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Host: Keeping you informed and engaged. Now, more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110. And now your host.
Host: Welcome to Sekulow. Will Hanes here and I want to wish all of you a very happy Labor Day weekend. It is the official end of summer for so many. Many of you are already back to school, and many more of you looking ahead to a new school year as well. But we are going to talk right now about what's been happening in the New York Attorney General's office. We mentioned in previous broadcasts about what has been going on with this whistleblower that came forward and said that the boss at the Investor Protection Bureau in the New York Attorney General's office was pushing attorneys and prosecutors to go after President Trump and go after allies of President Trump. It is very much a case of do as I say, not as I do when it comes to this Attorney General, because she has been one of those people that has been saying, you know, President Trump making an enemies list, going after me for just following the law. Meanwhile, we know that this has been the MO from the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, who ran on getting President Trump, on going after him back in 2018. We know that there was that huge civil case that she brought against him that had to do with, I do not know, her saying that he overvalued properties, like Mar-a-Lago, and therefore that was fraudulent because banks gave him loans, et cetera. Even though the banks testified that, you know, they were not defrauded, paid back these loans, that there was no issue there. Meanwhile, once again, she is the one that there were questions that arose from getting favorable mortgage rates for properties in Norfolk, Virginia, in Brooklyn, New York. All that to say, it always seems to be do as I say, not as I do.
Host: The ACLJ got directly involved in this by sending a state FOIL request. You know, you hear a FOIA request, it is Freedom of Information Act. That is for the federal government. In New York, it is a FOIL, Freedom of Information Law. We got it within 24 hours of this whistleblower news. We got a FOIL request to the New York Attorney General's office to get information because what had happened? A whistleblower said, look, this is what they're doing. They're going after people, not crimes. This is not how it should work. Do not be a Letitia James' personal attorney. And all of a sudden, that email that went to 2,000 people started disappearing from people's inboxes. Even if they have read it, gone. We want to know what happened. This hearkens back to what we saw with the IRS scandal with Lois Lerner where emails just disappeared or maybe Hillary Clinton, emails disappeared. Private server in the bathroom, disappears. Bleach bit became a word and a software that everyone knew because of missing emails.
Host: So, it always seems to be the emails, but we are going to get to the bottom of this because we knew it was happening, but now people are coming forward and saying it is happening. And that is not the way the legal system in this country should work. So we are going to cover that and so much more today on Sekulow. As we, one, we hope everyone is having a relaxing and wonderful Labor Day weekend. You know, it is also the kickoff of college football. It is a great time of year as we head into the fall. But there is a lot of work going on because, as we always mentioned, back to school, what does that mean? It means that there are new administrators, new teachers that are going to try and violate the rights of their students. The ACLJ is there. It means a midterm election coming up. The ACLJ will be here to navigate the issues that are front and center, as well as things like this, Letitia James' office, getting the state FOIL request as we try to get to the bottom of what happened to that email. Why did it disappear? They said it was a personnel issue. Yeah, it sounds like it.
Host: So, once again, all of these things are possible because you support the ACLJ and many of you did in the month of August, which was a wonderful time to see so many people standing with the ACLJ. And we thank you for that. But if you need help, the ACLJ is also here for you. Go to ACLJ.org/help and an attorney will be in touch with you if you feel like your constitutional rights are being violated. But we will be back with more on Sekulow.
Host: The challenges facing Americans are substantial. At a time when our values, our freedoms, and our constitutional rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines, protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success. But here is the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms. That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you are already a member, thank you. And if you are not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today. ACLJ.org.
Host: Welcome to the all-new ACLJ app. Expert analysis and insight, Big Tech cannot censor. Customize your news and get real-time alerts on the issues you care about. Advocacy is now at your fingertips. Take action, make a difference. Support the causes you care about with just one tap. Be the first to know. Breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox. Everything you need, all in one place. Stay informed, stay empowered. Download today. We are so excited to announce the ACLJ's brand new app. Completely redesigned to provide you with the best tools available to partner with us at the ACLJ. You can watch the daily Sekulow program. Sign the petitions. Customize your ACLJ membership experience. Donate with the click of a button and receive up-to-the-minute critical updates that the mainstream media cannot censor. Just scan the QR code on your screen or go to your phone's App Store. Search ACLJ and click install. It is that simple.
Host: Welcome back to Sekulow. We are talking about this headline that kind of sparks a broader conversation. This is on the front page of The Hill today that said, a third Trump impeachment looks inevitable, but what kind? At the ACLJ, we are no stranger to the impeachment circus that the Democrats like to pull in the House of Representatives. But it seems like that is their goal and what they are going to get early next year, probably, is an impeachment of the president, which will then have to go to the Senate, where it is razor thin right now, which way it is going to go.
Host: We will talk about some of that later with some of the stuff that is coming out about some of the Democrat candidates they put forward, whether or not the Democrats take the Senate. The less likely scenario is that they do. However, even if they do, they do not have the amount of votes to remove the president from office. So, even an impeachment will be a fool's errand once again because it will waste time when they could be legislating. It will waste time where they could be finding common ground for the American people. And it will go and waste taxpayer dollars getting to the Senate for a failed trial that will gridlock Washington for longer.
Host: These are candidates that are saying that they want to work on affordability. They want to work on the housing crisis. They want to work on healthcare. They want to work on the fuel prices and the inflation that the prices that remain high because of the Biden era inflation. We have not had a reset in prices from those months of 9% plus inflation rates. It does not all of a sudden go back to zero.
Host: So, when you look at this, you know, the pollsters say there is about an 86% chance of Democrat control in the House. That is the way that midterm elections typically go. They typically bounce back to the other party. That is the way our system is set up. It typically happens that way.
Host: But in the past, what have you seen out of midterm elections? You see the need to work together when you have an executive branch of one party and a House majority of another. You see the need to work together to get things done, to do their job. Now, part of the reason that this will go in the Democrats' favor in the House, if it does, is not only the typical pushback on the the sitting executive party.
Host: But you also have the situation that we are seeing pop up here, where we saw a lot of chaos from the Republican House, not because of the Speaker, but because of members of Congress that have now left Congress, even. That are actively pushing back and rebuking their own party, not over real policy questions. A lot of it is over Israel, over, you know, the fact that we have an ally in the Middle East. We have talked a lot about that. You know all this. But it is not like those members of the House that were with the Republican Party when they were members or if they still are. Some of them are still in Congress until next year when they have already lost their primary.
Host: What happens? What happens when you cannot work for the American people? Well, you are probably going to lose power. But the problem now is not that the the insurgent party, and really the DSA candidates that you are seeing that are going to join the House, it is not like they are going to get in and actually work towards policies that they may support, that they could monitor, that they could come together and get things across the finish line. No, they are going to go with the political option. They are going to target the president, try to get him impeached.
Host: And then what? What good did you do? Nothing. You did nothing for the American people. But that also kind of goes back to what we were talking about yesterday, where Letitia James, who ran on the very platform of investigating President Trump. And we should play this supercut for people of times when she was running for office back in 2018, of saying I am going to go after the president. So let's go ahead and play that because I think it ties in so perfectly to what we are talking about today.
Guest (Female): I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake. I believe that the President of these United States can be indicted for criminal offenses. Will you sue him for us? We are definitely suing. We are going to be a real pain. You are going to know my name personally. That man in the White House who cannot go a day without threatening our fundamental rights. Yes, we need to focus on Donald Trump and his abuses. We need to follow his money. We need to find out where he has laundered money. We need to find out whether or not he has engaged in conspiracy. It is important that everyone understand that the days of Donald Trump are coming to an end. I look forward to going into the office of Attorney General every day, suing him, defending your rights, and then going home.
Host: Remember, that is what Letitia James ran for Attorney General of New York on. And she won, and she fulfilled that promise. And yesterday, we talked about a whistleblower in the New York AG's office that sent an email that was deleted from the servers very quickly, and they said, do not worry, it is a personnel issue, but was calling her office out for doing what? For choosing to target individuals and then finding crimes.
Host: For having an enemies list. What the Left always says that this Federal Department of Justice does is actually what is happening in New York. But the same thing is happening in the candidates and the minority party of the House of Representatives right now, where they are targeting the individual for political prosecution through an impeachment process instead of doing their real job. And that is what is going to happen if they take back the Congress in November.
Host: But remember all of these candidates that have said, you know, we need to fundamentally change the American structure. The DSA platform itself calls for an expanded House of Representatives, abolishing the Senate, making the executive branch more like a parliamentary system where it is underneath the House. And everything flows down from the House of Representatives, all the executive function.
Host: They are already saying we are going to get in and not do our jobs of being a member of the legislature. We are going to just try to do another impeachment, whatever, you know, issue they do not like, they can use as a high crime and misdemeanor and go after the president. They are already telling you we are not going to do our job day one. We are not going to try to work with the White House. We are not going to try to work with members of the executive agencies to try and find a way forward for the American people. No, they are already telling you we are going to weaponize the process again.
Host: So, why would you want them to expand the House of Representatives? It is already broken. They are already saying we are not going to get in and try to work together. Why would anyone that is a voter hear their plans to expand that and think that is a great idea?
Host: Now, I happen to think that the the system of government is working great in the United States. I think it is working as the founders intended. The founders did not intend there to be thousands of pieces of legislation going through every day that is just getting rubber-stamped. There is supposed to be some measure of gridlock. There is supposed to be different people of different parties and different ideas challenging one another, so that the best idea gets forward.
Host: But when you throw out even that process and your only process is to do what? It is to just impeach, then what is the point? Why would you even run for office? You are not trying to get legislation through. You are not trying to change anyone's mind. You are just weaponizing your office. And that is exactly what they accuse the president of doing. And that is exactly what it appears is happening in New York, a weaponization of the process, of the Attorney General's office in the state of New York.
Host: We were able to get that state FOIL request, Freedom of Information Law in New York, out yesterday afternoon. Our attorneys, as soon as we saw it, got to work. And they are asking tough questions. They know that many of these records have to be kept, as state law. And so we are asking for those so we can get more answers about what is going on in the Attorney General's office of New York. What happened with this whistleblower?
Host: Folks, I am going to take more of your phone calls coming up. I have not gotten to any yet. So I am going to take your phone calls coming up. 1-800-684-3110. In the next segment, we are going to have Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joining us to talk about the developments with Iran. After a month of relative calm, things have heated back up a little bit. We are going to talk to him about that. He has a great piece up at ACLJ.org right now, titled, How We Win in Iran. I encourage all of you to go read it there. But we are also going to break down a lot of that with him in the next segment of the broadcast. So stay tuned for that.
Host: And then we are going to get back to your calls. Warren, Don, and Ronald, I see you on the line. I will get to you as soon as we get on the other side of Secretary Pompeo. Thank you for calling. But if you also want to talk about this, about the weaponization of our processes, call me. 1-800-684-3110 to be on air today. Later on in the broadcast, we have Rick Grenell joining us as well. We are going to talk about some of these candidates that are trying to be the more moderate lane. That you think, okay, they are trying to play in a red state. Maybe they want the process to work. It does not sound like it by some audio that has been discovered in the course of this campaign.
Host: We will talk about that with Rick Grenell. But we also want to thank everyone that supported us in our Impact Match in August. You really stood with the ACLJ and it makes a world of difference. We will be right back on Sekulow.
Host: Welcome to the all-new ACLJ app. Expert analysis and insight, Big Tech cannot censor. Customize your news and get real-time alerts on the issues you care about. Advocacy is now at your fingertips. Take action, make a difference. Support the causes you care about with just one tap. Be the first to know. Breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox. Everything you need, all in one place. Stay informed, stay empowered. Download today. We are so excited to announce the ACLJ's brand new app. Completely redesigned to provide you with the best tools available to partner with us at the ACLJ. You can watch the daily Sekulow program. Sign the petitions. Customize your ACLJ membership experience. Donate with the click of a button and receive up-to-the-minute critical updates that the mainstream media cannot censor. Just scan the QR code on your screen or go to your phone's App Store. Search ACLJ and click install. It is that simple.
Host: The challenges facing Americans are substantial. At a time when our values, our freedoms, and our constitutional rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines, protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success. But here is the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms. That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you are already a member, thank you. And if you are not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today. ACLJ.org.
Host: Welcome back to Sekulow. We are joined now by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. And the Secretary has a wonderful piece up at ACLJ.org. I encourage everyone to go read it. It is, How We Win in Iran. It was just published a few days ago. It really is something great that if you are a follower of this broadcast or a member of the ACLJ, not only do you get to hear from Secretary Pompeo on the broadcast, but you get these really informative pieces that are published at ACLJ.org, like this very one.
Host: And Mr. Secretary, we have seen the the conflict flaring up again. There were some actions taken by the US at some sites where it appeared that maybe some mine placing ships or missile sites as well were taken out by the United States. Iran responded, and then we responded in turn again. This is really the first flare-up since a month ago. But it also seems that these these attacks were all intercepted. All the missiles were intercepted by the US or by our allies that were launched by Iran. Just what what should our response be as this this kind of boiling over seems to be getting to that point again?
Host: Right, we will check real quick with Secretary Pompeo, make sure he is still there. I know he is traveling, which, hey, it is live radio, live broadcast, folks. That happens. But all that, we we have got the Secretary now. I am going to go to him as well. Mr. Secretary, you heard the question?
Guest (Male): I did hear the question. Yes. Look, I think you have I think you have it just right. We are we are going to win and I think President Trump has has perfectly captured how to get there, right? Today, crude oil is flowing out, but not Iranian crude oil. Everybody else's. So we can keep energy prices relatively low and strangle the Iranian economy so they cannot pay their soldiers, cannot buy more munitions, all the things that put real pressure on the IRGC and the leadership and the the regime.
Guest (Male): And I see I think you see that with them acting out in this way, right? They have to every whip stitch go take out a couple of tankers to show themselves that they still can and to try to convince the world that they are still capable of holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage. I think this will play out in a way that, as President Trump has said, is inevitable that the Iranians will find that they have got to surrender. They cannot sustain this. We have we have the leverage, we have the we have the time advantage, which is something people always say, oh, you know, America has no patience. I actually think we have got the time advantage. We can wait them out with the blockade and the economic pressure the Secretary has put in place.
Host: Well, and I think it goes back to a lot of the groundwork that you did as Secretary of State with the sanctions regime that was so effective during the first Trump administration, where they were not able to do anything. There was so much quiet in the Middle East during that period, at a time when the US, you know, took out ISIS and was able to use the economic tools to our advantage to make sure that the Iranians did not have the capacity to export terror the way they had gotten so used to doing.
Host: I think what is interesting here, and I would love to get your take on it as well. It is in the article that you have written, is this new sanctions regime, Operation Economic Outcast, or also Economic D-Day, it has been called, that the Treasury Secretary has put forward and as he says, as weeks go on, he is going to keep adding things to this. It is like that maximum pressure campaign. However, there is also this kinetic arm that we have seen because of Operation Midnight Hammer, as well as the following operation that happened this year, Epic Fury, that when you have the kinetic piece as well as this very strong, strongest maybe we have ever seen, economic piece, it really has the opportunity for a very different world in the Middle East.
Guest (Male): Exactly right. Look, this is we did put a lot of economic pressure on them in the first Trump administration. This will be every bit as much as that, and because of the nature where the regime finds itself today, even more impactful. And then you add the fact that President Trump has now demonstrated his willingness to take kinetic action, his willingness to go after leaders, his willingness to go after military targets, to put their nuclear program on its back foot and set it back what will assuredly be years. That fundamentally changes the psychology of the Iranian leadership, and I I hope there is are Khesh Colonels, Iranian military, who are thinking, I do not want to be part of this.
Guest (Male): And over time will find a way to help the population rise up and get what we really ultimately need, which is Iran to behave like a normal nation.
Host: We know that President Xi Jinping is coming to the US in just a few weeks. September 24th is when he is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. In your piece, you talk a lot about that China really is the economic lifeline for the Iranians. With these these new sanctions in place, the the blockade that we have, as well as there are even reports of some of the trade unions within Iran starting to protest again. And that is what sparked the nationwide protests earlier last year that we have talked about so much.
Host: With with all of this taking place at this time and knowing that the president is coming from China to visit the White House, how much of this of Iran do you think is on the agenda for the White House with the Chinese as they come over here?
Guest (Male): Boy, I I hope it is a lot. Your your first point, which is that China is buying something on the order of 4 to 500,000 barrels a day of crude from the Iranians and paying them in their their currency and their yuan. I hope we will shut that down. And I hope we will make clear to Xi Jinping that that is in his best interest too. I am not sure he accepts that. I think maybe the fact that we have got a carrier group stuck in the Middle East and all of the weapons that we have had to fire, he probably thinks that is probably net net good for him. But I hope President Trump and the team, when the Chinese delegation arrives in September, will make clear to them that we are going to win this thing and they have picked the losing horse here. And they ought not ride that horse. They ought to be actively working to help Iran rise up and make sure that there is never a nuclear weapon, that their terror proxies throughout the region are broke and gone. And that the new leaders or the same leaders come to understand that they cannot continue to threaten the world as they have for the last 47 years. I hope that is a priority for the Chinese visit in just a couple of weeks now.
Host: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us today and thank you for your insight as well. I encourage everyone to go to ACLJ.org and to read this piece by Secretary Pompeo, How We Win in Iran. It is a great informative piece, a lot of the things we just talked about there, but really a roadmap for using American strength, both economically as well as militarily, to win this. And I think that we can, and I think that we are on the path to do that. So thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us today.
Host: I have calls lined up, but two lines open. If you want to join me, 1-800-684-3110. If you want to talk about Iran, you can call about that as well. But also back to the original topic of the the inevitable impeachment 3.0. You know, as AOC said, Woke 1 was crazy, so was impeachment 1, but they are still going forward with 3.0 coming up early 2027. Call me about that as well. 1-800-684-3110 to talk to me on air. And Warren, Don, Ronald, and Eddie, I will be getting to you on the other side of this break. So hang tight there.
Host: But thank you again for supporting the ACLJ in August. You can always go to ACLJ.org and support our work. You can read many wonderful things from our attorneys, from Secretary Pompeo, about the work we do, analysis of the world we live in. It is a really a treasure trove of information. So I encourage you, just go to ACLJ.org and poke around, look at the blogs, read the news. You can even watch the show there. We will be right back with more on Sekulow.
Host: For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines, protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you are already a member, thank you. And if you are not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today. ACLJ.org.