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Explore the geopolitical implications of Israel’s ongoing conflicts with Iran and Gaza alongside attempts to broaden peace through diplomatic talks. Join Tony Perkins and Congressman John McGuire as they analyze the current status and future prospects of Middle Eastern peace initiatives. Engaging discussions also focus on Turkey’s growing influence and the strategic alliances shaping the region. With an eye on prophetic timelines and biblical worldview, this episode dives deep into the pivotal events from both a spiritual and political standpoint.
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From the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
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On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50, the Senate being evenly divided, the Vice President votes in the affirmative, the bill as amended is passed.
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That was Vice President J.D. Vance presiding over the Senate earlier today, where the reconciliation bill narrowly passed after over 26 hours of debate. Welcome to this July 1st edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. President Trump says the bill should move quickly through the House, but the version the Senate passed looks very different from the one that first cleared the House, and many of the provisions that helped to build a coalition the first time in the House are now gone. In just a moment, we’ll be joined by Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, who will walk us through the next steps and offer his perspective on how the House is likely to respond. Also ahead, first it was parents, then state legislatures, then the courts, and now even the media is beginning to admit the truth about the junk science behind the transgender movement. We’ll hear from Dr. Michelle Critella, past executive director of the American College of Pediatricians and the current chair of its Adolescent Sexuality Committee. Next week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ending the conflict in Gaza. We’ll talk with Virginia Congressman John McGuire about what a true and lasting resolution would require. In continuing focus on the Middle East, with Iran potentially defanged, Syria under new leadership, and momentum building behind the Abraham Accords, are we witnessing a path to peace or the setup for a larger confrontation? Author and Middle East expert Joel Richardson will join us for that discussion. And before we go to our first guest, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who partnered with FRC and Washington Watch over the past few weeks. Several of you made calls yesterday. And I’m grateful to report that with your prayers and support, we finished our fiscal year right on target. That means we’re ready to keep standing for faith, family, and freedom. So thanks for joining us. All right. As I mentioned at the top of the program, the Senate passed the version of its version of the big, beautiful bill earlier today. After nearly 27 hours of what’s called a voterama. Now, three Republicans joined the Democrats in voting against the bill, which set up the vice president to cast a tie breaking vote. The legislation. Now it goes back to the House. In fact, I believe right now as we speak, it’s in the Rules Committee. And what’s the process that it’s going to go through? How long will it take to get to the floor? And what are the prospects of passage? Here to discuss this, Congressman Robert Adderholt, who is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Alabama. Congressman Adderholt, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 20 :
Tony, good to be with you as always.
SPEAKER 06 :
Alright, before we get into your take on the Senate version, just walk our viewers and listeners through the process of what’s going to take place over the next 72 hours.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, from the best I understand, we have been on standby over the last several days thinking the Senate would pass a lot sooner than it did. So we could have a similar situation in the House, but if things stay as scheduled right now, the bill will come out of the Rules Committee. Sometimes, probably tonight, and then it will move forward to be put on the floor in the morning. I got a message from the WHPS office that we would start debate around 9 o’clock in the morning and would expect a vote then shortly thereafter. So we could be wrapped up. by probably by noon tomorrow if everything goes as planned. But as you mentioned, things are very different on this bill than what it was when we passed it out of the House of Representatives. Some of my colleagues have some concerns about it. I understand that because obviously it was a better bill that came out of the House, but We are presented with this bill now, and we have to decide whether we’re going to vote it up or down. And at this point, it doesn’t look like there’s an opportunity really to make any changes. Obviously, if everything falls apart, there could be some conference committee that’s put together, but I think the president wants to see this move forward in an expedited manner. And While it’s not a perfect bill, and as someone like yourself who served in a legislative body, there is no perfect bill out there. But obviously, we need to move forward to keep the tax cuts in place.
SPEAKER 06 :
That’s probably the most significant portion of the bill that remains unchanged is the tax extending and I think making permanent the tax cuts that are in place. If that’s not approved, there will be a massive tax increase on the American people. But some of the other issues, Congressman, that you and I care about, for instance, the defunding of Planned Parenthood. It was in the entire in the first bill, the entire window of the appropriations, which was a 10 year window. It was defunded. Now it’s narrowed down to simply a year, which is really a pause in funding because is Congress going to revisit the funding of Planned Parenthood?
SPEAKER 20 :
I sure hope so. I mean, obviously, I’m like you. I did not want to see this change that came in the Senate, and this is one change that was certainly disappointing. But obviously, getting this one-year moratorium, as you call it, is actually, at least that is some good news. And for that reason, I think it’s worth supporting this bill. But obviously, also that I know that you care about and so many of us care about is the adoption tax credit is also included in this bill for up to $5,000. And so this is something that will really help a lot of low-income households who may be unable to adopt. And as you know, adoption is very expensive. And therefore, for us to try to help the average American out there go through adoption, this is a welcome news.
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Where do we stand on the Medicaid reforms that were being proposed to keep those who were in the country illegally from tapping into those federal dollars? I know the argument in reducing some of the Medicaid spending was to preserve it for those who were truly in need. Where does that now stand?
SPEAKER 20 :
We’re trying to find out. Actually, I just had a discussion on my staff just in the last few minutes about this. We’re trying to find out what the language is. Of course, we do know that the reporting requirements are still in there. That requires Medicaid recipients to prove their eligibility twice a year as opposed to annually as it is now. And the expanded work requirements are included. And so there is that in there. But as far as for the illegal aliens, that is something that we’re trying to verify right now to see exactly what the language in the Senate bill includes or doesn’t include.
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And Congressman Adderhall is the you’re the chair of the values action team. So you you more than most are focused on the issues that we care about faith, family and freedom. Of course, you’ve got an outstanding voting record on those issues. The the other aspect that was in the House version that’s completely out in the Senate version was to keep taxpayers from being forced to fund these experimental drugs and surgeries for transgender
SPEAKER 20 :
miners and others right my understanding that was removed from the bill due to the bird rule um and that is uh but obviously like you i don’t like to sing that in there but uh the bird rule according to my understanding that was why it was was pulled
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How do you think your colleagues, I mean, you can’t afford to lose many votes and get this through because you’re not going to get any Democratic votes for this. It’s going to have to be all on the backs of the Republicans. Already, I’ve heard that there are several, I would say at least six or seven, I’ve heard that have said are leaning toward this out of the House Freedom Caucus. What are you hearing in terms of the prospects of the bill?
SPEAKER 20 :
I think it’s too early to tell, quite honestly. But I think at the end of the day, I think most members realize this is a one opportunity. The president wants to see this. We don’t want to have a tax increase. If this does not go into place, then we will see the highest ever peacetime tax increase in American history. And certainly no one wants to see that. And obviously, it’s no tax on tips are included in this. Overtime, no tax on overtime is included in this. And then the border wall funding for border funding for builds the wall while providing for support for the men and women, the agents, the officers out there on the front lines. And then $150 billion for defense funding. which includes the Golden Dome that the president has talked so widely about. So there’s a lot of great things in this bill. Again, is it perfect? No, it’s not perfect, and I would be the first one to say that. But obviously, as you know, it’s very difficult when you have men that are operating a legislative body to come out with a perfect bill.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, that’s what they say just in church work where you have church committees. Committees are not the best way to do things. In fact, they say a camel was actually a horse designed by a committee. Let’s talk about the fiscal aspects of this because that’s another area of concern for some of the fiscal hawks in the House. They were actually wanting more of a reduction in the House version. They didn’t get that. So how’s that going to go over? What are we looking at here in terms of the increase to the deficit and ultimately to the debt?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, that’s going to be a sticking point, no question. And that’s where that I think a lot of my colleagues will have a problem. And obviously, in a perfect world, I would like to see that change, too. Of course, as you know, the debt ceiling is increased by five trillion dollars. I know a lot of members have had some concerns about that. but at the same time um you know this does not raise the debt by five trillion it just increases the ceiling which i think is an important distinction i think when some people hear about the debt ceiling being increased they think it’s an automatic five trillion dollar increase but obviously that’s not the case. It would just increase the ceiling. But obviously this is going to be one of the sticking points, and I certainly wish that we could have a bill that does not do the spending as it is, but obviously no one wants to see a tax increase for something like $4 trillion on the American people either.
SPEAKER 06 :
So let’s talk about, we just have about a minute and a half left, Congressman Adderhall, the appropriations process. How can some of these concerns be offset in that process?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, certainly this appropriation process, we’re well under our way. We already have passed, I believe we have passed three or four out of committee that will be ready for the House floor. And we’ve already passed one appropriation bill on the House floor, the military construction. So we’re We’re well on our way, and we’re trying to cut spending drastically on the House version. Now, obviously, yes, got to go to the Senate, and the numbers may change. But in the House side, we are actually tamping down on the spending, and we are… spending way less even in the preparations process. And of course, as you know, that’s important to do. But at the same time, at the end of the day, we have to look at the long term of what these entitlement programs will do to this country. And that’s where the real where we really get into making a difference. So while a preparation is important, The entitlement programs is where really we can do some really make a real difference.
SPEAKER 06 :
That’s where the lion’s share of the revenue goes. Congressman Adderholt, always great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to join us today.
SPEAKER 20 :
Thanks, Tony. Always good to be with you.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. Coming up next, the Trump administration is trying to make the most of the momentum between the in the ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
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The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained. And yet, there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure. That’s why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
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Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation’s capital, FRC continues to champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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FRC is one of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north. And I shudder to think had they not been here that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
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The Family Research Council is key. It’s one of a handful of groups that I think will determine whether our children live in a country that enjoyed all of the freedom and all the opportunity that we enjoyed in this great land.
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It’s just a wonderful parachurch organization that doesn’t seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the Holy Scriptures.
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FRC is not going to be whooped. You know, we’re going to fight. We’re going to take a stand. And again, we don’t retreat.
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SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. All right, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met today with senior Trump administration officials in Washington to lay the groundwork for next week’s meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. which is going to be focused on Gaza and what’s happening there. The Trump administration trying to make the most of the momentum that happened last week in terms of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Now, can they secure a breakthrough in Gaza? Much different situation there. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman John McGuire, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Reform. He represents the 5th Congressional District of Virginia. He is also a Navy SEAL. Congressman McGuire, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Hey, great to see you, Tony. How are you?
SPEAKER 06 :
I’m doing well. Thank you. So Israel has been fighting there in Gaza for going on almost 20 months. Much different situation on the ground there as opposed to airstrikes neutralizing Iran’s missile capacity, their nuclear capacity. They’re not making the process they would like to in Gaza. What’s the best way out?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know, the blessing of the peacemakers and President Trump is trying to make peace all over the world. You probably saw Rwanda, Congo. You probably saw the ceasefire with Iran and Israel. He’s strengthening right now. And so with President Trump and meeting with Bibi and negotiating, maybe we can get those 50 hostages back and maybe we could have peace in Gaza. But I got to tell you, I’d certainly support Israel and their decision to go into Gaza. I mean, after October 7, it was just horrible. But I think with President Trump leadership and partnership with Israel, it’s complicated, but I think we can get it done.
SPEAKER 06 :
Long term, one of the objectives, actually there was like three war objectives that Israel had going into Gaza. One was to get the hostages back. Two was to eliminate Hamas. They understand they cannot continue with Hamas on their southern border there as a terrorist organization.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I totally agree with that. I mean, their idea is they will not stop until they push Israel into the sea. And Israel just wants peace, but you can’t negotiate with these folks. And so Israel needs to eliminate the threat, and they cannot hold office. I certainly support that. I’m not sure what the negotiations is, how they’re going to come out with that. But I don’t see any other way than to eliminate that threat.
SPEAKER 06 :
We’ve not heard this directly, but every time we hear peace, there is discussions of so-called two-state solution, the two-state proposal, which requires Israel to give up land. That’s actually What got, I think, Israel into the mess it was in with Gaza is that the disengagement back in 2005 and pulling everything out and letting the Palestinian Authority take control. They had elections 2007. Hamas was elected and they’ve been gearing up for war ever since.
SPEAKER 08 :
You’re right. And a two state solution. I just don’t think that’s going to work. Certainly, they’ve offered to send those folks to other countries in the Middle East and they don’t want them. because these folks are indoctrinated from five years up to hate. And it’s a difficult thing to overcome. But the two-state solution, I don’t see that working. And like you said, it hasn’t worked in the past.
SPEAKER 06 :
What’s your sense now with this ceasefire between Israel and Iran? We’re still getting, you know, intels coming in regarding how far back Iran has been set back in terms of their nuclear program. What do you see as the ideal outcome there? Is it a regime change?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know, I think it’s up to the people of Iran. I mean, you know, back 40-some years ago, they were one of the most Western countries in the Middle East. I mean, I looked at the intel reports. Trump and his decisive decision to go in there and use our military to take away their ability to have nuclear weapons, he obliterated that ability. I mean, there’s just no way with 30,000-pound bombs that they survived that, the ability to make nuclear uranium, enrich uranium there. I never thought in many years I would see Israeli fighters being refueled over Tehran. And so I think they’ve obliterated or minimized their ability to project power and war power. So I think this is the best time in history, I think, for regime change. But it’s up to the people. They don’t like what’s going on. They’ve got to step up and do something.
SPEAKER 06 :
I would agree. I mean, when we talk, I was talking last weekend with former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton. You know, the word regime change has a lot of negative connotations to it because of some of the nation building activities that the U.S. was involved in, you know, in Afghanistan and elsewhere that did not work. It has to be organic. It has to come up from the people. But I do think there is evidence that the Iranian people would like to be out from underneath this repressive regime.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think there’s a lot of evidence of that. And I believe the population is around 92 million people. And it’s just the folks that have been in control have been kidnapping people and murdering people ever since we bombed the enrichment facility. And so it’s just a real oppressive society. And hopefully they’ve had enough. If they’ve had enough, there are people all over the world that would be willing to support them.
SPEAKER 06 :
So let’s talk about what that looks like. We just have about two minutes left. From an economic and diplomatic standpoint, how can we facilitate that at this point from your perspective?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, certainly I think that the allies or the neighboring countries, because like President Trump said, Iran is known as the bully of the Middle East. And people kept saying we’re going to have war. The Democrats in particular kept saying we’re going to have war and it’s going to call World War III. But I noticed that China, Russia, and all of Iran’s allies in the Middle East didn’t say a word and didn’t step in because they don’t want them having a nuclear weapon either. But I think that these surrounding countries could support them with arms or logistics to help them communicate and have a regime change.
SPEAKER 06 :
Final question for you, Congressman, just about a minute left. I want to switch gears here. You’re going to be, as a member of the House, taking up the reconciliation bill that comes back almost unrecognizable from the Senate. What do you think is going to happen?
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s tough. It’s tough. You look at the alternatives. There are a lot of things in there I like, a lot of things I don’t like. I’m telling you right now I’m going to vote yes, though, because the alternative is worse. I mean, it would be the largest tax increase on the Middle East. And I’m a limited government person, but if we do anything, we should keep our people safe. And it’s $150 billion for national security. It also puts money in to secure our border, and we’ve got to be energy dominant. And, you know, obviously you remember Joe Biden, maybe. The Green News scam wouldn’t let us. They shut down pipelines and everything else, shut down coal mines. So this will put jet fuel on our economy and grow this economy so that we can live, work and raise our families in peace.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Congressman, we’re going to leave it there. Always great to see you. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back with more Washington Watch on the other side of the break.
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The Center for Biblical Worldview’s all-day workshops delves into the formation of a worldview, what it is, how it’s formed, when it’s formed, what that means to them personally and their churches and communities.
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My hope for people when they come to these worldview workshops is that they will come away better equipped to engage the people and the ideas that they’re living with and around. And our goal is to give people more confidence in the gospel and the fact that what God said to us actually is true, actually is the path to happiness and human flourishing for all of us, but also more confidence in their ability to have these conversations and help lead other people to the truth.
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for Bible-believing Christians to know what God’s Word says on these issues and to learn how they can apply it to their lives. And we believe that the more Christians that we equip, that’s how we’ll change the nation.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hey fam, listen, Pastor Sammy here at Lighthouse Church, and I cannot tell you how equipping, how empowering, how… incredibly educating this conference has been. And so I just want to encourage anybody that either has not been part of or is thinking about hosting this event, certainly to pastors, leaders, even CEOs for that matter, this conference is lights out. I stand behind it myself. I can’t commend it enough. We’re going to be talking about this for some time to come.
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The culture is kind of squeezing in on us as God’s people, forcing those of us with biblical views to change those views or to suppress those views. It’s forcing us to engage with issues that we’ve never had to engage with. And so what this teaches us is what those issues are, what the Bible says about those issues, and then how we can critically engage our culture on these things in a way that is committed to biblical principle.
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Visit frc.org slash worldview for more information.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. By the way, I had Michelle Bachmann on yesterday. We were discussing this same issue of Israel, the two-state solution, and how that’s bad, bad, bad public policy for us to encourage Israel to divide their land. So if you’d like to join the letter that former Congressman Michelle Bachmann has signed, myself and many others, text the word letter to 67742. That’s letter to 67742. It’s a letter we’re going to forward on to the president. Good journalism is hard to come by these days, which is why it’s surprising and even refreshing to come across an article that is objective like the one that was published Sunday in The Atlantic. The headline of the article is the liberal misinformation bubble about youth gender medicine. And the subhead is how the left ended up disbelieving the science. It’s written by Helen Lewis, someone who believes that trans women are women and trans men are men. And she regularly used to write that gender transitioning was life-saving until she saw how limited the evidence was for that claim. I mean, it’s just like they’re just parroting these things that have been out there. Well, now she’s delivering a wake-up call to her fellow liberals who are stuck in this misinformation age like she was. Joining me to discuss this, Dr. Michelle Critella, who is the former executive director of the American College of Pediatricians and the current chair of its Adolescent Sexuality Committee. Dr. Critella, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 22 :
Thank you for having me. It’s great to be here.
SPEAKER 06 :
You were one of the early ones that was out warning about this. I mean, then, you know, it became first, you know, parents began to see this, then state legislatures, then the courts, and now even the media is beginning to admit the truth about the junk science behind the transgender movement. This has to be encouraging to see that the light is breaking through the darkness.
SPEAKER 22 :
It absolutely is. It’s very encouraging because back in 2016, if anyone, any of us who stood up and said, look, the insert, the package insert for puberty blockers, Lupron, says right there, beware of this causing new onset psychiatric disorders causing labile emotions. It is not a medication you want to give to children who are already depressed and anxious and suicidal. Moreover, those of us who came out calling the truth from the beginning. We knew this medication is used in many states to sterilize sex offenders. So you did not have to go digging very deep to recognize that it was a threat to children’s fertility from the beginning.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you talk about those who were willing to step up and speak out about this, there was a price to pay for that. I mean, that was at the height of the cancel culture. I mean, you had, you know, the junkyard dogs of the left, Southern Poverty Law Center and others that would begin to attack anyone who would question this junk science.
SPEAKER 22 :
Correct. Absolutely correct. Um, you were automatically, as I was labeled, um, let’s see the leader of the skinheads of pediatricians. Yeah. You know, that Nazi, uh, allegation comes out, you know, and any kind of muzzling they can do. Uh, and it was, you asked why, um, I would say it’s because of profits, high profitability and ideology. Um, but there were many, many physicians, um, not just pediatricians, surgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists who would call the American college of pediatricians and call me as the executive director and saying, thank you. Thank you for speaking out. We can’t do it. Why? It was career ending. It was career ending. And, um, And then with the cancel culture on social media, you were a social pariah. So it was harrowing. But, you know, courage is courageous.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 22 :
Courage is contagious.
SPEAKER 06 :
It’s contagious. Yes, it spreads. So there’s a lesson here. I mean, it’s interesting that Lewis wrote in her pieces that I regularly used to write that medical transition was life saving. before I saw how limited the evidence was on suicide. This was just kind of this rote claim that the left made that, well, either you let your child transition or they’re going to commit suicide. I mean, that’s malpractice.
SPEAKER 22 :
Absolutely. And that’s why, you know, parents are still to this day being emotionally blackmailed by that lie. It’s horrifying and it’s horrible. And you’re right. It’s malpractice on multiple, multiple levels.
SPEAKER 06 :
We just have about a minute left, Dr. Cotella. What are the lessons here that we have learned through this process?
SPEAKER 22 :
There are several lessons. I think number one, all, even the experts are only human, right? We all, We can all fall under the temptation of going after the next shiny thing, going after profits, fame, et cetera. So it is very important to question the experts. Number two, truth often is common sense Faith and science on the same page. I think that’s an important lesson. You know, the secular world wants us to believe that traditional faith morals are opposed to what science reveals, and that is not true.
SPEAKER 06 :
And therefore they’re invalidated, and they can’t be brought to the argument.
SPEAKER 22 :
Right. No, no. They are more often than not on the same page. And, you know, number three, Courage is contagious. It is. We have to speak for the most vulnerable.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I appreciate, we’re up against a break, but I appreciate you, Dr. Crotella, for that courage that you’ve had. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back after this.
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Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
SPEAKER 10 :
Jennifer, it’s so exciting to be here with you today talking about our new book, Embracing God’s Design. Who is actually going to benefit from reading this book in your view?
SPEAKER 19 :
There are so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, because we have some material in there where we really address the gender dysphoria diagnosis and what is wrong with it. We have information for people who are wanting to go back to embracing God’s design for their life.
SPEAKER 10 :
This is really magical to have the therapist and the individual who suffered come together and write about why this is happening and why we’re seeing this.
SPEAKER 19 :
And we brought all of that experience to the table. We want to see people walking in the fullness of who God has called them to be and not a false identity.
SPEAKER 09 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 01 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture. and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Let me again remind you, you can sign the letter with former Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, myself and others, urging the Trump administration not to divide the land of Israel under any circumstances in peace negotiations involving Gaza or the Palestinians. You can text the word letter to 67742, letter, L-E-T-T-E-R, to 67742 and you’ll get a link. All right, our word for today comes from Matthew 28, where Jesus gives his final instructions to his disciples. All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belong to him. He’s not just a spiritual leader, he’s the King of kings and the Lord of lords. With that authority, he commissions his followers to make disciples of all nations. The mission of the church is not about seizing earthly power, but advancing a heavenly kingdom, an eternal kingdom. Yet as the kingdom of God expands one life at a time, it inevitably transforms the kingdoms of this world. Discipleship brings with it a new way of living, obeying the commands of Christ. As individuals submit to his word, cultures shift. and even nations can be changed. This is both the Great Commission and a cultural commission, and it starts with our personal obedience. To find out more about our journey through the Bible text, Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. Well, after decades of holding the Middle East hostage, Iran and its network of proxies have been confronted. While it may be too soon to say they’ve been neutralized, it is clear their terror enterprise has suffered a significant setback. Over the past 20 months, we’ve witnessed a seismic reshuffling of the Middle East landscape as Iran’s proxies tumbled one by one, and now Iran itself has been humbled. So how do these changes align with the Bible’s prophetic outline of end-time events? And now that the conversation has shifted toward peace deals, what emerging threats should we be watching for? Joining me to unpack these developments is Bible teacher and bestselling author, Joel Richardson. Joel, welcome to Washington Watch. Tony, thanks for having me on. Well, I’ve read a number of your books, which I highly recommend. Very interesting and insightful. And I want to bring that into this because we may not know the full extent of Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. It’s clear the damage was quite serious. They’ve been set back years, maybe not decades, in their nuclear plan. What are we witnessing here? I mean, this is a major reshuffling of the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, this is a moment in terms of the middle. I mean, you know, the moment in world history when all of the continents broke up, you know, I mean, that’s actually the tectonic shift that we’re seeing right now is unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes with the fall of Syria, the fall of the Assad regime, and now the subsequent I think it’s fair to say the fall of the Iranian regime. I mean, again, you know, we haven’t seen the funeral yet, so to speak, but they have been largely neutralized. This is changing everything. It’s going to change the religious landscape. It’s going to change the geopolitical landscape. It’s going to change the, it’s going to move things forward in terms of the next steps in biblical prophecy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let’s talk about some of those next steps. We’re already hearing about the expansion of the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia reaching a deal potentially with recognizing Israel.
SPEAKER 04 :
So the primary passage that we should be looking at in terms of sort of like what’s happening right now is Daniel chapter 11. Daniel chapter 11, it sort of details the history of the clash between this dynasty that developed after the death of Alexander the Great in the north. It was the Seleucid dynasty. It was the region of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and parts of northern Iraq. And Daniel 11 refers to the kings from that region as the king of the north. The final one, the eighth one, was a guy named Antiochus Epiphanes. Horrible guy. It’s written about in the book of Maccabees. And he becomes the primary type of the Antichrist in the Bible. He is the greatest type. of the Antichrist in the entire Bible. And he’s clashing with the King of the South, which is, I’ll say, more of a Israel-friendly, less hostile coalition of nations. And what we’re seeing right now is we’re seeing the emergence of kind of a King of the North coalition led by Turkey. Turkey, Syria, Qatar, Yemen. Iran is still going to be part of that because they’re very hostile toward Israel. And then you have the emerging Abrahamic Accords coalition. You have the emerging King of the South coalition. That’s going to be Egypt. It’s going to be Jordan. Soon we’re going to see Saudi Arabia join. We’ve already had the UAE in Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan. And so we see sort of the emergence of this slightly more Western, slightly more Israel friendly, less hostile grouping of nations. At the same time we’re seeing the emergence of this more Islamist and hostile sort of boastful coalition of nations led by Turkey.
SPEAKER 06 :
So is there a risk of this becoming complacent that you know the peace is all these pieces are coming together and there’s going to be peace in the Middle East when in fact there is a underlying rising power
SPEAKER 04 :
turkey and those nations around it that pose a significant threat in the future look turkey has an incredibly powerful military they’ve got a larger military than britain france and germany combined and you know erdogan the president of turkey openly speaks with hostility towards israel And so they’ve always been the dark horse. Israel’s eyes have been on Iran so long, it’s almost as though they weren’t even prepared for the day after the fall of the Iranian regime. And war fatigue is real. Israel has been under bombardment for the past year and a half. not only from missiles, but the hatred of the nations. And so there’s an emotional fatigue that’s leading them, quite frankly, into the arms of the Abrahamic Accord. And I want to say the Abrahamic Accords are a good thing. Israel has every right to engage in good diplomacy with its surrounding neighbors. However, the Bible calls Israel not to trust in these things. It’s okay for them to, you know, have diplomatic relations, but their job is to trust the Lord. You know, I’ve seen statements saying, like, the IDF are our saviors. The IDF is our savior. That’s the type of attitude that you see the Lord specifically address in the Scriptures. The people of Israel are called, you know, O Israel, trust in the Lord from this time forward and forevermore.
SPEAKER 06 :
Along those lines, Joel, let me ask you this question because this is something that’s concerned me, is that they look too closely to the United States for their help, which puts them at risk and us with God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Exactly. I mean, and it’s a natural thing, you know, we’re the most powerful military in the world. We’re their big brother, their protector. The problem is, You just never know what tomorrow holds with regard to American politics. You don’t know what administration might take over in a few years and how hostile they can be. You know, we’ve got an emergence of a real radical left-wing element in the United States, and it’s becoming commonplace to express incredibly irrational hatred toward Israel, toward the state of Israel and even the Jewish people. So, yeah, Israel would do well not to put their trust in the United States.
SPEAKER 06 :
I will say I’ve been to Israel, I think, four times since October the 7th, and I’m seeing a religious revival, if you will, a return to their understanding of not just their ethnic background, but their spiritual background as a Jewish people.
SPEAKER 04 :
A bit more, you know, Israel has always had a vibrant left, and, you know, the left always believed that they could eventually make peace with their neighbors. October 7th was a wake-up call, and it’s turned a lot of the country away from, you know, more of a coexistence type of mentality. And in that, you know, obviously being bombarded, being in war is, you know, you’ve got, so what do they call them, the… foxhole conversions, you know, even in Israel, you’ve got people sort of turning back to Judaism to some degree.
SPEAKER 06 :
Joel, I’m going to go back to Turkey for just a moment, because Turkey has long concerned me. Number one, it’s in NATO, which kind of gives it a a veil uh so to speak where where we we really don’t know exactly all that they’re doing and they’re they’re protected their nuclear program other things are protected is is that a part of what we may like a smoke screen and going forward that we’re not going to be watching them as closely i mean we’re working alongside them so to speak in nato
SPEAKER 04 :
First of all, the nation of Turkey, the Republic of Turkey, has one of the most strategic pieces of property in the world. And because, as you said, that they are in NATO, they have us in a position that is incredibly awkward. You know, we have the Incirlik Air Force Base there with nuclear weapons in Turkey. And look, there has been, it’s not an Islamic revolution in the same way that Iran had the Islamic revolution in 79, but there has been a slow, massive transformation in Turkey over the past 15 years under the AKP party with Erdogan. And it has been a slow turn toward Islamism. Again, hostility toward Israel. And I’m sure that – well, I would like to believe that those that are giving advice to President Trump are aware of this publicly. He speaks about how – what great friends they are and this type of thing. I would expect to see Erdogan emerge as a pretty key player in the months ahead.
SPEAKER 06 :
MR PRICE. Are they going to take – Turkey take the place of Iran as the strongman in the Middle East?
SPEAKER 04 :
In many ways, in many ways. And they’ll continue to function the same way that Iran has functioned, which is to use proxies. And that is largely through what has happened in Syria. Look, Syria has fallen to the Sunnis. It used to be controlled by the Alawites. It has fallen to an ISIS offshoot, and that is a proxy. It is an appendage of Turkey. So really what’s happened with the fall of Syria is Turkey now essentially has borders with Israel. You can almost think of Syria and Turkey as sort of one entity. Yes, they’re two nations, but really they’re controlled by Turkey.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you talk about Turkey’s proxies, their network of proxies, while maybe smaller, are more extensive. I mean, they have proxies. Erdogan’s been working around the globe to establish these outposts.
SPEAKER 04 :
Turkey has a long history, obviously, the Ottomans in Eastern Europe. You know, you go there, anyone that you talk to feels it. And they wage war through economics, through investment. They’ve been doing a lot in Northern Africa the past 20 years. And so, yeah, you know, Turkey’s, they’ve watched Iran in terms of, you know, sending out their sort of proxies, their junkyard dogs throughout the region. And Erdogan has been following, following their, their model, as I said, for the past 20 years.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, you know, from a biblical perspective as we look at it, no one knows the day or the time, but we know the seasons. Where are we in the season?
SPEAKER 04 :
Look, and that’s, you know, obviously I want to be real careful here, but I’ll say this. I’ll step out and say, you know, it would not at all surprise me. And I’m usually very cautious, Tony. It would not shock me if to say within the next couple of years that we could be entering that final seven year period. But by the same token, it could be quite a ways off. But it’s, you know, so many of the pieces of the puzzle are falling into alignment that it’s time for us to really be sober and pay attention and
SPEAKER 06 :
So what’s that look like, Joel? Let’s talk about that. We got about three and a half minutes left, but that’s not to alarm us. It’s to awaken us to the responsibilities we have as Christians in this hour. This is an exciting time and things are moving rapidly. I mean, where we are today from 20 months ago, you could have never forecasted i just you wouldn’t have forecasted it it’s happened though it’s the reshuffling of the geopolitical landscape of the middle east and i agree with you i think that i think the pieces are coming into order and any number of world events could cause them to shift overnight into place so how should we be living
SPEAKER 04 :
When you see these statements throughout the scriptures, you know, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, or Isaiah says, weep, wail, mourn for the day of the Lord is near, this type of thing. These statements are to convey urgency. They’re not to say it’s going to be within the next so many months. It’s not about temporal closeness. It’s about urgency. And so sort of this umbrella is over all of us at any given time. We are to live with a sense that tomorrow we could be standing before the judge of all mankind and to live accordingly. It’s not to panic. You know, when your wife is pregnant, you don’t panic because the birth pains are coming. You get excited for the birth. And that’s how we as Christians are. We’re to look forward to the day of our redemption. Yes, to be sober and prepared, but our focus is not on the birth pains. Our focus is on the kingdom that’s coming.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I think it’s all the more to be busy about the work of the kingdom. I think of the parable of the talents. I want to make sure that I’ve got a good return on what we’ve been left and entrusted with, because I do believe that we are moving rapidly toward the end. Now, it could be, you know, could be longer, but certainly all the pieces are coming into place. Joel, any books you’re working on right now? What’s the latest book you’re working on?
SPEAKER 04 :
So I actually just turned in a book today to the printers. I’m real excited. It’s called Gospel of the Skull Crusher, the gloriously good news of God’s plans to fix everything. And it’ll be released here in about five weeks. So very excited about it. It’s been four years since my last book.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I tell you, the Middle East Beast and some of the others I’ve read, very insightful. And I just appreciate your insight. And of course, we didn’t have time to go into it, but you’ve spent a lot of time in the Islamic world understanding Islam. And I think you’re… juxtaposing Islamic eschatology with biblical eschatology is so insightful and helpful in people understanding kind of how things are unfolding in the end time. So I highly recommend those books that you’ve written and I appreciate you being so thoughtful and systematic in putting that information out there.
SPEAKER 04 :
I appreciate it. Yeah, it’s helping the church return to the Israel centricity of the message to understand not only the role of Islam in the last days, but also the role of Israel and how we, I mean, right now, Tony, how we as followers of the Jewish Messiah, how should we be living in terms of standing with our neighbors, our Jewish neighbors? with this global tsunami of irrational, I’ll even say demonic hatred. You know, these things are very, very relevant.
SPEAKER 06 :
And that’s what it is. It’s demonic at its core. It’s a hatred of God expressed toward his people. Joel Richardson, thanks so much for joining us. Great to have you on the program today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks again, Tony. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER 06 :
And folks, you can find out more. As I said, I’ve read almost all of his books on the Middle East and end times, and we’d encourage you to take a look. You can find out more at the website, TonyPerkins.com. All right, with that, we’re out of time for today, but thanks for joining us. And until next time, I leave you once again with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6, where he says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, prepare to take in your stand. By all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 03 :
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.
