RADIOJanuary 06, 2025

Why Jesus “100 PERCENT” Walked on This Road

Archaeologists are currently excavating one of the most incredible Biblical discoveries ever made. The “Pilgrimage Road” was discovered underneath the modern buildings and streets of Jerusalem and it’s believed to have been the main road up from the pool of Siloam to the Second Temple. Glenn speaks with the City of David Foundation’s Director of International Affairs, Ze’ev Orenstein, who explains why he’s “100%” certain that the historical Jesus of Nazareth walked along this “Biblical superhighway” – not as a matter of faith, but a matter of fact. “It is the most significant half-mile on the planet,” he says. But yet, there are forces working to erase this Jewish history from the records …

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Ze'ev Orenstein is with us, from the City of David Organization. He's the Director of International Affairs. And he's -- we're going to talk a little bit about the archaeology of what's going on in the City of David. How are you?

ZE'EV: Great to be with you.

GLENN: Yeah. Good to have you here.

So how far out of the city wall is the City of David, from -- most people don't. They've never been there. They don't realize how small all of Israel is. Let alone Jerusalem. So can you give us some scale first, of what we're talking about?

ZE'EV: So Israel itself is about the size of the okay state of New Jersey. It's -- we have about 10 million people living in Israel. Jerusalem is the largest city. Probably about a million people living in Jerusalem.

So Jerusalem, by US standards is -- is probably, not the biggest city.

GLENN: No.

ZE'EV: And yet, for billions of people. Not millions. When they wake up in the morning. They looked at Jerusalem as a source of meaning, faith, hope, identity, inspiration.

GLENN: Yeah. I can tell you, I've said this a million times. And I don't know if people can even begin to understand this.

Mu wife and I went to the first time. We went to the Temple Mount.

And you could almost feel. You could almost feel it.

And then we were all the way up at the border of Syria, past the sea of Galilee.

And I looked at my wife. And I said, it's like, it's pulsing. Can you feel the Temple Mount even here?

There's a reason. It's honestly like the polar. The pole goes right through the Temple Mount. And the world actually revolves around that. It's wild to feel it.

ZE'EV: 100 percent. Now, if you ask the average Jewish person, Christian person, close your eyes, and imagine biblical Jerusalem.

Tell me what you see. And you'll get answers like, I see the Western Wall. I see maybe the Stations of the Cross. Maybe the Church of Holy Sepulchre. The Garden Tomb. I see the old city of Jerusalem.

And all wonderful and good places, except none of them, at least when we're talking about the original Hebrew Bible, none of those places are in the Bible.

When you think of the places where the kings of the Bible ruled and the prophets of the Bible preached, you're talking about the City of David. The City of David is today located just outside the walls of the old city.

Now, most people think the walls of the old city, those iconic walls, they must be thousands of years old. They're only about 500 years old. Now, only.

GLENN: Wait. Wait.

The ancient walls around Jerusalem? 500 years?

ZE'EV: That's right.

Built by Sewemon (phonetic), during the Ottoman Period.

Right? Now, most people -- mostly 2,000, 3,000 years old.

Now, the walls of the Temple Mount. The western wall itself, the Southern Wall. The Southern steps. All of that is 2,000 years old, going back to the time of Jesus. But the wall around the old city of Jerusalem is only 500 hundred years old.

Now, if you're sitting here in America.
Wow, 500 years is a long time ago. Jerusalem, which is 4,000 years old, 500 years ago is like last week. We don't get overly excited by anything 500 years old. So what happened?

We lost Jerusalem. Everyone thought it was the old city, until about 150 years ago. 1867, Queen Victoria of England, she wants to discover the treasures of the Bible.

Like the Ark of the Covenant. She sends a man by the name of Captain Charles Warren to the holy land to find those treasures. He comes to Jerusalem.

He wants to excavate the Temple Mount, where the Temple of Solomon stood. The Biblical Mount Moriah, except in 1867, the Ottomans, the Muslims are there.

They say, Charles, we assure you are a great guy.

But you're not digging up the Temple Mount. To this day, due to religious sensitivities, political sensitivities, the Temple Mount has -- had almost no archaeologically activity.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Let me clarify this. They have Muslims, if I'm not mistaken, have been digging.

ZE'EV: That's not in archaeology.

GLENN: They've been digging it and putting -- putting it into dump trucks.

ZE'EV: They've been destroying it. But in terms of archaeology, with the goal of uncovering the heritage and history of Jerusalem. Uncovering the Biblical heritage of Jerusalem.

That hasn't taken place. The opposite. What the Islamic -- the religious trust on the Temple Mount, what they've done is the opposite of archaeology, with the goal of not uncovering and celebrating the heritage of Jerusalem, but actually destroying it.

GLENN: And there's actual archaeologists that sit through all this stuff.

ZE'EV: To this day, you have archeologists and volunteers were able to go through and sift through the hundreds and hundreds of truckloads of earth, that were removed from the Temple Mount by the Islamic religious trust, in the late 1990s. Dumped in garbage dumps. And when you're sifting through this earth. You will find next to 2000-year-old coins, potato chip wrappers. Coke cans. Why?

Because it's all jumbled together now.

GLENN: Oh, my God.

ZE'EV: They have no --

GLENN: They do. I mean, we have no idea what --

ZE'EV: So the pretense was they wanted to build an emergency exit on the Temple Mount.

There's a very large subterranean mosque known as the Marwani Mosque beneath the Temple Mount, beneath the area known as Solomon's stables. One of the most beautiful parts of --

GLENN: Underneath that?

ZE'EV: Underneath that. The southern end of the Temple Mount. They hallowed it out. And they built this subterranean mosque. Then they said, well, now we have this mosque there.

We need to build an emergency exit. And they used the legitimacy of building an emergency exit, to build in bulldozers and dump trucks, and massive machinery.

One of the most famous Israeli archeologists, he said, if you use a toothbrush on the Temple Mount, that's probably heavy machinery. They used bulldozers and dump trucks.

And they took tons and tons and tons of earth. And through it in the garbage.

And they said, why?

The answer is very simple.

What they're trying to hide is that the Jewish people. By extension, Christians have been in Jerusalem for thousands of years.

If they can destroy that history. Destroy that hernial.

Well, then they can go along with those claims. That Israel is colonizing power, that has no history, no heritage in the land of Israel or in Jerusalem. They are seeking to rewrite history.

To erase the Judeo-Christian heritage from Jerusalem. In fact, the United Nations passed a resolution a couple years ago, saying the Temple Mount and Western Wall, are exclusively Islamic holy places.

GLENN: What?

ZE'EV: And they go on to say and condemn all the archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. Now you might say, how on earth can anyone say such a thing?

That Jews and Christians have no heritage in Jerusalem, condemn the archaeology, why would they say that?

But the answer is very simple. If the story that you want to tell about Jerusalem is an exclusively Islamic story, then you will hate a place like the city of David, one of the most archeologically excavated sites in the world, because every single day, we're unearthing antiquities, fancy word for old stuff.

That show not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact, that Jerusalem's Biblical heritage is true. That the connection that Jews and Christians have with Jerusalem, the foundations of the United States of America. That the Judeo Christian heritage. That it's built upon. Comes from Jerusalem. That it's real. And that is a nightmare to them.

GLENN: So last time you were on, I think we talked about the pool of Bethesda. Ask this is where Jesus healed the man who had been waiting for a miracle at the pool.

ZE'EV: Right. The pool of Siloam. The southern end of the city of David. Which up until 2004, was totally covered up.

GLENN: Do we even know that that was kind of where it was.

ZE'EV: We know 100 percent that's where it was.

GLENN: No. No. No. Then. When we started the archeological dig that we didn't know.

ZE'EV: No. They say hindsight is 2020. Obviously now, we say, of course, we knew that's where it was.

Back then, 2004, it's all covered up. There's a road above it. There's a sewage pipe below.

And only because of a busted sewage pipe, we have a teaching in our faith, that says God has many miracles.

The reason we found one of the most significant Bible heritage sites in all of Jerusalem. The pool of Siloam, with deep significance to Christians and Jews alike, was because of a busted sewage pipe. And that of course leads to another discovery.

Because the pool of Siloam, was the place where before going back up to the Temple, on Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, Pilgrimage Festivals. You have to cleanse yourself. Wash, cleanse, bathe. In the Christian Scriptures, the story of the healing of the blind man, also, pool of Siloam.

And so the archaeologists said, well, if we know where the pool is, at the Southern end at the city of David, the place where Jerusalem began. How did the millions of pilgrims get from the pool all the way to the temple on the Temple Mount?

They widened their excavation, and they ended up discovering what's known as the Pilgrimage Road, the road that our ancestors, yours and mine. Jews and Christians alike, would have walked on, 2,000 years ago when they went on pilgrimage up to the temple, on the Temple Mount.

GLENN: So the road would go right directly from that pool. Right to --

ZE'EV: That's right. The temple. I call it the Biblical superhighway.

Anywhere you wanted to go in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, that road would take you there.

And I've been asked many, many times. What are the chances Jesus walked on that road?

GLENN: Got to be 100 percent.

ZE'EV: Yeah. I say, conservatively speaking you're talking about 100 percent. So how do you know? Well, the answer is really very simple. If you believe there was a historic Jesus 2,000 years ago, in Jerusalem. Well, he was Jewish.

He went with all the Jews, down to cleanse at the pool of Siloam, at the southern end of the City of David. He would have then walked up from the pool, along the Pilgrimage Road, along the half mile journey, up to the Temple, on the Temple Mount.

The pool of Siloam, that we're excavating as we speak, in the city of David today, is 100 percent the same pool of Siloam from 2,000 years ago, and the time of Jesus. The Pilgrimage Road, that archaeologists from the Israel antiquities authority are excavating as we speak today. 100 percent the same Pilgrimage Road.

Same Temple Mount. Same city of David. Not simply a matter of faith, but a matter of fact. It's real. You can see it. You can touch it.

You can walk on it. It's the most significant half mile on the planet.

There's no half mile, that means more people anywhere in the world, than the city of David.

GLENN: So when it -- it comes to the temple, does it come to Solomon's Stairs?

And it's got to be below. I mean, you excavated. How deep down did you have to dig to find the road?

ZE'EV: So the pilgrimage road itself runs up the length of the city of David. It comes out on the southwest corner of the Temple Mount.

So now what happens, it then splits off. When it gets to the southwestern corner, there's one branch that goes off to the east, which comes out by the Southern Steps. Again, another site with deep significance for Jews and Christians alike.

And then the other part, when it gets to the southwest corner. Keeps going north along the Western Wall. And that became the main thoroughfare. In fact, when a person stands at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount, you can see the remnants of a massive staircase, that would have taken the pilgrims up into the temple.

It's still there. You can seat remnants of that staircase. So this was the main thoroughfare. Where everyone is gathering. Now, today, the pilgrimage road, or the vast majority of it, is about 60 feet underground.

Now, if this was the United States. What would happen?

You know, if I go to Gettysburg today.

How many people are buried on the battlefield. How many people live today on the battlefield of Gettysburg?

Nobody. Right?

One of the most significant American heritage sites. So in Jerusalem, you would say, well, city of David, not just for millions.

But billions of people around the world.

What should we do? Two words. Eminent to main. Except, in this part of Jerusalem. We don't do that. And so the challenge is, how do you on the one hand, respect the modern day city of David and the people who live there today?

And at the same time, uncover all the heritage with significance to billions of people, around the world, and give access to all those who want to see it themselves. And the answer is, with a lot of sensitivity.

That's why the city of David is only 11 acres in size. We only excavated one-third of the site to date. Over the last 115 years.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait. So it's mainly with buildings and roads and everything above it?

ZE'EV: Above it. So you're literally trying to have the best of both worlds. Respect the modern. Uncover the ancient.

And that's why so much of the work has to be done with the utmost sensitivity. And the highest of standards. Because you can't afford any mistakes. You can't afford occasion --

GLENN: You're not getting Elon Musk with his Boring machine.

And everything has to be. You're talking about small tools.

Lots of engineering to support everything that's up above.

But I have the privilege of hosting members of the Navy SEALs. Along the pilgrimage road.

And they were based out of Coronado on the west coast. And they said, well, how does this all get covered up?

And they said, well, you know, it's really simple.

You have one time period. Someone comes and conquers it. They build on top of it.

Another one conquers them, builds on top of that. Throw some earthquakes in there. You kind of get all these layers. Just to bring it closer to home. You guys are out there in California. I said, if you dug down beneath your homes, you would probably find, that once upon a time, there was some Native Americans living there.

If you kept digging, you might find that once upon a time, there were some Republicans living there.

GLENN: I doubt that. I doubt that. It's Seattle. Seattle has a Seattle underground. And they just built on top of it.

ZE'EV: Yeah. So in ancient times, they built into the sky. Today, we have to take into account. There is a modern day neighborhood. But neighborhood is preserved. But we are uncovering that heritage.

Why RFK Jr.’s Former Running Mate OPPOSES Casey Means for Surgeon General

President Trump’s nomination of Dr. Casey Means for Surgeon General had many MAHA fans cheering. But RFK Jr.’s former running mate, BlazeTV host Nicole Shanahan, has major reservations. She joins Glenn, who has been a fan of Casey, to explain why she believes there are stronger candidates. Means, Shanahan claims, may have “conflicts of interest” because of the “biometric harvesting company” she founded and its close ties to Silicon Valley. Shanahan also questions whether RFK Jr. is playing “political 4D chess,” or if she was lied to when she was promised that the Means siblings wouldn’t be in government. Is RFK Jr. reporting to someone other than Trump? Shanahan explains why she believes it’s possible.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Nicole Shanahan. Nicole, how are you?

NICOLE: Glenn, how are you doing?

GLENN: I am very good. It's great to have you here.

So I want to ask you, the Surgeon General thing, are you for Casey Means? Or not for Casey Means?

NICOLE: Well, I will tell you who I am for, Glenn.

GLENN: Okay.

NICOLE: I'm for all of those Americans. Those hundreds of thousands of doctors, seeking truth, honesty, and dignity in our medical system once again. That is what I'm for. That is what propels MAHA into existence.

That's what propels Bobby Kennedy into the position of running for president of the United States. That's why I joined the campaign. It really is about listening to this group of doctors that did the right thing during the COVID pandemic.

That spoke up, when it was dangerous to speak up.

That lost their licenses. And so when I hear from that base, concern or research. About individuals, in and around MAHA.

I have to listen to them.

And I do listen to them.

Because oftentimes, they are right. They're brave, and they're principled. So the concern I've been hearing from that group of people is that MAHA -- you know, any movement. MAGA had this issue too of infiltration by different groups that are more self-serving, than they are for the movement itself.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

NICOLE: And so just one example, Casey Means is a founder of a company that does biometric harvesting. She's very close with many of the big data biometric harvesting companies.

In Silicon Valley. And this -- I noticed with all these people. You do not want them running in a government position that is responsible for everybody equally. Right?

GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait.

What is -- what is that?

They're harvesting, what?

NICOLE: Well, so biometric data is anything between heart rate data, to all of the data that is collected from your FitBit or high glucose monitor. It could be labs. It could be -- then there's all the DNA harvesting. And big data that's being done.

So, you know, I think that the base -- MAHA really came from medical freedom. And medical sovereignty.

And the idea that we have to keep conflicts of interests. Out of the government.

And so when I -- you know, see some stuff going on. That we could be doing better.

Right?

Our job.

And I learned this from the MAGA base.

Our job is to ton seek the best possible people. For government, that are truly putting the principles of this country first.

The principles of American sovereignty first.

GLENN: So you wrote yesterday.

It's very strange. It doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in the Senate confirmation, that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or an appointment.

And that people much more qualified would be. I don't know -- I'm sorry.

RFK very clearly lied to me. Or what's going on. It's been clear in recent conversations that he's reporting to someone regularly, who is controlling his decisions, and it isn't President Trump.

With regards to the siblings, there is something very artificial and aggressive about them. Almost as if they were bred and raised as Manchurian assets. Wow!

NICOLE: So keep in mind, I was responding to Dr. Suzanne Humphries.

Who was also expressing very similar sentiment.

GLENN: Concern. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

NICOLE: Concern. There's better candidates.

So what's going on? I also heard from other MDs in the field.

That there was another doctor that RFK had wanted for the position. Very, very qualified doctor.

And -- and, you know, he was caught by surprise as well. By -- by this other choice.

So, you know, there's -- again, they -- they don't call it the swamp for no reason. Right?

GLENN: Right.

NICOLE: And, you know, I'm not officially within the administration at all.

In fact, I decided to take the path of staying an independent --

GLENN: Smart.

NICOLE: -- media person. Which I think -- I think and you know this, Glenn. It's really important that when you are an independent media voice, that you -- you stick by your principles. And that you are not just a mouthpiece for any government organizations.

That you're really on the outside, reflecting back the hopes and wishes of the constituents.

GLENN: Yeah. There's -- it's very hard to do.

I mean, I take stances against the president.

And for the president. You always have to -- you always have to balance, you know, I have my opinion.

And I'm never going to be bought out by anybody.

I'm never. But you also want to make sure that you're being fair to the people that you trust. And I know you have trusted RFK for a very, very long time.

And for what struck me on this. Is, you know, I don't know if RFK lied to me. Which I hope he didn't, or what's going on. It's been clear in recent conversation that he is reporting to someone regularly, who is controlling his decisions.

That's a remarkable thing to say, especially about RFK.

Because he does not strike me as somebody who is afraid of somebody else.

NICOLE: You know, I don't know if it's fear or that he's playing political 4D chess. And, again, they don't call it the swamp for no reason.

It's just, at some point, there's certain decisions, that are worth fighting for.

And I do appreciate what a very complex political environment this is.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

NICOLE: And I do understand that even within these agencies, there are groups that are intentionally keeping and withholding information from the new leadership.

So, you know, I -- I fully appreciate how complicated it is.

So I fully appreciate how complicated it all is, but there are definitely things that the base is -- is, you know, like, this is an easy one. This could have gone better. Right?

You don't truly -- and, you know, everyone is guessing what precisely this 4D chess is all about. And why these moves are being made. And trying to anticipate the next one.

But it's something that I think that, you know, there's just certain things that indicate that whomever he's giving -- whoever his chess coach is. Could be making some better decisions for him. And --

GLENN: But Casey.

I mean, when I talk to the twins, during -- or after COVID.

They seemed pretty clear on what was bad and what was good.

They -- they both seemed to be good on -- on COVID. And the vaccines. Didn't they?

Or is my memory --

JEFFY: They talk a great talk.

I will say, I was once a fan of it as well.

It was only after I received many comments from individuals, in and around the transition team.

As well as new research that came up.

And then really, like, you know, when the base expresses these things and provides that degree of inquiry, and it shows that kind of concern.

I think we owe it to them.

GLENN: Yes. I agree. I agree.

ANNA: Yeah.

GLENN: So overall, how do you feel things are going?

NICOLE: I think, again, there's been a lot of focus around food dives. Meanwhile, there's millions of people suffering from vaccine injuries, that still feel very neglected.

So I do think -- I do appreciate the executive order, regarding gain of function and limiting overseas research.

GLENN: And shutting down a dangerous -- and shutting down a very dangerous bio lab here.

NICOLE: Yes. And there are many of these bio labs that are kind of flying under the radar.

GLENN: Right.

NICOLE: So it's a big step in the right decisions sedition. I'm a huge Jay Bhattacharya fan. Probably one of his biggest.

I really am excited for him, as he built out his team.

I hope, he has a very, very strong team around him. In the next coming weeks. Because he's going need to it.

As far as HHS goes, you know, I would love to see Bobby bring in more of those doctors that have been around him for the last ten years, very regularly.

Because these are the individuals that, you know, I -- I trust these people with my life. They have sacrificed everything to do the right thing time and time again.

They are so deeply principled. They will never take a check over helping a patient out.

And they actually do have the answers. So I'm hoping to see more of those people around Bobby too.

GLENN: So I'm wondering because this is the way I feel about a couple of things with the FBI. And Intel.

That if I don't see some people in the next year or so, go to jail, or at least brought in for a fair and honest trial, you know. I don't want to just scoop people up. And just assume that they're guilty.

But build a good, strong case. Bring it to trial.

Have it a fair and honest trial. And let the chips fall where they may.

But if I don't see some prosecution, at least. I think I'm very upset at the G O.J.

Pam Bondi. Head of the FBI. Kash Patel. And I don't -- and I'm trusting them so far, that they are doing that.

Do you feel the same way at all, about -- you know, if you don't see some people who go to jail there, that clearly lied about the vaccines.

If they don't go to jail. You have -- you really haven't fixed anything.

You're just eating around the edges.

NICOLE: Yeah. Yeah. I think that really explains it. And this is why I think it's important to continue to voice those concerns, because they're only going to grow and mount.

And it really is the American people, that were sold this vision of accountability.

And as we want to see it. We have to see it. Anywhere. Several months into the administration now.

HHS, you know, lags behind the Oval Office in terms of getting going.

But they're -- people were seriously injured. There were many crimes committed against the American public.

Crimes committed against our bravest doctors. Crimes committed against children.

We need accountability.

We really, really need to see that.

Because, you know, there's -- there's a preciousness in this moment. We have to -- we have to deliver. This country deserves it.

GLENN: And, I mean, if we're -- if we can't correct the things that, for instance. Washington State. Just passed a law where if there is another pandemic, everybody seems to be, you know, claiming there's another one, right around the corner.

But if there is another pandemic, that they will have absolute control, over what you put into your body. And what you do. That's terrifying.

NICOLE: I do.

And those emergency orders, they will scrutinize them. They have revisions.

GLENN: Washington State just revised it to just codify it. Washington State just codified it. It's crazy.

NICOLE: Yeah. Yeah.

So I would like to see more focus around that, not Red Dye 40 and not Kellogg's.

I'm totally fine leaving Kellogg's alone, in favor of HHS spending. All of its energy. And all of its focus. And all of its leverage, making sure that we are actually properly ready for the next pandemic.

And not to cause the catastrophic harm, that was caused during COVID-19.

GLENN: Nicole Shanahan. She's got the podcast Back To the People. And it's now coming to Blaze Media.

It's the same podcast she's been doing. Now as she says, with a wider reach. Glad to have you.

Nicole, thank you very much.

NICOLE: Thanks, it's a pleasure to come on.

GLENN: We'll talk to you again.

Is America’s Grid a Ticking Time Bomb? Trump’s Energy Secretary REACTS | Glenn TV | Ep 430

President Trump is working hard to right the wrongs of the Biden administration. But did Biden harm our energy grid even more than we thought? While Glenn was on vacation in Italy, two other European countries — Spain and Portugal — suffered one of the biggest blackouts in their history. The mainstream media, as they always do, rushed to blame it on ANYTHING other than the countries’ heavy reliance on unreliable green energy. But Glenn has the receipts and the evidence that leftists tried to make America’s grid just as unreliable. Glenn speaks with Energy Secretary Chris Wright about how the Trump administration is reversing these dangerous policies. Secretary Wright also discusses his department’s discovery that Biden shoveled out $93 BILLION in energy loans after Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election and before Trump could take office. Plus, he comments on Trump’s plans to deal with OPEC, why Trump must refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and why Trump is planning the biggest energy project in American history to help accommodate AI. But first, Glenn recaps the biggest media lies that he missed while on vacation. Topping the list: Are these elitists like Axios and Jen Psaki finally admitting that they lied about Biden’s cognitive decline, or do they STILL not get that their charade is over?

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Is the New American Pope Catholic? | Bishop Strickland | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 256

A new pope has been chosen! As the recording of this episode of "The Glenn Beck Podcast" began, white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the selection of the first American pope. Glenn and Bishop Joseph Strickland react live to the news as the whole world wonders if Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, will continue in the ways of his predecessor Pope Francis or go a more traditional route. Bishop Strickland, who was removed from office by Pope Francis, says the former pope pushed a church “in the world and of the world” and reviews “duplicity,” “corruption,” and potential abuse overlooked by the Vatican, including the infamous McCarrick scandal. The pair discuss the resurgence of the Latin Mass, globalism, the Catholic Church’s approach to homosexuality and gender identity, and whether the Shroud of Turin is an “icon” or a “relic.” As the new pope greets the world, Glenn asks, “If we have a more progressive pope, does that set the Church back?” Bishop Strickland advises that “even if we are disappointed and dismayed,” we must pray and keep our focus on God.

Meta’s AI “Friends” Nightmare: How Zuckerberg’s Latest Move Could Enslave Your Mind

Meta and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has a new goal: to give lonely Americans AI “friends.” But Glenn sounds the alarm: this must NEVER happen! Glenn explains the hidden danger in Zuckerberg’s seemingly kindhearted plan: “AI cannot, must not, and will never be your friend.” Opening that door will only give Meta insane levels of potential for manipulation and control over you.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Let's start with this: Mark Zuckerberg. Good guy. I mean, he brought us Facebook.

And, you know, that is the thing that brought all of us together.

Brought out families together. All the people that we lost touch with.

Oh, the world is so much better now that we have Facebook.

So now, he's got another idea. Could we play the clip of Mark Zuckerberg?

VOICE: There's a stat that I honestly think is crazy. The average American has I think it's fewer than three friends. Three people they consider friends. And the average person has demand for meaningfully more. I think it's 15 friends or something.

I guess there's probably at some point, I'm too busy. I can't deal with more people. But the average person wants more connectivity, connection than they have. So, you know, there's a lot of questions that people ask.

Of stuff like, okay. Is this going to replace kind of in person connections or real life connections?

And my default is that the answer to that is probably no.

I think it -- it -- I think that there are all these things that are better kind of about physical connections, when you can have them.

But the reality is that people just don't have the connection when they feel more alone, a lot of the time, than they would like.

GLENN: Hmm. True.

Now, let me ask you. Is there a time when you don't remember feeling so isolated? When you didn't really feel like I don't have any real friends?

When you didn't -- you had real connections with people, instead of a million connections with people that are your friends, but not really your friends?

Can you think of a time, way back in history?

I mean, probably have to go back to the cavemen, to find a time.

Oh. Before Facebook, and social media!

When we weren't all killing ourself, because we have no meaning.

Now, from the people who brought you kill yourself, because you've been on Facebook too much.

Brings you new AI friends. Oh, this is going to be good.

By the way, you know, that's a crazy stat, I think the average American has, what? Three friends. And they have a capacity for, I don't know. Fifteen or 20. I don't know.

Really think about it right now.

How many true friends, do you have?

How many true friends?

People that when you are down and out, there is nothing -- the whole world is against you!

That that person will actually stand by your side. And go, yeah.

I'm their friend.

And I don't care what you say.

How many? How many do you have?

I think I would count myself lucky if I have three.

Now, I have a lot of consequences.

I have a lot of people who we all think are friends. But as a recovering alcoholic, I've been there.

I've done that. As a recovering alcoholic,
who then also is a conservative and spoke out about the Obama administration, I know who my friends are.
I know who my friends are not.

And I think there's a lot of people that have counterfeit friends.

If you've got. Oh, I've got ten or 15 friends.

Eh.

No, you don't. No, you don't.

I've always grown up thinking, you're lucky, you're lucky, to have three, five, really good friends.

That will walk through anything with you. Do you agree with that, Stu?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: You've never been there.

STU: For you? Oh, God no. But I'm just saying, generally speaking. No. I think -- I mean, you're describing a great friend. You're describing a really --

GLENN: A real friend.

STU: Yeah. Like someone you know and stick around for multiple decades.

GLENN: Yeah, I have lots of friends. You know what I mean? I have millions of Facebook friends.

STU: Right. Those aren't real.

GLENN: Right. And I have lots of friends. But the ones that are there for you always, no matter what, I have family.

And I have family.

STU: Right.

GLENN: And I have a handful of friends. I would consider you one of those.

STU: Thank you. I would as well.

GLENN: Why?

Remember, I have a drinking problem.

STU: Yeah. A lot of brain cells killed to make that decision.

But I think that you -- yes. I think the only thing that I think I'm drilling down a little bit on to try to understand. When you say, well, I have a lot of friends.

In a way, I think that's what Zuckerberg is talking about.

It's not even necessarily a great friend that you have for multiple decades. And can count on at any time.

Just the mid-level consequences, are drying up for a lot of people.

GLENN: Yeah. And why is that?

Why is that?

Because we don't talk to each other anymore.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Because of social media.

You know, when this generation says, I don't know.

I just think it's weird. I'm just now in a bar someplace.

And some stranger comes up to me and wants to strike up a conversation. I'm like, hello, weirdo. I don't know!

You think it's less weird to go online?
When people can fake everything!

Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg.

But no thanks. Okay.

STU: And they're just -- to build up on this point for one second.

There's a study that came out, the last 20 years, of how much time do you spend socializing with the people.

Again, that's not with your best friends.

This is just socializing with anyone, a human.

Every single group. Every single group has massive drops.

GLENN: Massive.

STU: Massive drops. Just give you some examples.

Ages. Fifteen to 24-year-olds. Thirty-five-point down.

In 20 years. 35 percent. So a typical 15-year-old, as compared to what they are, in 2003 and 2025, where were the two measurement years?

They're spending 35 percent less time, with other human beings.

GLENN: Okay. Hang on just a second. Can you please stop distracting me? Because I'm trying to figure out why our kids are killing themselves.

STU: No, it's really hard.

GLENN: It's very hard to figure out.

STU: To understand.

And this is the coup de grâce of this entire study, which is, the typical female pet owner spends more time actively engaged with her pet, than she spends face-to-face contact with her friends of her own species.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: That is unbelievable -- not like you're in the same house as your cat.

Right? No. More face-to-face time with your cat!

GLENN: And I've got news for you. If you think your cat is your friend, wait until you die, and your cat is trapped in the house with you and you have no friends to check. They will eat your face.

STU: They will still have a use for you.

GLENN: Yeah. They will have a use foy.

STU: Not the other way around.

GLENN: Okay. Here's why I'm bringing this up today.

This is a lie, that is going to be sold to you, like crazy. And it's going to be wrapped in a beautiful, shiny package. And it's going to have from Mark Zuckerberg and others like him, on the tag.

They want you to believe, that AI and bots can be your friends.