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Three Things You Need to Know - January 10, 2018

January 10, 2018
Staff

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Trump Reaching All the Way Across the Aisle on Immigration

Remember the days when talks of amnesty torpedoed Marco Rubio? What about when “low-energy Jeb” was destroyed by, then, candidate Trump for referring to illegal immigration as an “act of love”? Those days were so five minutes ago. Yesterday, in a rare glimpse into a meeting between the President and lawmakers, Trump said DACA should be a quote “bill of love.” Eat your heart out Jeb Bush.

Getting a fly on the wall view into one of these meetings isn’t normal - so you gotta wonder - why did the cameras keep rolling yesterday? Was it a mistake or was there something else going on here? The news of the day was dominated by Michael Wolff’s book and questions over Trump’s mental stability. Does anyone see a mentally unstable President in that meeting? To the contrary, he looks - uncharacteristically - reserved, attentive and engaging.

Some have criticized the President’s willingness and ability to reach across the aisle and compromise. That definitely wasn’t the case yesterday. Actually, it was hard to determine whether Trump favored the Democrats at the table or the Republicans. When Feinstein posed the question about the President’s willingness to do a “clean DACA bill now”, Trump went into full-on agreeable mode. It took House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to butt in and remind Trump that Feinstein didn’t mention the wall or border security.

Trump eventually made his intentions a little more clear, but it all kinda seemed like an afterthought for him. He even seemed to want to hurry it all along by saying that - whether he liked or agreed with it - he’d sign anything they put in front of him. There’s not much leadership there, but this meeting had an ulterior purpose.

For those that are pissed off on Twitter that Trump is considering DACA, you might as well get used to it. Trump knows it as does everyone in both the House and the Senate. Without DACA, Trump and the Republicans have ZERO leverage to do anything with border security and immigration reform. Because of that, DACA ain't going nowhere. In fact, I bet all this was already agreed upon before the cameras even turned on.

So why did they keep rolling? The real work on immigration had already happened and was going to be finalized during the closed-door session, but Trump, the Democrats AND the Republicans wanted their constituents to know something. Feinstein wanted to project the appearance that DACA was their primary motivation. McCarthy wanted Republicans to know that border security and immigration reform was the higher priority than any kind of amnesty. And Trump? He wanted to show everyone that he was mentally stable, and - as I’m sure Kushner and Ivanka coached him - willing to reach across the aisle and cooperate.

They should rename Pennsylvania Avenue to Broadway because the theater is just as good.

Bannon Out at Breitbart

Jay Gatsby didn’t like who he was, so he created a new identity for himself.

He didn’t go about his transformation in the most upstanding and moral ways, but he succeeded in becoming a self-made millionaire.

As I reflect on the news of Steve Bannon’s firing from Breitbart yesterday, I can’t help but see a Gatsby-like figure constantly reinventing himself.

Bannon was born to an Irish, working-class family in Virginia. They had nothing. He spent his childhood working for pennies at a junkyard.

But Bannon always wanted more for his life.

He became an officer in the Navy and later worked at the Pentagon.

In the 1980’s he entered investment banking after attending Harvard Business School. He became a Goldman Sachs banker.

After banking, he decided he wanted to get into the movies. He became a screenwriter and a producer.

His film credentials ultimately led to a relationship with Andrew Breitbart.

When Andrew died, Bannon saw an opportunity to create a new chapter in his own book. He saw Breitbart News as a tool to wedge himself into a White House position. In order to court the Trump Administration, he turned the news site into an embarrassing propaganda outlet.

His plan worked. He was named Trump’s chief strategist.

But it wasn’t long before he fell out of the White House’s good graces. He started bragging that he was the brains behind the President.

Bannon and his inflated sense of influence were soon kicked to the curb and he was back at Breitbart.

His return ushered in more of the same dangerous alt-right commentary and yellow journalism as before. And after leading a disastrous campaign for Roy Moore, the Breitbart News board fired him for good yesterday.

Today is a glistening new beginning for Breitbart.

With Bannon gone, they have a chance to restore their dignity and return to reputable reporting.

Let’s hope they take it in that direction.

As for Steve Bannon, he will beat on, his boat against the current. But I have no doubt he will create a new life for himself once again.

Only time will tell where we will see him next.

The Irony of the Popularity Spike of the Lazy River on College Campuses

Water parks are a growing trend on public university campuses. Especially lazy rivers on campus. Just let the irony of a lazy river on a college campus sink in for a moment. This is what higher education has come to.

From a student perspective, this is awesome. Who wouldn’t want a lazy river at their school? Of course, it’s going to be a selling point for the male high school senior trying to decide where to spend all his parents’ money. Colleges don’t have to put anything else in the brochure but pictures of the water park.

For adults who actually care about the future of our great nation, the question is why? Who was the genius that said, “You know what would really motivate our students, set them apart from students around the world, really inspire them to aim high and become productive citizens? A lazy river on campus!”

Now we’re even removing our students’ need for creative problem-solving when it comes to recreation and procrastination. “Don’t waste brain cells on that kids – here’s a water park!”

Many of these water park colleges are public universities originally built on the premise that educated citizens are vital to a democratic society. But now college administrations and trustees are way more concerned with building their university brand than maintaining any kind of public trust. So, they’re turning colleges into all-inclusive resorts.

Auburn University’s water park has a giant paw-print-shaped hot tub that can accommodate 45 students. The lazy river at Louisiana State University spells out “LSU.” Texas Tech’s water park has Wi-Fi, because, I mean, you gotta stay connected. The indoor water park at the University of Missouri features a grotto modeled after the one at the Playboy Mansion.

Booker T. Washington is rolling over in his grave.

Most of these projects are paid for by raising student activity fees, on top of regular tuition. Tuition and fees at public four-year colleges have grown over 60% in the past ten years. Which begs the question of Bernie Sanders and Democrats – how on earth are you supposed to make college free when you have to pay for lazy rivers?

MORE 3 THINGS

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.