If we lose this cultural war, we're going to have a hedonistic society
>> If we lose this cultural war, we're going to have a hedonistic, humanistic society. Discover the story of the culture warrior, Don Wildmon and how he went head to head with Hollywood playboy, the homosexual agenda and the Disney empire. The movement Don started paved the way for Christians to boldly stand for truth and righteousness in a hostile culture. Watch Culture Warrior today for free. Visit culturewarrior movie.
Welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network
Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day, huh? Here's your host, Tim Wildmon. M. President of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to this program. And it's Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in case you were wondering. And I have three gentlemen, here, and I use that term lightly, in studio with me to discuss the, issues of the day. And they include Ed Vitagliano. Good morning, Ed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm, I'm one of the, issues of the. Of the day. Listen.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, you are, my friend. Bring it the world Cent around dead says Ed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: If you don't believe me, just ask.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Wesley Wildmon. Good morning, Wesley.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Good morning.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.
>> Fred Jackson: Hey there.
>> Tim Wildmon: Abraham Hamilton III will join us at the bottom of the hour. We've got big story to talk to him about regarding the irs. Right, Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: That is correct. The IRS has had a change of heart when it comes to have a heart.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, you ever seen the Grinch Grinches.
>> Tim Wildmon: Got one of those?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Anybody's heart?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, during the Biden years, there was a lawsuit launched against the IRS with regards to the Johnson Amendment that was passed that said churches could not. Pastors could not endorse openly political candidates. Well, apparently the IRS has had a change of heart on that front.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I think they ruled that. They said, in there. I think this was almost a verbatim. Democrats have been doing it for years now we're going to let Republicans do it. I noticed that, end of quote. That was the IRS director. I think maybe I, Maybe I got that wrong. I don't know.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But Abe's going to talk about that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, one additional, legal issue of importance. We thought we'd bring in the big guns, you know, to talk legal.
>> Tim Wildmon: Absolutely.
>> Wesley Wildmon: There's a three stellar guys. No, do it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, we can discuss it, but we can't speak authoritatively.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, we can wing it. We can, we can wing it on lost stuff.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That they're law. Law stuff. according to my mom, I gave up a league. My career As a lawyer to go into the ministry.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You tell you you broke news to her, right? This is what.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: 40 years ago.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh yeah, probably 45.
>> Tim Wildmon: She would tell people mid 20th century.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She said, my son, left his career in law to.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, when she was introducing you to people to introduce me. Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: She would say that, she would say, my son, is in the ministry. He left his career as a lawyer to go into the ministry. And I would say right then and there, mom, I was never a lawyer.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And she said, well, you went to law school, right? And I said, no, I didn't go to law school. I was pre law in undergraduate and then I became a Christian.
>> Tim Wildmon: Besides, being in law school and being a lawyer means I was on the devil's team and I switched over to God's team.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right. so I still cannot speak authoritatively on the law.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well listen, thank you for joining Wesley. Folks want to join us on that their Internet, how can they do that?
>> Wesley Wildmon: I would encourage everyone to download our American Family radio app or afr app. Also you can go to afr.net and afr.net there you can stream and listen to all our radio programs live throughout the day as well as go back and get our newscast and get any other form, of content that we put on our radio that you may have heard earlier in the day or later in the day. Go to afr.net and also download our AFR app as well.
Death toll from flooding in Central Texas rises to 111; 170 still missing
>> Tim Wildmon: Fred, what's the first story?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, let's first give an update with regards to the recovery operations that are underway there in Central Texas. Now, various news media are giving slightly different figures, but the death toll, at least According to the AP early this morning, 111 confirmed dead. 170, they are saying, still missing. And if, you know, if you look at the images and the video coming out from that area, you can understand why that the search may, to some people be going slowly. But if you look at the extent of the debris, the trees, the cars, the houses that are just piled up all the way down a very long 40, 50 mile stretch of that Guadalupe River. It is. And they have to go very slowly. I mean the searchers, their lives are in danger if they start moving things and things start to collapse.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: So it's there. Now. Governor Abbott held a news conference yesterday and he gave out a phone. I don't have that with me. But he gave out a phone number because it is possible amongst those declared still Missing that there are some people who may have been camping along that river. We were. We've been talking about. There are many camps. It's a beautiful area. It's possible some people had left the area even before the flooding, but they haven't called in to say, I'm fine. so that's a possibility. Yeah. so there's, there's. They're holding out that kind of hope. But Governor, Abbott says his team, the recovery people, are going to stay there until they find everybody. the next big event is going to be President Trump and first Lady Melania plan to visit, the area on Friday. And, already though, right off the bat, Governor Abbott said the White House made a phone call and said, whatever you guys need to help out with this, we are sending in the federal resources. And, that was one of the big things that was coming out of the North Carolina fiasco after the hurricane there, that FEMA was very slow to move. Well, not this time. And also Homeland, Security, Christine Olmes also said every available, everything that the state needs to help in this recovery is going to be made available. Also saw an interview yesterday with Samaritan's Purse, Ed Graham, who heads that. And, they're also making resources available.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Right now I'm looking at the video footage of this, what we're talking about. Now, I'm not sure if that's the most recent or not, but it seems to me like the, the water's still not completely back to the lower levels that it was before the flood. So is that. Do you know if that's true or not? If it's gotten back to the.
>> Fred Jackson: Oh, it's backed off.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I know it's backed off a lot, but, I don't, probably water.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, once a river like that overflows, even when it starts to recede, it still leaves water puddled up. and.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And so I guess the, the point I was getting to was, is that you just got to get back to normal before you can do an. I would think, well, you could clear the area or make sure that you've.
>> Fred Jackson: It's receded quite a bit.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's good.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Here's the A team. Talk about this because it's so hard to talk about. But, I mean, let's face it, you got 161 missing or so.
>> Fred Jackson: That's the figure that FOX is giving. Now.
>> Tim Wildmon: I know that, you know, you always want to hold out hope that maybe they are still alive and they have it Been able to contact, but the chances of that with all these people searching is almost zero.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Unless you're talking about situations like Fred mentioned, where people were camping and they got out and they're just glad to be. And they don't know they're being counted as missing. But to your point, Tim, I think at this point it's now, Recovery.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a body recovery going on.
>> Tim Wildmon: I was going to say they're going to find people all down the river.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. 50 or 60 miles. That's. That's a lot of ground to cover. Remember we had that. One of those initial stories about the girl who was rescued. She was up in a tree.
>> Fred Jackson: That's right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But someone said that was 20 miles downstream from where she was.
>> Tim Wildmon: What I read swept away, story 20.
>> Ed Vitagliano: When I heard that, I thought, 20 miles away. That means. Again, we're trying to be sensitive here, but there were bodies swept away that kept going. And so they're gonna have to. They're gonna have to go through that entire 50 or 60 mile.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Even a boat ride for 20 miles would take forever.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's what I thought. I thought. That sounds impossible because you would think you would be injured, or killed by going down a raging river for 20 miles without a raft or anything like that. You know what I'm saying? It sounds impossible, but I did read the same story I. I was also reading last night. There's so much heartache here and tragedy. There was two. I read two stories about two separate sisters. okay, two stories, but they were separate stories about. One of them was about two twins, and the other one was about sisters, who weren't twins, but they were both close in age at the camps. And they were both killed at the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ones who were holding hands.
>> Tim Wildmon: M. Yeah. And then. Then there was a tragic story last night about a gentleman and his wife who were camping in an rv. And he. By the time they learned what was going on, the water was about to sweep them away. And he was calling his kids to say he loved them and he didn't think they were going to make it. That's what his exact words were.
The tornado in Texas killed more people than any previous tornado or hurricane
And they didn't.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And my understanding. I've read that story. I read this, and I think it was. He was there with his girlfriend. I think she was calling her mom. He was calling his kids. They didn't. They didn't answer. He had to leave that as a message.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right? Yes, that's right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: on the. On voicemail.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Very.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, there's no Dress rehearsals for that kind of thing. And that's just terrifying to think about it happening to your loved ones and heartbreaking to hear about it happening to someone else.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I was gonna say, it's, it killed more people thus far than any previous tornado or hurricane or anything in.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That area, is what I was reading in Texas.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, with everything else, you do get warnings for the most part. A tornado, you get, And they did get a warning here, but the problem was. Yes, it was in the middle of the night talking about one between one and four or five o' clock in the morning. Well, everybody's in bed. And the, counselors didn't have their cell phones. They weren't allowed to have their cell phones.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And neither were the, neither were the counselors.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. And most people, they have their, I know I do. I don't have my cell phone on in the middle. It's on silent, if it's on at all, but usually it's on silent. That's what everybody does.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So that's not calculated. You got it. You got to really remember that when you go to criticizing what, what people could have done differently is that. I don't know if there's anything between 1 and 4 o'. Clock.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is a once in a hundred years.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, I'm with you on that.
>> Tim Wildmon: I haven't read that anywhere. that's, that's what I'm saying. This is a once in a lifetime tragedy that happened because the rain came down so fast and the river was rising about, What was it about? it wrote. It rose 40, 45ft. No, 26ft.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. In 45, 45 minutes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So you're talking about six inch, approximately, what, five inches? Six inches. A, for every, like, minute. For every minute. Is that right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: That, that, that's, that's approximate. Just from the videos I've seen, that looks like. And, and that's, that's insane in terms, if that's, if that's accurate. Five or six inches for every minute. For every minute. you're, you're, you're looking at the water. Just, you're watching, you're watching it, right? Get, get to the place within minutes where you can't do anything right, like.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Filling up a sink. I mean, I mean, if you cut on a faucet, close it up and you watch it fill up, that's how fast.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, exactly. All right. but still there'll be people who are trying. I've seen some of these lefties saying, oh, this is on Elon Musk and Donald Trump because they, they cut the,
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's crazy, weather.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Weather people.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, first. Well, there was a couple claims, but that one was the first one, and that one was the first one to be, debunked. Debunked because in most cases they actually were overstaffed. So they, they pulled the trigger without even. They should have looked at that one because they had two more people than was necessary at the time this happened, than they needed to do their jobs. Talking about the local weathers.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, so. Exactly.
The National Education Association has severed ties with the Anti Defamation League
All right, next story. Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, we've done stories about the National Education association, which is the nation's largest teachers union. Well, they've been meeting this week in Portland, Oregon, and one of the decisions they have made is, is to cut off their very long relationship that they've had with the anti, Defamation League. The Anti Defamation League, a large Jewish group, pro Israel group. They have been providing schools with material about the Holocaust, about Israel, about the history of the Jewish people, etc. Etc. Well, they have made the decision, the teachers union, to cut off relationships with, that organization, and it's because they support Israel. This morning on Fox and Friends, the CEO of the organization, the Anti Defamation League, his name is Jonathan Greenplat, and he had this to say about that decision from the teachers union. Cut number nine.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: And the reality is it's an organization that clearly has been overtaken by activists. You know, these individuals are there to teach our children in the classroom, you know, the basics of reading and writing and arithmetic, not radicalism. But that's exactly what's happened. We've seen an explosion of anti Semitism in this country, Charlie.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Anti Jewish acts of harassment, vandalism and violence have skyrocketed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Last year was the worst year we've.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Ever tracked at adl. And yet somehow these teachers think the answer is to isolate Jewish students, to intimidate other Jewish educators, and to target the oldest organization in the country fighting anti Semitism.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, this is the, what he's talking about again is the National Education association and their annual convention. This is the largest teachers union. Right, Correct. In the country. And they listen, these people. The NEA has always been on the left side of the Democrat Party. I mean, they're, they're, they're. There are a lot of AOCs over there, so to speak. Alexandria, Casio, Cortez. she's become a metaphor. And she. Yes, the three letters, aoc. I mean, these, the nea. so the ADL Anti Defamation League is an organization like the naacp, if you're familiar with the naacp, which has been around for a long time, and they represent black folks. when injustices as they perceive them at least have been done, they speak out. Right, the naacp, you don't hear from them much anymore. But anyway, the, ADL is, is like the naacp, but for Jewish people. That's right. And so they're there. They've been considered on the left, too. So it. You have a division among people on the left here. And this is a real problem for the Democrat Party because traditionally Jewish people, although they are, what are they, 1, 2, 3% of the American population, something like that, but they've always been real loyal to Democrats, Democratic Party. But now you have a situation where there is a divide, in that party, and it's, it's a serious one, as that fellow right there was just talking about. Because, I don't know where the, I don't know where Jewish people go with their vote and support politically if they have to abandon the Democrat Party because they've never really identified with the Republicans, so to speak. so it. This, and some people say this is the reason that the governor of Pennsylvania, Shapiro, what's his first name?
>> Wesley Wildmon: Josh.
>> Tim Wildmon: Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, had, Kamala Harris, the vice president, who was the Democrat nominee, selected Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, she would have had a better chance of beating Trump in the general election. Whether she would have or not, who knows? But it would have, probably swamped Pennsylvania, giving him Pennsylvania, which was a big state in a close election. Right. So, but, but, but she, the theory is that she didn't choose him because he's a Jew. And she would never say that out loud.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what I'm saying? But the intensity of the war in the Democrat Party and among people on the left is, getting heated up. It's a internal, war, because the people like the nea, they're going to say the Jews in Israel are committing genocide against the people in Gaza. And they're going to say, you other Jews in America need to condemn that. And if you don't, you're in support of genocide. And we can't have any, quote, fellowship with you. You see what I'm saying here? So that's a lot of the energy against Israel is turning into anti Semitism in the U.S. by people on the far left. And they're at war, not with us, not with people on the right necessarily. They're with their war with people within their own movement. traditionally that's a long winded answer.
National Education Association delegates vote to condemn Israel, according to Axios
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, listen, and we're going to see something interesting here because I'm looking at an Axios, article on this vote at the National Education association. Because this is a divide between, in the, in the Democratic Party, as you're talking about, Tim, between the establishment Democrats and this new, enraged radical leftist wing of the party. Okay. This Axios article says that because this vote by NEA delegates. Again, this is at the. Their national. National, Education association at their national assembly in Portland, Oregon. This article says because it was determined to be a sanction item, it is automatically referred to the NEA Executive committee. This is according to an NEA spokesperson. So this spokesperson told Axios, therefore the official action on the proposal is adopted but referred to committee. So this is going to be fascinating because I'm guessing that committee is going to be like the establishment in the Democratic Party trying to calm down their foot soldiers. Okay, this is going to be interesting. If this committee gives thumbs up to this vote, it's to me going to be an indication that the Democratic Party establishment may eventually crumble and turn officially against Israel and become a pro Palestinian party. If I was a Jewish person of any political stripe in this country, this vote by the national, Education association, their delegates, this would, this would make chills run up and down my spine because I would be thinking, this happened in Germany before the Nazis took over and started shoving us into camps. How is this happening in the United States of America? But it shows that this country has split wide open. Well, between radical, a radical political worldview and the traditionalists.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And I do think it's related, directly to what's going on. They're going to say the Jews in Israel are persecuting the Arabs, Muslims in Gaza. And because of that, you Jews in America need to condemn Israel.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Or else you're for genocide.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: What they call genocide.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So. But what's also interesting here is the National Education Association. I don't know how much, how many members they have, but they still wield a lot of influence in terms of what's taught in schools.
>> Fred Jackson: Oh, absolutely.
>> Ed Vitagliano: At the ADL supplies information to schools.
>> Fred Jackson: About, about the Holocaust and about anti Semitism.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Fred Jackson: Teaching kids about anti Semitism. This is just the latest front in what I see as an education system that has turned on the Jewish people and on Israel. We saw this being manifested after October 7, 2023.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Within two days there were anti Israel protests. Columbia, Harvard, Yale.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Clearly organized and paid for.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, but deep seated anti Semitism within our education system.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, well, because all these. A lot of these college students had already been in classrooms where they were taught. Yes, to hate Israel and to. And to reckon Israel with the white oppression of people of color. Even though. Even though Jews and Arabs are the same skin color.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. But they're part of the oppressive. From a cultural. Marxist, Marx, Marxist worldview that they're part of the problem.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And let me just say this. m. Maybe I'm alone here. Why? It's a color. Huh? Why? It's a color.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is it a color or not?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I've never. I'm just going to be honest. I've never seen an actual white person.
>> Tim Wildmon: What color. What color are you?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm. I'm kind of. Kind of tan.
>> Tim Wildmon: I've been out in the sun more than you have.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, you're.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You're kind of all that mode.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think we should. I think we should insist that we at least be called pink people.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, I'll go with that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or. Or peach.
>> Tim Wildmon: Peachy, Right? The peach. The pit. We're peach.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: We're peach.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's what I said.
>> Fred Jackson: I'm peachy keen.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: We're peachy.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: I've never.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I've never actually seen a black person.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Not the color black, like your shirt. We're all shades.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's a good song right there.
Over 60% of abortions happen through the abortion pill
>> Ed Vitagliano: It is.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're all, Ah, shades.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We're all shades.
>> Tim Wildmon: we'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues on American Family Radio.
>> Ed Vitagliano: This June 24th marks three years since Roe vs. Wade was overturned. But here's what you may not know. Abortion numbers have surged to a 10 year high. The battleground has shifted from the courtroom to our homes. Today, over 60% of abortions happen through the abortion pill. Taken in silence, often alone, PreBorn Network clinics are standing in the gap, meeting women in their most desperate hour. And here's what they're seeing. Young mothers, terrified and misled, are delivering their babies. Tiny, perfectly formed onto bathroom floors. These precious babies, once called just tissue, now lie lifeless. 11% of these women who take the abortion pill will suffer serious health complications. Countless others carry emotional scars for a lifetime. When you give to preborn, you're not just saving a baby. You're saving a mother, too. You're giving her hope, financial support, and the truth. PreBorn has already rescued over 350,000 babies. But there are so many more who need our help. Your Tax deductible gift makes this mission possible. To donate now, dial pound250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound250 baby. Or go to preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of today's issues.
American Family Radio will talk about Jeffrey Epstein on today's issues
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back everybody to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed, Wesley and Fred. And in just a few moments, we're going to Wesley. Well, Ed, Fred and Tim will, be quiet and Wesley will be given 15 minutes to talk about the Jeffrey Epstein story. And we'll just turn Wesley loose on that one. Yeah, and we'll get Tony. Tony would take the. I know Ed son in here, let him join up with the two of.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You, then the rest of y' all could just.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ain't no need not being in here. Yeah, we will talk about that. It is a serious story, involving the, new, York.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Playboy.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know what you was. He's a, he was a pedophile. Yeah, right. Talking about the Jeffrey Epstein.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: But, that's, that's a pretty big story and we will talk about it, in just a few minutes here on today's issues. but first of all, we have some very good news to report. And joining us to talk about it is Abraham Hamilton the third, Ava's general, ah, counsel force here at AFA and heard each afternoon on the Hamilton corner from 5 to 6 o' clock central time right here on American Family Radio.
The IRS is considering whether to revoke tax exempt status for churches that endorse candidates
Good, morning, Abe.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Good morning.
>> Tim Wildmon: Tell us the good news.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah, so there is a case that's pending in the eastern district of, Texas in the Tyler Division, styled National religious broadcasters versus Billy Long in his official capacity as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. That case takes, aim at the Johnson Amendment, specifically saying that it is an unconstitutional incursion upon the free exercise and free speech rights of churches if the IRS continues to threaten revocation of tax exempt status for churches that would endorse candidates publicly. The interesting turn of events is that the case now has what's called a joint motion for entry of consent judgment, which means that both parties that were opposing one another have agreed to ask the court to grant their grant its consent to the party's agreement that churches do not run afoul of the law and should not risk their tax exempt status if they endorse candidates publicly. So that would mean that pastors and churches would be able to endorse candidates for political office, including the presidency, publicly within their congregations without fear of retribution from the irs. And again that would be a consent agreement between the NRB and the rest of the plaintiffs and the irs. And Billy Long in his official capacity as IRS commissioner. That is a huge, huge, huge deal. Because for so long pastors have been afraid in many instances or unwilling or reluctant in other instances to speak publicly about candidates for office out of fear of losing their taxes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Unless you're Al Sharpton, or Reverend Reverend Al Sharpton.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: The Rev. Yun Al Sharpton, Jamal Bryant, Raphael Warnock.
>> Tim Wildmon: I mean, you know, Democrats have been doing this forever. Yes. I'm talking about speaking at churches and, and endorsing candidates. And I, you know, I don't, I don't, I don't have problem with them speaking. you know, it's America. But it's only the, the conservative, churches that were the ones who were thought to be in violation of the IRS laws.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: So, and I should add that the consent order has not been signed yet by the court, but has been proposed by both parties. So that's the IRS admitting, admitting in a formal court filing that churches do not violate the law if pastors and their congregations endorse candidates within the regular orders of worship as they speak to their congregants and their parishioners in their local churches.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So does this change the law that's currently on the books or does this just clarify?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: it doesn't change anything about the law that's on the books. I've long said and really advised people that churches did not have to formally register for 501 protection because that was a ruse promulgated by Lyndon B. Johnson to get churches to be silent on political issues. so it doesn't change the law, but it clarifies formally what the law is and that is that pastors and churches do not violate the law and do not jeopardize their tax exempt status by advising their congregants on all manners of life, doctrine and public, public engagement, including the moral and religious implications of electoral politics.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what I've been, I've been in obviously conservative churches for a long time and from time to time politics does come up and government and what the Christians responsibility is. But yeah, and this is not necessarily because of fear repercussions from the irs. But I think the most churches and pastors, they don't want to get involved in endorsing particular candidates. That's just not the role of the church. But, they do that as churches and pastors, I think, have an obligation when it is election time for a governor or a president or to say, okay, here are the party platforms. You know, here's the things that the candidates themselves say they believe in and maybe take, you know what I'm saying, And I think that's appropriate to, bring up, but not rarely. I've never heard somebody say, hey, Pastor so and so says, hey, I'm endorsing John Doe over here for governor.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I would just say, I was in the pastorate for many years if I was a pastor. And this Internal Revenue Service, this irs, You've never heard of it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, you're like, you've never heard of it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: If this change had happened while I was pastoring, this is my personal opinion, according to my conscience, I would still not endorse individual candidates. I like what you said. I have and always did talk about issues. I might lay out the party platform.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Something like that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Something like that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Say the differences.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Here's the reason why I would not personally and people. And I'm sure there are pastors who disagree with me, but that's fine.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I may disagree with you.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Is that, to me, the pulpit is meant to endorse Jesus.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I wouldn't.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And, and. And if I endorsed. If I used that pulpit to endorse another human being and that person turned and, you know, fell away from the faith or, you know, became adulterous or whatever, then I have, in my opinion, I have squandered, the influence of the pulpit.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, we already have somebody here who disagrees with me, so.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Well, let's not. We could do that, but let's just focus on the point that this is a win because it gives the Amen, it gives people freedom to endorse. And it's more than just political candidates. It's also school boards, directors. It's,
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: There's. There's more. It's a bigger picture than that one particular instance, which, by the way, and that one particular instance, I may agree with you more than I disagree with you, because from the pulpit, I agree. But then personally, what you have to do, you have to decide if a person leaves, physically leaves a pulpit, goes home and gets on his social media account.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, absolutely.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That kind of thing. Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: But I do agree for. I'm tracking with you a little bit, but, go ahead.
Abe: Does Johnson Amendment apply to all 501c3 nonprofits
>> Fred Jackson: No, I just Had a question for a clarification. Abe, you said this applies to pastors, to churches, but does it apply to all 501c3 nonprofits?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: No. No, it does not. That was an express limitation in the order that it's limited to churches in their regular worship services and their regular orders, communication to their own congregants. Not to the more broad, context of nonprofit organizations that are 501c3 organizations.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Is the Johnson Amendment what created the 501c3 status? So in other words, if it was repealed at some point, would there be no more 501c3 status ultimately?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: It could if it was ultimately repealed. But this is not a repealing of the Johnson Amendment. It is expressing a. What I would argue is a more constitutional understanding of it as it applies to churches.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, Okay, we're talking about the good news. Yesterday you said this was a announcement, by the irs. This wasn't a court.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah. So the IRS filed in, in open court, a joint motion along with the. With nrb, National Religious Broadcasters, and other plaintiffs, their consent to this understanding of the Johnson Amendment.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But they could change their minds.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: No. Once. Once. Once.
>> Wesley Wildmon: This is like a settlement is.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes. Basically, it's a settlement in a case. Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes.
>> Wesley Wildmon: you're welcome. My legal. My legal.
>> Tim Wildmon: So you came through for us. Well, I just like the fact that a guy named Billy Long is now in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. Because I've been waiting a long time.
>> Wesley Wildmon: For a Billy Long named Billy.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, for a Billy, I played against him in church league, so. And I knew he was going places, you know what I'm saying?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Because he could ever more hit the ball. I said, one day, my friend, Billy Bomb. Listen to me. One day you're going to be the leader of a, three letter agency.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, Well, I got a washing.
>> Tim Wildmon: And here he is.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He could. He. You said he could sure enough hit the ball.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, he could.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Did he actually go to your church or did you draft.
>> Tim Wildmon: He did go to my church during softball season. And we all know how that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's why I was asking about March. We have some church league free agencies. You got the ni. Wesley beat me to the punch. You got the nil going on from your tides.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Free agency.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I always like the guy who, you know, when the industrial league's going on, he's playing for Budweiser.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: And then when church league starts, he switches over to First Baptist.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You know what I'm saying right now? The best one. And I Won't bore you with all the details, but I was playing a church league basketball. It was a group of guys in the same boat. We're talking about here and there. They didn't have matching shirts. Okay. They didn't even have matching jerseys. But if you go you. So you to. So to figure out who you're playing, you go to the. The schedule.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And you look and it was third non denominational.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I was not.
>> Tim Wildmon: That was the name of the church.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: they were just wanting to pick up on you guys for sure.
>> Wesley Wildmon: But that, that's where. That's.
>> Tim Wildmon: They weren't even a real church. They probably there. I didn't even comply with irs.
>> Wesley Wildmon: No. So anyway, they're non denominational.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. Well, listen, Abe, that's some very good news and we appreciate you sharing it with us.
Both John Brennan and James Comey are under federal investigation over Russiagate
Anything else you want to ask him about, Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there are a couple of really nice guys by the name of John Brennan and James Comey are now the subject of a federal investigation.
>> Tim Wildmon: They're not playing on my church league team official.
>> Wesley Wildmon: There's a lot of winning going on. This is what I was. This is one of the ones I was referring to.
>> Fred Jackson: Now Mr. Brennan used to be the former CIA director and James Comey used to direct the FBI. There are allegations that maybe they were into dirty tricks against, Donald Trump during his first administration. Let's talk both. Let's talk about Russiagate. what do you think?
>> Tim Wildmon: Let's relive that.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: I think water is wet. No, I'm just kidding. No, it is. It's amazing because you have evidence now that the CIA has come out and said that John Brennan wasn't in particular the major player from the intelligence community working behind the scenes to include the Steele dossier into what eventually became the Russell hoax, the Russiagate investigation. Even though John Brennan testified before Congress in 2023 that he opposed the Steele dossier's utilization in Russiagate, that at a minimum indicates that he potentially could have perjured himself under oath, if not worse. So he has been formally referred to, the Department of Justice for criminal investigation. And also my non frame it. James Comey the clown has, has also been referred to Department of Justice criminal investigation. However, the DOJ has not stated publicly the basis of the criminal inquiry, but they just have confirmed that he is being investigated for potential criminal prosecution.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Do you think the Brennan investigation has legs? I mean, you think this is a, a real thing where he, where he could, if found guilty, could go to prison?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: I, I do, I do. Because at A minimum, he has publicly purged himself if the evidence is substantiated, because the CIA has come forward, whistleblowers in the CIA have come forward providing evidence that directly contradicts what he testified to publicly in, in 2023 before the House Committee. So at a minimum it could be perjury if not more.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, he, he, John Brennan then the CIA director. Right, Right.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: For Obama, right?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: That's right. That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Or for Biden.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Obama. He was Obama.
>> Tim Wildmon: But he, he, he's the one. Was he in the Biden administration too, though?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: I don't, I believe he was. I don't know what the formal capacity was. I don't have to look that up.
>> Tim Wildmon: But. Okay, well, anyway, Director, he, he was the. John Brennan. He was the one. He was one of the ones who instigated the Remember the. All these specialists and experts involved letter.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Of the 51 intelligence saying that the.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hunter Biden story was fake and was rushing disinformation. Remember that?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes, he was very much as well.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, he was very much. He was very hyper partisan and talking about Brennan in his, John Brennan. But anyway, we will see what happens here. Fred.
Is it possible that Hillary Clinton could be subpoenaed under oath in Russia investigation
>> Fred Jackson: I just had a quick question, Abe. is it possible that if, investigation proceeds that we could see a friend of these two gentlemen, Hillary Clinton, hauled in by subpoena and put under oath because many people think her hands are as dirty as the other two.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: And you can count me in that many other people category. this is where you have possibility versus likelihood. So it is possible. but concerning the likelihood, I can't really say how likely it is depending on what evidence is uncovered in the formal investigation of the two who have already been announced. So it is very possible, but the likelihood I just can't speak to at this juncture.
>> Tim Wildmon: On that Steele dossier, John Brennan, then the CIA director was told this is the, this is. Was told by multiple, at least two of his top aides that this was not substantiated. You're absolutely right and unprovable and shouldn't be entered into any kind of official record. And he said I don't care. I'm telling you. He didn't say I don't care. But his action said I don't care. I'm going to enter it anyway. That's he, that's what happened there, right?
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes, that, that is a part of the query. And then he comes around and lies about it and said that he opposed it was against this utilization. You're right. There are high level intelligence official officials who, who lobbied him specifically to say you should not include that in any form or anything because it doesn't bear the markers of anything having credibility.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, you got five more minutes. A.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well, you're going to wish you didn't.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: No, no, I don't. I don't have.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, you. You said it. Now, if you got it, if your dog starts barking or whatever, somebody at the door, you let me.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I know what's coming. Abe.
>> Tim Wildmon: Jeffrey Epstein, what do you think? There you go. Handle that one. Pam Bondi.
Pam Bondi said she had the Epstein client list on her desk
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, well, go ahead, talk about.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: I did say this on a Hamilton corner. I said one of the biggest issues is both, Cash Patel and Dan Bongino, before they were FBI members of the FBI. They stated they're concerned about Jeffrey Epstein, that he didn't kill himself, things of that nature. They've now reversed course. Pam Bondi, upon taking office, literally, came out and said, I have the Epstein client list on my desk. She said that publicly on television. I played the clip on my show and then for the DOJ now to have a M memo saying that the Epstein client list doesn't exist. All right, it provokes a question. Was she lying then or is she lying now?
Ed Bennett: President Trump commented on Jeffrey Epstein yesterday
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, present. Sorry to interrupt, but President Trump commented on this yesterday in the presence of Pam Bondi.
>> Fred Jackson: And she commented, too.
>> Tim Wildmon: And she commented too. Here's what they had to say about it.
>> Fred Jackson: That's cut number six.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?
>> Ed Vitagliano: This guy's been talked about for years. You're asking. We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: And are people still talking about this guy, this creep?
>> Tim Wildmon: In February, I did an interview on.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Fox and it's been getting a lot.
>> Tim Wildmon: Of attention because I said I was.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Asked a question about the client list.
>> Tim Wildmon: And my response was it's sitting on.
>> Wesley Wildmon: My desk to be reviewed, meaning the.
>> Tim Wildmon: File, along with the JFK MLK files as well. That's what I meant by that. okay, this is called a spin room right there.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: You know, I'm from New Orleans and I've seen crawfish a few times in my life.
>> Tim Wildmon: you know what? I hate this because I like all these people. Well, y', all, I think we're all supportive. Of what? Of the job they're doing otherwise. Talking about, for the most part, President Trump and Pam Bondi as AG And Cash Patel's FBI director. But it just sounds like to me they're, it. This is what a lot of people are thinking. I'll just say that I'll do like President Trump and say, you know, people are saying, yes, I'll just put it that way.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Some are saying.
>> Tim Wildmon: Some are saying that there's a cover up here and now the Trump administration is part of it. And you said this morning at one of our meetings, Ed, that there may be. You now you're just speculating. Yes, I'll just say this, but. But everybody's speculating because it sounds like Pam Bondi had information that now they don't want to share. They being President Trump and his administration, maybe for a good reason. I don't know. President Trump says, why are we even talking about this anymore? And he should know better. He knows why people are still talking about. Yes, because this. Among MAGA supporters. This is like the number one story.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: So. So go ahead and talk.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, listen, if you know anything about. I'm just going to be as brief as I can, and I'm not accusing anybody, and I'm not making. I am saying that if you've done any study at all, the CIA is a dirty business. What they do. It's a dirty business.
>> Tim Wildmon: You don't want to know how the sausage is made.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You don't want to know how the sausage is made. The United States of America. United States of America has done a lot of underhanded stuff. Okay? So there are a lot of Americans who understand that. They understand that you got to do some of that because the other side's doing it too. Okay? So I'm looking at someone like Jeffrey Epstein, who, as far as, as far as I've read, was not well known as an investor. you know, he, he was not a. A guy who was known for being a billionaire because of all the money he's made with smart investments. He got his money to live his lifestyle somewhere. And so the speculation on the street. Right, I'm, all about the speculation, is that the CIA, and maybe even the Mossad, that's the intelligence agency of Israel, paid and, and kept Epstein afloat and paid for his lifestyle so that people could come. Well known people could come to his island and traffic in young women. And then the CIA has, has them, they have video, they have proof. And then if, if you need to apply a twisting of the arm to get something done, you have evidence to do that.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Like blackmail.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's like, like blackmail.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Sounds like a movie.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's. It does sound like a movie firm. And I would.
Tim Ferriss: President Trump's comments on Epstein stinks to high heaven
Now, Christians, I also said this morning, Christians need to tell the truth. We need to speak the truth about what we know is true. I don't know that that's a fact, but I do know that the CIA does stuff like that. And all this stuff about disappearing files. Pam Bondi was saying she has the Epstein client list on her desk. I don't care what else. Like Abe said, that's crawfishing. You say that then, and now you're saying, well, I wasn't really talking about the client list. everybody's suspicious about Epstein. Did he kill himself? There's a minute missing on the videotape. I'm telling you, this stinks to high heaven. And this is not a good look for President Trump to act like asking the questions that everyone is thinking, is, somehow disrespectful to what's going on in Texas. I got news for the president and everybody else who's saying that the American people can think about two things at the same time.
>> Wesley Wildmon: All right, now, help, help. Remind me the details here, but I. This is the second time, if I remember correctly, that they've let us down on this issue, because they also said they were going to release a packet, didn't they? And then they released it, and it was pretty much nothing in there on this issue.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: This was a whole event at the White House.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's what it was. Yep. Yep.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: And a bunch of influencers and podcasters and conservative commentators went to Washington for the event to receive the binders that were distributed only for them to get to where they could actually read what was in it. And nothing was in it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that it was stuff that everyone already knew.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: It was stuff that everybody knew. I should say nothing additional than other things that were already in the public.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Nobody's going to stop talking about this.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And it wasn't. And that was considering the fact, the big of a deal that they made it. They made a whole afternoon out of it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Look, people are horrified about what went on down at that island. And if you're Joe Blow in Philadelphia and you get caught trafficking young girls, you go into prison for the rest of your life. And the thought that just because there are big shots, just because there's some big shot in, in Parliament or in the Royal Family or with all these accusations going around, just because you're a big shot, you get away with it, and the, American government is going to cover up for you, it. That's what people are thinking, and that makes people furious.
>> Wesley Wildmon: And I still don't think he killed himself. All right, I'm sorry. I still think he killed himself.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, you do?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or don't you think Epstein committed suicide?
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes. Yes. No, I'm sorry. The other way around. Somebody helped him commit suicide.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right. listen, Abe, I guess we give you the last word here. People are not going to stop talking about this just because President Trump said, hey, move on to something else. This.
>> Tim Wildmon: This, the way he said it made it worse.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Absolutely. Yeah. Sticks in the craw of average Americans who don't like this kind of perversion and corruption and think the government might be covering it up.
>> Wesley Wildmon: They said you could describe a maga.
>> Tim Wildmon: This whole thing.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Well, a lot of people voted for president. Voted for President Trump to end the two tiered justice system.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: This, this, this M goes in the opposite direction, y'.
>> Fred Jackson: All.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't want to hear anymore because I am. Y' all are causing me to lose my faith in my government and in humanity in general. And I. I don't need that today. Not today.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, how about tomorrow? Because today, it'll be around.
>> Tim Wildmon: Today's hump day. Can you wait till Monday to dump some?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, I could.
>> Tim Wildmon: I sure just.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Mondays are pretty terrible around.
>> Tim Wildmon: I tell you what. Somebody's gonna make a. A movie. A movie that.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: On this? Well, they might be.
>> Abraham Hamilton III: Tim, you were right. I want my five minutes back.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. we'll be back in five minutes. Stay with us. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
