Walker Wildmon: Religious freedom is about people of faith being able to live out their faith and convictions, no matter where they are. Walker Wildmon: Welcome to At the Core here on American Family Radio. Glad to have you with us on the program. Rick Green and I are with you live here on AFR as we prepare for the midterm results this evening. Much of the East Coast and Central Time zones will have results within an hour or so of our election coverage kickoff at 6 p.m. Central this evening, so you're going to want to tune in to AFR.net, the American Family Radio app, and, of course, our terrestrial radio stations around the country. Rick, good to be with you today, brother. Rick Green: Hey, man, you too. I wish we had to do this more often. Everybody's used to getting Walker on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Tuesday and Thursday for me, but today they get both. I think it's a perfect day for us to be able to bounce off each other a little bit and maybe even share some predictions about what we think might happen tonight. Walker Wildmon: Yeah, the polling, by the way, and you're aware of this, but for our audience here now, the polling is heavily Democrat-leaning. The results are just showing Democrats everywhere, including in Texas, wiping the map with Democrat control. The House of Representatives has just been assumed with a 99-plus-percent chance that Democrats take the House. On the U.S. Senate side, they're showing a 65- to 70-percent chance that Democrats take the Senate, which means they've got to flip three or four seats. Walker Wildmon: Leading up to this, Rick, pretty much the majority of the polls and the majority of the commentators are predicting this blue wave, even in states like Texas, Kansas, and Iowa. I'm just totally not buying it, Rick. I'm not saying the Democrats won't do well, but I am not buying a blue wave in states like Iowa, Kansas, and Texas. Rick Green: Yeah, I agree. I think it started with the immediate bias of the midterm election cycle that people are so used to. We've talked about it on the program several times, but normally, of course, the party that doesn't have the White House does better in a midterm because whoever has the White House is pushing their agenda. They're moving forward, depending on the president aggressively, and therefore the pushback from the opposition is strong. They're more motivated to get out and vote. Rick Green: Typically, a midterm election, and when I say typically, virtually every single one other than three since 1930-something, has gone the way of the party not in the White House. There have been exceptions. I think this could be an exception year. I do think that the bias caused them to build the polls in a way that I think they're going to be proven very wrong. Rick Green: You also have these trends since COVID of conservatives having less faith in institutions, being less likely to answer a poll, less likely to participate in those kinds of things, and just quietly going to vote and expressing their anger at the polls. I think they still haven't figured out how to factor that into the polls, so I think that's going to weigh in as well. Rick Green: Then I just think the left has gone too far, and it's a bit hard for the pollsters to measure that. I think there's a ton of people who feel exactly the same way as that gal up in Michigan, Haley Stevens, I think is her name, who endorsed my opponent over El-Sayed. There are a ton of Democrats who I think have been feeling what she had been feeling. It's like, “I'm being forced to vote for leftism, for Marxism, for Islamic cultural jihad in our culture. I'm being forced to do this because of their influence in my party.” Those Democrats who felt that way may have reached their limit just in time. Rick Green: We'll see if the people who go to the polls reflect what she did. It potentially means Mike Rogers could win Michigan. I'm hoping it starts a trend, because I would love to see the Democrat Party not completely implode. I think it's unhealthy for America if the communists or the Islamists own one of the two major political parties in our country. I'm really praying that that race is a turning point in the narrative on that particular issue. Walker Wildmon: Yeah, I think, Rick, to your point about the pollsters, they've gotten it wrong before. In some elections they've gotten it right, or they've gotten it more accurate, rather. But to your point about the skepticism among conservatives and Republicans in answering these pollster questions and these phone calls, emails, and text messages, I personally, and this is anecdotal, could almost guarantee that this would be statistically proven should we test it: No one I know answers any of the polls. Walker Wildmon: We don't answer the phone calls, the emails, the letters, et cetera, because, to be a little sarcastic here, we don't talk to strangers. In the days of telemarketers, we just don't answer people we don't know and don't trust. That's not the pollsters' fault. That's just the environment that we're in. There's a level of distrust here. At the end of the day, people are thinking to themselves, “What does it matter whether I tell you who I vote for or not? Either way, I'm going to vote for them.” Walker Wildmon: I just don't know how these folks get viable, accurate polling in this environment unless they completely rethink their methodology, their audience, and how they do it. Maybe this will be a wake-up call for them to totally revamp how they conduct polling, but we've said that before and they keep doing the same thing. Walker Wildmon: Some of this, Rick, is narrative building. Some of these polling firms are far-left firms, hardcore Democrats, and they run this polling just to build narratives and headlines, right? And to suppress Republican turnout. Rick Green: That is definitely a goal, even with some of the polls that were admittedly faked. No doubt that there's a lot of that going on. Then, walking on the other side, you've got all these independent third parties, even in many cases individuals who have just become analyzing freaks. They dive into the numbers, and they have been monitoring on a daily basis the early voting turnout, whether that person had traditionally voted Republican. Rick Green: If you're in a state where you have to declare, or you're in a state where you don't have to declare but you've voted in a certain number of primaries, they're looking at all of that. They're weighing their predictions based on how many people have so far voted in the November election who also voted only in a Republican primary in the last 10 years, or only in a Democrat primary. Then they weigh it differently if you've mixed your primary voting or you've never voted in a primary. Rick Green: I would argue that even that is very difficult to be accurate on because of the things we were talking about earlier. There are traditional Democrats who are fed up and are going to say no. On the other side, there are traditional Republicans who are saying they're not going to vote for the Republicans who won because you had some conservatives who won in the primaries over establishment Republicans who have been around forever. Their little machine that has existed is hacked off. Rick Green: I think that's childish, and I think that's not putting the country first, but there's a lot of people doing that. I guess what I'm saying is I don't think the old indication that you've only voted in Republican primaries your whole life is that solid an indicator. It is an indicator, understand, but it's not solid. I think all of these prediction models that people are posting on social media are still tough. Nobody knows for sure. Rick Green: Walker, depending on where you are in the country right now, you've got a few hours left to vote. I would say to all of our listeners, and most people listening to this program probably voted early because you and I were both encouraging them to do so, but if you haven't yet and your day is getting busy, don't make the mistake. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to people who said, “I was planning on it, but I didn't get it done,” or, “I got off work later,” or, “Traffic was bad,” or, “The line was too long.” Then they end up kicking themselves later when they realize how close the election was or how things went bad and they didn't let their voice be heard. Rick Green: I'm saying to everybody within the sound of our voice right now, go vote. If you need to get off work right now, go ask your boss. Go tell your supervisor, “The state of the free world depends on me getting off work right now.” Whatever you've got to do, get off work, go get in line, and don't wait until the last minute tonight. Rick Green: If you do go tonight, as long as you get in line before your polls close, you get to vote. In my state of Texas, it's 7 o'clock. If you get in line at 6:59 and a half, you get to vote even if it doesn't happen until 8 o'clock. If there are lines wrapped around the building, they'll basically come along and give a card to the last person in line, and that'll be the last one. Rick Green: All of that is to say, we're not done, guys. We've got a few hours left here. The votes between now and the closing of the polls will probably total the difference in most of these key races. It makes a huge difference to make the decision to go vote right now. Absolutely vote, folks, if you haven't already. Walker Wildmon: This morning I took my three oldest boys and we voted on the way to school. The turnout is quite shocking, to be honest. I'm not being dramatic or unnecessarily dramatic, but the level of turnout at my polling location, the level of turnout from one of my co-workers who is one of the precinct captains or precinct workers here on the other side of our county, and then multiple others I've heard from, all indicate that this is shaping up to be potentially presidential-level turnout. Walker Wildmon: States could vary on that, but nonetheless, I think there are record levels of engagement and voter turnout for a midterm. I think that's going to shape up to be true. Which party it favors might be surprising to us. I think Election Day turnout automatically favors Republicans, but based on some of these anecdotal reports, that may not necessarily be the case. You could have Democrats showing up on Election Day and voting, which would buck a trend we've seen in past election cycles. We'll see where it all pans out. Walker Wildmon: Nonetheless, Rick, I do think that the Republican Party, specifically President Trump, has done a pretty good job tethering this midterm to his presidential term and the fact that the two go hand in hand. I will say I think the president and the vice president have done a good job making this election about a much bigger picture than just who your congressman or senator is. Rick Green: Yeah, you read my mind, Walker. I think the same thing, and I think that's one of the unmeasured factors in the polling. There are a ton of people like us who say, “We want to reward the president. Because of how aggressive the White House has been for these first two years, we want to make sure they get another two years like that.” I think there's a ton of people out there feeling the same way. Rick Green: All of these unfavorable numbers on the president, and his numbers supposedly being so bad, goes back to who they're talking to. Of course, the other side is very mad and doesn't like what he's doing because he's pushing back on their leftist agenda. I think the sleeping giants out there just better be awake enough to get to the polls this afternoon. Walker Wildmon: We'll talk more about this in the next segment, and then we'll hopefully take some calls in the last segment. The only so-called negative you could lodge at the president and the White House, and this is a two-sided coin, if you will, is the Iran war and the energy costs that have gone up since then. That's the only murmuring I've heard within the Republican Party and with the conservative base, whether or not we should have done that and what the fallout has been, although it's been quite less dramatic than some analysts would have predicted. Walker Wildmon: I think President Trump has done a pretty good job handling the entire Iran war and conflict. But the question is, does that actually move voters? You might ask a Republican voter who says, “I don't think we should have gone to war with Iran,” but that's not going to make them vote for the Democrats. They're just telling you what their opinion is. Walker Wildmon: The question is, is something like the Iran war and the lingering inflation enough to make Republicans vote Democrat? Personally, I don't think it is, but I could be wrong. Maybe some people are more easily swayed than I am. Walker Wildmon: Rick Green and Walker Wildmon are here with you on At the Core on American Family Radio during this live edition on midterm Election Day 2026, Tuesday, November 3rd. We're going to be covering all of this live this evening at 6 p.m. Central. As Rick said, if you haven't voted, you need to vote. Walker Wildmon: This is civic duty and civic responsibility from a Christian vantage point. This is about stewardship, being salt and light. This is one of many ways in our country that you are given an opportunity to choose your leaders, to be salt and light, and to advance your values into our culture and government. Do not miss out on this opportunity. Vote if you have not already. Make a plan to vote before your polls close this evening. Walker Wildmon: Welcome back to At the Core here on American Family Radio. Rick Green is with us. We have two segments left. Rick is en route to Dallas, Texas, and I'm live with you here in our studios in Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis. This is where we'll be covering the election live this evening, beginning at 6 p.m. Central. If you want the truth, a little Christian commentary, and folks who are like-minded with you, tune in to AFR this evening. Walker Wildmon: I've told folks, Rick, that I've made my predictions. I think Republicans keep the Senate, but if I'm wrong and there is a blue wave, I will happily and humbly admit it live during the election coverage. Rick Green: I made my predictions too, but I'm glad we said just that one. Walker Wildmon: Exactly. Walker Wildmon: We want to hear what you think, especially those of you in some of these battleground states with very tight races. We want to hear what you're hearing on the ground and what your predictions are. Call 888-589-8840. We'll take your calls and get your input on what you're seeing on the ground and what your predictions are for this midterm election. Walker Wildmon: Rick, just to go over some of these states, I'll tell you what my predictions are. I put this out on Facebook about an hour ago. I think the Senate is going to come down to 52-48, 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats. Here's how I get there, and then you can tell me what you think. Walker Wildmon: I'm showing a Paxton win in Texas. It could be too close for comfort for Republicans, but nonetheless, I think Paxton will pull off Texas. I think it's completely laughable that pollsters are even showing the Democrats having a chance in Kansas and Iowa, so I've got those two locked in red. Walker Wildmon: I think Dan Sullivan, the incumbent, holds on to the Alaska seat. I don't think that's going to be a problem there, even though the Democrats have been doing some very shady things up there by running ghost candidates with the same name, Dan Sullivan, which should be illegal. Walker Wildmon: I think Susan Collins holds on to Maine. I think the pollsters have completely got it wrong in Maine. Susan Collins is a mult term U.S. senator with high favorability in the state. She holds Maine. Walker Wildmon: I'm showing Ohio going to the Democrats. Let's just say they keep Ohio. I think that's Sherrod Brown's seat. In Michigan, I'm showing it going to Mike Rogers. The last two weeks of momentum have been going toward Rogers. El-Sayed is unpopular even among Democrats there. I think that puts us at 52-48. There could be one or two upsets in here that I'm not factoring in. You could see Republicans get Ohio, but I'm not factoring that in. Nonetheless, what say you, Rick? Rick Green: I think the only one I was thinking about that you didn't mention is North Carolina. That is likely a Democrat pickup there. Is that the one that got you from 53 to 52? Walker Wildmon: Correct. I'm showing Tillis losing in North Carolina. Rick Green: No, man, I think you're spot on, bro. That's exactly what I was trying to say. I wanted to disagree with you on one of these, but I don't think I can. I think that's exactly where I am. We may not know on Sullivan until sometime tomorrow. Walker Wildmon: Yeah. Rick Green: Collins, I think you're right. She's just been there so long. She's definitely not my kind of Republican, but in Maine she's probably the best you're going to get, and certainly way better than the Democrat. I hope Republicans there keep her. She gets a lot of crossover votes as well. Walker Wildmon: In Ohio, there are two seats up, right? There's the special election and the other one. Rick Green: I know for sure Husted versus Brown. That's the one you're thinking Brown wins? Walker Wildmon: Correct. I'm assuming Brown wins that one just because he's the incumbent, but Husted is up in some of these polls. Republicans could get Ohio. The fact that this is currently a Democrat seat is the only reason I'm not just banking on Republicans getting that. I'm assuming a Republican loss there, but that could be an upset. Rick Green: New Hampshire might be an upset. I think the New Hampshire race could surprise us. Walker Wildmon: That's interesting you say that, Rick, because a lot of folks don't know that New Hampshire is more Republican-friendly than you would think, being in the Northeast. New Hampshire has actually been governed by Republicans. They've had the trifecta before in the last four to eight years. They've had both chambers and the governor's mansion. Walker Wildmon: To your point about Susan Collins, these are not MAGA, hardcore conservative, constitutionalist types, but nonetheless, they are somewhat Republican and conservative. You could see an upset up there in New Hampshire. There's also been a lot of conservative grassroots focus on New Hampshire with Turning Point Action and others, with get-out-the-vote efforts. That could play a part. Walker Wildmon: So, good point, Rick. New Hampshire could be an upset. If not this cycle, it could be an upset in future cycles. Presidentially, there aren't a lot of Electoral College votes there, but to get a state like New Hampshire in the Northeast to go Republican at any point would be a big deal and a big accomplishment for the Republican Party. Rick Green: I was just looking it up because I couldn't remember. Sununu had been governor and senator, I think. That's a name that's solid there, almost 100 percent name recognition, even if people don't remember which Sununu it is when they're going to the polls. That's a major factor. Chris Sununu is also a very popular name and has been governor there. You've got well-known people. That captures what we don't normally think of in terms of the Northeast, so that could be a big surprise tonight. Walker Wildmon: It looks like this is one of the Sununus. Chris was governor, and the father, John, was governor of New Hampshire during the Reagan days. Rick Green: Yes. John Sununu, the father, was governor of New Hampshire. The brother of the current candidate, John E. Sununu, who is on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, was governor there. Walker Wildmon: I knew I got the opponent wrong. I thought it was the incumbent, but it's Chris Pappas, the congressman from there. Rick Green: That's right. So, Sununu has an advantage there just in terms of name identification. Walker Wildmon: It appears that John E. Sununu was not only in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003, but he was also in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009, which I did not know. He has been in the U.S. Senate before. Rick Green: I didn't know that either. He's running again here, so we'll see how that goes. You learn something new every day. New Hampshire could be a pickup for Republicans. That would be a pretty big deal. Rick Green: We didn't talk about South Carolina, which normally would be considered safe. Obviously, the Graham name is huge, but she had the big flop on the debate thing and all of that, so I guess that's why some people are calling it close. Do you think that one's even close, or are you just calling that for Graham? Walker Wildmon: I'm assuming Graham wins that. I just don't see Democrats being able to flip that, especially in such a short timeframe with Lindsey Graham being the incumbent. Of course, this is his sister running for the seat there that Lindsey Graham vacated through his passing. I just don't think the Democrats are going to be able to pick that one off with such a short timeframe. Walker Wildmon: One anecdotal report from the New York Post, out within the last hour, is that the New York Post ran an exit poll out of Atlantic Beach, New York. This is a pretty small community, so take it for what it's worth. According to this exit poll, over the course of the morning and up until lunchtime, they could not find a single Kathy Hochul voter leaving the polling place in Atlantic Beach, New York. Can you believe that? Rick Green: Wow, man, that's crazy. If that's an indicator, we could be in for a fun night. Obviously, it could be very anecdotal, in New York of all places. I'd heard people already saying two or three weeks ago that New York could be a big surprise, that she's certainly not going to do as well as the polls are saying, but there could actually be a huge upset there. Rick Green: That would be massive and could be a repudiation of the Manhattan effect in New York. Once you get outside of New York City, you actually get to America, right? Especially up there in Cooperstown and the surrounding areas, you've got a lot of New York that's conservative and still very patriotic. They are not happy with what has happened in New York City and could show up in droves to let their voice be heard, since they had no voter voice in the mayoral race. Walker Wildmon: The reason midterms are important is that, obviously, you're choosing who your elected officials are. That's of primary importance. Secondly, it gives the parties either affirmation or criticism of their direction. Walker Wildmon: Here's my concern. Should Republicans not do well this evening, I don't want this one election to be a referendum on President Trump and the Republican Party to such an extent that we don't choose bold leadership as conservatives in the future. Walker Wildmon: Here's what your corporatists, your establishment, and some of your fringe conservative elements want to say if Republicans don't do well tonight: “See, I told you John Cornyn should have been the primary pick in Texas,” or, “See, you should have never gone to war with Iran, because look how unpopular this is among the American people.” Walker Wildmon: Those are just a couple of examples, but here's why that is not good governing. All your focus is on reelection. I think that's been the problem with generations past. We're so narrowly focused on power and reelection that we don't govern effectively because we're too paranoid about what the pollsters and the midterm voters are going to say. Walker Wildmon: We need to be careful about what conclusions we draw from tonight's results. We don't need to go back into this timid approach to governing as conservatives and Republicans. Instead, we need to govern how we think is best for the country, regardless of what the polls say and what the vibe shift is. Rick Green: You just described in real time and real life the difference between a patriot and a politician. A politician is always thinking only about the next election, and therefore they govern based on the poll and on a reaction. A patriot is going to vote thinking about the next generation, not the next election. Rick Green: I'm going to do the right thing for the country and for my children and grandchildren. You can look at the posts even in the last couple of days, certainly in my home state of Texas, where they're saying exactly what you just said they would take from it. Rick Green: If Paxton were to lose, they're already saying, “We would have spent so much less money if it had just been Cornyn, and it would have been a shoo-in. All the money spent on this race would have been spent in other states.” My reaction to that was, “Wait, what did you do in the primary?” Rick Green: One hundred fifty million dollars should have been spent in other races across the country? He had promised he wasn't going to run again. It was just the mess created by Cornyn. All that is to say, you're right. They will take from this exactly what you just said, and Republicans will become more timid. They will become weak. They won't have the same bold, aggressive style President Trump has had. Rick Green: It will even cause him all kinds of heartache. I don't think he will slow down, but some of his team will, and the weak-kneed will back off. The opposite is also true. It will embolden the Islamic messaging that El-Sayed used in Michigan and make people think this is normal. Those things will be amplified if the election turns out badly. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely. That's exactly right. That's one thing we need to be careful about as far as drawing broad conclusions. We've been begging for bold leadership. The conservative and Christian movement has been begging for bold leadership for a long time, and President Trump has brought some of that. Walker Wildmon: That needs to be supported. Should there be a blue wave, you'll see who the patriots are and who the patriots aren't, because the weak-kneed establishment will flee and point fingers, while those who love their country will stick around and fight for another day. Walker Wildmon: Welcome back to At the Core here on American Family Radio. We're about to take your calls. Melinda and Angela, we're about to get to you right now. Before we jump to the lines, Rick, very quickly mention the ballot initiatives. We have a full 24-page PDF at AFAAction.net outlining the ballot initiatives in the correct voting position. Rick Green: Certainly, to our friends and listeners in Colorado, there are several in Colorado. There are some really interesting ones. We'll be reporting on that tonight. Alaska has the repeal of ranked-choice voting, which has been a disaster. Let's pray and hope that they do repeal it. Rick Green: You've got six states that say only citizens can vote: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia. You've got four that say you have to have voter ID: California, Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina. Three say no men in women's sports: Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. You've got four abortion ballot initiatives in Missouri, Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. Rick Green: Folks, you have to get the PDF that Walker was just talking about, because these initiatives are written in such confusing ways that some people are going to go in and vote for abortion without knowing that that's what they're actually voting for. There are lots of good details in that PDF that you need to get. Rick Green: Then there are some wild ones. There's the California 5 percent wealth tax on billionaires. That's a great way to bankrupt your state by running out anybody who knows how to start a business. Walker Wildmon: Then you've got marijuana in Massachusetts and a ton of different ones. I didn't realize this was on the ballot until we started looking at it, but a natural right to keep your arms is a ballot initiative in Arkansas. Rick Green: Lots of them. Get the PDF, go to AFAAction, and share it. If you're going to vote this afternoon, post that you're going to vote and share it with your friends and family so they can also do the same thing before the polls close. Walker Wildmon: Let's go to Melinda. Melinda's from Ohio. Melinda, welcome to the program. Caller: Hello. Am I on? Walker Wildmon: Yes, ma'am. What's on your mind? Caller: I just wanted to correct you on the Ohio Senate race. John Husted is the incumbent. He was a Republican. He was working while we were off the air. Walker Wildmon: Yes, you're exactly right, Melinda. I actually corrected that with Rick during the break. The Ohio incumbent senator running for election there, John Husted, is the incumbent. He was appointed to replace Vice President J.D. Vance in January 2025. He is running for Vice President Vance's seat in a special election against Sherrod Brown. Sherrod Brown lost to Bernie Moreno in the 2024 cycle. Walker Wildmon: You're from Ohio. What's your prediction for tonight? Caller: I think Sherrod Brown's going to get beat. I think John Husted's going to take it. Sherrod Brown has been in there for so many years, and his policies are not good. I think Ohio voters are smart enough to put Husted in. I'm praying for that, anyway. Walker Wildmon: Hi, Melinda. Thanks so much for the call and the correction. That's good information. As Rick and I have noted, we don't get it right all the time, although we try. We appreciate you giving us what you think is going to happen in the state of Ohio. Walker Wildmon: Let's jump up to Kansas. Teresa is in Kansas, another interesting state to keep an eye on tonight. Teresa, what's on your mind? Caller: I'm dealing with the extra cost of gas, and lots and lots of farmers are dealing with the extra cost also affecting them. My thoughts were that we're dealing with that, but isn't that much better than dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear bomb sent to the United States by Iran? Wasn't that a possibility? If you could please expand on that, I would appreciate it. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely, Teresa. Thanks so much for calling in. Rick, do you want to go ahead and address that? Rick Green: I was just literally having a conversation with some of our Patriot Institute scholars about that on the way up to Dallas. You nailed it, ma'am. That's exactly the tradeoff. Would you rather have higher gas prices for a season and not have to deal with the aftermath of a nuclear attack on either Israel, us, or some other ally? Rick Green: Most people aren't paying enough attention to know what the risk is or how to do that cost-benefit analysis. That's one reason you trust the guy in the room, and one reason I was and continue to be so supportive of the president's actions. We know him to be someone who would not take action unless he had to. He hates being in these foreign entanglements. He's never changed his position on these things in literally 50 years since he's been talking publicly about them. Rick Green: Decades ago, including on Iran, he was saying that this needed to be done at some point to prevent them from being able to do what they were getting very close to being able to do, according to the intelligence reports. It would have been a North Korea situation where, even if they didn't have the nuclear weapon yet, they had enough ballistic missile systems to be getting close to that critical mass where no one could stop them from completing the nuclear weapon. That's exactly what North Korea did. Rick Green: That was the decision he had to make. It was a game-time decision, and I think it was the right decision. The other part of that equation is whether it's worth continuing the pressure, not just setting them back 10 or 15 years, but continuing to get massive change so they can no longer fund terrorism around the world. Rick Green: There are all the other benefits you get if you can get Iran back to 47 years ago, where they have a constitutional monarchy or something like that instead of this Islamic regime. It has also highlighted the evil of an Islamic regime. It brought it front and center not only for Americans, but for people across Europe and Australia who are dealing with the beginning stages of Islamic takeover. It has highlighted for them what their future would be if they continue down that road. Those were huge benefits of President Trump's decision. Walker Wildmon: To your point, Rick, taking out and decapitating the nuclear regime and their ability to exert power and terror throughout the region and the world has massive benefits. If President Trump has effectively, or does effectively, neuter Iran militarily, then you're talking about historic levels of peace and stability, not just in the region but in the world. Walker Wildmon: Iran can't launch the terror attacks they've persistently conducted. That is a big deal and has great benefits in the years and decades to come. That's something long-term that you have to think about. Walker Wildmon: I think President Trump is good on these issues of international and foreign policy, and his instincts are usually pretty spot on. The information he had, according to him, says that Iran wanted a nuclear weapon. They said they wanted a nuclear weapon. Iran even said at the negotiating table that they were weeks away from being able to enrich and go nuclear with the weapons there. That's according to Iran's own negotiators. Walker Wildmon: I think this was a real threat. I think President Trump has done the right thing, and I think he was acting in the best interest of the country. Let's go to Angela. Angela is in the state of Kansas. Welcome to the program. Caller: Thank you, and thank you for everything that you all do for us each and every day, including the long hours into the night that we don't even consider half the time. Walker Wildmon: Thank you, Angela. What's on your mind? Caller: One of the concerns that I have as I voted today is that you sometimes leave thinking there wasn't as much transparency as you would have liked. Every race is important, every single one, including our Kansas Supreme Court justices and our Kansas Court of Appeals judges. Caller: In speaking with others who have voted today, one common thing I'm seeing is that people are either just voting no all the way down the line or yes all the way down the line because they're not sure what to do. There's no transparency for people to look and see that, for instance, Eric Rosen was appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius back in 2005. Caller: Our Kansas Court of Appeals judges, Amy Fellows Cline was appointed by Laura Kelly, Lori Bolton Fleming by Laura Kelly, J.C. Hearst by Laura Kelly, and Leslie N. Urish by Laura Kelly, with the exception of Kim Schroeder being appointed by Sam Brownback. We have a large panel of Supreme Court justices or judges up for retention, and people aren't always sure what to do because they aren't finding the information. Caller: I know judges and justices are not supposed to be left or right, Republican or Democrat. They're supposed to simply deal with the issues in the courtroom, and I understand that. But when you are chosen and appointed by a party, which unfortunately Kansas has voted to do, rather than choosing our own Supreme Court justices, you have to look at that. Caller: That was a piece of freedom that we surrendered and may never get back. I pray that possibly we will, but whenever we give up those reasons to choose, it's never a good thing. How do we get that transparency out there for people to understand what they are voting for in those areas? Walker Wildmon: Good point, Angela. Thanks for the call. The best thing I've got for you is what we produce here, and that is iVoterGuide. iVoterGuide.com actually covers all of the individuals you mentioned there in Kansas on the ballot. All the ballot initiatives are also covered by iVoterGuide and AFA Action at AFAAction.net. We're doing what we can to educate people. Whether people use our resources or not is up to them, but it's out there and that's what we're doing about it. Walker Wildmon: Word of mouth is a big deal, too. What you tell your neighbors, friends, and family matters. We need to use our spheres of influence to educate people. Walker Wildmon: We're going to go to one more call in the Lone Star State and talk to Dana. Dana, what's on your mind? Caller: I plan on doing what you're going to do tonight. I just wanted to say how grateful I was that John Cornyn got beat, because that's one less RINO in Washington, D.C. He never represented anything that I voted for, and that's why I'm glad Paxton is there. Caller: There are no perfect people. We are all flawed, and you can't trust one single politician. We all know that, but we do have to vote. I'm thankful that Cornyn isn't there, and his behavior right now really shows one of the reasons why I'm glad he's out of there. If we can get other people out of there, like Jonathan Mitchell and those other RINOs, then our country will be better off. Walker Wildmon: Very good point, Dana. Thanks so much for the call. Rick, we've got about a minute or two left. What's your last word on that? Rick Green: I think she's exactly right. Cornyn was always cutting us off behind the scenes and hurting the cause, so it's definitely a good thing. Rick Green: To what Angela was saying, she's right. I've run statewide for judge twice, for the Texas Supreme Court, and I know it's very difficult to get the word out when you're a judicial candidate. It's very hard to get people to pay attention to those races. She's absolutely right. They should not have given up their right to elect their judges. Appointment is not as good as having elections, even though it is hard to get the word out. She was right about all of those things. Rick Green: The last thing I would say for tonight is, folks, our duty doesn't change no matter what the outcome is tonight. I'm optimistic. I think it's going to be a far better night than what people have predicted. But no matter what happens, duty is ours and results are God's. Rick Green: We're going to wake up the next day and get right back in the fight. Wherever He has called you, wherever He's planted you, be faithful there. Continue the fight. Stay the course. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely, brother. I couldn't agree more, Rick. I've been saying this on the radio, and I'll keep saying it probably as long as I'm alive, but we're called to do the right thing. We want things to go our way, and we get encouraged or discouraged depending on the outcome of some elections and some things in life. But at the end of the day, we're called to be faithful. Walker Wildmon: You and I, and our entire team here at AFR, are going to be fighting for our country, fighting for our kids, our grandchildren, and our future generations. We're going to do it because it's the right thing to do, not because we're getting some temporal reward or because we feel like it. We're called to be faithful and do the right thing. Walker Wildmon: I couldn't agree more, Rick. That's why you and I are equally yoked and co-host the show together. God bless you, Rick. Safe travels, and we'll be in touch. Rick Green: Right back at you, brother. Thanks, man. Walker Wildmon: All right, folks, we're getting reports out of Texas, in Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties, that the wait lines at these historically conservative Republican precincts are out the door and significantly higher than at blue precincts, according to one reporter in Texas. Walker Wildmon: I experienced the same thing here in Mississippi. I've heard anecdotally around the country that Election Day turnout is very, very high compared to previous midterms, which typically would favor Republicans. But I won't know tonight. Tune in to AFR. We'll see you at 6 p.m.
Walker Wildmon: Religious freedom is about people of faith being able to live out their faith and convictions, no matter where they are. Walker Wildmon: Welcome to At the Core here on American Family Radio. Glad to have you with us on the program. Rick Green and I are with you live here on AFR as we prepare for the midterm results this evening. Much of the East Coast and Central Time zones will have results within an hour or so of our election coverage kickoff at 6 p.m. Central this evening, so you're going to want to tune in to AFR.net, the American Family Radio app, and, of course, our terrestrial radio stations around the country. Rick, good to be with you today, brother. Rick Green: Hey, man, you too. I wish we had to do this more often. Everybody's used to getting Walker on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Tuesday and Thursday for me, but today they get both. I think it's a perfect day for us to be able to bounce off each other a little bit and maybe even share some predictions about what we think might happen tonight. Walker Wildmon: Yeah, the polling, by the way, and you're aware of this, but for our audience here now, the polling is heavily Democrat-leaning. The results are just showing Democrats everywhere, including in Texas, wiping the map with Democrat control. The House of Representatives has just been assumed with a 99-plus-percent chance that Democrats take the House. On the U.S. Senate side, they're showing a 65- to 70-percent chance that Democrats take the Senate, which means they've got to flip three or four seats. Walker Wildmon: Leading up to this, Rick, pretty much the majority of the polls and the majority of the commentators are predicting this blue wave, even in states like Texas, Kansas, and Iowa. I'm just totally not buying it, Rick. I'm not saying the Democrats won't do well, but I am not buying a blue wave in states like Iowa, Kansas, and Texas. Rick Green: Yeah, I agree. I think it started with the immediate bias of the midterm election cycle that people are so used to. We've talked about it on the program several times, but normally, of course, the party that doesn't have the White House does better in a midterm because whoever has the White House is pushing their agenda. They're moving forward, depending on the president aggressively, and therefore the pushback from the opposition is strong. They're more motivated to get out and vote. Rick Green: Typically, a midterm election, and when I say typically, virtually every single one other than three since 1930-something, has gone the way of the party not in the White House. There have been exceptions. I think this could be an exception year. I do think that the bias caused them to build the polls in a way that I think they're going to be proven very wrong. Rick Green: You also have these trends since COVID of conservatives having less faith in institutions, being less likely to answer a poll, less likely to participate in those kinds of things, and just quietly going to vote and expressing their anger at the polls. I think they still haven't figured out how to factor that into the polls, so I think that's going to weigh in as well. Rick Green: Then I just think the left has gone too far, and it's a bit hard for the pollsters to measure that. I think there's a ton of people who feel exactly the same way as that gal up in Michigan, Haley Stevens, I think is her name, who endorsed my opponent over El-Sayed. There are a ton of Democrats who I think have been feeling what she had been feeling. It's like, “I'm being forced to vote for leftism, for Marxism, for Islamic cultural jihad in our culture. I'm being forced to do this because of their influence in my party.” Those Democrats who felt that way may have reached their limit just in time. Rick Green: We'll see if the people who go to the polls reflect what she did. It potentially means Mike Rogers could win Michigan. I'm hoping it starts a trend, because I would love to see the Democrat Party not completely implode. I think it's unhealthy for America if the communists or the Islamists own one of the two major political parties in our country. I'm really praying that that race is a turning point in the narrative on that particular issue. Walker Wildmon: Yeah, I think, Rick, to your point about the pollsters, they've gotten it wrong before. In some elections they've gotten it right, or they've gotten it more accurate, rather. But to your point about the skepticism among conservatives and Republicans in answering these pollster questions and these phone calls, emails, and text messages, I personally, and this is anecdotal, could almost guarantee that this would be statistically proven should we test it: No one I know answers any of the polls. Walker Wildmon: We don't answer the phone calls, the emails, the letters, et cetera, because, to be a little sarcastic here, we don't talk to strangers. In the days of telemarketers, we just don't answer people we don't know and don't trust. That's not the pollsters' fault. That's just the environment that we're in. There's a level of distrust here. At the end of the day, people are thinking to themselves, “What does it matter whether I tell you who I vote for or not? Either way, I'm going to vote for them.” Walker Wildmon: I just don't know how these folks get viable, accurate polling in this environment unless they completely rethink their methodology, their audience, and how they do it. Maybe this will be a wake-up call for them to totally revamp how they conduct polling, but we've said that before and they keep doing the same thing. Walker Wildmon: Some of this, Rick, is narrative building. Some of these polling firms are far-left firms, hardcore Democrats, and they run this polling just to build narratives and headlines, right? And to suppress Republican turnout. Rick Green: That is definitely a goal, even with some of the polls that were admittedly faked. No doubt that there's a lot of that going on. Then, walking on the other side, you've got all these independent third parties, even in many cases individuals who have just become analyzing freaks. They dive into the numbers, and they have been monitoring on a daily basis the early voting turnout, whether that person had traditionally voted Republican. Rick Green: If you're in a state where you have to declare, or you're in a state where you don't have to declare but you've voted in a certain number of primaries, they're looking at all of that. They're weighing their predictions based on how many people have so far voted in the November election who also voted only in a Republican primary in the last 10 years, or only in a Democrat primary. Then they weigh it differently if you've mixed your primary voting or you've never voted in a primary. Rick Green: I would argue that even that is very difficult to be accurate on because of the things we were talking about earlier. There are traditional Democrats who are fed up and are going to say no. On the other side, there are traditional Republicans who are saying they're not going to vote for the Republicans who won because you had some conservatives who won in the primaries over establishment Republicans who have been around forever. Their little machine that has existed is hacked off. Rick Green: I think that's childish, and I think that's not putting the country first, but there's a lot of people doing that. I guess what I'm saying is I don't think the old indication that you've only voted in Republican primaries your whole life is that solid an indicator. It is an indicator, understand, but it's not solid. I think all of these prediction models that people are posting on social media are still tough. Nobody knows for sure. Rick Green: Walker, depending on where you are in the country right now, you've got a few hours left to vote. I would say to all of our listeners, and most people listening to this program probably voted early because you and I were both encouraging them to do so, but if you haven't yet and your day is getting busy, don't make the mistake. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to people who said, “I was planning on it, but I didn't get it done,” or, “I got off work later,” or, “Traffic was bad,” or, “The line was too long.” Then they end up kicking themselves later when they realize how close the election was or how things went bad and they didn't let their voice be heard. Rick Green: I'm saying to everybody within the sound of our voice right now, go vote. If you need to get off work right now, go ask your boss. Go tell your supervisor, “The state of the free world depends on me getting off work right now.” Whatever you've got to do, get off work, go get in line, and don't wait until the last minute tonight. Rick Green: If you do go tonight, as long as you get in line before your polls close, you get to vote. In my state of Texas, it's 7 o'clock. If you get in line at 6:59 and a half, you get to vote even if it doesn't happen until 8 o'clock. If there are lines wrapped around the building, they'll basically come along and give a card to the last person in line, and that'll be the last one. Rick Green: All of that is to say, we're not done, guys. We've got a few hours left here. The votes between now and the closing of the polls will probably total the difference in most of these key races. It makes a huge difference to make the decision to go vote right now. Absolutely vote, folks, if you haven't already. Walker Wildmon: This morning I took my three oldest boys and we voted on the way to school. The turnout is quite shocking, to be honest. I'm not being dramatic or unnecessarily dramatic, but the level of turnout at my polling location, the level of turnout from one of my co-workers who is one of the precinct captains or precinct workers here on the other side of our county, and then multiple others I've heard from, all indicate that this is shaping up to be potentially presidential-level turnout. Walker Wildmon: States could vary on that, but nonetheless, I think there are record levels of engagement and voter turnout for a midterm. I think that's going to shape up to be true. Which party it favors might be surprising to us. I think Election Day turnout automatically favors Republicans, but based on some of these anecdotal reports, that may not necessarily be the case. You could have Democrats showing up on Election Day and voting, which would buck a trend we've seen in past election cycles. We'll see where it all pans out. Walker Wildmon: Nonetheless, Rick, I do think that the Republican Party, specifically President Trump, has done a pretty good job tethering this midterm to his presidential term and the fact that the two go hand in hand. I will say I think the president and the vice president have done a good job making this election about a much bigger picture than just who your congressman or senator is. Rick Green: Yeah, you read my mind, Walker. I think the same thing, and I think that's one of the unmeasured factors in the polling. There are a ton of people like us who say, “We want to reward the president. Because of how aggressive the White House has been for these first two years, we want to make sure they get another two years like that.” I think there's a ton of people out there feeling the same way. Rick Green: All of these unfavorable numbers on the president, and his numbers supposedly being so bad, goes back to who they're talking to. Of course, the other side is very mad and doesn't like what he's doing because he's pushing back on their leftist agenda. I think the sleeping giants out there just better be awake enough to get to the polls this afternoon. Walker Wildmon: We'll talk more about this in the next segment, and then we'll hopefully take some calls in the last segment. The only so-called negative you could lodge at the president and the White House, and this is a two-sided coin, if you will, is the Iran war and the energy costs that have gone up since then. That's the only murmuring I've heard within the Republican Party and with the conservative base, whether or not we should have done that and what the fallout has been, although it's been quite less dramatic than some analysts would have predicted. Walker Wildmon: I think President Trump has done a pretty good job handling the entire Iran war and conflict. But the question is, does that actually move voters? You might ask a Republican voter who says, “I don't think we should have gone to war with Iran,” but that's not going to make them vote for the Democrats. They're just telling you what their opinion is. Walker Wildmon: The question is, is something like the Iran war and the lingering inflation enough to make Republicans vote Democrat? Personally, I don't think it is, but I could be wrong. Maybe some people are more easily swayed than I am. Walker Wildmon: Rick Green and Walker Wildmon are here with you on At the Core on American Family Radio during this live edition on midterm Election Day 2026, Tuesday, November 3rd. We're going to be covering all of this live this evening at 6 p.m. Central. As Rick said, if you haven't voted, you need to vote. Walker Wildmon: This is civic duty and civic responsibility from a Christian vantage point. This is about stewardship, being salt and light. This is one of many ways in our country that you are given an opportunity to choose your leaders, to be salt and light, and to advance your values into our culture and government. Do not miss out on this opportunity. Vote if you have not already. Make a plan to vote before your polls close this evening. Walker Wildmon: Welcome back to At the Core here on American Family Radio. Rick Green is with us. We have two segments left. Rick is en route to Dallas, Texas, and I'm live with you here in our studios in Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis. This is where we'll be covering the election live this evening, beginning at 6 p.m. Central. If you want the truth, a little Christian commentary, and folks who are like-minded with you, tune in to AFR this evening. Walker Wildmon: I've told folks, Rick, that I've made my predictions. I think Republicans keep the Senate, but if I'm wrong and there is a blue wave, I will happily and humbly admit it live during the election coverage. Rick Green: I made my predictions too, but I'm glad we said just that one. Walker Wildmon: Exactly. Walker Wildmon: We want to hear what you think, especially those of you in some of these battleground states with very tight races. We want to hear what you're hearing on the ground and what your predictions are. Call 888-589-8840. We'll take your calls and get your input on what you're seeing on the ground and what your predictions are for this midterm election. Walker Wildmon: Rick, just to go over some of these states, I'll tell you what my predictions are. I put this out on Facebook about an hour ago. I think the Senate is going to come down to 52-48, 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats. Here's how I get there, and then you can tell me what you think. Walker Wildmon: I'm showing a Paxton win in Texas. It could be too close for comfort for Republicans, but nonetheless, I think Paxton will pull off Texas. I think it's completely laughable that pollsters are even showing the Democrats having a chance in Kansas and Iowa, so I've got those two locked in red. Walker Wildmon: I think Dan Sullivan, the incumbent, holds on to the Alaska seat. I don't think that's going to be a problem there, even though the Democrats have been doing some very shady things up there by running ghost candidates with the same name, Dan Sullivan, which should be illegal. Walker Wildmon: I think Susan Collins holds on to Maine. I think the pollsters have completely got it wrong in Maine. Susan Collins is a mult term U.S. senator with high favorability in the state. She holds Maine. Walker Wildmon: I'm showing Ohio going to the Democrats. Let's just say they keep Ohio. I think that's Sherrod Brown's seat. In Michigan, I'm showing it going to Mike Rogers. The last two weeks of momentum have been going toward Rogers. El-Sayed is unpopular even among Democrats there. I think that puts us at 52-48. There could be one or two upsets in here that I'm not factoring in. You could see Republicans get Ohio, but I'm not factoring that in. Nonetheless, what say you, Rick? Rick Green: I think the only one I was thinking about that you didn't mention is North Carolina. That is likely a Democrat pickup there. Is that the one that got you from 53 to 52? Walker Wildmon: Correct. I'm showing Tillis losing in North Carolina. Rick Green: No, man, I think you're spot on, bro. That's exactly what I was trying to say. I wanted to disagree with you on one of these, but I don't think I can. I think that's exactly where I am. We may not know on Sullivan until sometime tomorrow. Walker Wildmon: Yeah. Rick Green: Collins, I think you're right. She's just been there so long. She's definitely not my kind of Republican, but in Maine she's probably the best you're going to get, and certainly way better than the Democrat. I hope Republicans there keep her. She gets a lot of crossover votes as well. Walker Wildmon: In Ohio, there are two seats up, right? There's the special election and the other one. Rick Green: I know for sure Husted versus Brown. That's the one you're thinking Brown wins? Walker Wildmon: Correct. I'm assuming Brown wins that one just because he's the incumbent, but Husted is up in some of these polls. Republicans could get Ohio. The fact that this is currently a Democrat seat is the only reason I'm not just banking on Republicans getting that. I'm assuming a Republican loss there, but that could be an upset. Rick Green: New Hampshire might be an upset. I think the New Hampshire race could surprise us. Walker Wildmon: That's interesting you say that, Rick, because a lot of folks don't know that New Hampshire is more Republican-friendly than you would think, being in the Northeast. New Hampshire has actually been governed by Republicans. They've had the trifecta before in the last four to eight years. They've had both chambers and the governor's mansion. Walker Wildmon: To your point about Susan Collins, these are not MAGA, hardcore conservative, constitutionalist types, but nonetheless, they are somewhat Republican and conservative. You could see an upset up there in New Hampshire. There's also been a lot of conservative grassroots focus on New Hampshire with Turning Point Action and others, with get-out-the-vote efforts. That could play a part. Walker Wildmon: So, good point, Rick. New Hampshire could be an upset. If not this cycle, it could be an upset in future cycles. Presidentially, there aren't a lot of Electoral College votes there, but to get a state like New Hampshire in the Northeast to go Republican at any point would be a big deal and a big accomplishment for the Republican Party. Rick Green: I was just looking it up because I couldn't remember. Sununu had been governor and senator, I think. That's a name that's solid there, almost 100 percent name recognition, even if people don't remember which Sununu it is when they're going to the polls. That's a major factor. Chris Sununu is also a very popular name and has been governor there. You've got well-known people. That captures what we don't normally think of in terms of the Northeast, so that could be a big surprise tonight. Walker Wildmon: It looks like this is one of the Sununus. Chris was governor, and the father, John, was governor of New Hampshire during the Reagan days. Rick Green: Yes. John Sununu, the father, was governor of New Hampshire. The brother of the current candidate, John E. Sununu, who is on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, was governor there. Walker Wildmon: I knew I got the opponent wrong. I thought it was the incumbent, but it's Chris Pappas, the congressman from there. Rick Green: That's right. So, Sununu has an advantage there just in terms of name identification. Walker Wildmon: It appears that John E. Sununu was not only in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003, but he was also in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009, which I did not know. He has been in the U.S. Senate before. Rick Green: I didn't know that either. He's running again here, so we'll see how that goes. You learn something new every day. New Hampshire could be a pickup for Republicans. That would be a pretty big deal. Rick Green: We didn't talk about South Carolina, which normally would be considered safe. Obviously, the Graham name is huge, but she had the big flop on the debate thing and all of that, so I guess that's why some people are calling it close. Do you think that one's even close, or are you just calling that for Graham? Walker Wildmon: I'm assuming Graham wins that. I just don't see Democrats being able to flip that, especially in such a short timeframe with Lindsey Graham being the incumbent. Of course, this is his sister running for the seat there that Lindsey Graham vacated through his passing. I just don't think the Democrats are going to be able to pick that one off with such a short timeframe. Walker Wildmon: One anecdotal report from the New York Post, out within the last hour, is that the New York Post ran an exit poll out of Atlantic Beach, New York. This is a pretty small community, so take it for what it's worth. According to this exit poll, over the course of the morning and up until lunchtime, they could not find a single Kathy Hochul voter leaving the polling place in Atlantic Beach, New York. Can you believe that? Rick Green: Wow, man, that's crazy. If that's an indicator, we could be in for a fun night. Obviously, it could be very anecdotal, in New York of all places. I'd heard people already saying two or three weeks ago that New York could be a big surprise, that she's certainly not going to do as well as the polls are saying, but there could actually be a huge upset there. Rick Green: That would be massive and could be a repudiation of the Manhattan effect in New York. Once you get outside of New York City, you actually get to America, right? Especially up there in Cooperstown and the surrounding areas, you've got a lot of New York that's conservative and still very patriotic. They are not happy with what has happened in New York City and could show up in droves to let their voice be heard, since they had no voter voice in the mayoral race. Walker Wildmon: The reason midterms are important is that, obviously, you're choosing who your elected officials are. That's of primary importance. Secondly, it gives the parties either affirmation or criticism of their direction. Walker Wildmon: Here's my concern. Should Republicans not do well this evening, I don't want this one election to be a referendum on President Trump and the Republican Party to such an extent that we don't choose bold leadership as conservatives in the future. Walker Wildmon: Here's what your corporatists, your establishment, and some of your fringe conservative elements want to say if Republicans don't do well tonight: “See, I told you John Cornyn should have been the primary pick in Texas,” or, “See, you should have never gone to war with Iran, because look how unpopular this is among the American people.” Walker Wildmon: Those are just a couple of examples, but here's why that is not good governing. All your focus is on reelection. I think that's been the problem with generations past. We're so narrowly focused on power and reelection that we don't govern effectively because we're too paranoid about what the pollsters and the midterm voters are going to say. Walker Wildmon: We need to be careful about what conclusions we draw from tonight's results. We don't need to go back into this timid approach to governing as conservatives and Republicans. Instead, we need to govern how we think is best for the country, regardless of what the polls say and what the vibe shift is. Rick Green: You just described in real time and real life the difference between a patriot and a politician. A politician is always thinking only about the next election, and therefore they govern based on the poll and on a reaction. A patriot is going to vote thinking about the next generation, not the next election. Rick Green: I'm going to do the right thing for the country and for my children and grandchildren. You can look at the posts even in the last couple of days, certainly in my home state of Texas, where they're saying exactly what you just said they would take from it. Rick Green: If Paxton were to lose, they're already saying, “We would have spent so much less money if it had just been Cornyn, and it would have been a shoo-in. All the money spent on this race would have been spent in other states.” My reaction to that was, “Wait, what did you do in the primary?” Rick Green: One hundred fifty million dollars should have been spent in other races across the country? He had promised he wasn't going to run again. It was just the mess created by Cornyn. All that is to say, you're right. They will take from this exactly what you just said, and Republicans will become more timid. They will become weak. They won't have the same bold, aggressive style President Trump has had. Rick Green: It will even cause him all kinds of heartache. I don't think he will slow down, but some of his team will, and the weak-kneed will back off. The opposite is also true. It will embolden the Islamic messaging that El-Sayed used in Michigan and make people think this is normal. Those things will be amplified if the election turns out badly. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely. That's exactly right. That's one thing we need to be careful about as far as drawing broad conclusions. We've been begging for bold leadership. The conservative and Christian movement has been begging for bold leadership for a long time, and President Trump has brought some of that. Walker Wildmon: That needs to be supported. Should there be a blue wave, you'll see who the patriots are and who the patriots aren't, because the weak-kneed establishment will flee and point fingers, while those who love their country will stick around and fight for another day. Walker Wildmon: Welcome back to At the Core here on American Family Radio. We're about to take your calls. Melinda and Angela, we're about to get to you right now. Before we jump to the lines, Rick, very quickly mention the ballot initiatives. We have a full 24-page PDF at AFAAction.net outlining the ballot initiatives in the correct voting position. Rick Green: Certainly, to our friends and listeners in Colorado, there are several in Colorado. There are some really interesting ones. We'll be reporting on that tonight. Alaska has the repeal of ranked-choice voting, which has been a disaster. Let's pray and hope that they do repeal it. Rick Green: You've got six states that say only citizens can vote: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia. You've got four that say you have to have voter ID: California, Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina. Three say no men in women's sports: Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. You've got four abortion ballot initiatives in Missouri, Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. Rick Green: Folks, you have to get the PDF that Walker was just talking about, because these initiatives are written in such confusing ways that some people are going to go in and vote for abortion without knowing that that's what they're actually voting for. There are lots of good details in that PDF that you need to get. Rick Green: Then there are some wild ones. There's the California 5 percent wealth tax on billionaires. That's a great way to bankrupt your state by running out anybody who knows how to start a business. Walker Wildmon: Then you've got marijuana in Massachusetts and a ton of different ones. I didn't realize this was on the ballot until we started looking at it, but a natural right to keep your arms is a ballot initiative in Arkansas. Rick Green: Lots of them. Get the PDF, go to AFAAction, and share it. If you're going to vote this afternoon, post that you're going to vote and share it with your friends and family so they can also do the same thing before the polls close. Walker Wildmon: Let's go to Melinda. Melinda's from Ohio. Melinda, welcome to the program. Caller: Hello. Am I on? Walker Wildmon: Yes, ma'am. What's on your mind? Caller: I just wanted to correct you on the Ohio Senate race. John Husted is the incumbent. He was a Republican. He was working while we were off the air. Walker Wildmon: Yes, you're exactly right, Melinda. I actually corrected that with Rick during the break. The Ohio incumbent senator running for election there, John Husted, is the incumbent. He was appointed to replace Vice President J.D. Vance in January 2025. He is running for Vice President Vance's seat in a special election against Sherrod Brown. Sherrod Brown lost to Bernie Moreno in the 2024 cycle. Walker Wildmon: You're from Ohio. What's your prediction for tonight? Caller: I think Sherrod Brown's going to get beat. I think John Husted's going to take it. Sherrod Brown has been in there for so many years, and his policies are not good. I think Ohio voters are smart enough to put Husted in. I'm praying for that, anyway. Walker Wildmon: Hi, Melinda. Thanks so much for the call and the correction. That's good information. As Rick and I have noted, we don't get it right all the time, although we try. We appreciate you giving us what you think is going to happen in the state of Ohio. Walker Wildmon: Let's jump up to Kansas. Teresa is in Kansas, another interesting state to keep an eye on tonight. Teresa, what's on your mind? Caller: I'm dealing with the extra cost of gas, and lots and lots of farmers are dealing with the extra cost also affecting them. My thoughts were that we're dealing with that, but isn't that much better than dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear bomb sent to the United States by Iran? Wasn't that a possibility? If you could please expand on that, I would appreciate it. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely, Teresa. Thanks so much for calling in. Rick, do you want to go ahead and address that? Rick Green: I was just literally having a conversation with some of our Patriot Institute scholars about that on the way up to Dallas. You nailed it, ma'am. That's exactly the tradeoff. Would you rather have higher gas prices for a season and not have to deal with the aftermath of a nuclear attack on either Israel, us, or some other ally? Rick Green: Most people aren't paying enough attention to know what the risk is or how to do that cost-benefit analysis. That's one reason you trust the guy in the room, and one reason I was and continue to be so supportive of the president's actions. We know him to be someone who would not take action unless he had to. He hates being in these foreign entanglements. He's never changed his position on these things in literally 50 years since he's been talking publicly about them. Rick Green: Decades ago, including on Iran, he was saying that this needed to be done at some point to prevent them from being able to do what they were getting very close to being able to do, according to the intelligence reports. It would have been a North Korea situation where, even if they didn't have the nuclear weapon yet, they had enough ballistic missile systems to be getting close to that critical mass where no one could stop them from completing the nuclear weapon. That's exactly what North Korea did. Rick Green: That was the decision he had to make. It was a game-time decision, and I think it was the right decision. The other part of that equation is whether it's worth continuing the pressure, not just setting them back 10 or 15 years, but continuing to get massive change so they can no longer fund terrorism around the world. Rick Green: There are all the other benefits you get if you can get Iran back to 47 years ago, where they have a constitutional monarchy or something like that instead of this Islamic regime. It has also highlighted the evil of an Islamic regime. It brought it front and center not only for Americans, but for people across Europe and Australia who are dealing with the beginning stages of Islamic takeover. It has highlighted for them what their future would be if they continue down that road. Those were huge benefits of President Trump's decision. Walker Wildmon: To your point, Rick, taking out and decapitating the nuclear regime and their ability to exert power and terror throughout the region and the world has massive benefits. If President Trump has effectively, or does effectively, neuter Iran militarily, then you're talking about historic levels of peace and stability, not just in the region but in the world. Walker Wildmon: Iran can't launch the terror attacks they've persistently conducted. That is a big deal and has great benefits in the years and decades to come. That's something long-term that you have to think about. Walker Wildmon: I think President Trump is good on these issues of international and foreign policy, and his instincts are usually pretty spot on. The information he had, according to him, says that Iran wanted a nuclear weapon. They said they wanted a nuclear weapon. Iran even said at the negotiating table that they were weeks away from being able to enrich and go nuclear with the weapons there. That's according to Iran's own negotiators. Walker Wildmon: I think this was a real threat. I think President Trump has done the right thing, and I think he was acting in the best interest of the country. Let's go to Angela. Angela is in the state of Kansas. Welcome to the program. Caller: Thank you, and thank you for everything that you all do for us each and every day, including the long hours into the night that we don't even consider half the time. Walker Wildmon: Thank you, Angela. What's on your mind? Caller: One of the concerns that I have as I voted today is that you sometimes leave thinking there wasn't as much transparency as you would have liked. Every race is important, every single one, including our Kansas Supreme Court justices and our Kansas Court of Appeals judges. Caller: In speaking with others who have voted today, one common thing I'm seeing is that people are either just voting no all the way down the line or yes all the way down the line because they're not sure what to do. There's no transparency for people to look and see that, for instance, Eric Rosen was appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius back in 2005. Caller: Our Kansas Court of Appeals judges, Amy Fellows Cline was appointed by Laura Kelly, Lori Bolton Fleming by Laura Kelly, J.C. Hearst by Laura Kelly, and Leslie N. Urish by Laura Kelly, with the exception of Kim Schroeder being appointed by Sam Brownback. We have a large panel of Supreme Court justices or judges up for retention, and people aren't always sure what to do because they aren't finding the information. Caller: I know judges and justices are not supposed to be left or right, Republican or Democrat. They're supposed to simply deal with the issues in the courtroom, and I understand that. But when you are chosen and appointed by a party, which unfortunately Kansas has voted to do, rather than choosing our own Supreme Court justices, you have to look at that. Caller: That was a piece of freedom that we surrendered and may never get back. I pray that possibly we will, but whenever we give up those reasons to choose, it's never a good thing. How do we get that transparency out there for people to understand what they are voting for in those areas? Walker Wildmon: Good point, Angela. Thanks for the call. The best thing I've got for you is what we produce here, and that is iVoterGuide. iVoterGuide.com actually covers all of the individuals you mentioned there in Kansas on the ballot. All the ballot initiatives are also covered by iVoterGuide and AFA Action at AFAAction.net. We're doing what we can to educate people. Whether people use our resources or not is up to them, but it's out there and that's what we're doing about it. Walker Wildmon: Word of mouth is a big deal, too. What you tell your neighbors, friends, and family matters. We need to use our spheres of influence to educate people. Walker Wildmon: We're going to go to one more call in the Lone Star State and talk to Dana. Dana, what's on your mind? Caller: I plan on doing what you're going to do tonight. I just wanted to say how grateful I was that John Cornyn got beat, because that's one less RINO in Washington, D.C. He never represented anything that I voted for, and that's why I'm glad Paxton is there. Caller: There are no perfect people. We are all flawed, and you can't trust one single politician. We all know that, but we do have to vote. I'm thankful that Cornyn isn't there, and his behavior right now really shows one of the reasons why I'm glad he's out of there. If we can get other people out of there, like Jonathan Mitchell and those other RINOs, then our country will be better off. Walker Wildmon: Very good point, Dana. Thanks so much for the call. Rick, we've got about a minute or two left. What's your last word on that? Rick Green: I think she's exactly right. Cornyn was always cutting us off behind the scenes and hurting the cause, so it's definitely a good thing. Rick Green: To what Angela was saying, she's right. I've run statewide for judge twice, for the Texas Supreme Court, and I know it's very difficult to get the word out when you're a judicial candidate. It's very hard to get people to pay attention to those races. She's absolutely right. They should not have given up their right to elect their judges. Appointment is not as good as having elections, even though it is hard to get the word out. She was right about all of those things. Rick Green: The last thing I would say for tonight is, folks, our duty doesn't change no matter what the outcome is tonight. I'm optimistic. I think it's going to be a far better night than what people have predicted. But no matter what happens, duty is ours and results are God's. Rick Green: We're going to wake up the next day and get right back in the fight. Wherever He has called you, wherever He's planted you, be faithful there. Continue the fight. Stay the course. Walker Wildmon: Absolutely, brother. I couldn't agree more, Rick. I've been saying this on the radio, and I'll keep saying it probably as long as I'm alive, but we're called to do the right thing. We want things to go our way, and we get encouraged or discouraged depending on the outcome of some elections and some things in life. But at the end of the day, we're called to be faithful. Walker Wildmon: You and I, and our entire team here at AFR, are going to be fighting for our country, fighting for our kids, our grandchildren, and our future generations. We're going to do it because it's the right thing to do, not because we're getting some temporal reward or because we feel like it. We're called to be faithful and do the right thing. Walker Wildmon: I couldn't agree more, Rick. That's why you and I are equally yoked and co-host the show together. God bless you, Rick. Safe travels, and we'll be in touch. Rick Green: Right back at you, brother. Thanks, man. Walker Wildmon: All right, folks, we're getting reports out of Texas, in Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties, that the wait lines at these historically conservative Republican precincts are out the door and significantly higher than at blue precincts, according to one reporter in Texas. Walker Wildmon: I experienced the same thing here in Mississippi. I've heard anecdotally around the country that Election Day turnout is very, very high compared to previous midterms, which typically would favor Republicans. But I won't know tonight. Tune in to AFR. We'll see you at 6 p.m.
Walker Wildmon and Rick Green examine whether polling is missing a conservative turnout surge as voters head to the polls in the 2026 midterm election. They question predictions of a Democrat blue wave, discuss polling challenges, and offer their expectations for Senate races in Texas, Michigan, Maine, Alaska, Ohio, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and beyond.
The hosts also address the political impact of the Iran conflict and higher energy costs, explain why voters should study ballot initiatives and judicial retention races, and take calls from listeners in Ohio, Kansas, and Texas. Throughout the program, they emphasize voting as a Christian civic responsibility and argue that conservatives should remain faithful to principled leadership regardless of election results.
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