The next great American leader? Glenn interviews him on radio today...

June 28, 2013

Writer

Glenn interviewed pastor and former NFL player Ken Hutcherson on radio today, a man Glenn feels will be (and already is) one of the great American leaders. He understands the time in which we live and speaks with authority, profound logic and reason.

Full transcript of interview below:

Ken, welcome to the program. How are you, sir?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Good morning, guys. You-guys work awful early.

GLENN: I know. I'm sorry. Well, you're in Seattle. You get up at, like, what? Noon? Ken, I wrote you last night and I said, I've been saying this stuff for a long time and they've never attacked me before. I think they're starting to be afraid. I think this is starting to connect and make sense to people, that civil rights are the rights that are outlined in the Bill of Rights and they are violating the First Amendment, the Second Amendment. They're violating the Fifth Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, the Tenth Amendment. They're violating those civil rights.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: You've got to understand pressure always determines the true character of any person. Good pressure, bad pressure, opposite pressure, but on this earth, Glenn, everyone better understand one thing: You won't feel pressure like you're going to feel　-- can you imagine any nonbeliever, any atheist, standing in front of Christ, trying to explain why they rejected him? Now, that's pressure, my brother. And as a Christian, I don't have that. I　-- Hey, I walk into a Ku Klux Klan meeting with gasoline unwound. That's just me, because I've got the greatest and the baddest one in the valley on my side. That's Jesus Christ. And Sharpton? Come on, guys. What a joke. He's turned into a joke.

GLENN: You have　-- you were there　-- you hated Martin Luther King while　-- while Al Sharpton says he started the, you know, youth movement for Martin Luther King. When you were 12, you were trying to break the bone of every body of every white concern you could. You were more of a panther person. You changed, but I really, truly believe that you have　-- Pat and I were talking about this the other day. We are not in the civil rights movement that you went through. I mean, I hope to God no man of any color or any religion or nonreligion ever in this country has to go through what African-Americans went through and, really, in some places, are still going　-- going through.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Yep, uh-huh.

GLENN: But this is　-- this is the same path and the time so to stop it is before it gets to the dogs. Am I not right on that?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: The main problem that we have is there's a lot of people, Glenn, in our society that is being discriminated against. Now, they don't mind throwing other groups in called the civil rights movement and the lawyers and the land group that they are fighting for is homosexuals and I don't like to call them gay because they have taken that word. Gay means you're happy, you're frolicking around, enjoying life, and they have stole that word and we need to take it back because when you allow those that are in opposition of you to take and determine what definitions are, then you will lose. We can't let Al Sharpton and others take the definition of what civil rights is. Civil rights is　--

GLENN: So what is the civil rights movement?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: 　-- you should the Constitution.

GLENN: Say it again. What is the civil rights movement? What is it really?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: The civil rights movement is understanding your freedom under the Constitution of these United States and if anyone tries to take those freedoms from you, you better rise up and fight and that's what we're doing together.

GLENN: You said to me on the plane, I've struggled too long as a black man to be an equal member of this society. Do you remember?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Oh, exactly. I said, Glenn, I fought for years and years and years as a black man to become equal. We're still fighting, but we won that fight, even in the courts, years ago, and I have felt that freedom and I'm going to use that freedom. I did not become a Christian, Glenn, to fight that same fight again as they look at me as a second class citizen.

GLENN: So help Al Sharpton out here, Glenn, on　-- I mean, he doesn't　-- because his religion, whatever his religion is, I believe it's a religion of collectivism in the state. I don't know how he　-- I don't know how he says he believes in the salvation of Jesus Christ but then talks about collective salvation. I don't understand that, but explain to him, just on the religious front, how this is a civil rights movement.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: I think he has to understand that he has to open his eyes and open his heart because, for example, let me give you a good example. The President of the United States, if you remove his blackness, then just ask the question, is he a good President or is he a bad President for the United States? Just remove the blackness and make that decision. When it comes to Al Sharpton, Glenn, you've got to understand something. If you remove Al Sharpton's blackness, he disappears. He's transparent. There's nothing there because he bases his whole life on his blackness. Me, I'm a black man; but my blackness has submission to my Christianity. I am an American, proud to be an American, proud to be a black American. I'm not African-American. I've never been to Africa. I'm an American that is black and my　-- and I'm proud to be a black that submits to my Christianity. I am proud to be just a man. I mean a man's man, not a metro sexual, not one that gets his nails done. I mean a man that used to get out there and knock heads and get his fingernails dirty. I'm proud of being a man, but my manhood submits to my Christianity, but I don't see that in Al Sharpton. Any time anything happens that attacks his blackness, he fears it and　-- because he has nothing else to stand on. Thus, when the real civil rights movement of everyone steps up, when we're saying the Tea Party, don't take being discriminated against. If a black person was kicked out of a hotel for being black down in Florida, it would be an uproar, but since the Tea Party was kicked out because of their political views, that's going against America. That's why we're here going against the Constitution, with certain unalienable rights. That is the true fight we must start and we must fight today like never before.

GLENN: Here's the thing, Ken: Most of　-- most Americans have not been discriminated against. We have been　--

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Oh, woe, woe.

GLENN: No, no. I'm saying growing up　--

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: 　-- that's why we don't fight.

GLENN: Well, I know growing up, I grew up in Mount Vernon. You live in Seattle now. You know Mount Vernon. And Mount Vernon back in the Sixties and Seventies, I don't think I was discriminated against at all

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Not compared to what I went through.

GLENN: Exactly right.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: But are we going to go with the greed or are we going to go with right and wrong?

GLENN: Where was I discriminated against as a　-- I mean, I don't want to be a victim. Let me just say -- let me just start there. I don't want to be a victim. I don't want　-- what did you say?

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: I said, please don't go there with me.

GLENN: Right. So when you're talking about, you know, the Sixties and Seventies, I guess if you go back and look at it -- and I just asked you to show me where I was a victim.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: There you go.

GLENN: I don't care what happened in my past. I care what's happening right now.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Absolutely. And you better stand like we're going to and get ready for the shots. Get ready to be disliked. You know, the greatest　-- do you know what the greatest blessing in the world is, Glenn?

GLENN: The greatest blessing in the world, let me see if I can answer this, at least for me. The greatest blessing　--

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Outside of Jesus Christ being your savior, do you know what the greatest blessing in the world is?

GLENN: Yeah. The greatest blessing in the world is for me to have him as my constant companion.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: The greatest blessing outside of Jesus Christ, my brother, is to have　--

GLENN: Oh. Outside of　--

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: -- is to have people dislike you.

GLENN: Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm glad to say I think we have all of the right people hate us. I mean, I　-- you know, when George Soros threatened us and when the administration doesn't like us, when the GOP doesn't like us, I wear that as a badge of honor. I really do.

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: Please, Hey, can you get two badges? Let's wear them together.

GLENN: Ken, thank you. I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much and --

PASTOR HUTCHERSON: My pleasure, my brother. Let's go get them.

GLENN: You got it. Thank you. Pastor Ken Hutcherson, he is, I warn you, a lightning rod, a lightning rod, but he has Stage 4 cancer and is not afraid, is not afraid, and I　-- and I　-- you have to experience him. He's actually coming down to Salt Lake City next week and he's going to be speaking at a couple of places and one of those we added a couple of days ago and I don't even know if there is any tickets left. What is the name of that event for Hutcherson and David Barton in the speaker series? Do you know what the name of that particular one is? Go to mercuryone.org -- somebody do that for me. Would you do that for me real quick, Alex? Go to mercuryone.org and look in the speaker series and most of these are sold out, but you can still get tickets. They are　-- by the way, I think they're, like, $15 a seat but all of the money goes to Mercury One and that pays for the infrastructure of Mercury One. We do this event every year so we can pay for the administration of it and we give you something in exchange. So I'm not asking you for on a donation. We pay for the administration, so then all of the rest of the years　-- the year when there's a tragedy or there's something, I can say to you 100% of that goes to pay for　-- goes to this particular cause and we don't take any money. So that's why we're charging for the speaker series, but I want to give you something in return. But there's one in the speaker series that we just added a couple of days ago. I don't know if there's tickets left, but it is with David Barton, Rabbi Lapin, myself, and Ken Hutcherson and I said I think there's only about 2000 tickets to that and I said to somebody the other day, I said, I think this is the one　-- there are 2000 people, 20000 people coming to the Man in the Moon. I think this is the one that those　-- the people are going to　-- this and Pat's education seminar that people are going to say holy cow, holy cow, they're coming, they're coming and I want to be a part of that because we are　-- we're going to take the bull by the horns and I beg you, be prepared. Prepare any way that you　-- you would do that in your faith, but get the bad things out of your life, clean up your life, make amends for those things, ask forgiveness for those things. If you're an alcoholic, do the 12 steps. Do it all over again. Do it in the next couple of months. Get it all out of your life. If you're a Christian, renew your baptismal covenants. Understand the atonement. Get it out of your life, clean it up so you have nothing to fear, because if you are hiding from yourself, you're never going to be able to stand what's coming and we'll give you more on that. And you can get the tickets 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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