Episode Thirty-Nine: Immigration and the Defense of the American Nation

In this focused discussion, Lee Smith welcomes attorney Erielle Azerrad to examine the intersection of immigration law, national security, and the responsibilities tied to entering the United States. Using the case of Mahmoud Khalil as a focal point, the conversation explores the legal grounds for deportation, the limits of First Amendment protections for non-citizens, and the implications of allowing individuals who support anti-Western or terrorist-aligned ideologies to remain in the country.

Azerrad explains that U.S. immigration law has long recognized the government’s authority to deny entry or remove individuals whose actions pose a threat to national security, while also challenging the growing narrative that frames such cases as free speech disputes. The discussion ultimately turns to broader questions of leadership, visa vetting, and the expectations placed on those seeking to live in the United States, offering a clear reflection on what it means to protect the integrity of the American nation.

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In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith speaks with Professor Gregory Roper about why the ability to argue well is essential to the survival of a constitutional republic. Drawing on classical rhetoric and the ancient Roman concept of stasis theory, Roper explains how rational debate once shaped civic life—and why modern culture has largely abandoned the discipline of logical argument in favor of emotional manipulation and political tribalism. The conversation explores how education, media, and social platforms have contributed to the decline of meaningful debate, and what it will take to restore the art of persuasion that once sustained the American republic.

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Lee Smith discusses with Hillsdale College Professor Paul Rahe the significance of grand strategy and its influence on American foreign policy. Rahe describes grand strategy as seeing the larger picture: understanding what the country needs and coordinating military power, economic policies, diplomacy, and geography to ensure America’s safety and prosperity for many years. Their discussion reflects on the Cold War, when the U.S. had a clear grand strategy, and then shifts focus to current foreign policy. With China rising and the Western Hemisphere gaining importance, Smith and Rahe explore how powerful nations make decisions, defend what they value, and whether the U.S. still possesses the strong sense of purpose needed as the global balance of power grows more competitive.

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Destabilizing America By Design

In Episode Thirty-Six of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith speaks with Kyle Shideler, Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, about the coordinated unrest unfolding in Minneapolis and other American cities.

Shideler outlines the layered structure behind recent protests, including foreign-linked organizing groups, revolutionary agitators, and decentralized anarchist networks using long-developed direct-action tactics. He draws a critical distinction between violence and subversion, explaining how destabilization itself can function as a national security threat.

This episode examines whether the unrest is simply protest or part of a broader strategy designed to erode public confidence and challenge federal authority.

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The Strategy of Deterrence: Preventing War in a Dangerous World

In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, host Lee Smith speaks with General Charles A. Flynn, USA (Ret.), former Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, about the strategic role of deterrence in preventing conflict and maintaining global stability. Drawing on decades of senior military leadership and operational experience across the Indo-Pacific, General Flynn explains deterrence as the ability to win without fighting through credible military strength, operational readiness, and the demonstrated will to act when necessary.

The conversation explores today’s evolving security environment, including China’s emergence as the pacing threat, the importance of allied cooperation, and how military capability combined with strategic uncertainty can discourage aggression before conflict begins. General Flynn offers a clear assessment of how strong partnerships, preparedness, and sustained leadership remain essential to preserving peace in an increasingly dangerous world.

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In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, host April Moss interviews Lee Smith on the escalating tensions with Iran and the broader geopolitical implications for the United States. As military assets move into the Middle East and negotiations unfold, Smith explains why Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose a threat not only to regional stability, but to global energy markets and American national security.

The conversation also examines Iran’s alliance with China and what weakening Tehran could mean for Beijing’s long-term strategy. From the Strait of Hormuz to sleeper cell threats inside the United States, this episode explores how the Iran crisis fits into a larger global chessboard where energy, power, and great power competition collide.

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As America marks the 217th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason examines why Lincoln should be understood as a world historical leader. Host Lee Smith speaks with author Lee Harris about how Lincoln recognized that the Civil War was not only about preserving the Union, but about protecting the future of popular government itself.

At a time when republics were collapsing worldwide, Lincoln defended the principle that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” As Harris notes, Lincoln meant exactly that, not just for America, but for the world.

This episode explores Lincoln’s global significance, the survival of self government, and what leadership looks like in moments of national crisis.

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The Roots of the Republic: Greece, Rome, and the Birth of American Liberty

In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, host Lee Smith speaks with Harvard Professor James Hankins about the civilizational roots of the American constitutional republic in “The Roots of the Republic: Greece, Rome, and the Birth of American Liberty.” Hankins explains that America stands within a tradition stretching back to Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem. From Greece came citizenship, self-rule, and the role of reason and persuasion in public life; from Rome came republican institutions, the rule of law, and the principle that political authority must rest on a higher moral order.

Smith and Hankins explore how the Founding Fathers studied classical history, especially the Roman Republic, as they designed American government, mindful of the dangers that ended earlier republics. The conversation also reflects on how classical traditions shaped American civic culture, from civil discourse to a social ethos of civic equality and why preserving civilization requires teaching younger generations to value the artistic, intellectual, and moral achievements that made liberty possible.

Purchase Professor Hankins' book: