Glenn Beck Makes First Ever Presidential Endorsement for Ted Cruz

January 23, 2016

Writer

In nearly 40 years of broadcasting, Glenn Beck has never officially endorsed any presidential candidate. Not that he's never been asked. He has, many times. But he's never trusted anyone enough — until now.

Beck made the unprecedented announcement on the campaign trail today during a rally at Faith Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa.

"We need a new George Washington," Beck said. "Today’s Washington will not be found in the garish light of gold, but rather, in the bold service of a man who stands tirelessly for what he deeply believes — that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people. That is why I am endorsing Senator Ted Cruz as the next President of the United States of America.”

In addition to Glenn Beck, the rally, sponsored by Keep The Promise, featured special guest Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Steve King, Bob Vander Plaats of The Family Leader, and David Barton of Wallbuilders.

With the country at a pivotal crossroads, Beck emphasized how critical it is to put the United States back on the right track and reconnect with what made America exceptional.

"America’s presidency is more than just an office, bigger than just a man. The presidency is about the principles of life, liberty, and justice for all. I stand for those principles, and we must elect a president who stands for them," Beck said.

Beck also highlighted Cruz's many accomplishments — from winning landmark court cases to standing on principles grounded by the U.S. Constitution. Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant, was fed the Constitution as a child and raised on the solid Judeo-Christian principles that founded the United States of America.

"I have prayed for the next George Washington," Beck said, "I believe I have found him."

Watch Glenn and Sen. Cruz at the rally in Waterloo.

Rally Photos From Glenn's Instagram

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Below is a rush transcript of Glenn's speech, it might contain errors.

What brings us here today?

Not a man.

But a simple belief that things can be better.

That it doesn't need to be this hard,

And that our children do have hope of a better tomorrow than our yesterdays.

No president can give us that.

Nor can any president snuff out that flame.

It is the essence of America.

It is what those who yearn for our shores feel.

Those who are locked in some Iranian jail hope for.

And what those in the slave shops of China can only dream of.

Our country is in trouble and we stand at the crossroads.

To put ourselves back on the right track we need to reconnect with what got us here.

Many of you have been with me for a while.

You watched me at Fox and we learned the good bad and ugly about our history together,

We stood shoulder to shoulder on a beautiful August day at the feet of Abraham Lincoln.

We prayed together for God to help us

find a leader or patriot that could be the next George Washington.

Honestly, when we were in Washington and since,

I had given up hope.

I thought we would have to raise him or her from childhood

and it would be thirty-five years before we would meet them.

The press seems to think that I am here to endorse Ted Cruz today.

In my almost 40 years of broadcast I have never endorsed anyone.

For years it wouldn't have mattered

And for the rest,

I didn't trust the men who asked.

I am still not sure that my endorsement would matter,

But I am here today to talk to you about American principles.

We spoke of them many days while at Fox.

Faith - hope and charity.

Let's start with faith.

First, Faith in God.

Real faith.

Not showman faith.

Living the principles of faith,

not just reading about them in 2nd Corinthians.

But actually living them.

But by their fruits shall he know them.

So as we decide who should lead us we should ask:

What are the fruits of these candidates?

Does your candidate have a record of

Standing for your right to worship God,

Winning the court cases to keep the Ten Commandments

Winning the Heller case so you can defend yourself.

And going against his own president, George Bush

to make sure that an illegal alien

who brutally gang raped and killed

got the death penalty he deserved?

Has your candidate served his whole life

trying to make sure you hold on to the rights

God endowed you with?

The George Washington we need today will not be found in the garish light of gold.

But rather, in the bold service of a man who stands tirelessly for what he deeply believes.

Where does your candidate find his treasure?

Casinos or The Constitution?

But there is another kind of faith we must look for.

I heard The Donald say that "I will make America great again.”

But this is not true. And Donald can’t make it true.

No, one man makes America great.

But each of us as individuals, living our own lives - believing in our own strengths -

that makes America great.

That is faith in self.

We have already had a president tell us

"you didn't build that”

And try to convince us that he and the power of his office were responsible for what we had accomplished.

But, the President does not create jobs.

He helps create the conditions to where WE THE PEOPLE can create jobs and change lives.

The next president cannot be a repeat of Obama

who thought he could make the seas recede by a stroke of his pen,

or that he was worthy of the peace prize because of his name.

This president must be a servant of God, and the people.

He must have less faith in himself, his pen or his phone

and more real faith in our God,

our principles

and our people.

The next principle is Hope.

Hope comes from truth.

Cancer patients all say the same thing to their doctors: please, shoot straight.

Tell me the truth.

Well I will.

The country has a deep and metastasized cancer.

It is called, political correctness, cronyism, and progressivism.

It is stage four and this may be our last shot.

We are lying to ourselves and accepting lies from our politicians.

Let's be clear.

Hillary Clinton should be in jail.

Because if you or I did what she has admitted to doing we would be in prison and deservedly so. For the rest of us, “Oops, I’m sorry” doesn’t dismiss felonies.

We must not continue to lower the bar.

Nor accept lies because they are convenient or easy.

We must do the right thing even at our own expense.

And that means telling the truth.

About our situation with jobs,

The rigged game of cronyism,

Race

Isis,

Our families

And ourselves.

The hard truth.

Many here know my history.

I am an alcoholic who lost everything and almost lost his family.

You know that not because someone exposed it.

But because I told you.

If we don't tell each other the truth we cannot grow.

I understand pivot points.

Changing your mind, your position, even your heart.

I believe in redemption.

Hope of the world comes from not the mistakes but the ability to admit them,

ask forgiveness

and change your ways.

There are many great candidates in this race

but we must admit it,

this is a two person race.

And the other guy has said that he has never felt that he has done anything to ask God’s forgiveness. The hubris of that thinking is incredible to me. As if the last 8 years of an egomaniac in the White House has taught us nothing.

I cannot judge his soul.

But As citizens we are required to judge his record,

His record is clear: He has been a life long progressive, and now he claims to be conservative.

Where was his pivot point?

He could tell us the story on what happened in his life to suddenly change almost every principle he held his entire life –

The principles that have guided his actions for over 60 years.

Perhaps he really doesn’t need God’s forgiveness

but how about asking America’s forgiveness for supporting trillions in Wall Street bailouts,

and calling for the nationalization of banks.

How about asking for forgiveness for giving money to prop up Anthony Wiener,

Nancy Pelosi,

Rahm Emanuel

Mitch Mc Conell

and Harry Reid.

Hope comes from honesty.

We need a man who will tell us the truth and then take actions based on those truths.

Finally, Charity.

This is a fundamental principle.

The world knows that we are the most charitable nation in the history of mankind.

We have forgotten.

We do need a Safety net - for the few who truly need it.

And we must keep those promises that we have made, like those to our veterans.

They did their job.

Now we must do ours

and help them heal and become whole

without a lot of government red tape.

We made them fight for our freedom with one hand tied behind their back,

there should be no foolish rules of engagement at the hospital.

We can do this by getting the government out of the way.

By allowing medical professionals

and private institutions to do what they are supposed to do.

But we must do more ourselves.

The days of walking by the homeless,

the alcoholic,

out of work,

the orphan

with out really seeing them, must end.

We must talk less of our rights and more about our own personal responsibility.

The Good Samaritan didn't call the government.

He picked him up, paid for his stay and helped him back on his feet.

Government isn't the solution, it is the problem.

WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE SOLUTION.

But that means all of us.

Charity must not be used as a tool to simply take the bread from another's work because you do not wish to work.

This means that this misguided compassion must end.

FDR said that when you take away a man’s ability to work you take away his self-worth.

The government dole must end,

not simply because we can no longer afford it

but because it violates our principles.

By strengthening people

and encouraging to them do what they can

and must do for themselves,

they become strong and engaged citizens.

WITH FAITH AND HOPE IN A BETTER FUTURE.

And let's not forget that Charity begins at home.

If we do not get a hold of our borders

and who is here

we will not be able to be the life boat for those who truly need it..

All those who wish to do us harm

and those who are willing to bleed us dry

must be sent home.

But we must not forget those who want to become an American

like Ted’s father.

And because charity is a virtue that we hold up as foundational,

we must not forget the Christians that are being crucified,

tortured

and whose children are being raped

and sold off as slaves for Isis. They

need a home and our principles demand that we find ways to help them.

Most of all

we need to be more charitable toward each other.

We are at each other's throats.

We are not the enemy.

Just because we disagree does not make us sell outs or Traitors

Or as a few extremists called Mark Levin for his defense of Ted Cruz "a dirty Jew".

We are Americans who share many of the same hopes and dreams.

And if what we are fighting for is rooted deeply in our principles, then

We just disagree on how to get there,

Through progressivism

Or constitutionalism. Through Tyranny or through Liberty?

I believe what allowed us to be great in the first place was our constitution.

We were a nation of laws and not of men.

The next president is going to choose up to four Supreme Court Justices.

So much of what is decided is five to four.

With the wrong president those decisions could be 8-1.

The freedom of each man and woman and child is codified into laws protected by the Constitution.

It is time to be the men and women we were born to be.

Because this is our time

And history is being written.

Will we be the first in human history

To turn around

Remember and embrace again what made us great in the first place?

Americas values,

Her principles

And her people.

I told Cruz I would be his worst nightmare if he didn't do what he said he would.

It’s hard to stand alone.

But in America we love the David and Goliath story.

We root for the little guy, alone and out gunned.

Our choice is clear

will we stand with the bully who buys his favors and destroys, smears and uses every Saul Alinsky tactic to get his way

or with the little guy who still believes that someone who plays by the rules and works hard wins in the end.

Some one who still believes in divine providence and that if you just stand where the Lord asks,

even if his face in the end is marred with sweat,

tears or blood, it is not He that makes America great again,

but we the people,

unleashed and free to create,

dream,

work.

America cannot last with another four years of division,

hatred, backroom deal-making

and enemies lists.

We are better than this and we must not compromise who we are.

The next president could be Lincoln.

He could be Washington and refound our country. Restore our principals. Liberty. Freedom. Justice for all.

Who is that man?

I believe that man is Ted Cruz.

Use this compass so your path remains true

while they are slinging mud and losing their way

You will not.

Over the last 4 months, I have wanted one of the debate moderators to ask the candidates "

Please recite the oath of office, and tell me what that means to you"

The oath of office of the President of the United States is to "Preserve, Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States

There is a reason that is the Oath.

BECAUSE THAT IS THE JOB.

The oath doesn't say "I'll put a chicken in every pot"

or "I'll restrict the sale of pornography" or "I'll declare a war on poverty, drugs and warm weather"

or "I'll make the rich pay their fair share".

All government employees take an oath saying they’ll defend the Constitution

from both external and internal enemies

Those are our principles

And that is the president’s job.

I am not here just to endorse these principles which we find self-evident,

but to tell you that this one time the press has it right.

I have finally found a man who actually believes and lives these principles.

That is why.

I am officially endorsing Ted Cruz

to become the first Hispanic president,

the first true Conservative President since Reagan

and the next president of the United States

Ted Cruz.

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.

me liking tweets celebrating the assassination of the united healthcare ceo pic.twitter.com/N41w51ZuZR
— 🔻 (@pegasustits) December 5, 2024

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?

A liberal TikToker is selling a t-shirt that glorifies the recent assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in NYC.
“deny , defend, depose” was reported to have been on the shell casings. pic.twitter.com/IWpHYkx2lF
— SteveSant66 🇺🇸 (@SSant66) December 8, 2024

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.

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