BLOGMay 02, 2017

FCC Chairman: We Don't Need to Preemptively Micromanage Every Business

Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), joined Glenn on radio to discuss the future of the internet and net neutrality. If a government regulator exists that Glenn likes, it's Ajit Pai, who stood alone in a hostile world at the FCC during the Obama administration. Pai favors light regulation to ensure consumers have a competitive choice and companies have a greater incentive to invest in the internet.

Enjoy the complimentary clip or read the transcript for details.

GLENN: The head of the FCC. The FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, now joins us.

Ajit, I don't know if you are aware of this at all, but we've been watching you for a while. I have -- I have no idea how you got by Obama. But we're glad you did.

AJIT: Thanks so much, Glenn. I really appreciate the kind words. And grateful to you for making time for me today.

GLENN: Oh, you bet. We have a lot of questions for you. And I want to talk to you about net neutrality. I want to talk to you about the cable industry and this cry of fake news and where you think we're going.

Let's start with probably net neutrality.

Net neutrality is -- is in some ways, a -- a nightmare and will limit people. In other ways, people will look at this and say, "Wait. I don't want my cable operator being able to pick and choose winners and slow down, you know, the speeds of YouTube, if they're trying to promote their own YouTube." Can you make the argument?

AJIT: Absolutely. I think the key point here is nothing about the internet was broken. From the dawn of the internet age in the 1990s until 2015, the internet economy in the United States was the envy of the world precisely because President Clinton and a Republican Congress agreed that instead of regulating the heck out of this new technology, we would let it develop and take targeted action as necessary.

And that's, I think, part of the reason why we saw the tremendous explosion and activity online. But in 2015, on the party-line vote, the FCC imposed these heavy-handed rules that were developed for Mondale, the telephone monopoly back in the 1930s.

And as a result, we've seen less investment in networks. We're seeing less competition than ever. And I think that's one of the things we want to address going further, is, you know, light-touch regulation I think is the best calibrated to make sure the consumers have more competitive choice, and the companies have a greater incentive to invest. And that's where we're heading.

GLENN: So how would you address -- I said this to Ray Kurzweil who is part of the Singularity University. Works for Google. And I said, "So, Ray, why wouldn't Google develop an algorithm that would find people who are using the search engine to create a bigger and better Google? Why wouldn't they just -- I mean, that's human nature to protect yourself. If somebody is coming -- you can piece together in advance, "Wait a minute. These people are looking to build a better Google." Why wouldn't you just shut them down? He said, "Oh, that would never happen because we're all good people." I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory.

But, you know, we are now in the internet age, playing devil's advocate, of these gigantic corporations that you're just not going to -- the little guy is not going to compete against Google. They're not going to compete against Apple. They're not -- you can't compete around Comcast.

AJIT: And the point I consistently made is we don't put our faith in people or in companies. What's that saying? If men were angels, no laws would be necessary.

GLENN: Right.

AJIT: Well, we have a system of laws, and interest in competition laws on one hand and consumer protection laws on the other. And those are administered by a -- say the Federal Trade Commission or Justice Department here in Washington, by state agencies across the country. So there's a whole framework of laws to protect against that kind of conduct.

What we don't need is the FCC preemptively micromanaging every single business in the United States, not just the big ones that you mentioned, but even the smaller companies that have told us we're holding back on investment now because of these heavy-handed investments.

GLENN: So we're talking to Ajit Pai, he's the chairman of the FCC. You know, as I look at the most hated services in America -- or service providers, it's your electric company, it's your insurance companies, it's your cable companies. Those are all the ones that are the most heavily regulated.

However, as somebody who has tried, without $200 million behind me, to break in and have a -- a groundswell -- a verified groundswell of -- of support behind me, these -- to break into cable is absolutely impossible if you are a voice that the companies want to block. You just can't do it. How do we balance that and make sure that, you know, the app system -- because that's why we -- that's why we're online. Okay. Well, good. We'll do it online. But how do we make sure that the app system isn't blocked now by a Comcast or an Apple, where you're just not going to get in and break through?

AJIT: That's a terrific question. And two different answers: Number one, the way you do it is by promoting more competition. You make sure that the barriers to entry, so to speak, are low. That people like you can express yourselves over a variety of different platforms. And number two, to the extent that that's a concern, remember that the people who are promoting this Title II regulation through the US government are not the friends of free speech and free expression. These groups are consistently saying that they want government control of the internet, not just for its own sake, but in order to regulate how speech and expression happens online.

GLENN: Right.

AJIT: And they've been very open about this throughout the years.

GLENN: But you can't -- as a person, I can't start my own cable company. It's all regulated. I can't start one.

AJIT: And that's why we've had a very aggressive agenda in the three months that I've been in the chairman's office to make sure that we enable more companies to make that decision, to enter the marketplace, removing some of the barriers that they found, in terms of the rules, and making it easier for them to raise capital and to enter these marketplaces. And we want the smaller companies that are getting squeezed by these regulations to finally enter the market and provide a competitive option.

GLENN: Good for you.

So help me out on this. Ted Koppel, who I have a lot of respect for, has done a lot of great journalism over his lifetime -- I was talking to him, and he was concerned about all this fake news. And I said, at the end of the day, go back to the revolutionary war, there was tons of fake news back then. We're just in a new situation. And we haven't found our way to balance it yet. But you got to trust the people.

And he immediately said, "I think that we need to start, you know, having a license for people to be on the internet and to present news. We have to verify those people who are online."

That's insane.

AJIT: I couldn't agree more. And I have a lot of respect for Ted Koppel's career. But, frankly, his comments are repugnant to the spirit and the letter of the First Amendment. In fact, that's the very reason why John Milton in 1644 wrote his great treaties on free expression, Areopagitica, where he said that, you know, look, the king has no business licensing people to allow them to speak. We -- the entire premise of western civilization is that you don't have a gatekeeper allowing you to speak only at the whim of the king. And that's the same here in the United States. The last thing I think we want is government -- sort of regulators like me deciding who speaks and who doesn't. That's the fantastic thing about the internet age, I think.

STU: Don't you think though, Glenn -- and Ajit Pai -- we're talking to the FCC chairman. You have this situation where it's not about what happened in 1644 or anything. It's about what's coming up on May 30th, which is season five of House of Cards.

JEFFY: Thank you. Thank you.

STU: People want their Netflix. They want it streamed. They don't want their evil cable company slowing it down. Is that something that needs to be regulated, or does the market actually work that stuff out?

AJIT: To me, the market works it out. The best evidence of that is the digital economy that we had, prior to 2015 when we imposed these rules.

Companies were not engaging in the blocking of lawful content. And to the extent that we have concerns about competition, the best way to get there is not by imposing these heavy-handed regulations that slow down infrastructure investment, especially by some of the smaller companies that would give you a competitive option. It's by making sure we have clear-cut rules of the road, that are market-friendly, that incentivize more companies to enter this space.

And so, you know, look, I'm all in favor of the government looking at any competitive problems as they pop up. Preemptively regulating, from the Fortune 500 companies, down to the tiny companies in Little Rock, Arkansas, is not the way to get there.

GLENN: I will tell you, Ajit, I look at this time period -- and I'd love to hear your point of view of this. I look at this time period of American history as a combination of the industrial revolution and heavy emphasis on Tesla and Edison, all in about a 20-year period. I mean, what's coming in -- in technology and communication has already been profound. But it's going to become even more profound.

And, you know, as a student of history -- and you obviously are one as well. When you look back at those days of Tesla and Edison, in many ways, Tesla was right. Edison was just good at playing the game with the government.

And he was a -- excuse my language, but a son of a bitch. And that's not French. That's English.

STU: Can we say that on the air, Mr. FCC Chairman?

GLENN: Oh, yes, I shouldn't have said that with the FCC chairman.

AJIT: I'll give you a pass, don't worry.

GLENN: Okay. Thank you.

PAT: You didn't think that one through. Did you?

GLENN: Yeah, I didn't think that one through. I forgot who we were talking to. Anyway, we never say things like that, by the way. Golly, gee, darn it. I'm sorry.

But we were pushed back because of the collusion with very powerful people like Edison and very powerful politicians. Do you see us -- how do you see what's coming our way?

AJIT: Boy, that's a great question.

I think the first thing is the empowerment of the citizen that the internet allows. It used to be that to do virtually anything, you had to work through some sort of gatekeeper. If you were buying a car, you had to go through a dealer. If you were wanting to stay in a place, you have to go book a room with a hotel.

And now, because of technology, you can do anything, basically by yourself. And that's an incredible amount of empowerment. But, on the other hand, we always have to guard against this instinct of essentially crony capitalism, the phenomenon that you talked about. And to that extent, I think what people need to understand is that heavy-handed regulation is actually the friend of bigger businesses and for those who believe in big government. Because -- the big companies are always going to have the armies of lawyers and accountants to comply with these regulations, to persuade government to do favors on this or that issue. It's the smaller companies that are disproportionately affected. And the second thing is that it's very seductive for a lot of people to think, "Well, the market just leaves consumers at the mercy of these wild and unpredictable forces." When in reality, the market has delivered more value for consumers than preemptive government regulation ever could.

I mean, the fact that we have billions of people who are emerging from poverty now is the result of free market policies. It's not because the governments of these various countries have suddenly decided to bestow largesse upon them. And so it's a case that we consistently have to make that crony capitalism and big government regulation, those are not the friends of the average consumer.

GLENN: So we have -- we have a situation now of fake news. And it's been around forever. But it's at epidemic proportions because the average person has access to everybody. And the average person, you know, unfortunately doesn't think things through and really read everything. They see a headline, they click on it, and they share it.

We have some really nefarious people, some of them in Russia, that are using our own technology against us, using our own freedoms against us. We have the press -- I told you about Ted Koppel. But we also have the president coming out and saying, you know, you're fake news. And maybe we should be able to sue you more.

Does the FCC have a role in the First Amendment in saying to all sides, "Knock it off. The freedom of the press is the freedom of the press, no matter if it's a printing press or the internet. Knock it off?"

AJIT: Well, I've consistently said -- and this goes back to my time as a commissioner up to five years ago, that one of the distinctive features of America is the fact that we have a First Amendment. It's unique in human history for the government to establish in its very founding papers the notion that anybody in this country has the ability to speak, anybody has the ability to write, anybody has the ability to worship as he or she sees fit.

And that's something that requires not just the cold parchment of the Constitution, but it requires a culture that admires that -- those freedoms. And so I've consistently spoken about -- about the need to preserve that culture of freedom for speech and free press. Because it's a slippery slope. Once you lose it, it's very hard to reclaim it.

GLENN: You have a 50 -- what is it? A 50 or 60 percent of so-called conservatives saying that there's a limit to freedom of the press. Is there?

AJIT: Well, the Constitution speaks for itself. And so long as I have the privilege of occupying this office, I'll keep defending that core constitutional freedom. It's one of the things that I think makes America a very unique place across time and across the world.

GLENN: So I think with that answer, I just have to end where I started: How the hell did you get past Barack Obama?

AJIT: That's a good question. I'm not sure how I slipped through the cracks.

GLENN: I don't know either.

AJIT: But maybe it's the -- sort of like the Forrest Gump of the Washington scene. Just kept gamboling on, and here I am.

(laughter)

GLENN: Yeah. Okay. Ajit Pai, thank you so much for talking to us.

PAT: Great.

GLENN: And keep up the good work.

AJIT: Thank you, sir. Thanks for having me on.

GLENN: You bet. Buh-bye.

PAT: And thanks for the shout-out to Areopagitica. That's -- I think that's a first.

JEFFY: Right.

GLENN: Oh, how many times have we talked about -- off the air --

PAT: All the time. All the time.

STU: Talked about all the time.

GLENN: Okay. You know what I love --

PAT: Talked about all the time. Milton's Areopagitica.

JEFFY: Right!

No, Democrats, Calling VP Kamala Harris a ‘DEI Candidate’ Is NOT Racist | Ep 365

President Biden spewed several lies during his first public address to the nation since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race — like saying he’s "never forgotten" that protecting our union is about "we the people." Hmm, sure, Joe. He also said that his administration reflects the image of America, using his nomination of the first black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court as an example. But if Biden is so proud of filling a made-up White House diversity quota, then why are Democrats so upset at the Right for labeling VP Kamala Harris a "DEI candidate"? In this Glenn TV Friday Exclusive, Glenn recaps the latest chaotic events Americans have witnessed just over the last seven days alone. Does Joe Biden even know why he’s no longer running for the presidency? And did FBI Director Christopher Wray actually suggest that there’s a chance Donald Trump was never shot by a bullet? Plus, new bodycam footage released this week proves that security personnel at the July 13 Trump rally were aware of the danger facing the former president well before he took the stage. And finally, Glenn points out the insane hypocrisy from Democrats regarding a recent Kamala Harris rally in which supporters began chanting "lock him up!" Does no one in the mainstream media remember the hatred spewed toward Trump in 2016 for the very same chant …?!

RADIO

Did Kamala Harris SURRENDER Her VP Pick to the Obamas?

Barack and Michelle Obama have finally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democrat Party’s 2024 presidential nominee. But what took them so long? Glenn has a theory: their endorsement wasn’t free. Did the Obamas only endorse Harris after she agreed to let THEM choose her Vice President? Glenn explains why he believes that the Obamas wanted Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, not Harris, and may force him onto the 2024 ticket.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, we welcome back Mr. Stu Burguiere. Who was gone this week. And conveniently showed up just in time for big Mike to endorse Kamala Harris. But if you heard the endorsement from Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, it doesn't ring true to me. Let's play that endorsement.

BARACK: Kamala Harris.

KAMALA: Hi.

MICHELLE: Hey, there.

KAMALA: Oh. Hi, you're both together. It's good to hear you both.

MICHELLE: I can't have this phone call, without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.

BERNIE: We called to say, Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you, to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.

KAMALA: Oh, my goodness. Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me. I'm looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both. And getting out there, being on the road. But most of all, I just want to tell you, the -- the words that you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express. So thank you, both. It means so much.

And we're going to have some fun with this too, aren't we?

STU: I bet there's a good laugh they cut out of that one.

GLENN: Right.

STU: A good cackle.

GLENN: What did that cost her?

What did that cost her? That's a very transactional couple there.

STU: Yeah. Not nothing. I think you can be certain of that.

GLENN: Yeah. It wasn't like, yeah, you know what, Michelle. We've been thinking about it. And without any thought of calling anybody. Or making any deals. Or getting something for us, or anything that we want. You know, we just love you so much.

And we just want to give this to you, for free.

What did that cost her? My guess is, one of the pieces that it cost was Mark Kelly. Barack and Michelle want Mark Kelly. They do not want Kamala Harris. That's why he hadn't endorsed.

And he was hoping, that this would all go away, after Joe Biden endorsed Kamala.

Because I think Joe Biden did that as a slap across Michelle and Barack's face.

STU: It was also interesting.

GLENN: Because they did not want her.

STU: Not the original letter.

When I -- we were going live on YouTube. At Stu Does America. On YouTube. We've been going live on these big events. Even when I'm on vacation. When that happened, I read the letter. And the first thing I noticed was, it did not include an endorsement for Kamala Harris.

Which is odd, if you're going to do this big announcement, why wouldn't you include it in the thing that everybody was going to read?

He was, ten minutes later, 15 minutes later, he released a separate tweet that was just like, I endorsed Kamala. And it was odd the way it was rolled out. So it does sort of back maybe -- maybe they came out with this main letter for history purposes. And then, you know, he kind of just wanted to stick it to them. Because I don't think he likes the Obamas at all. I think he's very angry about this whole thing.

GLENN: Oh, no. I don't think he likes the Obamas at all. And I don't think they like him. And I think he knew the candidate they wanted was Mark Kelly. Not Kamala Harris. And I think that's why the endorsement came from a separate thing.Io, you drop out of the race, you make that very clear. Nothing else.

So he issued that letter.

And then he came out. And said, oh, and, by the way, I also endorsed Kamala.

STU: Maybe Hunter controlled the Twitter for a day.

GLENN: Maybe. And then Michelle and Barack were like, oh!

Now, listen, Michelle. I'll tell you, maybe, maybe. I mean, let's not get all bent out of shape. They're not going to jump all over that. And they jumped all over that.

And immediately, he need became rallying around Kamala Harris. And she's the one. He held back.

People wondered why. I think it's because of Mark Kelly. They wanted Mark Kelly to be the guy. Because they believe he's the winner. And I don't know. If they have a chance to turn on her and do a coup on her, they will. They will.

STU: I have so many questions.

GLENN: And Mark will be the guy.

STU: I have so many questions for you. Let me first back up what you're saying, about the Barack Obama part of this. I don't know if people really bothered to read his statement at the time.

But everyone -- this is after Biden comes out and says, I fully endorse Kamala Harris. And many of his competitors who were rumored to come after the nomination if he stepped down, had already endorsed Kamala Harris.

And this is the paragraph that Barack Obama writes. We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead, but have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party, will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.

Like, that is the farthest thing away from an endorsement of Kamala Harris you can possibly get. They did not want her.

I think it's blatantly clear. The only pushback on that, some reporting was, well, they don't want to endorse. Because they want to make it appear like it was an actual process to get to Kamala Harris. They must want to have their happened -- come on. Does anybody buy that? I guess my first question on your theory here is, why do you think Mark Kelly was such a big favorite of the Obama family?

Why would they signal him?

GLENN: Great question. Great question.

You cannot have -- as Barack Obama would say. Two exotics on the ticket. Okay?

Think of America as a husband and wife. Okay? And each party has a husband and wife element to them. So if you just listen to the husband, you would have a Ferrari and a Lambo in the garage, right? But if he's married, his wife says, you're not going to have a Ferrari and Lambo. It's not reasonable. We need -- you know, we need a Pacifica and an Accord. And he's like, good God, if I have to drive a Pacifica, I'm going to hang myself. I can't do that.

And so they'll compromise. You know, in the man's dream world, he has to pick between the Ferrari and the Lambo because they also have to have the Pacifica. Okay?

Mark Kelly is the Pacifica. She's the Ferrari. She's the one that you never know if it's going to break down. Good Lord, we don't know what it will cost us. You know what I mean?

It's not dependable. We need a Pacifica. And he is a -- he will be -- they have to have a patriot. They cannot continue to front this party with people who are known to hate America. Okay?

Can't. He's a white guy. You can't have two exotics, as Barack Obama would say. So you have a white guy who is dependable, who loves America, is super, super smart. Because you can't have two idiots on the ticket either. Well, they did that last time.

Well, maybe they've learned their lesson.

You can't have two idiots on the ticket either. Mark Kelly is the Pacifica.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Now, I think the Obamas wanted the Pacifica as the candidate. That's why he phrased what he did, in that, you know, hey. Thank you, Joe.

And, by the way, we look forward to a process, that will eliminate Kamala Harris. And give us something good.

And I think that person was Mark Kelly.

STU: That's really interesting.

Because I -- because, you know, one of the reasons why he's a Pacifica, if you will, is he's seen as a moderate Democrat. And he is moderate, in temperament. Right?

That is what he brings to the table. Very -- he feels like a moderate. The same way like, the 2020 version of Joe Biden was pitched that way. Right?

You could have a guy who was very calm. And he's a moderate. And he's just a guy from a working class community. He's served -- in Kelly's case. Served in the military. He's an astronaut. Come on. In reality, his voting record, is just as liberal as any of these other people.

And seems to have the same vision as so many other people on the left.

GLENN: So hang on just a second.

Let me explain just what you just said. Last time, the Pacifica was at the top of the ticket.

And they knew, we have to have a Lambo and a Ferrari. Something that is not necessarily dependable. But is flashy. And everybody is like, yeah!

All the dads would be -- you know what I mean?

In this car analogy. Like, we have to have one of those!

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: And that was Kamala. Now, she's at the top. So the Pacifica has to be the second one.

STU: I mean, it makes perfect sense.

You know, excuse me, came to the sort of Kelly conclusion as well. Based more on, like if you look at -- I do think the white guy -- the Pacifica thing is real. This is not real from my ideas or what I think. This is real from the reporting on Barack Obama's choice for vice president.

The reason why Joe Biden was picked was because he was old and white.

That is every piece of reporting from inside of that -- the -- that decision, that was Barack Obama, and Michelle, believed America was too racist, to have two exotics on the same ticket. These were their terms.

You needed to have one white guy, that the racists could sink their teeth into. And still be okay with this guy with the crazy name at the top of the ticket.

That's the way -- that's what they thought of America.

And it's quite clear, in so many of their comments. That's exactly what they thought in their comments. If you go back to the one, what was it know.

Pennsylvania voters. You have these people. They're angry. They're bitter. Clingers to their God and their Bible.

That's what they really believed about America.

Still believe about America. And so I think that white guy. The idea that they will pick Gretchen Whitmer. Or they will pick --

GLENN: She's another exotic.

STU: Yeah. Anything that has anything outside of white guy is I think outside of the picture.

99 percent chance of that.

GLENN: And I think it's important to say now, it also has to be somebody who at least appears to love the country. I'm not saying he doesn't.

But it cannot be somebody -- it can't be a always.

STU: Right. It's got to be somebody who has --

GLENN: It has to be somebody who is like, I don't mind Antifa.

STU: It has to be someone with moderate temperament. Which Kelly has. He seems like -- military guy. Astronaut. Hero. You all these things.

And I will say, one of the other things that I think is central to this. We just had a presidential assassination attempt. Where apparently someone flung glass with from a long distance, at the President Donald Trump when he was on stage.

GLENN: The New York Times just did a piece, an analysis and said, it's definitely a bullet.

STU: Yes, they did.

GLENN: Meanwhile, Christopher Wray testifies that, well, Trump. It's really up to him to prove that he's been shot. What!

STU: That's really weird. Even the Times is dismissing that nonsense.

GLENN: Now, wait. One more thing on that. I really do think it could have been a piece of glass. Because right at that moment, Kamala broke the glass ceiling. And so maybe --

STU: Wow, that should be the center part of her convention speech, I think.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

STU: When Donald Trump was struck by glass.

But on the Kelly part of this, the -- I mean, there is obviously a sympathy for Donald Trump.

His -- you know, his approval ratings have gone up, at some level. To the highest they have been, in some of these polls, in recorded history.

There is -- that moment was iconic. And everybody knows it.

With Mark Kelly, he's married to Gabby Giffords.

Gabby Giffords was a congresswoman who had an assassination attempt against her. Like this was their big pitch to come to the American people to bring gun violence into the picture.

Remember, they were blaming Sarah page for this. Targeting her district.

It was that shooting.

They can come back and say. Well, look, their main pitch for this. Republicans are the violent ones.

They've obviously lost ground on that one. That argument is dead after the president was almost killed on stage. So now you have a situation where this can kind of disarm the other side of that.

They can say, it's not just left and right. It's gun violence, and bring the gun violence case back in. Which I think this is absolutely the group of people, who would come to such a -- just cold, calculating decision.

To say, we'll use her, and her tragedy, to try to fend off this assassination attempt, that we now have to, quote, unquote, deal with. And not to mention, you go through, this is also a swing state.

It was one of the closest states in 2020. Even though, it's not all that close at the moment. I think -- and they have a good relationship behind the scenes.

Kamala and Kelly have had a good working relationship for a long time.

That's how I came to the conclusion. It's different how you came to it.

It's interesting. It arrived to the same place.

It's terrifying. That means we're both definitely wrong.

GLENN: He could only pray.

RADIO

America Has Taken a BEATING. But We Must "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

It’s been a long 3 weeks. America has been beaten and shocked day after day. There was Biden’s disastrous debate, the failed assassination attempt against Donald Trump, the Secret Service’s failure to uncover why it happened, Biden’s flip-flop on the 2024 presidential race, the Democrat elites’ coronation of Kamala Harris, and most recently, the pro-Hamas riots in Washington, DC. If the events of the last 3 weeks had happened in the Soviet Union, we would all call it a coup! But yet, the media continues insisting that everything is fine. “Nothing’s changed for them. Your whole world has changed,” Glenn says. “Our country is in dire trouble.” But we can’t lose hope. Glenn reminds us of 2 heroic moments that should inspire us to, in the words of Donald Trump, “fight, fight, fight!” But not on the streets like the leftist mobs. We must fight by learning the truth and refusing to be silenced.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So it's been a long three weeks. Remember, this phase, this chapter of America, this birth pang, started just a few weeks ago when we had a debate and the president froze on stage. He couldn't remember where he really was at -- at any given time.

He wasn't making sense. He had no word retrieval. It was a frightening moment for many Americans.

Not because, oh, my gosh. He will lose to Donald Trump. But because that guy is the guy who is running the country right now.

That's not an easy job. And we have enemies, breathing down our neck. And they are looking at us. And licked their chops.

We, because of the policies of this president, we for the first time, since I was a kid, we were actually talking about the use of nuclear weapons!

That's insane.

So when that shock hit us, and we were like, this is the guy running the country. What was happening?

And the shock of, we've been lied to by everyone. They've told us, he was fine. Sharper than ever.

He's the sharpest tack in the drawer. And we realized, he's not in control.

Who is?

What did this mean?

Why didn't anybody say anything?

Why hasn't the cabinet invoked the 25th Amendment. And all of that leads us to, who can we trust?

Who has actually been running the country?

Why hasn't anyone said anything. And if you do say something, how come you're labeled a conspiracy theorist?

Remember, if you said four weeks ago that he was incompetent and unable to continue as president of the United States, you were a conspiracy theorist.

A year ago, when Democrats were saying, he can't run for another term. We want somebody else. The Democratic Party squashed those people. Wouldn't you have a primary. Because he's our guy.

So that's what began four weeks ago.

And then what was it? A week, week and a half after that, we have this moment with President Trump in Pennsylvania.

DONALD: -- I really see something that said -- take a look at what happened.
(yelling)
GLENN: So we don't know who is in charge, and then a week later, the guy running against him, is gunned down on live television.

And we don't know, really, what happened. In fact, we still don't know what happened. Because the head of the security. The Secret Service, we all figured out and found out, was hired by the First Lady, not the president. The First Lady was the one who pushed for her DEI hire at the Secret Service, and she was protecting Pepsi Co.

And now, the most important leaders of the world. And so, we went okay. Well, there's another shock.

But let's hear her out. And she testifies, and she says this.

VOICE: Was this a colossal failure?

KIM: It was a failure.

VOICE: Yes or no. Was it a colossal failure, yes or no?

KIM: I have admitted it was a terrible --

VOICE: This is a yes or no series of questions. Was it a colossal failure? Yes or no?

KIM: Yes.

VOICE: Have you provided a list to the Oversight Committee? Yes or no?

KIM: I'll have to get back to you on that.

VOICE: That is a no.

Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee as we asked on July 15th? Yes or no?

KIM: I would have to get back to you.

VOICE: That is a no. You're full of (bleep) today. You're just being completely dishonest.

GLENN: I know you're reeling. This is all in a three-week period. Now you're reeling from that. Wait a minute. Was this a setup? What are they covering up? If they're not covering something up, why wouldn't they just be open and honest and transparent? Why wouldn't they feel like most Americans. And now they realize, well, maybe they feel like most Americans. Those we saw on social media, right after the assassination attempt, like they were screaming like they were crazy people.

You missed!

How did you miss!

And a little bit of the American soul just kind of vaporizes and disappears. What is this?

So after that happens, just a few days later, the president is being pressured to resign.

And will let it be his decision. Well, I've already made my decision.

God will have to remove me himself. Saturday, he's saying the same thing.

Then suddenly, Sunday morning, I believe he was given a choice. A coup happened! And our president resigned. Now, I think he should have resigned. Not just from the candidacy, but from the presidency of the United States. Another shock to you. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

He's not okay to run a campaign, but he's okay to run the country!

What? And then his replacement is announced. Here is Chuck Schumer. Listen to this.

VOICE: So now that the process is played out. From the grassroots, bottom-up, we are here today, to throw our support, behind vice president Kamala Harris.

I'm clapping. You don't have to.

GLENN: Okay. Good. Thank you.

As the process played out? From the grassroots up? No grassroots movement was going for Kamala Harris. None. None.

Nobody at the bottom voted for her. She was in the primary. She had -- let me count all of the delegates that she won. Zero!

Zero. She was rejected by the voters. And then she was strangely just picked as, oh, she's the one we want.

And the party elites picked her. And then, they had a coup, and picked her again.

And are trying to convince you, that that was a grassroots effort?

What is happening?

Well, the same thing, they've just changed faces. The same kind of cover-up. The same exact kind of garbage that you got from the press before, is happening again.

Who is Kamala Harris.

Well, we know she is fine. And she has a spotless record, right?

We know she's fine. Just like they knew Joe Biden was absolutely fine.

And you're a conspiracy theorist, if you say anything differently.

Well, now, we watched it, with our own eyes.

And media has confirmed it for the last three and a half years. That she was in charge as the border czar.

We have the videotape of all of them saying it. But, no, no, no. Now, we have to change our history.

We have to change our news.

Here's the media. Cut 31, please.

VOICE: Quote, unquote, border czar. Vice President Harris was not a border czar.

VOICE: Meantime, Vice President and border czar, Kamala Harris facing some back lash.

VOICE: What he said about Harris and immigration was not true. She was never appointed border czar.

VOICE: And this will be her first visit to the US/Mexico border region since she was appointed as the border czar by President Biden.

VOICE: People are going to have to tell me about the misinformation. You already hear folks talking about the border czar. She wasn't the border czar.

VOICE: President Biden tagged Kamala Harris -- Vice President Harris to be the border czar.

VOICE: Now, she wasn't the border czar. That's what Republicans labeled her.

VOICE: They were very critical of Kamala Harris, especially in her role as border czar.

VOICE: Now what she's up against is folks lying about her border record, calling her a border czar.

VOICE: Kamala Harris, who was appointed as the border czar.

VOICE: The Biden team didn't declare her the border czar. They wanted her to work on kind of the root causes of immigration.

VOICE: There has been so much criticism against Kamala Harris, you know, she was the border czar.

VOICE: Calling her sort of the border czar, which wasn't necessarily the case.

VOICE: So the border, if they weren't planning to address it in a major way, do not make her your border czar. She met with some of the northern triangle countries, but nothing has effectively changed.

GLENN: Nothing has changed for them.
Your whole word has changed. Our country has changed.

Our country is in dire trouble. There is a clear and present danger off our shores.

It's called China. North Korea. It's called Hamas.

It's called Iran.

Russia. Do you think they're playing this little game of border czar, he's fine, you're a conspiracy theorist!

They know. Just like you know.

And you are looking at this going, this is madness. But that's not all that's happened.

In the last three weeks, let me pick it up here in 60 seconds.

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(music)
I just want you to recognize, why you might be on edge.

Why you might be so tired, right now. A lot has happened, your country, that you love, assuming that you do love it.

Your country has taken a beating over the last just three weeks. Presidential debate. Let me just remind you of that moment again.

VOICE: Until we get the total ban on the -- the total initiative, relative to what we're going to do with more Border Patrol, and more (inaudible).

VOICE: President Trump.

DONALD: I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either.

Look, we had the safest border in the history of our country.

GLENN: Stop. Here's the amazing thing. That was a body blow to many Americans. I knew what this state was of our president.

You can see it. But for half the country, it had been denied.

And we were called liars and conspiracy theorists. I didn't celebrate, when I saw that.

I was terrified when I saw that. So yesterday, the president resigns. Cut eight. From the race.

Cut eight.

BIDEN: In the honor of my life, to serve as your president. But in defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title.

I draw strength, and I find joy, in working for the American people.

But this sacred task, of perfecting our union is not about me.

It's about you! Your families. Your futures. It's about we, the people. And we can never forget that. And I never have.

GLENN: Hmm.

Another body blow last night. The -- well, I'm not going to get into it. If you don't understand what I meant by body blow of just that portion of the speech, I don't think you understand.

But he's talking about our republic is at stake. And while he's speaking, just a block and a half, from the Capitol building, at the union train station, they're taking down the flags and burning them in the streets.

Here's what happened with the Palestinians in Washington, DC, yesterday. Cut four. They are painting our statues, Hamas is coming. And they are taking down our flags. This is a federal property.

They're taking down the flags, and they're burning them. Imagine, on January 6th, if they would have done that. If they would have spray-painted on the wall, the right is coming.

Imagine the jail time for parading. Nothing happened yesterday.

Ronald Reagan's voice echoes almost every day this my head now.

Not from his presidency. But when he was standing up in 1961, or '64.

And he was talking about a time of choosing.

He had been a Democrat his whole life. And I think he was the first one to say, I didn't leave the Democratic Party, they left me. And he said, it's a time for choosing. And it is.

The president said it last night in his own speech.

You and I both know, and I don't know why our -- our friends, who are Democrats, and I'm not talking about the ones in Washington, or the real de-political people.

I'm talking about the average person. I don't know why they won't admit it. Or they can't see it.

But this is not America. The last three weeks, could be coming from the old Soviet Union.

Prejudice Nevada. Speaks. Loses his place. And looks confused.

Then his challenger is shot after everybody is saying, he's not in charge. He can't be the guy. His main competitor is shot and almost killed.

Would we except that at face value in the Soviet Union? No. Then a coup happens. And Brezhnev is saying, I'm not leaving yet, yet, yet. Then a note is issued with a weird signature that you've never seen before. A weird signature on it, that says, yes. Okay. I'm leaving.

Would we accept that at face value?

And what would we expect to happen? Brezhnev, a couple of days later, coming out and having a press conference, after some sort of deal seems to have been brokered. And he would endorse the new guy, stepping in.

And the press would say, what a hero Brezhnev is! What a proud son of the republic. Right?

That's Soviet stuff.

That's not American. The protesters on the streets, nothing happens to them.

You are seeing our history destroyed. The real time destroying of news and history.

Rewriting of history. You're seeing our traditions destroyed. But I want you to keep one thing in mind: This is where you are right now.

Most likely. And you're like, jeez. I just feel horrible. Great!

Let me say some things to you that the mainstream and the -- the political party, does not want you to hear.

GLENN: Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program.

Pat Gray joins me today. If you just joined us, you missed an effort to try to explain probably why you feel beat up and you feel tired. We all do. Because we have watched our country take an absolute beating from the debate, right into the assassination, right into the, you know, people and social media screaming, how could you possibly miss? Which was just another assault on your senses.

Then the Secret Service director Cheatle saying, yeah. Well, it was a slopy roof. And we don't like to put people on hot, slopy roofs. And then another -- then a coup happens. Kamala is made the nominee. And they start changing history again.

And start saying, oh, no. She was never the border Florida. When they were the ones who told us she was the border czar. Then last night, the president, while he's doing that, the Palestinians are marching for Hamas, in Washington, DC. And burning an effigy of Bibi Netanyahu, and taking down the flags in front of the Union Station, a federal building. And burning the flags. That's what happened in the last three weeks.

And you're like, there's nobody doing anything.

There's nothing. Well, let me show you another side.

And let me show you what happened when the Palestinians took the flag town. They started burning it.

And there was a group of Americans that went in for that flag. And they were police officers. Let me show you the bravery, it took to go in. And get that flag.

Here you see, maybe what? Ten police officers.

They are surrounded by an angry Hamas crowd. And they are getting the flag, off of the ground.

And people aren't happy. And they lock arms with the flag, and back out of the area. I watched this, and I am moved by the bravery of those officers and I am grateful to those officers.

That they remember who we are. You have a right to burn the flag. You're a moron if you do it. But you have a right to burn the flag. But you do not have a right to deface our monuments, to write Hamas is coming on our monuments.

Take town our flags, and then fly the Palestinian flag. No. I'm sorry.

You don't have a right to do that. And in a sane America, you would have been arrested. But we're not a sane America. We're a sick America.

But I want to show you the parts that are standing. The left immediately went after Donald Trump, when he stood up, after being shot in the head.

Secret Service wanted just to rush him out of there. But he said, and you can hear it on the tape, no. No. No, no.

I need to say something to people. No.

Wait. Wait.

And then he did something, that I fear too many of us have already forgotten.

VOICE: Wait. Wait. Wait.

GLENN: He stands up with a clenched fist and says, fight, fight, fight!

VOICE: USA! USA!

GLENN: The press immediately tore him apart saying, look, he wants violence. No. He does not want violence, he is saying, fight for your country. Stand up for your country. Do what those police officers did yesterday. Fight for your flag!

Fight for our history. It's not violent, it is passionate.

And it is rooted in eternal truth.

There are far too many examples, of people being cowards. Far too many examples of people being stupid.

I come to you today, to ask you to recognize the light, the shadows are growing so very dark. But that is only possible when the light begins to get brighter.

Be that light. Be that beacon of hope, in somebody's life.

My executive producer Ricky, this morning. Said, it's been a rough three weeks. And she had tears in her eyes, and she said, I'm just watching my country be destroyed.

And all of us on the -- all of us on the meeting, we all fell silent, because we all felt exactly the same way.

But it's because of her bravery, to say how she felt, that I am giving you and her, this monologue.

It's always darkest before the dawn. They have trashed our country for 20-plus years. They have brought us to the point to where we're at a breaking point.

A place where I said, we would be.

I hoped that we would not. But the country cannot go on, much longer like this.

But I want you to take courage, from the things, the two things that I just showed you, that also happened this week.

And they were big things. They're just not getting play in the media, because that's not their narrative or their agenda.

Your narrative. Your agenda. My narrative, my agenda, is to save the republic!

Now, remember, it was just four weeks ago, that we were having the discussion, whether we were a republic, or a democracy.

And the same people that are lying to you today, about Kamala Harris and the border czar and are in this sudden whipped up frenzy to change history.

All of them are doing it. It's because they're exactly the same people. And they are answering to exactly the same people.

It's just Kamala that they're helping and covering for now.

And not covering for President Biden.

Because President Biden, he has been used up. He's finished.

Move on! They are also the same people, that were telling you, four weeks ago, that we are a democracy. And when we spoke out and said, no. It's a very important distinguish -- distinguishing characteristic.

We are a republic.

We have a democratic vote. But after that vote is taken. Then we're a republic!

They told us we are conspiracy theorists.

That are whipped up, by the right and -- and Donald Trump, because it's our plot. To make people believe we're a republic. Well, let me quote President Biden last night!

Cut 15.

BIDEN: When Ben Franklin was asked, and emerged from the -- the convention going on, whether the Founders had given America a monarchy or a republic, Franklin's response was, a republic, if you can keep it.

A republic. If you can keep it. Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands.

GLENN: Yes. It is. But what he means is, go out and vote. What Franklin meant was educate yourself. Be a responsible citizen. Care about these things. Talk amongst yourself about these things. Discover the truth.

Because the truth will be -- there will always be people who try to hide the truth from you. And it is your responsibility, not the media's responsibility, not my responsibility, but your responsibility.

To educate yourself. And when you see an injustice, fight!

Fight! Fight.

You fight for what is true. And then you go to the ballot box.

You fight for the truth, because it's worth fighting for. It's worth living for. It's the only thing that will change our children's life for the better. Is the truth!

So damn right, fight!

And use that one day that we have a democratic democracy tool, at our disposal. And vote.

You know, I was going to say, may God save the republic. But I was reminded that it was a millimeter, that the president walked offstage two weeks ago. Bleeding from the side of his head, his ear was clipped off.

You and I both know that was a miracle. How dare us feel beaten and discouraged. When the arm of God was made bare. He's doing his part, may you do your part, meet my part.

May we save the republic.

RADIO

The REAL Threat to America: Pro-Hamas DC Riot or Jan 6?

Pro-Palestine protesters took over parts of Washington, DC, to show their hatred of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas was on the ground to document it. Julio tells Glenn how the protesters spray painted monuments with messages like “Hamas is coming,” tore down American flags at Union Station and replaced them with Palestinian flags, and burned the American flags. He also recounts the heroic actions of the US Park Police, which he says was sorely understaffed. Plus, he reveals the biggest differences between these protests and the January 6th Capitol Riot, which he also documented.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Julio Rosas is with us.

He's a Blaze media national correspondent. He was actually standing with the protesters yesterday. Not protesting. But I'll bet he was parading. He should be arrested.

But he was with the protesters, the Hamas protesters, who were absolutely vile. Outside of Union Station, where they took down the American flags, replaced them with Palestinian flags. And then defaced all of our monuments there at Union Station. Saying Hamas is coming.

Which I really like. You know, I like that warning. I don't think I needed it. But I like that warning. Julio is with us now, to tell us what it was like in the crowd. Hi, Julio.

JULIO: Hi, Glenn. Thanks for having me.

GLENN: You bet. So what did you see that surprised you? And what did it feel like?

JULIO: Well, nothing surprised me. I mean, the whole reason why I -- the whole reason why, you know, we were willing to -- Blaze was willing to send me is because I told them.

I said, this is going to get out of hand. Because this is not Biden. This is not Harris. This is Benjamin Netanyahu that is speaking to Congress. I mean, this is their guy, that they hate the most. He's in town.

So this will be their only shot to make their -- their attack, in terms of destruction and rioting.

And so I'm not surprised at all, that they are no longer hiding their Hamas support. And like you said, we've all known this for a while.

You, but now they're really letting the mask slip. Just because the war has continued. In Gaza. And there has been a cease-fire. There has been no -- Israel hasn't ceased with this. They are getting madder and madder as the months go on. It was crazy. Them tearing down the American flag. Inside Union Station. Again, it's not surprising.

They've done that. Similar groups have done that all across the country. To the credit of the US park police. They did move in to stop -- and I filmed that for TheBlaze media.

GLENN: Yeah. I have to tell you, I watched it. Hang on just a second.

Can we play that video? If you happen to be watching TheBlaze right now. We'll play that video. And I'll describe what's happening. You're not seeing this anymore. You're seeing the depressing part of defacing and an angry crowd, and the Palestinian flags going up.

But you don't see what the US park police did, and it was -- they were greatly outnumbered.

And they go right into the crowd. In what was there, probably ten of them, Julio?

JULIO: Just about. Unfortunately, the park police, like other law enforcement agencies, they are severely understaffed. And that's something that their union has been vocal about for a very long time.

And so that's why, you know, they were able to make the arrests. They were able to save the flag, but they weren't able to prevent further destruction to the monuments or to the other flags.
And that's just because they didn't have the manpower to do that.

GLENN: Yeah. Well, we're $35 trillion in debt.

The cupboards are bare. You know, we're spending $4 trillion. But we don't have the money for extra law enforcement.

The -- the other picture you took. And I don't know how you got in there, to take this. But the picture you took of them folding the flag, inside the office. They took the flag back. And folded it up. And preserved it. That's remarkable.

JULIO: Yeah. And that is their -- they take that very seriously. I mean, the park police. They protect the national mall. They protect the monuments.

In New York and San Francisco as well.

And they take their job seriously. Because they protect these highly trafficked tourist areas. Things that are -- you know, when people say the United States. They automatically think of the national mall. You know, all these monuments and stuff.

So they try their best, in these United Nations situations to mitigate and prevent the destruction from happening. But like I said, unfortunately, they don't have the manpower to completely secure these areas, when there's that many rioters in the area. And this is the unfortunate consequences of the George Floyd -- post-George Floyd world.

They're not really allowed to, because the -- the police command and the general, you know, higher level in terms of politicians. Their approach is now, well, the police had to de-escalate. And what that is fancy for. The police have to leave the area. And not engage. And let people do what they want.

That's basically what they're told to do. But obviously, when they're able to take action, they -- they will try their best to do that.

GLENN: So can you compare this -- I mean, you weren't at January 6th. But can you compare the tone of the crowd, and the things that were happening at all.

Did it at all resemble January 6th?

JULIO: Actually, I did -- January 6th. I was there that day, and I made it.

GLENN: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that.

JULIO: No, no, no. It's all good. It was quite the day. But, no, so I can kind of compare the two.

So, obviously, the big difference between January 6th and July 24th -- J24, is that the authorities were actually prepared this time.

They brought in police from New York. They brought in police from Maryland. They brought in extra law enforcement. They actually secured the perimeter of the Capitol of the complex.

Which didn't happen January 6th. And I have always maintained that, yes. It was a riot. But it was the most preventable riot of that season.

You know, political violence is something that we have been experiencing for months. Prior to January 6th.

And so I don't know why -- so I -- it is my belief, that they allowed it to happen. By not adequately preparing for it.

So that's why, yesterday, you know, J20 tower. They didn't get close to the Capitol building. They tried. And that's why, within the first five minutes of the march.

They tried to push their way through a police line. That's why the police had to pepper spray, to get them to stop.

But, again, the rhetoric is openly praising terrorist groups. And making it known by defacing monuments.

I mean, that is -- that is something that has been happening for a long time.

I've actually been telling Congress, that they need to take this seriously.

And as typical of DC. They don't really start to get going, until it happens in their backyard. There are things happening now.

Okay. We should probably focus on the street protesters. There's a lot of focus on the college campuses. I'm not saying that is not important. But the street protests have been happening since October 8th of last year. And they have caused massive amounts of damage, a lot of violence.

And that's something that needs to be looked at, at the federal level.

So this was obviously not nearly as bad in terms of the Capitol building being breached. Because that didn't happen.

But again, that know didn't happen pause they actually prepared for it.

It's sad. If there will be a major protest. We have to wall up the White House.

We have to wall up the Capitol building. Or wall up the Supreme Court.

And nine times out of ten. It's because of the far left.

GLENN: Are you going to share the pictures of the cleanup, that you took this morning? have you shared them already? Or have I been misinformed? I understood that you were there taking pictures this morning of the cleanup or maybe not.

JULIO: No, I -- my flight was early this morning. So unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that. Sorry about that.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

I hear that they were out scrubbing the monuments and cleaning up, you know, all the aftermath. Did anybody go to jail?

JULIO: So I was told by park police, that at least ten people were -- were arrested. And that was sort of the instruction of government proper. For defacing. And resisting arrest. Fighting.

But true to the area. A lot of them were quickly released.

That the -- the Palestinian groups were posting videos, showing their, quote, unquote, comrades, being released within -- within hours.

So that's another reason why the police are reluctant to go out of their way to put themselves into harm's way. They do know, even if they do arrest people, for not minor offenses, in these liberal jurisdictions. The rest of these -- it's just going to let that go.

GLENN: Julio, thank you so much.

Julio Rosas. You can find his personal Substack MostlyPeaceful.live. This was mostly peaceful, yesterday, I'm sure it was.

And you could also find his reports at -- on Blaze media and TheBlaze.com. Thanks, Julio, I appreciate it.

JULIO: Yeah. Thank you for having me.

Glenn's Show Prep

FCC Chairman: We Don't Need to Preemptively Micromanage Every Business

No, Democrats, Calling VP Kamala Harris a ‘DEI Candidate’ Is NOT Racist | Ep 365

Did Kamala Harris SURRENDER Her VP Pick to the Obamas?

Transcript

America Has Taken a BEATING. But We Must "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

Transcript

The REAL Threat to America: Pro-Hamas DC Riot or Jan 6?

Transcript