The Daily Signal - INTERVIEW | Lawyer Ian Prior and Former Trump Comms Staffer Roma Daravi on Combatting Woke Culture and 'School-to-Ccalpel Pipeline'

Episode Date: March 7, 2023

On today's edition of "The Daily Signal Podcast," a former White House communications staffer said the Department of Energy report lending credence to the theory that COVID-19 leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab represents an "I-told-you-so to the nth degree" after the legacy media and Big Tech cracked down on then President Donald Trump and others for suggesting it. "Much of what we are seeing in the news today, especially coming from [President] Joe Biden's agencies, has been a string of lies, so when you see a headline that reads, 'The Department of Energy has confirmed that it does in fact suspect the Wuhan virus came from the Wuhan lab in China,' you almost have to pause for a second and make sure you're not reading a Babylon Bee article," Roma Daravi, former White House deputy director of strategic communications under Trump and founder and CEO of Daravi Strategies, tells The Daily Signal. Daravi joins the show to explain more. Also on today's show, Ian Prior explains how America First Legal is fighting the transgender movement. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a Daily Signal podcast for Tuesday, March 7th. I'm Tyler O'Neill. I was at CPAC recently, where I spoke to Ian Pryor, who discussed the lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration demanding documents regarding the off-label use of puberty blockers and other hormone drugs. Ian Pryor discussed the general transgender movement and the threats that it poses. I also spoke with Roma Duravi, who's the founder and CEO of Duravi Strategies and former White House deputy director of strategic communications, we discussed how conservatives should

fight back against the woke culture. Stay tuned for my conversation with Ian Pryor next. Want the inside scoop on what's happening here at the Heritage Foundation? Check out Herd at Heritage and all new show replacing the Heritage Events podcast. It'll feature cutting edge analysis and thought from leading experts in and across the conservative movement and of course the Heritage Foundation's premier events and programming. Brought straight to you. Check it out at heritage.org slash podcasts. This is Tyler O'Neill, managing editor at The Daily Signal. I'm here with Ian Pryor, founder of Fight for Schools and a senior advisor at America First Legal.

Great to have you. Thanks for having me. So how are things going in America First Legal and how is the fight for schools? Well, you know, I mean, America First Legal, we are always fighting back against the, certainly the Biden administration, but not just the, Biden administration, you know, school systems throughout the country. Just this week, we filed a lawsuit against the FDA for failing to comply with our FOIA request on information related to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, et cetera, that we'd filed back in September and never got a response. And, you know, I mean, look at what's going on in that industry right now, certainly with the whistleblower

out of St. Louis. You know, a far-left individual who, you know, supports the idea of gender ideology, comes out and says, this is crazy. And, you know, I think that woke up a lot of people, and it's important for us to get to the bottom of certainly what the federal government is doing with respect to this issue, and we're going to get there. Yeah, and that hospital decided not to put any stop during the investigation, right?

Of course not. You know, they're committed to their ideology, no matter how hard or how harmful it is to children. And can you speak to what these drugs, what these interventions do to children. Yeah, well, certainly, you know, you look at puberty blockers. That's really the first step. That's something that is given to children to pause puberty.

And it can have long-term effects down the road. Now, the left will tell you, oh, you know, this is totally reversible. You're just pressing pause. Like, you're pressing pause on puberty. And this is not what these drugs are for. They're being used off-label. And that is something that's extremely important. And then you get into the cross-sex hormones,

and that's where, you know, boys will start developing breasts, girls will start developing facial hair, their voice will start changing, and then ultimately you get to the surgery, right? I call it top surgery, which is, you know, slicing off their breasts or bottom surgery, which, you know, it's changing vaginas into quasi-penises and vice versa. And these things are irreversible. And we're seeing it now with the detransitioner community saying, look, we were, we didn't know what we were doing.

We were children, and we were led down this, road and now there's nothing we can do to go back to what we were before. Yet the left continues to push this, continues to want to pretend that this is not happening. And it is, it is traumatic and it is, it is, quite frankly, evil. Is there a legal path for talking about a patient's inability to understand and actually consent to lifelong interventions like this? Well, certainly, I think that you're seeing lawsuits start to pop up within the Detroit. transitioner community and they're suing some of these, some of these places like Kaiser Permanente. But one of the things that we're focused on is where it starts, right?

I mean, it's the school-to-scalpel pipeline where at school, at a very young age, they start introducing this ideology to children. You know, children who have no conception of these kind of things, but they want to get in there early and say, well, you can be, you know, 72 different genders. I mean, there's one book in particular. I can't remember what the name of it was, but it's, you know, a five-year-old saying, well, my doctor got it wrong, and they just guessed when I was born.

Like, no, no, they didn't guess. Okay, they used biology, and they looked and saw that you were a boy or a girl. And so they'll start that very early with these books and these ideas. And then you get to the point where, well, now you're in middle school or even younger, and we're going to say, well, if you want to identify as something different, you can go use this bathroom or you can go use this locker room or if you're a boy you can go play girls sports and we're not going to tell your parents why aren't we going to tell your parents because your parents might not support this and if they don't support this they're denying you health care

right so what they're saying is that you are an abusive parent if you do not allow your child to go down the path of puberty blockers cross-sex hormones and irreversible surgery that is how it happens and so it needs to be stopped at the schools you know with the bathroom policies with with the notification of parents' policies. And it's tough. I mean, it is tough to go through the courts to get these kind of things done. But that's one of the things that we're trying to do.

And certainly, you know, we're very encouraged by the decision on the 11th Circuit in December that ruled against the student that sued for bathroom access on the basis of, you know, his, quote, or her gender identity. And so that creates a split in the circuit

and we're hopeful that the Supreme Court is able to take this up. at some point. But the basic notion that parents have the right to decide what's best for their children, you know, we don't have, except perhaps in California, there aren't laws that undercut a parent's right, correct? Well, that's correct. I think you're seeing at local levels, they're introducing these policies, but a lot of states do have parental rights statutes. The problem with some of those parental rights statutes is that they don't have an enforcement mechanism. So in Virginia, for example, you have a statutory right, parental right, which is enshrined in law.

But it doesn't have an enforcement system. It doesn't have a clause where you can go to court. So ultimately you have to bring it under the 14th Amendment. And that is what is happening across the country. Parents are bringing these 14th Amendment cases saying, look, you don't have the right to step in between my child and me to determine things. We're not talking about math and science and English. Of course, we want teachers to teach those things because that's what.

what they're experts in, right? Is teaching calculus. I don't want to teach my kid calculus. Most people probably don't want to teach their kids calculus. But what we don't want is teachers teaching children about these kind of social issues, these moral issues, that those are the things that are the responsibility of parents, not the government. When my daughter constantly turns to me and says, Daddy, I'm Elsa, Daddy, I'm Anna, I'm not, you know. And it's very cute, but at the same time, it's like, well, children go through,

phases. And if your, you know, if your kid is into something that's typically associated with the opposite sex and you put them down this path, that's, that's nothing short of child abuse. Absolutely. And look, kids have imaginations. You know, when I was five, I'd go around lifting chairs thinking I was Superman and I ended up getting a hernia. So, you know, I don't think my parents were too pleased with that. Stop lifting things up. We're not going to affirm your identity as Clark Kent because you just landed yourself in the doctor's office. But the fact that we're here now, you know, I think speaks to where we are as a country, where, you know, you've got big money, you've got politicians, you've got the educational industrial complex, really preying

on the minds of parents who, you know, they, I think when you look at some of these far left parents, they want to be part of something. They want to feel like they're part of some new civil rights movement. And for better or worse, they're being taken advantage of. And I think the powers that be know that. And I mean, you look at the industry as far as, you know, transgender medicine and surgeries. I mean, it's going to be a $10 billion industry very shortly. And so you have to ask yourself, why is all this happening? Follow the money. Yeah. Exactly. And where is the money going? Exactly. And look, I go back, I mean, you go back about 20 years and you think to yourself, well, you know, when doctors were telling everybody that opioids weren't addictive and they're effective to treat pain

and we should do that and now we have an opioid crisis and nobody questioned it then nobody stood up and said you know certainly loudly and said hey wait a second here we could be going down a path where over 100,000 people a year die because of this because of a crisis right nobody did that and now we're in the same spot we just assume that well the government says this and you know these pharmaceutical companies say this, and it must be great because we're just trying to be tolerant. No, we're looking at something that's going to have a generational impact. I mean, just look at some of the surveys out there where it's, you know, you look at baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z.

And, you know, you don't have this spike in transgender identifications in Gen X and baby boomers, but you do in Gen Z. So what my question is, well, you know, they'll say, well, people weren't as accepting back then. Okay, but it's now. So aren't there any baby boomers that are saying, well, you know, I've always thought I was a, you know, a man. I need to get on this right now. Right.

Why aren't they doing that? Because it's not about that, right? It is about, it is about children. It is about young, impressionable minds that are seeing this, and it's about a social contagion. Yeah. And it's about an idea that couldn't be accepted by those who are older because they know better.

Right. And because they've dealt with their issues, you know, their traumas. A lot of times the detractors, a lot of times, the detransitioners will come out and say there was an underlying trauma that they hadn't addressed that led them to consider this path and kids these days

have higher depression rates than ever before, or at least reportedly. Right. And yeah. Well, keep up the good work. Where can we follow you? How can Americans support this important initiative?

Well, you can follow me on Twitter at E&D. Prior and America First Legal is A.F. You can also follow our social media accounts there as well and stay tuned to the important work that we're doing really to hold the left accountable and hold elected officials and government accountable for the direction that they're taking this country. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Now here's my interview with Roma Deravi. This is Tyler O'Neill. I'm managing editor at The Daily Signal.

I have here Roma Derravi, who is founder and CEO of Deravi Strateg. and former White House Deputy Director of Strategic Communications. Thank you so much for joining me, Roma. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. So we were talking briefly about, you know, your experience being at the White House through COVID. And then now this strange vindication of the Department of Energy saying that the lab leak theory is actually the thing that has the most supporting evidence, even though they said it was, you know, low confidence that that was where you know, where you

came from, but how did that hit you? And what does that mean for you after spending, you know, four years of the White House? Well, much of what we are seeing in the news today, especially coming from Joe Biden's agencies, has been a string of lies. And so when you see a headline that reads, the Department of Energy has confirmed that it does, in fact, suspect the Wuhan virus came from the Wuhan lab in China, you almost have to pause for a second and make sure you're not reading a Babylon B article. I mean, it really is almost a laughing matter. It's a I told you so situation to the nth degree.

And for those of us that were in the White House that were hunkered down working very hard to make sure the American people were as safe as possible during the coronavirus out. break. It is somewhat of a moment where you have a sigh of relief. They're finally getting the truth. I think the Biden administration has waited so long in order to kind of push off this narrative of COVID, almost waiting for the COVID conversation to be left in a dark closet so that they can make these announcements and have them hopefully fall on deaf ears. But the American people know better at this point. They have been, you know, opened into a world of transparency through the presidency of Donald Trump. He was absolutely the truth teller from the Oval Office directly to the American people.

He was the truth teller from Trump Tower before he even got to the White House. He will tell you the hard truth, whether you want to hear it or not, right? So having the Biden administration finally admit some of the things that our officials have known for so long and suspected for so long is certainly a welcomed news that we're getting from them. What I will say is that right now the country is in a moment of reflection and also progression. And what I mean by that is having been in four years of processes moving the country forward through the Trump administration, having so many amazing trade deals made, having peace deals made, having taxes be brought down, you know, so much progress for the American people and freedom

given back to them has helped them open their eyes to what America should and could be again, which really is a stark contrast with what they're experiencing today. We have been reverted back to the Obama-Biden era because we are again in the third term of Obama-Biden ways with Biden as president. He is absolutely reversing as much as possible. But luckily, the American people have seen the light. They know how to see through the lies at this point. And so I think we're going to see a lot more progress for the Republican Party moving forward because of that. They now know how to look at a situation, hear what they're being.

being told and see the reality through all of it, no matter what that is. And so because of that, you'll have a movement, a grassroots movement across the country, like we saw last cycle in Virginia, with moms and suburban families coming out to vote for Governor Glenn Yonkin, based on what? They wanted school choice. They wanted their kids to be safe. They wanted their kids back in the classroom. That's a kitchen table issue. That is what you're going to see people voting on in 2024. So do you see these past few years under President Biden as a vindication of the conservative policies that really have been rejected right, left and center? Oh, absolutely. And the Biden administration is almost, you know, exposing themselves, really, especially when it comes to these

woke cultures. You see so many companies that are feeling the push from the Biden administration to join these woke movements. And the immediate backlash that they receive from the American public is so loud. Nobody can hide from it. Everybody's laughing at it. I mean, it's comical, really, like I said, because none of it is common sense policy. You know, when you say we want men in men's restrooms and women in women's restrooms. We want men in men's sports and women in women's sports. And then somebody says, well, you know, I am a man. I am a woman. And they argue that from a transgender's point of view. It's just ridiculous, right? And everybody here... Or you want your children to grow up as, you know, boys or girls the way that they are. Yeah, the way that God, you know,

God makes you in his perfect image. And that is straight from the Bible. Those are not my words. made you in his perfect image and he really does not make mistakes so I find it to be very interesting when you know you see major organizations jumping into this woke culture mentality and saying that they are going to allow and this is just one example one policy they are going to allow men in women's sports why are they doing that why are they not saying we're going to allow women in men's sports. They don't need to say it because no one's out there trying to do that, right? No one is out there trying to say, I want to join the men's football team.

No, you don't. You're going to get crushed. Well, you did have, you know, Leah Thomas on the flip side who was, you know, as a men's swimmer, he was in the middle of the pack. And then suddenly he becomes the number one women's swimmer in the NCAA. I wonder what might be going on there. Yeah, on that same note. So I am from Southern California from Surf City, USA, Huntington Beach, California.

And I have many friends who have, you know, taken their professional career in surfing. And you have the World Surf League that came out just recently a couple weeks ago saying, we're going to allow men to compete in the women's league. Unfortunately, the women are not able to speak up. because they are part of this organization that is touring and competing already really puts them in a difficult spot. They were not confronted on their opinion on the situation. And luckily, you know, there are individuals who have retired from the sport, professional surfing, and have spoken out on this. And you're seeing some pushback and you're seeing parents of

young athletes that are pushing back as well. So this is not something that, that is a mainstream idea, no matter how much the mainstream media tries to say that it is, it absolutely is not. And at the value, the core base of American values, you will find that it falls at a conservative point, no matter what the policy is, whether it is immigration, whether it is trade, whether it's the economy, whether it's health care. When you boil it down to the very basic degree of common sense, sense, conservative values is really where Americans will fall.

How do we encourage Americans who are constantly hearing from the left, from the Biden administration, from the media, from even companies like Disney who are going into these issues and acting as though if you dare question you're evil? You know, I mean, you must know at working at the Trump White House where everything he said, even the things that have been proven true after. the fact was demonized relentlessly, was suggested that, oh, he wants to clamp down an immigration, he's a racist. Oh, he, you know, he hates ex people because of this policy. And, you know, how do we encourage Americans to stand up when they're terrified that, you know, as you noted, a lot of surfers are scared to speak the truth? Yeah, and it's across every community, too.

What I will say is that it's very important to talk to your community. You don't necessarily have to be an influencer with a microphone to get your message heard and make a difference. Talk to your neighbors. Talk to your family members. Talk to your classmates. Because when you can have an intellectual conversation, you know, very level-headed and communicate with people about why you believe the conservative values are right. and are the way of the future, you will change hearts and minds. You will see a light bulb go off because it really is common sense values.

And you can't argue with much of what's being said. And I will say that as we move forward out of the Biden administration, you know, we will get out of this. Just wait a couple more years. We will be back. And there will be some hope there. But when it comes to fighting back against woke culture in the community of big box stores and companies and, you know, places like Disney and outlets like Disney, what the one thing that you cannot argue with is that money talks. Money talks.

If you do not like an organization and what they are doing, do not buy their product. it will hurt them, period. That's why you see so many conservative companies starting in this day and age. They're saying that, you know, they're coming forward with made-in-the-USA products. They're having all of their employees, you know, as U.S. citizens. There are plenty of companies that are coming out against woke culture and saying, I'm another option for you. And the reason why I say it's so important that you are spending your money

with companies that you support their values is because there really is no arguing with that transaction. And that goes across every single different type of business deal, whether it be diplomatic exchanges that are occurring with peace deals, it's all about how to make a deal. That's why Donald Trump was such a great president because he really did know the art of the deal. And it is all about how you are willing to use your power.

Whether we like it or not, money is power. And no matter how much money you have in your pocket, where you put that money, where you buy your lunch, where you spend your money going to school, where you buy your clothing, you know, how you get your different products and appliances through companies like Amazon. You know, we're all guilty of using these systems that work against us at the end of the day. So really take a moment to think, how can I do my part in my community in order to make a difference,

even at a small level, because all of that amplifies. Every little bit counts. Every one of us has a vote. That vote matters, and that vote cannot be diminished. So you have to realize how you're able to use that and really be intentional about it. Great. Well, thank you so much, Roma. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Where can people find you and see your work? Yes, yes. So you can find me at Roma Deravi on Twitter and Instagram. I'm working under my own PR agency at the moment, Derabi Strategies. And it's been absolutely wonderful two years of growth. and on my own time, also fighting for the Republican movement, speaking with your audience like you. Great. Thanks for coming.

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