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- [00:00]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
Guaranteed Human this July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250, America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [00:14]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [00:24]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
It's more than just fireworks.
- [00:26]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids? Dad? Lingokids, please.
- [00:39]
Bret Baier
When did we become the Lingokids house?
- [00:41]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs. This week it's Lingokids.
- [00:45]
Bret Baier
Why Lingokids?
- [00:46]
Newt Gingrich
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [00:51]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [00:58]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [01:01]
Bret Baier
Rainbow cakes. Everything kids love, download it for free.
- [01:07]
Firestone Tire Advertiser
Real value shows up in reliability. You don't have to second guess. Like a set of Firestone all season tires. They're designed to deliver confidence, inspiring wet weather, traction and a quieter ride. No matter the road. Season after season. Firestone all season tires for durability you can count on, just like people count on you. Firestone always dependable since 1900
- [01:36]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
professional wrestling fans. The action continues every week. Watch CNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC.
- [01:45]
Bret Baier
It is like electricity flowing through your veins.
- [01:49]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the adrenaline, the drama and the total non stop action.
- [01:53]
Bret Baier
No one can ever be as good as this right here.
- [01:57]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the action of TNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC. For showtimes and more information visit TNA wrestling.com.
- [02:10]
Newt Gingrich
Welcome to Newt's World podcast on the iHeart podcast network. I'm Newt Gingrich. The Greatest American inventions Today we reach what I consider the single most consequential invention in this entire series. Because here's the truth. Every other invention we discuss. The telephone, the transistor, the Internet, gps, the smartphone. None of them work without it. This is the foundation on which the modern world is built. The electrical power system. The story is really three stories tangled together. Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. And for a while, they were at war with each other. Edison opened the Pearl street station in lower Manhattan on September 4, 1882. The world's first commercial electrical power station. On opening day, it served 85 customers and powered 400 lamps. He had not just invented A light bulb. He had invented the electrical utility. But Edison's system used direct current dc and DC loses tremendous energy to resistance as it travels along a wire. His system could only serve customers within about a mile of a generating station. To electrify a city, you'd need generating stations every mile. That was expensive, complicated and limiting. Enter Nikola Tesla. Serbian born, a genius of the first order, who had once worked for Edison. Tesla had been developing alternating current ac. In AC systems, voltage can be transformed, stepped up for transmission over long distances, then stepped back down for use in homes. High voltage, low current, low energy loss. AC power can travel hundreds of miles. Tesla found a backer in George Westinghouse, a Pittsburgh industrialist who'd made his fortune inventing the railroad air brake and who saw immediately that AC was the future. What followed was the war of currents, one of the great technological battles in American history. Edison fought back hard. He organized public demonstrations, electrocuting animals with AC trying to convince the public it was dangerous. He lobbied against it, but the physics were against him. The contest was settled at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Westinghouse underbid Edison by half to light the entire Exposition with AC Power. 27 million people attended. They saw for the first time what a fully electrified world might look like. Buildings blazed with more than 100,000 light bulbs. The night was turned into day. Ha C had won. The rollout across America was one of the great infrastructure achievements in human history. By 1930, 2/3 of American homes had electric power. The Rural Electrification administration, created in 1935 under Franklin Roosevelt, extended power to farms and small towns that private utilities had ignored as unprofitable. When electricity came to rural America, it was genuinely transformative. Electric pumps replaced hand pumps. Electric refrigerators replaced iceboxes. The labor of running a household was reduced dramatically. And mostly it was women whose work was lightened. The electrification of America was, among other things, a revolution in human time. Why did the practical electrical power system emerge from America? The physics were understood in Europe. Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell. The theoretical foundations were British. The answer has several parts scale. America in the late 19th century had an enormous appetite for practical solutions. Capital, sophisticated financial markets that could fund risky ventures. Culture, a particular reverence for inventors and entrepreneurs. And competition. The war of currents, which drove both sides to improve their technology and make their case to customers. Competition made the electrical system better. That's worth remembering. I'll close with this. When historians debate the single most important technological development of the modern era. Electricity belongs very near the top. It is not merely a technology itself. It is the enabler of technology, the infrastructure on which everything else runs. Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse gave us more than light. They gave us the foundation of civilization as we know it. Next time, we head to build laboratories in New Jersey where in 1947, three scientists create the tiny device that makes every digital technology possible, the transistor. Coming up, I'll be joined by Bret Baier, Fox News chief political anchor and author of the new book the Case for an argument on behalf of our nation.
- [07:57]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [08:08]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [08:17]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
It's more than just fireworks.
- [08:19]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids? Dad? Lingokids, please.
- [08:32]
Bret Baier
When did we become the Lingokids house?
- [08:34]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs. This week it's Lingokids.
- [08:38]
Bret Baier
Why Lingokids?
- [08:39]
Newt Gingrich
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [08:44]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [08:51]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [08:54]
Bret Baier
Lingokids. Everything kids love, download it for free.
- [08:59]
Firestone Tire Advertiser
Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years, Firestone has been building tires with one thing in mind. To deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone, always dependable since 1900
- [09:29]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
professional wrestling fans, the action continues every week.
- [09:34]
Bret Baier
This is total non stop action.
- [09:36]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
TNA Thursday night impact every week on AMC. For show times and more information, visit TNA wrestling.com.
- [09:50]
Newt Gingrich
I am really pleased to welcome back my guest and good friend Brett Baer. Author of seven New York Times best selling books, chief political anchor for Fox News, executive editor of special report with Brett Baer. Brett is here taking a brief break from his professional golf behavior to talk about his latest book, the Case for America. An argument on behalf of our nation. Thank you so much Brett for taking the time because I know how amazingly busy you are.
- [10:19]
Bret Baier
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it so you wrote in
- [10:23]
Newt Gingrich
your recent op ed, ahead of the 250th, America has witnessed the triumph of resilience over despair. Reflecting on the aftermath of violence. Following the correspondence there, what struck you the most about that moment? And why did you feel it captured something bigger about America?
- [10:42]
Bret Baier
Well, listen, I think that we've been through a lot of bad moments in our country's history, and we always have a sense of bouncing back. That was just a traumatic moment. My wife was with me, and, you know, she's under the table. I have been through a lot of things overseas and in Iraq and Afghanistan, and my first instinct was, is she okay? And then to report on what was happening. It was over in a matter of minutes, seconds, really. The Secret Service cracked down, but I just thought it was a microcosm of how we get through things as a country. And part of this book is about, you know, making the case for why our country is resilient. If we look at our past, I tried to create it like making a case in front of a jury. And that's the structure of the this
- [11:34]
Newt Gingrich
book you wrote that shooting at an event which was celebrating the First Amendment right of free speech felt like kind of a bitter setback. I mean, it was sort of uniquely, I think, symbolic in that sense. Was that your instant reaction, or did that come to you later?
- [11:51]
Bret Baier
Came to me later. But, you know, I thought about it and thought, what a horrific thing, because here we were celebrating the First Amendment and it was kind of shattered. But then afterwards, and picking up and saying, we're going to do it again, and the president's pushing to do another dinner. And the same week, also in that piece, is the visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla and the speech he gives on Capitol Hill to a joint session in which the King of England, when we're getting ready to celebrate the Declaration of independence anniversary at 250, breaking away from that country, he gives a speech essentially with the message Americans should remember to be Americans. Uniquely optimistic and forward leaning and, you know, the identity of being American. And this is from the King of England. I just thought it was a unique moment, juxtaposing those two things that happened in the same week.
- [12:51]
Newt Gingrich
I thought that he was remarkably effective, both in the words and in the delivery. And he is the only recent political figure to get both sides of the aisle to stand and applaud.
- [13:04]
Bret Baier
That's definitely true. Even President Trump joked that that's a rare feat. But I had the opportunity at the state dinner to talk briefly with him, and he said that was the message he was delivering. And he said, Happy 250th. It was a really interesting moment.
- [13:21]
Newt Gingrich
I found him to be both very down to earth and very inquisitive, very interested in learning in a way that was not at all superficial. And I think it showed in his trip here. I thought he did a lot to strengthen the royalty and at the same time did a lot to strengthen our bond as a country. With Great Britain.
- [13:41]
Bret Baier
Very much so. And I think the visit was really welcomed by President Trump and the administration in a time when the relation between the Prime Minister and the President had been a bit rocky. But clearly the king's visit helped.
- [13:55]
Newt Gingrich
You've written some very interesting books, and as you know, we've done several podcasts with you about some of them. And some of them I found your ability to take a particular moment in time and tell the story. And suddenly, even for somebody like myself who once upon a time was a historian, I keep learning from you. But this book is different for you. This is really kind of a message book. What motivated you to go to something like this? Because I think it's a little bit of a bold break from your norm and a really important book.
- [14:28]
Bret Baier
Well, it is a bold break from my norm because, you know, I'm a news guy and I don't usually come with opinion pieces or verdicts on anything. I kind of lay it out, I report, you decide. And what I thought was that ahead of the 250th, the country has been in part on trial. And you can see that online, you can see that in social media, some of the things that are said about the country. And I thought it was important not just to look at the past. And you're right. Writing about six of our greatest presidents was really a lot of ammunition for this book and specifics, but also talking to people today and present voices as they make the case for America. But as you look back at the six presidents I wrote about, you've got George Washington, the civic minded Virginian who says yes every time the nation calls him to serve. Ulysses S. Grant, he's the lost soldier down on his luck. And he finds this talent and purpose in military leadership and then becomes one of the most consequential presidents during a challenging period. Teddy Roosevelt, he jumps off the page. His energy and drive is a new era of America's strength and vitality at the turn of the 20th century. Franklin Roosevelt, Teddy's cousin who shepherds the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. Dwight Eisenhower, who leads obviously The Allied Forces during World War then led the nation during really the most dangerous period of the Cold War. And Ronald Reagan, who brought the Soviet Union and the Cold War to its final days and really was the optimistic voice of mourning in America. So individually and collectively, they represent the story of America. And I thought using that framework, kind of the girders of those six presidents, I could bounce forward and make a case like I'm presenting in front of a jury. And that's how I set out to do it.
- [16:24]
Newt Gingrich
You make a point that I frankly hadn't thought much about, that we instinctively, when we talk about America's birthday, go to the 4th of July, 1776, even though you could make an argument for things such as the battles of Lexington and Concord, or you could come later and talk about the ratification of the Constitution. I'm curious from your standpoint, how you make the case and what your thoughts are about the central role of that signature in making us a country.
- [16:55]
Bret Baier
Yeah, I think that that declaration was courageous. It was. The leaders were risking their lives to do what they did ahead of the fighting that would let it later come. And the success that came in the end. It was definitely not certain as they signed that declaration that it was going to work out the right way. In fact, along the way, there were many people who said, this is stupid. Let's just go back to the kingdom and let's just throw down our arms and relent. Was it not for that moment, and eventually George Washington leading what would be the Constitutional Convention, we wouldn't have a country. So in this book, I outlined basically four truths about the nation based on that moment. And that's America is choosing unity despite dissent. Always, Always. If you look through our history, dissents baked in the cake. But we choose unity. America is a beacon of freedom. Eisenhower said freedom under the laws like the air we breathe. And freedom is a huge part of who we are. America has the gift of resilience. And you look at all that we've been through, even recent years in 9, 11 and Covid, we always seem to bounce back. And that's uniquely American. And then it's the land of opportunity, and it still is. And the personal stories of people like Ken Langone and Condoleezza Rice and others really make that case that it's still a fact today.
- [18:26]
Newt Gingrich
For a very long period in the early 19th century, it was the Constitution which was the centerpiece. And it's really Lincoln who resurrects and recenters on the Declaration, most notably in the Gettysburg Address. And Lincoln has This instinct that what makes us uniquely American is this document, and that you can come from anywhere on the planet if you want to be American. But it doesn't bind us by ethnic background or by religion or by geography. It binds us because there's this document that says that our rights come from our Creator, and that is such a direct threat to every tyrant in the last 250 years that it sort of makes America unique.
- [19:13]
Bret Baier
Yeah, 100%, you know, and the Founders were real people. They had disagreements, they had arguments. Before the Declaration's even written, there were heated debates in the Continental Congress, as you know, and the thought of being united, we are also free. And that dissent was part of who we are. And that Declaration kind of lays it out. They put their signatures on that Declaration, and by then, the Continental army is already engaged in battles with the King's forces, and there was no going back. And the punishment for this at the time was hanging. And so they were in danger of doing that. That's why that moment seems to stand out.
- [19:52]
Newt Gingrich
Yeah. I think it's Franklin who said, we will all hang together or we shall hang separately.
- [19:57]
Bret Baier
Yeah, exactly.
- [19:58]
Newt Gingrich
Which is an amazing part of this process. I've recently begun to write about Jefferson talking about the Empire of Liberty and the degree to which the Founding Fathers actually thought that what they were doing was universal. They don't say Americans are endowed by their Creator. They say all men and women are endowed by their Creator. And I think, in that sense, we are a much more radical nation in terms of normal human history than people realize.
- [20:26]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Yeah.
- [20:26]
Bret Baier
And the story of Jefferson and those early days, his writing, obviously. But then later in, the two political parties emerge, and one is obviously John Adams and the Federalist Party, and the other is what was called the Democratic Republican Party Party by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. And they become. Adams and Jefferson are bitter, bitter rivals. It's Vice President Thomas Jefferson challenging the sitting President Adams, which, if you think about it, is pretty amazing. And then the campaign of 1800 is really ugly. I mean, it was vile. Insults all over the place. And this is two men who had founded the nation together and served as president and vice president. And so, obviously, that election is tied. It goes to Congress. There are 36 votes before Jefferson is declared the winner, and he becomes the third president. And for the next 11 years, Adams and Jefferson did not speak at all, and they were destined to be enemies for life. And then, out of the blue, in 1812, Adams writes this friendly note to Jefferson, wishing him a happy New Year. And slowly, the two men begin corresponding and they began to address their conflicts. And over 150 letters they become close. And by 1820, Jefferson's writing stuff like I'm sure that I really know many, many, many things, none more surely than I love you with all my heart. You know, they reached that point. They put the bitterness behind them because they had one message over time and that was coming back together.
- [22:01]
Newt Gingrich
Well, I think people tend to forget that Jefferson, who at one level is a wonderful romantic idealist and great writer, but was also a remarkably ruthless politician. The whole term gerrymander comes from Eldridge. Gerry as a federalist in a desperate last effort to survive in Massachusetts, writing a map for Congress. Somebody says it looks like a salamander and somebody else said, no, that's a gerrymander. I mean the Jeffersonians. I always remind my Republican friends this is the longest living political organization in the world. The Democrats have a remarkable capacity for survival. When we come back, more with Bret Baier on the State of America today Bipartisanship division and whether unity is still
- [22:49]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
possible this July 4th. Come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250, America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [23:00]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [23:10]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
It's more than just fireworks.
- [23:11]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA with my mom and dad living in Orange county, when we bring my five and seven year old to visit, we are sometimes in for a two hour drive that could feel like 10.
- [23:29]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
Oh, as an avid camper, I know all about this. We'll pack up the RV and know
- [23:33]
Bret Baier
this is either going to be the trip of a lifetime or a complete disaster.
- [23:37]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Which is why we load up the iPads with Lingokids before we even pull out of the driveway.
- [23:42]
Bret Baier
It's what dreams are made of.
- [23:43]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
Lingokids keeps kids engaged and quiet with
- [23:46]
Bret Baier
over 4000 interactive games, songs and shows that kids simply cannot get enough of.
- [23:51]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
You can pack whatever you think you'll need, but Lingokids is the only entertainment you'll need for a stress free car
- [23:57]
Bret Baier
ride or really any ride, plane, train, hovercraft, whatever.
- [24:01]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Download Lingokids for free today or unlock
- [24:04]
Bret Baier
even more amazing content with LingoKids.
- [24:06]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Plus, choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search LingoKids in the App Store or
- [24:12]
Bret Baier
Google Play lingokids everything kids love.
- [24:16]
Firestone Tire Advertiser
Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years Firestone has been building tires with one thing in to deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone Always dependable since 1900 professional wrestling
- [24:47]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
fans, the action continues every week. Watch TNA 30 Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC.
- [24:55]
Bret Baier
It is like electricity blowing through your veins.
- [24:59]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the adrenaline, the drama and the total non stop action.
- [25:03]
Bret Baier
No one can ever be as good as this right here.
- [25:07]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the action of TNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC. For showtimes and more information, visit tnawrestling.com.
- [25:21]
Newt Gingrich
You make the case that America isn't flawless, that we've often had tension and pressure. What's your sense of how we work our way out of the current environment?
- [25:33]
Bret Baier
Well, I think that America 250 is a unique opportunity to have that shared love of the country, no matter your political ideology. And part of that is looking back to the past and our history. And part of it is to acknowledge what's happening now. It's not a sanitized view. We're not looking through rose colored glasses. There's a lot of problems with the country, but there are also a lot of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who in their heart want to work together and get stuff done. I talked to Arthur Brooks, who I find fascinating, former head of aei. Now he writes books about happiness. And he said that when he got people together in focus groups to talk about politics, really left and right, like far sides, he say, we're going to talk about politics. And he could see people's back get up. And then he said, but first we're going to spend 10 minutes and we're going to talk about your families, your kids, what they do. And so then he had the focus group start there. And it was this shared love. You know, they bond over parenting struggles and teenagers. And he said that this commonality, their shared love, is the way that, that we can get things moving again. So the case for America is a shared love for something that we have. And what can bring us together is what we most love about this country, what we most cherish about this country. And those things are laid out in this book, you know, freedom being one of them, that you could pick up and leave where you are and start over in Another city and you can do that here.
- [27:10]
Newt Gingrich
We're an amazingly mobile society. You pick up something which frankly has frustrated me and you use some analysis from GovTrack and others that actually there's an amazing amount of bipartisan effort in the Congress, almost none of which can get covered because by definition it doesn't involve a fight and therefore it sort of goes on notice. And can you tell me how many bipartisan bills are being passed under the shadow of these really nasty, aggressive partisan fights?
- [27:42]
Bret Baier
Yeah, exponentially more bipartisan bills. I lay out the numbers in the book, but there are big bipartisan pieces of legislation. Most of them have sign on from both parties. Very few are one party dominated. There's some that have a few bipartisan co authors but for the most part there is an effort on Capitol Hill that largely doesn't get covered, which is why on my show I started this segment, Common Ground, bringing Democrats and Republicans together to talk about what they're working on as opposed to what they're fighting about. And when I started it, my staff said to me, boss, this is going to be really hard to book. You know, this is not going to be easy. And so I went up to Capitol Hill and I talked to all the press secretaries, left and right, Democrat, Republican. We got them in a big room and I made the case saying this is the time that I'm not going to say we're not going to ask tough questions about the news of the day, but the purpose of the segment is to talk about what you all are working on together. And they all took it. And pretty soon it was a lot easier to book. And suddenly I had chairman and ranking members. I had strange bedfellows who were diametrically opposed. And it was in the same mold as, you know, Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy, who were tooth and nail on some issues but became really good friends. You had the same experience when you were speaker, reaching across the aisle for a number of things. Tip o' Neill and Ronald Reagan and those moments, I think lifting them up helps bring a different level of leadership and that could be the way forward.
- [29:19]
Newt Gingrich
You know, I always try to remind people that the many things we did while I was speaker, welfare reform, the only four consecutive balanced budgets in the century, none of these would go into law without Bill Clinton's signature. So you had to have some sense of bipartisanship if you were serious about getting things done. Otherwise it just wouldn't happen. And I think Congress right now really needs to almost go on vacation from the hardest issues for a little while. Focus on getting in the habit of getting things done again. And I think they'd be much healthier in the country. Be frankly much more relaxed. Coming up, more with Bret Baier on the future of America, what comes next in the next 250 years, and what's
- [30:03]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
at stake this July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party. Hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- [30:14]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [30:24]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
It's more than just fireworks.
- [30:26]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids?
- [30:37]
Bret Baier
That's Lingokids, please. When did we become the Lingokids house?
- [30:41]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs. This week it's Lingokids.
- [30:45]
Bret Baier
Why Lingokids?
- [30:46]
Newt Gingrich
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [30:51]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [30:59]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs, rainbow kids,
- [31:02]
Bret Baier
everything kids love, download it for free.
- [31:06]
Firestone Tire Advertiser
Your vehicle doesn't just get you from here to there. It's a bridge to the people and places that matter most. It's how you show up for your family, your community and everyone else that depends on you. That's why for 125 years, Firestone has been building tires with one thing in mind. To deliver products that are as reliable as you are. Firestone always dependable since 1900
- [31:36]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
professional wrestling fans, the action continues every week.
- [31:41]
Bret Baier
This is total non stop action.
- [31:43]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
TNA Thursday night Impact every week on amc. For showtimes and more information, visit. TNA Wrestling,
- [31:57]
Newt Gingrich
You cover the daily news. I mean, you are in some ways almost the Walter Cronkite of our generation. But you also have thought a lot about the future. You talk about the next 250 years. What's the mood and tone you want to communicate about the next 250 years? That.
- [32:15]
Bret Baier
That there are scary things ahead. That there are uncertainties with a whole new technological revolution. Do we know what it's going to look like? No. We can have guesses about artificial intelligence. We can have thoughts about it. But what we can do is hearken back to our founding and those ideals and principles. And if we hold on to those, especially as we get ready to celebrate this 250th with that. It provides a blueprint, a structure going forward. Listen, I have two kids, two boys, 18 and 15. It's tough to get them off the phone and online, and they absorb things differently. If I'm not posting on Instagram or YouTube or X, I'm not sure that I really factored in for that day in their eyes. They're not watchers normally of Special Report every day. But I see in them this hunger to figure out how America is going to work. And one of the reasons I write these books is to really try to get to that younger generation. That's the ones that we're going to pass the baton to. And it's important that they have some structure about where we've been to maybe know where we're going to be.
- [33:34]
Newt Gingrich
When you take a brief phone off and sort of relax and let your mind just drift a little bit, what are the things that most worry you about the next 10, 15 years?
- [33:50]
Bret Baier
I think what most worries me is control. The fact that freedom is who we are. And if we lose some sense of freedom, we really. There's a lot of questions about where that goes, where it ends up. And, you know, you've seen positive things and negative things. I think there's a lot of optimism about artificial intelligence, that we can solve a lot of problems in the world. I just think that there's a real battle about how we regulate it and still stay competitive with somebody like China, and that we don't get rolled over in that. And yet we don't let it go crazy and take control of us. So the battle of freedom and making sure that we still are free in every sense, I think is one of the things that worries me.
- [34:41]
Newt Gingrich
If you watch what's happening in Ukraine and in Iran, you have a North Korean, Chinese, Russian, Iranian coalition that explicitly are against liberty and that see us as the dominant threat or competitor for defining the future of the human race. I think your book is important because it reminds us that we really are extraordinary. This is an exceptional nation, and yet it's an exceptional nation which is open to the entire human race. Everybody ultimately can aspire to having their rights endowed by their creator and having the right to pursue happiness. And I think in that sense, what you've written is a very important book coming out at exactly the right time to kind of refocus us.
- [35:25]
Bret Baier
Well, I appreciate that. I mean, that was the purpose and that's the premise. And I think freedom and what you talk about there, the ability that you and I have to get up and Leave whatever we're doing and wherever we are and go someplace else we want in this country and start over and put a peg in the ground and say, here's where we're going to be. We have no limits on what we can do if we abide by the law. And I think each one of these chapters dealing with different evidence to the case for America is important. Just to remember to touch base and say, this is pretty good. We've got it pretty good.
- [36:01]
Newt Gingrich
Knowing how solid your work ethic is, I have to ask you, do you already have another book in mind?
- [36:08]
Bret Baier
I am actually torn between a couple of things and I decided to really dig in and decide to research a little bit more. So I haven't pulled the trigger on an idea. But I love the process. As you know, I'm addicted to it. I think that discovering nuggets of history in the National Archives that put together like a quilt that tells a story that is readable now is really important. So it will be history at some point. I'm kind of narrowing down between a few choices. This book was different than any of the others I've written. The first time I wrote was about my son's battle with congenital heart disease, Special Heart A journey of faith, hope, courage and love. And that got me addicted to the process. And then from there went into history and fell in love with that whole deal. So it'll be a little while, but I'm going to dig in and find the next great topic.
- [37:04]
Newt Gingrich
You have a fascinating rhythm between five days a week being immediate. And of course, if there's a big story that breaks, you're going to be right back in there. And then what's long term and permanent and you manage to balance both of them in a way that I think are probably mutually reinforcing.
- [37:21]
Bret Baier
Well, I love the process. Fortunately, I have a family that's that is okay with it. I write at night and it's a balancing act, as you well know, but it's a labor of love. And when we get to this point where I'm talking about the book, it's really fun for me because I get to see reactions to it and how people absorb it and hopefully it's for the betterment of the country overall.
- [37:45]
Newt Gingrich
I'm very curious, Brett, on our 250th birthday, how do you plan to spend the Fourth of July?
- [37:52]
Bret Baier
Well, I will be working because it's a big, big day at FOX News and we have a lot planned for the 250th ahead of it. I'LL be out in North Dakota for the opening of the Teddy Roosevelt Library and Museum and doing a special out there and taking the show. And then on July 4th, I'll be in Washington and have all kinds of coverage through the day of America 250. But all of these events around this I think are going to be amazing to see and we're excited to have people all over the country covering America 250.
- [38:29]
Newt Gingrich
Brett, I want to really thank you, given your busy schedule, for joining us today. Your new book, the Case for America, An Argument on Behalf of Our Nation, is really important, really well worth reading and is perfectly timed for our 250th birthday.
- [38:45]
Bret Baier
Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate it.
- [38:49]
Newt Gingrich
Thank you to my guest, Brett Baer. Newt's World is produced by Gingrich360 and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Garnesey Sloan and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. Special thanks to the team at Gingrich360. If you've been enjoying Newts World, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate us with five stars and give us a review you so others can learn what it's all about. Join me on substack@gingrich360.net I'm Newt Gingrich. This is Newt World.
- [39:26]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
This July 4th, come celebrate at America's Block Party hosted by America 250. America's Block Party is a can't miss 4th of July concert happening at the Los Angeles Memorial College.
- [39:36]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Experience music, performances by major artists, patriotic tributes and the kickoff to giving 4th, helping to make July 4th the largest day of giving in American history.
- [39:45]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
It's more than just fireworks.
- [39:47]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
Join this landmark celebration and get your America's Block Party Tickets now for $17.76 at america250.org LA mom, can I have Lingokids? Dad?
- [39:58]
Bret Baier
Lingokids, please. When did we become the Lingokids House?
- [40:02]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs. This week it's Lingokids.
- [40:06]
Bret Baier
Why Lingokids?
- [40:07]
Newt Gingrich
Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals and superheroes.
- [40:12]
America 250 Block Party Promoter
With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.
- [40:20]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.
- [40:22]
Bret Baier
Lingokids. Everything kids love. Download it for free.
- [40:28]
Firestone Tire Advertiser
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- [40:57]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
professional wrestling fans. The action continues every week. Watch CNA Thursday Night Impact every week on amc.
- [41:07]
Bret Baier
It is like electricity blowing through your veins.
- [41:10]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the adrenaline, the drama and the total non stop action.
- [41:14]
Bret Baier
No one can ever be as good as this right here.
- [41:18]
TNA Wrestling Announcer
Don't miss the action of TNA Thursday Night Impact every week on AMC. For showtimes and more information visit tnarrestling.com
- [41:27]
iHeart Podcast Announcer
this is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.