We got breaking news. President Trump addresses the FIFA controversy from the Oval Office. Keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever. This is Secular. 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. I'm back, Will. Yeah, people asked where you were, Logan.
Better than where Logan go. Where did I go? I've been world traveling. To Orlando, Florida, where you get to go around the world, Will, at Epcot Center. I please.
You get to see the world.
Now, listen, speaking of the world, we are discussing the World Cup. We are discussing the fact that President Trump has now got himself in a bit of more controversy with appealing directly to FIFA.
Now, we do know President Trump is the FIFA piece. Award winner? Remember that? That's right. He did get the FIFA World Peace Value.
That's right. You got the World Peace. Which everyone knows. Very established thing. President Trump did that.
And look, we all were watching that USA game. All of us said that should not be a red card for those of us that watch soccer regularly. And for those of us that don't watch soccer regularly, we all at least said that should not be a red card with no justification or basis on any other game we've ever watched before. But we all felt that way. We all feel that FIFA has a bit of a stigma to them as well, including, you know, just being known as being kind of a corrupt organization.
Now, I don't necessarily agree with that or say that, or I'm not, I don't know enough about the facts, but you hear those kind of conversations happening. And there's documented facts surrounding that. Even the bidding process, how even the Qatar World Cup was notoriously, I think people went to prison because of corruption involved with that bidding process. I'm just saying, I don't know enough that it's not an outlandish statement to say it's a corrupt organization. They have some corruption.
Now, look, I'm a fan. I've been watching a lot. We watched all the games yesterday. And President Trump did make a call, and he just addressed this from the Oval Office. This is how far up this controversy is getting.
He addressed from the Oval Office this decision that was made to overturn the red card and let one of our top players play in today's match.
Now, again, that's happening this evening. It's going to be a big deal whether the U.S. can proceed into the next round. I think it'd be the furthest they've made it into the World Cup or pretty close. For a very long time.
For a very long time. Yes.
So, again. This happened. There was pushback. A lot of people were excited. And then they found out President Trump got involved.
And of course, you have the political world going, oh no, what do I do here? Because I want our team to win. I want our team to succeed. And I agree with this. But President Trump gets directly involved.
And you did talk about this from the Oval Office. That's right. This was just moments ago before we went live here on the broadcast. Here's President Trump addressing this in the Oval Office, fight one.
So I saw the play. And I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well, really well. And that wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction.
That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. Yes, I asked for a review. By FIFA. I spoke to a man who's highly respected, and by the way, whose level of respect has gone up. Tenfold.
So, right there, he's talking about he made a call, said, Hey, I didn't tell him to overturn. I said, Hey, can you look at it? Could you do a review for your good buddy here in the United States? The irony that we're starting to see now is: one, the left that has, there were even headlines that said, you know, the Democrats are conflicted about U.S. success.
It says Democrats grapple uncomfortably with World Cup success. That is from Politico.
So, they didn't want the U.S. to be doing well in the first place because it's politically unsavory for them.
Well, it's even that the whole cultural success that is happening on the World Cup. It's not even just to do with the team. The team itself, I think, is doing well. We'll see how things go. I think it's still going to be a very uphill battle.
But that's kind of beside the point. The good PR that has come out of the World Cup about America. has been well beyond what people expected. Because like we've told you, You go to Europe, you go to the UK. You turn on the news, guess what they're talking about?
Donald Trump, just like here. Sure, they may be talking about their own world leaders as well, but Donald Trump gets a, you know, front page above the fault. And they've been told how bad America is right now.
Well, we just saw historic 4th of July. We just saw the 250th. Hopefully, you all had a great. 250 celebrated well. Stayed safe.
Hopefully you all still got all your fingers. But either way, even if you don't, hopefully you had a good weekend celebrating our country, our independence. And we are now seeing this celebratory nature. And we got a really special offer we're going to give you coming up in the next segment. I'm excited about it.
You've been asking for something like this. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Sekulow. Look, I am also excited to share with you some pretty cool things that the ACLJ has been doing for years. You have asked us to do special items, merchandise, if you will, swag.
And I've always kind of pushed back against it. I don't know if there was really a demand for it, but you know what? The team this time said we really want you to do something special for the month of July. Logan, it's the America's 250th. We are celebrating right now.
It's a very hot summer. People need ways to to enjoy the outside, to get out. And this Independence Day was so special. Hopefully, again, you had a great one over the weekend. Whether we had friends and family over.
Just we're you know hanging out. Shooting off fireworks, enjoying each other's company, spending time. And I know that some people went out to the big giant celebrations.
Some of you had backyard celebrations.
Some of you had indoor celebrations because it was pouring rain or 150 degrees. But look, it's quite an extraordinary accomplishment that the ACLJ is ready to celebrate.
So. In honor of that, we are launching ACLJ Independence Week. It is a very special week where we're focusing on, of course, Our rights, and that we want to preserve life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. Let's go for another 250 years, Will. What do you think?
I think we can do it. I'm here for it. But with that, of course, all your donations are doubled right now, but If you have your gift doubled and you specifically go to aclj.org/slash usa. Today, we have a very exclusive offer for anyone who makes a gift of, is it $250? $250.
$250 or more, which we know that is a stretch for people, but it's $250 more. You not only will get your gift doubled, but you're going to receive an America 250 ACLJ exclusive limited edition challenge coin and a very cool ACLJ cooler bag. And we have videos you'll see about this. Again, these are very limited. We're only going to do it for the first 250 people that donate right now.
So I want you to be part of, is that the number right? Or just 100? I think it's 100. 100, first 100 people to donate 250. And look, if this kind of thing works and you guys like it, again, you have to do it from that specific link, aclj.org slash USA.
If you guys like it, maybe it'll inspire us to do more because I know you've always asked for something like this. But we are still continuing on our discussion about not only American patriotism, which has shown really, there's been a big spotlight on it because of the World Cup. But now there's a spotlight on the game today, the match today, as President Trump has directly gotten himself involved in this. You know, I know sports. I saw that foul, and that foul should not have been a red card.
Of course, a red card, if you don't know, not only removes that player from the game, brings it down to 10 players, it also typically keeps the player from playing. They're suspended for the next game. Obviously, we are in a very highly contested World Cup here in American soil. You have been having it in Canada, the USA, Mexico. Mexico eliminated last night, and the USA still in it right now.
So, we're going to talk about that. Whether President Trump should have gotten involved, will he get involved even more? Are you cool with that? The fact that there is this sort of connection with sports? I mean, we know President Trump.
We had UFC Freedom 250 there just a few weeks ago. We know how involved he has been with the UFC and for that kind of patriotic celebration, but this is different. It's on the world stage. It's going to bring a lot more attention. I want to hear from you.
Phone lines are open at 1-800-684-3110. 1-800-684-3110. We also are going to be joined a little bit later. By Jeff Balabon from ACLJ Jerusalem, who's going to be joining us, giving us an update as they did a big celebration of America in Jerusalem.
Well, and one other thing I want to bring up is that when you see this conversation, it's not just about that President Trump decided to make a call to the FIFA and say, hey, can you look into this? There wasn't actually an appeals process because of the rules of the World Cup.
So that's what makes it a little exactly. It wasn't like USA men's soccer could go themselves and file an appeal of this red card. But it's a broader conversation, right? Because you're starting to see the chatter around it of all the people that have been trying to put negative vibes on America, whether it be from the World Cup or for the 250th celebration. You saw Chuck Todd saying, you know, it's just such a shame that we have to be celebrating the 250th with Trump as our President.
You see all of the stuff I talked about last week with the fireworks display, with the Washington Post exclusive about pollution from the air quality, how bad it was going to be. By the way, update on that. CNN, they couldn't let Washington Post get all the credit. They put out on July 5th, so yesterday, residents of Washington, D.C., briefly. experienced the worst air quality of any major city in the world, according to a company that ranks pollution globally, as the capital reckoned with the aftermath of a massive forty minute Fourth of July fireworks show.
This goes all back to that. Whether it's 40 minutes. Yeah. That is a lot of fun. Logan, it set the world record for the biggest pyrotechnic display in history.
It topped one that happened, I forget exactly Singapore, I believe. With more fireworks, it was 850,000 fireworks. Like incredible. And at the same time, I was nervous about that 20 shot that my kids lit in the backyard.
Well, I mean, I don't know that they are professionally trained pyrotechnic artists, so I would have been nervous for them. Yeah, bye bye fingers. But with all this, the fact that they're like, oh, it briefly experienced the worst air pollution in the world, it goes back to the conversation that we had last week of, and I know we had a caller that said I was being flipping about it. It's what it feels like. Because also at the same time, they're saying DC had this pollution issue.
What about marginalized communities in Lake Buena Vista, Kissimmee, Florida that experience fireworks shows, extended ones? Every single night of the year. They're not writing those stories. There's probably 40 minutes of collective fireworks every night. They agree with the politics of that company doing it.
They're not doing those exposés. They clearly have a fireworks beat writer over at the Washington Post, but they're not getting into it. Why? Because they are being blinded by politics at a moment. When the United States can look unified, can be strong together, because people are enjoying our nation as we host the World Cup.
We are seeing success in places we have not seen normally success to this level in the sporting world. People are recognizing that, oh, this is a good thing, and yet you're seeing at every turn. The people on the left and the media organizations that back them up. Just trying their hardest to tear it down. There was a Washington Post headline this morning: as tomorrow begins the NATO summit in Turkey.
It says, as America celebrates the 250th birthday, Will Trump declare independence from NATO? Like, trying to be cute with the headlines about something that just should be a unifying thing. Right. The other flip side of that is there's a lot of people like, one can dream.
So it just, it's one of these frustrating situations where they don't want us to be happy. They don't want us to be unified. They want to say if the U.S. continues to have success in the World Cup, there's an asterisk by it. And by the way, again, I want to put success in the World Cup in a very different way because.
Is there a chance the U.S. loses tonight? I don't want to put that out there because obviously I'm cheering for our home country here. But yeah, I mean, they're playing a very difficult team. They were in the World Cup.
The U.S. has just now started to really start to be one of the thriving nations for this sport. Yeah. If we get eliminated tonight, Do I think that all of a sudden the goodwill that comes from the World Cup for the next two weeks is going to go away? No.
Because you have all these nations flooding in. In creating an atmosphere that not only is bringing international culture to us, which is great. But it's also showing the warmth that is coming out of so many areas of this country. You hear some good talk out of LA. You hear some good talk out of New York, but where you're hearing the good talk really coming from is when these people are traveling all throughout.
Uh, the rural areas through the south again, when you think about Europe, you're thinking about it in a way that is so small comparatively to what we have here. that people kind of imagine Europe, the way they even treat themselves. It's odd. I've been in London before, and people are like, oh, this concert is 35 minutes away. It's a whole nother market.
You know, it's 20 miles away. And you're like, Okay, well, if that was here, that would be your local hometown arena show. But the way that it's just set up is very different.
So now they're traveling across this country. They're seeing the good that has come through the United States of America that they're that it doesn't meet up to the force fed lies that have come out of their version of the mainstream media, which is largely controlled often by the same players. And that has been positive. And I think what they're going to see is tonight, win or lose, that good vibe continues going because you're seeing that in games that have Morocco. You're seeing it in Norway.
You're seeing these sort of almost... American style party elements being, you know, successfully celebrated. Inside America, but in an international stage. And I think there's been nothing but positivity that has come out of this World Cup. I've been excited about it for years.
Remember, the next World Cup. I believe it is also hosted in three different countries throughout Europe. And then beyond that, it's going to be hosted, I believe, in Saudi Arabia, which they're already beginning to do.
So, again, we're talking about 2030, it's going to be a very different World Cup, as you're going to try to see a similar. Messaging, by the way, that's going to come from Saudi Arabia. They are going to try, as they have tried for many years now. For Riyadh season man, they were gonna see this be a big push Towards the next World Cup, I think World Cup 2030 is in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, but then the one following that, 34. Again, I think they're already prepping for it because they don't have necessarily that infrastructure ready to go.
Uh is at least rumored to be. Uh in Saudi Arabia. They're all looking at us. Eyes are on America right now. I wanna hear from you at 1-800-684-3110.
We are gonna head over to ACLJ Jerusalem in a little bit. But again, the special offer right now. During one of our great months, where all your donations are matched right now.
So, whether you can give that 250 or not, please consider giving during this week. It's a great time. Your donations are doubled. But right now, if you give, and a lot of you have asked for this, over $250 directly at aclj.org/usa, you got to go there. you're going to get that special offer.
We'll dive into that when we get back. All right, we're back, everybody. Welcome back, by the way. Hope you all had a great Independence Day. Hopefully, you had a great weekend celebrating this country.
And of course, today, I feel like the festivities keep going as America performs and plays in the World Cup. Today. And of course, it couldn't be America without a little bit of political controversy as President Trump stepped in on the infamous red card that happened during the game, which would have prevented one of our top players, Balagon, from Playing in today's game. Right. Because that's how the rules are.
You get suspended after a red card. And uh We'll see what happens because President Trump stepped in, they reviewed it and said, you know what, President Trump, we think you're right.
Now look. I think we're all being objective. I think those of us who follow the beautiful game. Do go, yeah, I don't think that was worthy of a red card, but I think we have seen some really bad officiating throughout this entire World Cup, and it feels like the officials are trying to be characters themselves within. It feels very much almost like the UFC, where you can point to one individual ref.
You can now point to that guy, or it feels a lot like the SEC football. Like, it's like, ah, you find that one guy Williamson over there. Exactly. Yeah, it's very similar. That's the closest thing.
Have you tried to picture what it's like to be playing in the World Cup or to go to a World Cup game or go to a game, even an English Premier League team? It is very similar in vibe to.
Southern college football. Uh where it is a community event. You are representing your area, not just a school or not just that you are a diehard, been with it since you were a baby type of person. You know all the chants. You know all that.
It has a very similar emotion, very similar fan base that is just as passionate.
So you take that and you broaden it out to the world stage.
Now that's what we're seeing here. But we're also seeing this great positivity that has come from this. And I have been so thrilled to see that throughout the last few weeks as the World Cup has taken shape. And now we are starting to get into the heated times. And of course, it couldn't not get a little political.
I want to hear from a call. Let's go to Ann, who's calling in Pennsylvania, watching on Facebook. And go ahead. Hey guys. Oh my God, you guys are awesome.
You always get me the noodles in my brain. You get them fired up.
So I just wanted to say that You know, there's so much division going on, but it's really not going on. The media is portraying it as going on. The problem is, is even people, influencers on our side of the party, are getting involved in this negativity and fear mongering. Oh, the nation's over and this and that.
So this I wanted to say that this red flag should not have existed. And Trump stepping in is actually a really good thing. Where was he when the Knicks played and they ended up winning the championship. This is 250 years of America celebrating her birthday and all of these amazing things. And I sadly didn't really see that much coverage of the fireworks display.
I know it was crappy and really hot and but there were a lot of fireworks displays going on. And I'm just so grateful that we have people like you guys, the ACLJ, bringing it together, talking about positive things. It's okay. Bad things are going to happen. We have to point bad things out.
But as commentators, as the media, we have a duty, we have a responsibility to point them out in a realistic way, to not point it, not hyperbolically point them out, and also not lie, which is what the left-wing media does, is lie. And they lied about America.
So these people in these different countries that, like you said, came into America, got to see what America for what America really is. And that is a blessing in disguise. Trump won a huge, massive victory in 24. Popular vote, electoral college vote. But yet we have to people, some certain people on the right have to question everything that he does or doesn't do.
Oh, the timing of the war and what should happen and this shouldn't happen and how is he dealing with it and his fake war experts that come on these shows. Instead of letting the President do his job, right, bring the country together, which is what he's doing. And God forbid, people applaud all the good things. Don't we all see people for the good? We don't look at a person, right?
ACLJ doesn't do that. We don't look at people. I don't look at people. I look at their good points. Right.
And I love your call. Once again, yeah, it is wonderful that also the men's soccer team is playing tonight, that almost we can continue the celebration of Independence Day. It gives us that freedom, if you will, to enjoy it. And I think when you look at... What you even brought up, the people that have come here that have been like, oh This is great.
These people are kind. They're getting outside of the New York, Las Vegas, Disney World, LA bubble that most of. European travelers are going to one of those spots. They're seeing the rest of America. They're not just seeing the tourist spots.
And yeah, they're like, oh, this isn't what CNN International or the BBC tells us. This is completely different. To them, watching those networks abroad may think Oh, wait a second. How did that person win an election? No one likes him in the country.
There's such a twisted worldview in the world when it comes to foreign media as well as American media that they aren't telling the true story. They're not telling the story of this nation. And that's why, even in this Independence Week, We're going to bring up things and talk about things that make this country great. Why do we strive for a more perfect union? We understand that we are not perfect.
We're not going to stand here and say every single thing we do is perfect. But what is it? It is striving towards a more perfect union with a foundation that is solid, that is strong. Don't let the media or the radical leftists that are now getting nominations to go serve in the House of Representatives in the greatest country on earth. They are elected officials and they're wanting to tear down the foundations of that.
And we're going to get into that with video presentations this week and many ways to continue this celebration. There is no reason not to, Logan, to really live in this moment, this 250th anniversary, because if you're hearing negativity, Turn it off. Turn on this show, and we're going to give you some positivity at this time. That's right. Look, the ACLJ team has put together some really great video presentations.
We're going to play some of those in the back half of the show, specifically one they did with the National Archives. I think you're going to find very interesting. I know I told you we're going to go to ACLJ Jerusalem, but as things happen, That's going to be put off for another day. We're live show. That's what makes this show fun.
But instead of that, we're going to hear from you and see some of these special videos at 1-800-684-3110. I did want to take another minute as we are wrapping up this first half hour. We are just starting one of our big celebratory weeks, celebratory months, where we ask for your donation. But today, it's a little bit different. And for the first hundred people that donate, specifically at aclj.org/slash USA, if you give over $250 in honor of $250, look, come back to me.
I'll show it to you. I'm going to do this. Whatnot style. Look, here's the ACLJ cooler bag. It's actually very cool, very well done, high quality.
Will, you know, I'm looking at it. Very good seams. I'm looking at the seams. They look nice. But of course, there's ACLJ America 250, very nice as well.
As the challenge coin here, which again is a very, it's not a random, you know, we didn't just get these overstocked somewhere. These are specifically ACLJ branded. We don't do a lot of merchandise. We don't do a lot of items very much. You've asked for it for a very long time, and I've never done it.
This is the opportunity. If you give $250 or more, the first 100 people to do that, which I think we can get through today, everybody. This could end today. You get the challenge coin and you get the cooler bag, and that'll be shipped directly to you. That's at aclj.org/slash USA.
I know we're having some fun with it, but look, it's the first time Will and I have had to come on here and do something like this.
So give us a little grace here. Aclj.org/slash USA or scan that QR code you see in front of you. Again, one person said they think I could fit in that cooler bag. I don't think, I don't know if that's a threat, but it's also. It's also not accurate.
I'm just going to make sure you know this is, you know, you can pack a lot of hoagies. I think this is, you could have a whole party of hoagies in there. All right. Yeah, we'll be right back. Keeping you informed and engaged, now more than ever.
This is Sekulow. And now your host, Logan Sekulow. Welcome back to Sekulow. The second half hour of Sekulow starts right now and phone lines are open for you. We've got some people who have been on hold for a little while.
We're going to get to them at 1-800-684-3110. Talking about a few different things. A lot of it stems from President Trump getting directly involved in the World Cup. And we go, Logan, this is not really why we tune into this show to hear your sports analysis. That's not what we're talking about here.
We're talking about how America has been perceived throughout this weekend, the 250 celebration. And look, I know there was a lot of weather issues. There's a lot of weather issues in D.C. A bunch of my friends were up there to perform. A lot of them weren't able to perform.
Which, by the way, and maybe I'll pull this to play later on. There's an incredible performance of America the Beautiful that is on a channel that my wife and I run. It's CCM Magazine by our friend Carrie Malanakis, who performed at the Kidnedi Center last year, who was going to perform there. And it's just a beautiful performance. She's got to do album out.
So that's just a quick promo for her. If you're looking for some great patriotic music, that is a great place to go. It's called Oh Beautiful. It's out. There's still a little plug there for her.
That being said, We are seeing this sort of Confusion because on one hand, You have the reality. People from all over the globe are traveling to America and are experiencing the wonders that are this nation. And on the other hand, you have the media desperately trying to fight back against that notion. But they can't seem to do it. Why?
Because you see the joy. That is happening. And it's not just happening at Team USA games. It's happening yesterday when Norway defeated Brazil. And, you know, the whole stadium erupts rowing from the Norwegians that are there.
A lot of which, by the way, are Americans who have embraced maybe their Norwegian ancestry or maybe just decided this is the team I'm going for. They're a bit of underdogs. You have what happened in England versus Mexico. You have all of this happening around the world. You're seeing North America be celebrated in a way that hasn't been celebrated in a very long time.
And the media doesn't know how to handle it. And with that, they get themselves involved.
Now, President Trump, no stranger to controversy, decided I'm going to make a call as well because he didn't like one of the penalties that was called, a red card called for one of our top players, which would have prevented him from playing tonight in tonight's match.
However, FIFA decided to review it, and we know President Trump and FIFA do have a very good relationship. As one of the host countries, and they decided to side with him.
Now that is going to start. The unraveling of the media conversation of whether President Trump should get involved. Like, I think you can have that debate whether you want him to get involved in FIFA. You think it matters one way or the other. But it does create a bit of a story that can be a little bit negative towards our country at this time.
But we hope you continue your celebrations. over the next few weeks and really throughout the next month, really throughout the whole year. That you'll be celebrating. Look, I was at in Orlando, Florida. I have to say, it was the most patriotic celebration I've ever seen in some of these areas that you maybe wouldn't think, like Will brought up the Walt Disney World.
I mean, you could buy America 250 merch everywhere you were. The crowds were packed in there, ready to celebrate our nation. And again, it's people from all over the world that were traveling. One of the most fun moments actually happened. We were there.
Again, if you want to talk about the international influence and the joy that was being spread throughout the country, we were sitting at a restaurant. where a Brazilian tour group was there. And it was during the World Cup game. We didn't even know the game was happening. And a goal happened.
while we were sitting there having dinner in the entire restaurant erupted and like In just hugs and shared joy and excitement, and again, surrounding them. This is a Brazilian tour group. It's surrounding them. Was all of the America 250, was all of the things that we were doing celebrating our country. And it was a great moment.
It was a great moment to remember how different we are. and how unique we are as a society. We have some phone lines still open. If you are on hold, we are going to get to you.
So stay on hold. In the next segment, you're going to see a special video presentation also from our team here. They were able to get some really great access to the National Archives, and you're not going to miss this really cool piece they put together. And again, right now, All donations are matched, but if you are donating over $250, you're one of the first hundred people to do that at aclj.org/slash USA, you get this special ACLJ commemorative challenge coin commemorating America 250, again, custom-made ACLJ branded, as well as that cooler bag, which I know you all want. Especially when you feel the heat happening right now.
You gotta keep these Sammys cold, Will. And you're not gonna be able to do that without something like the ACLJ cooler bag. You guys have asked me for years for merch.
Well, you know what? I'm doing it for you right now. Limit it to 100. Do it today. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to Sekulow. Go ahead and get on hold if you want to be on the show today. If you've been on hold, wait, I'm going to get to you at 1-800-684-30110. We've got a special video presentation, and we are live throughout the rest of the show, but our team has put together some really great things. And again, as we celebrate the 250th of America, you know, heading out of what was a historic weekend.
We also decided here at the ACLJ during the month of July, we typically do something where your donations are doubled, just kind of on our calendar of those months, those big celebratory months. decided to change it up a little bit. You have always asked. For ACLJ product of some kind. And typically, this is not something we do.
You know, it's not that we're against it, it's just not really in our normal wheelhouse of what we do. But we decided to switch it up, and for a donation of $250 or more. Specifically at aclj.org slash USA, the first hundred people. Which again, no one's told me that we're getting close.
So I believe you can do it right now. You're still good. I'll find out a number if we do get close to it to make sure you do it. But like 100 people that do it directly at that level, we know that's a lot. You get a cooler bag that's ACLJ Freedom 250 branded and a special challenge coin.
Just a cool little nice gift to you for this celebration of America 250 and of the ACLJ. Again, phone lines are open at 1-800-684-30-110. Our team has been hard at work, though, and for the last year, even putting together some incredible pieces. And one of them, they were able to visit the National Archives, which is very cool. It's something you need to experience as well if you haven't.
You may not even be thinking about it. I mean, it hasn't even crossed your mind.
Well, after you watch this video, and again, this was unique for our team. They had special access. Uh which is awesome. And I want you to take a look at this great video presentation as you consider donating to the ACLJ or you consider calling in right now at 1-800-684-3110. Take a look.
The National Archives is America's record keeper. And that's important because it preserves our history. It preserves who we are as a people. Ah! There's an entire story that can be told here over 250 years.
It's the American story, and it's told right here at the National Archives. And it's important that people all around our country and all around the world have an opportunity to visit these Presidential libraries and National Archives facilities and learn from this history. My name is Jim Byron, and I am the senior advisor to the Archivist of the United States, and I am currently performing the duties of the Archivist. The National Archives is the final repository for all of the records of the United States government, going as far back as our founding. Everything up until World War I is actually in this building, and then after World War I, there are records all across the country.
Um The understanding of history today absolutely helps to protect what the Founding Fathers wrote into those founding documents. You know, you look at the Bill of Rights, what in the original Bill of Rights is called Article III. Look what it promises: free speech, right to free assembly. Most fundamental qualities that we are able to enjoy as Americans came out of thoughtful debate and dialogue, but more importantly, principles that these founding fathers could write in those liberties into something that would survive, survive the test of time. This was a radical experiment.
I mean, these were concepts that needed to be. tried and if you look at the effect 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, I'd say we're doing pretty well. For all those millions of people that come through the National Archives every year, and especially for the youngest visitors, I hope that. They can take away that they are the legatees of an incredible history of 250 years of America, of the American story, that they carry forward. The principles that our founding fathers enshrined into these founding documents.
You know, if we don't look back and understand our history, there's a real risk that going forward we can lose it, lose that understanding of what drove these people 250 years ago to build a new government to separate from the most powerful empire that the world had ever known. When you see young people walk through and have a chance to go up and be face to face with that tangible symbol of American freedom and American liberty, it's really something, and it's important to instill in them the knowledge of what came before them. When you look at that video and what our team was able to put together, it's wonderful to see when you see those documents that, unless you're going to the National Archives, you don't normally get to see them even filmed and showcased in that way. And our team was able to go do that. We thought it was just such a wonderful opportunity.
But it's something that we here at the ACLJ. When we fight for constitutional freedoms, When we fight to preserve and to fight for a more perfect union, it is because of those foundational documents.
So at a time when the world has all their eyes on the United States, you saw around the world. Other cities lighting up their monuments in American flag displays, celebrating with us 250 years. Paris, London. Yes, it doesn't feel like even those nations that you see, oh, they're upset about NATO, really worried about it. And you also contrast that with.
The the positivity we're seeing from real people. On the ground as they come and visit this, and in real everyday Americans that aren't stuck in the Beltway bubble. And then you also contrast that positivity and that excitement over 250 years of freedom with what you're hearing even from the mayor of New York. He gave a 15-minute speech. behind George Washington's desk, And one, it was turned the wrong way, which was remarkable that the.
So I thought that was a message. Really? You think he did it on purpose? I thought this was to be like. You're the boss.
Oh, oh, like you're like, that's well, it wasn't clear. It just made him seem like a socialist doesn't know how to use a desk because they're not working. I thought too, maybe I thought too highly of the concept of it. But even that, the man that is now the kingmaker for Democrat politicians that is getting a Democrat socialist elected to Congress. By the way, I'm actually, that's not a hyperbole, by the way.
I think you got to give credit where credit's due. Oh, absolutely. 100%. He is massively controlling the party. And he gives this 15-minute speech, of which the media was saying, Can you believe Trump is going to give a speech on the 250th?
He's just making it about himself. No, that's what any President would do. He's giving a speech talking, trying to twist the concept of American exceptionalism. Trying to say what actually makes America great is that our ideals aren't set in stone. And even this, taking a moment to divide us more, listen to bite seven.
This is just a small bite from that speech of him trying to say what's not great. This is from Mandani in his 15-minute speech behind the flipped-around George Washington desk. Take a listen. As we mark two hundred and fifty years. What do we see?
We see a city of contradictions within a nation of contradictions. We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world. One where children go to sleep hungry, while the world's first trillionaire hungers for more. We see monopolies that dominate every industry. and oligarchs who buy elections.
We see massed agents terrorizing our streets. Eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vants. We see a nation whose immense wealth has been built by those with calloused, dirt-streaked hands. Those who toil on factory floors and chisel into stone. And we see a nation that has allowed so much of that wealth.
to be held instead. and the soft hands of a precious few. He is the mayor of one of the most important cities in this country. In the world. In the world, yeah.
And he decided the 250th anniversary was a time to divide the country. To showcase the division along political lines. There was no, within that speech, there was nothing that gave any sort of unifying call. I want to hear what you think about that. And we've got a couple other bites we can play as well in the next segment.
1-800-684-3110. As we look forward to building a more perfect union, Do you think it looks more like what Mayor Mondami would say of that, you know, what makes America exceptional is that we're not tied to everything within these documents? That whole, it's a living, breathing constitution type of message that he's giving and trying to divide us even more on that day. Or are you proud to be an American still? I know I am.
Give us a call. There was a lot of celebrations happening. Make sure we don't miss out on that. In the USS Nimitz, our friend John Andrasic, Fight for Fighting. He performed his hit song, Superman.
Everyone knows that, but he performed it alongside. A former Israeli hostage. Yeah from October 7th a really beautiful moment I know he's reached out to me this over the weekend about coming on and talking about that experience. You had so many of these celebrations happening around the world. Fort Campbell had a celebration of the late, great Charlie Daniels, who passed away today back in 2020.
And they had a hologram performance of Charlie Daniels, keeping that legend alive. There was a lot of great American celebrations that happened. And let's not forget that as well as the nation. Is perceived sometimes to be more divided than it actually is. There are times that we can get together.
And celebrate. We saw that here in Nashville as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. We'll be right back with more on Sekulow. Welcome back, last segment of the day. We still got some time for some calls, though.
You can call in at 1-800-684-3110, 1-800-684-3110. Let's go ahead. I actually wanted to start. With the mayor of New York City, as we know that riled up some people online here. Of course, as we talk about celebrating America, we know that there will be someone who will be happy to bring some division to our nation, at least for political purposes.
That's right. And let's go ahead and play this from the mayor of New York in his 15-minute speech. And this one doesn't have as sharp of divisional tones, but it's kind of him rewriting the history of American exceptionalism, trying to take that under his own banner, as we know what his agenda is. We know what candidates he is pushing forward.
So just with that context, take a listen to what the mayor of New York had to say just over the weekend. There is a term so often used to describe our nation and those who have shaped it. American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism, the conventional wisdom tells us, makes our freedom a little more free. Is how we dug the Erie Canal and irrigated the West.
Is why children in faraway lands grow up dreaming of one day moving here. And yet the irony is that the story of America Has so often been written by those who were told by others with power and influence and wealth. that they were anything but exceptional. For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, It has not sent its best. It sent Puritans and Sikhs and Quakers and Muslims and Jewish people who were banished for praying the wrong way.
Worshiping the wrong gods. angering the wrong people. It sent peasants and serfs from slums and shtetls, who were treated as less because they hardly owned clothes, let alone land. It sent immigrants from whom power was something someone else had. We are told that America is exceptional.
Because we are richer. Stronger. more powerful than everyone else. The truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional. Because here Nothing is fixed into place.
The frontier may be closed. We may have walked on the moon. But the work of fulfilling the values first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence That work endures. and it belongs to us all. And once again, you hear that, that America is exceptional because nothing here is fixed into place.
And when you think of. What their agenda is. You see that it is not. A look back at our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence, even though he may say that. Fulfilling the values first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
We know for a fact that leaders within his party scoff at the words of the Declaration of Independence. We have videos about that coming out this week that will show you that our God given rights is something rejected by his party as something other than no, really what it means is it's the government. Uh, that gives you your rights because if you think it comes from God, then you're no better than Iran. This is the reality of the American left today in the leadership. Not every individual that's an American liberal thinks this way, but.
It is the leadership and what they are pushing and how much more radical these candidates are that they're putting forward that they do not ascribe to what is in these foundational documents. I want to go ahead and take a call. Let's go to Texas with Marion. Marion on line one. Go ahead, Marion.
Yes, always a pleasure to be on your show. God bless y'all and all the hard work that y'all have been doing for decades. I really appreciate being on your show. I just wanted to make a point that a lot of countries, first of all, after what's happened this weekend, I feel more patriotic. I feel prouder of the United States of America than I've ever felt in my entire lifetime.
And things that I've heard is like other countries don't have the opportunity to celebrate because what do they have? You know, they've been under dictators, they've lacked freedom, et cetera. And let's not forget that Obama, when he was President, he went around the world and made apology tours trying to apologize for America the way we are. And I'm proud to have a President like Trump today who is proud of America. And he points out the good things.
We're the most powerful nation that's ever been in the world. We're the most generous nation. Anytime there's a national disaster anywhere in the world, who are the first people to go and respond and try to help those people? People out is the United States of America. And let's not forget some of the leaders of the other countries, you know, like Russia.
They've had Stalin, Gorbachev, Putin, Italy had Mussolini, Cuba, Fidel Castro, China had that Z guy that's still horrible. North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Iran's probably the worst of all. But the United States is different because we get our rights from God. And the first three letters, we the people, indicates that our founding fathers gave up their power and everything so that their people could govern themselves. And the more that I've learned about how this all took place today, I am prouder to be an American than I ever have been in my life.
And God bless you guys for all the great work that y'all have done over the decades. I'm very proud to be part of y'all. Thank you, Marion, for your call, for your sentiment. I think that's how a lot of people feel during this 250th. I see more people just wearing Americana, whether it be 250th gear or the flags that they're.
Putting in their yards than I've seen for any July 4th before. There is a real movement with real Americans, not Beltway Americans, that really feel the pride of America right now. And I think all you have to do is look at the contrast, as you mentioned, Iran. They were having the funeral for the Ayatollah. This this weekend.
They're able to do it now, but the ceasefire is holding. But You see, what do you see? You see oppression. You see, you know, a lot of those people.
Some are bought into the death cult there.
So there are true believers that were marching. You know, others that are probably forced to be there so that the numbers look impressive to the world stage: look how many people are grieving for the supreme leader and women that are covered head to toe. Because not by choice. Because they are forced to. It is oppression, and those that are behind it, they say, oh, the Trump cult, Republicans are a cult.
No, a real death cult is what Iran is. And you saw that in the sadness. Of that, the imagery that comes out, it's heartbreaking. That one, there are true believers in that death cult that are marching around the cities in a 12-hour funeral processional for their dead supreme leader. And then you look at the joy and the beauty of America.
You see the opening of the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota and just the vast. It was so incredibly heartwarming and just proud to be an American seeing all of this. I agree with Marion. It's a great time to be a part of this American experiment. Will stole my cooler bag, so I can't show it right now.
But look, we only got a minute and a half left. Oh. Yeah. That was aggressive. No one told me he was going to slide it in.
Wow, I thought you could handle that. I wasn't looking over there. I don't know. There's a camera here, Will. That's my peripheral vision, not the greatest review.
Normally, you and I take good cues from each other. Yeah, I didn't feel it. There it was. Here's our ACLJ cooler bag. Fill it up with all them hoagies.
You can do it today. $250 or more in honor of the $250. If you give it aclj.org/slash USA, you have to do it at that link, by the way, because we only have 100 of these to go around for our listeners and our supporters here on the Secular Broadcast. You only can get it that way if you go to aclj.org. I have hundreds of people donate each and every day, which we appreciate.
But if you do it directly, not only will your donation be doubled, we'll send you one of these cooler bags. We'll send you one of these awesome challenge coins again, specifically commemorating America 250 and the ACLJ. If you do that, you get it. Tag me on social media. I'd love to see how you're utilizing these.
Hopefully for good ways. I'd like to see how you're celebrating using our merchandise, if you will, these special gifts. You can only get it with a gift. It's a free gift. If you give over $250 to the ACLJ, we send this as just a nod and a thank you to those who support the work of the ACLJ.
Of course, that $250 goes to be worth $500. You give above that and is doubled. And of course, if you want to give under that and it's okay, you don't really want one of these pieces, that's great too. Because all donations are doubled throughout our Independence Week. We'll talk to you tomorrow.
