Latest / Sabor A Freedom Podcast / Helen Aguirre Ferré: America’s First Freedom

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Helen Aguirre Ferré: America’s First Freedom · Sabor A Freedom Podcast

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What does it take to defend freedom? Not
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on the battlefield, but in the battle of
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ideas.
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Freedom is hard. It doesn't preserve
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itself. It requires people willing to
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defend the ideas that make opportunity
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possible.
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My next guest has spent her life doing
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just that. From Diario Las Americas to
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the White House and now the Adam Smith
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Center for Economic Freedom, Helen
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Aguirre Ferré has dedicated her career
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to defending America's first freedom.
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And I am so happy to welcome you to
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Soberano Freedom.
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>> Judy, thanks so much for the invitation.
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So glad to be here.
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>> Thank you, Helen. I want to talk about
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your amazing trajectory. But, you know,
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behind every amazing, wonderful person
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like you are is an amazing family,
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amazing support, right? You come from
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from a family of journalists.
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>> My father founded Diario Las Americas
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4th of July, 1953. He picked that date
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deliberately because he was so impressed
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with the founding of our great nation,
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the Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
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which makes the First Amendment
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possible, right? He was originally from
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Nicaragua. He was a political exile from
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1947.
1:10
And uh that was the first the Somoza
1:13
Garcia
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um
1:15
dictatorship.
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And he used to say, yes, they did not
1:19
follow democratic principles, but in
1:22
comparison to what turned out later for
1:24
Nicaragua, oh my gosh, certainly a walk
1:27
in the park. Because unfortunately,
1:29
Nicaragua was part of that triage uh
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communists that took over Venezuela,
1:36
Cuba, as well as the Ukraine, yeah. So,
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when he looked at what to do what what
1:42
really made
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my father, Horacio Aguirre, a pioneer is
1:46
that he saw Miami as a a communications
1:50
hub. This was the place where you could
1:53
create Spanish language media. In 1953,
1:58
beyond that, this was two weeks before
2:01
the Fidel Castro's attack of Moncada in
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Cuba, where he Moncada being
2:08
the military
2:10
command where the barracks where he
2:13
first launches his first main attack on
2:15
the island. So, Diario América ends up
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being the newspaper of record recording
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everything that occurred during
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the beginnings of that revolution and
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and of all the way through. He
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subsequently sold it. I guess it was
2:32
maybe 2012 or so. He was older and it
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was and the newspaper business had had
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>> evolved
2:39
>> evolved.
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>> Yes.
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>> But, I think the mark was made and I
2:44
think to a great degree,
2:46
to this day, it's a big reason, although
2:49
he did not know
2:50
that Cuba was going to suffer the way it
2:53
has and you were going to have this
2:55
large exile community.
2:57
He didn't know that Miami was a place
2:59
where you could create Spanish language
3:02
media that was going to be meaningful
3:04
and independent
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of government repression like you have
3:09
in Latin America in many countries,
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unfortunately.
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It comes and goes, but right now we're
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at a better trajectory in Latin America,
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but um
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he knew it could be a launching pad. And
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so, Diario América, before internet, was
3:25
um used with Eastern Airlines and Pan
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American Airlines. Oh, he used to be the
3:29
weight of that machine. So, so that was
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the newspapers were printed and were
3:34
exported, so you could buy it in Puerto
3:36
Rico and the Dominican Republic
3:39
and in in in Argentina and Buenos Aires.
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And it was also on the desk of everybody
3:46
who worked for Western Hemisphere
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Affairs in the State Department. So, I
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grew up with
3:53
media and the profound belief that a
3:58
free press is vital to the health,
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security, and well-being of a local
4:06
community and of a nation as well.
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>> Did your father ever envision that the
4:10
paper would last so long? And what was
4:13
some of the evolution that he saw in the
4:14
media as he as a kind of rural
4:16
newspaper?
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>> Well, um
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the idea that first of all the uh
4:21
Spanish language community would be able
4:24
to grow and cement itself. I think
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Diario Las Américas was a big reason why
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we continue to speak Spanish in
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Miami-Dade County today because it
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really cemented um the language here
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without
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discriminating against English-language
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speaking. To the contrary, the editorial
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was deliberately written in Spanish on
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top, but but it was translated almost
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automatically um into English on the
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bottom because there was a great desire
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for the English-language community to
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understand what the editorial vision of
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the paper was. And it was a very
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conservative
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paper to say the very least, but there
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was pride in that. And also it was it's
5:13
a part of education. So, he just really
5:16
believed that a newspaper has to inform,
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but also shoot community and help
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support democratic values. How do you
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think he did that? Do you think he
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accomplished that?
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>> I think he definitely accomplished that.
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And I think that's why we grew and and
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were able to strive. People don't
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realize what it was like in the early
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'60s of the exile community. And I feel
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um my
5:40
of course my family is originally from
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Nicaragua, but for me I'm like a
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spiritual Cuban. I feel adopted by the
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Cuban community and it's you know, how
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can you not when you see everything
5:51
that's occurred in Cuba and you see so
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many people who come here and were
5:56
forced out of their countries and were
5:58
denied their freedoms, their families
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separated, imprisoned, some executed and
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not see that suffering and not be
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solidarity,
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um not feel solidarity to their cause
6:12
and their cause is everybody's cause.
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>> Their freedom has to be everybody's
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cause. And so I think, you know, um it
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wasn't easy.
6:22
Uh the banker had to start, you know,
6:24
sweeping the floors at a bank while he
6:28
was able to get his papers and
6:29
accreditation to be able to go up the
6:31
ranks. But when you see the great
6:33
success story given the infrastructure
6:36
to be able to succeed in a democracy
6:39
like we have here.
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Anyone with education and hard work and
6:47
endeavor can make it to the top in
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Miami-Dade County while
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look who our Secretary of State is
6:53
today.
6:54
Uh Marco Rubio is,
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you know, from Miami-Dade County.
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So it just goes to show you that
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anything's possible.
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>> Absolutely. I I I I want to be like a
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little I would have loved to have been
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like a bug right in in the dinner table
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with your dad, right? What was it like
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being his daughter? I know that he
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didn't matter that you speak Spanish.
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What else?
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>> Spanish had to be spoken at home and he
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would say, "What are we going to do the
7:21
day we go back to Nicaragua and your
7:23
grandmother's not going to understand a
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word you're saying?" And then my
7:26
grandmother would come to Miami to visit
7:28
us and she wouldn't want us to speak to
7:30
her in English so she could practice her
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English.
7:34
And it was like, so but at the end of
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the day I'm so grateful he had it
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because even though all my siblings very
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often we most of the time will speak in
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English.
7:45
Learning English was going to be
7:46
inevitable because where we went to
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school, it was in Miami Shores. It was
7:51
the northern part of the county. So, it
7:53
was much more of Anglo, as we would say.
7:56
It was more English language dominant
7:59
than other parts of Miami-Dade County.
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But,
8:03
Spanish really gave us that second
8:05
language, that foundation. And besides,
8:07
my my dad, he spoke English academically
8:11
well, but his accent was like this.
8:13
So, I was like, "No. We'll talk to him
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in Spanish." But, it was
8:18
a great pride that he felt that he felt
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that
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speaking Spanish would also help us
8:23
learn the culture. He wanted us to
8:26
assimilate, and he knew we would, but he
8:29
also wanted us to maintain
8:32
our Hispanic culture because that would
8:35
enrich us as we grew forward. And when
8:38
you look at other countries, and you
8:41
know, now that we're watching the World
8:42
Cup, and you know, FIFA, all these
8:45
players who speak English so well, and
8:47
it's not their native language. And you
8:49
realize everywhere else in the world,
8:52
there is a great portion movement. It's
8:55
part of education in its general sense
8:59
to learn other languages and about other
9:01
cultures. And so, we're excited. When I
9:03
was growing up here,
9:05
French was the language of choice in
9:07
school because of the Canadians.
9:10
No, it's Spanish mended Castellano for a
9:12
reason. We are the gateway to the
9:14
Americas.
9:15
>> Yes, and it's it's always important to
9:17
be a well-rounded person and understand
9:19
what's coming next. But yes, Español is
9:21
is the future of America. Tell me a
9:23
little bit more about your dad on a
9:24
personal level. What what took him to to
9:29
uh to take interest in journalism and
9:31
and and start this And it's not easy to
9:32
say, "Hey, I'm just going to start a
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newspaper."
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>> No, he was actually And he was 22 years
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old when he was exiled. And then he went
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to
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Costa Rica. My mom and he were already
9:47
novios. They were already dating. And so
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they went to They got married in Costa
9:51
Rica. And then he went to Panama, and he
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got his PhD in
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international law with the idea of maybe
10:01
practicing international law, but he
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decided
10:05
to start looking at journalism. And he
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was an editorial writer for the Panama
10:10
America, which is a newspaper that still
10:13
exists today in Panama. And he did that
10:16
for 3 years. And during that time he was
10:18
thinking, "Hey, you know what? We could
10:20
have an impact of,
10:23
you know, having a free press and really
10:25
talking about the important issues,
10:27
especially in the editorial pages, and
10:30
we can do that in
10:32
other countries. Why don't we try to
10:34
think It's kind of like the idea of an
10:36
International Herald Tribune at that
10:38
time. What can we do but for Spanish
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language?
10:42
And so, you know, that's where they were
10:44
thinking, "Well, if we want to do it,
10:47
um,
10:48
let's do it in Miami." And he did it
10:50
with his brother, Francisco Aguirre, and
10:52
they and they decided Miami was going to
10:55
be the hub, the gateway to the Americas,
10:58
and that was a great place to do it.
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Because when you look at, you know, if
11:03
you don't have free press, how do you
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inform? How do you communicate? How can
11:06
you really help generate ideas, right?
11:09
And so
11:10
And so Miami would be a great launching
11:12
point, and he knew that the
11:15
the jets were coming, cuz they were
11:17
remember propeller planes back in the
11:19
day, the jets were coming, and that was
11:21
going to help make the news that you
11:23
received a little bit more automatic, if
11:25
you want to put it that way today.
11:27
But,
11:28
you know, you didn't have to wait 24
11:30
hours to be able to get the news, you
11:32
could actually get the news earlier. But
11:35
the I think that aside from that, I
11:36
think the editorial pages were probably
11:39
his big pride and joy. It's what he
11:41
really um
11:42
thought was important because that could
11:45
survive the test of time. Maybe the the
11:47
head the main headline wouldn't be so
11:50
fresh when you got it cuz it was you
11:52
know, you would receive it 8 or 10 hours
11:55
later after it was printed. And we can
11:57
certainly appreciate that with the way
11:59
news flies today.
12:00
>> Right.
12:01
>> But
12:02
the editorial pages had content that
12:05
were lasting. That would have been
12:07
>> Yeah. And and it it is amazing how how
12:09
the press has evolved. I wonder what
12:11
your dad would say about that today. Do
12:13
you think he would
12:14
you think he he would welcome it? Or do
12:16
you think he would just say this doesn't
12:18
work? This is terrible.
12:19
>> I think it's just a different way of
12:21
looking at it. I um I I would say one of
12:25
one of the issues he felt was
12:28
as as a word of cautious cautious is
12:32
that there is very little time for
12:33
prudent analysis. Because everything
12:36
comes at us so quickly, we don't have an
12:39
opportunity to really pause and say,
12:42
"Well, let's think about it and let's
12:45
think about what the ramifications are."
12:47
Because once it's out there, it's almost
12:50
like a response is demanded
12:52
instantaneously.
12:54
And we have so many important issues at
12:57
stake right now. It really does require
12:59
a little time to think. But now a little
13:02
time to think is like, "Okay, it's been
13:04
2 hours. So what you know, what what are
13:06
you going to do?"
13:06
>> What and hence the rise of fake news.
13:10
Well, we don't even know if what if what
13:11
we're getting is the truth, right?
13:13
>> You don't know if what you're getting is
13:14
true, it's harder. Media is so much more
13:17
fractional fractionalized today.
13:20
Communication is so much more difficult.
13:22
You don't know if what you're getting is
13:24
true or not true. So it really does
13:26
behoove us to take a little bit more
13:28
time to say, instead of responding, and
13:31
it's almost like we're being
13:32
manipulated.
13:33
>> Yes.
13:33
>> Because the the the speed at which we
13:35
get hit by
13:37
information, be it accurate or not, uh
13:41
is so fast that we really need to take
13:44
back and say, "Wait a minute." And do it
13:46
the old-fashioned way.
13:48
>> Mhm.
13:48
>> Let's verify. Let's get two or three
13:51
sources that confirm that this is true.
13:53
But that takes a little bit of
13:55
>> of of time.
13:56
>> And we just have to make sure that you
13:59
can put something out there and you can
14:02
say, "This has not been confirmed." But
14:04
once you even put something out there,
14:07
if it's negative, it might taint one way
14:09
or the other. So, I think that we as
14:12
consumers
14:14
of news, and those of us who produce
14:16
news, have to be careful and cautious,
14:19
even though it's a time where people
14:21
want things at such a rapid pace.
14:24
It's just not
14:25
>> always prudent.
14:25
>> Right. And it uh there used to be a time
14:27
where where where journalists actually
14:30
took the time to do that, you know. Now,
14:31
it was required. It was required. Now
14:33
they're moving so fast that we'll fix it
14:35
later. We'll get it wrong. It doesn't
14:37
matter. We just want to break break the
14:38
story.
14:39
>> And it doesn't really get fixed later.
14:41
>> It doesn't.
14:42
>> And even though when it is, so one of
14:44
the things when people say, "Well,
14:45
you're fake news or whatever," it's
14:47
because even when they make an update or
14:50
a correction to the article online,
14:52
digitally, you don't even know it
14:54
because they keep the same headline. And
14:56
so, it's in there somewhere that they
14:58
already have.
14:59
But you think it's the exact same
15:02
>> Yeah.
15:02
>> it's the exact same thing because you
15:04
don't know to look for it. Very rarely
15:06
will they say updated anywhere.
15:09
>> Sure.
15:09
>> So, really, it's unless they're
15:10
producing it with a new headline so that
15:12
you get a sense that this is a new
15:14
story, you're not going to go back and
15:16
read it.
15:17
>> And I think the most dangerous thing,
15:18
right, is that social media has has been
15:20
an amazing
15:22
um
15:23
you know, addition to to our society.
15:26
Both both good and bad. Because now
15:28
anybody can be a reporter, right? And
15:30
>> It's a citizen journalist.
15:32
>> That's right. If something happens,
15:34
people are out with their cameras being
15:35
the reporters well, rather than helping
15:37
the individual who's dying in the
15:39
corner. I mean, it's a sign of the
15:40
times. There's something there's a
15:41
there's a moral there's a moral issue
15:43
that we could that we could get into a
15:45
whole conversation that conversation.
15:47
But how has how does social media change
15:49
journalism for good or bad? Because like
15:51
you said, the the story doesn't always
15:53
get corrected, doesn't get corrected on
15:55
time, and the wrong story is already out
15:58
there. It's been shared by other citizen
16:00
journalists and it just grows and it
16:02
grows and it grows. And you get fed
16:04
through the algorithms what you want to
16:06
hear. You're not getting diversity of
16:08
thought necessarily,
16:09
so
16:10
>> And that makes it so much harder. I
16:12
think you really have to go out of your
16:14
way to look for, um, different points of
16:18
view. And
16:20
look, I think social media is amazing on
16:23
many levels. It helps us connect in
16:26
unique ways that we never had that
16:29
opportunity before. And you know, you
16:31
don't have to subscribe to a cable
16:33
channel to hear this viewpoint. Now
16:36
through social media, through YouTube
16:38
and so on, I mean, there are so many
16:40
mechanisms to stay informed. You have to
16:42
just kind of want to stay informed to
16:45
make sure that you know, you're getting
16:48
as much of a well-rounded opinion. I
16:50
understand though, wanting to hear and
16:53
having somebody come back and buttress
16:56
what you think and say because we
17:00
spend we we get challenged all the time.
17:04
And what we're really looking for
17:06
is a sense of community through social
17:08
media. So somebody else that affirms
17:11
that, "Yeah, I agree with you. What
17:13
you're saying is absolutely true."
17:15
Because especially in political worlds,
17:17
you just get you know,
17:21
hit all the time with the opposing side
17:24
and you really don't feel that sense of
17:27
community sometimes that people are
17:29
affirming, "Yeah, I agree with what you
17:30
say. That's absolutely true." So, I can
17:33
see that side and it certainly does
17:35
connect us, you know, on multiple
17:37
levels, but there is that danger that
17:40
what you're hearing is not necessarily
17:43
true. You have the growth of
17:45
influencers, for example, who can very
17:48
often be, if not always, paid people who
17:51
are paid for by a campaign and so on and
17:54
you just need to, you know, buyer
17:56
beware. That is all. Buyer beware. Now,
17:59
yellow journalism has always existed.
18:02
Don't you act like, you know, the
18:04
Hearsts in California didn't do yellow
18:07
journalism. Of course, they did. And,
18:10
you know, there was always this idea
18:12
that print media,
18:14
um,
18:15
uh, was uh, conservative. Never was.
18:18
They used to say, "Oh, it's black,
18:19
white, and red all over." Red being
18:22
communist at the time. And so, it was
18:24
kind of like, you know, so So, there was
18:26
always that, but buyer beware. We're
18:29
smart enough. I think we're smart enough
18:30
to discern what's real and what isn't
18:32
real.
18:33
>> Do you think uh, this is what the
18:34
founding fathers had in mind when they
18:37
uh, when they drafted that
18:39
First Amendment? You know, the very
18:40
first freedom. What What would they say
18:43
if if they came back to They came and
18:45
saw everything that's going on in the
18:46
media.
18:46
>> You know,
18:48
um, uh,
18:49
when Benjamin Franklin, after um,
18:51
approving the the Bill of Rights, was
18:54
asked by a woman down the street, "Sir,
18:56
sir, so what do we have?" And he said,
18:58
"It's a republic if you can keep it."
19:01
>> That's right.
19:01
>> And I think it was just always saying,
19:04
"This is an experiment.
19:06
We think we can do it, but it's a great
19:08
challenge." And it really requires an
19:11
informed public, a community to want to
19:15
make sure that it withstands.
19:19
Now, one of the fundamentals and um
19:22
and and Hamilton and Jefferson and John
19:25
Adams and George Washington always spoke
19:27
about it that one of the most
19:30
fundamental components is that it was
19:33
really
19:35
designed for a faith, a community of
19:37
faith,
19:38
people who who believed in freedom of
19:43
religion, but were a faithful people, a
19:46
virtuous people who also had this great
19:50
desire to want to work, to be a part of
19:54
something important and appreciate
19:58
what it was. But those virtues of, you
20:01
know, trust, hard work, courage, um uh
20:07
these are those types of virtues that
20:09
were absolutely fundamental, reinforced
20:13
by going to mass or services on Sunday,
20:17
and that community that was built based,
20:21
you know, from from church, from from
20:24
attending places of worship were part of
20:27
those fundamentals where then from there
20:29
you got into,
20:31
you know, town halls and you got into
20:33
other discussions as to how this day
20:35
would flow. So,
20:37
these are the type of things that have
20:38
evolved over time.
20:40
They knew we would be greatly
20:43
challenged,
20:44
but they couldn't have possibly
20:46
envisioned how challenging it is today,
20:50
especially when you have this growth of
20:53
um
20:54
technology, the challenges of AI.
20:57
I think when you look at AI, for
20:59
example, the first challenge you would
21:01
have to say is like, what does it mean
21:02
to be human?
21:04
Because these are for of these
21:05
fundamentals we need to, you know, like
21:08
into account our founding fathers
21:10
couldn't have envisioned it.
21:12
But yet,
21:14
they knew that these fundamentals could
21:17
endure and were important.
21:19
>> It's amazing how they were all so able
21:21
to put to predict the future and how and
21:24
how things would evolve and then create
21:26
a document that would adapt it so
21:28
beautifully 250 years later.
21:31
Um
21:32
in Washington, D.C. we're celebrating
21:33
250 years of the great great American
21:36
state fair. It was such a beautiful
21:37
thing.
21:38
Uh and so many people from all over the
21:40
country came to see uh
21:42
history. And um I hope I hope you all
21:45
had the opportunity to to to participate
21:49
in in our in our anniversary because I
21:52
think a lot of my people think
21:54
I I don't need to celebrate that. I'm I
21:56
don't feel it's celebrating. I'm not a
21:57
part of that. They don't understand that
21:59
we are a part of America's history and
22:01
we're going to be even more a part of
22:03
America's history, huh?
22:05
>> And our history has always been um based
22:07
on great sacrifice, right? So,
22:10
when you consider 250 years ago, our
22:13
founding fathers and and and the women
22:17
who were pioneers in founding our
22:19
country really put it all at risk. I
22:22
mean, they were committing treason
22:24
against England. This was something
22:26
where they could have been
22:28
um imprisoned, some were, some were, you
22:31
know, they could have been tried and
22:32
hung. Um
22:34
they could have had properties
22:36
confiscated. It was not easy. There was
22:39
a physical war that had to be fought and
22:42
and by the grace of God, we won. And
22:45
then later on, we had a civil war that
22:48
really put the to a test the the
22:51
foundation and the unity of our country
22:53
and and the values that that tie us all
22:56
together and what does it mean you to be
23:00
a nation of one, undivided, indivisible,
23:03
and continuing to work for a more
23:06
perfect union. And I think that's the
23:09
that's the critical component. You know,
23:11
Judy, people are so critical of our
23:14
country and of where we are, but we
23:17
always strive. We never say we're
23:18
perfect. We're not. There isn't a
23:21
perfect person walking this Earth, but
23:24
we do strive for a more perfect union.
23:27
The only nation on Earth that really
23:30
declares that that says that and works
23:32
for it every single day. But that
23:34
requires that every single one of us, in
23:38
our own way, participates, one way or
23:41
another, by getting us there.
23:43
>> And that's exactly right. And
23:45
if if you want to comment on it, let us
23:47
know in this is in the in the comment
23:49
section of YouTube. Lena is running a
23:51
campaign right now called Un Pasito, and
23:53
all it takes is one small step for every
23:55
citizen of the United States to do
23:57
something to protect our freedoms. And
23:59
the freedoms that we're promoting are
24:02
freedom, opportunity, rule of law.
24:05
We're also talking about limited
24:07
government. All those freedoms that help
24:10
the American dream stay alive. Uh and I
24:12
want to talk You were talking before
24:14
about some fierce women back in the day
24:15
that were unafraid and made things
24:17
happen. I think you're one of those
24:18
women. And I want to talk I want to talk
24:21
about more your trajectory because not
24:23
only are you an amazing an amazing
24:24
journalist, you've worked at the White
24:26
House. I want to give people an insight
24:28
of what it's like to be a part of the
24:30
most powerful office in the nation doing
24:33
communications.
24:35
>> It was one of the hardest jobs because
24:37
communications in the White House is
24:39
24/7. It never ends. There's always
24:42
something that was happening. I was
24:44
special assistant to President Trump in
24:46
his first term as director of media
24:48
affairs at the White House. Got to meet
24:51
one of the some of the most amazing
24:54
people, real patriots, hard-working
24:57
people whose names you may never know,
25:00
hear, read about, but just really did
25:03
what you were talking about or what, you
25:05
know,
25:05
you know, pasito pasito, paso por paso,
25:08
paso grande.
25:10
They did a lot of
25:11
amazing things, all of these unsung
25:13
heroes, but you know, public service is
25:16
that we're public servants and
25:18
underscore underline servant. It's to
25:22
serve. It's not to magnify us,
25:24
aggrandize. But it was hard because it
25:27
was very
25:28
it was very different. We did My job was
25:31
to make sure that
25:33
print, radio, and TV,
25:36
regional media had all the information
25:39
they needed in order for us to be able
25:43
to be successful in them understanding
25:45
what the president was doing. And the
25:47
president
25:49
Now everybody's so used to it, but that
25:51
was revolutionary. You talk about
25:53
revolutionary that was revolutionary
25:55
back then because he was His his charm
25:59
and and great talent was that he wasn't
26:02
a politician, and yet he stepped into
26:05
the political world and really won
26:08
because precisely because of that,
26:11
because he could speak to Main Street in
26:15
such a way that even Wall Street was in
26:19
awe of his effectiveness in
26:21
communicating. People say, "Gosh, he
26:24
resonates with me. I feel like he hears
26:26
me. He understands who I am." And I
26:28
think that great gift was something
26:32
extraordinary. Challenged the
26:34
bureaucracy, which wasn't easy, and
26:36
continues to be so today. But the
26:40
president did just amazing work talking
26:43
about let's return manufacturing to the
26:46
United States. Why are we so dependent
26:48
on countries abroad? And then when you
26:51
saw what happened with COVID, yeah,
26:54
hello. You know, we were so dependent on
26:56
China for pharmaceuticals, on face
27:00
masks, on everything we needed, and it
27:02
really exposed how vul- vulnerable we
27:05
were to foreign entities
27:07
like China, not friendly to the United
27:09
States, actually enemies to us on on
27:12
every level, and yet President Trump,
27:15
prior to that, for years prior to that,
27:18
was one of the first to really talk
27:21
about that and say, "America first."
27:24
America first doesn't mean America
27:26
alone, but it means American interests
27:30
and national security number one. And
27:33
that should be to you know, continue to
27:35
be the way we think and look at things,
27:37
but
27:38
not everybody understood it at the time.
27:40
>> Sure. Yeah, America first has become
27:43
mainstream. A lot of people don't agree
27:46
with that.
27:47
Right? Why why is that?
27:49
>> I don't understand why, you know, the
27:52
idea that
27:54
we should be equal to others. No, on any
27:57
level. When you're competing in sports,
27:59
I mean, we've got kids, grandkids,
28:01
they're competing in sports, and it's
28:04
like, or when we were a long time ago
28:07
competing in sports, it was like, no, I
28:10
wanted to be better than the person next
28:13
to me. I didn't hate the person next to
28:14
me, but I wanted to compete to be
28:16
better. You just wanted a level playing
28:19
field, and so when you look at it, and
28:21
you look at our issues with national
28:23
security, what's wrong with competing?
28:26
When you buy a car, you want to buy the
28:27
best car on the market. You don't want
28:29
to buy the car that's
28:31
>> Right.
28:31
>> No,
28:33
you want like the best, and I think that
28:36
desire for excellence is what we need in
28:39
order to succeed. Certainly what
28:41
entrepreneurs need. The entrepreneurs
28:44
can't settle for I'm just going to be
28:46
like my competitors. No, you're not
28:48
going to survive. You're never going to
28:50
You have to show why you're better and
28:52
you have to fight for it.
28:53
>> the American spirit, isn't it?
28:55
>> It's a big part of the American dream.
28:57
>> What is this movement of such hatred
29:00
that we see? You know, but yet everybody
29:02
wants to settle in America, right? Uh
29:05
People criticize the United States of
29:07
America, but there really is no other
29:09
better place to live. We offer people
29:11
opportunity. Everybody comes here for
29:13
freedom and opportunity. And uh
29:16
What can we do? Especially the youth.
29:18
It's especially concerning that they
29:20
don't have hope for the future, that
29:23
uh that they don't have faith in the
29:24
institutions. And I actually blame the
29:26
adults to tell you the truth. Because
29:28
you have a lot of people out there
29:30
uh
29:31
being very very hateful towards the
29:33
country. And how how can we curtail
29:36
that? What should we do as as as the
29:39
adults in the room?
29:40
>> Well, I I agree with your assessment.
29:42
And I'll tell you, America is so
29:44
desirable, we had to literally close the
29:47
border. Everybody said it was
29:49
impossible, but we had to literally
29:50
close the border to be able to take
29:52
charge of who's coming in and vetting
29:56
people who are coming in. And I think
29:58
that's absolutely important because, you
30:00
know, we've had what, 15 million people
30:02
come in? This is such a terrible place.
30:05
Why are all of these people coming here?
30:07
>> Sure.
30:07
>> It's a desirable place because it has a
30:09
level playing field. You come here, you
30:12
can work really hard, you can get ahead,
30:15
you can study, you can really become
30:18
part of this new world and this new
30:20
economy that we're seeing and it's so
30:23
exciting. And so we have Even when you
30:25
look at you know, these tech
30:29
you know, brains they all came from
30:32
somewhere else. Their parents immigrated
30:34
here and they worked hard and they
30:36
studied and there was no place of
30:38
privilege. It's just as always is it
30:40
achieving the American dream because
30:43
there's a rule of law, there's a level
30:45
playing field, and that helps us get
30:47
where
30:48
we want to go, where we're the drivers.
30:51
I'm really concerned that younger people
30:53
aren't looking to see what can I do to
30:57
get ahead, and they're looking at what
30:59
can you do for me to get ahead? Well, it
31:01
doesn't really work that way. And so, if
31:04
you're waiting for government to give
31:06
you a handout for you to get ahead,
31:08
you've missed the boat. You don't First
31:10
of all, it doesn't work, but you don't
31:12
need government for that. You need
31:14
government to help you with the safety
31:16
and security of the country on a
31:18
national level and and and a few other
31:21
issues, but by and large, it's
31:23
self-determination,
31:25
our self-determination,
31:27
that really
31:29
guides you. And just the idea that
31:32
you
31:33
are a master of your destiny, that you
31:35
can make it happen, that is so exciting
31:40
because
31:41
you can make the changes
31:44
as you go along day by day to be more
31:47
successful. And you just have to be more
31:49
successful than yesterday. You don't
31:51
have to get to be where Elon Musk is,
31:53
you know, from today or tomorrow, but
31:55
was What you can. What you can. And
31:57
everything. And can you And can you make
32:00
it better? And we have the fundamental
32:04
tools at our disposal in order to be
32:08
able to do that. And we do it all the
32:10
time. Tell us what you think.
32:12
>> I want because this is controversial,
32:13
you know. Do you think the American
32:15
dream is still a possibility
32:18
Is America still the land of
32:19
opportunity? I think it is, but I want
32:21
to hear your opinion. So, leave your
32:22
leave your comments.
32:24
Um
32:25
I know you come from a not only a family
32:27
journalist, but a a real
32:29
powerful political family down here in
32:32
in Miami, Florida. Tell me about that
32:34
chapter of your life, one of many. It's
32:37
like you It's like you have nine lives,
32:39
Alan.
32:39
>> Well, I um after uh
32:42
I left the White House, um I really
32:44
wanted to come home. It was, you know, I
32:46
was I was missing um Florida. And um
32:51
Governor DeSantis
32:53
at that time, uh they had reached out
32:55
and asked me to be director of
32:57
communications, so I did that in
32:58
Tallahassee. And that's where
33:01
we confronted COVID and and all of those
33:04
challenging times. That was incredible.
33:07
>> I can't even begin to tell you. You
33:09
know, one of the interesting one one of
33:11
the most challenging things aside from
33:12
the fact that
33:14
you know, we we
33:15
you know, we were learning like
33:16
everybody else was what this, you know,
33:19
um
33:20
infection was,
33:21
was that
33:23
people in government
33:25
came down on us so hard in
33:27
municipalities because they wanted to
33:29
take control. You couldn't ask a
33:31
question. You couldn't challenge the
33:33
science. You couldn't say, "Why can't we
33:35
use, you know, the certain medications
33:38
to be able to combat, you know, this
33:40
virus and so on and so forth?" And all
33:42
of the sudden it was like, "Let's close
33:44
down schools." So many rights were
33:45
violated. So many rights were violated.
33:49
Even the right to worship. In Tampa, for
33:52
example, they closed down places of
33:54
worship.
33:55
No governor, no mayor,
33:59
no president has that authority under
34:02
our Constitution. So, it really became a
34:05
challenge to individual rights. And what
34:09
are the limits to government, which is
34:11
why I'm hello, that we woke up to see
34:14
what was happening in schools, all that,
34:16
you know, woke DEI, and then all the
34:18
social media platforms were also
34:21
censoring people that were against
34:22
whatever the government was saying.
34:23
>> Uh-huh.
34:24
>> It was very scary and found out later.
34:26
Yes.
34:27
>> 100%
34:28
>> And so, you really saw this collusion of
34:31
what was happening and you know
34:35
if it hadn't been for COVID and if had
34:37
been for technology where we could get
34:39
inside and see what was happening in the
34:42
in the cap in the classrooms online we
34:45
wouldn't have known what was going on
34:47
and then we were talking about young
34:49
people today not realizing that the
34:51
American dream is alive and well if you
34:54
want it to be alive and well and work
34:57
for you
34:58
because it's not what they're they're
35:00
being taught in the classroom. They have
35:01
they're not even taught the pledge of
35:03
allegiance.
35:04
>> That's right in a lot of districts.
35:07
>> How can you defend
35:09
what you don't know?
35:11
>> Mhm.
35:11
>> Fact of the matter is you can't. So
35:13
that's why I think it's so important
35:15
what Governor DeSantis did in Florida to
35:17
implement the return of civics education
35:20
so that we understand what we are
35:22
founding fathers put together for put to
35:25
us what a great opportunity that we have
35:27
here and then learn American history.
35:29
Good bad and ugly but you have to learn
35:32
it without bias to the best of our
35:35
abilities.
35:35
>> Because you're failed you're doomed to
35:37
repeat it, right? If you don't
35:38
understand it. And that's why everybody
35:40
here wants to come to Florida now.
35:41
>> I think it's it's been a great success
35:43
story and so not only are we beautiful
35:46
okay sometimes we're a little too hot
35:48
but hey there's something
35:49
>> More ways than one. More ways than one.
35:51
>> There's something about our heat so um
35:54
people are still wanting to come here
35:55
and we welcome that. But come here
35:58
understanding who we are, appreciate who
36:00
we are then and help us continue to grow
36:03
in great ways.
36:04
>> Yes. You know don't try to don't try to
36:06
change something that isn't broken,
36:07
right? Like if the people come from
36:09
states that are broken
36:11
and then they come to states that are
36:12
working just probably going to want to
36:13
push the same policies.
36:15
>> Yeah.
36:15
>> No.
36:16
>> And that's going to so we have people
36:17
who are coming from New York, people who
36:20
come from Chicago, some people who have
36:22
come from from the West Coast and many
36:26
actually I would say people from
36:27
California migrate to Texas or Nevada.
36:31
It makes a lot of sense geographically.
36:32
They're so much closer and and Texas is
36:35
a great state. How could you not want to
36:37
consider that right here in the
36:39
landscape?
36:40
>> But that, you know, but
36:42
>> don't change the landscape. Respect what
36:44
made it desirable and why that's so
36:46
important. And I think that's what's
36:48
really That's what really makes a
36:50
difference. If we're winning, help us
36:52
continue to win. And I think there's a
36:54
great desire to want to do that. But we
36:56
have to step up and also say, "These are
36:59
our values."
37:01
You know, support us.
37:03
>> Yes. And And Latinos need to understand
37:06
that their values are, in many ways,
37:09
America's values.
37:10
>> 100%
37:11
>> Right? Family thing.
37:12
>> Family.
37:13
>> Entrepreneurialism, hard work.
37:14
>> The entrepreneurship part. So many.
37:17
Miami-Dade County has, in by and large,
37:20
had a lot of
37:23
um big corporations. You have corporate
37:25
presence, regional presence, and and
37:27
that's changing also, where you will
37:29
actually have the transfer of these, you
37:32
know, corporate brain trusts moving into
37:34
Florida, and not just Miami-Dade County,
37:37
but uh throughout the state of Florida.
37:40
But
37:41
the entrepreneurial side is very
37:43
Hispanic. And so, when you look at
37:45
Miami-Dade County, you look at the I-4
37:47
corridor, where you've got Hispanics are
37:50
very strong in the I-4 corridor, the
37:52
Puerto Rican community so strong there.
37:55
And you see how that entrepreneurial
37:57
spirit has made a huge mark. And so, I
38:01
work now for the Adam Smith Center for
38:03
Economic Freedom.
38:04
>> fine. Yes, I was going to get into that.
38:06
And one of the things about Adam Smith
38:09
that I love, he was a Scottish economist
38:11
from the 18th
38:13
uh century.
38:14
And so, one of the things that he talks
38:17
about is he explains how capitalism
38:20
works. And one of the things that's
38:22
amazing about how capitalism works is
38:25
that
38:26
there is an entrepreneur,
38:29
you're a baker, and then you you do you
38:32
have this self-interest that you want to
38:33
make money from this business so you can
38:35
grow and survive. So, what you're doing
38:38
is that you bake bread, but then you're
38:40
also feeding a population. And that
38:42
population that's well well fed, then
38:44
can go to school or go out and work in
38:46
different things and so on and so forth.
38:47
So, it's that invisible hand that moves
38:51
the economy and has repercussions
38:54
throughout that helps other industries
38:56
by and large grow as well. You sell to
38:59
restaurants, restaurants cater to, you
39:01
know, people who want to eat out, that
39:03
tourism industry, and so on and so
39:05
forth. So, that's what entrepreneurs do
39:08
by and large, whether it be a
39:09
service-oriented community or not, but
39:13
it's the growth of industry, and that's
39:16
in our hands. And I think we as
39:17
Hispanics are really really good at it.
39:20
And we're really good at family-owned
39:23
businesses. And that's also an exciting
39:25
opportunity that you can either pass it
39:27
from generation to generation or sell
39:29
it. Well, we'll do business far greater
39:32
rates than other
39:35
um other societies. So, one of the one
39:37
of the amazing things now that you're
39:39
involved with, obviously you mentioned
39:41
the Adam Smith Center for Economic
39:43
Freedom. That is the most important
39:45
thing that I always talk about here
39:46
because that is really one of the things
39:48
that we focus on at the Liberty
39:49
Initiative.
39:51
And how important economic freedom is
39:53
for everybody to rise, but for Latinos
39:55
to rise. That's why we come here because
39:57
economic freedom allows you to do all of
39:59
that, right? And I'm not talking about
40:00
the freedom to go buy whatever you want.
40:02
That's not what economic freedom is,
40:03
right, Tyler? Tell me a little more
40:05
about the center.
40:06
>> So, um Adam Smith was founded in 2020 by
40:09
Governor DeSantis. And um he has this
40:13
vision and this mission that our
40:15
founding fathers were just so amazing.
40:18
Although Adam Smith wasn't a founding
40:20
father, he was he was Scottish.
40:22
His book, The Wealth of Nations, really
40:24
was a great influence on our founding
40:27
fathers in order to establish our
40:29
Constitution. And it doesn't He Adam
40:32
Smith didn't invent capitalism, but he
40:35
explains how capitalism works in helping
40:39
the entrepreneur, industry, business to
40:43
be able to develop naturally free from
40:46
government intervention. I think it was
40:48
Ronald Reagan who said, you know, the
40:50
problem with government is that it's
40:52
always getting in the way. So, the idea
40:54
is, you know, fewer government
40:56
regulations, let business thrive and do
40:59
what it does. Because through free
41:01
markets, free being so important,
41:04
free markets help determine, you know,
41:07
kind of like survival of the fittest to
41:08
some degree. What do people really want?
41:10
What's the most efficient way of doing
41:12
it? How to stabilize, you know, it
41:14
naturally brings to a price to the price
41:17
point that people can afford, so on and
41:19
so forth. So, you know, supply and
41:20
demand.
41:22
And Governor DeSantis established Adam
41:25
Smith. Carlo D'Este Rocío is the
41:27
founding director. He worked with me at
41:30
the White House. He was um uh working in
41:34
um the Department of Defense and just,
41:37
you know, great guy, great visionary.
41:39
And Adam Smith has done a lot of
41:41
successful work because we have fellows
41:45
that are invited, who are current heads
41:48
of state, former heads of state, or
41:51
members of government, or former members
41:53
of government, who speak to our students
41:57
and have seminar courses. They teach a
41:59
minimum of eight to 10 seminar classes
42:02
per term. And they talk to the students
42:05
and and teach about the importance of
42:07
government and how um
42:11
uh and and in their field, you know,
42:12
economics, what whatever area they want
42:15
to discuss, and it's from all over Latin
42:19
America, the United States, and now we
42:21
are growing in Europe to bring those
42:24
voices also. It's done at Florida
42:26
International University in Miami. And
42:29
so, I think, you know, that work that
42:31
we've been doing, particularly
42:34
um, with Latin America, has really had a
42:37
profound impact in fomenting that
42:41
dialogue on the importance of economic
42:44
freedom. What does it mean to be
42:46
economic free? It doesn't mean that
42:48
there is no role for government at all.
42:50
No, there has to be rule of laws, but
42:53
over-regulation
42:54
can kill the growth of business.
42:57
>> And it does. The crazy thing is it
42:59
happens. So, if we have
43:02
>> uh, a index of bureaucracy, Adam Smith,
43:06
where it really measures, for example,
43:07
the impact of heavy bureaucracy or
43:10
little bureaucracy in a country's
43:13
economy, and sure enough, the higher the
43:17
higher the index of bureaucracy that's
43:19
controlling the mechanisms of
43:21
production, you know, the the the less
43:25
economic output that you see. And so,
43:28
you know, we we uh, are a uh, research
43:31
institution, we're a teaching
43:33
institution,
43:34
we're about to launch two uh, degrees,
43:38
uh, an undergraduate degree in
43:41
government and political leadership,
43:44
which is so important, undergraduate
43:46
level and graduate level, and it
43:48
launches now, um, this fall term here,
43:52
uh, at FIU in Miami, and we're really
43:54
excited about that.
43:55
>> Oh, I'm excited about that. I might join
43:57
those classes. We're going to drop the
43:59
index of bureauc- bureau- bureaucracy,
44:01
um,
44:02
in the um, in in our comments, but all
44:05
want you guys to tell me, is it too much
44:07
bureaucracy? Uh we'd love to hear what
44:09
you think. And there's another one
44:11
that's coming, okay? The index of
44:13
taxation
44:15
in countries and what how to measure
44:18
that properly and how that affects
44:20
economic growth. So ask your viewers, do
44:24
you think there are a lot of taxes?
44:25
>> [laughter]
44:26
>> She's asking, do you think there are a
44:27
lot of taxes? I'd like to know. Uh and
44:29
she'll
44:30
she'll get the she'll get the comments.
44:32
That'll help your next research, right?
44:34
>> Absolutely. And when is So I I think I
44:36
think that these kind of projects and
44:40
working directly with college students,
44:43
university students. And I have to tell
44:45
you the caliber of the students is
44:48
phenomenal. I sit in on many of these
44:50
classes and I'm so impressed at how
44:54
well-versed they are. Uh they've done
44:57
their research. They're really
44:58
interested. They're asking really smart,
45:00
insightful questions, which is why I
45:03
think we get, you know, the caliber of
45:06
um fellows that we do. And
45:09
I'm not old either. From Colombia, we
45:12
have Juan Guaidó from Venezuela.
45:16
Now the president-elect or maybe by the
45:18
time this airs, president of Peru, Keiko
45:21
Fujimori. She just did in our last math,
45:24
she was one of our fellows from Peru.
45:27
And so we just have this high quality of
45:31
people who have just done and provide
45:34
that extraordinary insight because we
45:36
believe this is a part of conversation
45:39
that helps form the debate and hopefully
45:42
provides practical, hands-on leadership
45:46
and skills that will help develop this
45:49
younger generation. Well, Florida
45:50
International University is a fantastic
45:52
institution. I have a marketing degree,
45:54
master's, from Florida International. So
45:57
I can vouch um
45:59
uh for for the programs there. This is
46:01
so exciting. But, I do know that not
46:03
everybody thinks it's such a great idea
46:05
to have an economic freedom program at
46:08
the university level. We certainly have
46:10
people who are anti-economic freedom,
46:13
who
46:15
the those detractors who are afraid of
46:17
the great work we're doing because when
46:19
you look at I happen to think that FIU
46:23
has done extraordinary work in dealing
46:26
with Latin America. And and of course,
46:29
it's in Miami, and so it's it's the
46:31
gateway to the Americas as we've said
46:33
before. But, I think Adam Smith in
46:36
particular has done an extraordinary
46:38
job.
46:39
And what a coincidence, by stimulating
46:41
these conversations, by stimulating
46:44
these discussions, by having seminars
46:46
including in some in in some in some
46:48
countries, I think that it's really
46:51
brought about a profound change and
46:54
better debate in Latin America. And look
46:57
at what you're seeing. You're seeing a
46:58
political change in Latin America.
47:01
>> It's extraordinary.
47:02
>> I'm not saying it's because only of Adam
47:04
Smith, but I think and I feel very proud
47:06
that Adam Smith Center for Economic
47:08
Freedom has been a part of that process,
47:11
where you see that turnaround, where
47:14
people are engaging
47:17
and becoming much more aware and
47:18
fighting back, taking back what
47:21
rightfully belongs from to them. And not
47:24
what the community wants, what what what
47:25
the you know, the the left-wing part of,
47:29
you know, these countries wants to give
47:31
you, which is greater government control
47:34
and sadly government repression as a
47:36
consequence.
47:37
>> And you know, it's funny because of the
47:38
World Cup, we've seen so many people
47:40
saying, "Hey, America's not that bad. We
47:43
love it here."
47:44
>> Despite what
47:46
Despite what mainstream media says, it's
47:48
actually a really nice place to visit
47:50
and Americans are nice.
47:52
>> Yeah.
47:53
>> And I think that's a part where they're
47:54
going like, especially at the games in
47:56
Kansas. And that first one I saw some of
47:58
those games in the Midwest, I was going,
48:00
"FIFA in the Midwest? Really?"
48:02
[laughter]
48:02
But they think football is something
48:04
different than soccer. But
48:06
but they got a chance to see
48:10
real America. And so I'm just really
48:14
excited for that because this is we're
48:18
great you know, we're a great nation.
48:19
We're we're wonderful, friendly people
48:23
who are just like everybody else,
48:25
working hard, family-oriented,
48:27
with a smile on our faces as often as we
48:30
can. We're not the ogres that we're
48:32
painted to be, just the contrary. And we
48:34
also have a helping hand. We want to
48:36
help others, you know, you know, get
48:38
ahead, too.
48:39
>> We're just fan-girling over America in
48:41
this episode, aren't we, Al?
48:42
>> I think that's something we should be
48:43
doing all the time.
48:46
>> Yes. And you know, as a mom, right?
48:50
What what do you what do you offer the
48:52
future of America?
48:53
>> Um
48:55
I want America to be a place where
48:59
my children and all our children can
49:02
um can be
49:04
um safe,
49:06
where they can be happy,
49:09
and they define happiness on their own
49:12
terms,
49:13
so that they can thrive.
49:16
And where we can be a place where it's
49:19
safe to go to church. You know,
49:22
freedom of religion I think is one of
49:23
those freedoms that um we don't
49:26
understand so well. And when we talk
49:28
about the First Amendment, it's not a
49:31
mistake that it's the first freedom
49:35
that's cited in the First Amendment
49:37
because freedom of religion guarantees
49:40
freedom of speech, freedom of assembly,
49:43
freedom of conscience, and freedom to
49:46
dissent.
49:47
>> Yes.
49:48
>> And if you don't have freedom of
49:50
religion, you really don't have all of
49:53
those other freedoms either. So, there's
49:55
no So, no wonder in Nicaragua and in
49:58
Cuba, they fight the church.
50:01
>> Because they have
50:02
>> Why? Right.
50:03
>> Because because they don't want freedom
50:05
of conscience. They don't want freedom
50:07
of
50:08
of of of assembly.
50:10
>> The government is your church in those
50:11
>> And they don't want a divided yes.
50:14
Divided way. They don't want divided
50:16
loyal Listen, you know, a free
50:18
conscience doesn't serve tyranny very
50:20
well. So, this is why you have, you
50:23
know, these communist countries that
50:25
actually we have to be appreciative of
50:27
that and I think we have to continue to
50:29
nurture that that sense of community. I
50:32
want there to be a sense of community. I
50:34
think sometimes
50:36
we spend way too much time focus only on
50:38
who's president or or senator
50:41
congressman or governor. Please focus on
50:44
your local community.
50:45
Who's your commissioner?
50:47
Who's representing you on your school
50:49
board? Who's your mayor? We learned from
50:52
COVID that those local leaders have a
50:55
greater impact on your immediate quality
50:58
of life than any of the others. Look, I
51:01
>> Yes.
51:02
>> love
51:02
>> This is local, isn't it?
51:03
>> You know, I I love
51:05
you know, I love you know, the the Trump
51:08
administration and and
51:10
many of the things that they're doing,
51:12
but guess what? They don't They won't
51:13
come pick up the garbage.
51:15
They're not the ones who are going to
51:17
make sure that the street, you know,
51:18
around the corner they fix up the pocket
51:21
What was it again? Those services.
51:24
>> Pan and was ordering
51:25
>> You know, and all of those things. No,
51:27
they're not going to They're not going
51:28
to take care of
51:29
>> The tire companies are making a fortune
51:30
out of waffle.
51:31
>> It's 500% target playing.
51:33
>> And if you're really worried about
51:35
what's happening inside the classroom,
51:37
who's your representative on the school
51:38
board? And as Hispanics, it's a real
51:41
challenge because in Latin America,
51:44
public school officials don't exist.
51:46
It's something unique to the United
51:48
States, to me, to the American model of
51:50
education.
51:51
>> Some people don't think they have a
51:52
voice.
51:53
>> They don't think they have a They don't
51:54
think it really matters, and it does.
51:56
Your voice matters, and you can vote to
51:59
make a difference.
52:00
>> Yeah, question everything. I can't let
52:02
you go without you telling me a really
52:03
cool story
52:05
uh about the White House. Something that
52:07
Something that that was super cool or
52:09
something that most people might not
52:11
know. You know, tell me a a fun moment
52:13
>> So, you had
52:14
>> So, when you When you look at the White
52:16
House, I mean, that Where Where do we
52:17
begin? So, when you look First of all,
52:19
you meet the neatest people. Um my
52:21
office was the White House
52:24
complex. It's a It's actually a quite
52:26
large complex, and there's um a building
52:30
right across from the White House that
52:31
people see, 1600 Pennsylvania Adam
52:34
Avenue, which is the Eisenhower We call
52:37
it the Eisenhower building, and it's
52:39
this beautiful old executive building.
52:42
And the floors It's got four floors, and
52:45
you go up the stairs. They're wide wide
52:48
staircases. It was, you know, built um
52:51
in the late 19th century, and it's just
52:53
majestic as you go up those steps.
52:56
But, um every floor has that black and
53:00
white um
53:02
tile tile floor.
53:04
And for the first week, cuz I'm a little
53:08
bit befuddled.
53:10
And every every floor kind of looks the
53:13
same.
53:14
>> [laughter]
53:15
>> It took me forever to figure out where
53:16
the Pentagon
53:17
It took me forever to figure out where
53:18
the exit to the building was, and I
53:20
would think to myself, "Man, whoever's
53:22
watching the security camera is going
53:24
like, 'She's a felon who can't figure
53:26
out how where the exit is, cuz she keeps
53:28
going in circles.'" But, um
53:29
>> You were You were loving the place.
53:31
>> You were It was the most exciting thing,
53:33
and I think one of the things that um
53:38
Some of the coolest things is that um we
53:40
used to do videos
53:42
of people who were um
53:46
you had families
53:48
of
53:49
um, survivors or victims of
53:53
violence.
53:55
Um
53:56
and you had um
53:59
the opportunity to meet families of
54:03
veterans
54:05
or who lost family in a war.
54:09
And that one-on-one opportunity to meet
54:13
these wonderful families
54:16
to be a part of the conversation
54:19
of
54:21
the damage fentanyl did and to speak to
54:24
the families who would say
54:27
my son or my daughter was only 16 years
54:29
old
54:30
and they
54:32
didn't know that
54:34
whatever they were taking
54:37
The fentanyl, fentanyl, that's all it
54:39
takes.
54:39
>> Yeah, that's all it takes. Yeah, that's
54:41
very dangerous.
54:42
>> Right, it's a
54:42
>> And they died.
54:43
>> terrible thing that's happening.
54:44
>> Or the issue of addiction.
54:47
It really showed me that every policy
54:51
decision
54:53
has a real-life personal impact on
54:56
people.
54:57
And it really matters and seeing these
54:59
folks face-to-face
55:02
is so meaningful to me. It made me so
55:04
proud and it made me want to get up and
55:07
make today a better day.
55:09
>> Any moments with the president that
55:10
stick out? Oh my
55:11
>> goodness. Um, there were amazing times
55:15
in the White House. President is as
55:17
wonderful as polite
55:21
and as excited and high energy as you
55:23
can imagine, but he's so amazingly
55:26
polite.
55:27
Always, "How are you? Are you having a
55:30
good day? Good, I'm so glad. What are
55:32
you doing today?" And so he was always
55:35
just absolutely wonderful, very open
55:38
with the media and before the president,
55:41
everything with media, you have to
55:42
remember was everything so controlled
55:44
and environ- and who was going to be
55:46
able to ask my question. Oh, no, no. He
55:49
comes in and he absolutely takes over.
55:51
He would point to people as to he would
55:53
want to and so you just
55:55
you know, just say, "Well, I hope this
55:57
goes well." Because you know, he would
55:59
be he would be his own handler on many
56:02
levels. But it was that relationship
56:05
with him that was just so engaging, so
56:09
honest. And I think for some people it's
56:12
just really shocking and now we
56:14
appreciate it and we love it. But that
56:17
authentic voice back then was
56:20
so new and people were trying to handle
56:23
him and teach him how to And first of
56:25
all,
56:26
you couldn't. It didn't work well and he
56:29
just is who he is and that's what people
56:32
love and appreciate.
56:33
And I hope that, you know, we you know,
56:36
look at this and say,
56:38
"That's what we need from leaders. We
56:40
want people to not tell us what sounds
56:44
pretty. Tell us what you really think.
56:46
We're not going to always like it, but
56:48
honesty and transparency is what we
56:51
always say we want. So when you hear it,
56:55
appreciate it." And he was always honest
56:58
and transparent.
57:00
But extremely generous,
57:03
extremely professional, and extremely
57:05
thoughtful. Those are the things that I
57:07
think about him that maybe people don't
57:09
know, but he always was that way.
57:12
>> And I think every every member that's
57:15
serving the community should be that
57:17
way. Politicians get a really bad rap,
57:20
right? Because um
57:22
we don't always get what we think we're
57:24
going to get. So,
57:26
you know, it's work it's working. It's
57:28
working for him and Uh, no matter where
57:31
you stand on the political aisle, we can
57:32
only wish the person in the White House
57:34
the best, right? And we need to quit the
57:36
hatred. Because that that is not a that
57:38
is not American. That's not American.
57:40
>> It's not American and it doesn't get us
57:41
where we need to
57:42
>> It does not. It does not. Because we all
57:44
live in this country. We should all We
57:46
should all want freedom and and the best
57:47
for this country.
57:48
>> And if you don't agree with your leader,
57:50
guess what? The beauty of our
57:52
constitution is that allows us to
57:54
correct our mistakes. Exactly right. Go
57:56
back and vote differently.
57:58
Or vote or get people to vote your way
58:01
>> for the next election. And that is why
58:02
the constitution has worked for 250
58:04
years. Now, I can't let you go without
58:06
telling me what your favorite recipe is
58:08
because it is all about our freedom.
58:09
It's all about our freedom. It's
58:10
everything including what we eat. And
58:12
you know, everything is all about our
58:13
meals. What is your favorite meal?
58:15
>> So, um, from Nicaragua, my favorite meal
58:19
and it's not just because of Nicaragua,
58:21
but it's just like really good. Arepa
58:22
cheta.
58:23
>> Uh-huh.
58:23
>> Which is that white corn flour tortilla
58:26
which you can buy actually in a lot of
58:28
markets. It's called masa
58:30
>> harina.
58:30
>> And I think even Quaker makes it. I
58:33
think Quaker owns it, but it's masa
58:34
harina and it's white corn meal as
58:37
opposed to tortillas in Mexico, for
58:39
example, which is the yellow corn meal.
58:42
This is the white corn meal.
58:44
And um, you make that and you fill it
58:47
with um, queso a a
58:50
queso con loroco cuajada. It's a It's a
58:52
softer cheese. Leche y repollo, which is
58:56
like I know in English it's kind of like
58:58
doesn't work when you say it, but it's
58:59
like um, uh, uh,
59:01
como se llama? Repollo is like a sour
59:04
It's like
59:05
coleslaw. It's coleslaw. But
59:08
But it's But it's But with it's with
59:10
vinegar.
59:11
>> Yes, it's a different thing.
59:11
>> It It's with vinegar and salt and you
59:14
put it and you can make it like rice and
59:16
beans. So, it's like our own burrito.
59:18
>> Yes.
59:18
>> But it is so amazingly wonderful and
59:22
it's not expensive to do. You can do it
59:26
at home.
59:27
And it's just really so healthy for you.
59:29
But you can make it with the the beans
59:32
in Nicaragua are a little different.
59:35
They're they're a reddish. They're not
59:37
big like the American red kidney bean.
59:40
They're a little bit bigger, but they're
59:42
reddish. Just absolutely delicious. A
59:46
different sauce.
59:48
In Nicaragua, you don't really use a lot
59:49
of spice. Um a hot sauces or things like
59:53
that like you do in Guatemala, for
59:55
example, or in Mexico. But you can But
59:58
you build your tortilla the way you want
1:00:00
it. And tortilla is fundamental. I mean,
1:00:02
in breakfast, you always have tortilla.
1:00:04
Even if you're eating with eggs and and
1:00:06
and frijole. You're always going to want
1:00:09
your white tortilla.
1:00:10
>> It's amazing. I want it now.
1:00:12
>> Your eyes lit up. Yeah. I I think you're
1:00:13
going to go grab some of that when you
1:00:15
get out of this interview.
1:00:16
>> I might go buy some because I I I'll
1:00:19
tell you, I talk a I I talk a big deal.
1:00:22
I don't make it so much at home. But
1:00:24
it's just
1:00:24
>> And it reminds you of home, doesn't it?
1:00:26
>> It does. You see the woman fuzzy. You
1:00:27
know what? That just the smell when it's
1:00:29
cooking is like it brings back the
1:00:31
memories of childhood.
1:00:33
>> Those senses, those six senses and that
1:00:35
sense of smell.
1:00:36
>> Yeah, takes me back.
1:00:37
>> It sure does. Well, thank you for
1:00:39
sharing your story. That's just so
1:00:40
exciting. We could talk for more and
1:00:42
more hours. We could be here all day.
1:00:44
>> Well, Judy, it's such a pleasure to be
1:00:46
here with you. You are also one of those
1:00:48
dynamic women in our
1:00:50
Hispanic community. Thanks for all that
1:00:52
you do and thanks for even putting this
1:00:54
together.
1:00:54
>> Thank you, Halley. Well, you're welcome
1:00:56
here anytime and I know we're going to
1:00:58
see you soon out and about doing your
1:01:00
thing. You're not done yet.
1:01:02
>> Lots more to do.
1:01:03
>> Thank you. Well,
1:01:05
we want to hear what you think about
1:01:07
this amazing interview. We covered so
1:01:09
many topics and every immigrant has a
1:01:11
story and we're here to tell it.
1:01:14
Join us
1:01:15
on the next show and
1:01:17
you can catch us on social, on all the
1:01:19
directories, and visit our website,
1:01:22
cellularfreedom.com. Until next time.