In this episode of Washington Watch, Jody Heiss covers a variety of pressing issues affecting both domestic and international spheres. The discussion begins with updates on the tentative peace agreements involving Israel and Lebanon, including President Trump’s potential negotiations with Iran. Transitioning to domestic matters, the conversation takes on challenges around the potential funding of the Department of Homeland Security and the political dynamics in the U.S. Senate. There is also a notable rise in religious engagement among young American men, as evinced by recent Gallup polling data.
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 soundbites 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 06 :
We’re close to a deal. We’re getting along very well with the new Iranian leaders. It really is a regime change. These are people that are a lot different than we were dealing with at the beginning. We have a very good relationship, and I think there’s a very good chance we’re going to make a deal. Also, Israel and Lebanon, I think there’s a good chance that they’ll make a good deal.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, that was President Trump earlier today announcing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon. Welcome to this Thursday, April 16th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, an honor today to be filling in for Tony, and thank you for joining us as well. All right, coming up, a 10-day Lebanon-Israel ceasefire could pave the way for historic White House talks within weeks. Plus, President Donald Trump says Iran has agreed to almost everything in a potential deal that he may sign in Islamabad. We’ll get the latest from expert Peter Doran from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Plus, Alabama Congressman Robert Adderholt will be joining us in just a little while to discuss the potential passing of a reconciliation bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security. To all that and more, straight ahead. Earlier today, President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. This comes after weeks of attacks between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah. And joining us now to discuss the latest developments is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper. All right, so Casey, what’s the latest? Does this ceasefire potentially clear the way for a possible breakthrough with talks between the United States and Iran?
SPEAKER 15 :
Thanks, Jody. That’s the right way to think about it. I mean, this is a big breakthrough today. And U.S. officials do say that that began at 5 p.m. Eastern time. So we’re officially in that ceasefire. And a Pakistani mediator has said that for Lebanon, that ceasefire in Lebanon is crucial for those talks in Iran. As you mentioned, Islamabad was where the peace talks are, which is, of course, in Pakistan. So they were right there, courtside, for these negotiations. Now, President Trump said he had great conversations with the Israeli prime minister and the president of Lebanon. In fact, we have a clip of the president earlier today on the deal.
SPEAKER 06 :
So we just made a deal with Lebanon. They’ll be meeting, probably coming to the White House over the next four or five days. That’ll be the first time they’ve met in 44 years, which is pretty unneighborly. We’re considering their neighbors, but there’s a really good chance that that’ll work out with Lebanon and Israel.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, you hinted at this, Jodi, but many are hopeful that this could be the missing piece to kickstarting or re-kickstarting those Iran peace talks as that naval blockade is underway. But importantly, an Israeli official says that Israel does not currently have plans to pull their troops out of southern Lebanon during the ceasefire. So that’s going to be a key point of negotiations going forward.
SPEAKER 19 :
It sure will, but every step forward is a good possibility of hope. Thank you, Casey. I wanted to throw out to you as well a new poll that is indicating a possible shift in the spiritual landscape of things. I actually found that there’s a significant rise in young men who are turning to religion, as the poll indicated. What’s the latest in the details there?
SPEAKER 15 :
We live in spiritually tumultuous times, and this poll shows that in a very interesting way. It’s a New Gallup poll, and it showed that American men say that religion is, quote, very important to them. Polls found that 42% of young men, that’s ages 18 to 29, said that religion is, quote, very important in their lives. That’s a 28% increase, Jody, from just three years ago. On the other hand, only 29% of women in that same age bracket called religion. Very important, which since the year 2000, this is the first time the young men have substantially surpassed women on this metric. So very interesting, but overall a good sign to see men getting more serious about their faith.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow, that’s likewise extremely encouraging, above all things. What we need is a spiritual awakening here in the United States and beyond, so encouraging news there. One more before I let you go, Casey. Yesterday in an interview, President Trump said that he’s got a list of names ready in the event that there’s a vacancy in the Supreme Court. That’s pretty interesting news right there. Was there any other news that the president said that was significant?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I mean, the reason this is news is maybe why he would have to answer that question in the first place. Why are we talking about potential Supreme Court vacancies? And there’s a rumor that maybe Justice Alito is thinking about retiring. Now, you know, Jody, you know more about rumors in D.C. than I do, but they’re not always… worth much, but this is a real rumor that’s flying around. And in response to that, President Trump said in this interview that if he did have a list of potential nominees, he said there’s a short list and he’s open to filling as many as three seats and already has people in mind for that. So the Supreme Court currently holds that 6-3 conservative majority. Right now, Republicans have a majority in the Senate. So there’s always that dynamic to consider, but just an interesting development, something to keep an eye on.
SPEAKER 19 :
I’ll say no lack of news coming out these days. Casey, thank you as always for keeping us updated on it all. All right, we want to go now to Capitol Hill to discuss the latest developments in the effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security. And joining us now by phone is Congressman Robert Adderhold. He’s a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education. He represents the 4th Congressional District of the great state of Alabama. Congressman Adderhold, always great to have you. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey, Jody, it’s always good to be with you. Hope you’re doing well.
SPEAKER 19 :
Doing great. And listen, thank you. I know you’ve got votes on the floor and you’ve stepped off the floor to join us. So thank you very much. Let’s begin with the latest developments on the battle to fund DHS. Where do things stand?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, as you know, the Democrats, just going back to where the shutdown, unfortunately, the president has agreed to pay the employees there. because they were missing, like, two paychecks. And I think, like most Americans, missing two paychecks is, you know, that’s not a good thing. And so they were – and they had to work – and come to work every day, in addition to not getting paid. So the president stepped up to the plate and made sure they’re paid. The problem is, though, right now, technically, the Department of Homeland Security is shut down because the Democrats will not agree to the funding. We have agreed on the House side, we’ve said over the Senate, and the Senate’s holding it up. So that’s where we are right now, and the solution that has been… And it’s not a perfect solution, but one of the things that the administration wants to do is to pass a reconciliation bill, which, as you know, and I know many of your listeners know, reconciliation bills bypasses the filibuster rule so it can pass with a majority vote. Pass a reconciliation bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and therefore sort of bypass the appropriations process. I have mixed emotions about that. I think that’s probably what we’ll end up doing, and it may be the only option we have. But the Senate needs to pass something, and they need to agree to something, even if they have to tweak the filibuster rule a little bit, because it’s setting a bad precedent that one of the parties can – bypass the appropriations process, and I really think that the American people deserve that we, every year, we vote on the appropriations process to fund it. It’s not a perfect solution, but at least it will open up the department and hopefully we’ll get the wheels back turning because this is a crucial time for us to make sure that we have a robust Homeland Security operation through the department.
SPEAKER 19 :
It certainly is. So if it goes that path of a reconciliation bill, and I understand the Senate is making preparations to move forward in that direction, what kind of timeline are we looking at for that to come about?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I understand that they could as early as next week, and of course you know how things are very fluid in D.C., and especially on the Senate side. But I understand that it would probably be, could come to the floor as early as next week on the Senate side, and then it would be sent over here to the House side, and we would try to get it passed as soon as possible on the floor. on the on the uh house side so um but uh and it would be for right now they’re talking about for a three a funding for a three-year period and uh so it would be the funding for the department of homeland security for the next three years and again um you know that’s we in a perfect world you want the funding to end and after the first after the fiscal year because that way if We can trust President Trump and his administration to do the right thing, but if you get into another administration, then who knows what they might do, and there’s no recourse if the funding is already there.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah. Well, yeah, I think it’s worth noting, and you alluded to this a moment ago, but House Republicans and appropriators have certainly been pushing forward on spending bills. I think sometimes it is swept under the carpet or overlooked, but Republicans in Congress have really been working hard to restore regular order and move these funding bills, haven’t they?
SPEAKER 04 :
We’ve got 11 of the 12 passed, and the Homeland Security was the only one that we didn’t And let me just add, as I know the House is near and dear to your heart because we served there together, but the House did its part in passing all 12 appropriation bills, and it got blocked in the Senate. And that’s where, you know, as House members, we can say that. It always comes down to the Senate dropping the ball somewhere.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yep, absolutely. Real quickly, we’ve just got a couple of minutes left, but some other news. There’s a new investigative report that was published yesterday that details how California taxpayers are funding so-called gender transition services for homeless illegal aliens in San Francisco. I mean, that’s kind of a head scratcher. What’s your thoughts on that one?
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, I mean, that is a head-scratcher. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. I mean, obviously, we’ve got to make sure that there’s no federal dollars going, you know, for any kind of transition surgeries. I mean, it doesn’t matter if, certainly if you’re illegal, but I don’t support it even if you are a citizen, that the federal government needs to be paying for transition surgeries.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, it’s stunning.
SPEAKER 04 :
I had not heard of this report, so thank you for calling my attention. I’ll try to look into it and see what I can find out.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, well, maybe you heard this, that the Trump administration is seeking to obtain medical records of youth transgender patients. And they’ve actually issued some 20 subpoenas to hospitals and clinics that have been providing so-called gender-affirming care for minors. And among those is the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. But Democrats, as you can imagine, have been pushing back. But shouldn’t there be… Congressman Adderhall, shouldn’t there be accountability for medical professionals and organizations that mutilate children?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, the great thing about the Trump administration, and I just got out of a hearing with, say, Terry Kennedy, is that they’re not funding any federal dollars going for gender transition for minors. And that is something that, matter of fact, today in the hearing I told the Secretary, Secretary Kennedy, of how important that was that the federal government is not spending the taxpayer dollars in the mutilation of minors.
SPEAKER 19 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 04 :
So we need to check in to see what this hospital is doing. And, you know, if it’s a private hospital or something, you know, the law doesn’t currently prohibit that. But obviously, if they’re getting federal dollars, then they’re breaking the law.
SPEAKER 19 :
As always, thank you so much, Alabama Congressman Robert Aderhold. Great to have you. I know you’re on the floor. We’ll see you later.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks, Jody. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 19 :
Likewise. All right, the U.S. Supreme Court could be looking at a vacancy. We’ll discuss that next.
SPEAKER 07 :
Stay with us. 250 years ago, our founding fathers signed a death warrant, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the idea that our rights do not come from men alone. but from God. Protected by Providence, they brought forth a new nation, one nation under God, whose word rings beneath every law and liberty. Family Research Council believes in preserving this rich history, the grounds of our freedom, our undeniable foundation of faith.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think all people really need to have this type of education.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I can tell you that it’s been an amazing course, period.
SPEAKER 10 :
I think this course is a reminder that a biblical worldview should really impact everything. It impacts our government from the federal to the state to the local. It should impact what we’re doing with our families and with our work.
SPEAKER 11 :
God and Government is a video-driven, Bible-based training course from Family Research Council that explores the connection between between biblical principles and American government. In this six-session video series, FRC President Tony Perkins equips participants with a practical understanding of civil government from a biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 07 :
I would encourage all people to take it. I almost wish I would have took it earlier that I could have taught my kids this. I wish I had known these things when we were homeschooling because I think children and my adults now would just greatly be influenced by that information.
SPEAKER 12 :
So I’m an attorney, and for me, it gives me some direct practical knowledge of what I can do to try to impact my legal community, to make better legislation, to try to encourage legislators to make choices that have a biblical worldview, which is what we really want.
SPEAKER 01 :
Any pastor would benefit from taking this course because we are dual citizens, right? We are citizens of the kingdom of God, but we’re also citizens of this great land, and that comes with responsibility.
SPEAKER 10 :
Even as someone who has been involved in these types of issues for a while, you’re learning little bits and pieces of new stuff all the time. But it’s also approachable enough that newer people, younger people, high school, college students, they can really glean something from this. So I would encourage everybody to take this course, whether it’s the videos, whether it’s doing it in person, bring your Bible study group through it, bring your homeschool group through it, and equip yourself for these challenging days ahead.
SPEAKER 11 :
View the course at frc.org slash God and government or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 19 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony and so glad to have you with us as well. All right, before I bring on our next guest, I want to invite you to join FRC’s Whom Will You Serve Challenge. Whom Will You Serve? This is coming, of course, from Joshua 2415. And like Joshua, we are calling on believers to choose this day to serve the Lord rather than man. Everything from defending the unborn to raising families with biblical values. It is time for American believers to make a choice. You can join the challenge and you can stand with us financially. Text the word challenge to 67742 and catch this. Thanks to a generous challenge match. Any gift given through the end of Friday will be tripled. Tripled, tripled, tripled. So please text CHALLENGE to 67742. All right, President Trump says that he’s prepared to appoint a new Supreme Court justice if there’s a vacancy, or perhaps two, or maybe even three. His remarks during a sit-down interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo came as some have speculated that Justice Samuel Alito may retire before the upcoming midterm elections, and he would be retiring to ensure that his successor is confirmed by the Senate’s current Republican majority.
SPEAKER 05 :
In theory, it’s two or three, they tell me, if you just read statistics. It could be two, it could be three, it could be one. I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it.
SPEAKER 19 :
So, what would a retirement in the Supreme Court mean for the court? Well, joining us now to discuss this is constitutional law and Supreme Court expert, Ilya Shapiro. He’s a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, and also the author of Supreme Disorder, Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court. Ilya, welcome to Washington Watch, an honor to have you.
SPEAKER 14 :
Good to be with you. And first of all, I should say, unless you hear about a retirement from the justice or maybe his wife, I would discount all of it. It’s just rumors based on rumors based on speculation.
SPEAKER 19 :
Excellent point. Excellent point to start with. And within that context, if you were to just kind of speculate, are there any justices out there who might be considering or likely to retire in the somewhat near future, do you think?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Justice Thomas is the oldest. He’s 77. And if he serves through May of 28, he would become the longest ever serving justice. So he’s also said that they’re going to have to carry him out. So I doubt he’s going to retire, certainly not this year. So that’s why all the focus right now is on Justice Alito, who’s a couple of years younger than Thomas. And, you know, he reads the political tea leaves the same that all of us. They’re not immune from understanding these different currents. But at the same time, he’s at the height of his powers, and he seems to be enjoying his job. So I don’t know. I would still not bet on retirement this year.
SPEAKER 19 :
Okay. I do know, let me just throw this out to you. Obviously, President Trump has not revealed any of his preferences if there was a retirement. But if there was, do you think he would go back to the same people that were on his list during the first term? Or do you think that he may go to a broader list?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, he hasn’t put out a new list. He hasn’t updated it. Some of the folks on his previous list have effectively aged out. I mean, there’s no age limit, of course, but there’s only been one person the last 55 years who’s been confirmed older than age 55, and that’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So it’s going to be someone younger than 55, probably going to be one of the judges who he appointed in his first term. Could be someone else, could be someone like the Solicitor General John Sauer, who Trump likes a lot and is doing a good job defending administration policies. But there are a lot of very good, solid judges who Trump appointed, whom he likes, and who, for that matter, clerked for Alito and Thomas. So there’s some symmetry there. Kavanaugh clerked for Kennedy. Justice Barrett clerked for Scalia. So maybe there’s some parallels there. But there’s a good bench.
SPEAKER 19 :
On a little bit different twist with all of this discussion, recently, liberal justices, if we can so characterize them, Sotomayor and Jackson have criticized some of their conservative colleagues. And that’s kind of taboo, as I understand it. As a constitutional scholar, how would you characterize these actions? Is this acceptable?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Justice Sotomayor criticized Justice Kavanaugh, and not just his opinions, but saying that maybe he was raised too privileged to understand some of these issues. But then she apologized yesterday, which is the way things should work. You don’t hear too many apologies in the political branches, but the court is different. Justice Jackson gave a speech where she is criticizing the court as a whole for its actions on the so-called emergency docket. That’s an unusual kind of speech to give. She didn’t name anyone in particular, but clearly the justices on the left side of the court are frustrated in many ways. They don’t always lose. The court still rules unanimously in about half the cases, but in a lot of the politically salient ones, certainly those on the left are in dissent.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow, it’s interesting to say it can’t help but think that that impacts the court, at least behind closed doors. Final question, what are some of the landmark decisions the Supreme Court is expected to be making this year?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, there are a few that we’re waiting for. There’s a Voting Rights Act gerrymandering case. How much and can you use race into account when drawing districts? That could affect even this fall’s elections, although many states have already had primaries, so it’s really more for 2028. That’s the Calais case out of Louisiana. Birthright citizenship was just argued a couple of weeks ago. Can the president through an executive order, change the longstanding rule that anyone born here automatically becomes a citizen. Removal of agency heads. President Trump has removed many heads of so-called independent agencies. I think the court is likely to go with the president on that one. and probably go against him on birthright citizenship. Bit of a balancing act there. We have some Second Amendment cases. We have some other cases that, when they come down, could be as early as tomorrow. We’ll make some news.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow. Well, thank you so much, Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow and Director of Constitutional Studies at the Manhattan Institute. Fascinating discussion. We deeply appreciate you coming on Washington Watch and breaking this down for us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER 19 :
All right, friends, coming up, we’ll discuss how you, how you can be equipped to engage the public square more effectively, more biblically, more prayerfully. So stay tuned. We’ll break it down right after the break.
SPEAKER 11 :
Proverbs 22, 6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
SPEAKER 17 :
Like us, we love the Lord. That he is only God’s own Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3.16
SPEAKER 16 :
For know that my Redeemer lives. Job 19, 25. God raised Jesus from the dead because it was impossible for death to hold on Him. Acts 2, 24.
SPEAKER 11 :
Join Family Research Council in standing on the Word. Visit frc.org slash Bible for free resources to help your family follow the way. Jesus, the risen Savior of the world.
SPEAKER 08 :
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 entitle 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. May God bless America.
SPEAKER 19 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I’m Jody Heiss. I’m honored today to be filling in for Tony. All right, once again, I want to encourage you to join FRC’s Whom Will You Serve Challenge. Stand with us financially and otherwise. And again, thanks to a very generous challenge match, any gift given from now to the end of Friday will be tripled. That’s a huge opportunity. Simply text CHALLENGE to 67742. Okay, pretty much all of you know this, but here at the Family Research Council, we are engaged in a lot, a lot of different activities, not just in our nation’s capital, but literally across the entire country and even internationally. And among the works that we’re engaged in is the effort to equip believers across America to engage in the public square and to do so biblically, to do so prayerfully. And we’re doing this because, let’s face it, America, we’re facing some deep spiritual and cultural challenges, challenges that we simply cannot afford to step away from. So if you want to learn how you can be a powerful salt and light influencer in your community, we’ve got several ways to do so, including… an event that’s happening this evening in Midland, Texas. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Tim Echols, who is the executive director of FRC’s Prevost Stan Chapters. Tim, thanks for joining me. Always great to have you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, I’m in Midland, Texas, Jody, right now. I’m on the stage, which in just a little while, at 6.30 local time here, Tony will be filming this week on Capitol Hill right here. So it’s going to be an exciting event. There’s a lot of folks coming. This is a huge sanctuary. We’re really excited. And by the way, Jody… 40% of the crude oil that America uses comes right through this town, through this Permian Basin. This is the energy hub of America out here.
SPEAKER 19 :
It really is. Of course, I knew Midland was a hub of energy. I had no idea it was so big as 40% until, in fact, today. I want to get back to the event that’s happening there in Midland that will be taking place in just a couple of hours. Real quickly, Tim, the Pray, Vote, Stand chapters, you’re the executive director putting these together. It’s an initiative we’re extremely excited about trying to equip Christians to engage prayerfully and biblically in the public square. And in fact, we have a couple of new chapters. that i want to welcome on board one from franklin county ohio one from the greenville spartanburg area in south carolina and davison county south dakota so a huge congratulations to these new chapters we’re so excited for them to join this extremely important initiative And for those watching or listening, you can get more information. Simply text the word chapters, that’s plural, chapters to 67742 or go to frc.org slash chapters. We encourage you to get more info on this. This is an extremely important thing. So Tim, you are at a very important event right now, Faith, Family, and the Future Tour. What is that exactly?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we’ll be going all over America, and Tony will be doing live filming in different places across America. We’re here in Midland, Texas tonight. But it’s a chance for folks to come out, meet him, meet staff, see how the production… of the show works. It’s just a great opportunity. They’re going to learn a lot here, too, with the issues that are being discussed, you know, that happened this week in Washington. So it’s a great chance even now for folks as they’re listening on the radio stations around this area because this show’s on a Midland station. You can come out tonight, 630 First Baptist Church, Midland, and be a part of this incredible event.
SPEAKER 19 :
Now, we certainly encourage people to do that. It is going to be a spectacular event taking place there. Tim, let me ask you this. Since the launch of the Pray, Vote, Stand chapters, the PVS chapters earlier this year, can you kind of just share with us some of the interactions that you’ve had with people, what you’ve been hearing from those that you’ve reached out to about these chapters?
SPEAKER 03 :
Jody, hands down, the number one thing that really has impacted people as I talk with them is the stand on the word that Tony does in the morning. The Bible reading, the opportunity to hear him give a devotion or kind of commentary on the scriptures. You know, we’re going through Joshua right now, and this really means a lot to people. And if you think about what our chapters do, Jody, we’re centered around the scripture with the Bible reading. Prayer is an important part of what a chapter does. And then we layer on top of that some educational experiences like the God and Government video series, watching it together, or even on some of our virtual chapters. That Franklin County chapter in Ohio that started just today, that is completely virtual. And there are going to be people all over Ohio that are going to be tuning in with their leader, Ruth, who’s leading that chapter. And they’re going to be growing in their faith. They’re going to grow in an appreciation of, you know, of of the Christian input into the founding of America. And then, of course, all the cool field trips that we’re going to do to city councils and county commissions and the state capitol and, of course, to our Pray, Vote, Stand conference in Washington, D.C. coming up this year, Leesburg, Virginia, September 24th through the 26th. We’re really excited about that.
SPEAKER 19 :
We really are. And Tim, so glad to have you at the helm of all of this. Only got about 30 seconds. Is there anything in particular that you’re focused on right now with all of this?
SPEAKER 03 :
Look, Texas is very important to us. This show is on a lot of Texas radio stations. If you are in Texas, I want to hear from you. We’ve got a chapter in Lubbock, down in Houston, North Dallas. We’re trying to start a chapter here in Midland while I’m here now, but we want to hear from you. We want to cover up Texas. with chapters, so you reach out, you text CHAPTERS to 67742. You’ll hear from me tomorrow, and let’s get it going in your county.
SPEAKER 19 :
Let’s get it going. Tim Eccles, Director of Pray, Vote, Stand Chapters. Thank you so much. Have an awesome event tonight. All right, so much happening in the Middle East. Stay with us. We’ll be back.
SPEAKER 09 :
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 into 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 states. Lord, we would return to an understanding of the freedom that you’ve 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 13 :
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SPEAKER 19 :
good afternoon welcome back to washington watch i am jody heist filling in today for tony thank you so much for joining us this evening all right once more i want to encourage you to join frc’s whom will you serve challenge it’s coming from joshua 24 15 and look we’re defending everything from the unborn to raising families with biblical values but either way you look at it it’s time for america to make a choice And to join the challenge and to stand with us financially, simply text the word challenge to 67742. Again, thanks to, very grateful for a generous challenge match. Every gift given from now to the end of Friday will be tripled. So an enormous opportunity right now. We encourage you to text challenge to 67742. Also, real quickly, you just heard Tim Eccles talk about it, but for those of you in West Texas, particularly the Midland-Odessa area, FRC’s Faith, Family, and the Future Tour is taking place this evening at First Baptist Church Midland. And as part of the event tonight, you’ll actually, if you’re there, attend a live recording of This Week on Capitol Hill. It all gets started this evening, 6.30 to 8 p.m. Central Time. So plan to join us if you are in the Midland-Odessa area. All right, today marks the fourth day of the U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions certainly between the U.S. and Iran remain thick, to say the least. Earlier today, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Kaine, they held a press conference on Operation Epic Fury, and Secretary Hegseth said that the U.S. forces are locked and loaded. Strong words. Well, they’re prepared to strike potentially Iran’s power plants and the energy infrastructure, among other things, if ordered to do so. Meanwhile, there is a 10-day ceasefire that’s been agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon. So will this blockade on Iran potentially push them closer to making a deal? Will a deal be made before the ceasefire expires next week? Well, joining us now to discuss all of this is Peter Doran. He’s a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Peter, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to have you with us.
SPEAKER 18 :
Always great to chat.
SPEAKER 19 :
Alright, so we have certainly seen a pretty rapid escalation in this conflict. What’s your reaction to where things currently stand?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, are you ready for a wow number that sums up the situation? It’s 130 million. It’s $130 million a day. That’s how much the Islamic Republic was making by selling oil prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury and the imposition of President Trump’s new blockade. Here’s the twist, though. That number has now gone to zero. And there are two factions, main factions, in Tehran. One side wants to keep fighting and go down fighting, and the other side can operate a calculator And they’ve realized that their economy is on the verge of collapse. If they don’t turn that number from zero, dial that back up to $130 million. That’s what President Trump has done. He’s put them on a ticking clock.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow. Indeed, fascinating numbers that you shared with us there. So would it be right then for me to assume that you think this is the right move that the Trump administration is utilizing to block the Iran-linked vessels from crossing the Strait of Hormuz and that you’d say it’s working? Is that correct?
SPEAKER 18 :
It’s absolutely working. And let’s recall, what President Trump is doing is nothing new. Abraham Lincoln deployed the exact same strategy against the South during the Civil War and putting a blockade on an enemy, threatening to seize their ships and the cargo within, maintaining the freedom of the seas. All of this is very old in American military strategy. Frankly, it predates our revolution. So 250 years of American experience has shown us these kinds of strategies work. And right now, all of the commercial vessels operated by China, for example, have been very wise in not attempting to challenge the U.S. Navy. They’ve been making U-turns and going back into Iranian ports. Meanwhile, everyone who’s not stopping in an Iranian port is allowed to sail freely past the U.S. Navy.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow. So every day right now, like probably millions of other people, I start scanning the news in the morning, what’s going on. And every day there’s some sort of article about Iran barking about something else, what they’re going to do, making all sorts of threats. But what cards, realistically, does Iran have left to play at this point?
SPEAKER 18 :
Frankly, they don’t have any cards. And that’s what was very disappointing to the administration by the first round, we can call it, of negotiations there in Islamabad, Pakistan. There were two groups who showed up. One actually wanted to come to terms with the administration. These would be the politicians. And the other group that showed up was represented by the IRGC. These are the fanatical zealots who want nothing more than to die fighting against the United States. Neither one of them is technically in charge. They’re both jostling with each other. But here’s the twist. Whoever makes an agreement with President Trump very likely will get killed by the other side of the Iranian regime for being too soft on the Americans. So once the shooting stops between the United States Israel and Iran, we might see shooting between this regime. That’s one of the scenarios we should be watching out for in the coming weeks.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow, that’s fascinating because, you know, those who are willing to die for their cause have been pretty successful if that’s what they’ve wanted. But now you’re saying the other side is going to be facing the same thing. So what do you think the U.S. role in all of this long term, do you think we’ll have a long term presence in the region going forward or do you see us pulling away at some point?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, let’s recall President Trump came into office stating very clearly that he wanted to be judged not only by the wars he won, but also those he ended. And what he’s doing right now is trying to end a 47-year war that the Islamic Republic has been waging on the United States, but on our terms. Do we maintain a presence in this region after the shooting stops, after perhaps there’s a formal peace agreement? I absolutely believe so, and rightfully so. That said, it all will fall to the people of Iran once the shooting stops to take charge of their own national destiny. Let’s recall, they’ve been told, stay at home, don’t come out onto the streets yet, let us weaken this regime for you, and then give you the opportunity to take your country back from the Islamic Republic.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow, so much happening right there. I know President Trump, every time he speaks on this issue, appears very optimistic that a deal can be reached with Iran. Do you see that as a realistic possibility? Do you see that as a possibility that can potentially happen before the ceasefire expires next week?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, the clock is certainly ticking. Tuesday is when this current ceasefire runs out. Remember that number I talked about at the start of our conversation, that $130 million a day that the Islamic Republic is not earning? That has turned the tables in President Trump’s favor. I fully expect we may see a return. to Islamabad by even Vice President Vance. It shows that the current regime, the politicians who don’t want to die in the saddle, obviously want to make a deal. They want to turn the spigots back on. They’re going to run out of money to pay the goons who keep them in power and shoot their own people very shortly. So President Trump has certainly put the fire under them. When we see a serious negotiation, perhaps in Islamabad, perhaps led by Vice President Vance in the coming days, that will be the true indicator. If they don’t, as General Cain said today, the United States stands willing to turn the war machine back on and pound this regime until they see reason.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wow. It’s amazing how people see reason when the heat is turned up. That seems to happen in so many places. So given how all of this has escalated so much, kind of a two-part question here. How do you assess the overall current balance between military pressure and diplomatic efforts? But that question related both to Iran and more broadly in the entire region. What kind of impact is this having?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, certainly we have to be very careful when we negotiate on one side with the Iranian regime. Let’s recall, these are a bunch of weasels who will lie to your face. President Trump seems to know this. That’s why he said, I don’t want a 20 year moratorium or a 10 year moratorium on Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. I want a permanent moratorium and we can’t trust what they say. We can only trust what they do. On the other hand, we have seen a remarkable positive change when we look at, say, the Gulf states and their relationship with us and most importantly, their relationship with Israel. If one major positive development does come from this war, I fully expect to see more countries join on to the Abraham Accords. That’s President Trump’s magnificent peace arrangement that he has put forward very successfully, trying to build bridges between Arab states and Israel. I expect to see more states join on to the Abraham Accords. And all eyes are on Saudi Arabia, the one country no one thought would ever sign up. It looks like the potential is there once the shooting stops to bring other countries onto the Abraham Accords. That will be a remarkable accomplishment for President Trump here in his second term.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, it certainly would. So shifting then our conversation in the direction of Israel. Tell me your reaction to the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon earlier today.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, let’s recall that essentially Lebanon has two governments operating in tandem and with each other. One is the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which has its own officials inside the Lebanese government. And the other side of this government is what we would consider the more normal political side of the spectrum. It is remarkable that Israel and the Lebanese government are talking to each other. This is the first time in decades they have done so. And to see the possibility of peace between these two countries, is remarkable and should be encouraged. But here’s the twist. The Lebanese government is essentially going to have to disarm Hezbollah, this vile terrorist group that continues to launch rockets into Israel just trying to randomly kill innocent civilians. And so until and unless Hezbollah is fully disarmed or destroyed, we’re still going to have some tensions between Israel and Lebanon on Israel’s northern border.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, in a similar fashion, though, Lebanon’s been hit hard. I mean, Israel has been pounding them. So it seems to me like they don’t have a whole lot of cards to play themselves. So where ultimately do you see things headed there?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, we’re going to see a permanent buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, much like Israel established in Gaza, providing the physical space that Israel needs to push back the launch of terrorist rockets against innocent civilians. I would stress, though, when we talk about Israel bombing Lebanon, this isn’t a carpet bombing campaign. Israel is being extremely precise in targeting Lebanon. terrorist actors, facilities, infrastructure, you name it. So once again, we are seeing Israel acting in a very restrained way, in a very proportional way, and in a way that they’ve demonstrated time and time again how they value human life even during a conflict. Let’s also remember Israel holds itself to rules that the United States doesn’t even hold ourselves to in combat situations just because Israel cares so much about preserving as much human life as possible.
SPEAKER 19 :
So what do you think should be the role going forward, partnership-wise, with the United States and Israel? How do you see that playing out moving forward?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, this is a positive development that I don’t think many people expected at the start of Operation Epic Fury. Let’s recall that Israel has shown itself to be an essential ally to the United States. That’s not just empty rhetoric. We are seeing Israel bring the kind of capabilities, fighting spirit and expertise to the battlefront that the United States typically doesn’t enjoy. As Secretary Hegseth said, oftentimes when it comes to our allies, The spirit is willing, but their capabilities are weak. Israel has shown itself to be the opposite kind of actor. That’s been very positive. And I think Israel should can and should be a model for other countries, say, in Europe to follow or even in Taiwan. The relationship between the United States and Israel has grown stronger and in a positive way because they don’t ask us to fight their wars for them. But when the United States goes into battle, they help us hit harder and more effectively.
SPEAKER 19 :
Only about a minute left, so I guess it’d probably be the final question, but how concerned are you, how concerned should we all be with the anti-Semitism, particularly as we’re seeing people like Senator Bernie Sanders and others actually putting forth legislation to pull the reins in on U.S. support for Israel?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, obviously, since the expansion of Operation Epic Fury, we’ve seen antisemitism show its face time and time again in the United States and elsewhere. I think, once again, because Israel has shown just how good of an ally it is, that alone should undercut many of the narratives that that say Israel led us into this war or deceived President Trump. These are all code words for anti-Semitic, that have anti-Semitic undertones. And Americans of all stripes should push back on them when they hear them.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, absolutely. Well, I tell you, it’s a fascinating discussion. I want to thank you, Peter Doran, so much for coming on. It’s a very complex web of issues that are involved, and the way you’re able to just break it down for us and clear the clutter, deeply, deeply appreciated. So thank you. Peter Doran, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. All right, friends, that wraps it up for today. Thank you so much for joining us. Those of you in Midland, Odessa, Texas area, don’t forget First Baptist Midland tonight, 630. Have a great evening. We’ll see you tomorrow again right here on Washington Watch.
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.
