Most are here to create better communities, stronger communities, and we're excited to keep investing.

Yeah, and part of the reason I asked on the numbers was just that you would expect with less enthusiasm to pursue maybe the nonprofit or civic activity that that would be reflected in the numbers.

And at least for us, this election cycle specifically has the highest number of veterans that we've tracked for nine years.

We announced that last week.

I think we're the only ones that track it across all parties and independents, about 10% of all candidates that run are independents.

And there's an embedded stat that's really encouraging as well.

which is that the number of women running this cycle who served as veterans has increased by almost two and a half X from the last cycle.

Thank

Right

... you know, 25 years later, was that he decided, he had the opportunity to, to remo- be, be removed from the front lines because of the wounds, and he decided to stay in that recon platoon and lead that recon platoon for another six months, and knew the dangers.

And so courage, as I see it, is the decision, it's a conscious decision to face risk.

Uh-huh.

And, uh, and I was a troublemaker, and I was...

I had not found my way.

I was...

Y- you know, I, I came close to some pretty stupid calls, uh, that could've had life-s- changing implications.

So talk to us about why you decided, hey, now's the time to write this.

That's right.

And most Americans are hungry for courage.

So courage is not bravery.

I distinguish between the two.

I start off in the prologue of the book going back to the Stoics and a book that our esteemed Marine Commander Jim Mattis recommended for every Marine officer, and that was meditations.

And what Marcus Aurelius, who was then the Holy Roman Empire, wrote about was the service of the common good.

because there is this ethos right of service that when you are serving your country it doesn't matter you're never asking hey are you a democrat are you a republican it's hey you're on my team you're an american and i'm here to protect you i swore an oath to the constitution and that is who i'm protecting do you think that there is this different ethos when it comes to a veteran who is a lawmaker versus someone else maybe a career politician who's never served

This is nuts.

You know, it's so interesting because it's and by the way, it's it's both men and women there.

That's two X the number of combat or number of veterans that are women that are running this this cycle.

Isn't that cool? Yeah.

And also, again, across party lines and independent.

So one of the biggest trends that's happened since I started the organization with another Marine and a mentor of mine 10 years ago is that the number of independents in the United States, folks who have just dropped their party affiliation, because they're fed up with the status quo, is now the largest political party.

It's over 45% of all Americans.

with another Marine that I had served with.

So maybe not even this year, but over the next year or two, where do you see those next key bipartisan moments coming together?

Well, in the immediate future for this year, it is true in election cycles, there's less that gets done.

But one thing that God willing will continue to get done and has a tradition of more than 60 years, one of the only bills that does is the National Defense Authorization Act.

So we work very closely with the two ranking members who are bipartisan and are extraordinary individuals on the Senate side, Roger Wicker and Jack Reed, um, I was actually once an intern in like the 1990s when I grew up for then Congressman Jack Reed, great, great individual.

And Senator Wicker has been a champion for, uh, for, for, for our organization in the Senate, Senate arm.

Don't take that for granted.

I mean, Adam Smith and Mike Rogers not long ago made that point.

but feel frustrated by the politics, what is the one concrete act of civic courage that they can take

Does that comport with your understanding? In other words, those who've worn the uniform, if they get to Congress, are more apt to reach across the aisle.

Yeah, that's right.

And it was the key animation nine years ago to me co-founding with honor with our colleague, the late David Gergen, and a friend of mine from the Marines who I served with during a similar period of time in the Iraq War, Peter Dixon.

And David really challenged us by saying, listen, I believe this is right.

I know that veterans across party lines that I've served with across bipartisan administrations have been very effective as partners.

He often gave the example of Dan Inouye and Bob Dole, who, of course, recovered from grievous injuries during World War II, challenged each other to run for office, and then served honorably and in partnership for so many decades.

But when you actually look at the research, such as Amoroso's and others, which are on our website with honor.org, what it shows is as a group, veterans have served in a more bipartisan, a more constructive way in Congress.

You would agree in terms of, well, why would a veteran be more apt at cross-the-aisle relationships?

How do you do that when it seems like the center in this country has shrunk and it's tougher for people who want to work across the aisle to even get elected?

It is no doubt tougher.

I mean, I started the organization nine years ago with the late David Gergen and a Marine that I served with, Peter Dixon.

Wes was actually on the advisory board prior to him running.

And the polarization in this place has obviously gotten worse.

But what I've tried to chart forward with this book is say, hey, listen, there are still individuals that are rising to the challenge.

A lot of them have served, have worn the uniform of the nation.

How hard is it in this administration, Senator, to take a stand against this president?

Well, I think it's harder.

Because you believe, and you believe there is evidence that, uh, military veterans are more likely to show the kind of political courage and also to cross party lines.

That's exactly right.

So W- With Honor has helped support over 100 veterans.

There are about 50 that are currently in Congress, and they take a pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage, including the courage to work across party lines, not necessarily agree with every policy, but to maintain that trust to address matters that really, uh, are important to the country.

Thank you.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Rye Barcott, a Marine veteran, social entrepreneur, and author of Courage Can Save Us, 10 Extraordinary Americans in the Fight for Our Future.

It comes out from Bloomsbury Publishing just ahead of America's 250th anniversary.

I wrote this book to examine courage in American public life today and to inspire people towards lives of service, which I believe can bring a deep sense of purpose.

The book focuses on 10 Americans, nine veterans and one former FBI agent, five Republicans and five Democrats, each of whom serve in the arena with courage.

It's an environment, modern American politics, where it is often seen in short supply.

Why do you believe courage can save us?

Well, Morning Joe, first of all, shout out to you guys.

We launched the organization, With Honor, nine years ago on Morning Joe.

Yes.

We're launching the book with you guys.

We did, uh, an event last night with Governor Moore and his mother, uh, and Mikey Sherrill, who also was there with her parents.

So this book, Courage Can Save Us, I wrote it over the last three years.

And what it does is I profile some of the vets that, uh, that our organization, With Honor, has helped elect and support, uh, who have been in office and taken a pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage, including the courage to still work across party lines at a time when obviously it's gotten much more difficult to do so.

What does his story illustrate about courage?

It was probably the chapter that was both hardest for me to write as well as kind of most enjoyable because he's the one of the 10 that I know the most.

We went to the basic school together.

We overlapped at HBS and HKS.

We both share a mentor in the late David Gergen.

He's a really unique service-driven individual.

And I learned things about him that I had never known, including this one moment in particular, which is really striking for any Marine, because Seth was actually relieved of command on his first combat assignment.

I wonder if you could reflect a little bit on what his life and death really meant to you and how it animates you now.

Yeah.

And obviously today we, it's the, almost the last place that most Americans think about and is, uh, you know, Congress and courage.

But I make an argument here that even in this body, uh, that exists, and in fact, the, the levels of pressures that, that members face, uh, y- it, it, it, it, it presents more opportunities than most professions to actually demonstrate, uh, c- courage, which I define as, you know, taking a risk in the service of others, but a knowing, a knowing risk.

So on writing this-

But we might, you know-

... and, and there's the, the, the sort of contradiction of it too, where, where we just dropped this poll with Gallup, which is gonna measure American values, including American perceptions of courage.

And what we believe we're gonna find is that most Americans say they value courage, but also don't see it, and many times don't necessarily view that they exhibit them- it themselves in their own lives.

But in many respects, I wrote this book for students.

What about them? made you right? Yeah,

so I've been leaning with honor.

I co-founded it with the late David Gergen and another Marine that I served with during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars about eight years ago.

And through that period of time, we've helped recruit and train and help elect veterans that take our pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage, including the courage to work across party lines at a difficult time to do so.

Through that process, I've gotten to know many of them quite well.

And so what I decided to do was select 10, an even balance of five and five, all of whom were in office at a very difficult, challenging time for the country, and really unpack where their courage came from, and then look at moments of courage both in military service as well as in politics and elected office.

Sometimes that courage is quieter.

You ask members also to pledge just to meet with a member of the opposing party once a month and then join them in significant bipartisan legislation.