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Glenn's Show Prep

Glenn Decides NOT to Meet With Assad

April 18, 2016
Ted Tuttle

Editor

When a brutal dictator asks for an interview, what do you do? For Glenn, it wasn't a completely clear-cut decision.

On his radio program Friday, Glenn announced an unnamed leader from the Middle East had expressed interest in meeting with him because he had "a few messages to send to America." At first, Glenn contemplated whether this could turn into an opportunity to save more Christians in the Middle East. He made his decision on Friday, but allowed his audience to guess who the mysterious person might be with a poll over the weekend.

Glenn shared the results on Monday. Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, supposedly wanted to meet with Glenn to win some goodwill from America.

"That's different than going over and talking to them and having a meeting about, 'Can you help us with the Christians?'" Glenn said.

He concluded there was no way to win under those circumstances.

"I don't want to be the messenger of his message back to America when his partners are Iran and Russia," Glenn said.

Watch the clip or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment. It might contain errors.

GLENN: All right. So we did a poll because Friday I mentioned that I had to -- I had to -- a decision to make over the weekend on if I was going to go to the Middle East and meet with a -- a leader of a country in the Middle East.

And I was really torn because when this first started to happen, somebody -- an American group reached out to this leader and said, "Hey, they're trying to help the Christians, and would you help?" And then, almost a year has past, eight months has past. And I didn't think that this -- any of those world leaders would meet with me. But then the situation got worse and worse and worse. And now this world leader has said, yes, I'll meet with you. And, in fact, I'd like to meet with you because I have some things to say to America.

And that's different than going over and talking to them and having a meeting about, "Can you help us with the Christians?" Instead, having an interview and I have a few messages to send to America. And so it was a little unsettling to me. And I didn't know what to do. And we talked about it on the air.

We did a poll on -- GlennBeck.com did a poll over the weekend: Which Middle Eastern leader wants to meet with Glenn? Benjamin Netanyahu, 38 percent. Bashar al-Assad, 22. 9 percent, al-Baghdadi. 19 percent, el-Sisi from Egypt. And Rouhani, 12 percent, from Iran.

Do you even know, Stu? Do you know?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Yes, it was Assad. And the more research I did on Assad, the more I'm like, "Yeah, I -- I -- and I went back and forth and thought, man, to be able to interview Hitler -- while he's not to the level of Hitler, he's pretty bad. And to be able to interview somebody like that -- my wife immediately said no. She's like, "You're not going."

STU: I mean, she's doing that as a -- she cares about your safety, right?

GLENN: Yeah, yeah.

STU: Obviously, we're all released from that care.

GLENN: Yeah, I know.

STU: But, no, from a perspective of having the interview with him, that's not why you cancelled it though. You cancelled it -- or didn't do it because --

GLENN: I didn't want to do it because I don't want -- his partners are Russia and Iran.

STU: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And I don't want to be the messenger of his message back to America, when his partners are Iran and Russia.

STU: Right. But, I mean, you obviously could challenge him on these things. You would not give him a softball interview by any means. It's not like you would say, "Well, what kind of treaty would you like?"

GLENN: Well, you're kind of in the -- you know, you're going to be seeing the things they want you to see. You're going to be talking about the things they want to talk about.

STU: Of course.

GLENN: You know what I mean?

STU: They're going to control --

GLENN: They're going to control your cameras, your media, and everything else, and they're going to control the trip.

STU: But, still, he doesn't control the interview when you're talking to this guy. Right? You'd be able to ask him --

GLENN: To some extent, I would imagine, yes.

STU: So you think they might try to restrict -- and there's no way you're going to do an interview if they're going to try to restrict your questions.

GLENN: No.

PAT: So do you think you would have wound up asking him, what has enchanted you the most?

GLENN: No, I don't think --

(chuckling)

GLENN: See, here -- and this is why -- I didn't want to --

JEFFY: How's your soul?

GLENN: You know, even if they wouldn't restrict, I wouldn't want to push too hard because we're trying to get Christians out of his country. So I'm going to ask for help. And then do an interview on top of it is not -- I mean, that's what they wanted. They happened an interview. I wanted to ask about the Christians. "Can you help us get the Christians out?"

PAT: Yeah.

STU: And you think that potentially -- the thought is, potentially he might do that to try to win some goodwill from America.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: And you don't care why he's doing. You just want the Christians out of there.

GLENN: I just want the Christians out of there. But if -- if we would have said, "And Assad helped us get the Christians out of there," that's one thing. But to go over with my cameras and sit down and do a half-hour with him because he's helping me get the Christians out of there and not push back -- I mean, you know, I would be stuck with this feeling of, if I push back too hard, do our Christians get out? You know what I mean?

STU: Right.

GLENN: If I'm like, "Hey, so you're a murder." Am I going to get -- is he going to be soft-hearted towards the Christians? I just didn't think there was any way to win.

Are Gen Z's socialist sympathies a threat to America's future?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

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