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Glenn's Show Prep

Getting to know Ben Carson's Seventh-day Adventist Faith

October 22, 2015
Ted Tuttle

Editor

While speaking with presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson on Wednesday, Glenn asked him if he was ready to respond to criticisms about his religion. He resolutely said yes.

Knowing next to nothing about Carson's Christian faith other than that he's a Seventh Day Adventist, Glenn thought it would be a good idea to get someone from the religion to shed some light on things, before the inevitable attacks from the media begin.

The secretary of the North American division of the Seventh Day Adventist, Alexander Bryant, joined Glenn on the radio Thursday to discuss.

Listen to or read the revealing interview below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

Two, two lines that have changed my life and guided me. And the first one has come from Thomas Jefferson, and I've said it a million times. Thomas Jefferson said this in a letter to his nephew Peter Carr. And he talked about how he needs to learn mathematics and how he needs to learn literature and all of the different things he needs to know. And the very last section is on religion. And he said, "When it comes to religion, above all things, fix reason firmly in her seat, for if there be a God, he must surely rather honest questioning over blindfolded fear." So there is no such thing as a question that comes from the devil. There is no such thing as questioning, as long as it is honest. If you're trying to prove yourself right, then that falls out of the category.

The second thing that has guided my life is "by their fruits, ye shall know them." When I watch Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, and I watch him on the campaign trail and I watch him personally, I see the fruits of his religion, and I see the fruits of his faith. He seems like a very good, decent, honorable man.

Now, when I talked to him yesterday, I said, "Are you prepared -- because I know what Mitt Romney went through. "Are you prepared because you are a religious person for what's going to happen to you?" Because I read between the lines. And I could be wrong. Because I read between the lines and he seems to believe that we're living in the latter days, which I do. But that makes you a kook to the media. And when I said that to him, "Are you prepared," he was more resolute -- correct me if I'm wrong, boys. I think he was more resolute on that than anything else he said.

STU: Anything else you talked about.

JEFFY: Yeah.

GLENN: Right? When it came to his faith, he was unshakable.

So when he left, we started talking about it. We realized none of us have an idea what the Seventh Day Adventist -- except Stu thinks that they're vegetarians, and I think it has something to do with Saturday is the Sabbath. And that's as deep as we go.

STU: We're really informed on this one.

GLENN: We're very informed.

So we called the church and we said, "Is there a spokesperson?" Mr. Alex Bryant, he's the secretary for the North American division of the Seventh Day Adventist church. And he joins us now. Alex, welcome to the program.

ALEX: Thank you. It's good to be here, Glenn.

GLENN: Thank you.

First of all, I want you to know, you're not walking into a hostile situation, and I think that's important as a media person to say to a person of faith.

We really just want to know what you guys believe and what sets you apart and different and, quite honestly, I want to get all of the stuff out on -- because every church has its kind of kooky quirks. And from inside the church, it's totally normal. Outside the church, it will look crazy. And every church has that.

So I'm trying to figure out, what is it they're going to? Let's understand in a reasonable way so everybody can defend someone else's faith and say, "Back off, Jack. Back off." So can you tell us -- give us a nutshell first of what you guys believe.

ALEX: We believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again. We're part of the Christian faith community. We believe that God's grace encompasses all of humankind, their entire world. And that God loves everyone. We are Bible-believing people. We base our beliefs, our faith, our actions, and our behavior on the Bible. We're also Seventh Day Adventist, where we keep the Sabbath and we believe in a second coming of Christ. But we're part of the larger Christian community and the Christian family who uplifts the name of Jesus Christ. And we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to lift humanity into hope and wholeness out of our brokenness.

GLENN: Now, you believe --

ALEX: And that's what we advocate.

GLENN: Okay. You believe that Jesus rose from the dead. He -- body and all, and he was taken up into heaven and all of that, right?

ALEX: Yes.

GLENN: Okay. When you say -- now I want you to know, I'm a Mormon. So I'm the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so I'm not asking you this in a hostile away.

I believe we are in the latter days. What that means, I don't know. The apostles have believed that for when they were there, they thought Jesus was coming back. I have read, in doing a little bit of research, that your church said that it was in the 1800s that Jesus would come back. I think my church might have said that he was coming back.

But do you believe we are literally living in the latter days, whatever that might mean to God?

ALEX: Absolutely. We believe that we're living in the last days, according to what we read from the Bible in Matthew Chapter 24 and 25 and the signs that Jesus gave of his soon return and the things that will happen before he returns.

GLENN: You believe in the -- the devil and the Antichrist and all of that stuff from the Book of Revelation as well?

ALEX: Yes, we believe in the Book of Revelation and that there is a devil.

GLENN: Can you go into -- Stu seems to think that you guys are vegetarians.

STU: Well, I know there is at least some -- because I'm actually a vegetarian. Again, the only conservative vegetarian in America potentially. And I know we go to -- there are stores near your churches and schools that sell a lot of vegetarian stuff. Is that part of the faith? Is that a recommendation? What's the vegetarian connection?

ALEX: Well, Stu, you're correct. We do advocate healthful living, and that encompasses a vegetarian lifestyle and even a vegan lifestyle. And not all of our members are vegetarian or vegan --

GLENN: Can I tell you something, Alexander, that's what -- now I know why I didn't go -- I mean, I went to some crazy churches. I went to a church, when I was on a church tour, where the pastor didn't even believe in God. That's how crazy I went. That's why I didn't visit your church now, I'm sure of it. Because you said no to steak. I'm sorry, there is no God, if he's against steak.

ALEX: That's right. But we do advocate a healthful lifestyle.

GLENN: Okay. So it's not about -- is it about the care of animals or is it -- is it that and a healthy lifestyle, or what?

ALEX: It's a healthful lifestyle. And we do feel that God has made us stewards of the earth. But our -- most of our emphasis is on living healthier and having a better lifestyle here on earth.

PAT: Does that include not drinking and smoking?

ALEX: It includes not drinking alcohol and smoking and taking any other harmful substances to the body.

PAT: We have that in common.

GLENN: We have that in common. Ours is called the word of wisdom where we can't eat certain things for health reasons. So there's lots of similarities there. Can I ask you a question? Because you sound rather mellow yourself. Is it required to have a very even temperament like Dr. Ben Carson --

PAT: Has?

ALEX: Well, we believe and try to follow the example of Christ.

GLENN: Right.

ALEX: And the example of Christ, temperament is a part of what God teaches us in the development of our Christian character. We're not always perfect in that regard. But we try to advocate that example that Christ gave us and we believe part of that is an even -- you know, is being temperate in everything, including our temperament.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: So is Ben Carson the first Seventh Day Adventist to run?

ALEX: He's the first one I'm aware of to run.

GLENN: Is this kind of an exciting thing? Like when Mitt Romney ran and -- to the Mormons, that was like, whoa, that's cool. We're suddenly cool. And we're like, no, you're not. No, you're not.

Is this kind of a neat thing to have him run?

ALEX: Well, you have to understand Ben Carson's relationship to the church. Ben Carson has had a very storied life, where he came from, how he studied and how he lifted himself out of poverty. And he wrote the book, Gifted Hands. And many, many people in our church and outside of our church were blessed as a result, inspired as a result. And many lives have been changed as a result of reading how God used him, how God changed him. So his lifestyle, his life has been very inspiring to us from the beginning, even before the run for presidency. And we are very proud of what God has done through him. And how God has used him.

PAT: So you are pretty excited about it, but this is your excited voice?

(laughter)

ALEX: I guess that is as excited as it gets.

GLENN: So, Alex, I hope you understand the spirit this is in.

ALEX: Sure.

GLENN: We really admire Ben Carson has a man. We may not agree with his policies. But I'd vote for him. And I really, really admire him as a man. So you must be doing something right in your church.

PAT: What are some of the misconceptions of Seventh Day Adventists as you see it?

GLENN: First of all, are you the inventor of the Advent Calendar?

STU: Hmm.

ALEX: Not to my knowledge.

GLENN: Not to your knowledge. Okay. All right. Good.

ALEX: Not to my knowledge.

GLENN: So what are the things that are --

ALEX: Sorry. Go ahead.

PAT: What are the things that people have wrong about it?

GLENN: Right. That we'll hear on the news. Like, you're going to hear this, and this is not what it is.

ALEX: You know, I'm not exactly sure what we're going to hear wrong about the Seventh Day Adventist church on the news. I know that, you know, we are -- we worship on the Sabbath. We don't worship on Sundays as we believe from the Bible.

PAT: So the Sabbath being Saturday?

ALEX: The Sabbath being Saturday, that's correct.

PAT: Okay.

GLENN: I love that because then you can watch football on Sunday.

PAT: But that's college football day, though. So does that eliminate college football for the day for you?

ALEX: Well, we have Jesus football on the Sabbath.

GLENN: If that's what stops you from joining, you've got a really -- you've got to reevaluate your life.

ALEX: Yeah. And we think Jesus football on the Sabbath trumps college football on the Sabbath.

PAT: Yeah, you're probably right. You're probably right. Quarterback. He's got a great arm.

STU: He does. He does.

GLENN: So we sure appreciate it, Alex. I hope that your faith doesn't come under attack. We have to stop attacking each other.

ALEX: That's correct.

GLENN: The body of Christ and the body of God needs to start standing together. The children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob need to stand together because these are --

PAT: I've said that for years. How many times have I said that?

GLENN: Shut up.

JEFFY: Oh, my gosh.

GLENN: Alex is going to be nice. I'm not a Seventh Day Adventist, shut up!

This is truly a time where we really need to stand together.

ALEX: Yes.

GLENN: Because perilous times are coming, and I wish you all the best. And, Alex, thank you so much for having the guts to come on the program. Because you had to have thought, "I could be walking into a buzz saw."

ALEX: Yes.

GLENN: Let me say it more like Ben Carson, you had to have thought --

ALEX: Well, we're hopeful that if attention does come to our name that the good works of the Seventh Day Adventist church, some of the humanitarian things that we do that we're involved in, the disaster relief that we do, what we do in the community -- we were just in San Antonio earlier in the summer where we provided free health care to over 6,000 people. Over 17,000 health professionals valued over $20 million.

PAT: Wow.

ALEX: And that's one of the heart -- that's one of the mainstays of the Seventh Day Adventist church. We have a very strong emphasis on community and helping our brother and sister, especially in the areas of health and education.

PAT: I've been saying that a lot.

ALEX: Disaster relief and hope is a major focus of what we try to do. And so if attention would come to the Seventh Day Adventist church's name, I hope that they could see that the Seventh Day Adventist church exists to help lift our brothers and sisters to join with our Christian brothers and sisters.

You know, Glenn, you have the Mercury One project. And we are in every state. And there are many ways we can come together as Christians to help lift our brothers and sisters. We have over 90 million people unemployed in this country. And it seems to me that we can use this as an opportunity, as Christian brothers and sisters, and join hands together and lift each other and not denigrate each other, not try to find all the negative things about each other or the differences that we have. There's so many, many things that we have in common. And I think if that can be accomplished as a result of attention brought to our name, I think the Lord would be blessed and the people that God has called us to be served would be lifted.

GLENN: Alexander Bryant, from the Seventh Day Adventist church, thank you so much, sir. I appreciate it. God bless you.

ALEX: Thank you. Okay. God bless you.

GLENN: God bless you.

Fort Knox exposed: Is America's gold MISSING?

Christopher Furlong / Staff | Getty Images

President Trump promised that we would get a peek inside Fort Knox, but are we ready for what we might find?

In this new era of radical transparency, the possibility that the Deep State's darkest secrets could be exposed has many desperate for answers to old questions. Recently, Glenn has zeroed in on gold, specifically America's gold reserves, which are supposed to be locked away inside the vaults of Fort Knox. According to the government, there are 147.3 million ounces of gold stored within several small secured rooms that are themselves locked behind a massive 22 ton vault door, but the truth is that no one has officially seen this gold since 1953. An audit is long overdue, and President Trump has already shown interest in the idea.

America's gold reserve has been surrounded by suspicion for the better part of a hundred years. It all started in 1933, when FDR effectivelynationalized the United States's private gold stores, forcing Americans to sell their gold to the government. This gold was melted down, forged into bars, and stored in the newly constructed U.S. Bullion Depository building at Fort Knox. By 1941, Fort Knox had held 649.6 million ounces of gold—which, you may have noticed, was 502.3 million ounces more than today. We'll come back to that.

By 1944, World War II was ending, and the Allies began planning how to rebuild Europe. The U.N. held a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where the USD was established as the world's reserve currency. This meant that any country (though not U.S. citizens) could exchange the USD for gold at the fixed rate of $35 per ounce. Already, you can see where our gold might have gone.

Jump to the 1960s, where Lyndon B. Johnson was busy digging America into a massive debt hole. Between the Vietnam War and Johnson's "Great Society" project, the U.S. was bleeding cash and printing money to keep up. But now Fort Knox no longer held enough physical gold to cover the $35 an ounce rate promised by the Bretton Woods agreement. France took notice of this weakness and began to redeem hundreds of millions of dollars. In the 70s Nixon staunched this gushing wound by halting foreign nations from redeeming dollars for gold, but this had the adverse effect of ending the gold standard.

This brings us to the present, where inflation is through the roof, no one knows how much gold is actually inside Fort Knox, and someone in America has been buying a LOT of gold. Who is buying this gold? Where is it going and for what purpose? Glenn has a few ideas, and one of them is MUCH better than the other:

The path back to gold

Mario Tama / Staff | Getty Images

One possibility is that all of this gold that has been flooding into America is in preparation for a shift back to a gold-backed, or partial-gold-backed system. The influx of gold corresponds with a comment recently made by Trump's new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who said he was going to:

“Monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people.”

Glenn pointed out that per a 1972 law, the gold in Fort Knox is currently set at a fixed value of $42 an ounce. At the time of this writing, gold was valued at $2,912.09 an ounce, which is more than a 6,800 percent increase. If the U.S. stockpile was revalued to reflect current market prices, it could be used to stabilize the dollar. This could even mean a full, or partial return to the gold standard, depending on the amount of gold currently being imported.

Empty coffers—you will own nothing

Raymond Boyd / Contributor | Getty Images

Unfortunately, Glenn suspects there is another, darker purpose behind the recent gold hubbub.

As mentioned before, the last realaudit of Fort Knox was done under President Eisenhower, in 1953. While the audit passed, a report from the Secretary of the Treasury revealed that a mere 13.6 percent was checked. For the better part of a century, we've had no idea how much gold is present under Fort Knox. After the gold hemorrhage in the 60s, many were suspicious of the status of our gold supply. In the 80s, a wealthy businessman named Edward Durell released over a decade's worth of research that led him to conclude that Fort Knox was all but empty. In short, he claimed that the Federal Reserve had siphoned off all the gold and sold it to Europe.

What would it mean if America's coffers are empty? According to a post by X user Matt Smith that Glenn shared, empty coffers combined with an influx of foreign gold could represent the beginning of a new, controlled economy. We couldstill be headed towards a future where you'll ownnothing.

Glenn: The most important warning of your lifetime—AI is coming for you

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Artificial intelligence isn’t coming. It’s here. The future we once speculated about is no longer science fiction—it’s reality. Every aspect of our lives, from how we work to how we think, is about to change forever. And if you’re not ready for it, you’re already behind. This isn’t just another technological leap. This is the biggest shift humanity has ever faced.

The last call before the singularity

I've been ringing this bell for 30 years. Thirty years warning you about what’s coming. And now, here we are. This isn’t a drill. This isn’t some distant future. It’s happening now. If you don’t understand what’s at stake, you need to wake up—because we have officially crossed the event horizon of artificial intelligence.

What’s an event horizon? It’s the edge of a black hole—the point where you can’t escape, no matter how hard you try. AI is that black hole. The current is too strong. The waterfall is too close. If you haven’t been paying attention, you need to start right now. Because once we reach Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), there is no turning back.

You’ve heard me talk about this for decades. AI isn’t just a fancy Siri. It isn’t just ChatGPT. We are on the verge of machines that will outthink every human who has ever lived—combined. ASI won’t just process information—it will anticipate, decide, and act faster than any of us can comprehend. It will change everything about our world, about our lives.

And yet, the conversation around AI has been wrong. People think the real dangers are coming later—some distant dystopian nightmare. But we are already in it. We’ve passed the point where AI is just a tool. It’s becoming the master. And the people who don’t learn to use it now—who don’t understand it, who don’t prepare for it—are going to be swallowed whole.

I know what some of you are thinking: "Glenn, you’ve spent years warning us about AI, about how dangerous it is. And now you’re telling us to embrace it?" Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Because if you don’t use this tool—if you don’t learn to master it—then you will be at its mercy.

This is not an option anymore. This is survival.

How you must prepare—today

I need you to take AI seriously—right now. Not next year, not five years from now. This weekend.

Here’s what I want you to do: Open up one of these AI tools—Grok 3, ChatGPT, anything advanced—and start using it. If you’re a CEO, have it analyze your competitors. If you’re an artist, let it critique your work. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, have it optimize your budget. Ask it questions. Push it to its limits. Learn what it can do—because if you don’t, you will be left behind.

Let me be crystal clear: AI is not your friend. It’s not your partner. It’s not something to trust. AI is a shovel—an extremely powerful shovel, but still just a tool. And if you don’t understand that, you’re in trouble.

We’ve already seen what happens when we surrender to technology without thinking. Social media rewired our brains. Smartphones reshaped our culture. AI will do all that—and more. If you don’t take control now, AI will control you.

Ask yourself: When AI makes decisions for you—when it anticipates your needs before you even know them—at what point do you stop being the one in charge? At what point does AI stop being a tool and start being your master?

And that’s not even the worst of it. The next step—transhumanism—is coming. It will start with good intentions. Elon Musk is already developing implants to help people walk again. And that’s great. But where does it stop? What happens when people start “upgrading” themselves? What happens when people choose to merge with AI?

I know my answer. I won’t cross that line. But you’re going to have to decide for yourself. And if you don’t start preparing now, that decision will be made for you.


The final warning—act now or be left behind

I need you to hear me. This is not optional. This is not something you can ignore. AI is here. And if you don’t act now, you will be lost.

The next 18 months will change everything. People who don’t prepare—who don’t learn to use AI—will be scrambling to catch up. And they won’t catch up. The gap will be too wide. You’ll either be leading, or you’ll be swallowed whole.

So start this weekend. Learn it. Test it. Push it. Master it. Because the people who don’t? They will be the tools.

The decision is yours. But time is running out.

The coming AI economy and the collapse of traditional jobs

Think back to past technological revolutions. The industrial revolution put countless blacksmiths, carriage makers, and farmhands out of business. The internet wiped out entire industries, from travel agencies to brick-and-mortar retail. AI is bigger than all of those combined. This isn’t just about job automation—it’s about job obliteration.

Doctors, lawyers, engineers—people who thought their jobs were untouchable—will find themselves replaced by AI. A machine that can diagnose disease with greater accuracy, draft legal documents in seconds, or design infrastructure faster than an entire team of engineers will be cheaper, faster, and better than human labor. If you’re not preparing for that reality, you’re already falling behind.

What does this mean for you? It means constant adaptation. Every three to five years, you will need to redefine your role, retrain, and retool. The only people who survive this AI revolution will be the ones who understand its capabilities and learn to work with it, not against it.

The moral dilemma: When do you stop being human?

The real danger of AI isn’t just economic—it’s existential. When AI merges with humans, we will face an unprecedented question: At what point do we stop being human?

Think about it. If you implant a neural chip that gives you access to the entire internet in your mind, are you still the same person? If your thoughts are intertwined with AI-generated responses, where do you end and AI begins? This is the future we are hurtling toward, and few people are even asking the right questions.

I’m asking them now. And you should be too. Because that line—between human and machine—is coming fast. You need to decide now where you stand. Because once we cross it, there is no going back.

Final thoughts: Be a leader, not a follower

AI isn’t a passing trend. It’s not a gadget or a convenience. It is the most powerful force humanity has ever created. And if you don’t take the time to understand it now, you will be at its mercy.

This is the defining moment of our time. Will you be a master of AI? Or will you be mastered by it? The choice is yours. But if you wait too long, you won’t have a choice at all.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Trump's Zelenskyy deal falls apart: What happened and what's next?

SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump offered Zelenskyy a deal he couldn’t refuse—but Zelenskyy rejected it outright.

Last Friday, President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington to sign a historic agreement aimed at ending the brutal war ravaging Ukraine. Joined by Vice President J.D. Vance, Trump met with Zelenskyy and the press before the leaders were set to retreat behind closed doors to finalize the deal. Acting as a gracious host, Trump opened the meeting by praising Zelenskyy and the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers. He expressed enthusiasm for the proposed agreement, emphasizing its benefits—such as access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals for the U.S.—and publicly pledged continued American aid in exchange.

Zelenskyy, however, didn’t share Trump’s optimism. Throughout the meeting, he interrupted repeatedly and openly criticized both Trump and Vance in front of reporters. Tensions escalated until Vance, visibly frustrated, fired back. The exchange turned the meeting hostile, and by its conclusion, Trump withdrew his offer. Rather than staying in Washington to resolve the conflict, Zelenskyy promptly left for Europe to seek support from the European Union.

As Glenn pointed out, Trump had carefully crafted this deal to benefit all parties, including Russia. Zelenskyy’s rejection was a major misstep.

Trump's generous offer to Zelenskyy

Glenn took to his whiteboard—swapping out his usual chalkboard—to break down Trump’s remarkable deal for Zelenskyy. He explained how it aligned with several of Trump’s goals: cutting spending, advancing technology and AI, and restoring America’s position as the dominant world power without military action. The deal would have also benefited the EU by preventing another war, revitalizing their economy, and restoring Europe’s global relevance. Ukraine and Russia would have gained as well, with the war—already claiming over 250,000 lives—finally coming to an end.

The media has portrayed last week’s fiasco as an ambush orchestrated by Trump to humiliate Zelenskyy, but that’s far from the truth. Zelenskyy was only in Washington because he had already rejected the deal twice—first refusing Vice President Vance and then Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It was Zelenskyy who insisted on traveling to America to sign the deal at the White House. If anyone set an ambush, it was him.

The EU can't help Ukraine

JUSTIN TALLIS / Contributor | Getty Images

After clashing with Trump and Vance, Zelenskyy wasted no time leaving D.C. The Ukrainian president should have stayed, apologized to Trump, and signed the deal. Given Trump’s enthusiasm and a later comment on Truth Social—where he wrote, “Zelenskyy can come back when he is ready for peace”—the deal could likely have been revived.

Meanwhile, in London, over a dozen European leaders, joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, convened an emergency meeting dubbed the “coalition of the willing” to ensure peace in Ukraine. This coalition emerged as Europe’s response to Trump’s withdrawal from the deal. By the meeting’s end, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a four-point plan to secure Ukrainian independence.

Zelenskyy, however, appears less than confident in the coalition’s plan. Recently, he has shifted his stance toward the U.S., apologizing to Trump and Vance and expressing gratitude for the generous military support America has already provided. Zelenskyy now says he wants to sign Trump’s deal and work under his leadership.

This is shaping up to be another Trump victory.

Glenn: No more money for the war machine, Senator McConnell

Tom Williams / Contributor | Getty Images

Senator McConnell, your call for more Pentagon spending is as tone-deaf as it is reckless. The United States already spends more on its military than the next nine countries combined — over $877 billion in 2023 alone, dwarfing China ($292 billion), Russia ($86 billion), and the entire EU’s collective defense budgets. And yet here you are, clamoring for more, as if throwing cash at an outdated war machine will somehow secure our future.

The world is changing, Senator, and your priorities are stuck in a bygone era.

Aircraft carriers — those floating behemoths you and the Pentagon so dearly love — are relics of the past. In the next real conflict, they’ll be as useless as horses were in World War I. Speaking of which, Europe entered that war with roughly 25 million horses; by 1918, fewer than 10 million remained, slaughtered by machine guns and artillery they couldn’t outrun.

That’s the fate awaiting your precious carriers against modern threats — sunk by hypersonic missiles or swarms of AI-driven drones before they can even launch a jet. The 1950s called, Senator — they want their war plans back.

The future isn’t in steel and jet fuel; it’s in artificial intelligence and artificial superintelligence. Every dollar spent on yesterday’s hardware is a dollar wasted in three years when AI upends everything we know about warfare. Worse, with the Pentagon’s track record, every dollar spent today could balloon into two or three dollars of inflation tomorrow, thanks to the House and Senate’s obscene spending spree.

We’re drowning in $34 trillion of national debt — 128% of GDP, a level unseen since World War II. Annual deficits hit $1.7 trillion in 2023, and interest payments alone are projected to top $1 trillion by 2026.

This isn’t sustainable; it’s a fiscal time bomb.

And yet you want to shovel more taxpayer money into a Pentagon that hasn’t passed a single audit in its history? Six attempts since 2018, six failures — trillions unaccounted for, waste so rampant that it defies comprehension. It’s irresponsible — bordering on criminal — to suggest more spending when the DOD can’t even count the cash it’s got.

The real threat isn’t just from abroad, though those dangers are profound. It’s from within. The call is coming from inside the house, Senator — and not just the House, but the Senate too. Your refusal to adapt is jeopardizing our security more than any foreign adversary.

Look at China’s drone shows — thousands of synchronized lights painting the sky. Now imagine those aren’t fireworks but weaponized drones, each one cheap, precise, and networked by AI. A single swarm could cripple our planes, ships, tanks, and troops before we fire a shot. Ukraine’s drone wars have already shown this reality: $500 drones taking out $10 million tanks. That’s the future staring us down, and we’re still polishing Cold War relics.

Freeze every bloated project.

Redirect everything — every dime, every mind — toward winning the AI/ASI race. That’s the only battlefield that matters. We’ve got enough stockpiles to handle any foreseeable war in the next three years and a president fighting to end conflicts, not start them. Your plea for more spending isn’t just misguided — it’s a betrayal of the American people sinking under debt and inflation while you chase ghosts of wars past.

Or is it even that senator? Perhaps I have buried the lede, but I am not sure if the following stats will help people understand why this op-ed might have been written by someone in your office.

Your state, Kentucky is:

  • 45th in GDP Per Capita
  • 44th in Employment
  • 42nd in High School Diplomas

And 11th in Defense-related defense contract spending

Who are you actually concerned about, Senator? The safety of the American people or your war machine buddies?

Thanks, but no thanks.