New Video Series For America’s 250th Teaches Americans Why They Should Love Their History
'We can’t remember it very well if we don’t know it very well. And so, part of the purpose of this series of lectures is to remember.''We can’t remember it very well if we don’t know it very well. And so, part of the purpose of this series of lectures is to remember.'Meet the Millennial influencer running to be Michigan’s next US senator
The 2026 U.S. Senate race in Michigan now has its first official candidate: State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Millennial Democrat from Oakland County who shot to national attention with a viral floor speech. She’s betting that moment can carry her all the way to the world’s greatest deliberative body.
Before Democrats and their media lapdogs start drafting puff pieces and polishing the pedestal, they should ask a harder question: Who is Mallory McMorrow — and more importantly, who is she not?
This isn’t just political positioning. It’s a fundamental disconnect. McMorrow’s politics are tailored for retweets, not results.
McMorrow isn’t a product of Michigan grit. She’s a coastal transplant from suburban New Jersey with a degree from Notre Dame and a résumé that reads like a LinkedIn influencer’s dream. She landed in Michigan less than a decade ago and began branding herself as the conscience of the Midwest. But Michiganders know the difference between authenticity and ambition.
McMorrow presents herself as a pragmatic progressive. In reality, she mimics the Instagram-ready style of coastal elites and peddles the kind of policies that might play in Brooklyn or Silver Lake, but not in Battle Creek or Midland.
Take her recent appearance on “Off the Record” with Tim Skubick, a Michigan political staple. Asked about boys competing in girls’ sports, McMorrow didn’t just sidestep the issue — she leaned into it, defending the far-left line with social media polish and no concern for the working-class parents listening at home.
This isn’t just political positioning. It’s a fundamental disconnect. McMorrow talks unity and moderation while aligning herself with activists who push fringe agendas. She sells herself as a consensus-builder while alienating the very voters she claims to represent. Her politics are tailored for retweets, not results.
If Attorney General Dana Nessel jumps into the primary, that contrast will become impossible to ignore. Say what you will about Nessel — she’s blunt, combative, and never confused for anything but herself. She doesn’t hide her ideology or try to sugarcoat her record for the national press. In a matchup, McMorrow won’t just have to explain her platform — she’ll have to explain her reinvention.
A real race demands contrast and courage. Michigan voters don’t need more social media senators. They need leaders who know the price of gas, not just the latest polling memo. They need fighters who understand what Michigan families face every day — not what’s trending in a D.C. group chat.
To her credit, McMorrow is young, articulate, and eager to chart a new course. That’s not nothing. But the path forward for Michigan isn’t progressive posturing. It’s common-sense governance rooted in the lives of working families — not curated identities shaped by PR consultants and filtered through national donor networks.
Republicans need to seize this opportunity. Michigan requires a new generation of GOP leadership — grounded, principled, and ready to fight. I know that generation exists. I see it in the state legislature. I see it in young constitutional conservatives who understand the dignity of work, the sanctity of family, and the value of a dollar.
As a Millennial myself, I know we don’t need more viral fame. We need values. We don’t need slogans. We need substance.
In the coming months, you’ll hear a lot about Mallory McMorrow — there will be glossy profiles, glowing press, and lots of digital fanfare. But underneath the branding is a clear ambition: to take Michigan’s Senate seat and turn it into a springboard for the next liberal celebrity.
We’ve seen that movie before. We know how it ends.
The real question is whether Michigan voters will choose performance or principle.
I believe they’ll choose principle. Because in Michigan, authenticity still matters. Common sense still counts. And we still believe a senator should represent everyday citizens worried about the price of a gallon of milk — not the Met Gala elite sipping champagne just across the Hudson from McMorrow’s home state.
While other sports bow to wokeism, NASCAR keeps it patriotic
For many drivers in NASCAR, it turns out that the only things that lean left are their steering wheels.
Last weekend, I had the joy of taking my son to the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction to watch our good friend Carl Edwards take his place among the sport’s legends. His name is now forever cemented in racing history.
Unlike the bureaucratic diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that permeate other industries, NASCAR thrives on true merit. Skill and guts determine success.
Admittedly, we were both a little giddy at the thought of mingling with NASCAR superstars. But that’s not who we met — at least, not at first. Seated at our dinner table were three men and their wives, engaged in conversation about fatherhood, education models for our kids, and the churches we attend. Long after dinner ended, I finally learned the identities of our tablemates — David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, and Michael McDowell.
Collectively, they have 103 top-10 finishes and two Daytona 500 victories. Bayne, in fact, remains the youngest driver ever to win the race, taking the checkered flag just one day after his 20th birthday. But for these men, success isn’t measured by trophies or Victory Lane celebrations — it’s defined by their faith, families, and the values they uphold.
Faith, family, and country — values often associated with the conservative movement — take the pole position in NASCAR. Every major American sport plays the national anthem before competition, but NASCAR goes farther, opening each race with a pre-race prayer.
While the NBA cozies up to China and the NFL tries to “end racism” with end-zone slogans, NASCAR proudly embraces conservative values. The sport has a long history of welcoming Republican presidents — Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump are the only presidents to serve as grand marshal for the Daytona 500. NASCAR also gave rise to the infamous “Let’s Go Brandon” chant, and in 2016, then-Chairman and CEO Brian France publicly endorsed Trump for president. He stood alongside my dinner companion, David Ragan, and other top drivers.
This Sunday, Michael McDowell will return to Daytona, aiming to win NASCAR’s most prestigious race a second time. But victory on the track isn’t what he promotes most. On his personal website, under his career stats — next to achievements like two-time playoff contender, Brickyard winner, and Daytona champion — McDowell proudly lists himself as a “follower of Jesus and outspoken Christian athlete.” He also highlights his role as a “family man (father of five) and strong advocate for adoption.” He might as well add “All-American.”
NASCAR deserves credit for allowing its drivers to be so open about their values. Unlike the NFL, which fines players for showing public support for a presidential candidate, or Major League Baseball, which honored a group of queer and drag performers dressed as nuns with a Community Hero award, NASCAR encourages its athletes to stand by their beliefs.
As McDowell put it, “NASCAR has always allowed me to organically live out my faith on and off the racetrack. We are a patriotic sport that unapologetically celebrates faith, family, and country.” Hallelujah.
Faith, family, and country were also central themes in Carl Edwards’ Hall of Fame induction speech. Reflecting on his decision to retire at the peak of his career, he said, “Every prize has its price … and the prize of my family was worth that price.” He ended his speech with a powerful statement: “I realized that all these miracles — I wasn’t alone. God is real. God was beside me.”
This week on my podcast, “We the People,” Edwards shared another perspective that speaks to his character and beliefs: “One of the things I’m most grateful for, the older I get, is the United States of America … the idea of individual freedom and liberty.” Carl Edwards isn’t just a Hall of Famer — he’s a Hall of Fame human being.
While faith, family, and country reflect a set of values, openly standing for them requires a specific character trait — one that is also essential for success in racing: courage. It takes extraordinary bravery to drive at speeds exceeding 200 mph, inches away from competitors, knowing that one wrong move could end in disaster.
Unlike the bureaucratic diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that permeate other industries, NASCAR thrives on true merit. Skill and guts determine success. On a racetrack, the only DEI that matters is don’t ever ignore the rules — or you could die.
Nothing defines America more than courage. We would not have a country without the courage of George Washington, and all men would not be free without the courage of Abraham Lincoln. This freedom doesn’t endure without the courage of our servicemen and women defending it. The examples are endless, and it is now “courageous” for athletes and entertainers to promote their traditionally conservative values.
Edwards said his speech was “all about gratitude.” If you are grateful for America and are looking for a sport that celebrates it, tune in this Sunday and cheer for NASCAR’s finest to carry our values across the finish line at Daytona. My son and I will do the same, but we will be a little particular to our new favorite racer, Michael McDowell.
Trump’s commonsense approach is the gift America needed
In a memorable scene from 1992’s “Home Alone 2,” Donald Trump guides a lost Kevin McCallister to the lobby of the Plaza Hotel. As Christmas approaches this year, Trump’s commonsense approach resonates even more in a culture filled with lost children.
Donald Trump’s election, along with the drama surrounding it — from indictments and FBI raids to Hitler comparisons, McDonald’s meals, and garbage trucks — highlights one thing: America was starving for what Trump promised to deliver: sanity.
Trump was the little boy who said the emperor had no clothes — who gave us permission to say what we always knew was true.
For years, Americans felt pressured to accept woke ideologies that clashed with natural law, common sense, and the timeless values of faith, family, and truth. Trump’s decisive victory proved Americans are rejecting wokeness and overcoming the fear of standing by those values in their daily lives.
Even prominent left-wing media outlets couldn’t ignore the rejection. The New York Times, long viewed as a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party, admitted that identity politics — which surged after George Floyd’s death in 2020 — had lost its hold on the nation.
Americans have turned away from a culture dominated by destructive woke ideology. When a billionaire from New York connects more with the common man than elected officials, it’s a sign of the times. In a political landscape filled with confusion, Trump’s straightforward truths resonate.
The hope and redemption of Christmas stand in stark contrast to the divisive, militant ideology the left has pushed on Americans in recent years.
While Kamala Harris pounded the table for late-term abortion and sex changes for undocumented minors, Trump, in ironic yet comedic fashion, emerged as the candidate for everyday people with commonsense values. He invited Americans to overcome the fear of stating simple truths.
Men can’t get pregnant. The climate isn’t on the brink of ending the world. People are not defined solely by race. Family is the foundation of a thriving society. Christianity is not the enemy of the state. Men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports or use their locker rooms. Faith, work, and family give life purpose and meaning.
Trump was the little boy who said the emperor had no clothes — who gave us permission to say what we always knew was true.
As a result, this Christmas, we see an embrace of common sense and a positive spirit about the future, a cultural revival rooted in values.
Bible sales are surging, particularly among first-time and younger buyers. Christmas movies and pro-family advertisements dominate the cultural conversation as brands move away from demeaning Christmas and instead embrace faith and family. Companies like Apple and Volvo have shifted from woke messaging to themes of family, life, and connection, recognizing the changing cultural tide.
Celebrities, often pressured to align with woke ideologies, are also embracing their faith this Christmas. Gwen Stefani, a lifelong Catholic, made a notable public shift this year by openly expressing her faith. She endorsed the Christian prayer app Hallow, encouraging her followers to join her and “millions of other Christians around the world as we celebrate the truth that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.”
The election results — and the public’s reaction to them — show America is better than how the media and the left often portray us. We are not hateful racists. Instead, we are people who love our families, work hard to provide for them, and recognize when we are being lied to.
Treating Americans as stupid backfired this election cycle, and speaking common sense was rewarded. The response has been appropriate: getting back to reason, faith, and a positive spirit that looks at the good qualities of individuals, not viewing them as irredeemable bigots.
Kevin did find the lobby in the Plaza and was eventually reunited with his family. We don’t need Trump to solve all our problems. We do need him to stick to common sense so we can raise our kids, practice our faith, and see that we and our country have many sins but are still redeemable. Merry Christmas.
Why I choose candidates who defend my values over those who despise them
Kamala Harris has been speaking at churches over the past few weeks, including congregations in Atlanta and Philadelphia. While President Trump is expected to gain strong support from white evangelicals, Harris appears to be aiming for similar backing among black Christians. However, she represents a party whose top policy priorities — such as abortion and Pride Month celebrations — conflict with biblical teachings.
In politics, I believe values should always trump skin color. My faith shapes my views and my vote, even though I understand that no party or candidate can fully align with my beliefs. Ideally, a Christian should seek a candidate who shares, embodies, and legislates biblical values. This is the kind of leader with the character, understanding, and temperament to promote policies that support civil order and human flourishing. While some argue that morality can’t be legislated, few would dispute the need for laws against theft, perjury, or murder.
If using the Bible to dismantle racial discrimination was righteous in 1964, why is it hateful to use it to defend the unborn and uphold the sex binary in 2024?
Every law reflects someone’s belief system. Politicians with strong convictions on family, education, and public safety issues will often champion these values, even when others shy away. The principled politician uses the bully pulpit to promote a positive cultural vision, resisting the fierce political headwinds that protect the status quo.
Sometimes, no candidate running shares your values. When that happens, I turn to the next tier of candidates — those who respect, accept, and defend my values. For example, a politician doesn’t need to be a church deacon to see the hypocrisy of a city prohibiting a congregation from gathering outdoors during COVID-19 while allowing a large political march a month before a presidential election. Similarly, a candidate who sends their child to a private school can still advocate school choice policies that benefit working-class families.
On the other hand, a politician who sends their kids to an expensive private school but opposes programs that would extend this option to poor and working-class families represents the lowest tier of candidates. These politicians despise, condemn, and even criminalize my values. My primary identities are Christian, husband, and father — in that order. I cannot, in good conscience, vote for a politician whose policies are hostile to any of these. Colorado baker Jack Phillips spent over a decade fighting frivolous lawsuits because progressives view Christians who don’t conform to LGBT ideology as bigots.
Yes, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are on the ballot, but faithful Christians should see the 2024 election as less about a choice between two candidates and more about a clash of worldviews.
The vice president’s decision to make abortion the centerpiece of her campaign is a reflection of the modern left’s priorities. So was Joe Biden’s decision to appoint a man who “identifies” as a woman — Dr. “Rachel” Levine, born Richard — as the most visible figure in the nation’s public health system. Given the fact Harris bragged about providing surgery for transgender inmates while she was California’s attorney general, voters can expect even more radicalism if she becomes president.
It’s no surprise that the administration labels the social, chemical, and surgical “transition” of minors as “gender-affirming care” and criticizes conservative states attempting to ban such procedures on minors.
Democrats have elevated pride — a traditional deadly sin — to one of their three core virtues, alongside abortion and pagan Earth worship. This may sound simplistic to some, but progressives today are more vocal about promoting social norms tied to sexual orientation and gender identity than about advancing policies on labor or infrastructure.
This is why elected officials in federal, state, and local government all bow before the Pride flag. The mayor of New York City said drag queens are advancing a love of literacy in the nation’s largest school district. Wisconsin’s governor bragged on social media about signing a bill that would keep boys out of girls’ sports. In fact, it is far more difficult to find a congressional Democrat who affirms there are only two sexes than it is to find one who rejects the belief men can have babies.
The evidence is crystal clear: These aren’t your daddy’s Democrats.
On the other side is Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Like all slogans, people read meaning into those words in ways that sometimes sound absurd, including the assumption that the former president wants to return the country to the political and social norms of the Jim Crow South.
The core of the MAGA movement puts the interests of American citizens above those of foreign nations and international organizations. It advocates strong borders, lower taxes, domestic energy production, conservative judicial appointments, pro-life policies, a strong economy, law and order, school choice, and the natural family.
Nothing in this agenda conflicts with a Christian’s commitment to God. Loving our neighbors doesn’t mean encouraging them to reject their God-given bodies for a “gender identity” that leads to cross-sex hormones and genital mutilation.
Some Christians refuse to vote for Donald Trump due to his speech, demeanor, and conduct, arguing that character is an essential quality in a leader. However, a soft-spoken figure like Dr. Ben Carson can support both pro-manners and pro-MAGA policies, while today’s Democratic candidates at all levels of government align with pro-LGBT and pro-abortion agendas. Rejecting God’s creational work in Genesis isn’t a bug in the left’s political project — it’s a defining feature.
That said, an honest look at both parties should caution believers against equating the Republican Party with biblical values. I understand the concern. The GOP’s 2024 platform softened its language on key social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. Trump has criticized pro-life laws in Florida and other states as too strict, although he consistently maintains that abortion laws should be decided at the state level.
Many Christians view a vote for the Harris-Walz ticket as a vote for civility, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Campaign surrogates use race and gender to persuade voters, from black men to white Christians, into supporting politicians who oppose their values. Americans — regardless of color — should not fall for this trap. If using the Bible to dismantle racial discrimination was righteous in 1964, why is it hateful to use it to defend the unborn and uphold the sex binary in 2024?
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