Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

Professor Randy Barnett of Georgetown University Law Center joins us on the podcast to discuss some of the constitutional elements of the COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as the ideological undercurrents fueling our polarized political climate. What real, practical problems do the lockdowns pose with regards to the Fourteenth Amendment? How is the pandemic becoming an arena for the arbitrary exercise of the police power by government officials? What do the lockdowns and the recent protests reveal about modern liberalism? Are we witnessing the destruction of the “moderate left” in real-time? Professor Barnett tackles these issues and others with Congressman Crenshaw. Professor Randy Barnett is the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory at the Georgetown University Law Center. He teaches constitutional law and contracts and is the director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution. Professor Barnett has authored numerous books and textbooks, including the recently published "An Introduction to Constitutional Law: 100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know," which he co-authored with Professor Josh Blackman. Follow him on Twitter at @RandyEBarnett.

Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor has logged 197 days in space. She joined Dan to talk all things space travel. How close are we to colonizing the Moon and Mars? What’s it like to break atmosphere and spend months in zero gravity? What’s her take on the Navy UFO footage? From training in Antarctica to fixing toilets in outer space, being an astronaut brings surprising perspectives on life.

Since 1953, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has empowered small business owners by giving them the tools and resources they need to launch and grow their businesses. With the rise of COVID-19 and the economic shutdown, the SBA is facing its most monumental challenge in generations. SBA Regional Administrator Justin Crossie joined Dan to discuss how the SBA is helping America’s entrepreneurs navigate this crisis, as well as ways the SBA can help guide entrepreneurs through the often confusing requirements for starting a business, hiring employees, and expanding operations. Justin Crossie leads the SBA’s funding programs, counseling services, and government contracting and export initiatives for more than 3.8 million small businesses in the South-Central Region - including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico.

In the wake of COVID-19, Democrat leaders are pushing for a federal takeover of the election system in order to implement some radical reforms - including mail-in ballots for all voters, voting by phone, and ending voter ID requirements. Why are these reforms fraught with potential for voter fraud? Hans von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow and manager of the Heritage Foundation’s Election Law Reform Initiative - which has collected 1,285 proven cases of voter fraud in America. Hans joined Dan to examine the risks and how we can better protect the integrity of our election system. Follow Hans on Twitter at @HvonSpakovsky.

Dr. Robert Kadlec is the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, managing the national response to public health emergencies - a position that deals with everything from hurricane disasters to anthrax attacks. Now Dr. Kadlec is writing the playbook of countermeasures in America’s war against COVID-19. He joined Dan to examine how the nation’s strategy for pandemic response is adapting as we learn more about the virus.  

In this special episode, Dan joined comedian Adam Carolla for a live recording at Houston Improv to raise funds for the Houston Food Bank’s COVID-19 relief efforts. Support Houston Food Bank at www.houstonfoodbank.org. Shout out to Adam Carolla for allowing us to re-broadcast this recording! Check out his own podcast The Adam Carolla Show at www.adamcarolla.com.

Robert Kaplan is the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. We’ve heard a lot about the Federal Reserve in the news lately, but what exactly is the purpose of America’s central bank? How has their mission changed since COVID-19 and the shutdown wrecked havoc on the economy? Robert joined Dan to give listeners a practical understanding of the Fed’s role in the financial system, and the pathway to economic recovery. Follow Robert Kaplan on Twitter at @RobSKaplan.

On this solo episode, Dan expands on his recently published oped for The Wall Street Journal to ponder the question, “Why do Democrats want to keep us shutdown and Republicans want us free to reopen?” The answer is part politics, part psychology. Read the oped here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-reopening-polarize-us-11589842995

Jon Huntsman returns to the podcast to talk China and what he learned as Ambassador to America’s greatest trading partner and emerging rival. For the first time in centuries, China is a leader on the world stage. So how do Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party view their role as a global player? What moves are they making to change the geopolitical landscape across Asia and Europe? What is their endgame with the United States – and how should we react? Jon Huntsman is the only ambassador to ever serve in both China (2009 – 2011) and Russia (2017 – 2019). He was the Governor of Utah (Jan. 2005 – Aug. 2009), served as the Chair of the Western Governors Association, and under his leadership Utah was ranked as the best managed state in America by Pew Center on the States.

In this solo episode, Dan breaks down the Democrats' $3 trillion, 1800 page spending bill which was voted on by the House on Friday, May 15.