Glenn on Ted Cruz: He is a machine

September 25, 2013

Writer

When Glenn opened the radio program this morning at 9am ET, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was more than 18 hours into his epic anti-Obamacare speech on the Senate floor. Sen. Cruz began his crusade at 2:40pm ET on Tuesday, when he announced: “I will rise today in opposition to Obamacare.” He later added that he would speak “until I am no longer able to stand.”

“18 hours, 25 minutes later, Ted Cruz does not have a hair out of place, and he is a machine,” Glenn said on radio this morning. “This guy I watched last night on the floor of the Senate and I thought, finally a debate on healthcare and a discussion on healthcare that was reasoned, was telling the truth, wasn't yelling and screaming. It was just, ‘Look, this is the fact. This is what's gonna happen.’”

While this may look and sound like a filibuster, Sen. Cruz’s actions will not actually halt the Senate from voting on the House Continuing Resolution passed on Friday that defunds Obamacare. Cloture had already been filed, and voting will begin today regardless of how long Sen. Cruz goes on.

Over the last 20+ hours, Sen. Cruz has proven time and time again that he is a gifted orator and his ability to continually convey his thoughts without much help. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) have all taken part in the speech by asking Sen. Cruz questions – providing much needed relief. Glenn highlighted some of the best moments this morning.

“Here is a year ago Ted Cruz talking about, a year ago, things were different, but times have changed,” Glenn explained.

CRUZ: The argument you make is a serious one, and I would not encourage any member of this body to disregard the commitments they made to their constituents. But I would at the same time encourage every member not just to keep in mind the promises made on the campaign trail, but the ongoing views of your constituents because as circumstances change, all of us respond to change, circumstances including our constituents and so ‑‑

VOICE: Agreed.

CRUZ: One must certainly respect the promises made, but at the same time in the nine months we've been here, in the year since the three of us were active candidates, situation on ObamaCare's changed. Look, I very much opposed ObamaCare a year ago, two years ago, and three years ago. The time it was passed, I thought it was a bad idea. But a year ago the unions didn't oppose it. A year ago the president hadn't granted exemptions for big corporations. A year ago members of congress hadn't gone to the president and asked for an exemption and gotten it. A year ago we hadn't seen companies all over this country forcing people in 29 hours a week. A year ago we hadn't seen one big corporation after another dropping their health insurance coverage, such as UPS telling 15,000 employees "Your spousal coverage is being dropped because of ObamaCare. Your husbands and wives have just lost their coverage." So I would submit, Mr. President, that the circumstances have changed.

“He's doing this without teleprompter,” an impressed Pat said. “I think in most cases he's doing it without notes. These are all things that are off the top of his head – hour after hour after hour.”

One of the more interesting things Sen. Cruz drew attention to was the growing exodous of Congressional staffers because of the impending healthcare regulations.

CRUZ: What does it say about ObamaCare is such a disaster that congressional staffers ‑‑ and mind you, a lot of these congressional staffers who may tender their letters of resignation are staffers working for democratic senators who drafted ObamaCare, who fight for ObamaCare every day, what does it say that staffers would be willing to quit because the quality of healthcare under ObamaCare would be so poor that they would rather go somewhere else rather than be subject to those laws? I think that speaks volumes.

“These are great points that you just don't hear. That's why they've granted… themselves an exception,” Glenn said. “But you don't hear that it's because all of the staffers are quitting. I was so outraged last night… And I kept hearing that they have a special exemption, a special exemption. I know that. I've heard that, but the more you think about it, the more you realize – who do these people think they are? They're granting themselves the exception and we can't have it? We don't have that power. We can't do that. “

Sen. Cruz also reminded Americans that insurance premiums would go down as the result of the Affordable Care Act, but more and more people are realizing that is simply not the case.

CRUZ: You remember when President Obama was defending the ObamaCare bill, he told the American people, he promised the American people, he said, "As a result of ObamaCare, the average family's health insurance premium will drop $2,500." And he said, "That's going to happen by the end of my first term." Now, Madam President, I would point out the president's first term ended nine months ago. And by the end of the president's first term, that promise was proven not just a little off the mark, not just kind of sort of a little bit not entirely accurate. It was proven 100% categorically objectively false. Let me suggest to every American: If your health insurance premiums have dropped $2,500 as the President promised you, as the president promised the average family, so that there would be tens of millions for whom that was true, then I would encourage you to enthusiastically stand up and defend ObamaCare.

Finally, Sen. Cruz acknowledged just how out-of-control this healthcare debacle has become.

CRUZ: And the fact that this body is so torn apart by the notion that each of us would be subject to ObamaCare, subject to the same rules the American people are, it just highlights how broken Washington is.

“Do you see a hair out of place on Ted Cruz? The guy is audio animatronics. He is audio animatronics. Look at him,” Glenn said. “That guy is amazing.”

Front page image courtesy of the AP

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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