Skip to content 1/27/25 Trump's 1st week, pro-life victories, the Super Bowl, and Israeli Hostage Release Jan 27 · 59 min ...more
1/27/25 Trump's 1st week, pro-life victories, the Super Bowl, and Israeli Hostage Release
January 27, 2025 · 59 min
Reviewing Trump's first week in office with a concentration on the pro-life agenda and how the Israeli/Hamas conflict is developing. Lousianans look at the forthcoming Superbowl.
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.
January 27, 2025 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Reviewing Trump's first week in office with a concentration on the pro-life agenda and how the Israeli/Hamas conflict is developing. Lousianans look at the forthcoming Superbowl. ...more Show the full description Show less Reviewing Trump's first week in office with a concentration on the pro-life agenda and how the Israeli/Hamas conflict is developing. Lousianans look at the forthcoming Superbowl.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
In this video 0:06 Immigration Policies and National Security3:31 Domestic Policies and Social Issues6:45 Super Bowl and Community Standards29:30 Life Issues and Legislative Efforts37:46 Israel, Hostages, and International Relations
Immigration Policies and National Security 0:06 Good afternoon. I'm Victoria Marshall, and welcome to the Washington Watch news desk. Over the weekend, vice president JD Vance gave his first media interview since taking office. Vance sat down with0:18 CBS news anchor Margaret Brennan, who challenged him on the Trump administration's immigration policies.0:24 When you talked to us in August, you said, I I don't think we should abandon anybody who's been properly vetted and helped us. Do you stand by that?0:31 Well, Margaret, I don't agree that all these immigrants or all these refugees have been properly vetted. In fact, we know that there are cases of people who allegedly were properly vetted and then were literally planning0:42 terrorist attacks in our country that happened during the campaign if you may remember. So clearly not all of these foreign nationals.0:48 But there are 30000 people in the pipeline Afghan refugees.0:51 But my primary concern as the vice president Margaret is to look after the American people. And now that we know that we have vetting problems with a lot of these refugee programs, we absolutely cannot unleash1:03 thousands of unvetted people into our country.1:05 These people are vetted. These people are vetted.1:08
1:18 don't want my children to share a neighborhood with people who are not properly vetted. And because I don't want it for my kids, I'm not gonna force any other American citizen's kids to do that either.
1:28 No. And and that was a very particular case. It wasn't clear if he was radicalized when he got here or while he was living here.
1:33 I don't really care, Margaret. I don't want that person in my country, and I think most Americans agree with me.
1:38 Vance's comments come as federal immigration agents have been rounding up hundreds of migrant criminals daily since Donald Trump took office. Authorities currently average approximately 433 arrests
1:50 made each day. ICE announced it made 956 arrests nationwide on Sunday alone. Now newly confirmed secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, told reporters this morning that the
2:02 Department of Defense would be helping president Trump carry out deportations.
2:07 If you see what
2:08 the president said last week in his executive orders, he's hitting the ground running. He's made it very clear. There's an emergency at the at the southern border, that the sovereign that protection of the
2:20 sovereign territory of the United States is the job of the defense department and the cartels are foreign terrorist organizations. As a result, this Pentagon snapped too last week. We helped move forward troops,
2:32 put in more barriers, and also to ensure mass deportations, support of mass deportations in support of the president's objective. That is something the defense department absolutely will continue to do.
2:43 Hank Seth also told reporters that he plans to gut DEI programs from the Pentagon. And And in other Trump administration news, the US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide
2:56 effective immediately. Secretary of state Marco Rubio sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts on Friday detailing the move. The order comes after president Trump issued an executive order last week to
3:08 put foreign aid on hold for 90 days. Only emergency food assistance and foreign military aid to Israel and Egypt are exempt from the order. Rubio told officials that the administration will
3:19 develop standards for a review of whether the assistance is aligned with president Trump's foreign policy agenda. Decisions whether to continue, modify, or terminate programs will be made following the review. Now
Domestic Policies and Social Issues
3:31 such comments echo statements Rubio made in his senate confirmation hearing earlier this month.
3:37 Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to 1 of 3 questions. Does it make America safer?
3:49 Does it make America stronger? Or does it make America more prosperous?
3:53 And in other domestic news, president Trump is planning on signing an executive order today that bans transgender identifying service members from the military. He also plans to sign an order eliminating DEI
4:05 programs from the military. According to an exclusive report by the New York Post, the executive order will ban the use of invented and identification based pronouns in the armed forces and prohibit
4:17 transgender identifying service members from serving in the military because of their alleged lack of mental and fiscal readiness. According to the White House, the White House documents explaining the order,
4:29 transgender identifying service members that go through gender transition surgeries are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements and requiring ongoing medical care.
4:41 And those are today's headlines. I'm Victoria Marshall. We'll see you tomorrow with
4:51 points. From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful
5:07 watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
5:11 If you're
5:11 in a country illegally, you're on the table because it's not okay to, you know, violate laws of this country. You gotta remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under title 8, United
5:22 States code 13 25. It's a crime. So if you're in a country legally, you got a problem.
5:27 That was border czar Tom Homan on ABC's This Week. Welcome to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in for this Monday edition. As federal authorities continue to arrest and
5:39 deport those here illegally and work to secure our borders, is there a next step to address the broader issues in our broken immigration system? We'll talk with North Dakota senator Kevin Cramer about possible
5:51 solutions. And house Republicans, excuse me, are gathered in Miami today and tomorrow to discuss with president Trump the way forward on several issues, including a 1 or 2 bill
6:02 approach to reconciliation.
6:05 Some big decisions will be made here in the next few days and will align with the senate and our colleagues there, and we will move forward on that agenda. The reconciliation process, the appropriations that we have to
6:15 wrap up, and the other, issues that that are upon us. So
6:19 House speaker Mike Johnson earlier this afternoon. Well, speaking of the speaker, I'll share a portion of my conversation with him over the weekend about the importance of protecting the unborn.
6:29 It's really never been more important than it is right now for all of us to speak with moral clarity and conviction and consistency about that issue. It is the foundational principle of America that we recognize the
6:41 right to life of this as a self evident truth.
6:43 More of that conversation with the house speaker coming up later on Washington Watch. Sports fans, of course, are gearing up for the big game, the Super Bowl, coming up in a couple of Sundays in New Orleans. But along
Super Bowl and Community Standards
6:55 with the excitement, there's growing concern about whether or not the halftime show will be family friendly. Louisiana state senator Valerie Hodges joins me to discuss the concerns being raised by a group of
7:07 legislators and pro family organizations. And finally, today is Holocaust remembrance day. 80 years have passed since the Holocaust ended, and the international community once vowed never again.
7:19 Yet with the brutal actions of Hamas in Israel, those words are being tested. Over the weekend, 4 hostages were released, though their release was anything but humane. More are expected to be freed this week
7:31 as a part of the ceasefire hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. Carolyn Glick joins us later from Israel with the latest. Stay tuned for these topics
7:43 and more right here on this Monday edition of Washington Watch. And be sure and get the first 100 day toolkit so you can go to work during these first 100 days of the Trump administration to get your toolkit and
7:55 everything that's in it. Text the word toolkit. That's 1 word, toolkit, to 6 7 7 4 2. As I mentioned, House Republicans are in Florida right now for their annual issues conference.
8:07 And, as we speak, the main event is taking place. It's a keynote addressed by president Trump. Now the goal of this gathering is to merge with a clear path forward on a number of must do
8:19 items, including what we've been talking about or hearing about for a number of weeks, reconciliation. Is it a 1 bill, 2 bill, or a 3 step process? Well, hopefully, they'll note later
8:31 this week. Joining me now to discuss this and much more is US senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. He serves on 4 senate committees, including the Armed Services Committee and the Banking Committee.
8:43 Senator Cramer, welcome back to Washington Watch, and, happy New Year.
8:47 Happy New Year to you. Good to be with you, Tony. I I sound worse than I feel.
8:52 Well, I'm glad. I'm glad. You look great.
8:55 Thank
8:55 you. So what from what you've heard and and what you're saying, what's gonna be the top items that, Republicans are gonna be working through this week to move things forward?
9:06 Yeah. I think the main topic, has to be the reconciliation process. And and it's it's important and it's appropriate that the president is with House Republicans because they really have to
9:18 drive this ship. They have the narrowest margin. They have, you know, some discontent among the troops. They need to unify. And I think whatever we get done, whether it's 1 bill, 2 bills, 3 bills,
9:30 1 big beautiful bill, it's really gotta be driven by speaker Johnson in the house because he's got the bigger task to get them united. So whatever they can get done in the house, I'm pretty sure we can follow-up
9:41 with the senate.
9:43 Yeah. My in my conversations with the speaker and other members of the house, there's still a lot of division on that side of the, the capital, let alone what happens in the senate. I do think it'll probably be
9:55 a little bit easier to get the senate to come along. But it's important. Timing is important because the the clock is ticking.
10:02 It is. So the good thing about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being extended is they don't expire till the end of the year. So we do have some time there. That's why this debate about do we take up reconciliation,
10:14 a small package that deals with the border, make sure that Tom Homan and and Kristi Noem have the resources they need to continue, the work they're doing to build the wall and all of that because that's an
10:26 immediate crisis, or do we have more leverage with a big package? And and, so so that's those are the things they have to work through, but you're right that the clock is ticking. And what I worry about,
10:37 Tony, as much as anything, the tax cuts are gonna take a while. It's complicated.
10:41 Right.
10:43 Frankly, I I actually value the simpler the better. A clean extension of the existing tax cuts and jobs act would make it all permanent law. It's while we should be able to improve it, maybe
10:54 that's that's gonna be too much. We'll just have to see about that. But you're right. We can't waste any time. And remember, right now, our priority in the senate is to confirm as many of the cabinet secretaries
11:06 as possible as quickly as possible. And on that front, we're we're quite quite a ways ahead of time.
11:12 Yeah. You're you're doing quite well considering, past, you know, frames of reference. But you've got a lot to do because president Trump, I mean, he hit the ground running last Monday with a whole
11:24 list of individuals that need senate confirmation. So you're gonna be busy for a while confirming different posts, not just the cabinet posts, but different appointees and nominees that he's made. I wanna go
11:36 senator Kramer, I wanna go to the issue that you you brought up about the border, because what we've seen is about a 90 percent increase of in detention and removal of illegal
11:47 aliens that came into this country illegally. And we played a clip at the top of the program. Yes. And Homan has been very clear about this. They're going after the worst first. They're going after those who are
11:59 criminal. But, just to to put this in proper reference, 538 arrest on Thursday, 493 arrest on Friday, 286 on Saturday, and 509 hundred and
12:10 56 on on Sunday. I think everyone is I would think everyone but the criminals are happy that, these violent gang members, rapists,
12:22 violent immigrants that are here illegally are being removed. But there are some that have been in this country because of our broken system for decades that have
12:34 families that are, that are very much a part of the community. What's the next step here?
12:40 Yeah. So it's a great point, Tony, because not all illegal immigrants are created equally. Well, they were created equally, but not of all of them are equal today. And that's why the focus has been on the, you know,
12:52 the the criminals, you know, the violent criminals and whatnot. At the same time, when you pick up some violent criminals, you're gonna find some other people that are here illegally, probably more recently, and they,
13:03 you know, certainly need to remove them as well. With regard to people who've been here decades, I think we have to have a different track. And the president has always, in fact, in many cases,
13:15 been much more open to a different pathways for dreamers and others than most Republicans. But I also think it becomes a bit of a negotiating tool at the same time
13:27 because to really deal with the problem, we have to fix our legal and our illegal immigration system and make sure that our economy can meet its potential. We need we should have a skills based immigration
13:39 policy. If you need more engineers or surgeons, we should have more h 1 b's. If you need more farm workers, we should have more h 2 a's. And we just don't have that flexibility in our system. Every other country in the
13:51 world does, but we do not. So, Tony, I think the reality is that first things first, and that's what really sends the message to the other countries. Look what the president did
14:02 over the weekend with the president of Colombia. And and the other would be illegal immigrants are looking at what's going on in the last week in the United States and going, I think I'll change my plans next week. I'm
14:14 not gonna try to get into the United States. And also that there are people who are here who suddenly don't feel as welcome as they used to and and maybe will leave. I think you're gonna see a big shift in the
14:25 behavior of of countries and and would be illegal immigrants that will help sort of work through this, but we do have to get our house in order. When it comes to the 1000000 plus legal
14:37 immigrants that come in every year, about 800000 or more of which don't bring a skill set or an education that's in high demand in an economy that is constrained by a workforce, shortage.
14:49 So I there's a lot of opportunity here, Tony, for people on all sides to come up with solutions, I think. Yeah.
14:55 But we've we've broken the stalemate, which is a good thing.
14:59 That's right.
14:59 And that, as you said, by this action, the president, by by doing this, he is forcing resolution. And people who are looking at what's happened say, we're gonna I'm as you said,
15:11 I'm changing my plans. I'm not gonna be crossing that border illegally. We're already seeing, detention centers at the border being closed because they're not coming in. He did it in the last term when he
15:23 was president, and I'm certain he can do it again. And then, hopefully, we can get people to the table to talk about a a realistic, immigration system that, as you said,
15:35 is based upon what is best for America. I just wanna add something, and I think you would agree with me, Senator. You made the comment that we we we have a a shortage of workers, and and we do. We have a shortage of
15:47 workers. We're also, skilled workers in in in working in particular fields. I would also say that our view historically of the sanctity of human life and the abortions that we've allowed in this
15:59 country has been a part of creating that vacuum.
16:03 Indeed, Tony. When you think of how many potential workers have been murdered in the womb, it it's it's a crime on so many levels. The the humanitarian crime is first and foremost, obviously.
16:15 But what it's what it's done to hurt our economy and our economic growth, you know, did robbing people who can't have children from the opportunity to love another child?
16:27 Tony, that this is why I'm the cochairman of the of the, adoption caucus because I just think we need to we need to deal with all sides of the life issue, including demonstrating compassion
16:39 for people for for mothers that are that are find themselves in a difficult pregnancy, their children who find themselves, you know, facing an abortionist rather than a future.
16:51 We we we as the church and as people of faith need to talk about this in in every aspect of it because, because that's what the church is supposed to do.
17:00 And and and that should be reflected in our policy last week, the president taking a number of executive steps to address the life issues. So he's he's approaching in it on all fronts. But you as well,
17:12 you, last week, in honor of the annual March for Life, you and congresswoman Claudia Tinney reintroduced the unborn child support act in support of mothers to be and their children. So we we've just got about a minute
17:24 left. Talk a little bit about that bill.
17:27 Well, what that bill does is it it puts the fathers on the hook, just, you know, with an with an unborn child just as they would be with a born child. In other and and by the way, it gives the mother, you
17:39 know, the the first right of refusal, if you will, so she can opt into this. But we just feel like both parents should have an, you know, should should have some responsibility in an unwanted in an unwanted
17:51 pregnancy perhaps, including the father. The the challenge with that, Tony, is there's a lot of liberal groups that have supported that legislation, but but people who are are strongly pro abortion,
18:03 they don't like it because there's a recognition there. Even if they're a liberal, there's a recognition there that the baby is in fact a human. And, so it's important legislation that I think we can get some bipartisan
18:15 support for. Who knows? Maybe this is the time that we can actually pass it.
18:19 100 percent agree, and it helps change that conversation or bring humanity to the unborn. Senator Kramer, always great to see you. Thanks so much for, joining us here on Washington Watch Today.
18:29 Always my pleasure. Thanks, Tony.
18:31 Alright. Take care, my friend. Alright. Coming up, the Super Bowl is less than 2 weeks away, and more than a hundred million Americans are expected to watch the big game. Question is, will families this year again be
18:43 forced to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Well, there's some lawmakers here in Louisiana taking steps. We'll talk about it.
18:52 During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we're making an eternal
19:04 impact. 20 24 was a year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington DC. Last fall, over 1000 spiritually active governance engaged conservatives gathered for the pray
19:16 vote stand summit to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington watch with Tony Perkins marked a major
19:28 milestone this year. It's 9 hundredth episode and added the Washington Watch news desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington
19:40 stand published 2000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 20 24, garnering over 5000000 views. FRC's outlet for news and commentary
19:52 continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to watch and read our content in 1
20:04 simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures and engage the political sphere with the community of believers on our new platform. In 20 24, FRC
20:15 shaped public policy and culture, organizing the national gathering for prayer and repentance, where members of congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God's intervention in America.
20:27 In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection.
20:39 With pray vote stand decision 20 24, FRC and real life network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God.
20:52 We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and government. Launching early this year in January 20 25, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government,
21:03 empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us, and we look forward to 20 25 and standing
21:15 for faith, family, and freedom.
21:19 Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's stand on the word spiral bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought provoking questions, note taking space, and context for
21:31 each book and author. This second edition covering Isaiah 2 Revelation will guide you in tracking your journey through God's word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at f r c dot org slash
21:43 store or text journal to 6 7 7 4 2. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
21:55 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. Well, sports fans are preparing for the big game. Yes. The Super Bowl coming up February the ninth in my home state of Louisiana in New
22:07 Orleans. Unfortunately, though, there is more than just football at the big game. Ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl, a group of Louisiana legislators led by state senator Valerie Hodges
22:19 are raising concerns with local sports officials and organizers about the lack of family friendly content in past Super Bowl halftime shows. And they're calling for this year's performance in
22:30 New Orleans to align with the state's community decency standards. Louisiana taxpayers heavily invested in hosting the event. They emphasized the importance of protecting children and upholding family
22:42 values. What a novel idea. Well, here's the question. Could this year be the year families won't have to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Joining me now to discuss this is Louisiana state senator
22:54 Valerie Hodges. Senator Hodges, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you.
22:58 Thank you. Good to see you too, Tony. Thank you so much for having me on.
23:02 Well, I appreciate you initiating this effort. I've actually signed on to this letter that, went to the sports the the Super Bowl officials. Explain the
23:14 main concerns that you have raised in this letter.
23:18 Well, the main concerns, Tony, is the fact that what you stated whenever we have a Super Bowl, which millions of people watch, tens of millions of people watch it, we have to turn the channel during
23:30 the halftime show. And my family included, we're big football fans, and we've had to turn it off, in the last few years almost every time. And this is not a new thing, but it's increasingly
23:43 over the years becoming more and more inappropriate and more vulgar for children especially. And, we just wanted to to send a message and raise awareness that Louisiana is a
23:54 family oriented state, and we've done a lot in the legislature to protect children from, being exploited. And so when you have to turn the
24:06 channel, I remember, the speaker of of the house saying he had to cover his eyes his children's eyes when the halftime show came on. And so the fact that Louisiana taxpayers are funding this
24:18 event, I think we have a say. And, we're hosting this massive sports event and, Louisiana is a family oriented state.
24:26 Right.
24:27 And we're just asking him to be aware of that. That that why did these halftime shows have to be have so much obscenity or just inappropriate vulgar material in it? It's just really not necessary.
24:38 In the letter to the officials, you go all the way back to citing different incidents going back to 2004, where we had the wardrobe malfunction. And and and it's it's
24:50 kinda like they pushed the envelope. What can they get away with? And then it just increasingly gets more provocative. The the sexual content is is blatant. What what better
25:02 time to draw a line and say, hey. You're coming to Louisiana. We have community standards. In fact, in this last legislative session, we passed even more laws to protect children. This could be the place where the Super
25:14 Bowl cleans up its act.
25:16 Well, I hope so because they certainly have not listened to the viewers in the past. There were thousands of complaints, formal complaints to the, SEC about this and and to
25:28 the NFL, but they continually get worse. And when we saw the the sexual the the crotch shots and the sexual groping and the, like you said, the, wardrobe
25:41 malfunction, every year, it's gotten worse in the profanity that the children are exposed to. You know, Tony, when you go to the movie, there's a content warning, you know, p or or or r, and you decide whether or not you
25:51 wanna see that. But when that flashes upon a in the middle of a football game, it's unexpected. And so our job as parents and citizens is to protect children and protect their innocence. And I'm I'm
26:03 excited about hopefully, this message will be heard. And they have not heard in past, but I believe the fact that we have lawmakers on here, we have, national pro family groups,
26:14 statewide family groups, local family groups raising their voices saying, we've had enough and just make this, family friendly, family oriented. That's what we're about.
26:25 And, senator, it's not only about just protecting children as important as that is, but it's also about upholding community standards, which we elect we elect people to pass laws
26:38 that reflect those community standards, and we shouldn't let someone come. You're not gonna let somebody come into your house and dump garbage in your living room. And and that's what we're talking about here when it
26:47 comes to we're inviting them into to Louisiana. They need to abide by the community standards that have been adopted by the citizens of Louisiana. Oh. Now, have you heard back from
26:59 any of the officials associated with the Super Bowl regarding the letter?
27:04 Well, I haven't heard back from any of the officials. I have, got confirmation that they did get the letter, and they are taking a look at you know, we had the event last week with all the snow, so a lot of people
27:14 couldn't even get to work. But they did receive the letter. They're not necessarily opposed to, what we wrote in the letter, and we'll we're waiting to get a response from them. You know, Tony, I read something
27:26 yesterday. Even the airline industry is putting codes of decency for dress. Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines are saying, I wrote down a quote. It said that no see through clothing,
27:38 exposed breasts or buttocks or other parts, private parts would be permitted to be on the plane. And, that so you're seeing a a move towards decency standards and even on the airline
27:50 industry, the movie industry does content warning. And the NFL, I believe they should be responsible and uphold those community standards that we have in Louisiana, that Louisiana is leading the way in so many
28:01 things. And I believe in this, this time that we can lead the way on this issue too.
28:07 1 final question for you, senator. Part of this provocative halftime show, I would argue, fuels something else that, unfortunately, has become associated
28:19 with Super Bowls, and that is human trafficking. It becomes 1 of the largest human trafficking events is the Super Bowl. Are officials gonna be looking at that issue and and
28:31 and monitoring that more closely to try to enforce the law when it comes to human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes?
28:39 Absolutely. I've served on the Human Trafficking Commission, and we are very well aware that human trafficking is is exponentially higher during the Super Bowl. There's gonna be out of state police, law
28:51 enforcement. I believe they're monitoring the Internet for different, in the dark web that that's being, that that those transfers take place. And so with, there's groups that will be down there,
29:03 talking about human trafficking. So, hopefully, that this can set a precedent. The fact that, the the halftime shows are, I believe that they can be family
29:15 oriented, family friendly, and they don't need a content warning to go with them. And if they don't change, then, hopefully, our, we can do some things to enforce those laws that we have because they are
29:27 laws on the books. Right.
29:28 And,
29:28 hopefully, they won't be violated.Show more
Tony Perkins94K followers
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.