Twelve years after being rescued, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she is helping other exploited children

March 13, 2015

Writer

Twelve years ago yesterday, Elizabeth Smart was rescued from kidnappers who held her captive for nine months. Her story consumed the nation, and she has used her fame to give back and help other children who are being exploited. This morning on radio, she joined the radio show to promote her fundraiser this Saturday for the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and Operation Underground Railroad.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment:

GLENN: It was 12 years ago yesterday that America had a happy ending to Elizabeth Smart and her saga where she had been kidnapped for her -- from her home and was missing for nine months. We all held our breath as everyone searched for Elizabeth Smart. And then we all thought, she'll never be found. Twelve years ago yesterday, she was found. She's on the phone with us now. Hello, Elizabeth, how are you?

ELIZABETH: I'm doing great, thanks. How are you doing?

GLENN: I'm good. You're one of the more impressive people I've met. I don't know how you've taken such a period of darkness in your life and turned it. And you're normal, you're functioning. You're beyond normal and functioning. You're a positive force. How did you do that?

ELIZABETH: I have had so much help and support over the years from my family and my friends and my community. I mean, I could -- I could go on forever thanking people.

GLENN: You have a foundation now, and you're working with Project Underground Railroad. And this is the reason we wanted to have you on real quick is because tomorrow you're raising money and it is at Utah Valley University in Orem. And tickets are available at UtahsStars.com. That's plural. UtahsStars.com. What's happening tomorrow, and why is it important?

ELIZABETH: An all-star show lined up filled with incredible people performing. And I'm so excited about this because this will help fund future missions for Operation Underground Railroad and help bring the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and OUR even closer together. I just can't wait because the work that we do combined is incredible. IMF being able to go out on sting operations and rescue people who have been sexually trafficked and then not just -- not just end there, but then continue to work with them and help them go through rehabilitation and help them see the future that I see so that they don't feel like they're -- they don't feel like they're less than anyone else. They know they're just as valued and just as important as everyone else and that they can do anything they want in life.

GLENN: So a couple of things. Yesterday, Tim Ballard wrote to me. He's in charge of operation rescue where they go and break up these sex rings of children. He said six arrested. Twenty-nine kids saved. The youngest were 12 and 13. The kids are getting rehab now.

You were fortunate to have friends and family. Emphasis on friends and family and faith, but some of these kids don't. What are they going through, and how are they possibly going to ever get well?

ELIZABETH: I was so fortunate because I did have that family and I did have that support. And that's actually what we try to then in turn try to give back to these children.

And we can only take it, I mean, one step at a time and we can only do as much as we can. I mean, part of it does have to come from the children themselves. I mean, they have to want to get better. They have want to move forward with their lives and leave this in the past. So it's definitely not an easy road. It's -- it's hard. It's bumpy. I mean, there are -- there are setbacks. And then there are -- you know, moments where we spring forward.

But it's a journey. I mean, it's not just you're rescued. You're out of this terrible situation where you're forced to have sex all the time. And now just move forward. I mean, it's much more than that. It's helping them to find security in their life. It's helping them to find that hope that they can be happy. It's working with them. It's not just leaving them out that they're forgotten now. That they're physically out of that situation when mentally they still may feel very, very much in that situation. Where they still might fear very much for their lives for what will happen in the future. And it's a process. I think it takes a lifetime of healing.

GLENN: Do you ever go through that still? Do you have times where you are -- that you have a flashback or a fear that's unreasonable, that comes from that place? Like what was yesterday like for you?

ELIZABETH: I'm still human. I definitely have my ups and my downs.

GLENN: What was yesterday like for you? Was that hard? Is an anniversary like that hard?

ELIZABETH: Well, yesterday that was a great anniversary because, I mean, that was -- that was the day that my life was given back to me. Everything that I thought had been taken from me. And everything I thought that I would never have again. All the experiences that I thought had been stolen from me. I mean, that was the day my life was given back to me. So, no, yesterday is a reminder of a wonderful day.

GLENN: So can you -- and I know you've told me this story before. But do you mind just telling the story about that moment of when you're walking and you -- you realize you're about to be free. Can you take us through that?

ELIZABETH: Absolutely. We had just hitchhiked back to Salt Lake from California. And I remember just even crossing the state line, how happy I was just to be back in Utah. I mean, I didn't know I was going to be rescued yet. I didn't know anything. For all I knew, I felt like I would be stuck with my captors for who knows how long. But I was so happy --

GLENN: And you had moved them to the place to convince them to go back to Utah. Right?

ELIZABETH: And that was a miracle in and of itself because, I mean, my captors, they never listened to what I thought would keep good. But, I mean, obviously they wouldn't because, if they did, I would have been home nine months earlier. It never would have happened.

GLENN: Right.

ELIZABETH: So anyways, we were walking up State Street in Salt Lake City, and all of a sudden, a whole bunch of police cars pulled up and surrounded us. And this wasn't a first time that we had been approached by police. We had been approached several other times. And every time, I had been so hopeful that I would be rescued. And so this time, when we were surrounded, I mean, yes, I was hopeful, but at the same time I just thought, well, I better not get my hopes up too high because this has happened before.

And I've seen it --

GLENN: Why wouldn't you say while the police were there, it's me. It's me. It's me.

ELIZABETH: I'm actually glad you bring that point up. Because I don't think I've ever met a kidnapped survivor who hasn't been asked some kind of question to that end. And I have been physically chained up, and I have been verbally chained up. And I can tell you, verbally chained up, often those chains are stronger than physical ones.

For me, my family means everything. And I was constantly being threatened that, I'll kill you, I'll kill your family, if you ever run away, if you ever do anything we don't say, you'll be so sorry, you'll wish you were dead.

And up until that point, I had every reason to believe them. I mean, he successfully kidnapped me. He successfully raped me. He successfully chained me up. Starved me. Abused me. All these things. Every time, he said he would do something, he did them, and nobody was there to stop them. So when he said that he would kill me if I ran away or he would kill my family, I believed him. I had every reason to believe him. I didn't have a reason to doubt his word.

And, I mean, I had seen police come up to us before and turn around and walk away from us being completely convinced that I wasn't me, that we were just whatever he told them. So...

PAT: But on this occasion, it was different. Right?

ELIZABETH: This occasion it was a little different. I still had those same thoughts in my head. I certainly didn't want to endanger my family. And I had made several attempts in the past to escape. But that always came at a great personal cost. And clearly I hadn't been successful up until that point.

And so when the policeman started asking questions. I mean, there were more policeman than there ever had been before, my captors starting to give answers. I was told, don't say anything. We'll do all the talking. And if I did had to say something, they had gone over a whole story of what I was supposed to say to the police. So they kept questioning. And kept questioning. And finally when the officer said, I think this girl is too scared. I think we need to separate her for a little bit and question her, you know, just by herself.

And so they took me a few yards away. And they started to question me. And at first, all I could think of was my captors and was what they had told me. That they'll kill me, they'll kill my family, that I had to do exactly what they said. Even though more than anything I wanted to scream out and say, it is me. Please take me away. Rescue me. Save me.

But at first, I just -- I couldn't because all I could hear was them telling me they were going to kill me and they were going to kill my family. But then eventually, one of the officers looked at me and said, you know, there's a girl, and she's been missing for a long time now. And her family has never given up hope of finding her. And they love her. And they miss her and they want her to come home. Don't you want to go home? And it was only in that moment that I finally found the courage to say, yes. And admit that I was Elizabeth Smart.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

ELIZABETH: And that was the moment that I knew that this was -- at least this leg of my life was over.

GLENN: So, Elizabeth, we have seen the footage. And it brings you to tears. We've seen the footage of the rescue missions that, you know, the Operation Underground Railroad has done. And we see these 12-year-old girls. And they're on the boat, you know, to go over to now perform sexual favors for strangers. And it's just so hard to get your arms around. What are they thinking, do you suppose when they're on that boat? Are they -- have they disconnected so much from themselves, what do you suppose is happening to them?

ELIZABETH: I'm -- I'm positive there are many different things going through their heads. I think, yes, for a lot of them they disconnect and they just -- they see this as their lot in life and there's nothing they can do about. And so they just resign themselves and do whatever it takes to survive. I think for so many of them they go into survival mode. And I know I certainly did when I was kidnapped. And I would just try to shut down all feeling because it was too painful for me to try to consciously feel everything that was going on. And just whatever it was, I would just do it to survive. And I know that's how so many of these girls and boys feel and do when they're in these terrible situations.

GLENN: Elizabeth, again, I have more respect for you than -- I mean, I just don't even know who I put you in the category of. I think you're an amazing, amazing woman who has taken some of the darkest stuff I've ever seen and turned it into such beauty and grace and dignity and service to others. I just have profound respect for you. And it's a joy to have you the program.

Tomorrow, at Utah Valley University in Orem, tomorrow night, it's a fundraiser for the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and Operation Underground Railroad to prevent the exploitation of children and the rescuing of children who are victims of the sex trafficking trade and there's just -- you'll tell you, there's -- there is nothing that I think God would want you to do more than rescue his little ones. And this is a way to actually make a difference.

As I said, yesterday afternoon, I get just this text from Tim: Six arrested. Twenty-nine kids saved. Youngest 12 and 13. All well. Kids getting rehab now. My team out of route of the country. It's just amazing. We're just seeing miracles happen. And you can help do that and have a good night tomorrow by going to this fundraiser. And it's not going to be a drag. There will be a lot of people there. It's an entertainment thing. Utah stars. UtahsStars.com. If you want to get tickets. Thank you so much, Elizabeth. Great talking to you.

ELIZABETH: Thank you.

GLENN: God bless.

Wow, she's amazing.

PAT: Yeah. That's an incredible story. If you've read her book. You know that harrowing and miraculous in many ways story of what she went through.

GLENN: And the way she's so smart. The way she manipulated them, you know. I mean, she's just a brilliant, brilliant girl.

How did Trump's would-be assassin get past Secret Service?

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday was targeted in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It occurred just after 6:10 p.m. while Trump was delivering his speech.

Here are the details of the “official” story. The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was 20 years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He used an AR-15 rifle and managed to reach the rooftop of a nearby building unnoticed. The Secret Service's counter-response team responded swiftly, according to "the facts," killing Crooks and preventing further harm.

Did it though? That’s what the official story says, so far, but calling this a mere lapse in security by Secret Service doesn't add up. There are some glaring questions that need to be answered.

If Trump had been killed on Saturday, we would be in a civil war today. We would have seen for the first time the president's brains splattered on live television, and because of the details of this, I have a hard time thinking it wouldn't have been viewed as JFK 2.0.

How does someone sneak a rifle onto the rally grounds? How does someone even know that that building is there? How is it that Thomas Matthew Crooks was acting so weird and pacing in front of the metal detectors, and no one seemed to notice? People tried to follow him, but, oops, he got away.

How could the kid possibly even think that the highest ground at the venue wouldn't be watched? If I were Crooks, my first guess would be, "That’s the one place I shouldn't crawl up to with a rifle because there's most definitely going to be Secret Service there." Why wasn't anyone there? Why wasn't anyone watching it? Nobody except the shooter decided that the highest ground with the best view of the rally would be the greatest vulnerability to Trump’s safety.

Moreover, a handy ladder just happened to be there. Are we supposed to believe that nobody in the Secret Service, none of the drones, none of the things we pay millions of dollars for caught him? How did he get a ladder there? If the ladder was there, was it always there? Why was the ladder there? Secret Service welds manhole covers closed when a president drives down a road. How was there a ladder sitting around, ready to climb up to the highest ground at the venue, and the Secret Service failed to take it away?

There is plenty of video of eyewitnesses yelling that there was a guy with a rifle climbing up on a ladder to the roof for at least 120 seconds before the first shot was fired. Why were the police looking for him while Secret Service wasn't? Why did the sniper have him in his sights for over a minute before he took a shot? Why did a cop climb up the ladder to look around? When Thomas Matthew Cooks pointed a gun at him, he then ducked and came down off the ladder. Did he call anyone to warn that this young man had a rifle within range of the president?

How is it the Secret Service has a female bodyguard who doesn't even reach Trump's nipples? How was she going to guard the president's body with hers? How is it another female Secret Service agent pulled her gun out a good four minutes too late, then looked around, apparently not knowing what to do? She then couldn't even get the pistol back into the holster because she's a Melissa McCarthy body double. I don't think it's a good idea to have Melissa McCarthy guarding the president.

Here’s the critical question now: Who trusts the FBI with the shooter’s computer? Will his hard drive get filed with the Nashville manifesto? How is it that the Secret Service almost didn't have snipers at all but decided to supply them only one day before the rally because all the local resources were going to be put on Jill Biden? I want Jill Biden safe, of course. I want Jill Biden to have what the first lady should have for security, but you can’t hire a few extra guys to make sure our candidates are safe?

How is it that we have a Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, whose experience is literally guarding two liters of Squirt and spicy Doritos? Did you know that's her background? She's in charge of the United States Secret Service, and her last job was as the head of security for Pepsi.

This is a game, and that's what makes this sick. This is a joke. There are people in our country who thought it was OK to post themselves screaming about the shooter’s incompetence: “How do you miss that shot?” Do you realize how close we came to another JFK? If the president hadn't turned his head at the exact moment he did, it would have gone into the center of his head, and we would be a different country today.

Now, Joe Biden is also saying that we shouldn't make assumptions about the motive of the shooter. Well, I think we can assume one thing: He wanted to kill the Republican presidential candidate. Can we agree on that at least? Can we assume that much?

How can the media even think of blaming Trump for the rhetoric when the Democrats and the media constantly call him literally worse than Hitler who must be stopped at all costs?

These questions need to be answered if we want to know the truth behind what could have been one of the most consequential days in U.S. history. Yet, the FBI has its hands clasped on all the sources that could point to the truth. There must be an independent investigation to get to the bottom of these glaring “mistakes.”

POLL: Do you think Trump is going to win the election?

Kevin Dietsch / Staff, Chip Somodevilla / Staff, Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Image

It feels like all of the tension that has been building over the last four years has finally burst to the surface over the past month. Many predicted 2024 was going to be one of the most important and tumultuous elections in our lifetimes, but the last two weeks will go down in the history books. And it's not over yet.

The Democratic National Convention is in August, and while Kamala seems to be the likely candidate to replace Biden, anything could happen in Chicago. And if Biden is too old to campaign, isn't he too old to be president? Glenn doesn't think he'll make it as President through January, but who knows?

There is a lot of uncertainty that surrounds the current political landscape. Trump came out of the attempted assassination, and the RNC is looking stronger than ever, but who knows what tricks the Democrats have up their sleeves? Let us know your predictions in the poll below:

Is Trump going to win the election?

Did the assassination attempt increase Trump's chances at winning in November?

Did Trump's pick of J.D. Vance help his odds?

Did the Trump-Biden debate in June help Trump's chances?

Did Biden's resignation from the election hand Trump a victory in November?

Do the Democrats have any chance of winning this election?

What is the Secret Service trying to hide about Trump's assassination attempt?

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

This past weekend we were mere inches away from a radically different America than the one we have today. This was the first time a president had been wounded by a would-be assassin since 1981, and the horrific event has many people questioning the competency and motives of the supposedly elite agents trusted with the president's life.

The director of the Secret Service apparently knew about the assassin's rooftop before the shooting—and did nothing.

Kimberly Cheatle has come under intense scrutiny these last couple of weeks, as Secret Service director she is responsible for the president's well-being, along with all security operations onsite. In a recent interview with ABC, Cheatle admitted that she was aware of the building where the assassin made his mark on American history. She even said that she was mindful of the potential risk but decided against securing the site due to "safety concerns" with the slope of the roof. This statement has called her competence into question. Clearly, the rooftop wasn't that unsafe if the 20-year-old shooter managed to access it.

Glenn pointed out recently that Cheatle seems to be unqualified for the job. Her previous position was senior director in global security at America's second-favorite soda tycoon, PepsiCo. While guarding soda pop and potato chips sounds like an important job to some, it doesn't seem like a position that would qualify you to protect the life of America's most important and controversial people. Even considering her lack of appropriate experience, this seems like a major oversight that even a layperson would have seen. Can we really chalk this up to incompetence?

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

The Secret Service and DHS said they'd be transparent with the investigation...

Shortly after the attempted assassination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Secret Service, launched an investigation into the shooting and the security protocols in place at the rally. The DHS promised full transparency during the investigation, but House Republicans don't feel that they've been living up to that promise. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are frustrated with Director Cheatle after she seemingly dodged a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This has resulted in calls for Cheatle to step down from her position.

Two FBI agents investigate the assassin's rooftop Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Why is the Secret Service being so elusive? Are they just trying to cover their blunder? We seem to be left with two unsettling options: either the government is even more incompetent than we'd ever believed, or there is more going on here than they want us to know.

Cheatle steps down

Following a horrendous testimony to the House Oversight Committee Director Cheatle finally stepped down from her position ten days after the assassination attempt. Cheatle failed to give any meaningful answer to the barrage of questions she faced from the committee. These questions, coming from both Republicans and Democrats, were often regarding basic information that Cheatle should have had hours after the shooting, yet Cheatle struggled with each and every one. Glenn pointed out that Director Cheatle's resignation should not signal the end of the investigation, the American people deserve to know what happened.

What we DO and DON'T know about Thomas Matthew Crooks

Jim Vondruska / Stringer | Getty Images

It has been over a week since 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks narrowly failed to assassinate President Trump while the president gave a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennslyvania. Despite the ongoing investigations, we still know very little about the would-be assassin, which has left many wondering if the agencies involved are limiting the information that Congress and the public are receiving.

As Glenn has pointed out, there are still major questions about the shooter that are unanswered, and the American people are left at the whim of unreliable federal agencies. Here is everything we know—and everything we don't know—about Thomas Matthew Crooks:

Who was he?

What we know:Thomas Crooks lived in Bethel Parks, Pennsylvania, approximately an hour south of Butler. Crooks went to high school in Bethel Parks, where he would graduate in 2022. Teachers and classmates described him as a loner and as nerdy, but generally nice, friendly, and intelligent. Crooks tried out for the school rifle team but was rejected due to his poor aim, and reports indicate that Crooks was often bullied for his nerdy demeanor and for wearing camo hunting gear to school.

After high school, Crooks began work at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide. In fact, he was scheduled to work on the day of the rally but requested the day off. He passed a background check to work at the facility and was reportedly an unproblematic employee. Crooks was also a member of a local gun club where he practiced shooting the day before the rally.

It was recently revealed that sometime before his attempted assassination, Crooks posted the following message on Steam, a popular computer application used for playing video games: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." Aside from this, Crooks posted no warning or manifesto regarding his attack, and little other relevant information is known about him.

What we don't know:It is unclear what Crook's political affiliations or views were, or if he was aligned with any extremist organizations. Crooks was a registered Republican, and his classmates recall him defending conservative ideas and viewpoints in class. On the other hand, the Federal Election Commission has revealed he donated to a progressive PAC on the day Biden was inaugurated. He also reportedly wore a COVID mask to school much longer than was required.

Clearly, we are missing the full picture. Why would a Republican attempt to assassinate the Republican presidential nominee? What is to gain? And why would he donate to a progressive organization as a conservative? This doesn't add up, and so far the federal agencies investigating the attack have yet to reveal anything more.

What were his goals?

What we know: Obviously we know he was trying to assassinate President Trump—and came very close to succeeding, but beyond that, Crooks' goals are unknown. He left no manifesto or any sort of written motive behind, or if he did, the authorities haven't published it yet. We have frustratingly little to go off of.

What we don't know: As stated before, we don't know anything about the movies behind Crooks' heinous actions. We are left with disjointed pieces that make it difficult to paint a cohesive picture of this man. There is also the matter that he left explosives, ammo, and a bulletproof vest in his car. Why? Did he assume he was going to make it back to his car? Or were those supplies meant for an accomplice that never showed up?

The shocking lack of information on Crooks' motives makes it seem likely that we are not being let on to the whole truth.

Did he work alone?

What we know: Reportedly, Crooks was the only gunman on the site, and as of now, no other suspects have been identified. The rifle used during the assassination attempt was purchased and registered by Crooks' father. However, it is unlikely that the father was involved as he reported both his son and rifle missing the night of the assassination attempt. Crooks' former classmates described him as a "loner," which seems to corroborate the narrative that he worked alone.

What we don't know: We know how Crooks acquired his rifle, but what about the rest of his equipment? He reportedly had nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and several homemade bombs in his car. Could these have been meant for a co-conspirator who didn't show? Did Crooks acquire all of this equipment himself, or did he have help?

There's also the matter of the message Crooks left on the video game platform Steam that served as his only warning of the attack. Who was the message for? Are there people out there who were aware of the attack before it occurred? Why didn't they alert authorities?

We know authorities have access to Crooks' laptop and cellphone that probably contain the answers to these pertinent questions. Why haven't we heard any clarity from the authorities? It seems we are again at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, which begs one more question: Will we ever know the whole truth?

Glenn's Show Prep