A Conversation That Was Meant to Happen: Meeting Trey Boe in Washington

By Lucretia Hughes Klucken

WASHINGTON — Some of the most meaningful moments are not scheduled. They happen when two people simply sit down, begin talking and realize there may be a reason their paths crossed.

That is how my conversation with Trey Boe began during the Women for Gun Rights National Summit in Washington.

I had seen Boe throughout the weekend, but I first took notice of him as one of the people onstage during the Women for Gun Rights gala. Later, I was sitting outside having a cigarette when he came out to smoke as well and began talking with others nearby. When I overheard him mention who he was and his connection to Universal Coin & Bullion, I did what I often do: I joined the conversation and introduced myself.

I asked him a straightforward question: Does Universal Coin & Bullion sponsor people like me—independent voices who have their own shows and are working every day to inform and engage an audience?

That one question opened the door to a conversation that lasted more than an hour.

We talked about media, advocacy, faith and the personal experiences that shape the work we do. I shared parts of my testimony and my journey—not simply as a show host and writer, but as a mother, advocate and woman who has learned to keep standing through grief, hardship and uncertainty.

Then Boe handed me his phone and let me read something he had written called The Night I Stopped Wrestling. As I read his words, I began to cry. I did not expect that moment, but I needed those words more than he could have known. They reached me at exactly the right time.

That was when the conversation became more than an introduction or a discussion about sponsorship. We connected as people. We understood each other. We simply clicked.

The conversation also gave me an opportunity to explain the work behind Real News with Lucretia Hughes, the articles I publish and the audience I have built. Independent media requires more than a camera and an opinion. It requires consistency, sacrifice and the courage to keep going even when the resources do not always match the mission.

We discussed the possibility of sponsorship, but no promises were made—and none were needed for the conversation to matter. The importance of that moment was that someone listened. Boe did not dismiss the question or offer a quick, polite answer before moving along. He stayed, talked and took time to understand who I am and why I do this work.

Max, his quiet four-legged companion, was there too and quickly became part of the memory. In the middle of a busy weekend filled with speeches, meetings, policy discussions and people moving in every direction, Max brought a calm presence to an unexpected and deeply human conversation.

Afterward, I saw Boe throughout the remainder of the weekend, although I did not have much time to speak with him again because I was moving from one event to another. Still, that first conversation stayed with me.

I had previously written about Universal Coin & Bullion following the NRA convention, so the connection felt especially meaningful. What began with me overhearing a conversation and deciding to introduce myself became one of the moments I will remember most from Washington.

There is a lesson in that for anyone building something from the ground up: Do not be afraid to speak. Do not be afraid to introduce yourself. Ask the question. Tell your story. You may not know which conversation will open a door, plant a seed or confirm that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

I went to Washington to stand for the Second Amendment, represent women who refuse to be silenced and honor the memory of my son, Emmanuel. I returned home with new relationships, new possibilities and a renewed understanding that purpose often shows up through ordinary conversations.

Sometimes you have to step into the conversation. Sometimes you have to ask the question. And sometimes, what looks like a chance meeting may be a divine appointment.