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TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

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Glenn's Show Prep

The Solution Is the Problem: The U.S. Constitution

February 09, 2016
Lori Hanes

Writer

Glenn's recent trip to San Francisco inspired a powerful monologue Tuesday on The Glenn Beck Program. Things have changed in America — and that was no more evident than on the streets of San Francisco. Once bound by common principles, Glenn realized he had "very little in common with many of the people who were the loudest on the streets."

There was a time when most Americans were grounded by principles found in the Constitution. Today, too many of us — especially younger citizens — tie themselves to political parties rather than our founding documents, thinking they are the secret to restoring America. In fact, the parties have long been corrupted, and they're exactly what's wrong with America.

We've forgotten our common sense, First Principles, all of which the Founders laid out in the Bill of Rights:

• Practice Your Faith — First Amendment

• Question the Government — First Amendment

• Right to Protect Your Family — Second Amendment

• Right to Protect Your Property — Fourth Amendment

• Right to Privacy — Fourth Amendment

• No Torturing People — Eighth Amendment

• Everything Else — Ninth & Tenth Amendments

These rights are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution — and they're not given to us by any man or government. They're given to us by a higher power — call it the universe, call it God, but don't call it the government.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: Does anybody really wonder what happened to America, the America that we all grew up in? I grew up in a small farming community 90 miles north of Seattle, a small town called Mount Vernon. My dad owned the city bakery. I never remember my folks talking about politics or people framed by who they voted for.

My parents were Republicans. My grandparents were Democrats. They were shaped by FDR, and they never looked at the policies again. Just, FDR was good, and that's all they needed.

But with an exception of the Watergate days, they never argued politics. Even with Nixon in the White House, it was about lies and not politics. My folks believed Richard Nixon; my grandparents did not. When it became apparent Nixon was a liar, my family gathered around principles that they agreed on: Lying is not a quality suitable to be president of the United States.

This last weekend I was in San Francisco. I came to work while the rest of the world came to party at the Super Bowl. And as I walked through the crowds and through the streets, I found that I had very little in common with many of the people who were the loudest on the streets.

From a woman and several women carrying signs that said, "His body, his choice," a bizarre protest against circumcision, the foul lyrics and the gyrating that was happening on the stage across the street in a family park, to the street preachers screaming that we're all going to hell, my country looked like a movie. I didn't even recognize it. My son who is now 11, not one to hold dad's hand in public much anymore, grabbed my hand and held it tight.

Later in a quieter section of town, on a street that sells Bentleys, fine steakhouses, and homes that can cost up to $15 million, we walked to dinner and to CVS. The entire street reeked HEP of urine. While the homeless, dangerous, and mentally ill roamed the streets in such numbers that none of the men with me said they would feel comfortable with their wife or their daughter walking alone on that street, and this was at 4:15 in the afternoon.

No matter where I went in San Francisco, I was greeted as both a hero and a villain. I'm neither. My son spent the week watching, taking it all in, while I who had grown up in Seattle was taking in the memories of a town that was much like mine as a kid and wondering what happened to us.

I think the solution is the problem. Principles. We no longer agree on principles. Actually let me take that back. When the chips are down, we do agree on principles. We did on 9/11.

On 9/11 and 9/12 and 9/13, we were people that had more in common than not. But that was 15 long years ago. This, right now, today's America is the only America anyone under 20 remembers. Restore America, bring back the Reagan years, those are long gone and long forgotten.

How would you even do that? Most people don't even remember it. And too many of us think that it's our political party that's the secret to restoration. It's our political party that is the secret to progress.

Our political parties are not. In fact, they are as Washington pointed out in his Farewell Address, the problem. We hold tight to the idea that the party is our savior. And we know our party platform perhaps better than we know the Constitution. It's time to return to first principles. This election has got to be a return to first principles.

Should people be able to speak their mind in public? We all know the answer to that, yes. Is there a college campus safe zone? If there's a safe zone in college, then why do we have to have on colleges, why do we have to have tenure? Tenure is made so people can say the uncomfortable things and not get fired. But if colleges have a safe zone, what's the point of tenure?

Should the press be free to report on information given to them by whistle-blowers, or should those press members be thrown in jail by the government? Should you be free to practice your faith or science? Should you be able to question the government, protect your family, be the first responder? Should your private property be able to be seized, gone through? Can a squatter come through your house and just take it? Can a hotel chain force you out of your house?

Because the public votes for you to pay more in taxes, can the public vote that somebody can come in and take your money? Do you know what's happening in Spain right now? Spain has become so socialist, that if you have two houses and you don't live full-time in one, the government is now talking about just taking that second house.

Do we have the right to privacy? Can somebody just go through your phone records and your email accounts, listen to your phone calls, read your email? Should we as a nation torture people? I'm not talking waterboarding. I'm talking torture people.

Should we enforce our own laws, or should we have special exceptions for our laws? Is justice blind? Should rich people get off because they're rich or they're in a special protected class? Wasn't it wrong when whites shielded whites in the 1950s, and isn't it wrong now when we shield the rich, the privileged, illegals? Is a finger gun really a Class 2 lookalike weapon, or do we all know that's bullcrap?

Abortion supporters are looking to sell baby parts, and they have. Should you be able to sell human organs? This is beyond, "Are you pro-choice or are you pro-life?" This is is, "Should you sell baby parts?"

Now, here's the latest. Because of the Doritos ad in the Super Bowl, NARAL is saying you can't humanize a fetus. Can't humanize -- they're giving birth to a dog? That's what a fetus is, it's a human fetus. We can argue about when life begins, but whether or not it's human life is settled. Making it a criminal offense for a Class 2 lookalike weapon when it's a finger gun is nuts. And we all know it. These are our principles. These are the things that bring us together.

But we're not tied to any of those. Practice your faith, First Amendment. Question the government. First Amendment. Protect your family, Second Amendment. Property, Fourth Amendment. Right to privacy, Fourth Amendment. Torture people, eighth amendment. Anything that I haven't mentioned, the Ninth and the Tenth Amendment. These all come from the Constitution. These are all the things that we have rights to. And they're not given to us by the government. They're given to us by a higher power. Call it the universe, call it God. All men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unchangeable rights.

The government always goes mad, and it always needs to be reigned in. Throughout history, reconstruction, taking guns away from blacks so they could hang them in the trees. Out of fear, Japanese internment camps. Out of fear, the war on the red man. Each time, each time, the government oversteps its bounds and we lose our way. And each time, a coming generation is embarrassed by that and has to apologize. And it soils our reputation. And they blame it on the Founders. They blame it on the government. They blame it on this outdated piece of paper, when this outdated piece of paper had nothing to do with it. This outdated piece of paper called the Constitution railed against it the whole time, crying out, screaming in silence from the paper locked away, behind the walls of the national archives. It screams out, "Listen to me."

This election, we need to see the road that we're on and turn back to the principles that we have -- all of us have in common: the Constitution. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, they all have more in common, if we use the Constitution. And if we, the people, want to get rid of the Constitution, then that is the argument that we should be having. We shouldn't just let it go quietly in the middle of the night. We should have the conversation.

Do we believe in these first principles? Do we, the people, anymore believe in this Constitution? If we do, our first priority must be to restore it, to empower it again, to heed its warnings, to make sure the government is held by its chains and restraints. And if we don't want to do that, then let's have that conversation about real revolution. But what are you going to replace it with?

Most people who are voting for Bernie Sanders say they're for socialism. But when asked, "What is socialism," they have no idea.

It is the step in between capitalism and communism. What rules you, if you can take people's property? Because it isn't the Constitution. What rules you if you can just say, "Well, yes, we're in a panic now. We have fear of an outside force, and so we can scoop people off the street. Or we can just listen to every email and every phone call of every citizen in in America without a warrant?" What rules you if it's not the Constitution?

If we had that conversation, we wouldn't be as divided as we are. But right now, we're in little subsections. This is no longer Republican and Democrat. It's Trump people, Sanders people, Cruz people, Rubio people, Clinton people. And we can't find our way to one another because very few of them are saying, "Look, don't listen to me. I'm not going to make America great again. You're going to make America great again. I don't have the solutions. The solutions are found with the people and the government being restrained by the restraints of the Constitution." Instead, almost all of them offer answers that are beyond the Constitution. You want to save your country, now is the time to do it. And there is truly only one way. Otherwise, the fundamental transformation of America will be sealed and will be cemented in for all time.

The real conversation we should be having in New Hampshire and in South Carolina is, "What rules our nation?" Not a man. If it's ruled by the Constitution, if it's not, then the conversation should be, "How much of a strong man do you really want," as the people cry out for a king.

Featured Image: Screenshot from The Glenn Beck Program

Can fear win the vote? Democrats have a dangerous strategy to demonize Trump.

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

The Democratic Party’s nominee is deliberately spreading false, fear-driven narratives to turn her base against Donald Trump, regardless of the consequences.

Have you noticed how Kamala Harris and her allies in the corporate left-wing media have become bolder in labeling Trump a “fascist”? A recent New York Times article revealed that Democrats have shed their reluctance to use the term. In fact, it has become their rallying cry as Election Day approaches.

What’s the real goal here? According to John Daniel Davidson at the Federalist, Harris and her supporters are using this rhetoric to energize their base — and more disturbingly, to prepare them for violence if Trump wins. The fearmongering isn’t just about driving people to the polls; it’s about creating an atmosphere of rage and chaos.

Let’s show the Democrats that our republic doesn’t bend to fear and certainly doesn’t bend to those who twist the truth for political gain.

Harris is deliberately spreading false, fear-driven narratives to turn her base against Trump, regardless of the consequences. This is the same Kamala Harris who, during the George Floyd riots in 2020, encouraged bailing out rioters and urged the violence to continue both before and after the election.

For example, Harris has claimed that Trump will use the Department of Justice as a weapon against his political enemies if he returns to office. But let’s pause for a second: Who is using the Justice Department as a political tool right now? Harris’ own administration, led by Joe Biden, has weaponized federal agencies against Trump and conservatives for years.

Harris also recently entertained the idea that Trump would round up people who “don’t look white” and throw them into camps. During an interview with Charlamagne tha God, a caller suggested this scenario. Instead of refuting the caller’s paranoia, Harris nodded and said, “You have hit on a really important point.”

This kind of divisive rhetoric fuels fear and division in our country. Let’s not forget: Trump was president for four years, and there were no camps, roundups, or authoritarian crackdowns on dissenters. Leftists claim Trump and his supporters spread conspiracy theories, but they are the ones pushing baseless and dangerous claims.

While Democrats claim to defend democracy, they are increasingly aligning with authoritarianism. For example, the EPA funneled billions of dollars to left-wing organizations, including one tied to Stacey Abrams, for “voter mobilization” efforts. This funding came through the Inflation Reduction Act — a taxpayer-funded omnibus bill. Imagine the outrage if Republicans in Congress gave billions of taxpayer dollars to right-wing groups. The media would be in an uproar, and there would be protests at the White House gates. But because it’s Democrats doing it, the mainstream media turns a blind eye. These are the warning signs of an authoritarian regime.

This is why it’s more critical than ever for Americans to see through the left’s manipulation. Trump’s not the fascist here — he’s a threat to the left's power. The real danger lies in the left’s escalating rhetoric, which is designed to incite chaos if things don’t go its way. And let me be clear: That’s exactly what leftists are preparing for.

Don’t let them succeed.

The best way to counter their lies is by getting out to vote and encouraging others to do the same. If every single one of us does this, we won’t let the fearmongering and lies being peddled by Harris and the Democrats succeed. Let’s show them that our republic doesn’t bend to fear and certainly doesn’t bend to those who twist the truth for political gain.

'Get involved': Here's how YOU can join Glenn on election night

America is currently standing at a fork in the road. Which path we take will determine our fate as a nation.

One path is “we try something entirely new,” as in “not the Constitution,” and the other path is “we go back towards the Constitution,” says Glenn Beck.

The stakes for this decision are higher than they’ve ever been.

“We're deciding this year whether or not our kids are going to grow up in a country that gives them the opportunity to be themselves and to move forward and chart their own course, or we're going to continue to live in a place where we're not sure if our kids are going to have a better life than we did,” Glenn warns.

Regardless of who you vote for, Glenn says that one thing applies to everyone: “You’ve got to get involved this year,” which includes voting.

Election Day is rapidly approaching, and it will undoubtedly be a night that goes down in history, which is why BlazeTV will be broadcasting it live.

“We’d love to share it with you,” says Glenn.

Go to BlazeElection.com for exclusive access to our election night broadcasting. Your BlazeTV+ subscription also gives you access to all BlazeTV content as well as Blaze News.

“Sign up and be a part of the family as we go through this together,” invites Glenn.

Get $40 off your first year of BlazeTV+ with code ELECTION.

TOP THREE craziest leftist reactions to Trump's McDonald's visit

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Over the weekend, President Trump visited a McDonald's in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to serve up some french fries to hungry supporters.

MAGA fans from across the country came to celebrate and support Trump, quickly swamping the small town with a tide of Trump merch. With a roaring crowd outside, Trump cooked up some crispy fries and served them to a small selection of supporters through the drive-thru window, creating a light-hearted, fun moment— a pleasant break from the turbulent election cycle.

Naturally, the Left quickly swooped in to rain on Trump's parade. From unsubstantiated fact-checks to overused insults, here are the craziest reactions to Trump's McDonald's trip:

Fact check on Donald Trump's claims about Kamala Harris

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

While working his brief 15-minute shift, Donald Trump quipped that he's now worked at McDonald's longer than Kamala Harris, referencing the Vice President's unsubstantiated claim that she worked at McDonald's one summer during college. McDonald's further substantiated Trump's claim by indicating that there are no existing records of Harris's employment, though they admit that records from the pre-digital age may not have survived to the present day.

Despite the lack of evidence, left-wing media outlets, such as the Washington Post, were quick to defend the Vice President. Their argument essentially put Trump's word against Harris's, suggesting that Trump was deliberately lying to defame the Vice President, while simultaneously treating Harris as a more credible source.

Pointing out the obvious fact that this was a political stunt

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

In what is likely the least informative journalistic piece of the century, MSNBC made the "shocking discovery" that Donald Trump didn't actually work at McDonald's and that the entire event was for his campaign. It's unclear what detail gave this away to the "ever-vigilant" reporters at MSNBC. Maybe it was the fact that McDonald's was closed for the event, or the lack of employees within the restaurant, or possibly it was the crowd of cheering fans outside. Thank you captain obvious, the event was a carefully coordinated and secure political event. The former President who has had several assassination attempts on his life did notwork in an unsecured restaurant, dealing with countless unknown people.

Truly "top-notch" reporting by MSNBC.

Calling Trump supporters "weird"... Again.

LOGAN CYRUS / Contributor | Getty Images

The New York Times had to really scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with something to paint Trump's fast food fiesta in a negative light. Instead of attacking Trump, they went after his supporters who lined the street to cheer on their favorite presidential nominee. They went so far as to describe the event as a violent riot full of unhinged and uneducated fanatics. The New York Times even quoted a pro-Harris protester who showed up to the event and suggested that "Jan. 6 was maybe a trial run ... and now they’re a lot more organized — and a lot angrier.” The insults didn't stop there. They dredged up the archaic and cringeworthy Tim Walz original calling the Trump supporters "weird." This "zinger" doesn't have the punch the New York Times wanted it to have, and came across as a sad attempt to bring Trump down in one of his high points in his campaign.

RIGGED: Kamala Harris attempts to sway Fox interview in her favor, STILL falls short

Paul Morigi / Contributor | Getty Images

The election is mere weeks away and Kamala Harris just had her first adversarial interview since she began campaigning.

Last week, Harris sat down with Fox News journalist Bret Baier for an interview plagued with difficulties from the beginning. As Glenn recently pointed out, it seemed like Harris had done her best to ensure the interview was intentionally rigged against Baier. Despite being in front of Baier's diverse audience, she did not seem too interested in taking the opportunity to sell herself to a new demographic. Instead, Glenn hypothesized she was just after a quick soundbite to pander to her faltering core supporters.

However, the interview blew up in Kamala's face, and the American people took notice. Here's a rundown of Kamala's first Fox interview:

Rigged Interview

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Harris and her team did everything possible to throw Bret Baier off his game and derail the interview in her favor. It started when Harris's team informed Fox that the interview, which was originally supposed to be an hour, would be cut in half. This left Baier scrambling to reformat his interview to better fit the new time requirement. Then Harris arrived at the interview ten minutes late, further shorting the interview.

The purpose behind Harris's tardiness became apparent during the interview. Every time Baier asked a question, Harris would launch into a lengthy word salad. Baier was forced to interject just so he was able to ask more than a couple of questions. Harris even pushed back, calling out Baier's interruptions, which of course, just wasted more time. Clearly, Harris or her staff realized that she could not sustain a hostile interview for any extended period, which is why Harris tried to filibuster away as much of the interview as possible.

When the brief interview was nearing the end of its allotted time, Harris's staff began signaling to Baier to end the interview. Despite the change in plans and late arrival, her staff was determined to end the interview as quickly as possible.

Harris's Agenda

CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA / Contributor | Getty Images

From the beginning of the interview, Harris was hostile. She was immediately adversarial and would spin every question into a criticism of Trump, no matter how pointed Baier's question was. Several times Harris had emotional outbursts, spewing classic anti-Trump rhetoric, regardless of its relevance to the question asked. Glenn pointed out that this was the reason Harris took this interview. Recently, many of her core supporters have been faltering as her sudden burst of televised appearances has revealed her paper-thin platform. She took this interview to get a good clip of her passionately bashing Trump on Fox News. This would bolster her core demographic, which she desperately needs.

Harris's Fumbles

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Despite her best efforts to sway the interview in her favor, Baier still managed to pin Harris several times. Harris kept dodging tough questions Baier threw her way with the same tactic: she would promise to "follow the law" then deflect the question back on Trump. One of the more memorable instances of Harris's evasion strategy was when she was questioned if she supported prison inmates having access to taxpayer-funded transgender surgery. Harris insisted she would "follow the law" and then explained that Trump had followed the same law while he was in office. This response was, in essence, a non-answer. Harris was ignoring the obvious fact that as President, she would influence what the law would be and how it is enforced.

Harris's other major blunder occurred after Baier asked her how her presidency would differ from Biden's and how she would "turn the page" on our current situation. In classic Harris fashion, she immediately deflects on Trump, framing our current situation as somehow a byproduct of Trump simply existing within the political sphere. This convoluted web she spun was so twisted that Harris herself lost track of what she was saying gave up, telling Baier, "You know what I'm talking about." Baier admitted he was just as lost as she was, and she simply went back to attacking Trump.