The Reason People Hate the Press

January 12, 2017

WRITER

We're not going to make it unless we can restore trust, integrity and truth. That's why our integrity must be unquestionable. Yes, we're flawed, imperfect, but we must strive for having the utmost integrity.

"There will come a time when nobody will know what to believe or where to go, and you have to be able to look them in the eye and say, Have I ever lied to you? Have I ever been grossly wrong on direction?" Glenn said Thursday on radio.

It's imperative to restore integrity in our own lives first. But what can we do to restore integrity in our leaders and the media? We must model --- and expect from others --- reasonable and logical discussions about ideas, not people or events.

Enjoy this complimentary clip from The Glenn Beck Program:

GLENN: I want to take you through -- I said last hour that there are three buckets of this story. There are three separate things. And they're all being thrown together as one story. And that's -- that's not true. And it's causing confusion and contention and arguments because everyone is looking at this as one story. It's not. It's many -- but they come down to three basic buckets.

The first one is the 35-page report and Buzzfeed. And that 35-page report that has stories in it of John McCain having the report, turning it over to the FBI. People are split on that. Is that right? That wrong?

That report includes Buzzfeed. They printed it. Should they or shouldn't they have? It includes the people that allegedly are part of the Trump team that were doing things that are absolutely, I believe, we can state false, but they are at least unproven, and the charges are given by Russian operatives to a source that we don't know.

Let's call those untrue. It also goes back to this -- this 35-page report. Was put together -- hired by the Republicans, trying to discredit Donald Trump. They didn't use it, and so they sold it to the Democrats, who also didn't use it, but it's been circulating since August.

There's all kinds of places to go on that bucket. And we're right now going there. But we're also conflating that bucket with this bucket, and that is the bucket of the two-page report that went to the president and the president-elect. And that one was to answer the question, is the -- are the Russians involved in trying to destroy our republic, or are they involved in trying to make America great again?

That bucket involves the two-page report, the Putin stuff, Trump, Clinton, all of the things that they have done and he said/she said, and spies, and, well, it's the war. And we're just trying to, you know, further a war with globalists. Blah, blah, blah.

And the third bucket is the charge that Donald Trump made yesterday, that should at least get serious consideration. And that is that the CIA, the FBI, the DHS, somebody in the spy community that doesn't like Donald Trump took this opportunity to teach Donald Trump a lesson by -- by releasing this information.

You can spend the day arguing in circular, meaningless arguments because people will jump from bucket to bucket. You'll make a good point for or against on the fake news. And then they'll jump over to, "Well, but the Russians aren't really doing this, or the Russians are really doing this." And all of a sudden, you're in the second bucket. And when you make a good point in the second bucket, "But it's the CIA. You know what they're like." That's the third bucket.

You can't argue when the facts are about so many different stories. And they really, truly are not connected. They're just connected because the events happened on the same day. That's the problem.

We can make this about people, and he did/she did, what he did, what they did. We can make this about people, and that's what small minds do. We can make this about events. The release of the report. The briefing with the president. We could make that about events. Or we could make this argument on this program about ideas.

What is the idea behind each of these buckets? Fake news. That's not the idea. We're not searching for fake news. Because that becomes events or people. We're searching for a way to agree on facts. We're searching for the truth.

Everybody is making this about, "See, they caused it." Instead of saying, "What is our goal here? Our goal is the truth." Now, if I have a perception that I am a conservative hack, what do I have to do to lesson that feeling among people so we can have a conversation and get to a place to where we can disagree on facts and we can agree on facts -- I'm sorry. We can disagree on policies, but we can agree on fact and we can continue a conversation?

Well, in my world, I figured the best thing I can do is stop worrying about everyone else and say, "This part of our society, this part of our problems, I own. I take responsibility for these things that I did." I won't take responsibility for all of it, but this is what I did and I own it, in hopes that someone else will finally come on our side or on their side and say, "You know what, I'm going to join him. I'm not going to worry about anybody else right now. I'm just going to look at what I did. Here's what I did. And I own this part."

And I'm not going to make anybody go on an apology tour. Good. Great. Let's talk.

How can we get to the truth now? How can we get more people to use actual critical thinking so we're not screaming over each other and at each other and getting nowhere and, in fact, making things worse?

That's what the fake news idea is. But the fake news stories are now just the people versus the press. That's all that is.

People versus the press. No. The idea is truth.

Let's do the two-page report. People are making this about Putin, Trump, or Clinton. Those are the small minds. The average minds are making it about the two-page report. Here's what it is.

Now, you have to report -- you have to talk about what average -- what the event is. But that's -- that's just to set the table. Here's the event. Now, we can waste our time talking about the event, or we can dive down into small minds talking about the people. Or we can say, "What's the idea behind the report? Why did this event even happen?" Because we're trying to decide whether or not Russia is a friend or a foe. Is that the idea?

No. We're trying to establish -- oh, my gosh, almost like the first bucket -- the truth. We're trying to find a way to discover truth.

And the third bucket: Donald Trump charged -- and this must be seriously investigated. I hope this isn't true. But it is a movie way things happen. Whether it's happening now, I don't know. But we have to dismiss it in a credible way. And if we don't dismiss it in a credible way, then the conspiracy theories will grow. Why don't we want conspiracy theories?

Because they -- they put fog all over the truth. It has to be a credible search for the truth and come what may. If we find that Clapper or anybody else was involved in trying to discredit the president-elect, that's important information. They need to be fired. If they broke the law, they need to be tried and go to jail. Period.

So we can talk about Donald Trump's charge. And it's important. Because if the CIA or Department of Homeland Security could do this to Donald Trump, what the hell chance do you have?

And I won't hear that, "Oh, well, the government would never do that," that's exactly what was said in the last administration about the FBI -- or, I'm sorry, about the IRS.

Yes. Yes. The government will do that.

What is the argument about the CIA and FBI really all about? Can we trust them to tell us the truth?

You see, the left and the right actually are striving in this particular case, for exactly the same idea. We're not going to make it unless we can restore trust, integrity, truth.

Remember when I said to you, everything you thought you could trust would be liquid -- or, would be solid is liquid, and vice-versa.

Is that not true today?

Do you -- do you fully trust our government apparatus, even our military intelligence, our CIA, our NSA? Do you trust that they're on the right side? I don't know. I think so. I hope so. But I don't know.

Do you remember when I said that would happen, and it's here? There was something else that I connected to that, almost every time.

That is why your integrity must be impeachable. Now, I don't know if you can be a person in the -- in the media and have that happen to you. I don't know if that could happen, especially if you're as flawed as I am and you continue to make mistakes.

But I know we have to strive for it. Your integrity must be impeachable because I said, there will come a time when nobody will know what to believe or where to go, and you have to be able to look them in the eye and say, "Have I ever lied to you? Have I ever been -- have I ever been grossly wrong on direction?"

Please, don't go there. Don't go there.

You need to tell your friends, please, don't make this about Trump or Clapper or the -- or the sex romps or the Democrats and the Republicans or John McCain or Putin or Clinton or anybody else. Don't even make this about the 35-page report, the two-page report, or Donald Trump's charge. Let's start with the idea. And the idea is integrity.

What can we do to restore integrity to our leaders and to our media? But that's an interesting exercise for all of us to have.

Perhaps it's more important for us to debate the idea, what is it that I can do to restore integrity to my own life?

With my own circle of influence, what have I done that I need to repair? Who have I alienated, that perhaps -- perhaps can be of aid, not in my cause, but in our cause of the American republic?

'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 America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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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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