Show #192 - Inside the Race: Elizabeth Ann Temple on MAGA, Equality, and a Money-Free Campaign

Peter Pappas: Well, everybody, good afternoon. Welcome to the Carolina cabinet. I'm your host, Peter Pappas in studio with Ms. Laura Musler. Hello. Hello. Good afternoon. And with U S Senate candidate, Elizabeth Ann Temple from Smithfield. Good afternoon, ma'am. So thanks for joining the Carolina cabinet this afternoon. ⁓ You are quite an interesting individual. I have to say after we, invited you over the weekend and here you are. ⁓ So from what I know about you, you have a degree from ECU in education, but specifically you were more into the music part. Mike, is that correct? Okay. Okay. And born and raised in Smithfield. did along with Gilmore Fessis who also has a music degree. Yeah. We have a local ⁓ music degree person that sings at every event. So do you sing the national anthem or anything like that? Have you ever done that publicly? Nope, but I'll sing in my mind, I'm going to Carolina. There we go. Can't you just see the sunshine? Can't you just feel the moonshine? Ain't it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind? ⁓ Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind. Okay. What an interesting, what an interesting lyric. Just a friend to hit me from behind. Yeah. never really attention. Okay. So my little state shell here. State shell. Okay. So we know you are of North Carolina for sure through and through you are a North Carolina Southern lady. ⁓ Beautiful voice. Thank you for that. ⁓ So, you know, here in the cabinet, we, we'll bring you on and we'll, well, me and Laura kind of grill you a little bit. Laura and I, Laura. See, I already have, I don't need another teacher in the room, ma'am. I already have Laura here to keep me in the line, I guess. So you filed, this is not your first rodeo. You filed and ran for NC house district 28 back in 2024. Yes, So what, why? Because people that run for office, I always have to ask them like, what possessed you? Like what? What is wrong with you that you want to run for? and young people. I want to help the students I've worked with over 28 years, public schools and private, regular teaching and substitute teaching. I make sure students have what they need in the classroom and that when their parents are getting benefits that the students are receiving those. Okay. And I didn't always see that working in the public schools that students were coming to school with, know, skinny. And, ⁓ they, they didn't have the basic needs, just toothpaste, nails, just, ⁓ I was always very concerned about that. There's there's a big gap in the basic needs of a lot of people in our society, I think is what you're getting at. ⁓ I had the fortunate, ⁓ pleasure to be able to speak to you before the show, ⁓ since you drove from out of town, you got here early and we had a chance to, ⁓ speak a little bit. ⁓ I know that you, one of the reasons you joined the race, and I don't know if this is when you ran for house, what your reason was, but running for Senate, you joined because you have a real passion for fighting against racism. And you mentioned that, you you are kind of fatigued with the way Republicans are portrayed as racist and what, you know, Donald Trump is racist and all. So there are many Republicans who are members of the NAACP. Do I have one of those in the room? Yes. Myself since 2014. Okay. Okay. ⁓ But I grew up in a town that I love very much, but which had a KKK sign up until the year before I was born. Okay. You don't have to us what year you were born. don't have to do that on the air. Yeah. Okay. So you, so basically there was an underlying ⁓ current, I guess, racist, whatever. in the 21st century. Yeah, that'd be nice. Okay. So we get it in the 20th century and then you want to start over a century. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, Ms. Temple, then bring us to the 20th and then the 21st. Okay. We need you to baby step this thing. So, um, I was looking at your campaign stuff and you're running a very, ⁓ grassroots campaign. You're not asking anyone for money. Money-free campaign, money-free campaign. Absolutely. ⁓ how's that going to work? It's working pretty well. Well, mean, look, there is, there is still room for the citizen politician. Laura and I. have each run for office here locally. And we have definitely spent money. We both ran for city council and then I ran for county commissioner last year. You're a glutton for punishment. I truly am. Yeah. Plus doing the show weekly is also another makes me another target for punishment. is beautiful. love her. Oh my gosh. Gorgeous. Yeah. Y'all can be friends now. Yes. anybody thinks I'm beautiful can be my friend. Okay. You're okay. Yeah. I can't, I can't let her, her head's already big enough. can't start telling her. I usually, when somebody says that I'm like having another drink, get way better. Yeah, there you go. There's a joke on Facebook that you know, oh, you like the way she looks, let her take her glasses off. And somebody says, Oh, wait till she takes her makeup and oh wait, just doesn't take her medicine. Then you'll meet 16 of them. Yeah. So, um, so the fight against racism is important to you just because you're from an area that's kind of had that embedded and, You grew up with a lot of, uh, lot of African-American folks and it just never ends. brother, Councilman Marlon Lee. Okay. He recently died in May. Okay. Was it my brother's wedding? Okay. So you have close ties to the community. Um, but what I'm getting at is basically you grew up with people that didn't necessarily look, think and act like you. No, but you're very accustomed to being in rooms with people that grew up, have different circumstances, but you want to, my mother and her father. taught me that way and my uncle. ⁓ So equality for all. Well that brings us to, ⁓ I'm going to skip, I'm going to go straight to, we had a discussion about capitalism and socialism. socialism, I mean, you just said equality for all. So socialism is supposed to be, you know, equal for everybody, right? I mean, everybody gets the same stuff. So do you agree or disagree with like mom, Donnie in New York just got elected as a socialist mayor. ⁓ do you agree or disagree with the socialist mindset? No, there are many wonderful mega Muslims is what I call them. Okay. And they won Michigan and Mamdani is not in that category. And he will not be helpful to the young people for our students. ⁓ socialism will not help anyone. Yeah. The least of these that will help, you know, but miss temple, it'll work this time. Right. I mean, that's what we're told, right? Socialism is going to work because it hasn't worked. Because I'm in charge, it'll work because I get all the benefits of it. That's usually, you know, that's not what they're saying, but that's what they're thinking. Well, you know, I mean, do you think if socialism kind of takes over as a theme for economy in the United States, are we going to, is that going to help or hurt property rights? Cause I like to own stuff. You don't know anything. What do you want? I'm on a long-term land lease with the government because I pay property taxes. It's a long-term land lease. is. You will never own your land period. And if the anytime that the government wants your land, they're going to raise your taxes so that you can afford it. the government are you sovereign citizen on me right now? I am not. However, a little bit of socialism is good because we need roads. We need ⁓ police. We need a military. Some of that, those socialism things are good. But as far as owning property tax, there's a fee to buy a property. That's it. You shouldn't have to keep. think it's on news article this morning or yesterday, Ron DeSantis of Florida. He initially was charging for, uh, repealing property tax and now apparently he's, uh, backpedaling away from that. Yeah. Why would you do it? property taxes are wrong. They are wrong, but that's a fundamental way that we afford our schools and roads and Okay, but if we had a flat tax or whatever, then that's another way. There's not a better way. I the more money you spend, the more money you pay that you can never you don't own your car. I'm for a flat tax. Yes. Okay. You don't own your car. You don't own there in Carmelin County. There's $10 a year bike tax. Did you know that your dog has a $10 a year or $25 a year if they're not neutered? What about cats? If they're not neutered? Yes. She's spayed. Okay. They're no, if my cat was from the streets though. So I don't know what she did before I got her. If they are spayed, then you owe a back bill of $10 a year to have a cat or a dog. Okay. And it's, think 25 or 50, might've gone up if it's not spayed or neutered. Well, you own, don't even own your own pets. I think my problem with a lot of those taxes, those, those taxes is that they were brought upon us by people who were not elected. They were considered fees and they're unelected officials. And I think that's what ⁓ Donald Trump was talking about the swamp, the swamp, the swamp. He's very good for animal welfare. Trump. ⁓ I've written articles for the Johnstonian news, opinion letters, and one just covered all of the things the first Trump administration did for animals and animal welfare. And welcome back. So, ⁓ I'm assuming you have good barbecue up in Smithfield. Yes, very good. Maggie Moore is my neighbor. She owns Smithfield barbecue. Margie, Maggie Moore, excuse me. ⁓ All right. Well, I know what I want for lunch today. ⁓ So ⁓ I Smithfield barbecue. We were just railing against, ⁓ taxes how we don't own anything. And I was saying that I'm railing Texas. Taxes are good for some things. The excess of taxes that we as a community pay. is way, it seems it's getting overwhelmed. If you leave your tax money to your children, your tax on that money, you even when you pay your taxes and you get a refund from your taxes, that's income. But wait a minute. It's your money. It's I already. Yeah. and if you got back more than you paid, then you got my money and you're welcome. That's, that's how that work. Americans especially want to have generational wealth. And so I would support. home ownership and property, you know, for everyone. And as well as gun rights, African Americans, friends of mine, they, they all want the right to defend themselves. So is it safe to say you're a big supporter of the second amendment? Yes. A big say, because I have many friends of many colors and they all want those two things. Do you own a gun yourself? I do not. personally own a gun. and I don't have one in our house. We don't have one. But, and I never have, but I can't say that when I'm older, I might want to have one. I'm living by myself, but I don't live by myself now. Make sure you take gun safety classes and you learn all about it because I have a gun everywhere. We have a... I support the NRA. I agreed with everything on the questionnaire and sent it yesterday. Well, we do have inside the U P Cumberland County, we do have people that are certified instructors. The pistol packing mama is one of them. She's no longer certified. She's no longer, oh, well then no more. I have a friend who's a Democrat. getting ready to do away with that. She says her home is Smith-Wesson protected. okay. we've got a little less than 20 minutes remaining. So again, because we are running for office, we have to keep us on a timer. So you support. home ownership for people, communities of people of color, for sure. ⁓ and that to me goes back to the anti-socialism stance. don't want socialism because you want everybody to have equal access. tell me about, ⁓ what about snap benefits? Like the RFK kind of his make America healthy again. ⁓ what do you think about all that? I agree that he took out some of the junk food, ⁓ and wants the children to have the SNAP benefits used for food that's nutritional. Healthy. Right. It's supposed to be supplemental, not replacement. Okay. So another one of your campaign planks is homelessness. And I think we can agree that- homeless in my hometown. I see it all across the country. And President Trump is doing a lot to address that first with illegal immigration. He's offered $3,000 for people to deport. ⁓ we need our resources for our American people. So you feel that some resources are going to non-citizens? Absolutely. Okay. Okay. And when it comes to insurance, health insurance, we need to focus on how to lower the cost of the care and not focus so much on insurance. You know, how can we help the doctors, nurses, hospitals to have lower bills? So we don't, maybe we don't even need the insurance, but. We need to definitely not have it tied into our taxes. That's unconstitutional. was the Affordable Care Act. Remember when we passed the ACA, weren't allowed to read it. The Republican side wasn't allowed to read it. We were told pass it. Then you could see what's in it. I remember that. And you can have your own doctor. And what was in it was a big poison pill. Yeah. And it was a lie. You could have your own doctor also. So let's go to.

Laura Mussler: in it. I remember that. And you can have your own doctor.

Peter Pappas: another large plank on your platform. And again, I have your so you should so to anybody watching, she does have a platform and I have it here. So this is where we're, ⁓ thank you for having me. Lovely to have you. So how artificial intelligence, I think it's here to stay. It's not a novelty. It's not just for making horrible pictures out of regular humans. It's I think memes and memes and things like that. Right. I see you are kind of with it. See? All right. So, ⁓ How is AI affecting your daily life right now? Well, I see when I go to McDonald's and other fast food places that the cashiers are being replaced by AI bots. And so we need to have our students learning trade jobs, things that are AI proof. Well, and you have a lot of background in education. So if you're around young people today, what would you? It's like, okay, Ms. Temple, I'm in 10th grade. What should I go to college to study? What should I do as a career? The students are bored. They, ⁓ upper elementary on need to be trained in doing some kind of job, you know, they're very, what kinds of jobs, ⁓ anything trade related, carpentry on ⁓ it's nothing wrong with, there's nothing wrong with being ⁓ a person that works with their hands, like a ⁓ and the phrase handyman, know, it's a, frowned upon and really we should be teaching our sons and daughters to be able to do everything. That's what the founding fathers intended. Our state began in 1789 and we were always farming, doing things with our hands and we need to get back to that. That will save the country. Okay. So ⁓ what, if, if you go to the U S Senate, you'll be one of two senators from the state of North Carolina. ⁓ How do you, is Donald Trump going to have to worry about your vote? No, I don't think it's an if. I think I'm having a better chance every day and Donald Trump will always have my vote. I will vote against impeachment. I will vote for all of Trump's MAGA agenda. And I think my chances are looking a little better every day because I'm not a rhino. I'm a MAGA Republican. Okay. Let me ask you a question. Yes ma'am. ⁓ I, I, I, I am, I was the first, ⁓ what is it called? Trump, ⁓ Trump captain here. I am very, very Trump. However, ⁓ sometimes Trump doesn't get it right. What happens when you disagree? ⁓ I never have agreed with president Trump, for over 10 years, I've never agreed. I've never, ⁓ I've never dissuaded this. Starting with the South Carolina tea party convention. that I attended when we were looking at who we wanted our nominee to be. So I've really been over 10 years and there's nothing that I've disagreed with in the MAGA platform or president Trump and if I'm a Trump and Donald Trump, followed them in the 1980s when I was a middle and high school student and just their family's wonderful and very thankful that he ran for president. He saved our country from Hillary. Wasn't a Democrat back then? The liary. Wasn't he a Democrat president Trump back then? Yes, he was. Can we forgive him for that? Yes, he was a Democrat back then. There were a lot of people that are Democrats still today that are not Democrats. People really liked him lot better as a Democrat. Yeah. He seemed to get along with everybody as a Democrat, but as soon as he became Republican, all of a sudden he's a fascist mago. He's definitely not a fascist, definitely not a racist. He just wants to preserve our founding documents. And that's what interested people in. following that movement. as people talk about our leaders, quote unquote, our leaders, our leaders, as a representative, you're not a leader, you are a representative. So what happens if the people that you represent, ⁓ don't agree with something that Donald Trump does, but you agree with it? How would you vote? I would definitely to, know, contact them and talk to them about, about why they agree with it and see if we can make a compromise. ⁓ Okay. Yeah, that's that's kind of a concern of mine is, you know, I like the mega Republican platform, most of it. But even here on the show, Laura and I have broken down like GOP talking points and things because we want equitable and factual stuff going out to people, the people that watch us and all. ⁓ Some of it, frankly, we established as propaganda, you know, some of it is just not quite true. Exactly. So it's not not quite true. It's a lie. I know firsthand. Okay. what happens, know, Tom Tillis, the seat that you're running for, ⁓ he's been accused of being a rhino and all this other stuff. And he pretty much, when I look into it, he's just making his own opinion. Have we gotten so far down the MAGA rabbit loyalty that we can't hear another opinion? That's a good question. I think the answer is that Tillis was not born in North Carolina. He was born in Florida. Okay. And. Being someone that was born in North Carolina, my family for generations back, you know, to the 1600s here, that, ⁓ he, don't think he understood the Tar Hill, you know, Tom Tell is a Tar Hill in North Carolina, Tar Hill and the history of the civil war. And, you know, I think that's part of the problem ⁓ that we've had, but, ⁓ I do respect his service. And like Trump said, ⁓ recently that I saw online, he seems to be ⁓ a fun person. to be here. You're pro people being in office that have been born here. There's no, do support, mayors, ⁓ presidents, house representatives. think they should be born in a town or the state where they're representing. it's just a personal opinion. Okay. Just a question. How do you get worldly advice and worldly opinions if you've never been outside of your place? Cause I'm from California originally. But I, doesn't make you a Yankee or Southern or you just like California. like, I was, that's just where my parents had, where you're from. We're standing because you're a guess. love California. Yeah. Jimmy Carter, um, at the NEA convention when I was 10 years old in California in 1980, he was, you washed your hands since then though. love, yeah. he shook my hand. actually leaned down. mean, I've been here since 1996 and I have. I had political aspirations, not so much no more. my, you're sort of political still. I'm no, I'm definitely political. However, my aspirations have changed. Right. based on things, things and stuffs, things and stuff. Yeah. So I would like to see, I, I, I always am looking out for my community, whatever community I'm living in at the time. So I don't think you have, it's cause I care about the kids that are here because those are our future wherever they come from. Well, and she said it's a personal personal personal aspiration that I hope she looks to include people that are not necessarily because well, because like go back to sit or tell us, okay, he might have been he might have gone against the MAGA grain. Okay. And that, frankly, just pissed off a lot of MAGA people, but I've come to look into his background, the things and he's a smart sob. I mean, that's all the way through it. So you know, I can kind of overlook some of his friction with the party because I know it's coming from a place of the guy's pretty bright. I mean, that's just, that would be my concern with insisting that somebody be from where they're, you know, like where they want to serve. And it's a personal thing. It's not really a campaign plank of yours. It just was mentioned in some of your material. ⁓ I mean, I like that somebody would run for office in a place that they grew up in. That is nice. Yes. But you know, the culture and the people and working together, you know, to bring new people into the town. I'm doing that now as a member of the historic. Preservation Board in Smithfield, North Carolina, where I was born. So we're bringing in new people. What kind of things come in front of that commission, the Historic Preservation Commission? Historic properties, for example, but also just maintaining our history, like the Tuscarora Indian mural that we just placed up on a wall, I mean, a building in town and just our Native American history. that we were built, Native Americans were here first and we were built by British. who came and settled the colonies and paid taxes to Britain. And then eventually the colonists decided that they wanted to found a free country. we weren't really built by immigrants. We were built by Native Americans who were here. And then the British who established colonies and taught the Native Americans English. And I just think that's important to remember. I know at Ellis Island, you had We're going to always have many people who want to come to America, but it was really wasn't built on immigrants. was native Americans here first. then I think every time I see a protest when it says you're on stolen land, it's like, wait a minute. Okay, look, yes, they were here. The native Americans were here, but the British and other people, the French, they said, yes, French Jews, they came to the frontier. And I didn't see any Native Americans skyscrapers to begin with. The French did. Absolutely. So, and even through the war of 1812, we know we had to fight again against anyone to be free. And the slaves and indentured servants were brought into the mix by Britain. Yeah. And Britain was the first to outlaw slavery. They started it and then they outlawed it. African-Americans fought in the Revolutionary War. Native Americans were in the Revolutionary War in every war since. Um, and many African-Americans went up to the, to the North to fight in the civil war. But I think our country, this is one of the most charitable countries on the planet. And I think the example of African-Americans participating to fight alongside, that's, that is a big deal that we are, we are one big country. Yeah. You know, we're not a salad bowl of different little. groups where we all get together and we were American. just want to see prosperity for African-Americans over any more immigration of any kind. don't care if it's merit or whatever, which we really have to work on African-Americans and prosperity. they helped Trump win these two times. Absolutely. By voting for him, especially black men. Well, I think they're tired of being treated as a known quantity. Exactly. Just looked over totally by the Democrat party. Let's bring in some more. Well, they depended on for their vote. But then when Democrats are in power, they have a war on those folks. It seems like the war on poverty, war on drugs, that kind of thing. So they're really not putting Americans first, the Democrat party and rhinos that ⁓ MAGA agenda does put Americans first. And hopefully everyone will come to realize that and be thankful. ⁓ you're proud to stand up for our nation. Absolutely. Okay. Yeah. I our nation. ⁓ We welcome immigration, know, legal immigrants to come to the country, but we have to do that very sparingly because we really need to focus on the poor children in the schools, that generational poverty because of immigrants coming over. Well, illegals. We're talking about illegal people that are in our country illegally and overstayed their visas and stuff like that. I think the number yesterday was 600,000 have self-deported. That's good. And we thank you to them and I hope that they can build their countries up, you know, like we want to do and build their people up. That's a unique angle. It's amazing. You know, stay where you're from and try to make it wonderful. Make it great. Greater than ever before. It's my motto. So, so did you celebrate, ⁓ Venezuelan president Maduro being, ⁓ being kidnapped? Yes, I the photos. Did you like how, what was it weeks earlier or months earlier? He, he had that video saying. Come get me coward. I'm right here in Mirna Flores and Trump's like, we got you. Like the kids say. I was little in the seventies and eighties as a little girl and on up, there were problems there we needed to address. Well, Venezuela was a very prosperous nation until they went socialist in 1999. And amazingly in 26 years, look how they destroyed it. This Trump just didn't allow. the government, federal government, the United States to kick the can down the road anymore. Stopping all the drugs to come in the country is very important. We have to get our young people off of drugs. think there was a video clip of president Trump on Air Force One and one of the CNN reporter says, do you think Iran should be worried? Yes. Trump says, ⁓ we just did this in Venezuela. We did this, this and this. What do you think that's a and he's like, that's a stupid question. I on television. He's told them that help is on its way. Right. Right. Well, and I received a couple of messages from we have a GOP. There's an Iranian guy that's in the GOP here. I don't want to say his name. There's not too many of those guys, right. But he sent me a couple of messages on Facebook messenger videos of against the regime in Iran. And I'm waiting for his response. But I asked him, is this Is this how your family feels in Iran? You know, is this truly what the word on the street is? Or are we being lied to by the media, whatever else? I just want to know what his family thinks. Yes. I've seen the straight from the people's mouths, you know, that they want help the Iranians and Trump said not to kill them, the protesters. yeah, there would be consequences. kind of makes me kind of worry. Cause Trump kind of drew the line. He says, if you hang these guys. You're going to pay consequence. of like when he was in the office and slid that photo over and he says, what's that? the Taliban leader. This is a picture of your home. They better not touch a hair on those Iranian protesters' I hope not. Trump will be coming. See, the problem is I hope not because I don't want my soldiers put in harm's way, but I feel like that the Trump administration is resetting many, many years of neglect by democratic presidents or administrations. And many veterans from Fort Bragg at Barry Denver at Sandhills, ⁓ state veterans, veterans cemetery that, know, many veterans and their families want something done to help Iran. you mentioned, do you have family members that are out there as well? Yes. And at other cemeteries. So definitely a of revolutionary family of service ⁓ for sure. ⁓ Okay. Well, Temple, we're down to the last couple of minutes here. ⁓ I appreciate being here very Thank you for being here. ⁓ How'd we do? Are you still nervous? What's your name? You're from Pakistan. ⁓ Introduce him. ⁓ He goes Jim. Jim, from Pakistan and he ⁓ is our producer and he's So he and I have worked together for over four years. Has it over four years? Yeah. God bless him. Is it? Yeah. ⁓ ⁓ yeah. I, I, I corrupted him way over and back. Like I was telling them American jokes and things and yeah, it's, know, so my BS goes worldwide. So, ⁓ Ms. Temple, how, how would people find out about your campaign? How could they contact you email? If you want to give a phone number, go ahead and tell us how they can reach you. don't believe in money in politics at all. ⁓ So, ⁓ I'm running a money free campaign and my email address is etemple92 at yahoo.com. And I don't mind giving my phone number for text. Okay. 919-909-2556. Okay. Thank you. So thanks for being here. And with that, everyone, thanks for being a big cabinet and we will see you later this afternoon. red. Vote red.