Blog
LatestArticlesVideos
Radio
LivePodcastSerialsStations
TV
Podcasts
The Glenn Beck ProgramThe Glenn Beck PodcastThe Beck Story
Fine Art
Real Estate
Shop
More
AboutCharityBooksSponsorsContact
SEARCH
Live Radio

©2024 MERCURY RADIO ARTS.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

Live

Glenn's Show Prep

Morning Brief 2025-12-03

December 03, 2025
Chris Brady

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

News...

Christmas reading: 'The Immortal Nicholas'
Glenn Beck reimagines the Santa legend as an epic journey across centuries, weaving history and adventure into a Christ-focused origin that restores meaning without losing the wonder.

Portland hosts 'tree lighting ceremony' without mention of Christmas, speakers chant 'free Palestine'
The gathering opened with acknowledgments of Native American Heritage Day and quickly pivoted to explicit political messaging. A woman draped in a Palestinian flag took the microphone early in the program and declared, “This is the perfect time to bring this up. There are a lot of genocides going on.”

Court Docs Reveal Nightmarish Details Of Accused National Guard Shooter’s Rampage
The Afghan charged with shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday nearly killed a third before he was captured, police said in court records.

Vets explain their dealings with Afghan 'allies' to illustrate why they shouldn't be in America
InfantryDort, one of the largest veteran accounts on X, shared, in detail, what things American troops saw when they were in Afghanistan to help Americans understand, perhaps once and for all, that not all cultures, practices, and beliefs are equal.

NPR claims that DC National Guard shooting suspect was not radicalized, had 'personal crisis'
After spending time in the U.S., a resettlement volunteer who worked with the family has said that he was likely in personal crisis and was prone to taking cross-country drives without informing his family, per NPR.

Extending Obamacare COVID subsidies will result in employers dropping insurance coverage
Bigger ACA subsidies make government-funded plans far more lucrative than job-based benefits, creating massive financial penalties for workers who get insurance at work — a distortion that’s already pushing small employers to dump coverage.

Trump to deploy National Guard to New Orleans as crime crackdowns expand nationwide
Trump says New Orleans is next in the federal crime-reduction surge after Memphis and D.C., answering Gov. Jeff Landry’s request as the city ranks dead last in national safety metrics and prepares for National Guard and Border Patrol operations to restore order.

Trump Admin Warns Blue States: Give Us Food Stamp Data Or We Cut Off Funds
The administration will withhold federal funds from those states beginning next week unless they provide the data.

NYC shootings hit all-time low, subways safer, retail theft dips 20% as Zohran Mamdani enters office: ‘His to screw up’
The 16 murders last month — a 46.6% dip over November 2024 — tied the 2018 number for the lowest number of monthly homicides in the city, with no murders in Queens or Staten Island last month.

Mamdani puts ex-felon with violent past on criminal-justice team
The incoming NYC mayor appointed a man convicted of armed robberies against taxi drivers — along with several other fringe activists — to help shape policing and justice policy, despite the adviser’s past ties to Farrakhan and history of extreme, racist, and anti-gay statements.

Geezer who terrorized Jewish-owned businesses with Nazi graffiti given slap on the wrist
A 75-year-old vandal who admitted targeting Jewish homes and businesses with Nazi graffiti walked free after Suffolk County’s rules erased his five-day sentence, leaving him with probation despite guilty pleas to felony hate crimes.

Minnesota...

Ungrateful Ilhan Omar and the Somali scammers are the immigrants we DON’T want
Is it too much to ask for immigrants who love America and its system of government?

Rufo: It’s not ‘racist’ to notice Somali fraud
The recent scandal in Minnesota reveals an uncomfortable truth: Different cultures lead to different outcomes.

Trump’s ICE Reportedly Targeting Somali Illegal Immigrants In Wake Of Minnesota Fraud Scandal
The Trump administration is launching an aggressive ICE operation in Minnesota’s Twin Cities this week aimed primarily at undocumented Somali nationals with final deportation orders, according to an official and internal documents reviewed by the New York Times on Tuesday.

Trump administration announces investigation into massive COVID fraud scheme by Somali community, accuses Walz of obstruction
Small Business Administration Sec. Kelly Loeffler announced the investigation Tuesday after several indictments involving alleged fraud in relation to coronavirus pandemic relief funding.

Dem-appointed judge under fire for tossing $7M Medicaid fraud conviction tied to Minnesota couple’s ‘lavish lifestyle’
Abdifatah Yusuf was found guilty of six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle by a jury, but Judge Sarah West overturned the conviction in mid-November.

Courts...

Shariah courts in America
We're sleepwalking toward Britain's outcome, or worse.

Justice Thomas Dismantles New Jersey’s Lawfare Against Pro-Life Center With A Single Question
In a stunning admission, Iyer acknowledged that the New Jersey AG’s office hasn’t "had complaints about this specific center."

Horowitz: Judges break the law to stop Trump from enforcing it
Rogue courts are ignoring statutory text, inventing authority Congress denied them, and blocking the president from using the expedited removal powers Congress approved.

Obama judge blocks Trump from cutting funds to Planned Parenthood in 22 states
The same judge also blocked the cutting of abortion funds in July, but an appeals court later allowed the cuts to continue while the lawsuit progressed.

Federal court office declines request for Boasberg to testify in Senate hearing on ‘rogue judges’
The judiciary told senators it won’t let Judges Boasberg or Boardman appear at the hearing, arguing that discussing their decisions — from secret data seizures on GOP lawmakers to the lenient sentence for Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin — would violate ethics rules and expose internal judicial deliberations.

Politics...

Trump voids all pardons, executive orders signed using Biden's 'unauthorized' autopen
The statement follows a similar declaration from last week.

The Democratic Party’s Two-Pronged 2028 Strategy: Military Chaos, Moderate Messaging
This feels like the predicate for a move by the Democratic Party to elevate somebody like Sen. Mark Kelly.

Republican Matt Van Epps defeats ‘AOC of Tennessee’ in congressional special election
Van Epps’ victory allows Republicans to breathe a sigh of relief after Democrats surged money and resources into the race, hoping to capitalize on typically low Republican turnout in special elections. Van Epps ended up winning by nine points.

NY Rep. Elise Stefanik blasts House speaker in feud that threatens defense package
Stefanik accused Johnson of blocking a measure out of National Defense Authorization talks that would’ve required the FBI to inform candidates for federal office if they’re being investigated as part of a counterintelligence operation.

DeSantis to call special Florida legislative session early next year for redistricting
Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said last month that he expects Republicans to gain three to five House seats under the new redistricting proposal.

Florida Rep. Luna files discharge petition seeking a vote on stock trading ban
In yet another attempt to bypass House Republican leadership, a discharge petition was filed on Tuesday to force a vote on a bill from Tennessee GOP Rep. Tim Burchett to prohibit stock trading for members of Congress and their immediate family members.

Chris Cuomo Doesn’t Believe Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Loves America
"I can't think of the last time I heard AOC say something good about the country."

Economy...

Costco sues Trump admin for 'full refund' of tariffs
The retailer is seeking a court declaration that the tariff orders are unlawful, an injunction preventing CBP from applying the tariffs to Costco’s shipments, and a "full refund," with interest, of duties already paid.

Dell family pours $6.2 billion into ‘Trump accounts’ to boost kids’ financial kickstart
Michael and Susan Dell are adding $250 to each of the 25 million children’s investment accounts — on top of the Treasury’s $1,000 — urging other philanthropists and companies to join the nationwide savings program.

Average Gas Prices Fall Below $3 a Gallon for First Time Since 2021
Oklahoma currently reports the cheapest gas of any state, with a current average price under $2.50 a gallon. Meanwhile the average cost for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in California comes in at $4.54, with Washington following behind at $4.16.

BlackRock chief suddenly embraces Bitcoin after years of trashing it
Larry Fink is now pitching a future where ETFs, stocks, and bonds all live in blockchain wallets and move instantly with no fees. He says most financial assets will be digitized “sooner, not later,” calling Bitcoin and gold “assets of fear” people buy when governments debase their currency.

Immigration...

Trump DOJ sweeps out 100+ immigration judges in nationwide reset
The administration has fired or forced out over 100 immigration judges — many with activist records — and is replacing them with “deportation judges” to speed removals. Some ousted judges are complaining or suing, but immigration courts sit under the executive branch, giving Trump full authority to overhaul them.

Noem confirms completion of 10,000 ICE hires to come 'within 10 days'
The Trump administration has set the goal of deporting at least 21 million illegal aliens.

Man arrested after hurling Molotov cocktails at LA federal building guarded by ICE
Police say the attacker threw unlit firebombs at officers, threatened to “blow up” the building, and was found carrying knives.

Illegal Immigrant Cop Previously Nabbed By ICE Returns To Work For Illinois Police Department
An immigration judge granted a $2,500 immigration bond just two weeks after he was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bojovic returned to work Monday and will receive a paycheck for the time he missed while he was detained, the department said in a statement Tuesday.

WAR news...

Trump Says Pentagon Will Strike Narco-Terrorists On Land During Cabinet Meeting
“We're saving hundreds of thousands of lives with our pinpoint attacks,” Trump said.

Pentagon says WaPo 'falsely attributed' quote to Hegseth 'that he never said'
"We told them this story was completely fake news on Thanksgiving evening with a three-hour deadline, and they still published it anyway."

Here’s where Maduro could live out his days in luxury — as Trump weighs strikes in Venezuela’s waters
A senior Trump administration source said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has floated allowing Maduro to relocate to Qatar as the gas-rich emirate helps mediate the conflict.

Ukraine - Russia...

Marco Rubio claims ‘progress’ toward Ukraine-Russian peace deal — but says only Putin can end the war
When asked how confident he was in the prospect of peace, Rubio put the onus on Putin. “It’s hard to tell about confidence level on it, because ultimately the decisions have to be made, in the case of Russia, by Putin alone,” the top U.S. diplomat said. “Not his advisers, Putin."

Entertainment...

Hollywood power couple reportedly furious after CNN roundtable leaves their son rattled
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are said to be livid after their son Dylan was pressed hard by GOP strategist Scott Jennings on CNN, leaving him embarrassed as Jennings dismantled his talking points on the shutdown — a moment insiders say the parents viewed as a setup.

Infamous Hollywood marriage faces disturbing new allegations
A longtime friend of Will Smith claims Jada threatened him, tried to force an NDA, and retaliated when he wouldn’t help cover up scandals — accusations now driving a $3 million lawsuit alleging intimidation, smear tactics, and efforts to silence him about the couple’s turbulent private life.

LGBTQIA2S+...

Biden to receive LGBTQ+ award, deliver rare post-presidency speech
While president, Biden cut and ran from Afghanistan, leaving in place a regime that enforces the death penalty for homosexuals.

Education...

After Charlie Kirk Assassination, 9 In 10 College Kids Still Think The Real Violence Is Words
Left-wing students have actually grown more intolerant of opposing viewpoints across the board.

NYC principal denies request for pro-Israel Holocaust survivor to speak at school — ‘given his messages’
A Brooklyn middle-school principal denied a parent’s request to have a Holocaust survivor speak to students about anti-Semitism — saying the victim’s pro-Israel views are not appropriate for a public school.

AI...

Missouri bill bans AI from human privileges like marriage
“Our approach should be what AI cannot do,” Amato said. “It cannot get married, it cannot sit on the board of directors, it can’t be your boss. So therefore, a human being at some place has to be the one that pushed the button to initiate whatever the creative thing or software, whatever you’re doing.”

China using AI as ‘precision instrument’ of censorship and repression, at home and abroad
A new report says China’s AI isn’t built for fairness but for enforcing party ideology, powering censorship, surveillance, and even its justice system. Beijing is now exporting those tools helping autocracies adopt the same model while extending China’s reach far beyond its borders.

Guillermo del Toro stops awards show music to drop 'F**k AI' bomb
The storied director skirted immigration politics to focus his ire on the machines.

Science...

Observatories Detect First-Ever Cosmic Signal From Elusive Primordial Black Hole
If they exist, primordial black holes could influence cosmic evolution and even account for dark matter.

Sports...

‘It Needs To Happen’: Olympic Gymnast Pushes IOC To Ban Transgender Athletes
"I would love to see more athletes, my Olympic teammates, Team USA National Team members, join this fight."

New York Giants quarterback gives prefect response to stupid question from reporter about getting hit too hard
“We’re not playing soccer out here. You’re going to get hit. Things happen. It’s just part of the game.”

Animals...

Drunk raccoon trashes liquor store before passing out in bathroom
An officer with Hanover County Animal Protection found the ransacker next to a toilet on Saturday morning. The Facebook account for the police department said they transported it to a shelter "to sober up before questioning."

Dec. 3, 2010 - Unemployment is now at 9.8%... Pat sings 'Annie' songs... NBC should have a disclaimer saying that it takes bailout funds from the feds... Nigel Farage says EU causing rise in nationalism... Glenn outs Pat as a messy eater...

A Sharia enclave is quietly taking root in America. It's time to wake up.

NOVA SAFO / Staff | Getty Images

Sharia-based projects like the Meadow in Texas show how political Islam grows quietly, counting on Americans to stay silent while an incompatible legal system takes root.

Apolitical system completely incompatible with the Constitution is gaining ground in the United States, and we are pretending it is not happening.

Sharia — the legal and political framework of Islam — is being woven into developments, institutions, and neighborhoods, including a massive project in Texas. And the consequences will be enormous if we continue to look the other way.

This is the contradiction at the heart of political Islam: It claims universal authority while insisting its harshest rules will never be enforced here. That promise does not stand up to scrutiny. It never has.

Before we can have an honest debate, we’d better understand what Sharia represents. Sharia is not simply a set of religious rules about prayer or diet. It is a comprehensive legal and political structure that governs marriage, finance, criminal penalties, and civic life. It is a parallel system that claims supremacy wherever it takes hold.

This is where the distinction matters. Many Muslims in America want nothing to do with Sharia governance. They came here precisely because they lived under it. But political Islam — the movement that seeks to implement Sharia as law — is not the same as personal religious belief.

It is a political ideology with global ambitions, much like communism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently warned that Islamist movements do not seek peaceful coexistence with the West. They seek dominance. History backs him up.

How Sharia arrives

Political Islam does not begin with dramatic declarations. It starts quietly, through enclaves that operate by their own rules. That is why the development once called EPIC City — now rebranded as the Meadow — is so concerning. Early plans framed it as a Muslim-only community built around a mega-mosque and governed by Sharia-compliant financing. After state investigations were conducted, the branding changed, but the underlying intent remained the same.

Developers have openly described practices designed to keep non-Muslims out, using fees and ownership structures to create de facto religious exclusivity. This is not assimilation. It is the construction of a parallel society within a constitutional republic.

The warning from those who have lived under it

Years ago, local imams in Texas told me, without hesitation, that certain Sharia punishments “just work.” They spoke about cutting off hands for theft, stoning adulterers, and maintaining separate standards of testimony for men and women. They insisted it was logical and effective while insisting they would never attempt to implement it in Texas.

But when pressed, they could not explain why a system they consider divinely mandated would suddenly stop applying once someone crossed a border.

This is the contradiction at the heart of political Islam: It claims universal authority while insisting its harshest rules will never be enforced here. That promise does not stand up to scrutiny. It never has.

AASHISH KIPHAYET / Contributor | Getty Images

America is vulnerable

Europe is already showing us where this road leads. No-go zones, parallel courts, political intimidation, and clerics preaching supremacy have taken root across major cities.

America’s strength has always come from its melting pot, but assimilation requires boundaries. It requires insisting that the Constitution, not religious law, is the supreme authority on this soil.

Yet we are becoming complacent, even fearful, about saying so. We mistake silence for tolerance. We mistake avoidance for fairness. Meanwhile, political Islam views this hesitation as weakness.

Religious freedom is one of America’s greatest gifts. Muslims may worship freely here, as they should. But political Islam must not be permitted to plant a flag on American soil. The Constitution cannot coexist with a system that denies equal rights, restricts speech, subordinates women, and places clerical authority above civil law.

Wake up before it is too late

Projects like the Meadow are not isolated. They are test runs, footholds, proofs of concept. Political Islam operates with patience. It advances through demographic growth, legal ambiguity, and cultural hesitation — and it counts on Americans being too polite, too distracted, or too afraid to confront it.

We cannot afford that luxury. If we fail to defend the principles that make this country free, we will one day find ourselves asking how a parallel system gained power right in front of us. The answer will be simple: We looked away.

The time to draw boundaries and to speak honestly is now. The time to defend the Constitution as the supreme law of the land is now. Act while there is still time.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Why do Americans feel so empty?

Mario Tama / Staff | Getty Images

Anxiety, anger, and chronic dissatisfaction signal a country searching for meaning. Without truth and purpose, politics becomes a dangerous substitute for identity.

We have built a world overflowing with noise, convenience, and endless choice, yet something essential has slipped out of reach. You can sense it in the restless mood of the country, the anxiety among young people who cannot explain why they feel empty, in the angry confusion that dominates our politics.

We have more wealth than any nation in history, but the heart of the culture feels strangely malnourished. Before we can debate debt or elections, we must confront the reality that we created a world of things, but not a world of purpose.

You cannot survive a crisis you refuse to name, and you cannot rebuild a world whose foundations you no longer understand.

What we are living through is not just economic or political dysfunction. It is the vacuum that appears when a civilization mistakes abundance for meaning.

Modern life is stuffed with everything except what the human soul actually needs. We built systems to make life faster, easier, and more efficient — and then wondered why those systems cannot teach our children who they are, why they matter, or what is worth living for.

We tell the next generation to chase success, influence, and wealth, turning childhood into branding. We ask kids what they want to do, not who they want to be. We build a world wired for dopamine rather than dignity, and then we wonder why so many people feel unmoored.

When everything is curated, optimized, and delivered at the push of a button, the question “what is my life for?” gets lost in the static.

The crisis beneath the headlines

It is not just the young who feel this crisis. Every part of our society is straining under the weight of meaninglessness.

Look at the debt cycle — the mathematical fate no civilization has ever escaped once it crosses a threshold that we seem to have already blown by. While ordinary families feel the pressure, our leaders respond with distraction, with denial, or by rewriting the very history that could have warned us.

You cannot survive a crisis you refuse to name, and you cannot rebuild a world whose foundations you no longer understand.

We have entered a cultural moment where the noise is so loud that it drowns out the simplest truths. We are living in a country that no longer knows how to hear itself think.

So people go searching. Some drift toward the false promise of socialism, some toward the empty thrill of rebellion. Some simply check out. When a culture forgets what gives life meaning, it becomes vulnerable to every ideology that offers a quick answer.

The quiet return of meaning

And yet, quietly, something else is happening. Beneath the frustration and cynicism, many Americans are recognizing that meaning does not come from what we own, but from what we honor. It does not rise from success, but from virtue. It does not emerge from noise, but from the small, sacred things that modern life has pushed to the margins — the home, the table, the duty you fulfill, the person you help when no one is watching.

The danger is assuming that this rediscovery happens on its own. It does not.

Reorientation requires intention. It requires rebuilding the habits and virtues that once held us together. It requires telling the truth about our history instead of rewriting it to fit today’s narratives. And it requires acknowledging what has been erased: that meaning is inseparable from God’s presence in a nation’s life.

Harold M. Lambert / Contributor | Getty Images

Where renewal begins

We have built a world without stillness, and then we wondered why no one can hear the questions that matter. Those questions remain, whether we acknowledge them or not. They do not disappear just because we drown them in entertainment or noise. They wait for us, and the longer we ignore them, the more disoriented we become.

Meaning is still available. It is found in rebuilding the smallest, most human spaces — the places that cannot be digitized, globalized, or automated. The home. The family. The community.

These are the daily virtues that do not trend on social media, but that hold a civilization upright. If we want to repair this country, we begin there, exactly where every durable civilization has always begun: one virtue at a time, one tradition at a time, one generation at a time.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

A break in trust: A NEW Watergate is brewing in plain sight

Gary Hershorn / Contributor | Getty Images

When institutions betray the public’s trust, the country splits, and the spiral is hard to stop.

Something drastic is happening in American life. Headlines that should leave us stunned barely register anymore. Stories that once would have united the country instead dissolve into silence or shrugs.

It is not apathy exactly. It is something deeper — a growing belief that the people in charge either cannot or will not fix what is broken.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf.

I call this response the Bubba effect. It describes what happens when institutions lose so much public trust that “Bubba,” the average American minding his own business, finally throws his hands up and says, “Fine. I will handle it myself.” Not because he wants to, but because the system that was supposed to protect him now feels indifferent, corrupt, or openly hostile.

The Bubba effect is not a political movement. It is a survival instinct.

What triggers the Bubba effect

We are watching the triggers unfold in real time. When members of Congress publicly encourage active duty troops to disregard orders from the commander in chief, that is not a political squabble. When a federal judge quietly rewrites the rules so one branch of government can secretly surveil another, that is not normal. That is how republics fall. Yet these stories glided across the news cycle without urgency, without consequence, without explanation.

When the American people see the leadership class shrug, they conclude — correctly — that no one is steering the ship.

This is how the Bubba effect spreads. It is not just individuals resisting authority. It is sheriffs refusing to enforce new policies, school boards ignoring state mandates, entire communities saying, “We do not believe you anymore.” It becomes institutional, cultural, national.

A country cracking from the inside

This effect can be seen in Dearborn, Michigan. In the rise of fringe voices like Nick Fuentes. In the Epstein scandal, where powerful people could not seem to locate a single accountable adult. These stories are different in content but identical in message: The system protects itself, not you.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf. That does not mean they suddenly agree with everything that person says. It means they feel abandoned by the institutions that were supposed to be trustworthy.

The Bubba effect is what fills that vacuum.

The dangers of a faithless system

A republic cannot survive without credibility. Congress cannot oversee intelligence agencies if it refuses to discipline its own members. The military cannot remain apolitical if its chain of command becomes optional. The judiciary cannot defend the Constitution while inventing loopholes that erase the separation of powers.

History shows that once a nation militarizes politics, normalizes constitutional shortcuts, or allows government agencies to operate without scrutiny, it does not return to equilibrium peacefully. Something will give.

The question is what — and when.

The responsibility now belongs to us

In a healthy country, this is where the media steps in. This is where universities, pastors, journalists, and cultural leaders pause the outrage machine and explain what is at stake. But today, too many see themselves not as guardians of the republic, but of ideology. Their first loyalty is to narrative, not truth.

The founders never trusted the press more than the public. They trusted citizens who understood their rights, lived their responsibilities, and demanded accountability. That is the antidote to the Bubba effect — not rage, but citizenship.

How to respond without breaking ourselves

Do not riot. Do not withdraw. Do not cheer on destruction just because you dislike the target. That is how nations lose themselves. Instead, demand transparency. Call your representatives. Insist on consequences. Refuse to normalize constitutional violations simply because “everyone does it.” If you expect nothing, you will get nothing.

Do not hand your voice to the loudest warrior simply because he is swinging a bat at the establishment. You do not beat corruption by joining a different version of it. You beat it by modeling the country you want to preserve: principled, accountable, rooted in truth.

Adam Gray / Stringer | Getty Images

Every republic reaches a moment when historians will later say, “That was the warning.” We are living in ours. But warnings are gifts if they are recognized. Institutions bend. People fail. The Constitution can recover — if enough Americans still know and cherish it.

It does not take a majority. Twenty percent of the country — awake, educated, and courageous — can reset the system. It has happened before. It can happen again.

Wake up. Stand up. Demand integrity — from leaders, from institutions, and from yourself. Because the Bubba effect will not end until Americans reclaim the duty that has always belonged to them: preserving the republic for the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Grim warning: Bad-faith Israel critics duck REAL questions

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Bad-faith attacks on Israel and AIPAC warp every debate. Real answers emerge only when people set aside scripts and ask what serves America’s long-term interests.

The search for truth has always required something very much in short supply these days: honesty. Not performative questions, not scripted outrage, not whatever happens to be trending on TikTok, but real curiosity.

Some issues, often focused on foreign aid, AIPAC, or Israel, have become hotbeds of debate and disagreement. Before we jump into those debates, however, we must return to a simpler, more important issue: honest questioning. Without it, nothing in these debates matters.

Ask questions because you want the truth, not because you want a target.

The phrase “just asking questions” has re-entered the zeitgeist, and that’s fine. We should always question power. But too many of those questions feel preloaded with someone else’s answer. If the goal is truth, then the questions should come from a sincere desire to understand, not from a hunt for a villain.

Honest desire for truth is the only foundation that can support a real conversation about these issues.

Truth-seeking is real work

Right now, plenty of people are not seeking the truth at all. They are repeating something they heard from a politician on cable news or from a stranger on TikTok who has never opened a history book. That is not a search for answers. That is simply outsourcing your own thought.

If you want the truth, you need to work for it. You cannot treat the world like a Marvel movie where the good guy appears in a cape and the villain hisses on command. Real life does not give you a neat script with the moral wrapped up in two hours.

But that is how people are approaching politics now. They want the oppressed and the oppressor, the heroic underdog and the cartoon villain. They embrace this fantastical framing because it is easier than wrestling with reality.

This framing took root in the 1960s when the left rebuilt its worldview around colonizers and the colonized. Overnight, Zionism was recast as imperialism. Suddenly, every conflict had to fit the same script. Today’s young activists are just recycling the same narrative with updated graphics. Everything becomes a morality play. No nuance, no context, just the comforting clarity of heroes and villains.

Bad-faith questions

This same mindset is fueling the sudden obsession with Israel, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in particular. You hear it from members of Congress and activists alike: AIPAC pulls the strings, AIPAC controls the government, AIPAC should register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The questions are dramatic, but are they being asked in good faith?

FARA is clear. The standard is whether an individual or group acts under the direction or control of a foreign government. AIPAC simply does not qualify.

Here is a detail conveniently left out of these arguments: Dozens of domestic organizations — Armenian, Cuban, Irish, Turkish — lobby Congress on behalf of other countries. None of them registers under FARA because — like AIPAC — they are independent, domestic organizations.

If someone has a sincere problem with the structure of foreign lobbying, fair enough. Let us have that conversation. But singling out AIPAC alone is not a search for truth. It is bias dressed up as bravery.

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

If someone wants to question foreign aid to Israel, fine. Let’s have that debate. But let’s ask the right questions. The issue is not the size of the package but whether the aid advances our interests. What does the United States gain? Does the investment strengthen our position in the region? How does it compare to what we give other nations? And do we examine those countries with the same intensity?

The real target

These questions reflect good-faith scrutiny. But narrowing the entire argument to one country or one dollar amount misses the larger problem. If someone objects to the way America handles foreign aid, the target is not Israel. The target is the system itself — an entrenched bureaucracy, poor transparency, and decades-old commitments that have never been re-examined. Those problems run through programs around the world.

If you want answers, you need to broaden the lens. You have to be willing to put aside the movie script and confront reality. You have to hold yourself to a simple rule: Ask questions because you want the truth, not because you want a target.

That is the only way this country ever gets clarity on foreign aid, influence, alliances, and our place in the world. Questioning is not just allowed. It is essential. But only if it is honest.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.