Transcript

Ed Vitagliano filling in for Tim Wildman on Today's Issues

>> Ed Vitagliano: Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Ed Vitagliano. And welcome back to Today's Issues. Ed Vitagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon today. Tim will be back in the captain's chair tomorrow and as far as I know, also for Friday for Trivia Friday. Always love for Tim to be, on the show when we do trivia. He kind of drives the humor, of that show. So he should be back tomorrow.

>> Steve Jordahl: not jj.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, JJ and I, I'm just more kind of a. Kind of a counter puncher, you know, J.J. and Tim will, will start the ruckus, and I jump in. okay. But Tim really kind of drives it and, and JJ too, with his storytelling and his jokes.

>> Tony Vitagliano: So JJ's pretty quiet. He didn't really.

>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Say a whole lot in the show.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, it isn't really. None of us are quiet, but. But anyway, he should be back, to.

Steve Paisley welcomes Tony Vitagliano to the studio

So Tony, Vitagliano joins me in studio. And now, Steve Paisley Jordal. Good morning slash good afternoon to you, sir.

>> Steve Jordahl: Good day, sir.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good day, sir. all right. you do have a paisley shirt on.

>> Steve Jordahl: I do.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's not false advertising. is that new? That just seems, it's almost got a Mexican feel to it. Color scheme.

>> Steve Jordahl: I've worn it a couple times before.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow.

>> Tony Vitagliano: But, yeah, you're still doing that. What, offended again?

>> Ed Vitagliano: You're offended again.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: Sure.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Uncle jefe. Got a Mexican shirt on. I'm just on one today.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.

>> Steve Jordahl: Tony's just yelling because I'm now your favorite.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, folks, listen, I would just to defend myself here, I will just say I believe God put multiple, you know, many cultures on the earth to bring something different and, you know, something creative to the rest of the cultures to enjoy. That's the way we should approach it. So I enjoy. I like Mexican people. Tony, I'm not sure what you're talking about.

>> Tony Vitagliano: I love taco salad. Taco salad is great.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's the best.

>> Abraham Hamilton III: I did.

>> Steve Jordahl: I actually saw a post on my Twitter feed where somebody was, this left leaning liberal family decided to bring a Haitian immigrant family in and let their illegal and let them live with them. Right?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. So.

>> Steve Jordahl: And she was saying, I love having them here.

>> Walker Wildmon: She's a good cook.

>> Steve Jordahl: So it's like having a chef in the house. Not taking advantage of them at all. No.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And her husband is very good.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Crazy with, we give them food.

>> Steve Jordahl: And shelter and they just, they just.

>> Tony Vitagliano: They, you know, they clean our bathroom.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, all right. Okay. Folks, take your pick. All three of us probably offended somebody, huh? So, all right, what's your first story, Steve?

Mike Johnson wrote a very thorough scriptural treatise on borders and culture

I think we need to get to something serious.

>> Steve Jordahl: Talking about cultures. speaker Mike Johnson was sitting in the. Taking a stroll through the Capitol the other day, and he was stopped by a reporter. And, he was asked about, border walls and, what is a scriptural mandate for border? Because, this reporter said to him, the left is always saying we're supposed to treat the immigrant as our, you know, as ourselves. We're supposed to extend a hand and welcome them in. You know, what's the thing about borders? So he decided to take the, opportunity to go into a very thorough scriptural treatise on what borders and culture and national, identity means. let's listen to cut three. And while we're listening to this, this is the screed that he put on his screed. It's a very well written, treatise that he put up on his Twitter feed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Now, this is a little bit long, longer than we normally do, but about two minutes. But we heard this this morning in our story meeting. We thought it was excellent. So we want our listeners to hear.

>> Steve Jordahl: So this is cut 3.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Pope Leo incited Matthew 25:35 to critique Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. How would you respond to Pope Leo in scripture?

>> Abraham Hamilton III: So you want me to give you a theological, dissertation? All right, I'll tell you what, I'll post it on my website later today, but let me give you a quick summary. borders and walls are biblical from the Old Testament to the NewSong. God has, allowed us to, set up our civil societies and have separate nations. Immigration is not something that's frowned upon in scripture. In fact, it's welcome. We're going to welcome the sojourner and love, our neighbor as ourselves. But what's also important in the Bible is that assimilation is expected and anticipated and proper. When someone comes into your country, comes into your nation, they do not have the right to change its laws or to change a society. They're expected to assimilate. We haven't had a lot of that going on. When people cite passages, out of the Old Testament and they say, well, you're supposed to, take care of the sojourner and the neighbor. Treat them as yourself. welcome then in. Yes, but that is an admonition to individuals, not to the civil authorities. The civil authorities are given authority, under scripture to maintain order. Romans, 12, you want to do this? Romans 13 says that, the civil authorities are God's agents of wrath to bring punishment upon the wrongdoer. And it says if you do right, you have no fear of the civil authorities. But those civil authorities are necessary. It's a calling. It's a calling to maintain order in society. And we have not had that. When Biden and Harris opened the borders wide for four years, we had as many as 20 million illegals come across the country. And we all know many dangerous people, hardened criminals, child molesters, rapists, murderers, all the rest, terrorists who came into the country. We did not take care of our borders. Sovereign borders are biblical and good and right. And they're just because it's not because we hate the people on the outside. It's because we love the people on the inside. We should love our neighbor as ourselves, as individuals. But it's a civil authority, and the government has to maintain the law. And that is biblical and it's right, and it's just. And I'm happy to have this lengthy debate with anybody anytime they want to. And I'll post on my X page the longer dissertation on that for you today. Okay, thank you all so much.

>> Steve Jordahl: Which he did.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And that's what you, handed you.

>> Steve Jordahl: You go to his Twitter feed or his Facebook page or his campaign website. I believe it's all.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's. That. That's a great answer. by the way, in. At the, at the end of the book of Revelation, the city of God, the new Jerusalem, comes down to earth. It has walls and doors, and there are people on the outside. So to the speaker's point, there's nothing wrong with borders or walls. I would also note, too, that, in ancient times, like when people are quoting from the Old Testament, it was common for people from different countries to go. they would travel on trade routes and go to big cities that were outside their country, in somebody else's country. So what God was saying is, as that happen, you are not to mistreat those people. But those people also went home after they were done trading. And they weren't allowed to come in and start worshiping idols. They had to follow the kind of rules that were established in Israel. So, Tony, I'll toss this to you. it's unfortunate that people, Christian people, will take and I think misuse the passages that they're quoting for political purposes. I'm not saying that conservative Christians don't do that sometimes, too. Okay. But, it is confusing to people when they're told, well, are you telling me the Bible is in favor of open borders for our country. That's simply not true. And Speaker Mike Johnson or Spiker Johnson.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Gets a little fiery, turns into Spiker.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That was a great off the cuff defense of a sane and wise policy on borders.

>> Tony Vitagliano: And I would even go a, little bit, a little bit further. And you know the example he said about you know, inviting people as individuals, inviting people into your home and being generous, there, which as believers we're, you know, we're called to be, you know, generous and to welcome, you know, those in need into our home, especially other believers. But if you just break that down a little bit further, I can invite someone into my home, which is being generous and we share a meal with them or even to stay on a short term, to help them or if they're just passing through. But I expect at some point they will leave. And I expect when they're in my house they won't start trying to change, everything. They won't start rearranging the furniture or you know, start going through my entire pantry.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tony Vitagliano: And just clearing it out. Or start you know, looking for my wallet and you know, taking some money. I need, I need a little cash. Can I just take this cash? There's certain types of, boundaries that you would expect, even inviting an individual into your home as being a generous, believer. So why, why if you expect that certain boundaries, expect those boundaries in your personal home with visitors. Why is it so crazy to also apply that, to a social level, to a community or a nation?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Steve Johnson: It's interesting that the liberal left says it's not fair

And listen, we go back to what we had Abraham Hamilton III on in the second segment, he was talking about, Sodom and Gomorrah.

>> Tony Vitagliano: You.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Remember that lot would not let the predatory homosexuals in his city into his house.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Because they wanted to harm his visitors. Those are the two, angelic beings. So if, I mean, it gets tricky if you want to start quoting the Old Testament, Lot said, no, you can't come in, right? You're gonna, I have a door and I'm locking it because you are coming in to do harm. I think the same thing is a valid way of viewing borders as well as doors and locks in a home. It's valid to say, well, we may let some people in, but you can't come in because you want to. You're a drug runner, you're a sex trafficker, you can't, come in. Or you're a criminal that's been released from prison in Venezuela and told that you can go up to the United States and have a free life. So I appreciate Speaker Mike Johnson. Good, good on you, Steve, finding that.

>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, I think, it's interesting that the liberal and the actual, maybe even honest left that just says it's not fair that we have so much wealth in this country and others don't. Well, it's not. But we as citizens, are participating in a social contract with our neighbors and our Constitution. It isn't fair. I can always look at, somebody that lives across the street from me that has more money and a better car.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's not fair either.

>> Steve Jordahl: It's not fair, but life isn't fair. Sometimes you play the hand you're dealt. God. God gives much and expects much. So there's a whole economy, spiritual economy, of living in a country like ours where it does God, God m maybe expects me to do something different with my money and my income that he blesses me with because I live in a free country. The discussion never comes up, in Africa and some of the poor countries in Africa, they don't have the responsibility that I have.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Right.

>> Steve Jordahl: And it just, but this is the economy that God, he puts us in certain positions for, for a reason. And we live and we participate in a social contract. And well, I don't think the.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Left understands and let me just josh this in and then we can move on. I, I, I am in full support as a Christian, of a movement in this country. You know, once we get a lot of our, our own problems solved. Yeah, it's not fair that the US has so much. Instead of saying, well, let's invite our whole hemisphere here. Let's work to make those economies, more, wealthy M in terms of generating wealth and help them develop their natural resources. Not for us to consume them, but for them to be blessed by them. To me, I think that would be a Christian approach, to viewing our own hemisphere. Caribbean. I don't know.

Red states are picking up people and blue states are losing people at next census

>> Steve Jordahl: I want to move on to a related story, if I may. And it's related because there's a migration that's happening within our own country. Harry Anton, the, person who tracks polls at cnn, brought this up and what they're finding out is that, at the next census, the way that they're tracking people moving within this United States, red states are picking up people and blue states are losing people. And when they do the census the next time, it's going to be good for Republicans. Red state, and it's going to be bad for blue states because no one Wants to live in the blue states. Let's listen to cut. Let's listen to cut 17.

>> Walker Wildmon: According to the latest population estimates that take into account the population mid-2025. Look at this. The biggest population growth this decade. All five of the states states that Donald Trump. Donald John Trump wonald. John Trump won in 2024. Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and of course the great state of Arizona, where I spent my NewSong Year's Eve. I love those folks out in Prescott, Arizona. These were the biggest gainers, the biggest gainers in terms of population compared to the 2020 census. Now, it's not just a red state boom. This is what we're looking at. We're looking at a red state boom here, but it is not just a red state boom. We're also looking at what I would dare call a blue state depression. Because who are the people, who and where are the people moving from into the red states? Well, they're blue states. California, Harris home state, NewSong York, Illinois, NewSong Jersey, and of course the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which is a bastion of blue liberalism. These are the states that folks in the United States are moving away from and into the red states, which is propelling a red state boom.

Anton: If things hold, Republican states will pick up seven seats in California

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, now before I throw this over to Tony, is there any, any idea, and we didn't talk about this in the story meeting, so you may not know the answer to this. is there any, studies, on this shift, internal shift within the United States? Are these blue voters who are tired of the chaos of living in a socialist state, or are these disaffected red voters who happen to live in blue cities and blue states?

>> Steve Jordahl: I've not seen the details on that. I know the reason it's important because the blue, voters are going to bring their blue politics to the red states and they're going to be, the change agents trying to turn those red states blue. This is, I think my point, Tony, is when Democrats regain next, if, like, for example, Newsom is our president for God forbid, and they want to make the entire country into a blue state, there's going to be no place to go. Yeah, we're going to be stuck with those policies that are ruining the blue states. Anton said that if things hold, Republican states will pick up seven seats in electoral college of the census of the census. And by contrast, the blue states will lose seven seats, which would be pretty.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Huge, and could really, change the makeup of the Senate especially. Tony, what do you think about this? I know that, for example, in Massachusetts I think 40% of the voting age population of Massachusetts, which, when I was living in NewSong Hampshire, we called Taxachusetts. Okay, 40% are Republicans. There is, there is not a single Republican district in the state of Massachusetts. So these blue states do have a lot of red voters. California has, I don't know, is a third or 35%, maybe 40% are Republican. They have no hopes of ever seeing a political change. They are also living in economic chaos. A lot of times. Some of these cities with the crime they may just be escaping. It does make a big difference if these are blue voters though, or red voters.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah, I would, I'm also, we talked about border security. I'm also for very strict state enforced borders. you know, if you're coming from certain other states, we don't want you, we don't want you here. I'm very skeptical, kind of like what Steve was talking about. I'm skeptical to see how many of these, are actually voters who are tired of the policies and want to come, want to move to a different state to enjoy those policies that allow the state they're moving to, to be successful versus, you know, bringing your. It's kind of the mantra of like socialism, just hasn't been done right. Yeah, you know, we just, we got, we got a few things wrong in Massachusetts, you know, but I'm going to vote. I don't like, Ron DeSantis in Florida. So, you know, I think we can get it right here. We can do things better here. yeah, we'll just have to see how this shakes out. I mean the, we had the whole controversy of the gerrymandering, you know, the, the, the move in Texas to redistrict. And then that was met with a. Well, we're going to redistrict California, right, To kind of offset that. You know, 2030 is a ways out. I, would love, I would love for the projections to come to fruition, but we'll just have to see time. Time will tell.

>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Leftists are also looking at these polls, these statistics, but they don't seem.

>> Steve Jordahl: To be, changing their policies to reflect, maybe healthier.

>> Ed Vitagliano: yeah, this is a hill to die on, apparently. All these issues that make their state so unlivable. I say unlivable. Look, you lived in California.

>> Steve Jordahl: I did.

>> Ed Vitagliano: California is an amazingly beautiful state. Lots so much to do outdoors. there's probably a substantial portion of the voting public there who go, you know what, eventually it's going to change. We used to have Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor. Eventually the pendulum was will change and we won't be taxed to death. But I just can't live Cal. Leave California because it's so beautiful. Some of these blue states are. They have a lot going for them. Massachusetts is a beautiful state. The Boston area has a lot, a lot of great restaurants, a lot of historical things to see, great athletic traditions. It's hard for people to leave if they're just leaving for the kinds of things we're talking about. but it seems that some are.

>> Steve Jordahl: My folks, moved from California. My sister and brother in law moved from California to Nashville specifically because they just couldn't take the politics anymore.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I know I do. I have a sister who lives in the Seattle area. Her and her husband are very conservative and she's told me on a number of occasions, she said as soon as her husband retires, I don't give names out, we are getting out of this crazy liberal. She said, I can't, I can't stand liberal politics. So that has to be driving a lot of this because it's, it's unusual that the, the, the traffic going in one direction is unusual. This is not a typical. Hey, you, you know, five moved out of Massachusetts and five moved in. This seems to be something else going on.

Two Memphis city council members say the snow and ice was fake

>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, let's, let's lighten the mood a little bit. I want to introduce you to two count city council members from Memphis. their names are Pearl Walker and Yolanda Cooper Sutton. Now you know that we had in Memphis was very hard hit with our, our, that ice storm.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep. Fern.

>> Steve Jordahl: Well, Yolanda and Pearl are of the decided event. they really believe that the snow that fell and the ice that fell in Memphis was fake.

>> Ed Vitagliano: What?

>> Steve Jordahl: That's what they're saying. council members Pearl Walker and Yolanda Cooper Sutton both publicly said the snow was artificial. In different Facebook, posts they claim the snow is fake. And they're taking a little bit of heat for it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Taking some heat.

>> Steve Jordahl: I force in. Yeah. do we.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Please tell me we have.

>> Steve Jordahl: I don't.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, that would be so much fun.

>> Steve Jordahl: That would be to hear them, if.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I can hear them say this. So this is just posts on the.

>> Steve Jordahl: Post on their Facebook pages, social media posts where they say they took some of this ice, they tried to light it on fire and it turned black instead of melting into clean water. It's the different, you can have different water content in ice. It doesn't necessarily have to melt into water, but they are, Putting some conspiracy theories out there that actually. Yeah. No, it wasn't real ice.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, now, Tony, I do recall a time, this is many, many years ago when, eating with family. This is, back in your grandparents house. And we popped open some of the ice cream cone, the drumstick things and, and a couple folks didn't want to finish theirs. They threw it in a bowl in the middle and we talked for hours and they never melted. Those were chemicals. what do you think about this? And then, maybe these two city council members are onto something because I heard that birds aren't real.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Look, you know what? Sometimes I hear, I do hear from time to time hear stories where I'm like, you know what, Maybe censorship. Sometimes there's a point to be made there. Yeah. I don't know what to say. You know, look, you know me and Wesley, yeah, we'll throw down. We'll throw down with the, with conspiracy, the best of them. But the snow and the ice being fake. I don't know, I don't know if, I don't know if I get behind that one.

>> Steve Jordahl: I. Can I preview a little bit about what we're going to have tomorrow?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Sure.

>> Steve Jordahl: I'm going to bring in some Maxine Waters because she told, she told Scott Bessant, who was giving testimony today, to shut up.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, listen, little Maxine Waters will just. We'll set your, week. By the way, when I said birds aren't real, now that is an actual conspiracy theories.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Yeah. That is where people. It was a fake. It was a fake conspiracy as it posited as a joke.

>> Ed Vitagliano: But it took off.

>> Tony Vitagliano: But yeah, it took off and there was a whole you know, merchandise and, and kind of social media following for a time.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Were these people, these people actually believe that birds have been replaced? I mean, people who believe the conspiracy theory.

>> Tony Vitagliano: Ah, I don't know if anybody actually believed it, but that was the details behind it. Yeah, all birds had been replaced by drones.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I just thought it was the craziest conspiracy that I'd ever heard until these two folks were mad.

>> Tony Vitagliano: the snow and ice isn't real.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Wait.

>> Steve Jordahl: This is breaking news for the Babylon B. Breaking news from the Babylon Be. The voter ID bill has been defeated in the Senate. The votes were 7 million to 53.

>> Ed Vitagliano: well played as usual, Babylon be.

All right folks, that's all. We're done. Hopefully, Lord willing, we'll see you tomorrow

All right folks, that's all. We're done. today's issues. Hopefully, Lord willing, we'll see you right back here tomorrow. Thanks for listening.