Is Scott Turner the man to lead the GOP into a new era?

December 08, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

This morning on radio, Glenn was joined by Scott Turner. Turner is a former NFL player for the Redskins, the Broncos and the Chargers and is currently a Texas state representative, running for Speaker of the House against Joe Strauss.

Glenn strongly believes that Turner could be the man to lead the GOP to a new era. Glenn described Turner as "a good Christian man who really truly is, I think the leader for the future. And would be tremendous to have as our Speaker of the House."

When discussing why Turner considers it so important to be on the record promising to be accountable for all his promises he said:

"We go to our constituents when we're trying to be elected and telling our constituents who we are, what we're about, and our conservative values and principles. And so I think that when you vote on — I know when you vote, you have an opportunity to say, hey, this is who I am. This is — I'm going to do it what I said I'm gonna do and I'm gonna vote. I'm going to put my name on it and be accountable for everything I do in this House as your elected representative and your servant leader. So I think it's vitally important that myself and all 150 of our members take that vote."

Watch to see Glenn and Turner tackle some hard hitting topics such as the ongoing protests, homeschooling and the progressive movement.

GLENN: We have to have Scott Turner on. He was in the NFL. He played for the Redskins. What a racist. Played for the Redskins, the Broncos, the Chargers. His name is Scott Turner. He's a Texas state representative and he's actually now running for Speaker of the House against Joe Strauss, who Joe Strauss is a complete and total fraud. He is a rhino, entirely a rhino. And I think Scott Turner is the guy to lead the state and the GOP into just a new unbelievable era. And that election happens on January 13th. But Scott is here. Hi, Scott, how are you?

TURNER: Hi, Glenn, how are you doing, brother? Thanks for having me.

GLENN: You bet. Can I take you to the NFL and tell me what you thought about "I can't breathe" —

PAT: "Hands Up Don't Shoot" demonstrations and all this stuff.

GLENN: All these things happening in the NFL?

TURNER: Yeah, you know, and obviously these guys are — you know, demonstrating their right to express themselves. But you know, as you were saying before, it would be great to be informed on really what happened and really what's going on, because an informed people is a more powerful people. And as far as these guys raising their hands and all these slogans and that that and the other, I'm not in agreement with it. I wouldn't do it. Obviously they have the right to do it. But I think that as an NFL player, the stakes for us are higher to be role models and examples and also to be educated and informed in order so we can educate and inform other people. And I think that Ben watson, the tight end for the New Orleans Saints, if you saw what he wrote in his description on Facebook, I think was a great illustration or a great example of yes, you could be confused, you can be frustrated, and you can be embarrassed, but also he brought it down to say, you know what, it's not a skin problem. It's a sin problem. And the gospel is the answer. And it deals directly with the character of our society and the walls of our society. That's what we really need to be concentrating on.

GLENN: So let's talk about the state of the union and the state of our state.

TURNER: Yes.

GLENN: We're in real trouble.

TURNER: We are.

GLENN: And the — I for one, Scott, I mean, you know, obviously people notice when people are black and white, et cetera, et cetera, but for the most part, I think my generation, I'm 50. I think my generation doesn't really see color and I know the 30-something and 20-somethings definitely don't see color. Yet we're going in the opposite direction as a nation.

TURNER: Right.

GLENN: How do we fix this, Scott?

TURNER: Well, you know, again, I think — and that's a great question. But I think people that have been given a platform such as yourself and me and others that we have to come out and be bold in our convictions and encourage society and encourage people in our sphere of influence to educate themselves, to get to know people who don't look like you, and also not to believe everything that you read or see in the media, because the media's job is to make stuff the same as it is not.

You know, perception is everything. And it's the cruelest form of reality. But people need to continue to not only educate themselves but deal with people that don't look like

them. If you're a white guy, go talk to a black guy and vice-versa. Whatever your culture or skin color may be. But I think guys like you and I and others who have these tremendous platforms we need to step out and be the greatest examples of what we can. It doesn't matter what your skin color is. It's the content of your character. And also being careful of believing everything that the media says because the media has a huge part in spinning this and making the hype of what it really is not.

GLENN: Talking to Scott Turner, a former player for the Redskins, Broncos, Chargers, now state Texas representative. And running for Speaker of the House. And Tea Party favorite. He's 42 years old. The Dallas County GOP just endorsed him for speaker of the House, among other Republican groups, which I think is phenomenal. Here we are looking at Texas, becoming another California. And they are working in the mountain west, Idaho, Montana is under attack, Colorado is — is another California. And they're trying to do this here in Texas. How serious — I don't see Texans really understanding how bad this is. Can you explain how bad this is in Texas?

TURNER: Yeah, you're talking about the proving movement in Texas. The Progressive movement —

GLENN: Yeah.

TURNER: You know what, Glenn, it's kind of a blessing and a curse in Texas that we're very fortunate and we're doing good here in job, economically, job creation. And a lot of times, you know, people can become complacent and say, that will never happen here, that will never happen to me. But the reality of it is is there is a great movement, you know, to turn Texas, not just blue but to make Texas like other states in our country. And that's why I've been shouting from the rooftops and I know you have and others, that listen, the reality of it is that we're doing fine right now but we are under attack from people who don't believe like us, that want to turn Texas into a liberal, Progressive state. And so I would implore people to pay attention. To get active and to get activated in their communities and making sure that Texas remains not just the most conservative and red state, but the Lone Star State that doesn't look like California or Oregon or some of these other states.

GLENN: I have to tell you, we — you know, we went out to vote and Pat and I both had to vote against a Republican who was running for school board. She doesn't believe in school choice. She doesn't believe in home-schooling. She doesn't believe in vouchers. I mean, you know, she was —

PAT: A citizen of the world type.

GLENN: Right.

TURNER: Is she from Texas?

GLENN: Yeah, she's from Texas.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: I mean, and she's a Republican.

TURNER: Right.

GLENN: People don't understand that the Republicans in some -- in some places and in some cases are just as bad.

TURNER: Right.

GLENN: And they're hiding in our system.

TURNER: Yeah, and you know what, Glenn, there's a lot of smoke and mirrors going on. If you guys recall back about 10 years ago when Washington had — the Republicans had the house, the Senate, and the presidency, and there was really no monumental legislation that was passed for the betterment of our country to speak of. Well, Texas, if we can, paints the same picture. We're kind of in a similar situation, where we have a new governor a new lieutenant governor, a new AG, new comptroller, AG commissioner, a 98-member majority, Republican majority in the House and eight new conservative members in the Senate. So we're primed, you know, to do monumental things and have monumental legislation here in Texas but there is an establishment guard of the Republican party that doesn't want to rock the boat. They want everything to be complacent and they think the status quo is good enough and that's like guys like me running for speaker, being in the house, are challenging the status quo and challenging the complacency.

GLENN: Why is it important for you to be speaker?

TURNER: As I was saying, Glenn, legislation, like school choice, to give kids — we got 300,000 kids in Texas that are in school districts that are underperforming but we're more concerned with the institution of education than we are with the children. But we talk about a skilled and qualified workforce. Well, school choice legislation dies in committee and dies in calendar under our unity leader or our current leadership. You've got stuff like comprehensive border security taking away the magnets for people to come here illegally, like implementing e-verifying, getting rid of sanctuary cities. When those things die in calendar, they don't come to the floor. So you have to have leadership that's bold and courageous to make those decisions and make this type of legislation to the floor for debate and the vote because Texans are calling for it. Those are the things that are going to secure our state, for the posterity of our state and prosperity of our state. But you have to have leadership that's willing to go against the political fray and bring things to the floor.

GLENN: That was part of the floor, Joe Strauss, with Common Core. He was not allowing certain things to be brought to the floor that would have stopped some of the things that were going on.

TURNER: Right.

PAT: Tell us —

TURNER: I'm sorry.

PAT: Tell us some of the other differences between you and Joe Strauss, Scott.

TURNER: Okay. Well, one, obviously is, you know, and if you look at my voting record and you look at what I've been able to do in the House, you know, I believe that I'm a true conservative leader and a leader, a servant leader that has the heart and the ear of the people in the forefront. And you know, I came into the House to make a difference, not just in my district, but in our state. And the way you make that difference is by standing on your principles and your convictions and not being one who can be bought or sold out, you know, to the special interests or to the lobby or what have you. And I think that separates the speaker and I, you know what, I'm conservative. You know, I don't just talk about it but I have a record of being conservative. And I have a servant's heart as far as leadership, whereby it's not about one man, it's not about the speaker, but it's about the team of people, you know. There's a lot of talent and skill in the House that can be utilized to decentralize the power whereby we can serve our constituents and our state better. So I think those are some of the most notable differences that we have. And to, you know -- I like to come from a business approach and not from a political approach. And running the House efficiently going forward.

GLENN: Scott, would you be the first black Speaker of the House in Texas?

TURNER: Yes, sir, I believe so.

GLENN: A conservative, a Tea Party conservative.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: I mean, again, and — I don't know anybody who knows Scott, who looks at him and says, he's a black man, maybe we should — he's not. He's a good Christian man who really truly is I think the leader for the future. And would be tremendous to have as our Speaker of the House. I'm going to give you the audience a number here. I want you to call your state rep if you live in Texas at 512-463-0063. 512-463-0063. Dan Patrick running the Senate and you tell your — you tell your state rep that you think Scott Turner should be the next Speaker of the House. 512-463-0063. What are the odds, Scott? How does this work here?

TURNER: Well, you know, we'll vote on January the 13th. That's the first day of session. And myself and other members are calling for a record vote on the House floor. And that will be the first vote that we take where you vote on the rules and then you vote on how you will vote for the speaker. And then we take the vote for who's going to be the next leader of the House. And I think that's very important, Glenn, because to me, it's liberation. You know, there's no more hiding. There's no more smoke and mirrors. They're accountability for every member. We have to vote anyway. That's what we do. We vote on legislation. We take input from our constituents so this is the same.

GLENN: Why is it important that it's on the record for you?

TURNER: I think it's important because one, it's accountability. You know, and you know, we go to our constituents when we're trying to be elected and telling our constituents who we are, what we're about, and our conservative values and principles. And so I think that when you vote on — I know when you vote, you have an opportunity to say, hey, this is who I am. This is — I'm going to do it what I said I'm gonna do and I'm gonna vote. I'm going to put my name on it and be accountable for everything I do in this House as your elected representative and your servant leader. So I think it's vitally important that myself and all 150 of our members take that vote.

GLENN: Great." Scott Turner. Thank you very much. Good luck.

TURNER: I appreciate that.

GLENN: You bet. Bye-bye. I think this guy is exceptional and if you live in Texas, please call your state rep and tell them to vote for Scott Turner at 972-224-6795. And tell everybody you know. I have met with him several times off the air over the last year and a half. And I think he is truly exceptional. David Barton introduced me to him. He is a -- his soul is in really good shape. He is unafraid. He's young. He has no secret baggage. He doesn't care. He doesn't care. He's exactly what Texas needs as Speaker of the House. Scott Turner, 512-463-0063.

Breaking point: Will America stand up to the mob?

Jeff J Mitchell / Staff | Getty Images

The mob rises where men of courage fall silent. The lesson from Portland, Chicago, and other blue cities is simple: Appeasing radicals doesn’t buy peace — it only rents humiliation.

Parts of America, like Portland and Chicago, now resemble occupied territory. Progressive city governments have surrendered control to street militias, leaving citizens, journalists, and even federal officers to face violent anarchists without protection.

Take Portland, where Antifa has terrorized the city for more than 100 consecutive nights. Federal officers trying to keep order face nightly assaults while local officials do nothing. Independent journalists, such as Nick Sortor, have even been arrested for documenting the chaos. Sortor and Blaze News reporter Julio Rosas later testified at the White House about Antifa’s violence — testimony that corporate media outlets buried.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened.

Chicago offers the same grim picture. Federal agents have been stalked, ambushed, and denied backup from local police while under siege from mobs. Calls for help went unanswered, putting lives in danger. This is more than disorder; it is open defiance of federal authority and a violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

A history of violence

For years, the legacy media and left-wing think tanks have portrayed Antifa as “decentralized” and “leaderless.” The opposite is true. Antifa is organized, disciplined, and well-funded. Groups like Rose City Antifa in Oregon, the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club in Texas, and Jane’s Revenge operate as coordinated street militias. Legal fronts such as the National Lawyers Guild provide protection, while crowdfunding networks and international supporters funnel money directly to the movement.

The claim that Antifa lacks structure is a convenient myth — one that’s cost Americans dearly.

History reminds us what happens when mobs go unchecked. The French Revolution, Weimar Germany, Mao’s Red Guards — every one began with chaos on the streets. But it wasn’t random. Today’s radicals follow the same playbook: Exploit disorder, intimidate opponents, and seize moral power while the state looks away.

Dismember the dragon

The Trump administration’s decision to designate Antifa a domestic terrorist organization was long overdue. The label finally acknowledged what citizens already knew: Antifa functions as a militant enterprise, recruiting and radicalizing youth for coordinated violence nationwide.

But naming the threat isn’t enough. The movement’s financiers, organizers, and enablers must also face justice. Every dollar that funds Antifa’s destruction should be traced, seized, and exposed.

AFP Contributor / Contributor | Getty Images

This fight transcends party lines. It’s not about left versus right; it’s about civilization versus anarchy. When politicians and judges excuse or ignore mob violence, they imperil the republic itself. Americans must reject silence and cowardice while street militias operate with impunity.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened. The violence in Portland and Chicago is deliberate, not spontaneous. If America fails to confront it decisively, the price won’t just be broken cities — it will be the erosion of the republic itself.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

URGENT: Supreme Court case could redefine religious liberty

Drew Angerer / Staff | Getty Images

The state is effectively silencing professionals who dare speak truths about gender and sexuality, redefining faith-guided speech as illegal.

This week, free speech is once again on the line before the U.S. Supreme Court. At stake is whether Americans still have the right to talk about faith, morality, and truth in their private practice without the government’s permission.

The case comes out of Colorado, where lawmakers in 2019 passed a ban on what they call “conversion therapy.” The law prohibits licensed counselors from trying to change a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, including their behaviors or gender expression. The law specifically targets Christian counselors who serve clients attempting to overcome gender dysphoria and not fall prey to the transgender ideology.

The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The law does include one convenient exception. Counselors are free to “assist” a person who wants to transition genders but not someone who wants to affirm their biological sex. In other words, you can help a child move in one direction — one that is in line with the state’s progressive ideology — but not the other.

Think about that for a moment. The state is saying that a counselor can’t even discuss changing behavior with a client. Isn’t that the whole point of counseling?

One‑sided freedom

Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, has been one of the victims of this blatant attack on the First Amendment. Chiles has dedicated her practice to helping clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality struggles, and gender dysphoria. She’s also a Christian who serves patients seeking guidance rooted in biblical teaching.

Before 2019, she could counsel minors according to her faith. She could talk about biblical morality, identity, and the path to wholeness. When the state outlawed that speech, she stopped. She followed the law — and then she sued.

Her case, Chiles v. Salazar, is now before the Supreme Court. Justices heard oral arguments on Tuesday. The question: Is counseling a form of speech or merely a government‑regulated service?

If the court rules the wrong way, it won’t just silence therapists. It could muzzle pastors, teachers, parents — anyone who believes in truth grounded in something higher than the state.

Censored belief

I believe marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God. I believe that family — mother, father, child — is central to His design for humanity.

I believe that men and women are created in God’s image, with divine purpose and eternal worth. Gender isn’t an accessory; it’s part of who we are.

I believe the command to “be fruitful and multiply” still stands, that the power to create life is sacred, and that it belongs within marriage between a man and a woman.

And I believe that when we abandon these principles — when we treat sex as recreation, when we dissolve families, when we forget our vows — society fractures.

Are those statements controversial now? Maybe. But if this case goes against Chiles, those statements and others could soon be illegal to say aloud in public.

Faith on trial

In Colorado today, a counselor cannot sit down with a 15‑year‑old who’s struggling with gender identity and say, “You were made in God’s image, and He does not make mistakes.” That is now considered hate speech.

That’s the “freedom” the modern left is offering — freedom to affirm, but never to question. Freedom to comply, but never to dissent. The same movement that claims to champion tolerance now demands silence from anyone who disagrees. The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The real test

No matter what happens at the Supreme Court, we cannot stop speaking the truth. These beliefs aren’t political slogans. For me, they are the product of years of wrestling, searching, and learning through pain and grace what actually leads to peace. For us, they are the fundamental principles that lead to a flourishing life. We cannot balk at standing for truth.

Maybe that’s why God allows these moments — moments when believers are pushed to the wall. They force us to ask hard questions: What is true? What is worth standing for? What is worth dying for — and living for?

If we answer those questions honestly, we’ll find not just truth, but freedom.

The state doesn’t grant real freedom — and it certainly isn’t defined by Colorado legislators. Real freedom comes from God. And the day we forget that, the First Amendment will mean nothing at all.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins Megyn Kelly LIVE — One night ONLY in Fort Worth!

Get ready for sparks to fly. For the first time in years, Glenn will come face-to-face with Megyn Kelly — and this time, he’s the one in the hot seat. On October 25, 2025, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Glenn joins Megyn on her “Megyn Kelly Live Tour” for a no-holds-barred conversation that promises laughs, surprises, and maybe even a few uncomfortable questions.

What will happen when two of America’s sharpest voices collide under the spotlight? Will Glenn finally reveal the major announcement he’s been teasing on the radio for weeks? You’ll have to be there to find out.

This promises to be more than just an interview — it’s a live showdown packed with wit, honesty, and the kind of energy you can only feel if you are in the room. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to see Glenn like you’ve never seen him before.

Get your tickets NOW at www.MegynKelly.com before they’re gone!

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

Glenn's Show Prep

Is Scott Turner the man to lead the GOP into a new era?

Breaking point: Will America stand up to the mob?

The mob rises where men of courage fall silent. The lesson from Portland, Chicago, and other blue cities is simple: Appeasing radicals doesn’t buy peace — it only rents humiliation.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened.

A history of violence

Dismember the dragon

URGENT: Supreme Court case could redefine religious liberty

The state is effectively silencing professionals who dare speak truths about gender and sexuality, redefining faith-guided speech as illegal.

The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

One‑sided freedom

Censored belief

Faith on trial

The real test

Glenn Beck joins Megyn Kelly LIVE — One night ONLY in Fort Worth!

What our response to Israel reveals about us

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

But that’s not what we hear.