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7/6/2026 America’s 250th and the Path Forward
July 6, 2026 · 59 min
Today on Washington Watch: Contemplating America’s patriotic divide as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary; what to anticipate from Congress ahead of the August break; Exploring whether current efforts to tackle terrorism are effective; Identifying efforts to silence therapists who won’t align with radical transgenderism; A Biblical view of government and a Christian’s role in it.
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.
July 6, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Today on Washington Watch: Contemplating America’s patriotic divide as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary; what to anticipate from Congress ahead of the August break; Exploring whether current efforts to tackle terrorism are effective; Identifying efforts to silence therapists who won’t align with radical transgenderism; A Biblical view of government and a Christian’s role in it. ...more Show the full description Show less Today on Washington Watch: Contemplating America’s patriotic divide as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary; what to anticipate from Congress ahead of the August break; Exploring whether current efforts to tackle terrorism are effective; Identifying efforts to silence therapists who won’t align with radical transgenderism; A Biblical view of government and a Christian’s role in it.
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In this video 0:00 America's 250th Anniversary Reflections5:12 Save America Act & Defunding Planned Parenthood22:00 Border Security Under DHS Secretary Mullen29:24 Court Victory Against Trans Ideology Bans38:12 Biblical Principles for Government
America's 250th Anniversary Reflections 0:00 Hello. I'm Tony Perkins, president of the 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 elected0:12 leaders, 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.0:27 Welcome to the Washington Sand News Brief. I'm Casey Harper bringing you today's big stories. We have several developing stories overseas today. 1st, as thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Monday to honor the0:39 slain leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who was killed by strikes in February, president Donald Trump warned Iran to make a deal. The president held a press conference from the White House today where he issued that warning to0:50 Iran.0:51 Look, we're gonna win 1 way or the other. We're either gonna make a deal or we're gonna finish the job. Okay? And it won't be tough to finish the job. I'd rather make a deal because I don't want to affect1:03 91000000 people. We can knock down their bridges in 1 hour. We can knock out their energy supply, all of those big plants that they built, big, beautiful, modern plants. They had a lot of1:14 money. They don't have any money now. The 1st regime is gone. The 2nd regime is gone. And I think the 3rd regime is more reasonable, but we'll find out.
1:25 That strong warning comes as president Trump heads to Ankara, Turkey, Monday, for this week's annual NATO summit. Now besides Iran, the war in Ukraine looms large over this week's meetings. In fact, Russia continued its
1:36 bombings to begin the week, maybe to send a message. 7 were killed in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday according to Ukrainian official. Ukraine's neighbor Poland, a NATO and EU
1:48 member, briefly scrambled fighter jets as a preventative measure. However, Ukrainians have had success attacking energy infrastructure inside Russia using drones. President Trump is expected to meet with Ukrainian
1:59 president Vladimir Zelensky this week. But the president also spoke with the Russian president Vladimir Putin over the weekend. And then on Monday, he struck an optimistic tone about ending the war.
2:10 I think we're getting much closer than people realize, and, president Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly. We had a good call, and, president Zelensky actually wants it to end
2:22 now. And we're gonna be going to NATO, and we're gonna be talking about it. And we I think we're gonna get it I think we're gonna get it ended. It's been a terrible situation.
2:32 We'll see if that bears out. But other topics of discussion at the NATO summit will likely include Gaza. Notably, Hamas announced on Monday it had dissolved its de facto government and signaled it was ready to hand over
2:44 power to a group of Palestinian technocrats backed by the United Nations. Now this move was part of the Gaza peace plan laid out by President Trump. But Israel, which says Hamas has repeatedly violated the ceasefire,
2:56 called this move nothing more than a stunt. The Trump appointed board of peace, which is set up to monitor the peace plan as it unfolds, said it noted Hamas' move, but it added that ultimately their assessment would be
3:07 guided not by promises but by actions. Regardless, the announcement could spur some action on the issue ahead of this week's NATO summit. Well, meanwhile, on the home front, president Trump at today's press
3:19 conference celebrated the launch of the federally funded Trump accounts. You may remember those are essentially government kick started investments similar to IRAs, but for children. The president announced that on
3:30 Independence Day, 1000 dollars was deposited into more than half 1000000 accounts for kids.
3:37 It's gonna teach, children to be entrepreneurial as opposed to the threat of communism that you're seeing a lot. This is not social Democrats, by the way. That's a
3:49 beautiful we're social Democrats, they say. They're not social. They're communists. They wanna destroy our country. We're not gonna let that happen, but this helps.
3:57 There are more than 6000000 kids signed up for Trump accounts with tens of millions more expected. However, only children born in 20 25 through 20 28, Trump's 2nd term, are eligible to receive the 1000
4:09 dollar investment. Well, for our last story, a disturbing fire in West Virginia has led to a local state of emergency. A massive warehouse fire in Parkersburg, West Virginia sent thick smoke billowing into the
4:21 sky on Sunday. West Virginia governor Patrick Morrissey declared a state of emergency for Wood County amid concerns about air quality. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
4:33 Well, that's today's news. I'm Casey Harper. You can dive deeper at the Washington Stand, which is Family Research Council's outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. As for us, we're back next time with
4:44 more stories that matter.
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 worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
5:10 For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world. All over the world,
Save America Act & Defunding Planned Parenthood
5:22 they try and be like us. Nobody can be like us. And with God's help, we will always be this or even better. We're gonna be better.
5:38 That was president Trump on Saturday delivering remarks as America celebrated its 250th anniversary. Welcome to this Monday, July 6th edition of
5:50 Washington Watch. I'm your guest host, Jody Heiss, filling in today for Tony, and so honored to be sharing the next hour with you. Thanks for tuning in. Alright. Coming up,
6:02 North Carolina congressman Mark Harris will join me to discuss his reflections on America's 250th anniversary. We'll also discuss the latest news on the Save America
6:13 Act. Then after that, Virginia congressman Ben Klein will be joining me to give his assessment on how homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullen is handling the
6:25 issue of illegal immigration since he took the helm of that position some 3 months ago. We'll also be talking with congressman Klein about how his state is handling it under
6:36 Virginia's Democratic governor Abigail Spanberger. Then also, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeal has revived a case against ordinances in Missouri that are
6:48 designed to muzzle counselors who don't bow the knee to trans ideology. So we'll be discussing that as well. All that and much more is straight ahead right here on
7:00 Washington Watch. Let's start with the celebrations that took place all across
7:12 the country commemorating our nation's 250th anniversary. Joining me now to discuss this is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper. Casey, there was a lot of celebration.
7:24 Walk us through some of it.
7:26 That's right. I could hear it last night as I was trying to fall asleep. Those fireworks still going off, Jody. But, of course, that is, carryover from Saturday where we saw those historic celebrations across the US. But
7:37 here in Washington, DC, there were military flyovers throughout the day, while more than a quarter of 1000000 people celebrated at the National Mall. They had live music, a Ferris wheel, and booths representing every US
7:49 state. There was a historic fireworks show where over 850000 pyrotechnics were launched. But before that fireworks display, president Trump made a speech where he recounted some of the country's milestones, and he
8:00 honored several veterans and historical figures. In fact, here's a clip from the president.
8:06 Over 250 years, the world has seen the great empires, vast kingdoms, mighty nations, and terrible tyrants. They came and they went.
8:18 But after 2 and a half centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong. And all these talks from the communists, they haven't got a chance. Not even a chance. We
8:30 don't want communists in our country.
8:34 President Trump's mention of communist there is, of course, a response to the victories by several democratic socialists in some key primary races recently. And, really, the that, president's Trump speech really stood
8:45 in stark contrast to a speech given by New York City's mayor, Zoran Mamdani. He criticized ICE. He characterized the US as an unfair system of supremacy that favors the ultra wealthy. Here's
8:57 a clip.
8:58 As we mark 250 years, what do we see? We see a city of contradictions within a nation of contradictions. We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world,
9:11 1 where children go to sleep hungry while the world's 1st trillionaire hungers for more. We see masked agents terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in
9:22 unmarked vans.
9:24 I guess even the 4th of July wasn't a day off for, the attacks, Jody.
9:30 Unbelievable. We'll be discussing some of that as the program unfolds. Let's turn now to some international news, Casey. There's, unexpected homecoming that took place just in time for
9:42 Independence Day that many of us are celebrating, the release of a pastor who had been held for months and months in a Chinese prison. What's the latest there, and what's happening there?
9:53 Yeah. This is a major story, Jody. So on Saturday, pastor Esra Jin, who leads Zion Church in China, he arrived in Los Angeles where he reunited with his family after spending nearly 9 months in detention. Now Jin's
10:04 departure comes just a few weeks after the Beijing summit where president Trump called on the president of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, to release him. Now according to Chinese officials, this was an act of
10:15 goodwill really to celebrate America's independence day. And and while it is certainly great news, it's worth noting that there are 8 others from Zion Church reportedly still detained, which really highlights that while
10:27 this pastor's release is great news, there are many Christians who weren't so lucky, Jody.
10:32 Well, we certainly rejoice. He's 1 we've been praying for for a long time, so we rejoice over pastor Edger's release. I I think this is a great time for us to remember and continue praying for those
10:44 who remained, in prison for their faith for Christ, not only in China, but around the world. Casey, let's look at some other international news. The war between Russia and Ukraine,
10:56 we're seeing some intensification of that right now, and all those have, of course, is coming, before a scheduled meeting between presidents Trump and Zelensky. What's the latest, and what do you think we
11:08 can expect as this week unfolds there?
11:11 Yeah. That's right, Jody. The timing is very interesting. And we saw footage from earlier this morning that shows missiles coming down on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, where 24 people were injured throughout the city. Now on
11:22 Wednesday, president Trump and president Zelensky will be meeting at the NATO summit as efforts continue to end that war, and it follows a call president Trump had with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Now earlier
11:34 today, president Trump said he believes that a resolution to the war in Ukraine could be on the horizon. In fact, here's a clip from the president.
11:41 I think we're getting much closer than people realize, and, president Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly. We had a good call, and, president Zelensky actually wants it to end
11:53 now. And we're gonna be going to NATO, and we're gonna be talking about it. And we I think we're gonna get it I think we're gonna get it ended.
12:01 So all eyes will be on those talks this week, Jody.
12:05 Yes. I certainly will. Casey, as always, thank you for these updates. We appreciate a lot happening in the news. I wanna go back now to this past weekend celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
12:17 And joining us now to discuss this and more is North Carolina congressman Mark Harris. He represents the 8th congressional district here in North Carolina and also a fellow pastor.
12:29 Congressman Harris, always great to see you, my friend. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
12:33 Good evening, Jody. It's great to be with you.
12:37 Alright. So, let's start with the big 250th anniversary of America over the weekend. What was your take on it all?
12:46 Well, it was a phenomenal weekend, Jody. Seeing that many Americans that were gathered in the nation's capital, I'm not gonna kid you. It was hot. I mean, very hot. But, we had planned
12:58 ahead and brought all our children and our 11 grandchildren, had the whole family there for the weekend. And just to get the chance to experience from the great American state fair,
13:10 to the fireworks, to the flyovers that took place throughout the day, there really was not a dull minute throughout the weekend. And, it was it was truly a celebration. The president's speech
13:22 was spot on that night. And and when you consider all the elements that were fighting against it from the thunderstorms and the delays, and it just showed once again the American grit and determination
13:34 and the strength and resolve of this president and those that were there to celebrate America's 2 50th. And it it was it was an extraordinary celebration.
13:45 Spectacular. And, you know, not the the enemies, so to speak. The challenges include more than thunderstorms. I mean, let me play this clip, for you from New York City's mayor and then get your reaction to
13:57 this. Play clip 4 for me, please.
13:59 We are told that America is exceptional because we are richer, stronger, more powerful than everyone else. The truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional because here,
14:11 nothing is fixed into place.
14:15 Alright. American exceptionalism. How would you respond to that?
14:19 Well, when you listen to his speech as a whole, you recognize that only a communist or a socialist, as he likes to call himself, would take the 250th anniversary of our nation to find a moment
14:31 in time to criticize the country that gave him an opportunity to lead the largest city in the world. I mean, listen. The vision that he had, I could not disagree more with what he
14:43 heard. And it was so off base because, listen, I come from a home where my dad was a prisoner of war. He raised in an orphanage, actually. Went into World War 2 at age 18. Came out
14:55 of the war, went to the NC State on the GI Bill, fell in love with my mom. They were married nearly 65 years before she passed away, had 5 children. My dad never made more than 30000 dollars
15:07 a year, and he raised all of us, sent us all to college. We're all married, had left him with 12 grandchildren when the Lord took him home in 20 14. This is the land of opportunity,
15:19 and I remember the 200th anniversary. I was 10 years old in 19 76, and my parents taught me patriotism. Even my mom redecorated my room to red, white, and blue, and put down carpet that was
15:31 blue. And I still remember it to this day, and the vision that Mondami laid out is so off track, and Americans have got to call it what it is and reject it outright.
15:44 Exclamation point to that, my friend. And, you know, it is concerning to see the number of socialists who are the trend that is popping up around the country. Let me ask you this while congress is out this week.
15:56 A lot, to, is on the table for when you return. I know speaker Johnson is saying he wants to put the Save America Act on the next reconciliation bill. How do you see that playing out?
16:08 Well, I think it's gonna be important. Reconciliation 3 is a real thing. I know that, budget chairman Jody Arrington has already said that the work is being done in putting some of the pieces of that together.
16:19 Listen. We're committed in the house to getting budget reconciliation 3 across the finish line. We've gotta do some things in cutting waste. We've gotta do some things in military spending. We've gotta do those
16:31 things that the Democrats have made it very clear. They're not gonna give us 1 vote over on the senate side to even help us. So it's gonna be important for us to stand together, and it's gonna be important for the senate
16:43 Republicans. I'm I'm hearing stuff coming out of there about, well, they're not sure they can do another 3. The American people did not give us the trifecta, the house, the senate, and the White House
16:55 for the senate to hide behind some kind of procedure. They need to do what they need to do, get their act together. They need to pass the Save America Act. They need to move reconciliation 3, and it's gonna be
17:07 very important when we get back, including the funding planned parenthood. You know, that 1 year just ran out, and the I think we sent a letter from the House Freedom Caucus urging the speaker to make sure
17:19 that we include that in reconciliation 3 to continue to defund the major abortion provider in this country.
17:27 Yeah. I'm glad you brought that up because people may not remember, but the last year's 1 big beautiful bill actually had the provision that defunded planned parenthood for a year, and all
17:39 that expired over the weekend starting today. Abortion mills all across the country I can once again have access literally to hundreds of millions of dollars, in Medicaid and and so
17:51 forth. So, congressman, probably 30 seconds. Do do you think the speaker's gonna lead in this way to make sure that, that Planned Parenthood and others
18:03 are defunded?
18:04 I think he will. I think that people are responding to that. I think we've gotta make it part of the house version. If you recall, the house version had it much longer than 1 year when we passed the 1 big beautiful bill.
18:16 When it got over to the senate, and the wheeling and dealing happened, they're the ones that took it down to 1 year. So I think the speaker, I think the house of representatives will pass reconciliation 3, and we will
18:27 continue the defunding of planned parenthood. It's gonna be important for folks to make sure their senators understand what's at stake.
18:34 North Carolina congressman Mark Harris, always great to have you. Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Coming up, we will have another congressman, Virginia congressman Ben
18:46 Klein, will be joining me. So go away. We'll be right back.
18:53 America. What formed the fabric of our freedom? What stitched together the hearts of those that fasten the stars and stripes? 250 years ago, our founding fathers pinned the invisible words woven
19:05 within every heart that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
19:17 Unite with others who will pledge to defend these eternal truths today at Family Research Council's Pray Boat Stand Summit, September 24th to the 26th at Cornerstone Chapel in Northern Virginia.
19:30 In 17 76, our country declared independence in reliance upon divine providence. In 20 26, in the same spirit, we'll declare dependence upon God by gathering for
19:42 a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Use promo code America at checkout for a 25 dollar discount. Register now at pray boat stand dot o r g.
19:57 The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained. And yet, there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure.
20:09 That's why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
20:16 Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation's capital, FRC continues to
20:28 champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
20:35 FRC is 1 of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north, and I shudder to think had they not been here that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
20:45 The Family Research Council has literally millions of people that follow what they do, and that small army makes a difference. Every time I meet with Tony, he prays for me. That matters. This is a grassroots
20:57 organization. Tony and his team in Washington do a great job, but the power of the FRC is the people.
21:03 It's just a wonderful parachurch organization that doesn't seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward
21:15 successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the holy scriptures.
21:24 FRC, is not gonna be whooped. You know, we're we're gonna fight. We're gonna take a stand. And, again, we don't retreat.
21:33 To thousands of Americans who love this country and happen to believe the Bible as a definitive way to live, we will not be silent. We will not shrink back. We will not apologize for biblical truth. We will
21:44 continue to stand for it.
21:55 Welcome back. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. I'm Jody Heiss. I'm honored to be filling in today for Tony. It's been more than 3 months now since Homeland's,
Border Security Under DHS Secretary Mullen
22:06 security secretary Markwayne Mullen, took the helm at the Department of Homeland Security. And while we've not seen a blow up, if you will, like we did earlier this year in Minnesota,
22:18 It's certainly true that the legacy media would like for us to believe that his department is sowing all sorts of fear in immigrant communities because of the number of arrests by immigration and
22:30 customs enforcement. But let's be honest. Given the numbers of illegal immigrants that were allowed into this country by the previous Biden administration, including
22:42 those with criminal and even terrorist backgrounds, it's safe to say that ICE is simply doing its job. Joining us now to discuss this and more is
22:54 Virginia congressman Ben Kline. He is a member of the house permanent select committee on intelligence. He represents the 6th congressional district, the great state of Virginia.
23:06 Congressman Klein, my friend, great to see you. Welcome to Washington Watch.
23:10 Jody, it's great to see you. Thanks for having me.
23:14 I want to start with a clip. I wanna get your reactions to this. This is New York City's mayor, over the weekend, but he took a shot at ICE among other
23:26 things. So play clip 5 for me, and then I'll get your thoughts.
23:29 As we mark 250 years, what do we see? We see a city of contradictions within a nation of contradictions. We see massed agents terrorizing our streets, eating
23:41 food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vans.
23:49 Alright. Your thoughts?
23:52 Jody, it just goes to show the politics of fear that the mayor Mandani is using to exercise control over the city of New York when what ICE is doing is trying to keep
24:04 the people of New York and the people of this whole country safe by removing criminal illegal immigrants who have come into this country, committed crimes, and need to be repatriated to their country of origin.
24:16 That that's what ICE is doing, and, we need to support them in their job.
24:22 Absolutely. I mean, he's got everything backwards. And I almost commented, but we have so many who listen to this program rather than watch. But those that were able to see it, it looked like he was sitting backwards in
24:31 his desk. The drawers were face I I don't know how he was even sitting there, but it was in itself illustrative of someone who's got everything backwards. But I couldn't agree with you more.
24:43 Congressman Klein, turning now to DHS as a whole and the direction that secretary Markwayne Mullen is taking, that agency, what's your assessment of the job that he's,
24:55 doing so far?
25:00 The secretary is providing steady leadership for that department, making sure that we secure the border as has been done over the past, year and a half of the 2nd Trump administration,
25:12 making sure 0 individuals who have entered this country are allowed to stay in the country. They're all removed from the country when they're detected at the border. But
25:24 the criminal element that is here illegally are removed from the country, and 70 percent of those who are deported are have criminal records. So he is doing the job that he was
25:35 hired to do, that he was appointed by president Trump to do, and I commend him for doing it in a steady, nonsensical way.
25:44 Yeah. That's a powerful statistic that you just mentioned that 70 percent of those who are being deported have criminal records. I think that is a a huge exclamation point in this whole discussion
25:56 because when we consider the the record number of illegal immigrants who were allowed into this country during the Biden administration, particularly
26:09 those with, criminal and even terrorist backgrounds. Are you at all surprised at the number of arrests that ICE is
26:21 making?
26:23 No. When over 10000000 illegal immigrants came into this country during the Biden administration. And for comparison, the Commonwealth of Virginia doesn't even have 9000000. It's about 8.8 at this point.
26:35 So more than the population of the of my home state came into this country illegally, and, you have a large percentage of those committing crimes. This administration Donald Trump's
26:47 administration has made it a top priority to remove the creditors who are here illegally, secure the border, and make sure our communities are safer because of it. So, we
26:59 need to continue on this path. We commend Markwayne Mullen for the job that he's doing, and, we look forward to, hopefully continuing to secure our border and and keep our community
27:11 safe.
27:12 Well, I did wanna ask you about your state, and, that's a that's a powerful visual to think of the numbers of illegals who are allowed in by the Biden administration compared to the population of the entire
27:24 state of Virginia. But speaking of Virginia, how how is your state handling the issue of illegal immigration? Particularly where I'm getting to is under
27:36 your relatively new Democrat governor Abigail Spanberger. How is she doing, say, compared to Markwayne Mullen?
27:45 Well, unfortunately, she has reversed many of the policies put in place by our former governor Glenn Youngkin, who did a fantastic job of removing Virginia from the
27:57 list of sanctuary states for illegals, and made sure that folks realized that when you come to Virginia, if you commit a crime and are incarcerated, when you get
28:09 out, ICE is going to remove you from the country under a 2 87 g agreement that ICE had with the state, Virginia. Abigail Samburger, the day she took office, removed that
28:21 2 87 g agreement. We've become a sanctuary state again, and but you see our murders being committed across Northern Virginia and the entire Commonwealth by illegal immigrants and other heinous
28:32 crimes.
28:34 Well, what a comparison. Before I let you go, and we've only got a a minute or so left, but you've got a a great bill that, is is seeking to bring down health care costs for all Americans. Skinny
28:46 labels, big savings act. Tell us about that real quickly.
28:51 Sure. In addition to the bill I have regarding 2 87 g agreements, which would incentivize states to actually participate, make sure that police funding goes to those states where 2 87 g
29:02 agreements, occur, we have a bill that helps lower prescription drug costs by, or by making sure that we incentivize generics. So there's more competition, innate brand
29:14 drugs and generics when they provide a a slim or a skinny portion of that covered, drug treatment.Show more
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