Today's Issues offers a Christian response to the issues of the day

 : Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.

Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Today is the, 6th of July, and, we hope everybody had a wonderful July 4th Independence Day celebration. And, we are back in the saddle here on this Monday morning because the world doesn't stop spinning just because America partied for a weekend. Good morning. Ed Battagliano.

Ed Vitagliano: Good morning. Celebration continues.

Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.

Fred Jackson: Good morning to you. I did not get the memo. For those watching over the light blue.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Light blue.

Fred Jackson: It's a blue Monday, but it's a light blue Monday.

Ed Vitagliano: My shirt, it's not dark blue.

Tim Wildmon: A lot of thought goes into my shirts that I pull out to the closet because I never do, rarely, usually. Allison, my wife, she.

Ed Vitagliano: Your wife still lays you, lays your clothes out for you?

Tim Wildmon: Is there a problem?

Ed Vitagliano: At some point?

Tim Wildmon: it's a give and take marriage.

Donald Trump: Okay?

Tim Wildmon: So at some point, you're supposed to

Ed Vitagliano: learn what goes with what.

Tim Wildmon: She gives me a shirt most mornings, lays it out, so picks it out.

Ed Vitagliano: You know, they still might sell granimals. Tim, Remember where all you had to do is match the animals on the label?

Tim Wildmon: you know, I, I, I can't. I'm capable of picking out my own shirts. It isn't like I can't do it. It's just.

Ed Vitagliano: Listen, I was always very impress. Because you used to iron. You used to do the ironing for your, in your marriage, right?

Tim Wildmon: Absolutely.

Ed Vitagliano: That was impressive.

Tim Wildmon: For about 10 to 15 years there, when the kids were at home, I was missing.

Ed Vitagliano: That's impressive.

Tim Wildmon: I was an ironing machine. Had that ironing board going.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Usually a little, Bill O'Reilly.

Ed Vitagliano: Oh, okay.

Tim Wildmon: Or maybe Cardinals baseball.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Depending on what time of the year it was.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: So, yeah, I did my share, carried my weight. And, I can show you how to press some blue jeans. I'll show you something. You do you do ironing at all? Not at all.

Ed Vitagliano: I know.

Tim Wildmon: Never.

Ed Vitagliano: I'd rather be completely wrinkled.

Tim Wildmon: What was your contributions in your, in your marriage while the kids were at home?

Ed Vitagliano: I, I do the finances. oh, I make the bed every morning. I do the outside, the yard work.

Tim Wildmon: Okay.

Ed Vitagliano: m, I wash dishes and I do a little cooking.

Tim Wildmon: That's pretty good list right there.

Ed Vitagliano: I help organize, do some cleaning. I like doing cleaning around the house.

Tim Wildmon: Fred, can you contend with his list? Of, domestic accomplishments.

Fred Jackson: Yeah. Finances, that's my departure department. And, the outside work. Although if I'm away, my wife doesn't have any problem using the lawnmower.

Ed Vitagliano: Let's.

Ed Vitagliano: Let's stop right there.

Ed Vitagliano: Tim. do you do the finances and the outside work?

Tim Wildmon: There's so much stuff we need to cover on this show today, Ed. I really don't have time to get into that. We'll review it at another day.

Ed Vitagliano: Okay, that's good.

Fred Jackson: We're taking a sharp turn.

Tim Wildmon: I do know how to go through an ATM machine, so if that's what you're asking me. Can I do the finances? The answer would be yes.

Fred Seibert: DC DC's fireworks display was incredible

All right, so, it is July 6th, and, in our nation's capital, over the weekend, we had a big, big, big celebration. It was huge.

Fred Jackson: Huge.

Tim Wildmon: I watched the, much of the speech by President Trump, which was an excellent speech. And he honored in particularly, he honored some World War II veterans that are still around today and told some other stories about heroes of our country's military. and so that was, And then the fireworks display, which I hear was incredible. Well, I think it was the largest display of fireworks in the history of the world. Okay. And I'm not surprised. yes. So it was. It was just. It went on for, like, 45 minutes, and you kept waiting for it to end, and it didn't. And, it was extraordinary to watch on television, all the. I don't know, who or whoever organized that needs a Nobel Peace Prize or something. I don't need to give them something or, you know, a Danny's coupon for two for one. Two for one Grandstand breakfast or something. They need something. Because, that was a undertaking unlike anything I've ever seen in terms of organizing the fireworks display. If you didn't see it live like I did, because it aired really late, what happened was the weather in Washington, D.C. postponed the celebration a couple of hours.

Fred Jackson: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And President Trump's speech and then the subsequent, fireworks, display.

Fred Jackson: Did they use any drones during the fireworks?

Tim Wildmon: I didn't see any. But you, mean in terms of making.

Fred Jackson: I've seen some videos of,

Tim Wildmon: Maybe they did. I didn't see them.

Fred Jackson: Just absolutely incredible.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Fred Jackson: What. What they can do with drones now to create.

Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah.

Fred Jackson: Those displays.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Now what you can do, I'm sure, is go on Google or wherever search engine you use, type in, fireworks display.

Ed Vitagliano: That's what I just watching DC DC fireworks display. And you can go to YouTube and it's 40 minutes. You can watch the whole thing.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. I've never seen a 40 minute display. If I were. And this was all over. It looked like it was all over the mall, really. They had boats out in the Potomac River. It appeared, from what I could tell. So, it was, it was really something to behold. But, you know, to sit, you don't get 250.

Fred Jackson: No.

Tim Wildmon: You know, this is a 250th anniversary of our country.

Ed Vitagliano: This, says one of these choices here on YouTube says 2500 drones.

Tim Wildmon: Wow.

Ed Vitagliano: Fourth of July.

Tim Wildmon: There's your answer, Fred.

Fred Jackson: Wow.

Tim Wildmon: But you see that, that's just.

Ed Vitagliano: Wow. That's fun. That is phenomenal. I'm just gonna be honest. I was in bed before any of this happened. I go to bed early. So I didn't. This is amazing, what I'm watching.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: I'm gonna put it on one at lunchtime. I'm gonna go to my office and put it on full screen.

Tim Wildmon: It was, you know, and you got the reflecting pool. You had the World War II memorial. You had, I'm talking about the lights reflecting off of it. It was really something to behold. And to be there personally, man, the sounds would have been.

Fred Jackson: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Incredible. Did you get a chance to see it?

Fred Jackson: I did not. I saw the locals here, which was pretty good too, but it was only about 15 minutes here, so.

Tim Ferriss: You and Allison are night owls

Tim Wildmon: Were you in bed too?

Fred Jackson: yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Listen, I don't mean to pass judgment, and I don't mean to sound harsh, but you guys are sleeping your life away.

Fred Jackson: No, we get up early. Really early. I get up really early, and the first emails I see come from me. Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Delivered at midnight.

Fred Jackson: Yeah, that's right. So I'm the first to read your emails at 4 in the morning?

Donald Trump: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: Everyone. Everyone makes choices, Tim.

Tim Wildmon: We do. And I choose.

Ed Vitagliano: You're.

Ed Vitagliano: You and Allison are night owls.

Jeff Chamblee: We are.

Ed Vitagliano: You guys go to bed.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah, it's. I don't know if it's natural for most couples to do the same thing. Either you go to bed early or night owls or somewhere in between. But, yeah, we've always been night. I was. I can get by on five and a half, six hours sleep and be fine.

Fred Jackson: Susie and I are split.

Tim Wildmon: Okay. What? She stays.

Fred Jackson: I'm early, bed, early to rise.

Tim Wildmon: Okay.

Fred Jackson: But she's been a night owl for

Tim Wildmon: a long, long time. Yeah. Yeah.

Fred Jackson: But we have a little bit from the speech.

Tim Wildmon: We're all different. you know, so I don't think that's.

Ed Vitagliano: That's not bad. It's Not a bad thing.

Tim Wildmon: Not a bad thing.

Adam Schiff: Trump talked a little bit about communism in his speech

What do we got, Fred?

Fred Jackson: We got a little bit from Trump's speech that you've been talking about. Mr. Adam, it's cut number one.

Donald Trump: 250 years. We may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started because the best is yet to come. This is only the dawn of the golden age of America. And on this 250th, 4th of July, we declare, just as they did two and a half centuries ago, that for our country and for our children and for the cause of liberty, we are going to take our country to new levels, to levels not reached. We're going to make it bigger, better, stronger, and we're going to love it even more. And I just want to thank you and the inconvenience of lightning can do that, but, lightning will never stop you. And I want to thank everybody and we love you all and it's an honor to be your president. Thank you. God bless you all.

Fred Jackson: So there you have it. The speech also, which went on for some time, of course, honored, our soldiers, who have died bravely for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. But also, he took some time and some of the mainstream media have criticized him because he did some politicking, on promoting the SAVE act, which basically talks about providing evidence of citizenship before you vote. And he also, talked a little bit about communism. Cut number two is a nation of winners.

Donald Trump: And today our country is winning again. And we're winning like never before. Communism is a loser and it always will be. The communist system is the opposite of the American system, and the communist system has never worked.

Fred Jackson: Yeah, that was a little swipe at, what's going on in the Democratic Party right now.

Ed Vitagliano: And it is going on in the Democratic Party. This is a, this is a big deal. One of the major political parties in this country is, I'm not even say turning farther left. The Democratic Party is being threatened by a movement that seeks to jettison the, classical liberalism that has always marked the Democratic Party in opposition to conservatism. Those two are kind of the poles. The political polls, which have operated in America and presidents and members of Congress and governors and state houses have drifted between those two poles to one extent or another. But beyond classical liberalism is a socialist movement that looks like it's linked to classical liberalism in terms of big government, but has gone beyond that and is pushing true socialism and is becoming a hate filled movement with the Jews and Israel in Particular as targets. And Christians should be aware that movements that hate the Jews ultimately wind up hating the church. So it's not an overstatement to say what you did. I think it's an actual thing we're watching unfold.

Hamas leaders in Gaza announced they are dissolving governing powers

Fred Jackson: Well, speaking of Israel, we have breaking news that just went up on our website. Prior to me coming into the studio. Hamas leaders in Gaza this morning held a news conference and they announced that they are dissolving their governing powers there in Gaza. Now you will remember this was one of the key, the key components of the so called effort to end the conflict in Gaza. And the next step supposedly is to turn it over, turn Gaza over to a UN backed committee. Now so that was the announcement from Hamas this morning. Now immediately Israel dismissed the announcement as irrelevant. They say the alleged resignation of the Hamas government, where all of the Hamas members stay in their positions, in their government positions they're talking about. There is a spin that has no significance, an Israeli official said. So this is going to be a topic of conversation I believe at the NATO summit which is opening later today and tomorrow in Turkey. And this morning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel talked about the fact that he does not trust Turkey. He certainly does not trust the Turkish leader, Erdogan. Here's a little bit from what Benjamin Netanyahu had to say about that this morning. Cut number seven.

Jeff Chamblee: Turkey is a great country, but it's governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel. He occupies half of Cyprus, a NATO country, he's threatening Greece and other NATO countries and he talks openly about conquering Jerusalem. His foreign, ah, Minister, his number two said that the Jewish state hasn't a place among humanity. Basically it has to be wiped out. His Interior Minister, he looked, said he looks forward to be the governor of Jerusalem. Well for a regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood, an extreme movement that hates America, chance death to America from that side of the spectrum. I don't think they should be given F35s or the engines for their, for their fighter jets because that will upset the power balance in the Middle east, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also by I think by America's posture in the Middle East.

Fred Jackson: There you have it, prime, Minister Netanyahu, he had a lot to say about a lot of different things this morning.

Ed Vitagliano: Well, I, I share Netanyahu's beliefs, about what's happening in Gaza. first of all, and I Don't, I don't know. This UN backed committee, is this a transitional form of government, waiting for another election, or is this supposed to be a quasi permanent peacekeeping thing?

Fred Jackson: I, I would go with your second option.

Ed Vitagliano: Okay, yes, well, I, I, the UN is extremely weak in these kinds of situations. the UN has very little, authority, it does not have a military, and so I don't think that they are going to be able to hold power there. whether Hamas by name takes over eventually in upcoming elections, it, whoever wins, when they finally have some sort of elections, that is going to be a, Islamist group. It may not be Hamas by name, but it'll be Hamas by character. the only way for Gaza to turn away from its violent past and it's being used as an instrument of Iranian, proxy terrorism, is for a true government of Gaza to come to power that has, excuse me, has the military capability of dealing with terrorists in its borders. So I absolutely agree with, agree with Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is, this is not a long term solution. And Turkey, I was looking up the year, I didn't know when the year was, when, Recep Erdogan turned the country of Turkey towards a more Islamist focus. But it was, in 2010, the early 2000 and tens. So for the last 16 years or so, that country has become a serious proponent of the Islamist vision of Islam, taking over the world. And whatever threats they have against Israel are for real. That is a potent military force, in Turkey. you got to feel for the nation of Israel. They got a lot of enemies around them.

Tim Wildmon: Let me ask you that. by the way folks, you're listening to today's issues here on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to afr, Tim, Ed and Fred.

President Trump is traveling to Turkey for a NATO summit tonight

We're talking about the fact that President Trump is, is he en route or

Fred Jackson: Tonight he leaves aboard Air Force One, the new Air Force One for Turkey.

Tim Wildmon: Okay, and the meeting in Turkey, is that a, just with,

Fred Jackson: No, it's a NATO summit.

Tim Wildmon: It's a NATO summit. Okay. President Trump said the only reason he was going low basically was for Erdogan, or how do you pronounce Erdogan? Erdogan? that's what I read that he, at least his spokesperson has said. So he must have a lot of respect for Erdogan, the President of Turkey. Is he a president, that's a dictator, or is he, elected?

Ed Vitagliano: Do you know, he, he used to be Prime Minister and then in the early 2010s he became the president. I don't know a lot about their. They're not. They're supposed to be a republic. And when the. After World War I, after the Ottoman Empire collapsed, was defeated in World War I, along with, it's, you know, Germany and Austria, Hungary, they were forced to set up a republic. It's supposed to be a secular government. And it kind of held up to that until the early 2010s, when Erdogan started moving them back toward a more Islamist perspective.

Tim Wildmon: Now, he. Erdogan has threatened, to go to war with Israel before. I mean, invade and everything like that. Do you guys. One other question about this. do you guys know. Can you explain to me why Turkey would be. Why Erdogan would be so anti Israel? Because they're not. They're not border states. They're like Iran. Again, here. Is it, what would be the motivation there? Is it just Islam against Judaism? Is that what it is?

Fred Jackson: Yes, very much so. And it's. It's a. It's a complicated relationship. If you shape it like a triangle. You have Trump at the top. He likes Erdogan, and he likes Israel and Netanyahu at the spokes of that triangle. So it's very tough for Trump to try to say, I want to work with Erdogan, because he believes Erdogan can help with regards to putting an end to, the war with Iran. so he wants Erdogan as a partner in that. But at the same time, as you heard Netanyahu, he doesn't trust Erdogan as far as he could throw Erdogan.

Tim Wildmon: Erdogan's been open, against his, disdain for Israel.

Fred Jackson: Absolutely. And it only increased after the Hamas massacre of Israeli citizens. And Israel responded in what it's done in Gaza, and, Hamas people have a welcome mat in Turkey. Erdogan is good friends with Hamas terrorist leaders.

Tim Wildmon: Do you think President Trump should be stronger on this issue, or do you think he's in a, He's in a, situation where being President of the United States means you have to try to build relationships with everybody?

Fred Jackson: Well, you look at the agenda of President Trump, both in his first administration and this one. He believes that he can be a catalyst for what he believes can be true Middle east peace. That's why you had the Abraham Accords bringing those countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and others into a fold. And, of course, during this conflict with Iran, Iran has attacked those countries under the Abrahamic Accord, agreement. But at the same time you've got Erdogan, who is friends with Hamas terrorists. He does not like Israel. He certainly, I think I'm safe in saying, has a hatred for Netanyahu. Ah, so that Trump, Trump is interested in a bigger, big Middle east kind of peace. He believes he can achieve that by bringing all these parties together. I'm highly doubtful that will happen.

Ed Vitagliano: And it complicates matters that Turkey is a member of NATO.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Ed Vitagliano: Now, I don't think they're, they're not a member of the European Union.

Fred Jackson: No.

Ed Vitagliano: But they're a member of NATO.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Ed Vitagliano: So it, it is a, it is complicated because the US in general, is. Made it known that it will defend Israel.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Ed Vitagliano: If attacked. What happens if Turkey invades? Now you got two NATO members potentially going head to head US And Turkey.

Tim Wildmon: Did he mention that we were going to, potentially sell fighter jets to Turkey?

Fred Jackson: A version, a version of the fighter jets.

Tim Wildmon: Okay.

Fred Jackson: I think it's, I'm not sure if it's the 15.

Tim Wildmon: We should be. I don't know about selling, fighter jets to a country that's threatened Israel. I think that would be foolish. Hopefully we won't do that. I know.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. I don't know, because it's, what I'm saying is it is a, it's a NATO member and we, you know, a lot of our NATO members have their own versions of fighter jets. You know, France and, the UK and Germany, all that kind of thing. I don't know whether Turkey builds their own or whether they buy them from.

Tim Wildmon: Well, anyway, we'll see what happens. But, it's a NATO meeting that's going to be held.

Fred Jackson: Yeah. Actually, the big item on the agenda, Trump is going there to basically sign off once and for all. He's talked about this for a long time. He wants these, other NATO countries to pay a whole lot more into the pot. and so that's big on the agenda. KT McFarland, former deputy national Security Adviser of the United States, was asked about this this morning. The whole thrust of this summit is Trump is going to give the orders. we're not going to pay as much as we used to, to keep Europe safe. Cut number eight.

Don Wileman: We are out of time for the segment

Oh, I'm sorry, we're out of time. Maybe after the break.

Tim Wildmon: We're out of time for the segment. Not out of, time for the world. Right?

Fred Jackson: No, I didn't know if you were.

Ed Vitagliano: One day that's going to happen.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Ed Vitagliano: We are out of time, folks. That'll be Glorious.

Tim Wildmon: For a second there, I wonder, is Fred prophesied? What is he doing here?

Ed Vitagliano: We're out of time, folks.

Fred Jackson: She knows something.

Ed Vitagliano: You're right with God.

Tim Wildmon: Right. Here we go.

Jeff Chamblee: All right.

Tim Wildmon: We'll. We'll take a short time out right here, and then when we get back, we'll play that. Yeah, we'll play that clip. And, you know, the United States of America is, going up against, Belgium.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

Tim Wildmon: In the World cup today. And it's getting. They're getting down to the round of eight. After today. After today, I think.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, they're in the final. no, they're going into the final 16. If the US wins, I think.

Tim Wildmon: Okay, we'll be back and talk more about our excellent knowledge of soccer.

Don Wildmon: It's my turn. Here is your host for my turn, Don Wileman.

Failure to tell the truth in physical life can mean death or serious injury

Some time ago in Brentwood, NewSong York, Ms. Raymond Bates found her two youngest children, Deborah and Andrew, eating tranquilizer pills. Knowing the seriousness of this, she immediately asked their older brother Timothy, if he had eaten any of the pills. He said that he had not. Ms. Bates rushed the children to the hospital, and Deborah, age 2, and Andrew, 4, both had their stomachs pumped. Timothy, denying that he had eaten any of the pills, did not have his stomach pumped. It was a crucial situation for Ms. Bates, for the pills that the children had eaten could have very easily killed them. It was of, utmost importance that she be told the truth by her children. To have lied in a situation like that could have meant death for any of them. You know, there are many situations like that in life. Several times our physical life depends on whether or not we are willing to tell the truth, face the facts. Failure to do so will often mean death or serious injury. But deeper than this is the fact that we must be willing to tell the truth about our intangible being also. And here is where most of us are willing to try to get by on a half truth, sometimes even a, flat lie. We haven't been honest with ourselves here. We've told ourselves that everything is okay. It will work out all right. So we've gone on ignoring our inner being, pretending that there will be a time to take care of that. We've even built up a conception that there is a great Santa Claus in the sky who will bring us all everything we need at the right time. We have lied to ourselves in telling ourselves that we have no obligation any higher than ourselves. We have fooled ourselves into thinking that if there is life after death, everybody will enjoy it equally. And not just a pious few. When I break a bone and it needs setting, I don't dare fool myself into thinking that it will be alright if I left it alone and everything will work out okay by itself. if I have cancer, I don't go around telling people that there's a great fairyland cancer doctor who will cure me. When I had my heart attack, I didn't ask for a knife that I could operate on myself. No. And all of these things I told myself, and I tell myself the truth, that I need help from beyond myself, from someone whose business it is to help in those situations. To do less in the spiritual realm would be equally as foolish. Don't make the mistake with your spiritual life that Timothy Bates made with his physical life. When Ms. Bates went to check on the children the next morning, Deborah and Andrew, who had their stomachs popped, were fine. Timothy, age 8, was dead. Honesty is the best policy in all matters.

Tim Wildmon: This has been my Turn with Don Wildmon, a production of the American Family Association.

Jeff Chamblee: Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4, 6, 7.

 : This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's Issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of Today's Issues.

Ed and Fred discuss President Trump's priorities heading into NATO summit in Turkey

Tim Wildmon: Welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. I'm Tim with Ed and Fred. Fred, you were going to play a clip, before the break. What is that? What are we about to Hear?

Fred Jackson: This is KT McFarland. She's the former deputy national Security Adviser of the United States. she was asked this morning in an interview what are Trump's priorities heading into this NATO summit, in Turkey? And she says there's basically two things cut out.

K.T. McFarland: He wants two things. He wants the NATO allies to step up with their defense investment, you know, to commit to spend more money on their national security and to commit to make things, you know, make things in Europe to increase their defense industrial base. The second thing he's going to want is them to agree that he was right on Iran and that the Iran situation, the Iran war is coming to a close, oil prices are down, Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon, and I don't think he's going to get the second one at all. He may get lip service to the first, because even if the Europeans say, OK, we're now going to spend 5% of our GNP on defense, they don't have a defense industrial base. Could take them a decade to do that. And the Europeans blame President Trump for the Iran war. I don't see the European leaders telling President Trump the Iran war was good, the Iran war was successful. On the contrary, I think they're going to tell President Trump, Israel is terrible. We think Israel is the aggressor. You, you launched an, you know, illegal war against Iran. So I don't think this is going to be a happy meeting for anybody.

Ed Vitagliano: And that, I was going to say, and that, that doesn't go over well with President Trump. You know, he, he will probably publicly take them to task. I just see the president task NATO, NATO leaders.

Fred Jackson: I,

Ed Vitagliano: I think that we're going to be moving in the years to come. I don't know if it goes beyond President Trump when he's finished, but I think we're going to be moving, continue to distance ourselves from NATO. Maybe not fully, but I think he's right that NATO has lived off our umbrella, defensive umbrella. They should have been anting up a lot more, a lot sooner. and a lot of them are run by leftists, these countries.

President Trump says he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu get along well

Tim Wildmon: All right, again, you're listening to today's issues. back to Israel for just a moment. the Times of Israel says that US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who we heard from earlier, quote, get along very good, and the Israeli premier, quote, knows who the boss is, end quote, in a brief phone interview with Axios. So President Trump owns Benjamin Netanyahu is what he's. What he's saying. You know, I'm kind of surprised he says that out, loud, like he's saying, Benjamin Netanyahu. He knows I'm his boss.

Ed Vitagliano: Who said this?

Tim Wildmon: Trump.

Donald Trump: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: Oh, Trump said that.

Tim Wildmon: You shocked Trump says stuff like that.

Ed Vitagliano: That's true. And that's why I said, just slipping back to the NATO thing, I think he's going to have pretty critical things to say if KT McFarlane is right.

Tim Wildmon: But I don't think, I don't think he should say that. It's demeaning and, to Benjamin Netanyahu to say he knows I'm his boss.

Fred Jackson: Netanyahu was asked about the relationship with Trump in this interview this morning on Fox and Friends. this is what he had to say. Cut number five.

Jeff Chamblee: We see eye to eye on just about everything. And sometimes, as happens among the Best of allies, and we are the best of allies. there can be differences of opinion. We usually, speak about it in open conversation. You can imagine the president has, his way of expressing things, and so do I. But we are, you know, we're allies. We're your model ally, and we respect the United States of America. And if you come to Israel, it is the one nation here in this region that is not only a democracy, but a democracy in which the overwhelming majority of the people unabashedly support the United States of America. So my relationship with the president is fine, and we have a way of, ironing out our differences as, allies who respect each other.

Ed Vitagliano: I would say this, I understand what President Trump is saying about the relationship he has with Israel, that, that America, you know, for the most part, calls the shots. But I, I, I don't, I don't think he's right about that. I think Netanyahu will do whatever the president wants him to do if he believes it helps Israel. I think he, Netanyahu, strongly will, is determined to protect his nation. And if he has to contradict President Trump, I think he would do that. And, you know, if President Trump said, no, you can't, you know, if they were attacked by Hezbollah, and we saw this, we saw the president get very angry at Netanyahu for continuing to batter Hezbollah in Lebanon. But Netanyahu and Israel are going to do what they believe is right for their own defense.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's what I think. Next story, Fred.

A preliminary hearing for the accused killer of Charlie Kirk opens today in Utah

Fred Jackson: All right, as we sit here this morning, guys, there is a hearing that just opened up in the last, 40. So in Provo, Utah. This is for the accused killer of Charlie Kirk, which occurred, that assassination last September. This is a. Now, we've had hearings in the case. The lawyers for the accused, Robinson, he's 23 years old, Tyler Robinson, they have been trying to keep cameras out of the court. what they got out of that is cameras can't take a front on shot of Tyler Robinson sitting at the defense desk, that sort of thing. So we've gone through all of that. Many people think they're trying to delay this trial as long as possible, for, because they think, you know, for the most part, they believe, most Americans believe that Tyler Robinson is guilty. The evidence that, this is a preliminary hearing today, the evidence that's going to be presented is, most legal experts say, is, we'll put it this way, very strong against Robinson. And the fact that he turned himself in, about a week after, the assassination, the messages that he sent to his male lover, we'll call it, that, you know, he was going to go back and get the rifle that he left behind, all those sorts of things. that's the kind of evidence that's going to be presented now today, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, is going to be in the courtroom, for this. this is what she had to say leading into that cut number 10.

Speaker K: I want there to always be full transparency, because what I don't want to have happen is for there not to be. And then I am relying then on social media and other news outlets to explain the narrative rather than saying, hey, this is what happened. This is what you hears. All of the, it's just as hard, all of the facts on the table for you guys to see. And you guys can see on full display what happened to my husband. And there is no if, ands or buts or confusion as to who did it and why.

Tim Wildmon: Let me ask you this. So the trial begins. Is that what you're saying?

Fred Jackson: Preliminary hearing today.

Tim Wildmon: Okay. Is, what's, what's the fella's name? Who's the accused here?

Ed Vitagliano: Tyler Robinson.

Tim Wildmon: Okay. They got video of him m Leaving the roof of the building where he used the gun to assassinate Charlie Kirk. Am I right?

Fred Jackson: They had video of a person.

Ed Vitagliano: Yes, video.

Tim Wildmon: They don't confirm that that's him.

Ed Vitagliano: Well, it's, that's probably him. I'm looking at a summary of the case, and here the listed defense arguments. Robinson's attorneys have challenged the ballistics evidence, noting that federal analysis could not definitively link the bullet fragments to the recovered rifle. Now, it is also true that Robinson, the roommate, who, whatever the relationship was between Robinson and this Luna Twigs. Luna Twigs provided a recorded statement alleging that Robinson was on it, was texting and confessed to the shooting. So you, you've got the video that you're talking about. Is that Tyler, Robinson coming down from the roof? Is that the weapon in hand that was used to kill Charlie Kirk? And is it really Robinson that confessed during a text message? That. That's where the.

Tim Wildmon: Okay, a couple of things here. Does Robinson.

Donald Trump: Does.

Tim Wildmon: Does he deny shooting Charlie Kirk?

Fred Jackson: He's not, he's not made up. he's pleaded not guilty so far.

Tim Wildmon: What does that mean? He denies it, then I'm not guilty of shooting Charlie Kirk. That's a denial.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Tim Wildmon: Right. Okay. So if he denies it, and I wonder, does he have an alibi? You know, was he snow skiing in, you Know Montana or what?

Ed Vitagliano: Well, an alibi, certainly. And I'm going with. I'm going according to my vast knowledge of Law and Order and Blue Bloods, episodes.

Jeff Chamblee: Okay.

Ed Vitagliano: Okay. so he may. Whether he has an alibi or not, the prosecution has to place him at the scene of the crime. That's going to be important. Now, it does mitigate against Tyler Robinson if he's claiming he didn't do it. And, if they can't put him there, okay, that helps his case. Or if they can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that that's Tyler Robinson crawling down off that. Off that roof. So does that make. Does that make sense? I mean, he doesn't.

Tim Wildmon: I'm not gonna. I'm not. I'm not totally ignorant of the American judicial process. I know how it works.

Ed Vitagliano: Right.

Tim Wildmon: But, sometimes you just wonder when people make these pleas and they do these things or they say these things they try to get out of, you know, plead not guilty or whatever like that. Just wondering what. Why did you do that in the first place? In other words, if he killed Charlie Kirk, right? Which all the evidence so far that I've seen just says, he's guilty of sin. Okay. From the gun that his parents, got from his grandfather, and coming down off the roof, it appears to be him. I mean, is he saying, that's not me? I mean, and all this text between his lover, as it were, and him, and he's, you know, all those things, you just go, why don't you just say, yeah, I killed him, and I'm proud of it because it was a righteous cause. I guess I don't sometimes understand why people do things. They do it, and then they don't want to shy away from the reason that they did it, because that's almost a denial of their cause. You don't know. Does that make any sense?

Donald Trump: If.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, it certainly does. If. If this was a cause for him rather than an individual vendetta, if he just couldn't stand Charlie Kirk and wanted to get rid of him, then he may want to get. To carry it out and then get away with it.

Fred Tagliano: The preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson begins today

You see what I'm saying? And so he's not going to say anything. And the point I was making earlier is the prosecution has to prove that that's him.

Tim Wildmon: Yes. He doesn't understand that. But I'm just saying, if you believe in your cause, a lot of people around the world, when they commit acts of violence like they did on 9 11, they say, yeah, we did it because America deserved it and we're proud of it, you know, that kind of thing, from the terrorist organization. I'm just saying, I just don't know why people would do something like this if he killed him, and then try to say I did. I didn't kill him because he wanted to kill him. For a political reason, it appears. But as you say, the, judicial process will play out. That begins today.

Fred Jackson: Yeah, there's, we're watching it. We have a screen, up here from the courtroom right now.

Tim Wildmon: If he did it. What I'm saying is, if he did it, this guy. What's his name again?

Ed Vitagliano: Tyler Robinson.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. If he did, he needs to just say, yeah, I shot the guy because he needed to be dead, and I'm willing to pay the consequences. Or, hey, I was in Wisconsin, that day, you know, milking, cows or something. I would, I don't, you know, it's like kind of like double speak or something like.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I, I, I don't know what was in his.

Tim Wildmon: Maybe they're saying we're trying this. Maybe his defense lawyers are saying we're trying to save you from the electric chair. Uh-huh. Okay. If the evidence, if you're guilty, you're going to fry.

Ed Vitagliano: If the evidence is that overwhelming, then that would certainly enter into it, I would guess for his.

Tim Wildmon: He just doesn't want to be executed.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, that could be.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah. I mean, he fear.

Jeff Chamblee: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: I don't want to be executed, so I'll sit.

Fred Jackson: And I think depending on how this preliminary hearing goes.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Fred Jackson: And they say it's only going to be a couple of days. you may have a plea agreement coming out of this.

K.T. McFarland: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Which would be. So, so when you say I'm not guilty, and then you plead down to being guilty, you were lying the first time.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

 : Yeah.

Fred Jackson: Yes.

Tim Wildmon: When you say you're not guilty, you put. And then you plead guilty. You were trying to trick everybody. Right.

Ed Vitagliano: I, think that that's just, I don't think it's considered lying. I think you, you say we're entering a plea at this time of not guilty, and then they consider their, their options, and there's back and forth.

Tim Wildmon: But they're guilty.

Ed Vitagliano: Well, if they're guilty, if they confess

Tim Wildmon: to it, they're guilty.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. If you confess. If you're guilty.

Tim Wildmon: If you, if you say I'm not guilty, and then you confess to, in order to get a plea, you were lying the first time.

Ed Vitagliano: We're talking about someone who assassinated someone.

Tim Wildmon: Well, I'M just saying. Is that true, Mr. Tagliano?

Ed Vitagliano: I guess.

Tim Wildmon: All right, you're listening to. Yes, yes, I said it, and I don't regret it. You can't handle the truth, and it's true. Okay. All right, Fred, what's your next story?

Russia's top banker pleads with Putin to stop Ukraine war

Fred Jackson: Well, while President Trump is in Turkey, he is going to be meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky. And, the Ukraine, military has had some successes lately, in particular blowing up some oil refineries, in Russia, so much so that the headline coming out in recent days there, Russia in meltdown, Empty, petrol pumps, battlefield humiliation and warnings of an uprising as, the net closes in on scrambling Putin. And then there was this headline, Russia's top banker pleads with Putin to stop the Ukraine war. And he did that plea on state television and he makes stark warnings about the country's economic crisis. So, is it possible that this

Ed Vitagliano: war, what, four years now, 20, 22, February. Right. Or was it January? I think it was February.

Fred Jackson: Yeah. Just over four years. Is it possible it could be coming to an end? And the Ukrainians, keep going, and they're using these drones, and these drones are delivering bombs to, the refinery is basically not far from downtown Moscow.

Tim Wildmon: I wonder what the betting odds would have been the start of this war four years ago. that this war would still be going on four years.

Ed Vitagliano: I would have bet on Russia if I was.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah, but you would have probably bet on Russia within a couple of months.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: At the time, the mighty Russian army. And we're not talking about a war where they have to go fight thousands of miles away. This was on their border, Russia's border. And yet here we are four years later, and the Ukrainians, and I don't know where all they're getting their money and support for, but they are inflicting great pain on, Putin and Russia, as Fred said, using drones. Listen, they've been in, they bombed the oil refineries in St. Petersburg. They bombed deep inside Moscow. And Russia, I mean, they, the things they're being able to carry out, is causing turmoil, in the country of, Russia. The people are feeling it now beyond having their sons and their friends sent to the front line to go die. When you have an open call, an open criticism of Putin by, this one of the top banker. Yeah. In, Russia, and he goes on national television to do it, that's when your banana puddings poisoned. And I mean, he better watch out. You better switch out with this Guy, what he's eating. You know what I'm saying?

Ed Vitagliano: Well, and let me tell you, Russia, when it comes to assassinating people around the world, but mostly in Europe, they've been pretty good at, you know, whether it's. Whether it's journalists or something like that. So, yeah, if I was Putin, I would be worried about my banana pudding.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: Or my borscht.

Tim Wildmon: Except they never been able to knock off Thom Cruise. Have you noticed this?

Ed Vitagliano: That is true.

Jeff Chamblee: Huh?

Speaker K: Huh?

Ed Vitagliano: That's true. Ethan Hunt.

Tim Wildmon: As much as they've tried, Ethan Hunt.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Tim Wildmon: Always escapes.

Ed Vitagliano: listen, this is scary for us.

Fred Jackson: What's scary?

Ed Vitagliano: I'm talking about the. The switch in tactics, military tactics, to a heavy reliance on drones. That's scary to me. I'm not just talking about our military overseas. I'm talking about attacks here on our own soil, because these are very cheap. Most of these drones you can knock out. if you can knock out oil refineries in Russia, you can knock them out in the US you can knock out power grids, you can attack hospitals. This is. This is. This is a scary phase of the, you know, kind of give and take that happens when it's redefined.

Tim Wildmon: Guerrilla warfare. Yeah, drones have, But, Anyway, we'll see. The pressure is building on Putin to the extent that it can build on a dictator who is surrounded by, you know, a wall and forts and secured, security. The. But the people of Russia seem to be sick and tired of this. And you know, what's a shame of it is. And I've been, You know, this war has kind of been on the. On the sideline as far as international attention, because it just goes tit for tat on and on and on and on. But the destruction done in those two countries in particular in Ukraine, they'll never. They'll.

Ed Vitagliano: How do you recover from that?

Tim Wildmon: How do you recover from that? You're talking about a decade or two.

Ed Vitagliano: Well, you know, you've also had people who have fled Ukraine at the early times. Portions, of the war. Yeah, they fled to Poland and other places. They've been living there for four years.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: Three years they've been living somewhere else. Is there a home to go back to? Are there my job, my town? Are they still standing?

Tim Wildmon: It's terrible, I got to tell you. you know, remember early on, Zelensky and his team, I remember, were like, doing videos on, like, the first few days of the Russian. When Russia began to attack them, and he was like, this may be our last video to remember that Right. And here they are four years later, and they're still continuing to battle the mighty Russian army and, withstand them capturing their whole country.

Ed Vitagliano: The article, I think, that you sent out overnight, Tim, about this story, it said that Ukraine might get Crimea back. That was one of the things that Russia wanted to hold on to. And so who knows where this winds up?

Tim Wildmon: Would you say Russia has turned out to be weak? based on what they, their reputation was prior. I'm talking about militarily, prior to this. I mean, Good night. You would think they would, they could roll into, Ukraine on their border and take that in a few weeks if they were really as powerful and mighty as we thought that they were.

Ed Vitagliano: I, I don't, I don't know. And, and, well, once this is over, we'll get a better look inside.

Tim: I thought Russia would, I thought it would be a cakewalk

I don't know what, Europe and NATO was doing to help, Ukraine in this in terms of weapons, but certainly I, I thought that Russia would, I thought it would be a cakewalk. Yeah, it's going to be honest.

Tim Wildmon: I think everybody did.

Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I just thought they would do it in a few weeks or a couple of months.

Tim Wildmon: You're listening to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed and Fred. And, yes, we are experts on international affairs. I think we're demonstrating.

Ed Vitagliano: Just three guys.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: Shooting the breeze. Breeze, you know, Hardy's, you know, talking about the, issues of the day.

Tim Wildmon: Go ahead, Fred.

President Trump posted on True Social Friday that the new bill would feature his signature

Fred Jackson: All right, Coming soon to a $100 bill near you.

Jeff Chamblee: Okay.

Tim Wildmon: I want to see some hundred dollar bill. All right. Notice in a while.

Fred Jackson: All right. The Commander in Chief posted on True Social Friday that the new bill would feature his signature marking the first time a sitting US President signature would appear on the currency along with his treasury secretary Scott Bessette's signature going to be over in the lower left hand corner.

Tim Wildmon: Is this like a commemorative hundred dollar bill or something? Or is this the changing over. Is this going standard print?

Fred Jackson: I'm unclear on that front. I, mean, if it's just going to be for this year, then those, those dollar bills are. $100 bills are going to be worth a lot of money someday.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah, but, but, it's the first time in our country's history we've ever had a president, a sitting president signature on a hundred dollar bill. True.

Fred Jackson: Yes, that's it.

Tim Wildmon: Okay, Ed, what your thoughts on this? Is this just. We need to move on to the next story.

Ed Vitagliano: No, it's. This is Trump.

Ed Vitagliano: Trump.

Ed Vitagliano: Trump does, you know, he tried to change the, Name of the Kennedy Center. You know, change the, the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This is, this is kind of pretty typical Trump stuff. And, I don't have a problem with it. I might see about investing in a few hundred dollar bills. If you, if you guys are saying these are going to become rare.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

Ed Vitagliano: I have a two dollar bill sitting in my drawer.

Tim Wildmon: It is a first. When are you going to cash that in?

 : I don't know.

Ed Vitagliano: As soon as those things go up

Tim Wildmon: and you value two dollar bills. I haven't seen a two dollar bill in a long time. They're just not hardly in.

Ed Vitagliano: They're still in circulation. I, I was just kidding. They're not gonna be worth anything.

Tim Wildmon: They don't make my, they don't make many of m them, do they?

Ed Vitagliano: I don't know, people, I, people don't trust them. Even today, if you pull out a $2 bill, especially someone under 20 who's, you know, 20, 25 as a cashier, they've never seen them. A lot of young people, they didn't know these things were a thing for a while. I bet, I'll bet they. You couldn't pass it on.

Tim Wildmon: Thomas Jefferson's picture. Who's on there? I want to say it's Thomas Jefferson on the $2 bill. That'd be a good trivia question.

Ed Vitagliano: You want me to answer it or

Tim Wildmon: you see if Trump's pictures on there.

Ed Vitagliano: President Thomas Jefferson. Fist bump for you.

Tim Wildmon: Thank you.

Don Wildmon: You're welcome.

Steve Paisley Jordan predicts President Trump will sign hundred dollar bills

Tim Wildmon: All right.

Ed Vitagliano: Well,

Tim Wildmon: yeah, I bet you that the President Trump signature on the hundred dollar bill. I bet those things will be a collector's item.

Ed Vitagliano: Unless he's, unless they're going to be in circulation.

Tim Wildmon: Yeah, unless they're just now on for the next two years. All right, we, will take a short time out right here. We'll be back. Steve Paisley Jordan will join us momentarily. We're going to take a timeout for news, and then we shall return.

 

Tim Wildmon, along with Ed Vitagliano and Fred Jackson, reflect on the recent Independence Day celebrations in the United States. They discuss President Trump's speech honoring World War II veterans and the spectacular fireworks display that marked the country's 250th anniversary. The trio also tackles various pressing topics, including the recent developments in Gaza, the political landscape in the U.S., and the ongoing tensions with Turkey and Russia.