Transcript

   Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, 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 AFR on this Wednesday, September 24, 2025. We hope that you are having a good day. Tim Wildmon. M here with Ed Battagliano. Good morning, Ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: Back from a couple days off?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Couple days.

>> Tim Wildmon: You seeing good now?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I had cataract surgery on the right eye.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Next Monday is the left eye. So I'll be out a couple days, next week. This is. This is strange. Being able to get up in the middle of the night and be able to see. Don't fumble around for glasses or anything like that.

>> Tim Wildmon: So out of your right eye and made a vast improvement already.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, it really has. It is a little. Okay. Brent Creely's holding up fingers. I can count. So my left eye, I still have my contact in. And so it is a little strange kind of getting those two to function properly.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And, but awesome.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, we're glad. So get the next dueling cataracts. You know.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That happens when you get older.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, it is when I told my sisters that, you know, they want to know how everything goes, so I texted them and then use the old man emoji.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: There's this little old man emoji.

>> Tim Wildmon: The gray hair.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Doing cataracts. Kind of like dueling banjos.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: In a way that's kind of like dueling banjos of the eyes. Of the eyes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Of the eye sockets.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right. Wesley Wildmon. Good morning, Wesley.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wesley's our resident maga nut.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes. and by the way. By the way, our audience can be thankful that we do do show prep. So, whatever. I've got it out of my system.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, we'll see. We'll see if it's out of your system.

>> Tim Wildmon: Fred Jackson. Yes.

>> Fred Jackson: Good to be with you guys.

>> Tim Wildmon: Brother Fred.

>> Fred Jackson: I'm doing well. My daughter used to work at an eye clinic.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, really?

>> Fred Jackson: And some folks would come in with similar, you know, getting older and that sort of thing. Yeah. And they would say, I want my Cadillac surgery.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That was for the doc. That's the way the doctors looked at it. Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Ah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I almost. My wife had to go with me because they did have to give me, you know, put me under and a little anesthesia. So you can't drive.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Drive for 24 hours. so my Wife was with me, and we were having a good time, joking around. We were in the waiting area, and I told her, I said, diane, I said, it's nothing but old people in the waiting area. I wanted to. When I. When they finally came and took me back there, all the people working in the back, they're all young. The doctor who, worked on my eye, Dr. Miles, she's very nice. But all of these, the anesthesiologists, all the one who put my, you know, all of them young, they're half your age, maybe, maybe less than that. I wanted to ask him, I wanted to say, do you ever get tired of seeing one old face come through here one after another? Because that's what you're working on. I. I told my wife that. She said, no, do not say that.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: But pays the bills.

Fred Jackson thanks listeners for listening over the last couple of weeks

>> Wesley Wildmon: I like to insert something right here.

>> Tim Wildmon: Insert it.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I'm going to insert it. we don't often thank our listening audience enough, so I wanted to take a moment just to say I appreciate everyone tuning in, listening, over the last couple of weeks and traveling. I'm reminded of how much, our listeners are appreciated of AFR and afa, and we've got some really, really, really faithful listeners and supporters. So I just want to say thanks, all those that are tuning in right now. And then when dad gets started, if you want to tune out, go ahead.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's hurtful.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Hey, listen, you started this.

>> Tim Wildmon: I did, yes.

>> Wesley Wildmon: So the MAGA was fine. You called me the maga Nut.

>> Tim Wildmon: That was, that was gratuitous.

>> Wesley Wildmon: No, what that means I can handle it.

>> Tim Wildmon: And you spell it all good.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, it starts with the bad.

>> Tim Wildmon: anyway, moving right along, Fred Jackson.

Three people shot this morning at an immigration office in Dallas; shooter killed himself

What's On a more somber note.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes, breaking news out of Dallas, Texas this morning. Investigation continuing at this hour. at a Dallas immigration office, I'm told, near the Love Field Airport there in Dallas. three people shot this morning at the immigration office there. Now, we're still getting details on this. what we do know of the three people, Fox News at least, is confirming at this hour, these were detainees that were being brought into the building there, the ICE Building. One of those detainees, was shot and killed. Two others are being treated at a hospital right now. The shooter, shot himself and killed himself. Now, you guys are able to look over, to, the news. The news.

>> Tim Wildmon: We have a news, TV feed.

>> Fred Jackson: And you're probably seeing a group of microphones. There is supposed to be an update to this, fairly shortly. on this, but this is what we know. You can go to afn.net, afn.net is our breaking news right now on this. But, early on they weren't sure, whether it was some of the ICE officers perhaps, or visitors to this center. But Fox News at least is reporting that the people wounded, and sadly one of those, three were all detainees being transferred there. And the. Obviously we don't know the motives of the shooter at this point, but after he had fired off a number of rounds, he, he killed himself. That's what we know at this hour.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's a weird story.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That is.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It is, it is weird. And obviously we're not going to get anything out of the shooter, but hopefully there'll be. This is weird. I said hopefully. A lot of these shooters leave manifestos.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Ah, they're, they're wanting to make a point and they're, they're wanting to get some message out. so if the shooter did not leave a manifesto, if he wasn't, he was a he, I guess, if he wasn't trying to make a political or cultural point, if it was something personal, if, if not that, maybe on social media he gives some, there's some insight into why he did this.

>> Fred Jackson: An ICE official, Madison Sheehan, was interviewed, this morning shortly after this incident, which by the way occurred around 6:30, 7:00 Central Time this morning. she addresses the growing concern within ICE about the anti ICE rhetoric that is out there that is endangering the lives of ICE officers. Cut number 17.

>> Speaker F: Well, look, we've seen a lot of protests nationwide at ICE facilities. We've seen a lot of violence at ICE facilities. And this is not the first time that we've seen an attack even this year at an ICE facility. And so we will look at all motives, all areas of this. And as the rhetoric continues and the danger against our officers continues at an increase of over 1000%, we know that a lot of this comes from the, different motivations that we're seeing online over the last few weeks as rhetoric increase.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes, but what makes it weird here is that there wasn't ICE officers or agents that were killed. That's what makes it a little bit.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Odd that it was immigrants.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Immigrants. Yeah. Now then, then the, then the question begs, that what were they thinking? That the detainees were officers? You know, I don't know. Well, wait and see.

>> Tim Wildmon: But, this guy was on top of a building, shot two people.

>> Fred Jackson: Three.

>> Tim Wildmon: Three people who were being brought into the ICE Detention center.

>> Fred Jackson: That is what we know at this hour.

>> Tim Wildmon: And then killed himself.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: well, maybe they'll be able to shed more light on that.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. but I think it's interesting the sites official talking about the rhetoric out there and. Yeah, and we have government officials. I mean, we saw what happened. Was it last week California governor Gavin Newsom signed into law that says people cannot wear masks in particular ICE agents. You know, that was the target, you know, from the left.

>> Tim Wildmon: Unless they have Covid.

>> Fred Jackson: But he passed a law saying that they. Of course, I think the ICE officials are saying we're going to ignore that we are going to protect our officers.

>> Ed Vitagliano: The governor has no authority over ICE or any federal law enforcement. You can't tell them what their uniform. It could be. Has to be.

>> Tim Wildmon: So. Okay, I know sometimes when we look at the political left in this country, we know what their motivations are. And then sometimes you look at and see what they, the positions and stances that they take and you go, are you on the who side? Are you on?

ICE is the Immigration Customs Enforcement, which is responsible for deportations

okay, so let me ask you a question. It's may not. We may not have an answer for this, but. So the ICE is the Immigration Customs Enforcement. Enforcement. They're a federal agency there. They, they come under the, Homeland, Security Department, right?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Department of Homeland Security, I think, is what DHS. Okay, so. And that was. Wasn't that created post 9 11? I don't think we had that agency prior to that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, it would know. Was. Wasn't, it INS or something? Immigration Naturalization Service. I think they just changed the name. I'm gonna look that up.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, well, anyway, okay, so there they exist to physically arrest people and have them deported. That's their job. Right. Or one of the.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Who've broken the law.

>> Tim Wildmon: One of their jobs.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Who broken the law. They're here illegally. Go ahead.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. so ICE was created as part of the Homeland security Act of 2002 following September 11 attacks. It absorbed the prior functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, INS and the United States Customs Service. So those two. A new department was created, and absorbed these other two departments.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, but ICE is basically responsible for deportations. Right. Somebody's here illegally, ICE goes and detains them, and, and. And sends them back home. I mean, basically, or somewhere, if they're a criminal. I don't know what they do exactly, but I don't know what exactly the full process is. But.

People protesting ICE are reacting to Joe Biden's open borders policy

Okay, so here, here's my question. And again, I think I know the answer to it. But Still, I need to somebody to help me with this. So the people that are protesting ice, what they're doing right now, who, as, by the way, ICE is only responding to Joe Biden letting 15 million people into here illegally, many of them criminals. And so the problem was created. That's right, by Joe Biden, his open borders policy.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: So my question is the people that are, reacting against ICE politically, like Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, saying they don't need to be allowed to wear masks while they do their jobs. Okay, does. Does he. Do these people not want anything done at all? I mean, do they just want to dismantle ice? They. Do they. Do they not want to have border, immigration laws? Is this. Where is this. Where is this what they're getting at? Tell me, please.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and I'll just jump in here, but yeah, you know, Wesley and Fred can jump in. that. I think they believe in the open borders policy. They do not want ice. ICE is following the orders of the current administration. So the executive, what President Trump ran on. Trump ran on this. He orders ice. They, you know, get new people in there, and there are people who do not want these illegal immigrants removed.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay?

>> Ed Vitagliano: ICE is the bad guy.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They're being treated like they're the.

>> Tim Wildmon: So if you can get. Excuse me for interrupting. So the Democrat position, generally speaking, the Democrat Party, is if you can get into the country, get into the United States illegally. they wouldn't say it's illegal undocumented, because no persons. If you can get. Yes. If you can get in here, you're. You're. You should be free of any kind of, threat of deportation.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You should.

>> Tim Wildmon: You should be. You should be allowed to stay forever. And we'll help. We'll. We'll fund everything, give you free medical and ice. That's their approach.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Ice's job at that point is to help make that happen. Once you're here, they make sure, as you would say, they. You get your subway coupon right, you get tied into the medical system, you get free education at colleges and universities. ICE helps make that happen.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: And that's not even an opinion.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: You just have to look at what Joe Biden, his plan that he executed, what he meant.

>> Tim Wildmon: Do you think half of Americans just don't give a rip about borders at all?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I know I don't.

>> Tim Wildmon: But I mean, that's. That's the position of one of the major political parties in this country.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes. So. So Newsom represent, the radical left, for the Democrat Party. And their position. I'm looking here, I'm trying to find if he's got a quote. He's been back and forth. He's his most recent one, as opposed to what I'm about to say. Over the years, Newsom has been defund the police. So forget the border for set the border, subject aside for a second. He's been. For. So he didn't even like law and order within citizens, much less those coming across the border. So a combination of defunding the police has been their position and, not caring about the border. Now, why that is, I mean, there's probably five reasons or more. You know, I think that. I think they actually benefit from m. Creating chaos because when they create chaos, then they can be the solution to the chaos. also, too, they don't have to, live amongst. Most of these politicians don't have to live amongst the problem they've created either. we talked about judges before. So the judges that let the criminals out, they're also living behind gated community. It's not their daughter that was killed on the subway. So that, that. That. That's. That's also.

>> Ed Vitagliano: New voters.

>> Wesley Wildmon: New voters. I forgot that that's on the list of the top five. Sure.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They wanted all these illegals to become Democrats and make the Republican Party a permanent minority. They let them all in. They get them free health care.

The hotels were okay with it. They were kicking veterans out of hotels

They get them free food. They put them in New York City. They were kicking veterans out of hotels, you remember, and put. And putting illegals in these hotels. And the government was paying the hotel top dollar. So, yeah, the hotels were okay with it.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And,

>> Tim Wildmon: So.

I think the Democratic Party is more divided than ever on Southern border issue

So fundamentally, we've got other stories we gotta move to. So fundamentally, the divide is between people who believe in border, believe in border control and legal, lawful process of immigration versus people who don't believe in borders and believes everybody should be allowed to come here.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Ah. And I even think within the Democrat Party, I do think there's a lot more. I think it is a lot more divided than the Democrat Party on the Southern border issue. Now, people that are here that have been here for 10 years, it's been working. But that's the. But the idea of shutting down the border, I do think that's more. I do think there's more Democrats that agree with that than don't.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I agree with Wesley. I don't think it's 50.

>> Tim Wildmon: 50.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I think it. Theoretically, it might have been 5050 in the year 2020. But when the genius governors of Florida and Texas And Louisiana. Louisiana. They started sending Arizona and Arizona. They started sending the illegal immigrants to Math is vineyard. Okay. And to New York City and Chicago. That turned the tide even in the Democratic Party because a lot of these folks were saying, hey, listen, we got money to put these people up in hotels and give them free health care. How about me and my family?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And so I think you have a very hardcore. Maybe 20%, they're still going to vote Democrat and. Yeah, that's true. That is true.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah. I'm not arguing that.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'm saying that I think the National Democrat Party, Joe Biden led the way. Kamala Harris, I think they are far.

>> Wesley Wildmon: They are.

>> Tim Wildmon: They are for open borders. They're not going to say it exactly like that, but they're. It's. Y'. All.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I don't know. I think they do say it like that. They said we're welcoming a surge.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Let me just toss one other thing in.

>> Tim Wildmon: Just one other thing.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I just tossed one thing.

>> Fred Jackson: I.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's not my hat into the ring or anything like that.

>> Tim Wildmon: We toss it here's.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And I've been saying this since 2020, and I'm not alone. Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I just want you to understand here. This is not unique to me, but I've been reading a lot of things on social media, about the government trying to break up, threats from terrorists internally. I think that is coming. I think we're in for some terrorist. Successful terrorist attacks. And that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: The cause of that is that wide open border.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yep.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Where all these people. I'm talking about Chinese nationals, I'm talking about Muslim radicals. I'm talking about other people who, you know, just even from Iran. Al Qaeda. Okay. All these different places when, when that kind of stuff starts to happen and everyone's going to be saying how they get in here. And it's going to be Joe. Joe Biden. The mummy. Okay. The living mummy. All right. And his administration let all these people in and we're all going to pay the price for it. And that is going to. That is going to completely shut the door, so to speak, on open borders being a thing. The Democratic Party is going to have to run from that.

Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after comments about Charlie Kirk assassination

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, next story. Fred.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, Jimmy Kimmel, came back on the air last night.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That guy, he said, great guy.

>> Tim Wildmon: He's a great guy.

>> Fred Jackson: He's a great guy. For just a quick review, he was taken off the air by ABC in the wake of comments that he made, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, where he, indicated that he believed perhaps, perhaps it was a MAGA person who carried out the assassination.

>> Tim Wildmon: Perhaps it was. Yes, it was a MAGA person.

>> Fred Jackson: So he was taken off the air. but ABC decided to allow him to return to the air last night. Although there are groups of affiliates run by two broadcasters next, nexstar and Sinclair, those ABC affiliates did not run the show last night. But let's have a listen to a little bit of what Jimmy Kimmel had to say last night. Has he returned to the air? Cut number one.

>> Speaker G: I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, like me. If you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind. But I do want to make something clear because it's important to me as a human. And that is, you understand that it was never my intention to, to make light of the murder of a young man.

>> Tim Wildmon: I don't think there's anything funny about it.

>> Speaker G: I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion. And I meant it and I still do. nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what it was. Obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some that felt either ill timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did, point a finger. I get why you're upset. If the situation was reversed, there's a good chance I'd have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to. Even though we don't agree on politics at all. I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution. And it isn't it ever.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. there's some good stuff there. Okay. I appreciate some, of the things he said there. He did. The reason he got in trouble. I don't know if he says it was never my intention. Did he say. I was kind of confused there. Did he say, he did say the correct thing. Well, he said this was a MAGA person who shot Charlie Kirk.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: And that, that the, that the MAGA crowd. MAGA gang, he called him was, was trying to make it look like it was something else other than this is about. Got his exact quote then. a MAGA kill the, person motivated by MAGA kill. Maga. A MAGA leader. Right. Isn't that what he said.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes, it would be good good time right here to emphasize that. He said that following multiple days after the fact when we knew for certain, for certain that the, that the, that the assassin had LGBT far left he had far left motives on written on the bullets that he put in the gun. So we have, we had multiple evidence showing that this guy was a waste. Was a left leaning person that shot and he said it was a mag. We knew that it was m. So he lied. A shorter way of saying that he lied.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So that that's what he got in trouble for lying. That's with his own company.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And so exact quote was the MAGA gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk is as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's what, that's what he got in trouble with his own company for.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And that's not what he apologized for.

>> Fred Jackson: Some are saying he didn't apologize last said they misread me.

>> Tim Wildmon: The best part, he said some good things there. But but anyway, we'll see what happens. But the big thing is, are the, are the majority of the ABC affiliates going to put him back on or not? Not.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Because right now, no.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right now, no. and so, All right. We'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed, Wesley and Fred, a lot more to talk about. Stay with us.

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>> Jeff Chamblee: This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsafr.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.

Shooting at ICE facility in Dallas leaves two dead; FBI says anti-ICE messages

>> Tim Wildmon: Back everybody to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed, Wesley and Fred, thank you for listening to afr. We, been talking about some big issues in the news the last, few days and at least this morning we live with this story. This morning in Dallas, there was a shooting, at an ice. that's Immigration Customs Enforcement, center. Is that what you call it? anyway, some. Somebody shot from the top of a building just like they assassinated Charlie Kirk. And the FBI is reporting, according to CNN and Fox and even msnbc, they're saying that, the FBI is saying that the messages found. Okay, first of all, four shot. Two dead. Two dead now at this ICE facility in Dallas. And, FBI saying the shooter left anti ICE messages on, on the rounds.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Which.

>> Tim Wildmon: Just like Charlie Kirk's assassin.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Now that Tyler Robinson.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah. So it's Boy.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And also just like the Catholic shooter.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, did they do the same thing?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah, they wrote it.

>> Tim Wildmon: They wrote on the rank on Minneapolis.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That's one of the church.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway, church, listen, it's a dangerous time to be in law enforcement, especially to be in, working for ice. Governor, Newsom in California, wants the ICE to, have to take off their mask, so that they can be doxed and make their, them and their families more likely to be attacked. Am I right?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he didn't say that. That's why he wanted to do it. People who.

>> Tim Wildmon: That effect in my.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's the, that's the net effect. That's what everyone's concerned about. That's what ICE is concerned about. That's what Tom Holman was concerned about. And that if you, if you, prevent these ICE agents from, from covering up their faces, then the other side will learn their identity and where their family lives. And we are seeing, ah, an increase, it looks like an increased openness to using violence from people on the left to get their point across.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And you can't, you can't, you can't deny that when the people doing the shooting write their messages on the rounds.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Or on the magazines that they're using.

>> Tim Wildmon: Again, why would you be opposed to ice? Why would you shoot somebody? What would be your reason? Well, you're most obvious.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. You would, you would say, now this is just what I'm putting words in their mouths. Right, okay. That they are, the Gestapo working for a fascist president and they are acting like fascists and they're breaking up families and all this kind of stuff. And someone's got to do something to stop it, and that's me.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I think that's what they're thinking.

>> Tim Wildmon: So they. They're against deporting people.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yep.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. I mean, I just want to. They're gonna. They would say to you, deportations are, immoral.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a police state. That's what we're trying to stop.

>> Tim Wildmon: So if. If you got here, like I said earlier, the Democrat. Basically, the Democrat party's position is here. If you can get into the country, you can. There's going to be no threat of deportation. Shouldn't be. Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. All right, next story.

Jimmy Kimmel praised Erica Kirk for forgiving the shooter

>> Fred Jackson: Well, just before the break, we were talking about the return of Jimmy Kimmel to the air to some ABC affiliates last night. Now, he did say something that is, getting some attention. He had a lot of praise for Charlie Kirk's wife, Erica, in what she had to say about forgiving the shooter. In that case, cut number two over the weekend.

>> Speaker G: A very beautiful moment. I don't know if you saw this on Sunday. Erica Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. M. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do. There it was.

>> Wesley Wildmon: That's it.

>> Speaker G: A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply.

>> Tim Wildmon: I see it. I hope it touches many.

>> Speaker G: And if there's anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hope it can be that somebody invaded Jimmy Kimmel's body. That is not Jimmy Kimmel. That. That I've known. Now, I don't watch him. I just see clips like anybody else. I just see clips here and there. I don't watch his show. That was, pretty moving.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right there.

>> Tim Wildmon: And I commend him for that. But that is diametrically opposed to his style.

>> Wesley Wildmon: He didn't. He didn't forgive anybody. He's constantly unforgiving.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, yeah, he's just relentless.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I. I will. I will say this. It's in the way. Our, Okay, so let me. Let me. Let me take us back to yesteryear. Okay. During the Vietnam War, I was a conservative, really big conservative. Defended the Vietnam War in class. I was growing up in New England, so there were a lot of lefties. Okay. and I regularly called people names on the other side. Okay, you did? Yeah. you know, communists and, you know, Tommy lover, Pinko.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All that kind of stuff. And, people against the Vietnam War. Remember when our GIs, Marines would come home they'd call them yet shout at them. Baby killer. Okay, here, here's my point. When you have a polarized nation, like we're polarized, you, get that. You get this real harsh attitude towards one another. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 24, he was talking about the end times. But I think it applies to all sorts of cultural circumstances that when lawlessness increases, most people's love grows cold. And I think with people like Jimmy Kimmel, I have to watch it on the air. Sometimes Jimmy Kimmel gets in this lane where he is mocking the people he disagrees with. And it is harsh and it is cold and it is callous and it's insulting. And what we saw, what we. I, I don't think he was acting. He is an actor. But I think it seems genuine. The, the feelings that he is expressing. These two clips, when you step out of that kind of conflict, that cultural combat, you find out that maybe he's doing a gig or it's a shtick. You guys see what I'm saying? I see what part of it.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I see what you're saying. But he's got a lifetime that opposes what you just said. I mean, he. I guess what I'm saying is I, I.

>> Tim Wildmon: You're not going to forgive him is what you're saying.

>> Wesley Wildmon: No, I'm going to remember exactly everything that he's done that's opposed to what he just said. And from this point forward, we'll see. I think, I think that, I think that's a good starting point, what you said. And I won't argue against it. But from this point forward, we'll see how genuine those comments were. Because for the last couple of years, he's had 176 Democrats on his panel or on his show, and he's had one Republican. So, he's partisan.

>> Ed Vitagliano: No doubt about it.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He's on one side of the issue.

>> Tim Wildmon: There's no law against that, is there?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Log is. What I'm saying is the mindset of these people are the commie pinkos. That's what I thought. Okay. Now, I still despise communism.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Sure.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. but what I'm saying is, I think what you're talking about is he has been, he's been going downhill in this category, throwing rocks, and all of a sudden he's been touched by something.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And I think it's disingenuous.

I don't think he means that. That sounded genuine to me

I don't think he means that. Okay, well, that's just my opinion.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't think you can. I don't it didn't sound fake, to me.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.

>> Wesley Wildmon: But he's an actor, okay. He acts all the time. And by the way, he got fired. That's.

>> Tim Wildmon: I disappointed that you don't believe in the goodness, basic goodness of humanity, not of Jimmy Kimmel.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I do not, be on the show.

>> Tim Wildmon: We'll see. We'll see where that goes.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I told you how this program was going to go today, and y' all let me on. Y' all gave me the mic.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, Hey, I think I've been around the block a few times. That sounded genuine to me.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: What he was talking about now, it could have been he went in the office with his bosses.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: And they said, you want a paycheck.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: And you need to take your fanny out there and apologize to America for making such insensitive remarks.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I need to end with this.

>> Tim Wildmon: Are you.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I need to end with this. That I, that I. Dropping a mic. Dropping. Okay. I do hope, as a Christian, I do hope that that is sincere, and I hope that we see fruits from that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I didn't know that he was a follower of Jesus. That's.

>> Tim Wildmon: He said he believes in the teachings of Jesus like he said. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus like I do, maybe this will be a moment for him of some self reflection, I hope.

Next topic. I hope President Trump finds some way to boost Humility

>> Wesley Wildmon: Next topic.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, well, President Trump could do use.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Absolutely.

>> Tim Wildmon: I hope. And I wish President Trump would, you know, would find some way.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Humility. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Because I hate. Because as much as I love President Trump's policy, sometimes I don't think his, the things he says and does don't help the situation. Okay. And I understand why he has to be the tough guy right now.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Takes three.

>> Tim Wildmon: I take anything off anybody, and I'm the, I'm the, I'm the, you know, guy. I'm the man. I understand that Persona and everything like that, but, I think maybe he could do something sort of amp things down a little bit.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I, I, this way I look at it, the Bible says that God is not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. I, Whether it, whether he is or not, I want Jimmy Kimmel to be in heaven.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Amen.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And whether he is or not, I want Donald Trump to be in heaven.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And there is, there is room for that message. I think Charlie Kirk did this perfectly in terms of preaching the gospel and offering people hope and sticking to his guns when it came to, came to his political and cultural beliefs. And I think that's why he struck a Chord and his assassination has moved people to consider the fact that you can be both.

>> Tim Wildmon: you know, I think three of us need to recognize Fred has a purpose in life.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He does.

>> Tim Wildmon: And it's not just to be, not just to be a potted plant.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's not just to be another pretty face.

>> Tim Wildmon: Not a pretty. Okay, that's going too far. But anyway, next story, Fred. And Fred, if you want to take the story and comment it on your own, you go ahead because I think.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We haven't given him much.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, go ahead.

Fred Kaplan: Federal Communications Commission should step in over anti-Christian comments

>> Fred Jackson: All right, well, I had a vacation for a week, so I'm all pissed. in somewhat related, to what we just been discussing in the wake of ABC's decision to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air, there were some people, government and non government people who, who said yay, ABC people who make comments like that should be taken off the air. In fact, you know, the government needs to step in. When there are comments made like that associating MAGA with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, that, that should be evidence that the fcc, the Federal Communications Commission, should take that network, should take that show off the air. Well, so I heard all of that in the last week or so, but then I got a press release yesterday from the National Religious Broadcasters, which represents Christian broadcasting across the country. I want you to read the headlines. The headline of this press release from the nrb. NRB champions free speech Encourages FCC to safeguard diverse media voices. Now this is some of what they had to say. Troy Miller is the NRB president and CEO. This is what he said. The strength of our democratic republic lies in its openness to diverse voices in the public square. And the government is responsible for allowing space for civil disagreement. When one voice is suppressed, all voices are at risk. If viewpoint based suppression can be directed at mainstream broadcasters today, it could be directed at faith based broadcasters tomorrow. I think what he's concerned about, if the FCC was to take the kind of action that is being proposed by some, then it could be used against Christian broadcasters. Should there be a Democrat government coming along a few years down the road who might not like what they hear on Christian radio stations?

>> Ed Vitagliano: And the chairman, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the fcc, yes, he did make a public statement warning abc.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: About doing something with Jimmy Kimmel after he made the initial comment, which was very insensitive. It was wrong. It was, it was a lie. It was not true about the shooter, Charlie Kirk's murderer being a MAGA person and, and the MAGA people trying to make, believe that this wasn't one of their own. So. And to score political points, that was a terrible thing to say. We've talked about his apologies, whether they're real or genuine, that kind of thing. But then Brendan Carr said to abc, okay, publicly said this. We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. And to the best of your knowledge, Fred, you're saying NRB responded with this press release, worried about what, Brendan Carr said.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. worried that it could be used against Christian broadcasters. Because if you have an FCC chairman with a different point of view.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: Who might say Christian radio station, we don't like what you're saying about transsexuals.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Homosexuals.

>> Tim Wildmon: we had Brendan Carr on.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Is it Brendan.

>> Fred Jackson: Brendan.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think the car. on the FCC chairman a couple. Six or eight weeks ago or something like that on there. So, and I don't know, let's just say, the federal government, the FCC in particular, should not be threatening to, grant licenses or revoke licenses for radio and television station stations based on political viewpoint. Our comments are lying. Our speech, seriously. Well, our lie, you know, Jimmy Kimmel should not be threatened because he said this was a MAGA killer.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Even though that was knowingly a lie, he still should be able to say it.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think his accountability is held with his bosses 100%, not with.

>> Wesley Wildmon: And viewers.

>> Tim Wildmon: And viewers. I think so. I mean, I think that's totally irresponsible.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: What he did. And he should. I'm glad he got. I'm glad Disney. ABC responded and, and put him on a hiatus and these. And these ABC affiliates reacted. That was the, But if you start, And I don't think Brandon Carr would do that in the end. I don't think he would do something like that.

>> Fred Jackson: Now.

ABC's Jonathan Carl pushes back on MAGA outrage over Charlie Kirk segment

>> Tim Wildmon: See, President Trump, I said the other day, he, You had a rope line the other day at the White House. And, What's the former ABC reporter named? Carl. That's his last name. Look it up.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Is that not Jonathan Carl?

>> Tim Wildmon: John is K A R L. Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Jonathan Carl, I think.

>> Tim Wildmon: Does he still work for abc?

>> Fred Jackson: I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

>> Tim Wildmon: Do you. Does everybody know who I'm talking about here?

>> Speaker G: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. if he's not a podcaster, Wesley doesn't know who you're talking about.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Jonathan Carl is ABC News chief Washington correspondent. That was back in 2008.

>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know if he's still podcast.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You guys are both looking over my shoulders. You're making me nervous. Okay, ABC's Jonathan Carl. This is ah, an article from the Huff Post. Now I got an ad.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay, ABC's Jonathan Carl pushes back on MAGA outrage over his Charlie Kirk segment. And then President Trump, it says drew a face to face attack. This was, I think this is at the rope line, wasn't it, when he said.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, go ahead, tell what, tell folks what happened there. This was last week. I'm making a point here. Go ahead.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay, in the video that his ABC segment Jonathan Carl said later today, family, friends and supporters of Charlie Kirk will gather and Glendale, Arizona for his memorial. The 31 year old activist murder shocked the nation and it was condemned by sensible and compassionate people in and out of politics and across the political talking about. Okay, this is a long, well this is a long segment. I'm not sure which

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, I'll tell people what happened.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: this was a confrontation at the White House. You know how they have a rope lines, what they call it, and the reporters are standing there and they're all asking questions of the President, President. And you hear Marine One's helicopter blades in the background and the President, whoever he may be, is getting ready to go somewhere but he's going to take a couple of questions or Biden quit doing that because he couldn't take questions any longer. We all know that. Right, right. so, but Trump is the the king of this. He's always done give and take. Right. With the medium, with the, with the media, with the press. Well this, what's his first name to my.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Jonathan Carl.

>> Tim Wildmon: Jonathan Carl guy who's again has a history with President Trump, says something to him and Trump asked, ah, he asked Trump something and Trump, President Trump responds back to Jonathan Carl and I may come after you too.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He said maybe they'll have to go after you. That's what, that's exact words.

>> Tim Wildmon: What did he say to him?

>> Ed Vitagliano: He said maybe they'll have to go after you.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so you want, you want to know why Trump gets a reputation as authoritarian and a dictator and using, saying stuff like that. You should not say stuff like that because that's, that's what, that's what they do in communist countries. Dictatorship.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. The conversation was Jonathan Karl was asking about Pam, Attorney, General Pam Bondi who. Okay, we've got that clip. All right, go ahead.

>> Donald Trump: Go after hate.

>> Fred Jackson: Speech is that, I mean a lot.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Of people, a lot of your allies.

>> Tim Wildmon: Say hate speech is free speech, should.

>> Donald Trump: Probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly and say you have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they'll come M. After ABC. Well, ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech.

>> Fred Jackson: Right.

>> Donald Trump: Your company paid me $16 million for a form of hate speech, so maybe they'll have to go after you. Look, we want everything to be fair. It hasn't been fair. And the radical left has done tremendous damage to the country, but we're fixing it. We have right now the hottest country anywhere in the world. And remember, one year ago, our country was dead and now Washington.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, anyway, the. I'm just saying the President should not be saying that because that scare. That's scary. What if Biden said to. To Fox News, we may be coming after you?

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay, I agree with you up to that point, but at that point, you got to understand, they had four years and they did all that.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, they did not know. They did not. They did not threaten you to take your license.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay, not from an fcc, they didn't. But they threatened to fire you if you didn't get the COVID vaccine. And they did that from a government. Government, officially.

>> Tim Wildmon: I agree with that.

>> Wesley Wildmon: I agree with that and that. And that. And that's. And that's a freedom.

The First Amendment to the Constitution is what separates us from the rest of the world

that was removed. The government, when Biden was in office, forced government officials to violate the Constitution multiple times. They already did it, so it does. But I understand what you're saying.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, so. So let's just suppose. I'm just saying this is a very serious issue.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Okay?

>> Tim Wildmon: This isn't trivial. The First Amendment to the Constitution is what separates us basically from the rest of the world. freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to gather, freedom for us to sit here and talk and discuss. Then we're going to be talking about another story where freedom wasn't allowed with YouTube, but, now it's being, quote, reinstated. So I want to talk about that, but we're running out of time this hour. But I'm just saying this is not a. Shouldn't, be a Republican or Democrat.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Should be a liberal, conservative thing. We should all, agree that, that the government should not be, censoring. Threatening to censor people based on their political views or their religious views or whatever the case may be. So I know it sounded to me like as the further President Trump got into that comment, he was. He was just jabbing at this guy. Ingesting.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: So that m. I feel a little.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Bit better about it after hearing it. But.

>> Tim Wildmon: But but he's but. And he has a history again with the fake news media. But, that, but above the fray is a serious issue that our, which our founder, our founders fought for him.

>> Wesley Wildmon: Bonnie got it wrong.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, I think so. And let's remember when, Joe Biden was in office, he nominated Gigi Sohn, if you remember.

>> Tim Wildmon: I remember Gigi.

>> Ed Vitagliano: To fill a vacant seat on the Federal Communications, on the fcc. She had said prior that Fox News, she referred to it as state sponsored propaganda. and so the reason why she was resisted by, resisted by Republicans when she was at her, in her hearings was because it sounded like the FCC might go after Fox News for its propaganda. And we were up in arms. We sent out an action alert. And so I think we can all, I think we can all agree that first of all, the government under Joe Biden went past its constitutional authority with code.

>> Wesley Wildmon: We didn't like it, but we didn't like it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And it's wrong. And we, and the Trump administration also needs to be careful. I'm talking about Brendan Carr's comments, President's comments, Pam Bondi's comments. We need to be careful that we are obeying the Constitution as well. But I think to Wesley's point, there ought to be heads that should roll over the COVID fiasco and the fact that Mark Zuckerberg on, Facebook, has said the government, pressured us to bounce people off Facebook.

>> Tim Wildmon: Don't disappointed in you. We're trying to temper things down. You go with the quote, heads will roll.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, let me.

>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know why you couldn't find another metaphor out of the million in the universe.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I just need to take, I just need to take some Ivermectin and I will be better.

>> Tim Wildmon: We'll be back in five minutes. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.