In this engaging episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins navigates the complexities of American politics, focusing on themes of faith, religious freedom, and the ever-evolving political landscape. From discussions on the National Prayer Breakfast to President Trump’s bold stances on religious persecution and immigration policy, we delve into how religious values are influencing national discourse. Expert guests, including Congressman Andy Biggs and Dr. Quentin Van Meter, provide insights into the multifaceted debates surrounding immigration reforms and the controversial issue of medical procedures for minors.
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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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But in that momentous day in 1776, history changed forever when our founders proclaimed the immortal truths that echoed around the world. and down all the way through time, that we are endowed with our sacred rights to life, liberty, and not by government, but by God Almighty himself.
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That was President Donald Trump this morning at the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington, D.C., reflecting on the founding principles laid out by our founding fathers. Welcome to this February 5th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. We’re coming up, Democrats on cap have outlined a series of immigration enforcement reforms that could complicate efforts to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security beyond the two-week short-term funding bill. Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs joins us to break it all down. Plus, Dr. Quentin Van Meter, former president of the American College of Pediatricians, will share his insights on the decision by two major medical associations to reverse their recommendations on gender transition procedures for minors. Well, this week, Washington had a prayer. In fact, we had a lot of prayer here in Washington, D.C. It was a hub for prayer and a focus on religious freedom. Yesterday, leaders gathered for the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, co-hosted by the Family Research Council. And today, the 74th Annual National Prayer Breakfast brought together voices from across the globe. President Trump spoke at the event, marking his sixth appearance as leaders united to focus on faith and prayer for the nation. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who has been, I think, in his prayer closet today, as well as tracking the news stories. Casey, tell us about the event. Am I glowing, Tony? Yes. Look, we cannot get enough prayer. Anyone who listens or watches our program know that we’re all about prayer.
SPEAKER 17 :
That’s right, education that leads to intercession. And I hope that’s what we saw this week with the event. I mean, President Trump was one of many speakers who were there. But in his speech, he covered a wide range of topics. In many points, it felt like a very political speech. It was a long speech. He talked about the strength of the military, federal agents bringing down crime. He even sent a message to Hamas fighters to disarm or face consequences. But he kept those spiritual themes throughout. The president said he’s done more for religious freedom than any other modern-day president. And he also issued a warning for those attacking Christians in Nigeria. Here’s a clip from that.
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When Christians come under attack, they know they’re going to be attacked violently and viciously by President Trump. I know it’s not a nice thing to say, but that’s the way it is.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, the president, he went on to reject calls and pressure to fire Homeland Security Kristi Noem after all the things that have been going on in Minneapolis and the chaos there. He said religion is coming back, which is an interesting moment in the speech. And he vowed to rededicate America as one nation under God in an event on the National Mall this May. So a wide-ranging speech, but a pretty interesting event coming up as well, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, Casey, I think it’s really important for the United States to send a message about protecting Christians. In the past, they’ve been very reluctant to identify Christians, even though they’re the single largest religious group that is being targeted around the globe. So kudos to President Trump and his administration for identifying the problem and not being afraid to speak about it because of political correctness. And there’s action to back that up. And of course, we’re encouraging that to be consistent. All right. Congressional leaders are racing against a tight deadline to finalize funding for the Department of Homeland Security for the current budget. This two week extension expires. Democrat leaders have outlined a series of demands. related to immigration enforcement, some reforms that they want. What are the specifics, Casey?
SPEAKER 17 :
That’s right. There are these demands up against a tight deadline. It seems like the demands are growing, but some of them are requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras, to take off the mask they’ve been wearing, to display an ID. There’s also been talk about requiring them to standardize their uniforms. And they want to make certain safe places where officers cannot enforce the immigration ENFORCEMENTS SUCH AS CHURCHES OR MEDICAL CENTERS OR DAYCARES. AND THEY ALSO WANT TO RAISE THE STANDARDS FOR WARRANTS FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT TO MORE OF A JUDICIAL WARRANT. NOW, IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE IS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH DEMOCRATS ON THAT, BUT THEY’RE UP AGAINST A TIGHT DEADLINE, TONY, AND THERE’S A LOT OF NEGOTIATIONS TO BE HAD.
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ALL RIGHT. CASEY HARPER, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR UPDATES. All right, I want to bring in a member of Congress now to discuss the Democrats’ demands on immigration enforcement. Joining me now is Congressman Andy Biggs, who is co-chair of the Border Security Caucus and a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as well as the House Judiciary Committee. He represents the 5th Congressional District of Arizona. He knows something about the border. Congressman Biggs, welcome back to Washington Watch. It was good to see you on the plane Monday morning. Yeah, thanks, Tony. Good to be with you. All right, let’s talk about this. What do you make of the demands of the Democrats in order to extend the funding for Homeland Security?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think they’re entirely unreasonable. First of all, ICE is already funded from the Big Beautiful Bill, and there was already a provision in there that would fund paying for body cameras. So they basically are getting that, get their wish taken care of there. But they’re trying to leverage and say, well, We’re not going to pay FEMA. We’re not going to pay TSA. We’re not going to pay Coast Guard and several other agencies. That’s the leverage that they’re trying to wield. And I just don’t think it’s rational or reasonable. The things that they want done, think about it. They’re actually asking for sanctuary places where, in some of these instances, you’ve actually seen a violent criminal run into a church And they’re saying, well, we don’t want ICE to go in there. And we want to be able to dox them better. We want to be able to attack them better. I think they’re grossly unreasonable. And I think they’re underestimating the resolve of President Trump and the Republicans in Congress, and quite frankly, the American people.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, let me ask you about that. Should the same standard apply for local police? I mean, having been a police officer, I mean, one of the things is that you always had to have your name in, of course, the mask or something new. That’s not something that we’ve had until recently. So, I mean, is that is that a unreasonable demand?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think it is unreasonable. First of all, most ICE officers are wearing, you can see them, they’re wearing law enforcement vests, they’re wearing CBP or ICE jackets. But think about this too. Sometimes they’re going into undercover type situations. AND THEY’RE BASICALLY SAYING WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE DESIGNATED AND OUT IN THE OPEN. WELL, YOU WOULD NEVER SEND AN UNDERCOVER.
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THAT’S CERTAINLY A SITUATION THAT WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE TO DEMAND AN OFFICER GOING INTO AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION TO BE IDENTIFIED. BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THIS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STANDARD WE APPLY TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AS TO WILL WE ACCEPT THAT AT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. I do think there’s some room for negotiation here. You talk about the sanctuary places. I agree with you. But what about if they want some, you know, if they want reforms, what about reforms on sanctuary cities, that we’re not going to send money to these sanctuary cities and they need to crack down, the Democrats need to crack down on these sanctuary cities that are facilitating lawlessness?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I agree with that Tony 100%. I mean and that and some of us have been advocating that for literally years. I know that I’ve advocated for that, but when you think about this too, literally there are well over 1000 counties. that are cooperating with ICE and they’re transferring these violent criminals in the jails or the detention facilities themselves by local law enforcement. And Tony, that’s really ultimately the issue. You’ve got the sanctuary cities and they’re turning the violent criminals back on the street. And so the ICE has to go into the community and try to find them. If they would just do that at the jail, like I said, in over a thousand jurisdictions that are doing that now, you don’t have the same thing going on. Even in some parts of LA, where ICE has shown up with local law enforcement helping, there’s not even protest, for Pete’s sakes. They’re just turning them over. They take them peacefully. And the problem is when you have political leaders fomenting not just protesting, because protesting is legal, but actually interference and attacks of these law enforcement officers.
SPEAKER 10 :
So in those situations, Congressman Biggs, is there a way, I know there’s a lot of federal funding goes to corrections at the state level. I mean, if they’re going to turn these people loose, only making it difficult for ICE, is there a way to connect the dollars?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think there is, and I think that’s what we should do. I mean, some people have actually proposed, instead of sending the dollars through the political subdivision of the state or the state itself, actually send it right to the law enforcement office, provided that they’re going to actually participate and turn over these illegal aliens.
SPEAKER 10 :
Can you do that legally? Can you do that through the, can the federal government do that, work directly with that law enforcement or correction institute?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think you can. There’s some people who are going to challenge that, of course, and it’s going to be the states and the jurisdictions themselves. But I believe you can actually give those grants out because they’re going to go there anyway. That’s where they’re designed to end up.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I think that’s a great idea. Reward those who are actually doing the work and not giving the money to those who are not doing the work, in fact, that are counterproductive in terms of immigration reform. I mean, the federal government does a lot with its money in terms of the carrot and stick. I think, you know, there’s some creative ways there to work around this. So what do you anticipate? I mean, it looks like right now Republicans and Democrats are, you know, see a part on this.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it’s going to be really hard to close that gap within a few days. And most of the Democrats that I’ve talked to or that are on my two committees, you know, admittedly, they’re the most strident, perhaps, but they’re really recalcitrant. They’re not willing to budge on this. You can’t, Tony, we were having a hearing on the balanced budget amendment for Pete’s sakes, and all the Democrats wanted to talk about was ICE. and how they hate ice and they want to defund ice they want to eliminate ice altogether is what they want they want an open border and the other thing i’d say tony’s think of who they’re protecting i mean you can go through and see every day a list of who ice is arresting right there even in minneapolis we’re talking about rapists child molesters murderers uh just the the A parade of horrors. And they want to protect that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, it’s very clear that the American people want the borders secure. This is this was an issue in the election. I think you even the polling continues to support the American people want security. the immigration reform now. I think some of the events that have occurred in the last couple of weeks have been kind of a hiccup in this, and I do think there’s some room for some, you know, reforms, discussions here, but not what the Democrats are asking for. I think that would just be, as you pointed out, it would just be eliminating the immigration enforcement.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and that’s a real concern that I have. I mean, if you start looking at the open borders rhetoric that they’ve had from the left for years, and it’s actually expanded. And those incidents in Minneapolis have actually supercharged their efforts to eliminate ICE and border control at all. And that’s a problem. That’s a huge problem for us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Congressman Andy Biggs, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 04 :
My pleasure. We’ll fly again together sometime, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I like your weather out there in Arizona. It’s nice. It is nice. All right, take care. All right, coming up, another medical association is no longer recommending trans surgeries for minors. I tell you, this is significant. We talked about it a little bit yesterday, but we’re going to discuss it even further because this could be a sea change. coming from the Medical Society. We’re gonna talk about this next, so don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead. We have state leaders that want to keep the deadly drugs out of their states. Maybe if these abortion pills were coming by boat, the administration would change its tactics. It’s time to respect the rights of the states, and it’s time to end death by mail.
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Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, alongside Senator Lindsey Graham, led a press conference on Capitol Hill urging the Trump administration to end the Biden-era policies that have allowed dangerous abortion drugs to be shipped across state lines. They were joined by state attorneys general, pro-life advocates, and multiple Republican congressmen.
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There are more abortions today in the United States than when Roe versus Wade was the law of the land. And why is that? It’s because of the chemical abortion drug, Mifeprestone. Nearly 70% of the abortions that are committed in the United States today are committed because of Mifeprestone.
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The federal government is allowing a chemical abortion pill to be sent through the mail that wipes out every state unborn protection law in the land.
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It’s harder to ship alcohol in this country than it is to ship the abortion pill.
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And that should never be the case. This is a drug that takes the life of every child. So there is always a death that’s involved in this drug, but is also incredibly dangerous for the mom as well. We think that we should require a doctor to be able to get access to this drug.
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As a doctor, I think it’s essential that there be human contact before the pill is prescribed.
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It’s not about a national abortion ban. It’s about validating Dobbs and preventing other states from nullifying the legislative policy choices that have been made by our states and facilitating the illegal, unethical, and dangerous drug trafficking of abortion pills into our states without any medical oversight whatsoever.
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We can simply fix this if we have the courage to do it. So what are all of us telling the administration? You’ve been a great pro-life president, Mr. President. It’s now time to deal with this issue.
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We want to protect life, and we want to give voice to the American people and their right to protect life state by state, city by city, and yes, here in the United States Congress. That’s what this fight is about.
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Let your voice be heard. Text LIFE to 67742. Sign the petition. Tell the Trump administration to act.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at the Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us on this Thursday. All right. One day after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons spoke out against trans surgeries on minors, the American Medical Association came out in agreement, stating yesterday that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood in the absence of clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the risk. They said the current evidence is, quote, insufficient for us to make a definitive statement, end quote. Does this signal a broader shift away from this dangerous trans ideology that the radical left has been pushing so hard? Joining me now to discuss this and more is pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Quentin Van Meter, an executive committee member of the American College of Pediatricians, and he is their former president. Dr. Van Meter, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
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Glad to be here. Thanks for having me, Tony.
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All right, so what do you make of these two statements by these two medical associations that appeared to be all in previously for the transgender ideology?
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Well, the statement from the American Association of Plastic Surgeons was previewed in form a number of months ago. So we knew that they had made a statement internally that they wanted to make a national statement and a policy statement to say the same, which they did two days ago. So they put it into an official document and published it. Surprisingly, the American Medical Association kind of said, oh, what they said. Yeah, we like that. We’ll go with that. We’ll say no surgery. Thanks. Have a nice day. It’s a complete 180 out. The AMA previously had been rabidly in support of all things transgender. in terms of the sex-rejecting interventions, social, medical, and surgical. And it’s just, as of yesterday, they decided, well, maybe we’ll go with the prevailing winds. This looks like a good idea. I don’t know who made the decision internally. I don’t know the leadership of the AMA, but somebody in that organization kind of sat up and said, we better do something, and now’s a good time to do it. What we would like to say to the AMA is, why stop with just surgical interventions? that are sex rejecting, why not go the whole nine yards, which is the real true story, is that there is no clinical benefit, no psychological benefit from intervening socially, medically, or surgically in minor patients. So we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop from the AMA. And whether or not this prompts the other professional organizations, most notably the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Endocrine Society and the Endocrine Society itself, I’m not hopeful that that will necessarily make them budge.
SPEAKER 10 :
So what was the straw that broke the camel’s back for them? What was it that triggered this? Because as you said, with the American Medical Association, that’s a 180.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think that the clear evidence is so compelling from the HHS report that was published and then the authors were recognized and published as well back later this fall. The evidence is so overwhelming that there has never been any psychological benefit in the long run to these patients who are struggling with their gender identity where it does not match their biologic sex. So it’s there again and again. The international reports from Europe, the consensus reports, and this really compelling, amazing document from HHS is laying there for other people to kind of get past the, I guess, the inertia, if you will, of saying, well, we don’t want to change our policy because that would mean that we did something wrong to begin with and we were really not you know, going with the true science, we were sort of going with ideology. It’s very hard to admit that, I think, and that’s going to be the reticence for AMA, you know, going the whole nine yards and saying, you know, we don’t think medical intervention is appropriate.
SPEAKER 10 :
But if you look at those reports, it’s not just the surgical aspects of this that many of these reports point to. It’s also these experimental medical interventions.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. The thing is that the surgical society, the plastic surgeons, got a backbone and looked among themselves and said, look, we cannot really tolerate this as a process for minors who can’t consent to do this. We don’t allow them to consent for other things. God’s green earth, would we allow them to consent for this process?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, maybe we need those plastic surgeons to do a little surgery on the medical association, give them a backbone, do some back surgery on them. Let me ask you this question, Dr. Van Meter. Also this week, just before these decisions were announced, and I know you talked about the plastic surgeons, you’ve seen that, that’s been out there for, it’s not been out, but it’s been under consideration here for some time. But earlier this week, a jury awarded a detransitioner $2 million in a malpractice award in a lawsuit. Could that be playing into where the American Medical Association is at? And the fact that being able to get malpractice insurance could become an issue for those doing this.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. You cannot separate these issues. The issue here with the malpractice suit, it’s the first time that in a court, a detransitioner has really essentially been compensated to some extent and malpractice declared. There are other detransitioners who have taken their cases and sued their practitioners, but they are hung up in sort of well, let’s settle out of court, let’s just do this and you be quiet and we’ll be quiet and we’ll hand you some money. But this is the very first malpractice case that a jury appears, not a judge in a courtroom declaring that this is not capable of being a malpractice suit. This stepped beyond, even though the settlement was really not financially adequate for the degree of suffering, in my humble opinion um it is it is a landmark in that it says time uh to be concerned if you’ve been on that ideologue side of the medical care for these people you you’d better watch out because there will be many many more cases coming after you and malpractice will be a moneymaker for attorneys who find out that this is a very lucrative place to go.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. I’ve long advocated that to my trial lawyer friends, that this is one way to address the issue. That’s one legitimate use, I think, of the courts when people are doing stuff that they know is wrong, that the evidence is not there, that it is good for people. That’s why we have a court system. Dr. Van Meter, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks so much for taking time to join us. Anytime. Thanks so much for having me on, Tony. All right. Dr. Quinton Van Meter, we’ve talked about this many times. Frankly, I didn’t think this would be something we would be talking about, the American Medical Association changing their views on this. I do think the courts have played a role in it, and I hope they play an additional role, frankly, because I think all those who have done this need to be held accountable for it. All right, don’t go away. When we come back, we’re going to be talking about what’s happening with Iran. Don’t go away.
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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 01 :
What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates. We’ll uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Join us to defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You can view the course at prayvotestand.org slash godandgovernment or on the Stand Firm app.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. We talked about this yesterday, and some people have followed up asking questions about the Pray Vote Stand chapters. Now, this is an initiative launched yesterday by the Family Research Council that will, over the next 10 years, we’re looking to spearhead a Pray Vote Stand chapter in every county in America. anchored in a church, a local church, all across the country, over 3,200 of those over the next 10 years. It will equip their community to be biblically centered and active, meaning that we pray. We pray for our government. We pray for our government leaders, inviting them in, building relationships with them. We vote. We vote biblical values, educating voters, turning voters out, and then stand. We have a biblical foundation. to stand for what is right and against what is wrong. But that takes a moral foundation. That is where stand on the word comes in. So all that’s going to be found in our Pray, Vote, Stand chapters. If you want to find out more about how you can be a part of that, well, just text the word chapters, chapters, that’s plural, to 67742. That’s chapters to 67742. And we will be in touch with you. All right. The United States and Iran officials from both countries are preparing for their first formal set of talks since Operation Midnight Hammer struck Tehran’s nuclear program last summer. And while President Trump says he wants a deal to be struck that includes zero nuclear capability for Iran, the White House has made clear that diplomacy is just one of many options.
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While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world.
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That was White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt. All right, join me now to discuss this, Congressman John McGuire, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Oversight and Government Reforms Committee. He is also a Navy SEAL veteran who did several deployments to countries across the world defending our nation. He represents the 5th Congressional District of Virginia. Congressman McGuire, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thanks for having me on, Tony. You know, this is a president who is serious, and he has, as you said, all options are on the table. We cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. You know, they said if they get a nuclear weapon, they will use it. And they still have over 900 pounds of refined uranium, and that’s enough to build 10 bombs. And so President Trump’s not going to let that happen.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now, according to reports, the Iranian side, they only want to talk about the nuclear issue, while the U.S. wants to discuss other matters, including how they’re treating their civilians. What’s your take on that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think it’s tragic. You know, the numbers are as high as 35, 40,000 people killed who are fighting for freedom. But you remember on February 3rd, the Iranians sent a drone towards the USS Ford, and we shot it down, and then we had a tanker carrying a U.S. flag, and they had boats and everything else coming at it. But peace through strength means that we are determined to keep the American people safe at home and abroad and protect our interests. But I have faith in the Secretary of War and have faith in President Trump and his all-star cabinet to do what’s best, not just for the United States, but the world.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, I mean, what does that tell you if the Iranians are wanting to sit down and talk, but at the same time they’re sending in a hostile manner a drone at one of our aircraft carriers?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, it’s really reckless behavior. It’s reckless behavior. But I mean, you can see some presidents in history have drawn a red line. And then when folks like Iran and other countries cross the red line, they just cave. But President Trump’s not one of those presidents. So they’re being reckless. I think they should get on board. And like I said, I wish there was something we could do to help those people. A lot of people are very hopeful. for regime change, because there are so many people protesting the tyranny in that country. So I’m just praying that God will help figure that out.
SPEAKER 10 :
Congressman, I mean, you’ve dealt with that ideology that we’re talking about. I mean, this is not just a country that has a different set of priorities. This is a country that’s driven by an ideology that wants to rule the world by force. I mean, how do you negotiate with that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it’s very difficult, you know, and the only thing they respect is strength. And one thing we learned in the military, there’s a bully on every corner. And if you don’t stand up to him, it just gets worse. I mean, freedom of speech and religion and everything, they don’t have any of that. It’s a different ideology. It’s not compatible with Western values. And so we’ve got to stand strong.
SPEAKER 10 :
What are you hoping comes out of these conversations?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well as a Christian I’m praying that we can preserve life for those people that are given their life or risk their life for freedom for the Iranian people. And I’m praying that with President Trump and others, we can negotiate no nuclear weapons for Iran.
SPEAKER 10 :
We just have a little over a minute left, Congressman McGuire. From your vantage point, and I know you’ve got a good handle on what’s happening globally, what are the other hotspots that we should be looking at that present a threat to the United States?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I would say, you know, President Trump, you know, blessed are the peacemakers and the Beatitudes. He’s solved eight conflicts in eight or nine months. So he does not like war. He wants people to stop dying. Certainly Ukraine. Russia is a big concern of his. But I’m really concerned about China. I believe the CCP believe that anything they believe that anything can be used as a weapon. And it should. And while we were focused on some ridiculous policies over the last administration, we atrophied. The Chinese CCP, they have more ships, more airplanes, more tanks than the U.S. But this NDA that we just passed in Congress, $900 billion to invest in peace through strength, advanced manufacturing to try to catch up and build more ships, build more submarines so that we can be a strong nation. And when you’re strong, you’re less likely to have war.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep, absolutely right. Peace through sync. That was Ronald Reagan, and that’s why during my time in the Marine Corps, it was pretty peaceful. Congressman McGuire, thanks for joining us. Always great to see you, my friend. God bless you. Thank you. All right, have a great weekend. All right, when we come back, I’m going to be joined in studio by the Indiana Jones of Global Relief. Ken Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse is up next, so don’t go away.
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Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
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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.
SPEAKER 20 :
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.
SPEAKER 18 :
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.
SPEAKER 04 :
FRC is not going to be whooped.
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, we’re going to fight. We’re going to take a stand. And again, we don’t retreat. You will never see in front of this building here in Washington, D.C., a white flag flying. We will never step back. We will never surrender. And we will never be silent.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. The website, TonyPerkins.com, or better yet, get the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. All right, our word for today comes from Exodus chapter 1. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, and he said, When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him. But if it is a daughter, then you shall let her live. But the midwives feared God. and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. What do you do if you want to control a population of people? Well, you target the children. Of course, that’s not something we’ve seen in these modern times, or is it? Today, it’s called reproductive health care, also known as abortion. But don’t miss this. These midwives who, according to scholars, were probably Egyptian women who were in charge of the Hebrew midwives who assisted the Hebrews, look what it said about them. They feared God and therefore they did not fear Pharaoh and they saved the babies. Maybe we need a little more fear of God in our land today. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. My next guest has been called the Indiana Jones of global relief. And for over 35 years, he has led humanitarian programs that saved lives, alleviate suffering and restores the dignity of people in crisis. Today, Ken Isaacs is the vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan’s Purse, where he oversees all international relief projects for the organization, which serves in more than a hundred countries. He is also the author of the book, Running to the Fire, helping in Jesus’ name. He joins me now in studio. Ken, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you, Tony. It’s nice to be with you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good to see you in studio. Last time we were actually testifying side by side at the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, yeah. We were talking about Sudan, the conflict in Sudan, and what people thought about it. So it was a good testimony. So where have you been most recently? Well, after I left that testimony, I went to Emirates. I met with some people there. I have been to Syria. I’ve been to Israel, back to Syria, and back home. And now I’m here in Washington, D.C., where the real war is going on. You stay on the road. Yeah.
SPEAKER 10 :
The Emiratis, actually, and some of the work I did with him, they’re very, probably in the Middle East, probably one of the most that’s supportive of religious freedom outside of Israel.
SPEAKER 11 :
I fully agree. Look, they’re getting a lot of criticism because of supporting armed actors or whatever they’re doing. I don’t know about that. But what I do know is that if there ever was a truly moderate Muslim – that’s them. Do you know the history behind that? Why? Well, I know about a hospital and some missionaries that went there around the 58, 59 era.
SPEAKER 10 :
I met with the Crown Prince a number of years back, and there was a few of us, and he shared that story. And it was a couple from California, medical missionaries, that went there and saved one of the family members through their medical intervention. And as I understand the story, the first, this was when oil was becoming an issue. They were beginning to… pump oil. The first tanker of oil, they used the money to build a hospital for those missionaries there. My point in bringing that out is exactly what Samaritan’s Purse is doing, is by going in and building relationships by helping. Look what’s happened a half a century later, this is one of the countries that is most open to, now it’s not perfect. I mean, there’s some issues there, but it was that initial,
SPEAKER 11 :
serving in Jesus’ name. Yeah, yeah. Helping in Jesus’ name, being transparent about it, and trying to do good quality work. So when BZM, whatever, I don’t know his name, but that’s his initials, when he was speaking with President Trump last May, President Trump alluded to their long diplomatic relations. And BZM spoke up and said, Mr. President, our relationship goes back much further than that. And he told that story about those missionaries. And he was born in that hospital. Yeah.
SPEAKER 10 :
It’s an amazing story, but that’s the impact that missions has in terms of medical missions and just helping. And there’s so many natural disasters in the world today and man-made disasters because of war that Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground serving. So it’s just, it is really cultivating, I think, the ground for the gospel at some point to go forward.
SPEAKER 11 :
that’s the way that we see it. You know, in Matthew 24, Jesus is talking about what are the signs of the end times. He said there’ll be wars and there’ll be rumors of wars and there’ll be famines and earthquakes. And before the end, this gospel will be preached into all the nations. And when I read Matthew 24, I’ve always felt like We’re in a growth industry.
SPEAKER 10 :
That’s not my drive, but I see things getting worse. Absolutely. So Jesus told us these things, and he tells us later in John, I’m telling you all this stuff so you can have peace and you can have joy. Well, how do you do that? You prepare. you be prepared to respond. And I’ve seen this because, unfortunately, in Louisiana, we’ve had a number of natural disasters, and Samaritan’s Purse has been right there. In fact, I set up shop at my church a number of years ago. And by having a plan and having a focus, you bring down the anxiety of the community, and there’s hope there for people.
SPEAKER 11 :
Tony, we believe we want to be the first people there to help. Why do we want to do that? We’re helping in Jesus’ name, and we believe that the quality of our work is the platform of our witness. And when we come and people are in need, they never forget that we came, and they listen. Like, what brings you here? Why have you done this?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, and you mentioned something else, the quality. And I can attest to that, and I’ve talked to Franklin about it every time he’s on the program. I’ve seen firsthand, worked a few times with Samaritan’s Purse. Quality is outstanding, but it’s done in Jesus’ name. All right. You talk about running to the fire. That reminds me of a first responder. You say you want to be the first ones there as a former police officer running to the fire, you know, going to where the need is the greatest. This is…
SPEAKER 11 :
Basically your story. It’s a story of like a 37-year-long memoir. The book’s not that long, but it took me that long to live it. I don’t drive the bus, but I have been blessed to have a good seat by the window. And to see what God has done with Samaritan’s Purse over these nearly four decades, how it’s grown, how it’s multiplied, how he’s given us access in the countries around the world in situations where nobody would think we would even be there. And we’re trusted, and we value that trust, we value our witness, and we never want to compromise that witness. It is, as Franklin said, those are your adventures. Well, they are my adventures, but they are the adventures that God put in front of me and blessed me to be a part of.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now, I called you the Indiana Jones of global relief, but should that be the Reverend Indiana Jones of global relief?
SPEAKER 11 :
You are ordained a minister. I am an ordained minister. This is the first time I’ve ever said it publicly. But I am an ordained minister through Calvary Chapel. You talk about it in the book. Yeah, but I’ve never spoke about it in public like this verbally. But it happened at the Wharf up in New York City right after 9-11.
SPEAKER 10 :
Tell the story about that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, we took a lot of pastors up there. We wanted to be an encouragement.
SPEAKER 10 :
This was right after 9-11?
SPEAKER 11 :
Right after 9-11. Two days after 9-11, three days after 9-11. We wanted to be an encouragement to the policemen, the firemen, the first responders. It was a very dark time, you remember this. And so the Red Cross required that you get ID, you had to give your credentials, to be able to get down to ground zero. And since we were coming in under ministry, the spiritual ministries of Red Cross, they wanted to know where everybody was ordained at. I was the leader of the team, and I wasn’t ordained. And Skip Heitzik was there, and another Calvary Chapel, and I told him that, and I said, Bow your head. And they prayed and put their hands on me and ordained me. And I asked Skip Heitzik later, I said, was that real? He said, it was real. And he sent me an ordination certificate.
SPEAKER 10 :
Actually, Skip was with me on that trip when I was in the UAE. So I’ve actually traveled with Skip a few times. Yeah, he’s a lot of fun. He is. He is. Let me ask you about that, because doing this ministry in the United States, my experience has been it’s a lot easier to minister abroad than it is here in the United States. There’s a lot of red tape here.
SPEAKER 11 :
We live in the wealthiest country in the world. That means we have a lot of structure in our laws. And so yes, there is a lot of red tape. Look at the Palisades fire in California. They can’t get building permits. And you could run that everywhere. But that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy in other countries. But I can give you one example. In Japan in 2011, At that time, Japan was the second largest economy in the world when they had the big Fukushima earthquake. We went over there. Japan didn’t know what to do with us. They literally did not want to know what to do with us. And they connected me to the head of their national intelligence. And I just said, hey, look, we’ve come to help you. We’ll work with your fire department, work for the city hall, you know, whatever. And they found a way. But what I saw was the analogy that they also had a lot of red tape, and I believe that comes with how high a society is and how wealthy it is. Is that good or bad? Well, if you want to get there and do something quick, it’s an impediment. If you like structure, it’s good. But I would say right now, if you ask the people out in California, they’re trying to get building permits to build their houses, they’d say that’s a bad thing. They want to build their houses. Sometimes is it too much of that government? Oh, there’s no question. Yeah, you can get too much red paper.
SPEAKER 10 :
But there’s also, when it comes to a wealthy society, more of a trust in government, and I think that’s why we see so much government, as opposed in some of these impoverished places, I’ve been to many of them, that there’s nothing else to trust in, and there’s a more openness to God.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yes, that is true. There’s a more humility in the spirit of man and a belief that there is God, and they want to hear. They’re very open about that. I have to tell you, honestly, even in Muslim countries, when they know that I’m a Christian, If you get past the politics of hostility, I find that they trust me because, not just me but others, but you’re a man of faith. And they relate to that in a way.
SPEAKER 10 :
100% agree. And I think it’s one of the reasons that Mike Pompeo, when he was Secretary of State, did so well is that he openly said, I’m a Christian. And people knew his orientation. And most of the world is religious. And they actually believe they’re religious material. But the Western mindset is dismissive of that, and it makes it hard for us to interact with the rest of the world.
SPEAKER 11 :
Or it makes us want to cover it up and to hide it. And then, you know, if you and I met for the first time and you told me your name and I told you my name’s Steve, When you find out later that my name’s Ken and not Steve, you’re going to say, why’d you tell me that? And it’s the same way with faith. So, you know, I’ve learned over the years to be totally transparent, let people know who I am. Everything’s right out there on the table. It’s transparent. I have integrity, an integer, one unit, looks the same all the way around. And I always strive for that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Ken Isaacs, let me ask you, let’s go back to the book, Running to the Fire. As you were working on this, I’m sure that you relive some events. Yeah. I mean, because you do. I mean, going over 37 years. What was a situation where you were, I’m not going to say fear, but that you were really relying on God?
SPEAKER 11 :
I would say, well, there’s been a number of times sort of praying in a foxhole kind of thing, but there was an instance that happened in Zaire, before it was named Democratic Republic of Congo, when I was arrested for being a spy. Me, a doctor from, he’s now at Harvard, and our pilot. They interrogated us for 11 1⁄2 hours the first day. The second day, they moved us back up to another town about a 20-minute flight away. And then I heard that they had informed their superior officers. And we were told by the guys holding us, like, they’re going to kill you. And we leaned on the book of Isaiah, all of us. We would pray on Scripture, read Scripture, study Scripture. But I… And we also wrote letters to our wives. And we made a pact between the three of us that any of us got out, we would take those letters home and deliver them. So, you know, that was, it was a prolonged tear of time. Like if you’re somewhere and there’s kinetic energy and things are blowing up, you’re there and you’re okay, you know, and you get out.
SPEAKER 10 :
At least you have a long time to think about it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, you’re just locked in the house and there’s nowhere you can go, you know.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Ken, what drew you into this line of, I’m not gonna say work, ministry, what drew you into this?
SPEAKER 11 :
I went as a volunteer to West Africa, to Togo, West Africa in 1985 for one month. And it was to help train some Togolese well drillers in the use of their equipment. And about two weeks into it, I started feeling called to the world and I didn’t know what that meant. And I came home and I told my wife, I said, I feel called to the world. And she said, are you losing your mind? And so I started praying about it, Tony, and I prayed for 16 months. I would pray in the mornings and continuously all day long in the evenings reading scripture. Nothing happened, and I thought there was no call. And long story short, we had drilled a well at Franklin’s house. I was a well driller in the family business. We drilled a well there. I had given him a card, and about a year, 14 months later, He got a request to buy a drilling machine in Ethiopia, and he needed somebody that knew something about drilling equipment. He called me. I went and talked to him. Long story short, my family and I moved to Ethiopia because I felt God was calling me to the world. And what is so amazing to me, even now retelling it to you, is we were small-town folks. We lived in Boone, North Carolina, and… I literally went to the world. I’ve been almost everywhere in the world. But I could never have imagined that. So it’s not like I undertook a career because I couldn’t even imagine that pathway.
SPEAKER 10 :
That’s the exciting journey that God puts us on when we choose to follow him. We’ve got about 30 seconds left, Ken. What would you say to those that have a sense of the same urgency?
SPEAKER 11 :
I would say the most important thing is trust him. Trust God. If you feel like God is calling you to do something, Trust Him and obey Him. And wait for those doors to open. Wait for the doors to open. God will open the doors for you and He will equip you And he will use the unequipped in ways that he’ll prepare you for. These are all things that I’ve learned in my life. Ken, folks, can you get the book on Amazon? Oh, yes, Amazon.com. And if they get it, if they’d go back and do a review, I’d love it.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, folks, you heard that from Ken Isaacs himself. Ken, thanks for being with us. Thank you, Tony. And folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well. And until next time, let me encourage you, as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, and when you’ve taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 03 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
