Breaking Battlegrounds

In this week's episode of we kick off with a dynamic duo. Join us as we sit down with Kimberley Strassel from The Wall Street Journal and Ross Douthat from The New York Times. Together, they'll provide unique insights into the ever-evolving landscape of media, as well as, share their perspectives on the Republican Party, Joe Biden and more. Later in the show, Chuck and Sam take the microphone to delve into some pressing current news, including VP Kamala Harris, Larry Sinclair's appearance on Tucker Carlson and New York's migrant "crisis." In a brand-new segment, we introduce "Kiley's Corner," hosted by the irrepressible Kiley Kipper. Kiley delves into current news stories, offering her unique perspective on the headlines. This week, she takes a deep dive into the Ruby Franke case, a shocking incident involving a Utah mother and YouTuber from "8 Passengers." Join Kiley as she unravels the story and discusses its implications, all from her corner of the studio. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Kimberley Strassel is a member of the editorial board for The Wall Street Journal. She writes editorials, as well as the weekly Potomac Watch political column, from her base in Alaska. Ms. Strassel joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994, working in the news department of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels, and then in London. She moved to New York in 1999 and soon thereafter joined the Journal's editorial page, working as a features editor, and then as an editorial writer. She assumed her current position in 2005. Ms. Strassel, a 2014 Bradley Prize recipient, is a regular contributor to Sunday political shows, including CBS's "Face the Nation," Fox News Sunday, and NBC's "Meet the Press." She is the author of "The Intimidation Game: How the Left Is Silencing Free Speech," which chronicles recent attacks on conservative nonprofits, businesses and donors. An Oregon native, Ms. Strassel earned a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University. She lives in Alaska with her three children. - Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in April 2009. His column appears every Tuesday and Sunday. He is also a host on the weekly Opinion podcast "Matter of Opinion." Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger on its website. He is the author of "The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery," which was published in October 2021. His other books include "To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism," published in 2018; "Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics" (2012); "Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class" (2005); "The Decadent Society" (2020); and, with Reihan Salam, "Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream" (2008). He is the film critic for National Review. He lives with his wife and four children in New Haven, Conn. - Sam Stone: Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Sam Stone and Chuck Warren. First up today, folks, we have to apologize a little bit. We had two longer interviews that were supposed to frame this show with Ross Douthat. Douthat of The New York Times. I'm so bad at last names, folks. My apologies there. And Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal. Chuck interviewed both of them last night at an event here in Arizona was fantastic. We were going to open and close the interview with that. We had a technical difficulty in the last half of each interview basically got wiped out by the electronic gods. Chuck. And so we're kind of scrambling a little bit. We pasted the two of them together. You're going to hear them in this segment. And then we're going to continue on with just Chuck and I talking about some of the issues of the day and some about this. Chuck Warren: Yeah, the event last night was Center for American Institutions of ASU. And the the whole the whole point was to have them in a forum. And they're about the responsibilities of the media and the age of polarization. The one thing Ross said that was really interesting to me is it conservatives really want to go and change the media. They need to start getting some conservative foundations that start financing journalism, that start buying some papers and making them nonprofits. Sam Stone: This is what you and I have talked about forever. Chuck Warren: And he was very specific about it last night, saying you've got to be serious about it. And you and I talked about this, about the Koch brothers, how much difference they would have made if they had gone by 5 or 6 major daily newspapers. And so he brought that up. I was it was I was like listening to you and I talk. I found that very interesting. And then Kimberly was wonderful. She st

In this episode, we've lined up a trio of compelling guests to keep you informed. First, Congressman Russell Fry, representing South Carolina's 7th District, joins us to discuss critical topics, including the border crisis, Hurricane Idalia's impact on his district, and his bipartisan bill, the Fentanyl Crisis Research and Evaluation Act. Plus, we'll explore the latest developments in the Biden family investigations. Then, we'll shift our focus to New York's 3rd Congressional District with congressional candidate Kellen Curry where he discusses his bid to unseat incumbent George Santos. Lastly, friend of the show, Henry Olsen, a Washington Post columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, will provide insights into the ever-evolving political landscape, including his recent analysis of Trump. _ Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Congressman Russell Fry is proud to serve the Grand Strand and Pee Dee as their Representative for South Carolina's Seventh Congressional District.Russell is a true believer in the American Dream. Growing up he watched his parents work hard for every penny they earned, and since then Russell has been doing the same. He put himself through his undergraduate education at the University of South Carolina and law school at the Charleston School of Law, where he served as president of the Student Bar Association, helped the school achieve its American Bar Association accreditation, and also received the prestigious Civility Award. After this, he practiced law along the Grand Strand for over a decade.As an Eagle Scout, Russell shares the sentiment that "you should leave your campsite better than you found it." Every day he strives towards a goal that "we should leave our country better than we found it." Growing up, he saw first-hand how government's actions directly affect families living paycheck to paycheck, and he is committed to fighting for those who don't always have a voice.Russell is a public servant and active member of his community. Prior to this role, he represented State House District 106 (Horry County) in South Carolina's General Assembly for seven years. He served as Chief Majority Whip, where he fought for lower taxes, less government, pro-Second Amendment legislation, and pro-life legislation. Russell also chaired the House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee, which resulted in 18 policy initiatives being signed into law and record funding for opioid prevention, education, and treatment.Russell is a loving husband to his wife, Bronwen, and dedicated father to their son, James. The family lives in Murrells Inlet with their chocolate lab, Jasper. - Kellen Curry As a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy Kellen spent eight years on active duty delivering critical cyber security technology for our country's military and completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. After completing his Master of Business Administration degree at George Washington University, Kellen went on to work at J.P. Morgan's Corporate and Investment Banking Division in New York City. Kellen believes his extensive experience working in national security and in our national economy will serve him well in his bid for Congress. Kellen continues to serve our nation in the Air Force Reserves and is a student at Columbia University pursuing a Master of Science in Sports Management where he also volunteers with Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit organization which strives to create a positive youth sports environment in communities across the country.In his campaign, Kellen will be focusing on core issues including national defense in the face of rising global threats, economic insecurity due to persistently high inflation, increasing affordability on Long Island and raising the accountability bar in D.C. through ethics reforms.He will also be working to achieve what he calls 'the gold standard of constituency services' which has been absent but is critical to improving the lives of NY-3 residents. - Henry Olsen is a Washington Post columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was the Thomas W. Smith distinguished scholar in residence at Arizona State University for the winter/spring 2023 semester. Olsen began his career as a political consultant at the California firm of Hoffenblum-Mollrich. After three years working for the California Assembly Republican Caucus, he returned to school to become a lawyer. Following law school he clerked for the Honorable Danny J. Boggs on the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and as an associate in the Philadelphia office of Dechert, Price & Rhoads. He then joined the think tank world where he spent the next eighteen years as an executive at a variety of institutions, serving as the Preside

Join hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone this week on Breaking Battlegrounds for a dynamic lineup of discussions. Our first guest, Governor Joe Lombardo, gives an exclusive update on his journey as Nevada's Governor and shares his perspective on the state's progress and his vision for the road ahead. Later in the show, we shift gears to explore the complex world of technology with David Sinclair. Sinclair delves into the intricacies of data gathering and behavioral manipulation by tech giants. Gain a deeper understanding of how these companies collect and leverage user data. Concluding the episode, Rachel Walden, Mesa Public Schools Governing Board Member, brings a crucial dialogue on school safety to the forefront. Gain insight into the latest agreement in Mesa, AZ, where a significant step has been taken to enhance student safety. Every junior high and high school campus now benefits from the presence of school safety resource officers, fostering a secure learning environment. _ Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Governor Joe Lombardo Born in Japan in a military family, Governor Joe Lombardo spent his childhood growing up across the world, until his father was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base and his family put down roots in Las Vegas. Governor Lombardo attended Rancho High School in North Las Vegas, before going on to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree. After graduating, he served in the United States Army and in the Nevada National Guard. Following his military service, Governor Lombardo joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), where he quickly rose through the ranks and served on nearly every level of LVMPD, from detective to assistant sheriff. While serving at LVMPD, Governor Lombardo earned his Master of Science in Crisis Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2006. After 26 years on the force, Governor Lombardo was elected as Sheriff of Clark County in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. As the sheriff of Nevada's largest county, he oversaw a $1.3 billion dollar budget, 6,000 employees, and LVMPD's efforts to protect millions of Clark County residents and visitors each day. Governor Lombardo was elected as the 31st Governor of Nevada in November 2022 and sworn into office in January 2023. Governor Lombardo is focused on diversifying and revitalizing Nevada's economy, restoring law and order in communities across the state, and bringing excellence, school choice, and accountability to Nevada's education system. More important to him than anything, Governor Lombardo is a devoted husband to First Lady Donna Lombardo, a dedicated father to his daughter Morgan, stepdaughter Lacey, stepson Jackson, and a grandfather to his 1-year-old grandson Teddy - David Sinclair is the founder and CEO of 4FreedomMobile. A secure mobile service platform that provides secure, unlimited talk, text and high-speed data worldwide, while preventing tech companies, network operators, and others from tracking users' location, identity, communications, internet activity, payments, and more. - Rachel Walden is a member of the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board, the largest school district in the state. As a Governing member she has prioritized academic achievement, parental rights, fiscal responsibility, and transparency. TRANSCRIPTION Chuck Warren We met with Governor Joe Lombardo today. He is the governor, the 20th most popular governor in the United States. How does it feel to be in the top 20? Gov Joe Lombardo Was it 20 or 27? 20th? Chuck Warren 20th, 57% approval, 20th. Most popular. You should. It feels. Gov Joe Lombardo Good. I just don't know how comprehensive the poll is. Right. I mean, but it's good that in the short tenure seven months. Right. That people the word is getting out. What we're trying to achieve here in the state of Nevada and what we're trying to achieve for the conservative side of the Republican Party and and the decisions we're making along the way and how we're competing with the state legislature that's in the verge of a supermajority. And and and yet we're still getting work done. So I think people recognize that. Chuck Warren That's fantastic. I flew out from Milwaukee this morning and I was talking to a gentleman doing my shoeshine, and he said, I said, Who is your favorite politician? Because he knew that there were RNC meetings there. Where were you at? Milwaukee. Gov Joe Lombardo You were in the airport in Milwaukee. Okay. Chuck Warren And I said, Who's your favorite politician? Because he was asking a lot of political questions. And he said, Tommy Thompson. And I said, Why is that? He goes, I could just trust him. And it seems like something we're facing now as people don't trust their elected officia

Welcome back to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds. First up is Orlando Sonza, a U.S. Army Veteran and dedicated Ohioan running in Ohio's First Congressional District. Raised in New Jersey and a West Point graduate, Orlando's journey is a testament to his diverse background and commitment to service. Our second guest is Jason Willick, an Opinion columnist at The Washington Post where he primarily writes about legal matters, political ideas, and foreign affairs. In this episode, he delves into the timely topic of Hunter Biden and the Trump indictments. Don't miss this engaging conversation that brings thought-provoking insights and expert analysis to the forefront. _ Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Orlando Sonza is a proud Ohioan. A second generation Filipino American, Orlando was raised in New Jersey and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. While there he met his wife, Jessica, a Mexican/Filipino American, fellow Academy classmate, and Cincinnati native. Orlando graduated top ten in his class at West Point where he majored in political science and minored in systems engineering. Upon graduation, he and Jessica both commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Orlando served on active duty as an Infantry Officer and Finance Officer with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Jason Willick writes a regular Washington Post column on legal issues, political ideas and foreign affairs. Before coming to The Post in 2022, he was an editorial writer and assistant editorial features editor for the Wall Street Journal, and before that a staff writer and associate editor at the American Interest. - Transcription Sam Stone: Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Sam Stone, Chuck Warren out of the studio for the moment. He will be joining us, we hope, within a few minutes. But we wanted to get rolling with our first guest today, frankly, because he has an amazing background. I'm really looking forward to chatting with Orlando, Sonza, candidate for Ohio's first congressional district and proud Ohioan, second generation Filipino American, raised in New Jersey, attended West Point, graduated top ten in his class, majoring in science, majored in political science, minored in systems engineering. So folks, this guy is no dummy. That is for sure. Orlando, Sonza, welcome to the program. Orlando Sonza: Sam, Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Great to be here. Sam Stone: So what made you decide to go to West Point or to try to go that route? Orlando Sonza: Yeah. You know, I always knew, I think early on in my life that I wanted to join the army. I mean, call it whether it was playing Army men as I was a little kid or that. Sam Stone: Now are we talking about the little green plastic guys or did you have the metal ones? That's right. Orlando Sonza: Oh, no, no. It's definitely the little green guys, you know, kicking it back old school, too. Toy Story one, you know, to to those guys. But no, there was a fateful trip that my family and I took. I remember distinctly when I was in eighth grade, of course, growing up in New Jersey, I was just an hour away from Bear Mountain, West Point country. And so we went up there and I saw the cadets in uniform. I saw them marching. I looked out over the Hudson River and I was like, this is the place where I'm going to, this is where I'm going to. And so I made it my commitment. And, you know, I was involved with Junior ROTC in high school, and that kind of just charted the path. And that's how I ended up at the at the academy now. Sam Stone: So because a lot of us out here are dummies, what exactly is systems engineering? Orlando Sonza: So systems engineering, you know, is another name for it is industrial engineering. At at West Point every cadet had to minor in an engineering, whether it was nuclear engineering, mechanical, electrical. I didn't know that love kind of. Yeah, yeah. So I really gravitated towards problem solving. And really that's all systems engineering. Industrial engineering is it's how do you solve complex problems, whether it's in business or in manufacturing. And so that's what I chose, not just me, but actually my wife. I don't know if you knew this, Sam, but. Sam Stone: Folks. Sorry about that. We had a very short technical glitch. We are continuing on with candidate or Lanzo Sansa running for Ohio's first Congressional District, Orlando. When we rudely technologically disconnected you there briefly, you were telling us your wife also, I think, actually went to West Point. So this is an amazing family. Orlando Sonza: Yeah, that's right. I mean, look, public service and servant leadership that's in our blood. I mean, that's in the signs of blood, whether it's it's me and my story

Welcome back to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds that tackles a range of pressing topics. Our first guest, Arizona Representative Matt Gress, candidly shares his concerns about the homeless hotel conversion in Scottsdale. Join us as we dissect the intricacies of this issue and its potential implications. Representative Gress also provides insights into President Biden's recent visit to Arizona and his pivotal role in the ADE's School Safety Taskforce. Shifting gears, we sit down with Tim Chapman, Senior Advisor of Advancing American Freedom. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of conservative trends and the impactful initiatives spearheaded by AAF. Concluding our episode, we engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with Dr. Owen Anderson, a distinguished professor at ASU specializing in philosophy, religious studies, and theology. Building on our ongoing exploration, Dr. Anderson provides fresh insights into the nuanced landscape of free speech on ASU's campus. _ Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Representative Matt Gress Matt Gress represents Arizona's 4th Legislative District. Matt Gress is a former public school teacher, school board member and an active member of the local community. He is passionate about public service and solving problems. As our state representative, Matt will work with both sides – Republicans and Democrats – to find solutions to issues such as reducing the cost of living, increasing teacher pay, reducing crime and addressing Arizona's water crisis. Matt is endorsed by some of our community's most respected organizations: Arizona State Troopers, the Arizona Police Association, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the Professional Firefighters of Arizona, the Arizona Nurses Association, the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. Like many, Matt came here from somewhere else — small town Oklahoma. The youngest of four, he was raised by a single mom in a single-wide trailer. Growing up, Matt's family didn't have much, but that never stopped them from dreaming big. Matt learned the value of hard work, to respect his elders and to count his blessings. Matt worked his way through college driving school buses, and became the first in his family to earn a degree. While attending the University of Oklahoma, Matt was selected for the distinguished Harry S. Truman Scholarship — awarded to only one college student in each state who possesses leadership potential and a call to public service. After graduating, Matt was accepted to join Teach for America, a national teaching corps focused on serving in high-need, high-poverty schools. Matt taught high school English. From 2017 to 2021, Matt served as a Governing Board Member in the Madison Elementary School District. While on the board, Matt fought to keep schools open during COVID-19, supported increased school choice and advocated for parents and taxpayers to have a seat at the table in curriculum, hiring decisions and budgeting, including expensive procurement contracts. Matt is a budget hawk. He holds a Masters in Public Administration, with a focus on state and local government finance and public management, from Syracuse University. Here in Arizona, Matt has served as a faculty associate at Arizona State University and as a budget analyst at the Arizona State Capitol, learning exactly where our tax dollars go. Currently, he serves as the state's top budget chief in the Arizona Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting. There, he has authored budgets directing billions of new dollars towards K-12 education and teachers. Matt also has experience in energy, water and technology policy, previously serving as an advisor at the Arizona Corporation Commission, where he worked on issues related to expanding broadband, lowering energy rates, reducing regulations on small businesses, and enhancing the stability of our power grid. Matt, along with his partner Daniel, is proud to call Arizona and District 4 his home. He's an avid volunteer in the community, and plans to focus in the Legislature on solutions that can bring both sides together. Matt is a proud Rotarian and past president of the Phoenix-Arcadia Rotary Club, a Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow, a former board member of the Madison Education Foundation, and previously served as a commissioner on the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission. Tim ChapmanTim Chapman is a Senior Advisor at Advancing American Freedom (AAF), a public policy advocacy organization founded by Vice President Mike Pence. He is also a Principal at P2 Public Affairs where he works with clients to build national campaigns to inf

Join us this week as we delve into crucial conversations and heartwarming nostalgia. In this episode, our first guest, Congressman Darrell Issa, opens up about his dedicated efforts in supporting the 13 Gold Star families who have been profoundly impacted by the unfortunate fallout of the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Through insightful dialogue, we uncover the dedication and resilience required to address these critical issues. Shifting gears, we invite you to a captivating trip down memory lane. We're thrilled to be joined by the charismatic cast of 'The Sandlot,' coming together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this beloved classic. Chauncey Leopardi (Squints), Marty York (Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan) and Victor DiMattia (Timmy Timmons) join us as they share their treasured experiences, behind-the-scenes stories, and the enduring magic that has made 'The Sandlot' a timeless masterpiece. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Congressman Darrell Issa represents the people of California's 48th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The 48th District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Bonsall, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Poway, Lakeside, Alpine, Temecula, Murrieta and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Originally from Ohio, Issa enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was a senior in high school. Through his military service, he received an ROTC scholarship and graduated with a degree in business from Sienna Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Upon graduation, Issa was commissioned as an Army officer, and ultimately obtained the rank of captain. He completed his active-duty military service in 1980 and turned his interests to the private sector. At the height of his career in business, Issa served as CEO of a California-based electronics company that he founded and built in the mid-1990s, which became the nation's largest manufacturer of vehicle anti-theft and auto security devices. In 1994, Issa was named Entrepreneur of the Year. Issa also served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, an organization of 2000 companies within the consumer technology industry. Issa is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. From 2011-2015, he was the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and previously served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Small Business Committee. As a congressman and leader at California's grassroots level, Issa has championed smart, limited government and advanced legislation to balance the federal budget and promote transparency to hold government accountable to the people. A holder of 37 patents, Issa has been vigilant about protecting intellectual property rights. His successful efforts to fight human trafficking along the U.S. border have resulted in tougher laws, stiffer penalties, and more consistent enforcement. His watchful concern to guarantee that U.S. taxpayers receive the royalties they are owed from mineral interests on federal lands exposed fraud and mismanagement at the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in 2006. In 2008, when Congress was asked to pass the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in the wake of that year's financial crisis, Issa stood by his experience starting and growing successful businesses, opposed giving a blank-check bailout to Wall Street, and voted against all government bailouts. - The Sandlot Cast: Chauncey Leopardi is an American actor known for playing Michael "Squints" Palledorous in the 1993 film The Sandlot and Alan White in the 1999 series Freaks and Geeks. Marty York is an actor, known for playing Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan in The Sandlot (1993). He is also known for Boy Meets World (1993) and Due Justice. Victor DiMattia is an actor and director, known for The Sandlot (1993), Cool as Ice (1991) and Dennis the Menace (1987). About The Sandlot: When Scottie Smalls (Thomas Guiry) moves to a new neighborhood, he manages to make friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures. The boys run into trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad that gets hit over a fence. - Transcription Chuck Warren: Welcome to Breaking Battlegrounds. I'm your host, Chuck Warren with my co-host, Sam Stone. On this segment, we have Congressman Darrell Issa. He represents California's 48th Congressional District, which encompasses central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County. He is also a senior member on the House Jud

Welcome back to Breaking Battlegrounds, the podcast that fearlessly tackles the most divisive issues gripping our nation today. In this riveting episode, we are thrilled to host two guests whose expertise and perspectives promise to ignite thoughtful discussions. Congressman Andy Harris joins us first, shedding light on critical matters such as legal immigration and the urgent need for enforcing our border laws. He also delves into the world of IRS whistleblowers and Secretary Mayorkas, providing keen insights into these complex topics. With a unique background as a medical practitioner in Congress during the COVID pandemic, Congressman Harris discusses the federal government's handling of COVID. Later, the show takes an intense turn as Professor Brooks Simpson engages in a fiery debate with Sam Stone and Michelle Ugenti-Rita, exploring the state of Free Speech at Arizona State and Barrett College. Get ready for a gripping episode filled with candid conversations that will challenge your perspectives and broaden your understanding. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds The son of immigrants who fled communist Eastern Europe immediately after World War II, Dr. Andy Harris was as a physician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a medical officer in the Naval Reserve, and a state senator before coming to Congress. Born in Brooklyn in 1957, he studied medicine at Hopkins, where he continued to practice as an anesthesiologist for nearly three decades. Andy specialized in obstetric anesthesiology. In 1988, Andy answered a recruitment call to fill a critical need for anesthesiologists in the Naval Reserve during the Reagan administration. He went on to establish and command The Johns Hopkins Medical Naval Reserve Unit. In 1990, his unit was called up to active duty in order to assist with Operation Desert Shield (and later Operation Desert Storm) at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Harris attained the rank of Commander (O-5) before leaving the Reserves after seventeen years. Unhappy with the status quo in Annapolis, Andy decided to take on the establishment and run for the Maryland State Senate in 1998, where he served for 12 years. Maryland's First Congressional District first elected Andy to serve in the House of Representatives in 2010. He is the is the current Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies subcommittee on Appropriations. He also serves on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies subcommittee as well as the Homeland Security subcommittee on Appropriations. Andy was married to his late wife, Cookie, for over 33 years, and he is the proud father of five children, stepfather of one, and grandfather to ten. Andy lives with his wife, Nicole, and their dog in Dorchester County. In his free time, he enjoys spending time on the Chesapeake Bay with his family and repairing old cars with his sons. - Brooks D. Simpson is an ASU Foundation Professor of History at Arizona State University, where he is a member of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts faculty. A member of the honors faculty at Barrett, The Honors College, during the spring 2017 semester he served as associate dean (interim) at Barrett's Downtown campus. As a historian of the United States, Professor Simpson studies American political and military history as well as the American presidency, specializing in the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Note: Brooks Simpson speaks on his own behalf, not as a representative of ASU. His opinions are his own. - Transcription Sam Stone: Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone. We're going to be jumping right into it with our first guest today. We're very pleased to have on the line Congressman Andy Harris of the first Congressional District of Maryland. Congressman Harris was a physician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, medical officer in the Naval Reserve and a state senator before coming to Congress. Congressman, welcome to the program. Chuck Warren: It's good to be with you, Congressman. This is Chuck. I want to start with two questions. The first one is a little more practical. You're the only Republican member of the Maryland delegation. Is that correct? That's right. That's right. Yeah. Andy Harris: Hopefully we'll get another one. But I'm the only one now. Chuck Warren: Do they treat you this? The other members of the delegation treat you like a misfit toy or are they good working with you? Andy Harris: It depends on the issue. You tell me what the issue is. I'll tell you how I get treated. Chuck Warren: Well, how about this? Regarding constituent issues in Maryland, do they work pretty well with you? Andy Harris: Absolutely. No question. The senators work with

In this week's episode of Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to welcome a lineup of exceptional guests, each bringing their unique perspectives on pressing issues that matter most to our nation. Our first guest needs no introduction, as he is a dear friend of the show and a prominent figure in the political landscape. Matt Lewis, the acclaimed columnist at The Daily Beast and the author of "Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots)," graces our platform once again. Today, Matt joins us to share insights from his newly-released book, "Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America." Next on our show is Congressman James Moylan, representing Guam. As Guam Liberation Day approaches on July 21, Congressman Moylan joins us to shed light on this historic event and its profound significance to the people of Guam. We explore the remarkable journey of resilience and freedom, honoring the spirit of those who have shaped Guam's vibrant history. Our final guest, California State Senator Shannon Grove, enters the conversation with an urgent and compelling topic. She discusses her crucial bill that aims to designate human trafficking as a serious and violent felony. Despite the importance of this legislation, California democrats voted it down. Tune in to learn more about this critical issue and the efforts to combat human trafficking in the Golden State. Subscribe now and stay informed on the latest developments, only on Breaking Battlegrounds! - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Called a "first-rate talent" in The Washington Post and "super-smart" by John Heilemann, Matt K. Lewis is a center-right critic of American politics and pop culture. As a journalist, Lewis has earned a reputation as an "independently minded" (Columbia Journalism Review) and "intellectually honest" commentator (Ben Adler, Newsweek). He is a senior columnist for The Daily Beast, and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, GQ, The Washington Post, The Week, Roll Call, Politico, The Telegraph, The Independent, and The Guardian. He previously served as senior contributor for The Daily Caller, and before that, as a columnist for AOL's Politics Daily. Lewis dissects the day's issues in conversation with other thinkers, authors, and newsmakers on his podcast Matt Lewis and the News, and co-hosts The DMZ Show with liberal pundit Bill Scher. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour, ABC's "Nightline," HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," and CBS News' "Face The Nation," and has contributed to radio outlets including NPR and the BBC. Kirsten Powers described Lewis's 2016 book, Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Went From the Party of Reagan to the Party of Trump, as "a lively and fascinating read for any person confounded by the state of today's Republican Party." In 2011, Lewis released The Quotable Rogue: The Ideals of Sarah Palin in Her Own Words, an edited compilation of the Alaska governor's much-discussed public utterances. - Congressman James Moylan proudly serves as Guam's congressional delegate to the 118th United States Congress. As the first Republican to win the seat on Guam in nearly 30 years, Moylan's victory was historic. He is a strong and trustworthy leader who's focused on issues that affect Guamanians most. Moylan believes island residents have a right to know what's happening in their governing offices. Therefore, he has created an open door policy allowing constituents to have their concerns addressed. Moylan's history of service includes his time as a senator in the 35th and 36th Guam Legislature, a Veteran of the United States army and a parole officer at the Department of Corrections. Additionally, Moylan has more than two decades of experience working in the private sector, including healthcare, financial services, and insurance. In his current position, Moylan serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. Both Committees address issues that are vital to Guam. Additionally, Moylan is a native of Guam and is from the village of Tumon. He graduated from John F Kennedy High School and continued to the University of Guam where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Most of all, Moylan is a proud father to Abby and Krissy Moylan. - Senator Shannon Grove was born and raised in Kern County. After graduating from high school, Senator Grove served in the United States Army. While stationed in Frankfurt, Germany she witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Following her service to our nation, she established a staffing company with her sister-in-law called Continental Labor and Staffing Resources. Senator Grove

Join us this week as we delve into the heart of Iran's turmoil with esteemed guest Elliott Abrams, former foreign policy advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Gain exclusive insights and expert analysis on the current state of affairs in Iran, exploring the underlying factors, potential ramifications, and possible solutions. Don't miss this captivating episode as we unravel the complexities of one of the world's most critical geopolitical hotspots. We're also joined by Andrew Hale, the Jay Van Andel Senior Trade Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation, who brings his extensive experience in international trade and defense intelligence. Together, we examine the alarming issue of China defaulting on $850 billion of debt, shedding light on the potential global consequences and exploring the economic and geopolitical landscape. Don't miss this captivating episode as we unravel the complexities of Iran's chaos and China's financial challenges. _ Elliott Abrams is senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House, and as Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela in the administration of Donald Trump.Abrams was educated at Harvard College, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School. After serving on the staffs of Senators Henry M. Jackson and Daniel P. Moynihan, he was an assistant secretary of state in the Reagan administration and received the secretary of state's Distinguished Service Award from Secretary George P. Shultz. In 2012, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy gave him its Scholar-Statesman Award.Abrams was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC, from 1996 until joining the White House staff. He was a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom from 1999 to 2001 and chairman of the commission in the latter year, and served a second term as a member of the Commission in 2012-2014. From 2009 to 2016, Abrams was a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, which directs the activities of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is a member of the board of the National Endowment for Democracy, and teaches U.S. foreign policy at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.Abrams joined the Bush administration in June 2001 as special assistant to the president and senior director of the National Security Council for democracy, human rights, and international organizations. From December 2002 to February 2005, he served as special assistant to the president and senior director of the National Security Council for Near East and North African affairs. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for global democracy strategy from February 2005 to January 2009, and in that capacity supervised both the Near East and North African affairs and the democracy, human rights, and international organizations directorates of the National Security Council.Abrams rejoined the State Department in January 2019 as Special Representative for Venezuela, and in August 2020 took on the additional position of Special Representative for Iran. He left the Department in January 2021.Abrams is the author of five books: Undue Process, Security and Sacrifice, Faith or Fear: How Jews Can Survive in a Christian America, Tested by Zion: The Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and most recently Realism and Democracy: American Foreign Policy After the Arab Spring. He is the editor of three more, Close Calls: Intervention, Terrorism, Missile Defense and "Just War" Today; Honor Among Nations: Intangible Interests and Foreign Policy; and The Influence of Faith: Religious Groups and U.S. Foreign Policy. Andrew is the Jay Van Andel Senior Policy Analyst in Trade Policy in Heritage's Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies. Andrew Hale is currently the Jay Van Andel Senior Trade Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation. A dual citizen of the U.S. and the United Kingdom, he has previously worked for the UK Department for International Trade, in Defense Intelligence, and for Parliament. In the U.S. he has worked for the State Department and for a Member of Congress. _ Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Transcription Chuck Warren: [00:00:27] Welcome to Breaking Battlegrounds. I'm your host, Chuck Warren, my co-host today, Michelle Ugenti-rita. Hello, Michelle. Hello. We are so fortunate today to have with us Elliott Abrams. He is a man who's been responsible for a lot of the peace and p

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by friend of the show, Chris Wilson. Later in the program, Maya MacGuineas of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget calls in to talk about Bidenomics and our growing national debt. - Prior to starting WPA Intelligence in 2004, Chris Wilson was Global Director of Research for Weber Shandwick International, the world's largest public relations firm at the time.In 2021 Chris was named Pollster of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work directing survey research and predictive analytics on the Glenn Youngkin for Governor of Virginia campaign. In 2019 he was named Technology Leader of the year by Campaigns & Elections magazine.In 2016, as the Director of Research, Analytics and Digital Strategy for the Cruz for President campaign, Chris is credited for playing a key role in Cruz's triumph in Iowa and helping the Texas Senator finish with the most delegates earned by a 2nd place finisher since Ronald Reagan in 1976. Wilson and WPAi work with organizations like the Club for Growth, Freedom Works, Family Research Council, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee providing data and polling.WPAi's data management platform, Bonfire, has become the dominant desktop as a service tool for conservative candidates and organizations from US Senate down to school board. Bonfire has leveled the playing field with the progressive left when it comes to the important use of predictive analytics by those on the right.Perhaps most importantly, for six consecutive cycles, WPAi clients have outperformed the partisan average win ratio in both their primary and general election contests by double digits.An Oklahoma native, Chris is a graduate of University of Oklahoma and remains an avid Sooner fan. In the rare instances that Chris isn't working, he enjoys watching OU and Cornell College, where his son Denver is the starting quarterback, football, spending time with his five children, reading, and racking up impressive amounts of frequent flyer miles.Chris is a regular political analyst on Fox News. - Maya MacGuineas is the president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Her areas of expertise include budget, tax, and economic policy. As a leading budget expert and a political independent, she has worked closely with members of both parties and serves as a trusted resource on Capitol Hill. MacGuineas testifies regularly before Congress and has published broadly, including regularly in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Atlantic, and numerous other outlets. She also appears regularly as a commentator on television.MacGuineas oversees a number of the Committee's projects including the grassroots coalition Fix the Debt; the Committee's Fiscal Institute; and FixUS, a project seeking to better understand the root causes of our nation's growing divisions and deteriorating political system, and to work with others to bring attention to these issues and the need to fix them. Her most recent area of focus is on the future of the economy, technology, and capitalism.Previously, MacGuineas worked at the Brookings Institution and on Wall Street, and in the spring of 2009 she did a stint on The Washington Post editorial board, covering economic and fiscal policy. MacGuineas serves on a number of boards and is a native Washingtonian. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Transcription Sam Stone: [00:00:11] Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone. Our first guest up today, Chris Wilson, founder and CEO of WPA Intelligence. Prior to starting WPA in 2004, Chris was global director of research for Weber Shandwick International, the world's largest public relations firm. At the time, in 2021, he was named Pollster of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work directing, survey, research and predictive analysis. Analytics. Can't speak this morning on the Glenn Youngkin for Governor of Virginia campaign. In 2019, he was named Technology Leader of the Year by campaigns and elections. Awfully impressive resume. Chris, thank you again for joining us and welcome back to the program. Chris Wilson: [00:00:55] Well, thanks. I made it all up and sent it to you. You know, that's actually real. So wannabes out there, that's okay. That's okay. It's 2023. You can do whatever you want. Now, this is radio. Sam Stone: [00:01:01] We're good with fluff. So. Chris Wilson: [00:01:03] Exactly. Before we get to before we get talking some politics, tell us a little bit. Your son's playing at Universi

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by friend of the show, Martin Di Caro of the Washington Times and host of the History as It Happens podcast. Later in the, Utah's Congressman Blake Moore calls in to talk about his work on the House Ways and Means Committee. - Martin Di Caro brings 25 years of broadcast journalism experience to the Washington Times. He has won numerous prestigious awards throughout his career in major media markets across the country. Before coming to the Times, Martin was a news anchor at Bloomberg Radio's Washington bureau. From 2012 to 2017, he covered transportation at NPR member station WAMU 88.5 in Washington, where his work on the yearslong Metrorail crisis earned Martin his second Edward R. Murrow award, which included hosting the radio station's first podcast, Metropocalypse. Martin worked as a reporter for AP Radio in New York and Washington for eight years starting in 2008. He lives in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. and his interests include reading history and following his beloved New York Jets. He can be reached at [email protected]. - A native of Ogden, Blake Moore is a proactive problem solver committed to representing each and every constituent of Utah's First District. He is dedicated to reflecting Utah's values in Congress and finding solutions to the challenges facing the district and the state. Advocating for inclusive, pro-growth, and aspirational principles, Blake is amplifying Northern Utah's voice on a national level to ensure Utahns receive the service and representation they deserve. Blake currently serves as the first-ever Utah Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, where he sits on the Healthcare, Social Security, and Work and Welfare subcommittees. He also serves on the House Budget Committee to push for policies to reverse our national debt crisis and advocate for Utah's defense community. Blake continues to represent Hill Air Force Base as co-chair of the Armed Forces and Depot caucuses. Before being elected to Congress, Blake worked for small businesses and in the foreign service, experiences that now guide his work on domestic and foreign policy. As a Principal at Cicero Group, Blake worked primarily in the social impact, marketing research, and strategy practice areas leading projects and serving clients throughout Utah and the nation. He has expertise in education, financial services, public policy, healthcare, transportation, supply chain, and waste industries, and this work informs his customer service and problem solver approach in Washington, D.C., as he identifies ways to help the federal government better work for Northern Utah. His passion for helping organizations manage the change process drives his ambition to overcome partisan gridlock, improve federal agencies, and smartly streamline the nation's bureaucracy. Previously, Blake worked abroad in business development in the healthcare and financial services industries, which led him to understand the challenges that small businesses grapple with daily. Blake was also honored to serve in the Foreign Service for the U.S. Department of State, where he gained first-hand knowledge of America's international threats. This experience taught him to take seriously the United States' diplomatic apparatus, the readiness of the Armed Forces, and the nation's commitment to strengthening partnerships and alliances across the globe. Blake joined Congress in 2021 and served on the Armed Services, Natural Resources, and Budget committees during his first term. On these committees, he advocated for Hill Air Force Base and Utah's defense community, promoted domestic energy production, worked on addressing our debt and deficit crises, among several other efforts. Congressman Moore convened a Debt and Deficit Task Force in Ogden to create a framework of solutions with local leaders for how the federal government can grow the economy, save and strengthen vital programs, focus America's spending, and fix Congress's budgeting process. For these efforts, he was named a 2022 Fiscal Hero by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He also successfully pushed for provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act packages for FY22 and FY23 that support Hill Air Force Base's modernization efforts, Sentinel program, housing availability, and more. Blake was the most successful freshman Republican member in terms of legislation passed, with four bills signed into law by President Biden and several more passed through committee. His bills that became law are the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act, the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act, the National Medal of Honor Act, the Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act, and provisions in the Afghanistan Accountability Act. Blake is an active and valued team player within the House Republican Conference, chosen to serve as an Assistant Whip on the Republican Whip Team, the House Armed Services C

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck is out of the studio but Sam is joined by friend of the show, former Arizona State Legislator Michelle Ugenti-Rita. Sam and Michelle speak to Ann Atkinson who organized a Health, Wealth, and Happiness program at Arizona State University which featured prominent conservative speakers and was met with intense opposition from the left. Later in the show, Christina Eichelkraut returns to offer a unique perspective on the impact of artificial intelligence. - Ann Atkinson is the former Executive Director of the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett, the Honors College. Ann is a Barrett alumna, entrepreneur, former public company executive, frequent public speaker, healthcare real estate expert, wife, mother, and triathlete. She has regularly volunteered for the Lewis Center, which has helped fulfill her passion to better prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of life. Ann earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from ASU, where she graduated from Barrett, the Honors College and with honors from the W.P. Carey School of Business. She was introduced to commercial real estate through her Barrett honors internship, which led to a distinguished 17-year career in healthcare real estate. She most recently founded and led a privately-held national healthcare real estate investment firm. Previously, she was an executive officer for a healthcare real estate investment trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange, where she led acquisitions and dispositions on behalf of the company. Formerly, she worked for Jerry Colangelo, David Eaton, and Mel Shultz of JDM Partners, specializing in commercial real estate investments. Ann started her career with a national commercial real estate brokerage firm, specializing in office and medical office investment sales. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Transcription: Sam Stone: [00:00:10] Welcome to Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Sam Stone. Chuck Warren out of the studio today and we are blessed to have the talented, too talented and lovely women in the studio with me today, Michelle Ugenti-Rita. Thank you so much for joining us. Michelle Ugenti- Rita: [00:00:25] Happy to be here. Sam Stone: [00:00:25] Former state legislator in Arizona. Lots of fun going on there right now. Michelle Ugenti- Rita: [00:00:29] I know we could spend many segments on that. Sam Stone: [00:00:31] And we will get to a little bit of that later in the show, folks, as well. We also have a returning guest, Christina Eichelkraut, joining us. She's going to be featured in the podcast segment. Christina is my friend who's a progressive Democrat and loves to argue with me so it makes for good radio. Stay tuned. Make sure you download that podcast segment. But first up today, a story that's kind of been breaking in the last few days here, personal for a lot of us here in Arizona with our education system, with what's going on, with the sort of intellectual intolerance that is creeping into so much of this country. We have Ann Atkinson, former executive director of the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. She is a Barrett alumna, entrepreneur, public company executive, you know, health care, real estate expert, wife, mother, triathlete. Heck of an impressive resume. And she put together helped put together an event. And we want to talk about that because the repercussions of that have been astounding to me. I mean, disheartening and astounding. So, Ann, thank you so much for joining us on breaking battlegrounds this morning. We really appreciate having you here. Ann Atkinson: [00:01:42] Thank you, Sam. It's great to be with you and with your audience today. Sam Stone: [00:01:46] Can you tell us because a lot of people, you know, maybe some folks here in Arizona will know what we're talking about offhand. But can you lay out the background of this? What happened? You know, kind of the timeline and then where we're at with it today, Because this is really kind of a stunning, disheartening, but also all too predictable now occurrence in higher education. So go ahead. Ann Atkinson: [00:02:10] Absolutely, Sam. At a very high level, the T.W. Lewis Center is a personal development center that puts on speaker programs and workshops and also has some honors courses for the students at ASU's Barrett Honors College. We put on a lot of programs. We had 40 just this last spring semester and one of those programs was entitled Health, Wealth and Happiness. This was a program where we brought in experts in those areas. It was optional and open to the public, and it took place at Arizona's home of Broadway at ASU. Gammage And in response to our organizing a program on health, wealth an

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Sam and Chuck are joined by friend of the show and former Fox News executive Ken LaCorte. Ken is also the host of the Elephants in Rooms podcast. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Transcription Sam Stone: [00:00:11] Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone on the line with us today, returning guest and friend of the program, Ken Lacourt. Ken is the host of Elephant in the Room, a fantastic podcast. I highly encourage all of you to check it out. He writes about censorship, media malfeasance, which gives him lots of materials these days. Uncomfortable questions and honest insight for people curious how the world really works, which too often isn't the media these days, is it? Ken? And thank you for joining us. Welcome to the program. Ken LaCourt: [00:00:47] Oh, thanks for having me on again, guys. Chuck Warren: [00:00:48] So I want to talk about a poll that came out today by USA Today on the third party candidate. But the Republicans are elephants, Democrats are donkeys. What would be the animal ascribed to the third party movements? Anyone know you asking me that? Yeah. What should it be? What should it be? They need an animal. I mean, we've got elephants, Republicans, donkeys, Democrats. What? I don't. Sam Stone: [00:01:10] Know. Porcupine. Keep everyone the heck away. Ken LaCourt: [00:01:12] Yeah, and Porcupine used to be. Didn't that used to be a GOP thing from years and years back or. Sam Stone: [00:01:17] It was. Yeah. No. Yeah. Ken LaCourt: [00:01:19] A Whig thing. That wouldn't be too bad. You know, the problem is it'd have to be the disappearing cat. Because as much as we always see a poll out there like that and I mean, look, it's hard to, to bypass the fact that the top two nominees, the top two likely nominees right now, both have about a 33% approval rating in national national polls. Sam Stone: [00:01:41] I saw that in some polling yesterday, Chuck. And I was astounded at how much the country hates both Biden and Trump. Chuck Warren: [00:01:48] Yeah, they're done. So there's a poll that came out today by USA Today. It's done over the fifth and 9th of June and it shows 2024 national general election. Biden 34%, Trump 32, third party, 23. And then another one, Biden 33%. Desantis 26. Third party, 25. Desantis. Just people aren't familiar yet. I mean, I think his numbers are probably the same as Trump. I think he could do better. But so I looked it up and the same time in June in 1992, had Perot at 36%, George Herbert Walker Bush at 30%, and Bill Clinton at 26%. We just recycle. Well. Sam Stone: [00:02:26] Perot was, you know, as much as as much as the media glommed on. I remember that campaign pretty vividly. The media really glommed on Perot. He had a lot to say that was outside of the mainstream of both parties. I think you get a little of that with Vivek Ramaswami, but for the most part, you don't know. Chuck Warren: [00:02:44] So so, Ken, the question is, what do you think? What is the what is the ceiling for a third party candidate in the 2024 general election, do you think? Ken LaCourt: [00:02:53] I think that the the real ceiling is zero because the ceiling in running for president isn't isn't whether you can get 5 or 10% of the votes and and Perot probably got a little bit under he ran twice he probably got a little bit under 20% in 92. And neither time did he get one single vote in the Electoral College. Right. So it a third party is fun to talk about. The system is not designed for that or it's certainly not designed to have one when as we have it shaped right now. And look, the only thing Republicans and Democrats agree on is that either a Republican or a Democrat should be running the country. I mean, they have complete unanimity on that and they design all the rules to help bolster that. So I think any third party candidate, you'd have to look at who is he or she going to take votes away from as opposed to, oh, could this person get elected? It really just doesn't go beyond that. Chuck Warren: [00:03:49] Well, I see. I think Cornel West attempting to get the Green Party nomination could play some havoc in cities like Milwaukee, in Atlanta. Would you would you agree on that? Ken LaCourt: [00:04:01] Yeah. Look, if you can get I mean, look, the trick to putting a third party or having a third party person run where it helps you out is get somebody who you think would siphon votes from your opponent anywhere. So I've seen, for instance, in a in a statewide race in in Hawaii where a green candidate won, siphoned off a decent amount of votes from the Democrat, and it gave a Republican, you know, a chance to win a race in a very, very blue state. So, yeah, certainly I think in any close s

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by friend of the show, Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota. Later in the program, we speak with Dr. James Bosbotinis, a UK-based specialist in defense and international affairs. - Dusty Johnson brings an energetic and optimistic style to Washington as South Dakota's lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. A recognized leader in issues related to rural America, agriculture, and welfare reform, he serves on the Agriculture Committee and as Chairman of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee. As a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Dusty has been focused on finding solutions to the supply chain crisis through his Ocean Shipping Reform Act which passed the House in 2021. Appointed to the Select Committee on China, Dusty addresses the 360-degree threat posed by China, especially their ownership of American ag land and ag businesses and control over tech. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as chief of staff to the Governor and as vice president of an engineering firm specializing in rural telecommunications. Dusty lives in Mitchell with his wife and three sons. - Dr James Bosbotinis is a specialist in defence and international affairs. He has particular expertise in the study of contemporary maritime strategy, assessing naval and air force developments, geopolitical analysis, and generating understanding of the connections between maritime strategy and national policy. Dr Bosbotinis has extensive experience encompassing academic and policy-relevant research and analysis for a range of customers, including UK government bodies. He has written widely on issues including the development of British maritime strategy, maritime airpower, Russian maritime doctrine, naval and wider military (including nuclear) modernisation, long-range strike technologies (including hypersonic weapons) and their impact on strategy, and China's evolving strategy. He is the Book Reviews Editor of The Naval Review, and an Associate Member of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, King's College London." - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds - Transcription Sam Stone: [00:00:11] Welcome to Breaking battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone. Folks, up first as our guest today, a returning guest and friend of the program. Welcome to Congressman Dusty Johnson, the lone representative from South Dakota. He serves on the as chairman of the Commodity Markets Digital Assets and Agriculture Committee. Or sorry, I am all over the place reading this today. He serves on the Agriculture Committee and as chairman of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development Subcommittee and as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He's also been doing a lot of work as part of the Select Committee on China. Dusty, thank you so much for joining us and welcome to the program. Congressmen Dusty Johnson: [00:00:53] Well, thanks for having me again. I'm glad I didn't flunk the first appearance. Chuck Warren: [00:00:57] We are, too. I've been horrible for ratings. All right. So China has made a secret agreement with Cuba, which is about 100 miles south of Florida. For those of you who bet on geography that they're going to do electronic eavesdropping facility in Cuba, is this alarming or should it be? Congressmen Dusty Johnson: [00:01:16] It is alarming. It's alarming for two reasons. Number one, I mean, they're going to have the capability to do all kinds of electronic surveillance across the southeastern United States from there. That's going to give them access to stuff that they don't otherwise have. They can't get this same stuff from space. They could get it from balloons. But obviously, balloons are pretty easy to to bring down. So this is going to give them new capabilities, particularly to scoop up information communications from military sites in the southeastern United States. But the second reason it's concerning is that it shows additional provocation by Xi Jinping. They just keep pushing the envelope. They keep pushing us. They want us to know that they're going to be the bosses of the next 100 years. And it's a problem. I mean, we have a rules based international system was largely erected by the United States after World War II and our allies. And China hates it. They just hate it. They don't think those rules of fair play make any sense. They want to knock down that system and build a new international system with their values at the core of it. And all of these provocations are just part of a longer term strategy. And I would just say this by way of closure. They have a strategy. I'm not sure our country does. I think we just we don't have a thoughtful and de

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by Congressman Neal Dunn and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, both Republicans from Florida. Later in the program, sports journalist Ron Futrell calls in with his take on the A's proposed move to Las Vegas. - Dr. Neal Dunn grew up in an Army family and was stationed at over 20 places before college including in Vietnam during middle school. He was an Eagle Scout and National Merit Scholar before matriculating at Washington and Lee University. After medical school at George Washington, he joined the US Army as a surgeon completing his residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and Surgical Fellowship at Duke University. He continued his surgical career in many stations around the world before settling in Bay County, Florida in 1990. It was during his service at WRAMC in Washington that he met and married his wife Leah, of over 30 years.Dr. Dunn was a surgeon in Panama City for 25 years and was the founding president of the Advanced Urology Institute, a 45-physician practice with over 400 employees. He also founded the Bay Regional Cancer Center and pursued a special interest in advanced Prostate Cancer. He sat on the Governor's Prostate Cancer Advisory Council and the Florida Blue Physician Advisory Board. Prior to being elected to Congress, Dr. Dunn served on the Board of Governors of the Florida Medical Association, and as President of his County Medical Society, Chief of Staff of Gulf Coast Hospital, and Director of the Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Joint Venture. He was recognized as a Healthcare Hero by the Florida Department of Health for his chairmanship of Bay Cares, a medical charity headquartered in Panama City that provided about $30 million of completely free medical care annually to the working poor in Bay and 8 surrounding counties.Dr. Dunn was also the founding Chairman of Summit Bank, a rapidly growing 5-star community bank headquartered in Panama City. He was honored to be named to the Board of Directors of Space Florida which operates the space launch complexes and numerous research, assembly, and support facilities on Cape Canaveral. He also served as a Director of Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency.Dr. Dunn lives in Panama City, Florida with his wife Leah. In his free time, he enjoys quail hunting and spending time on the water. They are the proud parents of 3 sons (Alexander, Patrick, and David) and 3 grandchildren. - Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart is currently fulfilling his 11th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Florida's 26th congressional district. Diaz-Balart is a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, and he is the Chairman of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Subcommittee, in addition to serving on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) and Defense Subcommittees. Diaz-Balart passionately serves his constituents, acting tirelessly in defense of individual rights and liberties, promoting economic prosperity, and supporting a robust national defense. He is well-known for his advocacy of human rights and democracy around the world, as well as for his staunch support of our global allies. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, making him the Dean of the Florida Delegation and Deputy Whip in Congress. Prior to his time in Congress, Diaz-Balart served in the Florida State Legislature in both the House and Senate chambers. He chaired several committees, including the Combined Appropriations/Ways and Means/Finance and Tax Committee. Diaz-Balart was born on September 25, 1961, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Rafael and Hilda Diaz-Balart and is the youngest of four brothers (Rafael, Lincoln, and Jose). He studied Political Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Diaz-Balart currently resides in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Tia, and son, Cristian Rafael. - Ron Futrell is a longtime journalist who has worked at a number of local TV/radio stations throughout the western United States. He has covered sports in Las Vegas since 1984. Ron began his broadcasting career in the early '80s in Salt Lake City at KSXX radio and KTVX TV. From there, he covered sports and news at KNDO TV in Yakima, WA. Ron has covered Stanley Cup Finals, Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals and NCAA Championships. He has reported on virtually every major sporting event in Las Vegas over the past three decades, including major boxing and MMA events, NASCAR races, the rise and fall of UNLV basketball, the careers of local athletes like Greg Maddux, Andre Agassi, Randall Cunningham and Mike Tyson, along with many others. Ron is also well known for covering local high school and club sports in Las Vegas. Ron is perhaps best known in Las Vegas for his work covering UNLV basketball throughout its glory days. As host of the Jerry Tarkanian TV show for 10 years, Ron was able to get the inside s

This Memorial Day weekend, Chuck and Sam are honored to speak with Sergeant First Class Shane Vincent. Shane joined the Army in 2008 and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, more commonly known as The Old Guard, where he became a Sentinel of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He joins Breaking Battlegrounds this weekend to share his experiences in honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation. - On March 4, 1921, Congress approved a resolution providing for the burial of an unidentified American soldier, following the custom adopted by other allied countries after World War I. The site was to be the plaza of Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater, which had been dedicated the previous year. On Memorial Day, 1921, an unknown was exhumed from each of four cemeteries in France. The remains were placed in identical caskets and assembled at Chalon sur Marne. On October 24, Army Sergeant Edward F. Younger, wounded in combat and highly decorated for valor, selected the unknown soldier for World War 1 by placing a spray of white roses on one of the caskets. Those remaining were interred in the Meuse Argonne Cemetery, France. The Unknown Soldier then returned home to the U.S. to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until Armistice Day. On November 11, 1921, President Warren G. Harding officiated at the interment ceremonies at the Amphitheater. The monument which rests on top of the Unknown grave is a sarcophagus simple but impressive in its dimensions. Its austere, flat-faced form is relieved at the corners and along the sides by neo-classic pilasters, or columns, set unto the surface. Sculpted into the panel which faces Washington are the three figures of Valor, Victory, and Peace. On the plaza face the words "Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God". On August 3, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill to select and pay tribute to the Unknown Soldiers of World War II and Korea on Memorial Day 1958. The World War II Unknown was selected from 19 remains exhumed from military cemeteries in Hawaii, Europe, and the Philippines. Two Unknowns from World War II, one from the European Theatre and one from the Pacific Theatre, were placed in identical caskets and taken aboard the U.S.S. Canberra, a guided missile cruiser resting off the Virginia capes. Hospital Man First Class William R. Charette, then the Navy's only active duty Medal of Honor recipient, selected the Unknown Soldier of World War II. The remaining casket received a burial at sea. Four unknown Americans who had lost their lives in Korea were disinterred from the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Master sergeant Ned Lyle, U.S. Army made the final selection. Both the caskets arrived in Washington on May 28, 1958 where they lay in the Capital Rotunda until May 30. That morning they were carried on caissons to Arlington National Cemetery. President Eisenhower awarded each the Medal of Honor and the Unknowns were interred in the Plaza beside their comrade of World War 1. Twenty six years later, on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984, after a search made difficult because of advances in technologies used to identify the remains of unknown soldiers, President Ronald Reagan presided over the interment ceremony for the Vietnam Unknown service member. Like his predecessors, he was laid to rest in the plaza of the Tomb during a ceremony that received national coverage. Originally a civilian watchman was responsible for the security of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then, March 24, 1926, a military guard from the Washington Provisional Brigade (forerunner of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington) was established during the day-light hours. In 1948 the 3d U.S. Infantry "The Old Guard" assumed the post following the units reactivation in the nation's capital. Members of the 3d Infantry's Honor Guard continue to serve in this distinguished duty today. A soldier seeking the honor of serving as a sentinel at the Tomb must possess exemplary qualities, to include American citizenship, a spotless record, and impeccable military bearing. While on duty the sentinel crosses a 63-foot rubber surfaced walkway in exactly 21 steps. He then faces the Tomb for 21 seconds, turns again, and pauses an additional 21 seconds before retracing his steps. The 21 is symbolic of the highest salute accorded to dignitaries in military and state ceremonies. As a gesture against intrusion on their post, the sentinel always bears his weapon away from the Tomb. Only under exceptional circumstances may the guard speak or alter his silent, measured tour of duty. He will issue a warning if anyone attempts to enter the restricted area around the Tomb, but first will halt and bring his rifle to port arms. The Guard wears the Army Dress Blue Uniform, reminiscent of the color and style worn by soldiers during the late 1800's. Tomb Guards are privileged to wear the Tomb Identification Badge on the right breast poc

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Utah State Treasurer, Marlo Oaks. Later in the show, we check in with former Arizona Congressional candidate Mark DeLuzio, a Gold Star father, for a look at the true meaning of Memorial Day. Finally, Jeff Taylor of the Salvation Army calls in to discuss the homelessness crisis and what can be done to solve it. - Treasurer Marlo Oaks spent 17 years overseeing multi-billion-dollar portfolios, first at Farmers Insurance Group in Los Angeles (15 years, $24 billion) and then at Intermountain Healthcare (2+ years, $7.5 billion) in Salt Lake City. He oversaw the Treasury function at Intermountain, along with all the community portfolios, including Primary Children's Hospital Foundation. He has experience managing foundation, endowment, healthcare/hospital system, insurance, defined benefit (pension), defined contribution (401K), taxable, and tax-exempt portfolios, including manager searches, due diligence, risk management, asset allocation, investment strategy, investment policies and guidelines, and reporting to senior executives and boards of investment committees. During the 2008 – 2009 Financial Crisis, his portfolios' performance were among the best in the country, outperforming the median corporate pension plan by 11.5% (funded status basis), representing $200 million in added portfolio value. The insurance pools were top performers among their peers, allowing the company to purchase AIG's Direct Automobile Business, adding $4 billion to the portfolios, at the bottom of the market (March 2009). Treasurer Oaks began his career in Hong Kong on the derivatives desk at Standard Chartered Bank, a large British Bank with offices primarily in emerging markets. As a volunteer, Treasurer Oaks served on the foundation investment committee at Utah Valley University for nine years. He also co-founded two non-profit organizations, the Stella H. Oaks Foundation that provides hope to single mothers through scholarships, and FIRST Utah Robotics a series of four programs that inspire children K-12 to pursue STEM careers. He is a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of Salt Lake City, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association of San Francisco, and holds both designations in addition to a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brigham Young University. He completed a Masters of Business Administration at UCLA Anderson School of Business. He and his wife are the parents of six children. - Mark DeLuzio was the first in his family to earn a college degree. After college, Mark was successful in the corporate world, advising senior executives on strategy and tactics in a multitude of diverse industries. For the past 20 years, Mark has been a successful entrepreneur as the founder of a global management consulting company and has received international acclaim as a leader in his field. Mark has been married to his college sweetheart, Diane, for 41 years. They have two sons, Scott and Steven, who joined the military after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Steve was killed in action in Afghanistan while his brother Scott was fighting just miles away. Like their two sons, Mark and his wife continue to give back to America by dedicating themselves to various military charities. Mark has also helped countless Veterans to start successful businesses. Mark and Diane have three beautiful grandchildren who are the joy of their lives. - After retiring from a very successful run on Wall Street in his late 20's, Jeff had an escalating drug and alcohol addiction. By the age of 34 he was living on the streets of Phoenix and was arrested many times for homeless "survival" crimes that soon grew into non-violent drug motivated felonies. Finally, facing a longer-term prison sentence of 4 years, his sentencing judge diverted him to The Salvation Army Harbor Light Drug Treatment Program. Now Jeff serves as Chairman for Salvation Army of Arizona. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, friend of the show Congressman Drew Ferguson returns to bring us up to speed on the results of the Durham investigation. Later in the show, our friend and presidential candidate Larry Elder stops by to talk about his campaign. - Congressman Drew Ferguson is a proud native of West Point whose family roots in the West Georgia area are several generations deep. He attended the University of Georgia and gained early acceptance to the Medical College of Georgia. After graduating with a degree in dental medicine, he moved back to his hometown and established a successful family dental practice.In 2008, Congressman Ferguson was elected mayor of West Point and was at the forefront of attracting and keeping jobs in his community. By lowering taxes, eliminating government barriers and reforming education, he led a community in economic ruin back to life. Today, a wide range of new businesses and industries call West Point and the surrounding area home. Led by KIA Motors, automotive suppliers and related businesses, 16,000 new jobs have been created in the community. Congressman Ferguson came to Washington to apply the lessons he learned revitalizing West Point to creating policies that once again make America the most competitive place in the world to do business.Just as important as the creation of jobs, Congressman Ferguson wants to remove barriers to prosperity that prevent those in poverty from being able to move into the middle class. Congressman Ferguson believes these problems cannot simply be regulated away, but Congress should look for solutions that get government out of the way of American opportunity for innovation and growth. This is as much a moral issue as it is a practical matter.Congressman Ferguson currently serves on the Committee on Ways and Means and the House Budget Committee. On the House Ways and Means Committee, he serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, and is a member of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures – also referred to as the Subcommittee on Tax. He previously served as the Chief Deputy Whip for House Republicans from 2018 – 2022.Drew and his wife, Julie, reside in The Rock, Georgia, and together they have six children: Anderson Drew Ferguson V, Lucy, Mary Parks, Thad, Elizabeth, and Olivia. - Larry Elder—the Sage from South Central—is a nationally syndicated radio host and newspaper columnist, bestselling author, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and one of the best-known media figures in America today. His flagship daily radio program, "The Larry Elder Show," is heard every weekday in all 50 states, on more than 300 stations. Elder's unique style, personal background, and professional experience combine to inspire, inform, and persuade his listeners, readers, and viewers to embrace the timeless American principles of personal responsibility and public accountability. "The question is not which party has my back, but which party can get government off our backs—so that we might all realize our God-given capabilities," says Elder. Elder was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles—and his family's story represents every bit of the American Dream. His father was born in Athens, Georgia, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, and moved to California and opened his own restaurant—Elder's Snack Bar. Elder's mother, originally from Huntsville, Alabama, was a clerical worker for the U.S. Department of War (now the U.S. Department of Defense) and raised three boys as a stay-at-home mom. Elder has a B.A. in Political Science from Brown University, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law. - President Adams graduated from Layton High and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Utah in business finance. He currently resides in Layton, where he and his wife, Susan, raised their four children. Today they are the proud grandparents to 16 grandchildren. President Adams is a partner in the Adams Company, a Real Estate, Construction and Development Firm in Kaysville. During his time in real estate, he has been named Builder of the Year by the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association. Before being elected to the Senate, President Adams served four and a half years in the Utah House of Representatives and nine years on the Layton City Council. He is the former Chairman of the Utah Transportation Commission and Chairs the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). During his time representing the 7th District, President Adams passed legislation to address religious freedoms, affordable energy, clean air and transportation. In his words, he is "honored to represent the community where he grew up and raised a family" and enjoys working in his capacity as Senate President to benefit all of the great State of Utah. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by three distinguished guests. First, we sit down with Senator Ted Cruz to discuss the recent political attacks on the Supreme Court and what conservatives can do about woke corporations. Later in the show, General Sami Sadat of Afghanistan calls in for a no holds barred conversation of the United States' withdrawal from his country. Finally, friend of the show Chris Campbell returns with an update on the negotiations over raising the debt ceiling. - Ted Cruz grew up in Texas. His father, Rafael, fled Cuba after being tortured and imprisoned and came to Texas with just $100 sewn into his underwear. Rafael got a job washing dishes making 50 cents an hour and learned English. He worked hard and attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a degree in mathematics. He later started a small business in the oil and gas industry. Today, Rafael is a pastor in Dallas. Ted's mother, Eleanor, was born in Delaware to an Irish and Italian working-class family. She became the first in her family to go to college, graduating from Rice University with a degree in mathematics. She broke boundaries at Shell as one of the few women working as a computer programmer at the dawn of the computer age. Ted earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton and his law degree from Harvard Law School. After law school, Ted clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist and then worked in private practice. In 1999, Ted joined George W. Bush's campaign for president as a domestic policy advisor. The best thing about Ted's experience on the Bush-Cheney campaign, by far, was meeting Heidi Nelson, who also worked on the policy team. Heidi and Ted married after the campaign. After working at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission during the Bush administration, Ted moved back home to be the Solicitor General of Texas. As Solicitor General, Ted argued eight cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and defended our freedom of speech, our right to keep and bear arms, and our religious liberty in courts across the nation. Following his service as Solicitor General, Ted returned to private practice, where he continued to litigate high stakes cases and argued his ninth case before the Supreme Court. Ted and Heidi also started their family, welcoming Caroline and Catherine. - General Sami Sadat was born 1986 in Afghanistan. After graduation from school in Kabul, he studied military information operations in NATO school in Germany, he also holds a BBA, he then studied advance command and staff college in UK defense Academy and was graduated with highest distinction and also has finished his MA in Strategic Management and Leadership from UK Charter Management institute.His work experience is mostly visible in security sector, he worked as Deputy Director for Strategic Communications and as Policy Advisor to the Minister of Interior in Afghanistan. Mr. Sadat is a founding member of Afghanistan Analysis and Awareness (A3) a Kabul based Think-tank. A3 is a strong lobby group focusing on Afghan-US and other Afghanistan friend countries to foster better strategic relations. - Prior to Kroll, Chris was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions from 2017 to 2018. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating the Department's efforts regarding financial institutions legislation and regulation, legislation affecting federal agencies that regulate or insure financial institutions and securities markets legislation and regulation. Specific policy and program areas of oversight included government-sponsored enterprises, critical infrastructure protection (cyber security) and compliance policy, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), small business, community development and affordable housing policy. Chris was the Treasury board representative on the boards of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) and the Financial Industry's Critical Infrastructure Group. He regularly met with the heads of the 15 federal financial regulators. Additionally, he oversaw the Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Financial Institutions Policy and Small Business, Community Development and Affordable Housing, and Cyber Security, in addition to a staff of 200. Prior to his role at the Treasury department, Chris was the majority staff director to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. He designed, managed and coordinated the U.S. Senate Republican agenda in the areas of international and domestic taxation, international trade, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the U.S. National Debt, and oversight of three presidential cabinet secretaries. He was named by Roll Call Newspaper as one of the 50 most influential staffers on Capitol Hill, seven years running. Previously, he served as legislative director to Senator Orrin G. Hatch, where he coordinated and managed the senator's legislative activities. Immediately prior

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, friend of the show Mark Joseph Mongilutz returns to discuss the column he wrote for us recently, How to Prevent AI from Tricking Us in the 2024 Election. Later in the program, Jimmy Quinn of the eNational Review calls in to discuss the threat China poses to the US. - Mark Joseph Mongilutz is a writer, editor, author, and occasional book consultant. He is presently working as a full-time content manager for Haymaker, a finance-focused Substack newsletter, and has recently launched Opinions Impending (also on Substack), via which he will share his political/cultural writings on a semi-weekly basis. Mark is the author of Solemn Duty in the Old Guard (2018) and editor of Voices of the 9/11 Pentagon Recovery Effort: Essays from the U.S. Army's Old Guard (2020). Originally from Western Washington, Mark now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. - Jimmy Quinn is the national security correspondent for National Review. He was previously a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review Institute. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by Oklahoma's Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and Alabama's Congressman Barry Moore. Later in the show, former Fox News executive, Ken LaCorte, calls in with his take on the Tucker Carlson firing. - Matt Pinnell was elected as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma on November 6, 2018. Pinnell is President of the Oklahoma State Senate and serves on multiple constitutional boards and commissions. He is also Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage on Governor Kevin Stitt's cabinet. Pinnell is the chief marketer of Oklahoma and spends much of his time promoting tourism, Oklahoma's third largest industry. In partnership with the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, he launched the Oklahoma Fishing Trail, Oklahoma Road Trip, and the pandemic driven 'OK Here We Go' campaigns, which have generated more than $91 million in revenue since 2019. He also spearheaded renovation projects within Oklahoma State Parks, providing necessary updates to bathrooms, lodges, and campgrounds. The total impact of state parks on local economies recently topped $413 million. Pinnell is a recruiter for companies looking to move or expand to Oklahoma. Each year, he hosts the Lt. Governor's Turkey Hunt, a two-week event that showcases Oklahoma to prospective out-of-state companies and site selection representatives. He launched a statewide rebrand in 2020, a campaign that has streamlined state agency processes and saved taxpayer dollars. As an entrepreneur himself, Pinnell champions small business growth. He serves on the Oklahoma Department of Commerce committee focused on small business growth, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. In 2022, he launched 'A Look at Oklahoma CareerTech,' a video interview series that showcases the education and employment opportunities the state's CareerTech system provides. Matt has an advertising degree from Oral Roberts University. He lives in Tulsa with his wife of 20 years and their four children. - Born and raised on a family farm in Coffee County, Alabama, Barry Moore is a veteran, small business owner and former member of the Alabama State House. After high school, Barry joined the Alabama National Guard and Reserves, serving for six years. During that time he also pursued a degree in Agriculture Science at Auburn University, and joined the Auburn ROTC Army Ranger Challenge Team. Barry's first job out of college was in the animal pharmaceutical industry, but Barry returned to his home town of Enterprise to start Hopper-Moore Inc., an industrial waste hauling company, which has also been an Alabama general contractor for more than two decades. In 2010, Barry was recruited to run for the Alabama State House to represent District 91 and served for eight years, including as Chairman of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and Vice-Chair of the Small Business and Commerce Committee. Barry and his wife and business partner, Heather, are the proud parents of four children - Jeremy (married to Brittany), Kathleen (married to 1LT Jack Whitfield), Claudia and Jeb. They are active members of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Enterprise. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congressman John Rutherford of Florida's Fifth Congressional District and Vincent Vernuccio, a senior fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. - John Rutherford (FL-05) is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He sits on the House Ethics Committee and House Appropriations Committee, where he serves on three subcommittees: Homeland Security, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. John has lived in Jacksonville, Florida since 1958, and attended Florida Junior College and Florida State University where he studied Criminology. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, 171st Session and the National Executive Institute. He began his career in law enforcement in 1974 as a patrolman in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, working his way up through the JSO where he eventually served as Director. In 2003, 2007, and 2011, John was elected Sheriff of Duval County. For three terms and twelve years, John ran a 3,200 employee office, and due to his effective leadership, homicide and overall violent crime in Jacksonville dropped to a 40-year low. Using a model of intelligence-led and community-based policing, John and his team of law enforcement professionals dramatically improved neighborhoods and prevented crime throughout the community. He also made the mental health component of the criminal justice system a priority, reducing the recidivism rates of the mentally ill and facilitating their treatment. John also served as Chair of the Legislative Committee for Florida Sheriff's Association, where he advocated before the legislature for policies that strengthened constitutional rights, supported our law enforcement, and enhanced public safety across the state. John has been happily married to his wonderful wife Pat for fifty years. They enjoy their two children, six grandchildren and great grandson, and they are also devoted members of Assumption Catholic Church in Jacksonville. - F. Vincent Vernuccio is a senior fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. He served as the Mackinac Center's director of labor policy between 2012 and 2017. Vernuccio is a graduate of the Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor, Mich. Under President George W. Bush he served as special assistant to the assistant secretary for administration and management in the Department of Labor. Vernuccio has published articles and op-eds in such newspapers and magazines as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor's Business Daily, The Washington Times, National Review, Forbes and The American Spectator. He has been cited in several books, and he is a frequent contributor on national television and radio shows, such as "Your World" with Neil Cavuto and Varney and Company. Vernuccio is a sought-after voice on labor panels nationally and in Washington, D.C. and as a regular guest on Fox News channels. He has advised senators and congressmen on a multitude of labor-related issues. He testified before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and Labor Policy. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, former state senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita fills in for Chuck. She and Sam are joined by Dr. Greg Autry, a Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business in the Thunderbird School of Global Management and an Affiliate Professor with the Interplanetary Initiative at Arizona State University. Later in the show, Dan McLaughlin returns to give us an update on the Trump indictment. - Dr. Greg Autry is a Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business in the Thunderbird School of Global Management and an Affiliate Professor with the Interplanetary Initiative at Arizona State University. He also holds an appointment as Visiting Professor with the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial College London. He has consulted on a series of AI and space tech videos for the University of Oxford. He previously taught technology entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, strategy, macroeconomics at the University of California at Irvine, and space entrepreneurship in an International Space University program at the Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Autry served on the 2016 NASA Agency Review Team and as the White House Liaison at NASA in 2017. He was nominated by the president to serve as Chief Financial Officer of NASA in 2020. Dr. Autry also served as Chair of the Safety Working Group on the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) at the FAA. He is currently the Vice President for Space Development of the National Space Society. He has testified to the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and presented at the Canadian Parliament. His writings have been published in major news outlets including Foreign Policy, the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Wall Street Journal and Space News. Dr. Autry has appeared frequently in major media outlets including the BBC, CNN and NPR. He has published several business case studies set in the commercial space sector available at Harvard Business School Publishing. He is the author of The New Entrepreneurial Dynamic(Flatworld 2022) and Death by China (Pearson 2011). He serves on the editorial review boards of: The New Space Journal and The Journal Space Safety Engineering. Dr. Autry started his career as a software and network engineer and has founded and managed several businesses in the technology sector. Dr. Autry holds a BA from California Polytechnic University at Pomona and an MBA and PhD from the Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. - Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute. He was formerly an attorney practicing securities and commercial litigation in New York City, a contributing editor of RedState, columnist at the Federalist and the New Ledger, a baseball blogger at BaseballCrank.com, BostonSportsGuy.com, the Providence Journal Online, and a contributor to the Command Post. His writings on politics, baseball, and law have appeared in numerous other newspapers, magazines, websites, and legal journals. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, our friend Dan McLaughlin joins us to talk about the Trump indictment. Later in the show, we are honored to be joined by Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. - Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute. He was formerly an attorney practicing securities and commercial litigation in New York City, a contributing editor of RedState, columnist at the Federalist and the New Ledger, a baseball blogger at BaseballCrank.com, BostonSportsGuy.com, the Providence Journal Online, and a contributor to the Command Post. His writings on politics, baseball, and law have appeared in numerous other newspapers, magazines, websites, and legal journals. - Roger F. Wicker has represented Mississippi in the United States Senate since December 2007. During his time in the Senate, Wicker has championed pro-growth policies to create jobs, limit federal overreach, protect life, and maintain a strong national defense. Wicker is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for the 118th Congress. Wicker is also a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, having served previously as the chairman and ranking member for the 116th and 117th Congresses, respectively. His other committee assignments include the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee. Wicker is a ranking member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and Vice President of the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly. Wicker also serves as a member of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Congressional Board of Visitors. Wicker authored the "Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Act," which made it the policy of the United States to achieve the Navy's requirement for a 355-ship fleet. This legislation, which was designed to bolster national security and increase American shipbuilding capacity, was signed into law by President Trump as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Senator Wicker has been a strong advocate for economic development initiatives to help keep Mississippians competitive in a global marketplace. He has been honored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for his work on pro-growth, pro-manufacturing policies in Congress. Senator Wicker has actively supported cancer survivorship programs and efforts to fight heart disease with the American Heart Association, diabetes, childhood obesity, and Alzheimer's. He has been recognized as a "champion" of polio eradication for his work to wipe out polio worldwide. Senator Wicker is the co-founder of the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus and the co-chair of the Rare Disease Caucus. He has been instrumental in bringing more research funding to Mississippi universities for a wide range of health-related projects to fight disease and improve quality of life. Most notably, Wicker authored the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education (MD CARE) Act of 2001, which created NIH centers of excellence to coordinate and enhance muscular dystrophy research. The Wicker Project at Children's National Medical Center is a leader in muscular dystrophy research. Prior to his service in the Senate, Wicker was elected seven times, beginning in 1994, to represent Mississippi's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives. Before being elected to Congress, he served in the state Senate on behalf of Lee and Pontotoc counties. Senator Wicker served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and then joined the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the Reserve in 2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. A native of Pontotoc, Mississippi, the Senator is the son of the late Circuit Judge Fred Wicker and Mrs. Wordna Wicker. He was educated in the public schools of Pontotoc and received his B.A. and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. Wicker is a member of the First Baptist Church Tupelo, where he served as chairman of the deacons, taught Sunday School, and where he still sings in the choir. Senator Wicker is married to the former Gayle Long of Tupelo. They have three children: Margaret and son-in-law Manning McPhillips; Caroline and son-in-law Kirk Sims; and McDaniel Wicker and his wife Kellee; and eight grandchildren: Caroline, Henry, Maury Beth, and Virginia McPhillips; Evelyn and Joseph Sims; and Philippa and Julia Wicker. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by friend of the show, Congressman David Schweikert of Arizona's First Congressional District. Later in the show, we check in with Ilan Wurman, who is working on a critical lawsuit over "The Zone," a homeless encampment in downtown Phoenix. - David Schweikert is serving his fifth term in the United States Congress. He holds a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, and serves as the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. Prior to his service on the Ways and Means Committee, David served on the House Committee on Financial Services. David also sits on the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, Co-Chairs the Valley Fever Task force with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and is the Republican Co-Chair of both the Blockchain Caucus, the Tunisia Caucus and the Caucus on Access to Capital and Credit. Among his legislative accomplishments, David was instrumental in authoring and passing the JOBS ACT into law. The bill was signed by the President in April 2012. Having previously served as Chairman of the EPA Oversight Subcommittee on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee; David championed key reforms such as the Secret Science Reform Act, which has passed the House of Representatives. A national leader on tribal policy, David draws on a unique background working with Arizona's tribal communities on important priorities. He is always eager to take on a technical challenge. As a strong advocate for efficiencies in the 21st Century economy, David collaborates with entrepreneurs and innovators in Arizona and around the world on ways to increase trade and drive economic growth. David is the co-chair of the Blockchain Caucus, and has championed technological innovations as the solution to the problems of over-burdensome government regulations. - Ilan Wurman is an associate professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he teaches administrative law and constitutional law. He writes primarily on the Fourteenth Amendment, administrative law, separation of powers, and constitutionalism. His academic writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the Yale Law Journal, the Stanford Law Review, the University of Chicago Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the Virginia Law Review, the Duke Law Journal, the Minnesota Law Review, and the Texas Law Review among other journals. He is also the author of A Debt Against the Living: An Introduction to Originalism (Cambridge 2017), and The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment (Cambridge 2020). - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congresswoman Laurel Lee of Florida's 15th Congressional District and Doug Kelly, CEO of the American Edge Project. - Congresswoman Laurel Lee proudly represents the 15th District of Florida. Prior to her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, she served as Florida's 36th Secretary of State under the DeSantis Administration from January 2019 to May 2022. Congresswoman Laurel Lee was sworn into office in the United States House of Representatives on January 3, 2023. She proudly represents the 15th District of Florida which encompasses eastern Hillsborough county including Thonotosassa and Plant City, and part of Brandon, as well as parts of Pasco and Polk counties including Zephyrhills and west Lakeland. A wife, mother, and daughter of a two-star general in the United States Air Force, Laurel is committed to ensuring that the 15th District of Florida's voice is represented in Congress. Laurel grew up in a military family, born at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. As a life-long public servant, Laurel is focused on bringing common-sense solutions to Washington that will encourage job growth, limit government overreach, secure our borders, and bolster our economic and national security. Prior to her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Laurel served as Florida's 36th Secretary of State under the DeSantis Administration from January 2019 to May 2022. During her tenure, she worked to strengthen Florida's elections infrastructure and cybersecurity defenses and ensured accurate and secure elections in the state. From 2013-2019, Laurel served as a Circuit Court Judge in Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Court in Hillsborough County, appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Before becoming a judge, she served as a federal prosecutor for the United States Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida. As a federal prosecutor, she investigated and litigated False Claims Act cases and initiated and prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses, including white-collar crime, violent crime, and offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Laurel serves on House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. Her main focus on these committees includes government accountability and transparency and protecting our nation from threats both abroad and at home. During her first week in office, Laurel introduced the REINS Act to remove burdensome government regulations for Floridians. This legislation reins in harmful regulations, limits executive overreach, and protects all Americans from unelected and unchecked Washington bureaucrats. Laurel is a graduate of the University of Florida where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1996 and received her law degree in 1999. Laurel lives in eastern Hillsborough County with her husband, Tom, and their three children. - Doug Kelly is the CEO of the American Edge Project, a coalition dedicated to the proposition that American innovators are an essential part of U.S. economic health, national security and individual freedoms. Doug's lived experience drew him to American Edge's mission. Raised in a small Michigan town that lost 43 percent of its manufacturing jobs over two decades, he saw firsthand the painful consequences of what happens when policymakers don't vigorously protect what gives our country and our communities a competitive edge. Concerned that lawmakers were making the same mistake with the U.S. technology industry, Doug joined AEP as Chief Executive Officer in September 2021 to spearhead AEP's effort to protect America's technology innovation edge. An accomplished, values-driven executive, Doug has spent his entire career as a relentless force for good in transforming lives at the national, state, and local levels. He brings to AEP a deep background in politics, advocacy, technology, and organization building. For 20 years, he served in senior leadership roles in the political sector, deeply engaged in Presidential, Gubernatorial, and other statewide campaigns. Over his career, Doug has successfully led three separate large-scale transformation efforts in technology, organization building, and fundraising. Doug also served as President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, & Indiana, the largest chapter of Make-A-Wish in the country and also founded a strategic consulting firm, Big Change Strategies, which coached executives to higher performance and developed growth and impact strategies for advocacy and nonprofit organizations. Doug lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Linda. He has two college-aged children and a faithful pound dog named Tony, who has an endless appetite for chew toys and trail running. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri's 7th Congressional District. He is a sixth-generation Missourian with 20 years of private sector experience as an investment advisor and software consultant. - Congressman Burlison is a sixth-generation Missourian with 20 years of private sector experience as an investment advisor and software consultant. He is a 1995 graduate from Parkview High School in Springfield, and he received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University. He was elected to represent Missouri's 7th Congressional District in 2022. He previously represented the 20th Senatorial District, comprising of Christian County and part of Greene County, from 2019 to 2023. Before his election to the Missouri Senate, he represented the 133rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives. In his free time, Sen. Burlison enjoys hunting and fishing in the Ozarks. He and his wife, Angie, are active members of their church and passionate about supporting campus ministries. They live in Battlefield with their two daughters, Reese and Aubrey. - David Catanese is a Washington-based political writer ready to feed your political appetite but also challenge you on some of life's larger quandaries. He's written for McClatchy, The Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report & Politico. - Jon Levine is a political reporter for the Sunday New York Post. His work covers city, state and national politics. He has worked on significant continuing stories and investigations, including Hunter Biden and the 2020 presidential election. A native New Yorker, he previously worked as a media reporter for TheWrap and Mediaite. His work has been featured on CNN.com, The Atlantic, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. When he's not working, he's thinking about work. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Are you getting ready for retirement? Invest in a portfolio with a high, fixed rate of return, that's not correlated to the stock market. Visit investyrefy.com or call CALL 888-YREFY-24. Make sure you tell our friends at Yrefy that Chuck and Sam sent you. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congressman James Moylan of Guam and Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute. - Congressman James Moylan proudly serves as Guam's congressional delegate to the 118th United States Congress.As the first Republican to win the seat on Guam in nearly 30 years, Moylan's victory was historic.He is a strong and trustworthy leader who's focused on issues that affect Guamanians most.Moylan believes island residents have a right to know what's happening in their governing offices. Therefore, he has created an open door policy allowing constituents to have their concerns addressed.Moylan's history of service includes his time as a senator in the 35th and 36th Guam Legislature, a Veteran of the United States army and a parole officer at the Department of Corrections.Additionally, Moylan has more than two decades of experience working in the private sector, including healthcare, financial services, and insurance.In his current position, Moylan serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. Both Committees address issues that are vital to Guam.Additionally, Moylan is a native of Guam and is from the village of Tumon. He graduated from John F Kennedy High School and continued to the University of Guam where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Most of all, Moylan is a proud father to Abby and Krissy Moylan. - Frederick M. Hess is a senior fellow and the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he works on K–12 and higher education issues. The author of Education Week's popular blog "Rick Hess Straight Up," Dr. Hess is also an executive editor of Education Next, and a regular contributor to Forbes and the Hill. He is the founder and chairman of AEI's Conservative Education Reform Network.An educator, political scientist, and author, Dr. Hess has published in scholarly outlets, such as American Politics Quarterly, Harvard Education Review, Social Science Quarterly, Teachers College Record, and Urban Affairs Review. His work has also appeared in popular outlets including the Atlantic, National Affairs, the Dispatch, Fox News, National Review, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.His books include A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K–12 Education (Teachers College Press, 2021), Letters to a Young Education Reformer (Harvard Education Press, 2017), The Cage-Busting Teacher (Harvard Education Press, 2015), Breakthrough Leadership in the Digital Age: Using Learning Science to Reboot Schooling (Corwin, 2013), Cage-Busting Leadership (Harvard Education Press, 2013), The Same Thing Over and Over: How School Reformers Get Stuck in Yesterday's Ideas (Harvard University Press, 2010), Education Unbound: The Promise and Practice of Greenfield Schooling (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2010), Common Sense School Reform (St. Martin's Griffin, 2004), Revolution at the Margins: The Impact of Competition on Urban School Systems (Brookings Institution Press, 2002), and Spinning Wheels: The Politics of Urban School Reform (Brookings Institution Press, 1998).Dr. Hess started his career as a high school social studies teacher. He has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Rice University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University. He is also the senior founding fellow of the Public Education Foundation's Leadership Institute of Nevada.Dr. Hess has an MA and a PhD in government, in addition to an MEd in teaching and curriculum, from Harvard University. He also has a BA in political science from Brandeis University. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds INVEST IN A PORTFOLIO WITH A HIGH, FIXED RATE OF RETURN, THAT'S NOT CORRELATED TO THE STOCK MARKET. VISIT INVESTYREFY.COM OR CALL 888-YREFY-24. AND MAKE SURE YOU TELL OUR FRIENDS AT YREFY THAT CHUCK AND SAM SENT YOU. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined first by Congressman Keith Self to get his thoughts on the war in Ukraine and the crisis at our own border. Later in show, we check in with Congressman Eli Crane of Arizona's Second Congressional District. - Keith Self was born in a military hospital during his father's service in the United States Army and was raised in Texas. After graduation from High School in Amarillo, he accepted an appointment to The United States Military Academy at West Point, where he began a 25-year career of service to our country. Keith's Army tours included Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader, Airborne Infantry Company Commander, Special Forces Detachment Commander and Special Forces Company Commander. His service took him to Europe, the Middle East, and the Pentagon, where he worked on the most sensitive military programs. He deployed to Grenada, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraqi Freedom. During his career, Keith received the Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, and Joint Staff Badge. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Upon retiring from the Army, Keith was elected County Judge in Collin County, TX, in 2006. He served three consecutive terms before retiring in 2018. Keith and his wife Tracy have been happily married since his graduation from West Point. They reside in McKinney, TX and are active members in their church and local community. - Born and raised in Arizona, Eli Crane has the privilege of serving as the U.S. Representative for Arizona's Second Congressional District. A week after the September 11th attacks, Rep. Crane left college during his senior year at the University of Arizona to enlist in the U.S. Navy. During his 13 years in military service, he participated in five wartime deployments – serving three with SEAL Team 3. In 2012, Rep. Crane and his wife Jen co-founded a veteran-owned and operated small business that manufactures bottle openers made from shell casings. A venture that started in their garage, the business eventually grew to employ dozens and led to a successfully negotiated deal that was televised nationally. They sold the company in 2022. Eli and Jen live in Arizona with their two daughters, Makenzie and Kennedy. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds INVEST IN A PORTFOLIO WITH A HIGH, FIXED RATE OF RETURN, THAT'S NOT CORRELATED TO THE STOCK MARKET. VISIT INVESTYREFY.COM OR CALL 888-YREFY-24. AND MAKE SURE YOU TELL OUR FRIENDS AT YREFY THAT CHUCK AND SAM SENT YOU. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Vinney Tolman, author of the incredible new book The Light After Death, based on his journey to heaven and back. Later in the show, Lincoln Shurtz joins us to shed some light on the United States' plans to give tanks to the Ukrainian military. - In January 2003, Vincent Tolman was found dead in the bathroom of a small restaurant. He had been dead for over half an hour. When paramedics arrived, they put him in a body bag and took him away. A rookie paramedic had a feeling to risk his career, break all protocols, and try to resuscitate Vincent. Miraculously, he restarted Vincent's heart, and Vincent was in a coma for three days. Vincent remembers what happened on the "other side" while he was dead, and he's ready to share his experience. The Light After Death is the incredible true story of how Vincent died, the lessons he learned, his visit to heaven, and how his experience has affected his life since then. Read this inspiring story that provides a rare and detailed view of what awaits us all when our time on Earth is finished, and how to make the most of the time we have while still here. - Lincoln Shurtz has over two decades of experience advancing client priorities in both the public and private sectors. Before starting Legislative Insight Consulting, Lincoln served for four years in active military service in the US Army as a tank commander. The skills and political acumen he developed leading a platoon helped shape his career path, eventually leading him to the Utah League of Cities and Towns, where he became Director of Government Relations. A bipartisan approach is part of what sets Legislative Insight apart from the rest. Relationships built on trust and experience provide more than partisan rhetoric. Lincoln serves and has served on many boards, including EDCUtah, the Governor's Committee on Accountability and Government Efficiency, Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah. Lincoln received degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Utah, where he is a lecturer in the MPA program. When not working, he can be found heliskiing in Utah and Canada and spending time with his family. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by former Congresswoman Mia Love of Utah and current Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. We also check in with our friend Alexander Raikin for an update on Canada's assisted suicide program. - Mia B. Love is a former Representative of the 4th Congressional District of Utah. Love was elected to office in 2014. She is the first and only Republican black female to ever serve in The United States Congress. Love was appointed as the only freshman to serve on the Select Panel for Infant Lives, to investigate the selling of organs on the free market. She was also selected to serve on the Financial Services Committee (which handles regulation of our nation's financial institutions) Terrorism and Illicit Finance, Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy and Trade subcommittees. While in office, she was a champion for reducing burdensome regulations and sponsoring legislation that make it easier for small and community banks to lend money to individuals and families. That bill (part of S. 2155) was signed into law in August of 2018. Rep. Love was also a leader in the push for immigration reform, and adamantly works to protect life at all stages of development, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. She was awarded the Marilyn Musgrave "Defender of Life Award" for her work in protecting life in Congress. Rep Love was a headline speaker at the 2012 RNC convention in Tampa FL. Prior to her work in Congress, Rep. Love served as a city councilwoman and mayor in her hometown of Saratoga Springs, Utah. Mia is currently a CNN correspondent and was recently appointed as a non-resident senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Mia is passionate about getting Americans out of government poverty programs that are meant to trap and destroy families and promoting free market principles. She has advocated for limited government, fiscal discipline and personal responsibility. Mia is currently a CNN correspondent and was recently appointed as a non-resident senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Most importantly, Mia is the daughter of legal immigrants from Haiti, a wife, a mother of three children and a proud American. - Marco Rubio has represented Florida in the United States Senate since 2010, where he has one guiding objective: bring the American Dream back into the reach of those who feel it slipping away. Senator Rubio's efforts have been successful and long-lasting. Non-partisan analyses by GovTrack and the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked Rubio the Senate's number two leader and most effective Republican in 2020.Senator Rubio currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he oversees our nation's intelligence and national security apparatus. Senator Rubio is also a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, where he fights to promote human rights and America's interests around the globe; the powerful Appropriations Committee, which allocates funding for the federal government; and the Special Committee on Aging, dedicated to the needs of older Americans.In addition, Senator Rubio serves on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where works to help small businesses thrive in the 21st century. As former Chairman of this committee, Rubio authored the historic Paycheck Protection Program, which has been a lifeline to millions of small businesses and Americans workers as they battle economic hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.Senator Rubio was born in Miami, after his parents came to the United States from Cuba in search of the American Dream. He lives there today with his wife Jeanette and their four children. - Alexander Raikin is a freelance journalist and a writer interested in medical ethics and bad statistics. His writings have been published in City Journal and The New Atlantis. Alexander is also a research fellow with Do No Harm. He can be found on Twitter at @AlexanderRaikin - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia's 10th District. Later in the show, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson joins us to discuss how he would address the most critical issues facing our country today. - As the Representative for Georgia's 10th Congressional District, Mike Collins brings decades of experience as an entrepreneur, businessman, and employer to Congress. He and his wife Leigh Ann started a trucking company in the early 1990s that has grown to employ more than 100 Georgians and hauls freight all over America. Mike has also served on the board and as Chairman of one of Georgia's largest credit unions and president of his local Chamber of Commerce. That experience informs Mike's top policy priorities, which are to cut wasteful spending and take onerous regulations off the backs of small business owners so our economy can grow and hard-working Americans can thrive. Representative Collins was born, raised and still resides in Jackson, Georgia. He graduated with a business degree from Georgia State University. He and Leigh Ann have three grown children and four grandchildren. - William Asa Hutchinson II was born on December 3, 1950. He is an American businessman, attorney and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the U.S. According to the ballotpedia.org, attorney for the Fort Smith-based Western District of Arkansas (1982–1985), U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district (1997–2001), Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (2001–2003)) and the first Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security at the United States Department of Homeland Security (2003–2005). - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by three distinguished guests: Congresswoman Carol Miller of West Virginia, Congressman Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions Chris Campbell. - Congresswoman Carol Miller represents West Virginia's First Congressional District. Miller serves on the Committee on Ways and Means. Miller's focus in Congress is creating jobs, diversifying the economy, innovating and improving infrastructure, protecting America's borders, and supporting West Virginia's energy industries like coal, oil, and gas. Prior to her election to Congress in 2018, Congresswoman Miller served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2006 to 2018 where she rose to become the first female Majority Whip.A mother of two and grandmother of seven, Carol Miller is married to her husband Matt, and lives in Huntington, where she owns and operates Swann Ridge Bison Farm and manages real estate. Miller was born in Columbus, Ohio and is the daughter of Congressman Samuel L. Devine and Betty Devine. - Josh Brecheen (pronounced Bra-keen) is a committed Christian, husband, father, and is a fourth generation rancher in Coal County, Oklahoma. Prior to his time in Congress, he owned and operated a small excavation and trucking business, Rawhide Dirtworks L.L.C. He served as an Oklahoma State Senator from 2010 to 2018, obtaining an overall voting record as the third most conservative senator among those with whom he served. He was the original author of measures that included capping state debt, banning dismemberment abortions, and a true repeal and replace of the common core educational standards—the nation's first. From 2004 to 2010, Brecheen worked for U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. as a field representative, working directly with Oklahoma constituents and evaluating federal programs for waste and inefficiencies. Brecheen is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he earned a dual degree in agriculture. He served the Oklahoma FFA Association as State President in 1999 and later worked seasonally for the National FFA Organization as an ALD conference presenter. Until 2010, he brought inspirational messages into approximately 500 public schools, universities, and conferences through his motivational speaking business, Brecheen Keynotes and Seminars and also as a free service when employed by Tom Coburn. Brecheen grew up in the professional cutting horse industry and in his youth was a two-time national qualifier for the National Cutting Horse Association Eastern Championship show. After college, Brecheen started training cutting horse futurity prospects as a "non pro" and has been raising quality cow horses for over 20 years. As a member of Congress, he is focused on reining in our unsustainable debt and deficit spending, which he is convinced is undermining our national security. - The Honorable Christopher E Campbell is the Chief Strategist at Kroll, based in the New York office. As a Fellow of the Kroll Institute, he is a frequent guest commentator on national news programs on matters involving the economy. Prior to Kroll, Chris was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions from 2017 to 2018. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating the Department's efforts regarding financial institutions legislation and regulation, legislation affecting federal agencies that regulate or insure financial institutions and securities markets legislation and regulation. Specific policy and program areas of oversight included government-sponsored enterprises, critical infrastructure protection (cyber security) and compliance policy, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), small business, community development and affordable housing policy. Chris was the Treasury board representative on the boards of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) and the Financial Industry's Critical Infrastructure Group. He regularly met with the heads of the 15 federal financial regulators. Additionally, he oversaw the Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Financial Institutions Policy and Small Business, Community Development and Affordable Housing, and Cyber Security, in addition to a staff of 200. Prior to his role at the Treasury department, Chris was the majority staff director to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. He designed, managed and coordinated the U.S. Senate Republican agenda in the areas of international and domestic taxation, international trade, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the U.S. National Debt, and oversight of three presidential cabinet secretaries. He was named by Roll Call Newspaper as one of the 50 most influential staffers on Capitol Hill, seven years running. Previously, he served as legislative director to Senator Orrin G. Hatch, where he coordinated and managed the senator's legislative activities. Immediately prior to rejoining Senator Ha

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Jason Willick, a columnist for the Washington Post. Later in the program, we are joined in studio by Mark Joseph Mongilutz, a writer for the Haymaker, for a discussion of the future of AI. - Jason Willick writes a regular Washington Post column on legal issues, political ideas and foreign affairs. Before coming to The Post in 2022, he was an editorial writer and assistant editorial features editor for the Wall Street Journal, and before that a staff writer and associate editor at the American Interest. - Mark Joseph Mongilutz is a writer, editor, author, and occasional book consultant. He is presently working as a full-time content manager for Haymaker, a finance-focused Substack newsletter, and has recently launched Opinions Impending (also on Substack), via which he will share his political/cultural writings on a semi-weekly basis. Mark is the author of Solemn Duty in the Old Guard (2018) and editor of Voices of the 9/11 Pentagon Recovery Effort: Essays from the U.S. Army's Old Guard (2020). Originally from Western Washington, Mark now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, friend of the show Henry Olsen returns with a look at the fight over the debt ceiling. Later, we are honored to be joined in studio by Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota. Finally, we wrap up with a conversation with Monica Eaton, founder of Chargeback 911. - Henry Olsen is a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Olsen began his career as a political consultant at the California firm of Hoffenblum-Mollrich. After three years working for the California Assembly Republican Caucus, he returned to school to become a lawyer. Following law school he clerked for the Honorable Danny J. Boggs on the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and as an associate in the Philadelphia office of Dechert, Price & Rhoads. He then joined the think tank world where he spent the next eighteen years as an executive at a variety of institutions, serving as the President of the Commonwealth Foundation, a Vice President at the Manhattan Institute, and as Vice President and Director, National Research Initiative, at the American Enterprise Institute. He left AEI in 2013 to pursue a career in political analysis and writing at EPPC. During that time his work has appeared in variety of leading publications in America and the United Kingdom. He is the author or co-author of two books, "The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism" and (with Dante J. Scala) "The Four Faces of the Republican Party". His biennial election predictions have been widely praised for the uncanny accuracy, and he is a frequent guest on television and radio programs. Olsen regularly speaks about American political trends and global populism in the United State, Europe, and Australia. - Dusty Johnson brings an energetic and optimistic style to Washington as South Dakota's lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. A "policy guy," he works hard to be a knowledgeable and value-added member on issues related to his two primary committee assignments: Agriculture, Transportation & Infrastructure. Prior to being elected to Congress, Dusty served as vice president for Vantage Point Solutions, a South Dakota-based engineering and consulting firm specializing in rural telecommunications. Vantage Point has more than 200 employees and helps rural providers design, build, and operate broadband systems in 40 states. Dusty is an expert in state and national telecommunications policy, especially Federal Communications Commission reform efforts and the transformation of the Universal Service Fund. In 2004, Dusty was elected statewide to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. He worked with his colleagues to maintain a fair and reasonable regulatory environment, facilitating the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars into rural energy and telecommunications infrastructure. In 2010, Governor Dennis Daugaard asked Dusty to serve as chief of staff, the chief operating officer for much of state government. In that role, Dusty oversaw many of the Governor's top projects and initiatives, especially those related to infrastructure and public safety. Dusty grew up in a large working-class family in central South Dakota. He has degrees from the University of South Dakota and the University of Kansas. Dusty has been an active community volunteer, having served as a Sunday School teacher, adjunct faculty member at Dakota Wesleyan University, and president and board member of Abbott House, an agency serving abused and neglected children. He lives in Mitchell with his wife and three sons. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, hunting, and reading. - Monica Eaton is an international entrepreneur, speaker, author, and industry thought leader. Monica founded Chargebacks911 in 2011 to provide a solution to merchants suffering from fraudulent chargebacks and since then, has recovered more than $4 billion in revenue for over 1 million businesses and banks through Chargebacks911 for merchants and its sister company, Fi911 for financial institutions. Monica has received dozens of awards for her innovation and has been featured in publications like The Washington Post, Forbes, FinTech Magazine, and Entrepreneur Magazine. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Chris Buskirk, author of the new book America and the Art of the Possible: Restoring National Vitality in an Age of Decay. Later in the show, Jonathan Johnson, CEO of Overstock, returns to the show to talk about challenges and opportunities facing business leaders in 2023. - Chris is publisher of American Greatness. A contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, he has also written for the Washington Post, SpectatorWorld, USA Today, The Hill, The New Criterion, and other publications. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News, NPR's "Morning Edition," PBS Newshour, and "Hardball" and regularly appears on CNN. He is the author of the book, Trump vs. The Leviathan and, along with Seth Leibsohn, American Greatness: How Conservatism, Inc. Missed the 2016 Election & What the Establishment Needs to Learn. He was a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute and received a fellowship from the Earhart Foundation. Chris is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold businesses in financial services and digital marketing. He received his B.A. from Claremont-McKenna College. - Jonathan Johnson is the CEO of Overstock, a leading online home furnishings retailer. Since assuming this role in 2019, Johnson has positioned Overstock as more than just an e-commerce website - streamlining its widespread merchandising interests into a concentrated, focused strategy dedicated to providing dream homes for all. Johnson is a member of Overstock's board of directors and has been an integral part of the company's growth - from a start-up to publicly traded with over $3 billion in sales and nearly 2,000 employees. Overstock was recognized as one of the nation's top employers in 2021. Since joining Overstock in 2002, Johnson has held various positions within the company, including chairman of the board, executive vice chairman, president, and general counsel. He is also a member of the board of directors of The J.M. Smucker Co, a Fortune 500 and leading consumer packaged goods company. He was chosen for this position due, in part, to his innovative FORWARD plan, (Overstock's remote work structure following the COVID pandemic), and his vast supply chain, marketing, operations, general management, technology, finance, and corporate governance experience. From 2016-2021, Johnson served as president of Medici Ventures, a former Overstock subsidiary which invested in blockchain technology and fintech businesses including tZERO, Bitt, Medici Land Governance, GrainChain, PeerNova, and Voatz. While leading this portfolio of companies, Johnson spent countless hours educating the public and policy makers around the world about the potential of blockchain. In early 2021, Medici's assets were transferred to a venture fund overseen by Pelion Venture Partners. Prior to Overstock, Johnson worked for TenFold Corporation, practiced corporate law in Los Angeles with two international law firms and served as a judicial clerk at the Utah Supreme Court. Johnson received a bachelor's degree in Japanese from Brigham Young University, studied at Osaka University of Foreign Studies in Japan as a Ministry of Education Scholar, and received a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. Johnson is based in Salt Lake City, UT, where he resides with his wife of 34 years. He has 5 sons, two granddaughters, and enjoys cycling, crossword puzzles, and reading poetry. He is active in many facets of the community. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined in studio by the Great Elderski - Larry Elder. Chuck and Sam ask Larry about his experience as a candidate for governor of California and whether or not he might be thinking about running for president. - Larry Elder—the Sage from South Central—is a nationally syndicated radio host and newspaper columnist, bestselling author, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and one of the best-known media figures in America today. His flagship daily radio program, "The Larry Elder Show," is heard every weekday in all 50 states, on more than 300 stations. Elder's unique style, personal background, and professional experience combine to inspire, inform, and persuade his listeners, readers, and viewers to embrace the timeless American principles of personal responsibility and public accountability. "The question is not which party has my back, but which party can get government off our backs—so that we might all realize our God-given capabilities," says Elder. Elder was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles—and his family's story represents every bit of the American Dream. His father was born in Athens, Georgia, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, and moved to California and opened his own restaurant—Elder's Snack Bar. Elder's mother, originally from Huntsville, Alabama, was a clerical worker for the U.S. Department of War (now the U.S. Department of Defense) and raised three boys as a stay-at-home mom. Elder has a B.A. in Political Science from Brown University, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Alexander Raikin, a freelance journalist investigating Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program. Later in the show, Abraham Hamadeh calls in with an update on the legal fights over Arizona's election. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas from Breaking Battlegrounds! This week, we are joined by bestselling author, Richard Paul Evans, whose novel The Noel Diary was recently adapted into a hit Netflix movie. - When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written 41 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, and he is one the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has dozens awards for his books including the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards, the German Leser Priz Gold award for romance, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. Evan's Michael Vey young adult series is a #1 New York Times bestselling series and has won numerous awards. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers. Seven of Evans' books have been produced into major television productions starring such acclaimed actors as Maureen O'Hara, James Earl Jones, Richard Thomas, Ellen Burstyn, Naomi Watts, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Lloyd, and Rob Lowe. His first feature film is currently in production with director Charles Shyer and starring Justin Hartley. During the Spring of 1996, Evans' founded The Christmas Box House International, an organization devoted to building shelters and providing services for abused and neglected children. Such shelters are operational in Moab, Vernal, Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah. To date, more than 125,000 children have been protected. In addition, his book, The Sunflower, was the motivating factor in the creation of The Sunflower Orphanage in Peru. Evans was awarded the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award and the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award. Evans is also the founder and CEO of BookWise, an international direct sales business. As an acclaimed speaker, Evans has shared the podium with such notable personalities as President George W. Bush, President George and Barbara Bush, former British Prime Minister John Major, Ron Howard, Elizabeth Dole, Deepak Chopra, Steve Allen, and Bob Hope. Evans has been featured on The Today Show and Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Time, Newsweek, People, The New York Times, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, USA Today, TV Guide, Reader's Digest, and Family Circle. Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children and two grandchildren. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by William Inboden, author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, and Chris Stirewalt of the American Enterprise Institute. - William Inboden joined the LBJ School faculty after many years of working as a policymaker in Washington, DC, and directing a foreign policy think tank overseas. He is the William Powers, Jr. executive director of the Clements Center for National Security and a distinguished scholar at the Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He is also a National Intelligence Council associate and serves on the CIA's Historical Advisory Panel and State Department's Historical Advisory Committee. Dr. Inboden previously served as senior director for strategic planning on the National Security Council, worked on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff and served as a congressional staff member. His think-tank experience includes the American Enterprise Institute and running the London-based Legatum Institute. He is a Council on Foreign Relations life member and a contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Affairs, The Weekly Standard and USA Today, and on NPR, CNN and BBC. His classes, "Ethics & International Relations" and "Presidential Decision-Making in National Security," have been selected in recent years as the Best Class in the LBJ School. His most recent book, on the Reagan administration's national security policies, is The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan in the White House and the World (2022). - Chris Stirewalt is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he focuses on American politics, voting trends, public opinion, and the media. He is concurrently a contributing editor and weekly columnist for The Dispatch. Before joining AEI, he was political editor of Fox News Channel, where he helped coordinate political coverage across the network and specialized in on-air analysis of polls and voting trends. Before joining Fox News Channel, Mr. Stirewalt served as political editor of the Washington Examiner, where he wrote a twice-weekly column and led political coverage for the newspaper. He also served as political editor of the Charleston Daily Mail and West Virginia Media. Mr. Stirewalt began his career at the Wheeling Intelligencer in West Virginia. A well-known political commentator, Mr. Stirewalt wrote about his personal experience of the 2020 election in the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of "Every Man a King: A Short, Colorful History of American Populists" (Twelve Books, 2018), in which he looks at American populism through the history of seven famous populists. Mr. Stirewalt is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he studied history. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by two incredible guests: former Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, and Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska's 2nd District. - Dr. Mark T. Esper became the 27th Secretary of Defense in July 2019 when he was confirmed in an overwhelming 90-8 vote by the U.S. Senate in rare bipartisan fashion. Esper went on to successfully lead the Defense Department through an unprecedented time in the nation's history: from conflict with Iran, an ongoing military campaign in Afghanistan, and counter-terrorism operations in the Middle East; to open competition with China and Russia amidst a fundamental shift in the geo-strategic environment; and from the greatest civil unrest and political turmoil America has seen in decades, to a major recession and the spread of a global pandemic the world had not experienced in over 100 years, all while dealing with an unpredictable White House. As Defense Secretary, Esper was responsible for ensuring the United States' national security, protecting the American people at home and abroad, and advancing the country's interests globally. In this capacity, he led the largest and most complex organization in the world given its nearly three million service members and defense civilians, $740 billion annual budget, and trillions of dollars of weapons, equipment, and infrastructure located at 4,800 sites in over 160 countries. Esper's broad scope of responsibilities ranged from organizing, manning, training, and equipping the joint force, to the research and development of future weapons, concepts, and equipment; and from defense trade, diplomacy, and cybersecurity, to healthcare, hospitals, housing, and schools. Dr. Esper made major strides in shaping and implementing the National Defense Strategy, which called for a return to preparing for high intensity conflict in a new era of great power competition principally against China and Russia. To this end, Esper established the Space Force and Space Command, proposed a dramatic change in the size and composition of the U.S. Navy, enhanced the resourcing and operations of Cyber Command, and led a major reform effort that reorganized the department and freed up billions of dollars for higher priorities. He worked hard to strengthen alliances and grow new partners, especially in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, and helped drive a major increase in the readiness and capability of NATO members, all while advancing new warfighting, operational, and readiness concepts in the U.S. military. Esper also oversaw the largest R&D budget in the department's history, drove spending on cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, directed energy, advanced networking, robotics, and hypersonics, and launched the biggest initiative in decades to improve diversity and inclusion in the armed forces. Prior to becoming Defense Secretary, Dr. Esper served as the 23rd Secretary of the Army from November 2017 until June 2019. In this capacity, he was responsible for over 1.5 million active, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers and Army civilians, a budget of $180 billion annually, and all aspects of leading the world's most capable ground combat force. During his tenure, Esper launched a renaissance in how the Service organized, manned, trained, and equipped the force as it shifted its focus back toward large-scale combat operations against great power competitors. Dr. Esper was a reformer who spearheaded an extensive review process dubbed "night court" that reduced organizational inefficiencies and eliminated scores of programs to free up funding for critical modernization initiatives. He also established a new U.S. Army Futures Command designed to improve the Army's acquisition process and bolster its broader effort to field a modern force capable of fighting in all domains. Finally, he directed an overhaul of Army recruiting standards and processes, the lengthening and toughening of Infantry Basic Combat Training, and the development of a new Talent Management system for the service, all while advancing important initiatives for Army spouses and families. - Growing up and working on a farm in Illinois, Congressman Don Bacon learned first-hand how the value of hard work and commitment contributes to the success of a small business. He moved from the family farm to attend Northern Illinois University, from which he graduated with a Bachelors of Political Science in 1984, the same year he married Angie, the love of his life. They have three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. One year later, he began his military career by joining the U.S. Air Force and serving nearly 30 years, ultimately retiring as a Brigadier General. During his career in the Air Force, Congressman Bacon specialized in electronic warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. His career highlights include two tours as a Wing Commander, at Ramstein Airbase in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska; group command at Davis-Monthan Air Forc

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Samuel Gregg, author of the new book, The Next American Economy. Later in the show, political consultant Brian Seitchik stops by the studio. - Samuel Gregg is Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy and Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has a D.Phil. in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, monetary theory and policy, and natural law theory. He is the author of sixteen books, including On Ordered Liberty (2003), The Commercial Society (2007), Wilhelm Röpke's Political Economy (2010); Becoming Europe (2013); Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization (2019); The Essential Natural Law (2021); and The Next American Economy: Nation, State and Markets in an Uncertain World (2022). Two of his books have been short-listed for Conservative Book of the Year. Many of his books and over 400 articles and opinion pieces have been translated into a variety of languages. He is also a Contributor to Law and Liberty, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, an Affiliate Scholar at the Acton Institute, a Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He also serves as a Visiting Scholar at the Heritage Foundation. He has published in journals such as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy; Journal of Markets & Morality; Economic Affairs; Law and Investment Management; Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines; Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy; Oxford Analytica; Communio; Journal of Scottish Philosophy; University Bookman; Foreign Affairs; and Policy. He is a regular writer of opinion-pieces which appear in publications such as the Wall Street Journal Europe; First Things; Investors Business Daily; Law and Liberty; Washington Times; Revue Conflits; American Banker; National Review; Public Discourse; American Spectator; El Mercurio; Australian Financial Review; Jerusalem Post; La Nacion: and Business Review Weekly. He has served as an editorial consultant for the Italian journal, La Societa, and American correspondent for the German newspaper Die Tagespost. He has also been cited in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Time Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, and the Holy See's L'Osservatore Romano. In 2001, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Member of the Mont Pèlerin Society in 2004. In 2008, he was elected a member of the Philadelphia Society, and a member of the Royal Economic Society. In 2017, he was made a Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He served as President of the Philadelphia Society from 2019-2021. He is the General Editor of Lexington Books' Studies in Ethics and Economics Series. He also sits on the Academic Advisory Boards of the Institute of Economic Affairs, London; Campion College, Sydney; the La Fundación Burke, Madrid; the Instituto Fe y Libertad, Guatemala; and as well as the editorial boards of the Journal of Markets and Morality and Revista Valores en la sociedad industrial. - Brian Seitchik is a national political strategist with a background in campaign management and strategy, paid media, earned media, social media development, qualitative and quantitative research, constructing campaign teams and fundraising. With practical experience across the country, Brian knows the true value of a political consultant is not just making a pretty commercial or telling a client what they want to hear; it is the ability to adjust the tone of the campaign at the right time in order to win. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Kevin Freeman, host of Economic War Room on Blaze TV and author of the new book, According to Plan: The Elites' Secret Plan to Sabotage America. Later in the show, the Reverend Jarrett Maupin returns to talk about race in the United States. - Kevin Freeman is considered one of the world's leading experts on the issues of Economic Warfare and Financial Terrorism. He has consulted for and briefed members of both the U.S. House and Senate, present and past CIA, DIA, FBI, SEC, Homeland Security, the Justice Department, as well as local and state law enforcement. His research has been presented in critical DoD studies on Economic Warfare, Iran, and Weapons of Mass Destruction presented to the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense, Intelligence. He has traveled extensively with research trips to Russia and China and throughout Europe and the Americas. He is also a Contributing Editor to Tactics and Preparedness magazine. Kevin is Co-Founder of the NSIC Institute; Deputy Speaker of the Cherokee Community of North Texas; a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy; Trustee at Oklahoma Wesleyan University; and a member of the Advisory Board of First Liberty Institute. - The Reverend Jarrett Maupin has been a minister since he was 12 years old. At 19, he became one of the youngest people to hold elected office in the state of Arizona when he was elected to serve on the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board. Since then, he has become one of the most prominent community organizers and civil rights leaders in Phoenix. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we take a break from politics to put the spotlight on people who are working to make the world a better place. First, we are joined by Jacqueline Way, a world-renowned keynote speaker. Later in the program, Christena Durham of the Huntsman Foundation calls in to discuss their work to combat stigma around mental health challenges. - Jacqueline Way is a world-renowned keynote speaker with one of the most watched TEDx Talks "How to Be Happy Every Day – It Will Change the World." She is a dedicated world changer serving humanity with love every day. Her soul purpose is to teach, inspire and empower the hearts and minds of people globally to create a happy, meaningful life and world together. She expresses her purpose through her global giving movement 365give. The charitable organization was created with her 3-year old son with a simple vision to "Change the World 1 give, 1 day at time." She is committed to living the highest expression of who she is through her work, family and by touching the lives of others. - Christina Durham is the Vice Chairwoman of the Huntsman Foundation. Christena serves on the boards of several charitable organizations, including the Huntsman Foundation, The Road Home, the Huntsman World Senior Games, the Carmen Pingree School for Autism, and the Moran Eye Center, and is committed to serving others. Christena is the mother of seven children and grandmother to several grandchildren. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by syndicated radio host Erick Erickson for a look at last week's election and what it might mean for the upcoming Georgia senate election and the 2024 presidential election. - Erick, a native of Louisiana who grew up in Dubai, had been a practicing attorney for six years in Macon. He handled corporate law, estates, and elections. He served as a volunteer attorney for President Bush's election and re-election. He managed and consulted on federal, state, and local campaigns. One day a partner in his law firm came in and asked him, "Do you know what the definition of a d*****s is?""No," Erick replied."You," the partner said. "Go do politics. That's your passion."Two weeks before his wife gave birth to their first child, Erick told her he was leaving his law practice to become a full time blogger. Some friends had started the website RedState.com and they wanted to put him in charge of it. That was 2005.Two years later, Erick was elected to city council in Macon, Georgia, where he served until being offered a job on radio full time at WSB.In 2009, CNN hired Erick to be a political contributor. In 2010, the local radio host in Macon, Georgia got arrested then lost his job and the station needed someone to fill in quickly. They asked Erick, given his background on TV.With no radio experience, Erick sat behind the microphone three hours a day every day for three months until they found a replacement. He got paid in an expired gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. The replacement quickly got promoted to another market and Erick again went back, with no pay, to take the microphone until a replacement was found.While there, a vacancy came open in Atlanta, Georgia on WSB Radio due to Herman Cain's run for President.On January 11, 2011, during an ice storm that forced Erick to sleep on the floor of his office his first week on radio, he started his show. He has been there ever since.During his eight years on radio, Erick has been a regular guest host for Neal Boortz, Herman Cain, and Rush Limbaugh.A few years ago, Erick also started work on his M.Div at Reformed Theological Seminary. He connects to his audience with a plethora of knowledge about politics, life, raising kids, and even cooking.Erick lives in Macon, Georgia with his wife, two children, and golden doodle. -George serves as President of Data Orbital and Managing Partner of The Resolute Group. For the last decade he has leveraged his political instincts, data expertise and strategic relationships to advance conservative clients and causes throughout Arizona and a growing number of states. He believes conservative policies create thriving communities and wants to arm conservative candidates and organizations with the best data, messaging, and strategy.With a strong grassroots and data background, George has worked at the local, state and national levels. Under George's leadership, Data Orbital is a top ranked survey research and data visualization firm that is known for its accuracy and transparency. Data Orbital was the most accurate firm that polled Arizona political races and is top rated by FiveThirtyEight. Data Orbital's survey research has been featured in top news outlets and publications such as The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, NBC News, Fox News, Fox Business, The Arizona Republic, LA Times and others.As managing partner of The Resolute Group, he led the effort to keep the Arizona legislature conservative, playing in the most contentious districts and races across the state. He advises conservative candidates and organizations across the country on strategy. The firm is building a reputation for taking on and leaning into the toughest fights. They aim to shape the landscape, not merely exist in it.George's engagement is driven by his personal faith and his Lebanese heritage. He knows firsthand the price of freedom and the importance of protecting our core values and Constitutional rights. In addition to his domestic political work, George is engaged in efforts to advance democracy and prosperity in Lebanon and lift up the Lebanese people both in the United States and in Lebanon.George graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's in Political Science. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, George currently lives in Phoenix, AZ. When he is not tracking local and national political developments and advising clients, George enjoys traveling with his family and spending time with his two boys. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Ryan Tyson of Florida's Tyson Group and Rich Lowry of the National Review for a midterm election results recap. Ryan Tyson is the President and managing partner of The Tyson Group, which is a center-right polling and market research firm with polling experience in 48 states. He serves as Executive Director of Preserve the American Dream, a Florida based 501(c4) that primarily educates the public and media on quantitative and qualitative research it conducts across the state and around the country. As a Florida based strategist, Tyson has developed multiple organizations devoted to fundraising, research, electioneering and independent expenditure efforts. He has served as strategist and pollster on multiple statewide ballot initiatives in Florida, using his research techniques to not only to craft successful ballot titles and summaries on 'Yes' campaigns, but also exposing the weaknesses in 'No' campaigns. He has also worked for some of the largest corporations in Florida and his political acumen and prowess are known to many across the country. Tyson's wide range of experience in all levels of national, state, and legislative campaigns and has made him a valuable asset in the Sunshine State. Having advised on multiple statewide campaigns including for former President Donald Trump's Florida campaign, Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott, Tyson's unique mix of data driven campaign strategy has resulted in Florida Politics twice naming him as one of the top 100 "most influential people in Florida Politics." He received his Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida. He currently resides in Tallahassee with his wife, Mary Beth, and three sons, John David, Brennan and Benjamin. - Rich Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review. He writes for Politico, and often appears on such public-affairs programs as Meet the Press. He is a regular panelist on the KCRW program Left, Right & Center. He is the author of Lincoln Unbound, The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free, and Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years — a New York Times bestseller. Lowry began his career as a research assistant for Charles Krauthammer. In 1997 he was selected by William F. Buckley to lead National Review. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Republican candidate for Nevada's governor, Sheriff Joe Lombardo, and Congressman Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida's 19th congressional district. - Joe Lombardo began his service to others in the United States Army and served bravely in the Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve - protecting Americans both domestically and abroad. After his service to his country, Joe dedicated himself to protecting our communities – serving in law enforcement over the last 30 years. Joe quickly rose through the ranks of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and, after 26 years on the force, was elected as Sheriff of Clark County, Nevada in 2014. Throughout Joe's career, his leadership of our communities has never faltered. He now intends to further his public service and represent, protect, and serve the entire state of Nevada. Sheriff Lombardo maintains professional affiliations which include Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), National Sheriffs Association (NSA), FBI – Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA), Vice-Chair Nevada Commission for Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy Associates. He has also served as Board Member for the LVMPD Foundation (2007-2014), After School All-Stars (2015-2020), Goodwill of Southern Nevada (2007-2009), Make A Wish (2015-2020), Committee Member for the NV Communications Steering Committee (2012-2014) and MCC's representative to the Public Safety Advisory Committee (2012-2014). Joe currently serves as a Board Member for Nevada Child Seekers and Chairman of MCCA Intelligence Committee. Sheriff Lombardo holds a B.S. and a M.S. in crisis management, both from UNLV. - Byron Donalds grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and he is also the proud son of a hardworking and loving single mother. His mother dedicated her time instilling in him that greatness requires sacrifice, which drives him as a devoted family man and United States Congressman.Byron is a graduate of Florida State University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and marketing. Byron's career led him to Southwest Florida, where he worked in the banking, finance, and insurance industries. Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, Byron represented Hendry County and east Collier County in the State Capitol. During his tenure in the Florida House, Byron served as the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee Chair during the 2018-2019 Legislative Session and served as the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee's Chairman 2019-2020 Legislative Session. While serving in the Florida House, primarily focused on elder affairs, criminal justice reform, and ensuring that each child has access to a world-class education.Byron is committed to serving and giving back to the community that gave him so much. He has served Southwest Florida in many ways, including previously serving on the Board of Trustees for Florida Southwestern State College after being appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Byron continues to volunteer in his church as a youth leader and a mentor. He also enjoys volunteering as a coach in youth football and basketball leagues.Congressman Byron Donalds lives in Naples, Florida, with his wife, Erika, and their three sons: Damon, Darin, and Mason. Byron has spent his entire adult life serving others, whether it be through volunteering, business, or leadership. He is committed to representing Florida's 19th Congressional District's conservative values in Washington DC to ensure a stronger Florida and a stronger nation. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. Later in the show, we are joined by David Drucker and Joe Simonson for their analysis and predictions for the 2022 midterms. - A former professional athlete and successful entrepreneur, Geoff Duncan was elected Georgia's Lieutenant Governor in November of 2018. A former professional baseball player and successful entrepreneur, Geoff Duncan was elected Georgia's Lieutenant Governor in November of 2018. After a successful career as a scholarship pitcher at Georgia Tech, Geoff was drafted by the Florida Marlins' organization where he spent six seasons playing baseball in the minor leagues. Lt. Governor Duncan has established himself as a bold leader and champion for healthcare, technology, and economic development. His business experience and outlook allow him to bring a common sense private sector approach to state government, which has resulted in significant legislative achievements throughout his time in office. A cornerstone of his accomplishments, Lt. Governor Duncan was instrumental in building a historic bi-partisan coalition to pass Georgia's Hate Crimes Law and repeal the state's archaic Citizen's Arrest Law. Furthering his motto of putting "policy over politics," Lt. Governor Duncan championed multiple bi-partisan policy initiatives during the 2022 Legislative Session that focused on enhancing public safety and generating support for aged-out foster youth. Mere months before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Geoff unveiled the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation ("PIN"), a public-private partnership that leads coordinated, statewide efforts to position Georgia as the Technology Capital of the East Coast. PIN is comprised of leaders across the state who are united by their vision to advance Georgia, and are committed to prioritizing technology advancement. PIN guides and supports pilot programs that help foster access, growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation throughout the state – charting a bold path forward for Georgia's future. Geoff is the author of the recently published book titled, "GOP 2.0: How the 2020 Election Can Lead to a Better Way Forward for America's Conservative Party." Notwithstanding his many accomplishments in private and public life, Geoff is most proud to be a husband, and a father of three young men. - David M. Drucker is the senior political correspondent for the Washington Examiner. He has previously reported for CQ Roll Call and the Los Angeles Daily News. - Joe Simonson is a senior investigative reporter for the Washington Free Beacon. He previously worked as an investigative reporter and campaign correspondent for the Washington Examiner. His work has appeared in the New York Post, the American Conservative, and National Review. He lives in Washington, DC. His Twitter handle is @SaysSimonson. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined first by Republican candidate for United States Senate in Arizona, Blake Masters. Later in the program, Congressman Drew Ferguson of Georgia calls into the show. Finally, we are joined in studio by Timothy Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute. - Blake grew up in Tucson, Arizona. In 2012, he married his high school sweetheart, Catherine. Happily married for 10 years now, Blake and Catherine are raising and homeschooling their three beautiful boys, Miles, Graham, and Rex.After graduating from Stanford and Stanford Law School, Blake co-founded a successful software startup called Judicata. In 2014, he co-authored the #1 New York Times bestseller Zero to One. Having sold more than 4 million copies, it's the world's most popular book on startups and venture capital.In 2015 Blake became President of the Thiel Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes science and innovation. The Foundation's Thiel Fellowship Program has paid 225 young people to drop out of college so that they can create new companies. Businesses started by Thiel Fellows are together now worth more than $45 billion! From 2018 to 2022, Blake was Chief Operating Officer at Thiel Capital, an investment firm that specializes in the technology sector, where he helped grow assets under management by billions of dollars.Blake also joined President Trump's transition team in 2016. Blake saw firsthand how deep The Swamp really is and how establishment forces immediately tried to undermine President Trump's MAGA agenda. Now Blake is putting his successful business career on hold to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate because the same old establishment politicians and the same old establishment candidates have failed us. He brings a wealth of experience to the table on how to defeat not just the progressive Democrats, but also the weak and compromised RINO Republicans.America is in decline and the world is a dangerous place. Blake uniquely understands the modern threats that we face.At home, we see an unholy alliance between Big Government, Big Tech and Big Business, who collude to wreak havoc on our economy, destroy our border, impose their radically liberal ideology on our culture, and censor any dissent. Blake uniquely gets how this regime, working hand in hand with the Democrats, is weaponizing technology to destroy America as we know it.Abroad, we see the menace of authoritarian countries like China. Blake has an unrivaled understanding of how China uses technology to not only control and terrorize its own citizens, but also to steal our intellectual property and wage digital warfare against America.As a father, Blake's #1 priority is to ensure America (and Arizona!) remains the best place in the world to raise a family. To do that, we need to make sure America is still recognizable by the time our children are grown. Blake will lead as we fight for our culture.The failures of current leaders like Joe Biden and Mark Kelly have made our situation dire. But Blake rejects the feelings of hopelessness that they are pushing on us. Blake knows that we can win, and we must win. But winning requires electing innovative leaders who truly understand what is happening in this country, and how to restore American freedom and greatness. As a lifelong Arizonan and someone with deep experience in business and the technology industry, Blake is the only one in this race with the necessary skills and background to win the fight in Washington. - Congressman Ferguson represents Georgia's 3rd Congressional District and is the Chief Deputy Whip for House Republicans. He also serves on the Committee on Ways and Means. Congressman Drew Ferguson is a proud native of West Point whose family roots in the West Georgia area are several generations deep. He attended the University of Georgia and gained early acceptance to the Medical College of Georgia. After graduating with a degree in dental medicine, he moved back to his hometown and established a successful family dental practice.In 2008, Congressman Ferguson was elected mayor of West Point and was at the forefront of attracting and keeping jobs in his community. By lowering taxes, eliminating government barriers and reforming education, he led a community in economic ruin back to life. Today, a wide range of new businesses and industries call West Point and the surrounding area home. Led by KIA Motors, automotive suppliers and related businesses, 16,000 new jobs have been created so far. Congressman Ferguson came to Washington to apply the lessons he learned revitalizing West Point to creating policies that once again make America the most competitive place to do business.Just as important as the creation of jobs, Congressman Ferguson wants to remove barriers that prevent those in poverty from moving into the middle class. Smart and effective welfare entitlement reform that actually helps people move ahead rather than trapping them in a cycle of poverty is the first step

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Abe Hamadeh, Republican candidate for Arizona Attorney General. Later in the show, award winning filmmaker Jeff Hays joins us to bring the story of the real Anthony Fauci. - Abraham is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and just returned from a 14 month long deployment to Saudi Arabia. On behalf of the United States Army, Abraham negotiated military sales and managed the training for Saudi Arabia's domestic security forces both in the Kingdom and in the United States. He implemented the first of its kind new enhanced security vetting in response to the 2019 Pensacola terrorist attack. His direct counterparts were generals, colonels, and lieutenant colonels in the Saudi forces as well as high ranking civilians in their respective ministries. Abraham's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and Overseas Service Ribbon among others. Abraham is a former prosecutor of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Abraham has appeared in court to prosecute criminals, uphold victims' rights, and seek justice for the community. Abraham earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Arizona State University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law. During his law studies, Abraham was awarded the Udall Fellowship by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys' Advisory Council which placed him at the city, county, state, and federal prosecutor offices. - Jeff Hays, an award winning filmmaker and television producer since the early nineties, gained national attention with Fahrenhype 9/11 (2004), a response to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. He followed that with On Native Soil (2006). Narrated by Kevin Costner and Hilary Swank, the documentary focused on the perspective of surviving family members of 9/11 victims and their efforts to create the 9/11 Commission. The film was acquired by Lions Gate and NBC and was short-listed for an Academy Award. Hays produced a yearlong television series for Lifetime Television, and then returned to documentary film with Doctored in 2012, and Bought in 2014. In 2017, Jeff partnered with Dr. Patrick Gentempo to create Revealed Films. and together, they have released nine multi-part series covering subjects including, health and nutrition, medical issues, wealth- building, religious and political topics. (Money Revealed, Wine Revealed, Christ Revealed, Supplements Revealed, GMOs Revealed, and Vaccines Revealed,etc.) Revealed Films launches 3-4 series each year adding the rich stream of information they've produced in the past. Revealed is currently finishing a series on the use of psychedelics in therapy called Mind If I Wake You Up, and filming for a new series on marriage and relationships. In addition to the Revealed projects Jeff Hays Films was the Executive Producer for The Fix, a documentary series based on Johann Hari's NY Times bestseller, Chasing the Scream. The Fix was acquired by Jeffrey Katzenberg's company, Quibi. JHF has acquired the rights to two other books to produce via film, the NY Times bestseller, Lost Connections, by Johann Hari and The Bad One, by Erin Tyler. JHF has partnered with Josh Bezoni, Gia Walsh and Brookwell McNamara entertainment to produce Woke AF, a JP Sears comedy. Additionally, JHF is producing a series with Adam Carolla on resilience, and The Millionaire Within Her with Kristi Frank. Jeff resides in the mountains of Utah with love of his life, Dori. They work out of Jeff Hays Films' soundstage and studio in Midvale UT. Together they have 11 children and many grandchildren. - Connect with us: Official website: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe