Blog
LatestArticlesVideos
Radio
LivePodcastSerialsStations
TV
Podcasts
The Glenn Beck ProgramThe Glenn Beck PodcastThe Beck Story
Fine Art
Real Estate
More
AboutCharityBooksSponsorsShopContact
SEARCH
Live Radio

©2024 MERCURY RADIO ARTS.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

Live

Glenn's Show Prep

The Candidates on the Founders, Presidents and Amendments

February 15, 2016
Lori Hanes

Writer

It’s President’s Day 2016. And this election year, we’re bringing you a special edition of The Glenn Beck Program. Iowa and New Hampshire have now voiced their opinions in the primaries, but most of the country has yet to vote. Over the past several months, we have extended an offer to all of the presidential candidates to sit down and talk one-on-one in a long-form setting. Many of the candidates took us up on that offer; some did not.

We weren’t looking for gotcha questions, and we didn’t want sound bite answers. Anyone can do an interview where the politicians can give a polished and rehearsed answer. But we wanted to go in depth with the people who want to lead our country through, which will be no doubt, a very intense period in our nation’s history.

For those who participated, we discussed important issues, ranging from what to do about ISIS to Common Core to favorite Founding Fathers. It’s insightful and important even from those candidates out of the presidential race who could potentially be a vice presidential candidate.

Rand Paul:

    • Most Underrated President: Calvin Coolidge

    • You know, it's difficult because as a kid, I was always a huge Jefferson fan. I think Jefferson was probably the greatest of our Founding Fathers. I've come to like Madison a lot, you know, with the Bill of Rights and making sure how the Constitution was written. But I also think ultimately --- and I don't like. I'm not part of this glib, sort of New Age thing that, oh, we got to condemn them all for being slave owners. But it does make them imperfect. And I'm aware of that there were people --- you know, I loved William Lloyd HEP Garrison, an abolitionist, who even at the time when everybody thought slavery was okay stood up. The Adams --- you know, many conservatives, Libertarians, oh, they love Jefferson and don't like John Adams. I actually kind of appreciate the Adams for standing up against slavery in a time when it was accepted by everybody.

Ted Cruz:

    • Favorite Founder: James Madison, father of the Constitution

    • Favorite Amendment: I love the Tenth Amendment. I love the Second Amendment. But my favorite amendment is the first. Both free speech and religious liberty are foundational to every other liberty we have.

Ben Carson:

    • Favorite Founder: My favorite founder is going to be --- boy, that's a tough one --- between Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. They were all just terrific people.

    • Most Underrated Founder: Probably in terms of his intellect and ability, James Madison

    • Favorite Amendment: Probably the First Amendment

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

 

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

GLENN: One of the things we had fun with is talking to the candidates about their favorite founders and who they considered the most underunderrated president. Besides with another. Rand Paul. Most underrated president?

RAND: Coolidge.

GLENN: Good for you. That's the answer I've been looking for. Nobody has given that one.

In the Oval Office, there's a place where you're supposed to hang a picture of a president. It's right by the door in the Oval Office. Who is that picture going to be?

RAND: Does it have to be a president?

GLENN: It has to be a president. The tradition is --

RAND: If you're president, I'm thinking you can do whatever you want.

GLENN: Yeah, you can do whatever you want it's your room.

But generally you're trying to model -- you say, this is the guy I most identify with.

RAND: You know, it's difficult because as a kid, I was always a huge Jefferson fan. I think Jefferson was probably the greatest of our Founding Fathers. I've come to like Madison a lot, you know, with the Bill of Rights and making sure how the Constitution was written. But I also think ultimately -- and I don't like. I'm not part of this glib, sort of New Age thing that, oh, we got to condemn them all for being slave owners. But it does make them imperfect. And I'm aware of that there were people -- you know, I loved William Lloyd HEP Garrison, an abolitionist, who even at the time when everybody thought slavery was okay stood up. The Adams -- you know, many conservatives, Libertarians, oh, they love Jefferson and don't like John Adams. I actually kind of appreciate the Adams for standing up against slavery in a time when it was accepted by everybody.

GLENN: Sure.

RAND: I'll have to get back to you on that.

GLENN: You seem to jump to somebody that wasn't a president. Who was it?

RAND: Oh, you know, I was thinking thinking more of an economist. Either von Mises or Hayek as an economist.

GLENN: Wow.

RAND: I also am a fan of Friedman, as well. You know, the people who really talked about how important choice was for an individual, for prosperity, but also just for freedom itself.

GLENN: We also spoke to Ted Cruz who described his favorite founder and a possible change of face on US currency. Here's Ted.

TED: My answer is actually James Mazda. This is not as president, but for his role as father of the Constitution.

GLENN: You know, there's one space in the Oval Office. Right by the door. You have to hang a picture -- well, you don't have to. But tradition is you hang a picture of the president you're modeling yourself after. Who is that picture going to be?

TED: I haven't decided. But I will note in my office now, there's one picture that's 20 feet long, and that's a picture of Reagan in front of the Brandenburg Gate. So I would have to -- I would suspect the answer would be the same in the Oval Office, although it wouldn't be 20 feet long.

GLENN: Your favorite amendment.

TED: I love the Tenth Amendment. I love the Second Amendment. But my favorite amendment is the first. Both free speech and religious liberty are foundational to every other liberty we have.

GLENN: Favorite founder.

TED: Madison.

GLENN: Most underrated founder.

TED: Look. For underrated -- you know, Hamilton, there's this big move to throw him off the 10-dollar bill, which I think is terrible.

GLENN: I hate -- I hate Hamilton. He was their generation's progressive.

TED: He was a big government guy, but he played a critical part in strengthening the federal government. Coming from the Articles of Confederation, we needed a little bit more big government compared to an ineffective government.

GLENN: Yeah, he was --

TED: I'm glad Madison won the arguments. But I think Hamilton's role should not be erased.

GLENN: Sticking with the topic of immigration, Ben Carson weighed in during a rapid fire question and answer session.

The most underrated president in the United States, historically.

BEN: Historically?

GLENN: Historically.

BEN: That's -- that's a tough one. Probably -- probably John Adams.

GLENN: Worst president?

BEN: I think that's probably a toss up.

GLENN: You can give me more than one. This president not included.

BEN: I don't want to do it.

GLENN: Okay.

BEN: Only because I know there will be headlines the next day.

GLENN: Your favorite amendment?

BEN: Hmm. Probably the First Amendment.

GLENN: Your favorite founder?

BEN: My favorite founder is going to be -- boy, that's a tough one -- between Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. They were all just terrific people.

GLENN: Most underrated founder?

BEN: Underrated, probably in terms of his intellect and ability, Madison.

Featured Image: Republican presidential candidates (R-L) Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) participate in the Fox News - Google GOP Debate January 28, 2016 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Residents of Iowa will vote for the Republican nominee at the caucuses on February 1. Donald Trump, who is leading most polls in the state, decided not to participate in the debate. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking up the torch

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

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

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

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

Start small and local

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

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

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

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

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

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

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

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

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

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

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

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

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

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

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

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

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

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

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

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.