Tim Wildman: American Family Association plans spiritual heritage tours in 2026
>> Tim Wildmon: Hello, everyone. I'm Tim Wildmon, president of American Family association and American Family Radio. Hey, the tours we've got planned in 2026 are going to be fantastic. They're historical spiritual heritage tours. For the information all about them, the DC, the Williamsburg, the Boston tours, go to wildmangroup.com w I l d m m o n group.com and we hope to see you on one of our 2026 spiritual heritage tours.
Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network features Christian perspectives
>> Ed Vitagliano: Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, M 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's M. Monday, January 19, 2026. We thank you for listening to AFR. And in studio with me today is Ed Vitagliano. Good morning, Brother Ed.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.
>> Fred Jackson: Good morning, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: You, two gentlemen have a good weekend?
>> Fred Jackson: Did you? Had a wonderful week?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Had a very good weekend. yeah. well, how about you?
>> Tim Wildmon: I did, too.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Had a good weekend. It's cold. Here I go again.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And about to get cold, I got.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And about to get colder. But, so outdoor activities are limited. Yeah. Unless you like being outdoors in the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Cold weather, which you do not.
>> Tim Wildmon: I do not. And that's well documented.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, it is well documented. Right here on this program, I whine.
>> Tim Wildmon: And complain frequently about cold weather and look forward to, well, if you can't.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Change the weather, you might as well complain about it. Nothing else. By the way.
>> Tim Wildmon: By the way, right now, like, I don't know, a quarter of the country is, on the eastern seaboard. They're, like, getting some serious winter. Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Absolutely. Destin, Florida.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Fred Jackson: Inch of snow on the weekend.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is that really happening? Destin?
>> Ed Vitagliano: This past weekend.
>> Fred Jackson: This past weekend, inch of Daphne, Alabama, got snow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I did. I thought they were all talking about next weekend.
>> Tim Wildmon: For those who don't know, you're talking about, the towns on the Gulf coast of Mecca. Well, America, the Florida panhandle of America. Getting snow.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. So anyway, and some coming our way in good old Tupelo, Mississippi.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, this weekend. That's why I wanted to warn people. There's, where we are, there's Saturday. we're supposed to get 3 inches of snow and ice.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And this is the flagship station where all the rest of our stations in the network, all the programming comes out of here.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I just say unto thee that, you know, you may never hear from us again, after Saturday, The land of Tupelo may disappear in.
>> Ed Vitagliano: A flurry of whiteness.
>> Tim Wildmon: I always joke with people that, ah, you get more than you get. if you were. If we were to get 5 inches, they calling out the National Guard. And, Don't you think so?
>> Ed Vitagliano: They. Well, they. This place shuts down with about an inch. In fact, during our devotion this morning, I think you were talking about the fact that we might get 3 inches of snow on Saturday. And, one of the ladies who works here said, so, can we get off early on Friday? And. And I said, well, yeah, because we have to go buy milk and bread. That's what everyone goes to.
>> Tim Wildmon: milk and bread. if you don't have milk and bread when you. And ice last snowstorm hits, that's so irresponsible.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: You put yourself and your family at risk.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Of not having a, you know, cereal, for example.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Sandwiches. that's.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I mean, because you don't need power for that to happen.
>> Fred Jackson: No.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and you can. So you can still eat. But if you don't have that milk.
>> Tim Wildmon: But you go to. You go to the grocery. Yeah. You go to the grocery store. I guarantee you between now and Saturday, you're gonna be wiped clean.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Gone.
Tim: We've got a lot to talk about this week on AFr
>> Tim Wildmon: Eggs gone.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Milk gone. Bread gone.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And at that point, now you're looking at your dog.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, if.
>> Ed Vitagliano: How big is he? How many can we feed?
>> Tim Wildmon: We didn't need that.
>> Fred Jackson: You want to go there, Ed?
>> Tim Wildmon: We didn't need that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Let me tell you about what happened to this rabbit one time.
>> Fred Jackson: No, I'm just wearing. We have that one.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Everyone remembers that one.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, again, thanks for listening to afr. Tim, Ed and Fred. we, got a lot to talk about that's going on in the news, obviously, in our country and then a lot going on around the world. We're going to get some of those topics as well and try to educate you on what is happening and put it in some kind of common sense or practical sense prism. I don't know if we can do that or not, given the world stage as it is today.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: But,
Anti ICE protesters stormed into a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota yesterday morning
All right, Fred, what's leading the news here?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, I tried to imagine myself what would have happened. Most of us in church, perhaps yesterday morning and worshiping the Lord. Well, there was a Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, city's church. It's a Southern Baptist church. I'm told they were having their service yesterday morning. And we know what has been Happening mostly in Minneapolis, the anti ICE protests been very violent. You can imagine the feeling of sitting in your church there in St. Paul yesterday morning, and you all of a sudden, these protesters storm into your church. Have a listen. Cut. Number one.
>> Tim Wildmon: Renee Good. Renee Good. Renee Good.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, the group of protesters broke into the church. They're hollering there the name of the woman who was shot and killed last week.
>> Ed Vitagliano: During the service. Right?
>> Fred Jackson: During the service. They were hollering there during the service. Hands up. Don't shoot. you know, that goes back to the George Floyd, protests. And the reason they picked on this church, we are told, is that one of the pastors at this church also works for ice. So that's why they chose this church. Now, one of the protesters who stormed in there confronted, one of the church members. Let's have a listen to that conversation. Cut number two.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Living real comfortable while the people starve. Living real comfortable while children are dragged into concentration camps. You're all living real comfortable, aren't you?
>> Tim Wildmon: Shame on you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Do something. Stand with the Somalis. Stand with the Latinos. Quit ignoring this injustice.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ah, he wears a suit and tie and he hangs out with Kristi Noem. How is that a Christian? You're supposed to accept all immigrants, are you not?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Why are you not going down to Whipple and joining us in protest against this inhumanity? You claim to be a Christian.
>> Tim Wildmon: Act like one.
>> Fred Jackson: So all of this is happening, folks, in the middle of a worship service yesterday morning at this Baptist Church in St. Paul.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, that kind of thing is infuriating. And let me tell you, if anybody wonders, if this country turns very violent, from which direction it's going to come, it's going to come from the left. With all the talk under the four years of the Biden administration that Christians, Christian nationalists, that those are Christians for the most part, Christians who love their country, that parents at school board meetings, white supremacists, that those were the most dangerous groups in America. They were a threat to democracy. They were a threat to our republic. If anybody is wondering who's telling the truth here, it wasn't Joe Biden, and it's not the left. Violence and disruption and lawlessness is all coming from the left, in my opinion, is because, number one, the left drifted away from God starting probably in the 1980s, but that, since 2000, has accelerated. They moved away from God and have embraced a secular, materialistic, but especially socialist, Marxist, communist worldview. And Marxism breeds the violence because it is all about chaos. In order to Overthrow our republic.
>> Tim Wildmon: What would you do if they came in your church? What would your church do?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, with those kind of numbers, I think we would, we would get the, the people back. Our people back, make sure they're safe. Call the, call the police and I don't know, maybe, maybe sim. Sing hymns. but here's the problem, and I know there's a lot of people listening right now. And I read comments under this story that. I don't know if you sent this around, Tim, but I did read this and saw and looked at the, at the comments and there were people saying, well, where are the men in this church? These protesters are not doing anything violent. So if Christians respond by beating these people up and removing them by force, that's going to reflect poorly on, I think the name of Jesus. And that's frustrating for people.
>> Tim Wildmon: Why is Jesus to blame?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, because the Bible says turn the other cheek. And this is an attack on your faith. And I don't think you can respond with violence to a non violent protest. You're escalating, you're escalating the situation. They've disrupted the service. You're not going to be able to carry on. I would make sure that women and children, we're safe. I would put them, you know, bring them up to the altar or whatever, have the men stand in front of them. You call the cops, wait for the police to arrive, and then you prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's it. The police arrive, the police are on the police. The. Under the order of the mayor. Well, this is St. Paul, not Minneapolis. I don't know, maybe different. Anyway, I'm not trying to box you in here on this one. I'm just trying. This is a, this is a very, tense situation. Yeah, I agree with you. If they're not being violent, you don't act in violence. You hope to de. Escalate the situation. That way nobody's put in harm. so I guess they eventually left Fred, you know, the end of the story, I guess. There was no, there was nobody hurt.
>> Fred Jackson: Nobody hurt. but the star reporter, Don Lemon, remember him from CNN days? Oh, yeah. Yes, he was there. Gee, he must have got a tip from the protesters.
Department of Justice says protesters will be charged under FACE Act
He showed up, he said, called himself an observer, but he was interviewing the pastor of the church. That's how this went. Cut number three.
>> Ed Vitagliano: This is an operation that is secret.
>> Tim Wildmon: That they invited, folks out. This is Operation Pull up. More of a clandestine operation. We show up somewhere, they don't expect us to come there, and then we disrupt business as usual. So right now, it's kind of mayhem.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We're not part of the activists, but.
>> Tim Wildmon: We'Re here just reporting on them.
>> Fred Jackson: Did they explain to you why they're here?
>> Tim Wildmon: Did not.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They said that there is someone here.
>> Fred Jackson: Easterwood, who is a member of ice.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And he's a pastor of the church. Our church had gathered for worship, which we do every Sunday.
>> Tim Wildmon: We asked them to leave, and.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And they obviously have not left. So this is what the First Amendment is about.
>> Fred Jackson: About the freedom to protest.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, he's wrong. Lemon. I'm sorry. Is an idiot. Okay, that is not what the First Amendment is about. The First Amendment is the government cannot restrict your freedom of speech in public places. This is private property. That's like saying the First Amendment, protects someone from breaking into my house and shouting.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, the reason why Don Lemon lost his job.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: At cnn.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And let me tell you something else, too. This is why. This is why members of ICE wear masks. Okay, so somebody in this group found out who one of the pastoral staff is connected with ice.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They found out who, their name and where they went to church, and then they showed up. And this is why members of ICE wear masks to try to protect their identity and protect their wives and children, their families. There's some women with ICE too, protecting their. Their families. no, First Amendment has nothing to do with it. this is. This is what the left does. They want to terrorize, and they want to disrupt because chaos is their, modus operandi.
>> Fred Jackson: Our Department of Justice says those people are going to be charged under the FACE Act. let me just explain the FACE Act. FACE standing for Freedom of Access to Clinical entrances Act of 1994. Now, you may say, well, that's referring to protesters outside of abortion clinics, but listen to this. It's a US Federal law making it illegal to use force, threats, or physical obstruction to prevent people from obtaining or providing reproductive health services or exercising religious freedom at places of worship.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Good.
>> Fred Jackson: So the federal law does include what these protesters did yesterday. Alena Haba is with our Department, of Justice. This is what she has to say. Cut number five.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's everybody.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's everybody.
>> Tim Wildmon: The FACE act is a long standing federal statute that prohibits force, threats, obstruction, any kind of interference with a religious place of worship. And it carries criminal penalties and violations.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And what the Attorney General is saying is the truth. She will come down hard.
>> Tim Wildmon: The Department of Justice will come down hard. Our Civil Rights Division will come down hard on anybody who tries to impede.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or intimidate somebody in a place of.
>> Tim Wildmon: Worship or a police officer or an ICE officer.
>> Fred Jackson: It's just not going to happen in this administration.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Pam is making that very clear.
All these protesters, I don't know how many of them were there
All right, by the way, you're listening to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. Tim, Ed and Fred, we've been discussing what happened over the weekend. Minneapolis, St. Paul. This church was in St. Paul as a Baptist church. All these protesters, I don't know how many of them were there? A dozen.
>> Fred Jackson: It wasn't a large number.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Let me also add, when you asked, I want to make something clear to our listeners. I wasn't saying that church members should not protect their family. That's why I said you get your family members to the front of the church or something like that, away from the protesters and enough. They attack family members, then you defend them. that's. I left that out, but I was.
>> Tim Wildmon: Just talking about the other cheek.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, turn. Yeah, out. I would turn the other cheek if they came up in, in this context, but I'm not going to turn the other cheek if they go after, like my wife or my children or grandchildren.
>> Tim Wildmon: You let them beat you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I would, I would try to cover up, protect myself if. Well, if this is the way I view. Turn the other cheek. If you are suffering for the name of Christ, then we are obligated to not, offer a violent response. but that doesn't change the fact that I protect my family. That's also, I think, a biblical duty.
This situation in Minneapolis St. Paul area is very volatile
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, listen, we have a situation. I don't know. This situation in the Minneapolis St. Paul area is very volatile. it's fluid. And you have a situation, where, if I don't. I don't know how much strategy there is here on the part of the lefties. If they're sitting around going, hey, let's do this, let's do that. Or is this just. Ah. then they are organized. They are organized like this. Barging into this church. That was organized. Okay. blocking the ice, officers from, using their vehicles. That's organized for the most part. That these people have their own mechanisms of, you know, of, communicating with each other. How large a size they are, I don't know. But it doesn't take a lot to cause problems and real, problems. But here's the problem. Here's the overarching problem. As I see it, you have. All right, again, I don't want to rid of the whole thing, but the reason this is a Issue now is because Joe Biden, While President, let 10, 15 million estimates, maybe more people pour into our country illegally. He just opened the floodgates. We all know this because that's one of the reasons Democrats lost the presidential presidency. Biden just did away with our border. And so a lot of the. A lot of people came in, poured into our country. So when Trump was elected, he said, I'm going to initiate the largest deportation effort in our history. In response to Biden let everybody in. He's. Trump's got to try to use, ICE to get everybody out who shouldn't be here, who are here illegally, namely, criminals. Right. People here illegally who have committed crimes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. human trafficking, we know how bad that is. Drugs, gang activity, all those things. so when. Now that Trump you. Now that ICE is going into cities and trying to arrest people who are here. In the categories I just mentioned, the left doesn't believe in. They never believed in borders anyway. so they believe ICE doesn't need to exist because they don't believe in deporting anybody or arresting anybody. So that being the case, you have two different worldviews that are, you have law and order on one hand and you have another, worldview represented by these people who crashed into this church, that ICE is immoral. You shouldn't be trying to deport or arrest anybody. So that's the clash. so, but as I've said here before, on numerous occasions, too, when you put a film, when you put a video, a cell phone or a video camera, whatever, on the work of, police or, in this case, ice, and they have to use brute force to accomplish something. It never looks good. Okay. It never looks good. I mean, to most people, they go, can't you just ask them to move? You know, can't we just say pretty please?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: and no, These guys, these ICE agents are trained, and they're. They're really kind of hardened to this. And they, and they're defensive to now because why? Because they don't know what's around the next corner. And, and they also know that the local police don't have. Don't. Are going to help them at all.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right. Under orders from the mayor.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. So the mayor of Minneapolis says, don't cooperate with ice. So ICE is operating, on their own. So when they're confronted with these crazies, these lefties, these, some of them are violent. then. Then they can't. For example, when this, What was her name? Good.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Renee.
>> Fred Jackson: Good.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. Her car was out in the middle of the road, blocking the ICE agents. She wanted to make a statement. Okay. She was participating in and blocking, the ice, from doing their job. Well, ICE under normal conditions. Mike's called a Minneapolis police department, say, hey, can you come out here and help us get this lady off the road?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: She's blocking, and she's using her vehicle to block traffic. You could have an ambulance coming by. You could have somebody trying to give birth to a baby, trying to get to a hospital. There could be a number of reasons public safety would be at risk when you have somebody using their car to block the road for everybody else. Okay. But she was intended to block ice. But when the ICE calls Minneapolis Police Department, they say, you're on your own. You're on your own. You see the danger that puts everybody in and, the risky situation that puts everybody in. And that unfortunately led to this young lady's death. I hate that she died, but she put herself in a really bad way.
Minnesota is a hotspot for clashes between ICE and protesters
Well, that situation is now starting to happen on. On a daily basis.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Especially in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And that. That area, that's a hotspot now for, for clashes between ICE who are, again, they're on their own. They're told to do a job, enforce federal law, and they're told. And then they're told, well, no, we're Minneapolis, St. Paul, not going to help you at all.
>> Fred Jackson: Remember, the mission that ICE has in, Minneapolis is the same as the mission they had in NewSong Orleans. We didn't have problems in NewSong Orleans. The governor said, yes, go in and do the job that you're. We want you to do in Memphis. We didn't have these problems that were.
>> Tim Wildmon: They got in and they left. Right?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. And that is why the mayor of Minneapolis, Mayor Frey, and also the governor of the state, Tim Walz, basically, most people feel they're okay. They're encouraging these protests.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, they are.
>> Fred Jackson: They're encouraging this violence.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I think they absolutely are.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. And again, they don't believe. These people on the left do not believe. this is. It's hard to kind of comprehend, but they don't believe in borders. Okay. So they don't believe in border control. So they don't believe in deportation. I mean.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: They don't. They don't care that, I saw an ICE officer being videotaped by cell phone. A woman was in, I think it was. A woman was in a car. The ICE officer pulls up in his vehicle and says, we're. We're here trying to Arrest. Did y' all see this? Huh? did you see it, Brent? The ICE officer, says, we're here trying to arrest a child sex offender and you're blocking us from doing so. That's who you're defending. That's what he was saying. And, and we can't do our work that. But you're defending the child predator because we're here to arrest that person. Anyway. It was just. You're, going, like, what?
>> Ed Vitagliano: anyway, I think the Trump administration is going to have to. If they want, if they don't want to get driven out of Minneapolis, they're going to have to send federal troops with ice, in other words, to protect the streets and protect these ICE officers, while, they're going to get the person they need to get and keep protesters and stuff back.
>> Tim Wildmon: But I wonder how this plays out with just the general public, not people who are conservative, not people who are liberal, but just the general public. I've seen polling that suggests that ice is not viewed in a favorable way. It's 50, 50, maybe that's like the country, you know what I'm saying? Politically. But you understand what I'm saying? that, and you're right, the, the left wants. The ICE agents, they want to dox them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, I. Absolutely. That's why they went to this church. They want to document. We'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues on American Family Radio. 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 throughout 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 pound250 and say the keyword baby or visit preborn.com afr.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Email your comments to commentsafr.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.
American Family Radio Network welcomes visitors to its studios during the week
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. You're listening to afr. David and Tammy from Paris, Tennessee, drop by to see us and, say hello, tour the studios and our facilities here in the. You want to do that? We welcome folks to come by now. You need to bring something, like some kind of a housewarming gift or something.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or something to eat, something.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, that would be.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, anybody's house. You bring something.
>> Tim Wildmon: You bring something. That's what I'm saying. So if you come here to visit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Us, we're just kidding.
>> Tim Wildmon: Please bring, please bring something.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, we are kidding, but if you want to bring something down, we have.
>> Tim Wildmon: Our own popcorn, so that's taken care of.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, their own coffee.
>> Tim Wildmon: But, other than that, you can bring, you know, bring something. But anyway, I just, we, we do like having folks who listen to us if they want to stop by and see our studios and say hello.
>> Ed Vitagliano: During the weekday, it's a very easy thing to do, folks. You go to afa.net afa.net and right at the top there is a, a banner, with dropdown menus. You go to the far right. Oh, we got the drop down menu. We got. We. They're dropping down and they're menus and you go to more. And all the way at the bottom of that little drop down, it says visits. You click on that. You do have to fill something out so we make sure you're not running from the law or something like that. And but anyway, it's very easy process. You'll get some advisement, in terms of when to come Friday afternoons, it's pretty scarce around here in terms of, meeting your, you know, your favorite, maybe favorite, show host or whatever. but anyway, yeah, there you go.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it's federal holiday
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. Well, before we get back to the news of the day, we wanted to acknowledge that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Right, Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: That is correct. it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Just, reading this morning. You know, his birthday was last Thursday. If he was still alive, he'd be 97 years old.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow.
>> Fred Jackson: Last Thursday. And, he was tragically assassinated, as most people are aware, back in 1968. He was in Memphis and, was shot and killed there. He was a man who advocated, he believed in civil disobedience, but in a peaceful way. He stressed that over and over again. Alveda King, is the niece of Martin Luther King, and she was interviewed this morning about what she's seeing in the country today. And she wanted to contrast what she's seeing today in this country with what her uncle believed in. Cut number nine.
>> Tim Wildmon: During his lifetime. One of my uncle's favorite scriptures was Acts 17:26 of One Blood God made everyone. So I believe he would want us to know that we're just one human race and that we should be kind rather than all of the anarchy and violence. He said we must learn to live together as brothers, and I add, as sisters and not perish together as fools. And so the fear, the anger. He had many quotes about fear, faith, taking that first step without even being certain of the staircase. So if we can encourage people to not hate, he said that only love can drive out hate. Only faith can drive out fear. All of those quotes are just flooding back in my memory. And I believe if he were here, he would say, try to be kinder. All of the violence, fear not. And if you're afraid and if you're angry, begin to seek an opportunity to communicate without violence. Yeah, that was, Alveda King. Alve the King, good friend of ours. Anyway, today is Dr. Martin Luther King Day, and it's federal holiday.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: And a lot of.
>> Ed Vitagliano: A lot of schools are closed, banks.
>> Tim Wildmon: A lot of businesses are closed. Today, in recognition of mlk, you also wanted to mention something.
American Family Radio is partnering with Preborn to help save 5,000 babies
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I also wanted to mention, this week is our preborn, AFR Campaign 2026. what is preborn? The ministry, you might ask. Well, it is the direct competition to the abortion industry. It is the largest provider of free ultrasounds in the United States. And by letting a woman see her baby on an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat, a baby's chance at life is doubled. this technology really impacts a lot of women. So AFR partners with PreBorn every year. And over the past 20 years, Preborn partner clinics have counseled hundreds of thousands of women considering abortion. More than 400,000 babies. Lives have been saved. And at the same time, more than 100,000 women have surrendered their lives to Christ. So why is AFR partnering with PreBorn? Well, here it is what we're asking. We're asking you to give. And Your gift of $28 provides one woman seeking an abortion a free ultrasound. That gives the mom the opportunity to choose life for her baby. So $140 provides five free ultrasound sessions, reaching five women with the message of life, so on and so forth. The goal of this campaign, again, this campaign between preborn and American Family Radio is to help save 5,000 babies. So please consider a gift of any size. It all makes a difference. Here's how you give. You call this number, 877-616-2396. That number is 877-616-2396. Or you can go directly to afr.net that's afr.net for more information and, on the campaign and how you can give.
Indiana Hoosiers face Miami Hurricanes for college football national championship tonight
>> Tim Wildmon: So the national championship is tonight in college football.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That is true. Indiana.
>> Tim Wildmon: Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes. Who? You like it?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I'm, rooting for Indiana, and, I think Indiana is going to win. I think they may. They may very well win handily.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think 90, 8% of America's rooting for Indiana. I think maybe 2% for the Miami Hurricane.
>> Ed Vitagliano: This is the first chance for that school for a national championship.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Miami has won before.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Indiana Hoosiers football being in the national championship game is in the book of revelation. You have to read, huh?
>> Ed Vitagliano: as one of those things that you just didn't expect.
>> Tim Wildmon: You don't know. It's never happened before and it may never happen again, but it's happening now.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, we will see tonight, Indiana, what a story. One interesting note here. Ironic, I guess you could say. I don't know what other words to describe it, for those who don't follow the sport very much, but they may be watching tonight, the quarterback for Indiana, Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, the biggest award in all of college football. He, hails from Miami, Florida. His home, where he grew up was like 15 minutes or something like that from the campus of the University of Miami, the team they're playing tonight for the national championship. Well, the University of Miami did not offer him a scholarship to play for them. That says something about their scouting, I guess, huh? So here a guy is going around the world. He went out to California to play football, and then he ended up in Indiana, and now he's going back to play in, his hometown against the school that didn't recruit him.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Because the game is games at the Orange bowl, right?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's. It's really, really, I mean, well, like one in a million chance of that happening, right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: But yet, here we are, and the. The gentleman who's the coach of the Miami team and, Fernando Mendoza went to the same high school.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I did not know that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, not together, obviously. there's 20 years difference or, more between the two of them. But Cristobal, I think, is his name coach for the, Miami Hurricanes. He went to the same high school that Fernando Mendoza went to. It's really fascinating story, but, anyway, we'll see what happens.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, also, something that's very. Not many people know. This is the offensive coordinator for. In. For, Indiana was abducted by aliens. A lot of people don't. Didn't know.
>> Tim Wildmon: I didn't know that. Yeah, you know, you dig these stuff. You dig this stuff up that nobody knows, but it makes it more interesting to watch. So I'll be looking at. I'll be watching him tonight and looking for that backstory.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right. Sometimes they shine bright lights and he goes into. He covers up and see what happens.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's the night just tonight in Miami. It's not frozen in Miami. No, but it is in North Florida. I guess it is. All right, Fred, what's your next story?
Alexander Gray says President Trump should stop going after Greenland with tariffs
>> Fred Jackson: next story. let's go to the world of President Donald Trump.
>> Tim Wildmon: Let's get in that mind.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, he is headed for Davos, Switzerland, where tomorrow the World Economic Forum opens up. There is some question as to whether his friends in NATO will put out the welcome mat, because he's. He's now. He's now at war, with his friends in NATO. What's the subject of this war? Well, it's Greenland. Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to own Greenland.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And we're getting it. We're going to get it whether Greenland likes it or not.
>> Fred Jackson: Okay, well, that is true what you just said, but these NATO countries, have actually sent some troops into Greenland to protect Greenland from President Donald Trump. In response to their actions, President Trump has announced he's going to impose a 10% tariff on these NATO nations. Now, the British Prime Minister, Kerr Starmer, is warning President Trump to stop going after Greenland, especially using tariffs in this war. Cut number 11.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland's security as a justification for economic pressure.
>> Fred Jackson: Now, there's many people agree with President Trump that Greenland is strategic when it comes to security, because there is concern that Russia and China want very much, to have safe passage through that area. That's a danger, to our northern border.
>> Tim Wildmon: So what. Sorry, Fred. Our northern border.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, I should say through that northern part of the hemisphere, where you can have Enemies coming down just south of Greenland.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. The ice is melting up there.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. President Trump wants to protect the United States from possible entrance of China and Russia coming through that area. All right, so, Alex, to attack us, that. That's the upfront reason for all of this. Alexander Gray, the American Foreign Policy Council of the American Foreign Policy Council believes the President has a point. Cut number 12.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think our European friends really need to step back from this performative domestic politics that they're engaged in and realize that this is about a core interest of the United States. Greenland's a part of the Western hemisphere. It's, been under threat by Chinese and Russian, aggressive activity over the last, as the President said, several decades. Our friends in Denmark haven't done anything. Anything about it. And, the President was actually on the path last week with this meeting that Vice President Vance chaired to have a really successful path forward where we were talking directly to our Greenlandic friends and our Danish allies about a path forward for the United States to have more, ultimate control over Greenland. And then the Europeans decided to showboat, send in this absurd contingent of troops to act like they were agreeing, going to stop some sort of crazy American invasion.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's not a crazy American invasion. President Trump has said he may use troops. Am I right about that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, you're right. You're right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, listen, we can talk about this. what that gentleman was saying. There's a lot of truth in there. Who is he?
>> Fred Jackson: He is. Alexander Gray is with the American Foreign Policy Council.
>> Tim Wildmon: So here's, the asset and the detriment, if that's the right word that Trump has with respect to his words, when he says things like, we will send troops to Greenland to take it over. And that's what he said. In essence, if we have to, then people will say, well, that's crazy talk. Okay? And he doesn't really mean it. So I think what that gentleman you just heard right there is say. He's. He's basically saying that what Trump said about that is crazy talk, if you believe it, even though he's defending Trump's position. You see what I'm saying?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right?
>> Tim Wildmon: So, so with President Trump, and, sometimes this works to his advantage. You don't know when he's serious or not, and you don't know. It's very volatile because tomorrow he may completely Change his mind 180 degrees and say something different. He does that all the time. So it's kind of like whiplash. So you don't really know. Maybe he does that on purpose. I don't know. Maybe he had, you know, he had good eggs one day and bad eggs the next. I'm not sure exactly in terms of why he says the things that he does. And I'm generally supportive of President Trump. I think we all are here. I think he'd done a, I understood Venezuela. That was, that was clear what was going on there.
Babylon: I don't think President Trump has the right to take Greenland
When you're talking about taking over Greenland by force, I can't go for that. but maybe you guys can, and I don't know. I don't know that I'm, I can articulate why, except that it's. It's always been a, sovereign country.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ah.
>> Tim Wildmon: now it's a vast island, but it's of only about 60,000 people in this. Basically, it's a fishing village. I mean, Denmark has been the, country that's, I guess, over it, so to speak. But just to, What's the difference morally between just exerting our power to take over Greenland and what some other foreign country might do to take over.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Will China take over Taiwan?
>> Tim Wildmon: What about Russia taking over Ukraine?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: I mean, it's not going to get into a bloody battle like that, but you see what I'm saying. So what do you, you guys.
>> Ed Vitagliano: no, I don't. I don't think we should use troops to take Greenland. And my fear is that if we were going to, if we were planning, if the Trump administration was planning to enter into negotiations to talk to Greenland and Denmark and say, look, here's what we think is a possible threat, we need to have more bases, we have more intercept missiles that can intercept nuclear, you know, ICBMs, that might be coming over the Arctic, help us will pay. But when you say, as President Trump did, when he was told that, and I don't remember the man's name or the position, but he's, the head of Greenland premier or president or whatever, that he doesn't want, Want to, make a deal with the United States. President Trump said, well, that's his problem. We're going to do it and we're going to do it. You know, we can do it the easy way or the hard way. Basically, I don't think that this is the way. First of all, Denmark is an ally. Greenland, I think, would therefore fall under NATO, an alliance to which the United States really was the group, the country that began, NATO bringing these countries together so they could be a counterweight to the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. But you can put yourself. Why would you put yourself in a position where you, where NATO might declare war on you? I'm not saying NATO could, but these are allies. I don't, I'm not sure exactly why you would. If this is a negotiating tactic on the part of the President, I don't know why you would do it this way. And let me. Now, this stuff is real in terms of the importance of Greenland. As the Arctic ice continues to melt. The Russians, for example, the only way they can get their fleet out, to the broader Atlantic Ocean is to go through these little straits between Denmark and Sweden. Denmark's very good, Sweden's very good. Norway's all very good with anti submarine technology. Okay. Or the, so the Soviets, the Russians can go through the Dardanelle Strait, the Bosphorus, between Europe, and Turkey. So if that ice melts, the Russian navy would have broader access to the Atlantic. Okay. So there, there are real things. There are minerals in Greenland. There are some real security issues there. But I don't think that the United States, I don't think President Trump has the right legally, constitutionally to basically declare war on Greenland without congressional approval. It's certainly not, well, require money being spent on.
>> Tim Wildmon: So President Trump, and Norway Prime Minister Jonas, Gar Storr, I think is the gentleman's name. Anyway, they, they have, this is in the news. They were in discussions about the situation because Norway is in the region. Right, right. And this is what President Trump. So the Norway, Norwegian Prime Minister is basically complaining to Trump. Don't, don't escalate this. Stop this. So this is what President, Trump wrote to the gentleman, the Prime Minister of Norway. And I'm not making this up. I'm not. Okay. This isn't I'm not trying to be comical here.
>> Fred Jackson: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm not going to come back and say just booger. Yeah, okay. Which I can do that. I've done sometimes. I've done that before.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We kind of do the Babylon B thing.
>> Tim Wildmon: We do.
Fred says Denmark cannot protect Greenland from Russia or China
Okay. Dear Jonas, this is probably in the last 48 hours. Dear Jonas, that's the gentleman who's the Norwegian Prime Minister. Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped eight plus wars, I, no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect the land from Russia or China. And why do we have to have a quote, right of ownership Anyway, there are no written documents. It's only a boat that landed there hundreds of years ago. But we had boats landing there. Also. I have done more for NATO than any person since its founding. And now NATO should do something for the United States. The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you, President djt.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So that's the first I've heard of it. I don't know what to say to that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, first he's mad because he didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Look, stop date wars.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Russia and China are not going to attack Greenland for the very reasons we're talking about. It is under the control of a member of NATO. They would know that to attack Greenland is to declare war on NATO. Okay. Now they may try to influence Greenland in other ways. Okay, but that's Greenland's right. Greenland is sovereign. Okay. So, this is no different. I'm not saying the United States is like Communist China, but it's no different than I'm going to give Fred a chance because I'm sucking up all the oxygen.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. We're paying Fred to do nothing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. So if, if, if China invades Taiwan, we cannot make that a moral issue if we've taken Greenland by force. Fred, go ahead.
>> Fred Jackson: I think, and maybe it's more hope than think that there will be an agreement between, President Trump and these NATO nations. He's going to be meeting with them in Davos this week. I think they will come to some kind of security agreement on Greenland. Now, if he insists, keeps insisting that the United States is just going to go in and take Greenland, that's not going to work out.
>> Tim Wildmon: He says, we have, we, the United States needs to have complete and total control of Greenland.
>> Fred Jackson: Not going to happen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, now he, look, he is right that the United States, he's not right that he's done more for NATO than anyone else. What about ending the founding? I don't even know what he's. He may be referring to conflicts in the Middle East, I don't know. But, but he is right that NATO should be very cooperative with the United States because we've funded most of NATO. We've, we've, we have, pre positioned assets and troops and bases that have long shielded Europe from having to protect itself.
>> Tim Wildmon: Duly noted.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And so he is right about that. But to me, that those are the negotiations that should go on behind the scenes. You don't try to humiliate sovereign countries into doing what you want. If you are negotiating, now Trump's a far better negotiator than I am, I freely admit that. But like Fred said, this is not going to happen. You. You. You're going to rupture the alliance, the NATO alliance. You could end NATO.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, he's slapping tariffs on these countries, too. we talked about slapping tariffs, haven't we? oh, oh, yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Slapping away. Slap, slap, slap.
>> Tim Wildmon: which I think is a, complete and total misuse of tariffs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think that's primarily unconstitutional. And if anyone listen, I'm sure some people get mad. You think? I'm just criticizing President Trump. The Constitution is the law, the supreme law of the land, and it gives Congress the right to. If anybody's going to slap tariffs, it's supposed to be Congress. Now, the president said he had the right under emergency powers because of fentanyl. I don't believe that anymore.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is Greenland shipping fentanyl?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Over.
>> Fred Jackson: No.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So we've got to protect the. The rule of law. And even conservatives need to encourage the president to do what the Constitution says he can do. And I am with you. I like 95% of what President Trump has done.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I am a Trump fan.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's going to lose people on this.
>> Ed Vitagliano: One, but he's going to. But this is a loser. You can't have. You can't have the image of US Troops invading Greenland.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's going to lose support.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, we'll be back momentarily. Fred, we thank you immensely for your contributions to this show and the 17 words that you expressed us that we.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Allowed him to express.
>> Tim Wildmon: I will be back momentarily. 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.
