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Hello, everyone. I'm Brandon Lewis. The

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Tennessee Conservative News joined today

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is Senator. Marsha Blackburn to talk

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about her gubernatorial run in the

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volunteer state. Senator Blackburn, thank

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you for being here. I am delighted to

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join you. Thanks for having me on.

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So the audience today is primarily

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GOP, almost exclusively just GOP primary

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voters all over the state. Your club

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presidents, your educational wonks,

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folks that keep up with the legislature.

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And we're going to talk about a little

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bit about illegal immigration

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homeschooling. Go

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COVID, GOP primaries and

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you know, the freedom of the press. And

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the first question is because we got a

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lot to run through. You know, currently

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Tennessee taxpayers are paying about $800

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million a year educating illegal aliens.

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My own niece, Miss Blackburn,

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my sister-in-law discovered she wasn't

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learning anything in school and after

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three months had a parent-teacher

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conference and the lady just said,

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listen, we've got twenty-five kids in

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here. That speak English as a second

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language. I'm sorry, but it's the best I

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can do. And so she started homeschooling

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her kids. We did a poll here in Hamilton

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County, 80 plus percent of GOP primary

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voters. It would be 85% in the state on

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average, I believe. Don't think we should

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be doing it. But when Bo

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Watson and William Lambert's bill was

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passed for the local LEAs, I mean,

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Jeremy Faison, who's, you know, the House

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Republican caucus leader, like violently

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opposed it, as do a lot of other members

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in the House. Even our own local school

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board, all the Democrats voted in a

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resolution that half the Republicans

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voted with and the other half of the

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Republicans didn't vote. It seems like

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there's this disconnect between my school

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board, Ben Daugherty and Jeremy Faison,

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and like the GOP electorate. So what are

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your thoughts on what this is doing to

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our system?Would you support this kind of

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legislation?And, you know, can you fight

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people in your own party to get it across

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the finish line?Well, Brendan, as you

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know, I kind of have a history of

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fighting people within my party

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when I think that it's not the right

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decision. That's what happened

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when I led the fight against the state

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income tax and of

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course. You have Bose

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legislation. That is something that I

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am supportive of. And

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this is an issue that the

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state, as you're saying, and rightfully

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so, people want to see

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this addressed. There's a couple of

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things we know. Number one, the Democrats

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continue to work to try to make

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illegal legal.

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And that is something when you're talking

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about educating our children and when

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you're talking about colleges with

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children and someone who is

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illegally in the country, then they're

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taking that opportunity

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away from a child that

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is legally here

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and going through the system. I think we

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have to look very, very carefully to

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make certain that. We I I

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say it's the big five faith, family,

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freedom, hope and opportunity and

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preserving those opportunities for

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our our kids should

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be at the top of our list. Now

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one of the things I really do appreciate

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is the work the legislature has done on

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school choice because

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this gives parents more say

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and. The opportunities

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and options that are going to be there

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for their children, whether it's public

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school, private school, homeschool. We

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want parents to have more,

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not fewer choices,

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and I don't think any

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parent should have to win the

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lottery in order to have a say

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in their child's education.

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Another thing that

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we are that we

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need to be aware of is we talk

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about this and

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supporting what Senator Watson

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and Rep Lamberth are seeking to do

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is I've at the federal level worked on

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legislation that would remove the ability

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of the NEA. To lobby

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a government to entities, to lobby the

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federal government, you know to try to go

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in and lobby for policies that

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and we we saw this whether it was COVID

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or it's the issue that we're talking

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about that would restrict opportunities

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for our children. You don't

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want to give the union,

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you don't want to cede any ground to them

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so. Well, that's that's true. I mean,

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you've look most of the things and

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whether it's in education or automotive

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or anywhere else, once they get there, it

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may be OK at the beginning, but you know,

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just like letting poison Ivy grow up a

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tree, it looks real pretty until it kills

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the tree. The

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homeschoolers, you know, I lived in

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Chattanooga and our kids

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were zoned when we started getting into

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school in a in a school that was overran

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with illegal aliens there were.

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Shootings in the parking lot, gang

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activity, teen pregnancy, drugs. I was

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not going to put my 2 girls there. So I'd

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spent 20 years paying in taxes and then I

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just couldn't send them where I was

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zoned, like not with a good conscience.

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And so, you know, homeschoolers

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outperform in many cases, schoolers from

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almost any other situation. Every

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week we report in Tennessee public

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schools about kids that are raped,

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molested, taken advantage of inside the

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school system by the very people that it

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employs. Yet when we tried to pass a very

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simple bill in Tennessee that would allow

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homeschoolers to have the autonomy to

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educate their kids without government

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interference, it it died at the hands of

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Republicans. It had passed in 14 other

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states. And we had a couple of activist

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judges like Rob Phil y'all that sent in a

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letter saying, hey, you need to turn this

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down cause, you know, these homeschoolers

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might beat their kids. And how would we

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know?And so when it comes to

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homeschooling, Donald Trump, you know,

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has proposed a a 10K

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tax. Income deduction for

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homeschoolers because we're paying into

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the taxes, 50% of our money goes to

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something we don't feel comfortable

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using. What would you say to

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homeschoolers on 2 fronts?One is, is our

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independence to homeschool and would you

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ever support legislation that just

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allowed parents to be independent?#2 you

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know, is there anything financially even

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like a no strings attached tax rebate

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or refund or credit or something so that

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those that are paying into the system but

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opt not to use it, we're still saving.

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You know, $12,000 a year on average for

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the school system, federal, state and

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local when we pull our kids out, but we

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can't take advantage of it. What ideas

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would you have for homeschoolers?Yes.

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And one of the things I think that is

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very helpful to this entire

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discussion and you're so right about

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President Trump and how he has

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approached education

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and turning that

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responsibility back to the

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states. And the

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US Department of Education is

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going away. It is happening very

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quickly. And what we're going to

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see is that

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responsibility, the authority,

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the funding comes back to the states. I

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was talking to a principal this

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weekend and he said he is

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so. Looking forward

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to being able to say, I

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don't have all these federal mandates

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on me and I have

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the ability to handle

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what I think is going to be best for the

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children here that we are

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seeking to educate. And it's the same

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thing with homeschoolers. And you're

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very right as the

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US Department of Education goes away. And

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then your General Assembly here in

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Tennessee and also your

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state school board and they're

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going to be looking at how

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they have more choice, more

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options and

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are able to give parents more

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rights and how their child

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is educated. The tax credit

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that you're talking about, that is

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something that is a great idea.

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Because parents are paying in, but

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they are not pulling that on the

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system. There again, this is

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something that gives parents

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more options for how they would choose

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to educate their child. That's

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always a good thing. And

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as we see the US Department

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of Education going away, Brandon, for

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me, one of the exciting things is.

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Parents are going to be

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able and

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teachers are going to be able

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to be more innovative in how

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we teach children. We want children to

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learn how to be lifelong

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learners, and

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opening these doors of opportunity

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is a great way that we're going to be

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able to do that. I guess I would just ask

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specific to the homeschool legislation

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that was introduced on parental

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autonomy to homeschool without government

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interference in Tennessee, which is

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really like the the crux of the question.

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To me, if you if you put somebody in

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charge of a series of restaurants as a

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regional manager and only 66% of them

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perform at grade level, like you don't

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put that person in charge of anything

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else. And the way that they're looking at

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it now is that homeschool has to be under

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this purview of the same institution that

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we're saying simultaneously is so bad,

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we've got to get people out of it with

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school choice. Like it seems weird to put

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the failed manager in charge of the good

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stores. That are left. So like as far as

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autonomy goes and is there any tax relief

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that homeschoolers could see at the state

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level with autonomy,

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parents want to have and should have

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that autonomy. As I said, more choice,

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more options, more freedom for

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parents. You know, one of the things that

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I've said as we've talked about the

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governor's race, we're a great state,

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we're well led. Let's make

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certain we are #1. And

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individual freedom. And

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this is one of those areas that people

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want to see the freedom and the

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options to handle the education

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of their children. Tax relief,

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of course, having the ability to

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have tax relief for parents, that is

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always a good thing, having

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them, you know, when you look at things

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like tax credits.

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And for childcare, tax

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credits for children,

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then of course having one that deals with

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education and not only K

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through 12, but college

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as parents are working to

280
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complete this education in the

281
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manner. That they see fit that is

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best for their child. One thing we've

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learned one-size-fits-all

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education does not work.

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I have two children and four

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grandchildren and

287
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I I approach

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teaching with each of them

289
00:11:55,139 --> 00:11:57,859
differently. My two children

290
00:11:58,019 --> 00:12:00,979
learned in very different ways, and it

291
00:12:00,979 --> 00:12:03,299
was important to construct that learning

292
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environment for them to help

293
00:12:06,179 --> 00:12:08,499
them learn in the best way

294
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possible. And the same thing with our

295
00:12:11,539 --> 00:12:14,499
grandchildren. They're very different

296
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how they take in information, how

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00:12:17,459 --> 00:12:19,859
they are, the

298
00:12:20,099 --> 00:12:22,979
areas of interest that they have, they're

299
00:12:22,979 --> 00:12:25,099
all different, so you're never going to

300
00:12:25,099 --> 00:12:27,699
go wrong. When you are giving

301
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parents the ability to

302
00:12:30,819 --> 00:12:33,459
make those decisions of what is going to

303
00:12:33,459 --> 00:12:35,779
work best for their children.

304
00:12:36,979 --> 00:12:38,219
One question. I'm going to try to get to

305
00:12:38,219 --> 00:12:40,019
a couple more because we got short time

306
00:12:40,019 --> 00:12:42,259
here. This is a hard one.

307
00:12:42,819 --> 00:12:44,739
Six years I came. Six years ago I came

308
00:12:44,739 --> 00:12:47,099
out of political retirement. We were on

309
00:12:47,099 --> 00:12:48,899
the Market Street Bridge with a bunch of

310
00:12:48,899 --> 00:12:50,579
people in April 2020 saying we don't

311
00:12:50,579 --> 00:12:51,739
think the masks work. We don't think the

312
00:12:51,739 --> 00:12:53,139
vaccines are going to stop transmission.

313
00:12:53,459 --> 00:12:55,179
My church is closed. My gym is closed.

314
00:12:55,179 --> 00:12:57,059
I've been told I'm non-essential. In

315
00:12:57,059 --> 00:12:59,979
Tennessee, over the next 18 months, 24.4%

316
00:13:00,299 --> 00:13:03,099
of small businesses failed

317
00:13:03,099 --> 00:13:06,019
while big boxes were allowed to be open

318
00:13:06,379 --> 00:13:08,059
as they send their pack contribution and

319
00:13:08,059 --> 00:13:10,459
lobbyists to Nashville. Governor Lee told

320
00:13:10,459 --> 00:13:12,139
people not to congregate to worship God.

321
00:13:12,139 --> 00:13:13,899
He canceled Thanksgiving, according to

322
00:13:13,899 --> 00:13:15,579
the order, shuttered schools, sent kids

323
00:13:15,579 --> 00:13:18,419
home. Pushed the mask,

324
00:13:18,499 --> 00:13:20,419
pushed everything else. The National

325
00:13:20,419 --> 00:13:22,259
Guard didn't have any medical freedoms

326
00:13:22,259 --> 00:13:24,579
during the time. Contact tracing. People

327
00:13:24,579 --> 00:13:26,299
died alone in nursing homes. And this

328
00:13:26,299 --> 00:13:27,979
wasn't the Democrats. Democrats weren't

329
00:13:27,979 --> 00:13:29,779
in power. The Republicans were. And this

330
00:13:29,779 --> 00:13:31,819
General Assembly just kind of stood by

331
00:13:31,819 --> 00:13:33,379
and said, let's see what happens.

332
00:13:33,699 --> 00:13:35,059
Meanwhile, I look at this and I go

333
00:13:35,059 --> 00:13:37,059
constitutionally with the oath of office.

334
00:13:37,219 --> 00:13:38,579
Shouldn't I be able to go to church and

335
00:13:38,579 --> 00:13:39,939
run my business?And do you have any

336
00:13:39,939 --> 00:13:42,099
authority to do this?And so just

337
00:13:43,139 --> 00:13:45,539
just and. Long story short is like, I

338
00:13:45,539 --> 00:13:48,339
can't believe our own party put us

339
00:13:48,339 --> 00:13:50,339
through that relatively needlessly. And

340
00:13:50,339 --> 00:13:53,139
GOP primary voters, Clay Travis talked

341
00:13:53,139 --> 00:13:54,499
about this at an event and everybody's

342
00:13:54,499 --> 00:13:56,899
shaking their head like we're just afraid

343
00:13:56,899 --> 00:13:58,579
that, like if it happened before over a

344
00:13:58,579 --> 00:14:01,539
bad cold, if all our rights could be ran

345
00:14:01,539 --> 00:14:04,459
over by a bad cold. But what in your

346
00:14:04,459 --> 00:14:06,259
record would point to say that you would

347
00:14:06,259 --> 00:14:08,859
have stood by our rights that versus what

348
00:14:08,859 --> 00:14:10,979
we had to go through?Because, you know,

349
00:14:11,299 --> 00:14:13,179
nobody's ever paid a price for those bad

350
00:14:13,179 --> 00:14:15,299
decisions except for the the residents of

351
00:14:15,299 --> 00:14:17,659
Tennessee. And I'm just nervous that

352
00:14:17,659 --> 00:14:20,179
it'll happen again in my lifetime. And

353
00:14:20,179 --> 00:14:22,659
what we have to do is keep that focus on

354
00:14:22,659 --> 00:14:25,139
individual freedom, because

355
00:14:25,219 --> 00:14:28,099
government ought not to be able to force

356
00:14:28,099 --> 00:14:31,059
you to shut down your business, not

357
00:14:31,059 --> 00:14:33,699
go to work. Not go to church.

358
00:14:34,419 --> 00:14:37,219
And that is what we

359
00:14:37,219 --> 00:14:40,179
saw happen so many times

360
00:14:40,259 --> 00:14:43,219
during COVID. And what we

361
00:14:43,219 --> 00:14:45,699
have to do is make

362
00:14:45,699 --> 00:14:48,099
certain that we recognize those

363
00:14:48,099 --> 00:14:50,539
individual rights and

364
00:14:50,539 --> 00:14:53,539
freedoms and realize where

365
00:14:53,539 --> 00:14:56,019
those freedoms come from.

366
00:14:56,579 --> 00:14:59,219
And that it is going to be

367
00:14:59,219 --> 00:15:01,539
imperative that

368
00:15:01,539 --> 00:15:04,339
individuals have that right to keep that

369
00:15:04,339 --> 00:15:07,219
business open, that they have that

370
00:15:07,219 --> 00:15:09,859
right to continue to educate their

371
00:15:09,859 --> 00:15:12,419
children, that they have that right for

372
00:15:12,419 --> 00:15:14,659
and that religious liberty and that

373
00:15:14,659 --> 00:15:17,459
exercise of their freedom

374
00:15:17,459 --> 00:15:20,179
and their liberty. Well,

375
00:15:20,179 --> 00:15:22,659
thank you. I'm just still horrified over

376
00:15:22,659 --> 00:15:24,099
the whole thing. And everybody else says

377
00:15:24,099 --> 00:15:25,739
forget, but I just it's hard. It's a hard

378
00:15:25,739 --> 00:15:28,659
thing to forget. Well, yeah, you know, it

379
00:15:28,739 --> 00:15:31,459
it is. And The thing is,

380
00:15:31,779 --> 00:15:34,699
and this is something that points to the

381
00:15:34,699 --> 00:15:37,619
importance of governors and

382
00:15:37,619 --> 00:15:40,339
bringing that power out of

383
00:15:40,339 --> 00:15:42,979
DC and thank goodness,

384
00:15:42,979 --> 00:15:45,779
President Donald Trump. Said he

385
00:15:45,779 --> 00:15:48,739
is draining the swamp. This power

386
00:15:48,739 --> 00:15:51,299
is going back to the states.

387
00:15:51,619 --> 00:15:54,339
And Brandon, you know, I I feel so

388
00:15:54,339 --> 00:15:56,579
strongly we have

389
00:15:56,739 --> 00:15:59,179
been such a

390
00:15:59,619 --> 00:16:02,499
we're ahead of the curve on this

391
00:16:02,659 --> 00:16:04,979
with this authority coming back when you

392
00:16:04,979 --> 00:16:07,459
think about healthcare and

393
00:16:07,459 --> 00:16:10,179
education and energy and all these

394
00:16:10,179 --> 00:16:13,059
policy areas. Our goal

395
00:16:13,059 --> 00:16:15,779
as a state should be

396
00:16:16,099 --> 00:16:18,819
the state that everybody wants

397
00:16:18,819 --> 00:16:21,699
to emulate. The state where people

398
00:16:21,699 --> 00:16:23,699
say I like what they're doing in

399
00:16:23,699 --> 00:16:26,659
Tennessee. We ought to be doing that. We

400
00:16:26,659 --> 00:16:29,539
should be America's conservative

401
00:16:29,539 --> 00:16:32,499
leader. We should be #1 in

402
00:16:32,499 --> 00:16:35,459
conservative policies. We should be

403
00:16:35,539 --> 00:16:38,419
#1. In educating

404
00:16:38,499 --> 00:16:41,339
our children and having those choice

405
00:16:41,339 --> 00:16:44,059
and options, we should be #1 when it

406
00:16:44,059 --> 00:16:46,819
comes to generating energy

407
00:16:47,059 --> 00:16:49,659
that is needed for a growing economy and

408
00:16:49,659 --> 00:16:52,259
improving our infrastructure that is

409
00:16:52,259 --> 00:16:54,699
necessary for a growing economy. We

410
00:16:54,699 --> 00:16:57,539
should be #1 when it comes to

411
00:16:57,539 --> 00:17:00,419
fighting illegal immigration

412
00:17:00,659 --> 00:17:03,499
and supporting our law enforcement, and

413
00:17:03,499 --> 00:17:06,099
we should absolutely be the

414
00:17:06,099 --> 00:17:08,739
number one. State in this country

415
00:17:08,979 --> 00:17:11,299
when it comes to preserving and

416
00:17:11,299 --> 00:17:13,459
protecting individual

417
00:17:13,459 --> 00:17:16,299
freedoms. Thank you so much on

418
00:17:16,299 --> 00:17:18,019
that. Two very quick questions. I'm going

419
00:17:18,019 --> 00:17:20,099
to keep it super short. Number one is we

420
00:17:20,099 --> 00:17:22,259
fought the legislature for like a 10

421
00:17:22,259 --> 00:17:24,019
years, maybe 15 years to close the

422
00:17:24,019 --> 00:17:26,499
Republican primaries to Democrats. I'm an

423
00:17:26,499 --> 00:17:29,219
old campaign hand. I'm pull up the 44

424
00:17:29,219 --> 00:17:31,779
vow. OK, this person never voted. Ever

425
00:17:32,099 --> 00:17:34,339
in a Republican anything, but they only

426
00:17:34,339 --> 00:17:36,179
vote in the Republican primaries. But

427
00:17:36,179 --> 00:17:37,619
they're voting in the presidential

428
00:17:37,619 --> 00:17:39,339
Democrats. Like if they're registered as

429
00:17:39,339 --> 00:17:41,499
a Democrat, their own Facebook posting as

430
00:17:41,499 --> 00:17:42,899
a Democrat. There's hundreds of them

431
00:17:42,899 --> 00:17:45,379
every election. We've tried to get the

432
00:17:45,379 --> 00:17:46,659
General Assembly to close these

433
00:17:46,659 --> 00:17:48,419
primaries. The State Executive Committee

434
00:17:48,419 --> 00:17:50,339
has sent them. Scott Golden has gone down

435
00:17:50,339 --> 00:17:51,859
on bended knee and asked them and got

436
00:17:51,859 --> 00:17:54,819
nothing in reply. Would you be for party

437
00:17:54,819 --> 00:17:56,419
registration to make sure we don't have

438
00:17:56,419 --> 00:17:58,419
Democrats voting in Republican primaries?

439
00:17:58,659 --> 00:18:01,539
I I think it should be Republicans

440
00:18:01,539 --> 00:18:04,339
voting in Republican primaries.

441
00:18:04,339 --> 00:18:06,259
Spread the word around. Tell Cameron

442
00:18:06,259 --> 00:18:07,939
Sexton and Randy McNally. They have not

443
00:18:07,939 --> 00:18:10,899
gotten the notice. One last question and

444
00:18:10,899 --> 00:18:13,619
then and two compliments the

445
00:18:13,779 --> 00:18:16,139
theMy question is, you know, President

446
00:18:16,139 --> 00:18:18,099
Trump's got a really good record of

447
00:18:18,099 --> 00:18:20,019
breaking long standing tradition and

448
00:18:20,019 --> 00:18:22,179
allowing conservative media to actually

449
00:18:22,179 --> 00:18:24,339
show up at government press briefings.

450
00:18:24,579 --> 00:18:26,699
Cameron Sexton has locked us out of the

451
00:18:26,699 --> 00:18:28,299
press briefings. I know because I ask

452
00:18:28,299 --> 00:18:30,099
questions GOP primary voters actually

453
00:18:30,099 --> 00:18:32,259
care about. They like Phil Williams, the

454
00:18:32,259 --> 00:18:33,899
Tennessee lookout, the Tennessee, and

455
00:18:34,099 --> 00:18:35,859
they ain't ever seen a conservative

456
00:18:35,859 --> 00:18:37,859
policy they locked. They lobby against

457
00:18:37,859 --> 00:18:39,619
them actively. But he's like, come on

458
00:18:39,619 --> 00:18:41,139
boys, ask me questions cause it's all

459
00:18:41,139 --> 00:18:42,979
going to come from the Democrats

460
00:18:42,979 --> 00:18:44,379
perspective, which doesn't make a.

461
00:18:44,459 --> 00:18:45,869
Difference to him because he's in the R +

462
00:18:45,939 --> 00:18:48,499
18 district. But where would you be

463
00:18:48,819 --> 00:18:51,259
on like conservative media actually

464
00:18:51,259 --> 00:18:53,339
having access to ask questions about

465
00:18:53,339 --> 00:18:56,339
Tennessee state government?And you know,

466
00:18:56,339 --> 00:18:58,019
this is one of the things I've really

467
00:18:58,019 --> 00:19:00,579
appreciated so much about President

468
00:19:00,579 --> 00:19:02,899
Trump, whether it was campaigning for him

469
00:19:02,899 --> 00:19:05,619
in 2016 and working

470
00:19:05,699 --> 00:19:08,019
with him. Through his

471
00:19:08,019 --> 00:19:10,259
first administration,

472
00:19:10,579 --> 00:19:12,819
working with him as he got

473
00:19:12,819 --> 00:19:15,779
ready to run. And then,

474
00:19:15,779 --> 00:19:17,619
you know, I chaired the platform

475
00:19:17,619 --> 00:19:20,579
committee for President Trump so that we

476
00:19:20,579 --> 00:19:22,499
would have a good solid

477
00:19:22,819 --> 00:19:25,779
platform and he would be able

478
00:19:25,779 --> 00:19:28,699
to make these promises and we could keep

479
00:19:28,739 --> 00:19:31,619
these. Promises. And as I

480
00:19:31,619 --> 00:19:33,859
chaired that platform and worked with him

481
00:19:33,859 --> 00:19:36,579
during the campaign season, it

482
00:19:36,579 --> 00:19:39,459
always impressed me how much

483
00:19:39,459 --> 00:19:41,939
he appreciated how

484
00:19:42,099 --> 00:19:44,899
media had changed. And

485
00:19:45,299 --> 00:19:47,459
when you would do something, you would

486
00:19:47,459 --> 00:19:49,779
have bloggers and podcasters.

487
00:19:50,179 --> 00:19:52,659
And those that were doing streaming

488
00:19:52,659 --> 00:19:55,619
services and so many people that

489
00:19:55,619 --> 00:19:58,179
were there because the old

490
00:19:58,179 --> 00:20:00,979
mainstream media is never

491
00:20:00,979 --> 00:20:03,859
going to fairly cover you. But

492
00:20:03,859 --> 00:20:06,739
it will be the podcasters

493
00:20:06,739 --> 00:20:09,699
and the streamers and people that

494
00:20:09,699 --> 00:20:12,379
are the new media, which is

495
00:20:12,379 --> 00:20:15,379
where most people are getting their news.

496
00:20:15,619 --> 00:20:18,579
They're the ones that are going to really

497
00:20:18,579 --> 00:20:20,059
help get that message.

498
00:20:20,979 --> 00:20:22,899
And I have

499
00:20:22,899 --> 00:20:25,379
appreciated that. I think people are

500
00:20:25,379 --> 00:20:27,859
learning a lesson from what

501
00:20:27,859 --> 00:20:30,819
President Trump has done. And of course,

502
00:20:31,219 --> 00:20:34,179
new media should be allowed to

503
00:20:34,179 --> 00:20:37,099
come in and ask

504
00:20:37,099 --> 00:20:39,939
those questions because they

505
00:20:40,179 --> 00:20:42,579
probably have more of an

506
00:20:42,659 --> 00:20:45,139
audience than some of the old

507
00:20:45,219 --> 00:20:48,179
mainstream media. Well, you're very

508
00:20:48,179 --> 00:20:50,259
kind. We we get more social media traffic

509
00:20:50,259 --> 00:20:51,859
and action like we reach several million

510
00:20:52,099 --> 00:20:53,379
people, even though we have a small

511
00:20:53,379 --> 00:20:54,739
following. They're just the folks that

512
00:20:54,739 --> 00:20:56,739
share everything to close here because

513
00:20:56,739 --> 00:20:58,299
we're over time. Number one is I want to

514
00:20:58,299 --> 00:21:00,019
thank you for taking these questions.

515
00:21:00,339 --> 00:21:02,179
These are hard questions. The questions

516
00:21:02,179 --> 00:21:04,339
you get asked from most of the other

517
00:21:04,339 --> 00:21:05,939
media sources are questions that only

518
00:21:05,939 --> 00:21:08,139
Democrat voters care about. Which doesn't

519
00:21:08,139 --> 00:21:09,379
make them hard, right?It doesn't matter

520
00:21:09,379 --> 00:21:10,619
what you even say to them because you

521
00:21:10,779 --> 00:21:12,259
think there's not who you're running for

522
00:21:12,259 --> 00:21:13,379
the ticket, right?Not that you're not

523
00:21:13,379 --> 00:21:14,659
going to represent all of Tennessee, I

524
00:21:14,659 --> 00:21:16,499
get that. But for the primary, which

525
00:21:16,499 --> 00:21:18,139
comes before the general, thank you. It

526
00:21:18,139 --> 00:21:19,499
shows you've got a lot of guts. It makes

527
00:21:19,499 --> 00:21:21,939
me respect you a lot more. And your staff

528
00:21:21,939 --> 00:21:23,539
has been very easy to work with and they

529
00:21:23,539 --> 00:21:25,899
seem very competent and professional. And

530
00:21:25,899 --> 00:21:27,379
so that you don't always run into that on

531
00:21:27,379 --> 00:21:30,139
campaign. So in closing, I just want to

532
00:21:30,139 --> 00:21:31,939
say if you want to leave, leave the

533
00:21:31,939 --> 00:21:34,899
listeners with some words, but eat your

534
00:21:35,139 --> 00:21:37,299
eat your good nutrition, get plenty of

535
00:21:37,299 --> 00:21:39,539
sleep. This is not a lark. People don't

536
00:21:39,539 --> 00:21:40,659
realize how hard you work on these

537
00:21:40,659 --> 00:21:42,099
statewide campaigns. You've done it

538
00:21:42,099 --> 00:21:44,659
before. So good luck to you because

539
00:21:44,659 --> 00:21:46,779
you're going to need it. Rest up and I'll

540
00:21:46,779 --> 00:21:49,179
let you have the last word. Yes, you

541
00:21:49,179 --> 00:21:51,859
know, it is truly an honor to serve.

542
00:21:52,219 --> 00:21:54,979
The people of Tennessee, and I am

543
00:21:54,979 --> 00:21:56,979
blessed every single day

544
00:21:57,619 --> 00:22:00,419
by being able to talk with and

545
00:22:00,419 --> 00:22:02,339
work with and listen to

546
00:22:02,819 --> 00:22:05,699
Tennesseans. Our state is

547
00:22:05,859 --> 00:22:08,659
a great state and

548
00:22:08,659 --> 00:22:11,539
right now our state does not need a

549
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manager. Our state needs a

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leader, a leader who is focused,

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who is conservative, who is

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determined. And our

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state needs a leader who has a proven

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history of delivering for

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Tennesseans. That leader is me.

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And I am looking forward to being the

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51st governor of the state of Tennessee.

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Miss Blackburn, thank you for being here,

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for talking to all of our folks out there

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at the Tennessee Conservative. I wish you

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the best on the campaign trail. Be

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blessed. Thank you. All right, guys, if

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you enjoyed this, go to

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00:22:49,619 --> 00:22:51,459
Tennesseeconservativenews.com. Hit the

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00:22:51,459 --> 00:22:53,059
sign up button. Until next time, I'm

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Brandon Lewis signing off.