Morning In Memphis

My dough never sees a freezer. Fay Hollis makes the biscuits at Hardee's. I'm up at 5 a.m. every day making biscuits from scratch. Easy there, biscuit lady.

Aught to create the Hardee's two for five dollar breakfast menu. Try the new Oscar Mayer Bologna Biscuit, sausage and egg biscuit, smoked sausage biscuit, biscuit and gravy, or a cinnamon roll. The two for five dollar breakfast for a limited time only at participating Hardee's. I got up early. The least you.

Can do is show up hungry. From the principal Toyota Studios, it's morning in Memphis with Todd Starnes. And good morning, welcome to Starnes Country. Wait a second, I'm not Todd Starnes. I'm John Covington.

Today, welcome to Covington County. You know, Helen, I wasn't crazy about that opening. I'm sure we can fix it because this is being taped, right? What do you mean it's live? I wasn't told it was going to be live anyway.

Yeah, so I'm filling in today, and me and wrestling out of parts unknown. Helen Hazard is on the mic over there, pushing all the buttons.

So if there's any mistakes made, I'm going to preemptively blame them on Helen because I'm just the talent. Anyway, it's a true pleasure to be here. You know, yesterday the kids took over the Gen C. How did that go, Helen? Did you enjoy yourself?

It went well. Todd was downstairs, you know, strapped up, screaming, "Please give me back the mic!" But You know, we weren't fired, so that's good.

Well, let me tell you, I listened. I thought you guys did a great job, and you had a great call-in guest, which was me, which I'm a big fan of. And so, it went well. But still, you know, Todd reached out and he said, "You know what? We need some parental supervision." So he said he looked.

I want to call a mature adult, insightful, wise, thoughtful, and he couldn't get in touch with that person, so he called me. And I was more than happy to fill. And even though Helen, as I talked about, it's been a long week for me, and I took today off. But then I broke the news to my wife.

Well, I'll be getting up at three o'clock in the morning or whatever it is to come in and prepare for this. But I'm powered by, and I'm not ashamed to say it, pistachio latte. Not the most manly of drinks, but it is delicious. Helen, what's your drink of choice to get you going in the morning? I'm usually a vanilla latte person, but when I go to Starbucks, sometimes I I do the modifications, which the workers hate.

But yes, everybody hates that. You got to make a decision. You got to be bold. Come on now. I'm like extra whipped cream.

I want Java chips. Oh, and change this to oat milk. I am the worst one. They don't like to see my car coming in the drive.

Well, my drink choice sounds more and more manly all the time compared to yours.

So, thank you for that. We're going to cover a lot today. I recently took a trip to Washington D.C. to, and I am going to get into victims victims about crime conference and a day honoring. The parents and the victims of violent crime.

We'll talk about that. I want to talk about immigration and also this is the one year anniversary, as we know, of the task force. I wrote an op-ed about it yesterday. Let me tell you, Helen, I made some liberals upset on mean comments, but it's typical. It didn't appear to me that anybody actually read my piece, which was all fact based.

But you know, they went on emotion. But I'm okay. I've got a thick skin. That's good. Yeah.

So that's what I do.

So anyway, I do want to get into something a little bit serious. As I say, last week I attended the Attorney General Summit on Victims of Violent Crime, and it was also that was the first day, and the next day was National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. The reason I was up there, Officer Rusty McKinney, back in 2024, lost his life in a line of duty. Memphis police officer, a true hero. And his mom was going up to DC.

She was invited to this summit and to the Day of Remembrance. And so, my organization, the MPA, we the time she's gone up there, one of us goes with her to take care of all the. She's not going to pay for anything. We're going to handle everything and make sure it's as smooth. Trip for her, so I was up there with her in support of her, and she's a wonderful, wonderful woman, and has become a very dear friend.

But it was a it was a powerful thing to be up there talking about these things, and I got to meet the Attorney General Todd Blanche, Tom Holman, the White House Border Czar, Kash Patel, Director of the FBI, and some other leaders. And let me tell you, they were impressive. They were impressive. You can go to and and I'll post the link, and Helen, I'll give you the link. People can go watch the whole conference, and I hope they do because you had parents, everything from parents who lost children to illegal immigration, immigration people coming in, criminals, to in one in case a father lost his daughter, somebody who had been arrested multiple times, well over twenty, and was still on the streets.

And then also cases of fentanyl, you know, coming into this country, and it was it was really, really moving.

So in fact, I have a couple of clips. And sitting in the room, you know, people can talk about the immigration debate, which we're going to get into some the segment and the next, and and how that goes. But hearing a mother speaking through her sobs about losing a child as a result of the crisis. On the border under the Biden administration, and thank God Trump has come in and taken it serious. He declared it a national emergency on his first day in office, and we started to really clean it up.

But we're still paying the the price, or the folks paid the price back at that time for our our basically open border.

So, Helen, if you could play, this is the first clip. This is the mother of a young lady called Sheridan Gorman, who who was tragically killed.

So. Sherrod, if you could play that first clip for us, legal immigration gives; it brings talent and work, ethic, traditions, ideas, dreams into our American story. But illegal immigration, it takes; it steals our resources, our security, and sometimes, as families in this room know all too well, steals lives. Thousands of Americans have been murdered by illegal immigrants. You don't hear about them.

Well, on March 19th, danger came from my child. Our 18-year-old daughter, Sheridan, walked onto a pier near near Loyola, Chicago, the college she went to, with friends, hoping just to see the Northern Lights. It was the first clear night in a long time. In Chicago, they were just kids looking for fun and something beautiful in the sky. But Sheridan never got to see those lights, because she was hunted in the dark.

She ran for her life and made it only forty feet before being shot in the back. Far from home, cold and scared, my daughter died alone, bloody and broken, on that concrete pier. And the man charged with killing my Sheridan had entered the United States unlawfully during the Biden administration. He was apprehended at the border and released under their open border fiasco, even though he had no valid asylum claim. And then, after a later theft arrest in the sanctuary city of Chicago.

That sanctuary city did not notify ICE or transfer him to immigration custody. This man was released right back out onto the street, and surprise, surprise, he failed to appear at court.

So there was a warrant put out for his arrest and deportation. But again, Chicago did not. We get it was powerful, and it was it was tough to hear her speak like that, and. According to Helen, are we coming up on a on a break very soon? Is that what I'm to understand?

I was giving you those thirty seconds for the clip to end. Oh, okay. See, there we go. Thank God, Helen's with me because I have a whole timesheet here. But no, sitting in that room, it was impossible not to be moved.

There were tears streaming down my face, and many of the people in the room. It it was tough, and it took away kind of the abstractions of illegal immigration. And brought you home to the stark reality—the fact that the border was basically wide open, and people were not vetted and allowed to come into this country. And then you had sanctuary cities, which in this case was Chicago. You had this violent person actually had a warrant at the time.

As she talked about shared, and as the mom talked about shared, and her friends went down to see the northern lights and see the skyline and take pictures, and a masked man approached them armed with a weapon, and they. They ran, as as anybody would do in a situation. And he fired and and killed Cherid and shot her in the back. And she said she died on that pier alone. Her friends had run off and went.

And when they came back, they found her. And it was just, it was painful, and it took away. As I say, all the. It's no longer the statistics. It's a real tragedy.

But I want to talk a lot more about that when we get back. But we're heading towards a break, and we'll get traffic with Commander Chuck, and then we'll touch base on this and dive a little bit deeper. This is Rick Burgess from the Rick Burgess Show. I want to talk to you for a second about something most of us put on autopilot: car insurance. If you're just letting your policy auto renew year after year without shopping around, I'm telling you, you are probably throwing money away.

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This is the Todd Starnes Country Radio Show program. I am not Todd Starnes, obviously. I'm John Covington filling in, and we're broadcasting today out of the Principal Toyota Memphis studio. And if you'd like to weigh in, give your thoughts, please give us call at nine zero one two six zero five nine two six. That's nine zero one two six zero five nine.

Two six.

Okay, so we were talking about immigration, but I do—I was checking my notes, and I do want to touch on one thing before I go a little bit further. In that, I talked about taking that trip up to DC to support the mother of a fallen hero, Rusty McKinney, who gave his life in the line of duty for the city of Memphis. And I'm not sure how many people realize what we owe these young men and women who go out and protect the city. I'm not going to lie to you, folks. Memphis is a dangerous place to police.

Is actually tied as the most dangerous place to police with Detroit, Michigan.

So here's some numbers. In the last five years, Memphis has lost nine officers to line of duty deaths, as has Detroit.

Now, current estimates of Memphis population is 602,000. Detroit is 649,000.

So we're we're basically the same. We've both lost nine staggering, staggering numbers. As in comparison, Chicago, which has 2.7 million, has lost 11. Los Angeles, that's got 3.9 million, has lost 10. Houston, 2.4 million, has lost seven.

Excuse me, and Philadelphia, with 1.6 million, has lost nine. Again, it's a staggering number. And so, you know, when we say we we back the blue, we pat these young men and women on the back. Just remember the the risk that they take from walking out, putting that badge on, leaving their own families at home, and risking it all on the streets to make this city safer and better. And I salute them, true true heroes.

Anyway, so as before, we were talking about immigration. Helen, how are you on your medieval fortification? Background: Are you up on that? I can't say I am well versed.

Well, I can't say you are well versed.

Well, that's disappointing. You know, this whole this new generation doesn't know about medieval fortifications, and why do I bring that up? I bring it up because the immigration debate is is such a moving target, and those of us who want. Safe borders. You.

It's not that we're we welcome immigrants, but they need to come here legally. They need to follow the rules, and you know that's a long process we ask these folks to go through to become citizens, and rightly so. You know we want to know who they are, their background, all these things. But these days, it seems like if you make a case, and I'm going to come back to the medieval fortifications to put a pin on that, Helen. I hadn't forgotten.

So, if you want to make a case for enforcing immigration law, the argument shifts very quickly. Call for a secure border, and you're hit with America is a nation of immigrants.

Well, duh, that's a fact. If you try to distinguish between legal and and illegal immigration, you're told, wait a second, immigrants built America.

Well, duh, that is also a fact. Say someone here illegally who commits a violent crime should be deported, and suddenly you're done, done, done, anti-immigrant. There's a trick that just took place. The subject shifts while you're debating, and there's a name for this. It's called the Mot and Bailey argument.

Did that? Did that ring a bell, Helen? That that ring a bell? Did it really? Yes, I I definitely heard that.

That's pretty good. I I'm very impressed. I have hope for the next generation. And so this term comes from medieval fortifications. The bailey was the difficult, difficult to defend position.

While the mot was the fortified position to which defenders retreated.

So, bailey's difficult to defend. The mot is easier to defend or easy in debate. The maneuver is simple to defend the controversial position until challenged, and then retreat to something almost. Everyone accepts, right?

So they they hit you with arguments.

So, well, America is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants built this country. You are anti-immigrant. The argument we're making, so the mod is America is a nation of immigrants. Immigration is a rich, enriches country, which is obvious, but that's not the argument.

The question is whether America has the right and the will to decide who enters. Under what condition and who gets to remain?

So you know, they shift the argument. And I drive into work, and you see these folks waving their signs there at the you know, and it's Sam Cooper, and you know, God bless them. You know, this is America. You have a right, you know, to get out and wave your signs of what you believe, as long as you do it legally and peacefully. But they all say, "I support immigrants.

Stop immigrant hate. This is not what it's about. It's just wanting." It to be done properly and legally, and you know the story of Sheridan Gorman. The bottom line is that young lady would still be alive if we had followed the the can't even talk the laws on the books and done the correct thing.

So you know that's the that's the bottom line, and that's where it gets so frustrating. And then I found this very interesting. And by the way, not to shamelessly. Plug myself. This is another op-ed that's going to be coming out in in the Daily Mifflin, and I want to give the Daily Mifflin credit.

I send a lot of things to them, trying to bring a balanced perspective. You know, from their point of view, they would say it's a conservative perspective, but to me, it's just a common sense perspective on a lot of the issues being faced here locally and nationally. And I appreciate because it the point of view I bring, I feel like it doesn't show up hardly ever. In the so-called mainstream media, so I try to bring that, and I appreciate that they've given me the opportunity to be able to express my thoughts and express a different point of view.

So, have you experienced that, Helen? That that kind of switching—you know, you're trying to argue one thing, and then suddenly you're not arguing that immigration immigrants built the country. You know, you're arguing that we should have legal immigration. Yeah, you're making me think maybe we should have started the show with a land acknowledgement, right? Oh yeah, right.

Oh God, I hate when they do that. Oh so, oh, but you know this. It gets even worse.

So, research published in the American Economic Review. I know the kids read that a lot, right? The AP terminology changed at some point. The result was striking. It The words "illegal immigrant," the AP is kind of the standard which other news organizations use to a lot of their the words that they pick, and they went with softer language that obscures illegal status, and they got rid of "illegal immigrant." They were they were no longer going to say that, and so that disappears.

And it became much softer, and it became, oh, what was the term that they started using? I'll find it in a second. But it was, so there's something like dead air that everybody loves.

So tap dance, Helen. Tap dance, why? Oh, well, I remember they did the same thing with, what is it, pedophiles? They they changed the name to like. Person attracted to younger people.

Oh my god! You had a name for that to make it softer, and I'm like, I don't think you can make that any softer. Yeah, I don't think you're you're supposed to. Oh, and so they.

Well, this is. I'll find it in a second. It's basically playing as someone. It took away illegal, and so this was an undocumented. That's right, it was an undocumented immigrant, and so that's different than saying illegal.

You take the the legal question out of it completely.

So the AP made that change; it was subtle. And what they found is it changed people's attitudes towards the whole issue. When they got the softer language, they suddenly their opposition to legal immigration dropped.

So you know, was that done purposely? I don't know; it's hard to say, but it certainly had an impact. And it's that Orwellian thing that language has such a big impact on the things that we do, or frighteningly, the way people think about things.

So, you know, that's something to think about. Yeah, and we're we're actually coming up on a hard break. I can hear the music. That means we must be doing it. That's right.

Well, Helen, thank you for keeping me on task.

So stay tuned. We're going to have traffic and weather. With it says here in my notes, Laura Huckabee is our weather lady.

So Laura Huckabee will be bringing the weather.

So stay tuned. We'll be right back. This is Rick Burgess from the Rick Burgess Show. I want to talk to you for a second about something most of us put on autopilot: car insurance. If you're just letting your policy auto renew year after year without shopping around, I'm telling you, you are probably throwing money away.

Rates change all the time, and staying loyal to one company can end up costing you big time. That's why you need to go check out Insurify. I went to Insurify.com to test it out myself, and I was blown away by how easy it is. In about two minutes, totally free, you can compare actual real-time quotes from over a hundred top insurance companies, all side by side in one place. No endless phone calls, no pushy sales pitches.

Here's what I really love: Insurify doesn't just help you once and walk away. They actually keep monitoring your rates in the background and alert you whenever prices drop, so you never miss out on a better deal down the road. Millions of drivers have already used Insurify to stop overpaying, and there's no reason. You shouldn't too. Do yourself and your wallet a favor.

Go see what you could save right now at insurefy. dot com. That's insurefy. dot com. And welcome back to the show.

If you're expecting Starnes Country, you're being treated to Covington County today. I'm John Covington, filling in for Todd from the Principal Toyota Memphis Studio. And if you want to call in and give us your thoughts, the number is nine zero one two six zero five nine two six nine zero one two six zero five nine two six. Helen, I got to tell you, I was up late last night and I came in here a little depressed because my beloved Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark were bounced out of the the playoffs. And let me tell you, I've never enjoyed watching a player player play more than watching Caitlin Clark play.

And I enjoy the Indiana Fever, and I've never despised the league as much as I do the WNBA. Understood. I mean, it just sucks. The officiating, the the commentary—you know—they just refuse to. Caitlin Clark was kicking butt, and that you know they they won't even acknowledge it.

It seems like, and it's just—it's a mess. And you know, I need to write something about that whole. You know, I'm I'm the the demographic they want to get. I'm a NFL fan mostly. I watch some pro basketball, watch college football, NFL is my thing.

Never watched WNBA. I heard about Caitlin Clark. Watched some Iowa games. Became a big fan. My daughter became a fan, and so this is something we can enjoy together.

And she goes to WNBA, and I tune in. I'm the target audience. And I've never seen a league hate their own superstar as much as the WNBA was. Caitlin Clark got hit in the mouth; was bleeding. No foul called last night.

It was just—it's hard to watch. And the pregame, the halftime—I got to turn the sound down, and the commentators are just are. Uh, what's the PC term? Garbage. There you go.

There I said it. Come after me, WNBA. I have to bleep that. You have to bleep that, right? Yeah.

Well, that makes it sound. That makes it sound. People's imagination. God only knows what they'll uh, they'll fill in there. But yeah, I mean that that was frustrating, and I hope they would move on.

But man, the calls. I shouldn't say. You know, they had their chances to win, but whatever. That that's my rant. I.

No, I see those compilations of all the things that should have been called fouls for her, and I just don't understand. I'm like, how is that possible? And I don't even watch basketball as much anymore. My sister played, so I know women's basketball really well because I had to go to every game. Oh God!

So sometimes I see these things. I'm just, I can't believe it. How do you not? You're right. They they hate their own.

They hate their own. It would be like you know when Tiger Woods took golf. You know he he brought a whole new audience and viewership to golf. You know a younger generation, more black folks got got involved. I mean it just really opened up the sport, as I say, to a whole new generation and minorities and everything.

What and what if they had taken the tack. We hate this guy. You know, he hadn't paid his due. Or Michael Jordan, you know, came and said, "F this guy." You know, it's all Larry Bird and and Magic Johnson. But you know, it gave way.

And whatever the it factor is, Caitlin Clark to me has it. She's enjoying. It's just fun to watch her play. And we we went and saw a couple games live. And when she hits a three in their home state court, man, it's like a bomb went off.

It's really invigorating. I don't know how I got on this, but I was. I was irritated, and then I said, "Well, at least I don't have to get up to my ah crap. I got to come do the show." I'm glad you got to voice your concerns.

Well, thank you. Not that it's all about my angry rants, but there you go. Speaking of angry rants, I got well at least in writing. I got quite a few yesterday because I had the unmitigated audacity to write an op-ed that appeared yesterday, talking about the one-year anniversary. Of the task force coming, and my point was, I said, you know, it it's called.

They told Memphis to be afraid. A year after warnings of occupation, authoritarianism, and terror, Memphis is safer, and the hyperbolic rhetoric deserves a reckoning. And you know, the things that were being said right before they came, you had Justin Pearson. What a shock! Saying things like this was a military.

I was going to turn Memphis to a military zone. Authoritarianism. He talked about anti-democratic. I talked about Memphis being occupied. City council resolution talked about the occupation of Memphis.

Some local abuse of power. Weaponization of the National Guard.

Some local folks are never happy about anything. Talked about civil and human rights on the altar of authoritarianism being destroyed, rapid erosion of civil liberties, and on and on and on. And it was all designed to stoke this fear and you know terror about what was happened. But you know, people here, many of them already knew about fear and terror because they were facing it from what criminals. That's right.

And it was just crazy. I remember it was so unhinged. But there were people who had a different view. Of course, Brent Taylor talked about it being a force multiplier that would free up officers for greater enforcement. David Kustoff was another.

He talked about this was going to be a great opportunity. John Gillespie, representative state representative John Gillespie, said the resources would bolster local crime fighting efforts. And you saw Helen. Have you have you? Through the haze that is a Gen Zer, has any of this drifted through about some of the numbers and the impact of what the task force has done?

See, I have actually not gone out as much because I'm used to being in an area in Virginia where I live in the middle of the woods. We go around with our, you know. Bows and arrows, and you know what is this Hunger Games? What is going on over there? But continue.

I'm sorry.

So, but I've heard from my like colleagues about that. It is. It has become much safer. I know. Not to out Dylan, but you know, since he decided not to come in today, you know, for the morning, we're gonna just you know, duly noted.

We're gonna rat on him. I think he had told me a couple years ago his car had been broken into, and he wouldn't go to that area for a long time. And since then, like that area has had national guard there, that it he feels okay, like parking there again. Oh yeah, well that's a pretty common story, and in the sense that I know so many people have been the victim of crimes, you know, everything from. You know, you know, breaking.

I don't want to call that minor because if you ever had it happen, I mean, it feels like a violation because it is all the way up to homicide. But since they've been here, here is some of the most recent numbers: twelve thousand seven hundred ninety-six arrests, and that including one hundred thirty-one homicide arrests, twelve thousand one thousand two hundred seventy-nine firearms arrests, and one hundred twenty-five sex offense arrests. One thousand four hundred fifteen gang members taken into custody. They seized over two thousand illegal firearms and located and located one hundred and eighty nine missing children. Oh, what a horrible thing!

What an Orwellian dystopia that we live in. Oh wait, they made things safer and and to give credit was due to the local leadership in local law enforcement. The trend had started downward. Prior to getting here, but I don't think anybody can argue that it was not a huge accelerant because we're now seeing crime lows that we haven't seen in 15 years.

So you know all this fear mongering that went on, none of it came to pass, and it's just another example that Memphis doesn't need panic. We need pragmatism to move because everything is based on this city being safe. And we've gotten this great opportunity, and it's happened, and we we need to build on it and and move forward. And I just get so frustrated because you're still hearing some of the same kind of hyperbolic, over the top anti Task Force stuff, and it just does not match reality.

So I in my piece, there should also be room to admit when reality did not match the rhetoric. Memphis was told to be afraid. A year later, Memphis is safer. The next time the same voices tell you the sky is falling, don't forget to look up and double check. And that's posted on on my side of the Daily Memphis.

And if you get a chance, go check it out. But it just drove me. It still drives me crazy. This worked because more police, more law enforcement equals lower crime. You can be proactive.

You can be present, and it has a huge impact. And some of these folks, the radical was so far beyond. And what I worried was people would believe that, and you know, resist, or it would just create a more dangerous situation for the city. But but but thank God the whole thing has been success. And if you're anti, the the work of the Memphis Task Force, I just remember that your anti children being found and rescued.

And because that that is a real thing, 189 kids, and I don't know how you are against that. That that makes no sense to me. Does it make any sense to you, Helen? I mean, it just seems crazy to me. No, no, I.

It doesn't make any sense to me. And I can say though, the last time I was in downtown, you know, I actually. It was pretty safe. The only thing I got attacked by was one of those jumping grasshoppers that, for some reason, have wings. And you know, since we're riding on Dylan, Dylan was there, and he screamed like a little girl.

Oh, I wish that's be put on the record. Right? Yeah.

Well, that will be that will be on the record, Dylan. See, this is what happens when you don't show up, Dylan. What is the old saying? If you're if you're not at the table, you're on the menu, and Dylan is on the menu. Today, but you know, he he reached out to me.

Oh, John, can you please come do the show? You're the greatest thing ever. And I said, Well, you know, flattery will get you everywhere. Yep. And then my wife, when I was getting up super early, you know, she said to me before loud, "What'd you say?" Because she was asleep.

That's right.

That's I think that's a pretty accurate quote. Yeah.

Anyway, so if I'm not mistaken, another break is coming up. Correct? That's right.

All right. Look at me getting the hang of this. About the time it's over, we have one more segment coming up. Don't miss it. We're gonna talk about cool stuff as we always do.

So stay tuned. We'll be right back. Well, hell, that was fun. I'm glad we wrapped up the last segment.

Now I can tell you what I really think with a bunch of cuts. Wait a second, you mean there's one more segment to go? That's right.

Well, welcome back. This is today. It's not Stars Country. It's Covington County. I'm John Covington, your host, filling in for Todd Starns from the Principal Toyota Memphis Studio, and glad you're joining us on this fine morning.

You know, nothing inspires confidence. Quite like the person running your show who wanders in during the break and says, "You got anything for the last segment?" I like that the the previous segment I gave the impression that I was out of stuff. Nothing makes you feel better than that, but I am not out of stuff, Helen. I've got more stuff. And what did I do with it anyway?

Where'd it go? Where'd it go? Where'd it go? I wanted to talk about something else going on. Helen, how familiar are you with Ronald Reagan?

Is he somebody just from ancient history for you? Yeah, yeah, really old man, right? God, as I say, we're not around anymore. We're doomed, people, doomed. I tell you.

Anyway, no, Ronald Reagan was a president. A president. I'm just. Oh my God.

Okay, good.

Now, you may not know, is a younger man in the 40s, in 50s. He started off as a Democrat. And he ended up becoming a very conservative Republican, and he said, "When he made the transition, I did not leave my party. My party left me." I have that question for moderate Democrats and conservative Democrats because I know you're out there. Has your party left you?

What's interesting here locally is Justin Pearson. You know, of course, is running against Brent Taylor. Steve Cohen has not come out and endorsed him, and the Democratic Party is not seeming to do a whole lot. And Harold Ford Sr. said he had no plans to come out.

So there's a rift right there, and it goes beyond just political friction because Justin Pearson has done something I did not think was possible. He made Steve Cohen seem halfway reasonable, which is hell of a thing. Because Pearson, I talked about, he had all this bombastic language about the task force.

Now Cohen, it was more—he acknowledged that welcome resources, more federal resources, and that we need ultimately more law enforcement to get crime under control. Of course, he had quibbles with the National Guard and fine, but so—but he he bought the basic premise. And on XAI, he bought the basic premise that investment was good, you know, for the community, that you know, and for him, that's that's pretty pretty amazing. That's pretty moderate. Justin Pearson, hundred percent against those things.

So, but that's not just friction between those two. There's a greater friction playing out nationally with a party. Are you familiar with Hassan Piker by chance, Helen? We've lost Helen. She's gone.

You still there, Helen? Hello. I'm still there. It's like it's like a weasy board, Helen. Helen.

But have you heard of a Hassan Piker? Yes.

Okay. Good.

So that was the question. That was the question. Just yes. That's good. You know, we'll take it.

Now he he is really out there now, and some people try to dismiss him.

Well, he's just this. He's on Twitch or whatever. You your kids are on with your rock and or roll music and your Lady, good God, whatever you listen to, and so forth. But now he's on there saying that America deserved nine eleven. He's making excuses for Mao Zedong and and Stalin, calling them great men of history.

Says he he wipes his blank with the Constitution. He is, and he says America is more responsible for terrorism the world pound for pound than Al Qaeda. You know, this guy is completely out there, and you would figure he would just be a marginal. Radical character, but no, he has been invited. He has been a big part of campaigns up in Michigan and across the country.

Justin Pearson sat down with him. This guy is quickly becoming the mainstream, which you probably don't know who James Carville is, but he ran. Bill Clinton's campaigns, and you look back and suddenly Bill Clinton sounds very moderate. He wanted more police. He talked about the importance of secure borders.

That stuff would not fly in today's Republican Party.

So my question is, for moderate Democrats, conservative Democrats, it doesn't seem like to me you have a party anymore. And you may not agree with everything with their problems. You may dislike Trump. There's a lot of that. But especially here locally, when it comes to public safety and investment to create jobs and a bigger tax base, dare I say it, don't the Republicans represent you better?

And is it just muscle memory at this point? Are you voting going in and hitting that that D for a party that really no longer exists? And you know, I think it's fair to ask the question. Because I know some of those folks who are Democrats who are moderates and more conservative, and I know they feel lost. Think of it, and this is what Bill Clinton said in 1996: the era of big government is over.

We're rightly disturbed by illegal illegal immigration. We are a nation of laws, and he champion championed the hiring of additional 100,000 police officers. That is not where. The mainstream Democratic Party is today, you know, and so anyway, that's that's my question. Or you out there questioning or thinking about it, or really struggling because take take Trump out of it, you know, he's that he gets people all worked up.

I get it, fine. Take him out of the equation if and if you do get rid of your derangement syndrome. Honestly, I think the Republicans are the. The party with a common sense approach and the right take on everything. And my challenge is to hey, you don't have to put a sign in your door.

You don't have to tell anybody. Maybe when you go in that booth next time, maybe vote in your self interest for what you really believe. And if you do that, I think a lot of you are going to be pushing the R button. What do you think about that, Helen? Do you think that pitch will work?

Do you think they're going to stop and think? I hope they do. What I think they're going to do, I don't know. I don't know if they'll follow what you said.

Well, it would be in an ideal world, you would vote for the ideals that you have, and that leans more right. I can see that. Yeah, I mean, as I say here locally, the Democrats are many of them are against public safety and against investment, and. Growing the base, the tax base, and and moving forward.

So you know, I don't I don't know, but I thought that out there is a challenge, and hopefully some people take it to heart and think about it.

Well, you've wiled away a perfectly good hour of your Friday morning here with us. It's been a true pleasure. I thank Todd for the opportunity to come in and do my thing. Thank you, Helen. You were amazing.

You said Covington County. We need something for like hazard, like Highway Hazard. But Hazard County is the Dukes of Hazard, which you will not remember. You're too young. But I'll never forget you coming.

It's like, do you have anything? I mean, my God, it really sounds like you're drowning. She didn't say that part, but that's what I heard. But anyway, everybody, please, God bless you. Be safe.

Have a great weekend, Helen. Thank you so much, Dylan. I'll get you for this. Take care. Have a great day.

See you soon.