‘If we were more like Jay Leno, America would be a better place’: Glenn reacts to Jay Leno’s farewell

February 07, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

Last night, Jay Leno bid an emotional farewell to The Tonight Show after 22 years of hosting the program. Late night host Jimmy Fallon will replace Leno, who enjoyed tremendous ratings success right up until the end. On radio this morning, Glenn played Leno’s hearfelt goodbye and recalled his own appearance on The Tonight Show.

“Here is a guy who has hung out with presidents. He has hung out with everybody. He met them and that's neat,” Glenn said. “Who in television talks about the audio guy? Who in television talks about the lighting guy? Who in television talks about the cameramen? Nobody. He is a good, good man… Class act.”

Glenn made his first and only appearance on The Tonight Show in December 2009, while he was promoting his bestselling book the Christmas Sweater. He shared his experience this morning:

When we first went to The Tonight Show, it was at the zenith of things… The Tonight Show had been trying to get us on for a long time, and I avoid those things like the plague. I'm not interested in them… [But] we were on our way to go see the Andy Williams Show, and I said while we're in Los Angeles, let's just do The Tonight Show too. But we said we want to make it all about Christmas. We don't want to talk about why the president is a racist or anything like that. We just want to talk about Christmas. And so they agreed to it.

So we fly out, and I'm sitting backstage. I still have my little plaque. They put a little plaque on your door in the back that says, you know, ‘Glenn Beck, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.’ And so I go backstage, and Jay comes in just to say hi real quick. He was nice but it was weird. When we walked out on the set, I could feel the disapproval from the producers. Not from the average everyday person, but just from the higher-ups… And pretty soon this producer comes in that we had trusted and he closes the door, and he's like, ‘Um, they're putting stuff into the questions now for Jay’… We wanted to deal with Christmas. They were getting into politics and the typical questions that everybody had asked me a million times. And I said, ‘Go tell the producer to come in.’ So he came in along with Jay… I said, ‘I'm going to answer [those questions] exactly the same way I've answered them every time. There's no new ground. ‘And Jay said, ‘Glenn, if I have you on, it's going to look weird that I don't ask you those questions.’ I just looked at him and I said, ‘Well, I guess you guys don't keep your word. So thanks very much.’ And I looked at one of the guys and said, ‘Call the pilots. Tell them to fire up the engines. We'll be in the airport in 20 minutes. And let's go see the Andy Williams Christmas show.’ And I started moving towards the door. And that's when everybody freaked out and they were like, ‘Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.’

So when Jay Leno was introducing me, I could see the prompter… It said, ‘Oh, I see there's some boos and some controversy here.’ There was none. I got three standing ovations. And there was no controversy, but the writers had put it into the script, into the teleprompter for him to say that…. So he says that, so I'm like, okay, let's see if this man is a man of his word. I sit down. And [it] goes fine.

But at one point… we're going into break… and the crowd stands up. They're applauding, and Jay reaches over and he puts his hand on my microphone and his microphone while the crowd is really going crazy and he said, ‘You know, we're not all that different.’ He didn't say he agrees with me politically because I don't think he does. But he said, ‘We're really not all that different. We actually probably have an awful lot in common.’ And I thought, ‘Well, there's something.’

So the show ends. Jay is a man of his word. A year later, I'm flying out to Los Angeles. And it's my birthday. I'm supposed to be working on my birthday, and you know, we have nothing planned… it’s just another day. But unbeknownst to me, my wife called Jay Leno and says, ‘Jay, it's Glenn's birthday and he really wants to see your car collection. Is there any way he could just go in and see your car collection?’ Not assuming that Jay Leno is going to, you know, be there… And he says, ‘Absolutely.’

And so, as we're landing in Burbank, she says, ‘By the way, we're going to go over and see Jay Leno's car collection.’ And I'm really excited just to see the cars. The car pulls up, and Jay is there at the warehouse out front ready to meet us. And we get out and he is totally a different guy… I'm not talking politically. He's just now a guy who's a mechanic. He's just a normal guy. And we talked for a few minutes and I said, ‘Jay, you're not the same guy I saw on The Tonight Show.’ And he said, ‘That's the role I play.’

Now he's just a guy who's hanging out, and he's not Jay Leno. There's Jay Leno and then there's a guy named Jay. He walks us around, and he stops at one point and he's asking me what I think about Sarah Palin. I tell him. And he turns to me and he said, ‘Can I ask you a question? When did we become this country where if you vote different than me, I have to hate you?’ And I said, ‘I don't know, Jay, but it's wrong.’ And he said, ‘I know it is.’

Leno’s legacy may be his comedy and his public persona, but Glenn got the opportunity to meet and speak with a “really good, cool guy” that “we need to be more like.”

“If we were more like Jay Leno, if we would have talked less about his monologue and more about how he lived his life and who he really is as a person, I think America would be a better place,” Glenn concluded. “It is a really bittersweet day… Jay Leno is going to go on and do many, many great things. I wish he'd do them with TheBlaze, but I don't think that's in the cards… In a sea of filth, and anger, and everything else, Jay Leno tried to show us every night you don't have to be that way. We can be better. Good man.”

'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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