WEBVTT - Jon Voight Is a National Treasure 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.520 Hi. I'm John Void and I'm on a set in Burbank, California, 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:05.960 and I'm looking at the beautiful face of Ted Cruz. 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:09.640 And this is Michael Knowles, who's the boss. We're on 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:19.439 Verdict with Ted Cruz. Welcome back to Verdict with Ted Cruz. 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:23.160 As John just said, I'm Michael Knowles. It is so 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:25.160 good to be here because we're at a time of 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:29.680 great tension, lockdown, plague, riots. Everyone seems to be very tense, 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:32.560 and in this town in particular, it is so nice 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:35.839 to be among friends, including one of the great American actors, 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:39.080 Academy Award winner, and more importantly, I would say, John, 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:43.640 great American John Voyd, thank you so much. Michael. Yeah, 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:47.320 I thought you're gonna say. I usually say, I say 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:50.680 the man who did you know? Midnight Cowboy Coming Home, 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:55.080 Runaway Train, and of course the great Anaconda yea. And 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.640 people laugh where they say that. And with two little 0:00:57.680 --> 0:01:00.440 girls the National Treasures. I've got to tell you that 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:04.200 that is popular in the cruise household. Well, I'm very 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:07.039 pleased about that, because, as you know, I'm crazy about 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.560 your two gals. By the way, I do need to 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:11.839 ask the President the next time at the White House 0:01:11.880 --> 0:01:13.800 if I can check on the resolute desk to see 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:17.600 if anything is hidden in Ah. Yes, you just kind 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:19.880 of wonder we could go in together. That'd be fun. 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:24.240 And you get our screwdrivers in full around. So this 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.080 is not the first time that you guys have met. Obviously, 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:29.760 Senator Cruise, you've spent a bit of time in Hollywood. John, 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:32.360 You've spent a lot of time in Hollywood, and you're 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:36.040 one of the few big Hollywood stars who has been 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:39.920 open about your political views, and increasingly so over the 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.559 past few years as we face these national problems. So actually, 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:45.480 the first time John and I met was twenty thirteen 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.720 and I was newly elected to the Senate and I 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:53.280 came to California to speak to Friends of Ape Yea, which, 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:57.000 as you know, was a group of conservative, libertarian, right 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.360 of center people and entertainment. And it was, you know, 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:01.880 it was a big crowd. It's probably four or five 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:05.760 hundred people came out and and I have never I've 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:09.560 never been in any other group where people were afraid, 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.760 like there was a rule no cell phones, no pictures, 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:16.320 and and and there were a handful of big stars, 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:18.800 and John was the most notable who was like open, 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:22.160 he was willing to be there, and John's a big 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:23.720 enough deal that it was like, all right, to hell 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:27.160 with it, I'm here and deal with it. But it 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:31.120 made a real impression on me that the people who 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:35.840 were there, the gaffers, the carpenters, the writers, the lighting folks, 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:40.120 they were terrified if someone got a picture of them 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:45.000 at that gathering, they'd be unemployable. And it was really 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:48.040 you know, I sort of joked if we were at 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:51.720 a Satanist gathering that was murdering kittens, it wouldn't have 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:56.720 been more dangerous. Yeah. And that's look, I mean, you've 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.560 you've demonstrated a lot of courage to speak out in 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.760 a town and industry that it's not easy to do. Well. 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:07.520 I mean, that's look, we all know we're in a 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:12.760 very serious situation. It's an historic situation that I've been 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:17.960 you know, born at this time and come to this 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:21.720 point where this country is being threatened in this way. Yeah. 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:24.800 I never would have been able to put that together, 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.919 but I but I saw the beginning of it anyway, 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:33.560 I mean, the beginning of the open hostility in the sixties. Yep, 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:37.560 and uh and uh, and that that that had been 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:41.800 produced by a lot of work with the communist system, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:46.160 with the KGB working overtime to try to infiltrate Now, 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:48.119 when did you start acting? How old were you when 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:52.520 you you started in the movie business. I don't I 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:57.600 don't want to talk about me. I was, I was 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:00.400 a when I was a young fellow. Was I imicked 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:03.600 some of the things I saw on television and stuff 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:05.480 and wanted to make people laugh and all of that, 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:09.000 you know. So that's when it really started. And a 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:13.240 great wonderful comic actor by them of Sid Caesar was 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:16.360 somebody I went to school on and I had to 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:19.520 credit him with giving me the instructions because the stuff 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:22.599 that he did was so indelible. And we just lost 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:26.880 Carl Ryder, you know, a couple of weeks ago, and 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:31.039 imagine cocon those guys, they were really wonderful and and 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:34.320 so that was the beginning. And then I really didn't 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.440 know I was going in that direction. I just was, 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:42.120 you know, smitten with those characters. And and then later 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:44.520 on I made a serious effort to be an actor. 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.920 This was right before my senior year in college when 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:50.599 I realized I was working around with a book that 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:55.680 was a book of criticism for the British theater. And 0:04:55.839 --> 0:04:59.000 I was looking and I'd earmarked all the work of 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:03.000 Laurence Olivia, all the heroic roles of Laurence Olivia. And 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:08.640 I suddenly said, after three years driving people, mostly girls crazy, 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:10.200 asking what do you think I should be when I 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:13.719 get out of call? And and I said, I know 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:17.920 what I want to do. I want to be him, 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:22.200 Laurence Olivia. And that's that's where it started then. And 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:24.440 once I had made that decision, it was such a 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:26.839 relief that I knew what I would I could do something. 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:28.760 I was going to do this, and I knew I 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:32.080 would never I would never give up. I knew. I 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:34.359 knew at that moment that was it for me. And 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:36.839 probably that's true for you guys too, in some way, 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:39.680 that you get something you love and you know you 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:42.560 can put yourself to work at it, and that's it, 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:44.440 you know. And it's going to be difficult. I'm going 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:47.159 to have to start from scratch and and all of that. 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:49.200 I'm going to have my ups and downs like everybody else. 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:52.640 And I certainly have had my successes in my failures, 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:56.360 and I've had long periods of time without enough money 0:05:56.680 --> 0:05:59.479 and all of that, but I knew I wouldn't. I 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:02.160 wouldn't for the decide. I knew I would go. That 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:04.560 was there a moment that was your big break? That 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.559 it was like a part you got Did you start 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:10.040 in theater or TV or movies or what was when? 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:14.600 When did you get started? Well, I these are just 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:19.320 you know. I worked on a play after I had 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:24.239 studied for two years in a professional class was Sansford Meisner, 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:27.719 one of the great great teachers, And then coming out 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:30.279 of that, I was just saying a prayer that I 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.880 would get some kind of a work where I could 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:35.600 test my abilities. And I got a role in A 0:06:35.680 --> 0:06:39.000 View from the Bridge, which was a wonderful play by 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.840 Arthur Miller, and Arthur Miller was kind of producing it too, 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:47.880 and Dustin hof Huffman became the assistant to the director 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:51.040 because he knew Ulu Gross brought the director and Bobby 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:53.760 Duval was playing the leading role, and I was the 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:56.600 second lead. And Dusty and I got to know each 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.479 other before I ever saw any of his work as 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:02.440 an actor. I had heard that he was a genius, 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:05.280 but we got to know each other and we had 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:08.279 some fun. So you and I share something. I just learned, 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:10.640 which is we've both been in Arthur Miller play. So 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:14.400 in law school, I did the Crucival Wow and was 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:18.000 Reverend Paris, and all politicians are frustrated actors like like I. 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.440 In high school, I was convinced. I told my parents, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.240 I'm dropping out of school. I'm moving to Hollywood. I 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.600 want to be an actor. And and look, it's a 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:27.840 good thing. I went the path I did because I 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:29.360 didn't have the talent you had. I didn't have the 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:33.600 talent to make it. But I envy and love you 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:34.960 have said that before. I mean, there was a line. 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:38.200 They always say that politicians or politics rather is show 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:41.400 business for attractive people. I think that that ain't how 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:45.560 to go. Well, that's similar to that. Thanks for that. 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.960 Well you listen, you're you're plenty of talented. You both 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:56.080 are plenty of talented. And I was saying before we 0:07:56.120 --> 0:08:00.920 started this thing that my son, James uh Is, James 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:05.679 Haven as he calls himself, is now working on human trafficking. 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:08.160 He's a very various student in that area and he's 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:13.120 helping out. But he's political, it's to some degree. But 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:16.480 he's crazy about you. He says, when this guy talks, 0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:21.000 he says, that's it everything. Everybody listens to him, and 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:24.360 he said, and that's true. And the way you phrase 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:28.280 things and the way you prepare and you gather the focus, 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.880 nobody's better. You both raise an excellent point here, which is, 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:35.080 it does seem to be a lot of actors are 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:38.079 interested in politics and politicians are interested in acting. There 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.920 does seem to be a similarity in these two businesses. 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.080 And and I've always thought there was, like remember what 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:46.000 Reagan said when someone asked, how can an actor be 0:08:46.040 --> 0:08:48.000 in politics? And he said, well, how could someone in 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.079 politics not be that? How could they not be an actor? 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:52.240 And it's look, at the end of the day, you're 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:55.200 trying to communicate with people, and it one way or 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:59.600 the other. One of the frustrating scenes. Yeah, go ahead 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:03.160 just say, you know, a lot of conservatives we're not 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:05.839 doing a lot of communications. The whole point of this podcast, 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.600 I mean, we're saying an assault on our whole country. 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:15.200 We're on our constitution, on our founding principles, and young people, 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.160 I mean it makes you weep. The schools aren't teaching 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:21.480 the principles that built this country. And if we don't 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:23.880 explain them, how can we fault the young people for 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:27.040 not knowing they've been they've been getting that fed to them, 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.960 you know, for more than a generation, several generations have 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:36.000 been brought up on common Core. And this is a disaster, 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:42.079 teaching against our country. And and they don't teach, they 0:09:42.080 --> 0:09:44.480 don't teach history, well, they teach, they teach a sort 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:46.320 of fiction. I've noticed that actually reminds me of a 0:09:46.320 --> 0:09:49.920 line from your acting teacher, Sanford Meisner, who famously described 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:54.600 acting as living truthfully in imaginary circumstances. It's very good 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.520 increasingly the history to school, this guy, thank you, But 0:09:58.640 --> 0:10:01.000 increasingly it seems like the history we're being taught is 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:05.040 it imaginary circumstances. So I'll give an interesting My girls, 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:10.480 who you've met, that they are wonderful little girls. They're 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.280 nine and twelve. We were recently with two other friends 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:15.880 of theirs who are about the same age, and the 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:19.720 topic of Christopher Columbus comes up, and all four of 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:24.440 the girls are being taught in school that Columbus is 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:28.839 a genocidal maniac that murdered people. And and look, as 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:32.600 a dad, you're trying, you're trying not to be too 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:35.600 overbearing with your kids, and so i'd like, asked Caroline, 0:10:35.600 --> 0:10:38.600 I say, well, okay, look, we have a federal holiday 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:43.439 in this country called Columbus Day. Do we typically name 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:48.720 holidays after psychopathic murderers? Like like, is there maybe another 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:51.600 side to this? And I'm not invested in defending Christopher 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:54.040 Columbus as the greatest person who ever lived, but I was. 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:58.400 But it's the degree to which our children are being 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:02.320 fed propaganda. Uh. And and you know, you see this 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:04.880 and the mobs that that that are tearing down and 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:10.040 attacking George Washington and Jefferson and Madison and Lincoln. You know, 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:13.360 they attack Frederick Douglas, the great abolitionist, and and and 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:15.680 they don't even know who he is, but if there's 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.120 a statue of him, he's got to be bad. That's 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:22.280 facing real insanity here, you know. But as I say, 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:29.600 they it's been this destructions as a source. And and 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:34.400 now it has many sources because there's there's Islamists, there's 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:43.040 there's originally Russian you know, Marxism, and now there's Chinese Marxism, 0:11:43.200 --> 0:11:48.679 Chinese absolutely incourasions and uh and a lot of people 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:52.480 in the United States are really wanting so badly to 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.880 take down this president that they're falling in with anything 0:11:56.120 --> 0:12:00.960 and there's just nothing but um, there's is a real 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:07.240 lack of compass morally, and they'll do anything and say 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:13.520 anything to get to power. So we're in we're in 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:17.720 a tough spot here. Now. Was there a time when 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:22.439 you saw Hollywood, when you saw an entertainment get get worse, 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:27.040 get get markedly more intolerant? Um? I mean, is there 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:28.760 a point that sort of stands out to your mind 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:31.600 as a shifting point or was it more gradual? Well? 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:34.800 She was? I mean, that's that's a good question, Ted. 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:39.920 I think the movies that I love, I was I 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:43.120 was raised at a time. I'm born in nineteen thirty eight, 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:46.199 and I was raised on the Golden Age movies, the 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:51.040 movies of you know, of Capra and then you know 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:53.559 all these great when they talk about actors and when 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:57.120 they say, John, you're a great actor. One of the fellas. 0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.480 Look what it looks what we came from. I mean, 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:04.640 you know we had Bogard and Tracy and and the 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:08.920 Gable and Jimmy Stewart and all those fellows were you know, 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:11.480 I was going to school on those guys. And then 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:13.680 Marlin came along. Of course, at night we just threw 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:17.600 in with Marlin. But uh, and the gals at that 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:23.080 age fantastic performers, and all of a sudden, at some 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:28.120 point we felt, oh, we're a little we're more sophisticated, 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:32.520 we have more complex techniques to bring to them for 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:34.600 you know what I mean. But you look at that 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.840 other stuff that was before. It's fantastic, But we lost 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:44.479 what did they have in the Golden Age? Hollywood invented 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:50.280 the happy ending, the Hollywood ending. They invented it. Who 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:54.480 invented it? A group of Jewish people who were saved, 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:58.200 came here to save their lives and to build their lives. 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.760 They know what I have The ending is because they 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:04.800 were all people who were policies. We'd freed the world 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:09.520 from from from the evil of Hitler. I mean that 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:12.560 that was a powerful Oh you're bet your bet. But 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.520 the other thing is you see that in the Bible, 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:19.160 the Jewish people, at the end of every chapter you 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:22.640 have to end on a positive note. So if you 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:25.360 know if it's coming to the end, like if you've 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:29.000 read Isaiah and there's some bad stuff as being stated, 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:31.000 they're telling you that the future is going to be 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:34.920 pretty damn But then they go back and reiterate something 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:37.880 on the positive side. You know that there will come 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:40.080 a time when the so and so and end of 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:43.760 a change and uh, we've reached the land of Israel 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.600 or whatever. You see talking about movie grades, did you 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.520 get to know John Wayne? And what do you think 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.320 about the recent efforts to rename the airport. I mean, 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:57.800 there's a there's a real I think they should call 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:09.240 it u uh the Redskins. Listen, you know there's I 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:12.400 have I'm very close to the Indian community, and they 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:15.840 they'd love it that they have a football team. But 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:18.680 they should give the they should keep the name, and 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:22.560 they should give these guys, you know, seventy five off 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.760 of tickets or may give them tickets to every game. 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.840 A better deal would be cool, and then celebrate the natives. 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.040 I suppose this is the fear, though, is you had 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.160 this Hollywood ending that that you know that Hollywood invented 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:38.960 increasingly though it seems to me people don't like a 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.600 happy ending. People seem to That's that's what's happened. You see, 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:47.360 how did we It's a negative strain, uh, the because 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:52.880 it's a loss of it's the loss of a spiritual base. 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:57.120 Really We're meant to be happy. Human beings are meant 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.760 to be happy. God is saying be happy and enjoy. 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:05.360 Let go let God, do you know? And and this 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:07.040 is the way you approach problems. That's the way I 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:09.960 approach problems. I say, what are we doing? What am 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.600 I getting? All cooled down? Man? Just watch what happens. 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:17.360 Do the best you can. Celebrate the day, be grateful 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.400 for your gifts and the many gifts and stuff like that. 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:23.760 And that's that's a proper and positive way to be. 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:27.000 Like when you see I came into this group and 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:30.160 you can't see everybody, you can't see all the people 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:34.000 around here. We're all in a positive note. You know, 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:38.960 everyone's happy, we're cheerful, we're saluting each other, making each 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.000 other feel good, and we'll have a nice experience here. 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:44.120 And that's the way we were meant to be. And 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:48.440 we've lost that to some degree. We think we're smart, Alex, 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.600 we can be more sophisticated. We can and and Marlon 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.280 didn't help sometimes because he created this dark image and 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:57.120 it was so attractive that everybody wants to be dark 0:16:57.200 --> 0:17:01.760 and mean, and you know what it was. But but listen, 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:06.320 Marlin was magnificent. Let's you know, I'll let you know 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:10.560 I'm still crazy by Marlin Marlin. I'm crazy, but well. 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:15.359 And people communicate with storytelling. I mean, that's what's so powerful. 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:19.639 And and the left they've seized culture. They've they've seized 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.639 education K through twelve. They've sees colleges and universities that 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:28.760 they've seized journalism and movies. I love movies. I love stories. 0:17:28.800 --> 0:17:30.920 I mean, when I was a kid, my dad, so 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:32.560 you and my dad are both both the same ajor 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:36.000 both eighty one, and my dad would tell these incredible 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:38.560 stories that I would just sit and listen to them. 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:42.080 And you think about the stories that are told now. 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:44.320 I mean, I look at these protests are wherever you're 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.040 going to see another cop movie again? Can any of 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:50.200 all the great movies of heroes who are police officers? 0:17:50.480 --> 0:17:56.639 Can they be told anymore? We absolutely do. And And 0:17:57.520 --> 0:17:59.679 all right, let's take something like the great debate right 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:02.679 now in the country between free enterprise and socialism. You 0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:06.000 look at the movies coming out of Hollywood. When's the 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:10.879 last time someone in business was portrayed as not a villain? 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.399 Like like, I'm actually happy when a small business owner 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:16.920 is not murdering kids. If they're just a crook and stealing, 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:22.280 that that qualifies for a positive portrayal. And what about 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:26.879 all of the epic stories of our nation, a people 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:31.600 with nothing who made it big. And that's that's why 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.680 people come to America. And well, you know there's still 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:38.440 the positive thing is there's still coming to America. That's 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:42.120 true the Neil Diamond song. You know they're coming to America. 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:46.199 And why because there's nothing else out there, fellas, And 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:48.919 anybody who wants to is listening to me, you kids, 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.119 you're listening to me. Why a says everyone who want 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:56.600 to come to America? Because the other side, this socialism 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.840 that people are saying is a good, good thing to 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:05.200 in jest and speak for has never worked ever, has 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:09.679 never brought about anything but misery and death. Yep. But 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.280 John on this every time, on this point on immigration 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:19.439 is I'm telling your kids, listen here. But this is 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:21.240 such a great point. People are still coming here. They're 0:19:21.240 --> 0:19:23.600 coming here to this country so much more than to 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:26.480 any other country on earth. And yet it's this problem 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:30.240 you've identified, which is that people no longer have gratitude 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:32.320 for their country, for their family, for their God. It 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:36.320 seems like we're in more of an entitlement society than 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:39.959 a grateful society. People want us to be an entitlement society. 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:44.880 That's what the Democrat Party is selling. So oh boy, 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:49.280 and they have really sold out completely. I remember I 0:19:49.320 --> 0:19:54.240 said this before, but there's a moment when via Ragosa 0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:57.040 or a mayor who's a good guy by the way, 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:03.359 was asked to go out and correct the Democrat platform. 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:08.640 This was several beginning of the Democrat convention with par Obama, 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.520 I think, and and he was to send out you see, 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:18.040 as a sacrificial lab to to put God back in 0:20:18.119 --> 0:20:22.920 the platform and to put the idea of Jerusalem being 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:28.439 the capital of Israel into the platform because they felt 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:31.960 they couldn't sell the tickets. Do you understand a lot 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:34.840 of votes won't go their way if that and that's 0:20:34.920 --> 0:20:37.920 all they're interested and they care what it is. If 0:20:37.960 --> 0:20:40.840 they you know, they would say anything in order to 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:44.320 get a vote. And they have anything three times the 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:48.240 delegates at that convention. That's right. So mayor goes to 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:50.800 so that's it. So all in favor of putting this 0:20:50.840 --> 0:20:53.600 in the platform, say I and they go, they go, 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.840 you know, and pretty good. And then and the Nays nay, 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:04.720 and they go yeah nay, And it was one was 0:21:04.800 --> 0:21:08.680 more dominant, Nays were more dominant. And then he does it, 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:11.840 let's do that again. He could have used better acting. 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:16.280 Let me do that again. Uh, you understand what we're 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:19.000 saying now, zone zone. He says, the God been the 0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:24.760 platform and put the capital of Israel is Jerusalem. Okay, 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:32.080 all in favor I I again the same sound and 0:21:32.400 --> 0:21:37.080 nay nay. And you see the people that go and 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:39.960 have the ex throwing things. I mean there really is. 0:21:40.440 --> 0:21:42.560 This is the beginning of that movement. I'm telling that 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:45.160 we saw in the streets right it's right there, yes, 0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:49.320 And and then somebody walks up to him from long 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:52.200 this big stage all the way over to him sis 0:21:54.440 --> 0:21:57.239 and he goes he says, okay, we'll do it one 0:21:57.280 --> 0:22:01.439 more time. Uh, all those in favor saying same thing, 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:04.800 same response, all those again nay, the eyes have it, ye, 0:22:04.920 --> 0:22:08.560 thank you, And it gets off the stage well and 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:10.879 and and as you noted, that was to put God 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:13.680 back in the platform because they they'd removed it, and 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:16.919 three times the delegates denied it. And I have to 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:18.879 bet I sort of chuckled and wondered if there was 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:24.119 a rooster crowing somewhere. I mean, there is a parallel 0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:28.840 for that. But but it is some of the early 0:22:28.960 --> 0:22:33.239 beginnings in modern times of the anti Semitism, of the 0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:37.520 anti Israel sentiment, of the anti American sentiment on the 0:22:37.560 --> 0:22:42.240 far left that has been manifested, that are now manifested 0:22:42.320 --> 0:22:45.480 in the mobs that that are burning our cities and 0:22:45.520 --> 0:22:50.119 that are murdering police off exactly exactly. And it's you know, 0:22:50.280 --> 0:22:53.959 and with the complicity and the support and the encouragement 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:59.960 of the media, And it's the media. Donald Trumps broke 0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:02.400 in the media. I mean, remember the media used to 0:23:02.520 --> 0:23:06.200 argue they weren't biased. They used to pretend they weren't biased. 0:23:06.200 --> 0:23:09.360 They don't pretend anymore. I mean they hate him with 0:23:09.400 --> 0:23:12.000 an unhinged quality. And I want to tell a story 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:15.560 about John. That's an interesting story. So John is careful, 0:23:15.840 --> 0:23:21.760 passionate about our country, and passionate at risk to himself. 0:23:21.800 --> 0:23:25.200 He's in a town, he's in an industry. We're speaking 0:23:25.200 --> 0:23:30.000 out Carrie's risks. But but in twenty sixteen, as you know, 0:23:30.119 --> 0:23:33.840 Michael I had a tough primary against h I think 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:36.840 that's a diplomatic It was we both went at each 0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:40.200 other and he won. I lost. And after that happened, 0:23:40.320 --> 0:23:43.240 John actually got on a plane. He called me and said, hey, 0:23:43.320 --> 0:23:46.080 can I come see you at your house? And you 0:23:46.160 --> 0:23:48.240 got on a plane. You flew to Houston and you 0:23:48.320 --> 0:23:50.040 came over to my house. It was about ten o'clock 0:23:50.080 --> 0:23:51.880 at night. I said, chirkya, come on over. I'm happy 0:23:51.920 --> 0:23:55.000 to talk to you. And you went. You brought from 0:23:55.000 --> 0:23:58.120 my girls a stuffed animals. I think there's stuffed rabbits. 0:23:58.680 --> 0:24:00.879 And you sat in my living room for about an 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:03.160 hour and you were urging me at the time, saying, Ted, 0:24:04.000 --> 0:24:06.800 you need to support Trump, and I wanted to see 0:24:06.840 --> 0:24:09.480 Trump be conservative. I wanted to be more conservative, and 0:24:09.560 --> 0:24:13.480 you were as earnest and you said, look, our country 0:24:13.600 --> 0:24:17.720