Kristin Wagoner, President and CEO of ADF, joins the show, and, most importantly, Vivek Ramaswamy, running for Governor of Ohio, joins us to talk about his vision for Ohio, what does it mean to be excellent, and more.
00:00:36.000His spirit, his love of this country, he's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point USA. We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country.
00:01:23.000Defenders of free speech in all different venues, especially on college campuses, including speech that you don't like.
00:01:30.000Joining us now is Kristen Wagoner, President, CEO, and General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom.
00:01:36.000Kristen, walk us through what's going on at the University of Memphis, what happened last evening, and the reason that we decided to kind of call the bluff of University of Memphis regarding Kyle Rittenhouse.
00:01:46.000Well, last night was a tremendous victory for TPUSA, Kyle Rittenhouse, and the right to speak freely on our college campuses.
00:01:53.000I think we have to go back to really a year ago, last March in 2024, when the TPUSA chapter at the University of Memphis decided to sponsor an event with Kyle Rittenhouse.
00:02:05.000And they worked with the University of Memphis officials, created a ticketing system through TPUSA, and had the event all planned out to host about 300 kids, students.
00:02:15.000But what happened in that instance is that the university interfered with the ticketing system.
00:02:21.000It allowed disruptors to virtually take all of the tickets.
00:02:25.000And then it allowed a mob rule to take over that event.
00:02:29.000And it had to be shut down because the university officials and the police refused to protect the speech of TPUSA and of Kyle Rittenhouse.
00:02:39.000So last night, after Alliance Defending Freedom sent a legal demand letter with very specific demands to the university, the university complied with those demands, and TPUSA was able to move forward.
00:02:50.000So we're so grateful for their courage and glad that they were welcomed back to campus.
00:02:54.000We also got one of the policies changed so that future students won't have to endure this again.
00:03:02.000Let's go to Cut 235 and play the news reports of this.
00:03:06.000Action News 5's Bria Bolden joining us live now from the University of Memphis to explain, Bria, why Rittenhouse has been allowed to be back on campus despite all the pushback.
00:03:19.000Yeah, well last year Kyle Rittenhouse abruptly left the stage at the UC Theater after pushback from University of Memphis students.
00:03:26.000You know Memphis, excuse me, members of Turning Point USA... University of Memphis chapter, the group that invited Rittenhouse to campus were escorted off campus by Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers after being run off by students.
00:03:38.000Turning Point USA is a non-profit that advocates conservative views on college campuses.
00:03:43.000Rittenhouse is set to make his return here to the U of M tomorrow evening to discuss his 2021 trial and the Second Amendment.
00:03:51.000Kristen, tell us more about the encounter and the victory here based on that news report.
00:03:56.000Yes, well, at ADF, we have about 450 legal victories on college campuses.
00:04:01.000And I have to tell you that in seeing many of those victories play out, the circumstances of this particular campus incident are some of the worst that we've seen.
00:04:09.000where at the University of Memphis at this event a year ago, not only at the last minute did the university essentially take over the ticketing system to allow even more disruption to occur, but it didn't even provide reasonable steps to protect the safety of TPUSA members, as well but it didn't even provide reasonable steps to protect the safety of TPUSA members, as well as Kyle Rittenhouse, leading them out in front of a mob and having that mob then chase those TPUSA members, threaten to kill them, spit
00:04:39.000It was just the circumstances were so deeply disturbing and fell so far short of constitutional and state law requirements.
00:04:47.000The university officials are not allowed to let mobs rule and to essentially engage in a heckler's veto.
00:04:55.000So again, Again, it takes courage to stand up, but thank God for these members who did, as well as for Kyle.
00:05:00.000And thank you for ADF for defending our students and doing a great job there.
00:05:04.000In closing here, Kristen, just tell us more about the great work that ADF is doing and how people can support it and get behind it.
00:05:12.000Well, first I would just say we have a student's rights handbook on our website, adflegal.org.
00:05:17.000We provide all of our services free of charge, and we believe that censorship, not only on campuses but in our workplaces and through both government collusion with private collusion online, is the biggest issue that we have to fight today.
00:05:32.000So a lot of our resources are going towards that, as well as fighting gender identity ideology and expanding parental rights, because we do believe...
00:05:40.000We believe that gender ideology has been a Trojan horse to essentially compel speech by the government and to take away our rights.
00:05:47.000And when we allow censorship to continue, we know that most countries around the world have free speech protections.
00:05:54.000It's only a matter of whether citizens insist that the government provide it.
00:05:58.000So we love being able to serve organizations like yours and the good work you're doing.
00:06:03.000Yeah, so tell us just quickly more about the transgender identity fight.
00:06:07.000How is that proceeding in the courts, men and women's sports, locker rooms?
00:06:12.000I know that some of the proponents of the more radical gender ideology use the Civil Rights Act.
00:06:18.000How are you guys thinking about this legally at ADF? Well, we're thinking we're going to win, and we're going to keep at it until we do win.
00:06:24.000It feels like we're starting to turn a corner.
00:06:27.000But, man, Charlie, I think it's so important to go back to the beginning because it does dovetail closely with the work that you're doing on campuses.
00:06:35.000And really, the very first case that was filed in the United States was a case ADF file, but it was on behalf of three young girls who were in high school.
00:06:44.000They were freshmen and sophomore, and two boys had come in.
00:06:48.000They were previously competing three weeks earlier.
00:06:53.000We have seen twists and turns along the way, and I'm thrilled to see President Trump kind of finish what he started in the first term to again stand for equal opportunities for girls.
00:07:19.000We have a lot of fighting still to do, as you can probably tell, with the cases that have been filed.
00:07:25.000And we know that the issue isn't just solved at the federal level.
00:07:29.000We have to have Congress pass legislation.
00:07:32.000And we also need to have states fall in line to protect the rights of women and girls.
00:07:39.000We have two petitions at the U.S. Supreme Court right now on this issue, and we need the court to take the issue up because 25 states have passed laws to protect girls, and the ACLU is challenging the rights of these states to protect the rights of girls.
00:07:56.000Has the Supreme Court yet weighed in on this topic?
00:08:00.000In history, or have they just kind of punted and delayed so far?
00:08:05.000I would say that there's a decision called the Bostock decision, which involved whether sex included gender identity in the employment context.
00:08:33.000The Supreme Court is going to affirm these rights when it does take this case.
00:08:35.000The last thing I would say on what the Supreme Court is doing right now is, first of all, they're considering whether to take the women's sports issue.
00:08:42.000We have two petitions that are asking them to take these cases.
00:08:45.000And then the second thing is in June, probably about June, we will see the Supreme Court decide a case called Scrimetti, which involves whether states can pass laws to protect young children from undergoing cross-sex hormones and permanent irreversible harm.
00:09:02.000That decision could also impact the rights of women and girls moving forward.
00:09:07.000And we're thrilled to be able to have helped pass legislation in 26 states where states have passed the laws to protect minors.
00:09:14.000So we have to think about this both in terms of a political issue, getting good people in office, then in terms of a public policy issue, getting them to pass good laws, and then also defending those laws in court and preserving the rights of families to be able to raise their children consistent with their values.
00:09:52.000You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't.
00:09:56.000And by the way, your population, even though it's somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports.
00:10:04.000So you better comply because otherwise you're not getting any federal funding.
00:10:09.000Every state, good, I'll see you in court.
00:10:23.000Ever see your dog slowing down or having health issues and wonder what can I do to make them better?
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00:10:45.000In the first 30 days, you'll see shinier coats and increased energy.
00:10:48.000By day 60, your dog will have a stronger immune system, less shedding, and improved joint function all due to live nutrients you've added to their diet.
00:10:57.000And at 90 days, better digestion, reduced inflammation, improved heart health, and you might even have reduced their cancer risk.
00:11:04.000Fetch a free Jumpstart trial bag for your dog today.
00:11:53.000But it was a really interesting window here.
00:11:56.000Because when people saw this clip that I'm about to play for you, it connected some dots.
00:12:03.000I get asked all the time, Charlie, what is the next generation of teachers look like?
00:12:09.000And every single one of you that are sending your kids or grandkids to public schools have a moral obligation to watch this one minute and 23 second clip.
00:12:31.000When you send your kid to grade school that is publicly funded or government funded, to middle school, high school, or college, they are at risk of being influenced by people like this.
00:12:41.000You are handing over your children to a pseudo-indoctrination state.
00:12:47.000You are handing over your most prized possession to...
00:12:50.000A enterprise that believes things that are directly contradictory to your values, that are adverse to your worldview.
00:13:01.000This is not just a random college student that came up to me.
00:13:05.000This was at the University of South Florida.
00:13:07.000This is a current teacher and also was a candidate for state senate.
00:16:46.000You can save babies by providing ultrasounds with pre-born.
00:16:49.000Together with the Sanctity of Human Life Month, we're going to save 35,000 babies to show the world that not only do we believe life is precious, but we're going to do something about it.
00:16:59.000Your gift of pre-born will give a girl the truth of what's happening in her body so that she can make the right choice.
00:17:04.000What better way to start this new year than to join us to save babies?
00:17:08.000And $28 a month will save a baby a month all year long.
00:17:12.000A $15,000 gift will provide a complete ultrasound machine that will save thousands of babies for years and years to come.
00:17:18.000It will also save moms from a lifetime of pain and regret.
00:17:22.000I am a donor to this organization, and you should be too.
00:17:25.000Start this new year by being a hero for life.
00:17:28.000Call 833-850-2229 or click on the pre-born banner at charliekirk.com.
00:17:33.000That is charliekirk.com and click on the pre-born banner.
00:17:53.000Tell us why you are running for governor and your vision.
00:17:58.000Look, President Trump is going to do a great job in the next two years.
00:18:02.000But what that means, Charlie, is that a lot of programs from education to health care are now going to go back down to the states and to the people where they belong.
00:18:26.000We're a conservative state in our electorate.
00:18:29.000We need to actually be governed like a conservative state.
00:18:32.000And if we are, this can be not just one of the better states in the Midwest.
00:18:36.000I think it can be the best state in the country to raise a family, to start a new business.
00:18:41.000And also something I'm passionate about, you know this, Charlie, is giving our kids a world-class education starting at a young age so that we're beating China and the rest of the world in leadership.
00:18:51.000And I want Ohio to be the model for showing how that's actually done.
00:18:55.000So in some sense, the federal job's already getting done.
00:18:57.000I'm happy to see that's happening in spades.
00:19:00.000But now we need strong leaders at the states, and I was proud to get President Trump's and Elon's and others endorsements at the national level out of the gate.
00:19:08.000What I want to do is show the rest of the country what's possible with a good state leader.
00:19:52.000So Ohio actually led the way in the first industrial revolution.
00:19:55.000And at the turn of the last century, Ohio was the wealthiest state in the union and was the third most populous state in the country because of those great natural resources and gifts.
00:20:06.000Fertile farmland, great natural resources, including oil and natural gas and other minerals underneath our ground.
00:20:13.000We've got 60% of North America's population, not just America's population, North America's population.
00:20:20.000Within a single day's drive of where I'm sitting right now in Columbus, Ohio, those were the advantages we had back then.
00:20:27.000Six of the top 15 wealthiest cities in the 1950s.
00:21:24.000You got from the inner cities to suburban communities to rural communities to the foothills of Appalachia.
00:21:30.000You go within a 200-mile radius of where I'm sitting right now.
00:21:34.000You travel that area, you've traveled the entire cross-section of the entire country.
00:21:38.000So in some deep sense, it is a representation of America and who we are.
00:21:42.000And what I think, Charlie, and here's where I'm going to lead us, and this is why I think I require in my calling to be the next governor, if Silicon Valley led the way in the American economy for the last 10 years...
00:21:54.000I want to make sure it is actually the Ohio River Valley for the next 10 years.
00:23:21.000So I think the fear amongst Republicans in Ohio is that governing like a conservative state might lose us those close elections.
00:23:27.000I view it the other way around, Charlie.
00:23:29.000That's not going to lose us elections.
00:23:30.000It's going to win us elections because it'll lift up more people from poverty.
00:23:34.000It'll put more money in people's pockets and revive that sense of civic pride in our young people.
00:23:39.000And the fact that Ohio was a state that had some trouble along the way, and I don't want to go into the particular politics of blaming individuals, but let's think about boys competing in girls' sports.
00:23:49.000Preventing genital mutilation and chemical castration in kids.
00:23:52.000The fact that some of the leadership of the state had trouble, conservative leadership of the state, might have had trouble with those issues, I think shows us playing a little bit behind the ball compared to states like Texas and Florida that are governed like conservative states.
00:24:08.000We're going to win elections decisively.
00:24:10.000Think about opportunities in the next few years.
00:24:13.000Not a lot of people are aware of this, but say Section 287G. What is that?
00:24:17.000That allows local law enforcement to help ICE with mass deportations, with actually going after illegal immigration in our country.
00:24:25.000President Trump is going to drive his agenda forward, but to really see it through, we're going to need strong governors who are aligned with that agenda to act accordingly.
00:24:35.000And I think that, in our population, the way it is now, look at the margins President Trump's won by.
00:24:40.000And actually, he's won this state by bigger margins than even people running down ballot of him.
00:24:45.000I think that signals the mandate to say that people are behind the conservative pro-American agenda.
00:24:51.000Now, my job as the governor of this state is to explain it to people.
00:24:55.000Frankly, I think there's a lot of independents, libertarians, orphaned Reagan Democrats, other orphaned Democrats, politically homeless people here who may not have thought of themselves as that Republican coalition quite yet.
00:25:07.000But if you explain it to them, if you actually show up, if you don't go through the traditional media filters, but just show up in person.
00:25:14.000I mean, we're drawing thousands of people.
00:25:52.000One of the great challenges for governors, and of course on the federal level, is going to how to incorporate artificial intelligence.
00:25:58.000Ohio is a unique place because, as you say, it was the advent of the Industrial Revolution.
00:26:03.000You could argue we are on the precipice of an artificial intelligence revolution.
00:26:07.000Now, firstly, I think you guys are uniquely positioned because you have the natural resources, the land, and the geography to have data centers that would employ hundreds of thousands of people.
00:26:42.000One thing that we just have to do is bring down the permitting timeline for new power plants and new natural gas pipelines to make sure that we're not only ready, we're ready to be the leadership position of the country, and that's achievable.
00:26:53.000But the other piece of this is, you really put your finger on this, is a lot of people have focused on training the AI algorithms.
00:26:59.000Of course, we've put hundreds of billions, really trillions of dollars into that enterprise.
00:27:03.000Beyond just training the AI, I think the underappreciated opportunity is training workers on how to use that AI. To apply it to their respective fields, to their hospitals, to nurses, to financial services, to construction design, to really every domain where we're increasing the productivity of the worker.
00:27:23.000And that shifts the conversation and it shifts the focus from, is AI going to take jobs?
00:27:28.000To just say, actually, AI is going to make jobs that didn't exist.
00:27:33.000That's not going to happen automatically.
00:27:34.000I think it's going to have leaders who have to shape that future.
00:27:37.000If you're just a price taker on the future, you might have a result from AI in your economy that doesn't look good for American workers or manufacturers.
00:27:44.000But if you have a leader who's focused on training and making sure we're empowering our workers to use that AI, this is going to be a boom for our workers.
00:27:53.000And I think we need a leader who at least understands what that future looks like, and I hope shows the rest of the country, sets an Ohio standard of how we actually do this well.
00:28:05.000Maybe you are one of the borrowers in America that has a private distressed student loan.
00:28:13.000Did you know that private student loan debt in America totals about $300 billion?
00:28:17.000About $45 billion is labeled as distressed.
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00:28:50.000Let's face it, if you have distressed or defaulted private student loans, nobody is coming to bail you out, and bankruptcy is not an option, but you could take charge of your situation by contacting YREFI. So go to YREFI.com.
00:29:28.000The first one we talk about, and I think have executed well nationally on Ohio, I think I want to say execute on as well, is school choice.
00:29:35.000Not just in name, but true universal school choice.
00:29:38.000Not just private schools, not just charter schools, but also homeschooling as a viable option for any parent who demands it.
00:29:46.000Arizona, Iowa, certain other states have gone the full distance here.
00:29:50.000I want to see Ohio go to that full length as well.
00:29:52.000That being said, there's also a separate frontier here where I want Ohio to lead the way amongst all states and especially conservative states to set a standard.
00:30:02.000We have to also make sure our public schools are equipped to compete with the best of the alternatives.
00:30:08.000And we're going to start by doing something in this state that hasn't been done in any other 50 states.
00:30:48.000They should aspire to be educators, but we're not rewarding them.
00:30:51.000Other countries like Finland or South Korea, when you set up the right incentives for educators, you have some of the best and brightest graduating from the nation's own high schools, going into education.
00:31:01.000A lot of our young people would be passionate about being teachers, but for the fact, they're not going to be able to live the same American dream pursuing that path.
00:31:10.000And that means the best public school teachers will get paid more.
00:31:13.000But it means a lot of the dead weight and a lot of the wasteful expenditures in those public schools need to be eliminated to make that possible.
00:31:20.000So I'm not picking a fight with anybody, the teachers unions or anybody else, but I'm not going to back down from one if that's what's necessary to do what's right.
00:31:29.000Get the cell phones out of the schools.
00:31:31.000Get civic education back into the schools.
00:31:33.000You and I talked about this a couple of years ago.
00:31:36.000I'm going to make it reality in Ohio, where every high school senior who graduates from high school will be required to pass the same civics test that we require of every naturalized citizen in this country.
00:32:13.000We're going to bring that back in our public schools as well, including the pull-ups.
00:32:17.000And that doesn't mean everyone's going to pass, but it sets a standard.
00:32:20.000Because as we know, and the Maha movement's been great in highlighting this, the best way to save on health costs in the long run is to have that healthier population in the first place.
00:32:30.000So when you think about academic health, math, reading, writing, critical thinking, physical health, civic health.
00:32:37.000Mental health, even financial literacy, incorporating that into K-12 education.
00:32:42.000We're going to be the state that I believe leads the way.
00:32:46.000Catching up on school choice, we're going to do that here.
00:32:48.000But leading the way is, in addition, on setting a standard, expecting more of ourselves in our K-12 public education as well.
00:32:55.000And I think that is how we're going to address this achievement crisis and make sure that China isn't laughing at us.
00:33:01.000To the contrary, we're going to be the country that leads the way in the world.
00:33:04.000When it comes to quality education starting at a young age.
00:33:07.000I think Ohio has some of the greatest untapped potential in the country.
00:33:11.000When you have a hard-working, industrious people, natural resources, and you're geographically centered, it can become a new American renaissance.
00:33:37.000He's reviving our conviction in America.
00:33:40.000We need a leader here in Ohio, here in the heartland, here in the Midwest, who revives our conviction in our state and in our states.
00:33:47.000I'm proud to have President Trump's endorsement, but to carry his agenda forward, we're going to need strong governors in the heart of the country to do it.
00:33:55.000So if you're able to volunteer and come here, we would love that.
00:33:58.000And if you're not, those who are able to support us at vivekforohio.com, we welcome it and we're going to set a new standard for the country.