Securing America with Frank Gaffney

Podcast: Real America’s Voice – iHeartPodcasts
Episode Date: February 28, 2026
Host: Frank Gaffney
Featured Guests:

• Captain James Fennell (US Navy, Ret.)
• Peter McElveen (Hearts of Oak, UK)
• Congressman Keith Self (R-TX)
• Julie Pickren (Texas State Board of Education)

Episode Overview

This episode of Securing America with Frank Gaffney focuses on urgent national security threats as seen through the lens of recent developments in Texas, U.S. nuclear deterrent vulnerability, and the infiltration of Sharia law in Western societies. The episode brings together high-profile guests for in-depth analysis of China’s nuclear activities, the consequences of U.S. engagement with Communist China, growing concerns about Sharia influence at home and abroad, and the critical importance of Proposition 10 on the Texas ballot.

Throughout, Gaffney and his guests express a tone of caution and urgency, calling for vigilance and action against what they describe as existential threats to American — and Western — sovereignty, culture, and legal order.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. China’s Nuclear Testing and the Erosion of U.S. Deterrence

With Captain James Fennell (US Navy, Ret.)
(Segment begins ~00:59)

• Background: Host Gaffney highlights recent testimony from Christopher Yeaw, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, confirming Chinese (and possibly Russian) nuclear testing in violation of treaties, advancing arsenal capabilities.
• Fennell on Treaty Violations: Fennell explains the significance of a 2020 Chinese test, which allegedly registered a 2.75 magnitude seismic event, and notes China is likely preparing another test soon.

  “…it’s pretty clear that they did test something. Christopher Yao’s statement said it was a 2.75 magnitude on a seismic scale. So it was something that was registered. But we have difficulty measuring things there…” (Fennell, 04:43)

• Technological Stagnation: The U.S. has not conducted a nuclear test since 1992; the arsenal is now decades past its shelf life.
• Modernization Gap: Both Russia and China aggressively test and modernize their nuclear forces, threatening to outpace the U.S. in both credibility and capability.

  "At some point the credibility of your deterrent degrades — the confidence that we have in it, for one thing. But even more importantly, arguably, the confidence that our adversaries have…" (Gaffney, 07:23)

• Chinese Intentions: Fennell outlines China’s construction of 350 new silos in the past five years, interpreting it as clear preparation for a first-strike force rather than mere deterrence.

  “That’s no accident. That’s aggressive… as the former commander of STRATCOM said, a nuclear breakout.” (Fennell, 09:54)

Notable Quote:

"We have to be able to test end to end with new modernized equipment, we have to make sure that it can all work… It’s an old arsenal. It needs to be upgraded, and we haven’t done that."
— Captain James Fennell (09:13)

2. U.S. Policy Failures Regarding Communist China

Fennell Discussion Continues
(Segment begins ~11:23)

• Case of Compromised F-35 Pilot: Focus on a retired U.S. Air Force Major accused of offering to train the Chinese PLA Air Force — emblematic of the failures resulting from policies advocating “engagement” with China.
• Culture of Engagement: Fennell details the mindset that led to this and similar incidents, where military leaders down to instructor pilots interpret top-level diplomatic and military engagement as a green light for personal collaboration.
• Systemic Problem: Both Republican and Democrat administrations are critiqued, with special mention of Obama and Biden’s "push for military-to-military engagement."
• Mill-to-Mill Exchanges: Past RIMPAC naval exercises included Chinese participation, which Fennell and Gaffney pan as “an intelligence disaster”:

  "They have thousands of sailors that were scouring all over Pearl Harbor, US naval installation… it’s a massive intelligence boom for the PLA." (Fennell, 19:14)

Memorable Moment:

“…When you say things like that, there’s results. And now we know that we had somebody going over there training PLA Air Force pilots from an instructor that taught American pilots how to fly the F35, our latest greatest aircraft…”
— Captain James Fennell (13:29)

3. The Rising Threat of Sharia Law in the West and Texas

With Peter McElveen (Hearts of Oak, UK)
(Segment begins ~22:11)

The UK Experience

• By-Election in Manchester: McElveen describes a local election in an area with a substantial Muslim population (30%), where bloc voting is influencing party strategies — especially far-left parties courting Islamic support.
• Green Party Surge: The Greens, described as the “most progressive liberal far-left” UK party, have campaigned in Urdu, targeting Islamic voters.
• Political Impact:

  "We’ve got 24 Muslim members of Parliament and my fear is that America may want to catch up on that destruction which we have embarked on." (McElveen, 24:39)

• Mosques as Polling Places: Caution about using mosques as polling sites, citing both practical and symbolic reasons.

  “I can only imagine the fear and concern that a Jewish voter would have if he or she had to go to the local mosque to vote…” (McElveen, 30:01)

American Context

• Prop 10 in Texas: Gaffney and McElveen warn that the U.S., and Texas in particular, risks civilizational "erasure" if Sharia law is not explicitly rejected.
• Call for Leadership: Both urge President Trump and Governor Abbott to issue an explicit endorsement of Proposition 10, arguing it's a vital "line in the sand" for American values.
• Urgency of Vote:

  "If Texas is at the forefront — if Texas falls, so does America." (McElveen, 32:47)

4. Direct Action: Proposition 10 on the Texas Republican Ballot

With Congressman Keith Self (R-TX)
(Segment begins ~34:44)

• On Sharia Penetration: Congressman Self emphasizes construction and expansion of mosques and compounds in North Texas ("50 mosques have been built … over the last two years") and the intent of Sharia to supplant, not supplement, U.S. law.
• Sharia Free America Caucus: Self highlights the newly-formed Congressional caucus (now 44 members across 21 states) focused on countering Sharia influence.
• Proposition 10 Explained:
  • What it does: Non-binding vote for banning Sharia law in Texas.
  • Purpose: Sends a strong political message; not yet law, but essential for gauging and directing legislative will.
• Mobilizing Voters:

  "This is vitally important for us to make our will known by going all the way down your ballot to proposition number 10 to ban Sharia in Texas." (Self, 38:26)

• Strategic Endorsements Needed:
  Urges Trump and Abbott to endorse Prop 10 as a priority.

Notable Quote:

"This is not just an alternative political legal system. It is a supplanting legal political system that wants to supplant our laws, our Constitution. And frankly, they make no bones about it. You are either part of them or you are the enemy."
— Congressman Keith Self (37:13)

5. Defending Texas’ Curriculum and the Fight Against CAIR

With Julie Pickren (Texas State Board of Education)
(Segment begins ~44:14)

• Threats from CAIR: CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) targeted Pickren for leading reforms to Texas’ K-12 social studies curriculum; both Texas and Florida have designated CAIR as a terrorist organization with links to the Muslim Brotherhood.
• Impact Beyond Texas: Due to Texas' size and textbook purchasing power, curriculum decisions set national precedent.
• CAIR’s Demands: Attempts to revise U.S. and Texas history teaching to paint Islam and related historical events (e.g., Barbary Wars) in a positive light.

  "CARE has come to our meeting several times… where they want to completely rewrite U.S. history and Texas history to make Islam… [seem positive]." (Pickren, 48:06)

• Statutes Against Terrorist Property Ownership: Texas law prohibits designated terrorist organizations from owning real property—now being enforced against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.
• Pickren’s Call to Action:

  "Vote for all the propositions on the Republican ballot, especially Prop 10. No Sharia law in Texas. Sharia law is the enemy of Western civilization and the enemy of the American dream." (Pickren, 50:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Frank Gaffney: “The program that’s a kind of owner’s manual for protecting the country we love against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to the glory of God and His Kingdom.” (00:59)
• Captain James Fennell: “It’s unbelievable that the Chinese are pushing for a first-strike nuclear force…350 new silos in the last five years—that’s no accident. That’s aggressive.” (09:54)
• Peter McElveen: "If Texas is at the forefront—if Texas falls, so does America.” (32:47)
• Congressman Keith Self: “You are either part of them or you are the enemy. So we must defend our culture, we must defend our Constitution, the individual rights that America is built on.” (37:13)
• Julie Pickren: "Sharia law is the enemy of Western civilization and the enemy of the American dream." (50:22)

Important Timestamps

• 00:59 – Show theme & Gaffney introduces the threat of Sharia in Texas
• 02:34 – Captain Fennell joins to discuss China’s nuclear activities
• 04:43 – Details of Chinese nuclear testing violations
• 11:23 – F-35 pilot scandal & critique of engagement policy
• 19:14 – RIMPAC and allowing PLA Navy participation in exercises
• 22:11 – Peter McElveen discusses UK’s bloc Muslim vote & implications for US
• 28:50 – Texas using mosques as polling places; trend analysis
• 34:44 – Congressman Keith Self on Sharia Free America Caucus and Proposition 10
• 38:26 – Proposition 10: what, why, and how to vote
• 44:14 – Julie Pickren on CAIR’s attacks, curriculum reforms, and the importance of Prop 10
• 50:22 – Pickren’s closing call to action “No Sharia Law in Texas”

Conclusion

This episode delivers a wide-ranging, urgent discussion at the intersection of national security, ideological subversion, and state-level activism. Through testimonies from military intelligence, local activism, and education policymakers, listeners are urged to recognize the multi-faceted threats facing America—most pressingly, China’s military build-up and Sharia’s encroachment domestically. The panelists align on a message of vigilance, grassroots mobilization, and clear-headed political action—culminating in a call for all eligible Texans to “go all the way to the bottom of the ballot” and vote "Yes" on Proposition 10.