The Washington Stand’s Casey Harper reports on breaking news concerning the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of abortion drugs and an update on state congressional map redistricting following a recent SCOTUS ruling. Scott Perry, U.S. Representative for
SPEAKER 06 :
From the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 17 :
This is a setback for people who rely on medication abortion, who rely on getting easy access to basic health care. It’s a setback because essentially it’s attacking people and patients in care where it’s needed the most.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill-Johnson responding to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals halting the current federal policy on chemical abortions being sent through the mail without medical consultation. Welcome to this Monday, May 4th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. As I welcome everyone to the program, I especially want to welcome those tuning in for the first time on the TLN Network in the Chicago and San Francisco areas. I’ll talk more about that later in the program. Well, coming up, the Supreme Court has temporarily restored broad access to the abortion pill Mifeprestone, blocking that Fifth Circuit court ruling that would have restricted one of the primary methods of abortion nationwide. Erin Holley, a pro-life attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, joins us for a legal analysis of this significant development in the fight to protect the unborn. Plus, Congressman Scott Perry joins us to discuss the latest developments on Capitol Hill, including the war powers debate and the conflict with Iran. All of that and more straight ahead. Well, as we mentioned a moment ago, the Supreme Court has temporarily restored mail order access to the abortion drug Mifeprestone after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday granted the state of Louisiana a stay on the FDA policy, allowing the chemical abortion drug to be sent through the mail into the state of Louisiana. Joining us now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper. Casey, welcome to the program. This is somewhat complicated. On again, off again. A stay, not allowing the drug to be sent. Now the court, the Supreme Court, saying it can be sent at least temporarily.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, it’s a little hard to follow, but I’ll try to unpack it a little without going too into the weeds here. Danko Laboratories and GenBioPro, those are both abortion drug makers that profit off the abortion pill. They filed this request on Saturday basically to stop the ruling on Friday, which prevented the mail order access to mifepristone, especially in pro-life states. Now, what we’re seeing is the Supreme Court did this They’ve ruled to give the justices time to review the emergency appeals filed by those drug makers. So they’ve temporarily blocked what happened on Friday. But it’s not a ruling. It’s not a definitive thing. It’s just saying they need time to review this in depth. Justice Samuel Alito signed the order, which temporarily allows his women to order the abortion pills through the mail without having to visit an in-person doctor, at least for now. And I don’t have to tell you, Tony, this is a huge case because mail-order abortion drugs account for well over 60 percent of abortions in the U.S.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so I think this is an administrative state for about a week, and then we should see more action by the Supreme Court. Very interesting. We’re going to be watching this very, very closely. We’ll talk more about it a little bit later. All right, continuing with my home state of Louisiana and the Supreme Court, another ruling coming from the court involving Louisiana and the congressional districts last week has sparked another wave of state redistricting battles in the South as Republicans and Democrats gear up for the midterms. Casey, walk us through what’s happening there.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, that’s right. The Supreme Court really clarified interpretation of the Voting Rights Act and racial districting, which is really having a big impact in particular on southern states. And it’s triggered a chain reaction in the south and turned up the fire on this redistricting battle. So the Alabama legislature was set to have a special session today that could result in new legislative action. and congressional maps. They’re just the latest state to do that. But it’s not just Alabama. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is set to review Tennessee’s congressional maps tomorrow in a special session. And there may be more, as President Trump is pushing on these red states to redistrict, to really cancel out what we saw in other states like Virginia and California, which are moving to ramp up the number of Democrat seats coming out of their states.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that’s going to be interesting to watch as well. And we’ll be keeping our eye on that, too. Casey, thanks so much for bringing us up to date. Thanks. All right. Congress is back in their districts this week on a recess, but there’s still a lot happening. And I want to turn now to the situation in Iran, where there have been a number of developments over the weekend. Joining us now to discuss some of these is Congressman Scott Perry, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He represents the 10th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. He is also a combat veteran who retired at the rank of Brigadier General after nearly 40 years of military service. General Perry, welcome back to Washington Watch. Stand at ease.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, great to be with you, Tony. Yeah, a lot happening in the world. And, of course, it doesn’t stop just because it’s the weekend.
SPEAKER 08 :
No. In fact, it seems to pick up on the weekend. And we’ve got a lot to unpack here. On Friday, President Trump wrote to members of Congress arguing that he did not need to meet the 60-day deadline for the legislative approval of the conflict with Iran because the ceasefire, which took effect on April the 8th, did not trigger that. And now there’s no conflict. How do you read that?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I’m not sure that everybody’s going to agree with that. We’re going to look at the statute to make very sure. But I think that at some point we’re going to have a conversation in Congress about it. And look, I’m not afraid of it. I think it’s actually pretty it’s a pretty good conversation to have right in front of the American people. And if Democrats so-called want to side with the Iranian mullahs and the theocratic murderous terrorist regime in Iran, well, and they want to do that on the House or the Senate floor, well, God bless them. We ought to know where they stand and who they stand with. They’re always keen to blame America and, of course, this president. But let’s remember who started this whole thing. It was Iran who 47 years ago took our American embassy workers hostage and has been killing Americans ever since then. And so I think it’s great that the president is trying to stop this war, but unfortunately not everybody in America is siding with America. So I think there’s going to be a difference of opinion there, but I think that the conversation should not be shied away from.
SPEAKER 08 :
I would agree with you, Congressman Perry. I think there’s a strong case to be made. In fact, if I look back over all the conflicts since I was in the Marine Corps in the 1980s, this is probably the one that has the strongest case to be made because of the constant threats by Iran and the pursuit of nuclear capabilities, their attacks on our allies of Israel, their threats to attack us. I think the president was justified in his actions. And I think if the Congress had a debate over this and had the information out there, I think the American public would be more supportive than what they are today.
SPEAKER 04 :
I would agree with you. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the president and we simply can’t trust certain members of Congress with sensitive information regarding our enemies and imminent attacks to safeguard that information and not give A heads up and I will turn to not only members of the legislature, but if you recall in the last Trump administration, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was found out to likely inform China of any impending kinetic activity, which, you know, that that should have its own adjudication. But that’s just the level of discord and disagreement. with the United States of America and with his commander-in-chief. And so we have to be very, very careful in navigating these circumstances vis-a-vis enemies of the United States.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, that’s a whole other conversation we need to have at some point, because it’s not only just within the Trump administration. As you’ll recall, during the last Biden administration, there were those within the Pentagon tipping off and letting information out regarding Israeli intelligence and movements that Israel was making. I mean, this is a real threat to our national defense to not be able to trust the elected leaders and those who are entrusted with the authority of American secrets as well as American wherewithal to defend itself.
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re exactly right, Tony. And just remember, a lot of people throw around the term treason for all kinds of different reasons. But in this case, where there is a specific enemy, aiding and abetting the enemy can be seen as treason, and individuals can be charged with treason. So it’s very, very serious. The United States hasn’t done that very much yet. And I think that people are willing to play fast and loose with the rules. But other than betraying your country, they better start being careful about their own personal well-being, because at some point the United States is going to be willing and it’s going to be necessary to enforce those rules and have accountability for the actions of those who help our enemies.
SPEAKER 08 :
I mean, how else do you maintain your freedom? Right. That’s exactly right, Tony. All right. I want to mention, we’ve just got a few minutes left. Earlier this morning, the U.S. commenced Project Freedom to guide the stranded ships that are in the Strait of Hormuz or through the Strait of Hormuz. In a press release yesterday, Sitcom announced that the U.S. military was supporting this Project Freedom and it would guide missile, would use guided missile destroyers to help see this straight open back up, obviously releasing some of the pressure and tension on the global economy. What do you make of this move?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think it has to happen. Look, the Straits of Hormuz are really critically important. Unfortunately, it’s on the shoreline of Iran. And even as important that Iran really doesn’t have any leadership. And for what leadership it does have right now, it continues to talk out of both sides of its mouth, like it always does, saying that they want to negotiate at the same time attacking the ships in the Straits. And so, You know, unfortunately, the safety is of paramount concern for these ships, and one rogue actor in Iran can create devastating effects that shock the world economy. That stuff has to end. That’s what has to end. Incredibly difficult. We could sure use some help from our… our gulf state allies who are appreciative and supportive of the effort but aren’t really willing to get their hands dirty letting the united states carry the entire weight uh… it’s time for them to get in the game and deal with their neighbor as they should
SPEAKER 08 :
Speaking of definitions, Congressman Perry, the blockade continues, which is really putting the stranglehold on the Iranian economy, which is what may very well bring that regime to negotiation. So, I mean, I think it’s a good move. But some interpret that as an act of war, which would say that the president’s claim that there’s no hostile activity doesn’t hold up. Is that something else that’s going to be debated in this process?
SPEAKER 04 :
It probably will be. I think in other cases this is seen as generally a defensive or a police action. It’s going to come down to the rhetoric and what really happens on the ground. But let’s remember, this is all in response to Iran’s malign activities.
SPEAKER 08 :
Excuse me. Well, you mentioned not having much help from our allies. I want to get your reaction to the Pentagon’s announcement on Friday that the U.S. will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the next 6 to 12 months. And that comes after the Germany chancellors made critical remarks of U.S. activity in Iran.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, look, I think it’s well placed. It’s been a long time that many people, myself included, have been wondering what the value of NATO is. The United States taxpayer pays the lion’s share of the defense of Europe, and yet what’s on the other side of that equation for the United States of America when your allies, for which you are paying for their security in your time of need, abandon you and then criticize you in public? And so I think the president is basically saying we’ve had enough of this blank check to the European states that depend on us for their security when they refuse to help us in any way, shape or form and refuse to even live up to their end of the bargain to begin with. And I think it’s long overdue.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, whether you agree or disagree with President Trump on a number of issues, I happen to agree with him on most. You know, he takes action. And they’re not accustomed to that. The world is not accustomed to a president in the United States that takes decisive actions.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, certainly not when it’s in the United States’ best interest. They have been used to, for decades and decades, of American taxpayers cleaning out their wallets for the sake of Europe and getting nothing in return for it. This president has said enough of that. They’re certainly not used to that. And, of course, they’re saying that, you know, it destroys the world order. What good is a world order when we do all the paying, they get all the benefit, and we get nothing out of it?
SPEAKER 08 :
That sounds like an out-of-order, not a world order. Congressman Scott Perry, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining us. All right, coming up next, Erin Holley joins us to discuss the Supreme Court and abortion.
SPEAKER 01 :
I think all people really need to have this type of education. Well, I can tell you that it’s been an amazing course, period.
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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 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.
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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 13 :
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.
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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 individually. of this great land, and that comes with responsibility.
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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. 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.
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View the course at frc.org slash God and Government or on the Stand Firm app.
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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.
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Happy 250th birthday, America.
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May God bless America.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. All right. We received some some great news heading into the weekend when a federal court temporarily blocked the unlawful mailing of abortion drugs into pro-life states like my home state of Louisiana. Now, this is an issue that we have discussed multiple times, probably weekly, if not daily on Washington Watch. The Biden era abortion by mail scheme designed to undermine the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe. which has remained in place, unfortunately, since the start of the Trump administration, despite calls by pro-life organizations, lawmakers and attorneys general of the states like Louisiana, whose case against the FDA is at the center of Friday’s ruling. The Supreme Court responded earlier today after the manufacturers of the abortion drug filed a request with the high court over the weekend. U.S. Supreme Court put a temporary administrative stay on the ruling. So where does this leave us and where are we headed? Here to break it all down is Erin Hawley, who serves as of counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, supporting the Center for Life team. She argued alongside Louisiana at the district court on this case. Erin, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks for having me. Great to be here, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
So the Supreme Court has blocked Friday’s ruling, but it’s just temporary. Walk us through what’s happening now.
SPEAKER 14 :
Sure, that’s exactly right. So when the Supreme Court gets a stay request from one of the parties before the Court of Appeals, it is quite typical for the court to enter what’s called an administrative stay so that the full court can consider the stay request. So nothing unusual. We expected Justice Alito to grant this administrative stay. And now the really important part starts. Louisiana will file on Thursday a response to that application before the courts. And we hope that the full Supreme Court will let the Fifth Circuit’s decision control and the reinstatement of those crucial protections for women to continue.
SPEAKER 08 :
Now, in reading the drug manufacturers, who obviously have money to be made here, they used… It looked like the same worn-out arguments they had used before, arguing that Louisiana didn’t have standing in this case. And in this particular case that you were a part of, not only is it the state of Louisiana that… It’s our laws, as still a citizen of Louisiana, our laws are being undermined, but also we’re having to pay for the adverse effects of women who are taking this drug and ending up in the ER rooms. Plus, there was a woman who was given this drug, coerced to take it, that is also a party to this suit. So how, if Louisiana and this woman who was coerced to take the drug, Rosella, who would have standing?
SPEAKER 14 :
No one. In fact, in one of the sort of key parts of the Supreme Court decision on the Biden administration rims a couple of years ago, the Biden administration actually made the preposterous argument that no party, no one, not someone harmed like Rosalie, not a state, no one could challenge these rims. We think the Fifth Circuit got it correct in finding that to be untrue. As you mentioned, Louisiana has two ways of satisfying the standing doctrine. One is sovereign injury. The state’s pro-life laws are utterly unenforceable. Nearly 1,000 abortions take place every month because pro-abortion doctors mail these drugs across state lines enabled by those 2023 REMS. And secondly, as you mentioned, Louisiana has identified over $92,000 worth of economic harm just from two cases of abortion drug Mifeprestone. There’s no question that that actual economic harm is much higher, and that doesn’t even take into account those unborn lives and harm to women.
SPEAKER 08 :
Aaron, you were a part of the Dobbs case. Did not the court, the high court, rule in that that lawmakers in the respective states have a right to determine the policies for their state as it pertains to abortion?
SPEAKER 14 :
That’s exactly right, Tony. And that’s precisely why the Biden administration implemented the 2023 runs. It rolled these out right after the Dobbs oral argument when it could see the writing on the wall with the stated purpose of making abortion available in every state, even states that protect life like Louisiana.
SPEAKER 08 :
In the Fifth Circuit opinion that was issued on Friday, the reason that stay was granted, according to this three-judge panel, is that they said there’s a high expectation that Louisiana will win this suit. Therefore, we are issuing this stay. So it appeared at the Fifth Circuit that Louisiana is on the right track.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. And it was kind of a strange district court ruling here. As the Fifth Circuit pointed out, the district court and the Fifth Circuit found that Louisiana is likely to win to prove that these changes by the Biden administration were unlawful. And it’s also suffering irreparable harm. Every day, abortion drugs are mailed over state lines, costing it money and taking the lives of its unborn children. Now, what the district court said was, well, the FDA has promised to reconsider the 2023 REMS. But as the Fifth Circuit pointed out, just because a prior law or regulation is so unlawful that the agency has recognized that and committed to studying it again doesn’t mean you should leave it in place when it’s causing irreparable harm.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. And it didn’t say specifically in the opinion, but it kind of hinted at the fact that there appears to be some foot dragging by the the FDA on this review. As they pointed out, you know, it was a year ago they said they were going to review it. Nothing yet. They’re still collecting data. So when that review would actually be accomplished, nobody knows. So in the meantime, Louisiana has a right to act. Just about a minute and a half left, Aaron. So how will this play? How could this possibly play out? We get the arguments to the court. What then?
SPEAKER 14 :
Sure. So the Supreme Court has a couple of options. It could either agree with the drug manufacturers and put the Fifth Circuit’s decision on hold pending appellate review. And what that would mean is that pro-abortion doctors continue mailing drugs unlawfully into states like Louisiana. We hope that doesn’t happen. We hope the court recognizes that Louisiana does have standing here. No one really disputes that it has a strong merits argument. And so we hope the court continues that stay of the 2023 rims, providing safeguards for women. The other option that the court could consider is something called cert before judgment. The drug manufacturers have both suggested that if the court declines to stay the fit circus decision, keeps those protections for women, then the court should grant cert, take briefs, and hear argument right away. So that’s one possibility as well.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we’re going to be not only watching this and participating in it, but praying as well. This is a major, major case. And Erin Holly, appreciate your work in it and appreciate you joining us today.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right. And folks, this is something to really pray about. I mean, this is continuing the shedding of innocent blood in our country. All right. Don’t go away. We’re coming back with more right after this break.
SPEAKER 03 :
For I know that my Redeemer lives. Job 19, 25. God raised Jesus from the dead because it was impossible for death to take hold on Him. Acts 2, 24.
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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.
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One Nation Under God, America’s undeniable foundation of faith.
SPEAKER 09 :
The United States Capitol, an iconic symbol of the American Republic. But few know that this building at the heart of our nation’s government was once something more, the largest church building in America. Since its inception and for decades following, several rooms throughout the Capitol, including the House and Senate chambers, were used to host church services weekly. These services were filled with individuals from all levels of government. The attendance was so pervasive that often it was standing room only. Quote, going to the Capitol on Sundays was then one of the most common things in Washington. Margaret Bayard Smith. This practice was not merely accepted, but encouraged. Quote, I consider it as one of my public duties as a representative of the people to give my attendance every Sunday morning when divine service is performed in the hall. President John Quincy Adams. Housing worship at the center of our Capitol was a living representation of the role that biblical principles played as a cornerstone of our nation’s foundation of faith.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. All right. Last week, House Republicans again did what the Capitol Hill press corps thought impossible to do. They came together and delivered some key legislative wins with their razor thin majority. Well, I spoke with House Speaker Mike Johnson about this for our weekend program this week on Capitol Hill. We discussed how prayer. and he acknowledged this publicly, has been central to advancing GOP objectives and bringing unity among the Republicans in a almost impossible environment. And I’d like to share part of our conversation with you right now. Here’s House Speaker Mike Johnson.
SPEAKER 19 :
We live in a completely politically polarized era, as we know. Politics have never been more divided than they are right now. Lots of reasons for that. Social media, the 24-hour news cycle, the ability of everyone to spur on division and contention. And we have a very diverse caucus. There’s almost 220 House Republicans, and they represent many different kinds of districts all across the country, you know, from deep, deep red districts to some Republicans who are elected in slightly Democrat-leaning districts. And so, they have to attach and attack the problem sets with very different uh approaches and so my job as the leader of all this is to bring consensus among all those groups and priorities and ideas and it takes a long time sometimes you know it’s often said that legislative process is like sausage being made i mean it certainly is it’s ugly sometimes but at the end we get the result and the ultimate result and the reason that we get there all the time is you’re right tony because i say this openly we pray these things through and that sounds radical the But you know what? That’s what the founders did. That’s what the framers did. That’s what former generations of American leaders in Congress did, certainly from the time of America’s independence and in the early days of the republic. They openly acknowledged the providential hand of God and the affairs of men. And they sought divine guidance because the challenges were larger than them individually and collectively. And that’s a humble thing that we do before God. We do it individually and collectively in this Republican conference. And ultimately, Tony, I’m telling you, that’s how we prevail.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is that sausage making or is that boudin that you’re making? It’s boudin, right. Louisiana reference, exactly. All right, so let’s talk about FISA because it ended up a 45-day extension because the Senate rejected what the House sent over. What’s next on FISA?
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, look, it’s one of the most contentious issues of public policy. It’s a critically important national security tool, as we’ve discussed. Section 702 of that statute allows for the collection of intelligence on foreign nationals who mean to do Americans harm. This is how we track terrorists. This is how we prevent another 9-11 on our shores. That’s why we haven’t had one since, because we have this statute. Two-thirds of the president’s daily national security briefing comes from intelligence gathered with this statute. and it was facing an expiration date just on Thursday evening. So we had to get it done. Now, we’ve added 56 reforms to this to tighten it up and make sure it wouldn’t be abused to spy on Americans. We did that in 2024. It is working exactly as desired. We put a few more minor modifications and additional reforms on it, and the Senate didn’t like those. So the two chambers are going back and forth. Leader Thune and the Republicans in the Senate, as you know, only have have 53 Republican votes. So they have to get seven Democrats. And it’s very difficult to get them along on anything right now, because they’re convinced that they can’t give President Trump a win, even on something as simple and as important as national security. So we did a short-term extension. We’ll continue to work through it. And I’m convinced that we’ll get to an equilibrium point where we can make sure that that statute does not expire.
SPEAKER 08 :
Mr. Speaker, we’re talking about prayer. I don’t know if you were praying specifically for this. You have been working and praying that the majority, the Republicans keep the majority. But the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision this week this week regarding our home state of Louisiana and its congressional districts that could aid in this effort quite significantly.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, it will, and it’s a right result. They declared that our current map for congressional House districts is unconstitutional because it was written on the basis of – drawn on the basis of race. That’s not appropriate. It’s not constitutional. The court pointed that out. They were looking at Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act for folks who are deep in the weeds on this. But here’s the ultimate result. Tony. We’re going to get a new map in Louisiana. I think a number of the states in the South may get the same treatment because their maps are also drawn on an unconstitutional basis at this point. The more people recognize that, the greater the chances we get maps that accurately reflect the populations of those states. I think in the end of this, the Republican Party will gain a number of seats, and that will be helpful to the House.
SPEAKER 08 :
Now, I have not spoken to the governor, Governor Landry of Louisiana. I do know that he has rescheduled the primaries, which were actually early voting was to start this weekend. I was planning on voting this weekend because I was going to be out of town for the election. Wendy, any idea when those primaries may be?
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, I’ve been talking to the governor and some of the legislators there that are going to be involved in this process. I think they may draw new maps as early as next week. But because it is so close, they push the election date back. At this point, Tony, I expect that we may go back to the old system, as we used to do in Louisiana, where we have a jungle primary, as it’s called, in November and then the runoff in December. That may be the only way to allow enough time for all this to settle out.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s going to be very interesting to see. It is also interesting that 25 years ago or so, we had a very similar situation with our congressional district maps. In fact, Cleo Fields, who now holds District 6 that is at issue here, was in that same position, only to lose that when the lines were redrawn. So the court. Interpreting the Constitution as it should be and not allowing race to be a deciding factor in the drawing of these districts, it shows you how important the court is.
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, that’s right. And this is the genius of the founders, how they set up the three branches of the federal government for checks and balances. And you can’t allow political issues to be the main driving factor in making sure that people are fairly represented in their states. And the court has to look at this objectively. They have to evaluate these ideas on the basis of the Constitution. I think they did the right thing here. And it was a long time coming. And so I think there’ll be a new shuffle on all that. I think it’ll settle out. And then the big thing, as we’ve talked about, is in 2030, after the population shifts out of the blue states are reflected, all those people moving to the red states, you’re going to have many more seats.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was my interview over the weekend with House Speaker Mike Johnson. This week on Capitol Hill, you can tune into that every Saturday and Sunday. You can go to the Stand Firm app and hear it as well or on the Salem Radio Network. All right, coming up, we’ll discuss the latest in Iran. Former Pentagon official Dr. Michael Rubin joins us next here on Washington Watch. Don’t go anywhere. A lot more straight ahead.
SPEAKER 18 :
This is Mission Control Houston here in the Artemis flight control room. Splashdown confirmed at 7.07 p.m. Central Time. A new chapter of the exploration of our celestial neighbor is complete. Integrity’s astronauts, back on Earth.
SPEAKER 12 :
when I got back on the ship. I’m not really a religious person, but there was just no other avenue for me to explain anything or to experience anything, so I asked for the chaplain on the Navy ship to just come visit us for a minute. And when that man walked in, I’d never met him before in my life, but I saw the cross on his collar and I just, I broke down in tears. It’s very hard to fully grasp what we just went through. And when the sun eclipsed behind the moon, I think all four of us, I turned to Victor and I said, I don’t think humanity has evolved to the point of being able to comprehend what we’re looking at right now because it was otherworldly and it was amazing.
SPEAKER 11 :
That was Commander Reed Wiseman of the Artemis II mission, reflecting on their journey around the moon. So here’s a question. Does that sound like a man that just entered space, an empty, cold vacuum of nothingness? Or did he encounter something so profound, so full, so warm and bursting with life, it’s almost as if someone was breathing on it? Perhaps it was so meaningful that the word space doesn’t do the journey justice. Well, it sounds like he didn’t encounter space, but something else, what the Bible calls the heavens. As the Psalmist says, the heavens declare the glory of God and continually pours out speech. And that speech just might leave you speechless if you’re seeking it. It seems like Commander Wiseman discovered the truth of Psalm 139 in reality. Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven and orbit the moon, you are there. So here’s the glorious news for Commander Wiseman and all of humanity. The heavens aren’t far from any one of us. In fact, the Christian story proclaims that the one who sits in the heavens didn’t stay there. He came down into our broken world, forsaking heaven’s treasure to make you his treasure. And something truly incomprehensible happened the day he died, when the one who stretched out the heavens like a curtain stretched out his hands for us on the cross. But it was impossible for death to keep its hold on life itself. He rose from the grave, he lives, and every sunrise since reminds us that the darkness of night will never eclipse the light behind all light, Jesus, the light of the world. Family Research Council prays that families across America would look up and join the song of the heavens. Praise God in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his mighty deeds. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. All right. Coming up, we just opened registration up for the PrayVote Stand Summit coming up this fall in Leesburg, Virginia, just outside of our nation’s capital. As America marks its 250th anniversary, this is a powerful gathering that will bring together Christian leaders, issue experts and believers from across the country for a time of prayer. Encouragement and action. Pray, vote, stand. All right. Register today and you get a summit pass for $69. That’s a savings of $50 with the early bird discount. This special rate is available through June 15th. To learn more and to register, visit PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org. Our word for today comes from Judges chapter 7. Then the Lord said to Gideon, by the 300 men who lapped, I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the people go, every man to his place. Then he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand. and with empty pitchers and torches inside the pitchers. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp and say the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. So Gideon and the 300 with him came to the outpost of the camp. At the beginning of the middle watch, they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers in their hands. But look what happens. When the 300 blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp and the army fled. The trumpet symbolized bold proclamation of the truth, the light, the word of God. Like the 300, when we proclaim God’s truth, he routes the enemy. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. All right, right before we go to our last guest today, I mentioned this earlier. in the program. We want to especially welcome those in the greater Chicago metro and the Bay Area of California, from San Jose to San Francisco, Sacramento and beyond, who are now tuning in to Washington Watch on the TLN network. We want to give a special thanks to Debbie Frazier, who spearheaded this launch at TLN. We have partnered with TLN over the years on various efforts and are thrilled to be airing live at 4 p.m. in the Chicago Metro and later at 4 p.m. Pacific time in the San Francisco area. So to our new viewers, we’re thrilled that you’re part of the growing Washington Watch family. All right. Earlier today, the Iranian regime said it received the latest peace proposal from the U.S. Now, this follows President Trump’s rejection yesterday of Tehran’s 14-point proposal, which he reportedly said was not acceptable. This latest development comes as the U.S. commenced Project Freedom to guide ships safely out of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that Tehran has responded to with threats to attack any commercial vessels that attempt to transit through the waterway without Iranian permission. I don’t know. Doesn’t sound like a resolution is on the horizon. Joining us now with the latest on this situation, former Pentagon official Dr. Michael Rubin, director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. He’s also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Middle Eastern countries, especially Iran and Turkey. Dr. Rubin, welcome back to Washington Watch. Hope you had a great weekend. Hey, thank you so much, Tony. I did. All right, let’s start with Iran’s 14-point peace proposal. I mean, I think it’s whittling down a little bit, or it’s moving anyway, but it doesn’t appear to have hit the spot yet.
SPEAKER 16 :
No. And when you actually look at almost each of those 14 points, they’re so ridiculous on the face that really what the Iranians are trying to do is signal to the United States they’re not interested in negotiating. What’s not quite as public is that it appears while the United States had issued the ceasefire In order to have some sort of negotiations with Iran, the Iranians continue to mine the Strait of Hormuz and some of the international waterways through which shipping transits. The biggest danger here right now is that Iranians are reverting to their usual playbook, Tony. which is simply to run down the clock in the hope that the people with whom they’re negotiating will eventually move on, because, of course, while Iran is a dictatorship, we’re a democracy, and therefore what they’re doing is fishing for a future official who might rescue them from the mess which the Iranians now find themselves in.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I mean, I don’t blame them. I mean, that’s basically the only card they have left to play unless they want to change what they’re doing. And I don’t think their ideology allows them to do that. But historically, you know, the American people have a short temperament for these types of things. And plus, you get a new administration and they’ll completely reverse course. But I think President Trump is keeping the pressure on, keeping the blockade on these ports, squeezing the economy of Iran, which is basically squeezing the Revolutionary Guard, which takes all the receipts there. I was talking with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. And, you know, he believes that, you know, when you pull back a few layers there, it is the Revolutionary Guard that’s driving this regime at present. And that ideology runs so deep, the idea that we might come to a reasonable conclusion with them diplomatically is highly improbable.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I happen to agree with Secretary Pompeo on this. Look, when some people have said that Donald Trump’s actions have only radicalized the regime, I don’t think they’re actually seeing the big picture. Iran, of course, is a conscript society. And therefore, you either were conscripted into the army or you had to join the Revolutionary Guard. Many people joined the Revolutionary Guard just because the salaries were better, the privileges were better. And as soon as the bombs started dropping, these guys who weren’t true believers simply faded into the woodwork. What remained were the true believers. And in a way, that makes sense. The same thing happened with Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge when the military action that unseated them began. The fact of the matter is, now you know who you have to go after. What you don’t do, and Pompeo is right about this, is simply negotiate with them, because ideologically, they will never accept a solution. The United States is very bad. traditionally at understanding the ideology of its adversaries. And Donald Trump, who came, is a fabulous negotiator. He came from this milieu of real estate dealing and so forth, but ideology doesn’t come into play in that. You can’t be transactional with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
SPEAKER 08 :
So his approach by putting, as I mentioned a moment ago, the blockades, which is squeezing the Iranian economy, This appears to be the best. I mean, we’ve only got about 25 percent of the targets left. We’ve blown everything else up. This is going to destabilize the country even more so. And could it not set up, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but eventually the people there, the economy getting so bad that people will respond, that we could see the destabilization of this regime?
SPEAKER 16 :
I think that’s actually the case. There’s an analogy with regard to Serbia, where when Bill Clinton bombed Serbia, he didn’t unseat Slobodan Milosevic. That happened the next year because Slobodan Milosevic wasn’t able to pay the salaries, and a lot of his allies had simply been killed in this bombing. The difference between Slobodan Milosevic and the Iranian leadership is that Slobodan Milosevic and his Serbian nationalists weren’t willing to wholesale slaughter everyone in their country. It appears that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard poor are, and even if the Iranians among them aren’t, they’re importing Hezbollah and Iraqi militias to do the same thing. That said, the Iranians have never been in such poor economic straits.
SPEAKER 08 :
You just can’t escape the ideology here that’s driving them.
SPEAKER 16 :
No, the important thing to understand about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tony, is you can go into that bubble when you’re eight years old because they run the equivalent of evil Boy Scout programs. Then they have student clubs. They run their own universities. And so if you’ve been indoctrinated since the age of eight, you may actually believe what may sound like nonsense to us, which so many previous administrations in Washington were willing to dismiss as rhetorical flourish. They’re not rhetorical flourish. The danger is some of these guys truly believe what they’re saying, and that’s why they need to be eliminated. Again, we really don’t even know who we’re negotiating with. It’s like weekend at Mujtaba’s instead of weekend at Bernie’s because the supreme leader, Mujtaba Khamenei, hasn’t been seen alive in more than two months. So the fact of the matter is, if we’re going to negotiate, we negotiate from a position of strength. We have that because the Iranian currency is now $1.8 million to the dollar. At the time of the revolution, it was 70 to the dollar. It’s in free fall. They can’t export their oil. They can’t import their gasoline. And remember, the Persian Gulf might be huge, but there’s only about 10 Iranian ports there that we need to control. And right now we’re controlling.
SPEAKER 08 :
Final question on this run. I want to pivot to another topic. What do you see is the likely outcome here? I mean, we can’t stay for in a perpetual ceasefire.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, look, unfortunately, I believe that we’re in a situation where the greatest enemy is our own political dynamics, and the Iranians know that. The Iranians have lost by any metric. It’s quite amazing how many people think that the United States has been stalemated in this case. The Iranians have lost the top three or four layers of their leadership. They’ve lost most of their military equipment. They’ve lost their economy and so forth. We are in a position to dictate to them we shouldn’t go into a game of poker because having a full house or a royal flush and be out-bluffed by a pair of twos.
SPEAKER 08 :
Maybe we need to use an ality of go fish. I’m not sure. But I want to talk about something else because we get focused on one area, and rightfully so. I mean, this is a big deal, what’s happening in the Middle East and Iran. But some developments in Mali. Tell us about that.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, as you know, Mali is a country in West Africa, Tony. It’s about twice the size of Texas or about the size of Texas and California combined. It’s bordered by seven different countries, so it’s right in the thick of things. And they used to be a democracy, but they were overthrown. The French were kicked out. What used to be the Wagner Group, the Russians took over, but the Russians are now being kicked out. The important thing here is is on April 25th, an al-Qaeda affiliate named Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen, J-N-I-M, basically killed the defense minister, had a whole series of attacks, and now has blockaded the capital, Bamako. And so there’s a very real possibility that in the next week or so, al-Qaeda could take over a major state in West Africa. There’s two dangers to this. First of all, as I said, Mali is huge, and it could be a launching point for any number of other countries. But it’s also a launching point, even though it’s not exactly contiguous, to what we’ve seen with Boko Haram in Nigeria. Basically, the Christians in West Africa are now in very great peril. And I should just note, Tony, that every administration since, let’s say, George H.W. Bush, the elder President Bush, Had their national security legacy defined by the crisis no one saw coming during the campaign, I would actually argue that what’s happening in West Africa now could be as important to Donald Trump’s legacy and our national security as what’s happening in the Persian Gulf.
SPEAKER 08 :
Are they operating in isolation or are there other players kind of bolstering them, helping them to create greater destabilization in Africa?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I mean, in the past, Russia was helping kick all the Western interests, France and so forth, out of Mali. And the Russians, as they were in Mozambique, were defeated. What I worry about and what we need to keep an eye on, of course, is Turkey. Because we may talk about Turkey as a NATO ally, but several years ago, a recording leaked between Turkish Air and one of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey’s chief aides, in which Turkish Air was being used to smuggle weaponry and explosives to Boko Haram and Islamists in northern Nigeria. Turkey also has a presence in Mali. I’m afraid Turkey is doing what Pakistan has before, what Saudi Arabia has before, where they might talk a good game at home, but they export radical Islamism abroad And that always blows back. We’re about to face that big time in West Africa. And remember, Mali isn’t that far. It’s only one country in between them and Europe.
SPEAKER 08 :
Dr. Well, and you look at Nigeria, and we know Boko Haram and even the Fulani herdsmen, better equipped in some cases, especially Boko Haram, than the Nigerian military. So, we know that they’re getting supplied from someplace. I mean, we see the same thing happening in Mali. I mean, this could be, as you pointed out, this could be quite significant in defining moment. Because people don’t realize what will happen with the migration to Europe. I mean, Europe’s already in trouble.
SPEAKER 16 :
You’re absolutely right, Tony, and I’m glad you brought up the Fulanis because they are a major force in Mali. So when you want to draw the connection there, there you have it. Now, when it comes to the Delta region, to Biafra in Nigeria, The previous administration, President Biden, but especially Secretary of State Tony Blinken, were willing to exculpate the Fulanis and said, you know, all this migration, all these Fulanis coming down and slaughtering Christians, that’s just the result of climate change. But let me tell you, Tony, climate change doesn’t charter the buses, which the Fulani militiamen were using to drive into Christian villages and then stage massacres.
SPEAKER 08 :
No, I mean, I know that’s a fact because he told me that to my face when I was on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. When the Biden administration removed them from the country of particular concerns list that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo helped help us get established. I appreciate you bringing this up because I think this is something we need to be very, very careful of in watching. I mean, we can’t be the world’s policeman, but we certainly, through various levers that we have, can influence what’s happening in these regions. And I agree with you on Turkey. I think we give Turkey way too much latitude, and they’re a bad actor. I’ll give you the final say. You’ve got 30 seconds.
SPEAKER 16 :
No, they absolutely are. And, you know, if we want to look at Turkey being a bad actor, we have nowhere else to look but also with regard to Hezbollah, which, of course, is now in a fight with regard to Israel. Most people in the region behind the scenes will say that Turkey is supporting Hezbollah, despite their sectarian difference, simply because they want to further their Cold War with Israel before it becomes a hot war. Again, this brings us back to what we were saying, Tony. Ideology, ideology, ideology. We can’t ignore it.
SPEAKER 08 :
We have to believe it when they say it. We have a hard time doing that. Dr. Rubin, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me, Tony. Folks, thank you for joining us as well. Remember, PrayVoteStand Summit coming up. Go to PrayVoteStand.org. And keep praying, keep voting, and keep standing.
SPEAKER 06 :
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.
