(upbeat music)
- Welcome to Faith Nation.
I'm Jenna Browder.
- And I'm John Jessup.
A caravan of CentralAmerican migrants headed to
the United States has become a hot topic
before the upcoming mid-term elections.
The group is not up to 7,000and continue to move closer
to the U.S.-Mexico border.
- CBN's National SecurityCorrespondent, Eric Rosales,
spoke with immigration experts and Eric,
they told you that thisis really a prime example
of a group's grandstanding outof desperation and poverty.
- Yes, they certainly did.
Ya know, President Trump, on Monday said
that the United Stateswill begin to cut off
or reduce aid to Honduras,Guatemala, and El Salvador
as the citizens to those countries head
for the U.S. as part of theso-called caravan of migrants.
President Trump declareda national emergency
claiming that unknown Middle Easterners
had joined the group.
He tweeted, "Sadly, itlooks like Mexico's Police
"and military are unableto stop the caravan
"heading to the southernborder of the United States."
- You have some verytough criminal elements
within the caravan, but Iwill seal off the border
before they come into this country
and I'll bring out our military.
- This whole problem thathas been going on now
really since 2012 wasprecipitated by the Obama's
administrations creation of DACA.
People got the messagethat kids could stay.
- [Eric] Steve Camarota of the
Center For ImmigrationStudies blames Congress for
not fixing the broken immigration system.
Some immigrants, he says, are using these
undocumented children toget their day in court
and never showing up for it.
Camarota adds these Honduranshave traveled through
Guatemala and Mexico andboth countries have asylum
procedures but theirgoal is to live illegally
in a rich country like the United States.
- The number of people inthe asylum queue right now
is nearly or is 300,000 plus.
That has grown more thansix-fold in the last few years.
So, there's been an explosion.
The whole thing is kind ofground to a halt our ability
to process these claims.
Everybody knows that.
Come with the kid.
We'll release you into the United States.
- [Eric] Heritage Foundation'ssenior policy analyst,
Ana Quintana writes thatformer Honduran legislature,
Bartolo Fuentes, a memberof the radical leftist
Libre party is behind the caravan.
According to Quintana, Libreis not a political party,
but a destabilizing movement.
It was founded in 2011by the former President
of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.
She adds Zelaya is an allyof socialist governments
in Latin America, likethe Castro regime in Cuba.
She calls this caravanantic right outta the left's
disorder and chaos playbook.
It's unclear right now ifPresident Trump will take
unilateral action toreally reduce foreign aid
or if he will actually send troops down to
the southern border.
Pentagon sources I spokewith say right now,
some 2100 National Guardsoldiers are working
side by side with border patrolalong the U.S.-Mexico border
but so far, the Pentagon hasnot received any new orders
to provide more troopsfor border security.
John?
- We know Congress isn'tscheduled to return to Washington
until after the mid-term elections.
- That's right.
- But still, no doubt,
these loopholes still have to be fixed.
- They certainly do, John.
I mean, why would anyone stop coming?
When you look at it,the Ninth Circuit Court
stated that border patrolagents cannot detain anymore
families for more than 20 days.
A judge stated that youcan't separate families
and that the families that are separated,
they can't be deported.
So we can't detain themenough because also,
Congress failed to fund ICE.
So, these illegals literallyhave a free pass right now.
Now it's been reported thatGuatemala's President announced
just last week that hiscountry has apprehended
and deported nearly 100ISIS-linked operatives
who were in the caravan.
As a person who studies national security,
the problem's not a lack of compassion,
but rather a dangerousprecedent that no country
has ever allowed, ya know?
You be able to come into this country,
get your day in court and donothing when you don't show up.
- Eric Rosales, thanks for that report.
- Alright John.
(swiping)
- Jonathan Merritt is the author of
Learning to Speak God From Scratch.
He also writes about theintersection of culture
and politics and Jonathan joins us now.
Jonathan, thanks for being here.
- Oh my gosh, it's my pleasureto be with you, as always.
- Jonathan, what are your thoughts?
What do you make of this caravan moving
closer to the United States?
- You know, if you look at the pictures,
there's a lot of I thinkcaricaturing that happens
on both sides of the spectrum.
If you look at the pictures,there are a lot of women.
There are a lot of children.
And that's really difficult.
It's really difficult then.
It puts, I think, particularly Christians
of an evangelical nature ina really difficult position
where here are God's children,
people who are in need, peoplewho are fleeing violence,
and are trying to come tothe United States for safety.
We have offered people whoare poor and who are in danger
refuge since the inception of our country
and yet, there are alsoreports of violence
as this caravan travels andso, there are a lot of people
who are a little bit, andperhaps understandably uneasy
about letting individuals into our country
who may or maybe shouldn't be here.
I think you're gonnafind that evangelicals
kind of reflect thattension across America
and they feel a little bit tornwhen it comes to this issue.
- It's a tough issue, no doubt.
You had a tweet theother day Jonathan that
while some are politicizingand creating fear
about this caravan, Christiansshould have a different word
for caravan and you saythat's God's children.
How can people of faith balance the call
to serve the least of these,
but still live in a nation thatdoes have laws and borders?
- Yeah, you know, I thinkone of the easiest things
for us to do, not just asChristians, but as citizens,
is to give a label to someoneor to a group of someones
that allows us to just put em in a box,
stick em on the shelf in the attic
and we don't have to think about it.
So if you call someonea criminal, for example,
a lawbreaker, a rule breaker,
it says something about themthat allows you to put them
in a box and say, "Well,if they're criminal,
"then I guess we don't letthem into the country,"
but you'll remember there wereplenty of people who marched
over the bridges in Selma
who were technically criminals.
Martin Luther King Jr. wastechnically a law breaker.
People who sat at lunchcounters were law breakers.
We have a rich history inthe Christian tradition
of law breakers who wenow call church fathers,
who we now call apostles.
There are a rich tradition ofpeople who have broken laws
but have broken themfor righteous reasons.
So I think we need maybe alittle bit more of a nuance
perspective and it beginsby giving every human being
the label that theologically they deserve,
which is children of God,
bearers of God's image, peoplewho deserve to be treated
with dignity and respectand if we can move out
from there, allowing thatto kind of be your center,
I think it allows us tohave maybe a little bit more
of a biblical perspective if you will
or even more of a theological perspective
without rushing rightaway to the political.
- And Jonathan, just a few seconds left,
but for most evangelicals, social issues,
like abortion, religiousfreedom, are big factors
when it comes to voting.
How do you think immigrationranks among them?
- You know, I think it ranks up there,
but if you look at theway that that particularly
evangelicals in this countryare picking and choosing
which we all pick andchoose, issues like abortion
are much higher on their list.
Issues like religious libertyare much higher on their list.
Who you're gonna pick tosit on the Supreme Court,
for example, if you'revoting for President,
that is a big issue.
I think what we have seenover the last few years
and if you look at the data,it sort of bears this out
and if you look at theway evangelical leaders,
people like Russell Moore and World Vision
and World Relief have sort ofengaged around these issues,
the immigration round table, for example,
you aren't finding thatimmigration, which was once
really far down on their listhas begun to inch its way up.
The more that you see storieslike this splashed across
our televisions and cablenews, I think you're gonna find
that evangelicals in Americaare not going to be able
to turn a blind eye to it.
They're going to have tobegin prioritizing that
higher than they have in years passed.
- Jonathan Merritt, we always appreciate
your thoughtful analysis.
Thank you for joining us.
- My pleasure.
- Well, immigration hasbeen a point of debate
in the lead up to the mid-term elections,
especially in the great state of Texas.
Capitol Hill correspondentAbigail Robertson
recently returned from SanAntonio and she joins us now.
Abby, immigration, of course,
has been a big talking pointduring the debate between
Senator Ted Cruz and hischallenger, Beto O'Rourke.
What were you hearing on theground when you were there?
- Yes, definitely.
It is massive in Texasbecause of how close they are
to the border and one thing Ifound particularly interesting
in Texas, is there are some pro-life women
who are saying they're going to vote for
Congressman O'Rourkebecause of the issue of
separating families at the border
and they're very against thatand they say they're pro-life.
Right now, they see that as a more
pressing pro-life issue.
So, I actually had the chance to speak to
Senator Cruz about thisand ask him his response
to that and take a lookat what he told me.
- I'll tell ya, when itcomes to family separation,
everyone agrees, familiesshouldn't be separated.
Everyone agrees that theright place for kids to be
is with their mom and with their dad.
Congressman O'Rourkelikes talking about this,
but he hasn't done anything about it.
He just talks.
I can tell ya when we saw theissue of family separation,
I introduced legislation.
I stepped forward and ledlegislation that would mandate
families stay together, thatwe keep families together,
that we keep kids with their parents.
Now, Congressman O'Rourke's solution
is that he wants to release everybody.
He wants to releaseessentially every illegal alien
and that makes sense becausehe supports open borders.
- So as you can see, hedenies being supportive of
separating the families,but the question is,
can he get that message out tothe people who think that he
is for this?
- Abby, we know every election cycle,
voter fraud is a topic that comes up.
What can you tell us aboutthese fake voter guides
that were aimed at Christians?
- Yes, this is an interestingstory that we've been
following since yesterday.
I met with a pastor last week in Texas
from a group called Vision America.
They work with churchesall over the country
to try and get voterguides just into churches
and encourage Christians to vote.
They don't say vote fora specific candidate.
They just encourage Christiansto be a part of the process
and to vote.
So, they have madevoter guides with issues
that they feel like theChristian community cares about,
the Bright to Life, the Supreme Court,
the religious liberty issues,
and they just print thesevoter guides and show where
candidates stand on the issues.
So they've made these forthe Texas Senate race.
That's where they're based.
And yesterday, Gateway Church,a mega, mega, mega church
printed 20,000 Texas voter guides.
And somebody who clearly knewthey were printing these off
and had seen the VisionAmerica voter guides
copied them, kept the Vision America logo,
but changed the text inside and made just,
frankly a false voter guide.
And the thing about theVision America is ya know,
people are going to lookat that and they're either,
some will like Ted Cruz andsome will like Beto O'Rourke.
But with this fake voterguide, just what I know
about the candidates platforms,it's just not accurate
and we're seeing this issueagain of family separation
where on the fake one thatthey're handing out at churches,
they don't even know how many went out.
They know of three churches that got them,
but again, it's that familyseparation saying that
Senator Ted Cruz is supportiveof family separation.
So they're spreading false information
and that's just not thesecandidates platforms
and yeah, he's very concerned about it.
- You have to read thosevoter guides closely.
- Yes.
- Abigail Robertson, thankyou so much for joining us.
- Thank you.
- Well, with just 15 days togo, early voting is underway
in most states.
38 states and the District of Columbia
allow some form of early voting.
Today, in person votingbegan in Washington, D.C.,
Florida, and Texas.
David Brody, our Chief Political Analyst
joins us now for more.
David, a lot of peoplethat will be watching
these rallies tonightwith Senator Ted Cruz,
how much do you think thishelps a candidate like him?
Excuse me, with President Trump.
- With President Trump there, yeah.
Quite a bit, I mean, I thinkPresident Trump has shown
that when he shows up, peoplelisten and people watch,
for sure, and thequestion is, do they vote?
We'll find out in just a couple of weeks.
So yeah, it helps, and we'veheard talk about 100,000 plus
RSVPs to this event and thearena only holds 18,000.
So, there is a huge demandand I guess no more lying Ted
from 2016, it's not Texas Ted apparently.
That's what he calls himself.
- I have a feeling that O'Rourkewas calling him lying Ted.
- Oh great, yeah I don't know if Ted's
ever gonna live that down.
- From Trump's playbook.
- David, there's been a lot of talk that
these mid-term elections may surpass
and be a record-setting mid-terms.
How do you think they'll stack up compared
to past mid-term election cycles?
- I think they're gonna smash all records.
Already, we're seeing 4.3 million people
have already voted already.
I can tell you that in Nevada,Nevada, someone correct me.
- [John] Nevada.
- Thank you, I knew youwould correct me, John.
In Nevada, that indeed, eventhough registered Republicans
in certain counties, there aremore registered Republicans
and Democrats, it'sDemocrats that are actually
turning out more than Republicans.
At least in early voting so far.
So now, there's this new theme out there.
Is there really gonna be a blue wave?
Maybe there will be a blue wave.
So the bottom line is, it'sgonna smash all records.
There's no doubt about it.
- Yeah David, of course, the Brett bounce.
Donald Trump being out onthe campaign trail himself
bringing a lot of attention to this.
We were talking about the caravan.
How much do you think that will factor in
to the mid-term elections this time?
- I think, there's no doubt, two things,
first of all, it's gonnafactor in, I think,
if not heavily, it willdefinitely be a factor.
Donald Trump knows that politically.
The White House knows that politically.
But beyond that, Donald Trumpreally believes ya know,
what in the world is acaravan coming to the
United States for and doing all of this.
So I mean, I think it's authentic
but it's also political.
I don't think there'sany question about that.
But it is interesting to seethat that riles up the base
which makes me think about the
anger quotient to all of this
because there's that angernow with the Brett bounce
and the caravan and all of that anger
and before, when I saybefore, before Kavanaugh,
there was just that antivenomTrump anger on the left
but now you have kindof anger on both sides
and that's what's gonnamake this mid-term election
very interesting, who gets out the most,
who's angriest the mostwhich is really sad actually.
- Yeah, well again,immigration a huge, huge issue
for this mid-term.
Jonathan Merritt who we had on earlier,
he was kinda more along the social justice
in that base of evangelicals.
David, I know you know, thelaw and order side will say,
well yeah, there are women andchildren on the front lines
of this caravan but it'smore complex than that.
What do you say to that?
- Yeah, it is more complex.
You do see women and childrenand the natural tendency
is to say the poorwomen and children here,
we really don't know who these folks are.
When I say these folks,they could've been corralled
into a situation in terms ofa possible gang coming over.
We don't know what's happeningexactly and remember,
we do know that women and children in this
have been used by certaincartels and other people
to get across the border so you know,
if you have women andchildren, they're typically,
they treat you a bit differently,
at least that's beenthe past administration
and to a degree, theTrump administration too.
So, you have to kind of takeit with a grain of salt.
Women and children, yes,and are their families
coming across the borderthat want a better life?
100%, I don't thinkanybody questions that.
But I think to just blanketly say
that women and children on a caravan
and then all of the suddenmake this idea that,
or have this idea thatthey're all innocent,
look, it's much morecomplicated than that.
- David, we only haveabout 40 seconds left.
Yesterday, you made theSunday talk show rounds.
You were on Meet the Press.
Katy Tur was one of the panelists,
NBC's Katy Tur, whomentioned that even though
the generic ballot showsdemocrats still in favor,
the gap has closed and shesaid she really feels like
we're revisiting 2016.
What's your sense there?
- It does feel like 2016on the campaign trail
just because DonaldTrump is holding rallies,
sometimes multiplerallies every single day.
Having said that, it's notfully like 2016 because
Donald Trump isn't on the ballot and so,
that obviously makes a huge difference
even though he says he's on the ballot.
But let's be honest.
Jenna, you know 'causeyou and I have been on the
campaign trail, you knowhe says I'm on the ballot.
He doesn't believe that.
He knows.- He said it today.
He said the 2016 electionwas bigger than this one.
This one's big but 2016 was bigger.
- That's right and youalso know that right after
these mid-term elections, you can say,
"Look, that was nice, the mid-terms,
"but now the big one's coming up, 2020."
You know this was coming!
You knew he was gonna say it.
So I think that's what we're gonna see.
- Alright David Brody, greatto have you, thank you.
- Thanks guys.
(swiping)
- [Host] Coming up,the latest on the death
of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
(upbeat music)
- Questions continue tolinger tonight on the death
of Washington Postcolumnist Jamal Khashoggi.
- That's right, Jenna,new details are emerging
about what Saudi Arabiaknows about his alleged
murder at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
CBN's White Housecorrespondent joins us now
from the north lawn.
Ben Kennedy, Ben what'sthe President saying now?
- Well, John and Jenna,President Trump has
changed his tune, callingout the Saudi royal family
for deception and liesabout what really happened
to Jamal Khashoggi.
He just spoke on the southlawn before boarding Marine One
saying he's not satisfiedwith what he's heard
from the Saudis and thatwe're going to know a lot more
over the next two days.
Yes, the Saudis did admit thecolumnist died at the hands
of Saudi operatives, but howit happened is still unclear.
Saudi officials now saythat Khashoggi got into a
fist fight with Saudioperatives and later died
in a choke hold as hetried to leave the embassy.
Lawmakers aren't buying it
and question this newversion of the events.
Senator Ben Sasse says the cover stories
from the Saudis is a mess.
You don't bring a bone sawto an accidental fist fight.
Pro Government media in Turkey report
that a Saudi hit squadtraveled to the consulate
to kill Khashoggi, then lefthours later in private jets.
Saudi Arabia adds that18 Saudis were arrested
and that several top intelofficials were also fired.
Saudi Arabia changedtheir story yet again.
Is there any credibilityto what they're saying?
- It's difficult to say.
What makes the Saudislook particularly bad
in light of this newexplanation they released
over the weekend is thatthey took over two weeks
to come up with it.
So for two weeks, the Saudishave maintained Khashoggi
left the consulate, hecame in, got his papers,
went back, we have notseen anything of him.
So for them to take twoweeks holding onto that story
and then all of a sudden say,
it was a rogue operation.
He was killed in a fistfight by rogue agents
and we've arrested 18officials, 18 nationals,
excuse me, who are connected to this,
that doesn't say or give the right message
about Saudi institutional capacity.
- Now, what is clear, we knowthe 59 year old columnist
died in the consulate, butwhat is not explained yet
is where is Khashoggi's body?
John, Jenna.
- Yeah, Ben, what about punishment?
Has President Trumptalked about this at all
or any other world leaders?
- Yeah Jenna, PresidentTrump talked about sanctions
against those behind his death but said
he didn't wanna put thebrakes on a $110 billion
arms sale to Saudi Arabiaclaiming it would hurt
U.S. manufacturers.
German's Chancellor, Angela Merkel,
said she supports a freeze onarms export in Saudi Arabia.
Now, the Saudis are animportant ally to the U.S.
and location gives us strategic advantage
in fighting terrorism in the Middle East.
So definitely PresidentTrump, nor Congress,
wants to sever those ties.
- CBN White Housecorrespondent, Ben Kennedy.
Thanks for joining us, Ben.
- [Jenna] Well a push toredefine gender in America,
that's next.
(upbeat music)
- Welcome back.
The Trump administrationis attempting to do away
with the official term transgender.
They want gender to be definedas a biological condition
determined at birth aseither male or female.
According to the New York Times,
the Department of Healthand Human Services
is leading an effort toestablish a legal definition
of sex under Title nine.
Under the proposedchange, a person's gender
couldn't be altered onceit is defined by the sex
they were born with.
- New York City recently becamethe first city in the U.S.
to let people bypass genderon their birth certificates.
Beginning January 1st,those born in the city
will be allowed to labelthemselves with just an X.
- That's right.
Charlene Aaron reports on this new
nationwide genderless push.
- [Charlene] Now comes a shocking trend,
parents raising so-calledtheybies instead of babies.
Theybies are supposedly genderless kids
who are addressed as they or them,
rather than he or she,
giving them the option tochoose their own gender.
Elizabeth Johnston alsoknown as the activist mommy
describes this push as the latest effort
by LGBT activists tonormalize gender confusion.
- There's been an agendaunderfoot for years
to erase gender distinctions,
to confuse the clear distinction that our
creator has given usbetween man and woman.
- [Charlene] Johnstonsays the LGBT community
actively targets childrenthrough various projects.
- And now, we have thisdoctrination and confusion
taking place in our schoolsystems with transgender puppets
and drag queen storyhours in public libraries.
- [Charlene] It's notjust happening in America.
North of the border, atransgender curriculum
called Sogi is taught in Canadian schools.
It stands for sexual orientationand gender identification
and one group has createda transgender puppet
named Julia to teach school-aged children
about transgenderism and gender fluidity.
Author and speaker,Laura Lynn Tyler-Thompson
is an outspoken critic.
- They put it in undergroundwithout parental knowledge.
They say that they consulted parents,
but they consulted the LGBTQ community
and some selected parents that they knew
might be on their side.
- [Charlene] More than 300Christian pastors in Canada
say no to Sogi.
They recently came outagainst it by signing
the West Coast Christian Accord.
- Which in 14 articlesprovides a biblical statement
on the supremacy of Christ,the authority of scripture,
salvation, marriage, sexual orientation,
and gender identity.
- We will not remain silent
as children are brainwashed to reject
heterosexuality andembrace gender fluidity,
homosexuality, bisexuality,
and other forms of sexual behaviors.
- [Charlene] The pastors say Sogi confuses
young children by forcingthem to choose a gender
when they already have one.
The pastors are asking theBC minister of education
to stop use of all Sogirelated resources in schools.
Charlene Aaron, CBN News.
- Thanks Charlene.
Now this story, Jenna, is a talker.
We're saying that no matter what happens,
no matter where youfall along these lines,
that there's gonna be legal repercussions
that fall afterwards.
- Yep, it's not going away.
- Nope, not at all.- That's for sure.
- Well that's gonna do itfor tonight's Faith Nation.
- Have a great evening.
(upbeat music)
