federal government

Secretary Marco Rubio and the Hope of America

During Tuesday’s press briefing at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on CBN’s Kelly Wright, who happened to be sitting in the last row in the West Wing room.

“You’ve had a deep faith for God and country,” Wright began. “What is your hope for America at a time such as this?”

As we’ve previously chronicled, Secretary Rubio professes a strong faith in Jesus Christ. Though navigating an unconventional faith journey that’s taken him from being a cradle Catholic to attending a Mormon church as a child, to simultaneously worshipping at an evangelical megachurch and Catholic parish, the former Florida senator has been clear about what he believes spiritually.

He recently declared, “And because He [Jesus] took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him. And when He returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will all be together, and we are going to have a great reunion there again.”

Filling in for regular White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, the Secretary of State fielded questions for an hour – including the one from Kelly Wright.

“My hope for America?” Secretary Rubio responded. “It’s the same as it’s always been. I think it’s the hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything — where you’re not limited by the circumstances of your birth, the color of your skin, or your ethnicity.” 

Secretary Rubio’s parents emigrated from Cuba in the throes of Fidel Castro’s takeover, so President Trump’s principal advisor on foreign policy is uniquely equipped and trained to champion the strength of the American melting pot. While serving as a public servant, Mr. Rubio has spoken lovingly and inspirationally about the many distinctives of the United States – especially its openness to welcome individuals who come here legally to chase the dream of a better life.

“Frankly, [America] is a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential. I think that should be the goal of every country in the world.”

He then acknowledged that our country hasn’t always lived up to those ideals.

“But I think in the U.S., we’re not perfect,” he said. “Our history is not one of perfection, but it’s still better than anybody else’s history … It is a unique and exceptional country.”

It’s that tempered but nevertheless sunny take on America that stands in stark contrast to those who seem to relish running down the country and diminishing its uniqueness, not just currently, but in the broader history of the world.

Anticipation and excitement are building just ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration this July 4th. Focus on the Family is partnering with “Freedom 250,” an official U.S. government-led initiative that will be coordinating festivities. The ministry is joining a wide array of organizations including our friends at K-LOVE and Prager U, along with companies such as Exxon Mobil and United Airlines.

In fact, Freedom 250 will be streaming for free 16 patriotically themed episodes of Focus on the Family’s “Adventures in Odyssey” radio program for families to enjoy. The hope is this partnership will help introduce the whole “Odyssey” gang to an audience previously unfamiliar with the award-winning, faith-based children’s audio program.

“We welcome the opportunity to serve this moment by providing free streaming access to several of our world-class family audio dramas,” Focus on the Family President Jim Daly said. “These cinematic, family-friendly series bring the acts of courage, faith and founding ideals of America to life during the 250th celebration through the power of storytelling.

“It is our prayer that by participating in Freedom 250,” Daly added, “we will help Americans recall and reflect upon their heritage, become inspired by the valor and courage of great Americans who came before them and fortify their love for America through the lens of faith and patriotism.”

On Tuesday, Secretary Rubio acknowledged that Americans enjoy a rich history that’s only amplified and magnified by those willing to study and reflect on our nation’s past.

“I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history,” he told reporters. “It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement, where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding.”

Feds Ask Parents: ‘Did You Know Gender Ideology Can Be Promoted in Kids TV Shows?’

Do age ratings like “TV-Y7” still help parents decide which TV shows are safe for their kids? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to know what you think.

The commission opened a period of public comment last month after revealing it had received many complaints of:

  • Inaccurate TV show ratings.
  • TV shows’ failure to alert parents of inappropriate content.
  • Inappropriate content being rated appropriate for increasingly younger audiences.

In a public notice released April 22, the FCC specifically noted:

Recently, parents have raised concerns that controversial gender identity issues are being included or promoted in children’s programs without providing any disclosure or transparency to parents.

The Daily Citizen previously reported on several examples of gender ideology in children’s television. As a movie reviewer and Director of Focus on the Family’s Plugged In, Paul Asay encounters them regularly.

“We’re seeing more and more shows that have LGBT themes in them,” Asay told the Daily Citizen. “Plugged In probably gets more emails about those issues than anything else.”

Though the prevalence of LGBT themes can vary, Asay said it can become the “main point” of some shows, like Netflix’s animated She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Netflix normalizes and promotes same-sex attraction and sexual identify confusion in its TV shows — even children’s shows — as part of its commitment to “inclusion.”

During the public comment period, which concludes on May 22, the FCC asks Americans to submit comments describing:\/cus

  • How useful they find TV-age ratings?
  • Whether they know children’s TV shows may contain information promoting gender ideology?
  • Whether some streaming platforms or TV stations seem to rate TV shows differently than others?

Questions like these will help the FCC determine whether TV age-ratings still serve their congressional purpose: To help parents make educated choices about their children’s entertainment.

The media industry voluntarily established America’s TV age-rating system in 1998, two years after Congress passed the Telecommunications Act.

The act determined television had a “uniquely pervasive presence in the lives of American children” and, thus:

Parents should be provided with timely information about the nature of upcoming video programming and have the ability to block violence, sexual or other programming that parents believe is harmful to their children.

The age-rating system labels TV shows designed for children (TV-Y); appropriate for children over seven (TV-7); appropriate for, but not designed for, children (TV-G); unsuitable for some children (TV-PG); unsuitable for children under 14 (TV-14); and designed for adults (TV-MA).

The rating system uses letter combinations to indicate when shows contain sexually suggestive dialogue (D), fantasy violence (FV), coarse or crude language (L), sexual situations (S) and violence (V).

Notably, no letter combination in the current rating system indicates when a show contains gender ideology.

The integrity of the rating system requires TV show content be rated accurately and correct content markers be used to warn parents about objectionable content.

The TV Oversight Management Board (TVOMB) is responsible for making sure media companies follow these rules and for fielding public complaints about age-ratings.

But the board may not be doing its job, either.

The FCC’s public inquiry asks Americans several questions about the TVOMB, including:

  • Does the TVOMB engage with the public?
  • Does the media industry have too much representation on the TVOMB?
  • How could the TVOMB solicit more feedback from faith- and family-focused groups?
  • Does the TVOMB complaint process make it easy for Americans to get involved?

The questions allude to the FCC’s lack of confidence in the board’s performance and structure. And what is there to be confident about, really? Per the FCC’s own observations, of the 20 groups currently on the TVOMB, 10 are media companies and four are trade groups financed by media companies.

This massive conflict of interest makes the TVOMB unlikely to hold its constituents to age-rating standards.

The Daily Citizen is greatly encouraged by the FCC’s willingness to consider the plight of Christ-following families and others who want to protect their children from gender ideology.

The TV age-rating infrastructure must be adjusted to include alerts when programs contain LGBT themes and content. Faith- and family-focused groups should be represented on the TVOMB, while media companies’ influence over the board must be substantially reduced.

The wheels of justice and government turn slowly. The Daily Citizen asked Asay what parents can do to make informed choices about their child’s entertainment while the FCC contemplates change.

“Well, of course, I’d point you first to Plugged In,” he said. “We try to watch as many shows as we can, and we tell parents about what these shows might contain — both good and bad — to the best of our ability.”

Plugged In also offers insight into a show’s overarching direction, which can help parents make early decisions about its suitability for their children.

Asay is also honest that LGBT content is particularly hard to screen for.

“As much as I’d like to tell you otherwise, Plugged In isn’t a perfect safeguard,” he admitted. “I don’t think that any family review outlet is.”

He explained:

We just can’t watch every episode of every show. And often, a show won’t unveil an LGBT character until several seasons in, and then just in one episode.

For parents worried about modern TV, Asay recommends introducing kids to one of the growing number of quality, faith-based TV shows —  or even an old favorite.

“It’s an advantage of this age of streaming we live in: Great, older shows are more available now than ever,” he explained.

“It’s a great bonding opportunity to introduce your kids to something that you loved as a kid and, consequently, can enjoy together!”

The FCC is accepting comments on TV age-ratings until May 22. The Daily Citizen encourages all readers to submit a comment encouraging the commission to:

  • Require the media industry to warn parents when a TV show contains gender ideology.
  • Require the media industry to rate a show which contains gender ideology inappropriate for children.
  • Require the TVOMB to seek out and invite leading faith- and family-focused groups to sit on the board.
  • Limit the number of media industry and industry-funded groups on the TVOMB to less than 50%.

Click here to submit a comment and follow the instructions. The “proceeding” number you must enter is 19-41.

Thank you for doing your part to protect children and families!

Additional Articles and Resources

Plugged In

Parenting Tips for Guiding Your Kids in the Digital Age

Parents Should Dread Netflix’s Purchase of Warner Brothers

We Were Warned About the SPLC

It’s an ancient secular proverb that “Dead men tell no tales” – but it’s also true that the warnings of very wise people who have passed from this world to the next are often validated and confirmed years after their passing.

In the wake of the explosive allegations contained in this week’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), warnings and comments from some notable late cultural commentators are resurfacing on social media.

Last May, after Turning Point USA was singled out as a “hate group,” founder Charlie Kirk stated, “Being on their list is a badge of honor. It means they’re terrified that we’re so effective. Keep crying, SPLC—America’s done with your scam.”

The martyred conservative leader exposed the hypocrisy and devious tactics of the Alabama-based group.

“They cannot have dialogue, they cannot actually go on to the merits of why they are right or why we might be wrong,” Kirk stated. “Instead, they must smear us with the age-old one-liner that you are a racist or that you are a hater, and they’re finally realizing the power of Turning Point USA, which is why they put us on this list. Well, when you’re effective, you’re a threat.”

We don’t know if Kirk’s assassin was inspired or motivated to kill him because of the SPLC’s evil designation of TPUSA, but we do know the SPLC’s listing inspired the would-be assassin who stormed the Family Research Council after noting their inclusion on the group’s target list. Security guard Leo Johnson, who was shot back in 2012, thankfully survived – but the gunman intended to kill as many people as possible in retaliation for the group’s support of biblical sexuality. 

Kirk’s chilling words proved tragically prescient and personal: “When you’re effective you’re a threat.”

Charlie Kirk’s assassin knew he was effective and was threatened by his effectiveness.

Scott Adams, the “Dilbert” creator who died in January, also warned about the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

“Now, remember how I always tell you that if you know what happened, you might not know anything,” Adams said last year. “But if you know who was involved, well, now you might know something.”

He continued:

“If your job is to identify ghosts, are you going to find any ghosts? Of course you will, because you get paid for it. If your job is to identify hate groups, are you going to find some new hate groups every year? Or are you going to find all the ones that exist, and then you say, you know, we don’t even need to get any funding for the next year, I don’t even know why we have a staff.

He concluded:

“So, you can’t trust anybody who gets paid by the amount of hate that they identify.They’re going to find some hate. But is it real? No, Turning Point USA is nothing like a group, not even close.”

Adams was right, but he obviously wasn’t the only one waving the warning flag on the deviousness and destructiveness of the group’s tactics. 

Last year, the tech titan Elon Musk declared, “The SPLC is an evil organization that spreads hate propaganda relentlessly. It needs to be shut down.”

After Focus on the Family was placed on the organization’s “hate” list last year, the ministry’s Glenn Stanton wrote, “Being listed only means Focus on the Family, and all these other allied organizations, are simply contending for the wholly uncontroversial natural order of things in God’s design for human sexuality, the mother/father family founded on marriage, and the objective reality of male and female. We and each of these other groups have all done so publicly and consistently. We will continue to do so, undaunted.”

He added:

“It’s an adage that you can tell a lot about someone from the company they keep. The same goes for organizations. Our inclusion on this childish list with so many of our long-term friends would hardly be worth noting if not for the danger this list has previously incited.”

Last June, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly told Fox News, “I think the SPLC started in a good place… but they have turned that muscle now on the Christian community.”

Focus’ Daly then posed a question to the SPLC – one which has never been answered:

“Why would you go after an organization doing that much good and label us a hate group? It makes no sense. This (FOTF’s ministry) is not hate. This is the love of Christ trying to show people God’s design for marriage and parenting and people.”

DOJ Indicts SPLC for Fraud — Used Donor Money to Fund Racist Groups

The Department of Justice announced a federal grand jury indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, charging the organization with using donor money to pay leaders of racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America and the Aryan Nation’s affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club. 

While the SPLC claimed to work to dismantle these groups, raising millions of dollars in the process, the indictment alleges: 

Between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in SPLC funds to FS [field sources] who were associated with various violent extremist groups.

Focus on the Family President Jim Daly responded to the indictment, saying: 

Do you see how diabolical the SPLC tactics have proven to be? 

Declare your group the leading fighter against hate and then broaden the definition of hate so widely as to include any group that politically or even morally sees things differently. Then take some of the donor money you’ve already raised and use it to hire thugs who will manufacture and fan that hate.

Attorney and political commentator Jeff Childers used colorful language to describe the enormity of the charges against a leading leftist organization with an estimated $800 million dollars in assets. Childers called the organization the “nerve center” of “the left wing’s corpulent malevolent body,” adding: 

By criminally indicting the SPLC, the Department of Justice shot an arrow straight into the progressive establishment’s throbbing, black brain. Its squid-like body is about to thrash all over the deck. Get ready. (His emphasis.) 

FBI Director Kash Patel and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges on April 21 at the U.S. Department of Justice. Blanche said: 

In the Middle District of Alabama, a grand jury returned an 11-count indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

According to the charges in the indictment, the SPLC is a nonprofit entity that purports to fight white supremacy and racial hatred by reporting on extremist groups and conducting research to inform law enforcement groups with the goal of dismantling these groups. 

However, as Blanche went on to explain: 

The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred. 

In one instance, SPLC funding led to death and destruction, as the acting AG stated: 

The indictment describes this conduct in detail, but one troubling example is that the SPLC was paying a member of the leadership group that planned the Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, that resulted in the death of one person and injured dozens more. 

The indictment said the SPLC secretly paid a field source $270,000 to help plan and coordinate what became a deadly event.  

The organization set up fake businesses with fake bank accounts to pay “field sources” working with extremist groups millions of dollars. Childers succinctly commented: 

We might call that a “left-wing laundromat.” The indictment calls it both “money laundering” and a “conspiracy to commit money laundering.” (His emphasis.) 

He explained the group’s motives – if they really were trying to shut down dangerous organizations – didn’t matter: 

It is not legal for a private citizen or company to fund criminals. Not even as informants. You can’t cosplay as a cop and start making citizen’s arrests when somebody cuts you off in traffic. And you definitely can’t pay neo-Nazis to organize violent rallies. Even if you mean well. (His emphasis.) 

The SPLC, founded in 1971 by Morris Dees, initially focused on civil rights legislation and on filing lawsuits against white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Dees was fired in 2019, following allegations of racial discrimination and sexual misconduct.  

The radical organization broadened its reach in 2010 to target Christian and conservative groups that promote God’s design for marriage, sexuality and relationships. In a report titled “18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda,” the SPLC defamed mainstream organizations like Concerned Women for America, Coral Ridge Ministries, Family Research Council and Liberty Counsel as “hate groups.” 

That list grew and grew, and the SPLC finally added Focus on the Family to its “Hatewatch” list in May 2025.

Expanding the SPLC’s “hate group” list also expanded its donor base, bringing in millions from celebrities and businesses. 

But being known as a “designated hate group,” as if it were some sort of objective, impartial classification, had harmful real-world consequences for these conservative and Christian groups. 

Media outlets robotically repeated the “hate group” designation ad nauseam, damaging reputations, hindering fundraising, and causing loss of business or tech support. In addition, the FBI used the SPLC’s biased information in law enforcement efforts for 18 years. 

The SPLC’s notorious “Hate Map” also contributed to acts of violence against conservative Christian groups and individuals. 

In 2012, an LGBT supporter named Floyd Lee Corkins entered the offices of the Family Research Organization, a pro-family, pro-life group based in Washington D.C., bent on murdering as many employees there as possible. He was stopped by the building manager, who was shot in the process. Corkins confessed that he looked at the SPLC “hate map” to obtain FRC’s name and location.

In 2017, Congressman Steve Scalise was severely wounded by a shooter who targeted Republicans at a softball practice. The shooter turned out to be a Facebook fan of the SPLC, which had strongly criticized Scalise.

Childers is hopeful that “the SPLC does not survive this case as an organization.” 

SPLC CEO told Fox News Digital, “We are outraged by the false allegations levied against SPLC – an organization that for 55 years has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multi-racial democracy where we can all live and thrive.”  

Patel said the investigation was ongoing “against all individuals involved.” 

Related articles and resources: 

Department of Justice: Acting AG Blanche, FBI Director Patel Announce Charges Against Southern Poverty Law Center

Alliance Defending Freedom; Slandered for Christ’s Sake

Amazon Rejects Plea to Stop Using SPLC for Charity Guidance – Continues to Exclude Christian Organizations

Cleaning House at the Southern Poverty Law Center

Court: It’s Not Defamation to Call a Ministry a ‘Hate Group’

The Debate Over ‘Hate’

Southern Poverty Law Center Finally Names Focus on the Family a Hate Group

Southern Poverty Law Center Publishes ‘Year in Hate and Extremism’ – Continues to Target Christian Groups

SPLC Continues to Label Conservative Christian Organizations as ‘Hate Groups’

How Faith Informs the Life and Leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Like many people, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s faith journey can’t be laid out in a straight line, but his comments released Easter weekend leave little doubt of the former Florida senator’s Christian convictions.

Currently embroiled in intense negotiations involving Iran, Christians might find Marco Rubio’s story illustrative.

Born and baptized as a baby into a Catholic family that had emigrated from Cuba to Miami, the Rubios converted to Mormonism when Marco was just eight years old. The family had moved to Utah. “I immersed myself in LDS theology,” he wrote in his memoir. Yet, it appears any immersion was short-lived. The family soon returned to attending Catholic Mass.

By his own admission, Marco Rubio’s interest in faith diminished during his time as an undergraduate at the University of Florida and while pursuing his Juris Doctor at the University of Miami Law School. But then he reconnected with Jeanette Dousdebes, a woman he had first met and dated when they were in their teens. They married and began attending Christ Fellowship Church in Miami, a non-denominational congregation that was founded in 1917. 

Over the years, the Rubios have worshipped at both Christ Fellowship as well as attending Catholic Mass. The Secretary of State said he’s been intentional about focusing on the centrality of Jesus Christ – a commitment illustrated in the video he released this past weekend.

The just over one-minute video features audio from a previously recorded message delivered from the Secretary of State to what seems to be a Christian audience. We see the earth from outer space followed by stunning images of the cosmos, then a crown of thorns and a cross. 

Secretary Rubio begins, “We were all created, every single one of us, before the beginning of time, by the hands of the God of the Universe, an all-powerful God, who loved us and created us for the purpose of living with Him in eternity.” He then adds,“But then sin entered the world and separated us from our Creator. And so God took on the form of a man, and came down and lived among us.”

Secretary Rubio then proceeded to present the Passion of Christ.

“He suffered like man, and He died like a man. But on the third day, He rose unlike any mortal man. And to prove any doubters wrong, He ate with His disciples so they could see. They touched His wounds. He didn’t rise as a ghost or as a spirit, but as flesh.

“And because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him. And when He returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will all be together, and we are going to have a great reunion there again.”

You then see three words on the screen: HE IS RISEN