Allen West prepares to face primary challenge in Flordia

August 13, 2012

Writer

Allen West is facing a primary challenge in Florida tomorrow, and Glenn invited him onto the program to discuss some of the attacks he has come under in recent weeks as well as his views on President Obama and Paul Ryan.

Transcript of interview below:

GLENN: Congressman Allen West is on the phone with us now. He's in a primary challenge. I don't know who runs against Allen West in a primary, but somebody is and Allen West is asking for your vote tomorrow. I think this guy is one of the few truth tellers in Washington DC and a guy who will not flinch in the face of real, real trouble, and I appreciate the work that he's done in Washington. Allen West, welcome to the program. How are you, sir?

WEST: I'm doing very well, Glenn, and I can tell you the type of guy that runs in the primary against me is a liberal who's running as a Republican. So, that's typical. I mean, we saw it back in 2010 when we were a candidate and they tried to slip a gentleman in and he, you know　-- as soon as he lost the primary, we never heard from him again. I don't think he lives in south that Florida. So, this is the nature of politics now and　-- to try to get you to waste resources and get you off track, get you off message and we're not going to allow that to happen.

GLENN: There is a　-- the NAACP says that they don't have a problem with an ad showing you punching a white woman. They say that's not racist at all.

WEST: Well, you've just got to understand that, you know, Executive Director Hillary Shelton and really the leadership of the NAACP, they're nothing more than errand boys for the Democratic party and they're going to do anything to make sure that they have a voting electorate block that continues to follow along in lockstep like mindless lemons for the liberal progressive policies and to include Barack Obama, even though you have over 14% unemployment in the black community, black teenage employment over 40%. My wife Angela and I only represent 28% in the black community now where children have mother and father in the homes, but -- and failing schools, let's talk about the failing schools in many of these urban environments, but that's not their issue. They would rather just go lockstep with this march to destruction for the community.

GLENN: Well, but that comes from a racist that would send Chick-fil-A to the black congressional caucus.

WEST: Well, I was there. Okay? And let me tell you, there was not one single sandwich or a piece of chicken or a carousel left. So, obviously they withheld their angst well after their bellies were full six months ago. So, I found it very hilarious.

GLENN: Six months ago ahead and it comes out now.

WEST: Yeah. That's absolutely asinine, but, you know, when it's coming the Huffington Post, they don't have, you know, anything between their ears. So, they've got to look for something to write about.

GLENN: You have been very outspoken on everything that has been going on with the Muslim Brotherhood in our government. I am extraordinarily concerned about this. We're doing another documentary on this at GBTV. It's really disturbing what's happening.

WEST: Yeah. You have to be absolutely right and anyone can go back and read the 1991 exploratory memorandum that was uncovered in a basement in a house in northern Virginia after an FBI raid and it lays down the Muslim Brotherhood's, you know, objective for the United States of America and we have many an umbrella organizations　-- I mean subsidiary organizations that the Muslim Brotherhood is the umbrella for and you have to really be concerned about what you just saw happen in Egypt here in the last 24 hours, where President Morsi has, you know, fired the two cop generals, replaced the head of the military, and has suspended the Constitutional amendment that the supreme military council put in place before his inauguration. So, again, we see that also happening in Turkey where President Erdogan went after the military and its leadership and Comal added Turkey and put the military in charge of making sure that Turkey stayed a secular state. So, you see this movement all across the Middle East toward radical Islamism and a sad thing that we have it happening right here in the United States of America and we have a President, we have an administration that does not want to admit up to it. As a matter of fact, they're forcing the FBI and the military to whitewash terrorist training materials and we still have not seen Major Nidal Hasan brought to trial and I think we're going on close to three years.

GLENN: How much trouble are we in if Barack Obama is reelected?

WEST: I think the country that we know as the United States of America will be on to a decline and I believe that it is the intention of the left to see a decline of the United States global influence and power and just try to manage that decline. When you look at the fact　-- we have $16　trillion in debt. I think the debt is going to continue to grow. This talk about raising taxes on just the top two tax brackets, you already look across the ocean to France and you see a declared socialist President Hollande who is forcing people to leave and this thing called liberal progressive socialism, we've had this discussion before, it's never worked anywhere in the world and why would anyone think it's going to work here in the United States of America? So, this is a turning point for our country. It's a decisive point. The election of November the 6th, and that's why I've got to tell you, I'm really happy that Paul Ryan was picked because it's substance over style and he will force the debate to be about policy and issues which is something the Obama administration does not want.

GLENN: Well, that's what I wanted to ask you about, because about　-- I'll bet you at least a quarter, maybe half of this audience would have liked to have seen you be the pick.

WEST: Look. I've only been in this thing called politics or whatever for, you know, 19 months of my wife.

GLENN: That's a good thing. But what I want to ask you is: What are your thoughts on Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney and try to　-- try to be as little of a politician as you possibly can.

WEST: Of course. You know me.

GLENN: Yeah.

WEST: Well, Paul Ryan is, without a doubt, the intellectual epicenter of the GOP right now. There is no one that can debate him about the budget, about economic solutions to get our country on the way as far as lowering our deficit, lowering our debt, and I think that it speaks volumes that Mitt Romney would pick Paul Ryan because he is truly a problem solver. He is going to really get us back to fiscal conservatism which my biggest concern, without a doubt, was, you know, the Republicans had the White House, they had the House, and they had the Senate but we did not act as conservatives. So, I think that Paul Ryan will force that hand with Governor Romney and hopefully now that when the Romney/Ryan team is successful, you will see a cabinet that the team players around those two that will continue to fight for conservatism as far as our economic standing, energy security, also our foreign policy and national security. So, we need to be able to put together that triumphant.

STU: And just real quick, to see how far we've moved with the Tea Party, I mean, back when Paul Ryan first proposed this sort of proposal, he got 8 Republicans to go along with him on it. It's because people like Allen West have come in to Congress since then that this thing has been taken seriously. It was brushed off by the people who had been in Washington for a million years.

GLENN: I think Paul Ryan is a Tea Party success. I think he can be counted at another　-- would you agree with that?

WEST: Yeah, I would. Absolutely so. I mean, you know, he's the Budget Committee chairman. So, you know, maybe he has to be a little bit careful about, you know, his leans or associations. I don't know, but when you look a his principles, he's clearly in line with fiscal conservatism, fiscal responsibility, limited government, individual sovereignty, and we're going to get him going on the right track as far as understanding foreign policy and national security. I am a willing and helpful resource to them however I can be, but I think we're going to do very well and it's going to be important that we also win the Senate, too.

GLENN: Would you consider a defense department post?

WEST: I've got to tell you, Glenn, for me as a 22-year military veteran, that's the only job worth having in Washington DC for me, to be entrusted with the security of your country, to be entrusted with taking care of the men and women in uniform who many are my friends and still few of my relatives, it would be a　-- that would be a true honor and it would be something that, you know, I unequivocally I would say　"yes" to.

GLENN: Let me　-- you would be Donald Rumsfield in a good way. Everything good about Donald Rumsfield, just shooting straight and saying, Shut up and sit down, it would be fantastic, you in a press conference. How much trouble is the United States in　-- you know, there's this story going around now that Benjamin Netanyahu made his decision on Iran. If Benjamin Netanyahu moves on Iran, what does that mean for us geopolitically? What does that mean for us for the election?

WEST: Well, it says everything about us as a nation if we don't give them our full and whole hearted support because it is not about Israel being able to take that action. They can do that. They're a sovereign nation, but it's about the day after because you have to consider what happens when the Muslim Brotherhood control Egypt now, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran, and then, of course, everything that's going on in Syria. They'll stop killing each other and they'll focus on Israel. So, all of the sudden Israel will be in a multi-front co-integration. They've got to know that they can look back west across the Mediterranean, they can see the gray hulls flying stars and stripes to come to their aid and to their rescue if needed.

GLENN: Which makes me　-- which makes me wonder why Netanyahu would make a decision to move before the election, because are you convinced　--

WEST: I have no idea. I think that, you know, he has to be concerned about the safety and security of Israel, not about the American political scene and the election. So, he knows that there is a clock that is ticking and we cannot afford to play a Sir Neville Chamberlain moment because there is a saying over with your adversaries in that part of the world that Americans have watches but we have the time and so we have to be very leery about each and every day that we give to them. That means they fortify the positions with these underground nuclear facilities because they know the capabilities of our　-- even our upgraded bunker buster munitions and they have the support of Russia and they have the support of China and now they have a local　-- hegemonic dominance with Iraq because, let's face it, Maliki is nothing more than a puppet for Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs there. So, time　-- as time ticks away, that brings us closer to a very decisive point for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel and look. Let's be very honest. The President has gone to speak in Turkey. He has gone to Saudi Arabia. He has gone to speak at University of Cairo. As President, he has never gone to Israel and that is our greatest ally and that's a true teller of where his allegiances lie.

GLENN: What do you think of Mitt Romney on the Middle East?

WEST: Mitt Romney and Israel?

GLENN: Yeah. And the Middle East.

WEST: Well, I think, you know, first of all, he's got to probably flesh some more things out as far as his foreign policy stance and I think that's why it's going to be so important for him to surround himself with, you know, really savvy people like a Bolton, maybe like a General Jack Keen.

GLENN: Can you imagine if he surrounds himself with John Bolton and you? I mean, that would be a dream come true, but, wow, would the press go after him?

WEST: Well, I mean, who cares what the press thinks?

GLENN: I love you. I love you

WEST: The press, you know, they would like to see our influence diminish whatsoever. Look, Americans don't like losers. Okay? And we just saw that in the Olympics. We saw, you know, a record number of gold medals. I think we got 104 medals overall. Americans like winners and I think Americans like winners when it comes to geopolitics, when it comes to our economy, when it comes to everything, and I think that, you know, Governor Mitt Romney has a great opportunity to put together a winning team to put American back on the top. Nobody wants to be the bottom of the barrel and that's what President Obama and the liberal progressives want. I think it really is a reflection of the fact that they don't like themselves, but if that be the case, just stay at home and not like yourself. Don't try to make, you know, this country a country full of losers.

GLENN: Well, I -- again, I don't know why anybody in Florida would be thinking about voting for anybody else, but there is a primary challenge tomorrow and, Florida, you've got to go in and vote and vote for Allen West. He is a guy　-- you know a guy is effective when he is under fire as much as Allen West is and this guy doesn't blink. You want a real fighter and somebody who can actually move things forward and articulate your point of view? It's Allen West and, Allen, it's great to have you on the program.

WEST: It's always a pleasure, Glenn, and thanks for you all you do and I join you, also, and maybe we need to have that national day of prayer and fasting as it says in the 2 Chronicles because we need to make sure we can heal this land.

GLENN: God bless you. Thank you very much.

WEST: Take care.

GLENN: Wow. Obviously somebody is listening to the program. Listen to last hour on that. Allen West, tomorrow, the primary, Florida, make sure you're there. It's one of things that you just feel like, oh, Allen will win. He wouldn't win if you didn't show up.

STU: Yeah. We can't lose Allen west.

GLENN: That would be really bad.

STU: I will veto it. I will veto all of your votes, Florida, if you don't make Allen West win.

GLENN: You know what? We'll go in and we'll just -- we'll punch chads but not all of the way through.

STU: No.

GLENN: We'll make you go through that again.

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

America’s moral erosion: How we were conditioned to accept the unthinkable

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

From isolation to connection: Overcoming loneliness

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.