1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Hi, this is new due to the virus. I'm recording 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: from home, so you may notice a difference in audio 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: quality on this episode of the News World. I am 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: really excited to have Rob Smith as my guests to 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: talk about really a wide range of things. A very 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: unusual person. In fact, I think it's fair to say 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: that he moves to his own drummer and does so 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: in a way that I find very compelling. He's just 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: got a brand new book which I recommend very highly. 10 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: Always a Soldier. He also has really remarkable background in 11 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: that he is a Republican, black and gay, so you 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: can imagine the conversations that he has. They're fascinating. And 13 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: I've watched him in action and he is very calm 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: and very cool about what he believes, very open to 15 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: you ring or disagreeing, and very interested in dialogue. So 16 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: I think you'll find getting to know Rob Smith is 17 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: a terrific thing. And he is going to be part 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: of our English three sixty umbrella group, and he's launching 19 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: his own podcast with iHeartMedia, which is entitled You'll Understand 20 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: Why in just a minute Rob Smith Is Problematic, which 21 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: will start late next month. Rob is terrific, fun to 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: have you on board. Group. Let me just give you 23 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: the why do this possible? Opening to start with, why 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: are you problematic? Well, first of all, thank you so 25 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: much for that introduction. I mean, I got a lot 26 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: to live up to their nude. So why am I problematic? 27 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: The definition of problematic is presenting a problem or a difficulty. 28 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: And my existence, as you said before, I'm black, I'm gay, 29 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: and I'm a Republican and proud of that fact. And 30 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: I present a difficulty to lots of people on the 31 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: left and the right, but particularly the left, because they 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: are stuck in this mode where they try to define 33 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: people that are like me are alleged victimhoods right, and 34 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: I'm not a victim, and I don't subscribe to all 35 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 1: of the things that they expect me to subscribe to 36 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: just because I'm both black and gay, and in fact, 37 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: there are more conservative and Republican principles that are more 38 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: aligned with the way that I live my life, and 39 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: those principles are living America, those principles are self reliant, 40 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: those principles are so much deeper. And I'm problematic to 41 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: the left because I have branched out and I said 42 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: that I do not allow them to define me. I 43 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: define myself and how I define myself right now is 44 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 1: as a republican. Why is that true? Why don't you 45 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: define yourself as an Independently of the US conflict written, 46 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: there'd be less CONFI but I'm a provocative person, So 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: Number one, I like conflict. I did this to provoke, 48 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: and I did this to incite conflict. And I don't 49 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: like independence because first of all, the biggest leftists you'll 50 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: ever meet in your life will call themselves independence, and 51 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: they're not independence, they're leftists. And I don't like sitting 52 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: on the fence. I like having a bold way that 53 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: I see the world in a bold way that I 54 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: share my thoughts about how I see the world. And 55 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm not here to send on a fence. I'm not 56 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: here to play it safe. I'm not here to be 57 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: comfortable or make people comfortable. So that's why I decided 58 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: not to be an independent. I feel like I don't 59 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: know that there are any true independence. I think that 60 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: people claim that they're independence because they don't really want 61 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: to rock the boat. And I'm not just trying to 62 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: rock the boat. I'm trying to push it over. When 63 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: you're at a bar, or you're somewhere the people and 64 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: you tell them that you're black and conservative and gay. 65 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: What sort of reaction A hostile reaction, Let's have another 66 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: drink reaction on me? Being black, gay, and Republican is 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: not something I lead with When I'm meeting people for 68 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: the first time. I'd like to start up with things 69 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: that bring us together, and lots of the things that 70 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: I've just described myself as is something that divides people. 71 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: I think that it becomes more interesting to people once 72 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: they get to know me. My politics are interesting. But 73 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 1: then again, we do politics all day, every day, and 74 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: we don't necessarily want to do it at the bar. 75 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: But I'll tell you that the response that I get 76 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: from people that come across me on social media or 77 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: that have read my stuff or see my stuff is 78 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: this sense that this is not supposed to be Because 79 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: if this is real, then this causes me to question 80 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: every single thing that I've ever been told by both 81 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: Democrats and Republicans about people that are in these particular 82 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: identities that are amiable characteristics of mine. The response runs 83 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: the gamut. It's anything from quizzical surprise, shock to outright anger. 84 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: Since I started doing this and you know, the subtitle 85 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: of the book is coming out as America's favorite black 86 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: a Republican, and I came out quote unquote as conservative 87 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: two years ago. And the reaction from some people on 88 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: the tolerant and inclusive left is vicious. They are angry 89 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: that I don't define myself in the way that they 90 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: feel comfortable defining me. They feel angry about the fact that, well, 91 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: how could you support these policies or this administration because 92 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: these people hate you, or in the words of Joe Biden, 93 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: they want to put you back in chains. And you 94 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: and I both know that neither one of those things 95 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: is true. So people respond with a lot of anger 96 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: to something that they've never been exposed to before, something 97 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: that they don't quite understand. And I've gotten this anger 98 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: from both the hard left and the hard ride. But 99 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: when you bring it back into the fact that you said, 100 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: why don't I identify as independence? I do believe that 101 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: there are a couple of people out there that do 102 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: identify as independent, and I think that they are empowered 103 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: by somebody that is not defining their politics and how 104 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: they see the world based off of these immutable characteristics, 105 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: which was more challenging for you revealing that you were 106 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: gay or that you're black. Conservative. So coming out as 107 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: gay and I came out at nineteen years old to 108 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: my mother, who did not take it well. I talk 109 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: about that in the book Always a Soldier, and that 110 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: was an emotionally devastating moment. I talk about having suicidal 111 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: ideations and going through all of that stuff. So that 112 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: was difficult, but it was not the disruptive moment in 113 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: my life that coming out as conservative was. Now. When 114 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: I came out of conservative a couple of years ago, 115 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: I did in a very public way. There was a 116 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: feature on me in the Daily Mail. Then the Fox 117 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 1: News producers got a hold of me. I came out 118 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: on Jesse Waters Show, and it was kind of off 119 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: to the races, and that was a very disruptive moment 120 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: in my life. You have to realize I was living 121 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: in New York City. I was a gay New York 122 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: City liberal, had all the friends, doing all the things 123 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: that New York City liberals do. And when I started 124 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: to become a more prominent, visible, vocal figure not only 125 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: as a Republican but as somebody who unabashedly supports the 126 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: president and will never be ashamed of supporting the president 127 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: now or ever. That was too much for people to handle, 128 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: and so then I started losing friends. My professional career 129 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: became in jeopardy. I have a degree in journalism from 130 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: Columbia University. I was working in the journalism field. I produced, 131 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,559 Speaker 1: I was writing, I was doing all of those things, 132 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: and so now who I was politically didn't gibe with 133 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: the job I was doing. So then there was professional 134 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,239 Speaker 1: insecurity as well. Unmarried, there were friends that were our 135 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: friends that decided not to be my friend anymore, people 136 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: that are at my wedding that now pretend as if 137 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: I don't exist. There were people that decided to stop 138 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: being my husband's friend because of me. So coming out 139 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: as conservative Republican was a massively disruptive event in my life. 140 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: That's the reason why I decided to talk about that 141 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: aspect of it in my book. And I get so 142 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: many messages, DMS, Facebook messages, emails from people knew that 143 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: are terrified to come out as conservatives or Republicans or 144 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: Trump supporters or whatever you want to call it in 145 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: the day and age. They are terrified that they will 146 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: lose their friends, They're terrified that they will lose their family, 147 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: they're terrified that they will be fired from their jobs. 148 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: I've gone through most of that stuff. Coming out as 149 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: Republican was more disruptive. You must have had some sympathy then, 150 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: for Barry Weiss's letter to the publisher of The New 151 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: York Times and her explanation of the level of hostility 152 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: that she was getting just for having independent thoughts another 153 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: being pro Trump, and she was still a good liberal. 154 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: She's punching a lot of the right buttons, but somehow 155 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: she wasn't marching in step exactly as she was supposed to. 156 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,599 Speaker 1: So you must have had some identity with that and 157 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: thinking that sort of validated the gap between the Columbia 158 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: Journalism school and the reality of the modern newsroom. The 159 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: things that she said in her letter were so spot on, 160 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: and it was so what lots of people had experienced. 161 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: Even people who are liberal and not even necessarily conservative leaning, 162 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: if they're not the right kind of liberal in these spaces, 163 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: then they're excommunicated. If you question any liberal orthodoxy, you 164 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: are excommunicated. This is the major problem with the mainstream 165 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: media right now. In the institutions like Columbia University that 166 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: I am intimately aware of, that sort of push out 167 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: these people to not be journalists, to not be independent, 168 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: curious freethinkers, but to be activists in a certain way 169 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: for the liberal agenda or the Democrat agenda, or whatever 170 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 1: it is that you want to call it. It was 171 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: an iconic moment her resigning in that way. And there's 172 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: so much of what was in that letter that anybody 173 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: and people on the right, left, whatever, if they stray 174 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: out of a certain kind of orthodoxy, they will be 175 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: punished for it. But this happens so much more vociferously 176 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: on the left. That's what happens to me, It's what 177 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: happened with Bari, It's what happens to so many people 178 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: who don't push the prevailing liberal orthodoxy. And like I said, 179 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: that's why I decided to come out as a conservative Republican. 180 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: That is why I'm so provocative in the things that 181 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: I say, not only in this book Always a Soldier, 182 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: but in that upcoming podcast and all of the stuff 183 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: that I do, because this is the time in American 184 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: history where we have to break down these ideas that 185 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: just because of identities, just because of immutable characteristics, people 186 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: have to think act in certain ways. And if we 187 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: don't break this stuff down now and get to the 188 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: business of being Americans and figuring out what our identity 189 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: is as Americans. Then we're not going to make it 190 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 1: because he's leftists and the socialists and these Marxists are 191 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: going to destroy it, and this undying emphasis on identity 192 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: is the way that they're going to do it. Oh, 193 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: I think that's right. I think a great deal of 194 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: the fight we're now seeing is an effort to divide us. 195 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: And there's actually just a replay of all the lessons 196 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,840 Speaker 1: for radicals that are very clear, that are actually trained 197 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: to the people who run Black Lives Matter, actually old 198 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: courses on how to organize the fight in such a 199 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: way that you maximize hostility and that you do everything 200 00:11:48,559 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: you can to make your opponent one evil. You've lived 201 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: in some ways remarkably complex life. I mean, I want 202 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: to go back to one of your early key decisions. 203 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: What made you decide could join the US Army. I'm 204 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: from West Akron, Ohio. This is a city in Ohio. 205 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: We were about ninety eight point six percent black. I 206 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: believe I come from a single parent household. There wasn't 207 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: a whole lot of money floating around. Now, I never 208 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: lie and say that I'm from the projects or I 209 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: lived some hard scrabble. It's nothing like that. But we'll 210 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: just say in the high schools that I went to, 211 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: there wasn't a lot of space for somebody like me. 212 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: I was always a high achieving student. I was always 213 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: relatively intelligent, but they kind of didn't know what to 214 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: do with me because I wasn't dribbling a basketball or 215 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: throwing a football. Right. So I graduated at sixteen years old. 216 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: I was still living at home. Obviously I was seventeen 217 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: years old. I was waiting tables at Danny's. I just 218 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: got the sense that there was just nothing there and 219 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: that there was just nothing going on. I decided to 220 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: go up and call the recruiters for the army, and 221 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: I just said, I need to do this because I 222 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: need to do something with my life. I just knew 223 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 1: that there was nothing in Akron, Ohio. And this is 224 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: a funny story I get into it in the book. 225 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,479 Speaker 1: So I meet the recruiter and obviously I'm a gay teenager. 226 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: I didn't really know that I was defining it as 227 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 1: gay at the time. I just knew that I had 228 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: an attraction to men. So this recruiter comes to my door, 229 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 1: and I had a massive crush on this recruiter. He 230 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: could have told me anything, and what he told me 231 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: was that the best thing to do in the Army 232 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: was the Army Infantry. He said it would be fun. 233 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: He said, it'll be all this stuff, and I'm like, 234 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: sign me up, let me go do it. I'll go in, 235 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: I'll serve for a couple of years, I'll get out, 236 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 1: I'll go to college. Little did I know that nine 237 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: to eleven was going to happen and I was gonna 238 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: end up deploying to a rock and all this other stuff. 239 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: I didn't know any of that stuff. I get into 240 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: the Army and this is the Army Infantry, boot Camp, 241 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: basic training. That is the toughest job you will do 242 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: in the Army. And it broke me down physically and 243 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: mentally and emotionally, but it also build me back up 244 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: to a person that I think is kind of indestructible. 245 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: So you joined the Army. Did you go home and 246 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: tell your mom? Well, she had to know because she 247 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: had to sign the paperwork for me to enter the 248 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: military because I was so young. I wasn't eighteen, was seventeen. 249 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: So you end up in the army. My dad spent 250 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: twenty seven years in the infantry. I grew up as 251 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: an army breath. What would you say was the biggest 252 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: lesson you learned that you would not have learned if 253 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: you had not joined the army. So this is what 254 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: I think knew. It always comes down to discipline. The military, 255 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: not only basically training, but my five years in the 256 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: Army infantry in general, including the deployment to create the 257 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: deployments of a rock, the whole thing. It taught me 258 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: a level of discipline that I still use. I used 259 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: discipline in my day to day life every single day. 260 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: If it's discipline and going to the gym, if it's 261 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: disciplined with my eating, if it's disciplined with my time 262 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: because I have a lot of things that need to happen. 263 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: It taught me discipline, and when I got out into 264 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: the civilian world after the military, it shocked me and 265 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: it will never cease to shock me. The lack of 266 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: discipline that most people living their day to day lives 267 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: just have. There's no discipline. That's why we have obesity rates, 268 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: That's why we have just laziness, That's why we have 269 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: so many problems, and I think in society can be 270 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: boiled down to just a lack of personal discipline. And 271 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: that is the most important thing that I was taught, 272 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: not only basically training, but in my five years in 273 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: the army itself, and it is the one thing that 274 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: I use every single day. And I've been out of 275 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: the military for quite some time now, and I use 276 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: the discipline that it taught me every single day. And 277 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: where were you sent to? My duty station was for 278 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: a Carson, Colorado. I was deployed to Kuwait in a 279 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: training mission. My deployment in Kuwait happened right after nine 280 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: to eleven, So I did a training mission in Kuwait. 281 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: It was about eight or nine months, and then a 282 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: year after that, I deployed to Iraq three weeks after 283 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: the initial invasion, and I was in a rock just 284 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: short of a year. Talk first about Kuwait. What was 285 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: it like being a black American in an Arab country? 286 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: When you are black and you go to other countries, 287 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: you were just seeing as American, right, So when I 288 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: was in Kuwait, they just saw me and my other soldiers. 289 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: We were American soldiers. We were black, white Latino. We 290 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: spread the gamut. So when people saw us with that 291 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: uniform all mind you, because I'm in my uniform all 292 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: the time. It was safe enough at that time to 293 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: venture out of the base Quoit. It's a very very 294 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: friendly place to Americans, very friendly. So we would go 295 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: out into the city. We would go look at other things. 296 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: We would go into the markets and things like that. 297 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: So you're seeing as American. So it's not that people 298 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: saw me as black or anything like that. They saw 299 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: that uniform and they saw an American. And I talk 300 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: about that in the book as well. I think I 301 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: talk about the fact that when you are black in America, 302 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: you are so often seen or defined by other people 303 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: as black that when I went to Kuwait, i think 304 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: it was at twenty, it was quite a different experience 305 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 1: being seen as American. And it was the same when 306 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: I went to a Rock And I think that, honestly, 307 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: that's when I really started seeing myself as American, and 308 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: all of those barriers that people want to put up 309 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: between us, whether those barriers or a race or ethnicity, 310 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: or sexual orientation or religion or whatever, all of those 311 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: barriers were broken down and I got the privilege to 312 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: see myself as an American, where were you stationed in Arec. 313 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 1: We flew into Kuwait and we convoyed through Kuwait into 314 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: a Rock. So I went through bag that I went 315 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: through Samara. I went all the way up and where 316 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 1: we ended up staying was a town called Al Riyad, 317 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: which was about forty five minutes south of Kirkcook, which 318 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: was where the big base was. We made our home 319 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: in bombed out buildings. I slept on the ground. We 320 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: found this abandoned grain factory which was this enormous amount 321 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: of space, and we kind of took over these bombed 322 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: out buildings and we made them our home and we 323 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: kind have set up there that MSTI went a pretty 324 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: amazing experience. It was amazing, it was intense. I looked 325 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 1: back on it, and I did see combat in a Rock. 326 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: I saw combat a couple of times. But it's funny 327 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: because I think about the discipline that the military gave 328 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: me every single day, and obviously I used that to 329 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: help me negotiate my day to day life. But as 330 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: I've been doing the rounds for this book, it just 331 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: started making me think more and more about the time 332 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 1: that I spent in Quait and the time that I 333 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 1: spent to a rock, and these feelings that are coming 334 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: up right now are id'dly nostalgic for a place where 335 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: I almost got my head blown off three times. It 336 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: was a very intense experience. And also you're so young, 337 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: you are fearless at that age. But looking back on it, 338 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: it was transformational. And I can just look back to 339 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: that twenty year old that didn't know anything, and I 340 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: can just look back to it and say, I protected 341 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: my brothers in arms that I was in an all 342 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: male unit. Man, I'm proud of it. I have mixed 343 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,719 Speaker 1: feelings about the Iraq War itself, but I'm proud of 344 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: my service, and I think that's why it should be. 345 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: If you were doing your duty, there's a general ground 346 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: rule I did hereciate your reaction that would really makes 347 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: units effective. Even more than love of country and all 348 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: that is the bonding with the person next to you, 349 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: the fact you don't want to let them down. Where 350 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:29,479 Speaker 1: the cohesion is inside the unit, they do become a family. 351 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: Does that fit your experience, No, that's absolutely true. You're 352 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: gonna love these guys most of the time, you're gonna 353 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 1: hate them a lot of the times, and you're gonna 354 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: disagree a lot of the times that I did see 355 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: combat in a Rock was because of poor leadership in 356 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: the squad level. And that's complicated because a lot of 357 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,479 Speaker 1: people like to think of all soldiers as selfless heroes 358 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: that always make the right decisions. And one of the 359 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: things that I wanted to really get across in this 360 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: book is that a lot of the soldiers that you see, 361 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: and these are young eyes, they're just trying to make 362 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 1: it from one day to the next. But your unit 363 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,400 Speaker 1: is more cohesive when you do have that family unit, 364 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: because you have a lot of love for these people. 365 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 1: And some of the soldiers that I served with, we're 366 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: still in contact via Facebook and we still talk. And 367 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: I know that some of them have had issues with 368 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 1: substance abuse, with PTSD, with all that other stuff, and 369 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: that's the price that you pay from it. But I 370 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: love these guys forever. And one of the things to 371 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: me and I talk about sort of being gay in 372 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: the unit and in those days having to be positive 373 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: because of the Donast Hotel rule. And my biggest regret 374 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: was I think that the fact that I wasn't able 375 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: to be kind of open about that part of my 376 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: life is what kept us from not being as close 377 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: and strong as we could have been, because when you're 378 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: keeping a secret from somebody and you are closing off 379 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: a part of yourself. And I think that that is 380 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: one of my biggest regrets, and that's I became such 381 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,439 Speaker 1: an advocate for ending that rule, and we were successful 382 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: in ending that rule, and thank god we did. And 383 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: I'm so glad that some of these Game Lesbian soldiers 384 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: today can have the experience that I never got to have, 385 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: where they can be their full selves in their unit 386 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: and help strengthen unit cohesion in that way. From that standpoint, 387 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: because you had such a sense of country coming out 388 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: of all this and being an American, what is your 389 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: reaction when you see people tearing down statues? My reaction 390 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: is these statues are being torn down out of ignorance. 391 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: I did a segment on Fox News, and I was 392 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,719 Speaker 1: doing my research before I did it, and there were 393 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: statues that were being torn down of people that died 394 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: fighting slavery, people that were known for being abolitionists. And 395 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: there is a lack of historical knowledge that comes with 396 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 1: that anger that the mob has when they tear down 397 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: some of these monuments, and then some of the other 398 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: figures there's a real national conversation that needs to be 399 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: had about the significance of some of those people. But 400 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: tearing them down is not the answer. And I think 401 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: that President Trump's idea of creating more monuments so that 402 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: we can celebrate the totality of what everybody has brought 403 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: to the building of this country is such a great idea. 404 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: And you have people like Jackie Robinson and Harriet Tubman, 405 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: and I believe that book or t Washington is going 406 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 1: to be in that So instead of tearing down, we 407 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: need to add to the conversation. But of course, when 408 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: you add to the conversation, that engenders a love for 409 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: these great Americans. And I think that the anger from 410 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: a lot of these mobs comes from the fact that 411 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 1: they have been taught and manipulated to hate the country 412 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: that they live in that gives them more opportunity than 413 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: anywhere else in the world. But they're being taught that 414 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: by people that have a political agenda behind it. I 415 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: think that is really dangerous for our democracy. I think 416 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: that is really dangerous for our country. Now. I am 417 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,880 Speaker 1: unabashedly pro American. I wear pro American gear. I will 418 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: always say that I love America while acknowledging that it 419 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: has been at many times deeply imperfect, and this is 420 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: something that we are trying to perfect. But it has 421 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: to start with love and appreciation for the country. And 422 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: I got that the military service, and I get that 423 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 1: through engaging in the conversations and doing some of the 424 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: work that I do now. And I think that if 425 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 1: we don't start developing and in filling this in the 426 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: next generation, and particularly in these colleges and universities, in 427 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 1: these anti American indoctrination centers that we call our colleges 428 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: and universities, then we're going to be in trouble. So 429 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: you went to one of the great prestige universities, which 430 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: is also a center of radicalism, how would you deal 431 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 1: with them? What would you do with these institutions that 432 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: are now so committed to an anti American culture? Look, 433 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: defund them. Tell the people that are sending their money 434 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: to these colleges and universities, stop sending your money to 435 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: these places that are indoctrinating your kids into America hating leftists. 436 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: Second of all, start fighting to get conservative spots on 437 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 1: the boards of trustees to these places. Start fighting to 438 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: get more conservative leaning professors on tenure track. Look, we've 439 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,640 Speaker 1: obviously lost these colleges and universities, and what has happened 440 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,239 Speaker 1: with them has been happening for decades and we're just 441 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: now catching up. This stuff has been seeping into these 442 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: colleges and universities for the past thirty forty years, just 443 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: as it's been seeping into media and entertainment. So if 444 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: people want to change that, Number one, stop sending your 445 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: money there. Number two, fight to get stronger positions on 446 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: these boards of trustees. Number three, start fighting to get 447 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: conservative minded people to become professors in people of power 448 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: in these univer versities. And number four, stop bowing and 449 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:09,239 Speaker 1: apologizing to these kids when they start stirring stuff up 450 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: on campuses. Stop apologizing. You got to stop apologizing to 451 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: the mob. And I've said this so many times. The 452 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: mob doesn't want apologies, they want your submission. And for 453 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: too long we have been submitting to these mobs on 454 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: these college campuses. I'm a contributor returning Point USA, and 455 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 1: I'm proud of the work that we do on these 456 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: college campuses to just inject some kind of diversity of 457 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: thought onto these campuses. And a lot of the times, 458 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: turning Point you us say will be literally the only 459 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: conservative or right leaning organization on these campuses and standing 460 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: up against fifteen to twenty democrat leftist liberal organizations. So 461 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: people really have to start standing up against that, stop 462 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: sending them your money. I don't have any idea, for example, 463 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: how you would get selected to be on the board 464 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: of governors safe who Columbia or Princeton or I don't 465 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: know what should it's automatically shelf regulating and the insiders 466 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 1: decide who gets to play. I don't know either, but 467 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: I think that we're starting to finally have the conversation 468 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: about how damaging empathetic some of these institutions are number 469 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: two trying to take some of that power back. So 470 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:32,920 Speaker 1: we're definitely thirty years too late. But these culture wars, 471 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 1: and we talked a lot about you know, upcoming podcasts. 472 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: Rob Smith is problematic and even this book always a soldier. 473 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: This is about the culture wars, and this is about 474 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: free speech. This is about making sure that these universities 475 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,239 Speaker 1: and colleges are not liberal indoctrination centers, but there are 476 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: places for people to explore, to grow, to be challenged, 477 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 1: not just safe spaces. Because these people are going to 478 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: get a root awakening when they get out into the world, 479 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: or they're going to go out into the real world, 480 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: they're going to get into positions and institutions like the 481 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: New York Times, and they are going to radically tear 482 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: down those institutions and change them into institutions that are 483 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: not what they were originally intended to be. You only 484 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,400 Speaker 1: have a big agenda head. It's nothing that I can handle. 485 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: There's so many people that I look up to, and 486 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: so many people that are these new, young, sort of 487 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: fresh voices of conservatism and Republican values. And I don't 488 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: think that I'm doing it alone. I think that I'm 489 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: certainly the only one that has my particular background and 490 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 1: my particularly experiences that are doing this. But it's a 491 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 1: big fight. But New America is worth it. America is 492 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,119 Speaker 1: worth it. It is worth the fight. It is worth 493 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: standing up to the mob, it is worth losing friends 494 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: and all that stuff. It's got to be something for 495 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: the greater good. It's got to be for this country. 496 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 1: And I would love to be looking back at this 497 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: in twenty years and be one of the first figures 498 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: that really said, look, I'm going to stand up and 499 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to believe in these conservative values, and I'm 500 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: gonna try to promote them to other people. And I 501 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,959 Speaker 1: want to say that it doesn't matter what they look like, 502 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,479 Speaker 1: or what their background is, what their sexual orientation is, 503 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: or what their race or ethnicity agender any of these things. 504 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: It's about beliefs, and it's about ideology, and it's about 505 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: core values. Do you find as you have these conversations, 506 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: are you gradually winning people over or as a whole 507 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: larger pressure so intense that people to sort of feel 508 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: like they can take that big a jump. What the 509 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: left is really good at. They have the media, they 510 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: have entertainment, they have institutions of power, they have social media, 511 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: so we're fighting on social media. So the left is 512 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: really good at suppressing voices like mine. So you never 513 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: really know if you're truly breaking through. So the only 514 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: way I know is if I look at the people 515 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 1: that either buy my book or follow me on my 516 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: social media platforms and say, you gave me my red pill, 517 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: which means that you made me conservative, or you inspire 518 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: me to start standing up in my college campus or 519 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: to my family, or I'm a gay guy too, and 520 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: its LGBTQ cultists on the left don't represent me, and 521 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: when I look at you, I get inspired to do that. 522 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: So you never really know until you start getting the messages. 523 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: And I think that the only way that you really 524 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,719 Speaker 1: know is if this stuff starts getting traction when the 525 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: podcast launches, if they're listening to the podcast, if they're 526 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: buying always a soldier are following me on social media, 527 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 1: which they are. Two years ago, I had ant look 528 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: at me to my face and say you shouldn't do 529 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: this because the Conservatives aren't ready for that or Republicans 530 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: aren't ready for that, and it'll just be a massive failure. 531 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: And if you really want to be more successful in media, 532 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:17,479 Speaker 1: which you need to do is just go be a 533 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: local field reporter somewhere like thank God that I thought 534 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: more of the people of America than this executive did 535 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: because I knew that what he was saying wasn't true. 536 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: And considering the fact that this was less than two 537 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: and a half years ago and all this stuff has happened, 538 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: that proves that people are ready for the conversation. Now 539 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: we just have to break through and make sure that 540 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: the conversation happens in the most broad and large an 541 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: audience as possible. Well, I'm fashionab because part of what 542 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: I'm impressed by with you is that you really are 543 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: doing a lot of different things. You have a book, 544 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: you're on television, you're now launching a podcast, So you 545 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: really have begun to find a rhythm that enables you 546 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 1: to communicate with a lot of people. Yeah, and honestly, 547 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: just even you and I have in this conversation, like, 548 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: who would have thought that your company would get behind 549 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: somebody like me two and a half years ago. This 550 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 1: is a part of what I'm talking about. This is 551 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: a part of changing the conversation. I'm very excited about 552 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: it because I'm very excited about getting sort of unfiltered 553 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: views out Because look, I do a lot of stuff 554 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: on social media. I do a lot of quick reaction 555 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: videos of the news of the day, and that's fine, 556 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: you know, as well as I do when you're doing 557 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: a segment on Fox News. This is about what the 558 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: news of the day is, and you've got three or 559 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: four minutes to really make your point, and that's fine 560 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: as well. That's a part of the field that we're in. 561 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: But I'm excited about having more in depth conversations about 562 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: things that really matter. Maybe not so much the politics 563 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: of the day all the time, but in things that 564 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 1: people can use in their day to day life. And 565 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: I think that we could do a better job at 566 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: as conservatives as Republicans is give people things they can 567 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: use in their day to day lives. Giving people core 568 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: values and say, look, discipline and self reliance and personal 569 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: responsibility and all these different things. They've worked for me 570 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: and they can work for you too. That's what I'm 571 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: excited about. It's just being able to have a more 572 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: in depth conversation. Well, I just want to come in. 573 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: You communicate somehow. Maybe this goes back to your army training. 574 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: You communicate a calm sense of confidence and being interesting 575 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: without being hostile or aggressive. It's not an easy art form, 576 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 1: as you know. Just take the last minute or so 577 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: and tell folks why should they get the book, what 578 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,239 Speaker 1: will they get out of the book, and where can 579 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 1: they get the book? Always a soldiers service, sacrifice and 580 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: coming out as America's favorite black A Republican is going 581 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: to be available wherever books are sold. I think that 582 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: which you will get out of the book is a 583 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: deeper examination because it is about seventy percent a rock 584 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: War memoir in thirty percent political commentary. So first you're 585 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: going to really get into why I think and believe 586 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: in act in the ways that I do, and you 587 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: will see some of the more hard scrabble stuff in 588 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: my background. You'll see why I joined the army. You 589 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: will see what I went through when I was in 590 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: the army. That will give you the foundation to understand 591 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: more when I get into the politics, and when I 592 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: talk about Trump in the Black vote in twenty twenty, 593 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: and when I talk about coming out as conservative, when 594 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: I talk about what I called at LGBTQ leftist cult, 595 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: I think that it will give you not only a full, 596 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: well rounded sense of who I am, but also I 597 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: think that because I do kind of have these identities 598 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: that are so commonly associated with liberals, that there is 599 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: an entry way. Even if you are not a Republican, 600 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: even if you don't agree with everything that's in the book, 601 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: you will start understanding it a little bit more. And 602 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 1: what we have to do as Americans nude, we have 603 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 1: to start understanding each other and really listening to each 604 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,440 Speaker 1: other a little bit more. I'm proud of it. It's 605 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: got a lot of fire, it's got a lot of character. 606 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: I worked very hard in the memoir portion to do 607 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: these men that I served with justice and to do 608 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: their lives and their hopes and their dreams justice, even 609 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 1: when we classed, even when we had conflict. I think 610 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: that there are no heroes or there are no villains. 611 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,320 Speaker 1: There are only humans and Americans. And I think that 612 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: that's what people can get out of it, basically, how 613 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: I came to love America and why I am fighting 614 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 1: so hard to save it and what it needs to 615 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: be saved from. Let me just say that I think 616 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 1: this has been a great introduction, and I hope the 617 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: folks who listen to this we'll not only yet your book, 618 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: but I hope they'll remember to start looking for your 619 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: new podcast in about a month. And I think you're 620 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: going to be really, really doing a great job, and 621 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: you're doing a good job for the country. So I 622 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 1: just want to thank you for taking this kind of 623 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 1: time to share your ideas with us. Absolutely, and as always, 624 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,840 Speaker 1: new thank you and everybody else at three sixty for 625 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: this opportunity. It's really massive. I'm very excited to move 626 00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 1: forward and to create some great stuff. Thank you to 627 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 1: my guests, Rob Smith. You can learn more about Rob 628 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 1: and his new book Always a Soldier on our show 629 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: page at newsworld dot com. NEWT World is produced by 630 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: Gingwish three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producers Debbie Myers, 631 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 1: and our producer is Garnsey Slap. The artwork for the 632 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penman. Special thanks to the 633 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: team at Gingwish three sixty. Please email me with your 634 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: questions at Gingwish three sixty dot com slash questions. I'll 635 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: answer them in future episodes. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, 636 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 637 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 638 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:47,240 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. I'm new Gangwish. 639 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:48,800 Speaker 1: This is newt World.