The latest episode of Washington Watch with Tony Perkins covers crucial discussions starting with the long-standing government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune points fingers at Democrats for obstructing progress and making the political arena their battleground. Joining the conversation, Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper breaks down major world developments, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s engagements in a tense Middle Eastern landscape, where proposed annexations spark international debates.
SPEAKER 22 :
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, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 08 :
What’s really driving Democrats isn’t healthcare. It’s not a desire for negotiations. It’s politics. and far left activists who demanded a showdown with President Trump. The real reason we’re now in the longest full government shutdown in history is because Democrats are afraid of backlash from the far left if they stand down.
SPEAKER 12 :
That was Senate Majority Leader John Thune today blaming Democrats for holding the government hostage as the shutdown drags on with no deal in sight. Welcome to this October 23rd edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, coming up on this Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to shore up support for the shaky U.S.-brokered Gaza truce, and Hamas reportedly plans new attacks as the vice president of of the U.S., says the U.S. will not support Israel exercising sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Former Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann will join us to break all of that down. Also, we’ll get the latest on the government shutdown from Ohio Senator John Husted. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praying their, quote, circle of trust as they pushed forward the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan. While progress is being made, tensions remain high as Hamas terrorists reportedly plan to intensify killing opponents. And that makes it appear that Hamas has no intention of letting go of control over Gaza, which would violate terms of the ceasefire agreement. Joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper, who’s been following today’s main developments. Casey, Vice President J.D. Vance made some interesting comments on his way out of Israel regarding Judea and Samaria. What did he exactly say?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Tony, the vice president raised eyebrows when he said that President Trump is against Israel annexing Judea and Samaria, also called the West Bank. He even went on to call a recent Israeli vote to do just that, the annexation. He called it a, quote, stupid political stunt while in Israel. Now, that bill passed an initial vote, but has no support from the Israeli prime minister’s party.
SPEAKER 15 :
If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy. And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren’t happy about it.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, Vance argues annexation could hurt the fragile Gaza ceasefire. And this all comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials are in Israel right now to help shore up what you were right to call a shaky peace effort. Now, for now, Tony, the ceasefire is holding, but Israel is continuing to accuse Hamas terrorists of violations every day, Tony.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, like I said on yesterday’s program, my advice to Israel is annex while they can. Former Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann is going to join us later to weigh in on this story. This is extremely important because we’re talking about Judea and Samaria, which is the heartland of Israel. And as I said, we’ll talk about that more with Michelle Bachmann. All right, Casey, President Trump appears to be employing stronger economic tools to end the war in Ukraine.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, that’s right, Tony. So the U.S., they slapped new sanctions on Russia’s top oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, which the president’s been unwilling to do up until now. Now, this is supposed to, of course, help weaken funding for the ongoing war in Ukraine. And these sanctions come as Russia, they’re only ratcheting up pressure. In fact, they actually held major military drills involving nuclear capable missiles. Now, the sanctions follow the sudden cancellation of that promised summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest that’s now not going to happen because the president said the meeting didn’t feel right.
SPEAKER 04 :
They’re massive sanctions and sanctions on oil. The two biggest oil companies, among the biggest in the world, but they’re Russian. They do a lot of oil. And hopefully it’ll push… Hopefully, he’ll become reasonable, and hopefully, Zelensky will be reasonable, too. You know, it takes two to tango, as they say, and we’re going to find out.
SPEAKER 20 :
It’s worth noting, Tony, that the president does have an upcoming meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, and Trump hopes that he can get Beijing to pressure Russia to stop the fighting.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks, Casey. Let’s shift gears very quickly to the debate over the government shutdown. As you mentioned, the national debt has now topped $38 trillion amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, marking the fastest debt growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. Just in the last two months, we’ve added $1 trillion to the debt. So where do things stand now with the shutdown?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, sorry to disappoint you, Tony, but Senator Schumer has no plans to change what’s going on right now. No deal appears to be in sight. The Senate failed earlier today to pass two bills to even just pay federal workers during the shutdown until they figure this out. Both parties, as you might expect, are blaming each other, but thousands of federal employees are the ones missing their paychecks. So Republicans put forward a plan to pay those who are still working, which is the one that Democrats blocked today. But Democrats, they pushed forward their own version of a bill to pay everyone, but Republicans objected, saying it was rewarding inaction.
SPEAKER 08 :
Military families have turned to food banks in unprecedented numbers. And things are about to get worse. The nutrition assistance programs that millions of Americans depend on to feed their families are in jeopardy. And tomorrow, federal workers will miss a full paycheck because of the Democrat shutdown.
SPEAKER 20 :
As of today, the second longest government shutdown in U.S. history is on day 23, Tony.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, Casey, thanks for the update on today’s top news stories. Always appreciate the insight. All right. I want to dive a little bit deeper into the government shutdown and discuss the latest with a member of the Senate. Joining me now is U.S. Senator John Husted of Ohio, who serves on several Senate committees, including the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senator, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Great to be with you. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, so we’re just going through the news. Another vote today. No action, no additional Democratic support for opening the government. Are you hearing anything? Are you seeing any ray of light of hope that we might see the government open back up?
SPEAKER 07 :
I don’t. I don’t see any movement on their side. As you’ve heard Chuck Schumer say, he believes that every day it gets better for them, meaning politically for Democrats, even though it’s terrible for the American people and the people who are working and not getting paid, including men and women in the military, air traffic controllers, etc., And you heard another Democratic leader in the House say that she knows that there’s going to be suffering, but it’s the only leverage they have. So you can see they see this in completely political terms and not in terms of what’s best for the American people.
SPEAKER 12 :
Senator, you mentioned the comments of Democratic whip Catherine Clark. I’m going to play the clip of what she had to say so people can hear it. Play clip number two, please.
SPEAKER 18 :
Shutdowns are terrible. And of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leveraged times we have.
SPEAKER 12 :
So they want to leverage the pain of the people to try to get the Republicans to come along with their $1.5 trillion in additional spending?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, that’s I mean, all that does is reveals that it’s really just a political strategy. I think we all know that Chuck Schumer is feeling the pressure of of younger Democrats who think he’s a failure as a leader. And so he’s trying to prove to his political left base that he can fight back against President Trump by fighting back against President Trump. is at the expense of what’s best for the American people in this case. And I think ultimately this is a terrible thing for everyone, but it just proves that they’re not interested in being serious about trying to serve the American people. And look, I voted, I think, what were we at? 12 times I voted to reopen the government. And we have some more pain that’s coming with WIC and SNAP benefits and things like that that will eventually… run out for people, and we need to get the government back open. Remember, this is a clean CR that we’re asking them to vote for, meaning that there’s no politics in it, no games. We’re spending at Biden-era levels in these agencies, so why should they be against that? And it would only create funding through November the 21st, at which time we will have to go over this, through this again. So even if you vote for the CR and you get people funded, then do that, and then we’ll keep negotiating about whatever you want. But remember, the government is supposed to be funded by 12 appropriations bills that pass on a bipartisan basis through the U.S. Senate. We’ve done four of them, I believe, now. And frankly, we need to get back to work. But Chuck Schumer is going to have to decide that he cares about the American people and not just his own political fortunes.
SPEAKER 12 :
Senator Husted underscore the need to get back to the appropriations process, the normal appropriations, which is literally been decades since it’s been done over two decades. The the irresponsibility of omnibus automatic growth of continuing resolutions i think that’s what’s wrong with this one in the eyes of the democrats is that it’s just flat spending but the backdrop to all of this is a record 38 trillion dollar debt that the united states has how do we get that under control
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I’ve been here 10 months, and it’s been one of the most perplexing issues that I have faced since I was here. My maiden floor speech was about the responsibility that we have as leaders to not be takers, but to leave an inheritance of a nation that our children will have a chance to prosper. But instead, we run up all of this debt as a nation that undermines America’s future. And it’s very difficult because, you know, just like we’re trying to get the government open, it’s a 60 vote process. to make any substantial change on this front. And right now, we can’t even get the government open. The Democrats wanted to spend, by the way, I should note this when we’re talking about the debt, they wanted as a condition for their votes and what they offered, a $1.5 trillion in additional spending that would have created opportunities for illegal immigrants to have their health care paid for in this country. That’s what they want. They’re trying to jack up spending more and more with everything that they do, which is counter to what we really need to do, is to get our spending in order. And to do this, by the way, I’m happy to do it on a bipartisan process. Well, as the Senate process of 60 votes and minority rights gives you. But you can’t just, as Chuck Schumer, I’m using his own words. He said he won’t negotiate with a gun to his head. So why would he expect us to do the very thing that he swore he wouldn’t do?
SPEAKER 12 :
Exactly. But you’re right to point that out because that’s how we got to $38 trillion in debt is these leveraging points where in order to vote for this, they want more money spent. I commend the Republicans for holding the line on this. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in 20 years where they’ve held the line on spending, and that’s the issue here with whether or not the government opens back up. All right, Senator, we just have less than a minute left. I want to ask you a question. I want to actually make a statement, but I’ll ask a question with it. You joined 50 of your Republican colleagues in the Senate earlier this month in sending a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA asking them to suspend distribution of the abortion drug Mifeprestone and the new generic that has been issued. This is an important issue to you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it’s a very important issue to me. For those of you that don’t know about my background, which is probably most of your listeners, I started out life in a foster home. My birth mother faced a lot of pressure to have an abortion. Instead, she had an adoption, and that’s the only reason I’m here. because of her courage. And so the sanctity of life and helping to support the children born and unborn is an important issue to me. And a lot of the abortion drugs that are out there are not safe for women, misleading information out there. And we need to make sure that they have all the facts.
SPEAKER 12 :
Senator, we want to get you back on the program again soon and hear that entire story. Senator Husted of Ohio. Stick with us, folks. We’re back after this. Our founding scripture for this is Ephesians 6, verse 13. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore.
SPEAKER 09 :
Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit 2025 brought together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action.
SPEAKER 12 :
We are equipping the body of Christ to understand that what is happening around us is not just political. It’s not just cultural. At its heart, it is spiritual.
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We gather in a nation that has torn the foundation apart, and we have separated our governing documents from our divine source, Jesus Christ. We need truth now more than ever to guide us.
SPEAKER 01 :
I’m believing, God, let this be a testimony of the American church, that we become so full of the fire of the Word of God that we cannot contain it. We have to tell people about it. We have to make disciples.
SPEAKER 14 :
The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from governments. They come from our divine creator, right? Government’s main job is to protect those rights. And because that was the foundation of America, we’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world. And that should be celebrated.
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We are living in a moment. What’s that moment? It’s a prophetic moment on God’s timeline. That’s right. And so he needs the church more than ever to act biblically for the blessing of our political leaders and of our nation.
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The number one issue facing America domestically, which is the epidemic of fatherlessness. 40% of all American children today enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.
SPEAKER 13 :
We cannot win the pro-life fight without acknowledging that this is the pro-family fight, that this is the pro-marriage fight. We’re never going to end abortion if we do not secure and shore up marriage.
SPEAKER 05 :
We pray that this would be an opportunity, Lord God, for you to use us mere little mortals, but we possess the name of Jesus. God, use us mightily. We pray in Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Let me encourage you, if you have not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, that you get the Stand Firm app. That way you can have Washington Watch with you. You can also have our Washington Stand, which is news and commentary from a biblical perspective, and my morning devotion, Stand on the Word. All of that is found on the Stand Firm app, plus a lot more, a lot more resources to help you to be an informed, engaged citizen. Get the Stand Firm app. All right, for anyone who knows anything about the gambling industry, it should not be a surprise what the FBI announced today. Two massive mafia-linked gambling and sports rigging operations. The FBI unveiled those investigations today. They led to an arrest of over 30 individuals, with more expected to surrender. Among those facing charges are current and former NBA figures, as well as members of four New York crime families. and in the case of the sports rigging operation the defendants have been accused of exploiting insider information to bet on nba games and what the u.s attorney’s office described as quote one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the united states end quote again We shouldn’t be surprised. Joining me now to discuss this, Dr. John Kent, professor emeritus of business administration at the University of Illinois. Professor Kent has studied and been outspoken on the issue of gambling for the past four decades. Professor, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks for having me and thanks for all that you do to inform the public. You do an excellent job. And I should say that 98 to 99% of academics are against gambling in all of its forms. And we’re actually, we don’t receive any honorariums or consultant fees. So this is a real bipartisan, nonpartisan issue. Everybody should be on board. And what you’ve mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg. This is gonna get bigger and bigger and bigger.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now, are you surprised at all, Professor, that this has happened?
SPEAKER 10 :
No, I’m not surprised. And I’ve held this up before, but this is you testified before the National Gambling Impact Study Commission 30 years ago. You and your colleagues, your profits on this. It said, do not let this sports gambling spread. Keep it off of cell phones. You cannot control gambling on the Internet. Keep it criminalized. And of course, we’re in a totally different world now. And let me just say, the smartest thing that President Trump could do is call for a new National Gambling Impact Study Commission. It’s been 30 years since the last one. Second thing he can do to help all of this cheating that’s going on in professional sports. is to call for the establishment of a new Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The original one was overturned by the Supreme Court on a technicality, but it was promoted by Bill Bradley, the NBA legend, who back in 1992 said, This is going to happen if we don’t have this legislation in place. And the final thing is the Obama administration gutted U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s Wire Act, which was against organized crime. And if President Trump would simply get DOJ to reinstate that, that would go a long way to helping remedy these types of problems.
SPEAKER 12 :
You know, Professor, anyone who knows anything about the gambling industry, going back to the Revolutionary War where they sold the lottery tickets, knows the corrupt nature of gambling. But lay out for us, because this is something, as you said, people warned once professional sports mixed with gambling, it was ripe for corruption. Unpack a little bit for our viewers and listeners what these two cases, what happened in these two cases.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I don’t want to get into them in too much depth. I’d rather concentrate on how to remedy the situation or to make the situation better. These cases are going to unfold and anything that I would say might impact on the cases themselves. And I think that’s why you saw during the press conference today, the head of the FBI and the other officials who were very circumspect in what they said about these cases, because they don’t want to prejudice anything that’s going to happen with these.
SPEAKER 12 :
But let me let me stop you right there, Professor, because I think this just shows the nature of it, that you have NBA players who were taking themselves out of the game. And it was it was basically throwing the bets. I mean, this is I mean, remember when Pete Rose. When he was playing and he betted and he was disgraced for that and he was, by the way, I was a big Cincinnati fan growing up. And he was one of my heroes there on the baseball field. But this is the nature of, this is human nature. I mean, history has repeated this over and over again. And we have government facilitating this corruption. So why should we be surprised when it happens?
SPEAKER 10 :
We shouldn’t. Those who forget the lessons of history are condemned to relive them. That’s George Santayana. I remember that during a gambling congressional hearing back in 1994. And I remember in 1995 actually sitting behind a member of organized crime as he testified before the House Judiciary Committee, which passed. The U.S. National Gambling Impact Study Commission. I mean, this is this is going to get worse and worse unless we stop it now.
SPEAKER 12 :
OK, let’s talk about we just have two minutes left. Let’s talk about remedies. What can Congress do? What can the administration do?
SPEAKER 10 :
President Trump, smartest thing he can do is pass a new National Gambling Impact Study Commission, pass a new Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act, reinstate Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s Wire Act against organized crime, and place five really big restrictive regulators on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Because right now, the companies are, you see gambling everywhere and gambling on anything. The reason they’re getting away with this is because they found a loophole with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. My colleagues and I wrote about this back in 2021, 2022, said we’ve got to stop this or it’s going to, it’s already on everybody’s cell phone, you know, click your phone, lose your home. It’s on your it’s in your click your mouse, lose your house. And they’re targeting kids. Let me tell you, I mean, Newsweek gets it. They’re targeting kids and they’ve got these new gotcha games. The regulations are are ridiculous. They’re window dressing. Right. Let me ask you a quick question. Who do you know who Steven Paddock was?
SPEAKER 12 :
I don’t recall.
SPEAKER 10 :
Steven Paddock is the biggest mass murderer in the history of the United States. You remember Columbine? You remember Sandy Hook? But you don’t remember Steven Paddock. Killed 59 people, wounded 413. He was a shooter in Las Vegas.
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, that’s right. Right.
SPEAKER 10 :
The industry is great at covering all this up.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right. We’re out of time. You know, my bet is that Congress doesn’t tackle this, but we could get the administration to do something. That is if you’re taking wagers. But I wouldn’t recommend you do that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Check out check out Moms Against Gambling dot org and Stop Predatory Gambling dot org.
SPEAKER 12 :
Professor Kine, thank you so much. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back after this. For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East. All right. Welcome back to this Thursday edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for joining us. Professor Kent is a longtime friend. I’ve actually worked with him back when I was in the legislature in Louisiana working against gambling. In fact, it’s the life issue and gambling were two of the main reasons I ran for office and became the anti gambling. leader in the Louisiana legislature. And what I predicted happened. Gambling began to corrupt government. It has that influence. So we’re going to continue to track this because I think this opens up or pulls back the curtain for people to see what has happened since gambling has merged with professional sports. So we’ll keep you posted on that. And it’s important. All right, as much of the Western world begins to sober from its hangover of gender confusion, Albania seems determined to join the party late, proposing a gender equality bill that opens the door to multiple genders. Joining me now to discuss this is Pastor Akil Pano. He’s the founder and president of the National Albania Pro-Life and Family Coalition. He was here in the United States for the PrayVoteStand Summit, but he’s back in Albania. Pastor Pano, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Good evening. It’s a privilege. So unpack for our viewers and listeners. What is what is about to happen there in Albania?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, it’s very sad, sad news, you know, from Albania, actually. The socialist government in Albania, finally, they have come up with a bill proposing to our parliament to pass this bill on gender equality. A bill that is aiming to radically transform our culture, undermine personal freedom, alter language, law, tradition, introduce gender ideology into our schools, erode the moral foundations of the family and poor society towards the woke ideology. I mean, it’s like what you guys had in the United States during Biden-Harris administration. Now, the socialist government in Albania, in one way, is trying to justify the Sorry to say it in this way, but the American taxpayers’ money that came in Albania through the Open Society Foundation through the last years, now they are aiming to push further this agenda in Albania.
SPEAKER 12 :
Now, that’s Open Society. That’s George Soros. And we know that they had teamed up with the Obama administration, the Biden administration, working all through Europe to try to tilt government toward pro-abortion, gender-confused policies. But here’s the thing, Pastor Pano, that the rest of the world is waking up to the… nonsensical approach to this gender issue, but Albania is marching straight ahead into this, even though you have now all these other countries that have rethought this?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, actually, the saddest part is that this is going against the will of the Albanian people. We just finished a survey, a national survey, in just 30 hours. There were 10,000 people that participated in this survey. And in one voice, 99 percent of Albanians, they are against this bill. But it looks like one of the most faithful friends of the George Soros family, which happens to be the president, prime minister of Albania, is trying to remain faithful to the agenda and is trying to put further this bill in our parliament, which will be a disaster in our culture, in our tradition. It’s a counterculture. Actually, it’s a cancer. It’s a disease going to be implemented into our society. into our culture. We as clerics in Albania, we see it as we are risking council culture, we are risking the freedom of speech and the freedom of faith, the freedom of conscience, because there are so many sanctions in this bill that are forbidding us to be true to our beliefs, to… So that’s coming from the government.
SPEAKER 12 :
In this bill, the government will be able to use the power of the government authority to silence pastors.
SPEAKER 02 :
one of the articles in the bill actually speaks about many sanctions they start with fines and then you are risking uh going to jail if you are not sub submitting yourself uh to the agenda well it’s it’s very very clear We are talking about a red definition of gender. Gender is no longer seen as binary category, male and female, as we know it from the Bible and from the nature, but they are talking about more than 72 different genders can be recognized through this bill. gender sensitive language this is the problem that we are i mean it it carries a lot of risk to our work changes a lot of changes in our language in the legal documents such as passports diplomas forms courts procedures institutions schools and media if we are not going to obey this new vocabularity, the new gender sensitive language, then we are going to be having all these fines and we are going to risk prison. Then they are talking about gender ideology in the schools. Curriculum will change, transforming the way how our kids are going to be taught in schools. Teachers and psychologists are going to be trained by LGBTQ plus organizations. They are talking about gender equality in sports, like what you had in America with transgenders playing in women’s sports. They are talking about transgenders in the army, and so on and so forth. I mean, it’s the full package that President Trump revoked by that declaration that he said that in the United States you know only two genders, male and female.
SPEAKER 12 :
This is going the opposite direction of where most of the rest of the Western world has come, in large part because of the pushback. So I commend you for pushing back because someone has to stand up and say this is insane. We have 30 seconds left. What’s the timeline and how can folks here in this country be praying?
SPEAKER 02 :
Please pray for us and pray that United States Embassy in Tirana, Albania, would stay in alignment with the State Department, would stay on alignment with the will of Albanian people and with President Trump’s declaration that there are only two genders. A little bit of help from the United States Embassy, it may make a huge difference in our situation here.
SPEAKER 12 :
What’s the timeframe? When would this be voted on?
SPEAKER 02 :
We have a few more talks in different parliamentary commissions in the parliament. We’re going to have some debates.
SPEAKER 12 :
We’ve got to leave it there. Folks, stick with us.
SPEAKER 21 :
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 and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us and stand on the word.
SPEAKER 16 :
Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, welcome back to Washington Watch. I tell you what, that clock is unrelenting. Sorry I had to cut off Pastor Pano, but I do want you to be praying for Albania, a serious issue. I mean, the rest of the world is kind of waking up to the disastrous policies of the left as they’ve been pushing this gender confusion. So be praying for them. In fact, as I said, he was here this past weekend for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit in Southern California. He’s been courageously standing there. So pray for him and his wife as well. All right, for those of you who have joined us on our Stand on the Word Bible reading journey, we have a new resource that goes with our reading in November. It’s the new study guide, Paul’s Prison Letters. It’ll help you through the 14-day journey through Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Begins on November the 1st. Great letters, filled with so much truth. To find out how to get a copy, simply text the word letters, that’s letters, plural, to 67742, that’s 67742, the word letters. And speaking of the word, our word for today comes from Romans chapter 12, where Paul says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Now, Paul’s imagery here is rich. We don’t fully grasp it because we no longer live in an age of animal sacrifices. Yet the call is clear. Those saved by God’s mercy are to offer their entire beings, body and soul, as a living sacrifice. And not just any sacrifice, but one that is holy and acceptable, like those of the old covenant offered without blemish. This, Paul says, is our reasonable service. It’s not for spiritual extra credit. It’s the expected response of a life redeemed by grace. He goes on in verse 2 to say, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So how does that happen? Well, the transformation begins with this. We’re not to be shaped by the world’s values. As John wrote in 1 John, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We shouldn’t have a part of that, but rather be renewed daily by God’s Word, proving His good, acceptable, and perfect will. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. Okay, yesterday the Israeli Knesset, that’s their parliament, voted 25 to 24 to advance legislation that seeks to apply Israeli laws and sovereignty to the settlement areas in Judea and Samaria, which some refer to as the West Bank. Now, the members of the Knesset, the member of the Knesset who introduced this legislation said, quote, in applying sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, we are making a correction that is long overdue. But the Trump administration was not happy about that move. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there’s potential for it to threaten the peace deal, referring to the fragile agreement between Israel and Hamas. And Vice President J.D. Vance had stronger words, calling it a very stupid political stunt. Here’s what he said.
SPEAKER 15 :
If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt. And I personally take some insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy. And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren’t happy about it.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I know if you are a frequent listener, you know I talk about this issue quite often. I spend a lot of time in Israel. It’s important. It’s one of those probably I would say five issues we can’t afford to get wrong here in America, and the church needs to be vocal about it. We talk about the West Bank, Judea and Samaria. That’s about a quarter of the land mass of the nation of Israel. And the reason they don’t want Israel to – exercise sovereignty over that region is because that fuels the hope of a quote-unquote two-state solution that would allow for a Palestinian state within the borders of Israel right in the heart of the land. Untenable. Won’t work. Can’t work. It just won’t. Joining me now to discuss this is former Congressman Michelle Bachmann from Minnesota, who was a member of the House Intelligence Committee during her time in Congress. She is now the dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. She also serves on the board of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, as well as the FRC Board of Directors. Michelle, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 17 :
Tony, thank you. Great to be here.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right. I want to get your response to Vice President J.D. Vance’s remarks about this being a stupid political stunt.
SPEAKER 17 :
I was actually shocked because, you know, it was earlier this year that Ambassador Huckabee had said that, yes, he saw no reason with the United States extending sovereignty over Judea, Samaria. In fact, it was only maybe two months ago that Secretary of State Rubio was in Israel. and he had made the statement that it’s up to Israel if they want to extend sovereignty over Judea-Samaria, they can. Because for the sake of your viewers, they need to know that Israel has controlled Judea-Samaria since 1967. They won it in the Six-Day War, just like they won Gaza in the Six-Day War. So for America first to proponents who believe that we need to pay attention to what’s going on in our own nation. It’s quite a shocking statement to come out of the Trump administration to tell another country you’re not allowed to extend sovereignty over your own land.
SPEAKER 12 :
There’s a security issue here as well. I mean, we go back to and I’ve talked about this on the program, but you go back to the founding of Israel. There’s been 20 different conflicts, wars, some external, a lot of them internal. Of course, we’ve been focused on Gaza for the last 20 years. But prior to that, you had the uprising in Samaria and Judea that lasted over a decade. And with the release of these 2,000 terrorists from the prisons of Israel, part of this 20-point peace plan, they went right into Samaria. They were released in Ramallah. I mean, there’s a security issue there, is there not?
SPEAKER 17 :
There’s a huge security there, Tony. As if Israel hasn’t had enough problems to deal with, now they have 2,000 terrorists, meaning convicted lifetime convictions of murderers, rapists, who are being dropped back into Israeli society in Judea or Samaria. So this means Israeli lives are at risk. Why? Why were they committing these acts of terrorism? Because they’re committed to killing every Jew that they can. They want to kill every Jew so that they can take over the entire land. And so it seems from the Trump administration, it’s kind of hard to believe, but it seems like they are taking, they’re moving more toward the position of Qatar, which is the chief funder of terrorism in the world, and also of Saudi Arabia, of Turkey, of Egypt. And so Israel right now seems like they’re being hung out to dry a little bit. And the Trump administration is telling Israel, you have to get in line with our 20-point plan. And our 20-point plan suggests that Judea, Samaria will one day join Gaza and be considered, which is impossible, and be considered its own separate nation. That’s rewarding the terrorists of October 7th. with their own country. So it’s shocking, this 20-point plan. I disagree with this 20-point plan, because it simply won’t work. We’ve seen one peace plan after another put into place, putting a lot of these elements in, and now the movement is to try and put together an Arab coalition inside Gaza to maintain the peace. That hasn’t worked in Syria. That hasn’t worked in Iraq. That hasn’t worked in Iran. That hasn’t worked in Lebanon. It surely isn’t going to work in Gaza, but it’s something that’s being pushed right now by the envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. They’re demanding this plan, but it’s one that hasn’t worked in the past. I have very little faith it’ll work in the future.
SPEAKER 12 :
Michelle, let me ask you this question. When President Trump in his first administration moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, there was all of this prognosticating. Yeah, I think that’s what I was going to say. There was this hand-wringing that was taking place. There was all of this fear that there was going to be this— explosion in the Middle East. It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. It settled the issue. So here’s my point. If you allow Israel to exercise sovereignty over this area, would that not take off the table this aspiration that the terrorists have that someday they’ll have a Palestinian state within the borders of Israel. And I think actually bring a resolution to this conflict as opposed to just kicking the can down the road.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, it would. And as Christians, we believe what the Bible says. And the Bible says that Judea, Samaria is the covenant land that God gave to Israel and the Jewish people forever. Any other solution short of that, Tony, will never work. That’s why there will never be peace. because this is God’s specific land for his specific people, because out of this land comes Messiah and salvation for the whole world. God knows what he’s doing. We need to trust him. And that’s why I’m actually shocked right now at the move of the Trump administration. I love Donald Trump. I’ve supported him and his administration. And I agree with 95% of what Donald Trump is doing. But the one thing where there seems to be a blind spot in the Trump administration is regarding Israel and the right of the Jewish people biblically to their land. And it’s very specific that no nation, not even the United States, has any authority to divide the land that God gave to the Jewish people, nor do we have any authority to remove any of the Jewish people off the land. So I wish someone would let the Trump administration know what the Bible says about this land, because the Bible gives the consequences to nations. And if nations do any of that, Tony, as you know, then God brings… drastic consequences, negative consequences to the nations that do this. We want our nation to be blessed. I want the Trump administration to succeed as I know you do, but they can’t succeed if they’re violating what the Bible says regarding the Jewish people and the land.
SPEAKER 12 :
And history is filled with examples of that. Those nations that cursed Israel and did not bless Israel paid a steep price for that. They are no more. We don’t know God’s timeline. We don’t know his timeline of the unfolding of biblical prophecy, but we do know where he’s headed. Because his word makes very clear there. So whether or not you agree that it’s happening, and you and I agree on this, I’m saying generally speaking, you might not agree that Israel is going to occupy the land or that 1948 was a reestablishment of the nation according to scripture. I happen to believe it was. But that’s the direction God is going. And so as a nation and as Christians, as believers, as followers of Christ, we should be moving in the same direction that God’s plan is moving, not the opposite.
SPEAKER 17 :
Amen, and that’s why, Tony, the greatest service that your viewers can do is to pray. Pray for the President of the United States. Let your senators and your House members know that you stand with God’s will for Israel, and you stand for Israel having sovereignty over their own land. We need to pray for the Trump administration, that believers will be able to get a message to Donald Trump and Vice President Vance regarding the Bible, that It’s very important. And geopolitically it’s very important that Israel controls their own land. The greatest peace that will come out of Israel is if Israel controls Gaza and controls Judea and controls Samaria. It doesn’t mean that the Arabs have to leave. They don’t have to. They can stay there. But Israel needs to control the land. That’s the greatest opportunity for peace in the land.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, Michelle, actually, and you know this, there are Arabs living there, Klan leaders, who want the Israeli government to control the area. They want to be out from underneath the Palestinian Authority because it’s corrupt. They would like kind of an Emirates arrangement to where the Klans lead, but they’re under the jurisdiction of the Israeli government.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, that’s right. As a matter of fact, in Hebron, Hebron is where Abraham is buried, Leah, Isaac, Rebecca, they’re buried in there in the Cave of the Patriarchs. And the Arab leaders in Hebron have said they disavow the corrupt Palestinian Authority. They would like to see the various clan leaders make a deal for peace. But that’s why Israel needs to be strengthened. The most recent actions from the Trump administration have weakened Israel’s hand in this 20-point plan rather than strengthen it. If Israel’s hands are strengthened, we will get a much better peace deal rather than bowing to the wishes of the leading funder of terrorism in the world, and that’s Qatar.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, when you look at currency in the Middle East, strength and power is the primary currency. That’s right. It appears that Israel has kind of been held back from finishing off one of their war objectives, and that was to eliminate Hamas in Gaza.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, that’s right. As a matter of fact, Tony, Israel had all but one in Gaza. They were literally two weeks away from victory. They were occupying in excess of 80% of all of Gaza. When out of nowhere, we’d never heard Jared Kushner’s name mentioned in this term. And out of nowhere, Jared Kushner swooped in with Steve Witkoff and they said, stop Israel, stop, halt right there. You can’t have a victory. you are not allowed to win in Gaza. Why? Because to the victor go the spoils. If Israel would have won, then they would have had the right to dictate the terms and the control over Gaza. Instead, all of the gains that Israel made were ripped out of their hands, and now it seems like the will of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, They’re weighing in, Turkey is weighing in on what should be done in Gaza. This is wrong. The United States shouldn’t have done this. For the last two years, the United States has actually been an object of continuing the war. Had Joe Biden allowed Israel to do what they needed to do at the beginning and supplied them so that they could buy weapons and ammunition from the US, this would have been over in a matter of weeks in Gaza. Instead, the United States handcuffed Israel, and it looks like we’re continuing to handcuff them now, unbelievably, under the Trump administration. That’s why if your viewers could be praying for President Trump and for godly counsel to come to him, that’s the greatest thing that could happen right now.
SPEAKER 12 :
Michelle Bachmann, we’re going to do just that. Thanks so much for joining us. As always, appreciate your deep insights. And folks, I do want to encourage you to be praying. Michelle is absolutely right. We can appeal to the court of heaven that God would turn the hearts of our leaders, surround the president with godly counsel that would lead him to do the right thing, that would bless Israel. And as a result, America will be blessed as well. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, keep standing on the truth.
SPEAKER 22 :
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.
