RADIOMarch 13, 2025

European Union Admits TERRIFYING Truth About Digital Currencies

The head of the European Central Bank just admitted that the EU has been planning to roll out a "digital Euro" for OVER 5 YEARS. Wait, we were told that was a conspiracy theory! But now that it's ready to go, the EU is bragging about it. Glenn explains why CBDCs are a dangerous pivot away from the emphasis on personal freedom that the West has long championed. If the EU adopts a CBDC, it should fracture our alliance, Glenn says. Anybody who's advocating for a currency that the government can PROGRAM and TURN OFF is no friend of America or the Trump administration. But it's not just the EU, Glenn warns. Our Federal Reserve is also developing one. Glenn makes the case that Trump and Congress must BAN THIS NOW.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Let me start with Europe. With the president of the European Central Bank. The ECB. I love central banks. Don't you, Pat?
PAT: Oh, they're the best.

GLENN: Pat sitting in for Stu again, who is just so sick.

Yesterday, he was vomiting from all the truffles he was eating on the couch, while he was watching soap operas.

Anyway, Christine Lagarde. She's the president of the Central Bank. It's basically our Fed. And they're all the same. Here's what she said, and it's a lot of blah, blah, blah. So I don't know how long I can take it. I'll summarize it if I can't take it for two whole minutes. But here she is.

VOICE: Nature doesn't like vacuum.

GLENN: Vacuum.

VOICE: And we started working on the digital euro.

GLENN: Hmm.

VOICE: Way back.

GLENN: Way back.

VOICE: Actually when I started my term five and a half years ago. And I'm not claiming, you know, parental -- parentality on the digital euro, because my colleague Benoit Kura (phonetic) had already committed a speech on this matter before I arrived, but I certainly carried on with that project, and subsequently Fabio Panetta on the board, and then Piro (inaudible) who has replaced Fabio.

GLENN: Okay. Okay. Okay. I can't listen to somebody who is talking about Fabio. Look, here's what she's announcing. First of all, let's remember that for years, Christine Lagarde and everybody else, both here, foreign, and domestic, have said that any worry about a CBDC is just a conspiracy theory. They have silenced. They have discredited anyone who warned of the dangers of this. But now, all of a sudden, I guess we all forgot that. Because now they're ready! And the steaks cannot be higher. We, I'm telling you, 18 to 48 months, our whole world is going to be different. They are ready to launch this now, and the stakes for privacy, free markets, and individual liberty, especially anybody who kind of likes the Constitution, they're at risk. Okay? This is a really dangerous pivot that is going on right now, and I think it should fracture our alliance. Anybody who is advocating for small government, personal freedom. You know. Hey. Privacy.

I don't think you should be in bed, and Defending those who are going down the road of Europe right now.

Years ago, CBDC. That's central bank digital currency. That's like Bitcoin. Except, the point of Bitcoin is, it's untraceable.

It's completely private. And nobody can stop you from using it.

CBDC. That's a tinfoil hat conspiracy. I'll never do that.

Why would we do that?

In fact, in 2019, Mark Carney, who was the head of the Bank of England back then. He said, CBDC, you are so misguided with your fears.

And he said that, while he was at Jackson Hole. You know, they have that economic symposium, where all the really cool people go to. And they talk about things. And when we, who are not the cool people in attendance go, that sounds spooky. You're just a tinfoil hat person.

Anyway, that's where he made that speech. That it's just misguided.

There's nothing to fear here.

Because we are just experiment. Oh. Kind of like Mengele.

I'm sorry. That was bad. Kind of like, let's say, the atomic bomb. There is nothing to atomic bomb, we're just doing experiments. Why would you be experimenting, if you didn't think that it would be something that you would eventually use.

So, anyway, 2021, Jerome Powell, who is our central bank guy. The Federal Reserve.

He said, quote, CBDCs. I love this one.

Not on the immediate horizon.

Okay. So you're admitting that it is on the horizon!

So in 2024, she, Lagarde, she -- she comes out, and she told the European parliament, that CBDC skepticism stem from conspiracy theories. Saying, the digital euro is not going to be big brother, surveillance.

Remember, what a central bank digital currency can do, and will do, at least over in the Soviet -- I mean, in Europe. Will be that it will track everything that you buy. Everything you sell.

Everything you make. Okay. Not a problem. That's fine.

I don't have anything to hide. Except, it can be turned off! You don't own -- like, I can go to the bank and say, I want cash. I want my cash out. Okay?

You'll be suspected of being a terrorist, if you do that. What's the problem? Hey, that's freedom, baby.

But you can take the cash. With the central bank digital currency, you don't own that. There's nothing to take out. They own that. The central bank and the government, they own that. So you have no place to go, but through them. And if you decide with be I don't really like that, they can turn your currency off.

And make no mistake, that's not a tinfoil hat conspiracy, that's what's happening in China!

So people have been -- there's a guy, practice sawed, I think his name is. He wrote a book, The Future of Money.

It came out in 2018. We talked about it on the program. And he was made to look ridiculous.

Theft!

Anybody who is a Libertarian, they've been talking about, you're crazy.

Anybody who spoke about it, on any platform during the Biden administration.

They're crazy!

And you were throttled or suspended, because you were spreading misinformation. Okay?

So I got the message. It's a farce. It's not happening.

Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Except, now they've just announced that it is happening. Okay?

Back in 2020, the European central bank said, 86 percent of all central banks are working on this right now.

Oh! Okay.

Okay. Then as she said, in 2024, there's a two-year pilot. But now she said, there's a rollout coming for digital currency, from the central bank of Europe.

So it went from conspiracy, to reality, in a year!

Love how that works. And we're all just supposed to not notice it!

Okay.

So here's -- here's why this is so dangerous, and something you must pay attention to.

I am convinced that especially ASI, is going to be a tool. Remember, like everything. Like everything, even Scriptures. Scriptures, that's a tool.

It's a gift given to you, if you would like to use it. But know that that powerful gift that you have, can fall into the hands of somebody else.

And they can twist it, and use it for very powerful, nefarious purposes. That's just the written word of the Scriptures.

Okay!

It will always -- everything can be used for good or bad. It depends on the people who are holding it in their hands. All right.

And I really am convinced that ASI, digital currency, that's all found in the Bible!

I mean, I'm in Bible territory here.

Specifically the last part of the Bible.

That -- are these the tools that are very much like the tools foretold.

That will be employed by the Antichrist, to snuff out anyone who dares to say, I'm really not with him.

Now, so they are -- China has already done this. They launched in 2020, with their digital yuan. It tracks everything.

And that gives you your -- your -- your currency. But it also gives you the currency to be somebody in good standing. If you don't do exactly what the state tells you to do, you're tracked, you're monitored. And guess who doesn't get to go on an airplane. Guess who doesn't get to take the train.

If we say who can't go into certain buildings. You!

Because you're no longer in good standing. And it gets worse and worse and worse, until you are literally living on the streets, only because you disagree with the government.

Don't believe me! Look it up. Now, the US is not far behind. We have got to pass -- and Donald Trump said he would sign it. We have got to pass legislation right now!

No central bank digital currency, ever!

In America. No -- no digital passport, ever, in America!

Because we're already working on a digital dollar here.

Europe's move is not isolated. It is a chess move. Well, they're doing it. And China is doing it.

Or we will do it. Because we will be left behind. I want to be left behind. There is going to come a time where you will hear me -- you probably will. Maybe. I don't know.

There will come a time where I will be like, you know, the Amish have it right. Maybe we should all be Amish. Now, I might just be saying that in a barn with cows and people all dressed in black. I don't know.

But there's going to come a time where I'm like, I think we should all get out of here. And go the other direction.

And it could be coming quickly!

Because what that means for privacy, for free markets.

For your individual choice, is beyond most people's understanding, today!

But you've got to educate. Remember, I said, there's going to come a time, where things are happening so fast, you will not be able to keep up with them.

You've already seen this in a good way with Donald Trump.

He came in. And it's not just that he had a plan.

It's also that we're using AI to find all of these things to correct!

Okay. That's why Elon Musk is there!

Tech support!

That's what speeding things up. Does and you haven't seen anything yet.

So when I give you these warnings.

Saying, hey, you've got to -- please, bone up on it. Please, go ask Grok today.

CBDC from Europe. What does that mean?

What could it do?

What are the good things. What are the possible bad things?

I think, in this case, the bad outweighs the good. Because it takes away any kind of privacy whatsoever. And hands it directly to a government!

Really bad! We'll go more in this in just a second. And so much more, just left this hour on the podcast.

GLENN: Okay. So let me explain. CBDC, central bank digital currencies. Their digital dollars, or euros. And they're issued by central banks. It's like Bitcoin.

Except, not. Here's the big difference: This will replace your cash with what are called programmable, trackable tokens.

Programmable, meaning, hey. We have inflation for gas. Or we don't want you buying so much gas, because we have to reduce emissions. Who is a central person who needs to go to work?

Everybody who has money in their bank, that's not deemed essential. You no longer can fill your tank with gas.

It won't work with any gas pump.

Okay. That's a programmable currency.

Every single transaction from buying bread, paying rent, everything, is programmable by the state.

Now, they say, oh, there's not going to be any data access. That's a conspiracy theory.

I don't believe you on the conspiracy theory, anymore.

You've lied and lied and lied.

And, by the way, in parliament. When they were talking about this, maybe in 2018, they were arguing that we can't pass any of this, until it's programmable.

It must be programmable.

And that means the government can cap your spending, block purchases.

Because, you know, can't buy fossil fuels.

Freeze your account, because you're no longer in favor with the government.

And free markets die!

Because they have a complete monopoly on money.

I don't know if you know this, but monopoly, isn't just the longest, most frustrating, most boring game ever invented. It's also a bad thing, when it comes to free money, free markets.

Bad!

Tenth amendment, by the way, reserves the power to states and individuals. CBDCs. They centralize control. They undermine federalism.

This is a betrayal of everything our republic stands for. It replaces liberty with technocratic tyranny. And if Europe embraces CBDCs and they're still allies, I don't think they're allies to small government, freedom-loving Americans. They're not. They're not.

This path puts them right, directly in the path of every brutal dictator, every fascist. Every German who was on stage after J.D. Vance was speaking to them.

That wept and said, if they want freedom of speech. We don't have anything in common with them anymore.

Because we're about to roll out a CBDC. And that will make sure that everybody only says the things we want them to say.

It is no longer a conspiracy theory. Europe is rolling theirs out, a social credit system will be next.

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.

INSIDE Trump’s soul: How a bullet changed his heart forever

“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.