RADIOFebruary 29, 2024

Jan. 6 Journalist Facing an FBI ARREST Reveals Who’s Calling the Shots

The FBI has ordered investigative journalist and Blaze Media correspondent Steve Baker to turn himself in, but he believes the full story is even more corrupt than it sounds. Baker is facing misdemeanor charges connected to his reporting at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021. But he still hasn’t been told what the charges are. Steve joins Glenn to lay out how he’ll respond. For starters, the FBI told him to show up in shorts and flip flops so he can be marched out in an orange jumpsuit and leg chains — which is an extremely unprecedented move. But Steve tells Glenn what he’ll wear instead. And he also explains who he believes is really behind his arrest and the prosecution of many others who were at the Capitol: “There is ever more evidence of the insane corruption at the top of the Capitol Police…they are more powerful than Congress itself.”

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Steve, been praying for you this week. I know many members of the audience are doing the same.

This is crazy. What's about to happen to you tomorrow.

STEVE: Yeah. I'm always worried about more my unpaid parking tickets from college.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

You're a nice, gentle, regular guy.

And do you even know what the charges are?

STEVE: No. They haven't told us yet.

GLENN: Is that unusual.

STEVE: No. Back two and a half years ago, when they initially threatened me and said I would be arrested within the week. In November of 21 take it. They actually told my attorney at the time, what the charges are going to be then.

But because I'm a little outspoken and vocal about what's happening with me. We were -- we were told at the time, by an assistant US attorney.

This a judge would not be happy with me, you know, going out to the press, in the manner that I've done. So I just intensified that, accelerated that.

And lit that candle brighter. Yeah, I see the look on your face. I see the look on your face.

GLENN: Yeah. What right is it, for them to say, we're coming after you. And then when you say, hey, by the way. Everybody, they say they're coming after had he.

They haven't said why they're coming after me.

This is all I've done. Why would you be in trouble for defending yourself in the public square?

Because once they arrest you. Well, now you've been arrested we the FBI.

That's a really bad thing. Even if you're innocent.

GLENN: Well, two years ago, the US attorney said to my attorney, that a judge will not look favorably upon this.

To which my attorney responded, are you saying that my client should forego his First Amendment right under the threat of persecution from the federal government?

And she said, oh, no. We're not really saying that. Just, we're concerned for him and his --

GLENN: Oh, they're concerned for you.

STEVE: I kid you not. Now, fast forward two years. Under the current threat. And they won't tell me the charges this time. Literally, quote, unquote, from the US attorney, because he'll tweet it out.

GLENN: Well, what? Yeah. Yeah. We'll do it for you.

STEVE: Yeah. Technical the charges are under seal, until you're actually arrested. So they are technically not in violation of any law.

GLENN: Right.

STEVE: So tomorrow morning, at 7 o'clock, when I arrive at the FBI field office here in Dallas, I will know what my charges are.

GLENN: And how are you supposed to dress? What advice did they give you on that?

STEVE: They notified my attorney that I needed to arrive in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops.

GLENN: And why is that?

STEVE: It's easier to change into the orange jumpsuit and leg chains.

GLENN: And is that something that everybody does?

When they bust down everybody's door, do they say, hey, change into a T-shirt and flip-flops?

STEVE: I don't think that when they bust in your door, you get that opportunity of choice.

GLENN: Yeah.

When they -- when they invite people to turn themselves in.

I've never seen people turn themselves in. You know --

STEVE: This is exactly what they did to the independent journalist, Stephen Mauren, from Raleigh, North Carolina, coincidentally, where I live.

And when they arrested him, and they brought him in. They did exactly same thing. They put him in an orange jumpsuit, put leg chains on him, and made him March before the magistrate in leg chains, on misdemeanor offenses.

STU: It's one of the interesting parts here. Because you don't know, as you point out, what you're being charged with.

But you do know they're misdemeanors, right?

STEVE: That's what they've told my attorney.

STU: So why on earth would you need to be in leg chains?

We have -- prosecutors all over the country, that won't charge people who have sexually assaulted individuals, with crimes. And they won't hold them.

And they are released the next day.

And they will put you in leg chains for misdemeanors.

STEVE: Well, let's start ourselves with the bigger question. And work our way to that answer.

This is the first time in history, since January 6th, that the FBI is even involving themselves in misdemeanor offenses and misdemeanor defendants.

And swatting misdemeanor defendants. With sometimes 50, 20, 25 agents, swatting misdemeanor. The FBI has never done that, in their history. Until ordered to do so, by Merrick Garland's DOJ, after January 6th.

So fast forward to this.

Why are they doing that?

Why are they requiring -- my attorney told me, when he told me, that this is what they will have me -- requesting that I arrive dressed in flip-flops and shorts.

I said, why are they doing this to me. He said, you know why. He said, you've been poking them in the eye for three years. This is retribution.

GLENN: This is evil. It's just evil.

When you have a government -- I mean, I don't know if you saw the story today from California. But there was a judge in California who said, you can't arrest just people on the right, when Antifa was there.

And they were being violent. Beating up these people.

You arrest the people they were beating up. You don't arrest Antifa. That didn't make any sense at all.

When -- when a -- when a United States government can come after individuals. And, you know, we've been saying this from the beginning.

If they'll do to Trump. You don't think they will do it to you?

STEVE: Well, the selective prosecution is exactly what's happening here.

We have over 60 -- we have documented over 60 journalists that entered through those doors.

Or broken windows.

That day. The fifth person through the broken window that day, was a New York Times reporter.

The New Yorker reporter, Luke Mogelson, went through the broken window. And he paralleled another independent photo journalist. They went through the same window, paralleled the other journalist.

He had spent a lot of time working on the Latinos for Trump campaign.

Well, even though he didn't parade, he didn't do any protesting. He did no chanting. Anything of the sort.

And was contracted at the time, as a video photo journalist for a TV station in Mobile, Alabama.

Even though that was the groundwork laid, four misdemeanors. Swatted by over 20 agents at his home, with the red dots on his wife, his children, and, of course, obviously himself.

At 6:30 in the morning. And then, he was convicted. He said, I will go to -- he said, Luke Mogelson from the New Yorker, we went through the same window at the same time. And he hasn't been charged. I will go stand before a judge. He did a bench trial. He was convicted on all four misdemeanors. And because he went to trial, and he wasted the government's time and resources, not taking the plea deal he was offered.

The judge put him in prison for eight months. Sentenced him to eight months. They put him in a medium security facility, in -- in Georgia. Where after spending the first two months in solitary confinement. And gets out into the general population. He learns from all the other prisoners, that they never put misdemeanor defendants in that prison.

All of the other guys -- actually, they distrusted him. They thought he was some sort of plant inside the prison. They were like, people don't come here for misdemeanors.

You know, we're -- this is what we do for a living. We're pros. We go to prison.

You know, we commit crimes and go to prison for a living. You're not supposed to be here.

He says, well, you are here, if you're a J6 defendant.

GLENN: So mentally, how are you?

STEVE: I have my moments. I'm okay. I -- you know, I've had -- I've had over two years to prepare for this.

I've game planned it all out in my head. I'm not going to sleep tonight. I'm not even going to try.

It is my way. Anyway. And so I'm just going to, you know, prepare. Pray. And then I'm going to put on my suit and tie.

GLENN: Good for you.

STEVE: And walk in with my head up.

GLENN: Good for you. Good for you.

More in just a minute with Steve Baker. He's an investigative journalist. A Blaze media correspondent. He has been -- he's the guy who worked with Congress, to expose the video that was being held back.

And for this, he is being arrested and arraigned tomorrow. In what city?

STEVE: Here in Dallas.

GLENN: Here in Dallas. Will it happen? Will the trial happen here in Texas?

STEVE: We will certainly be filing a motion for change of venue out of DC, but none of those have been granted yet on J6 cases.

GLENN: Jeez. Because they know they can't win, anyplace else.

GLENN: It is -- it's amazing to me, Steve, that I'm doing an interview with a man, that I know is innocent.

Who I know is a journalist.

Who I know just did the job of being a journalist. And tomorrow, it might be your first day going to jail and then prison.

STEVE: You know, I'll correct you on one thing. There are 60 of us that are guilty.

We are guilty of crossing a restricted line, and that is common for law enforcement to allow the press to come inside the police line to document the public interests.

GLENN: I was going to say. Correct.

STEVE: There is no license. There is no credential. There is no press pass on the planet. Or in the United States of America, local, state, or federal, that allows any journalist to cross a restricted line.

But over 60 did.

And only those whose voice is more on the right side of the political spectrum are being prosecuted.

No one from the left.

GLENN: So what is your -- I mean, if you care to share it.

What is your game plan?

STEVE: I think the first thing we have to do is find out who our judge is. That's the most important aspect.

It's the first major piece of the puzzle.

Because the judges and the J6 lottery. Are -- are -- they come in all -- all shapes and sizes and intensities.

So it will depend upon whether we get a hanging judge, or we get one of the more reasonable common sense.

GLENN: Let's say you get a hanging judge, and they offer you a deal.

BRENDAN: That will be very tempting, if it's one of the hanging judges to take the deal.

Because we already know what the threat of not taking the deal is. That would be a superseding indictment that would include a felony. Because they're going to punish you. They don't want to work. They're government employees. They don't want to do a trial.

GLENN: What kind of felony?

What could they come up with this felony?

STEVE: It would be the one that is currently before the Supreme Court. The 15-12, obstruction of an official proceeding.

They could -- well, first of all, show me the man, I'll show you the crime. They could come up with anything.

GLENN: Right.

STEVE: So they could go back on years and years, on tax record. They could do anything. So it's not a matter of what could it possibly be that I did that day?

It's going to be something else. But that is the punishment. And it is the threat. And they have used it in other January 6 cases.

GLENN: Jeez.

STU: I know you've done a lot of work, Steve, going back, when you're doing your reporting. And looking through all these videos. And you've been able to isolate a bunch of really interesting things, that nobody knew about.

GLENN: That exonerate a lot of people.

STU: Exonerate.

GLENN: And take down the police and, you know, whoever they were. FBI agents or whoever they were.

STEVE: And there's more coming. As a matter of fact, I just heard from a senior congressional aid this morning. That there will be a very significant release tomorrow.

That's all -- he gave me permission to say. That I could say on the air today.

And some of that has to do and it intersects with my work.

GLENN: Wow.

STU: My question is. Do we see video of you?

STEVE: Oh, yeah.

STU: Will we see this? I think they want to paint this idea, that you were not a journalist at this event.

And I think it would be pretty clear.

As you said, there's cameras everywhere.

You have to be on camera, all over the place.

Were you doing something different than the New York Times reporters that were there?

STEVE: I am happy to say, that myself and TheBlaze team, back in December, we harvested a day in the life of me.

Capitol CCTV cameras, and we will be showing that.

GLENN: Right. Excellent.

STEVE: Every second of me inside the Capitol, doing my job, never participating in any parading, milling around.

You know, or as they say, picketing.

Protesting. Never chanting. None of that. We have it all on film.

GLENN: That's fantastic. Now -- now, if you have a hanging judge, will that judge allow that to be -- I mean, the fact that these cases have not been overturned. The minute we started seeing video. Where you're like. Wait a minute.

That makes that guy innocent.

And they didn't allow the attorney to have that. Or see that. Or use that.

I mean, it -- the fact that those haven't been overturned yet. Is a real crime.

A real crime.

STEVE: And we're continuing to work on that process. I will tell you, that there is ever more evidence of the insane corruption, at the top of the Capitol Police.

Which is -- which is holding back these -- you know, series of documents that we need.

To bring justice.

In those particular cases, that you're referring to.

They are more powerful, than Congress themself.

I never believed that. I had Capitol police officers, my sources, unnamed, and known.

That have told me, over and over again. You do not understand how powerful the Capitol Police are. So I'm thinking to myself. Okay. Okay. Okay. Right. Right.

And then I talked with Speaker Johnson. And Speaker Johnson tells me, his lips to my ears, he says, I have 100 percent authority over the -- the distribution of those videos. I can -- I can either let them out. Not. It's all on me. And then all of a sudden, they stop. There's not been anything released in weeks. And suddenly, it stops. Get back with my sources. They said, I told you, it's the Capitol Police. Why is the Capitol Police so powerful?

They know where all the bodies are buried. They know who buried them. They know who is sleeping with who.

They know everything.

GLENN: Jeez.

STEVE: And they are -- and they are the personal security guards of Congress. That's why they're so powerful.

GLENN: It's amazing that it was said that this is Nancy Pelosi's police force. The Speaker has control. Well, she might have. But according to you, Johnson doesn't.

STEVE: There's somebody more powerful than him.

GLENN: Hmm. All right.

Best of luck. We'll keep you in your prayer -- in our prayers. And please, please, stay in touch, and tell us how we can help.

STEVE: Well, we're not going to stop working. So I'll tell you that.

GLENN: Thank you.

STU: And we'll try to get you a flip-flop sponsorship.

STEVE: Can we do that?

GLENN: You need an orange jumpsuit to make it even easier for the feds. Call this number.

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Could Trump’s “warrior dividends” CHANGE the economy?

President Trump has announced he is giving our troops “warrior dividends” of $1,776 each from the money raised by his tariffs. Glenn and Stu debate whether this is a good idea. Also…what are the odds that the Republicans will cave on Obamacare subsidies?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So something the president said yesterday, that I thought was really, really good. Because it will make a difference. And it's not a redistribution of wealth. He talked about his warrior dividend.

He said, every -- the 1.45 million military personnel are going to receive $1,776 before Christmas. And he says, it's recognition for their service and sacrifice.

He says, it's one time. It's coming from tariffs because of the big, beautiful bill. Tonight, I'm proud to announce, more than 1.45 million service members will receive a special we call warrior dividend. Warrior dividend in honor of our nation's founding in 1776. We're sending every soldier $1,776. The checks are already on the way.

I think this is better than choosing another group of people. You know, who is poor? And let's give them the money. I don't like when the government hands out money. But if anybody -- I mean, they're already on the payroll, and they're underpaid. And if anybody can use it, it's the military. $1,700 is a huge amount for most people in the military. Gigantic amount. That will make an actual impact in the people's lives, who I think actually deserve. You know, we -- we don't do enough for our military. And so it's the best kind of -- I don't know. Stimulus package I've ever seen. Although, this isn't a stimulus package, I don't think. Even though, these people are going to pump it into -- I can guarantee you, they will get it, and they will use it on their family for Christmas. Which, you know, will stimulate the economy so much.
Warrior Dividends. How did you feel about that, Stu?

STU: A bit conflicted for a few reason. I obviously 100 percent agree with you that our military members deserve more money, and I'm excited they're going to get it. And I have no -- my feeling on that from a general perspective is very, very positive. Like, if we're going to give money to anybody.
GLENN: Likewise.

STU: Our military is great.

GLENN: Yep.

STU: So that's obvious.

But I had a couple of concerns. One being, you know, we're not exactly at a place where we just have tons of extra money lying around to -- you know, to throw around to people.

I know the argument is with tariffs that we have enough. But, of course, that only pays for a slight amount of our deficit, right know

So we still -- this is all money that we don't actually have. Number one. And number two, my -- I don't really understand. Maybe you have a better understandings of this. But like my understanding of the mechanism of how we spent money as the government is that Congress passes a bill to allocate money.

When you're talking about a policy like this. And I think the president's heart.

GLENN: You got rid of that under Obama.

STU: I don't think.

Well, I didn't get rid of it.

GLENN: You did. Congress. I know. It's still the law of the land.

But nobody is paying attention to it anymore.

Congress doesn't even pay attention to it anymore.

They don't seem to care.

STU: And the other thing with this part of it, particularly, Glenn. Is quite obviously, there would be very little resistence to a bill that did this.

If you put a bill in front of Congress that said, we're going to give a bonus of $1,776 to all our military members. I would love to do it, just to dare the Democrats to vote against it.

Take all the concerns out about spending. This obviously would pass. Because no one would have the balls to vote against it. Outside of Rand Paul, and Thomas Massie.

Like, there would be a couple people. But it would be pretty limiteds.

GLENN: Right.

GLENN: So it could have gone through the normal processes. I don't know if Trump is saying, I want to be -- I want to dare someone to try to stop me here.

Or if it's just, look, there's a pile of money in a military budget somewhere. That he can move around. And he has control of it, because he's commander-in-chief.

I don't really understand the mechanisms.

So I have some questions of that. Generally speaking, when you're thinking of the most offensive things that the government does, giving our military more money is nowhere near the top of that list.

GLENN: It's not one. It's not it. Not it. Not it. They deserve it. They deserve it.

Now, the Republicans pass something. I love this. They just passed their health care plan.
Which is just staying with Obamacare without re-upping the insurance part of it. So they're not for the subsidies. It's not going to pass. It's not going to pass.

This is just something that they pass in the House. It will not be passed in the Senate. Not going to go to the President's desk.

Here's what's going to happen: You're going to see the House and the Senate. No. No, no. Let me rephrase that.

I started that with a lie. While you're not paying attention this Christmas, you will not see, but it will happen, anyway, the House and the Senate will re-up the insurance subsidies, and they will pass this health care thing while nobody is paying attention. And then it will be over.

I mean, that's exactly what's going to happen. There's not a chance we come back and on January 5th, and we say, oh, my gosh. Look! Wow. They're going to close down the government. Because they didn't pass this health care thing.

Well, good for the Republicans for having a spine and standing up!

No! Not going to happen. Not going to happen

STU: It does appear, the chance of the Republicans folding here, is approaching 1 trillion percent.

I don't know. We're having major inflation numbers.

GLENN: I would say 38 trillion. 38 trillion percent.

Yeah.

STU: There you go. I don't know. Because basically what has happened is enough Republicans have already folded on this, for a three-year extension of the subsidies. Which again, is a giveaway on top of the normal Obamacare to make it Obamacare turbo and lock in even higher subsidies because the old Obamacare plan failed. So that's what we're talking about here. So going back to Obamacare as passed is now the worst thing in the world to even the Democrats. Fascinating!

But they have enough Republicans who have changed sides on this. And they are now -- the Democrats have enough votes to force a vote on this bill, which almost definitely will pass the House. Because they already have the votes, and others Republicans will want to now change sides, if there's a public vote. So it will likely pass there.

It's the possible, obviously, that they stop it in the Senate. They could stop it in the Senate.

I don't know. I don't think there's much appetite to stop this, honestly, at the end of the day.

You know, you probably will have a chance of doing it, at the Senate. That's the best chance.

My guess is, what happens. Once the pressure is there, they find a way to maybe adjust it and do a year or something like that, that gets them past the election.

But, of course, what happens this a year. We all know what happens in a year. It's the same thing that will happen this year.It the same thing that happened four years ago, when the first part of this bill went away.

In 2022. Or 2021. They came in and said, okay. Let's extend it for four more years. My guess is, there will probably be some adjustments to this plan. I don't expect at all, for Republicans to hold the line this. Not only do they not want to get rid of Obamacare. They don't even want to get rid of Obamacare turbo. They passed this thing yesterday, which does give them the argument to say, hey. We did pass some of it.

We do have a plan, it's right here. But that's all of it.

GLENN: Stu. Understand the reality. Understand the reality.

We can't get things done unless we have the House and the Senate and the White House and the Supreme Court.

So we just have to wait until we have a time when -- what?

STU: Glenn, I have breaking news.
We've got all that! We've got all of that right now.
GLENN: Well, but it's not. Yeah. It's not as big as we need it, really.

STU: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: We have to have the House, the Senate, the White House, and the Supreme Court. But we have to have more than what we said, when we said those things.

We just need those -- you know, all three branches of government. We need all three branches of government, but more.

It's like we need -- we need that turbo, kind of like Obamacare turbo.

It's never quite enough to get the job done.

STU: Never is, Glenn.

I really do expect, if we have a nine-zero Supreme Court, the presidency, and 534 combined Congress men and senators, we can't do this with this guy over here. There's one Democrat in Congress. We can't do this! That's exactly what I would expect.

GLENN: Stand in the way.

STU: It's pathetic. But it reminds you that your goals are not their goals.

You know, that's what -- I keep coming back to. Forever, Glenn when we started this show. I started the show very young. I was in my early 20s. Didn't really understand lots of things. I was unfortunately running from you, which obviously turned into a catastrophe.

But, you know, as I learned here, at the beginning, my thought was, us as conservatives, as Republicans, as the right, agree on a lot of different things. And there are disagreements as to how we get there, right?

There are sometimes people think we need to kind of fold, or we need to compromise. And we have to move slowly.

And some other people there, saying, we have to go all the way right now.

And there's that disagreement. You remember this from going back in history. Right? Slavery was like this.

There were some people who were like, abolish, abolish, abolish. And others were like, gosh, I don't think we can do that. We have to finagle. We have to work around the edges.

Every big debate has had that.

What I've learned is that actually the goals are the same. When we are saying, hey, we need to make sure government is more -- is smaller, more limited. That's not the goal of most of the people. On, quote, unquote, our side in Washington.

GLENN: Nope.

STU: They don't share those goals. So they're working for something completely different.

They're not going to what we want, as -- as a typical American conservative.

We're inching towards some of those goals.

But also, when we need to give up on them. They go the opposite direction to keep these guys in office for a couple of years. Fine!

And that's what's really frustrating here.

GLENN: So let me give you some good news. And then I'll -- and I'll spoil it for you.

But some good news. The House has just passed legislation that makes performing transgender surgeries on minors a felony. Now, here's the bad news: It passed 216 to 211.

That means, really, there are 211 Democrats that actually in their heart of hearts think that cutting into minors, cutting the breasts off. At this point, now that we have all the data that we have gathered over, you know, five years of doing this to children. At this point, there's 211 that firmly believe, yeah, no. Damn it. We should cut off the breasts. The healthy breasts off of a healthy minor. We've got to make those -- we've got to make those decisions. And a 12-year-old make that decision. A 15-year-old should make that decision.

Really? No!

It's just politics. And if they do think they believe it, they believe it because they've been party brainwashed. You know, how many of us, on any -- on any and all sides, how many of us actually believe something and have thought it through, and how many of us are just kind of zombie following the crowd?

I contend most people are just zombies following the crowd.

Whether -- that might be a crowd now of, you know what, Charlie Kirk was killed by his wife!

There's all kinds of zombie crowds. And they don't require you to think at all.
They just require you to sign up for the team. And that's -- that's my biggest problem with the Republicans. Is I'm not on a team.

You know, when I left Fox, Roger Ailes said to me, you know what your problem is? And I said, no. But I know you're going to tell me.

What's my problem?

He said, you won't play the game. He said, you know, there's -- there are well-established rules. If you need a pound of flesh, you take a pound of flesh from me.

But then you owe me a pound of flesh. So when I need a pound of flesh, I'm going to come and take it out of you. And then we go out, and we have dinner with each other.

And I was just astounded that that was actually spoken out loud. And I said, see, here's the problem: I don't believe it is a game.

I actually believe in something. And -- and I thought more people believed in something.

Don't you feel like you just want somebody to go in, like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and actually believe in something!

And then when they find out, wait a minute. I've been duped like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

They stand up and say, this is wrong!

And I'm not playing that game. And I don't want to play that game. And you kind of, again, there's so many hoops you have to jump through, for this to happen.

Then you actually have to believe that there are other people in the Congress and the Senate, that are like, you know what, he's brave enough to say it. I'm going to stand up next to him.

I mean,, oh, I remember when I was young and naive. And I believed those things would happen.

I still believe they can happen.

But only when the American people return to common sense and demand it.

"It’s a Wonderful Life" - The Amazing UNTOLD Story of the Classic Christmas Movie

It’s a Wonderful Life wasn’t always a beloved classic — in fact, it was a complete failure that nearly destroyed the careers of Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart. Glenn Beck reveals how a forgotten film, resurrected only because its copyright lapsed, became one of the most meaningful stories in American culture. Through George Bailey’s quiet sacrifices, the movie teaches us that the true measure of a life is often invisible, discovered only through the small acts of faithfulness and love we give along the way. This timeless reminder — that ordinary people can change the world without ever seeing the ripples — is why the film still breaks our hearts, heals our spirits, and reassures us that we mattered.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Let me tell you a story that you think you already know. It's about a movie that feels like it's been there our whole lives. It's like a tree in the town square and the hymn. You don't remember learning, but somehow you know it by heart. But this particular movie hasn't been around forever, it just seems like it. It was actually born out of failure. It was born out of exhaustion.

And it was born out of people who felt just like its lead character, George Bailey.

It's a Wonderful Life has a fascinating story behind it. And it speaks volumes about us, our hopes, our fears, our desires.

The movie was made by Frank Capra, and it was right after World War II. Frank Capra had just come back. He didn't come home triumphant. He came home a changed man.

He had spent the war making film for the United States government. The war department.

About why the west is worth saving. This film series. They're fantastic. It's called Why We Fight.

And when he returned, his old style of doing things, the old machinery just didn't fit Hollywood anymore. So he started his own studio. He bet absolutely everything on it.

And It's a Wonderful Life was supposed to be the movie, that proved Frank Capra is still Frank Capra. And it nearly ruined him. The movie lost money. Critics really didn't like it. They mocked how schmaltzy it was. Audiences stayed home.

Jimmy Stewart, this was his first movie that he made, when he came back home from the war. And this was his start. And between Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart. Oh, my gosh, you've got a massive hit, right?

Nobody came. Nobody watched it. Jimmy Stewart, the most beloved man in America gave a really raw, shaken, almost too real performance for people at the time. He wasn't the cheerful hero that is coming out of war as a victory.

This was a man that was cracking under the weight of responsibility. A man who did everything right, but he still felt like he was a failure.

Any of this sound familiar?

It was a story about what happened during the Depression and the crash of '29. Well, America had been living that forever!

They had been living that since '29. They went through the long Depression.

Then they went through the war. The first thing, out of war, they don't want to watch a movie about how depressing life can be. Okay?

So it was a total failure. Film disappears. Goes into a vault. It's a noble misfire.

Good idea. It just didn't land. Maybe wrong time. Eh. Maybe too schmaltzy. Then something weird happened, everybody forgot about it. And so the rights lapsed. There was no grand relaunch. There was no marketing genius, just a legal oversight that let the rights lapse.

Enter Ted Turner.

Ted Turner and Super Station TBS. Remember Super Station TBS when he bought a bunch of stations across the country, and he tied them all together.

And then cable came in, and Super Station TBS became TBS. Turner, while he was looking on super station TBS. They needed some holiday programming. And they needed it cheap. And when I say cheap, what they -- what Ted really meant was tree. We need a bunch of free programming, that we can run all Christmas.

Okay?

No rights. No royalties.

What is out there?

The vaults opened up, and lo and behold, they find It's a Wonderful Life.

Suddenly, it appears in our life, and I don't know about you. I always thought it had been around forever. It did seem like it was a new relaunch.
It was like, hey, did you hear about this new movie?

It was just there and on. We thought everybody knew about it. Nobody knew about it. Our grandparents probably didn't know we knew about it, because it was a massive failure. It's on afternoons, late nights. It's on mornings.

It's everywhere. It's everywhere. Black and white snow flickering on the living rooms. As we are playing on the floor. We as the adults are half listening, half watching. And slowly, slowly, its message found us.

It found us this time, because America had changed.

We weren't fresh from it despair. And we weren't fresh from victory anymore.

We weren't those people. It wasn't so close to us, that we didn't want to look at us!
Yes, we were tired. We were busy. We were stretched thin.

But we were also a group now that measured our lives in promotions. And in square footage. And bank balances.

We were starting to become a little Mr. Potter-like. And we didn't want to be Mr. Potter.

And there on the screen is George Bailey, standing on the bridge, wondering, would the world be better without me? He's not a villain. He's not a loser.

He's actually a really good man.
He's the best of us. And that's why it still works.

Think of all the happy endings and all we have, and everything else. And all of the stories that we tell ourselves.

This movie doesn't tell you, that life will turn out the way you planned.

This one tells you something much, much harder. That the measure of your life is probably going to be invisible to you, while you're living your life.

Because Clarence ain't coming down in his 1800s clothing, and having a hot toddy with you.

So you probably won't know the real measure of your life. And the biggest victories in your life don't come with applause. And the sacrifice, it usually doesn't feel heroic at the moment. It just feels like sacrifice. And crap. Why me. Why me?
Why don't I ever get the adventure that I planned my whole life? Remember, George never left Bedford Falls. He never becomes famous. He just stays. And he shows up. And he keeps his promises. And he holds people together.

What is the real -- what's the real miracle of the film?

Because it's not Clarence. It's not the bells.

It's not him getting his life back. The real miracle is the ledger. That's the miracle. The names, the faces, the small kindness, you all stacked you up, one on top of each other, until you realize, oh, my gosh. All of those little acts, they amount to a life that actually mattered. We're all looking for the big splashy -- he didn't get any of those. He didn't get that.

And that's why he felt like he was a failure. That's why when the town shows up in the end, and they're all giving just a few dollars, it breaks us every single time. Because deep down, we're not watching George Bailey. Deep down, we're checking our own books, our own ledger. Did I? Do I matter to anybody? Would I be missed? Do the things I gave up -- the things I really wanted to do in life, but because something else came up. I had to serve, I had to do this for my kids. Or I had to do this -- the things I gave up, does it mean anything?

This film answers it with a whisper. It doesn't shout it. It whispers.

You'll never fully know the good you've done. I can't give you an answer. You'll never know it. You'll never see the ripples while you're standing in the water.

But they're there. Believe me, they're there.

So this year, when you either just have it running, while you're all in the kitchen. And you're watching time to time. Oh, I love this part. I love this part.

And everybody gets quiet and you just curl on the couch and watch it again, remember, you're not watching a Christmas movie.

What you're watching is a reminder that life doesn't have to be loud to be important.

That staying can be braver than leaving. That loving your family and your neighbors and your town, imperfect as it is, that's not settling.

It's choosing. And whether Ted Turner knew it or not, I can guarantee you, that Jimmy Stewart did. And Frank Capra certainly did.

That every time you see that, why we, year after year, when the snow starts falling in that old piano theme play as we comes back. Not for the nostalgia. But for the reassurance.

Because every once in a while, all of us need somebody just to look us in the eye and say, you're here!

You mattered.

And it is a wonderful life.

How Trump TRICKED the media with his presidential address

President Trump recently addressed the nation about his administration’s many accomplishments over its first year. Glenn Beck reviews the best moments of the speech, as well as some moments he doesn’t believe will age well. Plus…did Trump trick the media into playing his highlight reel by making them think he would declare war with Venezuela?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So last night, the President spoke, and, you know, he started out.

It was -- it was -- let me give you the overall first. I've never seen him more disciplined.

I think the speech was like, I don't know. It was over by 20 minutes after. And I think he ran six minutes late. I mean, I've never seen -- he doesn't say hello in less than 20 minutes.

He stayed on script the whole time. He was extraordinarily disciplined. He was forceful with it. And he explained what has been done in the last year. And he started out saying, a year ago, our country was dead. Now we're the hottest country. We're the hottest country in the world right now. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.

He said, you know, when he took -- when he took over, inflation was the worst in 48 years.

Caused prices to be higher than ever. Making life unaffordable for millions of Americans. And he said, over the past 11 months, we brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history.

Never been anything like it.

He talked about successfully negotiating $18 trillion of investments into the country.

And he said, but the real problem for most Americans was under Biden, car prices rose 22 percent in many states. He said, 30 percent or more. Gasoline rose 30 to 50 percent.

Hotel rates raised 37 percent. Airfare rose 31 percent. And he said, they're all coming down. They're coming down fast. Faster than anybody expected. Drugs, brought by ocean and sea are now down by 94 percent. He said, we broke the grip of sinister woke radicals in our schools.

I restored American strength, settled eight wars in ten months, destroyed the Iran nuclear threat. And ended a war in Gaza, bringing for the first time in 3,000 years, peace to the Middle East.
Then he talked about, you know, what's coming next!

Now, here are my thoughts on this: You know, everybody was speculating, he's going to say we're going to war. What would give you that impression?

I mean, he doesn't -- that is the very last resort. And we are not out of tricks with Venezuela.

I don't think we're going to war with Venezuela.

I think he's making it look like we're going to war, to freak Venezuela out.

And to get Maduro out.

I don't think we're going into war.

I hope we're not. I could be wrong.

But I just don't think that's his deal.

Everybody is speculating, he will announce we're going to war.

No. He's not.

However, is it possible that they were leaking this?

Because I saw this as the kickoff of the campaign. I saw this as okay. This is the message for 2026 for the Republicans.

And it was so disciplined and -- and so tight. You know, he gets -- when the president calls a speech at night and says, he wants to address the nation be, the networks are asked to carry it.

Sometimes they don't. They don't have to. But if he said, look, I only need 20 minutes, I'm sure that everybody at NBC. I mean, I did. Rolled my eyes. Yeah. It will be 20 minutes.

It will be an hour and 20 minutes. But it was tight and focused in 20 minutes.

I wonder if the war thing wasn't a way to get them to cover this.

If -- if it wasn't a leak from the White House. You know, I think he might. I think he might announce war tonight. Then everybody will cover it. I don't know.

Maybe that's me being too sinal. I don't know. Can you be too cynical at this point?

Here's the thing. He said a couple of things that I didn't think will serve him well. And it's only because -- and I think you feel the same way.

I know I'm sick of it. And I've been reporting on it since the beginning of Obama.

And I hated it when Obama was doing it. And he did it for eight years. Biden did it for four years.

And here's the line: I inherited a mess. I inherited trouble. I'm cleaning up somebody else's mess.

True. It's absolutely true. It wasn't with Biden.

It kind of was with Obama, at the beginning.

But, you know, when you're seven years into it. You haven't cleaned that up yet?

I mean, you've got to get a bigger mop. But it's definitely true under Donald Trump. However, people have heard that now from the last three presidents.

And they're tired of it. It has no meaning anymore. Even though it's true.

And I want to go back to truth here in a second. The other thing that I don't think will serve him well is the economy is doing better than ever.

You're going to love it. It's great. People are not -- that might be true!

In my opinion, it's not. It is doing much, much better.

I mean, you know, you -- you had -- what was it?

Twenty-five percent. Thirty percent inflation added to everything? You've got to go into negative inflation to be able to get those prices down. They're going to be up there. And what's happening is, we still are adding 2 percent inflation. And that's the target. I don't know why we put up with that target, but that's the target.

So you'll have 2 percent price increases every year. Now, we're at 3 percent. We get the numbers out today.

It might go into the twos. Are they out yet?

STU: Yeah. 2.7, the number out today.

GLENN: 2.7 that's great.

STU: Yeah, it's better. It's going the right direction. They say part of that might be because the government shutdown, so we're not sure how long that lasts, but positive movement anyway.

GLENN: Yeah, so that's fantastic! So coming down to 2.7. Remember, we were at 9, and it was compounding year after year after year.

So he is bringing things down. And the price of some things like gasoline and eggs. And some of the stuff you get at the grocery, are way down. They're not back to where they were in 2016. Or 2020.

Because, I mean, he's just trying to stop the inflation.
So what's happening, and this is what I say, will serve him well is, there was this great marketing book out in the '80s called Positioning the Battlefields of Your Mind -- or, Battleground of Your Mind.

And it was a book that led to the Cola Wars. It was the understanding of the Cola Wars and how Pepsi could beat Coca-Cola.

They had to change the perception. And the perception was, that Coca-Cola was it!

And Pepsi had to change it, and that's why they became the choice of a new generation. And for a while, Pepsi was -- it may have even beaten Coke.

But there was this real Cola War back and forth the whole time. They didn't change the flavors. They didn't change anything.

Pepsi was what Pepsi always had been. Coca-Cola was what Coca-Cola had always been.

They needed to change the perception, okay? Because perception, whether it's true or not, perception is reality.

Whatever people perceive, and feel, is their reality.

So it's the reality that you have to deal with.

People don't feel the relief yet. They see the prices coming down. But they're still paying out the same amount of money that they were paying out under Joe Biden.

It's not getting worse. Except, by 2.7 percent overall.

But it's -- it's not getting better to them. You know, certain categories are.

But overall, you're still struggling with your rent and everything else!

And so people's perception is: It -- it's not what I expected. Because what I expected was 2019!

I expected to have jobs and the economy rolling. And the price of housing coming down. And everything else.

And it's not.

So what's not going to serve him well is saying, "Your perception is wrong." He might be right! It doesn't matter! You can't tell people their perception is wrong. You have to change that perception.

And the only way to really change it is to demonstrate it, or through ads, you know, back in the Cola War era, they just changed slogans and do ads and everything else. But people don't buy slogans anymore. They don't buy ads anymore. They don't even trust logos anymore. So that won't work.

You actually have to change people's lives to change their perception. Now, 25 percent last month said that they felt that their personal finances were doing better. That was last month. Or the month before last.

This last month, it's up to 27 percent.

So he's moving that in the right direction. But to win, you've got to be over 40 percent.

Easy over 40 percent have to feel like their personal finances are getting better. 27 percent is not enough. But it is moving in the right direction.

So when the president says he's got to relate to the people who steal -- who have defended him, liked him, and believe in him, he's got to say, I know you're feeling the pinch.

You know, one of the things he said last night. But I don't think it's connected yet to people.

And it's because it's absolutely true. Why do you think that you are spending more every month for your rent?

Why?

You're spending more on rent, because there's too many people chasing too few houses and apartments.

You cannot add ten to 15 million people in four years, while you're not building things. You can't add 10 million people into your country and say, oh, by the way. Go get housing.

Where are they going to get the housing?

The housing, you're going to have a shortage, which will cause the prices to go up.

So until you get rid of those 10 million people. You're not going to lower the price.

And especially if the government is subsidizing them.

Because, I mean, look at the NGOs. If people know, the government will pay. They will keep the price up. What would happen with NGOs. Look what's happening with universities. Why do you think universities are so expensive?

They weren't like that. Until the government said, we will guarantee the loans. Once the government said, we'll guarantee the loans, prices went true the roof because everybody could get a loan!

That's the problem. He's got to connect this, and I think he started last night. He's done it a few times. But somewhere or another, it's really got to connect with the American people.
You cannot solve the housing crisis and not solve the immigration crisis. You have to send people back home, or you're going to have to wait five years, as we build new apartment complexes and new buildings. And we stabilize under these ten million new homes that were needed.

That's not popular. And nobody is going to wait that long. Somehow or another, he's got to make that point. And it's got to connect with people, to give him more time to turn things around, on the housing.

Now, he also was really strong in saying that he was appointing -- wait until you meet the guy to appoint the head of the Fed.

Well, I would like to meet that person too. I would like to know who that is. He said he will do it right after the first of the year. Because our Fed chair is leaving, after the first of the year in February. And he said he's a guy who understands low interest rates. And, you know, low mortgage rates, looser money. That could be really dangerous with -- with inflation, but we'll see.

But that could be a turning point, one way or the other, a new Fed chair will be a new turning point.

And hopefully, Trump and this new Fed chair know what they're doing, and it won't make things worse.

But I don't know how you can with the Fed. I mean, they've already made everything so bad.