Glenn Beck attended the White House’s Medal of Freedom ceremony for Charlie Kirk and learned a lot. Glenn shares stories about President Trump, Erika Kirk, Marco Rubio, and others…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I have to tell you, I mean, listen to my voice. I'm tired from it.

The President went over on Sunday, conducted all of that business, got back on Air Force One, flew all the way back. He -- he said he flew back because he needed to do this on Charlie's birthday. He said he was going to delay it. And then he realized, "Oh. It's Charlie's birthday. Have to be down on his birthday." So flew all the way back. You know how much sheep he had in the 36 hours? Zero. Everybody else on the plane had about an hour and a half. Because if you're working for the President when he's up, you're up.

And they were zombies. Everybody was zombies. And he was -- I don't know how this guy does it. I mean, he doesn't take any drugs. He doesn't take -- you know, no -- nothing nonnatural goes into this guy's body.

STU: I mean, there's certain products at McDonald's, that do go down --

GLENN: Yes. You're right.

Okay. You're right. I can't say that. No stimulants go in his body.

STU: I don't know who RFK Jr is. Considering he see not drink.

He see not --

GLENN: Does not take drugs.

STU: He's very much against those stuff.

GLENN: Yeah, very much. Just good genetics, I think. The guy does not sleep. He just doesn't sleep.

STU: Is that concerning for long-term health? I mean, I guess --

GLENN: For everybody else. But he's been this way his whole life, I mean, this is the way he's operated his whole life. I don't think so. It's just the way he is. He doesn't need very much sleep.

The guy is changing the world. I mean, you remember we were watching -- we were watching when he arrived in Egypt. And I said, "I've never seen this before."

I'll have to narrow this down for you. Because I say this several times a day now.

When the world leaders get together, they stand on the stage and get one shot. Once in a while, they'll stand on stage, as they're assembling. And they'll talk amongst themselves. But I've never seen a photo line with world leaders, to take a picture one on one with the president. Okay?

Never seen that in my life. Okay?

That's what was happening on Monday. In Egypt!

He was two hours late. Okay?

And apparently, and I'm not going to divulge too. Apparently, one person was upset. And was like, I'm not waiting around for this.

Yet, they waited around for it.

And they lined up. Even the king of Saudi Arabia was in the line, waiting in the line for 30 minutes.

While he took photos with all of the leaders around the world.

They are treating him -- I mean, he's changed the world. The guy knows how to use power.

It's my understanding from conversations that I had piecing some things together. It's my understanding, Vladimir Putin has changed with him too.

Even Putin has known -- noticed, this is the guy who is kind of steering the world and is more deferential to Donald Trump.

And I hope that's true. I hope that begins to play out with Ukraine.

STU: It's quite key to understand who you're speaking with, right?

It's not always about what you want to say and what you want. It's about what the other person wants and what they understand.

Someone made the point that Donald Trump speaks Arabic better than any native speaker. And I thought that was an interesting comment.

It's like, you know, it is a -- he -- he seems to be able to communicate to the leaders in that part of the world.

GLENN: They understand strength.

STU: They understand it, yeah.

And they react to it.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: And I think they don't see him as a -- a passing -- like, oh, he's here. But just wait him out.

They don't think he's going to change or fold on this stuff.

GLENN: And they think he's changing the world. And everybody who follows him, is going to follow in these footsteps.

They don't think, this is just, he has got three more years left, and then Kamala comes back. They don't think that --
STU: They think it's changed for good?
GLENN: They think it's changed for good. I believe they think J.D. Vance is going to be the next president. And I think so too.

I mean --

STU: Certainly, the favorite of the Republican Party, obviously.

GLENN: Yeah. He's -- he's killing it.

But then again, I saw Marco Rubio yesterday. He listens to the show. And his wife listens to every word of the show. And I said, "I hope you've noticed that we really like what Marco is doing."

I mean, the guy is -- and I said to him. I said, "Marco, what happened?"

And he's like, "What?" I said, "You know, we've always been a fan of yours. I mean, we interviewed him for the first time." You remember the first time we interviewed him for president, the very first time, and we all got into a car. You, me, and Pat, we did a video. We were like, "This guy is amazing. He's great."

STU: Really liked him.

GLENN: And then he got into the Senate and was kind of, I don't know, hard to pin down. I don't know what happened to him. And he immediately said, "It's the president."

I said, "Eh, the president is leading, yes. But there's a change in you. You are just killing it. Killing it."


STU: Should we join in here for one quick side bar of the current odds to win the presidential election at 2028.

Okay. So first -- first place, this is according to Kalshi. 32 percent chance, J.D. Vance. Second place, 21 percent chance, Gavin Newsom.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

STU: Third place -- I mean, again, this is prediction markets, what people believe will happen. This is not an official poll or anything.

Third place, 7 percent, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

GLENN: In third place.

STU: In third place. Comically, fourth place is also 7 percent actually is Donald J. Trump. You may have heard him. Currently president of the United States. And that would be -- that would be an interesting Constitutional amendment for that to occur for that to happen.

GLENN: It would be. It would be.

STU: Then you have Pete Buttigieg. Marco Rubio at 4 percent. Josh Shapiro. Kamala Harris. Wes Moore, Maryland. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan. Andy Beshear, Kentucky.

GLENN: Okay, so it's way too early. It's way too early.

STU: Three percent. Glenn Youngkin, 2 percent.

GLENN: Oh, I'm sorry.

Glenn Youngkin. I thought you were saying Glenn Beck. Because then that would start to make sense. Everyone putting their money down is insane!

STU: Yeah, again, I would not be betting on that market now.

GLENN: No, I would not. But, I mean, he is -- he is on top of it.

And honestly, we're going need to somebody who operates like Donald Trump and can keep the republic. Keep the republic. Keep the Constitution.

Because we're going to head for some really, very difficult times. Very difficult times. But, anyway, back to the Charlie Kirk thing. It was very, very nice.

Erika is, you know, really gaining her voice. Only towards the end was she really kind of breaking down, but she was very good. The president was so gracious yesterday with everybody.

I mean, he is really an amazing man. But it is funny, because I have a picture of the two of us be by the Oval. Outside of the Oval. You open up the Oval Office door and you walk out, yeah, there it is.

Yeah. I have a picture of us. And he is right there, he's pointing to the Rose Garden. And I said, "You know, the worst thing that I think anybody has done to a First Lady was done to Melania."

I said, "They did so many bad things. But one of them is this Rose Garden." I said, "If I'm not mistaken, she just took Jackie O's exact plans and redid them."

And he said, "Yes. Yes!"

I said, "I can't believe how dishonest the press is. They just want to destroy you, and they'll go after your wife on that."

It's restoring the Jackie O plan!

And in their press coverage, they were like, "This is offensive. Jackie O would be..."

No, she would be happy that it was her plan.

Anyway, he said, "Yeah, I'm going to pave over this."

And I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, you're going to what?" And he said, "No, they're going to be nice pavers, but, you know, I'm going to pave over this." And he said, "Because it's useless." He said, "It's grass." So women come and they stand and they're on their heels, and they're sinking into the grass. It's usually wet." He said, "We need to be able to hold events out there." And he said, "And it would be beautiful, beyond anything like anybody has ever seen."


So he starts yesterday and he comes out. And he said, "This is the first time" -- he said, "I just put these pavers down."

And he said, "This is the first event in the Rose Garden with these pavers."

And it's absolutely beautiful. It's got flags on the corner. They have these special flags made. It's really, really -- it's beautiful. All the press was tanged in the back. And I haven't heard word one from the press on this. Not word one. Have you heard anything about what he's done with the Rose Garden?

STU: No. I did see some plans. Are these accurate plans where they will build another giant building on the property? Is that --

GLENN: Oh, that -- yeah. He's doing that.

STU: Is that going to happen?

GLENN: He's paying for it all, he's doing it all. It's a big ballroom.

He's like, "The country needs a ballroom." You know, "We have these state dinners." He said, "We put them on the grass." He said, "We need a ballroom."

And he said, "Tax payers don't want to pay for a ballroom, I'll pay for it."

So he's building it, and it will be done.

He said, by 2026. You know, some time early spring 2026. I'll believe it when I see it. But he tends to get things done quickly.

STU: Yeah. Sure.

GLENN: But the one thing I noticed was the security perimeter of the White House is astounding! It's at least doubled. Now you don't go into that park. You can go into the park. But you can only go in certain places in the park. But I think they're moving the perimeter, the security perimeter, at least a block around it. All the way around.

STU: Perfect sense, obviously with this environment.

GLENN: It was the first time I've seen the president in many months, outside without bulletproof glass between us.

I mean, he -- he stood outside, you know, trees in the area. Buildings in the area. And he was safe, outside. And it must be weird to live in that kind of bubble. But it was amazing. It was amazing.

They're really doing a good job. And the entire ceremony, the guy just knows, and he's just a showman. He just knows how to do things like this.

Except, somebody had hijacked. I mean, I think he had hijacked the music. Like ten minutes before he came out. It's like Abba, Dancing Queen, was playing. In the Rose Garden.

It was a little -- but then it stopped. And you could tell just -- you could tell when he actually picked. And I can guarantee you, he picked it.

And I was in -- remember I told you last time I was in the White House. I told you, he had selected all of these paintings of all of the presidents. And he put them strategically.


And when I was with him last, he said, I don't know what to do with this guy. And he had in the hallway kind of stuffed in the corner of the residence. The painting of Eisenhower.

And I said, "Eisenhower was the one who warned about everything you're dealing with right now."

I said, "Go back and read the industrial, you know, military-industrial complex speech. He talks about education and science and everything else."

I said, "He should be in your walk."

Because he said, "I put all of the paintings down strategically, so when I turn a corner, I see a face of somebody that reminds me, learn. Don't forget the lesson from him."

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Now, you come down from out of the residence, and you turn that first corner, and he's moved the picture of Eisenhower. So the first president that he sees, as he comes down the stairs is Eisenhower. It's pretty cool.

STU: It's interesting. Do you think people see Donald Trump as a guy who thinks that way?

GLENN: No. But that's what they miss. That's what they miss.

He's -- he's really strategic in everything he does. I mean, he -- he -- he really knows, choose your thoughts. And so he's always -- you come down the stairs. And he's looking at Abraham Lincoln.

He turns that corner. And he's now looking at -- at -- at Eisenhower.

Every time he turns a corner, there is a Ronald Reagan, you know, there's George Washington.

He's always turning the corners, and looking at people to remind him. He -- he is a very thoughtful guy. Really thoughtful. Because he knows, choose your thoughts.

And that will -- and that will move your life forward in that direction.

STU: Seems to have a more complete understanding of history, now. Too. Would you say that the second term?

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

STU: He went into that first term, obviously like -- you didn't even know at that point.

GLENN: No, his learning curve is almost straight up. The guy doesn't sleep.

So I was talking to I think Master Crowley. And she said that -- she walked in, in the middle of the night. Everybody is -- everybody is trying to get some shut eye. And she said, "He's in his office with stacks of books and papers. And he's just digesting all of this stuff." She said, "He's up all night just reading and getting stuff done."

It's remarkable.