Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

Mike Lindell spent decades nurturing an addiction to cocaine, cheated death dozens of times, won and lost fortunes gambling, and decimated his 20-year marriage because of drugs. Along the way he started multiple businesses, and invented a new kind of pillow which he struggled to generate interest in. Then one night in 2009, after Mike hadn’t slept for two weeks, his own drug dealers staged an intervention for him. What happened next is one of the great American stories of redemption and triumph. Mike joins us to tell the tale - and give advice for anyone who ever feels like all hope is lost. Mike Lindell is the inventor and CEO of MyPillow, Inc. and the author of "What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO." Follow Mike on Twitter at @realMikeLindell.

One month after 9/11, Robert Jordan took the job of United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia – the country where 15 of the 19 hijackers called home. From the roots of Sunni extremism to the internal conflict in the days after 9/11, Robert gives us an inside look at the greatest power player in the Middle East and one of America’s most complicated alliances. What do U.S.-Saudi relations look like today, with China and Russia asserting more power in the region, the escalating threats from Iran, and the new dynamics of the war on terror? Robert Jordan is diplomat in residence and adjunct professor of political science in the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2001-2003. He was a partner in the international law firm Baker Botts L.L.P. for many years and headed the firm’s Middle East practice based in Dubai. He is the author of “Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11.”

For this very special 4th of July episode, Dr. Danielle Allen returns to explore the history, meaning, and philosophical foundations of the Declaration of Independence. What did the Founding Fathers mean by the words, "We hold these truths to be self evident..."? In what ways did they weave the concept of equality into this founding document? How should we deal with the hypocrisy of Jefferson and others who pledged their lives to the words "all men are created equal" while at the same time enslaving people? What's the difference between our political constitution and our social constitution, and how are they aligned in America today? Dr. Danielle Allen is the author of "Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality." She is also the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and the principle investigator for the Democratic Knowledge Project. Follow her on Twitter at @dsallentess.

Is western civilization in decline? Author and political commentator Jonah Goldberg joins us for a conversation about his book "Suicide of the West" - an exploration of the history and founding principles which gave us the miracle that we call America. The progressive left has spent decades stoking tribalism and identity politics to tear that miracle apart, erase history, and remake civilization. Do the events of the past few months mean their efforts are succeeding? Jonah Goldberg holds the Asness Chair in Applied Liberty at the American Enterprise Institute, is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, and hosts the podcast “The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg.” Follow Jonah on Twitter at @JonahDispatch.

Dr. Ben Carson, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, joins us to talk about lessons learned overcoming the barriers he's encountered on his remarkable journey, and the implications of the left's victimhood narrative on American policies and culture. Dr. Carson went from spending much of his childhood in poverty, written off by teachers as a below average student, to becoming one of the world's top brain surgeons, and now he leads the Trump administration's efforts to combat the inequities facing today's inner cities. Follow Dr. Carson on Twitter at @SecretaryCarson.

As the House prepares to vote on the Democrats’ police reform bill and Senate Democrats blocked Senator Tim Scott’s police reform bill from even being consider, it’s a good time to get the law enforcement perspective on these proposals from an actual police officer. Joining us is Joe Gamaldi, the President of Houston Police Officers’ Union, Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police, and an active member of the Houston Police Department. Officer Gamaldi still patrols the streets and knows exactly what our cops face up against every day and as the President of the HPOU has his finger on the pulse of the larger force. Officer Gamaldi served three years in the NYPD before coming to Houston in 2008. He’s been President of Houston Police Officers’ Union since 2017 and National Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police since 2019. Follow Officer Gamaldi on Twitter at @JoeGamaldi.

Author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza joins us for a conversation about his new book “United States of Socialism” - an examination of the twenty-first century resurrection of socialism and how the left weaves it together with identity politics to create the societal upheaval we see today.

Alex Herrgott leads an independent federal entity whose sole focus is cutting millions of dollars in unnecessary project costs that environmental groups add, while slashing red tape and preventing anti-development activists from using the court system to prevent much needed economic recovery through acceleration of investment in our national infrastructure which provides immediate and lasting economic benefits for states, local communities and small businesses. Alex joined us to explain how the Permitting Council cuts through the bureaucracy and serves as a one-stop Federal shop to provide coordination across the Federal government for America's largest, most complex infrastructure projects. Alex Herrgott was appointed by the President as the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council on September 21st, 2018. Mr. Herrgott had been serving as the Associate Director for Infrastructure for the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) at the White House previously. Prior to his service with CEQ, Mr. Herrgott worked for Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma as Senior Staff from 2004-2011 at the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In the midst of national conversations about police brutality, violent protests, and the constitutionality of lockdowns, Attorney General Ken Paxton is responsible for finding the right solution to each problem for Texas. What would “defunding the police” actually mean for communities that are most vulnerable to crime? How should officials draw the line to prevent peaceful demonstrations from becoming destructive? What are the proper roles for federal and state governments when enforcing restrictions during a pandemic? A.G. Paxton gives his views and experiences as Texas’s top law enforcement officer during one of the most contentious times in recent history.

Dr. Scott Atlas joins us to examine the science, data, and reasoning (or lack thereof) used to justify indefinite lockdowns, school closures, and other fear-based mitigation strategies that are still happening across America. Dr. Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a Member of Hoover Institution’s Working Group on Health Care Policy. He served as Professor of Radiology and Chief of Neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center from 1998 until 2012. He is the author of “Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six-Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost.” Follow him on Twitter at @SWAtlasHoover.