In a special segment, tune in for a discussion on the recent terrorist attack in Jerusalem, where Tony Perkins speaks with Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell. Uncover the complexities of international pressure facing Israel and explore the political and faith-based dynamics at play. Additionally, the program highlights extraordinary changes in U.S. policy on prayer in public schools, shedding light on President Trump’s commitment to religious liberty.
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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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I’m pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools, and it’s total protection.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was President Donald Trump this morning at the Museum of the Bible here in Washington, D.C., announcing new guidance aimed at protecting prayer in public schools. Welcome to this September 8th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins. Thanks for joining us. Well, it’s good to be back in the host chair. I want to thank Jody Heiss and Casey Harper for filling in for me. Well, coming up on today’s program, a deadly terrorist attack in Jerusalem has claimed the lives of at least six people. I’ll be speaking with Chris Mitchell, Middle East Bureau Chief at CBN News, for the latest on the situation in Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza. Well, after a contentious hearing before the Senate Finance Committee last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to face mounting criticism, including calls for his resignation or removal. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Finance and Health Committees, will join me to discuss the top health policy issues facing our nation. also immigration enforcement expected to ramp up in chicago this week former ice director and border czar tom homan says national guard troops are being deployed to support operations in the city we’ll talk with former secret service special agent and 30-year law enforcement veteran tim miller about the growing tension between federal and local authorities as the guard moves in Well, President Trump defends his move to send National Guard troops into Chicago, calling it, quote, common sense, not war. This comes as the Capitol Police and nearly 20 other agencies held one of the country’s largest tactical training drills this past Friday as threats to government officials increase. Joining us now to talk more about this, Washington Stans reporter Casey Harper. Casey, welcome. Thanks, Tony. So, Casey, is this about, is it about crime or is it about control?
SPEAKER 04 :
Give us the latest. Well, that’s the question, Tony. The president says this is about saving lives, not control. Chicago’s murder rate has been lower than last year, but violence remains high compared to other major cities. The White House says that local leaders have failed to act and that federal intervention is necessary. Here’s a look at what is unfolding on both fronts in Chicago and D.C. In Chicago, thousands took to the streets this weekend protesting President Trump’s plan to send in National Guard troops to tackle violent crime. But President Trump defended the move.
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We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our city.
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Crime is down slightly, but fears remain high. Many neighborhoods still see regular shootings, and some community leaders say federal help is needed. Meanwhile in Maryland, the Secret Service and Capitol Police staged a massive training exercise to prepare for future political unrest. With threats against public officials rising in 2025, law enforcement officials say the training is not just about being ready, but also about staying ahead. The president’s team says this isn’t government overreach, it’s leadership. And in cities where residents feel abandoned by local officials, many may agree. Whether local leaders cooperate or not, the federal government is moving forward.
SPEAKER 08 :
Casey, critics say that the deployment of federal troops and heavily armed officers kind of blur the line between policing and military force. You know, what are the legal limits on this kind of federal intervention? And how concerned are legal experts about the growing militarization of domestic law enforcement?
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s a real point of debate on this issue, Tony. Supporters of the president, it includes many Republican lawmakers and governors, they say that deploying federal troops is necessary, it’s justified because there’s chronic violence and lawlessness. And the local officials, you know, they could have done something about it, but they didn’t address it yet. However, critics, which include many legal scholars, they warn that, as you said, there’s a blurring of the line between civilian policing and military force. And down the road, it could undermine those civil liberties and set a dangerous precedent. Of course, Democrats, like Democratic Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker, Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson, they strongly oppose the move. They call it an overreach of federal power. But from the administration’s perspective, the goal isn’t militarization. They say it’s just about restoring law and order, where local leaders have lost control. Now, whether the courts ultimately agree with that and say how imminent and serious that threat is deemed to be, that is a different question. So, the National Guard deployment in D.C. is expected to end this week. That’s the end of 30 days. There was talk of extending it, but that has not happened yet. And officials there, even D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, has said it has had a positive effect. Whether it is perceived as well in Chicago, it seems so far it’s not. And, of course, the president has mentioned New Orleans and other cities. There’s a lot of unanswered questions here, both in what the president will do and illegally, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it’s a very interesting issue, and it’s with a law enforcement background. I have some thoughts. We’re actually going to discuss this a little bit later in the program in more detail with Tim Miller, former Secret Service Special Agent, President and Founder of Lionheart International Services Group. Let’s turn to another important issue for our audience, and that is the freedom of religion, Casey. President Trump today announced new guidance to protect prayer in public schools. What can you tell us about that announcement and the context of today’s Religious Liberty Commission meeting?
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s right, Tony. So during his speech at the Religious Liberty Commission hearing that was today, President Trump revealed a new policy. The Department of Education is about to release that new guidance, which is aimed at safeguarding students’ right to pray in public schools. Now, the announcement came during the commission’s second public meeting that was held, as you said, at the Museum of the Bible today, and it focused on that theme, religious liberty in public education.
SPEAKER 20 :
I’m pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools, and it’s total protection.
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Now, this event brought together educators, legal experts, and faith leaders to examine how religious freedoms are being protected or challenged in our school settings, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I’ll tell you, Casey, I am thrilled to see the further restoration of the First Amendment freedom for America’s students. It’s an issue I worked on back when I was a legislator. Well, let me switch topics here. Last week in a Senate hearing with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr., the issue of the abortion pill, Mifeprestone, came up again. Casey, the dust has not yet settled from that hearing last week, but quite frankly, there’s not been a lot of focus on the abortion pill comments that he made. Bring us up to date on that.
SPEAKER 04 :
There was a lot of dust, but policy came out too, as you’re saying. Secretary Kennedy, he’s raising the alarm in that hearing over what he calls the Biden administration’s manipulation of safety data related to mifepristone. He said the Biden administration twisted the numbers to bury evidence that 11% of women experience serious complications, actually far higher than what was previously said by officials. Now, Kennedy, he’s vowed to bring science and safety back to the FDA policies related to this. Let’s take a look at what he had to say.
SPEAKER 19 :
We know that during the Biden administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals, a very high safety signal, around 11%. So we’re going to make sure that that doesn’t happen anymore. We’re producing honest science and gold standard science on that.
SPEAKER 04 :
So you know better than I do, Tony, the Family Research Council, they’ve been sounding the alarm on this for years. Legal breeze, FDA comments, major letters with over 50 pro-life organizations. And you guys have been calling for a full federal investigation into the drug approval and oversight. And now it seems that it may happen, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, we’re not going to let go of it. Thanks so much, Casey. We’ll talk with you more later in the program. Important work from our staff here at the Family Research Council, especially as this debate over women’s safety and government transparency continues. All right. I want to jump now to our back to this topic, a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem this morning. At least a half a dozen Israelis killed, nearly two dozen wounded. Joining me now from Jerusalem is Chris Mitchell, Middle East bureau chief at CBN News. Chris, thanks so much for joining us. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to be with you, Tony. All right. Give us the latest on this terrorist attack that took place there this morning in Jerusalem.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, Tony, just on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the worst terror attacks since, say, November 2024, where there were four people killed today, six, and as you said, about two dozen wounded. Horrific. Two Palestinian terrorists got on a bus and just began shooting, and also were shooting some pedestrians that were close by. People were in panic, just fleeing the scene. Thankfully, there were two people with arms and were able to neutralize those terrorists, but… Benjamin Netanyahu came to the scene of that terror attack and promised that they would do everything they can to prevent anything like that. He did say that hundreds of terror attacks have been thwarted by the Israeli police in the last year. But unfortunately, this one got through and something that Jerusalemites haven’t seen for several months, but just a reminder of how deadly these terror attacks can be.
SPEAKER 08 :
Chris, what do we know about the terrorists responsible for this attack?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, they lived not far away, maybe about two or three miles. They were able to come with the help, apparently, of an accomplice. They had homemade what’s called a Carlo submachine gun that they used. They also had a knife, and that was what they used for this terror attack. And so those homes, and they’re going to follow any accomplices that they had. Netanyahu pledged that they would – Make sure that these terror havens, as I said, there’s three that have been eliminated. They’re going to do as much as they can to get an even more. I would say I reached out earlier today to Intimo Marcus. He’s the head of the Palestinian media watch. And although the Palestinian Authority hadn’t said anything, Hamas called it a heroic operation. But Marcus said that two weeks ago on Palestinian television, there was a sermon that said Allah Kill them all. Kill them all one by one. Don’t leave anyone. And he draws a direct connection between the incitement from the Palestinian Authority to today’s terror attack.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, also over the weekend, the Houthis, Houthi rebels firing actually a drone attack wounding five people in Israel.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, that came near the Ramon Airport, down near Eilat. They were obviously targeting that airport. There was one that hit not too far away from the airport recently. And then there were several drones that were fired earlier today as well. So despite all the attacks that have been going against the Houthis, and Israel has decimated maybe half of the leadership of the Houthi government down there, they continue to fire drones. at Israel, and they’re particularly hitting that particular airport, also the Dimona, which may be that nuclear site here in Israel. So they continue their attacks and promise by Defense Minister Katz that there will be a hurricane against the Houthis, and they will continue to fight them to eliminate this threat that comes against the Israelis that put either an airport or maybe millions of people in bomb shelters.
SPEAKER 08 :
Chris, just a little over a minute left. I saw the statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledging this building international pressure as the international community will be gathering at the United Nations later this month. But he said, quote, If I have to choose between victory over our enemies and bad propaganda against us, I choose victory over our enemies, end quote. Do the Israeli citizens share that resolve?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, to some degree, I think they do, Tony. They want to have victory, and right now they’re on the cusp of a major offensive into Gaza City. Right now, in the last few days, they’ve eliminated maybe 50 of the high-rise towers in Gaza City. Hamas has been using them as headquarters. But to your point, point, I believe a lot of Israelis believe that they need to make sure that they finally defeat Hamas despite the propaganda campaign. It is notable that what Israel has done last week, they eliminated the head of Hamas propaganda, who had been using, he’s sort of the mastermind behind the famine controversy, this starving Gaza campaign, and being used really in a diabolical way to manufacture these narratives against Israel, which is losing the propaganda war, but hopefully they’ll win the war against Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu hopes they can do that very soon.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Chris Mitchell, always great to see you. We’re praying for you and we’re praying for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel. Folks, don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
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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 U.S. 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.
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. Family Research Council invites you to join our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan as we reflect upon the life of Jesus, the Word who dwelt among us. Come with us and discover the glory of the Word. Read the Gospels and witness the life-changing story of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Come read how Jesus transformed the lives of common people and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come with us for 10 to 15 minutes a day and read the entire New Testament before the new year. Find our Bible reading plan in daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us and stand on the word.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. Find out more at the website Tony Perkins dot com. All right. After weathering a stormy hearing before the Senate Finance Committee last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing calls for his resignation and or firing. But are the changes and ideas that Secretary Kennedy is proposing as radical as the left makes them out to be? Joining me now to discuss this and more, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who serves on the Finance Committee as well as the Health Committee. He’s an OBGYN who has practiced medicine for more than 25 years, delivering more than 5,000 babies. Dr. Marshall, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Tony, it’s great to be with you as well. And I know we got a hot topic today.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, let’s jump right into it. I know you were on some of the weekend shows talking about this as well. Pretty rough hearing on Friday. But are these changes necessary? Is this the direction we should be going?
SPEAKER 14 :
I think they are, Tony. And I know that sometimes change is coming really quickly and it’s hard for us to accept that. But RFK Jr.’ ‘s goals, my goals, are to restore trust and transparency in the CDC. When COVID came along, the CDC, Dr. Fauci, lied to us about the origins of the virus. They lied to us about the vaccines as well, overpromised on them. And then the mandates came along. And you were standing beside me, Tony. So thank you for doing that through these years. there again. What RFK Jr. is trying to do is to say, look, not every person needs every vaccine. What we want to do is we want to empower parents and their doctor to make decisions together. And personally, I don’t think any child needs 76 jabs. Not every child needs every vaccine. And again, we want to restore that trust and transparency in the CDC.
SPEAKER 08 :
And that’s why I am glad you’re on the committee and I’m glad you’re out here speaking about this, because I’m not anti vaccine. I mean, I think, look, I mean, some of these vaccines have saved millions of lives. And so we need to differentiate between what’s good, what’s bad or what’s maybe not necessary. But as you said, it comes down to the parent and the individual making the decision. I think, Senator. What the big deal is here is that because of COVID, as you pointed out, we don’t trust government anymore. And we don’t trust doctors, quite frankly, because they were a part of the COVID hoax in many cases.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, Tony, it breaks my heart. I think just a great example is to talk about the hepatitis vaccine, which the CDC recommends every one day old get this. You know, you mentioned I delivered a baby most every day of my life for 25 years. We tested every one of those moms for hepatitis. If the mom has a negative hepatitis screen, she’s not doing IV drugs, she’s in a stable monogamous relationship, the chances of that baby getting hepatitis are zero. And so why do we think every baby needs a hepatitis vaccine? And then what is that hepatitis vaccine doing to the development of that baby’s immune system? Why do we have all these children with peanut allergies, autoimmune problems, early onset of cancers? We don’t know what we don’t know. And I sit there, what are the benefits and the risk of this hepatitis vaccine? What are the benefits and risk of a COVID vaccine? And I just think that, again, not every person needs every vaccine.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think it’s wisdom. I think it’s right. I think I mentioned that I said Thursday. I mean, I said Friday. The hearing was on Thursday. I want to go to another topic that came up because Secretary Kennedy rightfully said that these COVID era telemed allowances were being, you know, Protocols were being pulled back. We didn’t need that anymore because we don’t have COVID. It was an overreaction. But he was asked by one of your colleagues, Senator Daines, regarding what’s happening with the abortion pill, mifeprestone, where that used to require an in-person doctor visit to ensure that this drug would not do immense damage and possibly death to the mother taking it. But I’m just going to read Secretary Kennedy’s response. Senator, I need to get back to you on that. I don’t know if the White House has yet taken a position on that. I mean, we’ve taken a position on the COVID-era telemed, but not the abortion pill. It sounds political to me.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, yeah. Tony, this is where we need Family Research Council and your listeners leaning into this one. This is an opportunity. I do think the White House is listening to the situation. But again, this drug… Mifeprestone is, as far as I’m concerned, it’s malpractice to give it without a doctor’s appointment, without the doctor putting eyes on the patient, without doing a sonogram. If you don’t have any idea how far along that woman is, to give this chemical I think is malpractice. And they use COVID as a disguise to get this done through telemedicine. At some point in time, Americans all of a sudden thought we should just have drive-through medicine. Just like driving through McDonald’s, you should just be able to drive up and say, hey, want my abortion pill? And then that’s not, A, it’s not good medicine, and morally it’s not the right thing to do either. So I think this is our chance to lean in and say, look, Let’s require not just a doctor’s visit, but let’s require a sonogram before these abortion pills are handed out. And I want to make sure your listeners know, like, I’ve never prescribed this pill. I could never prescribe it. But I’ve taken care of a lot of patients where other doctors have prescribed it. And I saw them in the emergency room with their complications.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. You have. And we’ve talked about that. By the way, Senator, you know how many times my order has been wrong when I’ve driven through McDonald’s? I need more accuracy when it comes to medicine. Senator, I know you’ve got to run. I want to thank you for taking time to join us, not only for the babies you deliver, but you deliver for the American people on Capitol Hill. So thanks for all your pro-life, pro-family work. Thanks, Tony. Keep praying for us. We are and we will. And folks, as Senator Marshall said, you need to lean in on this. We are. We are pushing the administration. They can take the steps to correct the abortion pill issue. Under the Biden administration, the rules were changed, as was pointed out here, during COVID, so that it doesn’t require an in-person visitation. But they went further. They actually went further and refused to enforce the law, the Comstock Act, which prohibits the mailing of abortion-related materials through the mail. So, abortion pills now are going into states all across this country. And the result has been, The abortion rate has actually increased in America since the overturn of Roe. All those states, like my home state of Louisiana, where I passed some of the initial pro-life laws, one of the most pro-life states in the nation. We’ve got about 12 or 13 that totally protect the unborn. Doesn’t matter. under the current Mifepresto and abortion pill and the failure to uphold the federal law. It’s being mailed into these pro-life states. So text the word LIFE to 67742. That’s LIFE to 67742 and join the effort to communicate to the Trump administration. They need to take a solid stand for life and they need to protect the rights of the state, those states that are protecting the unborn. All right, don’t go away. There’s a lot more Washington Watch straight ahead as we take a look at the militarization of law enforcement. Is it a good thing or not?
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SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in on this Monday. Well, immigration enforcement activity is expected to ramp up in the city of Chicago this week. And Border Czar Tom Homan says deploying National Guard troops to protect the operations in Chicago and other sanctuary cities is always on the table. While Holman noted that the National Guard does not make arrests but provides protection for those who do, well, concerns exist that their deployment could be a slippery slope. Joining me to discuss this is former Secret Service Special Agent Tim Miller, a 30-year law enforcement and military professional whose extensive background includes leadership roles in Homeland Security and the Marine Corps. where he retired as a lieutenant colonel. Today, he’s the founder and president of Lionheart International Services Group. Tim, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Tony, it’s an honor to be with you. Thanks for having me, brother. So let’s talk about this. The president’s decision to put the National Guard on the streets of Los Angeles and Washington in recent months and now his threat to send them to other major cities, Chicago, maybe New Orleans, have sparked in some cases kind of a nationwide fight over the proper role of the military. Now, keep in mind, I know we’re talking about the National Guard, but they wear the same uniforms. What do you make of this?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, Tony, I think it’s problematic at a number of levels. I understand the president’s dilemma. We have crime, violent crimes we saw in Charlotte overtaking many areas of our country. The police at the same time, because of the radical defund the police movement, they’re largely understaffed. And so they’re quickly overwhelmed. And then we have judicial processes that don’t prosecute criminals once we do catch them. So the response of the National Guard is something that you certainly could view as a short-term thing, but it’s designed to be an emergency response to overwhelming situations. And as you know, Tony, I’ve been a police officer, I’ve been a Secret Service agent, and all of those law enforcement functions involve intensive training for how to protect citizens’ rights while at the same time exacting justice and keeping the order. And I think having worked with the National Guard units, I think they’re great people. They come in during emergencies, but they’re simply not trained or equipped to to understand the protection of civil liberties while also enforcing law enforcement. So I think it can be problematic.
SPEAKER 08 :
I want to kind of go to even a higher level discussion on this. Now, quite frankly, I think it’s nice to have peace and quiet here in D.C. A lot of the… You know, riffraff has been moved off. We haven’t seen a lot of the crime, right, even around our own building. So I think a lot of people say, you know, this is actually pretty nice. But here’s where I’m always looking ahead. The same thing, I did not support the Patriot Act back when George W. Bush proposed that because I saw that it could be misused. And my concern is the militarization of our country where, yes, lawlessness is rampant. Of course, the Bible tells us it’s going to be that way toward the end of time. But what rights, what freedoms will we surrender in order to have that security or at least the perception of that security? Do we want to be like a third world country where we have people walking around in camouflage uniforms with submachine guns?
SPEAKER 07 :
No, I think that’s exactly the concern is sacrificing liberty for security. And I think you’re spot on, Tony. But I think this country is in a very unique situation. If you think about some of the liberal policies we’ve all had to endure that attack police officers, that actually ridicule openly, that docks ICE agents to where their families are at risk. We are going to a critical point where law enforcement officers are walking away from the profession, and that is a scary place to be. So to your point, it’s the balance, because what we can’t have are our own citizens, as you have experienced in D.C. I worked a career there and always had major safety security concerns there. But then you move to L.A. We train all over the country, and people are genuinely afraid of the rising crime. So I think to your point, we have to begin to restore the fundamental value of law enforcement, actually support them in the court systems. Quit making them the enemy, as many have done, and get back to where we need to be. Because I agree with you wholeheartedly. We do not want the U.S. military or the National Guard to be the foundation for peace and security in our country.
SPEAKER 08 :
We just have two minutes left, but I’m sure I know you understand this, Tim, because we’ve had these conversations. I mean, I’m grateful for I would say what the president is doing with the National Guard is like a strong antibiotic that’s dealing with an infection or at least the symptoms of that infection. The true. underlying issue is the spiritual decay in our country. And that can’t be addressed by the government, even though I appreciate the president calling for prayer and the things that he’s doing to defend these rights of ours, these religious freedom rights. But it’s going to be incumbent upon the church and Christians to really deal with the spiritual malaise in this country if we want to address the law and order issue.
SPEAKER 07 :
Amen. Amen. And I just want to say this, Tony, I know you got to go, but the bottom line is without repentance and revival, our country is doomed. We have to have a restore to the value of restoration that values human life. all human life and protects them. And so I’m with you a hundred percent on that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Tim Miller, always great to see you or have you on the program. I know you’re joining us by phone today, but I want to thank you for joining us. Appreciate your insights. Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
God bless you, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and I know that there are many law enforcement officials across this country that share Tim’s view. I mean, they appreciate President Trump’s strong support for law enforcement and his desire to bring law and order. But at the end of the day… We cannot govern from without those who refuse to be governed from within. Our founders, they recognize this. We have to have the spiritual awakening and revival in this country. So I challenge you to pray. Pray for our country. Pray for law enforcement. Pray for the president as he makes these decisions. We’ve got to think not only short-term, but long-term. All right, more Washington Watch straight ahead, so don’t go anywhere.
SPEAKER 02 :
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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 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, yesterday morning I went out for an early morning run, and I was pleasantly surprised. Fall has arrived in South Louisiana. It was below 75 degrees. Now, it was even cooler here in D.C. this morning. So you know what that means? Well, here’s what it means. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit is just around the corner. It’s taking place October the 17th and 18th in Chino Hills, California at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills, Pastor Jack’s Church. If you register now and use the code FALL, that’s F-A-L-L, you’ll save $30 on your summit package. The special discount offer is good through Friday, September the 12th. That means you’ve got to hurry to find out more about or to register, visit PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org. Our word for today comes from James 2. What does it profit if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? James isn’t contradicting Paul’s gospel message of grace through faith. He’s pressing into our daily lives. Real faith is never naked. It clothes the cold. It feeds the hungry. If I tell a brother or sister, go in peace, be warmed and filled, yet keep my hands closed, my words ring hollow and my faith is dead. James challenges our easy slogans. Is my faith visible in my calendar, my wallet, my serving? He dares us, show me your faith without your works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works. Works don’t earn salvation, they demonstrate it. The fruit that grows from a living root abiding in Christ. Today, ask, where can I put my faith in motion? Make a call, bring a meal, give generously, advocate for the vulnerable. Let obedience become the natural overflow of trust in Christ. May our neighbors read our creed, not only in what we say, but in what we sacrificially do. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. All right, it’s Monday, and we want to dive into some of the headlines with a panel of pundits, Casey Harper, managing editor for broadcast of The Washington Stand, and Kyle Campbell, host of podcast Politically Basic. Kyle, welcome.
SPEAKER 13 :
Hi, Tony. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s good to have you back on the program.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER 08 :
Casey, haven’t seen you in about 25 minutes. That’s right. Yeah, too long. All right, so I want to pick up where I left off just a few moments ago with Tim Miller. Look, just for those that may be tuning in for the first time, I’m former law enforcement veteran, the Marine Corps law and order guy. So I support what the president is doing to bring law and order to this city, to, you know, I was talking to the governor and to the attorney general of Louisiana last week about what he’s proposed maybe for New Orleans, Chicago. But I have some concerns. And I want to ask you, because both of you are younger than me. I don’t know if people can tell that by the camera, but you’re a little younger than me. But I’m a little concerned about the militarization of law enforcement and seeing like what we see in third world countries where we have military walking around to keep order. Kyle, does that bother you at all?
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s not bothering me right now, Tony, but I have a different perspective, of course. I’m in Southern California. I’m in and out and around Los Angeles all the time. Los Angeles is falling apart. It is not a safe community. We would love to see the National Guard come in just temporarily and get things back to some level in which LAPD or local law enforcement could get their hands around it again. I don’t think it’s necessarily a scenario in which they have the ability to do what a guard-type force could come in and get there.
SPEAKER 08 :
They don’t have the ability or there’s not the political will there to get it done.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I certainly think it’s a failure of leadership to do anything. And for reasons that are beyond all of us all the time, we don’t understand why this political leadership is failing to keep its residents and citizens safe. They seem to really be adamant about not doing that. But in my case, I’ll tell you this. We’ve been running around the city for the last few days out here. I’m a single woman. I have two young girls. I feel completely safe here. Now, we’re staying in some touristy spots, but we’re venturing out. We’re walking around at night. I’ll tell you this, Tony. You know, if I’m out and about by myself, And I have the option to see someone from the National Guard fully armed walking toward me on the street or a criminal who’s been in and out of jail 14 times and sizes me up really fast. I’m going to take the former. And I agree with you and agree with Tim. It’s not a long term solution. But to come in and get things cleaned up to a point where it’s safer, I would take it in a heartbeat.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, well, I appreciate the perspective.
SPEAKER 04 :
Casey? Sure. Well, I mean, there’s two questions to ask. One, is crime really bad in these big cities? And the answer is a resounding yes. So we’re setting the background. It’s very violent. Women do not feel dangerous. You’re fortunate you can go for a run this morning, and they’re cool and feel safe. But I think a lot of women… Well, I’m safe because I don’t run along. Look at you, just a strapping young man. I don’t run along. Well, there you go. Are these cities dangerous? Absolutely. Now, that doesn’t justify everything, but it’s important to acknowledge that because some Democrats have not acknowledged it. And the second question is, why is this happening? I think what you’re getting at is, is this really a problem of resources? Mostly no. It’s mostly a political will question. On the one hand, they’re not arresting people for shoplifting, and then the prosecutors don’t prosecute them. And it creates this cycle. We just had a viral video of someone stabbing someone on camera, on a subway, and they had been arrested, I think, 14 times and let out. And it’s just, it’s political.
SPEAKER 08 :
I was having that conversation with the Attorney General of Louisiana last week. So that is the reality, okay? That is the reality. My point is, it’s a symptom. There is an underlying issue, and I think we have, and this is what we do here on Washington Watch, we look at these things from a biblical perspective. Paul in 2 Thessalonians tells us that the lawless one is coming, but yet the spirit of the lawless one is already at work in this age. What we’re seeing as we move toward the return of Christ is that there is a spirit of lawlessness. Now, what keeps it in check? Paul talks about that. The one who keeps it in check is the Holy Spirit present in the church. My point is, the church isn’t doing its job to restrain the spirit of lawlessness that is at work in our culture, our country, our communities.
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s it. And if the government, we cannot rely on government officials to do that. And I think that’s been a problem, Tony, for several years since the pandemic is we have put too much hope and trust and faith in the government systems and agencies to keep us safe. And they’re not doing their job, not even at a base level. The church absolutely has to step into that space and take their rightful role.
SPEAKER 08 :
And that’s what my argument is that the Trump administration is doing by their protection of religious liberty and religious freedom, like we saw today at the Museum of the Bible, that he’s creating the space for the church to do its work. My concern is that the church It’s still kind of like a couch potato. It really isn’t taking this invitation to engage. What you were saying, Kyle, is kind of relying on the government to solve this problem. Government is not the solution to this. I’m grateful that they’re allowing space and protection to provide a solution, but this isn’t going to require the church.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right, and I think, what does that look like practically? Well, how about Christians running for local office? trying to become prosecutors, Daniels, Josephs, Hesters, not just, you know, we all want a Christian president, and of course, there’s a lot of talk about that. What about a Christian prosecutor, a Christian mayor, a Christian city council? School board member.
SPEAKER 08 :
Exactly. I mean, Kyle, you’ve been working there in California. on this egregious attack on parental rights, putting children at risk is something that Washington, the Family Research Council has been speaking to. We had, Casey, I know we had some, I don’t know how many signatures that we took on the petition that were delivered there. But Kyle, bring us up to date.
SPEAKER 13 :
Sure. I heard that you guys just delivered over 20,000 signatures opposing AB-495, and we are so grateful to you for doing that. And just appreciative that people outside of the state of California are paying attention to this one because it’s bad.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, describe it for our listeners, those that may have not heard it before. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 13 :
So it’s in a long line of legislation that… really wants to remove parental rights and this is across the board it’s not just having to do with public school children this affects all children in the state and what this does essentially is it overrides something we have called a caregiver’s authorization affidavit if someone’s being deported essentially they have the opportunity to fill out an affidavit and say hey i would like my mother my brother someone close to me in my world to take custody of my children temporarily while I get my situation sorted out. We have all those systems set in place in California. There’s not a gap there, Tony. And so what is such a head scratcher about 495 is that it takes what was working just fine before, but it removes all of the guardrails. You don’t have to be a relative or a close friend of the family. You don’t have to get parental authorization. Now, it was just amended. This just happened a few days ago. It was amended to change language having to do with that non-related adult and also to not have to check that box saying, hey, I tried to find the parents and couldn’t. But it’s still extremely dangerous.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s like putting lipstick on a pig. 100%. So what are the prospects of that? What are the next steps for that?
SPEAKER 13 :
So it went into suspense file as we thought it would. It came right out. It was slightly amended. It does not make a difference. This bill needs to be scrapped and dead immediately. It’s going to go to a Senate vote on Friday, this Friday. And then it will go to the governor’s desk. I believe it will. And I’m very concerned that he is going to sign this. He’s been real squirrely as he. What’s the time for it? He runs for president. It will go to his desk after this Friday, should it move forward, and I believe that it does. And he can sign it right away.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. Well, folks, all those who did sign our petition, I want to say thank you, but I want to challenge you to pray. As the folks in California continue to lean in on this, in fact, I’m going to be in California later this week. I’ll be speaking, by the way, for those around Southern California, I’ll be at Calvary Chapel Downey on Sunday if you’d like to come and visit us. So this is, I mean, this is just… constant attack on parental rights. And it’s interesting, as you said, they’ve tweaked it just a little bit, but the exploitation that this opens up to, and it’s very interesting because I just saw where the Biden administration lost 65,000 unaccompanied minors that they led into the country with these open borders. We’ve now found that 27 of those minors have been found dead by murder, suicide, or drug overdose. 400 of those so-called sponsors of these children have been arrested, many of them for exploiting, abusing, raping these children. This was done, the left says open borders was compassionate. That’s the same arguments we’re seeing in California with change. Oh, we want to be compassionate. Violating the law, the laws of nature and statute, that’s not compassionate.
SPEAKER 13 :
No. And this legislation moving forward has a lot to do with human trafficking. Yes. And California has the highest number of instances. I actually chair an anti-trafficking organization in Santa Barbara County. I know this issue all too well. What happened under the Biden administration is unconscionable. They knew exactly what was happening with those children being used and sold and trafficked across the border. They released them either to people who immediately started trafficking or sold them once inside the country. Tony, they set up that hotline and nobody was on the other end of it to pick up the phone.
SPEAKER 08 :
We spoke with officials within the department who blew the whistle on these things. But this goes back to my earlier point of the spirit of lawlessness. We can have every safeguard in place. We can put the National Guard, we can put the Marine Corps on every corner. But ultimately, it is not going to solve what is ailing America. I mean, think about this for a moment. People who would intentionally traffic children, minor children, for sexual purposes. That is not a person who understands right from wrong or willing to acknowledge it.
SPEAKER 13 :
I think I’ll take it a step further, Tony. You’re absolutely right. And we have such a problem, and a lot of people want to stick their heads in the sand. I understand it’s such a difficult thing. But I think we’re being too desensitized, and I worry that we’re losing our humanity. These people are being stabbed in broad daylight. This woman on the train in Charlotte, a woman walking her dog in Alabama was killed. This other woman, middle of the day in Philadelphia, murdered. and no media coverage, and we just go on about our day. We hear about these children who are being found dead. Where is the outrage and the heartbreak and the response in the right way? And so I’m with you. We’ve got to find our faith and step fully back into our role to protect our most vulnerable.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. We need to pray. And I know that prayer has been something that’s been mocked as of late, but the reason it’s mocked is because it’s effective for God’s people to pray. And in fact, James talks about that. If you’re on our journey through Scripture later this week, we’ll be in James chapter 5, where he talks about the effective prayer of a righteous man. And we’re seeing some signs of that. There’s some encouraging things among the young people, Casey, that we see turning back to faith that everything else has failed them, government, institutions. And there is a return to orthodox faith.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, we’re seeing Bible sales online, for instance, at record highs in recent years. We’re seeing a sort of Gen Z revival. You’re seeing some of the most popular artists in pop music are Christians now, outspoken. People like Forrest Frank are sharing their faith and having the most viral videos on TikTok. So you’re seeing these glimpses. I think it’s sort of like a Solomon who went and tasted every pleasure and thing the world had to offer, and then you kind of come full circle, and it’s all meaningless. And I think that’s where this generation is. You had everything from the internet and wealth And it’s kind of meaningless. And so they’re looking for something deeper.
SPEAKER 08 :
Kyle, we just have a little over a minute left. First, tell people how they can catch your podcast. And then secondly, ask the question, what are the young people looking for?
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. Thanks again, Tony, for having me on. It’s Politically Basic on all socials. On X, it’s Politically Basic without the I, all that good character element. I think young people and all people right now are looking for goodness. They want the good life. It’s found with Jesus Christ. That’s the only way. And so they are searching. And I think to Casey’s great point, you know, it’s happening. We need prayer. We need the churches to step up. We cannot rely on government to give them that good life. The government is failing them. And God is going to be the way, the light, and the right path forward for them. So we need to encourage that with everything we’ve got.
SPEAKER 08 :
I agree. Kyle, Casey, thanks so much for joining me today.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, folks, it is, you know, government is instituted to protect the rights given to us by God. Now, I need to teach Senator Kaine of Virginia that because he got a little confused last week. But our rights to pursue God, to share with others the hope that’s within us, that’s foundational and it’s critical to the future of our country. Be bold. Share your faith. All right, I leave you once again with the encouraging words 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 18 :
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