AmFest Exposes Dirty Underbelly of Conservative Influencers

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Live. From the Liberty University studio in Memphis, Tennessee. It's America's conservative blowtorch. That's Right. I'm the one.

Love is American. Time. Stars. And hello, everybody. Welcome to the Todd Stearns Radio Show.

Great to have you with us. I am your host. That would be Todd Stearns. America's Anchorman, what an honor to be with you today. We have a lot to discuss.

There was a lot of news that happened over the weekend. President Trump speaking in North Carolina, J.D. Vance speaking at Amfest, and then Anfest in general, where it really turned into a free-for-all. And many of you either attended, I think over what, 31,000 people, they said, were there. And there was a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm.

And I'm curious to hear your thoughts on how things turned out. There's been a lot of controversy, though, over the so-called social media influencers. And I'm just. I'm curious to hear from you today over Who you, I wouldn't say look up to, but who do you listen to within the conservative movement, within the conservative world? Many of you listen to this program.

And you get my perspective, my point of view. But there is this upper echelon, and they have sort of self-anointed themselves as the leaders of this new conservative movement. And that would be people like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Megan Kelly, and Nick Fuentez. and Ben Shapiro. and all of them were front and centre.

Over the weekend, at Ant, well, not all of them. Candace Owens was not there, and Fuentes was not there. but the others weren't. And it was really It it was really just an odd thing. And there were great moments.

And anytime you can get kids together and young people together, and my understanding is about a third, a lot of people think AmFest is just for kids, but only about a third of the attendees happened to be kids. The rest of them were grown adults. But regardless, there were a lot of young people there, and they were excited to meet some of the people they considered to be heroes. And I always think that's great.

Now, you don't want to what is the word I'm saying? Pooh poo on all of that. But we need to step back for just a moment and understand that we've got some challenges here in the conservative movement. And I think some people have called it a MAGA Civil War. I think that's a pretty appropriate term.

I think there were people that came out of there. You were either on Team Tucker or Team Pen Shapiro. You had Erica Kirk who announced that moving forward and I just think this is sort of odd, but hear me on this. Erica Kirk announced that she will be using all of her power to get JD Vance elected in twenty twenty eight. And the way it was phrased, and I went back and listened to the quote, it implies that Turning Point USA is going all in for J.D.

Vance. And J.D. Vance was the keynote speaker. And he delivered a great speech. I mean, I I think he hit a home run.

with with a speech But does that mean that J.D. Vance is going to be the next president of these great United States?

Well, according to Turning Point USA, it is. That's it, he's the nominee.

Well, I I I understand the enthusiasm, and maybe she misspoke, but they didn't correct the they didn't correct it any time over the weekend.

So I have to believe this is really where they're going with all of this. She says Charlie and JD were very best friends. And therefore, this is what Charlie would have wanted. There's some speculation that. J.

D. was actually going to pick Charlie Kirk as the running mate. I mean, that was that's actually that narrative came out over the weekend that that was the overall plan. The original plan was for JD to run in 28, and Charlie Kirk would be his running mate, and then Charlie would be the guy after that.

So they were building not so much, and hear me on this, they were building not so much a conservative movement, but a political campaign platform that would have lifted Charlie to the White House. That was ultimately, I think, the goal here. And I think that's why there's been so much anger internally because now Nobody knows what's going on.

So, and I'm not saying Charlie would have made a good president or a bad president, or I'm just telling you, this was the plan.

So here's my concern with this. And Oh, geez, hello. I know it's Monday. I don't want to go down this path right now, but we've got to go down this path for just a moment.

So let me back up for a moment. There are two major two there are two major Conservative organizations or organizations that are introducing the conservative ideology to America's young people. One of them is called Young America's Foundation. They've been around since the 1960s, founded by William F. Buckley Jr.

Ronald Reagan was very involved in it. I've been very involved in it. And they are the caretakers of, for example, the Reagan Ranch. And they actually Teach young people How to, you know, what it means to be a conservative, and how to apply conservative ideas. To whatever they do in life, it's really a wonderful organization.

And they've been doing this for a very long time. And look, it's a lot of fun. You've got a lot of young people, and they don't have the tens of thousands, they have hundreds of kids that come to their gatherings. And they are more Well, Jesse Waters put it like this many years ago. He said, YAF, Young Americans Foundation, is where kids go to learn.

And Turning Point USA is where kids go to party. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just saying that was what, you know, that's how people sort of perceived both of these organizations. And the concern is that, you know, are kids going to be able to get that? That depth of knowledge, because there's nothing wrong with having a lot, there's absolutely nothing wrong with what happened over the weekend.

I think it's a beautiful thing that happened over the weekend. But when it comes to actually The knowledge part of it. Are the students getting mad? Are the young people getting mad? And keep in mind, yaff is predominantly for Young people.

I mean, that's all they do is middle school, high school, and college.

So anyway I just you wonder where all of this i is going. And what does this mean for the movement? Because people are just now beginning to wake up to something that I've been explaining to you for a long time, knowing this was going to become a big issue. And the problem here is that the Republican Party, as we know it, really is Is not so much a Republican party anymore, and it's certainly not a conservative party anymore. It is more of a of a fusion populist party now.

That's sort of what we're dealing with. And it's causing and that's where these riffs are starting to pop up. And we played yesterday, we played some Ben Shapiro, or on Friday's show, we played some of what Ben Shapiro was talking about. Ben opened up the show, and I think this is. It's interesting the kinds of people that were platformed at TPUSA.

Find this to be fascinating. Because Ben and Tucker went at it. Then you've got Megan Kelly going after Going after Ben Shapiro. And I'm just telling you, Tucker Carlson's been all over the spectrum when it comes to his politics.

So has Megan Kelly, back when she was doing her show at NBC, by the way, if you remember this. She was pro-transgender. As a matter of fact, she used her platform to advance the transgender agenda. I would not consider Megan Kelly to be a conservative. I just simply would not.

Steve Bannon, also coming under fire. And so all of these folks are. are coming under fire. And Ben Shapiro started off. I think this is fascinating, how the media is spinning this.

And you kind of get an idea of where all of this is going. Because the media is saying, oh, Ben Shapiro has been attacked for being a Jew. No, that's not true. Ben Shapiro came out and used his remarks, used his platform to attack Tucker and Steve Bannon and Megan Kelly and all these others, Candace, all of these other people. and these other people at that point were obligated to use their remarks to respond to Ben Shapiro.

But they're trying to portray Shapiro here as the victim. I don't think he's the victim. I mean, he started all of this. But what bothered me about this weekend It exposed this ugly underbelly of the conservative social media influencer world. where it was all about them.

It was all about them. It should have been all about the movement. It should have been all about Stepping up and understanding what's at stake in 2026, mobilizing the forces, uniting together. And moving forward. And instead, they sort of came out of there fractured.

So we're going to play a lot of audio. And I greatly appreciate what J.D. Vance had to say. But is he going to be the nominee? Is he the nominee?

I mean, you've got a lot of other folks that are going to be throwing their name in the hat. And here's where I think Turning Point got off the mark. There just was it last week they had a big meeting in Tennessee. And the governor, and Senator Marsha Blackburn, and all these other laws. And so now the state of Tennessee is now partnering.

To put turning point USA chapters in every single public school in the state. Every single one of them. And As soon as I heard this, I sort of cringed. And people are coming out. They're like, well, Stearns, what's wrong with you?

Why would you not want the state to sponsor a conservative club? Because it's the same reason I would not want the state to support a Democrat club or a liberal club. We're not in the business. That's not the role of government. And so now we've got, and everybody, I mean, there was huge pomp and fanfare, and people are so excited about this that our tax dollars are being used for this.

Well, what happens when a Democrat governor decides he's going to put Antifa groups in all the schools? Because you're going to be setting a precedent here. But now You have to step back and you have to ask yourself a question. Are those going to be Turning Point USA chapters, or will those chapters be J.D. Vance campaign headquarters?

Because now Turning Point has already thrown in with J.D. Vance. And. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. But that's not what the conservative movement is about.

You see, on the conservative side of the aisle, we do not anoint people. We do not have coronations. We have something called primaries. We have something called debates. And the best arguments win the day.

I mean, that's how it's worked in the past. But Turning Point seems to think they have the ability to anoint. Whoever the next nominee is going to be, and maybe it is going to be J.D. Vance. But I don't know about you.

I'd like to see em all up on a stage. I mean, up until two years ago, J.D. Vance was a rabid, never-Trumper who thought the president was a Nazi. I'd be curious to know how J. D.

Vance How his opinions changed over time. I'd love to hear his. his conversion story, if you will. But that's just me.

So, anyway, we're going to open up the phone calls. We asked students a question: Are you on team? Are you on team? Tucker, or are you on team Shapiro. Which team are you on?

901-260-5926 is our number. That's 901-2600. 2605926.

Now let me say this. I hope I hope you have a lot of people that you listen to. That That give you guidance, that give you counsel. But I hope for you that the greatest influence in your life is not some sort of a podcaster, but I hope it's our Lord and Savior. I mean, that's ultimately who should be influencing everything about you.

Everything about your life should be influenced by your relationship with Christ. I mean, that's what it means to be a Christian. And I think we're starting to lose sight of that in the conservative movement right now. We're starting to buy into this cult of personality, and that is what I saw on display. over the weekend at Amfest.

901-260-5926. This is the Todd Stern Show. 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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901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. We'll start our day in Bartlett, Tennessee. Mark listening to us on KWAM in Memphis. Hey, Mark, what's going on?

Hey, Todd, Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Hey, I don't like either one of them personally. I try and try to listen through Tucker and Ben. I just can't stomach either one of them.

I listen to Megan a little bit because I just like to look at her. But I, you are the only real conservative voice that I enjoy. You entertain me. And that's what it's all about. There'll never be another Charlie Kirk.

There'll never be another Rush Limbaugh. But there's They were unique. But you are great, and I love listening to you and your podcast. And I appreciate everything you do. I feel like you are very brave to come out and say the things you say.

And I ad admire you so much, Todd. Mark, you're kind to say that, and I could I can tell you I could have had the I could have had cable television on a platter, but I refused to shave my legs. And that was the line in the sand for me, my friend. then I had to drop about fifty or sixty pounds. 'Cause you're the real person.

Rush was a real person. These people, I don't know what their deal is, but the Holy Spirit leads me, and I do not trust anything that these so-called influencers. are are saying to me. And look, Mark, in fairness, there are a lot of other conservative talkers who are the real deal. I'm thinking right out of the gate, Lars Larson, back before he joined the White House, Sebastian Gorka.

You know, there are Larry Elder, Rita Cosby.

So those are some folks that I know are the real deal. And you know how you can tell, Mark, is that. My views haven't changed. If you go back and listen to me 15, 20 years ago, I'm saying the exact same thing today that I said then. And that's not to say that you learn and sometimes your views change, but your core beliefs.

Those are what I'm interested in. And now you've got Tucker Carlson out there saying that we should be embracing Islam. Oh, that's a that is a slam on the brakes moment for me, sir. I agree and Todd. The way you talk about your family, and I know that you want to honor your family just like I do.

I don't know what these people hold dear or what they answer to, but it's not the same thing that I hold dear and answer to. I think I know exactly where you're coming from, Mark. I truly do. And it's about authenticity. And one of the things that I think people are coming to terms with is that they were sold a bill of goods by a lot of these folks.

And you can tell based on the speeches that were delivered, there were some people at TPUSA At AM Fest. They delivered speeches where they just talked about the movement and they pounded that message home. Others, it was all about themselves, airing all of their grievances, who did them wrong. Those are the folks that you have to watch out for because they're in it for themselves and it's not for the movement. Mark, God bless you.

Merry Christmas to you and your family. No, I I said, Nope, not going to shave my legs. I don't care how much money you give me. 901-260-5926, our telephone number. This is the Todd Stern Show.

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We have a survey in our private group chat. And you say, what are you, wait, what? Private? What's going on there?

Well, no, on our Facebook, we have a private Facebook group. It's called the Todd Starnes Radio Show Fan Page. And it's private. We don't allow you to actually share information out of the group.

So it gives me a chance to have conversations and a little back and forth with you guys that we can't normally do on the larger page. Anyway, I asked a very simple question: is the economy getting better under Trump's leadership? That was the poll. 91% of you. Saying yes, the economy is getting better under President Trump's.

Leadership.

So there you go. Four percent say no, five percent still undecided.

So there you go. Also, Vice President J.D. Vance. Making um a pronouncement uh yesterday at um At Amfest, he said in the United States, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore. Take a listen.

Unlike the left, we stand against treating anybody, and I love what Nikki said about this, we don't treat anybody different because of their race or their sex.

So we have relegated DEI to the dustbin of history, which is exactly where it belongs. In the United States of America, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore. And if you're an Asian, you don't have to talk around your skin color when you're applying for college because we judge people based on who they are, not on ethnicity and things they can't control. We don't persecute you for being male, for being straight, for being gay, for being anything. The only thing that we demand is that you be a great American patriot.

And if you're that, you're very much on our team. Yeah, I love this. And I'm looking as a fella, look, I am proud to call myself a nila. And it's. Vanilla.

That's right. Or Nella. You call me wafer. Don't call me wafer. But there's nothing wrong with being white in America.

And I don't know one one day kids just woke up and they were like, Oh, you're white.

Well, God made a mistake. You're responsible for all the the ills of the world. For and understand this. If you want to know where young people are right now and why young people, and especially young white men, are so demoralized. And well, let me back up here.

Let me back up because they're coming out of that sort of funk that they were in. And the reason why is because of Donald J. Trump. But you've got, oh gosh, this goes all the way back to. B.H.

Obama, Barack Hussein, Obama days. And when critical race theory and Common Core was sort of all the rage, and they literally taught.

So you have, let's just say you're in school and you're from like 2008. Until, well, last year. You hand these folks out there. And they're out there telling kids every single day in their classrooms. Listen up, all you white people, all you white kids.

You're the problem. It was Your ancestors who screwed up the world. It was your ancestors who stole this land from the Indian people. And it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what your circumstances are, you have privilege that no other child has. As a matter of fact, white person You are responsible for the failings of every other race in the world.

You because you were born white, you are an oppressor. And if you're born a minority, well, you're oppressed. And a lot of kids are like Wait, what? I mean, can you imagine being taught as, and just think about this, let's see, 2008, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

So you've got kids that have gone through. 12 years, 13 years, you count preschool, 14 if they're doing kindergarten, too. You've got kids for 14 years. All right, just think about this for a moment. and every single day.

They've been told there's something wrong with them because of the color of their skin. How do you think that plays on the psyche of a child? What do you think that does? to that kid's internal thinking. Which is why you've got a lot of crazy leftist women with magenta hair driving the Subaroos.

That somehow think they need to be the savior of the black community. It's because they were brainwashed. and their public schools. But now you've got a new generation, this Gen Alpha group and the younger version of Gen Z. And they're sort of coming out of this fog and they're realizing, wait a second, something's not right here.

And you know why they're coming out of the fog? It's because people like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were out on the campaign trail and they were telling these people, there's nothing wrong with the color of your skin. I'm working on a new book, and I've got a chapter called. Diary of an Angry White Man.

It's a lot of fun. And I'm having a lot of fun writing this book as I am, and I imagine, you know, as great as things are in this world right now, and Donald Trump is doing so much. To put out so many dumpster fires, but one of the biggest ones is this idea that you should be ashamed to be a white person in America. That is such an ungodly thing. And I say it's ungodly because at the root of all of that, The root of it.

Because what does the Bible say? The Bible says we are all. We're all made in God's image. Every single one of us. You're walking down the street of Memphis, going grocery shopping, and you get shot or carjacked.

Guess what? You're going to bleed red blood. It doesn't matter if you're black or white. We're made in God's image.

So what critical race theory and what Common Core and what the left and all these professional race agitators are trying to convince you is that that God made a mistake when He made the white people. And I don't think God makes mistakes. As a matter of fact, I know God doesn't make mistakes. And yeah, he may have taken me out of the oven a little bit earlier, so that's why I'm a little blonde. I don't know how all that works.

But But I'm pretty fly for a white guy. I got no problem with that. Be proud of how God made you. But ultimately, that's why I call it ungodly because they want you to believe that God somehow, I don't know, made some sort of mistake.

So, Dylan, I've got this chapter in the book, and it imagines.

So, and this is setting up, the book will be coming out right before the midterms. And this chapter sets up what. America would look like If AOC and Jasmine Crockett were President and Vice President of the United States.

Now a lot of fun writing this chapter. But it's set up. It set up about two years. Into their administration, and yours truly has been taken off the air, and I've been sent to work the cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta. And it's they've pulled me out of my beautiful condo, and I live in a shotgun shack.

I have to go to the big plantation house, you know, because I did a good job at work in the cotton fields. But I got promoted, and no, I can't. I shouldn't go. I'm having way too much fun writing this chapter. That's what I'm trying to tell you.

But all that to say That's what they want. is they want to They want to make white people feel weird about themselves. And they want you that they want you to To think less of yourself. And it's a terrible thing. And that's why they're pulling this nonsense like reparations, which, by the way, is going through in California.

And that's why all of this is so vitally important for us to just To nip in the bud. And I'm so glad that J.D. Vance was able to do that. At his during his remarks there at Amfest at Turning Point USA. And that's why we can't afford to have some sort of a civil war.

Within the Magaboo. We can't go down that pit. We just can't. We don't have time. We don't have time.

We don't have time for Congress to go on these weeks-long vacations. We don't have time for that. We've got a country to save. And in all honesty, where was Megan Kelly back when we were all getting canceled? Where was Tucker when we were all getting cancelled?

And there's a mean streak in all those folks, and I've seen it up close and personal, and it's not a good look. For any of 'em. But we've got to figure out who's on our side and who's trying to take advantage of us. And I think you got a pretty clear indication of that over the weekend at Amfest. We got to take a break here.

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Uh Hey Dylan, you know what I thought was most interesting, and I didn't have this in the Amfest bingo card. Nikki Manage. Um wow, so she's our new Kanye. In the conservative movement. I guess so.

I mean, I I was gonna say the exact same thing. If of all the people in the world that would be advocating for Christians and You know, complimenting J.D. Vance and Trump. Like, I would not think Nikki Minaj is at the top of that list. Oh, she likes white people too.

I am so excited about this. Woo-hoo! Wild times that we're in. In my book that I'm writing, I have a chapter. You know, I was telling you about the, you know, where it's like setting in the future when AOC is president and I'm working the cotton fields to pay off my reparations.

But I get a promotion, so I become a house cracker, and I'm very excited.

So I'm like the butler. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. You don't want to go.

It's going to be a fun. That's going to be a fun chapter. This book is so irreverent, but anyway. I may have to rethink that chapter, actually.

So I'm just shocked by all of this.

So anyway, yeah, Nikki Minaj, she likes all of you folks of the Caucasian persuasion. Take a listen. We were not being represented. and not being Admired for our beauty. If we felt like that as black women, why would we want to do that to other women?

Come on. Why would we now need to make other people Downplay their beauty so that we can feel no, that's not how it works. I don't need someone with blonde hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty. Do you understand? It doesn't bother me that a woman feels and says that she's beautiful.

Why shouldn't she feel that? Why have we gotten to a point where certain colors or certain kinds of people have to be afraid of loving themselves and loving the way they look? Like it's isn't that wild? You go, Nicki Minaj. I like you know, here's the thing.

Okay. I'm glad that she's on board. And I was glad, you know, it's like, what was it, Justin Bieber when he was becoming an evangelist at one point, and then sort of, you know. Fell off the wagon, and all these. We have a big problem in the conservative movement and in the evangelical Christian movement.

If somebody says Jesus or Ronald Reagan, they become like the next spokespeople for the movement. Have you noticed this, Dylan? Yep.

So the Kanye thing and Justin Bieber. I'm hoping Nicki Minaj is not in that it's in the same case here, but Yeah, as soon as they profess something, you're like, all right, let's put them on the stage. Let's have them speak to people. And then they turn out to be, you know, not going the right way. Or the Christleys, right?

Yeah. They broke the law for crying out loud. I don't know why. It's, you know, because we don't have a lot of celebrity, you know, it's all about. Power and celebrity at the core of everything.

That's what it's about. And it said, I see this up close and personal in the evangelical Christian world. And when you if you're on Fox News, they worship you. When your contract ends at Fox, not so much.

So it's that's just the way it is. Part of it is human nature. But I look, welcome, Nikki Minaj. Great to have you with us. Get her a um I don't know, get her a MAGA hat.

Let's go to Susie and Georgia. Susie, Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to you, Todd, and to Dylan and to everybody else there.

Well, thank you. It's always good hearing from you. Todd. You just shocked my socks off a while ago, which I did not watch any of Amfest. When you said Toka Carson said we should embrace Islam, did I hear you right?

Yes, he did say that. He certainly did. And we'll play some of the audio from him coming up in the next hour.

Okay. Todd, probably twenty years ago in a Sunday school class, I made this statement. America better wake up. or we were going to be under Sharia law. And do you think anybody paid me any attention then, Todd?

Well, they should have, Miss Susie, because you're a wise lady and I think you're on to something there. Hired Todd? I think you are a wonderful celebrity. No, don't Don't don't call me that, Miss Susie. I'm just a regular I'm just a commentator, just a regular tater.

I know you are. I just wanted to pick at you. I love you, Todd, and I love your show, and I just appreciate you so much for telling me the truth.

Well, that's you know, it's so easy to do that because you don't have to remember what you said. You know what I mean, Miss Susie? And so that's how we kind of operate here. Let me say something. Let me say this real quick.

Laura Loomer actually pointed out that we are now watching this movement within the cons this. This conservative world now embracing Islam. That is a very, very dangerous path that we're going down as a country, if that happens. It is Todd and Is Turning Point gonna turn against what Charlie stood for? It's a great question because Tucker standing up there, and again, you know, Ben Shapiro is all upset about platforming all these folks.

Well, Ben should have used his speech to condemn Turning Point USA because they're the ones who invited Tucker and Megan and Steve Bannon to come and speak this past weekend. I mean, if they've got a problem with it. Right, well tell me this time and I'll hush. I got some. Adult, very intelligent people in my family, and they like Talker and Candice and all those, and so she.

Should I bring this up at Christmas? You see, I just don't know, Susie. Look, I like all of these folks, and I don't think anybody ought to get canceled. I disagree vehemently with Candace and Tucker, and I disagree with Ben Shapiro. We all have our own opinions, and I think we ought to be grown up enough to tolerate all of that.

That doesn't mean you have to platform these people. I'm not bringing Ben Shapiro onto this program or Nick Fuentes, but I will say this: I was watching. You know, I'll answer. I'm running out of time, Susie, so I'll finish my answer on the other side of the break if that's okay.

Okay. Okay, Todd. All right. Merry Christmas. So I would say this.

I would bring those issues up after you open up your Christmas presents. I would make sure you got your loot. Put it in the car. Then you can have that conversation.

Alright, we gotta take a quick break here, everybody. 901-260-5926. Dylan, remind me to talk about Dave Chappelle. I watched the Dave Chappelle special. I have some thoughts about that.

All right, we'll be right back, everybody. 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 Kerry gold butter. carrygold butters 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, Kerry 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. Hello. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's favorite gun-totin, Bible-clanging, deplorable America. That's us!

That's right! Yeah. I love this American. Todd starts. Oh yeah.

Well, hello, everybody. Merry Christmas to you, America. Welcome to the Todd Sterns Radio Show. I am your host. Todd Stearns, the voice of truth and hope across this great fruited plain.

Welcome all. And I want to. We need to. I tried to get all this wrapped up in the last hour, but the lovely Miss Susie. From Gainesville, Georgia.

Dylan, you know, whenever I hear Miss Susie call, I imagine she's like Mrs. Claus. A lovely, you know, white-haired lady and makes cookies. All the there's always a fresh plate of cookies. I was literally thinking she's like taking cookies out of the oven, and you can see the steam coming off of them, and it's chocolate chip.

Little doilies everywhere. That's Miss Susie to us. That's Miss Susie to us. I'm glad we're thinking the same thing. You know, at the next book signing, there's going to be a woman show up in a mini skirt, you know.

And it's like, hey, Todd, it's Miss Susie. Yeah. I'm just saying. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, yeah.

So, Miss Susie called. And Miss Susie, you know what? Let's bring in Paul Shanklin because Shanklin might have some guidance here. Our good friend, Paul. You're asking me for guidance?

Well, Friday, I asked one of our female callers if she was wearing pants.

So it's been one of those. You can't go any lower than that. Not really. Not really. Not really.

Paul Shanklin, ladies and gentlemen, a great friend of the program, our chief parody writer, our man in D.C., even though he's nowhere near D.C. And, of course, an alumni of the great Rush Limbaugh show. Righto, righto. Welcome, Paul. And former majority leader in the Senate from time to time.

I'm going to miss Mitch. Oh, Mitch. Yeah, I'm not going to get rid of him. It's tough because you have all these voices that you do. And then they retire.

And I'm glad the voices are not in your head.

Well I take things for that.

So they don't hang around forever.

So maybe Barney Fife has some advice for the lovely Miss Susie because she has friends, family members on both sides of the Tucker versus Ben Shapiro debate. And she wanted to know if she should bring that conversation up during Christmas. I recommended doing it after the presents had been opened. But I wonder what Barney Fife would say about that.

Well, you see, you got your people on the left and you got your people on the right. We all understand that. Then you got Tucker out there, and you got Candace, and Tucker's got that laugh that. Makes him sound like Cheetah from the old Tarzan movies, and ya. How do you deal with that?

I don't know. You just sit there and Take it all in, get your share of the food, and then... Hit the door. I like that. He does.

He sounds like cheetah. He does. And it's at the hottest times. And that's from me. Because I tend to just kind of laugh when I'm thinking of something that's funny versus even saying anything.

But he'll just go, MOOC! And you're like And he does that with his, it's the whole body, the neck thing. What is that? Whoa, whoa, whoa. But they all have their shortcomings.

You know, Candace is a little. Lot crazy, and she doesn't blink. Have you noticed that? She doesn't blink. Her face doesn't move.

This is all, it all reminds me of like after dad is gone, mom is. Passed on before, but dad dies, and they were all getting along, and as soon as dad's gone. All the old grudges come out, the gloves come off, and the knives are out, and nobody gets along anymore. And this was the dirty little secret, the underbelly of before Tucker, I'm sorry, before Charlie was assassinated, and everybody was running and gunning and doing their things, nobody really got along. I mean, the knives were out all the time.

Right, and grudges. I'm sure all these people have. Really old grudges and you know, nobody in radio has grudges, but but these people do. That's podcasts, it's different. I just it's shocking to see how b because you have seen you avoided that.

I did. No, no, no, no, no. I was about to say that.

Now, Todd loves everyone.

Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I got to love him. I can like him, but you love him from a distance, as one of my teachers once told me. I will love you from a distance. But look, let me just say this. I just have great respect for, like, for example, Clay and Buck.

And, you know, we share a time slot, but if I've got a book or something coming out, they're like, come on the show, let's talk about the book. And so that's a pretty nice thing to do. Normally in the noon to three, you don't want to give your creditors any shout outs. And I will say this, you know, Mark Levin, and it just, it really bothers me that they're going after and declaring war on people that have been fighting in the trenches, you know, people like Levin. Right.

And I well, the thing is, and you know, Rush, and you were talking about this earlier, Rush Hera. A broad A group of people that were friends and were, you know, and Levin was one of them, but he had, you know, he was friends with everybody. And he liked hearing different views. And I do too. I mean, he was saying, who do you listen to?

I listen to everybody. Everybody. But the Bible says, question everything. And then it says, hold on to what is good. And so you do that with all information.

You're trying to, I want to know what's going on. I don't want to. You know, and you're going to get that from weird sources sometimes. You know, somebody can be right once. And and uh but Anyways, Rush always had lots of sources, lots of people, people sending stuff in, and you wouldn't think these people would ever get along.

But Rush could get along with everybody. It does make you, you know, when you watch what happened over at Amfest and the way it was framed, it said, oh, everybody's ganging up on Ben Shapiro.

Well, no, Ben Shapiro came right out of the gate and just like named names and just like, he didn't say de-platform, but he came we knew what he was talking about.

Well, this marched them out of the movement. And some people have kind of quoted, you know, Buckley in the 60s and the 50s got rid of the John Birchers, kind of just kind of, because They're they're crocked, but it it's just there's just there's not much of anything there that you can Can say, well, I agree with you on that. It's like a lot of conspiracy, crazy stuff. And so, you know, Bildebre and Bildeburger or whatever. All kinds of weird conspiracies, all summed up into the John Birch Society.

And so. But this isn't the same thing. I would agree with Tucker on probably 90% of what he says, and then there's that 10% that woo! uh which is crazy and uh j and like you said, having people on who just I just want to ask questions. You know, it's like, I'm just asking.

I'm not saying that's what happened. Mom, have you ever been unfaithful to your dad, to dad? I just want to ask some questions. Just asking. Just asking.

Just asking. That's brilliant. Or, well, I could ask a lot of questions like, well, they're worse, but. Yeah, you're asking the questions and then accepting Nick Fuentes without actually asking. I watched the whole thing, it was like, it didn't hit him.

With really anything like no, no jabs. There wasn't a jab. It was kind of a nudge, come on, kind of nudge things. Like, no, this guy's a goofball. Where he blew up Ted Cruz in that interview.

So, but again, I was we were talking about this before the break. I don't know if you've a big Dave Chappelle fan. I love his comedy. It's so offensively hilarious. And you know, as I'm watching his comedy should be, yeah.

As it should be. I mean, it's really edgy. And I know people are like, oh, he attacked Charlie.

Well, if you watch the entire, you have to watch the entire show. It doesn't come across like that, but I will say this. When I was watching Dave Chappelle, I kept thinking about Nick Fuentes because whenever I watch Fuentes, I find myself laughing at this guy. And it's almost, you know. If Dave Chappelle wasn't a comedian, you know, would people really be laughing at him or would they be calling him awful names as well?

Of course, I don't think Dave Chappelle likes Hitler, but. No, and Dave Chappelle is funny.

Well, he is funny. And Nick. If he's, well, I'm just saying, there's that. It's the other one. It's more of a 90%, 10.

It's like 10% I can kind of get with, and then the other 90% I'm like, oh my gosh. I mean, you worked with Rush. I don't think Rush ever sat down saying, Oh, I wish I could be more like Paul Harvey. Rush just did his did his thing. Yeah.

And and and we all we you know There were very diverse views on the staff. And we'd all be throwing stuff into his with my texting. Anyways, with but sending stuff up and, you know, and That didn't, I know, didn't agree with either James Golden or anybody else. And, you know, just on different issues. We're all still friends.

You know, it's like and you know. Uh uh Uh James will, you know, vehemently get in your face and he's like Huge guy. But then he'll hug you. And of course, James Golden is Bo Snerdley. Bo Snerdley.

That's what everybody thinks of him. All of them. They think of him as James. Dylan, we've got to give you a nickname. Uh well, a rapper name, 'cause you're you're Nilla.

I am Nila. Nila. Have you wafer? Yeah, Wafer. Wafer.

Nilla and Wafer. Yeah, man. That's cool. Like, dueling rap. We got to get some rap music, and there's not much to it.

And it's Nila. It's Nila. Yeah, no R. Yeah, don't have the R. That's offensive.

Nilah, yeah. Nila. That's what I'm saying. Nila. Nilla and Wafer.

This track is coming really soon. Yeah. Nilla and Wafer, man. That's what I'm saying. We've got the great Paul Shenkelin with us.

And maybe you have some questions about what it was like hanging with Rush Limbaugh back in the day. Give us a call, 901-260-5926. You want to take some calls? Sure. Hey, let's go to Texas.

Bob, listening to us on Patriot Talk, not Twitter. I love Texas. I'm from Texas.

Okay. Bob Housey Cohen. Hey, it's Jim Danja down here in Texas. It's nice and warm weather. Cool working weather out here.

But hey, I just wanted to bring up about the vice presidential candidates up coming in the future. I hope. Um JD Vance doesn't steal all the glory in the limelight. He's getting all the coverage right now. And the guy that's really doing the groundwork that's taking care of a lot of things is Rubio.

Mark Ruby, he's got three different jobs, worked for Trump. uh taking care of a lot of business. That's a conservative things and uh you know it's like JD Vance is just the vice and he's getting all the photo ops. And it looks like to me, that's what's happening. And I think Rubio deserves a lot of the credit.

I'd like to see him have a a better chance at being the Vice President. He has a long history of being a conservative and carrying a conservative movement. And I think he would get in there once he gets here, if he gets the Presidency, he would stick with the conservative ideas, whether it's MAGA or whatever you want to call it. Uh I I I kind of I kind of just don't don't really trust JD that much. You know, he's new to the movement.

I mean, he just got shooted in to being vice president. He's just kind of streaming along. And I don't know what he would do when he gets in there if he had the presidency. And he did have Trump there to supervise him.

Well, that's an interesting thought there. Hold that thought for a second, Bob. You know, Shanklin. When you th look at J.D. Vance, I mean, he'd never done politics, he wrote the book.

And then became a senator and dropped that so he could run for VP. And meanwhile, Rubio has, you know, we've got a nice long track record with Rubio.

Well, and Rubio is when he was in Florida as a leader, I think, of the Senate or the House. Anyways, when he was in Florida, and he brought the skills also to the Senate. He's a good legislator. He could get Democrats to go along with even a conservative idea by, you know, he could form legislation. He didn't just.

Attack somebody for whatever they had done.

So I think both of them are quite capable. Rubio, though, I believe said, hey, if Vance runs, I'm for Vance. But you know, Vance is Vance has got to listen to Trump for the next three years.

So. You think you're going to replace me? You didn't call me Eric. I picked you.

So, Eric is your friend, and you're not being nice to me. He's got a hard row to hoe for the next one. That's true. Yes, he does. Bob, a great call, and it's a great point.

We appreciate you calling in. 901-260-5926. Let's go to John in Memphis with a question for Mr. Shakelin. Hey, John, what's going on?

Hey, Todd and Paul. How are you guys doing? Doing good. Hey, so I listened to Rush ever since I was a young mind of mush at age four in nineteen ninety two. And so something I wondered, and I don't even think I realized back then, and Paul, I wondered if you ever realized this.

Did you ever think way back in the early days of Working with Rush. that it would ever get as big as it became. Did you ever see that? Did you ever think about that? Yeah, I did.

I I thought I've been a conservative since high school. I was raised a Democrat. I didn't know there was another party. And so I came over with Reagan, and I didn't think there would be quite that same movie because Reagan was a very special person. For a very special time, and there hadn't been anybody since then, because you think about the elder Bush.

Don't be kinder and gentler. Be kind, be kind, here on the radio. Don't don't cause trouble. Don't I mean, that was kind of where the party was, and that's always been kind of the Republican Party, you know, has always been kinder, gentler. It's more like Unitarians, we're all going to the same place.

We just some of us are taking different roads. We're going a little slower than the liberals. We agree with them on a lot of things, and we just want to get along, but we don't want to go too fast, want to be gentle.

Well, that's kind of where we were, and then R Rush came along and said, No We need to fight on principles. And then you had to kind of answer the rush. I mean, even the. Clinton White House had people listening. They required them to listen to the show.

during the show so that the Clintons could respond to whatever Rush was saying. It was huge. And uh I never knew it was going to be quite as big as it ended up being, but I knew it had influence. John, great call. Yeah, go ahead.

Finish your thought. I think that's what I loved about Rush at such a young age, and why I listened all the way through to when Rush passed away. Oh my goodness, like this is This is something, there's something great about this movement. There's something that's like, it was fun, it was great. There was a gravitas to it that.

Like even all these years later. You know, I think there's a big hole missing in the conservative movement of. Hey, let's unify around one base. Let's unify around all these things. And man, Rush and you, and all of the, you know, the whole crew absolutely made me love.

What it meant to be a conservative.

Well, thank you. Yeah, it made it fun and entertaining. And it was okay. It was okay. We weren't stuck in the closet anymore.

Exactly. John, got to run. Thank you for that.

So we came out of the closet. I was wondering if you're going to pick up on that. Thank you for that.

All right. I'm here. Yeah, exactly. Hello, conservatives. You look fabulous.

Nobody ever asked me to shave my legs. You just look fabulous. I never was asked to shave my legs. Do jazz hands? You know, you could just wear pantyhose.

Well, that's true. They sent you up. Got to take a break. 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 kerrygold butter. Kerrygold 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. All right, look, we've got Ted on the line from Oregon. We're going to ask Ted to hold over. Can you stick around for a little while?

We got Paul Shanklin hanging out with us from the Rush Limbaugh Show. Paul hangs with us now, and we're mighty thankful for that. Maybe you have a question about what it was like working with Rush Limbaugh, where Paul gets all the great parody ideas from. Give us a call, 901-260-5926. Again, that's 901-260-5926.

Also, just want to remind you that the Todd Stearns show is available on podcasts, and you can download that for free at ToddSterns.com. And you can sign up for our newsletter that comes out every morning. And we don't sell your information. This is just something we do free of charge. I give you an opportunity to read some great exclusive journalism from our team here at the Todd Stearns Show.

Again, all accessible. At ToddSterns.com. Paul Shanklin in studio with us. 901-260-5926. This is the Todd Starden 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. All right, Merry Christmas, everybody. This is the Todd Starns Radio Show. May I just tell you our Christmas Day edition of the program, we're going to have a lot of fun.

Franklin Graham is going to be here, also, New York Times best-selling author Karen Kingsbury. And Congressman Tim Burchett, and by the way, we've got Paul Shanklin in studio with us. And Shanklin, it turns out that Burchett, you know, he's a Tennessee guy and threw the hottest Christmas party inside the Beltway, fifteen minutes long. And he served he had a peanut butter and jelly bar, and he served rich crackers with a cheese whiz. That's good and cheap.

So, none of those guys showed up. They were looking for the shrimp and the steak bits. No, people loved it. Yeah, they were in and out. And I mean, so we're going to talk to Shanklin about how he came up with the idea.

He told me that he just hates parties and you can only handle them for about 15 minutes. That works. Yeah, just. Short and sweet. Short and sweet.

There's nothing like you sit there, and then all of a sudden there's going to be, we're all going to have a sing-along, and it goes five hours. It goes five hours, which I like singing carols, but it's never the ones I want to sing. But then you got that one person that thinks they're a great singer, and they're like belting it out, you know, and trying to do the harmony part. And then somebody wants to do the 12 Days of Christmas, and I detest that song. The kids do.

The kids want to sing it. I detest that song. It's right up there with 99 bottles of beer on the wall, which was never finished. Have you ever noticed that when you're on the bus? Eventually, that falls apart after 101 or something like that.

Wow. Paul Shinklin joining us and spent many, many years working with the great El Rushbo. And now we're honored to have him as a part of our team here on the Todd Stern Show. Our telephone number, 901-260-5926. Let's go to Ted in Oregon, K-Y-K-N.

Ted, you're on the air with Paul Shanklin.

Well, I think not so great Rush Limbaugh because he gave us the second term of Barack Obama. Oh, Mitt Romney had absolutely nothing to do with that. No, no, no. Rush Limbaugh gave gave us well, here's what he did a day before the election on the second term around for for uh uh uh the the presidency there for Obama was that he came on the radio and said that he and George Bush Would not vote for Romney. They were going to vote for Obama.

And that I don't remember. I don't remember him saying that I don't remember that. I think I would have remembered him saying that George Bush wasn't going to vote for him, but I. I know that Romney whiffed in the debate. He had a chance to bludgeon Obama like a baby seal and didn't.

He uh held punches and uh it just he couldn't He couldn't he couldn't complete the pass, he couldn't kick it through the goalpost, he couldn't think of whatever analogy you want, but it he he just whiffed. And uh Yeah. I don't want to make anybody really angry at me. I want people to like me, but you know, anyways, it just fell apart.

Well, and not only that, but look at John McCain, who had the same issue. He just refused to go. He refused to go down that path. He's a nice guy. He's a nice guy.

I know he's a communist. I know he's got a weird background. But he's a nice guy. Don't say ugly things about the other candidate.

Well What was he on? I don't know. Without Sherry. McCain was a better candidate than Romney. Which is shocking.

No, you're right. And I look, I remember Sarah Palin on that campaign. If it had not been for her, that would have been the worst landslide, I think, in political history. Oh, yeah.

She saved him from that. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

So, Ted, I'm not understanding. You made it interesting. Yeah, so why are you blaming Rush for Obama? Because he announced it on radio that he and George Bush were voting for Barack. They would not vote for Romney.

And That was it. You know, that gave Obama a second term just enough votes to. To take them over the top, and then Obama congratulated or thanked Rush Limbaugh at the press gathering they have every year. I don't remember them ever at all. I don't either.

I think you had a really bad dream, but I'll have to ask David about them. We'll both have to ask David. Ted, we'll look into it and get back to you. Because David would know. David would know.

David Limbaugh, absolutely. Absolutely. All right, Ted, thank you for that call. Rush would ask hard questions of the candidate. Sure.

And he'd point out their fallacies, but he never said he was never going to vote for somebody. There was a documentary done that Mitt Romney, they did a whole thing about Mitt Romney. They had the cameras following him, and it aired after the election. I don't know if you remember that. And.

People were watching this. I'm watching it on my ears. And you watch it and you're like, well, wait a second. Why didn't they show this? Why didn't they show this before the election?

I mean, this, it actually personalized the guy because he came across as like a weird robot, a Mormon robot. Yep.

Yeah. And that's the thing he was. And you either have the candidate doing that or the people who who are advising him, you know, don't do this, be sure and not do that, do you know, and just you know, oh, you'll win no matter what you do if as long as you just or as long as you're careful. And, you know, careful candidates Just don't win tight races. Do you think it was a mistake for TPOSA to come out and endorse?

J.D. Vance, this early? I think for J.D.'s sanity it was because.

Okay, JD, I saw that Erica endorsed you, but I haven't endorsed you yet. You know, it's going to be a really toughie now. I got three years to think about it. I don't know. And it's got to be hell for him.

Did you see that? What was it? It's way too early. And it's, you know, it's like extremely. And to, you know, he needs to, he's going to have to, if he's, you know, he wants the nomination, like you said, he's got to, he's got to go out there.

He's got to win it. He's got to play in the game and see if he can hit, if he can run the bases. Can he, you know, pinch hit? Can he bunt? Can he get a home run?

Can he do a lot of line drives? I mean, we want to see how he plays the game. We don't want to just say, oh, that's the next one, you know. And again, and I say that because, first of all, he doesn't have a lot of experience. And second of all, he has not been at least an America first conservative for that very long.

I mean, based on his own words. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: I think he was rather questioned. Honestly, I didn't know the first time around if Trump was just totally BS on the on the on being a conservative. I've heard a lot of people say they were going to be conservative, and this really includes all of the Bush family. Yeah, we're gonna get in there.

We're gonna be real conservative. I'm conservative. Look at these look at these shirts. These shirts are conservative. Anyways, and yeah, dad, dad has conservative shirts, and I talk like a Texan, but I vote like a Methodist.

Anyway, so you're, you, how do you, how do you know for sure who's going to be what?

So first time around, I didn't, honestly, I was like. Trump, I think, is just pulling my leg. He's not going to follow through. I mean, it's all for. And I, and that's okay.

I just, I didn't want to be taken in as in as in, oh, yeah, he's the guy. 'Cause I I've just that's happened to me too many times since Reagan. There's a crazy story. I don't know if you caught this. Trump was in the Oval Office.

You had J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio there. Trump was behind the resolute desk. I think it was like last week, week before last, and Trump stops everything. He was like, hold on, hold on.

We got to talk about your shoes. And he said that he was really disappointed that Marco and J.D. had very, he called them ugly shoes. Very ugly shoes. Uglier than Elon's.

And he makes his own shoes, okay? They're uglier than Elon's.

So this is what kills me. Spaceman's shoes. He wears Spaceman shoes. He had a shoe catalog just handy. Who has a shoe catalog?

Just. Yeah. And he's asking them for their shoe size. Why do you want to get him something for Christmas? He's he's uh he's uh spastic at times.

So many times. As far as reading the conservative movement and doing more, I mean You know, with every person in politics, you you don't get perfect. We just don't. I don't even my kids you know, I've had to point it out to him, look, If you expect perfect in politics, you're going to be disappointed for the rest of your life. But do you get somebody who can run the ball farther than the last guy?

Does he run toward the right goal post?

Well, if you can find somebody who can run toward the next goal post and actually make a few touchdowns, you're like, hey, this is pretty good. And that's you know, Trump is not always Conservative, you know, say as maybe the party was in the past. But he does put Pull forward some really good ideas. That other people who were, quote, conservative never would touch. And it's a fair point.

And I don't think Trump's ever said he was a conservative. No, he was a Democrat at one point. He was a Democrat. And so was I.

So was I. I understand.

So was Reagan at one point. To finish the story. Vance was Vance was going back and he was recounting the story.

So Trump's got the shoe catalog. And he says, guys, what are your shoe sizes? There are three people there.

So Vance, so Rubio says I'm an 11.5. And then Vance says I'm a 13, and the last guy said that he was a seven. And Trump reportedly said You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size. And then he proceeded to have Melania pick out shoes for all of them. And he said, We won't ask the second lady for comment on that particular topic.

Oh, my God. And that's Trump being careful. Oh, I think. Very careful. Yeah.

Wow. All right. You know, yes, yes, mistakes were made. And that was just yesterday. Oh, wow.

But I'm a lot less ever disappointed by Trump on what he does. Uh versus You know, George W. Bush and George Herbert Walker, you know, H.W. I mean, it's like, or Romney. I mean, They were never going to get close to conservatives after the race.

Never. You're right. I'm going to get a return phone call. By the way, this afternoon, President Trump is going to be addressing the nation from the Oval Office at 4:30. We understand Pete Hexeth, the War Secretary, will be there along with the Secretary of the Navy.

So I'm a wonderful picked out some very wonderful, beautiful, beautiful shoes. They're gonna be very beautiful shoes. I've saved seventeen seventy six on one side and Trump on the other. Side of the shoe. Maybe just a big T.

I don't know. I haven't decided yet. You know, we should invite him to run through the T at Nealon Stadium. Would that not be great? But then he put, you know, he'll, overnight, there'll be, you know, Trump's.

He'll have to trademark his own orange, though. We already have our own orange at Knoxville. All right, we got to take a break here, everybody. Paul Shanklin hanging with us, 901-260-5926. This is the Todd Stearns Show.

I have a crazy world. Raise the world, Paul Shanklin. All right, welcome back to everybody. It's not our fault. No, we solve all the world's problems on this program.

Well, yeah, we talk about them. More or less. At least in our minds, we do. Hey, let's go to the phone lines. But we don't shave our legs.

We don't. Look, this is funny. Because one of the things, one of the reasons I think I resonate with folks on TV is that I look like the average Newsmax viewer, right? And so I don't look like I stepped out of some fashion magazine. I think people appreciate that.

Well, there's a guy that fashion Starns eats rebs. I can trust him. You know, it is what it is. Let's go to the phone lines WSIC Statesville, North Carolina. Not on air.

Not on air. I tried to. You don't want to fit in too much. That's true. Grow a beard like me.

Miss Patty, how are you doing? Miss Patty, Merry Christmas. Merry impolit ALI politically incorrect Christmas. I'm just saying it. I have it on my lawn.

I have a flag that says it. I you know what? If people don't like it, you know where they can go, right? I love this. By the way, Patty, you're on the air with Paul Shanklin, too.

Oh yeah, Paul, I'll have to say something. I am so Sicilian from Jersey that we have an Easter egg hunt. We look for Jimmy Hoffa. It lasted the whole year long. Where He's not over here.

Go go dig over dig go dig over there. Yeah, go over there. Yeah, you can look over in there and that's all right, they just go look for it.

Sorry.

Well that was a great uh that was a great impression, yeah. In the tomato in the backyard. Yeah. I love him putting them orange in and you know, sorry. Yeah, that's what you know.

So that's what we did. We that's what we did. We didn't have we didn't do an Easter uncon. Pop said, Go out and find Jimmy right now. First one to find Jimmy gets yeah.

Patty, I'm curious, do you guys do the whole seven fi the feast of the seven fishes? Yes, we do everything, you know. Um, we oh my god, we when we take our tree down after the fifth of January.

So, some people actually keep them up, but you know what we used to do back when I was a kid? Dad got transferred down to New Orleans, and we would, our church would gather up all the Christmas trees and we'd burn them. We'd have like a huge bonfire. Rednecks. Oh, yeah.

Big time rednecks, yeah. In the swamp in the back of the pickup truck. They're right in that Christmas tree, bird. That's it. That's it.

Hey, now and and and being up from you know, I'm I'm in North Carolina now and I'm so happy. You know, God bless Trump. Um, I'm gonna tell you something. I just paid Q18 for gas. Woo!

Wow. Not bad. Not bad at all.

So it was, yeah. I mean, I'm going to tell you, people are going to be in a shock in 2026, Todd. Pete those tariffs are going to kick in. Everything's going to kick in. And he's right.

He said it's not it's going to take a long time. He has a lot of mess to clean up, Todd.

Well, he has, and it's a big problem. And a lot of dumpster fires are burning, and I think he's going to get under control. The reality is, it's going to be one thing in the midterms: it's going to be the economy. And if things are humming, and what is it, inflation down, what, 2.7? 2.7 if you averaged it going forward.

And that's the inflation. I think, in some ways, people think: well, all those prices that went up are going to revert. And that was their expectation about inflation. Really, inflation hadn't been in the news forever. And as a real thing, until Biden came along and reminded everybody what hell it was in the 70s.

And here, here, you know, so we're wondering, you know, does it all go back to where it used to be? And it's not. And, Patty, I know the White House announced you're putting together a task force to look into grocery prices because, and again, they will all come down. Theoretically, they're going to come down. There may be some grocery stores that want to keep the prices high, but I think we're going to see them coming down.

They have to compete. They've got to compete. They've got to compete. Yeah, you're right. And I want to say something about Paul.

One more thing I want to ask you. You know who I love? I love Rob Carson. Yeah. Yeah, he did some of the early, early, early stuff over at uh at Limball Show before I showed up.

Yeah, he's very good. He's very funny. And you're so and you're great. And God bless you. And I'm gonna mix.

You know what? You taught everybody. Please have a Merry Christmas and safe. Please be safe. Is that what you're saying?

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. You say Sicilian. I just want to have.

I know. We promise. All right. We will. We will.

We will. God bless you guys. All right. Merry Christmas, Patty. All right.

Great lady right there. That's one of the fun things about the show is we get the regular callers and they become a part of the show. That's right. And we're so happy Patty went through a little tough spell with the health and came out on the other side, and we're so glad for that. But that's really what, you know, it's kind of like a great big front porch.

That's great. All right. Paul Shanklin, great to have you for the full hour. Yeah, great to be here. It just flew by.

We're going to get you back on in the new year.

So Christmas big deal in the year.

Well, I you always been Wow. Anyways, I'm looking forward to it. It's a wonderful life. I haven't watched it yet this year. It's going to be great.

And, you know, the guy who played Archie and the new rendition of the Archie comic book show is they're doing a movie about Jimmy Stewart. Yes. And it looks really amazing. It's a very interesting story. It was his first movie that he made after he got back from war.

Wow. And he had really been through it.

So it's going to be a very interesting life story for Jimmy Stewart. It is. Paul Shankla. Merry Christmas to you. All right, everybody, hang tight.

Got to take a quick break. This is the Todd Stern Show. I know I've got enough to go down Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's common sense conservative commentary from Todd Starr. Sethus, that's right. I love this American.

And hello, everybody. Welcome to the Toddsterns radio program. Happy to have you with us today. Hour three of the big show. Merry Christmas to you.

A lot of folks traveling this week. By the way, our telephone number, 901-260-5926, that's 901-260-5926. Two six. Interesting story out of one of the turning point USA thingies. You know, they had the big festival there, Dylan.

It was a 31,000 people, the big Super Bowl for conservative politics. And you know, they have these big exhibit halls where you can go and meet people and you know, all the the people are there and whatnot, and all the conservative businesses and T-shirt companies. They Actually from the day Charlie was assassinated. And so they had the tent in the exhibit hall. And people they were inviting people to come and take selfies.

In the tent where Charlie was assassinated. Hmm. Okay. BAAA. How do you feel about that?

If my concern is somebody will use that as their Christmas card. Right. Right? It's, I just. Don't know about that one.

I just There's so much weird stuff that we could talk about, just weird stuff. From all of that, it's just It's too much. It's just too much. Yeah, I'm probably going to say, had I been there, that would not have been on my bucket list. of things to do.

But beyond that, I'm like, isn't that evidence of a crime, right? We're, we, Somebody's on trial. It seems to me that should be in an evidence locker somewhere. That whole thing, I have so many questions, so many questions. I can write a book just on the questions I have, but anyway, there you go.

Interesting headline at MediaITE: Longtime Trump pollster reveals ugly forecast for Republicans. heading into 2026. The poll from Fabrizio Ward, and this is President Trump's go-to pollster. Found the national general congressional ballot currently favors Democrats by a seven-point margin. The firm is led by Bob Ward and Tony Fabrizio.

Fabrizio, a veteran GOP strategist, served as the President's chief pollster in twenty sixteen, twenty twenty and twenty twenty four. Their latest figures released just a few days ago. And the memorandum focused on seeing if there was widespread support for federal standards, among other things, to support minors from AI and things of that nature.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. We will keep you posted and we'll keep sharing all of this polling data. But the midterms are typically unfriendly to whoever is in the White House, and we've got to figure out a way to buck that trend. Otherwise, the Trump agenda stops dead in its tracks. One of the guys running for the U.S.

Senate, meanwhile, in Virginia, or Virginia, in North Carolina, on the Republican side. Our good friend Don Brown joins us. Don, hope you're doing well today. Doing great, Todd. Merry Christmas, and thanks again for all that you do.

Good to hear from you today.

Well, Merry Christmas to you as well. Just curious to get your take on that new survey coming out from Trump's go-to pollster there. Any are you feeling that? Are you sensing that out on the campaign trail?

Well, of course, we have these odd year midterms and these municipal elections that We can't get Republicans to come out. And as you pointed out a moment ago, it's it's pretty common for the the party out of the White House to to do a little less well in the midterms. But we still have 10 months to go, I think they're trying to claim. Uh to make this inflation thinking we've got to bring grocery prices down for sure, but gasoline prices have come down. and is still ten months away.

So there's a lot of water to row between now and then, but I'm not surprised at the polling and don't really have any reason to doubt at this point, except. We're going to try to get this thing turned around, and I think we can. Yeah, look, I think it's too early, honestly. I think all of this polling data is way too early. Let's see what the economy looks like once the big, beautiful bill kicks in January 1.

And, you know, if we're still looking at high grocery prices by the summertime, okay, yeah, that's going to be, that will be a death knell for a lot of Republicans out there. But I think we got to give it time. I agree. I agree. I think you're reading the T V is just right on that.

I really do. I'm looking at these numbers here, Don. Inflation down 2.7%. Gas prices are down. We had a lady calling from Statesville, North Carolina just a little while ago, paying, I think, $216 a gallon there in Statesville, North Carolina.

We're looking at, you know, incomes are rising, and I think a housing plan is on the way, and we're getting all these illegals out of the country.

So I think things are looking pretty good out there. Sharon Todd, we've heard some reports in South Carolina. Which is, I'm in the Charlotte area, and we're right on the border of certain places that gasoline they found gasoline at under two. And the 190s. I think that may be the lowest in the country, but certainly could drive petroleum prices down.

And everything clickers from that. We do have to get aggressive in some more deregulation with certain commodities on the the shelf like meat and dairy. There's some things we can do to deregulate to bring the pressure down even more. But I agree with you. Let's see how it plays out in the next ten months.

We are on the right direction. The President will put us in the right direction.

So we'll just see how it goes. But I'm optimistic despite that very early poll. Hey, Donna, I want to get your take on what happened over the weekend at Amfest, because there does seem to be divisions within the movement. And Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, everybody going at it. This rise of, I would say, anti-Semitism within the party, it's sort of weird to me.

We woke up one day, and boom, there it was. What concerns you, and or do you have concerns that the party may be fracturing here? But I have concerns about what appears to be a philosophical divide over Israel and even Amphest. The divide was strange. You pointed out that.

That's the first I've heard about re you know re rea re uh setting up Charlie's Yeah, that's that's weird. But I saw the level of rhetoric there between Shapiro on one side and Tucker and Ban on the other. And it's just unfortunate with the you know. We have so many things to work on. And to get divided over that issue, there is a symbiotic Relationship between Christians and Jews that goes back, regardless of what you think.

the Netanyahu government is doing at the moment, and it can't be denied. And you look at the Middle East And my concern is Sharia law. And radical Sharia Immigration in the United States. I'm going to fight when I get in the U.S. Senate.

My concern isn't so much. Whatever these folks are fixating on.

So I'm concerned about it, and it's a bizarre issue over which to fracture. And I hope that we can put it behind us pretty quickly.

Well, I do too. But even Tucker was defending Islam on stage. And it's really disturbing. I'm trying to get a good peg on where Tucker's coming from with all of this stuff because clearly he has had massive changes in his ideological viewpoints here. And I'm with you.

I think one of the greatest concerns is the rise of Islam here. It is going to, and it's going to happen so quickly if we do not address this. Five years from now, we may be living in a very different country.

Well, the problem has not just been illegal immigration title, where the Democrats opened the borders and let. you know, hundreds of thousands of people in unvetted. But the legal immigration scheme allowing for Sharia immigration, we gotta bring that to a stop because it's deadly. Biden opened the doors for seventy thousand Afghans to come in. And one of these Afghans that he let in shot and killed that poor that National Guardsman from Pennsylvania, the young girl who was twenty years old and And so you just can't vet.

There was a major general Harold Green in Afghanistan shot in the back by his. Afghan bodyguard. The problem is it's dangerous. They don't have a right to immigrate here, and we need to. To crack down on it.

And I think Tucker probably needs to refocus a little bit on where the real danger is. Don, you've been out there meeting a lot of people. I know you're on the eastern part of the state a few days ago. What are you hearing from voters? What are some of their chief concerns as they're looking at the midterms?

In our campaign, we're pushing three issues: the exploding national debt, we're pushing hard. It's still exploding, Todd, at something like $37,000 a second. And the President has executed brilliantly, but at the end of the day, it's Congress's responsibility to reverse. this crazy spending. because we're going to lose the dollar and they're going to push for a central bank digital currency.

That message is resonating all over the state. And of course, we're also defending medical freedom. We can't have another COVID scam where we're having unauthorized unvetted vaccines jabbed in our arms and And you know, the World Economic Forum is now talking about microchips. We've got to get it out ahead of that stuff and fight it. And out of control, federal judges, you know, like Bostberg and others who had just thrown the Constitution in the trash can.

our audiences are responding to those messages and especially to that message. And we just got to get our House under control, and I think we will. But I'm optimistic the Republicans are listening to the message. Don, I want you to give folks a place where they can go to get more information about your candidacy. I mean, you're a great candidate.

You've got a great resume. Where can people find all that information? Thank you, Tyl. You just go to our website, which is brown. for the word F O R Brown for N C like North Carolina.

Round for nc.com. Brown for nc.com. You can go there. Send me an email. Much of a contribution as you can afford to give.

You know, it takes money to. Hire staff and run across the state and buy gasoline and buy a little advertising. We're grateful for. the Conservatives and Patriots for supporting our campaign and invite everybody to jump on board.

Well, Don, we'll get you back on soon. Just wish you and your family nothing but the best, and Merry Christmas to you out there. Merry Christmas to you too, Todd. Thanks for all that you do for us. Look forward to chatting again soon.

All right. Good stuff. Good man right there, ladies and gentlemen, Don Brown. And he is a rock-solid man. Conservative.

901-260-5926 is our telephone number. That's 901-260-5926. Dylan, I have a question. Do you guys have a king-size? Do you have a king-size bad question?

That was like one of the first things people told us was. Don't like skimp out on the bedding situation. You want to make sure you have plenty of room. Yes, yeah. If you toss and turn, you don't want to be knocking your wife off the bed.

And I am both a tosser and a turner. Are you really? Unfortunately. In a snorer, apparently. This morning, I don't know what I was dreaming.

I woke up on the opposite end of the bed. Like My head was not against the headboard. It was at the I'm not sure what was going on. Maybe you were going down a water slide or something. Maybe.

Well, I could have. Maybe that was it. Maybe I was. Probably what it was. The reason I ask is What happens if you have a throttle?

What happens if you're and you have three people and they actually make beds now for throttles? What are they called? I don't king and queen. King XL. King and queen.

And someone else. This headline from the Wall Street Journal, it's insane.

So now they are normalizing throttles.

So you're not married to one person, you're married to two people.

Well, three people, two people. Yeah, you're married to two people. And so, this is the headline in the real estate section of the Wall Street Journal. One Throppel had three separate design tastes. How did they manage a renovation?

After buying a plain vanilla box, a Chicago trio brought in an interior designer who blended their aesthetics and added elements like a moody den for socializing and a three-person bed. This bed looks like two king-size beds put together. They don't even make rooms that big. No, they don't. I'm like, how does all of this work?

But anyway, people are really now starting to weigh in because they're normalizing this idea of three dudes. Getting married. Together. And they had to define it. I love this second paragraph in the Wall Street Journal actually had to define what a throppel is for kind of like pansexual.

You just imagine really bad things happening to your corningwear. But that's not what this is all about.

So the throppel is you okay there, Dylan? It's my favorite bit that you do, actually. The throttle. Is defined as a committed romantic or sexual relationship between three people. Yeah.

Committed or romantic or friendly or sleepy.

So, anyway, they. The Thropol became deeded owners of the condo. I have questions about this, though. I have questions.

So, what happens when you're doing your taxes and you're married to two other people? Do you all have your own separate bank accounts? God forbid somebody dies. Who gets the cat? You know, or the gerbil.

What I just have questions. See, those are better questions than I had because I was thinking, like, how are they going to get a blanket over all three of them? Maybe the three pillow situation. They're gonna have to make bed sheets that are big enough for that thing. If you steal the covers, who are you blaming?

Are you blaming the person in the middle? or the person on the end who's probably getting more Than they deserve. Oh, geez, we've got a word we have to look up. Here we go. Real estate agents are noticing more thropples and polycules.

Is that like four people? Oh my word. Is that like cuticles? Mm-hmm. They've noticed more thropples and polycules.

Google that, Dylan. P-O-L-Y-C-U-L-E-L. Hercules. Polycules buying homes together, often with everyone's name on the deed, monogamy in this economy. Kathy Sloan is a broker.

She's seen a steady uptick in multipartner buyers, treating shared ownership as both a romantic and financial move. Her advice get the paperwork sorted early. It should include a cohabitation plan and an estate plan. Wow. I have polycule.

What is it? It's a network of interconnected, consensual, romantic, and/or sexual relationships combining polyamory and molecule. describe how people bond like atoms in a chemical structure. It's an orgy. Yeah.

That's what they're calling it's an orgy you don't have to make a new word We got it. Jesus. Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen.

So, this bed, you can't even see the ending of the bed. It's that long. It's incredible. Here's how they ramp this. Oh, the original headline is three's not a crowd in this duplex.

Well, now you need a quadplex, apparently. By night, the throppel drifts into the darker corners of the home, a soothing prelude to bedtime. or heads out to the two thousand square foot rooftop terrace garden. With over seventy plants and spaces that reflect each partner's personality. The home is a living, breathing expression of the trio.

Oh, they planted a crop of pansies. 901-260-5926, our telephone number. That's 901-260-5926. I look, I just want to say something here. All the there are gay couples that are complaining.

You can't complain. You can't complain. You wanted to redefine marriage, and we warned you it was going to be a free-for-all, right? We warned you about that. And now you got people getting married to their dishpans, and you got people getting married to eight people.

It's like the freaking perverted Brady bunch out there. We'll be right back. All right, just a few moments ago, Turning Point USA doing an interview. And they say they have, in fact, endorsed J.D. Vance, not just Erica Kirk, but TPUSA.

They've endorsed Vance to be the GOP nominee in 2028. My question is, will TPUSA chapters on these high schools and university campuses now become de facto campaign offices for Vance? And the way I see it, TPUSA can do whatever they want to do. I just don't believe in anointing candidates or having coronations. We've got plenty of time between now and twenty twenty eight, and I think we need to have a ferocious debate.

Let's see who we've got in our midst. Keep in mind, J.D. Vance once said that he did not vote for Trump. And wrote an op-ed for the Times saying that Trump was unfit for our nation's highest office.

So, yeah, I'd kind of like to see what else is going on out there. We'll be right back, everybody. And Merry Christmas to you, everyone. Man, our live chat over on YouTube is going at it. That's all I can tell you.

We've got a lot happening, a lot of folks weighing in on the big issues of the day. People were saying, Did I hear you correctly? Yes, there was a replica of the tent where Charlie was assassinated. It was set up. At the Amfest, and the well, individuals were invited to come over and take a selfie.

And a lot of people did just that. It was one of the main attractions, People Magazine, reporting that.

So, mm, there you go. Let's go to the Patriot mobile newsmaker line. Say hello to our good friend Steve Gill, who is publisher of TriStar Daily. That's TriStarDaily.com. Steve, Merry Christmas to you.

Hope you're doing good today. I'm doing great, and I've come to the conclusion that if Standard grades on the curve. I still may not make it. My only hope is pass pale. Maybe I'll flip by under that grading.

Steve, we're going to put you on hold and work out. We've got a super bad phone connection, and we're going to try to get that worked out. And we'll get right back to you on that.

So again, Turning Point, just moments ago, Andrew Colvett was on one of the channels and saying that they are going to be Turning Point is going to be all in for J.D. Vance in the 2028 Presidential election. Here is JD yesterday. And I really appreciated what he had to say here. On this particular topic, affirming that America is, in fact, a Christian nation.

Cut number three. Yeah. But I want to say something here. The only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God, we always will be, a Christian nation. Ah!

Now, I want to be explicit because, of course, the fake news media will twist everything that I say. I'm not saying Do you feel about them the same way I do? I'm not saying you have to be a Christian to be an American. I'm saying something simpler and truer. Christianity is America's creed.

The shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond. Across that history. Our country's major debates have always centered on how we could best as a people please God. That greed. Think about it.

That creed motivated our understanding of natural law and rights, our sense of duty to one's neighbor, the conviction that the strong must protect the weak, and the belief in individual conscience. Even our famously American idea of religious liberty is a Christian concept. Yeah, it's I mean, he knocked it out of the ballpark. It was a great answer, and we do believe that America is a Christian nation.

So Friday night, had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of students on our Newsmax show. And the They, you know, I want to play this, and then we're going to get to Steve, but I want to play this audio. This is from a couple of students, one a college student, the other a high school student. They were at Amfest, and here's their takeaway. Katie Casey is the vice president of Club America at Collierville High School in Tennessee.

And Jackson Heberlin, the social outreach chair of the Clemson University College Republicans. Guys, good to see you. Jackson, to you first, want to get your reaction. You've heard from a lot of the speeches. What's the vibe there at Amfest?

I mean, it's electric. People are so excited to come out here and meet their fellow conservatives, and I really feel a sense of unity. I know there's been some level of disagreements, but the collective effort and the collective mantra of this event really is coming together. And I think that that's been exemplified in this event so far. Katie, you heard Erica Kurt give you high schoolers a shout out.

And I know that you just started, you were part of a group that started a club there at your high school. What's that experience like being around so many young conservatives this weekend? Yes, sir, it has been absolutely amazing. I honestly can't even put it into words just because I've never experienced anything like this. And I feel like it's almost a sense of recharging and almost empowerment.

I know that's kind of a liberal term, but empowerment just because you can really recharge and gather information and knowledge you obtain here, and you can, I think, I can apply it to the chapter I'm in, and not even just the chapter, but way beyond.

So it's just absolutely electrifying and empowering. It's just, it's amazing. It's amazing. Jackson, you've been in the fight. You guys have been doing debates on campus.

Going to an event like Anfest, do you sort of get your batteries recharged? Do you get your marching orders before you go back to campus? You absolutely do. You know, doing the campus debates that I do, I feel like I spend almost all of my days talking to people who either hate my guts or mildly dislike me. But being out here at Amfest is quite the opposite.

It feels like everyone agrees with me, everyone likes me, and in a way, I'd say you definitely don't want to live in that environment all the time because I could see it definitely kind of melting your mind. But it is amazing to be around people who really care, really agree, and are passionate in the same way that I am. Yeah, it's definitely a recharging moment for me at least. Katie, I'm curious about teenagers, high schoolers. What's been their reaction since Charlie's assassination?

What's been the reaction to high school students with the conservative message? You know, there has been such an uprise in the conservative movement for high schoolers and you know the junior high, but there has also been kind of a you can kind of see who's on your side and who's not. You know, with social media, there's so much of an opportunity to people for people to post opposing messages. And you know, we're glad that Charlie Kirk is dead, and you know, we're glad that Charlie da da da. But it's also a wonderful time for people to really come together because before Charlie died, our chapter was inactive.

So, in a way, it's been such a blessing for our high school, and you know, this all wouldn't have happened without him. It's been amazing. And Jackson, again, there has been a bit of controversy, a little back and forth between Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro yesterday. What's been the vibe there and the reaction? What's the scuttle butt there in the hallways?

I mean, it really is this sort of dividing line. Are you on Team Ben or Team Tucker? And, you know, I find that most people who are on Team Tucker believe in, you know, it's more important about hosting you want to host, and most people who are on Team Ben are believing that it's more important on who you host and how you host them.

So it's a big debate over here about how to use free speech and how to use your platform. But just from my personal take and my personal view around, I find that most people are siding with Tucker. All right, there we go. That was the interview with a couple of kids at TPUSA. We have reestablished contact with Steve Gill.

Steve, we appreciate having you with us today. TriStarDaily.com is Steve's website. What's the big takeaway here, and how important is whatever happened in Phoenix over the weekend? How important is that to the national conservative movement? I think it's huge because one of the things that conservatives In this last election cycle with Trump.

is energizing more of those kind of younger Voters that traditionally have fallen into the Democrat aisle. Charlie Kirk was having an impact. He's had an even bigger impact, I think, unfortunately and sadly with his passing. But his legacy living on is something I think Republicans in this midterm election season are poised to really take advantage of. And certainly the fact that they've early on, between Erica Kirk and between TPUSA, endorsed J.D.

Vance, he's the big winner. It's kind of As you look ahead already to the next presidential election cycle, he's the big winner out of Arizona this week.

Well, they did a straw poll, and Vance got, what, 80-plus percent of the vote? I'm curious if TPUSA had invited Marco Rubio, who has honestly, you know, and we had someone call in earlier and made a really good point about this. Rubio is really the workhorse of this administration, taking on multiple jobs, multiple roles, and really succeeding in them all. And I think JD has done a great job as a vice president getting out there and giving speeches and having the president's back. But it really has been Rubio that is delivering on the America First agenda.

Yes, and I think one of the things and we've talked about this before, the Trump team, because you've got Rubio, you've got JD Vance, you've got a whole host of the Cabinet officials, They are all pulling in the same direction. The first Trump term They were all kind of heading off in their own thing. You had some who were actively working against the MAGA Trump agenda. This time, The reason things are happening so well with the administration is that they're all on the same page of the playbook and working in the same direction.

Now, We gotta get to Senate. Involved to do that. The House, with a very narrow majority, has passed a lot of the legislative agenda of Trump and MAGA. The synergist sitting back not doing their job their part of the job.

So I think that as we look towards who will carry the flame forward, whether it's State Evans, whether it's Um Again, you know, there's a whole we're gonna have a whole host of good candidates, but I think that uh Rupio and and the rest. They're doing their job. The Senate is not. And I think that the President and the Administration need to be putting more pressure on Thunder for the Senate to do their job to pass the Trump agenda. Otherwise, if we don't fare well in the midterm elections, It's going to be a two-year and done Trump administration because the Democrats won't do anything.

To cooperate in the remaining two years of his term, regardless of who's lined up to be the next president. Yeah, Trump's pollster, by the way, they put out some numbers just a few moments ago saying that things looking pretty ugly for Republicans heading into 2026. They're saying this is Fabrizio, Tony Fabrizio, who's handled Trump's polling since, what, 2016, says Republicans right now trending towards getting smacked in the midterms. Your take on that?

Well, I think it's understandable because, again, the Senate and the House are not. doing what needs to be done. We hear all these Glowing reports from Doge and everything else, how they're going to cut hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars in wasteful spending. Nobody's getting prosecuted for having stolen money. Nobody's getting prosecuted for the Um judicial warfare that has been waged.

So th they're not holding people accountable and the House and Senate aren't passing legislation.

Now I'm going to disagree with Fabrizio and his polling because I think right now, if you ask people questions, they're being still driven by the mainstream legacy media of, oh, how bad the economy is and how Trump hasn't done anything And yet when you look at where we were versus where we are, if there was more honest reporting, there couldn't be any way that you wouldn't support certainly what President Trump and the Republicans have accomplished, even with the Democrats throwing up blockades everywhere they can. Again, not a single Democrat vote. Except lockstep to block the Trump agenda in the House and Senate.

So you've got. Johnson and Thun having to navigate very narrow majority. I think the economy is going to improve pretty dramatically as we head into 2026. The big beautiful bill will start to kick in. The tax cuts will be felt.

You're going to see the continued benefit of the tariffs, contrary to what the media points out, with opening foreign markets. All the focus on the tariffs is, oh, it's driving up our prices. It's also going to open up markets where we have been blocked. in Europe, in Asia, South America, throughout the world. That's going to mean that more of our farmers are going to sell more stuff.

Our manufacturers are going to sell more stuff. That's going to spur the economy. Gas prices coming down are already having an impact, but they're going to have a bigger impact when the cost of everything is cheaper, when energy is cheaper.

So and then finally, when the Jerome Powell gets moved out, moved on, and interest rates come down, you're going to see a boom in the housing market. You're going to see better opportunities in the rental markets, car purchases. And finally, when you get more of the illegals pushed out of the country and the Trump administration is now willing to pay three grand for them to self-deport. You have less pressure in the housing markets, you have less pressure on taxpayers, you have better opportunities in the job markets. When the illegals are gone.

So I think everything lines up for next year to be a boom year in the economy, which will help Republicans in the midterm. Steve, you know, I think going back to TPOSA and all of the fighting among the conservative influencers, they need to understand something here. We need to be focused on the real enemy here, which is the Democrat Party and these radical progressives. That's what we need to be focused on, and we've got to unite together. We've got to get everybody on the same page, and we've got to make sure we have a very clear message we're sending to voters in the midterms.

You are absolutely right, because when voters hear what the nut cases woke. Whack jobs on the left are actually for whether it's Elon Omar, whether it's AOC, whether it's the Gavin Newsoms or the rest. if you actually take a moment to listen to what they advocate, You know, it's it's an AD-20 split of where America is versus the policies they're promoting. We need to do a better job of making sure that we talk about what we're for and quit this kind of cat fighting between influencers and focus on what they would do if they were in charge and what they've done when they've been in charge in the past.

So, again, I agree with you 100%. And I think so many of these influencers are out there trying to create controversy and create conflict within the conservative movement, within these. group but Because they're looking for clicks. They're looking to expand their visibility rather than advance issues and policy. And I'm sick of it.

I think a lot of Republicans are sick of it. And many of these so-called influencers are going to find their influence waning as conservatives wake up to what game they're playing, which is it's all about them. rather than about us. That's it. Steve, got to leave it there.

My friend, Merry Christmas to you, and hope you and your family have a great, great holiday. Merry Christmas, I friend, to you and all of your listeners. Thank you. All right. Steve Gill, everybody, trystardaily.com.

Go check out his great website.

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All right, folks, don't forget 5 o'clock Eastern tonight, the Todd Stern show on Newsmax. We're going to be back tomorrow live. And then we've got our big Christmas Eve show coming up, Christmas Day. It's going to be a lot of fun. Folks, thank you for hanging out with us.

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