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Hal Van Hercke

Veteran Business Owner Community Leader Policy Expert

Sedalia, Colorado

Hal Van Hercke is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, owner of Castlegate Knife and Tool in Sedalia, Colorado, and CEO of Knightsbridge Research, a private intelligence firm specializing in open source intelligence and geopolitical risk assessment.

Biography

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Hal Van Hercke is an entrepreneur, veteran, and business leader based in Sedalia, Colorado. He is the owner and founder of Castlegate Knife and Tool, a family-owned specialty knife store featuring the largest retail knife display in the Rocky Mountain region. The store serves collectors, outdoor enthusiasts, and military personnel with premium American-made knives and tools. Van Hercke operates the business with his wife Linnea, and the company has doubled in size for three consecutive years.

Van Hercke served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and later spent 20 years in the corporate sector at IBM in global business development roles. He is also the CEO and founder of Knightsbridge Research Ltd, a private intelligence firm specializing in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and geopolitical risk assessment, monitoring global conflict zones for clients.

Beyond his business ventures, Van Hercke is an active community leader. He is a member of Dads of Castle Rock, organizing disaster relief efforts including responding to the Marshall Fire in Boulder County. He volunteers as a bugler with the National Honor Tour, playing Taps at military funerals at Fort Logan National Cemetery. He is also a Toastmasters member and credits the organization with building his public speaking confidence.

Van Hercke appeared on the Kim Monson Show over 35 times between 2020 and 2022, offering perspectives on small business challenges, individual liberty, veteran issues, and geopolitical affairs. His analysis of the Russia-Ukraine invasion drew on his intelligence community background.

Episodes

36 appearances

February 25, 2022

Russia Invades Ukraine and the Biden Administration’s Dangerous Energy Policies

Intelligence analysts examine Russia's Ukraine invasion, Biden energy policy, and China-Taiwan tensions. February 25, 2022.

“I think what it points out more than anything else is that the Biden administration are ideologues in the purest sense. If anything, they're probably looking at this as a positive because if they can raise gas prices through the roof, it'll stimulate the adoption of alternative energy faster.”

1:40 – 56:00

Segment

January 21, 2022

Court Complacency and the Erosion of Constitutional Guardrails

Constitution & Rule of Law

Allen Thomas examines why Supreme Court wins are not victories but attacks repelled. Steve Cruz on tax implications of child credits. January 21, 2022.

“Benchmade out of Oregon, obviously, has also really invested heavily and expanding their capacity of U.S.-based knives. And they probably came out with almost two dozen new models this year that they announced at the show, which is incredible.”

30:49 – 33:31

Segment

January 14, 2022

The Best and Worst of Colorado Politics in 2021

Civic Engagement & Grassroots

Pam Long reviews Colorado's best and worst political decisions of 2021 with Kim Monson on January 14, 2022.

“Right this minute as we're talking, there's a group of bureaucrats somewhere in Colorado plotting how they can take somebody's freedom away.”

30:32 – 33:56

Segment

January 7, 2022

Dads Building Community Through Service and Brotherhood

Civic Engagement & Grassroots

Dads of Castle Rock leaders discuss disaster relief, life skills training, and fellowship on January 7, 2022.

“When you're actually out physically doing something as part of that project, helping to build the yurts and the playground equipment, when you're rolling up your sleeves and getting stuff done, that really gives you a sense of satisfaction.”

35:14 – 55:41

Segment

December 17, 2021

Exactly Wrong: Democrats and Crime, A Tale of Two Cases

Rick Turnquist analyzes the Julius Jones and Rittenhouse cases to expose Democrat crime policy failures. Friday, December 17, 2021.

“It's obviously happening in Democrat cities. It's happening in cities that you have district attorneys and city attorneys that were specifically put in place by George Soros and his various foundations to enact a catch-and-release policy in these cities.”

23:22 – 28:04

Segment

November 12, 2021

Virginia Election Victory and the Changing Political Landscape

Rick Turnquist analyzes Virginia's Republican sweep, Mary Alpers covers tax strategy, and Hal Van Hercke supports veterans. November 12, 2021.

“I believe our veterans and first responders are unique, special people. They are. There's certain things about them that we're the type of people that we're willing to stand up and defend what they believe in and put their lives on the line.”

29:13 – 31:10

Segment

November 5, 2021

Freedom vs. Force: School Boards, Vaccine Mandates, and the 1776 Spirit

Hal Van Hercke discusses election victories, vaccine mandates, and the 1776 spirit with Kim Monson. November 5, 2021.

“I think we all, every day, should be looking at our lives and the time we live in as our 1776. Freedom is being attacked on a daily basis from all sides, from all kinds of powerful forces on this planet. Any of us who believe in individual freedom, I think we need to wake up every morning and put on our suit of armor and go to battle against people who would subjugate us.”

“The most inexcusable part is, and this would go for any type of government, especially when you're down at the local level, when you just completely ignore entirely the will of your constituency. And when they're telling you politely, initially, their concerns and what their wishes are, and they take polls and they take surveys and then they just ignore them completely, that's kind of scary. We know better than you do. We know better for your kids than you do. We know better about how to run a school than you do. We know better about health than you do.”

1:23 – 59:24

Segment

September 24, 2021

The Progressive Fantasy List and the True Cost of Government Spending

Rick Turnquist exposes the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Hal Van Hercke urges conservatives to stand up. September 24, 2021.

“So we just need to start standing up. And if you look at the statistics, there's just as many of us who are frustrated with this contingent encroachment on personal freedom than there are that keep pushing it.”

22:56 – 28:07

Segment

September 17, 2021

Constitution Day and the 200-Year Cycle of Freedom

Hal Van Hercke on conservatism, individual freedom, and the Constitution's role in limiting government. September 17, 2021.

“When I say conservative, I think about people who are very passionate about conserving individual freedom. That's what I mean, really. And conserving the Constitution, traditional American values, the things that made this country great.”

“You just have to, it's a corny phrase, but you have to be the change. You have to just stand up right now, today, and say: I'm not taking any more of this and I'm going to start fighting back in whatever peaceful means I have at my disposal.”

“The final thought is you don't have to just shut up and take it. Get fired up. Get a little bit of warrior spirit in you. Look around. Decide what you want to stand up for, what you want to speak out about, and just start doing it.”

3:05 – 57:00

Segment

September 10, 2021

Never Forget and Grand Lake Constitution Week

Kim Monson reflects on 9/11's 20th anniversary with Todd Beamer's story, then previews Grand Lake Constitution Week. September 10, 2021.

“I think it's always critical that all of us remember not only the events themselves, but the situation that led up to it and how our country responded in the moments following that. I think it's very important that we always remember. It was a very sad day in U.S. history.”

20:12 – 25:33

Segment

August 20, 2021

Addressing the Racism Narrative and Democrat Governance Failures

Peter Yu confronts the CRT lie, Rick Turnquist exposes Democrat governance failures, and veteran support during the Afghanistan crisis. August 20, 2021.

“It's not a good week for freedom, not a good week for being a humanitarian and for caring about people and individual freedoms and individual rights. But it's impacted me very indirectly, but still I can only imagine how it's impacted people who have committed so much there.”

25:17 – 28:52

Segment

August 6, 2021

Health Freedom and the Fight Against Medical Mandates

Leslie Manookian of Health Freedom Defense Fund exposes vaccine mandate legal framework. Hal Van Hercke warns of corporatism. August 6, 2021.

“The biggest threat right now to force vaccinations or a vaccine passport or to any of our individual freedoms going forward is this really unholy alliance between big government and big corporations.”

25:51 – 30:00

Segment

July 30, 2021

The Politicization of COVID and the Assault on Individual Freedom

Dr. Jill Vecchio exposes COVID politicization while Hal Van Hercke warns of cultural Marxism threatening individual freedom. Friday, July 30, 2021.

“We're at a very unique point in time, and I think that anybody who values truth, anybody who values, you know, and I say truth in terms of absolute truth, and truth that's either anchored in the laws of man and nature or handed down by the divine creator, versus the relative non-truth of cultural Marxism, if you believe in individual freedoms and the foundations of that, I think everybody has to start taking stock of what can I do as an individual to fight this.”

27:17 – 56:20

Segment

July 16, 2021

Initiative 25 Creates Unaccountable Education Bureaucracy

Patti Kurgan and Hal Van Hercke expose Initiative 25's LEAP program as an unelected authority controlling Colorado education. July 16, 2021.

“We're supposed to have people accountable to the citizenry through democratic processes.”

“These are all unelected people who are out of touch and out of reach of the citizenry. And that kind of concerns me quite a bit.”

18:35 – 30:14

Segment

June 18, 2021

The Global Reset Agenda and the American Small Business Owner

Hal Van Hercke of Castlegate Knife and Tool exposes World Economic Forum plans and discusses threats to American liberty. The Kim Monson Show, June 18, 2021.

“Traditional families are a barrier to Marxism. Property rights are a barrier to Marxism. A middle class is a barrier to Marxism. A thriving small business community is a barrier to Marxism. Borders are a barrier to global Marxism. And what are they attacking?”

26:23 – 56:03

Segment

May 31, 2021

D-Day Through the Eyes of an Army Ranger

Major General John Raaen Jr. recounts his experience with the 5th Ranger Battalion at Omaha Beach. A Memorial Day tribute on May 31, 2021.

“One of the things that we really focus on is what we would call deployment quality or military quality knives that you know you're going to be able to depend on when you deploy or you're downrange.”

37:02 – 41:48

Segment

May 27, 2021

Forced Minimum Wage Hurts Small Business and Workers Alike

Hal Van Hercke exposes how forced minimum wage destroys small business, while Dr. Jill Vecchio warns vaccine incentives may turn coercive. May 27, 2021.

“Small business makes our world go around. The vast majority of people that we know in our lives work for small business. It is the backbone of our economy. It's one of the key founding principles of our country as a Western civilization.”

27:57 – 55:13

Segment

May 7, 2021

Spending America Out of Existence and the Supply-Side Solution

Brian Domitrovic and Hal Van Hercke examine Biden's $2 trillion spending plan and why tax cuts create jobs. May 7, 2021.

“Yeah, I think that there's a lot of reasons to be concerned about the spending. And kind of on an existential level, you know, I'm concerned by the fact that Biden's motto is build back better, which is directly from the Great Reset and the work from people in Davos, et cetera, which is really aimed at redistributing wealth across the global community.”

20:07 – 28:05

Segment

April 30, 2021

Minimum Wage Mandates Backfire as Medical Data Privacy Erodes

Rick Turnquist exposes how minimum wage hikes destroy entry-level jobs while Jill Vecchio warns of HIPAA changes threatening medical privacy. April 30, 2021.

“What most people don't realize is the average small business only makes 7% profit. So if my labor is 25% of mycost and you raise my cost 30% for that labor,so you take me from$ 10 an hour to$ 14,$ 15 an hour, you have literally wiped out 100% of my profit, whichis 100% of my reason for existing.”

11:29 – 16:40

Segment

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