‘Truly a Great Man’: Glenn Remembers Jon Huntsman Sr.

February 08, 2018

WRITER

Jon Huntsman Sr. died last week at age 80, a generous and dedicated philanthropist and a hero to many.

“The world got a little bit dimmer because we lost truly, truly a great man,” Glenn said. “I’ve never met a greater man. I’ve never met a more giving man and a more forgiving man.”

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Glenn took the opportunity to read a moving letter from a listener seeking help, encouraging the audience to follow Huntsman’s example by learning to forgive and by being honest with ourselves and others.

“Dedicate yourself to asking the hardest, most honest questions that you can,” Glenn said. “Be the opposite of what the world is.”

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: Something I haven't mentioned this week, and I'm going to address tomorrow. Over the weekend, the world got a little bit dimmer because we lost truly, truly a great man. His name is Jon Huntsman, Sr. If you are a -- a long-time listener of this program, he has appeared on my program several times. And the reason why I haven't talked about it is, I tend to get a little emotional.

He, in many ways, was a father figure in my life at exactly the time I needed a father figure. And it's -- it's just -- it's just a complex thing.

I'm going to his funeral on Saturday. And I -- we never had a funeral for my father. We weren't allowed to because of a family squabble. So we -- I never attended, neither did my sisters or anything, to memorialize my father's passing.

So I'm a little nervous about Saturday. Because I've never met a greater man.

I've never met a -- never met a more giving man and a more forgiving man.

That's one thing that we really have a hard time with, is forgiveness. I talked about it on Monday. Forgiveness -- forgiveness is hard because -- because we want other people to pay. You know.

I'm having a hard time right now with the press. Because, you know, they're questioning the president. Is he a racist? They're questioning the president saying, you know, is he a totalitarian dictator? All the things that we were afraid of under Obama. And we weren't allowed to say it. And now that they're saying it, I -- I am so -- I can't even get past it, and I have to. I can't get past the fact, are you kidding me?

And if I can't get past that -- but I want them to say it. And they're not going to. And that is -- that's the thinking of a madman, trying to -- I got to let go of the things that I can't control.

But forgiving each other and forgiving yourself is really hard. Really hard. Because as I pointed out earlier this week, forgiveness requires two things: self-worth and humility. Being humble enough to say, hey, I understand.

And having enough self-worth when it comes to you, that you -- you deserve forgiveness. They never go hand in hand. And they have to.

I talked about this. And then I got a -- I got a phone call at the end of the show, two hours later, from a former vet who was distraught. And said, you know, I only listen to you from time to time, and I didn't -- I never expected to get anything from you.

And thank you. He said, I realized -- and he had pulled his truck over. And he had sat there for about an hour and a half crying, and he said, I realize how much I hate myself. And I hate myself because I feel -- I don't feel useful. I feel worthless.

I served -- I was in the military, and I served. And now I come back and I'm not. And I hate myself.

I have gone through that. I'm a recovering alcoholic, and I hated myself so much because of the lies I told myself. You're weak. You're pathetic. You can't even make it a day without a drink. You promised yourself last night or yesterday morning, when you got up, that you weren't going to drink yesterday.

And then you did. You made some excuse. I know. I know. Well, I'm not going to drink today. And then I would drink. And I hated myself.

Actually, every time I walked into my bathroom, I had to open up my mirror so I didn't look myself in the eye anymore. I could not look myself in the eye.

That was the end. That was the end. And I didn't know how to get out of it. And I had no self-worth. And there was no forgiveness for me. I wasn't worthy, and I hated people.

No, I didn't. No, I didn't. I hated myself.

It's kind of what this veteran said when he called this week. And I understood. And we've gotten an awful lot of email on it.

One stuck out to me. And I want to read it to you.

Dear Mr. Beck, my name is Hannah Hastings. I'm engaged to an amazing man. Kyle listens to your podcast faithfully every single morning, to the point of sometimes, I just can't shut him up about his heroes Pat and Stu and you.

He's a huge fan of all of you. And on most days, your podcast moves him to tears. Kyle is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served four years and went on two deployments overseas, one of the two times to Iraq.

Today, he listened in. And he was moved -- he was moved at hearing that veteran speak because that's exactly the way he feels.

I think whether he'll address it or not, his wounds go a lot deeper than his pride will let him show. Kyle is an amazing, wonderful man. However, like the fellow veteran said on your show this morning, he feels useless now. He served. And now he feels as if he has nothing to show for it other than a couple of ribbons and a certification of completion. This veteran of mine is worth so much more than he knows.

I'm writing to you, hoping that maybe you'll give him a shout-out on the show one morning, just to let him know that you his hero knows that he exists and he is not alone. As I'm typing this in the other room, I'm listening to the strongest men sniffle and break down over somebody financially understanding exactly how he feels.

Thank you for your time. I want to acknowledge that you've made an impact on somebody else's life just by being you. Would you please keep him in your prayers? I hope God can touch you and others in the way he's touched me by gracing me with Kyle now in my life. Thanks, Hannah Hastings, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Kyle, I got this letter three days ago. And I've been writing back and forth with your fiancé. The first thing you need to do is marry that woman. She loves you.

I want you to know that while I can't relate to your military experience, and honestly I praise God for that, I do understand your feelings.

I want you to know, in the early '90s, I had a moment where I had to choose life or death. And my mom committed suicide.

And I was at about her same age, that when she committed suicide and I had to choose. And I had no idea how to live. I had no idea how to be happy. I had no idea to be a good man, a good father, none of it.

I was completely lost. And I knew that night it was a Christmas Eve. I knew that night that I would either live or die. That I either had to pick myself up and figure out how to live, or just lay down and die.

Because of my childhood, some would say it made it easier to lay down and die. But because of my childhood, I knew that suicide was not an answer. It was the most selfish thing that could happen.

And I was a coward. I couldn't do it. So I decided to stand. And I wish I could tell you that the next day, everything was great. But it wasn't. It was kind of the same.

Except for one thing: I had made a choice. And I was determined to find a way.

Question with boldness, even the very existence of God, for if there be a God, he must surely rather honest questions over blindfolded fear.

Dedicate yourself to asking the hardest, most honest questions that you can. Ask them of yourself. Ask them of others.

Be the opposite of what the world is. Don't try to win. Just try to find out the truth. Try to reconcile that truth with your life.

I will make you this promise, Kyle. That if you dedicate yourself to finding the truth with humility, by asking honest questions, a year from now, your life is going to start blossoming. You will see Hannah in an entirely new light. You'll see the world as it really is.

You have tremendous, tremendous value. I am a firm believer that we were all born at this time for a reason. And no matter who you are, your reason has not yet happened.

Spend every second of this short life, trying to make the best of it and the most of it. Because when you get to the other side, I think you'll be surprised, holy crap. It was that? That was my reason?

Wow. But look at all the other things that I got to do. And I experienced because I was honestly searching for a better way to live.

'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.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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