The Eric Metaxas Show - Tim Mahoney and George Washington

Episode Date: March 7, 2025

Tim Mahoney and George Washington on their new film: The American Miracle Movie based on Michael Medved's book. https://americanmiraclemovie.com/

Noble gold investments is the official gold sponsor of the Eric Mataxis show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you can protect your wealth with noble gold investments. That's noble gold investments.com. Welcome to the Eric Mataxis show. We'll get you from point A to point B. But if you're looking for point C, well, buddy, you're on your own. But if you'll wait right here, in just about the two minutes, the bus to point C will be coming right by. And now here's your Ralph Cramden of the airways, Eric Matt, Texas. Hey there, folks, it's Friday, the 7th of March. I don't know how that happened. It feels like spring is in the air, to use a cliche, but it really does.

It's been raining like crazy. I'm here in Connecticut, and it's been raining and warm. Like it's, it's not suddenly, uh, it's, it just feels like things are ready to, to burst forth in bloom. You know, not quite, but you could, you could just feel that it's happening. It makes me want to quote the opening of Chaucer's prologue, one that April, when the Charais Sota, the draught of March had the paris said to the rota. I can't get enough of that, uh, Middle English. So, Chris Himes, I want to talk to you about Greenland and the Panama Canal, but before

we do that, I want to mention that last, was it last week, I forget, everything's a blur. We were at NRB. We did a number of outrageous interviews there, and we're going to be playing them over the next couple of weeks because we, you know, we've kind of got them in the can, as we put it, in the pantry, ready to go. But today, we're going to air, I don't know in which hour, we're going to air the conversation that I had. Now, you're going to have to buckle your seatbelts for this one. Tim Mahoney, a friend of ours filmmaker, has made a film based on the book by Michael Medved, called The American Miracle.

It's amazing. In the film, they have this figure who plays George Washington. The guy who plays George Washington, I don't know his name. But he played George Washington at Mount Vernon. And when you talk to him, it's like you're talking to George Washington. I've been reading a ton on the revolution because I'm writing a book about the American Revolution. Buckle your seatbelts for that one. But when I spoke to him and we're going to play that today, you don't want to miss it.

It was kind of freaky. I mean, some of it was very funny. Some of it was amazing because this guy, it's like you're talking to George Washington. So we're going to play that today. Get ready for that. Yeah. Yeah, his name, the actor's name is Daniel Shippey. That's his name, Daniel Shippey.

Well, I really thought that I was talking to George Washington. He was very locked in, you know, the actors, the actor's terminology there is... I've never seen anything like it. I mean, I'm not exaggerating. I've never seen anything like it. It was amazing. We're playing that today. Okay, a couple of announcements, the crews, 275 people signed up so far.

Now, I've said this a few times. probably you heard it, but if you didn't, the company that puts together the cruise, right? Because the big cruise ship and the company inspiration says, we're going to block so many cabins and we're going to reserve them for our group, the Erkmataxis tour group, whatever. But at some point they have to give them back to Norwegian cruise lines because they're trying to fill up the ship. They recently gave us back a bunch of reserved rooms. and they said tell your audience, your listeners, because that, I mean, that may be gone today. I don't even know. They said we're going to, they're not going to tell us when Norwegian takes it back.

They're going to give it to us. So I wanted to tell you urgently, if you're interested in the cruise, go to Metaxus, sorry, ericmetaxis.com slash cruise, Eric Mataxis.com. slash cruise, ericmetaxis.com slash cruise. And you'll see all the information. The ship leaves Athens,

June 6th. I cannot believe it. We're talking, holy cow, April, May, June. Oh my gosh. That is less than three months away from today, March 7th. That's, whoa, it's happening.

So the ship leaves Athens. It's going to go. to Thessaloniki, Volos, Mikanos, Santorini. Somebody said it might not go to Santorini because they had some monster earthquake there. It's going to go to

Ephesus. It's going to go to Istanbul. John Zmirak is going to be with us. Do you believe that? Yes, it's going to be insane. Victoria Jackson is going to be with us. Albin is going to be with us. Obviously, Suzanne is going to be with me. We are then going to go

to Rhodes and Creeze. and then back to Athens the 16th of June. I'm going to speak at least six times on each of six of my books, but we're going to have tons of time for Q&A so you can ask anything you want. To me, that's the most fun thing. We're just going to, you know, commits and have some fun and talk and get to know each other.

For me, that's the joy of the whole thing. And I guarantee you you'll make friends. Every time I do anything like this, you kind of meet people that are interested in what you're in interested in. and it's just fun. You make friends. It's happened to us over the years at CS Lewis conferences. And so, and by the way, we've added, in case people want it, there is a pre-cruise add-on.

So if you want to get to Athens like June 3rd, on the, maybe the third, definitely the fourth and the fifth, probably the fourth, fifth and the sixth, we're doing stuff before the ship takes off on the evening of the 6th. So we're doing a Socrates in the city event in Athens on the fifth. So all kinds of stuff. But you can find out everything at ericmataxis.com slash cruise. And this is something I think I've said it. But it's an amazing thing for like grandparents to do with with two grandkids. You know, maybe they just graduated college and they have some time. It's a really special thing.

to do or with another couple. I can hardly do it justice. It's just nothing like it. It's an experience. So I wanted to mention that. Ericmontexis.com slash cruise, the rooms that are reserved, I do not know, I'm not just saying this. I do not know how long they hold them. After that, it's like you're on a waiting list and, you know, literally might be not possible to do it. So that's why I'm pushing this particularly because we were at NRB in Dallas and we met with the folks and they gave us kind of a lowdown on this. So Ericmontexis.com slash cruise and you can find out what you want to find out there. Another announcement today, the Bonhofer film is available on Amazon Prime and on Apple TV. It's a great film.

Watch it on a big TV. It's an amazing film. but that's, I just want to mention that. And also want to mention that it's available. It's going to be in screens across the UK this weekend. So if you have any friends in Scotland or anywhere in the UK, tell them, see it this weekend. It's very important that it have a big opening weekend. So if you know anybody across the pond, or perhaps you're listening across the pond,

make sure you tell everyone you know, get it on your social media. At least that's what I hope you'll do. also wanted to mention, you know, Chris, I've been pushing my Donald, the caveman books recently because it's happening. Donald is draining the swamp. And so I say, if you don't have the Donald drains the swamp book, Donald builds the wall, Donald on the fake news, it's time to celebrate. It's time to just say it's actually happening. Our prayers are being answered. That's kind of a big deal because, you know, people pray a lot and, you know, you wonder, is God listening? He's always listening. but when you see results.

So it's exciting that Donald Wrains the Swamp book. All books are available. They're available on Amazon, but they're available. You can go to mystore.com, use the code Eric. Get a big discount at my store.com. And Chris, before we go, could you believe what Trump was saying about Greenland in his speech the other day? I mean, there's something really cool, and it's just so Trumpian that it's like he wants

to expand the empire. Now, I don't mean that literally. I'm saying that just to kind of, you know, tweak liberals who are afraid of American empire. But this idea that Greenland would be strategic to us and that he is making a real play, that's like unheard of. It's hilarious. Yeah, it's almost like every day is a new, it's like an advent calendar of winning, right? It's like a MAGA calendar. Like every day, like today, it's like they're getting rid of the Department of Education. It's like, I can't get over it. It's fantastic. Well, when he said we're going to take the Panama Canal back, I thought, what?

Like, I really have grown, and I tease people, especially Christians, like we're really addicted to being to defeated, like to being, you know, like everything's going down to hell, it's all going to hell. He's going to come back and rescue us. Well, what if that doesn't happen? What if we can actually do the stuff that we wanted to do? Like, oh, yeah, the Panama Canal, bad deal. We're taking it back. Can we do that? Evidently, yes. Can we acquire Greenland somehow?

Evidently, all kinds of stuff. So it's exciting time to be alive, folks. Keep listening. Thanks for listening. God bless you. A generation of kids in El Salvador are lost to malnutrition, and the only way to a better future is through a school feeding program. Join me, Eric Metaxus, in saving lives with food for the poor. When you click the Feed Their Future banner at metaxus talk.com,

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I'm at NRB, and it is a joy to be seated here. with someone who's dressed as George Washington, who even pretends to be George Washington. And for the purposes of this program, we're going to go with that. We're sitting here with Tim Mahoney as well, the maker of a film called the American Miracle. Tim Mahoney is actually Tim Mahoney.

I'm dressed as Tim Mahoney today. You're dressed as Tim Mahoney. You're next to the man who's imagining himself to be Mr. Mattaxas. And I'm pretending to be Eric McIntyre. I play the role of Mr. Metaxus. Sometimes I actually am he. And yet today I'm not so sure. I don't feel myself. I don't feel myself.

You're not even knowing the year, sir. Now, so you, sir, who identify indeed as General George Washington, pray tell us if you would. Why do you suppose the manner of dress over the decades and centuries for gentlemen has declined, as evidenced by what Mr. Mahoney is wearing today? I am so pleased to hear you mention it, sir, because I find it most disturbing. There are men going about in a state of nature. This man over here goes about in his short sleeves.

And I saw more than one lady about in breaches, sir. It's shameful and scandalous, and I'm glad that you acknowledge that to be the case. But back to Tim Mahoney's egregious choice of sartorial. Well, actually, does the word sartorial, even when one is talking about underclothes, I'm not even sure if sartorial refers to underclothes. That's difficult. Well, your small clothes, certainly, sir. You're what?

Your small clothes, certainly. Your small clothes? Yes. I'm not that short. So Tim Mahoney, did you know that you would be making this film when you were reading the book? At what point did you realize this is actually something that needs to happen? And by the way, folks, so I didn't make it clear. The film is coming out in June.

It's called The American Miracle. I would have said this the other day, but I think I forgot just now. The film is The American Miracle, The Book by Michael Medved, which is an extraordinary book, genuinely extraordinary. is called the American miracle, divine providence in the rise of the Republic. But when did you, Tim Mahoney, know that, yes, you could make a film of this? Well, Michael called me and said, could you help me with this project? And he had worked with me on my patterns of evidence films before. That I didn't know.

Yes, he was in the first one. Okay. And actually, in two of them. And he might be even more. But Michael said, I really need your help. and he said that he trusted me with this project. And this was a huge undertaking because of the span of the history, the recreations, the costumes, the battle scenes.

We were telling the story. And the threadline, as you know, Eric, the character that holds really the founding of the nation together is a man called George Washington. And what we're doing is telling the story of George Washington from a young youth who actually got smallpox and survived. survived it, which basically gave him an immunity against it later on when it was taking out people. I don't remember that. When, General Washington, how old were you when you got smallpox? 19 years old, sir. I was in Barbados. My brother had been very ill at some time with consumption.

And he thought that the climate there would improve his health. We went there and I was there, but, oh, I think a week and a half when suddenly I began to feel ill. and your brother was hoping that you would join the Navy. Is that right, the British Navy? He did indeed at one time make plan that I would join the British Navy as a ship's boy or the captain's best hand. And my mother greatly opposed this plan. She prevailed. Yes, I understand that you were packed to go.

And she decided that it didn't matter. that you were packed that you must not go? She felt that it would not be a proper future for myself. And then later on, one of my uncles wrote a letter saying that she had made quite the right decision. So she felt very assured that this was correct. Well, Eric, then, what happens is instead of going east to the sea, he goes west, don't you? Indeed.

Into battle. Well, it was sometime after that. I believe, General, it was because of your shenanigans that the French and Indyan war began. Am I wrong in that? Shenanagan, sir? That's an Irish term. I know you don't like the Irish, but you'll have to go with it. We have quite a few Irishmen in my army, sir, and even within mine government.

In any event, do you ever talk about what happened with Jumanjaville? Is that something that you feel comfortable talking about? How do you say it? Jumainville. Jumonville. Yes. Although I do not speak French. That is the closest I can come to.

pronouncing it as the marquis does. Uh-huh. The marquis being the Marquis de Lafayette? Indeed, sir. I do quite often speak about it with people, but it is not a joyful subject. When we were at that time under orders from the royal governor to remove any obstacles to afford being built out there on the Ohio territories, I had opportunity hearing from one of our allies, the half-king, Tanacassaron, that he was a lot of the... He said there were French about, that were soldiers that were hunting for us. And so I made the decision to pursue them instead.

We surprised them. And unfortunately, Mr. Drummondville was killed in the process. I did not know at the time that they claimed he was an ambassador. It's a hard story to hear, but obviously you survived. And did you always have an ambition to be in the military? I know that they did not, that the British, that the heads of the British military sort of frowned on the colonials. Frown is a very pleasant term, sir. I would never use the word ambition, sir.

We are very opposed to the idea of ambition. That is a personal desire. I can say that when I first saw my older brother Lawrence arrive in his uniform, I then was inspired that someday I might be able to serve also. Many people are unaware of the lighter side of George Washington, but history records that you attended many plays and that you enjoyed dancing. It's hard for us to imagine you attending plays in the mid-18th century in Virginia, and yet you did. The first play I saw was also in Barbados when I was but 19, and I grew a deep affection for the theater. Of course, I had enjoyed reading plays for many years, but being able to go see a play on a stage is a very pleasant experience indeed. But I will tell you that one of the stories that you might find more amusing, my good wife and I had seen a play by the name of the School for Scandal.

And it is a farce, and it lives very much up to its name in the people are somewhat being. behaving scandalously. We invited the Adams family to join us. The Bostonians are not so fond of theater as you Virginians. Indeed, sir. And they was shocked at what they saw on the stage. I do not think they smiled once the entire night, and it is quite a humorous escapade. And so to see them sit there rigidly, perhaps sweating even, it was quite an interesting sight afterwards. they said that they would never be seen attending such a spectacle again. And we never put them in such a position again. History records that they were sweating audibly.

That's how much they were sweating. It seems as if that might have been the case. But there are plays and there are plays. I know that a big favorite of yours was the play Cato by Addison. Since my youth, sir, yes. And that in some ways inspired many of the figures of the revolution, not just yourself. It is full of stoic philosophy, sir. Is that a bad thing?

No, that's a very good thing, sir. And Nathan Hale, whom you appointed to spy and who was hanged by the British, quoted a line from Cato as he was on the gallows. Indeed. And that was, of course, he paraphrased it, but it was that he was sorry that he had but one life to give in the service of his country, which, of course, is directly from Mr. Addison's Cato. Yeah.

I myself have found inspiration very much in the words that were, it is not within the command of humans, of mortals, that we should see success, Sopronicus. But we shall do better. We shall deserve it, which is very much so my philosophy that I wish to imbue into officers in the military, that whether you see success or failure, whether you live or die, is not within your hands. That is in the hands of the divine. your only decision is to act worthy, to do what is right, so that you would deserve success. Even if you fail in that instance, you will have no shame because you have done what you know to be right. And that is Stoic philosophy, sir. It's interesting.

It's not merely Stoic, but I guess it does fall under the category of Stoic. Tim Mahoney, are you buying any of this stuff? I don't know what you're talking about. No, it's... I do am I buying it? I think the thing I see is virtue, the whole sense that virtue was an attribute of honor and honesty and fidelity. And what I'm so thankful to be a part of is to remind people this untold story of who we were and how greatness came to be. And that is the reason why I think this is such an important film.

You know, where these freedoms come from? We have more coming up with General George Washington and Tim Mahoney. The film coming out in June is The American Miracle. The book is out now, and I recommend it as highly as I can recommend a book. It's not just full of great information. It's brilliantly written, which is rare among books. We'll be right back. Folks, welcome back.

I find myself sitting here with the filmmaker Tim Mahoney and someone who looks and sounds precisely like General George Washington. which is extraordinary. The year being approximately 1797? 1798, sir. Oh, it's 1798. Indeed. What was I thinking?

So 1798, your friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, is at present back home in France. Is he not? He has now managed to have been relieved from prison, yes. Yeah, he was in some trouble. It's fascinating to me how wrong the French Revolution. went, and it seems interesting to me that people like Thomas Payne and George and Thomas Jefferson really didn't see how wrong it could go. Indeed, our own revolution could have easily followed the same course.

There was a point where our officers were encouraged to perhaps build a force against the Congress, to march upon Congress, seize control, and then make the states pay them the money that was owed to them. You're referring to the 1783 situation in Newburgh? Indeed, sir. Very right. Very correct. That situation could have ended just as the French. Their revolution began, and it seemed as if it was on a course towards liberty.

But then it seemed every week there was a new revolution, and those old revolutionaries were put down, and to see who was in command was impossible, and they seemed to have lost all virtue along the way, to see right from wrong, I have heard that they've even renamed their cathedral there in Paris. They've called it the Temple of Reason, seeming to have eliminated the Almighty altogether.

Well, you won't live long enough to meet Alexis de Tocqueville, but he writes about the things that we're discussing here. And it's fascinating that our revolution was very much a revolution that respected God and the hand of providence, whereas the French Revolution seemed quickly to go in an anti-clerical direction. Indeed. What's interesting about this film is that this film is pointing back to this providential, ongoing presence, the presence of God in historical events that turn the course of history.

and what this film, we have Dr. Stephen Meyer, and we have Robbie George in this movie that are really helping to understand where did these ideals come from, that this nation was creating a constitution that recognized that its rights were not from the king. It was not from men. It was from a higher power. It was from God. And even Richard Dreyfus is in this movie, and guess who he's playing. Richard Dreyfus. Who is he playing?

He's playing himself. That's correct. But he could have played almost anyone. Well, he did a wonderful job communicating. How many other actors from Jaws and Close Encounters do you have in your film? As far as I know, he's the only one. What a pity. If only Roy Shider were still alive, you could have gotten him.

But it's interesting that you have Richard Dreyfus. I interviewed him on this program a few years. years ago, and he's a real champion of liberty in the Constitution. It's a wonderful thing to see. Can you – I'll direct this question to General Washington. Can you recall who it was among the Indyans who said that you seemed to be – your life had been preserved for something great? That was a chief that I only met years after. That was – he was referring to the Battle of Nongahela at the time. I was out surveying with Dr. Craig, and Dr. Craig and I were about the fire, and he gave a word that he had tried many times to shoot myself or even shoot at my horse, which, of course, my horse did expire that day, but to shoot at me and was unable to. It is quite extraordinary. And of course, the only explanation that one can find for it is the Hand of Providence. I have no qualities myself that would make bullets pass through my coat and not through.

myself. And that's the case. What's interesting is it was recorded. There are four bullet holes through his coat. His hat was shot off and two horses were shot. And above the 70 or 80 officers that were there, Washington was the only one who escaped unscathed. The rest of them were either dead or wounded. And I'm not a small target, sir. No. Well, that is extraordinary. Did you come to believe then that the hand of providence was on you? Or did you already believe that? My belief is that you are put in certain positions by the divine. And in those positions, I have had opportunity to follow what I know to be right, and that I was taught within the scriptures being raised. And so I am not certain if I can say that anything more than that divine hand placed me in those positions, but I do believe we have a choice at that point. And if we follow what we are directed to, as heaven declares, I think you have a protection that occurs about you. I think our cause was righteous in that same way, and we saw time and again, when we should have seen failure, we should have been defeated, and were not. And the only explanation that one can

conclude is that the hand of providence was upon us. Do you recall in, I guess it was the last days of August 1776 when that fog descended on the East River just as you were about to cross? Yes, sir. Very, very well. I must say that the day before that, what we had seen was we had seen more than 300 some Marylanders and those of Rhode Island put themselves between our army and our enemies and giving their lives so that we might have opportunity to escape. And here we were huddled on those shores after they had given so much, after we had seen them sacrifice so bravely. And it looked as if, once again, our army would be lost. Recall that our revolution would be over if that army was destroyed. We're going to go to a break. This is a very important point.

We'll continue when we come back. Welcome back. I'm talking to General George Washington, who appears in many films, the most recent being the American miracle, which I recommend you. I also recommend the book. And we were discussing just now, General Washington, that moment when the Maryland sharpshooters and others had sacrificed their lives so that most of your army would be able to cross the East River, thanks to, is it Colonel Glover? Yes, indeed, Glover's men. Glover's men, and you were just telling us about that moment. Yes, and I would say they did not know, of course, that we were going to be able to cross over.

They only knew they were protecting the army. And there we were huddled on that shore with no escape as we were surrounded on all sides now by our enemies, both the British and their Hessian allies. And it looked as if the game was up, which would have been at one stroke and end of our revolution. with no army, there could be no more support at all for independence or that had just recently been declared, of course. And so there we were, and night was becoming upon us. And the storms had been blowing so that there was wind

that kept the British Navy from coming down. If they had come downriver, they would have been able to destroy us again, right there. Where were they, because I live in New York? They were just off of Staten Island? Exactly, right, and further up. So they were between Staten Island and Manhattan and Brooklyn sitting there, and they were not, I know, because the East River bends at a certain point. So I'm trying to think where you would have crossed over. I don't know exactly.

But they would have been able to see you if it had been daylight. Oh, absolutely. And not only that, but if they sailed to where we were, they could have destroyed us, but the wind was keeping them away from us. They could not sail against the wind. And so we were protected at that time. but we knew the winds would shift and soon. And then this fog that descended allowed us. We kept our fires burning.

We kept men working so that it looked like we were entrenching, preparing to be under siege. But in fact, we were bringing every boat across from Manhattan so that they might come over to us and take all of our men across. A fog descended upon us that hid all of our activities. Now, sir, have you ever been in a great wind and a great fog at the same? time because I never have. No. The fog is always blown away by the wind. And so this great wind is keeping this enemy away from us.

The fog hides us. But the fog only seems to close around that shoreline. On the other side, everything was clear as the clearest night. And so all of our men managed to escape that night. I myself being the last one to step into a boat and depart. So they say, and the only account that I have read that I can think of is Benjamin. is Benjamin Talmadge of Connecticut, who wrote about it. Indeed.

But I think there are other accounts, but his is the most clear. Now, here's a question for Tim Mahoney and for General George Washington. We're talking about this crossing of the East River. Did either of you know that the East River, that's its actual name, is in fact not a river? I did not say. Most people don't know that. It's a saltwater estuary. Please make a note of it.

It's not a river. It's a saltwater estuary. Let's turn now to the home of General Nathaniel Green, Rhode Island. Did either of you know that Rhode Island is in fact not an island? Yes, sir. Well, I didn't know that. Well, Tim, shame on you. The next time put on a jacket and tie because you're sitting next to General George Washington.

So actually, Rhode Island was named for an island called Rhode Island. but the whole colony which then became a state took the name Rhode Island and of course it's not an island but nobody ever thinks of that it's my job to make you think of it but I have something that I do know I'm sure you know a couple of things but this is my program well let me tell you what I do know so I don't on national radio sound really stupid that there's a book Washington's Crossing and what you see is that when the British came and took them they massacred all of the patriots as the British were coming up.

Where? Say it again? Mercilessly went on New York. No, but when? When? At the same time, right before this was happening. In the battle the day before. In the battle the day before. Oh, no, no, no. I'm writing a book right now about the revolution and I have to say one of the most scandalous things, one of the most remarkable things in all the research that I do is the utter barbarism of the British. It is something that I had not known. It's astonishing.

And the contrast between how they treated those who surrendered and how they treated their prisoners with the way our side treated our prisoners and those who surrendered gives the moral high ground to the revolutionaries on a level that I never, I had never seen anything like it. Well, and just a little bit after that is the Delaware crossing on Christmas. And Washington comes across and they take, right? correct and what ends up happening is Washington sets the standard yes he sets the standard he says he could have butchered all the Hessians and did not and I think that that was because he said we're going to be living in a new way and I think that that's the thing that I realized the heroic

character of George Washington setting up from this civilization of England which was barbaric to this new one of this of this these farmers and these merchants and people that just wanted to live in freedom. Washington had a virtue, and I think that's what was amazing of what he decided, how he set the tone. And General Washington, whence this nobility, wants this dedication to a different kind of behavior? We saw that we were beginning a new country that was following a form that had not been accomplished before. Of course, in the declaration, we lay out exactly the type of country we wish to be.

if this is a new type of country and I am a general under a Congress which is representative of the people then we must expect that everything we do is setting precedent and this is a policy I followed also in the presidency everything you do is setting a precedent which will then be followed after and I wanted to make sure that we treated prisoners for instance exactly as we would want our prisoners to be treated That seems to me a Christian virtue. Indeed, sir. Is that where that comes from? Because somebody could have pragmatically said that's simply not possible for us to do that.

One of the four cardinal virtues, sir, is justice. And I feel very much so. That is something that we are asked to love. Is it not in the scriptures? I haven't read that, but maybe. Actually, yes, yes, that's quite right. We're going to be right back for a final segment with General George Washington and Tim Mahoney. The film and the book is The American Miracle.

I highly recommend the book, folks. There are very few books written as well and as important. It's by Michael Medved. Welcome back, folks, talking to Tim Mahoney, one of the filmmakers behind the American Miracle. And with us is General George Washington, the historical figure who is portrayed in the film by some no-name actor. We can't share his name here because he's very private. But General Washington, is it an awkward thing to be portrayed by an actor? Indeed it is, sir. One looks at the image upon a stage and thinks that resembles them not at all. Look, you know you're going to be dead in a year,

so you really should come clean with the American people about everything. The, well, I want to Before we get into the fun stuff, let's make sure that we get the website for this wonderful film. And folks, this is so exciting. I'm so excited about this. The book is the American Miracle. Tim Mahoney, what is the website? American Miraclemovie.com. American Miraclemovie.com.

And they can sign up for updates. Okay. American Miraclemovie. I want to say, because, you know, this is all very interesting, but just to make the point, the thesis that Michael Medved puts out in his book, is something that I know is true, but it's not just true. It's very important. This idea that America was created by God for a purpose, that would be offensive to many people. I've written about this in my book, if you can keep it. It seems undeniable that God created America for a purpose in history,

not just for America, but for the whole world. And here we are 250 years after it all began. and I think most people can see that that's the case. And we're coming up to the 250th anniversary this coming year. Yes. General Washington, do you have a sense from where you stand that the nation were, that you were privileged to bring into being, that it would have a purpose in history? We looked at ourselves as, most importantly, being preservers of liberty for our posterity.

Now, we always hoped that we would become a great nation. We used those words precisely that it was our desire to become not just a nation, but a great nation. And if one is to become a great nation, a force in history, great, of course, in the classical sense of importance and power. then one certainly has to see the hand of the divine in that. Well, I mean, I would even go further than that because, you know, the Assyrians had great power, but I don't think of them as a force for good, whereas I think that the United States of Ameri-Kae, as you put it, has been a force for good in the world. world.

Tim Mahoney, final thoughts, just because we have a minute left, but I'm just so glad that you've brought this film into being. It's very important. Well, I think that it is very important. With everything that's happened recently in our nation, I think there's a sense that there's a providential hand in our nation. And I don't think you would have seen that a few years ago

this film would have came out because they said, oh, no, that's not true. But we're sensing that something is going on. And this film, I think, is a call back to where did our freedoms come from? Where do our liberties come from? They do not come from man. And this, as they would say, experiment and the Constitution and what it holds us together, its foundation, its threadline, its baseline is that our rights come from God.

And there are certain things that we need to not forget. This is a film of remembrance, and it's a film of forewarning. And I think we're living in a time of remembrance now. and the 250th anniversary and to be forewarned. If we're going to keep it, as you wrote, you're going to have to be a participant. You're going to have to become a citizen,

and there's responsibilities that we have. Amen. The American miracle folks, check it out. General Washington, Tim Mahoney. Thank you. It's been a pleasure to be with you, sir.