James Edwards hosts a special live broadcast from Alabama’s Southern Cultural Center where he is joined on the convention floor by Michael Whorton and Dr. Michael Hill.
[00:00:01] You're listening to the Liberty News Radio Network, and this is The Political Cesspool. The Political Cesspool, known across the South and worldwide as the South's foremost populist conservative radio program. And here to guide you through the murky waters of The Political Cesspool is your host, James Edwards.
[00:00:30] Welcome everybody to tonight's live broadcast of TPC. I'm your host, James Edwards. This Saturday evening, August the 15th. You may be listening to us live on AM 1600 WMQN in Memphis, Tennessee, or our newest affiliate in Maryville, Tennessee, or on the stations and affiliates of the Liberty News Radio Network, the online simulcast. However you're listening, let me tell you where we're at.
[00:00:54] We are live tonight from Wetumpka, Alabama, not too far from the state capital of Montgomery, and we are back at the Southern Cultural Center's National Conference, and so happy to be back, I might add. My son is back with me again, and we have the man of the hour with us. That is the national chairman, Mike Wharton, of the Southern Cultural Center, southernculturalcenter.com.
[00:01:21] These things are so important. They rejuvenate the spirit. They embolden our brothers. The camaraderie is palpable. The fellowship is real and nurturing, and there's not enough of these, and they cannot be replaced. And so what we're going to do, I thought it is so important, in fact, we're going to spend the entire three-hour program tonight talking to different people who spoke at this event. We're going to look at it from every angle.
[00:01:51] If you were not here with us live, and it was a packed house, there were no empty seats today, and if you weren't here, we're going to explain exactly what you missed over the course of the next three hours, exhaustively, intensively, and for good reason. And by the end of the show, you'll understand why we felt it was important to do that. But first, again, the man of the hour, Mike Wharton, who has put this together, and I was having dinner with Mike earlier today.
[00:02:19] That is the meal that you have around noontime in the South, as opposed to supper, which is what you have at night. But nevertheless, Mike, congratulations on an incredible success, and the fact that you put this together, as I told you, it takes one conference organizer to fully appreciate what another is doing. And sometimes I think everybody knows that you're putting in a tremendous amount of work,
[00:02:44] but until you've done it yourself, you don't know exactly how much and how exhausting it is physically, mentally. And then to see it come off like this, I know you have to be very proud, as you should be. Well, I tell you, James, when it comes together, it's beautiful, and today has been just a great day. And like you said, we had a packed house. The enthusiasm and just the beauty of the whole thing. It was a great day for our folk, and big plans were made.
[00:03:12] And, hey, we'll be doing it again next August. But it's like you say, unwinding from this one this afternoon on the political cesspool is just great, getting the word out. Doing good ain't got no end. I'm going to borrow that line. It sure doesn't. And hopefully that is going to be a source of energy that never runs dry. But this conference wrapped up about two hours ago, and people are coming back for the broadcast now.
[00:03:43] And it was a full, and I mean a full two days. And one thing I was remarking to one of the other attendees today is I was looking at the clock, and it was approaching 5 o'clock this afternoon, so about an hour ago if you're listening live. I had been here since 9 o'clock this morning, and I was shocked at how quickly the time passed. It has been engaging. It has been a lot of food for thought, a lot of conversation. As you say, a lot of plans being made.
[00:04:09] And I love these things, whether it's Dixie Republic in South Carolina, whether it's here at the Southern Cultural Center in Alabama. These things truly are irreplaceable. So, Mike, that having been said, what did we talk about? What was talked about? What were the ideas that were discussed over the course of the last 48 hours here in Alabama? Well, James, I tell you, it was a well-rounded program. Not only did we have hope for our future, we had a plan.
[00:04:38] We had a plan laid out to us by Dr. Hill later this afternoon. Great closing speaker. We'll talk to him soon. From Matthew, the program from a biblical perspective. And like I had said during the meeting, I thought about when my granddaddy, Drew, used to talk about going by the book. And some people might think that means just following the directions.
[00:05:05] But when he was talking about going by the book, he was talking about going by the good book. And all the answers and all the solutions are in that book. And Brother Matthew Dyer shared that with us today. Political perspective from Dr. Hill and others speaking here today that laying out a solution for our folks. And we can't be dependent on the Republican Party to save us. People are thinking that that's the answer to everything that the Republicans are in now.
[00:05:35] And it's going to all be okay. Well, it's not going to be okay. It's up to our people to save themselves. And by the grace of God, you know, it can happen. And we laid a plan out today of how that could be and how it could come about. It was a wonderful mix, now that you mention it, of faith-based conversation and advice. And, of course, political and tactical advice and ideas being exchanged here.
[00:06:05] And, of course, that makes me very much comfortable and at home. Because this has always been a program. Yes, it's a political talk radio program. But it's also a Christian talk radio program. It's also a southern talk radio program. And we've always been very proud of our southern patrimony here. And so when you blend all of those together, well, you're really checking all the boxes for me. So to be at an event like this is just, of course, very special. And, of course, just to be able to come in here and see old friends and old faces from battles past. You know, I walk in. I see Pat Godwin here.
[00:06:34] And she and Butch, you know, her late husband Butch, were there with me in Memphis when we were fighting Confederate, you know, battles for General Forrest. And the Confederate parks there in Memphis back in 2005 when I first went on the radio. And to see her and to see so many other folks to come back together. And, you know, every year we're a little bit older. And I think that the bonds of affection grow a little more strong as each year passes
[00:07:02] and more memories are made. And it is fuel for the soul. You cannot get by without in-person activism and the exchange of ideas and the way solutions present themselves when you have good people engaged in conversation and strategy. You've had a lot of it this weekend. I'll tell you the main thing that anybody would have noticed coming in was the amount of young adults,
[00:07:31] teenagers, and children. There was toddlers and even children who couldn't toddle yet. All ages. And so impressed by the young people looking to some of the older people for wisdom that have been in the battles and know what we're facing and what it's going to take for us to come through it and come out the other side clean. Well, we have again with us right now a man who has become very dear to me and to my family,
[00:08:01] a great friend and a great leader, Mike Wharton, to kick things off as well it should be. There is no other way to kick off this event than the man who put it on and hosted it and was responsible for its planning and its execution. And certainly we are going to be talking to other contributors and just giving you a full perspective of everything. But I just wanted to – I'm looking at the clock, and I wanted to ask you if you don't mind just sharing a story.
[00:08:30] This is a little bit – we are going to be spending the entire three hours on this. We're going to get back to some of the other meat of the conference. But there was just something that I wanted you to share because I love the stories from the old days and the old war horses. And when I came here today, I mean, you couldn't miss it. Right by the front door was a huge billboard from the 1958 George Wallace campaign for governor. This was the one when he was still fighting Judge Wallace,
[00:08:58] the one he lost before, of course, the famous win in 62 and his inauguration in 63. But I walked in and I saw that. I immediately took a picture. I mean, this was an authentic piece of political advertisement and not a replica. I'd been sitting in somebody's barn for 68 years. He was in the loss of a barn all that time. 68 years. He was going by the fighting judge.
[00:09:24] Governor Wallace was a gold glove boxer, and that was my first political campaign. That's the story I wanted you to tell. Eight or nine. Putting up signs. And we worked Elmore County and Coosy County for the fighting judge. And that's when they'd pull up in a flatbed truck with the rebel from Red Level, Ron Taylor, and his band up on the flatbed. And it would be a great time. Maybe have a fish fry.
[00:09:53] But Governor Wallace, later on I'd see him and he would recognize me. And we would talk about those days, but, and the record, before us working on his campaign, me and my older brother putting up signs, putting up Wallace signs, riding with my dad. And that's what the old-time campaigns were like back in those days. Town to town. You know, go to the park. Show up. Well, sure enough, retail politic. I mean, getting out there and meeting people.
[00:10:21] It should be, instead of now, like they're bought and sold, where money decides the elections. It can be overcome, but it takes yeoman work for a person to overcome that kind of money, especially APAC money, that they'll throw into business or into offices you'd never think they'd get involved in. We're going to take a quick break.
[00:10:51] Mike, if you would indulge me for one more segment. I want to talk a little bit more about your memories and your personal experiences with George Wallace and just some of the history of Alabama, then we'll come back full circle and refocus on the conference. We'll be right back. Hey, folks. It's your friend Harry Cooper here. You know, it always feels like home when I'm on this show, and I want to invite everyone to check out Shark Hunters. Head on over to sharkhunters.com, where we tell the honest history of World War II without propaganda.
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[00:13:09] Okay, we are back with Mike Wharton for one more segment. I see, oh my goodness, I see Brad Griffin and his wife, Renee, nay bomb Griffin, and their three incredible kids. We're going to be talking to Brad. We're going to be talking to Michael Hill. We're going to be talking to so many people tonight. We've got, sure enough, Cajun in the room, too. I mean, we get to talk to him just for his accent alone.
[00:13:38] But then he, as great as the accent is, the content that he's speaking is even better. So it's just you can't go wrong. But, Mike, just a couple of more stories about Wallace. You were talking about he never forgot a face. Now, you were working for him. I mean, you have really been doing this. The cause of southern nationalism and southern independence has been something you have been fighting for. Even in fighting for Wallace, which wasn't necessarily about southern nationalism or independence. It was about making the south a better place.
[00:14:08] And you've been doing this your entire life since you were a little boy. What else do you remember about those days and those campaigns? James, if you look at the sign out there, it's maintaining our southern way of life. And it was big even then. And I watched Governor Wallace on Meet the Press. Southern nationalism was a part of his program, actually, back then. But he never forgot a face or a name.
[00:14:32] I was fortunate enough to win the public speaking contest for each. You told me that today. It was big and very proud of it. And the winner got 50 silver dollars. Believe it or not, I still have some of them. I was going to ask you that. I do. I still have some of them. Now, did you get to meet Wallace as a result of winning that? And he remembered me from the campaign and us putting we working in Elmore County and putting those signs up.
[00:15:00] And he had recognized us at a rally here in Wetumpka. He never forgot a face. Governor Wallace would like that. But fighting to maintain our way of life. And that's what we're doing here at the center. See, now that is where you tie it all together. And restoring our way of life, James. You were doing it then. You're still doing it now in a different way and in a different time. But no less important. And, of course, I wish we had men like that. I was talking to a lady here today.
[00:15:26] A good mix, by the way, of not just in terms of ages but also in terms of the sexes, of which there are only two. I don't know if anybody needs to be reminded of that. But a lot of ladies here. And one of the ladies was talking about how she remembered going to some of the Wallace campaign rallies. And I said, what was that like? What was that like to actually go there in his heyday, you know, in the 60s?
[00:15:52] You know, when it was all – when he was the lightning rod. I mean, there's so much great history in Alabama. I mean, we're not a few miles from where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president of the Confederacy. And you can find that gold star still at the Alabama State Capitol Building. I was there the last time I was here. We drove over there and saw it. So that happened here. Obviously, Wallace. Now, all of the south was under fire. And you had some great resistance in places like Arkansas and Mississippi and elsewhere.
[00:16:23] But Alabama was really it for that struggle in the 60s. And Wallace was our man in the ring. I mean, quite literally and figuratively, I guess. So it's a shame we don't have more like it. But the fact that you go back and can remember that and talk about that, I mean, that's priceless for a talk radio program. I appreciate you just saying what you've had about Wallace. I tell you, it's a shame we don't have another like him. At the time, Governor Wallace would speak there and we'd come to eclectic.
[00:16:52] He'd be there an hour and gone to the next town. What was it like to be in the crowd? Because, see, now, back then, you have to – I'm just guessing that it was absolutely electric because it was such a battle and so important. And then you had this man, this fiery orator, this fighter.
[00:17:12] And I would imagine with the amount of fire the South was under to have that man step up and to have all the people there out in person together as a collective fighting together for that cause. It had to be – it had to just really be something. I haven't ever had that in my life where, you know, you had a chance to win on that level. Now we've come to understand that the only real hope we have is Southern independence.
[00:17:42] George Wallace had a sincere belief that he could change the country at the time. But the charisma he had and the leadership and the way people come flock to him, if James would have said, hey, we're checking out. We've had enough. Alabama's declaring their independence. I'll tell you, Mississippi would have been right behind him. That's all he would have had to say. Now I don't know what would have happened, but he'd get up there.
[00:18:07] And when he got to that part of his speech, when he'd talk about the Republican and the Democratic Party not being a dime's worth of difference between the two of them, he knew what he was talking about way back then. It's easy to criticize someone when you're not the man in the arena, when you're not the gladiator. I appreciate criticism of my own abilities as a radio host and critiques and things people would say they would do better or differently.
[00:18:35] But, you know, sometimes it's in the back of my mind, well, are you in this position? Do you understand what's involved and what's entailed? And the reality of doing this publicly. But Wallace, I mean, of course, it's very easy for me to say I wish that he would have just said, okay, boys, it's time to lock and load at the schoolhouse. And then, you know, you might have seen something.
[00:19:00] But it was also, you know, he went at it from a couple of different ways, not just as governor. He was the last independent candidate to carry states, you know, still to this day. I mean, Ross Perot got a lot of votes, but he didn't carry a single state. Wallace carried a lot of states. But anyway, seeing that sign from 1958, authentic, and you having worked on those campaigns and having met him so many times, I had to ask about that. But now, getting back to this conference, two things happened here today. I've done this my entire adult life.
[00:19:29] I've been in this since my late teens, which is to say I started about 10 years after you did. Nobody can start earlier than you. But two things happened at this conference today that I have never seen at any conference ever, and that is no exaggeration. And I'm saying not even close. You want to tell them about it? Well, one thing, we started our group about 25 years ago, 99, 2000. And we've been working.
[00:19:59] We acquired the land. We worked, got it paid for. We built a building. And today, we've been carrying a note. And in our farm days, my farm background is an old dairy farmer. Paying the note on the mortgage, paying the place off has always been huge. And we work so hard. And the importance of that is to provide a place for our people. You know, we have got church here in the morning.
[00:20:27] We're going to make the building available for homeschool associations to come here for seminars, any way that we can work with them. And just for our people, whether it be the SCV, the Southern Nationalist League, the Southern Cultural Center, it would come apparent to us if we didn't provide a place. It's like what Michael Hill told us today. If we're waiting on the Republicans or the government to help us, we're out of luck. So we started working.
[00:20:52] And today, we people, the generous donations of the patrons here, we came up with a balance. And we burned the note on the property today. I mean, we literally set it on fire and burned it. Anybody who's ever carried a mortgage or toted a note, you know, well, I've paid off cars. I've never paid off property. Not ever. But it still has to pay off a car.
[00:21:17] But to pay off a meeting place for our people, a hub, a nexus for all kinds of groups and all kinds of different people, fellow travelers pulling in a similar direction to meet. You had a great comment on it when you made that announcement. And you had told me earlier in the week when we spoke on the phone that, I mean, you told me a dollar amount how far away you were from paying it off. And it was getting close. And I just said, well, there's a chance that that might happen this weekend. I mean, you know, with a little luck.
[00:21:46] And then sure enough, it did from the generous folks you have here. And to pay that off and to have this, I mean, you know, you never really pay anything off in America because of property taxes. But, I mean, to pay off that, though, is a huge deal. And congratulations. Big round of applause to pay that off. Great diligence. And now paying it back is going to be paying it back to the people that's helped us. We're going to be available, ready, and working.
[00:22:12] And like I said, James, you know we're working for Southern Liberty and no more over Southern Independence. I love networking. I love cross-pollination. Is it pollination? Pollination. And I love when good people and good groups work together for the greater good. And to know that this place is going to be a place for that to occur and will continue to be is just incredible. So that was one thing. The banknote was retired. And actually, not just retired, it was set on fire.
[00:22:41] So it no longer exists in any way. But there was one other thing that happened here today that I've never seen at a conference and I probably will never see again. Yeah, that's right. Well, I'll tell you what that was. We had a wedding here today from Southern Patron from way back yonder and had been here many times. And they'd call earlier in the week about doing the ceremony while Pastor Weaver was here, lifelong family friend.
[00:23:10] And so Mike and Lacey were married here today. A beautiful ceremony right before dinner. That's exactly right. We were so honored to have that today. I mean, what more? Well, that's just another fine use of our resources to have the center available for Mike and Lacey. Well, not a great use of the facility and certainly made it a memorable. I can tell you I will never forget this conference. I saw a banknote set on fire during the proceedings.
[00:23:40] I saw two people get married. Not just two people. I mean, we're talking about a pretty significant figure. I mean, really an icon in some ways. And well, anyway, you never know what you're going to get at the Southern Cultural Center conference. So become a member and join us next year. And where can they do that at, Mike? They can go to our website, southernculturalcenter.com. Our brochures on there, our mission of what we're about.
[00:24:08] And come be a part. My telephone number's on there. Call me up and we can talk about it. Or email me. But don't call him tonight because you've got to get some breath. Not tonight. If you do, you may have to leave a message. But it's just been a great day to be in the fellowship and to love you. You'd have to be here to really experience and feel it. And I hope from this broadcast that they do get a feel for it. We're going to do everything we can for the next two and a half hours, three hours total to give you that feel.
[00:24:38] Even if you couldn't do it in person, we're going to do the best we can. But let's give this man a round of applause when we take our next break. Mike Wharton of the Southern Cultural Center. Thank you, Mike. Go get some rest, my friend. Protecting your liberties. You're listening to Liberty News Radio. News this hour from Town Hall. I'm Mary Rose.
[00:25:04] There's an update on the investigation into the shooting deaths of six people in Michigan. Police in Michigan have not said how the dots connect in Friday's shooting deaths of a teenage boy and four adults. Police were called to a home Friday morning in Misaki County, where they say they found the bodies of a man, a woman, and a 16-year-old boy. State police say at a second home, the body of a man was found. They say the suspected shooter, 39-year-old Chad Hickman, was found dead in the woods,
[00:25:33] and alongside him was the body of another woman. Court records show that Hickman was convicted in 2024 of misdemeanor fourth-degree child abuse. The same court tossed out felony assault and criminal sexual conduct charges. I'm Donna Water. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is backing a measure that critics say could hit consumers right in the wallet. Correspondent Kim Mormon reports. Mayor Mamdani supports the so-called Delivery Protection Act,
[00:26:02] which would force Amazon to directly hire delivery drivers and warehouse workers, now employed through independent contractors. Opponents say the move would wipe out small delivery businesses, boost Amazon's labor costs, and drive up prices. One study estimates the average household could pay hundreds more each year, while unions stand to gain. Critics call it another socialist policy, making life less affordable for New Yorkers. Ken Lorman reporting.
[00:26:31] Hurricane Lala formed Saturday on a path to make landfall on Hawaii's Big Island. The National Hurricane Center said Lala's maximum sustained winds increased to 75 miles per hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane. It was located about 65 miles south-southeast of South Point. More on these stories at townhall.com. Larry Elder here.
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[00:28:59] Hey friends, it's James. Did you know that every issue of the American Free Press now features my own published Q&A interviews with one of your favorite guests from the radio program? That's right. The American Free Press has officially partnered with TPC to expand our audience into the realm of print media. I encourage you to read it for yourself by subscribing today at americanfreepress.net. Did you know that regular TPC contributors like Nick Griffin and Jose Nino also have their own exclusive, insightful, and hard-hitting columns published in every issue of the American Free Press?
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[00:29:51] Subscribe today by calling 1-888-699-NEWS or by visiting americanfreepress.net. We are back live from a humming Southern Cultural Center in Wetumpka, Alabama. And before we bring the chief, Dr. Michael Hill, on,
[00:30:17] one more quick recognition and piece of acknowledgement from our host this evening, Mike Wharton, who you've heard from so far this hour. Hey, thank you, Brother James. I just want to do a shout-out, if I can, and if I might, to Sarah Williamson. Sarah had planned to be here. She loves your show. Faithful listener. Faithful supporter of the Southern Cultural Center. And moreover, she's a faithful supporter of all the things that we fight for and stand for.
[00:30:47] Her husband, Joe, is suffering some with Parkinson's. And she had made arrangements, but things turned out differently. She didn't get to come. But she listens to this show. And one of the things that she wanted to know, let her know if we were successful in being able to burn the note. So, Sarah, I know you're listening in right now. So, I want you to know, we did burn the note. And things are good.
[00:31:14] Nothing to turn it over to Michael Hill, Dr. Hill, and back to James. And God bless you all. We love you all. God bless you. We love you. God bless you, Sarah, and your husband. And all the best for renewed health to him. And we wish we could have seen you here this weekend, Sarah. Maybe next year. Hopefully next year. Thank you, Brother Mike. And from one Brother Mike to another Brother Mike.
[00:31:42] And this is Dr. Michael Hill, Chief of the League of the South, now the Southern Nationalist League. I've got their website up right now here at this venue, southernatleague.com. Southernatleague.com. Southernatleague.com. Michael, you were the closer. And what a finish you put on to this conference. There's so much we need to talk about. Absolutely.
[00:32:10] Before we get into the contents of your remarks, I just want to say that I've had some false memories. I had a false memory of pulling out of the hotel and going right to find this place, which is why I was 30 minutes late this morning.
[00:32:33] But there is a memory that I don't believe is a false memory, and that is me walking in this building and finding you at the head table, at the registration table that year. And that was a year that we were running a promotion on the radio program for signed copies of your book on Celtic warfare. Michael, that seems like it was yesterday. That had to be eight years ago. Yeah, it was at least eight years ago.
[00:33:01] Because I think that was the year that you were presenting patches for the veterans of the Battle of Charlottesville. That would have been 2018. So that's eight years ago. That seems like yesterday. And I tell you, the years do speed up, and they do go by, and they do begin to blur. Where do you get my age? Does it seem like it's all going by faster? It does, James. It does. Where do we put the brakes on this thing? We've got to stick around a little bit longer. Yeah, we certainly do. We need to take advantage of the time that we've been given, that's for sure.
[00:33:30] God commands it. But nevertheless, I wanted to bring that up. It's another reason why these things are so important. As I said before, to see old friends and old faces from battles past. And, of course, even the Confederates got together for reunions. Now, I'm not saying necessarily that what we have done is quite worthy of that level of remembrance,
[00:33:52] but it is important for men of like mind to come together in person to fellowship, to renew their vigor, to commit to one another again, and to refresh for another year of battle. So these things are so important, as you know, for so many years of putting these on yourself. Yeah.
[00:34:17] Well, you know, the fire eaters in the 1820s and 30s, for example, they prepared the ground for Southern Secession. They didn't know when it was going to come. You know, it could have come any time. But as it turned out, it started in 1860 and 61. But they were laying the groundwork. And you never know what God has in store for you as an individual or for a movement. So that's why we ought to be always very diligent and prepared,
[00:34:46] diligent about what we do and prepared for any consequences that come from it. And we don't know if there might not be some kind of conflagration before this year is over that brings us into it that will be just like what Lee and Jackson and Forrest and Davis went through. We don't know that. So we've got to always be prepared for those things. Well, you know, I look and I'm looking around as we broadcast live from this beautiful facility tonight.
[00:35:14] I see these these colossal portraits of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Nathan Bedford Forrest. And I got to admit to you, Michael, I'm sitting right across directly from Forrest, who was a Memphian. And, you know, so partial. I'm so partial to him, to all of them. But but but but I mean, there was something. OK, yes, there was something special about all of them. But Forrest and product listen to the eye, because, I mean,
[00:35:40] the important thing about remembering heroes is that they give us the standard that we need to emulate in our own lives. It is very important to have heroes. And we have modern day heroes and two of them are named Michael and they're sitting side by side right now. And there's a third one. There's a third one named James sitting right across from me. I appreciate that, especially coming from you, because you are a man. You mentioned consequences and you mentioned not knowing the time, not knowing how, what the pivot point will be, what the catalyst may be.
[00:36:08] But always, as it says right here under the lead portrait, to do our duty. We don't know how it's going to play out or when the turn is going to come or even if it's going to come, although I believe that it will. And I firmly believe that it will. But it is our duty to engage in the struggles of one's time. But, Michael, what I was going to say is, again, as we continue on in this struggle, the bonds of affection do grow.
[00:36:34] And just to walk in and to see you again today, and I mentioned Pat Godwin earlier, and just all the other people that you meet over the years and to renew those friendships and to make new ones, there is really something special about these things. So what would you say about that before we get into the meat of your speech, that the importance of our people engaging in this struggle offline? Right.
[00:36:59] Well, I think that the really important thing that we need to be aware of is the fact that no one man is going to do this by himself. No one organization is going to do this by itself. That we need a combination of all the resources that we have. And one of them is this building right here. This building has a wonderful history behind it.
[00:37:25] And as Mike said previously, it was paid off today. And that's a wonderful thing. But resources like this and the human resources that we have. I mean, Tommy Davis sitting right over there. I mean, you know, we got people like him who served at Charlottesville in the Shield Wall. We got so many people that I could name. Well, I'll name one more, and that's the man who – I don't know if you've ever gotten this.
[00:37:54] This would be a great gift. Well, I shouldn't spoil it. Maybe – well, somebody ought to give you a picture that big of you and Michael Tubbs leading the column in Charlottesville. And he was here today. There are some great people in this room today, people who have sacrificed, people who have put it on the line. Absolutely.
[00:38:14] And, you know, Michael Tubbs and I are still on – you know, in some jeopardy because of the lawsuit that was filed against us back in October of 2017. That still is not completely resolved, although the good Lord has watched over us day by day. And we haven't had any consequences from it yet, and I pray that we don't. But, you know, we do have to be willing to put it all on the line. And I know – Heidi Beidrick might even change places with you right now.
[00:38:44] She might. Oh, I tell you what, I hope Big Heidi gets a little prison time there and all that goes along with it. So – but, you know, over – I've been at this in particular for 32 years now, and I met the most wonderful people. I mean, I came back here today, and I felt like I was among my family again. And that's just a wonderful feeling that you can't describe.
[00:39:12] You just have to be there to experience it. Now, what they would have experienced today had they been here at around 4 o'clock would have been the closing speech from Dr. James Michael Hill. And it was a stirring – when I say call to arm – it was just a stirring call. What was the message?
[00:39:38] Well, I tried to lay out some of the problems that we have seen since – particularly since the end of World War II. And what maybe some of the remedies for those were. And one of the remedies, I think, first of all, is we need to remember who we are as Southerners.
[00:39:57] And as you and I have talked about many times in person and on your radio show, remembering who our heroes are gives us not only sort of a roadmap about how to act and how to behave and things to do, but it also gives us inspiration. And without inspiration, it's going to be very hard for us to succeed.
[00:40:21] But I think the main part of my message, as I always try to make it, is that without God Himself and our honoring of Him, we're not going to succeed at anything. You take Christianity out of the South, and any effort Southerners make, and it's not simply going to be Southern anymore, because that is so much a fundamental part of who we are.
[00:40:47] And my emphasis was that we need to remember that, that we are the inheritors of Christendom. And it is a blessing worth defending with our blood if necessary. And I think it ultimately will be necessary, because the Christian faith has been defended by martyrs for 2,000 years, and I don't think that's going to change. Our people deserve to survive, and they deserve to live.
[00:41:14] And not only just survive, but thrive. And there is a distinct people that exist in the American South still to this day, though watered down as it may be compared to what it was in the 1960s, and certainly compared to what it was in the 1860s. But still to this day, you will find a people here, and you certainly found them here today, that are different than any other people who occupy the so-called United States or the continent of North America.
[00:41:41] And that is the first prerequisite of nationhood, independent nationhood, is to have a culture, to have distinctions that separate you. Self-awareness among people of who they are. Well, that brings up a topic that we had at dinner earlier today, and that is the utility of Trump or lack thereof. And, Michael, I remember, of course, being with you at a meeting of the Southern Nationalist League
[00:42:07] the first weekend after Trump was re-elected in 2024. You and I voted for Trump three times. Right. And, look, it's easy to talk about the negatives right now, and I know Brad gave a very damning speech, and we're going to talk to Brad in the next hour about that. But the thing that I would say is what's old may be new again,
[00:42:36] and that is with regards to the topic at hand or the topic of interest at this particular conference, Southern independence, Southern nationalism. Now, it was, of course, necessary for the Trump experiment this 10 years. Everybody had to see where that was going to go. And I still remember, listen, I got to say, and I will never back down from this,
[00:42:59] one of the most euphoric moments of my life from a political perspective came on the night that Trump defeated Hillary. Because I believe that they cast on him everything that they had ever cast at us. And to see him beat her, especially her, I mean, I still look back on that with a sense of great joy. Not necessarily because he won, but because he beat her, because she lost. And they had tarred him with the racist white nationalists, white supremacists,
[00:43:30] you know, whatever, you know, all of that. Now, whatever's going on now in the Trump administration, I mean, we'll talk to Brad in the next hour. Brad went from, in a period of about 14 months, one of the most vocal pro-Trump voices in our movement to one of the most bitterly disappointed. Well, listen, I always listen to what Brad says. I do too. Brad's informed a lot about it. I was friends with Sam Francis, Dr. Sam Francis, who I thought was the most brilliant political analyst,
[00:44:00] analytic mind that I'd ever known. And Brad is the new Sam Francis that we have today. He understands these things from a point of view that really makes a lot of sense. And that's high praise. Sam Francis is one of a kind. I mean for it to be high praise. Brad is very good at that. Well, so the question would be then, with regards to Southern nationalism, as we stand here now in the twilight of the Trumpian age, is this something that should a democratic trifecta?
[00:44:30] Now, as I've said about Trump, listen, give him hell on Iran. I mean, all of this is fair game. But when the left comes back into the power, they're going to do everything you don't like about Trump, plus weaponize government against all of us. And at least he hasn't done that. So with regards to Southern independence and nationalism or just breakaway states or whatever, where do you think we stand now compared to where we stood four years ago or ten years ago? Well, I think ten years ago. I felt like you did.
[00:44:59] When I heard Trump's inauguration speech in January of 2017. I was there, yeah. That sounded like one of us could have written it. You know, it was saying basically he's going to return power to the people. He's going to fight the globalist. Oh, his campaigns were incredible. And I said, man, this is just almost too good to be true. As it turned out, it probably was. But they were good to be true. I will say that he certainly defanged the whole sting and the venom of racism, you know, the accusation of racism and all of this.
[00:45:29] And also, also, he made our issues winning issues. Yeah. And this is something that we talk about all the time, and that is when he lost to Pat Buchanan for the Reform Party nomination, which people forget, and I only remember because I was there, and he ran as a moderate liberal, basically, or a centrist Republican, whatever. Whatever you want to call it. A guy that doesn't really say anything.
[00:45:56] But Warren Bailog, who's another great thinker and a friend of ours, he said that Trump saw an underserved, an undervalued property, just like he would in real estate. He saw an undervalued political property, and that was protectionism on the border, nationalism and foreign affairs. That's what, when he came back as a rebranded Trump 16 years later, it was Buchanan's ideas paired with Trump's name recognition and star power,
[00:46:26] and he won the presidency with it. Now, what does that tell you? How can we use that, even if he failed to deliver everything that we had hoped? Well, you know, revolutions are caused more by failed expectations than they are by extreme poverty and, you know, enslavement, things like that. When you lift somebody up so high, and then you let them crash back down because of those failed expectations,
[00:46:53] and that's what we've seen over the past 10 years is a lot of failed expectations, that is sowing the seeds of revolution. And I think that if the Democrats get back into power, a lot of this that Trump has tapped into is still going to be there, and you're going to have a lot of white people who are saying, well, Trump let us down, but, hey, we know what the Democrats are all about, so we have to look elsewhere.
[00:47:21] The GOP is not going to be the vehicle for white, shall we say, survival in this country. And I will say, too, and I believe this, that the youth, the white youth coming up right now, whites in their late teens and early 20s are very radical. The counterculture is on the right right now, and they are very radical, and they have no prospects to buy into this system. We were talking about this. This has been a recurring topic this weekend and for months now.
[00:47:52] When people cannot afford to get married, buy a home, have health insurance, provide for a family, then more radical options are pursued. And I think we're entering into that economic climate where you have a radicalized right-wing youth paired with the fact that they have no prospects of surviving, to make a living and to provide for a family. You can't buy a house now. I mean, getting out of college, especially if you're saddled with student loan debt, or even if you're not, which one of you all can afford a $350,000 house,
[00:48:22] which is the cheapest about you can get in Memphis? Yeah. Not many. And so I think when the boomers are unshackled from their mortal coils and go on to their eternal reward, and this new radicalized demographic, I don't know. I think the climate will be ripe,
[00:48:49] or at least the ripest it's been in my lifetime for real change. I think so, too. Especially when you pair that with the disappointment of Trump and what the left is going to have planned if they get back in power. That's a trifecta from hell right there. Isn't it? It really is. Because the left is going to stack the Supreme Court. They're going to nuke the filibuster. They're going to make D.C. and Puerto Rico stay. I mean, they're going to do it all. Yeah, they'll do it all. They will not. Without Trump there to distract them, they're going to be looking. That's right. I've always said, James,
[00:49:19] that the Democrats at least know how to play modern-day politics in a multiracial, multicultural state. It's not a game anymore. It's a matter of life and death, politics are today. Because when the opposition gets into power, particularly if they're communists, they will take out the opposition. That is how they operate. And that's something Sam Dixon always says, and he said it a lot, is that we need a Stalin. Absolutely. We don't need anybody that's going to be fair.
[00:49:48] We need our Stalin. Yeah. Well, I would say that we need our Hitler. A man who knew what the threat of communism was like and who stood up against it. Well, you know, that, yes. But, I mean, to Sam's point, we need the ruthlessness of the left. Yeah, absolutely. Because the right has always been more conciliatory and more willing to be understanding. And there can be no understanding with this other side. There's no coexistence.
[00:50:16] I remember back in the 60s and 70s when the country was still, you know, 80-something percent white and the parties were, that it was a gentleman's game. You know, well, we disagree with this policy from the Republicans or Democrats and vice versa. Now it is a matter of racial priority and multicultural priority. And these people play by a different set of rules. Well, you look at it, Mike. I mean, you go back to the 1860s. The difference that divided the country there
[00:50:44] to bring it to the war between the states, the differences that those white men had at that time are nothing compared to... We're not even the same nation at all. No, absolutely not. We're the same people. We're not even the same people. What was General Grant? General Grant was a Scot, just like Stonewall Jackson was a Scot. That's it. That's the point. That is the point. All right, so are the prospects for Southern nationalism... Is it a bull market for that now compared to what it was, you know, when we all were putting a lot of hope
[00:51:14] into the system again, or at least, you know, hope that Trump may be something different? I think so, James. I really think... I think it depends on what we do because, you know, for... You know, I look around, I say, well, I'm sure there could be better Southern nationalist leaders than me. I mean, I'm a rural, rural collar from a blue collar family. The leaders are the ones who step up and do it. But our natural aristocracy ought to be leading this,
[00:51:43] but they've been bought off, of course. That's right. But I still think... I see what you're saying. That's a good point. There can be a groundswell of people from the middle and lower classes who are going to put enough pressure on somebody to step up and be a real leader. And another thing to remember is, too, is when people say, what should we be doing? There is no one answer. My answer to this is everything and all at once. We need to be running for office.
[00:52:11] We need to be engaging in entryism, even within the GOP. We need to be forming our own organizations, our own parallel communities. We need to be forming our own organizations and advocacy outfits and media. We need to be doing it all. We need to be in the streets. We need to be occupying space, all of it, all at once. There's not one answer. It's a multifaceted operation. There's not one answer that's going to appeal to everybody. No, that's right. And you need to pull people in to use their strengths.
[00:52:40] Everybody is not going to be strong in the same area, but we need the contribution of a lot of different people to do this because it's spread all across society. I mean, we have to deal with the economic, social, cultural, political. All of these things have to be dealt with. And it's going to take a lot of people doing a lot of things. That's why I said today in my speech that I pray that millions upon millions
[00:53:06] of young white Southern men in particular will step up and answer this call. And I agree with you, James. They are being radicalized by circumstances. Exactly. And it's something that we would have no control over. And these circumstances are doing more than any of our organizing or institutions. But you have to have a beacon, though. I mean, so now they're getting radicalized. We've got to have a place where the light's left on for them. And that's why the importance of these organizations and this media.
[00:53:35] They're getting radicalized. You've got to have a door that's open to them to come in. And there's so much going on. I mean, we've got candidates out there. We've got organizations like this, organizations like the Southern Nationalist League. Folks, we are having a great time. You're getting a taste now of some of the conversations and items for discussion that were on the table. I can't believe we're already one hour down. But Michael Hill, you've heard from Mike Wharton and Michael Hill. You're going to be hearing from Michael Hill more still. But we're going to work in some other folks, too.
[00:54:04] Our friend Brad Griffin's waiting in the wings. We've got Eddie the Bombardier Miller. And we're going to do some pairings. This is one thing I love to do on shows like this is pair up talented guests to have them talk with one another without my involvement. We're going to do that with you and Brad. We'll do that with others as well. So stay tuned. So much more to come. Hour one down. Two hours still to go from the Southern Cultural Center in Wetumpka, Alabama.
[00:54:33] Folks, let's hear it. Very big. Packed house today. We'll be back.