On today’s program: Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at The Washington Stand and Host of the “Outstanding” podcast, discusses the latest on the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and recaps both Day 28 of the government shutdown, and
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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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A meeting with President Xi, as you probably heard. I’d be surprised if anybody didn’t hear. That’s a big meeting, and I think it’s going to work out very well, actually. I think it’s going to be great for everybody.
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That was President Donald Trump speaking earlier today in Japan. The upcoming meeting between the two world leaders comes as Beijing has launched its most intense persecution of Christians in decades. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina will join us shortly to explain how Congress is proposing to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable. Welcome to this October 28th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered immediate strikes on Gaza, accusing Hamas terrorists of violating the ceasefire. Also, we’ll get the latest on the government shutdown and the details of a special prayer event for the nation from Maryland Congressman Dr. Andy Harris. We begin this evening with news out of Israel, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to carry out immediate powerful strikes in Gaza after Hamas violated the U.S. brokered ceasefire deal. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who’s been following today’s evolving events. Casey, what’s the latest out of Israel as this fragile truce faces new pressure?
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, Tony. Well, President Trump’s Gaza peace plan may be in tatters. As you said, Netanyahu today ordered the military to launch strikes in Gaza, saying Hamas violated the ceasefire and reportedly eight so far have already been killed. Hamas, importantly, has yet to return the bodies of 13 deceased hostages. And naturally, Israel is calling this a blatant breach of the truce. And earlier today, Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, they postponed handing over the body of a missing hostage they said they had already recovered. And of course, they blamed that on Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli security forces, they killed three Palestinian militants in Judea and Samaria, including two Hamas members who were reportedly planning to attack a refugee camp. So this U.S.-brokered ceasefire, it’s not even three weeks old, Tony, but it’s been through a lot, and it’s hard to know whether this latest flare-up is just a flare-up or if it’s the end of the deal altogether, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, this proves why Israel must have the opportunity to annex portions of Judea and Samaria, you know, leaving it in the hands of terrorists. I mean, that threatens the very survival of the state of Israel. So people have to realize we’ve got Gaza and we’ve got Judea and Samaria in play here. And speaking of Israel, Tucker Carlson revealed the COVID brain fog is real.
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the Christian Zionists who are, well, Christian Zionists. Like, what is that? And I can just say for myself, I dislike them more than anybody. You know, because like, what? Because it’s Christian heresy and I’m offended by that as a Christian.
SPEAKER 10 :
Christian heresy supporting Israel. We’ll analyze his comments with, actually, we’re going to take a look at them from a biblical perspective later with Dr. Gerald McDermott, distinguished professor of theology at Jerusalem Seminary. Casey, President Trump’s trip to Asia continues. How’s that shaping up so far?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, Tony, this is a big trip and everyone’s watching it. President Trump, he’s signing a flurry of trade deals. The president met Japan’s new conservative prime minister in Tokyo today, and the two nations, they signed a framework deal to secure those important critical minerals and rare earth minerals. On top of that, President Trump got Japan to agree to invest $550 billion in exchange for relief on tariffs. So big investment and a big deal on those rare earth minerals that are used for microchips and NAI and the like. But President Trump’s trip to Asia is his longest journey abroad since taking office. And from here, he’s going to go on to South Korea, where on Wednesday, he’s going to speak at the APEC summit.
SPEAKER 02 :
A meeting with President Xi, as you probably heard. I’d be surprised if anybody didn’t hear. That’s a big meeting, and I think it’s going to work out very well, actually. I think it’s going to be great for everybody.
SPEAKER 17 :
that Xi meeting is really the crescendo of President Trump’s highly anticipated trip to Asia this week. He will meet with Xi on Thursday as world leaders and Americans as well watch these relations unfold, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks, Casey. Senator Ted Budd actually is going to join us a little bit later to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s crackdown on Christians and what steps are needed to defend religious freedom in China and around the world. Casey, let’s shift gears to the debate over the government shutdown. The impact of the government shutdown is already being felt and it could bring even greater hardship for millions of Americans. Is this expected to put pressure on the far left Democrats to act as the pressure builds?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, you might think that, Tom. Tony, but so far it doesn’t look like it. This is the second longest federal government shutdown in history, and it’s still going as Democrats are just refusing to back that clean funding bill passed by Republicans, which leaves millions of Americans at risk of missing their paychecks, losing their SNAP benefits, and of course those travel delays that are going to be really important come Thanksgiving travel time. But House Republicans, they passed a short-term measure. Senate Democrats are refusing to back it unless they get those unrelated but important to them Obamacare subsidies. In fact, here’s what House Speaker Mike Johnson had to say about it.
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All we want is to reopen the government. The Democrats are demanding all those things like $4 million for global LGBTQI plus awareness campaigns around the world. $4 million for the LGBTQI plus democracy grants in the Balkans. They want $2 million for feminist democratic principles projects in Africa. We’re not doing that.
SPEAKER 17 :
We’re not doing that indeed. But the shutdown is on day 28, Tony, and I have to break it to you. I don’t think day 29 is going to be the breakthrough.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Well, we’ll continue to watch and pray. Thank you, Casey. Appreciate it. All right. I want to continue with a discussion on the government shutdown and get to get the latest from Capitol Hill. Joining me now is Congressman Dr. Andy Harris, who is the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He represents the first congressional district of Maryland. Dr. Harris, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 11 :
Good to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Before we jump into the shutdown, I want to get your thoughts on the latest developments in the Middle East as things are flaring up again in Gaza.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, it would be a shame if, again, if the truce doesn’t hold. Look, this war has gone on too long. Hamas, everybody figured that Hamas might cheat on the deal, and it looks like they are. But hopefully, again, every time the Israelis do one of these missions, as they’re going to do now, hopefully it’ll end. It’ll end the conflict. But again, it’s just a shame.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let’s go to the government shutdown. Senate Democrats today voted against reopening the government with the clean house CR for the 13th time. Are you hearing of any movement behind the scenes?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I think that, again, when the SNAP benefits fail to be loaded onto the cards on Saturday morning, that’s going to be a real problem. And I think the Democrats realize it’s going to be a real problem for them. They’re going to have to explain why they voted 13 times to keep the government closed and to keep SNAP benefits away from, again, from over 40 million Americans. That’s not even to talk about, as you touched on, you know, the problems with the air traffic controllers, the problems with military not getting their pay. This just makes no sense whatsoever. And hopefully a handful of Democrats come to their senses by the end of the week. And hopefully we can avoid, again, the SNAP benefits getting turned off this weekend.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, I would think with the nation’s largest federal employee union calling for passage of the Clean CR, I mean, these are Democratic-leaning voters. This is a part of their base. I would think the Democrats would be listening.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s absolutely right. And that obviously entered into the picture this week as well. So I think you have a confluence of things happening. You have more and more air traffic control slowdowns. Again, you have the SNAP benefits not being loaded this weekend. And now you have the largest federal government employee union saying, look, just end it now, you know, pass the house is clean CR. So maybe it gets done by the end of the week. I hope it does. I hope that cooler, calmer heads prevail on the Democrat side in the Senate.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Dr. Harris, as the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, I know that there’s regular member calls taking place, and I’m assuming that the Freedom Caucus is gathering together at least by Zoom or by phone. What’s the sense, the mood of the Freedom Caucus members?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, right now, look, we’re happy that Mike Johnson is holding the line. John Thune over in the Senate is holding the line. We think that this is the fight, the real fight now, because this is whether or not we have fiscal sanity in Washington or whether the Democrats get their $1.5 trillion in new unpaid for spending when the government’s broke. The bottom line is we can’t afford new spending. And we just have to pass the clean CR. And then we could discuss whether or not we want to bring down health care premiums with some policy changes for all Americans, not just the 7 percent who are on Obamacare. We can talk about those things, but we’ve got to just get the government reopened.
SPEAKER 10 :
You talk about the House Freedom Caucus being supportive of the speaker. This is really the first time I can recall in my over two decades here that the Republicans have held the line, that they’ve not caved, they’ve not waved a white flag, and they’ve taken a stand for what the Americans gave them the authority to do, and that is stand for fiscal sanity. We’re $38 trillion in debt. At some point, you’ve got to stop it.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s absolutely right. And again, this is a sea change in both the House and Senate leadership from just a few years ago when they would have been talking about compromising, again, weeks ago. No, Mike Johnson and John Thune are holding the line. They should be. We appreciate it. They should be thanked for it. And I hope they hold it out till the end, because, again, we have to stop the uncontrolled spending in Washington.
SPEAKER 10 :
Dr. Harris, I want to switch gears just a bit because you, as the head of the House Freedom Caucus, you’re joining with the Family Research Council. We’re going to be hosting a national prayer call this Thursday to pray for the nation. You and the Freedom Caucus recognize that we’re at a point where we need prayer. Speak to that.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s absolutely right. You know, we start each and every meeting of the Freedom Caucus or the board meetings with a prayer. We frequently close with a prayer. Look, this country needs God’s help. They have to turn back to God. And we are. It’s slow, but we need to keep that progress going. And so we’re going to join on that prayer call. We’re going to ask all Americans, you know, to pray for an end to political violence, to pray for our president, to pray for… for a Christian agenda in Washington. And it’s long overdue. We need it. And we think it’s an important step.
SPEAKER 10 :
And we’re going to be praying for the, as you said, the president. We’re going to be praying for Congress as they wrestle through this. And we’re going to be praying for Israel because that continues to be in the news. And it’s one of those issues America needs to get right. And if you’d like to join it, we’re inviting you to join with the House Freedom Caucus and the Family Research Council for Congress, Praise for America. Text the word PRAISE, P-R-A-Y-S, to 67742. That’s P-R-A-Y-S to 67742 to find out how you can join us, 8 p.m. Eastern Time, on Thursday, October the 30th. Dr. Harris, there’ll be a number of the Freedom Caucus members joining us. There’ll be some key pastors from across the country gathering with us to pray. What do you hope to accomplish?
SPEAKER 11 :
Again, we hope that God hears our prayers, that he brings his blessings upon this country. This country’s been blessed plenty, but we need God’s help. If we’re gonna get through what we’re going through now, and again, most recently, the push toward actually acceptance of communism by a growing number of Americans, this is just, we can’t have this, and we’re gonna ask for God’s help, and I believe that God will help America because we are a righteous nation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Dr. Andy Harris, thanks so much for joining us, and thank you for joining with us to issue this call to prayer.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
And folks, our nation needs it. We need to repent. We need to turn to the Lord. We need his blessings. We need his guidance and direction. That means we have to yield to his ways and to his word. And that’s one of the things I’ll be praying. This Thursday night, 8 p.m. Eastern time, you can join us. Congress prays for America. Text PRAYS, P-R-A-Y-S, to 67742 to find out how you can join us. All right, don’t go away. More still ahead. Our founding scripture for this is Ephesians 6, verse 13. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore.
SPEAKER 07 :
Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit 2025 brought together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action.
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We are equipping the body of Christ to understand that what is happening around us is not just political. It’s not just cultural. At its heart, it is spiritual.
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We gather in a nation that has torn the foundation apart, and we have separated our governing documents from our divine source, Jesus Christ. We need truth now more than ever to guide us.
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I’m believing, God, let this be a testimony of the American church, that we become so full of the fire of the Word of God that we cannot contain it. We have to tell people about it. We have to make disciples.
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The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from governments. They come from our divine Creator, right? Government’s main job is to protect those rights. And because that was the foundation of America, We’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world, and that should be celebrated.
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We are living in a moment. What’s that moment? It’s a prophetic moment on God’s timeline. That’s right. And so he needs the church more than ever to act biblically for the blessing of our political leaders and of our nation.
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the number one issue facing America domestically, which is the epidemic of fatherlessness. 40% of all American children today enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.
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We cannot win the pro-life fight without acknowledging that this is the pro-family fight, that this is the pro-marriage fight. We’re never going to end abortion if we do not secure and shore up marriage.
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We pray that this would be an opportunity, Lord God, for you to use us mere little mortals, but we possess the name of Jesus. God, use us mightily. We pray in Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, get the Stand Firm app. That way you can have access to Washington Watch no matter where you go. You’ll also have access to our news and commentary from a biblical perspective, the Washington Stand, and my daily devotional, Stand on the Word. All of that is found and more is found on the Stand Firm app. Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, a law that reminds us religious liberty isn’t just an American right, it’s a universal human right. Now, I wish I could say that religious freedom is stronger today than it was 27 years ago, but that simply wouldn’t be true. The evidence of growing persecution is overwhelming. And nowhere is that more evident than in China, where the Chinese Communist Party is carrying out one of its most sweeping and coordinated crackdowns on Christians in decades. Members of Congress are taking note and taking action, I might add, which is encouraging. They’re working to hold the CCP accountable. And among those leading the charge is my next guest, U.S. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina. He serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence, and he’s been sounding the alarm about China’s escalating assault on religious freedom. Senator Budd, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks for joining us. Great to be with you, Tony. Thanks for all that you do for religious freedom and all of our rights around the world. Well, I mean, it makes sense.
SPEAKER 10 :
It is one of our best foreign policy issues because the evidence is overwhelming. If a country has religious freedom, it’s more stable economically, more prosperous, and it’s less of a risk to America.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, you think about President Xi and the other totalitarian leaders around the world. They completely missed this. They look at themselves as almost godlike, and they’ve missed it. I think it’s a huge opportunity in our country to lead on this, especially as you look at a country like China trying to grow its influence around the world. And so we really need to stand up for religious freedom and go after those who are attacking it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I like the way you have approached this. You’ve got legislation that you put in, combating the persecution of religious groups in China Act. But you understand that religious freedom is a tool in our tool bag of international foreign policy, but it’s a big tool. And we need to utilize it. And part of that is using sanctions to go after those who are persecuting Christians and others.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, we need to give the State Department and specifically Secretary Rubio, and I think he’s doing a great job and he personally believes in this, but we want to give him all the tools that he needs to work on this issue. And the other is just to elevate the issue so that it’s not forgotten. It’s one of our fundamental rights. We don’t want to take it for granted. And it’s so important for the stability of the world that we want to make sure that the State Department keeps it front and center. WHEN WE’RE GOING INTO TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, LIKE WITH CHINA RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
SPEAKER 10 :
WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT, SENATOR BUDD, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT’S IN ASIA. HE’S HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THAT’S A PART OF THE CONVERSATION?
SPEAKER 14 :
I’M CONFIDENT THAT WE’RE GOING TO ELEVATE IT SO THAT IT DOES BECOME PART OF THE CONVERSATION. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT CHINA’S DONE IN THE LAST SIX, SEVEN YEARS, IT’S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE WORST CRACKDOWNS IN RECENT DAYS THAT THEY’VE DONE SINCE 2018. SO THEY DEFINITELY NEED TO BE CALLED ON THE CARPET FOR THIS, AND IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE BROADER CONTEXT WHEN THEY WANT TO TRADE AND SELL THEIR GOODS IN THE U.S.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, it seems to be a pattern, though, that as they approach these meetings with the U.S., there’s usually a crackdown of sorts that comes prior to those meetings. And I don’t know if it’s, you know, subconscious or what, but this seems to be deeply rooted in the leadership of the Communist Party there in China.
SPEAKER 14 :
WE ARE NOT JUST GOING AFTER THE PRC OR THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AS A WHOLE. WE’RE GOING AFTER THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PUTTING THIS PERSECUTION FORTH. SO WE WANT TO TARGET THE INDIVIDUALS THAT XI IS LEANING ON FOR THIS PERSECUTION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY DO THIS. SOMETIMES THIS ISN’T JUST AT THE DIRECTION OF XI, BUT IT’S ALSO INDIVIDUALS IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS AROUND CHINA. BUT YOU’RE SEEING FOLKS LOCKED DOWN AND THEY HAVE FIVE AUTHORIZED RELIGIONS AND IF YOU STEP OUTSIDE OF THOSE OR YOU HAVE YOUR OWN IF YOU DON’T HAVE PERSONAL FAITH, THEN YOU’RE VERY LIKELY TO BE PERSECUTED. IT’S JUST WE CAN’T HAVE THIS. XI IS COMPLETELY WRONG IN THE WAY HE’S APPROACHING THIS AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT’S PART OF THE
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, Senator, but let’s unpack this a little bit. We’ve got about three minutes left. Because some people say, two questions I really want to answer. Some people say, well, this is none of your business. Why are you being involved in the business of China? And then number two is, you know, we don’t want to get militarily involved, which you’re not advocating. Explain what these sanctions are and how they work.
SPEAKER 14 :
THIS INCREASES THE TOOL BAG. YOU DID MENTION THAT EARLIER. SO I WOULD SAY THIS GIVES RUBIO ALL THE TOOLS THAT HE NEEDS. FIRST OF ALL, IT ELEVATES IT. IT GIVES HIM THE TOOLS THAT HE NEEDS SO THAT YOU CAN TARGET INDIVIDUALS. IF THIS IS BANKING, IF THIS IS TRAVEL RELATED, IT’S A WHOLE SWATH OF TOOLS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT CAN USE. They have to remember that they have the toolbox and that they actually go into those to go after these individuals and make them think twice before they target individuals like they’ve recently done. Going after Christian pastors and making them, if they are releasing them from prison, which we have one from North Carolina that was in prison, but then all of a sudden now he’s released, but he’s not allowed to leave the country. So this makes them think twice before they do that. Why is this our business? BECAUSE IF THEY WANT TO TRADE WITH OUR COUNTRY, IF THEY WANT TO BE AN INFLUENCER FOR THE WORLD LIKE THEY’RE TRYING TO DO, LIKE PRESIDENT XI WANTS, I MEAN, THAT’S HIS DESIGN, IS TO END U.S. HEGEMONY, WHICH HAS CREATED SO MUCH HEALTH AND PROSPERITY AND STABILITY FOR THE WORLD. BUT HE WANTS TO REPLACE THAT. THAT LEADS TO PERSECUTION, IT LEADS TO OPPRESSION, IT LEADS TO INSTABILITY AROUND THE WORLD. AND SO I THINK IT’S GOOD NOT JUST FOR THEM, IT’S GOOD FOR US AND IT’S GOOD FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
SPEAKER 10 :
And I think, Senator Budd, it’s also a reflection of what Jesus said is that we’re to love our neighbor.
SPEAKER 14 :
Let’s not forget that. Let’s keep that front and center.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. And whether they’re next door or they’re around the world, others that are being persecuted for exercising this fundamental human right need and deserve to have us speaking up on their behalf. SENATOR, WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT. I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS INTERESTED IN WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. ARE YOU SEEING ANY MOVEMENT AMONG YOUR DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES?
SPEAKER 14 :
I AM SEEING SOME CONVERSATIONS. YOU’RE SEEING THE UNIONS WHICH ARE TYPICALLY DEMOCRAT SUPPORTED SAYING, HEY, LET’S END THIS SHUTDOWN. YOU’RE SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING HURT. YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE INCREASING DELAYS IN AIR TRAFFIC. I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. THEY’RE SAYING THIS IS OVER HEALTH CARE, BUT LET’S REMEMBER, THIS IS ABOUT SUBSIDIES FOR THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. AND IF YOU’RE ASKING FOR SUBSIDIES ON SOMETHING, IT NEVER WAS AFFORDABLE TO BEGIN WITH. DEMOCRATS IN 2009 WITH THE ACA OBAMACARE, THEY BROKE HEALTH CARE, THEN THEY PROPPED IT UP WITH SUBSIDIES, AND THEN THEY SET THESE DEADLINES. SO THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY’VE CREATED. AND WE’VE VOTED 12 TIMES AS REPUBLICANS PLUS THREE DEMOCRATS TO OPEN THE GOVERNMENT. And we just need five more to get us across 60. And we’re hopeful for those conversations. But we want to open the government and give people the services that their tax dollars are going for.
SPEAKER 10 :
Senator Ted Budd, always great to see you. And thanks again for your leadership on behalf of religious freedom. Deeply needed and deeply appreciated. Thank you. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back with more on this conversation about China after the break. For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. judean samaria is nearly a quarter of israel’s current land mass not a small strip of land on the jordan river but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity the october 7th massacre launched from gaza shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace gaza which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution became a launch pad for terror Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in on this Tuesday. All right. Thursday evening, we’re going to be having a prayer call. Congress prays for America. It’s going to be hosted by Family Research Council, myself and the. the Freedom Caucus, House Freedom Caucus, Dr. Andy Harris. If you’d like to join us, it’s going to be at 8 p.m., and if you’d like to find out how you can be a part of that prayer call, text PRAY, PRAYS, that’s P-R-A-Y-S, PRAYS, to 67742, that’s 67742, Congress PRAYS for America, and you can join us. All right. In the last segment, I spoke with U.S. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina about the recent crackdown on the house churches in China and the bill he’s introduced in response. Well, one of the church leaders who was detained during the raids earlier this month was Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who has been leading underground churches in China since 2007. Now, ahead of President Trump’s visit to Asia last week, Pastor Ezra’s daughter has been urging the president to raise the issue of the detained church leaders with China’s president, who President Trump is expected to meet with on Thursday. And she joins me now to share her father’s story. Grace, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you, Tony. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
SPEAKER 10 :
First, tell us about your father and what happened.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. So on October 10th, starting from October 9th, 10th and 11th, our church, Zion Church, was raided from nine different cities and they were They detained up to 30 people in the beginning. Some folks have since been released or have been put on bail. But currently there are 22, including my father. And recently they’ve detained another individual. So now there are 23 detained from all across China, and they’re all being placed in a detention center in Beihai City in Guangxi Province. which is where my father is currently living. This has been seen as one of the largest crackdown of Chinese underground churches in the last 40 years. And we think that this is definitely an escalation of relations between church and state. and they are all being charged with a very recently legislated policy under illegal dissemination of information online and those are all the reason why they are charged with that is because my father has been preaching his sermons on Zoom and having this hybrid model in which people meet both online and offline. And we were able to reach up to 10,000 people often daily for their daily devotionals. And because of the church influence, Zion Church has been subject to this attack.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Grace, so people understand what’s been happening there. So they crack down on in-person meetings, if you’re not a registered church, an official church. So technology has been used to allow churches to meet, as you said, on Zoom. People are hungry for that fellowship and for that teaching. And so now they’ve gone after that, passing laws saying that you can’t disseminate information online like this. So the bottom line is, they want to silence and eliminate the church.
SPEAKER 16 :
yes yes thank you so much for that question yes in 2018 um prior to 2018 zion church was one of the largest church in beijing and we were hosting about a thousand five hundred people um weekly and we had a sanctuary a beautiful sanctuary and in 2018 the government cracked down on the the place and took away um the the location of the church took away everything confiscated every and would now allow Zion Church or anyone to rent any space in Beijing. And that forced us to go on this online model and we were able to do this online offline meeting in smaller groups when we are able to have rent out like smaller spaces in the future. But again, this is partly also because of the Chinese policy during COVID in which there was a severe lockdown and no one was able to do anything. That Zion Church exploded, especially during COVID. And so now we have, it’s no longer just a regional church in Beijing, but a nationwide church in which there are, we are spread across 40 different cities and have many, like 100, up to 100 meeting points. And And so that is also why many of these that are detained were, like, detained and captured and brought to Bay High from nine different cities.
SPEAKER 10 :
Grace, we just have about a minute and a half left. What’s the condition of your father, and how can we be praying for your father and the other church leaders?
SPEAKER 16 :
My father has severe type 2 diabetes, and so we are really concerned about his health, along with several others that are detained. They are relatively elderly and have some different health problems. They will not allow my father to use the medication that the doctors have prescribed to him. We are very concerned about their sleeping habits. situation there’s apparently put in a room with more than 30 others with no beds and they’re all expected to sleep in a room um all together and so those are all very concerning things for the family they’re not allowing any families to visit um and such so we really hope and pray that there will be more attention for my father and the church. And we plead that, yeah, that the Christians from all across the world will be able to pray with us and to advocate for my father’s situation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, Grace, we certainly will be doing that and we’ll encourage others to stand with you and your family and your father and all of the believers there in China. Grace, thanks so much for sharing this information with us about your father.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much, Tony. Yes.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Folks, I do want to encourage you to pray as we were talking about with Senator Ted Budd. These are our neighbors. These are our brothers and sisters. Let’s pray for them. All right, more straight ahead.
SPEAKER 04 :
How are you handling the pressure of life? The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to face pressure. He wrote some of the most powerful letters of the Bible from prison. Yet, those letters overflow with joy, courage, and unshakable freedom in Christ. Paul’s Prison Letters is Family Research Council’s 14-day Stand on the Word study guide that takes you deeper into these life-giving truths, calling you to stand firm, rejoice in every season, exalt Christ above all, and extend forgiveness that sets others free. Starting November 1st, join us as we read God’s word, reflect on God’s word, and apply God’s word to our lives. Order your study guide now at frc.org slash prison epistles or text letters to 67742. Join us and discover where true freedom is found.
SPEAKER 03 :
Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. I want to thank Jody Heiss for filling in for me yesterday. I was traveling this past weekend. I had the privilege of speaking at the 60th anniversary of the church that I first attended when I was a child, about six years old. Never been into a church before. Went to a vacation Bible school, and the result of that, my entire family came to know the Lord. But I had the privilege of speaking there this weekend. And if you’d like to see that, it’s on my Facebook page. But it was a real… real privilege for me to be able to do that. All right, for those of you who have joined us for our stand on the word Bible reading plan, we’re gonna begin Paul’s prison letters, all right? And we’ve got a resource for you. It’s a 14 day journey through Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And it starts this Saturday. And the study guide, Paul’s prison letters is available to you. Just text the word letters to 67742. That’s letters to 67742 to get your copy. So our word for today comes from Acts chapter 23. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Now, the next morning, more than 40 Jews formed a conspiracy, binding themselves under an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. They even enlisted the chief priest and elders in their murderous plot. But God was already at work. Paul’s nephew overheard the plot and reported it first to Paul. Then Paul sent him to the Roman commander. Through this timely intervention, the plan was exposed and Paul was protected. Now, here’s the question. Did Paul simply rest on the Lord’s promise or did he act upon it? Paul’s example shows that faith is not passive. He believed God’s word, but also acted in alignment. with it, using wisdom, appealing to authority, and trusting God to fulfill His purpose. True faith doesn’t dismiss action. It directs it. When we stand on God’s promises, we must also move in obedience, knowing His purposes will prevail. To find out more, about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742. Now, I’ve said this a number of times, but there’s a reason why we spend a significant amount of time on this program talking about Israel. Among the many domestic issues we talk about, we also talk about foreign policy issues. And this is one of those issues we cannot afford to get wrong here in America. And the church needs to be informed and engaged on this biblical topic. Unfortunately, there are some who believe America and Christians should not be supporting Israel. In fact, here’s a clip of what Tucker Carlson said on his show yesterday when talking about Christian support for Israel.
SPEAKER 06 :
How do you explain Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz? And they’re a lot like that John Bolton. I mean, I’ve known them all, George W. Bush, like Karl Rove. I mean, all people I know personally who I’ve seen, like, be seized by this brain virus. And they’re not Jewish. Most of them are self-described Christians. And then the Christian Zionists who are, well, Christian Zionists. Like, what is that? Right. And I can just say for myself, I dislike them more than anybody. Because like, what? Because it’s Christian heresy. And I’m offended by that as a Christian. Yeah.
SPEAKER 10 :
Brain virus? Christian heresy supporting Israel? Is the Bible not clear on this? Joining me now to discuss this is Dr. Gerald McDermott, distinguished professor of theology at Jerusalem Seminary. He is also the editor of the new Christian Zionism, Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land, and author of Israel Matters, Why Christians Must Think Differently About the People and the Land. Dr. McDermott, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, thank you, Tony. It’s my privilege to be on here.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now, let’s start with a little background, because I think this is important for our viewers and listeners. You used to be on the other side of this issue.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, I did.
SPEAKER 10 :
Explain that, and what changed your perspective?
SPEAKER 09 :
I was a supersessionist, a replacement theologian. I was a great disciple of N.T. Wright, who is a supersessionist. He denies he is, but by redefining it. And he’s still a friend, and I respect him. But I had a wake-up call about 25 years ago when I was leading a church tour of Israel, and my guide said, who was doing a PhD at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, took me aside after about my second day of giving my little spiel at each biblical site and said, Dr. McDermott, have you read so-and-so? And I said, no, I never heard of so-and-so. Are you familiar with this book and this article? No, I’m not. And I went home that night and I told my wife in the hotel room, I said, Jean, you know, I think that Baruch is telling me that everything I’m saying is wrong. So I went back to the States and looked up these books and these scholars, which led me to more books and scholars, which led me to more. And eventually I realized that everything I had been saying was wrong, it was replacement theology, and after I looked at all of this deeper research that had been coming out since the 1970s in response to the Holocaust and wondering how this happened in the most Christianized country in the world, in the birthplace of the Reformation, all of a sudden the Gospel looked different. Jesus looked different. God was different. So that’s, and so that was four books ago and probably a hundred articles ago on top of all my other books on Jonathan Edwards.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let me, borrowing from some of your writings that I’ve read, the scripture played a key role in this because as you talked about, there had been a veil over your eyes because of the background and the teaching that you had been subjected to. And then all of a sudden you saw these promises
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, Tony, you know, I got a bachelor’s degree many, many years ago from the University of Chicago in New Testament and early Christian literature. And then I did a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in history of Jewish and Christian thought. And I have been told by all my professors at Chicago and in Iowa that the land promise had dropped out of the New Testament. And so you know what happens when you’re told that something does not exist, you tend not to see it.
SPEAKER 10 :
So let me stop here. The land promise is what God told Abraham about the land, that this was going to be yours. And so that, and many believe that stopped with the Old Testament. And so all of the promises given to Israel in the Old Testament now belong to the, basically to the church, that replacement theology. Right, right.
SPEAKER 09 :
And so I suddenly, but then as I did read deeper into the Greek New Testament, and I had been reading the Greek New Testament for 35 years already since I grew up a Roman Catholic and went to a Jesuit high school in New York City where I learned classical Greek because I was a stutterer, and that was a dead language. I was looking forward to not having to speak in class. And I started to see the land promise all over the New Testament. And that’s what led to my first book, The New Christian Zionism, in which I assembled scholars from different disciplines on all the basic, all the books in the New Testament showing the land promise throughout. Okay, Jesus talks about the land promise. Yes, he does. Jesus says in Matthew 5, 17 through 19, he says, every jot and tittle, now that’s not, that’s actually a bad translation. Tittle is actually a cry on, horn. The least stroke of the pen in Hebrew is given by God. Now, Jesus is talking in verse 17 about the law and the prophets, the Jewish shorthand for all what we call the Old Testament. Every stroke of the pen is given by God. Now, I have counted, and I tabulate this at the end of my book, The New Christian Zionism, and also the end of the book called Israel Matters. All the places the land promise is repeated either directly or indirectly in the Old Testament over 1,000 times. And Jesus says every stroke, so it’s very clear that Jesus believed in the land promise. Another verse here that shows it is Matthew 5, 6, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit. Now it’s typically translated the earth, but more and more scholars are realizing that Jesus is quoting word for word, Psalm 37, 11. And in Psalm 37, 11, five times this phrase is repeated, to inherit the land. Now the Hebrew word there is is Eretz, which can be translated earth or land, but scholars agree that in Psalm 37, all five times that that phrase is repeated, it refers to the land of Israel. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land of Israel. Now, that’s Jesus. So, according to Tucker Carlson then, Jesus was a Christian heretic. And Dangerous ground to be on.
SPEAKER 10 :
And Paul is a Christian heretic, and therefore… We just finished in our journey through the Bible, we just finished Romans, and Paul talks about the gifts are irrevocable. Yes. And chief among those gifts… Is it not the land?
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, Tony, in the first century, for first century Jews like Philo, the great philosopher who was a contemporary of Paul, and Josephus, the great Jewish historian, and Ezekiel, the tragedian, they all talked about the gifts that God had given to the Jewish people. And for all of them, the number one gift was the land. So when Paul says the gifts are irrevocable, cannot be revoked, he is talking about chief among those gifts for Paul is the land. And we have proof of this in Acts of the Apostles chapter 13. Luke tells us that he’s preaching a sermon in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, which is modern Turkey. And he says in, and this is one of the verses that blew me away after my wake up call. He says, the God of this people, of this people Israel, chose our fathers, and he meant the patriarchs, so Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and gave them their land as an inheritance. I remember the first time I saw that, It jumped off the page of me, and I thought, why have I not seen this for 25, 30 years reading the Greek New Testament? I hadn’t seen it because I was told it was not there. But you cannot be any clearer. Paul could not have been any more direct. And by the way… This was at least 20 years after the resurrection. So it wasn’t that this was an early belief that later changed. No, this was within a few years of his martyrdom. God gave them their land as an inheritance. It could not be more clear.
SPEAKER 10 :
Dr. McDermott, you summarize or you conclude that the land promise is still valid. It did not expire. It did not pass away. It did not cease. It is still valid in biblical teaching and biblical prophecy.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, absolutely. You know, think of Jeremiah 31. Now, that’s a chapter in Jeremiah that the New Testament quotes frequently because of the language about the new covenant, and Christians are very familiar with it, but they aren’t as familiar with verses 35 and 36. where Jeremiah says that as long as the sun, moon, and stars are in the sky, and you know, I’m looking out my window right now and it’s a gray cloudy sky, but I’m pretty sure the sun is behind the clouds. And I’m pretty sure the moon and the stars were out there last night. And Jeremiah says, as long as the sun, moon, and stars are in the sky, the Jewish people will be, and here’s the Hebrew word, a nation. before me, a nation before me. So the Jewish people are still a nation before God because the sun, moon and stars are still in the sky and that’s a biblical promise.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, you made reference to the Holocaust and what we’ve seen since then, but I would say even what we’ve seen in the last two years is evident evidence of God’s providence and protection upon the Jewish people. But I want to ask you, we just have about two minutes left, because I want to ask you this question. If the land promise is still valid, and I want to go back to where that promise was made in Genesis chapter 12, where he calls Abraham out to be a nation and says, I’m going to bless you and you’ll be a blessing to the world, to the nations. But he says those who believe bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed. Is that still valid?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, of course it is. All of God’s Word is still valid. God’s Word is eternal. Now, that doesn’t mean we have to support every single policy of the State of Israel. The State of Israel is not directly prophesied in the Bible. Now, the return of the Jews to the land in the last three centuries, that is directly prophesied in the Bible. Right. And every people needs a state to protect itself, and especially the Jewish covenanted people. And the last century showed us, and today, Hamas have shown us that if the Jewish people don’t have a state to protect them, then all their neighbors want to destroy them.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Dr. McDermott, it would be proper or appropriate with the position, based on biblical teaching and prophecy, that you’re right. Israel as a secular state does not do everything right, doesn’t mean we should support everything they do, but we do support the right of the Jewish people to the land which God promised them.
SPEAKER 09 :
And to have a state, they need a state to protect them because all their neighbors want to destroy them. And the last two centuries have shown that. So the state is an indirect result that we should support because God has fulfilled the biblical promise to bring his covenanted people back to the land.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, Dr. McDermott, this is to be continued. We’re out of time for today. Fascinating conversation. Appreciate you coming on and sharing your insight. And as I said, we’ll continue this conversation. Thank you. Folks, thank you for joining us as well. I encourage you to check out the website, TonyPerkins.com. Until next time, I leave you 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, when you’ve prepared, and when you’ve taken your stand. By all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 05 :
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.
