Rededicate 250 | Ep. 05: Michelle Backus

Transcript

Copy

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to the Jonathan Shuttlesworth podcast. To stay connected, go to revivaltoday.com. And now here is Evangelist Jonathan.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

What do you host on Real America's Voice?

SPEAKER_01 0:16

I just kinda helped out. I said, I get Fox News every year.

SPEAKER_03 0:19

Fox News?

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Yeah, but I I use things to show your own.

SPEAKER_03 0:23

What do you do on Fox News? I know we're not well we're not supposed to cross promote, but I'm I'm curious.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Oh, I no, I just say political commentary.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Yeah?

unknown 0:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

What what's your what got you into political commentary?

SPEAKER_01 0:33

I have an LLC that's like defaulting. So Oh, wait, is there we're on, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

That's how I get a little wow, you we do it.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

I have no idea.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

That's how unprofessional we are. People can't even tell what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Oh my goodness. This is wonderful. Well, it's great to be with everyone. So I have a political consulting business, and I started out with local politicians and then Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Yeah, because where we're from where at get out.

SPEAKER_03 0:59

I live I live in Wexford. We have a church in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

No, so I'm from Monroville.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

Oh, I know I know where that is. 376.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yeah. So I um one of my clients, if you know Westmoreland County, Nicole Zicarelli, she's the first female district attorney. Yes, she's great. Yeah, she's one of those. You helped with that? I ran her comms, yep. Back then.

SPEAKER_03 1:17

That's a big deal to win in Pittsburgh. It's as blue as it gets.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Yeah. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Well, that one's Westmoreland County.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

How did you win? Oh, Westmoreland.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:25

Well, it's still not easy to win.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

No, no. Uh, so she uh that that year, what was that, 2021? It was a clean sweep. So all four Republicans were able to get in.

SPEAKER_03 1:35

How did you lose your Pittsburgh accent? Parents are from Sweden or something?

SPEAKER_01 1:38

So you don't think I have an accent?

SPEAKER_03 1:40

You don't.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Oh, thank goodness. Because I've had people say I do before.

SPEAKER_03 1:44

Maybe you used to.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Okay, you guys don't have Pittsburgh accents.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

They're for our parents, their parents are from Puerto Rico and they grew up in Boston. I'm from Pittsburgh, but we moved away for a little while. Maybe moving away.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

You know what it is with the Pittsburgh accent? It's the way they say their O's. Like it's a no.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

They draw it out like anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:01

Yeah, I grew up in Bridgeville. So that's cool. You're from Monroe.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Oh my goodness. What a small world.

SPEAKER_03 2:05

So then how did Fox News open up after that?

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Um well I was on the campaign trail. I was working with the PAC. I was working with Real America's Voice, uh, doing some consulting for other politicians. And now just I I'll go on Fox News uh typically like once a week to talk about commentary. I'll go on Newsmax. Um it really depends.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Also, if you had to put money down, obviously we don't promote gambling, but if you were gonna put money down, how would you bet on Calci on the house for the midterms if you had to slap five grand down right now?

SPEAKER_01 2:36

I want to be very optimistic.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Right, but you also want to make money. So what right now things can change if you're just going straight on wanting to make a good bet.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Well, you know what, actually, I I I will say because of the redistricting efforts right now, we could come out. Republicans could keep the house.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

With the house. Senate's a lost cause, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Depends.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

You there's a there's an out what what percentage chance Republicans take the Senate, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

See, I I think it's circumstantial on a few things, the number one thing being Iran, right?

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Because you look at What about what like if you were running everybody's campaigner had like a ton of control in the country, what would you want to see done in Iran that would benefit the Republicans in the midterm?

SPEAKER_01 3:18

I think it would just be wrapping it up and getting prices low. Obviously, this is a long-term game for president.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Gas prices matter.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Gas prices matter. At the end of the day, you have to consider middle America, right? They're not looking at the headlines every day, they're not looking at the intricacies of foreign policy and how this is going to benefit us 10 years down the road. They're going to the grocery store, they're going to the gas station. That's right. They're seeing that gas. I mean, even me the other day, $4.50. I was like, what?

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Where where are you based now?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

West Palm Beach.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

Big pick. Oh, we're we're avids.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yeah, yeah. Yes. Yeah. So I think that's the big issue at the end of the day. A majority of Americans aren't looking at the intricate foreign policy of all this. They're just going to the grocery store and they're seeing the gas prices. And that's unfortunately a problem. You know, at the end of the day, the economy is always going to be the number one issue. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

Least favorite cabinet pick by President School.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Oh my gosh. Um I'm biased because I'm a massive animal lover.

SPEAKER_03 4:12

Everybody's biased.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

So Christy, no.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Yes. Oh, yeah, but she's gone.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

She's gone. I know. I know. I was a little shocking.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

She just posted a reel on Instagram today of her shooting a dog from like point-blank range.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Again, have you seen the South Park episode?

SPEAKER_03 4:27

Maybe. I'm a pastor. I've heard about it. He's watching it. I definitely watched it three times in a row. Okay, so now that now that Gnome's gone, who's your least favorite cabinet?

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Ugh, that's a good question. You're really putting me in the hot spot here. Um who else am I not a massive fan of? Uh Lee Zeldon has been somewhat anticlimatic.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

Yeah, because he could have done more damage. Who's your favorite pick?

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Well, uh, that's I love Marco Rubio. Me too. I think he's phenomenal. Um you know, RFK's been doing a lot of great things. However, we need to get this animal testing thing under control. Yeah. And also uh the Save Our Bacon Act and the Farm Bill. But Save Our Bacon Act? What is that? Um, so basically, uh obviously factory farming is massive. That's where we get a majority of our food. And um the way that they house the pigs is extremely inhumane, amongst a ton of other things they do with factory farming. I'm a terrible Republican. I'm I I give to PETA. I'm so big in animal rights.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

Um, but so they put them in these Yeah, but at least you're open about it as opposed to the people that pretend they're for it and then behind closed doors they don't care.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Exactly, exactly. So they put them in these very small gestration crates, and uh it's cruelty and torture. And and picks are, I believe, what, the seventh most intelligent animal. They mimic a lot of characteristics of dogs.

SPEAKER_03 5:57

Right. I've heard you can have some for pets.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's pretty cruel if we allow that to to pass.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

You know.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

Tell me about the um I'm not gonna put words in your mouth, but I was glad to see Pam Bondi go and then the the the new guy.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

I forgot about Pam Bondi.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Yeah, she did nothing.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

So you guys you guys were happy about that?

SPEAKER_03 6:17

I don't know about her, I was.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

Um she didn't do anything.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

I mean, what what was it that but you didn't like her from before?

SPEAKER_03 6:26

I had a lawyer, friend of mine in Florida, uh-huh, say, don't get excited about Pam Bondi company. I think that's okay. Because she's gonna do nothing. Right. And then I decided why because she had worked, you know, she just said she's gonna be like, she's gonna sound like she's gonna come in guns blazing and nothing's gonna get done. And that's what happened between the passing out the fake Epstein file stuff, that was a fair like there should be a lot of people in jail. Obviously, I realize a thousand people that work in government aren't gonna all get zip tied and thrown in prison, but one or two to be nice, you know, and and you had the power to do it. And when you watch how the Democrats came after Trump, um incessantly, yeah, to literally destroy his life. I'm not looking for people's lives to get destroyed, but people that committed crimes should go to prison. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

And she did nothing.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

I like the new guy. He he's done more in what, 40 days than she did in the the year and a half she was there. So I I like him. How do you feel about attorney general?

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Well, I I will say this about Pam Bondi. If I was one of those influencers, do you guys remember when she handed out those uh those binders, right? And everyone comes out and it's a big media moment, everyone's shaking selfies. If I was one of those influencers, actually a couple of them, my friends, Jacko Sovek was one of them, I would be livid. I would be so mad because that's that's so embarrassing.

SPEAKER_03 7:41

She was yeah, but weren't you taking a look at it before you came out and got used for a photo up?

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Doubt. Me, probably not, because I probably would have trusted her. You know, she's been honest every single day. Yeah, you know, saying that she's gonna hold these people accountable and she's gonna get all of them, and then nothing. So maybe maybe I'm too naive in that sense. I would have believed her. I'd be like, all right.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

Especially, yeah, and I guess you gotta cut the influencers some slack because it was early in the administration. It looked like it was early. You could trust trust them.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Yeah. And it was still it was still a time in which you could get away with all talk, right? It was still early enough that like action didn't matter. So she was in a good position for a moment until she wasn't.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

Who's up for re-election that's running the worst campaign, in your opinion, right now? That that you you like from somebody that helps somebody get elected in a high office in Westmoreland County, you thought, what are they doing?

SPEAKER_01 8:30

I am not familiar with Westmoreland County or Alligator County.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

No, I'm saying you helped the attorney general. I'm talking about like like a uh representative, I'm talking a national election. That when you watch their campaign for the House or the Senate, that they're up for re-election and you're thinking, like, who's running their campaign? They're doing terrible.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

You know, it's it's interesting. I'm I'm really closely following the Thomas Massey stuff in Kentucky.

SPEAKER_03 8:53

Which which got which got hot over the weekend. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

Oh, it's gonna get hotter too. It's gonna get hotter.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

Oh, there's more stuff that's gonna come.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Are you guys on Twitter? No.

SPEAKER_03 9:01

I am.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Do you see the divide?

SPEAKER_03 9:03

Yes, wilds. And he's he's trailing now by like seven points, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Depending on the poll, you see. Um, he is really loved in his district to be there, fully transparent. But uh, I mean, big money talks. We saw what happened in what was it, Indiana, where anyone that went against Trump's redistricting efforts uh lost.

SPEAKER_03 9:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Trump's endorsement matters a lot of places, huh?

SPEAKER_01 9:24

You know, people still think that it doesn't.

SPEAKER_03 9:26

But it does.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

It does. Indiana was a good indication of that. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

That's a good point. Yeah, Massie, I didn't think anything was gonna happen to him. Now it looks like he's he he's hurting. That's that stuff doesn't go away when a it's not a good time to have women saying you you like you used them and stuff like that when you're running for re-election.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

But you know what's so funny? Every single candidate has an autho file, right? An opposition file. That's what happens when you're in politics. So whoever your um rival is, you pay a lot of money and they dig up dirt. And even the most random things. So, you know, where you lived in 2014, who you dated, you know, they might call someone, what properties you owned. It's interesting that they waited so long to release this. Yeah, or maybe they were just aggressively digging and couldn't get anything tangible until this point. If it is, I uh you know. That's very interesting. Politics is cutthroat. It sure is. It's cutthroat. Ludely out there. You know, I I will say this. I I see the women in politics get at the worst, more so than any other industry. Ever shaman, anything. And it's it's like in politics, you know, there's there's no rules, there's no guidelines. You can say whatever to them. I mean, even when even when I was running Nicole's campaign, um somebody wrote her the nastiest letter and told her that she needs to stick to baking cupcakes and stay in the kitchen instead of running for district attorney.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

Is that you? No, it's not on me. Oh no, oh no. No, I was a supporter. Um, it it is interesting. I've always thought it was odd how like, especially with Democrats, because they're like they'll write stuff like that to people. And they're they're the ones that are like most against saying that stuff to women. But then if it's a Republican woman, you came on, you could light them on fire.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Oh, the biggest, the biggest hypocrites always. You should see some of my DMs. If I post something spicy, right, it's always middle-aged women, and their bios are always things like live, laugh, love, or be kind to everyone. Yeah, and they're calling me the most vile names they can think of. I remember one time I had to go an urban dictionary and look up what she called because I didn't even know what she I didn't even know what does this even mean? You're way more sophisticated than me.

SPEAKER_03 11:27

So so you said there's more stuff that's gonna come out about Matt Massey. Obviously, you don't want to get sued for defamation, so you're not gonna break it. But like, what else do you know that other people don't know?

SPEAKER_01 11:36

I I oh, oh, that's uh that's spicy. See, I actually don't. I don't know too much about Massey. I don't have his Oppo file, but I everyone has an opposition file. So maybe at this point they're just trying to pepper it in and get what they can. It's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Have you heard about any other trouble coming down the pike for anybody?

SPEAKER_01 11:53

I think there's trouble with a lot of campaigns. We'll see with Lauren Bobart. Uh, she just came out and said that she again going back to that Trump endorsement, right? She just came out and said that she supports Thomas Massey and she also supports President Trump. And that's not going over well. So we'll see what happens if if she actually does get primaried or anything like that.

SPEAKER_03 12:16

So it's not a safe bet, but Republicans should take the house.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

I think with the redistricting efforts, we can.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

And and Scott Bassent, who has been I he he he might be my favorite. Him him and uh whoever we brought up earlier. I like the Treasury Secretary, but he said, and he hasn't been wrong once since Trump got in, that gas prices will be back to normal no later than September, which makes sense. That they would make sure.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Yeah, get in, get in.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

And there's ways to manipulate it even if Iran's not all cleared up. Exactly. Like the federal tax and all that. Um, but then the Senate, the Senate is a long shot, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:55

We'll see. We'll see. I'd like to I'd like to be optimistic, you guys. I'm gonna I'm gonna try with me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

So what do what do you have going on uh in the future? Like what's your next big project or thing you're look you're working on?

SPEAKER_01 13:07

That is a good point. Um, so I work with Citizens Alliance, it's a pack. Um the CEO, Cliff Maloney, is an amazing person. If you guys don't know him, look him up. Um, he ironically ran the PHAs in Pennsylvania 2024. So it's a ballot chasing initiative. So every Republican that requested a ballot but didn't turn a fact in, he recruits people to go out and chase down those ballots. Wow. Actually got Trump over the finish line in 2024. Amazing. Obviously, there were tens of thousands of people who did that, right? Low propensity voters, Republicans that just didn't, you know, didn't think to return their ballot. So we're working ahead of midterms. Um, we're going to be in some pretty big states, so we're gearing up for all of that right now. Um, Citizens Alliance, by the way, I don't which camera are we on? I you guys think I'm a professional. One right there, camera one. Okay, camera two. Citizens Alliance, you guys should check it out because they're doing amazing things. Ironically, um Cliff and Charlie, Charlie Kirk, were really, really great friends. Um, and he he really wants to honor Charlie. Charlie's the one who told him you need to go into Pennsylvania 2024 and nail that down for President Trump, um, which is what he was able to do. Again, now we're looking at midterms and seeing if we can ensure we built that red wall. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Way to go.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Yeah, way to go. And and you know what I love so much about Citizens Alliance, my last little schiel. Typically, I'm a I'm a big fan, obviously. Uh, but the money that people donate, you can actually see where it's going. So you see, okay, we are running an Airbnb in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for this amount of door knockers. They're going to be working this amount of time. That's where your money's going. As opposed to, you know, many nonprofits these days that want your money. Uh, we don't know where it's going. It's gonna help. Don't worry. That's amazing. Yeah. So it's a really one. Did they report that online? How does that even work? Yeah. So everything's reported, everything's tracked. We have a ton of employees that will ramp up hiring and pay. Awesome. Yeah, yeah. So we are getting really excited for midterms.

SPEAKER_03 15:00

That's awesome. Thanks for what was your interest in being here?

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Um, I love Real America's voice, and they asked me to come out, and I love God, and this is a wonderful event, and we're honoring 250 years in the best country in the world. Amen. Can't can't argue that.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Did you go to church when you lived in Pittsburgh?

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Um, I went to Cornerstone.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

Really? Yeah, yeah. I know that church.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Okay. So I I have a confession to make. I'm awesome. My favorite church that I haven't been able to replicate since uh is a church in Miami called Vu Church, V-O-Us.

SPEAKER_03 15:35

Rachel Wilkerson, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Yes, yes. Phenomenal.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

This his dad's friends with my family.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

Really? Yes. Okay, okay. I it's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Is Cornerstone Gary Mitrick or not? No. You know, I can't remember who the pastor was in Cornerstone. Might have been Gary Mitrick.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

No, Vu's great.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Vu's phenomenal. And it's a lot of younger people. Yes. Yes, yes. Very young.

SPEAKER_03 15:55

And you're not gonna find it replicated because he's one of a kind and he built a one-of-a-kind church.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Yeah, it's it's massive to the extent you have to get there about an hour early to get a seat. It's so crazy. And it's Miami, you know. Think of Miami. It's partying. I I don't know. I think of like sinful things in Miami. He made a real impact. It's uh huge. Everything's wife is so anointed, she's so great. They're wonderful. They're they're such good role models in Miami, which to be fair, have you guys spent a lot of time in Miami?

SPEAKER_03 16:22

I've spent enough to know exactly what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

It's hard. Yeah, there can be some questionable people out there that I think uh other people might accidentally look up to, right? Uh yeah. But they're good role models, they're great, they're doing good things down there.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

That's awesome. I'm glad I got to meet you. Tell everybody about about that organization if they want to find it. Where can they go?

SPEAKER_01 16:40

Yes, go to Citizens Alliance, doorswinwars.com. Uh, please donate if you want to get involved. Obviously, we would love to have you. We're doing some big things for the midterms. Uh, it's gonna be wonderful, and you need every single vote possible.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

All right, guys. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Thank you for sharing the Jonathan Shuttlesworth podcast. If you're interested in supporting our mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to our generation, please visit revivaltoday.com and click on give now to become one of our monthly partners. Thank you in advance. We hope to see you soon.