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From the Fox News Radio Studios in Midtown Manhattan, it's the fastest growing radio talk show. Brian Kilmead. This is the great Brian Killmead show. Giddy Up. It is your humble D.C.

correspondent and Fox and Friends Weekend co-host Griff Jenkins trying to fill the giant shoes of Brian Killmead, hopefully off on a vacation somewhere. And there has been no shortage of news in Brian's absence. It is just we are watching and monitoring the Capitol Hill today with a possible contempt vote coming from Ram Paul's committee. And of course, all eyes are on what's happening in the Middle East and whether or not this new deal, the deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, could possibly get us somewhere. And we heard with President Trump out in Las Vegas, Nevada, talking a little bit about.

This deal, is it different? Will something come of it? Or are we headed back to full-out war? Listen to this: cut one. And they called me.

And they say, please don't do it, let's talk. And then they said, we never said that. You know what? The fake news knows they did say that, but we are talking. Let's see what happens.

But they respect us. They respect us. It's been 47 years, but really it's been 50 years because they've been saying 47 for three years. It's been 50 years, and no other president. has done what you should have done a long time ago, because Iran cannot have A nuclear weapon.

Vice President Vance also weighing in on how Americans may be feeling about this and questioning where it is all headed. He was on with Laura Ingram last night. This is cut three. There are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the war to continue. Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the president of the United States as well.

And I do think that where we will ultimately land, it's going to be messy and it's going to take some time to get there. But what is most frustrating for the American people is trying to figure out who exactly we're negotiating with. The various diplomats from Iran have made statements saying one thing, but the IRGC has continued to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz, continued to launch missiles at our U.S. bases in places like Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. The latest comment coming from the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, Qasim Garababadi, had this to say, cut for.

Almost all the topics are under discussion. The map, the transit routes, the entering and exiting of maritime traffic. This progress is on the verge of being finalized. Yeah. We shall see Michael Makovsky, president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, leading DC policy group that follows these things closely.

Mike, thank you for joining us. And I hope you appreciate that setup, right? I'm giving the American people kind of the latest. What President Trump, the vice president, is saying we heard from Garabadi, the deputy Iranian foreign minister, but it's not clear that this time will be different. How do you read this?

Good morning. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I think President Trump's statement was half true and half not in this case. I think I give him tremendous credit that he's the first president to really seriously try to address a problem that has been building up since 1979.

So he deserves a lot of credit for that.

However, I'm not sure that they fully respect us. They respect our military power, but I'm not sure they respect our will. And I think we look feckless, this on and off thing. And based on reports, I don't know for sure. We haven't seen any agreement yet, but based on various media reports, it seems like the Iranians would have a lot of say at least on which ships go into the Strait of Hermuz.

And I think if that's the case, and I assume implicitly, I haven't seen much discussion of this, that it would mean a reduction, a removal of our blockade. If that's the case, I think it would be a mistake and it would just be kicking the can down the road. while strengthening the regime. You're right about the sort of rinse, wash, and repeat that it feels like as we all watch this, and certainly someone with your ability to look deeper. But also, I feel like President Trump deserves more credit than he's getting for exhibiting tremendous patience.

When you consider the fact, as you alluded to, leaders rarely do the hard things because the hard things are just that. They're hard. And he's taking on Iran. And yet he's demonstrating, I think, a tremendous amount of patience. in trying to get to some deal, while we see Iran continuing to say one thing, seem to buy time trying to get into more negotiations, while doing just the opposite in the same thing they've been doing in attacking.

Yeah. By the way, and I would give President Trump credit on something that he didn't say. Which is that he's also the first president since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 that actually supported the Iranian people. And he did that vociferously, very strongly in early January. No other president showed that.

There have been many uprisings of demonstrations in Iran, and basically America's pretty much ignored it.

So I think President Trump deserves a lot of credit for that. He's very serious about preventing nuclear Iran. He's willing to do what's necessary.

So for all that, I give him credit. On the patients' issue, Uh I think it comes with the cost. And I personally would rather rip the band-aid off and just get over what we want to do. I think there's basically three options we've had. There's a diplomatic option of trying to cut a deal.

We've been working on that for four months. I don't see how it's gotten us really too far, except I think it's kind of weakened our credibility. And I wouldn't trust any agreement with the Iranians because when we do have a deal with them, like we had on the ceasefire in April and the MOU in June, they violated immediately.

So that's option one. Option two would be something that would require a lot of patience. Just keep the pressure on, do the blockade, don't resume military options, hit them back if they hit us, and just keep basically putting more and more pressure on the regime. I think that's a very legitimate option. And if we, if President Trump has a patience for that, I think that's a legitimate thing to do.

And then option three, I think, is resuming major military options. And I think kind of addressing, I think, their nuclear facilities, opening up, making sure the Strait of Hermuz. Is going to be open, and that would require patience to keep that going. And also, I think turning off the lights on the regime by hitting their internal energy facilities. That I think would be if we resume military options.

That's how I see the three options. I don't see the diplomatic approach having really paid off so far.

Well, I think it's made us look, I think, kind of feckless, not just to the Iranians, but to the Chinese and the Russians, and to our Gulf Arab allies who are less likely, I think, to trust us going forward.

So, I think there are costs. What's uh the pursuit of this diplomatic option? Do you think, Mike, by the way, to the point of the Gulf allies, I mean, whether they're hitting Muwaffak Air Base, killing our Americans in Jordan, or they almost continuously have been targeting things like Kuwait and Ali Salim and the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and even striking Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, do you feel like that is backfiring on Iran and creating a coalescing of the Gulf allies to the President's plight? You know what, when the f the Iranians first started doing that at the beginning of the war, I thought it was a mistake, I'll admit. But I think that their persistent hitting of this by the way, they even hit the Qataris and our base in Qatar, El Udaid.

And they have good relations with the Qataris. But I think they've proven that it's been a very effective lever because it raises oil prices, and President Trump understandably puts pressure on him, especially before midterms coming up in November.

So I think it's been effective. By the way, if I may add. The only the most secure the most secure congregation of US or concentration excuse me of US forces in the region has been in it has been in Israel. There's an air base in Israel, Uda. We've had over 6,000 U.S.

personnel there. They've never been hit. And I think it's kind of an interesting, important contrast, and it's something for us to think about going forward when all this is finished, is our force posture in the region because our bases in the Arab countries have been very vulnerable, but in Israel, they've actually been safe.

So let's talk about, and by the way, on your point about the midterms, it's pretty clear that Iran seems to be thinking that they are holding cards, even though the president says he's not going to let the midterms determine what he's going to do about denuclearizing Iran and opening up the strait. But yet it's pretty clear they think that they are playing against a clock that they have the upper hand. Do you agree? They do. And I think, you know, reports in the press.

Uh You know, kind of confirmed the Iranian concerns that President Trump does care about that, and they feel that's a soft underbelly for us. I think. I don't like obviously what the Iranians are doing, and these attacks are, you know, against our soldiers are. are awful. Uh but I think they've had a From an Iranian perspective, it's been effective.

Let's talk Israel because you mentioned that. And we just saw Prime Minister Netanyahu in the U.S. meeting with President Trump, who's here for Lindsey Graham's funeral. It's unclear sort of what came of their meeting with regards to the way forward. Do you feel like Israel and the U.S., Netanyahu and Trump, are on the same page, or is there daylight there on their goals and the options that they choose going forward?

You know, I talked to somebody who was involved in those talks, and he said they were very positive meetings. I think. I think what it helped do, as far as I could gather, obviously I wasn't in the room, but I think it helped give the Israelis a better understanding of where Trump is, and I think it helped give President Trump a better understanding of where the Israelis is.

So I think that's very helpful. Do I think their interest? I don't think, though, the interests are exactly aligned. For America, of course, the Strader Hammuz. Keeping that open is critical.

It's not the only critical thing. The nuclear, as I would say, is also very important. I think for the Israelis, The Straitor Who Moves has generally been in the American domain, and they're much more focused on the nuclear threat and the threat that the regime poses. And I think you see a difference, I think, in the Israeli and the American population. Is that I think for the Israelis, who are also frustrated about the war, I think they feel like you got to finish it.

And, you know, I think in America, there's more wariness about it, especially given the impact of. Of oil prices. You know, Mike, we've heard the president talk specifically when we consider the target list of what if we resume full throttle strikes. We've talked about Pickaxe Mountain. The President's mentioned that.

Pickaxe Mountain is, of course, where allegedly Iran is trying to reconstitute their nuclear program bearing centrifuges hundreds of feet below the Pickaxe Mountain, some 300 to 400 feet deep, which actually is farther deep than even our GBU-57s, our massive ordnance penetrators that we dropped back last summer during Operation Midnight Hammered, that we might need additional ways of getting to the nuclear material. And there's a consideration, would special forces have to be involved or exactly how you do it, we don't know. But my question to you is, because you're pretty familiar with the Israeli. Side of things, do you believe that the U.S. could take Pickaxe Mountain without Israeli support?

I think so. Although I think the plan would be my understanding of the plan of dealing with PICEX and any nuclear facilities they have to deal with would be a joint operation. And I agree that my understanding is it would be some combination of special forces And the Air Force. And that would mean, you know, troops on the ground. And obviously, there are a lot of risk involved with this.

But I've heard from both sides that it seems that. They feel from the military side, as both the military of both sides, I should say, that they feel that it's a. They can manage it. It's obviously the President's responsibility and the Prime Minister of Israel's responsibility to weigh those risks with the objectives. But I tend to trust what the military guys say, and I think they feel they have a good plan, and they've had one all along.

So, but you're right. The challenge of pickaxe is that it's more deeply buried than Ford. And therefore, you probably have to have forces on the ground, probably. We'll see where it goes. Very limited period of time.

We'll see where it goes. We've got to leave it there. Mike McCofsky, thank you for your insight. As always, sir, have a good one. Thank you.

Great talking. Have a good day. All right, you two. This is Griff Jenkins on the Brian Kilmeade Show with a whole lot more coming up. Don't touch that dial.

Keeping you informed, engaged, and always a step ahead. It's the Brian Kill Meat Show. A talk show that's real. This is the Brian Killmead Show. Holding a witness in contempt is a serious thing.

And it should be rare. The contempt power exists for precisely this circumstance. Oversight is not a courtesy this committee extends or a favor a former official grants us. It is a constitutional obligation. And when voluntary cooperation ends, Congress must be able to compel compliance with its lawful demands.

That is Congress's compulsory instrument. A subpoena is not an invitation. A subpoena with no consequence is not a subpoena. It's a suggestion. Seeking the truth is not a witch hunt.

Accountability is not vengeance. Accountability is what stands between the American people and a repeat of the mistakes and the very real consequences of the past. That is Senator Rand Paul, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, making the case this morning for why Dr. Anthony Fauci should be held in contempt of Congress. We have the breaking news that that did succeed despite efforts on many of the Democrats on that committee to table this vote.

It did pass. We now have that officially on record. Listen here. Mr. Chairman, on the vote of those present, the yeas are eight, the nays are five.

On the vote by proxy and for the record only, the yeas are zero, the nays are two. On this vote, the yeas are eight, the nays are five, and the motion is agreed to.

So now Senator Paul's contempt of Congress will go and go bypass the full Senate floor vote, which is the typical way that it has been done. But Senator Paul is going to send it directly with a letter of recommendation to the Department of Justice, where DOJ, lawyers, and a judge will decide A, whether to take it up and B, whether or not, indeed, Anthony Fauci will be held in contempt. And it was not but for the Democrats trying to table this, trying to stop this, trying to save their hero, Anthony Fauci. It was remarkable theater for all of America to see that these Democrats continue to demand that we protect, that Anthony Fauci be protected despite the questions millions of Americans who have suffered so much had. This is the ranking member, Gary Peters, pushing back on this.

Following a one-sided investigation. And a rushed process that has repeatedly excluded the minority and other members of this committee. The Chairman is now asking the committee to take a vote that could harm our ability to conduct future investigations and disregards constitutional protections. long recognized by the U.S. Senate.

All without making a reliable case that there is a legal basis for holding Dr. Fauci in contempt. But will there ultimately be accountability for the millions of Americans who had schools shut down, businesses shut down? We've got a lot more. We're going to dive deeper on that on the Brian Kilmead Show.

I'm Griff Jenkins. A radio show like no other. It's Brian Killmead. This is the Brian Kilmead Show. Brian out for the day.

Your humble DC correspondent, Griff Jenkins, filling in this. You are so lucky. If you are listening to this radio show right now, lucky you, because you're about to get advice that you are going to thank me in the Brian Kilmead show for, and that is what to watch this weekend. And the show that has just dropped on Fox Nation, hosted by Mike Cirelli. Former Navy SEAL hero is out now on Fox Nation.

It's called Final Flight: The Men of Extortion 17. And I came to Fox when in 2000, 25 years ago, with Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, originally to tell the story of heroes. The show was called War Stories with Oliver North. And at the end of every single story, we told World War One, World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, you name it, every theater, Pacific, Atlantic. We told every war story we could.

The signature line, Colonel North signed off every time. And theirs is a story that deserves to be told. Mike Sorelli has gone. Many of you remember the story of Extortion 17 today, August 6th. Today is the 15th anniversary.

Of the loss of those heroes. 31 Americans, 17 were DevGrew Navy SEAL guys, including a military dog. Mike Sorelli is in the studio with us now. Mike, I'm so excited to watch this. And you're not just recounting what happened in Tangie Valley, but you're telling the story of the heroes that were there.

Yeah. Well, first off, Griff, thank you for having me. Has anyone ever told you you uplift people when you walk into the room? And I always appreciate that about you, even on this somber day. Subject.

You know, for the viewers, I would say watch this, not necessarily for how the men. Uh past how they died. But it's more about showing or humanizing these men to show how they lived. Who they loved. And ultimately The fact that they went forward for strangers.

who they would never meet and defend democracy. I just happen. To have the honor and privilege to have served alongside these men. And I think their sacrifice. While specific to this documentary is about them, it is a broader example of what our armed forces do every day and the lives that are given in defense of our nation.

And just for any of our listeners that need the quick recap, and you mentioned it, you framed it so well, Mike, and that is these heroes boarded a CH-47, went into harm's way in a hot LZ to try and rescue.

So it all starts with Army Rangers that are going after a high-value target. Then these guys on Extortion 1 and 7 are going to essentially rescue them. You're exactly right.

So the 75th Ranger Regiment, who we loved and had a great relationship with and just the mutual respect between bands of brothers, went into Tanguy Valley, which is an enemy safe haven in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, to hit a target, a capture-kill mission. Uh they met were met with with overwhelming resistance and they gave what we usually give on missions is a call for support.

Now what's interesting about this is The two leaders, Jonas Kelsad, the Lieutenant Commander, the troop commander, and Master Chief Lou Langless, and the rest of the boys, because they're, you know, we take an opinion from everyone. They didn't debate it. They didn't argue about going in, even though they knew it was a hot LZ, that there was an active firefight going on. I think the only discussion was do we take two helicopters or one? And ultimately they decided to take one helicopter, get in as quickly as possible and get the acid out to protect not only their troop but the safety of the brave Army aviation soldiers flying the aircraft.

They boarded. And they flew off into the night. And that is the covenant between.

Soldiers. is that even if we explain to the guys the calculated risk about what uh of what they were about to do They would have said, We understand and we're going anyways. And I think that was personified what we saw with the two down pilots in Iran. Sure. When American forces said, We don't care about the risk, we're coming for our own.

So well said. And fortunately, that covenant has existed for decades and continues. As you point out, we're seeing it play out in real time downrange right now. There's some 50,000 service members downrange. And, you know, we pray for their safety and their completing of the mission.

I want to play a clip or two from the special you did. This is cut 43. Listen here. It is not a everybody pats each other on the butt at the end of the night and says good game. This is a for-keep game.

And you can't blink and make more You can make more aircraft. That's a dollar thing. You can't make more crews. It's just like the operators. You don't mass produce special operators.

It's just not something that's ever been done. And if it's been done, it's been done in other countries, and they're not very special. Talk to me about what that clip is. Yeah, so first off, that gentleman is Bruno Fallon, another extraordinary human being. Not only was he a 75th Ranger Regiment operator, then became a Green Beret, and then became a flight lead for the TF-160th.

Double, triple-dipper. Yeah, he's that exceptional. And I got to serve alongside him. He's talking about a special operation forces truth, an axiom. Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced and especially during a time of emergency.

So these guys were some of the most elite warriors. But I think what the documentary shows is this paradox of the American warrior. These men, in particular, like all of our military, were the monsters our enemies feared and probably fear more today because today's military is more lethal. Than our generation was. And that's the whole point.

But these men were also. Respectful. They were empathetic. They were the kindest humans you'd ever meet. They would go home from doing a very dirty job to kneel beside.

Their children's bedside. And show them love. and to be loving spouses to their wives. And a lot of Americans can't differentiate that or rationalize that because Hollywood paints a different picture. And if we achieve anything beyond Just memorializing these men and not letting their names die, it's showing a different side of who these men really are to the general public.

You are, and you were one of these official operators. You're very closely tied to this story. What was it like for you? What's your takeaway after doing this? I was hoping you weren't going to ask that question.

And I just shot a note to all the families, the teammates, and anyone involved in this. And there was a paragraph in that email of I was forced to rationalize, forced to reflect. And it was like ripping a band-aid off. You know, we try to compartmentalize this and move on. You really don't.

You know, I've got a bracelet that I never take off. Um Actually, that's That's a lie. I did take it off once and I handed it to the father of John Brown, an Air Force special operator that was on that helicopter and ordered a new one, which they take a little time to get made. But I I went into a a bit of Depression, and I don't want you to think like, woe is me. It just.

This was a heavy loss. I mean, it was the largest or the single largest loss of life incident in Afghanistan. It just so happened to be my teammates. But what hurts more is looking at the families for a seat that will never be filled. But what's remarkable about them, and I said this in this email this morning to them.

As you move forward with the paint. And the sacrifice is not one moment, but it's every single day. That's seared into their lives. And the resilience. and the strength that they demonstrate, which you see in this documentary.

They continue on, and they're all doing exceptional things, and they will not let their loved ones' names die, much like the teammates that were involved. This means something to us. It should mean something to Americans that, hey, how we truly remember is not just one day in which we memorialize our fallen, but. Every single action we take every single day either honors or totally degradates the sacrifice they made. on our behalf.

You know, Mike, I really appreciate you being honest about that. And I full well knew asking that question I was going to make it difficult for you, but you took me right to why I asked that question. Because people recognize our fallen heroes once a year on Memorial Day. But for those families of fallen heroes, Every day is Memorial Day. And the best way we can honor them is to remember them.

Tell their stories so others know. And so, kudos to you, brother, for doing very that. That's what Memorial Day is about. It's not about being sad and realizing we have these heroes that save the country and continue to fight for freedom. It is, it is about that, but it's more about remembering the story.

I tell people all the time: if you feel like you want to do something to honor Memorial Day and you're not sure what to do, go learn the story of one or two heroes that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Go watch Extortion 1-7, your Fox Nation special, so that they can understand really what was done and why it should matter to you, not just on one day, on every day. Hey, let me get one more clip in and tell me a little bit about that. And this is, of course, about that CH47 going down. This is Cut 41.

We're at the J-Bad compound and. Sitting around like this, like reunion, team guy reunion. You know, I hadn't seen the dudes in a couple weeks.

So we're hanging out, having a good time watching TV. Catching up, what's the ops like? What's the op tempo like? And someone comes in the room. Hey, yo, Hilo went down.

Okay. Came out of Fobshank. And at first, the word was: well, we're not sure if it was the Rangers or the SEALs, but Gila went down.

So I think we had about five missions on the board that night. I get a call. I think just before midnight, our mission commander. He says, hey, uh 47 went down.

Okay. It's my I need location. Gave me that. How many souls on board? Thirty eight.

And I was like.

Okay. It's a remarkable moment. Yeah, it's hard to listen to that one. That's Captain Brad Geary talking about being around the fireplace at J-Bad and Casey Holmes, another Air Force Tier 1 operator, a PJ, the pararescue community, which again, I could sit here and sing volumes about that community. In case he had the I say unfortunate duty.

Of going in to recover the aircraft after the crash, knowing that three of his teammates, plus all the other guys he knew from the squadron. Uh We're deceased. And you wouldn't wish that on your worst enemy to have that responsibility. But that is what the pararescue men of the Air Force do. Um we never It Given all the operations that special operations in the military had run up to this point, 2011.

Uh there weren't Many incidents like this.

So, again, the volume of the loss of life, and in particular, that these were some of our most elite warriors. Uh It hit everyone. And there was no right response. There was very little way to rationalize it at the time. Um Just the magnitude of these personalities.

And each of these guys had a. A massive personality.

Now you put them together. We say they were one third of the squadron, but about two thirds of the personality. And as you dive into these stories, you hear just how remarkable and extraordinary these guys were. And Griff, I've got to put to you this way. When I first got to this place, I grew up in the Bay Area.

When I joined, it was like walking into the 90s. 49ers locker room in the in the 90s, like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott, and the list keeps going on. And how I looked up to these guys. And this was my first deployment prior to them passing. And watching them in action, I think it within media, I've talked about the first night I went out with him, which was a massive firefight in which we lost Adam Brown.

There's a book called Fearless written about him. And I've said this, and I will say to the day I die, I've never seen a military unit maneuver under fire the way these guys did. And it was also the realization of. Two takes one. I d I don't think I belong here.

And uh two. There is now a new bar. And I'm going to work like hell to meet that bar and earn my place at that unit every single day. And so these guys inspired me and they inspired a lot of people.

Well, you reach that bar and a lot more because you are an American hero, Mike Sorelli. We're talking to him about his brand new Fox Nation special, Final Flight, The Men of Extortion 1-7. You can get it right now. Mike, can we keep you for a quick segment? All right.

This is Griff Jenkins on the Brian Kilmead Show. We'll be right back. The headlines, the stories behind them, and the people who make them only on the Brian Kill Meet Show. The more you listen, the more you'll know. It's Brian Killmead.

Oh, and you'll learn a lot listening today on the Brian Kilmead Show. This is Griff Jenkins filling in, joining us in the studio. Really lucky to have him. Mike Sorelli, retired U.S. Navy SEAL, American hero.

And you were part of the team that 15 years ago today, tragically, 31 Americans, including 17 Navy SEALs, paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. The special that has just dropped, you can go to Fox Nation right now or anytime this weekend and watch it. I recommend it for everybody. It's called Final Flight, The Men of Extortion 17. We've been having a great conversation with you, Mike, and nobody better.

No one could have done this special the way you did. And that's what makes it so very important. Your final thoughts on sort of if Americans are like, hey, I might watch that. What do they need to be thinking? You know, when they go into this, what are they going to see?

You're gonna see. The true lives, the true nature, the true character and integrity, and just the loving nature of these men. who go forward on our behalf. that are the monsters that our enemies fear. But just loving Americans who have a resolve and a belief that is unshakable.

And wool. if need be, sacrifice their lives. for the good of our nation. Period.

Well, my hat's off to you. It's such an amazing special final flight, the men of Extortion 1.7. Go check it out on Fox Nation. Just before we run out of time, Mike, I've got to ask you about the current situation. We've got a lot of American heroes downrange right now, to include special operators waiting to find out if they'll get the call, will they go after Pickaxe Mountain or an expanded target list?

If the president expands and resumes to a heavier strike package, meanwhile, we are hearing that there's possibly another deal on the table. Is this what every American's thinking, Mike, is it going to be different this time? I think as you read into the deal, it sort of personifies the definition of insanity, trying the same thing over and over again, knowing it's not going to work. My opinion is this deal, especially giving control of inbound traffic to Iran, is unacceptable. I think at this point, we need to send a message to the world, and President Trump needs to.

Not allow the election cycle. to determine American will to see this to the end. I would scrap this deal. I would recommence strikes, and I know that that puts our troops at risk. But I would hit their infrastructure, I would dismantle.

Every finance network that they have that props this regime up, and as per our conversation during the break. Go with the decapitation. Uh, approach. It goes after Vahidi, who said they will not relinquish nukes as long as the U.S. and Israel have them.

That's unacceptable. We have got to finally put this evil regime after 47 years in the dirt. And if it takes one year, the world needs to come together and do it because it benefits everyone. We can ill afford in the 21st century to allow a regime like this to exist. Yeah, and Ahmad Vahidi, you full well understand people that have fought downrange in the Middle East understand how these things happen.

Ahmad Vahidi was the original commander of the Quds Force. We remember the Quds Force, the former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, stood up the Quds force ultimately to export terror outside of Iran in places like Hamas and Hezbollah. And yet we soon forget how important these things are. I'll give you the last word. Yeah, and Soleimani took over for him.

And you saw what we did with Soleimani, which was a strategic hit. Uh You know, I think At least I give Trump a lot of credit for having the moral clarity. And fortitude to even start this campaign. And I think there's a lot of things happening within the alignment with the region. For the first time, we're seeing the Gulf partners work together, a potential Abraham's Accord 2.0.

This can result in a more stable region and a more stable world for all of us, not only from the energy markets. But I mean, could you imagine a Middle East for the first time in our lives that is peaceful? It would be huge. Mike Sorelli, retired U.S. Navy SEAL, thank you for your time, sir.

Check out his special on Fox Nation, Final Flight, the Men of Extortion 17. From high atop. Fox News headquarters in New York City. Always seeking solutions, never sowing division. It's Brian Kelmead.

This is the Brian Kilmead radio show. It is your humble D.C. correspondent and Fox and Friends Weekend co-host Griff Jenkins picking up for Brian today as he's got hopefully a well-deserved vacation day. And you heard in that opening: the show never seeks division, and we didn't seek division in the Democrat Party, but there is division, make no mistake for anybody watching. And with the successful campaign, the primary challenge out in Michigan, Abdul El Syed says he's a doctor, not a socialist.

He's a scientist, not a socialist. But make no mistake, he is clearly leaning into the same socialist policies that have been touted for years by people like Bernie Sanders, like OC, when you talk about universal health care, healthcare for all, and taking on billionaires and instituting a wealth tax. And as of late, a Absolute drumbeat to abolish ICE. Here was Dr. Abdul El Syed on CNN trying to define what exactly he is.

Cut seven. I think we've built a movement around the idea that we can get money out of politics, put money in pockets, pass Medicare for all. I think right now, the question that people are asking is not where do you stand on the left's right spectrum on a series of issues that people talk about on CNN. I think the questions that people are asking is, who's going to help me afford my housing? Who's going to help me afford my groceries?

Who's going to make sure I can see a doctor if I get sick? I'm interested in answering those questions. I'm not a socialist, but I am a scientist. And so I like empirically driven answers to hard problems. I like to solve them.

Joining us on the newsmaker line is Julian Epstein, former chief counsel of the House Judiciary Committee and staff director to the House Oversight Committee Democrats. He's also, for full disclosure, a longtime friend of mine and someone that I have often sought the advice to get a pulse and a read on what's going on in the Democrat Party. Julian, it's great to have you. Thanks for joining us. And, you know, you heard, I mean, what do you make of?

Obviously, this was a big deal. This was a big deal. I mean, we've seen more than 40 DSA aligned candidates win in recent primaries all over the country, but this one in Michigan is significant. And you do see there El Syed trying to kind of distance himself from the socialist label. Will he succeed?

And what do you make of all this?

Well, Griff, it is great to be with you. And yeah, I was trying to count the number of decades that we've been friends. It's long updates, both of us, but I've enjoyed our friendship. Um You know, I don't think El Sayad or any of the other Democrats running in the general election who ran as DSA types are going to be able to distance themselves. And I don't think it's fair to call them socialists.

I think they're more extreme than Scandinavian style socialists. I think this is third worldism that Talks about getting rid of our political institutions, our cultural institutions, and our economic institutions, eliminating the democratic free market. And I think there's also sort of a red-green alliance here where they are aligning themselves with. Mideast jihadist terrace, Syad in particular. has made excuses or given cover.

to a countless numbers of jihad acts of terror, including in a Michigan school. Where he said, after a deadly attack on a Michigan school. Uh that hurt people hurt people. Meaning that if you have some grievance in the Middle East, I think in this case it was a bombing in Lebanon. Uh then there's some more relative justification for attacking Jews in Michigan.

Bizarre reasoning for a guy who claims to be a scientist. I think you the clip you played shows an empty set of ideas. I think taking money out of politics isn't going to happen. It's a constitutional matter, and the Supreme Court has ruled on that.

So I think that's selling a lie to the people. I think also selling a lie to the people is Medicare for all. Um Interesting to note, his wife doesn't take Medicaid patients in her psychiatric practice, so he's a hypocrite. And it would require getting rid of private health insurance and employer-based health insurance for almost 200 million people. And most of those people are opposed to it.

So the politics aren't there. Also, in places where you see it, this kind of socialized medicine idea, places like Britain, for example. I think there were 15,000 deaths last year because of people waiting to get healthcare treatment with the waiting list in the socialized system. It's not politically practical, and there's no science that says it's gonna deliver. Better health care to more people.

So I think the socialists sell a lie. not just on having no real ideas. If you notice in Syed's Platform, he doesn't really spell out how he's going to get Medicare for all or what it means or what the terms would be or how it would be paid for. It would involve massive tax increases for the middle class.

So these are pipe dreams, these are lies. That these folks are telling because you have to understand, Griff, that most of these people, Syed, for example, doesn't he went to medical school but didn't have a medical license because he didn't complete his residency. Most of these people have never done anything. You know, Mandami never had a job. AOC was a bartender.

Mandami never had a job to speak of. AOC was a bartender. Kiros in in Colorado was fired from her job as a as a as a lawyer at a law firm. Most of these people have never done anything, so they don't know how to build. What they know how to do is take from other people and then tear down institutions.

So they're deconstructionists. And they're moochers for the most part. They think the only interesting thing about wealth is not how to generate it, but how to redistribute it. And that's not how this country was built. And the key question for the Democratic Party now is: what are you going to do about this?

Are you going to. Confuse the notion of a big tent. That includes bigots. And anti-Semites, are you going to confuse the notion of a big tent? with abdication of your responsibility.

And the responsibility of the partisan of the party It is to make sure the party represents a coherent set of ideas. And when you begin to welcome bigotry, and I think. Syed is a bigot. When you begin to welcome bigotry into your midst, you've lost any moral legitimacy.

Well, and you know, to your point, Julian, you can say that you think that El Syed is a bigot or these anti-Semitic, and someone could say, Well, that's Julian's opinion or Griff's opinion. It doesn't matter. Look at who you keep company with. El Syed has been campaigning at every turn with this clearly anti-Semitic influencer, Hassan Piker, who has said, among other things, that America deserved 9-11. I'll play a little cut of his latest ripping voters for being Islamophobic.

This is cut nine. Listen to this. Everyone being like Abdullah has a ton of work to do mending bridges. Here's the Take nuke for you, okay? You are all unbelievably Islamophobic pieces of.

Okay? You literally called the dude a Terrorist for months on end. And now you're going to sit there and be like, well, you know, you really got to come to me now. Like, what are you talking about? Do you want to win or not?

So, so that's who El Syed is constantly campaigning with. And he had many opportunities to disassociate with him. Instead, he leaned in, doubled down. That's Hassan Piker now, literally talking about anyone that opposes him. And I think that when you see in the last 24 hours, Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, the most powerful Jewish leader in the Democrat Party in Washington, come out doing a bout face after endorsing his opponent in the primary and endorsing, giving a full throttle endorsement.

Schumer is now endorsed fully, saying he's going to get behind El Syed. It's just stunning to me to watch something like that happen. That's actually significant. I mean, this is a guy, Chuck Schumer wrote a book about it. anti-Semitism last year.

Yeah. Well, I think Schumer is an emasculated shell of his former self, and he's scared. And that's the problem with the postmodern liberal is they're weak leaders and they confuse ideas again, like big time. With abdication of their responsibility. As for Hassan Piker, I mean, here is a guy who is a fanboy.

of every communist um oppressive dictator from uh the old USSR to uh Mau Chairman Mao, who was responsible for somewhere between forty and eighty million murders of his own people in China. Um Uh Syed for his part. You know, he says the only Jewish state in the world doesn't have a right to exist. And then he says, I don't want to offend people that like the Iranian Ayatollah. Because they might be my voters.

Right. And the number, I mean, he is reported to have received funds from CAIR. A organization that has been designated, I believe, by the federal government as a front group to the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization, and who Was an unindicted conspirator in the Holy Land Five trial of uh Um So-called aid workers who raised money for Hamas in Texas a couple decades ago.

So I think the facts speak for themselves. And I think Schumer typifies the weak-kneed Democrat that is so thirsty for power. that they will sacrifice uh their moral core. And Schumer knows that Syed is a um Uh is a um Is, I think, a bigot. I think it's fair to say he's a bigot.

I mean, the list of his cover for the covers for the Islamist Shihadist movement is endless. Um and you know Griffiths. This is uh It doesn't pain me to say it. I say it because I think Democrats have to take a position. I'm going to be supporting Mike Rogers.

I'm going to be supporting Mike Rogers. I'm going to be raising money for Mike Rogers. Because I think he's the normie candidate. I think he's the moderate centrist candidate. And I don't want to be part of a team.

that will have people like Syed in it. Wow, that's remarkable. And I appreciate your honesty. And I wonder, Julian, if that decision is born a little bit out of lifelong patriotic American Democrats who are worried that the Democrat Party is about to hand the keys to this dangerous, progressive, socialist, call it what you will, wing of the party, who are making very clear their intention, as you mentioned, is to come in and deconstruct. Yeah, I think we should stop calling them socialists, too.

I think this is a. This is a cover for them. I think they're much more radical than socialists. The socialists in Scandinavia or even the UK. for example, don't want to tear down the political institutions or necessarily even the free market.

They do want some industries socialized. This is much more than that. And yes, I think you put it exactly right. I think my decision to support Rogers. Thinking of a A lifelong person who is very patriotic towards this country, who believes in freedom.

Who believes in the ideals of the founding fathers, who believes that the free market is the greatest anti-poverty program. Um ever developed in any At any time in human civilization, and believes that what is happening right now is that postmodern liberalism. Is failing. What is postmodern liberalism? It's essentially two things: it's the welfare state.

and its identity politics. And the problem with the welfare state is the welfare state never produces outcomes that are satisfactory to anyone. Look at education, for example. We're spending in New York City. $40,000 plus per student.

in the New York public schools and very few of them can read or do any math. And with healthcare, for example, with Obamacare promised us, we would. It would curb the increase in premiums, and said premiums have doubled. And government spending, mortgaging our children's futures going through the window. Um Postmodern liberalism fails, and the answer that the postmodern liberal thinks or the progressive thinks Is appropriate is to just double down, just spend more of the welfare, grow the welfare state to be more and more bloated, and mortgage our children's future.

We're $2 trillion in debt every single year right now. I can't understand how Republicans are going along with this, by the way. I think Republicans are abdicating their historical commitment to a balanced budget.

So that's one part of postmodern liberalism. The other part of postmodern liberalism that's failing is identity politics, because all it does. This black pillow population to thinking the most important thing about you is your identity, and that if you're a certain identity, you're forever a victim. And it takes away the American idea that this is a. Opportunity society, the best opportunity society we've ever had, and you have agency to reach for the sky.

And so these two ideas of the welfare state and identity politics. Or not only toxic to the to our culture, But they are failing. They don't produce results. And the And what that does, if you're a progressive or a postmodern liberal, Is it means you double down on these ideas rather than going back to the idea. That built this country.

Which is you have to build. We're a country of builders. And the thing that has done more for the world in terms of alleviating poverty and increasing our standard of living is the free market That doesn't you know, unnecessarily redistribute. Um um wealthy. It uses wealth that's generated by successful people to invest in the next generation of the Industrial Revolution.

Everything that we take for granted is a result of innovation. Innovation occurs. As a result of investment, investing in new technologies. You want to start saying, let's tax every successful person. Uh they don't have a right to a certain return.

on their investment. Guess what's going to happen? Innovation is going to grind to a halt and our standard of living is going to plummet. That is absolutely well said because ultimately, capitalism in the free market has lifted more people into better lives than any other system. It may not be perfect, but no one can compare to it.

Julian Epstein, great insight. As always, my friend, look forward to staying in touch and seeing how things play out with you supporting Mike Rogers. Thanks, Julian. Likewise, Griff. Good to be with you.

All right. This is the Brian Kilmead Show. I'm Griff Jenkins, and we have a whole lot more. Giddy up. Both sides, all opinions, it's Brian Killme.

If you're interested in it, Brian's talking about it. You're with Brian Kilmead. I'm interested. I'm Griff Jenkins, your humble DC correspondent and Fox and Friends Weekend co-host, filling in for Brian today. You know, we just talked with Julian Epstein about the socialist.

I call him socialist. It's important in politics and it applies here. Listen to what politicians, in this case, Democratic Socialists, say because they plan to do what they say this is Pennsylvania primary winner, Chris Robb, Democratic Socialist, talking to Hannity. Cut 11. Do you want to abolish ICE?

Absolutely, and dismantle the immigrant concentration camps. Do you want to defund the Department of War? We need to radically reduce how much money we're spending with the Pentagon. Absolutely. Our war budget is radically larger than every other country combined.

Do you want to end all deportations? Do I want to end all deportations? We want to make sure that there's an immigration system that is fair, just, and efficient, and we don't have that system. There was a bipartisan Senate that was moving towards that. Um but your president uh tried to kill that in order to be president again.

Well, he's also your president. You do live in the United States, whether you like it or not. Um would you like to eliminate cash bail and establish a wealth tax? Absolutely. That is Chris Robb.

He is the Democratic Socialist of America candidate in Pennsylvania running for the House. He went on to also, Hennity asked him, whether or not he wants to defund police and abolish prisons. And Robb wanted to basically get into a semantic argument over the word police and the term and what policing is. Listen to them. Listen to what they are saying.

The free stuff. That's the bait. It's getting young people interested. Free stuff. Yeah, I like free stuff.

Who doesn't like free stuff? That's the bait. The goal is the fundamental dismantling of our institutions, our absolute freedoms, and our capitalism. Don't buy it. This is Griff Jenkins on the Brian Killmead Show.

A whole lot more when we come back. Radio that makes you think. This is the Brian Kill Me Show. Oh, we're gonna make you think, all right. We are gonna make you think.

This is exactly what we wanna do on the Brian Kilmead show. I'm Griff Jenkins, filling in for Brian on the Brian Kilmead Show. And it's important to make you think. You know, age does have some benefits. And that is experience and just having lived things.

And I was Fox's reporter, not to talk about myself, but just because of the experience, I was a reporter that covered the Tea Party, the rise of the Tea Party. There was a bus, the Tea Party Express, that started in California, in Sacramento, California, and went all the way across the country and ended in Albany, New York, and went to nearly every state in between. It went on for like a month. And I was with them the whole way, listened to them. And obviously, the history is there.

And a lot of people keep comparing the rise of the DSA, the rise of socialism to the rise of the Tea Party. And there is certainly some analogies when it comes to simply a faction of a party discontent with leadership, with the mainstream of that party, and they challenge it and they succeed in thwarting the leadership. And you are seeing that that's what happened. Just ask John Boehner and Establishment Republicans about the Tea Party. And look at who's running the Republicans now.

It is, of course, the MAGA crowd, but you've got Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, leaders back in the day that came in through the wave of the Tea Party. But also look at the differences. And the main glaring difference is that the Tea Party was born out of love of country. They loved America. They wanted to shrink the government and cut taxes in the original theme of the Tea Party itself, the founding of our country.

The socialists don't love America. They want to destroy America and they're saying it. That's why I say listen closely to what these candidates say. Our great producers found Chris Robb's other moment on Hannity when he's talking literally about. Whether or not to get rid of the police.

Listen to this, cut 12. Would you like to abolish prisons and abolish the police?

Well, you know what's interesting about that statement is long before there was any notion of policing, we had founders that did not even understand that term. Policing is something that has evolved over time. Ultimately, what we want is to have communities that are safe. And 99% of what police do are not going after the bad guys. All of that can be done in different centers.

So you support professionals who are trained to do this.

Okay, I'm talking about police that arrest bad people that commit crimes and commit robberies and rape, the child molesters, the drug dealers, those people. The people that have guns that are. Are there people who did that before the term police existed, though? Uh It's clear as day. And it's important.

This is Chris Robb. Democratic Socialist running in Pennsylvania is one of at least 40 Democratic socialists that have successfully won primaries, that step into the arena now to try and bring that vision to Congress. They will greatly influence, and if they're able to, if they're successful, to fundamentally deconstruct our government. Our system of free market capitalism. And of course, in this case, If they get rid of the police on ICE, they will make the country more dangerous.

But I'm not fear mongering. I'm giving you a history lesson because again, people laughed the Tea Party off. They didn't take them seriously. And now we know many believe that MAGA and Donald Trump was made possible by the history of the Tea Party. But in the early days, no one was taking them seriously.

Just a bunch of old people. They called it Woodstock for conservative old people.

Well, guess what? That wasn't the case, and we know the history. In 2015. The Democratic Socialists of America had less than 9,000 members. They were literally a couple of coffeehouses in liberal towns waxing philosophical as these postgraduates were thinking about, you know, let me decide.

I want to determine whether or not Washington and Jefferson had a better vision for America than, say, Marx and Lenin, because I believe Marx and Lenin did. Literally, no one took it seriously. They hitched their bandwagon to Senator Bernie Sanders, who had a great run in 2016 for president. They smartly identified. Sanders, his socialistic policies, and he's socialism-like compared to what the DSA's platform has now been revealed to be.

But they figured he was enough of them to hitch their wagon to hitch their cart to Sanders' wagon. And today, you have 120,000 plus all across the country. And of course, you've got a track record of successes running it. That's why you are hearing from just a few Democrat leaders that are really saying, I know how this is going to go. We've got to stop it.

We can have this. And you have in this cut, so also on Hannity, Senator John Fetterman, pretty much the lone Democrat that is opposing the Democratic Socialists at every turn. Here's a little bit of what he thinks is happening. This is cut 13. Bernie Sanders will never represent any more than 640,000 people in Vermont.

That's all he's ever done and he ever will do. You know, he's lost his, he's never won an actual competitive election. And now, why can't you stop giving me lectures on how to win? Bernie's not flipping seats. He is helping install volatile and dangerous kinds of candidates, and I'll put Democratic seats at risk.

And he's not wrong. We'll continue to follow it and see where that goes. Coming up, Josh Crosshauer will weigh in on this. This is the Briden Killmead Show. I'm Griff Jenkins, pinch-hitting for the day.

In a world of noise, get the signal. Sharp, informative, and always on point. You're listening to Brian Kilmead. Breaking news, unique opinions. Hear it all on the Brian Kill Meat Show.

We get it all here on the Brian Kilmead Show. Griff Jenkins, your humble D.C. correspondent and Fox and Friends Weekend co-host filling in for Brian. We're continuing to talk about these Democratic socialist candidates, one of the candidates that has made the most news right now, where really all eyes are on, is in Michigan, a battleground state that Trump barely won in 2024. But now you have the rise of Abdul Al-Syed, a controversial socialist candidate who says he's a scientist, not a socialist, but all of his platform policies align with the socialist.

And interestingly enough, he also is perhaps one of the more anti-Semitic candidates out there. Here is Dr. Abdul Syed trying to tell CNN that actually he's not anti-Semitic at all. Listen here, Quday. I've been very, very clear.

Jewish people and Judaism are a light unto the world. I'm deeply grateful for them, and I will always stand with the Jewish people. against any anti-Semitism in any type. Just like I understand the experience of being discriminated against for how I pray, I don't want anybody discriminated against for how they pray. But that's not the same as a PAC or Israel.

And I think there is a challenge when folks try to use the specter of anti-Semitism to extend toward protecting a foreign government against criticism. Joining us on the phone now is Fox News political radio analyst Josh Kroshauer and of course the editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider. Josh, thank you for joining us. You heard El Sayed there. And this, of course, is the guy that is called What Israel is Doing in Gaza is Genocide.

This is a guy that has made very clear he will push to stop funding for Israel if he is elected. But is he anti-Semitic? Yeah. Well, look, it gets even worse, Griff. It's great to be back with you.

Look, he went after essentially winning the nomination, he also went on another network yesterday and called the State of Israel bloodthirsty, which invokes all kinds of anti-Semitic and bloodlotless rhetoric that Jews of all stripes remember all too well. And, you know, I think this goes beyond. I mean, he clearly has a deep-seated hatred for Israel throughout his whole. political life. You know, that that is very obvious.

But it Increasingly, it is apparent that his rhetoric, and I thought he tried to do a little damage control on the clip he played on Skin N, but no. After the terrorist attack in Detroit against a synagogue where there were dozens of preschoolers in school, he went and told the national press, hurt people, hurt people, essentially understanding the motivations and the Hezbollah sympathies of the terrorists in that awful attack against Temple Israel in Detroit.

So this is, I mean, that has nothing to do with Middle East policy. It just has to do with defending the motivations of a terrorist.

So there's a lot of radicalism. I almost think labels become meaningless. This is someone who has defended the indefensible or has made comments that are just so beyond the pale you never would have heard in the mainstream. And now it comes out regularly from his mouth in a lot of these national interviews.

So look, the other big thing, Griff, is that he chose to campaign with Hassan Piker, who's one of the leading anti-American, anti-Semitic podcasters, influencers, who has said that. America deserved 9-11. And Mike Rogers smartly attacked. That was one of the first lines of attack that he went after El Syed on. And El Syed has not distanced himself, even after winning the nomination, not distanced himself from the many campaign appearances he made with this guy.

So, I mean, usually candidates are able to moderate when they win the nomination and show that they're able to at least understand what it takes to win a general election. This guy's ideological convictions run so deep, he's unable to even make any common basic and humane outreach to communities that he's insulted and aggrieved over the campaign. It's just remarkable to watch this, Josh, and you're exactly right. I mean, you know, they say you're known by the company you keep, and he cannot stop hanging out with Hassan Piker, who is this, you know, wonder child that's turned into this sort of Joe Rogan of sorts of the Democrat Party and clearly leading, I would argue, leading the charge to turn, which for the life of me, I never thought I would see something like this, one. Actual party in the country become anti-Israel, but that is clearly what is happening in some corners of the Democrat Party and growing.

And Hassan Piker is leading that. Just so our listeners know, here was the latest Hassan Piker insanity. He's on Twitch talking to some people, ripping voters for being Islamophobic if they didn't support El Syed. Cut nine. Everyone being like Abdullah has a ton of work to do mending bridges.

Here's the Take nuke for you, okay? You are all unbelievably Islamophobic pieces of, okay? You literally called the dude a Terrorist for months on end, and now you're gonna sit there and be like, Well, you know, you really gotta come to me now. Like, what are you talking about? Do you want to?

win or not.

So that's crazy talk right there. But yet it is falling on a large group of Democrat voters where particularly young people that are buying into it. That's the concern, I think, Josh. Yeah, I mean, look, it's important to underscore that Hassan Piker and this brand of ideology isn't just anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, it's anti-American. And Piker vacationed in Cuba a few months ago and was praising the Cuban dictatorship.

He's a follower of Mao and Chinese totalitarianism and communism. This is someone, if you actually just, you don't have to look deep under the hood of what this guy believes. It is about as anti-American and as extreme and as some of the, you know, beyond the pale. And again, you can't say this enough, that this is so antithetical to American values that 95% of Americans take for granted. But that's who the guy, that's who L-Syed campaigned with on the final day of the campaign.

He held a pool party, actually, on election day with Hassan Piker. I mean, and it is remarkable. I think some of it has to do with social media.

Some of it has to do with just general ignorance about what these people actually stand for. But Mike Rogers, I guarantee you, Democrats were very, Haley Stevens pulled her punches in the primary, largely because I think she was worried about being called Islamophobic and being called names in a way that the Democratic base has moved so far to the left that landing some of these attacks she just wasn't comfortable with. With. I guarantee you, we're already seeing this from Mike Rogers, but Rogers is not going to be afraid to really hit him right in the jaw, politically speaking, and going after these radical comments that El Sayeda said and the people he's affiliated with have said.

Well, it'll be interesting to see, honestly, and I say this with a straight face because I think the answer is. Yes, he will, but it'll be interesting to see if El Sayed continues in the general election to campaign as frequently and so closely associated with Hassan Piker because you're not playing. You know, they say, as you well know in politics, campaign to the left or right, govern in the center. And when you get through a primary, you begin to track a little more in the moderation. And of course, now you are seeing El Sayed trying to say, oh, I'm not a socialist, I'm a scientist.

But it's interesting, John Fetterman, Senator Fetterman, actually is daring El Sayed, saying, I dare you, because he thinks that's going to be a train wreck of a general election campaign effort. If indeed El Sayed continues to be buddy, buddy, and pal around everywhere with Hassan Piker, listen to this. I want to get your reaction. CUP 14. I just want to issue a dare.

Continue to campaign with Hassan Piker right now. You're in a general election now. I dare you. I dare you. Mm-hmm.

Keep campaigning with someone like Hassan Piker. You know, if if I was a Republican, I would just dump the You know, $20 million for ads. You know, he paddles around with Piker, the guy that, you know, on the 25th anniversary at 9-11, you know, yeah, you know, my best friend says America deserved 9-11. You know, and you're going to try to win a general election.

So that's.

Now, how can he reconcile the outlandish thing that he said? You know, and his record. And that's kind of what you're talking about, Josh, what Mike Rogers should do. Yeah, look, it is remarkable that we're heading close to the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9-11. I think a lot of Americans, younger Americans who were not alive or barely remember 9-11, there's a lot of ignorance.

That is the vacuum that a lot of these radical podcasters are kind of trying to feed to unsuspecting younger Americans. And that's a constituency that is El Syed's base. But Mike Rogers is someone who is a former FBI agent, national security official. He can speak the language of counterterrorism and national security as good as anyone, served in the Congress in a battleground district.

So that's the right matchup. I mean, this is why, look, the political environment for the Republicans is going to be pretty tough overall. Michigan is a state that did vote for, you know, they voted for Trump twice, voted for Joe Biden once. But the swing state and with the wind blowing the way it is, it's going to be tough. But that's an ideal matchup.

Your candidates still matter to some extent. And you have about as weak of a candidate in El Syed with his ideology, certainly ideologically. And you have Rogers, who's the ultimate, you know, I think a very strong foil given his own biography and national security background.

So that's going to be a hell of a race. I think it's going to be the most expensive contest in the battle for the Senate this year. You're right about that. And, you know, it's worth noting, as you alluded to, which was that Rogers is a formidable candidate. He almost, I mean, he narrowly lost, my recollection, in the race against Slotin last time.

So, you know, he is familiar, obviously, with the voters. Hey, just in the last minute I've got, I do want to ask you this. Because as the editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider, what do readers, what are Jewish Americans feeling? Are they as concerned as everyone else watching this unfold that literally the Democrat Party is becoming the party of anti-Israel? Fuck.

Not just that, Griff. They're worried that the party is tolerating and even indulging anti-Semitism, actually, hatred of Jews, which is you saw that in Michigan with the bloodthirsty. I mean, that is another example where candidates who are saying anti-Semitic things regularly are getting audiences and getting traction.

So this is a real record that the Democrats are coming out and saying this, and it's a real civil war within the party, and it's a real record. It's crazy. Josh Karshauer, thank you for joining us. This is the Brian Kilmead Show. I'm Griff Jenkins.

From the Fox News Radio Studios in Midtown Manhattan, it's the fastest-growing radio talk show. Brian Kilmead. It's not Brian Kilmead. It is your humble DC correspondent, Griff Jenkins, co-host of Fox and Friends weekend. In for Brian, pinch hitting for him.

Hopefully, on a day off, maybe he's actually out surfing a beach somewhere. That would be good content I would be there for. Indeed. All right, let's dive right into something that I think is one of the least talked about things in this country right now. And that is.

The resurgence of American manufacturing. That is coming on the heels of everything that President Trump has tried to do to boom this economy, to put this economy on gas and just cook, cook, cook. And, you know, as the president goes out and makes the case, it can't just be him or Talking Heads at the White House. It's got to be all of Republicans out there as we are three months out from the midterms. And there is a clear, we're going to dive into this with Jerry Willis in a minute about exactly why Americans aren't feeling this economy.

But we did have President Trump out in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday talking about exactly why it's been a success to have the no-tax on tips. This is cut 36. Listen to this. No tax on tips didn't hurt. That's how.

Remember I said it, I said and by the way, I said it and I got it done. Right now it's one of the best things, I mean it's one of the greatest things. People are making a lot of money, no tax on tips and it's great. And he wasn't just talking about that. He was also talking about the success of the markets, Cut 35.

The stock market. As shit. 74 all-time highs just since our short time that we've been back. You know, we had the greatest economy in the history of our country in my first term. You know that.

This is going to blow it away. It already is, I think, but this is blowing it away. 74, the highest stock markets. In history And one last one, and that is, lest we forget the big, beautiful bill and the largest tax cuts in history, CUT 37. Very importantly for the people of the state, with the help of our Republican majorities in Congress last year I signed the great big beautiful bill giving you the largest tax cuts in American history.

So, that is what the president was talking about yesterday. And by the way, talking about those tax cuts, that's just to sort of explain how that works out. That's millions of Americans got $7,000 of their own money. And that's exactly what the president is trying to drive home. But right now, you're listening to the Brian Kilmead show going, I do not want to hear Griff Jenkins talk about the economy.

He doesn't understand these things. And fortunately for you, I would agree with you. And I have brought in one of the smartest business people in television history. That is Jerry Willis. And Jerry, thanks for being here.

By the way, I have to mention this. You're nominated for the 2026 People's Choice Awards for nonfiction. You're a finalist for Lincoln's Ladies Fire Master. Congrats. When do we find that out?

I'm sure we'll find it out in September when they actually make the award. But yeah, that was quite the honor to be nominated. I'm so excited. The book was a pleasure to write. I had a great time doing it, and I am secretly working.

Mm-hmm. On another history book.

So fingers crossed. That is a tease. The book, by the way, is Lincoln's Lady Spy Master. I would recommend everybody go and get it. And here's the best thing, Jerry.

People actually do have more money in their pocket to go and buy your book today. And, you know, we talk a lot. I was just sort of laying out the case not only for the fact that, you know, we are seeing wages increase. I think it's 3.5%. The tax cuts putting roughly $7,000 in millions of Americans' pockets.

The market on Wall Street, which I'm sure you could talk about for the next hour and a half about what we've seen there. But yet there is still this reality that Americans are like, well, everything else costs too much still. I can't make ends meet. Gen Z, the younger generation, is delaying major milestone decisions like buying a house. But you know, they are doing something smart right now because even if they can't afford a house, they're stashing money away in the markets, which is very smart to do.

Because I know that the average age. Of somebody buying a home in this country right now, 44 years old. First-time buyers 40 years old, so people are waiting and waiting and waiting. What do you do in the interim to grow that nest egg?

Well, you can invest in the stock market. There's all kinds of things that you can invest in near cash that will cost you very little.

So, that's a way to get where you want to go to drive the car there. And I'm pleased to see that there are a lot of members in the generation you're describing who are actually working at growing that nest egg. It's not just the tax cuts that are helping, it's a fact that the broader economy is actually doing very well, and we're getting traction against those wage goals. We're seeing wages go higher. Look, the stock market is exploding today's action notwithstanding, and that's great news for Americans because so many of us have 401ks right now.

We're invested in our retirement, and you know. Going out helps everybody, lifts all boats, because the costs of doing transactions in the stock market today, a fraction, a pittance of what it once was. There is lots of good news out there. And can I just say something that's really ticking me off today? Yes, please.

So Senator John Cornyn. In response to this win, El Syed. who is winning the nomination for the Democrats, right, for the senatorship. Cornyn is saying that his win makes it easier on Republicans in the general election. I say, boy, you better wake up and smell the coffee and start fighting and explaining what it is this guy stands for and how it is contrary to what Americans have believed would have worked in this country for decades and decades and decades.

I think these Republicans are fat and lazy and they're sitting back saying, oh, you know, these far-left Democrats are taking over and we're glad to see it. You know, they are persuasive, especially with younger voters. It's time to be counted. It's time to get out there and start talking about what's wrong with that philosophy. I'm so glad you raised that.

And I've talked a little bit about this today. When I look at this, and I think you're spot on, Jerry, spot on that you would be a fool to take the Abdul Al-Syed for granted. It is remarkable what he did. And really, all we have over 40 DSA-backed candidates out there that have won primary things. I laid out the history of it.

Remember, in 2015, DSA had less than 9,000 nationwide actual members. Today, they have more than 120,000, and they've won 40-plus primary victories headed for general elections. And in a place like Michigan, which is very much a battleground state in the sense that they voted for Trump twice and Biden once. And so the wind blows in different directions out there. And when you talk about the allure for young people and what these socialist, progressive, far-left candidates are trying to push, it seems to me, Jerry, that they're attracting the young people.

Young people who are feeling affordability issues in their personal lives that are hearing the bait, the free stuff, the free stuff, the make the billionaires pay is the bait. But make no mistake, the true goal that's so dangerous is that they fundamentally want to dismantle the free market and capitalism system in this country. The president, they want to get rid of everything. I mean, that's what's shocking when you look at their list of demands long term, the DSA list of demands. I think most Americans would be appalled to really know and understand that list.

Look, when you look at who voted for this guy, it's actually really well-educated and well-off Americans. It's people who got those degrees at those elite universities and were taught a bunch of nonsense. I'm sorry, I'm just going to go out there and say that. And now they're voting for candidates like this. Look, I've spent a lot of time in my life understanding the economy, understanding the markets.

And what I can tell you is for people who invest, people who get involved and stay in over the long term, it is. The way to wealth. You know, it's hard for people who are really young and haven't set aside money to understand the time value of money. When you start out with just a little bit and you're trying to grow it, and every day you think that the market might go down, you're upset. If you can relax.

Invest over time, take your time. You are going to end up with a nest egg that's going to keep you in old age, but you have to have that. that vision. You know, that's always what housing was for the American public, right? Housing was a store of value.

You didn't pay rent. No self respecting American would pay rent, right? Yeah. Because you didn't want to give your money away. But Uh, investing in a house is a good investment if you can afford to buy one.

If you cannot, it's time to get serious and put your money away in the stock market and other investments, bonds, et cetera, money market funds, et cetera, and grow your way to that down payment. You're so right, by the way. And, you know, my late father passed away more than 10 years ago. My hero and the wisest man I knew, he, you know, just drilled into my head. I had his brother, my uncle, had done well in the oil business.

And every year he would take, and not to go too far into the story, but there's a point here. He would take my brother and I and his two sons, and we'd all go on a fishing trip. One year, Uncle Bill had a heart attack on a fishing trip and dropped dead, but he left me and my brother like 100 grand because he'd done well. How old were you at that time?

So I just moved to Washington. I was working in radio, talk radio at a radio station. I was a board out back there producing something for a radio show. And when my dad tells me about this, because I wasn't on this specific trip, I thought, oh man. This is awesome.

I went married. You know, like, I didn't own anything. I'm like, I'm going to get, and I had a beat up SUV at the time. Like, I'm going to go on a surfing trip. I'm going to get a new truck.

And my dad was like, hell no. I'll give you two options. You're never going to see a dime of this. You can either use it all in a down payment because then it won't be taxed and buy a place, or I'm going to invest it for you. And then, dad, that sucks.

I put a down payment down late a couple years later. I got married. I've since had two children, which are now in their 20s. And, you know, after I put the down payment down, my dad would say, look for extra money. Put extra down every time you're paying the mortgage.

You got to pay the mortgage off. I'm like, dad, I really don't want to pay the mortgage off. It's like 30 years. I don't care. I'll get to that later.

No, pay more premium, pay more. And then I had paid that off. And, you know, that's sort of the American dream story. And then there's college tuitions, these other things you got to do. And it helps you figure things out.

The timeline sounds impossible to young people, but it passes by in a blink. I sound like an old lady, but the reality is you can do it. This is possible. This is within your reach. You can make this happen.

You can become solvent. You can have a good credit score. You can build a nest egg. You can eventually buy housing. You can have a family and kids.

The American dream is still reachable. You just got to work for it. And just to add to that, President Trump and his Trump accounts is remarkable foresight and exactly what you're talking about. I mean, these kids, these babies being born, if you start this Trump account, they're going to have significant amount of money when they turn 18. And then if they build upon that, that's an 18-year-old with something to really start with money that could make them a millionaire in their 30s.

Absolutely right. And that's what, so you talked about a $100,000 gift at a critical point in your life and how that changed your trajectory in all likelihood would be my guess. 100%. This is going to reset these kids who are in these, in this program. I mean, it gives you breathing room and you can start to see the benefits of being invested in the economy.

You know, I remember that George Bush used to talk about an ownership society. Remember that? I fundamentally believe in that. I think if you're an owner of things, of Your own house. It makes you a different person when you go to vote.

Think about it: when you own a house or you own an apartment, you're invested in that neighborhood, right? You begin to know your neighbors, you start acting differently. You're preserving that house, that neighborhood, that block you live on. You're growing your wealth over time. You start thinking about things in a different way.

And even just owning your own account. At a Fidelity or a JP Morgan or wherever you have it, that starts you on your road to becoming something bigger than you already are. To having, look, if you own a house, people are like, Well, Jerry, you know, these houses aren't going to go up in value much more. I say it's not the home itself that you're investing in, you're growing how much you have put down on that house, right? The money you've invested in that house over time, that's yours, and you can use that.

Equity is the thing, and you can use it to borrow money, you can use it to upgrade your house, you can use it if you get sick to help your children. That's your money.

Now, whether or not you get massive returns on that house over time, Who knows? The longer you hold it, the better chance you have of seeing those returns. But I think that people are short-sighted about this and they don't understand it. They think they're buying, like, you know, something pretty that they're going to upgrade. You know, no, it's an actual investment that you have to manage over time.

You do indeed, and my frequent advice to young people, also, if you want to save money, kill the DoorDash thing. Like the door dish. I paid so much for door dishes two times a day, three times. It's crazy. You know, you got to rethink that.

Jerry Willis, thank you for your insight. As always, so spectacular. And you can go ahead and get her book, Lincoln's Lady Spy Master. We appreciate your insight. Love you.

Thank you so much for having me. Have a great day, everybody. That's all right. This is the Brian Kilmead Show. I'm Griff Jenkins, pinch hitting the best I can.

Real talk, real guests, real insight, where curiosity meets conversation. It's the Brian Killmeat Show. The fastest three hours in radio. You're with Brian Kilmead. Buckle up, hold on tight.

It is the fastest moving radio show, the Brian Kilnead show. Griff Jenkins in for Brian today, just coming off of a great interview. If you were just listening to Jerry Willis, one of our smartest people here at the business channel, just speaking from experience talking about ownership. And I'm so glad she mentioned that. She was talking about former President Bush talking about the importance of ownership.

And she really did an excellent job of framing it in the face of the threat we face from these socialist candidates, particularly like Abdul Al-Syed and others. And look, let's be real about this. We are seeing a absolute shift, a tectonic shift, if you will, in the Democrat Party. And if these progressive socialists get in, they are going to do exactly what they say and try and change our institutions. And it will hurt the exact goal that Jerry Willis is talking about.

Which is true power, true American dream pursuit is in ownership. Last night, J.D. Vance weighed in with Laura Ingram talking about that. And this is cut 24.

Socialism is evil, but we have to ask ourselves the question, why is socialism so appealing to a lot of people who, to your point, have lower assets, who don't have the same ownership, who went to universities and were sold a bill of goods? They got a lot of debt, but they didn't necessarily get the good jobs that came along with that high debt load. And that's exactly the point. The vice president is laying out exactly asking ourselves the question, why is this so appealing? Why have socialist candidates like Abdul Al-Syed and others and Chris Robb in Pennsylvania and a litany of them?

Why was Zoron Mamdani so appealing to the people of New York City that enough young people particularly wanted to put him in power that now threatens the financial future of the largest, most powerful city in the country? That question will only be answered perhaps at the ballot box in November. I'm Griff Jenkins on the Brian Kilmead Show. The talk show that's getting you talkish. You're with Brian Kilmead.

And getting you talking is exactly what we aim to do right now with NFL season just around the corner. This is Griff Jenkins and the Brian Killmead Show. And how lucky am I? What lottery ticket did I win today to be able to talk to one of my heroes and one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game? Former Carolina Panther Steve Smith.

Steve, it is so great to have you. And like, I'm ecstatic that I got to just thank you because I think it was like 2005, you led the NFL in catches, receptions, yards, TDs, and I think you won my fantasy football league for me. I don't know how many times people tell you this. I'm guessing it's a lot, but honest to God, it's great to have you.

Well, I appreciate that, man. That's outstanding.

So, I would have to ask you: with today's current economical situation and the interest rate, how much did we win? And what's my portion? That's a good question. I'm going to pull Anthony Fauci and plead the fifth here and voke my Fifth Amendment rights. Oh, gosh, who knows?

Listen, I think in those man, I think in those days, Touche, Touche, Touche. I love that answer. I love that answer. Oh, brother. I think back in those days, you know, 20 plus years ago, we were all so broke.

We were such knuckleheads, we didn't even have money to put into it. It was just bragging rights. Yeah, totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that.

It's great to see you. I mean, look, you're one of the greatest to play the game, 16 seasons. You got over 14,000 yards, over 1,000 receptions, more than 80 touchdowns. It's remarkable stuff. And you are actually going to be out in Canton, Ohio, I believe, in a couple of days.

For obviously, that's why I'm at where I am right now. You're at the pro hall of fame in Canada. Yes, sir. That's keep me going down. And so let me see if I got this right.

You got inductees Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, and a few others. Yeah, man, I got we got Luke King. Look, look at that. Look at that. That's pretty dope, man.

So, yeah. You know, I've come here a few times broadcasting, but this is my first time that my schedule has allowed me to come when one of my team former teammates is getting abducted. And it's just been really cool, man. I mean, just flat out. Cool.

You know, sometimes when you Think you, you know, when your time is Kind of You think you should, or have the opportunity to be in there.

Some people have taken it as an opportunity to kind of. complain Man, I just get to sit back and watch. And throughout my career, I've been able to do some cool things. But probably, like you, you being a guy, being such a guy who, you know, waking up every day, being able to be in a studio by yourself, that takes a lot of skill. And sometimes, You feel, um, and I'm just assuming that you can do some work and you know, with fans, you get people with opinions, yeah, and they don't really understand how much.

Of a skill you have to sit in a control room and sit in a microphone with headphones. And hold a conversation with yourself for the audience. That. is challenging and tough. And if you do it long enough, like you've been doing it, you start to say, man, I'm doing pretty good.

And sometimes you may read a comment that makes you feel like, man, they don't appreciate me. And you kind of get lost in your own sauce, right? In your own head. And bro, man, I am sitting here, and I couldn't be more ecstatic. to be a former teammate of Luke Keekly.

And to be able to celebrate him in a way that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is about to celebrate him. And it's just like, wow, this is dope. I just like, I know dope is like one of those old words, but I'm just. dumbfounded with words and I'm just sitting back and I'm just going. And Yeah.

This is pretty cool from a kid from LA who all he wanted to do is hope and pray that he can play a little football. Maybe I love that, Steve. I love it. And by the way, it's so true. I'm just a kid from Memphis, Tennessee.

You know, went to school down in the south and old missed, didn't know what I was going to do after college, fell into being a producer in radio. And then, you know, all these many years later, thanks to the opportunities and generosity that Fox News has given me to do, I'm the weekend Fox and Friends co-host on TV. I'm filling in for Brian Kilmead. And I get to talk to you. I think the common denominator, at least in my path, perhaps in yours as well, is you just got to have passion and love what you do.

If you love what you do, all the hard work, all the sacrifices are easier to transcend if you truly love it and want to do it. Yeah. Facts. Right? Yeah.

I mean, it's just remarkable. It's just fun. And so I've just been able to sit back and go through it.

So I just. I just sitting there and I'm just like, man, sitting in my hotel room doing some notes, getting prepared for the season, getting prepared to celebrate Luke. And it's just, you know, you just have those moments, and I'm like, Right? Especially for me. I had this moment again.

Probably what, two weeks ago? Yeah, it was two weeks ago now. I get out of my hotel room, I'm walking, and I look. And man, I'm about to play. I'm at, I got a 10:35 tea time in Scotland, and I'm like, I would have never saw.

That I'll be out in Scotland playing golf. When Bad. I used to look at golf as my grandpa used to watch golf, and I just associated golf with my grandpa taking a nap. Yeah. Right.

And you know, and he would, I would come in the living room and change that channel, and that would wake him up and be like, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah, I'm watching that. And I'm like, you were asleep. I'm watching that. You gotta, grandpa, you gotta, right?

So, to be to be able to do that, man, there's just been. Man, I play football. But what football has given me an opportunity to do and see Yeah. Man, I have literally lived. A thousand lives.

that I never would have thought and imagined that I'd be able to do. And go to places that I never even thought were I didn't even know they were on where they were on the map. And then, all of a sudden, you know, to be able to travel the world because I can catch a football. That's pretty unique, man. That's called blessed, brother.

Called blessed. Hey, you mentioned the upcoming season.

So I'm a Commanders fan. I moved to Washington 30-something years ago. And well, I feel like I jinxed him. I'm the permanent actual curse of the formerly Redskins, now Commanders, because I moved to Washington in 93, the year before they won the Super Bowl, and they haven't gotten back since. But, you know, we just got the news.

Commanders picked up Stefan Diggs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's been in it for a while, but boy, he's going to be quite a compliment because of his talent as a route guy for Terry McCullen.

So I want to know: A, is it going to be good for the Commanders, but also, more importantly, you're perfectly suited to talk about has the game changed being a receiver now when you see the big stars out there like Amara and JSN. in others. Yeah. I mean, when you look at sports just overall, Yes, it has to advance. If it doesn't change.

then you become baseball. Right. Right. So you have to change. Like, look at the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers are playing.

in Australia. Wow. Right. And don't I've been to Australia to to see the uh the Australian Open. Not for football.

They have rugby out there. They have soccer. They don't have football. And so to be able to expand all the way to Australia, and those guys get to experience it. I think that's pretty cool.

So they're expanding an expansion of football regionally, worldwide.

Well, yeah, you gotta, if you are able to expand, things are changing. And the way football is going, where yes, it's becoming more and more high-flying. That's why this year's when you talk to the average fan, oh, this last year's Super Bowl was boring. because it was so strategic. It was two teams that had really good defenses, right?

That were neutralizing the offense. And people are like, oh, that was boring. For a football guy, that was excellent because that's called good coaching. Right. So, I do think the game is changing, but I don't think it's changed for the worse.

Now, I do think there are some nuances. that have hurt some of the players right that's why you're seeing so many injuries I personally think some of the injuries are more are More compound because you are trying to take the workload off. In the in the off season. But you haven't taken a workload off. of the season.

That's a good way to put it. And so that's why guys are having these soft issues. Guys are blowing out things because you're. You can't. Manufacture competition.

You can't. When a guy is tugging on you. when it's hotter than Hades. Bro, it was Oh, what was that? July 4th in Charlotte, those 105.

Yeah. Yeah. Think about that. It's when it's 100 degrees and heat index, and then you are. Hand-to-hand combat, and a guy is hitting you, and you're sweating, and you're man, you can't.

You can't manufacture that in training. And so you have to get enough of that repetition, muscle endurance, muscle memory to know, hey. Because the first time you do it, you're like. I remember my first time in high school, you doing training camp. Man, I wanted to get out of it.

I got claustrophobic because I had never felt that hot and restricted in my life. I can't imagine, man. I can't imagine. I mean, like, Lily, you talked about this past 4th of July, Fox and Friends Weekend. We were broadcasting out on the mall in Washington, D.C., and it was like record heat.

And, you know, I'm not playing football, man. I'm just sitting there in a shirt, sweating, wondering if I was going to pass out. Hey, you set me up actually for a great segue, though, because you're talking about muscle loss and tissue damage. You're actually promoting and associated with a thing called Forzette. And it's sort of accompaniment, a medical food or supplement that goes with like these GLP1s because you're seeing middle-aged guys our age that are taking GLP1s, but you know, muscle loss in your mid-50s as a middle-aged guy is nothing to joke about.

It's nothing to joke about, and I'll be transparent and honest. I actually had took a sabbatical. uh for about five years in working out.

However, I was a food critic without the television show. I was going around and just loving life, kind of got off of the regiment and the strict regiment that I've had for all those years. And I man, I was just eating, just eating. And about a year and a half ago, I found myself in a position where my physician, my doctor was like, hey, you need to get your stuff together. I was severely overweight and I have diabetes, hereditary diabetes on both sides of my family.

And I was starting to push. to the level of pre-diabetic. And my physician, who's been my physician for a very long time, said, Hey, you need to get your act together. And so you need to, and I actually had to do some weight loss because I had to do a weight loss program because. I had gained so much weight so quickly.

Um that it was pushing all of my metrics in a dangerous area. And so, yes, losing weight was great, but I was losing muscle. And so, Forset was able to give me that ability to kind of get back to.

Okay. getting in the gym But at the same time, not just taking a weight loss. And then neutralizing my appetite, and then just sitting on the couch doing nothing. I was doing my resume, getting back in the gym, getting that feeling back of, hey, I got a sense of urgency and a sense of want to. And it's really helped me to where I'm lining up now to where I can feel like, hey.

I look good and feel good to the point of where, oh man, you look like you got a play in you. Yeah, I think I got a play in me, but I don't. I haven't played football in over 10 years, I haven't put on a Paracles in over seven and a half.

So. It's been really good to get me going and really kind of see that you can do. A lot of different things, but they all have to be able to work together because the one thing is missing something else. And so you got to be able to put them all together and allow them to work. and be able to help you and not give you shortcuts.

For me, A GLP1 or weight loss was not a shortcut for me medically. It was a necessity because 46 years old, being a diabetic and playing football 10 years ago.

Okay. That doesn't allow. No, and by the way, any of our listeners that can relate to this, Forset.me is the website. Yes, sir. They're doing some really good things now.

I will say. Uh, when you start anything, right, it's like, oh. It's a little bit difficult, but man, you build that regimen and you start to see that it's really something that helps you build to move forward to eventually be able to do this all on your own. Forset.me is the website. Steve Smith, it's great to have you.

I've only got a few seconds left here, but I got to give you the last word. Give us a prediction for how the Carolina Panthers are going to look this season. Man, I I think they're going to be above 500, right? I don't think it's going to be, the record is going to be like it was last year, but. We're playing better, which indicates a tougher schedule.

So with a tougher schedule, man, you're going to be on pins and needles every game, every week. But the team is getting better. Defense is a lot faster. Bryce is a lot more comfortable. They're fortified to offensive line.

We've sustained some few injuries on some guys that they were really requiring or expecting some input on. But man, it's going to be fun. And we get to see a little bit of it. Bryce isn't playing tonight, but we get to see a little bit of some of the guys that you may not know currently tonight. But you will know them over a long period of time because some of them guys are going to splash and show some plays that you're going to say, hey, I may want to draft this guy on my fantasy team.

I'm not saying a starter, but you might want to flex him because he's showing some things that can help you out later in the season. Look at that. That is a jewel right there. I'm going to remember that in my fantasy draft. I can't wait for the season.

It's such an honor to talk to you, Steve. Great having you. You're going to be out there in Cannon, Ohio in just two days for the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. Really going to be cool. Thank you for joining us, brother.

Have a good one. I appreciate it. You as well. All right. That is the legend, Steve Smith, joining me on the Brian Kilmead Show.

I'm Griff Jenkins. We'll be back. Where big stories meet bigger conversations. Stay informed and energized with the Brian Kilmead Show. He's so busy, he'll make your head spin.

It's Brian Killmead. Sponsored by Previgen. Previgen made for your brain. He is the busiest man in show business. That's why it's so hard to live up to filling his giant shoes.

This is Griff Jenkins on the Brian Kilmade show. What a great segment with Steve Smith we just had. I mean, it got me just so excited for the NFL season. I mentioned I'm a Commanders fan. I'll take it.

I'll take it. And this is the dangers. Uh, for the first time in my life, where AI has collided with my favorite pastime, NFL. And by that, I mean I started going down a rabbit hole a couple of days, already trying to get ready for my fantasy football league, which I'll dutifully lose yet again this season. But there's always hope.

And I started looking at the receivers and all that stuff. And I started looking at the commanders players because I particularly like to draft people that I love watching, which of course creates all sorts of pain. And I want to tell you, I am going to do something you should never do on radio, and that is make a prediction. I predict that the Washington Commanders will win the NFC Championship and will go to the Super Bowl. They will, in the NFC East, leave Dallas in second, Philadelphia third, and the Giants in a Measley 6-11.

Hope I'm not wrong. I'm Griff Jenkins on the Brian Killmead Show.