Vanity Fair Publishes Hit Piece on Trump Administration

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Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's conservative blowtorch. Yeah. That's right. I love this American. I've been reading through this Vanity Fair.

Expose, if you will. if if that's what we want to call it of President Trump and the administration. Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Todd Stearns Radio Program. I am your host, Todd Stearns, your voice of truth and hope across this great nation.

And I've been reading through this thing, it is massive. It's a two-parter, and I just wrapped up part one. Gotta get through part two. But a lot of people in Washington, everybody's talking about this inside the Beltway. I don't think anybody out in the hinterlands.

really cares one iota what Vanity Fair magazine has to say. But it is the the media is using this To beat up on Susie Wiles, who is President Trump's very Um affable and very capable. White House Chief of Staff. And Susie Wiles has been in the politics business for a very long time. Uh she is now she agreed to sit down for an interview with Vanity Fair.

And she talked about everything and everybody. And she's coming back now that the piece has come out. She's saying, well, you. You know, there was a lot of stuff that was taken out of context. They didn't use my full quotes.

And even even then I'm not seeing where there's a big problem here at all. She's very forthcoming about a lot of folks. I'm just telling you.

So I don't think it's that I don't think it's that earth-shattering to me, but People are taking this as a direct attack on Donald Trump. And I think one of the reasons they're doing that is they see this as a possible opportunity for. For Susie Wiles to get the heave-hoe, even though she did nothing wrong.

Well, she did one thing wrong, and I'll get to that in just a moment. But one of the things I found fascinating is that Uh she Does not approve of the job that Pampandi is doing. And I was very happy to hear that. I'm glad somebody in the White House. Sees what the rest of us see is that Pam Bondi is in over her skis right now.

When it comes to all of these investigations, because nobody's been arrested, nobody's been prosecuted, nobody's been charged with anything. And soon the statute of limitations will kick in. And nobody's gonna we will never have justice for President Trump. And that's really what I'm after here is I think we need justice for President Donald J. Trump.

Everybody who said that he did very inappropriate things with A Ladies of the Evening in Russia That he did other inappropriate things in a hotel room in Russia. It turned out all to be not true. Not true. By the way, there's a new report out just now on Fox. Turns out the FBI did not believe it had probable cause to raid President Trump's home.

You might remember in Mar-a-Laco the predawn guns drawn raid. where they rummaged through Melania Trump's private things They went through Baron Trump's bedroom. And apparently, according to the Fox reporting, And they've reviewed dozens of emails between the FBI and the Justice Department. That the FBI knew they did not have probable calls, but the Biden Justice Department was. was tightening the screws.

One official saying he quote did not give a damn about the optics of the search. These are all newly declassified documents that Fox News is. Is reviewing and they're releasing whatever details, the drips and drabs, as they come.

So in other words, they had no right. To do what they did to President Trump. I mean, this is heinous behavior. by the previous administration. But we should not be surprised by all of this.

So, anyway, we will see how all this plays out. People are saying, oh, Trump's going to fire Susie Watt. No, I don't think he is. I I really don't. I I she's doing her job.

She was quoted as saying. And this is getting a lot of play. That and by the way, the author of the piece. Did 11 Interviews With Miss Wiles, and he's written books on previous White House Chiefs of Staff. She said that mister Trump has an alcoholics personality.

Vice President J.D. Vance has been a conspiracy theorist for a decade. And his conversion from Trump critic to ally was not based on principle, but was sort of political because he was running for Senate. May I stop right here? Everything she's saying is true.

It's true. JD Vance is Not an authentic America first guy. I mean, he may become one. But just because you say you are doesn't exactly make you one. Anyway, let's go on here.

She also said that Elon Musk is an avowed ketamine user and calling him an odd-odd duck. She said his actions were not always rational and left her aghast. She talked about Russell Vogt, the budget director, a right-wing absolute zealot. I got no problem with that. I know people are going to take that as an affront.

I've got no problem with that. We need somebody in there who's from the right wing of the p of the party. She said that Attorney General Pam Bondi completely whiffed in handling the Epstein files.

Now, I don't know what was taken out of context here. It seems to me she's got a pretty good read on everybody. They're at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But people are saying, oh, she's got to go. She can't be trusted anymore.

What are you talking about? This is insane. As a matter of fact, I would contend that having Susie Wiles there is the best thing that Donald Trump can do, because we all know how the President is. He sort of does things off the cuff. Susie Wiles keeps all the trains running on time, as best she can, because ultimately, President Trump is running the show.

So, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this, ladies and gentlemen. Does Susie Wiles need to stay? Does she need to go? How do you think President Trump is doing right now? You know, a lot of people are really fired up over Over the President's comments about Rob Reiner yesterday.

I want to talk about that for just a moment. But let me say the one thing Susie Wiles did. That I've got a problem with. Why are you going to talk to Vanity Fair? Wh why is that?

You've got all of these. Look, it happens all the time. All the time. These Republicans love doing the sit-down interviews with the New York Times, with The Atlantic, with Vanity Fair, because The New Yorker, because it gives them. Street credit.

It gives them. It's almost as if they've arrived. It's sort of like, I'll give you a great example. For all of us who write books, all of us who are authors, we all. aim to eventually be on the New York Times bestseller list.

And why? Because that is a point of prestige. And that's, I mean, it doesn't mean you agree with the New York Times, but they are sort of like the benchmark. That is when you know you've arrived as an author, when you've hit that New York Times bestseller list.

So for Susie Wiles and all these other folk on the Republican side, they don't give them the time of day, right?

So we knew going into all of this, and she should have known going into all of this, that everything was going to be taken out of context. That's why My encouragement to you is if you're doing an interview, With somebody, and it doesn't really matter who it is, record everything. Record it all 901-260-5926. Our telephone number, that's 901-260-5926. Let's start the day in beautiful Texas.

Johnny, listening to us on Patriot Talk 920. Johnny, what's going on? That's hard.

Well, you were talking about justice for President Trump. And I was just wondering how about justice for the J Sixers? And even those that didn't go to DC on january sixth, but more importantly, justice for Ashley Babbitt and the two other ladies that were murdered. On January 6th. I don't think you're going to get justice.

I really don't, Johnny. I don't think that's going to happen. Um I know President Trump is issuing a lot of pardons. And that goes a step. towards righting a lot of wrongs.

Johnny, my take on that has never wavered. If you walked into that building on J6 and you did something wrong, you broke the law, you broke into somebody's office, you stole something. Then you get what's coming at you. That's just the way I look at it. But if you're there and you're engaging in your civil liberties, if you're there and you were invited into the building by someone in law enforcement and they moved the police barricades for you, you've done nothing wrong at all.

And a lot of those people, Johnny, got arrested and stayed in jail for a very long time. Those are the people that I feel bad for. Yeah. I I do two talks. But to Um go back to them breaking into government buildings.

Those buildings could only be opened from the inside. Plus, there were. videos of police officers waving people in. Our security officers Waven people live. And I hadn't heard anybody.

that had stolen anything.

Now there were some windows breaking broken. But I also hear that those were Black Lives Matter people, which cannot be proven. But that's the word that's been put out.

So there may have been a few window breakers But other than that, everybody else was invited in Now the cops that got Pushed that were protect keeping people away from that woman that was dying. Mm-hmm. They got pushed. And they'd be punched. But I think those were the criminals in that event.

Well, let me say this, Johnny, because I don't want to re-litigate J6 right now. But what I will say is this: I don't believe. Justice will be coming. I don't believe we'll ever fully understand exactly what happened on that day because they don't want us to understand. They don't want us to know.

And that's why I don't, you know, don't let your eyes deceive you. Because what you see may not actually be happening. And as we have learned, dozens and dozens of FBI agents so there was a lot of stuff that happened on J six that doesn't make any sense. Johnny, thank you for the call. Got to run.

901-260-5926 or telephone. And we have a great show for you coming up. We're just going to have a little bit. It's been already a very difficult week. The last hour of today's show, we're going to have some fun Christmas trivia with our good friend Mary Walter.

Aiden Pettit's going to drop. It's going to be a lot of fun. You're going to want to stick around for that. Josh Jones is here in the second hour to talk about politics, where we're looking right now as we head into the midterms. Speaker Mike Johnson, as a matter of fact, Actually, said, and I want to play this little clip here from the speaker.

Earlier today up on Capitol Hill, cut eight. Very aggressive legislative agenda coming right out of the gates in January. We are going to continue to work, for example, on health care to continue to bring costs down for the American people, to bring down the cost of living overall. You are going to see an aggressive affordability agenda, and we are going to see continued codification of the President's executive orders. He is up to about 200 of those.

Probably about 150 of them are codifiable by Congress, and we are working steadily through that list. You are going to see us delivering for the American people while the effects of that giant piece of legislation that we did on July 4th, got signed on July 4th, come into implementation.

So much more, much more yet to do. And the President and I talk about that almost every day, and he's excited about it, and I am. Yeah, that guy is full of crap. Let me explain something here. I appreciate what he said, and I hope that he actually delivers on this promise.

But why are we waiting until January to start this surge? Why didn't we start surging after Trump? Trump's hand came off the Bible on Inauguration Day, and he said, So help me God. What exactly are these people waiting for for crying out loud?

So, I hope they do decide to put things into turbocharge mode. I I hope that happens, but I I mean they could have they could have been doing it already. They could have actually said, Mr. President, we've already codified everything you sent. Can you send us some more executive orders?

Can you do that, Mr. President?

So, I don't know what, you know, I don't know what this guy's talking about. You know, they're about to go on vacation. You know that, right?

So, they're all about to leave and they're about to go back to their districts, and they'll be back in January. That's what, and nothing's gotten done.

Now, I will say this as we go to break, and we do have to go to break, but bear with me on this. The one redeeming factor is, I do believe, based on the data I'm looking at. The economy is going to surge in 2026 as a result of the Big Beautiful bill. If that happens at just the right time, I think that you are going to see very happy people going and voting on. on election day.

I really do.

So that is the one redeeming grace here with the do-nothing Republicans in Congress. All right, we'll be right back. Hey, folks, Angel Studios is having their biggest sale of the year, and it's one you don't want to miss. Right now, you can get an Angel Guild membership for as low as $6.99 a month for 12 months, plus two free tickets to see David, the brand new animated musical about the Shepherd boy who became a king in theaters this Christmas. A deal so good it pays for itself.

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So, there you go. All right. Um, We're going to talk about Brown University when we come back. They don't want you to know what really happened at that school.

Now, yesterday there was a press conference. We carried it live on Newsmax. And the DEI crowd. They were horrified because people are asking tough questions. I like these reporters up in Boston, they don't mess around.

And the question was asked multiple times: what did the guy yell before he started shooting? Students are saying that the government started yelling Allah Akbar. The police refused to comment. They refused to say one way or the other.

So I'm just curious: what's your take on what's happening there at Brown University? We'll have more to say about that coming up next. 901-260-5926. This is the Todd Stern Show. Every so often, a film comes along that challenges us to look closer at what's happening in our own backyard.

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So here's the headline in the Washington Compost.

Some Republican lawmakers call for mass expulsion. of American Muslims. Two Republicans in Congress are calling for the mass expulsion of Muslims from the United States following the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia over the weekend. Amplifying an increasingly brazen Islamophobic sentiment within the party. This written by the journalist Matthew Choi.

Congressman Randy Fine is going to be on my Newsmax show tonight. Here's what he said. In social media, I want to read this to you. It's time for a Muslim travel ban, radical deportations of all mainstream Muslim legal and illegal immigrants, and citizenship revocations wherever possible. Mainstream Muslims have declared war on us.

The least we can do is kick them the hell out of America. Senator Tommy Tubberville, who we will hear from just momentarily. said Islam is not a religion, it's a cult. Islamists are not here to assimilate, they are here to conquer. We've got to send them home now, or we'll become the United Caliphate of America.

Now, this is pretty strong rhetoric here, ladies and gentlemen, because Congressman Randy Fine says: send them all back. Legal and illegal. I'm curious to hear from you. What should we do? Do we round everybody up who is a Muslim and send them back to their home country?

Is that the right answer? 901-260-5926, our telephone number. That's 901-266. 260-5926.

Now, last night, Senator Tuberville was on my Newsmax show. And he's fired up over this, and we talked about it. We also talked about the young lady who was killed. They're at Brown University. She is from right outside of Birmingham, Alabama.

Flags across Alabama, rather, flying. Um and half staff today. Let's take a listen to the Senator.

Well, joining now is Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama running for governor. Senator, good to have you with us. We understand that Ella was actually born and raised in Mountain Brook. What can you tell us about this young lady?

Well, thank you, Todd, for having me on. Yeah, it's a tough time. We're all heartbroken. She um He grew up in Mountain Brook, which is a suburb of Birmingham. and she was part of the Republican Party.

And at Brown University. And herself and Another person from Virginia lost their lives in a ridiculous uh Show of rage. And as you said, we're seeing more and more of it. It started with President Trump, went to Charlie Kirk. And now, Ella.

You know, and we're not going to speculate on this until something happens, but. There's a lot of coincidences here, and again, we're all heartbroken. I know I can't imagine being the parents. Of Ella and what they're thinking today, and getting ready, or in right in the middle of holiday season, and something like this happens, it just absolutely breaks your heart. This is a This is an example of what happens when you have open borders, folks, in this country.

We told people this. And again, this could have been somebody that was a true American, that was already here. Uh but the chances of that being being going in that direction is very, very slim. Senator, speaking of that, we had heard eyewitness accounts saying the shooter yelled something before opening fire. Reporters asked authorities for the details on that, and here's what they said.

Let's listen. It's all details that are important. It's all part of the complex investigation that I spoke about earlier. I'm not ready to confirm or comment on any of that. Again, I got to respect the process.

And so at this point, we're just going to continue, like the mayor stated. It's complex, but we want to make sure that we have a successful prosecution. And that's more important to me than right now to give you something. that that that just it could you know it's not appropriate Senator, they don't have anything. This is the craziest investigation.

I don't know if you've watched these press conferences. People there are losing their minds. They're going bonkers over this. Yeah, I've watched the press conference of the president. And uh of Brown University, and six hours after the shooting, She didn't have a clue.

I mean, she just was confused. She didn't know why the students were in the classroom. Uh, I had more information than she did, and uh, I was just reading it online and reading reports. Uh, it looks like she. She's uh she was very unprepared, but Again, we want to make sure that whoever did this pays the price.

We won't jump to speculation, but I tell you, there's a lot of smoke. in this country right now around uh Republicans being Hanid. And Looked at You know, you got Chuck Schumer and all these people that always come out and say, you know, our hearts are broken and all these things. And they just stand up for the other side every time. That us as Republicans and Christians and conservatives stand up and say, listen, did y'all know the borders are open?

I mean, it just. It really makes you mad, but all they want is power. And again, Hopefully, people are watching what's going on and listening and understanding the situation that this country is in. We're in a tough, tough situation with all these people in this country that do not like. Christian conservative Republicans.

Yeah, and to that point, you've been an outspoken critic of the Islamists. I mean, over the weekend, we had two Army National Guard members killed by Muslims in Syria. Those two from Iowa were dealing with the situation down in Australia. And you're right, where there's smoke, sometimes there is fire when it comes to whatever happened in Providence, Rhode Island. What sort of threat do the Islamists pose to the homeland, Senator?

Radical Islamic terrorism is becoming more and more rampant. In almost every state. I mean, it's not just blue states or the big cities. It is running all over the country. I was reading a report just last week that there are 50 mosques in Dallas, Texas alone.

50. They're building them all over the country.

Now, listen, we're a Country that believes in freedom and especially freedom of religion. But this is not a religion. This is a cult. This is something that They're going to indoctrinate people in. They believe in the Quran.

The Quran says, kill the infidels, and an infidel is somebody that's not a Muslim that doesn't believe in the Muslim faith. And so We've got to be educated on this, and I've been on the Senate floor three times and been looking for some people to stand up and support. Uh, the things that I've been saying, uh, along with other people up here, but uh, it seems like people. Don't want to say anything, but I'm going to tell you, we better get off the fence on this and see the writing on the wall and understand what's happening in our country. We believe in Judo-Christian values and don't bring that nonsense here that tries to tear that down our Constitution and the beliefs that have built this country for 250 years.

I'm scared to death, Todd. The next 200, this next year. the celebration of two hundred fifty years of this country, all the celebrations that are going on, I don't know whether we've got enough security to protect ourselves. MyPellow is excited to announce they're having their biggest three-in-one sale ever with a limited edition product, a back-in-stock special, and a close-out deal you won't find anywhere else. MyPillow bed sheets, only $29.88, any color, any style, any size, even Kings.

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All right, let's go to the phone lines. Moorhead City, North Carolina. Tim is on the line. Hi, Tim. What's going on?

Hey, Todd, and uh in memory of our dear departed rush, Uh Want to agree with the Representative. Gittos. to that, to everything that he said and I I'm thinking that I have mentioned this because you've had this topic on the program before. And just something to keep in mind, I don't know whether people connect the dots on this. Or not, but And there's an awful lot of But people have Islamic background will say that moved to this country, raised, begin to raise families, and they're no different than anybody else.

That they may have that as their religion somewhere in the background. But you know, in the south we would say, well, you can become sort of you can slide back, you can become a little backslidden in your attention that you're giving to your faith.

So the same thing happens to them, and that's really a part of the problem. It's because as this movement grows and these mocks are built, Well, they they do outreach to their community and It's the problem is is when they sort of come to life with the the Koran and what their what their book teaches And my goodness, we know what's there.

So when they wake up to uh To what their faith really teaches, it becomes dangerous. And this you know, the problem with Islam is It's not just a religion. It's a political system. that that controls the individual completely And and they if they're if they're being Fair with the teachings of the prophet, they cannot settle for anything less. Anything less is just a version that's not the real deal.

So. That's the problem. And and I You know, and you say, Well, how can you as a Christian Even speak that way, and well, I love everybody, and I'm willing to sit down and. and be a gospel witness to anyone, including Muslim people. I love everyone.

I want them to come. to the knowledge of Christ. But for goodness' sake, if we don't have our eyes wide open, and understand what we're up against. Yeah. It it's it's uh it's not going to turn out well.

For any Western country to accept refugees from Gaza. That is you're committing suicide. I mean, there's a reason why not even the Arabs in that part of the world don't want to let the uh the folks from that area of Gaza Into their countries. There's a reason why. And yet, many Western countries are opening up their arms.

To the Gazans, and it is going to end in disaster. And we know that because all you have to do is look across Western Europe right now and look at what's happening in this country. Where we by the way, we had in Washington state a police officer was ambushed by a Muslim man. And fortunately, the police officer is going to be able to he's going to survive, which is great news. We still don't know what's happening at Brown University.

That very well could have been a terrorist attack. committed in the name of the religion of peace. But yeah, Tim, I think there's something to what you say here. The question is: does everybody need to go? How do you determine that?

And that will be the debate within Congress if it ever gets to that point. But right now, we need to figure out who the bad guys are, and that may be an impossible task. I mean, we've had millions of people crossing the border, and we just don't know who they are.

Well, that's exactly right. Tim, thank you so much for the call, and thank you for listening today. Dylan, did you catch the over the weekend? The Heisman Trophy was presented. And man, that was pretty remarkable.

He's a pretty stand-up guy, in my opinion. Fernando Mendoza. You're not talking about the Vanderbilt guy, are you? Javier, no, absolutely not. Quite the opposite, actually.

Wow. Night and day difference between the two. And uh so anyway, the Fernando Mendoza Um whose family comes from his grandparents, both both sets of grandparents. came to America from Cuba. back in the nineteen fifties And he is a very, he's a devout Catholic.

He goes to Mass every single day. He does Bible study. And I'm telling to the mom. She has MS, and she was just beaming with joy. By the way, I didn't realize, you know, he's got a younger brother.

who's a quarterback at Indiana as well. Mm-hmm. Yep. They play together, which is pretty cool.

So I wanted to play a bit of the remarks from Fernando Mendoza. Take a listen. First I wanna thank God for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt the world away. In fourth grade, I was a new kid on the park football team. Didn't know a single teammate and was fourth on the depth chart.

By mid-season, I wanted to get out of there, I wanted to quit. My parents said I had to finish what I started.

So I learned to embrace my team, and that is when I fell in love with football. But my family's unconditional love and belief Kept me going and pushed me forward. These are the people who built me long before football did. Mommy. This is your trophy as much as it is mine.

You've always been my biggest fan. You're my light. You're my why. You're my biggest supporter. Your sacrifices, courage, love, those have been my first playbook and the playbook that I'm going to carry through my side through my entire life.

You taught me that toughness doesn't need to be loud. It can be quiet and strong. It's choosing hope. It's believing in yourself when the world doesn't give you much reason to. Together, you and I are rewriting what people think is possible.

I want every kid out there who feels overlooked. underestimated to know I was you. I was that kid too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don't need the most stars, hype, or rankings.

You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you. And you need to believe in your own abilities. I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem. God bless go hoojas. Thank you guys.

You're getting a little misty there, Dylan. I did. Actually, the first time I saw that, You know, he thanked pretty much every single family member that was there. Yeah. And it was pretty remarkable just to see how great of a season they've had so far and just.

the stand-up speech that he gave, it was just very humble and He said so many times, this trophy is about the team. It's not my trophy. It's your trophy. It's like. Yeah, that's just cool to hear.

And all of the finalists dressed in suits with ties. Except for one guy. Yeah. The ego. You know, it's interesting.

He wore a, and this is not a good look for him. He He wore a turtleneck which looks like it's about to consume his entire head. I mean, it goes all the way up to the chin. Yeah. It's a smidge too large, I'm afraid.

He's got the gold chains hanging down. And he and his brothers were coming in like it was, I don't know, Scarface. Yeah. I was looking for Al Pacino. Yeah, if you look at him, he's quite the opposite of Fernando Mendoza and actually all the nominees.

He's like the one standout that you're like.

Okay, he had a great season. Like Vanderbilt, who would have thought they would have had this season? He led them there. But man, he just got an ego about him that just that either works or it really doesn't. And this time, I don't think it works.

Yeah, saying F all the voters. Yeah, that's not. Yeah, that's not a good start. Not great. Not great.

No.

So anyway, the athletic director at Vandervelt has just put out a statement. Because my contention is it his behavior was so bad. They should have benched the guy. You got to set an example. Yeah.

As a quarterback, especially. Especially, absolutely.

So, anyway, Candace Lee says Diego knows his actions were unacceptable and he has apologized. I know he is contrite and regrets the hurt he caused. Really? I don't think so. I don't think, as a matter of fact, I don't even think he wrote the apology statement.

No.

He is a passionate and authentic competitor, and while his authenticity has been nurtured and celebrated here, it does not change the responsibility that comes with representing Vanderbilt. We believe in growth. And accountability, and we will continue to support Diego as he learns from this moment. Oh, he's not they're not benching him. They're not going to bench him.

No, probably not. But they should. They should. He should not be able to play his ballgame. I mean, that's just not a class act.

That's just disrespectful to the Heisman ceremony. It's really not about you. I mean, it's, yeah. Factory. Still can't get.

The the brothers coming in. And they looked like they were about ready to. I don't know. It was like ready to throw down, like you're in Westside Story. Probably, they probably were going to, yeah.

I don't know. Anyway, there you go. Pavia says, I didn't handle those emotions well. No, no, you didn't. Did not represent myself the way I wanted to.

I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters in the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry.

Well, there you go. All right, um Hang tight, everybody. Hour two coming up. We've got a great trivia hour. We're going to have a lot of fun in hour three.

901-260-5926. Our telephone number. This is the Tom Starring Show. As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture.

and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result? A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference.

The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.

So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's favorite gun-totin, Bible-clanging, deplorable American. That's us! That's right!

Hello. Love is American. Todd start. All right, GD Vance. Is giving a speech in Pennsylvania, and we're going to be pulling some great audio.

From that speech, Advance going after Vanity Fair for this nasty hit piece. And it seems as though Vanity Fair was trying to take out Susie Wiles. I don't think that's going to happen. Don Jr. posting a pretty lavish bit of praise for the White House chief of staff.

And um Susie Wiles is a deeply loyal person to President Trump.

So, anyway, welcome. Good to have you with us. We'll keep you updated. This, it's going to get a little noisy. I just.

I don't see anything in there that Trump should be upset about. And everything she said about the cabinet members, I believe to be true.

So I just don't, I yeah, I think everything's going to be okay here. A big nothing burger, ladies and gentlemen. Hey, great to have you with us. 901-260-5926, our telephone number, that's 901-260-5926.

So look, I um Got an update.

Someone sent me. An an article this morning. From W the Washington Stand. And we had a reporter on a c well, was it about a week or so ago? Talking about this crazy Chick-fil-A story.

So you had a franchise in Utah. And the franchise was celebrating a gay marriage. Two dudes got hitched and They took some photographs here at the Chick-fil-A and Chick-fil-A posted them on the Facebook page and.

Well, all you know what, broke loose.

So apparently Some of you folks decided to reach out to Chick-fil-A and say, Hey, you know, um we saw the photographs, what's going on here? You know, back in twenty twelve, we all took to the streets, we marched in support of Chick-fil-A. We vowed to lay down our lives in the drive-through. For Chick-fil-A, the official chicken of Jesus.

So what's going on? And it turns out that Chick-fil-A responded, and they responded by doubling down on their change in company policy. And I'm just, pardon me, I'm just somewhat baffled by all of this because it's sort of like the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts won all their lawsuits, so they really did not have to change the ethos of what it meant to be a Boy Scout, but they did. They decided to go down that slippery little slope, and now they don't even call them Boy Scouts anymore.

I mean, that's how quickly it happened. Really unfortunate.

So anyway, um Chick-fil-A Sent a reply to a number of people. And the Washington stand got a hold of it. And I want to read to you what Chick-fil-A wrote to the people that, and these are Christians. And for whatever reason, let me back up here for just a moment because I do like Chick-fil-A. I think they've got a great chicken sandwich.

I like the nuggets. They're great. The sides, I wish they'd bring back the coleslaw and the carrot salad, but you can't have everything in life. I get that. But not a big fan of the waffle fries.

Never have been. But I just, is it worth saying, you know what? I'm never going to do business at Chick-fil-A. and I know a lot of you folks like to do the boycotts, and especially in the Christian world. And I love this because there was a time we were all boycotting Disney World.

And I don't think anybody actually boycotted Disney World because all the churches still took their youth groups down to Disney World, but they weren't going for vacation. They called it a air quotes. Mission Trip Kind of look like a vacation to me, but okay, I got you. Whatever. I don't judge.

So Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A writes this letter. And it says, Dear so and so, thank you for contacting us. Cheek-filt embraces all people. Regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

We just want our Patrons too. keep ordering those delicious, juicy, breast tucked between hot buttered buns. I added that part in there. Chick-fil-A is committed to being better at together. All right, I'm going to stop here.

Dylan, you're going to have to help me out here because you're a Gen Zero. I mean, you're with the culture. What does that mean? Better at together? That beats me.

I don't know. So you're trying to so is that they're implying that if you're together, you may like be what fighting or arguing, or maybe you don't want to be together.

So we got to work better at being Together? That's like a marriage counselling or something? Man, I just want a chicken sandwich. Why do I have to go to counseling, man? You know, chicken heels.

Man, this is like Starbucks. You know, they're doing the same thing Starbucks. Remember? All right. Hey, by the way, Starbucks.

Hi, this is Starbucks HQ while you're in the line, waiting for them to misspell your name on the cup. Why don't you strike up a conversation about race relations with the black guy standing behind you? Wait, what? No, don't come at me with that before I've had my first cup of coffee. What's wrong with you?

And it's two D's. That was a long time ago. They they gave you one? Yeah, the I they do the one D O D. Yeah.

A TOD time. Tood? Trude? It's Todd. Todd T-O-D-D.

Anyway, it was a long time ago. I've I'm a yeah. Pure I'm a Pure roast guy now.

So Chick-fil-A goes on to say. Pardon me, I haven't even gotten through uh through three sentences yet. Chink-filae is committed to being better at together. By embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do.

So that weird little taste in the grilled nuggets? That's DEI. They've like infused it in there. It's got a really bad aftertaste. Chick-fil-A goes on to say: We strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.

We do this by focusing on Chick-fil-A's four corporate social responsibility pillars. Caring for people, caring for our communities, caring for others through our food, and caring for our planet. Oh, geez, Alude, they're. Um They're tree hungers. To learn more, visit our Giving Back page and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.

Yeah, gonna take a Take a pass. That's a hard no for me. That's a hard no. You know, it's interesting, when you go to Popeyes or Bojangles or KFC, they don't ask you about all this crap. What's going on at Chick-fil-A?

So, anyway, Washington Stand is affiliated with the Family Research Council, and this is a big B in their bonnet. And they're basically accusing Chick-fil-A. betraying all of you folks. But I think they got you snookered. And by they, I mean all of us, I think they snookered all of us.

I think they were like this all along. Remember, there was a story. I don't know if you remember this. You know, what's it? The rap artist, LeCrae.

Oh, yes. I don't think he likes white folks anymore. He's gone a little squirrely. He's gone through that whole like critical race theory stuff.

So he was on stage with Dan Cathy, who took over Chick-fil-A after Truett Cathy passed on. Dan Cathy, his son. And Dan Kathy was on stage at a church in the NA in the Atlanta area, pastored by a guy by the name of Louis Giglio. And it's one of these. I'm going to get in so much trouble.

It's a woke church. And I say that because of what happened on the stage. When Dan Cathy felt the need to repent of his whiteness. And so he took out a shoeshine box. and he asked to shine the shoes of Lecrae.

which was a little weird. Not just for Lecrae, but for everybody watching. It was the craziest thing anybody had ever seen. But again, this is what happens when you go down this weird, slippery slope. You push aside the values that got you to where you are.

And now you're just like everybody else. And it won't be long before they are open on Sundays. I have no doubt about that.

So again, the mission statement says to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. I don't believe you can glorify God with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. I think those policies fly in the face of God. But that's just me.

So, anyway, I don't know if this bothers you in the least. I know a lot of you love Chick-fil-A. A lot of you stood in the lines, you marched. You ate it Chick-fil-A. You sacrificed because it cost an arm and a leg.

To go eat there. It's expensive, Dylan. Yeah, they've rate. Yeah. Oh, the chicken sandwich is like $7 now almost.

I'll have to check what the upside app is. Maybe it'll knock off a couple of bucks and put it back in my pocket. Let's hope.

So anyway, uh there you go. Yeah. A former manager of a North Carolina Chick-fil-A. Said, many think they hold to great values. I beg to differ.

They uphold great standards of customer service, but that does not equate to values.

Well, I, yeah. I agree with that. It's a fair point. All right, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Chick-fil-A, they've done, gone, woke.

901-260-5926. Our telephone number, that's 901-260-5926. We'll be right back. As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and cookies with just the right texture.

and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is Kerry gold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result? A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference.

The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.

So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Unfortunately, I have to ask a bit of an off-topic question from affordability because news events do intervene, and that is the interviews that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles gave to Vanity Fair, in which she's quoted as referring to you as Excuse me, and again, not my words, sir, but a conspiracy theorist of a decade and described. Your transformation from someone who once opposed President Trump to now his vice president is an act of political expediency. And I'd like to give you the chance to respond to that, sir.

Well, first of all, if if uh If Suzy I'll trust what you said. I haven't looked at the article. I, of course, have heard about it. But conspiracy theorist.

Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true. And by the way, Susie and I have joked in private and in public about that for a long time. For example, I believed in the crazy conspiracy theory back in 2020 that it was stupid to mask three-year-olds at the height of the COVID pandemic, that we should actually let them develop some language skills. You know, I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job. And I believed in the conspiracy theory that Joe Biden was trying to throw his political opponents in jail rather than win an argument against his political opponents.

So. At least on some of these conspiracy theories, it turns out that a conspiracy theory is just something that was true six months before the media admitted it. And that's my understanding.

Now, look, I do want to say something about Susie, though, because, again, having not read this article. Susie is a person I've come to know very, very well. And a lot of you probably ask yourself: what is it like behind the scenes? What's going on, actually, behind the scenes of the Trump administration? And I'll tell you: the president is exactly in private who he is in public.

Like, I'll tell you a little story. A few, maybe actually a week or so ago, I walk into the Oval Office, and Marco and I are sitting there talking with the President about something. He says, Stop. And he looks at our shoes and says, you guys have terrible shoes.

So he goes and gets a shoe catalog.

Now, remember, this is the Christmas season, so the president's got some holiday cheer. He goes and gets a shoe catalog and gets his favorite shoes and orders. Like four pairs of shoes for me and four pairs of shoes for Marco because he's like, you know, we need our Vice President or Secretary of State to look their very best. And you know, then we went back to talking about whatever major international issue we were talking about. Again, he is exactly in private who he is in public.

That's not true of most people in Washington, D.C. It's not. And I've seen so many people who will say one thing to the President's face, Democrats and Republicans, and then will do the exact opposite behind the scenes. You know what they are. And you know why I really love Susie Wiles?

Because Susie is who she is in the President's presence. She's the same exact person when the President isn't around. I've never seen Susie Wiles Say something to the president and then go and counteract him or subvert his will behind the scenes. And that's what you want in a staffer. Because as much as I love Susie, the American people didn't elect any staffer, they elected the president of the United States.

And what you want. And what you want in a staffer is a person who understands they are there to effectuate the will of the American people, and they're there to follow the orders of the duly elected Commander-in-Chief of the United States. And Susie Wiles, we have our disagreements. We agree on much more than we disagree, but I've never seen her be disloyal to the President of the United States, and that makes her the best White House Chief of Staff that I think the President could ask for. And the last thing I'll say is: if any of us have learned a lesson.

From that Vanity Fair article, I hope that the lesson is we should be giving fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets.

So So with that lesson internalized, I'm going to stop taking questions and just leave you with one final note, and again, it's just a note of gratitude. This is the coolest job I've ever had. Agree with us or disagree with us. I'm sure that every single person in this room. Made something happen to get me to this job.

You went out there and voted, maybe you persuaded one of your relatives to vote, maybe even volunteered, or knocked on doors, or made phone calls for us. All right, there you have it. J.D. Vance giving a lengthy endorsement and defense of Susie Wiles. After that weird Vanity Fair article.

And really, when you read through, and I did, I spent a lot of time this morning, it's a very lengthy piece. But it's really clear with how the author describes certain events, you can tell. That he's a leftist and that he had an agenda just by the way he framed a word or two or a sentence here and there.

So, anyway, I don't think Susie, I don't think Susie's in trouble at all. A lot of people in the administration are coming to her side. I do think that there was an effort within the media. and the media establishment. To try and take her out, and I don't think it worked.

Oh, by the way, Ann Coulter's back in the news. Remember, Ann Coulter? It's been a while. Used to have her on the show all the time back in the day. Anyway, Ann Coulter is disgusted by Trump.

She's disgusted by MegaWorld. because of your reaction to Rob Reiner's Murder. I want to play something for you. And this is, again, this is just the context. I'm not saying what the president did was right.

I'm just providing you the context. The President really doesn't like Rob Reiner, and here's the reason why. Cut number six. We have a racist in the White House. We have a sexist in the White House, and he is tearing away at the fabric of our democracy.

The single most unqualified. Human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States. He's mentally unfit. People always say he could redo all the family. I said, what do you mean?

We're living it. We've got Archie in the White House. He always, when he quotes something, That isn't him, and they're talking about Donald Trump. He goes, Will Donald Trump? Every character is exactly the same.

Will Donald Trump every time. And he always does that walk where he does like this, you know. Always. The problem he has, as far as I can see, is that he's a pathological liar. People have to understand our democracy is being taken away from us.

Make no mistake, we have a year. before this country becomes a full-on autocracy. This is not a political party anymore. I don't know what this is. I believe there's a Christian nationalist movement that's very strong.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the context. As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland.

The result? A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.

So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Uh All right, welcome back, everybody. Before we get to Josh Jones, I want to go to. Kristen, who's calling in, listening to us on the great WSIC.

And, Kristen, I understand that you want to weigh in on this Rob Reiner controversy. Yes, sir. How are you today, Mr. Starr? You know, I'm doing well, I think.

Thank you for asking.

Well, I just wanted to call in today. I'm a young conservative Republican, twenty three years old. Most importantly, I'm a follower of Jesus. And mom and I listen at my lunch break to your show every day.

So we just appreciate what you do for. telling people the truth and highlighting Jesus Christ, which is of utmost importance. But today I just wanted to talk about this Rob Reiner situation and President Trump's response. To be honest with you, Mr. Starnes, I was a little bit disappointed in what President Trump had to say.

Just considering what has happened with Charlie Kirk, And even when Charlie Kirk passed away, surprisingly, Mr. Reiner had. A very nice statement that he put out about Charlie's murder and said: no matter what, it's wrong to murder someone for their political party, political belief. And I did appreciate that while mister Reiner had seized some pretty hateful rhetoric regarding President Trump, But just considering the recent events, I do wish that maybe he would have left out the last part of his statement talking about him having TDS and whatnot. Because regardless, at the end of the day, this is a tragic, Tragic situation.

A family has lost a father, and it's just terrible. But we still extend the grace that Jesus would give to us. And even yesterday, I was listening to the Charlie Kirk show, and they even acknowledged they wished he would have said something different, just considering the kindness that Mr. Reiner had showed them in light of Charlie's murder. But I was just a little bit disappointed, not shocked, but disappointed.

There were a couple of good places for a period in that sentence, and everything would have been just fine. Thank you. No, look, I hear you, Kristen. And I'm just, again, I'm not justifying what the president said. I'm just trying to provide the context because this is a very transactional president, and this is not the first time he's gone down this path.

Now, I was raised that if you don't have anything nice to say, if you don't have anything nice to say about somebody, just hush up. And that's, you know. That served me quite well over my years. Yes, sir. I would tend to agree with that.

And we can't expect President Trump to always have that same view because he's going to say what he thinks. And that's the reason a lot of us love him is because he is so Him, unapologetically, him for just talking about he's the same person behind closed doors as he is to all of us.

So I do appreciate authenticity at the end of the day.

Well, there you go. Kristen, you're looking for that silver lining, and I think you found it there. Kristen, thank you for calling in. Tell your mom I said hello, and thank her for listening as well. Let's go to our Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line and bring in our great Republican strategist.

Josh, you know, sometimes you got your candidates out there and they're cooking with gas, as they say, and then sometimes they say something. And it's like, oh wow, didn't see that coming. Yeah, I think that's kind of the situation you have of Trump right now, unfortunately. And it's a good thing that, you know, across the political spectrum, you know, on the Republican side of things, people are like, well, maybe that one's a step too far.

So I'm glad there's kind of a consensus there. Because to your point, the president is a very transactional president. And look, I mean, he's been under constant attack from the left for the past 10 years, basically at this point. Doesn't justify it, but important to provide context there. But I'm glad there's been kind of a universal calling of dialing down the temperature a little bit.

Yeah, I don't think it's going to work. But Trump is, I mean, he doubled down yesterday. They, you know, they brought it up in the press gathering, and he sort of doubled down on what he had to say. But again, this is, I think, this may be short-lived. I don't know.

I just don't know. It just seems like there's a lot of noise right now. And Josh, I think the American people are. Going to be looking for results, especially when the big, beautiful bill takes effect. Yeah, you're absolutely correct.

Because, I mean, at the end of the day, this is a blip on the political radar and a news cycle is going to move on in a day or two. But what's really going to matter and going to be consistent from now until the midterms next year is going to be what results have the Congress and the administration gotten for the American people? And that's what this election is going to be a referendum on more than anything else. Sure, you're going to have your political dramas and crises that pop up between now and then, but at its core, that's what this is going to be about. And that's what people should really be locking in on and focusing about.

I wanted to ask your opinion about this Brown University story. It's all very odd. Senator Tubberville, on my show last night on Newsmax, says that this young lady, she was the vice president of her Republican club there on campus. And he says, you can't tell me that she wasn't targeted. And if in fact this is how if it's going to play out like this.

I mean, this is really concerning because, I mean, we're talking about, you know, college Republican kids all over America. I mean, you were a a college Republican back in the day. Yeah, I mean, you're absolutely correct. I mean, I'll even go take it a step further. I was also the vice president of my college of the Republican group.

Granted, it's at Liberty, so a little bit of a different environment, but nonetheless.

So, yeah, no, I mean, number one, it's a tragic event that shouldn't have happened. And number two, I mean, And it goes back to Charlie Kirk and some of these other incidences that was given with the President himself of political violence from the left. And look, it exists on both sides of the aisle. I'm not denying that. But I mean, there's definitely one side who is proactively encouraging the violence with the rhetoric.

And then you see that play out with the actions of what makes the new cycle in the sense of who are the people getting shot? Or what are these incidences or whatever it may be?

So I think the senator is definitely right. Look, I'm not the FBI, I'm not an investigator, I'm not the police, so I can't speak to any of that. But I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of political motive or angle here. Yeah, and again, it's a reminder that the rhetoric has actually been ramped up since Charlie's death. I mean, it's getting worse out there.

Yeah, I mean and I think, you know, like I said, there's blame delay lay up both sides of the aisle, but Um at the end of the day, and I think um Forgive me, I forget the congressman's name, but he's a tenant guy. But he. You know, he he had a um His statement where you know, calling to the uh the Lower the temperature, lower the rhetoric. Because look, there's a congressman from Knoxville, I forget his name off the top of my head, or at least he represents the Knoxville area. Oh, Burchett, Tim Burchett.

Yeah, Burchett. Yes, Burchett, that's the name. Like him and AOC, for example, couldn't be more politically different, but they get along, they have a relationship, and they can coexist and be in the same room and, you know, have normal conversations without everything being about politics while still obviously having strong health beliefs that contradict each other. And I think they would be a good model for the rest of the country when it comes to that. Years ago, she did a TikTok and she was explaining she had no idea what a garbage disposal was.

And I should have reached out to Burchett. He could have gone over, shown her. Hey, here's how you use the garbage disposal. Yeah, no, he's a great congressman. Across the aisle.

By the way, did you go to his you know, he threw the big 15-minute Christmas party. It was all the rage inside the beltway. Yeah, I did not get to go, unfortunately, but it is a very desired party, funnily enough. It's definitely a DC Beltway Christmas tradition at this point. But you know, it's interesting when you think about it, that's pretty much how long you really do want to stay at any given Christmas party, is about 15 minutes.

And then you're looking for the exit. It's so true. You want to go in, see your people, shake some hands, catch up with a couple of folks, and then get out of there.

So I got a Ritz cracker, some cheese was. You're good to go. Exactly. Low cost. I'm all about it.

Absolutely.

So tell me, Josh Jones, he lives in DC and you're one of our top political operatives. What does Josh Jones do for the down season here, the Christmas holiday? Um, look, I mean, right now uh it's On the work side of things, politically speaking, look, you know, people are back with their families. You've got Christmas coming up, all the other holidays.

So, everybody's, you know, DC is pretty quiet right now, all things considered.

So, it's mostly just prepping for 2026, getting things in line. I'm actually heading down to Texas tomorrow for my last video project of the year ahead of the midterms for next year.

So, I'll be in Texas leading up to Christmas. But, all things considered, it's pretty quiet in D.C. right now, which is welcome, frankly. Yeah, no, I want to play some audio for you. This is the Speaker of the House, so Speaker Johnson, earlier today, talking about what they're going to do in 2026.

Cut number eight, please. Very aggressive legislative agenda coming right out of the gates in January. We're going to continue to work, for example, on health care to continue to bring costs down for the American people, to bring down the cost of living overall. You're going to see an aggressive affordability agenda, and we're going to see continued codification of the president's executive orders. He's up to about 200 of those, probably about 150 of them are.

Are codifiable by Congress, and we are working steadily through that list. You are going to see us delivering for the American people while the effects of that giant piece of legislation that we did on July 4th, got signed on July 4th, come into implementation.

So much more, much more yet to do. And the President and I talk about that almost every day, and he's excited about it, and I am. Yeah, I'm just confused here. Why weren't they doing that this year? I don't get that.

I mean, that's the question I would be asking if I was a reporter on the Hill right now. Why didn't that already happen? And look, you know, I'll give Grace in the sense of I hope he's right. And I hope they are going to do exactly what he said, particularly when it comes to focusing on affordability, because this midterm election is going to be a referendum mainly on the economy. And do people feel like their lives are affordable?

And if they do, they'll, you know, maintain the status quo, you know, support Republican candidates. And if they don't, they're likely to try and lean another way.

So all that to say, I hope he's true to his word on that. All right. I should have rephrased my question. What are you doing for Christmas? And it better not be working.

I'm not. No.

I'm going to head back over to Virginia, head down to the southwest. Uh see some family and friends. Um so. Nothing too, I thought very typical Christmas.

So nothing too exciting. No cool travel plans or anything of that nature. But yeah, it's good to have the time off.

Well, no, the correct answer is you're going home and you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

So that's the correct answer there.

Well, Josh, look, we appreciate you coming on the show every single week. You do a great job. And I know it's going to be a super busy new year for us, but we're so glad that you're a part of the crew here and just want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Yeah, I really appreciate it, Todd, and send to you guys and the team. All right.

Josh Jones, everybody, they're in Washington, D.C. By the way, Dylan, I got a little birdie told me that one of our former cohorts, Dieter, May have gotten to eat lunch with the White House press secretary. No way. Lucky him. Yeah, I told him I wanted pictures.

We've got to see it. Pics or it didn't happen. No, I know it happened. It happened. It's a great story.

So hopefully he'll let us share it. I'm not sure I was allowed to share what I just shared, but it's still a pretty cool thing. All right, we've got to take a break here, folks. 901-260-5926. I'm just curious.

Do you think the president should have toned down the rhetoric when it came to Rob Reiner? 901-260-5926. This is the Todd Stern Show. As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and cookies with just the right texture.

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So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Uh All right, let's go right to the phone lines: 901-260-5926, Jerry in Georgia. All right, Jerry, what do you think about President Trump and Rob Reiner? Thank you, Mr.

Starnes. I haven't listened to all the comments, but I'm behind President Trump 100%. I think And I think in general, What President Trump says, he's talking about what he thinks is best for America. And it seems like almost all of his policies and his explanations of what's going on It's his belief of what's best for America. I listened to the comments that he said about The death of uh mister Romer.

And I did not see anything that I felt was offensive. I thought it was honest Because this fellow had attacked. President Trump. with misinformation and obviously with hatred. Um So I just wanted to make my statements that I think that Donald Trump is quite amazing in a lot of things that he does because He is thinking about America first.

and what is best for our country. You know, Jerry, it's interesting you mentioned the hatred part of it, and I believe this is the right collection here. There was so much, but this is Rob Reiner, and he actually says over and over again how much he hates. He hated Donald Trump, cut number uh seven plays. you have a complete and utter lying buffoon.

I mean, I'm not, I'm going to tell you the the truth. He's a fraud. He lies. He cheats people. Everything that comes out of his mouth virtually is a lie.

And he's a con man. And if you look at what he's done with his career and how he's tricked people into things. It's abhorrent. I never liked George W. Bush, his policies, but I didn't hate the guy.

I hate this man. I've never seen, no, I've never hated a politician. I can't not hate somebody. who bilks innocent people out of money. Life savings.

And we've seen it ha he with that Trump University. He took people's money, $35,000, wiped these people out, and is being sued for it. He steals money from charities. I'm not making this stuff up. Yeah, Jerry, to your point, there was a little vitriol between the two.

Yes, I can understand that, and I thought. From what I heard when Trump was doing the Mexic the medals for the soldiers. uh defending the border And this came up with the questions In the interview, the post interview after that, Donald Trump is very direct. He's very forward. He takes all the questions.

And he explains his point of view. And I appreciate Donald Trump. when he has the s the podium He has a chance to explain how how I think the Democrats are schemers and they do things that are improper and not good for our country, and he exposes that. In his explanations. A lot of people don't want to hear that, but I think many people, particularly on the left side, are not listening to the truth that comes out of what's actually happening.

Now Rob Reiner, I don't know what has happened to him since he was a young actor or a young person, but I just don't think he he doesn't represent my values in America. And I think Donald Trump does. All right, Jerry.

Well, I appreciate you calling in, and you said your piece, and we'll see how this plays out. You know, it's um. You know how, I mean, look, it's politics, and it's ugly. It really is. All right, coming up in the next hour.

We are going to Take our first crack at Christmas trivia. We got to have a break from the craziness and the chaos of the world.

So, we're going to give you an opportunity to win some great. Todd Stern Show prizes, and you're going to have a lot of fun. Mary Walter is going to be joining us. Aiden Pettit will be joining us. All you have to do is answer the question, and you're going to have to answer two questions correctly.

So, here is the question. All right, to get in on the action, we're going to kick this off right after the top of the hour. Going all the way back to 1983, A Christmas Story, one of the classic Christmas movies of all time. What sort of gift does Ralphie desperately want for Christmas? In a Christmas story 1983, what gift does Ralphie desperately want for Christmas?

If you know the answer, give us a call, 901-260-5926. Again, that's 901-260-5926. And that'll be the first step at trivia coming up after your Top of the Hour news. A Christmas story. What does Ralphie want for Christmas?

901-260-5926. Hang tight, everybody. Mary Walter, Aiden Pettit, coming up. This is the Todd Stern Show. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's common sense conservative commentary from Todd Starr.

Shutters! That's I love this American. All right. Well, hello, everybody. Welcome, welcome to hour three of the big show.

By the way, just got word that tonight, five o'clock, There will be a presser from Brown University, and we'll be carrying that live on Newsmax during the Todd Starn show, so you'll be able to watch all the very latest. Um in that uh Crazy story. Just really, what a terrible situation at Brown. And the investigations are just off the charts. They're off the rails, actually.

But anyway, great to have you with us for this hour of the program.

Well, there is nothing I enjoy more than Christmas time. You guys know this is like my favorite holiday of the year. Dylan, you know, I love Christmas. I love the just everything about Christmas. That's the jam.

I know Todd Starnes loves Christmas. I know some people like Arbor Day. You know, some people, you know, it's. Why did I just say that? I have no idea.

It's a free day. But you know, it's, yeah.

So, but I'm a Christmas guy, so I love Christmas and everything about Christmas, and especially Christmas trivia. And I couldn't think of two better people to bring into our conversation and to help us win some great prizes today. First, our dear friend, she is the queen of talk radio, and now a Newsmax. What is your official title at Newsmax now? Mary Walter.

My official title is Mary Walter. No, I am now officially a Newsmax contributor, on air contributor. Also, I saw, well, I was looking at the Chirons on the show the other day. It said Mary Walter Goddess.

So I don't News Goddess. Yes, that is true. And I made them put on my contract at Titan of Industry. Oh, I like that. That's good.

That was my title. That's good. And also, we are always honored to have our good friend at star of stage and screen, Aiden Pettit, hanging out with us. Hello, thank you for having me, Todd. You know, by the way, I was telling Aiden in the break, you know, he's moving from Tennessee.

To Brooklyn, New York, in like a couple of weeks, Mary. And I said, What did you lose a bet? No, it's part of the school program. I'll be up there pretty briefly, you know, in this man, just four months, but hoping to learn a lot. Wait, is is the school contest like like Hunger Games?

Is it survival of the fittest? What are they doing to you? Do they give you insurance? Is there some kind of armed protection? No.

Armed protection. No, uh it's just you laugh. Have you been to New York City lately? You laugh. I have.

I went in mid-October. It was quite a blast. It was. Oh, you're so young and cute. He's a Southerner, though.

You know, it's like Southerners, we. He is going to get on. We can take care of our. Yeah. Southerners are good.

Yeah, we can handle ourselves in a pinch. All right. So here's how it's going to work. We're going to have to, whoever wins, they've got to get two questions right. And you guys will help be the lifeline for our contestants today.

And we already have one question that we threw out there just to prime the pump. And let's go to Billy in Tennessee. Billy, how are you today? Welcome to the show. Hey, how are you doing?

I'm great. How are you guys? Billy, we're doing well. Merry Christmas to you.

Well, thank you. Same to you all. All right, Billy, we're going to try to help you win a prize here in a Christmas story. What gift does Ralphie desperately want? Oh, Rand Ryder BB guy.

Okay. Uh Yeah, um Billy, that's absolutely correct.

Well done. It was, in fact, a Red Ryder BB Gunner. Are you saying that's too. Mary, I heard you heckling. Are you saying that was too easy?

Why don't you just hand the prizes out? Whoa. To say it. She's from Jersey. I don't know if you picked up on that.

I yeah, you know, I'm learning.

Okay, yeah. All right, so here's how it's gonna work, Billy.

Now we've got a and you're gonna have two lifelines here. You've got Mary and Aiden. We need you to answer the next question. And here we go. One of the most beloved Christmas cartoons almost never happened.

CBS television thought it was going to be a colossal flop. They blamed the jazz score. The pace of the show and the fact the show used voices of real gay aids over here trying to sneak the answers. What's what's going on?

Well, I'm just saying, Jersey people can do it on their own. What's wrong with you? Jeez, Lou. All right, so Billy, what was what was the name of the show? What was the show that almost never happened?

You can use your lifelines here, Mary or Aiden.

Okay, let's go with Mary for a lifeline. That's a smart decision. That's a smart, smart decision, Billy. Wait, did he choose me? He did choose you, Mary.

Okay, I couldn't hear him. I'm sorry. Yeah. Yay, very smart.

So, does he know the answer? Do you want me to answer for him?

Well, he needs some help here, and you're going to offer him an idea, a suggestion, and he can take that or he can launch out on his own.

So I can make a suggestion as to the name of this beloved Christmas special. Yeah. I would go with a Charlie Brown Christmas. That's what I was thinking.

So Billy, I'm.

Well, hold on.

So, Billy, you're you're you're sticking with A Charlie Brown Christmas Yes, sir. Fucking. Oh yeah. That's it. Wow.

Billy, congratulations right out of the gate. Our very first winner, and we're going to put you on hold, and we're going to get all your info, and we'll send you one of the great prizes.

So thank you very much. Merry Christmas to you, Billy. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you all.

Thank you to everyone that's listening. All right. Wow. Merry Christmas, Billy. You're a very wise man.

I have to agree with that. You know, it's interesting that it was the jazz, the soundtrack to that cartoon series has, I mean, it's one of the best. And I mean, it was just unbelievable. But you know, it's funny. The network, CBS, also did not want Linus reading Luke chapter 2.

They said it was just too religious and it was just going to slow everything down. And Charles Schultz, who created Snoopy and Charlie Brown, was a Sunday school teacher and he said, nope, that stays in. And they agreed to it. And the rest is history, as they say. And it's still one of the most beloved, but it's very hard to find on television now.

Network TV won't play it. That's, you know, and that is so disappointing. We got to work on that. Patty, you got when you're in New York City, you got to work on that. Sure.

I don't know how I'll do that, but I'll work on it. Yeah, we'll get people so that you can deal with that. Sure. All right, people. Let's go to Tony in Gainesville, Georgia.

Tony, we've already had the trivia question answered, but we do have another Another trivia question for you. Pressure. Um have have you heard have you seen the movie Home Alone? Yes, many times. All right.

Well, so the McAllisters, they're going on vacation, right? And they leave Kevin behind. Where were they going on vacation? To Paris, France. Mary, you're is that you applauding?

That's me! Oh, oh, oh! All right. Well, that was easy enough. We've got super easy questions, I'm afraid.

Well, no, see, I'm talking smack right now because that's what we do. But there's like a really good chance that I'm going to fall flat on my face. I'm just saying.

Well, I think you're going to want. Tony, for you to win. You're going to want Aiden to answer this question. Oh, okay, good.

So, this dance company started in St. Louis in 1925. before relocating to New York City in nineteen thirty two. They are the longest-running precision dance team in the nation. Can you name the dance?

Mary, don't say anything. Can you name the dance team and where they perform? I believe it's the New York City Rocket.

Well, hold on just a second.

So, we've got to make sure we get the name right. And what so what did you what did you call the group? The uh Yeah. Radio C D, Music Hall, Rocket.

Okay, we will go with that, Aiden. That's correct. I had that one, though. I will say I had it. Oh, sure.

I did. I sure did. I'm one for four, I think. I think that's the first one I had, but you know. All right, Tony, congratulations.

We're going to put you on hold, and we're sending out prizes. Mary, I hate to see the prize closet bill for this month. Yeah, exactly. But then again, it's your bill, not mine, so have at it. By the way, if you ever get a chance to go to New York, being in the area, we don't go to any touristy stuff, but we went to go see the Rockettes a couple of years ago.

It was amazing. It was a total touristy thing to do. Radio City is beautiful, and the Rockettes were incredible. It's such a good show. It's totally like.

Hokie Touristy New York. But seriously, bucket list item, go see it. You know, it's interesting. When I was in New York City at the time, Fox would always send me out to do these crazy things. I had to cover the Westminster Dog Show and go to Doggy Spa Day, which was somewhat embarrassing.

But the worst was when they sent me to cover the Radio City Rockets and I tried to kick, and I ended up in crutches for like six weeks. Wait, they made you kick? Get out of here.

Well, no, I tried to kick it. It sounds like he did it voluntarily, which I feel like makes that hurt a little more. Yeah, I'm like, hello, ladies. They're very talented. Wait.

They really truly are. But I just want to know how did you wind up on crutches? Did you fall? Was it did you pull something? I think I pulled something.

Yeah. Just men aren't made for that. You got a screen. No, you're not made for that. Fair enough.

Fair enough. Well, Pettit, you're doing this whole dance-intensive while you're there. I am. I don't think I can kick to my nose like they can, but maybe one day. We'll see.

It's impressive. All right, we're going to take a quick break. We want to throw another question out. Let's talk Brady Bunch. Ah!

Oh my jam. Don't ask me guys. These children, what do you not know the Brady Budget? How do you not know this? I have not seen it.

I'll tell you right now. Public high school graduate here. What are they teaching these kids? No, you know what it is? Nothing before he was born.

He knows nothing about anything before he was born. That's true. And you know, the problem is your fellow Gen Zers actually came up with the questions.

So you have no one to blame but them. Did you go on the internet, be honest? Yep, look at it. Oh, for heaven's sakes. All right, here's the question, ladies and gentlemen.

What tune does Carol Brady lead the Carolers in during the 1988 A Very Brady Christmas? What Christmas carol does Carol Brady sing? And the very Brady Christmas. Our telephone number, 901, it is tough, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926.

We'll be right back. Mm-hmm. And welcome back to Christmas Trivia. I'm Todd Starnes, Aiden Pettit, and Mary Walter hanging out with you today. Mary, nothing like a little bit of big band music to get you going.

Yeah, yeah. You know, I am such a sucker for Christmas music, period. Do you have a favorite Christmas do you have a favorite Christmas song?

So I do, but nobody knows it. It's by a group called Cloverton, and it's, you know, Leonard Cohen's Alleluia. But they redid it to the Christmas, and they tell the story of Bethlehem and Jesus and everything, and it's so beautiful.

So, Penn, you're a big Christmas guy. I mean, it's a common opinion, but it's got to be the best holiday out there. Do you have any particular favorite Christmas song you love? I am a big fan of Oh, Holy Night, I like a lot. And in the theme of kind of underground Christmas pics, there is, you know, the opera song Nesundorma.

There is the Christ is Born that actually Brian Green from GBC usually sings at the Christmas concert, but it is just the most beautiful moving thing ever. Wow. And I was going for I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Right. You know, and that one's fun, too.

They're all good. Oh, Lord.

Okay, let's go to John in Kentucky. Hey, Pastor John, how are you today? I'm doing great. How's you and everybody doing there? I'm just Walter.

We're doing well. Thank you for asking.

And I think he was shouting at you. Pastor John was shouting at you, Mary, so I think he said hello. I heard that. I didn't want to interrupt you. Hello, my friend.

How are you? Great. First time I ever heard you is when you were broadcasting from the state of Kentucky. Oh, that's right.

Well, because I used to work on that radio station, but from New Jersey, and so I went in to go say hello to everybody. All right. Pastor John, we're going to try to win you a prize.

Well, I got a commercial break coming up here, so we have to kind of move along here.

So, first, Pastor John, first question: we need to know: what song did Carol Brady sing in A Very Brady Christmas? Mike Brady was caught in a cave-in, and in order to get Mike Brady some hope, he's saying, Oh, come all ye faithful. That's awesome. Oh wow! Oh, yeah.

You know, we ought to give him bonus points just for getting the. I forgot about Mike Brady. There was a possibility. I forgot about that. Yes.

Did you notice the Brady's ran into quite a few troubles? You know, the whole the Hawaii trip with the bad of the omen thing, remember? The voodoo thing with Vincent Price? Vincent Price in that one in Hawaii. Wow.

I forgot about it.

So back in the day, you were either a Brady Bunch family or you were a Partridge family, and Partridge family was like the cool hip rock you could. Of course it could be both. They were they started the Brady's started in like the end of the 60s, right? And the and the Prussian family didn't start till the beginning of the seventies. Oh.

Come on, Piper, let's get happy. That's right. Oh, I forgot about that. I was going to marry David Cassidy. It's a good thing I didn't because he was an alcoholic.

But, you know, at eight years old, I didn't know that. And Mike Brady turned out to be gay, so there you go. Exactly. You never know. Nothing's as it seems.

It is. What is life?

Okay, Aiden, you've got a second question for Pastor John. All right, the follow-up. According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the eighth day of Christmas? All this stuff. Oh, jeez.

Oh, Jeepers. Oh, my God. Give me a second. Give me the. Give me the Jeopardy song.

So he can look it up. Uh Gotta sing it in your head. Hey, there it is.

Well done. Wow, okay. I can't figure out if it's better to go up from one or down from twelve. I don't know if I need to cash in my Christmas card here, guys. I loathe that song.

I just hate that song. It gets a little repetitive, you know what I'm saying? I've got a request for you, though.

Okay, I know you're going to give me a prize, but you know what you guys can do with the prizes? Can you autograph them and auction them off and give the proceeds to the food for the poor?

Well, wow, what a very kind thing, Pastor. That's so generous. That is so kind. You know what, Pastor John? We'll try to make that happen.

I love that. And I just wanted to say something to all you guys. I know how much you love our military and stuff like that, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to say. I love each and every one of you, and I know you were on a weight loss program, Todd. I'm up to 36 pounds.

And I just wanted to tell all of you, have a very Merry Christmas. I love each and every one of you, and may the Lord continue to bless you all and be successful in your future.

Well, Pastor, thank you for those kind words and God bless you. And thank you for being a great friend of the program. Pastor John in Kentucky. I'm getting a little misty here, Mary. And may I just say, my Catholic guilt is kicking in because I was going to accuse him of Googling the answer while we had to sing the song.

Right?

So, like, even if he did, he donated it. And so now I kind of feel a little guilty. It cancels out. It does it? Does it cancel out my Catholic guilds?

I didn't get that in the handbook. Nothing cancels out Catholic guilds. I don't know how to tell you that.

Well, we're Baptists, so we have a high tolerance level for sin.

So that's our denomination. All right, here's our next trivia question as we run to break here. Do Americans decorate their homes with real Christmas trees? or artificial Christmas trees. Do Americans decorate their homes with real Christmas trees or artificial?

If you know the answer, give us a call, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. You know, guys, they get a 50-50 chance here. That's true. That's true.

Just flip a coin if you're not sure. Call anyways. Exactly. All right. 901-260-5926.

Our telephone number. That's 901-260-5926. I'm Todd Stearns with Aiden Pettit and Mary Walter. We'll be right back. And welcome back, everybody.

It is Christmas Trivia with Mary Walter and Aiden Pettit. And Mary, we have stumped America with this question. Truly. Do Americans decorate their homes with you have two choices with real Christmas trees or artificial trees. What about there in the Walter household?

Well, we haven't had a tree in several years because when you don't have children you have to work every holiday.

So um so we haven't had one in several years. But when we used to have a tree, it was always a live tree. I don't do fake and/or phony. Wow, you you say that with such aggression. Mm-hmm.

Christmas is not fake or phony.

Well, I don't know about that. I will say this. The one thing I don't like are those the aluminum trees. Have you guys seen those? Where they're like all like aluminum or silver trees?

It's very sixties, dairy red tree.

So it needs to look like a tree. Aiden, what about yourself? Do you guys do the real tree or the tree? Never in my life have we done a real tree. It has always been an artificial tree.

But I think I like that better. I think the cleanup is much easier. I mean, I guess I don't know until I have my own house and have to figure it out for myself. But. I'd rather a candle if you're going for the cedar smell, you know?

Candle. Artificial.

Something artificial to counteract the artificialness of the tree. Yes. It's interesting. By the way, speaking of trees, we have to give a shout out to FedEx. For 21 years, they have been delivering Christmas trees to military families all over the nation.

More than 300,000 Christmas trees have been delivered to troops and their families. And it's all a part of a wonderful plan to get those Christmas trees to our great military families. And Mary Walter, that's a pretty cool thing that FedEx is doing there. I love that. I love that so much.

It's amazing. You know, I used to work with an organization, but not in operation anymore. But when the parents were deployed, especially for what were they? What was the Iraq thing? Oh, my gosh.

Operation Desert Storm. Yeah, Desert Storm. And so we would provide gifts for the kids of the deployed parents.

So it would come from the deployed parent.

So we would get lists from the parent that was home. And then people would donate money or gift cards. Or whatever, and then we would get the gifts and wrap them and everything, and it would be from their deployed parent.

So I love that stuff. I think that stuff is so, so, so important. I love it. All right. So, we have one question on the table.

We're throwing another one out there. The very first company that used Santa Claus in advertising. We will say this: it was a soft dream company. That's your clue. The first company that used Santa Claus in advertising.

If you know the answer, give us a call, 901-260-5926. Again, that's 901-260-5926. I'm just curious, Aiden, do you guys you live in a southern community, a southern town? Do you guys have like Christmas traditions, things that you guys like to do as a family? Oh, I mean, we always start off our Christmas mornings with the reading of the Christmas story in the Bible.

I think that's pretty essential, especially just to remember what Christmas is all about, because everybody can get overwhelmed with the decorating and the spirit, and those are all fun things, too. But we always start with the reading of the Christmas story, I think. Mary, do you guys in Jersey, I mean, is it like pastrami? What do you guys do for like eat on like on Christmas?

Okay, well, that was just a tad stereotypical. Did I ask you if you had moonshine for Christmas or not? It was targeted, it was.

Well.

So just saying it's a shame. Yeah, right, exactly. Yeah, moonshine and barbecue.

So, well, for us, we go to Midnight Mass, of course, which in a lot of churches isn't at midnight. It's a little bit earlier. Just try to pick the one with the least amount of kids. That's the key. It's a game.

So we do that. And then it depends. Christmas Eve, it depends on your family and where you go. But Feast of the Seven Fishes is super big, and that's an Italian thing.

So it's a very, very big thing: Feast of the Seven Fishes. And we, not being Italian, would always go to someone else's house for the Feast of Seven Fishes. What does the Feast of Seven Fishes entail? I mean, is it seven fish that you eat? I think appropriately named.

Alrighty. It's like bacala, and sometimes it's salted, sometimes it's soaked. It depends. There's seven specific fishes that they serve. What about shrimp?

Does that count? I think it's calamar. I don't remember all of them, but not everybody does all of them because it takes a week, a long time to prepare the seven fishes. It's seven specific types of fish. It's not just like any seven, okay?

No, no, no, no. You can't just pick and choose. Like, a filet of fish sandwich from McDonald's would not substitute would be a sin, anyways, I think. Wait, what? Why are you?

Don't mess now. Don't speak ill of the filet au fish. I like it. Do you know why the filet of fish? McDonald's came up with the filet of fish.

I love this story, but you got to share the story. It's just, it's very short. They did it because during Lent, Catholics don't eat meat on Friday.

So, to boost their sales on Fridays, they started with the fish sandwich, the filet of fish. Interesting. And now you know the rest of the story. There you go. And let's go to the phones.

We've got Jessica in Tennessee. Hi, Jessica. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Todd. How are you today?

You know, I'm doing well, and you're on the air with Mary and Aiden. Hi, Marion Aiden. Hello, hello. Hello. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you.

All right, we're going to try to win you a prize here. We've got two questions. First, What was the first company that used Santa Claus in advertising? Talk to what? There it is.

Bing bing bing! That's it. Ho ho ho! Do they still put they still don't put cocaine in the Coca-Cola, do they, Mary? No, they do not.

Well, if they did, I'd drink it. No.

Oh, gosh. That would be fun. That would make the good old days. The good old days. That's why they call them.

That's why our grandparents used to call them the good old days because you could get like heroin over the counter.

So, yeah, morphine, whatever, over the counter. Sure, having a bad day. Here you go. Wow. Yeah, exactly.

Jessica's like, what show did I call into? Really? All right, Jessica, we're going back to our original question on the table. And I mean, you could go with Aiden or Mary on this one, or you could pick them both. We need to know: Americans, do they decorate their homes with real Christmas trees or artificial trees?

Hello, Jessica. She's asking me? She's asking you. You're on deck. I'm on deck.

Okay, I have to humbly say, I've rarely encountered a real. Christmas tree these days, so I'm gonna have to go with artificial. I think he's right too. I have a real tree, but I think you're correct. I'm gonna say not a real trick.

Uh Oh, good. Good. I'm safe. Yeah. Yeah, 100%.

Well done, you're right.

Well, no, there are a couple of reasons. According to the American Christmas Tree Association, 83% of American households decorated their house with an artificial tree.

So, Mary, you are in the and Jessica, you ladies are in the minority here. Yeah, well, I don't like first of all, I'm not a follower. I'm not a sheep. Right. Consumers say it's about convenience, safety, and they don't have to worry about a squirrel hiding in the tree.

Well, I've heard stories about ticks. I got a really big one this year, and I thought about some little creature being inside it.

Well, if you've seen National Lampoon Christmas make I mean, it it happens. It happens. Wait, I want to go back to this. I've heard an owl? I've heard about owls.

An owl? Oh, that'd be awesome. I'd be happy about that. Probably not for long.

Okay, can we go back? Aiden just said that Christmas trees, real Christmas trees, have what ticks? Whoa, I am not an I am not a is this true verified source, but I have to say okay I'm on the spreads on the radio, it must be true. No, I've just, I don't know. I feel like I've heard plenty of stories about getting a real Christmas tree, and there's bugs, which is, I think, plenty plausible.

I understand it's Christmas, but not every Christmas is going to be 30 degrees. I mean, we've had 75-degree Christmases down here. Who knows what kind of bugs could be in the trees? Oh, Lord, you could die as a result of purchasing a real Christmas tree. That's true.

That's not good. Hey, Jessica, congratulations. You are a winner, and we hope you and your family just had the merriest of Christmases. Thank you very, very, very much. And to all of you.

All right. Hang tight. Don't go anywhere. All right. I have an answer to the tick question when we come back.

Wait, what? Well, go ahead and answer it. Go ahead. I'm very sorry. They're not ticks.

They're called Christmas tree ticks. They're not real ticks. It's a different bug. It says Sonara aphid. It's not a real bug.

Fascinating. Fascinating. Yeah. Dylan, are you looking this up? Yeah, I'm trying to verify.

We're about to pull out. I don't want to fact-check Mary Walter. Yeah, the bug is about three to five millimeters long and has six legs and a pair of antennae. Ticks do not, ticks have eight legs and don't have antennae.

Okay. Still trying to figure out the partridge and the pear tree, which for you, Mary, would be what, David Cassidy? That would be the partridge. I know, yeah.

Well, back when I was eight, that was the plan. It didn't work out. Yeah. You know, that was a whole feathered hair hair look back in the day. It was.

That was a very big deal. Yeah, that and Bobby Sherman had the feathered hair, too.

Well, in the 80s, I was like all IZod.

So the upside-down alligator. That was, what are you? What do you kids do these days? What's the big fashion trend? Are we talking hairstyles?

Well, I don't know what we're talking about. Is there something called, yeah, what is it? It's named after some sort of an animal, isn't it? Oh, oh, I have no idea. The llama, you're getting the llama look?

I think I might know what you're talking about. I know the style at least. It's just still a turn your michael. What are you laughing at? I've never heard this before.

The llama look? I don't know. It's like people that, you know, they don't comb their hair. It just looks like a big llama. That might be what your generation calls my generation.

I don't know that we use that term, but it's an understandable comment. I know the look you're talking about. You know what I'm talking about. I do. I do.

I really do.

I'm trying to practice that look, actually. May I just say that that was the way the hair looked in the 70s on the guys? They were always like flipping it out of their face. It was kind of long. And so everything old is new again.

It's a little bit of a story. Yeah, I think styles are just on. On a rotation. It just we came full circle. I agree.

Exactly. The guy's 70 haircut is all back again.

Okay. We've got one more question as we go to break here. In Louisiana, a very unique Christmas tradition, locals construct giant bonfires several stories tall along the Mississippi River. Why? What is the purpose of those Christmas Eve bonfires?

If you can tell us the answer, it's a beautiful tradition. 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. In Louisiana, locals construct giant bonfires on Christmas Eve several stories tall, and then they set them on fire. If you can tell us why, you're going to be one of our winners.

901-260-5926. We'll be right back. All right, welcome back, everybody. I just um love Christmas. Hanging out with Aiden Pennett, Mary Walter.

Mary, are you in a good mood today? Yeah. Of course, I'm in a good mood today. I don't like eggnog. Oh, you're not a big eggnog.

No, not a big eggnog fan. I'll have a little bourbon, but I'm not a big eggnog fan. There you go. Can't do that.

Well, you gotta come down. You should come down to Memphis. We have a bourbon distillery down here, Old Dominic's, and th they they would treat you up very nice. I would love that. We went on the Bourbon Trail in October and it we it was so cold in October in Louisville that I'm in that in Lexington and Bardstown and it rained every single day and it was so cold the first night there we all went to um Costco and bought long underwear.

You could do that at Costco. Yes, you can. What can't you do at Costco? Wait, wait, wait. No, we may have gotten the long underwear.

Yeah, I think we went to Costa. We went to Costco. Yep, Costco. Yep. Wow, I had no idea you could do all that at Costco.

Like, do you own long underwear? No.

Well, there you go. I have pants. We've got pants. All right, we're going to go to Billy in Georgia. Hi Billy, how are you today?

I'm great. How about y'all? Good, good, good. You're wearing pants, right? Right.

Okay, we're just checking. That didn't sound you don't ask a woman that. Pardon me. Really personal here. You know, Billy, we should just give you the prize.

I think. That's very Have you never seen a woman wear beer?

Well, I don't want to answer that question. No.

Look, uh Mary Ellen. Oh, you want me to bail you out now if you asked a woman if she's wearing pants? I was just deeper. You asked a woman if she's wearing pants and you want me to bail out. No, it was in the in the spirit of the holiday season.

What the holiday party? What's going on? You're digging yourself deeper and deeper. You know what? You're right, Billy.

You're right. I'm in trouble. Let's try to win you a prize, and I'm changing the subject right now. And, Louise. That's good.

In Louisiana. Um locals construct giant bonfires, and these things are huge. I mean, they're just ginormous. And they're set up on the levee along the Mississippi River. Can you tell us, Billy, what is the purpose of those Christmas Eve bonfires?

To light the fire so that Santa can find a way in his sleigh, and they call him Papa Noel. In a winter. Uh Very nice. Yes, yes, and yes. My answer was because it's fun and cool, so I don't think I would have won a prize.

No, you're not. That was off, yeah. Yeah, congratulations. You know, it's my dad got transferred. We had to move down to Louisiana when I was in junior high school, and we lived in the river parishes right outside of New Orleans.

And I was like, what are these people doing? And they were literally, I think, two or at least three or four stories tall, these bonfires. And it's a big family tradition down there, Billy. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Wow.

Well, Billy, congratulations. You have has she won? Yeah, we're going to give you a prize anyway, Billy, for being a good sport.

So hang tight, and we'll make sure to get all of your information. Wow. I don't know what just happened. You're just heckling people now, Todd? I mean, should we change the name?

This feels like the Howard Stern show now.

Okay, far from the Howard Stern show. I would just like to note that. Appreciate that. See, and I was going for a much more, me and my, again, I was going for a much more religious aspect. I'm like, oh, they're mimicking the campfires of the shepherds, you know, on the night that Jesus was born, or like the star.

But no, it's about Santa. My was bad. I was wrong. My bad.

Well, you know, one of the things I love about, you know, you talk about Christmas traditions going all the way back to the, you know, the Christmas tree lighting in Washington, D.C. You know, those things are relatively new, like 20th century, 21st century, because, you know, the Christmas tree was not a big part of the White House celebration until very, very late.

So it was Calvin Coolidge who was the first president to preside over the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony. And do you know where they originated from? Jesus Christmas trees from Jesus? I don't know. I don't think that was.

He made them. Yeah, no, it's a German tradition.

Well, that's true. What is the song? Oh, Christmas true. Or Tannbaum. Otanenbaum, yeah.

I know it in German. Would you like me to sing it to you in German? No, we're good, but thank you. It's. Like that segment.

Like my grandparents, my German grandparents would put real candles on the tree like they did in Germany. And when my father got older, he's like, I just don't think this is a really good idea. Real candles on a real tree? I think he was right.

Well, that's what they used to do. They were clearly much better at stuff like that than we would ever be. I mean, we can't even have real trees anymore. We can't handle the cleanup from real trees. How can we do that?

And then you got the ticks and the squirrels and the samp, the owls, even. I just have a question for young Hayden. Do you actually decorate your own tree or you pull it out of the box, decorate it, or anything? I decorate my own tree. I put ornaments and lights.

Yeah, that's valid. I mean, clearly I'm a fraud when it comes to Christmas spirits.

So, yes, I'm a big ornament guy.

So we have two trees. Downstairs is the one that all the ornaments match, and then upstairs is the one that's all the sentimental and the kindergarten drawing and all of that stuff on the tree.

So. And that's upstairs so no one can see it. It's for the family, you know?

Okay, all right. Still next to a window. All right. I'm very judgy when it comes to Christmas. Merry Walter.

Aiden. Aiden Pettit. Thank you guys. Merry Christmas to you.

Merry Christmas. Guys, hang tight. We've got a lot, lot more going on here, including our good friend Franklin Graham and Karen Kingsbury, the New York Times best-selling author. We're just getting started. Merry Christmas, everybody.

Yeah.