Two Apologies Needed in the Aftermath of BuzzFeed's Irresponsible Reporting

January 12, 2017

The Glenn Beck Program

In response to a leaked report containing unverified allegations against the President-elect, Trump went on Twitter to ask: Are we in Nazi Germany?

Within hours, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was demanding an apology, which got me thinking. With everything that has happened within the past 48 hours, I do believe there are some people who deserve an apology. Two people immediately come to mind --- and neither of them has anything to do with the ADL.

The Background

First, let me address what happened to President-elect Trump. BuzzFeed released a 35-page dossier that the editors themselves acknowledged was unverified, irresponsible and dangerous. If someone in my organization had published this report, they’d be fired on the spot. If anyone in my organization were even to suggest publishing a report like this, I would seriously question their judgment and probably reconsider their role moving forward.

With the media scouring the internet for stories they can label fake news and stand against, you’d think that they may discover what much of America has known for a long time: that they themselves are and often have been sources of misinformation. And after all the sanctimony about journalistic integrity and professional ethics, something like this comes out? People will say, This is BuzzFeed we’re talking about. It’s not like it was The New York Times or The Washington Post. If you’re saying that to yourself, you haven’t been paying attention.

Ben Smith has put together an excellent political news team at BuzzFeed. Their coverage of the election was fearless. They exposed both candidates by reporting facts their reporters were able verify which no other outlets could get. I am a fan --- or I was. I’m afraid that by publishing these vile, unsubstantiated rumors they’ve destroyed the credibility they worked so hard to earn.

Apology #1

The first apology is owed to Donald Trump. BuzzFeed owes the President-elect an apology for publishing this 35-page dossier without first confirming a single allegation. It isn’t fair to Trump and it isn’t fair to the American people. The media has got to be better than this. We need them to be better than this. Why? What if Watergate were to happen in today’s political climate? That was scandalous stuff. Would anyone believe it? Imagine for a second that Nixon is Trump and five of his guys get caught breaking into the DNC. How hard do you really have to try to imagine a pro-Trump news outlet publishing an unsubstantiated article the next day alleging that the men who were arrested were all actors hired by the Democratic operatives in order to get Trump impeached. This is exactly why BuzzFeed’s actions are so irresponsible. When everyone is entitled to their own facts, we lose our ability to reason with one another. And it’s already starting to happen, did you see Kellyanne Conway on Anderson Cooper last night?

Apology #2

The second apology is owed to CNN’s Jim Acosta. President-elect Trump owes him an apology for the way he treated him at yesterday’s press conference. Given the kind of day I’m sure he was having, it’s easy to understand why Trump would lash out. But to equate the CNN report and the work of Jake Tapper with the actions of BuzzFeed was wrong. The focus of the CNN report was the two-page synopsis appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, which was reportedly presented to President Obama and the President-elect by intelligence chiefs. CNN did not contain any details of the allegations contained in the synopsis because they could not be independently verified by its reporters. This was responsible, professional journalism, vastly different from the irresponsible hatchet job by BuzzFeed. For the President-elect to allege that Tapper’s CNN report was fake news, without providing as much as a specific denial, is also incredibly irresponsible and dangerous.

One of our greatest safeguards against tyranny is a free and credible press. The press must earn its credibility. But after January 20, no one will be better equipped to restrain the liberty of the press than Donald Trump. The friction we’re witnessing is concerning.

POLL: What DARK government secrets will Trump uncover?

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Will the dark secrets of the Deep State finally see the light of day? Or will they slip back into darkness, as they have many times before?

The Trump administration is gearing up to fulfill one of Trump's most anticipated campaign promises: to make the contents of the JFK files, along with other Deep State secrets, available to the public. Kash Patel, who has promised to publicize the highly anticipated files, is expected to be confirmed next week as Trump's director of the FBI. Moreover, the House Oversight Committee created a new task force headed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called "Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets," which is tasked with investigating and declassifying information on the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, UFOs, the Epstein list, COVID's origins, and 9/11. This all comes after the FBI found 2,400 "new" records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy following Trump's executive order to release the files.

Glenn discussed this topic with the cast of the Patrick Bet David podcast. Glenn expressed his confidence in Trump's radical transparency—on the condition that Kash Patel is confirmed. The cast was not as optimistic, expressing some doubt about whether Trump will actually unveil all that he has promised. But what do you think? What files are likely to see the light of day? And what files will continue to linger in the dark? Let us know in the poll below

Do you think the JFK, RFK, and MLK files will be unveiled?

Do you think the 9/11 files will be unveiled?

Do you think the COVID files will be unveiled?

Do you think the UFO files will be unveiled?

Do you think the Epstein list will be unveiled?

Transgender opera in Colombia? 10 SHOCKING ways USAID spent your tax dollars.

MANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has been doing what with our tax money!?

Under the determined eye of Elon Musk, DOGE has rooted out the corruption that permeates USAID, and it turns out that it's worse than we thought. Glenn recently read a list of atrocious causes that were funded by USAID, and the list was as long as it was shocking.

Since the January consumer index report was published today, one thing is clear: eggs are bearing the brunt of inflation. That's why we illustrated the extent of USAID's wasteful spending of YOUR taxpayer dollars by comparing it to the price of eggs. How many eggs could the American people have bought with their tax dollars that were given to a "transgender opera" in Colombia or indoctrinating Sri Lankans with woke gender ideology? The truth will shock you:

1. A “transgender opera” in Colombia

USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia. That's over 135,000 eggs.

2. Sex changes and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala

$2 million was spent funding sex changes along with whatever "LGBT activism" means. That equates to over 5.7 million eggs!

3. Teaching Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary-gendered language

USAID forked over $7.9 million to combat the "gender binary" in Sri Lankan journalism. That could have bought nearly 23 million eggs.

4. Tourism in Egypt

$6 million (or just over 17 million eggs) was spent to fund tourism in Egypt. If only someone had thought to build some impressive landmarks...

5. A new "Sesame Street" show in Iraq

USAID spent $20 million to create a new Sesame Street show in Iraq. That's just short of 58 million eggs...

6. Helping the BBC value the diversity of Libyan society

$2.1 million was sent to the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) to help them value the diversity of Libyan society (whatever that means). That could have bought over 6 million eggs.

7. Meals for a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda

$10 million worth of USAID-funded meals went to an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group. That comes up to be just shy of 29 million eggs.

8. Promoting inclusion in Vietnam

A combined $19.3 million was sent to two separate inclusion groups in Vietnam inclusion groups in Vietnam (why where they separated? Not very inclusive of them). That's over 55 million eggs.

9. Promoting DEI in Serbia's workplaces

USAID sent $1.5 million (4.3 million eggs) to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

10. Funding EcoHealth Alliance, tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology's "bat research"

EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key NGOs that funded the Wuhan lab's bat virus research, received $5 million from USAID, which is equivalent to 14.5 million eggs.

The bottom line...

So, how much damage was done?

In total, approximately $73.8 million was wasted on the items on this list. That comes out to be 213 million eggs. Keep in mind that these are just the items on this list, there are many, many more that DOGE has uncovered and will uncover in the coming days. Case in point: that's a lot of eggs.

POLL: Should Trump stop producing pennies?

SAUL LOEB / Contributor, Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

On Sunday, February 9th, President Trump ordered the U.S. Mint to halt the production of pennies. It costs the mint three cents to produce every penny, which Trump deemed wasteful. However, critics argue that axing the pennies will be compensated by ramping up nickel production, which costs 13 cents per coin.

In other news, President Trump promised on Truth Social that he would be reversing a Biden-era policy that mandated the use of paper straws throughout the federal government. From potentially slashing entire agencies to saying farewell to pennies and paper straws, Trump is hounding after wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.

But what do you think? Was Trump right to put an end to pennies? And should plastic straws make a comeback? Let us know in the poll below:

Should Trump stop the production of pennies?

Do you agree with Trump's reversal of the plastic straw ban?

Was this the most PATRIOTIC Super Bowl yet?

CHANDAN KHANNA / Contributor | Getty Images

The 2025 Super Bowl demonstrated Trump’s vision of a new America.

On Sunday, February 9th, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the biggest sporting event of the year. But this wasn't just a victory for Eagles fans. For those watching, it became apparent that American culture has changed, the zeitgeist has shifted, and America has become cool again. While remnants of woke culture lingered, they felt out of step next to the parade of American Flags and patriotic messaging that dominated the national event. The message was clear: America is back.

Everybody knows that the commercials are the best part of any Super Bowl, and last night's game was no exception. As Glenn has pointed out, while some of the ads still carried woke messages (like Nike's), many more captured the newly kindled patriotism felt nationwide. Here are four of the best commercials from last Sunday that make this the most patriotic Super Bowl yet:

1. Rocket: "Own the Dream"

This touching commercial by the financial services company, Rocket, states "Everyone deserves a shot at the American dream," while showing images of people returning home and building families. The ad included a cover of John Denver's iconic song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and featured an in-stadium sing-along, live from the Super Bowl.

2. Secret Service: "A History of Protection"

Donald Trump made history by being the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, which required the efforts of hundreds of Secret Service agents to ensure his safety. The Secret Service boasted of this feat during their minute-long commercial, which lauded American values and achievements and featured iconic American imagery.

3. Brad Pitt: "Huddle Up"

The Super Bowl introduction celebrated snapshots of American achievement accompanied with a powerful commentary about unity narrated by Brad Pitt. The message is clear: Americans can achieve great things when we work together. The ad conjures up American ideals such as hard work, ingenuity, self-sacrifice, and teamwork.

4. Jeep: "Big Game"

Movie star Harrison Ford appeared in Jeep's Super Bowl commercial to promote freedom and to remind us that "freedom isn't free." Ford treks through the mountains while ruminating on what freedom means in America and the opportunities and responsibilities that come with it.

Glenn's Show Prep