RADIOJanuary 14, 2025

Why California Officials Shouldn’t Get a DIME of Wildfire Aid Without MAJOR Conditions

House Speaker Mike Johnson has caused some controversy by suggesting that any wildfire aid given to California MUST come with conditions. But should this be controversial … or common sense? Glenn reviews 3 reasons that the Californian government shouldn’t receive a DIME from U.S. taxpayers without major restrictions. If the REAL “science deniers” like Governor Gavin Newsom can’t admit that their own policies helped fuel this disaster, Glenn argues that we can’t trust them with our money. California was warned days before the fires that conditions could cause a blaze. And there are fires in the state EVERY year. So, why wasn’t California prepared?

If you would like to help the PEOPLE - not the government - of California, you can donate at https://MercuryOne.org

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: But let me go into first, what is happening in California. The fires are still burning.

And, you know, good for them. Good for them.

Meanwhile, we have Newsom, talking about his marshal plan to rebuild Los Angeles, and let's go to cut three there, please.

VOICE: Over the course of the next several years in Los Angeles, will be hosts to the World Cup, and then the Super Bowl. And then the Olympics.

With this rebuilding effort, needing to take place, is LA going to be ready for all those global events?

VOICE: All that opportunity, that pride and spirit, that comes from not just hosting those three iconic games, but also the opportunity I think to rebuild at the same time. And that's why we're already organizing a marshal plan.

We're already looking at a team, looking to reimagine LA 2.0. And we're making sure everyone is included, not just folks on the coast.

People here, that were ravaged by this disaster.

VOICE: You just said, you're organizing a marshal plan for the rebuilding of California. What is that marshal plan? Tell us about this marshal plan.

VOICE: We're starting to lay out.

We're still fighting these fires. We're already talking to city leaders. We're already talking to civic leaders. We're already talking to business leaders. Nonprofits.

We're talking to labor leaders.

We're starting to organize, how we can put together a collection of individuals on philanthropy on recovery.

How we can organize the region. How we can make sure that we are seeking federal assistance, for the Olympics more broadly.

But also federal assistance for the recovery efforts, and how we can galvanize the community.

GLENN: Okay.

So I'm glad he's talking about the future. This brings us to Mike Johnson.

Something that I haven't talked about. Haven't had a chance to talk about yet. He wants to put some restrictions. His aid proposal for California. Is that he's trying to put conditions on the aid sent to California. And people are saying, that's insane! You don't do that. Where is your compassion?

I want to talk to you about how compassion is sometimes difficult.

Compassion. True compassion is sometimes the hardest thing to muster.

Because you want to give, until you can't give anymore.

You want to help.

You want to be there. But you have an alcoholic. In California.

California is the political system is an alcoholic.

And it is destroying the entire state. And you don't say when an alcoholic is suddenly, you know, in the hospital, or, you know, really, really down, and, you know, out on the streets. You know what, I'm going to give you all the need to get back into your house. Because the alcoholic will spend that, and just end up in the same place, if not worse. Sometimes, you have to have tough love. You know this with your family. Any kind of aid, that goes to California, I think it is only responsible to aid the people, as quickly as possible. Aid the homeowners, as quickly as possible. Help them make sure that they have a place to go. Make sure that they -- like the government wasn't doing in North Carolina. Making sure that they have hotel rooms for as long as they need them, within reason. Now, within reason, many of these people are wildly wealthy. Some are very poor. There needs to be some understanding that the wildly wealthy. You know, we're not going to put you up at the Beverly Hills Hotel. That's just the way it is. Sorry.

But we're going to help the people. But when it comes to the state, if they cannot admit that this is not climate change, that this happened because of their policies. If they cannot admit that, they shouldn't get a dime.

I'm a taxpayer. I want to help California. Just like I want to help all the other states, when they have a problem, that they cannot handle. That is too big for their state.

But they took all of their resources. And honestly, you could make the case. I'm not. But you could make the case, this was intentional sabotage. Pragmatism now, I want to tell you about the three-fold problem in California, as I see it.

There are three things that are happening in California.

One, the Santa Anna winds, low humidity, and uncleared brush always causes fires. Always.

They are known to cause fires. They have been known throughout history.

Do you know why the great redwoods and the sequoias have grown for a thousand years? Do you know how those trees got so big? They're in California. How is that possible? How have they not been wiped out by fire?

We have to protect the sequoias. To an the sap in sequoias is fire retardant. That's why they can grow for a thousand years. God gave them.

God knew, there would be fires in California. Those trees have fire retardant as part of their life's blood. That's why they haven't burned down over and over and over again.

Normal trees don't have that. That's why fires burn all the time. And if you don't have regular maintenance on your forests and on your property, you are going to have a brush fire. And a brush fire turns into a forest fire.

And if you add 75 to 100-mile-an-hour winds. You could burn down the entire state!

Except, it seems for the sequoias and the redwoods. What this government of California has done, has stopped people in the name of the good of the forest and the good of the land, is to deny science. They have been denying science, for decades! They have been playing God for over a century!

They want to tell you, that a woman can be a man, and a man can be a woman, and a man can have a baby!

That's not true! That's denying science!

To say, that we can prevent the forest fires is a lie. That is as arrogant as saying, we can change the weather!

Now, don't think our government and governments all over the world, aren't trying to change the weather.

But let me ask you honestly. How do you think that's going to work out in the end?

How do you think cloud seating and putting gases and different things up into the atmosphere, or giant shades in space, to block the sun.

How do you think that's going to work out in the end?

Well, or will it end the same way our arrogance always ends?

There are things that we can do.

To mitigate natural occurrences.

For instance, if you were -- let's say, you got on December 2nd.

Can we get that weather warning up from the National Weather Service. It's January second, next Tuesday through Thursday. January 7th through the ninth.

A chance of moderate, to strong Santa Anna winds.

This is for -- is from the National Weather Service. Ready, set, go.

Readyforwildfire.org. Impacts. Extreme fire growth behavior possible, if a fire starts and power outages. Use extra caution with potential fire sources.

Now, this was added the week before the fires!

Now, that's the National Weather Service, giving a warning to the people of California. You can bet, that government agency, let other government agencies know, at the same time.

Continually didn't go up to your house.

It went out to everybody's house.

It went to the firehouses. It went to the governor's house. It went to the mayor's house. They knew in advance!

So let me ask you, in a nonprogressive state, what would somebody like Ron DeSantis do? What do we do for hurricanes? Hurricanes are like fires in California. You know you're going to have them, every single year. Am I wrong?

Okay. If you have them and you get a warning, one is potentially coming, that could be record-setting. What do you do? Well, I'll tell you what a nonprogressive state like Florida, with a governor who is -- is embracing reality. What he does, is he prepositions all of the utility trucks. Prepositions all of the lifesaving trucks. He makes sure that we have plenty of chainsaws. He makes sure that the -- the state is ready and literally waiting. So what should Gavin Newsom have done? When he got that warning, 100-year warning of a fire. He should have said, make sure all the reservoirs are full. Make sure that we have all of the fire trucks. Positioned. Put them in the high-risk areas. Just let them sit there. Have the firemen sit there in really dangerous areas. Make sure that if you see a fire or smoke, that thing is out right away. You can't get up these hills with fire equipment quickly. If you've ever been to California. It's honestly, like navigating the Appalachia. It's like going to North Carolina. Why? Were so many people trapped? Because it's impossible to navigate those hills and those mountains quickly! The same thing in California. Did they do that? No. Do they make sure that they had things in advance? No!

What is the one given if you're living in California? What is the one thing that you know is going to happen in California, besides political insanity. You know there's a chance of an earthquake? So what do you do? You build your building stronger, right? You know there's a chance of a mudslide. So what do you do? You make sure that you -- you have your foundations deep. But then you also, when you buy it, know, I'm gasping here. My house could slide down the side of this mountain. You're charged extra for insurance. But the one thing you know is going to happen every year, is fire. Why wouldn't California be the number one fire ready and resistant area in the United States? I'll tell you with why, in 60 seconds. Let me tell you about JASE Medical.

It's kind of been a terrifying past several months. At least when it comes to summer blockbuster level disasters from wildfires to hurricanes, sea to shining sea.

We've witnessed the danger that nature and mismanagement can bring. How many times last year and this year, so far have people been stranded without access to medications that they might need?

That doesn't have to be your family, or you. Because you know about it. And hopefully, you have the JASE case, by now.

It is a simple, reliable, emergency room supply. Of lifesaving medications to put control in your hands.

There's no way to prepare for literally every single thing that could go on.

But there's lots of ways to prepare for everything that you know could go wrong. The JASE case is a must have for that! This isn't about fear. It's about responsibility.

Being prepared, California, is the best way to protect your family and your future.

Don't wait for the next headline to wake you up. Don't wait for the government to do the right thing. You do it! Go to JASE.com. Enter the promo code Beck. Make sure you have the right medicine on hand the moment you need them. That's JASE.com. Promo code Beck. Ten-second station ID.
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Okay. So I think there are three things happening in California, and this is why we're having this conversation today. And we're having to make tough decisions.

One, fires are natural, especially in California. They're going to happen due to global warming or not. When you have out of control homeless problems, your risk of fire increases. Why?

Because people who take meth, one of the side effects is, you like to see things burn. Also, you have homeless people, who start fires, maybe to stay warm.

Maybe just to eat.

But when you have huge homeless problems, your risk of fire goes up. You also have the Santa Anna winds. And the natural history of California.

They were unprepared. That's number two. Number one is, it's going to happen.

Any moron could see this happen. This wasn't 9/11 where, wow! We never thought planes could fly into the buildings. This is a wildfire in California!

It happens every year, just like the sun comes up every morning. Two, they were not prepared. They knew it was going to happen. They were not prepared.

Okay. Next thing: Their incompetence is borderline criminal. What they've done, not just in their incompetence, but by shifting funds away from fires. Away from preparedness. For something you knew that was going to happen, to I don't know.

To give more job opportunities for equal opportunity for lesbian lizard cults. By doing that and taking money away from the state, I'm sorry.

That's not just incompetence. That's borderline criminal. And, three, you have people who are now just joining in! What a surprise!

It looks as though, you have foreigners, here illegally, on our streets! Setting fires!
Who could have seen that one coming?

That's what's happening, in California it's natural!

It happens every year. They didn't prepare. They went the opposite direction. You have people joining in to help.

Now, I believe this fire started naturally. And then it's been helped by forces that I don't understand yet.

I don't know if this was a plot. Or just, you know, lone wolves, setting fires.

But also, nature helped by Santa Anna winds. Which he with understand.

And the incompetence.

Why would we give California a dime, without restrictions?

I'm not talking about the people, who are suffering right now, and have no money, and no place to go.

I'm talking about rebuilding in California.

Every dollar should have restrictions on it, to the government of California. Because I'm not paying for this twice. I'm not doing it!

They need to learn their lesson. Not the people.

The people in government.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Are Epstein's "Blackmail Videos" Being Used for Leverage RIGHT NOW?

What was Jeffrey Epstein's operation all about. If he was at the center of a massive blackmail operation to compromise those in positions of power, who is in possession of that information now? Glenn Beck and ATF Whistleblower John Dodson analyze the details of this situation and give their thoughts on what is the most likely reality surrounding Epstein.

Watch Glenn Beck's FULL Interview with ATF Whistleblower John Dodson HERE

WARNING: How America Elects a Socialist President in 2028 | Glenn TV | Ep 444

The rise of Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old socialist who just won the Democratic primary for mayor, is not just a political earthquake shaking New York City — it’s a warning for the rest of America. Backed by Bernie Sanders, AOC, and the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani promises free everything, to tax the rich, and to dismantle capitalism. There’s nothing new about this tired strategy, but the media is propping him up as a new political genius. And with Democrat leaders lining up behind him, it’s clear: This radicalism isn’t fringe anymore. It’s the Democratic Party’s future. Mamdani’s rise is part of a larger movement that’s rewriting America’s values. Glenn Beck explains how New York is the prototype for the Left’s socialist makeover of America. Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Standford, gives a terrifying prediction on Mamdani’s mayoral race chances and warns the revolution is coming for mainstream Democrats. He also dives into MAGA’s frustration with the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files.

Salena Zito reveals WHY Trump said “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“I have a new purpose,” then-candidate Donald Trump told reporter Salena Zito after surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Salena joins Glenn Beck to reveal what Trump told her about God, his purpose in life, and why he really said, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, as she details in her new book, “Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland”.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Salena, congratulations on your book. It is so good.

Just started reading it. Or listening to it, last night.

And I wish you would have -- I wish you would have read it. But, you know, the lady you have reading it is really good.

I just enjoy the way you tell stories.

The writing of this is the best explanation on who Trump supporters are. That I think I've ever read, from anybody.

It's really good.

And the description of your experience there at the edge of the stage with Donald Trump is pretty remarkable as well. Welcome to the program.

SALENA: Thank you, Glenn. Thank you so much for having me.

You know, I was thinking about this, as I was ready to come on. You and I have been along for this ride forever. For what?

Since 2006? 2005?

Like 20 years, right?

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

SALENA: And I've been chronicling the American people for probably ten more years, before that. And it's really remarkable to me, as watching how this coalition has grown. Right?

And watching how people have the -- have become more aspirational.

And that's -- and that is what the conservative populist coalition is, right?

It is the aspirations of many, but the celebration of the individual.

And chronicling them, yeah. Has been -- has been, a great honor.

GLENN: You know, I was thinking about this yesterday, when -- when Elon Musk said he was starting another party.

And somebody asked me, well, isn't he doing what the Tea Party tried to do?

No. The Tea Party was not going to start a new party.

It was to -- you know, it was to coerce and convince the Republican Party to do the right thing. And it worked in many ways. It didn't accomplish what we hoped.

But it did accomplish a lot of things.

Donald Trump is a result of the Tea Party.

I truly believe that. And a lot of the people that were -- right?

Were with Donald Trump, are the people that were with the Tea Party.

SALENA: That's absolutely right.

So that was the inception.

So American politics has always had movements, that have been just outside of a party. Or within a party.

That galvanize and broaden the coalition. Right? They don't take away. Or walk away, and become another party.

If anything, if there is a third party out there, it's almost a Republican Party.

Because it has changed in so many viable and meaningful ways. And the Tea Party didn't go away. It strengthened and broadened the Republican Party. Because these weren't just Republicans that became part of this party.

It was independents. It was Democrats.

And just unhappy with the establishment Republicans. And unhappy with Democrats.

And that -- that movement is what we -- what I see today.

What I see every day. What I saw that day, in butler, when I showed I happen at that rally.

As I do, so many rallies, you know, throughout my career. And that one was riveting and changed everything.

GLENN: You made a great case in the opening chapter. You talk about how things were going for Donald Trump.

And how this moment really did change everything for Donald Trump.

Changed the trajectory, changed the mood.

I mean, Elon Musk was not on the Trump train, until this.

SALENA: Yeah.

GLENN: Moment. What do I -- what changed? How -- how did that work?

And -- and I contend, that we would have much more profound change, had the media actually done their job and reported this the way it really was. Pragmatism

SALENA: You know, and people will find this in the book. I'm laying on the ground with an agent on top of me.

I'm 4 feet away from the president.

And there's -- there's notices coming up on my phone. Saying, he was hit by broken glass.

And to this take, that remains part of this sibling culture, in American politics.

Because reporters were -- were so anxious to -- to right what they believed happened.

As opposed to what happened.

And it's been a continual frustration of mine, as a reporter, who is on the ground, all the time.

And I'll tell you, what changed in that moment.

And I say a nuance, and I believe nuance is dead in American journalism.

But it was a nuance and it was a powerful conversation, that I had with President Trump, the next day. He called me the next morning.

But it's a powerful conversation I had with him, just two weeks ago.

When he made this decision to say, fight, fight, fight.

People have put in their heads, why they think he said it. But he told me why he said that. And he said, Salena, in that moment, I was not Donald Trump the man. I was a former president. I was quite possibly going to be president again.

And I had an obligation to the country, and to the office that I have served in, to project strength. To project resolve.

To project that we will not be defeated.

And it's sort of like a symbolic eagle, that is always -- you know, that symbol that we look at, when we think about our country.

He said, that's why I said that. I didn't want the people behind me panicking. I didn't want the people watching, panicking.

I had to show strength. And it's that nuance -- that I think people really picked up on.

And galvanized people.

GLENN: So he told me, when he was laying down on the stage.

And you can hear him. Let me get up. Let me get up.

I've got to get up.

He told me, as I was laying on the stage. I asked him, what were you thinking? What was going through your head? Now, Salena, I don't know about you.

But with me. It would be like, how do I get off the stage? My first was survival.

He said, what was going on through his mind was, you're not pathetic. This is pathetic.

You're not afraid. Get up.

Get up.

And so is that what informed his fight, fight, fight, of that by the time that he's standing up, he's thinking, I'm a symbol? Or do you think he was thinking, I'm a symbol, this looks pathetic. It makes you look weak.

Stand up. How do you think that actually happened?

SALENA: He thinks, and we just talked about this weeks ago. He -- you know, and this is something that he's really thought about.

Right? You know, he's gone over and over and over. And also, purpose and God. Right? These are things that have lingered with him.

You know, he -- he thought, yes.

He did think, it was pathetic that he was on the ground. But he wasn't thinking about, I'm Donald Trump. It's pathetic.

He's thinking, my country is symbolically on the ground. I need to get up, and I need to show that my country is strong.

That our country is resolute.

And I need people to see that.

We can't go on looking like pathetic.

Right?

And I think that then goes to that image of Biden.

GLENN: You have been with so many presidents.

How many presidents do you think that you've personally been with, would have thought that and reacted that way?

SALENA: Probably only Reagan. Reagan would have. Reagan probably would have thought that.

And if you remember how he was out like standing outside.

You know, waving out the window. Right?

After he was shot.

GLENN: At the hospital, right.

SALENA: Had he not been knocked out, unconscious, you know, he probably would have done the same thing.

Because he was someone who deeply believed in American exceptionalism.

And American exceptionalism does not go lay on the ground.

GLENN: And the symbol.

Right. The symbol of the presidency.

SALENA: Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that affects him today.

GLENN: So let me go back to God.

Because you talked to him the next day. And your book Butler.

He calls you up.

I love the fact that your parents would be ashamed of you. On what you said to him.

The language you used. That you just have to read the book.

It's just a great part.

But he calls you the next morning. And wants to know if you're okay.

And you -- you then start talking to him, about God.

And I was -- I was thinking about this, as I was listening to it. You know, Lincoln said, I wasn't -- I wasn't a Christian.

Even though, he was.

I wasn't a Christian, when I was elected. I wasn't a Christian when my son died.

I became a Christian at Gettysburg.

Is -- is -- I mean, I believe Donald Trump always believes in God, et cetera, et cetera.

Do you think there was a real profound change at Butler with him?

SALENA: Absolutely. You know, he called me seven times that day. Seven times, the take after seven.

GLENN: Crazy.

SALENA: Talked about. And I think he was looking for someone that he knew, that was there. And to try to sort it out.

Right? And I let him do most of the talking. I didn't pressure him.

At all. I believed that he was having -- you know, he was struggling. And he needed to just talk. And I believed my purpose was to listen.

Right? I know other reporters would have handled it differently. And that's okay. That's not the kind of reporter that I am.

And I myself was having my own like, why didn't I die?

Right?

Because it went right over my head.

And -- and so I -- he had the conversation about God.

He's funny. I thought it was the biggest mosquito in the world that hit me.

But he had talked profoundly about purpose. You know, and God.

And how God was in that moment.

It --

GLENN: I love the way you -- in the book, I love the way you said that as he's kind of working it out in his own he head.

He was like, you know, I -- I -- I always knew that there was some sort of, you know -- that God was present.

He said, but now that this has happened.

I look back at all of the trials.

All of the tribulations. Literally, the trials.

All of the things that have happened. And he's like, I realized God was there the whole time.

SALENA: Yes. He does. And it's fascinating to have been that witness to history, to have those conversations with him. Because I'm telling you. And y'all know, I can talk. I didn't say much of anything.

I just -- I just listened. I felt that was my purpose, in that moment.

To give him that space, to work it out.

I'm someone that is, you know, believes in God.

I'm Catholic. I followed my faith.

And -- and so, I thought, well, this is why God put me here. Right?

And to -- to have that -- to hear him talk about purpose, to hear him say, Salena. Why did I put a chart down?

I'm like, sir. I don't know. I thought you were Ross Perot for a second.

He never has a chart. And he laughed. And then he said, why did I put that chart down?

By that term, I never turned my head away from people at the rally. That's true.

That relationship is very transactional. It's very -- they feed off of each other.

It's a very emotive moment when you attend a rally. Because he has a way of talking at a rally. That you believe that you are seeing.

And he said, and I never turn my head away.

I never turn my head away.

Why did I turn my head away?

I don't remember consciously thinking about turning my head away. And then he says to me, that was God, wasn't it?

Yes, sir. It was. It was God.

And he said, that's -- that's why I have a new purpose.

And so, Glenn. I think it's important, when you look at the breadth of what has happened, since he was sworn in.

You see that purpose, every day.

He doesn't let up.

He continues going.

And it brings back to the beginning of the book.

Where you find out, that there was another president that was shot at in Butler.

And that was George Washington. And how different the country would have been, had he died in that moment.

And now think about how different the country would be, had President Trump died in that moment. There would be --

GLENN: We're talking to -- we're talking to Salena Zito. About her new book called Butler. The assassination attempt on President Trump. And it is riveting.

And, you know, it is so good. I wish the press would read it. Because it really explains who we are, who Trump supporters are. Who are, you know, red staters. It is so good at that. She's the best at that.