#161: Don't Bet Against America - Representative Don Davis (NC-1)

Veterans are once again dominating Congress. The start of the 119th Congress has 100 Veterans across both sides of the aisle. Veterans by and large focus on teamwork and getting results. 

To kick off the excitement behind the new Congress, Fran Racioppi spent a few snowy days on Capitol Hill with the members of the For Country Caucus; a bi-partisan group of House of Representative members who have each served across America’s military. 

Representative Don Davis is an Air Force Academy graduate, a two term Congressman representing North Carolina’s 1st District, and the Vice Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. 

With the strength of American military power front and center, Fran asked Congressman Davis to explain just what the next battlefield may be, how ready the American military is to combat both terrorist organizations and near-peer nation states, as well as the role of Special Operations in the next conflict. 

They also broke down the efforts of DOGE, Elon Musk and the application of the age old military sayings “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” and “speed and violence of action” gets things done. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Davis’s office. Don’t miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:05 Welcome to Capitol Hill
• 4:02 Veterans leading Congress
• 8:37 Expectations of Veterans in the Cabinet
• 10:51 Joining the Air Force
• 15:04 Joining State Politics before Federal Politics
• 21:37 Military Readiness
• 24:07 The Next Conflict
• 28:28 Defining the battlefield
• 30:43 The Terror Threat
• 33:28 Investing in Special Operations
• 36:01  Trump Administration actions

QUOTES

• “When the orders came down we didn’t ask, ‘are these Democratic orders or Republican orders.’ We executed the mission.”
• “The fundamental basis of that oath is to protect the constitution.” 
• “What I think was most important going back to eastern North Carolina was an opportunity to really shape future leaders.”
• “There’s these potholes people are craving to be filled.”
• “When there is a mission…are we capable?”
• “We have to make sure the innocent civilians are kept safe.”
• “Clearly there’s a willingness to target us.”
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