Brad Thor Announces Candidacy for President as Third Party Option

New York Times best-selling author Brad Thor dropped a major bomb-shell on Glenn's radio program Thursday, saying he's committed to running for president of the United States.

Glenn introduced his friend by reminding listeners about the author's courage in the face of controversy.

"I believe Brad is one of the most courageous people out there. Because --- he is in business. You're selling a book. And what you said --- I shouldn't say what you said --- because what you said was not controversial," Glenn said.

RELATED: Brad Thor: Trump Is a Potentially Extinction-level Event for Our Republic

Some may recall the flak Glenn received following Thor's fiery remarks about Donald Trump in his previous interview on The Glenn Beck Program.

This time, Thor took his challenge to the next level.

"I announced to Reince Priebus on Twitter, I said, 'If it takes announcing my candidacy to get onto the stage to debate Donald Trump, I said I would do it.' So I announced," Thor said.

Here's the Tweet:

Co-host Stu Burguiere pointed out Thor might just get the debate he asked for.

"You've got Trump and Clinton against Brad Thor," Stu said. "Imagine Brad Thor going up against Trump and Clinton on the same stage."

#Thor2016

Listen to Thor's full interview with Glenn or read the transcript below.

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

GLENN: Do you think the government gets to a point where they do try to take our guns or start to limit people's rights by saying, "Okay. All these people are on the No Fly List. All these people now, including soldiers are on the mentally disabled list?"

BRAD: PTSD. They want to take guns away from Marines. That's insane. I think they continue to nudge. I don't know that they make a huge step over the line. I really don't think -- they tried with Sandy Hook. You know, this is why it's so important that even if you are not a Trump supporter, don't -- don't vote for Trump. If you hate Hillary and you hate Trump, you still need to get out and vote down the ticket. Because the Republicans right now are holding the line for the most part against Democrats trying to institute more gun control.

STU: Yeah. I will say there's a million problems -- yeah. There's a million problems that we can point out here, of course. However, they did -- they have held the line generally speaking on the gun issue.

GLENN: Yes.

PAT: They have.

STU: But they did also propose two gun control amendments that Democrats voted against out of that four. But, still, generally speaking, they have done a pretty good job on this issue. It's just, you know, you never know when they're going to fold. But, I mean, when you have Sandy Hook and you have Orlando and you have some of these tragedies, the emotion of the moment pushes most of these guys over the --

BRAD: And that's the -- that's the problem with the left. Their answer is: We have to do something.

GLENN: Japanese internment camps. Japanese internment camps. They wanted the -- the government tried to do it the year before. They tried to put the internment camps in the year before. Nobody wanted to hear it. Pearl Harbor happens. Done.

STU: Well, that's getting into the war too, right?

GLENN: Yeah, yeah.

STU: People didn't want to get into the war.

BRAD: Let's be clear, Americans have to stand up. They can't expect their leaders to read their minds. You need to be vocal because they will roll over. I mean, I was reading something this morning about Hillary's emails and how they had to deactivate at the State Department, a bunch of protections against phishing scams so she could use the private server. Nobody at the State Department stood up to her and said, "Mrs. Clinton, Secretary Clinton, you cannot use a private server."

They rolled over. This is my consistent fear with DC, that here's Hillary Clinton, a powerful woman. They exposed the State Department to all sorts of stuff because it was Hillary Clinton. Nobody will take a principled stand in Washington. Very few people will. So if we won't as citizens -- these people work for us. We are stewards of this republic. We must hand a freer, more successful, more prosperous, safer nation to the next generation. That is our number one duty as Americans. We need to stand up.

STU: Hmm. That was an impressive little -- I wouldn't call it a speech. I guess I would call it a --

GLENN: It could be a speech. It could always be a campaign speech.

STU: Because I know --

GLENN: Like a stump speech.

STU: Yes, yes. I know there's been people who are talking about a viable third party candidate who maybe knows a lot about the issues --

GLENN: But, Stu, you need somebody who is articulate. You need somebody who has television and radio experience.

PAT: But you also need somebody who is known.

STU: Yeah, who has notoriety already.

GLENN: Who is really intelligent. You'd need him to be able to appeal to a lot of people.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: You know, have a big fan base.

PAT: Hardly anybody like that.

JEFFY: Comfortable with --

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. What about Brad Thor?

STU: What?

PAT: What?

GLENN: What about Brad Thor?

STU: Not to mention, President Thor. We are the biggest badasses ever.

GLENN: I'm in love with it.

BRAD: I can hear my wife hitting the radio with a hammer in Nashville right now. Bringing a sledgehammer --

GLENN: You live in Nashville?

BRAD: Thor's hammer. Wow, I walked right into that one.

GLENN: Yeah, my gosh.

BRAD: I walked right into that one.

GLENN: Yeah, she's trying to, but she can't pick it up.

BRAD: And instead of the olive branch, the eagle could hold a hammer in one hand -- in one claw and the arrow is in the other.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. So what do you think?

STU: What do you think? We are David Frenching it.

BRAD: You are David Frenching it.

JEFFY: You're the man of the house, Brad.

BRAD: Well, I'll tell you, I'm just sitting back with a bag of popcorn, watching it burn. I'm looking forward to Kanye 2020. You know, and the Democrat primary with George Clooney going against Kanye West. I think that's going to be an exciting, exciting thing.

STU: I don't even want to ask who the Republican is there.

JEFFY: Yeah, no kidding.

STU: Because at that point, that might be the most conservative we have, is George Clooney.

BRAD: It could be the way we're going.

STU: You already challenged Donald Trump to a debate.

BRAD: I did actually months ago in the primary process. And I was originally --

GLENN: No, I don't care about any of this. That's the past. 2020. Or even 2016.

PAT: 2016.

STU: Because this is how you get the debate you've asked for. All you have to do is get to 15 percent in the polls, and then --

JEFFY: We can do that.

BRAD: With the radio show, you can get me to 15 percent? If you can get me to 15 percent, I'll run.

STU: We got Cruz to like 20 percent.

JEFFY: Wait.

GLENN: Right. You could get to 15 percent easy. You could.

BRAD: Just to get on the debate stage.

STU: Because then you've got Trump and Clinton against Brad Thor. Imagine Brad Thor going up against Trump and Clinton on the same stage.

GLENN: What do you think? What do you think? I'm being serious. I'm being serious.

STU: I'm being serious. There has to be somebody that does this. And why not you? Why not you?

BRAD: Why not me?

GLENN: If not you, then who?

PAT: If not now, when?

GLENN: Yes. Yes.

JEFFY: That can be your slogan.

BRAD: You need a really catchy slogan. You know, Thor, something. Who would my running mate be?

GLENN: Thor will bring the hammer down. Right?

STU: You need somebody with a last name "Hammer" is what we need. Thor/Hammer 2016.

BRAD: M.K. Hammer. Mary Katharine. Mary Katharine Ham.

STU: Yes, bring her in.

GLENN: Okay. So I'm serious. What about you doing this?

BRAD: I'm somebody who believes you actually should have some experience to run for this --

GLENN: Oh. Oh.

JEFFY: Oh.

GLENN: Well, we're not. So what about you?

(laughter)

BRAD: I announced to Reince Priebus on Twitter, I said, "If it takes announcing my candidacy to get onto the stage to debate Donald Trump, I said I would do it." So I announced.

STU: Look, Trump didn't think -- he wasn't getting in this to win. You can start it with that. And then when you get to 20, 30 percent and dominate them in the debates, then you can be like, "Wait a minute. I could really be president." And then you roll with it.

BRAD: And then I roll with it. Then I roll with it. Well, I definitely -- can I take the weekend to think about it?

GLENN: No. How about you, right now.

BRAD: Jeez.

GLENN: Okay. So let me tell you this -- let me ask you this.

BRAD: Yes.

GLENN: What happens at the Republican convention?

BRAD: That's the big question right now. We actually have extremely concerned Republican delegates that don't want Donald Trump, that see this guy as the -- what is it? The cyanide capsule that spies used to carry behind a tooth. And that we're going to pop that, and that's going to be the end of the Republican Party.

GLENN: Which I would celebrate, by the way.

BRAD: So would I.

GLENN: Not the death of the conservative movement.

BRAD: No, we definitely need a new party. And I think the Republicans are going to go the way of the Whigs.

GLENN: I do too.

BRAD: People say, this never happened before. Well, look at Zachary Taylor. I mean, this was a guy that hadn't voted in four years. Politico did a great article on it. Look it up. About that election with Zachary Taylor. But I really hope something is done. Donald Trump will not be a good leader. He lacks the temperament. He lacks the skills for the most important --

PAT: He lacks the knowledge --

GLENN: Got it. Got it. Got it. What I'm asking you is, what is going to happen at the convention just before you announce? What is going to happen at the convention?

BRAD: Well, I think I'm going to huddle with delegates.

GLENN: Do you think they're going to -- are they going to walk out, or are they going to give him the 1237?

BRAD: Boy, that's -- I actually think you're going to see some sort of a protest. I think you will see people walk out. I do think you'll see that. I think there are men and women with principles who are delegates. The party matters to them. The country matters to them. This is not going to be everybody folds for Donald Trump. I think we're sick of this being a reality show. There are actually serious, intelligent, well informed delegates that don't want Trump. And I agree with them. I don't want Trump. I don't want Hillary. And that's this country's last hope.

PAT: He still gets there, though, right? In the end --

GLENN: In the end, he's the nominee.

PAT: It's still Trump.

STU: I think he is.

GLENN: I think he is too. You don't think so, Brad?

BRAD: I don't know. What I think and what I want to have happen.

GLENN: If not him, then whom do they pick?

BRAD: Well, you've got to pick somebody. Anything can happen. I mean, this has happened in contested conventions before, but he's walking in with the 1237. But if they get enough people to change the Rules Committee -- get enough members of the Rules Committee that they can change things if they go with the -- I don't know. It's just -- and they are talking themselves into the fact that it's going to freak out the entire party. It's not going to. Trump has a plurality. He does not even have close to a majority of the Republican Party. This is not the will of the people. Sixty percent of the Republican primary voters voted for somebody other than Trump.

JEFFY: He's got the microphone though.

BRAD: Yeah, he's got a big mouth. He's got a lot of money. What has he done for America and liberty up to this point? There's a guy that could have been a huge force for liberty, and I don't think he has been. This is a guy who is a lifelong progressive, whose answer to every single problem has always been more government. This is not the kind of guy we need in the Oval Office.

GLENN: Hang on. Hang on.

JEFFY: That's the kind of talk that's going to get you elected.

BRAD: It's that kind of talk?

GLENN: Hang on. Hang on. I want Pat to go the audio vault. I'm going to do a quick commercial. We're going to come back. And I'm going to play the person that is running against him, and have you heard her lately? Did you hear her speech yesterday? Oh, my gosh. It isn't America that she's even discussing. We'll go to that here in just a second.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

GLENN: This is big. He has just committed he's in.

BRAD: Absolutely.

GLENN: He wanted to know -- we came up with a slogan. Drop the hammer of Thor.

PAT: Of Thor.

GLENN: Drop the hammer of Thor.

BRAD: Hashtag.

STU: I will also point out, Brad, as you're doing this other job that you do, Dreams From My Father came out in the mid-'90s and sold no copies. All of a sudden, Barack Obama starts running for president, making big presidential speeches, millions and millions sold. Foreign Agent will be one of the biggest books of all time.

GLENN: Foreign Agent will be huge.

STU: You're already starting at the top of the New York Times, by the way.

GLENN: Hey, hey, Dreams of My Father: Foreign Agent. All right?

STU: Now we can really --

GLENN: By the way, #Thor2016. #Thor2016.

STU: We're accepting Thor 2016 campaign art @worldofStu on Twitter.

GLENN: Right. Yes.

BRAD: @worldofStu. Now, what you're suggesting, and this is interesting because I do not think it's been done in American political history, is that I embark on this as a way to improve my brand. As a way to kind of make it more valuable.

GLENN: That's never been done before. That's crazy.

BRAD: So crazy, it just might work.

GLENN: It just might work. It just might work. You go in and you just say crazy things.

BRAD: Wow. This is an idea factory, this race.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

#Thor2016.

Okay. Play a little bit of what Hillary said yesterday.

BRAD: I'm going to be up against her, so I want to hear it.

GLENN: Yeah. This is remarkable.

HILLARY: I believe the federal government should adopt five ambitious goals.

PAT: Okay.

HILLARY: First, let's break through the dysfunction in Washington.

GLENN: Yeah. With a hammer. With Thor's hammer.

HILLARY: To make the biggest investment in new good-paying jobs since World War II.

GLENN: We already did that. Yes.

HILLARY: Second, let's make college debt free for all.

PAT: Free for everybody. Yay!

GLENN: Yay! Dropping the hammer. Dropping that Thor hammer.

PAT: Yay!

(applauding)

HILLARY: And transform the way we prepare Americans for the jobs of the future.

PAT: Yes.

GLENN: That's right.

HILLARY: Third, let's rewrite the rules so more companies share profits with their employees and fewer ship profits and jobs overseas.

GLENN: Okay. Stop. I don't have time -- I've only got about five seconds. But if that isn't Marxism, I don't know what is.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And what does this call for? Thor's hammer.

BRAD: Thor's hammer. Let's hit it with a hammer.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

NICHOLAS KAMM / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

Fiona Goodall / Stringer | Getty Images

Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO / Contributor | Getty Images

As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity

David McNew / Staff | Getty Images

Dependable, affordable electricity has been a staple of American life for decades, but that might all be coming to an end. Glenn has discussed recent actions taken by Biden, like orders to halt new oil and gas production and efforts to switch to less efficient sources of power, like wind or solar, the price of electricity is only going to go up. This, alongside his efforts to limit air conditioning and ban gas stoves, it almost seems Biden is attempting to send us back to the Stone Age.

4 signs that PROVE Americans are hitting rock bottom

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

As we approach the presidential election in November, many Americans are facing dire economic straits.

Glenn has shown time and time again that Bidenomics is a sham, and more Americans than ever are suffering as a result. Still, Biden and his cronies continue to insist that the economy is booming despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. But who is Biden fooling? Since the beginning of the year, gas has gone up an average of 40 cents a gallon nationwide, with some states seeing as much as a 60-cent per gallon increase. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Foreclosures and bankruptcies are on the rise, evictions are surging, and America is experiencing a record amount of homelessness. We can't survive another Biden term.

Americans across the country are hitting rock bottom, and here are four stats that PROVE it:

Evictions

John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

Across the country, people are being evicted from their homes and apartments. Between 2021 and 2023, evictions increased by 78.6 percent. With inflation driving up prices and employers struggling to raise wages to compensate, rent is taking up an increasingly larger percentage of people's paychecks. Many Americans are having to choose between buying groceries and paying rent.

Foreclosures

Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Renters aren't the only ones struggling to make their monthly payments, foreclosures are on the rise. This February saw a 5 percent increase in foreclosures from last year and a 10 percent increase from January. More and more Americans are losing their homes and businesses.

Bankruptcies

Chris Hondros / Staff | Getty Images

High interest rates and inflation have driven bankruptcies through the roof. Total filings have risen 13 percent and business bankruptcies rose 30 percent in 2023. It's getting harder and harder for businesses to stay afloat, and with California's new law requiring most restaurants to pay all employees a minimum of $20 an hour, you can expect that number to keep climbing.

Homelessness

FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor | Getty Images

The result of all of these issues is that it is getting harder and harder for Americans to afford the basic necessities. January of 2023 saw a record-breaking 650,000+ homeless Americans, a 12 percent jump from the previous year. More Americans have hit rock bottom than ever before.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

I want to talk to Generation Z. I’ve seen some clips of you complaining about your 9-to-5 jobs on social media and how life is really hard right now. To be honest, my first reaction was, “Suck it up, buttercup. This is what life is really like.” In a sense, that’s true. But in another sense, I think you’re getting a bad rap. You are facing unique problems that my generation didn’t face — problems that my generation had a hand in creating.

But I also think you don’t understand the cause of these problems.

I would hate to be in your position. When I was your age, we didn’t have to deal with any of the challenges you’re facing. In one sense, your life has been tough. At the same time, compared to previous generations, your life has been very easy. Everybody was rushing to save you, to protect you. You were coddled, which makes your life harder now.

You’ve grown up with social media and the definition of narcissism: somebody gazing into the pond looking at themselves all the time. I don't mean this as an offense, and I am not just including you in this. We’ve become a culture of narcissists. It’s all about “me, me, me, me.”

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

You’ve been in territory that my generation never had to enter. You’ve already navigated a landscape that we didn't have to, where nothing is true, and you can’t trust anybody. I wouldn’t trust anybody either if I were in your position. But I do know a few things to be true and a couple of things I can trust.

First, life is worth it. Life is tough, but it is worth it in the end.

Second, life is not about stuff. As a guy who is kind of a pack rat, I can tell you that none of that stuff will create happiness in your life. In fact, I think your generation has a better handle on happiness in some ways than anybody in mine. You’re starting to realize that pharmaceuticals may not be as good as natural solutions in a lot of situations, that the huge house may not be as satisfying as just having a smaller house, that living your life instead of having to work all the time may be a better way to live.

I want to talk to those of you who feel like it’s not worth even trying to go to work because you’ll never get anywhere. You work 40 hours a week or more, and you still can't afford a place to live. You’re still living with your parents. You can’t afford food. I think you're right to feel frustrated because the problems you're facing weren't always the case.

I blame a lot of the current problems we’re facing today on the hippies. That may be wrong, but I hate hippies. Hippies have been screwing things up since the 1960s. While on their socialist march, they have become everything that they said they were against: lying, greedy politicians. They just won’t let go of their power even though their time has passed.

These are the people who have come up with policies that make you feel like this is the way the world is. I hope I can convince you that it doesn’t have to be this way. This isn’t the way our country has always been. We don’t have to keep these people in power. Actions have consequences. Votes have consequences. These people allow crime, looters, squatters, riots, and somebody needs to pay for that.

You say you can’t afford health care. I understand. Since Obamacare passed, the cost of individual health insurance has doubled. You need to remember that politicians promised that if we passed this massive health care overhaul, it would mean a savings of $2,500 per family. You're in school. You must know that $2,500 savings is not the same as an 80% increase. Moreover, the cost of hospital stays is up 210%. I understand when you say you can't afford health care at these costs. Who could afford health care? Who could afford insurance?

The generation coming of age is right to feel frustrated.This mess — with high costs and a massive debt burden — was not of their making.

Iwant to talk to Generation Z. I’ve seen some clips of you complaining about your 9-to-5 jobs on social media and how life is really hard right now. To be honest, my first reaction was, “Suck it up, buttercup. This is what life is really like.” In a sense, that’s true. But in another sense, I think you’re getting a bad rap. You are facing unique problems that my generation didn’t face — problems that my generation had a hand in creating.

But I also think you don’t understand the cause of these problems.

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

I would hate to be in your position. When I was your age, we didn’t have to deal with any of the challenges you’re facing. In one sense, your life has been tough. At the same time, compared to previous generations, your life has been very easy. Everybody was rushing to save you, to protect you. You were coddled, which makes your life harder now.

You’ve grown up with social media and the definition of narcissism: somebody gazing into the pond looking at themselves all the time. I don't mean this as an offense, and I am not just including you in this. We’ve become a culture of narcissists. It’s all about “me, me, me, me.”

You’ve been in territory that my generation never had to enter. You’ve already navigated a landscape that we didn't have to, where nothing is true, and you can’t trust anybody. I wouldn’t trust anybody either if I were in your position. But I do know a few things to be true and a couple of things I can trust.

First, life is worth it. ≈

Second, life is not about stuff. As a guy who is kind of a pack rat, I can tell you that none of that stuff will create happiness in your life. In fact, I think your generation has a better handle on happiness in some ways than anybody in mine. You’re starting to realize that pharmaceuticals may not be as good as natural solutions in a lot of situations, that the huge house may not be as satisfying as just having a smaller house, that living your life instead of having to work all the time may be a better way to live.

I want to talk to those of you who feel like it’s not worth even trying to go to work because you’ll never get anywhere. You work 40 hours a week or more, and you still can't afford a place to live. You’re still living with your parents. You can’t afford food. I think you're right to feel frustrated because the problems you're facing weren't always the case.

I blame a lot of the current problems we’re facing today on the hippies. That may be wrong, but I hate hippies. Hippies have been screwing things up since the 1960s. While on their socialist march, they have become everything that they said they were against: lying, greedy politicians. ≈

These are the people who have come up with policies that make you feel like this is the way the world is. I hope I can convince you that it doesn’t have to be this way. This isn’t the way our country has always been. We don’t have to keep these people in power. Actions have consequences. Votes have consequences. These people allow crime, looters, squatters, riots, and somebody needs to pay for that.

If you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework.

You say you can’t afford health care. I understand. Since Obamacare passed, the cost of individual health insurance has doubled. You need to remember that politicians promised that if we passed this massive health care overhaul, it would mean a savings of $2,500 per family. You're in school. You must know that $2,500 savings is not the same as an 80% increase. Moreover, the cost of hospital stays is up 210%. I understand when you say you can't afford health care at these costs. Who could afford health care? Who could afford insurance?

You are also starting your life with thousands of dollars in debt. Your parents didn't have that burden. People used to be able to work their way through college and graduate debt-free. Others were able to get jobs that quickly paid off their debt. You can't do that now. Once the government said that they were going to guarantee all student loans, university costs skyrocketed, and it hasn't stopped. You can thank the progressive President Lyndon B. Johnson for that.

The people who created this mess cannot fix it. But it can be fixed.

You are also starting your life with thousands of dollars in debt. Your parents didn't have that burden. People used to be able to work their way through college and graduate debt-free. Others were able to get jobs that quickly paid off their debt. You can't do that now. Once the government said that they were going to guarantee all student loans, university costs skyrocketed, and it hasn't stopped. You can thank the progressive President Lyndon B. Johnson for that.

Once the government said that they were going to guarantee everybody’s college tuition, universities found out that they could just charge more because the government would give you virtually any amount in your loan. And they have been charging more and more ever since. In 1965, the average college tuition was $450 a year. Adjusted to inflation, that's $4,000 a year. You're currently paying an average of $26,000 a year as opposed to the inflation-adjusted $4,000.

What happened? The answer is always the same: government regulations. Gas is up. Why? Government regulations. Can't afford a house? Well, that's due to several things. Many of them revolve around the fed and our national debt. But the simple answer is the same: government regulations.

Moreover, the U.S. government has run a staggering national debt. We have been concerned about it forever, but the people in power haven't been listening to your mom and dad and people like me. A lot of other people just thought, "Oh, well. We could get away with it. We're the United States of America, after all. Somehow or another, it will all work out."

People like me have been saying, "No. We can't pass this on to our children." You're now seeing what we have passed on. When you say that the adults are responsible for creating this world of problems, in some ways, you’re right. We were lied to, and as many people do, they want to believe the lie because it makes them feel better.

There are big lies being pushed in your generation as well. You're being told that a man is a woman and a woman is a man. At the same time, you’re being told that gender doesn't even exist at all. It makes us feel better to go along with the lie because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

My generation believed the same kind of lie about our national debt. We were told that we could spend all this money on subsidized programs because it would provide you, our children, with a better life. Some people warned, "Wait, how will they pay this off? This will cost them." We didn't want to believe them. The lie sounded better, and it was easier to believe that than the truth. We never saw the consequences, and even if we did, they were always way out in the future. Nobody wanted to listen to the doomsday people saying, "No. It's going to come faster than you think."

And that time is right now. Our government now is printing $1 trillion every 100 days. That's never been done before. We have more debt than any country has ever had in the history of the world. But we’re not alone. Every country is doing this. They’re going into debt like we’ve never seen before, and we’re all about to pay for that. It’s going to make your life even harder.

There are Democrats and Republicans who still believe in spending all kinds of money and getting us involved in every global conflict. Then there are constitutional conservatives who believe that we should conserve the things that have worked and throw out the things that don’t and follow our Constitution and Bill of Rights. You haven't really learned about those most likely. But you should. All of our problems are caused by the government and the people who feel they can bypass the Constitution. That's what this election is really all about.

You might say, “I don’t really care. I don’t like either of the political parties.” I know a lot of people who don’t like either of them, but one is going to try to cut the size of this government and one is going to spend us into collapse.

The people who created this mess cannot fix it. But it can be fixed. You need to learn enough about the truth, about why this has happened to us, and about how our Constitution lasted longer than any other Constitution in the world. The average is 17 years. This thing has lasted hundreds of years. Why? How? And why is it falling apart today? That's what you should dedicate some of your time to figuring out today.

You can complain about the way things are. I complain. Everybody complains. But don't wallow there. Learn what caused this. And if you end up thinking more collectivism is the solution, then you haven't done enough homework. They always end the same way, and that's exactly where we're headed right now. We can either repeat the dreadful past of nations that have tried it before us, or we can choose freedom, liberty, and prosperity. The ball is in our court.

Glenn recently had Representative Thomas Massie on his show to sound the alarm about an important yet often overlooked issue affecting what we eat. Whether you're trying to be prepared to weather a catastrophe or just trying to keep food on the table without resorting to eating bugs, it's more important now than ever to source local food. Unnoticed by most, our right to eat home-grown or locally-sourced foods is under attack. The government doesn't just want a say in what you eat; they want you vulnerable and dependent on their system, and they are massively overstepping their bounds to ensure your compliance with their goals.

How did the attack on your food begin?

Government overreach on food can be traced back to 1938 under the autocratic eye of FDR with the Supreme Court case "Wickard v. Filburn." The case was pretty straightforward, but the results were devastating. The case began with the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, which sought to control national food prices by placing limitations on how many crops farmers could grow in a season.

Filburn was one such farmer, who was allotted 11.1 acres of wheat to plant and harvest annually. Filburn planted and harvested 23 acres, arguing that the extra acres were not headed for the market, but were used for personal consumption. After being penalized for over-harvesting, he fought his case all the way up to the Supreme Court, arguing that Congress did not have the authority to regulate crops that never left his farm.

Unfortunately for Filburn (and the rest of us), the Supreme Court didn't agree. They ruled that the mere existence of that extra wheat—whether it left Filburn's farm or not—had an effect on the national value of wheat. Congress assumed the power to regulate just about anything that could be roped under the umbrella of "interstate commerce."

Under the precedent set by Wickard v. Filburn, Congress might bar you from growing tomatoes in your backyard, because it could affect national tomato prices. This was a major blow to our right to feed ourselves, and that right has been eroding ever since.

How is our right to feed ourselves under attack today?

Last June, the Virginia Department of Agriculture shut down Golden Valley Farms, a small Amish farm owned and operated by Samuel B. Fisher in Farmville, Virginia. Golden Valley Farms had started out selling dairy products, primarily, and processed some meat for personal consumption. However, by popular demand, Fisher began selling meat.

Fisher initially hauled his animals to a USDA processing plant, paid to have them processed, and then hauled them back. This process was time-consuming and costly, and Fisher's customers didn't want the meat processed by the plant. A survey done on Golden Valley Farms customers found that an overwhelming 92 percent preferred meat processed by Fisher. So naturally, Fisher began to process more and more meat for his customers.

Moreover, COVID shut down the USDA plant, which made it impossible for Fisher to process the animals by the USDA anyway, though the demand for meat was greater than ever. Fisher made the call to process 100 percent of his animals himself and didn't look back. That was until June when the Virginia Department of Agriculture caught wind of Fisher's operation and shut it down. The VDA seized all of Fisher's products, and he wasn't allowed to process, sell, or even eat his meat. Then they loaded it up in a truck and left it at the dump to rot.

Nobody ever got sick from eating meat from Golden Valley Farms. This was NOT about "health and safety." This was about control. The fact is that informed adults were not allowed to make a simple transaction without the government sticking its slimy fingers into Fisher's business and claiming it was somehow for "our benefit." But it's not for "our benefit." It's so they can regulate and control what we buy and what we eat, and they cannot stand it when we operate outside of their influence.

What comes next?

Where does this end? With so much of our ability to feed ourselves already eroded, is it too late? Is it going to get worse? Before long, will it be illegal to eat eggs from your chickens or pick vegetables from your garden without getting government clearance first? Fortunately, a solution is already in the works.

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie recently told Glenn about a new constitutional amendment designed to limit government overreach regarding food production. The proposed amendment reads as follows:

And Congress shall make no law, regulating the production and distribution of food products, which do not move across state lines.

The amendment is still on the drawing board and has not been formally introduced to Congress yet. But this is where you come in. Call your representative and tell them to support Massie's amendment and take a stand for your right to provide sustenance for you and your family.