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Tim Wildman offers Christian response to the issues of the day
>> Ed Vitagliano: Welcome to today's issues. offering a Christian response to the issues of the day.
>> Tim Wildmon: Huh?
>> Chris Woodward: Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everyone. And welcome to today's issues on the American family radio Network. That's the name of this here show, today's issues on AFR. And today's Monday, May 4, 2026. So May is here. Good morning, Ed Battagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning. And may the fourth be with you.
>> Tim Wildmon: You've been waiting to use that all morning.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a Star wars reference to.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, yes. Krish Woodward. Good morning, Krish.
>> Chris Woodward: I was gonna say that, and now I'm gonna,
>> Tim Wildmon: You mean you were. You were gonna use that line?
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well, that's okay. You can think of something else. But you're not gonna be able to do it right on the spot here. I don't think it's gonna be as clever as what brother Ed brought to.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, now, in terms of clever, that has been used and abused for years.
>> Tim Wildmon: So now is this the day where people dress up like Star wars characters? When you see. When you go out to lunch or dinner and you see people.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Probably not much in Mississippi.
>> Tim Wildmon: we don't know what Star wars is.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, I just don't think that. I think people have better things to do.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're more sophisticated.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That wasn't what I was thinking, but we can go with that.
>> Chris Woodward: Did you go watch that, when it. When it premiered back in 77 here?
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah. I went like three times.
>> Chris Woodward: Like the old Malco or.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I went. I went three times, I think, to see, the original Star wars movie, NewSong Hope. And I wasn't a particular sci fi fan, but I just found that movie was just great, in my opinion. Go ahead.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't, This is going to sound like I'm nitpicking, and I am a little bit. I don't think it's technically science fiction. I think it's more along the line of fantasy. I saw someone post something that I thought was pretty funny because there's not really much science in it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's true. It's more of a just a movie drama.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It was declared to be a Western in space. I mean they even had the cantina scene which, like, you know, like a, a saloon in in westerns. But I saw someone post something over the weekend because everybody's the May 4th. That's the big thing for. Yeah, for Star wars stuff. But someone said, I don't, I don't know why the lightsaber, remember, you remember the lightsaber can cut through anything except another lightsaber and that you were talking about the lack of science. Now, now Star Trek does have a lot of, actual science, pretend science in it. So, and that's the most, what's
>> Tim Wildmon: the most famous line? Star Trek. The five year expedition.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh. To boldly go where no man has gone before.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, hold on. Yeah, well, this is, I guess completely and totally subjective, but mine would be Beam me up Scott.
>> Chris Woodward: That's what I was going to say.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's probably close. Or live long and prosper, Mr. I am now doing the, Vulcan greeting.
>> Tim Wildmon: Beam me up Scotty.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, beam me up, Scotty. But probably more famous fun fact about Star Trek.
>> Chris Woodward: the Dr. Leonard Bones McCoy character in Star Trek lore went to the University of Mississippi, otherwise known as Ole Miss.
>> Tim Wildmon: Isn't that right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Are you serious?
>> Tim Wildmon: That character had an attitude.
>> Chris Woodward: He did.
>> Tim Wildmon: That might have been why, like every show, this guy, I'm thinking this guy needs a, he needs to do a vacation.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm a doctor, Joe, not a butcher.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well there. So may the Fourth be with you. Ed said always kicked off this conversation. and the Star wars continues even today. They make a new Star Wars.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, they do?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They've ruined it.
>> Chris Woodward: As long as people keep paying money to go watch it.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
Kevorkian: Trump administration needs to wrap up Iran engagement quickly
All right, okay, so, here in the real world, to borrow from Allen Jackson, the singer, we, we, we, we are at war. Have been at war. It's a ceasefire right now with Iran and we're gonna, it's kind of a stalemate seems to, seems to me. And we're going to talk to Lt. Col. Robert McGinnis, retired U.S. army infantry officer and senior fellow for the National Security at the Family Research Council. Anyway, he's an expert on the military and warfare and this, engagement here that we're involved with in Iran. With Iran. And so we're going to talk to him about where, where are we and where does this go? Because, okay, I'm going to speak sheerly on the political side here and the public opinion side. Seems to me the Trump administration needs to wrap this up fairly quickly. I would say, at least by Memorial Day. Unless now. I'm sure they would say, well, we can't put a timetable on. I know that. I know you can't. But I would say, again, I'm speaking specifically, particularly, particularly, for public opinion, if you want to, get the oil prices down, get the gasoline prices back down going into the November midterm elections. Again, I'm not speaking about military strategy or what the necessarily, quote, right thing to do is. I'm talking about politics and public opinion.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Because I, think the American people want to know what the, what the end game is here. What is, what does it look like if we have accomplished our purposes in terms. So is it just to set back the, Iraq, the Iranian drive to get nuclear weapons? Seems like we've done that, haven't. I don't think we've permanently, prevented them from re. Engaging in that process. Was it just to pretty much destroy, the, Iranian military? Seems like we have done that to a large degree. They still have a lot of troops. They still have a lot of drones and some fast boats, but much of their military, Navy, so on and so forth, Air force has been destroyed. I've heard some estimates that it's probably a, ah, half a trillion dollars worth of hardware that we destroyed. Okay, so we've done those. Is it regime change? Is that what we're waiting on? Doesn't look like that's going to happen. It looks like the IRGC has dug in.
>> Tim Wildmon: Irgc? yeah, the Islamic Insurance Company, doesn't it?
>> Chris Woodward: We got you, Kev.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. with an emu for a mascot. so I, I, I, I'm, I'm glad we're going to have, Lieutenant, Colonel McGinnis on, props to Brent Creely, our producer, who got him on, on the spur of the moment. Because I want to ask those kind of questions. What is, where does this go from here? And what does victory look like?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So that's coming up our interview with him at the bottom of the hour. we'll talk to Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis.
Chris: I'm curious where lieutenant colonel ranks in the United States Army
Let me ask you this.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: The lieutenant colonel ranking is that right below a, general? Where do you go after? Do you know that in the army.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't. I was not in the army.
>> Tim Wildmon: I just wonder what the ranking there is, because I'm just curious. I'm not going to say Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis. You're not a general. You know what I'm saying? That would be inappropriate. I wouldn't want to start the interview like that. So, I just. But I am curious where that falls in rank in the, in the United States Army.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, looks like. I, checked. Looks like Lieutenant Colonel, then Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, and then General.
>> Tim Wildmon: I never knew there was any office, named Lieutenant. Called you Lieutenant General. Did you?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I did not. I'm. Again, I never served in the military. We have people who did serve in the military, probably army, who are going, what a bunch of bozos. You didn't know that?
>> Chris Woodward: I thought for you.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So you got. Wow, I didn't realize.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So, from the. In terms of commissioned officers, you go second lieutenant, first lieutenant, Major. Going upwards now, Captain. Excuse me, first lieutenant, Captain, Major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, Brigadier General, major General, lieutenant General, and then General. I, I would like to say that I was known for many years here, as Captain Bigot.
>> Tim Wildmon: You were?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Because I, was in a radio debate years ago with one, of the top, people from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. We took calls and, and someone came on and he called me Captain Bigot. Well, everyone called me that. Warmed your heart. Everyone called me that for years. I did. Buddy Smith, who was senior Vice President here for many years, he did give me an upgrade to Major Bigot, you know, just a few years ago.
>> Tim Wildmon: So you're Major.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So I'm Major Bigot.
>> Tim Wildmon: Captain Bigot to Major Bigot. Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And I wanted to be General Bigot because, you know, it's not as specific and just a General bigot, but m. but I never did get that, that promotion.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, well, that's. I do remember when that happened. Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: you're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. All right, Krish, go ahead.
>> Chris Woodward: Well, being that I am the son of a Navy man and I'm
>> Tim Wildmon: filling in son of the son of
>> Chris Woodward: a Navy man, so, my dad's a veteran and I'm filling in for my boss, so I guess that makes me Seaman Recruit, which is the lowest listed rank in the U.S. navy.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Chris Woodward: anyway, speaking of the Navy, let's mention this real quick and we can perhaps circle back and get into it with, our guests. We need to circle back Guinness. We sure do.
Chris Tare: Rising gas prices in California have affected oil prices
President, Trump over the weekend said the US Will guide stranded ships from the or from the Strait of Hormuz starting today. So we are watching now as the US Military at taxpayer expense, is now going to be protecting ships going through the straight of Hormuz. And in a story I just posted From Tim, on our Today's Issues Facebook page, the US now says two American merchant ships have passed through the strait.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, that. That has been a question as. Because Iran has claimed many, many times the strait belongs to them, they'll determine who goes through it. There have been threats. They do have the capacity, I think, with these small, fast boats, they have to lay mines, and to use drones to attack oil tankers, what have you. So it's, very important, I think, for the Trump administration to get that strait open because that not those tankers not being able to freely go to and fro, at least to Iranian, Iranian ports, but also if they're going to other ports, from other countries. That has really affected oil prices. I'm guessing every one of our listeners has felt the sting of, rising gas prices.
>> Chris Woodward: I actually posted this as well. Today's national average for a gallon of regular is $4.45, which is up from 410 this time last month. And a year ago, we were only paying $3.16 on average. Here in the Southeast, we're blessed with cheaper gas prices because supposedly, you know, we're closer to refineries, and that always has a positive, impact for us.
>> Tim Wildmon: So.
>> Chris Woodward: But God bless the people out west and others that slap a lot of restrictions and taxes on their gas.
>> Tim Wildmon: You bring God into this, really?
>> Chris Woodward: Well, they. Well, people in California do need God for, a number of reasons, Krish.
>> Tim Wildmon: You're right. Duly noted.
>> Chris Woodward: And, but like, the state average in California today is $6.11. There are places in California paying between seven and eight bucks a gallon.
>> Tim Wildmon: Now, you're telling me that the average price of gasoline in, in the state of California today is how much it is?
>> Chris Woodward: $6.11, which would be almost $2 more than the nationwide average.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And most of that is because of taxes, though.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, a lot of it is. Yeah. And matter of fact, they, had a debate last week, between eight candidates. There's a bunch of people running for governor, but they had eight polling high candidates last week in a debate. And most of them are talking about removing the gas tax as a way of bringing some relief should they be elected.
>> Tim Wildmon: How much taxes do they have on a gallon of gas? Can't imagine it being more than like 50 cents, maybe.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, no, they got all kinds because they use it as their tax policy is used in support of the, effort to handle, climate change.
>> Chris Woodward: Oh.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So, yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: How's that going?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. So, you know, they use it to, try to affect driver behavior as well as to get money for what we normally would think gas taxes would be used to maintain roads and so on and so forth. But they are using it to try to punish the use of fossil fuels and encourage people, for example, to buy an electric vehicle.
>> Chris Woodward: I am looking at information from last year, and this is coming from the U.S. energy Information Administration, which is part of the federal government. California slaps about a dollar in taxes on its gas.
>> Tim Wildmon: They slap them? yeah, they slapped it.
>> Chris Woodward: And that's from last year. So it's probably up.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's almost like slapping a tariff, but it's just. It's a little bit different.
>> Chris Woodward: Which is also a tax.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Chris Woodward: Tariffs or taxes?
>> Tim Wildmon: we haven't had tariff talk here.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We have a while.
>> Chris Woodward: Let's make it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We thought war talk probably make Tarek talk.
>> Tim Wildmon: Great. Some of the most interesting, engaging conversations we've had here on this show was when we were able to break down the tariffs. I just missed those days.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Here's sarcasm is, ah, is. Is making me feel great.
>> Chris Woodward: I brought us there. I'm sorry.
>> Tim Wildmon: so.
Chris: Consumers will blame whoever's in the White House for rising gas prices
All right, well, anyway, California. Yeah, they're going to go back to horse and buggy.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's not just California. It's the whole West Coast.
>> Chris Woodward: Oh, sure.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And then some. Then Illinois.
>> Chris Woodward: Oh, yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And Michigan.
>> Chris Woodward: I think that they're Illinois, Michigan, Ohio even. Is paying almost bucks and almost five bucks on average.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Alaska. I wonder why Alaska's, What's their average price?
>> Chris Woodward: It's $5.06. And that's kind of weird.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, I would kind of expect Alaska to be up there because. Okay, not knowing anything hardly about this industry. I'm just saying you got to take the oil up there. Right? I mean, the gasoline up there. Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Don't they. Don't they pump oil? They don't have refineries? That's going to be the problem, probably.
>> Chris Woodward: It's probably so cold. You can't.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, bottom line here is that, if the Trump administration. Okay, this is always the way it is. And it's. It's not necessarily fair, but it's a reality that the American, consumer, if the price in gasoline makes a substantial jump, they're going to blame whoever's in the White House.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That is true.
>> Tim Wildmon: And it doesn't matter whether it's a Democrat or Republican. I remember Biden. Joe Biden got blamed for the gas prices going up.
>> Chris Woodward: He did.
>> Tim Wildmon: And now in the case with Biden, I think you could attribute it to his policies because he was favoring the green movement and get rid of fossil fuels, which caused, oil prices to, you know, fossil fuels to go up, gasoline to go up. Now, some might say, well, you can blame the price increase in gasoline at the pump for going up now on the Trump policies, because he's gone to war, we've gone to war with Iran. And that is a true statement. It has caused the ramifications of the war, have caused gas prices to go up. Now, you know, President Trump, I'm sure, and his team would argue. Yeah, but it's in a, It's a righteous cause. We have to do this to prevent nuclear weapons falling into the hands of the Iranians and so forth. I understand that, but I'm just saying the average person over here probably doesn't think about that first and foremost when they're watching their gas go, you know, flip over 60, 70, $80.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: To fill up their automobile. Do you think I'm right there?
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, I think that's, I think is exactly right. And we have said, you said many times on this show, it may not be fair to always blame the president for everything. The president does have limited power, does in some ways, has great amount of power. But to, to specifically influence, like grocery prices, for example, that was one of the things that, that I'm, saying undoubtedly helped President Trump get elected in 2024.
>> Tim Wildmon: What did?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, his grocery prices, the economy.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, he made.
>> Tim Wildmon: They blame the Democrats.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They, they, Democrats were in charge when prices went up. And we're going to give another guy the chance. Well, in this case, a guy instead of Kamala Harris, president, candidate Trump. We're going to give someone else a chance. And we're probably going to see that in the midterms, which is why I think historically, as you've noted again on this show, Tim, that, historically, the party that's out of power in terms of the White House especially wins seats in the midterms because people are unhappy with what's happening in their own personal lives, in the economy, and they take it out on the party in charge.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yep. Yeah. And the opposition party voters are more motivated.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Typically speaking. So. Well, we'll see what happens. I think, where we live is 3, 6, 370 a gallon, something like that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: 379. I paid Saturday, I think. 379 a gallon? Yeah, 389. A lot of places in town.
>> Chris Woodward: The state average in Mississippi is389. And the Lee county average is right there. Okay.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. Go ahead, Krish. Next story.
Cole Thomas Allen remains in federal custody accused of shooting a Secret Service agent
>> Chris Woodward: All right, so the man accused of bargaining, President Donald Trump, Cole Thomas Allen, remains in federal custody. He's actually going to be due back in court today and perhaps some, other days, later this week. Meanwhile, information about his motives and who he may have shot while he was trying to get into this, recent event at the White House or for the White House.
>> Tim Wildmon: Wasn't at the White House. At the hotel.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, it was for the White House. Correspondence Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, sir.
>> Chris Woodward: And so, we're getting a lot of information. still trickling in about that night. Somebody that was on television over the weekend is U.S. federal attorney Janine Pirro, formerly Judge Jeanine Pirro. if I call her Judge Janine, it's out of habit. But Pirro was on with, people like CNN's personalities. thank you very much. and she was, on. She, she mentioned in this particular sound bite that I'm about to play that we can now say one of the Secret service agents was shot by the suspect. Again, Cole Thomas Allen of California. Clip 2.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: We now can establish that, a
>> Chris Woodward: pellet that came from the buckshot from
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: the defendant's, Mossberg pump action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer.
>> Chris Woodward: So it's definitively his bullet.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: It is definitively his bullet. He hit at that Secret Service agent.
>> Chris Woodward: He was, had every intention to kill
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: him and anyone who got in his way on his way to the killing the President of the United States.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I, when she said bullet, I think she, she misspoke. She meant a pellet from the shot at one point.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, she did.
>> Tim Wildmon: what would that be? Like a fragment? No, she said buckshot. And buckshot spreads out, right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: It does.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, that's, that's what he fired.
>> Chris Woodward: According to her, that's what authorities are saying.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I've heard that shotgun M. No, he, he, he had, I think he had a, a, I don't know, I don't think it was a 9 millimeter. I forget what else. He had a handgun, he had the shotgun and he had multiple knives.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, because he took a picture of a mirror with all that on with
>> Ed Vitagliano: the shotgun and fired and it hit the Secret Service agent in the protective, chest protector.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, thank goodness the guy wasn't very smart. otherwise there would have been a lot more pain and damage inflicted that night. Because I'm not very smart. Here's what I mean. Now, he was smart enough to travel across Country. Yeah, he traveled all the way from California. This. This would, be assassin. Then he booked his room at that hotel where the president was going to speak, where this, dinner was being held. I don't how many days in advance. I mean, he was already in his room.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: At least a couple days in advance. So he's smart enough to plan that much.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: and. But then to think that you're going to go down to the lobby and carry multiple guns on your body. Is that right?
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And. And knives, like you're some kind of a Rambo. that's just. That's dumb. that's. That, that's what I'm saying. If he wanted to inflict more damage, seems to me he would have some kind of an automated weapon. He'd go down there and start. You know what I'm saying? He'd have been gunned down pretty quick, probably, but he at least been.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he was able to run past security.
>> Tim Wildmon: I saw that. Yeah, I saw that. I don't know how. yeah, he ran right through the metal detector. It looked like, to me.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And it clearly looks like those who were establishing the protective perimeter were not thinking someone would do that.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Just run through.
>> Chris Woodward: No, they weren't. One of them looked visibly surprised. Like he's like. Did I just.
>> Tim Wildmon: What I saw, they weren't physically blocking the entrance, otherwise he wouldn't have been able just to run through. And also, did you see the video of the dog? The. What do you call that kind of a canine, bomb.
Dog alerted once or twice to presence of weapon, Thomas Allen says
sniffing is what I call it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or just from canine unit. But I think my understanding is that dog alerted once or twice.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: To the presence of a weapon.
>> Tim Wildmon: It did. I watched it. Now, I didn't see the. I didn't see the, suspect, so to speak, the gunman. But I did see the dog kind of going into the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And then the guy came out of Cole. Thomas Allen. Came, out of. Ran out through the door past the.
>> Tim Wildmon: Those dogs are amazing. Those cop dogs, they're amazing. We'll be back.
Listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app
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>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts
>> Chris Woodward: of today's Issues are available for listening
>> Ed Vitagliano: and viewing in the [email protected] now back
>> Chris Woodward: to more of today's issues.
Ed: I was at youth baseball all weekend. You've been to a T ball game lately
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on American Family Radio. Thanks for listening to afr. appreciate you joining us on this Monday. What's, what's today, Ed? may the 4th be with you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. May the 4th be with you.
>> Tim Wildmon: Probably new listeners who considered what we just did clever.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. Well, if they think that's clever, they don't get out much. That's been a thing for a long time.
>> Tim Wildmon: Long time.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But that doesn't stop us from taking advantage of it. Catching up.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's right. so anyway, we're hopefully, we'll be joined momentarily by Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis. we're going to talk to him, really, about what's happening with the Iran war. Where's this going to go? Because we're all hoping this wraps up pretty quick.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: you know, and what will it. Who knows what will happen? So I was at youth baseball all weekend.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, I have five grandsons that play the travel baseball.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You might as well just kiss your spare time goodbye.
>> Tim Wildmon: it doesn't exist. But my wife and Allison, we, we, we. Look, we're a baseball fan.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And we, we love it. So I'm not complaining. But we do have it. Ain't no parking rec schedule. Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Some of this is travel ball, though, too, right?
>> Tim Wildmon: It's all travel ball.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Solid travel.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So it's not just going down to the local
>> Tim Wildmon: grandson who plays the T ball.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Which is, You've been to a T ball game lately.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, not lately, but my grandkids, they've not changed.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what? We all know what happens in T ball.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Chris Woodward: It's just for fun.
>> Tim Wildmon: If the kid, if and when the kid hits it. Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Then 10 or 11 little, what? Rugrats.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: All try to seize the baseball.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: At the same Time. So it. It's more like football than baseball, am I right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, it is, except without the. The hitting.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I know, but. But I mean, like a huddle. Yeah. They pile on. Yeah, they pile on. So a ground or two short.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And you got 11 people all going for the ball. They don't realize yet that their teammates.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: And they're not. They're not competing for the ball.
>> Ed Vitagliano: For the ball. And if it gets past the shortstop into the outfield, you get all those outfielders. They're also added to the chaos.
>> Tim Wildmon: What. What is funny? And it. This never gets tiring to see, as far as the humor of it is that one kid who hits the ball and runs to third.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Runs to third base.
>> Tim Wildmon: Happens every game.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Every game?
>> Tim Wildmon: Every game.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So part of the excitement.
>> Tim Wildmon: excitement, I think change the rules in T ball. And if a kid runs from third to second to first to home, they give him double points. Double runs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think, Tim, when you say rules, that's the problem. These kids don't understand. They don't understand rules, so changing them is not going to help.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's duly noted. They don't. They don't understand the rules yet.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
Tim Ferriss welcomes Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis to American Family Radio
>> Tim Wildmon: so anyway, you are listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. Tim, Ed and Krish here, thank you for listening to afr. And we're joined now by our good friend, he's on American Family radio frequently. Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis, retired U.S. army, and he is the senior, fellow for the national security at the Family Research Council. Of course, you hear Tony Perkins each m. Weekday afternoon here on AFR, with Washington Watch. And, Lieutenant Colonel McGinnis is on with Tony, often as well. Good morning, Robert. How you doing?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: I'm doing well, Tim. Thanks for having me today.
>> Tim Wildmon: Are you in D.C. today or are you elsewhere?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Unfortunately, that's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
Ed: You had mentioned some kind of a general ranking
All right. Well, listen, hey, by the way, let me ask you this. Ed and I were talking earlier, the ranking of officers in the United, States Army. I didn't. How does it give us the top four or five?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Well, you have four, star general, then a, A vice, or a three star general. Lieutenant general. you have a major general and you have brigadier general and then you have a colonel. Lieutenant colonel, Major, captain, lieutenant Ed, what
>> Tim Wildmon: was the one you said I'd never heard of? it. That was a general like, go back to the. Okay, I don't mean to belabor this, but you had mentioned some kind of a general ranking. I'd Never heard of.
>> Chris Woodward: Was it lieutenant general?
>> Tim Wildmon: Lieutenant, lieutenant. Did you mention lieutenant General?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: I just did.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's right.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: That's a three star general.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's a three star general.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So the star. The stars I think go with four star general.
>> Tim Wildmon: More commonly referred to as a three star general would be a lieutenant.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Yeah, General. It gets more confusing than Navy because they have what they call a commodore occasionally instead of a rear admiral lower half and a rear admiral upper half. that's always been confusing as well.
>> Tim Wildmon: The commodore for the Navy. Do they still have rank? Is everybody. I mean when was the last time you heard that one commodore?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Well, it's been around. It comes and goes. It's been the one star rank. But you know, I'm not even sure if we have commodores today because it varies according to.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, that you do in Vanderbilt takes a field.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: yeah, that's true.
>> Tim Wildmon: Vanderbilt Commodores.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and then you did have several I think maybe in the 70s, maybe had a few good.
>> Tim Wildmon: Lionel Richie and that bunch.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, the Commodore.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I think we're getting off track here.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Absolutely. Yeah. That's my fault. Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
Robert M. Kaplan: The Iran war seems to be in a stalemate
So Robert, we had you on to get your opinion on the state of affairs as it were in the Iran war because it's basically been a stalemate seems to me, or there's been non eventful and that's probably a good thing since the ceasefire started. But M. We're kind of wondering, you know, where do you see this right now? Where do you see this going in the next two, to four weeks?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Well, it does appear as if we're in a sort of a ceasefire stalemate, not going too far. We have competing ultimatums from President Trump, as opposed to the irgc. The Strait of Hormuz of course continues to be contested and yet today President Trump's made it clear that he says his Project Freedom is going to free up the 800 vessels and 20,000 soldiers that remain trapped inside the Persian Gulf that want to get out and deliver their product. Ah, and so you have a lot of back and forth here. I know. Over the weekend the President sent a letter to Congress saying look, hostilities have terminated, quote, however, ah, that's really to satisfy the people on the Hill, ah, concerning the war power, its resolution. What everybody understands, and President Trump has made clear is that hostilities can renew. After all, our forces really haven't relocated. The blockade continues and strikes just may happen in order to compel the IRGC to the Negotiating table with a serious face.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Robert, the end game here for the Trump administration. we were talking earlier in the, first segment, we wanted to, apparently to set back the process within Iran to get a nuclear weapon that seems to have been successful, although we can't guarantee they won't start up again. we certainly have vastly degraded their military. but then there was talk, even before the president launched the, this, attack on Iran that, you know, help is on the way, you know, maybe the possibility of regime change. That doesn't seem like it's going to happen. What do you think the president wants to see, in order for us to pull our forces out? What is he looking at? What's the off ramp? What's the end goal here?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Well, I think that he wants some guarantees that they're not going to pursue a nuclear weapon if they still have somewhere in the bottom of a rubble covered, mountain, 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium, which of course they don't need for peaceful purposes. And they have some centrifuges, they probably still have a few living, ah, nuclear scientists. And their plans are buried somewhere as well. So, he'd like to get that off the table. I think that, the proxy issue has been a, a problem for the last 40 plus years. And they've killed hundreds of American service members over in the region. So, you know, he'd like to have them, you know, kind of deny that they're going to continue to fund the likes of Hamas, which of course is mostly defeated in Gaza. Hezbollah continues to be a problem, but it seems as if the Israelis are taking care of the people in Beirut. And, you know, they are already up to the Litany river, which is something the Israelis have done on many occasions. And then of course the Houthis, I think we'd like to, you know, kind of take the troublesome meddling of the Iranians off the board, but, we don't have any guarantees. And irgc, we've, you know, peeled back this onion many times, but they started with 200,000 in their ranks. there may be a few thousand less today because of the Mossad and our activities. However, they're still in charge in Tehran, and that's the problem. And it doesn't appear at this point as if we're finding the right types of people that can make things happen, in downtown Tehran.
Chris Woodward: I think President Trump needs to end Iran crisis by Memorial Day
>> Chris Woodward: Hey, it's, Krish Woodward here. I have a question for you. Even if we succeed in getting a Regime change and Iran becomes a completely different government. Now, should we as Americans or really countries in the west, should we remain on alert for any kind of terrorism, from people, in the US and other countries, that are, you know, they're acting irrationally because they've lost everything from, you know, the homeland, and now they just want to get back in the west or something like that.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Yeah. Krish, I think that the terrorists are just hardened people that are all over the world. We had Hamas down in Venezuela and in Central America. Ah. And of course, they're fanned to a certain degree by, the Chinese Communists that have been in that region as well. I don't really think we're going to see near term. though I'd like a, regime change. like I said, the IRGC still firmly in charge. I don't see an emergent group. you have the mek, Ah, that has, you know, rattled their saber somewhat. but, you know, the regime disarmed most everybody in Iran, for the last almost 50 years. And so you don't have a meaningful, organic potential to uprise. And externally, I don't see armies gathering in Iraq or in Turkey, to invade that country, other than perhaps the Kurds. And the Kurds are only interested in their own land, and that's a small slice of northern Iran. So I don't really see a transition here easily into an organic Jeffersonian democracy anytime soon.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, you know, I mentioned this is just pure opinion here, but I mentioned, we're talking to Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis from the family Research Council. I was, that. Politically speaking. I know that's. I mean, that has to factor in here, too, politically slash public opinion. I think President Trump needs to get this, close, bring some closure to this, by Memorial Day. otherwise, now, that may not be possible. And President Trump and, his team may say, well, we can't put a timetable on it. We'll be there as long as it takes to do A, B and C, that's fine. And, and, and, and, and some people will grasp that and understand that and appreciate that, but there's going to be a large segment of the American people go. I don't care what you tell me. my gas is $5.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: A gallon. So what are you going to do about that? So, I mean, that has to be. Don't you think that has to be on their minds, too, at the White House?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Oh, absolutely. You know, if, if the Republicans lose Congress.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: All we're going to see is impeachment from the House and, you know, foot dragging from the likes of Schumer. So, you know, either you get this over with and put it in the rearview mirror and then really get the economy roaring, by the fall, or the Republicans are not going to be in power. And, that's just the sheer reality of domestic politics. And I understand people voting their pocketbooks, as they often do. You know, this problem in the Middle east has been there for a long time, and I think most people are going to say it's probably not going to disappear, which is probably right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Anything else you guys got?
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, no. Robert, very appreciative of the expertise you bring, to these kinds of issues. It helps our listeners kind of factor in, from a Christian perspective, but also from your, your background and experience, shedding some light on these issues that, you know, halfway around the world, sometimes difficult for average, Americans to kind of fit into the grand scheme of things. So we appreciate you being on with us.
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: Well, thank you for having me. It's been my pleasure.
>> Tim Wildmon: Take care. Thank you, Robert.
Chris: President Trump needs to end high gas prices by Memorial Day
That's, Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis. Krish, what do you think about what we talked about here?
>> Chris Woodward: Well, I mean, I, I think he needs to bring an end to this, because I looked it up.
>> Tim Wildmon: Robert.
>> Chris Woodward: no. President Trump. Excuse me.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, wow. So, man, that's a lot of pressure on a guy who, you know, who's retired.
>> Chris Woodward: No, no, no, no. He's great and has been a tremendous asset.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You guys use them a lot?
>> Chris Woodward: We do pretty much every day. Chad had a story, involving Bob on his story, list.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Chris Woodward: so anyway, Operation Epic Fury, which is what this thing was started, it's what it was called from day one, the US Israeli operation where we hit Iran hard and hit him hard for several days that began on February 28th. And I did some, digging here while we were talking to Bob a moment ago. Trump has said several times that it'll be a couple more weeks.
>> Tim Wildmon: The first, what will be a two,
>> Chris Woodward: that we'd be in Iran in this campaign in Iran. He said it several times. It'll be a couple more weeks. Couple more weeks. Couple more weeks, that kind of thing. The first time I could find Trump having said that was in March. it was two or three more weeks. Then it came four to five weeks. And here we are months later with gas almost at a $5 national average and impacting a lot of things, probably going to play a role in the midterm elections. Trump, I think, does need to somehow get a positive end to this. Whether or not he can do that by Memorial Day, I'm not sure. But I agree with Tim. We've got to bring an end to this at some point.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Tim, Tim, like you said, and as, Lieutenant Colonel McGinnis said a few moments ago in. If you can bring this to a close here this month somehow, and we all know that might not be possible, but if we can, then get the economy going, oil prices dropping, gas prices dropping rapidly, especially as people get ready to go on vacation and all that kind of thing. I know this sounds pretty mercenary, but that's the way most people operate in terms of, how they vote. They vote according to their pocketbooks, as we've said. but you could turn the midterm elections around if the economy was started to boom.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And people started feeling good about their prospects.
>> Chris Woodward: I got to tell you, I have a vacation, planned in June, and I'm going to be going about 465 miles from this spot.
>> Tim Wildmon: He counted up the mile.
>> Chris Woodward: I just did.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Chris Woodward: 465 miles and a vehicle that gets about 24 miles to the gallon. So I'm like, I really hope we get gas prices figured out. And I'm assuming I'm not the only American thinking about that. A lot of people have already invested a lot of money in booking a place to go. Yeah, but now you're going to end up spending a lot more money than you thought you were going to be spending back in February when you booked your Airbnb or whatever.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And it's not. And it's not just vacations. It's just the regular weekly expenses. Your budget, this has been a budget buster for a lot of people.
>> Chris Woodward: I know a guy, last week, we were talking about gas prices, and this guy said, and I quote, I can't afford to drive to work, and I can't afford not to work.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Chris Woodward: And I guarantee you he's not the only American that feels that way.
>> Tim Wildmon: And you guys are negative.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You want to make them. You want to make Iran great again, don't you?
>> Tim Wildmon: Bringing me down, huh? I want to go on vacation. I don't want to have to think about gas prices. yeah, running out of gas and, you know, so to speak.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: But anyway, Krish, I appreciate.
Chris says he's going on a family road trip 465 miles
Krish, this 538 mile junket you're going on, is that what it is?
>> Chris Woodward: It's 465 miles.
>> Tim Wildmon: Somebody forcing you to do this?
>> Chris Woodward: No. No family.
>> Tim Wildmon: Family vacation to do. Yeah.
>> Chris Woodward: So I'm looking forward to it, too.
>> Tim Wildmon: But you're.
>> Chris Woodward: I'm a little worried that y' all might find yourselves too comfortable with me being gone for two weeks. Oh, we don't need Krish. And then. And then I'm really. Gas will be the least of my problems.
>> Tim Wildmon: We'll miss you, Krish. Were you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Were you making a point there, asking him that? He's. That he's choosing to go?
>> Tim Wildmon: Just saying we Americans. I'm gonna put it, in plain man's English.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ain't nothing gonna stop us from going on vacation.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a birthright.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ain't nothing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ain't nothing, huh?
>> Tim Wildmon: we're going to the beach. yeah. We got to take a second mortgage out, but we're going.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, my wife and I are planning to go in October. We don't. We don't do hot, so we've had invitations from family members to go to the beach, I think, in June, and we just decline.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, because you don't want to be. You don't want to be on the beach, and it'd be hot. I got you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right. So we go in October.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: There's people.
>> Tim Wildmon: Aren't. October, is beautiful.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: I mean, as far as the weather
>> Ed Vitagliano: goes, there's no people around. My wife and I, we just don't like people now.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, you know, I've got that sense.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Talking to you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But it's not hot. That's the point. That's.
>> Tim Wildmon: I got you. What about you, Krish? Where's this? If you don't mind divulging this 538 mile journey 465. Oh, I'm sorry.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, we're going to the, Asheville, North Carolina area.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, that's very pretty.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, they're liberal. They're very liberal. Wackadoodle.
>> Chris Woodward: That's why I'm going. I'm going to try to bring it back to. I'm going to make North Carolina. North Carolina again.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I happened in Asheville several times, because that's where the Billy Graham.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah. Training center or something.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Well, that's what we hosted about five years in a row. We hosted an event there. Billy Graham Training Center. What do they call that? There's a cove. The COVID The COVID Yeah. So it's right by Asheville. So we went to downtown Asheville to eat.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It is pretty hippie.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Yeah. But, some people have family there. Are you going to go on a little vacay?
>> Chris Woodward: No, no, no.
>> Tim Wildmon: They got the Biltmore There.
>> Chris Woodward: They do have the Biltmore there. and we're, planning a tour. So my wife's family is very, it's, it's a lot of people. they're huge family. And for, a few years, we've always rented, like a lake house at Smith Lake in North Alabama, one of my favorite places on planet Earth. And I've been a lot of places. but anyway, we decided this year, to do something different where we were going to take a family road trip. Yeah, we're all going to load up and go over to Asheville.
>> Tim Wildmon: So have fun, man.
>> Chris Woodward: I'll have my lap.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Because if you can go.
Chris: All you need to do is get another credit card
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, I may have to hitchhike.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, all you got to do, what you need to do, Krish, get you another credit card. That's the American way right there, my friend.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Then you can keep transferring your balance back and forth.
>> Chris Woodward: I'm going to talk to that guy that played the Fonz today about a reverse mortgage.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Chris Woodward: And then, Henry Winkler. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tim Vagliano: Maybe Bernie Sanders is going to ruin America
>> Tim Wildmon: all right. You're listening to Today's issues on American Family Radio. Tim, Ed and Krish, what's your next story? Krish?
>> Chris Woodward: Well, we need to keep an eye out for, politics because, Bernie Sanders and, the Democratic Socialist.
>> Tim Wildmon: There's a name I hadn't heard in a while. Bernie Sanders. What now? What's he doing?
>> Chris Woodward: He's out. He's got a, Fight the Oligarchy tour. The man's been in office now for 40 years, and he's been warning about an oligarchy.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's got a rock band now or something, and he's touring.
>> Chris Woodward: He's, he's trying to assemble a band.
>> Tim Wildmon: What's it, what's the tour called?
>> Chris Woodward: Fight the Oligarchy.
>> Tim Wildmon: The Oligarchy.
>> Chris Woodward: Now, one of the socialists, that he's wanting to get elected is a guy named Abdul EL Sayed, who's a Senate candidate in Michigan. And, Bernie and Saeed had a little rally over the weekend. Here's what they had to say. Clip 6 Our job as progressives is not just to take Donald Trump on every single, single day. We've got to do that, but we have got to do more. We got to transform the Democratic Party into a party of working families who are going to stand up and fight for ordinary Americans.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Who here believes in Medicare for All?
>> Tim Wildmon: And who believes it's time to abolish ice?
>> Dr. Josh Mulvihill: And who believes we got to get
>> Chris Woodward: money out of politics and in your pocket? I think Bernie Sanders.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That wasn't all Bernie Sanders.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, at the beginning of it was Bernie. The other guy was the Abdul. El said there was.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Was Barack Obama the middle voice?
>> Chris Woodward: No, that was. It was Bernie and, his buddy. Okay, El said, but, Bernie Sanders is part of what's wrong with the Democratic Party today because the guy's not a Democrat, but for some reason he's. He's the voice of the party now. And because of him and his crazy politics, he's ruined the party. I mean, he's the reason the Democratic Party has moved further and further to the left. Today's Democrats is not your dad's Democrats because of Bernie Sanders. And this is why the president really needs to get out there and push things like his economic agenda, because these folks are gaining traction in their affordability, campaign and how you gotta upturn the apple cart and remake America to help you be able to afford stuff.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think it's upset that apple cart. That's just a little minor thing to
>> Ed Vitagliano: turn over the tables.
>> Chris Woodward: Maybe Bernie Sanders is going to ruin America.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, listen, I.
>> Tim Wildmon: Throw the peaches out with the baby water. You know, there are sayings we use. Am I right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Throw the peaches out with the baby bath water. Well, that, that kind. Mixing up those metaphors, makes my blood crawl. That's all I can say.
>> Chris Woodward: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: hey, Krish. Thank you.
>> Chris Woodward: Thank you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I was going to say something. Go ahead. No, it's too late now. I hear the music. The world is going to miss my insights.
>> Tim Wildmon: I tell you what. In five minutes, we'll be back. And if you can, sort of get back in the mood of delivering.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, I, I can or can't. My, my mood switch pretty quickly, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I go from back calm to no,
>> Tim Wildmon: which is good for a radio show.
>> Ed Vitagliano: H. Yes, that's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Yeah. have your mood switch very quickly.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Mood swings.
>> Tim Wildmon: Women say that happens.
>> Ed Vitagliano: My middle name.
>> Tim Wildmon: Women say that happens at certain stages.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Head mood swings. Vagliano.
>> Tim Wildmon: Probably better that this hour ends. 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.
