RADIOAugust 25, 2022

Mark Levin: Left's FBI MISUSE did NOT start with Trump raid

President Trump has done NOTHING to deserve the level of mistreatment he’s received from the far-left and the mainstream media from the moment his candidacy was announced, BlazeTV’s Mark Levin tells Glenn. But, even though the FBI raid on the former president’s Mar-a-Lago home took corruption to a new level, Democrats have been misusing that federal agency for DECADES. In this clip, Levin describes all the ways the FBI has been misused in the past. Plus, he and Glenn discuss if it’s still possible for Americans to 'shake the chains' of our overpowering, federal government…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Mark Levin, nationally syndicated talk radio host, host of Levin TV. Chairman of Landmark Legal Foundation. Host of the Fox News show, Life, Liberty, and Levin. Author of six consecutive number one New York Times' best-sellers, Liberty and Tyranny.

Spent three months at number one. Sold more than 1.5 million copies.

American Marxism. I think was the best-selling book of the year. He's also an inductee of the national Hall of Fame.

Top advisers to several members of President Ronald Reagan's cabinet. He holds a BA from Temple University. At JD from Temple University Law School. And he's on the program.

He's on the program now to make me feel like a slug. Hello, Mark Levin, how are you?

MARK: What are you reading, Glenn?

GLENN: I was just looking you up, and just seeing all the things that you've accomplished. And then I started feeling bad, so I stopped reading.

MARK: Don't go on Wikipedia. That will make you happy.

GLENN: So, Mark, I wanted to -- we're doing a special on the FBI and how out of control justice and the FBI are. And they are -- they've been way for a long time. They were started -- when they were started, they were corrupt. But we are -- we're seeing things with Donald Trump, that should scare people to the core, and I don't think the average Democrat, who is not a Marxist, doesn't understand what is happening right now.

MARK: Well, first of all, they need to understand how corrupt their party is. Because the FBI has been used by Democrat president after Democrat president. And illegal ways. Really, starting with Franklin Roosevelt. He used FDR against his political opponents, including within his own party.

And they would collect dirt on his political opponents. He would use the IRS the same way. Which is why I had an 87,000 agents as a disaster.

GLENN: Disaster.

MARK: He unleashed the IRS, on Andrew Mellon. As a Treasury Secretary under Coolidge. He was the judge at the very end. Was wondering why he had this ten-year investigation. Because his Treasury secretary ordered it. At FDR's demand. And he used the FBI against a number of individuals and groups, including the media.

Robert Kennedy did the same thing with John Kennedy. They used the FBI, to tap Martin Luther King's phone, among others.

And, of course, he used the IRS to collect data on his political opponents. Probably the worst was Lyndon Johnson.

He used the FBI, the IRS, and the CIA. He even bugged Hubert Humphrey's phone when Hubert Humphrey was running for president on the Democrat primary. First, he wanted to see if he was loyal or not.

Because the FBI -- the FBI team at Atlantic City. There's a Democrat convention there. Monitor Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders to see if they were going to be attacking him, Lyndon Johnson, even though he wasn't running against.

And then, of course, Nixon got caught doing some of the same things that they did, but not nearly as much.

But it didn't matter, because he wasn't a Republican. This attack on Trump is akin, the same pattern, but worse. It is constant. It's through his candidacy. His presidency. His post presidency.

As you undoubtedly know by now, you have two brilliant litigators, constitutional litigators. Not these former federal prosecutors who were dime a dozen, and don't even understand the Constitution.

GLENN: Right.

MARK: And they made the point in the Wall Street Journal the other day, and they're right, as the presidential records act allows the president to have access to classified and unclassified information.

There's nothing in there about where he could store it. He can bring it home, if he wants. And that's what he did. I've been arguing, the president can't violate the Espionage Act. How can he violate the Espionage Act of 1970?

When he's president, he says, all right. I'm taking these documents with me. You can't have a clearer statement of declassification than I'm taking these documents with me. But even if they're not declassified as this gentleman pointed out. It doesn't matter. In fact, he has exclusive use of these documents. Even the existing president can't just claim that document, unless they have an absolute significant reason to. So the fact that --

GLENN: So they came out -- I mean, I think it was a general warrant. But they came out with this warrant. And then we started hearing that it's nuclear secrets. And that it's espionage. All this bullcrap. What is it that they were really looking for. And how do we -- how do we shake off the chains of this government, that is this corrupt?

MARK: Well, they -- and so they --

GLENN: Wait. Wait. You're breaking up. I'm sorry. Say it again.

MARK: I'm sorry.

GLENN: Yeah. That's all right.

MARK: I have this home in Florida. Just you in the country. Remember those old movies. With cement and steel and everything else. I said to the builder, I'm only building this damn thing once. I don't care how many hurricanes we have here. And I don't care about FEMA.

Well, they said the rules of the state are 170 miles an hour.

But the state isn't building my house. 210 miles an hour. That's what I want the House -- so I poured all this money into this -- 8-inch-thick cement steel walls and floors. It doesn't look like it. The tilings underneath.

So we had to have an additional system, so I could use my cell phone. So there's certain dead spots in this house. Anyway, can you hear me now?

GLENN: Yeah. I do.

MARK: What is your question?

GLENN: My question was, what do you think they were looking for? And how do you shake the chains of this government that is so corrupt and out of control, it seems like we're cornered.

MARK: Well, a couple of things. You're right about the general warrant. This clearly violates the Fourth Amendment, and the particularity requirement, which was crucial to the columnists and to the Framers. If this doesn't violate it, I don't know what does.

And so they walk in there, and they grab everything. But I think they're looking for anything -- January 6th, of course, talked about that.

I'm sure you have anything you can get their hands on. And now they find, and they knew there were classified documents in there.

So they're trying to use criminal statutes on that. You bring in these hacks like Weisman, and put them on TV. And very ignorant low IQ hosts and news people, to just keep talking -- he has 700 pages of documents.

Classified. Three hundred classified documents. Who cares? Who cares?

And, of course, the reason the government doesn't want to release the affidavit is they prefer to leak this stuff to the New York Times and the Washington Post, in order to control it.

GLENN: Correct. Correct.

MARK: Now, what do we do about this?

You're not going to like this. We are in the abyss, trying to claw our way out. It's not that we're heading our way to the abyss. It's not that the country is unraveled. It's unraveled. So the question is now, how do we deal with a political party that hates America. That takes every step possible, to empower itself.

That only uses the Constitution to defend itself, or against their enemies. But otherwise has no respect or faith in the Constitution, whatsoever.

GLENN: And how do we defend ourselves and fix it, by -- by not becoming all that we despise and using the Constitution?

How can we do that?

MARK: It's you've got to elect people. If not Trump, like Trump. Who are willing to take them on. Who can stand up to this.

This is why so many people are attracted to him. It's because he doesn't bend. He fights back. He fights back. They try to take him out with impeachments and criminal investigations. DA investigations. State attorney investigations. Tax investigations. Property investigations.

Now this crap with his home and his wife's closet. And all the rest of it. That's why we have to defend him. Whether you like tweets or not, it's beside the point. Because if they take him down, who is going to fight for us?

Seriously, maybe DeSantis. Think of the same --

GLENN: I think DeSantis will do the same thing. But I will tell you, the only one that has been tested in literally the fires of hell, is Trump.

MARK: That's exactly right. And what did he do to deserve this?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He hasn't broken the law. If he's broken the law, don't you think he would have them by now? Rather than running around with instruction. And looking back with his property taxes ten years ago. And his income taxes 15 years ago. This is just all cracked. Nobody is examined like this. Looking at the Pelosi taxes for ten or 15 years. We're looking at the Bidens. Seriously, how he's been blowing up by foreign governments. None of these politicians could withstand this, but Trump withstands it.

GLENN: So -- so, Mark, I only have two minutes, unless you can stay after the break. I know you're busy. Which do you prefer? Two minutes or let me break?

MARK: No, no. We can stay after the break. I'm talking to the great Glenn Beck.

GLENN: Okay. Hang on just a second. Mark Levin. We continue our conversation here in a second. American Financing. Your home is not just where you live. It is an investment. It is probably your biggest investment. And right now, home values are still up around maybe 20 percent in some areas. Now, they are coming down. We are beginning to hit a -- a real -- the opposite housing problem, that we had before. If you have an equity in can't house, stacked up. Think able to access it right now. May make a difference. Being able to pay off the high interest credit card debts, so they're not hanging over your head anymore.

That's the best thing about equity. It can -- you can make it back over time. And meanwhile, you're chipping away at the things that will keep you down financially. Take ten minutes today. Call American Financing. Best in the business. Get into a free mortgage review for you. There's no hidden fees or any of that crap. They're just going to talk sense to you. If they can't help you, they will tell you. Stu, you've called them up. Stu is taking out a loan, I don't know, to start a drug business and buy a crackhouse.

STU: In Albuquerque.

GLENN: And he had these crazy -- you know, what I would like to do is put negative 5 percent down.

And they said, you can get that someplace. And they said, yes. Take it. We don't think --

STU: If that's what you want, go ahead.

GLENN: We don't recommend that, but that's what you want. They'll turn down business if it's not right for you. American Financing. 800-906-2440. Or go to AmericanFinancing.net.

JEFFY: American Financing. NMLS 182334. Www.NMLSconsumeraccess.org.
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GLENN: This is the Glenn Beck Program. Talking to the great one, Mark Levin now. Five minutes extra with Mark Levin. It's always a good day. Mark, I'm really frustrated, because if we don't get the House and the Senate, there's almost nothing that the House can do, except, you know, block people like Nancy Pelosi, and shut everything out. But they can't actually reverse anything, can they? Actually, if we only have the House, what can we accomplish?

MARK: Well, we can stop things, you're right. And we can move the ball forward. And in the Senate. We also have another problem, in -- to the filibust, which I happen to support. We have Mitch McConnell, who in himself, is a filibuster against conservatives. You might remember, in 2010, how he hated the Tea Party movement. He hates the MAGA movement, oh, yeah. He still does.

MARK: In 1976 and '80, he was a Gerald Ford guy, and he was never really a Reagan guy. Worked in the Justice Department brief.

This guy is quintessential Washington RINO. And just ask yourself, what are the Republicans running on in the Senate? You don't even know. Because they haven't coalesced around a message. Because the guy is not a leader. But he raises the kind of money, a few years back.

GLENN: And he controls the money for all the other senators.

MARK: Yes, he does.

And so he controls the national Republican senatorial committee, which can take in hundreds of thousands of dollars per donor. Used to be a limit of 30-some-thousand. He put a rider on I think it was Obamacare or something like that. And he changed that, himself.

He has no capacity to communicate with the average American. The American people. He always talks like he has a salami sandwich in his mouth or something.

GLENN: Hey, I want to -- I want to ask you. You said you were for the filibuster. I'm for the filibuster. However, I would be for changing the filibuster back to the way it originally was. Where it was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. You actually have to stand on the floor and filibuster.

Now, the Republicans -- or the Democrats, if I'm not mistaken, changed it, so you can just say, I'm going to filibuster. And everybody goes home.

MARK: Well, that's true. They threaten to filibuster. I don't know how we change that, since the Senate can make its own rules. The Republican leader in the Senate right now, I think that's the start.

We've got to have younger, newer, vibrant people, who come to Washington, knows their terms are limited. Have their purpose to --

GLENN: He's walking around again.

MARK: Yeah. We're always playing defense, or we're always on the -- with our backs against the wall. These guys, they come in, or like in the Senate, one second.

GLENN: Get away from the concrete and the metal.

MARK: No, it's FedEx.

GLENN: Okay.
(laughter)
I love talking to you.
(laughter)

MARK: And, as a matter of fact, they now require your birthdate, every damn time. It's the same person that shows, they want my birthdate. You know, it used to be, they would say, just leave the box.

Now it's, I want your signature, your birthday. What the hell is this? Anyway.

GLENN: All right. Last thing. Last thing. Because I've only got about a minute. How are you -- what are you seeing coming, reading the tea leaves, especially from last night. What are you seeing in the House and the Senate?

MARK: First of all, I see media so low to propaganda. They find this seat in New York.

And they say, this is indicative and illustrative of everything that happens, so the Democrat wins by the skin of their teeth.

You look around the rest of the country, the Republicans did really well. You look at Florida, they did extremely well. Conservatives are doing well. People have to keep their chin up. You have to ignore the media. Ignore them. They're corrupt. They hate us.

And fight and organize and be your own precinct worker, block captain. You have to work harder than you have before. They're going to do everything they can to stop us. But don't be despirited or demoralized by these fools in the media because that's what they'll do to you.

GLENN: Mark Levin.

MARK: They have a good shot at doing well. We'll see.

GLENN: Thank you so much, Mark. We'll talk to you soon. It's Mark Levin from Levin TV. You can hear him on radio. You can also catch his show every day. Levin TV, here on Blaze TV. Join us, become a part of the family. BlazeTV.com/Glenn. Use the promo code Glenn. And save.

Tonight, the FBI exposed. 9:00 p.m.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Are Epstein's "Blackmail Videos" Being Used for Leverage RIGHT NOW?

What was Jeffrey Epstein's operation all about. If he was at the center of a massive blackmail operation to compromise those in positions of power, who is in possession of that information now? Glenn Beck and ATF Whistleblower John Dodson analyze the details of this situation and give their thoughts on what is the most likely reality surrounding Epstein.

Watch Glenn Beck's FULL Interview with ATF Whistleblower John Dodson HERE

WARNING: How America Elects a Socialist President in 2028 | Glenn TV | Ep 444

The rise of Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old socialist who just won the Democratic primary for mayor, is not just a political earthquake shaking New York City — it’s a warning for the rest of America. Backed by Bernie Sanders, AOC, and the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani promises free everything, to tax the rich, and to dismantle capitalism. There’s nothing new about this tired strategy, but the media is propping him up as a new political genius. And with Democrat leaders lining up behind him, it’s clear: This radicalism isn’t fringe anymore. It’s the Democratic Party’s future. Mamdani’s rise is part of a larger movement that’s rewriting America’s values. Glenn Beck explains how New York is the prototype for the Left’s socialist makeover of America. Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Standford, gives a terrifying prediction on Mamdani’s mayoral race chances and warns the revolution is coming for mainstream Democrats. He also dives into MAGA’s frustration with the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files.

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

“I have a new purpose,” then-candidate Donald Trump told reporter Salena Zito after surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Salena joins Glenn Beck to reveal what Trump told her about God, his purpose in life, and why he really said, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, as she details in her new book, “Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland”.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Salena, congratulations on your book. It is so good.

Just started reading it. Or listening to it, last night.

And I wish you would have -- I wish you would have read it. But, you know, the lady you have reading it is really good.

I just enjoy the way you tell stories.

The writing of this is the best explanation on who Trump supporters are. That I think I've ever read, from anybody.

It's really good.

And the description of your experience there at the edge of the stage with Donald Trump is pretty remarkable as well. Welcome to the program.

SALENA: Thank you, Glenn. Thank you so much for having me.

You know, I was thinking about this, as I was ready to come on. You and I have been along for this ride forever. For what?

Since 2006? 2005?

Like 20 years, right?

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

SALENA: And I've been chronicling the American people for probably ten more years, before that. And it's really remarkable to me, as watching how this coalition has grown. Right?

And watching how people have the -- have become more aspirational.

And that's -- and that is what the conservative populist coalition is, right?

It is the aspirations of many, but the celebration of the individual.

And chronicling them, yeah. Has been -- has been, a great honor.

GLENN: You know, I was thinking about this yesterday, when -- when Elon Musk said he was starting another party.

And somebody asked me, well, isn't he doing what the Tea Party tried to do?

No. The Tea Party was not going to start a new party.

It was to -- you know, it was to coerce and convince the Republican Party to do the right thing. And it worked in many ways. It didn't accomplish what we hoped.

But it did accomplish a lot of things.

Donald Trump is a result of the Tea Party.

I truly believe that. And a lot of the people that were -- right?

Were with Donald Trump, are the people that were with the Tea Party.

SALENA: That's absolutely right.

So that was the inception.

So American politics has always had movements, that have been just outside of a party. Or within a party.

That galvanize and broaden the coalition. Right? They don't take away. Or walk away, and become another party.

If anything, if there is a third party out there, it's almost a Republican Party.

Because it has changed in so many viable and meaningful ways. And the Tea Party didn't go away. It strengthened and broadened the Republican Party. Because these weren't just Republicans that became part of this party.

It was independents. It was Democrats.

And just unhappy with the establishment Republicans. And unhappy with Democrats.

And that -- that movement is what we -- what I see today.

What I see every day. What I saw that day, in butler, when I showed I happen at that rally.

As I do, so many rallies, you know, throughout my career. And that one was riveting and changed everything.

GLENN: You made a great case in the opening chapter. You talk about how things were going for Donald Trump.

And how this moment really did change everything for Donald Trump.

Changed the trajectory, changed the mood.

I mean, Elon Musk was not on the Trump train, until this.

SALENA: Yeah.

GLENN: Moment. What do I -- what changed? How -- how did that work?

And -- and I contend, that we would have much more profound change, had the media actually done their job and reported this the way it really was. Pragmatism

SALENA: You know, and people will find this in the book. I'm laying on the ground with an agent on top of me.

I'm 4 feet away from the president.

And there's -- there's notices coming up on my phone. Saying, he was hit by broken glass.

And to this take, that remains part of this sibling culture, in American politics.

Because reporters were -- were so anxious to -- to right what they believed happened.

As opposed to what happened.

And it's been a continual frustration of mine, as a reporter, who is on the ground, all the time.

And I'll tell you, what changed in that moment.

And I say a nuance, and I believe nuance is dead in American journalism.

But it was a nuance and it was a powerful conversation, that I had with President Trump, the next day. He called me the next morning.

But it's a powerful conversation I had with him, just two weeks ago.

When he made this decision to say, fight, fight, fight.

People have put in their heads, why they think he said it. But he told me why he said that. And he said, Salena, in that moment, I was not Donald Trump the man. I was a former president. I was quite possibly going to be president again.

And I had an obligation to the country, and to the office that I have served in, to project strength. To project resolve.

To project that we will not be defeated.

And it's sort of like a symbolic eagle, that is always -- you know, that symbol that we look at, when we think about our country.

He said, that's why I said that. I didn't want the people behind me panicking. I didn't want the people watching, panicking.

I had to show strength. And it's that nuance -- that I think people really picked up on.

And galvanized people.

GLENN: So he told me, when he was laying down on the stage.

And you can hear him. Let me get up. Let me get up.

I've got to get up.

He told me, as I was laying on the stage. I asked him, what were you thinking? What was going through your head? Now, Salena, I don't know about you.

But with me. It would be like, how do I get off the stage? My first was survival.

He said, what was going on through his mind was, you're not pathetic. This is pathetic.

You're not afraid. Get up.

Get up.

And so is that what informed his fight, fight, fight, of that by the time that he's standing up, he's thinking, I'm a symbol? Or do you think he was thinking, I'm a symbol, this looks pathetic. It makes you look weak.

Stand up. How do you think that actually happened?

SALENA: He thinks, and we just talked about this weeks ago. He -- you know, and this is something that he's really thought about.

Right? You know, he's gone over and over and over. And also, purpose and God. Right? These are things that have lingered with him.

You know, he -- he thought, yes.

He did think, it was pathetic that he was on the ground. But he wasn't thinking about, I'm Donald Trump. It's pathetic.

He's thinking, my country is symbolically on the ground. I need to get up, and I need to show that my country is strong.

That our country is resolute.

And I need people to see that.

We can't go on looking like pathetic.

Right?

And I think that then goes to that image of Biden.

GLENN: You have been with so many presidents.

How many presidents do you think that you've personally been with, would have thought that and reacted that way?

SALENA: Probably only Reagan. Reagan would have. Reagan probably would have thought that.

And if you remember how he was out like standing outside.

You know, waving out the window. Right?

After he was shot.

GLENN: At the hospital, right.

SALENA: Had he not been knocked out, unconscious, you know, he probably would have done the same thing.

Because he was someone who deeply believed in American exceptionalism.

And American exceptionalism does not go lay on the ground.

GLENN: And the symbol.

Right. The symbol of the presidency.

SALENA: Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that affects him today.

GLENN: So let me go back to God.

Because you talked to him the next day. And your book Butler.

He calls you up.

I love the fact that your parents would be ashamed of you. On what you said to him.

The language you used. That you just have to read the book.

It's just a great part.

But he calls you the next morning. And wants to know if you're okay.

And you -- you then start talking to him, about God.

And I was -- I was thinking about this, as I was listening to it. You know, Lincoln said, I wasn't -- I wasn't a Christian.

Even though, he was.

I wasn't a Christian, when I was elected. I wasn't a Christian when my son died.

I became a Christian at Gettysburg.

Is -- is -- I mean, I believe Donald Trump always believes in God, et cetera, et cetera.

Do you think there was a real profound change at Butler with him?

SALENA: Absolutely. You know, he called me seven times that day. Seven times, the take after seven.

GLENN: Crazy.

SALENA: Talked about. And I think he was looking for someone that he knew, that was there. And to try to sort it out.

Right? And I let him do most of the talking. I didn't pressure him.

At all. I believed that he was having -- you know, he was struggling. And he needed to just talk. And I believed my purpose was to listen.

Right? I know other reporters would have handled it differently. And that's okay. That's not the kind of reporter that I am.

And I myself was having my own like, why didn't I die?

Right?

Because it went right over my head.

And -- and so I -- he had the conversation about God.

He's funny. I thought it was the biggest mosquito in the world that hit me.

But he had talked profoundly about purpose. You know, and God.

And how God was in that moment.

It --

GLENN: I love the way you -- in the book, I love the way you said that as he's kind of working it out in his own he head.

He was like, you know, I -- I -- I always knew that there was some sort of, you know -- that God was present.

He said, but now that this has happened.

I look back at all of the trials.

All of the tribulations. Literally, the trials.

All of the things that have happened. And he's like, I realized God was there the whole time.

SALENA: Yes. He does. And it's fascinating to have been that witness to history, to have those conversations with him. Because I'm telling you. And y'all know, I can talk. I didn't say much of anything.

I just -- I just listened. I felt that was my purpose, in that moment.

To give him that space, to work it out.

I'm someone that is, you know, believes in God.

I'm Catholic. I followed my faith.

And -- and so, I thought, well, this is why God put me here. Right?

And to -- to have that -- to hear him talk about purpose, to hear him say, Salena. Why did I put a chart down?

I'm like, sir. I don't know. I thought you were Ross Perot for a second.

He never has a chart. And he laughed. And then he said, why did I put that chart down?

By that term, I never turned my head away from people at the rally. That's true.

That relationship is very transactional. It's very -- they feed off of each other.

It's a very emotive moment when you attend a rally. Because he has a way of talking at a rally. That you believe that you are seeing.

And he said, and I never turn my head away.

I never turn my head away.

Why did I turn my head away?

I don't remember consciously thinking about turning my head away. And then he says to me, that was God, wasn't it?

Yes, sir. It was. It was God.

And he said, that's -- that's why I have a new purpose.

And so, Glenn. I think it's important, when you look at the breadth of what has happened, since he was sworn in.

You see that purpose, every day.

He doesn't let up.

He continues going.

And it brings back to the beginning of the book.

Where you find out, that there was another president that was shot at in Butler.

And that was George Washington. And how different the country would have been, had he died in that moment.

And now think about how different the country would be, had President Trump died in that moment. There would be --

GLENN: We're talking to -- we're talking to Salena Zito. About her new book called Butler. The assassination attempt on President Trump. And it is riveting.

And, you know, it is so good. I wish the press would read it. Because it really explains who we are, who Trump supporters are. Who are, you know, red staters. It is so good at that. She's the best at that.