The World and Everything in It: November 4, 2025

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning!

The Trump Administration plans to cut back dramatically on refugees allowed into the U.S. We have a report.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Also today, the shutdown standoff is about to break records, is either side close to blinking?

And it’s Election Day, we have a report from Virginia on one of the most contentious.

Later, how one mom is preparing her daughters for life beyond the classroom.

LUCY: We provide food, water, and shelter for our children. The rest is up to them to purchase.

And keeping the soul of conservatism. WORLD opinions contributor Andrew Walker on that.

REICHARD: It’s Tuesday, November 4th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

REICHARD: Now news. Here’s Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Election Day » Today is Election Day for many local and statewide elections across the country. In the Big Apple, New Yorkers are set to choose their next mayor.

Self-described socialist, Democrat Zohran Mamdani enjoys a double-digit lead in an average of recent polls.

MAMDANI:  We have not only come so far, we stand on the verge of ushering in a new day for our city.

But here’s where it gets interesting. The most recent, and by far the largest, poll conducted there suggests that race may have tightened considerably.

An Atlas Itel survey of 2,400 likely voters in the city shows Mamdani up by only about 5 points over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The fellow Democrat running now as an independent predicts New Yorkers will choose him.

CUOMO: They want a mayor who can actually make change and get something done, they don't need a mayor whose first job is mayor of the city of New York.

Among the other big races to be decided today, voters in Virginia and New Jersey will decide their next governors.

In a final average of polls, the Democratic candidate leads by 9 points in Virginia, 3 points in New Jersey.

Shutdown latest » Meantime in Washington, the government shutdown drags on. Without a breakthrough in the hours ahead, it could become the longest shutdown ever later this week.

 Some Republicans are predicting that after today’s elections, Democrats might agree to reopen the government. Senator James Lankford:

LANKFORD:  They're holding all those things so they can try to get more leverage in the New York City mayoral election. So why they're doing that, I have no idea. But our frustration is these folks need basically their government to be open.

But other Republicans say they doubt anything will change after the elections.

The Senate will vote once again today on the same spending bill Democrats have blocked 13 times already. It would temporarily restore the funding that was already in place to reopen the government.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said again on Monday that Democrats are holding out until Republicans agree to extend Obamacare tax credits.

SCHUMER:  The only plan Republicans have for healthcare seems to be to eliminate it and then to tell working people to go figure it out on their own.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture says it will dip into a contingency fund to send out partial SNAP food benefits, after getting legal clarification from a federal court. The exact amount or when payments will go out is unclear.

Israel latest » In Israel...

ORNA NEUTRA: For 758 days, we lived between hope and heartbreak. Today, that long night ends with the knowledge that Omer is finally home.

That's the mother of Captain Omer Neutra, a U.S.-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier who died after he was taken hostage on October 7th.

Omer was one of three IDF soldiers whose remains were returned by Hamas Sunday night. He was originally from the state of New York.

Yesterday aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump told reporters:

TRUMP: I spoke to his parents, and they are thrilled in one sense, but in another sense obviously not too great but we're very happy to have done it.

Meanwhile:

SOUND: [Body handover]

The Red Cross says Israel handed over the bodies of dozens of Palestinians killed in past clashes with Israeli forces.

Nigerian Chrisitian prosecution » President Trump says the U.S. could deploy troops or launch airstrikes in Nigeria, to stop the massacre of Christians by Islamic terrorists.

The Christian rights group InterSociety estimates more than 7,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed this year, and more than 50,000 since 2009.

TRUMP:  They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not gonna allow that to happen.

Trump has reportedly ordered the Pentagon to prepare for possible rapid action.

He also threatened to cut off U.S. aid if the government there fails to take strong action.

Nigeria’s government denies religiously targeted killings but said it would welcome U.S. help—so long as its sovereignty is respected.

Trump also said he will designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a step that triggers special U.S. scrutiny for severe religious persecution.

Deadly earthquake in Afghanistan » At least 20 people are dead in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake shook a northern region of the country. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher reports.

BENJAMIN EICHER: At least 640 people were also injured after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck before dawn on Monday.

In the town of Khulm, near the epicenter, residents have been digging through the rubble of collapsed homes, hoping to find loved ones still alive.

The quake also caused wide-ranging damage to many structures across the region, including to a historic mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif.

The impoverished country often struggles to respond to natural disasters, especially in remote regions.

The Taliban government says rescue and emergency teams have been deployed. And The United Nations said its teams are on the ground delivering urgent aid.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Dianne Ladd obituary » Actress Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.

The three-time Academy Award nominee known for roles in Wild at Heart … and the brash waitress Flo in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

CLIP (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore): You know, I can tell that you’re new to this kind of work, but you catch on real quick!

She earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Flo and appeared in dozens of movies over the decades. She also enjoyed a long career in television and stage.

I'm Kent Covington. 

Straight ahead: the Trump administration plans to cut down the number of refugees allowed into the country. Plus, election day coverage.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST:  It’s Tuesday, the 4th of November.

This is WORLD Radio and we’re happy you’ve joined us today! Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

First up on The World and Everything in It, capping refugee admissions.

The Trump administration last week confirmed that it’s cutting the number of refugees the U.S. will accept to 75-hundred for the new fiscal year. That’s down from the 125-thousand ceiling under President Biden — the program that brought in people from war-torn regions across Africa and the Middle East—including many from Muslim-majority countries like Somalia, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Supporters say the new limit restores some order to a U.S. system overwhelmed by illegal immigration.

REICHARD: But opponents say it leaves persecuted Christians and U.S. allies out in the cold. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher reports.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: When Donald Trump returned to the presidency promising to protect Christians, advocates for persecuted refugees were hopeful.

SOERENS: Well, it's just profoundly disappointing.

Matthew Soerens is vice president of policy and advocacy at World Relief.

SOERENS: You know, the president has talked a lot about standing with persecuted Christians and this basically makes that impossible at least in terms of offering refuge to those who fled persecution on account of their faith

The United States established the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP, in 1980. The goal of the program was to provide a way for refugees to enter the United States in the wake of the Vietnam War. Federal law defines refugees as people fleeing persecution based on their religion, race, or political opinion. Soerens and others say the program runs one of the most rigorous immigrant vetting processes in the world. It’s since been used to bring in refugees from countries like Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Syria.

But the Trump administration last week decided to wind the program down significantly, saying it would only let a historic low of 7,500 refugees into the country. The administration also said it was reserving those slots, quote, “primarily” for White Afrikaners from South Africa and others fleeing, quote, “illegal or unjust discrimination.”

But Matthew Soerens says that Afrikaners and people facing discrimination, fit into a very different group of people from what the USRAP program was originally designed to help.

SOERENS: The administration is using the language of discrimination in this order instead of the language of the law, which is a well-founded fear of persecution. Not that I want anyone to be discriminated against, but persecution is a fairly high standard under the law…

That’s not the only part of the law that refugee advocates say the White House is skirting around.

RASKIN: There are huge flaws in terms of what has just happened.

That’s Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin from Maryland speaking in a virtual press conference last week. He says the administration ignored federal law in setting the refugee ceiling.

RASKIN: The administration never consulted the majority or minority leaders of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, never came and spoke to Congress, despite the fact that that is required by law and has never been violated before, to my knowledge, by any administration.

WORLD asked the White House if those congressional conversations took place before the administration confirmed its refugee cap. The White House sidestepped in an email response and said it had long made cleaning up former President Joe Biden’s broken immigration system a priority. It added that it would consult with Congress after the current government shutdown was over.

White House allies have said scaling back on refugees is a necessary step.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina spoke with WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta near the Senate subway:

GRAHAM: I think we got plenty of people uh in the country illegally we've got to deal with and one of the consequences of having the country overrun by illegal immigrants t hurts legal immigration.

Others agree. Here’s Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

HANKINSON: Given that number of people who are here illegally who need to be sorted through, a significant percentage of whom, in theory, are going to claim asylum, I would say a zero cap for a couple of years would make a lot of sense. So 7,500, you know, it's kind of an arbitrary number, but I would not be surprised to see the numbers go way, way down.

But winding down the program still remains discouraging to those working to offer persecuted Christians and others a safe haven. Here’s Soerens with World Relief.

SOERENS: It doesn't go very far towards standing with those who are persecuted for various reasons, including on account of their faith.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Up next, the government shutdown tipping point.

If Washington’s funding lapse lasts beyond today, it will be the longest one in U.S. history. Even though essential programs are continuing to operate, cracks began to appear over the weekend.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: For the first time since 1992, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program stopped paying for food stamps, leading to long lines at food banks.

WORLD’s Carolina Lumetta reports from Washington.

CAROLINA LUMETTA: The Senate is scheduled to vote a 15th time on a continuing resolution that carries over existing spending until November 21st, to allow more time to pass overdue appropriations bills. House Speaker Mike Johnson in a news conference yesterday morning said Democrats are gaslighting the nation.

JOHNSON: They have voted to close the government and then they have gone out into the hall to the nearest camera they can find and they have looked into the lens and said, "Republicans are shutting down the government." It makes no sense.

But Democrats say they are holding out for one reason: saving COVID-era enhanced subsidies for Obamacare from expiring at the end of the year. Here’s House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries:

JEFFRIES: Republicans have been delusional from the very beginning of this government shutdown situation that they visited on the American people. … we were never going to vote for a partisan Republican spending bill that guts the health care of the American people.

If the enhanced subsidies expire, tens of millions of Americans could lose their premium benefits entirely or see them reduced. But if the subsidies are extended, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it would increase the federal deficit by $350 billion in the next ten years. It’s not great math, according to Heritage Foundation tax policy fellow Preston Brashers.

BRASHERS: They have a clean CR, it passed out of the House. The Democrats are demanding one and a half trillion dollars of additional spending. So to hold the government hostage in order to expand our debt even further is, I think, a rather ridiculous proposition, to be frank.

The White House has said it will not even begin Obamacare discussions until Democrats reopen the government. Democrats, like Michigan Senator Gary Peters, say they’re waiting on Trump to move first.

PETERS: None of the Republican senators are going to do anything unless Donald Trump tells them what to do. So if he doesn't tell them what to do, they're not going to do anything.

President Trump has something else in mind. He’s long complained that the 60-vote requirement in the Senate is burdensome to getting his agenda passed. Over the weekend, he posted on Truth Social that senators should simply get rid of the rule, called the filibuster. He explained further during a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday.

TRUMP: The Republicans have to get tougher. If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want…

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, along with most Republicans in the Senate, say that’s a nonstarter. It might make legislation easier to pass now, but it will also give Democrats equal free rein whenever they regain the majority. Trump disagrees.

TRUMP: And I also know there are other Republicans that feel the other way, and I understand that too, but they're wrong…The Democrats will do it in their first week in office.

The government has shut down 14 times since 1981, when procedures were put into place to stop many day-to-day operations and furlough employees. In 2013, Republicans refused to vote for appropriations because they opposed the Democrat-planned Obamacare. In 2018, Republicans again rejected appropriations that did not include $5.7 billion that Trump wanted for a border wall with Mexico. In both cases, they eventually caved. Obamacare passed and a border wall was never fully built.

BURGAT: Historically minority parties shutting down the government almost get nothing for this. They usually fold and they turn to messaging to say that this is why they won despite not getting anything tangible here.

Casey Burgat is a politics professor at George Washington University. For the past month, roughly equal ratios of Americans have blamed both parties, which meant that neither one felt the pressure to cave. But now that food benefits have stalled, more Americans are frustrated with the Republicans. An NBC poll conducted in late October found 42% of Americans blame congressional Democrats for the shutdown. Fifty-two percent hold Trump and congressional Republicans responsible. Three percent said they blame both.

BURGAT: Winning can take on many different facets and this is why I get why people hate Washington.

But Burgat says the win for Democrats could be in public opinion. Voters might know that Democrats caused the shutdown, but they expect the party in the majority to fix it.

BURGAT: Democrats have been looking for something to plant their flag in the ground, to use what little leverage they have in a DC controlled by Republicans right now…knowing full well a lot of voters only, all they know about DC is number one, it's broken. And number two, that Republicans control it…

The CR passed by the House would only fund the government until November 21. Yesterday, Thune said he’s now open to considering a new CR to fund the government through January.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Next up, Election Day.

Virginia is one of only two states choosing a new governor this year—and it’s often seen as a bellwether for where the country’s headed politically.

Both parties have faced campaign controversy, but voters and analysts say those headlines may not change much. Virginia has a long tradition of choosing governors from the party opposite the White House, and polls show tight races all the way down the ballot.

Here’s WORLD reporter Juliana Chan Erikson.

JULIANA CHAN ERIKSON: There’s a slogan here: Virginia is for lovers. And it certainly holds true for lovers of political drama.

For most of the 2025 campaign, Democrats enjoyed comfortable polling leads in races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.

But that all changed last month.

NBC4 WASHINGTON: Stunning new developments in the race for attorney general of Virginia. Democrats and Republicans are condemning old text messages that emerged from Democratic candidate Jay Jones.

Back in 2022, Jones texted a colleague in the Virginia House of Delegates, saying he wanted to deliver “two bullets to the head” of Todd Gilbert, then the speaker of the State House.

That shook the confidence of some voters, like this retiree outside a cafe in Vienna, Va.

JULIANA CHAN ERIKSON: Is it okay if I ask how you intend to vote?

RETIREE: Democratic. I don’t know about the guy with the scandal.

And this independent voter told me he decided to vote Republican partly because of the text messages.

INDEPENDENT VOTER: Having been a victim of threats, I really don’t think it’s appropriate to be making those threats and hold high public office.

But it has not changed the mind of this woman.

SUE ANN GLEASON: I support all three, including Jay Jones, who I know there’s a lot of controversy over. But people are not looking at the context with which he wrote those posts. And considering who he’s up against, I support all three, wholeheartedly.

But Jones isn’t the only one dealing with scandal in Virginia. So is John Reid, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. Last month, the website American Journal News said it found gay pornographic images glorifying Nazis on a now-deleted Tumblr blog allegedly connected to Reid.

In an interview with ABC-affiliate 13NewsNow in Norfolk, Reid denied any connection with the images.

13NEWSNOW JOHN REID: They’re lies and they were discredited back in April. You know, I embarrassed everyone back in April because we proved everyone was lying about me.

None of the voters I spoke with knew about the controversy involving Reid. At a parade in Annandale, Va, most spectators couldn’t even identify him or his Democratic opponent, Ghazala Hashmi.

ERIKSON: Do you know the lieutenant governor?

SPECTATOR: Umm, I’m trying to think … lieutenant governor …

Some expressed disappointment about Jones but said they would still vote for him, like this dad watching kids play flag football in Vienna, Va.

ERIKSON: What do you think about Jay Jones?

FOOTBALL DAD: I think he’s not a great candidate. Jason Miyares supports Trump and we need to stop Trump.

Polls show the scandals have affected both candidates. Jones was leading by as much as nine points before the October surprise. But as of last week, he was losing to his Republican rival, incumbent Jason Miyares. Polls also show Reid losing to Hashmi.

Has any of this affected the race for Virginia governor? Experts say not really.

DAVID RAMADAN: For 50 years, Virginia always votes for a governor of the opposite party to whoever's in the White House.

David Ramadan is a former Virginia state Delegate and a professor at George Mason University. He thinks Virginians will follow tradition and select Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger to be the next governor. But lieutenant governor and attorney general could be a different story.

Unlike some states, Virginians vote on the top executive offices individually.

RAMADAN: But in the mind of the voter, it's not a ticket. You don't cast one vote for all three. You cast three actual votes. And because of that, we're not seeing that the controversy on the AG is dragging down the governor's race or the Lieutenant Governor's race.

Ramadan predicts Virginians will vote straight down Democratic party lines and give Spanberger, Hashmi, and even the scandal-plagued Jones a victory. Others think the text scandal will at least cost Jones his race.

KAREN HULT: I think Attorney General Miyares has it in the bag, quite frankly.

Karen Hult is a political science professor at Virginia Tech. She believes that enough Virginians will skip voting on Jones to give Miyares the win. If that happens, that would give the Commonwealth a split ticket, something Virginia hasn’t had in 20 years.

Regardless, Hult encourages Virginians to do some homework before they head to the polls.

HULT: How important is it to you that one of the candidates, rather than the other, fills that position? And then to what extent, if any, do those text messages make in your estimation of who to vote for? It's a tough choice.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Juliana Chan Erikson in northern Virginia.

NICK EICHER, HOST: A mother in China discovered her 11-year-old had spent about $70 on trading cards without permission.

So she sought to send them back—only to find out the seller had a refund policy that could only be called a slap in the face.

To get her money back, mom was told she had to send along proof of discipline: a specific requirement that she provide a five-minute video of herself slapping her daughter—not kidding—complete with “clearly audible” sound. And not only that, but also a handwritten apology letter signed and fingerprinted by the child. This whole thing concerning 70 bucks.

Now, mom didn’t go along with this ridiculous request—but the seller didn’t budge, either.

So, it seems sparing the rod, in this case, spoiled the refund.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 4th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: The blessing of work.

For some, it’s a paradigm shift to think of work as a gift. But Christians understand we are created also to be creators: to build and produce things with our hands and minds.

REICHARD: WORLD’s Myrna Brown met a homeschool mom living out that perspective, teaching her children to do the same.

LUCY MATIER: Good Morning. Come on in girl. My grandma always called this a one-butt-kitchen. [laughter] It’s a one-butt-kitchen.

MYRNA BROWN: It may be small, but it’s just right for 39-year old Lucy Matier…

LUCY: This is Clair…

…and her daughter, Clair. They’re brewing and blending inside this drive-through coffee shop.

MONTAGE: Good Morning guys, how are you today…

But Lucy isn’t just serving coffee at the corner of a busy intersection. The wife and mother is also cultivating a mindset. Lucy grew up thinking her kids needed to be in the best schools.

LUCY: I don’t look at my kids as children necessarily. I look at them as human beings that I need to be able to turn out into the world someday that are going to be people who contribute in a positive way to society.

That big shift started in 2019. That’s when Lucy and her husband decided to pull their three daughters out of school and teach them at home.

LUCY: I wanted to figure out what God-given motivations were inside my children and I said listen, we’re going to do a very hands-on approach to learning.

Two to four hours of structured book learning, with the rest of the day devoted to exploring other learning opportunities. She had an idea:

LUCY: And we came up with a business called Matier Mistletoe.

Her girls found, cut and tied the mistletoe.

LUCY: And our slogan was bring back the tradition of holiday kissin’

COVID turned that tag line into an unhealthy proposition and that put an end to the mistletoe business. Then, in 2021 another idea.

MYRNA: So what is this made of?

LUCY: It’s a shipping container.

They took this green, steel shed and turned it into a drive-thru coffee shop, built from the ground up.

LUCY: These blocks that are under here, because we had to raise it eight inches off the ground, they had a hard time getting it up here. And so my girls had to bring these cinderblocks… do you remember that?

CLAIR: I remember how hard it was to put the second one to shove it under there.

But Lucy and Clair say that was actually easy, compared to the grinder pump hole they had to dig for their sewer system.

LUCY: I thought it was a great opportunity for my girls to learn how hard it is to dig holes.

MYRNA TO CLAIR: How hard was it?

CLAIR: I gave up half way through. [chuckle]

From manual labor to part-time barista, Clair works every Thursday morning.

CUSTOMER: Could I get an iced white chocolate latte with almond milk?

CLAIR: Of course, would you like that to be 16 or 20 ounces?

She’s been taking orders, stamping coffee cups, and washing dishes since she was ten years old.

SOUND: [Coins in tip jar]

Everything in the tips jar goes to Clair. Legally, she’s not old enough to get a paycheck, yet.

LUCY: It’s actually a rite of passage in our house. When you turn fourteen, one of the gifts you get is a W2 form.

Working alongside her daughters in the coffee shop has challenged Lucy to reconsider some of her long-held beliefs. For instance, she grew up with parents who did their best to pay for everything their kids needed AND wanted. That’s not the way she’s raising Clair and her sisters.

MYRNA: Is it hard to say no?

LUCY: I do not find it hard to say no. Because I have provided them with opportunities to earn their own money. I told them from a very young age, I’m not going to pay for you to go to college. But I’ll set you up with every opportunity that you need. I am not going to buy a car for you. But I will set you up with every opportunity to earn that vehicle for yourself. We provide food, water and shelter for our children. The rest is up to them to purchase.

MYRNA: Is this too much responsibility too soon? How do you respond to that?

LUCY: Oh goodness. I tell them, you come back and see me in ten years. I don’t know, honestly and that’s my true answer. You can love them too much. You can love them not enough. You can expect too much. You can expect not enough. I look at them as human beings that I’m responsible for incorporating into society. And them having these experiences, this is life.

And what does Clair think of their uncommon way of life?

CLAIR: I see it less of they’re trying to neglect me and everything. I see it more of they’re my safety net and the better I get at the tight rope, the less I’m going to need a safety net. So, when I’m out in the real world I’m going to feel comfortable on that tight rope, by myself.

Clair has also gotten to experience the sacrificial aspect of work.

CLAIR: I absolutely hate the smell of coffee. Like, sometimes, I hold my breath when I’m pouring the coffee.

LUCY: So even though she doesn’t like the smell of coffee, she very easily can go and get a job at a coffee house because she had that experience.

Experience that is going to prepare Clair for her next big work adventure. The Matiers are relocating to the north. They’re leaving the coffee shop behind. Lucy admits, the news of their departure has given her a new platform to talk about their philosophy on teaching children about the value of work.

LUCY: God created us to work. From the beginning of human creation, Adam was tasked with working and I think it’s a gift that God gives us.

She says it’s also an opportunity to reflect on how much her girls have grown.

LUCY: And when I explain to people that it was actually their idea. That they were the ones who came to us when we sat down and had that family meeting at the beginning of the year and said, we’re ready for a change. We want something different.

Clair however, has one request.

CLAIR: I totally think that when we move up to Pennsylvania and we do another small business, it has nothing to do…. It involves no coffee at all.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Myrna Brown in Fairhope, Alabama.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 4th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

The recent texting scandal among young Republicans and their embrace of antisemites is a warning that conservatism is at risk. WORLD Opinions managing editor Andrew Walker says it’s time to ask who’s actually a conservative, and what moral boundaries remain.

ANDREW WALKER: Some on the Right insist conservatives always lose because we’re not united like the Left. We impose purity tests, while progressives form a single power bloc. Hence the rallying cry: “No Enemies to the Right” (NETTR).

The slogan traces to the political theology of Carl Schmitt, who reduced politics to a friend–enemy distinction. Schmitt saw politics as the act of identifying those who threaten one’s way of life and rallying with those who share a common foe.

Today, “No Enemies to the Right” captures a mood. It says if we really want to win, stop clearing our throats and stop policing our side. It’s war, after all—and in wartime, niceties must yield to victory.

That mindset is a mistake. It’s incompatible with the Bible’s moral realism and corrosive to the conservative soul. I also don’t think it’s a sound political strategy. The NETTR principle will only serve to sully the conservative conscience and divide the coalition by perpetually re-negotiating the boundaries of who is in and who is out. Imitating the left’s willingness to invite radicals into its coalition partly explains why progressivism is suffering historic levels of unpopularity.

Conservatives must care about the moral and intellectual character of our coalition. We do not care because we crave the left’s approval for chasing liberal plaudits is a fool’s errand. We also shouldn’t care because we enjoy tone-policing. We care because the health of our movement depends on the moral quality of those who represent it. Conservatism, at its best, rests on two pillars: truth and virtue. Truth gives order its compass. Virtue gives self-government its guardians. A people fit for liberty must also be a people of character.

A movement that embraces “by any means necessary” may win a battle but will lose its soul. Such tactics define progressivism; they must never define conservatism. The trouble with No Enemies to the Right is that it lacks a limiting principle. Once adopted, nothing is off the table—neither in who we include nor in what we justify.

This is the opposite of Christian ethics, which rejects unprincipled pragmatism in favor of principled outcomes—even when those outcomes are difficult. Thank God that Scripture is our North Star, not the shifting winds of fallen man.

Let me be clear about what I’m not saying. We don’t always need to publicly denounce every misstep or person. Private, relational correction is proper. But we must be vigilant about who’s on the team. There must be a moral line somewhere. We cannot police the behavior of every member of our coalition, but we must uphold moral expectations and ensure that certain ideas are unacceptable. Anything less and we’ve become the moral revolutionaries we believed ourselves incapable of becoming.

This is where the “Christian” in Christian conservative takes priority. Before we are Christian conservatives, we must be conservative Christians. We take Scripture seriously—so seriously that we see it as the inerrant, authoritative, all-sufficient guide for everything, including the morality that governs our political life.

It doesn’t bow to worldly categories of gender, race, class, or party. It speaks over them all. Sola Scriptura means precisely this: Scripture alone is supreme. Not our identities, not our experiences, not our political loyalties. God’s Word judges all human words—and never the other way around.

When we let cultural identity or political tribe dictate our theology—when we decide what to affirm or avoid based on allegiance—we’ve already abandoned Sola Scriptura. We have enthroned culture and politics where Christ should reign.

The left remains an existential threat—but so does a right that abandons its moral guardrails. Together, they’ll burn civilization down in a blaze of mutually assured destruction.

I’m Andrew Walker.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Tomorrow: Washington Wednesday with Hunter Baker, and World Tour with Onize Oduah. And, how the faith of a father shaped a beloved voice in Christian music. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is Biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we…. an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” —First Corinthians 9:24-27

Go now in grace and peace.

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