INTERVIEW: "Never forget": Rep. John McGuire reflects on Charlie Kirk's legacy and on the 9/11 anniversary
Rep. John McGuire is a former Navy SEAL, and he reflected on the horrors of both 9/11, and of what he saw on his most recent visit to Israel, where he saw firsthand what happened on October 7th.
POWHATAN, Va. —
As a Navy SEAL, Rep. John McGuire (R., Va.) knows about sacrifice, and on the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, he hosted Rep. Lisa McClain (R., Mich.) — the House GOP’s Conference Chairwoman — in Virginia’s 5th District to speak with his constituents about what House Republicans are doing, particularly with the Working Families Tax Cut.
But McGuire also spoke about service and sacrifice, shouting out his brother — Louisa County Commonwealth Attorney Rusty McGuire — along with the recently-assassinated Charlie Kirk, as well as first responders and veterans.
On September 11th, 2001, McGuire immediately thought “that doesn’t look like an accident” after he saw the first plane crash into the World Trade Center. Since that terrorist attack, he said, “we've lost more Navy SEALs since 9/11 than in the history of Navy SEALs.”
“I tell people on this day,” he continued, “it's one of those days in history we can never forget, but also it's a never forget moment, but we have to live a life worthy of the sacrifice of all the first responders, law enforcement, men and women, the military….Think about Charlie Kirk being assassinated yesterday. That's another one of the never forget moments. He's an incredible young voice, and I think his voice, his message, is going to go up exponentially in our country.”
During his interview with the Washington Reporter, McGuire said that as House Republicans, “we’ve gotta work better on communicating.”
“For example, the Working Family Tax Cut,” he said, has “got no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, [and it’s a] big tax help for senior citizens. Everybody in the district always talks about how President Trump's executive orders are not permanent. We've been codifying them. I asked for a show of hands. Who knew that 28 Trump executive orders were codified in the Working Family Tax Cut? Only a few people raised their hands. I have had a lot of people say, ‘hey, thanks for telling me that.’”
While McGuire visited every county and town in his district during recess, he also traveled to Israel on a trip that he said “made me a better congressman.”
Upon his arrival to Israel, McGuire was confronted firsthand by the barbaric actions of Hamas and of other Palestinian terrorists. He laid out scenes straight from a horror movie.
“What I found out is that when Hamas terrorists came into Israel on October 7th, they videotaped everything they did,” he said. “They were laughing while they cut off body parts and played soccer with them. They shot teenagers in the back. They would get a young girl and log in to her Facebook Live, and then they would kill her in front of her audience and laugh about it.”
“It's unspeakable evil, but the media is not reporting that,” he said. “Around our universities, these kids are running around saying, ‘free Palestine.’ They don't even know where Palestine is. It's just heartbreaking that the media is not telling both sides of the story. If somebody launched ballistic missiles into our country, if somebody came across our country and murdered people the way they did on October 7th, we would make sure they never did that again.”
Below is a transcript of our interview with Rep. John McGuire, lightly edited for clarity.
Washington Reporter:
Congressman McGuire, we're in your district. Tell us about this restaurant in Powhatan and why you picked this location to be here with Congresswoman McClain to talk about the House GOP agenda.
Rep. John McGuire:
County Seat restaurant is the center of the county. It's just a great County. And these guys are very Republican, obviously, and it's a very Republican district, and they love Trump, and they're all about America First. And we were coming in from D.C. so timewise, it was just a great fit.
Washington Reporter:
Was there anything as you were hearing from your constituents during the Q and A period that surprised you and that informs how you do your job when you go back to D.C.?
Rep. John McGuire:
We’ve gotta work better on communicating. For example, the Working Family Tax Cut. They've got no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, big tax help for senior citizens. Everybody in the district always talks about how President Trump's executive orders are not permanent. We've been codifying them. I asked for a show of hands. Who knew that 28 Trump executive orders were codified in the Working Family Tax Cut? Only a few people raised their hands. I have had a lot of people say, ‘hey, thanks for telling me that.’
Washington Reporter:
Today is September 11th, the 24th anniversary. Where were you on that day? And as a military veteran, how did that alter the trajectory of your life?
Rep. John McGuire:
Well, it was heartbreaking. And it seemed like an attack from the minute I saw what was happening. I had just finished my workout, I just had a shower, I was having breakfast, and I was watching the TV, and I was like, ‘that doesn't look like an accident.’ And sure enough, another plane went into the next hour. We've lost more Navy SEALs since 9/11 than in the history of Navy SEALs. I tell people on this day, it's one of those days in history we can never forget, but also it's a never forget moment, but we have to live a life worthy of the sacrifice of all the first responders, law enforcement, men and women, the military. Thank God for our freedom. Think about Charlie Kirk being assassinated yesterday. That's another one of the never forget moments. He's an incredible young voice, and I think his voice, his message, is going to go up exponentially in our country.
Washington Reporter:
During recess, you went all over your district and went to Israel. How is that informing how you want to spend the rest of the year in Congress?
Rep. John McGuire:
Every year, there's a freshman trip to Israel, and I think it made me a better congressman. I wasn't so sure, but once I got there, sometimes you think you know the facts, and you get there, you can talk to talk to everybody. And what I found out is that when Hamas terrorists came into Israel on October 7th, they videotaped everything they did. They were laughing while they cut off body parts and played soccer with them. They shot teenagers in the back. They would get a young girl and log in to her Facebook Live, and then they would kill her in front of her audience and laugh about it. It's unspeakable evil, but the media is not reporting that. Around our universities, these kids are running around saying, ‘free Palestine.’ They don't even know where Palestine is. It's just heartbreaking that the media is not telling both sides of the story. If somebody launched ballistic missiles into our country, if somebody came across our country and murdered people the way they did on October 7th, we would make sure they never did that again. It seems like whatever Israel does within themselves has an audience of people that want to condemn them for it.
Washington Reporter:
When you were in the district during recess, what did you hear from your constituents about the One Big, Beautiful Bill?
Rep. John McGuire:
I ask my constituents all the time, ‘are you happy with what we're doing in Washington, D.C.?’ And I hear all the time that they are happier than ever. Now, the one thing they want to see is unity. If you remember when we first got sworn in and we had a very slim majority, we had to do a continuing resolution. I'm a fan of the budget, but because of the continuing resolution, all of the media and the pundits said there's no way the small majority is going to do it, but the leadership of President Trump and of Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Thune, we did it, and there's been about seven or eight different things, like the Working Family Tax Cut that codified 28 Trump executive orders, that everybody said you'll never get it passed. But because of strong leadership and unity in the Republican Party, we did. I've visited all 24 county, cities, and towns in the month of August — many of them several times — and have listened to people's concerns, to answer their questions or take their concerns to D.C.
Washington Reporter:
Congressman McGuire, thanks for your time.