There's no better way to react to a new gas tax than this

January 06, 2015

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How do YOU feel about the possibility of a new gas tax? Yeah, Glenn doesn't think it's a good idea either. Nevertheless, Sen. Corker (R-TN) has gone out and said that amidst the falling gas prices - finally a breather at the pump - it's time for a new federal gas tax. An extra twelve cents a gallon will fix all of our infrastructure problems. YAY!

Or not.

Glenn decided to take Sen. Corker to task, and it was by far the highlight of Tuesday's TV show.

WATCH:

Below is a transcript of the full segment:

Do you remember January 2009, gas prices were at $1.84? Everybody was freaking out about George W. Bush because it was $2.50. Oh my gosh, it’s $2.50. This guy is in bed with the evil oil corporations, right? What happens? The president gets in. Before he gets into office, it’s $1.84. As soon as he gets into office, it shoots up to $3.00 a gallon. Nobody says anything about it. It stays there for five years. Nobody says anything.

Now, prices dip. We get a breather at the pump. So, what do the clowns in Washington do? What are they doing? They want to push for a federal gas tax. I’ve got to tell you, I’m going to lose my mind. You watch him, Senator Bob Corker, he’s a Republican, by the way. Here’s what he said.

VIDEO

Sen. Corker: The user fee has not been raised since 1993. Other things typically are a percentage. This is per gallon, and so it’s way behind. It’s $100 billion shortfall that we have in our infrastructure program over the next ten years. So we could put this in place.

F: How much of an increase, Senator?

Sen. Corker: Six cents each year for two years, raising it to 12, which would solve the problem for a long, long time.

Oh, he’s going to solve the problem for a long, long time. All he needs is another $0.12 a gallon. Oh gee, Bob, Bob is $100 billion short. Oh, that’s bullocks. That’s what that is. But maybe, just maybe, you at home, you could help. Would you consider helping my little friend Bobby from Congress? He’s got himself into a little bit of a pickle today, he does.

You see, he took billions of your dollars, and he peed them all away. Now, he’s asking for even more from you. It’s crackers, I know. Could you spare some loose change? Oh, anything will do, a little bit of chocolate perhaps or maybe a little extra chocolate tax. Come to think of it, I don’t know why we even ask, because no matter what we do, they’ll go ahead and tax us up the wazoo.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I’ll be here all week. Anybody done? I’m done playing the game. Tiffany, can you get on the GlennBeck.com? By the way, I want to thank the staff for brand-new GlennBeck.com. It’s really great, lots of new things coming to it soon, but the skeleton is now on GlennBeck.com. Go to GlennBeck.com and see if you can pull up the T-shirt, because I’m selling it starting tomorrow.

I’m selling it, and you know what, I’m going to take all that money, and I don’t know, maybe we’ll all go on vacation someplace. I don’t know. Let’s spend it on something that the progressive Republicans and the progressives of the Democrats will really get pissed off about. Maybe I’ll give all of that money to a Ted Cruz campaign. I’m not sure yet, but I’ve had enough of their panhandling for more, shaking that cup at us. It is time to solve the problem by defunding the GOP. Defund them. Defund them.

Oh, we’ll never ask for another dime. Really? Are we that stupid? There it is, party’s over. Go home. You’re drunk on power. Party’s over. Defund them. You can buy the T-shirt. All the cool kids are wearing them.

So, hey, I know, why don’t we be complete morons and celebrate the low gas prices? Let’s do that. Well, we have to celebrate them for a little while. I don’t know about you. I celebrate filling up the car. It takes me 100 bucks. Now, it is just down to $60. That’s fantastic. I don’t know how you cannot feel good at least for the short term. You know, you feel like okay, well hey, at least I’ve got something going on here, okay?

No, no, the price is going to change. Why? Two reasons: one, because they’re going to add $0.12 a gallon in tax. Congratulations, there’s your new Congress. But let me tell you another reason why you should be a little concerned. Let me take you to a little stroll down oil town. Oil town, where everybody works for the oil companies. This is what those evil progressives have talked about all these times.

Now, everybody’s mortgaged to the hilt. Oh, these people, I’ll tell you right now, you’ve got these people living in this house, it takes $117 per barrel just to keep the doors open to the house, keep the lights on. It’s crazy, right? Ninety-eight dollars…this neighbor is $122, 106, $131 per barrel. They have to have $131 a barrel. Otherwise, their house is in trouble. One hundred eighty-four, can you imagine how panicked this family is in this house?

Because, let me remind you, it’s at $50 a barrel, so with $50 a barrel, if you need it to be 184 just to meet your monthly bills, you’re screwed as a family. Here, let me just see if I can—this house is on fire really bad. In fact, this one’s on fire. This one’s on fire. This one’s on fire. This one’s on fire. This one’s on fire. Here’s one for $106. This one is the only one currently not on fire. Isn’t that great?

Now, you would say hey, oil town fatcats, what you need to do is be more like this household. So maybe the people in this household should tell all of these people you have to live within your means and cut the expenses, right? Because I’m sure all the neighbors want to hear from this one. This one, by the way, has several cars. They’ve got a nice basketball hoop in the background, all kinds of electronics. These people are mortgaged out of their minds, but $40 a barrel, they can make ends meet.

These guys, they’re in trouble. Well, let me just show you a bit who these people are. This is Venezuela. This one is Russia. You see, they’re not really towns. This one is Nigeria. This one is 106. Who is that one, Tiffany? Oh, this one is Saudi Arabia. That’s good. None of these guys, they’re not unstable. They’re not going to cause any problems if their house is in panic. Oh, this one is Iran. They are totally stable. Don’t worry about it.

Oh, the house on fire at 184, yeah [Libya]. Nothing could go wrong there. Or here [Iraq], why worry about them? Oh, and the guys who can lecture everybody, that’s you and me, the good old USA. USA! USA! Let’s tell the rest of the world that they should live within their means. We are the last country that can admonish anyone about lowering their expenses.

In the last six years, America’s national debt has increased by 70% to more than $18 trillion. Do you remember when the President said that was immoral, it was un-American? It’s now $18 trillion, and we’re talking about John frickin’ Boehner. They’re not going to lower the expenses. They’re not going to, and these countries, these countries, they’re on fire right now, and so they’re going to weather the storm the best they can hoping to make it safely through to the other side.

Saudi Arabia is being accused of purposely not increasing production in order to inflict economic pain on Russia and Iran. Well, it’s having devastating effects. Russia is in the throes of economic crisis with soaring interest rates that go along with unsustainable energy prices. It’s a game of national survival of the fittest. It’s true Darwinian battle to the end—who can hold out the longest?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I will tell you this, the world is heading for a massive global correction, and we are not even ready as people. We’re not ready. We’re falling apart as people. Every country on earth is going to experience some economic pain, some much, much greater than others. The question remains what happens when the dominoes start to fall and when these countries start to go belly up? Well, I can show you Detroit—chaos, crime, corruption, desperation, ugly stuff.

Inflation rates are skyrocketing now in places like Russia and Venezuela, and they are set to start rising here in 2015. That’s the official word. You know they’ve already been rising. Except for gas prices, everything else has been rising. Everything else has been going up at the grocery stores. Remember when the president told you well, the only reason why milk and cheese and everything else at the grocery store is going up is because gas prices are so high? Really? Your food prices going down, America? No. Why?

Hey…hey, our breadbasket…California, how are you doing? Oh, is the EPA maybe choking you to death with the water? Don’t worry, Congress and John Boehner are going to be there to save the day. This is why I say I don’t want to talk about politics anymore, because it’s too late. It’s too late. We have to affect the culture. We have to affect ourselves. I still have to show you what’s going on. We’re talking in depth about the economic, the role the dollar will play in what is to come.

As Europe is struggling to hold it together, 2015 could be the year that it all starts to unravel. I hope not. I don’t know, but mark my words, I said this when I was at FOX, when the global economy falls apart, who is going to take the blame? You want to know? Listen to Putin. He’s already assigning it.

VIDEO

Vladimir Putin: Now, we are witnessing the falling down of prices, of oil prices, and there are many discussions on that topic, why is that happening, whether there is a conspiracy between the Saudi Arabia and the U.S. in order to punish Iran and influence the economy of Russia, Venezuela, etc.

Oh, oil my arms. Oil my arms. They’re going to blame us. America takes the blame. Putin is using this opportunity to stoke anti-western sentiment, and it is getting spooky. I want you to remember one thing from tonight’s show, because you’re going to meet somebody here in a few minutes who I think is very, very well-spoken, lots of credibility, probably, I don’t know, probably would hate my guts if she lived here in America. I don’t know. I don’t care, but I’m telling you right now, the one thing you have to get from today’s show is it’s real. What we’ve been talking about is real, and it’s on our doorstep.

People are going to look to save their own skin. This is why the special next week is so important, three days just on Russia. Meanwhile, the White House is publicly welcoming the lower gas prices, but behind closed doors they’re watching the tanking stock market. Don’t appear to agree that, you know, lower oil prices are a good thing. The stock market, what?

VIDEO

Josh Earnest: There are some who have observed that this is a little bit of a chicken and the egg thing, that some of the fall in energy prices is a direct response to a weakening of the economy and a fall in the stock market. We’re always monitoring the impact that any sort of—

Okay, the statement yesterday was the president is monitoring this constantly at the White House. Has he been monitoring other things, like the cost of your health care? Now, you think this is going to affect Wall Street? Gee, let’s think about that. Here’s what we could do, we could have a little more control of our own situation, and we could go ahead with projects like the Keystone Pipeline, but the president and longtime advisers, the Republicans, supposedly going to solve this now…right.

David Axelrod came out and said I’m not so sure. This is a tweet. This is a quote: “At a time of low oil prices and growing U.S. energy, is Keystone really the most pressing issue? Or is it just red meat for the GOP base?” Not everything is political. Some things are strategic as a nation. Yes, any sane responsible country would ensure our energy is cheap, plentiful as humanly possible.

We would also make sure that we were self-contained as humanly possible, still reaching out to the rest of the world, still being decent people, but also being able to weather storms. For the love of Pete, can somebody be proactive about securing resources? Russia is. Russia is getting pummeled by dropping oil prices, but wait until I show you next week what they’re doing to counter that. But they’re also buying gold.

They bought 130 tons of gold in 2014. China bought 2,100 tons of gold. Why? Because they know paper money is going to be worthless at some point. Responsible nations cut spending. Responsible nations shore up access to fuel and energy. Responsible nations have a monetary system that’s not on the verge of collapse, or if it is on the verge of collapse, they’re doing something for the future to make sure they have something in the end.

We’re the only one on that street that’s burning our house down to the ground. We’re watching little numbers roll by the screen in the stock market. Does our vault even have any gold? Clowns running the show in DC, they’re playing circus while the world is burning. Well, the good news is those little clown cars, they’re very economical, so…

And anti-Semitism is on the rise. I am telling you, we are entering the 1930s. I’m going to show you some things here in the next break that should open your eyes. It’s real. It’s no longer Glenn Beck says this is going to happen. It is happening, so it’s time for you to…I mean, I know that Bob Beckel kiss was great and everything, but history is repeating itself.

Troubled times are coming. We have anti-Semitism. You have armed Black Panthers now here in Dallas monitoring the cops in honor of cop-killer Huey P. Newton. Geez, I mean, you want to talk about biblical times, we had a…I think it was about a four on the Richter scale, I’m guessing, right before we went on the air. This whole building shook, and all of us were like what the…? We’re having earthquakes like crazy here in Dallas. Whew!

'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?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

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?

Glenn's Show Prep

There's no better way to react to a new gas tax than this

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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?

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?