Running for the Right Reasons with Tiffany Smiley

but that's not how it is right now. And very rarely do you get candidates where you just truly believe that their change agents, that they actually want to go to Washington d C and fight for you, that they're in it for the right reasons, that they're in it for something beyond themselves, for for actually for the country

to actually make a difference. And this candidate, Tiffany Smiley, who's running for Washington State, who's running to unsee Patty Murray, who's been there for almost thirty years, is that kind of candidate. I've spoken to her twice now. I interviewed her for night when I filled in for Dan Bongino on his show The Dan Bongino Show, and then we've interviewed her for this show for The Truth with Lisa Booth, which you're about to listen to. She is that candidate.

She has that kind of person who's fighting for the right reasons, who's in it for the right reasons, who would go to d C and be a warrior for people in Washington State. She was an incredible story to She was a triage a nurse. April two thousand five, she found out that her husband, Scottie, while serving in Iraq, was severely wounded by a suicide bomber. He had fell into a coma. He lost sight in both eyes, and they tried to get her to discharge him, but she

would not. She would not do that, and he actually went on to be America's first blind active duty Army officer. And in the process of fighting the system, of fighting for her husband, she realized just how broken Washington d C. Truly was, how broken this system was, how the system was failing, or veterans failing, or military heroes failing. You and me, We're going to get to that story with her, because obviously you want to hear it from her herself

about her own life story. But I'm just telling you, I really liked Tiffany smile A. We really need her in Washington, d C. And I truly hope you enjoyed this interview with her, Tiffany Smiley, running for Senate at Washington, d C. Tiffany Smiley, Tiffany, I loved I gotta interview you on the Dan Bongino Show, and I just loved our conversation so much. So I'm so glad to be able to have you on my podcast. So thank you so much for making the time. Yes, Lisa, thanks for

having me on. I just truly believe that we need more people in Washington, d C like you, who didn't want to get into politics. It wasn't the chosen career path, but you know, you saw was going on in the country and decided to get in. That's what we need in d C. Yeah, you know it's someone would have told me back in two thousand five that me and my husband's journey would lead me into politics. I would have laughed and said, you're crazy. You know, there's absolutely

no way our family will get into politics. But um, you know, our country is we're fighting for and we're just watching Washington State yet destroyed under bad leadership, bad policy. Um. You know, my husband lost his eyesight for this country. He's never never seen our children's faces. Um, we were not going to sit by and just watch thirty year incumbent career politician Patty Murray phoned in for another six years.

That's not what's good for our country. And so um, you know, it's interesting when when we were trying to decide even getting into this race and getting into politics, I remember I was I was feeling, you know, some reservations, and rightfully so we and just finally built a house and and you know, weren't moving all over the country with the military and blood sweent in tears, but we have built a beautiful life. And Scotty came to me and he said, Tiffany, there's one person who can beat

Patty Murray and Washington State. And I hate to tell you, honey, but it's you. And he he just said, you know you, you kicked me out at that hospital bed, and Walter read and believed that I had purpose and could live for you know something, you're in better than myself, and so he said, go do it for all of Washington

and I'm behind you all the way. So for for me and Scottie, we want to know in ten twenty years that our three boys have in America worth giving their eyesight for it sounds like you guys have a really beautiful and supportive marriage. Oh yeah, Scotty is so amazing. Um, you know, and he's very much so part of this campaign as well. So people all across Washington State loves Scotty and have heard from Scotty. He stumps for me,

he goes to speeches for me. He's an amazing, amazing human being and certainly knows that that freedom isn't free and that this country, this state is worth fighting for. Um. We call it Teams Miley, and we are building Teams Smiley all over this great state. And for those who are unfamiliar with your your story and your husband's story. Um. So he served in Iraq and was severely wounded by a suicide bomber. This happened in April two thousand five.

Talk about that and and sort of how it completely changed the trajectory of both of your lives. Yes, I was working as a nurse here in Washington State and resigned resigned for my nursing job, and I took a one way flight out to Washington, d C. Up to the old Walter Read And I didn't know if I was going to greet Scotty dead or alive, but I was going to be there. And when I walked into his trauma care unit, he had tubes coming out of every orifice of his body. He was in a coma,

and one thing, um, one thing was permanent. The suicide bomber that he was negotiating with in service to our country had detonated his car, and the shrapnel from that detonation completely obliterated both the Scotty's eyes. Um, whether he lived or died, he would be forever blind. And that's, you know, truly, when my fight began for Scotty, I realized that I had to stand up and and fight

for his life, liberty in pursuit of happiness. The Army and the v A were coming at me with paperwork and saying sign right here on the dotted line, Mrs Smiley, and I said, no, I'm not signing that, and they said, well, everyone signs it, and I said we I'll be the first one to not sign it. You know, it was

bigger than me, It was bigger than Scotty. Um. I believe that Scotty could still serve, that I could help him make a miraculous recovering, that he could still be an asset to the military, so we took on the army. He went on and became the first blind active duty officer to ever serve our country, and we served for over a decade with him completely blind. He's Scotty has never seen our children's faces. Um, they were all born

after he was blind. But once Scotty was well, I knew I had to go back and make it right for everyone else. So we took on VA reform, and you know, took on big government, big big rocks, bureaucracies, and and did what was right. But truly, in that fight, I realized we have so much more to be fighting for. And I remember, you know, the first time means Scotty

was well, it's like the second time. The second time we walked into the capital where we were advocating and fighting for veterans um and meeting with anyone who would take a meeting with me, I was really disappointed. I remember leaving our capital and feeling very very sad because here are family. You know, Scotty had lost his eyes, and we were fighting and trying and striving and doing

everything we could and facing just government bureaucracy. And we went when we went to the Capitol, we we found career politicians on both sides of the aisle. Um, this isn't a democratic Republican issues American issues that we have going on, and just the status quo and the apathy and UM, I just you know, career politicians who were just more interested in their special and just interest driven agenda than they weren't doing what's right for the American people.

And when we left the Capitol, I remember looking at Scotty and said, I don't know how Scotty, but our voices belong there, like our country deserves better. UM. So you know, in some ways, I feel like I'm still being a UM, I'm just helping people in a different way. Quick break back with Tiffany Smiley, who's running for Senate in Washington State. What you had said that for the discharge, they told you that everyone signs it, but you didn't.

What held you back from doing that? Internally? I do like if I sign that, not that it was the death sentence for Scottie, but it was like that that's a path that I don't want him going down. Um. And it was basically like sign right here will get him transitioned into the v A and then you can

look for long long term care facilities for him. He was twenty four years old, was in the best, best shape of his life, best point grab and I remember thinking, no, our life is going to be better er than this. We are going to we are going to make something of this. And I I believed in Scotty Um when everyone else didn't um and rightfully so they thought I was crazy. But I had a vision. I knew that we could work, and I knew I could fight for Scotty.

I would walk in his hospital room and tell him all the things that he could be versus all the things he couldn't be. So my conviction was strong when I looked them in the eyes and said, I'm not signing that paperwork. In fact, I pushed it in front of me a second time and said, Mrs Smiley, you know everyone signs this, sign it, and I said, I'm

not signing it. UM gave me time to build a coalition that believed in in this vision of something better, not just for Scotty, but but for thousands of catastrophically injured veterans and their families and how we treat them. But I would walk into Scotty's room, and you know, every day he didn't know what medical crisis he was going to face, or you know, even just the aftermath of dealing with being in the best shape of your

life and the best vision to to no vision at all. Um. And I would tell him all the things he could. I would say, you know, you're gonna you're going to be a speaker some day, Scotty, You're going to be an author, You're gonna write a book, and you're gonna be a phenomenal teacher. And and he would refute it, but he's like, Tiffany, you're the most persistent person. I know. He's like, you just kept coming in and speaking truth

and speaking hope and life into my life. And you know, he reached a point where he's like, I don't have any other choice, Like I, you know, I have to go forward and do this. And you know, Scotty is incredible. I'm I'm lucky. I am so lucky that I get him as my teammate every single day because he you know, of course he went back to Duke and got his NBA, he wrote a book. Um, He's climbed Mount Rainier Denali.

He's an iron man completely unstoppable, and um, I'm honored to be on team smiling with Scottie Well and now he's standing by your side, and it encourage you, you and in this endeavor as you fight for change in Washington d C. You know, after going through the whole process with your husband and getting a front or of a look at how our government works, how it treats veterans. What needs to change about government? Oh my goodness, the

government needs to work for the people. Um. You know, it's it's clear, like right now we have Senter Murray who only works for Washington d C. In every room I go into here in Washington State. You know, I say, if it Senator Murray was really working for Washington State, then why did she vote to raise taxes? Why did she be the highest inflation that we've seen in a generation. Why did she vote for higher gas prices? She voted for crime soft on crime policies. I mean, these are

the questions that people are asking. This is what's the state government needs to work for the people. Um, And I think we've got that confused in this country. Um, Senator Murray is just the government and growing larger government bureaucracies at every turn. Um, that is threatening our livelihoods are safety here in Washington State, so certainly in in this rate. That's that's what's that state. That's what I'm

talking to. You know. On Saturday, I was in Seattle, UM, in a room with Democrats and Independence who who has said, you know, Tiffany, You're the first republic Can I've ever voted for and I'm honored, like I'm proud to be voting for you. Um. And they just feel increasingly less safe because anybody works for Washington d c. Um. So

we need the people's voices in the people's House. Um, that that will be really really refreshing for our country, for our state, where we can just start to deliver results, um, all over this country. And that's the thing is, you know, the majority of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, because it is, I mean, we see it

in all aspects of government. And so why if if the majority of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, why vote for someone who has been there for almost thirty years and has contributed to all the problems and that the directional wrong right of the country. Yes, yes, um, that's the case that we are certainly making here in Washington State. You know, is do you like the crime industry? Do you like inflation? Do you like high gas prices?

If you don't like this, then you need to vote differently. And and that's certainly what we are doing. And I think there's some people just set out of politics because they're so discouraged. Um. You know, I have a whole avenda for political recovery and reform um, where I pledged to hold ten town halls all across Washington State. Um. Senator Mary, I don't even think she's held one last year.

In addition to that, I'm not I'm not going there to get paid or or to build a retirement, Like if our Congress cannot pass a budget, then we shouldn't get paid. Senator Murray is sat on her elitist perch um failed us at every turn. Like I think she's forgotten that she's there to serve. And that's certainly what we need more of in every room and go into Washington State. Uh. You know, I talked about how ceremony has spent millions to attack me and my family. She's

trying to paint us as a threat to democracy. Um. And she shows a picture of Donald Trump. She's just trying to further divide and and play into this rhetoric that's dividing our country enough already. And I reminder every room Howtie Murray wants to scare you, and I'm here to serve you. That's the choice on the ballot this November. Well, and it's also shows that they have no solutions, right, I mean the only it's yeah, it's like just they don't have solutions. Yeah, I mean, what a bad look

for a thirty year career politician incumbent. She comes back, you know, we haven't. She called for funds to be diverted from our police force, and she disappears. People watched the state didn't see her. Nowhere to be found. She comes out attacking one opponent two months prior to the primary, and she's not talking about solutions. She's not talking about any plans to help out. People know. She's attacking Tiffany, smiling and telling everyone in Washington State to oppose me

because I'm a threat to democracy. I mean, this is it doesn't make any sense. It's it's it's a really bad look. It's exactly why we will win this race, because we're actually sharing hope. We have planned a vision agenda to rein in the out of control spending, unleash our American energy independence. I remind every room that Senator Murray took mack out donations from the North Room to

pipeline lobbyists. I would say, what a DC thing to do, raise our gas prices and line her pockets enough people are sick and tired of it. I mean that pretty much does sum up the problem with Washington d C. To be perfectly honest, and you'd you'd referenced her stance on you know, crime and not really standing up for citizens.

And I mean we all saw in disbelief with what happened in Seattle, Washington where leaders city leaders, quote leaders in print and quotes right because they're not really leaders, seed seed the city to anarchists and and to tow rioters. And and that's extreme, Yes, that is so extreme. She stood by, She didn't say anything. She didn't stand up and fight, she didn't stand up and back are blue. She went along with whatever was working for Washington d C. In fact, I recently, um I had a crime ad

where I'm holding Patty Murray accountable for her failures. And then talking about what we could do in the future. Senator Murray came back to relatively the same spot where I filmed that ad Um. Mind you, where I was filming there was murders in that parking lot and it was a Starbucks has been completely shut down. She came back to that area and pretended like there was no crime here and mocked me like saying, I can get

a cup of coffee here. Um. You know, the news went and uh interviewed a lot of the business owners and they said, oh, yeah, we have crime every single day, we have break in smuggies. So I'm like, what world are you living in? Senator Murray, you don't deserve this position anymore because you're so out of touch. She's a slap in the face of two Washingtonians who are being

ravished by crime. A woman just yet, you know, a couple of weeks ago told me she was walking to the middle of the day in Seattle, was violently assaulted, shoved into a corner. She she had to fight off the assailant herself, and then she looked around and someone said, don't call nine one one because they're not going to do anything. That's Patty Murray's Washington State. And it's also the financial uh concerns as well. I mean, we see

so many Americans right now. I think it's something like, you know, we're all paying four d forty some of like four in ord fifty dollars more each month. You know, it's gas is impossible. I mean, it's just it all is just adding up. And I think so many people are suffering. What what are you hearing from, you know, folks back home about the economic situation that they're facing. Yes, I mean the rising costs of living is affecting people.

And you know, just a couple of weeks ago, I was at the kent Um Safeway parking lot and I saw two little girls playing in the parking lot as if it was their backyard. They had their dolls out, and it was clear they're living out of their car, and their mom was inside the grocery store, probably just trying to get a few bites to eat to get through the day or get through that night. And you know, it's clear that woman does not need Patty Murray's electric

vehicle voucher. That woman needs gas prices to be lower, cost of groceries to be lower. Um, she needs childcare she needs a hand up in this country. I've been clear in every room in Washington State. That's why I'm fighting for. Senator Murray is so completely out of touch. I mean, tax and spend is the name of her game. We can we cannot afford six more years of Senator Murray.

There's absolutely no way. It's leading us down a path and higher, you know, higher inflation, higher cost of living UM. Grocery prices are some of the highest in the country here, same with gas prices UM. And you know, people are they're very worried. But in addition to you know, the

rising cost of living and crime UM. In every room I go into, there is someone that comes to me with tears in their eyes talking about a son or a daughter, or a relative or a friend, or in a funeral they just went to from Fenton, al. It is a crisis in Washington State. It's not just on our streets and in our homeless encampments, it's in our

school since killing our kids. Senator Murray, you know, she she held a hearing Washington's or she held a roundtable, and then she went to Washington d C. And healthy caring, and I have been very clear hearing you know, that's such a Washington, d c. Thing to do, because hearings don't say love save lives. Taking action and securing our poorest southern border and stopping the flow with set and

all from coming in and killing our kids. That is something that I hear in every single room I go into in Washington State, someone that is affected by this crisis and so many people are dying from it. As you pointed out, you know, Tiffany, before we go, is there anything you'd like to leave listeners with. Yes, I would just encourage to, you know, continue to believe in this country. And we are pushed in the corner and

all might seem loss that we always rise better. Um. I'm fighting for the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for all of Washington State. We can move forward. We are this shiny beacon on a hill, UM, and I am in this fight to deliver that, to bring our state in our country together. We are not stopping. We're going all the way through the finish line, continuing to connect with voters, UM, to to ensure that we get

this country and our state on the right track. It is worth the sacrifice and the fight, UM, so I encourage everyone to get involved. Use your voice, because I know that one voice can make a difference. And I think you say one more time where people can go help you. You broke up right at the time where you're mentioning your website, so I want people to have that. Yes, sorry, I'm on the road. I'm in the back of my bus heading to another event. So, UM, anyone can join

us at Smiley for Washington dot com all spelled out. Um, this is truely the fight there this country and for Washington State. So thank you so much, Lisa, So Smiley for Washington dot Com. Go help Tiffany Smiley. Tiffany, I've I've really just enjoyed getting to know you through these conversations. I really truly hope you get to Washington, d C. We need people like you, so I'm praying for you. Thank you, Luis, I appreciate it. We will win. Keep

an eye on Washington. That was tifficly smiling. I mean, what a story. I I really mean that when I told her, I hope you get to Washington, d C. These are the kinds of leaders that we need in America. These are the kinds of leaders we need in Washington. D C. You can tell she actually cares about the people that she's running to to represent in Washington, d C. So if you're in Washington State, please go help her get out and vote. The race is achievable and we

need people like her. I want to thank you guys at home for listening. Want to thank Drew Steel for stepping in to put together the podcast every Monday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week, and please leave us a review and give us a five stars on Apple Podcasts.