Glenn Apologizes for Being a Catastrophist: 'We're Scaring the Hell Out of the Children'

October 19, 2016

Writer

That which you gaze upon, you become. Glenn has spent the last 15 years gazing upon the problems, albeit to sound the warning bell about the truth. But how does that inspire and give hope?

"I have fixed my eyes on Washington, D.C., the parties, the politicians, the economy, terror, loss of freedom, the culture, Facebook, all of it," Glenn said Wednesday on this radio program.

Where should we fix our eyes?

"Believe in yourself and believe in God, and when you two are partnered, unbelievable things can happen," Glenn said.

Read below or watch the clip for answers to these unapologetic questions:

• Why does Glenn refuse not to have faith in?

• Has Glenn changed or remained steadfast?

• Can we not only survive but thrive?

• Did Glenn help create the conditions that brought us Donald Trump?

• How can we inspire the next generation?

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

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

GLENN: I may be the only person in -- may be the only celebrity, if you can even put me in that category, ever, to be abandoned my own fan club. I don't know if you heard this, breaking news.

STU: I have not.

GLENN: I got a Facebook post from the Daily Beck. Now, the Daily Beck has been around for how many years?

JEFFY: A long time.

GLENN: Long time. Okay. 38,000 members of the Daily Beck. It's a fan club, not started by me. Started by somebody else. Yada, yada. And they have disavowed me.

STU: Oh, no.

GLENN: And so now the Daily Beck has nothing to do with Glenn Beck. And they have disavowed me. So I am the only person, I think, to ever have a fan club that has voted them out.

JEFFY: Happy now?

GLENN: Yeah. So there you go.

STU: There has to be precedent for that.

GLENN: Oh, come on. Let me have this one thing.

STU: No, I will not. The Daily Beck.

GLENN: Yeah, yeah. It's been around for a long time.

STU: Oh, really.

GLENN: Anyway, I bring that up because, A, I'm sad that people think I've changed. I don't believe I have. And I've done a lot of soul-searching on this for a long time. You don't do what I have been doing without having soul-searching. You read my Facebook page. Do you think that would cause somebody to think twice?

PAT: As I challenged on my Facebook page: Name one principle we've changed on. Name one.

STU: Wait. What was the big list? He didn't get a chance to give us a list.

GLENN: Stop. Stop. I want to get to my apology.

PAT: I can give you the list really fast.

GLENN: Stop it. None.

So at least me, I have done a lot of soul-searching over the last five years. And if there is a change in me, the change is this: I believe that some -- in some ways, not meant by me at all, I helped add to our problems of division. I didn't mean to.

Now, I've got people on the left accusing me of creating Donald Trump. And I'm like, "But I'm against Donald Trump. I warned against a guy like Donald Trump." Well, you created the conditions that grew Donald Trump.

"No, I didn't. I think it was the government -- both parties that weren't listening to the people, that the people got so frustrated they wanted to burn the whole thing down." That's a bad thing. However, I have been thinking about this a lot over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks. And I want to -- I have a new perspective. And I want to tell you that, A, yes, I have changed. I have changed. And I'm going to explain exactly how. And I want to apologize for the mistake I made. It was unintentional. I didn't see it.

But here's what it is. And I want to ask everyone to do soul-searching themselves on this.

I believe what I believe. And I've told you I'm a catastrophist. And that's not necessarily healthy for a country to have somebody broadcasting as a catastrophist all the time. But I believe what I believe.

I believe, you know, the parties are irreparably broken. They have gone past the point of no return for trust. We have lost trust in almost all of our institutions. We have an economy that is on the brink. We have a banking system that is on the brink. Our central banks -- you know, I don't know if you saw this, but China is now selling I don't know how many billions of dollars of our treasury bonds, yesterday.

I mean, it's substantial. They're starting to dump our treasury bills. I believe that we are -- we're facing a foe like we did with Japan and Germany: ruthless killers by the name of ISIS. We have a loss of freedom coming our way. Guns. Freedom of press. Freedom of religion. Freedom to choose our own doctors. You name it. We are facing real losses of freedom.

And so I've been ringing that bell. And I've been telling you, "This is going to end in disaster. It's going to end in disaster." No exits left. There's a cliff coming.

That's what I want to apologize for. I still believe that: there's a cliff coming. But that is such a hopeless message that I can barely survive. And it's because I have gazed upon the problems. That which you gaze upon, you become.

And I have spent the last 15 years gazing upon the problems. And I have fixed my eyes on Washington, DC, the parties, the politicians, the economy, terror, loss of freedom, the culture, Facebook, all of it.

I'm tired. See if you feel this way. You're worn-out. You've exhausted all of your options. You've lost hope. And the faith that many people now have is down to this: It doesn't matter anyway because Jesus is coming. Oh, well, let's put the party hats on. I feel better now.

Oh, well, it's the end of days. So good. Once we get past that sticky tribulation part, it's going to be great. That's your hope?

I can't live in that world. I cannot live in that world. And I don't think we're attracting anybody to our world, with that. Because, A, that's -- that's not true. B, it's a bummer. But, A, it's not true. There is change coming.

And I have told you this, more dramatic change, because of technology alone. More dramatic change in our lives coming in the next 20 years than in the -- than in the hundred years of the Industrial Revolution, all packed into a 10- or 20-year period. That's a lot of upheaval. People will lose their jobs and be displaced. And they will find new places to work.

We talk about Common Core and how Common Core is such a problem. Why? Because they're teaching all the wrong things. And they're indoctrinating our kids. That's actually not the problem. Let me come back to Common Core in a second.

So I want to apologize for being a catastrophist. I'm not apologizing for saying that these things are coming because they are. What I am sorry for is giving you the impression that there's no way to survive. Because there is.

The world has faced these times before. And every time, the people choose to be -- choose to live their faith. They survive. When they choose to move without the action that faith motivates, they are destroyed.

But a remnant goes on. We are acting without faith. We are -- and in those days, says II Timothy, people will talk about their faith, they will say that they have great faith, but they will not assign the power of that faith to it.

Because they're not living it. So those under -- those over 40, those my age and above, we have to do one thing: Stop scaring the kids. Because that's what we're doing. We're scaring the hell out of the children.

My poor kids, oh, my gosh, we're scaring the hell out of the children. And more importantly, we are doing what Common Core is doing. What Common Core does, is a group of elites have all got together and they have designed the future. And they say, "These are the things that your kid is going to do." And they're going to design your child from third grade to fit the job that they see in the future.

Well, that's not their job. That's not their right. What education is, is to give them the eternal truths so they can design their future. What we're doing is, we are allowing people up at the top to design a future for our children, that our children most likely will not want, would not design it that way. The future is being designed by people who are 70 years old, for children who are 20 years old or younger. Thirty years old. Adults that would never design that world.

But they're being trapped in that design. That's immoral. But it shows we don't have faith in the future, and we don't have faith in millennials. I do. I do.

I refuse to not have faith in the future. Now, anybody under 40, here's what you need to do: You don't believe -- first of all, don't believe in people. Don't believe in me. Don't believe in Barack Obama. Don't believe in Hillary Clinton. Don't believe in Donald Trump.

Believe in yourself and believe in God. And when you two are partnered, unbelievable things can happen. But beyond not believing in a man, don't believe my words or anyone else that tells you it's all going to burn down and there's nothing you can do. There's no hope. Because that is a lie.

Things are going to be tough. But things, somewhere in the world, are always tough. Every generation faces something tough. We survive this.

The key is: You can thrive. My generation will survive. But you can thrive. It's all happened before. You have to find the patterns of the people that made it through and emulate them. See how they solved it. Because it's not going to be solved in Washington. It's going to be solved by people like you, if you know what is eternally true.

I know this: God keeps his promises. He keeps his promises. And if you are living an unrighteous life, it will fall apart, and you will destroy yourself. Eventually, you will destroy yourself.

Look at Bill Cosby. If that is true about what he did in his life, all -- everything he worked for, now at the end, gone. Gone. He's known as a rapist forever. Everything he did in his entire life: over. That makes a difference.

If you live an unrighteous life outside of eternally true principles, you will destroy -- your life will fall apart. And that is the truth about an individual or a group of people. Eventually, it will fall apart.

But it is equally true that if you live the principles, you will thrive. You will break through. You will change the world. You will set the world free. And that's our goal, isn't it? Isn't our goal to make a difference?

I'd give up all money, I'd give up everything if I could just make a difference. I think most of us would. Millennials have seen us as parents, struggle. And they see what we're doing. And they don't want any part of that. Because they don't believe in any of that.

Millennials, you have to know the system before you distrust it. You don't know the Constitution. You have to know what it says before you distrust it. We are now teaching people just to distrust everything.

They have to come to that conclusion on their own. And if they live their lives with the true knowledge that God keeps his promises and they act with faith in the ways that faith and eternal principles demand that you act, they're going to set everything right.

They have to have hope. We have to have hope. We cannot create a pattern for them. They're going to take our cue from us. And if we have depressed them -- that's why nobody is flocking to us: because we're depressing the snot out of them.

Who wants to hear at 20 years old, "It's all screwed up, and it's not going -- it's all going to be over." Nobody wants to hear that at 20. We cannot take away their hope because that is their fight. We have to enforce them -- reinforce them.

We have to inspire them. And we have to tell them eternal truths. Because, quite honestly, they don't believe in any of the other stuff. Nor should they. They're not buying the lies that we, after being so worn down over a lifetime, have just grown to accept. That whatever Washington says we have to do -- whatever the party says we have to do, whatever the crowd says we have to do. They want to be different. Let's encourage them.

Featured Image: Screenshot from The Glenn Beck Program

'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.

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

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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?

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