Pat's 70's Music Obsession Finally Pays off With the Best Theory Ever About Trump

September 27, 2016

Writer

In what has been an unprecedented election season, Donald Trump has positioned himself as an outsider and bulldozed the competition to become the Republican presidential nominee. How did this anomaly happen? Co-host Pat Gray may have stumbled upon the best theory ever.

"This has all come down to Donald Trump, and what is the model? What is the historic model here, and how does it all end?" Glenn asked Tuesday on his radio program.

Believe it or not, Pat's theory involves radio personality Howard Stern.

"Oh, my gosh, that is the best comparison I have ever heard, and it explains why it's working," Glenn remarked when he heard the theory for the first time.

So what brilliance has Pat possibly discovered that could explain the phenomenon that is Donald Trump?

Read below or listen to the full segment for answers to these historic questions:

• Will Pat ever listen to anything other than the '70s on Seven?

• Why does Glenn describe Donald Trump as the Howard Stern of politics?

• How did Howard Stern crush some of the most successful radio show hosts in the '80s and '90s?

• Is Howard Stern the wind beneath Donald Trump's wings?

• Why did Glenn say, Damn right! in response to something Donald Trump said at the debate?

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

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

GLENN: So everyone says this is an anomaly. Donald Trump is an anomaly. It never happened before.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Yada, yada. Yes, it has just not in politics.

PAT: Right.

GLENN: But it has happened in our lifetime in a very, very visual, in your face, everybody watched it, witnessed it, sort of way. Listen to this.

PAT: And we just never thought of it. At least I haven't heard anybody talk about this. It kind of hit me as I was -- there's kind of a strange circuitous way I got to this. But I was just looking at the ratings for Sirius XM, and, you know, trying to find out -- I listen to the '70s on Seven all the time.

GLENN: Just get to the point.

PAT: It's number four. But Howard Stern was number one. So I'm thinking about that as I'm coming into work today and thinking about how Trump had mentioned him last night. And then it hit me.

Howard Stern, when he goes into markets -- he started in New York, and then he goes into Washington, DC, and then he goes into Philadelphia. And every time he does that --

GLENN: Now, this is in a time when radio -- this is before XM Sirius. This is --

PAT: Yeah, this is before massive syndication. There's no syndicated shows at this time.

GLENN: And everyone said, when he was in Washington, DC, it won't work.

PAT: It won't work.

GLENN: It won't work here. It's unique. It's a flash in the pan. He's a one-hit wonder.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And when he moved from Washington, DC, he went to New York, and it worked again. He starts syndication.

PAT: And so he goes to Philadelphia, and the number one show for I think a decade or more was John DeBella.

GLENN: More than that.

PAT: He had been number one in Philadelphia for as long as anybody could remember.

GLENN: And everybody loved -- he was Mr. Philadelphia.

PAT: Loved DeBella. Yeah, everybody listened to him. Everybody loved him.

GLENN: And there was a graveyard of people with millions of dollars in promotion behind them --

PAT: That tried to --

GLENN: Just bodies filled with people who tried to take on John DeBella. Tried everything, and it never worked.

PAT: Howard Stern came in and took on John DeBella, immediately. Focused on him every day. Started talking about him. Started repositioning. Put his wife on the air. His ex-wife. You know, she told secrets about him. He became -- he became this laughingstock after a while.

GLENN: Yeah.

PAT: He completely repositioned John DeBella, and John DeBella wound up I think getting fired later on. Stern went to number one in Philadelphia. He went into Rochester.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait. So bad -- it was so bad in Philadelphia that if I'm not mistaken, John DeBella's ex-wife committed suicide. Committed suicide.

PAT: Eventually committed suicide, yeah.

GLENN: Because -- and you can't ever prove --

PAT: No, you can't blame that that on Stern.

GLENN: Yeah, you can't blame it on Stern.

PAT: But the humiliation factor was there.

GLENN: So strong in -- in this. And he destroyed the -- any semblance of normalcy for John DeBella and his family.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: He completely repositioned him. Within a year, it was over.

PAT: And Stern was number one from then on. And DeBella was nowhere to be found. He went into Rochester, New York, where they had Brother Wease. And he had shares in the teens and 20s at one point. The guy was a legend --

GLENN: So you know -- yeah, Brother Wease was -- everyone knew Brother Wease. Everybody loved Brother Wease. Brother Wease was a guy on the rock station, so he was really cool. He was very charitable. He had a child that was very handicapped. He would tell a story. Everybody loved Brother Wease.

PAT: And Stern made fun of all that. Took him into an old guy. He's tired. He's a has-been.

GLENN: Took on his handicapped child.

PAT: Took on his handicapped child and destroyed Brother Wease. He became number one in Rochester.

GLENN: And in both of those -- in both of those scenarios, everybody in the market will get into what their strategy was. But everybody in the market said, "This won't work. You can't take him on like that. You can't do those things."

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And then when he would take on the handicapped child and he would take on the wife and the wife would kill herself, everybody would say, "This is going to backfire." And it never did. It only made Howard Stern much stronger.

PAT: Stronger and cooler and hipper.

GLENN: Yep, yep.

JEFFY: Stronger.

PAT: Well, then he went into probably the toughest market of all, he went into Los Angeles in like '94, '95, and nobody thought Howard Stern could possibly work in Los Angeles. Completely different attitude. Completely different mindset. Completely different audience.

It's a -- California is laid-back. It's not like New York. That attitude is not going to work there. Plus, Mark & Brian were by far number one in Los Angeles.

GLENN: And they were the coolest, so funny, so -- just -- I mean, so innovative. They were absolutely brilliant.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And had totally changed the landscape of morning radio. Totally doing something completely different.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And everybody not only liked them, these guys were not old, they were really hip and cool.

PAT: Early to mid-30s, young guys, and they took the old zoo format and completely turned it on its head.

GLENN: Turned it upside down.

PAT: And made morning radio really cool again.

GLENN: Yeah. But on a rock station. So they weren't bubble gum. They were on a rock station.

PAT: Yes.

GLENN: Each time, he went in taking down the number one guy --

PAT: Because he was on a rock station.

GLENN: -- they were on the rock station. So this wasn't Top 40 bubble gum stuff. These were the cool people in the town that he was taking apart.

PAT: And Stern never bothered with anybody else. He only took on the top person. He didn't -- he didn't bother with, "I'm going to get number ten, and then I'm going to work my way -- he always went for the top morning show in any given market.

GLENN: Untouchable.

PAT: So he repositioned Mark & Brian from funny and hip and cool to stupid and lame and sissies. And they were too nice. And so he repositioned nice into wuss cakes.

GLENN: And homosexuals.

PAT: And homosexuals. He made them out to be gay. And he played old clips of their TV show, which didn't work out well. The TV show -- the Adventures of Mark & Brian. You remember that?

GLENN: NBC. It was on NBC.

JEFFY: Oh, right.

PAT: And it was not a good show because they were radio guys and it was just radio stunts on NBC and it just didn't work. But he repositioned them completely. They went from number one in Los Angeles to number 11 in a very -- I think it was like six months. Nobody thought it could happen. Stern went from nowhere to number one. Mark & Brian didn't just go to number two, they went to number 11.

They went from a nine-share to a 3-6 in less than a year. And they were never the same again. They never recovered from that.

GLENN: So now, tie this to the election.

PAT: So Donald Trump is the Howard Stern of politics.

GLENN: Yep.

PAT: Donald Trump takes on every challenger, everybody who comes near him -- his next closest competitor, he repositions. It's lying Ted. It's little Marco.

GLENN: It's crooked Hillary.

PAT: It's crooked Hillary.

GLENN: It is the Howard Stern act.

PAT: And it hit me that here they are good friends, Trump has been on the show multiple times. I mean, the guy was on the show all the time. He's a huge fan.

GLENN: And he lives the lifestyle of Howard Stern.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: Which also explains how Joe lunch bucket sitting there on the barstool, he's just saying the same thing -- well, yeah. He's -- he's speaking to the Howard Stern fan. Okay?

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: He's speaking to that same mentality, that that is just the guy who is sitting on the barstool. That's the way -- this -- he is the Howard Stern of politics.

PAT: He learned his lessons, I think, directly from Stern.

GLENN: Yes.

PAT: And he thought, "Wow, that is a winning formula." And it is. And he's used it in politics so effectively. And I --

GLENN: I have been saying -- I have been saying that Roger Ailes is the guy who is going to get Donald Trump elected. But I think Howard Stern is actually going to be responsible for getting him elected. Not that Howard is doing anything behind the scenes or anything like that --

PAT: Or that it was even intentional.

GLENN: Or that it was even intentional. But he is using the Howard Stern model. And everyone who is fighting against him, they don't realize that the old model is over.

PAT: Right.

GLENN: And so every single person -- Wease, what's his name in Chicago -- or, I mean, in Philadelphia.

PAT: Philadelphia. DeBella.

GLENN: Yeah, DeBella, and Mark & Brian, they all did the same thing: Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him. He'll go away.

PAT: Mark & Brian never once mentioned his name. Never mentioned him.

GLENN: Yeah. And as it went along the road, every time that he would do something outrageous -- he's calling Mark & Brian homosexuals. That should not fly in Los Angeles. That should not fly in Los Angeles.

PAT: Not with fans of theirs.

GLENN: Right. And just not with the California mindset. You're going to start calling people gay? Okay. Then you don't take on somebody's handicap child. You don't take on somebody's family. Their wife and get in the middle of a divorce.

PAT: And he mocked a handicap guy during the campaign. And nobody cares.

GLENN: Nobody cares. Nobody cares. In fact, it all makes him stronger.

That's incredible. That's incredible.

So the American people, you're making your own choice. You know, the American people -- what the American people are doing is making their own choice. And they will decide which one is going to be president or not. And it is the parties that are going to lose. It's the parties that are going to lose. They don't realize that Donald Trump last night showed them the noose that is going around all of their necks.

Remember, he is burning everything down. And here's an example of it: Can you imagine a time in American history where someone could say, "Yeah, I'm worth $640 million, and I know that doesn't sound like very much." What?

640 million, that sounds like a lot to me. Ten minutes later, it's $650 million, not 640. Not even ten minutes -- within ten minutes, it was $650 million that he was worth. Okay?

But that's not the point. He then said, "I use bankruptcy as a tool." Not as a last resort. Not as, hey, it's shameful. It's -- you know, a lot of people lost their jobs. It was really hard. It was the most embarrassing. I used that as a tool. You don't like it? Don't make that law.

PAT: Change the laws.

GLENN: I use everything at my disposal. The reason why he's not showing income tax -- his incomes taxes, because it shows he paid no income tax.

STU: Which he seemed to honestly admit last night.

GLENN: Right. So you have -- everybody else ran from that. What did he say? That makes me smart.

What is Joe Lunch Bucket saying? The parties are saying, "Oh, you can't say that." He's saying it. And what is the average person saying, "Damn right, I wish I could get away with that."

JEFFY: Yep.

GLENN: If I could get away with that -- it's the burning of the system. If I can get away with it, I'm going to do it.

I admire him because he's getting away with it. It's the Tony Soprano. Looking at Tony Soprano and saying, ah, Tony Soprano, what a life. Eh, you know, he's not that bad of a guy.

No, no.

PAT: The guy is a killer.

GLENN: The guy is a killer.

But we're looking at now the burning down of the system. And so he did not say the Democrats or the Republicans, the progressives or the conservatives, he put everyone into the same bucket. Which is what America is doing, politicians. Politicians: bad. Us: good.

He's putting the rope around every politician's neck

PAT: Yeah. And the thing I couldn't understand last night was how conservatives are okay with him -- and he's done this every single debate. They're completely okay, apparently, with him declaring bankruptcy four times and making that into a positive thing. They let him get away with that every single time.

JEFFY: Business.

GLENN: Yeah, it's business. Business.

PAT: Business. Business. And I'm just using the system.

GLENN: And what he said on taxes was abhorrent and absolutely right. Abhorrent. "I didn't pay any taxes, that makes me a genius." Come on, man. You know that's not right. But genius. "And even if I did pay it, you'd squander it anyway." I sat in my living room and went, "Damn right."

PAT: That's true. Yeah.

GLENN: Okay? The burning down of the entire system.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: The worst leading us to the worst.

Featured Image: oward Stern arrives at the 'America's Got Talent' Season 10 Red Carpet Event at New Jersey Performing Arts Center on March 2, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

'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 dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Muhammad to Marx

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

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

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

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

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

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

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

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

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

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Glenn's Show Prep

Pat's 70's Music Obsession Finally Pays off With the Best Theory Ever About Trump

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

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

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

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

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

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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

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

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state

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

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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