‘Why was that stadium half empty?’ Glenn reacts to the media coverage of Nelson Mandela’s memorial service

December 10, 2013

Writer

Last week, Glenn reflected on his conflicting feelings about Nelson Mandela, and ultimately asked his audience to remember Mandela for his principles not his politics. On radio this morning, Glenn furthered that theme as he reacted to the bizarre media coverage of the Mandela’s death and memorial service.

Though the photos and video coverage of today’s memorial service in Johannesburg, South Africa often showed tight shots of the crowd gathered, Glenn could not help but notice what appeared to be a half-empty stadium.

“I'm watching the coverage and no one will talk about why that stadium was half-empty. Now, I don't have the answer. I don't know why. I know it was raining. I know on the radio listening coming in, they were saying people were jammed outside trying to get into the stadium. I saw the pictures on CNN with the reporter standing outside an empty parking lot saying a lot of the people just went home. I know that people lined up at midnight to get in,” Glenn said. “But it was half-empty. The field was empty. That might have been for security. I don't know. But the seats were half-empty, except under cover. Now, that's still a lot of people, but I wonder why the networks framed almost every shot so you didn't see the half-empty stadium. Now, is it possible that it was because of rain? Yes, it is possible.”

While much of the world as deified Mandela, Glenn questioned whether South Africa looks at their former leader in the same way.

“South Africa does not look at Nelson Mandela the way the rest of the world looks at Nelson Mandela. They don't deify him. He's not a god there. He is a guy who changed the world, who could have gone for violence and instead went for peace. He is a great man. He is also a communist,” Glenn said. “But why was there no comment on where were the people of South Africa? Now, I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people, you know, lining the streets, I would hope. But they don't look at him the same way. And I think we're already rewriting history.”

President Obama gave a speech during a memorial service that Glenn described as “fine,” even though it was a tad self-serving.

“So then the President gets up today, and he gives a fine speech – I think makes it about him again, what a surprise – but gives a fine speech. And he says the world will never see another Nelson Mandela,” Glenn explained. “Well, I don't know… that is true in any way, shape, or form other than that individual soul will not be reincarnated… I disagree with [him] wholeheartedly.”

While Stu argued President Obama probably meant the world would never see someone as great as Mandela again, Glenn disagreed with the logic. Instead, Glenn contended that you are capable of being the next Nelson Mandela, or George Washington, or Gandhi. It is up to the individual to decide:

See, this is the problem. The president has got to single this man out and say he is unique. And don't get me wrong. Nelson Mandela is unique. He had the chance to turn South Africa into a blood bowl, and he instead chose peace. Remarkable choice. Remarkable choice. Look at the whole man, and that's where the President is conflicted. And I think that's where a lot of people in South Africa are conflicted. The guy is a Communist. And I love these communists that come out… and tell you, ‘Well, I'm special, but you can never be special. You will never be this way.’ That's why the President had to get up and say there will never be another man like that.

Instead the President should have said one man did make a difference. He did make a difference. And don't let me or anyone else tell you that you cannot make a difference because you can…. In the quiet times in prison, he was blessed to understand the power of the individual. He believed in his heart and in his soul that it only takes one. It only takes one, one that truly believes in the power of love.

Why was Nelson Mandela in prison for so long? Nelson Mandela was in the prison for so long because the government was terrified of him. You couldn't print a picture of Nelson Mandela. Why? They wanted people to forget who he was…. And I would like an answer on the numbers of the stadium because it's important that we understand: Are people forgetting who he was already? Do people in his own country have a different view of him? Why was that stadium half-empty? It puzzled me, and I haven't heard anybody talk about it. Why? It's important to know the answer because if people don't know who Nelson Mandela is, they need to know who he is: A man who believed in the power of one; a man who could have chosen hate. He could have chosen and said, ‘I'm going to get even,’ or he could have just given up. But he didn't.

You see, governments fear the individual. That's why governments tell you can't do it. They fear the individual. They fear the next Nelson Mandela. And I tell you: You are the next Nelson Mandela. You are the next Martin Luther King. You are the next Gandhi. You are the next Abraham Lincoln. You are the next George Washington. Or you will be the next bum in the street. You will be the next Jim Crow. You choose. You will be the next Al Capone. The choice of the individual is clear. It is there every single day. What do you choose today? Will you choose to be quiet? Will you choose to hate? Will you choose jealousy, envy, pity, or do you seek out those things that will uplift and inspire? Will you seek out those things that are the true you?

[…]

We have not seen the last Nelson Mandela. We have not seen the last Martin Luther King or the last Gandhi because you are here. You can do what they did. And you can do more. Be an example for others. Realize your full potential. That shining city on the hill is just over the horizon. Stake your claim in the town square. Stand tall in it. Let your voice be heard. If you happen to be listening to me in prison right now, know that is the place that made Nelson Mandela. Your life belongs to you.

Nelson Mandela taught us one thing: That one man makes a government quake. One man staking his claim and being his highest self brings the world to its knees. One man makes a difference. Be that one man.

Front page image courtesy of the AP

POLL: Are foreign hackers behind 2025 bridge crash?

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A Mexican Navy ship crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge has left the nation stunned, and Glenn is demanding answers.

Are recent devastating ship collisions—first Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, now Brooklyn in 2025—really just accidents, or is something far more sinister at play? Glenn recently warned that these incidents, both involving foreign vessels losing power near critical U.S. infrastructure, could be “shark bumps” by foreign adversaries testing our defenses through cyber sabotage. With the government and media quick to dismiss concerns, Glenn is calling for urgent investigations into possible hacking, independent audits of our ports and bridges, and a serious look at whether our enemies are exploiting vulnerabilities in our digitized systems.

Glenn wants to know what you think: Are these crashes coincidental, or are we under attack? Let us know in the poll below:

Could the recent ship crashes into American bridges be the result of cyber attacks by foreign adversaries?

Should the US government investigate these incidents for possible foreign interference?

Is our critical infrastructure adequately protected from cyber threats?

Are you concerned that foreign adversaries might be targeting US infrastructure through cyber means?

Do you think the media and government are properly addressing the security concerns raised by these incidents?

Glenn: Tapper reveals Dems’ Biden health fraud

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Top Democrats knew Biden’s health was deteriorating but covered it up to keep power. Jake Tapper’s book finally lifts the lid on their deception.

Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new book confirms what we suspected all along: Joe Biden’s health was rapidly declining, and the Democratic Party establishment knew it. Rather than be honest with the American people, they chose to cover it up, to prop up Biden just long enough to survive the election cycle. And the media helped them do it.

For years, any mention of Biden’s cognitive decline was framed as a “right-wing smear,” a baseless conspiracy theory. But now, Tapper and Thompson reveal that Biden’s top aides privately discussed the need for a wheelchair after the election — because the man can hardly walk.

We had no functioning president for much of the past administration.

And while Biden’s closest aides were planning that, they and their allies in the press were publicly spinning the fantasy that Joe Biden’s halting gait was due to a heroic foot fracture from a dog-related incident four years ago. They said his frailty was due to his “vigor.” That’s not a joke. That’s a quote.

And while they said this, they were having special shoes made for him with custom-made soles to help him stand. They weren’t planning for a second term. They were planning how to prop him up — literally — just long enough to survive the election. That is a cover-up.

It doesn’t bother me that Biden might need a wheelchair. What bothers me — what should bother every American — is that his aides talked about hiding it until after the election.

Biden wasn’t leading

Needing a wheelchair in your 80s is not a moral failing. It’s human. I own President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wheelchair — it sits in my museum. That chair represents the strength and resilience of a man who, despite paralysis, led this nation through World War II against a dictator who was gassing the disabled and infirm. He hid his disability out of fear the public wouldn’t accept a leader who couldn’t walk. But he led.

Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images

But Joe Biden wasn’t leading. He was a puppet played by faceless swamp creatures whose only concern was maintaining their iron grip on power.

Whatever you think of Tapper, the book reveals the chilling reality that we had no functioning president for much of Biden’s administration. Our commander-in-chief wasn’t just aging — he was declining. And the people around him — government employees, funded by your tax dollars — weren’t honest with you. They lied to you repeatedly and willfully because the truth would have guaranteed a second Trump term. That’s what this was all about.

Who signed the pardons?

Consider the implications of this revelation. We had a president signing documents he didn’t read — or even know about. We had an autopen affixing his name to executive actions. Who operated that autopen? Who decided what got signed or who got pardoned? Who was in charge while the president didn’t even know what he was doing?

Those are not minor questions. That is the stuff of a constitutional crisis.

The problem isn’t Biden’s age. The problem is that the people you elected didn’t run the country. You were governed by unelected aides covering up your elected president’s rapid cognitive decline. You were fed a lie — over and over again. And if anyone tried to blow the whistle, they got buried.

Don’t get distracted by the wheelchair. The chair itself is not the scandal. The scandal is that people inside your government didn’t want you to know about it.

They made a bet: Lie until November, and deal with the fallout later. That is an insult to the American people — and a threat to the republic itself. Because if your government can lie about who’s running the country, what else are they lying about?

We need further investigation and to hold these crooks accountable. If we don’t, it will happen over and over again.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

The Woodrow Wilson strategy to get out of Mother’s Day

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I’ve got a potentially helpful revelation that’s gonna blow the lid off your plans for this Sunday. It’s Mother’s Day.

Yeah, that sacred day where you’re guilt-tripped into buying flowers, braving crowded brunch buffets, and pretending you didn’t forget to mail the card. But what if I told you… you don’t have to do it? That’s right, there’s a loophole, a get-out-of-Mother’s-Day-free card, and it’s stamped with the name of none other than… Woodrow Wilson (I hate that guy).

Back in 1914, ol’ Woody Wilson signed a proclamation that officially made Mother’s Day a national holiday. Second Sunday in May, every year. He said it was a day to “publicly express our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Sounds sweet, right? Until you peel back the curtain.

See, Wilson wasn’t some sentimental guy sitting around knitting doilies for his mom. No, no, no. This was a calculated move.

The idea for Mother’s Day had been floating around for decades, pushed by influential voices like Julia Ward Howe. By 1911, states were jumping on the bandwagon, but it took Wilson to make it federal. Why? Because he was a master of optics. This guy loved big, symbolic gestures to distract from the real stuff he was up to, like, oh, I don’t know, reshaping the entire federal government!

So here’s the deal: if you’re looking for an excuse to skip Mother’s Day, just lean into this. Say, “Sorry, Mom, I’m not celebrating a holiday cooked up by Woodrow Wilson!” I mean, think about it – this is the guy who gave us the Federal Reserve, the income tax, and don’t even get me started on his assault on basic liberties during World War I. You wanna trust THAT guy with your Sunday plans? I don’t think so! You tell your mom, “Look, I love you, but I’m not observing a Progressive holiday. I’m keeping my brunch money in protest.”

Now, I know what you might be thinking.

“Glenn, my mom’s gonna kill me if I try this.” Fair point. Moms can be scary. But hear me out: you can spin this. Tell her you’re honoring her EVERY DAY instead of some government-mandated holiday. You don’t need Wilson’s permission to love your mom! You can bake her a cake in June, call her in July, or, here’s a wild idea, visit her WITHOUT a Woodrow Wilson federal proclamation guilting you into it.

Shocking Christian massacres unveiled

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Is a Christian Genocide unfolding overseas?

Recent reports suggest an alarming escalation in violence against Christians, raising questions about whether these acts constitute genocide under international law. Recently, Glenn hosted former U.S. Army Special Forces Sniper Tim Kennedy, who discussed a predictive model that forecasts a surge in global Christian persecution for the summer of 2025.

From Africa to Asia and the Middle East, extreme actions—some described as genocidal—have intensified over the past year. Over 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution, a number that continues to climb. With rising international concern, the United Nations and human rights groups are urging protective measures by the global community. Is a Christian genocide being waged in the far corners of the globe? Where are they taking place, and what is being done?

India: Hindu Extremist Violence Escalates

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In India, attacks on Christians have surged as Hindu extremist groups gain influence within the country. In February 2025, Hindu nationalist leader Aadesh Soni organized a 50,000-person rally in Chhattisgarh, where he called for the rape and murder of all Christians in nearby villages and demanded the execution of Christian leaders to erase Christianity. Other incidents include forced conversions, such as a June 2024 attack in Chhattisgarh, where a Hindu mob gave Christian families a 10-day ultimatum to convert to Hinduism. In December 2024, a Christian man in Uttar Pradesh was attacked, forcibly converted, and paraded while the mob chanted "Death to Jesus."

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommends designating India a "Country of Particular Concern" and imposing targeted sanctions on those perpetrating these attacks. The international community is increasingly alarmed by the rising tide of religious violence in India.

Syria: Sectarian Violence Post-Regime Change

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Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria has seen a wave of sectarian violence targeting religious minorities, including Christians, with over 1,000 killed in early 2025. It remains unclear whether Christians are deliberately targeted or caught in broader conflicts, but many fear persecution by the new regime or extremist groups. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a dominant rebel group and known al-Qaeda splinter group now in power, is known for anti-Christian sentiments, heightening fears of increased persecution.

Christians, especially converts from Islam, face severe risks in the unstable post-regime environment. The international community is calling for humanitarian aid and protection for Syria’s vulnerable minority communities.

Democratic Republic of Congo: A "Silent Genocide"

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In February 2025, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an ISIS-affiliated group, beheaded 70 Christians—men, women, and children—in a Protestant church in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, after tying their hands. This horrific massacre, described as a "silent genocide" reminiscent of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has shocked the global community.

Since 1996, the ADF and other militias have killed over six million people, with Christians frequently targeted. A Christmas 2024 attack killed 46, further decimating churches in the region. With violence escalating, humanitarian organizations are urging immediate international intervention to address the crisis.

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