Chris Kyle’s family needs your help

February 08, 2013

Writer

Chris Kyle is an American hero. He saved countless American lives while on the battlefield. And when he came home, he gave everything he had --- including his time -- to his foundation and other returning military vets. He probably thought he had plenty of time to worry about saving for college, etc, but as it turns out he was robbed of that chance. Chris Kyle stepped up for America, it’s time for America to step up for him.

Here’s a couple really cool ways you can help: buy 1791’s Heroes shirt or donate directly through Mercury One.

You can also send a check to Mercury One by mail at: Mercury One, PO Box 140489, Irving, TX 75014. Be sure to put "Chris Kyle Fund" in the memo line.

On radio, Glenn called for listeners to help the Kyle family. You can watch the video at the top of the page, and the full transcript of the segment from radio is below.

Radio Transcript:

GLENN: This week has been a very, a very bizarre week. It started on Sunday for us. Sunday morning I got up and my wife said to me, "Honey, Marcus called," Marcus Luttrell. She said, "Marcus called, or texted me late last night." And I said, okay, I'll call him today. Then I go out to the front and our security detail is there getting ready to take us to church and I said good morning to the boys. And I said, good morning, guys. And they said, sir, have you heard the news? And I said, what news? And they said, the American sniper Chris Kyle was killed. And I said, oh, my gosh. Marcus texted late last night; that must be what it's about. I said, how did he die? And he said, he was at a gun range and he was apparently helping out a vet and he was shot to death on the gun range.

And my shock of that, I think the first thing I said is, what the hell is happening to us? Here is an American hero, a guy who is ‑‑ really will be talked about for 50 years. He is ‑‑ he really is our red baron. Everybody knows the red baron. The only reason why you know the red baron at this point is he was some sort of a flying ace. But this is our red baron. This is our defy who is a ‑‑ who has done stuff that nobody else in the history of man has ever done. The best sniper to ever live. And he makes it back, he writes a best‑selling book, it's a huge best seller, everybody reads it, he's everywhere. He doesn't take any of the money from that book. None of it. And what happens? He comes home, he takes that money, and he, instead of taking it, he gives it to an organization to help vets who are returning and are having a hard time adjusting.

I mean, here's a guy who really put his money where his mouth is. He takes his time. He's traveling, in three years that he's back from the Service, he travels all the time to speak and to help vets. He's constantly on the frontline of helping now. He spent his time in the military killing to protect. Then he comes back and he spends his time out of the military trying to protect. Trying to help. He gives all of his time and all of his money. Now he's a young guy. So he thinks, I'm going to be around for a long time. It's almost kind of the Tesla story where he gives up everything because he's like, you know, there will be something else. And then his time runs out.

So now his family is not protected. Now his family is in the position to where they don't have any money. And I suppose you could say, "Well, that was irresponsible of him," or you could say, "That guy just knew they would be taken care of." Our founders did similar things. They spent all of their time away from their children. I mean, John Adams was gone, gosh, I mean, how long was he away from his kids?

PAT: 14 years.

GLENN: 14 years he was away. And it's not like he's getting, you know, leave where he can come back. I mean, he's gone for 14 years. His kids didn't even know him. And our founders, because we've talked about it an awful lot, because we work very hard to do what we do. And if we were doing it for money, we'd be despicable people. We would. Because of the way we have ‑‑ the time that we have spent away from our family.

My sister is in town and she just ‑‑ I started to talk to her and she's like, stop it. Stop. I get it. And I said to her, I started to say to her, "I think about you every day and I love you so much and I want to call you every day. I want to talk to you. I want to spend time with you. I just don't have any time." And we have talked about, especially when we were in New York, that the Lord will make it up. Somehow or another he'll make up whatever deficit. As long as we're doing the right thing. As long as we're on his work. And we also have to keep things in perspective. And we've done all that we can do. He will make up the deficit.

Well, Chris did do all that he could do. Now, the Lord doesn't ‑‑ you know, all of a sudden it's not like, "Oh, my gosh. Hey, kids, money from heaven." That's not the way it works. We're his hands. Each of us. We were sent here for a reason. And we're his hands.

So I would like to ask, and I did earlier this week, and this audience is so amazing. I asked this week, can we help this family? Can we raise some money to honor his family, to help his family? Because Jesse Ventura is coming and suing the family because Chris said he punched him in the face and Jesse said that never happened. And all of the SEALs and everybody else that was there said, "Oh, it absolutely did happen," but Jesse Ventura's crazy. So once Chris dies, Jesse goes after the family and says, "I'm going to take the money from the estate." There is no money.

So Mercury One put together a fund, and Marcus Luttrell, the Lone Survivor, is putting together a trust so nobody can get this money except the kids. I asked you this on I think Tuesday. Here it is Friday and this audience in $10, $20 bills, has raised $375,000 ‑‑ $381 now ‑‑

STU: $383,000 now.

GLENN: $383,158 ‑‑ 300 ‑‑

STU: $383,158.

GLENN: $383,158. It's almost incredible what you've done, almost $400,000. My goal was to raise $500,000 and that's an incredible number. I'd really like to make a million because a million would take care of everything that they have, including the taxes, take care of everything that they would need to take care of, put their kids ‑‑ put his two kids through school and they wouldn't have to worry. His kids are 6 and 8. Could we be the Lord's hands here? Because the government's not going to do it. In fact, they are holding his funeral at Dallas Cowboys stadium on Monday and everybody's going to be there. Everybody's going to be there... except one. I don't believe the president of the United States is coming.

Now here we have an American hero. Here we have a guy who has saved countless Americans. He comes home. He self‑sacrifices. He dies at the hands of a guy he's trying to help: And our president isn't going to be there. I don't think he would be welcome anyway, but that's saying something.

We tried. We were going to cover and carry the live coverage on TheBlaze and ‑‑ but it's far too expensive for us to do it at this point. We felt it would be better because we made donations and we felt it would just be better to cover it not live but cover it in many different ways than spend all that money. We'd rather put ‑‑ I think we put $50,000 in towards the family, and I would like to ask you if you had $5 or $10 if you would go to MercuryOne.org and donate.

Now, there's something else. I'm taking my signed copy of his book, American Sniper. I collect rare books and signed books, and this one is signed by a legend, and he died. This one will be a definite collector's item, and I've taken it off of my library shelf, I only have one, and I am putting it up for auction on Monday, proceeds for the family. And I would ‑‑ I would ask on Monday that you would bid on it if you're interested, with all the proceeds going to them.

The other thing I asked my team last night, if we could make ‑‑ if 1791 could make ‑‑ because they make the best T‑shirts. They are just the greatest T‑shirts. And I asked 1791 if they would make a Navy SEAL heroes T‑shirt. All of the profits will go to the family, and that's available now. Just went up a few minutes ago at 1791.com. It's a blue T‑shirt, says "American Heroes" and has the SEAL triton on it. And that will go to Chris Kyle's family and also a portion of it goes to FITCO Cares foundation. That is his foundation to help Navy SEALs. I think the best way to honor him is to continue his work. Take care of his family first but also continue to take care of veterans. He believed in it so much, he died trying to do it. The T‑shirt is available right now at 1791.com, or you can make a direct donation at MercuryOne.org, or you can ‑‑ you can wait on ‑‑ until Monday and bid on that book as well. But we'd like to ask you to get involved.

You think the president ‑‑ I mean, I think I would be, quite honestly, you know, if this, if this president, if I would die ‑‑ and he wouldn't, but if I were his ‑‑ if this would happen to me and this president decided to show up, I think my family would ask him to leave. Because they would be like, "We don't want you here," only because it would become a circus and he would use it. He would use my death to wrap himself into it. And now I'm not saying that he would ever do it with me. I'm just saying if I were ‑‑ if I were Chris.

STU: Right.

GLENN: This president would come in there and use this funeral to make himself look good.

STU: Sure.

GLENN: So I don't even know if he would be welcome. I'm sure ‑‑ I can't speak for the family at all but I mean, I know there's a lot of guys ‑‑ I know there's a lot of guys in the SEAL community that, you know, are like, yeah ‑‑

PAT: Hard fans.

GLENN: Not really a big fan of this guy.

STU: I think the appropriate thing to be would be to let the family make that decision. If you want me there, I'm there.

GLENN: Right.

STU: I mean, if you're the president of the United States and this guy's done what this guy did for this country, I mean, you left that up to them. And you don't feel offended if they say no, but you're more than happy to be there if they want you there.

GLENN: You remember when the SEALs ‑‑ you remember when the transport went down and all those SEALs died and one of them, in his will, said I want Ted Nugent to play at my funeral?

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And the president decided that he was going to come and so he just went, and he then said, "I don't want Ted Nugent at this funeral" and so he overrode the family and the dying wishes of the SEAL? It was in his will: I want Ted Nugent to play. And Ted was ready. Ted chartered a plane and he was like, I'm there. I'm there. As soon as he found out: I'm there. The president shows up and disinvites Ted Nugent and overrides the family. Can you imagine that? The balls this guy has.

If you're in Texas, come. If you're not in Texas, we'll ‑‑

PAT: Is it just open to ‑‑

GLENN: I think it's ‑‑

PAT: ‑‑ anybody?

GLENN: It's a funeral. So I think it's pretty open. It's not like they have 50,000 friends that are ‑‑

STU: Right. If you're going to Cowboys Stadium, I would assume you would, you know ‑‑

GLENN: I don't know if I'm ‑‑ I'm not involved in this at all. So I just know that it's at Cowboys ‑‑ I know that I'm going to be there and that's all I know. So I just assume that, you know, it's not like all the other churches were booked. But I don't know if there's another place, a smaller place in Cowboys Stadium that you could use? I don't know how that's going to work.

STU: Just as far as the fundraising goes, you might need to be a little diligent. I've been trying to do a donation here as we've been sitting here and it was not going through for much of that time because everybody's been pounding this website. So just, you know, it might take you a little time.

PAT: That's a great sign.

STU: I mean, that's a great sign. I mean, this audience does this every time we talk about these sort of things.

GLENN: Yeah, but this is different. My understanding, this is a faster raise of money than any of the hurricane stuff that we did, any of the stuff that we've done in the history of Mercury One. This is the fastest raise of money for anything. And I think it's because we relate to this guy and we appreciate not just him but all of the Navy SEALs. And we want them to know that we love them. You know, it's not just this guy.

You know that Marcus has buried 67 of his friends? Can you imagine that?

PAT: Yeah, it's incredible.

GLENN: In, like, five years that you have attended 67 funerals of people that you knew and loved and work with? My gosh, it just never ends. Never ends. Show this community that while the government may fail us, while the government isn't paying attention to our vets, while the government has a whole bunch of red tape, there's no red tape with us. And if you need ‑‑ if you want something that is a reminder of this, get the American heroes T‑shirt at 1791.com. Get the book off my shelf, my copy, only one I have. Get my copy on Monday. Or you can just make a donation at MercuryOne.org.

'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.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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