Too Political? We'll Show You "Too Political"

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Go to Wix.com. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's favorite gun totem, Bible-clinging, deplorable American. See ya. That's right. I love this American ride.

Stars! Wherever you're listening across this, the greatest nation God ever blessed, welcome to an open line Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show, coast to coast on more than 150 tremendous radio stations and streaming live at all sorts of platforms, including at ToddStarns.com. Hello, fellow Patriots, Jeff Stein coming to you from the free state of Iowa and my home base at News Talk 1540 KXCL in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, the 50,000-watt blowtorch, scorching the heartland with accurate news and reasonable views. Todd has been doing double duty at the home base at the station he owns in Memphis, and so he's allowed me to take over today on this scheduled time away from the microphone.

So we can recharge and re Fortify for the fight ahead. And I say that I really couldn't even get the sentence out. I was listening to K-Wham Radio this morning. And he was doing a show from a restaurant that sounded like it had the best chicken and waffles in the Mid South.

So, I don't know. Maybe he's in a food coma. But in any case, we will move forward. And it's always a privilege to talk to you from the Liberty University studio. Same phone number as always, same great crew in Memphis.

Dylan and Cassie are there to take care of things. 901-260-5926. That's how you can join our coast-to-coast conversation. 901-260-5926. Again, Open Line Friday, and also some fantastic guests that we'll tell you about as time moves along today.

I hope that you have had a chance to follow along. on the fight over the nomination for U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia. This is a vitally important role In government, especially at this time in government. Let me explain a little bit about the background.

There is a U. S. Attorney for various districts. Districts of a state. also for the District of Columbia, the Washington DC area.

Okay, why is that one so important? Because that's where all the actions are filed that have to do with the federal government. Because that's where the Federal Government is at. If I'm going to sue you, And I'm in Iowa and you're in Minnesota. We're not suing in Oregon.

You sue in what is called the convenient forum. And it's usually the form that's most convenient to the party being sued.

So, if you want to sue the federal government, And challenge some kind of bureaucratic nonsense, you do it by taking action in the Washington, D.C. federal court. Ed Martin had been nominated. To be the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., nominated by President Donald J.

Trump on January 20th of this year. And he has been serving admirably in that role. Four What would that be? A little more than four months. Yesterday, his nomination was withdrawn by the White House.

Ed Martin, I would suggest, is the latest example. Anti MAGA Rhino OPPORTUNISM He is the latest victim. Because he had a sense of loyalty to the truth. and a sense of loyalty to the President. Let's be really clear.

This President appreciates people who are loyal to him. Who doesn't? Loyalty does not mean does not mean failure to differentiate right from wrong. Loyalty does not mean throwing out all the standards.

So that you can Violate rules and principles to support some twisted ideology. That's not loyalty. Loyalty includes fairness. Loyalty includes being unafraid to speak the truth on a given issue or set of issues. Uh Taking an oath to be a United States attorney or any attorney.

I have taken the oath to practice law in my home state and in the federal courts of my home state. I am duly certified and licensed. The things that I might say in terms of my opinion Before a microphone like this, these are my opinions. If I am in court defending an individual. or prosecuting an individual.

You follow the standards of the court system. In other words, they are not the same thing. I can hold all manner of loyalty in an opinion and yet discharge duties as an attorney following. the roles of jurisprudence, and the court system. They're not Intermingled to where they cannot be separated.

We have just come through four years. Where politicizing the judiciary has become the norm. Going after political opponents Regardless of the merits of a case, that has become the norm. Making courts political. was started by Democrats with Joe Biden ostensibly in the White House, And Merritt Garland, who had all sorts of retribution on his mind when he became Attorney General.

Do you really think that he was okay With not having a hearing on his nomination to be a Supreme Court justice? He was in He had it in for Republicans from the moment. That The Obama era ended and he did not get on the court.

So is it any surprise that the Attorney General led weaponization with the full endorsement and encouragement of the White House? And how does that play out in a place like, well, I don't know, the Washington DC circuit? Hyper-political over the past four years.

So Donald Trump appoints Ed Martin. I have never met mister Martin in person. I have spoken to him as a guest on my radio programs in the past. In fact, he may have been on this show when I was hosting. I can't remember.

We have asked mister Martin to join us today, and he has agreed at the bottom of our number three.

So, again, we're hopeful that that will happen. This, of course, is. a fluid time in Washington, but Ed Martin has agreed to speak with us live on the Todd Stern Show at the bottom of Hour three.

So we're not friends, we're not buddies. I know him from a professional standpoint. For him to have the track record he had in this. three, four month period as the interim U.S. attorney.

For him to testify honestly before the committee. And to have a Republican U.S. Senator. On the Senate Judiciary Committee, say he would not support him. And we are talking specifically of North Carolina Republican Tom Tillis.

That torpedo denomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Iowa's Charles Grassley has twelve Republicans, ten Democrats. If all the Republicans had simply voted The nomination forward to the floor. Then you can let the whole Senate vote. In other words, if you're a committee member, Let the whole Senate take the vote.

The President has made a nominee. But Senator Tillis says that he believed Ed Martin was too political. And so, therefore, he would not vote to advance the nomination to the floor of the Senate. That meant at best it'd be eleven to eleven. There would be no endorsement of the committee.

And the uncertainty of that situation for such a key position with the calendar being what it is, led the White House to withdraw. The nomination of mister Martin.

Now, this story has a wonderfully happy ending because of the brilliance of the Trump administration on such things. But I want to say first of all that Ed Martin is completely a victim here. Of political SHOWMANSHIP of grand standing. There's no reason this had to be the case. And it makes me very concerned about the future of the Trump agenda.

I've been concerned and I've shared it with you here before this microphone. I'm very concerned. That there will be a few Republicans, at least that's how they were elected, they say they're Republicans, who are going to get in the way. of the President's agenda. to the point that we will not only not maximize.

the greatness of the country. But it could be sabotage to where this will be a failed effort. I hope I am wrong. I hope that there are enough Republicans who understand what's at stake here. I would suggest, and I don't know, Senator Tell us.

But I would suggest that his choice to block mister Martin is more about himself and his aspirations than about helping the country or about giving mister Martin a fair hearing. And all of the folks on the left were hyper. About Ed Martin being the prosecutor. Why? Because in his previous positions, He indicated that the January sixth defendants were not treated fairly.

Oh, well then clearly he's a radical. He stated that he thought the 2020 election was stolen.

Well, we can't have that. He's obviously loyal to Trump and therefore blind to reality. I dare say, if this were a popularly elected position. There are a lot more folks who think that the january sixth defendants were treated wrongly and that the twenty twenty election was at the least suspicious than not. I think we saw that.

in the outcome of twenty twenty four.

So, the fact that Ed Martin will not be the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. is a shame. And it is wrong. for our country.

He had the right mindset. to take on These folks who already made things political. What I love about President Trump is that He rewards people for the job that they're trying to do in difficult situations. You can say what you want about the now former National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, but when things were not looking good in terms of moving forward, The president called Called him in and said, Here are some other positions that we'd like you to consider. And he took UN ambassadorship.

So you're telling me that Yeah, and this is what I loved. All of the Formerly mainstream media in the Waltz situation. Oh, he's been kicked out. It's that signal app thing, and he's gone and he's kicked to the curb. I think it's a better gig.

I don't know, being UN Ambassador. That's a pretty good gig. If that's your parachute, if that's your fallback position, that's not bad. Again, it is Trump rewarding someone. Because circumstances would not allow them to do their job their current job well.

So it's, you know, Trump here could have said. Ed, you know, you've been a great advocate for the MAGA movement, but we don't have the votes to get you across the finish line. Just go back to Phyllis Schlafly's Eagles organization, and thanks for the time. But he didn't. He did not do that because that's not how Trump acts.

Certainly not in Trump 2.0.

So the president Said, all right, we're going to withdraw the nomination because it's not going to pass. Instead, Ed Martin is going to be within the Department of Justice as the new director of the Weaponization Working Group.

Now, you might remember, the Weaponization Working Group was formed by the Attorney General to examine weaponization of government against political Opponents.

Now, Ed Martin's going to be the director of that as an associate deputy attorney general. And oh, by the way, he's also going to be the pardon attorney. Talk about sticking it in the ear of your opponents. NBC, Washington Post, the Hill Even, all of these folks had hit pieces on Ed Martin. saying, Well, this is what he said in the past, and this is what he said before the committee.

They couldn't find anything that was false. You say one thing when you're arguing in the public realm, you say another thing when you're talking about a sworn officer of the court position.

So he's now going to be the pardoned attorney and director of the weaponization working group. I dare say that is a broader job that's going to have more impact.

So as so many have pointed out on the socials, You rhinos and libs, be careful what you wish for. You don't want Ed Martin as the U. S. Attorney because he's too political? Just watch.

You want to see political? And I'm not saying false. I'm saying you now have someone In a position to expose the wrongdoing and not have to go through the circus of a Senate confirmation held hostage by one individual who apparently is much more concerned about himself, than the future direction of this country. Ed Martin is scheduled to join us. at the bottom of our number three.

Many more great guests as well, and we'll get to those after this short break. Thanks so much for being along. Open Line Friday on the Todd Starn Show, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. This is Jeff Stein filling in on On the Todd Stern Show.

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Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starn show, Jeff Stein, filling in for Todd today.

So, the real capper of the Ed Martin nomination withdrawn because Republicans wouldn't support him, blah, blah, blah, all of that yesterday. It w it was like two shoes that dropped. One He gets the sweet gig at the Department of Justice. As the one in charge of the weaponization task force.

Okay, so that's a really good thing. The second was the news that then came after business hours that, well, the President has to nominate someone new for that position. of U. S. Attorney for the DC Circuit.

Enter Janine Pirro.

So all I can tell you folks, if you're in Washington and saying we think that Ed Martin was too much of a loyalist and too political and too strident, Oh, you're about to hear from Hurricane Janine. And I'm looking forward to seeing it. And the other thing to keep in mind is so many of these folks are giving up. great positions, great jobs, lots of money. To work for the government, to work for this President.

It's a movement. This is not just a job like some of these careerists have treated it. And so be careful what you wish for. That's all I'm saying. Because we're probably stronger as a country at the end of the week, despite.

what one Republican did to torpedo that nomination. We are very concerned about the Chinese Communist Party and how it is. embedding itself into our country. We warn about it, but folks in New Hampshire, Ashua, New Hampshire. Apparently they didn't get the memo.

Lily Tang Williams is going to give us the story when we come back after this break. Jeff Stein in for Todd. This is the Todd Starn Show. Hi everyone, Tom Mustin here for the Legal Help Center. If you or someone you know were diagnosed with non-Hotskins lymphoma within the past 20 years, listen up.

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Call 800-266-6200. That's 800-266-6200. Call Now, advertisement sponsored by Legal Help Center, may not be available in all states. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starn Show. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today on Open Line Friday, 901-260-5926.

That's how you can join our coast-to-coast conversation. We'll take your calls in the next segment. But let's go now to the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. We are joined by Lily Tang Williams. She is a candidate for Congress from the state of New Hampshire and has a very interesting personal story, but some warnings about some things going on in New Hampshire.

Lily Tang Williams, Jeff Stein, filling in for Todd. Thanks for joining us on the program today. How are you? Doing great. Thank you for having me, Jeff.

Absolutely. I love your personal story, and I want to talk about what's going on there in New Hampshire with regard to the Chinese Communist Party. But tell us about your story. You were not born in this country and came here what I'll say is the right way.

Well, I was born before Mao's cultural revolution into transformance, but And uh so I went through his entire ten years cultural revolution, political social chaos. and identity policies. That was totally brainwashed.

So when he died, I was twelve years old. I was totally lost and I was searching for truth. And I went to university to study law at seventeen years old in Shanghai. And I got lost again because I learned the law in China was a survey union model. It was a tool.

to use by the party to govern the people, not really for equality and justice.

So when I realized the truth, after I become the faculty member in law school, I decided. I need to come to this country because somebody went to China from America. told me about the Declaration of Independence. and US constitutions. My light will turn on and never turn off.

So I came here almost 37 years ago, 1988. May 11th is coming up, the anniversary this Sunday. And it took me twenty years in this country to wake up and totally got rid of my industrializing and notice some things I don't like in this country.

So I decided I'm going to get involved as a new American citizen and to defend the American ideals that brought me to this country. I am here in the state of Iowa, and we have been very concerned about foreign ownership of our good American farmland here in the heartland, and we have various laws in place to try to keep The Chinese and other Folks who have interest averse to us from holding on to our natural resources. And there you are in New Hampshire with the experience you just very nicely laid out for us. Did nobody in Nashua understand that water utilities are important and that Americans should control them? Tell us this story, please.

Well, it is very concerning. We did not know anything about it until the Washington Times and wrote the opinion piece. um they they they got into this deal and contact me. And the funny thing though, we are trying to pass a bill in New Hampshire called HB one hundred sixty two. to prevent and the principal agents from adversary countries like China, Iran, and North Korea and Russia to buy And any real estate properties, including land here within ten miles of our military installations.

And Nashua has two defense contractors. And this guy who bought it Some people may not know him. His name is Jong San San. He's the richest man in China, has the biggest water bottling company. And number twenty seven richest men in the whole world worth fifty five billion dollars.

and he bought this twenty three acres with a three hundred forty thousand square feet commercial building for his uh supposedly for his water business. And inashua And nobody knew about it and no media talk about it. And the Treasure Department was going through transitional periods. When the new secretary was not confirmed yet, on january thirty-first, And very, very like under the radar without the Committee on Foreign Investment. Review So I've been talking about this and inform our local leaders, but the most important right now, we need to have the Treasury Department, the Committee on Foreign Investment, to review this deal.

They are the only ones who have authority to review it, approve it, and think it's national security threat or not. and to to stop the deal because uh I think uh there is something going on Behind the others behind the doors, where Latin Americans and Latin granite stages just don't know about it.

So one of the richest men in the world who controls the largest bottled water conglomerate in China. has direct ties to CCP. purchases this massive property in Nashua, New Hampshire, Getting a real foothold in the area, nearby military installations, and it was all done. Pretty secretly. And at a time when the federal government was in transition and therefore could not.

Be at full strength to pay attention or raise its hand in opposition. That's the short of it, is it not? It is very accurate, even though on Internet, you can see his videos and he's supposed to be some kind of entrepreneur in China. But I can tell you. I truly understand China's political one party.

Dictatorship. CCT is in everything, controls everything. And you get such a big company in China and subject to China's national security laws, So there's no fine line or wall between so-called a private company and the state enterprise company. And so y he's a Chinese citizen. and he's got the biggest company in water business in China.

all those are very concerning for us as Americans. Like I I think of this thing needs to be investigated and reviewed And I always tell people the the CCP infiltrating into America has been going on Yeah. One here is something here. I saw that clearly with my own eyes, from Confucius to Institute to Walk Street to corporations, boardrooms, to politicians' offices. and and to our school districts and our colleges.

And the economic excellence and the media is everywhere. No, it's happening in my back yard. It it's uh so I have been doing interviews and uh you know tell people, warn people about it. I'm I'm ready to go rational about it. And to raise awareness, this needs to be investigated and reviewed by Trader Department.

We'll talk about China, China every day, about trade wars. There's no war. They are here. They are inside of our country.

So we need to think about clean uh cleaning out our backyard first. Lily Tang Williams is our guest online, LilyTangWilliams.com. She is running for Congress in 2026 from the 2nd District of New Hampshire. She joins us on the Patriot Mobile newsmaker line. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today on the Todd Star and Show.

If you're an American business and you want to do business in China, as I understand it, the first thing you do is you have to give up a majority interest in the country or in the company, and you also have to agree to give up any trade secrets or proprietary materials. I'm just stunned that any American company does business in China under those terms, but yet they do. And what do the local people say there about this water plant? Are the local officials up in arms at all? Or are they just hiding behind the argument that, well, we need jobs and this guy's got a payroll?

Well, I have I even informed some of our legislators and the governor's office, and I don't know how much they know what they can do because it's the beginning of this stage and we're trying to produce also real estate papers. And the transition papers. You are exactly right. It's a total double standard that when our business goes to China, you cannot own more than 50% because they want to you have a joint venture partner mandated to own majority percentages. And plus, you have to allow China's Congress parties I'm sorry.

make sure you're political correct and you have to subject to China's national security law, intelligence law, they cannot give up if you don't comply, you say something anti-government and you don't have adequate legal protection for your intellectual property and you have to go through very high restricted, you know, like government approval and the licensing process. That's why this trade war with China is more than trade war. It's not just about the tariffs. It's about that they never in their credit fields, they have to comply with WTO mandates about open up their industries, their market and keep their promises. Otherwise, everything they do is not reciprocal in their world.

And we just start to realize that to say, if you don't give us reciprocal treatment, That means you cannot just take advantage of our open society and to actually to do all the things that that are not good for our country.

So I'm hoping that finally they realize They met with the strongest leader, President you know, and swamp. who is not going to live and get away with it. I've been here for thirty-seven years, and President Trump is the first president to stand up first against China. Did not sell out to China, and he called them out for years and years since 2016, that to protect America's first agenda.

So I'm hoping that uh you know he will um make them success to his pressure. and make concessions. and to move forward. I hope they have a good result this weekend, but it's ongoing.

So it's not just one weekend in Switzerland will solve all the problems. have been existing for twenty years. Lily Tang Williams, thank you for making us aware of this situation in your home area of Nashua, New Hampshire. LilyTangWilliams.com, the website. She is a candidate for Congress in the next cycle.

Good luck with that, and thanks for your time today.

Well, thank you. Have a great weekend. You as well. Lily Tang Williams joined us on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. And as noted, The Treasury Secretary, Mr.

Besant, is flying to Geneva. He's going to meet with the Chinese leaders, try to make some progress on the tariff thing. As it currently stands, I believe we are imposing 145 percent tariffs on most things. They are reciprocating with 125 percent. Today I saw that President Trump was talking about dropping the 145 to 80.

That's not a bad thing to open a negotiation or a conversation, but as she noted so accurately. It's not just about a tariff number. It is about the society. And the mindset. And I have heard folks say recently: well, China needs to get this resolved quicker than the U.S.

does. China needs us more than we need them. That's presuming that their system is the same as ours. That's presuming that they care about their citizens the way our government is supposed to care about our citizens. They don't care.

And even if you get a tariff situation figured out with a percentage. How are you going to keep Folks who do not have your interest at heart, From adverse nations. Hostile nations, ones that want to take over your country. Why are you letting them buy into your country to get the foothold? I understand if you're a Chamber of Commerce or if you're a local workforce entity, well, you know, they're going to hire people.

We need jobs. but at what broader cost? At what broader cost? I say the same thing when I see a perfectly good farm field in my part of the world. be plowed under so we can put in a convenience store when we have empty lots just down the road.

What are you going to do when we take all the good farmland out of production? How are we going to eat then?

Well, we'll worry about it then. No, you have to worry about it now. You have to not just take any jobs that come along. They've got to be good jobs and they've got to be ones where the paycheck doesn't have CCP written on it. as an example.

And this is just one example. But what it means is that everybody has to pay very close attention. Who's really running the companies? And they're not even hiding it with that water plant. LilyTangWilliams.com is her website.

She joined us, as noted, on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. 901-260-5926. That's how you can join our conversation. 901-260-5926. Your calls on the other side on an Open Line Friday.

Jeff Stein in for Todd. This is the Todd Starn Show. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starn Show on an Open Line Friday. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today. 901-260-5926.

That's 901-260-5926. Coming up just after the top of the hour, after your local news and weather, we're going to be speaking with someone you're well familiar with. His name is Dennis Neal.

Now, Mr. Neal has been involved in the media for decades. You might know him from Fox, CNBC, Forbes. The Wall Street Journal, most recently. He offers commentary on Newsmax, and he also has the What's Bugging Me podcast.

We're going to talk with Dennis Neal about some contemporary issues, including business and trade, but I want to focus on this fascinating book that he wrote that was released earlier this year called The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk.

Now, Mr. Neal started this book.

Well, before Elon Musk was showing up at Donald Trump rallies. All right, this is not something that's just kind of slapped together last minute to take advantage of mister Musk's popularity. This is an in depth look At the leadership traits that mister Musk has employed over the course of time to be successful. In one respect, it's a very aspirational book. In other words, you want to do better in your life or your business, you might want to follow some of the things that he has done in life and business, Mr.

Musk were talking about. And they're chronicled just so nicely here in this book, The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk. The author is Dennis Neal, and he'll join us just after the top of the hour. Guests on the Todd Starnes program, of course, appear on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. You can protect your constitutional rights just by using your cell phone.

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So make the switch today. PatriotMobile.com slash Todd. That's patriotmobile.com slash Todd or call 972 Patriot. One hour in the books, two more to go on this Open Line Friday on the Todd Starn Show from the Liberty University studio. At the top of the next hour, Dennis Neal on his book, The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk.

And at the bottom of the hour, number three, Ed Martin on his new job at the Department of Justice. Come on back, won't you, Jeff Stein? In for Todd. This is the Todd Starn Show. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's common sense conservative commentary from Todd Starz.

Wherever you're listening across this, the greatest nation God ever blessed, welcome to an Open Line Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show, hour number two. Coast to coast on more than 150 outstanding radio stations and streaming live all over the place, including at ToddStarns.com. Hello, fellow Patriots. Jeff Stein in the air chair today for Todd. Coming to you from my home base at News Talk 1540, KXEL, in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa, the 50,000-watt blowtorch, scorching the heartland with accurate news and reasonable views.

Privileged to fill in for Todd today from the Liberty University studio. 901-260-5926 is how you can join the coast-to-coast conversation. If you're on the line, hold on. We'll get to calls in the next segment. But I want to start this hour by going directly to the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line.

We welcome Dennis Neal.

Now, you know, Mr. Neal. These days I see him with commentary on Newsmax. You may recall his work at Fox Business, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, so many other outlets. These days, he has a podcast called What's Bugging Me and a book released earlier this year, a real fascinating look at what made Elon Musk so successful.

It's called The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk. The author Dennis Neal joins us now live. Mr. Neal, good to talk to you again. How are you?

Yes, the same here, Jeff. It's a glorious day. Happy Friday, and I'm so glad we got a chance to get together. Thanks for this opportunity. I told folks at the end of the last hour that you did not just simply say, oh, look, Elon Musk is getting into Trump world.

I'm going to write a book. How long did you research all of this even before he started showing up at Trump rallies last year? Oh, yeah. I was on it for a year or more before that. I was lucky that a HarperCollins editor, a very talented guy named Eric Nelson, wrote to me 'cause I had helped him on a previous book by Lew Dobbs, the late great CNN and Fox Anchor of the Trump Century was his book.

And this editor, Erica, approached me and said, hey, couldn't someone write a smart management book, kind of explaining his success.

So, what I did, Jeff, I came up with the, you know, because I covered business a long time and met plenty of billionaires and CEOs and dreamers and entrepreneurs. And so I came up with 11 lessons of Elon, one per chapter, that kind of explain its success. And then maybe I offer ways that we could borrow those lessons to. to build a better life for ourselves. Or at least to feel better about the life we have.

Because I think a lot of people today. are kind of stuck in a a negative rust. And I think that life is actually glorious. And we should be grateful for every single moment. And we sometimes think we have problems, but we really have no problems compared with.

with other people in much worse shape. And we should realize that, you know? I had a professor in law school long ago who Who, when he would ask a question and someone might wince, he would say, No, no, you're looking at it wrong. It's another opportunity to excel. And that's really how you should address every single day, and quite clearly mister Musk has done that, because he could have been deterred any number of spots along the way.

And instead of being deterred, Jeff, He is invigorated by it. You know, one of my lessons says dream huge and be willing to spend decades pursuing it. That's what he has done with the SpaceX. That's what he has done with the X platform. He's wanted that X dream for 20 years or more.

You know, another lesson says the highest nail gets counted down first, so strap on a helmet. Instead of running away from controversy, instead of shrinking from it, stand up to it. That's what Elon does. Lesson four says, you know, tease your critics and torture your enemies. Man, Elon gives back as good as he gets.

Some things he goes too far, but I think when we're in an era now where we have to be impervious. Being canceled. We have to stand up and speak out and be heard. That's another lesson six. Free speech is everything.

And Elon has shown us this, you know, just as an adopted American citizen. I think he became a citizen in 2011. He has the zeal of a convert. He has much more respect. for the First Amendment, and it's important than most Americans do.

And as Todd points out, he is a proud African-American, Elon Musk, from South Africa. The leadership genius of Elon Musk is the book, Dennis Neal, the author. He joins us on the Patriot mobile newsmaker line. Jeff Stein in for Todd today. You and I spoke on my program in Iowa previously, and you taught me something that I had no idea about, but it's in the book.

When Elon Musk purchased Twitter. And then he switched the name of it and switched the logo, etc.

Now I'm sitting here with my background saying, well, why would you take such a successful, well-known brand and change it? But as you just suggested, he plays the long game and the concept of quote X That's been at work for decades. Remind us of that story and how it ties into these lessons. Sure. Thanks for asking about it, Jeff.

So cut back to 20 years or so ago. And Elon has a couple of instant successes, right? He invents a company called ZipTwo or something like that. And it's a listing of local restaurants for newspapers. It helps them get into the online world in the super late 90s or 2000s.

That ends up getting bought. And he scores 20-some million on the deal. And then, in turn, he starts this new company. He wants it to be X, the Everything app. Let's be able to talk on the app and put up photos, but also let's be able to sell stock, buy stock, pay bills, pay someone, send money to a friend.

Let it be the center of your life where everything gets done.

Well, he ended up merging with PayPal. PayPal ends up deciding, you know, we just want to process payments online, right? Like, that's what we're about. And so he takes his honeymoon, takes his first break in several years, and during his honeymoon he gets fired by the board. Over this difference in vision.

So he leaves with another fortune. It gets bought by. By eBay, and he gets about 200 million windfall out of that. And then he decides, okay, I want to take half of that and I want to start trying to go to Mars in a private venture. That's such a far-out idea that the Russian engineer spit on his shoes when he tells me he wants to buy their rockets in the early 2000s.

But X stayed behind, and the label X.com at PayPal cut to 2018. I think it is. Elon buys X.com. from PayPal for a million dollars. And he says on Twitter, which he doesn't yet own, oh, it's just for sentimental reasons.

But then as soon as he was forced to buy Twitter and go through with the deal that he tried to scrap, He then changes the name to X.com, which he now owns and which he has wanted to do for twenty years.

Now He hasn't yet made a whole lot of progress. But yes, Visa has just signed on to start letting you send a payment on X to someone else. And it's just the start. There's also going to be some stock purchasing they're working on. And I think he is had this dream.

And now he's finally per you know, getting to do something about it. The leadership genius of Elon Musk is the book. Dennis Neal, the author. He joins us on the Patriot Mobile newsmaker line. In doing the research you did, coming up with these 11 lessons, one per chapter, did it give you.

Were you surprised, here's how I'll phrase it, were you surprised when he became such a public and strident supporter of Donald Trump last year during the campaign? I was more surprised Yes, I was surprised at that. And I'll start there because most CEOs of publicly held companies. Avoid taking too strong, too prominent a role in endorsing a candidate, but especially a controversial candidate like Donald Trump. And what touched my heart, Jeff, is that what pushed Elon to just move out front and literally on stage was those first moments of that first assassination attempt and the gunfire and Trump getting up off the floor and raising a fist in the air, surrounded by Secret Service agents and saying fight.

instantly, Elon went out on X and said, that's it, I'm supporting him. I was watching at the time, and I was so moved by that moment. And look at how the media have memory holed that.

So then he decided to really get out in front. I was then surprised, yes, that he not only spent two hundred fifty million on PAC money donations, et cetera, And while the media malign that, they don't care that Zuckerberg spent 400 million in the 20 20 election, okay, finally went to Democrat district, so that that wasn't a problem, but yeah, Elon finally is. And so, yeah, and then him to get on stage and to see him so above and joyful and just.

so loving the the applause and and to be part of something. And I think that he did it because he realized East belt. I have no other choice. America is going to destroy itself. with the Wolfman virus, with ridiculous government debt finance spending, and I have to step up and do something if I want my company's to succeed because my companies are based here.

It's a profit motive, and yet it also is doing good deeds. And has he been punished for it or what? And that's the biggest surprise, Jeff, is that the media, the lib media and the Democrats would suddenly demonize him and turn him into such a villain when the man is trying to help us save the world. It really does show the narrowness and the shallowness Of this part of the culture, the revenge. I mean, they are acting, the left I'm talking about, are acting like the jilted girlfriend.

You know, I mean, the way they are reacting to him I mean, you know, right down to deface, right down to vandalizing his automobiles for Crown Out Loud. This is not a high school parking lot. I'm still stealing that. I'm going to take three interviews. I'm going to write that.

Have you written this? This is incredible. Yes. Write down to key in the guy's car. Yes.

Oh, my gosh. They're like the jilted, you know, crazy girlfriend who, you know, she was great for a roller coaster rider, too, but in the long term, it's just not going to work. Oh, my gosh. That's brilliant.

So now I'm imagining Elon Musk in a high school letter jacket going out after football practice and seeing the the damage to the car. You can use that too if you like. What uh when you have you ever met Elon Musk? You know, I have not, and my biography on the book jacket says, and his dream is one day to have dinner with Elon Musk. And as Mike Myers said in the movie Wayne's World, you know, oh, yes, one day I will have him.

He will be mine. He has returned one email of the many I've sent to his private address in which I said, Hey, I'm doing this book. I've got these 11 lessons. I'd love to hear your take on him, man. I'll tell him to you in advance.

And he just writes back. Cool. But I've said pretty much all I have to say. And that's it, boom. And then the very next day he gives a two-hour interview to yet another host, Jordan Peterson.

So he has any to say. But one day I hope to meet him. Because I'm a fan. I don't think you spend a year or two of your life. Diving into one one.

character. if you think the guy's a jerk or And there is that backlash now, yeah. Did you see that New York Times off-ed that a behavioral psychologist? Organizational psychologist wrote, He said, We're getting a long lesson from Musk. He yells at people and he berates them if they fail or they come up with stupid ideas.

And by golly, studies for decades have shown that you've got to treat your people well if you want the best productivity, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Meanwhile, he's built trillion-dollar companies. And if you're lucky enough to work for him and he happens to yell at you, How about you? Reframe how you choose to look at it. Don't let it hurt you. Laugh at it.

He'd be happy to be working for one of the most brilliant minds in a century. And so what if he's a jerk? What do you think, Jeff? Does greatness require being a jerk? I mean, Gordon Ramsey, great chef, incredible TV Empire, but he's a jerk.

Well, I'm not sure where that leaves me because I'm pretty much a jerk, but I'm not as successful as Elon Musk.

So maybe I've got the wrong half correct on this. But it is a very it's a tremendous point because again, If you're the employee and you're getting cracked by Elon Musk, you might Consider looking and saying, What has he done in his life and what have I done in mine? Maybe I should watch this, get a copy of the book The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk as authored by Dennis Neal, and learn more about my boss. There's an idea. Yeah, and a message out there, Jeff, for the enemies of Elon Musk.

If you want to understand him and outmaneuver him, give it a try. Read my 11 lessons of Elon, because the fact is, he gets stronger with all the bitter opposition. It makes him more determined. And so they have made a big mistake by making him the lightning rod. It diverted their bitter criticism away from Trump for a while.

And then, furthermore, he's strengthened by it, emboldened by it, as Trump is. They share that trait.

So instead, they might have just ignored him. acted like this is a fad, he'll be gone soon, we're permanent, Washington, and stopped talking about him altogether. Jilted girlfriend That explains it. I'm just saying. The leadership genius of Elon Musk, the What's Bugging Me podcast?

I'm sure he'll be popping up on Newsmax again before long as well. Dennis Neal, it is always a great conversation. What a great concept for this book. Thanks for the time and joining the Starring Show today. Have a great weekend.

Thank you and have a glorious day, sir. Yes, sir, you as well. The leadership genius of Elon Musk, Dennis Neal, the author, and he joined us on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line: 901-260-5926. We'll take your calls in the next segment. Jeff Stein in for Todd.

This is the Todd Starn Show. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starring Show. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd. We've got just under three minutes till the bottom of the hour, and they go to Joe from Ella J, Georgia. It's always a good day when Joe's on the phone line.

How are you, sir? Jeff, you're a great American. I just want to say we've got the famous Trump bus, and Danny, we're having Danny Hamilton Day tomorrow at Bood's Famous BBQ. Danny owns the Trump bus, and we're really excited about him bringing the bus to the famous barbecue. And we're going to have, we'd love to have a day sometime at the barbecue for you and Todd.

And I've endorsed Burke Jones, Burke's lieutenant governor. I've endorsed him for governor. We're going to have a day for him at the barbecue later on this summer. But we're really excited about the Trump bus and coming to the barbecue and honoring Danny Hamilton because Danny owns the bus and he's done a great job taking the bus everywhere. And I think the bus is one big reason.

Trump is one.

So anyway, I just wanted to mention that to you. And you're doing a great job filling in for Todd. And I won't stay on the call. I know you have lovely callers, but keep up the great work, my friend. No, you stay a second because I want to dig a little deeper in this.

Give us again the details of where the bus is going to be. And you mentioned barbecue, so that should get everybody. interested. Yeah, we live in LAJ, Georgia, and Fool's Barbecue, of course, in LA J. All the Republican leaders come to the barbecue in the after years.

But tomorrow, Danny, the owner of the bus, is going to bring the Trump bus to the barbecue at about 11 o'clock. And then we eat lunch, and then I introduce him at 12. Danny at 12, he'll make a little speech about where the Trump bus is going. And we're also working on getting Trump himself and Elon Musk to the barbecue. And we've reached out to them.

And like I say, we'd love to get you and Todd down and have a day for y'all one day in the future.

Now, I don't know if you know this, but I learned last year when Todd was here at our event in Iowa. and we had barbecued and smoked pork and all sorts of things. He's studying to become, maybe he's already become, a judge for barbecue contests.

So can this uh could this stand up to the uh discriminating tastes of Judge Starnes? Yeah, I think he could. And we like when you tell him when you see him, we'd like more to come down, and we'll have a Todd Starn stay, and we'll have a Jeff Day. And people, the leading Republicans for years and years, Jeff, have come to Phoose Famous BBQ, and it's a great place. They have great food.

And, of course, we get people coming from all over the country. But anyway, we'd love to honor you and Todd someday at Phooz Barbecue. But Trump's coming, the Trump bus is coming tomorrow, and we're working on getting Trump and must himself. All right, Joe, calling in from LAJ, Georgia. Bless you, sir.

Thanks so much for the time. I appreciate it. 901-260-5926. Hey, it looks like your calls the whole next half hour.

So get in right now. Cassie will put you on the list. 901-260-5926. Jeff in for Todd. This is the Todd Starn Show.

Uh Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and an open line Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today. Good of you to be along with us, as always. 901-260-5926. That's how you can join our coast-to-coast conversation.

We had the guest in the last half hour, Dennis Neal. What a great guest in that book about the genius of Elon Musk. That's a really interesting assessment. that you can use for your own life, your own business. I was going to ask him, and I didn't have a chance, but I wanted to ask him about this agreement made Between the US and the U.S.

And the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland yesterday. And I think some of you were on the phone line. We were talking with Dennis Neal. If you dropped off, give a call. Cassie will put you back on the board: 901-260-5926.

I thought it was really interesting. that this deal was announced yesterday. which was the eightieth anniversary of V E Day, Victory in Europe Day. To show, again, the strength of alliances And for the US and the UK to announce the basic terms of this, it takes on multiple meaning. Because not only Does it set the parameters?

for the deal between the US and the UK. But it also then tells the rest of the world, queuing up for negotiations, this is how we're treating. Britain.

Now, that way, you know what kind of a deal you might be getting, or it might lead more people to come to the table. In other words, the first domino falls. It's sort of like in a political campaign when the first endorsement comes, then all of a sudden a bunch of others come. You've got to have the first one. And so, as we're entering the negotiation this weekend, In Geneva, with China.

At the same time you've got deals supposedly close to being done with another seventeen nations not yet made public. It's really interesting for the first one to be the UK and for it to be as sweeping as it was. And there's a lot of flowery language in all of this, but we have to understand it's not just tariffs. It's broad trade attitudes as well. It's easy for people to get caught up in the tariff number.

And I understand why that's the case, but realistically, The tariff number is is just It's just one part of it.

Okay, so for example, when we start talking about tariffs. This agreement says that the UK will reduce its tariff rates on a range of items for the US. For example, U.S. beef exports, cattle, to the United Kingdom are currently subject to. to a 20% tariff.

The UK will remove the tariff and create a preferential duty-free quota. of thirteen thousand metric tons for US beef. That's a big deal. Additionally, the UK will offer a preferential duty-free. 1.4 billion liters of US Ethanol.

We're exporting energy, folks. Modified reciprocal tariff treatment on automobiles as well, a quota of one hundred thousand vehicles created by the US for UK automotive imports at a ten percent tariff rate. Plus parts for the autos. This is what I love about these negotiations: they come up with things we don't necessarily think about. All right, we're going to make sure that the Automobiles have a certain tariff.

Well, what about the parts to fix them? Hmm, guess we're going to need that too. Supply chains will remain secure. as in the UK will work to promptly meet U. S.

requirements on the security of the supply chains for steel and aluminum.

Okay, those are all really important things. And they're all tied to the tariffs, of course. But there are a variety of non-tariff. barriers. In particular, with regard to agricultural market access.

And we just haven't been on the same page in so many of these ways. And so now there's going to be a recognized international standard for a variety of agricultural based goods. That is absolutely huge. in terms of on ramp to trade. Again, The tariffs are bad.

If putting reciprocal tariffs in place get these people to the table to negotiate on a wide variety of items, That's fantastic. And they've also discussed talking about digital components and investment security measures, etc. This is a good prototype when you get into the weeds. I know I've just been blowing on about a lot of these very specific details, but I did that on purpose because I wanted you to really get the sense this is not just a quick little deal that has to do with a couple of mathematical figures. Yeah.

What the Trump administration is doing. And it's a brilliant strategy that Even those who don't like tariffs have Have to admit. Is a good strategy at this point. Even those who hate Trump have to admit that it's a good strategy at this point. Because what it is doing is drawing a line in the sand and saying, We're tired of being taken advantage of.

We're not going to be taken advantage of anymore. And so, if you want to deal with us fairly, we would love to deal with you fairly, but there's a deadline. and failure to meet the deadline has consequences. Liberation Day came. Here came a deadline.

and folks started clamoring to the White House. Please work with us. Please work with us. We know you're serious this time. All right.

We don't need to put all the tariffs in place just yet. Let's see if you come correct, as the kids no longer say. Let's see if you do the right thing on these issues. That's called negotiating from a position of strength. And the number of times I see some of these anti Trump folks who say, Well, there you go, he backed down, he issued uh this big tariff and then he uh he uh caved.

No, it's part of the negotiating strategy. And frankly, had it been anyone other than Trump, they would have said, What a brilliant move! You tell people what you're going to do. And you start to do it. And then, when they say, well, no, wait a minute, that's a little, let's talk about it.

All right, let's talk about it because that's the whole goal. If that's what it takes to get some of these nations to the table, Fantastic. The other thing that it does is it potentially freezes China out. Again, These other these analysts, they're playing checkers and Trump is in three-dimensional chess.

So, yes, we would like to have a more favorable arrangement with China. It is an important trading partner, even though the ChiComs are trying to take us over from within, as we've established already on this program today alone. If the U.S. strikes strong, reciprocal, good-for-both sides agreements. With a host of nations.

China's the the cheese standing alone. China's the one on the outside. That's part of the strategy too. It's not just trying to choke China. With Tariffs It is to isolate them from the rest of the world economically.

Make your choice, nation at issue. Do you want to be an ally of the United States of America? or an ally of the Chinese Communist Party. China tried to reach out and work alliances with a number of people. Australia was one of them.

Big public overture to Australia and Australia said no thanks, mate. Not interested. We don't want to isolate America. By getting into bed with you folks, the Chi Coms.

So now China is trying to deal with other nations in the Asian realm that they think they can control or have a relationship with. That may or may not work.

Now the fact is the Chinese economy is in horrible shape. Their building boom of a decade ago became a building bust. Half finished major buildings, housing, apartment buildings, trade centers, half finished, bankrupt, being torn down before completion. Just one example of it. And again, you might hear people say, well, The uh The Chinese need us more than we need them.

That's if you're presuming they're thinking rationally. They don't care what they do to their people, they don't care if they're starving. you can't deal rationally with irrational people.

So they can take a very hard line. and not have to worry about blowback internally. It's different for the United States, but again, we're here for the long haul on this. And it's a very good thing. For those who say, well, this is happening too fast and it's too far and it's too much.

If not now when? It just gets worse if you do nothing about it. Things are so bad. You've got to just rip the mandate off and let's get this taken care of. I'm very concerned.

That the executive branch is going to be so far out ahead of the legislative branch. That things are not going to get done, we've already seen that. I don't know that I have much confidence that a big beautiful bill will pass the House by Memorial Day. And even if it does, is it going to be worth anything? Is it going to be so watered down?

Yes, it has to pass the Senate, but I have said this before on this program, and I hope you agree. You deal from a position of strength. You don't worry about what the other chamber's going to do. You pass your plan. They pass their plan.

System then says there's a conference committee. That's when you work it out. You don't give up a whole bunch of stuff on the front end. Because then you have nothing to negotiate with. That's especially true if it's Republicans versus Democrats.

But frankly, other than the letter on their name tag, there's not much difference between these folks these days, is there? The folks who say they're Republicans behave like Democrats. And look at the spending.

So the bottom line is, and then we'll take a break and then hear from you. But the bottom line is this. The situation has gotten so bad. Drastic action has to be taken yesterday. If you're really serious about controlling spending, if you're really serious about fair trade, if you're really serious about things, then you're going to wind up Making a little mess at first.

It's not going to be neat and clean. The payoff is worth it. But if you do nothing now and you just sort of bump along and kick the can down the road, then you're no better than the generations that came before you. And have led us to this dire situation we face today, financially. Never mind morally.

That's a whole different conversation. I just want government to take care of the financial part and not do other things that are detrimental to the moral fiber of the nation.

Okay. Seems to be too much to ask some days. But this tariff policy, and everybody's all nervous like a bunch of long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. Yes, I get it. I get it.

I don't want to pay more for things either. But if we don't do something now, We lose. Period. We lose the country. And the executive branch is leading appropriately.

Time for everybody else to get on board. 901-260-5926. Your calls in the next segment from the Liberty University studio. Jeff Stein in for Todd. This is the Todd's Darn Show.

Uh Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starn Show on an Open Line Friday. Jeff Stein in for Todd today, 901-260-5926. Joining us at the bottom of the next hour is Ed Martin, now with the Department of Justice Prosecuting Weaponization of Government. He was the interim U.S. Attorney for the D.C.

Circuit, scheduled to join us after the bottom-of-the-hour break in the next hour. Between now and then your calls at 901-260-5926. I pay a lot of attention looking at our finances. And I think that's like many families. And that's why I spent so much time in the last segment talking about tariffs and the deal with the UK, etc.

That's just another example of how America is back. And as you look for a financial institution for a bank, you need to stand with one that shares your values. Specifically, may I suggest Old Glory Bank. They support hardworking Americans, small businesses that are the fiber of this country. They also support your constitutional rights.

There's no cancel culture at Old Glory Bank, no woke nonsense, just a good, solid bank that believes in faith, freedom, and the flag.

Now, you can join the movement today by going to oldglorybank.com/slash starnes. That's oldglorybank.com/slash starnes and be part of something bigger. Trust the FDIC Insured Bank that was created to protect your privacy, security, and liberty. It's Old Glory Bank, that's Old Glory Bank. And we're looking at interest rates, and the Fed did not change rates, and they probably won't again in June.

Maybe there will be a cut in July. We pay so much time paying attention to those things. We in the news. Right. And I know I do this all the time.

In my local program in Iowa, we spent a lot of time this morning talking about the Federal Reserve's decision and what it means going forward and all that. The bottom line is, we get caught up in so much of that that we often forget that there are folks just on a day-to-day basis Just trying to deal with life. And those are the folks. You folks. Who really not only make the country go, but you're the ones that we should be paying attention to.

It's interesting because uh there are times that I get hip deep, neck deep into a project. And I'm just working away, and a few hours will go past, and I've been disconnected from the news. Or I'm on the road and I spend a lot of time in the car and I just drive in silence because there's a point where you just don't want to hear about some of this stuff anymore. It's not a bad detox time, right, to kind of cleanse yourself on this. Because if you get all caught up in all the minutiae, You miss living life.

And there are so many folks this time of year in particular who are celebrating some wonderful things. We're not near wedding season yet, I don't think, but we've got high school graduations, college graduations. Right across the street from the radio station is a convention center where I'm sitting in Iowa. And yesterday I saw, in one respect, I think it's dumb, and then I also think it's the cutest thing ever. I don't have children.

And so I don't have grandchildren. And I missed the whole thing where we graduate from kindergarten and elementary school and all of this stuff. But I looked across the street. And there was a younger fellow and there was a little girl. And she was, I couldn't tell what she was wearing.

It looked at first like it was a yellow raincoat, you know, like an old school raincoat. But it was a bright, sunny, beautiful day, and I couldn't figure that out. Then I realized. She was wearing a cap and gown that was bright yellow. And what was going on across the street was was a graduation ceremony.

And I don't know from her size if it was from kindergarten or I don't know, second grade, whatever it is. And he's taking pictures of the kid. And It's good to recognize accomplishments. I'm not into the participation ribbon stuff at all. And that's why I say some of this is a little stupid.

But if you're saying to a young person, You know, education is a good thing. This is an accomplishment. This is something that's really good. All right, I'm not, I don't have a problem with that. And I also loved the fact that the dad's involved.

as we go toward Mother's Day weekend. It was just such a cool thing. We need to remember that in all this discussion about important stuff on a global level, there's day to day. And God bless you for living your day to day. Two hours down, one to go.

Jeff Stein in for Todd. Come on back to the Todd Starring Show. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's conservative blowtorch. That's right. I love this American ride.

Touch starts wherever you're living. Listening across this, the greatest nation God ever blessed. Welcome to hour three of an open line Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show, coast to coast, on more than 150 tremendous radio stations and streaming live all over the place, including at ToddStarnes.com. Hello, fellow Patriots. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today, scheduled day off for TS.

He'll be back in the air chair on Monday. I'm pleased to be with you from my studio, the Liberty University Studio, at News Talk 1540 KXCL in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa. The 50,000-watt blowtorch scorching the heartland with accurate news and reasonable views. And Iowa's home to Todd Starns. 901-260-5926.

That's how you can join this coast to coast conversation. Plenty of time for your calls in this hour.

So if you called in before and we had a guest and couldn't get to you, please call back. We have time between now and the bottom of the hour. 901-260-5926. We are scheduled to talk with Ed McClintock. Martin, the former interim U.S.

Attorney for the District of Columbia, now an official with the Department of Justice. He is scheduled to join us after the bottom-of-the-hour break. Every time Joe Biden shows up on TV these days, I have mixed emotions. I have mixed emotions because Dementia has affected my family. at various generations on both sides.

and it is a terrible thing to see a loved one go through. And unfortunately, I don't know what the former President's condition is. I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on the radio. But I see a lot of things that uh Strike a responsive chord.

And I know a number of you feel the same way. That it's like, oh, I have seen that look, I have seen that before. And so I feel really very bad. that he is being trotted out this way. The story is that They're getting them out on things like the view, with, as Todd accurately points out, the squawking magpies on the panel.

Uh the idea is that they uh they're trying to work some deals. Let's get a big book deal, one for Jill, one for I'm sorry, Dr. Jill, one for President Joe. Uh get some uh speaking fees, and let's really cash in. My first reaction is Don't you have enough?

Have you burned through all of the payouts and the money and the ten percent to the big guy and everything? Have you run out of money? to where at this point You have to do this to this man? When you are on a show like The View. And the squawking magpies.

Obviously, had set up a series of questions so that nobody was going to be tripped up. But when one of them asks Joe Biden a question. about mental acuity and fitness for office. Which is really a softball. It's putting it right on the T.

Mr. President, how would you respond to those who say that you had lost it? You just weren't of good mental clarity in the administration. Uh And he starts to answer and then wanders off in different directions. not physically, he's done that too, but I'm talking verbally, goes off in these different directions, and this voice sort of trails off in mid sentence, and doctor Jill has to jump in to finish his sentence for him.

When the question is about your failing mental acuity, And somebody has to help you finish the answer? That's not a good look. That's not going to get you prime speaking fees. That's not going to get you a book deal where anybody believes that you wrote it, even though nobody would have believed that you wrote it before because you already admitted you didn't write the last one. The other part of that is what it's doing to the Democrat Party.

I saw a quote from someone, and I did not write down the source, and so I apologize for that. But the person said elections are about the future. What will you do going forward? That's why there were a lot of people Before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, who was Who are saying he's spending too much time at his rallies talking about the 2020 election? You've got to move forward.

What have you done for us lately? What are you going to do going forward? and clearly after. God's intervention in Pennsylvania to spare the life of mister Trump. It was a different campaign, he's a different individual, and you don't have to look too far to see, again, whose hand was at work.

But the broad point is that elections are not the same. about the future. And this Democrat operative said, every time Joe Biden makes a public appearance. We are drugged back into the past. To a lesser degree, I would suggest it's that way with Kamala Harris.

But let's go back to Joe Biden first. You trot Joe Biden out in his current state. First, understanding that Just a few months ago He was supposedly the leader of the free world with his finger on the button. When you see that It immediately conjures up the The impression that there was a cover-up. that his true condition was withheld from us I'm not breaking news with this.

We all knew it. Even those on the left, when they see a way to profit, are putting it into books these days, although I have no idea who's buying them. It's not me. I'm not even going to get it from the library, and I hope my library doesn't spend public money to buy 'em. But every time you see Joe Biden, you're reminded.

of How he left the stage. That debate on CNN where It was just painful to watch, and his failings were there for everyone to see. which drove him from the race with the coup. Every time you see him, you think of the past and you think of what. the Democrats did to orchestrate That whole campaign and that whole four years.

It hurts the party as they look to the future. If the Democrats are ever going to be a viable option and it won't take much to be because you've got such a large portion of independents in this country where the political parties are each so far to the extreme the independents waffle back and forth, back and forth, and you see these wild swings in voting patterns. But if the Democrats are ever going to be a party that is taken seriously again, they've got to break with the past and move forward. There's no way for them to determine What to become? in the future.

There's no way for them to know how to move forward. If they keep being reminded of the Joe Biden time. And, as noted to a lesser extent, Kamala Harris. She was just soundly defeated. The Biden-Harris administration.

The last election was a referendum on that. and they got their hats handed to them. It was Terrible. lost every swing state. lost the popular vote.

Lost the Electoral College, quite obviously. Not only did it make it seem that the twenty twenty election was really rigged, because you could just see the differences in voting patterns, but she could not deliver the message as the heir apparent. It is a total and complete failure. How in the world is anybody taking her seriously? As a Presidential candidate in 2028, What are you going to say, well, you know, I I wasn't ready.

You'd be ready at a moment's notice to be President if you're the vice There's no do-over. There's no mulligans, there's no hollow. Honeymoon grace period. And then, in what was probably a violation of election laws, you took all the money that the Biden campaign committee had.

Well, it was Biden-Harris, and so no, that's not how the law works, but they were allowed to do it.

So you had the money. You had the media. You had the power of incumbency. And you got it handed to you. How in the world do you have any political career left?

It's a stretch to say Governor of California. But California you know. Maybe we could s trade Greenland for California. Maybe Denmark wants California. We come out ahead on that deal, I think.

So, when you've got Joe Biden on the public stage, you've got Kamala Harris showing up at elite events, because you know she's just a woman of the people. At fancy events like the Met Gala, Or would they say gala? I don't know. Where I grew up we just had hootin' annies, and parties, and get togethers.

So this Democrat operative is saying elections are about the future, and every time we see Biden, we're drug into the past, right? That's a bad thing for you people on the left. But then again, you can't figure out how to get out of your own way and try to figure out what your message is going forward.

So we are in a real bad state. I would suggest to you before the break that The executive branch is moving along quite well, thank you. Legislative branch in Washington is still a train wreck. I don't care that Republicans have the majority. They can't get out of their own way, they can't get things agreed upon and passed.

And then the Democrats are only the party of no And that only gets you so far. And it certainly doesn't help as you're trying to develop a message for the future.

So it's not a great place to be right now. Again, the executive branch is driving the agenda Partly because of the force of personality of Mr. Trump, which is a good thing. Partly because They at least have their act together. But if you're Joe Biden and you're asked a question about mental acuity and your wife has to finish the answer for you.

Oh, God bless you, sir. 901-260-5926. 901-260-5926. Your call's in the next segment from the Liberty University studio. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd.

Thanks for being along on this Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio, and this Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show, Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today. Had a wonderful night's sleep last night, as I always do, because we are a MyPillow family, and MyPillow is excited to announce they're extending the mega sale on Overstock Clearance and brand new products as well.

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Even better. I mean, that's a good thing to do. But what if you say, well, mom's already solidly in the my pillow camp? Gosh, what do we do? Here's what you do, you go wherever you get your good books these days.

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This is why I voted the way I did. There's a brand new acting FEMA administrator. His name is David Richardson. He met with the staff today, first all hands meeting, and he is quoted as saying, don't get in my way. These are quotes from CBS News.

Richardson said obfuscation, delay, undermining. If you're one of the twenty percent of the people and you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not, because I will run right over you. I will achieve the President's intent. I got chills just reading that. Richardson is the senior official performing the duties of FEMA administrator.

He was named to that role yesterday. And he told the staff, I can't recall the full title. I don't need the full title. All I need is the authority from the president to put me in here, and I will make sure that his intent gets completed. I don't stop at yield signs.

I and I alone in FEMA speak for FEMA. Yes, that's what I voted for. That right there. Yeah. Don't get tired of winning.

I'll tell you what. Scheduled to speak with Ed Martin after this break on the Todd Starn Show. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio and the Todd Starn show. Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today, 901-260-5926. That's the number that Tarek used to call in.

He listens on the flagship, the Mighty 990 in Memphis. Tarek, thanks so much for Tarek. I'm sorry. Thanks so much for taking the time. What's on your mind?

Oh yeah, so hey, how you doing, man? I am excellent. Thank you for calling in. Yeah, well, you know, in spite of, you know, what people maybe Saying about Trump. You know, I think.

In spite of what they're saying, I think that um that things are beginning to look up for this country and that um In spite of what people have been saying and the death threats and the ridicule and the criticism Um, you know, when you're President, all that just comes with the territory. Sure. And I think that in in spite of what people have been saying, I I think that things are beginning to look up for this country. But I also think I would just say, tell me specifically. Just tell me in what way because I agree with you, but in what way do you sitting there in Memphis think things are looking up?

Give me some examples of what gives you that confidence.

Well, first of all, you know, they have uh they have Uh uh started back in and building the wall. The the Texas uh Mexicans at the wild Mm-hmm. And uh they They've uh stopped the Palestinian of the Texas Mexican border, you they have um They stopped, you know, a lot of uh immigrants from from crossing that border. Right. And then, you know, I think that these tariffs that he's issued to these Um to these countries that that wasn't giving the United States a fair share.

Shake. I think that in the long run, they could have a profound effect on our economy.

So, um I I think by and large, I think things are going to Just stop. Yeah. To get a lot better here. It's a process that you have, you know, you just have to be patient and just let the process. Uh work yourself out.

Like they say, trust the process. Absolutely. Tarek, thanks so much for calling in. Have yourself an excellent weekend. nine hundred one two six zero five nine two six.

That's how you can connect with us just as Tarek did from Memphis. nine hundred one two six zero five nine two six and join this coast to coast conversation from the Liberty University studio. We're talking about tariffs and negotiations and these sorts of things, and there's supposed to be a negotiation between the Treasury Secretary and Chinese officials in Geneva this coming weekend, and that would be a good thing to see. But we have to understand that China has been dumping Treasuries to sink the dollar, Their reciprocal retaliatory tariffs are having a sharp fight on the stock market. Trump is fighting for our country, trying to get it back on the right track.

And just as Tarek the Caller said, this is a long game, putting Americans first. Nothing good comes easy. With hard work, yes, there's going to be some pain, and you've got to play smart and be ready for the long term. That's why Todd suggests that you secure your hard-earned savings and retirement with Vault U.S. Gold.

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Take care of your family with this wonderful way of managing your hard-earned assets. It's vaultusgold.com slash Todd Starnes. VaultUSGold.com slash Todd Starnes. 901-260-5926 is how you can join the conversation. We'll take your calls, of course, through the end of the program.

If the guest can break free from his new job at the DOJ, then we'll let him join us and talk about what he's been through as well. This just shows you. how bad things have gotten in our nation's capital. And I really agree with the President when he says this is our nation's capital. This is what people are supposed to think of when they think of the United States.

And it's an embarrassment.

Well, here is the type of citizen that walks the streets of Washington, DC. Yeah. Ed Martin, the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, being interviewed by Newsmax. There's a camera, there's a reporter, there's a microphone with a big N on it.

And there's Ed Martin talking.

Now he doesn't have an entourage. There's not a big neon sign pointing to him. And this quote-unquote woman, I'll say woman. Not lady. heaven knows, because of the behavior.

She's apparently out. Walking this little dog, it's not the dog's fault, walking the dog, and she sees the interview take place. This video is all over social media, friends. She sees that there's an interview with Ed Martin, and so she interrupts and starts screaming at him. Just absolute veins popping out of your neck, screaming at him.

And then she rears back and loads up a big ol' wad o' spit and spits on the man as she then hustles away. Just hawked up a big one and poo! Right on Ed Martin's trench coat. That's the opposition we're dealing with. Who does that?

Beyond somebody who's age three and even then they know better. This is a government official, an officer of the court. Standing on the street doing a TV interview, that part doesn't really matter. Except that meant you got video of it. How do you scream at the person?

And then commit an assault.

Well, she just spit on him. That's an assault. That's an assault on an officer of the court.

So so we think that's okay? That's what the other side does. I don't know who would want these jobs these days, but thank God there are people. whether it's Ed Martin who we've been talking about today. Whether it's Judge Janine who leaves a really good gig at Fox to take over.

I mean the job as U. S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Circuit, that does not pay as well as a job at Fox News, as I understand it. Hmm.

Okay, it does not. You give that up because you believe in the cause you believe in the country. You have the chance that someone is going to treat you that way, literally, spitting on you after screaming at you. I hope one of the first things that Judge Jeanine does is track down that Quote woman, not lady and arrests her for assault.

Now, Ed Martin being a good Christian and the kind of guy that I know him to be from our conversations on the radio, he would probably. not want to prosecute. But This has to stop. the way that people treat others just because they don't agree with them. because of the color of jersey in essence that they wear.

It's just wrong. and it needs to stop. and you stop it, By showing that there are consequences. We talked in the last hour about uh People keying Tesla's as a show against Elon Musk.

Well, there are two things about that. 1. That's a criminal offense and should be prosecuted as such. It'd be the same if they did it at a Chrysler dealership, it'd be that way. Are there even Chrysler dealerships anymore?

Uh It's Delantis, right? I don't keep up. But they should be prosecuted. The other thing that I love about that situation where they were going and let's set fire to Teslas at dealerships. Oh, boy, aren't we great.

Let's protest and destroy these cars. The cars are covered by insurance. Which means the person who no longer has the car because you torched it. They just went and bought another one. That actually increases sales for Tesla.

How are you hurting Tesla by Killing someone's car. Because then they go buy another one, and the company makes more money. Again, the mindset of the destructive left. is not rational. And that's the dangerous part.

When you're dealing with With irrational people, it's the same thing as a nation dealing with terrorists. You're a nation, they're terrorists, you're not on the same playing field. And you have to grasp that from the start. Setting fire to innocent cars, spitting on government officials? That's what the left does.

And it needs to stop. 901-260-5926. More from the Liberty University studio in the final segment of this Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show. Welcome back to the Liberty University studio. Final few moments of this Friday edition of the Todd Starn Show.

Jeff Stein filling in for Todd today. Good of you to be along with us. Let's close with what I think is the best example. of why the Trump 2.0 administration is on the verge of becoming the most consequential since George Washington. Yes, he said that.

And here's why. They're breaking the mold. They're fixing what needs to be fixed. Here's an example. This is a post on the socials from Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. And it has to do with Dr. Casey Means being nominated as the Surgeon General of the United States. I'm quoting from Secretary RFK Jr. The absurd attacks on Casey means reveal.

just how far off course our health care conversations have veered and how badly entrenched interests, including Big Food and its industry funded social media gurus, are terrified of change. The attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with Maha. Make America healthy again. Casey is the perfect choice for Surgeon General precisely because she left the traditional medical system, not in spite of it. Her leadership has inspired many doctors to reform the system and forge a new pathway from sick care.

which fills corporate coffers, and toward health care which enriches all of us. There. all that. You can't have this person, they're not part of the elite. You can't do it this way because we've always done it this other way.

New sheriff in town, folks. up and down the line. And I said on this program some time ago, and I absolutely believe it. Had Robert Kennedy not been confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary, and I'm so grateful that he was confirmed, but had he not been, he has already contributed so much to the dialogue because how many of us now are looking Add ingredients and are looking at dyes. Petroleum based coloring products Why is this in my food?

Why is this in my vitamins? How in the world is this a good thing for nourishment? I'm not talking about crazy stuff. I'm just talking about I don't want anything that's petroleum based going in my food. Just so it looks pretty.

So, already, we as Americans are saying, yeah, I don't think I want to do that anymore. Companies are changing. The government has changed its standards, yes, but some of these companies are saying, Well, we've heard that. We've heard that we're going to lose market share. It just takes people.

who are willing to stand up, and call it out. who are willing to stand up and say no. This makes no sense. I don't care that we've always done it this way. It needs to change.

This way is broken. I don't know how we get our spending under control. 37. trillion dollars in the hole. As I mentioned last week when I was on with Todd for a few minutes.

If you have the federal government, the United States government make a profit. of a trillion with a T dollars a year. A profit of a trillion dollars a year. Uh And they do that for two generations. Generation is technically seventeen years.

You still won't pay the debt off, and that's not even counting the compounding of interest. We have to make a trillion-dollar profit every year for 37 years, not counting interest, just to break even.

Well, it's hopeless then. No, it's not hopeless. But it shows you how you have to start somewhere. And if the federal government has been in bed with big pharma, and the food companies that are owned by Big Pharma. And they've gotten preferential treatment all this time as some of these diseases.

have increased especially among our young people. Then you stop at yesterday. And the way he phrases it is so smart. Others do too, but just the way it's phrased. We need to forge a path away from sick care and toward health care.

You think about your own health insurance policy. Does it cover preventive tests? Or does it only cover when something bad happens? If it's covering preventive care, It's got a better attitude. But often we find that, no, no, sorry, that preventive test, we don't want to cover the preventive test, we'll cover the much more expensive treatment after you're already very sick.

I have no opinion about the prior nominee. I don't know the case. I don't know why her nomination was withdrawn other than what I see in the media. Don't really care. I care about moving forward.

and the new nominee is not traditional. That drives them crazy. That is the threat. Every time there's pushback, friends, and this is a good way to close the program. Every time there's pushback, you have to ask: what are they so afraid of?

And they're so afraid of their cushy lifestyle and the scams that they've perpetrated. being exposed and the cushy lifestyle coming to an end.

So it's time to stand up for the true American ideals. We're short of the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Next year, 250th. What can we do between now and then to forge? the America that we should have, the ones that are founding fathers, and all of our ancestors left for us. What can we do? That's something that we can dedicate ourselves toward for the next 15 months or so.

To all the mothers out there, happy Mother's Day. We all know no family exists without. the stewardship Of the mother in the household, so uh, you know, yeah, you can go get the waxy chocolates in the white box. Maybe just pick up the phone and call mom. What's the matter?

You don't know how to call your mother? It's always great fun. Thank you, Dylan. Thank you, Cassie. Thank you, Todd.

Thanks to all of you. Go out and worship your God this weekend and say hi to mom, Jeff Stein, poor Todd. And this has been the Todd Starn Show.