with the Colorado Republican Party by its current leadership is totally unprecedented. It's not being done in the other 50 states, 49 states. You know what I mean? Well, Canada. They're going to be a new state. I need Panama Canal soon, too. You know what I mean. But it's not being done anywhere else, folks. This is unique. And it's not only unique to Colorado. It's unique to our party history here. This is all stuff that has never been done by leadership of the Colorado Republican Party before. Here we go. And all of it is designed from the moment he took office. Dave Williams has wanted to alienate huge members. Of the Republican Party here in Colorado. Divide, attack, alienate, all unprecedented. Here we go. Number one, his first action was attacking his predecessor, Christie Burton Brown, and having his team do the same in meetings all over the state. Todd, is that true?
SPEAKER 07 :
That is absolutely true.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, number two, Dave and the state central committee threw out neutrality for party leadership. That means party leadership stays out of the primaries. They say, look, we're not going to endorse some primaries. That's a good thing. They shouldn't. He threw that out. Then, after taking huge money from presidential candidates like Nikki Haley, like Donald Trump, like Ron DeSantis, like Chris Christie. Yeah, like all these people. After taking huge money from presidential candidates, the state party endorsed against several of them and refused to return their money.
SPEAKER 07 :
That's right. It was $40,000 apiece.
SPEAKER 06 :
I know, $40,000 apiece. So they're saying our fundraising has been much better. Well, yeah, you just squeezed all these national candidates and then you endorsed against them and didn't get back the money. Next.
SPEAKER 07 :
That's the first time that the state party has done that, is required a ballot fee from the candidates, by the way, for the primary.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Okay. Next, if anyone opposed this dividing of our party, Dave claimed they were opposing the new MAGA direction for the GOP. He offered no evidence connecting these things. Todd, is that correct?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
That is exactly what he said. So if anybody said, look, you... You took their money and then endorsed against them and wouldn't give the money back. He said, you're against MAGA. That was his response. Next, Dave was the first state chair to run for office in a contested primary. This means he actually ran against fellow Republicans while holding the power of being their state chair. To call this a conflict of interest is an understatement of historic proportion.
SPEAKER 07 :
And that is where I began my journey to try to remove him.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is where you get because you used to be his his supporter. Next, Dave and his team endorsed 18 Republicans in contested primaries using the petition process as their excuse. More on that in a minute. Even with state party support, they lost 14 of these races badly. In other words, they endorsed a bunch of terrible candidates who would have killed us in the general election. Is this true? Yes. OK, next, Dave and his team. Natalie, I'll ask you on the next few. Dave and his team weaponized all state party resources against fellow Republicans in these races. OK, so they didn't just endorse them. and doors against them, they weaponized their resources, meaning that Republican candidates for the first time ever in Colorado had to waste time and money running against their own party before ever getting to run against the Democrats. And this was done with email mailers, newspapers, online activism, et cetera. Natalie, am I exaggerating any of that? Not even close. Not even close. And by the way, notice how every single one of these things, you're alienating a bunch of Republicans. Nikki Haley had supporters. You just alienated them. Ron DeSantis had supporters. You see where I'm going with this. Okay, next. Dave put out his God hates flags email. which is a thinly veiled slur. Okay, it is. It's thinly, and everybody knew it. And he called on Republicans to burn pride flags, which means burn other people's property. If anyone protested these actions, Dave claimed they supported grooming kids.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Dave... Am I exaggerating? No, and furthermore, Dave defended that, saying that he was following... He wanted to go to heaven, and he was walking in the way of Jesus. Hey, my degree— He shrouded himself in religion to defend that, by the way, on stage.
SPEAKER 06 :
Look, I'm a born-again Christian with a degree in the ministry, but I got news for Dave. The GOP isn't a church, okay? Sorry, you can't treat it like that. Okay, next one.
SPEAKER 13 :
Natalie, I'm going to throw this. Hold on, though. You're missing an important part here. They've circled back to that because Trump's speech at Turning Point. recently speaking about transgender and the alphabet squad. If you listen to how Trump speaks about that, that's MAGA. We are all against that. We've never claimed that we're not. We're all in these little groups fighting this for our children, right? That's the whole thing is our children. And now they're still trying to compare. Literally, there's posts out there of them trying to compare what Dave did to Trump's speech the other day.
SPEAKER 06 :
Not even close. Natalie, not one single critic of Dave's has ever supported the grooming of kids. Not one, and yet he claimed everybody who was criticizing him for this supported the grooming of kids. Okay, next one. Here we go. There aren't many left. Next, Dave and his team helped launch Rhino Watch, a hit site, and they helped launch it from State Party HQ. I got to throw this one to you, Todd, because you were actually there. I was there. For the first time ever, the State Party helped form a hit site solely designed to attack and divide fellow Republicans. Rhino Watch is the militant online arm of the COGOP. You were there. Did this happen?
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, absolutely did. Chuck Boniwell and Julie Hayden run that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. And so they helped run. And by the way, they gave them the state party email.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
They didn't have to pay for it, and they gave them full approval to use it, which, by the way, is incredibly valuable. They allowed a hit site to attack all their opponents within the party email. And they promoted this from the state party headquarters. Okay, next one coming to you, Natalie. In September of 2023, Dave attempted to convert all non-votes into yes votes for his agenda. Okay, totally unprecedented. In other words, if anybody couldn't make it to a meeting, he would convert their non-votes into yes votes for his agenda. Is this true?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 13 :
The feedback that I've gotten on this, and I spoke with many that attended that call and were present on that, that it was a voice call. It was a voice count as far as I'm understanding. And then Dave just struck the gavel and called it what it was. But the feedback that I'm getting from people present on that call is that the majority was not for that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, well, actually, he even campaigned for it to be, those votes to be converted to yes. Okay, just a couple more here. Dave appointed Ron Hanks to lead a committee. Now, Ron Hanks had just left our party in 2022 after losing his primary for the Senate seat, and then Ron called on his supporters to vote against the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. So Dave literally rewarded a traitor to our party by giving him the headship of a committee. anything?
SPEAKER 13 :
You are absolutely not. And that happened last December. And that is when it started for me with Dave, is the Dominion machines and his contact and communication with Dominion and other machines that he was going to use machines for assembly. He removed Lori Kutinelli from that committee, as well as Peg Cage. And I just don't understand that. And that's when all sirens went off for me, because if they're going to remove those two women who have fought so hard in regards to election integrity and exposing truth on that. I mean, they campaign blown up machines. I think it was a fax machine, though. But they touted on that. That is fax.
SPEAKER 06 :
And that's where it started for me was last December. Got to run on the last two because we're running behind here. Next, the Colorado GOP bragged about advancing a few seats in this last election, but in truth, they lost about 60% of the national red wave for Trump in 2024. You want evidence? Here it is. It's the numbers. Donald Trump, in his gap between him and the Democrat, improved by 6.2% from 2020 to 2024 nationally. Here in Colorado, we only improved by 2.5%. We lost 3.7% of the national red wave. That's almost 60% of the national red wave we didn't get. That's bad. Now, one last thing, and this is huge. Dave appointed Matt Arnold to lead an anti-corruption committee, which is a hit squad designed for one purpose, lawfare. OK, that's what Matt Arnold does. I know Matt. I knew him in the past. We actually get along quite well for the most part. But he does lawfare. He launches constant lawsuits against people to wear them down. Now, to launch against Dave's critics, that's what this is going to do. This team will do oppo research on anyone running in a district against Dave's allies. And that's what's coming up. Now, let's take a break. OK, when we come back, I'm going to let Natalie finish up. You ready, Natalie? I am ready. Okay, up next is Cub Creek Heating and Air. When you need help on your heater, beware of coupons with crazy offers. Those are just hooks so they can get in your house and discover all kinds of extra work. Cub Creek has great prices, and they don't upsell you to death. Give them a call at 303-656-5467.
SPEAKER 14 :
Cub Creek is ready to help make sure your family is toasty warm with a holiday special just for KLZ listeners. For a limited time, Cub Creek is offering $50 off any repair call to show their appreciation. The first time you kick your heater on for the season is the most likely time that it will fail. So if you are just turning it on, or it's been a year or more since it was serviced, now is the right time to call the experts at Cub Creek to come check and clean your furnace. Cub Creek cleans the furnace, checks the wires and connections, and tracks down root causes for issues. This is their busiest time of the year for calls. Cub Creek has openings that are booking fast, so give them a call before your holidays take off and make sure you're not left in the cold. Find Cub Creek on the klzradio.com advertisers page to book your service now.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, we've got kids' books here. Hey, kids learn best when family's read together. And now you can get 10% off The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew with the promo code KLZ. Look for American Stonehenge at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
Reading is fundamental to understanding the world, and that's why author Mike Goldstein wrote American Stonehenge. This breathtakingly beautiful book was written in order to bring parents and grandparents together with their children to enjoy stories while they learn to read. The book follows a boy and his immortal telepathic dog, with whom he communicates as they travel through time to learn about the dog's experiences through history. The book is historically accurate, including the illustrations, so you and your little one will learn something about the history of God's beloved Earth. The time that you spend with your children laughing and enjoying this beautifully written book will be something you treasure for a lifetime. Learn more about American Stonehenge and the adventures of Jimmy and Andrew by going to klzradio.com slash read and flip through a free preview of the beautiful prose and illustrations. That's klzradio.com slash read to learn more.
SPEAKER 05 :
Are you in the market for a reliable car that won't break the bank? DriveRadio's sponsor, Ridgeline Auto Brokers, specializes in quality used cars that cost between $15,000 to $25,000, making them a great option for first-time drivers or anyone looking for a good deal. They pride themselves on providing a transparent and hassle-free car buying experience. That's why at Ridgeline, they never charge a dealer fee. Plus, all vehicles are inspected by Legacy Automotive, a Colorado Select member and sponsor of Drive Radio. For a limited time, they are offering first-time customers the first oil change for only $1. Every car comes with a 30-day warranty, with the option to purchase a service contract. And at Ridgeline Auto Brokers, there are competitive financing options to fit your budget. If you cannot make it to the dealership in person, there are videos of all Ridgeline cars for sale on their website at RidgelineAutoBrokers.com. Call today at 303-442-4141 to schedule a test drive or visit RidgelineAutoBrokers.com. Ridgeline Auto Brokers, the smartest way to buy a car.
SPEAKER 14 :
Customize your entry and patio doors with Veteran Windows and Doors. Veteran offers full customization with a wide range of options to complement your home's design, including different woods, color, paint, and finishes. Owner Dave Bancroft will also guarantee that your customized doors are up to code for your area of Colorado, saving you money with tax rebates too. Big corporate window and door companies may use Provia doors like Veteran, but their door will not be engineered for Colorado, let alone the country. And the big corporate companies won't even finish the job completely. They will install your door, but it's up to you to finish, paint, or stain the door yourself, costing you even more money and time. Veteran has saved people thousands of dollars with their new doors just by being honest and transparent with every customer. Call Veteran Windows and Doors and receive a Christmas special of 40% off your door with free installation by going to klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
Christmas, it's the only time of year in which one can sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of socks. Happy holidays from Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 06 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, Natalie Tennant on the line. Natalie, I just want to let you know something really quick. Dave Williams is going to use this anti-corruption committee exactly as Joe Biden uses the FBI. And all of your backgrounds are going to be Mar-a-Lago. I just want to know, do you guys understand this? Are you ready? You got, you got 20 seconds.
SPEAKER 13 :
Let's dance because I have my first amendment right for the bylaws for the constitution. I am entitled to speak out against him because he is the so-called leader of the Republican party. And I don't think he's doing his job. I will continue and I will speak the truth regardless of what they throw at me. Um, I'm not stopping. Never surrender means never. And I'm not stopping on this.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Natalie Tennant, thanks for joining us. And you are right. Okay, folks, that's it for our number one. And now we're number two. Richard Rush is going to join us for sports and NFL picks. And we're talking more Trump in 2025. Until then, keep it right here on Rush to Reason, KLZ 560.
God’s unique gift to you is eternal life received by believing in His uniquely born Son, Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). The gifts are just beginning once you come into the family of God by faith alone in Christ alone. You can now approach God in prayer through the filling of the Holy Spirit. The canon of Scripture is another grace gift. God gives you His recorded Word, the Bible, for instruction on navigating the devil’s world. The Bible is a textbook designed to be taught by a pastor-teacher, not for you to teach yourself.
Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/gods-gifts-821069
od’s Gifts to You
Transcript of FLOT Line Episode 1009 aired on December 22, 2024
Good morning and welcome to The FLOT Line. I’m your host Rick Hughes and for the next few
minutes, stick around for just about 30 minutes of motivation, inspiration, education and as we
say, no manipulation. I will give you information that will help you verify and identify the plan
of God for your life. Remember, God gave you two ends. One to sit with and one to think with.
Success will depend on which one you use. Heads you win. Tails you lose. The FLOT Line
comes to you every Sunday compliments of the grace of God. We study the 10 unique problem-
solving devices that make up the FLOT line of your soul, the forward line of troops. These 10
unique problem-solving devices were taught by my pastor many years ago to me. With his
permission we relay this information to you, so hang in there with me and learn about the FLOT
line. Learn what God has done for you in your life and what's available for you, the assets you
have. Before we get started I want to let you know we have signed our new contracts and we
now press on into the year 2025. We will still air the show in all 50 states as well as in the
Philippines and will continue to podcast the show on various podcast platforms. You can also
hear any show on our website. In the coming months we will be looking for new areas to play the
show so that we can have a maximum impact across our nation. The FLOT Line radio show is
our gift to you, compliments of God's amazing grace provisions. There is a special gift God has
placed under your tree today. It would be so sad if you fail to open your gift. Romans 6:23 says,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Under your tree today is a special gift from God, the gift of eternal life. Ephesians 2:8 says,
“For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
There it is again. The wonderful gift that God has given you is eternal life compliments of the
Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. In the New Testament the Greek word for gift is
charisma
which is from the root word
charis
. It’s the Greek equivalent of the word grace in the
English. God's amazing gift to all members of the human race is given freely simply because He
loves us. Isn’t this wonderful? In 2 Peter 3:9,
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some
count slowness, but is patient toward you
[He is longsuffering toward us]
, not wishing for any to
perish but for all to come to repentance.”
He gives it freely wanting each one of us to have this
gift. The word I want to key in on is repentance. When we hear this word repentance, we tend to
think there's something we’ve got to do before we can get the gift of eternal life, but this isn’t
what the word repentance means. The word in the Greek language of the New Testament means
to change your mind, not change the way you act. It essentially means you have been an
unbeliever as the Bible calls you and now you become a believer. Paul said it best in Acts
16:30-31,
“And after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said,
‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved, you and your household.’”
This is the word
repent. He had been an unbeliever and he became a believer. In this instance Paul and Silas had
been in prison for preaching the gospel. While they were praying and singing, the other prisoners
1009-Gods-Gifts-to-You-transcript.pdf
were listening, an earthquake occurred that caused the prison doors to open and all the chains
that bound them to fall off. The Roman jailer knew what would happen to him if his prisoners
escaped so he considered suicide, taking his own life. He was totally amazed when Paul said,
“Do yourself no harm, we are all here” (Acts 16:25-28). Is it possible that you are currently
chained and imprisoned to some particular sin in your life? I want you to know that God's
gracious gift to you this morning can break these chains and set you free. Isaiah's message
proclaims this in Isaiah 61:1,
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has
anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to prisoners.”
Again, are you chained to a particular
sin in your life? The gospel will open the chains and free you. The forgiveness of our sins and the
promise of eternal life was motivated by one simple act. It is best expressed by our Lord in John
3:16,
“For God so loved the world
[He loved you and He loved me in spite of who we are and
what we’ve done, He loved us.]
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
It’s wonderful to know this. Maybe no one else loves
you, but I assure you that God does. You may be in a situation right now where you are
incarcerated and you think no one loves you, no one cares about you. This may be true in your
facility but I assure you God knows who you are. He knows where you are and He loves you. He
loves you dearly, so much so that He sent His uniquely born Son to die for you. In spite of the
mistakes we've committed, in spite of the sins we’ve committed, God loves us and has a gift for
us. This particular gift, the gift of eternal life, is greater than any gift we could ever receive from
any individual. James 1:17 says,
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Under your tree this morning is the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.
You have a personal invitation from God to receive your gift today. John 1:12 says,
“But as
many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who
believe in His name.”
It doesn’t say to those who repent. It says to those who believe in His
name. You’ve been an unbeliever and you become a believer. Can you believe salvation is this
simple? You don't have to repent of your sin and promise God you’re never going to sin again,
you’re going to turn away from your sin and you’re so sorry that you did it. You can say these
things but this isn’t what saves you. What saves you is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the
cross. He did it already. Do you believe He’s the anointed Son of God? Do you believe He died
for you? Are you willing to express your faith and tell God the Father this? If you've never
received the gift of eternal life, I ask you to let me help you open your present. How can I do
this? I can lead you in a prayer as you ask God to save you. You can pray it along with me right
now, silently or out loud, whatever you want to do. If you’ve never done this before, if you're not
saved, have never received your gift, then pray these words with me today. “Heavenly Father, I
believe Jesus is Your anointed Son and that He died on the cross to pay for my sins. I ask You to
save me and give me eternal life. Thank you for hearing my prayer.” This is a simple prayer you
just prayed, a simple act of faith. You told God the Father that you believe Jesus Christ is His
1009-Gods-Gifts-to-You-transcript.pdf
anointed Son and He paid for your sins. You might think it didn’t work since you didn't feel
anything. “Nothing happened,” you say, “I didn't feel anything.” That's the way I was when I
accepted Christ. I didn't feel anything. I simply prayed a prayer with a friend. I got on my knees
in a home I had never been to before. I didn’t feel anything. It doesn’t have anything to do with
feelings. It has to do with facts and faith. Listen to Romans 10:13,
“For whoever will call on the
name of the Lord will be saved.”
Did you just do this? Did you just call on God to save you?
This is exactly what the verse says. You don't have to worry about it. You don't have to doubt it.
The gift of eternal life was given to you compliments of the grace of God and the finished work
of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. What a wonderful gift this is and no one is ever going to
take it away from you, I promise. Did you just pray, “Heavenly Father I believe Jesus is your
Son. He died on the cross to pay for my sins. I ask You to save me.” Would God lie to you about
this? When the Bible says,
“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved,”
it means
He wouldn’t lie to you. In 1 John 5:13-15,
“These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence
which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
[Is it
God’s will that we be saved? Absolutely.]
And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask,
we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
These verses guarantee that
God heard your prayer and heard my prayer. Many years ago when I prayed, God heard my
prayer and He just heard your prayer, regardless of what we did, regardless of how we felt,
regardless of physically what took place. You didn't see any angels. You didn’t hear any harps but
you by faith asked God to save you and you told God you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
listen to what our Lord Jesus Christ said for you. Here’s His gift to you, listen carefully. Now
that you are His child, Hebrews 13:5,
“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
He's
not going to bail out on you when you fail. I have failed so many times I can’t keep up with them
and yet He's never forsaken me. He's never left me. He’s never abandoned me, and the same for
you. When you asked Him to save you, when you committed to God the Father that you believe
that Jesus Christ is His anointed Son, He gave you eternal life. He gave you this gift. John
10:28-30 goes on to say,
“And I give eternal life to them
[the gift]
, and they will never perish;
and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater
than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
This is your guarantee. No one is going to come and take your gift away from you. He will not
leave you. He's not going to bail on you and no one can snatch it away from you. I read it to you,
listen again.
“I give eternal life to them and they will never perish; and no one is able to snatch
them out of My hand.”
No one is going to take it away. Not even Satan himself can take it away.
You see, by a simple act of faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ through His death,
His burial, and thank God for His resurrection, we now have been born again and start a new life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 clearly says,
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old
things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
You have a new life today. You were born
again, born again spiritually, not physically. You’re the same person physically. You look just the
1009-Gods-Gifts-to-You-transcript.pdf
same physically but internally you have been born again. Your soul has been born again. Your
spirit has been born again. You have a spiritual birthday. You have a body. You have a soul,
mentality, volition, emotion and consciousness. You had a dead human spirit. You were dead to
God. You were spiritually dead. When you are born again, you are made spiritually alive. You are
now alive spiritually. You are a new person. You are a spiritual being and God's gift to you does
not stop at this. Your salvation today is not the end of the gift, but rather those gifts that He has
for you will continue daily for the rest of your life, I promise you. In Matthew 7:11,
“If you then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is
in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”
This is not the end of the gifts. The gifts are
just beginning once you come into the family of God by faith alone in Christ alone. You now
have the ability to approach God's throne in prayer and you now have the ability to request things
for yourself and even intercede for others who have needs. In 1 John 5:14,
“This is the
confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears
us.”
You did ask Him to save you and this was His will. He heard you. Now you can pray and go
right to the throne of God. You don’t have to go through a priest. You are a priest. You are a
believer-priest and you have God the Holy Spirit living inside of you. What a wonderful thing
this is. But let me caution you about something. This gift of prayer that God bestows upon you,
the ability to go straight to His throne, requires you to follow some instructions. Often gifts at
Christmas have to be put together and they come with instructions. With the gift of prayer, there
are some instructions. Psalm 66:18,
“If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
This means that you cannot pray with sin in your life. If you have unconfessed sin in your life,
your prayer will not be answered. You must learn how to deal with your sin which we teach on
The FLOT Line as rebound, problem-solving device #1. When we sin, if we go to God and admit
our sin per 1 John 1:9, He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from all wrongdoing.
You're going to sin. I didn't think I'd ever sin again after I became a Christian. It took about one
day, and I did, and I learned how to confess my sin. 1 John 1:9,
“If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This is
what a Christian has to do when he fails. If you want God to answer your prayer, to pay attention
to your prayer, then you can't go to God with sin in your life because He won’t hear it. You have
to come to God through the filling of the Holy Spirit. This is another gift He has given to you. He
has given you the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. He has given you the gift of prayer, but
it requires you to follow instructions. He has given you the gift of the indwelling of God the
Holy Spirit who now lives in you. John 14:26,
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said
to you.”
The Holy Spirit lives in you. This also requires you to follow some instructions. If you
want the Holy Spirit to work in your life, there are instructions to do this. In Ephesians 5:18,
“Be
filled with the
[Holy]
Spirit.”
This is the instruction. The Holy Spirit indwells you but He doesn't
necessarily fill you. As a Christian you are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit but it’s possible this
morning you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. What keeps you from being filled with the Holy
1009-Gods-Gifts-to-You-transcript.pdf
Spirit? The sins you commit quench the Holy Spirit and grieve the Holy Spirit. They have to be
confessed. You say, “I can't keep up with every sin I’ve ever done.” I know that, neither can I.
Again, the verse says,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,”
even the ones you don't remember. If you're going
to have fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. You
are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit at salvation, no one
can take you out of the Father’s hand. But when you sin, you quench the Spirit, you grieve the
Spirit and you have to reclaim the filling of the Spirit by dealing with this sin by confessing it to
God. It’s like you said, “Okay Holy Spirit, move out of the way. I’m going to let my sin nature
run the show for a while.” Your sin nature is always going to be there. It’s always going to be a
part of your life until you die, until you get out of this earthly body and get a new body, a
resurrection body. It won’t have a sin nature. Thank goodness for that. But now the battle is
always going to be there. Paul said it best when he said,
“For what I am doing, I do not
understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate”
(Romans 7:15). This is the sin nature. The gift of the Holy Spirit requires us to be filled with the
Holy Spirit so we can access His power. A benefit of being filled with the Holy Spirit is the gift
of prayer is operational. If you're not filled with the Holy Spirit, you can pray until you are blue
in the face and there’s not going to be any response. There’s not going to be an answer because
you have quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 says the Holy Spirit intercedes for
us. If He is not interceding for you, then God the Father is not hearing it. You have the gift of
prayer, what a wonderful gift. You have the gift of the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit with
instructions, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Prayer has instructions, to not do it with sin in your
life. Another wonderful gift from God that He has given to us is the canon of Scripture called the
Bible. God gave us the Bible, recorded instructions of how to navigate our way through the
devil’s world. In 2 Timothy 3:15,
“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings
which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus.”
This was Paul writing to Timothy telling him that the holy Scripture will help him
navigate through life. This is for you too. I don’t know if you have a Bible but you need a Bible
because it is God's gift to you. It is the recorded Word of God to you. The canon of Scripture is
yours and all your instructions are here for how to navigate your way through the devil’s world.
In Hebrews 4:12 it goes on to say,
“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit and both joints and
marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
It says,
“The Word of God
is living and active
[powerful]
.”
Matthew 24:35 says,
“My words will not pass away,”
they will
live forever. Your Bible is the Word of God to you. This is how you hear God speaking to you.
This is how you navigate yourself through the devil’s world, by reading, studying and learning
Scripture so understand this. The Bible is not a novel, it's a textbook. I warn you to be aware of
those people who distort the Bible for their own advantage because they are out there by the
thousands. I’ve never been so nauseated in my life looking at social media and seeing people
1009-Gods-Gifts-to-You-transcript.pdf
trying to communicate the Word of God and they don’t do it accurately. They come up with the
goofiest, craziest, weirdest stuff you’ve ever seen in your life. The Bible is not a novel. I’m glad
you read it but it's a textbook. It’s not designed for you to teach yourself. It’s designed to be
taught to you by someone who has the gift of pastor-teacher. John said in Revelation 22:18-19,
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them,
God will add to him the plagues which are
written in this book; and if anyone takes away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from
the holy city, which are written in this book.”
You better be careful, don't distort the Word of
God. The greatest challenge I face and the greatest challenge any preacher faces is to get it
accurate and correct, not misrepresent God. It is terrible to misrepresent God. It’s why 2 Timothy
2:15 says to the communicator,
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman
who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of truth.”
If you can accurately
handle it, you can wrongly handle it. It’s all grace. The free gift of God is under the tree this
morning, the gift of eternal life. You don’t have to repent to get it. You have to believe to get it.
You have to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. I read you the Scripture
verse,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His uniquely born Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
You won’t find the repent stuff around in those
times when the Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to Nicodemus. He didn’t say, “You’ve got to
repent of all your sins Nicodemus.” You may change your mind about your sins, hopefully you
will. Once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ there is a new way to live. There’s the filling of
the Holy Spirit. You don't have to let the sin nature contaminate, contain or condemn you any
longer. You now have a new way to live and it’s through the power of the Word of God to help
you navigate through the devil’s world. It’s through the gift of prayer that God has given to you
that you can go directly to His throne and talk to Him directly yourself. You don’t have to let
someone else talk to Him for you. You have the gift of Scripture. The Holy Spirit, Scripture and
prayer are three wonderful gifts that God has given to you. They are yours to use. Christmas is a
wonderful time of year. We all enjoy getting gifts and we enjoy giving gifts. The greatest gift of
all is the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. I’ll read Romans 6:23 to you one more time,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 2:8-9,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Have you opened your
present? Have you received your gift? If not, I hope you will. I led you in prayer this morning. If
you prayed with me and you asked God to save you, get in touch with me. Go to my website and
let me know. Send me a note. Write me a letter because I want to send you a book that will help
you. It’s called
A Crash Course In Christianity
. It will explain exactly what happened to you. I
thank you for listening to me this morning. I hope you will open the gift that I told you about. I
hope you will receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Until next week, this is your host
Rick Hughes saying thank you for listening to The FLOT Line
In this engaging episode, we dive deep into the world of Florida Man, unraveling the bizarre stories that have captured the internet. From bass fishing in the streets post-hurricane to the unexpected comedic narration of a lawnmower cruising through a flood, listeners will find themselves both amused and bewildered by the quirkiness of these tales. As Florida continues to surprise us with its peculiar stories, we explore the lighter side of these escapades and what they reveal about society's response to chaos.
SPEAKER 06 :
Lights are going up, snow is falling down, there's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing, McRib is here. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere, stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only
SPEAKER 03 :
McRib is here.
SPEAKER 07 :
And participate at McDonald's for a limited time.
SPEAKER 03 :
Dana Lash's Absurd Truth Podcast, sponsored by Kel-Tec.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, so first up here. Because of the hurricane Milton people could catch fish in the street It's actually not a bad gig be able to just like walk out your front porch and go catch fish in the street This was in College Park area two men caught a large bass on a flooded Orlando Road Yeah, and a dude in a riding mower came cruising down the middle of the street. I mean this all happened at the same time and Dude was bass fishing in the street and another dude was driving a riding lawnmower.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's like a CNN weather report.
SPEAKER 05 :
No joke, right. Yeah, it's like a CNN weather report. And he came cruising through right through the middle of the scene. And they had a news crew there. And he didn't have a care in the world. And the guy released the bass back in the water. And he's like, we came out here to fish after the storm. He's like, you know, it's... Not fun for people whose stuff get ruined. He's like, you know, what are you going to do right now? Just, you know, everything's flooded. You're out there trying to, you know, this is all you can do. Too funny. This a bearded Florida man casually joined a women's only poker tournament and he won five thousand dollars and got away with it. He used the anti-discrimination legislation so they can't ban men from entering into a women's tournament. So he ended up defeating the female lead and took home over $5,000, according to the Las Vegas Review. There's a video of it. Some players were putting a bounty on him. They said, good luck, but not really. But yeah, he entered into the tournament and they couldn't keep him out of it. Yeah, he did beat all the women. That is correct. He beat all of the women. This, can you... This story. Have you ever like had a dream and then like you're mad at your spouse or something in your dream and you wake up and yet takes a second to realize you're not dreaming and you're like you're mad at them for absolutely nothing. So this woman was charged with domestic violence because her okay, so she got mad at her husband and attacked him because there was a woman on television. They were watching television and the woman on TV reminded her of her husband's former fling. It's Coral Springs Police. They responded to the call at a residence. And the caller said a verbal argument between the spouses. The couple got, they had over, apparently the guy had cheated on her with this chick. And the, some woman on television, it resembled the chick that he had cheated on his wife with. And the wife got mad and attacked the husband. And that's what happened. Yeah. And yeah, it was bad. She threw all kinds of items at him. She scratched him, bit him. I mean, he did cheat. But they said that he actually finally, look, he took her to the ground because she wouldn't stop aggravating him and biting him and scratching him. So he forcibly took her to the ground and held her there. And then she tried to complain to the police that she was the victim because he had used force on her. Girl, you were scratching and hitting him. Like, what did you think was going to happen? Come on. So she was arrested and taken after they investigated. They're like, yeah, you're the baddie. So they took her to jail, Broward County Jail, of course. Like, what? I guess they hadn't gotten past that. I guess they hadn't worked through it. Two dudes tried to rob a construction site during Milton, and they deservedly got stuck. Oh. Oh, Winter Garden. They tried to take advantage of the state of emergency in Polk County. They were at a construction site. They were trying to load up on what they thought was going to be an easy steal. And now they got stuck. They actually got stuck in Polk County. Sheriffs arrived and they took them to Polk County Jail. Our partners that help bring you the program. Preborn is a great organization that helps out mothers as they are making a difficult. They're making the decision. They got an unexpected pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy. And pre-borns are working out there to save lives in areas that see a lot of abortions. And so they meet these mothers. They offer them an ultrasound so they can hear their baby's heartbeat and see their baby for the first time. And studies have shown that a baby's chance for life doubles when that happens. But this is all made possible because you donate. It's all donations. All of this is donations from people like you. And they have so many stories of women who chose life and then went on to raise healthy, happy babies and have you know, great families. And with pre born, they don't just stop at the ultrasounds, they partner with women up to two years of life. So they're there with maternity, and they're helping with diapers. And they're there when, you know, in a pinch when they when these women need it the most, and that just goes so above and beyond, and I think just showcases the dedication to life that Preborn has. It's super simple and easy to donate. You just dial pound 250, say the keyword baby, and you can also visit preborn.com slash Dana to donate online. Every contribution counts, but that's dial pound 250, say the keyword baby. You can also donate securely at preborn.com slash Dana and they're matching all donations so your donation can go twice as far. Save a life this Christmas. It just starts at $28. Simple and easy. Preborn.com slash Dana or dial pound 250. Say keyword baby.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's Kelly Clarkson here to talk all things Wayfair, the best place to buy furniture, decor, and anything else you can think of to create a home you absolutely love. Some of y'all might have heard I made the cross-country move from LA to New York last year, and Wayfair has definitely helped me create the feeling of home wherever I am. I love a cozy couch and a comfy living room that feels like our little sanctuary for our family, and I love vases, I love candles, I love anything that kind of makes you feel at home and peaceful. Anyway, something about me is I love options when it comes to making my home more me. I know when I shop with Wayfair, I find options for every style, whether I'm feeling boho or farmhouse, modern, traditional, French country. I can find exactly what I need for my home and more. Everyone loves a good deal. I mean, who does not want free and fast and easy delivery? Come on. No matter your space, style, or budget, shopwayfair.com to make your home way more you. Hey, y'all. It's Kelly Clarkson here to talk Wayfair. No matter your space, style, or budget, shopwayfair.com to make your home way more you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome back. Top of this third hour. Dana Lash with you. Find us over at Substack as well. Chapter and verse. And you can also check us out on Rumble, Channel 347, DirecTV, all that good stuff. I want to show you this video. Imagine you are in the grocery store. And in this instance, it's a Walmart superstore. And you witness this in front of you as captured in video.
SPEAKER 10 :
Watch.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's this little girl. Who is the annoying broad who's going, you don't know what she's been through. Shut up. Tell me that you don't have kids without telling me you don't have kids. This woman, you don't know what she's, what the hell, why does anyone care what, it's not about what she's been through. It's about what she's doing right now, her illegal criminal behavior in the store right now. That's the issue. Where are her parents at? Everyone's like, don't touch her. Don't do this. This enables this behavior. You're not doing this kid a favor. Where's this kid's parents at? Why is she doing stuff like this in a store? You know, she's feeding off of all that. All those people who are going, don't touch her, don't touch her. She's feeding off all of that. And that's part of the reason why she keeps going. Everybody's watching me. Look what I can do. But this one woman who's got to be there, anytime anybody tries to intercede, that lady gets involved. Just shut up, you and your bell-bottom yoga pants, and walk right back into the bread aisle where you came from. Good night. I'd have beat my kid's ass if they'd done something like this in a store. So what do you do in this situation? What would you have done, Cain? You're in a super Walmart, Cain, or any of you out there. You come across this right in front of you. You're just trying to shop, you know, get your foodstuffs. What do you do?
SPEAKER 09 :
Wait, are we saying if that's my kid or if that's just a random?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, if that's just what you see. Everyone's like, don't touch her. She's throwing stuff. She's throwing glass.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, it becomes dangerous at that point.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. What if she throws a glass bottle at your head?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, not only that, but what if she's walking around on top of said glass?
SPEAKER 05 :
What liability is that creating for the store if anybody slips and falls on any of this stuff that she's thrown and breaking in the floor?
SPEAKER 09 :
Not to mention the actual loss of the products themselves.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. Finally, there's a man who goes over and intervenes, but then you got busybody, rowdy woman who comes over there.
SPEAKER 09 :
just shut up I don't know like instinctually you'd want to grab the kid by the arm and pull him away from there and give them a nice physical you know like oh a little jarring it's like oh what is this what's going on here not an abuse not any sort of you know litigatable pain or suffering this is literally just a little jolt what you're doing here is not what you need to be doing plus now it's dangerous and so what I know for sure I would have said something to that woman
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah, I would have said something to her, too.
SPEAKER 09 :
Without a doubt.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah, completely. I mean, you don't know what she's going through. That's not validation. That's not justification to destroy stuff and put other people in danger in a store.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, you don't want to put hands on someone else's kid. You don't put hands on anybody else. You don't want to do that. The fact that she's putting people in that position is a problem.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think if people don't want their kids to get their ass beat from throwing around wine bottles in a store, then maybe they ought to do it themselves before other people will. That's kind of how I look at it. Because I'm going to tell you what, your kid throws a wine bottle at me, I will beat your kid's ass. I will be the parent that you failed to be. Absolutely. And then I will sue you for everything I can think of. And I will run you into deficit by occupying you in warfare as punishment for not parenting your child. And then your child will be taken and given to somebody who can raise your child better. So there's a whole process. I mean, that doesn't help the kid by, oh, don't touch her, encouraging this behavior. People are afraid to parent anymore. Isn't that wild? At one point, does anybody in that video go, where are her mom and dad? I mean, where are her parents? I mean, she comes off as an entitled brat. It doesn't look like she's on hard times or nothing. She's dressed nice. It looks like she's clean and fed. You know, I don't know. But they're like, oh, you don't know what she's going through. You can't intervene. That's not justification for any of it. A lot of people go through a lot of hard stuff. And I think it's insulting and it's weak to blame your circumstances for acting like that in public. There's no excuse for it. There's none. Absolutely none. You don't just get to destroy stuff in a store. And I don't know where her I kept trying to look and see. I don't know. I couldn't identify whether or not she had a parent there in the store. I mean, how would your mom just be or your dad just be watching you do this stuff? I don't know. But that's, you know, don't don't touch her. Oh, you don't know what she's been through. Well, what about all the other people there that are just trying to shop? What about what they've been through? You know, they've all been through stuff, too. They don't want to be subjected to this stuff. They don't want to have stuff thrown at them. They don't want to watch this kid. I mean, what, you're giving them room to destroy store product and throw around bottles of juice? It's crazy. I mean, I don't know. They... This is the kid knows that she was that she's pushing boundaries in this video, clearly, which is why she's she's doing it. And all these people that are standing there like don't do anything. She knows that she's got the upper hand because everyone's terrified to do anything. And then what happens when she's allowed to destroy this stuff as a kid? What happens when she turns 18 and she tries this? Huh? Who gets the blame then? for her going to jail for property destruction or assault or something of that nature, then who gets the blame? You know, it could have been prevented. I mean, I don't know. The woman who's like, don't touch her, don't touch her. She's part of the problem too. She also needs to have her A-double snakes beat. She's part of the problem also. This kid needs to be in a juvie ward. I mean, the worker's standing there doing nothing. You know, nothing. All the workers that are just sitting there looking at her. The man steps in and finally restrains her. The man. You got all these do nothing women standing there. And then the man has to step in and restrain the child. And then you got that mouthy broad that comes in. Shut up. Now, who's going to pay for all the destruction? Who's going to pay? Who's going to pay for that? Who pays extra for cleaning up the broken glass? I mean, that's entitlement. You're destroying something that other people are expected to clean up while pretending that you're the victim. Man, this kid's already been failed clearly by their parents. This kid's just a bad kid. She's a bad kid. And then the woman who was like, don't touch her. Is she paying for all this? I didn't see that broad running her mouth. I didn't see her getting down on her hands and knees to clean up the mess that this kid was making. Did you? I didn't see her getting down to, I didn't see her taking out her purse to get some money out of her wallet to pay for everything that was destroyed.
SPEAKER 09 :
And what's even more upsetting is that now it's completely reversed. They'll call the cops on parents that are actually implementing discipline and won't on parents who let their kids do what we just saw in that video.
SPEAKER 05 :
I never acted out in a store like this because my mother would have murdered me. And my kids didn't do this. My kids only acted up one time in public. One time. That's all it took. And I did the one, two, three count. And I think they remember it to this day. Because the youngest was being real... The oldest was being real... Wasn't listening too well, being kind of dangerous, climbing up and jumping up too high. And I'm like, he's going to break his legs off. Wasn't listening. And then kept running around because the playground we were at, it was separated by a really low stone wall and you could just climb right over it and go out into the road. Youngest kept trying to go on the other side of the wall. I'm like, you have a whole playground over here. Why are you attracted to the street? Stop it. And I told him once, I was like, I'm going to give you a count. This is one. And I tell you again, and you don't come in. When I get to three, that's it. We're going. It's like, whatever. didn't listen again, gave him a warning, counted. I said, one, still didn't come back over the wall. Wanted to go and play in the street. Two, got to three, went, picked him up, screaming, hollering. It was like I was murdering him or skinning a cat or something. Got him and his younger brother in the car and we left. That was the, oh my gosh, it was just like, you know, a bomb went off, a bomb of screaming and shrieking. But it was the only time I ever had to count. And I was able to use the one, two, three thing literally up until they were like 16. So actually, I probably could still do it today. Come to think of it, because not only did I put him in a car, but I whooped his ass right there, whooped him, put him in the car. Let's go. Oh, my gosh. It's about to follow through. I literally never had to do it again. Ever. It was a magical thing. I'm like, one? That was it. Everyone was like, oh my gosh, she's at one. Stopped. This kid? Jeez. This is part of the problem. I still, can I just, I'm going to move on, but the other thing that gets me are the workers. They're women, too. I've noticed it. There's the there's only one what there's there's one man who's kind of comes up towards the end, but he's holding something. He was shopping and then a dad. You could tell that's a dad. The dad comes, but not her dad. It is a dad comes in immediately when she's throwing glass and he stops her. Kids like this who do not get their behavior corrected become problems for society. They grew up to be Hunter Biden. Yeah. That's what happens. They grow up to be Hunter Biden.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Pro Tips for the Pros, brought to you by Florin Decor East Brunswick. In this series, we'll explore essential advice for professional contractors to deliver outstanding renovation results. Let's dive in. After completing the renovation, follow up with the customer to ensure their satisfaction and address any remaining concerns. Provide maintenance tips and guidance to help them preserve the results of the renovation for years to come. Thank you for joining us for this pro tip on planning thorough renovations. Stay tuned for more expert advice brought to you by floor and decor East Brunswick.
SPEAKER 02 :
A lot of people tolerate ordinary. Ordinary bathrooms, kitchens, entryways. Well, not on your watch. If you're a pro, you've got a new partner in town. Floor & Decor. From tile to wood to stone, Floor & Decor has more styles and job lock quantities of Schluter, Mapei, Ladecrete, and other brands pros trust. Come see a whole new way to wow with Floor & Decor. Now open in East Brunswick.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Pro Tips for the Pros, brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany. In this series, we'll explore essential advice for professional contractors to deliver outstanding renovation results. Let's dive in. Keep the work area clean and organized throughout the renovation process to create a positive impression and minimize stress for the customer. Regularly clean up debris and dust to maintain a safe and comfortable living environment. Thank you for joining us for this pro tip on planning thorough renovations. Stay tuned for more expert advice brought to you by Florin Decor Parsippany.
SPEAKER 02 :
A lot of people tolerate ordinary. Ordinary bathrooms, kitchens, entryways. Well, not on your watch. If you're a pro, you've got a new partner in town. Floor & Decor. From tile to wood to stone, Floor & Decor has more styles and job lock quantities of Schluter, Mapei, Ladecrete, and other brands pros trust. Come see a whole new way to wow with Floor & Decor. Now open in Parsippany.
SPEAKER 09 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 05 :
An Oklahoma cannibal who killed a 10-year-old girl in a depraved plot is executed on his birthday. Yay! Kevin Ray Underwood. His fat backside was pronounced dead at 10.14 a.m. I love capital punishment for child predators and rapists. Yay! It was their fourth execution of the year because Oklahoma knows how to get stuff done. Oh, and it took place on his 45th birthday. So maybe Satan can have him blow a candle out in hell. Yay. Let's see here. Dana, you're so mean. No, I'm not. We got more. This is California. Oh, my gosh. I don't like this. California squirrels. Squirrels are weird anyway. I don't like their teeth. And now they're turning cannibal in California. Of course they are in California. There are photos of them eating meat, y'all. And I mean, it's gross. Like one of them ate a mole. That's nasty. Oh, water. You really going to put that foot? Oh my gosh. It's a squirrely meat. They said they're supposed to be vegetarian, but they engage it because they're jerks. You know that, right? Squirrels are the jerks of the animal world. Squirrels and dolphins. And some goats. They're jerks, though. Squirrels are... I've literally had one throw acorns at me. Yeah. And I throw them back at them. I'm sure I look crazy. But, you know, they're wild. But they said that in California, they've never seen this behavior before. And that they are eating actual meat. Like they're acting like predators. I don't like things that fly around in trees like that that eat meat. It's weird. You've got to get a handle on your phone. So this porch, a porch pirate returns an item after a twerking video. What? So they said that police in New Jersey are searching for two suspects. They were caught on camera stealing a package off of somebody's porch. They returned the item days after a video of them twerking and taunting during the theft emerged online. Yeah, that'll do it. They grabbed, it was literally a package that contained four glasses and baby items. And then they taunted the resident on their camera by twerking. And they returned to the victim's home because apparently they made him famous on the Webernets. I mean, those doorbell cameras, man, I'm telling you. The Vatican's on the brink of bankruptcy due to due to a dramatic decline in global donations under Pope. I'm a communist. Francis's leadership. That's not shocking. I mean, you know, there's got a lot. I mean, it's evident people don't want to give money to that because they don't think that it's doing the Lord's work. You know what we're all going to be into is we're all going to be turned into we're all going to be chased down by giant murder balls. That's what's going to happen. Giant murder balls are going to chase us all down. China unveiled an all-terrain spherical robocop to chase down, bludgeon, and catch criminals using net-launching cannons. Net-launching cannons. This sounds, like, hysterical. Huh? Yeah, I don't know how. And listen to this. The bot beast, apparently they say they can not only stop crime, but they can somehow detect it too. I'm not afraid of this. Because you know what can stop this, right?
SPEAKER 1 :
45.
SPEAKER 05 :
Just saying. I'm not afraid of this thing. But they said that they're relatively unbreakable. They call it the cop ball. It's a murder ball. They have net guns, tear gas sprayers, grenades, loudspeakers. You know really what I'm looking at? Is I'm looking at a delivery service for free grenades and tear gas and sprayers. That's what I'm looking at. You could catch one of these things and take it apart, couldn't you? I mean, theoretically. And we're talking about China, so I don't have to worry about being nice about it. I don't have to worry about it. It's a giant murder ball. Now, some people thought it was a marketing stunt, but apparently they're really actually trying to implement this thing. They wanted to replace humans in dangerous instances. It weighs four tons. Well, it said it can withstand a whopping four tons of impact. And it's oh, it can go a whole 22 miles per hour. Great job, China. Your dumb murder ball. We found a way to do more of the communism with our murder ball. That's what this is. We're going to spread the sickle and hammer with our murder ball. I just want to know, where does it put the grenades in that? And does someone, I guess, what if it gets hit with an EMP? I still say it's a thing of, it's a grenade bomb. Delivery unit is what it is. Gives you some free grenades and stuff. They said the wheels can be locked so it can walk in a traditional way if it has to climb stairs. I mean, it's a giant ball. Roll up them. I don't know. This whole thing. They said it's unstoppable even in extreme weather. And they have... They've been releasing videos showing it work. I don't know. I still... I still think the robot thing is the creepiest. The one that the Tesla bought, that's the creepiest. But they've been rolling them out. It's only in a couple of areas, but they have these giant murder balls out there. The Chinese murder balls. If you saw one of these, well, first off, Cain, say you haven't committed a crime, but still, if you saw one of these coming at you, what would your response be?
SPEAKER 09 :
Get out of the way. Thing looks like it could run over me.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, it only goes 22 miles per hour.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, but I can only run like maybe eight or ten.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, but I feel like this is why everybody needs a scooter or something. Or like the ability to convert your shoes into whatever works with the... What are the things with the stick? The stick.
SPEAKER 09 :
The go-go gadget one?
SPEAKER 05 :
No, I have one. I have a mini version of one and I can't think of what the name of it is. Oh, the Segway? Yes, like a Segway. Like your shoes can... I just feel like I could get away from it. I'd climb something or I'd shoot it. I don't know. I could get away from it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, you could definitely shoot it.
SPEAKER 05 :
And then I'd take all the... I would literally strip it for parts.
SPEAKER 09 :
I want to see it in action actually doing what it's supposed to do. Like walking with cops down the road, it's not an impressive display of what this thing can do. I want to see it launch one of those, what did they say it had? One of those net things?
SPEAKER 05 :
Tear gas. I'm looking at the list. It can disperse tear gas, built-in net gun. Net gun.
SPEAKER 09 :
Stun gun. Imagine shooting the net gun at somebody and taking down this. I want to see that. That's what I want to see from this Chinese commie ball. Murder ball. Murder commie ball.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's a spherical robocop.
SPEAKER 09 :
Commie murder ball.
SPEAKER 05 :
That sounds almost like a band name I want. Commie murder ball. The robot is called Clone Alpha. It's described as a musculoskeletal android. That's the clone robot that they have, the Erie humanoid bot. This was just a giant ball of death in a Benny Hill kind of way. It does look like a Benny Hill cop. I can't make fun of this enough. From China.
SPEAKER 03 :
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.
SPEAKER 06 :
Lights are going up. Snow is falling down. There's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing. McRib is here. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere. Stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only mean one thing. McRib is here.
SPEAKER 07 :
At participating McDonald's for a limited time.
SPEAKER 08 :
Get the Honda of your dreams during Happy Honda Days. Whether it's a rugged new passport, pilot with available all-wheel drive, or powerful ridgeline, turn your dream Honda into reality during Happy Honda Days. For a limited time, well-qualified buyers can get a 1.9% APR on a 2025 Honda Passport and a 2.9% APR on a 2025 Pilot or Ridgeline. See dealer for financing details.
In a riveting analysis, this episode delves into the unexpected commentary from Democrat John Fetterman, who voices a perspective seldom heard from his party about Trump voters. Shifting towards the conversation about age and political capability, Craig dissects the new debates surrounding age limits in government, triggered by stories like that of Kay Granger. With discussions ranging from the Amazon rainforest to innovative self-defense tools, this episode is packed with thought-provoking civic discourse.
SPEAKER 01 :
Lights are going up, snow is falling down, there's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing, McRib is here. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere, stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only
SPEAKER 29 :
at participating mcdonald's for a limited time this is the dana show uh my name is craig collins filling in thrilled to be with you you can find dana lash everywhere a very very popular uh personality uh over x on uh twitter whatever you call that uh d lash or dana lash radio two great ways to stay connected to her Let's play the audio that people are going to vilify as evil Donald Trump not acting presidential yet again in saying a thing that is hilarious to the audience and to pretty much every American, I imagine. That's not the talking head morons who are going to tell you this is bad.
SPEAKER 03 :
We're going to stop woke, woke, woke as bulls**t.
SPEAKER 29 :
The applause goes on for a while. That is a legitimate quote that came out of the weekend from the former and soon to be current president, the president elect. And it's it's awesome. Now, I'd like to add a caveat that I don't have to add to this because you don't need to weaken as hilarious of a statement as woke is bleep because that's great and that's accurate. But I do like to say that one of the biggest reasons that woke's a problem for so many Americans is not that you want to be mean, not that you don't like other people, which is all the sad sack, stupid stuff that you hear from people who say you don't like woke because you don't like people that look like this or people that act like this, whatever the stupid argument is. The truth is that in order for woke to work between people in a conversation, you pretty much have to pretend that crazy doesn't exist. You start out by saying, hey, are you a Democrat? And the other person says yes. And then you go, okay, what's the craziest thing you think so I can tell you that I agree with it? And then you go from there. That's what woke is. That's why it's BS. And that's why it's a big problem for us in the society that we're in now. Even the military is dealing with more woke stuff than they've ever dealt with before. And I love, I can't say this more definitively than I'm about to, I love talking to a young guy who's just signed up for the military, who's about as anti-woke as anyone you'd know is because the people of this generation who willingly sign up to protect us and have all those attributes necessary to do it feel like they're a rarer breed than they were in the past. But nonetheless, when you talk to them and they crap on the own stuff they're being taught and the messages they're being given by saying how stupid they are, there's something that's uniquely refreshing about that. that the system, the game, the brainwashing isn't working on individuals, at least some individuals, that we're going to ask to do one of the hardest jobs imaginable for this country, protect our freedom, is fantastic. So if you have someone, a younger person, in your life that you know that's had a desire from a young age to fight for us, I hopefully think that you can find that exact conversation that I find about how stupid woke is and how profound it is to come from those individuals because of the reality of what their job would be if they actually are called to serve and put into a dangerous situation and how little woke is going to matter in those moments in a foxhole. It's ridiculous. Nonetheless, another thing out there that I think is very interesting, Joe Manchin is stepping away. He is giving up his Senate seat. He's retiring. He pretty much hates Democrats based on a lot of the comments and quotes recently about him out there in the world. Things like how far left and sort of insane the party has become. So a new question you might ask yourself is, hey, who's going to pick up the reins? Who's going to be that stereotypical? Yes, they're a Democrat. But wait a minute. They occasionally say stuff that other Democrats don't say. And it seems like it's going to be John Fetterman. This is not the first time I've been able to use an example of something Fetterman said as a, you know, willingness to speak the truth, even if it's out of line with his political party, which was a mansion calling card or Kyrsten Sinema calling card, who's also going away. There's something that's fascinating about this to me. So go ahead and play on some of this audio. But John Fetterman in a sit down interview with ABC talked about the popularity of Trump and his lack of understanding some of the Democratic narrative that was trying to get you to vote against someone instead of vote for a person that had no real political positions that they were sharing with you because they didn't get the talking points from Dr. Jill, Dr. Biden. or whoever it was that you're supposed to get that information from. So Harris oftentimes had no answer to the what she was going to do question and instead told you how terrible Trump is. Here's how Fetterman responded to all of that.
SPEAKER 30 :
And after you survived an assassination, you literally were shot in your head and had the presence of mind to respond, you know, fight, fight, fight. I mean, that's a political talent. It's undeniable. And also, I never believed that it was about fascism. And for me, that made it difficult for... Kamala Harris said that he was a fascist. Yeah, well, it's like that's her prerogative. I mean, but it's not a word that I would use because you put a lot of Democrats, especially in my state, that I know and I happen to love people that are going to vote for Trump, and they are not fascists. And also fascism. That's not a word that regular people use. I think people are going to decide who is the candidate that's going to protect and project my version of the American way of life. And that's what happened.
SPEAKER 29 :
Yes. That is exactly what happened. A whole bunch of people that thought that your way of life had broken over the last few years that would like to see it come back. That's one of the big reasons people voted for Trump. But I do love a Democrat saying out loud that the Trump voters aren't bad people. Because the narrative from the left so often is not just that Trump's an evil, horrible, you know, boogeyman of an individual, no matter what he does, but that also his voters. And they act like there's only a few of them, even though he just won the popular vote in the last election. But they act as though those people are also bad. It's amazing, just quickly, to think about the transition of John Fetterman. When he first gets into that role as a senator and he's not really able to form sentences in a in a normal way due to a medical issue. I'm not trying to make fun of it. I'm just saying that was real. A whole bunch of people questioned whether or not he should be in this position, mostly because for his own health, he probably shouldn't have been. And then he goes and checks himself in for mental health treatment. More questions surround him and the ability to serve in this role. And then eventually he's now in this place where he's saying things that more Republicans agree with than any other Democrat is saying. And it's just fascinating to see the transition of John Fetterman. By the way, there's one other big story out there in the world of politics that probably won't get the attention that it deserves, but it's just insane. And it is a Republican. who's the person that's the target of the criticism. But there was an individual, a Congresswoman, who has been in a position of power for several years. She's 81 years old now. Her name is Kay Granger. That somehow, some way, is actually in a nursing home, but still has her role in Congress. She did not run for re-election. She'll be replaced soon. But she hasn't voted on anything for like six months. The craziest part of this story to me is the fact that even though she didn't vote for this long, it took that amount of time, pretty much since June or July, for news media locally in her district in Texas to say, hey, wait a minute, let's check on this person and see why they're not voting on stuff. And then you get to her actual campaign office and it's shuttered. It's completely closed. And as you dive deeper into the rabbit hole that is, where did our congresswoman go? You find out she's in a nursing home. The nursing home confirms she's there and she lives there and is struggling with dementia, according to her family. But you don't remove her from power. And this reinvigorates the discussion. about whether or not you know age limits are appropriate for our government i don't think personally that it needs to be that odd as far as a creation of a rule it doesn't need to be uh... you know past a certain age you're just not allowed to be a politician if you have mental acuity to the level necessary to do the job i think you can have that role no matter how old you are but if you're not mentally capable no matter how old you are again i don't think you should retain the position i think an iq or mental acuity excuse me test would be more valuable than say a arbitrary rule at a certain age you're just not allowed to do it i know it's the few and far between of the 80-somethings who are probably mentally at the level necessary to do a job as hard as that one. But if they're capable of doing it, by God, go ahead and do it. I'm fine with that. I think that the only real thing that matters is having an obvious demonstration of when someone mentally can't handle the job, them not being allowed to fulfill the role as a puppet. And out of anyone else that you can talk about this with right now, well, darn it, our current president is the other huge elephant in the room individual being talked about this stuff, mostly because of the Wall Street Journal and other articles putting out into the air or into the world how unfit he was for the job the entire four years he was in it. And one of the best examples of that, he only held nine cabinet meetings. over the course of four years and out of all of those meetings every time they met the cabinet was required to write down a question and then Biden supplied a written answer before the meeting started making you wonder who actually wrote that answer and why our president for all nine of his meetings with the cabinet couldn't answer things face to face had to do it off of a script that is as damaging as any report I've seen about Biden And there's a lot of damaging reports about Biden and how much people just want to pop it. I will actually play some audio from over a month ago of Tulsi Gabbard saying exactly the same thing and demonstrating why she's someone that the political system is so afraid of. but quite a bit coming up throughout the show today. Thrilled to be here filling in and working with you on the holidays for the very talented, very famous Dana Lash. More Craig Collins filling in on the Dana Lash show in just a bit. Happy holidays to you all. Quick break. More coming up.
SPEAKER 26 :
Our partners over at ReadyWise. They're always ready even if you aren't. Free and fast shipping on most orders. By the way, this is premium survival food for which you know the chain of command from start to finish. You know that It's all U.S. ingredients. It's packed in a state-of-the-art U.S. plant. Sends it out from this plant right to your porch. And they have a team of in-house culinary experts that work on every package, every option, so that you're getting everything that you need calorie-wise, healthy, carb-wise, protein-wise. and they have an array of product choices to meet every budget, like their emergency one-month supply. They also have their three-month emergency food supply, comfort in a crisis, and beyond with a 25-year shelf life. Visit ReadyWise.com and use promo code Dana20 at checkout, and you can get 20% off of your entire purchase. That's ReadyWise.com, promo code Dana20 for 20% off.
SPEAKER 24 :
Welcome to Pro Tips for the Pros, brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany. In this series, we'll explore essential advice for professional contractors to deliver outstanding renovation results. Let's dive in. After completing the renovation, follow up with the customer to ensure their satisfaction and address any remaining concerns. Provide maintenance tips and guidance to help them preserve the results of the renovation for years to come. Thank you for joining us for this pro tip on planning thorough renovations. Stay tuned for more expert advice brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany.
SPEAKER 17 :
A lot of people tolerate ordinary. Ordinary bathrooms, kitchens, entryways. Well, not on your watch. If you're a pro, you've got a new partner in town. Floor & Decor. From tile to wood to stone, Floor & Decor has more styles and job lock quantities of Schluter, Mapei, LATICRETE, and other brands pros trust. Come see a whole new way to wow with Floor & Decor. Now open in Parsippany.
SPEAKER 24 :
Welcome to Pro Tips for the Pros, brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany. In this series, we'll explore essential advice for professional contractors to deliver outstanding renovation results. Let's dive in. Keep the work area clean and organized throughout the renovation process to create a positive impression and minimize stress for the customer. Regularly clean up debris and dust to maintain a safe and comfortable living environment. Thank you for joining us for this pro tip on planning thorough renovations. Stay tuned for more expert advice brought to you by Flor & Decor Parsippany.
SPEAKER 17 :
A lot of people tolerate ordinary. Ordinary bathrooms, kitchens, entryways. Well, not on your watch. If you're a pro, you've got a new partner in town. Floor & Decor. From tile to wood to stone, Floor & Decor has more styles and job lock quantities of Schluter, Mapei, Ladecrete, and other brands pros trust. Come see a whole new way to wow with Floor & Decor. Now open in Parsippany.
SPEAKER 16 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 29 :
That's right. My name is Craig Collins filling in. This is a Dana Quick Five number one on my list of Quick Five stories. The Amazon rainforest is going viral because a group of uninteracted with people in a society apparently has exploded. We don't interact with them at all, although I guess we hid cameras somewhere to take photos of them. And over the course of just a few years, their population has doubled, meaning that you're successful in life if you're on a completely uninterrupted part of the world where people let you live naked with spears and stuff the way that you lived before any of that technology ruined stuff for us. The funniest part about this story, real quick, if you Google right now for Amazon Rainforest Topics, Number one on the list is this story I'm telling you about. Number two is our president wandering into the rainforest for no reason whatsoever, just disappearing into the Amazon, which happened after he gave some words there and then for some reason tried to wander away. I love that that's number two, because the viral story of 2025 needs to be Joe Biden joining these people in their civilization untouched by society and seeing how that goes. because I think it would be hilarious and also awesome. Tree-zempic is a thing, apparently. People are choosing skinnier trees this holiday season, or at least did choose skinnier trees, meaning your tree has lost weight. Just like everybody who's on Ozempic, we put our trees on tree-zempic, and it's not good for us in society. Parents have revealed that they love toys, physical toys for their kids because of how rare it is for kids to interact with stuff, whether it's human beings or anything that's in tangible real life. That's not a device or, you know, equipment of any some kind. I love this story for a But then also, just in general, the fact that this is a very easy excuse now for anyone that chooses not to get them the gaming console that they've chosen. It's going to be better for you in the long run, son. I wish this existed when I was a kid because our desire to have as many toys as possible never changed. By the way... I do have a recommendation for anyone out there that's struggling with this, and this is something that happened to me a lot as a kid, mostly because we chose to do it. Just send the child outside. As long as you're in a safe neighborhood, a safe area, let that kid go outside, let the other kids go outside, and guess what? They'll play. They'll wind up being friends and interacting, and they won't need all the computers and technology to talk to other humans, and it'll be great. Knowing your neighbors is probably a good thing. That's another big story out there in the world of just silly top five stories. And then finally, Gen Z is suffering from a midlife crisis, according to them. I would call it a quarter-life crisis at best, and I would tell them in response to their midlife crisis, things are only going to get worse, baby. Once your body stops working as well as it does now, and then you also have those other challenges that you're facing, you're going to wind up struggling more. So I know it's not exactly the sugarcoating, you know, holiday version of saying things are going to be fine because they're not. They're only going to get more challenging at other times in your life. So maybe use that as motivation to get over your quarter life crisis now. That's my advice for the young kids out there in the world. I'm not sure if it'll work. And if that doesn't work, I guess, you know, a hand to the face is also a potential reality. OK, I'm kidding about that. Don't smack your kids. I just realized that maybe a hand to the face would shock them into remembering that they're young and they have a lot of life left before they give up on things. Again, kidding. Don't hit your children. Darn it. That's at least the message I want to end on for this segment. Greg Collins filling in on the Dana show.
SPEAKER 26 :
The folks over at Burn a Gun. This is an interesting... It's an interesting product because it's a self-defense tool, right? And I always tell people, you know, I carry... Always, and there's very rare exceptions when I don't, and I have zero issue with using lethal force to protect myself and my loved ones. That said, there are times, and I have friends who have to live this, where you're required to go somewhere, maybe it's for work or whatever, where it's a gun-free zone, which I know is the dumbest phrase ever, but that's the reality. I had a friend who lives in Washington, D.C., The nature of their work means that they have to go into some places that do not allow firearms, even though they have one of the very difficult to get in D.C. licenses to carry. So my friend went out and got Berna's most popular model, the Berna SD. It has five rounds, so that's already greater than the average stun gun, which is just one or two. And the Berna SD, it shoots chemical irritant projectiles that can disable threats from up to 50 feet away. And they have different models, but the Berna SD, that's the one that I have the greatest familiarity with. And that's the one that I know I have at least just in the past few months, I have six friends that have gotten them. And they all live in places like Chicago and New York. And they mostly work in media. And then I have one that works in law in New York. And they have to get their job. They got to feed their families. And so they carry a Berna SD everywhere. And then when they get back to their car, they have their firearm. But that's one of the things that they got to do to protect themselves. Burna is helping you diversify your array of self-defense weapons. And you can get 10% off their most popular model. Actually, 10% off your whole purchase at Burna.com slash Dana. It's B-Y-R-N-A. Burna.com slash Dana. Doesn't care about gun-free zone signs. No background check. Legal in all 50 states. Ships right to your door. Burna.com slash Dana for 10% off.
SPEAKER 24 :
Welcome to Pro Tips for the Pros, brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany. In this series, we'll explore essential advice for professional contractors to deliver outstanding renovation results. Let's dive in. Prioritize quality craftsmanship and materials to deliver results that exceed the customer's expectations. Attention to detail and superior workmanship will leave a lasting impression and ensure customer satisfaction. Thank you for joining us for this pro tip on planning thorough renovations. Stay tuned for more expert advice brought to you by Floor & Decor Parsippany.
SPEAKER 17 :
A lot of people tolerate ordinary. Ordinary bathrooms, kitchens, entryways. Well, not on your watch. If you're a pro, you've got a new partner in town. Floor & Decor. From tile to wood to stone, Floor & Decor has more styles and jaw-block quantities of Schluter, Mapei, Ladecrete, and other brands pros trust. Come see a whole new way to wow with Floor & Decor. Now open in Parsippany.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you, Dana, all over the place. You can find her on Blaze TV. You can find her on all kinds of stuff. You can also, of course, find her on her podcast and on X on Twitter at DLash or DanaLashRadio. A very, very influential human being in the world of politics and radio and all kinds of things. Thrilled to be in for her. During the holidays, let's do this. Fox News, one of the many places that broke the story of Representative Matt Gaetz and the House Ethics Committee report that's been released. Gaetz attempting to block a lot of this report via some sort of court action. But Fox News giving us some of the details here.
SPEAKER 27 :
It's a 37-page report, and the committee claims that there is, quote, substantial evidence that Gaetz violated House rules. The committee says Gaetz was involved in prostitution, statutory rape, and the use of illicit drugs. Now, it says that Gaetz had sex with multiple women at a party in Florida in 2017 and paid them as prostitutes. The committee says that Gaetz also had sex with a then 17-year-old girl. The report says that victim received $400 from Gates. The committee says she did not tell Gates how old she was. She had just completed her junior year in high school.
SPEAKER 29 :
I know these are accusations, and I know that they're saying that there's proof of said accusations, but they're not actually, you know, necessarily giving us all of that information quite yet. And so you are innocent until proven guilty. But you realize how significant these accusations are against Gates and why it was so easy. I don't know if that's the right word, but it seems to be the right word for his attempt to have a political position in Donald Trump's administration went away. By his own choosing to get it to go away. A long accusations, some of these against Gates without maybe the level of proof that they're claiming they have now. But certainly the kinds of things that make you incapable of continuing to have a political career if they wind up being true. And certainly a big deal, bombshell, whatever you want to call it, report that's out there. I know a lot of people will doubt it. I will say this in response to that, too, because I don't know what the truth is yet. I know what the accusations are. I know what the proof they're claiming exists is. But I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to the process more so than anything else. And by the way, a whole lot of people doubt the judicial system is capable of doing things right. I think something like 30 some odd percent. of Americans actually have confidence in that part of our political structure, which, if you go after Trump crazily, makes sense for people to assume that it's broken. So we'll see what happens here. And I'm sure a lot of people will say it's political and it's not real. But the thing I'm most happy about—that's a weird way to transition, but I promise it'll make sense— is the American people's ability, which seems to be improving by the day almost or by the year at least, to figure out the truth from the narrative. And so if a lot of information does come out that backs these accusations as being true, I think the American people will, by and large, evaluate that correctly. I know that there were people that will still get it wrong. But Trump getting elected and winning the popular vote after being found guilty of a felony that never should have been a felony, much less something that he should have been found guilty of, is interesting because it does demonstrate America's ability to dive further than whatever the base level of the story is. In my opinion, at least it does that. So we'll see with Matt Gaetz how much of this proves out to be true and how much of this proves out to be accusations without the amount of information to back them up. But they certainly are damaging enough that it now makes sense why he went away and certainly doesn't help to make you believe that he's innocent. But we'll see again how that all plays out. All right. Other things out there. I don't mean to keep playing this, but I can't help myself. There's a bunch of audio of Senator Fetterman saying out loud that some of the fear-mongering stuff that's going on in the world of politics isn't actually going to happen. There's another quote from the ABC interview, the sit-down with Fetterman, in which he says Kash Patel isn't going to lock up all of Trump's political enemies, that that's insane to say and not going to be what happens, mostly because if you go after people in a judicial system, you do hopefully have to prove them actually guilty of stuff unless you're trying them in places where you know that the jury will side with whatever you say. But nonetheless, I do think that it matters that you have to take the extra steps. So pretending as though anyone could be found guilty of any crime is at least potentially a little extremist. But darn it, who knows? But here's a little bit of what Fetterman said about Kash Patel not being as scary as mainstream media claims he's going to be and not inventing crimes that didn't happen against politicians that probably all have some level of behind-the-scenes, seedy, potentially illegal activities that they could be held accountable for.
SPEAKER 30 :
From a Democrat, you met with Kash Patel, I believe, right? Yesterday, well, yes. He's talked about going after Trump's enemies. Yeah, and we've had conversations, but all of these interviews were all off the record and those things. So I'm not going to go into detail, but he absolutely is that that's never going to happen. He was very forceful. He's not going to use the FBI to go after Trump's enemies. No, that's not it. Did you believe him? That's what he claims. And I found out his... You know what's really interesting about this one too, by the way?
SPEAKER 29 :
I played audio of Fetterman a little earlier where he's much more definitive about the appeal that Donald Trump had to the American people and why the American people would choose to vote him into office overwhelmingly and actually allow him to win the popular vote for the first time for a Republican in quite some time. But with this, Fetterman is struggling again. He's trying not to necessarily say as definitively as he does within that 44-second clip that he believes Kash Patel is not just going to weaponize the FBI and go after whoever he wants to go after, weaponize whatever department he's in charge of to harm Trump's political enemies, and that he believes him in saying that because, darn it, it's what's actually going to occur. Because I do believe... And I'll just say it again, and then we'll move on to some other things. One of the biggest wake-up calls for D.C., whether it's Trump's election or the way Elon Musk got a bill to be refined from 15,000 pages to way, way less funding, is that the American people are more awake than ever and more willing to be critical of what's going on in our society than ever before in the world of politics. And that... is essentially good. All right. Other things out there. This is crazy. So apparently some plans have leaked, according to some insiders, political insiders, about what Jill Biden wants to happen before Joe is out of office in just a few weeks now. All the things she's pushing for him to do. He commuted the sentence of 37 of 40 death row inmates, saying that even though some of them are convicted of pretty horrific crimes, that he doesn't want to see Trump make a decision different from him. So he's wielding his power while he still has it to prevent Trump from being able to do something different, which is a horrible way to justify an action. To say that I haven't done this for four years because I didn't think I had to, but now I have to because I don't want the person that's been duly elected to replace me to get a voice in this discussion. If you believed it so strongly, do it four years ago. Do it within the first year of your administration. Don't do it now. It makes no sense. But more than that, this reporting essentially says that Jill is after scorched earth. She's mad that her husband got pushed into the closet because he was mentally incapable of doing the job. And that more likely than not, Jill Biden was one of many unelected people running the country in place of Joe Biden. But even more so than that, that if you can do things that are radical or extreme or things that will make a lot of Democrats mad, feel free. Go as nuts as possible. That's a real story that's out there. And there are real insiders that are leaking that Jill Biden is, quote, pushing her husband to be as extreme as possible, which is probably bad. Probably screwed up and probably the kind I shouldn't laugh at it. I should be more afraid of it. But honestly, and I think this has been true for Biden the entire time he's been in office. The thing he cared about least was the reaction to his behavior. If you take Afghanistan by itself as a horrible decision by the Biden administration and then even more so, and there's more reports coming out about this, too. The way he behaved while traveling to be with the family members of the U.S. military that he got killed based on how terribly he ordered an exit of Afghanistan. Apparently he was napping on Air Force One right before landing and being a part of some of those ceremonies and seeming disinterested in being there, which is horrific. But more so than anything else, when you think about Biden and the decisions he's made time and again, it seemed to fly in the face of caring at all if it left him with a valuable or not so valuable opinion for most Americans. Look at student loan debt forgiveness. As another one, even though that profoundly failed in front of our, you know, Supreme Court. It is interesting to think that Biden tried to go as far as he did to forgive as much of it as he did, because he did attempt to essentially use the executive branch to take away the power of the purse from the legislative branch and just do whatever he wanted. And he had to be stopped by a judicial branch, which matters quite a bit because it shows how reckless some of those plans might have been. Or I guess to the far left, it says that, you know, the judicial system is broken and needs to be fixed in every way, shape and form. Not that I disagree with every part of that, but I do think it's interesting how that comes and goes depending on what the level of discussion is. Another thing that I thought was pretty interesting that's out there now is There is still talk of Kamala Harris's fundraising campaign ability and then the weird amount of failures to use that money wisely. The party has lost its mind and is being openly crazy about the $2.5 billion she raised. Uh, during her time in office, according to many who are reporting on this, uh, her advisor, Lindy Lee, uh, who quit the democratic party, uh, said that she didn't want to be a part of this craziness anymore. I do have some of that audio. I thought that that was a pretty interesting too, because, uh, darn it. When you're handing millions of dollars to people like Beyonce, uh, to appear for a couple minutes on a stage somewhere, you're probably abusing every part of spending money as far as the billions of dollars you raised, and then also failing to have anything good happen in regards to the results of said election. Everything about that is amazing to me. But again, she appeared, Lindy Lee, on Piers Morgan's show and said this.
SPEAKER 02 :
California in 2026 and perhaps even running for president in 2020. And I just want to echo what a lot of you guys already said. This past week has been harrowing for me. This just this Saturday, I went on Fox and Friends and I said that Democrats have a stench of loser hangover for them.
SPEAKER 22 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
As soon as I said that, there were boycott campaigns against me, unblock, unfollow campaigns. I lost 40,000 followers in four days. People have called me the W word. I don't know what we're allowed to say, but you can fill in the blank. We're uncensored.
SPEAKER 29 :
No, no, no. Don't say it. Don't say it here. I'm not uncensored. They are in Piers Morgan's show, but I'm not uncensored here, so I'll stop it there. But people turned on her. People went crazy against her, and she's just speaking the truth as far as the failures of the Democratic Party and the failures financially of the Democratic Party. What I think is as interesting as anything when you talk about that issue is also the stuff that Jon Stewart has said. And the most famous one is when he made jokes about how COVID probably came from the coronavirus lab in Wuhan that studies coronavirus. And that's where the virus originated. He was attacked by his own side of the political aisle. I know he's not actually a politician, but certainly a very far left voice in some issues and not quite as far left on others and willing to attack Democrats more than a whole lot of other Democrats are. But nonetheless, he was attacked resoundingly by people who are majority of the time his fans. And so he thought that that was jarring. And I have audio that I can play later. This from years ago, him him saying that it was a real wake up call as to how much anger and craziness exists on both sides of the political aisle, not just the side that he's more often critical of. Because when you step out of line, you hear about it strongly. And apparently this is something that she's experienced now as well. All right, quick break. A lot coming up. This is Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show.
SPEAKER 26 :
Preborn. This is such a great organization. And if you are unfamiliar with pre-born, let me tell you, this is a great ministry that meets with women who are facing unplanned pregnancies. And they assist these mothers in their choice of life. They introduce these mothers to their babies through ultrasounds that you help provide. And when a mother hears her infant's heartbeat, uh and sees the infant on the ultrasound that baby's chance that life doubles there have been numerous studies on this and pre-born helps make that possible that's what your money goes to they have right now matching grants so your donation is doubled it goes twice as far every dollar you contribute that's what it goes to it puts ultrasound machines in women's clinics it helps to partner with women who have chose have chosen life And they help them with maternity and things like diapers and all kinds of stuff. So these women feel less alone. And I think that's such a great thing to do as an affirmation of life. And pre-born cannot do it without you. Every donation counts. So you could, I mean, for $28, you can actually get an ultrasound for a woman like today. for $28. You if you wanted to go big, if you can go big, 510 15,000, you can actually put ultrasound machines in clinics. It's an it's an amazing thing what they do. And they have such an excellent rating with like every measure of you know, charitable grade possible like they they they're just so above board. They're so transparent. And you know where your money goes. And they I mean, because you see it, they like send you emails and videos and all kinds of stuff. it's awesome it's very simple to donate pound 250 hashtag for you gen zers pound 250 and say the keyword baby it's so easy to donate you can also visit preborn.com slash dana and donate online every dollar counts pound 250 say the keyword baby or donate securely at preborn.com slash dana
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 18 :
When you visit Arizona, time is measured in moments, not minutes. Like the moment you see the Grand Canyon for the first time. Visit a new state of mind. Learn more at hereyouareaz.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
Not able to catch the full Dana Show? Follow Dana's Absurd Truth Podcast and get news and laughs delivered in short, easy-to-digest episodes. Ideal for your busy lifestyle, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. You can find Dana everywhere. DLash or DanaLashRadio, two of the best places to stay connected to her on social media, on X, on Twitter. There's a crazy story from 2011. about a woman 27 years old at the time named Ellen Greenberg who appeared to have been killed inside her home. She had 20 stab wounds from a knife that was actually found in her chest. There was a fruit salad on the countertop that had been left there. Just a lot of bruises all over her body. The reason I'm bringing this up with barely any time to talk about it and not exactly an uplifting story for the holidays, it was ruled a suicide. for a long time. And the parents of this woman had to fight in court for years, even recently appearing in court again after filing a suit in 2022 to argue the fact that you couldn't possibly do this to yourself and take your own life. And many, many people, even the judge, agrees that there's no reason this should have been deemed a suicide and not a homicide. And the most likely suspect in this case, although obviously still far from finding any way to prove that specifically, might have been her fiance, who was texting her crazy, angry things for 20 minutes up until likely the time of her death. things about how he was locked out of the house and upset about it. What's crazy about this story is on the heels of Americans saying they don't trust stuff like the judicial system or whatever it might be. You see a story about a woman who was stabbed 20 times, bruises all over her body that somehow got determined to be a suicide for over 10 years before finally being reevaluated differently. A horrific, again, not fun discussion and thing to talk about. But certainly something that makes you wonder, like, how did anyone say that? You know, how did anyone believe that? How could anyone have assumed that that made any sense at all? And the only other part of this story that seems worrisome is that the, you know, a medical examiner originally had deemed it a homicide, then met with police behind closed doors for a while and changed the position to a suicide until now being reevaluated all these years later due to the parents being determined to to fight this all the way up until the end, there is a concern or a potential explanation, again, not officially proven, that the investigation itself was so screwed up that it was an embarrassment to police. And for that reason, they wanted the entire case to go away, even if it lacked getting justice for a victim. I don't know if that's true or not. That's an accusation. But just insane story out there in the world that you're probably not going to hear about a lot, certainly right before the holidays, that might back a lot of people's opinion that some of our systems are broken and in need of some fixing. But all right, on that note, however not uplifting it was, but certainly shocking, we will move on to some other things, certainly some more discussion about Trump and politics and whatnot coming up in a bit. Craig Collins filling in on the Dana Show.
SPEAKER 26 :
Black Rifle Coffee, the freedom roast, a new roast for Black Rifle Coffee. just in time for christmas as well and you can check it out over at black rifle coffee.com where you can also sign up for the coffee club and get free shipping automated orders the whole nine yards now with um this company i mean they make great coffees they have just black silencer smooth all kinds of stuff the freedom roast available in ground whole bean 12 count rounds as well And you can save 20%, not just on Freedom Roast, but all the roasts that they have. It's so smooth, full of flavor. The best roast out there. Veteran-owned, veteran-operated. And they hire active duty and retired military as well. And they celebrate America and our military history with everything that they do. Get your freedom on with the Freedom Roast from BlackRifleCoffee.com. And check out the other top shelf roasts like the Just Black and Silence or Smooth. Whatever it is you decide, you get 20% off using code Dana. 20% off with code Dana at BlackRifleCoffee.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 13 :
If you're a facilities manager at a university, you know students rely on the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the occasional late-night snack. So when a dishwasher breaks down and dirty plates pile up, the mess hall can turn messy in the blink of an eye. Enter Grainger. With over a million industrial-grade products and fast delivery, the product you need now is never far away. So you can turn that dishwasher back into a lean, clean washing machine. Call. Click Grainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done.
SPEAKER 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. A bunch of stuff to talk about just before the holidays. One of the crazier stories out there, or two of the crazier stories out there that I love a whole lot involve things that Trump is considering either doing away with, removing himself from, or taking back. in the world. Before I get to those, though, first, this story, which is just crazy. Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent friendly fire incident, according to the U.S. military. The pilots are both okay. One has minor injuries, but both were able to eject safely from their aircraft that were destroyed. And this comes after a bunch of training in the area going after Yemen Houthi rebels. So a friendly fire incident causes two pilots to, you know, emergency eject and two planes to be destroyed. Both will live. That's just a crazy story and really references the heightened tension that exists in so many parts of our world right now. after four years of a Democrat in power, who a whole bunch of our, say, not necessarily all of them enemies, but not exactly allies, were unintimidated by the United States and willing to be provocative more so than they will be when Trump gets back into office, which will be a good thing. We were told again and again, not that I need to reiterate a point you've probably heard before, that Trump would be the most dangerous president because of the things he could or will do in the world if people threaten us or threaten him or anything else. Having his fingers on the nuclear code was something we were told in 2016 would be entirely dangerous. And yet Biden has made the world quite a bit more unsafe than it was before. This is the latest example of that. All right. Two things that Trump is considering doing within a first few days or even day one being, you know, back in the White House. He's considering leaving the World Health Organization. He's also considering taking back the Panama Canal, the second of which I find hilarious. And I'll tell you why in just a second. But the World Health Organization outed their bias during COVID. Not only are they funded by quite a bit of U.S. money, they're also funded by quite a lot of Chinese money. Because of that, they were very reluctant to have any discussion, much like parts of our country were, or at least some of the bureaucrats in our country were, of the lab leak theory. They then tried to investigate said theory and were being blocked by China and not telling the world about it for quite some time. There's a lot of issues there. When you look at the World Health Organization and wonder how little they benefited us and how much it is, you know, costly for us to be a part of it. And so Trump saying that he'll leave much like when he talked about leaving NATO. Granted, they're very different things, but still a threat that gets out there in the world might wake this organization up into behaving differently or we might just leave it. which I think is also fine. The United States can operate on its own. Being America first is not inherently bad by any stretch of the imagination because we will survive. There are a lot of places that would be hit quite a bit harder than us if we truly lived by that America first notion, which is why they'd all, I think, behave differently given just simply the threat of it. We've seen that in the world of tariffs. We could see that in the world of this, or we could just be done with them entirely. Who knows? But that is a prediction that's out there. Now, the other one, the Panama Canal, I find that hilarious. The reason why Trump is saying this is he believes, one, it probably is something we never should have surrendered and given up in the first place. But two, it's something where the unique agreement that we expected to be in place after surrendering the Panama Canal is something that is no longer being lived up to by the other side. And so if this is something that doesn't change, that he will take control back. This is part of what Trump said on Truth Social. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous amounts. especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ripoff of our country will immediately stop, is what he said. We would and we will never let it fall into the wrong hands. It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us in Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in full and without question. When he says this stuff and then regular media goes crazy, mainstream, legacy, whatever you want to call it, media, like how reckless this man is, how insane he is, the end result is usually at absolute worst that we actually take some of these actions he's threatening to take and it doesn't harm the world as much as people think it does. Or nine times or 99 out of 100 times, he gets the other side to cooperate by leveraging, you know, a let's blow it up first version of an argument. And they have to come back to the table with, all right, let's find something in the middle to agree on. That wild cardness has benefited him. A bunch of times and likely to benefit him again. And it's just so interesting to see it play out or to be that amused by it, because the way it'll get covered, the way it will get talked about will actually enhance our ability to secure a deal that we actually want, because the press will do some of the work for Trump in convincing Panama that we might actually do this. which is awesome. And they'll do it because they hate Trump, not because they like him or want to help him. But nonetheless, it'll all swirl together in this perfect ball, like the tariff discussion, as I said a second ago, where it wasn't just Canada or Mexico or anyone being afraid, China, of certain tariffs. It was also the way that our country covered it and saying, Trump will do it. He doesn't care how reckless it could be and how much it would hurt society, even if it might not have. to have more tariffs be part of a plan moving forward. It's just amazing to see how all these pieces kind of work. Trump feels more refined in the way that he uses, say, the news media system to benefit him than he did in the past. It's similar, but it seems like it's with more experience now and just knowing how things are going to go. All right. Another thing that I love that's out there in the world, and Scott Jennings has been going viral a lot on CNN for some of the takes he's thrown out there, some of the things he's willing to say to a panel of people who hate that he's saying them to their faces. But Scott Jennings said this about the risk of Elon Musk and his influence on Biden. And also highlighting the fact that several stories have come out recently demonstrating how little Biden was actually in charge, even though he was the person elected to be our president. He was essentially a puppet being manipulated by all kinds of people around him, not even really aware of what was going on, which is terrifying. But more and more reports are solidifying that belief. which was called a conspiracy theory during the first couple years of his administration. And so Scott Jennings said this about the fear of Elon Musk and his influence.
SPEAKER 18 :
Is this going to wear thin with Donald Trump soon?
SPEAKER 28 :
I don't think so. I mean, look, they appear to be getting along well. Musk was very instrumental in his victory. And I hear Democrats criticizing the idea that we have unelected people with too much influence over the government. I invite them to pick up the Wall Street Journal from this week and find out that unelected people have been running the government for the last four years. I hear Democrats criticizing the influence of billionaires on our politics when you've got this Soros punk running around collecting Democrat politicians like my kids collect Pokemon cards. I think all the criticism of Musk coming from the left is totally hypocritical, totally over the top, and he is doing something interesting, bringing some transparency to the federal government. It's not a terrible thing.
SPEAKER 29 :
No, it is not a terrible thing to have more transparency with the federal government, to have giant pork-filled funding bills get reduced down to non-pork bills. And then also, and I'll say this until I'm blue in the face, if Democrats want to roll out with any one issue that they feel was unfairly pulled from the giant spending bill, like cancer research funding for children, which has been what Hakeem Jeffries and others are doing right now, then introduce a bill that funds just that and see if Republicans vote yes for it. Do not complain that Republicans were unwilling to provide this money here, that money there, without being willing to bring across a bill that funds just the one thing. Because you know what you're doing is manipulating the American people, or at least attempting to. They've gotten much better at detecting this now than they were before because of how much more information I think is available to us compared to the past, and maybe just COVID in general. You know, I'll say this, and I know you've heard it before, but I always think about this. And a friend of mine that I've had this discussion with many times, the biggest benefit of 2020, 2021, all the lockdowns, all the mask debates, everything might be the amount of Americans who now distrust the narrative more than they used to. Whatever that narrative is, because a lot of that medical health information stuff has wound up being a second guest and fully rejected with years of additional information. And some of it is outing how early on in the process they would have known. that they were lying to us and didn't care about it. They were doing it. Even some of the doctors that were working with both Trump and then Biden, like Dr. Burke, saying that they overplayed mask wearing and other things, much to the detriment of our society, and at times even tried to be at odds with Donald Trump because of that, which is just interesting to hear people say and admit to. And if you have more of an attention span, which I'll argue this too, actually, just real quick, and then I promise I'll move on, but I can't help it. I think the internet and technology has ruined our attention span, has ruined our intelligence to a degree, because things like spellcheck have made it way too easy to not know how to spell words, but have also enhanced our ability to have a longer memory for certain issues, because things can go viral over and over again when people lie. So if someone tells you something that's crap, you can see that for years to come. And you're seeing it in mainstream media now, finally, where someone is sitting on a TV show somewhere in front of a microphone, and they're played video and audio of something they said in the past that's crap because of how viral it is online. And they feel like, well, we have to ask them this question because it's something everyone's asking about. So I think the memory of technology has both hurt and helped us in having an ability to recall things that matter in moments when they might have been forgotten in the past. So it is interesting to see, and Scott Jennings is right across the target, in my opinion, on saying the value of an Elon Musk and his social media platform that it can't be overstated, him buying it had such a tremendous impact on the way in which we talk about a large variety of things. But his ability to put that out on Twitter, which still has a lot of people on it, as the kind of thing that might make the government behave differently simply because of the fear of them losing their jobs. Voting them out of power is the carrot that we've long been able to dangle or, you know, threaten to use the stick. And finally, it feels like we might be able to wield that power effectively. Quick break. A lot more. Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show.
SPEAKER 09 :
In life, there are always trials, tribulations, and struggles. The good news is we don't have to face them alone. Pastor Alan Jackson explains.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, I have learned one thing, how God does it and when he does it is beyond, that's beyond our purview. We don't get to dictate that. But the fact that God will be involved in our lives, I'm absolutely confident of.
SPEAKER 09 :
Subscribe to Culture and Christianity, an Alan Jackson podcast on your favorite podcast app.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 12 :
If you're a maintenance supervisor for a commercial property, you've had to deal with everything from leaky faucets to flickering light bulbs. But nothing's worse than that ancient boiler that's lived in the building since the day it was built 50 years ago. It's enough to make anyone lose their cool. That's where Grainger comes in. With industrial-grade products and dependable, fast delivery, Grainger can help with any challenge, from worn-out components to everyday necessities. Call, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.
SPEAKER 16 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 29 :
That's right. It's time for the quick five. My name is Craig Collins filling in on the Dana show. I do just love this sound of a baby laughing. I can't get over it as one of my top five stories of the day because it went viral. The reason the baby is cracking up is the Grinch is stealing presents and the baby finds it hilarious every time the Grinch takes presents from the unassuming who's. And so this has gone viral and mom has asked this a bad thing. There he is. Wait a minute, gets even better. I'm dying. It's so good. That baby just keeps going, laughing at the Grinch stealing Christmas from everybody that's supposed to represent the innocent people. And I love it. I think the baby's going to grow up to be just fine, and Mom doesn't have to be worried about that at all. But baby laughter, usually viral on social media, uniquely funny during this holiday season. Wham's Last Christmas is the number one song for the second year in a row as far as Christmas songs are concerned. And we need to fix that, baby. We need to come up with new songs that are actually good and not terrible because I am sick of these songs on repeat every year. I'm never going to be sick of, say, the tried and true, the, you know, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas kind of stuff. But I am sick of the fringe. It's been 20, 30, 40 years since they were popular, but they're not necessarily the same as the other classics. I'm done with them, man. I am sick of this song. I'm sick of anything by Mariah Carey this time of year. I want new stuff. Another thing out there. James Gunn, the director of the new Superman movie, says that Superman and how beat up he seems in the new trailer is akin to the United States. He says that essentially the movie's about how human beings are good, but a lot of us feel beat up by all different kinds of things. He's making me not want to go to the Superman movie. And that's amazing because it's got a dog in it that has superpowers. And that seemed to make me think I was definitely going. But if there's going to be political sentiment from this whole thing, I'm going to hate it a whole lot more. But Gunn does go on to say that regardless of your political side of the aisle, he believes that humans are inherently good and that maybe it's just the dark voices in our society that make things bad. But you're worried when it comes out of D.C. or when it comes out of, excuse me, Hollywood, and it has elements that connect to what's going on in D.C., you fear that it's going to be incredibly one-sided politically and all that other crap that's going to ruin Superman more than anybody else has ever tried to, more than Nick Cage attempted to during his non-Superman movies. And then finally, one last thing. Jeff Bezos is denying that there's going to be a real fancy wedding between him and Lauren Sanchez, where $600 million is going to be spent in Aspen over the weekend, even though the New York Post and others reported that this was coming. Elon, or excuse me, Jeff Bezos has said it's not happening. It's not occurring. How dare anybody lie about this? We'll see who winds up being true, who's telling the truth when it comes to this weekend because you can't hide something that expensive, man. You can't do it. All right. This is Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show. Thrilled to be with you on the holidays. Dana is back after them. A lot more coming up in a bit. Preborn.
SPEAKER 26 :
This is such a great organization. And if you are unfamiliar with Preborn, let me tell you, this is a great ministry that meets with women who are facing unplanned pregnancies, and they assist these mothers in their choice of life. They introduce these mothers to their babies through ultrasounds that you help provide. And when a mother hears her infant's heartbeat, and sees the infant on the ultrasound, that baby's chance at life doubles. There have been numerous studies on this, and Preborn helps make that possible. That's what your money goes to. They have right now matching grants, so your donation is doubled. It goes twice as far. Every dollar you contribute, that's what it goes to. It puts ultrasound machines in women's clinics. It helps to partner with women who have chosen life. And they help them with maternity and things like diapers and all kinds of stuff. So these women feel less alone. And I think that's such a great thing to do as an affirmation of life. And pre-born cannot do it without you. Every donation counts. So you could, I mean, for $28, you can actually get an ultrasound for a woman like today. for $28. You if you wanted to go big, if you can go big, 510 15,000, you can actually put ultrasound machines in clinics. It's an it's an amazing thing what they do. And they have such an excellent rating with like every measure of you know, charitable grade possible like they they they're just so above board. They're so transparent. And you know where your money goes. And they I mean, because you see it, they like send you emails and videos and all kinds of stuff. It's awesome. It's very simple to donate. Pound 250, hashtag for you Gen Zers, pound 250, and say the keyword baby. It's so easy to donate. You can also visit preborn.com slash Dana and donate online. Every dollar counts. Pound 250, say the keyword baby, or donate securely at preborn.com slash Dana.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 13 :
If you're a facilities manager at a university, you know students rely on the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the occasional late-night snack. So when a dishwasher breaks down and dirty plates pile up, the mess hall can turn messy in the blink of an eye. Enter Grainger. With over a million industrial-grade products and fast delivery, the product you need now is never far away. So you can turn that dishwasher back into a lean, clean washing machine. Call. Click Grainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done.
SPEAKER 15 :
On the go and need a quick news fix with a fun twist? Follow Dana's Absurd Truth Podcast for bite-sized informative episodes perfect for your busy schedule on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. Dana Lash can be found everywhere. DLash or Dana Lash Radio on X on Twitter. Some of the best ways to stay connected. Very famous, very successful human. We'll be back just after the holidays. Let's do this. The numbers for Joe Biden's presidency are terrible. There's a whole lot of them that are going viral on social media. One of the most significant is that he only held nine cabinet meetings in four years. During all of those meetings, people that were going to ask Biden questions had to handwrite them and submit them beforehand. You had to do your homework to sit down with the president. He then gave you a written answer. that was available during the meeting and wasn't going to be jumped away from. Meaning what was actually being answered and who was answering those questions is stuff you couldn't have figured out in the meeting. Who was in control of the country is a question we've been asking ourselves for a while as damaging reports come out from the Wall Street Journal or whoever saying that, you know, Biden oftentimes seemed like the last to know things. Everyday Americans had demanded answers on a lot of things. CNN and so many others covered up and lied and also told many, many people that Republicans were playing an unfair game or a dishonest game in all the things we were saying about the faux pas of Biden. One of my favorite examples of this, too, by the way, there's a story out there, a viral thing, photographs of the Amazon rainforest and a group of people indigenous to the area that have not been interfered with by, you know, life and society the way we know it now. And I guess some hidden cameras took photos of them and showed that that society has exploded. They've like doubled. in population over the last however many years that we've been not interrupting them as they've been living unaware of all the technology that's actually out there in the world and the craziest thing is if you look that story up today as it's trending and going viral the number two result on google is joe biden wandering aimlessly into the rainforest which happened about a few months ago during his presidency and by the way would be the absolute best reality tv show to have him dropped off into that area now and just see what happens. Joe Biden plus a bunch of people who are not at all aware of civilization around them or who he is and how Biden would do. I think he would actually do okay in that atmosphere. I doubt he would lead anyone, but he might not get as harmed as others might get hurt in that world. Other things out there that I thought were kind of interesting. The Social Security expansion vote has cleared the Senate and is going on to Biden's desk for approval. This is something that a lot of people on both sides of the political aisle has said is appropriate and a longstanding issue that needed to get done. There are people that would argue, I think, that the existence of pensions and whatnot for federal workers made it unnecessary for them to get the same level of other benefits that everyone else gets out there. But darn it, Social Security is going to be expanded to include federal workers who have other ways to have retirement accounts, too. So you get the best of both worlds. It is going to cause us to spend more money. But again, it is something that's not necessarily as political one-sided as it used to be. as far as discussion goes. But there are still a lot of politicians who were not thrilled about this or definitely tried to argue about how exactly this would be done. And if we can save money by not spending it in a lot of other places, some of these plans become less terrible. than they are if we do it while still spending reckless amounts of money everywhere else as drunken sailors, which is what the current administration has been doing and what hopefully the next administration and specifically the Doge part of said administration will be about fixing. Some other stories out there just doing kind of a, you know, grazing of a lot of the bigger political stories. Laura Trump has removed herself as far as a candidate for the replacing of Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate or in the Senate from Florida. This leaves DeSantis to still make a decision on who would be the next senator out of Florida. And the right answer for his own political career is him. Ron DeSantis should give himself this job. That has been my opinion already on this issue. It'll continue to be my opinion about it. DeSantis cannot serve as governor of Florida again. He will term out. He has had his political career be somewhat hit by his attempt to run against Trump and how terrible his presidential candidacy went against Trump. It is unique when Trump didn't even have to debate you in order for you to not wind up in a position where you threatened him for real. That's that's bad. And that's bad for anyone that ran against Trump in the last, you know, in this past primary season before the election. And I do think DeSantis is someone who's very well liked in Florida. I live in Florida now. I lived in Illinois for a long time. And I can tell you Florida is much better than Illinois was to us for a variety of reasons. And part of what a lot of people here give credit to for that truth is Ron DeSantis. So give yourself the job, serve in the position for a year and a little bit of change, and then run for re-election. You don't get to serve out the full term that Rubio had because since you appoint yourself, you become immediately available to run again in the next election. So again, there's just a variety of reasons. why Ron DeSantis should give this job to himself and no one else and not even bat an eye. And honestly, Florida, I doubt would care all that much if it happens. Maybe the rest of the United States would judge him, but that's not what matters here. And that is the next step for a lot of governors to want to be a senator. So again, you got the ability, just go ahead and get it done. That's my opinion, but we'll see what actually happens there. Finally, there's this other kind of deep in the weed story. that I wanted to talk about a little bit, and the corruption of NGOs specifically. And this is a story coming out of a couple different places. I think Elon Musk, once again, is one of the people at the forefront of having parts of this discussion. So when Trump was in office, something that he made illegal, or at least he prohibited the practice of the DOJ, was forcing civilian and criminal fines to be forced into NGOs that would help fund political sides of the aisle. When Trump left office and Merrick Garland took over, he immediately reinstated that policy, and millions of dollars have been funneled from court cases involving the DOJ to left-wing NGOs that then spend ridiculous amounts of money on everything and anything in the world of politics, essentially meaning—to simplify this as a statement— that you are forced to politically support a side of the aisle with your money that you don't necessarily support because of different fines and civil action and criminal action taken by the DOJ. This seems horrible as far as the willingness to funnel this money into certain places, demonstrate the deepness of corruption within our political system, and also just essentially be thought of as legal for a whole lot of people. Like, yeah, nothing to see here. Well, I complain about that. No problem whatsoever. But many people are saying just how significant of a problem this became and the amount of individuals, say, in the Trump administration this time around who are going to do even more to try to fight and prevent it more than was done last time. But when you look at the... Billions of dollars, which is a crazy number to say that Kamala Harris was able to raise during her political campaign and thus of Biden before her two billion plus dollars. You wonder how much of that could have come from situations like this. the money is being forcibly funneled into certain places where no one is actually donating to someone. And then mainstream media runs with a narrative that she's raised so much money because she's widely popular and then gets destroyed in the election. And obviously not as popular as it would seem. somehow raised all that money that a lot of people probably regret giving to that campaign. But this is interesting, and yet another report in just how deep the weed is, or how deep the problem is for Democrats right now. And actually, if I'm being honest, one of the things that's kind of shocking in all of this is how popular some statements by John Fetterman have become in regards to just how broken the Democratic Party is. He's not alone in saying this. There are operatives, there are, you know, representatives, people who worked with the Harris campaign who are saying similar things. But it's just so interesting to watch Fetterman and some of his words go viral now because of how willingly he is, you know, attacking the narrative or some of the ridiculousness on the left. This is one of those examples and something after his sit down with ABC News that makes people feel very differently. And he's been doing this for a while now, so it's not truly the same as the first couple times he said not far left-leaning things. But it's amazing, just again before I actually hit play on the audio, to think about the trajectory of Senator Fetterman to go from someone who won an election that you were surprised he won because he wasn't really terribly articulate, granted, for a medical reason, but still someone who was struggling to say stuff to someone that now is willing to stand in almost a Joe Manchin type of role and look critically at his own party more often than a whole lot of other senators with a D in front of their name are willing to do it. Here we go.
SPEAKER 30 :
And after you survived an assassination, you literally were shot in your head and had the presence of mind to respond, you know, fight, fight, fight. I mean, that's a political talent. It's undeniable. And also, I never believed that it was about fascism. And for me, that made it difficult for... Kamala Harris said that he was a fascist. Yeah, well, it's like that's her prerogative. I mean, but it's not a word that I would use because you put a lot of Democrats, especially in my state, that I know and I happen to love people that are going to vote for Trump, and they are not fascists.
SPEAKER 29 :
Now, look, it might just be intelligent as far as political theater and whatnot for Fetterman to be someone who sounds like he's more in the middle, because as he references where he comes from in this country, it's somewhat likely that he needs to say these things in order to get reelected. But nonetheless, it's profound to me that someone can go from an individual that is getting reelected and certainly definitely critically evaluated by a lot of the other side of the political aisle for his inability to seem to have basic necessary skills to be in the role of a politician to someone who's now being played on a lot of conservative outlets as the person most willing to speak the truth in the room in the world of democratic politics. It says something. about how broken, I'm not trying to crap on Fetterman in this moment, but how broken the Democratic Party is that it would take a Fetterman to start voicing these things that other people aren't saying. But nonetheless, he is going viral for many of the positions he's taken on just how flawed his own party is. All right, quick break. A lot coming up. Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show.
SPEAKER 26 :
It's the folks at Black Rifle Coffee. The Freedom, they have a number of different roasts over at Black Rifle Coffee. I think Silence or Smooth is like my current jam right now. That's like one of my favorites right now. But they have just the best coffee that you can get. They have their Freedom Roast. It's smooth, full flavor. You can save 20% using Codana. And with Black Rifle Coffee... I would highly encourage you to join the coffee club. That's also a great last-minute Christmas gift, too. You get free shipping and automated orders sent straight to your doorstep, so you always have the convenience of having your favorite coffee on hand. But you don't have to freak out because you forgot to get some at the store. You don't have to make any last-minute trips. Veteran-owned, veteran-run, active-duty, and retired veterans are hired. Everything that they do pays homage to those who have fought for this country and for our first responders, for our law enforcement. They have not only the best whole beans, but they also have K-Cups ready to drink ground as well. And you can get apparel, kettles, grinders, mugs, and more. Everything you need for the perfect brew and to celebrate the perfect brew. Save 20% using code DANA. That's BlackRifleCoffee.com. Get your freedom on. And whatever you decide, again, 20% off code DANA. Only at BlackRifleCoffee.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 12 :
If you're a maintenance supervisor for a commercial property, you've had to deal with everything from leaky faucets to flickering light bulbs. But nothing's worse than that ancient boiler that's lived in the building since the day it was built 50 years ago. It's enough to make anyone lose their cool. That's where Grainger comes in. With industrial-grade products and dependable, fast delivery, Grainger can help with any challenge, from worn-out components to everyday necessities. Call, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.
SPEAKER 16 :
It's his life mission to make bad decisions. It's time for Florida Man.
SPEAKER 29 :
That's right. This is Florida Man on the Dana Show. My name is Greg Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. Three Florida Man stories out there for us. The first one, and this is definitely against bro code. This has got to feel like you broke a lot of rules. So two guys were having an argument about stuff, mostly a dispute over a woman. One guy decided to set fire to the other dude's motorcycle, which was a Harley Davidson. As I said wrong, Harley should always come before ladies. I'm not going to say it that other way. But they should, man. But anyway, during the fight and I guess the love triangle, the woman may have been romantic. Let's use that word for it with both men. A motorcycle took the brunt of all the harm for all involved. That's illegal. You get arrested for that kind of thing. Lieutenant was even quoted as saying that, you know, the affections from both gentlemen seemed pretty strong and the affection for the motorcycle seemed to make it an even more rough situation. I feel terrible, mostly because I love motorcycles. I used to have one, not a Harley. I had a Triumph Bonneville, which, judge it if you want, is a great bike. And if you don't judge it, awesome. I'm thrilled we're in the same boat. But never set fire to a motorcycle during a fight about a lady. Number two, as far as Florida man stories go, a Lyft driver said they heard a strange noise while driving their vehicle. They looked in the back seat, and this feels like the kind of thing, like I'm not judging. I know you're the victim here or somebody breaking into your car. Maybe, well, you weren't in it. But nonetheless, I feel like you should notice this sooner. But there was a naked Florida dude in the back seat of the car. So you look in the backseat, you're like, what is making that noise? And there's a dude with no clothes on sitting there hoping for a ride for free. That's got to be terrifying. The unclothed Florida man revealed that he got a little naked when he was talking to police. I don't know how you get a little and not a lot. You either are or you aren't in that world. There's no little amount of being naked and that he felt bad about the decisions he made. You are in trouble for that. that does wind up also getting you thrown in jail. Can't get naked and climb into somebody else's car, even if it says lift on the window. That's not how that works. You got to use the phone and app and, you know, you got to keep your clothes on the entire time. And then one last Florida man story. This one, you know, a feel good that I really like. So a Florida guy said that his dogs like to travel with him in the winter. He goes to cold weather climates and they have a bunch of fun in the snow. But this year he wasn't going to be able to take his dogs with him on a trip. So what did he decide to do? He bought a whole bunch of artificial snow, had it sprayed all over his yard in Florida, and then made viral videos of his dogs playing in snow for the day in Florida. Well, he's wearing like a t-shirt and shorts and playing fetch and all kinds of things with them. This is awesome for so many reasons. As a guy who used to live in the Midwest, who now lives in Florida, I know how much my dog personally loved the snow. My dog would stick her head. Her name is Mancha, which means spot in Spanish. My wife, who's from Mexico, named her. in the snow, and then pop up and run around. I'm sure a bunch of other dogs do this. But it was adorable to watch it happen. The joy of snow is something that happens for little kids and dogs. And so this guy, with all these videos, got to share this with his two pets. A bunch of people would think this was a waste of money and an insane thing to do. Bah humbugged all of them. Who cares to all of them? I love the fact that this went down and that the dogs seemed to have a whole lot of fun. And a bunch of viral videos means the guy probably made money from, this stunt in order to cover it. So I guess if you're someone that wants to do an elaborate gift for your pets on this holiday season, I'll find a way to make a viral video so you can make cash, make money off of the video and then spend like a drunken sailor, which is what I guess our government does all the time. And this guy might be accused of doing, but it is awesome. And again, there's videos all over social media of the winter wonderland the guy created in his garden by covering it in snow for a couple days or at least a day. I imagine when he did this in early December in Florida, it didn't last anywhere near as long as it would last a whole lot of other places. So the fun was there while it lasted, baby. And then it was over. But darn it, I will always be okay with an excessive gift to a pet. If that pet's a dog, because they're way better than cats. I say that every time. I know you'll write in your angry letters, and I don't care. Dogs are just better. All right, quick break. A lot coming up. Craig Collins filling in on the Dana Show.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 25 :
Celebrate the holidays with LockedInPrice at ShopRite. Enjoy unbeatable prices like bowl and basket family pack Italian sausage, $1.99 a pound, and cooked spiral slice smoked ham, just $1.49 a pound, all month long. Visit ShopRite in-store or online today.
SPEAKER 29 :
This is the Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. One of the biggest topics of conversation today was Joe Biden's decision to commute the sentence of 37 out of 40 death row inmates, almost all of them convicted of horrific crimes, many of them involving either mass murder or harming children. Three individuals left off of this list. Here's the thing that I don't understand. Well, there's a lot that I think I don't understand about this. But Joe Biden, President Biden, who we don't think is actually really running the country, according to a whole lot of reporting recently, and some of us felt that way for years before these moments where people are being more honest about this, said out loud in his statement that the reason he's doing this is to prevent Trump from from having a different opinion on these cases when Trump takes office in about a month. And here's the genuine question I have for you or anyone else out there. Why say that part out loud? What's the value of that? I know that they're determined, the left or Democrats, to continue to vilify Trump, regardless of whether or not what he says is actually in some way, shape, or form something you can be critical of or complete nothingness that they attack all the time, too. But in all honesty, it's because they need to get the political win of whatever these moments are. It's the same reason that the left needs to say out loud that they believe in DEI. If you truly believe in hiring people that look different because somehow that provides value as opposed to just hiring the people who are best for whatever the job might be. Why say that? It's always been my complaint. Not that I actually think DEI is a good thing. It's a terrible idea. You should hire people just on their ability to do a job and are relevant to what they look like or what sex they are or any of that other stuff. And that's a very obvious statement that a whole lot of people would have made years ago before it becomes a stupid thing like it is now. But in all honesty, the need to say this part out loud is what causes the criticism to land so much better. If Biden just excuses, well, he didn't actually remove them from jail. He just changed them to having life sentences without the ability of parole. 37 out of 40 of these cases and doesn't say the thing that we all know this is about. At least he doesn't actually, I guess, absorb the shot. And granted, I like honesty. I do. But the problem is that so often when politicians are remotely close to honest, they believe it benefits them. They're never honest with us because they think what they're saying is actually important to society or to us or to anyone at all. The only reason that they tell us that is they think it's going to give them a win. It helps them get some sort of other thing in the future. I have no idea for Biden what that could even possibly be. as his political career is absolutely over in every sense, shape, or form. But maybe it's the protection of the people who are actually running the show for him that's part of the reason he's doing that, too. I'm not sure. But that, to me, is the bigger problem than the decision to go ahead and commute these sentences, which, again, people convicted of absolutely horrific crimes, not exactly a political win there, but nonetheless is to say the part out loud that you could easily just not say. Other news, something else that I thought was pretty interesting. Tucker Carlson sat down for an interview talking about Speaker Mike Johnson, who is probably on his way out as far as the speakership goes for a variety of reasons. Two or three times now choosing to be more, you know, willing to agree with the demands of Democrats than actually stand stronger against them. You take a long time to pick who the speaker would be in the first place. You have some, you know, tumultuous moments there as far as that position goes. And then you put someone in power who's making deals behind closed doors that Democrats are thrilled with. That's not a good look as far as that person is concerned. Here is what Tucker Carlson said is as far as a reaction to the question. What's going on with Mike Johnson?
SPEAKER 21 :
why what you know it's an interesting there's something profoundly wrong um i don't i don't understand it exactly but i watched him make the number one priority of his speakership funding ukraine um without any audit at all at a time when the us order was open united states office being invaded and his priority was protecting the borders of the country that whose language isn't because i know something about this on america i'm is that the only country that he's whose interest is put above ours and so you know i don't overstate it i think that's a it's a kind of treason door yeah and it's very common washes up the only one but You know, once you see that, then you lose all faith in a man. And so I wasn't shocked by what happened, but I was very pleased to see Elon Musk just basically stop it single-handedly, which is amazing.
SPEAKER 29 :
Yeah, it was amazing to watch. and to see and to provide that level of exposure to some of those discussions when you're talking about Elon. But it certainly hurts Speaker Johnson, again, in multiple ways because when you continue to placate the other side, when your side is begging you not to do it, it's not going to give you a long political future even after such a resounding win on one side of the political aisle, would hopefully give you more strength to say, you know what, man, I can keep going. I can keep pushing the envelope here because that's what my side of the aisle wants me to do and not the opposite. But it is a crazy additional story just out there that some of the questions now revolve around how that process will go, who the next speaker could be, et cetera, et cetera, once Mike Johnson is officially done with the deal. I do love this, and I'll keep saying that I love it. Donald Trump, over the weekend, President-elect Trump, said that he might take the Panama Canal back from Panama. He said, the fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ripoff of our country will immediately stop. He goes on to say even further that it's outside of the spirit of what giving the Panama Canal to Panama was in the first place, all the ridiculous benefiting from it, and that if it doesn't go away, we're taking that thing back. We'll never let it fall into the wrong hands, but it's not going to be yours anymore. That's hilarious to hear him say and put out on social media. I imagine mostly because it's going to allow him to have a position in some sort of negotiation that the other side will be afraid of enough to play way more ball than if it's the kind of thing you'd even threaten. You couldn't picture most Democrats. Of course, you couldn't picture Joe Biden making a threat like that and having it even be remotely believed. Not that he'd actually do it, by the way. But there's no chance that it would be believed. And then you have Trump do it. Not only is it something that people think could actually be attempted or happen, but beyond that, it's just the kind of thing that... allows someone to sit down and say, we're really not messing around here. We are absolutely making sure that whatever discussion we have from this point on includes the potential that you make me so mad that I do this in reaction to it. That causes a whole lot of stuff to change. Another story out there that I was amused at over the weekend... There was a world record broken. 20,000 young Americans performed the single largest Trump dance in world history. This happened at a convention, and it was, again, hilarious. Benny Johnson, one of the political pundit people who actually got this to be a thing that occurred. The Trump dance in and of itself is amusing to me, because there are people... I think predominantly even young people who might not have had as strongly negative of an opinion of Donald Trump as maybe mainstream media wanted them to have. And then they see the Trump dance go viral. And I think it, you know, humanizes the person even more. And it's the kind of thing that people seem to quite enjoy, which I again found just hilarious that it was the thing that happened. But anyway, the single largest gathering of people to do the Trump dance in the history of our country happened over the weekend. And darn it, that record was one that needed to be broken, I guess. And then finally, there's this as far as more from that convention. Donald Trump spoke and said very plainly, very simply, very, you know, everyday guy kind of speech that he wants wokeness, any version of it to go away. This is another viral moment. A lot of people are complaining about this on the left and saying it lacks behaving presidential. But darn it, the crowd loved it. And most people probably loved it because of how many agree that the world as we know it has gone insane. And this is the best way to combat that insanity.
SPEAKER 03 :
We're going to stop woke. Woke. Woke is bulls**t.
SPEAKER 29 :
Now, granted, he's not the first person to say that. What's actually funny, I'm sure this isn't even the first time he said that, J.D. Vance used the exact same bad word, a thing I can't say on the radio, to talk about wokeness a few days before Trump does it on the stage he does it on, and it goes viral. Because, again, one of the things that is certainly different about that individual or this administration, and I don't need to say it to you as many times as maybe I do say it, is how refreshingly juxtaposed his behavior can be to everyone else in D.C. and how much everyone else in D.C. seems like a bad guy who's out for themself and not out for us. And granted, Matt Gaetz, who I'll probably bring up a little bit later on in the show, is another significant example. Now, granted, they're all accusations. Nothing has actually been proven in a court of law to be true. But these are things that are being said that are, you know, accusing that that excuse me, the committee is accusing him of doing. And they're bad. But I did have two thoughts quickly about that. And as I said, I'll dive deeper into the Matt Gaetz story a little bit later on in the show. The first one being is that so many political theater types of cases have come out against politicians that it makes you more likely to be critical of the idea that all of this stuff is true than you maybe would have been just a few years ago. And then also, and this seems to be as valuable as anything else in response to this story, part of the reason that Gates sort of willingly stepped away might be because of just how damaging all of these accusations themselves would be and the potential proof of said accusations that are claimed to be had. I'm not sure, again, but when someone willingly sort of disappears, not just removes himself from consideration for a cabinet position by Donald Trump, but actually fully steps down from a position within our government. You wonder what's causing that. And this may very well be it. Of course, this was it. I know a lot of people thought this was it. But the potential truth of some of these allegations might be part of the reason that everything as far as Gates's career has transpired the way it has. But we'll see. I wouldn't begrudge anyone who was still skeptical because there's certainly a earned right to be skeptical right now with so many things that we hear about narratives in our society. All right, quick break. A lot more. Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe to toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 25 :
Tis the season for Locked In Price at ShopRite. Enjoy unbeatable prices on holiday favorites all month long. Like bowl and basket family pack Italian sausage. Just $1.99 a pound. Or make your celebration extra special with cooked spiral sliced smoked ham for only $1.49 a pound. And don't forget Barilla Pasta. Just $1.29 each. Celebrate the holidays with Locked In Savings. Visit ShopRite or check the ShopRite app for even more deals. Certain offers exclude Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens locations.
SPEAKER 16 :
And now, all of the news you would probably miss. It's time for Dana's Quick Five.
SPEAKER 29 :
That's right. It's time for a quick five on the Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Two men in Texas stole $400,000 worth of Legos over the course of the last few months. These guys are named Brian and Ladarion. That's a sweet name. They're both 33 years old. They were caught in Fort Worth, Texas. Their crime spree involved several states, including Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Apparently, they specifically stole high-value Lego items like the Millennium Falcon, which is a crazy thing to say. Some of these items price out at $850 individually. I don't know how you get to $400,000. The way they were busted is cops pulled them over, found a bunch of stolen Legos in the car that they had stopped, and then were able to connect it to crimes that had a vast amount of additional thefts. which is nuts. You pull over people in a stolen car full of Legos, and you go, something's not right here, man. We got some issues. Another story, as far as the quick five goes, Oscar Mayer is looking to hire more Wienermobile drivers. So many jokes I can make right now. So many I promise not to make. But just in time for the holiday season. Anyone who's looking toward driving a novelty Wienermobile has the ability to apply. I love some of the qualifications of the job. It pays $35,000 a year. Not exactly great in the society in which we live. It requires a college degree. which is sort of surprising, and also an ability to navigate social media because you'd be expected to put up a whole bunch of social media posts. Far less surprising to be a Wienermobile driver. You do also get free stay in any hotel you're in, which just sounds normal for any sort of job that makes you travel as part of the equation. $35,000 a year seemed to be the worst part of the deal to me, but people will apply because they want a chance to drive the Wienermobile, and others will question why you want that job so badly. Other things out there? A large asteroid is approaching Earth that could hit on Christmas Eve. It's traveling 23,000 kilometers per hour. Obviously, it's unlikely to actually hit us, but it's a question that people are asking. What kind of a Christmas would this be if we actually have Armageddon be a byproduct of the discussion over the next couple days? Whoever wins the Mega Millions would be very upset if right at that time we also got hit with an asteroid. I shouldn't make jokes about this, man, but it's out there. It's a story. People are discussing it. I hope we know how to blow this thing up if it's actually barreling toward us. Other stories. TSA agents discovered a bunch of fake toy guns, knives, and other items inside a woman's carry-on. And after telling her that that's not an appropriate thing to travel with, even if they were gifts for the holiday season, they also released a reminder to anyone traveling this holiday season not to bring fake forms of what look like real weapons. when you put them through the x-ray machine, because you're going to get some questions asked of you. You're going to have some stuff taken away. It's not okay, even if they're toys. I find that hilarious that people needed that reminder. And then finally, one last thing, adult in nature. I'll do my best to talk about it quickly without saying everything. A study dove into the health harm that is done if you don't wind up having intimate times with your loved one. You don't wind up having, you know, romance in the bedroom. Apparently, it can cause all kinds of issues from mental health to actual physical health problems. And the opposite, having a healthy bedroom life can actually cause you to, say, put off things like cancer. So a bunch of dudes that are also scientists did a study that they then presented to all of their wives. I imagine that's exactly what happened, but it's out there and it's been proven now that a happy bedroom apparently makes you a healthy and happy person. More stuff in just a bit. Craig Collins filling in on The Dana Show.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 20 :
I was running until I wasn't. My hospital stay would have cost nearly $48,000, even with insurance. But with VA, I'll pay zero. And VA is the best, most affordable health care in America for veterans like me. Knowing that my family is waiting at home and a surprise medical bill isn't, that's good for my heart. My service was then. My benefits are now. Get what you earned. Visit choose.va.gov.
SPEAKER 15 :
Not all veterans are eligible for the type or amount of benefits mentioned here.
SPEAKER 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in. Thrilled to be with you. Dana is back after the holidays. You can find her all over, though. DLash or DanaLashRadio is some of the best places to stay connected to her on X on Twitter. Let's do this. Tom Holman, one of the nominees, one of the people chosen by Donald Trump to have an important position within our government and to be willing to kick out a whole bunch of people who are here illegally, gave a speech at Real America Voices. The Turning Point USA event that happens every year. This was a valuable moment in which he called out the mayor of Chicago specifically. And the crowd went wild. I thought this was a great because if you tell someone not to do a thing and they wind up with a position of power where they can do it anyway, odds are they're probably going to do it anyway.
SPEAKER 06 :
The mayor of Chicago, not a real bright guy. Says Tom Holman isn't welcome in Chicago. Well, guess where Tom Holman's going to be day one? Chicago, Illinois. You don't want me there? Come get me.
SPEAKER 29 :
Come get me. You don't want me to show up? I'm going to go ahead and do it. He also said that some of those gangs that are at the forefront of so many conversations, like the one in Colorado, that took over an apartment complex, he's coming for them. And he's coming for them as soon as he gets into office as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Your days are numbered. My gang's bigger than your gang. And we're going to take you out of the country. We're going to port you out of here.
SPEAKER 29 :
I do like the my gang is bigger than your gang thing that he said a few times now. That would be one of them because any small operating gang in this country is not going to be able to stand up to Tom Holman and his forces, which is going to be awesome to see. And he also complained about the fact that so many Democrats are saying they're going to try to prevent Tom Holman from doing the job he was asked to do. and essentially supporting the idea of keeping dangerous people inside our country who have no legal right of being here. Tom Holman has continued to say that he's not going to mass deport every individual who's here illegally. Not that I'm saying that's necessarily a bad idea in and of itself either, but not the position of the conversation, yet the only way in which Democrats are willing to talk about this and accuse Holman of doing something that's somehow wrong or Terrible, even though it's really just following the law. You're not allowed to be here. You probably shouldn't be here. But nonetheless, I digress. I can move on from that. Something else that I think is interesting out there, and this is going viral again. This is from November, actually, even before the election had happened. So Tulsi Gabbard is not sure in this moment when answering a question who is going to inevitably win the election in November. But she's answering a question about the problem with our country, the problem with the deep state or whatever you want to call it that exists in Washington, D.C., that causes so many things to not benefit the American people. So many decisions, so many financial choices out there to have such a lasting impact in a negative way on all of us. And I think it's interesting because you have Tom Holman saying what he's saying about upholding the law and removing violent people who are somehow still in this country, even though they're here illegally. You have several other nominees of Trump saying that they will go after the corruption within whatever the system is that they've been asked to run. And then you have Tulsi Gabbard saying some of the most basic stuff about the problem that exists in D.C. And she is threat number one, according to a lot of Democrats, of being someone put in a position of power, excuse me, that they would be terrified of. This is exactly why.
SPEAKER 19 :
The troubling part about all this is it's not even people who we vote for. When you look at... what happened when president biden had that infamous debate with president trump uh it exposed the reality that many of us have known for a long time which is that president biden has not been the guy calling the shots he's not been the guy making the decisions nor has it been kamala harris for that matter nor will it be if she is elected president it is this cabal of You know, the Democrat elite, the the woke warmongers made up of the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and, you know, Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan and, you know, people who. are in the military-industrial complex, people who profit from us being in a constant state of war.
SPEAKER 29 :
Yeah, people who profit from all the different ways in which the government just hands itself money. It is interesting for her to name names, a lot of names that other people believe are relevant to the discussion, as she is being gone after. And the way in which she says this is so controlled. It's not crazy and unhinged, the way some might accuse it of being. Even more so than that, she's someone who at one point was a Democrat. At one point, like Donald Trump famously said during his debate with Hillary Clinton, I know about some of these problems that exist in our society because I've benefited from them. A moment that Dave Chappelle says turned Donald Trump into a political star. But nonetheless, Tulsi Gabbard feels like she's cut from that same cloth of being willing to say that these things exist. I've seen them exist during my time in D.C. or my time wherever, and I'd like to see them no longer exist. And I'll say this again and I'll say this to anyone who asked this question to me. If someone truly isn't up for the position they've been nominated to hold and they're actually put in a position of power by being confirmed by the Senate or by the House or the whole process that goes through in order to let them be a person in charge of the Department of Defense or whatever it is, if all that happens and then they fail. You can remove them. I don't know why we pretend you can't remove people from these positions. It is crazy that they act like that can't happen. Because to me, if you're putting people that are political outsiders into positions of power, hoping that they upend the problems with deeply entrenched corrupt issues or deeply plagued versions of our bureaucratic system, One of the things you know will happen is they won't be cutting favors for friends because they didn't build their whole career inside those industries, inside those departments, inside of whatever it might be that they're asked to be in control of. And so it will be better for us. And if they fail, you remove them. You know, the lasting impact of someone in a position of power in some of those places doesn't have to be anything anywhere near what they say it is, because it's not like this is a lifetime position that you can't be fired from. You can be and maybe you should be more often. than we see in politics quite a bit more honestly because people fail and get to keep their job for quite a bit of time. Alejandro Mayorkas, one of many examples that come to mind is someone who's profoundly failed over his time as head of the DHS and yet still no big deal. It doesn't matter what Alejandro Mayorkas does or how wide open our borders get, you know, because darn it, it'll all be fine once he's no longer in power, I guess, or I don't know what the actual decision would be to keep him for as long as they did. But the Biden administration didn't care that he wasn't doing his job well. That's something I hope that changes too. All right. I want to play this audio. Fetterman has been all over the place as far as quotes from his ABC interview. John Fetterman, the senator, being willing to say out loud what a lot of other Democrats are not willing to say out loud. This is another one of those moments. It would not have been on my bingo card or whatever you want to call it at the beginning of this year to think that Fetterman would rise up as a voice of reason within the Democratic Party. Of course, if you rewind long enough, you were worried Fetterman would even last as a senator because he didn't seem mentally or medically capable of staying in the role he was in. And granted, it's sad if it's a medical reason that someone can't be a politician or anything in our society, but it seemed like it should happen. that he should be asked to step down. Now, after getting, you know, some health things improved and saying, I guess, the things he's been saying, he's probably someone that a lot of conservatives are happy is a Democratic politician. Not that you wouldn't vote a conservative into office instead, but that he is willing to say out loud what most people in his party refuse to speak, including this.
SPEAKER 30 :
Do you think he has the potential to be a successful and a good president? I hope. I hope. Because I'm not rooting against him. If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. Fantastic. And I'm not ever going to be where I want... a president to fail. So country first. I know it's become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be truth.
SPEAKER 29 :
Yes, it happens to be truth. Country first. I don't want to root for a president to fail. I don't want to root for this party to be in control when things are bad so that I can blame them for that. And when I get into power, I go ahead and do different stuff and feel like I'm winning some sort of political fight. I just want our country to actually succeed as a whole. And nobody really says that. Granted, some do on the other side of the aisle. You don't hear a whole lot of Democrats say that in that way and be willing to tolerate whatever version of Trump they think is evil and horrible and out there in the world. But I love that. And as I said, Fetterman is being quoted a lot now or audio of him in interviews is being used more often because many of the things he's saying seem to have a tremendous amount of value to a whole lot of people. who would have voted that side into power, not just necessarily people who traditionally vote for guys like Fetterman. One last thing I want to play. This is Rand Paul complaining about the way that the government might use the drone situation in New Jersey to pass a bill that would infringe upon all of our rights as people, our privacy. Two things. I don't care. Maybe it's a little bit naive to say it this way, but I will. I don't care if the conspiracy theorist is right and say the drones have been flown by the Biden administration in the hopes of then scaring enough Americans into allowing for a bill like this to exist. or if they were flown by somebody else, and then opportunistically, people in a position of power in the government see an avenue to get a bill passed that interferes with your right to privacy. Either scenario could be true. It could be seedy from jump, or it could be seedy after they realize that they had a chance to do something here. And I've heard descriptions both ways. What I care more about than how this happened is, is what we do to prevent it from being a thing that actually winds up benefiting those in our government who want to take away more of your privacy. But here's what Rand Paul said about the craziness of this bill that's supposed to be designed to protect us from an unknown threat of a drone that we don't know where it's coming from or who's, you know, using it, et cetera, et cetera. This seems insane.
SPEAKER 05 :
The bill before us would grant law enforcement significant authority to intercept private electronic communications without consent. For example, the bill would allow the government to conduct dragnet surveillance of the phones innocent Americans traveling through U.S. airports as long as the government claims they are doing it to neutralize a drone. So in order to look at the information that might be coming to a drone, it may be that you capture all the information of everybody surrounding an airport or everybody who lives near an airport. Once you have all that data, what are the assurances that the government isn't looking at your data in addition to the data that may be related to flying the drone?
SPEAKER 29 :
None. The answer would be none there, and of course we expect that to be the case. So again, sometimes when I get in an argument with a buddy of mine who's more of a conspiracy theorist than I am, the argument isn't even about whether or not they're right or wrong, because sometimes it's hard to prove that stuff, almost all the time it is, and it really doesn't matter. Once we're at the point where they're trying to change the law to benefit them the most, that's where we have to both fight back and say that it's wrong, and the Rand Pauls of the world that we put in positions of power have to fight back and stop it. Because no matter how we got here, we need to make sure we don't progress to the place that neither of us want us to be. That part matters more to me. All right, quick break. A little bit more coming up. Craig Collins filling in on the Dana Show.
SPEAKER 07 :
Recently, a new client called me and started by saying, Mr. Morgan, I really need your help, but I'm just a nobody. Those words stunned me, and I immediately called him back, and we're now helping him and his family after a terrible accident. I'm John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan. Everybody who comes to our firm at their time of need is a somebody. I grew up poor, but my grandmother was like a queen to us. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to level the playing field for you and your family at your time of need. The insurance company has unlimited money and resources. You need a firm who can fight them toe-to-toe. For right at 30 years, we have fought them in courtrooms throughout America. Our results speak for themselves. And always remember this, everybody is a somebody and nobody is a nobody. Visit ForThePeople.com to learn about our firm. Morgan & Morgan, For The People.
SPEAKER 08 :
Injured? Visit ForThePeople.com for an office near you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now during the Jeep Wrap-Up the Year sales event, well-qualified current FCA lessees get a low-mileage lease on the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 for $249 a month for 24 months with $4,099 due at signing. Tax, title, license extra. No security deposit required. Call 1-888-925-JEEP for details. Requires dealer contribution and lease through U.S. Bank. Current vehicle must be registered to consumer at least 30 days prior to lease to qualify. Extra charge for miles over $20,000. Not all lessees will qualify. Residency restrictions apply. Take delivery by January 2nd. Jeep is a registered trademark.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 29 :
This is The Dana Show. My name is Craig Collins filling in during the holidays. Dana will be back sometime next week. I'm thrilled to have you to be a part of the show with you for the next few days. People are understandably very protective of their homes is how a story starts about a couple that is complaining about a, quote, serial pooper. Someone who had been showing up in their backyard and going to the restroom multiple times before they started to complain by putting up signs and video cameras, eventually a spotlight, all kinds of things that they thought would get this person to stop doing the thing they were doing. They found out it was a runner. who every morning at about the same time would run through the area and chose this as the location where they did their deed. No matter what this couple did, they wound up finding out that the guy didn't stop going to the restroom. Again, they created a spotlight that would kick on, cameras that would roll, photographs and even demonstrations. They had video of the person. They included doggy bags in the area where the person was going to the restroom, asking them to at least clean up after themselves. None of this mattered. The couple complained about it and went viral on social media. Whether or not the guy's actually in trouble for any sort of crime, and you have to imagine there are several he could be accused of, is yet to be seen. But the craziest part of this story More than one other person in the comment section reacted by saying they also had a serial pooper who was someone who ran in their own neighborhood, which is insane to me that more than one person would be dealing with this issue in a society in which we live, that someone would not care at all, disregard any common decency, and do this sort of thing in your backyard multiple times. But you have more than one example, as I said, of that actually occurring, which is crazy and out there in the world, and hopefully the serial poopers are caught. That is a PSA I stand by while filling in for the Dana on the Dana show for Dana Lash. Another thing I saw out there that was kind of insane. So a passenger on a flight recently tried to get up and open the, you know, a side door and who knows what they were trying to do. That's illegal. That gets you fully arrested. This didn't happen in the United States. So it was a flight happening, I think, actually in Thailand. And what I thought was crazy about it is some Americans were on the flight and were quoted as saying in all the years they've been flying, they've never seen someone try to get up and just open one of the emergency hatches or one of the doors that you're not supposed to be opening for whatever reason that they're trying to do it. That's a first for them. Thank God it's a first. I was actually happy to see in this story, unlike in the serial pooper story, there weren't a lot of people who were saying, man, that's happened to me too, because the world we know it is horrible. And these sort of things make it feel even more so when you see them out there and being reacted to. This is just crazy that someone would try to do this sort of thing, have no parachute on, essentially just try to harm others. As I said, that gets you fully arrested. Although I guess in retrospect, The one other thing I would say about this is anytime I complain on a flight and I'm upset with someone for being an idiot, whatever way they're an idiot, I guess I should be happy that they didn't try to open one of the doors mid-flight and cause even worse problems for all of us. I guess there's always something worse. Out there is what I'm saying, that you can expect to be a thing that causes you to maybe feel like, all right, fine, that person who went crazy and had to get thrown off my flight wasn't as bad as they thought they were, because at least they didn't try to kill us all. And then actually, in regards to that first story I just told a second ago, at least they also aren't taking a crap somewhere in my backyard. I can't get over that, man. That's a thing that happens. What kind of runners are so in need of the long-distance run training that they just do this during the training every day and just leave it? no matter how many things are being done to try to prevent them from doing it. Do better, people. That's actually what the couple said in one of their notes to the person that was leaving them these undesired gifts and these undesired Christmas presents that were not wrapped. What a weird time to be alive in this world in which we live. All right, that's it for me. I'm out of here for today. Craig Collins filling in on the Dana Show. Happy holidays, everybody.
SPEAKER 01 :
Lights are going up. Snow is falling down. There's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing. McRib is here. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere. Stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only McRib is here.
SPEAKER 11 :
At participating McDonald's for a limited time.
SPEAKER 14 :
This holiday season, discover the gift of adventure with the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid. Whether it's driving to a cozy cabin or gliding through snow-covered streets, you'll get there with all-wheel drive and hybrid power, making every journey smoother, safer, and more efficient. With fuel-saving hybrid technology, you'll spend less time at the pump and more time with loved ones. Plus, sleek design ensures you'll arrive in style. During the season to move you, visit your local Mazda dealer to test drive the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid or visit MazdaUSA.com.
In this compelling episode of The Kim Munson Show, Kim speaks with Helen Raleigh, an American entrepreneur and writer, about the pervasive influence of socialism in today's society. Drawing from her personal experiences growing up in communist China, Helen highlights the potential dangers these ideas pose when introduced as seemingly helpful public policies. They explore how concepts designed to control, such as minimum wage laws and price controls, often result in adverse consequences for the very people they aim to help. Tune in to discover essential insights into the ongoing battle between freedom and force.
SPEAKER 16 :
It's the Kim Munson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 15 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water. What it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 16 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 15 :
Under this guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 16 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 15 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 16 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 15 :
Indeed, and welcome to the Kim Munson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured, you're valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. And thank you to the team. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa. and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. And check out the website. That is Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at Kim Munson dot com. And thank you to all of you who support us. We are an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And the show can be heard on all KLZ 560 platforms. We broadcast 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. The first hour is rebroadcast 1 to 2 in the afternoon, second hour 10 to 11 at night. And those KLZ platforms are KLZ 560 a.m. KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, and the KLZ app. And then we do publish the show with a written summary and a podcast. Once that happens, you can listen to the podcast also on Spotify and iTunes. And we are pre-recording these shows for this week of Christmas with very special guests. And to kick all this off is Helen Raleigh. And she is a chartered financial analyst and She's an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker, and a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. She's the author of several books, including Confucius Never Said and Backlash, How Communist China's Aggression Has Backfired. Her latest book is in the second edition of The Broken Welcome Mat, America's Un-American Immigration Policy and How We Should Fix It. You can follow her online. on Parler and Twitter at H. Raleigh. That's spelled R-A-E, excuse me, R-A-L-E-I-G-H speaks. So H, excuse me, one more time, H. Raleigh speaks. Helen Raleigh, welcome. Good morning, Kim. That's a lot, but it's important that people just understand your vast experience. You immigrated from China. That's why these books are so important. And you're just a really amazing writer. And I wanted to start with this piece that people can find at Substack. And they can just put in your name and they will find it. And it's this article regarding it could happen here. And so where should we start with that, Helen Raleigh?
SPEAKER 14 :
well so it's actually based on the talk i recently give at a young americans for freedom foundation i have a really good relationship with them and they normally organize conferences for high school students as well as college students so i recently traveled to california to speak to a group of high school students who were there attending free enterprise leadership conference So the it in the title really refers to socialism slash communism. I know we often use these two terms interchangeably. They're slightly different, but they both are tyrannic economic and political systems. As you mentioned in your introduction, I grew up in communist China, so I had a firsthand experience in living under the tyrannic socialism slash communism. And so I used my experience as well as the contrast with some of the things I observed what's happened in America and want to my purpose was to educate the high school students about because socialism could happen here actually I gave some example of some elements already happening here that I want everyone including us as well as this future leaders to be eternally vigilant about preventing socialism happening in America.
SPEAKER 15 :
So what are the things that you see, Helen Raleigh, that are happening here that you remind me of your experiences growing up in communist China?
SPEAKER 14 :
So one element, a couple of them. So let me give you a first example. First example was, especially when I was growing up, I mentioned on your show before that I grew up with a food ration because China had a price control. The Chinese government imposed a price control on all the supplies of food as well as nationalized the distribution of how many people were allowed to have food. amount of food, how much food each person was allowed to have, like how many pounds of rice you're allowed to have and how many ounces of cooking oil or meat you're allowed to have. And the whole rationale behind the price control was to keep the price low, keep the price affordable. So it sounded like an honorable goal, but what the reality was, that there was a widely spread shortage because the price control destroyed incentives. So there was no, the shelves are empty. And I told the kids that, you know, it really doesn't matter what the price, the government says about the price of the bread, right? They can say the price of bread is zero, but if you can't find anything in a grocery store after you stood in line for four or five hours, it meant nothing. And so in contrast, we all heard that Vice President Kamala Harris was promoting price control as one of her policy ideas to keep food inflation down in this country, even though her administration's policies was the root cause of price, you know, food price inflation. So that's just really shocking to me. And so that's one example of something failed, some policy idea failed in China before and now somehow get a second life here in the United States.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and I'm just going to mention another headline that I saw recently. Whenever government gets involved in something, it really causes problems. So Gavin Newsom, California did a forced minimum wage of $20. I guess that went into effect in April. Ostensibly, this is to help people so that they can be able to live on a quote-unquote living wage. Well, what happened, there will be some... excuse me, some people that will be paid $20 an hour, but over 6,000 people lost their job. So zero is a lot less than $20 an hour. The fact that people lost their jobs is the actual effect of, again, a forced minimum wage.
SPEAKER 14 :
Exactly. That's the thing. That's one thing I really want to convey to the kids. I call them kids because they're high school students. It really is that you should not judge a public policy simply based on its intention. You really have to evaluate based on consequences. And I urge them that I say all the problems we face in life, there is always a free market solution. But when you're seeking government for a policy solution, you always end up creating more problems. And the minimum wage law is a perfect example of how it ends up helping only a small group of people who get to keep $20 an hour job, but most people have to be laid off because the restaurant has very thin profit margins, and so they couldn't afford. And also, the people who are already struggling, American people who are struggling with food inflation, Can you imagine how much a restaurant has to charge a burger if they have to increase the minimum wage to $20? I mean, how many people can afford to pay for $25 a burger or to feed a family of four? So those are very short-sighted government solutions, only ends up making the problem worse.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and so ultimately then what happens to people? They lose their jobs and there is such dignity in work, being able to trade value for value and being paid to do that. But when government is coming in with these policies and limiting jobs, what happens to people then?
SPEAKER 14 :
But people are forced to, you know, restaurants forced to close doors or move to different locations, normally out of state. And then people would have to get on welfare or, you know, retrain themselves to find another job. And it's not as easy said, you know. as we imagine, because sometimes it's very difficult for people to transition from one career to another career. So this just adds so much stress. And we've already seen this. Many restaurants, even including large restaurant chains, they're shutting down, moving out of state. And the people are leaving California. We've seen many of them move to Colorado. Unfortunately, the Democrats in Colorado are trying to follow California needs and to increase minimum wage here, too. Basically, what we are witnessing is the Democrats continue to re-implementing, re-impose the same failed ideas everywhere else, and somehow they have this fantasy. They are smart enough to do it right this time. We never see them do it right, but they still have this confidence that they're going to do it right this time. Somehow the bad ideas that failed in other places will not fail under their watch. But that's just a fantasy because the bad ideas ALWAYS FAIL BECAUSE IT VIOLATES THE ECONOMIC 101 AS WELL AS HUMAN NATURE.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and so ultimately socialism comes down to force. And I think a lot of people think that socialism means people can get free stuff. But again, free stuff, if there's no free stuff to be had, so what? But you can't give to one person what you haven't taken from another. So to take from the producers, to give to the non-producers, ultimately the producers will go out of business or quit producing. People will really be in dire straits. People will be very hungry and won't have freedom to go after their hopes and dreams. And so ultimately, socialism is not about free stuff. That's the carrot to get people to vote for it. It ultimately comes down to force because it's a terrible idea.
SPEAKER 14 :
Right. So socialism, you only get a free stuff maybe for the first couple of months or a year. But like Margaret Thatcher said, socialism always ran out of other people's money. And that is why, regardless of locations, language, or people's cultural background, Socialism failed in China, Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela, and all these places people speak different languages, have different cultures, and yet socialism failed with the same paralysis, such as widespread shortage of everything, especially on food, starvation. lack of health care, despite the promise of free health care. But there's a shortage of doctors, shortage of medicine, and, you know, economists, you know, going bankrupt. They just have the same symptoms. Nobody can do it better because it's a bad idea to begin with. And it's more than just about a force. It's also about envy, right? It's about... ENVY THAT INSTEAD OF INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SAY HEY KIM DOES BETTER THAN ME THAT I SHOULD ASPIRE TO WORK HARD TO GET EDUCATION AND FIND A GOOD JOB AND SAVE MORE JUST SO I CAN REACH KIM'S LEVEL INSTEAD OF BE ASPIRATIONAL IT'S ABOUT ENVY IT'S ABOUT HEY KIM'S DOING BETTER THAN ME NOW I HAVE TO GO TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR HELP IMPLEMENT POLICIES TAX KIM MORE OR TAKE WHAT KIM HAS And, you know, from her, even though she's the rightful owner and distributed it to other people. So socialism is really coming down to envy and the force. Yeah, free stuff is just a facade. You know, it's appearance, but it's never, it doesn't last very long.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it doesn't last very long. And I'm talking with Helen Raleigh, and she is an amazing writer. You can find her at The Federalist, also at Substack, and then in many of the national publications as well. And the show comes to you because of our sponsors. And for everything regarding insurance, reach out to the Roger Megan State Farm Insurance team. You might be able to save money if you bundle your insurance together. Roger's been in business for 48 years. taking great care of his clients, his family, and giving back to the community. So give them a call at 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 01 :
So I switched my insurance to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Agency. Get this, I actually talked to Roger Mangan, who has been helping people with their insurance coverage in our community for 47 years. He helped me create a State Farm personalized price insurance plan for my home in Otto and explained affordable options. For personalized service and peace of mind that you are working with a team that cares about you and your family, call Roger Mangin now at 303-795-8855. Kim highly recommends the Roger Mangin State Farm Insurance Team. Again, that number is 303-795-8855.
SPEAKER 12 :
Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love The Kim Munson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at KimMunson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMunson.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMunson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice as we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And a sponsor of the show has been with me since before it was The Kim Munson Show. is Hooters Restaurants, and they are sponsors of both the Kim Munson Show and America's Veterans Stories. How I got to know them was in a very important story about just the things we're talking about, proper role of government, these foundational principles of capitalism or socialism. And so it's a story regarding free markets and capitalism as how I got to know them. And so check that out at my website. The whole story is there. But they have five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster, and Colorado Springs. Great place to get together to watch the football games. They have great specials for lunch and happy hour Monday through Friday. Talking with Helen Raleigh. And she immigrated from China. She is an American entrepreneur. She is an American, a citizen by choice. And she's a writer and speaker. And she has written several books, among them Confucius Never Said, Backlash, How Communist China's Aggression Has Backfired. and the second edition of The Broken Welcome Mat, America's Un-American Immigration Policy and How We Should Fix It. These are very important books, and I would recommend that you have them on your Freedom Library or in your Freedom Library at home. We're talking about socialism, and it could happen here, which is a speech that she gave to Young Americans Foundation, And we talked about price control, but what would be a current example of socialism, Helen Raleigh?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, a more current example, some of your listeners have probably heard about the social credit system in China. SCORES BASED ON THE BEHAVIORS OF CHINESE PEOPLE, INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS, AND THE SCORES ARE BASED ON WHAT BEHAVIORS THAT THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED, WHAT BEHAVIORS THE GOVERNMENT DISAPPROVED. SO YOU GET A BAD SCORE AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUNISHED. YOU COULDN'T TRAVEL, YOU COULDN'T airline or train tickets and your kids could not go to school, you may not even get a promotion at work. But if you are on the government's good list, then you may get a lower mortgage rate and better schools for your kids. So there will be a reward that comes with that. That in contrast to something we're having here in America is the debanking. That's a relatively new phenomenon, but basically it's about how financial institutions in the West basically tell their customers, even though the customer has done nothing illegal, but the bank will suddenly severely banking relationship with them. So one of the most famous examples is the former first lady, Melania Trump, soon to be our first lady again, that she mentioned in her latest biography that she was a long-term bank, debanked her severe relationship with her after January 6th, and also refused to open a bank account for her son, Barron Trump. They did nothing wrong, only because their famous last name. And there are many other examples about crypto entrepreneurs who are also debanked by the financial institution. And this basically Now we're seeing Americans, Americans, law-abiding Americans being punished for their perceived political views or even religious beliefs. And this is deeply troubling.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it is deeply troubling because the next thing that's going to happen is it's not going to get better. And when you have bullies that are doing this kind of stuff and people think, well, if I keep my head down and I don't say anything, then maybe they won't see me. Ultimately, this will devolve into a very dangerous situation, I think, Helen Raleigh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, absolutely. And this is what I try to emphasize. I think not enough people know, not enough Americans know about this. Because just imagine this. We don't even have to imagine. Just look around. We live in an increasingly very digitized society, right? So everything, you know, especially banking, everything is done online. So when you are debanked to buy the bank, you will have a hard time to get paid. which means you're going to have a hard time finding a job because if the employer cannot pay you online, they most likely will not offer you a job. And it's very difficult for you to pay somebody else or pay a business to get the goods and services you need. So basically, when you're being debanked, you're basically being shut down, being cut off from participating in almost every aspect of this modern society, of your life, life needs. So it's no different than you being thrown into a digital prison. So I think this is why this is something very serious. We need to talk about this more, because so far the debanking affected a small group of Americans, But again, they are law-abiding citizens like a millennial Trump. They have done nothing wrong other than they've been perceived that have different political views, and they get punished. And the only reason the financial institutions are doing this is because they get a hint-hint from the federal government, from the current administration to say, oh, we don't like these people. We think that they are terrorists or dangerous or whatever, give them a label based on their political or religious beliefs. Then they're being shot out.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, what about, can't we have a, shouldn't there be a company that's going to pop up that would not do that? Couldn't we have competition in the marketplace that would prevent this?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, but it takes time to build institutions. It takes time to build this. And also the same institution will be subject to the same regulations, right? So there's a piece I just wrote for the Federalist. So there's a regulation called the Bank Secrecy Act. Basically, financial institutions... EVEN THOUGH THE ACT IS VOLUNTARY, BUT THEY ARE GENERALLY, THEY ARE SO AFRAID, THEY ARE FORCED THAT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT A LIST OF ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIORS. behaviors, the definition has become so wide. It used to be dealing with money laundering, but now the FBI created this screen list of even people who are buying a Bible or people who shop at a Cabara's to buy guns and ammo. Those could all be considered as suspicious behaviors. So now more and more Americans, their financial activities have been swallowed and been reported. They are being spied on by the financial institutions on behalf of the federal government. So, yes, there's a free market solution, but it takes time to build that. Really, the number one priority for the income Trump administration is to REFORM, WORKING WITH THE CONGRESS TO REFORM THE BANK SECRECY ACT TO MAKE SURE THAT AMERICANS ARE PROTECTED FOR THEIR FREE SPEECH AND NOT BE
SPEAKER 15 :
Wow. This is, do you think, okay, so under the, I could see this happening potentially more and more under the Biden-Harris administration. Do you think the Trump administration will get this turned around?
SPEAKER 14 :
I hope so. So this act, this Bank Secrecy Act, it's a very antiquated law that was imposed back in the 1970s. So I think President Trump needs to work with Congress to reform or repeal this regulation. Basically, either to narrow it down back to its original purpose, to really just target criminals and not criminals. cast such a wide net against Americans or repeal the law entirely. But something needs to be done. Because I open my articles with this sentence. Our financial institutions know more about us than our own mothers. Because we do everything online. They can easily, based on where we shop, when did we buy what, create an entire profile of us. I don't feel safe. I don't know. I recently just bought a house, so I'm pretty sure I have to move money around, and I'm pretty sure I'm on some list already. And that just does not feel good.
SPEAKER 15 :
No, and I know, I think that we're on all these different lists, and we shouldn't, we should not be on lists. The American citizen, and I think that's something in the Constitution. We're supposed to be able to have privacy of our papers and our effects and all of that, and the idea that these financial institutions would share this information with the government is, it's unconscionable that it would happen, and it's unconstitutional as well, right? Right.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think so. That's why I think the incoming Trump administration really need to look into it. In my article, I mentioned Bank of America. So after January 6th, even before the Fed reached out to all the financial institutions, Bank of America, which is a nationwide, like have a huge presence, Bank of America voluntarily send the Fed a list of people with the spending, even though there's no criminal act happened, just send the Fed a list of people who were in D.C., had the spending, like whether even they bought a cup of coffee from a train station. It's all those data the Bank of America collected and then send it to Fed. Without even Fed, send a warrant. So basically, you know, if you're a banker, America's customer, you should be really concerned, right? Bank of America never informed you, and the Fed was, you know, snooping up your private data. If you just happen to pass by D.C. during that time, and you bought a cup of coffee at the train station or at the airport, now suddenly you're on the list. And that's ridiculous, and I believe it is unconstitutional. But I'm not a lawyer, so I let the lawyer decide that. I just think this whole thing is unconscionable.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and spying on citizens. You mentioned this bank secrecy law and then also the Patriot Act. Both of these things were ostensibly to go after criminals, bad guys, terrorists. But instead, it seems like they're focusing on everyday American people. And and I don't know who they is exactly, but that seems to be what's happening now.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, we know who they exactly. It's the federal government and law enforcement, especially the FBI. Basically, the Congress, the Judicial Committee, published a report. That's what my article was based on. So the Congress, this report, especially named the FBI as one of the notorious abusers, they basically A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AS AN EXTENDED LAW ENFORCEMENT ARM. BECAUSE IF THEY DIRECTLY GO TO THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ASKING FOR INFORMATION, THEN BASED ON THE LAW, THEY NEED TO AT LEAST FIRST HAVE A WARRANT. SO WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS THEY GIVE A HINT. Instead of directly asking for the financial institution providing information on certain people, they gave hints to say, oh, people who recently bought the Bible, it's kind of suspicious. Do you have anything? And then the financial institution, out of fear, they would go through their bank records and provide a list under this act. Of course, Bank of America was the worst offender. They did it even before FBI asked them to do anything. So that's why this whole thing, I hope everybody will go read this article. It's published today in the Federalist, and I will repost it on my sub-staff, but I hope everybody will go read it. Because last year, all the financial institutions in America filed over 40... I think it's about either 40 or 40 million reports. That's a lot of Americans being on those lists. It's just pretty ridiculous.
SPEAKER 15 :
That is getting ridiculous. I'm talking with Helen Raleigh. We're pre-recording these shows, and they come to you because of our sponsors. And for everything residential real estate, reach out to RE-MAX Realtor Karen Levine.
SPEAKER 02 :
With the limited number of homes in the Colorado Front Range market, Karen Levine can help you achieve your home buying or selling vision. Karen has the right connections, technology, and strategies to help you buy or sell your home or to purchase a new build. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or want someone to take the wheel, or you just need a second opinion, you can rest assured that RE-MAX Realtor Karen Levine is the right agent for you. Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516. Karen is the trusted professional who strives for excellence. That number is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 18 :
Boson Law is a local law firm dedicated to helping injured individuals in Denver and the surrounding areas fight for the justice they deserve. Boson Law focuses on personalized representation tailored to your unique situation with one-on-one attention and counsel and consistent communication. Boson Law personal injury attorneys have extensive trial experience and have successfully represented clients against the interests of powerful corporations, manufacturers, insurance companies, and government agencies. Contact Boson Law at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary in-person consultation. Again, that number is 303-999-9999. Call now at 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 05 :
If you would like to support the work of the Kim Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That's Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 15 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMunson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And I do support the USMC Memorial Foundation because they are doing such important work It is so important that we know our history, that we understand and hear these stories of those that have given their lives or been willing to give their lives for us and to honor them. And a great way to do that would be to make a contribution to the USMC Memorial Foundation before the end of the year. That website is usmcmemorialfoundation.org. Talking with Helen Raleigh, who is truly an American entrepreneur, even though she grew up in China. She is a successful writer and speaker and financial advisor. And she's just really an innovator. So let's talk about some innovation, American innovation, Helen Raleigh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you, Kim, for that kind introduction. So I think we should celebrate two of the greatest innovators, Americans, since yesterday was their, well, December 17th. 121st year anniversary of the Wright Brothers. I didn't know, I mean, I know about the Wright Brothers, but I didn't know December 17 was the anniversary. So I look at it up. On December 17, 1903, on a cold morning in a small town in North Carolina, the Wright Brothers tested their plane. And the plane lasted about 12 seconds. and at a height of 120 feet in air. But that's the 12 seconds that changed the life forever. I just find this is so fascinating to consider how much we have evolved from those 12 seconds from a little over a century ago now to Elon Musk's landing this giant spaceship in steel arms most recently, like a chopstick, steel arms, holds a perfect landing. The innovators, the people who continue use their talent and hard work to push our progress, human progress forward. I just find this is so fascinating.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and that human progress is the goal is human flourishing for each and every individual. And so that's why the free markets and capitalism is the way that that can be accomplished. When people are free to innovate and to create, the sky's the limit. And that's the thing about we started the show with socialism and communism and progressivism. They all believe that there is only a finite pie. And that you have to get your share of the pie, and it doesn't expand. That is it. And so you see the elites want to try to use public policy to get more of the pie, and ultimately that means then... In that finite pie, there's less for everybody else. It gets down to everybody's equal, but they're equal in their misery. They don't understand that through creativity and innovation, the pie can expand. It can get bigger and bigger. More and more people can have a piece of the pie. They can thrive and they can flourish and thrive. I don't understand why we can't get that taught to our neighbors and our kids. I guess it's because that narrative of the elites is pretty prevalent out there right now, Helen Raleigh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, and because this is one thing, when I was giving a talk, one kid during the Q&A, he did ask me, like, what are some of the comebacks in a debate with socialism, with socialists? One of the advice I gave her, and I will give it to your listeners, is, So socialists, when you debate with them, they always like to use the ideal of socialism in contrast to the reality of a free market. What I mean is the ideal of socialism is everybody will have everything. And they never explain how everybody will have everything. They just say everybody will have everything. Of course, their methodology is always to take it from somebody and to give it to somebody else. And in the process, the government, the collective, actually keeps the most of it, right? And so I said that's one. So when we debate the socialists, we should never fall into the trap to allow them to use that ideal state in contrast to in the free market. In free market, you know, yes, most people will be better off because of the rising tide lift all boats, but we're not all going to end up with having the same amount of the same thing, right? So that's why I think when we compare, when we debate socialism, point out their fallacy, we have to force them to come down to reality. We can't allow them to use the ideal state, which has never been achieved, and also which has been proven on the way to get there it always resulted in force and you know death starvation and the suffering so it's never been accomplished and the attempt to accomplish the result in death and suffering so we have to force them to come back to the reality use the reality of socialism in practice to contrast to the contributions and the the enormous achievement that the free market has been able to generate in the last 100 years. The last 100 years, socialism, communism produced over 100 million deaths and the deprivation. The last 100 years, you know, the capitalism, the free market has produced the human flourishing. You know, we move from 12 seconds, you know, a a still bird flew in the sky for 12 seconds to now we can travel across the continent in hours and where Elon Musk, an entrepreneur like Elon Musk, is planning to take a human to Mars cross in the cosmos. So that's what the free market can achieve. So the best way to debate the socialists is to force them to combat reality and compare to the real misery, real life misery of socialism in contrast to real achievement in free market.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and I think a lot of young people have been taught this, and they think that cronyism is capitalism. And cronyism is when big government and big business get in bed with each other and make it difficult on competition, and they pick winners and losers. And so then I thought this was so interesting because words are so important. is you heard the term crony capitalist. Well, those words can't be in the same sentence together. It's cronyism when you have government that is picking winners and losers. And so a lot of people have demonized corporations because of that relationship. And of course, corporations that want to exhibit cronyism, we need to call them out on that. But corporations that are providing a great service And providing for their customers and their clients and doing a good job and then are rewarded for that with more and more people using those products or services. Then they make money or what's called a profit, which is not a bad thing. It means they're offering value. And it's so important that kids understand that distinction, Helen Raleigh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Exactly. I agree with you. Cronyism and capitalism should not be in the same sentence because today we do not live in a pure capitalist society. Cronyism is the beginning of socialism. That's exactly what happens when Business and the government working together to set the barriers, competition barriers to prevent other people from getting involved and then to make product and process inefficient. And so it makes them less affordable, make it more difficult for consumers. So that is not capitalism. That is not a free market. Free market does not have those barriers. So the closest America has ever come to a free market was back in the 19th century. That's when the Wright brothers invented a plane. That's when John D. Rockefeller discovered commercialized oil. That's when Thomas Edison invented the light bulbs. All of them did it on their own they did not get a government subsidy that was a foreign concept to them they those were the golden ages entrepreneurs if they are waiting to take a risk if they have a good idea they just went they just went for it and they all became enormously successful we should strive to at least in spirit to back to that risk-taking era, you know, reduce regulation, lower barrier of entry, make our market as free as possible so other people, a young person who's out there who had a great idea, who had confidence, who's willing to roll up the sleeves and put sweat, tears, blood, equity in there, they're going to be successful. And that's what we need to get back to.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and I think that we're seeing this next generation start to blossom, I think, from an entrepreneurial standpoint. What do you see? Because you're around so many young people.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh yeah, I think there's definitely a culture shift. So I really applaud for that. Like those kids at the free enterprise conference that I attended recently, several of them came to talk to me afterwards asking for advice because they wanted to start their own business. And I really celebrate, you know, I really love that. And so, and I want to give a shout out to your son. You showed us, you know, your son Mark, you know, he created this fabulous board game. I really wish him successful. And I just, I love... young people out there that have a great idea and are willing to work on it, willing to put the time, resources, and energy to make something happen. And I applaud all the young people out there, and I also applaud all of us to be as supportive as possible, because that's how we as a society keep moving forward. That's how we improve people's living standards. That's how we keep our environment you know nice and bring fresh air clean water it's all through innovation and the creativity not by imposing ridiculous laws or regulations that limiting what the people can do we should encourage people to to do things that that will benefit all of us in the end
SPEAKER 15 :
I totally agree. And Helen Raleigh is truly the American story. The American entrepreneur grew up poor in China. And when we come back, she tells a story that is so amazing about a chocolate bar, which I think during Christmas is probably a good time to hear it again. But a couple of things. I wanted to mention the Center for American Values. It's located in Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo is known as the home of heroes because there's four centers. Medal of Honor recipients that grew up in Pueblo. And the center is a very special place. It has portraits of valor of over 160 of our Medal of Honor recipients. And then just what Helen is talking about, they have all these great educational programs for kids K through 12 to... to learn and relearn and think about these foundational principles of honor, integrity, and patriotism. And so check out their website. That is AmericanValueCenter.org, AmericanValueCenter.org. And for everything mortgages, reach out to Loren Levy. He can help you in 49 of the 50 states, just not New York.
SPEAKER 18 :
If you're 62 or older, a reverse mortgage could be a great tool regarding retirement and estate planning. It is essential to understand the process. Lorne Levy with Polygon Financial Group has nearly 20 years in the mortgage industry and has the experience to answer your questions. Lauren understands that each financial transaction is personal. If you'd like to explore your options on a reverse mortgage, remodel your home, buy a rental property, or move, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. Licensed in 49 states, Kim Monson highly recommends Lauren Levy for all your mortgage needs. Call Lauren at 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 11 :
You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 18 :
Franktown Firearms has all the firearms, accessories, and training opportunities your loved ones need this Christmas season, all under one roof. If your Christmas shopping isn't done yet, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't seen the remodeled Franktown store, you need to get down there today. They've completely redesigned the layout for a more welcoming atmosphere and for way more selling space. So if your loved one has been dropping hints about that brand-new optic for their hunting rifle and you're not even sure what it is, come on down to the gun store where friends are made, and they'll help you get to the bottom of it. Their clean and welcoming indoor range is perfect for your shooter to practice safely, and gift certificates are available so you can give them the gift of range time, an annual membership, or anything else in the store. Find out more about Franktown Firearms by going to their page on the klzradio.com advertiser page and come see why Franktown is the gun store and range where friends are made.
SPEAKER 15 :
Welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMunson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter, and you can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. And thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice. We search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And Ellen Raleigh, we started off with this piece about that you had written about, it could happen here. And the it is socialism slash communism. And it could happen here. Ronald Reagan said that we're only one generation away from the extinction of freedom, and that we each of us have to fight for it, each generation. And I find great hope that in this generation. I think there's a reawakening that is happening in America. I think we're in our third founding. I think it's very exciting. And there's so many people, so many entrepreneurs, so many people that love the American idea. But your story as a child growing up in China, poor, hungry, and a chocolate bar changed your life. And I love this story if you'd share that with us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Sure. I want to go back to the food rations just to set a context. So as I mentioned earlier that the Chinese government has had a very extensive and all-composing food rationing system because there was a food shortage. So the government decide each person based on your age and gender how many ounces of sugar you are allowed to have in addition to like rice and meat and stuff. So it's really measured by ounces. I'm not exaggerating it. And even with the ounces the government promised you, the sugar you're going to have, as I mentioned earlier, the grocery store shelves are often empty. So you're often stood in line for hours, and then by the time you had your food coupon, you walk into the store, the shelf's empty. So the ounces of sugar they promised to you was not available. Anyway, so as a kid, we all know that kids love candy, love sugar, so we never had enough sugar, never had enough candy. And when I was in, this was much later, so when I was in college, the things, the economy was better, but chocolate, you know, something as luxury as chocolate, chocolate was considered very luxury, was not, still not widely available. And our college had an American professor. He was the first foreigner I met on campus. So American professor. And he held a contest about, you know, English, give an English talk, speech, short speech for students. And I won the contest. And the reward was a Hershey chocolate bar, Hershey bar. And I never had anything so delicious, Kim. Now I think back, I always want to cry because it tastes so silky and so sweet. It just melts in your mouth. I never tasted something so good. And I wouldn't say it changed my life, but it definitely planted a seed in my heart. I basically decided someday I want to go to a place that I can have as much chocolate bars as I wanted to. Because it always bothers me in my young heart, like why I was not allowed to eat whatever I want. or how much I wanted. Why is there always a restriction? And that chocolate bar symbolized there's something better out there. There's a better way of living out there. And not everybody lived in this repressive way as we did. And I did not want to continue living this oppressive way. I wanted a different life. And I think that's what that chocolate bar symbolized for.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and the other thing, I didn't know this for many years, but you actually shared that with your colleagues, right? Yes.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, we have to, I have to cut it into small pieces because there's no way I get to have it by myself. I wasn't the only one who did not have enough sugar. Everybody else did not have enough sugar either. So yeah, so it is definitely, I shared it with several close friends because, I mean, it's a chocolate bar. There's really not that much into it. It's a chocolate bar. And so I did share it with other friends. And in a related story, there was a McDonald's. First, the McDonald's opened in Beijing. And during the summer, when I did an internship in Beijing, my friend and I went to the McDonald's. And the only thing we could afford was an apple pie. There's nothing more American than apple pie. And she and I shared an apple pie. And it was like we did not have any concept about a fast food restaurant. To us, going to McDonald's was like a luxury, like a treat. So we sat in there for hours, became the two of us, shared this little apple pie. This is something really magical about the McDonald's. That's why during the election, I mean, pre to the November election, when I saw Donald Trump, you know, all dressed up, put the apron on, had this, you know, worked in the McDonald's for 30 seconds, for 30 minutes, I don't think people realized how important that image was. Even if he was putting on a show, but there's something very Americana about it. McDonald's, about apple pies, about entrepreneurship, about how you build, you know, going back to build your wealth, you know, and working hard. All these American ideals, how we get there from such a young country and with an experiment. Nobody knew it was going to be successful. And now we are the most powerful, wealthy nation on the planet. And it's America's amazing story.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it is an amazing story. And Helen, you know, in the Bible, when it talks about the promised land and it'll have milk and honey, I've always thought of America and the milk and honey that we have in abundance here because of creativity and and innovation, and capitalism, and freedom. And these things are to be celebrated and teach our children to be creative. The sky is the limit because it is the limit. We need to protect these principles that have been under assault. And I'm so encouraged because I think people are realizing this and people are stepping forward. And I think that the next... You know, this next year offers great promise. Certainly there's we see dangers in the headlines as well. But we're Americans and there's something. And when I say we're Americans, Americans are people that love these ideals that all men are created equal with rights from God of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. That's the thing that unites us. It's a beautiful thing to unite us. Helen Raleigh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, absolutely. And I think that's the American ideal. I always say I identified as American before I even came to this country because America's ideal is universal, has universal appeal. That's why you see so many immigrants like me who came here with nothing, literally nothing, that we can... become successful and feel fit right in, you know, in this society. And that's the beauty of America, because Americana really stands for truth, beauty, and love, as well as freedom. And you're right. It's a freedom. It's a freedom to choose that created this abundance of things and high living standards that we all get to live a better life than where we started in life. And that's really something really beautiful and hopeful for America. And I'm with you. I think that next year, even though we have a lot to work on, but we also have a lot to hope for. I really believe this is a new dawn is coming for America. And a lot of people are waking up and they're ready to work.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think so, too. And Helen, I've said this to several people. I think that we are we're at a time in history. It's a remarkable time. And we were made for this moment. And I think that we are taking part in the third founding of America. Of course, there was the Revolutionary War, the Civil War. And I think this is such an exciting time. And it's a battle of ideas. You're out there on a regular basis with your pen and speaking about these ideas on a consistent basis. And I thank you for that. And people can find you at the Federalist Papers and at Substack. And it would be great if people subscribed to that as well, correct?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, I really appreciate the support because Battle of the Ideas needs voices and needs platforms. So the more people can subscribe, the more people can share and help to get the message out, the better. Because you're right, the Battle of the Ideas, it takes... more involvement. It takes consistent effort. So I really appreciate that people will go subscribe, the Substack letters, and go read at the Federalist and, you know, my website, HowToRoundItSpeaks.com, or follow me on Twitter. Just any help we can get. I think for you, too, Kim, you're out there doing the same amazing work, and I hope more people will continue to support your work as well, you know, because it's important. All these voices are important.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, all of these voices in this battle of ideas are important. And this has been attributed to Stalin. He said, ideas are more powerful than guns. We wouldn't let our enemies have guns. Why would we let them have ideas? And so that's why these ideas are so important. And again, where can people find you, Helen Raleigh?
SPEAKER 14 :
They can find me several ways. On Twitter, H. Rowley Speaks. My website, HelenRowleySpeaks.com. Or on Substack, they can just search my name. Or my Substack newsletter is also called Confucius Never Said, which is the title of my first book. Of course, they can find all my books on Amazon by just typing in my name.
SPEAKER 15 :
Okay, Helen Rowley, thank you so much. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2025. And Merry Christmas to you and all your listeners. And our quote for the end of the show is Samuel Adams. He said this, So my friends, today be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate in this well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals. And like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you. God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 08 :
Through the rain and lightning Wandering out into this great unknown And I don't want no one to cry But tell them if I don't survive I was born
SPEAKER 17 :
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 16 :
It's the Kim Munson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 15 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 16 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 15 :
Under the disguise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 16 :
Today's Current Opinions and Ideas.
SPEAKER 15 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 16 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 15 :
Welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is kimmunson.com. And a nonprofit that I dearly love is the Center for American Values. They are located in Pueblo on the beautiful Riverwalk. Pueblo is known as the home of heroes because there are four Medal of Honor recipients that grew up there. But it is really a very special place. And the portraits of valor of over 160 of our Medal of Honor recipients with their quotes is very inspiring. So I would recommend that this Christmas season that you take a road trip to Pueblo and visit the Center for American Values. That website is AmericanValuesCenter.org. Talking with Colonel Bill Rutledge, retired United States Air Force. And we have pre-recorded these shows for Christmas week. And the Boston Tea Party was December 16th, 1773. And Colonel Rutledge said we should do a show regarding the tea parties. But you said the precursor to all of this really was the French Indian War. And we went to break, just as you were saying that Washington, George Washington, had briefed General Braddock, the British general, that the battle with the French near Pittsburgh is not like what they're used to in Europe. So what happened then, Colonel Rutledge?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, the general didn't pay attention to George, and so he continued to march his soldiers sort of en masse and on. did not send out scouts to the front or to his flanks. And what happened, he got surrounded. And he believed in leading from the front like they would do in a combat on the coast of Europe. And so he was one of the first killed. And then shortly thereafter, Since the French and the Indians were all around them, their casualties were tremendous. They had about 2,000 redcoats plus their officer corps, and soon it was obvious that they were going to be decimated, and they had to withdraw. Washington, of course, was with the general as his aide, and George was the largest guy there. He was like 6'2 or 6'3". A big man, over 200 pounds, on a big horse. So he was a huge target. And the Indians and the French were all trying to shoot George and shoot him off the horse or shoot the horse and have him fall. They didn't. For some reason, it never happened. So he rallied the survivors and went back to Virginia. And... explained the situation to the governor there. And the governor recognized that this was not going to be successful there at that level. So he just sort of withdrew the men and did not pursue it any further in that area. But the battle on with the French continued, but it moved north. It moved up the Hudson Valley and on up into Canada. so that most of the rest of that French and Indian War, which was called the Seven Year War in Europe, was conducted up in Canada and along the border in Canada. So consequently, Georgia's involvement in the American activity was reduced because most of the fighting was with British soldiers who had come over, It wasn't with very many of the colonial people. So when the war ended after this seven-year period, so it's the early 1860s, I mean 1760s, then the British Parliament recognized that they had incurred a tremendous debt enduring this. So they elected... to have the people who were in America, the colonials, be taxed in some form or another to help pay for it. Their perspective was that they had sent troops over there to protect British citizens who lived in America. The colonial people didn't look at it that way. They looked at it as though It was continued English colonial expansion because England had gained all of Canada and the maritime provinces all the way up to Labrador. And they viewed this as a British problem and was not their problem. So the British started, the first thing they did to somewhat appease the French, but maybe just to avoid further conflict in that area, they put out an edict to the colonials that there would be. So anyhow, the first direction to the colonials were that there was to be no more colonization west of the Appalachian Mountains. Well, this did not go well with the Americans because they were in the process of Moving into that area, they'd been doing it gradually for a number of years, and even people like Washington and some of the others had staked out thousands of acres of land just west of the Appalachians. So it was a big investment for a lot of people, and there was great interest there. But it was just a start of what was going to happen. And this was in 1763, immediately after the war. And then later, the next year, in 1764, they decided to tax sugar. Well, it would be sugar and molasses and any byproducts that might be manufactured in America. But all of this was going to be taxed. So this was the first of a series of many things. Then they had another act also in 1764, Currency Act, so that we couldn't be printing our own money to use for things here in America. Then they came up with the Stamp Act, which we all heard of in high school. But that was what required that a stamp be put on all sorts of retail products. And this was, of course, controlled by the British colonial government. And again, the Americans had no voice in it. By this time, in 1765, the infamous Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. This required English stamps, which were basically a taxation act, to be put on all sorts of retail merchandise and even bulk items that would be shipped in from England. And it was a burden upon the people, but also it was a visible nuisance that they didn't approve of. So they started right away, the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty started started boycotting a lot of the imports from England. And then they started talking more openly about they didn't want taxation without representation. If the parliament at that time would have recognized their feelings and just had some token representations... from America to go to England and participate in some of these decisions, it might have alleviated the problem. But they didn't. So there was nobody from America in London who spoke on their behalf.
SPEAKER 15 :
Okay, Colonel Rutledge, let's go to break on this. We're talking with Colonel Bill Rutledge regarding the Tea Parties, also the French-Indian War at the beginning of America. And it's important that we have these discussions and we get to because our great sponsors. And one of those great sponsors is Lavaca Meat Company, which is that steakhouse experience at home. And I'm truly a blessed woman to work with amazing people. And one of those, and I'm blessed to work with amazing people. And one of those is one of my sponsors, Roger Mangan with State Farm Agent. Roger, it's great to have you here. And we've pre-recorded these shows for Christmas with amazing guests and wanted to get your reflections regarding Christmas.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Merry Christmas to you, Kim, and your family and all those you love. You know, when you asked me to comment on Christmas, my thoughts, I had a flurry of memories, physical memories, where my mother and I sat in front of a Christmas tree and decorated it days before Christmas and just connected with each other along with my brothers. Putting the final touches on the Christmas tree back in the 40s and 50s was angel hair. Any of you old enough to remember angel hair? That was wool that itched like heck, so you needed to be careful. So I have some very fond physical memories of those times. But also I look at Christmas as a time to thank those who helped me get where I am today, who led the way spiritually and also by example. There was a friend of mine who was a wrestling coach when I was in college, and he continuously comes to my thoughts because of the undiminished support he gave to me during his connection with me in over a four-year period. And what a role model he was. He used to have a sign over his door when you left his house. It would say, return with honor. And it's like, yeah, he was the kind of guy that forever has influenced my life. And I think there are a lot of us at Christmas that look backward with sadness, some with joy. But it's a time to look forward for a lot of us to renew our hope and in ourselves, the world, and the places we live and we want to be connected with. So I think Christmas is a very different holiday for everybody, even though we think it's the time for the birth of Christ and the renewal of Western values and culture. It is way more than that because it's not a single theme. It's many things.
SPEAKER 15 :
It really is, Roger. And reflecting on this Christmas, this Christmas, I've given myself permission to not have to have everything done within a certain time frame. And it has been somewhat liberating for me. And I used to think December 1st, you know, first day of Advent, whatever, that I needed to have everything ready. I realized that Christmas is the 24th. Advent's the preparation. So I've decided I'm going to prepare. I mean, I've kind of given myself a break this season.
SPEAKER 04 :
Good for you. I think it's time to catch your breath and probably say, you know... let me think about what I want to be in 2025 and how I'm going to get there and who helped me get where I am and be thankful and grateful and look back at them, pick up the phone and say, hey, just wanted to touch base with you and let you know how much you've meant to me in the past year or many years, and thank you for your friendship. You're on my mind, and let's keep connected.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I think that's true. And speaking of people that have helped you over the years, years and years ago, I was in a tough spot. And we get in tough spots. It happens. But I was in a really tough spot. And I had some friends that stepped forward and they said, just give her a chance. And that was when I first moved to Denver. they gave me a chance I got a job as a trainee at a stock brokerage firm and actually it it worked out really well so if you can help people out give them a chance I think that that's a great thing to do in 2025 don't you wonder if those people are still around that open that door for you and have you ever had a chance to go back and say hello Well, I did go back and say thank you. That was many years ago. But I said I will always work to try to pay that forward. And so I try to.
SPEAKER 04 :
Let me share with you something that I learned probably 24 years ago when our wonderful daughter Michelle passed away. I was at a church service and the minister brought forward something that has stuck in my mind forever. And it has to do a little bit with Christmas. And it goes like this. Life is short and you have oh so little time to share the path of life with those you love. So be quick to love. Make haste to be kind.
SPEAKER 15 :
Roger Mangan, that really touches my heart. Thank you so much. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you to Alice. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 04 :
Kim, let me close by saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everybody. Happy Hanukkah. May all of you have a great life and a future that's bright with optimism.
SPEAKER 18 :
Boson Law is a local law firm dedicated to helping injured individuals in Denver and the surrounding areas fight for the justice they deserve. Boson Law focuses on personalized representation tailored to your unique situation with one-on-one attention and counsel and consistent communication. Boson Law personal injury attorneys have extensive trial experience and have successfully represented clients against the interests of powerful corporations, manufacturers, insurance companies, and government agencies. Contact Boson Law at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary in-person consultation. Again, that number is 303-999-9999. Call now at 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 02 :
With the limited number of homes in the Colorado Front Range market, Karen Levine can help you achieve your home buying or selling vision. Karen has the right connections, technology, and strategies to help you buy or sell your home or to purchase a new build. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or want someone to take the wheel, or you just need a second opinion, you can rest assured that RE-MAX realtor Karen Levine Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516. Karen is the trusted professional who strives for excellence. That number is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 11 :
You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Munson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmunson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 15 :
and welcome to our number two of the kim munson show thank you so much for joining us you're each treasured you're valued you have purpose today strive for excellence take care of your heart your soul your mind and your body my friends we were made for this moment in history and i work with an amazing team that's producer joe luke rachel zach echo charlie mike Teresa, all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You will get first look at our upcoming guests and our most recent essays. We send that out on Sunday. You can email me at Kim at Kim Munson. Again, that's M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Thank you to all of you who support us. And you can hear the show on all KLZ 560 platforms. That's KLZ 560 AM. KLC 100.7 FM anywhere in the world on the KLC website or the KLC app. And the first hour broadcast 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Well, the show broadcast 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. The first hour is rebroadcast 1 to 2 in the afternoon and and the second hour, 10 to 11 at night. And Christmas week, Merry Christmas to all of you. We are pre-recording some very special guests, and I'm pleased to have on the line with me Colonel Bill Rutledge. He's retired, United States Air Force. Colonel Rutledge, welcome to the show. Thank you, Kim. And we had talked about doing a show regarding the Tea Party because the Boston Tea Party was in December. And so I thought, let's have some history. So where should we start regarding? And it wasn't just the Boston Tea Party. There were other tea parties as well. So where shall we start?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, first of all, most American students have heard of the Boston Tea Party in one level. of their American history. And we might as well mention the time. It occurred on the 16th of December, 1773. It was sort of a culmination of a lot of agitation and irritation on the part of the American colonials that had been developing over about a 20-year period. So we really need to go to the origin. And what was the origin was the French and Indian War. The reason being that the French and the English had been at one another's throat militarily for centuries. And they were vying for control of America. And the French had control of what is now Canada and the maritime provinces. And then, of course, we were right up against them. And then to the south of us was Florida, which was Spanish. And to the west, beyond the Mississippi, was really undesignated, but it was principally Spanish. So in 1754... The French decided they wanted to expand their control, and they wanted to have the control of that area down the Ohio River to the Mississippi, and then they would like to control the whole Mississippi Valley all the way down to New Orleans. So they moved a group of soldiers down to the area of Pittsburgh, right where the Ohio forms, where the Allegheny and Mahongahele River converge. And so they built a fortification there. And the governor of Virginia learned of this, and he was very concerned because the English had assumed that they had control of everything even west of the Alleghenies all the way out to the Mississippi River. And they felt that the French were infringing upon their territory. So the governor, he needed to send a message to the French. So he picked George Washington. And George Washington was about 22 years old. He was in the Virginia militia. But he was also a surveyor. So he had actually been... west part of Virginia, but he's also been beyond the Allegheny Mountains, so he was familiar with the territory almost all the way out towards where Pittsburgh is located. So he became the delegate to carry the message out. So on his first trip out, he got a few Indians just for interpreters, and he went out in the fall, and it was cold, and It took him several days to get there, and he took the message and gave it to the French commander. And it basically was telling them that they should abandon their fort and go back to Canada. Well, the French commander elected to write a lengthy written statement back to the governor of Virginia, which he did. So George took this message back and wrote, when he got back there and it was read by the governor, it was very explicit that they weren't going anywhere, that is, the French. So he formed a small, almost like a company of soldiers in the militia with a few interpreters and a few civilians, and they were going back out there to see if they could actually drive the French out of that area Well, when they did this second trip, they couldn't do it. The French were too numerous, and they were defensive in a good position, and they were allied with several of the Indian tribes in the area. So Washington, they had a few casualties, and then he turned and went back to Virginia and talked to the governor and said, they're serious, they're not going anywhere, and we lost a few men. Well, the British took great exception to this, and they were already fighting the French on the European coast area. And so consequently, they decided to send approximately 2,000 redcoats under General Braddock to come to Virginia and then press on and make the French surrender. vacate their area near Pittsburgh and go back to Canada. Well, when they got there, they looked for someone to be their guide, and the obvious person was George Washington, since he had been there. And so he became the aide-de-camp for General Braddock. And he tried to brief the general not to expect combat with the French like they had encountered on the plains in Europe, where you'd have lines of soldiers facing lines of soldiers in open and clear spaces. There were a lot of trees and many places to hide, and he, George, told the general that you have to have scouts out. You have to expect that you could have people on your flanks, and you must send out your your people to go out and represent the flanks.
SPEAKER 15 :
So, Colonel Rutledge, let's stop right there. Yeah. And we'll go to break. We're going to come back and continue this discussion about the French and Indian War. We have all these discussions because of great sponsors and really blessed to work with amazing people.
SPEAKER 03 :
Lavaca Meat Company takes great pride in selling only the best. Lavaca Meat Company is a third-generation family-owned business with its roots in eastern Colorado. Lavaca means the cow in Spanish. As our name implies, we only sell beef. No poultry, pork, bison, or game. Just premium quality, aged, mouth-watering beef. Our store is located at the corner of Maine and Nevada in the historic Coors Building in downtown Littleton. For a steakhouse experience at home, visit us in person or shop online at LavacaMeat.com. Lavaca Meat Company, only the best. Again, that's LavacaMeat.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
If you're 62 or older, a reverse mortgage could be a great tool regarding retirement and estate planning. It is essential to understand the process. Lauren Levy with Polygon Financial Group has nearly 20 years in the mortgage industry and has the experience to answer your questions. Lauren understands that each financial transaction is personal. If you'd like to explore your options on a reverse mortgage, remodel your home, buy a rental property or move, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. Licensed in 49 states, Kim Monson highly recommends Lauren Levy for all your mortgage needs. Call Lauren at 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 12 :
Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love The Kim Munson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at KimMunson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMunson.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMunson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. And we are pre-recording these shows for Christmas week. Very special guests. But before we get back to Colonel Bill Rutledge, I wanted to mention the USMC Memorial Foundation. And the memorial is located here in Golden, Colorado at 6th and Colfax. And Paula Sarles, who is a Gold Star wife, a Marine veteran, and the president of the USMC Memorial Foundation, she and her team are really working diligently to give a facelift to the Marine Memorial. So get more information, go to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And Colonel Bill Rutledge is 96 years young, and he is a retired United States Air Force. Colonel Rutledge, when we went to break, you said the colonists were starting to get frustrated about being taxed without representation. And perhaps the British could have headed off the complete Revolutionary War if they would have recognized that and given the colonists some representation at Parliament.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's absolutely correct, but they did not extend that invitation. So they continued in 1765 after they'd already enacted the Stamp Act. Shortly thereafter, they passed what was called the Quartering Act. And the Quartering Act required the colonial governments to provide— accommodations for the British Redcoat soldiers who were assigned to America. And in some instances, they even required people to take British soldiers into their own homes, provide their sleeping accommodations, but also provide for their meals. This was not only was it an imposition, but economically it was a strain upon a lot of families. So the British weren't making things easier for the Americans, and it was getting to be pretty bad. Shortly thereafter, they realized that they were losing a lot of sales in America. So they repealed the Stamp Act, but they still were doing taxes on all sorts of things. it wasn't going well. So this continued, and then they followed up with what they called the Townsend Acts in 1768, which is sort of a conglomeration of various ways of taxing the Americans. What really lit the fire for ultimate Tea Parties was in May of 1773, they passed the Tea Act. Now, one of the reasons they had done this was that the British source of tea, of course, came from Ceylon in India, and they had an exclusive on all tea coming to America. The tea would go into England, where it would be boxed, and taxed and prepared and sent over on British ships, and it must be exclusively from England for Americans to buy it, which made tea much more expensive, and tea was considered a part of their life, the life of the people in America. In what's ironic, although they didn't talk about it, at that same time, cocoa was becoming equally important in London. So we didn't know much about that, and we were never told that in school. I only found that out by reading more and more about the English side of the story. So these acts just all came to a peak in 1773, and what happened was In the fall of 1773, the British sent seven ships to America, cargo ships loaded with tea. And the tea was packed in big wooden boxes. And they sent these ships to a number of ports. But for Boston, since the population was greater in that area, they sent three ships that had tea on them. And since the tea was already being taxed and people were getting a little tired of it, this is when the Sons of Liberty first came out overtly, so they made a presence. But, of course, they decorated themselves up as though they were Mohawk Indians. It didn't take a lot to figure out that that was just a disguise. It was the Sons of Liberty all dressed out to be Indians. So they went to the ships in the harbor and they threw all the tea out into the harbor. So this is the story that we got in history in elementary school and also in high school and somewhat in college. But it didn't explain the fact that The British had tons and tons of tea, and just sending it to Boston wasn't going to cut it. They sent it also to New York, to Philadelphia, to Charleston, to many of the population centers. And the reason they would send is that the people who were in the business of selling tea were Americans, so they would put in orders. to be placed in England, and then the tea would be consigned to them by name. So it would come there, and then in each of these ports, the British had a customs officer who was supposed to collect a tax before the tea could be released to the American vendors. Well, because of the pressure that was being put on by the the colonial people against the Tea Act and against paying tax for their tea, some of the vendors wouldn't even take it. And there were some of the ships that turned around and went back to England. Meanwhile, of course, the Boston situation set a pattern so that people throughout the colonies learned of what had happened in Boston. and some of them elected to emulate what they had done there. So there were a few occasions where one of the convoys went into Philadelphia, and they had quite a few huge boxes. But the people in Philadelphia had learned about it and had warned the captain of the ship and said, look, don't unload or it'll just go in the water. So the ships turned around and went back to England with the T. And then later, the ship, one of the ships, which was called the London, when it went back to London, then it had an order to Charleston. So in that fall, it went, you know, in this early spring of 74, it went to Charleston. When it got to Charleston, there were two big commercial vendors there who were going to pay their taxes and get their tea. But there were a lot of local people who went to the meeting and said, we're not going to buy your tea anyhow. So these two people who were going to have to pay the taxes and get the tea, they just decided, well, we better not bring that ashore anymore. So what happened one evening, they unloaded the ship to London, and they took all the boxes of tea, and there were quite a few, and they put them in the custom house, which is at the end of the street right down by the dock in Charleston. And that custom house is still there. It's a beautiful big building, and in 19... 52 and 53, I worked in the same block where the Custom House is. And I didn't even know about the story of the T. It's at the end of Broad Street and intersection of Broad and Church Street. And a very famous area in downtown Charleston. And it's a beautiful building. And today it's used by the Chamber of Commerce. And it's almost like a national... headquarters for them. But I didn't know anything like that when I would walk by it to go get my car and do my job. This is a digression, but it shows a current association with the past. Because what happened there was really unique. They unloaded all the tea, they put it in the custom house basement, and this was in early in 1774. But nothing happened. It stayed there until the American Revolution started. And in 1776, now after we've had a Declaration of Independence, the tea was sold at auction, and the money was used to buy ammunition and muskets for... the locals to defend Charleston against the British. So it was sort of an ironic spin-off. But there were other examples up and down the coast. It was really a situation where they decided, we're going to throw the tea in the ocean, or you're going to take it back to England, or we're going to unload the tea and we're going to burn the boxes. But one place really did it, and this was in Maryland. And so they came into port there at Annapolis, and the locals were trying to figure out what to do with the tea. So what they did, they just burned the whole damn ship. Wow. With the tea, the people got off okay, but they burned the ship and the tea, everything.
SPEAKER 15 :
That probably made the British pretty mad, huh?
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm sure that sort of ruffled their feathers, but we were getting awfully close to the first Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, where the first time 13 colonies got together, and it didn't take too much longer for that to happen. And the So consequently, it wasn't just the Boston Tea Party. It was the focal point, and it set some of the precedents. But we had tea parties all up and down the coast in various configurations, and the destiny of the tea was up to the locals and some locals. Maybe some of it actually got drunk. Who knows? But most of it was being abused because they were being abused by the British. And it was things like this that, again, were brought on because the British were still operating under the philosophy that those Americans have got to pay for us. And all of our war expenses against the French.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and it's just so amazing how over time we didn't just get to the Declaration of Independence, 1776. It was a period of years. I think it's fascinating for people to understand that. We will continue the discussion with Colonel Bill Rutledge. As you know, I dearly love the USMC Memorial Foundation. And Doyle Glass has written a very important book about a group of Marines.
SPEAKER 13 :
Eyes peeled and moving quickly, Lance Corporal Jack Swan led 164 of his fellow U.S. Marines from Mike Company 3rd Battalion 5th Marines over the face of a bare rocky knoll to rescue an isolated company of fellow Leathernecks besieged by the Communist North Vietnamese Army. Then, all hell broke loose. Instead of rescuing their fellow comrades, the Marines now faced complete annihilation. Author Doyle Glass tells their story in Swift Sword, a true Vietnam War story of epic courage and brotherhood in the face of insurmountable odds. Order Swift Sword by Doyle Glass now. They never gave up. We should never forget.
SPEAKER 05 :
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 Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That's kimmunson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 18 :
Franktown Firearms has all the firearms, accessories, and training opportunities your loved ones need this Christmas season, all under one roof. If your Christmas shopping isn't done yet, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't seen the remodeled Franktown store, you need to get down there today. They've completely redesigned the layout for a more welcoming atmosphere and for way more selling space. So if your loved one has been dropping hints about that brand-new optic for their hunting rifle and you're not even sure what it is, come on down to the gun store where friends are made, and they'll help you get to the bottom of it. Their clean and welcoming indoor range is perfect for your shooter to practice safely, and gift certificates are available so you can give them the gift of range time, an annual membership, or anything else in the store. Find out more about Franktown Firearms by going to their page on the klzradio.com advertiser page and come see why Franktown is the gun store and range where friends are made.
SPEAKER 15 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Merry Christmas to all of you. We have prerecorded shows for this week with very special guests. And pleased to have on the line with me Colonel Bill Rutledge. He's retired, United States Air Force. December 16th in 1773 was the Boston Tea Party. But it wasn't just the Boston Tea Party. It was up and down the colonies. And Super interesting things that I didn't know about. You had mentioned Boston Commons, I guess, during break. So tell us a little bit about Boston Commons and how that relates to the Tea Party.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Boston Commons is just what the title indicates. It's a common ground. It's like an open park. It's right near where their state government is, and there's a big cemetery near there. It's right in the middle of town, and it takes its pattern from England, because almost any town you go to in England, even today, has what's called a common. We would consider it a park, but the common can be used for a number of things that are traditional in their particular part of the world. So Boston Commons was an assembly point for within the city of Boston. And they had planted a tree there. And the tree had been planted in 1646. And it was a very big elm tree. And it had grown and grown. And it was a point where people would come and converge to discuss political issues or whatever they wanted. But it was definitely the local people and not representatives of the crown that would come there. And some of their meetings, of course, were opposing some of the taxations that had been imposed upon them. And the tree actually lasted until we were in a situation in 1775. where Boston was occupied by the British, and we were forming an army, and George Washington was coming in July to oppose them. And they just got together and said, hey, the people who were in favor of the crown and British soldiers and some of the British officers said we're going to wipe this thing out. So they burned the tree. So the tree was burned. They never did plant a new tree. They just put a plaque up there so that today you could go to Boston Commons and you could see where the tree was. Now, getting back to the era, 1774 and on into early 1775, the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty— were both very active, covertly in some cases, but very open in some. Now, the Daughters of Liberty were very open in what their position was. And they stopped buying linen and cloth and decorative items from England. And they went back to spinning wheels and also weaving. And we talk about homespun weaving. This really dates from that era because they took great pride in wearing clothing that they were making and was not coming from England. And this, of course, made a big impact upon retail sales and also on taxes. And they also would not drink any British, any English tea. That was another thing. expensive impact upon English taxation as well as the cost of selling the tea. So there was a mutual understanding among the men and the women that they were making a collective effort to make the British presence in Boston as uncomfortable as possible and to make it where It was not economical to do it. Now, of course, it got so bad that by early in 1775, the British just did a mandate to cut off all cargo, all merchant dealings with New England, because New England was the focal point on this opposition. And so they cut things off. And then we have to go back and remember the poem about Paul Revere's ride. And that will give you the time really close because it starts off on the 18th of April in 75. Now hardly a man is still alive. So he wrote that many years later, but it also set the tone for the Boston Marathon, which is traditional and has been for decades. Well over 100 years. So if you ever want to wonder, when is the Boston Marathon? Just think back to the poem. It may not be on the 18th. The race might be on the 17th. But it's always really close to the 18th to be compatible with the time when Paul Revere went out to alert the people at Lexington and Concord that the British were coming.
SPEAKER 15 :
Wow. So much history there. I've been to Boston maybe twice and have walked on the Freedom Trail, which I think is so fascinating. It's really quite the interesting city, Colonel Rutledge.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, it is. And I hope you had the opportunity to go down and walk on board Old Ironside.
SPEAKER 15 :
I did not.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exactly. Okay, that was the ship Constellation. It's still in commission. Every year it goes out into the harbor for one day, and they move it around. And it was actually used in battle, not then, but later on in the War of 1812. And it was really, the reason it was called Old Ironside was because it was made out of real heavy oak wood. and the British cannon from other ships, the cannonballs would bounce off the side of it. And after the War of 1812, there were times when they were going to decommission and either sell it or sink it, and there was a national outcry. And people all around the country, and even in public schools, people contributed pennies and money to save the ship. And in elementary school, people used to learn, there was a poem written about old Ironside, and people used to memorize things like that in elementary school. But it was a very important part of the legacy of that era.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, and we've got just about a minute left, Colonel Rutledge. But that spirit, I think, runs through the veins of Americans. And we're at a time right now where we're engaged in a great battle of ideas. There are things that the colonists were frustrated about regarding taxation. We've got pretty excessive taxation here in America now. So there's some correlations right now. And I think that we need to reclaim the spirit of America. What's your final thought you'd like to leave with our listeners, Colonel Rutledge?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I think that this year I witnessed a parallel. On the 13th of July, I was watching Trump speak in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he was shot. And when he got up and yelled, fight, fight, fight. I had read a lot about Washington, and I knew that Washington had justified his safety on divine intervention. And I said right then to myself, I said, this is exactly like what happened for Washington. And I said, God saved Washington to save America. And I said, I feel the same thing has happened today and And later, President Trump acknowledged that he believes the same thing.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, we are in quite a time. Colonel Rutledge, thank you so much. This is so fascinating. And our quote for the end of the show, I went to Samuel Adams. He said, So today, my friends, 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. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 09 :
Out into this great unknown And I don't want no one to cry But tell them if I don't survive I was born
SPEAKER 17 :
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.
Ever questioned the narratives fed through media? Karen Murray takes you on a journey through political conspiracies, PSYOPs, and the ongoing conversations around trust in government. With a mix of humor and insightful dialogue, she challenges mainstream views, invites callers to share their perspectives, and creates a platform to question everything. Stay tuned as she wraps her episode with personal anecdotes and a look into why skiing might not be for everyone, giving you a thorough and thought-provoking episode to ponder over.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome to Shooting the Breeze, brought to you by the team at Franktown Firearms, a family-owned, family-friendly shooting range in Franktown, Colorado. Franktown Firearms offers practical, defensive training, as well as an impressive selection of firearms at the lowest tax rate, so you can develop confidence with your firearm. The team at Franktown Firearms believes the only difference between a beginner and an expert is practice. so they equip you to keep yourself and your family safe in a welcoming atmosphere. And now, here are your hosts of Shooting the Breeze.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hello, hello, hello. Happy Monday, everyone. Merry Christmas Eve Eve today. My name is Karen Murray, and I'm the lead instructor at Franktown Firearms. If you haven't been down to Franktown Firearms in a while, then you haven't been to Franktown Firearms. You have to stop in and check out what they've done with the place. I'm telling you. Complete remodel, tons of new inventory. We are now a staccato master dealer. So if you know, you know. Run down there and see what they have left. They got a bunch of staccatos in, and most of them are gone. So go check that out. That's exciting. New classes are being put together for Franktown Firearms' new shoot house. So stay tuned for that. And I hope everyone is having a great Christmas season, getting your shopping done and having fun at your parties and spending time with family and friends. We had a lovely dinner party last night with our daughter and son-in-law and his parents came over and we ate like pigs and shot some pool and it was great. Our son-in-law's mom actually gave us a lovely basket of things for Christmas with a sign that reads, warning does not play well with liberals. So that cracked me up and is so appropriate because she just knows how I think. So that was awesome. If you would like to chat about anything that I'm going to talk about today, you can give us a call at 303-477-5600. Love to talk about it with you. While I was waiting to come on the air, I was browsing Facebook on my phone and I ran across this post and I have to kind of start the show with this because I think it's really fascinating. So Some of my topic today is going to be on PSYOPs and what our government does to kind of, I guess, steer people's thoughts in directions that they want them to go. And I follow this page called The New Resistance. And it's got quite a few followers in probably the hundreds of thousands or something. And The Post says, if you saw Neil Armstrong step on the moon, you're part of the greatest generation. And this is, you know, kind of to Kim Monson's point before when I was listening to her wrap up her show, that the thinking of the American people is changing. It's getting more discerning all the time, less gullible. And As Luke can tell you, I'm kind of a flat earther, right? So I kind of, coming from that standpoint, I'm not 100% convinced. I send him stuff. He sends me stuff to counter it or, you know, has me go look at things. And so, you know, the jury's still out on that whole thing. However, the moon landing kind of is a separate issue. And I wanted to read some of the comments that I saw on this post because it's fascinating in the way that thinking has changed. So a few people are on here. Yes, I did. I watched it at my grandparents' house. And this guy says, I was eight at the time and was so scared that some sort of moon monsters were going to get him when he stepped out. And And so all these replies have replies to them, and a lot of them are laughing at him for saying that and stuff like that. But I want to read a couple of the comments that really struck me as fascinating. So this guy says, people, you watched a recording. You have trouble watching TV in bad weather as your satellite goes out. And that's in 2024. You really believe that they filmed something and aired it on your television as many miles away from the moon as they say they are or whatever and get a clear picture when your satellite TV has trouble in bad weather. And he says, wake up, people. And then this guy, this was funny. He said, saw a post earlier that said Neil A. is alien spelled backwards. Did he go home? And then this other person said, I was seven years old and watched it at home with my parents. It was my dad's 29th birthday on July 20th, 1969. Today I'm 62. I believe now the moon landing was just the first PSYOP that I remember being part of. No one has ever landed or walked on the moon. So that was interesting. And it says, this other guy says, if you saw Neil Armstrong step on the moon, you're part of the greatest PSYOP. If Neil was the first to step on the moon, how did the camera go there and film it? And another guy says, if he was first on the moon, who took the picture? And then more people, you know, it was magnificent triumph and all that stuff. But it's funny, looking through here, most of the comments are saying that it was a PSYOP, that it was fake, all fake. So I think that's interesting information. Just the turn of thinking with the American people and kind of how we view things now where, you know, trust, trust nothing, you know, question everything, that kind of stuff. So I just thought it was interesting. And I'm going to get to more of this whole PSYOP thing here in just a minute. But did you see the news about Biden commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 death row inmates in federal prison? What a lovely Christmas gift that we gave to them, right? The only three that weren't given a commuted sentence were Robert Bowers, who was responsible for the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, which left 11 people dead. Dylan Roof, a white supremacist who killed nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. And the guy who I can't pronounce his name, Tsarnaev or whatever, Tsarnaev, And he's the guy who him and his brother did the Boston Marathon bombing. So the other 37 will now just spend the rest of their lives in prison. No possibility of parole instead of execution. So when I first read this story, I was thinking that Biden pardoned them, like pardoned, let them all out of prison. I'm like, whoa. But no, he's just they're going to spend the rest of their life in jail. Biden. who only supports the death penalty at the federal level for terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder, which I would kind of put all of the people on the list that are actually on the list, and we'll get to some of that in just a minute, the people who got their sentences commuted. But he said this move will prevent President-elect Donald Trump's administration from carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice, according to the White House statement. So the convicted murderers who will now escape execution include Marcevici Barnett, who killed a man in a carjacking, and his ex-girlfriend. Co-defendants Brandon Bosham and Chadrick Fulks who kidnapped and killed a woman after escaping prison. Anthony Battle, who killed a prison guard. Jason Brown, who stabbed a postal worker to death. Thomas Hager, who committed a drug-related killing. David Runyon, who participated in the murder-for-hire plot of a naval officer. Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and killed a 12-year-old girl. Ray Jean, or Rayhawn Taylor, who carjacked, kidnapped, and killed a restaurant owner, and Alejandro Umana, who killed two brothers inside a restaurant. So I wonder what kind of shenanigans Biden has up his slimy little sleeves before he exits office. What kind of monkey wrenches he's planning on jamming into Trump's transition and his presidency. I still believe the transition is not going to go smoothly. and that the deep state's going to make Trump's upcoming term a living hell for him and for all of his supporters. So I got Johnny on the line right now. Johnny, what do you got for me?
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, I'm thinking they're playing the long game. Okay, they don't want to leave the guy who killed the black people because they have all the support from the black women. So they say, okay, this is for you guys. They want to potentially get those Jewish voters out. but they don't have all of them in the pocket right now. So I'm thinking, like, this is a long game. They can say, look back. Hey, he did make sure that these people were killed. And look, and just to point back, then it was something else I wanted to say about the long game. I don't think he did it. I think whoever is working him as a puppet put that in there. And these guys, they said they wanted to commute those other 37. Well, as far as federal, they want to continue killing unborn babies. So it's kind of weird that they want to kill unborn babies, but once you get here, it's kind of sort of saying like, well, we don't want to kill you either. Right, right. Well, no, we do want to kill you.
SPEAKER 04 :
It gets confusing. Yeah, well, they're just a walking, talking book on hypocrisy. The whole administration, the whole Democrat Party is just nothing but contradictions, and it's pretty crazy. And if you look at it, if you look at everything on its face, like all the green energy and all that stuff, how hypocritic that is, just with You know, thinking about wind towers, those wind turbines or whatever, and how much fossil fuel it takes to make one of those and the electric cars and how, you know, they're plugged into your house, which is powered with a coal-fired power plant. And, you know, it's just ridiculous.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, but I'm thinking the long game. Like that blue book they wrote about how to turn red cities to blue. Yeah, the blueprint. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, that's all I got as I was thinking about why didn't he want to, you know, commute these people.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. Yeah. Yep. You got a good point there, Johnny. Thanks so much for your call. All right. Later. Bye-bye. Yeah. And to Johnny's point, I've always wondered over the past four years if Biden makes any of his own decisions or if he's just kind of a talking head, you know, a face. a placeholder, and someone else is calling all the shots. You know, I believe firmly in the deep state. And from the national pulse, White House staffers knew of Biden's mental decline from the start of his term. It says White House staffers and advisors to President Joe Biden were well aware of his mental decline for years, with staffers noting he had good and bad days, as early as the spring of 2021. An investigation by the Wall Street Journal claims that in the spring of 2021, just months after Biden took office, a national security official rescheduled a meeting telling another aide that Biden was having a bad day. The report also notes how isolated Biden was in the White House as staffers limited their time with him during the COVID-19 pandemic, allegedly to make it less likely he would catch the virus. Even after the pandemic, Biden's inner circle remained small, and interactions between Biden and his cabinet were incredibly infrequent. One cabinet member claimed to have met Biden only twice in his first year in office. Another cabinet member allegedly stopped trying to request calls with Biden, believing the requests were unwelcome. During his tenure, Biden held just nine full cabinet meetings compared to President-elect Donald Trump, who held 25. During the presidential campaign earlier this year, Biden reportedly declined even further, needing to be told basic instructions by staffers, such as where to enter or exit the stage during events. Since President-elect Trump's victory over Kamala Harris in November, Biden has been largely absent from the public eye. Trump has almost entirely taken over as president in the public eye. Trump traveled to Paris, France earlier this month, After being invited by President Emmanuel Macron to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, President Biden declined to attend, with his wife Jill Biden attending instead. President Trump also attended the annual Army-Navy football game last week, receiving a huge applause from service members. So that thing about Trump being viewed as the president instead of the president-elect made me think of this TikTok that I watched where a guy said, who sounded like he was stoned out of his mind, first of all. He was asking, what has Trump done? What has he done? Trump was elected and has been the president for almost two months, and what has he done? So I'm watching and I'm thinking to myself, is this a joke? Like, is this satire? This has to be satire. But it wasn't. This guy was legitimately asking this question. So then I'm thinking, dude, just shut up. Just stop talking. To make a video like that and to have it go viral, I'm just going to assume that this kid got schooled by a ton of people. The video can't be found anymore on his TikTok account. But, of course, these stitches and all this stuff will have this video living forever. This video was a duet. with a conservative reacting to this stoned guy, whatever he was on. I don't know, but he was, it was obvious that something was going on with him. He's he's, he failed high school civics, obviously, or he's a product of a school system no longer teaches civics, which is quite possible as well. Cause we know that the, our, our true history will has never been taught and probably never will be. But, um, Yeah, the stitching and the duetting, his ignorance is going to live in infamy forever and ever because the interwebs are forever, right? Well, as long as TikTok is still around anyway, the rumor is that TikTok is going to be banned on January 16th. I haven't seen any updates on that. I haven't really looked, but I've complained about this before, and I've talked to several people about the ban, and I just think that they want the app banned because so much information is being shared on there. And they don't like us talking to each other and sharing this kind of information. But the term citizen journalist is a thing now. And the people have found ways to skirt their legacy media system. And TikTok is a big part of that. And it's a very powerful form of communication. Someone, I believe, within TikTok got ahead of the game and created an alternative to TikTok called LemonAte. and I don't know if any of you guys have seen that. Excuse me. I have a frog in my throat today. But Lemon 8, it looks very much like TikTok in kind of its layout. I downloaded it and installed it, and it's linked to my TikTok account, but I haven't messed with it enough to get a handle on how it works. I just figured out only how to upload pictures. I don't even know how to upload a video, so... It's kind of interesting, but I guess we'll see how much that takes off. And I guess they'll have to start all over with their potential ban on that platform and platforms like it. There's an interesting article on Revolver News that I want to share with you. And this is all about the psyops that I told you I'd get to. So He says, ready to be blown away? Here's the secret sauce to identifying 60 years of U.S. psyops. And this is from December 18th, 2024. And like I said, it's from Revolver News. He says, what we're about to share might not blow your mind. You probably already know what's up. But something remarkable is happening in this country right now, and it's worth talking about. Americans from both sides of the aisle and even the middle who used to blindly trust government and so-called experts are now questioning everything. The same people who used to go with the flow are now giving every story and every elite claim a well-deserved side-eye. The awakening started decades ago for some. The so-called anti-government kooks you were told to shun, mock, and dismiss as weirdos for daring to question the official narratives. This is the stereotypical 90s guy you were told to mock and fear just because he didn't buy what the government was selling. Little did we know back then, but this guy was way ahead of his time, a national hero. Widespread mistrust of the U.S. government, media, and experts didn't go mainstream until President Trump splashed onto the scene. That's why they hate him so much. He's the cog in their machine, the disruptor who yanked back the curtain and exposed just enough to jolt the country awake. Thanks mostly to Trump's America First movement, we now know the truth. Many so-called experts are just political pawns. There's one big uniparty screwing us all over, and the fake news media is running a giant CIA psyop on the American people. The article then goes on to post a Twitter. There's a link in there for this Twitter post from September of 2023 and contains a video clip from the Jesse Waters show, or I don't know if it was his own show or I think it was Waters World. And it's regarding Fauci and the COVID cover-up. So check this out.
SPEAKER 02 :
New evidence has just surfaced tying Dr. Anthony Fauci to the CIA's cover-up of COVID-19. Last week, a whistleblower claimed the CIA was paying people off to bury the lab leak theory. And now this, from the House Committee investigating the pandemic origins. Quote, Dr. Fauci was escorted into Central Intelligence Agency CIA headquarters without a record of entry and participated in the analysis to influence the agency's review. The committee is now ordering HHS to hand over documents detailing all of Fauci's movements during the pandemic in and out of CIA controlled sites.
SPEAKER 04 :
So there you have that. So the article goes on. It says, by now, you likely know how the CIA operates. They have a playbook for manipulating the masses, and it's probably not as complicated as some might think. Their go-to weapon is psychological operations or psyops, a fancy term for mind games on a global, now national scale. They plant narratives in the media, push emotional triggers, and flood the airwaves with carefully crafted crises to steer public opinion exactly where they want it. They know fear and confusion make people easier to control, so they whip up hysteria, then swoop in with the solution that just happens to fit their agenda. It's amazing how that works, right? These guys are pros at making you believe you came to these conclusions all on your own, whether it's hyping a foreign threat to funnel billions of tax dollars, vilifying a political opponent to throw him in jail, or pushing a mail order pandemic. The strategy is always the same. Control the story, shape the message, and silence dissenting voices. And if you dare to question the narrative, well, congrats. You're now a conspiracy theorist or an anti-American domestic terrorist. Rinse and repeat. Honestly, it's manipulation in plain sight, and it's happening every day in this country. The government doesn't care about your well-being. They're not guiding you. They're hurting you. For those still on the fence and confused about what's going on, we've got a simple way for you to spot new psyops and even trace them back 60 years. 60-plus years. Sean Davis, editor of The Federalist, dropped a banger of a post exposing the sleazy, underhanded tricks our government has been pulling for decades. In a tweet from Sean Davis, he says, ready to have your minds blown? I know what's going on with the drones, and I will share it with you. But I'm also to give you the secret to seeing through all the nonsense we've peddled for 60-plus years. We've been peddled. What I'm about to reveal to you is the Rosetta Stone for interpreting every major news event. I will give you the secret to unlocking the mystery. One simple assumption will reveal everything. Are you ready? It says, quote, the U.S. government was behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. That's it. That's all you need to assume, and you will be correct. You think I'm crazy that it couldn't possibly be that simple, that it could never be that obvious? Let's try it out and see how it works. Who killed JFK? The government – the US government was behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. How did the cartels manage to get so many drugs into and so much cash out of the US? The US government was behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. Why were all those women and children at Waco burned to death? The US government was behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. Who let the 9-11 – into the U.S. The U.S. government is behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. Why were there no WMDs in Iraq? Same answer. What caused the housing market collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar? Same answer. What happened with all that Russian collusion stuff in 2016? Same answer. Where did COVID originate? Same answer. Why was discussion of Hunter Biden's laptop banned in 2020? Same answer. Who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? Same answer. And finally, what's going on with all those drones in the Northeast? Say it with me. The U.S. government is behind it and is lying to you to cover it up. Every time there is a major news story that everyone is fixated on, assume that the story exists because your government is trying to manipulate you for its own purposes, and you will be correct at least 9 out of 10 times, maybe even 99 out of 100 times. Follow this simple rule, and you will know what is actually happening before anyone else. You will appear to be clairvoyant, and you will have a superpower that no one in corporate media has, the ability to see the truth. Use it wisely. And the Revolver News says, well done and spot on, Sean. He says – the article goes on to end with, sure, you probably already know this stuff, but here's the thing. It takes a great awakening to spark the kind of reform and reprogramming this country desperately needs. So spread the word far and wide and wake up anybody who's still in a government-induced haze. And then he put up some memes here, and one of them I thought was – it's kind of a wow meme and says, It says your news sources told you these lies and you fell for them. And there is a big list. And I'm going to read it to you. It starts with Trump called neo-Nazis fine people. Russian collusion. Biden is sharp as a tack. 2020 election most secure in history. Kamala Harris was never the border czar. If you get vaccinated, you won't catch COVID. Trump said Liz Cheney should be executed by firing squad. January 6th was an insurrection. Cheap fakes. Do you remember the cheap fakes? They told us, you know, anything that you see, if it's got me in it, it's fake. It's cheap fake. I think Adam Schiff was out there just freaking out about the cheap fakes. Trump said drinking bleach would fight COVID. The whole Jussie Smollett thing. You guys remember that? J.D. Vance said that school shootings are just a fact of life. Texas officials prevented U.S. Border Patrol from saving drowned victims. Biden had a cold during the debate. Bubba Wallace garage pull. Do you remember that? The rope at the NASCAR race, and he said it was a noose. Yeah, that's what the media ran with. Hunter Biden's laptop was Russian disinformation. That's a big one. Project 2025 is Trump's platform. The Covington kids, you remember that, right? You think about all these – the list is ridiculous, and it goes on and on, and I'm going to continue. The Patriot Front group, they still talk about that. Governor Whitmer kidnapping plot. Trump's economic plan will cause an inflation bomb. The Chinese weather balloon. Trump threatened a bloodbath if he lost the 2024 election. The whole Kavanaugh rape story when he was going through his process of getting on Supreme Court. Russia bombed their own pipeline. The Trump pee-pee tape. It's not dementia. It's a stutter. COVID lab leak was a conspiracy theory. Border agents whipped migrants. You remember that photo, right? The media just ran crazy with that one. Let's see here. Trump saved nuclear secrets at Mar-a-Lago. The Steele dossier. Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. The Muslim travel ban. Andrew Cuomo showed the best COVID leadership ever. Wow. Yeah, that one kind of made me laugh. Ghost of Kiev. Trump built cages for migrant kids. Al-Baghdadi was an austere religious scholar. I'm going to continue this list when we get back from break. Catch you on the flip side. I'll be right back.
SPEAKER 03 :
Franktown Firearms has all the firearms, accessories, and training opportunities your loved ones need this Christmas season, all under one roof. If your Christmas shopping isn't done yet, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't seen the remodeled Franktown store, you need to get down there today. They've completely redesigned the layout for a more welcoming atmosphere and for way more selling space. So if your loved one has been dropping hints about that brand-new optic for their hunting rifle and you're not even sure what it is, come on down to the gun store where friends are made, and they'll help you get to the bottom of it. Their clean and welcoming indoor range is perfect for your shooter to practice safely, and gift certificates are available so you can give them the gift of range time, an annual membership, or anything else in the store. Find out more about Franktown Firearms by going to their page on the klzradio.com advertiser page. And come see why Franktown is the gun store and range where friends are made.
SPEAKER 04 :
And we are back. Welcome back to Shooting the Breeze. I was just reading a list of all the lies that the media... has taken and ran with over the years. And it's, it's mind blowing. Actually, when you read this list and you think about MSNBC and CNN and ABC, NBC, CBS, all the, the major outlets, the New York times or the New York slimes as a, as rush you see, or no, is it, is it, um, live in that calls it the New York slimes. Anyway, uh, I'm going to continue reading it. I ended with, uh, Al Baghdadi was an austere religious scholar, uh, that's followed by Trump overfed koi fish in Japan. Do you guys remember that story when he was up on that balcony and the, um, I don't know what you call the leader of Japan president or whatever. And he was, he just followed his lead. You know, the, the president of Japan did what he did and then Trump did the same thing. He just, you know, but the cameras just focused on Trump and what he did and how he did it. And, um, Yeah, the media just went berserk over it. Trump tax cuts benefited only the rich. Cloth masks prevent COVID. I remember our very own lovely Governor Polis up there at the podium talking about COVID and the masks and telling you to go take your cool T-shirt and cut it up and make a mask out of it and have fun with it and Yeah, it was a blast there, Jared. Thanks for that. An SUV killed parade marchers. Trump used tear gas to clear a crowd for a Bible photo op. Remember that during the January 6th thing? Yeah. Let's see. Don't say gay was in a bill, which it was not. Putin price hike. So Putin is responsible for all the inflation and stuff, and that's what the media told us. Ivermectin is the big one. Ivermectin is a horse dewormer and not for humans. Remember that? And now you can't turn around without seeing something about Ivermectin and its benefits. So unbelievable. I'm going to wrap up this list here real quick. Mostly peaceful protests. During the George Floyd thing, you saw that, fires and explosions going on behind the guy, and he said the protests are mostly peaceful. Trump overpowered Secret Service for Wheel of the Beast. Do you guys remember that one? And this is all stuff that the mainstream media hit us over the head with on a nightly basis. Trump mocked a reporter's disability. That was also a big one. and Officer Sicknick was murdered by protesters. And there are still people out there that claim that a bunch of people died on January 6th, thanks to the Trump supporters. It's just absolutely ridiculous. Jim, what do you got for me?
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, yeah, a few things. Well, the first one being, I don't know, you've seen the newest one that's on TikTok, haven't you, about the billionaires? Well, I mean, how Donald Trump, Trump's a billionaire. Elon Musk, he's got all these billionaires that are going to overtake this country. And, you know, everybody else is basically, you know, we're going to basically be their slaves and whatnot. OK, well, well, there's this there's a senator. I think his name was Chris Murphy. He was on there this morning or yesterday. And I put a response on there. This is the guy who put up that post on that, Chris Murphy, that senator. And because he was going on – that senator was going on about the billionaires ruling class. And I basically put on there for the comments like, yeah, but yet all you socialist Democrats, you don't seem to have a problem with the fact that these senators and Republicans are basically a bunch of – multimillionaires worth tens of millions of dollars, they got all their money by insider trading. And I'll tell you what, let me tell you what, there's a lot of people's feedback on that one. People didn't like hearing that one at all.
SPEAKER 04 :
And I'm like, why? It's just people that are still trapped in the matrix. They think that their government has, that the Democrats have their best interest because the Democrats are the you know, the party of the people and the working man, and they still have that mindset, and they're just delusional, period.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, absolutely. Well, I put the response back to a lot of them. I was like, oh, still a Kool-Aid drinker, huh?
SPEAKER 04 :
Exactly, exactly.
SPEAKER 05 :
But, you know, and now back to the very first thing you were talking about. I think I was about, oh, I don't know, 10 or 11 years, in grade school when they brought out the TV and we watched it on, on TV at school. And of course at that age, you don't really question your government. You don't really question anything, but then, but I do, I do remember it real well, you know, as a child. And then I'm listening to that Clyde Lewis that I've told you about. He was talking about it one night and I started thinking about it and like, You know, the one thing I started wondering is like, well, where's this camera at that's taken this moving picture of, I don't know, whoever the astronaut was that was coming down off that ladder to set the first foot on the moon? And I'm like, okay, how are they getting such a perfect picture? And NASA here last summer, they actually put out a thing called I was saying, well, we had a camera attached to the outside that swung out that was taking that picture of him coming down that ladder to set first foot on the moon. I'm like, no. You're telling me that freaking camera was sitting on the outside of that space capsule rumbling through space? I'm like, no, no, no, no. I'm like, come on now. You've got to come up with a better answer than that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and you look at the lander, and it was just a hunk of crap. I mean, it's thin, and it's – I just – no, there's nothing.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, the thing is, Karen, I mean, if it takes all this energy to sit there and get off the planet – And it's taken energy to set that capsule down onto the moon. Where's it getting all the fuel to get the capsule back up off of the moon to go back through space again, you know, millions of miles? It just, none of it comes together.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And if, you know, even if, because you know my opinions on flat Earth. I've talked about that before. But even if that is not the case, we still did not go to the moon. And the narrative that they want to force feed us that they just don't have the technology anymore. Really? Really? I mean, from 1969, that's NASA's official story is that they don't have the technology anymore. We did, but we destroyed it, and now it's gone.
SPEAKER 05 :
We can't get it back.
SPEAKER 04 :
No.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, that's exactly right. So now the race is back on against the Chinese and India to be the first to get back to the moon. I'm like, wait a minute. It's like all their stories aren't coming together properly. No. You're right. If they already had the technology, you know what? With Elon Musk, we should even have even better technology to get back up to the moon instead of put onto the moon.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, absolutely, of course. And, you know, wasn't it Bezos that was – going to do the shuttle, yeah, all that. I mean, you know, with all the money and the tech out there, somebody could, if it was possible to go to the moon, they would have done it. For real. Right, exactly. One other thing that I'll say about that moon, and I mean, there's pretty much everybody with a discerning brain knows that we didn't go to the moon. And I mean, I'm I honestly think that. But they have this lunar landing exhibit at NASA or something. It's like a museum. I've never been there, but I've seen pictures of it. And the suit, the suit and the boots and everything that were supposedly on Neil Armstrong's body when he put that moon – the foot on the moon or whatever, the print of the famous photo doesn't match the boot that's in the display. Right. Yeah. Go ahead. It's crazy.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's crazy. You're right on about everything you're talking about today. And I just can't believe there's so many people on both sides that buy into all these stories.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. It's sad. Yeah. You know, that's that's why they're calling it the Great Awakening, though. You know, I do believe that. I mean, I was I was kind of asleep. I think I wasn't even really into politics or anything until Obama was in office. And then I kind of went off the deep end. But I think that that since Trump started his first term and all the crap that they put him through, I really do think a lot of people have have come to their senses, so to speak, and have, uh, have woken up. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I'm at, I'm, you know, this is a little bit off topic. It's a little bit political, but you know, um, everybody can toot their horn all they want about, uh, well, as far as I'm concerned, there's, there's two really horrible presidents in my lifetime. And one of them was not Jimmy Carter, uh, but, um, the, the, um, And the two presidents I'm talking about is Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan, everybody bought the Kool-Aid on Ronald Reagan. And I could go off about Ronald Reagan. And I wish people would have this great awakening about Ronald Reagan because, to me, Ronald Reagan opened up a great big Pandora box to a lot of the problems that are happening in the world right now today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and I've actually done – I've seen some stuff about him. And when I found out that he attended Bohemian Grove, that's when I kind of lost my love for him. But see, that's the whole thing. Like my husband used to work with a guy who – and this, again, before we were super political people or whatever – He worked with this guy, and this guy was a Democrat, pretty liberal Democrat. And he said that in his mind that Ronald Reagan was the worst president that we've ever had, just the most horrible. And, you know, my husband used to get kicked off at him, you know, like, what the hell do you mean? He was the greatest president ever, you know, kind of thing. And so they just had this – I guess, contention on that point. But the more you learn, the more you kind of see through things and see the uniparty for what it is. And, you know, we're now, you know, we use the word rhino all the time. You know, everybody knows what a rhino is. But it's deeper than that. It's the deep state. The uniparty is the deep state.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, it is. And, you know, I guess I'm just – I've been really fortunate in my life, Karen, in that my mom was a very well-read, well-rounded type person. And I remember people used to like just talk just total garbage about some of the stuff that my mom used to believe and talk about. And now everything that she used to believe and talk about, all this stuff is coming to fruition. And I'm like, I'm loving it. My mom has proved to be totally right about everything from politics to the moon landing. Cause she used to, she used to think that was BS back there in the sixties too. And my mom's everything my mom had believed in is all coming to fruition. And I'm just glad I grew up with a very intelligent mother that, that, that believed in reading and, And had an open mind. And I like it when I hear people like you who kind of had this come to moment in your life that you've opened up your mind about the stuff in the world.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. To have – to look at the moon landing back then when it actually took place, you know, fake or not or whatever, that – to see it as a fake back then, that took some discernment right there.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, well, my mom's like me, and I'm the same way. I don't give human beings a whole lot of credit for being as intelligent as we like to make ourselves out to be, Karen. I really don't. You just don't go from – from thousands of years being horse and buggy to almost overnight to what we have today. Somebody has given us this technology. I'm sorry, Karen. Somebody has given us this technology. And a lot of people, and there's a lot of books written on it, that Germany was given a lot of this technology, you know, back after World War I going into World War II. that Germany was given a lot of this technology, but they abused that technology, and I think the Americans are the same way. We're being given this technology, but the problem is Americans are abusing all this technology we have.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, absolutely. We really are. Yep, I couldn't agree more. Couldn't agree more.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, then I'm going to let you go.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, thanks, Jim.
SPEAKER 05 :
You bet.
SPEAKER 04 :
We've got – I had a call. A caller wanted to know the website that I was pulling this information from, and I'm going back here, and I believe it was – let me go back all the way up here. Revolver News is what it was. So if you just – you can do a search for Revolver News or go to revolvernews.com. Let's see here. So I was going down this list of all the lies and all that kind of stuff that the media has perpetrated and promoted and kept promoting just for years and years and years and years. And I got a little bit ahead of myself. I want to play another thing for you. On X, Benjamin Carson put this out. It's a tweet with a video. The tweet says, the CIA has run psyops on the American public for years. In this 1983 clip, ex-CIA agent Frank Snepp explains how the CIA did it in Vietnam. Edward Snowden highlighted a clip of this interview as the most important of 2022. So check this out.
SPEAKER 01 :
You briefed the press, did you not, when you were there? Well, I had several jobs. One of my jobs was that of analyst. I also was an interrogator and, indeed, briefed the press when we, the CIA, wanted to circulate disinformation on a particular issue. Disinformation is not necessarily a lie. It may be a half-truth. And we would pick out a journalist. I would go do the briefing and hope that he would put the information in print. What was your percentage of success? We were pretty successful in planning information of a rather rarefied nature. For instance, if we wanted to get across to the American public that the North Vietnamese were building up their force structure in South Vietnam, I would go to a journalist and advise him that in the past six months, X number of North Vietnamese forces had come down the Ho Chi Minh trail system through southern Laos. Now, there is no way a journalist can check that information. That's data derived from radio intercepts, spy in the sky photography. So either he goes with the information or he doesn't. And ordinarily or usually, the journalist would go with it because it looked like some kind of exclusive. And I would say our percentage planning that kind of data was 70% to 80%.
SPEAKER 04 :
So I think that's really interesting that somebody from the CIA – this was back in 1983. And so to Jim's point before talking about Reagan and all that, we don't know half of the stuff that our government has done or said or the crap that they've pulled. We don't know even a fraction of it, but we're learning because of – when was the first time that you heard the term whistleblower? Right. So now it's just it's a mainstream word. We talk about whistleblowers coming out. I still am waiting for the whistleblowers to come out in this whole chem trailing thing. But that's a whole other story. But personally, I believe that almost every so-called conspiracy theory to be either completely true or mostly true. Like I've said before, it's just a six month spoiler. until you find out that what you – once somebody called you a conspiracy theorist for believing was actually true. And I think the government has committed atrocities that we can't even imagine and that they will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets hidden. I don't know if you're all familiar with a man named Steve Quayle. I talk about Mike Adams and his show a lot because I listen to Mike Adams almost every day. He has had Steve Quayle on his show several times. Steve Quayle is a radio host, filmmaker, author, archaeological dig expert, and he is telling everyone to expect a false flag to keep Trump out of office. This is from Greg Hunter at USAWatchdog.com in his interview with Steve Quayle. Quayle says this includes a false flag nuke that will be blamed on Russia. And Mike Adams has said this for a while, too. One side of government is trying to nuke America, and another side of government is trying to stop it. This is what some say all the drone traffic is about. Quayle explains, quote, a false flag is when you initiate an illegal act. In this case, we are talking about the detonation of not only dirty bombs but also nuclear warheads. The rumors are there. The rumors out there – that's a typo, I think – are active nuclear warheads. They hate Trump, and they want to literally destroy this country to save the majority of the Democrats and Republicans that appear to have an affinity for China. That came out in the Australian news about how many U.S. politicians are on the China payroll list. And then Greg Hunter goes on. Lots of crime and treason have been going on in Washington, D.C., and it only got worse in the Biden administration. The so-called swamp is scared. Quayle says, quote, they are scared because of the revelation that President-elect Trump is sending public signals that he's going to clean house. The bottom line answer is if you have sold out to the Chinese, our government was in collusion with the Chinese. We funded CB19 gain-of-function experiments that resulted in the deaths of people who were vaccinated and participated in the knowing and willing destruction of American citizens. A top Communist Chinese party member said, with our bioweapon, we defeated the United States. They are afraid because they know what they are guilty of. President Trump has the goods on them. There is evidence. Quayle says there is another government group who is working to stop any false flag. Quayle contends they are going to use everything in their bag of evil tricks, including false flag nuclear detonations. The Nuclear Emergency Search Team, or NEST, are good guys, and they are working tirelessly. They really want to stop this nuclear false flag. These people who are against Trump are both desperate and evil. Quayle says, quote, they will do anything, including detonation of nuclear warheads in the U.S. to stop Donald Trump. These are soulless creatures. Their sole purpose is to destroy mankind. There is only one reason to provoke a nuclear war with Russia, and that is they don't want Trump in office. They are Luciferian, and they want a mass sacrifice of 250 million Americans. So isn't that lovely? That's just fantastic. So in closing, Quayle says to be on the lookout for the big lie coming in the future. Quayle says the big lie is aliens created us and there is no God. So that's how that article wrapped up. So I found that interesting, and yeah, it's kind of frightening that we are at risk of our own government doing something like that. It's terrifying. And as we move on, I'm going to get into something a little bit lighter in the show here right now. So the weather has been lovely, right? It's been very warm, unseasonably so. And people who live in other states seem to think that we live in the frozen tundra in the winter in Colorado. And that Christmas must always be this magical time. enchanted snow scene straight out of like a Hallmark movie or a snow globe or something. But you know how mild our winters usually are. For folks like me who don't live in the mountains, we often won't see snow for Christmas. Actually, to me, it seems like there's better chance of snow around Thanksgiving than we have at Christmas. We always kind of hope for a white Christmas and we rarely get it around here. Another misconception people who don't live in Colorado have is is that everyone who lives here skis. And I want to know what your opinion is on that. We don't have a lot of time left, but we can maybe squeeze in something. I want to know if you live in Colorado and you don't ski. When I get asked, you know, you ski, right? Or, you know, where do you go ski or whatever? I'm like, I don't. I don't ski. They're just astounded when they hear that from me because I live in Colorado and I don't ski. And they say, I thought everyone in Colorado skis. Like you're on skis when you're two, right? And I just, I don't do it. I have been skiing once and I've been snowboarding once. And I was much better at skiing than I was at snowboarding. I ended up looking like a pretzel when I was done with snowboarding and my knees were really sore and it was terrible. I hated it. I took a half-day lesson on skis, and I did fairly well. But for the most part, it's just not my thing. And here's why. I don't like being cold and wet and spending a bunch of money to get that way. I don't like crowds, and I don't like sitting in traffic. Right? So why would I want to go skiing if I don't like any of those things? And skiing includes all of those things. If you go on the weekends when everybody else goes and you're sitting in traffic on the way up and you're sitting in traffic on the way back. And now I have another reason to never go skiing again and be completely comfortable with that decision. 174 people had to be rescued after a gondola malfunctioned at Winter Park. They were stuck on the gondola for a couple of hours before they got rescued. And all I can say is at least it was a gondola and not a chairlift. If you're stuck on a chairlift for two hours, I can't even imagine what a drag that would be. So there you go. There's my reasons why I don't ski. That's going to do it for me today, you guys. Sign up for a class. Come down. If you're wanting to get your concealed carry permit, come and see me. Go to our website, franktownfirearms.com, or you can go to the advertisers page on the KLZ website and check that out. Find a date that works for you. And let's get you trained up. I am Mama Glock. I'm out for now. See you next Monday, everyone. Take care. God bless.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you for listening to Shooting the Breeze brought to you by the team at Franktown Firearms. Mention that you heard Shooting the Breeze on KLZ when you purchase a gun and Franktown Firearms will waive your background fee. Veterans, first responders, and law enforcement receive a Patriot discount on everything in the store. Get in touch with Franktown Firearms now at klzradio.com slash guns. Franktown Firearms, where friends are made.
Join Joseph Backholm and Tony Perkins as they navigate through a rich tapestry of political discourse, focusing on the role of Christians in shaping the moral compass of the nation. This episode is more than just a reflection on Trump's first term; it's an insightful exploration of how the principles of faith, freedom, and morality are playing out in today's socio-political context. With a special focus on the church's involvement in public life, listeners are encouraged to reassess their own roles within the wider movement for faith-based governance.
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 soundbites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Joseph Backholm.
SPEAKER 12 :
Good afternoon and welcome to this special edition of Washington Watch. I'm Joseph Backholm, Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at the Family Research Council. With Christmas upon us and New Year just around the corner, on behalf of Tony Perkins and the entire team at the Family Research Council, thank you for your enduring partnership. We remain grateful for your prayers, for spreading the word about Washington Watch, FRC, and our efforts here in Washington, DC, and around the country. Well, today I'm pleased to introduce you to a unique program that reflects on the past year, well, really quite a few years leading up to the present, and then looks to what God may have in store for us as we head into 2025. Today's episode pulls excerpts from another production at the Family Research Council called Outstanding. Outstanding is the featured podcast of FRC's news publication, The Washington Stand, and is hosted twice a week by yours truly. You can listen to the podcast in its entirety by going to TonyPerkins.com and clicking on the link in the show notes or by subscribing to the Outstanding podcast where podcasts are found. In this edition, I was joined by FRC's president and host of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins, and today we reflected on the events over many years leading us into 2025. Woven throughout this discussion, we explored how God has been at work and how Christians might navigate some very interesting waters. Now, before we dive into this, with Christmas just around the corner, join Family Research Council in shining the light of biblical truth in Washington, D.C. Thanks to our $1.5 million challenge match provided by generous friends of FRC, every dollar you give will be doubled until December 31st. Your support will enable us to protect our shared biblical values in the coming year. To take advantage of this limited time opportunity, text the word LIGHT to 67742 and shine the light of truth with FRC this Christmas. Together, we can make an eternal impact for years to come. And now, here's FRC's very own Tony Perkins as he joined me on the Outstanding Podcast. Welcome to Outstanding, where we have critical conversations about the news of the day and the ideas that shape us. Once again, I'm your host, Joseph Backholm, inviting you to another exercise in taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We're at the time of year where it's very common to reflect on the year that has been and look forward to the year that will be. But this isn't just the end of the year and the start of a new one. It's the beginning of a new administration. And it seems like, in many ways, that it could be the beginning of a new era for our country. Is this an inflection point? And if so, what are we inflecting to? That's going to be part of our conversation today. And joining me for it is someone you're all very familiar with, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council. Welcome to Outstanding.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Joseph, it's been a year, but I'm glad I finally got an invitation to be on Outstanding.
SPEAKER 12 :
We are glad that you have finally accepted our invitation to be on Outstanding. And there's a lot to cover here. And I think as we kind of look back, look forward.
SPEAKER 06 :
Sounds like Charles Dickens' Christmas carol.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, that's right.
SPEAKER 06 :
The years past, the years forward, Christmas is past, Christmas is in the future.
SPEAKER 12 :
That's exactly right. What's your mood right now for where we're at as a country?
SPEAKER 06 :
Optimistic from a standpoint of I think November the 5th has given us an opportunity. I said going into the election, and I hold to this position, the election could have destroyed the country. It wasn't going to save it, but it could destroy it. We sidestepped destruction. But now the future, I believe, Joseph, is up to the church. And what we do with this moment, this reprieve that we've been given by God, I think November 5th was a couple of things. One, it was a response and a result of prayer. A lot of prayer went into this election and participation. But it has extended to the church the opportunity to do the work that only we can do. And in the past, the church has often looked to the government to do its work. Yeah. changing hearts and minds. The government can't do that. Only the church can. But I do believe one thing is good about this administration, and I have questions and I have reservations. This is not the Trump administration of 2016. It's different. But they're going to give, I believe, cover and protection to the church to be able to, when I say church, I'm talking about Christians, followers of Christ, to be able to walk out their faith, live out their faith without government harassment and interference. Yeah. And that's a good thing.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. I think that is a way a lot of people saw this election because Trump, the candidate of 2016, is not Trump, the candidate of 2024.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, and I don't think we should try to hide that or cover it up. It's just the reality of what it is. I've had conversations going into the election with the president over the life issue. They weren't necessarily— Friendly conversations at times, although I prayed with the president, continue to pray for him every day, and so grateful for him. I am grateful for him that he has stepped into this arena and is willing to take the punches that he's taken. But here's where I think we need to come in, Joseph, is the church, Christians, followers of Christ, We've been given a prophetic voice in Martin Luther King Jr. and a sermon that he preached at knock at midnight. He said, the church is not the servant or the master of the state, but we're the conscience and the guide. And if we lose our prophetic voice, we're nothing more than a glorified social club. And so we need to speak prophetically so that... When I say prophetically, I'm talking about speaking truth, biblical truth. Example, human life is sacred because it's created in the image of God, therefore worthy to be protected under our laws. That's what we need to speak to government so that... They're successful. I want Donald Trump to be successful as president. I want Mike Johnson to be successful as Speaker of the House. I want John Thune to be successful as the majority leader in the Senate. And that goes all the way down to governors and state legislatures. And the way we do that is we uphold the standard of truth.
SPEAKER 12 :
You have been working with churches in a lot of election cycles now. How does 2024 and the way the church responded in this election compare to 2000, 2008, 2012, as you kind of just watched?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, George Barna actually crunched the numbers and looked at them, and the turnout of evangelicals in this election was lower than it was in 2020. Actually going back to probably the numbers about 2012 is what we're looking at, maybe 2008. And I can kind of explain that. I was having a conversation with a U.S. senator this week about it. Look, the Bible describes us as sheep. Does it not? I mean, there's a reason. Yeah, it's kind of an insult. Well, it's an insult, but it's a reality that we follow. People follow. You know, I used to... Yeah, I mean, it used to drive me crazy. I thought, well, you know, they're going to lead or they'll lead. No, they don't. That's not what... Leaders lead and people follow. And so what happened in this election is that... We continue to have a challenge of pastors, and not all, because I'm going to be very careful here, because we've got some really, really good pastors that have stepped up, are totally engaged, preaching the Word of God, engaging their people to not pin their hope on government, but to serve in the kingdom of God, which influences government. There's a big difference. Our hope is not in government. Our hope is not in this incoming administration government. but our responsibility is to speak into it, and at least they will be listening to some degree. So when you don't have pastors that are preaching it and challenging people to get involved, and you can explain that from a standpoint of you had this time, President Trump did not embrace a strong position on life. This is where I had issues with the campaign is when they basically stripped the Republican Party platform from all of its meaning. on life, marriage, family, these issues.
SPEAKER 12 :
Do you think that was just a campaign position where they clearly had made the bet that if we are not enthusiastically pro-life, that will pull some of the middle to us that's concerned about abortion as an issue, and we want to make sure that the Republican Party platform cannot be leveraged against us as a presidential campaign. Was that the calculation?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think probably so. But the case I made to them as they were contemplating that idea is kind of what played out. And that was that the pro-life vote, because I go back to the illustration of sheep, the pastors are gonna follow what the leaders say and the people will follow what the pastors say. And if they're not clearly articulating what they stand for on policy, there's gonna be silence. And so what happened is Christians didn't turn out in large numbers. Now, fortunately, the turnout was even worse on the Democratic side because they had gone so crazy that people were scared of them and they insulted a lot of people. I mean, Kamala Harris, first time ever we had a presidential candidate whose top issue was aborting babies. And she, this was a really interesting number, She got a smaller percentage of the female vote than Joe Biden got in 2020. Yeah, that's crazy. It is. But these women were saying, look, we're more interested in feeding our family, not aborting them. And so I think it was a repudiation of the Democratic Party and their platform. I wouldn't say... Joseph, that this was a wholehearted endorsement of the Republican. It was more of a repudiation of the left and how crazy they've become.
SPEAKER 12 :
Now, I agree with that basic analysis, and I want to get your response to this, because it seems to me that the left has gone really far left. And I think this whole, like, abortion at any time, for any reason, and the government has to pay for it. And I also think the trans stuff is like a bridge too far.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was huge. I mean, that was like an 80% issue.
SPEAKER 12 :
And we saw the Trump campaign invest heavily, and even local campaigns, in that issue with that whole commercial that was running in all of the swing states.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, go ahead.
SPEAKER 12 :
And it finished with... uh she's for they them he's for you right that that slogan really seems to encapsulate a lot of things and so the left has moved so far left we're gonna you know we're gonna punish you and fire you if you don't use preferred pronouns you must agree that men can have babies and all this abortion stuff that seems to be a place that middle america does not want to go in the meantime Trump seems to have taken the Republican Party and filled all that space in the middle that the left kind of evacuated. And now he has a team, Trump himself, former Democrat, RFK Jr., former Democrat, Tulsi, former Democrat, Elon, who became a really big part of this campaign, former Democrat. Is the left becoming more conservative and therefore converting? Or do we see the Republican Party just basically becoming a moderate party? And so now all these people who used to be Democrats but aren't leftists now feel home there.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would say I think it's political expediency to bring folks like that. And I'm fine to grow the party, but you have to have a foundation upon which to grow it. So let me ask you this question. How can the issue of transgendering our children be an issue that we'll take a stand on, but not the right for the child to be born?
SPEAKER 12 :
That was FRC's Tony Perkins when he joined me on the Outstanding podcast recently, and you're tuned into Washington Watch. When we return, Tony and I will dive deeper into this topic and answer the question of why some people who oppose the mutilation of children through transgender procedures have no problem killing children through abortion when they are inconvenient to the parents. We have much more to share on this special edition of Washington Watch, so don't go away.
SPEAKER 11 :
During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we're making an eternal impact. 2024 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray Vote Stand Summit. to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC's outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the StandFirm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with a community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God's intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government, Launching in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 03 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Joseph Backholm, FRC Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement. The website is TonyPerkins.com. If you're just tuning in, today is a special edition, highlighting an interview Tony had with me on our podcast, Outstanding. Just before the break, we finished analyzing a shift in the two political parties in our country and started to discuss the hazard of being guided by polls rather than moral conviction rooted in biblical truth. Let's hop back into this conversation I had with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
SPEAKER 06 :
So let me ask you this question. How can the issue of transgendering our children be an issue that will take a stand on, but not the right for the child to be born?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, that's part of the incoherence of kind of like moderation.
SPEAKER 06 :
So what's the moral compass? How do you arrive at what position you're going to take on an issue? Polling.
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. I mean, I think that's the real answer, right?
SPEAKER 06 :
That is the real answer.
SPEAKER 12 :
That's the real answer.
SPEAKER 06 :
So what happens when polling becomes your guiding light? You go wherever the polls tell you to go. And you become basically schizophrenic because the polling will change overnight. We've seen this through scripture, how one week they're cheering Jesus, Hosanna, Hosanna. And the next week, crucify him, crucify him.
SPEAKER 12 :
How do you think it's going to work for the next four years? Because the Republicans are in control of everything, but I don't even know what a Republican is necessarily these days. Because you have, you know, RFK Jr., I don't know if he considers himself to be a Republican, but he's in a Republican administration. You have Trump and you have the Elons of the world. And then you have the Mike Johnsons and the Chip Roy's and the Freedom Caucus folks who are all wearing the same jersey. How does that go for the next four years, do you think?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I think it has potential. Look, I'm all about people coming into the party, but this is where the platform is important, because the platform has a stated set of values and principles. And so, and you don't have to be 100%. I mean, that's, you know, so you're 80%. But, you know, you get the core things right. But see, what we've done Not what we, I should rephrase that. What the Republicans, what the Trump campaign did is they gutted the party platform to where it's meaningless. It really doesn't say much of anything. Second Amendment is gone. Definition of family is gone. The plank for life is gone. Religious freedom is truncated. There's just very little there. Even the support for Israel is just as we support Israel. Okay, what does that mean? That's the problem with... Kind of policy by the seat of your pants. You really you need you need to drive some stakes on some issues. And so when people come in and say, yeah, I can agree with that. Yeah, I'm for that. You kind of know. But we're at a point where we have people coming in to the party or into this administration that. There's really no stated values other than make America great again. And so where are they coming from? How do you go about making America great again? We recognize that for America to be great, it must first be good. There must be a moral foundation. And that's where life, family, human sexuality, all those issues come in.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, Trump's kind of gut seems to be the compass now for the Republican Party. And we saw, I mean, Laura Trump was the head of the, obviously a family member, was running the GOP, no longer is, which raises a question for me. Does the GOP in a post-Trump world return to kind of the historical norm of we have a party that's not created for one campaign. We have a platform that's not created for one campaign, but it's actually a representation of the grassroots and what we believe. Do you think those days will return?
SPEAKER 06 :
There's a lot of conversations about that even now that are already taking place because President Trump is four years. That's it. And so there will be a campaign in four years for for president. Now, many people say, well, it'd be J.D. Vance. Well, that's not a given. I mean, there may be there may be competition.
SPEAKER 12 :
There should be, hopefully. There will be an actual race.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I think there's, again, conversations already taking place that the party has to go back to where it was, where the party, the people, their elected representatives, and that's how that party platform's put together. I've been on four or five party platforms elected by my constituents in my home state of Louisiana, and that's done across the country. So I think there's a desire to go back to allow the people of the party to actually construct the platform and what the party represents. Now, will that happen? I don't know, because President Trump and I like him. I like him as a person. I know him. I've spent time with him. And he's a very unique individual, larger than life in many ways, and has left a profound impact on not just the Republican Party, but on the nation and the movement. And I admire his fighting spirit. There's a lot that I do admire about him. But I think for the Republican Party to sustain itself and to continue into the future, it has to have an identity that is not attached to an individual, but it has a stated set of enduring principles.
SPEAKER 12 :
We've covered a lot of ground here on where we're at right now, but you have a unique... Kind of a perspective on where we're at right now because of your history with President Trump, with the first administration, with the pro-life movement. Take us back, if you would, 2015, 2016. He gets in. Good things start happening on the life issue. What was that like for you? How surprising or not was that for you? And how does that kind of color the way you are understanding where we're at right now?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, in the primary, actually, we went through a process. It was a very thorough process. We're talking the 2015 primary? 2015 primary. A number of conservative leaders got together, and we went through a year-long process of interviewing the candidates. We had 17, if I remember correctly, 17 candidates. We interviewed almost every one of them. We looked at all their, you know, their fundraising, their strategy. I mean, it was a very thorough process. And we all agreed that we would vote through the process and that we would come together behind one candidate. And, you know, it. Ninety five percent did. And we came behind Ted Cruz and that propelled Ted Cruz in into the primary. And he was becoming the candidate, but then ran out of started to have some issues, ran out of money, pulled out of the campaign. And we were left with I think at that point is pretty much just Donald Trump.
SPEAKER 12 :
That was it. Well, this is Washington Watch, and you're getting some great perspective as Tony offers some insight behind how Donald Trump became the Republican nominee way back in 2015. When we return, we'll hear more about this before he segues into some of the adjustments in Trump's messaging from then to now. Stick around. We've got more to come.
SPEAKER 14 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 13 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 13 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 14 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 13 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that, but here we get real hands-on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 10 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, in prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
SPEAKER 12 :
Good afternoon and welcome back. If you are just joining us, this is a special edition of Washington Watch where Tony Perkins is in the guest chair on FRC's podcast, Outstanding, which is my pleasure to host twice a week. Before the break, Tony explained how Donald Trump became the last man standing in the Republican primaries back in 2016. And it's about to share how Christian leaders began to vet the man who would become the 45th president of the United States. Here's how Tony got into that.
SPEAKER 06 :
And so we had initiated some conversations with Trump. I was a part of organizing the gathering of about a thousand evangelical leaders in New York. And we began to have conversations. Here's three things he did. And this was going into the convention. And all this was happening in the early part of 2016, I guess, or 2016. 2015. I can't remember the exact date. But so we were having these conversations. And then when we went into the convention, there were three things we said had to happen. Number one, he had to pick a known quantity as a running mate that had a pro-life platform or a pro-life record because he didn't. And we said that he had to—actually, the first was—that was the second. The first was a list of judges or— that he would commit to judges. We didn't ask for a list. We just asked for a commitment to pro-life judges, a pro-life running mate. And then we actually asked that he would not diss the platform, but accept the party platform. And didn't think he would do that, honestly. So what does he do? He actually puts out a list, not just saying, I'll do it. He puts out a list of names, right? that you could vet.
SPEAKER 12 :
And they were good. And in hindsight, I think that won him the life.
SPEAKER 06 :
It was good. And then he picked Mike Pence, who probably not someone who, there was probably no one else that had a stronger pro-life voting record and known for that issue in Congress. And then not only, and I've been through, as I mentioned, I've been through many conventions. Not only did he not oppose his people not opposed the party platform in 2016. They actually helped us strengthen it. And I was like shocked. And so we said, absolutely, we'll support him at that point. And people say, well, why? Why are you supporting him? He was married three times. Well, at that point, it was between him and Hillary. There were no other options. And he had done everything we asked him to do. And then there was some... hesitancy about, well, will he really do it? Yeah, sure. And there was a lot of pushing we had to do, but he accomplished more in his four years in terms of advancing conservative, biblically aligned values than any other president in my lifetime. And it was surprising. honestly, rewarding, encouraging. And so that's kind of the backdrop of why there's a little bit of a letdown with what we see in this administration. In fact, Mike Pompeo, who had been the first CIA director and then Secretary of State, who I worked with closely even when he was in Congress. He was a friend. But he made a comment one time, he quipped, he said, you know, President Trump may not be a Sunday school teacher, but he knows how to hire them. Because almost every cabinet secretary was a Sunday school teacher.
SPEAKER 12 :
Actually?
SPEAKER 06 :
Actually. Oh, okay. Actually. Almost every one of them had taught Sunday school. And so that was who he was surrounded with in 2016. And that's why we got such good policy, like that executive order on religious freedom in the federal government. And Sonny Perdue, one of the first, who was Secretary of Agriculture, I mean, went after it. We had had some issues with the... really persecuting meatpackers for having conservative Christian views and literature in their meatpacking plants. And so Sonny Perdue went after that. Secretary of Education, Secretary of State. I mean, you Google down the list. And so it's that backdrop that causes us to say, wow, this is not 2016, but... We believe that we have been, that God has given us reprieve. But here, Joseph, is something, and I shared this recently at a chapel service, is that I think this, what God is telling us, if I can speak that way here on outstanding, is that our eyes need to be on him and our appeal to him because he is the ultimate authority. And I think as Christians, we are to be engaged, but our engagement on earth has to be directed by our communication in heaven. Yeah.
SPEAKER 12 :
How do you interpret the change that you've seen in Trump 1.0 to Trump 2.0? Is this something where he was just saying what he needed to say and doing what he needed to do the first time? And now he's just saying what he needs to say and doing what he needs to do the second time. And that creates a bit of incoherence because what he thinks he needed to do the second time is different. Or has there been like some change in sight?
SPEAKER 06 :
No, I think it's more, I mean, he's very transactional. He's a business guy. He's about the art of the deal. And I think, you know, the first time that the deal was with evangelicals to get that vote, that... And I don't want to say that he doesn't believe any of it. I think he does, but he is not ideologically driven. I mean, he... I think this I do believe to be true, that he loves America. And he's willing to sacrifice on behalf of America. But he's coming at it from a different perspective than we are. I mean, we're here as Christians engaged in government. From a biblical perspective, we're citizens of a kingdom that is eternal, that is not going to go away. So we're not, we got to win at all costs. The end does not justify the means.
SPEAKER 12 :
That was FRC's Tony Perkins as he joined me on the podcast Outstanding, and you're tuned in to Washington Watch. There's still more to come in this special edition of Washington Watch, so stay tuned.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 08 :
Let's not be discouraged. Don't lose heart. Don't lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let's stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 07 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don't defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 01 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don't say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You're naive if you think that. Because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 09 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we've relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource, and we've relied too little on the power of God and God's ability to open doors that we can't open and do things that we couldn't even hope to begin to do.
SPEAKER 04 :
This may not be an easy task, But we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know always that we are not alone, that his spirit empowers us and protects us, and that he can do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to have it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Father, we thank you. You have entrusted us with this moment in history, and I pray that we would be found faithful, and that as a result of our faithfulness to you, that thousands, millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to this very special edition of Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. I'm Joseph Backholm filling in for Tony. Well, sort of. If you've caught the previous segments of today's show, you know that Tony is also joining us in a roundabout way today. As mentioned earlier, today's program contains excerpts from The Outstanding Podcast, which is the featured podcast of FRC's Washington Stand news publication. In this unique episode, Tony is in the hot seat where he joined me to share his perspective on President-elect Trump, or as we referred to him before the break, as Trump 2.0. If you'd like to catch this podcast in its entirety, go to TonyPerkins.com and look for the link in the show notes. You can also find this and all outstanding podcasts on the Washington Stand website, as well as on Apple, Amazon, Podbean, iHeart, and anywhere podcasts can be found. Now let's rejoin this conversation already in progress between me and Tony Perkins on the podcast Outstanding.
SPEAKER 06 :
He's very transactional. He's a business guy. He's about the art of the deal. And I think, you know, the first time that the deal was with evangelicals to get that vote, that... And I don't want to say that he doesn't believe any of it. I think he does, but he is not ideologically driven. I mean, he... I think this I do believe to be true, that he loves America. And he's willing to sacrifice on behalf of America. But he's coming at it from a different perspective than we are. I mean, we're here as Christians engaged in government. From a biblical perspective, we're citizens of a kingdom that is eternal, that is not going to go away. So we're not, we got to win at all costs. The end does not justify the means. And that's a different perspective because, you know, I want to win. I'm not a good loser. I don't like to lose, but I'm not going to compromise anything. fundamental biblical truth in order to gain a temporary victory, because that's what it is. Anything in this life that we gain is temporary. In this organization, the Family Research Council, we're not going to trade eternal truth for temporary access. That never works out. We're here to be a prophetic voice of truth, eternal truth that has lasting impact on the lives of people. And beyond winning election, beyond passing policy, our mission is to see people set free through the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that it has an eternal impact because it impacts their destiny.
SPEAKER 12 :
What do you think is motivating this guy that is willing to just endure all the trials, all the bogus trials, all the attempts to destroy his life? And it's not like he's a young man anymore, right? It's like, yeah, I could be done with all this stress, go play with my grandkids, golf a lot, and have a very good life, kind of the life that everybody else says that they want, right? That's right there for him if he just decides that's what I want. He clearly doesn't want that. Why is that?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, that's... It's a question that I've pondered many times as I've even spent time privately. Privately, he's a much different individual than he is in public. In fact, I was kind of puzzled by this, and finally I asked someone who had known him for years. I said, all right, I don't get this. In public, he's this—he says these edgy things. He's bombastic. But in private, I mean, he's— and people kind of laugh when I say this, but he's almost humble. I mean, he asks questions, he listens. My first meeting with him was in New York in Trump Tower, about 30 minutes just me and him. And I shared my testimony with him about how I came to Christ and what that meant to me. And he just sat there and he listened. And he asked some questions, respectful questions. And this is one thing I do know from talking to, because I've known almost every one of his chiefs of staff, that, and this has not been the case with other presidents. I said, look, let me ask you this. What does he say when the Christians leave the room? Does he mock them? Does he make fun of them? No, no. He has a great respect for evangelical leaders. And that was my experience is that he's very inquisitive. He has a respect for people who are willing to sacrifice not to gain something. Because he saw the evangelicals were not looking for... They weren't looking for money. They weren't looking for government contracts. And it was a little bit, I think, he found that interesting. No business deals. What they wanted, what we wanted were things that would make life better for other people.
SPEAKER 05 :
Goodness.
SPEAKER 06 :
And so I think he respected that in a way. And I mean, he's clearly an overachiever. He wants to achieve. And I think part of that is his identity. And I think that in part is what drives him. He's kind of an enigma to me because in many ways, but in this one particular way, because he does appreciate and I would say almost crave affirmation. And he takes these hard, strong stands that just brings the world down on him, pounding him. But I think it's because he believes in it. And so what we have found, I would say we, the church, the affinity and the connection, is that we've felt the same hostility and the same rejection. And so there's kind of a common bond that takes place there because we've experienced the same thing from the world. We just didn't anticipate it being Donald Trump. And so, Joseph, I would just say this, and I do this every day. I pray for him every day. In fact, my last conversation with him before the election, about a month before the election, I said, a little hard conversation over the life issue, but I prayed with him. I said, can I pray for you? And every time I talk to him, I pray with him. And I pray for him every day. And we're instructed to do that in scripture, to pray for those in authority. But I do so with joy and gratitude, the fact that he is going to be our president.
SPEAKER 12 :
So on the life issue, understanding kind of the different environment it seems that we're operating in. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about what's going to happen on the life issue, knowing that it's not just the executive? He's building a cabinet right now. As you see the team forming around him and how they feel about the life issue, what's your prognosis?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think it's up to us. Let me tell you where my greater disappointment is, and not so much in the president, but in pro-life leaders. I am so disappointed in pro-life leaders who folded like a cheap suit when the president abandoned the life issue and the party abandoned it because they wanted access. And that to me is, it's despicable to choose access over defending the unborn. I don't want to be in the room if the unborn are not a part of the conversation. Because it's a fundamental issue, Joseph. It's not just another issue. I mean, you go back through the Old Testament and you look at God's judgment on Israel for idolatry. The idolatry, and very few pastors really unpack that, what was taking place there. Idolatry that they were engaged in from the Canaanites included like Molech. Right. where they had temple prostitution. So they engaged in sexual immorality. And, you know, when you do that, it produces children. And a convenient way to get rid of those children, these unwanted children, was to sacrifice those to the gods. And so that's the child sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood that took place. And God's judgment, that was a red line for God. And judgment came upon those nations. This is nothing to play with, especially when we, after nearly 50 years of praying and working and engaging in this process, we got to a point where literally what the Supreme Court did changed its mind. It repented. That's the Greek word for repentance is metanoia, meaning to change your mind, to change your way. And so it changed its mind, but that has to be followed up by the works of repentance. And now we're running away from that moment of repentance. That is a dangerous place to be.
SPEAKER 12 :
So let's talk about the place to be and where we are right now, because you mentioned earlier that these election results may not be as much about an embrace of the Republican Party and more a rejection of leftism and kind of everything that it is with speech codes and an emphasis on DEI and superficial identity categories over competency and character and really injustice in the name of justice. Are we at an inflection point right now that you think is more significant than any other change of administration?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think it is. I think for all you just laid out there, I think it was a kind of a wake up moment. You know, how did we get here? And again, I think this is where Donald Trump, you know, I think the Lord has used him to basically do a rally cry. Now, again, maybe not coming from the same worldview or motivation, but some of this stuff is just common sense. You know, forcing people to call women men and, you know, men participating in women's sports. I mean, this stuff, this is just common sense. And people are saying, you know what, enough of this. The emperor has no clothes. It's time to call it like it is. And so I do think we're at that moment. But. Where we go from here and how we respond to it, how we respond is going to determine really the future of this country. Now, we can deal with the symptoms. Or we can go to the heart of the matter and the cause. And the cause is this is a reflection of the moral and spiritual decline of the nation. It is a call to return to God and to his truth. Now, we can return, as we were just talking about a few moments ago, about, all right, so we're going to take on transgenderism, but we're not going to take on the life issue. And that's based upon not objective transcendent truth, but rather on polling data. Yes, and polling. Well, what happens when that changes tomorrow? And there's no stable foundation there. So we have to return to the ancient paths. We have to go back to the truth, the very bedrock of our country, our society, what the founders built this nation on. As John Adams said, our laws were made for a moral and religious people. They are wholly inadequate for the government of any other. And so if we don't return to rebuild that moral foundation, There's no way we're going to be a great country because nothing will sustain us. You can't build a nation. The height of a nation in terms of its greatness is determined by the depth of its moral goodness.
SPEAKER 12 :
a return to, as our founders would say, nature and nature's God. Absolutely. That was the premise.
SPEAKER 06 :
And it seems to me that we have— And by the way, by the way, on that thought, that is an embrace of truth even without having to embrace the evangelistic nature of the Scripture.
SPEAKER 12 :
The natural law.
SPEAKER 06 :
The natural law.
SPEAKER 12 :
It's not necessarily the gospel, but it's recognizing there are rules that we need to acknowledge.
SPEAKER 06 :
And so that was what America was founded on. Not everyone was a born-again believer, but they understood there were rules that were put in place by the creator. And if we wanted to succeed, we had to operate within those guidelines and boundaries.
SPEAKER 12 :
It seems that... Mainstream America has decided what it wants to say no to. And I think leftism is actually logically connected to secularism because if there is no God, then there are no rules. And if there are no rules, I can do whatever I want. And if I can do whatever I want, then transgenderism and everything else that secularism offers actually makes sense.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right.
SPEAKER 12 :
And we've tasted that and seen that it is lousy as a culture. And we're not apparently interested in that. And of course that's, I think some sign of like our feet still on the ground and that's good. But do we know what we want to say yes to? Because there's still this desire of I wanna be in charge. I don't want insanity, but is this a moment for the church to remind the culture about nature and nature's God and the gospel, the really ultimately good news eternally, but the fact that there is a better path that we have had experience with, in fact, of recognizing reality and the one who created reality, But it seems to me that middle America might know what they don't want, but are we sure what we want yet? And is this an opportunity for the church to kind of step into that void and say, this is what we need to be saying yes to again?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think it's essential that we do. In fact, I was just thinking, I was trying to think of the passage in Scripture where the house is cleaned out, the demonic spirit is removed and the house is clean, but it's not filled with anything else. And so the spirit goes out wandering in the desert places and says, hey, you know what? Why am I out here? Let me get seven of my friends and I'm going to go back to that place since it was all cleaned up, but nothing's in it. And so we can push things out, but unless we fill it, that vacuum will be filled with something else and the latter will be worse than the former. And so I do think that if we just say no to transgenderism and to the woke policies, the DEI, it's going to be filled with something else by a different name unless we go back to that fundamental truth. And that is what this nation was founded upon, upon biblical truth. principles. Now, in terms of the church, the church must preach, teach the gospel unapologetically without any limitations. In public policy, we can sometimes arrive at consensus by the appealing to natural law, and it's a different setting, although we don't in any way back away from our Christian teaching and views, but natural law, as Paul talked about in Romans 2, it's inscribed upon people's heart. And so we need to appeal to that which is inscribed upon the heart that has not yet been fully realized by the soul.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, there you have it, folks, at least for today. There's much more to this special interview with FRC's Tony Perkins joining me on the Outstanding Podcast. If you'd like to hear the podcast in its entirety, go to TonyPerkins.com and click on the link in today's program notes. Or go wherever podcasts are found and subscribe to the Outstanding Podcast with me, Joseph Backholm. As we wrap this edition of Washington Watch, I'd like to invite you once again to join us in shining the light of biblical truth. Your gift by December 31st will be doubled through our limited time only challenge match. Text LIGHT to 67742 to give today and protect faith, family, and freedom in 2025. Thanks again for joining us today. God bless you and have a Merry Christmas. And as we head into the new year, I encourage you to remember the principle taught throughout scripture, fear God and nothing else. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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.
