Did Brad Thor predict the Bergdahl prisoner exchange?

July 16, 2015

WRITER

The line between fact and fiction is becoming increasingly hard to recognize. No one knows this better than bestselling author Brad Thor, who speaks to people in all areas of America’s intelligence agencies to find out what keeps the people really in the know up at night. But it’s hard to believe that some of the most outrageous story lines from his novels have actually become a reality under the Obama administration. For instance, his book First Commandment depicted the swap of five high value prisoners held in Gitmo. So what’s next? Brad Thor discussed his new book Code of Conduct and much, much more on Thursday's radio show.

MIKE: Welcome. It is the Glenn Beck Program. My name is Mike Broomhead, in for Glenn today. We start things off, the brand-new book. It's called Code of Conduct. I've been told Glenn Beck says it's the greatest thriller ever written. Joining me is Brad Thor, the author of the book. Fourteen in the series. Tell us about the book.

BRAD: Well, Mike, it's good to be with you. Code of Conduct. Glenn says that what I do is faction. Glenn coined this term. Where you don't know where the facts end and the fiction begins.

MIKE: But he says the same things about politicians.

BRAD: He would be correct on that one. But with Code of Conduct, I picked two things that I thought were fascinating, real life things that a lot of people aren't aware of and put them in as the bedrock of this thriller. Number one, down in Georgia, somebody put together. Somebody spent a fortune to erect these huge granite slabs. People are calling it the American Stonehenge. And on them, in 12 languages, including ancient Babylonian and Sanskrit, is written this terrifying agenda for the United States and the rest of the world. It's bizarre. People don't know if it's Ted Turner who did it or what. I've heard about this and investigated and thought, that's a fascinating, fascinating oddity. And I saved it in the back of my mind. And a couple of years ago, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, got together his inner circle and took over the chalet high in the Austrian Alps, sounds like something out of a Bond movie, tons of security. And they got together and said, you know what, let's figure out how to get the United States off the world stage so we can become number one and we can set the agenda for the rest of the world. And their agenda, what they wanted to do, got leaked out of this meeting. And several of the things they wanted matched up with the stones down in Georgia. And I thought, you know what, that's going to be the bedrock for my thriller.

MIKE: Now, watching the video -- the preview of the book. It's about a three-minute preview on your website. You talk about a one-two punch. You know what the first punch was going to be. Can you give us some insight without giving it away? Or can't you do that?

BRAD: No. I can tell you a little bit. So I have developed over the years with my thrillers a great network of active and retired people from the CIA, special operations community, and I like to ping them every once in a while and say, A, how are you doing? And, B, what's keeping you up at night? What are you afraid of happening? And there's something they've been worried about for a long time potentially coming out of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is the potential for an attack, a terrorist attack that would be simultaneously kicked off around the world. And it would be so crippling and so devastating that every single country would be affected at the same time and nobody would be able to come to anybody else's aid. So when I talk about the one-two punch in the book, what I do is I set up a particular line, a plot line, and you think you've got it figured out. Just when you think you have it figured out, the characters in the book are starting to tune in, and then this secret thing comes around the side. That's that second punch. Readers that have read the book so far have loved it, and nobody saw that second thing coming. It's a fun thing to do as a thriller writer.

MIKE: So when you write the book -- you say Glenn calls it faction. So tell me where something you've put in the book is fiction has become fact.

BRAD: All right. So several books ago, I wrote a thriller called the First Commandment. The first commandment in the War on Terror is thou shalt not negotiate with terrorists.

So on page one of the First Commandment, the very first page, I have a scene in Gitmo where not four, not six, but five high-value detainees are being released in a swap. That's exactly how many, five, were exchanged for Bowe Bergdahl.

MIKE: All right. So now I'm a little -- that is creepy. Does it creep yourself out yourself? How did you predict this? Or did you just take credit and say you knew it was coming?

BRAD: It's this funny kind of weird thing that I do where I look at the tea leaves and try to see over the horizon. It's one of the reasons that the Department of Homeland Security, I believe, brought me in to help them brainstorm as part of their analytical Red Cell Unit, what future terrorist attacks might look like, where and when they might happen. You know, it sounds conceited to call it a gift. That's not how I refer to it. My wife says I have ESP. If you pay attention, I'm on the Blaze.com all the time. I'm a voracious reader of news and all the articles that are popping. I think when that happens, you can kind of project forward and see what's coming. Maybe not everybody. For me, I can.

MIKE: Number 14 in the series, the book is Code of Conduct. What keeps it fresh 14 books in? How is this different 14 books?

BRAD: That's a great question. Glenn and I have had this talk before. That I'm a small businessperson. So the product that I create, that's my thriller. I'm selling escape to people. This is the kind of book I want to read when I go on vacation. Take to the pool, the lake, the beach. So my goal is to get better with every single book. With Code of Conduct, I set the bar really, really high. And I want to see if I can get over this bar. I want to see if I give my readers something they've never seen before from any other thriller author. It's setting that bar high which really makes it exciting to write and I hope exciting to read. This book is completely fresh because I'm pointing out threats to the readers that I think even they don't know exist. Real life threats that are after the United States, in particular.

MIKE: So you talk about Scot Harvath. And you allude to -- or, in the video you talk about Indiana Jones and James Bond and learning about them as opposed to -- you know, the character development of learning more about them. You accomplish that here in the book?

BRAD: Absolutely. That was another goal I set for myself. What I said on my website in that little three-minute video, describing the book and what people can expect of it, is that we want Indiana Jones to still be Indiana Jones at the end of the book -- or, at the end of the film. We want James Bond to still be James Bond at the end. But a trick for an author who brings back a recurring character -- which I do. All my books are meant to be standalones. So you can read them in any order. You don't have to start with the first one. You can start with Code of Conduct. The challenge is, how do I reveal a little bit more of Scot Harvath my main character in each book. This one, when my wife read it, she's my first reader, when she read it, she came and found me, she said, you know what, I love all your books. But what you did with the character developments, with the surprises on practically every page in this thriller, she said this is the best book you've ever written.

MIKE: On the Blaze tonight, you'll be in for Glenn. Tell us what will be on the show. All the usual outlets to get the book?

BRAD: Amazon with all its algorithms is predicting this will be the best-selling thriller of all time. Glenn was right when he said it was the best. Now Amazon is catching on. Tonight, we'll talk about serious stuff on the Blaze. We'll be discussing ISIS rebuke Iran, and Orwell and how all these things are tying together and why Americans need to be better tuned in to what's happening and what the Obama administration is doing both domestically and abroad and what it means for us as a nation moving forward. It's going to be a fascinating episode tonight.

MIKE: So I want to ask you before I lead into what I'm going to start talking about. I'll ask the expert. When you're looking at the deal that was just cut with the Iranians, as the president tries to sell this to the Congress and the American people and our allies in that region, the alliance now it seems to be between the Saudis and the Israelis. Is that just a small little picture of how dangerous this deal is? And what do you predict the next six to 12 months?

BRAD: Well, I'll tell you, it's amazing that anything could get the Arabs and the Israelis together on the same page. I mean, that's big, big deal.

You know, we talk a lot about if you could go back in time and stop Hitler and the Nazis, would you do it? This is one of those incredibly historic moments, and we made the wrong choice as a nation. Instead of stopping Hitler and the Nazis, we handed them a check for $150 billion and drew them a map straight to Czechoslovakia. It's a bad, bad deal. It's bad for stability in the region, and it's bad for stability overall in the world.

This is something -- the president plays an incredibly short game. He does not look long-term. And I don't think there's been a greater force for destruction in the history of this country than the Obama administration.

MIKE: All right. Well, Brad is in for Glenn. Brad Thor.com is the website. Code of Conduct. Fourteenth in the series. Predicted to be the best-seller ever.

BRAD: Only behind the Bible. That's how many copies they think it will sell.

MIKE: That's a high. You better do something special for number fifteen, right?

Thanks for being here. We'll be back here in just a moment. My name is Mike Broomhead. It's the Glenn Beck Program.

URGENT: Supreme Court case could redefine religious liberty

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The state is effectively silencing professionals who dare speak truths about gender and sexuality, redefining faith-guided speech as illegal.

This week, free speech is once again on the line before the U.S. Supreme Court. At stake is whether Americans still have the right to talk about faith, morality, and truth in their private practice without the government’s permission.

The case comes out of Colorado, where lawmakers in 2019 passed a ban on what they call “conversion therapy.” The law prohibits licensed counselors from trying to change a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, including their behaviors or gender expression. The law specifically targets Christian counselors who serve clients attempting to overcome gender dysphoria and not fall prey to the transgender ideology.

The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The law does include one convenient exception. Counselors are free to “assist” a person who wants to transition genders but not someone who wants to affirm their biological sex. In other words, you can help a child move in one direction — one that is in line with the state’s progressive ideology — but not the other.

Think about that for a moment. The state is saying that a counselor can’t even discuss changing behavior with a client. Isn’t that the whole point of counseling?

One‑sided freedom

Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, has been one of the victims of this blatant attack on the First Amendment. Chiles has dedicated her practice to helping clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality struggles, and gender dysphoria. She’s also a Christian who serves patients seeking guidance rooted in biblical teaching.

Before 2019, she could counsel minors according to her faith. She could talk about biblical morality, identity, and the path to wholeness. When the state outlawed that speech, she stopped. She followed the law — and then she sued.

Her case, Chiles v. Salazar, is now before the Supreme Court. Justices heard oral arguments on Tuesday. The question: Is counseling a form of speech or merely a government‑regulated service?

If the court rules the wrong way, it won’t just silence therapists. It could muzzle pastors, teachers, parents — anyone who believes in truth grounded in something higher than the state.

Censored belief

I believe marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God. I believe that family — mother, father, child — is central to His design for humanity.

I believe that men and women are created in God’s image, with divine purpose and eternal worth. Gender isn’t an accessory; it’s part of who we are.

I believe the command to “be fruitful and multiply” still stands, that the power to create life is sacred, and that it belongs within marriage between a man and a woman.

And I believe that when we abandon these principles — when we treat sex as recreation, when we dissolve families, when we forget our vows — society fractures.

Are those statements controversial now? Maybe. But if this case goes against Chiles, those statements and others could soon be illegal to say aloud in public.

Faith on trial

In Colorado today, a counselor cannot sit down with a 15‑year‑old who’s struggling with gender identity and say, “You were made in God’s image, and He does not make mistakes.” That is now considered hate speech.

That’s the “freedom” the modern left is offering — freedom to affirm, but never to question. Freedom to comply, but never to dissent. The same movement that claims to champion tolerance now demands silence from anyone who disagrees. The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The real test

No matter what happens at the Supreme Court, we cannot stop speaking the truth. These beliefs aren’t political slogans. For me, they are the product of years of wrestling, searching, and learning through pain and grace what actually leads to peace. For us, they are the fundamental principles that lead to a flourishing life. We cannot balk at standing for truth.

Maybe that’s why God allows these moments — moments when believers are pushed to the wall. They force us to ask hard questions: What is true? What is worth standing for? What is worth dying for — and living for?

If we answer those questions honestly, we’ll find not just truth, but freedom.

The state doesn’t grant real freedom — and it certainly isn’t defined by Colorado legislators. Real freedom comes from God. And the day we forget that, the First Amendment will mean nothing at all.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins Megyn Kelly LIVE — One night ONLY in Fort Worth!

Get ready for sparks to fly. For the first time in years, Glenn will come face-to-face with Megyn Kelly — and this time, he’s the one in the hot seat. On October 25, 2025, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Glenn joins Megyn on her “Megyn Kelly Live Tour” for a no-holds-barred conversation that promises laughs, surprises, and maybe even a few uncomfortable questions.

What will happen when two of America’s sharpest voices collide under the spotlight? Will Glenn finally reveal the major announcement he’s been teasing on the radio for weeks? You’ll have to be there to find out.

This promises to be more than just an interview — it’s a live showdown packed with wit, honesty, and the kind of energy you can only feel if you are in the room. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to see Glenn like you’ve never seen him before.

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What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

When did Americans start cheering for chaos?

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.