July 14, 2026 • 23 mins
1. Trump's Planned Primetime Address
- Newly declassified intelligence regarding alleged foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. election.
- Election security and voting system vulnerabilities.
- Election integrity reforms.
- Possible appearances by senior intelligence and national security officials.
- Potential discussion of national security issues involving Iran.
The speech is highly significant and suggests it could reignite debates over the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
2. Election Integrity Narrative
- Americans want stronger voter verification measures.
- Confidence in elections has declined.
- The Trump administration seeks to present evidence supporting claims of foreign election interference.
- Election security should be treated as a national security issue.
3. Iran and the Strait of Hormuz
- Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.
- A U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping.
- Trump allegedly declaring the United States the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz."
- Proposed security fees on cargo moving through the strait.
- Planned military strikes against Iran.
- Statements attributed to Trump concerning failed agreements with Iran.
- Trump notified Congress about military operations involving Iran.
- The United States is entering a "new phase" of conflict.
- Iran violated an agreement or memorandum of understanding.
4. South Carolina Senate Appointment
- South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Lindsey Graham's sister to fill the seat temporarily.
- Donald Trump supported the appointment.
- Darline Graham Nordone would be the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.
- A special election would later determine a permanent replacement.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, circle Thursday night at nine o'clock Eastern
on your calendar because President Donald Trump is preparing to
do something he rarely does. He's delivering a formal primetime
address to the American people. And based on multiple reports
coming out of Washington, the speech isn't expected to be
about the economy, it isn't expected to be about immigration,
(00:23):
and even while tensions with a Ran may also be discussed,
we're being told that the centerpiece is expected to be
the newly declassified intelligence regarding foreign nations and allege efforts
to interfere in the twenty twenty presidential election. Now that
alone guarantees this is going to be one of the
most watched speeches of President Trump's second term.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Now here's what we know.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
According to administration officials speaking now to multiple outlets, the
White House plans to unveil the newly declassified intelligence that
President Trump says shows foreign government did, in fact seek
to interfere in the twenty twenty election. The administration is
also expected to discuss voting machine security, as well as
(01:08):
cyber vulnerabilities and broader election integrity reforms. Exactly what those
newly declassified documents contain has not yet been released publicly,
so many of the details remain unknown ahead of Thursday
Night's address. Now, one of the biggest questions is this
who will be standing beside the president. The White House
(01:29):
has not officially announced the lineup of officials who will
participate or appear with the president, but I'm being told
that there are several top names, including the CIA Director
John Ratcliffe, the acting Director of National Intelligence, the FBI director,
and the Department of Homeland Security secretary as well.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yes, this is a big moment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Officials connected to the intelligence review, along with other senior
national security personnel, could also appear. We're being told to
reinforce during the address US, but the White House is
not confirming all that until you get to see it
on camera. Now, if you're looking for what the speech
is likely designed to accomplish, well, it's several things that
stand out. First of all, the Trump administration made election
(02:14):
integrity one of its defining issues. The Same America Act
is a center point of the president's agenda, and since
returning to office, the Trump administration has not only pursued
tougher voting verification policies, but also stronger proof of citizenship
requirements and increased scrutiny of election systems. Thursday night speech
(02:35):
appears position as another major step in that agenda, and
the majority of Americans are already on the President's side
that it's not a crazy idea to have to show
proof of who you are before you vote. Now, this
obviously is about moving public confidence. Whether Americans agree or
disagree with the president. Confidence in elections has become one
(02:56):
of the defining issues in not only politics worldwide, but
in America. It is insane that it takes days and weeks,
even months to have votes counted in twenty twenty six
in this country, and Republicans are now making that case nationwide. Now, Democrats,
you may want to know what their plan is. Well,
(03:16):
of course they respond to this twenty twenty election saying, well,
we didn't find evidence that there was widespread fraud that
changed the election outcome. And of course they want to
say the president's just lying about what actually happened. So
with declassified information, the president seems to be willing to
bring receipts saying this is what happened in twenty twenty.
(03:40):
The President has long said that the election was quote stolen, well,
Thursday Night's addresses almost certain to reignite that debate. And
the third reason why this speech matters is the timing
as well. President Trump has generally preferred taking questions from
reporters or making announcements through rallies and media rather than formal,
(04:01):
overll office speeches. It's not really President Trump's style, and
that's why this announcement has also drawn so much attention. Already,
even his senior advisors described this as a unusually significant
address that coming from Axios reporting, and don't be surprised
by the way if the President broadens the speech beyond
(04:22):
election security. Administration officials are also suggesting that recent developments
involving Iran and national security could also be discussed, making
this potentially a wide ranging address rather than one focused
on a single topic. The White House clearly wants Americans watching,
and you can expect the President to argue that his
(04:43):
administration is providing information previous administrations either deliberately withheld or
failed to fully investigate because they knew what the outcome
was going to be. You can also expect President Trump
to frame election security as not only that, but really
a national security issue rather than simply a political one,
(05:04):
and you can expect the President to call for additional
reforms moving forward before the midterms. Now here's what everyone
should also remember before Thursday night. The documents themselves have
not yet been released publicly, so while reports indicate they
concern foreign interference and also election related intelligence, we will
(05:28):
find out much more when the president presents it to
the country. Now, one thing is certain, Washington will be watching.
The Democrats are definitely going to be watching in Washington,
and people that work in the deep State they're going
to be watching. We also know that Congress is going
to be watching as well. And then America's allies and
(05:51):
America's adversaries will be watching.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And one thing is really for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You know Iran and also Russia are going to be watching,
especially in light of.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
What's happening right now.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Now, within minutes of the speech ending, every cable network
is going to be dissecting every sentence and every piece
of evidence that the President's going to present to the public. Now,
to be clear, these are the same media individuals that
were pushing the Russian hoax that President Trump was somehow
colluding with Russian twenty sixteen. They knew it was a
(06:24):
lie and they reported, it is fact. Never forget that.
So Thursday Night's address it's going to shape up, I
think to be one of the most consequential presidential speeches
of the summer, especially ahead of the midterms. And I
promise you I'm going to break down exactly what was said,
what the evidence was that was presented, and who appeared
(06:45):
alongside the president. So you do not want to miss
that episode following the president speech on Thursday night. So
if you care about election integrity, national security, or simply
one of the biggest political stories of the year, you
might want to set your DVR Thursday night, nine o'clock Eastern,
eight o'clock Central. It is a speech from the President
(07:06):
that you don't want to miss. To say that the
ball is moving very quickly with President Donald Trump and
what's happening in Iran, honestly, that would be an understatement.
And I'm going to walk you through what's happened in
the last ten to twelve hours.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The White House has announced that the President will address
the nation Thursday night, nine pm Eastern, as the conflict
with Iran continues to escalate and the Middle East is
now moving closer to a broader regional war after rand
attacks neighboring countries. Never the past several days, the situation
has changed significantly. President Trump has announced that the United
(07:44):
States has reinstating the blockade targeting Iranian shipping, and he's
also declared that America will serve as the quote guardians
of the Strait of Hormuz following the renewed Iranian attacks
and military escalation. Now, the administration says the black arcada's
aimed at Iranian vessels while allowing non Iranian commercial traffic
to continue. Trump's proposal, by the way, for a twenty
(08:07):
percent security fee on cargo has also sparked international debate. Now,
I want you to hear what the President had to
say early in the morning on Fox News Channel.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Here's what he said about Iran.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But we had a deal. What nobody knows. We had
a deal. It was a done deal, and then they
broke it. They always break it. We've had ten deals
with these people, and so we're just going to hit
them very hard and we're going to keep the straight
and we'll probably run it. Will become the Guardian of
the Strait. Maybe we'll call it the Guardian Angel of
the Strait. And we should be reimbursed for that. When
(08:42):
we do that, we're going to be reimbursed because the
other nations are very wealthy that are on our side,
and we can't be expected to do that for nothing,
unlike we had for many years. You know, we guarded
the Strait for fifty years more and we never got
paid for it. They made all the money in the
United States was just you know not they wouldn't. It's amazing,
(09:03):
it's we never make We guarded it for nothing, and
now we're going to guard it. We're going to get
paid for guarding it a lot of money, but we
just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this,
for putting our people in danger. But we're really not
putting people. We're really saving people. Remember this, they killed
fifty two thousand protesters so far as at this moment,
(09:24):
the numbers fifty two thousand. So who's going to protest
and a lot of people are surprised about the protesting,
you know that they haven't. But nobody's going to protest
when they get shot. They have AK forty seven, they
have machine guns aimed at people's heads. If you move
one foot further, you get shot, and then they'll shot.
They'll shoot ten of them and everybody flees. Who's not
(09:45):
going to flee They don't have guns. So they're a
bad group of people. Let me just tell you that.
I don't say that often, and I have to live
with that statement. They're a bad group of people. They've
been this way for a long time, and right now
they're getting their s kicked and in the top form.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Now the President being blunt there, and as that interview happened,
then things started to escalate on the other side of
what the White House says is going to happen next.
Now we also have been told that there are going
to be major attacks that are going to take place
tonight on Iran. The President putting out a tweet saying this,
(10:24):
The Strait of Hormuz is open all caps and will
remain open with or without Iran. We are reinstating the
Iranian blockade, so named it because it's only stopping Iran
ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries
will have fair and open use of the strait. The
US will be from this point forward known as the
(10:45):
Guardians of the Strait of Hormuz. But as much as
a matter of fairness, we will be reimbursed at a
rate of twenty percent on all cargo shipped for any
and all costs necessary to do the job of providing
safety and security to this very volatile section of the world.
The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for
(11:06):
your attention to this matter, President Donald J. Trump putting
that in a truth social posting earlier. Now the President
also going to make this speech. Why well the President
saying this, He called into Salem radio and had this
to say about what's happening right now.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
But we don't want to talk about that. But okay,
we certainly are watching.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, I know a lot about that subjects. I know
a lot, but I don't think it's appropriate to talk about.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It right now.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
But we will. We will seeing him, like as an example,
we're gonna hit him very hard tonight, and we're gonna
hit him hard tomorrow. And there's not a damn thing
they can do about it. They have nothing, They have
nothing going other than they have big mouths. Can president
that I did. I got to know him and it's
(11:54):
a lot better. You know, people say I was at
least reasonable, but I got to know him.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
In this stone cold, stone cold, crazy people they have
big mouths. Will hit them very hard tonight, and we're
going to hit them hard tomorrow, and there's not a
blanket thing they can do about it. The US military
again launching these overwhelming strikes against Iran, the President announcing,
and then the big question will be what will the
(12:19):
President say the nation on Thursday night, nine o'clock pm Eastern.
I can promise you we're going to cover it all
for you, as the president. Moving into a new phase
and a very very important part of the world. The
President also issuing a scathing warning to Iran following the
broken military agreement, revealing that the US hammered their equipment
(12:41):
overnight and permanently took over the operations they say security
operations in the Middle East, saying this on Fox News.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Their equipment is gone. They're anti aircraft that is gone.
We hit them very hard last night. Every time they
send a drone, we hit them very hard. But we
had a deal, but nobody knows we had a deal.
It was a done deal, and then they broke it.
They always break it. We've had ten deals with these
veehople and so we're just going to hit them very
hard and we're going to keep the straight and we'll
(13:12):
probably run it, will become the Guardian of the Strait.
Maybe we'll go at the guardian Angel of the Strait,
and we should be reimbursed for that. When we do that,
we're going to be reimbursed because the other nations are
very wealthy that are on our side, and we can't
be expected to do that for nothing, unlike we had
for many years.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Now, this obviously is moving into a very new phase.
We now know that the President has formally notified lawmakers
that the nation is once again at war with Iran,
giving his administration another sixty eight clock to use military
in the region without Congressional approval. So the President working
through this quickly, and he says he is now saying
(13:50):
the MoU with Iran was a test for I ran
and they failed it miserably. I said, watch I guarantee,
and they never followed it. They are known for this tests.
The memorandum of understanding. When you're dealing with sleeves bags,
well then it's never gonna work. So the President making
it clear this is a new phase of this war
(14:10):
with Iran, notifying Congress, and a major announcement coming to
the American people in primetime on Thursday night. There are
a lot of people that are looking at South Carolina
right now, and the big question was who was going
to take over after the passing of Lindsay Graham.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We now know who that interim centater will be. South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You have a new senator, and the appointment carries not
only enormous personal and political, but also historic significance. The
governor there, Henry McMaster, has appointed Lindsey Graham's younger sister, Yes,
to temporarily represent South Carolina in the United States Senate.
(14:53):
The appointment was publicly encouraged and supported by President Donald Trump,
who argued that selecting Darlin would be a fitting tribute
to her brother's extraordinary life and service. I want you
to hear the governor announcing that the sister of Lindsey
Graham had just been named the US Senator, and that
(15:13):
Governor Henry McMaster said, not only is a move that
supported what President Trump had said, but she agreed to
serve through tears. Here's the Governor, in his own words,
making the announcement to the state today.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
Under the law, is my duty to an honor to
name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man,
this irreplaceable man, this extraordinary man. For the remainder of
his term, Lindsey took care of his little sister in
(15:50):
years long departed. It's my honor to ask his little sister,
Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now. And
by the way, Darlena, I don't know if I told you,
but after we spoke on the phone in the wee
house of Sunday morning and you agreed to serve through
(16:10):
tears earlier, I had wondered what she would say, and
I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty
that you had to serve. And I called the President afterwards,
(16:31):
and he thought it was a great idea. And I'm
sure you that everyone here does as well. Darling little sister,
come forward.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Please, as you could hear there from the Governor. It
was a somber but sweet moment. You may not realize
that Lindsey Graham's sister was someone that he raised after
they lost both of their parents when they were young.
Lindsey raised his little sister and eventually even became her
legal guard. He was only in his early twenties, attending
(17:03):
college and serving in the Air Force but he took
responsibility for keeping their family together. That experience not only
shaped Lindsay Graham's life, his faith in his commitment to
public service, but obviously had a massive impact on his
little sister. Now she isn't just Lindsey Graham's little sister.
She has virtually been in every aspect in the most
(17:26):
important parts of Lindsay's life. She frequently appeared with him
at major political moments, including when he launched his presidential campaign,
and she's remained one of his closest confidants throughout his
entire career. President Trump even made reference to this before
Governor McMaster's announcement. Trump urged the governor to appoint the
(17:46):
sister as a temporary center, describing the idea as not
only a powerful way to honor Lindsay Graham's memory, but
also ensuring South Carolina continued to have full representation in Washington.
Senator Tim Scott also supported the appointment as well, being
from the same state. Politically, the appointment is also incredibly
(18:06):
important at this moment. Why because when she arrives, it
now allows the Republicans to preserve their fifty three forty
seven Senate majority, a moment right now, where the Chamber
is dealing with major national security legislation, defend spending, presidential nominations,
and continuing tensions involving Iran and Russia, with the President's
(18:29):
big speech on Thursday night being at the core of
a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Lindsey Graham has been one.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Of the Senate's most influential voices on military affairs, foreign policy,
and judiciary. And now his little sister will be there
to continue to carry that baton of what Lindsey Graham
believed in and to make sure the people of South
Carolina have someone representing their state's interests now.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Her appointment is also historic.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
As I mentioned earlier, Darlene Graham becomes the first woman
to represent South Carolina in the United States Senate history.
It's a remarkable milestone in the state with a long
and consequential political history. The appointment does not settle the
longer political battle over Lindsey Graham's seat. South Carolina Republicans
(19:15):
are scheduled to hold a special primary on August eleventh,
with a potential runoff later that month. The general election
is scheduled for November IID Now. Already, there have been
several prominent Republicans that are reportedly looking and considering having
a campaign, including the lieutenant governor, members of South Carolina's
(19:35):
congressional delegation. The eventual Republican nominee is also expected to
face a tough fight with the Democratic nominee, Annie Andrews.
But what we now know is, at least for the
next few months, Lindsey Graham will be represented in the
United States Senate by his little sister. And I couldn't
think of anything more fitting than literally doing exactly what
(19:58):
the President said having this become a reality. I want
you to also hear what Lindsay Graham's little sister I
had to say after the governor announced that she would
be the new Senator from South Carolina.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Bear with me as I try to get through this.
But first I just want to say one thing I've
never heard Lindsay described as is irresistible. So okay, we'll
just start with that. But first, I would like to
thank everyone who has called and reached out over the
past couple of days. I can't tell you how much
(20:34):
it's meant to me and our family. I know Lindsay
was loved and respected by many, and I greatly appreciate
the memories and even the funny stories that have been shared.
These shared experiences, along with our faith, have gotten us
through these past two very difficult days. Next, I want
(20:57):
to thank the governor for selecting me to serve the
remainder of Lindsay's term, and is such an honor. Lindsay
has always been there for me, and now I will
be there for him. My brother was the most amazing person,
outstanding leader, and just a genuinely good man. He was
(21:20):
kind and considerate and loved by his family dearly. As
I think everyone would agree, Lindsay worked harder than anyone.
He worked NonStop to make our state, country, and world better.
He loved his family and loved serving this state and
(21:42):
our country. He dedicated his life to our country. It
is such a privilege to get to finish some of
his important work, and I promise to work hard over
the next several months to support the president and care
beforeward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the
(22:03):
citizens of South Carolina and the United States. I know
Lindsay thought the world of his staff and colleagues, and
with their support, I feel confident I think this is
what Lindsay would have wanted. And I plan to honor
him in this way. Now, to Lindsey, I miss you
(22:25):
more than I can even put into words, but I'm
going to do this.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I got it.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
An incredibly powerful, short, but very important moment there in
South Carolina, a moment where you could tell how much
love and respect she has for her brother who passed away,
and saying that Lindsay worked harder than anyone. He worked
NonStop to make our state, country, and world better. This
(22:56):
is what he would have wanted. And she said She's
going to make him proud and serve the people.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Well.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
It is truly incredible to see the grace under this
moment that was shown by her to honor and represent
her brother, his wishes and the people that he cared
about in South Carolina so so much. Make sure you
share this podcast with your family and friends, put it
up on social media wherever you are, and we appreciate
(23:23):
you listening every day.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
We'll see you back here tomorrow
Ladies and gentlemen, circle Thursday night at nine o'clock Eastern
on your calendar because President Donald Trump is preparing to
do something he rarely does. He's delivering a formal primetime
address to the American people. And based on multiple reports
coming out of Washington, the speech isn't expected to be
about the economy, it isn't expected to be about immigration,
(00:23):
and even while tensions with a Ran may also be discussed,
we're being told that the centerpiece is expected to be
the newly declassified intelligence regarding foreign nations and allege efforts
to interfere in the twenty twenty presidential election. Now that
alone guarantees this is going to be one of the
most watched speeches of President Trump's second term.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Now here's what we know.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
According to administration officials speaking now to multiple outlets, the
White House plans to unveil the newly declassified intelligence that
President Trump says shows foreign government did, in fact seek
to interfere in the twenty twenty election. The administration is
also expected to discuss voting machine security, as well as
(01:08):
cyber vulnerabilities and broader election integrity reforms. Exactly what those
newly declassified documents contain has not yet been released publicly,
so many of the details remain unknown ahead of Thursday
Night's address. Now, one of the biggest questions is this
who will be standing beside the president. The White House
(01:29):
has not officially announced the lineup of officials who will
participate or appear with the president, but I'm being told
that there are several top names, including the CIA Director
John Ratcliffe, the acting Director of National Intelligence, the FBI director,
and the Department of Homeland Security secretary as well.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yes, this is a big moment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Officials connected to the intelligence review, along with other senior
national security personnel, could also appear. We're being told to
reinforce during the address US, but the White House is
not confirming all that until you get to see it
on camera. Now, if you're looking for what the speech
is likely designed to accomplish, well, it's several things that
stand out. First of all, the Trump administration made election
(02:14):
integrity one of its defining issues. The Same America Act
is a center point of the president's agenda, and since
returning to office, the Trump administration has not only pursued
tougher voting verification policies, but also stronger proof of citizenship
requirements and increased scrutiny of election systems. Thursday night speech
(02:35):
appears position as another major step in that agenda, and
the majority of Americans are already on the President's side
that it's not a crazy idea to have to show
proof of who you are before you vote. Now, this
obviously is about moving public confidence. Whether Americans agree or
disagree with the president. Confidence in elections has become one
(02:56):
of the defining issues in not only politics worldwide, but
in America. It is insane that it takes days and weeks,
even months to have votes counted in twenty twenty six
in this country, and Republicans are now making that case nationwide. Now, Democrats,
you may want to know what their plan is. Well,
(03:16):
of course they respond to this twenty twenty election saying, well,
we didn't find evidence that there was widespread fraud that
changed the election outcome. And of course they want to
say the president's just lying about what actually happened. So
with declassified information, the president seems to be willing to
bring receipts saying this is what happened in twenty twenty.
(03:40):
The President has long said that the election was quote stolen, well,
Thursday Night's addresses almost certain to reignite that debate. And
the third reason why this speech matters is the timing
as well. President Trump has generally preferred taking questions from
reporters or making announcements through rallies and media rather than formal,
(04:01):
overll office speeches. It's not really President Trump's style, and
that's why this announcement has also drawn so much attention. Already,
even his senior advisors described this as a unusually significant
address that coming from Axios reporting, and don't be surprised
by the way if the President broadens the speech beyond
(04:22):
election security. Administration officials are also suggesting that recent developments
involving Iran and national security could also be discussed, making
this potentially a wide ranging address rather than one focused
on a single topic. The White House clearly wants Americans watching,
and you can expect the President to argue that his
(04:43):
administration is providing information previous administrations either deliberately withheld or
failed to fully investigate because they knew what the outcome
was going to be. You can also expect President Trump
to frame election security as not only that, but really
a national security issue rather than simply a political one,
(05:04):
and you can expect the President to call for additional
reforms moving forward before the midterms. Now here's what everyone
should also remember before Thursday night. The documents themselves have
not yet been released publicly, so while reports indicate they
concern foreign interference and also election related intelligence, we will
(05:28):
find out much more when the president presents it to
the country. Now, one thing is certain, Washington will be watching.
The Democrats are definitely going to be watching in Washington,
and people that work in the deep State they're going
to be watching. We also know that Congress is going
to be watching as well. And then America's allies and
(05:51):
America's adversaries will be watching.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And one thing is really for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
You know Iran and also Russia are going to be watching,
especially in light of.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
What's happening right now.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Now, within minutes of the speech ending, every cable network
is going to be dissecting every sentence and every piece
of evidence that the President's going to present to the public. Now,
to be clear, these are the same media individuals that
were pushing the Russian hoax that President Trump was somehow
colluding with Russian twenty sixteen. They knew it was a
(06:24):
lie and they reported, it is fact. Never forget that.
So Thursday Night's address it's going to shape up, I
think to be one of the most consequential presidential speeches
of the summer, especially ahead of the midterms. And I
promise you I'm going to break down exactly what was said,
what the evidence was that was presented, and who appeared
(06:45):
alongside the president. So you do not want to miss
that episode following the president speech on Thursday night. So
if you care about election integrity, national security, or simply
one of the biggest political stories of the year, you
might want to set your DVR Thursday night, nine o'clock Eastern,
eight o'clock Central. It is a speech from the President
(07:06):
that you don't want to miss. To say that the
ball is moving very quickly with President Donald Trump and
what's happening in Iran, honestly, that would be an understatement.
And I'm going to walk you through what's happened in
the last ten to twelve hours.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The White House has announced that the President will address
the nation Thursday night, nine pm Eastern, as the conflict
with Iran continues to escalate and the Middle East is
now moving closer to a broader regional war after rand
attacks neighboring countries. Never the past several days, the situation
has changed significantly. President Trump has announced that the United
(07:44):
States has reinstating the blockade targeting Iranian shipping, and he's
also declared that America will serve as the quote guardians
of the Strait of Hormuz following the renewed Iranian attacks
and military escalation. Now, the administration says the black arcada's
aimed at Iranian vessels while allowing non Iranian commercial traffic
to continue. Trump's proposal, by the way, for a twenty
(08:07):
percent security fee on cargo has also sparked international debate. Now,
I want you to hear what the President had to
say early in the morning on Fox News Channel.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Here's what he said about Iran.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But we had a deal. What nobody knows. We had
a deal. It was a done deal, and then they
broke it. They always break it. We've had ten deals
with these people, and so we're just going to hit
them very hard and we're going to keep the straight
and we'll probably run it. Will become the Guardian of
the Strait. Maybe we'll call it the Guardian Angel of
the Strait. And we should be reimbursed for that. When
(08:42):
we do that, we're going to be reimbursed because the
other nations are very wealthy that are on our side,
and we can't be expected to do that for nothing,
unlike we had for many years. You know, we guarded
the Strait for fifty years more and we never got
paid for it. They made all the money in the
United States was just you know not they wouldn't. It's amazing,
(09:03):
it's we never make We guarded it for nothing, and
now we're going to guard it. We're going to get
paid for guarding it a lot of money, but we
just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this,
for putting our people in danger. But we're really not
putting people. We're really saving people. Remember this, they killed
fifty two thousand protesters so far as at this moment,
(09:24):
the numbers fifty two thousand. So who's going to protest
and a lot of people are surprised about the protesting,
you know that they haven't. But nobody's going to protest
when they get shot. They have AK forty seven, they
have machine guns aimed at people's heads. If you move
one foot further, you get shot, and then they'll shot.
They'll shoot ten of them and everybody flees. Who's not
(09:45):
going to flee They don't have guns. So they're a
bad group of people. Let me just tell you that.
I don't say that often, and I have to live
with that statement. They're a bad group of people. They've
been this way for a long time, and right now
they're getting their s kicked and in the top form.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Now the President being blunt there, and as that interview happened,
then things started to escalate on the other side of
what the White House says is going to happen next.
Now we also have been told that there are going
to be major attacks that are going to take place
tonight on Iran. The President putting out a tweet saying this,
(10:24):
The Strait of Hormuz is open all caps and will
remain open with or without Iran. We are reinstating the
Iranian blockade, so named it because it's only stopping Iran
ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries
will have fair and open use of the strait. The
US will be from this point forward known as the
(10:45):
Guardians of the Strait of Hormuz. But as much as
a matter of fairness, we will be reimbursed at a
rate of twenty percent on all cargo shipped for any
and all costs necessary to do the job of providing
safety and security to this very volatile section of the world.
The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for
(11:06):
your attention to this matter, President Donald J. Trump putting
that in a truth social posting earlier. Now the President
also going to make this speech. Why well the President
saying this, He called into Salem radio and had this
to say about what's happening right now.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
But we don't want to talk about that. But okay,
we certainly are watching.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, I know a lot about that subjects. I know
a lot, but I don't think it's appropriate to talk about.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It right now.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
But we will. We will seeing him, like as an example,
we're gonna hit him very hard tonight, and we're gonna
hit him hard tomorrow. And there's not a damn thing
they can do about it. They have nothing, They have
nothing going other than they have big mouths. Can president
that I did. I got to know him and it's
(11:54):
a lot better. You know, people say I was at
least reasonable, but I got to know him.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
In this stone cold, stone cold, crazy people they have
big mouths. Will hit them very hard tonight, and we're
going to hit them hard tomorrow, and there's not a
blanket thing they can do about it. The US military
again launching these overwhelming strikes against Iran, the President announcing,
and then the big question will be what will the
(12:19):
President say the nation on Thursday night, nine o'clock pm Eastern.
I can promise you we're going to cover it all
for you, as the president. Moving into a new phase
and a very very important part of the world. The
President also issuing a scathing warning to Iran following the
broken military agreement, revealing that the US hammered their equipment
(12:41):
overnight and permanently took over the operations they say security
operations in the Middle East, saying this on Fox News.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Their equipment is gone. They're anti aircraft that is gone.
We hit them very hard last night. Every time they
send a drone, we hit them very hard. But we
had a deal, but nobody knows we had a deal.
It was a done deal, and then they broke it.
They always break it. We've had ten deals with these
veehople and so we're just going to hit them very
hard and we're going to keep the straight and we'll
(13:12):
probably run it, will become the Guardian of the Strait.
Maybe we'll go at the guardian Angel of the Strait,
and we should be reimbursed for that. When we do that,
we're going to be reimbursed because the other nations are
very wealthy that are on our side, and we can't
be expected to do that for nothing, unlike we had
for many years.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Now, this obviously is moving into a very new phase.
We now know that the President has formally notified lawmakers
that the nation is once again at war with Iran,
giving his administration another sixty eight clock to use military
in the region without Congressional approval. So the President working
through this quickly, and he says he is now saying
(13:50):
the MoU with Iran was a test for I ran
and they failed it miserably. I said, watch I guarantee,
and they never followed it. They are known for this tests.
The memorandum of understanding. When you're dealing with sleeves bags,
well then it's never gonna work. So the President making
it clear this is a new phase of this war
(14:10):
with Iran, notifying Congress, and a major announcement coming to
the American people in primetime on Thursday night. There are
a lot of people that are looking at South Carolina
right now, and the big question was who was going
to take over after the passing of Lindsay Graham.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We now know who that interim centater will be. South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You have a new senator, and the appointment carries not
only enormous personal and political, but also historic significance. The
governor there, Henry McMaster, has appointed Lindsey Graham's younger sister, Yes,
to temporarily represent South Carolina in the United States Senate.
(14:53):
The appointment was publicly encouraged and supported by President Donald Trump,
who argued that selecting Darlin would be a fitting tribute
to her brother's extraordinary life and service. I want you
to hear the governor announcing that the sister of Lindsey
Graham had just been named the US Senator, and that
(15:13):
Governor Henry McMaster said, not only is a move that
supported what President Trump had said, but she agreed to
serve through tears. Here's the Governor, in his own words,
making the announcement to the state today.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
Under the law, is my duty to an honor to
name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man,
this irreplaceable man, this extraordinary man. For the remainder of
his term, Lindsey took care of his little sister in
(15:50):
years long departed. It's my honor to ask his little sister,
Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now. And
by the way, Darlena, I don't know if I told you,
but after we spoke on the phone in the wee
house of Sunday morning and you agreed to serve through
(16:10):
tears earlier, I had wondered what she would say, and
I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty
that you had to serve. And I called the President afterwards,
(16:31):
and he thought it was a great idea. And I'm
sure you that everyone here does as well. Darling little sister,
come forward.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Please, as you could hear there from the Governor. It
was a somber but sweet moment. You may not realize
that Lindsey Graham's sister was someone that he raised after
they lost both of their parents when they were young.
Lindsey raised his little sister and eventually even became her
legal guard. He was only in his early twenties, attending
(17:03):
college and serving in the Air Force but he took
responsibility for keeping their family together. That experience not only
shaped Lindsay Graham's life, his faith in his commitment to
public service, but obviously had a massive impact on his
little sister. Now she isn't just Lindsey Graham's little sister.
She has virtually been in every aspect in the most
(17:26):
important parts of Lindsay's life. She frequently appeared with him
at major political moments, including when he launched his presidential campaign,
and she's remained one of his closest confidants throughout his
entire career. President Trump even made reference to this before
Governor McMaster's announcement. Trump urged the governor to appoint the
(17:46):
sister as a temporary center, describing the idea as not
only a powerful way to honor Lindsay Graham's memory, but
also ensuring South Carolina continued to have full representation in Washington.
Senator Tim Scott also supported the appointment as well, being
from the same state. Politically, the appointment is also incredibly
(18:06):
important at this moment. Why because when she arrives, it
now allows the Republicans to preserve their fifty three forty
seven Senate majority, a moment right now, where the Chamber
is dealing with major national security legislation, defend spending, presidential nominations,
and continuing tensions involving Iran and Russia, with the President's
(18:29):
big speech on Thursday night being at the core of
a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Lindsey Graham has been one.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Of the Senate's most influential voices on military affairs, foreign policy,
and judiciary. And now his little sister will be there
to continue to carry that baton of what Lindsey Graham
believed in and to make sure the people of South
Carolina have someone representing their state's interests now.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Her appointment is also historic.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
As I mentioned earlier, Darlene Graham becomes the first woman
to represent South Carolina in the United States Senate history.
It's a remarkable milestone in the state with a long
and consequential political history. The appointment does not settle the
longer political battle over Lindsey Graham's seat. South Carolina Republicans
(19:15):
are scheduled to hold a special primary on August eleventh,
with a potential runoff later that month. The general election
is scheduled for November IID Now. Already, there have been
several prominent Republicans that are reportedly looking and considering having
a campaign, including the lieutenant governor, members of South Carolina's
(19:35):
congressional delegation. The eventual Republican nominee is also expected to
face a tough fight with the Democratic nominee, Annie Andrews.
But what we now know is, at least for the
next few months, Lindsey Graham will be represented in the
United States Senate by his little sister. And I couldn't
think of anything more fitting than literally doing exactly what
(19:58):
the President said having this become a reality. I want
you to also hear what Lindsay Graham's little sister I
had to say after the governor announced that she would
be the new Senator from South Carolina.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Bear with me as I try to get through this.
But first I just want to say one thing I've
never heard Lindsay described as is irresistible. So okay, we'll
just start with that. But first, I would like to
thank everyone who has called and reached out over the
past couple of days. I can't tell you how much
(20:34):
it's meant to me and our family. I know Lindsay
was loved and respected by many, and I greatly appreciate
the memories and even the funny stories that have been shared.
These shared experiences, along with our faith, have gotten us
through these past two very difficult days. Next, I want
(20:57):
to thank the governor for selecting me to serve the
remainder of Lindsay's term, and is such an honor. Lindsay
has always been there for me, and now I will
be there for him. My brother was the most amazing person,
outstanding leader, and just a genuinely good man. He was
(21:20):
kind and considerate and loved by his family dearly. As
I think everyone would agree, Lindsay worked harder than anyone.
He worked NonStop to make our state, country, and world better.
He loved his family and loved serving this state and
(21:42):
our country. He dedicated his life to our country. It
is such a privilege to get to finish some of
his important work, and I promise to work hard over
the next several months to support the president and care
beforeward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the
(22:03):
citizens of South Carolina and the United States. I know
Lindsay thought the world of his staff and colleagues, and
with their support, I feel confident I think this is
what Lindsay would have wanted. And I plan to honor
him in this way. Now, to Lindsey, I miss you
(22:25):
more than I can even put into words, but I'm
going to do this.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I got it.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
An incredibly powerful, short, but very important moment there in
South Carolina, a moment where you could tell how much
love and respect she has for her brother who passed away,
and saying that Lindsay worked harder than anyone. He worked
NonStop to make our state, country, and world better. This
(22:56):
is what he would have wanted. And she said She's
going to make him proud and serve the people.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Well.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
It is truly incredible to see the grace under this
moment that was shown by her to honor and represent
her brother, his wishes and the people that he cared
about in South Carolina so so much. Make sure you
share this podcast with your family and friends, put it
up on social media wherever you are, and we appreciate
(23:23):
you listening every day.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
We'll see you back here tomorrow
Host
Ben Ferguson
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