Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

Is western civilization in decline? Author and political commentator Jonah Goldberg joins us for a conversation about his book "Suicide of the West" - an exploration of the history and founding principles which gave us the miracle that we call America. The progressive left has spent decades stoking tribalism and identity politics to tear that miracle apart, erase history, and remake civilization. Do the events of the past few months mean their efforts are succeeding?

Jonah Goldberg holds the Asness Chair in Applied Liberty at the American Enterprise Institute, is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, and hosts the podcast "The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg." Follow Jonah on Twitter at @JonahDispatch.

Dr. Ben Carson, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, joins us to talk about lessons learned overcoming the barriers he's encountered on his remarkable journey, and the implications of the left's victimhood narrative on American policies and culture. Dr. Carson went from spending much of his childhood in poverty, written off by teachers as a below average student, to becoming one of the world's top brain surgeons, and now he leads the Trump administration's efforts to combat the inequities facing today's inner cities. Follow Dr. Carson on Twitter at @SecretaryCarson.

As the House prepares to vote on the Democrats' police reform bill and Senate Democrats blocked Senator Tim Scott's police reform bill from even being consider, it's a good time to get the law enforcement perspective on these proposals from an actual police officer.

Joining us is Joe Gamaldi, the President of Houston Police Officers' Union, Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police, and an active member of the Houston Police Department. Officer Gamaldi still patrols the streets and knows exactly what our cops face up against every day and as the President of the HPOU has his finger on the pulse of the larger force.

Officer Gamaldi served three years in the NYPD before coming to Houston in 2008. He's been President of Houston Police Officers' Union since 2017 and National Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police since 2019. Follow Officer Gamaldi on Twitter at @JoeGamaldi.

Author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza joins us for a conversation about his new book "United States of Socialism" - an examination of the twenty-first century resurrection of socialism and how the left weaves it together with identity politics to create the societal upheaval we see today.

Alex Herrgott leads an independent federal entity whose sole focus is cutting millions of dollars in unnecessary project costs that environmental groups add, while slashing red tape and preventing anti-development activists from using the court system to prevent much needed economic recovery through acceleration of investment in our national infrastructure which provides immediate and lasting economic benefits for states, local communities and small businesses. Alex joined us to explain how the Permitting Council cuts through the bureaucracy and serves as a one-stop Federal shop to provide coordination across the Federal government for America's largest, most complex infrastructure projects.

Alex Herrgott was appointed by the President as the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council on September 21st, 2018. Mr. Herrgott had been serving as the Associate Director for Infrastructure for the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) at the White House previously. Prior to his service with CEQ, Mr. Herrgott worked for Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma as Senior Staff from 2004-2011 at the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In the midst of national conversations about police brutality, violent protests, and the constitutionality of lockdowns, Attorney General Ken Paxton is responsible for finding the right solution to each problem for Texas. What would "defunding the police" actually mean for communities that are most vulnerable to crime? How should officials draw the line to prevent peaceful demonstrations from becoming destructive? What are the proper roles for federal and state governments when enforcing restrictions during a pandemic? A.G. Paxton gives his views and experiences as Texas's top law enforcement officer during one of the most contentious times in recent history.

Dr. Scott Atlas joins us to examine the science, data, and reasoning (or lack thereof) used to justify indefinite lockdowns, school closures, and other fear-based mitigation strategies that are still happening across America.

Dr. Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a Member of Hoover Institution's Working Group on Health Care Policy. He served as Professor of Radiology and Chief of Neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center from 1998 until 2012. He is the author of "Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six-Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost." Follow him on Twitter at @SWAtlasHoover.

Professor Randy Barnett of Georgetown University Law Center joins us on the podcast to discuss some of the constitutional elements of the COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as the ideological undercurrents fueling our polarized political climate. What real, practical problems do the lockdowns pose with regards to the Fourteenth Amendment? How is the pandemic becoming an arena for the arbitrary exercise of the police power by government officials? What do the lockdowns and the recent protests reveal about modern liberalism? Are we witnessing the destruction of the "moderate left" in real-time? Professor Barnett tackles these issues and others with Congressman Crenshaw.

Professor Randy Barnett is the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory at the Georgetown University Law Center. He teaches constitutional law and contracts and is the director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution. Professor Barnett has authored numerous books and textbooks, including the recently published "An Introduction to Constitutional Law: 100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know," which he co-authored with Professor Josh Blackman. Follow him on Twitter at @RandyEBarnett.

Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor has logged 197 days in space. She joined Dan to talk all things space travel. How close are we to colonizing the Moon and Mars? What's it like to break atmosphere and spend months in zero gravity? What's her take on the Navy UFO footage? From training in Antarctica to fixing toilets in outer space, being an astronaut brings surprising perspectives on life.

Since 1953, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has empowered small business owners by giving them the tools and resources they need to launch and grow their businesses. With the rise of COVID-19 and the economic shutdown, the SBA is facing its most monumental challenge in generations. SBA Regional Administrator Justin Crossie joined Dan to discuss how the SBA is helping America's entrepreneurs navigate this crisis, as well as ways the SBA can help guide entrepreneurs through the often confusing requirements for starting a business, hiring employees, and expanding operations.

Justin Crossie leads the SBA's funding programs, counseling services, and government contracting and export initiatives for more than 3.8 million small businesses in the South-Central Region - including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico.