The Rob Maness Show

When our veterans come home and hang up the uniform, they shouldn’t have to fight another battle just to get their prescriptions filled. They’ve already sacrificed for this country. They’ve earned the right to reliable, affordable access to their medications. That’s why I’ concerned about some of the well-intentioned but misguided efforts we’re seeing in state capitols like Little Rock and Baton Rouge, and even in Washington, D.C.In Arkansas, lawmakers passed a bill banning pharmacy benefit managers—PBMs—from owning or operating pharmacies. In Louisiana, a similar bill nearly made it across the finish line, and the Governor has talked about reviving it in a special session. And now in Washington, Senator Josh Hawley has teamed up with Elizabeth Warren to push a national version. The goal behind all of this is understandable: help local pharmacies and lower drug costs. But the reality is that these kinds of sweeping bans risk backfiring—creating new problems while solving very few.PBMs are often invisible in our healthcare system, but they’re important. They negotiate directly with drugmakers to get better prices, manage formularies so that insurance plans stay affordable, and run services like mail-order and specialty pharmacies. For veterans, those mail-order services aren’t just a convenience—they’re a lifeline. If you’re living in rural Louisiana, Arkansas, or Missouri, and the closest pharmacy is hours away, home delivery through TRICARE can be the difference between staying on your medications or going without.As a veteran, I know what TRICARE means for military families. TRICARE’s pharmacy program, run through Express Scripts, makes sure prescriptions show up at the door for millions of service members, retirees, and their families. If Louisiana were to ban PBM-owned pharmacies, Express Scripts could lose its license to operate in the state. That would dismantle a critical piece of TRICARE’s delivery system, leaving veterans scrambling to figure out how to get the medications they need. That’s an unintended consequence we can’t afford.We’ve already seen how this can play out. In Arkansas, passage of their law triggered plans for CVS to close 23 locations, affecting more than 340,000 patients and eliminating over 500 jobs. A federal judge stepped in and put the law on hold, warning that it could be unconstitutional and that it risked irreparable harm to patients—especially TRICARE beneficiaries and seniors.Louisiana came close to making the same mistake earlier this year. The House passed its version, but the Senate wisely held back. Had it gone through, more than 100 pharmacies could have shut down, disrupting care for over a million people—including tens of thousands of veterans. That’s not speculation, that’s the math.What we’re talking about here wouldn’t just have statewide implications, but national ones as well. Once one or two states adopt a policy like this, others would likely follow. We risk a patchwork of laws that unravel the systems veterans rely on. And if the Hawley-Warren federal bill passes, that unraveling wouldn’t just be regional—it would be nationwide. Suddenly, the TRICARE system that military families have trusted for decades would be disrupted coast to coast. Again, well-intentioned—but with consequences that fall squarely on veterans.In many ways, this bill runs directly against conservative principles by inviting government to step in where it doesn’t belong. When politicians ban an entire business model, they’re saying government—not consumers—should decide which companies are allowed to operate. That kind of heavy-handed, top-down policymaking is almost always guaranteed to create more problems than it solves.Conservatives have long held that the free market—not government—should pick winners and losers. Yet that’s exactly what these proposals do. They put the government’s thumb on the scale against one part of the health care system while ignoring the real drivers of high drug costs. And in Louisiana, already one of the most heavily regulated states in the nation with more than 1.3 million restrictions on the books, the last thing that is needed is more red tape driving out businesses, jobs, and patient choice.At its core, this is government trying to rearrange the marketplace by decree. And the unintended consequence is that veterans and rural families lose access to the very services they depend on most.Our veterans answered the call of duty. The least we can do is ensure they have steady, affordable access to the care they’ve earned. Copying Arkansas’s mistakes or embracing new mandates from Washington isn’t reform—it’s a risk. It threatens to dismantle systems that currently work for millions of families, drive up costs, and leave veterans facing uncertainty.Lawmakers in Louisiana and other states considering similar legislation should hit pause before heading further down this path. And leaders across the country should take note: if we truly want to honor those who served, we should be working toward more access, more choice, and more competition—not less.Because when it comes to veterans, distance shouldn’t decide who gets care. Bureaucrats shouldn’t be the reason a veteran goes without medication. And no regulation should stand between the men and women who wore the uniform and the prescriptions that keep them healthy.That’s the responsibility we have. And that’s the conversation we need to be having—not just in Louisiana, but nationwide. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

Here in Mississippi education freedom or school choice is a high priority for our State House of Representatives Speaker this coming year, and for a lot of conservatives like me who have been advocating for it. The idea is to take our successes we’ve achieved in recent years and make things even better by making sure kids aren’t trapped in failing schools. The challenges are complex and a lot of work has to be done to do the right thing on these policies because the focus has to be on the kids and different areas of the state may need different solutions that fit the circumstances of families and communities. We must ensure we don’t place one-size fits all policies across the entire state and that there is proper oversight over the use of public dollars when it comes to charter and private schools. We’ll find the best answers by encouraging public debate and talking things out. That is why I’ve invited today’s guest on to discuss the issue. He and I are most often on the same side of public policy issues, but I’ve discovered there are some conservatives, including him, that are opposed to school choice as it is developing in our state so its important we publicize their views as this policy effort really starts rolling and address the concerns. My guest today is well-known radio talk show host Clay Edwards in Jackson Mississippi. He hosts the Clay Edwards show on 103.9 WYAB in Jackson Mississippi, also known as Mississippi’s Most Incendiary Talk Radio Show & Podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

You heard correctly folks, the Portland police gives control of traffic on the streets around the ICE facility to Antifa, a declared domestic terrorism organization on a routine basis. Residents who live in the neighborhoods around the area are too terrified of retaliation to complain and when they try to drive to and from their homes on their own streets, police threaten them with arrest. This is routine here in an American city now. Police are even arresting independent journalists for trying to cover the story, even in light of clear evidence they’ve done nothing but try to do their jobs. Independent journalist Nick Sortor was even arrested for acting in self-defense when he was assaulted by antifa terrorists on camera. My guest today is Chad Cation who went to Portland and witnessed much of what you’re seeing firsthand. He and I will discuss his operational field work in Portland this week organizing with patriots to oppose these Antifa operations. Chad is former US Navy Seabee, retired firefighter and first responder, Trump Campaign veterans’ coalition surrogate, GOP political activist and National Field Director of The Conservative Caucus. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

If we do not, our country will become ungovernable as people are treated differently under the law based on their political and religious beliefs. That is the road to destruction that we the people have within our power to prevent. My guest today helps us every day to understand what it takes. Pastor David Scarlett is the founder of His Glory, a global ministry reaching over 25 million viewers. A former U.S. Marine, David served abroad with honor before building a successful career in business, holding leadership roles at AT&T, Verizon, Office Max, and as Global Director of Wireless Sales at Micro Vision. A descendant of the tribe of Judah, David’s path took a dramatic turn after a near-death experience in which he encountered Heaven and The Most High God — a moment that transformed his life and led to the founding of His Glory. Today, David is dedicated to sharing the message of love, redemption, and biblical truth worldwide. His Glory supports the lost, the elderly, and the poor, while equipping people with spiritual insight and encouragement to stand for truth, freedom, and justice from a Biblical perspective. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

The usual suspects like the Washington Post continue to publish anonymously sourced articles about everything Trump administration but they especially like to hit the Department of War, with its large budget and vast bureaucracy, Secretary Pete Hegseth has generated a lot of concerns since taking office and implementing the President’s new America First National Defense Strategy. These last few days being no different. The Post is reporting “Military leaders have raised serious concerns about the Trump administration’s forthcoming defense strategy, exposing a divide between the Pentagon’s political and uniformed leadership as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summons top brass to a highly unusual summit in Virginia on Tuesday, according to eight current and former officials. The critiques from multiple top officers, including Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, come as Hegseth reorders U.S. military priorities — centering the Pentagon on perceived threats to the homeland, narrowing U.S. competition with China, and downplaying America’s role in Europe and Africa.” My guest today is Dan Caldwell, and he knows more than most how all this works. Dan is a US Marine Corps Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, the former Executive Director of Concerned Veterans for America, a former U.S. House staffer, and former Senior Advisor to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

As an autism Dad, I am very grateful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for taking bold action to address the autism crisis in this country. I don’t know for sure what has caused the astronomical increase in autism in our children, especially our boys like my youngest son, but I do know, the scientific and medical capabilities of the government that my tax dollars pay for were not addressing the challenge in any meaningful way until this administration took office. As I’ve analyzed what I heard in the Tylenol press conference, my concerns were confirmed. We have known about the Tylenol concerns on fetal development, but parents have never been fully informed of the risks. That is inexcusable and we, our community, has a responsibility to maintain our skepticism and push for total informed consent in every case. A top leader in our community of autism parents is my guest today to help us work through the issues. Tracy Slepcevic is a bestselling author of Warrior Mom: A Mother’s Journey In Healing Her Son with Autism, President & Founder of Autism Health, and the Autism Health Summit, Certified Integrative Health Practitioner, a US Air Force Veteran, the Founder of Pur Health, LLC, and an autism Mom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

October 7, 2023, unleashed a new war in the Middle East, a place where nothing ever seems to be solved, or resolved. President Trump’s peace proposal is more than just Gaza, but designed to achieve peace with Israel among all its neighbors in the Middle East but can it work? Hard questions have to be answered to achieve success. Questions like the new movie from Dinesh D’Souza the Dragon Prophecy asks: Whose land is it really? Who is good and who is evil? How can good prevail over evil without becoming evil itself? Could the fate of the world, of humanity itself, be tied to this conflict? And how does America fit into the picture? Based on Jonathan Cahn’s #1 international bestseller, The Dragon’s Prophecy, this film provides a secret key to unlock the problem and the solution. Cahn reveals that October 7 and today’s conflicts in the Middle East are an eerie revival of ancient battles described in the early books of the Bible, suggesting that we may be living in the end times of humanity itself. DINESH D’SOUZA will be with us to discuss the film in the next segment. He has had a prominent career as a writer, scholar, public intellectual, and filmmaker. Born in India, D’Souza came to the U.S. as an exchange student at the age of seventeen and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College. The author of many bestselling books including America, The Big Lie, Death of a Nation, and United States of Socialism, he is also the creator of three of the top ten highest-grossing political documentaries ever made. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

Thank God we still have enough free speech in this country that Laura can speak these truths and they worth repeating over and over because we’ve been warning America for years about Marxist infiltration of America and our military but obviously not enough has been done to eradicate it. Heed these words from Laura “It’s not just “fringe” Antifa freaks who are carrying out acts of political violence. Everyday people you trust, including teachers, 911 dispatchers, doctors, nurses, even military members and federal employees are posting that Charlie Kirk “deserved to die.” When professionals and educators in positions of authority feel bold enough to cheer on an assassination in the open on social media, it shows how deeply our institutions have been poisoned by Leftist extremism. The Democrats don’t just disagree with us. They want us dead. Don’t be mistaken. There is no “fringe left”. Assassination culture is a mainstream value that is celebrated by the Democrat Party platform.” We’re talking with my friend retired soldier Dr Chase Spears about the effort to identify Marxist military members today. Dr. Spears is a combat veteran who served as a U.S. Army public affairs officer for 20 years, retiring from Fort Leavenworth on October 1, 2023. He turned down promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and chose to depart military service as a Major (Promotable) believing that he can serve the nation’s defense more effectively in a civilian capacity. He has done just that. He is widely published in national publications and hosts the phenomenal podcast Finding Your Spine! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

Yes, they will. In fact, they are. My friend Adam Smith that you just saw in the cold open is challenging a career politician Republican in western North Carolina. Not because it is personal, but because it his duty to step up and try to end the iron grip on power the entrenched politicians are desperate to maintain. We’ve lost two key leaders this last month that leave large gaps in our effort to accomplish this mission, but Americans like Adam and you are stepping up. In fact you have been since before we lost Charlie Kirk and Boone Cutler. Their leadership was generating the momentum that frightens those who want to hold on to power, that we will wrest from their grip and return it to ourselves, the people, as it is intended to be. Leaders young and old are rising to this challenge and we will examine all this in the context of the current situation today. My guest Chad Cation and I will discuss the challenges America faces in this crucial period. Chad is former US Navy Seabee, retired firefighter and first responder, Trump Campaign veterans’ coalition surrogate, GOP political activist and National Field Director of The Conservative Caucus. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

The story of Raven 23 is the “shocking story of how the U.S. government framed four decorated veterans working as Blackwater military contractors in Iraq with phony war crimes to placate foreign autocrats. In Raven 23, journalist Gina Keating reveals how four American citizens working as personal security contractors for U.S. diplomats in the world’s most dangerous city were convicted of war crimes in a federal trial that made international headlines -- and was plagued with prosecutor and judicial misconduct. The men spent six years in federal prison while Keating, the men’s families, and a dedicated and growing group of supporters -- including U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth -- petitioned President Donald J. Trump for their release and obtained four full and unconditional pardons in 2020.” Paul Slough is a decorated combat soldier with deployments in Bosnia and Iraq before becoming a contractor for Blackwater. He was one of four Blackwater guards charged in the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians. Paul was pardoned by President Trump and is currently a District Director for Texas House State Representative Jared Patterson, Co-Founder of Three Ravens Business Strategies and a Veteran Advocate. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

The Light of Free Speech Illuminates the Dark Side of Man And when we see the dark side of human nature in that light, should we take action to prevent the consequences that can and do happen? America’s friend Charlie Kirk, the strongest free speech advocate I’ve known my entire life, was gunned down publicly for practicing it. But now, we hear calls to curtail the very action he took every day of his teenage and adult life out of fear that more violence will happen! Our great people have approached the right of free speech with courage since before we were founded, whys should we stop now? We will tackle these ideas in this episode. My guest today is John Thaler. John is a highly respected and experienced attorney that specializes in investigating the types of corruption crimes we see in Arizona and is the victim of a child trafficking scheme himself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

Did you notice those calls for violence by leftist elected officials go back over a decade? When the people you believe are telling you the truth call for you to commit violence on your fellow citizens repeatedly, don’t you tend to want to do what they say? That is the core of what is wrong right now inside of America, but it is worse than you think it is. While these people have been in power, they’ve let our country be infiltrated by comments Chinese, Islamist Nazis, drug cartel gangs, and created a home-grown red green woke alliance to get assistance from them to commit heinous acts of terrorism like what just happened to Charlie Kirk. My guest today to dig into all this is Brian Stahl who is running for Congress in Texas 6th District. Brian is a Christian, husband, father, law enforcement officer, and lifelong public servant. For over 20 years, he has proudly worn the badge to protect and serve our community—and now he is ready to take that service to the next level. Brian serves as a Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Covington and a Task Force Officer with the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

Our nation is in a crisis. The assassination of Charlie Kirk put a bright spotlight on the fact our most basic rights and values like freedom of speech and religion are under vicious and violent attack all across our nation. There is no more basic American value under more active threat of destruction than our right to free and fair elections. Since the theft of the 2020 elections, we have seen our politicians fail to address the known integrity and security issues over and over. So, Americans who understand the challenge and have served before are stepping into the breach. My guest today is Bryan Norris—a retired Army First Sergeant, husband, and father of three daughters. For 21 years, he served in the U.S. Army, deploying to combat zones and leading elite components of preeminent American military units such as the 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne, and III Armored Corps. His mission is simple but unwavering: serve God first, others always, and defend the values that built this nation. And now he is running for Arkansas Secretary of State. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

I met Charlie not long after he started Turning Point USA during my 2013-14 US Senate campaign, and I have supported his efforts ever since. His shining example is one of the inspirations for my new book to be released this fall. Charlie was executed because he led with his Christian faith courageously and was highly effective at persuading those who opposed his ideas with free speech and respect, especially among his peers. He never shied away from a debate, nor did he prevent those with opposing views from speaking. Charlie’s mission will continue because as my wife said the day after he died, “we are all Charlie now, they have no idea how this heinous act has created millions more like him.” I pray every day for the wisdom to be a Christian Husband, Father, and son like the beautiful example Charlie set. We all must be resolved to win this war we find ourselves in with words and ideas against a violent enemy. Charlie proved it can be done and was winning a debate on a college campus when he died, just the way he began and loved to do. We will win. My guest today to help lead us in remembering Charlie is my friend Pastor Dan Carr. Dan is a great patriot from right here in our town of Gulfport Mississippi. He is another shining example of a Christian Husband, father and brother. He hosts the Freedom Frontline Show. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe

I wanted to honor Charlie Kirk with today’s show, but we will do that tomorrow because we need to discuss this reality today. Just last Monday this show again sounded the warning of the Marxism-Islamism axis gaining a foothold on the ground here in America. Our friend and great American Charlie Kirk was brutally executed in public on video two days later in Utah by a man that inscribed ANTIFA slogans on his bullets and lives with/dates a man that thinks he’s a woman. In the ensuing days we have seen a CNN senior national security analyst: We don't know the meaning of the Charlie Kirk assassin's message after hearing the 'Bella Ciao' anti-fascist song title inscribed on a bullet and being told one casing says 'fascist, catch this.' Independent journalist Andy Ngo said yesterday “It's hard for me to overstate the significance of the Charlie Kirk assassin suspect allegedly putting the lyrics of "Bella Ciao" on a rifle cartridge. That is probably the most important rallying song to Antifa militants for decades. The 2019 Tacoma Antifa gunman cited it in his manifesto before carrying out a deadly shooting and explosives attack at an ICE facility.” We can no longer deny this war like the left is attempting to do, it is time to disrupt it before it is too late, and we find ourselves in all out combat right here at home. My guest today to discuss all this is Veteran TV News Producer, Host of The Analyst Substack, Former Diplomat, and brand-new Host of Real America’s Voices American Sunrise Early Edition Jake Novak! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit colrobmanessret.substack.com/subscribe