BLOGAugust 14, 2017

GOP Senate Candidate: We Need to Send 'a Huge Message to the Establishment'

President Donald Trump and Republicans need to remember what they promised the American people during the election. The Senate must send a “huge message to the establishment” about keeping promises like repealing Obamacare, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) said on radio Monday.

During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to undo the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, and Republicans up and down the ballot swore they would repeal the Affordable Care Act in order to win votes. These key promises and other campaign talking points have not yet been turned into action by Republicans, who now hold the White House as well as the House and Senate.

“I am baffled again,” Brooks said of Trump’s inability to follow through on the Iran deal promise.

Brooks, who is running for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, said he would bring limited-government principles to the table if elected.

“If we get a principled conservative in the United States Senate … that is a huge message to the establishment, and they will be shivering in their boots,” he said of his campaign.

GLENN: Hello, America. A lot to talk about. Of course, what happened with the white nationalists. The Justice Department has opened the civil rights investigation into this. I don't know how much there is to investigate: They're Nazis, and they killed somebody.

But did the president go far enough? Was his statement also true? What role do we play in this? What is the future of a small government constitutionally minded people? Does that even exist?

Mo Brooks is a congressman who is running now for the Senate. And the election is happening tomorrow. He's a congressman for Alabama. He's running for the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions. And there is an interesting race going on and a battle inside this conservative movement. The election is tomorrow. Mo Brooks joins us right now.

(music)

GLENN: Welcome, Congressman Mo Brooks. How are you, sir?

MO: I'm doing great, Glenn. How about yourself today?

GLENN: Very good. As you probably know, you have our favorite clip of anyone ever on MSNBC, when you were trying to explain the economic crisis we were in. And this is what happened.

VOICE: We were looking at going -- reverting into a depression at that point. Everyone -- the fed chairman --

MO: Well, I disagree that we were going into a depression, but go ahead.

VOICE: Well, do you have a degree in economics?

MO: Yes, ma'am, I do. Highest honors.

VOICE: Okay. So --

PAT: I love that.

STU: "Okay. So --"

GLENN: You can tell us, Mo. That was satisfying, wasn't it? That moment was just like, "Oh, yeah, that felt good?"

MO: Every now and then, they pitch a softball.

(chuckling)

GLENN: So, Mo, tell us, first of all, your thoughts of what happened over the weekend in Virginia.

MO: Well, you know, it's very disheartening that there are still people out there who judge other people based on inherent qualities that those people have no control over: A skin pigmentation is not a basis for defining who we are. Ethnicity is not a basis for defining who we are. Sex is a basis for defining who we are. We should all be judged based on our conduct and how we interact with other people.

Unfortunately, there are still people in our society, on both sides of the fence, that look at skin pigmentation, sex, and ethnicity, when those should not be factors of concern.

GLENN: You reject outright nationalism and the national socialist Nazi movement?

MO: Well, I don't agree with socialism. I don't agree with Nazis. I don't agree with any group that says that your skin pigmentation alone makes you superior to another group. That's silly. I mean, skin pigmentation is skin pigmentation. You know, I've got freckles. Does that make me good or bad because I've got freckles? That's a form of skin pigmentation. It's so absurd.

And so, yes, I agree -- I disagree -- I disagree with anybody -- anybody who tries to define somebody else based on characteristics that they were born with. That is not what defines a human being.

GLENN: Now, you were -- you were a congressman who in 2016, endorsed Ted Cruz.

MO: I was his Alabama state chairman, and I was one of his national spokesmen for his campaign. So, yes.

GLENN: Okay. So now here comes this opening in -- you know, in the Senate. And you want to run for it. You're a great conservative small government guy.

And the president -- a couple of weeks ago, you were scheduled for an interview with us. Last week, President Trump endorsed your opponent Luther Strange. Any idea why that happened?

MO: It's baffling to me. Luther Strange is a decades' long Washington, DC, lobbyist. We all knew when President Trump declared that he was going to Washington, DC, to drain the swamp, the swamp was going to fight back. And Luther Strange is the swamp's candidate. So to me, there seems to be a conflict between draining the swamp and endorsing the swamp's candidate on the one hand.

And on the other hand, the president most recently was, rightfully so, complaining about Mitch McConnell and the do-nothing Senate. And the 60-vote rule that prevents us from passing our agenda. And I agree with the president, in that regard.

Yet, he endorses the person who supports the 60-vote rule that kills President Trump's agenda over the next three and a half years. So, yes, I'm puzzled by it. I don't know who gave President Trump this bad advice, probably Mitch McConnell. I do know the president is spread rather thin. He's got a lot of different issues he's got to focus on. But whoever it is that led him to endorse Luther Strange led him astray.

GLENN: If you go in, who do you caucus with?

MO: Well, I'm a Republican, so I'm going to caucus with the Republicans in the United States Senate. I do prefer a different leader. Mitch McConnell may be a nice guy. I really don't know him that well personally. But his job is to get through the United States Senate a repeal of Obamacare. His job is to get through the United States Senate funding for the border wall and stronger security measures. His job is to get through the United States Senate tax reform. His job is to do what must be done to get our deficit and debt under control. And, quite frankly, he has failed miserably on each of those different public policy issues. So it's time to try somebody knew, someone who perhaps can get the job done, someone more aggressive, more conservative, somebody who is able to persuade a majority of the United States Senate to do what our country needs doing.

Otherwise, it's going to be a wasted opportunity with us having the House, the Senate, and the White House.

GLENN: I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime, where they have more opportunity and a president who is providing total coverage for the Congress, just to -- just to snowplow through stuff.

MO: I don't get it either. It's baffling to me. It's puzzling to me. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reverse Obamacare, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try to get our deficit and debt under control before we suffer debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy that will do great damage to a country that our ancestors took centuries to build, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure our southern border. Just go down the list of things that you, in 2009 and 2010, are focused on, as you helped the Tea Party movement that gave us the House of Representatives in 2010, where we gained 63 seats, if my memory serves me correctly.

And this is our chance. And to date, over seven months of President Trump's presidency, we have had zero -- zero significant legislative achievements that pertain to the major issues that face our country, the issues that I just itemized. And that's because the 60-vote rule in the United States Senate has empowered Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to control our agenda. And that's just craziness. You've got a choice: You can either support an archaic rule that was born in the 1800s, while there was still slavery, or you can go with America. And I choose America.

GLENN: We're talking to Congressman Mo Brooks who is running tomorrow the election in Alabama. Running for Jeff Sessions' Senate seat.

Let's talk a little bit about North Korea. What do you think is -- what are we headed with this, Mo?

MO: I believe that you're going to see a relationship between the United States and North Korea, akin to what we saw with China under Mao Zedong and the Soviet Union, under Josef Stalin and all of his successors.

In my judgment, the mutually assured destruction doctrine will work to deter North Korea from ever launching a first strike at the United States of America. Because a first strike by North Korea against America results in a retaliatory nuclear strike by the United States, that would turn North Korea into a sea of glass. And every single North Korean leader would be dead. The North Korean leadership acts crazy. But I tend to think they act crazy in order to achieve a smart purpose. I don't believe that they won't commit suicide.

So mutually assured destruction doctrine ought to work with them to prevent a first strike from ever being launched by either party, just as it has worked with the United States and the Soviet Union -- now Russia and China over the decade. However, to be on the safe side, we need to bolster our radar systems and our interceptor systems so that we can shoot down any missiles that may come from North Korea. Having said all that, we must not be distracted from the bigger threat. The bigger threat is Iran.

Iran -- mutually assured destruction doctrine may not work because of their religious beliefs, where they believe that giving up their own life in the furtherance of Allah's will is worthwhile. And if Iran gets nuclear weapons, with missile delivery systems that can knock out what Iran calls the little Satan, Israel, and knock out the United States of America, even if it means the total and complete annihilation of Iran, some of these Iranian leaders may do it as a matter of religious belief. And so I would tend to focus a little bit more on Iran and the threat that they pose, given that Barack Obama has empowered Iran to get nuclear weapons and the delivery system sometime within the next ten to 15 years.

GLENN: So do you have any insight at all on why President Trump ran on I'm going to tear up that Iranian deal, and then has come out and said, "No, no, we can't do that." Do you have any insight, any feelings on that, Mo?

MO: Well, I am baffled again. Once you make a campaign promise, I'm one of those who believes you ought to keep it. And I do not understand why the president may have said one thing on this particular issue, dealing with the Iran nuclear agreement, while he was a candidate, and not fulfilling whatever his campaign promise may have been, during the campaign.

That's -- that's akin to repealing Obamacare. We promised the American people we would repeal Obamacare. But apparently, there are a lot of people in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives that didn't really intend to keep that promise.

And the American people need to hold their feet to the fire to ensure that we deliver on the promise to repeal Obamacare. You just can't go through the motions and say, "Well, I tried. I voted that way."

In the Senate, you have tremendous power to force things to happen. And unfortunately, we don't have enough people in the United States Senate right now, fighting hard to force that repeal of Obamacare.

GLENN: Talking --

MO: There's nice guy stuff going on, instead of real fighters to achieve our goals.

GLENN: Talking to US congressman from Alabama, Mo Brooks, who is running for the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions. That election happens tomorrow.

Mo, what happens to the -- the conservative movement or the Republican Party should voices like yours be brushed out and lost? And -- and voices -- and voices like Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan or even worse, the Steve Bannons of the world are held up.

MO: I'm going to flip it a little bit and talk about what happens if we prevail. If we get a principled conservative in the United States Senate -- and as an aside, if anyone wants to help, please go to MoBrooksforSenate.com. MoBrooksforSenate.com.

But if we are able to prevail, that is a huge message to the establishment, and they'll be shivering in their boots. Okay?

This 60 percent rule that blocks us from repealing Obamacare, from funding the border wall, from dealing with deficits and debt, from getting rid of a lot of these giveaway programs that cause people to no longer respect the work ethic and that encourage the breakup of families, and having kids out of wedlock, because you get more money that way -- we can make huge strides, if we win -- if you elect Mo Brooks from the state of Alabama in this election, because it sends a message to Mitch McConnell, that he better get on the ball, that he better start working. And this recess, this vacation that the Senate is on right now, they should get back to work and continue to confirm every single one of President Trump's nominees to various positions. They need to get back to work on repeal of Obamacare. They also need to start thinking about new Senate leadership because it will be a debacle and an embarrassment for Mitch McConnell if after spending 5 to $10 million in attack ads against Mo Brooks and against Judge Roy Moore, if their handpicked establishment candidate, Luther Strange, does not win.

So we can send a huge positive message to the United States Senate and Washington, DC, that it's time for a change. We're not satisfied with a do-nothing Senate. We're not satisfied with allowing Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to be obstructionists because we let them. That's the message.

We have to win this race tomorrow. Then that message gets to Washington, DC. And they like keep their jobs, they might start working better.

GLENN: Mo Brooks for Senate. Mo -- M-O -- BrooksforSenate.com is where you can go and get more information and help out. And get to the polls if you're in Alabama. If you like what you heard, those -- that -- those polls open tomorrow. And if somebody doesn't get 50 percent, there will be a runoff. MoBrooksforSenate.com.

Mo, thank you so much. Best of luck to you. And, sir, thank you for the years of good service in Congress. And we hope that --

MO: Thank you, Glenn. Thank you for all your help.

GLENN: Thank you. We appreciate it.

RADIO

Why RFK Jr.’s Former Running Mate OPPOSES Casey Means for Surgeon General

President Trump’s nomination of Dr. Casey Means for Surgeon General had many MAHA fans cheering. But RFK Jr.’s former running mate, BlazeTV host Nicole Shanahan, has major reservations. She joins Glenn, who has been a fan of Casey, to explain why she believes there are stronger candidates. Means, Shanahan claims, may have “conflicts of interest” because of the “biometric harvesting company” she founded and its close ties to Silicon Valley. Shanahan also questions whether RFK Jr. is playing “political 4D chess,” or if she was lied to when she was promised that the Means siblings wouldn’t be in government. Is RFK Jr. reporting to someone other than Trump? Shanahan explains why she believes it’s possible.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Nicole Shanahan. Nicole, how are you?

NICOLE: Glenn, how are you doing?

GLENN: I am very good. It's great to have you here.

So I want to ask you, the Surgeon General thing, are you for Casey Means? Or not for Casey Means?

NICOLE: Well, I will tell you who I am for, Glenn.

GLENN: Okay.

NICOLE: I'm for all of those Americans. Those hundreds of thousands of doctors, seeking truth, honesty, and dignity in our medical system once again. That is what I'm for. That is what propels MAHA into existence.

That's what propels Bobby Kennedy into the position of running for president of the United States. That's why I joined the campaign. It really is about listening to this group of doctors that did the right thing during the COVID pandemic.

That spoke up, when it was dangerous to speak up.

That lost their licenses. And so when I hear from that base, concern or research. About individuals, in and around MAHA.

I have to listen to them.

And I do listen to them.

Because oftentimes, they are right. They're brave, and they're principled. So the concern I've been hearing from that group of people is that MAHA -- you know, any movement. MAGA had this issue too of infiltration by different groups that are more self-serving, than they are for the movement itself.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

NICOLE: And so just one example, Casey Means is a founder of a company that does biometric harvesting. She's very close with many of the big data biometric harvesting companies.

In Silicon Valley. And this -- I noticed with all these people. You do not want them running in a government position that is responsible for everybody equally. Right?

GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait.

What is -- what is that?

They're harvesting, what?

NICOLE: Well, so biometric data is anything between heart rate data, to all of the data that is collected from your FitBit or high glucose monitor. It could be labs. It could be -- then there's all the DNA harvesting. And big data that's being done.

So, you know, I think that the base -- MAHA really came from medical freedom. And medical sovereignty.

And the idea that we have to keep conflicts of interests. Out of the government.

And so when I -- you know, see some stuff going on. That we could be doing better.

Right?

Our job.

And I learned this from the MAGA base.

Our job is to ton seek the best possible people. For government, that are truly putting the principles of this country first.

The principles of American sovereignty first.

GLENN: So you wrote yesterday.

It's very strange. It doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in the Senate confirmation, that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or an appointment.

And that people much more qualified would be. I don't know -- I'm sorry.

RFK very clearly lied to me. Or what's going on. It's been clear in recent conversations that he's reporting to someone regularly, who is controlling his decisions, and it isn't President Trump.

With regards to the siblings, there is something very artificial and aggressive about them. Almost as if they were bred and raised as Manchurian assets. Wow!

NICOLE: So keep in mind, I was responding to Dr. Suzanne Humphries.

Who was also expressing very similar sentiment.

GLENN: Concern. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

NICOLE: Concern. There's better candidates.

So what's going on? I also heard from other MDs in the field.

That there was another doctor that RFK had wanted for the position. Very, very qualified doctor.

And -- and, you know, he was caught by surprise as well. By -- by this other choice.

So, you know, there's -- again, they -- they don't call it the swamp for no reason. Right?

GLENN: Right.

NICOLE: And, you know, I'm not officially within the administration at all.

In fact, I decided to take the path of staying an independent --

GLENN: Smart.

NICOLE: -- media person. Which I think -- I think and you know this, Glenn. It's really important that when you are an independent media voice, that you -- you stick by your principles. And that you are not just a mouthpiece for any government organizations.

That you're really on the outside, reflecting back the hopes and wishes of the constituents.

GLENN: Yeah. There's -- it's very hard to do.

I mean, I take stances against the president.

And for the president. You always have to -- you always have to balance, you know, I have my opinion.

And I'm never going to be bought out by anybody.

I'm never. But you also want to make sure that you're being fair to the people that you trust. And I know you have trusted RFK for a very, very long time.

And for what struck me on this. Is, you know, I don't know if RFK lied to me. Which I hope he didn't, or what's going on. It's been clear in recent conversation that he is reporting to someone regularly, who is controlling his decisions.

That's a remarkable thing to say, especially about RFK.

Because he does not strike me as somebody who is afraid of somebody else.

NICOLE: You know, I don't know if it's fear or that he's playing political 4D chess. And, again, they don't call it the swamp for no reason.

It's just, at some point, there's certain decisions, that are worth fighting for.

And I do appreciate what a very complex political environment this is.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

NICOLE: And I do understand that even within these agencies, there are groups that are intentionally keeping and withholding information from the new leadership.

So, you know, I -- I fully appreciate how complicated it is.

So I fully appreciate how complicated it all is, but there are definitely things that the base is -- is, you know, like, this is an easy one. This could have gone better. Right?

You don't truly -- and, you know, everyone is guessing what precisely this 4D chess is all about. And why these moves are being made. And trying to anticipate the next one.

But it's something that I think that, you know, there's just certain things that indicate that whomever he's giving -- whoever his chess coach is. Could be making some better decisions for him. And --

GLENN: But Casey.

I mean, when I talk to the twins, during -- or after COVID.

They seemed pretty clear on what was bad and what was good.

They -- they both seemed to be good on -- on COVID. And the vaccines. Didn't they?

Or is my memory --

JEFFY: They talk a great talk.

I will say, I was once a fan of it as well.

It was only after I received many comments from individuals, in and around the transition team.

As well as new research that came up.

And then really, like, you know, when the base expresses these things and provides that degree of inquiry, and it shows that kind of concern.

I think we owe it to them.

GLENN: Yes. I agree. I agree.

ANNA: Yeah.

GLENN: So overall, how do you feel things are going?

NICOLE: I think, again, there's been a lot of focus around food dives. Meanwhile, there's millions of people suffering from vaccine injuries, that still feel very neglected.

So I do think -- I do appreciate the executive order, regarding gain of function and limiting overseas research.

GLENN: And shutting down a dangerous -- and shutting down a very dangerous bio lab here.

NICOLE: Yes. And there are many of these bio labs that are kind of flying under the radar.

GLENN: Right.

NICOLE: So it's a big step in the right decisions sedition. I'm a huge Jay Bhattacharya fan. Probably one of his biggest.

I really am excited for him, as he built out his team.

I hope, he has a very, very strong team around him. In the next coming weeks. Because he's going need to it.

As far as HHS goes, you know, I would love to see Bobby bring in more of those doctors that have been around him for the last ten years, very regularly.

Because these are the individuals that, you know, I -- I trust these people with my life. They have sacrificed everything to do the right thing time and time again.

They are so deeply principled. They will never take a check over helping a patient out.

And they actually do have the answers. So I'm hoping to see more of those people around Bobby too.

GLENN: So I'm wondering because this is the way I feel about a couple of things with the FBI. And Intel.

That if I don't see some people in the next year or so, go to jail, or at least brought in for a fair and honest trial, you know. I don't want to just scoop people up. And just assume that they're guilty.

But build a good, strong case. Bring it to trial.

Have it a fair and honest trial. And let the chips fall where they may.

But if I don't see some prosecution, at least. I think I'm very upset at the G O.J.

Pam Bondi. Head of the FBI. Kash Patel. And I don't -- and I'm trusting them so far, that they are doing that.

Do you feel the same way at all, about -- you know, if you don't see some people who go to jail there, that clearly lied about the vaccines.

If they don't go to jail. You have -- you really haven't fixed anything.

You're just eating around the edges.

NICOLE: Yeah. Yeah. I think that really explains it. And this is why I think it's important to continue to voice those concerns, because they're only going to grow and mount.

And it really is the American people, that were sold this vision of accountability.

And as we want to see it. We have to see it. Anywhere. Several months into the administration now.

HHS, you know, lags behind the Oval Office in terms of getting going.

But they're -- people were seriously injured. There were many crimes committed against the American public.

Crimes committed against our bravest doctors. Crimes committed against children.

We need accountability.

We really, really need to see that.

Because, you know, there's -- there's a preciousness in this moment. We have to -- we have to deliver. This country deserves it.

GLENN: And, I mean, if we're -- if we can't correct the things that, for instance. Washington State. Just passed a law where if there is another pandemic, everybody seems to be, you know, claiming there's another one, right around the corner.

But if there is another pandemic, that they will have absolute control, over what you put into your body. And what you do. That's terrifying.

NICOLE: I do.

And those emergency orders, they will scrutinize them. They have revisions.

GLENN: Washington State just revised it to just codify it. Washington State just codified it. It's crazy.

NICOLE: Yeah. Yeah.

So I would like to see more focus around that, not Red Dye 40 and not Kellogg's.

I'm totally fine leaving Kellogg's alone, in favor of HHS spending. All of its energy. And all of its focus. And all of its leverage, making sure that we are actually properly ready for the next pandemic.

And not to cause the catastrophic harm, that was caused during COVID-19.

GLENN: Nicole Shanahan. She's got the podcast Back To the People. And it's now coming to Blaze Media.

It's the same podcast she's been doing. Now as she says, with a wider reach. Glad to have you.

Nicole, thank you very much.

NICOLE: Thanks, it's a pleasure to come on.

GLENN: We'll talk to you again.

Is America’s Grid a Ticking Time Bomb? Trump’s Energy Secretary REACTS | Glenn TV | Ep 430

President Trump is working hard to right the wrongs of the Biden administration. But did Biden harm our energy grid even more than we thought? While Glenn was on vacation in Italy, two other European countries — Spain and Portugal — suffered one of the biggest blackouts in their history. The mainstream media, as they always do, rushed to blame it on ANYTHING other than the countries’ heavy reliance on unreliable green energy. But Glenn has the receipts and the evidence that leftists tried to make America’s grid just as unreliable. Glenn speaks with Energy Secretary Chris Wright about how the Trump administration is reversing these dangerous policies. Secretary Wright also discusses his department’s discovery that Biden shoveled out $93 BILLION in energy loans after Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election and before Trump could take office. Plus, he comments on Trump’s plans to deal with OPEC, why Trump must refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and why Trump is planning the biggest energy project in American history to help accommodate AI. But first, Glenn recaps the biggest media lies that he missed while on vacation. Topping the list: Are these elitists like Axios and Jen Psaki finally admitting that they lied about Biden’s cognitive decline, or do they STILL not get that their charade is over?

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Is the New American Pope Catholic? | Bishop Strickland | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 256

A new pope has been chosen! As the recording of this episode of "The Glenn Beck Podcast" began, white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the selection of the first American pope. Glenn and Bishop Joseph Strickland react live to the news as the whole world wonders if Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, will continue in the ways of his predecessor Pope Francis or go a more traditional route. Bishop Strickland, who was removed from office by Pope Francis, says the former pope pushed a church “in the world and of the world” and reviews “duplicity,” “corruption,” and potential abuse overlooked by the Vatican, including the infamous McCarrick scandal. The pair discuss the resurgence of the Latin Mass, globalism, the Catholic Church’s approach to homosexuality and gender identity, and whether the Shroud of Turin is an “icon” or a “relic.” As the new pope greets the world, Glenn asks, “If we have a more progressive pope, does that set the Church back?” Bishop Strickland advises that “even if we are disappointed and dismayed,” we must pray and keep our focus on God.

RADIO

Meta’s AI “Friends” Nightmare: How Zuckerberg’s Latest Move Could Enslave Your Mind

Meta and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has a new goal: to give lonely Americans AI “friends.” But Glenn sounds the alarm: this must NEVER happen! Glenn explains the hidden danger in Zuckerberg’s seemingly kindhearted plan: “AI cannot, must not, and will never be your friend.” Opening that door will only give Meta insane levels of potential for manipulation and control over you.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Let's start with this: Mark Zuckerberg. Good guy. I mean, he brought us Facebook.

And, you know, that is the thing that brought all of us together.

Brought out families together. All the people that we lost touch with.

Oh, the world is so much better now that we have Facebook.

So now, he's got another idea. Could we play the clip of Mark Zuckerberg?

VOICE: There's a stat that I honestly think is crazy. The average American has I think it's fewer than three friends. Three people they consider friends. And the average person has demand for meaningfully more. I think it's 15 friends or something.

I guess there's probably at some point, I'm too busy. I can't deal with more people. But the average person wants more connectivity, connection than they have. So, you know, there's a lot of questions that people ask.

Of stuff like, okay. Is this going to replace kind of in person connections or real life connections?

And my default is that the answer to that is probably no.

I think it -- it -- I think that there are all these things that are better kind of about physical connections, when you can have them.

But the reality is that people just don't have the connection when they feel more alone, a lot of the time, than they would like.

GLENN: Hmm. True.

Now, let me ask you. Is there a time when you don't remember feeling so isolated? When you didn't really feel like I don't have any real friends?

When you didn't -- you had real connections with people, instead of a million connections with people that are your friends, but not really your friends?

Can you think of a time, way back in history?

I mean, probably have to go back to the cavemen, to find a time.

Oh. Before Facebook, and social media!

When we weren't all killing ourself, because we have no meaning.

Now, from the people who brought you kill yourself, because you've been on Facebook too much.

Brings you new AI friends. Oh, this is going to be good.

By the way, you know, that's a crazy stat, I think the average American has, what? Three friends. And they have a capacity for, I don't know. Fifteen or 20. I don't know.

Really think about it right now.

How many true friends, do you have?

How many true friends?

People that when you are down and out, there is nothing -- the whole world is against you!

That that person will actually stand by your side. And go, yeah.

I'm their friend.

And I don't care what you say.

How many? How many do you have?

I think I would count myself lucky if I have three.

Now, I have a lot of consequences.

I have a lot of people who we all think are friends. But as a recovering alcoholic, I've been there.

I've done that. As a recovering alcoholic,
who then also is a conservative and spoke out about the Obama administration, I know who my friends are.
I know who my friends are not.

And I think there's a lot of people that have counterfeit friends.

If you've got. Oh, I've got ten or 15 friends.

Eh.

No, you don't. No, you don't.

I've always grown up thinking, you're lucky, you're lucky, to have three, five, really good friends.

That will walk through anything with you. Do you agree with that, Stu?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: You've never been there.

STU: For you? Oh, God no. But I'm just saying, generally speaking. No. I think -- I mean, you're describing a great friend. You're describing a really --

GLENN: A real friend.

STU: Yeah. Like someone you know and stick around for multiple decades.

GLENN: Yeah, I have lots of friends. You know what I mean? I have millions of Facebook friends.

STU: Right. Those aren't real.

GLENN: Right. And I have lots of friends. But the ones that are there for you always, no matter what, I have family.

And I have family.

STU: Right.

GLENN: And I have a handful of friends. I would consider you one of those.

STU: Thank you. I would as well.

GLENN: Why?

Remember, I have a drinking problem.

STU: Yeah. A lot of brain cells killed to make that decision.

But I think that you -- yes. I think the only thing that I think I'm drilling down a little bit on to try to understand. When you say, well, I have a lot of friends.

In a way, I think that's what Zuckerberg is talking about.

It's not even necessarily a great friend that you have for multiple decades. And can count on at any time.

Just the mid-level consequences, are drying up for a lot of people.

GLENN: Yeah. And why is that?

Why is that?

Because we don't talk to each other anymore.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Because of social media.

You know, when this generation says, I don't know.

I just think it's weird. I'm just now in a bar someplace.

And some stranger comes up to me and wants to strike up a conversation. I'm like, hello, weirdo. I don't know!

You think it's less weird to go online?
When people can fake everything!

Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg.

But no thanks. Okay.

STU: And they're just -- to build up on this point for one second.

There's a study that came out, the last 20 years, of how much time do you spend socializing with the people.

Again, that's not with your best friends.

This is just socializing with anyone, a human.

Every single group. Every single group has massive drops.

GLENN: Massive.

STU: Massive drops. Just give you some examples.

Ages. Fifteen to 24-year-olds. Thirty-five-point down.

In 20 years. 35 percent. So a typical 15-year-old, as compared to what they are, in 2003 and 2025, where were the two measurement years?

They're spending 35 percent less time, with other human beings.

GLENN: Okay. Hang on just a second. Can you please stop distracting me? Because I'm trying to figure out why our kids are killing themselves.

STU: No, it's really hard.

GLENN: It's very hard to figure out.

STU: To understand.

And this is the coup de grâce of this entire study, which is, the typical female pet owner spends more time actively engaged with her pet, than she spends face-to-face contact with her friends of her own species.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: That is unbelievable -- not like you're in the same house as your cat.

Right? No. More face-to-face time with your cat!

GLENN: And I've got news for you. If you think your cat is your friend, wait until you die, and your cat is trapped in the house with you and you have no friends to check. They will eat your face.

STU: They will still have a use for you.

GLENN: Yeah. They will have a use foy.

STU: Not the other way around.

GLENN: Okay. Here's why I'm bringing this up today.

This is a lie, that is going to be sold to you, like crazy. And it's going to be wrapped in a beautiful, shiny package. And it's going to have from Mark Zuckerberg and others like him, on the tag.

They want you to believe, that AI and bots can be your friends.

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