The God who speaks hits the doubt head on with evidence that God is real

>> Ed Vitagliano: As we watch world events unfold and fulfill scripture, it's hard to believe anyone could doubt God and his word are real. And yet there are so many who either question or completely refuse to believe it. The God who speaks is a 90 minute documentary that hits the doubt head on with evidence that proves God is real and his Word is the ultimate authority. Watch it anytime and invite others to watch with you. Just visit stream.afa.net that's stream.aca.net 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: Do rainy days and Mondays always bring you down.

This is Today's Issues on American Family Radio

Welcome to Today's Issues on American Family Radio where we hope to lift your spirits for some positive and encouraging news from around, the world. It's Monday, February 16th, 2026. I'm Tim Wildmon with Ed Vitagliano. Good morning, Ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.

>> Fred Jackson: Good morning to you, sir.

>> Tim Wildmon: so, get. We don't, we don't have any guests. We don't have a guest today, so it's just us 3. Chris Woodward will be along a little bit later on, on the program. And, we do have a lot to talk about.

Your weekend go good? Yes, weekend went very well. But my wife and I did the old couple thing

Your weekend go good?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, weekend went very well. was it, was it Valentine's Day on Saturday?

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, man, don't tell me you forgot. You're kidding, right?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I am kidding. Yeah, I'm kidding. But my wife and I did, did the old couple thing.

>> Tim Wildmon: We did too.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We went, early, we had rent, run some errands up by the M Mall, quote, unquote, and then ate at like 11:30. And then by the time we were leaving, it was getting packed up there. And so that's what we do if it's during the week. We go 4 o', clock, 5 o' clock to eat.

>> Tim Wildmon: We did the opposite. I don't know if. So we. I had the idea of going to this white linen restaurant, you know.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Fine dining. Yeah. You know, at, But they only reserve. I waited till the day before. Oh, I know, I know. But we did get an 8:38. Well, we're, we are night owls, both of us. So, I mean, we go to bed at midnight.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You do because you text, you email.

>> Tim Wildmon: I try not to text past 10 because I know, I know the normal people are already, you know, they're getting ready to go to bed. Don't want to hear a ding on their phone.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, can I be honest?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I have you Muted.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: My feelings aren't hurt. That's okay. I understand. We all have.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't hear the ding when you.

>> Fred Jackson: When you text.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, Fred. Would y' all do anything for.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, we. We did the restaurant thing, and we roll the dice. We went about 5, 36 o'. Clock. Had to wait just 10 minutes.

>> Tim Wildmon: No reservations. You just.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, but it was just 10 minutes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, that's the way McDonald's is. You know, you can usually go through the drive through and get a Happy Meal.

>> Fred Jackson: That's right. I'll have that 20 piece.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right. Nothing's too good for you, sweetie. You get the 20 piece and a big fry. I know Fred. Fred is. He's a classy guy. No.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: We have a great m. Many several great Mexican restaurants in this town.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. And it was fantastic. It really was.

>> Tim Wildmon: You just described every town. USA and probably Canada.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: If. Well, Allison, I have a running joke that if any place goes out of business, within a month, there's a Mexican restaurant goes in there.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's not. That's not a lie. Now, I don't know if that's going to continue. Right. That,

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: The US Is cracking down on illegal immigration, but.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, that was bad.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I'm just saying, some of the. Some of our favorite people that we've seen at some of our restaurants are no longer there.

>> Tim Wildmon: They went home, huh?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't know.

>> Fred Jackson: All right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Self deported. I wouldn't try to be ugly with that. I'm just.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. You know, you're just keeping it real, aren't you?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Just keeping it real.

Ed: I'm looking forward to the Olympic hockey tournament this week

>> Fred Jackson: I. I want to keep things on an update here, though.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: I'm looking forward as the week goes along to Olympic, hockey.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: What's going to happen?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm sure you are looking forward.

>> Fred Jackson: I got a missile from Ed yesterday about the Canadian men's hockey team. Unbeatable, I think. Was that the term you used?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I said they're insane.

>> Fred Jackson: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They are so good. Of course I mentioned there's several of us. I think there was four on the thread. Text. Thread. I didn't include you, Tim. I'm sorry. But, that follow hockey, and Tim's starting to get better with the hockey. But I said I'm going to root for Team USA like a good American. But I don't. Team Canada is a wagon. Yes. I mean, they would.

>> Tim Wildmon: The Team usa, Team Canada. They already played.

>> Ed Vitagliano: No, they will probably play in the final.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And there's some. There's some. It'll Be an intense. You remember at the World cup, these two teams, Canada and U.S. met and that's people. If you remember the first nine seconds, there was like, three fights. They drop the puck and the guys drop their gloves because it is an intense rivalry.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think the Canadian players were heard saying to the US players, we're going to make you our 15th province.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, if it relies on hockey. Get ready to speak French.

>> Fred Jackson: That's right. Speaking of French, I did, I watched the, the end of the, game, Canada, France yesterday. That was embarrassment. You know, reaches a point, I said to Tim, it was a 10 to 2. Yeah, Canada, that's like 100 to 20 in basketball.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: You know it. You start to feel sorry. Yeah, I felt sorry. I don't know.

>> Tim Wildmon: Can you call again? Can you just wait?

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's even more embarrassing though.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. I was going to say, can you, can you run rule them? You know how they do in. And softball. And softball. You run rule them.

>> Ed Vitagliano: What do they call it? the when you get, you.

>> Tim Wildmon: Get out ahead so much so early. Yeah, the ten run rule. They just say it's a mercy rules. Really deal.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: But, anyway, these are big boys. They're going to play to the end.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah. And you get hurt, I guess, if you don't play to the end.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, there was a fight. There had to be a fight.

>> Ed Vitagliano: There was it.

>> Fred Jackson: They really discouraged the fight in Olympic hockey. Not so much. When it's regular, it's part of the game.

>> Tim Wildmon: I know, but,

>> Fred Jackson: Was it Wilson?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, it was Tom Wilson. Who's, he's, he's a good goal.

>> Tim Wildmon: Scorer, but he's a worship leader at my church. He was playing hockey.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I was about to. Wilson is a thug. And then you said, oh, he leads worship. Our Tom Wilson is not a thug.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, okay. All right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He's, he's. He's not really a thug. He is just a hard nosed player. If you have your head down and you're skating, he will light you up. You'll wake up the next morning in a Christian way.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

LEPEC hockey update for the Olympics wraps up this Friday

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, so, anyway, there's your, LEPEC hockey update, ladies and gentlemen, provided by the Yankees over here. And so Olympics are in there, what, second week, something like that? it's a two week.

>> Fred Jackson: It wraps up this Friday.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, it's usually a two week, you know, summer and winter. Two week, the two week segment for the games. For all the games, all the competition.

>> Fred Jackson: It hasn't so far been a great Olympics.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, it really has many big stories.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, there's been a lot of controversy in the curling side of things.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: There was a camera in a place that it shouldn't have been and so people getting disqualified. And then I haven't seen the skating, but I've heard the reports. A lot of people falling.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. There was an American that was supposed, that was supposed to expect it to medal.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And he fell twice.

>> Fred Jackson: I know it hasn't been good for.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Skaters, which is why I don't watch figure skating.

>> Tim Wildmon: You don't watch figure skating.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's just hard for me as a hockey fan to say, you know, to Fred when I come in in the morning, hey, how about those skaters?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Just jump around and the boys don't look too feminine. I mean, they don't look too masculine, do they? We, better stop right. Yeah, okay. We better stop right there. We're getting into personal commentary on people's appearance and that's probably not appropriate.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And I do want to say. Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and just toss this in. There's nothing wrong with figure skating. And I don't think a person is not a male is not being masculine. It's the same thing with playing a piano versus playing sports. There's a pretty wide, realm there in which, you know, men have gifts. I just don't. I've never liked it. I've never liked watching figure skating.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, so.

>> Fred Jackson: But, but you can learn. And one of the hockey teams I played on way back.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: we actually brought in a figure skater to show us some things about balance.

>> Fred Jackson: on, on one leg. and believe it or not, I won't go into all the.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, please break it down for us.

>> Fred Jackson: But the figure skaters were really good at balance issues. And that helps in hockey.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I've heard of football players and basketball players taking lessons, in ballet for the same reason.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, balance.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, balance.

>> Tim Wildmon: They bring a ballet stand to demonstrate how to.

>> Ed Vitagliano: A ballet.

>> Tim Wildmon: How to have balance.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right. I was gonna say ballerina, but, let's go with ballet.

>> Tim Wildmon: M. Ballet sounds good to me.

Democrats want to defund, bring down, add restrictions to how ICE operates

All right. You're listening to today's issues. Moving right along. Fred, what's your first story?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, don't let me bring you down now.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: We have a partial government shutdown. And unlike the one we had a few weeks ago, this one is. You're probably not going to feel it, for. It's day three now of this one. This has to do with Homeland Security. And the Democrats basically want to Defund, bring down, add various restrictions to how ICE operates. In particular, Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, and Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority, m Leader. Here's their demands. to the Republicans, these are the things they say must happen in order for them to get their support to get Homeland Security back up and running. Cut number one.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Why is it that ICE agents who.

>> Tim Wildmon: Are untrained are being unleashed on American.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Communities with this type of lawlessness, violence and brutality, Unacceptable, unconscionable, and it's un American. I believe they'll have no choice but to go along with us because it's so common sense and so much supported by the American people. They're losing support every day by not, supporting these common sense proposals.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, disagreeing with them is House Majority Leader, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Ember. Cut number two.

>> Tim Wildmon: First off, common sense, I mean, they want law enforcement agents to show ID when they don't want voters to show id there's no common sense here. This is all politics they're talking around the issue. What they're doing, Lawrence, is they want reforms that frankly protect illegals and criminals at the expense of taxpaying citizens. Let's go after that, warrant one. You already have administrative warrants. And Americans, if they were told the truth by these guys, would understand in order to get an administrative warrant, the defendant, the subject of the warrant.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Has already had full due process.

>> Tim Wildmon: Now they want what they say is a judicial warrant. And on its face, it sounds reasonable, right? Well, we got to get a judicial warrant. The administrative warrant is already the same thing. Putting a judicial warrant on top of that, you'll never get a judicial warrant in the timely manner that you need to get it. So the result, mass amnesty, which is essentially what we had under the Biden administration, they want this again, they make it sound like it's something good. It's not.

>> Fred Jackson: And Tom Holman, the, Trump supporters Czar, says also the demand from Democrats, that these agents have, demask, ah, is crazy because the threats against the lives and the lives of the families of these ICE agents have increased dramatically. and, you know, once again, the demand that they, not have masks on, but the protesters, no problem, you can wear masks.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, you're right. It's. There is no common sense coming from the left on these issues. You know, Tom Homan, you know, the border czar, he, I think he says in his own opinion, what a lot of Americans think. Tom Homan said he doesn't like masks. Okay, but they have to be allowed to wear them. I'm talking about ICE agents for their own protection and for the protection of their families. I don't like the mask. Tim has said he doesn't like the masks. It doesn't. It, it adds to the threatening nature of law enforcement if they're masked. But for their own protection, they got to have them. Now if the left would say, well, fine, we'll stop doxing, trying to dox them, we'll stop trying to identify them, we'll stop trying to go to their houses, all those kinds of things, we'll stop trying to take their pictures so we can post it online and make sure they never work again anywhere else, then maybe the mask could come down. But on the left, they fully intend to destroy the lives of ICE agents if they can just get their identity. And so, you know, Tom Homan is saying, I think what a lot of people are thinking may not like the masks, but at this point the violence and threatening nature of the left is just too much to risk it.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So this, so let me get this right. The federal government is funded, through the legislative vote and president's signature through, I don't know, the end of the year, something like that. Now, but there's one part of the federal government that is the ah, Department of Homeland Security.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: That is not funded. So that includes TSA agents, for example, at airports, not just ice. and so, fema. Fema. So I mean it's a lot of Coast Guard. Wow. Okay. So they're unfunded right now. And the Democrats are saying we're not going to vote to fund it unless you do these things that you guys have just talked about, which are unacceptable to Republicans. that is, you know, basically tying the hands of ice. They, Bill O'Reilly, the former Fox commentator, he said, and I agree with him, the Democrats don't want any border control, they don't want any ICE enforcement. They, want unfettered, immigration into our country. They want these people to be able to vote to receive, federal government aid. I mean, it's a completely and totally different worldview. Now they may not say it exactly like I just said it, but, but their actions show and demonstrate that they don't want any enforcement of our immigration laws because it go. But they won't. The Democrats ultimate objective here, and it's really shrewd, what you do is you let millions of people in to the country illegally and then you fight for their amnesty. Right. And you fight for Their, quote, pathway to citizenship. So when you get in the majority, if the Democrats get in the majority in the House, Senate, and the White House, they will vote for amnesty for all these people. And, and it'll be the end of the Republican Party as we know it. they will vote. President Reagan signed amnesty. I think he lived to regret it. But you remember President Reagan signed amnesty for all the people who had gotten into, who were here illegally back in the early 80s, in the name of. That's all right. Let's be done with it now. We shut down the border.

Tim Dehner: I think Schumer and Jeffries are trying to paint picture

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: And we stop this mass immigration. well, nothing, nothing, nothing happened like what happened under Biden. I mean, it was just complete and total open doors. We all know that. Even, even the Democrats were starting to complain about how many people Biden let just walk across the border. President, Trump shut that all down. But, I'll just, we'll just see where this goes. But, you're loggerheads right now for the health, home and health and, excuse me, Department of Homeland. What am I trying to.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Department of Homeland Security, their budget.

>> Fred Jackson: You know, we talked about this last week, the polls that have been done, the American people, at least 80% Republicans support border security, 70% of Democrats. But I think what Schumer and Jeffries are trying to do is take advantage of the emotional upheaval that we saw in Minneapolis, you know, and try to paint the picture. These people are cruel. These ICE agents are cruel, and they're tight for the moment. For the moment that's working. But if you, if you're saying to, these Homeland Security people that we want to get rid of ice, we want to get rid of Border Patrol, that's not going to work for the American people.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think the American people, the general public, I think they support the efforts of immigration enforcement. They want to get better rid of the bad people who are here. By bad, I mean criminals, violent criminals, and they want it done nicely. So, this is the old have your cake to American. The American people want it. What? They want to have the, these bad people who are here in our country deported or arrested. But they want it to do be done without aggressive tactics that ICE has to employ.

>> Ed Vitagliano: But what's sinister about this is that the reason the aggressive tactics are being employed is because the left is flooding Minneapolis with violent protesters.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, yes, and the videos are caught, too. And you see in all these stories, even. It's even got to President Trump. Yeah. I mean, what did he say about a week ago, we're going to have to soften up.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. De. Escalate.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, we're gonna have to. We're gonna have to tone it down.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: He's talking about his own, you know, efforts here.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It's even. I don't know if we're gonna still discuss this with Hillary Clinton.

>> Fred Jackson: Well, that's coming up on a show today. Yeah, I had no idea.

>> Tim Wildmon: What a coup ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: At the bottom of the hour, we have a guest. Special guest.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, so I'll wait on that. But the, the, the overall point is that the, the left, under the Biden administration, like as we've said you said, Tim, they wanted unfettered, wide open borders, unfettered immigration to try to, make the entire country blue forever. And then when Trump got elected, they decided they, These blue cities and blue states, they would be a part of the resistance. They flood these, areas with violent protesters to create the chaos.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That would change public opinion and make the conservative side of this issue back off. And the Democrats are supporting all of this in an effort, one last effort, to grab ahold of the election process by way of illegal voting.

>> Tim Wildmon: And it's almost an untenable situation now because, if you in. I'm talking about with the, with the ice, now, they're gonna. All right, President Trump said they need to back off. Tom Holman pulled him out of Minneapolis now. He said, job, job accomplished. And the imagery, I think, has hurt the American, has hurt the Republicans, hurt President Trump. You can deny that if you want to, but I think that's denying reality with the general public. I think the images, the two deaths in Minnesota, people go, well, that was unnecessary. but you put, you're putting these ice, agents now in an. I said the word untenable because if you go into a city and you don't have the cooperation of the, of the local police department, then you're putting ICE in there and, and they're going to be confronted by these protesters, slash, aggressive, lunatics. Okay? And if the, the, the aggressive lunatics now know that if we physically confront ICE and they do anything to us, it's going to be ISIS fault no matter what. So I can't say, hey, we need the Minneapolis, PD down here. You need to come down here because they're blocking the street or they're, they're, they're taunting us. They're getting in our face. We need to have these people restrained. And Minneapolis Police Department goes, we ain't helping you do anything.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They're under orders from the mayor.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right. So you're on your own. So what do you think's going to. What do you think that sets up for? Yeah, what we've seen happen. the ICE agents are going, well, I guess we're on our own. Well, what do we do if we're physically attacked? Well, you got to sit there and either take the beating or take the pepper spray or take your tires being slashed. Or in the case of the guy who got. Who was shot and killed by ice, what was his name? Fella, in Minneapolis, Preddy. we saw what he did to that car, the ICE car. He started vandalizing it, spitting at him. In that case, my question would be, well, what are you supposed to do if you're physically attacked? Now, they. I didn't see him physically attacked in an ICE officer. But if you're physically, attacked, are you supposed to just lay down and just let them beat you so that you're not captured on video doing your own?

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's why you said, this is shrewd.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's rude.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It is.

>> Tim Wildmon: And it's an untenable situation. And I'm not sure exactly what you do about it, because when. When the video cameras turn on, they turn on when the ICE agents are responding back.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

American Family Radio Network welcomes your comments on today's Issues

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: And that never looks good. So it's a.

>> Ed Vitagliano: listen, three of the demands. At least three of the demands of the Democratic Party. I would actually like one of them. Okay. Using body cameras. I don't have a problem. I can't think of a reason why.

>> Tim Wildmon: They'Re starting to do that now.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, they should, because it only helps them, I think, show the real situation that we're in. But then, banning agents from wearing masks, that's not going to happen. And requiring the judicial warrants for arrests when they already have administrative warrants, that's not going to happen either. So basically, the Democratic Party is saying, we're going to demand things we know you're not going to give us so that we can keep it shut down to add more pressure from the American people.

>> Tim Wildmon: I got a solution, fellas.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right?

>> Tim Wildmon: For ICE and the ICE agents, I think they need to claim that they're helping stop the spread of COVID You see what I'm saying?

>> Ed Vitagliano: With the masks?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. Just say, listen, we are doing as Democrats still want us to do. We're masking up to help stop the spread.

>> Ed Vitagliano: flatten the curve.

>> Tim Wildmon: We need to flatten the curve.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Flatten the curve. That's why we have our mask and.

>> Ed Vitagliano: If that doesn't work, we're gonna flatten protesters.

>> Tim Wildmon: No, I don't think that's going to work.

>> Fred Jackson: Oh.

>> Tim Wildmon: All right. Okay. all right. We will be back in a moment with more of today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Stay with us.

>> Ed Vitagliano: The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.

>> Fred Jackson: We would like to take a moment to thank our sponsor, PreBorn. When a mother meets her baby on ultrasound and hears their heartbeat, it's a divine connection. And the majority of the time, she will choose life. But they can't do it without our help. Preborn needs us, the pro life community, to come alongside them. One ultrasound is just $28. To donate, dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby or visit preborn.com afr.

>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.

>> Ed Vitagliano: 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.

Tim and Ed discuss Savannah Guthrie's mom missing since February 1st

>> Tim Wildmon: Welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed, and Fred, we thank you for listening to American Family Radio and this show, Today's Issues. guys, I want to ask you a question. We won't spend much time on this, but this, ah, case that all the news media has been covering that is Savannah Guthrie's mom missing now since February 1st, right?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: I don't want to sound cold or insensitive, but at the same time, it's about time for this story to go to page two, isn't it? I mean, that we haven't, Do you think it's becoming sensationalized, because of who this is? Do you know what I'm trying to say here?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, I know what you're trying to say. And we've done some stories on this. Fox News in particular. We watch Fox News probably predominantly,

>> Tim Wildmon: You mean at your house or here at the.

>> Fred Jackson: Here at work? I have never seen a, reduction story covered so much. I, mean, we're talking day after day after day. They will spend 20 to 25 minutes per hour discussing this, bringing the same experts in, asking the same questions over and over and over again.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And they don't really know anything.

>> Fred Jackson: They don't know anything. And the only reason I can. Because, Steve Jordal did a story on this. There are hundreds of abductions in this country every year. Very sad. Hundreds. And I feel sorry for Savannah Guthrie. you know, we were just watching the latest picture of her making a video. I mean, how hard it must be on that family. But, how do you justify spending 25 minutes an hour, day after day after day after day? We're day 13, 14, 15, whatever the case may be. And so it's. I'm speculating on reasons. Is it because Savannah Guthrie is a star, a network star? Her mom has been abducted, and these people have taken the step of feeling so sorry for her because they are network stars, they being the hosts of Fox programs, that they somehow have decided this is the most important abduction that has ever taken place. And we have to get.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I think it's because of celebrity.

>> Fred Jackson: I think it is.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, if Brad Pitt is abducted, that's going to be international news. If, Brad Smith.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Is abducted, it's. It might make a splash in the local media, but it's not going to be an international or even a national story. And I think it just goes to the. Listen, remember the O.J. simpson case? That was big news because he was so famous.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And I think that's what's going on here.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think everybody understands that if you got somebody famous, involved in a, abduction or murder or something like that, it's going to get more attention than, you know, the average something, happening to just an everyday American out there. I think what is getting annoying for a lot of people who do watch the Fox News Channel, maybe some others, too. I don't know. And I don't watch, I don't watch near as much as I used to back in the day when Bill O'Reilly, I used to watch his show every night. But, I think, you know, it's just getting to where they're probably watching the ratings.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: And when the ratings start dropping because of overkill, so to speak, on this, story, they'll. They'll back off. It's probably, you know, the old adage in news is if it bleeds, it leads.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: So. But. But just to. As you say, Fred, to keep on and some of the other news media to just regurgitating the same thing.

The FBI will get involved if requested by local law enforcement, experts say

And now they're onto this glove, this DNA. DNA off of a glove. And I don't even know what glove they're talking about.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I think it's one of the, one of the gloves that. The one that the suspect, the guy all masked up, appears on a ring camera, and he puts his glove. He puts his hand up with the glove on to kind of block the view of the camera. And they. And so near the house there, they picked up a discarded glove. And I read that they think it may be that glove that was on the camera. So they're looking for DNA. The, the glove would protect, you know, skin cells from getting off the hand onto the camera or the door handle. But there may be skin cells inside the globe.

>> Tim Wildmon: Let me ask this. I'm sorry for my ignorance here, but, how exactly, in other words, to use DNA to confirm, someone's, guilt or innocence or presence at a scene or something like this? don't you have to have that in a bank somewhere? What if this individual never had his DNA taken?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, then, first of all, then, no, then the DNA sample will not lead you to the suspect. so if, if it's in a. Some sort of a bank, they can maybe find. Have something pop up and say, okay, let's check this guy out. But if they do have a suspect and they capture him somewhere else, and then they take his DNA and compare it to the glove, they can place the suspect at or near the scene. Does that make sense?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, I see what you're saying. All right, well, we'll, we'll see. But I just. I m. Keep. Every day, you know, I'll glance at the headlines or the news or watch just a few minutes of Fox News, and I. Psyched story never changed. We. We did this yesterday. Yeah. As you say, Fred, experts. And they're, they're not really breaking any new, information about this particular story. And you just, you know, again, I don't want to sound insensitive, but, you know, President Trump offered the FBI's assistance in this. Is President Trump going to offer the SBI's assistance in somebody who's not a celebrity, who's in this kind of situation?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Or is it just because, And when does the FBI get involved in cases like this? I thought it had to be something interstate or maybe, maybe, maybe that the, FBI gets involved in a case if the local police ask them to.

>> Fred Jackson: And usually in the case of using, a lab, the FBI lab, to do identification of some materials they may pick up, and they even had to turn to try to get some new news out of this. The other day, there was some controversy about the local sheriff, and he sent some initial evidence to a crime lab in Florida. Florida, Instead of giving it to the FBI. And they tried to make a story out of that, saying the local sheriff, didn't want the help of the FBI in this. And, you know, he denied that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So this says local police departments often request FBI assistance when a case exceeds their resources, expertise, or jurisdiction.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: The FBI commonly responds to such requests, especially for complex investigations. Yes, the FBI will get involved if requested by local law.

>> Tim Wildmon: okay. If they have the resources themselves. FBI is not unlimited.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right, right.

>> Tim Wildmon: You know, they have to make. They have to make judgment calls to every day on what cases we're going to be involved in.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. So probably like an ordinary, you know, robbery of a jewelry store, that they probably would say no, unless they cross state lines. But so a, kidnapping, I think, is, Is probably one of those that they will get involved in. But it does say here the FBI does not take over local investigations by force or authority. Instead, they collaborate as partners.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

American Family Radio wants to learn from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

All right. You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. Next story. Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: Well, as promised, we want to, learn from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: About the problems of the world.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ed and I, we voted on that this morning.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, absolutely.

>> Tim Wildmon: We both. It was 2 to 0. It was unanimous.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Bring her in.

Hillary Clinton spoke about illegal immigration at Munich security conference

>> Tim Wildmon: We want some Hillary Clinton news right here.

>> Fred Jackson: She is attending the Munich Security Conference. Which attracts a lot of world leaders. is getting a lot of play. one of the big topics at this conference is the impact on illegal immigration. We've talked about it here in the United States. illegal immigration, immigration in general, migration, in Europe, and the impact that it has had on those countries. So anyway, she was asked about this at the Munich, security conference about, whether she felt that there was. There were mistakes made during the Biden years. Let's have a listen to what she had to say. Cut number 14.

>> Tim Wildmon: I think we need to call it for what it is. Secretary Kerry, there is a legitimate reason.

>> Ed Vitagliano: To have a debate about things like that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Migration.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It went too far.

>> Tim Wildmon: It's been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Way with secure borders that don't torture.

>> Tim Wildmon: And kill people, and how we're going to have a strong family structure, because it is.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, so why were they trying to Interrupt her.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there were reporters around and there's a panel discussion, etc. Etc. So, Guy Benson, who is one of the experts at Fox, he had some interesting things to say about the point that Hillary was trying to make. Cut 15. Yeah, you look at the Clinton era Democrats and they sound like right wing conservatives on the issue of illegal immigration. Even Barack Obama when he was running for office and was president, he sounds.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Like someone who'd be totally rejected by.

>> Tim Wildmon: The left wing of the party today.

>> Fred Jackson: I'm not sure, Dannah, that these are true believers, right, that they actually think.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That we need to really toughen up the borders and throw in a few adjectives like humane.

>> Fred Jackson: I think they recognize that they need to say these things and deliver less.

>> Tim Wildmon: Chaotic results for the electorate for the.

>> Fred Jackson: Purpose of winning elections and gaining power. I think he's bang on. I think they understand. We just talked about the poll again. The 80% Republicans, 70% Democrats want secure borders. So people like Hillary Clinton have to come out there and say maybe we made some mistakes when Biden was in power with this whole flood of illegal immigrants that came into this country. However, we have to do it in a humane, nice way.

>> Tim Wildmon: What is she saying about where are we? Where are ICE agents or border security? Where are they torturing people? People? Because we need to. That's just the, we need to know about that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's the left, the left scenario. Remember Tim Walls talking about the ICE committing atrocities? This is, this is standard overheated language on the part of the left. I, I will say this. I don't disagree with what Fred's saying about the, about the Democratic Party's trying to, trying to ramp down the, the. I guess it's probably not ramping down, tamp down the rhetoric coming from the, the left. I would also say some of these people, like Hillary Clinton, like Bill Maher, like John Fetterman, these are more classical liberals who I think are getting a little nervous at, at the, at the, kind of firebomb left that wants to overthrow the country and also take over the Democratic Party so that traditional liberalism no longer exists. And I think that's why they, they have to use some of that leftist language. They probably believe it too. But I think, I think Hillary Clinton, and it's kind of like the Republican establishment, You have Democratic Party establishment as well, traditional liberals who want the game to continue. They want the country to exist and continue because it's their bread and butter. I mean, they get to stay in power, they all get rich. And I'm talking About, a lot of the Republican establishment as well. They don't want revolution because they'll be out like, Like God. Benson said she's. And you said too, I think during one of our breaks or whatever, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, at least from what he said when he was in office, these people could not get elected. In today's Democratic Party. They're considered right wing and they, they know it. And I, I'm sorry for them. In a sense. They let the dog in and it brought the fleas with it. And the Democratic Party is lost to these leftists.

>> Tim Wildmon: That'd be a great country song right there, which you. That line you just had.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm not even sure I can. What I see.

>> Tim Wildmon: He left the dog in and brought the fleas with it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: There you go. You guys.

>> Tim Wildmon: Baby ain't coming back. No, I think you had that in there. You got a hit. But I think you're right that as odd as it sounds to say, the Clintons and the Obama, President Obama, they would be considered too conservative to be the leaders of the Democrat Party in today's. In today's world, they just would be.

Kamala Harris was criticized for her voice at a Munich conference

>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm wondering if Hillary Clinton wasn't also that this wasn't a broad based kind of criticism because she's in Europe and Europe's threatened with at least, you know, the Europeans that have always lived. You like the French in France or the Germans in Germany. They're looking at, unfettered immigration now that's legal, but they're also seeing the threat to what Europe will be in 25 or 50 years.

>> Fred Jackson: And they're taking steps. several European countries now are saying if, an immigrant from some country comes in through a country like Egypt, we're going to send them back to Egypt.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: Because they're getting so much blowback from their own people.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Crime increase and what's happening? You know, people are nervous about the Islamic population growing in many European communities. But, you know, you guys were talking about the, the old guard of the Democratic Party and the new guard. It's exciting about the new guard coming in for the Democrats. In fact, one of their stars, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, is at this Munich conference.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wow.

>> Ed Vitagliano: What is she doing there?

>> Fred Jackson: She's answering very tough questions. In fact, there was a question the other day to her as she was sitting there surrounded by her fans. She was asked about, well, what if China invades Taiwan? Should the United States come to the rescue? so you're going to hear the question from the reporter this is cut 11. And then the very deep response from.

>> Tim Wildmon: AOC would and should the US actually.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Commit US troops to defend Taiwan if.

>> Fred Jackson: China were to move?

>> Ed Vitagliano: you know, I think that, ah, this is such a, you know, I think that this is a, this is of course a, ah, very long standing, policy of the United States. That's very embarrassing. Is that real?

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Sound like to me she's like trying to text while she's talking. Does that not sound like that? Yeah, because, I mean, I've done that myself. That, that's, that was aoc, the, the. What's her full name?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

>> Tim Wildmon: She's a congresswoman from. Duly elected from the, city of NewSong York.

>> Ed Vitagliano: But what is she doing there? She's not an expert. Obviously she's not an expert.

>> Tim Wildmon: Get her.

>> Ed Vitagliano: She's trying to beef up her resume.

>> Tim Wildmon: Her. Yeah, her international credentials so that if she runs.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, that didn'.

>> Tim Wildmon: My advice to her would say back off on the helium. You know what I'm saying?

>> Ed Vitagliano: That helium diet.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, the helium that makes her voice sound like she's should be reading the third grader somewhere.

>> Ed Vitagliano: listen, you can.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, I shouldn't say that. Shouldn't make fun of somebody's physical appearance.

>> Ed Vitagliano: She can't help her voice.

>> Tim Wildmon: She can't help it. But it doesn't translate well. Her high pitched, childish sounding voice to authority on international affairs.

>> Ed Vitagliano: It does enter into things. Kamala Harris's voice and her laugh was annoying. Was annoying. And you may say, well, you know, voters shouldn't matter. It shouldn't matter. But it kind of does. in the television age, yes, in the video age, it does matter. Listen, she is a lightweight, an intellectual lightweight. She has proven. I'm talking about aoc. She's proven that over and over again. And listen, you don't have to be a genius necessarily to run for office. I'm not saying that. But if you're going to be up at the top of the heap, you've got to be able to answer a basic question like she just asked, you know what if I was asked, I'd say, no, I don't want troops, in Taiwan.

>> Tim Wildmon: Answer yes or no, but don't do what she did. Yeah, that stumbled around there. How long did she go on there? That. 45 seconds of nonsense.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's going to be, that's going to be played over and over again if she runs for any Senate or governor or tries to run for president.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'm gonna put the stopwatch on that pull that back up.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good. Because I want to.

>> Tim Wildmon: That was, again, the great.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You're going to record it.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'm going to do the stopwatch. This is. You got to put that in her greatest hits collection.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Don't you.

>> Ed Vitagliano: This is like, you know, word salad. Kamala.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, go ahead.

Would US actually commit troops to defend Taiwan if China were to move

Brian, would and should the US Actually commit US Troops to defend Taiwan if.

>> Fred Jackson: China were to move?

>> Tim Wildmon: No.

>> Ed Vitagliano: you know, I think that, this is such a. You know, I think that, my goodness, this is a. This, is paved.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: This is a course. A very long standing, policy of the United states. Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: What's 20 seconds? Just 20 seconds of gold right there.

>> Ed Vitagliano: What's the policy? The long standing policy that it's been standing for so long. You should know it.

>> Fred Jackson: You know what? You know what I think the problem was for AOC in her mind, she was saying, where is Taiwan, friends?

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, we've abused poor AOC enough here. We need to move on.

>> Fred Jackson: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listened to what we just listened to. and this was his response. Cut 12.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yikes. Charlie. You know, it sounded very much like.

>> Ed Vitagliano: What President Biden or President Trump said about President Biden. The debate. he was asked what President Biden meant.

>> Tim Wildmon: He said, I don't think he knows.

>> Ed Vitagliano: He knows what he meant. Boy.

>> Tim Wildmon: To go to Munich and to not.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Have thought one second about Taiwan or the risk from China, evidences an unseriousness and ignorance that is deeply, troubling to be very kind, Charlie, but.

>> Fred Jackson: The serious side of this, this is a huge issue inside the Democratic Party. She's a star. Gavin Newsom is there at this conference as well. AOC is there. This. This is the wing of the party that more and more people are saying. Barack Obama was interviewed the other day on a podcast, and he talked about, we need to bring new young people into the party. This is what he's talking about.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, you know, if you take the issue of Taiwan and, versus Communist China. Right. That's a very tense situation over there. I'm. I'm not sure that's a partisan issue because I'm not sure where Republicans would fall down on that now. Old school Republicans. By old school, I mean probably 50 or 60 years old up. They understand the history of communism and of China and how valuable our relationship with Taiwan has been. Taiwan is an island that sits off the coast of. Of communist China, but is a free, independent island. But, China, Communist China claims historical rights to the island. so that's the little 22nd backdrop to this. But I'm not so sure. If, if China invaded Taiwan, do you want American troops to go over there and fight the Chinese? It.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, they, there's, there are no plans. I'm just going to tell you. I don't think there are any plans to land U.S. troops in Taiwan to defend it. It would be defended with air power that is, located. Oh, it'd be a hot war and and we could lose aircraft carriers. It would be, it would be bad. but submarines, the US Would probably, just saying how, how horrible this could get. I think it's like 70% of China's oil is imported. It comes from, the Middle east through what's called the Malacca Strait. I think that's in Indonesia. That's it. The US could have a couple of submarines there and literally starve China of its oil. In which case, China might threaten to use nukes. I mean it could get, it could really get nasty. But I don't think the US has plans to put US Troops in Taiwan because it would be difficult probably to get them there. Taiwan's been planning. Listen, Taiwan. The Chinese on Taiwan, they fled there when Chiang Kai Shek lost the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong and the Communists, the Nationalists fled to Taiwan. That's that they're Chinese, in Taiwan. That is where they was called Formosa. They fled and and built Taiwan basically from scratch. And the Communists have always said that island belongs to us. Those are Chinese people. We're going to reunify it by force if necessary. And the U. S, I think, has very serious plans to defend Taiwan if China attacks.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, it's a very, it's a very volatile, ongoing volatile situation. I mean it. And if, if China tried to invade or take over Taiwan, it would cause international chaos.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: In terms of the financial markets, in terms of much more than the Russian, Ukraine war.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Absolutely right.

>> Tim Wildmon: And also the, the trade between the US And China could be affected.

One reason China's not invaded Taiwan is financial impact would be crippling

I don't. China nor the US Wants that. So I think that's one of the big reasons China's not invaded Taiwan is they know the financial impact that could have on their country would be potentially, you know, disabling.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: For, for the comedy. For the. Even though they might gain Taiwan, they, they would lose in the big picture. Yeah, that's my analysis.

Marco Rubio is at the Munich Security Conference, uh, as well

All right, you're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. What do we, we got about a minute left here.

>> Fred Jackson: Do we want to say Marco. Marco Rubio is at the Munich Security Conference, as well.

>> Tim Wildmon: Save that.

>> Fred Jackson: Let's say that for after the news, because unlike some of the things we just heard, Marco Rubio runs very deeply.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That is a smart man.

>> Tim Wildmon: He is.

>> Fred Jackson: He's brilliant.

>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, did you see where, So there was a foursome golf group down in Florida over the weekend. It was President Trump, Urban Meyer, the former college, Ohio State and Florida football coach, the legendary Nick Saban, college football coach, and Governor Ron DeSantis.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Really? Were they playing in Mar A Lago?

>> Tim Wildmon: probably. I didn't get invited. Really disappointed. But, anyway, what does that say? Because DeSantis only has a year left in Tallahassee as governor. Might he be coming to work for President Trump in some capacity? That's what people are asking.

>> Ed Vitagliano: would he take a, Supreme Court nomination, you think?

>> Tim Wildmon: we can talk about that when we get back from the break. Stay with us. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

Tim and Ed talk with Fred on top news headlines of the day including a discussion on the partial government shutdown.