From the Mighty 990 Broadcast Center, you're waking up in Starnes Country with Todd Starnes. And good morning, everybody. Welcome to Stern's Country here on the Mighty 990. Trust you are doing well today. We've got a lot going on.
Across the Mid-South, Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills is going to join us and explain what exactly happened at a very contentious. County Commission meeting last night, and I will say this. that the citizens are really getting frustrated and they're really getting fed up with the Memphis Shelby County School Board. The question is, will county commissioners be able to find those votes To actually do something about the situation with these. With these rogue school board commissioners.
So, we're going to get into that with County Commissioner Amber Mills here in just a few moments. Write down our telephone number. You'll need this if you plan on calling in and chatting about the big stories of the day. Our telephone number, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926.
So there is another big story. That's been brewing, and that is what to do. with the Shelby County Jail with 201 Poplar. And folks have been trying we've been talking about this for a very long time. The general consensus is it doesn't need to be in downtown.
So the question is, where do we put the jail? And so they were looking at a massive site, and there's really nothing there. It would have been a perfect location, but they call the area the New Chicago neighborhood. And that neighborhood rose up and said, not in our backyard, not going to happen. And so yesterday the county commission voted 8 to 3 to exclude the New Chicago neighborhood from consideration as the new site for the jail.
So the question is. Where do we put the jail? I mean, it's got to go somewhere in Shelby County, right?
So, where do we put the brand new Shelby County jail? Would it be, for example, someplace more centrally located? Are we talking about Hickory Hill? I remember. Growing up, and maybe this is just my memory, but I remember Hickory Hill back in the day.
That was sort of like the prime shopping destination. Kirby Pines had just opened up. A lot of well-to-do Memphians were moving into the neighborhood, and you had the mall there, all of the shops. And now, aside from Kirby Pines, which has become an armed fortress, everything else is abandoned. And I'm wondering maybe, just maybe, would that be a good location, the area around American Way where you have all those abandoned car lots, that might be a possibility.
So now the County Commission is going to have to figure out, all right, where do we put the new jail? Or do they just keep it Do they keep it downtown? And that's an option as well. The challenge with downtown is that it is not centrally located.
So, anyway, county commission trying to figure that out. If you have an idea of where we ought to put, The new jail, give us a call. 901-260-5926 is our number. That's 901-260-5926.
So, a big, big story we've been following, and this happened last night or yesterday. Is Tomley Park and Tom Lee Park? They just reopened Riverside Drive. And I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.
So Riverside Drive is a straight shot, right? You get off the interstate, you get on Riverside Drive, and it literally is a straight shot. And now you need to take a brand new driver's course to figure out how to maneuver through Riverside Drive.
So the brand new routes along with the parking, they've got the side parking now. And here's a report from Channel 5 last night. And they made an interesting observation, which I'll back up and explain in just a moment. Let's take a listen to Cut One. We are prioritizing people.
We're slowing down cars. We're strengthening the connections that make downtown safer and more walkable and more vibrant. The words Memphis Mayor Paul Young used to describe this new mile and a half stretch of Riverside Drive. Construction began back in May and it turned the stretch of road from four lanes to two lanes and created 89 parking spaces. One of the main differences you'll notice after your first hour of parking, you will now have to pay.
The exact amounts depend on how long you plan to add on. We spoke to a local and Mayor Young about the change. I kind of like it, but at the same time, I do think people should be able to come down here without having to pay to park. But of course, you know, they have to be reimbursed some way. And, you know, I totally understand that.
We thought that it was important to be able to have more turnover in the spaces. It allows more people to come and experience the park. We looked at data to see how long do people typically stay in the park. The data show 70% of people leave the park before reaching one hour. But for reference, studies show since Tom Lee Park reopened in 2023, it has attracted around 700,000 visitors, meaning of those, 140,000 would now have to pay for that extra time.
The city said the money will be going towards more security and maintenance.
So there you go. That is the reporting from Channel 5.
Now, if you listen closely, you would have discovered that only 700,000 people have visited Tom Lee Park roughly since the park opened after the redesign, the $61 million redesign.
Now, that number caught my attention. Here's the reason we always pay attention to details here on the Mighty 990. And when we went back and they were telling us the reason we needed to redesign a perfectly good park. Was we needed more tourists to come downtown? And they told us that the newly redesigned park would be generating 1 million visitors a year.
But according to the numbers, the official numbers, and by the way, this is backed up in the commercial appeal now. Only 700,000 people have visited the park in its entirety since it opened up.
So, what happened to everybody? Where are all the millions of people that are supposed to be flocking to Tomalee Park? And now they're getting ready to build this big bird boat dock thing that you're gonna that's gonna jut out of the river. They say that is going to attract a million people when the park itself can't even do that. All that to say, you do wonder if we squandered our money with the newly redesigned Tomali Park.
And again, I'm just curious: why aren't people going down and visiting the $61 million taxpayer-funded park? that is cost and they are not releasing this information, but exactly how much money, how much money are they spending on the annual upkeep of all of those weeds down there.
So there you go. All that to say, you might want to avoid Riverside Drive. It's probably going to be more of a headache. 901-260-5926, our telephone number. That's 901-260-5926.
I want to go right away to our Patriot Mobile newsmaker line. By the way, Patriot Mobile, America's only Christian and conservative wireless carrier, and they have great deals for all of us here in the Mid-South. PatriotMobile.com/slash Todd. Check out their coverage map. That's patriotmobile.com/slash Todd.
Commissioner Amber Mills joins us now. Commissioner, hope you're doing well after a very long commission meeting. Good morning, Todd. I am. We only had eight items on our regular agenda, and I didn't get home until Sometime way after 10 o'clock last night.
That's interesting.
So there there was a lot of back and forth, a lot of angry noise, and I love how these school board members just bully their way up to the the the platform there and demand additional time that average citizens aren't allowed to have. Rules for thee, but not for me, I think is the saying. Uh yeah. It it's quite telling the way they got up there and spoke. I will say that.
It was extending their states. I have never seen such an attitude. And they were copping an attitude. What's the who can't she be kissing lady? Tawana, is that her name?
Tawana? Yeah. And she went after you. That was so disrespectful. And good on you, Commissioner, for maintaining some integrity and decorum because that was incredibly offensive last night, what she said.
Yes, she went after me and Commissioner Wright. of another citizen actually spoke up and said, Why are you attacking Commissioner Mills and Commissioner Wright who actually have something good in their community and they're trying to help us get it in our community?
So I commend that citizen that said that and kind of put school board members and others in their place. Uh Trying to see that Commissioner Wright and I have been trying to help the students and the teachers in the community. to improve the school system. Commissioner, there was a phrase being used quite a bit on the live chat, and I was watching a lot of the proceedings online last night, and the phrase kicked the can down the road because you guys did take a vote on the school board, you know, the school board elections, and it ended up being a tie vote. Yes, we only had 12 commissioners there last night, and the vote fell 6-6.
And So we are Again, moving it, the first time it came to us, we were short the seventh vote. We had a commissioner out sick. And it's just been very frustrating that we can't get this across the finish line when it's The state actually came in, the people asked for it, the state responded, and now the commission has to do our part. to get all of these race is on the ballot.
So the people who will now, I hope, pay attention and do their homework. and go to the ballot box informed. Um electrons. school board members that will help improve Memphis Shelby County Schools.
So where do things stand now, and when can we expect a possible vote on the issue? It has been deferred to our next Full commission meeting, so the Monday meeting, it will not have to go back to committee.
So two weeks. from yesterday. Here's what I just don't understand this, and maybe you can help me figure this out, Commissioner. But the schools are failing. We've got a shortage of teachers.
The kids aren't at grade reading level. The buildings are falling apart. They're already talking about having to close a lot of the schools. I guess we're losing. That would tell me we're losing students.
They're moving somewhere else or getting educated some other way. I'm just wondering, what are they what measurement are they using to determine that the current school system, the way it's being run, is actually being run effectively? I do not have an answer for you, Todd. I don't know what they're doing to gauge the. their progress that Many of us are not saying for the schools.
I don't have an answer for you.
So, again, as far as oversight from the county commission, are there things that the county commissioners can do? To again lay down the law here, throw down the hammer, and demand that taxpayers get what they're paying for.
Well, the County Commission, we can only vote their budget up or down. I tried that. I brought the resolution with the vote of no confidence, which passed. And that we brought that because there was no recall process for the people to handle the business. And then I also brought a resolution to pause the building of Fraser High School.
Until There's There's no facilities plan at all. There's no plan to improve the system. Uh but that failed because they just want to go, go, go and short just be very short-sighted on the decisions being made instead of making strong decisions that will benefit the school and the students long term. I'm watching some of the comments from our live chat.
Someone said Dean writing on who was the missing commissioner, do we know who that individual was? Was that Watley? It was Commissioner Michael Whaley, and he is the deciding vote.
So Whaley's the deciding vote, so people need to be lighting up his phones, I have to imagine, in emails. Yeah. And he had been an original sponsor of the resolution for term limits and for all of the school board races to be on the 2026 ballot. And then he voted against his own resolution, said he was indifferent whether they started 2026 or 2030.
So it is we We're not sure where he stands, but he will be the tiebreaker at our next Commission meeting. Commissioner, we're getting this message from Joe Kent, and he writes in a lot, and he said, please ask Commissioner Mills why there is zero MSCS Commission academic oversight. That's a good question. That came up several times. There's They they monitor themselves.
That That is an issue to look into. Mr. Kent is exactly right.
So you're telling me that the county commission has no authority to step in and offer any oversight at all? We vote their budget up or down. Yes.
Well, it seems to me, and again, I guess the challenge is because you're, I mean, that's the opportunity to demand change, is to withhold the money. But it sounds as if we don't even have the votes to do that right now. We We can't even do that, Todd. There's a maintenance of effort. We have to give them the same amount of money that we gave them the year before.
All right, Commissioner, can you step? We've got to take a quick break. Can you stick around for just a moment? Because I know we've got a lot of questions, and maybe you have questions as well. 901-260-5926.
Commissioner Amber Mills joining us, and this is just insanity what's happening with this school system. 901-260-5926. This is Darns Country. Let's check in with Commander Shock. All right, sixty-two degrees.
Right now at Dogwood Elementary School. Going to be a beautiful day heading up into the 80s, and it's going to get a lot warmer. Fake fall again.
So it's coming. Trust me, folks, it's coming. You'll be able to enjoy your pumpkin spice lattes in peace. I want to go right away to our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line, County Commissioner Amber Mills, joining us. Are you a pumpkin spice latte person, Amber?
I. I'm not. I don't get excited about the pumpkin spice latte. I'm with you. Yeah, same here.
Sorry, that's a little personal, but I figured I'd just toss that out there. We got a question, Dana Pug writing in our live chat. And by the way, folks, Facebook Live, if you want to watch the show, they're asking about the MSES audit. Any intel on that? I'll just remind everybody that I was happy to sponsor a resolution.
It was only for $50,000 because we don't have a lot of extra money here at the county. And it was more of a cry for help to do a forensic audit. And I was thrilled when Comptroller Moonpower called me and said, Amber, you can take your $50,000 back. The state hears you. We're going to put in $6 million to do a full forensic audit.
of Memphis Shelby County Schools. We have not heard they're still work they're working on it. Um and I'm I'm as anxious. Here are the results from that audit. Also, we're being told, and this again coming from Joe Kent, who I didn't finish reading the rest of his statement here.
He was talking he says, Does the Commission know there's a massive middle school academic crisis after spending $400 million per year on MSCS? Um I'm not surprised. Um Uh there's a lot of questions about how the money how money is being spent. I mean, they had about a billion dollars. and funds they could have used to improve the schools, the buildings.
And they We don't know where that money went. That's another thing we hope the forensic audit helps. to determine. It just seems to me and mister Kent, and I know he's very active in politics locally, but again, the only thing you guys are allowed to do under the law here is to approve or not approve the budget. Incorrect.
That's where it ends. Pretty much. It's just it's mind boggling to know there is absolutely no oversight for the school board. And I think that's one of the reasons why they're in the situation they're in. I want to give you the final word on that.
It is, and we're looking at way what I mean, we have really. tried to see what can we do, how can we change this? And it's frustrating and it's eye opening all at the same time. Your husband's weighing in. May I read his comment here?
Oh, dear. I know. Good morning, Lee Mills. Lee says, let's be honest, state laws are a hindrance to good local government. Maintenance of effort maintenance of effort laws need to be revisited and likely removed.
So That's from Lee Mills, great American Patriot.
Well, I don't disagree with them because the state just put in a new state law last. year before last that the County mayors now have a maintenance of effort, so we can't even cut the county mayor's budget without his permission.
So we're really being hand-tied with what we can do. All right. I'm glad you and Lee agree that would be awkward at supper time tonight.
So it would. All right. Our good conversation one. Commissioner Amber Mills. Always a pleasure to have you on the Mighty 990.
Thanks now. Thank you. All right. Again, our telephone number is 901-260-5926. You heard it from Amber Mills.
You ask the questions, we get the answers. You may not like the answers, folks, but this is the reality of where we are right now. All right, hang tight: 901-260-5926. This is Starnes Country on the mighty 990. All right, welcome back, everybody.
This is Starnes Country here in the Principal Toyota Memphis studio. I'm Todd Starnes. Hope you're doing well. And I want to say thank you for listening and supporting the Monty Day Night and all of our great sponsors who make conservative talk radio possible right here in the Mid-South. Without them, we would not be on the air.
And a lot of you folks may be wondering: okay, wait a second, how do I get in on the action here? I've got a small business, I've got a company here in the Mid-South and I want to support conservative talk radio.
Well, it's very simple. Give us a call right now, and we'll make sure you get connected to our great team here. The great thing about K-Wham Radio is that we move business, and it's been so exciting to hear from all of our sponsors about the growth they've experienced simply by advertising, letting people know about the services. They offer here on the Mighty 990, and that's pretty awesome. As a matter of fact, I think there's even a line over at Dales in South Haven now that Dales is one of our great sponsors.
And by the way, if you haven't been to Dales, Or Junior's Eaton House in Hernando, you don't know what you're missing. I'm telling you, it is great, great food. You're going to love it. They pile it on high, and it's good eating, as they say.
So, again, if you'd like information on how you could possibly advertise your business, your company, your services here on KWIM, give us a call, 901-260-5926. We won't put you on air, but we'll just get your information.
So, no need to be shy. 901-260-5926. By the way, I want to share some very important information, and it really ties into what Commissioner Mills was talking about. Today at 11 o'clock, there's going to be a massive meeting. This is brought to you by our friends at the Shelby County Republican Women's Club, and they are hosting Dr.
Fred Tampin. A regular here on KWAM. You hear his voice frequently. Dr. Tappin, now running for the Shelby County School Board.
He's the District Six candidate. Dr. Tappin's going to be speaking. Also, Donna Gaines from Arise to Read. Folks, uh for me This is one of the most important things is to make sure that children know how to read.
And if your child doesn't know how to read before they get to elementary school, before they get to kindergarten, you're going to have big problems.
So it is so vitally important that we raise up our kids and teach them how to read.
So if you would like information on attending, if you want to hear it from Dr. Tampin and Donna Gaines, I want you to go right away to the website SCRWC that's Shelby County Republican Women's Club.org. That's scrwc dot o-r-g. And you'll be able to attend.
Now, um, There's a luncheon, but that may have passed.
So I'm sure one of the ladies will call and let us know. If there are tickets for the luncheon, otherwise you might need to pack a ham sandwich or a bologna sandwich or something, but you're gonna wanna hear from Dr. Tappin. If we, and hear me on this. If we are going to change the direction of of our county, we are going to have to take retake control of our school board.
And Dr. Tampin's one of the good guys. He's got the street cred. He's got the conservative street cred. And You're going to want to hear what he has to say.
And all of that kicks off at 11 o'clock today at the Memphis National Golf Club. Again, the Memphis National Golf Club. 11 o'clock prayer, 11:30, the social and check-in. And then noon is when the program begins at the Memphis National Golf Club. And you'll be able to get more information on their website.
So we certainly thank the great ladies of the Shelby County Republican Women's Club and the great work they are doing. All right. Uh again, our telephone number, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926.
We've been following the situation out of Charlotte, North Carolina. We now understand the FBI is involved in this horrible, horrible Stabbing. You had a black man on a train, on a commuter train there. And he just Out of the blue, took out a knife and stabbed a white Ukrainian national to death. This beautiful young lady, she was killed.
And the guy kept saying over and over again that he got the white woman. He got the white woman. It's all on video.
So now the FBI is investigating, and of course, all eyes are on Charlotte, North Carolina, which is dealing with the same kind of problems we are. The mayor there Says that we need to be having more compassion for the criminal as opposed to the victim in the crime. Where have we heard that before? I mean, take a look at some of the local media. We had the shooting on 901 day.
And you had the media out there rushing to interview, not the mother of the victim, but the mother of the criminal thug. Unbelievable. And of course, the mayor in Charlotte telling reporters Do not share the video. Shame on you if you share the video. And of course, we've heard that from our City Hall, our Mayor, Paul Young, the aspiring rapper.
Maybe he and Tawana can, I don't know, collaborate.
So now we have an update on a situation here in Memphis we first told you about yesterday. And we're going to play this, and then I've got some thoughts here on what happened in Hickory Hill. Where you had four children. That were inside a home, you had two masked thugs open fire outside. They just sprayed the whole home with gunfire, terrorizing the neighborhood.
Take a listen. It was here in this Hickory Hill neighborhood where those four children were struck by gunfire and taken to the hospital, while its seemingly quiet crime scene tape and bullet holes remain. The white panels of the home riddled with bullet holes. A window smashed with pieces of glass taking over the pavement below it. It's almost as if this home on Rosewind Circle turned into the target at a firing range.
They were loud, like boom, boom, boom, boom, like real loud. I had to went to the ground because it was so loud and sounded so close. Everybody get on the ground. I just know if I hear shooting, they get on the ground. I came across this resident who didn't want to show her face on camera after knocking on several different doors in the neighborhood.
During that scary situation, two 15-year-olds, a three-year-old, and a six-year-old inside of the home were all struck by gunfire.
Someone inside of the home spoke with me briefly through their ring camera. I risk the can't trade guy. Yeah. Well, just um a lot. That stuff happened last night.
And I'm sorry, I can't see it. According to the Memphis Police Department, these are the two suspects, both thin black males and wearing masks. MPD says the two fled on foot after opening fire on the home. It sounds like they were coming for our house, too. Like, well, this is not the first time they happened like this.
It happened like. probably like Three other times, the same people followed by. Taking a look at the Memphis data hub, over the past month, within a quarter mile of surrounding area, there have been nine incidents, including burglary, shoplifting, simple assault, motor vehicle theft, and the shooting last night, which MPD confirmed is listed as an aggravated assault. This is sad because, like, people just be, I don't know, I feel like they just be, I don't know, curb riders, nobody. While MPD continues searching for the men responsible, crime scene tape covers front lawns, with some even piled in trash cans and dangling from fences.
So that's the reporting from Channel 5. And did you catch, I don't know if you caught the end part there where they said this case was being counted as an aggravated assault.
So here's my question: How exactly are they counting this? Are they counting this as four separate shootings, or are they counting this as one incident with the four shootings sort of all combined together? Which has been a big, big challenge here when we're trying to get accurate crime numbers. You know, the mayor's been telling us, or wannabe rap artist mayor has been telling us that crime is at an all-time low, that there's never been a safer time in Memphis, Tennessee than right now.
So we will see how all of that plays out with the actual numbers. But there's something else going on here. All of this happened Sunday at around ten o'clock In the evening time.
So Sunday night, 10 o'clock. You had the shooting. We did no one found out about it until right around the start of the morning shows. And I believe Fox 13 was the first to break the story, and then we did.
So that's we asked for and then received a statement from the police department confirming what had happened. My question is: Why did they not hold a press conference at, say, 10:30 or 11 o'clock Sunday night? Any other major city in America, there would have been a press conference, there would have been some sort of a press statement, and somebody at City Hall was hoping that nobody would find out there was a shooting. And I guarantee you, what happened over at Fox 13 is that somebody from within the department alerted them and said, Hey, guys, they're not going to be talking about this, but you need to be aware because we get those calls as well.
So we get the calls, and we have to physically know about the incident and where it took place. Otherwise, MPD won't release any information. And it's not because. The NPD are the bad guys here. This is coming, and these orders are coming from City Hall.
But the idea, and this is something that the local media just will, they will not tackle. But it's the information and the criminal information that they are withholding from the general public. And that's not right to those people who live in that neighborhood in Hickory Hill that got turned into a war zone Sunday night. They have a right to know what was happening in their neighborhood. I mean, it really is that simple.
So again, the question I have is why did City Hall tell the NPD to sit on this information? And by the way, if somebody had not privately reached out to Fox 13. would we even know about what happened? In Hickory Hill, because remember, the mayor said it's a perception problem that we're dealing with here. All right, we've got to take a quick break.
901-260-5926. Our telephone number, that's 901-260-5926. This is Darns Country broadcasting from the principal Toyota Memphis studio. We'll be right back. And welcome back.
I love this song. It takes me back. To my jams back in the 80s. Hope you're doing well today, everybody. And welcome back to Stearns Country.
I'm Todd Stearns. Honored to have you with us today. By the way, you heard the ad just a little while ago for the big World View weekend coming up in Collierville. This is going to be a lot of fun. As a matter of fact, I was invited to be a part of the lineup, and I just happen to be in town.
We have some major speaking engagements coming up, and it's going to be an insane rest of the month. Heading into September, I'll be in Los Angeles at West Coast Baptist College, and then I'll be speaking at the Spiritual Leadership Conference out in LA coming up in about a week and a half. From there, come back and then off to North Carolina for a massive Republican gathering there. I'll be speaking at that, and then the following day, flying out to Iowa, where I'll be keen. Noting for the Republican Reagan dinner out in the Waterloo Cedar Rapids area.
So that's going to be a lot of fun. Then coming back, and I'll be at the Worldview weekend, which is going to be in Collierville. And you know why I love the local speaking and engagements? Because I have the Michelins on my pillows, and I don't travel with my pillow, but I need to. But I love it when I'm able to stay home and sleep with my pillows.
I mean, I don't care if it's the Ritz Carlton or the Waldorf Astoria. I got to have my pillow.
So, anyway, this is going to be a lot of fun. October 3rd and 4th, and it's right here in the Mid-South. And, folks, we need to be supporting conservative groups and organizations. And you need to be attending this 2025 annual Worldview Weekend conference. It's at the Herald Theater in Collierville, October 3rd and 4th.
And if you want information, go to WorldviewStore.com. That's WorldviewStore.com. As you heard, Gordon Chang is going to be one of the keynote speakers, a full lineup of folks. And I'll be bringing some remarks as well. Brandon House, you heard Sidney Powell's name mentioned as well.
So it's an all-star lineup there coming up at the Worldview Weekend in Collierville. Tennessee. President Trump yesterday at the Museum of the Bible. in Washington And the president delivering some really important remarks. On religious liberty in this country.
And as America is kicking off this 250th anniversary celebration, America 250, he's urging churches, he's urging Christians to pray and to lift the country up in prayer.
Now, the president late last night put out this new video that sort of encapsulates what he's asking us to do, cut number three. To all of the faith leaders, pastors, and patriots who have come to the Museum of the Bible for this historic meeting of the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty. Under the Trump administration, we're defending our rights and restoring our identity as a Nation under God, we will protect the Judeo-Christian principles of our founding. I am delighted to announce that just moments ago, I personally delivered the Trump Family Bible given to me by my mother. It was used in both my inaugurations and will now be displayed right in the heart of our nation's capital.
And it's an honor. For most of our country's history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation. Yet, in many schools today, students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda, and some are even punished for their religious beliefs. I'm pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools. And I created the first ever Department of Justice task force.
to eradicate anti-Christian bias. America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer, and we will never apologize for our faith, ever. Together we will make our country greater, stronger, more united, and more faithful than ever before. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.
Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. President. And I mean, it was a powerful day yesterday, and we dedicated pretty much the entire Newsmac show to various elements and components of what the President was trying to do here. You know, the President understands this, and I can tell you because I've asked him personally several times about this particular issue.
And he understands what our founding fathers did: that our faith, our Christian faith, Is the foundation of our country. Everything emanates from our Judeo-Christian values. This is why you have the Ten Commandments posted in the Supreme Court building. This is why you have in God We Trust on all of our currency. This is a foundational freedom.
Our very first freedom was freedom of religion. And when you take God out of the public marketplace, when you take faith out, and you shove it aside. You shut down our churches like they did during the China virus crisis. Then you get chaos in the culture. And that's why we're dealing with a lot of the problems we're dealing with today.
Because a lot of people, once they started shutting down the churches, they never went back once the churches reopened.
So President Trump Is really, I liken him to Dwight D. Eisenhower. You know, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the single most important president, and I would say the 20th century when it came to advancing religion in the public square. And it was Eisenhower who used his platform as president.
I write about this in my book, Star Spangled Blessings. It was Eisenhower who used the bully pulpit of the Oval Office. to encourage people to go to church, to get involved in Sunday school. and during his administration, his term in office, church attendance in America rose by twenty percent. And Trump understands that.
He understands the value. Reagan did as well. And Reagan really was really, he sort of came of age during Eisenhower's administration. I mean, coming of age politically. Because Ronald Reagan and William F.
Buckley Jr., and of course William F. Buckley Jr. was the really the father of the modern-day conservative movement. And he wrote a book called God and Man at Yale. William F.
Buckley Jr. was warning people back in the 1950s about the wokeness that was already happening within the Ivy League schools.
So when you, it's a fascinating story. But when you look at Reagan and Buckley and Eisenhower, they understood that our fight at the time, which was communism, was not a political fight, it was a moral and religious fight. And that is how they framed it. And here we are, so many years later, and we are still fighting that fight.
So, anyway, God bless President Trump for taking a stand so publicly. You know, I liken him a lot to George H.W. Bush, who was also a man of faith, but he never really felt comfortable talking about his faith in public. Trump, is he a pastor? No.
Sunday school teacher? No. Deacon? Uh-uh. I would say that Trump is probably like the average Christian in America.
And I know people People always ask me, well, because I do believe that Trump is a Christian, and I've had conversations with him, and those conversations will remain private. But I will tell you, they say, well, what is, well, how come he's not in church on Sunday? He's not on the golf course. What does that make him? I'm like, well, it makes him pretty much the average American Christian because they're all out on the golf course.
All right, we got to leave it there. We'll keep the conversation going at 11 o'clock. Jim Miller is standing by with your local headlines. Folks, get out there, make it a great day here in the mid-South.
