Jenna Ellis: Rights that our founders recognize come from God not government
: Jenna Ellis in the morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: I love talking about the things of God. Because of truth and the biblical worldview. The U.S. constitution obligates our government to preserve and protect. The rights that our founders recognize come from God our creator, not our government. I believe that scripture in the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time.
: This is Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Senior US Intelligence official resigns over conflict with Iran, sparking mixed reaction
Jenna Ellis: Good morning. It is Wednesday, March 18th, and this is day 18 of the Middle east conflict. And I'm glad to see that even CNN is actually saying that in its headline, a Middle east conflict, not a war, as, we continue to say and distinguish between the two. But a top Iranian leaders have been killed and a Trump administration official has resigned. So what we know so far, and this is coming from cnn, but the intel, official resigns. A senior US Intelligence official appointed by President Trump abruptly announced his resignation yesterday, citing misgivings about the administration's, conflict with Iran. And Trump called his resignation a good thing. this is Joe Kent, who, some of you may know, because of his, ah, previous, I believe it was a congressional run, but he kind of, you know, rose to prominence. He is a gold star husband. So, his first wife was, killed in conflict, in the Middle East. And so, you know, there's a kind of mixed reaction from the MAGA base to this because he posted yesterday, after much reflection, I've decided to resign from my position as director of the National Counterterrorism center effective today. He was only there about four months. He says I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. And it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It's been an honor serving under the President and DNI Gabbard and leading the professionals at nctc. May God bless America. And then he posted kind of this lengthy letter that if you'd like to go and read on X or in various articles, that's posted. But the reaction has kind of been mixed with mostly, a lot of the, the mega base that's kind of giving President Trump some time to kind of see this conflict through, still have, you know, faith in his objectives. they're suggesting either that Joe Kent shouldn't have, ah, resigned and that this was inappropriate of him to do that. Ah, some are giving him a little bit more grace because of his own personal history and Saying, you know, listen, we're. Some people disagree with this, and if he has to in good conscience resign, that's on him. That's okay. That doesn't change my mind about, trusting President Trump. And then, of course, you know, the people, who are suggesting that everything is about Israel and that Israel actually controls the United States are kind of lauding him as, as, ah, some kind of hero. But, you know, let's get, someone else's opinion. Let's welcome in Scott Ulinger, who's a former, intelligence agent. And Scott, you know, well, a lot of people have mixed views on this. you know, where do you think that this actually stands in terms of the allegation? That I think is pretty serious actually from Joe Kent, ah, suggesting that Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. I mean, from at least just what's been reported by the White House and in the news. I don't think that's particularly accurate.
Scott Uehlinger: Right. Jenna, thanks for having me on. Yeah, I have pretty strong feelings about this. The, I don't know what is going on in that guy's head. he ran for Congress twice. He was green, ah, beret. So he's Special Forces. His wife was a chief petty officer in the Navy intel who was killed by a suicide bomber with isis. And, I've been looking at this with great interest in the last day, and you can find videos, literally three months ago, where he was talking about what a threat Iran was three months ago. He's tweeted. Trump has retweeted his tweets about Iran being a threat. And as somebody who spent my whole life working against Iran, basically, I don't know what the guy's smoking, I don't know what who got to him or something, but there is something not right about this. Now look, if you want to resign as a government official, that's fine. if you disagree with your commander, it's actually the right thing to do to resign. But, he used nctc, stationary to write to basically go on a screed, that's anti Israel, Israel and stuff. And that is totally inappropriate. If you want to resign, resign, but keep your mouth shut. and so, you know, I'm not willing really to give someone a, great benefit of the doubt because they're in the military. You know, I was in the military for 28 years. But see, unfortunately, you know, there were, there were. It's just a cross section of society, the military. You take somebody's military background With a grain of salt because there were a lot of grifters and jerks in the military too. you know, just because you were in military doesn't mean that you are, you know, a straight arrow. Look at Mark Kelly, the senator who actually happens to be my Kings Point classmate at US mma. he's a disgrace. I don't care if he was an astronaut or not. The guy's a disgrace. This is just really bizarre behavior. And by the way, in something that was totally predictable in that people predicted this literally within an hour and it came true. He's already booked on Tucker Carlsen and, and Candace Owens, who are famous for their anti, Semitic stuff. And there's some kind of Catholic, ah, organization that he's like the special guest for as soon as like Friday, or something.
Jenna Ellis: Wow. Well, you know, and that, that shows, of course, then, you know, where his mentality, probably is leading. Because if this was something where, you know, he just in good faith sincerely disagreed. There's a way to resign without making it controversial and certainly without making it about himself. But the fact that he's going on this media tour, and especially with the individuals that have become basically the faces of anti Semitism, I mean, especially Candace Owens. but then, you know, Tucker Carlsen's rhetoric now, you know, all of these things that have been fracturing the base, it really does make you wonder, you know, where this was or maybe always has been, because he, you know, like, like we said at the top, I mean, he's only been this counterterrorism official for the last four months. So is it possible that he just completely changed his mind in that time or, you know, what do you attribute this to? I mean, it is a little bit bizarre. Yeah, right.
Scott Uehlinger: I find. Yeah, yeah, exactly. the, the. That's very, very hard to believe. like I said, as, as I just watched videos right before coming on the, talking about what a threat Iran was three months ago. So what changed in three months? You know, did someone has. What was he offered? It's just, it's really strange. Like sometimes I think it's like, it's like the old movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Like you literally don't know who's going to be taken over and become a pod person in Washington. Certainly, not that I know him that well or of him that well, but what I'm saying is on paper he would be one of the least likely people to do this kind of a turnabout, but obviously he has. So it's like, is there something in the water down there? What is going on that these people do this? Somehow he, has made it all about him and that he's going to, you know, and of course now, now the left will, will use him as the next useful idiot. You welcome the defector with open arms. And then he'll be discarded after about six weeks or so, after he's sp. It off, and then wonder what he's doing or what he has done to himself. It's a very, very strange world down in Washington. And the more I see things like this, the more, I'm glad that I have never gotten the phone call to come work in Washington.
Scott Ewlinger says President Trump picks people who work counter to his vision
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, it's a really difficult position. And it seems like President Trump, more than recent Democrat presidents, like Biden and Obama, have people in his ranks that work counter to the appointment, for which they, were given. And that's really frustrating, I think, from an administrative standpoint, because President Trump is entitled to have people around him that believe in his vision, that actually serve his administration. And I said after the first administration, for a long time, obviously that I was a part of, the Trump campaign during his first administration, that he was the most underserved president because people came to work for him but then brought their own ideas and were even unwilling to, you know, carry out direct, commands in certain instances and in various positions. And it seems really strange that this, this seems to affect President Trump more than most. And do you think that that's just because it's on the right and somehow, you know, we kind of tend to have, to not just be team players and think for ourselves, which cuts a little bit both ways, good and bad. or is it more the, the picks from President Trump? Because he tends to choose people that either he only sees as loyal and then maybe that turns out to be true or not. but then a lot of times he picks people that he thinks are good on national media and not necessarily for their overall competency. And so then, you know, some of these things like this, ultimately end up happening.
Scott Uehlinger: Yeah, I think it's really a combination of both of those things you described, and I think that is true. You know, people who are on the right tend to be more independent minded. You know, they have their own personal ideas of what conservatism is and things like that. Plus there is a tendency certainly of Trump to pick more kind of high, relatively high profile people. Now with someone like Hesgath, that has Been very successful, but with others less successful, like for instance, with Kent. And so, the unfortunate fact seems to be that, you know, there are a fair amount of grifters in the conservative party who, who in within conservatism who, who for years go on and seem to be on the team. But it turns out really they're out for themselves and they're out for benefiting themselves more than the nation. And it's, you know, for someone like me, with my background, it's very, it's it's obviously disappointing, but it's just, it's very strange that what, what is the mental state of these people that they, that they do things like this? Because it seems, you know, very strange to someone who was raised in a traditional conservative, you know, household like I was.
Jenna Ellis: Mm, Yeah. And it is really, just an overall unfortunate situation and especially that Joe Kemp made this decision at this point, in the overall conflict, because people are starting to question, okay, does the White House, you know, have its strategic objectives that haven't changed? Where are we, how long is this going to last? I don't think anybody wants this, to be a kind of long term conflict. And so where are we overall? Scott Ewlinger, in, in the conflict in terms of meeting, those strategic objectives and kind of having, having that m maintained and not really changed from the White House.
Scott Uehlinger: Right. It's very hard to for the average person to sort this stuff out and to figure out what's really going on because like literally CNN is practically taking the side of Iran. They're in fact, you know, acting as Iran state media. So it's difficult, but. Right. But on the other hand, I'm here to say that the war is going exceptionally well. Okay. I guess, you know, I've been on Arab, I'm on Arab TV a lot. I'll be on this morning and I've been on the last few days. I want to make one thing very clear. The streets of Hormuz are not closed. They are not closed. They never have been closed. It's something the media is saying, Iran, I can announce I'm going to close the Long Island Sound. But that doesn't mean anything.
Scott Uehlinger: I have no power to do that. Iran is saying, we're closing. We're going to close the streets of Hormuz. But it is not the case. Because the main reason that several hundred merchant ships are not entering or exiting the strait is because of high insurance rates, not because of the Iranian navy, which is now at the bottom of the ocean every single day, the, US Air Force and Navy are destroying Iran's ability to wage war against its neighbors and also to attack shipping. Every single day, Iran is getting weaker and weaker and weaker now with central authority destroyed and Basically, seemingly there's 31 now autonomous zones which are basically operating as little mini states of their own. So that's why killing the leader isn't really affecting this stuff. But each One of those 31 autonomous leaders has a gun that's eventually going to run out of ammunition. And also as they see their fellow, their fellows being liquidated, they understand that they're next on the list. So every single day, Iran's ability to interfere with shipping is decreasing dramatically. We've seen only like literally three attacks on merchant vessels in the streets of Hormuz, which is, which is about a factor of 100 less than anything that any expert predicted eight years ago. So the war is going exceptionally well. And like I said, it's the insurance rates that is halting the shipping. And so, you know, we've seen a lot about, you know, about convoys and shipping and stuff. And I pay very close attention to that because I was, I have been through the streets of Hormuz on merchant ships and naval vessels and I'm one of the few people who could, you know, claim expert status on that subject. Mm,
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, well, and we appreciate that.
Scott Ewlinger: We all thought the White House was an imminent threat
Update, Scott Ewlinger, we've got to take a break here. but you know, I'm, I'm still with you, at least in the, the camp that I trust that, for everything that's coming out of the White House that I run was, an imminent threat. I mean, I think that we all kind of thought that anyway before, this conflict. So it is odd to see people like Joe Kent now suggesting that they weren't, and especially with someone who had access to that much, information as he did. And so, you know, let's give this a little bit more time, kind of see, you know, where the president takes things. And it's only been eight, 18 days. And we'll see how it goes. But we will be right back with more here on Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Jenna Ellis: Midterms in November will signal confidence in President Trump
: M m, ah, welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. Well, you know, it used to be, be relatively easy to kind of, put voters into two different categories. And we've had, the, the two parties in D.C. for a long time. You know, it's either conservatives or liberal Republican versus Democrat. And increasingly it seems like we can't quite fit voters at least into those two camps quite as easily. And is this a good thing or not? Well, it probably depends on the outcome, right? Because certainly, with some of the fracturing of the mega base with some of the increased, questions or even sitting out of some voters, which, you know, I think is never wise to do, always use your vote because it is a privilege, to the best of your ability. There aren't maybe necessarily perfect options, sometimes. But that is a privilege that we have a right to exercise here in this country, to select and prefer our leaders to weigh in on issues and to to really exercise our voice. And so if we sit out, then we are simply, abdicating that duty and responsibility and those selections to the people who do participate and, who may not share our values at all. So, you know, I know that a lot of people are really tired, and I am as well, of, you know, just voting for, the best of, you know, the possible options or, you know, well, this isn't, the greatest person, but, you know, it's the least bad. Candid. this is why things like primaries matter. But this is also why, things like midterms matter. And the midterms coming up in November, you know, are really going to, I, think say with clarity whether Trump's mandate that he was given in 2024 by a wide margin, from the American people is still continuing and whether this is due to, the Iran conflict, due to, you know, the lack of, Doge actually making any sort of really significant progress, depending on what happens, today with the SAVE act. And we're going to get to that in the next segment. you know, depending on a lot of different things, the economy, you know what. Overall, the scorecard that the Trump administration has been given so far, I think the midterms are really going to signal whether or not overall, the American public has as much of a faith and confidence in President Trump as we did in November of 2024. Because that wasn't a close call like everybody, at least mainstream media was suggesting. And that kind of momentum appears to have waned a little bit. And it is frustrating to a lot of us who would like to see Republicans, while they have control, actually push through conservative policies. And one of the things, that's been very interesting to follow has been Secretary Kennedy's, Make America Healthy Again movement, which was modeled after, of course, you know, Trump's Make America Great Again campaign. And this has kind of animated though interestingly a bipartisan group of voters, primarily the so called Maha moms. and it's been this group that really has ah, has kind of crossed some of those partisan lines to at least support this particular initiative. And Kennedy of course being a former Democrat, was someone that also kind of crossed those party lines and said, said you know I can work with the Trump administration because really this particular initiative and objective shouldn't be partisan. And I wish that we had more of that because while obviously there are a lot of things that are clearly along party lines, you're going to get things like you know the pro life issue, I mean obviously that's something. While it shouldn't be a partisan issue, it is because it splits right down, you know, Republican Democrat lines. Unfortunately even some Republicans are a little bit pro abortion. But you know overall that, that is a very contentious partisan issue. But things like the SAVE act for example just securing our elections, things like the Make America Healthy Again movement, these are things that really honestly should not be partisan. And so these so called Maha moms really wanted the promise of combating chronic childhood diseases, reducing environmental toxins, finding out what's actually in our ultra processed food and addressing specifically over medicalization. And that's a really key issue that doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or you're Republican or exactly the partisanship from really any side the over medicalization of our nation is something that even people on the left would like to see addressed. And you know this comes from the so called anti vaxxers but I think it's people who truly see that there's, there's kind of an over medicated society not just in prescription drugs and, and the way that we try to to treat symptoms instead of find preventions and healthy lifestyles. But even with the amount of vaccines that are given to infants, I mean there's a lot of vaccines, even, even the COVID quote unquote vax right now. Right? to suggest that especially in 2026, but even ever that the evidence led to suggesting that that was somehow one of those mandatory vaccines is in my opinion at least an over prescription. And for the government to somehow try to mandate these or for doctors to pressure, this is something that the Make America Healthy Again movement was trying to address. And yet Trump's recent executive order to increase the production of glyphos glyphosate if I can say that correctly. It's a widely used weed killer that, not only the International Agency for Research on Cancer has deemed to be a probable carcinogenic, but also Florida's healthy, Florida first initiative, has also targeted that and said, you know, that shouldn't be in our foods. Trump's recent executive order seemed to go completely against the core of the Maha movement. And so the group of Maha moms overall has been pushing back really largely against this and suggesting that Trump is actually undermining the Maha movement. And so, you know, where this actually goes, is going to be very interesting. And so Del Big Tree, who's the former CEO of Maha Action and, the nonprofit group which was started in, I think it was around late 2024 to promote the overall Maha agenda, said, and this was quoted in USA Today, I think President Trump is making a major mistake. I think that Maha moms feel burned by this, and I think it could be very, very bad for the midterm election of Donald Trump. And so, you know, this raises the question of overall, I think, you know, while different people have, different priorities in terms of their overall voting issues and the overall way that they approach the midterms, it's fascinating to me that there is kind of a new, fractured voting bloc that's forming in American politics that it doesn't really neatly fit into either a Republican or a Democrat box. And this is something where people are, overall just tired of what feels like the uni party system in D.C. which by and large it is. I mean, there's almost no difference anymore, between Republicans and Democrats. When you look at a variety of issues and there's a growing attention on RFK Jr. S coalition and the Maha voters specifically because they're very anti establishment and they have kind of this anti institution, you know, question, all of the things that government is telling you a little bit more maybe on the libertarian, ah, kind of trend. And so the question I think that's really fascinating is where do these voters go in 2026 if they are not really fitting neatly into either camp? What really drives these particular, voters in terms of a new coalition and after 2026, where are they headed potentially in 2028? Because I think we're going to see a, an identity crisis really on both parties, because heading into 2028, because we are going to be in a post Trump world, he's not going to be on the ballot in 2028. he's not in 2026, but, you know, obviously still has the administration. So in a sense, I mean, it's still, he's still in office. It's a little different than actually being post Trump. But the Democrat Party, really has a lot of, soul searching to do. because if you look at the polling numbers and seeing that Kamala Harris is currently still among the top candidates, that's just absolutely insane to me that anyone on the Democrat side would think that that's a good idea. But, you know, they thought that was a good idea, you know, back in 2024. So clearly, they were a little crazy even then. But, but it's going to be fascinating to see kind of where the identities of each of the two major parties head and whether or not that kind of third party coalition or third party kind of mentality, whether there's enough that binds a coalition that's tired of the Uni Party, maybe voted Trump, maybe, you know, voted Democrat, then Trump twice. I mean, we have a few of those voters, you know, that, that crossed over, that left the Democrat Party, you know, some of these people who won't, who don't feel kind of this heritage allegiance to either side, if there's enough of these voters that can make a meaningful challenge as a third party. Because the problem has always been with the third party, of course, that you would be taking the, a, slice of the almost half. If you split voters into, you know, Democrats and Republicans, then you would take that third either from mostly, almost all Democrats or mostly, almost all Republicans. And so then it would just fracture that base. And that wouldn't ever allow kind of a third party to really rise. And so for a long time, the thinking in Washington, has been, well, you know, we can't really have a third party. But of course that's been because of the duopoly of the uniparty to say, well, the Democrats actually need the Republicans and the Republicans need the Democrats so that this third party kind of doesn't arise and take away power from the RNC and the dnc. Right. And so there's never really been a cross section of voters that can come from both the bases of the Democrats and also the Republicans to kind of form a coalition that is done with, with both sides, but is sufficient in numbers pulling from both sides to actually create a third party. And it's going to be really fascinating. I'm not saying for sure that, you know, my prediction is that this will happen. I'm just saying that we are at a point in 2026 and the midterms are going to be really fascinating on this. But then especially heading into 2028 we're probably more, it's, it's more likely than at any point in recent American history that a defined coalition that is kind of anti establishment, anti big pharma, skeptical of government institute institutions and a mix of former Democrats, some populist Republicans, some maybe disaffected MAGA Libertarians and also independents that could form this coalition that may have a real shot at being a formidable base. And the key characteristics here and, and the real key characteristic is that these people are motivated more by issues than party loyalty. And that's actually a good thing. I mean I would put conservatives in that category by and large. Right. Like even though we tend to vote Republican because way better than the Democrats. Right. I'm always as a Christian conservative going to be motivated more by issues than party loyalty. I'm not going to suggest that anything that any Republican does is good just because they're part of the Republican Party. And so the key characteristics though moving forward is also not just motivated more by issues than party loyalty and I think Trump has really damaged that term loyalty, but also a distrust of public health agencies, corporate influence, government, institutions and also political elites. And so these voters are really swing voters and they could coalesce in 2026 and moving forward especially in to 2028 and really create a vastly different political world in a post Trump America than we have seen before. And in a way guys, I actually find that really exciting. So we'll be right back with more here on Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Jenna Ellis asks whether Senate will pass Trump backed voter ID bill
: Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. Well, one of the biggest voting issues I think for especially conservatives, but for the base overall is whether or not the Senate will actually pass the Trump backed voter ID bill known as the Save America Act. And so the, as of yesterday the GOP triggered a marathon Senate fight to expose the Democrats opposition to the Save America Act. And at least as of Yesterday the US Senate has voted to advance the Act 51 to 48. But where exactly is this headed? Let's welcome in m Representative Marlon Stutzman from the great state of Indiana. where are we at with the passage hopefully of the Save America Act?
Marlin Stutzman: Good morning Jenna. Great to be with you this morning. You know the House of Representatives, we've passed the Save America act and now it's in the Senate's hands. And as we know the Senate has, a hard time getting bills across the finish line because of the filibuster rule in the Senate. And so it seems like Leader Thune and, you know, the Republicans that are really pushing for a vote on the floor to pass the Save America act, we got our, you know, conservative champions over there. Mike Lee, Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, Rick Scott from Florida are really working hard. And you know, this is a, policy that is supported by 8 out of 10Americans, not Republicans. Americans. And so this is something that I think, you know, the American people are demanding. President Trump has been talking about this for the longest time. We just need the Senate to step up and get the vote done and find a way to get it across the finish line and get around these filibuster rules that keep hanging good policy up.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And so, you know, where, where is this actually at? Because this triggering the, the GOP kind of triggering this, you know, this, this marathon sort of talking filibuster and all of that, how does that actually work in the Senate in terms of affecting, or if it does, the, the overall 60 vote threshold and cloture and, you know, all of that, because I think some people are a little bit confused as to, you know, the outcome, saying, okay, this was advanced by a 51 vote majority, and yet we thought we needed 60. So, you know, what exactly is going on here?
Marlin Stutzman: Yeah, great question. Because it is, it's not the normal process because they're Republicans are trying to protect the, you know, filibuster threshold of 60 votes, but getting around it on this particular vote. And so they had a rule vote that required, 51 Republicans to pass. Well, we lost Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. She's opposed to the voter id, laws, which Alaskans should be paying close attention to that. And, so they, they're now at a talking filibuster, plan. That's the strategy. They should be voting on that, they, they crossed one rule vote today, or, I'm sorry, yesterday, with only Republican votes losing one Republican. And now today they're going to go to a speaking filibuster. But I tell you, I think, you know, Janet, they've even got us a little confused because it seems like they're changing some of the rules as they go to try to figure out a way to get this across the finish line. And, you know, and at the end of the day, you know, we don't have those rules in the House of Representatives. We have a smaller majority out of 435 members in the House compared to 100 members in the Senate. And Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans passed it with a simple majority. Senate leadership needs to do the same thing and realize, you know, that what this vote really means is that we're going to require all 50 states for people to vote to have proof of citizenship, and a, photo ID to be able to vote. We have this already in Indiana. Some states, states already have that. There's been some confusion, you know, with people across the country, like, well, we already have this law. Some states do, some states don't. And that's what we're saying is, look, you look at the states that have photo ID laws, there is a consistency in, making sure the results are fair and accurate and there's integrity in the system. Those that don't have photo ID laws manipulate the system and can very easily cheat. And that's why the Senate needs to just simply say, we're going to get this done one way or the other. Working around their filibuster rules, sometimes we all kind of get scratching our head because it doesn't make sense. And so Republicans need to lead here. And, I hope they're stepping up here this week.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, I completely agree with that assessment that, you know, kind of whatever votes they have to take on the rules and you know, their own deliberative process, I mean, that's internal to the Senate. That's not something that's, you know, going against, the Constitution. It's not going against, you know, anything other than kind of their own made up and manufactured laws. And I tend to disagree with people who are saying that, you know, if they get around the filibuster this time, this is just setting up to where, you know, the Democrats are going to utterly destroy it. And you know, we've seen, we've seen kind of the nuclear option a few times, most notably of course, with Justice Gorsuch's appointment, you know, back in 2017. And that ended up being a very, very good thing for the country. So, you know, kind of, however they're, the Republicans have to maneuver and frankly manipulate the rules. That's kind of the point of having power, right, is to say, okay, we can, we can call for a vote in a specific way or you know, move these different pieces to get it over the finish line. And yet, you know, the Hill, posted a piece this morning at 6am suggesting, you know, GOP tempers flare over how to pass the Save America act because, there are different ways in which, you know, different, members of the Senate in the GOP are suggesting to get it passed. And that may be true, but at the end of the day, I don't really care how they get it across the finish line, just do it.
Marlin Stutzman: That's right, exactly. And I think that's what the American people expect. And you know, we're letting the Republicans in the Senate are letting the system defeat a result that we all know needs to happen. And I think that's why it, gets to be so frustrating and why I think Republican voters are becoming disenfranchised with the Republican leadership and saying, look, we gave you 53 Republican senators. You should be governing. And then when they're hiding, hiding or just simply trying to protect the Senate rule system that has, like you said, it's not constitutional, it's not something that we, you can change the rules and I get the old 60 vote filibuster rule. It's just to make sure that every member of the Senate had a chance to talk, to make their case, but instead they're abusing it and saying, yeah, we're not going to even, we're not even going to have to talk on the floor. We're going to do a zombie filibuster. That's the silliest rule I think I've ever heard. but it's a manipulated rule that the Democrats figured out how to use for their advantage. Republicans have used it as well because that's part of the rules in the Senate. So we can't let these sort of things slow down or stop good policy from passing. And I think that, you know, your audience and your listeners need to call Senator Thune's office, they need to call Senator Murkowski's office from Alaska, call their own senators to be sure that they, they get the job done. That's what needs to happen. They just simply need to get the job done.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And today is the day, for everyone listening and I know that our American Family radio audience, family cares very deeply about issues about conservative priorities, about election integrity, about voter id. I mean, you know, these are things that should not be partisan issues. I don't think they are. The fact that Democrats are object to this common sense legislation is insane. And so this is the moment where, we can actually use our voice and call our, members of the Senate and in respectfully, you know, just make our, our voice heard and ah, tell them that, you know, this is something that needs to be passed. And so, you know, regardless of what state you are listening in today, I think that, that call to action from a Representative Stutzman, is really the, the overall point and the best use, of our time today for people who want to get engaged. I hear this all the time. Well, you know, how can I affect policy more? This is your opportunity. Call Leader Thune's office, regardless of what state you're from, but also call your, your own, senators as well from your states. Call both of them and call it. Call anybody you want. I mean, this affects the, the entire country. And so, you know, assuming that this may actually pass, and I hope that it will, I'm a little more, optimistic maybe, than I was a week or two ago, which is saying something. but assuming that this passes, you know, we know that the Democrats are just going to file lawsuits and challenges and all of this. so where, where does this head from here in terms of the overall, fight for election integrity and cleaning up the voter rolls and you actually accomplishing the merit of what's in the SAVE Act?
Marlin Stutzman: Yeah, well, and you're right. I mean, this is the time. Today is the day. We've got some momentum. What happens with these bills, they get momentum, and we have to keep the momentum to get the bill across the finish line. And we don't want to go into the Easter break without this passed. We have to do it this week or next week.
Brandon Gill: If we don't pass voter ID law, Senate will fail
And if we don't, we're going to lose the momentum and the bill will ultimately fail, if we don't get, this. Keep this momentum. So phone calls do make a difference. People do know, you know, staff tells us, as members of Congress, hey, we are getting 100 phone calls. We're getting 1,000 phone calls. We're getting, you know, thousands of calls. So your phone calls make a big difference. And, you know, let me give you a quick example, Jenna. you know, a good friend of ours, Pastor Lorenzo Sewell from Detroit, he prayed at President Trump's inauguration. He has become a really good friend. And his church, predominantly black in Detroit, has his congregants went to vote in the past election and got to the polls and were told they had already voted when they hadn't. And so here. That's why voter ID laws matter, because how can they. They were stealing people's votes, their ballots, through mail in, ballots. And they voted for people, and stole their opportunity as an American to vote for the person they chose, would choose to vote For. And so that's why states like Michigan, states like, California, of course, Wisconsin, all these swing states, you know, Nevada, Arizona, those are critical to have voter ID laws to make sure that these, you know, these folks know, you know, these political operatives know where to go to get the votes to be able to win certain states. You know, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland area was a big area for Ohio. Detroit, of course, and Michigan, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. And so these are really critical. And so my. Once that gets passed to the Senate, if they pass the bill as is, it'll go to the President's desk, and then it becomes, enacted into law. And those states that don't comply, you know, will be, you know, drug into court. And, you know, ultimately this probably comes down to the Supreme Court making a decision requiring every state to follow the law. If we can get this passed this week.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and you're so right, Congressman, Sussman, that this needs to happen before the Easter break. Because, you know, this would just be another way that the Democrats, again, kind of run out the clock on the momentum. And we've seen that they try to simply obstruct and obstruct. And that's. That is kind of one of the objections to this, kind of talking filibuster of just sort of wasting time. and some of those objections. And at the end of the day, you know, however, the GOP maneuvers it, like we've been discussing, as long as they get it over that finish line first, before the Easter break. That's. That's. That's ultimately the goal and what needs to happen. And, you know, it's not going to surprise me, though, if Democrats, kind of manufacture some other, you know, media narrative and some, you know, shiny event or object to, misdirect and to point America's attention to over the next week or so, especially, you know, things going on in Iran with, you know, who knows what else, they'll decide is incredibly important this week. And it's very important that we, as voters and as conservatives aren't distracted by all that. And we continue, to call our senators, throughout the week until this is passed and kind of keep this as the main thing. Congressman, Brandon Gill, from Texas, you know, of course, one of your colleagues, posted on X this morning, the Save America act is the only priority right now in Washington. there's something to that effect, and I think he's absolutely right about that. This is the only thing that matters, really matters right now. Because if the Senate can't get this across the finish line, then I don't think that that will bode well overall for, not just the GOP in the midterms, but for Republicans in general in terms of actually utilizing their power when they have it.
Marlin Stutzman: That's right. No. And, you know, the Democrats are so good at, you know, taking phrases like, you know, they like to accuse President Trump that he's a threat to democracy. How is that a threat to democracy? Is when people have their ballots stolen, when there's a lack of integrity in the election process. That's why the Save America act is, as Brandon said, the most critical piece of legislation to pass in Washington today. I mean, going into the 2026 election, if people feel, and this is where people in Indiana, you know, we've got voter ID laws and say, okay, we've gone through our election process, but we know there's cheating going on in California or there's cheating going on in NewSong York or Illinois. Of course, Illinois is right next door to us. And when we know what type of Chicago politics, how it all works, I mean, when you say Chicago politics, every American goes, like, they roll their eyes and be like, oh, yeah, we know what they do. That's right. That's what they do. And that's why we need to make sure we clean up the system and require photo IDs to be a part of our electoral process. That way, there's integrity in the system. M. And that way, we rebuild trust in our democratic process. If you break down the trust in the democratic process, our country's in a world of hurt.
Jenna Ellis: Yes. And so this is our moment and our time to call our U.S. senators, call Leader Thune, and ask them to pass the SAVE Act. Get engaged and get involved. I would encourage, encourage, every one of you to make those calls, today and every day until the Senate actually passes this important piece of legislation. Well, Representative Marlon Stutzman, thanks so much for your time. Follow him across social media platforms. Repstutsman. And you can reach me and my team JennaAFR.net.
Jenna Ellis: Rights that our founders recognize come from God not government
: Jenna Ellis in the morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: I love talking about the things of God. Because of truth and the biblical worldview. The U.S. constitution obligates our government to preserve and protect. The rights that our founders recognize come from God our creator, not our government. I believe that scripture in the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time.
: This is Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Senior US Intelligence official resigns over conflict with Iran, sparking mixed reaction
Jenna Ellis: Good morning. It is Wednesday, March 18th, and this is day 18 of the Middle east conflict. And I'm glad to see that even CNN is actually saying that in its headline, a Middle east conflict, not a war, as, we continue to say and distinguish between the two. But a top Iranian leaders have been killed and a Trump administration official has resigned. So what we know so far, and this is coming from cnn, but the intel, official resigns. A senior US Intelligence official appointed by President Trump abruptly announced his resignation yesterday, citing misgivings about the administration's, conflict with Iran. And Trump called his resignation a good thing. this is Joe Kent, who, some of you may know, because of his, ah, previous, I believe it was a congressional run, but he kind of, you know, rose to prominence. He is a gold star husband. So, his first wife was, killed in conflict, in the Middle East. And so, you know, there's a kind of mixed reaction from the MAGA base to this because he posted yesterday, after much reflection, I've decided to resign from my position as director of the National Counterterrorism center effective today. He was only there about four months. He says I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. And it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It's been an honor serving under the President and DNI Gabbard and leading the professionals at nctc. May God bless America. And then he posted kind of this lengthy letter that if you'd like to go and read on X or in various articles, that's posted. But the reaction has kind of been mixed with mostly, a lot of the, the mega base that's kind of giving President Trump some time to kind of see this conflict through, still have, you know, faith in his objectives. they're suggesting either that Joe Kent shouldn't have, ah, resigned and that this was inappropriate of him to do that. Ah, some are giving him a little bit more grace because of his own personal history and Saying, you know, listen, we're. Some people disagree with this, and if he has to in good conscience resign, that's on him. That's okay. That doesn't change my mind about, trusting President Trump. And then, of course, you know, the people, who are suggesting that everything is about Israel and that Israel actually controls the United States are kind of lauding him as, as, ah, some kind of hero. But, you know, let's get, someone else's opinion. Let's welcome in Scott Ulinger, who's a former, intelligence agent. And Scott, you know, well, a lot of people have mixed views on this. you know, where do you think that this actually stands in terms of the allegation? That I think is pretty serious actually from Joe Kent, ah, suggesting that Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. I mean, from at least just what's been reported by the White House and in the news. I don't think that's particularly accurate.
Scott Uehlinger: Right. Jenna, thanks for having me on. Yeah, I have pretty strong feelings about this. The, I don't know what is going on in that guy's head. he ran for Congress twice. He was green, ah, beret. So he's Special Forces. His wife was a chief petty officer in the Navy intel who was killed by a suicide bomber with isis. And, I've been looking at this with great interest in the last day, and you can find videos, literally three months ago, where he was talking about what a threat Iran was three months ago. He's tweeted. Trump has retweeted his tweets about Iran being a threat. And as somebody who spent my whole life working against Iran, basically, I don't know what the guy's smoking, I don't know what who got to him or something, but there is something not right about this. Now look, if you want to resign as a government official, that's fine. if you disagree with your commander, it's actually the right thing to do to resign. But, he used nctc, stationary to write to basically go on a screed, that's anti Israel, Israel and stuff. And that is totally inappropriate. If you want to resign, resign, but keep your mouth shut. and so, you know, I'm not willing really to give someone a, great benefit of the doubt because they're in the military. You know, I was in the military for 28 years. But see, unfortunately, you know, there were, there were. It's just a cross section of society, the military. You take somebody's military background With a grain of salt because there were a lot of grifters and jerks in the military too. you know, just because you were in military doesn't mean that you are, you know, a straight arrow. Look at Mark Kelly, the senator who actually happens to be my Kings Point classmate at US mma. he's a disgrace. I don't care if he was an astronaut or not. The guy's a disgrace. This is just really bizarre behavior. And by the way, in something that was totally predictable in that people predicted this literally within an hour and it came true. He's already booked on Tucker Carlsen and, and Candace Owens, who are famous for their anti, Semitic stuff. And there's some kind of Catholic, ah, organization that he's like the special guest for as soon as like Friday, or something.
Jenna Ellis: Wow. Well, you know, and that, that shows, of course, then, you know, where his mentality, probably is leading. Because if this was something where, you know, he just in good faith sincerely disagreed. There's a way to resign without making it controversial and certainly without making it about himself. But the fact that he's going on this media tour, and especially with the individuals that have become basically the faces of anti Semitism, I mean, especially Candace Owens. but then, you know, Tucker Carlsen's rhetoric now, you know, all of these things that have been fracturing the base, it really does make you wonder, you know, where this was or maybe always has been, because he, you know, like, like we said at the top, I mean, he's only been this counterterrorism official for the last four months. So is it possible that he just completely changed his mind in that time or, you know, what do you attribute this to? I mean, it is a little bit bizarre. Yeah, right.
Scott Uehlinger: I find. Yeah, yeah, exactly. the, the. That's very, very hard to believe. like I said, as, as I just watched videos right before coming on the, talking about what a threat Iran was three months ago. So what changed in three months? You know, did someone has. What was he offered? It's just, it's really strange. Like sometimes I think it's like, it's like the old movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Like you literally don't know who's going to be taken over and become a pod person in Washington. Certainly, not that I know him that well or of him that well, but what I'm saying is on paper he would be one of the least likely people to do this kind of a turnabout, but obviously he has. So it's like, is there something in the water down there? What is going on that these people do this? Somehow he, has made it all about him and that he's going to, you know, and of course now, now the left will, will use him as the next useful idiot. You welcome the defector with open arms. And then he'll be discarded after about six weeks or so, after he's sp. It off, and then wonder what he's doing or what he has done to himself. It's a very, very strange world down in Washington. And the more I see things like this, the more, I'm glad that I have never gotten the phone call to come work in Washington.
Scott Ewlinger says President Trump picks people who work counter to his vision
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, it's a really difficult position. And it seems like President Trump, more than recent Democrat presidents, like Biden and Obama, have people in his ranks that work counter to the appointment, for which they, were given. And that's really frustrating, I think, from an administrative standpoint, because President Trump is entitled to have people around him that believe in his vision, that actually serve his administration. And I said after the first administration, for a long time, obviously that I was a part of, the Trump campaign during his first administration, that he was the most underserved president because people came to work for him but then brought their own ideas and were even unwilling to, you know, carry out direct, commands in certain instances and in various positions. And it seems really strange that this, this seems to affect President Trump more than most. And do you think that that's just because it's on the right and somehow, you know, we kind of tend to have, to not just be team players and think for ourselves, which cuts a little bit both ways, good and bad. or is it more the, the picks from President Trump? Because he tends to choose people that either he only sees as loyal and then maybe that turns out to be true or not. but then a lot of times he picks people that he thinks are good on national media and not necessarily for their overall competency. And so then, you know, some of these things like this, ultimately end up happening.
Scott Uehlinger: Yeah, I think it's really a combination of both of those things you described, and I think that is true. You know, people who are on the right tend to be more independent minded. You know, they have their own personal ideas of what conservatism is and things like that. Plus there is a tendency certainly of Trump to pick more kind of high, relatively high profile people. Now with someone like Hesgath, that has Been very successful, but with others less successful, like for instance, with Kent. And so, the unfortunate fact seems to be that, you know, there are a fair amount of grifters in the conservative party who, who in within conservatism who, who for years go on and seem to be on the team. But it turns out really they're out for themselves and they're out for benefiting themselves more than the nation. And it's, you know, for someone like me, with my background, it's very, it's it's obviously disappointing, but it's just, it's very strange that what, what is the mental state of these people that they, that they do things like this? Because it seems, you know, very strange to someone who was raised in a traditional conservative, you know, household like I was.
Jenna Ellis: Mm, Yeah. And it is really, just an overall unfortunate situation and especially that Joe Kemp made this decision at this point, in the overall conflict, because people are starting to question, okay, does the White House, you know, have its strategic objectives that haven't changed? Where are we, how long is this going to last? I don't think anybody wants this, to be a kind of long term conflict. And so where are we overall? Scott Ewlinger, in, in the conflict in terms of meeting, those strategic objectives and kind of having, having that m maintained and not really changed from the White House.
Scott Uehlinger: Right. It's very hard to for the average person to sort this stuff out and to figure out what's really going on because like literally CNN is practically taking the side of Iran. They're in fact, you know, acting as Iran state media. So it's difficult, but. Right. But on the other hand, I'm here to say that the war is going exceptionally well. Okay. I guess, you know, I've been on Arab, I'm on Arab TV a lot. I'll be on this morning and I've been on the last few days. I want to make one thing very clear. The streets of Hormuz are not closed. They are not closed. They never have been closed. It's something the media is saying, Iran, I can announce I'm going to close the Long Island Sound. But that doesn't mean anything.
Scott Uehlinger: I have no power to do that. Iran is saying, we're closing. We're going to close the streets of Hormuz. But it is not the case. Because the main reason that several hundred merchant ships are not entering or exiting the strait is because of high insurance rates, not because of the Iranian navy, which is now at the bottom of the ocean every single day, the, US Air Force and Navy are destroying Iran's ability to wage war against its neighbors and also to attack shipping. Every single day, Iran is getting weaker and weaker and weaker now with central authority destroyed and Basically, seemingly there's 31 now autonomous zones which are basically operating as little mini states of their own. So that's why killing the leader isn't really affecting this stuff. But each One of those 31 autonomous leaders has a gun that's eventually going to run out of ammunition. And also as they see their fellow, their fellows being liquidated, they understand that they're next on the list. So every single day, Iran's ability to interfere with shipping is decreasing dramatically. We've seen only like literally three attacks on merchant vessels in the streets of Hormuz, which is, which is about a factor of 100 less than anything that any expert predicted eight years ago. So the war is going exceptionally well. And like I said, it's the insurance rates that is halting the shipping. And so, you know, we've seen a lot about, you know, about convoys and shipping and stuff. And I pay very close attention to that because I was, I have been through the streets of Hormuz on merchant ships and naval vessels and I'm one of the few people who could, you know, claim expert status on that subject. Mm,
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, well, and we appreciate that.
Scott Ewlinger: We all thought the White House was an imminent threat
Update, Scott Ewlinger, we've got to take a break here. but you know, I'm, I'm still with you, at least in the, the camp that I trust that, for everything that's coming out of the White House that I run was, an imminent threat. I mean, I think that we all kind of thought that anyway before, this conflict. So it is odd to see people like Joe Kent now suggesting that they weren't, and especially with someone who had access to that much, information as he did. And so, you know, let's give this a little bit more time, kind of see, you know, where the president takes things. And it's only been eight, 18 days. And we'll see how it goes. But we will be right back with more here on Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Jenna Ellis: Midterms in November will signal confidence in President Trump
: M m, ah, welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. Well, you know, it used to be, be relatively easy to kind of, put voters into two different categories. And we've had, the, the two parties in D.C. for a long time. You know, it's either conservatives or liberal Republican versus Democrat. And increasingly it seems like we can't quite fit voters at least into those two camps quite as easily. And is this a good thing or not? Well, it probably depends on the outcome, right? Because certainly, with some of the fracturing of the mega base with some of the increased, questions or even sitting out of some voters, which, you know, I think is never wise to do, always use your vote because it is a privilege, to the best of your ability. There aren't maybe necessarily perfect options, sometimes. But that is a privilege that we have a right to exercise here in this country, to select and prefer our leaders to weigh in on issues and to to really exercise our voice. And so if we sit out, then we are simply, abdicating that duty and responsibility and those selections to the people who do participate and, who may not share our values at all. So, you know, I know that a lot of people are really tired, and I am as well, of, you know, just voting for, the best of, you know, the possible options or, you know, well, this isn't, the greatest person, but, you know, it's the least bad. Candid. this is why things like primaries matter. But this is also why, things like midterms matter. And the midterms coming up in November, you know, are really going to, I, think say with clarity whether Trump's mandate that he was given in 2024 by a wide margin, from the American people is still continuing and whether this is due to, the Iran conflict, due to, you know, the lack of, Doge actually making any sort of really significant progress, depending on what happens, today with the SAVE act. And we're going to get to that in the next segment. you know, depending on a lot of different things, the economy, you know what. Overall, the scorecard that the Trump administration has been given so far, I think the midterms are really going to signal whether or not overall, the American public has as much of a faith and confidence in President Trump as we did in November of 2024. Because that wasn't a close call like everybody, at least mainstream media was suggesting. And that kind of momentum appears to have waned a little bit. And it is frustrating to a lot of us who would like to see Republicans, while they have control, actually push through conservative policies. And one of the things, that's been very interesting to follow has been Secretary Kennedy's, Make America Healthy Again movement, which was modeled after, of course, you know, Trump's Make America Great Again campaign. And this has kind of animated though interestingly a bipartisan group of voters, primarily the so called Maha moms. and it's been this group that really has ah, has kind of crossed some of those partisan lines to at least support this particular initiative. And Kennedy of course being a former Democrat, was someone that also kind of crossed those party lines and said, said you know I can work with the Trump administration because really this particular initiative and objective shouldn't be partisan. And I wish that we had more of that because while obviously there are a lot of things that are clearly along party lines, you're going to get things like you know the pro life issue, I mean obviously that's something. While it shouldn't be a partisan issue, it is because it splits right down, you know, Republican Democrat lines. Unfortunately even some Republicans are a little bit pro abortion. But you know overall that, that is a very contentious partisan issue. But things like the SAVE act for example just securing our elections, things like the Make America Healthy Again movement, these are things that really honestly should not be partisan. And so these so called Maha moms really wanted the promise of combating chronic childhood diseases, reducing environmental toxins, finding out what's actually in our ultra processed food and addressing specifically over medicalization. And that's a really key issue that doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or you're Republican or exactly the partisanship from really any side the over medicalization of our nation is something that even people on the left would like to see addressed. And you know this comes from the so called anti vaxxers but I think it's people who truly see that there's, there's kind of an over medicated society not just in prescription drugs and, and the way that we try to to treat symptoms instead of find preventions and healthy lifestyles. But even with the amount of vaccines that are given to infants, I mean there's a lot of vaccines, even, even the COVID quote unquote vax right now. Right? to suggest that especially in 2026, but even ever that the evidence led to suggesting that that was somehow one of those mandatory vaccines is in my opinion at least an over prescription. And for the government to somehow try to mandate these or for doctors to pressure, this is something that the Make America Healthy Again movement was trying to address. And yet Trump's recent executive order to increase the production of glyphos glyphosate if I can say that correctly. It's a widely used weed killer that, not only the International Agency for Research on Cancer has deemed to be a probable carcinogenic, but also Florida's healthy, Florida first initiative, has also targeted that and said, you know, that shouldn't be in our foods. Trump's recent executive order seemed to go completely against the core of the Maha movement. And so the group of Maha moms overall has been pushing back really largely against this and suggesting that Trump is actually undermining the Maha movement. And so, you know, where this actually goes, is going to be very interesting. And so Del Big Tree, who's the former CEO of Maha Action and, the nonprofit group which was started in, I think it was around late 2024 to promote the overall Maha agenda, said, and this was quoted in USA Today, I think President Trump is making a major mistake. I think that Maha moms feel burned by this, and I think it could be very, very bad for the midterm election of Donald Trump. And so, you know, this raises the question of overall, I think, you know, while different people have, different priorities in terms of their overall voting issues and the overall way that they approach the midterms, it's fascinating to me that there is kind of a new, fractured voting bloc that's forming in American politics that it doesn't really neatly fit into either a Republican or a Democrat box. And this is something where people are, overall just tired of what feels like the uni party system in D.C. which by and large it is. I mean, there's almost no difference anymore, between Republicans and Democrats. When you look at a variety of issues and there's a growing attention on RFK Jr. S coalition and the Maha voters specifically because they're very anti establishment and they have kind of this anti institution, you know, question, all of the things that government is telling you a little bit more maybe on the libertarian, ah, kind of trend. And so the question I think that's really fascinating is where do these voters go in 2026 if they are not really fitting neatly into either camp? What really drives these particular, voters in terms of a new coalition and after 2026, where are they headed potentially in 2028? Because I think we're going to see a, an identity crisis really on both parties, because heading into 2028, because we are going to be in a post Trump world, he's not going to be on the ballot in 2028. he's not in 2026, but, you know, obviously still has the administration. So in a sense, I mean, it's still, he's still in office. It's a little different than actually being post Trump. But the Democrat Party, really has a lot of, soul searching to do. because if you look at the polling numbers and seeing that Kamala Harris is currently still among the top candidates, that's just absolutely insane to me that anyone on the Democrat side would think that that's a good idea. But, you know, they thought that was a good idea, you know, back in 2024. So clearly, they were a little crazy even then. But, but it's going to be fascinating to see kind of where the identities of each of the two major parties head and whether or not that kind of third party coalition or third party kind of mentality, whether there's enough that binds a coalition that's tired of the Uni Party, maybe voted Trump, maybe, you know, voted Democrat, then Trump twice. I mean, we have a few of those voters, you know, that, that crossed over, that left the Democrat Party, you know, some of these people who won't, who don't feel kind of this heritage allegiance to either side, if there's enough of these voters that can make a meaningful challenge as a third party. Because the problem has always been with the third party, of course, that you would be taking the, a, slice of the almost half. If you split voters into, you know, Democrats and Republicans, then you would take that third either from mostly, almost all Democrats or mostly, almost all Republicans. And so then it would just fracture that base. And that wouldn't ever allow kind of a third party to really rise. And so for a long time, the thinking in Washington, has been, well, you know, we can't really have a third party. But of course that's been because of the duopoly of the uniparty to say, well, the Democrats actually need the Republicans and the Republicans need the Democrats so that this third party kind of doesn't arise and take away power from the RNC and the dnc. Right. And so there's never really been a cross section of voters that can come from both the bases of the Democrats and also the Republicans to kind of form a coalition that is done with, with both sides, but is sufficient in numbers pulling from both sides to actually create a third party. And it's going to be really fascinating. I'm not saying for sure that, you know, my prediction is that this will happen. I'm just saying that we are at a point in 2026 and the midterms are going to be really fascinating on this. But then especially heading into 2028 we're probably more, it's, it's more likely than at any point in recent American history that a defined coalition that is kind of anti establishment, anti big pharma, skeptical of government institute institutions and a mix of former Democrats, some populist Republicans, some maybe disaffected MAGA Libertarians and also independents that could form this coalition that may have a real shot at being a formidable base. And the key characteristics here and, and the real key characteristic is that these people are motivated more by issues than party loyalty. And that's actually a good thing. I mean I would put conservatives in that category by and large. Right. Like even though we tend to vote Republican because way better than the Democrats. Right. I'm always as a Christian conservative going to be motivated more by issues than party loyalty. I'm not going to suggest that anything that any Republican does is good just because they're part of the Republican Party. And so the key characteristics though moving forward is also not just motivated more by issues than party loyalty and I think Trump has really damaged that term loyalty, but also a distrust of public health agencies, corporate influence, government, institutions and also political elites. And so these voters are really swing voters and they could coalesce in 2026 and moving forward especially in to 2028 and really create a vastly different political world in a post Trump America than we have seen before. And in a way guys, I actually find that really exciting. So we'll be right back with more here on Jenna Ellis in the Morning.
Jenna Ellis asks whether Senate will pass Trump backed voter ID bill
: Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. Well, one of the biggest voting issues I think for especially conservatives, but for the base overall is whether or not the Senate will actually pass the Trump backed voter ID bill known as the Save America Act. And so the, as of yesterday the GOP triggered a marathon Senate fight to expose the Democrats opposition to the Save America Act. And at least as of Yesterday the US Senate has voted to advance the Act 51 to 48. But where exactly is this headed? Let's welcome in m Representative Marlon Stutzman from the great state of Indiana. where are we at with the passage hopefully of the Save America Act?
Marlin Stutzman: Good morning Jenna. Great to be with you this morning. You know the House of Representatives, we've passed the Save America act and now it's in the Senate's hands. And as we know the Senate has, a hard time getting bills across the finish line because of the filibuster rule in the Senate. And so it seems like Leader Thune and, you know, the Republicans that are really pushing for a vote on the floor to pass the Save America act, we got our, you know, conservative champions over there. Mike Lee, Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, Rick Scott from Florida are really working hard. And you know, this is a, policy that is supported by 8 out of 10Americans, not Republicans. Americans. And so this is something that I think, you know, the American people are demanding. President Trump has been talking about this for the longest time. We just need the Senate to step up and get the vote done and find a way to get it across the finish line and get around these filibuster rules that keep hanging good policy up.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And so, you know, where, where is this actually at? Because this triggering the, the GOP kind of triggering this, you know, this, this marathon sort of talking filibuster and all of that, how does that actually work in the Senate in terms of affecting, or if it does, the, the overall 60 vote threshold and cloture and, you know, all of that, because I think some people are a little bit confused as to, you know, the outcome, saying, okay, this was advanced by a 51 vote majority, and yet we thought we needed 60. So, you know, what exactly is going on here?
Marlin Stutzman: Yeah, great question. Because it is, it's not the normal process because they're Republicans are trying to protect the, you know, filibuster threshold of 60 votes, but getting around it on this particular vote. And so they had a rule vote that required, 51 Republicans to pass. Well, we lost Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. She's opposed to the voter id, laws, which Alaskans should be paying close attention to that. And, so they, they're now at a talking filibuster, plan. That's the strategy. They should be voting on that, they, they crossed one rule vote today, or, I'm sorry, yesterday, with only Republican votes losing one Republican. And now today they're going to go to a speaking filibuster. But I tell you, I think, you know, Janet, they've even got us a little confused because it seems like they're changing some of the rules as they go to try to figure out a way to get this across the finish line. And, you know, and at the end of the day, you know, we don't have those rules in the House of Representatives. We have a smaller majority out of 435 members in the House compared to 100 members in the Senate. And Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans passed it with a simple majority. Senate leadership needs to do the same thing and realize, you know, that what this vote really means is that we're going to require all 50 states for people to vote to have proof of citizenship, and a, photo ID to be able to vote. We have this already in Indiana. Some states, states already have that. There's been some confusion, you know, with people across the country, like, well, we already have this law. Some states do, some states don't. And that's what we're saying is, look, you look at the states that have photo ID laws, there is a consistency in, making sure the results are fair and accurate and there's integrity in the system. Those that don't have photo ID laws manipulate the system and can very easily cheat. And that's why the Senate needs to just simply say, we're going to get this done one way or the other. Working around their filibuster rules, sometimes we all kind of get scratching our head because it doesn't make sense. And so Republicans need to lead here. And, I hope they're stepping up here this week.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, I completely agree with that assessment that, you know, kind of whatever votes they have to take on the rules and you know, their own deliberative process, I mean, that's internal to the Senate. That's not something that's, you know, going against, the Constitution. It's not going against, you know, anything other than kind of their own made up and manufactured laws. And I tend to disagree with people who are saying that, you know, if they get around the filibuster this time, this is just setting up to where, you know, the Democrats are going to utterly destroy it. And you know, we've seen, we've seen kind of the nuclear option a few times, most notably of course, with Justice Gorsuch's appointment, you know, back in 2017. And that ended up being a very, very good thing for the country. So, you know, kind of, however they're, the Republicans have to maneuver and frankly manipulate the rules. That's kind of the point of having power, right, is to say, okay, we can, we can call for a vote in a specific way or you know, move these different pieces to get it over the finish line. And yet, you know, the Hill, posted a piece this morning at 6am suggesting, you know, GOP tempers flare over how to pass the Save America act because, there are different ways in which, you know, different, members of the Senate in the GOP are suggesting to get it passed. And that may be true, but at the end of the day, I don't really care how they get it across the finish line, just do it.
Marlin Stutzman: That's right, exactly. And I think that's what the American people expect. And you know, we're letting the Republicans in the Senate are letting the system defeat a result that we all know needs to happen. And I think that's why it, gets to be so frustrating and why I think Republican voters are becoming disenfranchised with the Republican leadership and saying, look, we gave you 53 Republican senators. You should be governing. And then when they're hiding, hiding or just simply trying to protect the Senate rule system that has, like you said, it's not constitutional, it's not something that we, you can change the rules and I get the old 60 vote filibuster rule. It's just to make sure that every member of the Senate had a chance to talk, to make their case, but instead they're abusing it and saying, yeah, we're not going to even, we're not even going to have to talk on the floor. We're going to do a zombie filibuster. That's the silliest rule I think I've ever heard. but it's a manipulated rule that the Democrats figured out how to use for their advantage. Republicans have used it as well because that's part of the rules in the Senate. So we can't let these sort of things slow down or stop good policy from passing. And I think that, you know, your audience and your listeners need to call Senator Thune's office, they need to call Senator Murkowski's office from Alaska, call their own senators to be sure that they, they get the job done. That's what needs to happen. They just simply need to get the job done.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And today is the day, for everyone listening and I know that our American Family radio audience, family cares very deeply about issues about conservative priorities, about election integrity, about voter id. I mean, you know, these are things that should not be partisan issues. I don't think they are. The fact that Democrats are object to this common sense legislation is insane. And so this is the moment where, we can actually use our voice and call our, members of the Senate and in respectfully, you know, just make our, our voice heard and ah, tell them that, you know, this is something that needs to be passed. And so, you know, regardless of what state you are listening in today, I think that, that call to action from a Representative Stutzman, is really the, the overall point and the best use, of our time today for people who want to get engaged. I hear this all the time. Well, you know, how can I affect policy more? This is your opportunity. Call Leader Thune's office, regardless of what state you're from, but also call your, your own, senators as well from your states. Call both of them and call it. Call anybody you want. I mean, this affects the, the entire country. And so, you know, assuming that this may actually pass, and I hope that it will, I'm a little more, optimistic maybe, than I was a week or two ago, which is saying something. but assuming that this passes, you know, we know that the Democrats are just going to file lawsuits and challenges and all of this. so where, where does this head from here in terms of the overall, fight for election integrity and cleaning up the voter rolls and you actually accomplishing the merit of what's in the SAVE Act?
Marlin Stutzman: Yeah, well, and you're right. I mean, this is the time. Today is the day. We've got some momentum. What happens with these bills, they get momentum, and we have to keep the momentum to get the bill across the finish line. And we don't want to go into the Easter break without this passed. We have to do it this week or next week.
Brandon Gill: If we don't pass voter ID law, Senate will fail
And if we don't, we're going to lose the momentum and the bill will ultimately fail, if we don't get, this. Keep this momentum. So phone calls do make a difference. People do know, you know, staff tells us, as members of Congress, hey, we are getting 100 phone calls. We're getting 1,000 phone calls. We're getting, you know, thousands of calls. So your phone calls make a big difference. And, you know, let me give you a quick example, Jenna. you know, a good friend of ours, Pastor Lorenzo Sewell from Detroit, he prayed at President Trump's inauguration. He has become a really good friend. And his church, predominantly black in Detroit, has his congregants went to vote in the past election and got to the polls and were told they had already voted when they hadn't. And so here. That's why voter ID laws matter, because how can they. They were stealing people's votes, their ballots, through mail in, ballots. And they voted for people, and stole their opportunity as an American to vote for the person they chose, would choose to vote For. And so that's why states like Michigan, states like, California, of course, Wisconsin, all these swing states, you know, Nevada, Arizona, those are critical to have voter ID laws to make sure that these, you know, these folks know, you know, these political operatives know where to go to get the votes to be able to win certain states. You know, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland area was a big area for Ohio. Detroit, of course, and Michigan, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. And so these are really critical. And so my. Once that gets passed to the Senate, if they pass the bill as is, it'll go to the President's desk, and then it becomes, enacted into law. And those states that don't comply, you know, will be, you know, drug into court. And, you know, ultimately this probably comes down to the Supreme Court making a decision requiring every state to follow the law. If we can get this passed this week.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and you're so right, Congressman, Sussman, that this needs to happen before the Easter break. Because, you know, this would just be another way that the Democrats, again, kind of run out the clock on the momentum. And we've seen that they try to simply obstruct and obstruct. And that's. That is kind of one of the objections to this, kind of talking filibuster of just sort of wasting time. and some of those objections. And at the end of the day, you know, however, the GOP maneuvers it, like we've been discussing, as long as they get it over that finish line first, before the Easter break. That's. That's. That's ultimately the goal and what needs to happen. And, you know, it's not going to surprise me, though, if Democrats, kind of manufacture some other, you know, media narrative and some, you know, shiny event or object to, misdirect and to point America's attention to over the next week or so, especially, you know, things going on in Iran with, you know, who knows what else, they'll decide is incredibly important this week. And it's very important that we, as voters and as conservatives aren't distracted by all that. And we continue, to call our senators, throughout the week until this is passed and kind of keep this as the main thing. Congressman, Brandon Gill, from Texas, you know, of course, one of your colleagues, posted on X this morning, the Save America act is the only priority right now in Washington. there's something to that effect, and I think he's absolutely right about that. This is the only thing that matters, really matters right now. Because if the Senate can't get this across the finish line, then I don't think that that will bode well overall for, not just the GOP in the midterms, but for Republicans in general in terms of actually utilizing their power when they have it.
Marlin Stutzman: That's right. No. And, you know, the Democrats are so good at, you know, taking phrases like, you know, they like to accuse President Trump that he's a threat to democracy. How is that a threat to democracy? Is when people have their ballots stolen, when there's a lack of integrity in the election process. That's why the Save America act is, as Brandon said, the most critical piece of legislation to pass in Washington today. I mean, going into the 2026 election, if people feel, and this is where people in Indiana, you know, we've got voter ID laws and say, okay, we've gone through our election process, but we know there's cheating going on in California or there's cheating going on in NewSong York or Illinois. Of course, Illinois is right next door to us. And when we know what type of Chicago politics, how it all works, I mean, when you say Chicago politics, every American goes, like, they roll their eyes and be like, oh, yeah, we know what they do. That's right. That's what they do. And that's why we need to make sure we clean up the system and require photo IDs to be a part of our electoral process. That way, there's integrity in the system. M. And that way, we rebuild trust in our democratic process. If you break down the trust in the democratic process, our country's in a world of hurt.
Jenna Ellis: Yes. And so this is our moment and our time to call our U.S. senators, call Leader Thune, and ask them to pass the SAVE Act. Get engaged and get involved. I would encourage, encourage, every one of you to make those calls, today and every day until the Senate actually passes this important piece of legislation. Well, Representative Marlon Stutzman, thanks so much for your time. Follow him across social media platforms. Repstutsman. And you can reach me and my team JennaAFR.net.
Scott Ulinger and Jenna unpacks Joe Kernen's controversial departure from the National Counterterrorism Center
Jenna shifts focus to the political landscape, exploring the complexities of voter identity legislation with Representative Marlin Stutzman.
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