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Glenn's Show Prep

You will never believe who Glenn had dinner with on Friday night

February 24, 2014
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The Glenn Beck Program

On Friday, Glenn attended a dinner at The Lambs Club in New York City that was hosted by a friend of his, Tribeca Film Festival co-founder, Craig Hatkoff. Craig brought together a fascinating mix of people from all different industries and backgrounds to prove that common ground can be found. On radio this morning, Glenn talked about the experience and shared the uniting themes that emerged from the evening.

On Friday, I was walking to a dinner that a friend of mine put together. He said, ‘Glenn, you just have to meet some of my friends of mine.’ And I think the invite kind of got out of control because by the time the dinner happened, it had one of the head guys of the Clinton Global Initiative there at the table, which was interesting.

Norma Kamali was there. She's a very famous fashion designer, and I love this woman. I think she is one of the most fascinating women I have ever met… She's a wild trendsetter… She is such an out-of-the-box thinker, and I don't even know where she stands politically. I'm afraid to ask… But I think she's a libertarian. She sounds like one. I have no idea… But she is fascinating.

The head of the Tribeca Film Festival [Craig Hatkoff] was there. Kathie Lee Gifford was there. The Clinton Global Initiative guy was there. Betsy [Morgan] from TheBlaze was there. It was an amazing dinner. We had this room at a place called The Lambs Club here in New York… And they have these private rooms. And it's like this old 1930s feel to it. We had a big table in the center and we all sat around. And I had talked to Craig [Hatkoff] who threw this dinner… and I said to him,'I don't want to sit and talk to the person sitting next to me. I want to hear from everybody. So let's make sure that we're all talking to each other and one person has the floor.'

And so he started talking about what was coming and how to solve it. And it was interesting because there were a couple of people from political backgrounds. And I don't want to speak out of turn or throw anybody under the bus because they were all very, very kind and gracious and everything else. But it was quite obvious Einstein was right – those who helped create the problem will never solve the problem. And we were talking about the most uniting things. And it was interesting because the political world people, I don't think really grasped this because… well, they started it.

And at one point, Norma Kamali says, ‘It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what are you talking about. It doesn't matter what are we going to do from here.’ And she gave this eloquent speech on: I am really concerned that people who have a different opinion than yours or mine are going to be shut up… If we don't start saying that this person who I vehemently disagree with has a right to stand up and say it, we're all in trouble. And it was fascinating.

I mean, one of the guys who was sitting at the table said, at one point... ‘It's you religious people and you Christians that have caused all of these problems. Look at the Middle East. Why is the Middle East on fire? Because of religion.’ And so it had this fascinating viewpoint. I just kind of glanced in the corner of my eye to Kathie Lee, and then Kathie Lee took it from there.

It was really interesting to see that the majority of the room understood the peril that we are in. And the majority of the room looked for ways to avoid the peril that we're in. And none of the answers came from Washington. Every single person… was like: Washington is not going to provide the answer. The United Nations is not going to provide the answer. That doesn't work. We all know that. Whether you're left or right now, we all know that doesn't work. How do we empower the individual? I come to you to report: This is great news. This is great news.

[…]

The more we root ourselves in politics, the more trouble we're in. One of the guys said, ‘We can't get anything done in Congress… The President won't talk to Congress and the Congress won't talk to the President.’ And I said, ‘Well, that's a good thing.’ ‘Well, how are we going to ever get anything done? We've never had this kind of rancor before.’ I said, ‘You know what's really amazing is how people eventually find themselves coming together. How all of a sudden these things kind of just work themselves out.’ And then I told the story of Charles Sumner, who was beaten within an inch of his life in the well of the Senate… So don't tell me we haven't had this kind of rancor before. We've had it.

[…]

The question is: This time, do we survive? The other times we have survived because we have had common decency, a common belief in God and good and evil. So we have had that to fall back on. We've had self-regulation that came from having a belief in something more than ourselves or more than in the arm of the flesh. And so that's what we have to strengthen.

I just think that there is something amazing going on… I don't know exactly what it is yet. But it's something very, very good… Look, this is a fledgling television network. It took Fox 10 years before they even popped… It took September 11th to put them on the map… So we're still this fledgling network. Why are the Google guys coming to us? Why are they having this interview with us? I think it's because they know they can have an intelligent conversation. They can have a different conversation. And they also I think are smart enough to see the writing on the wall – what's moving forward, what's happening.

And I think that is part of the good news… You have made such an impact by gathering together and being fans of this show and other shows and other things like this. You're not dismissed anymore. We used to be a bunch of crazies. We're not a bunch of crazies. We are a very powerful force and only getting stronger. And the writing is on the wall for these politicians. I don't think that the Republicans or the Democrats really understand what's coming. They really don't have any clue as to who you are and how you feel. They just don't. And, quite honestly, I like that. I like that.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'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.