Glenn interviews Ted Nugent

January 30, 2013

Writer

Conservative activist and musician Ted Nugent called into the radio program this morning, where he and Glenn discussed the ongoing gun control debate, the bias in the media, and leftist hypocrisy. Read a transcript of the interview below.

GLENN: Ted Nugent's on the line. Hey, Ted, how are you, man?

NUGENT: Hey, greetings. A peaceful revolution morning to you, Glenn.

GLENN: It's it's insane what's going on. It's insane.

NUGENT: It really is, yeah. And thank you for exposing that. I love when you spotlight cockroaches so we can stomp on them. I appreciate it.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. No, why are you getting violent with cockroaches now? What is that with all the violence, Ted? Cockroaches, you're stomping on them now.

NUGENT: That makes the environment cleaner when I do.

GLENN: You were you were on CNN and they were trying to bait you into violent revolution.

NUGENT: Well, you know, there's a great gal at CNN, Deb Feyerick who did a wonderful, positive, honest piece about guns and I stood there stunned watching it last month. So when they offered to come to my ranch to do an extensive interview, I spent seven hours with them yesterday

GLENN: Wait, wait, wait.

NUGENT: And I

GLENN: Wait, wait, wait. With her?

NUGENT: Yes.

GLENN: All right.

NUGENT: With Deb Feyerick and her crew. And you know how they are. They are very gushy and positive throughout the day.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

NUGENT: But they also tried to weave in questions about an armed revolution building steam across the interland and I squinted and said, I don't know what you're talking about. I know there might be someone talking about that, but I hang out with some pretty wild eyed guys and I've never heard a hint of any reference to an armed revolution. We're going to have a revolution at the voting booth.

GLENN: So where did they get that? Did you ask her? Because you should report anybody that's having an armed that's reporting to you about an armed revolution? Jeez, CNN, you should report those people.

NUGENT: Yeah. Well, you know, up there in New York what Cuomo and Bloomberg are doing are so extraordinary, so anti Constitution, so anti common sense that there are probably some people very frustrated and angry that may have expressed something that hinted at that. And I said I've never heard it and I'm engaged with working hard, playing hard America in every state in this country and no one has ever mentioned anything like that. We're getting more involved and more engaged and we're going to vote the bad guys out of office as soon as possible.

GLENN: So what did they react how did they react to that?

NUGENT: Well, they kept bringing it back up, but I I kept straight and narrow and I denied any such reference or any such indicators. And they were you know, 99% of the interview, Glenn, I think is going to be very positive. I nailed it was about hunting and gun rights and the role of Second Amendment with certain semiautomatic firearms technology. And you know me. I mean, I slammed the door shut on it. But she had to play devil's advocate, and I made sure I mentioned that if you argue with me, you would be taking the side of the devil. So go for I.

STU: (Laughing.)

GLENN: So it's only by the way, it's only the 1% that anybody cares. I mean, 99% of it was good. The 1% will be the one that they focus on.

NUGENT: And I believe, Glenn, that they will edit it with honesty. That's what they did with the gun issue in New York.

GLENN: (Laughing.)

NUGENT: I really do. That's why I allowed Deb Feyerick. She seemed to be honest and genuine in her pursuit and

GLENN: Hang on.

NUGENT: I know I'm terminally hopeful.

GLENN: I almost believe you. I mean, come on, man. You're not that dumb. Really? You really believe they will edit it honestly?

NUGENT: I really do. I saw the piece they did on guns previously.

GLENN: Uh huh.

NUGENT: And it was 180 degrees, 180 degrees opposite of these, the basic CNN stance. So I knew that they were countering the CNN mantra, and I believe this will this piece will do the same thing.

GLENN: Well, that's great. I mean, at least it wasn't NBC because they edit everything.

NUGENT: Oh, boy, do they ever. I really

GLENN: They edit everything.

NUGENT: By the way, I filmed the whole thing as it's taking place. And it's just like the CBS interview a few months back where I did snap because I was passing a kidney stone live on the air.

GLENN: They make CBS makes me do that too.

NUGENT: Yeah. And it was a 2 1/2 hour interview. And I've got to tell you I would be 100% proud for you and my children and my friends and honest Americans to witness the 2 1/2 hour interview I did with CBS, but they took out the one minute where I snapped. And that's typical of those networks. But I really believe that what Deborah did on the gun piece recently on CNN that she will approach it the same way with my interview. And I gave them seven hours. So they're planning on multiple series.

GLENN: Hey, let me ask you something, Ted. I have officially given up on the Republican Party. I don't I don't care for them at all anymore. I they won't get a dime. I will campaign against people giving them any money.

NUGENT: Isn't that a shame, Glenn? I agree but it's a shame. We have to work to fix that, yeah.

GLENN: Yeah, I don't think it's fixable. I think that everybody needs to start walking for the exits and if they decide they are going to change, great. You know, I don't know if I'll even trust them if they come running after and saying, okay, okay, okay, we get it. But these guys in Washington, they don't get it, they don't care to get it. I mean, I don't even know who these guys I don't know who these guys are anymore and I'm just done with it. I think it's time that we, you know, we flush everybody in the media says, you know, the Republicans are dead and it's because they won't compromise. No, the Republicans are dead because they don't have any values. They don't have any principles. They don't even though who they are. All they are is about winning and that's why they're losing every time.

NUGENT: I think they

GLENN: So why don't we form a party that has actual principles that I'll bet you 80% of this country could actually because the problems are so big, the solutions are basic. Basic principles that all thinking people can get around.

NUGENT: I concur.

GLENN: Why wouldn't we do that.

NUGENT: Well, I concur the time has never been more obvious than right now and I think the glowing violations of the GOP is that they are not holding Eric Holder accountable for Fast and Furious, they are not holding Hillary Clinton accountable for the deaths of four Americans that were totally unnecessary.

GLENN: Crazy.

NUGENT: And there's so many examples but those are the two most heartbreaking examples.

GLENN: Let me give you hang on. Let me give you another one. How about, we have John Kerry now, a guy who trashed our troops, lied about our troops in Vietnam, he's now our Secretary of State.

NUGENT: Agreed.

GLENN: How about this one, how about this one: Let me give you this story. I don't even know if you even know this. An 11 year old boy is recovering from surgery following a vicious incident last Sunday in which he was mauled by three unleashed pit bulls. This is in the District of Columbia. Suffering wounds to his legs, arms and stomach and chest before the dogs were shot and kill. Now this is right in the heart of the District of Columbia and here's what happened. Kid got a new bike for Christmas, he's riding it down the street. Three unleashed pit bulls attack this kid on the bike, throw him off the bike. They're biting him, chewing apart. This kid is screaming. A guy in his house grabs his gun, shoots the pit bulls, saves the kid. You ready? D.C., the shots alerted a D.C. police officer around the corner. They've now arrested the guy who shot and killed the kids and they are looking into it. The rescue may have been illegal.

STU: Shot and killed the dogs?

GLENN: Shot and killed the dogs.

NUGENT: A perfect example of doing the universally known right thing and being punished. Remember the Navy hero in New York City who shot with his Navy M 9 a multiple paroled felon he caught at 4:00 a.m. in his young son's bedroom. Instead of arresting the paroled felon, they arrested the Navy hero for saving his son's life, Glenn. And I could go on and on for are 100 hours with examples of this government and this system doing the absolute wrong thing against people who do the absolute right thing. It is absolutely insane.

GLENN: Ted Nugent, you know what I think the best thing that you can help me with and help America with is gathering together a bunch of attorneys that will help defend people on their right to bear arms.

NUGENT: You're absolutely right.

GLENN: And know who these guys are. The biggest names in attorneys that will help people because this government is going to do basically what they did in Ruby Ridge where they get you basically on a technicality and there's going to be a standoff. And people have to know don't stand off. Do not do that. You call this number and somebody in an attorney firm will come and represent you because you want your day in court. You want your day in court.

NUGENT: I think you're absolutely correct. And that positive sense, that common sense is alive and well in hundreds of sheriffs and sheriff departments in this country that are standing up to this government and the federal government with their constitutional violating Second Amendment infringement. So I think there is a growing pulse. But you're right about that. If you attempt to stand up to what's right, you will be shot and killed.

GLENN: I will tell you this. You know, I've said make friends with your deputy. I would like to go out on parole with the deputies. I'd like to be deputized. I'd like to go out with the sheriffs and help in any way I possibly can. Whatever you need, sheriffs, whatever you need. Sheriffs are your best friends.

You know Waco, the sheriff at Waco actually liked the Branch Davidians. Said, "I didn't agree with them, I thought they were nuts, but they were really nice guys." If the federal government would have gone to the sheriff, the sheriff probably could have gotten that all done without killing all of the families.

NUGENT: I believe that.

GLENN: Ted, thanks so much, man.

NUGENT: God speed, Glenn.

GLENN: Hey, when's that story going to be on CNN?

NUGENT: They say the first segment will air tomorrow night, Thursday night. I don't know exactly what time but as soon as I find out, I'll

PAT: We'll call you back and find out how pissed off you are when you find out that they betrayed you.

NUGENT: No, I'm eternally hopeful.

GLENN: All right.

NUGENT: I think the I think I'm pretty good at this. And like I did on Piers Morgan, I handed him his guts on his own show. So they did

GLENN: You know the only problem with that is, is that was just such a silent death, nobody watched it. Nobody saw it. Nobody's watching Piers.

NUGENT: Did you notice that?

GLENN: Nobody's watching it. Thanks a lot, man. I appreciate it.

NUGENT: All right. Live it up, man.

GLENN: By the way, an extended interview in the March issue of TheBlaze magazine, extended interview with Ted Nugent. He's the cover story, TheBlaze magazine. You can find out all about it at TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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