RADIOJune 13, 2022

3 reasons Americans are FED UP & the 1 way they'll handle it

Salena Zito, National Political Reporter for the Washington Examiner, understands the current sentiments of average, American voters better than most others in the industry. And she tells Glenn ordinary voters are FED UP with the current administration in more ways than one. Thanks to sky-high gas prices, spreading crime, and the never-ending border crisis, Zito tells Glenn that Democrats may have a ‘monstrous’ midterm season…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Salena Zito is with us. Salena Zito is -- I mean, this -- this is a reporter that actually gets it. Because she doesn't sit around in the capitol and in New York City. She actually goes out and talks to people, regular people. So she has her finger on the pulse, better than I think anybody else in the media. Salena, how are you?

SALENA: Good morning, sunshine. I'm swell. How are you?

GLENN: You are so -- I haven't heard anybody use the word "swell" in quite some time. By the way, Salena, you can find all her work at SalenaZito.com. Salena.com is where you can go find her work. Salena, I was reading an article you did a couple of days ago. The rhetoric versus realism at the pump. And you just had such a great handle on things. I wanted to talk to you a little bit about that. But also along with January 6th. And this thing that happened last night. Do people care about this?

SALENA: You know, I didn't even know. Part of being a reporter somewhere.

GLENN: Yeah.

SALENA: I didn't even know it was happening.

GLENN: Wow.

SALENA: Until -- until one of my colleagues said, hey, watch the hearings tomorrow, that's tonight. And I said, what hearings? And they said, the January 6th hearings. I'm like, why is it on prime time? That literally makes no sense, unless it's going to be a spectacle. And then I concluded, that it's going to be a spectacle. And I'm like --

GLENN: A spectacle. Yeah. Yeah. See, it was produced by a guy who was produced television for ABC. You know, it kind of -- kind of a giveaway. So Salena, what is actually going on in the country, as you go across and talk to individuals? What are they actually thinking about, everything that's going on right now?

SALENA: Well, what is interesting. And, again, people can check out everything I do at SalenaZito.com. Because I have three full-time jobs. But so what -- no matter what your political party is. The same concerns are across-the-board with regular folks. And what do I mean by regular folks? Folks that aren't involved in politics, either for a profession or because they have an illness, that they have to watch it all the time. But, you know, people -- I mean, there isn't a time that I don't pull up to a gas station. Which, by the way, is all the time, because I'm always on a back road, where you don't hear someone cuss at an inanimate object, meaning the gas pump. Because the -- you know, the average cost now, to fill up an average car is about $100. You know, that takes -- that takes --

GLENN: I put -- I put 3 gallons of gas in my car yesterday. 3 gallons. And it cost me over $18. And a -- a word that shouldn't follow the word holy. Was uttered at that pump. But, I mean, you're -- I looked at that, and I thought, this is insanity. Insanity. How are people doing it?

SALENA: It is. Well, they aren't. So what people are doing, to sort of fake pretend, that they're not getting gouged, is that they'll only put 20 gallons. Twenty dollars' worth in their tank. And like, well, this is it, for the week. And if I can't get where I need to go with 30 gallons, I'm not going anywhere. And it's not that they're not trying to face reality. They just have to find a way to manage reality. And that's what it -- what it -- what this comes down to. So the other thing I think that's really important for people to understand, is I think the impact and the cost of diesel. Because diesel is how we get everything we want in our hands every day. Whether it's food. Whether it's our order from Amazon. Or Wayfair. Or the fresh vegetables that we want from a farm. Or any of the energy that we need to heat our house or light our home, all come -- is derived from diesel. So what does that mean? Everything in our lives costs a lot more. Because diesel. If you think gas is insane in the numbers, so is diesel. But the other thing that people are really deeply concerned about is crime. Crime, and not just in New York. Not just in Chicago. Not just in Washington. By the way, if you follow the scanners, for many of the cities, it's just -- it's like a horror movie. But, you know -- you know, scenes across the country. The crime wave is insane. And a lot of it has to do with two years ago, starting to sort of place police officers on a lower tier importance and significance in our lives. And the direct result is that -- that police are literally have their hands tied behind their back, in the things that they pursue. And criminals know that. And they will literally get away with stealing things right from underneath you, knowing that there are no consequences.

GLENN: And here's -- wait. Wait. And here's another point on this. There's a story out today. Michigan County limits in-person response to 911 calls after blowing through their gas budget. So now, here we are in the middle -- are we even in the middle of -- of June. And they've already blown through their gas budget. So now, don't call the cops. Because they can't come. That's astounding.

SALENA: Right. It's like Ghostbusters. So now, not only can't the police departments afford the gas, they can't send the police out to respond. And the other thing, and I think we really missed the significance of this. But the -- you know, when people in the news, in particular, in the news organizations that don't cover the crisis at the border. They think of it as sort of this racist reaction to people of different colors or different places of origin coming in their country. And that's why they don't want them crossing illegally. That is not. We understand -- most Americans understand that innate drive to want to be American and be free. However, what is also coming across the border is crime. And drugs. Fentanyl, meth. And where is fentanyl and meth coming from? It's coming from China. And it goes to South America. And it goes to Mexico.

And it comes not just to cities. But it's coming to suburbs. It's not just a white Appalachian problem anymore. The city of Philadelphia, which is a majority minority, has the highest rate of overdose deaths due to fentanyl and meth, than any other city in the country. That is now just a white Appalachian problem. That is a problem that is affecting everyone.

GLENN: So let me ask you: When will the -- or are they already? I saw some of the poll numbers, with 18 to 24-year-old adults. Biden is at 20 percent. Hispanics, record lows for Democrats. And same with blacks. When do the American people know that this gas price is not because of Vladimir Putin? It is because of ESG and these energy decisions, that the financial sector and the Biden administration and the left have made. When are they going to tie together the food shortages, and the diesel shortages, and the crime? When are they going to say, enough is enough of these crazy policies.

SALENA: They already know that. The press just doesn't think they know that. That's the funny thing. It reminds me so much of 2010, when I was following that midterm election. And the Democrats held power. And -- and John Boehner, God bless him, he said the most simple thing. He said, turned around and said, when someone said, what are -- what are you Republicans all about? And he just turned around and just sort of flippantly said, where are the jobs?

And it is as simple as that. You know, there is a midterm election, of historic proportions that have been saying it's 1892 or '94. I can't remember. I did a great analysis of that midterm election, where Democrats lost 130 seats. 130 seats.

GLENN: Holy cow.

SALENA: Now, I'm not -- y'all can go check it out at SalenaZito.com. But the similarities between what was happening in America then. And what is happening in America now. They're extraordinarily similar. So I think that all of these charts, all of these guesses. All of these -- you know, new -- this leans right. This leans left. All of them are not going to capture the amount -- the breadth of the wave that the Democrats are going to feel in November. They're just not. They don't understand. And part of the problem is, if you -- go ahead.

GLENN: No. I'm sorry. I'm on a delay. So please, just keep going. If you try to interrupt, just keep going. Well, finish your thought. Finish the thought.

SALENA: Well, I think that the largest problem is reporters and Democrats, and even Republicans don't understand how big this is. Because oftentimes they're not having conversations with people, in realtime, in their real lives. And people are not always completely honest with the politician or a reporter, especially one that's from New York or DC. Because they don't want their name in print because they don't want people coming after them on social media. So they say nothing. Or -- or they just shrug. But if you really know people and understand people, which is what I do. Not because I'm spectacular. But because I live in the middle of that, right? People have a sort of trust in someone that shares their values. And it's going to be monstrous.

GLENN: Wow. All right. Salena. We need to talk again, probably next week. Because I learn so much from you. And I just love your articles. You're just very insightful. And you use history to -- to show the parallels. And I'm going to go back and read that, about the election of -- what was it? 1890. Which one was it?

SALENA: 1894. The second term -- that midterm election.

GLENN: Was it the -- was it the silver election?

The one that was about --

SALENA: Yes. Silver was part of that. It was 1894. 1894. That's right. Because it was right before the year that William Jennings Bryant ran for president in '96.

GLENN: Yep. Okay.

Thank you so much, Salena. I appreciate it. You can find all her work at SalenaZito.com. SalenaZito.com. If you really want a handle on what people are actually thinking, that you're not seeing in mainstream media. Read Salena Zito. Back in just a minute.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Why Your Actions Matter More Than Words in the Eyes of God

Glenn Beck and Eric Metaxas expose the spiritual crisis gripping America’s churches — a moment they compare to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning before World War II. As the culture descends into moral confusion, too many Christians retreat into silence, claiming faith while refusing to act. Together, they argue that true belief demands courage — that “faith without works is dead” — and warn that neutrality in the face of evil is itself a form of complicity.

Watch the FULL Interview HERE

The American Dream is in CRISIS - How Freedom Was Replaced by Comfort

The American Dream used to mean freedom and the chance to build your own life through hard work, faith, and independence. But today, it’s been replaced by comfort, consumption, and debt. Glenn Beck breaks down how America traded liberty for lifestyle, why socialism is gaining ground, and what it will take to reclaim the real American Dream before it disappears for good.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I don't know if you saw the visualizing the American dream, Stu.

You know, what the American dream actually is, is that you can forge your own way.

You can -- you know, you can have a scrap of land, and grow your own food if up.

You can, you know, go to school. Not go to school.

You can find a job. If you're qualified for it, you have an equal chance of getting it, you know, based on merit.

But the percentage of Americans who say the American dream is retirement is 86 percent. Health care, 86 percent. Owning a home, 85. Raising two kids, 78. Owning a car, 72. Vacations, 71. Pets, 66. A wedding, 55 percent. That's the American dream, I can get married.

The American dream, if that's what you think, they've now estimated, the cost per household over the cost -- over the lifetime, retirement is $1.6 million. Owning a home now, 30-year mortgage, 20 percent you want to, is $957,594. Owning a car, buying and finance to begin with new cars every ten years is now $900,000 over your lifetime. Raising two kids to 18, plus four years of public college, $876,092. Two kids. Health care, over your lifetime, spending from ages 22 to 85, $414,000. Vacations, annual vacation from '22 to '85, $180,000. One dog and one cat for 11 to 13 years is $40,000!

That's more expensive than a wedding. The engagement ring, the ceremony, and the reception is now estimated to be $38,200.

There's a reason socialism is doing well. You look at that, and you're like, wow. I mean, if that's the American dream. And for a lot of people, that is the American dream!

That's not what the American dream is supposed to be, but, you know, once -- you know, once Woodrow Wilson and FDR got a hold of us and they started advertising, it became stuff instead of freedom. It became stuff. And, you know, when there's a new report out. Let me see if I have that.

There's a new report out now that shows, first time home buyers made up just 21 percent of the home purchases. That's the lowest on record.

The typical age of repeat buyers hit an all-time high of '62. The median downtowns, reaching 23 percent.

The highest since 2023.

And also, where is it?

The last one is -- the median age for first time home buyers, in 1981, it was 29 years old.

I'm sorry. Yeah. Twenty-nine years old. In 2021, it was 33 years old.

What is it this year?

Median age, first time homeowner, forty.

You're 40 before you can buy any kind of home. That puts these things that people want, dream about, out of reach, until you're 40?

You know, 29 is one thing. But if you're not seeing -- you're not seeing your life really kind of settling down until you're 40, I -- I can understand why you're like, you know what, this system doesn't work.

Because you've never seen it work. It's betrayed you.

Or so you've been sold. It's betrayed you.

And everything is being pushed out of your reach. And when you're young, the one thing you're not is patient.

And at 40, I can see why people are not, you know, yeah. Well, socialism is neat because capitalism isn't working. How would you respond to that?

STU: I mean, it's more lengthy than we have time for. But I would say that the response to, you know, you thinking that you want a home is not to embrace an ideology that murders 100 million people.

That's not -- that's not a good answer to the problem that you think you have.

GLENN: But they're not learning that anywhere.

They're not -- that is our responsibility! To teach those things. Because they're not learning it anywhere.

Glenn Beck Warns of 3 Economic Outcomes That Could Change EVERYTHING | Ep 467

Socialism is spreading fast among America’s youth, and the shocking election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor in New York City marks a major cultural and economic shift. Glenn exposes how runaway debt, record home prices, AI job disruption, and the collapsing stake in capitalism have led many Millennials and members of Gen Z to embrace socialism and communism. He reveals the three possible economic futures for 2026: two that are disastrous and one that could change everything if the Trump administration’s global financial overhaul succeeds. Plus, Justin Haskins, president of the Heartland Institute, joins to reveal some terrifying truths about why young Americans are embracing socialism from a poll he conducted with Rasmussen Reports.

The world is about to realize the DEADLY enemy we face

"The world doesn't understand yet. We're already in World War III," Glenn Beck warns. "That foe is not China. That foe is militant Islam." Glenn explains the battle we're currently facing and what's to come if we don't wake up soon...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: From New Jersey, it's Brian. Hello, Brian.

CALLER: Hello!

GLENN: Hey.

CALLER: Yeah. Thanks for taking the calls today.

GLENN: Sure.

CALLER: Yeah. I'm worried that we are headed towards another French Revolution-style because we have entire generations. Or actually people just not being heard by their representatives.

GLENN: Hmm.

CALLER: And it's not just here. It's around the world.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

I -- actually, I had scheduled for this time, I'll just do it some other time. Talking about what's happening in -- in England.

I think England is headed for a Civil War. And -- and it's very close.

I mean, you can't put 4,000 people. 4,000 people, in jail, or try them for hate crimes. And speech crimes.

You can't -- you can't do it. In England!

You can't do that in one year. And expect people to just put up with it!

You can't -- you know, we're -- we're -- America doesn't understand yet.

The world doesn't understand.

We're in World War III. We're already in World War III.

I don't know when it becomes a hot war. Or even a war that we on our side recognize. But we are in World War III. And that -- that foe is not China.

That foe is militant Islam, period. And, you know, when we have a situation to where people are -- when the government is just like, no. It's not a problem.

It's not a problem. You know. You've got illegals all over.

It's not a problem.

It's not a problem.

It is a problem. Don't tell me what -- what the problems are not!

Because we're the ones living it!

You're the experts, who keep telling us, no. It's going to work out fine.

And it doesn't work out fine. And it just gets worse and worse.

Oh. We can spend this money. No. It looks like we can't spend this money. Oh, we can afford this. No. It looks like we can't afford this.

You know, if we do this with Ukraine, it will work out fine. No, it didn't, did it? These endless wars, all of this stuff, don't tell me what the problem is. Listen to the people and start talking to the people. Honestly, this is the reason why I'm doing this today. I -- I need to hear from you.

I need to know what's on your mind, so I stay focused and -- and clear on what America is saying.

Because I don't think -- look, you know, me taking phone calls is -- is not a true representation of anything, but it does give me a sense of -- of where you are, as an audience. Maybe not as America, but as an audience. And there are lots of things that concern me. But I want to hear it from you.
But I think you're right! We're headed for real, real trouble. All you need is real economic trouble.

You start getting real, true economic trouble. 1930s kind of depression stuff. And we're in Civil War.

Dan, Oregon. Welcome!

CALLER: Hello, Glenn. How are you?

GLENN: I'm great!

CALLER: Yeah. Good. It's been a long time.

I guess it's been over ten years, since I've had a chance to talk with you. I was one of your first insiders. I was listening to you, since you were in Florida.

GLENN: Wow. Wow.

CALLER: So it's been a long -- yeah. It has been. And I can't say I've enjoyed all of it.
(laughter)

GLENN: Neither have I!

STU: I can't say that either, I'll be honest with you.

CALLER: You know, you were talking on yesterday's show, reminiscing with Stu about how you guys started. And I remember those old shows. And, you know, at the end of the -- the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Right.

CALLER: And there was a lot more entertainment. I remember I laughed a lot.

GLENN: Oh, yeah. I know. I know. Those days are long dead.
(laughter)

STU: There's nothing to laugh about now.

CALLER: Yeah. I -- I'm 78. I still work 40 hours a week. I love my job.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: Been married for 55 years. I have seven kids.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: I've got a daughter -- I've got a daughter who is in her 40s. And she has severe TDS. She -- we don't -- I mean, we're not cutting each other off. She hasn't done that at all. We're still very close as a family. But she was down visiting the other day, and got into a conversation with my wife. And I wasn't in the room. But Kathy said it was just like listening to one of those young people out on the street that was being interviewed by the news media. And she was -- and she was in tears about it. My wife and my daughter both.

And, I mean, I love her, and I continue to support her. She's a single woman, not by choice. She just never found the right guy.

GLENN: Yeah.

CALLER: And I really think that's part of the problem. Because she started reading -- back when Trump was first running, she started reading all of this stuff about him being misogynistic and all of this stuff.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

CALLER: And it's just gotten worse. I -- I'm at a loss. I really am. Because I -- like, I see the country doing better. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I still feel like that at least right now, we're doing better as a whole. But what do we do about -- what do we do about our kids about -- she went to Portland State University for the last two --

GLENN: Oh, jeez, for the love of --

CALLER: Well, yeah. For the last two years, she went to -- she went to a little college in Idaho called Ricks for the first two years, and Utah State.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CALLER: And then she served a mission for our church in Brazil and came home, but then she went to Portland State University. And it just seems to have gone downhill from there.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. So, Dan, I think you are suffering from the same thing that almost all parents are suffering from. If you're not suffering from this, then, I mean, God bless you. You know, get on your knees and thank God. Because you are a lucky, lucky family. Everybody has in their family. I have it in my family.

And you have to ask yourself, what is your goal?

My -- what is your goal with your daughter? Your real goal?

CALLER: My real goal is for us to be united eternally. That's my goal. That's my goal as a father and has been to teach her --

GLENN: And how -- and how is that going to happen with politics?

CALLER: We just stay together as a family regardless of what politics does.

GLENN: That's exactly right. Exactly right.

I think we're in a place now where as parents, you can ask your kids, but it has to be honest. It cannot be trying to win. It has to be honest. How did you get there?

I mean, I remember. You know, we've talked about this before. And you didn't believe that before. What has changed?

Can you help me with that?

I would like to see what you're reading, or what that was.

And just ask questions. But they have to be honest. They can't be, you know, because I'm setting you up. Because I want to change your mind.

But keep a dialogue open with them. And just love them!

Just love them!

Because if you do anything else, you're going to drive them away. And then they're really lost. So just love them.

CALLER: Oh, I know that. Glenn, when she was young -- when she was young, I considered her one of the elect. And the Scripture says, that in the last days, even the elect are going to be deceived. And that's what I'm seeing. But everything you've said, I -- I am doing. I'm doing it that way. Because I know --

GLENN: Okay. Good. Then you didn't need to -- I appreciate it. I'm so glad you called me. But you didn't need to -- my advice, you already have it down. You're a very wise man.