Skip to content 10/12/2026 A Biblical Look at Domestic Issues and the Church's Role in Shaping Culture Oct 12 · 59 min ...more
10/12/2026 A Biblical Look at Domestic Issues and the Church's Role in Shaping Culture
October 12, 2026 · 59 min
Today on Washington Watch, Jody and guests unpack the sudden implications of Democratic Socialism in American elections, the "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, the rise in popularity of Sharia Law, and the church's responsibility to be bold on issues of the day.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
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October 12, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Today on Washington Watch, Jody and guests unpack the sudden implications of Democratic Socialism in American elections, the "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, the rise in popularity of Sharia Law, and the church's responsibility to be bold on issues of the day. ...more Show the full description Show less Today on Washington Watch, Jody and guests unpack the sudden implications of Democratic Socialism in American elections, the "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, the rise in popularity of Sharia Law, and the church's responsibility to be bold on issues of the day.
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In this video 0:00 News Headlines and Middle East Conflict13:35 Concerns Over Democratic Socialists in Politics37:25 Russia Ukraine Energy Ceasefire and Diesel Deal44:38 Pastors Must Address Moral and Political Issues51:50 Youth Views on Sharia Law and Socialism
News Headlines and Middle East Conflict 0:00 Hello. I'm Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and host of Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Every day, we offer a biblical perspective on the news as well as insightful interviews with elected0:12 leaders, newsmakers, and culture experts. We have a great program planned for you today, but 1st, get up to speed on the top headlines with Washington Stan's news brief.0:27 Welcome to the Washington Stan news brief. I'm Casey Harper bringing you today's big stories. 1 American was killed over the weekend at the Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia. In total, 13 people were killed and more than0:38 300 others were injured in the Saturday attack. The Houthi terrorist group, which is backed by Iran and has recently taken over large swaths of Yemen and attacked the key trade route off its coast, is responsible for the0:50 attack. The strike is another example of the escalating situation in the Middle East and the growing strength of the terrorist group. President Trump called the assault unacceptable and said Saudi Arabia is capable of1:01 defending itself. However, the next day, Sunday, another attack left another dead and 11 more injured. 1 other international news. President Trump said Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had1:13 agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire. But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he was unaware of such an agreement. President Trump wrote on his true social account the deal was, quote, effective immediately,
1:25 adding that both parties have agreed. However, Zelensky told Axios that president Trump's announcement was, quote, news for me, adding that if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree. This
1:37 is the latest hiccup in their relationship. In fact, on Saturday, president Trump attacked Zelensky, insisting that the Ukrainian leader was blocking a peace deal. He also called on Ukraine to hold an election to replace
1:48 him.
1:49 Well, I think that Russia would like to make a deal, and we've had it back and forth, but Russia would like to make a deal. But, as I said, this is something that could have been
2:01 solved many times, but for whatever reason, Zelensky does not wanna make a deal. And if you look at the odds, you know, you're talking about millions more
2:13 soldiers on 1 side than the odds. I think it it would have been smart. If he would have made a deal 2 years ago, it would have been a lot... It would have been a lot better off.
2:22 And what if... What if,
2:24 he could have made a much better deal 2 years ago?
2:27 On Friday, the president also announced a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel fuel to the US and global markets amid these high diesel prices. But this received some pushback since it
2:39 contradicts the spirit of the Lindsey Graham Russia sanctions bill that the president signed just a few weeks ago. Well, meanwhile, back in the US, hurricane Isaias made landfall early on
2:51 Saturday, killing at least 4 people and leaving about 670000 residents in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi without power. Florida governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference Monday
3:03 about the damage.
3:04 We, just at the state level, we've already commit, completed 402 separate response missions since the storm hit on Friday night. I wanna thank the Florida division of emergency management for all
3:16 the things that they've done because they've made a big difference. So, as of 12 o'clock central, more than 70 percent of the accounts have been restored for power.
3:28 DeSantis estimated that now the number in Florida without power has dropped to about 123000. Alabama is at about 15000, Georgia at 3700, and Mississippi at about 700 with those
3:40 numbers improving every hour. Well, in other news, the Department of Justice has raided the home of Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota congresswoman and vocal critic of president Trump. Homeland security officers were seen entering
3:52 and exiting Omar's Washington DC residence Monday morning. And the raid followed a criminal fraud investigation into the Somali born lawmaker's immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was
4:03 a child, according to Fox News Digital. Omar responded on x Monday saying, quote, make no mistake. This is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. I will not be silenced.
4:15 Well, we'll keep you updated on the latest in that story. And for our last story today, a new White House press secretary started Monday. President Trump announced that Katie Zachariah had taken over the role and went...
4:26 Will host her 1st press conference Tuesday morning. She's an attorney who regularly appears on cable news defending the president. She replaces the outgoing Caroline Levitt. Well, that is today's news. I'm
4:38 Casey Harper. You can find out more at the Washington Sand. As for us, we're back next time with more stories that matter.
4:52 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and
5:04 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
5:10 Now Russia must must also show that it agrees to this energy ceasefire. And if the Americans need it, we are ready to sign
5:22 these guarantees to make sure they can be trusted.
5:30 That was Ukrainian president Zelensky earlier today urging the Trump administration to ensure Russia abides by the terms of a new energy ceasefire. Welcome to
5:41 this Monday, October 12th edition of Washington Watch. It is Columbus Day. In some places, Indigenous Peoples Day, but we are glad to have you with us. I'm your host for the day filling
5:53 in for Tony. Alright. We've got a lot to bring your way today. We're just weeks away from the November midterm elections, and a new poll finds that 55 percent of American
6:05 voters are concerned about Democratic socialists running for and winning elected office. Tennessee congressman Chuck Fleischman is a member of the house appropriations
6:17 committee. He'll be joining us to discuss this as well as the economic implications of the socialist policies that are being proposed by democratic candidates.
6:29 Plus, president Trump has announced an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, but it's not yet clear whether Russia agrees to it or not. Stephen Moore, founder and president
6:41 of the Ukraine Freedom Project, will join us to discuss this as well as president Trump's call for a leadership change in the Ukraine. And then a recent
6:53 poll now shows that 43 percent of young voters have a positive view of Sharia law. Author and columnist Larry Taunton will be joining me to discuss
7:05 what this could mean for the mid midterm elections. As as we all know, 1 race in Michigan involves a Muslim America who is now pushing back on calls to ban
7:17 the implementation of Sharia law. So all that and more is coming your way in the next hour on this edition of
7:29 Washington Watch.
7:31 We begin today with a conflict in the Middle East. Riyadh's international airport in Saudi Arabia remains shut down following deadly attacks by the Iran
7:43 aligned Houthis over the weekend. And joining us now to discuss this is Washington stand reporter, Casey Harper. Casey, thanks for joining us. What's the latest developments there?
7:55 Yeah. Thanks, Jody. A pretty troubling sign here in Saudi Arabia. So authorities have closed the international airport until Saturday and scrapped flights after these attacks by the Houthis over the weekend that killed
8:06 13, including an American. More than 300 people were injured in the attacks. There was 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday. On the the 1 Sunday, nearly a dozen people were injured, marking the highest death toll from a single
8:17 assault inside Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. A spokesperson from the United Nations earlier today denounced the attacks. In fact, here's a clip.
8:26 The secretary general strongly condemns the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, especially on Saudi civilian infrastructure, including the airports. The attacks on civilians, the
8:38 attacks on civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law, and they must stop.
8:45 And president Trump has said he's not gonna strike Iran anymore before the election, but now he's facing questions about Saudi Arabia. He said he is considering whether the US will get involved in that offensive against
8:55 the Houthis. Jody.
8:58 Alright, Casey. Thank you. Let's, shift if we can to some domestic news. We have a new poll that I referenced. It says most Americans are concerned about democratic socialist candidates running
9:10 for and potentially getting elected to office. Can you walk us through some of the findings in that poll?
9:17 Yeah. That's right. This is from the Center Square voters voice poll. It found that more than 0.5, 55 percent of US voters are concerned about democratic socialists running for and winning elected positions. It also
9:28 showed that 37 percent of American voters said they're not concerned, and 20 percent said they're somewhat concerned. Now if you dig into who's actually winning, data from the Democratic Socialists of America shows that
9:39 7 of their 25 endorsed candidates won their US house primaries. They've won 3 victories in New York, 2 in Michigan, 1 in Colorado, and 1 in Pennsylvania. Now notably, of course, Republicans, but
9:51 also moderate Democrats have raised cautionary flags about these Democratic socialist, Jody.
9:58 Alright, Casey. Earlier today, I wanted to get your your thoughts on this, making news. Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar's home was raided by US immigration authorities. Can you tell us
10:10 what that is all about?
10:12 Yeah. Big news here in DC. Our multiple federal agents were seen outside her Washington, DC residence. They're seen entering and exiting the property. Reportedly, Homeland Security investigators are examining claims of
10:24 immigration fraud from the congresswoman who's born in, Somalia. Now part of the pro concerns her immigration paperwork, which reports say her late father completed when she was a child. Now she responded on
10:36 x earlier today after the raid saying she will, quote, not be silenced and added that this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. Well, Homeland Security investigation
10:48 is leading this probe, Jody, which is ongoing.
10:52 Alright, Casey. As always, thank you for getting us kicked off today. Let's turn our attention now back to the new poll on how American voters are reacting to the rise of socialist candidates running
11:04 for office. And joining us now to share his reaction on all of this is congressman Chuck Fleischman. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee and represents the 3rd congressional district of the
11:16 great state of Tennessee. Congressman Fleischman, my friend, good to see you again. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
11:23 Jody, my great former colleague, and you do such a good job on the Family Research Council show here. Tell Tony I said, hey. It's always a pleasure to be with you, sir.
11:33 Well, it's great to have you as well. Alright. We were talking about this. The poll from the Center Square voters voice found that 55 percent American voters are concerned about Democratic socialist
11:45 candidates who are running for office and the the concerns that some of them might actually win. Only 37 percent are not concerned. I was just curious your thoughts on this.
11:58 We all should be concerned about democratic socialist or so called democratic socialist. 100 percent of the American electorate should be concerned because the 2 terms don't go together.
12:10 Socialism is antithetical to democracy, to our great republic, which values not only political but economic freedom. The outrageous platforms that the
12:22 democratic socialist not only espouse but advocate for. They're no longer hiding it. It used to be, Jody, when we were younger, liberals hid their liberalism. Socialists definitely
12:34 hid their socialist agenda. Now they are avowed about it. They are, going out and campaigning on these issues. It surprises me and shocks me that
12:46 more people are not concerned. 55 percent is an okay number. It should be 100 percent. Let me be clear. In order order for freedom to ring from sheet... Sea to shining
12:58 sea, we have got to have we have got to have, be rid of socialism. They're antithetical to our great republic. This is a scare. What's even worse is
13:09 democratic socialists are running and winning in radical left districts, and the democrats are crafty. That's why we need to beat them this time in the house and senate. What they're doing, Jody, is they're running more
13:20 moderate democrats in areas where Democratic socialist could not win. So we're gonna get a bad mix of moderate Democrats, left of center Democrats, and radical socialists who I
13:31 think largely are communists.
13:34 Yeah. So you wonder what is behind all of this. I mean, we are actually seeing an embrace of socialism among many Democrats. In fact, the CBS News poll, backShow more
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