Skip to content 8/31/2026 The Threat of Anti-Semitism, Iran, Hemp Products, and Gender Ideology Coupled with Authoritarianism Aug 31 · 59 min ...more
8/31/2026 The Threat of Anti-Semitism, Iran, Hemp Products, and Gender Ideology Coupled with Authoritarianism
August 31, 2026 · 59 min
Today on Washington Watch: V.P. Vance addresses anti-Semitism concerns; Recap of the 9-11 Commission report; The House returns to Washington; Sanctions on Iran and banks doing business with Iran; How Christians inside Iran are surviving, and how we can pray for them; The higher intoxication impact of today’s hemp products; HHS report on gender ideology and authoritarianism.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
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.
August 31, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Today on Washington Watch: V.P. Vance addresses anti-Semitism concerns; Recap of the 9-11 Commission report; The House returns to Washington; Sanctions on Iran and banks doing business with Iran; How Christians inside Iran are surviving, and how we can pray for them; The higher intoxication impact of today’s hemp products; HHS report on gender ideology and authoritarianism. ...more Show the full description Show less Today on Washington Watch: V.P. Vance addresses anti-Semitism concerns; Recap of the 9-11 Commission report; The House returns to Washington; Sanctions on Iran and banks doing business with Iran; How Christians inside Iran are surviving, and how we can pray for them; The higher intoxication impact of today’s hemp products; HHS report on gender ideology and authoritarianism.
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In this video 0:00 Program Preview and Domestic Updates: Antisemitism, 9/11 Review, Iran Strikes4:41 House Agenda: Funding Bill and Condemning Socialism12:02 G20 Summit, Economic Growth, and Iran Sanctions18:24 Iran Crisis: Persecution of Christians and HHS Gender Study34:48 Iran Christians Amid Persecution, Hemp Fight, Gender Ideology Dangers
Program Preview and Domestic Updates: Antisemitism, 9/11 Review, Iran Strikes 0:00 I'm Tony Perkins, president of 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 elected leaders,0:11 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.0:26 Welcome to the Washington Stan news brief. I'm Quinn Dellamater bringing you Monday's top stories. The Trump administration's crackdown on fraud continues. Secretary of Transportation Sean0:38 Duffy announced an emergency shutdown of 110 commercial driver's license schools on Monday morning.0:46 We also have shut down 160 additional schools. These are schools, that, in essence, certify that they are qualified to train truck drivers.0:57 However, they don't have adequate space to put a, potential driver in a truck and have them, go around the cones and do the turns and they they don't have space to1:09 even allow the truck driver to actually get behind the wheel and drive. They, have unlicensed instructors. So you have instructors who aren't certified who are allegedly training1:21 the new truck drivers, to operate on American roadways.
1:25 The White House reported that these schools account for more than 5000 of the drivers who have failed English proficiency tests. In other news, treasury secretary Scott Besson
1:37 said on Monday at a g 20 finance group meeting that Iran is taking the US sanctions imposed on it seriously now. Besson said the country is lashing out due to its
1:49 economic losses as of late.
1:52 We have the blockade, and we they are gonna continue exerting pressure. And we've we've had very good discussions, here already. And, you know,
2:04 I think it could be within weeks or months. And, the economy doesn't have to collapse. It just we just have to have, the regime come to their senses.
2:15 Over the weekend, US forces struck 2 Iranian launchers east of Iran's oil hub, Kharg Island. And Iran retaliated by striking 2 US bases in Jordan according
2:26 to Iranian media. President Trump posted an AI generated video clip on Sunday that he said showed Kharg being blown to smithereens, which an Iranian official
2:38 dismissed as laughable just hours after both nations resumed hostilities. The US and Iran traded strikes for the 1st time since late July, driving oil
2:50 prices up more than 3.5 percent. Before the war, Karg handled 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. The return to hostilities followed weeks in
3:02 which Trump's administration has stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its business partners with costly economic sanctions shifting away from military options. Diplomacy
3:14 remains in a stalemate. And for our last story today, President Trump is receiving some pushback after signing an executive order last week to rename Lake Ontario as Lake
3:25 America. While Google Maps has changed the name on its app to reflect the order, some navigation services have not yet followed. The popular Apple Maps still
3:37 appears to be using the Lake Ontario name, while MapQuest has outright refused to change it. The company posted on social media that it would not be altering the name. It
3:49 also launched a new map generator allowing users to create their own names for the lake. On Sunday, MapQuest posted on X, We are aware that Lake Ontario is being
4:01 correctly labeled on our map. And on Saturday in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford's office unveiled a large lakeside sign that reads, Lake Ontario, now and always, in
4:13 both English and French. President Trump last week announced that he was changing the name of the smallest of the 5 Great Lakes, part of an escalating trade feud with Canada that has
4:25 prompted the 2 countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars of goods. I'm Quinn Delamater and that's Monday's news. You can dive deeper at the Washington Stand Family
4:37 Research outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. We'll be back next time.
House Agenda: Funding Bill and Condemning Socialism
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 world view. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
5:10 I do have a question for you about clock cameras at the 1st on Iran. Have you ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran?
5:18 Well, I would never say that, but, the answer is yes. I rule that I rule that no there's no reason for it.
5:26 And has that What
5:26 what a stupid question that is, actually. Well, I Here they are. They're they're, they're totally defeated militarily. So now I defeat them, and now I should use a nuclear weapon on top
5:38 of them. What a stupid question.
5:43 That was president Trump earlier today at the White House addressing the conflict with Iran. Welcome to this Monday, August 31st edition of Washington Watch. So hard to
5:55 imagine August already gone, but we are here. I'm Jody Heiser, host for the day, filling in for Tony. So glad to be with you for the next hour. Coming up on today's program. The House is
6:07 back in session today with packed agenda that includes a resolution to denounce socialism. Congressman Chuck Fleischman, member of the House Appropriations Committee will be joining me
6:19 in just a little while to discuss that and more. Also, congressman Andy Harris will be joining me for discussion on the dangers of hemp products and efforts to address
6:31 that issue in government funding legislation. Also, doctor Colin Wright will be joining me to unpack a new health and human services department report that he helped
6:43 coauthor. It examines the consequences of left wing authoritarianism and gender ideology. And doctor Hormoz Shariat from Iran Alive Ministries
6:55 will be joining us to discuss, how Christians in Iran are facing persecution as well as escalating economic difficulties. So all that and much more coming your
7:06 way on today's edition of Washington Watch. Let's begin with some domestic news. Vice
7:18 president JD Vance spoke earlier today at a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, and the topic of antisemitism came up. Joining us now to discuss this is Watch
7:30 reporter, Mary Stackhouse. Mary, what did the vice president have to say?
7:35 Well, Jody, the issue of anti Semitism has been a big 1, especially with the rise that we're seeing of it among Democrats. Now Mike Rogers and, and, socialism, I'll I'll add. Mike Rogers, the Republican
7:47 nominee for senate is running against Abdul El Sayed who is is supported by the Democratic Socialists of America. Now El Sayed, a Muslim American, has made some controversial comments about an attack against a Jewish
7:58 synagogue in Michigan. He did not initially condemn it, but later on after being pressed about it, he did. Now during today's campaign event in Detroit, vice president JD Vance had a message for El Sayed.
8:09 My message to Abdul El Sayed Sayed is you can pal around with terrorist sympathizers, and you can say that America deserved 9 11, or you could empathize not with the children who were targeted at Temple Israel or but
8:21 with the attacker. These are all despicable things, but they're all things that the people of Michigan will judge you on based on your record.
8:31 This comes after president Trump said over the weekend that he would be open to supporting measures that would ease the legal process for Jewish Canadians seeking to move to the US. A rise in antisemitism in Canada in
8:42 recent months has prompted some Jewish Canadians to move to Israel while others are considering leaving the country. Jody.
8:49 Thanks, Mary. Let's shift to some other news. The House Intelligence Committee met earlier today to discuss the 9 11 commission report. What was that all about?
9:00 Earlier today, the House Intelligence Committee met to discuss the intelligence recommendations from the 2004 9 11 commission report. This was a bipartisan meeting held at the Flight 93 National Memorial in
9:12 Pennsylvania. Congressman Rick Crawford, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said that the purpose of the meeting is to hear the experiences of those who lost their loved ones on September
9:22 11th. That was nearly 25 years ago today. That was when terrorists hijacked 4 commercial planes to carry out coordinated attacks against the US. Here's chairman Crawford explaining why the committee took this up to
9:34 review today.
9:35 Our committee undertook this review because the 25th anniversary of September 11th should be more than a moment of remembrance. It should also be a moment of accountability. The original 9 11 commission identified
9:46 profound intelligence policy structural and information sharing failures that contributed to our inability to prevent these attacks. Its recommendations fundamentally reshape the intelligence community, leading to the
9:57 creation of the Director of National Intelligence and the national counterterrorism center and significant reforms in information sharing, interagency coordination, and congressional oversight.
10:07 During the roundtable, families of the victims asked lawmakers to help them find closure and justice, pointing out that key government files from the investigation still have not been released to the public. National
10:17 security leaders and lawmakers insisted that the painful lessons learned 25 years ago are still absolutely critical for protecting the country today. Jody?
10:27 Alright, Mary. I I can't let you go without we've got a we've got a hit on the Middle East and what's happening in Iran. What's the latest coming out of there?
10:36 Well, Jody, Iran has launched strikes on its neighbors targeting US bases. Earlier today, Iranian authorities released footage of strikes that they say that they launched at 2 US air bases in Jordan. They
10:48 also reportedly attacked an air base in the UAE. The UAE said that they intercepted it. Now these tax attacks come after the US struck Iranian missile launchers on Lerik Island. This marks the 1st
11:00 military action against the US by the US against Iran since late last month. In a post on Truth Social, president Trump shared an AI generated video of the US attacking Kharg Island, a
11:12 key oil hub in Iran. Earlier today, when vice president JD Vance was asked about president Trump's post, he said that the president does not make announcements about military actions on social media, but he did say that
11:23 president Trump was sending a message.
11:25 I think that he's sending a message to the Iranians. Look, we know that they continue to shoot a commercial shipping. We continue to have a lot of, tools at our disposal to prevent them from doing so or at least cut down
11:36 on them from doing so. And that's what the president is saying is, look. You guys are shooting at commercial shipping. You guys are behaving like a terrorist country. You've gotta stop, or there are gonna be some
11:44 consequences.
11:46 Attacking CARG, which handled 90 percent of Iran's oil exports before the conflict, would severely disrupt energy trade and put huge economic pressure on its economy. Jody.
11:58 Alright, Mary. As always, thank you so much for these updates. We appreciate it. Let's turn now to Capitol Hill where members of the house have returned for what could potentially be a rather short session this
G20 Summit, Economic Growth, and Iran Sanctions
12:09 week. Joining us now is congressman Chuck Fleischman. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee and represents the 3rd congressional district of Tennessee. Congressman Fleischman is always great to
12:21 see you. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
12:26 Jody, my great colleague, I enjoyed serving with you for years, and you're doing a great job in this new role. It's always a pleasure to be with you, sir.
12:34 Well, thank you so much. Let's start with the agenda on the week. Among other things, a stop gap funding bill to keep the government open through December 11th. Now the last I
12:45 heard, the senate's version of this continuing resolution, may be on the floor as soon as tomorrow on on a fast track method. What can you tell us about how that's looking right
12:57 now?
12:59 That is correct. Prior to leaving, we in the house passed a a short term continuing resolution. Jody, I think it's very important that we never shut the federal government down.
13:10 Chuck Schumer shut it down for a long period of time. The Democrats were proud of this. It hurt the American people. It hurt the American economy. It was disruptive, but they were not held to task by the left wing media
13:22 that just basically left it out there in a rather innocuous way. The reality is the Democrats had abdicated their their duty to run the federal government. They shut it down. We tried to keep
13:34 it open, and we will keep it open. Now the senate has passed a different version from what the house passed. It will go to December the 11th. The fiscal year begins October the
13:46 1st. So fiscal 26 is over September 30th this month. October 1st begins fiscal 27. We will not have a budget at that time. In other words, the house and the
13:58 senate and the White House will not have a budget to actually be signed into law. So it looks like December the 11th will be that date. Hopefully, by then, we can we can work something out. But the key
14:10 will be short term continuing resolution to keep our troops paid, to keep the federal government open, and keep the American people safe.
14:19 I understand there's also a resolution condemning socialism. What can you tell us about that?
14:26 We should condemn socialism every day, everywhere that we can. Socialism is an abysmal failure. It is a degradation of all the great things that our country stands
14:37 for. God, country, the free enterprise system. Karl Marx was wrong when he wrote the communist manifesto. It's been centuries of failure. We can never let socialism
14:50 gain any ground in America. The Democratic Party has been basically infiltrated by radical left wing socialists and communists who embrace this technology. The reality is,
15:02 political freedom and economic freedom are inseparable. Capitalism, free market capitalism that built this great country is what the American people need and what the American people want. Not
15:14 everybody in America, Jody, is conservative as me and you. But middle America, those people who are independents, they will not want socialism. They will reject socialism, and they will
15:26 reject what the Democratic Party is doing by actually embracing socialistic ideas. So we should condemn it on the house floor. We should condemn it, all across these great United
15:37 States because it's antithetical to the great nation that we have.
15:42 Yes. It is. You know, there's always gonna be some who say that this is nothing more than a swipe at Democrats, but, that's just not the case. This is, in fact, a real and a serious concern.
15:55 Listen. While I have you, I wanna ask you about the energy deal between the US and Venezuela. You're cochair of the American, dominance, American energy dominance caucus and as well as some other energy
16:07 related caucuses. But president Trump has called this the biggest oil deal in world history. What's your take on it?
16:14 Another great win for president Trump. Think about where Venezuela was. It was a rogue radical left wing nation that was failing its people, curtailing its freedoms, and the like. We were successful
16:26 militarily there, and the reality is tremendous, tremendous oil reserves. Now with the United States gaining control and access to that in a way that's beneficial to the United States and to
16:38 Venezuela, what will we have more of? More oil. Oil is a commodity wherever it exists in the United States, Venezuela, and the Middle East. If you have more of it, the price goes down. If you have less of it,
16:50 the price goes up. So I think it's gonna have a great, great effect on on oil prices driving them down. Long term, it's gonna be great for the United States, great for Venezuela, and it's just another
17:02 example of how president Trump has been successful, is in his endeavors. And this is gonna be good for, basically, for the world, and it's another defeat for China and Russia.
17:14 So what would be your message to Americans who are concerned about gas prices?
17:20 Be patient. Oil is a commodity. The United States now, thanks to votes that I took in congress, years ago, is the world's largest exporter of oil. There was time where we couldn't
17:32 export oil. It's a commodity. It is abundant. It is all over the world. The United States has a tremendous amount of oil reserves, not only in the Permian Basin, but in Alaska and all across the United States.
17:43 It's abundant. There's a lot of oil in the world. When I was in high school, and I'm almost 64, liberal professors and used to tell us that there was that last barrel of oil in the world,
17:55 within 30 years. That is not the case. It's abundant. Be patient. Let us produce it. Let's get it out there. Let's do deals like we did in Venezuela. Let's get our allies in the Middle East pumping
18:07 more oil. The price will come down. The economy is strong. I am sensitive to the fact that the price of oil has been higher, but it will come down, and we will see better times ahead Okay.
18:19 With American oil and energy dominance across across the spectrum.Show more
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