Conservative Review with Daniel Horowitz

On today’s special show, I’m joined by Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of fiscal and social conservatism. Kevin outlines some of the unique opportunities we have to change direction and fuse populist campaign rhetoric with conservative outcomes on budget and inflation. We discuss the need to devolve programs to the states, thereby achieving durable policy victories that will survive a Democrat resurgence. We also discuss the more challenging aspects of social values that are eroding even on the right. Heritage is working on a family policy plan that will cut through the false choices that are presented to women these days. Kevin’s vision is presented in his new book, “Dawn’s Early Light.” 
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Both at the federal and state levels, if we fail to put pressure on the GOP, the same leaders and influencers will continue to subvert our mandate. I begin with federal news by noting that Nancy Mace’s fake fight against transgenderism is actually subversive because she is the source of the problem. Also, I delve into Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's op-ed about “DOGE” and raise some concerns that they are skirting the big spending problems while giving the impression that they are discovering some innovative way to cut inflation simply by making the government more efficient. Next, I go through a list of red-state RINO problems, including the incoming speaker of the Missouri House, Jon Patterson. We’re joined today by Missouri state Rep. Justin Sparks, who is challenging Patterson for the speakership. Sparks warns that Patterson blocked ways to defeat the abortion amendment on the ballot, wants to treat abortion as the law of the land, opposed banning chemical castration, and supported denying organ transplants to those who didn’t get the COVID shots! He warns conservatives to stay engaged in legislative affairs because if they fall asleep, the same bad guys will continue to run the party and the red states into the ground.  
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After some uplifting news following the election, I bring you back to reality. Congress still has a massive RINO problem. It’s just that members like Nancy Mace ride our wave of success and ingratiate themselves using the successful fight against transgenderism, even though they continue to believe in the radical feminism and gender-bending that created the problem. Also, I’m very concerned about Dr. Oz being elevated to administrator of CMS. Next, we’re joined by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) who warns that Republicans have not changed their attitude in Congress, and absent outside activists pressuring them, they will return to the same old behavior. In fact, he lists a bunch of bad bills they are already promoting. Chip also lays out the case for massive spending cuts, a cool-off on immigration, welfare and health care reform, and how to utilize leverage points to fulfill the mandate. After some uplifting news following the election, I bring you back to reality. Congress still has a massive RINO problem. It’s just that members like Nancy Mace ride our wave of success and ingratiate themselves using the successful fight against transgenderism, even though they continue to believe in the radical feminism and gender-bending that created the problem. Also, I’m very concerned about Dr. Oz being elevated to administrator of CMS. Next, we’re joined by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) who warns that Republicans have not changed their attitude in Congress, and absent outside activists pressuring them, they will return to the same old behavior. In fact, he lists a bunch of bad bills they are already promoting. Chip also lays out the case for massive spending cuts, a cool-off on immigration, welfare and health care reform, and how to utilize leverage points to fulfill the mandate. 
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There are signs that Gen Z is fed up with the Left. But we have not yet educated Gen Zers on affirmative good – the constitutional and biblical values that will rebuild civilization. Today, I broadcast with Rick Green from Patriot Academy’s campus, where we delve into the Patriot Academy program to bring college-age kids down to its mock legislative chamber to go through a simulation of a legislative session. Patriot Academy teaches biblical citizenship in a way nobody else does. Rick and I also delve into knotty issues, such as the cultural rotgut on the right, godless conservatism, and why Republican parents are raising Democrat daughters. It all stems from biblical and civic ignorance. If we don’t plug the gap now, we will not have a red America for the next generation.

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You can win elections on mommy messaging, but you must govern like a daddy. The time has come for Republicans to be honest with the American people. The reason we have inflation is because of the programs people are addicted to. Today, I present a strategy and messaging for Trump to use the veto pen and his bully pulpit as leverage on the few spending bills and reauthorizations of programs that matter. Republicans must lead by example and refuse to spend money on their own pet projects. Next, I delve into immigration. We must stop promoting mommy messaging of “illegal bad, legal good.” Unfortunately, that is the direction many Republicans are headed. Finally, I discuss the need to be the daddy party and categorically oppose the gender-bending of our women.
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The nomination of RFK Jr. to HHS is a dream come true for the medical freedom movement. But others in the media are missing the salient point about how we got here. Trump was forced to concede the vaccine issue to RFK because he was willing to follow through with an independent run in a way that would have assured Trump’s loss. Today, I make the point that we need to play the same hardball with RINOs who win primaries and demand a seat at the table. This is coalition government at its finest. I also outline what RFK can do administratively without changing laws. Finally, I warn about what it will take to cut spending and that we don’t need a Manhattan Project to downsize government. We just need to be honest. 
 
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Now is the time for serious governing. We need to cut expensive programs and reform the government’s role in our lives. With that said, I explain why I am pessimistic about the current leadership in Congress and their will to change their priorities. I also discuss my thoughts on Trump’s Cabinet picks and note that it’s the West Wing leadership that will control the direction more than department heads. The main course today is a deep dive into how the Federal Reserve is responsible for inflation and the housing crisis and how to reform it. Famed economist Brian Wesbury joins us for a comprehensive analysis of how the Federal Reserve’s mission creep into quantitative easing has contributed to inflation. Brian makes a case for terminating the Fed's ability to focus on employment, ending its authority to buy up assets, and reform its personnel and culture.  
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Conservatives are celebrating Trump’s Cabinet picks, and undoubtedly the foreign policy and national security choices are great. However, the real shortcomings of the first term were in domestic policy. On that front, we still have a lot of work to do. I explain how success in dealing with inflation boils down to several proposals on cutting corporate and individual welfare and devolving them to the states. Any discussion about “waste, fraud, and abuse” is a fraud. Moreover, we just re-elected the same congressional leaders. Yet the Trump media mob are trying to demand that DeSantis appoint Lara Trump to the Senate rather than using their influence to go after RINOs. 

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First, we review the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump’s appointees so far. I make the case for shooting down Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary and Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary. Also, with Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, I argue that the best person to fill his Senate seat is James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff. Next, we’re joined by my colleague Kevin Freeman, author of “Pirate Money,” for an update on his plan to enact transactional gold in the states. He offers a sobering view of the feasibility of ever cutting spending at the federal level. He believes the best we can do is work with the Trump administration to facilitate the designation of transactional gold as functional and legal tender. We are facing unavoidable economic pain; we as may as well build an escape hatch. Kevin has the most realistic plan to do just that. He believes that if Texas and Florida adopt this plan, it will be more transformational than anything we can hope for in Congress.    
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We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to forge transformational change, but only through a narrow path of issues and leverage points. Today, I explain how we are only in the pregame show and have not faced the adverse headwinds that will determine whether we succeed or not. On the personal level, going forward, I will not presuppose victory when it's not there yet, nor will I pre-judge failure based on problems with Trump’s first term. Part of utilizing this opportunity is finally leaning into primaries. Many conservatives are upset at GOP senators for supporting the same McConnell-style candidates for majority leader, but they should have gotten involved in primaries. Many of these RINOs are up in 2026, and the time to start planning is now. I also go through some of Trump’s political appointments. Finally, I warn about the coming “economic populism” canard from Democrats and how to disarm it.
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