Thanksgiving used to be the day America took a deep breath. Before the Christmas rush, before the end-of-year chaos, far from the noise of politics, we had one day carved out in the calendar to pause and give thanks. It was our national reset button. And if there is anything this country needs in 2025, more than another round of outrage or another podcast argument, it is a reset.
We complain about America more than ever. Some of that is healthy. Debate sharpens ideas. Debate is what the Founders built us for. But there is a difference between debating and despising, between improving and destroying. Somewhere along the way, the loudest voices in our culture stopped sharpening and started tearing down.
Look at the people we rely on for leadership and guidance. So many of them make a living by telling us what is wrong with America. They can recite every failure, every flaw, every imperfection. But ask them to explain what is still good here, what is worth defending, what deserves celebration, and the conversation suddenly dries up. Gratitude has become rare. Optimism has become suspicious. Thankfulness has become countercultural. All the while, hate has become the new business model.
But gratitude is the very thing that built this country.
You do not get rid of darkness by yelling at it. You get rid of darkness by turning on a light. The Pilgrims understood this. They buried half their community the first winter, but their instinct was thanksgiving. They held a feast not because everything was perfect, but because God had carried them through. Hardship did not cancel gratitude. Hardship grew it.
That spirit shaped every American generation that followed. Gratitude kept families together during the Great Depression. Gratitude sent young men to Europe and the Pacific to defeat tyranny. Gratitude hung flags on every porch after 9/11. Our nation has never been perfect, but it has always been grateful. That is why it endured.
And this is why our modern crisis is not simply political. It is spiritual. We have lost the ability to see the good in front of us.
Real conservative leadership builds instead of destroys. Conservatives build families, communities, churches, businesses, movements, and nations. And you cannot build without a foundation. America has the strongest foundation of any nation in history. The most durable constitution. The freest markets. The widest path for upward mobility. The broadest protection of religious liberty. And the revolutionary truth that our rights come from God, not government.
This deserves not just defense but celebration. Thanksgiving is our reminder that gratitude is not naïve. Gratitude is protective. Gratitude gives clarity. Gratitude strengthens the nation that embraces it.
We are eighteen months away from the 250th anniversary of the United States. Very few nations reach this milestone with their founding documents intact. Even fewer do so with the same core ideals. While other nations rewrote themselves or collapsed under their own weight, America remains. But instead of preparing for a national celebration, we have become experts in diagnosing flaws and blind to blessings. Critique has a place. But critique without gratitude becomes entitlement. Critique without perspective becomes narcissism. Critique without light becomes darkness.
Thanksgiving is the antidote. And it is time to remember the things we should be unapologetically thankful for.
America has the strongest military on earth.
America has the most charitable citizens in the world.
America is the number one destination for people seeking freedom.
America leads the planet in medical breakthroughs and cures.
America produces more food and more energy than any nation in history.
America sends more missionaries around the world than all other nations combined.
America is still the safest, freest, most opportunity-rich place to raise a family anywhere on earth.
The good news is that Americans still want gratitude more than gloom. The numbers prove it. Bible sales in the United States are up 11% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
Volunteerism has also rebounded after the pandemic slump. The latest Census Bureau report shows that 28.3% of Americans — about 75.7 million people — volunteered with organizations between September 2022 and September 2023, up from 23.2% in 2021.
Gallup finds that Americans are increasingly embracing larger families, with 45% now saying that three or more children is ideal, the highest number recorded since 1971. Even charitable giving is rising. Giving USA reports total donations grew to $592.5 billion in 2024, an increase of 5.5%.
All of this demonstrates that the country actually wants gratitude and generosity. The evidence is right there. We just have people in the way who profit from telling us the opposite.
This is why Thanksgiving matters now more than ever. It invites us to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with what is real. And maybe this is the reminder America needs most: you cannot break bread on social media. You cannot share a meal in a comment section. You cannot hug your family between Instagram stories. You cannot laugh until your stomach hurts while doomscrolling. Gratitude happens around real tables with real people.
This Thanksgiving, I’m going to break bread. Hug my family. Hold hands during grace. Tell stories. Let my kids stay up late. Laugh until the turkey comes up. Watch football with people I love. Build memories no algorithm can fake.
I encourage others to, for one day, return to the things that built this country, the things worth defending.
America is divided. Politics is exhausting. The culture feels chaotic. But Thanksgiving cuts through all of that. It brings us back to the basics. It reminds us that a nation built by grateful people will only be restored by grateful people.
So, take the day to give thanks, not just for your family or your blessings but for your country. For all our flaws, for all our disagreements, for all our imperfections, America is still the greatest story of human freedom ever written.
And gratitude might be the most patriotic act left in America today.
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Thanksgiving with family

Thanks And Giving: The American Virtues We Forgot

America

family

Politics

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, parents across America have much to be thankful for — their children, their health, and the simple gift of gathering around the table with people they love. We’ll share food, laughter, and stories about how quickly the kids have grown. And yet, many parents will also feel a quiet, unspoken worry about the world their children are growing up in.
Today’s kids face a culture that’s louder and more confusing than ever before. From social media to entertainment, they’re bombarded with messages about identity, relationships, and sex that can leave them adrift. They’re told to “follow your feelings” and “do what feels right.” Commitment is treated like a burden, and pornography is always one click away. It’s no wonder parents worry about how their kids will turn out — or whether they’re equipped to guide them through it all.
But amid the noise, Thanksgiving gives us a moment to pause and remember there’s still so much to be grateful for. Because despite the cultural chaos, research continues to show there is a proven path that works, one that’s as practical as it is hopeful.
It’s called the Success Sequence.
Researchers Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill at the Brookings Institution <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/brookings-scholars-ron-haskins-and-isabel-sawhill-make-history-as-the-first-joint-recipients-of-the-daniel-patrick-moynihan-prize/">uncovered</a> this refreshingly simple roadmap to stability. Finish high school. Get a full-time job. Get married. Then have children, in that order. It may sound old-fashioned, but the results are remarkable. Only about 3 to 4% of young adults who follow this path end up in poverty. What once seemed like common sense has become one of the strongest predictors of lifelong success.
And it’s not just about money. Young people who follow this path will have fewer sexual partners, fewer sexually transmitted infections, and more stable families. I’ve seen this to be true throughout my medical career. Decades of experience tell us that children who grow up with both parents in a committed home are more likely to thrive emotionally and physically.
That’s something to be thankful for, not just as researchers or clinicians, but as parents and grandparents who want to see the next generation flourish.
So this Thanksgiving, as we give thanks for food and family, let’s also give thanks for the wisdom that still lights the way forward. Let’s be grateful for the teachers, mentors, and parents who still model responsibility, hard work, and faithfulness. And let’s be grateful that even in a changing world, some truths don’t change.
The future isn’t fixed. Despite what the headlines say, our kids aren’t doomed by the world around them. The choices we encourage and the examples we set can profoundly shape their lives. The Success Sequence isn’t about restriction, it’s about freedom. It gives young people a sense of direction and the structure they need to build meaningful lives, one decision at a time.
That’s what I’m most thankful for this year, the privilege and responsibility of guiding the next generation. As parents and grandparents, we get to be the competing voice our children need. We get to show them that real joy doesn’t come from instant gratification, but from purpose, discipline, and love.
So yes, be thankful for the turkey and the laughter, but most importantly, be thankful for the family gathered around the table. Look at your children and the generations below you and be thankful for truth that still holds, for children who still turn out right, and for the grace that allows us to keep trying.
The world may change. The challenges may look different. But the truth doesn’t change, and that’s something worth celebrating every Thanksgiving.
* * *
Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD, is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who resides in Plano, Texas.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
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Young man and women picking up plates after having Thanksgiving at home

A Thanksgiving Reminder: Our Kids Still Have A Clear Path Forward

Children

Gen Z

Opinion

Parenting

Teenagers

Many detransitioners who speak out receive death threats. I know, because my son, Simon, is a gender apostate, and people call for his death all the time.
Gender ideologues become terrified when people like Simon prove there is life after trans identification. It turns out delusions can pass; people and families can heal. I knew this, which is why I stood up and spoke out when my son was in the throes of trans identification. When his doctor, right in front of my son, asked me, &#8220;Do you want a living daughter or a dead son?”, I told him it was the most shocking display of malpractice I had ever seen.
In college, my son’s classmates called for his death, yet they were allowed to remain on campus. My son was the one they wouldn&#8217;t allow to speak. He just wanted to tell people he had stopped believing he was trans, but the dean bellowed that he would never be allowed to speak on campus. They tried to get him expelled, his classmates screamed at him in the street, and he received threatening emails.
The gender ideologues want families like ours silenced. I&#8217;ve had a mob of trans activists scream at me, in my face, saying that I was evil and did conversion therapy on my son. I was surprised to feel calm — I knew there was nothing I had ever done in my life that was more right than helping my son find the way out of this delusion.
I loved my son then — as I love my son now — enough to tell him the truth. He was born a boy, he is a man now, and he has been male every day in between. For a while, he was angry I didn&#8217;t see it his way, but now he is thankful I held to the truth.
Puberty is hard for most kids, but it seems especially traumatic for autistic kids. When Simon was young, he would cry when anything changed — even when a restaurant or a gas station closed. When his voice began changing, he bawled abjectly — his own body had betrayed him from the inside.
Likewise, trying to find acceptance among peers is a challenge for all teenagers; try it when you can&#8217;t read nonverbal social cues or interpret your own feelings. As a child, a preteen, or a teenager, my son never knew when somebody was going to bully him. In the case of boys, he was surprised every time he was punched or threatened; in the case of girls, he was surprised to be the target of vicious rumors or a group shunning. He didn&#8217;t know how to handle it, and I couldn&#8217;t teach him. I didn&#8217;t know how to teach social skills to a kid I didn&#8217;t even know was autistic.
All of this contributed to Simon’s trans identification. My son was 14 years old when he called his mother and me into the dining room and played us a song on the piano about how he thought he was a girl inside. It was clear he didn&#8217;t want to be himself at that point. He was experiencing real distress, but he had been taught an escape rather than a solution.
I wanted to get him help for his discomfort, his sadness, his worry. It&#8217;s hard to get mental health support for a kid. Once a kid says he&#8217;s trans, though, it becomes almost impossible. You enter an upside-down world, where they believe parents hate their children, and the child tells the doctor the diagnosis. If you&#8217;re a parent who wants a therapist to help your autistic teen learn about how to perceive social and internal cues, that can all be derailed when he says he&#8217;s trans. They may want to wash their hands of him and send him to the gender center (where all patients are trans as a matter of policy). They may demand you get on board the trans train — or else.
This could be a kid who can&#8217;t tell whether he&#8217;s hungry or he&#8217;s angry. He needs help to distinguish those feelings. But if he says he feels like a woman, a therapist can&#8217;t even ask him what he means by that. Activists have gotten laws passed that can take a therapist&#8217;s license away if he doesn&#8217;t agree kids are trans whenever they say so. And if you, as a parent, aren’t careful, they could even take your kid away from you.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Identity Crisis: Defying the Transgender Lobby to Save His Son" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nk6GxP1jR-E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Trans-identifying boys have cheerleaders everywhere. It&#8217;s not just the therapists, or the girls who will take your boy shopping and buy him women&#8217;s clothes. There are the school groups like GSA, which used to stand for &#8220;Gay-Straight Alliance,&#8221; but now stands for &#8220;Gender and Sexuality Alliance.&#8221; These groups preach the religion of gender. Our kids are taught about gender identities in health class as if they&#8217;re as real as chromosomes or conception. Online, kids can meet people of all ages with sometimes prurient enthusiasm for their gender identification. What&#8217;s one father against all of that?
One father can be a start. I taught my son that lots of people believing an idea doesn&#8217;t make it true, it just makes it popular. Reality is what&#8217;s still there when you stop believing in it. Right now, trans ideology is popular. But sex is real, and it&#8217;s still going to be here when the trans fad passes or your kid overcomes his delusions. If you succeed in holding the line against medicalization, he may be healthy and whole when that happens.
Parents have so many roles. Sometimes you&#8217;re a guide, walking in front of your children and showing them the way. Sometimes you teach, sometimes comfort, sometimes inspire. Sometimes a father is just a lighthouse keeper, maintaining a beacon so they can find their way back.
My son found his way back from his delusion. I don&#8217;t know all the reasons why, but I know he couldn&#8217;t have done it if I had let my light go out.
* * *
Gareth Amaya Price is the father of <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/documentary/how-this-desister-broke-free-from-the-transgender-contagion/">Simon Amaya Price</a>, a desister. Gareth Amaya Price was featured in a <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/documentary/how-this-desister-broke-free-from-the-transgender-contagion/">new two-part documentary</a> produced by <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/">IW Features</a>, Independent Women’s grassroots storytelling and original journalism arm, as part of its “<a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/our-stories/reclaiming-biological-reality-stories/">Identity Crisis: Real Stories About Escaping Gender Ideology”</a> series.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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IW doc

My Son Thought He Was A Girl. He’s Now A Detransitioner.

American Universities

Autism

Boston Children's Hospital

College

Documentaries

Fathers

Gender

gender ideology

Gender Transition

Transgender

Country artist Kelsea Ballerini has struck a chord with “I Sit In Parks,” a song about yearning for motherhood after being told that chasing career success would deliver deep and lasting happiness.
“I Sit in Parks” feels less like a song and more like a mirror held up to an entire generation of women who were told they could have it all if they chased achievement first and dealt with the marriage and family stuff later. It gives voice to the quiet grief of realizing the consequences of that choice.
And while Ballerini hasn’t said the song was autobiographical, that’s how many fans are seeing it.
Her lyrics begin with the image that many women know well but rarely speak about:
“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart, ’cause I see / Just how far I am from the things that I want / Dad brought the picnic, Mom brought the sunscreen / Two kids are laughing and crying on red swings.”
These lyrics aren’t about envy of another woman’s designer clothes or corner office. They speak of a deep, vulnerable ache for motherhood and family life.
“We look about the same age / But we don&#8217;t have the same Saturdays,” the song goes on. “Did I miss it?/ By now, is it/ A lucid dream? Is it my fault/ For chasing things a body clock/ Doesn&#8217;t wait for? I did the damn tour/ It&#8217;s what I wanted, what I got/ I spun around and then I stopped/ And wonder if I missed the mark.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kelsea Ballerini - I Sit In Parks (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ccgd5MT9s4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ballerini’s frank admissions have emboldened women to weigh in on social media.
“Wow. The picture painted by Kelsea Ballerini in this song is tragic. How many hearts has feminism broken with its lies?” one person <a href="https://x.com/biblicalbeauty/status/1986955863370715335?s=43">observed</a>.
“This is grim,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/IndieLauraSDG/status/1987218755211104468">said</a> of the song. “I feel so sad for the girls who got duped into putting off the most important things in life.”
“My gosh, this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read. I’m 45 with a 15 month old, so this almost became my reality. An entire generation of women has been sold a bill of goods under false pretenses,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/Babelfish80/status/1987157480879604153">replied</a>.
“As a single girl in her thirties, I’ve never related to a song more,” a popular comment on the YouTube music video for the song says. 
“I wasn’t prepared for this. As a single girl at 39 this song hits so deep,” another person wrote.
Predictably, there were plenty who shot back, saying they were perfectly content in their choice not to have kids. But the marvel of Ballerini’s song isn’t just the message, but also that it’s coming from a mainstream artist.
It’s telling that at the same time this single started gaining traction, the radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights began circulating an <a href="https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1986939347250143385">old interview</a> with singer Stevie Nicks discussing how her abortion in the 1970s &#8220;allowed her to continue her career at the height of Fleetwood Mac.&#8221;
Nicks described her unexpected pregnancy as a “nightmare scenario” that would have “destroyed” the band. During that interview, she spent no time reflecting on how her life would have unfolded if she hadn’t decided to sacrifice her child on the altar of fame. It’s a much more common outlook that other celebrities have spoken of, while Ballerini’s wistful reflection on what could have been is almost never heard.
“So, I sit in parks, sunglasses dark, and I/ Hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah&#8217;s Ark/ They lay on a blanket, and God d*** it, he loves her/ I wonder if she wants my freedom, like I wanna be a mother/ But Rolling Stones says I&#8217;m on the right road/ So I refill my Lexapro, thinking…” she sings. 
Interestingly, Ballerini was married young and got divorced within five years because her husband, Morgan Evans, wanted to have children right away while she preferred to freeze her eggs and delay becoming a mom, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kelsea-ballerini-claims-her-marriage-ended-when-morgan-evans-wanted-kids-while-she-pursued-egg-freezing-route">reported</a>.
“That was something that we had talked about early on, and that was something that I was changing on,” the singer said during a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. &#8220;Cause he was ready. He was like, ‘I don’t want to be an old dad,’ is what he kept saying. And I was like, ‘I’m not there yet, and I can’t do that to save this and give you something that I’m not ready for.&#8217;”
Ballerini said she “wasn’t ready for kids” and decided to visit a doctor to discuss egg freezing, which she planned to do before turning 30. She didn’t discuss the appointment with Evans until later.
“It was not a good day,” Ballerini said of telling her husband about her plan. “And I think that was when I was like, there’s a fundamental difference here that has happened, that has shifted. And it’s no longer like, I don’t see this person, I miss this person, I’m alone, I’m lonely. It’s like, he wants something out of life … [and] I’m not there.”
The “Half of My Hometown” singer said she filed for divorce not long after that conversation in August 2022. 
There’s a chance Ballerini wrote the song to make money, knowing it would make headlines and she could capitalize on the buzz it would generate. There’s a chance she doesn’t regret her decision to chase a career rather than becoming a mom sooner.
But either way, based on the reactions and comments, there is a group of women who feel duped by the subtle yet relentless messaging to build their careers and identities first and worry about marriage and family later… or never.
In practice, biology never agreed to that timeline. These women were told that motherhood was a detour from fulfillment, not part of it, and that it was equally if not more noble to collect passport stamps. 
They were told motherhood was a cage. That freedom was the goal. Yet in this song, the woman with all the freedom and fame is also the one with a broken heart.

Kelsea Ballerini

The Saddest Song of the Year Exposes The Lie Of Modern Feminism

The Saddest Song of the Year Exposes the Lie of Modern Feminism

Celebrities

Country Music

Entertainment

Feminism

Music

When my first child was born, a baby girl, I received a piece of advice I will never forget: “The boyfriend your daughter brings home one day will look a lot like you.”
At first, I laughed it off. But then he added, “If you’re short-tempered, controlling, or dismissive toward her and her mother, don’t be surprised when that’s who she chooses. But if you’re gentle, strong, respectful, and loving, she’ll expect nothing less.”
That hit hard. Because it’s true. As fathers, we are the first model of masculinity our daughters ever know. We set the standard for how they’ll expect to be treated. We condition them — often without realizing it — to understand what love looks like, what respect feels like, and what kind of man deserves their heart.
Parenting books talk endlessly about rules, boundaries, and screen time. But the most powerful parenting happens in the quiet, unseen moments. The lessons that matter most aren’t the ones we preach, they’re the ones we live.
Our sons learn what it means to be a man by watching how we treat their mothers. Our daughters learn what to expect from men by watching how we treat them. Every “please,” every “thank you,” every small gesture of affection or apology adds up.
When I hold my wife’s hand, open the door for her, or compliment her in front of our kids, it’s not performative, it’s instructive. I’m teaching my sons that strength and tenderness aren’t opposites. I’m also teaching my daughter that she’s worthy of kindness, and respect, and that love is something that builds up and does not tear down.
That’s the heart of true masculinity, something our culture seems desperate to erase. Masculinity today is mocked, diluted, and too often confused with aggression or arrogance. But real masculinity isn’t about dominance — it’s about discipline, leadership, and sacrifice. It’s about taking responsibility even when it’s inconvenient. It’s about doing the hard thing when it would be easier to walk away.
And the first place our kids see that isn’t in a movie or on social media — it’s at home. 
They’re watching us in the small moments: how we react when we’re tired, how we speak to our wives, how we handle stress or disagreement. Whether we know it or not, every day we’re shaping their definition of manhood, womanhood, and marriage.
And it turns out, there’s science to back it. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070613071240.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com">A study</a> by researchers at Durham University and two Polish institutions found that women who had very positive childhood relationships with their fathers were more likely to choose partners whose faces resembled their fathers’ facial features. The researchers discovered this correlation only when the father-daughter relationship was rated high in positivity; when the relationship was weak or strained, the effect disappeared.
A 2009 study by <a href="https://www.familyscienceassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2009-14-2-Paternal-influences-on-daughters-heterosexual-relationship-socialization_Scott-Hall-Final.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Hall and Scott</a>, “Paternal Influences on Daughters’ Heterosexual Relationship Socialization” also found that a father’s presence — or absence — shapes his daughter’s attitudes toward intimacy and commitment. The way a dad engages his daughter in conversation, affection, and conflict resolution leaves a lasting imprint on how she approaches romantic relationships as an adult.
In short, the data backs up what fathers have known instinctively for generations: how we treat our daughters, and how we treat their mothers, echoes into their future relationships. Our behavior becomes their blueprint.
That’s why the health of your marriage is an essential part of your parenting. Kids don’t just need parents who are present — they need parents who are present to each other. They need to see affection, laughter, prayer, teamwork, and even conflict — and how to resolve it with grace.
When children see Mom and Dad treating one another with respect, they’re learning what partnership looks like. When they see parents who can disagree without demeaning each other, they’re learning how to handle conflict in their own relationships. When they see Mom and Dad share a kiss in the kitchen, flirt a little, or laugh at each other’s jokes, they’re learning that love is something worth celebrating, not hiding.
Our marriage isn’t perfect. None are. My wife and I have had our share of hard conversations, silent car rides, and long nights trying to figure things out. But that’s okay. Kids shouldn’t see a flawless marriage — they should see a faithful one. They should know that love doesn’t mean the absence of struggle; it means the presence of commitment.
When they watch us work through problems without tearing each other down, they learn something sacred: that love isn’t a feeling that fades when it’s tested — it’s a decision that deepens when it’s challenged.
In Ephesians 5:25, the Apostle Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” That’s not a suggestion — it’s a command. It means love costs something. It means choosing humility over pride, patience over irritation, service over selfishness. When a father lives that way, he’s not just leading his family — he’s forming the moral compass of the next generation.
I’ve come to believe one of the greatest gifts a man can give his children is to love their mother well. A daughter who grows up seeing her father treat her mom with affection and respect will never mistake manipulation for love. A son who watches his dad pray with his mom, comfort her when she’s hurting, and apologize when he’s wrong will grow into a man capable of doing the same.
There’s a famous saying I love: “More is caught than taught.” It’s true. The words we say about faith, family, and respect don’t mean much if they aren’t backed up by the way we live.
When my daughter sees me pray with her mother, she learns that faith is the foundation of our home. When she sees me hold the door for her mom, she learns that chivalry isn’t outdated — it’s daily. When she sees me mess up and come back to apologize, she learns that real strength includes humility.
And when she sees me fail — and she will — but sees me keep showing up, keep trying, keep loving, she learns that grace is stronger than perfection.
Someday, she’ll walk into a restaurant with a young man, and without realizing it, she’ll compare him to me. She’ll notice how he talks to the waitress, how he reacts when something goes wrong, how he treats her when she disagrees with him.
That’s when the years of quiet, consistent example will bear fruit. That’s when the invisible lessons will become visible.
So, when I think about being a better parent, I don’t just think about bedtime stories or ball games. I think about marriage. Because our home is a living classroom, and our marriage is the curriculum.
If we want to raise strong, grounded, faith-filled kids, we have to start with ourselves.
The next time your kid asks what love looks like, show them.
* * *
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast We The People. Follow him on IG and X @GatesGarciaFL
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Smiling teenager looking at father while talking outdoors

The Best Advice I Received When I Learned I Was Having A Daughter

Boys

Girls

Marriage

Relationships

You may recognize Leland Vittert from his work as an anchor on NewsNation. What you may not recognize, however, is that Leland got to where he is after being diagnosed with autism.
With renewed scrutiny on the causes of autism, his new book “Born Lucky” is flying off the shelves, landing at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list. It&#8217;s not just a story about how Leland managed to build a successful life with autism, but also about the people who sacrificed to make that possible.
So when we asked about publishing an excerpt from it, Leland suggested the afterword, written by his dad. After reading it, we understand why. But we asked him to explain it to our readers as well.
We hope you enjoy. — The Editors
* * *
When I was diagnosed with what we now know to be autism, my father quit his job and became a full time parent, coach, and friend. It was, as he describes it, my only hope. He felt hopeless and helpless and with good reason. The psychologist who tested me told him there was “generally not” anything parents could do for kids in my situation and it was “difficult to understand” what&#8217;s going on in my head.
My father’s mission to adapt me to the world, rather than the world to me, took him 15 years – to be fair, I am now 43 and he is still working on it.
In my new book, &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=M2Kgd&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631%3Aamzn1.symc.5a16118f-86f0-44cd-8e3e-6c5f82df43d0&amp;pf_rd_p=4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631&amp;pf_rd_r=ZH2H6KCH5RD7206BW8AE&amp;pd_rd_wg=ZzvPM&amp;pd_rd_r=39261712-bad5-42ce-93ea-31acd52c574f&amp;ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d">Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism</a>,&#8221; I tell the story of my father’s journey and how he never told anyone of my diagnosis: not teachers, not therapists, not his friends, and not even me!
<div id="attachment_985495" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985495" class="size-large wp-image-985495" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Leland Vittert" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-14-Oct-2025-08-37-AM-5895-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Leland Vittert</div>
Thanks to my dad (and mom) things have worked out pretty well. We endured the hell that was middle school, where principals told my parents I was “weird” and teachers compared me disfavorably to their dog’s asses. I am now married to a magnificent woman and I’m a national cable television anchor. What dad didn&#8217;t know at the time was that the hell of middle school would be great training for a Washington newsroom.
Dad says he isn&#8217;t a hero. I would argue that point, but he can describe himself however he wants.
At first, he didn&#8217;t want to tell this story because the book would contain my darkest moments. So, we made a deal: I would write the manuscript and at the end, if he didn&#8217;t like it, we wouldn&#8217;t turn it in to HarperCollins. To be honest, I had no plan if he said he did not like it.
But at that moment of decision, I asked him a question: If, when I was originally diagnosed, the psychologist had given him our book “Born Lucky’ (rather than saying there was not much to do), how would he have felt?
He responded that he would have read it every week because it would give him hope.
The book is hope for every parent with a kid who is struggling, not just with autism but anxiety, ADHD, difficulty at school, etc., and proof of what a father and mother’s love can do.
That’s why I asked my dad to write the afterword in the book in the form of thoughts for parents facing some of the same challenges he did.
I would like to share that with you now.
— Leland Vittert
<div id="attachment_985155" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3O3L1UKLC7BU8&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MCP08BnE6vI4ikVNkhJBg72CUwiVpmvlL8qZybVTSZLx_BEqUQGmyDmGpK7jXlU7iZCcob-eOUDY6rbg3C1NjBxWSU2Qe7cCc8CaNp8qCwQ7jeHWCo-3GvFE_ZYtE5X1HiiDd4mb-Kg5aF8mQtn0KNs6EYCmCB-12b31vB_-5jrAx6Zuj6Gsjf3oFbwy2yo9QmShQlmJ7m55riGBazN3-QDQblrGsUiWAs0R9M9NLPk.z4MTp6JWwZEIj8QmHoKGWHoBiTGIr1B6V_Uz9VbpCLo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=vittert&amp;qid=1760449473&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=vittert%2Cstripbooks%2C112&amp;sr=1-1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985155" class="size-large wp-image-985155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-384x576.jpg" alt="Cover credit: Harper Horizon" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-1360x2040.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-13-Oct-2025-12-47-PM-5986-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></a>Cover credit: Harper Horizon</div>
* * *
The following excerpt is taken from the Afterword from the book &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=M2Kgd&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631%3Aamzn1.symc.5a16118f-86f0-44cd-8e3e-6c5f82df43d0&amp;pf_rd_p=4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631&amp;pf_rd_r=ZH2H6KCH5RD7206BW8AE&amp;pd_rd_wg=ZzvPM&amp;pd_rd_r=39261712-bad5-42ce-93ea-31acd52c574f&amp;ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d">Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism</a>,&#8221; by Leland Vittert with Don Yaeger. (Harper Horizon, September 2025).
 * * *
<h3>Afterword From Dad</h3>
As you have already read, Lucky, decades ago, placed me on a pedestal.
This occurred simply as a result of his fundamental needs, that there was no one else, no other man, to help him and hold him. Consequently, it might appear in this book that I offered him support as a secure and knowledgeable father. That was not true.
I was scared for years. I still am to a degree, uncertain quite often and holding on for my family till sleep comes, bringing a few hours of peace.
For all of us who are in the most difficult and complex battle to help our special children survive, there is no finish line.
I am positive that every father and mother engaged in the monumental effort to help and protect and love our challenged children are dealing with the same issues.
Believe me, despite Lucky’s admiration, I did only what any father would want to do.
All of us in this battle, this fight against what feels like the world has left our side, are in the same place.
We all feel enormous love and responsibility to those little ones who are absolutely lost and, without us, alone. Mothers and fathers need to know that there is definitely hope.
I am not that smart nor capable to have known what to do for him, except to love him and listen always to his cries for help, and to enlist a couple of personal rules that seemed to make sense in a frightening circumstance.
Let me say that his mother, Carol, was the unsung angel here. She not only had to hold Lucky, but also me.
<div id="attachment_985497" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985497" class="size-large wp-image-985497" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Leland Vittert" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/81f71ca0-3ba6-4bba-99a5-3eea97064c98.jpg 1829w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Leland Vittert</div>
I really did not know what was ahead, who could help, or if the verdict was just “give up.” Well, the purpose of this book is to offer hope, real hope. Here are the principles that I wrote down for myself when Lucky was diagnosed:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Have no expectations about the future.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Under no circumstances let your child feel that they have ever disappointed you. EVER, under no circumstance.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You are the depository of their hurt, their frustration, and their humiliations. You must listen and listen—morning before school and late into the night.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tell them that they have the right stuff for life. That the currency of high school, etc., is not the currency of life. There are many more years after the six years of junior high and high school.</li>
</ol>
There were times where I reflexively responded to a seemingly endless difficult day with temper. Those were the most regrettable of times.
I fully understand that so many had and will have far more significant challenges and difficulties than we had.
You will need to remember that your child will continue, no matter the advancement, to simply be themself. This is not a broken arm that heals; it is the way they were made.
Together, whatever the circumstance or how dire the situation, there is hope, good hope, but it will require endless understanding and the firm belief that your child can be better.
With the advent of so much bullying and other negative effects from today’s social media culture, it will be hard to escape. We did not have to address that issue.
We did not discuss Lucky’s issues or labels with anyone, nor did we seek outside assistance. Perhaps that would have been better. I do not know.
Whatever your child’s issue, I believe their best chance to progress is you and your love and patience and, in particular, your unwavering belief in them.
It was felt that writing this book could possibly help. There are so many of us who were and are lost in the nightmare of this despair.
If you are in this fight, it will be a challenge that is the most worthwhile of your life. It will probably take years and years, but it will be worth it.
If someone would have told me about what the future held for our little boy, I would have likely yielded right then. I would have been terribly wrong to do so.
If I can do it, you can. You can make an enormous difference for the ones you love dearly.
With all my heart, I wish for you and your child a future that you will make better together.
— Mark Vittert
* * *
This excerpt is published by permission from Harper Horizon. &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=M2Kgd&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631%3Aamzn1.symc.5a16118f-86f0-44cd-8e3e-6c5f82df43d0&amp;pf_rd_p=4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631&amp;pf_rd_r=ZH2H6KCH5RD7206BW8AE&amp;pd_rd_wg=ZzvPM&amp;pd_rd_r=39261712-bad5-42ce-93ea-31acd52c574f&amp;ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d">Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism</a>,&#8221; by Leland Vittert with Don Yaeger. (Harper Horizon, September 2025).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Leland Vittert book IV

‘My Father Never Gave Up On Me’: Leland Vittert On Being ‘Born Lucky’

'My Father Never Gave Up On Me': Leland Vittert On Being 'Born Lucky'

Books

High School

Media

Middle School

Social Issues

At 43 years-old, I can look back at my life with a deep sense of pride — and, if I’m honest, a touch of longing. I’ve spent my entire adult life building my career, climbing ladders, taking risks, and proving to myself that I could be independent and successful. And in many ways, I’ve achieved exactly what I set out to do.
I own my home. I’ve built financial security that allows me to stand firmly on my own two feet. My parents and grandparents are healthy and happy. I have a circle of incredible friends who inspire me, challenge me, and support me through every chapter. And I have three gorgeous nephews who light up my world in ways I never could have imagined. These are blessings I don’t take for granted.
One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is that through my own hard work, I was able to leave a marriage that wasn’t right for me. Because I was financially independent, I had choices. I could walk away and rebuild my life on my own terms. That freedom is something I cherish deeply.
But with all that said, there are things I wish I’d done differently. When you’re young and ambitious, it’s easy to believe you can have it all — career, independence, love, family — without having to make tough decisions. You put your head down, keep pushing forward, and tell yourself there will be time later. For me, later came faster than I expected.
If I could offer advice to young women just starting out, it would be this: leave space for the things that matter most. A healthy, loving relationship with a partner who brings out the best in you. The chance to conceive and raise a child. The opportunity to create a life that isn’t only about work, but about shared dreams, purpose, and faith.
Two moments have profoundly shaped this perspective. The first came after October 7, when I traveled to Israel as part of one of the first American volunteer groups. While I spent my days preparing meals for soldiers and harvesting crops, it was the people I met who left the deepest mark. Many had lost loved ones only weeks earlier, yet they carried on with remarkable strength, sustained by family and community. Even as they sent their children off to war, they remained united — grounded in faith and bound by an unbreakable sense of solidarity.
The second moment was the assassination of Charlie Kirk — and the extraordinary strength Erika Kirk displayed in its aftermath. In Charlie and Erika, I saw everything I believed was possible for myself one day. They came together as two accomplished individuals and built a life rooted in love, family, and faith. Watching and rewatching videos of them — as partners, as parents — stirred something deep within me, awakening a longing I hadn’t fully realized was there.
It brought me back to my own childhood, the eldest of three, watching my parents put aside their own wants to nurture our needs. Through their actions, they instilled in us the core values of our Jewish faith: prioritizing family, pursuing education, and giving back to those less fortunate. My parents made sure our faith wasn’t just taught but lived — from leading a Jewish Federation mission to Israel to sending my sister and me to study in the Holy Land. Those experiences didn’t just deepen my connection to Judaism and the state of Israel; they shaped how I understood love, commitment, and what it means to build a life of purpose.
As I sat with those memories, I couldn’t help but ask myself, with a heaviness I can’t quite put into words: how did I fall so far from that path?
Don’t limit your options because you’re so determined to prove your strength or independence. Being headstrong can serve you well in the boardroom, but it can also blind you to what truly fulfills the heart. There is immense purpose in building a family and in nurturing a partnership where both people grow together.
I wish I had discovered this earlier in life — the profound beauty that comes with faith, love, and building a family. My career has given me so much, but it has also required sacrifices I didn’t fully understand at the time. If I could go back, I would tell my younger self to be just as intentional about her personal life as she was about her professional one.
As I approach my 44th birthday, I feel the weight of limited options. Yet, thanks to breakthroughs in technology, I have hope — hope that I can bring a Jewish child into this world. While I have yet to meet a Jewish partner to share this journey, I cannot waste another moment. The chance to experience the profound joy of creating life and carrying forward my heritage is too precious to delay.
So to those just beginning their journey, take my advice: find yourself while also making room for the relationships and experiences that will bring you joy beyond titles, promotions, or accolades. A meaningful life isn’t built only in offices or boardrooms — it’s built in the quiet moments of connection, faith, and love. And those are the things I wish I’d done.
* * *
Jessica Piha is the Communications Director at USAFacts, a nonpartisan not-for-profit civic organization committed to making government data easy for Americans to understand. She resides in Kirkland, Washington with her dog Figgy.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Young woman sitting on edge looks out at view

The Things I Wish I’d Done

Business

Charlie Kirk

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Holding Hands

Public Health ‘Experts’ Want To Legitimize A Barbaric Practice In The Name Of Multiculturalism

Public Health 'Experts' Want To Legitimize A Barbaric Practice In The Name Of Multiculturalism

Disease

Great Britain

Illegal Immigation

Matt Walsh

Pakistan

Jared Allen, a former defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings, has the internet praising the emotional speech he gave after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the weekend. 
The 43-year-old put life in perspective after receiving his highly coveted gold jacket, signifying that he’s one of the best to play the game. Allen mentioned the piece of clothing specifically, saying his career achievements pale in comparison to the life he’s built with his wife and daughters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jared Allen talking about his family 🥹
HOF Enshrinement on <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLNetwork</a> 
Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLPlus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLPlus</a> <a href="https://t.co/zSfFfP2inx">pic.twitter.com/zSfFfP2inx</a>
— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1951700405655834975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;To my amazing daughters, Brinley and Lakelyn: through this process, the word &#8216;legacy&#8217; has been talked about a lot. The Hall of Fame says I&#8217;m here to tell my story. Well, I&#8217;m here to tell you two, you are my greatest accomplishments,&#8221; he said, becoming visibly overcome with emotion.
&#8220;When I get called home to heaven one day, if all they talk about is this gold jacket and my career, then I failed miserably as a father, a husband, and a friend. You two are my legacy,&#8221; Allen continued. &#8220;You are both so talented, and I cannot wait to see what you decide to do to conquer this world. So always put Christ first, find your why, dream big dreams and always pursue greatness in whatever you do.&#8221;
The five-time Pro Bowler also spoke about his wife of 15 years. &#8220;To my wife, I&#8217;m reminded of what [Vikings chaplain] Tom Lamphere said we were going through our premarital counseling,&#8221; Allen said. &#8220;He said the two most important decisions you&#8217;ll make in life is one, whether you follow Jesus or not, and two is who you marry. There&#8217;s only two types of people. There&#8217;s boat anchors who drag you down, and there&#8217;s people who elevate you, and you are a true game elevator. You&#8217;re one of the smartest people I know. I am in awe of you every single day.”
Allen’s speech got a lot of attention online, with social media users praising it as “<a href="https://x.com/dpokes77/status/1951722926065279012">powerful</a>.” 
“Amen,” another commenter said.
“He was a great defensive lineman but one hell of a real man,” a third account <a href="https://x.com/AdgadysFire/status/1951823595149095041">echoed</a>.
Known for his &#8220;calf-roping&#8221; sack celebration, Allen finished his 12-season NFL career with 136 sacks, ranking 12th all-time. During the induction ceremony over the weekend, he ripped his pants while performing the iconic sack dance while on stage with his family.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yes, he really hit the calf-roping celly in his gold jacket 🙌🙌 <a href="https://t.co/L1Je6jyTaX">pic.twitter.com/L1Je6jyTaX</a>
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1951452285055410639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jared Allen

NFL Hall of Famer Jared Allen Puts Faith And Family First In Powerful Induction Speech

Faith

Football

Hall of Fame

Minnesota Vikings

U.S.

President Donald Trump and his team like to paint themselves as trailblazers. But one of their major policies comes straight from Hungary — and that’s a good thing.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a series of measures designed to encourage the growth of American families. Along with defunding abortion giant Planned Parenthood, the law takes a page out of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s playbook with <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-implementation-timeline-of-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax credits</a> for parents and childcare as well as <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/how-big-beautiful-bill-gives-american-babies-financial-head-start-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Baby Bonuses”</a> for newborns.
Not everyone is pleased with these changes. Some <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-trump-accounts-measure-evidence-early-wealth-building-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argue</a> that the program will benefit only the rich. But <a href="https://theemancipator.org/2025/05/10/topics/health-equity/trumps-baby-bonus-perpetuates-racist-and-gendered-notions-about-a-womans-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others say</a> that the pro-natalist policies are somehow reminiscent of slavery and that the bill “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/08/nx-s1-5455647/trump-accounts-babies-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">structures inequality</a>” because its benefits are only available to citizens.
But we’ve seen this all before.
Over the past 15  years, <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/08/exclusive-hungarys-pro-family-policy-working-births-up-9-4-per-cent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orbán’s government</a> has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/have-four-or-more-babies-in-hungary-and-youll-pay-no-income-tax-for-life.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminated</a> income taxes for mothers of four or more, granted home loans to parents of two or more, subsidized grandparents acting as caretakers, and pledged the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47192612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">construction</a> of more childcare facilities — all in a bid to grow Hungary’s native-born population and reverse falling birthrates.
Like Trump, Orbán faced plenty of ire from experts regarding the supposed ineffectiveness and dire implications of his natalist policies.
BBC’s Nick Thorpe <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47192612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> of outsized benefits to the rich. An especially distressed gender studies professor, Eva Fodor, <a href="https://theloop.ecpr.eu/getting-paid-to-have-children-hungarys-carefare-regime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that Hungarian policy “redefines Hungarian citizenship” away from“darker-skinned, non-Christian migrants” and toward — quelle horreur — average Hungarian citizens. Still another critic <a href="https://politicalcritique.org/archive/2019/doomed-failure-orbans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> Orbán of having a vendetta against working women.
But let’s take a look at the results of these policies.
After a decade of prioritizing families with tax cuts, subsidies, and generous loans, Hungary <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/08/exclusive-hungarys-pro-family-policy-working-births-up-9-4-per-cent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> a 40-year peak in marriages and a 20-year high in fertility rates.
Conversely, divorces hit their lowest rate in six decades. Births increased by 9.4% year on year — an increase the likes of which the United States <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/how-have-us-fertility-and-birth-rates-changed-over-time/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn’t seen</a> since the 1947 Baby Boom. On top of all that, the proportion of babies born to married parents has <a href="https://prolifeworldwide.net/family-pro-life/building-a-family-friendly-hungary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> to 70%, roughly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/unmarried-childbearing.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10% higher</a> than in the United States.
Especially relevant in a post-Roe America are the effects of Hungary’s pronatalist laws on abortion. Although the procedure has <a href="https://populationmatters.org/news/2025/01/viktor-orbans-hungary-the-erosion-of-reproductive-rights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remained legal</a> in Hungary up to the 12-week mark for several decades, the number of abortions <a href="https://2015-2022.miniszterelnok.hu/hungarian-government-based-its-family-policy-on-five-pillars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plummeted</a> 41% from 2010 to 2021.
It’s crucial to note that this major drop took place before Hungary <a href="https://balkaninsight.com/2022/09/13/hungary-tightens-abortion-law-by-decree/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> chemical abortions and began requiring abortion-minded women to listen to their babies’ heartbeats. Given that a full <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3729671/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40%</a> of women seeking abortions credit financial concerns with their decision, it’s very plausible that the decrease was influenced by the greater financial support Hungary now provides to families, specifically mothers.
Economically, too, Hungary has seen strong results since Orbán began his pro-family crusade in 2010. From 2010 to 2024, the number of Hungarians working and paying taxes <a href="https://prolifeworldwide.net/family-pro-life/building-a-family-friendly-hungary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swelled</a> by a million people. Further, from 2010 to 2023, Hungary’s per capita GDP grew a remarkable <a href="https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/culture_society/revealing-the-facts-a-brief-history-of-the-hungarian-gdp/#:~:text=As%20shown%20in%20the%20graph%2C%20Hungary's%20GDP,66.1%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20EU%20average%2C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">43.9%</a>, dwarfing the European Union member state average of 16.2%.
Could America see comparable successes?
The One Big Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax credits, cuts to childcare expenses, and Baby Bonus program — together with the Bill’s broader measures such as ending taxes on tips and overtime — may prove key to supporting vulnerable families, empowering expectant mothers, and rebuilding a strong made-in-America economy.
It isn’t too late for the United States to follow Hungary into a brighter future. Our countries may have many differences, but we have very good reason to hope that pronatalist policies will work just as well here.
Emily Claire Boulet is a student at the University of Dallas.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Hungary Shows How The Big Beautiful Bill Will Help American Families

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Hungary

Victor Orban

Senator Tom Cotton introduced a bill on Wednesday that would amend federal law to allow for parental leave in the case of an unborn child’s death.
The Arkansas Republican&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/healing_act_2025.pdf">bill</a> would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow for a mother and her husband to take 12 workweeks of unpaid leave over the course of a year in the event that they lose an unborn child. The bill would also create a refundable tax credit for any mother, or couple, who experiences a stillbirth. 
“This bill will make sure families receive the resources they need to help recover from the unexpected loss of a child,” Cotton told The Daily Wire. “No amount of money can replace such a loss, but the legislation will make sure parents have time to begin the recovery process.”
The legislation is called the ‘‘Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving Mothers and Fathers Act.” Cotton introduced similar legislation in 2023. 
Republican Senators Kevin Cramer (ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) also sponsored the legislation. 
 
“It has taken policymakers too long to recognize that parents should be allowed time to heal following a miscarriage or stillbirth,” Hyde-Smith said. “The loss of a child is devastating and heartbreaking for families, and this legislation formally acknowledges their need for time following such a loss.”
The bill would “provide leave for the spontaneous loss of an unborn child” with spontaneous loss defined as “the loss of a child in the womb that does not result from a purposeful act and is unplanned.” It would be consistent with current standards for certification, notice, flexibility and leave substitution for federal family leave law. 
Women who end the lives of their unborn children through abortion would not qualify for the benefits under the legislation.
The bill is similar to a law in Arkansas passed in 2021 that provides a tax credit for unborn children who are stillborn. Republican State Representative Les Eaves <a href="https://www.kark.com/news/politics/arkansas-paisleys-law-inspires-federal-bill-for-stillborn-reform/">introduced</a> the bill after his granddaughter, Paisley Havranek, was stillborn on February 6, 2019.
“One day before she died, she was a perfect, fully formed, beautiful little girl, but she’s not recognized as a dependent at that point,” he said at the time. 
In recent years, Republicans have pushed for more legislation to support family formation. Earlier this year, West Virginia Republican Rep. Riley Moore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-republican-bill-would-save-thousands-for-parents-who-stay-home-with-kids?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Republican+Bill+Would+Save+Thousands+For+Parents+Who+Stay+Home+With+Kids">introduced</a> a bill alongside Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) that would ensure that new moms would not be “penalized” under federal law for deciding to leave the workforce and stay home with their child.

Sen. Tom Cotton

EXCLUSIVE: Tom Cotton Pushes To Give Key Benefit To Mothers Who Lose Unborn Children

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Senate

Tom Cotton

We all inherit a legacy from the men who came before us. Some of that legacy is good — sacrifice, protection, provision. Some of it is painful — absence, misunderstanding, or failure. As sons, it’s easy to focus on what our fathers didn’t give us. But if we stay there, we risk carrying that pain into the next generation. There’s a better option than blame or bitterness: forgiveness. We must let go of old wounds and decide what kind of fathers — and men — we want to become. Generational growth starts with generational grace.
It is easy to look back and critique what we think our father should have done differently without considering how he was raised, the relational dynamics between his parents, and the communication, leadership, or relationship skills he did or didn’t develop.
My dad and I struggled to connect on a deeper level for most of my life, but we found common ground in motorcycles. That became our language — our way of understanding each other when words fell short. Just before he passed, we told each other, “I love you.” And I believe with all my heart that if he had known how to do better by me, he would have — because he loved me.
Yet, like many men, he wrestled with the memory of the 35-year-old version of himself — the man he wished he had been. But there’s no victory in battling a version of ourselves that no longer exists. Forgiving others is hard; forgiving ourselves is often harder. That’s where grace steps in.
I know men who are currently battling their 35-year-old fathers. The problem is, their father is now in his 70s. Our fathers have had to grapple with their inadequacies and failures, just as we have had to find our path to overcome the effects of those shortcomings. But we must go further and forgive our fathers for the unintentional missteps in raising us.
Raising and providing for my own family has helped me see my father in a different light. As kids, we don’t realize what it takes to raise children or appreciate the degree of sacrifice it requires.
During a conversation with men in my small group, one of the guys said, “Being married is hard. Raising kids is hard.” There was a pause, and I asked, “Would you want it to be easy?” Every man said no, because there is no value without effort. There’s no value in easy. We put in the work because our families are worth it. That means accepting our shortcomings and learning from them.
As a 35-year-old father, I made mistakes. Looking back now, I see that those mistakes were the fuel that helped me grow. I didn’t like the man I saw in the mirror, so I decided that he had to change.
Your life is being recorded. Whether we recognize it or not, we are teaching our boys what it means to be good sons, brothers, husbands and fathers with every word we speak and action we do or don’t take. They internalize how a marriage should function, how a man should talk and act. They are learning how to take care of others and what a God-centered family looks like. They are inclined to mimic us, and one day, they’ll play that footage back.
Realizing this is humbling and compels this exhortation to forgive our fathers. We can’t let the mistakes they made rob us from enjoying what they did correctly. That’s a lesson I hope my son has learned.
I’ve chosen not to judge my father by the missteps of his younger self. When he died, he wasn’t 35 — he was in his sixties, and by then, he was a good man. A man who had grown, who had tried, and who had loved the best way he knew how.
Carrying around unforgiveness is like me carrying around a hundred-pound backpack. I can’t play with my kids or show up for my family in the ways they need me when I’m lugging around the baggage of my past. They would be getting less the father they deserve and a more restricted, and exhausted shell of myself. To be all that I was created by God to be and to live with intention and purpose in the design of fatherhood, I must shed the unnecessary weight of unforgiveness.
Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally. It requires grace — a strength beyond ourselves. It calls us to let go of past pain and offenses, not once, but daily. It&#8217;s a continual act of surrender that frees us to move forward.
You are not the 35-year-old version of your father. You’re a new man — shaped by his story, refined by grace and guided by a higher calling. Forgive your father. Honor his journey, but don’t repeat his missteps. It’s time to lead with faith, wisdom, and redemption.
* * *
This article is adapted from “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Man-Americas-Only-Original/dp/B0DPBWLQJB">The Return of Man: America’s Only Hope is in our Original Hope</a>.”
Jimmy Graham, CEO of <a href="https://ableshepherd.com/">Able Shepherd</a>, is a veteran Navy SEAL and former CIA Global Response Staff Protective Officer with over two decades of experience in high-risk environments worldwide. He is author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Man-Americas-Only-Original/dp/B0DPBWLQJB">The Return of Man</a>.”
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Caucasian father watching son repairing motorcycle in garage

Forgiving Our Dads Is Part Of Fathering The Future

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