High Time For A Texas Gerrymander?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "High Time For A Texas Gerrymander?"

Episode Details:

• Title: High Time For A Texas Gerrymander?
• Host: Charlie Kirk
• Release Date: July 31, 2025

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1. Introduction and Overview

In this episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, host Charlie Kirk delves into two major topics: the ongoing redrawing of Texas' congressional maps and its potential impact on the Republican Party's strength in Congress. Additionally, the episode features an analysis of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by Dr. Paul Ray from Hillsdale College, providing listeners with comprehensive insights into both domestic political strategies and international affairs.

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2. Texas Gerrymandering and Republican Strategy

Guest: Abraham George, Texas GOP Chair

Key Discussion Points:

• Current Redistricting Efforts: Abraham George explains that Texas is actively redrawing its congressional districts to favor Republican candidates, aiming to secure an additional five House seats.

  Abraham George [04:29]: "We believe we can pick up five new seats for the Republican side... it's going to be 34 Republicans and eight for Democrats out of the 38 seats we currently hold during the census."

• Historical Context: George highlights that major Democratic-heavy states like Illinois, New Jersey, and California have previously gerrymandered maps to suppress Republican representation. Texas is now countering this trend.

  Abraham George [03:08]: "Texas has 38 congressional districts... five potential pickup opportunities for the Republican Party."

• Impact on House Majority: The potential five-seat gain is crucial for maintaining or achieving a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, especially with the upcoming 2026 elections.

  Abraham George [06:24]: "Five seats can make all the difference in the world... could make the difference between Republicans losing control of the House... and maintaining control."

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3. Hispanic Voting Trends in Texas

Key Discussion Points:

• Shifts in Hispanic Voter Behavior: Abraham George asserts confidence that Hispanic voters in Texas will continue to support Republican candidates, citing recent successes in flipping traditionally Democratic counties.

  Abraham George [07:04]: "We have 14 border counties in Texas and out of the 14, 12 of them, we flipped to Republican... primarily because Donald Trump was on ballot and Biden had destroyed our country."

• Demographic Changes: The Republican Party's focus on issues resonating with Hispanic communities, such as border security and economic policies, has led to significant electoral gains.

  Abraham George [08:26]: "Donald Trump actually won Latino voters by 10 points in Texas in 2020. It was Joe Biden who won him by 17 points. That's a nearly a 30 point switcheroo."

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4. Redistricting Process and Political Maneuvering

Key Discussion Points:

• Timeline and Procedure: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called a special session with a 30-day mandate to finalize the new district maps. This expedited process aims to capitalize on the current political climate.

  Abraham George [09:19]: "We have 30 days to do this... once that's done, we will have the final map and it will get to the floor... everything wrapped up by in about two and a half weeks."

• Democratic Opposition: Democrats are reportedly considering tactics such as cutting quorum to obstruct the redistricting process, though the outcome remains uncertain.

  Abraham George [09:19]: "Democrats are talking about cutting quorum, but we'll see how that goes."

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5. European Immigration and Muslim Invasion Concerns

Discussion Segment: The episode briefly shifts focus to European immigration issues, highlighting concerns over Muslim migration and its impact on Western societies.

Key Points:

• J.D. Vance’s Commentary: Former U.S. Senator and Vice President J.D. Vance discusses the challenges Europe faces with Muslim immigration, emphasizing the threat to Western civilization and societal values.

  J.D. Vance [12:47]: "Europe is at risk, I think, of creating of engaging in some civilizational suicide... They are unable to or unwilling to control their borders."

• Donald Trump's Perspective: Trump underscores the severity of the immigration crisis in Europe, labeling it as a "horrible invasion" and criticizing current policies that fail to assimilate immigrants.

  Donald Trump [15:03]: "Immigration is killing Europe... stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe."

Charlie Kirk’s Analysis: Kirk agrees with the assessment, expressing concern over the inability to manage immigration effectively and its consequences on societal structures.

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6. In-Depth Analysis of the Russia-Ukraine War

Guest: Dr. Paul Ray, Professor of History and War Historian at Hillsdale College

Key Discussion Points:

• Continued Conflict: Dr. Ray contends that the Russia-Ukraine war is unlikely to end soon, citing President Putin's entrenched position and the lack of a clear objective.

  Dr. Paul Ray [18:46]: "I never believed a ceasefire was likely... Putin has got himself into a corner... he thought it was going to be a cakewalk."

• Putin’s Nationalism and Leadership Challenges: The war has bolstered Russian nationalism, but Putin is now facing internal challenges as he struggles to define a victorious outcome.

  Dr. Paul Ray [21:04]: "He has revved up a kind of ultra nationalism that won't be satisfied with anything less than a whole lot... he has put his country in bed with its greatest potential enemy."

• Impact on Russian Society: There is a generational divide in Russia, with younger Russians opposing the war and resisting conscription, indicating waning support for Putin’s aggressive policies.

  Dr. Paul Ray [29:09]: "Young people... don't want to be drafted and they don't want to have anything to do with this particular imperialistic war."

• Historical Parallels: Dr. Ray draws comparisons to historical conflicts, such as Vietnam and World War I, illustrating the complexities and prolonged nature of such wars.

  Dr. Paul Ray [23:23]: "Polybius says that when you end a war, you have to think very hard about the defeated opponent... they think they have been betrayed from within."

• U.S. Involvement: While not America's war per se, the U.S. faces critical decisions regarding its support for Ukraine and maintaining European alliances.

  Dr. Paul Ray [31:27]: "The preferable thing is to continue to support them. But I don't think we're in a very good situation here."

Notable Quotes:

• Charlie Kirk [00:48]: "Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks."
• Donald Trump [15:50]: "Immigration is killing Europe."
• Dr. Paul Ray [27:15]: "The USSR never technically lost a war... Russia at the end of the Cold War, it's defeated."

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7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Charlie Kirk wraps up the episode by reflecting on the in-depth analysis provided by his guests. He emphasizes the strategic importance of Texas' gerrymandering efforts for the Republican Party and acknowledges the complex nature of international conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war. Kirk encourages listeners to ponder the implications of these discussions on America's political landscape and its role on the global stage.

Charlie Kirk [33:16]: "Dr. Ray makes a good point. It's worthy of consideration, pondering and reflection. Is it worth severing our European alliances?"

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Key Takeaways:

• Texas Gerrymandering: Significant redrawing of congressional maps in Texas could bolster Republican representation by five seats, crucial for maintaining or gaining a majority in the House.

• Hispanic Voter Dynamics: Shifts in Hispanic voter behavior in Texas indicate growing support for Republicans, driven by policy stances on border security and economic issues.

• European Immigration Crisis: Concerns over Muslim immigration in Europe highlight broader issues of assimilation, cultural preservation, and societal stability.

• Russia-Ukraine War Insights: The conflict remains unresolved with deep-rooted nationalist motivations and generational divides within Russia complicating prospects for peace.

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For More Information:

• Learn More from Hillsdale College: Visit charlieforhillsdale.com
• Subscribe to The Charlie Kirk Show: Visit freedomarliekirk.com
• Watch on Salem News Channel: Salem News Channel - Charlie Kirk

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This summary aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the podcast episode, capturing all essential discussions, insights, and conclusions while omitting advertisements and non-content segments.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio. Is the war in Russia going to end anytime soon? A fabulous conversation with Dr. Paul Ray from America's greatest college, Hillsdale College, all about the Russia, Ukrainian situation. It's really deep conversation. I think you'll love it. And he says stuff that no one else said in just a really fair Way. It's charlieforhillsdale.com if you want to learn more from Hillsdale College. Charlieforhillsdale.com C H A R L I E for hillsdale.com and Texas is redrawing its congressional maps. Abraham George here on how Republicans could pick up five House seats. Email us as always, freedomarliekirk.com and subscribe to our podcast. That is the Charlie Kirk show podcast page. Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

[Abraham George]

I want you to know we are.

[Charlie Kirk]

Lucky to have Charlie Kirk.

[Dr. Paul Ray]

Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

[Donald Trump]

I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold [e-mail] that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com for years, Democrats have pushed the boundaries in the pursuit of power. This story is very interesting, what we're about to focus on in Texas because it's consistent with the Senate parliamentarian story. It's consistent with the Senate blue slip story to the Senate rule story. While the Democrats have gone full throttle to destroy the United States, we have always been, oh, we take the high road of virtue and tradition while they are crushing us. Well, no more. Texas is fighting back. Almost every major Democrat swing state has gerrymandered. Not to swing state, but home state gerrymandered their maps to be so difficult for Republicans to be able to win swing districts. But like Illinois, like New Jersey, like California, well, Texas is now fighting back. First, let's show up on cut 4. 83. This is Illinois congressional map. Do you see that little Sliver on the right hand of your screen, the screen on the right, that's a congressional district. They're leveraging racial grievances and civil rights law to be able to gerrymander Republicans out of any representation in Illinois. And you can see it has worked. Illinois basic, you know, Illinois had more Republican congressman than Democrat congressman a decade ago. Well, they made quick work of that. Well, joining us now is Abraham George. He is the Texas GOP chair to discuss the situation happening in Texas and the proposed Texas maps. Abraham, great to see you. Walk us through what is happening here and the proposed Texas maps. We'll put the maps up on screen while you're talking, please.

[Harry Enten]

Yeah, Charlie, so glad to be back. What happened in 2020 during the COVID and the census, the Republican House back then went and shored up the support for their own districts and ended up leaving a lot of open seats basically for Democrats. And I am glad President Trump made a call and finally said, okay, Texas actually, you can actually bring in another five state, five congressional districts for us. So over the past year or so, we've been working on it with RNC and also with Michael Watley's been very helpful on this. Many of our congressional members helped on this. And then finally we are at a place we are going to have a map that actually represents the people. Harmeet sent out a memo from DOJ saying there's four districts that are gerrymandered based on race, which is illegal. We can do it on political reasons, but I don't, I didn't think the Texas leadership had the fortitude to do it. But we finally have a president who asking for it and it's getting done.

[Charlie Kirk]

So walk us through the geography of this, though. So what is the significance, the proposed contrast between the current maps and where we could potentially be? How many seats could Republicans potentially pick up?

[Harry Enten]

We believe we can pick up five new new seats for the Republican side, which we currently have 25 seats on our side, 13 for Democrats. I think it's going to be 34 Republicans and eight for Democrats out of the 38 seats we currently hold during the census. It was a whole mistake and the party was against it back then. Even our Texas House seats are 70, 80% Republican on certain areas of Texas. And the same thing for congressional maps. A lot of these congressmen, they just don't want to go out there and campaign. So what they've done is they've made a 70% district for themselves which is, you know, giving a lot of, lot of, lot of space for Democrats. And honestly, at this point, you know, Charlie, it's a, it's a fight for our, our country. And if we're going to hold the House in 2026 and Texas is bringing brand new, 8, 5 new new congressional districts on the Republican side.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah. So is there any fear that the new proposed map might hurt us? Eventually. But let me actually pause on that. Let's play some pieces of tape here. Let's play Harry entin. Let's play first cut 451.

[Abraham George]

This, in fact could win or maintain control for the Republicans in the House of Representatives. What are you talking about? Well, Texas has 38 congressional districts. Look at those that Trump won last year by at least 10 percentage points. Under the current lines, it's 25. Under the proposed lines, it's 30. That's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 potential pickup opportunities for the Republican Party. They are playing hardball at this particular point. And right now it seems to me that Democrats are actually playing close to the Little league pee week.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's about time we start to play hardball. Let's play cut 452. So five seats. What would five seats in Texas do for Republicans in Congress? Overall?

[Abraham George]

You might think five seats is just five seats. But keep in mind this margin to spare for the House majority. In 2020, the Democrats had four seats, 2022 Republicans had four seats. This time around, two seats for Republicans. Out of the 2024 elections, five seats can make all the difference in the world. And that is why Republicans in Texas providing five pickup seat opportunities could in fact make the difference between Republicans losing control of the House of Representatives and maintaining control of the House of Representatives.

[Charlie Kirk]

Representative, this is about whether or not Trump is going to be impeached. It all hinges on Hispanics. Abraham, are you confident that Hispanics will continue to vote in a way to make these districts solidly red?

[Harry Enten]

Absolutely. So we have 14 border counties in Texas and out of the 14, 12 of them, we flipped to Republican. All 14 were Democrat counties and most of them are about 60, 65% Hispanic population. And out of the 14, 12 of Them came to Republican side primarily because Donald Trump was on ballot and Biden had destroyed our country. So they are continuing. We have a brand new elected official accounting commissioner in one of those counties flipped from Democrat to Republican today, this morning. So we have elected officials flipping to the other side because they're just saying our values does not align with the Democrat Party anymore. We want to be part of the Republican Party and we are welcoming those people. I don't know if they're going to run on the, on our ballot again because we just don't know if they're real Republicans. But we're trying to work with everyone up there and a lot of these people who has been railroaded by the Biden administration, especially on the border issue and economy, now saying, yeah, Republican Party knows what we need and they're working on it. So we are going to continue to have Hispanic and black American voters on our side in Texas.

[Charlie Kirk]

Let's play cut 453, please. Some voting shifts within Texas might be adding fuel to this.

[Abraham George]

Exactly right. They wouldn't necessarily be able to do this if in fact Republicans. Donald Trump did not do so much better among Latino voters last time around than he did in 2020 because four of the pickup opportunities are majority Hispanic seats in 2024. Get this, Donald Trump actually won Latino voters by 10 points in Texas in 2020. It was Joe Biden who won him by 17 points. That's a nearly a 30 point switcheroo. So this in my mind is fueling these potential pickup opportunities for Republicans. As I said at the beginning of this, Republicans are playing hardball. It's going to be interesting to see if Democrats can actually answer this or are they going to be stuck in the little leagues?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

One thing we are watching is that.

[Charlie Kirk]

Donald Trump maintains his support among Latino voters. But that is to come.

[Abraham George]

That will be to come. It will be a answered soon enough.

[Charlie Kirk]

Abraham. So this could potentially keep the House of Representatives red. What is the process then to get this done? Greg Abbott, House of Representatives what is the actual timeline of the process?

[Harry Enten]

Well, Greg Abbott called a special meeting, special session, 30 days. He's given a mandate that he wants to redraw the districts. We currently have a map that's filed by Chairman Hunter from South Texas and that map actually is pretty good map. I mean, I'm not part of the process of redrawing the maps. But this, that new map that is proposed, it will have about five new seats on our side. There's one seat in Dallas, North Dallas that will be flipped over to the Republican side, which is held by Julie Johnson, who is a lesbian crazy person who really does not reflect the values of Texas. And then there's a lot of these people who are going to be losing their seats mainly because honestly, when Donald Trump won by 14 points in Texas, a lot of these people were being, they're scared now with the redrawing. I think they're pretty much done. So this is going to be an interesting deal. We have 30 days to do this. We were currently holding all of these public hearings and there's one happening tomorrow. Once that's done, we will have the final map and it will get to the floor and both the House and the Senate is on board with it. So we should have everything wrapped up by in about two and a half weeks. If Texas House members can get their act together, which I think they will, Democrats are talking about cutting quorum, but we'll see how that goes.

[Charlie Kirk]

Abraham, thank you so much. Abraham George, Texas GOP State Chair thank you so much.

[Harry Enten]

Thanks for having me.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[J.D. Vance]

Europeans annoy me sometimes and yes, I disagree with them on certain issues. But we have to remember that is the cradle of Western civilization. The entire idea of Christian civilization that led to the founding of the United States of America that was formed in Europe. Europe is at risk, I think, of creating of engaging in some civilizational suicide. They are unable to or unwilling too many countries to control their borders. You see them starting to push back against that and good, that's a good thing. You see them starting to limit the free speech of their own citizens, even as those citizens are protesting against things like the border invasion. I want Europe to thrive. I want them to be an important ally.

[Charlie Kirk]

This is important. We want Europe to survive and to thrive. In the United Kingdom, the government spent last year more than £7 billion flying Afghan Muslims into the country. In secret, a court made it illegal to report that it was happening. Now the government is considering a definition of Islamophobia that would make it illegal to talk about Islamic grooming gangs. The flag of Islam is taking over the European continent and they're doing this by choice. Muhammad is one of the top birth names all throughout the continent of Europe. Who do you want to rule you? Muslims do not believe in separation of mosque and state. They do not believe in freedom of speech, free expression. Many of them don't even believe in private property rights the way that we do, or free enterprise. It's all subservient to the Sharia Allah and migration and immigration makes it possible. You see, immigration and I've spent a lot of time in the kind of ruling class neighborhoods this summer trying to raise money for Turning Point and hanging out. Immigration is where all of a sudden the ruling class gets a little bit nervous. Oh, well, you know, we can let them in as long as they come in legally. No, no, no. They must assimilate. Legal is not enough because immigration without assimilation is in invasion. President Donald Trump warned repeatedly about this during his trip to Europe. Play cut 243 on immigration.

[Donald Trump]

You better get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore. You got to get your act together. And we, you know, as you know, last month we had nobody entering our country, Nobody shut it down. And we took out a lot of bad people that got there with Biden. Biden was a total stiff and what he allowed to happen, but you're allowing it to happen to your countries and you got to stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe. Many countries in Europe, some people, some leaders have not let it happen. And they're not getting the proper credit. I could name them to you right now, but I'm not going to embarrass the other ones. But stop this. Immigration is killing Europe.

[Charlie Kirk]

At this point, I think European elites finally realize that Muslim mass migration was a massive mistake. But they're in so deep they'd rather just basically cover up then keep on talking about it. They just want to cover up how awful it is until they're basically dead and they don't have to worry about it. There's just no way to argue that Muslims in the uk, France or Germany has been anything other than a disaster. And remember this, Muslims are compelled to take over the government in the land that they are in. That is why you have Mamdani. That is why you have Omar Fattah in Minneapolis. That's why you have Dhalak Dalaqua in South Portland. And then you can't even speak out against it. You see so many of them running for office because government and the instruments of power is fundamental to Islamic theology. It is not fundamental to Christian theology. Our kingdom is not of this world. We should get more involved in politics. But that is my push for pastors and Christians. Islamists have no such concern theologically. They know that they should take over the power structure and to govern and eventually through Sharia. And what do the purple haired jihadis in Brooklyn and the actual jihadis have in common? They hate the United States of America and they want to suffocate our civilization. They want to starve the baseline and the foundation. They despise the west and we invited them here. Private student loan debt in America totals about $300 billion. Why refi refinances private student loan debt and they do not care what your credit score is. Many clients aren't even able to make the minimum monthly payment on their private student loans when they first contact yrefi. Go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com youm don't have to ignore that mountain of student loan statements on your kitchen table anymore. So go to yrefi.com do you have a co borrower? Well why? Refi can get them released from the loan and you can give mom or dad a break. Go to yrefi.com can you imagine being debt free and not living under this burden anymore? So go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com let's face it, if you have distressed or defaulted private student loans, there's no better place to go than Yrefi. They provide you with a custom loan payment based on your ability to pay. They're not a debt settlement company. So Check it out right [e-mail] may not be available in all 50 states. Go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com Dr. Paul Ray, professor of history from Hillsdale College and war historian. Dr. Ray, great to see you. Thank you for the time. Dr. Ray, what is your analysis of the Russian Ukrainian war? Do you believe that Putin is going to continue to broker this war against Ukraine?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

Yes, I do. I never thought that a ceasefire was at all likely. That having been said, I honor Donald Trump for trying. The number of people being killed is terrible, and I think a ceasefire would be very much in the interest of Ukraine, which is under tremendous pressure because the Ukrainian population is greatly outnumbered by the Russian population. So the potential list of draftees of people that you could actually put into the war is much, much smaller. But I never believed it would happen. And the reason is that I think Putin has gotten himself into a corner where if he ends this war with anything but something that can be represented as a great victory, he will be toast. He has stirred up Russian nationalism, focused it on the Ukraine issue. He has sacrificed innumerable Russian lives at the front, and if he has very little to show for it, it's over for him. I don't think he has room to move. Going in there was one of the stupidest things he could conceivably have done. He thought it was going to be a cakewalk. And what does that say about Russian intelligence? That a country next to them, the language is very similar to Russian and they can't tell that these people are prepared to fight? That's really quite remarkable. Must be an awful lot of people around Trump, around Putin, who are afraid to tell him the truth. And that's probably still true. I'm afraid so.

[Charlie Kirk]

Dr. A, that's a phenomenal analysis, but I want to zero in on your answer. You say, yes, he's going to continue brokering it. To what end? Till he reaches Kiev, till he reaches, you know, the middle point or the center part of the country. So you're saying he's going to keep on brokering it. What would the final objective be? And what would then a reasonable victory for Putin be?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

Well, one of the problems is I'm not sure he knows what the final objective is. Oftentimes countries go to war without a clear understanding of the mission. I think that was true for us in Vietnam 50 years ago. We didn't really quite know what victory would mean and how. You can't. You can't bring means and ends together unless you know what the end is now? I think the original end was to take Kyiv and to install a puppet government that would control the whole country so that you would have a puppet under the Russians. But that's not going to happen. So I don't know what would count as victory. And keep in mind, he has to sell it as a victory to the Russian people, but not just to the Russian people, to that rather narrower group that is powerful in Russia. And he has revved up a kind of ultra nationalism that won't be satisfied with anything less than a whole lot. So I think he's got himself in a lot of trouble, and I think it's extremely foolish, because the only country in the world that has any territorial ambitions vis a vis Russia, and I mean, the Russia that existed before this war started is China. It's not widely known, but Russia and China fought a war along the amur river in 1969. Major tank battles. China has a claim to Siberia, or to a good chunk of Siberia. The Russians won that in the middle of the 19th century. And there was a treaty. It's one of the treaties that Chinese children are taught to look upon as the unequal treaties that have to be overturned. So what has Putin done? He has put his country in bed with its greatest potential enemy. He has put it at odds with potential allies, and he has alienated them. I was about to say permanently, but in. In foreign affairs, there's no such thing as permanently.

[Charlie Kirk]

And this is so illuminating. So you've said he's made a big mistake and he's kind of got a back up against the wall. He doesn't really know what the objective is. So let's talk about then who he has to win over. The Russian people, sort of. But he's using the more rural, poor Muslim parts as cannon fodder up on the front lines. Who then does he have to win over? Who is the intelligentsia, the Russian ruling class of Moscow and St. Petersburg that he has to convince that this war was a success? Who are these people?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

Okay, there's two Russian intelligentsias and they're at odds with one another. There's one that's cosmopolitan, relatively Western oriented, and innumerable Russians have fled Russia because of this war. They're living in Georgia, they're living in Armenia, they're living in Finland, they're living on Cyprus. There are a lot of Russians who look upon this war as a nightmare and who are themselves concerned primarily as patriotic Russians. With the Chinese threat, the people that he's got to Please. Are the KGB guys that are his subordinates. And there's quite a few of them. Them. But think of this as an oligarchy of thugs, a lot of them trained by the KGB back in the days when Putin himself was a KGB officer in Dresden in Germany. And a lot of them share his view, which is, you know, the real enemy is the United States. Let me say a little something about that, because the Roman historian Polybius says that when you end a war, you have to think very hard about the defeated opponent. Are they broken in spirit, or do they think that they have lost the war because yielded to circumstances? And his argument is the Carthaginians at the end into the First Punic War have yielded the circumstances. Okay, if they've only yielded circumstances, they are lying in wait for an opportunity to strike back. Think of Germany after World War I. The Germans didn't think they'd been defeated. They thought they had been betrayed from within. And they are looking for the opportunity to strike back. Okay, Russia at the end of the Cold War, it's defeated. It yielded to circumstances. The Soviet Union broke up and places like Ukraine became independent countries. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Stons, Armenia, and so forth. Putin comes from a generation that thinks they were cheated. You know, he refers to the breakup of the Soviet Union as a great geopolitical disaster. So the aim is to put it back together. You know, and if you might, you might wonder, why did the Swedes join NATO? Why did Finland join NATO? The answer is they think that Ukraine is a test and they're next. So he's painted himself into a corner in which there is an ultra nationalist elite, largely drawn from the army and the old kgb, and he can't afford to give ground.

[Charlie Kirk]

The USSR never technically lost a war. I mean, there was Afghanistan, but they collapsed, and Russians felt that they were taken advantage of in a moment of weakness. And what you're articulating is a ruling class that is very jaded. That was likely in their late 20s and early 30s, their formative years when the USSR collapsed. And now they're on top of Russian society, and they hold a memory of great bitterness, bitterness that this project that they inherited fell apart and they're trying to reconstitute it. A major retail chain canceled a massive order, leaving MyPillow with an overstock of the classic MyPillows. Now it's your game. For a limited time, MyPillow is offering their entire classic collection at a true wholesale prices. Get a standard MyPillow for just $19,98 cents. Do you want more? Upgrade to queen size for only $24.98 or king size for $29.98. Snag body pillows for $39.98 and a versatile multi use pillows for just $12.98. Give your BE pillow set only while supplies last. Visit MyPillow.com today and use promo code KIRK or call 800-875-0425 to score these amazing deals while they are in stock. Plus, when your order totals $75 or more, you'll receive a hundred dollars in free digital gifts, no strings attached. That's right, premium pillows at unbeatable prices and bonus gifts to top it off. Don't wait, head to mypillow.com today or call 800-875-0425 now and don't forget to use promo code Kirk and grab your standard MyPillow for only $19.98 while supplies last. Dr. Wray, the article from the Washington Post, a little old, but it says Putin wants Russia's youth to become ultra nationalist patriots. Many are all in. Dr. Ray, how do the youth of Russia feel about all this?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

They feel differently. I mean, you know, I said something about the people who fled. I used to chair the board of a little foundation that sends Americans to places and to talk and study people who are being ignored by the press. We sent someone out. This is the Institute of Current world affairs. We're 100 years old. We sent someone out to visit the expatriates in Georgia, Armenia, etc. Those are all young people, almost all young people. They don't want to be drafted and they don't want to have anything to do with with this particular imperialistic war. And there are lots of them. I'm talking hundreds of thousands of them. If you turn to Russia, here would be the test. If Russian youth really are dedicated to this project, are they volunteering to go fight against Ukraine? I mean, my sense is the cannon fodder that is being fed into that war comes from the periphery, from the poorest regions in Russia and from the minorities, not from people in St. Petersburg and Moscow. They may talk an ultra nationalist line, but are they willing to put their lives on the line? I don't see much indication of that. And it strikes me the first failure to draft people from Moscow and St. Petersburg and the like is a sign that Putin knows there are limits to his support. In other words, it's one thing to talk it, it's another thing to walk the walk.

[Charlie Kirk]

Dr. Wray in closing here, you've painted a very vivid picture of a superpower with a dictator that has made a mistake and he probably knows it and he's in a little too deep. That's not a good scenario for the United States of America. So then I don't want to ask you, how should we get involved? Where does that leave us? What are the choices then? In front of us, in front of the United States, since Putin has basically gone all in and he has to save face?

[Dr. Paul Ray]

Well, we could abandon Ukraine, but if we abandon Ukraine, we may lose our European alliances. They're very much worried about this and their view is if Ukraine goes down, we're on the front lines or we can continue to support them. If we continue to support them, it's going to go on for a considerable period of time. I think the preferable thing is to continue to support them. But I don't think we're in a very good situation here. When this thing started, the Ukrainians could have won. They back footed the Russians that first six months and had they had the weapons they needed, they might well have been able to push the Russians out. They did push the Russians out of a considerable area at that time. So, you know, it's a little complicated because the situation now, it looks like World War I, you've got these trenches and that's a terrible kind of warfare. But you had a warfare of maneuver right at the beginning. And Joe Biden chose the Vietnam War route, gradual building up rather than hammer them right at the start.

[Charlie Kirk]

Dr. Ray, phenomenal analysis. I'd love to have you on soon. 7,000 total dead a week per Trump. It's a terrible death toll. I'm afraid this thing is not going to go away anytime soon. Dr. Ray, thank you so much. Everyone should check out charlieforhillsdale.com from Hillsdale College, a phenomenal analysis. Thank you so much. I gotta be honest, that was some of the best Russia analysis we've had on the show. It was fair, it was factual, it was nuanced, it was not political. It was really well done. This is President Trump 322 on the Russian situation.

[Donald Trump]

I'm not, you know, I'm not so interested in talking anymore. He's, he talks. We have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations. And then people die the following night with a missile going into a town and hitting, I mean recently, I guess, the nursing home, but they hit other things. Whatever they hit, people die.

[Charlie Kirk]

And then he says, I'm giving Russia 10 more days. His patience is running out. This is a toughie. My opinion aside, this is a very difficult situation. I've always been of the opinion this is not America's war, but Dr. Ray makes a good point. It's worthy of consideration, pondering and reflection. Is it worth severing our European alliances? Thanks so much for listening everybody. Email us as always, freedomarliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Dr. Paul Ray]

For more on many of these stories.

[Charlie Kirk]

And news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.