Skip to content 3/11/2026 Insights into Iran and the Save America Act, and Concerns Over Gambling, Abortion Drugs, and Islam Mar 11 · 59 min ...more
3/11/2026 Insights into Iran and the Save America Act, and Concerns Over Gambling, Abortion Drugs, and Islam
March 11, 2026 · 59 min
Today on Washington Watch: Updates on Iran; secure election ambitions; gambling’s new frontier and its societal ills; combating dangerous abortion drugs; the incompatibility of Sharia Law in America.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
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March 11, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Today on Washington Watch: Updates on Iran; secure election ambitions; gambling’s new frontier and its societal ills; combating dangerous abortion drugs; the incompatibility of Sharia Law in America. ...more Show the full description Show less Today on Washington Watch: Updates on Iran; secure election ambitions; gambling’s new frontier and its societal ills; combating dangerous abortion drugs; the incompatibility of Sharia Law in America.
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In this video 0:00 US-Iran War Escalation and GOP Policy Retreat18:34 Unmasking Predictive Markets as Gambling33:45 Banning the Abortion Pill: Hawley's New Bill45:16 Birthright Citizenship Weaponized by China and Immigration Risks
US-Iran War Escalation and GOP Policy Retreat 0:00 Hello. 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 elected0:11 leaders, newsmakers, and cultural experts. We have a great program planned for you today, but first, get up to speed on the top headlines with the Washington0:28 Stand News Brief. I'm Sarah Holliday with today's top stories. It's day 12 of the escalating US Israel war on Iran, and it shows no signs of slowing down.0:40 Overnight and into today, US forces struck hard in the Strait of Hormuz, destroying at least 16 Iranian mine laying vessels. Central command released footage of the hits, which were0:51 aimed at preventing Iran from mining the vital waterway that carries 1 fifth of the world's oil. Iran's response? It launched what it called its most intense1:03 operation yet, firing missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, oil facilities in the Gulf, and even targets near Dubai International Airport. Tehran claims1:15 nearly 10000 civilian sites have been hit since the conflict began with over 1300 civilian deaths reported. On the US side, the Pentagon confirmed 7 American service1:26 members killed so far. Around 150 US troops have been wounded with 8 injuries described as severe and most others minor from missile and drone impacts.
1:39 With air strikes ramping up and oil prices spiking worries about the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, it's anyone's guess when or if things will cool off.
1:50 Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council recently met in Geneva where experts and diplomats offered a stark warning. Anti Christian violence and legal pressures are on the rise
2:02 across Europe. More than 2200 violent anti Christian incidents were documented in 20 24 alone. Official reports cited at the UN Human Rights Council put anti
2:14 Christian hate crimes at over 760 for that same year. Family Research Council's own reports have found strikingly similar trends. We're talking physical attacks, increased
2:26 arson, and mounting legal battles. Diplomats from the Vatican, the sovereign order of Malta, and even Hungary's foreign ministry joined the call at the UN session, stressing that governments
2:38 must do more to protect believers before, during, and after attacks. Turning to the front lines of the AI revolution, the machines may not be
2:49 taking over after all, at least not for now. It looks like big tech, like Google and Meta, was too quick to strip customer service, content creation, and support jobs of real
3:01 people and replace them with shiny chat bots. 1 company had even boasted that their AI could replace up to 700 humans. But customers, they've noticed the impact.
3:13 Robotic replies, 0 empathy, endless loops of what many call AI slob. All of this has led to complaints skyrocketing and satisfaction tanking. Now,
3:25 companies are quietly rehiring humans for the very roles they axed. Gartner, a leading business technology advisory firm predicts half of all companies that cut employees for
3:36 AI will bring people back by 20 27. Over a third already rehired big chunks, some spending more to restaff than they ever saved to lay off.
3:49 Lastly, today on Capitol Hill, senator Josh Hawley of Missouri took a bold stand in the on going fight against chemical abortion. At a pro life press conference, Hawley announced major new legislation
4:01 aimed at revoking FDA approval for mifepristone, the key drug in chemical abortions, which now accounts for the majority of abortions nationwide. Holly's declaration was simple.
4:13 Science shows the indisputable risks, and it's time for congress to step in to protect women and their babies. And those are today's headlines. I'm Sarah Holliday. Dive
4:25 deeper with the Washington Stand, Family Research Council's outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview at washington sand dot com. Check out our long form conversations through the Outstanding Podcast. And
4:36 for more stories that matter, be sure to tune in to the Washington Sand News Brief tomorrow.
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. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts
5:10 now. Day 11. And as you know, we're doing something that nobody ever thought was possible to do. Our military is the best. It's the most powerful in the world, and
5:22 they're hitting them very hard. Right now, they are they've lost their navy. They've lost their air force. They have no anti aircraft, apparatus at all. They have
5:34 no radar. Their leaders are gone, and we could do a lot worse.
5:41 That was president Donald Trump earlier today making it clear the United States is not finished with its military campaign against Iran. Welcome to this March eleventh edition of Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins.
5:53 Thanks so much for, joining us today. Well, coming up, Operation Epic Fury is intensifying with renewed strikes against Iran raising the stakes overseas. Meanwhile, here at home, House Republicans are
6:05 wrapping up their 3 day policy retreat in Florida where they've been mapping out their political and legislative strategy heading into this year's midterm election. Congressman Randy Fein mold join us with the inside
6:16 scoop on what the Republicans have discussed at the retreat. And later, senator Josh Hawley of Missouri joins me to discuss his new Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, a bill that would remove the deadly
6:27 abortion pill, mifepristone, from the market. As air strikes continue across the Middle East and tensions with
6:39 Iran escalate, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is under increasing threat. 3 ships have been struck by what are believed to be Iranian drones. Joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey
6:51 Harper. Casey, alright. Give us the latest on today's developments in the conflict.
6:57 Sure, Tony. Thank you. So we actually saw the United Nations condemned Iran, an interesting move, for their attacks on Gulf states. And then, all eyes have turned to the Strait of Hormuz. As you mentioned,
7:09 3 cargo vessels hit overnight. They're not exactly sure what it was, but it was likely drones. They called them unknown projectiles. Now the Strait of Hormuz, as you know, is 1 of the most important shipping lanes in the
7:20 world. A fifth of all oil for the globe goes through there. So it's really been shut down by this war. And if that continues, it's gonna have huge economic impacts, and gas prices in the US have already risen. Iran knows
7:32 that. And they've actually threatened that oil could go up to 200 dollars a barrel, which is more than double what it was just a few weeks ago before this war started. Now even worse, Iran has reportedly placed dozens of
7:43 mines in the Strait of Hormuz sea passage. These are very difficult to find. You can use a very small boat to place these mines, so it's very hard to for the US to keep track of it. And, of course, that deters commercial
7:55 shippers from using this even more. Now president Trump has suggested that this campaign is pretty close to over. We'll see if that's the case. But here, here's a clip, actually, the president earlier today speaking to
8:06 reporters about the conflict.
8:08 Look. We took out just took out all of their mind chips in, 1 night. We're up to boat number 60. I didn't realize they had that big a navy. I would say it was big and ineffective.
8:21 But every 1 of their ships, just about all of their navy is gone at bottom of the city.
8:28 So far, Tony, there hasn't been any indication that ships can sail safely through the Strait of Hormuz, which means and likely means high gas prices for Americans in the near future.
8:38 You know what's interesting, Casey? Back during the Obama administration, I remember meeting with, former military leaders who were discussing the threat of the Strait of Hormuz when it came to our energy
8:49 dependency upon that region. And that was a part of what fueled the first Trump administration in domestic production to get us off of that Middle Eastern oil. Unfortunately, it looks like
9:01 we're back to some degree after the Biden administration depended upon Middle East. Yep. Alright. I wanna switch gears. House Republicans, wrapping up their annual policy retreat in Florida where they gathered to plan
9:12 their legislative priorities and strategy for the rest of the year, what, what were the main takeaways, Casey?
9:19 Sure, Tony. We can actually combine these 2 stories because president Trump is speaking right now, and he is talking about how these gas price increases that we mentioned are only temporary and that that Republicans are
9:29 focused on affordability, which is a big theme of these really high stakes strategy meetings, that you referenced going into these very important midterm elections. So house Republicans are reportedly looking to enact 1
9:41 last piece of legislation taking on these affordable affordability concerns head on. They wanna show that Democrats are shutting down the government while Republicans are making lives more affordable for everyday
9:52 Americans. Now house speaker Mike Johnson and president Trump are looking to retain the house by also going after Democrat party's image. Actually, new polling shows that 52 percent of Americans view
10:04 Democrats unfavorably. They're also also shifting their stance on immigration a bit. They wanna talk less about mass deportations and keep more focus on these violent offenders who are being deported, and
10:16 there's plenty of them to highlight. Republicans are really shifting from, mass deportations to affordability, low taxes, and pushing Democrats on their high
10:27 tax and soft on crime policies, which we're seeing, Tony, in places like Virginia and New York City, both crime and tax policies that don't appeal to moderate voters.
10:38 Yeah. It's gonna be, what's happening in the Middle East, domestic issues being affected by the price of oil, I I think people have to to to understand the long term
10:50 implications of this. So I think it's incumbent upon Republicans to articulate why
10:54 Right.
10:54 The actions the president is taking are so important. Alright, Casey. Thanks so much for, for the update.
11:00 Thanks, Tony.
11:02 Alright. Let's get an inside perspective on the House Republican policy retreat. We're joined now by phone, congressman Randy Fine, who has been participating in the annual gathering. He's a member of the House
11:13 Foreign Affairs Committee. He is also a part of the Judea and Samaria Caucus, which the Family Research Council helped launch. He represents the sixth congressional district of Florida. Congressman Fine, welcome back to
11:25 Washington Watch. Thanks for taking time to step out and join us.
11:29 Thank you for having me. It was a busy couple days.
11:31 It it was. So give us the, give us the main takeaways of what took place, in the meeting.
11:36 Well, I mean, we the president spoke to us on the first day, and that speech was broadcast live for everyone to see laying out all of the things that we have done and the things that we need to do. And then we talked
11:48 about what our priorities should be moving forward, both electorally and policy wise, talking about the need to make America to highlight the contrast between Republicans and Democrats. I think 1 of the
12:00 things that's very clear is Republicans Democrats' priorities are protecting terrorists, protecting criminal illegal immigrants, and protecting Somali pirates. And Republicans are focused on cutting
12:11 taxes, making America safe, and making sure our government functions. And we just need to hammer that home over and over and over again.
12:19 Let's talk a little bit about the intersection of the foreign policy with what's happening in Iran and the domestic concerns with rising energy prices. Was there discussion about how to articulate
12:32 why this is so important in the steps that this administration has taken to take on Iran and that existential threat that they pose to, not just that region, but literally to
12:43 to to to most of the world if they were to obtain that nuclear weapon?
12:48 Well, there was a little bit, but not a lot because I think the sense of my colleagues and I is that this conflict will be measured in additional days or weeks. This is not something that's going to
13:00 go on for months. If you look at Iran, the number of drones and rockets and missiles they're firing each day continues to decline each day. And they're still firing
13:12 some, but the rate is slowing every day. And I don't think that's because they're trying to save them. I think it's because they're being destroyed and their capabilities are being degraded. So I think there is a sense
13:23 that we will bring this in for a landing fairly soon, and that will not only lower energy prices back to where they were, but they will come lower. Because something Americans need to understand is there is
13:35 a 2 tier oil price system. What China was paying, what the rest of the world was paying. China was buying oil at below market prices because they were buying it from Venezuela and they were buying it from Iran where
13:47 the oil was sanctioned. And so Iran had to sell it at discounted prices. Everyone else was paying it at market prices, which was much higher. Well, as that oil comes onto the world market, China will have to pay more
13:59 because they'll they'll now have to pay market prices. But because there's more oil on the market, market prices will come down. And so I think there's a sense that over the next days or weeks, this will come in for a
14:10 landing. Iran will choose to join the Western world, and I think the energy price issue will will go away.
14:18 And that will bring a a, a situation of stability in the Middle East that we have not seen in, well, half a century. Ever. I mean, the this this could be huge
14:29 because this allows the United States then to shift a lot of its focus to the Pacific realm, the Pacific region where China is more of a threat. So this this, this could
14:41 be a a big game changer for the United States and our national security.
14:46 I think I think should we succeed in Iran, it will be a game changer akin to the falling of the Berlin Wall because it will largely eliminate the the the chief
14:58 sponsor of Muslim terror around the world. It will make the Middle East peaceful, which is something that has eluded everyone, but it'll also have dramatic effects on our other 2 global adversaries,
15:10 Russia and China. Russia is dependent on Iranian drones for its war with Ukraine. You lose that, maybe that changes that conflict. And China has been reliant on, again,
15:21 discounted energy from places like Iran and Venezuela. You lose that, that may change that calculus. So it is a transformative thing for the world, and it makes America safer again,
15:33 more prosperous again, and stronger. And it's just it would be a huge win, and I think that's where we're gonna end up in the coming days and weeks.
15:40 Well, we've seen administration after administration just kinda kick the can down the road for the next administration or the next generation to have to deal with Iran. I I applaud the Trump
15:52 administration for taking this, head on. Congressman Fine, I wanna go back very quickly to the, to the policy retreat. There had been some talks about a second reconciliation package following
16:04 the passage of the 1 big beautiful bill, but it sounds like that now is, no longer on the table.
16:11 No. No. I wouldn't say that. I mean, the speaker absolutely made clear, and I don't think I'm betraying confidences in saying that, he would like to do a second reconciliation. And some of my colleagues got quite
16:21 animated. They're like, we can pass a reconciliation bill with just our votes. So that's absolutely on the table. The challenge is Democrats hate America. So we don't need to get a majority
16:33 of the house to pass it. We have to get unanimity among Republicans. Because, look, we could do a reconciliation bill that would cure cancer, and Democrats would complain about what that would mean for cancer treatment
16:45 centers and graveyards. I mean, so we have to pass a bill that we pass by ourselves. And so there is work to be done on that, but the overwhelming sense of the of the conference is we would
16:57 like to do it. What can go in it, that's still unknown.
17:01 Well, that was the big accomplishment thus far has been the first reconciliation bill. Let's talk about something that the house has focused on past a couple of times, and
17:12 the the president now has said he's making it to a top priority, and that is the Save America Act. Give us the the the the discussion surrounding that.
17:23 Well, because the house is frustrated. I mean, we've passed this now a couple of times. Americans overwhelmingly believe that you should have to show a voter a photo ID to vote, and you should have to prove that you're a
17:34 citizen when you register. This is a justifiable concern because Joe Biden let in tens of millions of people in 4 years, and a lot of blue states gave out driver's licenses and Social Security numbers. So
17:46 concern over this is real, but the senate won't act on it. And so a number of Republican members have come out and said, I'm 1 of them. We will not vote for senate bills until they make this happen. K? We have the
17:58 majority in the senate. You know, go back to a mister Smith goes to Washington style filibuster, and and let's get this done. There is a great level of frustration at the senate's inability to to work on this.
18:10 Well, and just a handful of Republican members of the house could stop legislation from making its way through the house that comes from the senate. So hopefully, they'll be listening. Congressman
18:21 Randy Fine, I wanna thank you for joining us. Always great to talk with you. Appreciate your insights and inside information.
18:29 I appreciate you having me.
18:31 Alright. Congressman Randy Fine of, Florida. Alright. Coming back, we're gonna talk about something that is, really growing. It's a lot of people don't know about it. It's a predictive markets. It's a it's a form ofShow more
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