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Host (Interviewer)
You know, there's the he posts the photo of himself as Jesus on Easter morning.
Julia Kate
The policy that he's implementing for Christians and for conservatives.
Host (Interviewer)
I'm not. I'm not, but I'm not dis. But I'm not disagreeing with this. But these are big things. So.
Julia Kate
But what does the picture matter?
Lori
There's no rights anybody has lost under Trump that they didn't have before. A lot of things that Trump says and does is honestly to troll people. I think he gets reactions out of people.
Host (Interviewer)
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Julia Kate
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Host (Interviewer)
All right, I'm here with Julia Kate from Surrounded. Welcome to the follow up and thanks for being here.
Julia Kate
Thank you so much for pleasure.
Host (Interviewer)
You and I were chatting before this and you kind of mentioned you don't have a large Internet presence. So you wanted to kind of let the listeners know why you were. Why you're passionate about this topic and why you wanted to be in in this episode of Surrounded.
Julia Kate
Yeah, no, thank you so much. I appreciate that. As we're recording, I have zero posts on Instagram. Not like a super public person. I'm very passionate about these topics. I guess I kind of wanted to just share like what my belief system is. I guess if someone's curious to know I'm a Christian, I describe myself as like a biblical born again Christian. And my political philosophy is more traditional constitutional conservatism. But when people first meet me, they usually assume that I'm from the south, was homeschooled. I Grew up under a rock, but I actually was born and raised in LA at public schools, and I've been surrounded by liberals my whole life, many of whom are my dearly loved friends and family. Just like a lot of my beliefs have come through just critical thinking and firsthand experience.
Host (Interviewer)
What were your impressions? Just kind of of the episode, I have to say it was. It was one of the more kind of fiery ones I've seen in a while.
Julia Kate
Yeah, I feel like spicy is a good word for it.
Host (Interviewer)
Spicy.
Julia Kate
Yeah. I mean, I loved it. It was exhilarating. I think Dean Withers had his handful with all of us ladies coming for him, but it was an awesome experience, I think overall.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah. Did it make you respect him more even though I'm sure you disagree with him quite a bit?
Julia Kate
Yeah, I mean, I think that, like, especially just like, as a, as a Christian, as an American, I want to respect every single person regardless of what they believe. So I wouldn't necessarily say it made me respect him more because I already had that respect for him. But I think there was a lot of points that I wish that I could have engaged with that I just didn't get the chance to because I think there were so many of us. So I was hoping maybe I could kind of like talk about some of the things that came up.
Host (Interviewer)
Up until the point that you showed up, I felt like Dean pretty much had. He was not really on his heels at all. I feel like it wasn't until maybe you start, you debated him on this prompt that he got some pushback that really made him use some of his other debating tactics, which I think was good. It showed that you, you were bringing up, I think, some good points. And so one of the first things you did bring up was just kind of like how men more inclined to pursue different roles than women. Men. I can't remember how you phrased it, but you said, you know, men seek out more like provisional roles, whereas women are more inclined to be caretakers, things like that. Have you always felt this way and did you also feel like you were getting Dean on his heels?
Julia Kate
I did because he resorted to calling me crazy and insane, which, if you know anything about debate, that's an ad hominem, which, which is a logical fallacy. So I knew, I knew he was flustered. It was a compliment. In my book, though.
Lori
Yeah.
Julia Kate
I mean, I think that there have been historical trends between men and women from. I think I mentioned like, Hunter Gatherers, but even just to like, where you see male influencers tend towards or Female influencers tend towards when in today's society in America, we have all the same rights and legal freedoms as men, and still we. There's only 15% of female surgeons like Dean mentioned, and 85 are male. But I don't think that's because of some sort of cultural limitation or legal barrier. I think it's because we tend to like things that are more in line with nurturing and caretaking and men tend to like super intense, high risk situations. But there's obviously exceptions. I just think the norm is there for a reason.
Host (Interviewer)
Right.
Julia Kate
And you asked if I'd always thought this way. I think I didn't really think about it. And then growing up, I sort of just thought critically through different things. I don't know.
Host (Interviewer)
Well, I want to kind of. So when Dean calls you crazy, he's like, this girl's crazy. I think it was right after you had said, you know, we need more alpha males.
Julia Kate
Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.
Host (Interviewer)
You list Donald Trump, you list Spencer Pratt. Doesn't look like Spencer's gonna make it as mayor of la. I'm sure that's disappointing for you, but he certainly made a splash. But. Yeah. So what makes, what makes a man an alpha male and a good leader in your mind? And why, why do those guys fit that label for you?
Julia Kate
Yeah, I think, for instance with Donald Trump is you're never gonna make him go cry because you called him in. He's the kind of man that is gonna objectively care about the results of his work. I think the left has tried to use all sorts of tactics to dismantle him or make people fearful or use cancel culture, but it doesn't work because he gets the job done. He perseveres through that. And I think someone like Spencer, who was in, was in Hollywood, was surrounded by elites, yet he still chose to speak out and not care about breaking the glass. He wanted to speak out for the truth. What it means to be a good leader is likely to be a shield.
Host (Interviewer)
You mentioned Donald Trump. He perseveres. That's definitely true. I think that's objectively true. Everyone would agree with that. The best example certainly is the assassination attempt and sort of that iconic moment when he stands up and sort of raises his fist with the blood coming from his ear. Powerful image. So I get that. But a similarity between Spencer Pratt and Trump is that they're both media personalities, so they're kind of expert communicators through media. Something that came up. So the next clip I kind of want to refer to. So this is Kind of building off of this idea of, like, how do you understand a man's character? And so Dean's prompt was, trump is a sexual predator, and he plays a clip for Shiva on his phone. Do you remember this moment?
Julia Kate
I think I do. And I remember being a bit dumbfounded because I listened to the thing he played and I didn't see it connecting to his point.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, there's a. You'll see when you watch the footage. There's a. You're listening to it, and you're kind of shaking your head. Would you like me to take it away by explaining to you why I think Donald Trump is a misogynistic sexual predator? Yeah, first and foremost, he's a sexual predator because the court has held him silly liable for being a woman by the name of Eugene Carroll. Of course, being somebody is something that would make one a sexual predator. In 2005, he also boasted about engaging in sexual violence by sexually exploiting beauty pageant contestants at the beauty pageants that he owned by barging into their dressing rooms and looking at their naked bodies. And this isn't an allegation from some woman that you could defame and say, just wants money or fame. No, this was an admittance of guilt, something that Donald Trump said he did on Howard Stern's radio show. And I see you shaking your head. I'll happily play you the clip if you want. We also.
Lori
Please, please show me the clip, because I do not believe it. Yes, take it out.
Host (Interviewer)
Don't worry, I got it preloaded.
Julia Kate
Okay, good.
Host (Interviewer)
So you have done that. I'll tell you the funniest is that I'll go backstage before a show. Yes. And everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else. And, you know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant, and therefore I'm inspecting it. You know, I'm inspecting. I want to make sure that every dog is good. Is everyone okay? You know, they standing there with no cl. Is everybody okay? And you see these incredible looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that. Why don't we start there? Mike's yours.
Julia Kate
Okay.
Lori
Well, he said that he probably sees them.
Julia Kate
It doesn't say they're naked there.
Lori
So I.
Julia Kate
They might have. No, it doesn't.
Host (Interviewer)
He said that they have no clothes on. When you have no clothes on. So that clip, it's kind of Donald Trump bragging about having access to women. I think it is a beauty pageant, like walking backstage, the women are barely dressed or they don't have their clothes on. And he's sort of bragging about how it's, it's cool that he has this access. You've also probably heard the, the notorious tape where he talks about grabbing women by the genitals. So, you know, we know this about Donald Trump's history. We kind of know this is an aspect of his character. There's the Stormy Daniels kind of scandal. So it's no secret that Trump has been an adulterer and has some questionable behavior in, in that part of his life. What is your opinion on Donald Trump based on, like, what you know, to be fair, fully true and not hearsay or alleged?
Julia Kate
Yeah, I mean, there's definitely a lot of alleged material out there about Trump. Unfortunately, that's what sticks more in people's minds because I think it was even on CNN where they said he lost the case and was found to be a rapist, but it was actually he lost in a defamation case, not showing that he had committed that crime. But then nobody really listens to retractions. I do not think there's one single perfect person on this earth. The only one was Jesus Christ. And when electing a president, I'm not electing a pastor, so it's very different. Like, if I'm going to be thinking about hearing a brain surgeon, I'm not going to be necessarily scrutinizing every part of their life. I'm going to scrutinize, do they know how to surgically operate upon a brain and how, if they could. So I'm not here to justify everything, but I also think that you cannot find a single person with a spotless record. And I look more about what he's done when he's been in office. He wasn't in office during those times. And I think that if there were real, actual evidence to put him in prison, it would have been done because the left has tried every angle to get that man out of office and it hasn't worked. Because he, I don't believe he's guilty because in America we are innocent until proven guilty and has not been proven guilty in the court of law.
Host (Interviewer)
Right, right. But does he strike you as kind of like a man with, with like Christ, like character? Because I, yeah, I mean, I can't think of any president and we didn't, we don't know everything about the lives of past presidents because people used to keep things much more hush hush. But I can't think of a president in modern history who has had as many marital scandals circling them you know, and so it's, I guess it's just an odd pairing for a president with kind of a sexual history like Trump to be held up as a great leader by Christians. It's sort of, isn't it an odd fit?
Julia Kate
Well, I think we should talk about the facts. What has Trump done for Christians? I think one of the biggest things he's done for Christians and conservatives is he is the one who appointed three conservative judges to the Supreme Court and can be credited for the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs decision. What else he has done, I'm just going to talk about. In his presidency, he has protected Christians in the medical field that have been forced to choose between their own convictions and their medical licenses. You can look, there's like a specific act within the HHS that he did recently. There's also an initiative he did in college campuses where he, with public schools, he'll withhold funding if they are discriminating against conservatives or Christians. I mean, I could go on and on. There's an act where he did for Christian charities so that they are able to get government funding to continue, like soup kitchens, orphanages, like adoption agencies, type of things that they don't have to be stripped of their religious identity, which was the case under the Obama administration and the hhs. So he has not just paid lip service to Christians, he's done real things to, to benefit us in this country. He's also, yeah, he's done like the national prayer thing. I think objectively he is the most pro life president and so I don't see why a Christian wouldn't support him. But I think, yeah, you know, there are imperfect people everywhere. But I trust Trump and I know that he's someone who will go in and fight and isn't going to be fear mongered or bought. And I think that he is good in disputes with the Middle east and being to interact with foreign adversaries and to keep us ultimately safe. Because what matters most to me is a safe America for families. And I think a safe America is one in which we have borders. And Trump has done a lot to keep. For first off, he has been the president to make the Mexican cartels considered a terrorist organization so we can prevent bringing in fentanyl and foreign drugs, which is very close to my heart.
Host (Interviewer)
And I guess that would be my next question is, is Donald Trump the best fit for a conservative Christian like you in a world where there's just so few options, is that kind of what it is? I'm Gonna keep. I'm gonna keep hammering on this. I'm sorry, but there's so much. There's so much fuel. So, like, Donald Trump posted this. This photo or it was like an AI generated image of himself basically kind of appearing like Christ, and he was, you know, laying hands on, like, kind of a sick man. And did you see this image that was circulating?
Julia Kate
Yes, yes, I did see this image. And the thing is, like, Trump is blunt. He is not a refined, polished politician. He's not all pretty covered in bows, and everything he says is like the greatest, most prettiest line you ever heard. He is someone that we've known. He's used Twitter. He does these kinds of things. I don't find it offensive, but. But I will say that he kind of stumbled around it and was apologized after because he didn't quite know even what the posts reflected.
Host (Interviewer)
Did he apologize?
Julia Kate
He did, actually. And he said that he thought it was, I think, like showing him as a healer, as like a medical doctor, not as Christ. And so was that.
Host (Interviewer)
Was that an apology or did he just explain sort of what he thought?
Julia Kate
Well, I think what he's saying is that was not my intention, and if that was, that wouldn't be right. But he's saying that's not what I was doing. And then he took off the post showing.
Host (Interviewer)
Right. But then. Okay, I'm just gonna keep going.
Julia Kate
I'm sorry. That's what makes Trump and why he's won, because he's. He's not this, like, cookie cut, leftist politician, I'd say.
Host (Interviewer)
I totally understand why he's likable. And Julia, Kate, I don't mean to pin you down. There's just. Trump is. He's such a phenomenon. There's so much we have to talk about. My parents are big Trump lovers, so this is a conversation I have many times. Okay, so I agree with you. Trump is charismatic. The guy has riz. The guy gets media. What I'm trying, where it becomes a square peg, round hole for me, though, is the Christian values thing, because, you know, there's the. He posts the photo of himself as Jesus on Easter morning.
Julia Kate
The policy that he's implementing for Christians and for conservatives.
Host (Interviewer)
I'm not. I'm not. But I'm not. But I'm not disagreeing with this. But these are big things, so.
Julia Kate
But what does the picture matter?
Host (Interviewer)
Oh, well, okay, so let me say. So he posts an image of himself as. As Jesus, but I don't think that's actually on Easter morning. On Easter morning.
Julia Kate
I don't Was it actually on Easter morning that he posted that?
Host (Interviewer)
No, no, no, no. This is a separate thing. Okay, let me just list a few things.
Julia Kate
Well, because. But it's a conflation because he's not actually posting himself as Christ. If he takes it off and says, oh, I thought that was posting me as a healer, as a. As a doctor.
Host (Interviewer)
So did you look at that image? Was it ambiguous?
Julia Kate
Yeah, maybe it was ambiguous. I'm just saying that, okay, Trump is going to try to do anything, but it doesn't matter when you look at the.
Host (Interviewer)
But I'm not trying. I'm not trying to hate Trump here, because the man. The man, the man is. I, I just, I haven't had an opportunity to speak to somebody like yourself and kind of dig into some of these things. So on Easter morning, he threatens to end an entire civilization. This is the tweet about Iran. It was kind of a threat, but, you know, essentially he was threatening, threatening genocide on Easter morning. And this really irritated, you know, like Tucker Carlson, he called this out, thought it was incredibly distasteful. I think he even said it was evil. Earlier this year, one of Donald Trump's sons posted plans for kind of the, the Donald Trump, I think, National Library. And it included, like, an image of Trump as in the form of, like, a golden statue in. In one of, like, the auditoriums in the building, there's literally a golden statue somewhere on a golf course that was unveiled earlier this year. And Donald Trump called in on the phone and, and told the. I think it was like, a pastor who was blessing it, that, you know, he loved the statue and was approving it. And so can I comment on.
Julia Kate
On the point?
Host (Interviewer)
But, but how is, how are those things not, like, how does all of that not equate into idolatry?
Julia Kate
Okay, so first off, with him saying what? Death to Iran. You said it morning. Well, the thing is that Iran chanting death, death to American citizens. And so as a president, he needs to be strong, he needs to be Alpha. He needs to actually intimidate other nations to keep us safe.
Host (Interviewer)
So all I'm, I guess saying is I'm not saying Trump should turn the other cheek with Iran. I think there's very legitimate arguments to make that action needed to be taken militarily against Iran and that they were a threat to our security. I think that's a. There's a very valid debate to have there. I guess the thing I'm saying is it's very unchristian to threaten genocide on the most sacred holiday in the Christian faith, which is the day of the resurrection. I think that's what I'm saying.
Julia Kate
Okay. The thing is that when we take the whole Bible, there's the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the God of the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament. There's this kind of idea that God was of justice in the Old and of mercy in the New, but that's actually not true. He is both justice and mercy. And the way that, like, my Christian worldview plays into this is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Like, we are all depraved. And that is like the good news that Jesus came and died for our sins on the cross so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. And so it's that joy, it's that love that we want to share with people. And that there are very distinct roles in the Bible for the government and for the individual. So on an individual level, yes, you turn the other cheek. I believe in capital punishment, but I do not believe if you commit a crime against me, I could. Capital punishment, you like that doesn't work. It's the government's role to execute. The church's role does not have the sword, doesn't have the right to execute.
Host (Interviewer)
Right. But is it the government's role to tweet it? I'm not saying it's not the government's role to carry out these functions. I guess it's the character of the man that doesn't seem aligned with Christian values in many ways, but it seems like he gets a free pass on all of those things.
Julia Kate
No, if you look at any leader, any man that God raised up in the Bible, you can look at the Old Testament and you see men like Samson, you see men like David, you see men like Solomon. All of these men were incredibly flawed. And then you go to the New Testament, we have the Book of Hebrews, where there's this hall of faith where it mentions all these people in the past and how God did incredible things through them, but all of them had serious issues. So David committed adultery with one of his really good friend's wife, and then he killed the man.
Host (Interviewer)
But he was sent him to the front lines, Right?
Julia Kate
He was still. And he had him murdered. So he was. He repented of that. And he's still a man after God's own heart who did great things. But if we look at Solomon, who was someone who asked for wisdom and was very blessed, but then went to, you know, insane polygamy he had like hundreds of wives and concubines and they turned his heart away from God. He's not like none of these people are picture perfect. And that's the point. Even Donald Trump is not picture perfect. But it all points to who the perfect one is. And that's Jesus. And that's why we need him. So no, nobody gets a free pass. We will all have to give account for everything that we did before God. But he has done incredible things. He fights for this country. He. He's taken bullets for us. He's not let anything stop him. And I think that instead of, you know, making a joke out of him and being ungrateful, we should talk about the ways in which he has kept this country great and has taken us out of a lot of things that the Biden administration did to harm us.
Host (Interviewer)
That was pretty convincing. So I'll we could end there. I think I've shown a little bit too much of my my history as a Catholic schoolboy and because we went down that rabbit hole pretty far. Well, Julia Kate, this is really fun. Thank you so much. Thank you for letting me push back on you. Great job in the episode of Surrounded. I hope you enjoy watching the full thing when it comes out and hopefully we'll cross paths again soon, maybe in another episode.
Julia Kate
Thank you so much. Thank you. Like, you are a wonderful moderator. I appreciate you and thank you for bringing these dialogues to life and allowing me the honor to speak with you today. I appreciate it.
Host (Interviewer)
You thought this was your run club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about Run club era. The good news? Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying to Someone on Depop wants what you've got. Start selling now. Depop where Taste Recognizes taste. If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently? Would we go to bed at a consistent time or take steps to reduce interruptions to our sleep? With Sleepscore, Apple Watch measures your bedtime consistency, interruptions and sleep duration. Then every morning it combines these factors into an easy to understand score from 1 to 100. So you'll know how to take the quality of your sleep from okay to very high. Know your sleep score with Apple Watch iPhone 11 or later required. I'm here with Lori. Lori, you are a Jubilee All Star. You've been in many many videos but welcome to the Surrounded follow up.
Lori
I'M so excited to be here with you. And the one thing I will say about the Jubilee team, you are the ultimate professionals. You are kind, you are wonderful to work with, and I honestly am honored every time I'm asked to be on an episode.
Host (Interviewer)
Oh, well, that's so nice. You know how to butter us up.
Lori
No, but it's true. It's true. I've been on other podcasts and stuff where things are a little bit more hectic, you hear things in the background, but your show treats everybody with respect, and I think that that's very, very valuable.
Host (Interviewer)
Well, thank you. I mean, that's certainly the goal. And, I mean, I've seen you in so many episodes, so it would be hard to kind of go down the list. But this was probably one of the more contentious ones, at least just because Dean, he has a. A firm style of debate, and the differences between his opinions and you and the other women was significant. And so it was interesting to see you guys go head to head. Is that how you experienced it?
Lori
Well, for me, this is the second time Dean and I have faced off. And the thing about Dean is he's an intelligent kid. You can't say that he's not. He is really good at memorizing the stats that he wants to. But I think what is lacking is life experience. I mean, he's 21 years old, and really his background is he's a social media influencer. So, yes, we had a chance to see the life that we have. If you even go back to when President Trump was first elected, Dean was 11 years old. Think about that. So he gets a lot from his side of the aisle, but I don't think he's always completely an honest debater. And there was a part of the episode, and I just couldn't help myself because he would spew out what he did, but then he'd look at the camera and he'd make faces, and he
Host (Interviewer)
was doing the camera nuts.
Lori
He played the camera. And so at one point, I was so like, this is stupid. I very harshly exaggerated what he was doing. I don't know if it'll be in the episode, but, you know, I think that if it came down to it, and I actually sat down and found out who he was as a person and why he takes the views that he does, we might find a little middle ground. But I think with Dean, he's always trying to win instead of having a conversation to see what we could agree on.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, I mean, I think he is. He is kind of a new Part of a new cohort in his generation that is sort of aggressive liberal debate bros. Although I would argue that that genre of media was probably perfected by the conservative movement over the last decade. You know, I think if we just think of Charlie Kirk as sort of the figurehead of that movement, you know, or Steven Crowder, I kind of see it as something that conservatives did really well. Showing up to college campuses, making people look kind of stupid, and going for those viral digs. And I see Dean as sort of carrying on that tradition a little bit.
Lori
Do you agree with. At the same time I was friends with Charlie, Charlie came to my church when one of the last times I ever saw Charlie was I was leaving an episode of Surrounded with Dean and Charlie was coming in to film his episode, which is why the next time I did Surrounded, I got really choked up. Charlie had a firm conviction of what he regarded as truth. And what we saw happening in a lot of the universities and even the high schools was a definite left wing push on our kids, where if you tried to argue a conservative point of view, you would be downgraded. A lot of the times, I can tell you, for my life, I was a complete professional woman. And I found out my son, who's now going into the Secret Service, was taught about sex toys in school. As a parent, I had a problem with that. And Charlie kind of stood for what he believed in. He was always respectful to people, and he always took the disagreers to the front of the line. He wanted to hear them out. But I don't think I ever heard Charlie be completely disrespectful to someone or tear them down. Yeah, at times he would maybe mock or say something. But I think all in all, Charlie stood firmly in his Christian faith and he fought for what he believed in, instead of kind of this mob rule that wanted to get to the front of the line so they could prove that he was right and they were wrong. I think Charlie had respect for everybody because he believed where conversation ends, violence would begin and look what happened.
Host (Interviewer)
Right? Yeah. And those. Those words from him obviously ring truer now than ever. And I agree with you. The line between provocation and confrontation and disrespect is. Is a little fuzzy. And if you go back through the majority of Charlie Kirk's career, he. He was definitely interested in persuasion, and that was his goal, not so much humiliation. And there were certainly a lot of clips that were completely misrepresenting him, that circulated to kind of characterize him as. As more malicious, I think, than he Was. Well, he certainly had. He certainly said some. Some spicy things. I think, like the. The one that sticks out to me the most was maybe. I can't remember. He said something Joe Biden did was treasonous or something like that. I can't defend everything he said. I think he crossed the line. But I agree with you, that wasn't something he was always doing.
Lori
Yeah, well, for instance, the trans issue. I remember there was a student that asked him, why do you hate trans people? And he said, how can I hate that which I love? And I don't think in his heart of hearts, he had ill intent toward anybody. He wanted the best for people in his way, that he thought would be best for mankind in other people's lives. I think that him being a Christian, him seeing sin in people's lives, and, let's face it, we all fall short. He wanted to bring people to a place where, you know, they had faith and looked at things that were beautiful in life. And I think he really wanted to cut through the dissension and the division, and I think he did a good job at that. But I think what is so harmful is the rhetoric. You know, when you go around and you call conservatives Nazis or white supremacists, you're basically making them. Them unhuman. When we all. I think left or right can find common goals in what we want for our families, but how we get there may be two different ways. You know, we're all human beings, and we all should have the same rights as everybody else. So when you start putting people into boxes, whether it be race or sexual. Sexual orientation, that creates division. So if we could get back to the middle, where we just respect each other and let everybody live our lives the way we want to without saying, you need to believe the way I do, or you're a bad person, I think we'd get a lot further.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah. Well, and I spoke to Julia, Kate, and she really opened up about how her faith really informs her stance on a lot of these issues. And I know you. I think you said you are a Christian, but there is. And I. You know, I brought up Michael Knowles because he said, you know, he has pretty extreme views, I would say, on LGBTQ issues, not just transgender people, but also, I think he's part of a movement to overthrow the marriage equality decision. And so he's not in favor of gay people being able to marry. But then I hear you saying, my favorite movie is Birdcase. The Birdcase.
Lori
I love that movie. I love it.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah.
Lori
Fairy Dust.
Host (Interviewer)
And so, you know, I think when people watch our shows and see you, your appearances, they probably lump you into this, like, very far right conservative group. But then when you and I talk, I see, I hear different views coming out. Do you worry about that faction of the right? You know, this maybe more Christian nationalist vein of conservatism that wants to really police sexuality of adults and remove marriage equality? Do you worry about that?
Lori
I. I really don't. And I'll tell you why. I think that, first of all, it's pretty laid in stone for me as a Christian. I can only speak for myself. I don't believe that one person is more righteous than another. I don't believe that if somebody is on. I just think we all have individual paths now. Am I worried about them? No, I'm not. Because just like we were talking about with the far extreme left wanting to give kids sex changes, I think that they're trying to put forward a moral compass. But to enforce that on somebody, it's not real. People need to live their lives from their hearts, from their minds. I don't think that gay marriage is at risk. I really don't. I mean, I have a lot of friends in the Log Cabin Republicans, which are the gay Republicans, great guys, throw the best parties at the convention. And, you know, my son, who's gonna be a Secret Service agent, is gay. And, you know, for me, I just want him to find love and fulfillment in his life. So I don't think that, for instance, if you want to say, well, it's sexually immoral. Well, it's no more sexually immoral than me being a single woman and being promiscuous. I mean, in reality, I just don't think it's right for us to enforce our beliefs on somebody. I'm a Christian and I love our country. So if that makes me a Christian nationalist, great. But I do not believe that anybody should enforce their will on anybody. They have their own journey. They have their own path with God. God's going to meet them where they're at.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah. And I mean, I agree with you. I think a lot of people who are center and left obviously would agree with you on that. We want your son to be who he is. And if he wants to be married and have kids, I think that it's a very healthy path. So, yeah, don't be a hoe. Don't be a hoe. But one thing I hear. Yeah. I think there's an argument to be made that too much promiscuity is not good for your health, mentally or physically.
Lori
People feeling that they're not worth anything.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, but then from what I hear from you, that's not. That doesn't sound like Christian nationalism at all. And so, you know, there's. There is this kind of interesting symmetry that you're pointing out. You know, these kind of radical views on giving kids, giving minors surgeries or drugs if they think that they're born in the wrong sex. That's kind of a radical view on the left. And we sort of paint people on the left, maybe too broadly with those views. But then on the other side, there are these prevalent public figures who are Christian nationalists. And what I mean by that is they want a government that operates more theocratically. They want to see the average Christian view of marriage reflected in law prohibiting people like your son from getting married. And maybe we over index how many conservatives actually believe that, because I think a lot of our viewers probably would think that you believe that because you get sort of lumped in with that side.
Lori
Well, and I've.
Host (Interviewer)
There's this interesting parallel.
Lori
I've argued it heatedly on the show before and on, you know, other shows, but you don't get the time to really see where you're coming from, if that makes sense. It's usually like, blah, everybody's talking at each other, and then the bell rings. So, you know, somebody doesn't really get to know what you really feel and why. And then as far as, you know, I think you and I have to be honest with ourselves, too. A lot of these people, Dean, Michael Knowles, both make a living on their perspective. So therefore, if they need to stand strong in their stances, number one, because that's how they get their clicks and how they make money. It's kind of like I truly believe that. When Charlie died, I think Dean was really sad and the pushback he got from his followers. Oh, support this guy. He's a racist. You know, they made Charlie unhuman. And that's the dangerous thing is when you start dehumanizing people to the point people try to kill them. And maybe Dean doesn't, you know, feel that extreme about things, but he had to cave to his mob followers. But the thing that scares me is there an unbalanced person in that following rank that is going to hear rhetoric dehumanize somebody on the other side and do something violent. And I think it's something we need to be really careful with. Our rhetoric really needs to change.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, I agree with that. But do you think rhetoric is. I guess I agree that rhetoric can be unhelpful and can be a catalyst for violence. However, I think violent actions kind of stand alone. Like, I don't think you can directly blame words for causing violence, but when you say we need to dial in the rhetoric, are you also feeling that same critique towards the president? Because, I mean, his rhetoric is rather come, it's rather extreme. I mean, if we just think about, like his tweet on Easter morning.
Lori
Yeah, well, and this is the thing about Trump. I worked on his campaign. I actually have a picture of me and him together. You meet him and he's such a nice guy. Bill Maher talks about this. He's not.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, I hear a lot of people
Lori
say that, that you think that he is. Now, Trump is a guy from Queens now, a lot of people, and I've heard this from several people, Queens men were always the ones that had to stand up. Brooklyn was the tough guys. Sometimes Trump will say things and you'll be like, ah, what are you doing? Because you know there's going to be pushback. But I think that when I look at his actions on things that he's doing, I think there's a bigger picture that people are not seeing. I think that a lot of things that he has said have been taken out of context, like the fine people on both sides argument.
Host (Interviewer)
I agree that was misrepresented, but they
Lori
still misrepresent it to this day. Russiagate calling this man the minute he came down the escalator, a Russian asset, when now we know Hillary Clinton paid for it. And all the information of the dossier was made up in a bar over beers in the UK according to subsource 1. When you paint somebody as the enemy of the country and you tell people he's a Nazi, he's an authoritative person, you're not going to have rights. There's no rights anybody has lost under Trump that they didn't have before. And that's what I'm talking about. Extreme, extreme rhetoric. And you can say that about Trump. But a lot of things that Trump says and does is honestly to troll people. I think he gets reactions out of people.
Host (Interviewer)
My question to you, though, is, are you giving him more lenience than your political opponents? Because, you know, Trump is called, he famously called the media, you know, the enemy of the people. I mean, he's, he really is the most powerful man in the world, certainly in the country right now. And I mean, he has a very, very long list of wild things that he said into a mic. And I mean that you could really make an argument that our culture is born out of that. And so this really divisive culture that we have is sort of born out of the lines that he crosses as that central figure.
Lori
Was he the one that crossed it first, though, is what I have to ask you. When you've got every TV station reporting 98% negative news against him, they are not being honest with the people. When they spent three years telling us he was a Russian agent, they were not being honest with people. And I think when Trump came down and he was put into office the first time, he wanted to fix things, and what he found was an FBI, a CIA, and a previous administration. And you can say, oh, J6. They literally designed a narrative around him to overthrow his presidency. So when he says.
Host (Interviewer)
And we're still talking about the Russian dossier, right?
Lori
Oh, 100%. I mean, that lasted three years. Three years. And there's still people to this day that believe it.
Host (Interviewer)
Right. But I mean, that's not unique, though. I mean, Clinton was impeached for an affair that he had with an intern. I mean, that was pretty big news for my childhood.
Lori
They said that President Trump committed treason. They said that they were trying to overthrow his presidency.
Host (Interviewer)
But he was. But the Mueller report. The Mueller report acquitted him, though. You know, like the official kind of, like, government document, the Mueller report, it found that there was no credible claim that Trump, you know, was a. A compromised candidate. There were. There were connections to Russia in unique ways, and, like, Paul Manafort was one of them, but there was no. What was the collusion? There was no collusion.
Lori
So there wasn't any collusion. The whole thing was a lie. Hillary Clinton paid for it through fugitives.
Host (Interviewer)
Isn't that the system working in his favor and. And defending him? I guess I'm just not sure. How does that justify then, like, January 6th.
Lori
Okay, so January 6th is a completely different subject. I think. I think that there were very violent people on January 6th. I think that they should be held to account. But there's other clips, like, there was a woman who, again, faced jail that got. You know, when you're at a concert and you got all these people pushing you.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, yeah. It's terrifying.
Lori
She got sucked into the crowd. A lot of people did. Was carried toward that tunnel where she was just beat beyond recognition. And you could literally see in the video where she is sucked into the crowd. So, again, I just think collectively, we can't just say, oh, they tried to overthrow the government, in all honesty.
Host (Interviewer)
But there were people who. I don't think they, as in the whole.
Lori
But, I mean, you're talking a million people. If they wanted to overthrow the government, they would have been armed and it would have fallen. I.
Host (Interviewer)
Okay, thank you for going this far in with me, because I really enjoyed this. The only thing I want to say, though, is, I mean, Laurie, when you look back on January 6th, do you not see it as sort of this grassroots effort to contest the certification of that election, like, through force?
Lori
Well, that's the thing I. All elections have, they contest. When Trump was first elected, there was debate on the floor. I wanted to see the debate on the floor.
Host (Interviewer)
I know, I know.
Lori
But.
Host (Interviewer)
But, Laurie, I'm just saying, like, characteristically, like, materially, characteristically, optically, it's one thing. And we saw this, like, when I was a kid, like, there was disagreement about the outcome of the Bush versus Gore election, and it was totally valid, but the courts made a decision that could be argued either way, and then everybody stood by that. And there was no. And correct me if I'm wrong, but there was no significant incident anywhere close to what happened on January 6th. And so I'm just saying January 6th is unique in its own way, when you look at it, where it's like, this is a group of people who are, through force, trying to interfere with the certification of this election. Right.
Lori
And again, when it happened, my jaw dropped, and I'm like, no, because I knew it would stop the debate on the floor, and that's what I wanted to see. However, I do think that, you know, we do know now, there was a lot of FBI agents in the crowd. There should have been a lot more preventative measures. And I do think we had a lot of problems with that election. And I do think that there were a lot of people there that truly thought their country was being stolen. I don't condone violence from anybody. I don't think that anybody has the right to injure or hurt anybody else. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world, and stupid people do stupid things. I think on January 6, there were people that got caught up in it. I think that on January 6th, there were bad people. I do think on January 6th that the narrative did so much for the left that they want to keep replaying certain things that push the. Everybody was violent, but the fact of the matter is not everybody was. And those people, and I would agree with that, were collectively prosecuted with those that were. And again, Brady, we all have the right to a defense. And when they withhold Brady evidence from a trial, you don't have a fair trial. So those processes in those courts, knowing that there was like a 98% conviction rate, that's, that's statistically impossible.
Host (Interviewer)
Again, we hit the same thing where it's like a lot of these problems are both sides overplaying their hand. And it might have been a grave mistake to prosecute people who were not the worst of the worst on January 6th as aggressively as they were, because that might have made Trump's actions maybe more justifiable if you look at them granularly. But I gotta say, a lot of the things I hear from you just really. Yeah, I just, I gotta say, like, a lot of what I hear from you is just not how I think people like, it's not consistent with sort of the brand of MAGA and Trump's own statements himself. And so I, I guess I'm surprised that you come across as partisan as you do in our content, because when we talk about it, you don't, you don't actually seem all that partisan. And it seems like Trump actually is not like a great representation of your views or I guess the movie.
Lori
I love that man. I think he's funny. I really do. I think.
Host (Interviewer)
Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong.
Julia Kate
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Host (Interviewer)
Now I can instantly spend it, whether I'm checking out online with Venmo or using a Venmo debit card. Say more.
Julia Kate
More.
Lori
Exactly.
Host (Interviewer)
Because the more you do with Venmo, the more you get, like earning up to 5% cash back with Venmo Stash on a bundle of brands.
Lori
So order more pizza. The meth demands it. Get the Venmo debit card.
Host (Interviewer)
Venmo stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. See terms at venmo me stashterm venmo checkout not available at all. Merchants venmo mastercard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. this episode is brought to you by Google Chrome.
Lori
You think you know a browser, but
Host (Interviewer)
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Lori
on the web, like restoring a vintage
Host (Interviewer)
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Lori
Or finally break down that long article
Host (Interviewer)
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Lori
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Host (Interviewer)
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Lori
There's no place like Chrome.
Host (Interviewer)
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Lori
Various 18 plus.
Host (Interviewer)
I want to play, I want to play one more quick clip for you because you shared something, I thought that was really good. So you shared kind of your. A little bit of your own life story. And I want to play you this clip, and then we can. You could tell me more about it. So stop misinterpreting the genuine claims made by a victim of predicated off of the trauma that they went through. Quite frankly, Laurie, I think that is disgusting.
Lori
Well, I think it's disgusting because I was a victim of actual rape and abuse. And if you want to compare what happened in the Epstein files, let me just tell you. I was one of those little girls, okay? I was one of those little girls, but the guy was Shu Hefner. So for you to sit here and sit there and say it's disgusting. I'm sorry. I don't agree with the woman as a woman who was abused. I don't agree with the attacks falsely on Donald Trump because of the crap that your side always has to push because you got such bad tds. It's insane.
Host (Interviewer)
So this is obviously.
Lori
I wish you guys had changed the lighting in that studio.
Host (Interviewer)
I think you look. You look great. And I'm more curious what you. What do you feel comfortable opening up more about, like, the experience. You said you, you know, you were lived in Hugh Hefner's mansion. I mean, how did you find yourself in that context?
Lori
Okay, so, yeah, I've thought about writing the book before, and I think that's why even with the Epstein stuff, I really struggle with how politicized that's become. Because everybody wants to make it about Trump. This isn't about Trump. This is a thing that's been going on for decades, and I mean decades with the powerful. When I was a young girl, I didn't have a very functional home. I grew up in an alcoholic home. By the time I was 12 years old, my tomboy stage, my mom had attempted suicide. She was bipolar.
Host (Interviewer)
I'm sorry.
Lori
Yeah. After that, I, you know, I got into trouble. I was a kid. I didn't have attention. My dad was off dating a bunch of women, and I started doing drugs. My dad would always kick me out. So therefore, you know, I did like them. You know, I'm 60 years old. I was cute when I was younger, but anyways, so I used to started with the op bikini contest in Huntington Beach. You start getting photographers around you. Then I end up in Hollywood, where he wasn't the only deviant that had young girls at the mansion, I can tell you, because I didn't have anywhere to go. I lived at the Playboy Mansion for a while, and I was 16 years old. 15. 16. From there, I was moved to a place called Gray hall that was owned by a man named Bernie Kornfeld, who used to own Mac's modeling agency from there. All I'm trying to say is that happened to me as a young girl,
Host (Interviewer)
and luckily, and I'm sorry it did,
Lori
but I think now that the whole QAnon thing was about dropping the Epstein files, and Everybody's like, Ooh, QAnon. I wasn't fully into it, but I used to look at the post because I was curious, and it was all the Epstein drops. But everybody demonized that until they thought they could connect it with Trump. But I think what people really need to realize this is going on today. It happened at Nickelodeon. It happened at Disney. One of my abusers, a man by the name of Robert Evans, who produced the movie Chinatown and Cotton Club, he used to be the president of Paramount Studios. This shit is still going on, and Epstein is a little piece of it. So luckily for me, when I was 21 years old, I gave my life to the Lord. I pursued business. I became a very successful businesswoman. I got a family. I've been able to help other victims of trafficking of those that have been abused. And that's why when this border thing happened and all these children started going missing in our country, my heart bled for these kids. Because even now, Tim Tebow's got a whole movement going to find these kids. And the online exploitation, exploitation with the Internet now, thank God we didn't have the Internet then, is disgusting. And we have hundreds of thousands of children in our country today that need rescuing. So I think where I'm coming from, having lived my past experience, is letting people know Epstein's an inkling of the disgusting, evil, vile abuse that is happening to children all over our country today. And I want to stand to prevent what's happening now because we can't help what happened 20 years ago.
Host (Interviewer)
Well, thank you for sharing that. I'm so sorry that you endured some of those experiences.
Lori
Made me a stronger woman.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah. Well, and I. And it seems like you. You made it out, like you're saying, as a very strong person, woman leader. Very strong woman leader. But, you know, Dean played that clip to Shiva in the episode where he talks about, like, going backstage with women who don't have their clothes on. He's kind of bragging about it. There are accusations against him. I agree with you. Like, nothing's clear cut. You could also make an argument that some of these are not valid.
Lori
I right now at the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant because I used to do a lot of fashion shows. There are always men backstage. If you Put an AI right now. What's the statistical probability of Trump being backstage alone with women changing is zero.
Host (Interviewer)
But this is the point I'm making though, is Trump probably wanted to be like Hugh Hefner in a lot of ways. I mean, they kind of have a similar brand. And so, I mean, don't you worry, though, that, like, the President is kind of similar to a lot of these men that victimized you? You don't see any rhyme there?
Lori
Well, I know the President, you know, I think maybe that's the difference. He's a good father and. Yeah, when he was a young celebrity. Absolutely. I mean, let's be real, John. If you look at rock bands, for instance, you know, let's talk about the grab them by the see comment. Let's, let's just get that out there. Number one, there's a, there's a verb in there that everybody seems to forget. And I think that Trump likes to, especially when he was younger, like to come across as the man's, you know, kind of, ooh, all these women.
Host (Interviewer)
Playboy. Yeah.
Lori
But what he had said in that clip was women let you grab them by. And what I'm going to say about that is there's groupies that probably would let him grab them by the P s. Is that gross? Yeah, but Lori, don't you see how
Host (Interviewer)
you kind of, like, are arguing both, both ways? Because, like, I agree with you, you know, like, if Tim Tebow's making a documentary that's bringing abuse of, of children to light, we should celebrate that. But at the same time, if the MeToo movement and feminists are trying to. And the cultural trend of men in power having, you know, no consequences for putting sexual pressure on their employees or things like that, shouldn't we. Aren't these all kind of in the same. Aren't a lot of these causes on the same team? And doesn't downplaying Trump's behavior when he was younger cut against that, like, shared goal?
Lori
I'll tell you why. I, I think that people do stupid stuff when they're younger and people can change over years and over growth. I think Trump is a 6 year old man now. I didn't vote for a pastor. I think that his past probably was very promiscuous. He had a lot of women around him. He was this celebrity. I do not believe Eugene Carroll. I will stand strong by that. I know people that worked with her at Simon Schuster. I think that was about the money. And again, more weaponization toward the President. Do I agree with his sexual prowess as A young man. No. But did I vote for who he was 40 years ago? No. I voted to close the border. I voted to stop the trafficking of children. I voted for other things than who he was at 20, if that makes sense. You know, just like as of now, if I wanted him as a pastor, absolutely not. He would not be my pastor. But I think he's an intelligent man. I'm never going to agree with everything that he does. If he does something I don't agree with, I have no problem calling it out. I am not a Die Hard. Everything he does I agree with. But I think that we're even seeing it now. Although this Graham Platner guy.
Host (Interviewer)
Sorry, I think there's a lot, a lot coming up there.
Lori
Yeah. But I think 40 years ago, had Trump been running for office and he was behaving like this, I probably wouldn't have voted for him. As a elderly gentleman who's been married to his wife for 25 years, who actually is very respectful to women when he meets them. When he met me, I've never had a bad conversation with him. So it's kind of like, and I hate to say locker room talk, but I get around a lot of guys and, heck, I'll tell you, get around some women sometimes in private conversations. And some of the things that I've heard women say, I think would blow your mind. And let's just face it, we're all fallible and we all say stupid things sometimes. But I do not think that President Trump is a sexual abuser. I think he had a lot of women thrown at him, and he took the opportunity as a young celebrity man.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah. Well, I appreciate you lysing that up for me because it is complicated. And I agree with you. You know, there's a lot of accusations that are alleged and not proven to be true. So everybody should take any extreme sense of certainty with a lot of salt. And. Yeah, Laurie, this has been really, really interesting.
Lori
Really quick, in closing, this is what I want to see. I want to see the things that we agree on. I think that if we really talk about things, we all want what's good for our families. We want housing. Housing's a huge deal. Instead of doing infill, we got a lot of state and federal land. Let's do some infrastructure and build. I think we could all agree on that. I think that we all want to live our lives. But being a native Californian for my whole life, I can tell you this state used to be amazing. It used to be beautiful, and it's not anymore. And we need balance in this state. So we need different ideas. But we have to be able to come together to find that middle ground where we can make life better for all of us. And we should all be able to agree on that.
Host (Interviewer)
And you live that practice because you show up on Jubilee sets and you do the work of having those conversations. I would. I know this won't be the last Jubilee video you're in. I would encourage you to show more of the nuance you showed me today in the next episode you're in. Because I really enjoyed this conversation because I feel like I got to know you a lot better and I think a lot of your story and your positions on issues are probably not how I would have assumed that they're not what I would have assumed they were. And they're probably not what I think a lot of viewers would have assumed they are either. So thank you for this.
Lori
I think when you get two different sides coming into a situation and you're all both already heated and you know, you got maybe two or three minutes to spit it out, it's hard to have that conversation. And honestly, I always wish pick me for the last 10 minutes so we can actually talk, you know, and I'd love to do that, show you how where it's like the two on two. Never been chosen for that. But I think a longer conversation sometimes gets away from the clips and sound bites. So to say.
Host (Interviewer)
Yeah, no, I agree with you. It's hard to get in this algorithmic media space. It's hard to get the most valuable stuff to the top. But thank you so much, this was great.
Lori
I enjoyed it.
Host (Interviewer)
Sending, you know, good energy towards your husband as he goes through, you know, his, his health journey and yeah, just wishing you the best and I'm sure we'll see again, see each other again soon.
Lori
Thank you so much for having me on.
Host (Interviewer)
If you want to see more follow up episodes of Surrounded, be sure to like, leave us a positive review. Comment. If you're watching the video on YouTube, you can subscribe to Tubely, Jubilee's second channel. You can also subscribe to Jubilee to see full Surrounded episodes. But however you want to support us, just thank you so much for listening. Remember, you could be wrong. So could I. Keep your mind open until next time. Athletic Brewing Company crafts award winning non alcoholic beers for those who want to be part of every round. With over 180 flavor awards, they're exceptional NA beers that fit your lifestyle and any social occasion. Summer's full of good times and Athletic fits right in. Go to athleticbrewing.com to have brews delivered to your door, or find them at a bar, restaurant, or store near you. Near Beer Athletic Brewing Co. Fit for all Times.
Julia Kate
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Date: June 28, 2026
Host: Jubilee Media
Guests: Julia Kate & Lori
This Surrounded follow-up episode dives deeper into the highly charged main episode, unpacking fiery debate moments between Dean Withers and a panel of 25 women with opposing views. The host welcomes two standout participants, Julia Kate and Lori, to reflect on the debate, discuss their perspectives on Donald Trump, Christian values in politics, party polarization, personal journeys with faith, the culture war, sexual misconduct, and the perennial challenge of having civil discourse across the political spectrum.
“He resorted to calling me crazy and insane, which, if you know anything about debate, that's an ad hominem... So I knew he was flustered. It was a compliment.”
— Julia Kate ([04:38])
“...when electing a president, I'm not electing a pastor...”
— Julia Kate ([10:53])
“If there were real, actual evidence to put him in prison, it would have been done because the left has tried every angle...”
— Julia Kate ([11:42])
“If we look at Solomon... insane polygamy... Even Donald Trump is not picture perfect. But it all points to who the perfect one is. And that's Jesus.”
— Julia Kate ([23:14])
“With Dean, he's always trying to win instead of having a conversation to see what we could agree on.”
— Lori ([28:21])
On the right's media evolution: The host and Lori discuss how conservatives developed the “viral debate” approach, and how it has influenced current discourse ([29:48]).
How faith shapes her position: Lori positions herself as Christian but moderate on many issues. She rejects “Christian nationalism” as an imposition of religion, supports LGBTQ+ rights, and distinguishes between personal belief and public policy ([35:54]).
“For me, I just want [my gay son] to find love and fulfillment... I do not believe that anybody should enforce their will on anybody.”
— Lori ([35:54])
“I don't think that gay marriage is at risk. I have a lot of friends in the Log Cabin Republicans... Being a Christian and I love our country. So if that makes me a Christian nationalist, great. But I do not believe that anybody should enforce their will on anybody.”
— Lori ([35:54])
“A lot of things that Trump says and does is honestly to troll people. I think he gets reactions out of people.”
— Lori ([44:08])
“I don't condone violence from anybody. I don't think that anybody has the right to injure or hurt anybody else... I think on January 6, there were people that got caught up in it. I think that... there were bad people. I do think... the narrative did so much for the left...”
— Lori ([49:17])
“I was one of those little girls... I lived at the Playboy Mansion for a while when I was 16... I think what people need to realize is this is going on today.”
— Lori ([54:25], [56:28])
“People do stupid stuff when they're younger and people can change over years... I do not believe Eugene Carroll.”
— Lori ([61:24])
“[Trump] is not... the greatest, most prettiest line you ever heard. He is someone that we've known. He's used Twitter. He does these kinds of things. I don't find it offensive... what matters most to me is a safe America for families.”
— Julia Kate ([16:03], [15:24])
Honest, combative yet ultimately reflective, the conversation maintains a tone of curiosity and civility, even during heated disagreements. Both guests are candid about their convictions, while the host pushes for clarity and self-examination, seeking nuance beyond stereotypes.
This follow-up episode reveals the complexities behind viral debate moments: Julia Kate and Lori provide insight into how faith, critical thinking, and lived experience inform their political stances—especially regarding Donald Trump, gender roles, sexual abuse, and civil discourse. Both emphasize policy impact over personal failings in leaders, decry polarization, and call for more dialogue and respect across political lines. Their stories—particularly Lori’s harrowing survival and advocacy—add depth and context to the fierce soundbites captured in Surrounded, and remind listeners why digging deeper is always worthwhile.