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TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

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Glenn's Show Prep

Morning Brief 2025-08-20

August 20, 2025
Chris Brady

No guests slated for today's show. Subject to change.

News...

These are all the wars Trump ended so far
Here are all the conflicts that President Trump has had his hand in ending.

Trump pledges to clean up and remove the wokeness from our great American museums
"The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been -- Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Tulsi Gabbard strips 37 security clearances over Obama-ordered intel report that launched Russiagate
An ODNI memo dated Monday announced that the more than three dozen intel professionals — including a former top aide to Obama DNI James Clapper — had either politicized or weaponized intelligence, failed to safeguard classified info, or not followed tradecraft standards.

Indiana woman allegedly threatened to disembowel Trump in revenge for pandemic deaths
When she was interviewed by the Secret Service about the posts, Jones allegedly said that she wanted to kill Trump in order to “avenge all the lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Unions can’t hide behind veterans any more
VA employees will now be judged on performance — not protected by union contracts.

CNN reporter turned judge minimizes anti-white hostility, strips religious protection from nuns
Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that Penn State’s mandatory trainings and repeated denigration of white faculty weren’t “severe or pervasive” enough for a hostile workplace claim, while also striking down Trump’s rule exempting the Little Sisters of the Poor from contraceptive mandates.

Soros-backed prosecutor network implodes after leader accused of racism
Miriam Krinsky, head of Fair and Just Prosecution, resigned after staff accused her of mistreating black female employees, a scandal that coincided with election defeats and recalls for a wave of progressive prosecutors the group had propped up.

FDA warns public about eating radioactive shrimp from Walmart
The FDA said Tuesday that certain types of Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart may be contaminated with cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

Huge explosion rocks North Carolina neighborhood after car crashed into veterinarian's offices
An impaired driver struck a gas line at the under-construction clinic, setting off a blast that injured three firefighters and sent plumes of black smoke and debris across the area.

Crime...

Stats are in: Crime has plummeted in DC since Trump crackdown
Since the president took control of the capital’s policing, carjackings are down 83%, robberies 46%, and violent crime 22%, with hundreds arrested, dozens of guns seized, and nearly 50 homeless encampments cleared.

Justice Department opens investigation into allegations that DC police manipulated crime data
The investigation is being run through U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro's office.

Bret Baier pulled over amid Trump’s crackdown on DC crime
“I picked up my ringing phone as I drove past an officer while driving my wife’s car in Georgetown. He pointed to have me pull over- I did,” Baier wrote on X. “He was very professional. I had to dig for the registration card. Got a ticket and left. I didn’t know there was paparazzi,” Baier continued.

Baltimore 13-year-old with 18 felonies charged in armed carjackings
Police say the teen’s ankle monitor placed him at multiple robberies and carjackings, adding to a staggering record that has locals demanding tougher action as violent juvenile crime spirals out of control.

Babylon Bee: Metropolis Sues Superman For Reducing Crime
"This is literal fascism. Restoring law, order, and safety will never be acceptable here," said Mayor Sackett. "The criminal element is a long-revered part of the fabric of our city's culture and tradition, and we will not stand for someone from another planet coming here and making Metropolis safer for everyone."

Epstein...

DOJ to send Epstein documents to House Oversight Committee on Friday
"Officials with the Department of Justice have informed us that the Department will begin to provide Epstein-related records to the Oversight Committee this week on Friday."

Top Oversight Democrat: DOJ plan to release Epstein files in ‘batches’ a ‘cover-up’
“Releasing the Epstein files in batches just continues this White House cover-up,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said Tuesday. “The American people will not accept anything short of the full, unredacted Epstein files.”

Politics...

Biden ignored DOJ warnings over legally flawed autopen pardons
Senior Justice Department officials were left scrambling to interpret sweeping clemency orders former President Joe Biden approved for thousands of federal convicts in his final days in office, and they chastised the White House for falsely portraying the releases as limited to “nonviolent” offenders, according to internal emails.

What Is the Democrats’ Endgame?
The Democratic Party’s belief that conservatives are morally unfit to participate in society risks pushing the nation toward conflict.

John Kennedy mocks NYC candidate Zohran Mamdani as 'cray-cray' gift to Republicans
The GOP senator said Mamdani’s radical policies are so extreme that they’re driving voters away from Democrats, joking that “if I didn’t know better, I’d think Republicans had created Mr. Mamdani in a petri dish.”

Eric Adams slams Zohran Mamdani over socialist's push for legalized prostitution
“I don’t know what Quran he is reading. It’s not in my Bible,” Adams said.

Economy...

Bank executives blow the whistle on how Obama, Biden admins pressured them to de-bank conservatives
"Those pressures were very, very real. When your regulator gives you a suggestion, it’s not a suggestion; it’s an order. The political stuff is very real; those pressures are real," a senior banking executive told Fox News Digital.

World Economic Forum anoints BlackRock CEO after investigation into Klaus Schwab goes nowhere
Larry Fink, a champion of ESG and globalism, will co-chair the World Economic Forum with a Swiss billionaire.

John Kennedy says Trump is not talking ‘enough’ about inflation
“President Trump is not talking enough about the economy and specifically inflation. People are tired of paying more to live worse. Republicans promised to get prices down. There are things we can do to do that that we are doing, but I don’t [think] the president’s talking about it enough."

Home Depot reverses course, now says tariffs may result in price hikes
A major U.S. retailer that previously said tariffs wouldn't increase prices reversed course on Tuesday, with officials saying they expect "modest" price increases for some products.

Bessent Says US Tariff Revenues To Rise ‘Substantially,’ Focus On Reducing Debt
The U.S. economy could return to the "good, low-inflationary growth" of the 1990s, Bessent said.

GE Appliances moving production from China and Mexico back to US
The company announced a $3 billion plan to shift refrigerator and gas range manufacturing to plants in the South, citing Trump-era tariffs and a push to build closer to American customers, creating over 1,000 new jobs.

Immigration...

Illegal alien trucker tragedy exposes multiple blue-state failures
Federal investigators say Harjinder Singh, who entered the U.S. illegally, passed only two of 12 English questions and one of four traffic sign questions, yet he obtained a commercial license in California before allegedly causing a deadly crash in Florida.

Noem says Trump wants border wall painted black so that it’s hotter, harder to climb
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the color will extend the wall’s life span and make it too hot to climb.

Federal police arrest several Portland Antifa rioters who mobilized attack on ICE facility
Antifa had put out a call for "mass mobilization" on social media after reports that ICE had detained an illegal migrant inside the facility.

COVID...

Study shows lockdowns rewired America’s brains for the worse
A Financial Times analysis of long-running personality surveys found sharp declines in conscientiousness and agreeableness and a surge in neuroticism since 2020, especially among young people — evidence that the COVID lockdown era left lasting psychological damage.

Ukraine - Russia...

Trump floats air support for Ukraine as part of security guarantees
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump has tasked his national security team to “come up with a framework for these security guarantees that can be acceptable to help ensure a lasting peace and end this war.”

US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine and we will 'not be writing blank checks' to Ukraine
Leavitt said that upon taking office, Trump "made it very clear that we’re not going to continue writing blank checks to fund a war very far away."

White House says Trump canceled Bedminster vacation to work on Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Leavitt said that Trump considered trying to continue arranging the peace talks during his New Jersey trip but opted to remain at the White House instead.

Karoline Leavitt slams New York Times reporter
At the NY Times, Russia collusion never died, leading to clown questions like “Why wouldn’t Trump just take the call from Putin while the other leaders were in the room?” Karoline Leavitt fired back, “With all due respect, only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that.”

Stephen A. Smith defends Trump, blames Biden, Obama, and Clinton for Russia-Ukraine war in fiery rant
Smith blamed former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton for their actions in the region while they were in office, arguing that the major catalysts for this war occurred on their watch.

Israel... 

Trump says Netanyahu is a war hero ‘and I am too’
In an interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin, Trump says he is working with Netanyahu to free the hostages, adding that Netanyahu is “a good man; he’s in there fighting.”

Europe...

The EU's Latest Plan to Stifle Online Privacy Is Terrifying
The "Chat Control" law threatens to transform the internet into an even more centrally controlled, surveilled environment. And it could be a legal reality by October.

Gabbard says UK scraps demand for Apple to give backdoor access to data
Britain abandoned its demand that Apple provide so-called backdoor access to any encrypted user data stored in the cloud, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Monday.

JD Vance Worked Behind Scenes To Push Brits To Drop Data Demands Of Apple
Vance was personally involved in negotiating the deal and had direct conversations with the British government, official says.

Latin America...

Maduro deploys millions of Venezuelan troops across country after US ships near Latin America
The communist dictator said that the activations are in response to the recent "extravagant, bizarre, and outlandish" threats from the United States.

Entertainment...

Mark Hamill gave wife ultimatum to move to England or Ireland after Trump win — she talked him out of it
Leftists always threaten to move to countries with less racial diversity.

Media...

Former Paramount chairwoman pushed CBS to settle Trump lawsuit over fear that Biden interview edits would surface
Shari Redstone told the New York Times she worried that Trump’s attorneys could use raw footage of a “drowsy” Biden to damage the network and said CBS also needed more balance in its coverage of Israel.

Leftist Philanthropic Groups Pledge $50 Million To Rescue NPR, PBS Stations After Federal Funding Cuts: Report
The Knight, MacArthur, and Ford Foundations are among the organizations backing local broadcasters as Trump slashes funding to public media over left-wing bias.

Joy Reid says white people 'can't originally invent anything'
White people can’t “originally invent anything more than they were able to invent good music."

Environment...

Trump Is Winning the Emissions War with Red China (and Other Acts of American Greatness)
Trump secured another important victory last week when a team of climate scientists revealed, in a departure from recent trends, that America outpaced China in CO2 emissions growth during the first six months of 2025.

LGBTQIA2S+...

Yosemite ranger fired over hanging transgender flag on El Capitan
A nonbinary park ranger was terminated following a months-long probe after helping drape the Pride flag from the iconic cliff, with park officials citing conduct violations and possible criminal charges for breaking federal demonstration rules.

Appeals court shuts down ban on drag shows at Texas A&M
The Fifth Circuit ruled that the university’s system-wide prohibition violated free speech, allowing drag shows to resume.

Education...

Trump administration drops Biden’s ‘politically motivated lawfare’ against nation’s largest Christian university
In 2023, the FTC, under Biden, accused Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, of “deceptive advertising and illegal telemarketing.”

Military schools could soon swap woke SAT for classical exam
A Senate defense bill amendment would let students at DODEA schools take the Classic Learning Test — a Great Books alternative to the SAT and ACT — for college admissions, a shift backed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and framed as a way to steer education away from politicized testing.

Religion...

1,400-year-old cross found in Abu Dhabi reveals thriving Christian community
Christianity during this period was typically associated with the Levant, Mesopotamia, and parts of Europe, making the discovery of a thriving community on a southeastern Arabian Gulf island both unexpected and historically significant.

AI...

Americans fear AI permanently displacing workers, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
The six-day poll, which concluded on Monday, showed 71% of respondents said they were concerned that AI will be "putting too many people out of work permanently."

AI turns customer service into surveillance and charges
From rental cars to hotels and even restaurants, businesses are rolling out algorithmic auditing systems that automatically fine customers for microscopic “infractions,” replacing human judgment with nonstop digital billing.

August 20, 2012 - Obama's hard-hitting questions from Top 40 radio... How is Biden still on the ticket?... Proof Obama doesn't believe in his own words... Who is Obama ripping off in his new ad campaign?...

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

Overcoming loneliness: Connecting in a disconnected world

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.


Russell Vought’s secret plan to finally shrink Washington

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump’s OMB chief built the plan for this moment: Starve pet programs, force reauthorization, and actually shrink Washington.

The government is shut down again, and the usual panic is back. I even had someone call my house this week to ask if it was safe to fly today. The person was half-joking, half-serious, wondering if planes would “fall out of the sky.”

For the record, the sky isn’t falling — at least not literally. But the chaos in Washington does feel like it. Once again, we’re watching the same old script: a shutdown engineered not by fiscal restraint but by political brinkmanship. And this time, the Democrats are driving the bus.

This shutdown may be inconvenient. But it’s also an opportunity — to stop funding our own destruction, to reset the table, and to remind Congress who actually pays the bills.

Democrats, among other things, are demanding that health care be extended to illegal immigrants. Democratic leadership caved to its radical base, which would rather shut down the government for such left-wing campaign points than compromise. Republicans — shockingly — said no. They refused to rubber-stamp more spending for illegal immigration. For once, they stood their ground.

But if you’ve watched Washington long enough, you know how this story usually ends: a shutdown followed by a deal that spends even more money than before — a continuing resolution kicking the can down the road. Everyone pretends to “win,” but taxpayers always lose.

The Vought effect

This time might be different. Republicans actually hold some cards. The public may blame Democrats — not the media, but the people who feel this in their wallets. Americans don’t like shutdowns, but they like runaway spending and chaos even less.

That’s why you’re hearing so much about Russell Vought, the director of the United States Office of Management and Budget and Donald Trump’s quiet architect of a strategy to use moments like this to shrink the federal bureaucracy. Vought spent four years building a plan for exactly this scenario: firing nonessential workers and forcing reauthorization of pet programs. Trump talks about draining the swamp. Vought draws up the blueprints.

The Democrats and media are threatened by Vought because he is patient, calculated, and understands how to leverage the moment to reverse decades of government bloat. If programs aren’t mandated, cut them. Make Congress fight to bring them back. That’s how you actually drain the swamp.

Predictable meltdowns

Predictably, Democrats are melting down. They’ve shifted their arguments so many times it’s dizzying. Last time, they claimed a shutdown would lead to mass firings. Now, they insist Republicans are firing everyone anyway. It’s the same playbook: Move the goalposts, reframe the narrative, accuse your opponents of cruelty.

We’ve seen this before. Remember the infamous "You lie!” moment in 2009? President Barack Obama promised during his State of the Union that Obamacare wouldn’t cover illegal immigrants. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) shouted, “You lie!” and was condemned for breaching decorum.

Several years later, Hillary Clinton’s campaign platform openly promised health care for illegal immigrants. What was once called a “lie” became official policy. And today, Democrats are shutting down the government because they can’t get even more of it.

This is progressivism in action: Deny it, inch toward it, then demand it as a moral imperative. Anyone who resists becomes the villain.

SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty Images

Stand firm

This shutdown isn’t just about spending. It’s about whether we’ll keep letting progressives rewrite the rules one crisis at a time. Trump’s plan — to cut what isn’t mandated, force programs into reauthorization, and fight the battle in the courts — is the first real counterpunch to decades of this manipulation.

It’s time to stop pretending. This isn’t about compassion. It’s about control. Progressives know once they normalize government benefits for illegal immigrants, they never roll back. They know Americans forget how it started.

This shutdown may be inconvenient. But it’s also an opportunity — to stop funding our own destruction, to reset the table, and to remind Congress who actually pays the bills. If we don’t take it, we’ll be right back here again, only deeper in debt, with fewer freedoms left to defend.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

U.K. forces digital IDs on workers—Is the U.S. next in line?

OLI SCARFF / Contributor | Getty Images

From banking to health care, digital IDs touch every aspect of citizens’ lives, giving the government unprecedented control over everyday actions.

On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood at the podium at the Global Progressive Action Conference in London and made an announcement that should send a chill down the spine of anyone who loves liberty. By the end of this Parliament, he promised, every worker in the U.K. will be required to hold a “free-of-charge” digital ID. Without it, Britons will not be able to work.

No digital ID, no job.

The government is introducing a system that punishes law-abiding citizens by tying their right to work to a government-issued pass.

Starmer framed this as a commonsense response to poverty, climate change, and illegal immigration. He claimed Britain cannot solve these problems without “looking upstream” and tackling root causes. But behind the rhetoric lies a policy that shifts power away from individuals and places it squarely in the hands of government.

Solving the problem they created

This is progressivism in action. Leaders open their borders, invite in mass illegal immigration, and refuse to enforce their own laws. Then, when public frustration boils over, they unveil a prepackaged “solution” — in this case, digital identity — that entrenches government control.

Britain isn’t the first to embrace this system. Switzerland recently approved a digital ID system. Australia already has one. The World Economic Forum has openly pitched digital IDs as the key to accessing everything from health care to bank accounts to travel. And once the infrastructure is in place, digital currency will follow soon after, giving governments the power to track every purchase, approve or block transactions, and dictate where and how you spend your money.

All of your data — your medical history, insurance, banking, food purchases, travel, social media engagement, tax information — would be funneled into a centralized database under government oversight.

The fiction of enforcement

Starmer says this is about cracking down on illegal work. The BBC even pressed him on the point, asking why a mandatory digital ID would stop human traffickers and rogue employers who already ignore national insurance cards. He had no answer.

Bad actors will still break the law. Bosses who pay sweatshop wages under the table will not suddenly check digital IDs. Criminals will not line up to comply. This isn’t about stopping illegal immigration. If it were, the U.K. would simply enforce existing laws, close the loopholes, and deport those working illegally.

Instead, the government is introducing a system that punishes law-abiding citizens by tying their right to work to a government-issued pass.

Control masked as compassion

This is part of an old playbook. Politicians claim their hands are tied and promise that only sweeping new powers will solve the crisis. They selectively enforce laws to maintain the problem, then use the problem to justify expanding control.

If Britain truly wanted to curb illegal immigration, it could. It is an island. The Channel Tunnel has clear entry points. Enforcement is not impossible. But a digital ID allows for something far more valuable to bureaucrats than border security: total oversight of their own citizens.

The American warning

Think digital ID can’t happen here? Think again. The same arguments are already echoing in Washington, D.C. Illegal immigration is out of control. Progressives know voters are angry. When the digital ID pitch arrives, it will be wrapped in patriotic language about fairness, security, and compassion.

But the goal isn’t compassion. It’s control of your movement, your money, your speech, your future.

We don’t need digital IDs to enforce immigration law. We need leaders with the courage to enforce existing law. Until then, digital ID schemes will keep spreading, sold as a cure for the very problems they helped create.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.