1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: On this episode of news World, My guest today comes 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: from very humble beginnings. A proud Hispanic American of Mexican descent, 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Anna Polina Luna was raised by a single mother in 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: southern California, surrounded by drugs, violence, and poverty. She overcame 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: adversity joining the United States Air Force as a teenager. 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: Anna served six years in the military, five on active duty, 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: earning the Air Force Achievement Medal and meeting her husband, Andy, 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: an Air Force combat controller. Anna has been engaged in 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: conservative advocacy and all kinds of philanthropic work. In twenty 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: and twenty, she ran for Congress and won the Republican 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: primary in Florida's thirteenth congressional district, before losing a close 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: race in the general election to Charlie Crists, who was 13 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: a former governor as well as a congressman. But don't 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: be surprised to see Anna return to the political renaissance. 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: Anna's story is truly amazing, a real example of the 16 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: American dream, and now she's launching her new weekly podcast, 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: Luna Talks with Anna Paulina on the Gingwich three sixty network. 18 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcastingwish three 19 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: sixty dot com, slash Anna, or wherever you get your podcast. 20 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: So I'm want to welcome our guests Anna Paulina Luna 21 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: to the Gingwich three sixty network family. Thank you so 22 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: much for having me on you. Well, we're delighted. Now, 23 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: I just want to say, it's exciting to watch your 24 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: growth in the development, and why don't we start by 25 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: talking about your new podcast. Tell us what your experience 26 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: has been so far. It's been pretty incredible, you know, 27 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: especially someone with my story. I felt like the mainstream 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: media wasn't telling realistic stories about people like myself who 29 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: grew up the way that I did that were Hispanic Americans. 30 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: In fact, there's almost an absence of that voice for 31 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: that market, and so I'm hoping to bring education but 32 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: also stories that people can connect with and realize that 33 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: you should never embrace a victim mentality, that we are 34 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: born in one of the greatest countries on the earth, 35 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: and that it's our responsibility to not just contribute to 36 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: society to help make it better, but also to to 37 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: help educate and wake up the masses against these crazy 38 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: ideas of identity politics and far left ideology. Well, I'm 39 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: curious when you came out of a background where you 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: could have been optimistic, you could have been pessimistic, you 41 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: could have been ambitious, you could have been dependent. Where 42 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: did your positive attitude come from? I think I realized 43 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: early on that I could learn from the mistakes that 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: my parents made, and my mom especially, she really struggled 45 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: to take care of us early on, and she just 46 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: set such a standard for never giving up and kind 47 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: of making do with what you have. But what I 48 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: realized is that I could essentially do anything I wanted 49 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: to as long as I put hard work into it. 50 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: So actually, starting at fifteen or sixteen years old, I 51 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: got a job and I've been working full time ever since. 52 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: And I think realizing one that you know, I wanted 53 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: to hold on to my money, not give it away 54 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: in taxes, and that also too, I would be able 55 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: to help my family. That's really I think what set 56 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: the tone for me early on, and it's something that 57 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: I continue to do to this day is hard work 58 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: and effort. Yeah that's a key. But you grew up 59 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles? How did that shape you? I mean, 60 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: you want to talk about not really knowing that abnormal 61 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: conditions are not normal, right, right. I did not know that, 62 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, going to six high schools and that a 63 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: gang shooting on campus was something out of the ordinary. 64 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: And it's weird because it took me joining the military, 65 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: which is I think another abnormal circumstance, especially for a 66 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: young woman who you know is as tiny as I am. 67 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: Especially you know, people don't typically do that. And what 68 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: I tell people is, you know, at the time, although 69 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: it was not a fun experience, you know, it frankly 70 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: sucked at the time. I think sometimes God works in 71 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: special ways. And because I've had the life story that 72 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: I have and upbringing that I did have, you know, 73 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: I don't blame my parents. I simply share those stories 74 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: to let other people know that there's certain things at 75 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: work and other things that don't And you should never 76 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: depend on big government, especially to take care of yourself. 77 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: You can always do better by yourself. So when you 78 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: were in Los Angeles and you saw this kind of 79 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: high school of violence, etc. And then you go to 80 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: the military, what was the deciding When did you say, 81 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: you know, I'm just going to go join the Air Force. Well, 82 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: so I'd gone to six high schools and I knew 83 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: that I wanted to go to college, but I didn't 84 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: know how to even apply. And I know that sounds weird, 85 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: but I think because there was just so much turmoil 86 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: with my education that, you know, I didn't know what 87 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: the act or the SAT was. And I remember being 88 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: at a house party and there was two young guys 89 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: there and they happen to be Marines and they're about 90 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: my age, and one of them was talking about how 91 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: the military is paying for school, and so I was 92 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: absolutely easdropping on this conversation and I interrupted and I said, 93 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: you know, can you give me some more information? And 94 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,799 Speaker 1: then a couple days later, I googled an army a procruiter, 95 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: and I went to talk with them, and I didn't 96 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: tell my family I just enlisted, So I didn't tell 97 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: them until right before I was supposed to leave. And 98 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: ultimately it was that moment that I realized that I 99 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: could go to school, that I wouldn't take out any debt, 100 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: and that I would be able to essentially help my family, 101 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: which is what basically convinced me to join the military. 102 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: So when you went into military, was that a pretty 103 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: big shock? Yeah? My mom freaked out. I remember where 104 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: I told her, and I had to hold the phone 105 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: away from my ear. She was almost like cris like, 106 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: you're crazy. We're in the middle of the global war 107 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: on terror. You're gonna die? Are you nuts? Like we 108 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: don't know anyone in the military. What's wrong with you? 109 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: And then after she actually calmed down a little bit, 110 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: you know, she ended up loving that I joined. But yeah, 111 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: it was a complete shock, and I think for her, 112 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: especially with my little brother and sister, it was mainly 113 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: you know, us just not knowing anyone immediately that had 114 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: gone in. We didn't know what to expect. But I 115 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 1: joined the Air Force and it definitely turned up for 116 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: the better. So the first time you went home in 117 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: a uniform, what was their reaction? Oh, my gosh. I 118 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: picked up my little sister at school, and my little 119 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: sister hadn't seen me since basic training, and so she 120 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: ran over gave me the biggest hug, and I think 121 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: at the time she must have been about seven or 122 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: eight years old. But my mom started crying and she's like, 123 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: I can't believe you did it. And actually, ironically enough, 124 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: they would come to see me because my first duty 125 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: assignment was stationed in Missouri, so that was their first 126 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: time really being in other parts of the United States 127 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: that I would consider more rural. And because of that, 128 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: I think it actually ended up opening up the eyes 129 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: of my family as to really, you know, what the 130 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: rest of the United States is like. And that's a 131 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: weird thing to talk about. But once you're kind of 132 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: in that little bubble and you're able to leave that 133 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: bubble of Los Angeles, it's definitely mind blowing. I can 134 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: imagine now, when you're in the military, you had a 135 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: significant moment because you met your husband. How did you 136 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: all meet? Well, I was not intending on joining the 137 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: military and finding a husband, but boy, oh boy, was 138 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: I wrong. And I actually had a friend that I 139 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: had made friends with when I was doing my training 140 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: at Keisler or four Space, which is in Mississippi, and 141 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: I stayed in touch with him, and at the time, 142 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: he had been dating one of my friends, and so 143 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: I was actually on Facebook of all things, and I 144 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: saw him standing with this really cute guy, and so 145 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: I added him, and Andy and I became friends, and 146 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: we were actually friends for about a year before we 147 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: started dating, and then once we started dating, we actually 148 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: got married after a month. So I tell everyone that 149 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: it's really important to have that friendship foundation, and that's 150 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: actually what kept us through his multiple deployments, one of 151 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: which he was shot. But when I met him, it 152 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: was not expected. And then I definitely didn't anticipate on 153 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: getting married at twenty years old, but I did and 154 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: we've been happily married ever since. It's been about eleven years. 155 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: That's great, Thank you. What kind of a shock for 156 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: you was it having him wounded? So I called this 157 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: my four am phone call because I think this is 158 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: one of those things that no one ever wants to get. 159 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: And I remember being at home and you know, the 160 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: day that he got shot. I remember I spoke with 161 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: him earlier that day and the location that he was at. Andy, 162 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: on a previous phone call had said, you know, this 163 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: team is really aggressive, they're extremely kinetic. And for that 164 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: with him, it meant that they were going out and 165 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: they were getting into gunfights. And you never want to 166 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: think of your significant other doing that. But with Andy's job, 167 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: and he's an Air Force combat controller, so he's the 168 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: Air Force's division of you know, you could call it 169 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: the Special Air Service is what it would be relatable 170 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: if we were talking about the British or you know, 171 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: Green berets in the army. That's what Andy does. And 172 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: I knew that he wasn't exactly comfortable either, because he 173 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: said that the guys didn't want to really talk and 174 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: make friends, and to me, that translated in deployment language 175 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: as they were keeping their guard up because one of 176 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: their previous teammates that Andy was replacing had also been 177 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: shot on that team. And we would have our skype 178 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: time set up to when we would be able to 179 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: talk with each other, because obviously there being a time difference, 180 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: we wanted to make sure that we wouldn't miss those 181 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: openings for internet, especially being that he was gone for 182 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: six months. And so Andy missed the first opening in 183 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: our skype time, and I just remember I had a 184 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: really bad feeling. And I don't know if anyone listening 185 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: to this believes in God or you know, call it, 186 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, the tie that you have to hear significant other. 187 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: But I knew in my gut that something had happened. 188 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: And that night it was my Danielle's birthday, and she 189 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: kept pressing me. She's like, come on out, let's go. 190 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: You know, it's my birthday. And I told her, I 191 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 1: was like, I really can't I'm sorry. I typically wouldn't 192 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: do this. She was trying to tell me that I 193 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: was just in my head about things and that I 194 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 1: was just nervous because he was a point. I was like, obviously, 195 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: but I knew something had happened. And then I eventually 196 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: fell asleep, probably that morning, at around three o'clock in 197 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: the morning, waiting up for him still to call, and 198 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: I just kept telling myself, no news is good news. 199 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 1: He'll call me when he gets back. Maybe something happened, 200 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: maybe the internet dropped. So I finally fall asleep, and 201 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,839 Speaker 1: then at four am I wake up to a phone 202 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 1: call that obviously had a million different numbers on it, 203 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: so I knew it was a foreign number, and I answered, 204 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: and Andy's on the phone. He goes, oh, hey, babe, 205 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: what's up? And so I responded very sarcastically, and I 206 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: was slightly irritated because you know, I was worried the 207 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: whole night about him. I said, you know, I don't 208 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: know sleeping, why don't you call me? And then he goes, 209 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: nothing's missing. I got shot, and you know, you want 210 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: to talk about your heart just dropping? I like basically 211 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: sat up from a dead sleep, and then you know, 212 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: you have all these questions, and then it just went 213 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: completely silent. And so what Andy had done is he 214 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: had actually been given morphine and he snuck a phone 215 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:14,319 Speaker 1: in the meanwhile when the nurse had left the room, 216 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: so that he could notify me before his command showed 217 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: up to my door in uniform. And that to me, 218 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: I appreciate that he did that because if they would 219 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: have done that, I thought he would have died. That's 220 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: an interesting story actually at every level. Now, I understand 221 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: you have a new book coming out in July called 222 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: Bringing Them Home, The Untold Cost of Putting Mission First. 223 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: Tell us about the book. So I wrote this book. 224 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: Actually it took me about two and a half years 225 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,319 Speaker 1: to kind of figure out how I wanted to do it. 226 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: But the reason I did it is because I feel like, 227 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: especially right now, there's so many books that talk about 228 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: this almost glamor heroic side of war. And what I 229 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: realized is that for a lot of these young women 230 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: especially and other service members, whether you have you know 231 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: a husband or wife that's deployed an experienced, that nothing 232 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: really talks about what the families go through. And I 233 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: feel like there's such a stigma around post traumatic stress disorder. 234 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: My husband and I both after he had been shot. 235 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it wasn't easy, right. I think every marriage 236 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: takes work, but especially after that type of injury, there's 237 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: a lot that you go through. And I wanted to 238 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: somewhat tell our story, but also the stories of our 239 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: friends that we lost both in war, whether it was 240 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: mentally or physically, And that's what this is really focusing on. 241 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: You know, it's not a book that I think a 242 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: lot of people would expect, but it is based on 243 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: true stories, stories of all of us. And so I 244 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: changed names and obviously timelines, and you know, everything that 245 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: I did with the book I wanted to do so 246 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: that people know what they're getting into. But also too 247 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: they realize that if you are going to marry a 248 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: service member, that it's so much more than just you know, 249 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: what you see on Hollywood movies like Pearl Harbor, that 250 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: you will have to be there for these people. You know, 251 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: sometimes it's going to be difficult, but you can work 252 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: through it, and you know you have to be friends 253 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: first and foremost. Now, while you're doing all these different things, 254 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: you also found time to run for Congress. What led 255 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: you to do then? I actually never anticipated on going 256 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: the political route. After I had finished my second enlistment 257 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: with the military, I separated so that I could go 258 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: to medical school, and I had actually gotten into a program, 259 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: and obviously my family was very excited, and I realized 260 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: during my gap year, so after Andy had been shot, 261 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: it threw off my submission timeline for medical school because 262 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: I actually withdrew from college to take care of him 263 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: for about two semesters, which I don't regret, but obviously 264 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: that was taking priority. And so I had this year 265 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: to where I could take my MCAT and then I 266 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: could apply to medical schools. And during that year, obviously 267 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: having worked with Andy and I developed kind of this 268 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 1: feeling that I had to help people, you know, especially 269 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: struggling with PTSD. I actually started using my social media 270 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: to work with different veteran nonprofits. And one of the 271 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: veteran nonprofits that came across even though I was looking 272 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: to help with PTSD, it was a counter trafficking organization 273 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: that was dealing with child trafficking at the US Mexico border, 274 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: and I did not know that was even a problem. 275 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: I think, like most people, especially in my age range, 276 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: you know, you trust the news to tell you what's 277 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: really happening. And at the time, I didn't know that 278 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: CNN was propaganda or that the mainstream media was trying 279 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: to influence the masses politically, and so I started self 280 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: educating and using my social media to talk about this 281 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: topic that I felt was something that we should all 282 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: be talking about right like trafficking is not a partisan issue. 283 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: And what I ended up finding out after I was 284 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: posting on social media is that a lot of people 285 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: were uninformed, especially within the Hispanic demographic. And how I 286 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: became political and what made me decide to run is 287 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: that one I ended up turning down my program to 288 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: learn medicine basically become a doctor, and instead I took 289 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: a position as the national Hispanic outreach director for Turning 290 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: Point USA. So they had essentially found my social media. 291 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: They saw what I was doing on my free time 292 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: just because it was the right thing to do, shedding 293 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: light on this topic and talking about immigration and this 294 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: is mind you at the end of twenty fifteen, at 295 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: the beginning of twenty sixteen, so the November election had 296 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: not occurred yet. And ultimately it was when I took 297 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: that position that I really started working in media as 298 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: a political commentator, and I realized that if the shows 299 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: didn't like what I was saying, they weren't going to 300 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: book me. But no matter what they were talking about, 301 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: even people they didn't like, and what Capitol Hill was 302 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: doing and what the legislators were doing. So if I 303 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: wanted to change the national discussion and really make change, 304 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: I had to do it at Capitol Hill. And so 305 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: two months into that job is when I decided that 306 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: I would be running for congress. That's really well, when 307 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: you applied and you began looking into the congressional race, 308 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: what did you learn? Well, there's no how to on 309 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: how to run for office, and I wasn't recruited. I 310 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: basically started googling i could, and I actually ended up 311 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: finding an incredible team. And then you want to talk 312 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: about grassroots campaigning in those phone calls, I mean, I 313 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: fundraised through the nose. But what I learned is that 314 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, when you get into the political arena, especially 315 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: being an outsider from Washington, DC, you're gonna have to work, 316 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: if not more hard than most people because you're gonna 317 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: have to prove yourself. I mean, I wasn't the selected 318 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: race horse in the race, right, so I was up 319 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: against other candidates, one of which was well funded from Washington, DC. 320 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: And I learned that my story though telling and connecting 321 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: with voters, going directly to the people, even though you 322 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: had this kind of network behind me that was almost 323 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: working against me. That if I went directly to the 324 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: voters and I showed them who I was and I 325 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: let them know what I wanted to do in DC, 326 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: the change that I wanted to make, that that was 327 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: how I was going to win this race. And that's 328 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: exactly what I did. I out knocked everyone. I out 329 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: phone called everyone, I outraised everyone, and that was through 330 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: hard work and determination. You'd go up a knock and 331 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: a what kind of reaction would you get? Well, at first, 332 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people were surprised. They'd be like, Oh, 333 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: you're that girl from the commercial. You're running against Charlie Chris, right, 334 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: and that was my opponent in the general election. I 335 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: think a lot of people were really surprised that I 336 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: was actually door knocking. And I think that's something that 337 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: you know, politicos these days, we have such machineries behind us, 338 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: and you have this aspect of social media, but that 339 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 1: personal interaction that changes and people talk and so a 340 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: lot of people were shocked that I would be showing up, 341 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: and sometimes I would get yelled at because I would 342 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: have the wrong voter data, and I'd show up at 343 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: someone's house who was a far leaning liberal, which was 344 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: kind of funny, and I would just say, Okay, thank you. 345 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: You never want to get into altercations with people, so 346 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: I would just quietly walk away. But you want to 347 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,959 Speaker 1: talk about grassroots campaigning, that's it. When I was in campaigning, 348 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: it just struck me that most people were really nice 349 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: to you, and they were kind of grateful that you'd 350 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: be out there doing that. I didn't get many negatives. 351 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: Did you get very many negatives? I did when we 352 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 1: would get the wrong voter data. In the primary, I 353 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: was talking to staunchly Republican voters, but in the general 354 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: I realized that it was really important to get those 355 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: independent votes and those squishy Democrats is what I call them, 356 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: so the blue dog Democrats, and so I would go 357 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: talk to them and sometimes people would be polite. But 358 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: at the time, especially with what the media was doing 359 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: saying that basically every Republican was xenophobic and racist, a 360 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 1: lot of people I think were hyperpolarized and so sometimes 361 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: I would get those rid reactions, but I would calm 362 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: the situation and I would just thank them for their time, 363 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: and then you continue forward. You never take that personal 364 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: because it's not you, it's them, well and you. We're 365 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: up against Charlie Chris, who had been governor, he had 366 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: been a Republican, he'd been around forever. Was that an 367 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: advantage or a disadvantage for him? I think it was 368 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: an advantage for him, being that he's from the Saint Petersburg, 369 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: Tampa area. But I will tell you the one thing 370 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: that I was really surprised at is that he refused 371 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 1: to debate me. So once I won the primary, I 372 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: think that he realized that I was definitely more or 373 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: less his match, but also to someone that could take 374 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: him down in a debate, and so he refused to 375 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: debate me. And actually, one of the really surprising things 376 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: that I came across was that, you know, I went 377 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: to the nub ACP, and I think a lot of 378 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: Republicans tend to think that the nuble ACP's not friendly territory, 379 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: so they won't go to do the debates there. And 380 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 1: I showed up for debate and Charlie ended up saying 381 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: that he had a scheduling conflict, and then he ended 382 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: up being at a bar and he was caught there, 383 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: and then the n ACP wanted to give him an f. 384 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: I got a rating of a B, which is pretty good. 385 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: But then actually he called up to the national nule 386 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: ACP and they pressured the local chapter to not rate 387 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: them at all. So it was interesting that I was 388 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: that big a threat. Yeah, that's wild. That's sort of 389 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: a small victory in itself. Yeah, it was knew. I 390 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: took the heat to him. I don't think he liked it. 391 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 1: So was it an advantage to you to have a 392 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: any background not in this area? But I think nationally 393 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 1: it gave people hope that someone not from DC, if 394 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: my background could break into the congressional scene and actually 395 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: have a successful race. That's great. Now, what's your view 396 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: of what's happening on the border. Well, I've been saying 397 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: this for a couple of years now, and it's good 398 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: because I think that there are other voices that are 399 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: standing up now and realizing that over the last couple 400 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: of years, the Democrat Party has really weaponized the mainstream 401 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: media to brainwash the Hispanic demographic. And thinking that, you know, 402 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: Republicans were xenophobic and anti immigrant for wanting border security. 403 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: But what we realize now is that one that was 404 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: a lie. But also too you know, you have to 405 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: ask yourself what change prior to twenty sixteen, because we 406 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: know that Democrats had the same viewpoints that Republicans did. 407 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: They wanted walls, you know Obama and when he was president, 408 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 1: they were known as the deporters in chiefs. So what 409 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 1: changed in twenty sixteen? We had a candidate for president, 410 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: which was President Trump, that was not DC, who was 411 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: not controlled by the establishment as they say, and they 412 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: needed a way of i think, getting people so emotionally 413 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: charged so that they would go to the polls, not 414 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: because they wanted to vote for Hillary Clinton, but because 415 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: they need to vote against something, and that was President Trump. 416 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: So they used Hispanic Americans. They used Hispanic Americans to 417 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: think that Democrat policies were in their favor, when in actuality, 418 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: they're simply using us to push this open border agenda 419 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: so that they could get people to the polls. Do 420 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: you see the border as a major issue in your 421 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: next campaign? Absolutely? In fact, I'm making it my number 422 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: one issue and I'm doing that because immigration, especially with 423 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: what we're seeing as much as the mainstream media, as 424 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: much as the Biden Hairs administration is trying to bury 425 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: this one. We have more children now coming to the 426 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: border every single day, the number six hundred unaccompanied miners 427 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: are at the border every single day. We have this 428 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: overflowing amount of people in general that are exploiting the 429 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: asylum process. They are coming here in boats literally across 430 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 1: the Rio grand And what it's doing is it's creating 431 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,640 Speaker 1: an infrastructure problem, it's creating a spending problem. And then 432 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: also too, there's this national security aspect that people don't 433 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: talk about. I mean, in addition to the human trafficking 434 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: and the labor trafficking, we have no idea who's coming 435 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: in here. I mean, did the war on terror just disappear? 436 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: You had people that were on literally a terrorist watch 437 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: list that were just apprehended trying to enter into the 438 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: United States through our southern border. And so these issues 439 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: are issues that we should be talking about. And what 440 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: the Democrat Party is trying to do by expanding this 441 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: welfare state two people that are illegal. I mean, you 442 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: want to talk about the American dream, The American dream 443 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: is not being on EBT food stamps and being a 444 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: part of that system. It's not what people will be 445 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 1: set up for success for if they come to this 446 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: country and they're in those programs. Will you be talking 447 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: about issues like this on your new podcast. Yes, in fact, 448 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: I think actually my second episode is actually on this 449 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 1: exact issue, and it gives you all the information and 450 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: it's basically me being honest. I think that that's lacking 451 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: in the media world today. I want you to know 452 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 1: that we're very excited at the English Sweet sixty network 453 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: of podcasts because we think you're going to bring a 454 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: new voice, new energy, and new insights. And I think 455 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: it's really remarkable that you're doing this, and I think 456 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: that Luna Talks with Anna Polina is going to become 457 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,479 Speaker 1: a real hit. I think you bring a fresh voice 458 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: that's really needed, and it's great that you're so committed 459 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:52,199 Speaker 1: and so willing as a citizen to invest yourself in 460 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: trying to help save your country. Thank you. Yeah, it's 461 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: definitely not easy, and I can tell you that part 462 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 1: of the reason why I chose to act do the 463 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: podcast is again, I just didn't see anywhere this conservative focus, 464 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: especially with media on the Hispanic demographic, and it's important 465 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: for people to realize that Hispanics are inherently conservative. We're 466 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 1: raised very religious. I was raised Catholic, and so you 467 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: have the largest voting minority in the country that are 468 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: Hispanic Americans, specifically of Mexican descent. And in order to 469 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: fight that disinformation of the mainstream media and of that 470 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: political arm of the Democrat Party, you have to get 471 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 1: people from our community to wake each other up. And 472 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: so that's what I'm hoping to do, and I think 473 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: that it will be successful because frankly, no one else 474 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 1: is doing it, so it's our obligation to kind of 475 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: reach out there, go to places that I think even 476 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 1: the Republican Party haven't been for a long time. Thank 477 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: you very much for spending this time with us, and 478 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: we wish you very well in all of your future endeavors. 479 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, and I hope to be back 480 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: on soon. And now we're going to give you a 481 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: special sneak peak of Luna talks with napolin A. Luna. 482 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: I think that my unexpected path into politics was really 483 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: influenced by God. I think that a lot of times 484 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: when we look back at previous life circumstances, and we 485 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: might not necessarily have an understanding as to why certain 486 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: things are happening the way that they are. But what 487 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: I found is in my journey that a lot of 488 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: what I've relied on to give me strength and my 489 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: voice to fight for what I believe is right and 490 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: for fighting for the American dream in this country has 491 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,199 Speaker 1: really come from what I experienced as a child and 492 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: as a young adult and starting out. I mean, I 493 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 1: have and I give so much credit to my mom 494 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: because she really did raise me as a young single mother. 495 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: My mom had me at around twenty years old. She 496 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: had my father actually when she was fairly young, and 497 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,719 Speaker 1: my mom realizing it now, you know, you see how 498 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: much I think a young mother would go through. But ultimately, 499 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: my mom made the decision to choose life over abortion, 500 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: and that's not I think an easy decision for a 501 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: lot of young women, especially from the circumstances in which 502 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: she came from, which was essentially a really rough upbringing. 503 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: I mean, my maternal grandmother actually died of aid studo. 504 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: Heroin use. Drugs were prevalent, not just on my mom's side, 505 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: but really on my father's side as well, and she 506 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: was the only person that could take care of me. 507 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: She had no family to rely on. It's not like 508 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: we had a strong extended network of people that could 509 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: really care for her and care for me, and so 510 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 1: we did it on our own, and I remember those 511 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: struggles growing up. I mean, the earliest memory I have 512 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: from toys is actually going to this place called the 513 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: Giving Spot. And at the time I thought it was awesome. 514 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: You know, you'd go into it and it was like 515 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: all of these toys everywhere and they were free. But 516 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: what it was is it was actually a donation center. 517 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: And I look back at that now and I see 518 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: all of the success that I've experienced, and then sometimes 519 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: I bring it up with my mom. But those are 520 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,360 Speaker 1: some of my early memories as to you know, what 521 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: I thought was normal and I didn't know any different. 522 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: And you know, with my story, I want people to 523 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: remember that this is not a victims story. This is 524 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: about coming across being dealt with cards that might not 525 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: necessarily be in your favor, but being able to take 526 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: control of your life and change the outcome. If you're 527 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: willing to put forward the hard work and the effort 528 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,880 Speaker 1: in order to create your own reality, you can listen 529 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: to our podcast Luna Talks with Anna Paulina, then Apple 530 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: Podcastingwish Sweet sixty dot com, slash Anna, or wherever you 531 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: get your podcast. Thank you to my guest Anna Paulina Luna. 532 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 1: You can find a link to her new podcast on 533 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: our show page at newsworld dot com. News World is 534 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 1: produced by Gingwish Sweet sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producers 535 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 1: Debbie Myers, our producer is Garnsey Sloan, and our researcher 536 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,479 Speaker 1: is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for this show was created 537 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team at king 538 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,719 Speaker 1: Ridge three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope 539 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: you'll go to Apple podcast and both rate us with 540 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: five stars and give us a review so others can 541 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 1: learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners of news 542 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: World can sign up from my three free weekly columns 543 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: at Gingrich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm newt Gingrich. 544 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 1: This is news World.