Ed Gallrein, Navy Seal (ret.), on U.S. Border problems affecting Kentucky

Ed Gallrein, Navy Seal (ret.), on U.S. Border problems affecting Kentucky...

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
We have a special guy here inthe studio. I mean, highly decorated
combat veteran, retired career, seniorNavy Seal officer ed gal rhymes with us
here. He's a candidate for StateSenate here in Kentucky, native Kentucky and
good to have you back in thestudio, sir. Thanks for having me,
Terry. I appreciate it, nodoubt. I mean I'm looking over

(00:21):
your resume or four graduate degrees,Masters in US National Security Policy development from
War College, Masters in National Securityand Operational Intelligence Collection and Analysis. So
can we jump into some of theseglobal events. I mean, I know
you're running from the State Senate,but you're already well versed in these Yes,
we can. I want to bringthat background, experience and skills to

(00:43):
the state of Kentucky to represent SenateDistrict seven. Makes sense, all right?
Recently we saw these attacks Iran throughat Israel and an Israel striking back.
So should we all be nervous hereglobally or is this just a little
saber rattling? Oh? No,should we should be nervous, especially with
the fact that Iran's very close tofielding a nuclear weapon, which is which

(01:06):
will be and be an understatement tosay that be a game changer in the
Mid East, and in fact itwill probably fuel a nuclear arms race just
in the current status that he isthat it's not in the best of the
world nor stability and security, Sothat is very concerning. That'd be an
understatement, but that's just one ofthe many challenges we're facing right now.
But how much global muscle do wehave to just prevent them from finishing off

(01:29):
nuclear armament. Well, it's aquestion of do we have it or do
we have the will to use it? So there's two aspects of that.
The way it answered as a professionalmilitary officer, and those options are beginning
being given to our elected appointed incareer leadership that make those decisions. It's
not admirals and generals that decide howthat is done. We will provide them
options. We would have the capabilitiesto deal with it. The question is

(01:52):
would we have the will to dealwith it. But it's not only military,
it's a combined set of approaches thatgo completely cross a diplomatic, informational,
military, and economic spectrum. Forinstance, they're oil. They're about
a one and a half trick pony. Oil is their fuel for their economy,
for their weapons, and their nefariousactivities. Globally, they are the

(02:15):
leading state sponsor of terrorism in theworld. We're seeing all these protests on
college campuses that have to do mostlywith the Gaza situation, and obviously they're
holding hostages, but we see thesecolleges campuses that people are taking over and
they're all about Palestine, as thoughthe October seventh assassinations of civilians in Israel

(02:37):
didn't happen. So how is therean endgame and play? What do you
see from your vantage points? Well, I want to use another term.
It was a slaughter what occurred onseven October, and it would it would
stun the American public to see actuallywhat occurred. Some of that has come
out. However, it was aslaughter, that'd be the way to characterize.

(02:59):
And it was very deliberate and reallythe strategy there appears to be that
they knew Hamas knew exactly what theywere doing. It's not about the tactical
fight in Gaza. It's the strategicfight to diminish Israel and the US and
the West globally. That is manifestin itself. You said colleges, those
are very specific schools that those protestsare going at. If you were to

(03:23):
take a look at say Red versusBlue States, or say just you know
where they're occurring and where the patternsare, there is a significant pattern.
And then to who you have toask the question who is funding these These
might not be as spontaneous things aswe say in the intelligence world. Things
are not always what they appear tobe. Clearly, will you see those
tents? They all look alike.Somebody didn't go to Dick's Sporting Goods and

(03:46):
say I'll have four hundred or theexact same tent. So back to the
strategic fight. This was the intentnot only of Hamas but of Iran.
Who's taken advantage of this entire hostilitythan the conflict, whether it's the Huthies
that have closed off the Red SeaBond large butt for the agreements they've signed
with Russia and China letting their shipsthrough. So back to what to do
about it. Clarity. What wehaven't seen is clarity with respect to the

(04:11):
messaging like I'll just give an example, like Reagan did back in the day,
the clarity of how we were goingto deal with adversaries, the clarity
of what our policies were, theclarity of what we stood for. We
see a lot of for lack ofa better term, lack of clarity is
the best way I could put it. The nightly news, though, keeps

(04:32):
feeding us the premise that it's they'rejust these these sweet college kids, and
they're just saying, these colonizers,why they stole this land? Why can't
we give the land? It's simplifiedin ways that aren't realistic, and it
would not be a forthright and forthcomingit wouldn't be accurate orgo you know,

(04:53):
taking back to schools and make surehistory's taught in a proper manner. And
again coming back to our nation's leader, the clarity that they communicate what is
really the issues are, what thefacts are, what the US stands for
and what we're going to do aboutit, and what we won't stand for.
And again, the best example ofrecent history, for at least folks
my age and maybe your's terry,would be Reagan, how he handled things

(05:15):
and turned it as we came outof years of decline. So we're facing
that challenge now well ives around forFDR at the end of World War Two,
we're speaking as senior Navy seal officerand who once reached the rank of
commodore ed Gal Ryan. He isrunning for state senates and what'd you say,
District seven? District seven, Yes, primary is May twenty first.

(05:36):
It is let's stay on an internationalfront here. From you know, there's
a lot of arguing, particularly betweenour two senators about funding for Ukraine.
Mitch McConnell a leading edge on thatand Ran Paul's like, absolutely not not
a nickel. Where are you onthis whole issue of passing the support money

(05:59):
to keep Ukraine separate from Russia?Well, it actually I want to go
back to clarity with respect to whatthe US stands for. As a professional
military officer and an intelligence professional,what we would offer to those political leaders
is here is a strategy, here'swhat the threats are, and here's what
the risks are. I would offerthem, not just Ukraine, because there's

(06:20):
a mirad of threats out there andthey are somewhat in connected based on how
those for lack of better term,the access powers are now behaving. Be
it China, who's investing in Iranand in Russia, Russia who is fueling
the defense industry in Iran with buyingtheir drones and other weapons systems. So
it is an absolute set of tentacleswhere they're all involved. It's not just

(06:42):
one thing. But to come backto high level, it should be the
decision should be based on what isin the best interests of US national security.
We're in the political season here withthe election coming up. Senior military
officers and professionals detest the political season. We are political leadership becomes paralyzed and
dysfunctional during these periods as a jockeyfor domestic political gain. But back to

(07:06):
a high level, we have gotto be clear about what our national security
objectives are and the strategies to supportthose. And it's not just one thing.
It looks like our current administration prefersoptics over logic. Sometimes we see
all these people who have special appearances, who are supposedly military leaders, and

(07:30):
I'm not sure that sends the messageto the rest of the world that we're
serious about protecting our civilization and otherswho are like us. And thanks for
that. I want to want topoint out to the listeners here, and
it might always not be obvious.Say when I was Commodore Gallerin, I
could not be having this conversation withyou. I was constrained by the Hatch
Act. When you see the GeneralOfficer there at the Pentagon, you know

(07:55):
as the spokesman. That is aspokesman for the White House. It is
not a spokesman for the operationational commanders. They are not allowed to speak their
mind. We provide those best recommendationsin accordance with our oaths to the President
of the United States and as leadershipteam for them to decide how they want
to proceed. But it is fraughtwith peril to not be clear about what

(08:16):
we stand for and to be ambiguous. And I'll give you an example right
now, we're doing a repeat ofwhat we did with the Soviet years ago.
To date myself Daytant It was adeeply flawed strategy that allowed the Soviet
Union to actually flank us in anumber of ways while we thought we were
doing containment. So Daytonte was theflavor of the week for about a decade

(08:37):
until Reagan came in and said thatis not working, and he turned us
dramatically. It appears that this administrationis in an era of dayton with the
Chinese, where the Chinese are anera of containment of us, and they
are encircling us not just militarily,but economically and politically and so forth and
so on their plan. Chess wereplaying checkers electronically too. That's what this

(09:00):
wrestling match is about. TikTok.Yes, it's a balloon in your pocket.
So remember famously the balloon that wentover back in twenty twenty three.
Now balloon in your pocket. Andso with respect to that, again,
back to what I said earlier,things are not always what they seem to
be, especially with extronics and software. So that is a slippery slope to
allow adversaries to penetrate in our nation. Ed Gil Ryan is running for Kentucky

(09:24):
State sentence. But the border issueis Germane to Kentucky. I know that
some people run for office, theybring up the border and they go,
oh, we don't have a southernborder. What does all this nonsense talk?
But it does affect each of thefifty states, it does in different
ways. But here in Kentucky thereare some limitations and problems in terms of

(09:45):
dealing with migrants who are undocumented.So what would you do as a state
senator? Do you have any visionfor how Kentucky can better tackle that issue.
Hey, thanks for that question,Terry. Or committees I tend to
aspire to be on is the PublicSafety Committee that's veteran military affairs and public
safety. And I'm going to partnerwith the Attorney General Russell Coman and to

(10:09):
push through legislation similar to Texas thatempowers our law enforcement here in Kentucky at
all levels to detain and deport illegalimmigrants and also hold those accountable that are
involved in crimes. Now equal tothat for transparency and accountability, are elected
and the career officials that are doingcatch and release also need to be held

(10:31):
accountable and scrutinized ensure that there's notsomebody looking the other way. I'll be
the only elected official that I'm awareof that'll have a top secret clearance.
I will be getting the briefs fromthe Department of Homeland Security, the FBI,
and other agencies about what's really goingon here, especially with respect to
the crime in Louisville and Lexington thatappears to be fueled by gangs, cartels,

(10:52):
guns, human trafficking, and drugs. It's a witches brew that is
border related, that is border related. A lot of people admitting that,
but it is yes, all right. So we're running out of time here,
but tell me a little bit aboutyour personal life so people know more
about you. Well born and rearedon the river bottoms down here in Valley
Station, on a dairy farm.I've got four kids, four grandkids,

(11:16):
and was fortunate to serve in theUS military as a as a leader in
the Seals, an Army ranger.And it's great to be back in Kentucky
on the farm. That doesn't getout of your blood when you're born and
reared on a dairy farm. Yeah, we texted earlier today and you said,
I got farm work today, butwhat time should I come to the
state? So did you get youall your farm chores? Now? No,
I did not. Farm works neverall dine enough to a true farmer,

(11:39):
that's right. Someone told me onetime too that they play talk radio
to cows because they like to heartalk. I thought, well, that's
an interesting thing. They do actuallylike the noise and the melodies and so
forth, So music works really wellfor dairy cattle. That's pretty awesome.
Ed, best of luck. PrimariesMay twenty first, and your last name
is spelled g A L L RE. I n yes. Vote Gallerin

(12:01):
and we'll see a Gallin market.Come see us. Oh that's right,
Galaran Market. That's your family greenhousesopen a couple of weeks ago. That's
your website. Vote gallerin it is. That makes sense. All right,
great talking to you again. Thankyou, Terry. Coming right back on
news radio eight forty w h As