dailysignal--2020-11-19--How Did the Media Change in the Last 4 Years? What Sean Spicer Thinks

At the beginning of the Trump presidency , Sean Spicer was White House press secretary .
But on election night 2020 , Spicer was host of his own show , “ Spicer and Co. ” on Newsmax TV .
He joins the podcast to discuss his journey from press secretary to TV host , how he thinks the media covered the election , and how he thinks the media changed during the past four years .
Plus , we discuss whether President Donald Trump could really end up running his own network , how conservative lawmakers should treat the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial philosophy is .
Read a lightly edited transcript , pasted below , or listen to the podcast : We also cover these stories : • The Trump campaign announced Wednesday that it is filing a petition for a recount in two areas in Wisconsin .
• President Donald Trump fired Christopher Krebs , director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency • House Democrats have once again nominated Nancy Pelosi to be speaker of the House for another two years .
“ The Daily Signal Podcast ” is available on Ricochet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Stitcher .
All of our podcasts may be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts .
If you like what you hear , please leave a review .
You also can leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [ email protected ] .
Katrina Trinko : Joining us today on “ The Daily Signal Podcast ” is Sean Spicer , host of “ Spicer & Co. ” on Newsmax TV .
And of course , he ’ s also the former Trump White House press secretary .
Sean , thanks for joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see you , Kate .
Thanks for having me .
Trinko : All right .
So , I want to discuss your show , but first off , let ’ s talk about Newsmax .
Newsmax has seen huge ratings growth in recent weeks , but the network ’ s actually been around for several years .
So tell us about it .
What ’ s its editorial vision ?
What sets it apart from other networks ?
Spicer : Yeah , I ’ ll do my best here .
Chris Ruddy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside and out .
Chris started the channel a while back , but it largely had a lot of simulcasting of radio shows and whatever .
And then Chris really started to dig into a lot more of the original programming .
Starting earlier this year , he put Greg Kelly at 7 , myself , and we ’ ve got a lot of other great folks that kind of got moved around .
And we ’ ve now got original programming starting at 7 a.m. , going all the way through , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night now with Grant Stinchfield .
I ’ m on every day at 6 .
I mean , I think that the goal is , I think we are admittedly right at center .
I think there ’ s a couple of things that are different .
Our news programming during the day is pretty straightforward .
We tell you what ’ s going on .
The big difference I think is that the overarching philosophy is to bring on smart people , let them tell you what ’ s going on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The beauty of my show is that I ’ ve said all along , we ’ re on every night at 6 , I ’ m not a journalist .
I don ’ t want to play one .
I don ’ t intend to be one .
But what I want to do is … bring on guests that are really insightful , and then have a conversation with them as someone who ’ s been in the arena .
I spent 21 years in the military , 25 years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican National Committee ] , eight months as the president ’ s press sec in the White House , on his campaign .
I can actually have a conversation with someone about , “ Here ’ s what ’ s actually happening in the campaign , ” at that kind of moment .
“ Here ’ s what a member of Congress is thinking.
” “ Here ’ s how the decision-making process works in these various facets of either government or a campaign.
” And I ’ m not afraid to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , here ’ s my opinion.
” And that ’ s the beauty of it .
But it ’ s a conversation and we ’ re not trying to tell the viewers what to think .
We ’ re bringing on smart people , letting them hear that discussion , and then go back from this .
Every show has got a little bit of a different flavor to it .
Greg and Grant are after me and they are very opinionated with what they think .
They bring on great guests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hide it .
Unlike some of these other outlets that try to pretend that they ’ re all into this journalism thing and yet have a very left-wing bias , we ’ re open about where we stand .
Our daytime guys are obviously very much , “ Here ’ s the news , ” and [ at ] night , we kind of give you our takes on stuff .
I think the beauty of what ’ s been happening is , starting mid-summer , we really just saw a nice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
But when the election happened , it was on election night , we were there until 2 in the morning on the decision desk .
And the thing [ that ’ s ] great is that , and I think where people started to really tune into Newsmax is , they were listening to myself , Mark Halper , and Heather Nauert , so many other folks , Joe Pinion , sitting around the table , just sort of telling people where things stood in a state : “ OK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is what he used to get in this .
This is what he ’ s getting now .
This is blah , blah , blah.
” But … we weren ’ t trying to tell you the outcome of the election [ and ] we were giving you insight into , “ Hey , this county ’ s going to be important .
Here ’ s what it was last time.
” I think what people appreciated on election night was we weren ’ t trying to call the race and tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner , which I don ’ t really think is the role of journalists .
We were doing analysis : “ Here ’ s where we think this county ’ s going to be important , ” or , “ This is how much is still left out on this , ” or , “ So-and-so is over-performing in this area.
” And it went gangbusters since then .
People have really tuned in because I think that they appreciate the fact that Newsmax isn ’ t here to tell you what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ] to give you as much information as possible to make up a decision for yourself and be better informed .
Trinko : So for those of our readers or listeners who are interested in Newsmax , is it a cable station ?
Is it on YouTube ?
What ’ s the best way to access it ?
Spicer : That ’ s a great question , Kate , because the answer is D , all of the above .
The thing that really makes Newsmax unique is that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have cable , Xfinity , Fios , Cox , Spectrum , or you have Dish or [ DIRECTV ] , we ’ re on everything .
So we ’ re on all those stations .
If you go to Newsmax.com , there ’ s a little cable finder and you can figure out a channel .
But , even better , if you go to YouTube , you can stream it live .
If you go to Newsmaxtv.com , you can watch it live from your smartphone if you don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on all the OTT stuff like Pluto and Roku .
So you can basically watch us wherever you are , however you want to .
So if you ’ re in the car driving down the highway and you just want to put it on your smartphone , or you have a YouTube app and you want to watch it from your smart TV and you ’ re a cord cutter , then you can do that .
But it ’ s unique because there ’ s no other station that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to have a cable subscription if you want to watch one of the other premium news stations .
And I think that people appreciate that because some people are total cord cutters and so they want to watch via YouTube .
I have a TV here in my office and … there ’ s no cord .
I just put it on YouTube and connect to the internet and watch it .
But I can go home then and then put it on .
I have DIRECTV at home .
So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home on DIRECTV .
But it ’ s the beauty of Newsmax right now , is that no matter where you are , you can watch it .
Trinko : That ’ s awesome .
As a cord cutter , I really appreciate that .
So , you have a very unique perspective , I would say , on the past four years .
You started out as the White House press secretary .
Election night , you ’ re working for Newsmax .
What do you think of the media ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Donald ] Trump ’ s term the past four years ?
Spicer : It ’ s a fascinating question because , for me , I ’ ve been able to kind of look at things now in different lenses with being there , then kind of outside for a while doing a lot of commentary , and now as someone who gets to sit in a host role .
So I would answer the question by this : I think it ’ s gotten much more personal , meaning that you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more personal , but also very bad .
I think you watch these folks talk about their personal bias , expose their personal bias a lot more .
They pretend that they ’ re neutral .
When I read a story , there ’ s days where I wonder , “ Do they understand how biased they are when they write it in the way that they have ?
” They are largely wrong on a lot of things in terms of how they present them .
For example , The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story that says [ former Vice President Joe ] Biden has accumulated 270 electoral votes .
That ’ s not true .
The Electoral College hasn ’ t met .
It meets December 14 .
And so , for all these folks who like to virtue signal and talk about truth and facts first and all this stuff , they mislead their voters .
They can say he is likely to get that , or he ’ s presumed or he ’ s on his way , or when the Electoral College meets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government when they tell the American people about how things are that are not accurate .
So I think it ’ s gotten much worse and much more biased .
And the thing that ’ s interesting to me is I don ’ t know that they care .
I joked for awhile that Biden was getting softballs and I had to edit it and say that he ’ s getting beach balls , because the one time that they had a chance to ask him a question during the campaign , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while , they ask him , “ What flavor ice cream did you get today ?
” And I ’ m not kidding .
That was the question that they asked .
The kid gloves by which they handled them , it ’ s embarrassing to journalism .
Trinko : I was struck by how you said it ’ s gotten more personal because , at The Daily Signal , we try to keep the focus on policies , not people , not make it inordinately personal in a way that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many very intense personal attacks on Trump , on other conservatives .
Could you elaborate a bit more on what you meant about that ?
Spicer : Yeah .
I covered this on my show yesterday .
There was a story in The Washington Post that talked about it may not be the case that Melania Trump divorces the president right after they leave , some people actually think that they like each other .
It was appalling to me to think that a news outlet is covering someone ’ s marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and speculating about whether or not they ’ re really going to be leaving or not because the truth is that we ’ ve all been talking about them , this faux marriage that they have , and how they ’ re getting divorced .
And I ’ m like , “ No , we haven ’ t. ” … Spicer : And the idea that any of the reporters , and I think there were three of them on the byline , have any clue or insight into their relationship .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level , I ’ ve had the opportunity to be near them several times during my tenure both in the campaign , during the White House stint , and afterwards .
My impression is they ’ re an amazing kind of combination and the president values and respects the first lady ’ s input on stuff , that she is unbelievable with her counsel to him .
So , I ’ m sitting here reading an article like that , thinking to myself , like , who else would write a story speculating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage , No .
1 .
But No .
2 , coming at it from the angle of , “ We ’ ve all assumed they ’ re getting divorced , but the reality is maybe they will stay together.
” It ’ s so highly inappropriate , and yet it didn ’ t even cause anybody to kind of go , “ Wow , that really is [ bad ] .
” It was a , “ Oh , yeah , that ’ s a good story in The Washington Post .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking , if you wrote this story about [ House Speaker Nancy ] Pelosi and her husband , there would be outrage .
Trinko : Right , and I would say there should be outrage .
I mean , I think too often people forget these are real people .
These are not characters in a telenova or whatever .
Spicer : Yes , they are real people .
They breathe .
But the other thing that ’ s interesting to me is that it ’ s not like these reporters have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who they are .
I mean , they haven ’ t spent any time with them .
It ’ s like they ’ re writing it because they talked to four sources who say that they talked to somebody who knows someone who was on a Zoom with them that thinks the following .
I mean , it literally drove me up a wall to read that yesterday .
Trinko : You mentioned about The New York Times and the Electoral College votes , and more broadly , what do you think of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election and the aftermath ?
Similar to you , at Daily Signal , we ’ re saying , “ Let ’ s let the litigation play out .
Let ’ s let the recounts play out.
” But the media by and large has taken a different approach .
Spicer : Yeah .
I mean , they ’ ve decided the outcome .
I mean , look , you can analyze somebody ’ s legal briefs or whatever , or talk about their chances … that they may or may not do stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about these things .
Well , no one who ’ s ever been in third place in the second Monday in February has won the New Hampshire primary .
It ’ s like , who cares ?
I mean , it ’ s like there ’ s such speculation about what ’ s really going to happen .
My view is , … let the process play out .
It ’ s amazing to me when you read publications like Politico or listen to people like Chuck Todd how spectacularly wrong they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim to be professionals in , and yet never have to answer for the mistakes and the wrongness .
Right ?
So , they talk about this big blue wave that ’ s going to come crashing down .
Republicans pick up seats in the House of Representatives that was supposed to wash them away .
Politico had a big thing on there : [ House Minority Leader ] Kevin McCarthy ’ s hold on the conference will get smaller because there ’ ll be less Republicans .
There ’ s now more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful … or greater of taking over the House .
The Senate , barring some catastrophe in Georgia , will remain in Republican hands .
The president got more votes than he ever did before .
He grew his vote of blacks , Hispanics , Jewish Americans , who they thought it was going to be worse .
So they ’ re spectacularly wrong , and yet there ’ s no consequence for it .
And it ’ s amazing to me that they knew that there ’ s never any consequence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like scorecard .
It ’ s not like at the end of a season , the reporter has a batting average and you go , “ Wow , you are horrible .
You never hit a ball.
” Trinko : Oh my gosh , I love that idea of batting averages for political reporters .
That would be phenomenal .
Spicer : But the other thing , Kate , is they always couch stuff in .
“ It ’ s very possible that the following happens , ” then they go , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible.
” So they always like to use weasel words to make sure that there ’ s never any sense of full accountability .
Right ?
I mean , it ’ s literally like waking up right now and saying , like , it could be sunny or raining tomorrow , but it also could be cloudy .
… What ’ s the point in making a prediction if you ’ re going to give yourself cover on every basis , and then go , “ See ?
I was right .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes away any sense of professionalism .
Trinko : To pivot a little bit , I saw on your show recently you covered the big tech hearings in the Senate .
And among conservative media , there ’ s increasing concern about these tech companies censoring content .
As conservatives , we think private companies can make their own decisions , but we ’ re also grappling with it .
I mean , Daily Signal had a YouTube video pulled down , a doctor talking about gender dysphoria , because they didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , how do you think conservative media should approach the tech companies ?
Spicer : Gingerly .
I think … here ’ s the difference , because I ’ m with you .
As a conservative , I ’ m not a big fan of government regulation , but I think the difference with what ’ s going on is that Twitter and Facebook have been given government protection .
They ’ re covered by Section 230 of the federal Decency Act , which gives them more protection than it does The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , you can sue them .
Well , Twitter and Facebook claim that they ’ re just platforms , they ’ re not publishers , which is not true .
So , I think that conservatives need to hold them accountable in the sense that they shouldn ’ t have the protections that they do , full stop .
Because you can sue The Washington Post if they say anything to you .
And what Twitter and Facebook in particular want is to have it both ways .
They want to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore they ’ re not publishers , they ’ re not editors , but then they do what they do to you guys and they do to others , which is they label something on a video that ’ s an opposing view .
It ’ s weird .
Like , I ’ m sitting here during COVID and watch doctors talk about things , right ?
And they ’ re saying , “ I ’ ve seen the following.
” Well , if a doctor doesn ’ t say what the conventional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not right .
And if you think about the evolution of what the medical community has told us over the course of COVID , it has changed .
It has evolved .
So would they have flagged a video at the beginning while the sign said “ Don ’ t wear a mask ” if somebody was out there saying , “ The best thing you should do is wear a mask ” ?
At that point , they probably would ’ ve flagged it and said , “ Well , science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re saying , “ Wear a mask.
” And then when they did say it , the initial thing was , “ Well , it ’ s just to protect other people , not you , ” right ?
Now they ’ re saying it potentially does both .
But the point is that it ’ s evolved .
It ’ s a novel virus .
I ’ m not here to get into that piece .
But I think that the point is , … who are they to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that said , “ According to The Washington Post and The New York Times , ” and I thought to myself , I don ’ t understand .
Who made them experts ?
So that because of stories published in The Washington Post , that ’ s somehow some kind of expertise ?
No way .
Trinko : I couldn ’ t agree more .
So , on another note , some reports have said that President Trump is interested in potentially starting his own TV show , or maybe even his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Could you see the president doing that ?
And what do you think he ’ d be like ?
Spicer : Sure , I could .
He ’ s got a huge audience and they ’ re very loyal to him .
I think Chris Ruddy , the CEO of Newsmax , has said before we ’ d love to see him more as a guest on Newsmax , but he ’ ll do whatever he wants to do .
I do think , though , the president is someone who I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pigeonholed by one thing .
He likes to go out there and be on all the different channels … and so I think confining himself to one channel would be difficult .
So , I don ’ t know .
And I also don ’ t know , I mean , there ’ s a lot of opportunities for him now to do stuff online , but I think he really loves the broadcast piece of this .
So he ’ s got a lot of opportunities no matter what or when , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s not going to be any lack of desire to get him on .
Trinko : So one question I have that you might be able to address is , obviously , President Trump has been very openly spoken during his time in office , but we do know that occasionally he still goes off the record and runs things by his advisers .
Do you think you could see him speaking even openly out of office ?
Spicer : I don ’ t know … how he could be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says and what he tweets , he ’ s extremely open .
Trinko : OK.
Didn ’ t know if he was holding some things back during your time there .
Spicer : Oh , no .
No , no , no .
I mean , I think if you read some of those tweets , he is direct .
There ’ s no kidding around .
Trinko : All right .
So you , as we talked about , have been a press secretary at the RNC , the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative media , as you are now , you sometimes get frustrated because it feels like conservative lawmakers rail against the media , but then give all their best scoops to the same traditional media .
Spicer : Thank you .
Yes .
Trinko : So I wanted to ask you , do you think there ’ s room for growth among conservative lawmakers and how should they approach the media ?
Is there room for their communication strategy to evolve in how they treat the media , both conservation and traditional ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yeah , yeah .
I mean , look , I find it very frustrating myself .
I spent six years at the RNC and I think we tried to bring conservative media wherever we went and give a seat to them , but it blows my mind to consistently watch folks preach about the bias and then say , “ OK , well , I ’ m going over and doing these three interviews on MSNBC.
” It ’ s like they don ’ t like you .
They never will like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them credibility .
I would like to see a world where conservative lawmakers pledged at least 50 % of their time , media interviews to conservative outlets .
… If you ’ re truly conservative , No .
1 , this is the world that we live in today .
This is where a lot of these folks are coming , whether it ’ s Newsmax or The Daily Signal or what have you .
But No .
2 is I think that there ’ s a commitment as conservatives that we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So you ’ ve got The Daily Signal and Breitbart and Daily Caller .
My view is the more , the better .
We should have and we should be supportive of each other .
Because my personal view is the left fears the right .
There ’ s a reason that they cancel people out .
There ’ s a reason they run people off college campuses .
There are reasons that Hollywood won ’ t do and greenlight certain projects .
It ’ s because they fear the policies of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better and they just don ’ t want them , and they will overlook their own self-interest .
I wrote all about this in my book “ Leading America , ” that they will overlook their self-interest , whether it ’ s audience … or profit because they don ’ t want the right to have a voice .
And so the more that there is opportunities for conservative media to present those policies to folks , the better .
Trinko : OK. Well , thank you so much for joining us today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note , the show is “ Spicer & Co. ” and you can check it out on Newsmax TV .

At the beginning of the Trump presidency, Sean Spicer was White House press secretary. But on election night 2020, Spicer was host of his own show, “Spicer and Co.” on Newsmax TV. He joins the podcast to discuss his journey from press secretary to TV host, how he thinks the media covered the election, and how he thinks the media changed during the past four years.
Plus, we discuss whether President Donald Trump could really end up running his own network, how conservative lawmakers should treat the media, and what Newsmax TV’s editorial philosophy is. Read a lightly edited transcript, pasted below, or listen to the podcast:
We also cover these stories:
The Trump campaign announced Wednesday that it is filing a petition for a recount in two areas in Wisconsin.
President Donald Trump fired Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
House Democrats have once again nominated Nancy Pelosi to be speaker of the House for another two years.
“The Daily Signal Podcast” is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Pippa, Google Play, and Stitcher. All of our podcasts may be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You also can leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at letters@dailysignal.com.
Katrina Trinko: Joining us today on “The Daily Signal Podcast” is Sean Spicer, host of “Spicer & Co.” on Newsmax TV. And of course, he’s also the former Trump White House press secretary. Sean, thanks for joining us today.
Sean Spicer: Good to see you, Kate. Thanks for having me.
Trinko: All right. So, I want to discuss your show, but first off, let’s talk about Newsmax. Newsmax has seen huge ratings growth in recent weeks, but the network’s actually been around for several years. So tell us about it. What’s its editorial vision? What sets it apart from other networks?
Spicer: Yeah, I’ll do my best here. Chris Ruddy is obviously the one who knows the inside and out. Chris started the channel a while back, but it largely had a lot of simulcasting of radio shows and whatever. And then Chris really started to dig into a lot more of the original programming.
Starting earlier this year, he put Greg Kelly at 7, myself, and we’ve got a lot of other great folks that kind of got moved around. And we’ve now got original programming starting at 7 a.m., going all the way through, I think it’s 9 at night now with Grant Stinchfield. I’m on every day at 6.
I mean, I think that the goal is, I think we are admittedly right at center. I think there’s a couple of things that are different. Our news programming during the day is pretty straightforward. We tell you what’s going on. The big difference I think is that the overarching philosophy is to bring on smart people, let them tell you what’s going on, and let viewers make up their mind.
The beauty of my show is that I’ve said all along, we’re on every night at 6, I’m not a journalist. I don’t want to play one. I don’t intend to be one. But what I want to do is … bring on guests that are really insightful, and then have a conversation with them as someone who’s been in the arena.
I spent 21 years in the military, 25 years in campaigns, six years at the [Republican National Committee], eight months as the president’s press sec in the White House, on his campaign.
I can actually have a conversation with someone about, “Here’s what’s actually happening in the campaign,” at that kind of moment. “Here’s what a member of Congress is thinking.” “Here’s how the decision-making process works in these various facets of either government or a campaign.”
And I’m not afraid to tell the guest, “OK, well, here’s my opinion.” And that’s the beauty of it. But it’s a conversation and we’re not trying to tell the viewers what to think. We’re bringing on smart people, letting them hear that discussion, and then go back from this.
Every show has got a little bit of a different flavor to it. Greg and Grant are after me and they are very opinionated with what they think. They bring on great guests. But we’re not trying to hide it.
Unlike some of these other outlets that try to pretend that they’re all into this journalism thing and yet have a very left-wing bias, we’re open about where we stand. Our daytime guys are obviously very much, “Here’s the news,” and [at] night, we kind of give you our takes on stuff.
I think the beauty of what’s been happening is, starting mid-summer, we really just saw a nice, steady increase every week of people coming over. But when the election happened, it was on election night, we were there until 2 in the morning on the decision desk.
And the thing [that’s] great is that, and I think where people started to really tune into Newsmax is, they were listening to myself, Mark Halper, and Heather Nauert, so many other folks, Joe Pinion, sitting around the table, just sort of telling people where things stood in a state: “OK, this is how much is in. This is what he used to get in this. This is what he’s getting now. This is blah, blah, blah.”
But … we weren’t trying to tell you the outcome of the election [and] we were giving you insight into, “Hey, this county’s going to be important. Here’s what it was last time.”
I think what people appreciated on election night was we weren’t trying to call the race and tell you who we project to be the winner, which I don’t really think is the role of journalists. We were doing analysis: “Here’s where we think this county’s going to be important,” or, “This is how much is still left out on this,” or, “So-and-so is over-performing in this area.”
And it went gangbusters since then. People have really tuned in because I think that they appreciate the fact that Newsmax isn’t here to tell you what to think. We’re just [here] to give you as much information as possible to make up a decision for yourself and be better informed.
Trinko: So for those of our readers or listeners who are interested in Newsmax, is it a cable station? Is it on YouTube? What’s the best way to access it?
Spicer: That’s a great question, Kate, because the answer is D, all of the above. The thing that really makes Newsmax unique is that we’re in 70 million homes. So if you have cable, Xfinity, Fios, Cox, Spectrum, or you have Dish or [DIRECTV], we’re on everything. So we’re on all those stations.
If you go to Newsmax.com, there’s a little cable finder and you can figure out a channel. But, even better, if you go to YouTube, you can stream it live. If you go to Newsmaxtv.com, you can watch it live from your smartphone if you don’t have the YouTube app. We’re on all the OTT stuff like Pluto and Roku.
So you can basically watch us wherever you are, however you want to. So if you’re in the car driving down the highway and you just want to put it on your smartphone, or you have a YouTube app and you want to watch it from your smart TV and you’re a cord cutter, then you can do that.
But it’s unique because there’s no other station that has that ability. You know, you have to have a cable subscription if you want to watch one of the other premium news stations. And I think that people appreciate that because some people are total cord cutters and so they want to watch via YouTube.
I have a TV here in my office and … there’s no cord. I just put it on YouTube and connect to the internet and watch it. But I can go home then and then put it on. I have DIRECTV at home. So I go to Channel 349 and watch it at home on DIRECTV. But it’s the beauty of Newsmax right now, is that no matter where you are, you can watch it.
Trinko: That’s awesome. As a cord cutter, I really appreciate that. So, you have a very unique perspective, I would say, on the past four years.
You started out as the White House press secretary. Election night, you’re working for Newsmax. What do you think of the media’s coverage and its evolution over President [Donald] Trump’s term the past four years?
Spicer: It’s a fascinating question because, for me, I’ve been able to kind of look at things now in different lenses with being there, then kind of outside for a while doing a lot of commentary, and now as someone who gets to sit in a host role.
So I would answer the question by this: I think it’s gotten much more personal, meaning that you see all these folks. And I think much more personal, but also very bad.
I think you watch these folks talk about their personal bias, expose their personal bias a lot more. They pretend that they’re neutral. When I read a story, there’s days where I wonder, “Do they understand how biased they are when they write it in the way that they have?”
They are largely wrong on a lot of things in terms of how they present them. For example, The New York Times the other day had a story that says [former Vice President Joe] Biden has accumulated 270 electoral votes. That’s not true. The Electoral College hasn’t met. It meets December 14.
And so, for all these folks who like to virtue signal and talk about truth and facts first and all this stuff, they mislead their voters. They can say he is likely to get that, or he’s presumed or he’s on his way, or when the Electoral College meets, but they cheapen our system of government when they tell the American people about how things are that are not accurate.
So I think it’s gotten much worse and much more biased. And the thing that’s interesting to me is I don’t know that they care.
I joked for awhile that Biden was getting softballs and I had to edit it and say that he’s getting beach balls, because the one time that they had a chance to ask him a question during the campaign, and he’d been absent for a while, they ask him, “What flavor ice cream did you get today?”
And I’m not kidding. That was the question that they asked. The kid gloves by which they handled them, it’s embarrassing to journalism.
Trinko: I was struck by how you said it’s gotten more personal because, at The Daily Signal, we try to keep the focus on policies, not people, not make it inordinately personal in a way that’s inappropriate, but we’ve seen so many very intense personal attacks on Trump, on other conservatives. Could you elaborate a bit more on what you meant about that?
Spicer: Yeah. I covered this on my show yesterday. There was a story in The Washington Post that talked about it may not be the case that Melania Trump divorces the president right after they leave, some people actually think that they like each other.
It was appalling to me to think that a news outlet is covering someone’s marriage, regardless of who it is, and speculating about whether or not they’re really going to be leaving or not because the truth is that we’ve all been talking about them, this faux marriage that they have, and how they’re getting divorced. And I’m like, “No, we haven’t.” …
Trinko: Right.
Spicer: And the idea that any of the reporters, and I think there were three of them on the byline, have any clue or insight into their relationship.
I will tell you this on a personal level, I’ve had the opportunity to be near them several times during my tenure both in the campaign, during the White House stint, and afterwards. My impression is they’re an amazing kind of combination and the president values and respects the first lady’s input on stuff, that she is unbelievable with her counsel to him.
So, I’m sitting here reading an article like that, thinking to myself, like, who else would write a story speculating on the status of somebody’s marriage, No. 1. But No. 2, coming at it from the angle of, “We’ve all assumed they’re getting divorced, but the reality is maybe they will stay together.”
It’s so highly inappropriate, and yet it didn’t even cause anybody to kind of go, “Wow, that really is [bad].” It was a, “Oh, yeah, that’s a good story in The Washington Post. Share it.” And I’m thinking, if you wrote this story about [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and her husband, there would be outrage.
Trinko: Right, and I would say there should be outrage. I mean, I think too often people forget these are real people. These are not characters in a telenova or whatever.
Spicer: Yes, they are real people. They breathe. But the other thing that’s interesting to me is that it’s not like these reporters have a clue. They don’t know who they are. I mean, they haven’t spent any time with them.
It’s like they’re writing it because they talked to four sources who say that they talked to somebody who knows someone who was on a Zoom with them that thinks the following. I mean, it literally drove me up a wall to read that yesterday.
Trinko: You mentioned about The New York Times and the Electoral College votes, and more broadly, what do you think of the media’s coverage of the election and the aftermath? Similar to you, at Daily Signal, we’re saying, “Let’s let the litigation play out. Let’s let the recounts play out.” But the media by and large has taken a different approach.
Spicer: Yeah. I mean, they’ve decided the outcome. I mean, look, you can analyze somebody’s legal briefs or whatever, or talk about their chances … that they may or may not do stuff, and in politics, we always talk about these things.
Well, no one who’s ever been in third place in the second Monday in February has won the New Hampshire primary. It’s like, who cares? I mean, it’s like there’s such speculation about what’s really going to happen.
My view is, … let the process play out. It’s amazing to me when you read publications like Politico or listen to people like Chuck Todd how spectacularly wrong they are about so many things that they claim to be professionals in, and yet never have to answer for the mistakes and the wrongness. Right?
So, they talk about this big blue wave that’s going to come crashing down. Republicans pick up seats in the House of Representatives that was supposed to wash them away. Politico had a big thing on there: [House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy’s hold on the conference will get smaller because there’ll be less Republicans. There’s now more.
He’s actually within possibly a handful … or greater of taking over the House. The Senate, barring some catastrophe in Georgia, will remain in Republican hands. The president got more votes than he ever did before. He grew his vote of blacks, Hispanics, Jewish Americans, who they thought it was going to be worse.
So they’re spectacularly wrong, and yet there’s no consequence for it. And it’s amazing to me that they knew that there’s never any consequence for it. There’s no like scorecard. It’s not like at the end of a season, the reporter has a batting average and you go, “Wow, you are horrible. You never hit a ball.”
Trinko: Oh my gosh, I love that idea of batting averages for political reporters. That would be phenomenal.
Spicer: But the other thing, Kate, is they always couch stuff in. “It’s very possible that the following happens,” then they go, “Well, we only said it was possible.” So they always like to use weasel words to make sure that there’s never any sense of full accountability. Right?
I mean, it’s literally like waking up right now and saying, like, it could be sunny or raining tomorrow, but it also could be cloudy. … What’s the point in making a prediction if you’re going to give yourself cover on every basis, and then go, “See? I was right. It was rainy or cloudy”? That takes away any sense of professionalism.
Trinko: To pivot a little bit, I saw on your show recently you covered the big tech hearings in the Senate. And among conservative media, there’s increasing concern about these tech companies censoring content.
As conservatives, we think private companies can make their own decisions, but we’re also grappling with it. I mean, Daily Signal had a YouTube video pulled down, a doctor talking about gender dysphoria, because they didn’t like one sentence she said.
So, how do you think conservative media should approach the tech companies?
Spicer: Gingerly. I think … here’s the difference, because I’m with you. As a conservative, I’m not a big fan of government regulation, but I think the difference with what’s going on is that Twitter and Facebook have been given government protection. They’re covered by Section 230 of the federal Decency Act, which gives them more protection than it does The Washington Post.
The Washington Post maligns you, you can sue them. Well, Twitter and Facebook claim that they’re just platforms, they’re not publishers, which is not true.
So, I think that conservatives need to hold them accountable in the sense that they shouldn’t have the protections that they do, full stop. Because you can sue The Washington Post if they say anything to you.
And what Twitter and Facebook in particular want is to have it both ways. They want to say that they’re platforms, and therefore they’re not publishers, they’re not editors, but then they do what they do to you guys and they do to others, which is they label something on a video that’s an opposing view.
It’s weird. Like, I’m sitting here during COVID and watch doctors talk about things, right? And they’re saying, “I’ve seen the following.” Well, if a doctor doesn’t say what the conventional wisdom is, then somehow it’s not right.
And if you think about the evolution of what the medical community has told us over the course of COVID, it has changed. It has evolved. So would they have flagged a video at the beginning while the sign said “Don’t wear a mask” if somebody was out there saying, “The best thing you should do is wear a mask”? At that point, they probably would’ve flagged it and said, “Well, science doesn’t prove this.”
Now they’re saying, “Wear a mask.” And then when they did say it, the initial thing was, “Well, it’s just to protect other people, not you,” right? Now they’re saying it potentially does both.
But the point is that it’s evolved. It’s a novel virus. I’m not here to get into that piece. But I think that the point is, … who are they to decide?
I saw a video flagged yesterday that said, “According to The Washington Post and The New York Times,” and I thought to myself, I don’t understand. Who made them experts? So that because of stories published in The Washington Post, that’s somehow some kind of expertise? No way.
Trinko: I couldn’t agree more. So, on another note, some reports have said that President Trump is interested in potentially starting his own TV show, or maybe even his own network if he isn’t reelected. Could you see the president doing that? And what do you think he’d be like?
Spicer: Sure, I could. He’s got a huge audience and they’re very loyal to him. I think Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, has said before we’d love to see him more as a guest on Newsmax, but he’ll do whatever he wants to do.
I do think, though, the president is someone who I don’t think likes to be pigeonholed by one thing. He likes to go out there and be on all the different channels … and so I think confining himself to one channel would be difficult. So, I don’t know.
And I also don’t know, I mean, there’s a lot of opportunities for him now to do stuff online, but I think he really loves the broadcast piece of this. So he’s got a lot of opportunities no matter what or when, so we’ll see, but there’s not going to be any lack of desire to get him on.
Trinko: So one question I have that you might be able to address is, obviously, President Trump has been very openly spoken during his time in office, but we do know that occasionally he still goes off the record and runs things by his advisers. Do you think you could see him speaking even openly out of office?
Spicer: I don’t know … how he could be more open. I think between what he says and what he tweets, he’s extremely open.
Trinko: OK. Didn’t know if he was holding some things back during your time there.
Spicer: Oh, no. No, no, no. I mean, I think if you read some of those tweets, he is direct. There’s no kidding around.
Trinko: All right. So you, as we talked about, have been a press secretary at the RNC, the White House, etc. I think sometimes working in conservative media, as you are now, you sometimes get frustrated because it feels like conservative lawmakers rail against the media, but then give all their best scoops to the same traditional media.
Spicer: Thank you. Yes.
Trinko: So I wanted to ask you, do you think there’s room for growth among conservative lawmakers and how should they approach the media? Is there room for their communication strategy to evolve in how they treat the media, both conservation and traditional?
Spicer: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, look, I find it very frustrating myself.
I spent six years at the RNC and I think we tried to bring conservative media wherever we went and give a seat to them, but it blows my mind to consistently watch folks preach about the bias and then say, “OK, well, I’m going over and doing these three interviews on MSNBC.” It’s like they don’t like you. They never will like you. You’re only giving them credibility.
I would like to see a world where conservative lawmakers pledged at least 50% of their time, media interviews to conservative outlets. …
If you’re truly conservative, No. 1, this is the world that we live in today. This is where a lot of these folks are coming, whether it’s Newsmax or The Daily Signal or what have you.
But No. 2 is I think that there’s a commitment as conservatives that we should have to help each other out. So you’ve got The Daily Signal and Breitbart and Daily Caller. My view is the more, the better. We should have and we should be supportive of each other.
Because my personal view is the left fears the right. There’s a reason that they cancel people out. There’s a reason they run people off college campuses. There are reasons that Hollywood won’t do and greenlight certain projects. It’s because they fear the policies of the right. They know that they are better and they just don’t want them, and they will overlook their own self-interest.
I wrote all about this in my book “Leading America,” that they will overlook their self-interest, whether it’s audience … or profit because they don’t want the right to have a voice. And so the more that there is opportunities for conservative media to present those policies to folks, the better.
Trinko: OK. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Sean. Again, I should note, the show is “Spicer & Co.” and you can check it out on Newsmax TV.
Spicer: Every night, 6.


dailysignal--2020-11-19--Trump Campaign Requests Recounts in 2 Wisconsin Counties

The Trump campaign announced Wednesday that it ’ s filing a petition seeking election recounts in two Wisconsin counties .
The campaign said it paid $ 3 million to the state to cover the cost of the recounts .
In a statement , the Trump campaign said that the petition calls for recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties , citing what it says are “ illegally altered absentee ballots , illegally issued absentee ballots , and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin ’ s voter-ID laws to be circumvented.
” The website for the Milwaukee Election Commission reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 194,661 votes in heavily Democratic Milwaukee , while President Donald Trump drew 48,414 .
In Dane County—which includes Madison , the state capital and home to the flagship campus of the state university system—Biden drew 260,157 votes , while Trump received 78,789 votes , according to the county clerk ’ s website .
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that canvasses of the votes by Wisconsin ’ s 72 counties showed Biden won Wisconsin by 20,608 votes out of about 3.29 million votes cast , for a margin of just 0.7 % .
Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 10 electoral votes .
“ The people of Wisconsin deserve to know whether their election processes worked in a legal and transparent way , ” Jim Troupis , counsel to the campaign , said in the Wednesday statement .
“ Regrettably , the integrity of the election results can not be trusted without a recount in these two counties and uniform enforcement of Wisconsin absentee-ballot requirements .
We will not know the true results of the election until only the legal ballots cast are counted.
” According to the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots to voters without requiring an application , in direct conflict with Wisconsin ’ s absentee-voting safeguards.
” The campaign maintains that “ Wisconsin law expressly requires that absentee ballots may not be issued without receiving a written application requesting the ballot , ” adding : The campaign added that “ [ i ] n clear abuse of Wisconsin ’ s provision to issue ballots to indefinitely confined voters without requiring them to present voter identification , some Democrat county clerks illegally advised voters to illegally mischaracterize that they were indefinitely confined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding : In a statement Wednesday , Meagan Wolfe of the Wisconsin Elections Commission said that the recount request “ appears , upon facial review , to meet all of the requirements in pairing with the payment that was received late yesterday.
” “ We understand the eyes of the world will be on these Wisconsin counties over the next few weeks , ” she said .
“ We remain committed to providing information about the process and assisting our county clerks by providing facts on the mechanics of a recount and status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood that the partial recount would change the outcome in Wisconsin .
“ A cherry-picked and selective recounting of Milwaukee and Dane County will not change these results , ” Biden campaign spokesman Nate Evans said in a statement .
But Troupis said the Trump campaign won ’ t relent on its demand for clarity on what occurred in Wisconsin .
“ We will not stop fighting for transparency and integrity in our electoral process to ensure that all Americans can trust the results of a free and fair election in Wisconsin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The Trump campaign announced Wednesday that it’s filing a petition seeking election recounts in two Wisconsin counties.
The campaign said it paid $3 million to the state to cover the cost of the recounts.
In a statement, the Trump campaign said that the petition calls for recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties, citing what it says are “illegally altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s voter-ID laws to be circumvented.”
The website for the Milwaukee Election Commission reported that former Vice President Joe Biden received 194,661 votes in heavily Democratic Milwaukee, while President Donald Trump drew 48,414.
In Dane County—which includes Madison, the state capital and home to the flagship campus of the state university system—Biden drew 260,157 votes, while Trump received 78,789 votes, according to the county clerk’s website.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that canvasses of the votes by Wisconsin’s 72 counties showed Biden won Wisconsin by 20,608 votes out of about 3.29 million votes cast, for a margin of just 0.7%. Wisconsin’s winner will get the state’s 10 electoral votes.
“The people of Wisconsin deserve to know whether their election processes worked in a legal and transparent way,” Jim Troupis, counsel to the campaign, said in the Wednesday statement.
“Regrettably, the integrity of the election results cannot be trusted without a recount in these two counties and uniform enforcement of Wisconsin absentee-ballot requirements. We will not know the true results of the election until only the legal ballots cast are counted.”
According to the Trump campaign, “municipal clerks across Wisconsin issued absentee ballots to voters without requiring an application, in direct conflict with Wisconsin’s absentee-voting safeguards.”
The campaign maintains that “Wisconsin law expressly requires that absentee ballots may not be issued without receiving a written application requesting the ballot,” adding:
Despite this clear mandatory requirement, clerks uniformly issued absentee ballots without collecting a written application from persons who requested absentee ballots in person during the two-week in-person absentee-voting period that ran from October 20, 2020, through November 1, 2020.
The campaign added that “[i]n clear abuse of Wisconsin’s provision to issue ballots to indefinitely confined voters without requiring them to present voter identification, some Democrat county clerks illegally advised voters to illegally mischaracterize that they were indefinitely confined to circumvent Wisconsin voter-ID law,” adding:
Those claiming to be “indefinitely confined” rose from 72,000 in 2019 to more than 240,000 at the time of the November 3, 2020, election. A substantial number of those claiming that status were sent and then returned ballots without proper identification and without otherwise meeting the requirements for that status.
In a statement Wednesday, Meagan Wolfe of the Wisconsin Elections Commission said that the recount request “appears, upon facial review, to meet all of the requirements in pairing with the payment that was received late yesterday.”
“We understand the eyes of the world will be on these Wisconsin counties over the next few weeks,” she said. “We remain committed to providing information about the process and assisting our county clerks by providing facts on the mechanics of a recount and status updates.”
The Biden campaign dismissed the likelihood that the partial recount would change the outcome in Wisconsin. “A cherry-picked and selective recounting of Milwaukee and Dane County will not change these results,” Biden campaign spokesman Nate Evans said in a statement.
But Troupis said the Trump campaign won’t relent on its demand for clarity on what occurred in Wisconsin.
“We will not stop fighting for transparency and integrity in our electoral process to ensure that all Americans can trust the results of a free and fair election in Wisconsin and across the country,” he said.


dailysignal--2020-11-19--Problematic Women: Meet One of Congress’ Youngest New Members

Rep.-elect Kat Cammack , R-Fla. , faults an Obama-era policy for leaving her and her mother homeless in 2011 .
After spending months living in a motel , an opportunity arose for Cammack to work on the successful campaign of Rep. Ted Yoho , R-Fla. Cammack ’ s passion for politics only grew as she continued to work for Yoho after his election to Congress .
Today , she joins the show to explain how her love of America and passion for good policies ultimately led to her own run for Congress .
In January , Cammack , 32 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 17 new conservative female members of the House of Representatives .
In this episode , we also break down actress Melissa McCarthy ’ s apology for supporting an organization fighting human trafficking that also happens to be pro-life .
And as always , we ’ ll crown our Problematic Woman of the Week .
Listen to the podcast below or read the lightly edited transcript .
Lauren Evans : While the presidential election is still being contested , one thing is for sure : 2020 was a banner year for conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning their elections and … joining the legislative branch next term .
One of those women is Kat Cammack , fellow Floridian who won her election in Florida ’ s third district .
Kat , welcome to the show .
Rep.-elect Kat Cammack : Thank you so much .
Pleasure to be here .
Evans : So Rep.-elect , I ’ m sure you don ’ t get tired of hearing that right now .
Your story to political office really starts in 2011 when your family ranch fell on some hard times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain ?
Cammack : Yeah , I grew up the daughter of a single mother and we had a small family business .
I ’ m a third generation commercial sandblaster , and we grew up on a small cattle ranch , and it was April of 2011 that I got word through my mom that we were losing our home .
And it was because we had undergone a remodification process , which so many homeowners across the country , especially after the ’ 08 crash , were doing , trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had at that time instituted his signature housing initiative .
But what no one realized was that this 1800-page bill incentivized big banks to encourage people to get into remodification loans and then put them through that process for about six to eight months .
And then at the end , they would lose the loan because they would get a credit from the federal government for every home that couldn ’ t “ be saved.
” And so us along with seven million other Americans around the country , we lost our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we weren ’ t qualified for the loan .
It was because this government program had been written in such a way that it was incentivizing banks to make more money by pushing people out of their homes .
And so it really was a failure of a one-size-fits-all program .
And we found ourselves homeless for several months .
And it was during that time , I had just graduated college and my mom and I , we found ourselves staying at an extended stay motel .
It was a pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit in a rough neighborhood .
And I decided at that point in time that my plan to take over the family business and to get involved in possibly the energy industry was no longer an option .
And I decided to get involved .
And I had a family friend that called me and said , “ My uncle is running for Congress in Florida .
And we think you ’ d be a great fit .
He needs a campaign manager.
” And at that point in time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at government and frustrated with the way things have been going in our country .
And so I … made a hard right and drove to Florida , showed up on Ted Yoho ’ s doorstep at two o ’ clock in the morning and joined his campaign team .
Once we won—we took out a 24-year incumbent—I joined the official office and for the last seven years have served as his deputy chief of staff .
And so that brings us to today .
Lauren Evans : Well , Ted Yoho was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely a loss when I heard he wasn ’ t running for re-election .
How do you think working for him really prepared you for this election and to win and eventually join Congress ?
Cammack : Well , I served as his deputy chief and primarily in the district .
And so that gave me the opportunity to really get to know every inch of our district , every neighborhood , every issue , a lot of the folks that were movers and shakers in our region and that was of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Ted was beyond politics , a lot of life lessons and he was a mentor for me in so many ways in just how you deal with people and how you approach issues .
And certainly as a principled conservative , he faced some pretty tough adversity on Capitol Hill .
He had been a large animal veterinarian for 30 years .
And when you have that autonomy and you ’ re by yourself and you ’ re making decisions running your business , it can be hard to be thrown into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team player and all of a sudden you ’ re negotiating and maneuvering for legislation .
So he taught me how to get things done without compromising my principles .
And he built an incredible team and I ’ m very fortunate that many people in that team are sticking with me through this next chapter .
It ’ s exciting .
He was very much a guy who would tell you not necessarily what you wanted to hear , but he would always give you his word .
And up here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a member is that once you give your word and then you break it , you can ’ t get it back and it ’ s under a microscope on Capitol Hill .
So it ’ s very important to me to say what I mean and mean what I say and follow up on that .
Evans : Well , I can ’ t imagine what your life has been like for the past couple of months campaigning , but also you are married to a first responder .
I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling with COVID and that makes his job even more dangerous .
And now the anti-police sentiment that ’ s really unfortunately growing across the country .
How have you been able to handle all of that at one time ?
Cammack : I don ’ t think there ’ s anything that pisses me off more than the defund police movement .
I ’ m sorry to be so coarse , but I can not wrap my head around the notion that the very people that put their lives on the line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there are people in our country and our communities that want to do away with that .
And it ’ s very frustrating just as a patriot , as an American citizen , it ’ s frustrating to hear that .
My husband and I , we have a nonprofit organization that exists for the sole purpose of supporting police and fire departments .
We purchase critical life-saving equipment that departments can ’ t afford , mostly in rural areas .
And we ’ ve been facing this uphill battle for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric and nature of what ’ s unfolding in our country has been so disheartening .
And it really does .
It gets to me in a way that is very , very personal .
The very first thing that I see in our kitchen when I wake up in the morning is my husband ’ s SWAT vest on our kitchen table .
And it is a constant everyday reminder of the sacrifice that our men and women give to our communities every single day , going out the door , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it back , because every day is something new and it could be that one patrol stop .
It could be that one fire , it could be one SWAT call-out that goes wrong and they may not make it home that night .
Typically I ask a lot of these folks , “ Have you ever done a ride along ?
” And they say , no .
I say , “ Go do a ride along and come back to me after you have done an entire shift with first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you feel about them.
” It ’ s just something that really gets to my core .
My dad was a police officer and it ’ s something that I ’ m going to fight tooth and nail here on Capitol Hill … protecting and advocating for our first responders .
Evans : Oh , well , before we go any farther in the interview , can you let our listeners know where they can find more information about your organization ?
Cammack : Yeah , absolutely .
So it ’ s called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are the official charity for 14 police and fire departments in north central , northeast Florida and we ’ re growing .
We found very early on that there were tremendous amounts of grants out there for police and fire departments , federal grants .
But by the time they went through the process of applying and had gone through all the hoops , the strings attached to these federal grants were so burdensome and it was just so involved that they had to hire more people just to manage the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defeating process .
So we wanted to make an effort to really provide the critical equipment that our departments need .
And every department is different .
We have purchased everything from canines for police departments , to help stop the opioids and the drug problems in our hometown , to particulate-blocking hoods , which prevents cancer in our fire service , which that is a huge silent killer of our first responders , our firefighters .
… [ Also ] ballistic vests .
It ’ s really important that we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the necessary tools and resources to get the job done safely , not just for themselves , but also for their crews , their partners , and for our communities .
So thegritfoundation.org , you can learn more about us there and it ’ s all private dollars .
We don ’ t accept a single cent of federal or state money .
And that was by design .
I think that it ’ s so much better when we have the communities coming together to support our department so .
Evans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that .
That is so interesting and so important .
I wanted to pivot .
After the election , you ’ re now a congresswoman-elect .
What has it been like ?
I mean , are you traveling from your district to D.C. ?
Is it just lots of meetings ?
Can you give us a little inside peek ?
Cammack : Yeah , absolutely .
Actually , I ’ m in Washington D.C. right now for freshmen orientation and we have a bipartisan freshmen orientation .
So it ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the 117 freshmen class on the Republican side as well as the Democrat side .
And one thing that I wanted to do right out the gate was bring people along on this journey with me .
So I had basically been blogging every day , taking behind the scenes photos , doing Facebook Lives in different parts of the Capitol and some of the House office buildings , showing people what it ’ s like to go through freshman orientation as a member elect .
And I ’ m sharing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I encourage people , if you are curious about the process from when you get elected to the day that you swear in , make sure you follow us .
Because it ’ s so many things that people don ’ t realize from setting your office up to the technology , the outfits you choose , to the ethics trainings , to doing things like this .
I ’ m sitting right now in a hotel media room and my husband is here with me and it ’ s just really interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in the COVID era , how House admin is really adapting to all of these changes that we have had to make as member elects and we ’ re coming into this next class .
So I encourage folks to please follow us and you ’ ll get a really cool insider look on some of the things .
And of course the Capitol Hill complex is basically shut down .
So we ’ re making an effort to open up the People ’ s House and give them behind the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s frustrating .
The Capitol should never be shut down .
This is the House of Representatives , the People ’ s House that belongs to us and we the people .
And so any effort that we can bring people along and show them really behind the curtain of what ’ s going on , we want to do that .
Evans : And that gets right into my next question .
You and I are about the same age in our early thirties .
And more millennials are getting elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how do you think millennials are going to govern and what kind of unique experiences is our generation going to bring to the table ?
Cammack : Well , I take the title and the responsibility as the youngest Republican woman in the country very seriously .
At 32 , I will be the youngest Republican woman in Congress , both House and Senate .
I think that that is a responsibility that one , gives young women , conservative women , a seat at the table .
And for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squad [ Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar , Rashida Tlaib , and Ayanna Pressley ] , I felt that a conservative woman ’ s viewpoint was lost in the mix .
I always would turn on my television and I would see members of the squad and I would say they don ’ t represent me .
And it was frustrating because I would talk to people and they say , “ Oh , well you ’ re like AOC.
” I ’ m like , “ No , not quite , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
We as millennials and the Gen Zs that are coming right behind us , we ’ re inheriting all of it : good , bad indifferent , all of the decisions of our predecessors , $ 27 trillion in debt… record deficit spending , a broken healthcare system .
These are all issues that are really going to impact us the most .
And so the decisions that are being made today by folks that are at retirement age or older , they ’ re not going to have to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made .
The votes that I cast are tremendously personal because they ’ re going to impact me and my colleagues and millennials .
And like I said , Gen Zs coming up right behind us .
So we have some very serious decisions to make .
And I think that my colleagues on the left , I met the youngest Democratic woman from the 117th [ Congress ] , Sara Jacobs out of San Diego , California .
When we started talking about the issues that we cared about , we actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m on the right and she ’ s on the left , I think when we take the politics out of it and really focus on the policy and we don ’ t go after the personalities , we ’ re able to actually get something done .
So millennials , we grew up in a different era where we had friends of every color , every creed , every background .
And so the social issues I don ’ t think are going to be as prominent as they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think … we ’ re going to make some tremendous headway on the things that have been left broken for decades .
Evans : Well , and I wanted to talk to you about your priorities going into Congress .
What are some of your top issues and the issues that are really close to your heart ?
Cammack : So I ’ ve got some national priorities , as well as some state and district priorities .
In my district , we have a pretty suburban and rural area .
And with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty astutely , the need for access to high-speed reliable internet … there are people in my district that still have dial-up if you can imagine .
And so that has been a tremendous challenge for not just my district , but rural communities all across America .
It ’ s 2020 .
It ’ s time that we invest once and for all in in making sure that people have access to high-speed internet .
In order to compete , we are going to have to do that .
And I liken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-ops really electrified America .
And so this is really that moment in our nation ’ s history I believe in getting everyone connected and really bridging that digital divide .
Evans : My sister lives in rural Lakeland and she actually does not have access to high-speed internet .
She has to have that satellite internet and I can not FaceTime with my niece .
So I have to say this is a very personal issue to me .
Cammack : Exactly , exactly .
Case in point right there .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me to think that in 2020 , we have areas that are not connected or don ’ t have the ability to be connected .
And I myself personally , when my husband and I bought a house several years ago , they told us , “ No , you have to get satellite internet.
” And I said , “ Well , that ’ s not going to work .
It ’ s not fast enough .
And I have work to do.
” … So yeah , that ’ s something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s a great equalizer .
I like to say America is based on people opportunity , not equal outcome .
And if everyone has access , that equal access to internet , the sky ’ s the limit truly .
And it doesn ’ t have to be a government response either .
There ’ s so many ways that we can really bridge that digital divide using private sector technology .
Microsoft , for example , has a great plan to make way on this issue using white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a few short years ago , we were working with the Federal Communications Commission to make sure that the regulatory environment was conducive to that .
We ’ ve got some regulations taken off the books to allow them to do it .
… .
There ’ s private sector solutions that we need to be harnessing and leveraging before looking to the government to provide this infrastructure .
We just have to be a facilitator to making sure that the regulatory environment is conducive to letting private sector innovate and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can get it deployed .
Evans : So what does it mean to you that the people of Florida ’ s third district trusted you with the responsibility of representing them ?
Cammack : It ’ s probably the nonprofit .
It is the most humbling experience of my life .
For sure .
I tell people that I am exceptionally grateful for this opportunity .
And as every day goes by as we go through orientation , I become more and more convinced that this is a very serious and very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day that I tell myself , “ Well , you got to work harder than you did the day before.
” Because this is one of those experiences that you have a lot of people counting on you .
And there ’ s 710,000 constituents in our district in the third congressional district of Florida .
And when you have had 200,000 plus people vote for you and they put their credibility in you and given you a stamp of credibility , it ’ s a very heavy burden .
I take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re working through building a team that also shares that .
And I walk around the Capitol complex through orientation and I look at some of the greats that have walked the halls before me , and I really dig deep in thinking this is my constitutional duty .
And any opportunity to serve our country is one that is an experience and a humbling experience of a lifetime .
So I ’ m eternally grateful for this opportunity .
I haven ’ t even been able to find the words and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just haven ’ t been able to really find the words to express how thankful I am , but people ask me that question .
And like I said , it still hasn ’ t hit me .
It ’ s a little surreal .
So I ’ m working on trying to find the words .
Evans : Well , frequently on the show we talk about how being pro-life is really the most pro-woman stance .
And you released this campaign ad that , I mean , it ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get an abortion with you and how she chose life .
So how does that affect how you ’ re going to think through pro-life legislation and really just every part of you being a member of the House of Representatives ?
Cammack : … Prior to this election it was just one of those things that … always our family knew it , but I never really shared it , particularly in conservative circles .
Because I never thought that it was my story to tell .
And my mom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most amazing life and overcome so much .
And so I hope one day someone tells her life story .
When I launched the campaign , I asked her if it would be OK to share the story .
And then she gave me permission and I didn ’ t expect it would hit people the way that it did .
… When my mom was pregnant with [ my older sister ] and suffered a stroke—and to this day , she still has some remnants of that stroke , she has some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And when she got pregnant with me and the doctors told her to abort me because she wouldn ’ t survive the pregnancy [ and ] nor would I , that was one thing .
But I think the thing that hurt her the most was when my grandmother , her mother , told her to abort me , and instead she chose life .
So the story is very personal .
And I think as a young woman , it ’ s important that I share that story now .
Because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young women that are most affected by the issue .
But beyond that story , beyond my personal testimony , I think that government is notorious for hypocrisy .
And when I look at our federal government and their response to things , I think how is it that we can possibly classify bacteria on Mars as life , but we will not classify a fetus in the womb as life ?
I find that exceptionally hypocritical … And if you look at the [ Justice Department ] and their classification for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is murdered , that is a double homicide .
The DOJ recognizes that fetus in the womb as life .
But yet it ’ s not the case if it ’ s the woman who decides to make that choice .
I do think that there ’ s things that we need to look at differently when we talk about this issue beyond our personal testimony because we can move the needle on this issue , I do believe we can and it ’ s so important because it is in our founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pursuit of happiness .
It starts with life and we need to do everything we can to protect it and show that every life is precious and valuable and worthwhile .
So I think that , again , we talked a little bit about finding the words to describe how I ’ m feeling about the trust and confidence that my constituents have put in me , this is part of it .
And really trying to find a way to articulate the responsibility that I ’ m feeling about these very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who I am , but who I believe we are as a country .
Evans : Yeah .
Well , thank you and thank to your mom for sharing your story and your passion on that issue .
My final question is a question we ask all the women who come on the show , and my favorite question to always ask is , do you consider yourself a feminist ?
Why or why not ?
Cammack : I never have traditionally thought of myself as a feminist because I felt like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word feminist .
But a few weeks ago , I had lunch with a family member , an aunt of mine who is a member of the Green Party .
She ’ s exceptionally liberal , a lovely , lovely woman , but she said , “ I ’ m so proud that we will have a Republican feminist in the family.
” And I thought about that for a minute and I do think that there is a role and room for conservative women in the feminist movement .
Because if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s about choice and diversity of thought and making choices for yourself .
And so I do think that a conservative label does apply .
I ’ ve just never typically used the term .
Evans : I love it , I love it .
We get such good answers and I think that ’ s such a great conversation you had with your aunt .
Kat , I am so excited to see what you ’ re going to do in Congress .
And just thank you so much for taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cammack : OK .
Thank you so much , Lauren .
It ’ s really good to talk to you and best of luck .
I ’ m so excited to follow your career .

Rep.-elect Kat Cammack, R-Fla., faults an Obama-era policy for leaving her and her mother homeless in 2011. After spending months living in a motel, an opportunity arose for Cammack to work on the successful campaign of Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla.
Cammack’s passion for politics only grew as she continued to work for Yoho after his election to Congress. Today, she joins the show to explain how her love of America and passion for good policies ultimately led to her own run for Congress. In January, Cammack, 32, will be sworn in as one of at least 17 new conservative female members of the House of Representatives.
In this episode, we also break down actress Melissa McCarthy’s apology for supporting an organization fighting human trafficking that also happens to be pro-life. And as always, we’ll crown our Problematic Woman of the Week.
Listen to the podcast below or read the lightly edited transcript.
Lauren Evans: While the presidential election is still being contested, one thing is for sure: 2020 was a banner year for conservative women with 17 and counting Republican women winning their elections and … joining the legislative branch next term. One of those women is Kat Cammack, fellow Floridian who won her election in Florida’s third district. Kat, welcome to the show.
Rep.-elect Kat Cammack: Thank you so much. Pleasure to be here.
Evans: So Rep.-elect, I’m sure you don’t get tired of hearing that right now. Your story to political office really starts in 2011 when your family ranch fell on some hard times due to Obama-era policies. Can you explain?
Cammack: Yeah, I grew up the daughter of a single mother and we had a small family business. I’m a third generation commercial sandblaster, and we grew up on a small cattle ranch, and it was April of 2011 that I got word through my mom that we were losing our home. And it was because we had undergone a remodification process, which so many homeowners across the country, especially after the ’08 crash, were doing, trying to get some relief.
And President Obama had at that time instituted his signature housing initiative. But what no one realized was that this 1800-page bill incentivized big banks to encourage people to get into remodification loans and then put them through that process for about six to eight months. And then at the end, they would lose the loan because they would get a credit from the federal government for every home that couldn’t “be saved.”
And so us along with seven million other Americans around the country, we lost our homes. And it wasn’t because we weren’t qualified for the loan. It was because this government program had been written in such a way that it was incentivizing banks to make more money by pushing people out of their homes. And so it really was a failure of a one-size-fits-all program. And we found ourselves homeless for several months. And it was during that time, I had just graduated college and my mom and I, we found ourselves staying at an extended stay motel. It was a pay by the week type of establishment, a little bit in a rough neighborhood.
And I decided at that point in time that my plan to take over the family business and to get involved in possibly the energy industry was no longer an option. And I decided to get involved. And I had a family friend that called me and said, “My uncle is running for Congress in Florida. And we think you’d be a great fit. He needs a campaign manager.”
And at that point in time, I was exceptionally motivated, very angry at government and frustrated with the way things have been going in our country. And so I … made a hard right and drove to Florida, showed up on Ted Yoho’s doorstep at two o’clock in the morning and joined his campaign team. Once we won—we took out a 24-year incumbent—I joined the official office and for the last seven years have served as his deputy chief of staff. And so that brings us to today.
Lauren Evans: Well, Ted Yoho was such a principled conservative and it was definitely a loss when I heard he wasn’t running for re-election. How do you think working for him really prepared you for this election and to win and eventually join Congress?
Cammack: Well, I served as his deputy chief and primarily in the district. And so that gave me the opportunity to really get to know every inch of our district, every neighborhood, every issue, a lot of the folks that were movers and shakers in our region and that was of course very helpful. But what I learned from Ted was beyond politics, a lot of life lessons and he was a mentor for me in so many ways in just how you deal with people and how you approach issues. And certainly as a principled conservative, he faced some pretty tough adversity on Capitol Hill.
He had been a large animal veterinarian for 30 years. And when you have that autonomy and you’re by yourself and you’re making decisions running your business, it can be hard to be thrown into a situation where you’re a team player and all of a sudden you’re negotiating and maneuvering for legislation. So he taught me how to get things done without compromising my principles. And he built an incredible team and I’m very fortunate that many people in that team are sticking with me through this next chapter. It’s exciting.
He was very much a guy who would tell you not necessarily what you wanted to hear, but he would always give you his word. And up here, what I am learning very quickly now as a member is that once you give your word and then you break it, you can’t get it back and it’s under a microscope on Capitol Hill. So it’s very important to me to say what I mean and mean what I say and follow up on that.
Evans: Well, I can’t imagine what your life has been like for the past couple of months campaigning, but also you are married to a first responder. I mean, obviously we’ve all been struggling with COVID and that makes his job even more dangerous. And now the anti-police sentiment that’s really unfortunately growing across the country. How have you been able to handle all of that at one time?
Cammack: I don’t think there’s anything that pisses me off more than the defund police movement. I’m sorry to be so coarse, but I cannot wrap my head around the notion that the very people that put their lives on the line for our communities every single day, that there are people in our country and our communities that want to do away with that. And it’s very frustrating just as a patriot, as an American citizen, it’s frustrating to hear that.
My husband and I, we have a nonprofit organization that exists for the sole purpose of supporting police and fire departments. We purchase critical life-saving equipment that departments can’t afford, mostly in rural areas. And we’ve been facing this uphill battle for years, but especially this year—seeing the divisive rhetoric and nature of what’s unfolding in our country has been so disheartening.
And it really does. It gets to me in a way that is very, very personal. The very first thing that I see in our kitchen when I wake up in the morning is my husband’s SWAT vest on our kitchen table. And it is a constant everyday reminder of the sacrifice that our men and women give to our communities every single day, going out the door, not knowing if they’re going to make it back, because every day is something new and it could be that one patrol stop. It could be that one fire, it could be one SWAT call-out that goes wrong and they may not make it home that night.
Typically I ask a lot of these folks, “Have you ever done a ride along?” And they say, no. I say, “Go do a ride along and come back to me after you have done an entire shift with first responders, and then tell me how you feel about them.” It’s just something that really gets to my core. My dad was a police officer and it’s something that I’m going to fight tooth and nail here on Capitol Hill … protecting and advocating for our first responders.
Evans: Oh, well, before we go any farther in the interview, can you let our listeners know where they can find more information about your organization?
Cammack: Yeah, absolutely. So it’s called the Grit Foundation. It is thegritfoundation.org. We are the official charity for 14 police and fire departments in north central, northeast Florida and we’re growing. We found very early on that there were tremendous amounts of grants out there for police and fire departments, federal grants. But by the time they went through the process of applying and had gone through all the hoops, the strings attached to these federal grants were so burdensome and it was just so involved that they had to hire more people just to manage the grant. So it was kind of a defeating process.
So we wanted to make an effort to really provide the critical equipment that our departments need. And every department is different. We have purchased everything from canines for police departments, to help stop the opioids and the drug problems in our hometown, to particulate-blocking hoods, which prevents cancer in our fire service, which that is a huge silent killer of our first responders, our firefighters.
… [Also] ballistic vests. It’s really important that we are outfitting our men and women in uniform with the necessary tools and resources to get the job done safely, not just for themselves, but also for their crews, their partners, and for our communities. So thegritfoundation.org, you can learn more about us there and it’s all private dollars. We don’t accept a single cent of federal or state money. And that was by design. I think that it’s so much better when we have the communities coming together to support our department so.
Evans: Wow. Well, thank you for that. That is so interesting and so important. I wanted to pivot. After the election, you’re now a congresswoman-elect. What has it been like? I mean, are you traveling from your district to D.C.? Is it just lots of meetings? Can you give us a little inside peek?
Cammack: Yeah, absolutely. Actually, I’m in Washington D.C. right now for freshmen orientation and we have a bipartisan freshmen orientation. So it’s really exciting to meet all of my colleagues and the 117 freshmen class on the Republican side as well as the Democrat side. And one thing that I wanted to do right out the gate was bring people along on this journey with me. So I had basically been blogging every day, taking behind the scenes photos, doing Facebook Lives in different parts of the Capitol and some of the House office buildings, showing people what it’s like to go through freshman orientation as a member elect.
And I’m sharing that on Instagram and on Facebook. So I encourage people, if you are curious about the process from when you get elected to the day that you swear in, make sure you follow us. Because it’s so many things that people don’t realize from setting your office up to the technology, the outfits you choose, to the ethics trainings, to doing things like this. I’m sitting right now in a hotel media room and my husband is here with me and it’s just really interesting stuff. And the different trainings, especially in the COVID era, how House admin is really adapting to all of these changes that we have had to make as member elects and we’re coming into this next class.
So I encourage folks to please follow us and you’ll get a really cool insider look on some of the things. And of course the Capitol Hill complex is basically shut down. So we’re making an effort to open up the People’s House and give them behind the scene tours on Facebook Live, because it’s frustrating. The Capitol should never be shut down. This is the House of Representatives, the People’s House that belongs to us and we the people. And so any effort that we can bring people along and show them really behind the curtain of what’s going on, we want to do that.
Evans: And that gets right into my next question. You and I are about the same age in our early thirties. And more millennials are getting elected to Congress. What do you think, how do you think millennials are going to govern and what kind of unique experiences is our generation going to bring to the table?
Cammack: Well, I take the title and the responsibility as the youngest Republican woman in the country very seriously. At 32, I will be the youngest Republican woman in Congress, both House and Senate. I think that that is a responsibility that one, gives young women, conservative women, a seat at the table. And for the last two years with the rise of the squad [Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley], I felt that a conservative woman’s viewpoint was lost in the mix. I always would turn on my television and I would see members of the squad and I would say they don’t represent me.
And it was frustrating because I would talk to people and they say, “Oh, well you’re like AOC.” I’m like, “No, not quite,” but I think it’s important. We as millennials and the Gen Zs that are coming right behind us, we’re inheriting all of it: good, bad indifferent, all of the decisions of our predecessors, $27 trillion in debt… record deficit spending, a broken healthcare system. These are all issues that are really going to impact us the most. And so the decisions that are being made today by folks that are at retirement age or older, they’re not going to have to live with the decisions that they’ve made.
The votes that I cast are tremendously personal because they’re going to impact me and my colleagues and millennials. And like I said, Gen Zs coming up right behind us. So we have some very serious decisions to make.
And I think that my colleagues on the left, I met the youngest Democratic woman from the 117th [Congress], Sara Jacobs out of San Diego, California. When we started talking about the issues that we cared about, we actually found some common ground. Even though I’m on the right and she’s on the left, I think when we take the politics out of it and really focus on the policy and we don’t go after the personalities, we’re able to actually get something done.
So millennials, we grew up in a different era where we had friends of every color, every creed, every background. And so the social issues I don’t think are going to be as prominent as they have been in previous generations. But I think … we’re going to make some tremendous headway on the things that have been left broken for decades.
Evans: Well, and I wanted to talk to you about your priorities going into Congress. What are some of your top issues and the issues that are really close to your heart?
Cammack: So I’ve got some national priorities, as well as some state and district priorities. In my district, we have a pretty suburban and rural area. And with COVID, it was really highlighted, pretty astutely, the need for access to high-speed reliable internet … there are people in my district that still have dial-up if you can imagine. And so that has been a tremendous challenge for not just my district, but rural communities all across America.
It’s 2020. It’s time that we invest once and for all in in making sure that people have access to high-speed internet. In order to compete, we are going to have to do that. And I liken it to the early 1920s when rural co-ops really electrified America. And so this is really that moment in our nation’s history I believe in getting everyone connected and really bridging that digital divide.
Evans: My sister lives in rural Lakeland and she actually does not have access to high-speed internet. She has to have that satellite internet and I cannot FaceTime with my niece. So I have to say this is a very personal issue to me.
Cammack: Exactly, exactly. Case in point right there. I mean, it’s wild to me to think that in 2020, we have areas that are not connected or don’t have the ability to be connected. And I myself personally, when my husband and I bought a house several years ago, they told us, “No, you have to get satellite internet.” And I said, “Well, that’s not going to work. It’s not fast enough. And I have work to do.” … So yeah, that’s something I’m very passionate about because I think it’s a great equalizer.
I like to say America is based on people opportunity, not equal outcome. And if everyone has access, that equal access to internet, the sky’s the limit truly. And it doesn’t have to be a government response either. There’s so many ways that we can really bridge that digital divide using private sector technology. Microsoft, for example, has a great plan to make way on this issue using white spaces through public access channels. And just a few short years ago, we were working with the Federal Communications Commission to make sure that the regulatory environment was conducive to that.
We’ve got some regulations taken off the books to allow them to do it. …. There’s private sector solutions that we need to be harnessing and leveraging before looking to the government to provide this infrastructure. We just have to be a facilitator to making sure that the regulatory environment is conducive to letting private sector innovate and then basically getting out of the way so they can get it deployed.
Evans: So what does it mean to you that the people of Florida’s third district trusted you with the responsibility of representing them?
Cammack: It’s probably the nonprofit. It is the most humbling experience of my life. For sure. I tell people that I am exceptionally grateful for this opportunity. And as every day goes by as we go through orientation, I become more and more convinced that this is a very serious and very humbling experience. … And I feel every day that I tell myself, “Well, you got to work harder than you did the day before.” Because this is one of those experiences that you have a lot of people counting on you. And there’s 710,000 constituents in our district in the third congressional district of Florida.
And when you have had 200,000 plus people vote for you and they put their credibility in you and given you a stamp of credibility, it’s a very heavy burden. I take it very seriously. And we’re working through building a team that also shares that. And I walk around the Capitol complex through orientation and I look at some of the greats that have walked the halls before me, and I really dig deep in thinking this is my constitutional duty. And any opportunity to serve our country is one that is an experience and a humbling experience of a lifetime.
So I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity. I haven’t even been able to find the words and you can probably tell right now. I just haven’t been able to really find the words to express how thankful I am, but people ask me that question. And like I said, it still hasn’t hit me. It’s a little surreal. So I’m working on trying to find the words.
Evans: Well, frequently on the show we talk about how being pro-life is really the most pro-woman stance. And you released this campaign ad that, I mean, it’s really moving about how your mom was encouraged to get an abortion with you and how she chose life. So how does that affect how you’re going to think through pro-life legislation and really just every part of you being a member of the House of Representatives?
Cammack: … Prior to this election it was just one of those things that … always our family knew it, but I never really shared it, particularly in conservative circles. Because I never thought that it was my story to tell. And my mom is an incredible woman who has had the most amazing life and overcome so much. And so I hope one day someone tells her life story.
When I launched the campaign, I asked her if it would be OK to share the story. And then she gave me permission and I didn’t expect it would hit people the way that it did. …
When my mom was pregnant with [my older sister] and suffered a stroke—and to this day, she still has some remnants of that stroke, she has some vision issues on her left side. And when she got pregnant with me and the doctors told her to abort me because she wouldn’t survive the pregnancy [and] nor would I, that was one thing.
But I think the thing that hurt her the most was when my grandmother, her mother, told her to abort me, and instead she chose life. So the story is very personal. And I think as a young woman, it’s important that I share that story now. Because I do believe that it’s really young women that are most affected by the issue.
But beyond that story, beyond my personal testimony, I think that government is notorious for hypocrisy. And when I look at our federal government and their response to things, I think how is it that we can possibly classify bacteria on Mars as life, but we will not classify a fetus in the womb as life? I find that exceptionally hypocritical … And if you look at the [Justice Department] and their classification for a double homicide, a pregnant woman who is murdered, that is a double homicide. The DOJ recognizes that fetus in the womb as life. But yet it’s not the case if it’s the woman who decides to make that choice.
I do think that there’s things that we need to look at differently when we talk about this issue beyond our personal testimony because we can move the needle on this issue, I do believe we can and it’s so important because it is in our founding ethos: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It starts with life and we need to do everything we can to protect it and show that every life is precious and valuable and worthwhile.
So I think that, again, we talked a little bit about finding the words to describe how I’m feeling about the trust and confidence that my constituents have put in me, this is part of it. And really trying to find a way to articulate the responsibility that I’m feeling about these very core issues that make up not just who I am, but who I believe we are as a country.
Evans: Yeah. Well, thank you and thank to your mom for sharing your story and your passion on that issue. My final question is a question we ask all the women who come on the show, and my favorite question to always ask is, do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?
Cammack: I never have traditionally thought of myself as a feminist because I felt like the left kind of kidnapped or corrupted the word feminist. But a few weeks ago, I had lunch with a family member, an aunt of mine who is a member of the Green Party. She’s exceptionally liberal, a lovely, lovely woman, but she said, “I’m so proud that we will have a Republican feminist in the family.”
And I thought about that for a minute and I do think that there is a role and room for conservative women in the feminist movement. Because if you look at really the genesis, it’s about choice and diversity of thought and making choices for yourself. And so I do think that a conservative label does apply. I’ve just never typically used the term.
Evans: I love it, I love it. We get such good answers and I think that’s such a great conversation you had with your aunt. Kat, I am so excited to see what you’re going to do in Congress. And just thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today.
Cammack: OK. Thank you so much, Lauren. It’s really good to talk to you and best of luck. I’m so excited to follow your career.