The plan is to have Ambassador Mike Huckabee on the program tomorrow
>> Ed Vitagliano: Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening on this. July 22, 2026. Hard to believe July 4th is come and gone already.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's in the rearview mirror.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yep. So, Tim, Ed and Wesley here now. Steve Paisley Gerardo joins us. Good morning, Steve.
>> Steve Jordahl: Good morning, everybody.
>> Ed Vitagliano: By the way, I do want to remind folks that tomorrow during your segment. Yeah, Steve, we're gonna.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The plan is to have Ambassador, Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel, on the program with us. So I know you'll have some great questions.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, we're going to talk about playing bass.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes, that's right.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We'll. We'll talk about the weather, you know,
>> Tim Wildmon: fishing on the White River.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Trout fish in there.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We'll talk about, what's going on in the Middle East.
>> Steve Jordahl: Absolutely. Sure.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's got quite a bit of insight.
>> Tim Wildmon: We look forward to having Ambassador Mike Huckabee on this time tomorrow on this network. Look forward to talking to.
>> Steve Jordahl: Absolutely, Mike.
>> Tim Wildmon: I've known him for a long time. Just a great man and a great leader of Arkansas and then serving.
>> Ed Vitagliano: that's somebody who. I mean, you just look at his life, all that he's been. He was a Baptist preacher, pastor for many years, governor of the state, ambassador to Israel. I mean, this is a man. This man's lived a full life in the service and had a very popular
>> Tim Wildmon: TV show on Fox. Forgot about that for like five or ten years. And then,
>> Steve Jordahl: And a talk show on one, of the Christian channels. Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, yeah, he's a very accomplished man.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. Quite a resume.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think he played in Cats on Broadway.
>> Steve Jordahl: I might have missed that one.
>> Ed Vitagliano: He's kind of like. Like, you talk about your past, Tim, except he's actually done it. Like when you talk about your career,
>> Tim Wildmon: that you potentially could have been an NBA.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Could have, you know, could have been a nuclear.
>> Tim Wildmon: I was ambassador to Guatemala for. That was a brief stint. Yeah, that would have been back.
>> Wesley Wildmon: You're an ambassador to Destin, Florida?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes, I am currently an ambassador to Destin, Florida. Yes. That's a spend. I spent time there trying to, you know, make things better for people.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yeah. For the whole human race, really.
Rick Scott and Marsha Blackburn introduce legislation to honor Communist China victims
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, Steve, over to you.
>> Steve Jordahl: Hey.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey.
>> Steve Jordahl: So we've been talking a little bit about how the Democrat Party's being overrun by the Democrat Socialists of America and
>> Tim Wildmon: how we don't care.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, it's about to get interesting.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: because one of the things that they have done is they have made, communism great again. people like Hasan Piker has. He actually came dressed to a speech in a Chairman Mao outfit.
>> Tim Wildmon: Who's this?
>> Steve Jordahl: Hassan Piker is a dsa, is an influencer, let's call him. But he's one of the voices that they're listening to in the Democrat Party. These people are being asked, so the leadership is being asked, what do you think about this? And they're hemming and hawing. Well, Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee have introduced legislation on Tuesday to create a monument in Washington, D.C. to honor the victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and political persecution committed by the Chinese Communist Party. And they're going to make Democrat lawmakers vote on it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ooh, that's pretty. That's pretty sneaky.
>> Tim Wildmon: What do you think President Trump would be in favor of that?
>> Steve Jordahl: Probably. the monument. I think he'd be in favor of the monument, but he doesn't have to vote. All these Democrats.
>> Tim Wildmon: That about it, though?
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, maybe, but all of these Democrat senators that are being asked whether they support, the Democrat socialists and, you know, do they have anything bad to say about China and they can't. It's gonna be interesting to see how they vote. Do they incur the wrath of.
>> Tim Wildmon: Do you think that's the reason they're doing it? Just to force a vote on China?
>> Steve Jordahl: Absolutely. That's the reason they're doing it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or a vote on communism, too?
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Interesting. Marshall Blackburn, who.
>> Steve Jordahl: And Rick Scott.
>> Tim Wildmon: They're forcing a vote on whether you want to create a monument to remember the victims of Communist China.
>> Steve Jordahl: Correct.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, we'll see where that goes.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: What's the next story?
President Trump accused China of meddling in the 2020 election
>> Steve Jordahl: All right. President Trump, about a week ago made, a nationwide speech, talking about the voting, that China had come and had infiltrated our elections and that they were. We're watching out for them because they are at it again. some people think that the speech was also a little bit about relitigating the 2020 election, but he says it was looking forward. Well, yesterday he was asked in the Oval Office about this, and it's interesting to hear him walk it back a little bit. I'm just. I'm confused by this. This is cut 19.
>> Tim Wildmon: Mr. President, are you planning on putting any pressure or consequences on China for what you announced about them meddling in the 2020 election?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, we're going to about it. It took place a long time ago. I think China is maybe a little bit different today than it was then, but look, there, they do things and we do things to them. I'll be honest, we do things to them, too. It's not a one way street, but we'll be talking to them.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. So I'm, I'm all ears. Go ahead.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I got no comment. That's what I got, no comment.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, the reason this is puzzling is because the president, it was a pretty big build up to the speech last week, wasn't it? Last week? Last Thursday.
>> Tim Wildmon: Last Thursday.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and I taped it. Nobody was sure exactly what he was going to say, but when he did speak, he accused China of executing the largest compromise of election data in history by acquiring data on U.S. voters, during the, for the 2020 election. he also alleged President Trump did that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies suppress that information. Okay, so that sounds like a pretty big deal. And now, so, you know, the thing is, what are we going to do about it and what are we going to do to prevent it from happening?
>> Tim Wildmon: What Trump just said was, what I said last Thursday was no big deal.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's the way it sounds.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Huh?
>> Tim Wildmon: Huh?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I mean, that's, that's the way it sounds. He sounds like he's downplaying it.
>> Tim Wildmon: He is.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And listen, I absolutely agree with the President. We do stuff to other countries, the other countries do stuff to us. We spy on them, they spy on us. All of that is true. We've been doing that for, for decades, decades upon decades. And people have been trying to do it to us and sometimes succeed.
>> Tim Wildmon: But, you know. Well, go ahead. Well, last Thursday he did tease the speeches like it was going to be some kind of blockbuster, you know, revelation of information that we were unaware of that shows that voting machines were changed in Georgia and Michigan and that, that was, that was the, that was the buildup. Right?
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And then you talk about nothing. Then he pulls out this. Oh, yeah, China's got all our addresses and our phone numbers and our Social Security numbers. and there was no evidence put forth that China even did anything with that. That I heard.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right. And in the aftermath, because the President declassified some of these documents, you know, in order to prove the claim. And listen, I think shenanigans went on in 2020. I can't prove it, but it just, things just were not.
>> Tim Wildmon: If we can't prove it, how long are we going to keep talking about it? But everybody says that shenanigans went on, but I can't prove it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's what Trump's been saying shenanigans went on, but I can't prove it. Well, it's six years ago. Okay. Am I right?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: So the shenanigans need to be proven or stop talking about it. Let's move on.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Why?
>> Wesley Wildmon: I said no comment.
>> Tim Wildmon: No comment. Because. So I don't know what he's talking about right here. Well, yesterday he goes, Steve played it. Basically, what he's saying, Trump saying is it happened so long ago. Of course, if anybody says that in the Republican Party, then Trump axes them. Okay.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: If you, if you were to say 2020's election. And that was a long. Well, Mo Brooks in Alabama, the congressman was running for Senate over there, and he said, we need to put that in the. Pat, that's in the past talking m. About the 2020 election.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is about three years ago. And Trump goes, oh, yeah, well, you're out. I'm pulling my endorsement from you. You're done. What I'm saying is, if you question that the election being rigged, right. Trump's words in 2020, then he'll like, kick you to the curb unless you're the. Unless you're the Chinese. In which he says, that was a long time ago. And we do that to them, too.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right. And we'll talk to him.
>> Tim Wildmon: We'll talk to them. Next story, Steve.
Not all Muslims are terrorists, Todd Nettleton says
>> Steve Jordahl: All right, I want to recognize, the. Some of the martyrs that we, talk about every week. Every other week, I interview Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs. And we have stories on our air on American Family News about some persecuted Christians around the world. Well, a story is coming out. A Nigerian pastor that was highlighted by President Trump. His name is Reverend Ezekiel Dacomo. And President Trump highlighted him, when he was highlighting the problem of, the massacre of Christians in Nigeria. Right, I remember that well, nine members of Pastor decomo's family have been killed by the Fulani herdsmen, by basically a Islamic militant group.
>> Tim Wildmon: Like a Boko Haram.
>> Steve Jordahl: Like a Boko Haram
>> Tim Wildmon: or Bin Laden or that kind of thing.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: And they have issued a death threat against him. Now, so he posted on Exodus Week a few days ago, Flanni Herdsman sent a threatening letter to me and to members of my church. Its message was terrifying. They vowed attack on me and kill me soon, just as they killed nine of my relatives. The pastor continued, I know what it means to stand before grieving families whose only crime was refusing to deny Jesus Christ. Now they say I will be next. But I ask the world, what is my crime? He is still though, going to be preaching the gospel. He is still going to church. He is still standing in the face of this and refusing to recant.
>> Tim Wildmon: Let me real quick. talk, Listen. The reason Islamists kill people. okay. Almost all the terrorists in the world are Muslims.
>> Wesley Wildmon: 97%.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is that what it is? But not all Muslims are terrorists. See, I want to make that distinction. Almost all the terrorist acts in the world committed are by Muslims. But obviously not all Muslims are terrorists. The vast majority of Muslims are not. They're peaceful people. So I want to make that distinction, that clarification now. Why do these Muslim terrorists kill people? You don't have the, you don't have Christians. You ever heard of a Christian terrorist group killing people for. No, I mean, when have you ever heard of that?
>> Wesley Wildmon: Or, or, or any other, any other religion?
>> Steve Jordahl: That's just the Crusades.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Any other religion.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, we did a good job in the Crusades. I'm just kidding. The Crusades were. But, but the Crusades, if you want to revisit response to we're in the Middle Ages, is we're in response to the Muslims taking over the Holy Land. That's an issue for another day. So, but, but let me just say this. the, the reason is. You have. It really goes back to the reason we're at war with Iran. And the Middle east is always in turmoil. If you want to know why is because a fundamental teaching of Islam is that the Muslims who are devout must bring the world to heel in the name of Allah. So submission.
>> Tim Wildmon: So they're, I'm talking about the devout ones who they, their view is, for example, they're in Africa. Christians, don't deserve to live if they're not worshiping Allah. Allah tells us to take them out. And so these Muslim terrorists, they believe they're on a righteous holy mission from Allah to take out to murder infidels, the Christians in this case. And if they don't, Allah is going to be displeased with them and send them to hell. So you see the motivation here. Does that make, am I making sense? I'm trying to explain to people why, ah, ISIS operates. Why, you know, all the, there's, there's four or five that name brands that we all would recognize. What was Bin Laden's group called?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Al Qaeda.
>> Tim Wildmon: Al Qaeda. you're the Muslim Brotherhood,
>> Ed Vitagliano: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian revolutionary, Boko Haram, Nigeria. These are probably the Fulani militants.
>> Tim Wildmon: They view Their calling from Allah to make the world become Muslims. And if it means killing people, then that's part of it, yes. Any thoughts on that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: No. That is the issue. We remember, the Coptic Christians, that infamous picture of The, I think 20 Coptic Christians on, On a beach. It might have been in Libya, I don't remember. But ISIS, I remember that black. Remember the 10 years ago, the Christians dressed in yellow orange jumpers.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And they were executed because they would not submit to Islam. And this is, this is a, this is a. Listen, this is a problem that the west increasingly is having to face. Again, this has been off and on with, Islam for century upon century, since the 700s, A.D. and now Europe is having to face these, you know, these stabbings and London and Paris, other places like that. We are facing, an increasingly aggressive Islam in our country. And the west had better figure out what you just explained, Tim, and what the President is learning or is dealing with, let's put it this way, in terms of the people in charge in Iran, these are, we call them radical, but I think it's probably more fair to say they are faithful, true believers, devout followers, of the message of Islam.
>> Steve Jordahl: And I think the west makes a horrendous mistake when they look at, for example, the war in Gaza and say that Muslims are reacting by the west and that if we just gave them schools or hospitals or let them have land, they would be appeased and they would be free and they would be happy that this is not the case.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I had the opportunity to meet Jim Garlow when he came by the office. This would have been 10 years ago or so, and he was advertising or we were promoting his book called well Versed. I was interested in it, so I got it and I read it. And this comes from the book well Verse that Pastor, Jim Garlo wrote. Now this was released, like I said, eight years ago. So these numbers have changed or worse than they are now. Yeah, but in his book on Islam and terrorism.
At least 95% of all ongoing wars, violence have roots in Islam
I'm sorry, in the chapter within his book on Islam and terrorism, he writes this. As this book is being written, there have been at least 28,348 deadly Islamic terrorist attacks world worldwide since 9 11. 400 out of the 452 suicide terrorist acts since 911 were, were Islamic terrorists. 450 out of 452 were Islamic terrorists. Last sentence. That. I mean there's a whole chapter on it, but I'll end with this. At least 95% of all of all ongoing wars, violence have roots in Islam.
>> Steve Jordahl: How many acts since then?
>> Wesley Wildmon: 11.
>> Steve Jordahl: The first number you gave?
>> Wesley Wildmon: 28,348. And this book is about eight years old.
>> Steve Jordahl: Wow.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Wesley Wildmon: So, I mean, it's overwhelming. It's not. It's not. And then he also points out later on in the chapter, another stat that we mentioned. Yes, not all. Not all. Not all. Not all Muslims are terrorists. But 10% raised their hand and said, we are for terrorism. 10% of all Muslims.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's also not a small. In fact, it's typically, a majority of Muslims in democratic countries say they're in favor of Sharia law running the country.
>> Wesley Wildmon: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, you know, another thing is. And we don't, we can maybe delve into this later with more people, especially Americans, the Westerners. But Americans are quick to dismiss. they'll lump all religions together. They'll say, all religions just bad. You know, all wars are caused by religion. Or, not all, but, you know, that's what you'll hear. You hear that kind of thing. And without distinguishing between what are the tenets of, the said religion, what are the tenets of Christianity? Love, peace, charity.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Huh?
>> Tim Wildmon: Huh? Forgiveness.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: What are the tenets of Islam? Force, the world to submit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Kill the infidel.
>> Tim Wildmon: Kill the infidel. What are the tenets of Buddhism? What are the tenets of Confucianism? What are the tenets of. Whatever. Hinduism. In other words, all religions aren't the same.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right?
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. And they don't have the same beliefs, the same objectives. So, if you look around the world, it's Christianity that has done more charity work for the poor and the needy around the world than any other religion in history. And I'm including the Catholics and the Protestants. and why is that? You go, why do we raise money in American churches to support a hospital
>> Ed Vitagliano: in
>> Tim Wildmon: the middle of the jungle in Africa? I don't know these people.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right?
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't have anything to do with them.
>> Wesley Wildmon: I got people water wells in India.
>> Tim Wildmon: Water wells. Why do we raise money for that? Why do we care about that if this life is all there is to live? Why? Because the tenets of, the faith of Christianity teaches that we should care about people who are in poverty, who are in need, who are hungry, who are.
>> Steve Jordahl: If you've done it to the least of these, you've done it to me.
>> Tim Wildmon: So that's why we raise money. That's why we pass the offering plate for people, to help people we'll never meet in this lifetime. You see what I'm saying?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And that's why you have people, like Richard Dawkins, who is one of the original, who is one of the original NewSong Atheists now saying, I believe we need cultural Christianity to save the West. They don't become Christians, but they understand the difference between Christianity and Islam.
Dubai airport uses artificial intelligence to automatically recognize passengers
>> Steve Jordahl: Good news to end the show. looks like artificial intelligence may be the answer to airport security lines.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, the answer, my friend, is
>> Steve Jordahl: blowing in the wind. Blowing in the wind in Dubai, at Dubai International Airport, they have now installed, security systems where you don't need to show a passport or boarding pass. Passengers can instead use. The new technology uses AI biometric cameras and flight data to automatically recognize passengers. You walk basically down a red carpet. You can go 10 at a time. It takes between six and 14 seconds to get through security. You don't have to take off any
>> Tim Wildmon: shoes or put up the tsa.
>> Steve Jordahl: Out of business.
>> Tim Wildmon: Better be looking for other jobs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, this is, I read this. This is pretty cool.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: I mean, you already have facial recognition that's instantaneous at airports. If you go through security now, people go through. You walk, you walk up, you hand them your passport or your driver's license, and they say, stand in front of the camera, and within one or two seconds, they say, thank you, and you have facial recognition. that's, like I said, instantaneous. In the case of, this, this is probably going to go worldwide where, you know, they know, they know the AI identifies you. It's kind of scary, too. It's kind of like,
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, they say in China they can identify the location of any of their billion and a half citizens within three seconds.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't want to be on, I don't want to be on Flight 666, I'll tell you that right now.
>> Steve Jordahl: That's true.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know what I'm saying? I'm going to change my flight. I'll wait till later.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, AI, for better or for worse, and probably a mix of both, AI is coming, and our lives are going to be vastly different. This is one of the good ways where it's. Although I, I, I still get a
>> Tim Wildmon: little nervous if they're not doing a metal detector.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, can this be hacked? You know, you know, well, it's
>> Tim Wildmon: on trial in Dubai. They're doing a test. I think Dubai is the most traveled airport in the world, at least,
>> Ed Vitagliano: outside of the US but AI is coming. Our lives in 10 years are going to be vastly different.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Oh. country boy. Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Go, AI.
>> Tim Wildmon: If AI can somehow help your golf. My college. But my college football team. To ever win an SEC championship. I will be forever grateful for to AI. Yeah.
>> Wesley Wildmon: Above the golf game.
>> Steve Jordahl: They just have to sign a contract with China.
>> Tim Wildmon: Huh?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Huh?
>> Steve Jordahl: They just have to sign a contract with China. And hope that the rest of your soul he doesn't.
>> Tim Wildmon: China. See you tomorrow, everybody.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ra.
