WEBVTT - Amber Smith - Focus on the Warfighter 0:00:11.657 --> 0:00:14.937 You're listening to The Buck Sexton Show podcast, make sure 0:00:14.937 --> 0:00:17.977 you subscribe to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or 0:00:17.977 --> 0:00:21.257 wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, welcome to the 0:00:21.297 --> 0:00:26.177 Buck Sexton Show. This episode, we have Amber Smith with us. 0:00:26.177 --> 0:00:32.897 She's a phenomenal, amazing lady. She was a Kiowa helicopter 0:00:33.017 --> 0:00:37.537 pilot in Afghanistan and Iraq, so combat tours in both 0:00:37.697 --> 0:00:41.857 war zones. She was also a Deputy Secretary of Defense 0:00:41.897 --> 0:00:45.617 for Public Affairs under the Trump administration, the author of 0:00:45.657 --> 0:00:51.617 the phenomenal book During about her time as a Kiowa pilot, 0:00:51.857 --> 0:00:55.457 Danger Close and Amber, You gotta tell everybody what do 0:00:55.457 --> 0:00:58.097 they need to know about the Kiowa platform, right because 0:00:58.097 --> 0:01:01.177 people people give a lot of a lot of hoopla, 0:01:01.217 --> 0:01:03.977 a lot of attention to the Apache and of the 0:01:04.017 --> 0:01:07.497 black Hawk. But tell everybody about what it is to 0:01:07.617 --> 0:01:09.897 be in a Kiowa and what kind of stuff you 0:01:09.897 --> 0:01:13.977 were doing. Well. I was grateful enough to get to 0:01:14.017 --> 0:01:17.457 fly the most amazing, badass helicopter in the Army's inventory 0:01:17.497 --> 0:01:20.977 at the time. It's a light attack reconnaissance helicopter. It's 0:01:20.977 --> 0:01:23.697 a two seater. At the co pilot, we have a 0:01:23.697 --> 0:01:26.857 fifting gun, we have a rocket pad that carries high 0:01:26.897 --> 0:01:30.097 explicit rockets and then we can carry hell fire missiles 0:01:30.137 --> 0:01:32.937 as well. But the best part of our job was 0:01:33.057 --> 0:01:35.377 who we worked for. We worked for a ground force, 0:01:35.897 --> 0:01:41.537 so infantry, marines, special forces, NATO forces, in country forces 0:01:41.577 --> 0:01:45.657 like the Iraqi Army or the fn National Army. And 0:01:45.897 --> 0:01:49.657 we fly extremely low level, just anywhere from fifty two 0:01:49.737 --> 0:01:53.177 hundred and fifty feet off of the ground, so well 0:01:53.177 --> 0:01:58.257 within range of the enemy's weapon systems, and it's definitely 0:01:58.297 --> 0:02:00.017 down in the fight every day we go out on 0:02:00.017 --> 0:02:02.777 a mission. So I mean there's there's flying close to 0:02:02.817 --> 0:02:05.737 the ground, you know, like like Maverick in the recent 0:02:05.777 --> 0:02:08.977 Maverick where he's all, you know, doing the obstacle course 0:02:09.017 --> 0:02:10.977 thing or whatever. And I spoke to you an F 0:02:11.057 --> 0:02:13.337 eighteen pile who said, you got understand at that speed 0:02:14.137 --> 0:02:16.257 you're in the you're in the dirt in like two 0:02:16.257 --> 0:02:18.897 seconds if you mess up. Um, but you were not 0:02:19.057 --> 0:02:21.937 much time mistakes. Yeah, right, you were flying at a 0:02:22.057 --> 0:02:25.137 level where you could basically see like someone's you know, 0:02:25.177 --> 0:02:27.337 you see the color of someone's hair right or there. 0:02:27.377 --> 0:02:33.137 Beer if the ground high off the ground, we're very loft. 0:02:33.457 --> 0:02:36.257 The ground intint behind that is that we do hunt 0:02:36.297 --> 0:02:39.137 for IDs on the road ahead of convoys, and um 0:02:39.257 --> 0:02:42.577 we do, like I said, get into these close combat 0:02:42.577 --> 0:02:46.297 attacks when um often we get called into an enemy 0:02:46.857 --> 0:02:50.657 firefight with friendly ground forces. So based off the range 0:02:50.657 --> 0:02:53.697 of our weapons systems, just by nature, we have to 0:02:53.737 --> 0:02:56.017 be very close to the ground. And that does mean 0:02:56.057 --> 0:02:58.857 that it is an intense light It's an intense mission 0:02:58.937 --> 0:03:01.537 because you know, you do have the hazard of the 0:03:01.657 --> 0:03:03.937 enemy of their weapon systems, but then you have all 0:03:03.977 --> 0:03:07.737 of those other hazards that come with flying so close 0:03:07.777 --> 0:03:10.817 to the ground. You heard in Iraq fires used to 0:03:10.817 --> 0:03:16.177 be such danger toilets and unfortunately resulted in you know, 0:03:16.537 --> 0:03:19.897 multiple multiple kier crashes. So it was a pretty dangerous job. 0:03:20.297 --> 0:03:22.577 Which like telephone wires, you're saying like you would you 0:03:22.577 --> 0:03:27.417 would actually have about telephone and comms wires, Yes, birds, 0:03:27.457 --> 0:03:34.617 telephone wires, cell phone towers, trees, yes, wow, that's remember 0:03:34.697 --> 0:03:37.057 what kind of what kind of defensive armor do you 0:03:37.097 --> 0:03:39.377 have on I mean except whenever I've seen photos of 0:03:39.377 --> 0:03:43.777 the of the Kiawa, it's um, it's an agile platform, 0:03:43.817 --> 0:03:46.977 but it doesn't look like it's not. You know, when 0:03:46.977 --> 0:03:48.737 you see like an aten ward hog, you're like that 0:03:48.737 --> 0:03:50.537 thing looks like you could kick the crap out of it. 0:03:50.657 --> 0:03:53.137 You guys in the KaiA was I assume, yeah, you 0:03:53.217 --> 0:03:58.857 really had to avoid enemy fire. The Kaiwa could take 0:03:58.897 --> 0:04:02.257 a beating. It brought me home many times my aircraft 0:04:02.297 --> 0:04:04.817 got shut up when I was in Iraq and I 0:04:04.937 --> 0:04:08.337 had an AK forty seven bullet land about twelve inches 0:04:08.377 --> 0:04:11.657 behind my spine. M Thankfully there was an armor plate 0:04:11.777 --> 0:04:15.297 behind the back of our seat and then underneath our 0:04:15.337 --> 0:04:19.537 seat as well. But we also had an armor panel 0:04:19.777 --> 0:04:23.497 that an engine block. But get this, because of weight 0:04:23.577 --> 0:04:27.137 purposes so we could carry more AMMO, we would actually 0:04:27.177 --> 0:04:32.257 remet AMMO plates so the engine was less protected. Right, So, Amber, 0:04:32.577 --> 0:04:39.937 you've seen the military from being a combat deployed rotary 0:04:40.057 --> 0:04:45.177 aircraft warrior, if I may say, and you've also been 0:04:45.217 --> 0:04:50.697 somebody who's dealt with the DoD at the policy communications 0:04:51.657 --> 0:04:55.897 deputy Defense secretary level. So I think you're in a 0:04:55.897 --> 0:05:00.217 particular position to talk a bit about the concerns over 0:05:00.257 --> 0:05:06.457 a military that is increasingly concerned with d EI, social justice, 0:05:07.097 --> 0:05:12.497 and wokeness instead of being being the most effective combat 0:05:12.537 --> 0:05:16.697 machinery for the defeative enemies and defensive America possible. What 0:05:16.817 --> 0:05:19.297 do you think of that problem, the scale of it, 0:05:19.337 --> 0:05:26.257 the reality of it, well, I think it's incredibly dangerous 0:05:26.257 --> 0:05:29.337 to our national security, to the health of the fighting 0:05:29.337 --> 0:05:32.977 force as a whole, especially when we compare it to 0:05:33.057 --> 0:05:37.137 what our adversaries look like today. We face some very 0:05:37.217 --> 0:05:40.817 real threats. We inch closer to World WARREE on a 0:05:40.897 --> 0:05:44.257 daily basis with this administration and the threats that works 0:05:44.257 --> 0:05:47.417 those two around the world. And what do we see 0:05:47.537 --> 0:05:51.177 our military doing. We see policies that are pushed down 0:05:51.217 --> 0:05:54.697 on the force that have the intent of dividing the 0:05:54.697 --> 0:05:58.537 force instead of unifying the force. And the military works 0:05:58.897 --> 0:06:02.057 because everyone is one after basic training, everybody puts on 0:06:02.097 --> 0:06:05.817 the exact same uniform and you put the American flag 0:06:05.897 --> 0:06:09.457 on your shoulder, and you are a team. You're serving 0:06:09.497 --> 0:06:13.417 towards one purpose, and you do that by coming together. 0:06:13.657 --> 0:06:17.817 You don't sit there and focus on everyone's unique individuality 0:06:18.857 --> 0:06:21.217 and then talk about how other people may be a 0:06:21.257 --> 0:06:24.937 part of the problem. And so it's really creating this 0:06:25.097 --> 0:06:30.737 softer generation of a military that we haven't really seen before. 0:06:31.217 --> 0:06:34.337 And I think it's incredibly dangerous when we look at 0:06:34.377 --> 0:06:39.217 the attention and the training hours and the shift of 0:06:39.257 --> 0:06:43.497 focus away from these priceless training hours to prepare for 0:06:43.537 --> 0:06:48.377 the mission, to prefare, to deter and then if necessary, 0:06:48.377 --> 0:06:50.977 fight in some of these conflicts that are now being 0:06:51.017 --> 0:06:57.297 focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, extremism training to being 0:06:57.417 --> 0:07:04.137 soldiers being told that domestic terrorism is the biggest threat, solitary, 0:07:04.137 --> 0:07:10.617 transgender policies, double standards for physical fitness tests, and the 0:07:10.737 --> 0:07:14.657 recruiting numbers are showing the damning effects that are having 0:07:14.697 --> 0:07:17.697 on the military today. The Army missed their numbers by 0:07:17.817 --> 0:07:22.857 fifteen thousand soldiers in twenty twenty two. That's twenty five 0:07:23.017 --> 0:07:26.737 percent below what they were looking to hit. That is 0:07:26.897 --> 0:07:32.977 absolutely damaging to our nation. It silly shows the health 0:07:32.977 --> 0:07:36.017 of the force and it's struggling right now. And when 0:07:36.017 --> 0:07:40.097 you start paying attention to some of the policies that 0:07:40.137 --> 0:07:43.777 are being forced on soldiers that are damaging moral, this 0:07:43.857 --> 0:07:47.657 is what you get. Awoke military that is absolutely drisk 0:07:48.017 --> 0:07:53.937 to recruit, movement to morale, and young Americans are saying no, 0:07:54.497 --> 0:07:59.577 thanks are for other opportunities. It's really sad when I 0:07:59.617 --> 0:08:03.857 hear people that have either gotten out recently or serve 0:08:03.937 --> 0:08:07.297 for many years. In some cases friends of mine, who 0:08:07.297 --> 0:08:11.497 did I mean more combat employments. Then that I feel 0:08:11.497 --> 0:08:13.737 like I can even count when I try to run 0:08:13.777 --> 0:08:15.297 them all past them, I say, wait, weren't you how 0:08:15.337 --> 0:08:16.857 many times are you interact? How many times are you 0:08:16.857 --> 0:08:20.897 in Afghanistan? And they say, not only would they not 0:08:21.177 --> 0:08:23.857 want to go back in, but that if their own 0:08:23.977 --> 0:08:28.817 son or daughter I was thinking about serving, that they 0:08:28.857 --> 0:08:33.617 would try to obviously it's the you know, the person's choice, um, 0:08:33.817 --> 0:08:36.337 but that they would try to discourage them from joining 0:08:36.497 --> 0:08:38.697 with the military as it is today. I don't know 0:08:38.697 --> 0:08:42.017 if you've had that experience. I have many friends, particularly 0:08:42.097 --> 0:08:46.417 from the heavy combat branches, who say, nope, I wouldn't 0:08:46.417 --> 0:08:50.017 want my son joining up right now. I have had 0:08:50.217 --> 0:08:54.777 so many of the exact same conversations, and it's it's 0:08:54.897 --> 0:08:57.497 terrifying for the military, the fighting force as a whole 0:08:57.497 --> 0:08:59.897 in our national security with when you when you put 0:08:59.897 --> 0:09:02.857 it in the perspective of what is our military supposed 0:09:02.857 --> 0:09:05.217 to do and how generate up to serve the country. 0:09:05.497 --> 0:09:10.057 But for me personally, it's it's um, it's really sad 0:09:10.217 --> 0:09:13.377 to see a military that I served in for over 0:09:13.457 --> 0:09:15.697 seven and a half years. I did two combat deployments 0:09:15.697 --> 0:09:18.457 and one to Iraq, one to Afghanistan, and to see 0:09:18.497 --> 0:09:22.417 a military that is unrecognizable to the one that I 0:09:22.817 --> 0:09:25.377 served in, where we had a mission, we were focused, 0:09:25.457 --> 0:09:29.337 we were a team. We didn't nitpick each other about 0:09:29.377 --> 0:09:33.457 a part based on our differences. There was a standard 0:09:33.617 --> 0:09:37.097 and you had to meet it and didn't then guess 0:09:37.177 --> 0:09:39.217 what that wasn't the job for you too, and you 0:09:39.257 --> 0:09:43.057 went on and did something else. Now, all of these 0:09:43.137 --> 0:09:48.457 lowered standards, it's just it's absolutely creating resentment within the 0:09:48.537 --> 0:09:52.537 ranks and it's killing morale and people are saying, maybe 0:09:52.577 --> 0:09:56.097 I should look elsewhere, Like what are these sacrifices Living 0:09:56.177 --> 0:09:59.777 a life in the military is You're missing birthdays, You're 0:09:59.777 --> 0:10:03.457 missing kids graduations. You're like, I've talked to soldiers who 0:10:03.497 --> 0:10:07.097 are like, I'm I'm done watching my children grow up 0:10:07.217 --> 0:10:10.297 over zoom, you know, and they're missing all of these 0:10:10.417 --> 0:10:17.337 life things that you these life celebrations, that anniversary's, weddings, funerals, 0:10:17.337 --> 0:10:20.817 like these times that you don't get back, and that 0:10:20.977 --> 0:10:23.857 sacrifice was always worth it to so many people who 0:10:24.377 --> 0:10:26.857 and then they see the fall of Afghanistan, they see 0:10:26.897 --> 0:10:31.297 the no accountability, they see Secretary of Defense Austin testifying 0:10:31.337 --> 0:10:33.937 on Capitol Hill last week that he has zero regrets 0:10:34.297 --> 0:10:38.497 for the way that the withdrawal for Afghanistan happened and 0:10:38.537 --> 0:10:41.417 how the country collapsed and fell into the hands of Afghanistan. 0:10:42.137 --> 0:10:45.977 He saw that thirteen US service members were killed as 0:10:46.017 --> 0:10:48.897 a result of a suicide attack while they were guarding 0:10:49.337 --> 0:10:53.297 h Kaya Kabul International Airport during the withdrawal. So to 0:10:53.377 --> 0:10:57.617 hear leaders like that that creates such a distrust of 0:10:57.817 --> 0:11:02.137 the commander to subordinate relationship that is absolutely vital to 0:11:02.217 --> 0:11:05.817 the success of the relationship to get soldiers to want 0:11:05.857 --> 0:11:08.137 to fight and win on the battle field. Just that 0:11:08.177 --> 0:11:12.857 trust of their leaders which they have with senior military 0:11:12.897 --> 0:11:17.097 officials and generals, you've lost the military. We live in 0:11:17.177 --> 0:11:21.697 extremely dangerous times right now. In those recruitment numbers, Like 0:11:21.937 --> 0:11:25.017 we'll see the next year coming up what those look like, 0:11:25.257 --> 0:11:27.297 but it's not going to look any better. Like I 0:11:27.777 --> 0:11:34.737 had lost fifteen thousand soldiers to their recruitment goals. The 0:11:34.817 --> 0:11:37.817 other branches. The only reason they made it was because 0:11:37.857 --> 0:11:41.777 they were pulling from their delayed entry programs. That means 0:11:41.777 --> 0:11:45.057 they're setting themselves up this year for an either harder 0:11:45.097 --> 0:11:49.857 recruitment goal. So it is just it is dangerous, dangerous times. 0:11:49.937 --> 0:11:53.257 And because there's no accountability because of this toxic or 0:11:53.377 --> 0:11:57.697 leadership that refuses to look internally. You keep seeing when 0:11:57.697 --> 0:12:00.777 a Pentagon is questioned about any of their failures, all 0:12:00.817 --> 0:12:03.217 they do is look outward and they place blame elsewhere. 0:12:03.537 --> 0:12:05.937 It's never like, hey, maybe we should take a look 0:12:05.977 --> 0:12:08.337 at what we are doing that is causing some of 0:12:08.377 --> 0:12:14.177 these self lifted problems, and they won't do it. Come 0:12:14.177 --> 0:12:16.657 back in a second here and talk about both Ukraine 0:12:17.817 --> 0:12:20.457 and also what it was like dealing with the press 0:12:20.777 --> 0:12:24.737 from the DoD during the Trump years. I bet that 0:12:24.937 --> 0:12:29.497 was sometimes very illuminating about their real goals and intentions. 0:12:29.497 --> 0:12:31.217 And we'll come back to that in a second. But 0:12:31.377 --> 0:12:33.097 if you've never tried it before, folks, you've got to 0:12:33.137 --> 0:12:36.137 get the My Pillow two point zero. Michaelndal's team has 0:12:36.137 --> 0:12:37.977 done it again. 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So Amber, 0:13:31.537 --> 0:13:33.977 let's start with Let's start with Ukraine. How do you 0:13:33.977 --> 0:13:37.977 think Biden and the DoD right now? He's commander in 0:13:38.057 --> 0:13:43.417 chief right and you've got some interesting, interesting people who 0:13:43.457 --> 0:13:47.937 are including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Millie and Lloyd Austin, 0:13:48.057 --> 0:13:51.617 Secretary Defense, who are making all kinds of decisions about 0:13:51.617 --> 0:13:54.737 this one way of putting all this, how do you 0:13:54.737 --> 0:13:56.577 think they're doing so far? I mean, how does the 0:13:56.617 --> 0:13:59.257 picture look to you of US support for the war 0:13:59.297 --> 0:14:03.937 in Ukraine eighteen months in or fifty fifteen months in. Well. 0:14:03.977 --> 0:14:08.577 I think that the United States military industrial complex, the Pentagon, 0:14:09.737 --> 0:14:12.977 mini political leaders in Washington, DC are addicted to war. 0:14:13.057 --> 0:14:15.777 I think they're addicted to conflict. I think war has 0:14:15.817 --> 0:14:22.377 become big business and that's extremely dangerous for our nation. 0:14:22.417 --> 0:14:26.537 If you look at the withdrawal of Afghanistan, we shifted 0:14:27.137 --> 0:14:32.137 almost immediately towards a new conflict, a proxy war in 0:14:32.257 --> 0:14:36.537 Ukraine with Russia, and really a fight that is not 0:14:37.177 --> 0:14:42.497 within vital US national security interest. This is a regional 0:14:42.497 --> 0:14:46.537 war between neighbors. The United States has already pumped in 0:14:46.697 --> 0:14:51.497 more money than it ever did in an annual amount 0:14:51.897 --> 0:14:54.857 for Afghanistan. So a war that we were fighting on 0:14:54.897 --> 0:15:01.377 the ground in Afghanistan and it's and it's just win 0:15:01.537 --> 0:15:07.177 is enough enough? And I'm not happy with the status 0:15:07.217 --> 0:15:10.777 of how things are going with the war in Ukraine. 0:15:12.177 --> 0:15:16.137 I think that we have some more led navity interest, 0:15:16.217 --> 0:15:19.737 some real threats that base our nation, like China. Every 0:15:19.777 --> 0:15:24.737 single day that threat grows, it increases on a daily basis, 0:15:25.977 --> 0:15:30.137 and I think that the US is preoccupied with fighting 0:15:30.177 --> 0:15:34.377 a proxy war in Ukraine with Russia right now. You know, 0:15:34.417 --> 0:15:37.257 when I think back to I was in Afghanistan in 0:15:37.297 --> 0:15:43.377 two thousand and ten, and interfacing with I was a 0:15:43.497 --> 0:15:46.177 very you know, very low man in the hierarchy, but 0:15:46.217 --> 0:15:48.617 I was interfacing with the people who were, let's just say, 0:15:48.657 --> 0:15:52.017 calling the shots in country for both the military and 0:15:52.177 --> 0:15:56.857 the intelligence agencies. And I was always, even at that 0:15:57.057 --> 0:16:00.777 stage and at that age, shocked at how everybody was 0:16:00.857 --> 0:16:04.537 repeating everybody else's lines. But everybody kind of knew that 0:16:04.617 --> 0:16:07.857 it wasn't really true. You know, all the stuff about 0:16:07.857 --> 0:16:10.977 all we're making all these gains in this year area 0:16:10.497 --> 0:16:14.817 and we're we're consolidating what we've done in that area. 0:16:15.057 --> 0:16:16.737 But when you actually talk to people who were there 0:16:16.737 --> 0:16:18.417 were dealing with it. Like when I when I met 0:16:18.737 --> 0:16:21.737 with a couple of different odias, a couple different special 0:16:21.777 --> 0:16:24.097 Forces teams and asked them, what do you guys think 0:16:24.217 --> 0:16:25.857 is going on? They're like, oh, well, you know, the 0:16:25.937 --> 0:16:30.897 big military assessment versus what you were getting from from 0:16:30.977 --> 0:16:33.377 door kickers who were living in combat outposts. It always 0:16:33.417 --> 0:16:37.257 felt like there was a huge disconnect, And I was 0:16:37.297 --> 0:16:38.817 there in twenty and ten, I was like, this is 0:16:38.857 --> 0:16:42.137 just not going to work. But if you told anybody that, 0:16:42.297 --> 0:16:46.177 or if you talked about that, um, you were kind 0:16:46.177 --> 0:16:48.377 of treated like you were disloyal to the American war 0:16:48.417 --> 0:16:50.657 effort there or the NATO as we know war effort 0:16:50.697 --> 0:16:53.337 there before the Ukraine war, Right, this is what NATO 0:16:53.417 --> 0:16:56.417 existed for somehow, m do you feel like we're heading 0:16:56.457 --> 0:17:01.097 into the same trap with Ukraine, not obviously with our 0:17:01.137 --> 0:17:06.657 own forces deployed, but just with our diplomatic, economic, and 0:17:06.817 --> 0:17:09.817 material support to a war that to me looks like 0:17:10.337 --> 0:17:12.777 it's going to go on for years, And we're talking 0:17:12.817 --> 0:17:16.097 about we better start thinking about our support for Ukraine 0:17:16.257 --> 0:17:18.297 with a T not a B as in a trillion, 0:17:18.457 --> 0:17:21.857 two trillion. Well you think it's heading that way or 0:17:21.897 --> 0:17:24.097 are you? Are you have any faith that maybe they'll 0:17:24.097 --> 0:17:29.657 cut it off before that? Well to your point about 0:17:29.777 --> 0:17:35.337 Afghanistan and people sort of saying that you're disloyal if 0:17:35.377 --> 0:17:39.777 you sort of have an opposing view to push poker 0:17:40.057 --> 0:17:44.377 to potentially start World War three with a nuclear power. 0:17:44.417 --> 0:17:50.137 There's nothing more dangerous than a week army with nuclear power, 0:17:50.537 --> 0:17:55.497 and that's where we keep pushing this war. And so yeah, 0:17:55.577 --> 0:18:00.457 just to your point about speaking out in opposition to Hey, 0:18:00.497 --> 0:18:03.337 maybe we should be pushing a peace agreement between the 0:18:03.337 --> 0:18:06.937 two nags instead of pushing more war. It's like the 0:18:07.137 --> 0:18:11.537 thing that you know, the Pentagon on in certain leaders 0:18:11.537 --> 0:18:16.577 in Washington, DC to do they throw money at the problem. 0:18:16.697 --> 0:18:23.097 And we have a lot of old in DC that 0:18:23.217 --> 0:18:25.857 cannot give the cold out of their heads. So you 0:18:26.137 --> 0:18:31.417 Russia into the conversation and it's nope, you know, We're 0:18:31.417 --> 0:18:35.257 going to throw absolutely anything in every at Russia. And 0:18:35.417 --> 0:18:37.617 it's like they get tunnel vision if you bring up 0:18:37.617 --> 0:18:42.817 the word Russia. Guess what. Russia is a near peer 0:18:42.897 --> 0:18:48.377 adversary in a conflict with a regional conflict right now. 0:18:48.897 --> 0:18:53.657 Who is a bigger threat to US than Russia right now? China? 0:18:53.897 --> 0:18:58.137 Who where geographically is the United States primarily focused on 0:18:58.217 --> 0:19:05.217 right now? Russia? Okay, the United States military cannot is 0:19:05.257 --> 0:19:07.937 not capable of fighting a two front war right now. 0:19:08.017 --> 0:19:12.177 So when we're sending all of our ammunition, you know, 0:19:12.537 --> 0:19:18.697 brigades of our military into Poland, into Romania, in these 0:19:18.737 --> 0:19:23.777 other areas around Ukraine, helping train in Ukraine, depleting our 0:19:23.817 --> 0:19:29.257 own United States tradition stockpile that we will likely need 0:19:29.417 --> 0:19:32.897 in the very near future. It's just really not smart 0:19:33.137 --> 0:19:37.737 decision making. I can't say I'm very surprised, but focusing 0:19:37.977 --> 0:19:40.977 on Russia when we have such a very near threat 0:19:41.097 --> 0:19:43.977 with China, which is no longer a near peer. China's 0:19:44.017 --> 0:19:49.737 a peer adversary. Everybody wants to focus on Russia and Washington, DC, 0:19:50.017 --> 0:19:53.657 everybody wants to throw hundreds of billions of dollars their way. 0:19:53.817 --> 0:19:58.057 And it's absolutely a disgrace for US leadership, who is 0:19:58.097 --> 0:20:01.177 tasked with protecting the American people, to put us in 0:20:01.297 --> 0:20:03.537 harm's way the way that they are today with how 0:20:03.537 --> 0:20:07.857 they're handling the war with Russia. You know, Senator Lindsay 0:20:07.857 --> 0:20:12.657 Graham recently said he's definitely opened the idea of putting 0:20:13.017 --> 0:20:18.057 US troops in Taiwan, creating a US military presence on 0:20:18.057 --> 0:20:22.897 that island. What do you think about that? Does he 0:20:23.417 --> 0:20:26.497 want an immediate war with China? Because guess what, that's 0:20:26.537 --> 0:20:28.377 not going to look like the wars that he was 0:20:28.417 --> 0:20:32.097 pushing in Iraq and Afghanistan for twenty years. That's gonna 0:20:32.137 --> 0:20:36.657 look like a war to end all wars. It's gonna 0:20:36.657 --> 0:20:39.457 get very ugly, very quickly. That is very true. I'm 0:20:39.537 --> 0:20:42.577 a little bit surprised always, and this is more of 0:20:42.657 --> 0:20:47.737 just a general political feeling that Lindsay Graham is always 0:20:47.737 --> 0:20:52.497 so he's always treated by conservatives and conservative media for 0:20:52.537 --> 0:20:56.217 the most part, with some kind of reverence. And this 0:20:56.297 --> 0:21:00.417 is a guy who I've never seen him refer to 0:21:00.457 --> 0:21:04.017 a war that other people will fight with any trepidation whatsoever. 0:21:04.177 --> 0:21:06.577 Like there's never a sense when Lindsay Graham talks about 0:21:06.697 --> 0:21:09.897 US troops going somewhere to fight. He's not going anywhere 0:21:09.897 --> 0:21:13.697 to fight. Children aren't going anywhere to fight. He doesn't 0:21:13.737 --> 0:21:16.377 actually have any children. But you know, he's not going anywhere. 0:21:16.657 --> 0:21:19.297 And you sit there and you say, well, why is 0:21:19.297 --> 0:21:21.737 he getting reelected so many times by the people of 0:21:21.737 --> 0:21:25.177 South Carolina? You know what has to happen here? I mean, 0:21:25.337 --> 0:21:29.377 I just I'm surprised that his constant push for more 0:21:29.977 --> 0:21:35.457 expenditure of men and materiel in conflict isn't a bigger 0:21:35.537 --> 0:21:39.377 problem for conservatives who are taking more of a here 0:21:39.417 --> 0:21:44.297 at home approach. Yeah, because it's just an interview to him, right, 0:21:44.337 --> 0:21:48.497 It's just another campaign cycle, it's just another rally cry. 0:21:48.577 --> 0:21:50.857 It's not like you said, it's not his kids, it's 0:21:50.897 --> 0:21:55.377 not his money. He's it's not his time away. He 0:21:55.417 --> 0:21:58.897 gets to go on these congressionally sponsored trips into a 0:21:58.937 --> 0:22:03.537 war zone, take the photos, get them, you know, special treatment, 0:22:03.817 --> 0:22:05.537 and say that he's been to a war zone and 0:22:05.577 --> 0:22:07.977 he gets to see what it's really like. But that's 0:22:07.977 --> 0:22:13.737 not actually what real war is like. Politicians have got 0:22:13.857 --> 0:22:16.857 to get back to the stance where war is a 0:22:16.977 --> 0:22:23.617 last resort. It is a very last resort. People's lives 0:22:23.817 --> 0:22:29.457 shouldn't be so loosely thrown out to fight these wars 0:22:29.697 --> 0:22:34.417 and that sort of policy stance for foreign policy and 0:22:34.697 --> 0:22:38.377 conflicts and wars that we've seen around the world that 0:22:38.617 --> 0:22:42.337 is taking a toll on our military. It's completely damaging 0:22:42.337 --> 0:22:48.017 the all volunteer force. I I mean, I think it's 0:22:48.057 --> 0:22:51.657 scary times speaking of the all volunteer Force and how 0:22:51.697 --> 0:22:53.937 long that's going to stick around for, which is seriously 0:22:53.937 --> 0:22:56.137 going to change some things. And if a war with 0:22:56.217 --> 0:22:59.417 China breaks out, that's exactly we will be looking at. 0:23:00.017 --> 0:23:03.457 Nobody wants to talk about, but that's the reality. Yeah, 0:23:03.457 --> 0:23:07.177 I just I mean, I'm I'm down here in Florida, 0:23:07.377 --> 0:23:11.617 and you know, if if we if you had the Chinese, 0:23:11.657 --> 0:23:13.297 it was like a red dawn situation where I think 0:23:13.297 --> 0:23:15.257 it was actually North Korea on the remake, right, if 0:23:15.257 --> 0:23:18.417 they started, you know, setting up landing craft or whatever 0:23:18.457 --> 0:23:22.657 on the beaches year of South Beach, I'd be like, 0:23:22.697 --> 0:23:24.377 all right, let's go, you know, mount up. We have 0:23:24.417 --> 0:23:27.377 to fight. But on the other side of that equation, 0:23:27.777 --> 0:23:30.497 if someone told me that I, you know, some future 0:23:30.697 --> 0:23:33.617 child of mine is eighteen years old, if my son 0:23:34.937 --> 0:23:38.617 son to be said I want to go and help 0:23:38.657 --> 0:23:42.857 out with the US war effort, assuming we deployed troops. 0:23:42.897 --> 0:23:45.177 I know we haven't at least officially deployed any troops 0:23:45.217 --> 0:23:48.497 in Ukraine, but I want to go fight for Ukrainian independence. 0:23:48.857 --> 0:23:50.657 I'd be like, do not join the military if you 0:23:50.657 --> 0:23:52.777 want to fight for Ukrainian independence, Like I don't. I 0:23:52.777 --> 0:23:55.537 don't know what else to say to me if that's 0:23:55.577 --> 0:23:58.377 our fight. It feels like people keep bringing this up, say, well, 0:23:58.377 --> 0:24:00.737 what if a NATO country's next. We have a treaty 0:24:00.777 --> 0:24:02.617 with those countries. We have a written promise with those 0:24:02.617 --> 0:24:05.457 countries it says if X, then Y. We don't have 0:24:05.537 --> 0:24:08.417 that with Kraiza. So I don't know why these things 0:24:08.497 --> 0:24:12.777 keep getting conflated. Yeah, people seem to be missing that 0:24:12.897 --> 0:24:17.377 point of absolutely we have an obligation to NATO. Putin 0:24:18.257 --> 0:24:21.577 is not invading a NATO country. If that should happen, 0:24:22.097 --> 0:24:25.937 of course the United States would protect our NATO alley Ally, 0:24:27.217 --> 0:24:31.097 that's not what's happening right now, and so that's why 0:24:31.137 --> 0:24:35.337 I say it's provocative that the United States wants to 0:24:35.377 --> 0:24:38.697 fight this proxy war with Russia. It's pushing the biggest 0:24:38.737 --> 0:24:42.897 nuclear power in the world, and it is not in 0:24:42.937 --> 0:24:45.617 the best interest of the security of our nation, of 0:24:45.617 --> 0:24:49.337 the safety of our nation, and too many people it's 0:24:49.377 --> 0:24:52.737 almost like Ukraine is the next you see the blue 0:24:52.737 --> 0:24:55.177 and yellow flags waving and the sunflowers. It's like the 0:24:55.297 --> 0:24:58.817 new thing that people want to support without accepting what 0:24:58.857 --> 0:25:03.897 the reality of a war in Ukraine against Russia actually means, 0:25:04.817 --> 0:25:06.897 Like how much farther do you think we're going to 0:25:06.977 --> 0:25:10.297 go before the United States commits some sort of US 0:25:10.377 --> 0:25:13.017 ground force and then guess what. Then we're at war 0:25:13.097 --> 0:25:16.577