BLOGJune 13, 2017

EXCLUSIVE: Jim DeMint Weighs in on Russia and His New Role at Convention of States

Jim DeMint has found the perfect home after being let go by the Heritage Foundation: The Convention of States Project. The former senator joined Glenn in his first post-Heritage interview and the two talked about the movement, as well as recent developments with Russia.

"So, Jim, the Convention of States, I think has new life to it. And a lot of it is coming from places like California, of all places. I think this is a real opportunity... Are you reaching out to the people on the left who are more Libertarian-minded?" Glenn asked on radio Tuesday.

DeMint confirmed the Convention of States (CoS) is beginning to see bi-partisan support.

"They understand that what we're trying to do is not tell people what to do or to tell California they have to do something and South Carolina does something else. What we're talking about is where things are decided," DeMint responded.

Supporting the Tenth Amendment and states' rights in order to limit the scope of federal power has been a key agenda item for CoS.

On the election front and Russian hacking controversy, DeMint laid the blame squarely at Obama's feet.

"Everyone in the Obama administration knew that this was a risk, and the fact that it was not addressed, that more was not done, is a gaping hole in our security," DeMint said.

Enjoy the complimentary clip, listen to the full segment or read the transcript for details.

GLENN: We were really excited when Jim DeMint went to the Heritage Foundation. Jim DeMint, if you remember right, in the day, was the only guy in the Senate. This was before we had Mike Lee. This was before we -- we had Rand Paul. This was before we had anybody. He was the lone guy back in -- in '06, '07, and '08. And then the wave election happened. And then he left. Went to the Heritage Foundation.

I hated losing him in the Senate. But he thought he could make some real difference at the Heritage Foundation. I think he did.

But they didn't like the direction. So he left. Where is he now, and what happened at the Heritage Foundation? His first interview since leaving begins right now.

(music)

GLENN: Let's go to Jim DeMint now. Jim DeMint, formerly the former senator from South Carolina, and then with the Heritage Foundation for I think four years or so and made a real impact there. Jim DeMint, welcome to the program. How are you, sir?

JIM: Glenn, I'm doing really well. And it's good to be back on your show.

GLENN: Thank you, sir. Jim, I know you're such a Southern gentleman, you're not going to want to, you know, say anything bad about anybody, and I'm not looking for the bad stuff. But can you tell us what happened at Heritage? Because there's been these stories that, you know, you were too conservative, that you were -- you were taking it too -- too conservative. I don't know what that means for the Heritage Foundation. But trying to take it too conservative. And they wanted to be more G.O.P.-centric.

JIM: Well, Glenn, frankly, I don't know. And the board just decided they wanted to do something different in the future. And, frankly, I feel like the Lord knows what he's doing. And where I am right now, realize that I'm in a place where I can make a much bigger difference. There are some great people at Heritage. But I'm ready to leave that chapter behind and get back to work on two fronts: I realize -- and I'm sure you see it from where you sit, that we can't just work in one area. It's not just enough to be a senator or elect a senator. We have to do a lot of things, if we're going to stop this out of control federal government. And the two things I need to work with conservatives on the Hill and try to equip them and support them. Because as you mentioned, when you started the show just a minute ago is, a lot of times, it's just one or two people working to try to do the right thing. And the system tries to take them apart.

But I've also realized that no matter what happens, no matter who we elect, Congress is never going to stop spending. That they're going to keep spending and creating debt, until we have some kind of crisis or meltdown. And our Founders knew that that was a possibility, that they gave us the fire alarm on the wall, to break the glass and pull the lever. And that's in Article V of the Constitution, where they've said the states could come together and propose amendments to the Constitution. In this case, we have to get the states to force the federal government to have physical restraint. To limited jurisdiction. And hopefully even to term limit members of Congress and maybe even the judiciary.

GLENN: Okay. So you're now going to the Convention of States. What role of Convention of States Project are you going to play there?

JIM: I'm what they call a senior adviser. I'll be working with Tom Coburn and a good team around the country to work with state legislators. Because the secret here is to get 34 states to pass essentially the same call to convention. This is not a constitutional convention. This is nothing about a free-for-all, to rewrite a Constitution. Article V is clear that states can propose amendments. And we want to propose particular amendments that will help force the federal government to not only balance its budget, but limit taxes. But also limit what it can do. Because the Tenth Amendment is clear, that whatever is not prescribed to the federal government in the Constitution, to be left to the states and the people. And the federal government has just run all over that.

And so I look at my fight -- I'm just fighting on two fronts. I'm not going to give up on helping conservatives. And we've started a new nonprofit to do that. But I'm working with the Convention of States, hoping that the states will call a convention to propose amendments, to limit the power and the spending of the federal government.

GLENN: So, Jim, the convention of the states, I think has new life to it. And a lot of it is coming from places like California, of all places. To where liberal are saying, you know, the government is out of control.

Yeah, because now your guy isn't in control. And California had a real movement to actually secede from the union.

I think this is a real opportunity, but it also could be used to exploit the -- the -- the framework of Article V.

Are you reaching out to the people on the left who are more Libertarian-minded, and are you concerned at all about a hijacking from the traditional left?

JIM: Glenn, that is one of the arguments that opponents of this use. But, frankly, it -- there is literally no chance that this -- you can have a chance that proposes some kind of crazy amendment, that in 38 states ratify. I feel much more comfortable in that second balance, than I do with what the courts could do in Washington, or even what Congress can do.

You mentioned something that's very insightful, actually. Because liberals, once they understand this concept, like it -- at least a lot of them do, because they understand that what we're trying to do is not tell people what to do or to tell California they have to do something and South Carolina does something else. What we're talking about is where things are decided.

And that's the difference here that -- the thing that creates disunity all over the country now is you've got so many things being decided in Washington about what we should do and how we should live our lives.

What we need to do is let states and local communities and people themselves make more of their decisions. As long as power keeps gravitating to Washington, the more I think this disunity we're going to have in America.

GLENN: Uh-huh. So let me take this now -- for the liberals, let me take this -- the conservatives. Do you think the conservatives fell asleep on Article V after Trump was elected, and has that changed?

JIM: No, I don't think so. Because I believe that most of what President Trump is trying to do are things that we agree with. But we see that ever since he was elected, that they have made this big deal of Russia. If Russia did anything, that's on Obama. I mean, Obama was supposed to be watching our country and our security systems and stuff like that. But I think what we've seen is despite the strong personality of Trump, he's put some good people in the agencies. They're still making it almost impossible for him to get anything done. And even with Republican majorities, we see in the budgets that they pass, we're going to keep spending and keep growing the government. Hopefully we can have some small successes. But I don't think the country is falling asleep. And I see this as a mission that the grassroots, the folks who are involved with the Tea Party, who are discouraged now, that people can see, this is a very focused idea. If we come together, this is maybe the only way we can restrain an out-of-control federal government.

GLENN: Jim, the -- who are you more disappointed with? Congress or the presidency? Because I have to tell you, Congress is, in my opinion, absolutely shameful. Shameful the way they're acting and spending. And, you know, the way they dealt with Obamacare is just -- is mind-boggling.

JIM: Yeah. I agree. No, I'm disappointed in Congress. I frankly think the Trump administration has done a lot of good things that they can do on their own. But they're in a boxed canyon. Everybody is shooting at them, including Republicans. You go to the White House, it's just surrounded by tents of media people who every day are looking for something they're doing wrong.

But one of the things I want to do on the Hill is work with conservatives to try to make him more effective. Because once you get there, whether you're in the House or the Senate, you're in your own little foxhole. Everybody is firing at you, every time you try to do something right. They try to throw you off a committee or get you back home with your constituents. We can do a lot better uniting and equipping conservatives once they're elected. And that's what I'm going to try to do, along with a small team, is to get them to work more closely together and try to protect those who are trying to do the right thing.

GLENN: More with Jim DeMint, who is now one of the senior advisers of the Convention of States Project, in just a minute.

[break]

GLENN: Former senator Jim DeMint is with us now. He's with the Convention of States. Just left the Heritage Foundation.

Senator, let me ask you a couple of questions. As a former senator, it came out last night in a very weird sort of way, the head of NewsMax left the White House at 5:30. Went over to PBS to do the news hour and said that President Trump is considering letting go of Bob Mueller and shutting down the independent counsel. Paul Ryan said today he has confidence in Mueller. The White House has since denied that that is happening. But has said that he's at least thinking about it.

What would that -- what would your reaction be if -- if you were a senator to something like that?

JIM: Well, I think that now that he's in place, it would probably be a mistake for the president to -- to terminate that. I think it was a mistake to appoint a special prosecutor because if you look at how they worked over the years, they almost have to find something. And if they can't find something that they were supposed to be looking at, they'll look at something else.

And I was hoping, when it happened, that maybe it would settle. The Russia thing. And Trump could go on to leading the country. But apparently they're not going to let that happen. I just think that now that he's in place, they're going to have to ride it out for a while, at least until there's some more testimony that proves that Trump has not only never been under investigation, but there has been no evidence since all this started, that Trump or his team had anything to do with it.

So more testimony like that, I think it would be good if members of Congress, particularly in the Senate, called on a resignation and the termination of a special prosecutor. But the president needs some help with this. So if Republicans are taking cover, it's going to be hard for him to do it himself.

GLENN: Jim, there is evidence that came out today -- we're going to share it in about five to eight minutes -- there is real disturbing evidence now that has nothing to do with Clinton or -- or Donald Trump, that the Russians did target our election in incomprehensible ways. And hit and actually broke into 37 of our states and got into the polling numbers in 37 states. Did not, luckily, affect the election. But that is the one thing that I got out of the testimony last week that I don't think the media or anybody else is paying attention to, because we're so busy playing politics.

JIM: Right.

GLENN: The Russians are not just coming, they're here.

JIM: Exactly, Glenn. We've known for years, Russia has the most sophisticated propaganda machine in the world. And has been interfering with elections for decades. It's one of the problems we've seen in Ukraine and former Soviet republics. They're constantly destabilizing governments and being engaged in elections. Everyone in the Obama administration knew that this was a risk, and the fact that it was not addressed, that more was not done is a gaping hole in our security. So it does concern me that our cyber security for our US government and our country is so weak. We've lost military secrets, and now they're in our election booths.

GLENN: We were talking about this earlier today. I think in any other time in American history, with what they did -- what I believe they did with WikiLeaks. You know, how they hacked into the DNC. And now we have stark evidence that they hacked into 37 states. I think at any other time in history, that would be akin to an act of war. Am I wrong or right, historically?

JIM: Well, it's definitely the new type of warfare. And we've lost billions of dollars in military secrets, not only to Russia, to China. We need to do a whole -- I know I worked on it some in the Senate, to build a better cyber security system. But the government is always ten years behind. And they've been hesitant to use a lot of the private sector sources, haven't figured out what to do there. But we need to catch up on that because lives are at stake on our intelligence system. And certainly if our whole Democratic system now is in jeopardy, then that's a huge problem.

GLENN: We're in Texas, Jim. I know 12 states now have called for the Convention of States. Thirty-two other states are considering it this year. I didn't think Texas was going to -- I mean, first I thought it was insane that Texas wouldn't pass it. Then I thought, oh, my gosh, the Texas legislature isn't going to do it. They eventually did. How are the other states shaping up? And did Texas make a difference in momentum?

JIM: Texas always makes a difference. That's one of the reasons we're working now with Texas on school choice. The more they -- they set a pattern for the country in a positive way. The opposite of what California opposite does. But it's the grassroots strength of the conservative movement in Texas that made the difference with your legislature there. Because there were a number of people trying to block it or hide from it. And that's what's happening around the country. The Convention of States Project is building a grassroots network of millions of people who have come to understand that this may be the only way to save our country. And so they're engaged in every state. And during the next legislative cycle, you're going to probably see ten or 20 states come play with a lot of grassroots support. So that's what I'm going to do all over the country. Call on people who have been trying to elect good people. Who have worked in the Tea Party. Who have been active, to come help us call this Article V convention of the states.

GLENN: And it's -- it is -- I really, truly believe this is the -- this is the fix. This is the Founders' fix. I wish we would have thought of it when the Tea Party was roaring because we could have really gotten things done. But we need people to be involved in the Convention of States. The things that you want to -- and believe you can get done if the convention is called.

JIM: It's in three categories. The thing that interests me most about how we're doing it, with the convention of state project, is we're not proposing the specific amendments. Because we found, like, for instance, if you're working on term limits, then everybody wants term limits, is going to disagree, whether it's six, eight, or 12 years.

GLENN: Yeah.

JIM: But what we're doing are three areas, that we will pass amendments restrict fiscally what the federal government can do to borrow money. Generally it will deal with a balanced budget. But also tax and spending restrictions. The other is jurisdiction and authorization. It will restrict what the federal government can do on the regulatory front, on what it can do, for instance, controlling education, health care. Give states much more latitude there.

The third subject is to be to put term limits on federal officials. Congressmen. Senators. And perhaps even federal judges.

GLENN: What do you say to people who say -- and I've got about 30 seconds for this answer. What do you say to people who say, you know, you put term limits on, then it's going to be the bureaucrats that are going to be running everything?

JIM: That's just not true. Every time you have a new wave of people coming in, they bring a lot of their own people. They will get something done. They know they have a short period of time, and they're not going to put up much of this, let's do it after the next election. So it's a way to clean the plate up and get people to think about the country rather than a political career.

GLENN: It is always an honor to talk to you, Jim. Thank you so much for your service of the country. Thanks for what you did at Heritage Foundation. And now, joining the Convention of States Project. If you want to get involved with the Convention of States, how do you do it, Jim, quickly?

JIM: Just go to the website. Just Google "Convention of States Project," and you'll be right there on our site. GLENN: Former senator Jim DeMint is with us now. He's with the Convention of States. Just left the Heritage Foundation.

What would that -- what would your reaction be if -- if you were a senator to something like that?

JIM: Right.

GLENN: The Russians are not just coming, they're here.

GLENN: Yeah.

The third subject is to be to put term limits on federal officials. Congressmen. Senators. And perhaps even federal judges.

JIM: Just go to the website. Just Google "Convention of States Project," and you'll be right there on our site.

RADIO

What an FBI source told me about Epstein's death

An FBI source reached out to Glenn Beck about Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s statement that Jeffrey Epstein DID kill himself. Glenn reveals what he can about the conversation, including whether the FBI plans to release any evidence to back up Director Patel’s statement and quell conspiracy theories.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I am kind of in a really bad -- we'll do it live kind of mood today! So you never know what might happen.

STU: Uh-oh.

GLENN: Let me start with. I got off the phone with a very well-placed source, in the FBI.

Very well-placed source.

One that has access and knows.

Would you agree with that, subscription, Stu?

STU: I would, yes.

GLENN: Yeah. Okay.

And I said, well, first of all, it started with the Mediaite article, which I'll get into here in a second.

And -- and -- and I said, I just would like to know, what Dan saw that changed his mind. Because I know Dan Bongino. I know Kash Patel. I like both of those guys.

I trust both of those guys.

I do not trust the government. I don't trust the FBI.

I don't trust the DOJ. I don't trust the treasury. I don't trust the fed.

I don't trust the milkman at this point.
So I think most of America is like that. My point yesterday was to make sure that we all understand that the lack of trust in our government, is very, very dangerous. And none of us should be doing you anything, to enhance that lack of trust!

Now, how do you repair it? Well, not by ignoring it. Not by just saying, don't talk about it.

You have to address it, head-on. So I trust Kash Patel, and I trust Dan Bongino. And I have said on this program, I am going to give them a year, before I say anything.

And including Pam Bondi. I'm not going to sit here and condemn them for what I don't know, what is happening. I know they're both, or all three of them, are surrounded by sharks.

Okay? I know that the corruption is very deep, in the FBI and the DOJ.

So if I'm not seeing some arrests in the next year, a year from now, I will be coming on, and I will be saying things. And Dan Bongino and Kash Patel would be the first to say, you should be!

But the point I was making yesterday is, I gave you the seven phases of a republic or an empire. And all empires in history have fallen.

And the last two things -- only two things that remain in this -- you know, 3,000-year epic story of the rise and fall of multiple empires.

When you look at all of them, there are only two things left, before we fall. And that is a complete lack of trust. In everything.

And a collapse of the dollar.

That's like -- that's it!

After that, we're done. And so yesterday, I said, I don't believe -- I mean, I don't know what to believe.

But I don't believe that Epstein killed himself.

Now, that is my belief, as I said to you, yesterday.

We cannot operate just on belief.

We need facts. And my -- in my monologue yesterday, I was saying, what kind of facts would you need to believe?

For some people, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, coming out and saying that is enough!

I told you yesterday, Stu. Remember when we played the video of Dan Bongino saying, I've seen the evidence. He didn't kill himself.

Remember? What I said right after that?

STU: Yes.

GLENN: He's telling the truth. You have that video. Go ahead. Play the video.

VOICE: You said Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide for him people don't believe it.

VOICE: Well, I mean, listen, they have a right to their opinion. But as someone who has worked as a public defender, as a prosecutor, who has been in that prison system, who has been in metropolitan detention center. Who has been in segregated housing. You know a suicide when you see one. And that's what that was.

VOICE: They tell themselves. Again, I've seen the whole file. He killed himself.

GLENN: Okay. I believe him. I believe him.

That's not good enough for America, however. Now, I've also said on this program, do you want to feel good, or do you want people to go to jail?

I want people to go to jail. That's why I said, with Pam Bondi, went on day number two, after that debacle of the release of the file.

I said, look, perhaps this is because they are still gathering evidence.

They want to put people in jail. Yada, yada. I don't know why they withheld that evidence.

But to believe that Pam Bondi. Because I asked the president on this.

To -- to believe that Pam Bondi has sold out. And then Kash Patel and Dan Bongino all sold out, means that you must then believe that Donald Trump knows it and is part of it!

That's the problem. Who is left to believe?

Now, I want to see the evidence, because the country must see the evidence.

You don't fix -- you don't fix things. And they know this!

You don't fix things by saying, you know what, trust me!

Dan Bongino, you've heard him for years. He's never said that to me. I never heard him say that on the air. Trust me!

That's not the way he is. He is very much like me: Don't trust me! I don't ask for your trust. I don't want your trust. I don't ask for your trust. Don't trust anyone in my position.

You can trust that we have the best intentions.

But don't anything I say as gospel truth. Because it's not.

It's my opinion. It's the understanding of what's about to go, to the best of my ability. You can trust my intentions.

But don't trust what I say!

Do your own homework.

The only way truth is sustainable, is if it's your truth!

Anybody who -- if you're a Christian, you know this.

You have a testimony. You can't feast on somebody else's testimony. I can't sit here or fix the country or feast on the testimony of Donald Trump. Of Kash Patel. Of Pam --

STU: And we've lost Glenn here. Pam Bondi here, he was talking about as well. As a real problem. Glenn, I think you might be back with us here. Sorry about that little drop. Yeah, you're saying, lease everybody your trust.

GLENN: Correct. Correct. And people that you should trust, tell you, don't trust me!

Do your own homework. It has to be yours.

So the thing that we are waiting for, that has to happen. Is the release of information.

And that will come.

And if it doesn't, well, then, you have a problem.

But it will come!

I talked to this source yesterday.

Now, I have read stories that disagree with this.

Just yesterday, I think NPR, a very reliable source. As reliable as Mediaite.

A very reliable source. Says that there is no tape of the hallway in front of the prison cell.

I talked to a well placed source yesterday, at the FBI, that told me. Yeah. That tape does exist.

And I saw it.

And I saw the last person to go in the cell, when he was alive.

And the first person to go back in the cell, after he was dead.

And I said, so there was no foul play?

He said, no. Wait. Wait. Wait.

I want to separate two things. One, did someone go in the cell, and kill him?

Did somebody kill him?

The answer, because of the of the video evidence, that they say they saw, and I believe this source.

They said, the -- the video evidence shows no one went into that cell. No one.

Okay. But it doesn't show the cell. It doesn't show what happened. That's the first thing.

Now, the second thing. So are you saying, there was no -- I mean, all of this was a coincidence?

No, no, no, no. I'm not saying that. I am not saying that there wasn't a desire to set him up. There might have been a desire to have somebody go in and kill him.

There -- there -- it's a long string of things that happened, that don't make any sense.

Was there a conspiracy -- conspiracy to kill him?

I don't know. But probably!

A lot of people needed him dead. But did he kill himself, or was he murdered by those people?

The answer is, he killed himself.

Now, that doesn't mean, that you don't create the conditions, that make you want to kill yourself.

And I don't mean just sending you to prison.

Yesterday, I spent all morning, and I am so frustrated because the Republican is at stake. You know that, and I know that.

I try to do my best, to not -- Stu and I talked about this yesterday.

You know, neither one of us, are the type to go in.

I mean, if something happened at a store or something.

Got it wrong. And we're just. And it's going to be a fight. Both Stu and I are like, just leave it alone. I don't care.

Because we don't like conflict in our life. And yet, this is what we do for a living.

This is not what we wanted to do. We started doing this show, because we were making fun of talk radio.

And then it got serious after 9/11.

And we found ourselves doing it. We don't like conflict.

You hate -- I'm from an alcoholic family. I was the one that tried to make everybody laugh, so we didn't -- didn't see mom. Or dad falling down the stairs, or whatever was happening.

I don't like conflict!

But I find myself in a situation, where the truth does cause conflict.

And you must discipline yourself, to search for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing, but the truth.

We cannot live in sound bites.

We must understand the depth of what is going on.

Because as I'm going to tell you here in a few minutes.

There is a new concerted effort to bring our streets into chaos.

Bring our country into chaos.

The left -- the -- I shouldn't say this.

The Democrats are completely dead.

It is run now by the uber, dangerous left.

That's who is calling the shots.

And that -- they are going to -- well, I'll use their own words.

Do everything that they've done in the past, and take it to the next rung on the ladder.

That's a quote! You want to save your republic? We cannot dismiss the people that we have grown to trust. That we have put our faith in. We need to give them time. And let them show us the evidence! I want to see some arrests on a few things. I want to see the -- the progress being made.

RADIO

Glenn Beck: America is ONE STEP AWAY from COLLAPSE

Americans on both the Left and Right are losing trust in our institutions FAST. Without this trust, empires across history have collapsed. Glenn reviews the 7 stages of civilization, which eerily describe the rise and fall of many empires, including possibly the United States. Have we reached the final stage before total destruction? Glenn believes it’s very possible…and there’s only one or two steps left before collapse. But there is a way for us to turn around, and he believes FBI Director Kash Patel could make a big difference by releasing the TRUE evidence surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: We've been -- we've been talking about all of the lies that have been told.

Who believes anymore that the traditional media is telling you the truth on anything?

Who believes, that, you know, the media didn't know about Joe Biden.

Who believes that Joe Biden's cancer is a new subject?

Now, that someone hard. Because that very well could be brand-new. But it also, because we don't believe in so many other things. It might have been known when he was still in the White House.

We don't know. But do you believe it?

I'm not asking you what you know, I'm asking you what you believe. Then Kash Patel comes out, along with Dan Bongino.

Two very credible people, on our side.

On Donald Trump's handpicked inside team.

And they say, the -- the Epstein suicide, was a suicide.

And my first response was, uh-uh.

And then I immediately went, but it's coming from these guys. I believe these guys.

I know these guys. So then I started getting into critical thinking.

Okay. What would it take for me to believe them?

And they just have to show us, what they saw.

Because that's a role reversal. They've switched!

They've said it wasn't a suicide.

Never now, all I need to know is, what did you see?

And show it to me!

Okay. Why is this important to use critical thinking?

We just went through four of the seven stages of -- it's called the seven-stage cycle of civilizational collapse.

Okay?

First, the age of pioneers. That's the revolutionary war. Then the age of conquest.

That's the expansion out west. The age of commerce.

That is the really -- the 20th century. Early 20th century.

The age of affluence. Beginning around the Reagan years, where the decay guns. And it becomes about leisure and stuff.

And then fifth, and this is where the last time I read this, I thought we were here, and maybe a little in the sixth. Maybe.

The age of intellect.

Elite rule and fragmentation. Experts and technocrats dominate. Reason replaces faith. Society becomes obsessed with process, bureaucracy, identity, and division. People grow disconnected from elites. Populist backlash begins.

This is France pre-1789. Weimar, Germany, in the 1920s. And the US, post-2000.

The values, relativism, narcissism, hyper-education with moral void. So technocrats dominate? Yes. Reason replaces faith? Yes. Society becomes obsessed with process? Yes. Bureaucracy? Yes.

Identity? Absolutely. And division? The people grow disconnected from elites? Yes. Populist backlash begins? 2016.

Yes. Then you get into the sixth stage. The age of decadence. Moral decline and decline of courage.

Tell me if you can't check every box on this one. National identity collapses.

Hmm. Almost there. Almost.

Immigration, without assimilation. Yes. Public debt surges? Yes. Breads and circumstances replace responsibility? Yes.

Political corruption is normalized? Yes.

Gender confusion? Yes. Family disintegration? Yes. Loss of fertility? Yes. The use of drugs? Yes.

Hedonism dominates? Yes. That's Rome the third through the fifth century. And is this us today?

The values, hedonism, nihilism, and entitlement.

I think yes, yes, and yes.

Then you get into the last phase. Would you agree, Stu, that we've hit everything else in that?

STU: Yeah. We're -- we're here. At some degree or another, we've hit all of those.

GLENN: Okay. The age of decline and collapse. Disintegration.

There is only two things. Number one, internal distrust. Factionalism, and scapegoating.

That's the first. All of that is where we are today, with those stories.

Internal distrust. I don't trust anything. Do you?

Factionalism? Hello! MAGA.

And the -- what? Anti-MAGA. You're either a racist or an antiracist.

And scapegoating.

I don't know.

Jake Tapper. How is your book going?

I think we're there! The last thing to happen, currency collapse. Loss of external power or invasion.

When Donald Trump is in power, I don't think we're going to lose the external power or invasion, unless our currency collapses. And our currency collapse could happen. Nobody -- did you see they downgraded us, yet again, Stu?

You remember 2008?

I'm saying in 2006. 2007. And we will lose our AAA+ status. They will downgrade us.

The -- the quote was, never, from every institution in America. Never.

It will never happen. Ever, ever, ever, ever. It will never, ever happen.

Well, it happened in like 2009. Then it happened again '12 and '16. And they just did it again.

So currency collapse is on the board.

Values, of this era, despair, tribalism, and the choice between authoritarianism or anarchy.

We're there! Okay.

So I don't tell you this to bum you out.

I tell you this, because there is something you can do.

That's why I started today's show with those questions. We must -- I believe this is a national emergency. And I believe Donald Trump should declare our trust in these institutions, a national emergency. We must be transparent.

This is why I said, I want Kash, and I want Dan Bongino, to show the American people what changed their minds. I would love a hearing on it!

And not some big drawn-out, you know, hearing in Congress with the budget. I just want to see. I want to see the files because internal distrust is a choice!

Because if you're saying today, I don't believe Dan Bongino and Kash Patel, which I'm stuck. Because I do believe them.

I just -- I think I don't have enough information to go with them on this.

I believe in them, but I also believe that Epstein killed himself.

Sorry, my throat is killing me.

STU: I mean, liked the fact that you crunched the ice, as you took the sip.

GLENN: I believe them. I just believe also that Epstein killed himself. That he didn't hang himself with a paper sheet.

Those two don't match. When something doesn't match.

You have to go back and say, which one do you actually think is right? I can't. Because I don't have enough information.

But I must do that.

Because trust and distrust, at this point, is a choice!

Now, let me show you where distrust leads.

If you don't trust Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino, then you can't trust the FBI and the DOJ.

And anything that they're doing there. That's pretty bad.

Because we just have the biggest reformer in, of all time.

A guy who said, he would reform those two institutions.

That he would be transparent. And he hired these two guys. And we all cheered for those two guys.

So if you don't trust them, if you just immediately go, something is wrong.

I don't trust them. Without saying, here. I don't trust, that that is true.

But I want to see what changed their mind.

Then your next step is: Well, does Donald Trump know?

And if he doesn't do something about them, on something this egregious, they're clearly covering something up.

Then I have a problem with Donald Trump. Where does this end?

This ends in -- this ends in guillotines in France.

This is what happens. You betrayed the revolution.

No! I didn't. That's just not true.

So the good news is, this is -- this is up to you.

These things can be reversed. They just haven't been. But they can be reversed. For instance, why would our currency collapse?

Because we're being downgraded. Why are we being downgraded.

Because we're spending too much. Why are we spending too much?

Because the people in Washington won't listen to the American people. They have no courage!
Back to stage six. Decline of courage.

That means, we need more people who have courage, that will say, this is the end of the republic, if we don't do certain things! So where will you stand today?

Will you dedicate yourself to not changing what you believe, per se, but at least demanding critical thinking answers for good, critical thinking questions. Pragmatism I don't believe you. Thus, I am asking you to produce and have a conversation with the American people, to show us what changed your mind.

Show us the facts.

We must restore trust!

RADIO

Could Mexican Ship Crash Expose Deadly Cyber Sabotage?

A Mexican Navy ship has crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge and Glenn wants answers: Why are so many massive ships crashing into major US bridges?! Is it really just coincidence that these ships, including the Dali that hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge back in 2024, keep losing power around these bridges? Glenn demands investigations into these incidents that look for the possibility of foreign foul play. Are our enemies using these instances as “shark bumps” to show off their hacking capabilities and see how the US responds?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Wow. All right. Well, what was on the last episode was another giant ship hitting another giant bridge.

STU: What is happening?

GLENN: Now -- now, I've never seen this in my lifetime. Okay? I mean, I'm 62. I've seen it happen now, two times, and it's been recently.

I don't know about you, but I think -- I think there's a problem. Now, what's happening?

Two ships. Two major American bridges, less than, what? A year and a half apart from each other?

STU: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Both ships lose power. Now, we've seen this happen before. We've seen other ships lose power. I'll get into that here in a second.

Recently, Baltimore. March 2024. Francis Scott Key bridge collapses into the river because a Singaporean cargo ship, the Dolly, loses propulsion, slams into the support column. Six workers are killed. The whole country watches in shock.

And you're like, wow! That doesn't happen.

Well, then again, on Saturday, it happens again. A Mexican Navy tall ship loses power while departing New York harbor.

It drifts straight into the Brooklyn Bridge. Two sailors die.

Dozens were injured. The mast shattered like match sticks. The Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of American resolve, shakes. But apparently, everything is okay!

Now, first of all, our condolences to all of those who were on the ship, that lost their lives or were injured.

We feel for you. That was an awful -- they were all standing there on the masts. Can you imagine standing there and going, we're not stopping. We're not stopping. I've got to get down. Then when the mast goes down, you saw them. They were all tangled in the ropes.

And they were just hanging there. Some of them upside down. It's nuts!

Okay. So the reason for that one, we're told.

Again, power.

Okay. Okay. Maybe once. Maybe twice.

Both on foreign vessels.

Both involved with high-profile American infrastructure. Now, we've been talking the last hour about trust. And I'm sorry. I just don't trust that this is -- if this is what it is. Then we should stop having computer systems run everything on these ships.

Okay? This is the only reason why -- you could say, well, no. We just put in these new computers, athat are running these ships, and nobody has ever seen computers run things like ships before.

And we don't know if they're safe and stable yet.

Then don't put them in the ship!

If there's a problem with that, why don't we know there's -- I can't use my phone an airplane.

Why?

Why?

Because the FAA couldn't come up with a reason, we had a plane crash.

I think it was in Long Island years ago.

And they were like, cell phones!

And we've been being told to turn off our cell phones and everything else.

Because it interferes with the navigation systems on the plane!

It does, what?

Excuse me?

What does it do?

Nobody believes that.

Nobody believes that.

Okay?

That is not true. Just not true. How come -- if you've ever flown in a private plane, they don't tell you that.

Is there something special in private planes that makes their super, super navigational systems so much better than it is on a commercial airliner?

No!

It's a lie. It's a lie. So what's wrong with these ships?

Do you remember the ship that also lost power, and then made like a loopedy-loop and then slammed into another ship, that was I think off the coast of Singapore?

Remember that? It happened like three, four years ago. It was this insane thing, where we lost power and navigation. I mean, it was two, like, large freighters. And I think it was a freighter and a Naval ship. And it just pounded into the Naval ship.

Well, we lost power, and lost navigation.

Okay. All right. There's something happening in the pit of my history section of my stomach that says, Hmm.

This isn't -- this isn't right. Warning bell. Okay? What history would tell me is these are shark bumps. Okay? Do you know what a shark bump is?

I worked with Anderson Cooper one time. And we were sitting, getting ready to -- he was doing his show on CNN. I was doing my show on CNN Headline News.

Which is strangely has better numbers now, than any show on CNN currently. But, anyway, so I'm getting ready to do my show on CNN Headline News.

And, and walks in.

And he was always very kind. You know, to me. And we had a nice relationship.

STU: Yeah. He always was.

GLENN: Yeah. And he said, what did you do this weekend?

And I said, I took my kids, I don't know. To the park or whatever.

I said, what did you do?

And he said, I went shark diving off the coast of Australia.

I was like --

STU: You get a lot of those weird stories.

GLENN: I was like, oh, okay.

I haven't done that. I said, why would you do that know.

He said, well, we were going to make a doc on it. And something happened. And he said -- you know, I justmented to be in the cage and have the sharks. You know, to see the sharks.

And I'm like, I could live my whole life, without ever doing that. And he said, and then when they pulled the cage up. I'm coming out. And he said, it was pretty wild when you're in the cage. And he said, then I see the captain of the ship, as the cage is coming up. He's getting ready to dive. And I said, what are you doing? And he said, I'm going to go dive and just be with the sharks for a minute.

Okay. What the hell is wrong with these people? All right. Maybe all the blood is constantly -- it can't get to their feet or something, coagulated in their head, because they're upside down?

What is wrong with you people? So he says, I would like to go with you. And he said, oh, this is only for experienced divers. And, and said, I'm an experienced diver. I got all my license and everything else.

And he was like, oh, okay. So come on. You can come with me.

Now, Anderson didn't have any of those things. He's not an experienced diver. This was his first time. He puts on everything, and he goes off the back of the ship with the -- the captain.

Just before they do that, the captain says, by the way, they're going to come up to you, and they're going to bump into you. Do not move. Because if you do, they'll eat you.

And he said, I'm sorry. What?

He said, don't move. They bump into things. To see the reaction. If you're just a floating, you know, bag of something they don't want to eat, it won't move.

But if you move, they'll eat you. He said okay.

All right. Now, this is, again, the time that I take off, you know, the -- the eye mask. And I'm like, okay.

Have a good time.

I'm staying here.

He goes down.

And the sharks do just that.

And he's -- I was sitting here and listening to him. And he was like, oh, you wouldn't believe what it's like, to have one of these great whites come up and bump you in the chest.

And I'm like, no. I can't imagine that. I may not have moved. But there would have been poop in the water everywhere, okay?

So that's what I get here.

So I think what's happening is these are shark bumps. These are, I don't know.

A, a country. Multiple countries. I don't know.

Can we collapse the navigational system on ships?

Can we cover it up enough, and can we take control of ships, and just let people in the upper end know, oh, boy.

Look what they're doing.

I think this is -- that's what this looks like.

This looks like the opening act to a war. A different kind of war.

But a war. That one we're not even allowed to call a war yet!

And what chills me the most is the silence on this.

The mainstream media. They didn't blink on this.

Government assures us, nothing to see here.

Same experts that tell you, that men can have babies. Are telling you, it's just a coincidence.

I'm sorry. Can you show me exactly how this is happening so many times?

Because maybe it is!

But if that's true, maybe we should stop with that kind of navigation system, on these ships! Maybe it's not ready for prime time!

And ideas it always seem to lose power and navigation right around an American bridge!

Right around a Naval ship. A US Naval ship. Or two US bridges.

Why -- why is that happening?

Now, there's a shipping giant, I guess it's Maersk. M-A-E-R-S-K. Right? Maersk. The shipping giant had its entire global system shut down by ransomware in 2017. Did you know that?

The Navy has had ships colliding multiple times since 2016. Again, what was blamed?

Steering loss, or loss of power. Ask the port of Los Angeles, which just last year, was under daily cyber attack from foreign adversaries. You don't need a missile to hit us anymore. You need somebody with a keyboard, and some bad code!

And let me ask you this: What kind of war doesn't even need a tent, just capability?

Because when infrastructure is digitized. When our bridges, our tugboats, our radar systems. Our engine controls, all depend on centralized code. It doesn't take a villain in a cape.

It takes a firmware update.

Or a rogue packet of data from a US bee sting. Remember, before 911, the intelligence community had over 40 separate warnings, that something big was coming. They just didn't connect the dots.

Well, we have several dots here, and they all seem to -- they all seem to lead to the same thing: power or steering loss.

Somebody should solve that, if it's a software, or a -- a hardware problem. Solve that.
How come I'm not hearing about that?

You can't just keep saying, yeah. That's a steering loss. And then we just accept it.

No, this is national security. Is anybody serious about national security? Anybody.

Now, I'm not saying that this was an attack. But this is -- this is exactly what it would look like, if it was.

This looks like a shark attack. Or a shark bump. Except, this time, the shark is seeing how you're going to move.

By us not moving, it makes that foreign shark. Or whoever might be doing it, more apt to eat us.

If we move and harden things, it makes them less apt to eat us.

So when a shark bump with a real shark bump. You don't move.

In this particular scenario, where it could be a foreign adversary, give is us a shark bump. You must move!

And I haven't -- I haven't seen anything, yet.

We need cyber forensics on all of those boats.

Independent experts. Not just the insurers or foreign governments.

Independent experts.

We need an immediate national audit of our port, bridge, and maritime infrastructure vulnerabilities.

So electromagnetic or cyber interference.

And we need -- we need people to at least start investigating the possibility of hybrid sabotage.

I believe we're being tested. Are we going to do the same thing with the 40 things that happened before 9/11.

And not connect the dots.

Or are we going to go, you know, it might not be that.

But we should be all over this.

RADIO

California’s Illegal Aid Plan Crushes Taxpayers

“The Left is becoming so incredibly radical,” Glenn Beck laments in a fiery rant. “Every taxpayer should raise holy hell,” he says, over California’s latest change to its Medi-Cal program. After offering coverage to illegal immigrants, California’s Gavin Newsom has now realized that the program is bankrupting the state even more! But instead of ending it, he just ended SOME of it. California can destroy itself, Glenn says, but the rest of America shouldn’t give a DIME to bail out the state! Glenn also reviews a few more examples of how radical the Left has become: A mob of leftist protesters recently caused a scene at a congressional hearing with RFK Jr., a congresswoman tried to storm into an ICE facility under the guise of “oversight,” and AOC is threatening DHS for doing its job.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: There was some unhinged leftists.

Now, that's a little redundant.

But some unhinged leftists were at the RFK hearing. Where he's -- he's talking to the House appropriations committee.

And some crazy protester erupted, you know, in just what they do.

And if you're watching TheBlaze. I want you to watch this. Or listening to it if you're on the radio.
(music)
(inaudible).

VOICE: It will come to order. Members of the audience, may I remind, disruptions will not be tolerated.

GLENN: I guess they were saying RFK lies, people die. I don't. Maybe it was about Hamas. Maybe it was about too many umbrellas. I don't --

STU: It was. Too many umbrellas.

GLENN: Too many umbrellas?

STU: Far too many umbrellas for sun and for rain?

What is that?

That's everything!
(laughter)

STU: I'm with them, frankly.

Too many.

GLENN: So we have -- so we have JFK -- or RFK.

Now, did you see if you were watching, did you see his reaction?

Watch again just the very beginning of it.

VOICE: RFK!

GLENN: Stop.

STU: He looks terrified. He looks like he's going to be shot.

STU: As a Kennedy, I can see that.

GLENN: Yeah. You don't do that to a Kennedy.

Now, here's what's crazy. These are radical leftists. Stu, when did people stop considering his radical leftist lifetime record?

STU: I don't know. That perplexes anyone on this one.

GLENN: He has been a radical leftist for a very long time.

STU: Yeah. I would think, there's probably examples of other hearings back in the day. Where people were doing that type of protest on his behalf. Right?

Not that he asked for it. But thinking they were aligned with him certainly on climate issues. And now, all of a sudden. I guess you get involved with Donald Trump, and everybody turns.

GLENN: Yeah. So let me go back to the testimony. Cut one, please.

VOICE: So do you agree with the cuts that are being proposed for Medicaid right now?

VOICE: Oh, the cuts. This is -- I don't know if you understand this. Or whether you're just mouthing, you know, the democratic talking points. The cuts to Medicaid are for fraud, waste, and abuse. And I'll tell you what that means. It means, because of DOGE, we were able to determine.

It's about 8 million people, what would be affected.

Because of DOGE, we were able to determine, that there were million people claiming Medicaid from multiple states. It's illegal. It's theft. You're not allowed to do that.

There are another million people that are collecting both you under Obamacare.

VOICE: That has nothing to do with --

GLENN: These are the only cuts that are being made for Medicaid.

VOICE: That's not true.

GLENN: It is. Another million illegal aliens.

We announced a law yesterday. Yesterday, they were not going to pay illegal aliens. Guess what Gavin Newsom did this morning?

He said, we'll take all the illegal aliens off the California Medicaid policy, because the feds aren't paying for them anymore. So the compassionate --

VOICE: Let me focus to you --

GLENN: It's incredible!

How no one is actually listening to facts anymore.

I mean, it's one thing, when you're not listening to facts, you know, from Donald Trump or Joe Biden.

Right? We can argue about facts all day. And we -- whatever.

This is RFK, arguing with Democrats about Medicaid, fraud, abuse, and he's saying, we're just taking people off that are illegally using Medicaid.

Who is against this?

Honestly, again, who is against this?

Now, Gavin Newsom is putting everybody on California aid. Excuse me, California?

How are you going to afford that? Every taxpayer, left, right, center, every taxpayer in California should be raising holy hell. Will they?

STU: No.

GLENN: No. They won't. They won't.

How are you going to pay for that?

Your state is going to collapse economically.

Now, you know why the Democrats are not worried about that, is because that's part of the plan!

That is Cloward and Piven.

Collapse and overwhelm, and collapse the system. And they -- they have already done it. They did it in New York City, back in the '70s. And New York City collapsed. Now they're doing it to states. And it's going to happen the same way.

And I'll be damned if I am going to send my taxpayer dollars to California, because you didn't have the balls or the brains to stand up. Not doing it.

I'm not doing it. Hey, dummy, only one of us is going to be right in the end, about your financial collapse. And everybody who can put two plus two equals four, down on a table, not seven. And even if you show me your work. But four, this is simple math.

You are going to collapse. Why am I going to pay for it?

You come to the United States of America. And you ask us to bail you out. And anybody in Congress, that is from my state, I will -- I will make it my mission to put you out on the street!

I will make it my mission, if you vote to bail California out. But we have to have California.

Do we? Do we?

Do we really?

Honestly, I'm not -- I didn't sign up for a suicide pact. I moved to Texas for a reason.

I didn't -- I didn't want to be a part of the suicide.

Well, no. They're committing suicide. So we all have to. What kind of cult are you in?

My gosh. And -- and look at what the Democrats are doing. Look at what the left is doing.

The left is becoming so incredibly radical, you had in Newark. You had, what was her -- what was her name?

The congresswoman. I wrote it down. Congresswoman, shoot. Something.

La Monica MacGyver.

This week on MacGyver. We assault ICE agents in Newark, New Jersey. So MacGyver went out.

Congresswoman goes out. And is pretty clear.

Assaults these officers. And tries to storm in, as part of oversight.

That wasn't oversight. That wasn't oversight.

You know what it really was? Pray setup.

Because I want you to play the AOC comment from a couple of days ago. Where she commented on this. Because Homan says -- in fact, play Homan first. No one is above the law. Listen to this.

VOICE: Did you want the Congresswoman, who was caught on camera, assaulting ICE agents, to be arrested for that?

VOICE: No one is above the law. (inaudible). We put our lives on the line for you. Be smart. The safety and security of -- some of the worst -- you can't destroy the city. I said day one, you can not support ICE. You can support Century City. Shame on you. But don't cross that line.

GLENN: Okay. So the government, you know, now the government that is sane, at least is saying, look, I don't care who you are. Right, left, pink, purple, black, white. It doesn't matter. You assault a police officer, you go to jail. But that's just something I've always grown up with.

STU: What about January 6th, Beck? January 6th. You didn't like those people go to jail.

GLENN: Yeah. I will have another conversation with you, about the rule of law and due process. But that's for a different time.

Now, what are they doing?

Now AOC comes out with this warming.

VOICE: And now what DHS is trying to say. Again, they're using public intimidation. Because they know they can't come for us all. Then know they can't come for us all. And recently, what they said is that DHS is looking into arresting members of Congress. Who are showing up for their legal and constitutional obligation to conduct oversight.

If is breaking the law in this situation. It's not members of Congress.

It's the Department of Home Security.

It's people like Tom Homan, and Secretary Kristi Noem.

You lay a finger on someone -- on Representative Homan on representative -- or any of the representatives that were here, you lay a finger on them, we are going to have a problem. Because the people who are breaking the law. Are the people who are not abiding by it.

GLENN: Oh.

VOICE: And it is enshrined in the law, that members of Congress, who show up to ICE and CBP facilities are required to be granted access. Legally required to be granted access. And they legally cannot be inhibited from accessing these facilities, to conduct their constitutional obligation, to -- to investment and conduct oversight.

So if Kristi Noem wants to break the law.

That's on her.

GLENN: Okay.

STU: How can anyone take this person seriously?

GLENN: I know. I know.

STU: They just did a poll. Who was the face of the Democratic Party? She was number one. This complete moron, bartender from five years ago.

GLENN: Her.

STU: Is the face of the party now. Which, I mean, is perfectly just.

GLENN: It's reasonable.

STU: It should be.

GLENN: If you've been watching the Democratic Party, it's reasonable that she would be the leader now.

They're socialist. They're stupid. They're nothing, but activists.

They're nothing, but chosen puppets. For I don't know who is pulling all the strings on the democratic party. But that's who she is. She's just a little puppet. She's just a little chosen puppet. Hey. You know what, bartender, we can make you a star.

And we have that all backed up. We did a show on her, early on.

How she was selected.

How she was elected. I mean, she was selected. She's a little puppet.

It makes total sense. That she's the face of the Democratic Party.

Glenn's Show Prep

EXCLUSIVE: Jim DeMint Weighs in on Russia and His New Role at Convention of States

What an FBI source told me about Epstein's death

Transcript

Glenn Beck: America is ONE STEP AWAY from COLLAPSE

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Could Mexican Ship Crash Expose Deadly Cyber Sabotage?

Transcript

California’s Illegal Aid Plan Crushes Taxpayers

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