Shocking Evidence in Thwarted Attack Uncovered

On today's show, we got more updates on the two terror attacks from yesterday.

Okay. Keeping you informed and engaged, now more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110.

And now, your host, Logan Sekulow. Welcome to Sekulow. It is a Friday. Phone lines are open for you at 1-800-684-3110. Going off the air yesterday, just shortly after we went off the air, the first of the two terrorist attacks that happened yesterday.

One was completely thwarted. One sadly had a loss of life. Let's talk about those so you have an understanding of what we're talking about. Of course, a lot of you may have heard of the potential attack. In Michigan, where a car was driven into a large synagogue.

You could almost consider this to be like a mega church of a synagogue. It had 10,000-plus members. Really big reform synagogue reaching a lot of young people and. Drove in with weaponry and a school, with weaponry and explosive devices. Thankfully.

And you could say that There was a very well-trained team. Security teams, not unlike what happened at Lakewood Church last year, who were able to neutralize that threat pretty quickly. That's right, Logan. And as we heard from the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, this morning, if this attack had been successful in Michigan, it would have been the likes of a Sandy Hook type situation. It was young children, very heavily armed with explosives attacker.

It would have been extremely devastating, not just for that community, but for the entire country. The second one also happened at Old Dominion University. This was an individual that went into specifically an ROTC classroom. And confirmed with a student there, said, is this one of the ROTC classes? They said yes.

And then he began to open fire, killing the professor. Who is a decorated military veteran, lieutenant colonel, had served in multiple campaigns in Iraq. and was killed by someone who Whom had previously been convicted of terrorism. Yeah, let's slow this one down. Because, look, where the other one was taken care of, and we're very thankful for that.

Look, the university professors and teachers in general we know are under a big threat right now. I taught last year, and I'll be honest, that it rarely left my mind that. The security can't really be high enough. I mean, great security team, but you're talking about an individual classroom. You know the size of these schools.

Doors are left open. There's a lot going on to get in and out of these rooms. And a lot of times it sounds bad, but you become, you start feeling as a professor or you start feeling as even the students that you're just like a sitting duck in this moment. And what do you do in these situations?

So I feel so bad for these, obviously, for the teacher who lost his life and for the students who have to deal with this. But this Was one of those attackers. That didn't have to happen. Right. This is something we had apprehended.

We knew the issues. They had already been working with terrorist regimes. This, again, is a moment of. uh where we have to start reevaluating how our I guess how our prison system works, even. That's right.

This individual had previously been convicted of support of ISIS, wanting to carry out an ISIS attack here in the United States, had purchased a rifle back in the time to carry out an attack, but went to prison, was convicted in 2017 or late 2016, sentenced in 2017. The government, the Justice Department, under the Trump administration at the time, was wanting 20 years. The judge in this case Cut that almost in half, gave the individual an 11-year sentence plus time served for being in jail during the trial. And then he was released almost two years early. from that sentence.

And that was December of 2024, and just over a year later. That individual Carried out what they had wanted to do all along. This was a person who was killed by another student, actually, an ROTC student.

So I'll just show that thankful for we have some training there as well. We got a packed show. Jordan's here also. We have a lot of guests. You're gonna want to stay tuned.

Don't go anywhere. We will be taking calls, but only in the first few segments.

So, if you want to call in about this or any of the other issues happening this week, you got to do it right now: 1-800-684-3110. 1-800-684-3110. Call in now. As we are wrapping up our Global Impact Week, seven days of global impact, where we've been showcasing all the work we've been doing around the world. Be a part of that today at aclj.org.

Welcome back to Sekulow. We do want to give you an update of what was going on with those two terror attacks that happened yesterday. One in Michigan. Of course, that was the one that was going to be at a, like I said, what would be considered a mega church version of a synagogue with a large school. What's about this area?

I mean, this is a very, very nice area. It's about 25 miles. From Detroit, it's where most like auto executives live. I mean, it's it's a beautiful area in in uh in Bloomfield Hills Township, and this was in West Bloomfield. A a quarter of the population there is Jewish.

So it uh out of the sixty five thousand people that live in this uh very nice community. Right. I mean they're they're very much a part of the community.

So uh to be so again, probably felt relatively safe because they've been in this community for so long. They've had security that they've needed. And uh and still, this was right on the edge of A mass a massacre because you had a preschool, so very young children, 150.

So that's a big preschool. Like you said, this is on the size of like a very large synagogue and the work that they do with the education, too. And I just want to say this: I think that. One of the issues, it's not just the fact that we're in a conflict with Iran. I think that that's part of it.

But I think when the rhetoric from the left The rhetoric from the Candace Owens Tucker Carlson right And then the then the um Targeted work that Islamic radical groups and Iran do online to reach people, you have three different avenues. To try and convert people into carrying out attacks to kill Jews and to kill Americans.

So you have the leftist version, they target them. Oh, we're on the left. You have the right-wing version, and then you've got the religious version. And so that is a dangerous combination because you're talking about kind of the most radicalized people in every kind of political side in the United States, but also religiously.

So they don't care who carries out these attacks ultimately. If it's a liberal leftist, a right-winger, or a devoted Muslim who is radicalized. They don't care so long as Jews and Americans die.

Well, and Jordan, I think to that point, what we saw yesterday was horrific. We are thankful, one, that the security at that synagogue was able to neutralize that threat quickly. Tragically, at Old Dominion University, which the high school I went to was right down the street, like blocks from ODU. I have many friends that attended university there. But the fact that they were even able to minimize what could have been much, much worse as a classroom was open fired upon, those heroic ROTC members at ODU that were able to take down and tragically their professor was killed, but they minimized what could have been much, much worse.

Talk about that. We see that from both these, all the accounts point to: one, the one at ODU had already been convicted of supporting ISIS.

So we know that ideology there: radical Islam. The individual in Michigan. The media is already trying to put out almost a mea culpa for the person that he had family that died in airstrikes in Lebanon, and he's a naturalized individual from Lebanon. And so he was taking out his anger. On a synagogue.

Once again, that is that twisted mentality, but at the same time, When you have on the same day that this happened, this is what Candace Owens put up about the airstrike that hit that school in Iran. She responded to something that the Tucker Carlson Network had put up by saying this: It was not a mistake. Israel is required to mass murder children because they worship Baal. Trump does as he is instructed by Jared Kushner and B.B. Netanyahu.

When you have that on the same day that an attack on an American mosque. I'm sorry, an American synagogue, whatever it is, no matter the religion, there should not be an attack on a house of worship. But on that same day that she puts that up, This happens. The Iranians that have been so good at their propaganda on places like X, they are celebrating that now the American conservative right. has voices like this doing Their hard work for them.

Yeah, it it's a it's a lot easier for a conservative who is into who who listens to Candace Owens and likes what she has to say to accept a statement like that than it would be if it was coming from the new Ayatollah who may not be even awake or alive. But but When it comes from her, it's a very different kind of message because it's a fellow American. It's someone they trust, they listen to every day. They feel like they have this personal relationship with. And then when you say that a group of people, Jews are required to just kill children because they worship Baal.

I mean, this is, again, it's blood libel. The worst of the worst blood libel that was out in Europe, and not during the Nazis. This was during the time in Spain. I mean, this goes back to really thousands of years. Thousands of years.

When you've seen the beginning of any kind of persecution of Jews, it started with that kind of blood libel is that they kill children, they drink their blood. That is literally what she's now posting on X as something that is totally normal. They can't say that as a military, that they were. By the way, conducted with the U.S. that they had made a mistake, or that, you know, it's part of the fog of war.

When you go in with this much firepowers, there are going to be casualties of citizens that are non-combatants. But overall, do you see the Iranian people rejecting what we're doing? Do you see Iranian people in America rejecting what's going on right now? No, they understand that there will have to be. Loss of life, unfortunately, to see a change in leadership in Iran that ultimately the people there will have to bring about.

Yeah, when you have a moment where you have a DHS that's also not being funded, it gets very concerning. Will and I went to see Madas Yahoo last week, a known, probably the most known Uh, Jewish uh artist, musician. And the amount of, we look, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that we didn't have a question of whether we should go. Eventually we decided to go. I'm wearing a shirt now.

Uh, Honestly, somewhat out of support, and we're fans.

So we decided to go. The amount of security, this is in Nashville, Tennessee. The amount of security they had put, extra security, did make me feel better. But it was so sad that it had to happen, that you knew that. We were in New York City, my wife and I, over the last couple days.

We went to places. that are predominantly known where Jewish people are. Different famous restaurants, different areas of the city where there are a lot of Jewish people who are very publicly Jewish, if you will, as Jeff Balabon would say, you know, wearing, you know, these are Orthodox Jews, or these are even mainstream Jews that wear yarmulkas, and you see them around town, big groups of areas. And I'm not going to lie to you and say that in the current situation, though it felt good to be to see them all out and to be around Jewish people. That there wasn't in the back of your head thinking about, well, are we...

Just asking for it at this point. That's not where we should be in America. Certainly, not where we should be in Nashville, Tennessee, or in New York City, where areas where number one here in Nashville, you know, it's obviously a multicultural city, but a city that has, you know, was, I would say, the birthplace of American Zionism. A lot of it happened. Right here in Nashville, Tennessee, because of a little man you may know of named Johnny Cash, who really brought.

Christianity and the support of Israel together in the 70s. And then you have an area like New York City where there are the most Jewish people outside of Israel living, and I'm still having to walk around being concerned. About the safety of my family and the safety of all these people around me, just because I'm eating at a Jewish delicatessen or I am walking through a district that is primarily a Jewish people or an area of Jewish people. It is a really bizarre world to be living in right now. And I don't know if you fully can grasp it if you aren't visiting these areas.

And the shocking part is, it's not unwarranted. This is not an unwarranted fear. Two attacks happened yesterday for this reason.

Okay, a bomb was nearly put off from an ISIS-inspired kid's. uh teenagers while we were there. Yeah. It just didn't go off because they failed at putting it together correctly. Right.

It had all the components. Yeah, no, I mean, it's not like this was a dummy. This is just, thank God you had a great NYPD and a great moment of failure that this would happen. These are not unwarranted concerns, and then you have the DHS defunded. You have the Department of Homeland Security not able to operate.

Well, and I want to play this real quick. This is from Chris Hayes and Katie Turr on MS Now. And they're talking about the Department of Homeland Security being defunded, something we spent a lot of time on yesterday. And the Democrats and the Senate, once again, blocked a test vote from moving forward. Let's go ahead and play bite seven on their take on the DHS.

I think if you think about the nature of focus is that it can only be in one place. That's definitionally how focus works. If you look at the Department of Homeland Security as an entity, and to a certain extent the Department of Justice, right? The Department of Homeland Security, which is created in the aftermath of 9-11, quite famously, as a response to what was perceived as the failures that led to 9-11. There is no way that anyone plausibly could say that it has a focus on stopping terrorist attacks.

Its focus is on immigration and mass deportation. That's not even a controversial statement.

Well, they're trying to link that with stopping terrorism. Yes, but descriptively, it is the case that what that agency has turned itself to do is to do that. That is the most ridiculous commentary I've ever heard in my life because, one, the immigration and customs enforcement, yeah, their focus is on just that. That's under the umbrella of Department of Homeland Security. That's one division.

They've got thousands of staff that then could focus on terror, working with the FBI, working with Department of Justice, and all that combined. And what I'd say to MS Now and Chris Hayes is that anytime they announce that they are going after Muslim terror groups, then MS Now and Chris Hayes will say they are acting Islamophobic.

So you can't win. With the left on MS now. It just doesn't work. They're going to hit you every way. And they do it in a really dumb way because he knows that ICE is just a component of DHS.

You know, Jake Tapper had a pretty good statement. I wonder if I could find it, play it for it in the next segment, where he actually said it's time for the right and the left to both fully come out in era. It's time to just say, we are done with. You know, kind of going around the issue here. Condemn what is happening right now.

We have to do it. That was coming from CNN. Maybe it's coming from a new CNN. Yeah. They say he said: 1-800-684-30-110.

And we got some special guests coming up in the back half. We'll let you know about them when we get right back. Welcome back to Sekulow. We're only going to be able to take your calls really in this segment and possibly the next.

So give us a call at 1-800-684-3110. Again, I want to actually give you a little bit of preview of what's coming up in the back half hour. We're going to keep talking about, obviously, the terror attacks and some of the new information that has come out. Of course, the motivations are now clear. In the clip, I want to play with you of Jake Tapper.

It's kind of before he had the information. We didn't know the background of the people. And that's one of the topics of conversation we've had here, which is. You used to be able to jump to a conclusion in some ways, whether you feel like that's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do. If there was a terror attack on a Jewish community center, sadly, you could probably start to picture what that looked like.

That has changed. That is right. And we will have that momentarily, and we can get into that a little bit more. But also, I do want to quickly bring up because we are in our seven days of global impact, something that the ACLJ is doing today to fight back against a lot of the rhetoric that is awful that you're seeing around the world. And some of that, as we have known for decades, begins at the UN.

And right now. The UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, is what her official title is, was put on a sanctions list. Many people were connected with their work at the ICC, targeting, using lawfare against Israel. And at the beginning of this administration, President Trump. Put these people through executive order and through the State Department on sanctioned entities lists.

The Special rapporteur is using her daughter to sue the government to get these sanctions removed, saying it creates a hardship on their family. Basically, my mom is doing something awful, but it's really hard on us. It'd be like trying to petition the court to have a criminal parent out of jail because they can't work and make money for the family. And this is something that this individual posted in the aftermath of October 7th. And I want everyone to see this.

This is one of the reasons why this individual was sanctioned. This is a tweet that was put on X by this individual. And it was in response to a statement that was published in a French newspaper about Emmanuel Macron saying that this was the biggest anti-Semitic massacre of our century, talking about October 7th. Pretty non-controversial, factual statement. Her response to this article.

The quote biggest anti-Semitic massacre of our century? No, Mr. Macrone. The victims of October 7th were not killed because of their Judaism, but in reaction to Israel's oppression. France and the international community did nothing to prevent it.

My respects to the victims. Trying to say and completely rewrite history of what happened on October 7th, who was targeted and why. And who is this? And this is the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Occupied Territories. She has been sanctioned by the Trump administration.

She is suing through her daughter to get those sanctions removed. We are filing a very important brief today in support of the government's position that the President and the Department of State can use these tools. In their toolbox without someone going to court and getting it overturned. There is a reason. that this type of rhetoric is being sanctioned.

And her work and lawfare against Israel, our ally, is being sanctioned and should continue to be. And Jordan, we are filing an important brief today to ensure that that stands. You know, and I think this is so key, folks, that we're engaged in this battle because this is part of the war. The rhetoric, we talked about the rhetoric in the last segment. When you have rhetoric like that at the UN, you're spreading that out to the world as if it's okay to say, no, this has nothing to do with them being Jews and justifying the attack.

This is a UN employee who is supposed to specialize on reporting on human rights. How about the human rights violations carried out by Hamas on a daily basis? Did she do any reports on that? I have a feeling not. But instead, justifying this attack by saying they were attacking Israel because they are the oppressors and occupiers, they happened to be Jews.

And so, again, when you use this rhetoric, Like I'm saying, she's talking to the radical Islamic community. And then you take the rhetoric of the Candace Owens and Tucker Cross's stuff that you read that they're putting out on same days these attacks are occurring. And then you take rhetoric on just the left in America, the AOCs of the world and this anti-Israel Hayden, throw in Ilhan Omar in the squad. You go from elected Democrats to influential Republicans. They used to be influential Republicans.

At least they are big voices on the conservative far right now. And then you've got the UN. I mean, that is a dangerous combination, Logan, of rhetoric that turns into violence. Yeah, and it's happening. And it's happening in real time.

This is not something that is theoretical. This is not a threat anymore. This is actual violence that is happening in the streets of America around the world. Sadly, we maybe become a little immune to it because we know there have been these sort of attacks throughout Europe and throughout the Middle East. But now it's here.

And it's been here for the last few years, but it feels like it's been ramping up a lot more over the last few months. Again, as the conservative side, the right wing has decided to embrace this kind of hate as well.

So much so that I'm about to play a clip from Jake Tapper. And again, this was as things were unfolding yesterday.

So I don't want it to seem like he's talking about he's unclear who, what the victim or what the shooter's motives were. This was when it was happening in real time. And you can tell in his voice, and this again is from CNN. When you just play MSNBC, MS, MS Now, they're never going to be on that side probably. They're never going to be this honest.

But at least you have some people who are willing to say these things. And I've got to give it up to Jake Tapper for this. You don't hear us say that a lot. Here's Jake Tapper on CNN yesterday. We're seeing the real-life consequences to the elevation and platforming and legitimizing of anti-Semitic voices.

To be crystal clear, we do not know the motivations of the attacker, this would-be mass murderer of Jews. We don't know their political views. But the Overton window, the measure of acceptable discourse, has opened. to some of the most hateful anti-Semitic voices out there on the left and the right. And he goes on from there.

We were only able to pull that clip. He goes on from there to go even more into how we have seen now the expansion of, and he even said, kind of more started with the left wing. But now we have seen it not just creep into the right, we have seen it take a loud voice in the right. And again, they will say it's just Israel, it's not the Jewish people. But we know that's not true.

You know why? Because you see what they post. You see the way they talk. Because they've combined it. And all of a sudden you have a threat to where you are concerned to go outside.

And I think it's important here as well because a lot of conservative outlets have shared this clip and are taking the wrong message from it. They're trying to say, he says, we don't know the motivations of the attacker at this point, and then correct, like adds to that and says, we don't know his political ideology. He says, we know this would be their plan was mass murder of Jews. And a lot of people on the right have used that to pounce and say, look, Jake Tapper is trying to cover up. We know the motivation.

And now we also know who the individual was. At the time, When that was being reported, as it was ongoing. Hundred percent. I agree with Jake Tapper because the problem is now. The voices are so loud on the right that are saying some of the most despicable things.

Like Candace Owens saying that it was not an accident hitting a girls' school in Iran, saying it is required of Israel to sacrifice children. Those are the voices on the right.

So, Jake Tapper, I'm glad you're calling it all out when you don't know at that point. Because at that point, we were watching it, and I was concerned that it may be someone that is listening to those voices as well. Yeah, because you look at it and go, when it's a radical Islam attack, you go, well, It's sort of in the doctrine of radical Islam. to not be supportive of Americans or Jews. When it's the right, it's almost more extreme because it's this like completely made-up conspiracy theory.

And we have second half hour coming up. This is going to be a very different second half hour. Jordan's got a guest coming on, I've got a guest coming on. My guest. You may remember.

Was stuck in space for almost a full year. Butch Wilmore, he's going to be joining us in the last segment of the show. And then my brother, Jordan, you got a segment coming up too? You got 10 seconds to say, tease who it is? Yes, it is the Attorney General candidate in Oklahoma, John Eccles.

But he's also going to update us on who's going to fill that Senate seat that Mark Wade Mullen is going to be departing. Big second half hour coming up, ACLJ.org if you don't get it on your station. Keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever. This is Sekulow. And now, your host, Logan Sekulow.

Welcome back to Sekulow, second half hour. We got a packed second half hour. Two guests are coming up, and we are able to take some calls in this segment. I'm going to try to take them real quick. Of course, we are to give you an update of what was going on with those terrorist attacks that happened in America yesterday.

Let's go to Scott in South Carolina. Go ahead, Scott. Hey guys, I just wanted to point out the the campus shooting, when are they going to use Or how many of these have to take place before they modify, not get rid of, but modify the gun-free school zone laws? Because we all know that criminals don't follow laws.

Well, Scott, it brings up an interesting question because you could arm at the school. Because look, a student security. A student? ROTC member. I don't know how.

The person was killed. Use a weapon your person had on. Right. Okay, they use their weapon against them. And then, of course, you do have security that is typically involved on campus.

Now, I have to say, again, as someone who has taught. You feel very vulnerable. In those both. These are huge places. They're hard to secure, whether you're talking about a large synagogue or a large private school.

Certainly, when you're in the school, you don't even know who the students are. Yeah, right. I mean, especially at a university.

So I think the question is on schools, campuses. Using taxpayer resources, yeah, we all pay taxes in each of our states in some way or form. Whether you have an income tax or not, you pay taxes other ways.

So, should more of that money be diverted each year to getting more armed security on campus that's trained? Yes. Then, that second question is: should there be teachers? Who have law enforcement backgrounds, potentially military backgrounds, who should be trained. Um and can have like, you know, in their room in a in a very you know safe way.

A weapon if necessary. That that's a bit of d more difficult debate because a lot of the teachers then have to take on a serious amount of liability because they've got to then be making life or death questions about who they're firing at. And so you can understand why it's a. I think the best route to go is: we know it's a serious problem. We have to use taxpayer resources.

And if we have to divert some of those to making sure kids are safe at school and people are safe at places of worship in America, if they aren't, then we're not the America we're supposed to be.

Well, and as well as we have a lot of smart people in this country that can figure out security issues. And once again, those individuals, those ROTC members that were brave enough to encounter, go after the perpetrator, the terrorist that had just shot their professor. He was armed with a rifle. and they were not. Uh they one individual had a knife on them.

And was able to neutralize this terrorist. Pretty brutal. That is one.

Some of the most brave souls in America were in that ROTC room. And I think that they should be proclaimed as the heroes they are, that they were able to put aside their own fear and charge after a terrorist that was armed. And had just uh murdered Their professor, they were able to neutralize that and save so many lives that that attack could have continued. Look, I think one of the big pushes this week we want to do is the seven days of. of uh global impact, you know, our work around the world.

You've to understand that work around the world is now When I talk about outside of our country, that work around the world is now having a direct impact on what's going on within the country. That we have to be. Outside of the United States to hopefully protect and to support. Our values around the world because this is what happens. Yes, and I mean, we have that work ongoing.

I've been on the phone with our team in Europe because this is obviously an issue that they've been facing almost nonstop because of the growing radical communities in their own countries. And the population growth has been really intense in Western Europe specifically. And then you go into Central Europe and they've done the opposite approach. And you go to places like Hungary and you feel like it's a lot safer on the ground because you haven't had complete takeover of areas where Sharia law is being practiced in areas just outside around London and the UK. Um is is that they've probably got a lot of more work than we have to do.

But they're much smaller countries.

So, the United States, we've got to double down on our security, and I think we have to start having the conversation again, and it's not Islamophobic. About radical Islam and how the attacks are not again military-based, but attacks on civilians. They are terrorists, it's terrorism. And we are now going to have to have that conversation with a new generation of Americans. Be a part of it right now at ACLJ.org.

Again, we have a packed next part of the show. Don't miss it. Be a part of the chat, even though, on YouTube, on a Rumble, it's a great way to interact during these segments. I want to hear what your thoughts are coming right up. Welcome back to Sekulow.

We do have a very special guest today, a couple of special guests. You want to stay tuned for this segment and the next segment. It's jam-packed.

Next segment, we're going to be joined by Butch Wilmore, who was stuck in space. He doesn't like to say stuck in space. You'll see. Who's stuck in space for almost a year? Amazing conversation.

But, Jordan, we got a special guest for you. We do a great friend of ours, John Eccles from Oklahoma, who is an AG candidate there. And I will tell people in my personal capacity, I've endorsed John and made that clear online through my social media accounts. But I wanted to have him on to talk about a couple of things. One, an update on his race, but to start off first with that vacancy that has come about in the Oklahoma and U.S.

Senate. And, John, because Mark Wayne Mullen has been tapped by President Trump to take over DHS, there is a vacancy, and it's an interesting fill. And I want you to kind of fill people in because this discussion's gone back and forth. Because whoever takes this seat, John, they get to serve for about eight months and they're going to have some critical votes to take.

So, who's chosen is very key. But they also sign a pledge to the state legislature that you were a key part of that says they are not going, they don't run again.

So, then it opens the field back up for to have a normal primary and race. For that Senate seat.

So tell people about where that stands right now because it's so important, as the Senate is so closely divided. Absolutely. I'm happy to do it. Thanks for having me on. Thank you for your support.

It's fun to talk. I'm in southwest Oklahoma getting off the campaign trail to talk to people on the ACLJ radio. Here's what's gonna happen. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen has been appointed the Director of Homeland Security. Senator Mullen is a close Trump ally.

In the state of Oklahoma, while I was floor leader, we passed a bill that said whoever is appointed by the governor has to swear an oath with the Secretary of State that they won't run again.

Well, I get asked, why didn't you just say they can't run again?

Well, unfortunately, our U.S. Supreme Court has said something like that would be unconstitutional.

So they'll serve for the next eight months. And there are some critical votes that are coming up, specifically the SAVE Act. I mean, whoever is in needs to be pushing that hard. Voter ID makes all the sense of the world. Oklahoma has it.

The rest of the country should have it. And there are some big names that are popping up to potentially take that position. And we'll see who the governor picks. I mean, when you talk about those names, again, these are folks who would not be the long-term candidates, but again, short-term replacements. Where do you think that stands right now?

People have heard a lot about the close Trump ally, Harold Hamm, who's an oil and gas billionaire. He was very involved as an outside advisor to President Trump on those kind of issues. His name has been in the news a lot this week, but there are others. There are others.

Now, Harold Hamm is an incredible American and an incredible Oklahoman. He owns Continental Resources. He is an incredibly close ally of President Trump and is got to be towards the top of the list and would make an excellent senator. Governor Kevin Stitt appoints Dustin Hillary, who is a very, very close Stitt ally, really big in Southwest Oklahoma. Their family owns a telecommunications company.

Then there are other people I'd say that dark horse candidates, David Ostro, who is a close ally of Kevin Stitt, a good friend of mine. And then Nathan Dahm, a former state senator, chair of the Republican Party. His name has been floated out there. Those are probably the big four right now that with with Harold Hamm and Dustin Hillary kind of 1A and 1B. But whoever it is, it needs to be somebody who is a close Trump ally, who is not afraid to take on the swamp and to make the really hard votes in a very close Senate.

And can raise money to help us keep the majority in these next midterms, and that's critical. The reason we passed the bill, and I'm very proud we did it the way we did it. is so the citizens get to choose their long-term senator. They get to decide who it's gonna be. And I will point out, it's up anyway.

So filing for that next six-year term, that happens in April 1st. Congressman Kevin Hearn, close ally, Trump ally, member of the conservative caucus in the House from the Tulsa area. He is already announced, probably viewed as the frontrunner. And there's rumors that Governor Kevin Stitt may end up running for that United States Senate seat.

So we'll see. There's a lot happening in Oklahoma right now. John, I did want to go back to that law that you mentioned that was passed while you were in the state legislature. And I think it's interesting because many people hear that and they're like, well, I've never heard of a state where the governor appoints the senator and then that senator doesn't go on to run. But I think it's an interesting contrast.

When we look back at the 2024 election cycle, where the Democrats decided. They didn't want people to vote for their candidate. When Joe Biden stepped aside, the party chose the next person who was running for President and did not allow the people that support their party to pick. Here, you're seeing in Living Color the way that it can be done. that a yes, the governor will pick the successor as is stipulated by the Constitution, but that he doesn't become kingmaker and take the voice away from the people.

So was that kind of the reason behind that? And did you even know that you would have something so contrasting on the other side?

Well, this is actually the second time that it's happened. I mean, Senator Jim Enhoff was the first time, and it's exactly why we did that. You know, one of the things I talk about in my campaign. I wasn't politically connected. I mean, I'm third generation from poverty.

My parents grew up dirt poor in southwest Oklahoma City, which was the poor part of the city. I believe government power is for the people and it belongs to the people. Unlike, for example, the Democratic Party, who knew they had bad candidates and wouldn't let anyone vote on Kamala Harris, just forced her down our throat. And we saw what happened there.

So the thought process was: I don't like kings and I don't like kingmakers. What that seat belongs to the citizens of the state of Oklahoma to go do what's best for the entire country.

So we came up with this very creative solution because we were bound. We cannot say, I wish we could have just said, you're appointed, you can't run. You're only beholden to the people, not to political special interests. But we can't do that.

So we came up with this very creative solution with an oath filed with the Secretary of State. The idea in a state like Oklahoma, I mean, we are good, God-fearing people. You break your oath that quickly, you're not going to get elected. I mean, you don't have that ability. And that's why we did it.

And it is a contrast to what the National Democrat Party did and what's so wrong with the Democrat Party and what we're doing right here in the state of Oklahoma. And I've got you on. I definitely want to ask about your race as well and the primary there for Attorney General in Oklahoma. The primary election date is June 16th.

So it's coming up quicker and quicker as we pass forward each month. And we're already almost into spring.

Some of us are getting into that spring break time period, which is kind of wild to think about. And a couple of major things that have happened. In your campaign, since you've announced. And one is that you received the highest award from the NRA, the NRA Freedom Award. Tell people about that.

I was so honored to receive it. I just received the Defender of Freedom Award for my rights, for my work fighting for the first, for the Second Amendment. I mean, as you know, all of the things I've done with the ACLJ fighting for our religious freedoms. I mean, I'm a proven conservative fighter. And it was so honored for a kid that didn't come from a political background, that was just a father and a father and a husband and a...

and a believer in Christ to get involved in this to get the Defender of Freedom Award, the highest award they give. And we've also been announced, Jordan, since I've been on, we've picked up our 57th sheriff endorsement out of 77, which is just overwhelming law enforcement support. And that's the conservative record that we bring. And I'm going around the state talking about there are different types of lawyers. And if you want an ACLJ, a defender of religious freedom, a Justice Scalia type, then I'm your guy.

And that message is resonating. We're winning in the polls. But if you're watching from Oklahoma, we need your vote. That's the scary part. I mean, we need to.

Make sure people go out to the polls. Don't take it for granted. Yeah, and John, I mean, one thing I want to always remind people about, if they're saying, well, why do you have this one candidate on so regularly? You are, you have been our kind of main local counsel in Oklahoma for many years. The issues of pro-life issues, issues of speech and religious liberty, you've been our go-to.

Never took a dime for that work that you did, even though you could have. And so, really, you've been a part of the ACLJ legal team working with our team of lawyers for a very long time. And so, we've already had that relationship. And then, on top of that, getting into that position like Attorney General, we've got one of those right now in West Virginia that we're able to work with. And I will tell you, when you have those personal relationships, you can get so much done both for the state and for the country nationally.

And that is why we keep having John on for these updates again, the primary in June. One, so that people who want to maybe find out more about your campaign and support you, John, where can they go? They can go to www.johneccles, j-o-n-e-c-h-o-l-s.com. You can check us out on Facebook, Team Eccles, on X, Team Eccles. You can have your kids check us out on Instagram.

I'm not on Instagram, but that's where my kids are. And I appreciate you saying that, Jordan, it's been an honor. I mean, we've been fighting for long before I was ever elected, fighting with the ACLJ on the abortion issue. I was able to outlaw surgical abortions in Oklahoma. We fought for President Trump.

And I did never take a dime because I believe in what you're doing. And that was my way of giving back. And when I win this race, we're going to work together. And when I'm out of politics, we're going to work together. I believe in the mission of the ACLJ.

I believe in what they do.

So check us out on our website, johneckles.com. And we need your prayers. Number one, and we need your vote. Thank you, John. Yeah, thank you, John, for joining us.

Hey, in the next segment, you're not going to want to miss this. You remember Butch Wilmore, the astronaut, stuck in space. He's got a new book out, but you are not going to believe the conversation we had. And this is just a small snippet. Of our full conversation, which I had with him.

That's going to be on the CCM Magazine YouTube channel a little bit later today. Do not go anywhere. Just trust me, you're going to want to see this. Butch Wilmore, the man stuck in space on Sekulow coming right up. We have a lot of different random celebrities and things that come through this studio space.

I've never seen more interest, and I mean this genuinely, than when I said that you were coming in. Because were you aware, even? Of how big of a story that this had become. Aware in that I knew my brother, family, keep you informed, but there was occasionally I could get short clips and get connection with local television and national TV. And I was had a little break from the workday.

And I floated over and I turned on Fox News and it turned out to be um Outnumbered, I think was the show. And then all of a sudden my picture was there. And they were talking about me. That's kind of unique. That's kind of a first.

Was there a moment, and this is just to kind of kick us off maybe a little more lighthearted, where I imagine as an astronaut, as someone that's been training your whole life, and you've already been to space, you've already done this before, but going, oh, I may be here a little bit longer. This is kind of cool. I get to spend a little bit more time experiencing what I've, before you knew it was going to be 10 months, going, oh, if it's an extra week, or were you already aware of if this doesn't happen, we're here for a long time? Yeah, the only way to answer that question is go back to 6th of June when we're out in front of the space station attempting to rendezvous. And to make it as short as I can.

Take your time. Yeah. So. We're losing thrusters, we actually lost the ability to fully control the spacecraft. Um Though we were able to maintain, I was able to maintain control, but losing sixth degree of freedom control, that's really never happened in that flight regime ever, in the history of human spaceflight.

And so in that situation, not knowing what the future held, I knew that we had to dock. Just the controllability of the spacecraft in my hands, it was very difficult to maintain that and to think about controlling it during a de-orbit burn. If we weren't able to dock, I thought that might not be something that we were capable of doing. Um it was it was not easy to control. Anyway, so.

In that moment, we must dock. If we don't dock, I'm not sure we can make it back to Earth. And the third thing I thought, even then, If we do, Doc, I don't see us coming back home on this spacecraft. No.

So it wasn't like. It got longer, and I realized more and realized more. I knew it from the very beginning because I understand this business. You can't go out on a spacewalk and inspect the thrusters and see what the problem is. The only way you can do is do testing on the ground with similar thrusters and how much robust is your testing, how much time do we have, and all that goes through your mind.

Just realizing how difficult it is. I knew early. I knew I knew before we docked that we Probably weren't coming back on the spacecraft. You bring up the visibility side of it. Obviously, like I said, this becomes a nationwide story.

You pretty quickly start talking about your faith pretty openly in the conversations that are had, whether those, like you said, press conferences or anything that would need to be talked about. Whenever you would take the mic, it felt like it would go somewhere about your faith. Did you? Feel like that was necessary? Do you feel like you were given that opportunity?

Or was that a prayer yourself? I appreciate you asking that. The very first time was a reporter that asked me a question. And I gave an answer, very, very short. About with the faith, because I don't use my position to proselyte.

I don't think the Lord would have me do that unless I get asked the right question. Then, about halfway through, Another reporter, we're just looking at a camera. We don't see anybody, but there's people across the nation reporters. And he asked the question, he says, Captain Wilmore, what is your number one biggest takeaway from all this? And I'm like, When you can't separate It's not my faith.

It's the Lord within us, right? He gives us the faith. I can't separate that from who I am. And I said, well, I am content. You know, the Lord is working out his plan and his purposes for his glory and our good.

I know that. And the word is very clear. I believe the word is true, and therefore. I am content. It doesn't mean that you don't have to deal with a situation, but in it, I'm content because the Lord is running the show, and I know that.

And the Lord laying that question on that reporter's heart is really what started this. It wasn't me. Lord laid it on his heart, I gave that answer, and then from then, every time we had a press conference, I had questions along those lines.

So I didn't come out planning to do that, as I said, but the Lord orchestrated it where, because you can't separate who you are from what you do. And that kind of opens up even a bigger question. Because, in your line of work in dealing with space and dealing with science and everything that goes into it, a lot of times these conversations are sort of the faith and science and how they meet or how they don't meet. You know, I've read countless interviews and conversations with people who are involved in that whole world.

Some of them come out with an experience of going to space and feeling connected.

Some go out of space and feel like I'm in a void of nothingness and that this is that there is no point to why we're here. And maybe that's what they've learned. How did you reconcile sort of science and your faith? Because Again, it In some worlds, now it may be just the way it's perceived.

Sometimes those two things don't don't meet. Obviously, as a Christian and as a space fan, as someone who's followed these stories, even to the Apollo 8 reading, the Genesis story, all of those things, I've followed these careers, but I have seen some of that as well, sort of the going to space, the crisis of faith. Yeah. Well, let me ask you a couple of questions. And knowing your background, I think I know your answers.

Is the Bible the word of God? Yes, I believe so. Do you believe the creation count of Genesis? Yes, I do.

So God created everything. You know, John the Baptist in John 3:27, he said, a man cannot receive even one thing unless it comes down to him from heaven.

So, God is creator-giving of all things.

So, this is a lie of Satan that. Science. and faith don't mix. God is the creator of everything, including science, and to say that the creator of science And the faith don't go together is just a lie. And honestly, that's sad, but that is the reality.

And we just gotta be boldly say, hey, God created it. He's opened up knowledge to us as we go forward. We can see that, just as he said he would. He said it in Daniel and other places. And we praise him for it.

He gets the glory for all of this knowledge that we understand. And it's just another lie of Satan saying those things don't mix.

Well, the Creator of it and the faith that He gives us, obviously they do mix. Did you realize it in that moment? That these stories all would kind of weave together? Or was that something you got back and you're like, wow, this is the journey we've led? Because you retired fairly quickly after getting back, right?

You feel like that was it? A year was enough, and 10 months was, I think we've had our fill. Let me give you a couple of paragraphs of why the book is here. I started writing chapters before this mission ever happened. My wife and I had our daughters, Darren and Logan.

We were in our 40s. We lived a life and I was going to write a little bit of a memoir for them. to have about their dad, their mom, our lives together, but you know, before they were here. I wrote the book for my daughters. We published it.

Because let me ask you another couple questions. Do you deal with life day in and day out? Of course. Do you focus on the end of your life and what happens after that? Huh, that's a good question.

Not more than what happens. I think sometimes we spend time thinking about the end of our lives.

So you're going to die? Yeah, you're aware. And then, is there an after going beyond? You know, what is that? And so I think people do that.

They look, they got to deal with the now. You got to deal with issues now.

So I want this. I wanted this book. I hopefully it is encouraging. And it is with perspective. It's encouraging because of the now, dealing with the now.

And with perspective, we deal with the now, but we also focus on things eternal. This book deals with the now and points you towards Eternal hope. and that comes only in Jesus Christ our Lord. And that's why I published it. Written for my daughters, published with the purpose of helping people hopefully deal with the now with a biblical perspective and mindset that stepping stone takes them to eternal hope that comes only through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That's why the book is published. It answers the why am I here, I guess, situation that maybe a lot of astronauts are, a lot of people in space and science are searching for. Yeah, they are. They are. For sure.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks to Butch Wilmore. Pick up his book, Stuck in Space. It comes out next week.

You can pre-order it now at butchwillmore.com. I want to thank him. We're going to have an extended version also on our YouTube channel, so stay tuned for that. With that being said, thank you all for supporting us during these seven days of global impact. You can still be a part of it at aclj.org right now and have your donation doubled.

Again, aclj.org. Yeah.