The StoneZONE - Roger Stone - Saul Anuzis | 07-28-25 Aired: 2025-07-29 Duration: 18:29 === Bittar's Security Clearance Controversy (03:19) === [00:00:00] Listen to this podcast now on the Red Apple Podcast Network, The Leadership Thread with Dr. Peggy Polonis. [00:00:07] I'm Dr. Peggy Polonis. [00:00:08] Join me on each episode where I unravel the story that shaped leaders, tracing the thread that led them where they are today. [00:00:14] Because leadership isn't born in adulthood. [00:00:17] And thank you once again for joining us on the leadership thread, education, ethics, and sustainability. [00:00:23] Download all of Red Apple Media's podcasts right now through your favorite podcast platform. [00:00:39] This is the Stone Zone with Roger Stone. [00:00:43] They went after a guy named Roger Stone who's sitting in the office. [00:00:47] And I'll say this, Santor Roger. [00:00:48] He's no baby. [00:00:49] And right now, he's cleaner than anybody in this place. [00:00:53] Now they treated him very unfairly. [00:00:56] Now, get him a zone. [00:00:57] It's the Stone Zone. [00:00:59] Here's Roger Stone. [00:01:03] Welcome back. [00:01:04] You are in the Stone Zone. [00:01:05] Investigative journalist Laura Loomer has revealed that Mar Bittar, a pro-Palestinian, pro-jihadi operative who was deeply involved in the Russian collusion hoax, has retained his security clearance in the Trump administration despite his long history of subversive behavior. [00:01:24] Documents declassified last week by Director of National Intelligence Chelsea Gabber show that Bittar participated in the National Security Council meeting where Russia Gates hoax was actually devised. [00:01:36] Bittar left the Obama administration to go work for shifty Adam Schiff, the greatest huckster, con man, and fraudster to ever grace the U.S. Congress, now providing legal counsel also for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he helped foment efforts to impeach Donald Trump. [00:01:56] It's incredible that Bittar continues to retain his security clearance even as President Trump has come back into power. [00:02:02] Now Bittar is working for Senator Adam Schiff as his chief counsel and national security advisor. [00:02:08] So he's Schiff's man on the inside. [00:02:11] This is not acceptable. [00:02:14] This radical should have no access whatsoever. [00:02:17] It is time to drain the swamp by removing Bittar's security clearance and then perhaps looking seriously into deporting him. [00:02:26] All right, joining me now is an old friend, Saul Anoussis, who is the president of 60 Plus, which is the premier American Association of Senior Citizens, founded by the great Jim Martin. [00:02:41] Jim Martin, a legend in conservative and Republican circles, one of the pioneers of the early modes of communications that built the conservative movement. [00:02:53] My boss at the Public Service Research Council, from whom I miss learned much, Jim Martin, elected the first Republican U.S. Senator from Florida since Reconstruction and the upset victory of Congressman Ed Gurney. [00:03:08] He is one of the greatest Americans, Jim Martin, of course, that I have ever known, a man who I owe much. [00:03:14] And Sal Anoussis and I go all the way back to Jack Kemp's campaign for president. === Protecting Social Security Benefits (13:51) === [00:03:19] And now Sal Anoussis is involved with 60plus.org, the premier senior citizen organization fighting to protect our Social Security benefits. [00:03:31] Saul, welcome to the Stone Zone. [00:03:34] Great to be with you, Roger. [00:03:35] Thank you. [00:03:36] So in 1960, in a landmark Supreme Court case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have no property rights to their Social Security benefits, and Congress can change or even abolish Social Security benefits at any time. [00:03:52] So in other words, seniors who have paid payroll taxes throughout their entire lives could be left holding the bag when it comes their time for retirement. [00:04:02] This is not just some hypothetical possibility because according to the Social Security trustees, the program is not expected to be able to pay full benefits beginning in 2033. [00:04:14] So the organization that you are president of, 60 Plus, which you can find folks at 60plus.org, has a plan to fight this, also to fight the false claim that Democrats seem to abuse every two or four years that those evil Republicans are planning to cut their Social Security when President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he opposes any curtailment in the Social Security program. [00:04:43] So tell us about what 60 Plus is doing to fight this outrage. [00:04:49] Well, I think you're very important to point out that President Trump has come out very strongly in favor of supporting Social Security, not cutting Social Security for eligible seniors, meaning U.S. citizens, not cutting Medicare and Medicaid for eligible people, which is again U.S. citizens. [00:05:07] And so the 60 Plus Association has been working with members of the House and the Senate and the White House as well to not only protect but preserve and strengthen Social Security by, one, introducing the Social Security Guarantee Act, which is basically designed to guarantee that every person who paid into Social Security would be guaranteed their payments that they have already paid into this fund that unfortunately the swamp has been using as a slush fund instead of a trust fund. [00:05:37] So, you know, luckily we've got President Trump who has made very strong statements, has told both the Senate Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson that he will not tolerate any cuts to Social Security. [00:05:50] And so we're working together to make sure that we actually codify that into law and pass the Social Security Guarantee Act, which will guarantee that every senior who pays into Social Security and all of us who have already penned into Social Security would not lose our benefits if those in Washington, [00:06:06] particularly the big spending Democrats, get away with, you know, funding every social program, every DEI program they can come up with that literally costs Americans' children and grandchildren a liability that they will not be able to pay off for decades to come. [00:06:23] Two important historical footnotes. [00:06:25] Until 1967, the Social Security Trust Fund was off limits, could not be used for any purpose other than paying Social Security benefits to those who paid into it. [00:06:35] But then under Lyndon Baines Johnson, it became legal for the Congress to raid the Social Security Trust Fund and raid it they have. [00:06:44] Then in 1971, President Richard Nixon signed a law that adjusted Social Security payments based on the cost of living or COLAs. [00:06:55] Joe Biden tried to take credit for that during the last presidential election, but in fact, the fact that Social Security payments are calibrated to increase with the cost of living, that was done by a Republican president, Richard Milhouse Nixon. [00:07:10] This is an important fight with $37 trillion in national debt. [00:07:16] The pressure to cut Social Security is constantly increasing. [00:07:20] So the Social Security Guarantee Act, which the folks over at 60 Plus are working very hard to codify into law, would protect Social Security from future cuts. [00:07:33] It's important to note that the bill that Saul was telling us about, the Social Security Guarantee Act, specifically excludes illegal immigrants from the guarantee. [00:07:44] So this law would make sure American seniors get their Social Security so they could eat, buy medicine, and enjoy their retirement. [00:07:53] The bill also gives a legal guarantee of social benefits in the face of this mounting national debt and program facing bankruptcy. [00:08:02] Sa, you and I both know that due to the outrageous federal spending that we have experienced under, sadly, both Republicans and Democrats, that we're running a multi-trillion dollar debt. [00:08:16] I'm curious to know your opinion of the efforts of Elon Musk and Doge to identify not millions, not billions, but literally trillions of dollars in waste, fraud, and corruption in public spending. [00:08:30] Rural Americans deserve access to the best of what our nation has to offer, especially health care. [00:08:36] Across every state and every community, America's rural hospitals are the first line of defense, protecting our families, neighbors, and loved ones. [00:08:45] No matter where you live, hospital care doesn't clock out. [00:08:48] They're there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. [00:08:54] Each year, America's over 5,000 hospitals care for millions of patients, providing 24-7 emergency care, delivering babies, cancer treatments, and other life-saving care that patients rely on. [00:09:06] Behind every one of those patients are doctors, nurses, and caregivers working tirelessly to keep people healthy and safe. [00:09:15] Hospitals are our community's lifelines. [00:09:17] They employ our neighbors and keep our families healthy. [00:09:20] But now, some in Congress are threatening access to care. [00:09:23] Tell Congress, protect patient care to keep America strong. [00:09:27] Don't cut rural health care. [00:09:31] Yeah, and I think that the really key point you're making here is that it's waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending. [00:09:38] We're not talking about cutting programs. [00:09:40] We're not talking about getting rid of actual aid that is out there for those who need it. [00:09:46] I think the biggest difference is Republicans want to help those who can't help themselves rather than trying to develop a political constituency that will vote for them. [00:09:55] And we're seeing that over and over again. [00:09:57] And unfortunately, in a bipartisan manner, many times, where liberal Republicans are joining Democrats in coming up with programs to basically, you know, pay, you know, buy Peter's vote by paying them, you know, and it's a horrible situation we're in. [00:10:12] And so I think that, you know, what Doge is trying to do right now, for instance, in Medicaid Medicare, they have found billions, billions of dollars of fraud, while the program to pay eligible Medicare recipients has gone up by 6%. [00:10:25] So when the Democrats use these scare tactics and say Republicans are cutting Social Security, cutting Medicare, cutting Medicaid, they're just lying. [00:10:33] And they're willing to lie to the American people. [00:10:35] And that's what's scary in this political process. [00:10:38] There are no longer limits to what people are willing to say to get elected. [00:10:42] And I think, you know, for the good of America, it's shows like this. [00:10:46] It's people who are willing to have the honest conversation, look into the facts, get the background, understand the history, and realize that it's been conservative Republicans for a long time who've been fighting this battle to make sure that seniors are protected, that people who built this great country, the greatest generation, is protected. [00:11:06] It's, you know, and our children and grandchildren are going to have a better America to live for. [00:11:10] And in order to do that, we're going to have to make some cuts. [00:11:13] We're going to have to stop paying for everything and anything under the sun. [00:11:17] And when you take a look at potentially 20 to 25 million illegal immigrants who have been brought in for political purposes to increase congressional districts in Democratic states to help liberal Democratic congressmen get elected in swing seat areas, this is such a blatant political move. [00:11:36] And we the taxpayer, we the American taxpayer are paying for this blatant political move by the liberal Democrats. [00:11:42] And I think as the American people find out more and more about this, as President Trump takes these people on with like no apprehension, going right at them straight up and talking about the facts that matter, I think that people in the next election are going to be voting very differently. [00:11:58] And we're not going to see these close elections like we've seen these last time if Americans get out and vote. [00:12:03] What I really like about the Social Security Guarantee Act, which has been introduced in previous Congresses, is that it provides seniors with an ironclad right to their full benefits. [00:12:14] The bill actually requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a benefit guarantee certificate to each person who's entitled to their benefits. [00:12:24] From 1988 to 2010, the old age and survivors part of Social Security ran big surpluses. [00:12:30] More money was collected in payroll taxes each year than was being paid out in benefits. [00:12:35] These surpluses were then used to fund general operations of the federal government. [00:12:39] In effect, the federal government was living high off the hog on the Social Security retirement money of people who had paid into the fund. [00:12:48] In turn, the U.S. Treasury gave Old Age and Survivor Trust Fund special interest non-negotiable bonds. [00:12:55] They are not the same kind of bonds held by banks or foreign governments or the public. [00:13:01] Essentially, they're just IOUs from the government to itself, which are stored in a filing cabinet someplace in West Virginia. [00:13:08] They're not real assets that can be used to pay benefits. [00:13:12] Salvinousis and the folks at 60 Plus, by the way, you can find them by going to 60 Plus. [00:13:18] That's 60PLUS, not the symbol, but the word 60plus.org. [00:13:24] I strongly urge you to join the most vibrant senior citizens protection organization in the United States. [00:13:31] The American Association of Retired Persons is essentially a money-making scam. [00:13:37] They're not really fighting for Social Security recipients the way the folks over at 60 Plus Association are. [00:13:45] I strongly urge you to go to 60plus.org, read about this vital piece of legislation and how you can join the fight to ensure that when it's time for your retirement, that the money will actually be there and that you will get paid. [00:14:02] And if you're already receiving benefits, you should know that despite what the Democrats tried to say in the big, beautiful bill, which included the biggest tax cut in American history, its continuation this coming January, under that bill, 88% of Americans currently receiving Social Security benefits will pay no tax on it. [00:14:28] So the scare tactics of the Democrats, who said repeatedly that that bill would cut Social Security, that was a lie. [00:14:35] They also said it would cut Medicare, and they're right. [00:14:38] It does cut Medicare. [00:14:39] It cuts Medicare payments to illegal immigrants who are not legally entitled to such payments. [00:14:45] There is no greater organization out there fighting to protect your Social Security than 60 Plus. [00:14:52] So I have to ask you, I really do, what is it like to work with the great Jim Martin? [00:14:57] Because in my younger days, I learned more about politics and how to communicate with conservatives from Jim Martin and perhaps anyone other than the great Richard Vigory. [00:15:10] Well, you know, and Richard and Jim were very good friends, are still very good friends, and truly, too, one of the leaders in the conservative movement. [00:15:17] Look, it's been a great honor for me. [00:15:19] You know, as you know, I was the Michigan Party chairman, spent my entire life in the state of Michigan, and you always heard about Jim Martin. [00:15:27] You know, this is a guy who literally came up with the, when he started fighting the inheritance tax, he started using the words the death tax, and it really resonated. [00:15:35] And the press and others picked up the fact that the inheritance tax is a death tax after you've already been taxed before. [00:15:42] This is a guy who's very creative, who's very bright, who's a tireless worker, who just recently turned 89 years old. [00:15:50] And is still out there every single day making phone calls, meeting with members of Congress, going to meetings and fighting the fight. [00:15:58] And, you know, it's an inspiration. [00:16:00] And I think as you mentioned, you know, the impact he had on your life, he's had a similar impact on mine and many others. [00:16:07] You know, they did a nice birthday greeting for him a couple years back. [00:16:11] And even George W. Bush wrote it, called in and actually sent a video where he mentioned the fact that Jim Martin gave him his first job as a driver for the Gurney campaign that you discussed. [00:16:23] So Jim's had an impact on presidential candidates all the way since Eisenhower. [00:16:28] He's met virtually every congressman and senator for years and has been pushing for lower taxes, less spending, conservative principles, and using the 60 Plus Association to bring seniors together so they do have an alternative to ARP, which has become a liberal tool for the Democrats and liberal public policies to say, let's stand up for values that matter to us that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren. [00:16:52] And this is going to be Jim Martin's legacy. [00:16:54] He's built a conservative movement that has spanned decades and will last for decades to come. [00:17:01] All right, we have to leave it there. [00:17:02] I want to thank our guest, Sal Anousis. [00:17:04] And one more time, I urge you to go to 60plus.org, 60plus.org, and check it out. === Thanks Sal, Check Fight (01:18) === [00:17:10] This is a fight you need to be in to protect our Social Security benefits. [00:17:15] Sal, thanks for joining us today in the Stone Zone. [00:17:18] Great to be with you, and thanks for all you do. [00:17:21] This is the Stone Zone with Roger Stone. [00:17:25] The Stone Zone. [00:17:27] Rural Americans deserve access to the best of what our nation has to offer, especially health care. [00:17:38] Across every state and every community, America's rural hospitals are the first line of defense, protecting our families, neighbors, and loved ones. [00:17:47] No matter where you live, hospital care doesn't clock out. [00:17:50] They're there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. [00:17:55] Each year, America's over 5,000 hospitals care for millions of patients, providing 24-7 emergency care, delivering babies, cancer treatments, and other life-saving care that patients rely on. [00:18:08] Behind every one of those patients are doctors, nurses, and caregivers working tirelessly to keep people healthy and safe. [00:18:16] Hospitals are our community's lifelines. [00:18:18] They employ our neighbors and keep our families healthy. [00:18:21] But now, some in Congress are threatening access to care. [00:18:25] Tell Congress, protect patient care to keep America strong.