Brad Meltzer decodes some of the most ubiquitous conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of JFK

Brad Meltzer’s new book, History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time, provides fascinating insight into 10 of the greatest conspiracies of all time. From D.B. Cooper to the fate of John Wilkes Booth to Area 51, Brad investigates the claims behind some of the most notorious conspiracies in American history.

After running through many of the conspiracies in the book – D.B. Cooper, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the conspiracy behind the Confederate gold, the White House Cornerstone, the Spear of Destiny, Leonardo da Vinci, and Area 51 – over the last few weeks, on radio this morning, Brad joined Glenn to talk about the ultimate conspiracy theory: The assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

On Wednesday’s Glenn Beck Program, Glenn spoke with Roger Stone, author of The Man who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ, about his theory that then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson played a very big role in the killing of President Kennedy. A portion of Stone’s research revolves around Jack Ruby – the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald – and Glenn asked Brad to explain who Ruby is and what role he played in incident.

“It's one of the great myths. The great myth of Jack Ruby is that he's a nightclub owner with mob connections that you'd think would come from central casting in a Martin Scorsese movie. And the truth is he definitely owns the local nightclub… but the amazing part is… Jack Ruby has no proven mob involvement,” Brad explained. “But Jack Ruby actually, against his lawyer's advice, took a lie-detector test to prove that he wasn't involved with the mob. And you know what? He passed… He says the reason that he gunned down Lee Harvey Oswald is because he loved the Kennedys so much. He didn't want to have to see Jackie Kennedy go on the witness stand and, in front of the country, testify to what happened when her husband's head exploded and splattered his brains all across her pink dress.”

As Brad sees it, the real question Americans should be asking about Ruby is: How did he get past every police officer who as supposedly guarding the most wanted man in America?

“So much of these stories become distraction and they take us away from the questions we should be asking about this… which is… why is [Ruby] in there two times,” Brad asked. “And one of the details that I love most is… he almost misses him. And the only reason why Jack Ruby is there and the timing is perfect is because Lee Harvey Oswald, as he's leaving the interrogation and about to be leaving the jail, says he's cold and he asks for a sweater. And they have to look around for a sweater… If Lee Harvey Oswald doesn't [ask for a sweater], these two guys are never in the same place at the same time. It is a moment in history that would have been entirely different.”

Glenn then asked Brad to explain why there is so much controversy surrounding the Warren Commission and its findings. As Brad explains, it’s not what the Warren Commission released to the public that is in question so much as what they chose to keep classified. Had the American people been allowed to see all the evidence, there is a very good chance no one would still be questioning its findings.

“First of all, when we have a disaster today, good, bad, or otherwise, whenever it happens, one of the things that the country is great at is we tend to have open hearings, right… When the Warren Commission first took over this investigation, it was completely behind closed doors,” Brad said. “And in a sense, that's the disaster of it. Because the moment you do things behind closed doors, people rightfully say, ‘What are you hiding?’ As a result of that, the American people never got to see the testimony that the Warren Commission people saw.”

From eyewitness accounts that confirmed Lee Harvey Oswald was in fact leaning out of the window of the Texas Book Depository to photographs of the autopsy, the American people were not able to see what the Warren Commission saw that lead to its conclusion.

“The Warren commission never let them out. And why? Because the Kennedy family themselves said don't release them. Why? In my mind, and I don't blame them for it, they don't want the last image of John F. Kennedy to be a shot with his head blown off,” Brad said. “But as a result… 87% of Americans thought right after the Warren Commission that there were multiple shooters involved and the Warren Commission was a sham. All that secrecy and complexity was hidden from everyone, and it just made that kind of echo chamber of conspiracy even louder.”

POLL: What DARK government secrets will Trump uncover?

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Will the dark secrets of the Deep State finally see the light of day? Or will they slip back into darkness, as they have many times before?

The Trump administration is gearing up to fulfill one of Trump's most anticipated campaign promises: to make the contents of the JFK files, along with other Deep State secrets, available to the public. Kash Patel, who has promised to publicize the highly anticipated files, is expected to be confirmed next week as Trump's director of the FBI. Moreover, the House Oversight Committee created a new task force headed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called "Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets," which is tasked with investigating and declassifying information on the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, UFOs, the Epstein list, COVID's origins, and 9/11. This all comes after the FBI found 2,400 "new" records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy following Trump's executive order to release the files.

Glenn discussed this topic with the cast of the Patrick Bet David podcast. Glenn expressed his confidence in Trump's radical transparency—on the condition that Kash Patel is confirmed. The cast was not as optimistic, expressing some doubt about whether Trump will actually unveil all that he has promised. But what do you think? What files are likely to see the light of day? And what files will continue to linger in the dark? Let us know in the poll below

Do you think the JFK, RFK, and MLK files will be unveiled?

Do you think the 9/11 files will be unveiled?

Do you think the COVID files will be unveiled?

Do you think the UFO files will be unveiled?

Do you think the Epstein list will be unveiled?

Transgender opera in Colombia? 10 SHOCKING ways USAID spent your tax dollars.

MANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has been doing what with our tax money!?

Under the determined eye of Elon Musk, DOGE has rooted out the corruption that permeates USAID, and it turns out that it's worse than we thought. Glenn recently read a list of atrocious causes that were funded by USAID, and the list was as long as it was shocking.

Since the January consumer index report was published today, one thing is clear: eggs are bearing the brunt of inflation. That's why we illustrated the extent of USAID's wasteful spending of YOUR taxpayer dollars by comparing it to the price of eggs. How many eggs could the American people have bought with their tax dollars that were given to a "transgender opera" in Colombia or indoctrinating Sri Lankans with woke gender ideology? The truth will shock you:

1. A “transgender opera” in Colombia

USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia. That's over 135,000 eggs.

2. Sex changes and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala

$2 million was spent funding sex changes along with whatever "LGBT activism" means. That equates to over 5.7 million eggs!

3. Teaching Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary-gendered language

USAID forked over $7.9 million to combat the "gender binary" in Sri Lankan journalism. That could have bought nearly 23 million eggs.

4. Tourism in Egypt

$6 million (or just over 17 million eggs) was spent to fund tourism in Egypt. If only someone had thought to build some impressive landmarks...

5. A new "Sesame Street" show in Iraq

USAID spent $20 million to create a new Sesame Street show in Iraq. That's just short of 58 million eggs...

6. Helping the BBC value the diversity of Libyan society

$2.1 million was sent to the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) to help them value the diversity of Libyan society (whatever that means). That could have bought over 6 million eggs.

7. Meals for a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda

$10 million worth of USAID-funded meals went to an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group. That comes up to be just shy of 29 million eggs.

8. Promoting inclusion in Vietnam 

A combined $19.3 million was sent to two separate inclusion groups in Vietnam inclusion groups in Vietnam (why where they separated? Not very inclusive of them). That's over 55 million eggs.

9. Promoting DEI in Serbia's workplaces

USAID sent $1.5 million (4.3 million eggs) to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

10. Funding EcoHealth Alliance, tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology's "bat research"

EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key NGOs that funded the Wuhan lab's bat virus research, received $5 million from USAID, which is equivalent to 14.5 million eggs.

The bottom line...

So, how much damage was done?

In total, approximately $73.8 million was wasted on the items on this list. That comes out to be 213 million eggs. Keep in mind that these are just the items on this list, there are many, many more that DOGE has uncovered and will uncover in the coming days. Case in point: that's a lot of eggs.

POLL: Should Trump stop producing pennies?

SAUL LOEB / Contributor, Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

On Sunday, February 9th, President Trump ordered the U.S. Mint to halt the production of pennies. It costs the mint three cents to produce every penny, which Trump deemed wasteful. However, critics argue that axing the pennies will be compensated by ramping up nickel production, which costs 13 cents per coin.

In other news, President Trump promised on Truth Social that he would be reversing a Biden-era policy that mandated the use of paper straws throughout the federal government. From potentially slashing entire agencies to saying farewell to pennies and paper straws, Trump is hounding after wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.

But what do you think? Was Trump right to put an end to pennies? And should plastic straws make a comeback? Let us know in the poll below:

Should Trump stop the production of pennies? 

Do you agree with Trump's reversal of the plastic straw ban?

Was this the most PATRIOTIC Super Bowl yet?

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The 2025 Super Bowl demonstrated Trump’s vision of a new America.

On Sunday, February 9th, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the biggest sporting event of the year. But this wasn't just a victory for Eagles fans. For those watching, it became apparent that American culture has changed, the zeitgeist has shifted, and America has become cool again. While remnants of woke culture lingered, they felt out of step next to the parade of American Flags and patriotic messaging that dominated the national event. The message was clear: America is back.

Everybody knows that the commercials are the best part of any Super Bowl, and last night's game was no exception. As Glenn has pointed out, while some of the ads still carried woke messages (like Nike's), many more captured the newly kindled patriotism felt nationwide. Here are four of the best commercials from last Sunday that make this the most patriotic Super Bowl yet:

1. Rocket: "Own the Dream"

This touching commercial by the financial services company, Rocket, states "Everyone deserves a shot at the American dream," while showing images of people returning home and building families. The ad included a cover of John Denver's iconic song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and featured an in-stadium sing-along, live from the Super Bowl.

2. Secret Service: "A History of Protection"

Donald Trump made history by being the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, which required the efforts of hundreds of Secret Service agents to ensure his safety. The Secret Service boasted of this feat during their minute-long commercial, which lauded American values and achievements and featured iconic American imagery.

3. Brad Pitt: "Huddle Up"

The Super Bowl introduction celebrated snapshots of American achievement accompanied with a powerful commentary about unity narrated by Brad Pitt. The message is clear: Americans can achieve great things when we work together. The ad conjures up American ideals such as hard work, ingenuity, self-sacrifice, and teamwork.

4. Jeep: "Big Game"

Movie star Harrison Ford appeared in Jeep's Super Bowl commercial to promote freedom and to remind us that "freedom isn't free." Ford treks through the mountains while ruminating on what freedom means in America and the opportunities and responsibilities that come with it.