The following is a lightly edited transcript of the Marc Cox Morning Show, 97.1 FM Talk – one of several Fox News Radio interviews of Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition President John Pudner across the country on February 20 from 6 am to 10 am Central. You can click for the audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLByvYR2KaY
Marc Cox: We have John Pudner on the phone with us this morning. John, welcome back! How are you?
John Pudner: Thanks for having me on. I’m doing well.
Marc Cox: Let’s take a look at the reconciliation package they’re working on, where Republicans don’t really need Democrat votes to get this passed. What can they realistically accomplish here? What are you seeing?
John Pudner: The first thing is reversing the trend. Certainly, they’ll address some issues that may actually be essential. But the idea the legacy media is putting out that Elon Musk is charging massive waste “without proof” is outrageous. Who doesn’t believe there is massive waste? It’s common sense. Five of the country’s wealthiest seven counties surround Washington, DC. This is federal government growth at the expense of everyone else. Setting the tone and having someone capable of rooting out that waste is key to reversing the trend of runaway spending.
Marc Cox: I said earlier, it’s pretty clear why the establishment fought so hard to prevent him from being elected in the first place, tried to get him kicked out of office, and then worked to stop his re-election. He’s impacting systems they’ve built over the years to support the Deep State, and he’s taking an ax to it.
John Pudner: Absolutely. Anyone who’s looked at huge budgets knows how people work things into them. Whether it’s overseas aid or other questionable spending, when you’re getting close to finding their money, they scream. It’s about the system, which they’ve tried to stop from changing. But he’s serious this time. Now, we’re debating whether to return money in tax refunds or use it to pay down the deficit. Either option is a win. It means we’re not continuing down the path of overspending on pet projects.
Kim St. Onge: I wanted to ask you about the idea of sending out $5,000 checks to people with all this money the government saved. Is that the right move? Should we put that money towards paying down debt instead?
John Pudner: There’s a good argument for both. I tend to lean towards paying down the debt, but I’m glad we’re having this discussion. Some would prefer the checks, as we saw in the Bush administration after the 2000 election when every American got a check after we saw a surplus from the internet economy. That was certainly a popular option. But at some point, we have to show fiscal restraint. Paying down debt is probably the better long-term strategy, but both are reasonable options.
Marc Cox: Here in Missouri, we have the Hancock Amendment, which has limited the ability of Democrats to raise taxes and fees. It’s a law that requires the state to return excess revenue to taxpayers. I like the idea of returning money, but I’m with Kim here—if that money could be better used to downsize government or pay off some of the debt, we have to start somewhere, right?
John Pudner: Right, and the case for paying down the debt is strong. If you infuse too much money into the economy, as Biden did, you risk inflation. So, while a check looks good, it could actually fuel inflation. Paying down the debt might stretch your dollar further in the long run. It’s a tough balance, but both are solid choices.
Marc Cox: Do you think Donald Trump has shocked the left to the point of disarray? They’ve gone to court trying to stop him. These Attorneys General have lost several decisions recently about his authority, but at the end of the day, if Congress doesn’t step in, none of that change will be permanent, right?
John Pudner: That’s right. The trend of governing by executive orders has been growing for years. Congress just hasn’t been functioning properly—continuing resolutions and the like. But politically, it’s interesting. A recent Gallup poll showed Republicans are viewed 14 points more favorable than Democrats. It’s the best Republican edge ever, except for three days right after George W. Bush was re-elected. This shows how disillusioned people are with the Democrats. Trump’s stance on various issues resonates with people, even if it means some tough decisions that affect them personally. But overall, people want action, even if it means making compromises.
Marc Cox: You’re running the (Wisconsin) Faith and Freedom Coalition now. Tell us about that effort. The goal was to get people of faith to the ballot box. How did your efforts go in 2024?
John Pudner: It was fantastic. We had great turnout, and I’ve been working on these efforts since the 2000 Bush election with Ralph Reed, who’s the National Chair. Wisconsin was a real battleground, and we were able to get conservative faith-based voters to the polls. We also saw a historic turnout from Catholic voters, with 59% supporting Trump—by far the most Catholic support for any candidate. Evangelicals were even higher at 80%. The key was getting people out to vote. In 2020, almost half of conservative, faith-based voters didn’t vote. In 2024, we saw that change. Elections are more about turnout than persuasion, and people understood what was at stake.
Marc Cox: Thank you for all the work you’ve done. I didn’t realize how impactful the Catholic vote was, but that’s huge.
Kim St. Onge: I’m encouraged by the work you’re doing and the results you’ve had. But it’s still frustrating as a Christian to see that research showing 32 million church-going Christians plan to sit out the election. What more can we do to get people to care about these elections and see the value in voting?
John Pudner: We don’t put out attack ads—we focus on side-by-side comparisons of candidates on key issues. For churchgoers who do not like negative campaigning, this format helps them see the differences clearly. For example, some may care about issues like women’s sports or Israel. They can see which candidate aligns with their values. Our efforts are about showing people that elections are about action, not just personalities. We are about to release our candidate comparison on the Wisconsin Supreme Court election which is the next big race – to be decided April 1 – and then the attention will turn to other parts of the country this year, like in Virginia and New Jersey, where faith-based voters need to turn out for Gubernatorial races.
Marc Cox: Thank you for your efforts. It’s encouraging to hear that. Where can people find out about your efforts.
John Pudner: If people want to learn more, they can visit Wisconsinffc.com. The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the hot race in the country right now, and we’ll keep regular updates there as well as posting this interview.
Marc Cox: Thanks again, John. We appreciate your time.
