Why now? Glenn reacts to the accusations in former Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ new book

January 08, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ new book, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War, is gaining a tremendous amount of attention because of the things it ‘exposes’ about the Obama Administration. Gates claims President Obama and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both told him that their opposition to the surge in Iraq was purely political. Meanwhile, Gates accuses Biden of “poisoning the well” against military leadership and says “he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

While conservatives and Republicans may appreciate the opportunity to say “I told you so” when it comes Gates' reports about the current Administration’s feelings towards the military, Glenn has a major problem with the timing of Gates’ revelations.

"So Robert Gates is coming out with this book, and I have no interest in it,” Glenn said on radio this morning. “And when we were on the winter break, I realized what it was. And Pat went off on a rant. And I said, you know, that's it. That's why I have no interest in it.”

The book, as Glenn sees, is remarkably hypocritical and a way for Gates to make a quick buck off of some of the more controversial things he witnessed during his tenure as Secretary of Defense. When you consider the gravity of the decisions Gates’ was involved in and how much he seems to disapprove of the Obama Administration’s decisions, one has to wonder why he didn’t speak up sooner.

“Where were you, you miserable worm, when this was all going on and you were carrying out the policies? Where were you then,” Pat asked exasperatedly. “They used you as a shield… And now that he can make money off it, [he] writes a book and stabs everybody in the back. Now he has a problem. Where were you then? Where were you then?”

In the book, which will be released later this month, Gates describes why he nearly quit his job at several points during the Obama presidency because he disagreed with the policy decisions. But, as Glenn, Pat, and Stu explained, telling the world how much you disagreed at the time – when tens of thousands of American lives were on the line – is simply unacceptable.

“If you think this is dangerous policy that's hurting America, I think you have an obligation to speak up,” Pat said. “[This is about] saving lives on the battlefield. This is about war. This is pretty serious stuff.”

Glenn: General Boykin is an honorable man, such a remarkable man. And I'll never forget when he said, on my set, and I think he said it on air. If he didn't, I know he wouldn't have a problem with me saying it. He said, it is past time that somebody with actual stars on their shoulders walk in to the Oval and put them down. I cannot do it another day. I resign and I am going outside of this building and I'm going to hold a press conference and say why I resign. He said, there's nobody left that will do that. Gates should have done that. Now Gates will play this little game in his head, well, I couldn't have done that because they would replace me with somebody worse. So I did my duty by standing in the line of fire. And then what? Then what? You write a book? You go write a book? Oh, okay. I got it. If you are going to dedicate your life to now reversing all of the things that you were a part of, it's despicable. Really despicable. I have a problem with people writing books.

Glenn has no problem with Gates’ right to write a book about and make money off of his experience, but he does have a problem about the way in which Gates has handled this situation.

“I don't have a problem with people writing books and making money. I don't have a problem with people staying in [a job] because they think: ‘If I leave, they are going to replace me with somebody worse.’ I don't have a problem with people resigning when they figure out what's going wrong,” Glenn explained. “But I do have a problem with people that resign their commission or post and go out and try to repair, try to correct the injustice and the problems that they found. What's he doing? He's writing a book. Making money. Then what? Then what? What are you doing then?”

When you consider the platform Gates had while he was in office and power his opinion had, one has to question his true intentions if he could wait four plus years to make these fear known to the American people.

“Can you imagine what this guy could have done if he was in front of a Congressional hearing? Can you imagine if he didn't have that conversation behind the scenes,” Glenn asked. “He could have gone to his people and said, ‘I want to you have a joint session that it's televised.’ And he could have gone up to Capitol Hill and… [said], ‘I want the American people to know, and I want Congress to know exactly what I have found and what's going on.’ Do you know how this man could have changed the world?”

Ultimately, Glenn concluded that he will not be lining up to purchase Gates’ new book, and he had this to say to anyone in government who is not speaking up about problems they have observed:

The world is looking for heroes. We're not looking for revolutionaries. We're looking for heroes. Looking for somebody who has the balls to stand up. Somebody who has the balls to say, ‘You know what? To hell with it all… Something else is bigger than me. Something else is bigger than my bank account. Something else is bigger than my fame, my fortune. Something else is bigger than even my family.’

Well, Mr. Gates… how can I trust you? How can I trust anybody? How can I trust you to tell me the truth about the NSA? Did that play a role in you staying? Has that played a role with anybody in Congress? The NSA still won't answer the question: Are you spying on members of Congress? Can we trust members of Congress to tell us the truth on the NSA, when the NSA will not confirm that they are not spying on members of the Congress?

And oh, by the way, do you trust the NSA? Do you think Mr. Clapper is going to tell you the truth? Do you think Mr. Clapper, even if he was on truth serum, knows what the truth is? The guy was the one who told us that the Muslim Brotherhood is totally fine. And he's the one that we're getting our guarantee from on the NSA?

I'm sorry, Mr. Gates, I'm a busy man… And I get home and just like every other American, Mr. Gates. All I want to do is play with my kids. All I want to do is be with my kids. All I want to do is study the things that are important. I'm sorry, Mr. Gates, I don't have time to purchase or read your book. But thanks for the tip that we can't trust this administration. That comes as a total surprise.

POLL: Does Brooklyn crash expose a cyber sabotage plot?

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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: Biden’s autopen scandal rocks White House

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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 Mother's Day loophole

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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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