Skip to content 2/17/2026 Among several Topics, Jody Hice and Guests Look at the Progressive Collegiate Indoctrination System Feb 17 · 54 min ...more
2/17/2026 Among several Topics, Jody Hice and Guests Look at the Progressive Collegiate Indoctrination System
February 17, 2026 · 54 min
A trans-identifying person murdered his wife and children, Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, fighting abortion drug trafficking, and college students identify as progressives to succeed academically.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio February 17, 2026 · 54 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
A trans-identifying person murdered his wife and children, Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, fighting abortion drug trafficking, and college students identify as progressives to succeed academically. ...more Show the full description Show less A trans-identifying person murdered his wife and children, Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, fighting abortion drug trafficking, and college students identify as progressives to succeed academically.
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In this video 0:00 Government Shutdown and Domestic Tragedies13:57 Tensions in US-Iran Nuclear Talks27:03 Safeguarding Women and Unborn Life in Iowa37:13 Combating College Indoctrination with Biblical Truth
Government Shutdown and Domestic Tragedies 0:00 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation's leaders and0:12 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview, sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.0:18 This is a Democrat shutdown. This has nothing to do with Republicans. This is a Democrat shutdown. They're upset that the crime numbers are so good. They're very unhappy that the crime numbers are so good.0:28 They're very unhappy that the crime numbers are so good. They're very unhappy that the crime numbers are so good.0:29 They're very unhappy that there's a movement for get getting voter ID. They want voter ID. The population, 98 percent.0:41 That was president Trump commenting on the Democrat led partial government shutdown. Welcome. Welcome to this February seventeenth edition of Washington Watch. I'm your host, Jody Heise,0:53 filling in today for Tony Perkins, and thank you so much for joining us. Alright. Coming up today, the partial government shutdown hits day 4 now after weekend talks1:04 failed to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The White House has sent yet another proposal, but as of now, Democrats are refusing to reopen the government. North1:16 Carolina congressman Mark Harris will be joining us shortly to break all of that down for us. Plus, Iowa state senator Sherilyn Westrich who
1:28 introduced bill 31 15, will join us to discuss her proposal to ban telehealth and mail in order prescriptions for medfrapristone.
1:44 Alright. Democrats have sent a counter offer to Republicans on immigration enforcement reforms that they want in exchange for a vote to fund the Department
1:56 of Homeland Security. So today marks day 4 of this Democrat led partial government shutdown. And joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper who's been
2:07 tracking today's story. Casey, let's start with this 1. Is any deal going to be reached anytime soon to put an end to this government shutdown?
2:18 Yeah. Sorry to disappoint, Jody, but I can almost guarantee there will be a day 5 of the shutdown and probably 6 and even 7, as lawmakers are out of town, and it's unclear whether Democrat and Republican
2:30 leadership will be able to nail down an agreement this week while that recess is going on. Now after funding lapse, which happened began on Saturday morning, most TSA and border patrol employees are now working without
2:41 pay, at least those that are willing to work. Now even if a deal is struck, congressional leaders will need time to come back into session. That can be about 48 hours. Now here is president Trump yesterday talking to
2:53 reporters when he was asked if he's okay with any of the Democrat demands.
2:57 I don't like some of the things they're asking for. We're gonna protect law enforcement. We're gonna protect ICE. You know, they're part of the whole system that is working. And Washington DC now is considered a very
3:08 safe city. When I took over, it was a a city that we're losing 2, 3 people a week.
3:15 Now Republicans and Democrats have agreed on some provisions like body cameras on ICE agents, which is actually already funded, ironically enough. But on other forms, they're at a standstill, Jody.
3:26 Wow. Alright, Casey. Thank you for that. Let me shift gears. We we've got a couple of people who were killed and 3 injured yesterday at a shooting at an ice hockey rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
3:39 And the the shooter reportedly identifies as transgender. Is this becoming more and more of a pattern? And what's the latest in the developments here?
3:48 Yeah. It's a really, tragic story and a troubling trend we're seeing unfold. So some of the details, 56 year old Robert Dorgan is the suspect here who reportedly opened fire during a hockey game. Now police are
4:00 calling it a family dispute as he killed his ex wife and shot 3 of his children tragically. Now police say the suspect is also dead after turning the gun on himself, but a closer look at court
4:12 records for the, Ford Dorgan reveal a pattern of disputes before this, including other relatives, as well as allegations that his gender gender transition, as it's called by some, it fueled
4:24 much of that discord. Now according to police, the suspect, whose first name is Robert, also went by Roberta. Legal records reveal that Dorgan's zen wife also noted that the gender reassignment surgery
4:35 and narcissism plus personality order, disorder traits was part of the reason for filing the divorce. So we don't have any more details on, anything more specific automotive, but you're absolutely
4:47 right, Jody, that this is a really alarming trend we're seeing.
4:51 It really is. Alright. Before I let you go, Casey, it seems to me that tensions are certainly thickening between the US and Iran, and Iranian state media has reported the
5:03 partial closure now of the Strait of Hormuz amid the, talks that are taking place now between the US and Iran. Can you walk us through some of the latest developments that are taking place in those
5:15 talks?
5:15 Sure. Well, this is an important week for these talks as they are continuing in Geneva over this long running nuclear dispute. But as you mentioned, just hours after the talks began, we saw some pretty interesting
5:26 footage come from Iranian state media, which showed the revolutionary guard doing drills in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which effectively closes it. And this is a very important waterway that's crucial for oil
5:37 shipments. Now Tehran, they've threatened in the past to shut down the strait to commercial shipping if it's attacked, which would be pretty, impactful for the global economy. It would choke off about a fifth of global
5:49 oil that flows out, into the rest of the the world and significantly drive up crude oil prices. Now an Iranian foreign minister told reporters that Iran and the US do have an understanding on some of the, quote,
6:00 guiding principles, for their indirect talks so far, but that is a far cry from an actual deal, Jody.
6:08 Alright, Casey. As always, thank you so much for giving us a broad view of what's happening out there.
6:14 Thanks.
6:14 Perhaps we'll be talking to you a little bit further. Alright. Now let's dive deeper into the partial government shutdown and what may come out of negotiations that are seemingly seemingly taking place
6:26 between Democrats and the White House. Joining me now to discuss this and more is congressman Mark Harris who serves as a member of the judiciary committee, and he represents the eighth congressional
6:38 district of the great state of North Carolina. Congressman Harris, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always an honor to have you, my friend.
6:45 Hey, Jody. It's great to be with you. Thank you for having me this evening.
6:50 Alright. So, let's start off with this. What can you tell us about the details, the the at least the latest that you're hearing in terms of the offer that the Democrats have sent to the administration?
7:02 Well, I've not heard any of the particular details of the offer that the Democrats have supposedly sent back, but I can tell you that it it's perfectly clear to everybody across the country that
7:14 this is yet another Schumer shutdown. I think the president alluded to that again in his comments when he was on Air Force 1 that the Democrats wanna shut it down. They just are looking for any reason to
7:26 to create, chaos wherever they can. And the reality is that this is a shutdown that, once again, we funded 96 percent of the government, and they are wanting to somehow
7:38 shut down homeland security, which is doing nothing but taking hostage the American people once again and our homeland security. And the irony of all of it, as you know, and has
7:50 been discussed ad nauseum over the last several days, is that ICE and border patrol are already funded through the 1 big beautiful bill. So they're able to continue doing the work that they're doing
8:01 while at the same time, our TSA agents, our, FEMA, disaster relief opportunities, as well as our coast guard are now under threat of not having funding.
8:15 And that is dangerous, and it's wrong. And to somehow think that they need to, cause pain for the American people is absolutely ludicrous. And so, you're right. These negotiations
8:27 are going on between the White House and Chuck Schumer, and I'm hopeful that they're gonna come to some agreement. We're on a 48 hour watch right now, 48 hour notice, if you will, to be
8:39 able to return to Washington. This was already a planned week in the district, and we're continuing to work in the district, but we do have that 48 hour notice to return to Washington to vote on whatever agreement the
8:50 White House may come to here.
8:53 Well, we're hearing that the White House has said that some of the demands from the Democrats are just red lines, specifically as it relates to some face mask and what is there any chance for a compromise
9:05 being reached?
9:07 I don't know, what the chance of compromise. You're correct. There are so many things on the list that basically were just showstoppers. The things that we have agreed to that were in the original bill we sent
9:19 over were the body cams. That's something they wanted. That's something we believe is gonna be advantageous, ultimately, and so that's already part of it. But asking these ICE agents
9:31 to somehow remove those face masks that are protecting them and protecting their families, that's just ludicrous. Somehow asking for judicial warrants for those that they're searching out, these criminal illegal
9:43 aliens that they're seeking to bring to justice and and to deport. That's that's a nonstarter as well. So there are things I'm sure they're asking for that the White House just says no. That's not gonna work.
9:55 But, again, the president's the negotiator in chief, and I assume he's going to walk that fine line of standing strong and at the same time trying to find a place we can work.
10:06 Well, it's gonna be very interesting to watch this. If I can, congressman Harris, shift gears with you here. We've had a shooting in Rhode Island where a suspect opened fire,
10:18 during a hockey game at a at a skating rink, a high an ice rink. And police are saying that his ex wife was shot as well as a few of his children, then he turned the gun on himself. The man
10:30 reportedly identified as transgender, has actually undergone some sort of transgender reassignment surgery. What do you make of all of this? Is there a connection between these procedures do you think and,
10:43 perhaps associated drug, drugs involved along with the violence that we are seeing more and more prevalent?
10:51 Well, I think it really is pretty simple to connect the dots. This is not the first time we've seen a a tragedy like this. We saw it in Nashville lived out. We've seen it in other locations that people are well
11:03 aware of. And the reality is that when you try to put these some kind of drugs in the system to try to bring about some kind of change, it you're going to get this
11:14 kind of result. And I think that that is something that we have to take into account, and it's sad. I mean, the the person's own daughter said very clearly that her dad was sick. He
11:26 had been sick. He was very sick. He had shot their family now or her family. And, it it was very very tragic. And so that's his own daughter's testimony. And and I agree that when you
11:38 start mixing these complicated drugs together to bring about some kind of hormonal change, you're asking for trouble. And I think we're seeing it all too often. And I I would hope
11:50 that folks would, on the other side of the aisle, would begin to wake up to this reality. And let's call this what it is, mental illness that needs to be treated, not just glossed
12:02 over and somehow looking for affirmation. That's the problem.
12:06 Yeah. Yeah. It's no doubt a mental problem but we are seeing also a spiritual problem in this country and I know you fully understand that from a spiritual perspective as a as a pastor and
12:18 so forth. So we've got to we've got to bring into this conversation the spiritual aspect of all of it as well because this is seemingly spreading all across the place. But even just common
12:30 sense, we've had a couple of medical organizations, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, for example, backtrack on other previous positions on transgender, procedures for minors. Do you think
12:42 we're moving in the right direction? We've got about a minute left.
12:45 Well, I do believe that. I believe that there that group came out that you just referenced and said that nobody should be able to undergo a surgery like this until they were at least 19 years of age. So I
12:57 think that there is a wake up call. But to your very point, at the end of the day, this is a spiritual underpinning that our country is failing to recognize and and really
13:09 just call it out. And I think that that's gonna be an important aspect for us to recognize that we are created in the image of God. God is our creator. You weren't created in the wrong
13:21 body. God loves you and he wants to be able to meet your needs right where you are. And we've gotta begin to proclaim the hope that comes in Christ alone. And at the same time, recognize those that are
13:32 sick need to be treated, not just affirmed.
13:37 Thank you so much, congressman Mark Harris, for your insights. We love you here at FRC, and you're doing a great job for the people of the eighth district in North Carolina. Thanks for joining us today.
13:49 Alright, friends. Don't go anywhere. On the other side of the break, we will be taking a look at some of the developments coming out of Iran. So stay with us. We'll be back in just a moment.
Tensions in US-Iran Nuclear Talks
14:01 You see, America has freedom for a purpose. The question is, are we living by that purpose today? See, the founders understood we as a
14:13 nation would be accountable to God for what he had granted to us. They sought freedom for a purpose, and that freedom was given to us as a nation for that same purpose to serve
14:25 God, to honor him, and to live as a people under his authority.
14:31 At the 20 26 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance in Washington DC, members of congress, state leaders, evangelical leaders, and intercessors from across the
14:43 nation united as 1 voice in
14:47 prayer. Heavenly father, thank you so much for this gathering. We do repent, and we ask for your continued favor and blessing over our nation even when we don't deserve it.
14:56 I thank you that because of the shed blood and the glorious righteousness of your son, Jesus Christ, a sinner such as myself can boldly approach your throne.
15:08 You said that you helped the humble, and we're asking just now that you would help us, Lord.
15:29 We pray that you humble us, help us to follow after you with all our hearts so that we can see righteousness exalted in this nation and this nation restored to you. We know this is not by our power. It's not by our
15:40 might. It is by your spirit.
15:42 Freedom has a name. His name is Jesus. And freedom has a purpose. It is to honor and glorify you. We pray that we would return to that purpose. Amen.
16:03 The book of Hebrews says that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning
16:15 the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the word is Family Research Council's journey through the living and active word of God. Follow the plan with us.
16:27 Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God's word. And over the course of 2 years, discover that the Bible is 1 big story, a story of many words pointing to the
16:38 word, the 1 who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Because the word is alive and his name is Jesus. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals
16:50 from Tony Perkins at frc dot org slash bible. Join us as we stand on the word.
17:03 Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your host today, Jody Heise. Thank you so much for tuning in with us. Alright. The US and Iran say that they're,
17:15 are agreeing on the basic guiding principles at least following second round talks, of some indirect nuclear conversations that are taking place in Iran's foreign
17:27 minister, Abbas Iraqi, says that progress has begun although a final deal is not close. And president Trump says he is likewise indirectly at least
17:38 participating in some of these negotiating, and he believes that Iran wants an agreement as the US military pressures increase in that region. So Iran has also conducted
17:50 drills near the Strait of Hormuz while supreme leader there, Ali Khamenei, is warning against any talk of regime change. So as each
18:02 day goes by, the stakes seem to get astronomically higher. And now to discuss all of this is Jonathan Hessen. He's a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security,
18:14 and he joins us now live from Jerusalem. Jonathan, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thank you so much for staying up late and for joining us.
18:24 Thank you for having me, Jody.
18:26 Alrighty. So, do we have real progress, do you think, that's starting here, or is just this Iran stalling?
18:38 Well, if we really look down to the the wording utilized by each side, we we do hear from, the Iranians, of course, a lot of optimism and that, yes, there are still wide
18:49 ranging gaps, that exist, but we have a certain framework to work on. You know, this has, pretty much a a foundation to establish a framework without
19:01 any substance to it. So, we do hear more from American officials discussing their angles to what actually took place in the room between
19:14 the US, president's special envoy, envoys to include, Jared Kushner, of course, and Steve Witkoff. There wasn't a lot of of,
19:26 optimism from what I understand to start with. So even the smallest type of progress could, be regarded as, significant. But nonetheless,
19:38 I am very skeptical about the extent of success of the negotiations that took place in Geneva, Switzerland. We do hear also the remarks coming out of Tehran. By
19:50 the supreme leader of the tyrannical Ayatollah regime saying that, you know, they're not gonna negotiate about deterrent weapons. They're not gonna negotiate about many other aspects related
20:02 to American demands. So what type of substance is there in the first place? There are many questions lingering. All the while, we also are seeing a lot of
20:14 US forces entering into the theater, coming into the region, which which does send a very clear signal to the Islamic Republic.
20:25 Yeah. You know, I think a lot of people are rather shocked that even any degree of talks are taking place. So as you just referenced, you do think that the US military pressure in the
20:37 region is, adding to the pressure to even have talks?
20:44 Well, quite frankly, the number of assets in the region, are enough to to complete the task as is. If president Trump would have wanted to send
20:56 that signal of we want you to be serious in talks with us, he has already done that. The additional assets coming into the theater are more of a
21:07 credible threat that the United States is deliberate in its, actions, that they better take president Trump serious in this context. Unfortunately, I do not necessarily see
21:19 the Ayatollah regime really believing that something significant can take place, but we do see things happening currently on the ground, including the
21:31 exercise by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the strategic straight of Ermuz that you referred to taking place where for the first time in a very long time, the Ayatollah
21:43 regime was, deliberate enough to block part of the straits, for the sake of conducting live fire exercises.
21:56 Right. So that's that's, poses the question with what they're doing in the Strait of Hormuz, do you think Tehran is negotiating in good faith, or
22:07 are they using what they deem as military escalation on their part as potential leverage?
22:17 Well, I I do not believe that the Islamic Republic has ever negotiated in in good faith. They do aspire to achieve a negotiated solution that benefits them rather than the
22:29 United States. They have not really shown a true desire to, to come to terms with, the the defeat that they've sustained during the
22:41 last 2 years since the the atrocious horrendous, attack by Hamas on October seventh of 20 23 all the way to the 12 day
22:52 war, which was launched last, June thirteenth, and then, the cherry on top, so to speak, on the 20 second of June when or rather the nineteenth of June when president
23:04 Trump green lighted operation midnight hammer. They they don't seem to to comprehend their their current situation that they're currently in. And they keep saying, you
23:16 know, if we're attacked, we're going to respond in force. It's not gonna stay within the boundaries of Iranian territory. We're going to wreak havoc across the region. Something, obviously,
23:29 Israel, the United States, or any other country, that is deliberate in its, the protection of national security interests of of their respective countries, but also, all freedom of
23:41 navigation cannot accept.
23:44 And and all the while, Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister, is saying that that the the nuclear infrastructure must be totally dismantled, not just stopping enrichment, but dismantled. And, of
23:56 course, that's a a hard 1 for Tehran to swallow. We've only got, less than a minute. What are you hearing in that regard?
24:05 Well, the Iranian president, Masoud Kazashkian, has already come out and said that they're not going to dismantle their, nuclear program. So that is a a a done deal from Tehran's
24:17 perspective, whether or not president Trump, with all the tools at his disposal, can convince the other side that he is being serious and they better, follow suit, that's a
24:29 question to be seen. But the last time they have threatened to block the Strait of our moves the way they did today by blocking a part of it. We had at the time president Reagan
24:41 launching
24:42 We're gonna have to leave it there.
24:43 Massive. Alright.
24:46 Jonathan Hessen, senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. Thank you for joining us. Alright, friends. Coming up, much coming out of Iowa as it relates to Miffle Pristone.
24:58 Stay with us.
25:06 The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained, and yet there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure.
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27:02 silent. Alright. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your guest host today, Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony, and thank you so much for joining us today. Alright. The abortion drug mifepristoneShow more
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