Skip to content 6/26/2025 Understanding: the Impact of Obergefell, Dobbs and Other Court Cases; the China-Iran Relationship Jun 26 · 54 min ...more
6/26/2025 Understanding: the Impact of Obergefell, Dobbs and Other Court Cases; the China-Iran Relationship
June 26, 2025 · 54 min
China’s ties with a nuclear-stunted Iran; Fidelity month, natural marriage, and 10 years post Obergefell; scrutinizing abortion pills; SCOTUS hurts Planned Parenthood funding; Taking a “Byrd Bath.”
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
June 26, 2025 · 54 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
China’s ties with a nuclear-stunted Iran; Fidelity month, natural marriage, and 10 years post Obergefell; scrutinizing abortion pills; SCOTUS hurts Planned Parenthood funding; Taking a “Byrd Bath.” ...more Show the full description Show less China’s ties with a nuclear-stunted Iran; Fidelity month, natural marriage, and 10 years post Obergefell; scrutinizing abortion pills; SCOTUS hurts Planned Parenthood funding; Taking a “Byrd Bath.”
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In this video 0:00 Current Events and Political Analysis13:49 Faith, Family, and Cultural Challenges25:02 Pro-Life Advocacy and Legislative Updates33:49 Cultural Shifts and the Role of Truth
Current Events and Political Analysis 0:00 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 and0:12 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.0:18 Reality is you wanna call it destroyed, you wanna call it defeated, you wanna call it obliterated, choose your word. This was an historically successful attack, and we should celebrate it as Americans. And it gives us0:30 a chance to have peace, chance to have a deal, and an opportunity to prevent a nuclear Iran.0:37 That was secretary of defense Pete Hegseth earlier today discussing the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and taking the media to task. Welcome to this June 20 sixth edition of Washington0:49 Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, we'll take a closer look at what's ahead for Iran and the Middle East and the role China may be playing with Illinois congressman1:01 Darren LaHood, a member of the House Intelligence Committee. And as June draws to a close, so does pride month. And without the government and corporations force feeding the American public, it it's becoming clear the1:12 public has, little appetite for all of that. That's raising new questions on the left, including about the future of court imposed same sex marriage. Today marks the tenth anniversary since the Obergefell
1:24 decision, which opened a cultural Pandora's box, men and women's sports, men and women's restrooms, and the sexual indoctrination of elementary school children, just to name a few.
1:36 Doctor Ben Carson will join me to unpack the cultural consequences of this ruling and how we might respond. And Planned Parenthood's president Alexis McGill Johnson
1:47 responded earlier today to a major Supreme Court decision.
1:52 This case, just like the current congressional effort to defund Planned Parenthood, is about lawmakers who want to impose their personal beliefs on everyone else. This time, it's about the
2:03 court determining patients' rights.
2:06 Miguel Johnson was responding to a court issued ruling this morning that said South Carolina can exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program. Planned Parenthood obviously worried
2:18 that the ruling will embolden other pro life states to cut off taxpayer funding to the nation's largest abortion provider. Well, let's pray that's exactly what happens. We'll talk about it later on this edition
2:30 of Washington Watch. Also joining me today, FRC's Travis Weber and Suzanne Bowdy, editorial director and senior writer at the Washington Stand, will discuss the 1 big beautiful bill. The senate's giving the bill somewhat
2:42 of a makeover. Will the house recognize it when it comes back? We'll talk about that as well. All of that and a bit more coming up on this edition of Washington Watch. But before we begin, as the week
2:54 and our fiscal year draws to a close, there's still time to double your support for Washington Watch and the Family Research Council. For over 40 years, Family Research Council has stood firm in our nation's
3:05 capital defending faith, family, and freedom from a biblical perspective. And thanks to a generous matching challenge, every gift that is given this week will be doubled. So to make your gift, we have
3:17 folks standing by to take your call. 802 2 5 4 0 0 8. That's 802 2 5 4 0 0 8 to talk to 1 of our team members. Stand with us, and together,
3:29 let's be a voice for truth. Well, as I mentioned during a press conference this morning, defense secretary Pete Hegseth further defended America's targeted strikes on Iranian
3:41 nuclear facilities. He and joint chiefs of staff chairman Dan Kane presented new information on the extent of the damage. Secretary also towards legacy media for hoping the strikes,
3:53 quote, maybe weren't effective and trying to play them against president Trump. Here to discuss this, congressman Darren LaHood, who serves on the house permanent select committee on intelligence, he represents the
4:03 sixteenth congressional district of Illinois. Congressman LaHood, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always good to see you.
4:10 Good to be with you, Tony.
4:11 So I I know the house is scheduled for its own, briefing tomorrow, from the White House on the extent of the damage done. But what are you hearing so far,
4:23 and would you call this a success?
4:27 I would absolutely call it a success. The intelligence committee on the house side has been meeting throughout this week, in in our classified briefings in the SCIP, and going over. I can't get into the details
4:39 on that. But as, CIA director Ratcliffe said yesterday, what president Trump, did severely damage the Iranian nuclear program. That was, also,
4:51 put forth today at the press conference that you referenced with general Keane and also with, defense secretary Hasek. This was a successful mission. And but let's back up a little bit. President Trump
5:03 gave the Iranians an opportunity to come to the table. Over a 60 day window, his envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with the Iranians, told them they need to come forth with a plan on how they, get rid of their nuclear
5:15 program. That didn't happen. And on day 61, of course, the Israelis moved in and, did what they did in a very successful way, and that was followed by the, bunker bombs that,
5:27 again, severely damaged, and decommissioned the nuclear program in Iran, which is, which was a calculated risk. There's no doubt about it. But I'm glad president Trump made that decision,
5:39 after careful thought with a lot of smart, bright people in his, in in his cabinet. And and, ultimately, this is gonna make the Middle East safer, America safer, and the world.
5:51 There's been some question about the rich
5:54 enriched uranium, that was at about 60 percent. They gotta go to 90 to be weaponized to use for nuclear grade weapons. That some of that was removed and hidden prior
6:05 to the the strikes. What do we know about that?
6:09 Well, I don't think we know the full extent of that. I'm I'm skeptical that, that that that was done appropriately,
6:17 but
6:17 I don't think we'll know for a little bit of time here. Again, the strategic and tactical mission of what we did with these bombs hit their targets. As you know, these bunker bombs go down 20 or 30
6:29 stories. Tony, we're the only ones in the world that have this capability. And and, again, they severely damage, using the words of the CIA director, the nuclear program, and,
6:41 and I think it's a success.
6:43 The the attack combined with what the Israelis did has also set back, Iran in their conventional warfare as well with their missiles.
6:53 No doubt about it. Iran is in a very weakened position because of, what the US and the Israelis have been able to do. But you just think about, what the Trump administration has done since they came in,
7:05 Tony. You know, they Iran had all these proxies throughout the Middle East. The Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the Shia proxies in Iraq. Assad was, also 1 of their backers
7:17 of terrorism. In in many ways, those have all been eliminated. We're still dealing with the Houthis, but it has been a concerted effort, both the Israelis and the United States to weaken Iran, and that's the position
7:28 they're in. In the end, the the religious zealots and the mulas in Iran, they made a decision. They'd rather have a bomb than peace, and this is the result, of what
7:40 happened, over the last 12 days here.
7:43 I I think we would be, it would be difficult to find another period in time in history where we've seen so much transformation in the Middle East. Now the the dust hasn't settled. We don't know what the
7:54 future looks like, but, certainly, the land scape the geopolitical landscape has shifted in the Middle East. The the key is going forward. Can the
8:07 can there really sustain can peace be sustained with a Islamic regime that you just made reference to still in place?
8:15 Well, if you look at their track record over 49, years that that the Iranian moolahs have been running, the theocracy in Iran state sponsor of terrorism, everything they've been
8:27 involved with. I'm skeptical, and I'm dubious. I don't I I I wish this would deter them from continuing to go down the path that they've already gone down. But as you know, Tony, they continue to not abide by
8:38 any international norms, or or be compliant with, anything that's been put forth before. We'll see. This should send the ultimate deterrence. I hope this causes them to
8:50 come to the table and wanna negotiate and denuclearize. We can only hope, but I think we couldn't have sent a stronger message than we did over the last several days.
8:59 Congressman LaHood, I would certainly agree to that. I I I wanna kind of shift a bit still related. You're a member of the house select committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Now many would say, alright.
9:11 So what does that have to do with Iran? It has a lot to do with Iran because China has been holding up Iran and supplying it with funds to be able to move forward with what
9:23 it's been doing.
9:25 Well, you're exactly right, Tony. And I I don't think we focused on this enough. And and I don't say this to scare people, but China has a plan to replace the United States, and they're working at it every single day
9:37 from a national security standpoint, a diplomatic standpoint, an economic standpoint, technological standpoint. And them supporting countries like Iran, buying much of their energy, has helped,
9:49 fuel and fund Iran and the mullahs there. And, you know, that, again, has not been covered enough, but that that's the reality. And on the intelligence committee and also
10:01 on the select committee on China, we we've been focused on this, but I think it's gotta be raised to a whole another level. And I know the secretary of defense talked a little bit about it today, and president Trump is
10:12 aware of this, but we can't let, China off the hook on this. We gotta continue to press them to stop supporting Iran the way that they have.
10:22 I mean, my, my sources in, in Israel, their intel suggests that Iran was able to rebuild the missile fuel sites, the solid missile fuel sites
10:34 that they destroyed back in October of last year in large part because of Chinese money that was, flooding in to support Iran?
10:43 Well, you need resources and you need money. And and and, I mean, that's the 1 thing they have is, energy sources there, natural gas and oil, and, the Chinese continue to buy it, along with other rogue
10:55 nations. And we that needs to be, again, prioritized and put at the top of our list, to we can't allow Iran to continue to have that funding source moving forward.
11:07 And I think as we think about the trade negotiations that are ongoing with China, this has to be a a part of those, and I think, it will be highlighted, from a national
11:18 security standpoint. The last point that I will make on this, Tony, is I think the national security team that president Trump has put in place is definitely much more focused on China and the Indo Pacific region,
11:29 whether that's secretary Rubio, whether that's vice president Vance, whether that's director Ratcliffe, whether that's director Patel, and others focused on China as a threat, and and hopefully that will,
11:42 sink in as we continue the negotiations with China.
11:45 Well, I I do wanna bring up 1 1 more point on on China, and they're they're the largest purchaser of, Iranian oil. And and the president earlier this week suggesting that, sanctions might
11:57 be loosened to allow China to, to continue to buy oil from Iran. How how would you see sanctions continuing to be a tool to keep Iran in line?
12:10 Well, I I would not, be of that opinion of allowing to that we should loosen sanctions. Again, Iran has shown no track record of being compliant
12:22 of of working in a way, has been trustworthy. Now if Iran came forward and said, we wanna negotiate, we wanna recognize Israel, we wanna be a good actors in the Middle East.
12:34 Then I think that's a different story. We've heard none of that and seen none of that. We've seen just the opposite. Tony, I don't know if you saw this this past week, but, you know, the the level of propaganda and
12:45 misinformation that the Iranian state television has put on, they have a parade saying that they had won the war.
12:50 Right. Right. And they're executing people, openly, to send fear among those who would challenge the regime. I I do what you you said something that I think is really, really important. That could be
13:02 a acid test, if you will, of whether or not they truly, are gonna give up their nuclear plan and wanna be a part of the broader global community, and that is recognizing the right of Israel to
13:14 exist. They have not done that. I would be hard pressed to see them do it.
13:19 Well, we'll see. Again, there there's a number of things that they can do to show that they are good actors. I I that has not been a way that anybody would describe them moving forward, but there
13:31 is a pathway for them to move forward. And we'll see if those negotiations continue, And and we can hope for that. Yes. But I think we have to be skeptical and dubious.
13:42 Trust but verify. Congressman LaHood, great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to join us today. Appreciate your insight.
Faith, Family, and Cultural Challenges
13:49 Good to be with you, Tony. Thanks.
13:51 Alright. Stay with us, folks. On the other side of the break, doctor Ben Carson joins me, so don't go anywhere.
14:01 Hi, everyone. This is pastor Jay Johnston, national prayer director with the Family Research Council. I wanna invite you to join our 21 day family bible challenge as we read
14:13 through the book of Matthew. This is an opportunity for you and for your family to come together for 15 minutes today to read God's word together. Deuteronomy
14:25 6 says, these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you
14:37 lie down, and when you get up. Seek the word of God. Obey the word of God. Share the word of God so that you and others might know the joy of walking with God now
14:49 and for all eternity. As your family gathers to read the Bible, invite the Holy Spirit to work in your life to spiritually transform each 1 of
15:01 you. Ask the Lord to show you creative ways for you to connect with your family, to read God's word together. I pray that however God uses this
15:12 challenge in your life and those that you join together with will be a blessing to you and strengthen you as you read the gospel of Matthew together. Visit frc dot
15:24 org slash familybiblechallenge for
15:30 more information. In a
15:32 time when Washington seems clouded by compromise, a bold group of lawmakers are standing firm in defense of the values which our nation was built upon. At FRC Action's 100
15:44 percent awards, 171 members of Congress were honored for voting 100 percent in line with policies that promote faith, family, and freedom.
15:55 Faith and family made our country it's the foundation that made our country not only great, but good.
16:01 The values that make America, faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility. I mean, that to me is the heart of FRC and, grateful for everything that they do.
16:10 It's very important for us to have organizations such as FRC. First of all, I think it keeps us grounded. In addition to which, the issues that you champion are issues that we should all be championing.
16:20 FRC is very, very good at honing in on those things that, really affect Christians' lives. Also, working with members of Congress too to make sure that those values are instilled in the legislation that we create.
16:31 Having the Family Research Council to guide us is, critically important to being able to do the right thing consistently.
16:40 These lawmakers have drawn the line, not just in policy, but in principle. This is more than politics. This is conviction in action. Visit f r c action dot org for
16:52 more information on how you too can make a difference.
17:03 Welcome Welcome back. Thanks so much for, tuning in and making Washington Watch part of your day. By the way, we have team members standing by to take your call. If you would like to support and be a partner
17:14 of Washington Watch and the Family Research Council for this week, just this week. So we just got 2 days left. If, you make a gift, it'll be doubled. That's right. We've got a generous, match
17:26 that's out there from some generous donors. So if you give us a call, 802 2 5 4 0 0 8, that's 802 2 5 4 0 0 8, your gift will be
17:38 doubled. So double your impact and stand with us. For years now, LGBT activists have tried to claim June as pride month and force everyone to bend the knee to their
17:50 radical and frankly immoral ideology. But a grassroots movement that began in 20 23 aims to change that by making June a month of recommitment to God, our spouses, and family,
18:02 our communities, and country. This initiative appropriately named Fidelity Month comes as recent polls show an actual decline for same sex marriage, especially among Republicans.
18:14 So are more Americans beginning to connect the dots between the redefinition of marriage and the cultural Pandora's box that the court opened? Joining me now to discuss this, doctor Ben Carson, the founder and chairman
18:25 of the American Cornerstone Institute, is also a world renowned neosurgeon neurosurgeon who served as the secretary of housing and urban development under the first Trump administration. Doctor
18:37 Carson has been a strong voice, a very strong voice for Christians and conservatives for many years, especially on the topic of marriage, family, and religious freedom. Doctor Carson, welcome back to
18:49 Washington Watch. Always great to see you, my friend.
18:52 Always good to be with you. I appreciate your steadfast patriotic, views on things.
18:59 Well, we were together recently, I guess, about 2 weeks ago up on Capitol Hill for a Fidelity Month event that doctor, Robbie George of Princeton University is kind of
19:11 the has spearheaded and started. Why are you joining this effort?
19:19 Because, you know, our country was founded on Judeo Christian principles and values. And that means, a lot of our values came from the word of god.
19:31 And God tells us the kinds of things that we need to be faithful for. And that includes our families, our spouses, our communities, and our nation. And we have,
19:44 entities going around proclaiming pride and other things like pride month. Why shouldn't we talk about the pride we have in
19:56 fidelity and being faithful to the commitments, that we've made over the course of a lifetime and the very things that allow this country to arise from obscurity
20:09 and rise to the pinnacle of the world. It wasn't by coincidence. It was because of fidelity to various principles. And, 1 of those principles is our families,
20:21 which are the building blocks of our communities. When we have strong families, we have strong communities, and therefore, strong nations. It's so important for us to be proud of that
20:33 and, not to allow someone else to always take the banner and the attention.
20:39 Well and and and the further we move away from those founding principles, the the more questionable our future becomes as a nation.
20:49 No question about it. And all you have to do is ask yourself, are we a better nation as we abandon the principles that
21:00 guided us from obscurity to the pinnacle of the world, or are we moving in a downward spiral? And I don't think you have to be too objective to understand
21:13 that we're moving in a downward spiral, but we can change that. I think I'm seeing a lot of encouraging signs, particularly among young men
21:22 Yes.
21:22 In this kind
21:23 We we are in in in fact, there's a there's a resurgence of, connection with, Orthodox Christianity among young men. You know, they've been they've been given all this
21:35 other, you know, ideology that's out there that is empty and is not does not give life its meaning and purpose, and they're returning back to that source that we find deeply rooted in America's
21:47 history.
21:48 Absolutely. They're actually observing what's going on and making decisions based on that. Not so much for the young women. We need to work on them. But, it's something that we need to talk about. We
22:00 need to talk about the reason that God instituted families
22:07 Right.
22:07 As a as a place for children to be raised.
22:11 Well, let's
22:11 studies that have shown that children who are raised in traditional nuclear families do much better on all levels.
22:19 But there is great cultural pressure not to talk about these Christian principles. In fact, when we were up together up on the the hill together a couple weeks ago in
22:31 your comments, you made reference to this. Even when you came to the your position at HUD during the the first Trump administration, there were these government entities, forces,
22:43 if you will, you know, saying, hey. Don't talk about that kind of stuff.
22:47 Absolutely. And and they still do it today. And, I think we have to be bold. We have to be brave and, be willing to talk about those things that
22:59 we believe in. You know, the the left succeeds even though I don't think they are the majority. They succeed because they talk about what's important to them.
23:11 Right. They use megafound very effectively.
23:14 But isn't that also why we see president Trump being successful, is that he's willing to stand up and speak, and and courage breeds courage?
23:25 I am thrilled to see the way he gets up there. Sometimes he says things that are pretty amusing, but I'm so glad that he's willing to get up and talk and tell the truth. You
23:37 never have to really wonder about what he's thinking. It comes right out immediately.
23:41 Yeah. That's true. The the the filter is not there very often. But we we just have about a minute left, doctor Carson. But do you think Americans are starting to connect the dots with this redefinition of marriage
23:53 when you look at the this whole transgender ideology where their kids are being told you can choose your own gender, and we're seeing these, you know, surgeries, experimental drugs given to to to adolescents? I
24:05 mean, are people starting to see where this Pandora's box is leading?
24:10 I think so. And you see last week, the Supreme Court upheld the Tennessee prohibitions against, some of the manipulation and mutilation that we're doing to children.
24:22 That's child abuse.
24:23 Yeah. And
24:23 I think people are starting to recognize that. More people are recognizing that having men and women's sport makes no sense. You know, just starting to use our brains again. Common sense. That's what we're looking for.
24:35 Common
24:36 But it requires people speaking up. It's 1 of the things I appreciated so much about you at HUD. You wouldn't allow men into women's shelters, and you took a lot of heat for that before congressional committees. But
24:48 if we stand up and speak, common sense does have a opportunity to live. Alright. Doctor Carson, we're up against a break. We'll be back with more. Folks, stay right there. We're coming right back.Show more
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