LT. DAN

Josh Thifault was there in the early days of Turning Point USA alongside Charlie Kirk, helping build a movement that would reshape youth politics in America. Today, he hosts Pressure Tested, where he focuses on reaching young men with a message centered on faith, discipline, purpose and biblical masculinity.

Now he believes the country faces a new challenge: millions of young men searching for faith, purpose, opportunity and somewhere to belong.

Josh joins Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to discuss Charlie Kirk's legacy, the spiritual void facing young men, the growing influence of the online manosphere, affordability and the American Dream, biblical masculinity, marriage, meaningful work and why the political future of the country may depend on whether this generation can find hope again.

Josh also explains why he believes conservatives cannot simply win young men at the ballot box — they must give them a meaningful vision for how to live.

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Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas joins Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for a conversation about faith, politics and religious liberty in America.

Jeffress discusses declining church attendance and secularization before responding to James Talarico's public statements about Christianity and the Bible. Jeffress explains where he believes Talarico's theology conflicts with the teachings of Jesus and why those differences matter in public life.

Dan and Jeffress also discuss the role of pastors in politics, Christian participation in government, and why they believe religious liberty means more than simply having the freedom to worship inside a church.

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Cody Campbell joins Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for a timely conversation about sports betting and the rapidly changing world of college athletics.

Campbell discusses the sports-betting problem that affected a Texas Tech quarterback and what the experience taught him about gambling addiction, particularly among young men and college athletes. They examine how easy access to betting apps and the growing presence of sports gambling are changing the way fans and athletes experience the game.

Then the conversation turns to NIL, player compensation, the transfer portal and the future of college sports. Campbell explains why rising costs could put increasing pressure on women's sports and other non-revenue programs, and discusses proposals intended to bring more structure and stability to college athletics.

From gambling addiction to million-dollar college athletes, Dan and Cody examine how dramatically college sports have changed — and what those changes could mean for athletes, universities and fans.

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What can archaeology tell us about the people, places and events described in the Bible?

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick sits down with bestselling author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza to discuss biblical archaeology and D'Souza's new book, The Stones Cry Out.

D'Souza explores archaeological discoveries he believes support the historical setting of the Bible, including ancient inscriptions, seals, the City of David, the Pool of Siloam and other discoveries tied to people and places found in Scripture.

Dan and Dinesh also discuss why these findings matter to believers and skeptics, how archaeology can illuminate details preserved for thousands of years, and why D'Souza believes these discoveries are bringing the world of the Bible vividly back to life.

The conversation also touches on Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, free speech on college campuses, socialism, and Congressman Brandon Gill.

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Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath joins Dan Patrick for a conversation about the challenges and changes facing Texas public schools.

Morath shares the personal experience that led him to leave the private sector for public education before discussing school accountability, teacher compensation, literacy, classroom discipline and the performance of Texas schools.

They also talk about cell-phone restrictions, controversial books in school libraries, and the Bluebonnet curriculum—including its treatment of American history, literature and biblical references.

In This Episode

• Why Mike Morath left a successful software career for public education
• What Texas' A–F school rating system is intended to measure
• Why some Rio Grande Valley schools outperform expectations
• How Texas is changing teacher compensation and performance incentives
• The continuing challenge of students graduating without adequate literacy skills
• What happened after cell phones were removed from classrooms
• How controversial books ended up in some school libraries
• What Texas has changed about library-book oversight
• What Bluebonnet Learning teaches
• Why the curriculum includes historical and biblical references

Morath describes his career change as stemming from seeing a teenager he mentored struggle to complete a basic job application because of insufficient literacy skills.

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On September 11, 2001, Lt. Colonel Brian Birdwell was inside the Pentagon when Flight 77 crashed into the building just feet from his office.

In this powerful conversation, Brian and his wife, Mel, recount his remarkable survival, the people who helped save his life, the dozens of surgeries and years of recovery that followed, and the faith that sustained their family through it all.

After later serving in the Texas Senate, Birdwell's journey came full circle when he returned to serve inside the Pentagon, just yards from where he was nearly killed.

A deeply moving story of survival, faith, courage, and service.

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Prominent contemporary rabbi, Dr. Meir Soloveichik, joins Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for a wide-ranging conversation on anti-Semitism in America, the aftermath of October 7, the moral foundations of liberty, and why the attack on Israel is also an attack on America and Western civilization.

They discuss the rise of anti-Semitism in New York and on college campuses, the meaning of American exceptionalism, George Washington's remarkable letters to the Jewish community, Abraham Lincoln's vision of America as an "almost chosen people," and why freedom cannot survive without faith, family, responsibility, and moral obligation. They also reflect on the work of the Religious Liberty Commission and what must be done to preserve the American experiment for future generations.

In this episode:

• Why anti-Semitism is a warning sign of deeper sickness in society
• How hatred of Israel often reflects hatred of America and the West
• George Washington's message to America's Jewish community
• Lincoln and the meaning of "almost chosen people"
• The role of education in preserving Western civilization
• What the Religious Liberty Commission heard from Americans of faith

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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick welcomes Riley Gaines for a powerful conversation about courage, common sense, and the fight to protect women's sports.

Riley reflects on when she first realized the issue of gender ideology was reshaping athletics, what happened during the NCAA championship controversy, and why fairness and safety for girls remain central to the national debate. Dan and Riley also discuss the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, NIL, the NCAA's leadership failures, and the growing pressure on college sports.

The conversation closes with a thoughtful discussion about faith, motherhood, public service, and whether Riley may one day step into the political arena herself.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to subscribe to the Lt. Dan Podcast, share with your friends, and explore the full library of past conversations.

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President Donald J. Trump joins Lt. Dan for an exclusive conversation covering the 2026 elections, Texas, Iran, the economy, religious liberty and the decision that launched his political career.

President Trump explains why he created the idea of a Republican midterm convention in Dallas and why he believes the upcoming elections could determine the direction of the country. He discusses the importance of Texas, Ken Paxton and other key races, and warns about what he sees as the growing influence of socialism and communism in American politics.

Trump also looks back at his historic 2015 presidential announcement, revealing how he turned down another five years of The Apprentice before deciding—only shortly before his famous escalator speech—to run for president.

The conversation also covers Iran and nuclear weapons, border security, tariffs and American manufacturing, taxes, prescription drug prices, religious liberty and faith.

It's a wide-ranging conversation with President Trump about where America has been—and where he believes it is headed next.

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One year after the Camp Mystic tragedy, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick sits down with Matt Childress and Blake Bonner, two fathers who lost their daughters in the devastating flood along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025.

They share what the past year has been like for the families, what they have learned about camp safety since the disaster, and why they believe the loss of life was preventable. Their grief has also become a mission. Working together with the other Camp Mystic families, they helped enact new camp-safety measures in Texas and are now taking that effort nationwide through the Safe Summers Foundation.

Matt and Blake discuss the changes they believe every summer camp should make, the questions every parent should ask, the heroism of counselors sending a child to camp. They also remember the extraordinary courage of counselors Chloe Childress and Katherine Ferruzzo, the continuing search for Cile Steward, and the faith that sustains them as they work to ensure their daughters' lives were not lost in vain.

This is a difficult but hopeful conversation about loss, accountability, faith, and making sure it never happens again.

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