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Speaker 1: On this episode of Newts World. My Yes Today was

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Speaker 1: born to a mother consumed by drugs and raised by

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Speaker 1: his grandmother in poverty on the South Side of Chicago.

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Speaker 1: He saw firsthand how lawmakers from both parties have failed

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Speaker 1: African American voters on issues like poverty, welfare, and education.

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Speaker 1: But as someone who beat the odds growing up under

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Speaker 1: a fear based mentality that limits what people can achieve,

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Speaker 1: he believes there's another way. He just recently provided congressional

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Speaker 1: testimony to the House Ways and Means Committees Subcommittee on

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Speaker 1: Work and Welfare the dignity of work lifting individuals out

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Speaker 1: of poverty, and he is here to discuss welfare reform

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Speaker 1: and how we need to revisit this critical issue. So

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Speaker 1: I'm really pleased to welcome my guest, John O.

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Speaker 2: Caldwell.

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Speaker 1: He is a Fox News analyst, the founder or the

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Speaker 1: bipartisan consulting firm based in Washington, DC that provides strategic

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Speaker 1: advice in areas of public affairs and government relations. He's

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Speaker 1: also the author of the book Taken for Granted, How

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Speaker 1: Conservatism can win back the Americans that liberalism failed. And

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Speaker 1: I think I'm as a good friend. We've worked together

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Speaker 1: over the years, John Oh, welcome and thank you for

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Speaker 1: joining me on Newts World.

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Speaker 2: Well, thank you for having me, and it is such

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Speaker 2: an honor to always be with you as I think

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Speaker 2: you've led groundbreaking change has helped many across the country,

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Speaker 2: whether it be the black community, for a white community,

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Speaker 2: or whatever it may be. You've been a change agent

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Speaker 2: for good and I thank you for it.

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Speaker 1: Well, you know, in terms of change, you're a personal example.

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Speaker 1: Can you take us back sort of to your childhood

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Speaker 1: growing up on the South Side of Chicago, because there's

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Speaker 1: just a lot about your personal voyage in life that's

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Speaker 1: inspirational and that has a lot of lessons.

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Speaker 2: Well, thank you. So I grew up extremely poor. At times,

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Speaker 2: we had the lights, the gas, and the water off

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Speaker 2: all at the same time. My mom was addicted to drugs,

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Speaker 2: as you mentioned, and we lived in a project until

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Speaker 2: my grandmother. One day, who was a private duty nurse

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Speaker 2: my mom mom came and she rescued us from the projects.

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Speaker 2: So we began to live with her, and my grandmother

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Speaker 2: had temporary custody of me and my siblings. And then

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Speaker 2: one day she pulls out the garage and a drunk

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Speaker 2: driver hits her apparently this same individual had hit some

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Speaker 2: other folks earlier in the day, so he was an

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Speaker 2: habitual drunk driver and injured her back. She had to

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Speaker 2: go on and reduce schedule so she couldn't work her

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Speaker 2: regular schedules. She worked overnights, and then ultimately she couldn't

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Speaker 2: work any more. So from there we went from having

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Speaker 2: a decent life, certainly better than what it was with

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Speaker 2: my mom, to government checks begin to come again, this

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Speaker 2: time not for my mom but for my grandmother. So

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Speaker 2: that's when things begin to slide in a very negative

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Speaker 2: way once again. But I'm thankful for God and his

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Speaker 2: guidance which I believe brought me through.

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Speaker 1: Given that kind of background, you start volunteering at the

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Speaker 1: local alderman's office at fourteen. What led you to go

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Speaker 1: to the alderman's office and get involved as a volunteer.

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Speaker 2: You know what's interesting. My mom and dad were never married,

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Speaker 2: but my dad would pick me up every Friday and

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Speaker 2: he would take me to his dad's house on Fridays

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Speaker 2: and on Saturdays, my grandfather would take me to work

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Speaker 2: with him plumbing construction, small business. He would pay me

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Speaker 2: ten dollars a day to hold the flashlight, hand tools,

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Speaker 2: and he started me off very young. I was probably

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Speaker 2: about eight years old when I started going on these

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Speaker 2: jobs sites, maybe even younger. And he would show me

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Speaker 2: what hard work, a day of hard work look like.

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Speaker 2: And then he would get the check from the work

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Speaker 2: and he would go and cash it and he would

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Speaker 2: show me the money. You know, back on those days,

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Speaker 2: a lot of the guys that were drug dealers, they

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Speaker 2: would have this wad of cash that they would use

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Speaker 2: the entice young people to come work for them and

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Speaker 2: take on that lifestyle, because of course most people there

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Speaker 2: were poor. But my grandfather wanted to show me another way,

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Speaker 2: my grandfather James or Williams. So what ended up happening

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Speaker 2: is at fourteen, we were riding through this area of

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Speaker 2: Chicago called Inglewood, which is one of the hardest hit

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Speaker 2: areas in terms of the drug and violence in the

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Speaker 2: city of Chicago. And as we're riding in this red

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Speaker 2: pickup truck, I look out the window to my right

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Speaker 2: and I see a lady who appears drugged up and

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Speaker 2: beat down, and it brought tears to minds because I

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Speaker 2: thought it was my mother. So as we're riding along,

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Speaker 2: I quickly wiped through tears because my grandfather is a

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Speaker 2: Southern gentlemen, and he's you know, he's a tough guy,

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Speaker 2: and he notices and he says, what's wrong with you, boy?

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Speaker 2: And I say this lady. At this point, we're riding

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Speaker 2: past her, and I realized it wasn't my mother, but

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Speaker 2: it certainly could have been her. I said, what can

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Speaker 2: I do to prevent this from happening? And he began

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Speaker 2: to tell me about the power elected officials have to

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Speaker 2: increase the penalty of law for those who are selling

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Speaker 2: distribute drugs, and how they can provide grand funding for

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Speaker 2: those who want to be rehabilitated. So I said, okay,

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Speaker 2: I want to be an elected official. I want to

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Speaker 2: know how the system works. And then after I learned

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Speaker 2: a little bit more, within weeks, I'm volunteering from my

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Speaker 2: local Automan's office because I thought that I can help

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Speaker 2: save my mom. And that's really what it came down to.

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Speaker 2: It became a mission out of one moment with my

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Speaker 2: grandfather when he told me the power that elected officials

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Speaker 2: will to create positive change in people's lives, like you

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Speaker 2: did a Speaker of the House.

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Speaker 1: So you took this idealistic approach. You were a volunteer

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Speaker 1: but then at sixteen, you get a part time job

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Speaker 1: on the Social Security Administration, and I was sold that

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Speaker 1: there was resistance even in your own family to you

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Speaker 1: going out and getting a job and earning a paycheck.

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Speaker 2: That's absolutely right. Initially they were in favor of it,

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Speaker 2: but when my grandmother saw that the money that I

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Speaker 2: was earning could potentially impact the earnings for the house

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Speaker 2: and perhaps the benefit, she then told me, you may

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Speaker 2: have to quit your job. And I said, absolutely not.

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Speaker 2: Why would I quit my job. I'm making more money

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Speaker 2: than these checks they were receiving. That was just said.

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Speaker 2: So then you know the realization of what sense does

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Speaker 2: it make for a person to get off welfare if

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Speaker 2: you can't actually earn for your family to create that

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Speaker 2: stability to get off welfare, just like you did in

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Speaker 2: a ninety six welfare reform where you had a two

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Speaker 2: year process or two year tracked and a five year

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Speaker 2: limit for those who were receiving benefits, and you know

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Speaker 2: the benefits cliffed if you will, which is for those

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Speaker 2: that may be listening and may not know, this is

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Speaker 2: the amount of money that you can potentially earn before

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Speaker 2: being cut off. So that cliff wasn't there in one

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Speaker 2: time due to your reform, and you allow people to

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Speaker 2: earn and you know, create stability in their lives and

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Speaker 2: then lift people out of poverty. That was I think

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Speaker 2: an exceptionally well done program which helped millions of people,

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Speaker 2: and I know that we need to get back there

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Speaker 2: to help change the trajectory of our country.

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Speaker 1: As a further example of what a remarkable young man

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Speaker 1: you were, by the time you're eighteen years old, you

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Speaker 1: decide you want to own property, and lessen a year later,

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Speaker 1: you buy a multi unit apartment building. Walk us through

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Speaker 1: this journey in your mind and in reality, what led

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Speaker 1: you to decide you want to own property.

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Speaker 2: So interestingly enough, my pastor, I started going to a

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Speaker 2: new church. And this was all on my own. I

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Speaker 2: was really seeking God. I wanted to know the truth

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Speaker 2: of God. And I grew up in a religious home.

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Speaker 2: But it was a religious home that you didn't see

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Speaker 2: the power, you didn't see the ramifications of what God

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Speaker 2: could do. Now I started going to this pastor. Many

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Speaker 2: of your listeners will know who he is. His name

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Speaker 2: is doctor Bill Winston. He has a church in Forest Park, Illinois,

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Speaker 2: and I mean, this guy is extraordinarily gifted and the

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Speaker 2: message in which he delivers, and the fact that you

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Speaker 2: should be able to when you're really connected with God,

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Speaker 2: you should see that power change your life. It shouldn't

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Speaker 2: be a religious I go to church every Sunday, but

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Speaker 2: nothing changes in your life. God's power is supposed to

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Speaker 2: literally transform you. It should transform everything around you, and

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Speaker 2: by way of virtually connecting with that, it transforms the

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Speaker 2: people around you because they can see the results. So

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Speaker 2: this pastor would tell us things like, you know, the

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Speaker 2: government shouldn't be taking care of you. We shouldn't be

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Speaker 2: on welfare, we shouldn't be on government assistance. God is

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Speaker 2: supposed to take care of you. He'll give you a

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Speaker 2: vision of what to do and you'll do it and

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Speaker 2: change your life. And he kept pumping that message in

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Speaker 2: me and using a word of God itself that I

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Speaker 2: all of a sudden wanted to go out and get

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Speaker 2: involved in real estate. And it was a scripture that

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Speaker 2: I used Joshua one to three every place that the

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Speaker 2: solo your footshall tread upon that have I give it

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Speaker 2: unto you? And I meditated on that word day and night,

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Speaker 2: and I believed for a vision for real estate, and

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Speaker 2: at that point, at nineteen, I had some savings, good credit.

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Speaker 2: Eventually I figured out I had no credit at first,

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Speaker 2: but then I used the word. I really got steps

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Speaker 2: to what to do to put me in a place

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Speaker 2: that I can own real estate. And I'll tell you.

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Speaker 2: I had a realtor that I met with who ran

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Speaker 2: my credit and say, oh, you have a zero credit score.

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Speaker 2: I said, oh, you know, what do I do to

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Speaker 2: change it? I use the word and I know it

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Speaker 2: may sound crazy to people, but it really did help me.

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Speaker 2: I transformed things in a short period of time. And

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Speaker 2: then that's when I went out and I bought a

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Speaker 2: multi unit apartment building. And I was the first person

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Speaker 2: in my family to ever do something like this. I

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Speaker 2: was the youngest one and I didn't have any family assistance.

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Speaker 2: They didn't have any fortunes or anything that they can

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Speaker 2: give me. No one co signed for me. It was

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Speaker 2: all me. And I thank God for it every day

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Speaker 2: because that was an example of what faith can do.

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Speaker 2: And I know this isn't a faith podcast as a

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Speaker 2: political one, but I think that there's someone that needs

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Speaker 2: to hear that message. When you connect with God, he'll

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Speaker 2: transform your whole life. And I really believe that new.

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Speaker 1: What is it that they saw in you that would

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Speaker 1: lead them to allow you to buy a multi unit

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Speaker 1: apartment building at nineteen.

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Speaker 2: Well, you know, we got the banks and those structures.

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Speaker 2: But what they saw in me is less important than

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Speaker 2: what I saw in myself. And what I saw in

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Speaker 2: myself was a victor, not a victim. And what I

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Speaker 2: saw in myself was somebody who has the propensity to

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Speaker 2: be great and absolutely successful. And what I continue to

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Speaker 2: see in myself is bigger vision than anyone can see

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Speaker 2: for me. And it's a vision that I got from God,

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Speaker 2: and it's a vision that continues to sustain me. So ultimately,

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Speaker 2: I think people will compare themselves to other people and say, oh, well,

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Speaker 2: you know we come from the same background. This person

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Speaker 2: has this and I don't have that. No focus on

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Speaker 2: your own journey, focus on what God is leading you

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Speaker 2: to do, and you do it. You can't be distracted

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Speaker 2: by what's going on around you. You have to be

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Speaker 2: laser focused in order to get to that next level.

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Speaker 2: And that can be just in a very natural way.

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Speaker 2: You're looking for a job, or you're looking for a

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Speaker 2: college to go into, or you're looking for a partnership

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Speaker 2: of some sorts. You got to focus in on your stuff,

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Speaker 2: not what everyone else is doing, because ultimately, what people

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Speaker 2: tend to find out is when people seem like you know,

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Speaker 2: some folks, they seem like they're doing so fantastically, some

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Speaker 2: of it ends up not even being true. You know.

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Speaker 2: It's like, you know, people create this image for social

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Speaker 2: media and then you find out, oh, oh my god,

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Speaker 2: none of that was actually true. That's why you got

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Speaker 2: to stay laser focus on your race and your race alone.

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Speaker 1: So I want to come back to those person because

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Speaker 1: I think your formula is frankly brilliant. When you talk

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Speaker 1: to other people in situations that you recognize because you

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Speaker 1: were once there, are you able to help them move

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Speaker 1: from being a victim to being a victor in their

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Speaker 1: own head. I think you're onto something that is so

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Speaker 1: powerful and so important about how we turn this country around.

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Speaker 1: And I'm just curious, do you actually talk to people

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Speaker 1: about it? Do they get it?

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Speaker 2: Yes? I absolutely do. And you know, I'm going to

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Speaker 2: tell you there's been a number of young folks that

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Speaker 2: reach out to me on social media LinkedIn and my

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Speaker 2: social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook is at Giano Caldwell.

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Speaker 2: For those who may be interested at GIA and n

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Speaker 2: Caldwell and they'll say, hey, I read about your story

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Speaker 2: and your book taking for granted how conservatism can went

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Speaker 2: back then Americans liberalism failed. Or I saw you on television,

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Speaker 2: or I saw this article. This is what's going on

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Speaker 2: with me. I need some advice. Now. Those folks who

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Speaker 2: are willing to reach out and say those things, they

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Speaker 2: already have something in them that's a bit of hunger.

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Speaker 2: They want to know that there's possibilities to change. They

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Speaker 2: want to be inspired. And then there's some people that

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Speaker 2: you meet who may have had a similar story to

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Speaker 2: yours growing up, and they have no idea that it's

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Speaker 2: even possible for them. So they got to connect with

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Speaker 2: that energy and be around people of a level of

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Speaker 2: success that they can see that it may be potentially

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Speaker 2: possible for them. There's multiple kinds of people on this journey,

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Speaker 2: but the person has to want it. They have to

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Speaker 2: want what comes with that. They have to know that

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Speaker 2: I'm going to have to do work to get here.

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Speaker 2: That's why I think about every individual on this planet

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Speaker 2: has this thing within them that I call hidden ability.

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Speaker 2: We happen to call it generally potential. What does it

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Speaker 2: take to realize potential work productivity following some kind of vision.

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Speaker 2: You know, you can be following the formula of someone

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Speaker 2: else and seeing what they did, or it may be

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Speaker 2: something brand new. And what I really connect to and

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Speaker 2: the people that really connect to me is those who

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Speaker 2: recognize that they want it for themselves. They want to

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Speaker 2: change their lives, they want to change their family lives,

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Speaker 2: and they're willing to do whatever's necessary to do it.

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Speaker 2: So those are really the people that connect with me

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Speaker 2: and are able to be inspired and take those next

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Speaker 2: steps for themselves.

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Speaker 1: Given your views towards self help, the work ethic being positive.

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Speaker 1: When you were first aware of politics, which party did

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Speaker 1: you identify with and why?

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Speaker 2: Well, when I was first aware of politics, I identified

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Speaker 2: with the Democratic Party because that was all that was

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Speaker 2: in my community. So they made Republicans a big boogeyman.

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Speaker 2: And if you're hearing the same things from your family,

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Speaker 2: your external family, the teachers, the adults in a room,

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Speaker 2: and you're a kid, what else are you supposed to believe?

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Speaker 2: And of course you don't have any Republicans around in

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Speaker 2: many of these inner cities to give a different vision

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Speaker 2: of what that looks like. And I recall as a

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Speaker 2: teenager at this point, I'm about eighteen years old or so.

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Speaker 2: I was having a conversation with an African American gentleman

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Speaker 2: on the corner and we were talking about politics, and

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Speaker 2: I mentioned a lot of untruths about the Republican Party,

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Speaker 2: some of the things that I heard in my community.

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Speaker 2: They're races, they don't care about poor people, black people, etc.

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Speaker 2: And this guy, who was a longtime Democrat, began to

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Speaker 2: challenge me on my point of view. And I've never

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Speaker 2: been challenged on my point of view when talking about Republicans,

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Speaker 2: especially in those kind of communities. So he said things

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Speaker 2: to me like, didn't you know the first Republicans in

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Speaker 2: Congress were black conservatives? No, never heard that before. Did

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Speaker 2: you know MLK was a Republican? No, never heard that before,

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Speaker 2: and a number of other things. So whenever I'm challenged,

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Speaker 2: I go research so I can have a stronger argument

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Speaker 2: for later. And when I went home to research and

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Speaker 2: I discovered the Republican Party was started in eighteen fifty

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Speaker 2: four in opposition to the Kansas Nebraska, which wanted to

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Speaker 2: expand slavery. I mean, I almost really just dropped to

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Speaker 2: the floor, like, wait, this can't be true, because no

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Speaker 2: one in my community has ever said anything like this.

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Speaker 2: And then I did further research and I began to

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Speaker 2: realize that I was a Republican. You know, these same

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Speaker 2: values and belief systems that republic can traditionally have, I

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Speaker 2: had them myself. And then I became depressed because I said, well,

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Speaker 2: how can I be like one of them? They said,

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Speaker 2: they're racist, they hate all these people, so how could

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Speaker 2: I be like them? So it took me probably about

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Speaker 2: a couple of months, maybe three months, as I went

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Speaker 2: through this state of depression because everything that I saw

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Speaker 2: began to make me realize more and more I am

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Speaker 2: a conservative. And then at that point, I said, well

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Speaker 2: forget it. I'm gonna go out and I'm just gonna,

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Speaker 2: you know, let my truth speak in. I'm gonna tell you.

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Speaker 2: When I told my family, they said, eh, you know,

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Speaker 2: you just want to be white, or basically, we don't

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Speaker 2: consider you to be family anymore since you're going in

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Speaker 2: this direction. And that's how Democrats often keep the black

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Speaker 2: community in this trap. We're gonna disown you, we're gonna

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Speaker 2: talk down on you. You're no longer welcome to the cookout

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Speaker 2: if you will, and it's been incredibly effective into the

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Speaker 2: migrant crisis hit in Chicago. Now things are shifting years

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Speaker 2: and honestly because of Donald Trump and his culture connection

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Speaker 2: to the community which he has had for many, many years.

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Speaker 2: I think things are beginning to shift and look quite differently,

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Speaker 2: not necessarily in the media, the left leaning media, but

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Speaker 2: internally in a black community. I believe things are shifting,

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Speaker 2: big shift.

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Speaker 1: I noticed that one of your first really active roles

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Speaker 1: as Republican was with the DuPage County Republicans in an

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Speaker 1: African American outreach program, and that you also had served

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Speaker 1: as director of government relations for Napierville Township. You've proved

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Speaker 1: you're a Republican because you've actually lobbied for the reduction

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Speaker 1: of the property tax rate for the whole township. There's

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Speaker 1: a great success story.

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Speaker 2: Yes, So I got involved in DuPage County Republicans after

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Speaker 2: reaching out to the Republican state Party chair on social

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Speaker 2: media and they connected me with them over there, which

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Speaker 2: is where I was living at that particular time. And

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Speaker 2: I'll tell you my role. I've had a number of

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Speaker 2: roles in the GOP. I was an elected precinct committeeman.

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Speaker 2: I was the political action chair for the DuPage County

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Speaker 2: young Republicans. I was active with the Chicago Republicans and

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Speaker 2: DuPage County is a very important county, if you will.

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Speaker 2: It was the second largest Republican county in the country,

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Speaker 2: second only the Orange County at the time. And you know,

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Speaker 2: like a lot of these counties have flipped, of course,

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Speaker 2: but these particular roles which helped me inform my perspective

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Speaker 2: even more about policy and how Republicans go out and

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Speaker 2: engage supporters, etc. And I thought that there was a

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Speaker 2: need for Republicans to really reach out to the black

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Speaker 2: community in the meaningful way. And I'll tell you no

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Speaker 2: one has done that like Donald Trump has, not a

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Speaker 2: single one. And I know if we look at the

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Speaker 2: polling right now, you'll see for this particular race twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty four, Donald Trump looks like he they may get

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Speaker 2: thirty percent of black men. Joe Biden's numbers are failing

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Speaker 2: with the black community day in and day out. People

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Speaker 2: are really upset with what's going on. But Donald Trump

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Speaker 2: knows how to be in this particular community and build bridges.

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Speaker 2: And it's my hope that you once he wins his

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Speaker 2: race for president, the Republicans will take close notes and

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Speaker 2: really build a bridge for black folks to join the party.

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Speaker 2: There's a lot of conservative black people there. They just

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Speaker 2: never call themselves Republicans, and they've never had Republicans go

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Speaker 2: out and outreach to them in a meaningful way. That

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Speaker 2: can shift with this election. New that can shift in

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Speaker 2: a very big way. And I'm gonna tell you the truth,

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Speaker 2: if it wasn't Donald Trump that was running, I'm not

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Speaker 2: sure that we would necessarily see what we're seeing now

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Speaker 2: in terms of the black support that he's gaining. So

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Speaker 2: Republicans should be looking at this very carefully because we

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Speaker 2: need to be able to maintain the party and be

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Speaker 2: able to dominate in future beyond Donald Trump's presidential run.

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Speaker 1: What are the characteristics of Trump do you think other

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Speaker 1: Republicans don't quite have?

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Speaker 2: I mean, just being willing to go out there. When

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Speaker 2: I was coming up in the party, folks didn't want

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Speaker 2: to do outreach to the black community because they were

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Speaker 2: scared of being called the races. That's really what it

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Speaker 2: came down to. They didn't want to say anything wrong,

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Speaker 2: so they just stuck with what they knew. But Donald

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Speaker 2: Trump said in twenty sixteen, I mean the schools are

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Speaker 2: in trouble, You got crime everywhere. What do you have

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Speaker 2: to lose? And it was such a true statement, even

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Speaker 2: though many folks on the left said, hey, and in

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Speaker 2: the media, well if we get you, we got a

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Speaker 2: lot to lose. Well, you got Joe Biden in office

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Speaker 2: right now, see what you're losing. In the state of Illinois.

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Speaker 2: You got three hundred million that's been spent on migrants

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Speaker 2: for twenty twenty four. They're putting us out another three

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Speaker 2: hundred million. If they get more that comes in, this

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Speaker 2: can quickly become a billion dollar issue. Meanwhile, you tell

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Speaker 2: black folks every election you have no resources to tackle

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Speaker 2: their issues. Sixty seven schools in the state of Illinois,

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Speaker 2: including schools that are in Chicago, kids can't do math

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Speaker 2: at proficient grade levels. Thirty eight schools in the state

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Speaker 2: of Illinois kids can't read a proficient Not one single

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Speaker 2: student in these schools can read at proficient grade levels.

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Speaker 2: That's a problem. They need resources to correct these issues,

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Speaker 2: but more importantly, they need leadership that actually cares about

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Speaker 2: them accomplishing it versus getting them dependent on the check

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Speaker 2: so they can vote for them every year.

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Speaker 1: Given your remarkable background, you then went on to develop

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Speaker 1: your own lobbying firm. How did that happen? And Caldwell

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Speaker 1: Strategic Consulting now is a freestanding company. How did you

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Speaker 1: get to that point?

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Speaker 2: Well, interestingly enough, Newt, I went out to DC on

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Speaker 2: a Mitt Romney campaign in twenty twelve. That's when I

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Speaker 2: left Chicago and I worked on Capitol Hill. But I

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Speaker 2: was a lobbyist before then, and I wanted to get

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Speaker 2: involved in the federal lobbying space. But at that time,

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Speaker 2: the Tea Party had took over Congress. Nothing was moving,

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Speaker 2: There was no legislation that was really moving. I would

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Speaker 2: meet with companies and they say, we love you, we

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Speaker 2: love your experience, and I mean, my gosh, they loved

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Speaker 2: the way I presented myself as well, but they say,

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Speaker 2: we can't hire anybody because nothing's really moving in Congress

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Speaker 2: right now. So what I ultimately had to decide is

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Speaker 2: do I go back to Chicago or do I go

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Speaker 2: and stand still and what I set out to do,

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Speaker 2: And at that point I couldn't go back. I can't fail.

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Speaker 2: I'm a big believer in what Thomas Edison has said.

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Speaker 2: I've not failed. I found ten thousand ways that didn't work.

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Speaker 2: I don't really believe in the concept of failure, because

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Speaker 2: I think you need to gain something from every perceived

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Speaker 2: failure that make you stronger for the next attempt out,

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Speaker 2: whatever that may look like, or it may be a

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Speaker 2: brand new path altogether that you didn't anticipate. So I

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Speaker 2: decided that I was going to start my own lobbying firm,

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Speaker 2: and I had met with many lobbyists before I made

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Speaker 2: the jump, just to get their advice, because I'm a

435
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,040
Speaker 2: big believer in mentorship and asking for advice. And most

436
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,440
Speaker 2: of the people I met with, probably about ninety percent

437
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,760
Speaker 2: of them told me, don't do it, you won't be successful.

438
00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,359
Speaker 2: One guy even was really upset. He's like, no one's

439
00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:21,000
Speaker 2: going to hire you, no one cares about your Illinois experience.

440
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,800
Speaker 2: But I ultimately went out and did it, and our

441
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,040
Speaker 2: first client was a community hospital on the South side

442
00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,520
Speaker 2: of Chicago, So it did work out. And I do

443
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 2: public affairs work, get with corporations, trade associations, et cetera,

444
00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,879
Speaker 2: and I've been very successful. I got hired by Fox News,

445
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,760
Speaker 2: a best selling author, and I do many, many, many

446
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,760
Speaker 2: other things. So I feel incredibly blessed, and more importantly,

447
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,440
Speaker 2: I feel incredibly blessed that I never stopped believing one

448
00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,160
Speaker 2: in God or two in myself.

449
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,520
Speaker 1: You mentioned Fox News, which is a fascinating story in himself.

450
00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,200
Speaker 1: Walk us through how you ended up with a relationship there.

451
00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,720
Speaker 2: Well, interestingly enough, a very dear friend of mine who

452
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,399
Speaker 2: I got to know as I started going on and

453
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,080
Speaker 2: doing hits on Fox. At that time, I would go

454
00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,000
Speaker 2: on CNN as a Republican strategist. I asked an interview

455
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 2: on Series XM because I was hosting Series XM for

456
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,879
Speaker 2: a host I was guest hosting, and then we met.

457
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,880
Speaker 2: I went to New York and this person that used

458
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,960
Speaker 2: to work over at Fox, she brought me in, literally

459
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,800
Speaker 2: brought me into the network, and she became a peer

460
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:31,119
Speaker 2: mentor to me. And I'm exceptionally thankful for that time.

461
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,160
Speaker 2: I really and truly am so that got me started

462
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,560
Speaker 2: at Fox News, and then it took on a life

463
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,280
Speaker 2: of his own doing appearances there, and one of the

464
00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,480
Speaker 2: hosts if the network decided that he was going to

465
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,840
Speaker 2: put my name before the CEO, and that's how the

466
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,480
Speaker 2: how it really began. But it was a year and

467
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,800
Speaker 2: a half before I was hired, which is a pretty

468
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,120
Speaker 2: fast process for somebody who didn't have a big name,

469
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,320
Speaker 2: and I'm incredibly thankful to be able to go on

470
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,480
Speaker 2: to the number one platform in a country, in cable

471
00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 2: and give my perspective on what's going on in the country.

472
00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,160
Speaker 2: I'm thankful. I'm thankful for people like my mentor Sean Hannity,

473
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 2: who's a very dear friend I know to you as well,

474
00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,399
Speaker 2: who will call and text me and just hey, and

475
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaker 2: this is how I think you should handle this, or

476
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,400
Speaker 2: this is what I think you need to do here.

477
00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 2: It's really amazing to know that a kid from the

478
00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,960
Speaker 2: South Side of Chicago who grew up in poverty with

479
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,199
Speaker 2: a mamadta de crek cocaine and she's now recovered for

480
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 2: those who are listening. But to have that kind of

481
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 2: story and have made these kind of strades is really

482
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,080
Speaker 2: something out of a story book. If people really knew

483
00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:37,919
Speaker 2: my story and we want to do a movie after it,

484
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,480
Speaker 2: people wouldn't believe it because it's just been too many

485
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,720
Speaker 2: things that have happened for it to be real.

486
00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:47,400
Speaker 1: You know, somebody may hear this podcast and this side

487
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,359
Speaker 1: the only thing. I'm gonna call him and see if

488
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,720
Speaker 1: we can't do the general called Well story, which would

489
00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:57,439
Speaker 1: be a very interesting movie. Absolutely you testified about welfare reform.

490
00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:02,119
Speaker 1: You make a very important distinction about two types of

491
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 1: people who get welfare. Could you expand on.

492
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,760
Speaker 2: That, Yes, there's two types of people that I believe

493
00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,320
Speaker 2: join the system. It's those who do it to get

494
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,000
Speaker 2: back on their feet. They don't have a choice, They

495
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,400
Speaker 2: only want to do it temporarily. Matter of fact, many

496
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,000
Speaker 2: people will gudgeonally do it because they really don't want

497
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,119
Speaker 2: to be a part of any government assistance. They believe

498
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,879
Speaker 2: in themselves, they're independent, they're accountable, but they have to

499
00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:29,720
Speaker 2: do it because they're trying to provide for them families

500
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,959
Speaker 2: while they're getting back on their feet. Then you got

501
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,720
Speaker 2: people who get on the system and they're trying to

502
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 2: get every program that they can and they want to

503
00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,320
Speaker 2: manipulate it to stay on as long as they possibly can.

504
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,120
Speaker 2: And sometimes they don't even have a real need. They

505
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,399
Speaker 2: just want free money. They want free government money. And

506
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,639
Speaker 2: those people, honestly, they should be ashamed of themselves. If

507
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,880
Speaker 2: you're able body, you're able to work, and you really

508
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,560
Speaker 2: don't have a need for you're just doing it because

509
00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,479
Speaker 2: you want to be lazy and sit at home and

510
00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 2: watch television. That's why it's so important that there's legislative

511
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,840
Speaker 2: measures in place to ensure those who need the help

512
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,159
Speaker 2: can get it, and it's temporary unless they're disabled and

513
00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 2: they can't work, and those who want to manipulate the system,

514
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,240
Speaker 2: they can be quickly bounced off. I think those are

515
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,800
Speaker 2: important features for any legislative vehicle that may be used

516
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,600
Speaker 2: to advance welfare reform. There's a lot of families out

517
00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,760
Speaker 2: there in need, and Biden has made sure that with

518
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,920
Speaker 2: Biden Economics, you know, he's made sure that for many

519
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:31,639
Speaker 2: of the folks who they may have voted for him

520
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 2: thinking their lives are going to be better and find

521
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,600
Speaker 2: out that they're far worse. Poor people are really really

522
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,760
Speaker 2: been betrayed by Joe Biden because they're losing money left

523
00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:42,520
Speaker 2: and right. And then you see the credit card debt

524
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 2: that we have now over a trillion dollars, where people

525
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 2: are trying to maintain their living putting everything on a

526
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,880
Speaker 2: credit card. We're in a sad state of affairs in America,

527
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 2: and Joe Biden is the cause for it. Remember, build back.

528
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,720
Speaker 1: Better right didn't quite work out that way.

529
00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,320
Speaker 2: It's not been built, and it is worse.

530
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,160
Speaker 1: I know it's personal, and I know it's painful, But

531
00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,240
Speaker 1: can you share with us your brother's murderer and your

532
00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 1: reaction to it and what you think the rest of

533
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,360
Speaker 1: us should take from that terrible experience.

534
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,920
Speaker 2: But thank you for asking me that question, nude. On

535
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 2: June twenty fourth, twenty twenty two, my baby brother, Christian

536
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,840
Speaker 2: was murdered on the South Side of Chicago, literally standing

537
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,240
Speaker 2: outside of a venue on a Friday morning. Multiple people shot.

538
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 2: He wasn't the target. The person that was the target

539
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,200
Speaker 2: ended up living, and they shot a young lady as well.

540
00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 2: They both lived. Innocent baby brother, Christian, he died and

541
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,560
Speaker 2: since then there's been a real fight for justice for him.

542
00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,520
Speaker 2: One trying to work with the Chicago Police was completely overwhelmed.

543
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 2: They need two thousand officers to handle the current murder

544
00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,520
Speaker 2: case load, and they first it seemed like a blowoff,

545
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:10,360
Speaker 2: and when I talked to them, oh, we got a

546
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,280
Speaker 2: lot of other cases. We really can't focus on it.

547
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,840
Speaker 2: Until they found out who I was on television and

548
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,920
Speaker 2: then things seemed like it was going to move in

549
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,440
Speaker 2: a positive direction. But there's been so many things that

550
00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:25,640
Speaker 2: have happened in between. Whereas the Chicago Police hadn't been

551
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:31,080
Speaker 2: able to really solve this tragedy. So after a certain

552
00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:35,480
Speaker 2: period of time, I decided that I needed to try

553
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,960
Speaker 2: to enlist the FBI to get involved, and I after

554
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,640
Speaker 2: a trip to Chicago for Fox News, I went out

555
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 2: and I did a story. I decided that I was

556
00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:47,520
Speaker 2: going to reach out to Burgess ownings, which I text

557
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,400
Speaker 2: Congressman burg his ownings. I text them, and at that

558
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,360
Speaker 2: time he sat on the Judiciary Committee, and I told him,

559
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 2: I said, look, I want to get a bipartisan letter

560
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,160
Speaker 2: together to ask the FBI to come take over this case.

561
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,040
Speaker 2: And during that time I had no idea that the

562
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:08,560
Speaker 2: FBI had arrested or rather had been involved, not necessarily

563
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,800
Speaker 2: due to my brother, but a guy who had the

564
00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,400
Speaker 2: murder weapon on him was arrested and the month later

565
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,960
Speaker 2: the FBI got involved with him for some other things

566
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 2: that he had going on. So I reached out to

567
00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,400
Speaker 2: the FBI by calling them. My head. Current FBI agents

568
00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,479
Speaker 2: called the Chicago field office. I couldn't get a return

569
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,840
Speaker 2: call at all, and then it wasn't into The FBI

570
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,320
Speaker 2: director appeared before Congress and there was a member who

571
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:36,840
Speaker 2: was going to ask a question about my brother, but

572
00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,920
Speaker 2: it didn't happen because of a back and forth. It

573
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,959
Speaker 2: wasn't until three committee chairmen put in letters for the

574
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:47,680
Speaker 2: record requesting information about my brother's case that the murder

575
00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 2: investigation did. I get a call back from the Special

576
00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:52,800
Speaker 2: Agent in charge of the Chicago Field Office. So I've

577
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,240
Speaker 2: been working with him on a monthly basis. We do

578
00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,120
Speaker 2: calls to figure out what's going on, have they charged

579
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,280
Speaker 2: anybody new and you know, what's the status of the case.

580
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,360
Speaker 2: In addition to that, because of what happened, I've been

581
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,600
Speaker 2: utilizing the Fox resources. Thankful for our CEOs who's a

582
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,080
Speaker 2: Scott Who's allowed me to go out and interview family

583
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,200
Speaker 2: members who are victims of violent crime. I've been able

584
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,000
Speaker 2: to raise money for those families and really be able

585
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,480
Speaker 2: to pay it forward. And now Nude, I'm launching something

586
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,360
Speaker 2: new here. I can't give too many details at this time,

587
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,200
Speaker 2: but I'm going to be the answer to George Soros.

588
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,000
Speaker 2: And that's what this really comes down to. The progressive

589
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,000
Speaker 2: prosecutors that he's been funding, city council members, mayors and

590
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,720
Speaker 2: even beyond, allowing the country to really go into what

591
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,160
Speaker 2: many would consider to be a hellhole where soft on

592
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:50,680
Speaker 2: crime prosecutors rule the day and victims are victimized day

593
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,240
Speaker 2: in and day out, and the people who commit the crimes,

594
00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,640
Speaker 2: they get out the same day and pretended it didn't

595
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,240
Speaker 2: happen and go out and victimize someone else. This needs

596
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:01,400
Speaker 2: to come to an end, and there needs to be

597
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,200
Speaker 2: a voice that can speak to this issue in a

598
00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:06,640
Speaker 2: very personal way, and I intend to be that voice.

599
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,720
Speaker 2: I have done it already, but in a bigger way.

600
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 2: Is what I'm working on right now, and I love

601
00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,480
Speaker 2: to have your help in that fight. As we're preparing

602
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,080
Speaker 2: to launch that fight.

603
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:17,560
Speaker 1: Listen, I commend you for doing it. I'll do all

604
00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,560
Speaker 1: I can to help, and I can tell you that

605
00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,160
Speaker 1: the only way we're going to stop the current wave

606
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,560
Speaker 1: of violent crime is to have citizens stand up and

607
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,760
Speaker 1: do things like you're doing, and then, frankly, in the

608
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,720
Speaker 1: case of Chicago and elsewhere, hire enough policemen that you

609
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,840
Speaker 1: rebalance the system and get prosecutors who will lock up

610
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,840
Speaker 1: violent criminals. And it's not complicated. It's just that the

611
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,960
Speaker 1: left hates it and they don't want to do it,

612
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,760
Speaker 1: even though we absolutely know what works and we absolutely

613
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,320
Speaker 1: know how to save an amazing number of lives. So

614
00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,520
Speaker 1: I commend you once again as a citizen. You're showing

615
00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,160
Speaker 1: real leadership. My heart goes out to you for the

616
00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,920
Speaker 1: loss of your brother, and I think everybody who's listening

617
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:02,200
Speaker 1: would agree that that's a porful situation, a difficult situation,

618
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,160
Speaker 1: but as usual, you're taking it and turning it into

619
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,560
Speaker 1: an opportunity to lead and an opportunity to heal and

620
00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,840
Speaker 1: potentially an opportunity to change Chicago for the better. So

621
00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,080
Speaker 1: we'll do all we can to be helpful.

622
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,400
Speaker 2: I really appreciate that. And if anyone has a story

623
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,799
Speaker 2: that they may need highlighted about a family member or

624
00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,840
Speaker 2: just want to be supported, please follow me on social

625
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:30,400
Speaker 2: media at Giano Caldwell GIA n O Caldwell c A

626
00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:35,120
Speaker 2: L D W E L L and that's on Instagram, Twitter,

627
00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:38,640
Speaker 2: and Facebook. And I really appreciate your support, your wisdom.

628
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,840
Speaker 2: You're one of the best there is new beyond thankful

629
00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:42,160
Speaker 2: for that.

630
00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:45,440
Speaker 1: I'm delighted that you are as much of a public

631
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 1: citizen as you are. And I want to thank you

632
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:52,239
Speaker 1: for joining me and sharing your personal story and your

633
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,720
Speaker 1: recent testimony about welfare reform. And I want to encourage

634
00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,360
Speaker 1: our listeners to pick up a copy of your book,

635
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,279
Speaker 1: Taken for Granted, How Conservatism Can Win Back the Americans

636
00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:06,759
Speaker 1: that Liberalism Failed, which is available on Amazon and in

637
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:11,120
Speaker 1: bookstores everywhere, and they can watch you regularly on Fox News.

638
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,839
Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest Jiana Caldwell. You can get

639
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,160
Speaker 1: a link to buy his book Taken for Granted, How

640
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:24,600
Speaker 1: Conservatism Can Win Back the Americans that Liberalism Failed on

641
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:28,200
Speaker 1: our show page at newsworld dot com. Newtorld is produced

642
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:32,040
Speaker 1: by Gangwish three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is

643
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:36,160
Speaker 1: Guarnsey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for

644
00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:40,080
Speaker 1: the show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to

645
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:43,360
Speaker 1: the team at Ginglishtree sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld,

646
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,279
Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts and both rate

647
00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,319
Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so

648
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,720
Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners

649
00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,280
Speaker 1: of newts World can sign up for my three free

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00:35:55,520 --> 00:36:00,239
Speaker 1: weekly columns at gingwistre sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm

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Speaker 1: new Gingrich.

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Speaker 2: This is neutral