Glenn chats with Mike Rowe about his new book, Walmart, and what he believes to be a 'fundamentally wicked' platitude

February 19, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

Mike Rowe joined Glenn on radio this morning to discuss his new book, Profoundly Disconnected: A True Confession from Mike Rowe, the infamous Walmart commercial, and the work he is doing to change the way Americans define a ‘good’ education and job.

Mike’s new book is essentially a fundraiser, with all proceeds benefitting the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, to be used for Work Ethic Scholarships and advocacy campaigns surrounding American manufacturing. From the outside, Profoundly Disconnected looks just like any other book, but, as Mike candidly described, it is really anything but.

“One of the last things Glenn said to me last time I saw him is, ‘Honestly you should write a book or something,’” Mike said. “So on the flight home I wrote this book.”

Yes, that’s right. On his plane ride from Dallas to San Francisco, Mike wrote this entire book. He offered the audience the following disclaimer:

“Take this for the disclaimer it is,” Mike said. “This is a one-page book, all right? My confession takes one paragraph. I wrote it on a Blackberry.”

The book, however, is not just a single page. In it’s final form it includes a foreword written by Mike’s mother, a preface written by Mike, a collection of some of his articles, and a bunch of blank pages in between… literally.

“But here's what I really like about this book… Right in the middle of the book is the chapter is called, ‘A bunch of blank pages’. And it appears to be just a bunch of blank pages there in the book,” Glenn said. “So I want you to know that he has put a lot of time and energy and thought into this book.”

All kidding aside, Glenn encouraged the audience to consider supporting the cause. Only 5,000 copies have been printed, and on his website, Mike is offering autographed and personalized copies of the book.

You can purchase Profoundly Disconnected HERE.

“But anyway… you can get it at MikeRoweWorks.com,” Glenn said. “You can get it today, for this audience, and all the money goes to charity. I'd love to sell all these out today for him.”

Mike made headlines last week for a voiceover he did for Walmart. The commercial coincided the launch of Walmart’s initiative to purchase $250 billion of American-made products over the next 10 years. Many criticized Mike for partnering with the retail giant because he is supposed to champion the little guy. Not standing by idly, however, Mike issued well-articulated Facebook response in which he explained there’s nothing inherently good about being small, and nothing inherently bad about being big.

Mike told Glenn that it was because of TheBlaze that his post went viral and mainstream media outlets picked up the story. It has sparked a much needed discussion about work in this country.

Glenn and Mike always have fascinating conversations about work and education, and this morning was no different. Following the CBO report that Obamacare will cause a reduction in full-time employment of about 2 million jobs in 2014, increasing to 2.5 million in 2024, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and others have explained how wonderful this new development will be because people are no longer “locked” into working. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MI) expressed a similar sentiment when he said Obamacare job losses will allow Americans more time to cook dinner. Similarly, the CBO is reporting upward of 500,000 jobs would be lost due to an increase in the minimum wage. Glenn asked Mike what he thinks of those figures.

“Let me try and respond to that… The first really fun lesson from Dirty Jobs that I made a whole special out of… [is] based on a platitude that I believe is fundamentally wicked. You've heard it a thousand times: Follow your passion, period,” Mike explained. “People on Dirty Jobs are passionate about what they do, but… you don't follow your passion into a sewer. You can go into a sewer, learn how to be very good at what you do, learn to love it and then prosper. So our alternative platitude regarding this topic was: Never follow your passion but always bring it with you.”

In Mike’s view, work and passion are not necessarily one in the same. For some people, it may be. But for most, work will be something you do to support yourself, while passion is something you nurture in your free time.

“You don't need to identify the source of your happiness when you're 18 and spend the rest of your life chasing it. We read books about people who have done that and prospered, and so we think that that's the way,” Mike said. “But the real life I've seen, the most passionate, engaging, successful, prosperous, happy, and balanced people never follow their passion. They brought it with them. And if they wanted to learn to paint or do something good for the soul, they did it in the cracks. I wrote a book on a plane… You can do good things, and you do them on your own time.”

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.

POLL: Starbase exposed: Musk’s vision or corporate takeover?

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Is Starbase the future of innovation or a step too far?

Elon Musk’s ambitious Starbase project in South Texas is reshaping Boca Chica into a cutting-edge hub for SpaceX’s Starship program, promising thousands of jobs and a leap toward Mars colonization. Supporters see Musk as a visionary, driving economic growth and innovation in a historically underserved region. However, local critics, including Brownsville residents and activists, argue that SpaceX’s presence raises rents, restricts beach access, and threatens environmental harm, with Starbase’s potential incorporation as a city sparking fears of unchecked corporate control. As pro-Musk advocates clash with anti-Musk skeptics, will Starbase unite the community or deepen the divide?

Let us know what you think in the poll below:

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