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Glenn talks to Sen. Ted Cruz for the first time since marathon 21-hour anti-Obamacare speech

September 27, 2013
Wilson

Writer

On radio this morning, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) joined Glenn for the first time since his epic 21-hour anti-Obamacare speech on the Senate floor. Sen. Cruz talked about his experience this week and why some of his Republican colleagues have been apprehensive to support the movement to defund Obamacare despite the public support on the issue.

Establishment Republicans like Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and others have expressed they will side with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democrats in voting for cloture, a move that has been quite perplexing for Glenn and most conservatives.

"It's that they're scared of political blame, that they're scared that if we do the right thing, it might lead to a partial temporary shutdown," Sen. Cruz said of his colleagues. "And if there's a partial temporary shutdown, they're scared the media will blame Republicans, and the truth is the media will blame Republicans if it rains."

With the Senate cloture vote set to take place at 12:30pm ET today, Sen. Cruz encouraged every American to call his or her Senator and demand they vote "no" or visit DontFundIt.com and make your voice heard by signing the petition. Sen. Cruz reiterated that the concerns of the American people are being heard, and his colleagues' phones have - much to their dismay - been ringing off the hook.

"You know, they want to blow you off. That's certainly true. But I've got to tell you, nothing has enraged Republican senators or gotten their attention more than the facts that their phones are melting down," Sen. Cruz said. "Listen, the most dominant instinct for almost any politician in Washington is the desire to get reelected, and when their constituents actually notice something they are doing and speak out in real volume, it scares the living daylights out of politicians. And as you know, I said this many times. In fact, I think I said this on your show, which is that liberty is never safer than when politicians are terrified. That, it makes a difference. So I encourage folks to give one last burst this morning. But then second, if the Republicans who have publicly pledged to vote with Harry Reid carry through at 12:30 and do it, then Harry Reid will have the 60 votes he needs to strip the language out of the House resolution and to add the funding back for Obamacare. But the game won't be over then."

Sen. Cruz ultimately is remaining optimistic because regardless of what happens in the Senate, the fight will continue in the House of Representatives.

"And it's a privilege to stand with so many Americans. And let me encourage folks if Republicans vote as they've said, if cloture's invoked today at 12:30, it's not over. It goes back to the House. And the House Republicans I hope and believe are going to stand their ground and so this fight will continue," Sen. Cruz said. "And so let me encourage everyone, sign the petition at DontFundIt.com and then call your House members. Encourage them. Salute them for having done the right thing last week and encourage them to stand their ground. If the Senate Republicans won't support them, let them know that the American people support the House Republicans."

Full transcript of the interview below:

GLENN: Hold on. We have Ted Cruz on the line. Ted.

CRUZ: Good morning, Glenn. Great to be with you.

GLENN: How are you, sir?

CRUZ: I'm doing terrific. How about you?

GLENN: I'm good. I can't believe the way the Republicans have treated you and the way the media ‑‑ I mean, I expect it from the media, but it's incredible. I watched you and my wife and I, we laid in bed and we watched you and it was ‑‑ I mean, it's not really the ‑‑ it wasn't the fun‑filled, you know, experience that I was hoping for that night, but we watched you and you were making really good, great, cogent arguments and the press the next day would think that ‑‑ I mean, it sounded like you were a bumbling idiot if you would read the press.

CRUZ: Well, and that suggests the obvious conclusion, which is just not reading the nonsense they write.

GLENN: So the Peter Kings of the world and John McCains, are you surprised ‑‑ not with John McCain, but are you surprised by the way they have come out?

CRUZ: You know, Glenn, actually I'm not. Everyone who wants to preserve the status quo, everyone who is not willing to fight to defund ObamaCare, what they're trying to do is they want to change the subject and then the most common tactic they like is to change the subject and make it all about personality, make it about personal attacks and so, you know, the two things you're pointing out are connected. The media, they want to focus on everything but the substance of how Obama secures a train wreck that is hurting millions of Americans and, you know, I mean, you've got all the Republicans running around throwing rocks at me, at others. And from my end, Glenn, I don't intend to defend myself, I don't intend to respond because, look, at the end of the day the American people don't care about a bunch of politicians in Washington. Doesn't matter about, you know, who's squabbling with whom, which is the only thing the media seems to think is worth covering. What the American people care about is ObamaCare is killing jobs. Millions of Americans are facing the prospect of being forcibly pushed into part‑time work, 29 hours a week. They're facing the prospect of having their health insurance taken away. And from my end the more we focus on the substance, the better. And so all of the noisy just think is noise and I don't intend to engage in it.

GLENN: The labor unions are now starting to come out and say this is an outrage. This is killing. The garbage collectors union I think in Chicago with SEIU, they are all of a sudden saying this is an outrage because we're losing our jobs and the people ‑‑ they're being fired because people are saying "I can't afford it with universal healthcare." It's just, it doesn't work. How long ‑‑

CRUZ: Yeah, there was an exchange, Glenn, toward the end of the filibuster where Illinois democratic senator Dick Durbin came to the floor and, you know, started throwing various attacks from the left at defending ObamaCare. And, you know, one of the things I did is I just read an excerpt from James Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters letter where he said he was writing on behalf of millions of working men and women and the families who depend on them because ObamaCare was destroying their healthcare. "And destroying "is the word he used. And the question I asked Senator Durbin, I said, listen, have you read about Hoffa's letter? Is he telling the truth? And what have you done to respond to it? Are you okay with destroying the healthcare of millions ‑‑ and that's his word, millions, not mine ‑‑ millions of working men and women. And I have to say he didn't ultimately really want to answer that question. But one of the things I suggested: Listen, if reporters were actually doing their job, every time President Obama stood to a podium, they would say, "Mr. President, let me read from James Hoffa. According to the head of one of the largest labor unions in this country, you're destroying the healthcare of millions of Americans." Is he lying? But, you know, instead they want to ask him about, you know, nonsense instead.

PAT: Yeah, you had the longshoremen left the AFL‑CIO over ‑‑

CRUZ: Yep.

PAT: ‑‑ in part ObamaCare. That just cost me 20 bucks, but ‑‑

GLENN: Are they going to ‑‑ how's this going to play out, Ted? What do you think happens now?

CRUZ: Well, there's several things that happened. The next step is today at 12:30 is the vote on cloture, and every Republican should vote no on cloture because what this vote is at 12:30 today, if you vote yes on cloture, you will be voting with Harry Reid and you will be voting to give Harry Reid the power to fund ObamaCare. Now, a fair number of Republicans have publicly said they intend to vote yes on cloture, they intend to vote side by side with Harry Reid and the Democrats and give Reid the power to fund ObamaCare. Now, simultaneously they are going home to their states and telling people this vote is really a vote against ObamaCare. You know, I point out the obvious, which is if it were really a vote against ObamaCare, then Harry Reid and every Democrat would not be voting that way as well.

PAT: Did Senator Corker know that in your opinion, Senator, or was he just trying to cover himself with his constituents? Or maybe that's not a question you want to answer.

CRUZ: You know, Glenn, I'm not going to speculate about the motives of anyone.

GLENN: That would be Pat. I wouldn't ask you a question like that. That would be Pat. This is Glenn. Now let me ask you this: John Cornyn, piece of crap or what?

CRUZ: Look, Glenn, I ‑‑

PAT: But not Corker.

CRUZ: I like John. He's a friend. He and I have been side by side on the vast majority of issues. I think he's wrong on this.

GLENN: Yeah. I'm thinking Louie Gohmert for senator and if Louie won't run, I'm running.

STU: How come we never get any good interviews on this show? Gee, I wonder why!

GLENN: (Laughing.)

STU: Sorry, Senator Cruz.

GLENN: All right. So Senator Cruz, so what happens when the Republicans run to Mommy's skirt because they are afraid of the big bad Democrats and they vote yes for cloture today? What happens then?

CRUZ: Well, now let me say first between now and 12:30, there are actually a surprising number of Republican senators that are still on the fence, that haven't announced how they're going to vote. And I have to tell you this week people's phones have been lighting up. There's a national website, as you know, dontfundit.com, dontfundit.com. It's got over 1.8 million Americans who have signed the national petition. Let me encourage your listeners this morning before the Senate vote, go to dontfundit.com, sign that petition and right on that website are links to the Facebook pages and Twitter pages of each of the senators and tells you where they are publicly and also has their phone numbers. Give them a call this morning, tweet. Post on their Facebook. It makes a difference. And listen, the vote total ‑‑

GLENN: Does it really? Because I think honestly most people think, "You know, I go to this website and then what do I do?" Or "I call and they just blow me off." Does it really make a difference?

CRUZ: You know, they want to blow you off. That's certainly true. But I've got to tell you nothing has enraged Republican senators or gotten their attention more than the facts that their phones are melting down. Listen, the most dominant instinct for almost any politician in Washington is the desire to get reelected, and when their constituents actually notice something they are doing and speak out in real volume, it scares the living daylights out of politicians. And as you know, I said this many times. In fact, I think I said this on your show, which is that liberty is never safer than when politicians are terrified. That, it makes a difference. So I encourage folks to give one last burst this morning. But then second, if the Republicans who have publicly pledged to vote with Harry Reid carry through at 12:30 and do it, then Harry Reid will have the 60 votes he needs to strip the language out of the House resolution and to add the funding back for ObamaCare. But the game won't be over then.

GLENN: There's amazing, there are just amazing people that support cloture. And you know, I mean, you've got the Orrin Hatches of the world and Lindsey Graham but then you have John Corker ‑‑ John Cornyn, Bob Corker, John Thune, Tom Coburn, Roy Blunt, Mitch McConnell, Dan Coats. I mean, they are all, they're all sayin' we're votin' with Harry Reid.

CRUZ: Part of the reason the numbers are where they are is Senate Republican leadership has been whipping, has been using all of the pressure that leadership can exert to try to ‑‑

GLENN: Why? I don't understand this.

CRUZ: Every Republican to vote with Reid.

GLENN: I don't understand this other than they are with the progressive big government thing. That's the only answer because there's no way they can ‑‑

CRUZ: You know, I actually think it's a little different, Glenn.

GLENN: What is it?

CRUZ: It's that they're scared of political blame, that they're scared that if we do the right thing, it might lead to a partial temporary shutdown. And if there's a partial temporary shutdown, they're scared the media will blame Republicans, and the truth is the media will blame Republicans if it rains.

GLENN: The media's going to blame them anyway. You know, I saw Tom DeLay last night on the Real News on TheBlaze and I'm watching Tom talk about it and he's like, "We won that."

CRUZ: Yep.

GLENN: We won that that. I mean, the revisionist history here. They shut down, what was it, 200 and some different agencies in the United States? Yes, the government shut down for, like, 30 days, but look at what they did.

CRUZ: Exactly.

GLENN: They shut it down and they cleaned house.

STU: And gained two Senate seats in the next election.

GLENN: Yeah, they won. They won.

CRUZ: And we got year after year of balanced budgets, reformed welfare. None of that would have happened if Republicans hadn't discovered a backbone and stood up.

PAT: Yep.

CRUZ: But when you make that point, they look at you and just, in essence, say don't bother me with the facts.

GLENN: Okay. I want to play one piece of audio for you ‑‑ two pieces of audio. Pat, play the fundamental transformation from years gone past. Listen to this and then I want to play a new piece of audio. This is the president on the campaign trail.

OBAMA: We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.

GLENN: We're five days away from fundamentally. That was when he first got into office ‑‑ when he was getting ready to go in, five days away from the first election: We're five days away from fundamental transformation.

Now listen to what he said just a couple of days ago. Listen to this.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: So we're now only five days away from finishing the job.

GLENN: We're five days away from finishing the job. The fundamental transformation of America is finished when this goes through, isn't it?

CRUZ: It is... doing damage that is just ‑‑ look. This president's ambitions, as you know, as he said, are vast. They are exactly as he said: To fundamentally transform this country, to give up our free market foundation, to give up the individual liberty that is the foundation of this country and to move us instead to a collectivist/statist approach where the federal government is the prime driver in the economy and the prime driver in our lives. That is an approach that everywhere in the world it's been tried. It hasn't worked. It doesn't produce opportunity, it doesn't produce prosperity. It ‑‑ if someone is struggling, the best opportunity for someone who is struggling who wants a better life to achieve that better life is a vibrant free enterprise system where small businesses are prospering, where there are jobs, where there's growth. And this president has waged a war on jobs and growth, not because he's opposed to jobs and growth but because he believes in government so much and what he's done through government has been hammering small businesses, hammering entrepreneurs and hurting. The people who have been hurt the most by ObamaCare and all of the rest of it haven't the most vulnerable among us, Glenn. They have been young people and Hispanics and African‑Americans and single moms. They are the ones who are losing their jobs. They are the ones who are being forced to work 29 hours a week. You know, it's not the CEOs. It's not what President Obama calls the millionaires and billionaires. It's the single mom working as a waitress at a diner who's suddenly working 29 hours a week and can't feed her kids on 29 hours a week. And the millions of Americans who right now are getting letters from their health insurance companies saying we're no longer going to provide health insurance because of ObamaCare.

GLENN: Senator Ted Cruz, thank you for your hard work this week. Thank you for standing up. Thank you for being everything and more, I would say, everything you promised you would be and more. And the American people are grateful. Thank you.

CRUZ: Well, you know, we're all fighting to just save this country.

GLENN: I know.

CRUZ: And it's a privilege to stand with so many Americans. And let me encourage folks if Republicans vote as they've said, if we get ‑‑ if cloture's invoked today at 12:30, it's not over. It goes back to the House.

GLENN: Okay.

CRUZ: And the House Republicans I hope and believe are going to stand their ground and so this fight will continue.

GLENN: Good.

CRUZ: And so let me encourage everyone, sign the petition at dontfundit.com and then call your House members. Encourage them. Salute them for having done the right thing last week and encourage them to stand their ground. If the Senate Republicans won't support them, let them know that the American people support the House Republicans.

GLENN: Thank you. I've got to run, but thank you so much and, by the way, all of the phone numbers and everything are there at DontFundIt.com.

The Deep State's NEW plan to backstab Trump

Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

We cannot make the same mistake we made in 2016 — celebrating victory while the deep state plots its next move.

In 2016, Donald Trump shocked the world by defeating Hillary Clinton. Conservatives cheered, believing we’d taken back the reins of our country. But we missed the bigger battle. We failed to recognize the extent of the damage caused by eight years of Barack Obama and decades of progressive entrenchment. The real war isn’t won at the ballot box. It’s being waged against an insidious force embedded deep within our institutions: the administrative state, or the “deep state.”

This isn’t a new problem. America’s founders foresaw it, though they didn’t have a term for “deep state” back in the 1700s. James Madison, in Federalist 48, warned us that combining legislative, executive, and judicial powers in the same hands is “the very definition of tyranny.” Yet today, that’s exactly where we stand. Unelected bureaucrats in agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Justice hold more power than the officials we vote for. They control the levers of government with impunity, dictating policies and stifling change.

This is the fight for the soul of our nation. The founders’ vision of a constitutional republic is under siege.

We’ve felt the consequences of this growing tyranny firsthand. During COVID-19, so-called experts ran our lives, crushing civil liberties under the guise of public safety. Our intelligence agencies and justice system turned into weapons of political warfare, targeting a sitting president and his supporters. Meanwhile, actual criminals were given a pass, turning American cities into lawless war zones.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1816 that “the functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents.” Today, we see Jefferson’s prophecy fulfilled. The deep state exercises unchecked power over our freedoms, and information itself is controlled by the fourth branch of government: the legacy media.

Even when we win elections, the deep state doesn’t concede defeat. It switches to survival mode. Trump’s first term proved this. Despite a historic mandate to dismantle the bureaucracy, the deep state fought back with everything it had: leaks, investigations, court rulings, and obstruction at every turn. And now, with the possibility of Trump returning to office, the deep state is preparing to do it again.

Progressives are laying out their attack plan — and they’re not even hiding it.

U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) recently boasted about forming a “shadow cabinet” to govern alongside the deep state, regardless of who’s in the White House. Nickel called it “democracy’s insurance policy.” Let’s be clear: This isn’t insurance. It’s sabotage.

They’ll employ a “top down, bottom up, inside out” strategy to overwhelm and collapse any effort to reform the system. From the top, federal judges and shadow officials will block Trump’s every move. Governors in blue states like California and New York are gearing up to resist federal authority. During Trump’s first term, California filed over 100 lawsuits against his administration. Expect more of the same starting January 20.

From the bottom, progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union will flood the streets with protesters, much as they did to oppose Trump’s first-term immigration reforms. They’ve refined their tactics since 2016 and are prepared to unleash a wave of civil unrest. These aren’t spontaneous movements; they’re coordinated assaults designed to destabilize the administration.

Finally, from the inside, the deep state will continue its mission of self-preservation. Agencies will drag their feet, leak sensitive information, and undermine policies from within. Their goal is to make everything a chaotic mess, so the heart of their power — the bureaucratic core — remains untouched and grows stronger.

We cannot make the same mistake we made in 2016 — celebrating victory while the deep state plots its next move. Progressives never see themselves as losing. When they’re out of power, they simply shift tactics, pumping more blood into their bureaucratic heart. We may win elections, but the war against the deep state will only intensify. As George Washington warned in his Farewell Address, “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force; and force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”

This is the fight for the soul of our nation. The founders’ vision of a constitutional republic is under siege. The deep state has shown us its plan: to govern from the shadows, circumventing the will of the people. But now that the shadows have been exposed, we have a choice. Will we accept this silent tyranny, or will we demand accountability and reclaim our nation’s heart?

The battle is just beginning. We can’t afford to lose.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Drone mystery exposes GLARING government incompetence

Gary Hershorn / Contributor | Getty Images

The drone issue is getting way out of hand.

Earlier this month, Glenn first reported on the mysterious drones stalking the night sky over New Jersey, but the situation is increasingly concerning as the sightings have escalated. Not only have drones been seen across the Northeast Coast, including over New York City, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, but recently, they have been spotted over the night skies of San Diego and other parts of Southern California.

It doesn't take an expert to identify the potential dangers and risks that dozens of undetectable, unidentified six-foot or larger drones pose to national security. Yet, our government's response has been one of unimaginable incompetence, leaving us to speculate on the origin and intention of these drones and wonder in astonishment at the government's ineptitude. Here are three examples of the government's lackluster response to the mystery drones:

Iranian Mothership and Missing Nuclear Warheads

- / Stringer | Getty Images

After several weeks of hubbub, New Jersey Representative, Jeff Van Drew gave an interview on Fox News where he claimed that the drones originated from an Iranian "mothership" off the East Coast of the United States. This theory has since been disproven by satellite images, which show that all Iranian drone carriers are far from U.S. shores. Another theory suggests that drones may be equipped with sensors capable of detecting nuclear material and that they are looking for a nuclear warhead that recently went missing! With these apocalyptic theories gaining traction in the absence of any real answer from our government, one can't help but question the motive behind the silence.

Pentagon's Limp Wristed Response

Alex Wong / Staff | Getty Images

In a recent press conference, national security spokesman John Kirby responded to reporters demanding answers about the government's lack of transparency, which has caused increasing public anxiety. He insisted that the drones did not pose a threat and were not assets of a foreign power, such as from Iran or China--even though he is still uncertain about their identity and origin. He also claimed that many of the sightings were simply misidentifications of normal aircraft.

This lackluster answer has only further inflamed national anxieties and raised even more questions. If the government is unsure of the identity of the drones, how do they know if they are a threat or if they aren't foreign assets? If they aren't foreign, does that mean they are U.S. assets? If so, why not just say so?

The Pentagon has also stated that they are leaving it up to local law enforcement to spearhead the investigation after concluding that these drones pose no threat to any military installation. This has left many feeling like the federal government has turned a blind eye to a serious issue that many Americans are very concerned about.

Where's Pete Buttigieg?

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

We are in the closing weeks of the Biden administration, and with the finish line in sight, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg probably figured nothing else could go wrong on his watch—but boy was he wrong. As Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg is in charge of the FAA, the agency responsible for managing all air traffic across the nation. One would think that mysterious, 6-foot-long, seemingly intractable drones are invisible on radar and flying above major cities would pose a serious threat to the myriad of legal aircraft that traverse our skies. Yet, Buttigieg has been silent on the issue, adding another failure to his resume which includes: malfunctioning airplanes, the train derailment in Ohio, and the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, just to name a few.

Glenn: How Alvin Bragg turned hero Daniel Penny into a villain

Michael M. Santiago / Staff | Getty Images

We cannot allow corrupt institutions to punish those who act to protect life and liberty.

America no longer has a single, shared understanding of justice. Two Americas now exist, each applying justice differently depending on who you are and where you live. One America, ruled by common sense and individual courage, praises heroes who stand up to protect others. The other, driven by political agendas and corrupted institutions, punishes those same heroes for daring to act.

This stark division couldn’t be clearer than in the case of Daniel Penny, the Marine whose trial in New York City this week drew strong reactions from both sides across the divided line of justice.

If we let this slide, we accept a world in which heroes are treated as criminals and the law is a weapon for ideological warfare.

Penny was on a subway train last year when Jordan Neely — a man suffering from severe mental illness and reportedly high on drugs — began threatening passengers, saying, “I’m going to kill you all.” The fear on that subway car was palpable, but nobody moved. Nobody, that is, until Penny did what needed to be done. He took action to protect innocent lives.

In the America many of us used to believe in, Penny’s response would be heralded as heroic. His actions mirrored the courage of Todd Beamer on Flight 93, who, on September 11, 2001, rallied others with the words, “Let’s roll,” to prevent further tragedy. But in New York, courage doesn’t seem to count anymore. There, the system turns heroes into villains.

Penny subdued Neely using a chokehold, intending only to restrain him, not kill him. Tragically, Neely died. Penny, filled with remorse, told the police he never meant to hurt anyone. Yet, instead of being recognized for protecting others from a clear and present threat, Penny stood trial for criminally negligent homicide.

In Alvin Bragg’s New York, justice bends to ideology. The Manhattan district attorney has made a career of weaponizing the law, selectively prosecuting those who don’t fit his narrative. He’s the same prosecutor who twisted legal precedent to go after Donald Trump on business charges no one had ever faced before. Then, he turned his sights on Daniel Penny.

A jury may have acquitted Penny, but what happened in New York City this week isn’t justice. When the rule of law changes depending on the defendant’s identity or the prosecutor's political motives, we’re no longer living in a free country. We’re living in a state where justice is a game, and ordinary Americans are the pawns.

The system failed Jordan Neely

It’s worth asking: Where were activists like Alvin Bragg when Neely was suffering on the streets? Jordan Neely was a tragic figure — a man with a long history of mental illness and over 40 arrests, including violent assaults. The system failed him long before he stepped onto that subway train. Yet rather than confront that uncomfortable truth, Bragg’s office decided to target the man who stepped in to prevent a tragedy.

This isn’t about justice. It’s about power. It’s about advancing a narrative where race and identity matter more than truth and common sense.

It’s time to demand change

The Daniel Penny case — and others like it — is a wake-up call. We cannot allow corrupt institutions to punish those who act to protect life and liberty. Americans must demand an end to politically driven prosecutions, hold DAs like Alvin Bragg accountable, and stand up for the principle that true justice is blind, consistent, and fair.

If we let this slide, we accept a world in which heroes are treated as criminals and the law is a weapon for ideological warfare. It’s time to choose which America we want to live in.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

CEO Brian Thompson's killer reveals COWARDICE of the far-left death cult

Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Early on the chilly morning of Wednesday, December 4th, Brian Thompson, CEO of health insurance giant, UnitedHealthcare, was walking through Midtown Manhattan on his way to a company conference. Suddenly, a masked and hooded figure silently allegedly stepped onto the sidewalk behind Thompson, drew a 3-D printed, silenced pistol, and without warning fired multiple shots into Thompson's back before fleeing the scene on an electric bicycle. After a multiple-day manhunt, a 26-year-old lead suspect was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania after being recognized by an employee.

This was not "vigilante justice." This was cold-blooded murder.

As horrific as the murder of a husband and father in broad daylight in the center of New York City is, the story only gets worse. Even before the murder suspect was arrested, left-wing extremists were already taking to X to call him a "hero" and a "vigilante" who "took matters into his own hands." Even the mainstream media joined in on the glorification, as Glenn pointed out on air recently, going out of the way to show how physically attractive the murder suspect was. This wave of revolting and nihilistic fanfare came in response to the findings of online investigators who surmised the murder suspect's motives to retaliate against healthcare companies for corruption and denied coverage. The murder suspect supposedly underwent a major back surgery that left him with back pain, and some of his internet fans apparently viewed his murder of Thompson as retribution for the mistreatment that he and many other Americans have suffered from healthcare companies.

The murder suspect and his lackeys don't seem to understand that, other than depriving two children of their father right before Christmas, he accomplished nothing.

The murder suspect failed to achieve his goal because he was too cowardly to try.

If the murder suspect's goals were truly to "right the wrongs" of the U.S. healthcare system, he had every tool available to him to do so in a constructive and meaningful manner. He came from a wealthy and prominent family in the Baltimore area, became the valedictorian at a prestigious all-boys prep school, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's in engineering. Clearly, the murder suspect was intelligent and capable, and if he had put his talent into creating solutions for the healthcare industry, who knows what he could have accomplished?

This is the kind of behavior the far-left idolizes, like communists on college campuses who wear shirts that celebrate the brutal Cuban warlord, Che Guevara. Merchandise celebrating the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect is already available, including shirts, hoodies, mugs, and even Christmas ornaments. Will they be sporting his face on their T-shirts too?

This macabre behavior does not breed creation, achievement, success, or life. It only brings death and risks more Americans falling into this dangerous paradigm. But we still have a chance to choose life. We just have to wake up and take it.