The Eric Metaxas Show - #111 - Van Hipp

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric reacts to Tucker Carlson’s latest comments about President Trump and explains why he believes they are doing real harm to the country. Then Eric talks with Van Hipp about Iran, China, national security, peace through strength, the Deep State, education as a national security issue, and why President Trump’s actions on Iran may send a much larger message to America’s enemies around the world. Subscribe for clips from The Eric Metaxas Show to hear politics and culture from a Christian perspective.⭐ PRE-ORDER TODAY:Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World📕: https://a.co/d/0ir3NlapTODAY'S SPONSORS:☀️ Partner with Us to Free a Slave in Sudan https://csi-usa.org/metaxas/⭐️ BlockTrust IRA: https://www.metaxascrypto.com/⚖️ Legal Help Center - Get Free Legal Help Today: https://www.legalhelpcenter.com/🛏️ MyPillow — Save BIG with code ERIC: https://www.mypillow.com/☀️ Honest, fast, and free Medicare plan guidance: https://askchapter.com/metaxas/💧 Sentry H2O: https://sentryh2o.com/

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His name is Van HIP. He's somebody that I've known for a little while talking about Iran and what the president is doing. But before all that, yesterday I didn't get a chance to talk about Tucker's comments. Now listen, I'll say it again. I have nothing against Tucker, but he is now doing great harm to the country. I hope it's not intentional. But he's saying things that seem to me to be designed to play on the ignorance of people.

There are people out there, especially young people, maybe young men. who they don't have a sense of history, they don't have any real theology, and you throw stuff at them, and they don't have, they don't know how to push back. And I am horrified at some of the things he's saying, they're just wrong. They're just, they're just wrong. So he asked, for example, whether President Trump is the Antichrist. In an interview, the New York Times suddenly relevant for the first time in a thousand years by interviewing Tucker Carlson. they ask him about this.

He denies it. And then they play the clip, which is several levels of lunacy. Because, of course, he said it. He says he didn't say it. They play the clip. And he still pretends like, well, I don't know if I said it. So Chris Heims, can you play that? You know, you've been talking on your show about whether Trump is the Antichrist.

I have not said that. On your show, the day after Easter, you noted he did not put his hand on the Bible during his swearing and ceremony as president. You said, and I'm quoting, maybe he didn't put his hand on the Bible because he affirmatively rejects what's inside that book. And then on a recent show, you went further saying, here's a leader who's mocking the gods of his ancestors, mocking the god of gods and exalting himself above them. Could this be the Antichrist? I actually did not say could this be the Antichrist? Here's a leader who's mocking the gods of his ancestors, mocking the

god of gods and exulting himself above them. Could this be the Antichrist? Actually did not say could this be the Antichrist. I don't know where that comes from, but I know that those words never left my lips. Could this be the Antichrist? All right. Okay, so you got a couple of things going on there, and it's worth unpacking this a little bit. On his show, he did ask whether Trump was the Antichrist. And I just want to say how diabolical that is. That look what he's doing there, right? He's not just trash talking President Trump, whom the American people, in case you're scoring at home, America voted for him to be the next president. And now he's president because we the people voted for him. So, you know, it wasn't a tiny cabal.

It was the American people. So Trump is, I mean, Tucker is saying wicked things about President Trump, whom he used to support, right? And now he's asking the question. And notice how innocent it is. It's like, you know, Satan says, did God really say, just asking the question, but he's planting these deep doubts. Is Trump the Antichrist?

I'm here to tell you, no, he ain't. But there are going to be a lot of people are going to be like, well, that's interesting. And then notice that Tucker says, oh, he didn't put his hand on the Bible. So people are going to repeat this. They're already repeating it. Oh, oh, that's interesting.

That's weird. And then Tucker goes, level and says he's mocking the gods of his ancestors. Folks, I would be aware if President Trump was mocking the gods of his ancestors. I have no idea what Tucker's referring to, but he states it like it's a fact. It's not a fact at all, but he just states it. And I'm sure he's got an audience of people that just go, oh, oh, yeah. And then at some point, Tucker says, we shouldn't mock anybody's gods or

We shouldn't mock anybody's religion. And I think, are you kidding me? We've been through this. Elijah mocks the priests of Bail. Bail is a demonic god, small G, right? Of course you mock that. And when Trump mocked Allah, you know, the god of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is not God.

It's not the God of the Bible. These are wicked, deceived people. But Tucker just to search it like, Everybody knows this is true. And here it is. So he's planting doubts. I think he's trying to pull evangelicals away. And you'd have to be slightly ignorant to buy this stuff.

But there are plenty of people that don't understand this, which is one of the reasons I want to come out and talk about it. I feel an obligation. So, but then there's a clip where he talks about Trump having, like, evil warlike powers. Warlike warlock powers. Like he's some kind of a sorcerer. Let's see if we can play that clip, Chris. One thing that has bothered me for many years is the fact that a lot of people in Trump's immediate orbit have been hurt and really hurt.

You know, gone to prison, become unemployable, publicly shamed, gotten cancer. And I just am a believer in like big picture assessments of things. And, you know, so you're trying to think, like, is Trump good or bad? Like, he's saying things I really agree with. Listen to how diabolical this is. folks, I just got to tell you, this is diabolical stuff. He's saying, I've noticed, I've just noticed, it's so innocent, I've just noticed that people around Trump, you know, they're getting hurt, they're going to jail, they're going

and I'm thinking, yes, the deep state, the leftist Democrats, they have gone after anyone who supported Trump. They went after me. They went after Roger Stone. They went after Steve Bannon. they've gone after anybody that supported Trump viciously. But Tucker is sort of saying like, well, I'm just doing a big level assessment. I think he's blaming Trump.

He's blaming Trump. And it's kind of like saying, well, you know, Trump got hurt. I wonder if that's because of Trump. No, the lawfare against Trump wasn't because of Trump. It was because of the enemies of America. It was because of the enemies of Trump. But it's just so diabolical the way he just, he just asked, I'm just doing a high-level assessment of whatever.

I mean, this is crazy stuff, but it's effective against a lot of people, which is why I'm bringing this up. So let's keep going there. Sorry. But then people around him are getting hurt. Is the country actually getting better? I don't know.

It's hard to know. Because to some extent, your vision is obscured by the intensity of some of these debates. It's so diabolical. And I have to say, I really, it's sort of like, You know, my uncle Jose, you know, he has an auto body shop and a lot of cars come in with accidents. I mean, is he behind it? I don't know.

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. That's exactly it. No, that's exactly it. That's exactly it. He says, you know, people are getting cancer and I just don't know. And I thought, this is really, it's just an extraordinary level of lunacy. I mean, it's really extraordinary level of crazy. and I think the term gas lighting was invented for what he's doing.

I'm just asking questions and I don't know and he says like is Trump the end of Christ? I mean, I don't know, but he's just suggesting it to kind of plant that idea. And again, the real question is, is this intentional on Tucker's part?

I would hope not. But boy, oh boy, it might as well be because the harm that he is doing is astonishing. He is just saying he's saying really terrible things about the president. But for him to suggest that, now you didn't play the clip where he says that people get around Trump,

and Trump seems to have these like powers to kind of cloud men's minds. Tucker is saying that the president has a supernatural power to kind of, you know, and I have to say that that's, that's as bizarre as it gets. I mean, I think Hitler, who really was demonically either possessed

or who was channeling demons, he had that power. Like Adolf Hitler, if you read about Hitler, but to suggest that of Donald Trump, again, I spent time around the president. I know a lot of people

who spend a lot of time around the president. This is amazing that Tucker Carlson is saying, these things. And I just want to say, folks, so much of what he said is just, is either preposterous or illogical or, or sort of diabolically nuanced the way he, he says, I don't know, is he the end of Christ? I mean, I don't know, but I, it's, yeah, it's, it seems to me that Trump may have Jedi mind powers. He basically says that. And I just have to say the harm that he is doing, the harm that Tucker has done to TPUSA, I loved Charlie Kirk. He was a dear friend and one of the

greatest American heroes who ever lived. The harm that Tucker has done to TPSA, which Charlie created, the harm that Tucker has done to the country in being this divisive figure. And listen, you know, I can tell the difference between gaslighting and honest inquiry. This is definitely gaslighting. And it's awful. But we kind of have to talk about it. All right, we'll come back and we'll have a rational guest on to talk about more interesting things. Stick around.

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And that the show is the Airquist Texas show. I believe technically, legally, I have to say that. on this show, typically, I get to interview people that are interesting. And today, I'm actually very excited right now because the person that I'm going to interview right now, I met on a plane. I don't know if I want to tell that story yet. But his name is Van HIP. How's that for a name? He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S.

Army, most of my guests have never been Deputy Assistant Secretaries of the U.S. Army. Van Hipp has that credential. Many other credentials. He's the author of a book we'll discuss called The New Terrorism, How to Fight It and Defeat It. He was a recipient in 2018 of the Queen Elizabeth September 11th Garden Leadership Award for National Security. Wow. Welcome to the program Van HIP. An honor to have to be on. Thank you for having me.

You know, I remember when we met on the plane that day. I hate talking to people on the plane until I bump into somebody like you. And then I think, what a joy. We just got talking. And I was just amazed at our conversation to learn who you were and what you have done. and, you know, you get it, you know, pretty much I don't want to have anybody on this program who doesn't get it, but you really get it in terms of national security and so on and so forth. So before we get into, you know, what's going on in Iran and President Trump, so on and so forth, what is your story? How did you grow up and how did you get to be, you know, involved in the Army and so on and so forth?

How did that happen? Well, I grew up in the small town of Walterboro, South Carolina. Eric, and a lot of folks may remember that name from the Murdoch trial. So that was not news to us growing up in that environment. I was well aware of some of the shenanigans down there. But a group of Waterborough, South Carolina. That's my hometown. I come from a small family business background.

My father ran the local Western Auto store and was a great, he, my mother, he was a great man of faith who instilled in us a love of God and country and family. that I think will carry on for generations and love the military. I always love the military as a kid and went to Wofford College and did RTC there and went to the Army there. And then I tell people about 40 years ago, about 20 pounds ago, I was a training officer for a drill sergeant company. So I did that. And then I ran for election when I was 26 years old to be chairman of the Republican Party in South Carolina.

And people didn't give us much of a chance. And we kind of mobilized the grassroots and wound up winning. And serving as state chairman, I did get to know then Vice President George H.W. Bush, and when he became president, well, behold, I was the deputy since the secretary of all me when I was 30 years old. But it was a great opportunity. And he was a great man. But to run the mobilization office during a time of war, it really gave me insight not only to the strength of our military, but understanding where the things were that we need to win a war and who the people are and those technologies.

Well, you know, President Trump has received some criticism for the Iran war, not from me and not from the people that I tend to take seriously. Now, listen, we've got to be clear. There are a lot of folks that I don't respect who have praised him for the Iran war. You know, a broken clock is right twice a day. So there's some folks out there, some names out there that now they're thrilled to say, we agree with the president and so on and so forth. Of course, they didn't say one word in his defense as he's been pilloried in the press, sued on and on and on, arrested.

They haven't said a word. But so I always want to talk to somebody who gets the big picture, who isn't just like, you know, pro war. and even though you've been to the defense industry and you've been in this world for a long time, what is it that you first saw about President Trump that lets you trust him in this instance? I'll put it that way.

Well, I had the privilege back in 2015 and 2016 to serve as moderator for two of his national security town halls. And I saw a side of him before and after we did those. But also, I think the thing about this president, he understands, Eric, that his number one responsibility is as commander-in-chief, keeping the American people safe. And you know, we're coming up on the 250th, and I know you've got your book out about the revolution. And congratulations on that, because I think we need to tell that story to this and future generations.

But people forget the reason the states came together. The reason we have a federal government is to provide for the common defense. And I think this president gets it. When he ran for office in 2016, he campaigned against you. the Iran nuclear deal because it was a bad deal. It did not address the ballistic miscapability of Iran's, and they had a sunset provision that would allow Iran to resume their nuclear enrichment program.

And what really got me, Eric, the IAEA, those inspection teams, President Obama and Susan Rice would not let Americans on the IAEA inspection teams. To me, that's a non-star. We pay for 25% of the IAEA's budget, twice the amount of the next member. And so you've got to have Americans on those IEA. Well, what do you make of that? Because I think there are folks that just think, like, what is it going on? I mean, my theory is that, you know, folks like President Obama and Susan Rice and that gang,

they don't really care about right or wrong. They just want to kick the can down the road, let somebody else deal with it. it's not my problem. They're not, you know, it's kind of like somebody who is renting the house or renting the car versus owning the house or earning the car. You don't take care of it. And that they didn't really trouble themselves over what's going to happen in the future if Iran gets a nuclear weapon.

Or it's maybe that combined with typical liberal naivetei toward evil, just thinking, well, the Iranians are just like us. Everybody's just like us. And everybody wants peace, everybody wants, which is completely untrue. But that's my sense of where they were coming from. I think you're exactly right. And that phrase, kick the can down the road, I think best explains it. Because every president, since George W. Bush said, Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.

They should never have a nuclear weapon. We finally have a president who's doing something about it. So this president made a decision, tough decision. But I think it's the decision that will – is the right decision for future generations of Americans. We can look back all this. What if Neville Chamberlain had made a different decision, okay? Not to trust Hick. This president made the right decision, I think, for this and future generations.

Well, I mean, I guess, you know, you, as we talk about President Trump, we get the impression he actually loves the country and he acts responsibly. The way a father would behave who loves his family, what do I need to do? you know, God forbid, I lose my life. I want my family to be provided for. I want the house, you know, to be on a firm foundation, literally and figuratively. That's what somebody does who loves his family, who loves his country. And you get the impression that that's who Donald Trump is and that a lot of other folks, people that I voted for, Republicans that I voted for, whether it's HW or W,

who they did not, they didn't seem to be willing to take. take the fight to the wicked forces. They were kind of not necessarily willing to roll up their sleeves and to go there. Trump is the kind of a guy who, by the grace of God, he's willing to go there and to say, we need to do it now. Thank you, right. And I think my belief is I think he realizes that God has spared him with these assassination attempts. And I believe that God has a plan, a purpose for everyone.

And I think this president understands that he is in office for reason and is to help restore this country. I firmly believe that. I know that. That is true. And I had an opportunity about a week before the election in 2024 to visit with him very briefly. But I got in his face like I'm talking to a kid. And I said prophetically, Mr. President, I said it respectfully, but very strongly. I said, you need to know that God has miraculously preserved your life for his purposes in American history, that there is no doubt that he has chosen you to do some things for his purposes in American history.

This is not about America or just America being great for Americans. This is about a world leader doing the right thing. And I think President Trump really has a sense of that. He understands that what he's doing, it's not. I mean, on the one hand, it's America first. But on the other hand, it is affecting the whole global order. Amen. And I think this president, you know, we've all known the deep state exists,

but this is a president who has taken the deep state head on. I wrote a piece for Fox years ago, Eric, about the deep state. And I said the first member of the deep state was Benedict Arp. So I think it's important to understand that as we come up on the 250. You've just pushed a button before we continue on down that track. Because I wrote so much about Benedict Arnold in my book Revolution. I just couldn't. I'm so fascinated with that dynamic.

I want to come right back talking to Van Hipp. His book is The New Terrorism, How to Fight It and Defeat. It will be right back. While the corrupt federal elites have been quietly building wealth through cryptocurrency, hardworking American patriots have been left behind. Today, I want to tell you about metaxis crypto.com. They're bringing access to cryptocurrency wealth to real Americans. Crypto is supercharging President Trump's America First Economic Miracle, and now you can be a part of it.

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leadership. Why not you next? Welcome back, folks. We're talking to Van HIP, who is a friend. He's the author of a book called The New Terrorism, How to Fight It and Defeat It. He, I don't know where to begin. We just talked a few minutes ago, Van, about your story, an amazing story at 20, six years old becoming the head of the Republican Party in North Carolina and on and on.

South Carolina. I'm sorry. Did I say North Carolina? Shame on me. I know the difference. So, but you were just talking about the deep state. And I think this is so important. But as so many of us, I say this myself, I woke up to this dynamic. It wasn't until the end of 2020 that I've ever heard of the term deep state and began to wake up to what we've been dealing with in this country, that people we thought were on our side, they're sort of on our side, but not really. And there's so many figures within, you know, we now call the deep state, but it's the giant bureaucracy of the federal government who have been to some extent leading the nation rather than allowing our elected officials to lead the nation, who have been,

I mean, I even think it was Glenn Beck that told me he had visited with George W. Bush in the White House. And President Bush said something to him like, yeah, I don't, he kind of made it sound like, you know, I don't have that much power. It's like there's just stuff that happens and I'm just here. And I kind of get that now and I'm horrified by it. But it doesn't seem that George W. Bush had the personality or maybe the courage to take on the deep state. But Donald Trump clearly sees the deep state as an existential threat to the nation and is willing to fight it. And you said, amazingly, I never thought of this, that the first member of the deep state was Benedict Arnold. Please say more about that.

It was. I mean, he sold this country out. And I believe members of the deep state are folks that are not going to make a decision when it comes down to Fisher Cut bait time. They're not going to make a decision that's in the best interest of the country. They're going to make a decision the best interest of themselves or whatever the polls say. President Trump says he has two favorite generals, General Patton and General MacArthur. MacArthur warned us, so you go back and look at MacArthur. He warned us about a lot of things we're dealing with now.

Number one, comments China. But General McArthur also said that he was concerned about the security of this great nation. He said not so much from forces outside of the United States. but John MacArthur said he was concerned most about the insidious forces from within. We can learn a lot from General McArthur. I do not. I'm unfamiliar with MacArthur's comments along those lines. I mean, we're all familiar, I guess, with Eisenhower's famous comments about the military industrial complex.

But that, MacArthur said that is unknown to me. That's fascinating. No, he said it. He said it. And I forget which speech it was. It may even been in his speech to Congress when he, when he came back. Well, where do you see us now?

Because this president, and again, he never shrinks from doing the tough stuff and doing what's necessary, moving the embassy to Jerusalem and Israel, all the stuff that all the other president said, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going to do it. But then they don't do it, maybe because they read the polls

or they're afraid politically. And what do you think, where do you think things go with Iran ultimately? Because so many of us are longing for a day where the people of Iran will be freed from this satanic government they have, these authoritarian Islamofascists who have been subjugating them for close to 50 years. I think to this point, I think the president has played this thing the white way. And this regime is in trouble. The food inflation is like 150.

15% of the real, their dollar, is worth less than a penny. We're hearing reports. There is serious friction between the IRGC and more of the civilian leadership. The president of Viran, President Poseskin, his appointments have been blocked by the IRGC. Go back a couple weeks ago when the farm minister, Aragocchi said the strait is open. within two hours, the IRGC put out a maritime notice that no way it was closed. So there's a real rift between them, the police and the military is complaining that they're not getting paid. And I go back to when President Trump announced Operation Epic Fury on February 28th,

he told the Iranian people, stay shelter, stay inside. At some point, at some point they come out. And what I would engage, I'm an old army guy, and I believe in psychological warfare sometimes. times. And I think now is the time to tell the Iranian regime that when this is over with, Nuremberg-style trials are coming. You will be held accountable for your terrorist activities and for the atrocities you've committed on your own people. That there is that that's an amazing, that's amazing statement. I wonder whether the president has already put out the word. We'll be right back, folks, talking to Van HIP author of the new terrorism. Hi, everyone. If you were injured in an accident,

Listen up. We have legal professionals standing by to answer your questions. You can find out if you have a case and how much it's potentially worth. I'm Gina Bellich, along with Super Bowl champ and two-time pro bowler Vernon Davis. So Vernon, tell everyone watching who should call right now. Well, Gina, if you or someone you know were injured in an accident that was not your fault, give us a call right now. You can find out if you have a case and how much money is potentially worth. Thanks, Vernon. You know, the phones have really. been busy. So what kind of calls have we been getting? We're getting calls about all types of accidents, from car accidents to slipping falls and so many others. So if you were injured in an accident, don't go at it alone. Call for a free case review and find out how much your case is potentially worth. Thanks, Vernon. You heard the man. Call now to find out how much money you qualify for. Welcome back. Folks. I'm talking to Van HIP. He was a long time ago, the deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Army, he has done many, many things since then, including write this book, The New Terrorism, How to Fight It and Defeat it.

You were just saying, Van, about how this president ought to, if he hasn't already done so, tell everyone in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and these others that you will be held accountable for your actions. I really do wonder how this plays out whether Riza Pahlavi is ever going to get back there. What is your sense of the timeline? Time is not on Iran's side. Time is not on Iran side. And then we've got Scott Bessett, who's done what he's done with his operation of economic fury.

I think they've seen some like $300 or $400 million of Bitcoin that was, tied to Iran, the reason $500 billion a day. But that wedge that is real between the IRGC and their civilian leadership, I think we need to do everything we can to pour kerosene on that situation. And that's why I said what I said about the need to tell the Iranian regime that Nuremberg-style trials are coming when this is over with. And your only way out is to defect or surrender now. That's the kind of thing I think we need to be doing to drive that wedge,

even further apart between the IRC and their severe leadership and encourage the people. If we could ever arm or get comms to the people of Iran, this thing is over with. A plane bank president, Trump did the right thing. When he tried to go through the Kurds, and of course he says, of course, the Kurds stole the weapons, but we've got to find a way if we can find a way to arm the people

and give them comms and this is over with. But also, I think at some point, at some point, you're going to see defections. They've got a problem. Eric, they are, our G.C. is going into mosque right now and recruiting kids as young as 12 years of age. That's exactly what the Nazis did toward the end of World War II. This thing is saying about threat.

That is very interesting. Those of us familiar with the end game of the Nazi regime, the picture of Hitler. in Berlin trying to buck up these boys that they were recruited because everyone else had been killed a level of desperation. It's interesting actually to think of the Nazis in the spring of 45 still insanely fighting. It seems to me that the IRG, that's where they are right now. but they don't have, they don't seem to have the ability to acknowledge the facts that it's just too painful for them and they would rather die.

It seems to me. You're right. And this derangement and lunacy we're saying from this regime underscores even more so while President Trump is right in making sure they never have a nuclear weapon. Well, there's no doubt about that. But I mean, as we were talking about it, that most Americans are very naive when it comes to evil. It's very difficult for us to conceive of the evleness of evil. You know, we think that, you know, things are really bad if gas prices go up. We have no idea of the horrors that people suffer around the globe and the ideologies,

satanic ideologies, whether it's Islamofascism or a godless Marxist communism. Most Americans really haven't seen it or tasted it. And so they can't really conceive that there are people that would much rather die than do the right thing or surrender or admit they were wrong. It's just hard for people to take in that that's who we're dealing with. That's right. And people, we have so much to be thankful for in this country that we take for granted. And I'm reminded of why President Reagan said that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. And that's why I think it's so important that we understand that the young people of this country understand what it means to be an American.

what our forefathers went through to build this country and give us to give us this plan that's been blessed by God. And that's why I'm playful that President Trump is doing what he's doing, what he's doing with the 250th, what he's doing to rebuild the military in this country. And then what, he is standing up

to the number one chief sponsor of terrorism in the world. And I think he's on the white thing with the blockade, Eric, we cannot be blackmailer by an Islamist, terrorist regime. what if China? What if China, Cominus China pulled the same stunt in the South China seat where $5 trillion with a cargo goes through there every year is vital to the economy of the free world?

So I think President Trump, what he's done with the blockade and the street of Harmuz also sent a message to Communist China. We'll be right back talking to Van HIP. Hey, then folks, welcome back. We're talking to a friend, new friend, the program Van HIP, we can go so many directions, but you just mentioned, and I think this isn't mentioned often enough, certainly not in the mainstream media, that what is happening now in Iran, it's not just about America and Iran, it's about the whole world, it's about global power,

it's about, without a doubt, China. You just mentioned that Trump is, you know, flexing U.S. muscles in such a way to let China know who we are, what we're willing to do. And in many ways, you can't think of a more dramatic departure from where we were a few years ago under the quote-unquote Biden administration. No, exactly right. And, you know, like I said, with the South China Sea being so vital to the economy of the free world, we look at that. We look at that. that region, I think, with the new Prime Minister of Japan, with the leadership we've got in Taiwan, with President Lai, and with President Marcus in the Philippines, those three are working together standing up to Communist China. And so I had the honor this last fall to give one of the keynote addresses at Taiwan's annual National Security Summit, along with Scott Morrison, the former Prime Minister of Australia, a great guy, conservative Christian, who stood up to China big time. And what I talked about there, Eric, with the three things that I think are the equalizer of the battlefield of the future,

and how a smaller combatant can go toe to toe and hang in there against a larger adversary. I talked about artificial intelligence. I talked about spectrum, how we manage all the communications on the battlefield. And then also quantum. Quantum is all about speed of computing. I can have the greatest technology, greatest weaponry, much bigger and better than yours. But if you've got a quantum capability that's so fast it can design. disable my stuff, guess who wins on the battlefield?

After I gave that talk, I had the honor of meeting with President Lai, the president of Taiwan. It's very interesting. The old Chiang Kai Shack party in Taiwan is probably closer to China. They're not a hardcore anti-communist. You'd be surprised to see this. But we're talking about Douglas MacArthur earlier, and I love military history and all. This president was talking about Douglas MacArthur. President of Taiwan.

And quoting McArthur to me things I had never heard of before. Let me tell you, they got the right guy as president of Taiwan right now. And so we, and God bless those people for hanging tough. But I think, but they've got allies now in the region with Japan and with the Philippines. So if I'm Xi Jinping and I see what Donald Trump is doing, oh, by the way, I talk about Scott Morrison, the former prime minister of Australia, we had him a South. Carolina week before last at Wofford College of National Security Program. I helped start their years ago. And we had a sit down chat. And I asked the prime minister point blank,

will she and China, will they attack Taiwan? His response, not as long as Donald Trump is president. Well, look, that's, you talk about elections mattering. It's obvious that Trump has the ability to project American strength in a way that we have not seen since Ronald Reagan. We've never seen anything like this since, since Reagan. And he knows how to use power. And it's a fascinating thing to me because I think so many of us who've been sort of indoctrinated with cultural Marxism, we've picked up this idea that, you know, power is bad. No, ladies and gentlemen, bad power is bad, good power is good. And when good people and good nations have power,

they can use that power for God's purposes. And to me, that's what's so beautiful. You have a president willing to use the tremendous power we have, economic power as much as military and leverage, to do great things, to bring liberty to the whole world to the extent that we can do that by saying, listen, If you behave this way, you know, we're going to hit you with a tariff.

If you behave this way, we have the ability to do that. Previous presidents seemingly haven't had either the willingness or the know-how on how to do that. President Trump clearly does. He does. He's basically executing Ronald Reagan's old piece through strength playbook, and he's putting the American people first. Well, you talk, you wrote an article for Newsmax on. education being a national security issue. Of course, this is a big thing for me. It's why I write a lot of the books that I write and the most recent in particular about the American Revolution.

If we do not, in especially now, in our supercentennial 250th year, teach young people what America is and why she is great, what has made us great and how we will cease to be great, if we don't do that in our public education, we're throwing it all away. We cannot have America be strong unless people understand that. So talk about that because you've written about it and spoken about it. Well, you know, the Woodrow Wilson Institute, Harley, a bastion of a white-wing conservatism, put out a study a few years ago, Eric, and said that 22 percent of millennials weren't sure they had heard of the Holocaust. 67 percent had never heard of Auschwitz. And oh, by the way, only one and three American citizens could even pass an American citizenship test.

So these kids have been indoctrinated in the public schools rather than educated. We've seen it. That's why I'm so proud of what Ellen Weaver, the superintendent of education in South Carolina, did just a few months ago. She has put in the public schools K through 12 in South Carolina, a curriculum to educate the young people, what it means to be an American, and educate them. on the South Carolina's role in the American Revolution and what the American Revolution was all about. But this gets back to what President Rakey said, this is how we are going to ensure that freedom carries on

to that next generation. So God bless Ellen Weaver, we need more state superintendents of education like her. And my understanding is that she's already reached out to other state superintendents to try to get them to follow suit, and the other states need to follow South Carolina's lead on this. You know, you just reminded me, I should send a copy of my new book on the American Revolution to the Secretary of Education,

Secretary McMahon, and to Ellen Weaver, whom you've just mentioned, because this is my passion. And I really, I did not understand this van. If you talked to me, you know, 15 years ago, I didn't understand how central it is, how education is central. And actually, in the book on the Revolution, I talk about John Adams, in 1760s. In that period, talking about the Puritan roots of America and saying how the Puritans, when we came over here in the 1620, 1630s, where I should say Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1630, within six years, they started Harvard College because they knew one of the keys to having the kind of government and culture that they wanted was this has to be taught. We have to teach this to the young people. And they mandated that there had to be a grammar school in every town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

You have to teach this to kids because if you don't, it all goes away. And you and I have watched in the last 50 years, roughly, as we have ceased to teach this, it's gone out of the culture, not just in schools, but in the culture. Because I would bet in 1760, if you put a microphone in front of anybody in mainstream America, they knew all this stuff. But we have let it evaporate. and it's just, well, you can tell it's a passion with me. But I understand now that it was a passion for John Adams and for that generation.

They knew that this was key, that it's not enough just to have the right form of government. We've got to have the people who understand it and who want to support it. Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have-to-dos so you can focus on the can't-wait-to-do's. It's a new workday. And so many of go back historically, you're right. You're talking about Harvard.

So many of the early Ivy League schools were affiliated with the church when you go back and look at it. You mentioned Secretary McMahon. God bless her. She came to South Carolina with our superintendent of education when Ella Weaver announced that K through 12 curriculum all about the American Revolution, the 250th, and what it means to be in America. I'm getting excited. I really do believe this is the year that God has ordained this as a year of Jubilee and that, you know, on the one hand, we're in a war. And on the other hand, great things are happening everywhere we go in a few days on May 17th in Washington, D.C. I will be one of the speakers, but many, many speakers are coming onto the National Mall to rededicate the nation to God. And I say this to anybody. If you can get to Washington, D.C., for that, for May 17. Folks, this is historic. The president announced we're going to rededicate the nation to God. And a lot of folks don't know.

I don't think about it. But when they picked that date, they didn't know that it just happens to be the 250th anniversary to the day of when Washington, George Washington and Congress said, we want a declaration of fasting and prayer. They picked May 17th to celebrate chasing the British out of Boston a couple of months earlier. So it's an historic. day. I just think it's an amazing thing that we have folks that are on this that get it. So May 17th, it's going to be happening on National Mall. Just 10 seconds left, Van HIP. What can we leave our audience with?

Well, what you were just talking about, the 250th is an opportunity. It's an opportunity for us to seize and take advantage of to instill what it means to be an American to this generation of young Americans. That's how freedom is going to continue this country. There's no doubt about it. Folks, this is This couldn't be more important. I don't know. I know that the May 17th event on the mall will be televised. It'll be broadcast. I don't know if it would be C-SPAN or whatever,

but they told me my remarks and all the remarks of everybody. It's going to be televised. So this is a big thing. But, folks, if you can get there on that day, it's very, very exciting. Van Hipp, just a joy to have you on the program. The book is The New Terrorism. Thank you so much.

Enjoyed being with you. Thanks for having, Mayor.