Iran’s Strait Scheme and America’s Political Crossroads
Washington Watch Reporter Mary Stackhouse reports on recent primary elections, a security threat at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, and the status of the Iranian conflict.
Jody Hice sits in for Tony Perkins to examine government fraud, escalating tensions in the Middle East, consequential primary elections, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence—all from a biblical worldview.
Washington Watch reporter Mary Stackhouse begins with the day’s headlines. What does Abdul El-Sayed’s victory over Congresswoman Haley Stevens reveal about the progressive movement within the Democratic Party? What is known about the
SPEAKER 02 :
From the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 11 :
We’re going to build a movement that reaches out to everybody. I know not everybody’s going to agree with me on everything. That’s not how this works. But I do know that they agree with me on the need to beat Mike Rogers and the need to hold Donald Trump accountable and the need to provide people health care and the need to address the affordability crisis that is making it so that all of us struggle simply because we want to pump gas or go to the grocery store and the need to stop fighting stupid wars we should never be fighting.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was Bernie Sanders and AOC-endorsed Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated the incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Michigan’s U.S. primaries. Welcome to this Wednesday, August 5th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, your guest host for today. Thank you for joining us. I’m glad to be with you for the next hour as we look at the top headlines, including… Vice President J.D. Vance, who held a roundtable meeting with members of Congress to discuss the Trump administration’s anti-fraud efforts. Congressman Glenn Grothman, who is a member of the House Budget Committee, will be joining me here in just a few moments to discuss that meeting, as well as the Justice Department, who is now charging 19 individuals of Medicaid fraud. Plus, we’re going to ask the question yet again. Are we close to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? Well, Iran and Oman have reportedly reached an understanding to reopen the sea passage there. Dr. Michael Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum, will be joining me a little bit later to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and more. And of course, as you just saw, there were some major races last night that have been decided or projected for five states that held primary elections yesterday. Matt Carpenter, director of FRC Action, will be joining me later with key takeaways as well as some surprises that took place in Michigan and other places across the country. What do these results mean as we start approaching midterm elections? Well, all that and much more is coming straight ahead on this edition of Washington Watch. Let’s begin with a bird’s eye perspective of the results of last night’s primary elections across five states. And joining us now to get us kicked off is Washington Watch reporter Mary Stackhouse. Mary, walk us through the key elements of the election yesterday.
SPEAKER 09 :
Sure, Jody. Some of these primary races are key to whether Republicans or Democrats will be the party in power in Congress after the midterms. Last night, progressives in the Democratic Party in Michigan scored a win as Abdul El-Sayed defeated four-term moderate Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens in a narrow victory. It’s notable that El Syed was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the squad. However, he says he’s not a socialist. Here’s El Syed speaking to supporters earlier today after defeating Stevens.
SPEAKER 11 :
So whether you voted for me or voted for my opponent or didn’t vote at all, we’re inviting you to that movement to get money out of politics so we can put money back in pockets and finally guarantee the promise of health care through Medicare for All.
SPEAKER 09 :
El-Sayed, a doctor whose campaign focused on health care, the economy, and an end to military aid to Israel, was the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state that President Trump carried in 2024. He will face Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers in November. And President Trump reacted to El Sayed’s victory on True Social by saying, quote, great news for the Republican Party. El Sayed, a communist loser who hates Jews and Israel, is the projected winner, unquote, in Michigan. In Missouri, Democratic Congresswoman, Democratic Congressman, excuse me, Wesley Bell defeated former Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush. She’s a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and she also had Senator Bernie Sanders’ endorsement. Jody?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we’re going to dive more into this a little bit later when Matt Carpenter, FRC’s director of FRC Action, will be joining us. But, Mary, thank you for that overview. Very interesting what’s taking place. Let me shift to some other news with you. There is an armed man who was arrested near the golf course owned by Donald Trump in California. Another very disturbing arrest taking place, potentially harming the president with intentions to do so. What can you tell us about this individual?
SPEAKER 09 :
Jody, authorities say 38-year-old Janine John Tell was arrested just two days before President Trump arrived to California to speak at a fundraiser at a golf course that he owns. Tell was reportedly seen taking pictures and video of security planning activities ahead of President Trump’s trip. He was found with an unregistered short-barreled rifle, which he faces several charges for. And according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, he also had ammunition on him. And in his vehicle, they found a loaded pistol with a round chambered and a loaded magazine. Here’s what President Trump said about the ongoing safety concerns during an interview last night on Fox News.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s an ongoing concern, sir. Talk about that for a brief, if we can.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is they say only consequential presidents. And I am definitely consequential.
SPEAKER 09 :
An investigation is currently underway, and they have not yet determined whether there was a threat to President Trump. Now, this is not the first time, of course, that President Trump has faced heightened security threats. Earlier this year, there was an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. And in 2024, he experienced two separate assassination attempts, one in Butler, Pennsylvania, and another in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jody?
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Mary, thank you for that. Let me shift with you real quickly to the Middle East. What’s the latest developments there with the conflict with Iran?
SPEAKER 09 :
Jody, Iran is claiming that it has reached an agreement with Oman on coordinates for a shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz to allow ships to pass through. But others are reporting that the deal is still being finalized. This comes after President Trump warned Iran of more attacks. This proposed deal would give Iran control over ships that enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route of the Strait of Hormuz. And ships would exit the sea passage through a route controlled by Oman. Now, during a cabinet meeting yesterday, President Trump said the Strait would be open very soon. And if not, Iran would be hit very hard. Here’s what President Trump said last night in an interview on Fox.
SPEAKER 10 :
We hit him very, very hard, but the hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won’t have to use it. I hope we won’t have to. We’re having very good discussions. They don’t like to admit that, but it’s a little bit disconcerting. You tell people like you, we’re having wonderful discussions, and then some guy will come out of Iran and say, we have not met, we have not, it’s just such a lie.
SPEAKER 09 :
So far, there has not been an immediate comment on the proposal from the U.S., but U.S. officials have repeatedly said that they would never agree to let Iran control this key trade route for energy supplies. Jody?
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Mary, as always, thank you for getting us kicked off. We appreciate it. And I want to turn attention now to Washington, D.C., where Vice President J.D. Vance held a Fraud Task Force Roundtable with members of Congress. And joining us now to discuss this is Glenn Grothman, who is a member of the House Budget Committee and also the Oversight Committee, where I… was glad to serve alongside him. He represents the 6th Congressional District of Wisconsin. Congressman Grothman, welcome back to Washington Watch. Glad to have you with us.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, glad to see you again, Jody.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, let’s talk about this fraud task force since taking office. Of course, the Trump administration has taken some significant action to address the terrible problem that we have running rampant, primarily in Democrat-led states. But J.D. Vance today described the fraud as a dual victim crime that harms both taxpayers and averse essential resources away from the intended beneficiaries. So… You would think, Congressman, that Democrats would be in favor of these efforts as well.
SPEAKER 12 :
Is that not the case? Not really. When we introduce bills in Congress to try to combat the fraud and make sure it’s not going to continue in the future, we find surprising hostility. Now, you might say, what possible logic could a congressman have to say we shouldn’t fight fraud? And their logic is this. If we crack down on fraud and food stamps, let’s say, what if we inadvertently take food stamps from somebody who needs them? Or, you know, take medical care from somebody who needs it inadvertently. Well, then that person may be hungry, so we should let the fraud continue just to make sure we have enough food out there. That’s the logic we get from the Democrats. It’s kind of ridiculous, but you’re talking about, as you told your listeners, Huge numbers, numbers in the hundreds of billions of dollars. We had a separate hearing in my subcommittee dealing with skin substitutes, these little things that you put on your skin to, say, close the wound. We found that over a… three-year period, the number or the reimbursements for these skin substitutes went up by a factor of 30 to a large degree because the providers, be it the hospitals, be it the nursing homes, the manufacturers found a way to find skin substitutes that were very expensive and they’re profiting off that expense now that’s another thing we’re cracking down on but it’s amazing the more you look at these things the more fraud you find particularly because the federal government is so broke. Hopefully, we’ll find some people who can go to prison for this sort of thing. But I guess part of it just comes, if you’re going to have the government do something, you know it’s not going to do it well, right?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, since the task force kind of highlighted the need for congressional cooperation, I wanted to play this clip for you. Play clip six for me, and then I’ll get your reaction.
SPEAKER 15 :
This effort will fundamentally always have a limitation unless our colleagues in the House and the Senate are working with us. We don’t want the next administration, whoever, you know, God forbid, you’re going to have President El-Sayed in three years. We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing.
SPEAKER 08 :
So what do you think Congress needs to do to help with this problem?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we do have to crack down on it. The problem is this, and the vice president identified it. In order to get something to change the rules, to get something out of the Senate, you need 60 votes, which means you’re running into that filibuster rule. I do think we could come up with a new reconciliation package in the Senate dealing with some of this fraud, particularly fraud committed by illegal immigrants. that sort of thing, and come up with savings of literally tens of billions of dollars. Now we’ll see whether the, I’ll call them the sleeping Senate or even the House, is able to wake up and pass the type of bills that are necessary to change the rules to make it easier to identify this fraud.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you mentioned the reconciliation bill. What are you hearing about that? Is that going to get across the finish line?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, right now, Senator Thune from South Dakota, the majority leader, has not brought it to the floor. We continue to hope he brings it to the floor, not only because of the spending items that are in there, but of course, we also have a problem. with, well, the military problem, but we’ve also attached the SAVE Act, the election law reforms to that. And some people in the Senate do not want to move the bill with those in there, which is very frustrating to all Americans and certainly very frustrating to President Trump. But we have tried to push that through, I don’t know, in time for this election, but we do need things like photo ID nationwide to make sure we have honest elections in the future. And that’s one of the things that’s holding up the bill in the Senate.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And real quickly, only about 30 seconds before we’re going to have to wind down. The CR coming from the Senate is different from what the House has passed. What’s going to happen on that front?
SPEAKER 12 :
Repeat again.
SPEAKER 08 :
The continuing resolution to fund the government, the conflict between the Senate and the House.
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Well, if they adjust it, it’s something we’re going to have to take up. We do not want to have a shutdown going into the election. And we’ve got to get some Democrats, therefore, on board in the Senate. If they make some minor changes, we’re going to have to see whether we have to deal with it or not. I personally think we’re already spending enough money, but we will see.
SPEAKER 08 :
Congressman Glenn Grothman from Wisconsin, thank you so much for joining us on Washington Watch. Coming up next, we’re going to talk Middle East with Dr. Michael Rubin. A lot happening there. Stay with us. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 03 :
America, what formed the fabric of our freedom? What stitched together the hearts of those that fasten the stars and stripes? 250 years ago, our founding fathers penned the invisible words woven within every heart, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unite with others who will pledge to defend these eternal truths today at Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, September 24th to the 26th at Cornerstone Chapel outside Washington, D.C. In 1776, our country declared independence in reliance upon divine providence. In 2026, in the same spirit, we’ll declare dependence upon God by gathering for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. for faith, for family, for freedom. Register now at prayvotestand.org.
SPEAKER 04 :
One nation under God. America’s undeniable foundation of faith.
SPEAKER 07 :
As president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, John Witherspoon taught 10 cabinet members, 60 members of Congress, 13 governors, three Supreme Court justices, Vice President Aaron Burr and President James Madison. As a Presbyterian minister, Witherspoon was the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was a gifted preacher and writer who let his faith direct his political activism, often voicing the link between earthly liberty and spiritual liberty. Witherspoon argued there is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost and religious liberty preserved entire. President John Adams said of Witherspoon, he was a true son of liberty, but first he was the son of the cross. Witherspoon’s views on man’s sinfulness from birth influenced his belief that self-government was only possible with checks and balances, a belief he passed on to his student, James Madison, father of the Constitution. Witherspoon helped form the vision many of our founding fathers held to, no republic without liberty, no liberty without virtue, and no virtue without religion. And with that, Witherspoon became a cornerstone in America’s foundation of faith.
SPEAKER 14 :
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 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Thank you for joining us. Iran and Oman are reportedly putting together final touches on a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump told reporters that a lot of progress had been made on these negotiations over the Strait, which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described yesterday as the immediate deal. that was being worked out. Now, this is different from the so-called ultimate deal on Iran’s denuclearization. But this deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is one that President Trump said needs to happen very soon or else Iran is going to get hit very, very hard. So what do we know so far about this deal? What does it look like? Joining us now to discuss this and more is former Pentagon official, Dr. Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. He’s also senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Middle Eastern countries. Dr. Rubin, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. And let’s just begin with this immediate deal. What does it look like? What’s in it?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, it almost looks like the Iranians are trying to make a deal that the international shipping community can’t refuse. Whereas once they started talking about tolls… Only to learn that that’s not going to be acceptable because it’s an international waterway. Now they’re talking about safety fees. And if you don’t pay the safety fee, who knows what might happen? You’re going to get the proverbial horse head in your bed. That’s the danger right now. So we really are looking at a scheme in which the Iranians are seeking to raise money off in the international waterway. Now, the Iranians say other people do this, that down in the Straits of Malacca in Asia or in the Turkish Straits. But in those cases, there’s buoys, there’s patrols, there’s all sorts of things. What the Iranians are doing, and this is just an outreach to progressives, is saying it’s for the environment, it’s for safety, but really what you’re going to be doing is funding terrorism.
SPEAKER 08 :
So I guess another question along those lines, while this, quote, immediate deal is being finalized, is there any indication or any progress as it relates to the ultimate deal? I’m referring to Iran’s denuclearization. Is anything moving in that direction?
SPEAKER 13 :
The mother of all deals. Look, the problem is that it’s not. And when people, first of all, This wasn’t picked up in the Western press so much. But Ahmed Vahidi, who is the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the man most people believe is in charge in Iran, actually said the Iranians are going to continue working on a nuclear weapon as long as the United States and Israel have nuclear weapons. And so, I mean, basically, he’s just let the cat out of the bag for getting this pretense that Iran only wants a civilian program. But on top of that, when lots of people talk about, hey, well, Trump shouldn’t have walked back from the Joint Conference of Plan of Action back in 2018, what people forget is under terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which still applies, Iran needs to open up for inspection. So why are we talking about giving Iran incentives for doing things they’ve already agreed to do?
SPEAKER 08 :
Great point. Well, you know, it’s not just happening in Iran, all right? There’s other parts of the Middle East. Today, for instance, in Lebanon, a new flare-up there. Israel Defense Forces launched a wave of precision strikes against Hezbollah there in southern Lebanon. What can you tell us about what’s happening there?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, you know, I mean, I’ve recently come back from Lebanon. And on one hand, there’s a lot of optimism in Beirut that they could be as close to a peace deal with Israel as they’ve ever been. They recognize that they have no choice but to live with Israel. The problem is Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It’s brought nothing but misery to Lebanon. And the fact of the matter is… The reason why we’re so close to peace is both Jerusalem and Beirut understand they have a mutual interest in getting rid of what essentially is a mafia. Here’s the problem. It’s the case with Hezbollah. It’s the case with Hamas and Gaza. A lot of these adversaries, a lot of these proxy groups have figured out that if they just wait long enough, they can try to run down the clock. And I’m afraid that’s what’s going on here.
SPEAKER 08 :
They seem to be masters at running the clock. You know, while… You have Israel, they’re handling this Lebanon-based Hezbollah on one side, but still Hamas is in Gaza, and they still have to contend with that. And Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed skepticism regarding Hamas’ willingness to lay down their weapons, as is required by the Board of Peace’s 15-point roadmap for peace there in Gaza. Is the Prime Minister right to be skeptical in this, do you think?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, he absolutely is, and here’s the problem. There’s always a lot of wishful thinking, but you know, Jody, U.S. national security is always at its strongest when it’s based on reality rather than on rhetoric or wishful thinking. Hamas, like al-Qaeda, like the Islamic State… like the Islamic Republic of Iran, are ideological entities. And it’s kind of foolish to believe that with a magic wand, we can get them to give up their ideology. Sometimes you just need to eliminate the bad guys, no matter what the progressives on college campuses say.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, good point. Let me ask you this. We’ve just got maybe a minute and a half or so left, but you just came back from Somalia. What’s happening there? What can you tell us about that situation, particularly as it relates to Islamic terrorists and the attacks against Christians there?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, you know, I was in Somaliland, which is the northern third of the country, which is split away from Somalia back in 1991 against the backdrop of the whole Black Hawk Down incident. And it’s actually a democracy. It’s at peace. There hasn’t been a terrorist attack in more than almost 20 years. And while we talk about Can we have an ID for voter for elections and voter identification? Somaliland became the first country in the world, even though unrecognized, to secure voter ID with biometric iris scans. If an African country in the Horn of Africa can do it, why can’t we? But the fact of the matter is, Somalia and this Northern Third, they’ve embraced Taiwan, they’ve embraced Israel, they’ve embraced the West, and they’re just waiting for the United States to come knocking on their door and saying, you know, we’re going to be a partner with you because we can’t defeat the Houthis without you. And it’s just a matter of the State Department waking up to this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, there’s a lot going on there, and the attacks of Christians seem to be mounting all across the world. But I want to thank you so much for joining us today, Dr. Michael Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum. Always great to have you with us and to gain your insight. We appreciate it. Coming up, friends, stay with us. We’ve got much more to discuss. We’re going to jump into the primary elections that took place yesterday in five states. So stay with us. We’ll be after the break.
SPEAKER 04 :
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitled them. A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal That they’re endowed by their creator. With certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men. Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th birthday, America.
SPEAKER 01 :
May God bless America.
SPEAKER 03 :
The book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the Word is Family Research Council’s journey through the living and active Word of God. Follow the plan with us. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God’s Word, and over the course of two years, discover that the Bible is one big story, a story of many words, pointing to the Word, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Because the Word is alive, and His name is Jesus. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us as we stand on the Word.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony and thank you for tuning in. As we mentioned earlier in the program, there were a number of primary elections that were held yesterday. In fact, five different states. There’s Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington. And we’ve discussed some of the results, but there’s certainly much more to highlight. So joining me now to go further in the details and the results from last night is Matt Carpenter. He’s the director of FRC Action. Matt, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining me.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks for having me, Jody. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, we’ve got a lot to cover. Let’s start with Michigan. What were some of the main takeaways from there?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, the big story coming out of Michigan last night, Jody, was the win of Abdul El Saeed. I think I’m saying that right. He was sort of an anti-establishment progressive, not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, but certainly a part of the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, opposes Israel, government-funded health care, you name it, kind of the full laundry list of far-left policy priorities. He prevailed over Democrat Haley Stevens, who’s a member from the House, by one point, I went to bed last night and it was too close to call and woke up this morning and El Saeed had prevailed. And this is going to be a test essentially of the Democratic Socialists of America platform in a swing state at the statewide level. Up until this point, we’ve seen Democratic Socialists of America aligned candidates perform well in urban areas, in deep blue districts. So this is a real test for them.
SPEAKER 08 :
So how are the Democratic Socialists faring yesterday, specifically, but nationally right now? They seem to have a lot of momentum.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. Mixed results last night, as I mentioned. Last night was a test for them in a place like Michigan, a perennial swing state at the statewide level. You had Democrat incumbent Shree Tanidar lose his primary… to a Democratic Socialist-aligned state legislator, challenged him, 34-year-old upstart there in Michigan, who will now represent the Democratic side of the ticket in Michigan’s 13th congressional district. But then you look over to Missouri, where a former Democrat member of the House, Cori Bush… Certainly aligned the Democratic Socialists of America, failed in her attempt to take on Democrat incumbent Wesley Bell. You also had Democrat Socialists of America aligned candidates in places like Virginia’s second congressional district and Missouri’s fourth congressional district and a few other places as well lose their races. And Rashida Tlaib, who’s an incumbent member from the… Democratic conference in the House prevailed in her primary. So mixed results overall. But as you pointed out, Jody, this is the continuation of several primary contests in which we’ve seen Democratic Socialists aligned candidates show some momentum.
SPEAKER 08 :
So for those that are winning, showing some momentum, what does that suggest in terms of the chances of Republicans retaining the Senate in the House?
SPEAKER 16 :
You know, the polling at this stage, and I’ll comment on the Michigan Senate race, the polling at this stage is scant, admittedly, but all the polling that I’ve seen shows a head-to-head matchup between Republican nominee Mike Rogers for Michigan Senate versus Abdul El Saeed. It’s about a head-to-head matchup. It’s basically a jump ball, Jody. I think the RealClearPolitics average of polls has Rogers up by a fraction of a point. The most recent poll came out, had him up by three points. So it was potentially damaging, frankly, to Democrat chances to take control of Congress.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s going to be very interesting. You know, you look at what is happening in the Democratic Party and this movement of the socialists within the party has gotten to the point it’s sizable enough. They cannot ignore it. And that certainly is going to impact the nation as it relates to the Democratic Party. There were also a couple of gubernatorial primaries that some were watching really closely last night. What can you tell us about those?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, Michigan, Kansas also had a gubernatorial primaries. In Michigan, you’ve got Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat incumbent, term limited out. There’s some speculation about maybe presidential ambitions for her. Her secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, prevailed on the Democratic side. and Republican member of the House John James, one on the Republican side. So you get a matchup between John James and Jocelyn Benson there. Jocelyn Benson has been sort of a central figure in a lot of the state’s election integrity dealings, I guess we’ll say, concerns, litigation, whatever. So that angle, I’m sure, will crop up in that race as well. Going over to Kansas, you’ve got Democrat Cindy Holscher, who actually ran as sort of an anti-incumbent Democrat there, prevailed over a candidate backed by Kansas’ Democrat Governor Laura Kelly. So it’s an opportunity, a pickup opportunity, probably for Republicans in Kansas, where Republican State Senate President Ty Masterson prevailed in that primary there. So some important governor’s races in the middle of the country as well.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it’s very interesting the way we’ve been watching all the redistricting maps over the past year changing. And then you add all this democratic socialist aspect to it up. All this is going to be a nail biter. And we’re really are at a crossroads where we’re going to be headed as a nation, not only just one party to the other, but literally the philosophy of our country and the constitutional directives that we’ve had, a lot is at stake.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you think about the democratic socialist agenda, some of them are talking about abolishing the Senate, redoing the Electoral College, packing the Supreme Court, just truly radical, radical ideas coming out of that wing of the White Party.
SPEAKER 08 :
Matt Carpenter, director of FRC Action, thank you so much for breaking all this down for us. We appreciate it. All right, friends, stay with us. After the break, we’re going to have a very interesting discussion about artificial intelligence, what it can replace and what it cannot replace. So stay with us. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 06 :
Exodus 9, verse 1 says, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go. that they may serve me.” You see, America has freedom for a purpose. The question is, are we living by that purpose today? In Scripture, deliverance and freedom is never an end in itself. It is a liberation unto obedience, to worship, and to a covenantal relationship. God’s demand to Pharaoh was not freedom for freedom’s sake, but freedom so his people could identify with and belong to and serve him. Freedom that is not used to serve God will not endure. One of the founders actually echoed a similar warning. Thomas Jefferson wrote, Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just. and His justice cannot sleep forever. See, the founders understood we as a nation would be accountable to God for what He had granted to us. They sought freedom for a purpose. And that freedom was given to us as a nation for that same purpose, to serve God, to honor Him, and to live as a people under His authority. In this 250th anniversary year, we must ask the question, are we living by that purpose today as a nation? Lord, we thank you for the godly foundation and heritage of our state. Lord, we would return to an understanding of the freedom that you have granted to us, that freedom has a name. His name is Jesus. And freedom has a purpose. It is to honor and glorify you. And I pray that our nation would return to that understanding of the purpose of the freedom that you have granted to us. We thank you, Father. By faith, we pray that we would return to that purpose. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Stay informed with news articles from The Washington Stand, watch interviews from Washington Watch, explore courses produced by FRC, and find many other resources to equip you to engage culture and government from a biblical perspective. Download the StandFirm app today by texting APP to 67742 or by searching for StandFirm in your app store.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your host, Jody Heiss, filling in today for Tony. Thank you so much for tuning in with us. Before I go to my final guest for today, I want to once again strongly encourage you to join us for our upcoming Pray Vote Stand Summit. This summit will be taking place September 24th through the 26th at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia, which is just outside our nation’s capital. Friends, I can’t tell you, this is an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded followers of Christ who care about our nation and the future of our country. And those who are there and who join us, you’ll hear from some powerful Christian leaders, some issue experts, government officials, all these folks who are standing for faith, family, and freedom. So I want to encourage you to get more information and go ahead and register. Text SUMMIT to 67742. That’s SUMMIT to 67742. And we look forward to seeing you there next month. All right, over the past couple of years, attitudes toward artificial intelligence improved among Americans as they’re becoming more familiar with the technology. But at the same time, it appears as though there may be some changing in attitudes. Instead of becoming more comfortable with technology, it appears as though more Americans are beginning to believe that AI does more harm than good. In fact, according to some recent research from Bentley University and Gallup Business, the percentage of Americans who believe AI does more harm than good increased from 31 percent in 2025 to 39 percent in 2026. So is there good reason? why perceptions have become more negative this year. Well, joining me now to discuss this is Michael Grayston. He’s a campus pastor at Life Family Church in Austin, Texas. He’s also an assistant professor at Liberty University. Pastor Michael, welcome to Washington Watch. We’re glad to have you join us.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you, Jody. I’m excited to be here.
SPEAKER 08 :
We’ve got a lot to discuss here. This whole issue of AI is a major, major issue. It’s one that we have to have on the table to discuss. And a lot of folks recognize both the benefits and the risks of AI to society in general. So the question here, I think, is which outweighs the other? So what do you think? Is AI good? Is it bad?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, that’s the tension that we all have to live in. And I wish that I could stand here or sit here today and say, AI, it’s binary. But the reality is, is there’s some very good tools that AI provides us. And there’s some really good promise that AI could potentially provide. But the negatives are there as well, and they’re undeniable. The statistic that you led off with, talking about the erosion of excitement and trust in AI, I’m not terribly surprised by that. A few years ago, the data showed a lot of excitement because it was pretty new, and it was bringing a lot of incredible efficiencies to our work, and we didn’t really see the negatives quite… yet. But over the past few years, we have seen AI in a negative light, right? AI is starting to hurt our families at times as couples struggle with the use of companion bots and introducing that into their relationships. AI is starting to create an upheaval in the job market. It’s a real practical issue, and people are starting to question, if I lose my job, do I lose my purpose? And of course, the story after story that we read, where AI is either affirming someone’s suicidal ideation, or even in some cases, giving them guidance on how to carry out self-harm. We shouldn’t be surprised that people are looking at AI in a more negative light than they used to.
SPEAKER 08 :
So as we look at this poll that’s just come out, is this just maybe a temporary loss of positive momentum towards AI? Or do you think that something more revealing about it really is coming out and people are deeply troubled by what they’re seeing?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, data is data. We try to spin it, but you can’t. It’s a snapshot in time. So it is a snapshot of the reality that we’re in. And people are losing trust as they become more and more familiar with it. What will that look like in a year or two? I don’t know. I certainly can’t project it. I have my theories as a human being who… respects and loves the creative nature of God, and he instilled that creativity in us. My theory is that as AI starts to erode our creativity more and more, people will actually backlash against AI more and more. So we’ve already seen it in the issues that I’ve talked about, health, job loss. But what about me, the creator? What about me, the writer? What about you, the musician? People are going to get tired of seeing the same thing, reading the same thing that’s called AI slopped in the creative world. And I believe that will also lead to more erosion of excitement in artificial intelligence.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it’s a good point. I think we’re probably going to see a crescendo of both. We’re going to see a crescendo of people pulling away and at the same time, people leaning towards it. So where the outcome of all that’s going to be is, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. But Christians have a responsibility to work their way through this from the lens of Scripture and try to work through this. And I do want to get there. But you brought this up a little while ago, this new poll. How does it relate specifically to job displacements? Where do you think AI fits into this? Is it really going to be taking jobs away that many people are claiming? What do you think is going to happen in that area?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I do believe so. And again, I’m a pastor, so I’m doing this through the lens of a pastor. I’m certainly not a policy expert or a job person who sees the future in the job market. So I want to give that disclaimer. What it looks like for me and what I’ve researched and the data that I’ve seen, and really just the folks that I’ve talked to between services at church and coffee tables, it has displaced people, 100% has. Now there’s competing data that shows that AI will create jobs and maybe even more jobs than it replaces, but the data shows right now that there’s a wonderful organization called the Alliance for Secure AI, and they’re tracking this number. And the number is already at 126,000 jobs lost to artificial intelligence. So that data is data. You can’t spin it. You can’t change it. It is what it is. Can AI create more jobs? Sure, it’s possible. I’m sure it will. But we don’t know that for sure. And we don’t know what those jobs are. will look like um so for me as a pastor i’m having conversations with people about you know you’re a creative person you you’re a graphic designer and you’ve lost clients because of artificial intelligence i’m trying to help that person go you haven’t lost your call you haven’t lost the purpose that that god put in you how can you find that purpose regardless of your title
SPEAKER 08 :
Great questions. All right, so let’s go back to what we started entering into, and that is how can people of faith, how can believers remain solidly grounded in their calling, as you were just talking about? How can they stay within their God-given purpose in the midst of all these changes that are taking place with AI?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think first of all, we need to be reminded that God created us in his image. We are his masterpiece. And those are his own words spoken in the book of Ephesians. We are his masterpiece, the God who created every landscape in the world, every sunset. all the beauties that we see around us. He looked at us and said, you’re the best thing that I’ve created. So we need to walk in that confidence. Humans have turned around and said, okay, God made us in his image. I’m gonna make artificial intelligence in my image. We shouldn’t be very surprised that it’s not perfect, right? And then it’s flawed and there’s questions and a lot of anxiety that surrounds it. So once we remind ourselves of that, God has called us to it. He’ll equip us for it. We need to focus on what God has called us to. So has God called us to create the design? Has he called us to work in an office setting? Has he called us to teach in a classroom? Maybe so. But has God called us to honor him with excellence in all creations that we make? Yes. Has God called us to honor him in how we serve kids more importantly than how we lead a classroom? I think so. So we have to come back and focus on what we can control, not what we can’t control. And that God has a plan for each and every one of us. And it’s a beautiful plan. It’s not a faulted plan. And we got to continue to pursue it regardless of the external circumstances.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think this is a good time for us also to wave some red flags of warning, so to speak. I don’t know if you saw last week, Barna, a poll, I believe it was last week, came out saying through their polling that Christians are spending more time on AI than are average Americans, both at work and at their free time at home. And there are some, not all, but there is a sizable segment among believers who are beginning to rely upon AI for their spiritual growth and development. This ought to be a warning sign, shouldn’t it? What are your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, that was a fascinating research study that came out by Barna. I’ve been digesting that myself. Yes, Christians are outpacing non-Christians in use of AI. There was another piece of data that came out of that report that was equally shocking for me. Pastors, I think it was 12% maybe, pastors feel ill-equipped to discuss it. So, again, I’m not shocked. AI, as you and I know it, is fairly new. We’re only talking about a few years. We kind of live in this Wild West where there’s not really regulations or guardrails in place. AI continues to get smarter, more efficient and faster. So the fact that the church itself hasn’t been able to keep up with it isn’t striking to me. But I love that there are groups of pastors who say, I don’t feel equipped. I need to get equipped. So that’s what we need to do. We need to equip faith leaders to start having these conversations, because when someone goes to an AI chatbot and they ask it a theological question, those answers can come from any corner of the Internet. And we really don’t know. If that is a was ever a spiritually guided answer. Also, what I’ve identified, because I’ve played around in there and I’ve asked some questions to just try to see the theological accuracy. And I’m finding a lot often that I’m finding often that it’s almost accurate. It’s it sounds so sharp, like it looks really good in a sound bite. but it’s not quite theologically accurate. And that’s very confusing for folks who aren’t seminary students. Like, how am I going to discern what is true and what is not? So I have to encourage our congregants, the people who go to our church, you got to go to your faith leader and you got to have these questions. You’re a faith leader. They love you. They might not always have the right answer, but they have wrestled with it. They have prayed about it and they want to wrestle with it with you to try to discern the right answer. You’re not going to get that from an AI chatbot.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. You know, right along that same line, going back, really just to pull into this current conversation, the polling from Bentley University and Gallup Business, where they found that there are certain things that people are convinced that AI simply is not as good at doing as are people. That includes driving, things like driving, even giving financial advice or medical advice, hiring advice, even assistance with homework and study and that type of thing. ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THEOLOGY. SO I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING THAT PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO RECOGNIZE AI CANNOT DO EVERYTHING AS GOOD AS PEOPLE CAN. SO HOW DO WE DISCERN THE DIFFERENT? HOW DO WE PRACTICE OR EXERCISE WITHIN US THE CAPACITY TO KNOW WHAT’S RIGHT AND WHAT’S WRONG, WHAT AI CAN DO, WHAT IT CANNOT DO?
SPEAKER 05 :
I think it’s one of the most powerful questions that we can ask ourselves moving forward. I liken it to a tool. We use the term tool all the time for artificial intelligence. It’s this great tool. It does this. Well, we don’t always treat it like a tool. So when I think of a tool, I think of a hammer, right? And I’ll use that hammer. I know exactly how to use that hammer. And if I mess up that hammer, I can say mean things to the hammer. I can even throw the hammer away. It’s not a big deal. It’s an inanimate object. AI we treat a little differently and I understand why we treat it a little differently because of its human-like conversational tone. It just sounds so affirming and kind and it makes me feel good and it’s always available. So when I tell folks how to discern how to use AI and when not to use AI, is it a tool? Are you using it for a task? is it providing something more is it something that a faith leader should ask a counselor should should answer is it something that your small group leader should answer a friend from school should answer is it trying to fulfill something that god created deep inside us to need other human beings for if it’s trying to fulfill that you need to steer clear away from artificial intelligence
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and you just mentioned something that is very important. It’s very friendly. It talks to you like a friend, but in that also is yet another red flag. AI is not a companion. It’s an application. It’s a computer application. About 30 seconds or so, talk about that. What do we need to guard ourselves from in terms of looking at AI as a companion?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, this is a real problem. Millions of people are subscribing to these apps, these companion apps. I mean, you have Chatbot, who’s the friendly, warm, and then you have the companion bouts, and that’s a whole other discussion. But I would say, first of all, ask the question, why? It’s not an AI capabilities question. It’s a human question. Why are humans choosing to talk to AI instead of other humans? Let’s figure out that answer.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I can’t thank you enough. Michael Grayson, campus pastor at Life Family Church in Austin, Texas, and assistant professor at Liberty University. A fascinating discussion. Thank you for your leadership in this role and for coming out from a biblical perspective to address the issue of AI. All right, friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Have a great evening. We’ll be with you again tomorrow.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
