Dinesh D’Souza has partnered with a new organization, the Red Referral Network, designed to bring together local business owners, independent contractors, and entrepreneurs who value and support conservative policies.
“As conservatives, we don’t want to be funding companies that use our money to undermine our values,” Mr. Dinesh said during an interview with The Epoch Times.
“Whether it’s Disney or Bud Light, or for that matter, Amazon or Walmart, a lot of this stuff strikes me very personally because… for example, our last film release date, we could not get either Amazon or Walmart to sell our DVDs,” he said about the 2023 release of his film, “Are You Next? Police State,” adding that none of the companies gave a reason for refusing to sell it.
Chris Widener, founder of the Red Referral Network, said he came up with the concept as a way of creating a web of “like-minded” business owners who will support each other as well as the policy-makers they trust.
“I know a small businesswoman who owns an ice cream shop, and when the surrounding businesses owned by leftists found out that she was a conservative, they did everything they could to keep people from going to her business,” Mr. Widener told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Widener is a motivational speaker and leadership coach and has authored over 20 books, including “The Art of Influence.” He is also a member of the Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame.
Oftentimes, consumers inadvertently support companies that donate to Democrat politicians or causes, he explained.
“Consumers are really good at canceling big businesses like Starbucks and Target and Anheuser Busch,” Mr. Widener continued. “But what we don’t realize is that individuals and small businesses donate far more money to leftist causes, to leftist organizations—not just politicians—than big businesses.”
“Let’s say, for example, if you cancel Starbucks and you start going to your local coffee shop, we don’t know where those people stand in regard to their political donations. And many times, [the businesses] end up donating to the same causes.”
Mr. D’Souza, who met Mr. Widener through the American Freedom Tour, said the Red Referral Network is not necessarily a new idea, but it is akin to organizations such as the Rotary Club or Kiwanis, which are international groups of people who share the same goals. It was through the Rotary Club that Mr. D’Souza first came to the U.S. from India, he said. The organization sponsored him as a foreign exchange student in 1978.
“The idea of creating alternate institutions is very appealing and very important,” Mr. D’Souza said. “I think, ultimately, we need what I’m almost going to call an alternative America within America.”
While doing business with others who share the same faith or other backgrounds is not a novel idea, it is a proven concept, he continued.
“Mormans do this, Hindus do this,” Mr. D’Souza said. “They establish a practice of networking within their own community. If you’re a Jewish guy, you’re like, listen, I’m going to make sure my accountant is Jewish. If you’re an Indian guy, you’re like, I’ll do business as much as possible with fellow Indians. Now, that’s not to say you’re not going to deal with other people.”
So, when Mr. Widener asked him to join forces on the project, Mr. D’Souza said he welcomed the idea of helping to build a community of small businesses that would rather support each other than line the pockets of mainstream institutions.
“We have to create our own schools, our own universities, our own comedy channels, our own entertainment,” he continued. “And, this way, we can avoid having to bankroll our detractors and, in fact, our political tormentors.”
Mr. Widener said he’s not sure this type of networking organization would have been necessary or viable seven or eight years ago.
“But when President Trump got elected, the left went apoplectic,” he explained. “[They wanted to] not only tear him down, but [also] anybody who supports him, and they are the ones who made it personal.”
As far as Mr. D’Souza’s role with the Red Referral Network, he said he would provide video content that would be presented to the groups during their weekly meetings.
About the Launch
The Red Referral Network will officially launch next month in cities across the country and will be linked through a nationwide network.“We are expecting between 50 and 75 groups across the country to start in the next month,” Mr. Widener said, adding that this month, he has already offered about a dozen training sessions for group leaders, teaching them how to build their local networking groups.
The groups will be formed based on the company’s ZIP code, and there will be a consumer directory for citizens who want to do business with companies that support and contribute to conservative causes.
Members will not only get to know fellow hometown conservative business owners, but they will also receive leadership training and other benefits, such as a free business listing on the group’s website.
“As of three weeks ago, I’ve already started producing my quotient of intellectual content for their meetings,’ Mr. D’Souza said.
Other Projects in the Works
Mr. Widener said he’s getting ready to launch a health-sharing company for conservative-minded people who want access to quality healthcare without the high deductibles.“It will save people thousands on their health coverage every year,” he said, adding that more information will be available soon.
And Mr. D’Souza said he has two separate ideas that are still in the early stages, so he is not quite ready to reveal them publicly.
“It’s obviously going to be a huge year,” he said.
