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The caliphate is here: Glenn reacts to the state of the ever-crumbling Middle East

June 16, 2014
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The Glenn Beck Program

On Monday’s Glenn Beck Program at 5pm ET on TheBlaze TV, Glenn will be digging up some of the chalkboards and infographics he drew up during his Fox News days to break down what is currently unfolding in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East. Glenn has been talking about likelihood of an Islamic caliphate, or state, for a number of years, and now, as Baghdad hangs in the balance, it looks like the rest of the media is taking notice. On radio this morning, Glenn offered an in-depth look at the situation on the ground and the United States’ options and interests.

Because of the life that has already been lost fighting Islamic extremists in Iraq, Pat was frank in his explanation of why he would like to see American troops on the ground in Baghdad.

“Got to send 5,000 to 10,000 troops back in there,” Pat said. “You have to defend it, beat this back. You have to go all out and kill these guys. They are bloodthirsty murders, the worst of the worst. What has the last twelve years been about?”

“You know what it's been about,” Glenn interjected. “It's been about control, power, and manipulation. It is about building a base there in Iraq.”

“[But] you are going to lose that,” Pat added. “It just falls into the hands of these dirt bags.”

While Glenn recognizes that it is nearly impossible to reconcile the idea that the sacrifice made in Iraq was for naught, he absolutely will not support the deployment of American military personnel. In fact, he “hopes to God we detonate” we detonate the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

“When we were at CNN, we started looking into the Baghdad embassy… It was estimated [to cost] over $1 billion at the time, and there were no pictures of this. No one was talking about it… It’s bigger than all of Vatican City,” Glenn explained. “When we were on CNN, I started showing pictures of the ground of what they were… starting to build. I said what are we doing?”

It didn’t take long, however, for Glenn and his producers to get word from CNN brass telling them to stop talking.

“The Bush Administration called CNN and said, ‘Tell him to stop talking about the embassy.’ I got pressure from the network to stop talking. Imagine. CNN didn't like President [Bush], and CNN was telling us, ‘Hey, you know, you might want to stop talking. This is going to hurt our troops,’” Glenn continued. “There was no reason why we should stop. So we continued to talk about the embassy. There's something wrong with that embassy… I don't know if it's an NSA listening post or what it is. But that's not a normal run-of-the-mill embassy. Period.”

Glenn might not have been able to uncover what was going on at the embassy, he is confident we should not be putting more American soldiers in harms’ way.

“So what are we doing over there? I don't know. I will tell you this: I won't support sending another troop over there,” he said emphatically. “You cannot give freedom to people who don't understand it or don't want it. We are not the policemen of Iraq. We are not.”

For those who argue that we must weaken the ISIS leadership before the set their sights on the U.S., Glenn believes it is already too late for that. As a result, he believes we are best suited scaling back and strengthening our military as much as possible.

“They are coming here anyway. We are already letting them in over our southern border,” Glenn said. “We say, ‘Look, the world has changed dramatically. It is time for us to pull back and strengthen ourselves – strengthen our family, strengthen our communities, strengthen our schools and hospitals… Pull back and strengthen the United States of America because a storm is coming. Pull the fleet back in and reset because a storm is coming.”

If you are a longtime listener, you will remember that Glenn started talking about the desire and possibility of a caliphate for quite some time. Over the weekend, other media outlets finally started taking notice of what is happening. This morning, Pat put together a compilation of many in the media lambasting Glenn for talking about the danger of a caliphate several years ago.

Ultimately, Glenn reiterated how important it is for the U.S. to stay out of this conflict. He went so far as to draft a short speech President Obama should give to explain to the world where we stand:

The United States of America is 100% behind the nation of Israel. We put our chips behind the nation of Israel. We are not going to send ground troops, but they have a right to defend themselves, and all options, yes, the nuclear option is on the table for them. Whatever they have to do to defend themselves, the United States of America backs them.

To the rest of you: We did our best. I'm sorry to those who are being beheaded. I feel really horrible that that is happening. We tried. We did our best, but we cannot be the one that carries all the water. We have issues here at home. Right now our troops need to be on our borders here in the United States of America because we have MS-13 gang members being sent in. We need our troops on our border, and they are coming home.

I want you to know: America is not going asleep. America is not going to just sit here and lick her wounds. America is going to become strong again. We are not going to make the mistakes of the past. We are not going to push out. We are not going to send our troops everywhere. But I will tell you this: If you screw with us, we will pound you into glass. We have the capability. Everybody on earth knows when the United States of America puts her mind to it, she does everything she needs to do. She will destroy you in a heartbeat.

In my Administration, you come over and you mess with us, I don't give a flying rat's ass that you live in a cave or you live in the biggest city in the world. We will pound you into glass. Then we're not going to rebuild. We'll be done by 3:30 this afternoon, then we'll go home and we'll start designing new cars and new ways to make energy and new ways to make the world a better place and develop new medicines to help people who want to play together nicely and be a citizen of mankind. Not any individual country – a citizen of mankind.

You don't want to play as a citizen of mankind? You want to chop people's arms off? Go ahead. At some point, you will step over the line and you will cross into our territory. The minute you do, you're done. But not the way we've done it for the last 14 years. We'll be done by about 3:30. I'm going to be less arrogant – maybe by 6:00 tonight.

Editor's Note: Don't miss the Glenn Beck Program - Monday at 5pm ET only on TheBlaze TV - for more on this topic. Not a subscriber? Start your 14-day free trial HERE.

Front page image courtesy of the AP

Listen to the full episode:

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on 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 critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

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.