RADIOJuly 28, 2022

Glenn DEBUNKS CNN article on 'White Christian Nationalists'

CNN is back at it, spreading more lies than you can count. In fact, its recent article titled “An 'imposter Christianity' is threatening American democracy” was so bad, it made Glenn’s eyes bleed. CNN supports the article’s premise — that American Christianity is being overrun by radical, White Christian nationalists — with far-left thinkers and biased New York Times’ bestsellers. So, Glenn debunks it all, conducting an EPIC TAKEDOWN of the article with facts from history that PROVE ‘everything CNN Is contending here is WRONG.’

You can access Glenn's supporting documents and research here.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Right now, I want to do part one of the article written by CNN. It has been trending all week. The article. An imposter Christianity is threatening American democracy. And I read it Sunday. And my eyes started to bleed. So I went to our Mercury Museum. And started doing some research. Asked Tim Barton. David Barton. And the research staff. To be able to -- can we compile some evidence that everything CNN is contending here is wrong? And, gee, after nine pages of footnotes, yeah. We can do that. We can do that. So I'm going to start today. Probably end it tomorrow in this hour. And I'll make it tomorrow, available in our newsletter. So subscribe, at GlennBeck.com for our free newsletter. So here we go. An imposter Christianity is threatening American democracy. The insurrection marked the first time. What is the insurrection? January 6th. The insurrection marked the first time many Americans realized, the U.S. is facing a burgeoning white Christian nationalist movement. This movement uses Christian language to cloak sexism and hostility to black people, and non-white immigrants in its quest to create a white Christian America. Oh, my gosh. Now we really know what happened on January 6th. It was white Christians that were trying to get anybody -- but they were colored. Get them out of here. Because that's what Jesus says, according to CNN. The media is so busy looking for anyone and anything to blame for January 6th. And also, at the same time, serve two masters. Also, take down not just the country. Not just conservatives. But also Christianity. And if you have faith, now you are on trial. If you believe in God, free game. And the way they do it is by taking your faith, and assigning a false label to it. Your faith, as you will see in this article, is now white Christian nationalist. Do you know of a church that promotes sexism and hostility to black people and non-white immigrants. If you do, please call, because you're probably proud. I don't know of a church that is preaching that, even in the language of dog whistles. Now, if you might be thinking that CNN is referring to their random offshoot of Christianity. A minority, whose relevancy must be called out, because the article goes on to elaborate. White Christian nationals believe, have infiltrated the religious mainstream. Thoroughly, so thoroughly that virtually any conservative Christian pastor, who challenges their ideology, risks their career. Says Kristen Du Mez. Now, who is Kristen Du Mez? She's got a fancy name, she must be smart. Well, she's the author of the New York Times' best-seller Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

She says, these ideas are so widespread, that any individual pastor or Christian leader who tries to turn the tide and say, let's look again at Jesus and Scripture, are going to be tossed aside. My gosh, I'm terrified now.

Okay. So first, CNN is clearly not talking about some random minority offshoot here. They're insinuating that every church in America, especially if you have a white pastor, is infected. Quote, virtually any conservative Christian pastor. And any individual pastor, or Christian leader. Well, I think that pretty much encapsulates almost all Christian churches. But funny enough, you're probably still grouped on to this label, even if you're not white. If you believe in Christian doctrine to these people, you're the enemy. You know what they're really talking about here, right? Homosexuality and abortion. The doctrine on these issues is clear, and no true Christian pastor will tell you that either is not a sin. They will love the sinner. They will say, that is your choice, but it is something that you need to deal with God with, because this is what God says. But I'm not going to hate you. Oh, my gosh! They want to overthrow the government with stuff like that. Doctrine cannot be changed due to the politics of the time. I'm sorry. But then again, not sorry at all. CNN brings out the big guns, they bring out the experts here to help them. And the one I just quoted is Christian Du Mez. What a -- she is a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University. Now, Calvin University, that's a Christian university. Calvin is. I don't know about Hobbs University, but Calvin is definitely a Christian, which gives her a basis as a Christian authority, to criticize other Christians, and to point out, they're all off-based. She's referenced six times in the article. It's an amazing high number. But she is a Du Mez, huh? And she has a view of Christianity. And whether she has a good authority on Christian beliefs, I don't know. But we should consider her viewpoint on the subject, such as her work on the faith of Hillary Clinton. Now, here's her description of her admiration for Hillary Clinton's faith. What she says -- she says she's a big fan of, and that should tell us, whether she's a qualified expert on Christian beliefs or not. Because listen to what she says. And I quote. Having spent a lot a lot of time, reading the sermons and the diaries of intrepid Methodist women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I couldn't help, but see Hillary Clinton as a torch bearer of this vibrant tradition of progressive faith and activism. Yet, it puzzles me, that so many people on the left and the right, saw her as secular. Or even a pagan. The more I begin to dig into her story, the more I begin to realize, to tell her story is to tell the story of Christianity itself, in recent American history.
(music)
And the heavens open. And the sunbeams down on the truth. By the way, CNN also fails to acknowledge, that Du Mez is currently openly contending against the university's Christian beliefs in important areas, such as sexuality. She is currently the leader in opposition to the Christian beliefs in her church, in that area. Not only debating the university's position, but also being photographed, in front of a pride flag. Now, just this one source alone, it's pretty clear, CNN -- we know what they have a problem with here. The Christian faith. What bothers them, gets them so hot, and, oh, my gosh. They're after us. Is the doctrine of the Bible. Which is on trial here. And anyone willing to pervert it, is an expert. A theologian or a historian. The article goes on to identify the key beliefs, three key beliefs associated with the a white Christian nationalist. Oh, well. I'm going to take a break. Because you need to have a sip of water. Because you're going to realize, pretty darn quickly, that you have been calling for the overthrow of this government, all because of black and Hispanic people, or people of another color, which I shan't express at this time.

Hmm. Oh, yeah. So we're going back now into the religion and theology! Raise your hands and praise the Lord for CNN. Gang, stop the music. They have caught us. They have caught us. CNN says that we're all worshiping an imposter Christianity. And they have somebody named Christiane Amanpour, that kind of has Christ in the name so I think we should pay attention. The article released on Sunday, identifies three key beliefs associated with the white Christian nationalists. And here they are. And ask yourself right now, do I belong to a hate group? Belief number one. A belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.
(laughter)
Gotcha! You're in a hate group. For this section, CNN rolls out their expert of experts on this topic. Yale professor, Philip Gorski. Is he a historian? Is he a theologian? No, he's neither. He's a sociology professor, which is code for, I'm a radical leftist, practicing in a -- in a -- a role here, that was designed by Karl Marx. Yeah. Yeah. Sociology. Karl Marx. Look it up. Anyway, he's just looking to indoctrinate as many young minds as he can. And so CNN says, let's find the best and the brightest for this little thesis. CNN refers to him 12 times in this article. He says, erasing the lines separating piety from politics is a key characteristic of white Christian nationalism. Wow. Aren't I told every day, that I am just somebody that is just a horrible, horrible person, unless I apply the politics of this new woke religion? Anyway, erasing the lines separating piety from politics is a key characteristic of white Christian nationalism. Many want to reduce or erase the separation of church and state say those who study the movement. Who are they? Who are those who are studying the movement? Why aren't you quoting them? What is separation of church and state? Well, according to our court and public policy decisions, it includes an individually -- an individual personally expressing his faith and beliefs in public. So they believe Christians are theocrats, for wanting to see individuals receive the Constitution's guaranteed protection for free speech and religious expression, that many courts have ignored recently. Now, consider some of the separation of church and state restrictions that CNN and this Yale professor, just think as nonsense. For instance, a student was prohibited from writing a research paper on a religious topic. Or drawing religious artwork in class. Or carry a personal Bible on to the school grounds. School forbade a Bible for being placed in its reference library. Wow. Try to understand Shakespeare without a Bible. Cadets at a state military academy were banned for praying over their meals. Individually. A state employee in Minnesota was barred from parking his car in the state parking lot because of a religious sticker on his bumper. Five-year-old kindergarten student in Saratoga Springs, New York, was forbidden to say a prayer over lunch and was scolded by the teacher for doing so. Senior citizens who regularly gathered at a community center in Balch Springs, Texas, prohibited for praying over their meals. A library employee, in Russellville, Kentucky, was barred for wearing her necklace because it had a small cross on it. College students serving residential assistance in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, prohibited from holding Bible studies in their own personal dorm rooms. A school lunch official in St. Louis, Missouri, caught an elementary student praying over his lunch, lifted the student from his seat. Reprimanded him from other students. Took him to the principal, who ordered him, stop praying! Now, there are hundreds of these examples. And that's what they claim is the separation of church and state. So what does the separation of church and state actually mean in a historic sense?

Well, the only founder that talked about the separation of church and state, was Thomas Jefferson. So we should ask him! Because the progressives credit him with the -- the origin of that phrase. And they love it so much. So it was Jefferson's firm position, that the federal government had no authority, to interfere, limit, regulate, or prohibit public religious expressions. You mean like praying over lunch? Yes. Exactly. And he stated that, on multiple occasions. Oh. I wish I had ten or 12 examples. Oh, I do. I do. Oh, it's going to take us more than two days to get through all of this. But by gum, we'll do it.

GLENN: All right. So we're debunking the CNN article that America has a real problem. Because Christianity, all the churches have been taken hostage. And now they're white nationalist churches. So they've gone on to identify the three key beliefs associated with the white Christian nationalist. The first one is I believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation. Okay. So we -- we told you about this. And then the separation of church and state. We showed you what was being passed. But I want to get real quickly, to what separation of church and state actually means, okay? We have to go to Thomas Jefferson. Because he's the only one that said this. It was Jefferson's firm position, that the federal government had no authority to interfere with, limit, regulate, or prohibit public religious expressions. A position he stated on many occasions like this. Quote, no power over the freedom of religion is delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, First Amendment. In the matter of religion, I have considered -- considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution, independent of the powers of the federal government. Quote, our excellent Constitution, has not placed our religious rights under the power of any public functionary. Now, none of these statements or other statements by Jefferson, contain even the slightest hint that religion shall be isolated or removed from public square. Or that the public square should be secularized. Rather, that the government could not limit or regulate any religious expressions. So now, let's understand the concern here. Jefferson wrote about the separation of church and state, to people of faith, who were saying, I don't trust this government. I don't trust -- we -- they will find a way to stop us. Jefferson replied to them, January 1st, 1802. Assuring them that they had nothing to fear. Quote, the government would not meddle with your religious expression. Whether it occurs in public or private. Quoting, a contemplate with sovereign reverence, that at of the whole American people, which declared in the First Amendment, that their legislature, should, quote, make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Thus, building a wall of separation between church and state. So he was using that as a metaphor, saying, don't worry about it. They're not going to touch religion, because they're not able to touch religion. It is beyond their reach. The exact opposite of what the Yale professor, who is neither a theologian nor a historian is saying in this lovely CNN article. Let me move on. There's more. But you'll get it in our newsletter. Well, I have to take a breath. I really hate completely blowing up CNN's first key belief of white Christian nationalists, right at the beginning. But maybe they're just ignorant. Or they're being completely dishonest. You'll have to figure out, the article and ignorance goes on. One of the most popular beliefs, writes CNN, among white Christian nationalists, is that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation. The Founding Fathers were all orthodox evangelical Christians. And that God has chosen the U.S. for a special role in history. But the notion that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation is bad history and bad theology, says Philip Gorski, the sociologist who is neither again a theologian or a historian. But he is the coauthor of The Flag and The Cross: White christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. So it makes him an authority on his opinion. He says it's a half-truth. A mythological version of American history. So saith the Yale sociology professor. Amen. Well, since I didn't get any real historians to comment for this article. Let me give you some very well documented footnotes and quotes, that are actually historically accurate. On literally hundreds of occasions, in the past two centuries, state and federal courts have routinely declared America as a Christian nation. For starters in a unanimous decision in 1844, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed America as, quote, a Christian country. 1892, Supreme Court did it again. Delivered a unanimous ruling, declaring America is, quote, a Christian nation. In 1931, Supreme Court reaffirmed the same position for a third time. Stating we are, quote, a Christian people. Now, I know you have no respect for the Supreme Court, unless it agrees with you. But that's what the Supreme Court has said. But maybe we can go for some presidents. Because presidents have all made comments on this, including John Adams. Thomas Jefferson. John Quincy Adams. John Taylor. Zachary Taylor. James Buchanan. Abraham Lincoln. Ulysses S. Grant. William McKinley. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Dwight Eisenhower. Richard Nixon.

Hey, here's one from Lyndon Baines Johnson, that you'll like if you're a progressive. In these last 200 years, we have guided the building of our nation and our society by those principles and precepts brought to earth nearly 2,000 years ago. On that first Christmas. Oh. And then if I may quote, America was born as a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are derived from the revelations of holy Scripture. Who said that? Oh, it gives me great joy to say Woodrow freaking Wilson. Your God on the left. But let's go back even further on our history.

1606, Virginia charter declared the colony was started for the propagation of Christian religion to such people as yet live in ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God and Jesus Christ. The Mayflower Compact of 1620, declared their endeavor was undertaken for the glory of God. And advancement of the Christian faith. 1629. Charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony, declared that winning the country to the knowledge and obedience of the only one true God and savior of mankind and the Christian faith is the principle end of this plantation or colony. 1639. Do I need to go on? I mean, I can do this all day long. Get it in the newsletter. Okay. Let me -- let me just give you one more. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren. I believe no one can read history of our country without realizing the good book and the spirit of the savior. Have from the beginning, been our -- what are we looking at the first charter of Virginia? Or the charter of New England. The charter of Massachusetts Bay, the fundamental order of Connecticut. Same objective is present. A Christian land governed by Christian principles.

Congress has also said, 1852, 1853. When a group sought to complete secularization of the public square, House judiciary committee, half the people, during the Revolution had a suspicion of any attempt, to war against Christianity. That revolution would have been strangled in its cradle. At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the amendments, and the universal sentiment, that it was Christianity that should be encouraged.

Not any one sect or denomination. In this age, there could be no substitute for Christianity. The judiciary committee, we are Christians, not because the law demands it. Not to gain exclusive benefits or to avoid legal disabilities, but from choice and education. And this, in a land, thus universally Christian. Which is what to be -- which is what is expected, what is desired, and what we shall pay due regard to Christianity. House of Representatives said the same thing.

Now, they made a counter with -- yeah. But you really don't need to go any further. I mean, none of -- virtually, I'm quoting. Virtually none of the Founding Fathers could be classified as evangelical Christians. Really? John Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence: The holy ghost carries with it the whole Christian system in this earth. Not a baptism, not a marriage, not a sacrament can be administered but by through the Holy Ghost, and the authority religious, blah, blah, blah. Samuel Adams. I rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins. I conceive I can -- we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the supreme rule of the world. And promoting the speedy bringing up of the holy and happy period with the kingdoms of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Do I need to go on? Joshua Bartlett, signer of the Declaration of Independence. I confess before God our grave transgressions and implore his pardon and forgiveness through the merits and meditation of Jesus Christ. Cutting Bedford, signer of the Constitution. To the Tribune of God, the father, the son, and the holy ghost. Be ascribed all honor and dominion forevermore, amen. Charles Carol, signer of the declaration. On the mercy of my redeemer. I rely for salvation. On his merits. Not the works I have done. I hope that through and by merit sufferings and meditation of my only savior and Jesus Christ, I may be admitted to the kingdom, blah, blah. How about Alexander Hamilton. If I rap it, maybe you'll hear it. I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of Lord Jesus Christ. Hamilton also recommended the formation of what he titled the Christian constitutional society. And listed two goals for its foundation. First, the support of the Christian religion. And second, support of the Constitution. John Hancock, Hancock called on the state of Massachusetts to pray that all nations may bow down to the scepter of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John Hart, signer of the declaration. I give and recommend my soul to the hands of the Almighty God, who gave me my body to be here on the earth, to be buried in a decent and Christian-like manner. Patrick Henry, being a Christian is a character which I prize far above all this world, has or can boast. Samuel Huntington, signer of the declaration. It becomes a people publicly to supplicate the pardon that we must obtain forgiveness through the merits and meditations of our Lord savior Jesus Christ. James Madison, you know, the guy who wrote the Constitution. And the signer of the Constitution. A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves, lest while we are building ideal monuments, of renowned and bliss here, we might neglect to have our name to be enrolled in the annals of heaven. Robert Payne, signer of the Declaration -- do I need to go on? Because I have like 12 more? You know what, get them in the nine pages of footnotes, that you can look up yourself. But the article goes on at CNN. For evidence the United States was founded as a secular nation, look no further than the 1797 treaty of Tripoli. As an agreement, the U.S. negotiated with a country in present day Libya, to end the practice of pirates attacking American ships. And it was ratified unanimously by a Senate, still half filled with the signers of the Constitution. That declared, the government of the United States of America, is not in any sense, founded on a Christian religion. Now, I want you to notice that little gotcha quote. Because it is a little quote. In fact, it has a period, where there is no period. Now, is this seriously the only thing CNN has that they can say -- separation of church and state. Which is absolutely the opposite of what they say it is. And then this one. I mean, I'm sure, you know, you've seen how people talk bang those days. The Gettysburg address was very short, compared to how they talked in George Washington Times. They went on and on and on. Okay. I got it. You don't have a television. So what's with the short sentence? Do you think maybe CNN could have pulled this out of context? No. We'll find out next.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

"Everything is For Sale" — How the Cartels Control Mexico's Government

It is widely accepted that the cartels in Mexico not only control significant swaths of land, but they also have incredible influence over how the country's government operates. Border Expert Brandon Darby sits down with Glenn Beck to explain exactly why this is the case and what the Trump administration's strategy truly needs to be in order to crush these powerful cartels.

Watch Glenn Beck's FULL Interview with Brandon Darby HERE

We're being played. THIS is the REAL threat to America

Conservatives in America are being divided over the wrong things. Glenn Beck asks: Who’s the real threat to America: Sen. Mike Lee, who wants to sell 3% of federally-owned land to states and cities, or the rising radical communist wing of the Democratic Party, who recently chose Zohran Mamdani as their NYC mayoral candidate?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I want to talk to you about the enemy being clear. Crystal clear!

But I'm not sure to everybody.

I'm so sick and tired of us turning on each other.

We saw it with Elon Musk and Donald Trump. I like both men. Can we stop?

Thankfully, they did.

You're seeing it with Trump's bombing of Iran. Where you were either a Jew-loving Zionist or raging anti-Semite, or if you're me.

Both!

And then there's something that really caught me off-guard. The people who are turning on Utah Senator Mike Lee over a housing proposal, he's had this housing proposal since 2022.

But if you go on X, you're going to learn, apparently Mike Lee, one of the most Constitutional loving conservatives I know, wants to sell off our national parks and forest.

You know, he was probably in Coeur d'Alene lighting the matches, because he hates our forest so much. He wants to make sure you never get to hunt.

All he wants to do is take away your fishing and hunting rights. And build cheap housing complexes. Amazon warehouses. And whatever China and BlackRock want.

You know, I addressed this a few weeks ago. I invited Mike to clarify where he stands. Because some of my family are very concerned.

You can find the segments on my YouTube channel. Go and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Will you please? But since then, apparently, there's a crusade out to cancel Senator Lee.

There have been a few major updates. So today, let me just take a look at just the facts here, where we stand on this right now.

Over the weekend, Mike Lee decided to withdraw his federal land sale provision from the big, beautiful bill.

He said, quote, while this has been a tremendous amount of misinformation, and in some cases, outright lies about my bill. Many people brought forward sincere concerns.

Because of the strict constraints of the budget reconciliation process, I was unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee, these lands would never be sold.

Only to American families. Not to China. To not BlackRock.

And never to any foreign interests.

Wow! What a shill for the globalists, right?

Or maybe how it should work. Members of Congress propose something presented to the people. And then they listen to the community. Instead of just insisting, we have to pass it, to know what's in it.

And I didn't hear this kind of outcry for that!

Here's one of the bigger issues here. We're speaking two different languages.

A lot of criticism online is that Mike Lee wants to sell off our public lands!

Our public lands. Pragmatism to a lot of Americans, those lands are the lands we use for recreation. And hiking. And haunting. And fishing.

And things like that. That's whatnot he wanted to sell. And he promised to make that much clearer in the revised bill.

Now, let me remind you, on the public lands. President Biden, under his administration. The federal government was ordered to conserve 30 percent of our lands. And our waters by 2030. So apparently, our public lands are being gobbled up even more.

That's another, I think six percentage points. Another 6 percent of the entire land in the United States, going to be seized by the federal government, by 2030. And it falls directly in line with the UN's 30 by 30 plan.

It's an initiative for governments to seize 30 percent of all land and water by 2030. Now, do you think the UN wants to give you more hunting and fishing land?

Do you think they're all for that? Or do you think these radical environmentalists want to restrict your access in the name of fighting climate change?

By the way, current -- currently, the US government owns 640 million acres of land. That's nearly a third of the country. So they've almost met that 30 by 30 goal.

And they will meet it, and then what's next? The 50 by 50 UN goal.

And in order to seize the rest of the land, there's the Sustains Act that passed. Do you know about this? I didn't hear about any outcry for this.

Where was the right on this one? It was enacted in 2023, allows the government to receive private funds to advance conservation programs.

So BlackRock, if they wanted to, could buy up the conservation lands! Does your property contribute to pollination, photosynthesis. The air we breathe. The water we drink?

Well, as I -- as I exposed, on a show back in September, the Sustains Act allows all of that to be monetized through the relationship of private investors like Bill Gates. And the government!

And it occurs without the landowners permission.

So they can take your land. Or tell you exactly what you want to do, or what they want you to do on that land, what you cannot do on that land, because photosynthesis happens.

Where was I?

Where were you on that?

This is the real seizing of American assets.

This is the real seizing of American assets, by the global corporations. That you were all so afraid of!

Mike Lee, oh, my gosh.

What about the Sustains Act?

In his revised bill. Which he's still working on.

Lee has promised to remove all forest land. Good. Significantly reduce the amount of BLM land in the bill.

Good. Only land within 5 miles of population centers is eligible.

Yeah. But when he gets that, then he'll build buildings there, and then he'll have another five.

And next thing you know, he will be putting a cap on -- on Old Faithful.

He'll establish freedom zones to ensure these lands benefit American families. Ranchers. Recreational users. But there's a lot of claims online.

Whatever.

Charlie Kirk said, the Democrats -- this is their war on single family housing.

Hmm.

Do you remember when we talked on the program about the globalist plan of 15-minute cities. That all of BlackRock and everything else is for.

Remember when BlackRock came in, and just started buying up whole neighborhoods. Just priced every regular citizen out of the neighborhood.

Why?

Because it's part of the plan to pack the majority of humanity into easily controllable cities where everything you need is just 15 minutes away. And you never need a car. But is that the American dream?

Currently, rural land is getting so expensive. Most Americans can't afford rural land!

I know. I'm living in a place that has a population of 400 -- I think it's 51. Might have had a baby, so maybe it's 452. And nobody can afford it.

How is it possible you're living in the middle of nowhere, with a population of 451 people, and you can't afford a house!

The elites don't need Mike Lee's proposal. But take more of your land.

They're already doing that. But here's my biggest issue.

This is not about Mike Lee's proposal. Okay?

It's not.

There is a much bigger issue.

And I'll share that when I come back.

GLENN: Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. So I was talking about federal -- I want to get off that. I want to change to, instead, what the real problem here is.

What the real problem is. The real problem on the seizing of the federal lands. Is that we are so quick to turn on ourselves.

We are so quick, lately, to turn on our -- our allies.

See, that's -- the issue isn't Mike Lee's proposal.

It's how fast we turn on each other!

If you believe Mike Lee's proposal didn't go far enough to safeguard our land from adversaries. Great!

That's fine. And, you know what, you won!

He's revamping that.

He listened.

The government listened. Good!

But can you say that without calling him a traitorous shill for the elites?

I mean, I don't know what traitorous shill for the elites that actually listens.

Do you?

Donald Trump Jr. He was against my plan. He thanked him over the weekend for pulling the proposal saying, quote, Mike is a great friend. And we usually agree on almost everything. But this was a rare exemption of where we didn't! Hello!

We don't need to hear people tear each other down. Who is our real enemy?

Who is -- who is more dangerous?

Can we go to -- can we go?

I don't have number on these, unfortunately. Six.

Seven, eight, nine, ten. Let's go to cut ten, please, on whiter neighborhoods.

VOICE: I realized there's a policy proposal, and I'm going to quote it for folks to shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer bureaus toward expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods.

Explain why you are bringing race into your tax proposal.

VOICE: That is just a description of what we see right now.

It's not driven by race.

It's more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being undertaxed versus overtaxed. We've seen time and again, that this is a property tax system that is inequitable. It's one that actually Eric Adams ran on, saying that he would change in the first 100 days.

He since sought to defend it, and lost at every juncture in court.

VOICE: And I understand, you're saying, we're simply describing the types of neighborhood that would see these increases in taxes.

And yet by invoking race, do you run the risk of potentially alienating key constituents.

STU: I think I'm just naming things as they are. And ultimately, my -- the thing that motivates me in this, is to create a system of fairness.

It's not to work backwards from an original assessment of our neighborhood or our city. Rather, it's to ensure that we actually have an equal playing field.

And right now, what we see with the property tax system, is one that is overtaxing a number of New Yorkers and undertaxing others. And inability of political will to resolve that.

VOICE: So no plans to change that language on your website?

VOICE: The focus here is to actually ensure a fair property tax system, and the use of that language is an assessment of the neighborhood.

GLENN: Just want it to be fair. Just want it to be fair. Play the next cut. This is Mamdani, by the way, the candidate in New York, that looks like he might win, to become the next mayor of New York. Next cut.

VOICE: You are a self-described democratic socialist. Do you think that billionaires have a right to exist?
(laughter)

VOICE: I don't think that we should have billionaires, because frankly it is so much money, in a moment of such inequality.

And ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city, and across our state, and across our country.

And I look forward to work with everyone. Including billionaires. To make a city that is fair for all of them.

GLENN: Wow!

That is fantastic.

We shouldn't have billionaires.

Hmm. So how would we get there?

What would be his ultimate goal?

Listen.

VOICE: Do you like capitalism?

VOICE: No. I have many critiques of capitalism.

And I think ultimately, the definition for me, of why I call myself a Democratic Socialist.

Is the words of Dr. King decades ago. He said, call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism.

There must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.

And that's what I'm focused on, is dignity and taking on income inequality. What the purpose is about, about this project, is not simply to raise much consciousness, to win socialism.

And obviously raise class consciousness. We were a part of that. But making sure that we have candidates that both understand that and are willing to put that forward, at every which moment they have.

Every which moment that they are given.

We have to continue to elect more socialists. And we have to ensure that we are unapologetic about our socialism. And there are also other issues that we firmly believe in.

Whether it's BS -- right? Or whether it's the end goal of seizing the means of production, where we don't have the same level --

GLENN: Wait. Can you say that again for me?

Whether it's the end goal of ceasing is the means of production.

Let me ask you the question: Which is more dangerous to our country, and our heritage?

Is it the -- the senator?

That controversial maybe. Says 3 percent of federal land should be transferred back to the states?

Or is it the politician standing at a modem declaring, you know, not in some offhanded gap, that he has a real problem with capitalism. That he wants to tax white neighborhoods. That he wants to get rid of billionaires. And seize the means of production.

Now, for those who studied history. I don't need to tell you why your blood has suddenly run cold. Seize the means of production, that's not economic theory.

That is a revolutionary war cry. It always has been. It's the heart of Lenin, of Marx, of Mao. Of Gulags. Of five-year plans. A food line. Total state control. It is the slogan, whispered in the barracks of all of the camps.

Printed on the walls of the Khmer Rouge Torture cells.

That's not American. That's not a goal any of us should look for. But let's take down Elon Musk.

Let's -- let's take down our FBI.

Let's -- let's take down Mike Lee. Let's take down Tucker Carlson. Let's take down at the scene. Because we don't have enough enemies. Riley rightfully, somebody on this program, asked around on this time, on Friday. Glenn, why did you have Steve Bannon on? This is why I had Steve Bannon. We have enough enemies, don't we?

Can we find people we generally agree with, maybe 80 percent. Even if that 20 percent is massive!

If I'm going to be friends with anybody, for the times I'm going to be friends with.

Then I have to say, I part with you here.

You will have to go on your own way. But when you come back to this, I'm with you.

We are -- we are being -- our college campuses, the floor of our own legislative bodies. As if it were another just regular day in paradise of America.

You know, let me -- we want to talk about highway funding and seizing the means of production.

Wait. What?

Meanwhile, the man who says, we should return a tiny sliver of public land. Land that Washington hoards like a miser. While local communities struggle to pay for schools and police.

Why you can't afford a house!

That's an extremist. A radical. A threat. But this guy, I don't see anybody on the right, really standing up against this guy. Where is the big movement against this guy? It's almost as if, that whole federal lands thing, was orchestrated. And so many of our side played right into it!

That man who says, let the states manage their own forests, their own minerals, their own resources.

Just give us 3 percent of our land, so we can actually have a tax base, so we can build some houses there that people can afford. Let's make sure that the land is controlled by the people, who are closest to that land.

Let them be the stewards of it. Not the bureaucrats 2,000 miles away, who have never set foot in a pine thicket, or a desert mesa.

Which one is more in line with the Constitution? Which one is our bigger enemy here? Which one echoes Jefferson's belief in a government closest to the people? Which upholds the vision of the Founders who feared centralized power, more than foreign armies. Which one is calling for the seizing of the -- of the production?

You know, not all ideas are morally equivalent.

We're not dealing here with difference of opinion on tax rates. Or zoning codes.

One wants to give power back to the states.

And, you know what?

People rose up, and said, I don't like that idea.

So that idea has to be closed and forfeited.

Great! But where are the people standing up saying, seizing the means of production?

This guy wants to take control of your factory. Your farm.

Your business, your labor.

One believes in federalism. The other believes in collectivism. One respects the individual as a moral agent of society. And the other sees the individual as a cog in the great machine of the state that's just going to make utopia. Because they always do!

As you just -- you just can't see it. Because you're behind the barbed wire fence!

When somebody shrugs and says, you know, both sides are really pretty extreme. You know, it's time we say, no, no, no, no.

It's that kind of false equivalence that got us into this mess. That's how the frog stays in the pot as the water slowly boils. You know what, they're both really kind of extreme, no, they're not. No, they're not.

If you believe in America, is a place where rights are granted by God, not government.

Where property is yours. It is sacred!

The fruits of your labor belong to you. That we cannot pretend these are equal threats.

Because they're not. Because one man questions how much land the federal government should own.

The other questions whether you should be allowed to own anything at all!

If the government should not own everything!

Which one is dangerous? Which one snuffs out your rights?

It's not about land. This is all about economics. It's about freedom. And history has already told us where these roads lead.

One road leads to liberty. One road leads us to having a discussion and a debate.

Without calling each other names and killing one another.

The other road doesn't allow debate. And if you try to debate, you're disappeared, or you're killed! One leads in liberty, one ends in chains!

What do you say, we -- we have enough enemies. Why do we need to turn on ourselves? And do you think there's a possibility that the communist, the socialist, the anarchist, the Islamist will all band together, to destabilize the Middle East. Europe, come America to destabilize that, to end the Western world. Do you think there's a chance you're being played?

Because I do. And I refuse to be played. I'm not a moron. And neither are you.

See, here's the thing. This is why, when Ben Shapiro says, facts don't care about your feelings. This is why that's so important.

Because they've hit an emotional spot with you. They've hit a spot of, they're going to take my right away to fish or to hunt.

And that's not what he was doing. But that's what it turned out to be. Our sacred public lands.

It's not what he was talking about.

And if it was, he's not talking about it now.

He wants to make it very, very clear. Exactly what he was talking about.

But see, the idea of going hunting and fishing and hiking. And these glorious places.

We all love that.

I mean, I don't like to actually -- I like to hunt. I don't like to fish.

I don't like to be outside, really.

But I love the lands. I love to be in an air-conditioned car, driving through Yellowstone, going, wow. Look at that. And look at that moron, trying to feed the car, to feed the buffalo.

That's going to be fun to watch.

Why are we so emotional, about that? When it's not really what the argument is about. And it's coming from our friends, when we really should have listened more and had a conversation.

And we're not emotional about someone who says, the end goal is to seize production.

Seize the means of production.

That's Karl Marx!

Why is that one not emotional for us?

Why is it we cannot see the actual enemy?

“General Lee” stuntman REVEALS ALL about the fountain jump

A stuntman took the internet by storm when he jumped a "Dukes of Hazzard" General Lee replica over a fountain in Somerset, Kentucky. The driver, Northeast Ohio Dukes founder Raymond Kohn, joins Glenn Beck to reveal what happened behind the scenes, why he did the jump, and where he wants to jump next (hint: it would involve President Trump)!

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: There was something just amazing that happened over the weekend in Somerset, Kentucky. It was like a Dukes of Hazzard Show.

Thirty-five thousand people gathered together, to line the streets of Somerset, as a very brave driver, who you're going to meet here in a second. Raymond Kohn. Raymond Kohn got into a car. Was an old Dodge Charger?

He jumped over the historic fountain, in the center of the town.

Can we play a little bit of this, if you happen to be watching?

GLENN: I mean, that is just crazy. It just makes me proud to be American, in a very strange sort of way. I don't even know why. It's just so satisfying. The world is on fire, and you're like, yes! We still got it. Raymond Kohn is on with us now. He is the founder and lead stuntman from the northeast Ohio dukes. And they -- they do this kind of stuff all the time. Raymond, welcome to the program.

How are you?

RAYMOND: Thank you for having me, Glenn. I am great.

I feel like a million bucks.

GLENN: Do you really?

When I saw you land, I thought, ow, my back. Ow, my back. It didn't hurt coming down?

RAYMOND: Well, you know what, we are thankful that the legendary stuntman who inspired me to do this. Like the late great Al White Jr. Ted Barba. Corrie Uvey. Jumping John Kid. (all phonetic)

These are the guys who risk everything, back in the '80s on the set of the Dukes of Hazzard, to figure out, how we can do this safely without killing ourselves.

GLENN: I've got to say -- I have to say, I saw a video from the -- from in front of you, as you landed.

And you hit a wall. And you're just tearing through this wall.

And there is a photographer, that is in front. Did you see him, and think, get out of the way, dude! Almost killed him.

RAYMOND: Yeah. So Centerville is our producer. His series that follows us in -- like a global episode, of what we do.

And Mike Cullvich (phonetic) is the -- the -- the executive producer, and that was him there.

And they carefully --

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

RAYMOND: They know the risks. They know the risks.

He had a little -- just in case, if I go to the left or to the right, that he would be able to squeeze through.

And he did!

So all of the spectators. They were safe.

They were at a safe distance.

You know, we can't do the jump, if we're out there risking people's lives.

And with the help of the summer night crews, the city of Somerset, all the police and fire and EMS, everybody worked together with my team.
I have the best crew in the world.

And, yes, I am the driver that does the jump. And, you know what, we had to build that tarp.
We had to build that tarp, and there was a team of us. And my crew was so great.

They said, look at everything -- we'll get everything done.

Relax. They knew I was nervous.

You know, and they know that my team -- you couldn't ask for a better stunt team.

GLENN: I have so many questions for you.

But let me start here. Before we go too much further away from the town.

Who the hell is the mayor of the city council?

I love these guys.

I can't think of another city in America, that would be like, yeah. We got that historic you fountain, right downtown.

Yeah. Go ahead.

RAYMOND: America is back, baby. I'm telling you. You couldn't have been telling -- from the Dukes of Hazzard. Forty-five years. Forty-seven years after the show ended.

GLENN: Oh.

RAYMOND: I'm telling you, people love -- from all walks of life, people love the Dukes of Hazzard, they love the General Lee.

Listen, if there was -- if there was ever a non-racist TV show for all, it was the Dukes of Hazzard. And that's my main goal.

My pain goal is to get this TV show back on television, that way, we have our children. And our grandchildren. Watching a TV show that has family values good.

GLENN: Okay. So let me -- let me -- one more question on this, before I -- what the hell is wrong we?

When did you decide, this is what I want to do with my life?

RAYMOND: Okay. So I was always a fan. I was born in '77. The show came out in '79. And I loved that big orange car. I loved that car.

GLENN: So great. So great.

RAYMOND: So in 2005, I watched legendary stuntman Corey Spence jump over my roscoe cart. By my police car that I have.

They jumped over it, at the very first General Lee jump site, in Oxford College, in -- in Georgia.

And that's when I got bit by, what I called the stunt bug.

And I was like, I've got to do this. I've got to do -- if I on me do it once, I've got to do it.

And this was my 30th General Lee jump.

For our 30th -- Detroit. We jumped the General Lee downtown Detroit. And then for our 30th, we're jumping over the historic fountain in Somerset, Kentucky.

GLENN: I don't know. This is different. You know, downtown Detroit, you crash into buildings. There's nobody around.

Oh, well.

In Somerset, Kentucky, though. It's just a different thing.

Okay. Let me -- let me -- I think this is amazing.

In looking into you, while the jump is phenomenal. And makes you feel good. What you have gone through in the last few years, is even more amazing.

You had a -- a rare brain surgery, right?

A rare hormonal disorder, that you were like, living another classic TV show, the hulk!

You -- it was changing you, right?

Tell me about this!

JASON: Yeah. So in 2015, I started to feel a lot of pain in my knees, and my elbows.

I started noticing my voice was changing.

My face was changing. And then here comes, hey, Ray. You have to give up blood pressure medicine. You're prediabetic.

You're 335 pounds.

You know, I was always around 220 pounds.

And so nobody -- because -- it's over a long, long, long period of time.

The people that are in my life, every day, they couldn't see the changes.

You know, but the people I haven't seen Ray in a year or two years. You look different, Ray.

You know, and so I went to our local dermatologist, because I started getting these creases in my head. It's bad enough. I'm bald. What are these lines in my head now?

So the dermatologist, she said, let me see your hands. Yeah. You have big hands.

Yeah. Every time I shake somebody's hands. It's like shaking hands with a cinder block.

GLENN: Like banana hands.

JASON: Yeah. My feet went from a size ten to 12.

I had to get a 2X helmet. Because my helmet wouldn't fit.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait pick up wait.

Did you think you were ideas just gaining weight. Or did you know it was something more?

You weren't starving yourself, were you?

RAYMOND: Yeah. Because heavy stunt drivers don't make good stunt drivers. You get hurt a lot easier. It's a lot more weight.

GLENN: Of course.

RAYMOND: All of my loved ones and my crew. It's the jumps are tearing you up.

I'm like, no. No. No. No. It's not the jumps. Don't blame the jumps.

So I said, okay.

So went to the doctor. They said, go give this blood work. You may have something serious going on.

The blood work came back. My growth hormone was 900. 900. Now, normally it was 70 to 270. I'm 47 years old, and I'm still a grown boy!

So that opted for me, to get the -- or, the -- yeah, the MRI of my brain. To scan. And say, I had a 9-millimeter tumor on my 10-millimeter pituitary gland.

And we can have it on my body. And the surgeon, up in the Cleveland Clinic said, Raymond, if we don't get this out of you, it's going to kill you.

And my wife is crying. My daughter is crying.

The first thing that came to my lips was, can I still jump the General Lee after the significant other?

And the doctor said, yes, yes. And I'm like, okay. Let's do does this surgery. Let's get the thing out of my head. And then as soon as I was okay, we went up to the radical speech board in Canada. Joe came up there. We did the first international General Lee jump in front of like 30,000 people up there. And it was awesome.

I'm telling you. I'm living the dream, man. I can't believe this is happening to me.

All because of a TV show, called the Dukes of Hazzard.

GLENN: I have to tell you, I have to put an event together, just because I want to invite you to jump the General Lee over something.

We have to do --

JASON: Glenn, we want. We want to build an American patriot be General Lee.

And we want to put like, you know, 47, 45 on the doors. Put a big old American flag on the roof.

And we will call it The Jump for Trump 2045, and we want to jump in front of the White House. That's what we want to do.

GLENN: That's fantastic.

I'll bring it up to him. If there's any president that will do it. It will be him. He told me a story. He will probably do it on the White House grounds.

RAYMOND: Again, that would be awesome. He would want to do that.

GLENN: He told me a story, he said, you know, about the flagpoles. And he said, you know, he was afraid that all of the -- you know, all of the paperwork and, you know, government everything.

And he wanted to build a ballroom, and put the flagpoles up.

And he went to the guy at the White House, who runs everything at the White House. The architect.

And he said, so what is the paperwork like? And he said, you know, Mr. President, the White House belongs to the president while he's there.

So there's no paperwork. You would have to be the one that would sign all of it. And he's like, this is great.

I bet he could build that jump!

I bet he could build that jump, without any permits.

That is so fantastic.

JASON: In a few weeks. My team --

GLENN: That's fantastic.

JASON: We can build a great American -- they'll give us the panels to make the car, red, white, and blue. Big old American flag theme.

GLENN: That's fantastic.

RAYMOND: We'll call it the jump for Trump. We love Trump! The jump for Trump, and we will rock the White House.

GLENN: It is so great. I will bring it up to him. I will make sure he sees it, okay?

That is fantastic.

But listen, if he takes you up. I have to be there. I have -- you have to get me invited.

RAYMOND: Yeah. Glenn, I would be honored to put a passenger side seat in the car, and you can ride with me.

GLENN: No. No, no, no. No, no.

RAYMOND: Come on!

GLENN: I saw you come down, and my back -- I have a really bad back. And all I could really think of was, ow. Ow. That must have hurt.

RAYMOND: No. Last year, I hit the ramp at 72 miles an hour. I slide 200 at 17 feet. That's the longest General Lee jump in front of a large audience. And I landed a flat on all four wheels.

Had it not been for the safety equipment. That the legendary stuff that came up.

I would have either been killed or worse, paralyzed for the rest of my life.

And it's because of that safety equipment.

I'm not even sitting on the -- I'm painting from the ceiling with bungee cords.

GLENN: Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

I've got to meet you. I've got to meet you, Ray? Just --

RAYMOND: Let's jump in the White House. Let's jump in the White House.

GLENN: Thank you. Raymond. Northeast Ohio. Dukes founder and lead stuntman. You can find the website, north -- northeast Ohio.
Dukes.net.

Ray, we'll talk again. Thank you so much, God bless you, man.

RAYMOND: God bless you. God bless, America.

Introducing 'The Torch'

Tough news week. Tough news month. Always, it seems, another five-alarm fire, or the spotting of arsonists that no one will pay attention to.

The people who watch and support this show—you—are extraordinary.

You don’t just consume information; you act. You don’t just care—you sacrifice. And I’ve seen the receipts. In the last decade alone, you’ve given over a quarter of a billion dollars through Mercury One to help people in crisis.

You didn’t just write checks. You showed up.

Over 45,000 of you volunteered—some of you driving across states, organizing your churches, bringing your kids along—to take part in the largest single volunteer effort completed in one weekend.

That’s not normal. That’s rare. That’s powerful.

You launched The Nazarene Fund, rescuing over 260,000 people from persecution. You funded the largest civilian airlift in history to get Americans and our allies out of Afghanistan.

You’ve changed lives.

You’ve shaped history.

So when people ask me, “Glenn, what more can I do?” my answer is always the same:

First, look at what you have already done. Do you realize how far ahead you are of most Americans? Then start where you are. That feeling inside you—that restlessness, that pull to do something more—isn’t random. It’s a calling. But with everything that is happening in the world, it is hard to keep up as well as keep your chin up.

I get it. I’m tired of the bad news, too.

I’ve spent my life digging through it so you wouldn’t have to. But we must know what is happening and what is ahead. And while next year I’m not walking away from the radio or the stories that matter—in fact, I will be doubling down,

I’ve also told you for nearly two years: I feel something shifting. I feel like I’ve been called to something more. I have only felt this twice in my life—after I sobered up and just before I left Fox.

On January 1st, that “something” begins. I’ve named it The Torch. We started the blaze together; now it is time to take that bit of fire and light the way to a brighter future for our kids.

I wish I could tell you every detail today—but the truth is, some things are still being built, beta-tested, and negotiated. And some things I just can’t tell you until later this year. But here’s what I can tell you:

At its core, The Torch is about education, but not the kind that comes from textbooks or bureaucracies. It’s about self-directed learning rooted in history, liberty, faith, philosophy, and personal responsibility. It’s the kind of education that changes lives—and civilizations.

You’ve heard me say it before: If we want better kids, we have to become better adults. If we want stronger communities, we have to first strengthen ourselves. And if we want truth to survive, we have to fight for it—intelligently, faithfully, daily.

That’s what The Torch is:

A daily connection.

A movement.

A mission.

One part of it will be the culmination of almost a decade of hard work. It will include a new kind of museum—physical and digital—preserving the story of America in ways most museums never could.

You’ll learn through original artifacts, original sources, and real stories from real people who are doing real things. Right now, every summer, we hand-pick around 100 young adults from over 1,000 applications to spend two weeks with us in this kind of immersive learning. Now, for the first time, we’re building a way for anyone, anywhere in the world, in any language, to do the same.

We’re partnering with people of faith, business leaders, educators, innovators—people who know the truth and know how to live it. And they’re coming together not to sell you something, but to empower you.

I’m not asking for anything today—not money, not a sign-up, not a download. Just your attention. Stay connected. Watch what’s coming. I promise you: this is worth your time.

If you want to be one of the first to sign on, join the newsletter at glennbeck.com. But only if you’re serious about discovering your purpose—and lighting a fire that doesn’t go out.

Because we don’t just need new tools or new platforms—we need a renewal of the human spirit. That’s what The Torch is. That is my next mission.

And I hope, when the time comes, you’ll carry it with me.

For future updates on this mission, sign up for my newsletter, and read more background here.