BLOGJune 28, 2017

Glenn's 'Really Weird Life' Led Him to You—And He's Listening

Starting in radio at the tender age of 13, Glenn's best friend used to be a microphone---because it never rejected him, never judged him. Radio has been his therapy, allowing him to process and think out loud. While that has gotten him into trouble at times, there's been a huge silver lining.

"I did Top 40 radio most of my life, and I was pretending. I hated it back in the '90s. I was done because it was fake. And then I started saying some risky things, trying to destroy my career --- and I found my career, because I wasn't saying risky things just to say risky things. I was just telling you how I really felt. And I found you. I found that there are millions of people that feel exactly like I do, but we never say it out loud because we feel alone," Glenn said on radio.

Glenn opened the phone lines Wednesday to listen to the people who have forever changed him for the better.

"You have inspired me. You are the best --- and I mean this sincerely --- you are the best group of people I have ever met. I will put you up against the greatest flock of church people, the greatest flock of environmentalists. I'll put you against anyone, and you will be there --- quiet, humble, kind, serving each other, serving others," Glenn said.

Looking for a new way to serve his audience, Glenn has done a lot of introspective thinking of late. While all of the answers aren't clear just yet, one thing revealed itself.

"I believe in you, but I haven't been good at listening to you," Glenn said. "My job is to try to solve things, to tell you what things mean. And in trying to do that, I've failed to listen. So today, I want to listen to you," Glenn said.

Enjoy the complimentary clip or read the transcript for details.

GLENN: Hello, America. Welcome to the program. Phil Donahue said earlier this week -- he was talking to the media, and he said, "The best thing the media can do is start listening." He said, "In particular, people need to listen to the angry Trump voter."

I love that. Listen to the angry Trump voter. How many people in America are angry? I would say, I don't know, 90 percent.

We need to start listening, no matter who they voted for, to the people who feel disenfranchised. Who feel oppressed. And not because of their gender, not because of something that happened to their great, great grandfather. Not because they can't afford school. But people who actually feel oppressed because their voice is never heard. And there isn't anybody really representing them. And they've tried. And they've tried to lead a decent life. And they've tried to be a good person. They've tried to play by the rules. And now those rules are being turned upside down, and they're going, "Wait. What -- what have I done?" That's going to get worse. As pensions start to go down -- you've worked your whole life, your union and your politician told you, your pension is going to be fine. And they kept promising more and more. And you paid -- you paid into that. And you trusted.

And now if you live in places like Illinois, the entire state budget is taken up by the pensions. That's not going to work. That's not going to happen. How are those people going to feel? How are you going to feel? My pension, if you will, the only thing I've ever paid into was Social Security. When I was eight, I knew I wasn't going to get a Social Security payment. The math doesn't work. An eighth grader could figure that out. I've never counted on my Social Security. But, boy, my parents did. And it screwed them at the end of the life. And that's when it was still, quote, working.

You know, I live a really weird life. A really weird life. I have done radio since I was 13 years old. This little piece of now aluminum, I used to describe it as my best friend because it never rejected me. It never judged me. I could say anything to it.

In some ways, this radio program is a therapy session for me. Because I think out loud. It gets me in trouble a lot. I say the things I'm thinking. And my staff knows when we're writing a book or I'm working like I'm working now, I'm working on some theories, I will say the same thing over and over and over again, but it will be slightly different every time because I'm thinking it through.

And in that process, I found you. I did Top 40 radio most of my life. And I was pretending. I was -- I was -- I would watch radio shows from all over the country and listen to radio shows. And I would emulate -- I would make it into a formula. I would write, and I would spit out lines. And play the hits. "Hmm. That's great!"

And I hated it back in the '90s. I was done because it was fake. And then I started saying some risky things, trying to destroy my career. And I found my career. Because I wasn't saying risky things to say risky things. I was just telling you how I really felt. And I found you. And I found, there are millions of people that feel exactly like I do. But we never say it out loud because we feel alone.

You have inspired me. You are the best -- and I mean this sincerely -- you are the best group of people I have ever met. I will put you up against the greatest flock of church people, the greatest flock of environmentalists. I'll put you against anyone, and you will be there, quiet, humble, kind, serving each other, serving others. And then when we all leave, the place will be cleaner than it was before. I think I've actually been with you, and someone has a lawn mower in their purse because the lawn seemed to be mowed after we leave.

I've always said, after 9/11 -- and I don't know what made me say this, but I know it to be true. This audience is going to be the audience that historians and time will remember as the key -- as the group of people that turn the corner in the darkest of nights and saved freedom.

I don't know how that happens. My life has become this weird thing where I can't trust anybody. Tania recently has banned all new people and -- and -- and non-family members from our house. And it's like, I've seen my wife's heart harden in the last year. And I hate it.

I had a businessperson come up to me in my company the other day, about three weeks ago. Said, "Glenn, you can't change who you are." I'm a really trusting guy. You know this from interviews. I actually like everybody the first time I meet them. I love them.

Al Sharpton, I liked him. And then I met him more than once, and I'm like, "Okay. I can see the good in you, and you can't see the good in you, Al. You've -- you've become this guy who is just -- there is good in you. And you've traded that good, because you don't believe in it enough. You don't think you're powerful enough. And so you're -- you've traded it."

I haven't been able to travel the country and be with you. You know, we used to, oh, some -- what? Forty nights on the road every year. Fifty nights on the road. Sometimes twice a year we would do it. And I loved meeting you and being close to you because I could hear you. We don't take phone calls usually on this program. Rarely.

That has to change. I believe in you. But I haven't been good at listening to you.

I learned this from my wife. I'll come home and she'll say -- she'll say, "Oh, my day, blah, blah. And then the kids at school. And then this happened. And then I had to go here." And I'll listen and I'll be like -- halfway through, I'll be like, "You know what, honey, you know what we need to do. Blah, blah, blah." And she just looks at me, like, "What the hell you doing?" And then now because, I mean, I'm an expert in marriage. I've been married twice. Okay? I have twice the experience with women! So trust me, I know.

And what I realized is men try to solve things. Women don't want you to solve it. Just listen to me.

My job is to try to solve things, to tell you what things mean. And in trying to do that, I've failed to listen.

So today, I want to listen to you. And here's what I really want to know from you now: I want to know what's changed in your life since 2006. Has your life gotten better? Your life gotten worse? Do you feel more informed, less informed?

Is there anybody or anything that you trust anymore? Who are the people that you trust? Where do you find hope? What are you feeling about social media? Is there anywhere you go that you feel like, "Now I'm with friends?" I asked this on Facebook a couple nights ago, some of these questions and more. I'd like you to go read, but I'd really like you to post.

Mac Ryan wrote, he said: I feel like somebody whose opinion doesn't matter. I'm 27. I'm a conservative in Austin. I'm a Christian. It's been very difficult to find and hold down a job that's sustainable. I battle pretty bad depression on a constant basis since I was 12. I came to faith in the spring of 2012. Best decision I've ever made.

However, there are things that haven't been so great for me, health-wise. When I was financially able to, I would donate my paycheck every two weeks to the Nazarene Fund.

You know how many people in this audience I hear things like that from? People who serve and sacrifice, beyond ways that I even understand.

If war truly breaks out, I will fight for my faith, I will fight for my country. But I've lost friends. Not physically. My father and I now don't talk at all. I'm really introverted.

Being conservative here in Austin is extremely difficult. The city is a liberal's paradise. I guess I'll be moving soon. As far as trusting the media, I don't, for the most part.

That's the kind of story that I'm hearing over and over again. And the other thread that I'm hearing every single time: I can't afford my health insurance anymore.

RADIO

FBI whistleblower WARNS about agent investigating 2nd Trump assassination attempt

The FBI is investigating the incident at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida as a second assassination attempt against Donald Trump. But is the FBI trustworthy to lead this investigation? FBI whistleblower Steve Friend, who exposed what really happened in the FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid, joins Glenn Beck to expose how the SAME FBI office is handling this investigation! And even worse, the Special Agent in charge was previously in charge of an anti-whistleblower division. To top it all off, he also reportedly had to cleanse his Facebook page of all his anti-Trump posts! So, why is he the agent now in charge of investigating an alleged attempt on Trump's life?! And should we even trust the FBI as a whole after it helped concoct the Russian collusion hoax and suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: All right. Let me talk to Steve Friend. Steve is a whistle-blower with the FBI. He has -- they have made his life miserable.

But he doesn't care. He's doing the right thing. He's one of the -- he's one of the good guys that used to see, and you used to believe that existed in places like the FBI. He really is that guy.

True blue. Cares about the country and the Constitution. He blew the whistle on the -- on the FBI in Florida.

When they went full S.W.A.T. on Mar-a-Lago. Which we know now, was absolutely unnecessary.

And way out of protocol.

Steve is with us now. Because I wanted to get him on. Because the guy who authorized that, and then dummied evidence up, is the guy in charge now, of the FBI's investigation of this shooter.

How good does that make you feel, Steve?

STEVE: Oh, well. I mean, it actually goes a little bit deeper than that, Glenn. With the media, you need the old chalkboard out here, to explain to the audience.

This is for Jeffrey Veltri. And for your audience's edification, before he assumed his post in FBI Miami, as a special agent in charge.

He was the deputy assistant director of the security division of the FBI. That's the branch that's going after the whistle-blowers. And from that post, he actually said that, whistle-blowers, that they were looking to perch on the ranks, were people that were military veterans. Because he thought they were disloyal.

As well as people who attended regular religious worship ceremonies, as opposed to the coronavirus vaccine.

And then when the word came down, he was going to go to the FBI Miami office.

Christopher Wray and deputy director Paula Bait, and executive assistant director Jen Moore, also another person who -- was involved in getting rid of all the whistle-blowers.

Said that he had to cleanse his Facebook account of all the anti-Trump vitriol that he publicly put out there.

And how he was in a position of authority on the FBI Miami office.

And that's just the office that has the responsibility for investigating the latest assassination attempt.

GLENN: So you think the guy who wanted to purge the FBI of military people, religious people, and Trump supporters, might not do an honest investigation? Is that what I'm hearing Steve?

STEVE: Well, I mean, throw out a little sarcasm here, Glenn. But at the same time, this is the agency that looked at the 2017 Congressional baseball shooting, where a Bernie Sanders supporter showed up, as for other Republicans, then proceeded to try to kill 10 percent of the Republican caucus. And the FBI investigated and said, it was not an assassination attempt. That was suicide by cop.

GLENN: Steve, what has to happen to the FBI?

I -- I was unfortunately, I -- made a statement. Right after my wife called me. And she said, have you heard the news?

And I said, oh, dear God, what?

And she said, they tried to kill the president again.

And then I had people ask me for comments and everything else. So I rushed to X. I shouldn't have.

And made a -- made a statement that was just raw, and then Spaces asked me to come on and make another statement. And that was even more raw.

I shouldn't have done it. I was really, really upset about this. But at some point, I calmed down in the interview. I said, we have to -- we have to fumigate all of the federal government. I mean, if you really wanted to do this right, to return it to factory settings, you have to shut it down, and restart again.

You know, turn it on and turn it back -- turn it off, and turn it back on again. And restore the factory settings to the Constitution.

These things have to be fumigated. They just have to be out. All of these people need to be fired.

Even the good ones. Because we don't know who is good and bad. And we have to start from scratch.

Is that what it's going to take, Steve?

STEVE: 100 percent.

And this goes back to when we were first introduced a couple years ago, and I told you, one of my greatest concerns was that the FBI was going to be one of the major contributors to the boiling pot.

They continued to raise the temperature, and have what's happened within the country.

And the FBI had convinced half of one side, that the other half wants to kill them because they're Nazi terrorists and extremists. And the FBI has just followed suit. They have become more and more politicized.

And if you did not know anything else, and I'm done talking about the good men and women of the FBI. If you don't know anything else about the FBI, and I told you, as an American taxpayer, are you willing to give $12 billion to an organization, which in 2016, took a fake dossier, to a fake counterintelligence investigation of a candidate, and then eventual President Trump.

People opened an illegal Pfizer wiretaps.

Then used those illegal Pfizer wiretaps to find out in 2020, about the ne'er-do-well son of then candidate Joe Biden, having a laptop that was already in the FBI's investigation.

And they stood idly by, at 51 intelligence officials, saying it was Russian disinformation. And then went to social media companies, that told them it was sensitive information.

Essentially to generate a talking point for a presidential debate. You would say, that's a secret police force. Of the republic. We have to control, alt, delete it.

GLENN: Let me ask you, did you see Merrick Garland's speech last week?

STEVE: I did unfortunately. But I was grateful that Tulsi Gabbard reached out to me, and highlight the fact that this is a completely broken and weaponized Department of Justice.

That should also be on the chopping block.

GLENN: Tulsi Gabbard has just been so great.

I just love her.

You know, I saw her say, it was hard not to laugh, if it wasn't so true.

But had he -- this speech that he gave last week, that they are on the up and up. That there's no -- no corruption.

And he won't hear of the good men and women of the Justice Department.

This is -- you have to be insane, Steve.

You have to be insane.

To believe what this government is telling you now, about all of these things.

STEVE: Well, I mean, you have half of the country, that's convinced that the other half is radical, and rabid. And they've been told that for the last eight years.

And because they had preferred the Republican candidate for president in the last two presidential elections. And the Department of Justice is the key on the attack dog. And they are sending out their forces.

Their storm troopers in force, to go after the perceived political enemies of the current administration.

And that includes 89-year-old women who are concentration camp survivors that were praying outside of abortion clinics. And it includes guys like my friend Garrett O'Boyle, who came forward for the right reason at the right time, and made a nonpartisan whistle-blower disclosure.

And he was recommended for perjury charges. When in fact, there's actual evidence, that that was not true.

I was grateful also, that TheBlaze, Joe Hanneman and Steve Baker contributed to his story, highlighting that last week.

GLENN: Did you see, what Robert F. Kennedy said on Saturday?

He's now being investigated for something that happened 20 years ago.

He said, I received a letter from the national March even fisherman's newt. Saying they were investigating me. For collect a whale specimen man, 20 years ago. Now, how does that happen, I mean, at this time, if it isn't the weaponization of government?

STEVE: He doesn't. This is just more evidence, that I don't know what is going to require us to incentivize our elected officials, to actually come to the conclusion, that going after RFK, going after an 89-year-old concentration camp survivor. For them to say, that we have to avert a government shutdown.

Is effectively saying, it is a better outcome for the government to go after individuals like RFK. Rather than have us go through a temporary partial government shutdown.

That looked a lot like Labor Day weekend. And I think the American people -- I don't know how that weekends you to the government being shut down partially, but I think it's more of an optimal solution, that it just hasn't been put forward by the people that we elected. And they pledged to us, that they would end weaponization, and it hasn't happened, in the two years that it's been upheld.

GLENN: Can you tell me, Steve, last question.

What are the questions that have to be answered on this shooting?

STEVE: I want to know, how an individual was posted up at a golf course. Because there's no reason, that he would be out there inspecting it, unless he was out there every single take.

So there's either some sort of operational security issue, or there was some sort of coordination. I was willing. And actually, took the belief, that Butler, Pennsylvania, was due to the myth of competence of the Secret Service.

It just hasn't been tested for four decades. It had lots of failures that always was on. But the fact that this guy was able to be there, at a time when Donald Trump -- who doesn't play golf there, every single day.

GLENN: No. No, no, no.

And it was not on his schedule. It was not on his schedule, that he would be at Mar-a-Lago. Although. You could make, it would be a reasonable -- he has a day off from the campaign. It's a reasonable sumptuous.

Him playing golf. CNN has now verified, that was a last-minute edition. So how did this guy know that?

STEVE: That's a huge question. And it's also the fact that that's a regular location for him to go.

And since he's been in public office, the last almost decade now. You would think there would be additional security measures now. That is just regular threat assessment to harden that place.

And it was not like he was at a Dustin National (phonetic), or he saw -- no, they're entirely different golf courses.

No, that's his regular place. And they did not do that. That's a security failure. The fact that he was able to be there, at that time and at that place.

What people don't understand is three to 500 yards. If you're playing golf, that's far. If you're shooting a rifle, that's barely reaching out, and touching someone by the nose.

GLENN: Thank you very much, Steve.

I appreciate it. Thank you for everything you've done. A man who has been dragged through the mud. And his life made a living hell, just because he tried -- stood up, at the FBI and said, no.

This is wrong. I won't do that. A whistle-blower extraordinaire, Steve Friend.

RADIO

REACTION: Something is VERY OFF about the 2nd Trump assassination attempt

Former president Donald Trump was allegedly targeted for assassination a second time over the weekend, this time at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Glenn takes a close look at all that we currently know, and things look VERY suspicious. Glenn asks the questions the state-run media won't: Why did the potential attacker bring a Go-Pro and body armor (misleadingly referred to by the media as "ceramic tiles")? How did he even know Trump would be golfing at that time? Did the Secret Service actually do its job? Did the suspect, with all his ties to Ukraine and history of media interviews and donations to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, have any outside help?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, we'll all remember where we were when they tried to kill the president, the second time! Here's an idea.

What do you say, we just go to the ballot box? What do you say?

We're 50 days away? Can we take the next seven weeks and not try to assassinate somebody in this country? You want to talk about a banana republic. Gang, we're here.

I will tell you, I'm not doing the show today, that I had planned.

Because I was meeting with the president on Saturday. And he said something off-handed to me. And I was going in a direction of research on something.

And he said, Glenn, I think there is something that is bigger than the economy.

Right now. And he said, the economy, we're killing them on the economy.

He said with they have been no place to go on the economy. They have no record on the economy.

He said, but what's happening now in our cities with and be what's happening in Ohio. And elsewhere. In -- in Denver. He said, I think this is actually a bigger thing than the economy.

And he is absolutely right.

If you know some of the things that we've been doing research on.

Chris Rufo has already done his research on this.

This is something that they've known about. Well, I'll get into it, not today. Well, we'll probably get into it a little bit tomorrow.

But today, I have to talk about, a would-be assassin. Now, this one seems to be miraculous. You know, God saved, I believed. It was a miracle that Donald Trump turned his head, and -- and the bullet missed him. And only nicked his ear. Instead of going right to the center of his head. And all of us having clear, clear high-definition evidence of the president's head exploding. Live.

So I think God saved him. From the last one.

God may have saved him from this one, as well.

But this one was a miracle, in the darkest of ways, as well.

First, let me tell you what happened. Early reports said that police recovered an AK-47 from the bushes outside of the golf course, where the president was golfing, as well as a GoPro recording device. Now, why would you have a GoPro recording device?

Why would you have it attached to the fence, pointed out at the putting green? Why would you have that?

Unless you were planning on recording that, so that your deeds would live forever. Now, my question is: Is there anything else already reported on the GoPro? Is there maybe a statement? Because why would you record your deeds, without recording a message for all to hear? So I would like to know what was on the GoPro, if anything. But this guy obviously had an agenda.

Now, he, according to the press, oh. He was all wound up because of Trump's rhetoric. Was he now?

We'll get to that in a second stop they caught him, after he was in the bushes. And a Secret Service agent, was eagle-eyed enough, to spot the barrel of a gun, coming out from the bushes. This guy had taken two backpacks, and tied them to the fence. And they were on each side of where he would have been sitting, and the barrel of the gun, would have been right between them.

Now, it's really curious. I mean, I know the media, they're so smart. They know what everything means. They reported that he had ceramic tiles in his backpack. And I immediately thought, I thought he was a roofer? Not somebody that was going to lay tile in bathrooms. No! Could they explain what ceramic tiles mean? I know, because I've had to wear them. From time to time.

A ceramic tile is what you put inside the bulletproof vest, if you are expecting a chest shot. A bulletproof vest will not stop a high-powered rifle. However, ceramic tile will. So he put ceramic tile in his backpacks, right where he would have been crouched. With the gun. So he was expecting a shoot-out. Okay.

How did this Secret Service agent see it? I don't know. But I want to believe and take it at face value. That he was doing his job.

The reason why I say this time I believe it, at least this time I want to believe that that agent was doing his job. Is because I was with the president on Saturday. And I said on X, and I don't know where else I said it on Saturday, this is very first time I have seen the Secret Service in 15 years, actually do their job.

I have sat behind Mitt Romney, pass the Secret Service, with the guy next to me, and a gun in his back.

They missed it. I have come through security doors, that were supposed to be secure. And went past all of the Secret Service passage. All of their security. Went behind them, around them. And walked right directly to the president.

Now, if I can do that, who can't?

And I've been railing about this, for 15 years. Saturday was the first time, I thought Secret Service was taking it seriously.

There was no way, you were getting into the event that I was in, unless you were an invited guest, or you were supposed to be there.

And there was no way, you were getting close to the president.

So what happened?

Well, I want to believe, that -- I want to believe that the Secret Service was doing their job. There were two holes. One or two holes ahead of the president. And he was scoping it out. And he looks and he sees the barrel of a gun through the bushes. There's then a shoot-out. Apparently, they were shooting at each other. They were not shooting at the president.

I don't know, because things are still unclear. The reason why we caught him, is because somebody saw him run out of the bushes. And then get into his car. Somebody with the wherewithal to write down the plate number, and be able to remember what the car was.

They called police immediately. Said, here's the plate number. Here's what the car looks like. And because we have new AI, all over the freeways. All over our roads. It could read license plate numbers. Identify the car. And they found him almost immediately. Stopped him on the how.

They arrested him.

So now, now what?

Well, who is he?

Well, the first person. Well, as soon as the name was released, the Guardian was the first place to actually find his son.

His son is -- was, I believe, in Florida.

And they called him. His name is Orin Ralph. They called him, he picked up the phone. He hadn't heard the news. And he was asked for a comment. And he said, well, this is the first I've heard about it. Was my father shot or injured?

He then said, his father hates Donald Trump, as, quote, every reasonable person does.

Hmm. Okay. All right. He said, I don't like Trump either.

Now, this is just -- this is his immediate response, after hearing that his father tried to kill the president, he then says, well, he hates him just like every reasonable person, and I hate him too.

Oh, okay. But he said, his dad was not a violent person, and couldn't believe his father would target the president. He's my dad, and all that he's had is a couple of traffic tickets, as far as I know.

That's crazy. I know my dad. I love my dad, and that's nothing like him.

Is it? Is it really? Nothing like him. You know your dad?

Hmm. Hmm. Okay. Now, he said, I've got to go. Because I have to get more information. But I don't know any more, because weed a falling out. We've grown apart.

But he's not a violent person. He's a hardworker. He's a great dad. He's a great dude. He's a nice guy, who worked his whole F-ing life.

I've never known him to even own a gun or known him to do anything like this.

Okay. Well, I don't think you know your dad. I don't think you know your dad.

Because your dad seeming -- the evidence seems to point, that it was the same guy, with the same name. In the same state.

That barricaded himself into his office, a gun.

And that gun, well, the FBI said it was a weapon of mass destruction.

It was a fully automatic machine gun.

So he went to prison. Or, I'm sorry. Went to jail.

He was convicted. Of having a weapon of mass destruction.

Now, wow. That seems like that should have been a long sentence. But it wasn't. It wasn't.

And if you are -- if you're caught with an automatic weapon, and you don't have a -- a stamp for it.

A tag for it.

Well, then you are. You go to prison usually 20 years.

I don't know why he didn't go to jail for 20 years. But he didn't.

And then he got out. Now, remember, his dad is just a peaceful person.

Then he got out. And started to recruit people, to go to Ukraine!

To fight in Ukraine!

Now, this is where it gets really interesting.

By the way, after the son did verify that, yep, that is his dad.

He -- he made a public statement.

He said, I hate this game, every four years. And I think we all do. And if my father wants to be a martyr, to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that's his choice.

So see, that sounds like you're excusing your dad's actions.

I'm not saying that what he's done or what he's about, that's just my own rant, about being fed up with all of it, for my entire life.

South park said it best, every four years, we're forced to choose between a giant turd sandwich and a giant douche. And it all stays f'ed in the same ways by different degrees, and we're exhausted and embarrassed by it all.

Hmm. So the ends justifies the means, is what I'm hearing here.

Well, thank you for stopping by Saul Alinsky. Well, let me get back to who this guy is.

Because I have Eric Prince coming up in about half an hour. He's the guy who said to Ron DeSantis, you should take this investigation in-house, because I don't think you should just trust the FBI on it.

And, thank you, Eric. Neither do I.

RADIO

Why a Kamala Harris presidency would be DEVASTATING for small businesses

Would a Kamala Harris presidency destroy small businesses? Small business expert Carol Roth joins Glenn to make the case: "They want to kill the gig economy and all the small businesses that depend on independent contractors in favor of unions and big business. So, it's very difficult to say, 'I am the small business, I am the worker candidate,' and still be in favor of these things." Carol compares this to "McDonald's being pro-cow." She also explains why Harris' claim that 19 million new business applications have been filed since she and Joe Biden took office is incredibly misleading.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Okay. But, Carol, she does have some things she can boast about.

The small business success. She claims a record of 19 million small business applications were received, under their leadership.

And that's a record, I hear. That's what they say.

CAORL: Okay. So this is -- I think most people know, who listen to me on your program. That I'm one of the world's leading experts on small business.

I've been entrenched for decades. I heard this -- this thing. This small business application.

And I went around, to every group that I know. And I said, what is a small business application?

Because when I started my business, I didn't have to apply, at the federal level.

You know, historically, I had an LLC. I registered that with the state. Some people had sole pro proprietorship. What does this mean?

Because we have 33 million plus businesses. But that only grows on net. Less than a million a year. So how is it possible that we have 19 million new application starts. And so far, no one has really been able to give me an answer. I have one -- one committee, you know, related to the House, who thinks that maybe there's an information that came from the state census data. I asked them. They actually are having a committee hearing. And I asked them, if they could ask, the FDA administrator. And putting her on the hot seat. Because they're running around, touting these made-up statistics to sound like they're some champion of small business. At the same time, Glenn, NFIB came out with their fall business optimism index today.

The 30-second consecutive months, that small business optimism has been below the historical average. And that's a 50-year average.

GLENN: Well, that's because they fear Donald Trump is coming back.

CAORL: For 32 months, yes.

GLENN: It's crazy. Because I see this number, of 19 million small businesses. And I -- and I am like, I thought, that was just because of all the businesses, that they had put out of business. They're like, starting up new businesses. So I just thought, they were taking credit. Like they do with all the job creation.

We've created more jobs. No, you didn't. People went back to work. You had told them, you cannot work.

So, of course, there were people going back to work.

But you're saying, this isn't that, at all. This is possibly even made up.

CAORL: Yeah. It's -- it's something that nobody knows really what it means. It certainly is not a prop -- it's not a prop for new small businesses created, which is what they're intimating. And we know the number of small businesses, you know, a year ago, was 32-point-something million, and then it climbed to 33-point-something million.

You know, yes, that's on that. Unless they're killing a million small businesses a year, which we know, they're certainly trying. But I don't think they've succeeded in doing it yet. That this is an absolute -- it's just, you know, spouting off nonsense.

And they're doing this, you know, again and again to gaslight people. Into things are so great. We're so in your corner. But at the same time, she's coming out, and she's tweeting about anti-small business policies.

Like, the Pro Act, that she said she's going to put in place. Which, for people who don't know, that's the anti-gig worker and anti-independent contractor language from California's 85 (phonetic) taken nationally. And they want to kill the gig economy and all the small businesses that depend on independent contractors, in favor of unions and big business.

So it's very difficult, to say, I am the small business. I am the worker candidate.

And still be in favor of these things. Which is why I equate it to being like McDonald's being pro-Catholic.

GLENN: You know, it is -- as a small business owner myself.

I look at tomorrow. And think, if they get in, the regulations, just the regulations, alone, that are still sitting out there, that they want to impose.

Will just crush small businesses.

These guys, you know, they used to say, well, the -- the Republicans are in with big business.

Well, then we're also in with small business too.

You know, they had a business attitude.

These guys are only big business.

They are only in with the giant global corporations.

That's all they care about. And it's honestly, like they're trying to impoverish, the small business.

And impoverish the middle class.

Without moving any of the middle class up. They're moving them all down.

CAORL: Yeah. I'm glad that you brought up regulations.

Because as I mentioned, there's this House Committee meeting right now.

And they came out with a report earlier this year, that the Biden-Harris agenda. Imposed $1.7 trillion in regulations on small businesses.

Ask that was before we've had some of these pending regulations, go into place. So I am certain, that that's higher.

And that is millions upon millions of hours that are wasted. That is dollars that are wasted.

And that's a barrier to success. You know, we keep hearing this ridiculous phrase, the opportunity economy.

Well, if you want to create opportunity, you reduce war about barriers. You reduce regulations.

You reduce taxes. You reduce the government being up in your business.

And you have the government minding their own business.

So that you can go off and work in your business.

That is what it is all about.

GLENN: You know, I know that our audience is heavy on entrepreneurs.

And people who have done business for a long time.

But there's also a younger generation that listens.

And explain, why regulations hurt opportunity.

CAORL: They hurt opportunity. Because number one, they're costly. Two, you're spending time, complying with the regulation, instead of spending the time working and growing your business.

And the challenge is that if you are a big company. If you're the Amazons of the world. If you're the Walmarts of the world. You have -- not only a whole balance sheet to deal with this.

You have a whole host of people in your company. Whether it's HR. Or whether it's some other administrative functions that can deal with these regulations.

When it comes to small business, the majority, greater majority of small businesses. It's just beyond -- so it's one person, who is already wearing all of those hats trying to deal with this. Even if you have some employees, you don't have the wherewithal, the ability. You're struggling enough to deal with inflation, finding the right workers, you know, remaining competitive, dealing with cyber security and the like. You don't have time, and you don't have the bandwidth. And you don't have capital, to deal with these regulations.

And some of them are so onerous, that people want to close their business. Something that we've been talking about, Glenn, for months now.

That the corporate transparency act, which is this registration, with the financial crimes division of the Treasury. I've had hundreds upon hundreds of small business owners, and people looking to start small businesses, saying that they don't want to. They want to close their business. They don't want to start.

Because they don't want to deal with the asymmetrical risk of having their information exposed or the government coming after them, for doing something wrong.

So because the government is imposing this regulation, which, by the way, is still in flux.

It's preventing these entrepreneurs from taking those risks. And creating opportunity. Which creates jobs. Which creates more dollars in their community. Which grows the economy.

Which is what we need, to move ourself forward. This is so obvious.

But all they want to do is take away wealth. Create barriers. Redistribute it. And make it revery challenging. For a small business owner, to succeed.

GLENN: You -- I think it was you, Carol.

Said, oh, maybe six months ago, we were talking. And you said, Glenn, most of the stuff that they've done, doesn't really kick in until 2025.

So we haven't felt the full impact, of Bidenomics yet. Was that you that said that to me.

CAORL: Quite probably. Quite probably.

GLENN: Okay. So what is it that is coming still, that we haven't felt. Describe next year. Just as it stands, without any new policies. If we just continued where we are?

CAORL: Well, as I said, the House small business committee, is doing a markup on seven different pieces of legislation, trying to overturn, you know, all of these stringent rules for small business. The corporate transparency act. We have until the end of the year, for that to go into effect. If there's no delay. Which, by the way, there's two delay bills. Two repeal bills.

And seven lawsuits. If we don't get that done by the end of the year. Then people are going to be seen as compliant. Then on top of that. You know, we have the tax cuts and jobs act, you know, large pieces of that, is expiring and changing the way the small businesses have to look at their taxes and figure out, you know, what makes them -- from an administrative standpoint. So, you know -- and that's, again, scratching the surface.

So, you know, one after another, there are things in the pipeline. And then if Kamala Harris were to become president.

Again, day one. They will try to rule by executive order. One of the other things, you know, this Department of Labor rule. Very tight. Independent contractor world.

That went into effect in March. They haven't truly been enforcing it yet. I haven't seen much in the way of enforcement. But if they start to crack down on that, that is something that could kill all of the small business across -- across-the-board.

So there are just so many different things, and it's challenging enough to own your own business.

As you know, the small business owner. To not constantly having to be worried about what the next shoe that is going to drop, coming from your own government.

GLENN: Carol, one last question. I would like to take a one-minute break. And then I would like you to come back and talk about. They're talking about a 50-basis point drop in the interest rate in loans.

Some people say, that's really good.

Some people say, that could collapse everything. Can you -- can you explain if that's a good thing or a bad thing, at this point?

Carol Roth is with us. So tell me about the options the fed have, has now.

What's happened with employment. Why they might be dropping the interest rate.

And is it a good thing or a bad thing?

CAORL: Well, so I have always contented that the fed, didn't have the right tools, to address inflation.

And inflation was coming from the pie constraints, not demand. That the Fed really focus on his demand. And after 15 years of zero interest rate policy. That it wasn't them, that changed much of what was going on.

In terms of demand for new loans. Et cetera.

But they have taken up the interest rate very high.

And a lot of people in the market.

A lot of investors, feel like they are behind the curve, in terms of normalizing policy.

Because they don't want to keep it so restrictive, that they cause a recession.

That's the concern all along.

So now that inflation has come down on a headline number. We know cumulatively, it's up over 20 percent. And that's what Americans are contending with. But from a policy standpoint, they see that inflation is coming down. And they see that the labor market, hmm, isn't quite as robust as they had hoped. So they are trying to address policy, to, you know, quash any recessionary outcomes. That's really what they're trying to do.

They have a couple choices. Right? They can do nothing as they have done for quite a while. They can deliver a cut and now they're deciding between --

GLENN: We have about a minute.

CAORL: -- a half a percent. And a quarter percent.

A half of percent may be bad news for them.

Because it may give the market a signal, that things are worse off, than they are.

So I think they will be a little bit more cautious. And go for that 25-basis point or whatever percent cut.

GLENN: All right. So you don't think that it will -- unless it's 50 basis points, I don't think that it will be a bad thing. Other than signaling that things might be worse than they thought.

CAORL: Right. And it's a much bigger signal at 50, than it is at 25, given where we stand with all the data. But I know you have limited time. We can get into this in another day.

GLENN: Yeah. And I'm not sure that anybody will want to open up the purse strings at this point.

I think everybody is waiting to see, what will happen, you know, with the -- with presidential election. I mean, because we're going one way or the other. And they're in opposite directions.

So it's kind of a scary place to be, as an investor, or a small businessperson. Or just, you know, a regular worker, in America today.

Carol, thank you so much. Carol Roth.

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