1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. President elect Donald J. 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: Trump just won the election with three hundred and twelve 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: electoral votes and almost five million more votes than Harris 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: in the national popular vote, and Republicans will control the 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: Senate and the House. The election outcome gives him a 6 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: mandate to govern. What will President elect Trump do in 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: the first hundred days in office. I've been working over 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: the last couple of years with the America First Policy 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: Institute and its astonishing leader of Brooke Rollins. The work 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: they do, the quality they do is amazing. So I'm 11 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: delighted to have her here to talk about the second 12 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 1: term that she really has done as much as any 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: one person to organize a network together the people who 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: are designing a really profound opening several months. She is 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: the president and chief executive Officer of America First Policy Institute. 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: She was formerly Director of the Domestic Policy cam Counsel 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in the 18 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: White House under President Donald Trump, where she also previously 19 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: served as Director of the Office of American Innovation. I 20 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: worked with her in those roles, and she is one 21 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: of the most innovative, optimistic, energetic, and frankly affective people 22 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: that I've ever had the privilege to work with. Brook, 23 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: Welcome and thank you for joining me the news world. 24 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: Well nude as always over our twenty year friendship. Anytime 25 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: Newt calls, I say when, what time, and how quickly 26 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: can I get there? You are a hero to so many, 27 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: including me, and I've never ever walked away from one 28 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: of our at this point, thousands of conversations over twenty years, 29 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: inspired and more convicted than ever on our battle to 30 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: say of America. So great to be with you. 31 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: That includes I think you founded the Texas Public Policy Foundation, 32 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: which is the most robust and I think most impactful 33 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: state level of public policy group in the country. You 34 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: led that for years until you were drawn to Washington 35 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: by Donald Trump. 36 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: Well, it's funny. I never planned to go to Washington. 37 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 2: I didn't want to go to Washington, but yes, over 38 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 2: a course of fifteen years, built a state base think 39 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: tank which at the time I got the call, I'd 40 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: been Rick Perry's policy director when his first began his 41 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: run a very long run as governor. I will say 42 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: I was at the beginning and I got a call 43 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 2: to run the Texas Public Policy Foundation and I didn't 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 2: know about it. I'd never heard of it, and I 45 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: was the governor's policy director. So there's nowhere to go 46 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: but up. So over the next fifteen years we built 47 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 2: a massive policy operation that ended up moving Texas. I 48 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: believe driving Texas more to the right and towards freedom 49 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: over that core of fifteen years. But more importantly newt 50 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 2: I believe that in Texas we proved what ultimately Donald 51 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 2: Trump stood for, which was that less government and less 52 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 2: taxes and less regulation helped all people in our founder's vision, 53 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 2: but it helped those living on the margins, those with 54 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: the least among us the most. And at the time 55 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: I didn't realize that we were moving Texas in that direction. 56 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 2: Of course, Florida now has done such a great job 57 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 2: in other states, but at the time we were building in Texas, 58 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 2: we had California, New York, Illinois, other big states that 59 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: were going the opposite direction in their poverty rates for 60 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: skyrocketing jobs were leaving. But what we did in Texas 61 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: became the model for the country, and in many ways 62 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: became the model for my time in the West Wing 63 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: and working with President Trump. 64 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: What was it like to work with President Trump and 65 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: I remember I would come into your various offices and 66 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: you'd have all these people running around doing things, and 67 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: you always seemed kind of totally engaged. 68 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 2: I think my four teenagers would probably agree with that 69 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: statement and be not as excited about how engaged I 70 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: always am with everyone in the room. But no, that's 71 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: a really nice thing to say. It's easy to do 72 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 2: when you work with the very best people. It's funny. 73 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: I was on President Trump, the candidate Trump's twenty sixteen 74 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: economic team. I think you may have been on there too, Newt. 75 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 2: And at that point President Trump was supposed to lose 76 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 2: to Hillary by twenty points, but I believe so strongly 77 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 2: in watching his rallies that he had a shot and 78 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: that if he had the right policy around him, whether 79 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 2: that was deregulation or taxes or immigration or whatever it was, 80 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 2: that we could change the country. And that was in 81 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen. But when he won, I started getting the 82 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 2: phone calls, which now it's funny, we're taping this podcast 83 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: at exactly the moment eight years ago when I started 84 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 2: getting the phone calls, Well, what do you want to do? Well, 85 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: where do you want to go? Well, you know, you 86 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 2: were helpful on the campaign, I said, oh no, no, no, 87 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: no no. My place is in Texas with Texas public Policy. 88 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: I'll keep helping from here. I've got four kiddos, and 89 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 2: I did that first year of President Trump's first term. 90 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 2: I flew up to d C once a week, worked 91 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 2: very closely with a lot of the people in the 92 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: West Wing. A lot of them had not moved policy 93 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: the way that you have, and in a much smaller degree, 94 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 2: the way I have over my time and my career, 95 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 2: and so I think that a lot of the people 96 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: in the West Wing, a lot of our mutual friends, like, 97 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 2: wait a minute, what'd you do in Texas and how 98 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 2: did you do it? And you've got the policy and 99 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 2: you draft the legislation, but then you have the communications plan, 100 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 2: and then you take the plan out to the people, 101 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 2: and then you get the people engaged and you bring 102 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 2: them back around to help you get the plan moving forward. 103 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: A few months into those meetings, I started getting heavily 104 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: recruited to actually join the team in the West Wing, 105 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 2: And after a lot of prayer by my family. Of course, 106 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: I would have done in a second if I didn't 107 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 2: have four kids in school in Texas. So it was 108 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: a bigger decision for us as a family. But ultimately, 109 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: as we all know, agreed and moved up with the kids, 110 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: homeschooled the kids while we were in Washington, and it 111 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: became part of that incredible game changing team. In the 112 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: first term, working with President Trump was from my perspective, amazing. 113 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: I love the speed at which he moves. You know, 114 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 2: a lot of people said, oh, your soul is going 115 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: to get crushed, and he's very difficult to work for, 116 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 2: and you're going to get fired at any minute. And 117 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 2: what I realized after the first few weeks of the 118 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 2: beginning to directly interact with him, was that if you 119 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 2: were competent and he trusts you and he thinks you 120 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: are going to be a real asset to his fight 121 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: to save America, he gives you the keys to the kingdom. 122 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 2: What I mean by that is, not only was I 123 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 2: never worried about getting fired, and not only did I 124 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 2: ever think for a second that he wasn't a great boss, 125 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: it was actually the exact opposite of everything I had 126 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 2: been told and warned against, And so working for him 127 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 2: was one of the most amazing three years of my 128 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: life because he was willing to swing for the fences 129 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 2: every single day, and every time I brought him a 130 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 2: new project, he said, yes, do it, and do it 131 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: times ten. And every time I had a new idea, 132 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: wanted to build a new team, or had a new direction, 133 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 2: he was all in. He was an extraordinary leader, a boss. 134 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 2: He was resolute in his conviction to save America and 135 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 2: he wanted the best people around him to do it. 136 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: So it was an incredible couple of years with him. 137 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: One of the things that I was most impressed with 138 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: was as it became obvious that the election of twenty 139 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: twenty had been rigged, you turn positive almost immediately, thinking 140 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: about the future and then deciding that we needed a 141 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: place for serious thought when inevitably we would win, and 142 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: you created America First policies tod It was truly one 143 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: of the most amazing moves back on offense by anybody 144 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: on our team after that shocking outcome. 145 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: That's a really nice thing to say. November third, twenty two, 146 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 2: we're winning. We've won. November fourth, twenty twenty early morning 147 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: it begins to slip away. November fifth, they begin calling 148 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 2: States in a direction that's not helpful to us. And 149 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 2: it's right around then new that I start thinking about 150 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: Plan B. I was all in with the president in 151 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 2: trying to ensure that we're not having an election stolen 152 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 2: from us. I think now it's a different podcast at 153 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 2: a different time, But now I think you see Joe 154 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: Biden's eighty million votes he got, which was about twenty 155 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: million more than anyone else this time, perhaps didn't make 156 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 2: any sense. But I also knew in my heart that 157 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: the work that we had done in that first term, 158 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 2: in his leadership and his ability to get things done, 159 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,199 Speaker 2: and his ability to connect with conservatives that don't yet 160 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 2: know their conservative right, inner city Black Americans, South Texas, 161 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 2: Hispanic Americans, New York Jewish Americans, that was a formula 162 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 2: to save America. And if it's slipped away in the 163 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 2: dead of night under an election with interesting circumstances, were 164 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 2: with COVID that if it slipped away, that in the 165 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 2: long run, we would never be able to win America back. 166 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 2: We just wouldn't that the old guard, that the establishment, 167 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 2: if you will, way of doing things that wasn't for 168 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 2: the necessarily American work, or probably a very high level 169 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 2: they were, but they were never perceived as such and 170 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 2: didn't necessarily govern as such. That those four years under 171 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 2: President Trump were game changers, and I saw the darkness 172 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 2: descend across the country. In the West Wing people were leaving, 173 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 2: and that was even before January sixth. Then January sixth happened, 174 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: and then people were really leaving, and the America First 175 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 2: Movement was quote dead. I began to map this out 176 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 2: in November of twenty twenty. I became very serious about 177 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 2: it in December of twenty twenty. Keep in mind, I 178 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 2: had such an advantage because I had built something over 179 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 2: fifteen years similar in Texas. So the fifteen years of 180 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 2: lessons that I had and how you build an organization 181 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:10,719 Speaker 2: and bring in the best people, and what the back 182 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 2: office looks like, and what the development looks like, and 183 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: how you need a comm's team and who leads this 184 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 2: I had been learning by error for fifteen years in Texas. 185 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 2: And I'm guessing a lot of people that listen to 186 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: your podcasts may agree with this statement. I think that 187 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 2: God puts us on a path and creates opportunities that 188 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 2: we never expect, never planned for, never thought would happen 189 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 2: to us. And when I landed in the White House 190 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 2: in that first term, very unexpectedly, my prayer and praise 191 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: at that moment was God. I understand now, I understand 192 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 2: those fifteen years at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and 193 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 2: I understand now how we move Texas towards freedom and 194 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 2: the founder's vision. Now you've called me to do that 195 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 2: here in Washington with the most unexpected leader, Donald Trump, 196 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 2: whom I'd never really met until he ran president. Now 197 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 2: I understand, but you know now it's changed even more 198 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 2: for me. That time in the White House. That was 199 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: not the culmination, that was not the pinnacle. That was 200 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 2: not necessarily God's plan for me. It was I believe 201 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 2: what I'm doing now, which is building a one hundred 202 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 2: year infrastructure based on what I learned under President Trump. 203 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 2: My time didn't end there in saving America. It actually 204 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: just began there as we built out the America First 205 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 2: Policy Institute. So I had it pretty much mapped out. 206 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 2: I had, I think at that time, twelve former Cabinet members, 207 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 2: fifty former White House senior officials. January sixth happens. Lots 208 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: of people leave, they move, they quit, they say we're out, 209 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 2: We're done. A lot of people back in Texas said Brook, 210 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 2: you're destroying your future by staying involved with the brand 211 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: I had never had a second guess. I just knew 212 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 2: that was where I needed to be. I knew that 213 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,719 Speaker 2: the legacy of President Trump was real. I knew that 214 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 2: we had to elevate what he was and who he 215 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 2: was and what he did to ensure that people understood 216 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 2: that sometimes it takes transformative, game changing leadership, which is 217 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: sometimes unconventional and difficult. So that we were ready for 218 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 2: the next Donald Trump, and that we were ready for 219 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 2: the next movement to move in, and that the Black Americans, Hispanic, 220 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: all these people that had never given us a shop before, 221 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 2: we're now part of our movement. How do we build 222 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 2: that for the long term. So that's where we are, 223 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: and to watch it come full circle on Tuesday night, 224 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 2: November fifth of twenty twenty four was pretty special. 225 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: I think it's interesting for both you and for President Trump. 226 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: I said to the other day that I actually thought, 227 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: having the four year in elude to think about what 228 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: he had learned, that he will now come back in 229 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:10,079 Speaker 1: what has effect a new first term. You know, second 230 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: terms are very often tired and slow and worn down. 231 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: He's going to enter totally energized. And you built parallel 232 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: to that an extraordinary intellectual think tank of practical people 233 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: who had done the jobs. So there's a certain degree 234 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: to which had twenty twenty worked out differently, we wouldn't 235 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: have AFBI, and Trump would not ever have been able 236 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: to back all the way out because you're just too 237 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: busy as president. But it seems to me what you 238 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: did over the four year period, and I say this 239 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: having worked pretty closely with you and come to the 240 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: events and listen to people and served on the board. 241 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: AFPI gathered up an astonishing range of people who were 242 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 1: both smart and had practical experience. They'd actually done this, 243 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: and so it's not like a Washington think tank. This 244 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: is much closer to an action tank. And I think 245 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: that it's going to have a huge impact in the 246 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: first one hundred days. My son says that you all 247 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 1: have put together, even just for the first day, an 248 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: astonishing level of activity. 249 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. I appreciate you saying that. That was actually one 250 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: of the main drivers in launching America First policy in January, 251 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 2: you know, obviously preserving the legacy, giving President Trump a 252 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 2: platform to continue his fight for America, even though I 253 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: know it's going to be ugly with all the litigation, 254 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: the accusations against him, But I also knew to your point, 255 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 2: and thank you for reminding me to say this, because 256 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 2: I think it's important that when we were leaving the 257 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 2: White House the first time that it occurred to me 258 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 2: that our side is really good at going on Fox News, 259 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 2: making our case to other people who watched Fox News, 260 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 2: writing white papers, going and talking to ourselves at events. 261 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 2: But what we weren't always good at was governing and 262 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 2: governing as a conservative because you know, Nude, I mean, really, 263 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 2: you were the godfather of this with your Contract with America, 264 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 2: and arguably that is the last time that we were able, 265 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: until Trump, we were able to really get our arms 266 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 2: around the bmth that is the government and try to 267 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: direct it back towards the people and serving the people 268 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 2: rather than the people serve the government, which is the 269 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 2: true underlying foundation of our whole system. So when I 270 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 2: was leaving, I thought, my goodness, we finally have a 271 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 2: team of people that know not only how to talk 272 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 2: about it on TV, which we know is important to 273 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,119 Speaker 2: President Trump, but also know how to execute in practice 274 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 2: what it is that we believe. And so that's right. 275 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 2: So nine former cabinet members launched with us on day 276 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 2: one fifty former White House senior officials. In the last 277 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 2: four years, we have had our head down preparing for 278 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 2: a second America first term, whether that was pent Trump 279 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 2: or someone else. We had hoped to be President Trump, 280 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 2: and when he threw his hat in the ring, I'll 281 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 2: put my political hat on for a minute. We knew 282 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 2: he was unbeatable in a primary and therefore would be 283 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 2: winning the country and leading again. But in those four 284 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 2: years we worked with over a thousand former administration officials. 285 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 2: Think about that newt not one leak. We didn't talk 286 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 2: to the press. There was no outward communication. But with 287 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 2: one hundred and ninety agency plans ready for day one, 288 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 2: with three hundred executive orders drafted, I knew it needed 289 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 2: to be a quiet effort for a lot of reasons. 290 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 2: But I also knew that we would never not ever 291 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 2: again have the opportunity of that four year pause to reorganize, 292 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 2: get ourselves ready, put the American people first, figure out 293 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: how to solve these problems for the long term. And 294 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 2: that's what this four years has given us. 295 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: You were able to put all of this together basically 296 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: such a low profile that the political press could never 297 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: figure out why they'd pay attention Meanwhile, Heritage, which had 298 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: at one time been the central think tank for Reagan. 299 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: I mean Reagan had actually appointed Ed Mees to be 300 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,719 Speaker 1: the liaison in nineteen eighty. I was already there as 301 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: a congressman. They created Mandate for Change, which that year 302 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 1: involved about two hundred and seventy experts, most of whom 303 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: ended up going into the administration, and they wrote a 304 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,479 Speaker 1: book that stepped by step. You can still get it. 305 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: It's remarkable work, but it showed you how Reagan would 306 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: reorganize the entire federal government. For some reason, that spirit 307 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: of collaborating closely, being careful collapsed and Heritage went often 308 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: a totally different model created this twenty twenty five project, 309 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: which was immediately repudicated by Trump and is in some 310 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: ways sort of has crashed and burned as spectacularly as 311 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: any major think tank project I can remember. I just 312 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: think it speaks remarkably well, not just of view, but 313 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: of the entire team you assembled. That everything you did, 314 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: which was much more substantive and much more experience based 315 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: than the Heritage project, all that was occurring privately, and 316 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: the press couldn't figure out why they would cover it. 317 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 2: I'll first say that The Heritage Foundation is the legacy 318 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: organization that we all have to be our best to 319 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 2: fight the bad guys. We need every player on the field, 320 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 2: and we need even ten times more players on the fields. 321 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 2: We need five more Heritage Foundations. And I appreciated the 322 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 2: aggressiveness that I think the new leadership there, my old 323 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 2: partner in Texas, Kevin Roberts, has brought. I just have 324 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 2: a little bit of a different approach. My approach is 325 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 2: that the left will do everything they can to crush 326 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 2: us everything, and they have every tool at their disposal 327 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,640 Speaker 2: to do so. They have big tech and X things 328 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 2: to elon. But they have big tech, they have big government, 329 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 2: they have big media, they have big corporations. They've got 330 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 2: it all, and so it requires us to be so 331 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 2: intentional in every step that we make. That and my 332 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 2: style has never been to be, you know, outfront, outspoken. 333 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 2: I've always been and much more happier behind the scenes, 334 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 2: putting the right people in the right places to make 335 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:32,680 Speaker 2: a difference. I am really encouraged at the opportunity that 336 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 2: lies ahead for all the organizations to come back together 337 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 2: and work together. Listen, the president has ten key things 338 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 2: I think that he is really focused on for this 339 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 2: first month, first year, first eighteen months, and to even 340 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 2: have a chance to get those done, we have to 341 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 2: work together, not only on the inside, not only what 342 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 2: Susie is going to build. Susie Wiles, our new chief 343 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,239 Speaker 2: of staff, who will do remarkable job, not only what 344 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 2: she is going to build as far as the inside game, 345 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,719 Speaker 2: but the outside game that our side has never had before. 346 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 2: And knew this is one other real impetus in me 347 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 2: launching AFPI almost four years ago, thinking about it four 348 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 2: years ago to this day, almost was that we did 349 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 2: not have an outside game in our White House. For five, six, seven, 350 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 2: eight years ago. We were kind of on our own, 351 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 2: and we had some great organizations like mine back in 352 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 2: Texas trying to help, but there was no unified, organized 353 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 2: effort to help the first President Trump get his agenda 354 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 2: Inact in from a policy perspective, and so I knew 355 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 2: that we had to build this deal if there was 356 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 2: any shot. And this is again my Texas Public Policy 357 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 2: Foundation experience, working first for Rick Perry, then alongside Governor Perry, 358 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 2: then alongside Greg Abbott. You can't get done what you 359 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 2: need to get done if you're working all alone in 360 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 2: a silo inside a Capitol building. It just doesn't happen. 361 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: You've got to have the grassroots. You've got to be organized, 362 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: you've got to have the comms plan, you've got to 363 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 2: have all of it. So having an America First Policy 364 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 2: Institute for the next White House to help move those 365 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 2: top ten day one promises through. We're going to, I think, 366 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 2: be very impactful and we'll probably drive a lot of it. 367 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 2: But we can't do it by ourselves. It's an impossible task. 368 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 2: And I realized that, and we'll plan to have a 369 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 2: hopefully a lot of other partners along the way. 370 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: One other thing you did that I thought at the 371 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: time was very daring and turned out, I think to 372 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: be very powerful. Under our federal election law, you have 373 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: a C three, which is really a think tank, but 374 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: you're allowed to have a C four which is a 375 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:54,959 Speaker 1: nonpartisan advocacy group. And you really went to work in 376 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: a very practical way helping shape the political environmental Just 377 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: a little bit about what you did in the C 378 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: four because I thought I would sit through some of 379 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: these board meetings and think, wow, this is really quite 380 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: an achievement. 381 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 2: Well, again, back to my original thought, I had never 382 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 2: been involved on the political side. My heart has always 383 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 2: been in policy. Actually never even worked for a candidate 384 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 2: until the Donald Trump campaign called. Even my good friends 385 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 2: Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, all my Texas friends who'd asked me, well, 386 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 2: will you be on this campaign team? Will you do this? 387 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 2: I'd always declined because my heart and my calling was 388 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 2: always in moving massive policy forward for the people of 389 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 2: Texas and ultimately the people for America. So I obviously 390 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 2: changed that slightly in being very tangentially involved with the 391 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 2: twenty twenty Trump campaign. And I say that because I 392 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 2: was the President's head of domestic policy, but I was 393 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 2: in my personal capacity. I would go over to the 394 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 2: campaign headquarters or to the RNC to talk policy with them, like, 395 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 2: what are the key issues that the president should be 396 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,439 Speaker 2: talking about on the Campaig Pain trail in twenty twenty? 397 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 2: How do we relate that to the American people? Should 398 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: we do an event in Charlotte, North Carolina? And if 399 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 2: we do, should we talk about education or housing or 400 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 2: That was kind of my experience. But what I realized 401 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 2: in just leaning in just slightly to that campaign and 402 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 2: then seeing what happened in twenty twenty in terms of losing, 403 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,719 Speaker 2: you know, again, there's some voting irregularities there, but losing 404 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 2: some of these states that should have been closer, all 405 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 2: the states that the President won. On Tuesday night, it 406 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 2: occurred to me that our side relies so heavily on 407 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: a particular individual's campaign and the party infrastructure, that there's 408 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 2: not a game out there that works all day, every day, 409 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 2: every year. Doesn't just show up, you know, the year 410 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 2: of an election that never stops knocking on doors, talking 411 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,439 Speaker 2: to people, text messaging them, getting them involved in the 412 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 2: election cycle. And so I began to really map about, well, 413 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,239 Speaker 2: what could that look like. And when you have a 414 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 2: policy machine like America First policy and you marry that 415 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 2: to a political a C four operation, America First works 416 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 2: that's driven by policy, but is taking that policy out 417 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 2: into every corner of America to convince them that the 418 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 2: best vote they could make for their own self interests, 419 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 2: for their American dream for their children is a vote 420 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 2: for the conservative candidate, the America First candidate. Forget Republican 421 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 2: and Democrats forget it. But just look at the policy. 422 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 2: And we spend a lot of time new You've been 423 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 2: a big part of this pulling, focus grouping, value laddering, 424 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 2: and What we found is that eighty five percent of 425 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 2: Americans agree with the America First agenda. They want a 426 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 2: secure border, they want education, opportunity for their children, they 427 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 2: want peace through strength, they want everything. Almost everything we 428 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 2: stand for. Eighty five percent of Americans agree with us. 429 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,120 Speaker 2: And so if that's the case, we should win every 430 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 2: single election. Why aren't we winning every election? And I thought, 431 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 2: you know, we'll build this new machine, Ashley Hyak and 432 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 2: Liezelden run it for US. America First works. We spent 433 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 2: the last year knocking on doors promoting not a certain candidate, 434 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 2: but promoting the America First policies in Dearborn, Michigan, with 435 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 2: Arab Americans, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Black Americans. And what 436 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 2: we did we also built coalitions to go alongside those. 437 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 2: So Athletes for America is part of AFPI, but it's 438 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 2: led by and driven by African American NFL athletes that 439 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,159 Speaker 2: can go into those communities and make the case to 440 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 2: our Black Americans why our policies are better. We had 441 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 2: an amazing partnership with Michael Harris. Harrio, who founded Death 442 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 2: Row Records, helped him set up an organization called Community 443 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 2: First to have those same conversations had Babu Nonway lead 444 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 2: our Hispanic Leadership Coalition to go into Phoenix to knock 445 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 2: on the doors in Maricopa County speaking Spanish to Spanish 446 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 2: speakers who no one had ever really reached out to 447 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 2: them before. And that's the machine that we're setting up 448 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 2: for the long haul. On the C four side, the 449 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 2: other thing that was a game changer KNW that I 450 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 2: think is really important. In March of this year, the FBC, 451 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 2: the Federal Election Commission, made a decision for the first 452 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:23,679 Speaker 2: time that C four's could coordinate directly with campaigns and 453 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 2: with the RNC and the other side, the DNC on canvassing. 454 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 2: So for the first time we were able to align 455 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,479 Speaker 2: and talk to the campaign as we're moving out. So 456 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 2: you'll read a lot of articles about how the Trump 457 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 2: campaign made such a huge mistake by basically delegating their 458 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 2: ground game to organizations like America First Works and Turning 459 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 2: Point Action, and you know, they got James and Susie 460 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 2: got a lot of flack about that, but they were right. 461 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 2: So groups like ours took that on and moved with it. 462 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 2: And the final thing I'll say, and again this even 463 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 2: goes back to AFPI and working with other organizations. I 464 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,880 Speaker 2: knew there were so many great sea fours out there, 465 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,880 Speaker 2: Ralph Reid's group, Faith and Freedom, the Susan b Anthony, 466 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 2: Marjorie Turning Point, Charlie Kirk. These groups don't always work together, 467 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 2: and if I have learned anything in my twenty plus years, 468 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 2: we're not going to beat the radical left unless we 469 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:19,719 Speaker 2: work together. So on April third, we had about eighty 470 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 2: Conservative C four's meet in Washington, d C. At the 471 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 2: Willard Hotel and we all began to data share and 472 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 2: work together for the first time, and I think that 473 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 2: made a huge difference too. 474 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,679 Speaker 1: One of the things that I was struck with was 475 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: how parallel the very short platform was in some ways 476 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: with what we did with the contract with America. It 477 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: dropped all of the hundreds of pages of special interest language, 478 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 1: got down to twenty big ideas and said this is 479 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: what we're going to focus on. I actually was surprised 480 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: that there wasn't more resistance and more opposition. 481 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 2: Well, I was surprised too, and the reason is because 482 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 2: we had started did the same process in year four. 483 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: In about January of twenty twenty, a group of us 484 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 2: got together in the West wing and started talking about 485 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 2: how we needed to shorten and make easier to understand 486 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 2: and digest for the average American and listen, we love 487 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 2: all of our delegates to the RNC. I was one 488 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: this year. These are all of our people, but they're unusual. 489 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 2: They're willing to spend their hard earned money and take 490 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 2: time off of work to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 491 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 2: sit through four days of speeches. The average voter isn't 492 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 2: really willing to do that, and so how do we 493 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 2: communicate to the average voter? But COVID hit, we didn't 494 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 2: move that forward. But the conversations in even thinking about 495 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 2: that were that this was going to be an impossible 496 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 2: task and that there's too much history there. Even Donald Trump, 497 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 2: who can do anything, could not make that happen. So 498 00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 2: the fact that it happened and happened fairly seamlessly. There 499 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 2: were a couple of upset folks, as we know, but 500 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 2: it was remarkable. I know you had a hand in that. 501 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 2: I think the president's vision of and his branding and 502 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 2: his marketing genius of how do we market our ideas 503 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: was pretty amassing. 504 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: Now it's an amazing achievement. I was on platform committees 505 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: as early as the rigan years, and I know that 506 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: every little faction has that one thing they have to have, 507 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: and it became seamless, and I think a hopeful sign 508 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: of what the next four years will be like. I 509 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: have to ask you one last thing, and you look 510 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: at all the results, and you look at what happened, 511 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: Why do you think it's so hard for either the 512 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: news media or the Democrats and they're sort of the same, 513 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: to come to grips with that. The reason they have 514 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: such problems is that people really don't want left wing, 515 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: radical ideas, and yet it's extraordinarily hard for the Democrats 516 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: to come to grips with that. 517 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 2: Newde I think that the Democrats have moved so far 518 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 2: away from what we know made this country rate, and 519 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 2: I think that underneath it all, one of the best 520 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 2: things I ever read was, you know, the people that 521 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 2: are putting forth a climate change disaster right that the 522 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 2: world is going to end and going to blow up 523 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 2: from overheating in twelve years, that many of those same 524 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 2: people were part of the movement in the seventies that 525 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 2: said the world is going to end because it's going 526 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 2: to freeze over. We've got a major freezing problem. And 527 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 2: at the end of the day, there is a human 528 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 2: nature that wants to accumulate power right and make the decisions. 529 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 2: Have the elites make the decisions for all of us, 530 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 2: you know, poor dumb people that live out in America 531 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 2: and that we're not smart enough to figure it out. 532 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 2: And it's the education class. It's those that honestly may 533 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 2: come from the two coasts right, the two left coasts, 534 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 2: and they've just completely lost touch with the fact that 535 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 2: our country was built the greatest kind in the history 536 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 2: of mankind, more prosperity, more opportunity. Even those with the 537 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 2: least among us, they're not starving to death like those 538 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 2: with the least among us in other parts of the 539 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 2: world they starve to death. And that doesn't happen here. 540 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 2: But that all is based on self governance and not 541 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 2: being ruled by a group of elites. And the founders 542 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 2: of our country. You know, George Washington was a businessman. 543 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 2: Thomas Jefferson was an academic. James Madison was a student 544 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 2: and then a businessman. These guys are normal guys, had families, 545 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: they had business debt, they were trying to pay their bills. 546 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 2: They were just like us. But they were in a 547 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 2: moment in time with courage and resoluteness and under tyranny 548 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 2: that they didn't believe was right and were called by 549 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,720 Speaker 2: God to do bigger things and God's hand was on 550 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 2: that work. But just average guys, and that's what built 551 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 2: our country. That's our country was founded on. So the 552 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 2: current regime of the radical left just doesn't get that, 553 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 2: and they don't unders stand that the guy who has 554 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 2: a plumbing business in Texas just trying to make ends meet, 555 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 2: he doesn't want to be told what to do. It's 556 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 2: that same strength of courage that we had two hundred 557 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 2: and fifty years ago and at our almost two hundred 558 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:19,959 Speaker 2: and fiftieth anniversary to see that revolution almost come full circle. 559 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 2: We don't wear white powdered wigs and nude. I don't 560 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 2: know how good you look in breeches in hunting boots. 561 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: Yes, yes you do. You know I look ridiculous. 562 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. Times have slightly changed, but we are where we 563 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 2: were then and with a small committed group that are 564 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 2: willing to fight for freedom at every time. 565 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 1: You're sort of the James Madison of this operation. So 566 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:44,719 Speaker 1: it's a great thing. 567 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 2: I'll take it. Well. 568 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for joining me and sharing 569 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: with our listeners President lac Trump's plans, how it evolved 570 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: where we are today, the role of America First Policy Institute, 571 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: and they can visit your website at America First policy 572 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: dot com and really get a sense of how dynamic 573 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: and powerful it is, and Brook you are despite yourself, 574 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 1: you are going to become a historic figure. You can't 575 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 1: avoid it. It's amazing what you've done, and I'm just 576 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: so grateful to have you as a friend and as 577 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: a colleague in this effort to move America to an 578 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: even better and more exciting future. So thank you for 579 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 1: joining me. 580 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 2: Well, thank you for letting me be on listen when 581 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 2: I have a podcast, which I don't know when that's 582 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 2: going to be, that you are going to be my 583 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 2: first guest because we've talked way too much about me. 584 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 2: You're the historic figure. You're the one that literally has 585 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 2: fundamentally changed the course of history for America. Donald Trump 586 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 2: now takes up your banner, Nut Gingrich and God bless you. 587 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 2: You are an absolute national treasure. So it's an honor 588 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 2: to be on. Thank you. 589 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest, Brooke Rowlins. You can learn 590 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: more about America First Policy Institute on our show page 591 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:56,560 Speaker 1: at newsworld dot com. Newsworld is produced by English three 592 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producers Guarnsey Sloan. Our researcher 593 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show Who's created 594 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,760 Speaker 1: by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team at gingridh 595 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll 596 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: go to Apple Podcast and both rate us with five 597 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 1: stars and give us a review so others can learn 598 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: what it's all about. Right now, listeners of Newtsworld can 599 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: sign up for my three free weekly columns at gingrishtree 600 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm Newt Gingrich. This is 601 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: Newsworld