1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: All of my life, I have been an underdog, someone 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: who was told that you're not big enough, fast enough, 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: smart enough, strong enough. People have underestimated me just about 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: all of my life and has that frustrated me at times, Yes, 5 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: of course, but it's also motivated me to fight harder 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: throughout my life. I came to realize that whether it 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: was in school or sports, or business or combat or politics, 8 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: there will always be naysayers and critics. And it doesn't 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: matter what your chosen arena is. If you care about 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: something enough, you have to fight for it. And that 11 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you won't fail. In fact, you likely will 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: multiple times. If your living life to the fullest and 13 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: taking chances, it's all but guaranteed. You see, living greatly 14 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: isn't about those failures. It's about taking them in stride. 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: It's about learning, it's about never quitting. In this podcast, 16 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: it's called Battleground Well, because life is a battleground. It's 17 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: our duty to never surrender. On the first episode of 18 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: the show is a guy who gets this hell. One 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: of his books is titled in the Arena. The guy 20 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,279 Speaker 1: that I'm talking about is Pete hag Seth Ivy League 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: educated Harvard and Gale, and typically I wouldn't brag on 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: that because some of the dumbest people that I've ever 23 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: met in my life have come from Ivy League institutions. 24 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: But Pete Hegseth is not one of those people. He's 25 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: a rarity ladies and gentlemen because he came out of 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: those institutions. Conservative. He's an Army Infantry combat veteran. He's 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: a best selling author, he's the co host of Fox 28 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: and Friends Weekend. He's married with like one hundred kids. 29 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: He's got an incredible family. 30 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: And on this. 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: Episode, we discuss service, we discuss combat, politics, his family, 32 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: his faith. It is a great, great conversation, so thank 33 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: you for joining us. 34 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 3: I guess it just reminds us of the fallen nature 35 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 3: of humans. Find a cause you can champion as if 36 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 3: it is the champion of freedom, because you're not actually 37 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 3: fighting for freedom, so instead you rave the blue and 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:31,119 Speaker 3: yellow flag as if it's the American flag. Okay, yeah, 39 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 3: I hadn't brought that back up for a long time, 40 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 3: but now that I put myself back there, those were 41 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 3: really defining moments that are imprinted on my. 42 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: Soul, Like how do you talk to your children about 43 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: your service in a world gone completely crazy. Pete haik Seth, 44 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to Battleground. Man, it's great to have you as 45 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: one of my very first guests. 46 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: What's up, Sean? Thanks for having me, Man, it's great, great. 47 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: To see Yeah, man, it's look. I've been watching you 48 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: for a long time. Actually, I've known you for a 49 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: long time. And you know, you and I worked together 50 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: back at Concerned Vets for America and building that, building 51 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: that organization into what I thought was a powerhouse of 52 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: a veterans policy organization. 53 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: Uh. 54 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: Then you were a Fox News contributor. Then now you're 55 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: the host of Fox and Friends, and you're just doing 56 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: all kinds of amazing stuff. 57 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: You've got. 58 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: It's a couple of amazing books out. First one was 59 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: What in the Arena? Next one was Battle for the 60 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: American Mind, which was a It was a it was 61 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: a near legit New York Times bestseller, right if you 62 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: think you were number one on Amazon for a while. 63 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. It was number one in the Times 64 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 3: list for a month, which was I mean, we're pretty 65 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 3: cool that you know they didn't want it there. 66 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, exactly exactly. 67 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: And I remember, I remember, I remember watching you you know, 68 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: because we've kept in contact for throughout this whole time. 69 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: But I remember watching you walk into Trump Tower. I 70 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: think like like the Daily Beast or something had had 71 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: had some sort of picture of you, like the bigfoot 72 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: picture of you walking sideways into Trump Tower. 73 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: I'm like, what the hell is this guy up to now? 74 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: Because Pete's everywhere and there was this you were You're 75 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: up for consideration for VA secretary when President Trump won 76 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, and so, uh, it's been pretty amazing 77 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: to watch that journey man and and be your friend 78 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: all throughout that time. 79 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 2: And and of course we're just a. 80 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 3: Couple of knuckleheads stumbling along, you know, Yeah, yeah, just 81 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 3: trying to swing it away, trying to fight, to fight 82 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 3: any way we can. 83 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, man. 84 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: And that that's like, that's what's sort of so amazing 85 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: about you is because you are a a You're a 86 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: grunt man, you're a knuckle dragger. You're an infantry guy 87 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: like me, stationed and I mean you were deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, 88 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: and Guantanamo Bay, so the Big three. And and I 89 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: just sort of wanted to ask you, like so and 90 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: you went to IVY the League Education I feel like 91 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: you had the world at your fingertips for such a 92 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: long time, why the hell even decide to join the military, 93 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: but not just the military, like you went into the 94 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: infantry as well, because it seemed like to me, you 95 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: don't go into the infantry unless you want to be 96 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: a door kicker. 97 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, you give me a lot of credit. But 98 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 3: it was your book and reading it along with Bells 99 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 3: David Bellavia's book was a huge motivator for me to 100 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 3: start to put words on the page as well. I mean, 101 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 3: if people haven't read your book, they need to. It's 102 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 3: unbelievable and understanding real combat and what was it four 103 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 3: hundred and thirty five days or whatever it was, of 104 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 3: sustaining combat. Almost nobody you and I both know, has 105 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 3: ever gone through that type of thing. You know, I 106 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: had no background in the military. No one in my 107 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 3: family was in the military for the most part. I 108 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 3: mean grandfathers in peacetime, World War two, that kind of thing. 109 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 3: And I coming out of high school, I almost went 110 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 3: to West Point, but I wasn't ready to commit to 111 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 3: that yet. I just and frankly, Princeton had a better 112 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 3: basketball team, and that's all I cared about. At that 113 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 3: At that age, un till about the age of twenty, 114 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:10,559 Speaker 3: I thought I was going to be in the NBA, 115 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 3: and that quickly came to a screeching halt. My dad 116 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 3: was a basketball coach, so it's all I ever did. 117 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 3: And then, you know, I just from from childhood and 118 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 3: I talk about this a lot. Different civic rituals, parades, 119 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 3: events kind of imprinted on my heart that service to 120 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 3: the country was something of value. Look at these men 121 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 3: walking down Main Street in a Fourth of July parade 122 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 3: or a Veteran's Day parade, like people really respect them. 123 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: Whatever they did as young men, I should be willing 124 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 3: to do because it seems special and important. And that 125 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 3: was really it like that, plus just the patriotism of 126 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 3: my family, it felt like. And then you know, there's 127 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 3: some movies that come along and motivate you to saving 128 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 3: private Ryan stuff like that. You watch you're like, man, 129 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 3: I need to do my part. And so I went 130 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: to Princeville, but I didn't enroll on our RTC right 131 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 3: away and then and then it was eating at me. 132 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 3: I just knew it was something I wanted to do. 133 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 3: So I signed up in May of two thousand and one, 134 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 3: and then nine to eleven happened, and it was the 135 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 3: ultimate validator. It was like, okay, this is of course 136 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 3: somewhere I should be. And then I did well in 137 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 3: my training, so you get to pick your branch if 138 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 3: you do well. And for me, it's just like you, 139 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 3: if I'm gonna do this, let's do this. And so 140 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 3: infantry was the choice. And you know, I mean, it's 141 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 3: the ultimate test. And I think you saw it raw 142 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 3: than anybody. I mean, I was an infanty platoon leader, 143 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 3: but you did it for four hundred days and sustained combat. 144 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 3: I mean, the humanity, the leadership, the way it tests you. 145 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 3: My first tour was not in combat. It was in 146 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 3: the actually in the National Guard in Guantanamo Bay for 147 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 3: a year. Half of my platoon was twice my age, 148 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 3: and most of them from totally different backgrounds than me. 149 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 3: It was entirely mundane, day shift, night shift, day shift, 150 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 3: night shift. You're ninety miles from Cuba and yet and 151 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 3: the other side of gotam Obeys a naval base where 152 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 3: everyone can have their families. But we were on deployment 153 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 3: in the detention facility side, living in tin cans and 154 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 3: calling on AT and T phones for a buck. Fifty 155 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: a minute, you know what I mean? It was like 156 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 3: psychologically messed with us, and so trying to lead through that. 157 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 3: Very different than combat. But when you come out of 158 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 3: college you don't have leadership skills per se other than 159 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,599 Speaker 3: maybe sports. And taught me a lot about what I know, 160 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 3: what I knew, and I didn't know, didn't know. But man, 161 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 3: I'm grateful every day. The best education I've ever got 162 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 3: was definitely not a princeton. It was from the places 163 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 3: we went and the guys that served with no doubt. 164 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: Well, I guess how do you wrap your mind around 165 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: the awesome responsibility of taking charge of America's sons and 166 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: daughters And you're not just their leader, but every decision 167 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: that you make could forever alter the trajectory of their lives. 168 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: And God forbid you make a bad one. You know, 169 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: your people are going home in body bags and so. 170 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: And it's not like you're forty five years old and 171 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: you know, as a young platoony leader and have all 172 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: the leadership experience to back up, you know, the street 173 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: cred to back up that position. As you mentioned, like 174 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: a lot of the dudes that you had around you 175 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: probably their boots and T shirts probably had more experience 176 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: in the army than you did, you know, And so 177 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: how do you, as as an American somebody who values 178 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: this country and values the men and women that you 179 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: serve with, how do you wrap your mind around that 180 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: awesome responsibility of leadership? 181 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 3: Man, I think, and you know this better than I do. 182 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 3: I spent a lot of time leaning on the guys 183 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 3: whose boots and T shirts had more experience than I did. 184 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 3: I mean, you turned to your you do you turn 185 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 3: to your noncommissioned officers. You turn to your E five's, 186 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 3: your E six is, and your E seven's, who've already 187 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 3: had a combat tour. By the time I went to Arack, 188 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 3: the guys I'd served with, almost all of which had 189 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 3: been in combat. And if you run in thinking you 190 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 3: have the answers or your instincts are first of all, 191 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 3: if you have any dose of humility, your instincts tell 192 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 3: you I'm way out of my depth. 193 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 2: Do you know what I mean? 194 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: Yeah? 195 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 2: I do, Yeah, yeah, this. 196 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 3: I have no idea what to do. And there's a 197 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 3: lot of men around me that I respect, and they 198 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 3: look at me to make the decision. So it's it's 199 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 3: first leading, and then for me, it was being hyper prepared, 200 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 3: not over prepared to the point where you're micromanaging everything. 201 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 3: But you know, I'll never forget the first aerossault raid 202 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 3: we did in Bagdad, you know, night raid on an 203 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 3: al Qaeda target, and you know, we got the mission 204 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 3: with about thirty six hours lead time, and that we 205 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 3: had identified the location, you know time kind of TVD 206 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: could move up, could move back, depends on things. And 207 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 3: I just poured into it like I don't know, I 208 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 3: don't know that neighborhood we were actually it was not 209 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 3: our our our AO, it was not our battle space, 210 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 3: so we were sort of getting assaulted into someone else's. 211 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 3: So I didn't know the neighborhoodn't know it. So it 212 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 3: was like, okay, immerse myself for you know, basically every 213 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 3: waking hour before that mission, because the feeling is there. 214 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 3: It's like if I don't know, if I don't have 215 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 3: the answers or I haven't done my research, and something 216 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 3: goes sideways, it's on me, and it's the lives of 217 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 3: these men that are on me, and they're gonna look 218 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 3: to me, and and that becomes very real once it 219 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 3: is really real, and you know that. So and thankfully 220 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 3: of course, what can go wrong does go wrong, Sean, 221 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 3: as you know. So they this first night aerosol raid, 222 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 3: they drop us off three hundred meters in the wrong spot, 223 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 3: in the middle of a mudfield. You envision yourself like 224 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 3: getting off on a grassy field, like behind me, like 225 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 3: you're getting off like Joe cool, like here we go, 226 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 3: here we go, And instead they drop you in a mudfield. 227 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 3: It's a on top of each other. It's like the 228 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 3: least tactically sound X feel you've ever seen. But then 229 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 3: the guys are looking around realizing this is not I'm 230 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 3: looking down my GPS is not is not really working 231 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 3: the way I would like it to. So then it is. 232 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 3: It's back to infty officer base, of course. And I'd 233 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 3: done the research and spent the time to study the 234 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 3: maps in the AO, so by terrain associating, I was 235 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 3: able to say, Okay, I think we're here, and we 236 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 3: were supposed to be there. We're behind in our timeline 237 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 3: because we're further away, so I've got to make a 238 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,439 Speaker 3: decision to skirt the road instead of going in this, 239 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. But I and frankly prayer 240 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 3: from my mother, which is a whole nother story. I 241 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 3: felt a sense of calm that I probably shouldn't have. 242 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 3: But when you prepare, then when that moment comes and 243 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 3: you've thought it through, you don't panic. You don't have to, 244 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 3: you know, use your radio and say I don't know 245 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 3: where I am. Take a moment, take a beat, confer 246 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 3: with your NCOs. You built a good plan. Everybody knows 247 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 3: what it is, and you go. So I just think 248 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 3: you feel the weight of the awesome responsibility. And then 249 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 3: if you've been trained properly, which we have been, then 250 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 3: you just use the training you pour into it, because 251 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 3: you just don't want to come back and say I 252 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 3: didn't know or I didn't prepare enough. 253 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 2: Man, I mean, there's just so much there. 254 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: And you know, when you're when you're on that bird 255 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: and you're jumping into the shit, and you know, as 256 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: you said, things that can go wrong often do. 257 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,319 Speaker 2: And as a young leader, you know. 258 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: You try to prepare for for everything you know, and 259 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 1: the enemy at the end of the day gets a vote, 260 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: and so that's always weighing on the back of your mind. 261 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: And I remember, you know my faith, you know, and 262 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm you know, I'm I'm Catholic, I'm religious I believe 263 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: in God and Jesus and I pray and but I'm 264 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: not the most religious guy in the world. But my 265 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: faith was there with me almost every moment. And You're right, 266 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: it does give you this sense of calm. 267 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 2: In the middle of that chaos. 268 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: And I think so much of it, Pete, is like 269 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: you almost do everything that you can to plan for 270 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: or a great mission, right, but then you just sort of, 271 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: like like Carrie Underwood's style, let Jesus take the wheel. 272 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: You know there's a higher power out there, and you 273 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: put your trust in that as well. 274 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 3: You have to, you have to make a reckoning with 275 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 3: your creator, when if you don't, it's just like if 276 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 3: you're if you're deployed and you're too tied to what's 277 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 3: happening back home, you're sort of bifurcated in your commitment 278 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 3: to what's happening there. If you're if you're out there 279 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 3: saying this whole you know, I'm scared to die. Of 280 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 3: course we all are. There's no doubt everybody there's that 281 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 3: there's But if that's the it's kind of like COVID 282 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 3: not to get political, but you know, if your whole 283 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 3: world is wrapped on self preservation because I'm scared to die. 284 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 3: Because I don't have faith in anything bigger than myself, 285 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 3: everything gets a lot scarier. There is a point where 286 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 3: you make a reckoning with with your lord and saviors, saying, hey, 287 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 3: it is in your hands. I'm planning, but I know 288 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 3: that and you know this from combat. You've seen it. 289 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 3: I've seen it one step left instead of a step right. 290 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 3: I can think of IED's that exploded on the hum 291 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 3: vy behind me, but not on mine. I can think 292 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 3: of RPGs that went off on a vehicle next to mine, 293 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 3: but not mine. Guys that were shot at it near 294 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 3: me but not me. It could have been me, it 295 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 3: could have been you. There's no difference between that person 296 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 3: and me and sheer luck in God's grace. I mean, 297 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 3: that's one bullet separates Veterans Day from Memorial Day. That's it. 298 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 3: And it's not because I'm so much better or you're 299 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 3: so much better. So it faith plays a huge role 300 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 3: in being able to reconcile that when you're in the 301 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 3: middle of it. 302 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: Pete Man, I totally agree. You know this were the 303 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: phrase which to guys like me and you. I feel 304 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: like it's a little bit cliche like there are no 305 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: atheists in foxholes, you know. And the great irony of 306 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: that is that I had some atheists in my peltune 307 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: that I feel like at most there were times in 308 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: combat where they were like Jesus, get me out of here, 309 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: you know, but you. 310 00:15:58,720 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 3: Write me out of here. 311 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Like if you like that bifurcation and you're man, 312 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: you're so right, because there was there was a there 313 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: was a moment for me that is stuck with me 314 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: every day, Pete, where you know, my these little cousin 315 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: Freddie was writing me letters when I was a patuniyar 316 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan and we were about six months into our tour 317 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: and he this was like July fourth, I get this 318 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: letter from him. It's this little cartoon picture that he 319 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: had drawn from me. Had this soldier in fatigued with 320 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: the American flag and we had just got back from 321 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: this mission where we had just gotten our asses whipped 322 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: not by the enemy, we just got hit by indirect 323 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: fire for what felt like hours. And when you're when 324 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: there's nothing worse than than being attacked by indirect fire. 325 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: And that's like artillery and mortars for people that are watching. 326 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: But it's like at least, when you're face to face 327 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: with the enemy, you see where they are. You you 328 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: know you can shoot back. But when you're getting pounded 329 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: by artillery and mortars, like you're just like, like it's 330 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: just chance. You just hunker down in your truck or 331 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: in a bunker or in a hole somewhere and arrange 332 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: your grave and hope one doesn't land in your head. 333 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: So we came back from that mission and I was just, 334 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: I was just. I was physically smoked, but I was 335 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: emotionally smoked too, man. And remember looking at this picture 336 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: and thinking, like, okay, that bifurcation that you were talking about, Like, 337 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: I can't as a leader exist in both worlds. I 338 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: have to sort of shut off everything that's happening at home, 339 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: because to think about home is to hope to be home, 340 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: and you know, to go to the Pirates games in 341 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: this dealer games, and to smell the hot dogs, and 342 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: you know, you dream of the family at that point 343 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: in my life that I didn't have yet, but I 344 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:43,959 Speaker 1: know that I wanted, you know, But to think about 345 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: that stuff when you're there in the shit, it's just 346 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: it distracts you from the mission at hand. And if 347 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: you're distracted. That can lead to other people dying around you. 348 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 3: Big time, big time. It's you know, same with the 349 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 3: short time or effect, which is as old as time. 350 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 3: You know, well, it's actually a more new phenomenon because 351 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 3: we now do you know if we went back to 352 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 3: the old World War two model, if you're in it 353 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 3: until you win it, we might be in better shape 354 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 3: in some point. I mean, problem is winning it's very different. 355 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,239 Speaker 3: That's sort of a nice ideal, but you really have 356 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 3: to fight it in those last two weeks when you're 357 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 3: there to say, okay, no, I have to go out. 358 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 3: I have to go out because the unit that's with 359 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 3: me needs me to be out there, and I you know, 360 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 3: why would I stop now? And you know it is 361 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 3: it's not just psychological warfare with your enemy. It's psycho 362 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 3: logical warfare with yourself. And and you can tell as 363 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 3: a leader both yourself, especially because you know in Iraq 364 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 3: you could, you could when I was there at least 365 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 3: so five or six I was in you know, we 366 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 3: were in a remote fob but enough where you could 367 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 3: pay the locals to get your internet if you really 368 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 3: wanted it. And you know they you know what I mean, 369 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 3: Like there was enough ways to work around. So so 370 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,159 Speaker 3: you really had to fight the temptation to want to 371 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 3: gravitate toward a battle rhythm of staying in touch with 372 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 3: people when you knew it was unhealthy for what you're doing, 373 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 3: and so basically try to set it asut it's like 374 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 3: maybe once a week over here, as opposed to you know, 375 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 3: because you'd see guys sort of sink into a black 376 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 3: hole of oh, I didn't get a chance to talk 377 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 3: to people today or yesterday, and that sends them down. 378 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,719 Speaker 3: It's like, whoa that that's not going to work. But 379 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 3: it's it's got to be more difficult now in you know, 380 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 3: in future iterations of combat where communication is instant with anywhere, 381 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 3: all all the time like that split. 382 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 2: That's why. 383 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 3: That's why frankly I have I came back from combat 384 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 3: with so much more appreciation for first responders and police 385 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 3: who never have it the ability to shut it off 386 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 3: in either direction here at home. So yeah, that's a 387 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 3: challenging part of it. 388 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: Do you ever look back, because I know, I sure 389 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: as hell know that I do. Do you ever look 390 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: back and about and think about some of the experiences 391 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: that you have in Afghanistan and Iraq? And Guantanamo Bay 392 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: and think like, Okay, I know that that's my life. 393 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 2: I know that I. 394 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: Lived those experiences, but damn does it seem surreal? 395 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 2: Like how did I make it? 396 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: Because you're talking about like the difference between Veterans Day 397 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: and Memorial Day is one bullet with your name on it, man, 398 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: And that is so powerful, but it's also so true. 399 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: So do you ever think back, like, yeah, man, that's 400 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: my life, but damn, I can't believe I lived it. 401 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think it's part of the thing 402 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 3: that we never anticipate what happens to all of us. 403 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 3: I just get older, you know what I mean? People, 404 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 3: But when did you serve in Iraq? And I'm like, 405 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 3: WHOA seventeen years ago? 406 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 2: I know? 407 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 3: And then But that also it also I think about 408 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 3: how much I still don't know as a forty two 409 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 3: year old man now, and how much I really didn't 410 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 3: know as a twenty five year old leading a platoon 411 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 3: in Iraq. And that's frankly, part of the upside of 412 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 3: it is that you don't you know, you're not old 413 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,959 Speaker 3: enough to know how stupid some of the things you're 414 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 3: about to do probably are. And you've been trained to 415 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 3: think you can do them, and as a result, you 416 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 3: can do them, but it is it is surreal. I mean, 417 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 3: I guess I guess that's part of why a lot 418 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 3: of guys didn't talk about it in previous generations. And 419 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 3: then pretty soon I don't want to be talking about 420 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 3: it as the only thing that defines me exactly. It's 421 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 3: not that I put it on a shelf or I say, oh, 422 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 3: you know, I'm trying to block it away. Just yeah, 423 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 3: we did that, and every once in a while, moments 424 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 3: like this, or i'd say it happens every year and 425 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 3: a half or something, someone will want to have a 426 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 3: sincere conversation about for someone you respect who wants to 427 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 3: go a little deeper on some stuff, and it's like, okay, yeah, 428 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 3: I hadn't brought that back up in a long time, 429 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 3: but now that I put myself back there, those were 430 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 3: really defining moments that are imprinted on my soul. But 431 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 3: I really just kind of put them over there and 432 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 3: mentioned that it happened, and I I wanted to use 433 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 3: those as a as a stepping stone, But they're part 434 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 3: of the foundation of who you become as a person, 435 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 3: and I'd like to think they you know, think of 436 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 3: the storms you've gone through, Think of the fights that 437 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 3: you've had. I mean, without those fights in the hills 438 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 3: of Afghanistan, you're not fortified and prepared to deal with 439 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 3: other things. And so I'd like to think that's all 440 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 3: part of the fabric of what makes us who we are. 441 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 3: And that's why somebody calling me a name on TV. 442 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, whatever, you know. I mean, we've all 443 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 3: seen worse and experienced worse, so but it is. It 444 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 3: is surreal, it is I and I guess you manage 445 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 3: it by not thinking about it all that much because 446 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 3: it was a long time ago and I was a 447 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 3: younger man, and it's onto different fights. 448 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's so true, like I see men 449 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: and women who come home, I mean, being a warrior, 450 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: an American warrior, is something that at a certain point 451 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: in time in my life that to who I was. 452 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 1: But like you, I haven't moved on from it, right, 453 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: I've just maybe shifted fire a little bit. Like I 454 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: know that that is always going to be a core 455 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: part of who I am. But I see so many 456 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: men and women come home from the fight and they 457 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: get stuck in that identity and then they start spinning 458 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: their wheels and they never really focus on what the 459 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: next mission is. And you know, so much of I 460 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: think when a veteran comes home and transitions from war 461 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 1: is is a is identifying what that next mission is 462 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: going to be and sort of braiding it with your purpose. 463 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 2: Right, if you. 464 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: Can figure sure, you can figure out a way to 465 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: do that, it becomes rocket fuel and you just move 466 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: out and draw fire onto. 467 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 2: The next objective. 468 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: And for you, I don't want to put words in 469 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: your mouth, but you've always been in the fight, whether 470 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: it was on the battlefields or iractive Afghanistan, or even 471 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 1: here at home. My sense of Upede is that you've 472 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: always been involved in the direction of this country and 473 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: the understanding that in order to keep freedom that we 474 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: have here in this country, it has to be fought 475 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: for by every generation. 476 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 3: And I mean, yeah, I mean I stumbled into it. 477 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 3: I mean I wasn't very political when I showed up 478 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 3: in college and then I looked around. I'm like, wow, 479 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 3: y'all are lunatics. Okay, what is this? Gender is a 480 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 3: social constructor My religion teacher is like, you know what, 481 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 3: Jesus was not crucified on across and he was most 482 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 3: likely buried in a shallow grave and even by dogs. 483 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 3: I was like, like, you're my absolutely insane. So it 484 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 3: was more a reaction to like, whoa, I got to 485 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 3: do something about this. And so yeah, I did get 486 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 3: interested in advocating for the things that I believe, if 487 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 3: in artfully, and I didn't have all the answers. And 488 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 3: maybe that's a testament to just sometimes you charge ahead. 489 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 3: You're not going to have every answer, you're not going 490 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 3: to get everything right. But action breeds opportunities. And so 491 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 3: by standing up and being willing to say I stand 492 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,399 Speaker 3: for something, it prepares you for the next time you 493 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 3: have to stand up and stand for something. Uh. And 494 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 3: but but you're right there. There's no doubt that when 495 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 3: when I came home from Iraq, I had this attitude 496 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 3: of all right, don't talk to me. I've done my part, 497 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 3: you know, like I can I can throw that now 498 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 3: that I've been there, done there, got the T shirt 499 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 3: and all of that. I'm you know, no one can 500 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 3: question my loyalty to this country for the rest and 501 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 3: no one can question my manhood. And I'm you know, 502 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 3: I know I was there. My guys know I was there, 503 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 3: and they know what they did that lasts is a 504 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 3: satisfying feeling for like two months, you know, and as 505 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 3: you've bellied up to the bar and internalized all this 506 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 3: muck that you're still dealing with, and you've told a 507 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 3: few stories here or there, and then and that's where 508 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 3: it either goes. You either start to identify that next 509 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 3: chapter of purpose or it goes south. And for me, 510 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,920 Speaker 3: it went south for a while, I mean, just no doubt. 511 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 3: And thankfully there were good people and the other guys 512 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 3: I serve with, and frankly I had the benefit of 513 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 3: That's where the benefit of going to Princeton was there, 514 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 3: Like there were networks of people that reached out and 515 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 3: said can I help you? And you know, so many 516 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 3: guys we served with would never have access to that. 517 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 3: And they go back to their hometown or to their families, 518 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 3: great families, great hometowns, and they're great guys, and they 519 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 3: look at the opportunities in front of them there compared 520 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 3: to what they were doing in the military, and it's 521 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 3: it's baffling to find that next chapter. True, and it's hard, 522 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 3: so true. 523 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 2: It's it is hard. 524 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: And you tell you think like think about it, like 525 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: almost existentially it's like you have. You join the military, 526 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: and you become a part of the greatest military force 527 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: the world has ever known. I truly believe that there's 528 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: not been a military force in this world that rivaled 529 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: out of the United States of America. And you go 530 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: from that prestigious warrior culture if you're an enlisted guy, 531 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: you know, as you said, not most in listed guys 532 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: don't go to don't go to Princeton for their undergrad 533 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,159 Speaker 1: you know. And those people transition out and and I 534 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: know because I've had conversations with them where they go 535 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 1: from being the best mortarman in the battalion, which is 536 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: a huge, a huge honor, uh to being offered a 537 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: job flipping burgers at McDonald's. And not that there's anything 538 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: wrong with that. There's honor in work and working to 539 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: provide for yourself and for your family. But it's not 540 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: the same as you know, putting that American flag on 541 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: your shoulder and fighting for a country that that you love, 542 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,639 Speaker 1: you believe, you believe is exceptional, and coming home and 543 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: flipping burgers. 544 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 2: It's just an. 545 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a transition that most Americans are unaware of, I. 546 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 3: Think, absolutely right. And sometimes you know, they civilian might ask, well, 547 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 3: why don't they just stay in and be the mortarman? 548 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 3: And if that's such a big chapter of purpose, and 549 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 3: you and I both know, like the meat grinder that 550 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 3: is military service, whether it's multiple deployments, whether it's the 551 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 3: psychological part of it, whether it's inter personal dynamics, whether 552 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 3: it's bad leadership. You know, there are so many things 553 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 3: that can poison the well of really good soldiers who 554 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 3: then say, you know what, I thought, I wanted to 555 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 3: make it a career, but I'm on my way out 556 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 3: and it's different for everybody. Or a promotion structure that 557 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 3: actually isn't all that merit based, and it's a lot 558 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 3: more time based than it should be, and so it's 559 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 3: demoralizing and they so they leave thinking, all right, I've 560 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 3: done my part. There's you know, on degree your pastures 561 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 3: and it's just not that simple. And you know, you've 562 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 3: done a lot of work with Veterans Organization to try 563 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 3: to address that. It's what we talk about all the 564 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 3: time when we did it is find that chapter of 565 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 3: purpose and it can be being a husband and a 566 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 3: father too, and passing it on as you get older. 567 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 3: That's hard to realize when you're that age. I mean, 568 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 3: when you're younger, you don't realize how much your legacy 569 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 3: really isn't anything other than what you pass on to 570 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 3: your kids. And what I mean really, and I can 571 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 3: see my daughter through the window over here. She's five, 572 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 3: and it made me think of you. No, it made 573 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 3: me think of So she only knows me basically as 574 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 3: a forty year old man will never know the twenty 575 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 3: five year old that deployed, and we'll only look at 576 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 3: pictures of a man she never knew because she doesn't 577 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 3: recognize him that young, you know, And so her view 578 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 3: of me is not going to be based on what 579 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 3: I did in uniform. And my value to her is 580 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 3: going to be whether or not I teach her the 581 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 3: thing she needs to be. The type of Christian mother, wife, 582 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 3: citizen that are republic and Western civilization is going to 583 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 3: need to perpetuate itself in a world gone absolutely mad 584 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 3: and that is totally upside down. That's just hard for 585 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 3: a twenty six year old kid who was the best 586 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,479 Speaker 3: mortarman in the company to come home and Okay, I'm 587 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: gonna pour into my family. They go, what do you mean, 588 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 3: I'm a poormanive fan like I gotta get a job. 589 00:29:54,040 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 3: I gotta you know what. And so it's it's just 590 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 3: got to keep encouraging guys to be there for other 591 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 3: guys and fight for the military to be better at 592 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 3: that transition process. And the ba's a disaster. That's not 593 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 3: the answer, at least not right now, and help outside 594 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 3: organizations that help guys heal and transition. 595 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: And how so you talked about the importance of family 596 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: and your daughter and you know, legacy. I have to 597 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: tell you that was something that was on my mind 598 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan every day, you know, because you grapple with 599 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: these ideas of okay, of just absolute finality and death 600 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: which could happen at any second, you know, And I 601 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 1: found myself thinking on more than one occasion, like if 602 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: I die over here, right, I mean, you know, will 603 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: my family be sad? 604 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 2: Of course they will. 605 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: But everything that I was, that I am and ever 606 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,719 Speaker 1: will be, is gone from this earth forever. And what 607 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: will buying legacy b Like I don't even have kids 608 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: to pass on a legacy too. And so now that 609 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: I've come home and I've got a family and and 610 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: I've got amazing kids, and in fact, we're blending a 611 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: family and and that comes with it a whole lot 612 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: of other challenges that you do the thing. I know 613 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: you are, I know, but how do you do that, Pete? Like, 614 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: how do you talk to your children about your service 615 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 1: and and and the and and you're right in a 616 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: world gone completely crazy about what it means to be 617 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: an American and teach them that that freedom is a 618 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: very fleeting thing. 619 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 3: Man. I just think, I think, I think we can 620 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 3: take nothing for granted in today's society. So yes, you can. 621 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 3: You know, it's it's conversations, it's dinner table, it's bedtime, 622 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 3: it's long car rides, it's you know, the places where 623 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 3: you get a chance in that moment to dig deep 624 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 3: with your kid and dive into the development of their 625 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 3: soul and how they view the world. But you know, 626 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 3: you're a busy guy. I'm a busy guy. Let's be honest. 627 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 3: If you're relying on those moments only, you're in some 628 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 3: ways chipping at the margins, especially once they become teenagers 629 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 3: with devices and different friend networks and then they move off. 630 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 3: I mean, so, I think we're at a moment where 631 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 3: you can't unless you know exactly what the institution your 632 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 3: kids where they're going to school exactly what they believe 633 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 3: and what they're committed to. They could be a wash 634 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 3: in worldviews that are completely anathetical to everything that you 635 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 3: believe in. And because it used to be that the 636 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 3: church and the community and the school and the family, 637 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 3: they all kind of threw osmosis, especially if you lived 638 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 3: in a more conservative area. We're reinforcing each other and 639 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 3: you just can't rely on that anymore. And so I mean, 640 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 3: this is my backyard, by the way here, it's part 641 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 3: of it. And we moved to Tennessee specifically for that reason, 642 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 3: because we have our kids in a school that was okay, 643 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 3: and but you know, New Jersey just put all these 644 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 3: mandates for transgender you know, education down to first grade 645 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 3: or whatever. I did research for Battle for the American Mind. 646 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 3: It traveled across the country visiting schools we found. I mean, 647 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 3: I know, not everybody can do this, so I this 648 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 3: comes with a giant caveat. But we found a school 649 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 3: we love and we moved to it, and we said, 650 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 3: that's exactly the type of education I want for my 651 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 3: kids to be poured into them as they become and 652 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 3: in the hopes that they will become future culture warriors, 653 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 3: because that's what we're going to need, not survivors of 654 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 3: the culture who sort of whisper to you that like, 655 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 3: oh yeah, I believe there's only two genders, do you? 656 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 3: Oh okay? Cool? You know, like they got to be prepared, 657 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 3: to be fortified to stand up for what they believe in, 658 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 3: and and and then maybe if they want to take 659 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 3: the next step to serve great, But that's that is, 660 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 3: you know, even then, I'm worried about the military and 661 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 3: what it stands for right now, that's a whole other conversation. 662 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 3: It's a whole other conversation where it's heading. But I 663 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 3: just it is. It has become the burden of my 664 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 3: heart to find those ways because I my parents did 665 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 3: a great job, and they took us a church and 666 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 3: loved us and cared for us. And I had the 667 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 3: privilege of two parents who were together, and there's just 668 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 3: no doubt about it. Yeah, but I do think they 669 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 3: were able to take for granted the fact that we 670 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 3: were going to learn that stuff that they wanted us 671 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 3: to learn. They were never political or even intentionally cultural 672 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 3: about a lot of things. They were great, but that 673 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 3: didn't have to be I think we have to be 674 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 3: now if we want to, I mean the next generation. 675 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: I told first of all, you know, you know where 676 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:36,839 Speaker 1: I stand on this. I totally agree. And I think 677 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: as being a parent, like so much of being a 678 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: father or being a parent is I mean, god man like, 679 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: you sort of learn as you go, right. There's there's 680 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 1: lots of books written about you know what to expect 681 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: when expecting, and lots of lots of books that talk 682 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: about you know, how to be a good parent, But 683 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 1: really a lot of it is just you learn as 684 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: you go. And I think one of the things that 685 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:01,440 Speaker 1: I've learned over time is you're not gonna have I mean, 686 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,320 Speaker 1: we're busy people, as you mentioned, and that's not something 687 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: that's unique to us. Lots of parents are busy, and 688 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: so you almost have to embody what you want your 689 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: children to become. So if it is fighting for this 690 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:17,399 Speaker 1: country and teaching them about what it means to be 691 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: an American and what it means to be free, and 692 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: what it means to be a culture warrior, with going 693 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 1: into that with the understanding that people are going to 694 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 1: despise you, but it is what's necessary to stand up 695 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: to the modern day progressive left like this ain't you're 696 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,799 Speaker 1: this ain't my grandfather's Democrat party anymore? Like one of 697 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,959 Speaker 1: the things that I've recognized as I've sort of grown 698 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: up and grown into this political world that we live 699 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,719 Speaker 1: in today. I mean, everything is political. Even even late 700 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: night TV is political, which I loathe. But you have 701 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: to go into it as a conservative understanding the importance 702 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: of culture. And I think Republicans by and large have 703 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:02,439 Speaker 1: seed culture to Democrats for the better part of fifty years, 704 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: much to our detriment. And it's so much of what 705 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 1: I see out of Republicans who either want to run 706 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: for office or even incumbents who've been in office in 707 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: the House and the Senate for a lifetime is they 708 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 1: want the adoration of the media and the celebrities. But 709 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,359 Speaker 1: you guess what, it doesn't matter how much you try 710 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: to ingratiate yourself with that community, Pete, It's never going 711 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 1: to happen. And you have to go into it with 712 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: the understanding that that's going to be the case. 713 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 3: Absolutely, and the sooner you internalize that and realize if 714 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 3: they are my enemy, that I'm doing the right things, 715 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:42,919 Speaker 3: the better place you are. And to the previous part 716 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 3: of that too, it's kind of weird. I don't know 717 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:49,960 Speaker 3: if I'm guessing other generations had this feeling too, Certainly 718 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 3: not the World War two generation. They came out of 719 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 3: it very optimistic about the future, and other generations have had, 720 00:36:55,760 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 3: you know, ebbing and flowing senses of optimism and and 721 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 3: a pessimism. But looking at the fissures and fractures inside 722 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 3: our culture and our country right now, looking at the 723 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:14,800 Speaker 3: state of higher education, of media, of big corporations, certainly 724 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 3: of academia, you know, social media, all of those have 725 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 3: been completely government have been completely corrupted to their core 726 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 3: or taken over by the hard left. I look at 727 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 3: my kids and I say, I don't know what's in 728 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,800 Speaker 3: store for you. I really don't. I mean, I'm forty. 729 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 3: Who knows what are Republic's going to look like in 730 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,359 Speaker 3: five or ten or fifteen years. And you and I 731 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 3: are going to be a part of, hopefully, you know, 732 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 3: leading the charge for things that are good and right 733 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 3: and true, that stand for the ideals this nation was 734 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,359 Speaker 3: founded on. You're committed to that. I'm committed to that. 735 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 3: If that's my life's work, great, and it could go well, 736 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 3: and it could go sideways. But I feel like for 737 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:02,760 Speaker 3: my kids. It's gonna go sideways at some point because 738 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 3: you can't maintain the absolute sort of ongoing fissure slash 739 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:11,439 Speaker 3: underground divorce that we have in our culture, where half 740 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:13,839 Speaker 3: the country thinks we're the greatest country in human history 741 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 3: and the other one thinks for the worst country in 742 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 3: human history. And then we don't have faith in our 743 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 3: elections anymore because of the way that's been changed, and 744 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,399 Speaker 3: we don't have faith in our intelligence agencies anymore, and 745 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 3: certainly are electing, you know, more hardcore Republicans and more 746 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:31,720 Speaker 3: hardcore Democrats, and for totally understandable reasons. At some point 747 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 3: that reaches a breaking point, which history shows us is 748 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:37,239 Speaker 3: not a good one. And I don't welcome that. I 749 00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:39,360 Speaker 3: don't want that, but I agree I see that for 750 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,440 Speaker 3: my kids, and I go, either you're going to be 751 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 3: the one who puts their head in the sand and 752 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 3: tries to make a buck or figure it out or 753 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 3: shelter their family, or you're going to be someone who is, 754 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 3: you know, putting their shoulders to the plow. And I 755 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 3: want shoulders on the plow. Whenever that moment comes, I. 756 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: Mean, no doubt, I mean, and who knows what the 757 00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: future has in store for our children. Hell, our country 758 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: could be broke by then. And you look at like, 759 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 1: what's happening with this one point seven trillion dollar omnibus 760 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,840 Speaker 1: spending bill four thousand plus pages. Dan Bishop had a 761 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: thread on it in Twitter, and all the stuff that 762 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 1: we waste money on, you know, for example, four hundred 763 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: and ten million to border security for other countries like Lebanon, Egypt, Domon, 764 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:25,399 Speaker 1: but and funding for our border police as long as 765 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 1: they're not using that funding to actually secure the border, 766 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,719 Speaker 1: which to me is just it's just crazy. You know, 767 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:36,720 Speaker 1: we're wasting all of this money at a time where 768 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: Americans this is this is where I have a real 769 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: problem with both Republicans and Democrats. Right, do they recognize 770 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 1: the things that we're talking about, because it seems like 771 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,960 Speaker 1: DC and Washington and those inside the Beltway are just 772 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 1: on autopilot and they've learned nothing from. 773 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 2: What I don't think if I think representative, I mean, 774 00:39:58,400 --> 00:39:59,239 Speaker 2: it's crazy. 775 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 3: It's I mean, Mitch McConnell is hell bent on cutting 776 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 3: a deal with Nancy Pelosi so he doesn't have to 777 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 3: deal with Kevin McCarthy because he'd rather deal with Nancy Pelosi. 778 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 3: I mean, Trump the further we get away from Trump's presidency, 779 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 3: the more it is we should realize again the anomaly 780 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 3: that was his candidacy and presidency. And frankly, it makes 781 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 3: me want that moment back because you get it, you 782 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 3: have it, you go okay, yeah, I see that. Then 783 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,120 Speaker 3: the further you get away from it, you realize, no, 784 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 3: that was an affront to everything that the institutions, the 785 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 3: bureaucracy stood for, and they hid back and waited as 786 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 3: long as they could to try to wait him out 787 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 3: or take him out so they could go back to 788 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 3: business as usual, which is really to sell out our 789 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 3: country on either side. 790 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 2: And Pete, it's not sustainable. 791 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 3: It's crazy. 792 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:56,279 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not sustainable, right, You're so right. The 793 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,880 Speaker 1: further we get away from from the Trump presidency, I 794 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: think his presidency. Look, love President Trump or hate him. 795 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,800 Speaker 1: I I was a huge supporter. Everybody that's watching. 796 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:08,880 Speaker 2: This knows that. But like it taught us a lot 797 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:09,759 Speaker 2: about where we are. 798 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 1: The further we get away from it, the more I 799 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 1: see it brings into real focus just how broken Washington is. 800 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: And that's what he represented. He was a system disruptor. 801 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:23,839 Speaker 1: He was an fu to the system, to the status quo, 802 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 1: And I think that's what so many Americans, even a 803 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: lot of blue collar Democrats, who this country, in this economy, 804 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:34,400 Speaker 1: has just left the working men and woman behind. Trump 805 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 1: represented hope to them in the idea that the system 806 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:42,799 Speaker 1: could change, but the system again inside the Beltway Republicans 807 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: as well, just went after him in a way that 808 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:48,960 Speaker 1: I never even thought possible to. Now, you know, we're 809 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:52,920 Speaker 1: talking about releasing President Trump's tax returns, like from what 810 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen to twenty twenty, Like, what standard does that 811 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: set for any politician running for office? I mean, obviously, 812 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: now that it's happening to Trump, it can happen to 813 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:06,759 Speaker 1: any Democrat. Like how shortsighted are some of our political It. 814 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:09,319 Speaker 3: Won't happen to Democrats. That's the scary It won't happen 815 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 3: to Democrats. It is just I mean, first of first 816 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,839 Speaker 3: of all, just happened to Donald Trump. He was such 817 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,719 Speaker 3: an anomaly that they would stop at nothing to crush him. 818 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,520 Speaker 3: I think the most revealing moment will be and I 819 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 3: hope it's not twenty twenty four, because I hope it's 820 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,759 Speaker 3: Donald Trump in twenty twenty four, but it will be 821 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:31,080 Speaker 3: what happens to the next Republican nominee or presidential candidate 822 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:35,360 Speaker 3: or Republican who wins the presidency, how are they treated. 823 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:39,640 Speaker 3: Was Trump just a revelation of what they'll do to 824 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 3: any Republican therefore all political opponents or was he just 825 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 3: so bad to them that they pulled out all the stops, 826 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:49,279 Speaker 3: not making any of that acceptable at all. By the way, 827 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,080 Speaker 3: I mean, Trump got eleven million more votes the second 828 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 3: time around that he did the first. 829 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: Gore believable, like how yeah, exactly, like we knew going 830 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: into that if he were to if you weren't going 831 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: to perform like that. I don't think there's a political 832 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,719 Speaker 1: pundit in this country that that said, hey, Trump's gonna 833 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:08,879 Speaker 1: and is going to get a lambined plus million. Yeah, 834 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:10,399 Speaker 1: he's gonna win, bar none. 835 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 2: You know. 836 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:13,720 Speaker 3: I mean, we ran into we run into the difference 837 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:15,919 Speaker 3: between voters and ballots, and that's all. 838 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 1: That's exactly right and so and so, speaking of Congress 839 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: not learning anything like something that that just boggles the 840 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 1: mind is you have Zelensky coming in speaking uh to Congress, 841 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,759 Speaker 1: which of course is correlates to the passing of this 842 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 1: omnibus spending bill, which, by the way, like Republicans in 843 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 1: the Senate, what the hell are you doing? Like why 844 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 1: how do you not punt this to January where Republicans 845 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: control the House, just so that we can have a 846 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:51,960 Speaker 1: debate about what is in it? The bill was released 847 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: at two am yesterday. I think Dan Bishop said that, 848 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:59,279 Speaker 1: like to read the entire four thousand plus page bill, 849 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: you'd have had to read four pages a minute without 850 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:03,160 Speaker 1: a single break. 851 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 2: For sixteen hours. 852 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:07,239 Speaker 1: So you have that, you have that dynamic where no 853 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 1: Republican or Democrat in Washington could possibly read this bill 854 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:13,960 Speaker 1: before they sign off on it. To Zelenski speaking on 855 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:18,240 Speaker 1: the floor of the House, and of course Schumer talked 856 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:21,960 Speaker 1: about I helpe republicans'll take a page out of President 857 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:24,520 Speaker 1: Trump's book and his friendship with Putin doesn't put them 858 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: up like how does this help the dialogue at all? 859 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:30,680 Speaker 1: And more importantly than that, like what the hell's the 860 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,879 Speaker 1: mission in Ukraine? What's the end state? We're spending over 861 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,720 Speaker 1: one hundred billion dollars with probably one hundred more promised 862 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: in this omnibus spending bill, Like where's the money going? 863 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:42,919 Speaker 2: What are we using it for? And then never mind 864 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:43,800 Speaker 2: the fact that. 865 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,560 Speaker 1: The Biden family has some weird, incestuous relationship with the 866 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:52,400 Speaker 1: leadership of Ukraine, like you know, fire the prosecutor or 867 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:55,880 Speaker 1: you don't get the billion dollars type stuff, like in 868 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,640 Speaker 1: all the while, Pete, all the while, the American people 869 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 1: can't put gas in their car and can't afford to 870 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:05,239 Speaker 1: food to their table. I just think the priorities are 871 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:06,440 Speaker 1: just totally jacked up. 872 00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:09,880 Speaker 3: I couldn't say it better myself. Everything you laid out 873 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 3: is spot on. I mean, it's the opposite of America first. 874 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:17,000 Speaker 3: And that's what absolutely Trump threatened the International Order of 875 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:22,400 Speaker 3: Council on Formulation Washington, D C. Brookings Institute types who 876 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,799 Speaker 3: just assumed that the way things worked forever in the 877 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 3: world will be the way they work. And they were 878 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:33,320 Speaker 3: never told their wars were stupid stupid, or their generals 879 00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 3: were losers, or that NATO didn't step up, or that China, 880 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 3: you know, would Unleasha virus. So let's call it the 881 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:43,160 Speaker 3: China virus and hold a new account for it. All 882 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:47,480 Speaker 3: all of those things. We're a calling out of an 883 00:45:47,520 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 3: international order that was failing and is continuing to fail, 884 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:54,480 Speaker 3: and now has a great advocate in the regime currently 885 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:56,279 Speaker 3: in the White House. So they go right back to 886 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:59,880 Speaker 3: business as usual and Ukraine. You can't that that Schumer 887 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:03,760 Speaker 3: statement you mentioned about him sort of talking about Putin 888 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 3: is it's basically a fight Donald Trump by fighting Putin 889 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:16,760 Speaker 3: through Zelensky war in Yah. I mean it really is. 890 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:19,520 Speaker 2: That's so true. That is so true. 891 00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 3: They finally found a war they just absolutely love and 892 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:25,880 Speaker 3: it was all over the defense of Europe. As if 893 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:28,399 Speaker 3: he couldn't even take Kiev. Now he's going to take 894 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:31,319 Speaker 3: Europe and we need to throw the kitchen sink at it, 895 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:32,920 Speaker 3: even though he's got a bunch of nukes and could 896 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:34,520 Speaker 3: light the world on fire if you wanted to. 897 00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:35,480 Speaker 1: Uh. 898 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 3: And this is the greatest threat to democracy the world 899 00:46:39,239 --> 00:46:40,840 Speaker 3: has ever seen. Yet we don't know where a lot 900 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:43,120 Speaker 3: of these weapons are going. And we're not even funding 901 00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:45,800 Speaker 3: our own military. We can't even recruit into our own military, 902 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 3: let alone all the other and we have a border 903 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:53,600 Speaker 3: that we're we're pumping billions to defend a border and 904 00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:57,919 Speaker 3: our border is like you know, Sumer. 905 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,120 Speaker 1: Sumar Schumer is like, oh, he Lensky comes to the 906 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: house floor as the embodiment of freedom itself. Like freedom 907 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 1: we just heard for the last week is the Twitter 908 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:16,080 Speaker 1: files of the FBI paying American taxpayer dollars to Twitter 909 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 1: to then censor Americans whose taxpayer dollars paid for the censorship. 910 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 2: Since when did democrats care about freedom? 911 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:23,719 Speaker 3: Do you? 912 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,880 Speaker 1: I mean you remember, I'm sure many of the fights 913 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,319 Speaker 1: that we had, like over the Iraq war and the 914 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: war in Afghanistan. And since when are democrats pro war? 915 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:35,560 Speaker 1: What world do we live in? 916 00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:36,480 Speaker 2: And you talk about a. 917 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:40,640 Speaker 1: Crazy world where guys like me and you, I mean, 918 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,279 Speaker 1: I'm not anti war, not by a long shot. Like 919 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: I understand that freedom needs to be protected and there 920 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 1: are those of us that need to rise up to 921 00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:49,920 Speaker 1: do it. And God forbid, if there's ever a war 922 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: where our freedom needs to be protected, will be the 923 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:54,880 Speaker 1: first one in line going to protect it. But these 924 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:59,360 Speaker 1: sort of proxy wars that feed the sort of military 925 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:02,240 Speaker 1: industrial complex. And you talk about the lack of trust 926 00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:05,640 Speaker 1: in our institutions, like I'm at a point where I 927 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:08,960 Speaker 1: don't trust anything that the government is saying. The idea 928 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: that Zelensky comes to the house floor as the embodiment 929 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:14,160 Speaker 1: of freedom is laughable to me. 930 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,520 Speaker 3: Well, he's banning certain I mean, at the same time, 931 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:20,279 Speaker 3: he's banning certain media outlets, and he's banning you know, 932 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:23,680 Speaker 3: certain portions of the church. I mean, he's consolidating power 933 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:27,240 Speaker 3: in some ways. Yeah, yeah, anyway, so it's a bit ironic, 934 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 3: but yeah, yeah. So here we are in love with 935 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:36,439 Speaker 3: a new war that has any series of umpteen unintended consequences, 936 00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:39,840 Speaker 3: fresh off of two wars that spent twenty years and 937 00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:43,759 Speaker 3: unleashed massive amounts of unattended consequences that our leaders told 938 00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:47,880 Speaker 3: us were rather unimportant or or wouldn't happen. It just 939 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 3: I guess it just reminds us of the fallen nature 940 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:53,960 Speaker 3: of humans, how dumb we really will be forever, and 941 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 3: how craven for power. To your point that find a 942 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:01,760 Speaker 3: cause you can chance as if it is the champion 943 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:04,319 Speaker 3: of freedom, because you're not actually fighting for freedom, but 944 00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:06,200 Speaker 3: you know that that's what America is supposed to be 945 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 3: premised on. So instead you you wave the flag, you 946 00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:11,040 Speaker 3: wave the blue and yellow flag as if it's the 947 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 3: American flag, and say that you're a patriot. 948 00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:17,160 Speaker 1: I mean, it's so well said. I yeah, Pete, I 949 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:20,359 Speaker 1: want to be respectful of your time. Uh, but I 950 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:23,720 Speaker 1: also want to talk about real quickly the Life of Jesus, 951 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:26,560 Speaker 1: and that it's premiering on Fox Nation and I watched 952 00:49:26,600 --> 00:49:31,800 Speaker 1: the trailer on your Instagram and man, it was so powerful, 953 00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:35,400 Speaker 1: like the idea that you're there, boots on the ground, 954 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:42,600 Speaker 1: following his footsteps, learning about his life. Uh, did you 955 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,560 Speaker 1: did you walk the Stations of the Cross? Can please 956 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:48,000 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about what that looks like 957 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:48,960 Speaker 1: because it looks powerful? 958 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:52,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. It was humbling, it was amazing it 959 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:55,880 Speaker 3: it Uh, it's one thing to talk about it, we've 960 00:49:55,920 --> 00:49:59,600 Speaker 3: all read it, but to see there, to be there too, 961 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:01,880 Speaker 3: to see it and to be there and to be 962 00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:04,200 Speaker 3: at the very place. And we learn more every decade 963 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:08,160 Speaker 3: about archaeologically, about what correlates with what and where it is. 964 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,360 Speaker 3: I mean, yes, we did watch the walk the Stations 965 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:13,279 Speaker 3: of the Cross. We went to where the Last Supper occurred. 966 00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:17,239 Speaker 3: We went to you know, Golgatha. It's a big church church, 967 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:20,839 Speaker 3: the Holy Sepucher. But there's also another location that just 968 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:24,040 Speaker 3: blows your mind when you're there that may event actually 969 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:26,480 Speaker 3: been the actual tomb and the stone that was rolled away. 970 00:50:26,719 --> 00:50:29,920 Speaker 3: I mean, I get chills just you go to the 971 00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:32,760 Speaker 3: wilderness where Jesus was tempted and you realize how vast, 972 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:34,680 Speaker 3: how hot it was in the day and how cold 973 00:50:34,719 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 3: it was at night, and how empty it was, and 974 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:39,200 Speaker 3: how forty days and forty nights for a mere mortal 975 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:42,080 Speaker 3: is impossible. The Jordan River where he was baptized, I 976 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:44,360 Speaker 3: mean his hometown, where they threw him out of the 977 00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 3: synagogue and almost threw him off of a cliff. You know, 978 00:50:47,600 --> 00:50:49,720 Speaker 3: you've read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We've all heard 979 00:50:49,719 --> 00:50:53,200 Speaker 3: the stories. But when you weave them together and you 980 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,800 Speaker 3: start to tell almost a chronological story, it gives you 981 00:50:56,840 --> 00:51:02,320 Speaker 3: a sense of the gathering storm that was the clash 982 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:07,480 Speaker 3: between God on Earth performing miracles clearly proclaiming the Gospel 983 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:10,560 Speaker 3: and proclaiming to be the Messiah, and religious authorities and 984 00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:12,719 Speaker 3: others who said, no, this is a heretic. I mean, 985 00:51:12,719 --> 00:51:16,120 Speaker 3: he's either the Messiah or he's a false prophet. And 986 00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:21,320 Speaker 3: people were choosing sides, and you could feel the mounting tension. 987 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,640 Speaker 3: So this first part of the series, which got released 988 00:51:23,640 --> 00:51:27,520 Speaker 3: on Fox Nation for Christmas, is from birth to basically 989 00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:29,839 Speaker 3: up to Holy Week, and then in Easter we're going 990 00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:34,440 Speaker 3: to release the Holy Week Stations of the Cross, everything 991 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 3: that you see in Jerusalem. But it was it's humbling. 992 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:39,359 Speaker 3: I mean, listen, I know, I can't tell I mean, 993 00:51:39,920 --> 00:51:42,040 Speaker 3: how can you tell the story of Jesus Christ. You can't. 994 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:44,560 Speaker 3: But I took a pastor with me and we went 995 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:46,879 Speaker 3: to the places where it happened, not to say did 996 00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:49,880 Speaker 3: it happen, but we know what happened. We think it 997 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,520 Speaker 3: happened here, and here's the scriptures that tell us why 998 00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:53,600 Speaker 3: it's important. 999 00:51:54,520 --> 00:51:57,120 Speaker 2: Pete. It just looks incredible, man. 1000 00:51:57,480 --> 00:52:01,120 Speaker 1: And how is that into perspective? 1001 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:03,080 Speaker 2: Because I know it does. 1002 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:06,080 Speaker 1: You know, when you think about your faith, you tie 1003 00:52:06,120 --> 00:52:09,560 Speaker 1: it to what's actually happening in the world. Now, you 1004 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:13,279 Speaker 1: look at what happened to Jesus and sort of the 1005 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:16,800 Speaker 1: life and death clashes that happened around his spirituality and 1006 00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:19,120 Speaker 1: the kind of person that he was eater he became 1007 00:52:20,719 --> 00:52:25,719 Speaker 1: having been in the arena myself, you know, like in 1008 00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:29,560 Speaker 1: a complete nube, you know, in terms of like just 1009 00:52:29,640 --> 00:52:33,359 Speaker 1: even running for office. It really you do see that 1010 00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:38,239 Speaker 1: there are you know, spiritual forces at work, not just 1011 00:52:38,239 --> 00:52:40,839 Speaker 1: in this country, but all over the world. And I 1012 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:45,839 Speaker 1: think the life of Jesus really brings that into perspective 1013 00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:49,279 Speaker 1: and reminds people just how important it is to be 1014 00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 1: on the right side of those things, and has that 1015 00:52:53,640 --> 00:52:58,040 Speaker 1: journey for you in filming this this special or documentary 1016 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:01,680 Speaker 1: or whatever you're calling it, has that changed the way 1017 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:03,520 Speaker 1: that you see the fighter of you always seen it 1018 00:53:03,560 --> 00:53:03,919 Speaker 1: that way? 1019 00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:08,880 Speaker 3: Well for sure. I mean I think it's easy to 1020 00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:12,279 Speaker 3: fight and what's the right way to put it. You 1021 00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:15,840 Speaker 3: can fight for intellectual reasons because you know something to 1022 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:20,160 Speaker 3: be true, and that's probably the easier mode to fight in. 1023 00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:23,680 Speaker 3: And that's probably the instinct that I have at the 1024 00:53:23,800 --> 00:53:27,560 Speaker 3: very least going to Israel and seeing this and growing 1025 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:30,759 Speaker 3: in my faith over the last five six years going 1026 00:53:30,760 --> 00:53:33,080 Speaker 3: to Israel. I've been eight or nine times, and this 1027 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:37,040 Speaker 3: was a ten day trip to do it. It's as 1028 00:53:37,080 --> 00:53:39,360 Speaker 3: my pastor says, it's taken it from the twelve inches 1029 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:41,200 Speaker 3: from the head to the heart is where most people 1030 00:53:41,360 --> 00:53:43,520 Speaker 3: miss Jesus because it's right up here, but it's not 1031 00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:48,600 Speaker 3: in here. And feeling it and seeing it, touching it 1032 00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:52,399 Speaker 3: is it kind of leaves an imprint that when you're 1033 00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:55,520 Speaker 3: doing your devotions every day you say, Okay, I think 1034 00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:57,960 Speaker 3: I understand a little bit more what Jesus meant. Not 1035 00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:00,640 Speaker 3: some special insight. I don't have any special insight. It's 1036 00:54:00,719 --> 00:54:05,160 Speaker 3: just a connection to the feeling of what he may 1037 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:07,760 Speaker 3: have experienced and what he was trying to impart on people, 1038 00:54:08,400 --> 00:54:10,920 Speaker 3: and I just that's what we're trying to do with 1039 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,319 Speaker 3: the film, is share that good news of Jesus that 1040 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:18,680 Speaker 3: we all need because human nature never changes. I mean, 1041 00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:20,759 Speaker 3: as much as we may want to think we've progressed 1042 00:54:21,440 --> 00:54:25,000 Speaker 3: or no, we are the same fallen, sinful souls that 1043 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:27,720 Speaker 3: Jesus encountered two thousand years ago. And if he walked 1044 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:31,799 Speaker 3: onto my yard right now and proclaimed to be the Messiah, 1045 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 3: I might deny him the same way people around him 1046 00:54:34,640 --> 00:54:37,600 Speaker 3: who saw miracles denied him. Because there is a spiritual 1047 00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:40,319 Speaker 3: battle on this earth. As you said, every single day. 1048 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:43,239 Speaker 3: Lies are the most potent weapons of the devil, and 1049 00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,000 Speaker 3: we fall for them every day in ways big and small. 1050 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:50,160 Speaker 3: And so the more I the more I'm out in 1051 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:52,520 Speaker 3: the public square, have the more I want to make 1052 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:56,040 Speaker 3: sure I'm right with him in reconcile. And I think 1053 00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:58,680 Speaker 3: it's something as young people we just sort of dismiss 1054 00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:01,640 Speaker 3: or we play with that the super level. It's part 1055 00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:05,080 Speaker 3: of getting older again is I want to know my creator. 1056 00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:07,080 Speaker 3: I want to have a personal relationship with Jesus that 1057 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:10,440 Speaker 3: changes my heart so that I have the humility and 1058 00:55:10,760 --> 00:55:12,840 Speaker 3: the courage to see what is right, or the wisdom 1059 00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:14,480 Speaker 3: to see what is right and the courage to do it, 1060 00:55:14,760 --> 00:55:16,920 Speaker 3: and the humility to know I don't have every answer, 1061 00:55:17,280 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 3: but also that assurance of heart that we talked about 1062 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,879 Speaker 3: earlier on in the program, that if my life were 1063 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:27,920 Speaker 3: to end today, I know that I know, I know 1064 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:30,400 Speaker 3: who I served or who I wanted to be serving, 1065 00:55:30,640 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 3: and what my purpose was here on earth. That I 1066 00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:37,440 Speaker 3: think if you make your life, your life the center 1067 00:55:37,480 --> 00:55:41,520 Speaker 3: of your worship, then you start then politics becomes a god, 1068 00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:44,200 Speaker 3: and the climate becomes a god, and COVID becomes a god, 1069 00:55:44,239 --> 00:55:47,040 Speaker 3: and safety becomes a god. And that's why a lot 1070 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:49,919 Speaker 3: of you can get really unhappy really fast. And I've 1071 00:55:49,920 --> 00:55:54,440 Speaker 3: had plenty of scars and failures and missteps in my life, 1072 00:55:54,520 --> 00:55:58,160 Speaker 3: and if those defined me, then I would be laying 1073 00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:01,120 Speaker 3: in the yard in a fetal position. But instead I'm 1074 00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:03,640 Speaker 3: you know, redeemed by a savior who went through a 1075 00:56:03,640 --> 00:56:06,920 Speaker 3: lot more than that and gives me a second chance. 1076 00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:10,120 Speaker 3: And so I hope people will watch it for Christmas, 1077 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:12,360 Speaker 3: share it with their family, and really the people I 1078 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:14,360 Speaker 3: want to watch it the most, Sean are my kids, 1079 00:56:14,480 --> 00:56:16,879 Speaker 3: you know, and they're probably gonna watch it like oh Dad, 1080 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:21,920 Speaker 3: another program. Yeah, I know the story of Jesus. I 1081 00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:24,640 Speaker 3: know I'm going to be utterly disappointed by their reaction 1082 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:28,200 Speaker 3: to it, but I'm hoping in ten years and they 1083 00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:29,680 Speaker 3: pick it back up or I send it to them 1084 00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:31,640 Speaker 3: and they say, oh Dad, Okay, now I get it, 1085 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:34,719 Speaker 3: you know, and it deepens their faith if we're going 1086 00:56:34,760 --> 00:56:36,480 Speaker 3: to need a deepening of all of our faith to 1087 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:38,120 Speaker 3: deal with what's coming. 1088 00:56:38,760 --> 00:56:42,200 Speaker 1: No question, man, no question will Pete. Thanks so much 1089 00:56:42,239 --> 00:56:47,319 Speaker 1: for coming on Battleground and the Life of Jesus. Watch 1090 00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:49,520 Speaker 1: it on Fox Nation. If you're not a member of 1091 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:52,520 Speaker 1: Fox Nation, join up watch it, especially around this time 1092 00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:52,839 Speaker 1: of year. 1093 00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:53,759 Speaker 2: It will be worth it. 1094 00:56:54,760 --> 00:56:57,000 Speaker 1: God bless you man, and God bless this God bless 1095 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:57,640 Speaker 1: you country. 1096 00:56:57,760 --> 00:56:58,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1097 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:00,279 Speaker 3: One last thing, I just want to say, I just 1098 00:57:00,320 --> 00:57:03,720 Speaker 3: Merry Christmas to you. I can't tell you how much 1099 00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:06,640 Speaker 3: I appreciate the way you fight, the way you fought, 1100 00:57:06,680 --> 00:57:10,240 Speaker 3: and what you've gone through. And you are a leader 1101 00:57:10,280 --> 00:57:14,000 Speaker 3: that this country needs for decades to come. You're an authentic, 1102 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,960 Speaker 3: real guy who knows what he stands for and has 1103 00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:19,400 Speaker 3: been through the fire. So I couldn't be prouder of 1104 00:57:19,800 --> 00:57:22,160 Speaker 3: where you've been, what you're doing and how you're doing it, 1105 00:57:22,320 --> 00:57:25,600 Speaker 3: and congrats on this great podcast and sky's a limit 1106 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:27,080 Speaker 3: and appreciate you man. Merry Christmas. 1107 00:57:27,200 --> 00:57:29,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks brother, I really appreciate it. 1108 00:57:29,360 --> 00:57:29,520 Speaker 2: Man. 1109 00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:30,920 Speaker 3: Take care, you got it. 1110 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:34,400 Speaker 1: Okay, everyone, that's a wrapp mission complete. If you like 1111 00:57:34,520 --> 00:57:38,640 Speaker 1: what you heard, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and 1112 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:42,800 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to podcasts. The more subscribers we get, 1113 00:57:42,840 --> 00:57:46,160 Speaker 1: the more shows we can do for you. Please join 1114 00:57:46,280 --> 00:57:50,240 Speaker 1: the platoon. Follow me on Twitter Sean Parnell USA, and 1115 00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:53,880 Speaker 1: on Facebook and on Instagram. Send me your comments. I 1116 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:58,080 Speaker 1: try to read them all personally. Share screenshots of the podcast. 1117 00:57:58,160 --> 00:57:59,560 Speaker 1: I'll share them to my social. 1118 00:57:59,240 --> 00:58:02,280 Speaker 2: Media reviews for me because that helps too. 1119 00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:06,480 Speaker 1: And as always, I am truly grateful for your support. 1120 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:10,880 Speaker 1: None of this is possible without you. Thank you so 1121 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:14,920 Speaker 1: much for joining me, and God bless you all, and 1122 00:58:14,960 --> 00:58:17,680 Speaker 1: God bless this amazing country that we live in. 1123 00:58:18,800 --> 00:58:19,200 Speaker 2: Take care,