There is a lot of news tonight. And to understand one of the biggest stories unfolding right now,

we're going to have to begin by going all the way back to the year 1988. George H.W. Bush had just

been elected the 41st president. And when the time came a few months later for Bush to nominate

someone to lead the Department of Defense, he chose this guy, former Texas Republican

Senator John Tower. Tower had served in the Senate for more than 20 years. He was a well-known

figure on Capitol Hill, and he had some powerful allies, including the Republican leader in

the Senate Bob Dole, who testified in favor of Tower at his confirmation hearing.

This committee has a very, I think a very thorough examination in store.

That's the kind John Tower wants. He understands that. That's what he wants.

The only way he would have it. When it's all said and done,

there's no doubt in my mind that the next Secretary of Defense will be John Tower from Texas.

There's no doubt in my mind that when all is said and done, the next Secretary of Defense will be John Tower.

Senator Dole had good reason to believe that.

After all, at that point, no cabinet nominee had been rejected by the Senate since

Dwight Eisenhower in 1959.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Among the people called to testify at Towerowers' hearing was a conservative activist named Paul

Weirich. Wyrick was an influential conservative who would end up reshaping the Republican Party.

You might think of him as the Steve Bannon of his day if Steve Bannon were a lot more

productive with his hours. Paul Wyrick established the Heritage Foundation, which decades later published the Project

2025 agenda.

So it was a shock when Paul Weyrich got up to testify at John Tower's confirmation hearing

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