McMullin Confirms He's Straight (Not That It Matters). Can We Discuss Real Issues Now?

November 02, 2016

Writer

Presidential hopeful Evan McMullin joined The Glenn Beck Program on Wednesday to discuss, among other things, the recent robocalls made in Utah by a self-described white supremacist. According to the Deseret News, William Daniel Johnson urged Utahns to vote for Donald Trump and said that "Evan is over 40 years old and is not married and doesn’t even have a girlfriend. I believe Evan is a closet homosexual."

Adding to the embarrassingly tawdry 2016 presidential campaign, McMullin has since had to address the issue of his sexuality. For the record, he's straight, not that it matters.

"You know, it's truly unfortunate. Donald Trump's campaign of bigotry have brought these people out of the cage. Just a month ago, they held a big press conference in downtown Washington, D.C., that never would have happened in the last couple of days, but now they feel empowered," McMullin said.

In a video of the meeting, available on YouTube, the white supremacists voiced their disagreement with the ideas of liberty, and that all men and women are created equal.

"Many white nationalists are also neo-Nazis. Nazis are national socialists. So, of course, they don't agree with freedom and choice," Glenn said.

McMullin also discussed the problem with Putin supporting white nationalists across Europe.

"He does that to attack the principles on which these these democracies are based, the idea of equality and liberty," McMullin said.

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

• Since when do we listen to white nationalists?

• Is McMullin part of the Mormon Mafia?

• What is McMullin's biggest ambition in life?

• What is the largest intelligence success in modern times?

• If Hillary Clinton wins, will World War III start?

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

GLENN: Presidential hopeful Evan McMullin who is neck-and-neck with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in Utah. Welcome to the program, Evan.

EVAN: Great to be with you, Glenn.

GLENN: Good. A white nationalist, which we'll get to in a second, came out and said something. But I first noticed this coming from a state senator and a former bishop saying, "Hey, look, all I can tell you is -- you know, this guy, he's been in the CIA, he's worked for Goldman Sachs, and he's a 40-year-old man who doesn't date. I'm just saying."

(chuckling)

GLENN: How did that make you feel -- I expect it from the white nationalist. How did that make you feel?

EVAN: Yeah. Well, I can't say, Glenn, that it's a surprise candidly. I mean, this is the kind of campaign that Donald Trump has run. And many of his supporters have joined in that approach. In the past -- in the past week -- in the past few days especially, I found that my faith has been attacked. My service to this country has been attacked. My mother has been attacked. They're spreading lies about who I am. And even now we're receiving death threats from the white supremacist movement.

But you know, I knew this would come. I knew this would happen.

PAT: Wow.

EVAN: I knew -- I knew there would be opposition. But we will not be intimidated.

GLENN: I will tell you, Evan -- Evan, I will tell you this -- first of all, I'm sorry for the attacks on your mom. I don't know what anyone would have you do.

PAT: Terrible.

GLENN: Apparently --

PAT: I guess you're supposed to disavow her?

GLENN: Disavow your mom or something. I don't know if you were to punch her in the stomach or what you were supposed to do.

EVAN: Yeah. Right, yeah, exactly.

GLENN: Yeah. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to your mother.

EVAN: Thank you, Glenn.

GLENN: I will tell you this, Evan, that when I just endorsed Ted Cruz, I knew politics was ugly. I knew what -- you know, what was possible. But there's a difference between knowing that and experiencing that. I will --

EVAN: That's right.

GLENN: I will never get near that cesspool ever again. Ever again. So you can't tell me that you knew this was going to happen. There is a difference.

EVAN: Well, I knew that I would be attacked. I knew that my service would be under attack.

PAT: Uh-huh.

EVAN: I knew that people would attack me on all fronts. I knew that would happen. I think you're not prepared for it until you -- you experience it and you about it through it. So I understand your point there. But, look, I saw that Donald Trump attacked Ted Cruz's wife and his father. This is the kind of campaign they run. Other surrogates and supporters of Donald Trump are -- are attacking my faith. Calling me -- saying that I'm part of a Mormon Mafia. We've had fun with that online.

GLENN: Which, by the way, has been a very popular -- at least in my neighborhood. The Mormon Mafia showed up at my house for trick-or-treat a couple of times.

STU: Did they?

GLENN: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I had to ask what they were. They were all dressed in black with, like, fedoras. And I said, "What are you?" And they're like, "The Mormon Mafia."

(laughter)

EVAN: Did you get a picture of that, Glenn?

GLENN: I don't think I did, but I can ask Tania. She might have.

EVAN: Yeah, let's try -- let's get one. That would be a lot of fun.

GLENN: Yeah.

EVAN: But, yeah, you know, we're all having fun with it. But in a more serious way -- I mean, this is an attack, and there have been other attacks on my faith and -- on my -- my personal faith, but then on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is the -- the church I belong to, as a part of what we're doing and a part of Donald's opposition to us.

But, look, I wear it all as a badge of honor, you know. That robo-call said that I was gay. I'm not. I'm straight. I've never had to defend that about myself before. You know, the man who did the robo-call was on a local radio station in Utah yesterday and gave me the advice that I should get married and have children.

And I said, "Well, at least that's something we can agree upon because that's -- that's my biggest ambition in life."

But, you know, going after my mother -- they point out that my mother --

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Hang on just a second. Before we get into your mom.

EVAN: Yeah. Yeah.

GLENN: Was this a credible radio station that had the white nationalist on?

EVAN: Yes, actually it was. It was.

GLENN: Okay. Can I ask a question? Because I saw this white nationalist on a network, a cable news network, and I don't want to say which one because I don't remember which one it was on.

EVAN: Yeah.

GLENN: Since when do we listen to white nationalists and their advice?

EVAN: Right.

GLENN: Since when?

EVAN: Yeah.

GLENN: Were they presented in a credible way?

EVAN: Halfway credible. When you have them on at all, I think it helps lend credibility to them and their cause.

JEFFY: Yes, it does.

EVAN: You know, it's truly unfortunate. Donald Trump's campaign of bigotry have brought these people out of the cage. And now they're -- just a month ago, they held a big press conference in downtown Washington, DC, that never would have happened in the last couple of days. But now they feel empowered.

And you know what they said, Glenn? You got to watch this tape. You can find it on YouTube. I can send it to you. They talk a lot about how they don't agree with the idea that all men and women are created equal. That much we know, but you know what they went on to say, Glenn? They went on to say that they also didn't support the idea of liberty, the cause of liberty. And that was a huge wake-up call for me.

I am I was already in this fight when it happened. I was already in the race. But when I realized -- of course, if you don't agree that all men and women are created equal, then it follows that you're probably not for liberty. But they said it. They made a case that -- yeah.

GLENN: Many white nationalists are also neo-Nazis. Nazis are national socialists. So, of course, they don't agree with freedom --

EVAN: Yes, that's right.

GLENN: -- and choice. They're national socialists.

EVAN: That's -- that's right. But they're saying this openly and in a way that I hadn't seen it before. We know they're fascist. We get all that. But they made a case to talk specifically about liberty. And we do not accept liberty. So, yes -- but these are people who are supporting Donald Trump. And he is -- his campaign is -- is fueled in part, not entirely -- let's be clear about that. And not everybody who supports Donald Trump agrees with these guys, but these guys form a large part of his support. And this is what we're up against, Glenn. And this is what we're fighting for.

And it's fitting and it's -- it's right that there would be this opposition. And I'm proud that this is the opposition we're facing, because it means that we're fighting for the right thing.

STU: I think we've learned a lot, by the way, of -- in this campaign from having the white nationalists finally be open and honest about their opinions.

GLENN: Yes, it is good.

STU: I'm fine hearing from them. In reality, if you don't hear from them, they hide and do these things in private.

GLENN: I don't mind exposing them. I do mind taking them seriously.

STU: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: I didn't hear the interview on whatever station. I did see it on one of the cable stations. And it may not have even been him. It may have been somebody else. But they were not talking about his white nationalism. They were talking about Evan. And I'm like --

EVAN: Right.

GLENN: -- how are we -- wait. Let's talk about the guy burying the message here. Doesn't that bother anybody?

EVAN: Right.

GLENN: Yesterday, we talked to somebody who -- you know, my vote is coming down to a couple of people. You're one of them. Darrell Castle is another one. And yesterday, I asked him a few questions about Russia. And I believe Russia is deeply involved with the --

EVAN: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: -- white nationalists and with this -- this Neo-Eurasian kind of philosophy.

EVAN: Yeah, right.

GLENN: Are you familiar with that at all, Evan?

EVAN: Yes. Glenn, this is what -- this is what Vladimir Putin does in Europe. He promotes these white nationalist groups, and then he -- and then he finds leaders of them and then promotes those leaders. And he does that -- and this is -- Glenn, you know, this is just so fundamentally important.

He does that to attack the principles on which these -- on which these democracies are based, the idea of equality and liberty. He wants to attack those because Vladimir Putin is smart enough to know this -- that the United States, the power of the United States and the power of some of our European -- many of our European allies ultimately comes from these ideals. You know, we have differences between the way we look at the role of government and all of that between our European allies here and all that. We know that. But Vladimir Putin wants to undermine the cause of liberty and equality in these countries because he knows that if he does that, he will weaken those countries, weaken the United States.

Our -- so much of our power, Glenn, comes from the fact -- from this cause of liberty. Countries around the world want to work with us, cooperate with us, be led by us, when necessary. And that is an enormous source of power. And it keeps authoritarians -- expansionists, authoritarians like Vladimir Putin in check.

Now, if he undermines our values, then he undermines that goodwill, then our power recedes, and then he has a freer hand to do more of what he does, what he's doing in Syria, what he's doing in Ukraine, what he's doing in western Europe, by undermining their democracies by promoting these white nationalist movements. He's doing that right here in the United States. And it's tragic that he's the Republican -- Donald Trump, his man, Vladimir Putin's man is the nominee of a major party. It's perhaps the largest intelligence success in modern times that Russia has had.

GLENN: I agree.

EVAN: I assure you in the Kremlin, they're just wildly excited about. The success they're having.

GLENN: Excited. Evan, I'm going to ask you -- in advance, I'm going to warn the audience, this is an extremely unfair question because I don't know anyone honestly that can answer this question yes. But if there's anybody that might, it might be you. And bonus points if you can.

EVAN: Okay.

GLENN: Can you explain Neo-Eurasianism? Do you know what that is?

EVAN: Well, I -- I actually -- I have not heard that term. You mentioned that. Is that -- is that something that you're coining, or is that something that you're --

GLENN: No, that's something that Dugin and Putin's people have coined. I wondered --

EVAN: Yeah.

GLENN: You sound like you're aware of it, you just may not be aware of the term.

EVAN: The term, yes.

GLENN: Because it's something that I don't think anybody is aware of. And it is the root of what's happening with -- with Putin. And you sound -- the only reason why I asked you is because you sound like you get it. And I don't know if you knew it by that name or if you just instinctively have been watching Russia and know what's going on.

PAT: You probably would have had to read Aleksandr Dugin's book, Evan. We don't think we'd expect you to have read that at any point --

EVAN: Yeah. I don't know if there's a lot of time reading Dugin's work.

PAT: No.

GLENN: That's fine. That's fine.

EVAN: But, yes, this is what he's doing. Yeah.

GLENN: Because we're seeing people that are dismissing Russia. And it is so clear they're interfering with our politics. And especially Donald Trump supporters, 48 percent say that he -- that Putin is a friend of the United States.

EVAN: Yeah. Yeah.

GLENN: And on the other side, we have Hillary Clinton who we're being told is going to start, you know, World War III with Putin.

EVAN: Right. Right.

GLENN: How do we deal with this? You're president of the United States, what do you do?

EVAN: Well, first of all, that is absolutely bogus, the idea that if we elect Hillary Clinton, it's going to start World War III. Now, if we elect Hillary Clinton, it's going to do enormous damage to our country, period. But the same is true with her fellow big government liberal, Donald Trump.

But this is -- Putin is trying to scare the American people. He's trying to influence the election in a number of ways. It's RT America. You know, the Russian cable network here in the United States.

GLENN: Yeah, yeah.

EVAN: You know, that is something they sow seeds of skepticism in our democratic institutions.

It's very -- its purpose is to undermine our faith in our system, in our democracy. And, look, our democracy is not perfect. We're blessed to have it. It is not perfect. We can all admit that and still be proud Americans. We can make improvements to it.

But we are so fortunate to have what we have. And, yes, let's improve it. Let's make it better as we go, in accordance with the Constitution.

But, you know, they're trying to sow seeds of skepticism in the system so that Americans let go of -- of -- of foundational American principles. And so that weakens our country in the way that I described earlier.

And it's the hacking. It's all this other -- all these other things. The promotion of the white supremacist movement. All of this.

GLENN: Okay. I only have one minute. Stu has a question.

STU: Yeah, I'm a numbers guy.

EVAN: Yeah.

STU: And we've seen a lot of numbers being thrown around here. So I want to -- give me your number answer on this. We have Hillary Clinton proposing a $275 billion infrastructure stimulus. We have Donald Trump proposing a $1 trillion infrastructure stimulus. What is the Evan McMullin stimulus number?

EVAN: Well, Stu, I may disappoint you on this one, but I think we're asking the wrong question. The reason why this question is so hard to answer is because we don't have the money. The reason we don't have the money is because we refuse to reform entitlements. That's what we need to be talking about. We need to reform entitlements so we can bring down our deficits and our debt. And then we have more money to spend on things that are important. Infrastructure is important. We do need to spend money on that. Right now, we don't have it. And that's why --

GLENN: We spend money on infrastructure or spend money on a stimulus.

EVAN: On -- well, on infrastructure.

GLENN: Okay.

EVAN: Yeah, on infrastructure.

GLENN: Okay.

EVAN: But this is the problem, where we keep talking about infrastructure, and we're avoiding -- the real problem is entitlements. That's what -- we need to fix that, then we have the finances to do other things we need to do. But right now, we are not reforming entitlements. They're 66 percent of the budget. In ten years, they'll be 78 percent of the budget, if you include interest payments on our debt. We've got to get those under control. And then things like infrastructure aren't such a big deal.

GLENN: Evan, our best to you. And good luck. If we don't speak again until the election or after the election, good luck to you. Thank you for being a decent human being, and our best to your mother and your family. God bless.

EVAN: Thanks, Glenn. Thank you so much, Glenn. Thanks, Stu. Thank you --

GLENN: All right. Here's our sponsor this half-hour. You notice he didn't thank Pat or Jeffy.

PAT: I noticed that.

STU: No one's going to thank Jeffy, but I think he was in the middle of thanking Pat at the end.

Featured Image: Former CIA agent Evan McMullin announces his presidential campaign as an Independent candidate on August 10, 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

5 videos that reveal the WOKE GARBAGE being taught to our kids

School today is not like it used to be...

Glenn recently covered how our medical schools have been taken over by gender-affirming, anti-racist, woke garbage, and unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Education at all levels has been compromised by progressive ideology. From high-level university academics to grade school, American children are constantly being bombarded by the latest backward propaganda from the left. Luckily, in the age of Zoom classes and smartphones, it's harder for teachers to get away their agenda in secret. Here are five videos that show just how corrupt schools really are:

Woke teacher vandalizes pro-life display

Professor Shellyne Rodriguez, an art professor at Hunter College in New York, was caught on camera having a violent argument with a group of pro-life students who were tabling on campus. Rodriguez was later fired from her position after threatening a reporter from the New York Post, who was looking into this incident, with a machete.

Woke professor argues with student after he called police heroes

An unnamed professor from Cypress College was captured having a heated discussion with a student over Zoom. The professor verbally attacked the student, who had given a presentation on "cancel culture" and his support of law enforcement. The university later confirmed that the professor was put on leave after the incident.

Professor goes on Anti-Trump rant

Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox was filmed by a student going on an anti-Trump rant during her human-sexuality class at Orange Coast College. This rant included Professor Cox describing Trump's election as "an act of terrorism”. The student who filmed this outburst was suspended for an entire semester along with several other punishments, including a three-page apology essay to Professor Cox explaining his actions. Orange Coast College continues to defend Professor Cox, citing the student code of conduct.

Unhinged teacher caught on video going on left-wing political rant

Lehi High School teacher Leah Kinyon was filmed amid a wild, left-wing rant during a chemistry class. Kinyon made several politically charged remarks, which included encouraging students to get vaccinated and calling President Trump a "literal moron." Despite her claims that the school admins "don't give a crap" about her delusional ramblings, a statement from Lehi High School reveals that she "is no longer an employee of Alpine School District."

Far-left Berkeley law professor melts down when a Senator asks her if men can get pregnant

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Berkeley Law Professor Khiara M. Bridges was asked by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley to clarify earlier statements involving "people with a capacity for pregnancy." The senator's line of questioning is met with a long-winded, frantic rant accusing the senator of being transphobic. When Sen. Hawley tries to clarify further, Professor Bridges makes the outrageous claim that such a line of questioning somehow leads to trans suicides.

Woke ideology trumps medicine in America's top 5 medical schools

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Progressive ideology has infected our most prestigious medical schools and is seeping into our medical system.

As Glenn covered in his latest TV special, "diversity, equity and inclusion" (DEI), and leftist rhetoric have overtaken science and medicine as the focus of medical schools across the nation. The next generation of doctors and nurses is being force-fed DEI and "anti-racist" nonsense at the expense of slipping standards. This has led to a decline in people's trust in the medical industry and for good reason. Woke ideology has already been the driving force behind at least one medical malpractice case, and more are undoubtedly on the way.

All of this is being spearheaded by universities, which have integrated DEI practices into the fabric of their programs. Our top medical schools now require students and staff to participate in mandatory DEI and "anti-racist" classes and training and are adjusting the standards to reflect this new shift in focus. Here are 5 statements from the top American medical schools that show that medicine is no longer their primary focus:

Harvard Medical School

Boston Globe / Contributor | Getty Images

Taken from the Harvard University "Unconscious bias" resource page:

“As members of HMS, we each have a responsibility to create an inclusive community that values all individuals. Barriers to inclusion may include assumptions we make about others that guide our interactions. Recognizing our Unconscious Bias is a critical step in developing a culture of equity and inclusion within HMS and in our partnerships with other communities.”

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Rob Carr / Staff | Getty Images

Pulled from the JHM Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity blog:

“One-hour live, virtual unconscious bias training ... [w]ill be required at all Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) entities for managers and above; hospital nurse leaders; credentialed providers (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners); and for school of medicine faculty and trainees (including residents, fellows, medical and graduate students, and research postdocs), as well as those at a manager level or above.”

Stanford University School of Medicine

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Found on the Stanford Medicine Commission on Justice and Equity page:

“The Commission on Justice and Equity—composed of external and internal leaders, experts, and advocates—represents an institution-wide, collaborative effort to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination within our own community and beyond.”

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

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Taken from the Penn Medicine Commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Antiracism site:

“We openly acknowledge the role of structural forces of oppression as primary drivers of the disparate health outcomes. We believe that working to reverse the underrepresentation of historically excluded groups is critical in achieving equitable health outcomes. While this is an ongoing journey for our program, here are some of the tangible steps we have taken to achieve an inclusive culture”

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

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Pulled from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Justice, and Anti-Racism page:

"Courses are being revised to be more inclusive and informed by the key principle of race as a social construct and a social determinant of health. We are training faculty that Anti-Racism is not an add-on to a course. Anti-Racism is a pedagogy - a manner of teaching, designing courses, and measuring learning outcomes. We make sure that the classroom environment is inclusive by holding space for respectful conversation and ensuring that we address any “classroom ruptures”– a disorienting dilemma or situation when a bias or microaggression that may occur, providing real time opportunities for professional development, learning, and growth. Racist actions and remarks are never tolerated at Columbia University and will be dealt with following established protocols."

Critical theory destroys truth and justice

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Critical theory once stood out as the absurd progressive notion that it is. Now, its maxims are becoming an integral part of ordinary political discourse. The more you repeat a lie, the more you will believe it, and this is the very dangerous place in which we find ourselves today.

Take this critical theory maxim as an example: If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice. It's a necessary evil, if you will, the necessity of “controlled injustice.”

By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we’ll save the republic. We’ll be acting in a noble way.

This definition of justice is defined by the “oppressed,” not the “oppressor.” It is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. To achieve this justice, however, we need to endorse acts on occasion that, while seemingly unjust, serve a higher purpose. It will ensure the stability and the unity of our republic, and this may manifest in ways that seem contradictory to our values. But these are the necessary shadows to cast light on “true justice.”

And isn’t that what we are all after, anyway?

Here’s another critical theory maxim: Sometimes we find the truth through fabrication. Our pursuit of truth sometimes requires a strategic use of falsehoods. The truth is a construct that has been shaped and tailored to promote the well-being of the collective.

We sometimes need to accept and propagate lies designed by "the system” — not the old system, but the system that we’re now using to replace the old to get more justice through injustice and more truth through fabrication.

We’re engaging in a higher form of honesty. When we fabricate, it’s for the right reason. We are reaching up to the heavens fighting for a higher sort of honesty. To fortify the truth, we occasionally must weave a tapestry of lies. Each thread, essential for the greater picture, will ultimately define our understanding and ensure our unity under this infallible wisdom.

The election is coming up. Does this maxim sound familiar? Many think it is imperative that we secure our republic through election control to maintain our republic. Sometimes, we might need to take actions that by traditional standards might be questionable.

The act of securing elections requires cheating. It's not mere deception. It is a noble act of safeguarding our way of life. We're on the verge of losing this democracy, and without deception, we will lose it.

To ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of those we know will destroy it, we may have to make a few fabrications. We're fabricating stories to be able to control or secure the republic through our elections. By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we'll save the republic. Therefore, we'll be acting in a noble way. Stealing an election from those who wish to harm our society is truly an act of valor and an essential measure to protect our values and ensure the continuation of our just society.

If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice.

I know it's a paradox of honor through dishonor. But in this context, by embracing the dishonor, we achieve the highest form of honor, ensuring the stability and the continuation of our great republic.

Let this be heard, far and wide, as a great call to patriotic action. As we advance, let each of us, citizens of this great and honorable republic, consider these principles. Not as abstract or paradoxical but as practical guides to daily life. Embrace the necessity of controlled injustice, the utility of lies, the duty to secure our electoral process, and the honor and apparent dishonor. These are not merely strategies for survival. They are prerequisites for our prosperity.

We all have to remember that justice is what our leaders define, that truth is what our party tells us. Our republic stands strong on the values of injustice for justice, honor through dishonor, and the fabrication of truths. To deviate from this path is to jeopardize the very fabric of our society. Strength through unity; unity through strength.

We've heard this nonsense for so long. But now, this nonsense is becoming an instituted reality, and we are entering perilous times. Don't be fooled by the narratives you will hear during the march to November. Never let someone convince you that the ends justify the means, that a little bit of injustice is needed to achieve a broader, collective vision of justice, that truth sometimes requires fabricated lies and narratives. If we do, justice will cease to be justice, truth will cease to be truth, and our republic will be lost.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

Dan Mullan / Staff | Getty Images

"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

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"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

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"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?