Digital Social Hour: Sheriff Mark Lamb — "We’re Already in a Civil War...It’s Just Not What You Think"

Episode #1789 | January 26, 2026
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Sheriff Mark Lamb

Episode Overview

In this candid and compelling episode, Sheriff Mark Lamb joins Sean Kelly to discuss the rising political and social divisions fracturing America. Drawing on his firsthand experiences as Sheriff of Pinal County and his ongoing political ambitions, Lamb asserts that the country is already in a "civil war"—albeit not in the traditional, violent sense. The conversation covers a wide range of contentious issues, including border security, government overreach, fentanyl addiction, the dangers of unchecked media, and the erosion of trust in law enforcement. Lamb and Kelly delve into recent tragedies, the role of leadership, and the need for authentic, principled voices in American public life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New Civil War: Division Beyond the Battlefield

• Opening Thoughts on Division

  • Lamb claims America is more dangerously divided than ever, not just by politics but by race, religion, and ideology.
  • [00:00] "We're divided on race, religion, politics, social ideologies, political ideologies. There's so much division and we have active politicians and active media continuing to divide Americans on those. ...People will always say, do you think we'll have a civil war? And I said, we're already in it." — Mark Lamb

• Not Just Literal Violence

  • Kelly clarifies that most people think "civil war" means armed conflict—Lamb says it's subtler but no less real.
  • [14:03] "It's just civil right now. And the last thing you want is for it to not be civil." — Mark Lamb

2. Border Security & Immigration

• Border Policy Changes

  • Lamb details challenges faced during Biden's term, citing overwhelming migration from across the globe, not just Latin America.
  • [02:18] "The reality was they were coming from everywhere...Almost everybody was from China or Africa. ...This was a global illegal migration." — Mark Lamb

• Law Enforcement Limitations

  • Inadequate jail space and regulatory issues limit sheriffs' ability to detain undocumented migrants.
  • [03:48] "I couldn't even have ICE detainees there unless they committed a state crime." — Mark Lamb

• Concerns About Policy Reversal

  • Lamb warns that unless immigration reforms are codified into law, shifts in political power could quickly reverse border security progress.
  • [01:43] "That's kind of the plan is put as many people in you as you can...they count them as far as for the census on the congressional district." — Mark Lamb

3. Political Ambitions & Civic Responsibility

• Motivation to Run for Office

  • Lamb describes his decision to run for U.S. Congress as a response to feeling responsible for addressing problems he witnessed as sheriff.
  • [05:09] "He who has the ability has the responsibility. ...I couldn't walk away from the arena. So, to answer your question...yes, I'm running for the U. S. Congress because I just couldn't run away from it."

• Post-Retirement Reflections

  • Lamb appreciates the relief from public scrutiny but feels compelled to keep fighting for issues he believes in.
  • [06:09] "I didn't have the media nipping at my heels. ...It was a nice change."

4. The Price of Authenticity and Leadership

• Loss of Charlie & Threats to Public Figures

  • The assassination of Charlie (context assumed to be Charlie Kirk) is discussed as emblematic of rising intolerance and violence.
  • [09:49] "Where are we getting as a country to where this is now? ...We're going to kill people because you don't like what they say."
  • [12:22] "Don't discount what one person can do. ...Charlie Kirk, the guy who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square, George Washington, ...they were those ones."

• Need for Consistent, Authentic Voices

  • Lamb admires figures like Tom Homan and Donald Trump for being unapologetically authentic.
  • [07:32] "Americans are hungry for authentic people. Real people. ...if you're consistent and you stand up for what you believe, at least they respect that."

5. Media, Technology, and Division

• Role of Media in Division

  • Media amplifies divisions in ways not possible in previous eras.
  • [00:00; 13:14] "We have active politicians and active media continuing to divide Americans...I don't think that back in those days they had the media so national and so global as we do now, which is why I say I think we're in a more dangerous place now."

• Impact of Body Cameras and Social Media

  • Lamb says bodycams ultimately benefitted law enforcement by revealing public hostility and clearing officers of false accusations.
  • [16:06] "I think they were a net positive for law enforcement...now what it shows is how difficult people are to deal with."

6. Erosion of Trust in Law Enforcement

• Societal Shift Against Police

  • Lamb points to the Obama era as a turning point, driven by officials' negative framing of police actions and bodycam footage.
  • [15:16] "I saw that under Obama. I thought Obama was very destructive to this country's relationships between the police and law and the citizens."

• Internet Culture and "Auditors"

  • Social media has fueled anti-police sentiment; "auditors" now confront officers with hostility.
  • [17:18] "It's like I forget the name of the chat. Audit. The audit or something. ...And we had those auditors come out."

7. Border Cartels, Technology, and Drugs

• Cartels as Terrorist Organizations

  • Lamb advocates designating cartels as terrorist organizations to unlock greater resources against them.
  • [19:25] "They have way better weapons than we do in law enforcement. ...they should need to be declared terrorist organizations that they are."

• Drones and Future Threats

  • Cartels use weaponized drones, posing new risks to agents and the public.
  • [20:59] "There was 60,000 drone incursions across the southern border. ...They could use weaponized drones against border patrol."
  • [21:45] "Drones concern me in warfare because they could launch 200 drones at you and what are you gonna do?"

8. Fentanyl Crisis

• Scope and Human Toll

  • Lamb recounts the devastating impact of fentanyl, noting its increased prevalence since 2020 and personal family ramifications.
  • [22:25] "By 2021, 22, ...it was full force. ...My family was affected by fentanyl."
  • [23:29] "The weapon that they chose ...to kill Americans went totally under the radar, and that was fentanyl."

• Relation to Broader Geopolitics

  • Highlights how drugs often kill more Americans than bombs or traditional terror threats; suggests the crisis is more insidious.
  • [24:27] "Nothing has killed more Americans, especially civilians, than fentanyl."

9. Skepticism Toward Power and the Government

• Doubting Official Narratives

  • Lamb expresses skepticism about government motives and handling of crises.
  • [25:59] "Another thing I've always learned is I may not know the truth, but I know it ain't what the government's telling you."

• Critique of Government Overreach

  • Argues that government interference usually worsens social and economic problems, advocates for deregulation and the free market.
  • [26:50] "We got to get away from the government solving our problems because they create problems and then they come in and go, hey, we got a solution to that."

10. Closing Reflections: Civic Duty and the American Experiment

• Call for Smaller Government

  • Lamb's campaign platform centers on returning power to citizens and reducing government involvement.
  • [27:05] "What I would like to see is less government. ...when you live in a free capitalist society, the market has a way of fixing it and righting itself. But when government gets involved, they jack it all up and that's what we have now."

• Patriotic Motivation

  • Lamb underscores his decision to run for office as a matter of duty, not ambition.
  • [27:55] "On no level does this make any sense when you pencil it out other than patriotism. And if I don't, who will? What kind of man am I if I walk away from the arena and let somebody else go in and fight the fight for me...?"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:00] Mark Lamb: “People will always say, do you think we’ll have a civil war? And I said, we’re already in it.”
• [05:09] Mark Lamb: “He who has the ability has the responsibility.”
• [09:49] Mark Lamb on Free Speech Violence: “Where are we getting as a country to where this is now? We're going to kill people because you don't like what they say.”
• [12:22] Mark Lamb: “Don’t discount what one person can do. ...Charlie Kirk, the guy who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square, George Washington... they were those ones.”
• [13:14] Mark Lamb on the Current Divide: “I personally think we're probably more divided than what they were during the Civil War.”
• [16:06] Mark Lamb on Bodycams: “I think they were a net positive for law enforcement... now what it shows is how difficult people are to deal with.”
• [23:29] Mark Lamb: “The weapon that they chose over the last several years to kill Americans went totally under the radar, and that was fentanyl.”
• [26:05] Mark Lamb on Government: “I may not know the truth, but I know it ain’t what the government's telling you.”
• [27:05] Mark Lamb: “What I would like to see is less government... when government gets involved, they jack it all up and that's what we have now.”

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-01:00: Introduction to themes of division and civil war
• 01:10-04:30: Border crisis under recent administrations; jail capacity limitations
• 05:09-07:00: Lamb’s sense of duty and reason for entering politics
• 09:49-12:00: Reflection on Charlie's assassination and one-person impact
• 13:06-14:12: Comparison to the Civil War, media-driven division
• 15:16-17:01: Police distrust, Obama administration, and body cameras
• 19:15-21:45: Cartel dangers, weapons, and use of drones
• 22:03-24:27: Fentanyl crisis scope & impact
• 25:43-27:43: Skepticism toward power, call for smaller government
• 27:55-end: Lamb's motivations, patriotism, and campaign details

Final Thoughts

Sheriff Mark Lamb's appearance on Digital Social Hour offers a sobering, unfiltered view of America's most pressing social divisions. Through stories of border chaos, moral responsibility, creeping government control, and the tragic costs of polarization, Lamb calls for bold, authentic leadership rooted in patriotism and a return to foundational American principles. His warnings—delivered in plain, direct language—are both a diagnosis and a rallying cry for those who feel the country is at a pivotal crossroads.

Find Sheriff Mark Lamb:

• Website: marklam.us
• YouTube: @RealAmericanSheriff
• Instagram: @AmericanSheriff
• Twitter/X: @sherifflam1

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