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Former Progressive Caller Josh Reveals His Incredible Transformation After Reading 'Liars'

November 29, 2016
Lori Hanes

Writer

The truth will set you free. Tuesday on The Glenn Beck Program, listener Josh called from North Carolina to tell Glenn about the transformation he experienced after reading Liars: How Progressives Exploit Our Fears for Power and Control.

"I was a very, very progressive liberal, almost to the point of communism," Josh explained.

WATCH: Alternate Trailer for Glenn’s New Book Shows Wild Side of ‘Liars’

Glenn's latest book opened Josh's eyes and set him on a course of exploration that led to reading the U.S. Constitution, the Bible and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

It also prompted him to learn more about this Glenn Beck guy.

On YouTube, Josh found a video from TheBlaze in which Glenn quoted one of his favorite phrases, found in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to Peter Carr:

Fix reason firmly in her seat, and question with boldness the very existence of God. For if there is a God, he must rather honest questioning over blindfolded fear.

"I will never forget that statement. Because that statement brought me to Christ. I was an atheist before that," Josh said.

Josh's remarkable transformation, his willingness to open-mindly explore new ideas and his discipline to do the actual research inspired Glenn.

"That gives me a lot of hope," he said.

Read below or watch the clip for answers to these powerful questions:

• Which story in Liars made Josh's jaw hit the floor?

• How vigorously would Josh have voted for Hillary Clinton this year?

• What about Josh's transformation made Glenn say Holy Cow?

• How many books has Josh read since August 15th?

• What book did Glenn advise Josh to read next?

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: Let me go to Josh in North Carolina.

Hi, Josh, you're on the Glenn Beck Program.

CALLER: Good morning, Glenn.

GLENN: How are you, sir?

CALLER: I'm doing great.

I wanted to tell you a little -- I'll make it quick, but a little story.

GLENN: Okay.

CALLER: I -- a buddy of mine -- I -- let me start it this way: I was a very, very progressive liberal, almost to the point of communism.

GLENN: Wow.

CALLER: I believed everybody should be -- in the wage gap and all that kind of stuff. So a buddy of mine that I've known since I got out of the Army, he came to me one day and gave me your book -- one of your books.

GLENN: Which one?

CALLER: And he says -- he said, "You got to read this."

Liars.

GLENN: Okay.

CALLER: And he said, "You've got to read this book." And I said, "Oh, come on. Really?"

"No, you've got to read this book. You'll never believe some of the stuff that's in it."

So he told me the first chapter to go to. And it was in August. I can't remember to be honest, what chapter it was. But it was the part of the book where it talked about how they -- with Prohibition, and how they put --

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CALLER: -- poison in the alcohol to find out the tracking routes of where it was going.

JEFFY: That's an amazing story.

GLENN: Yes.

CALLER: So I read that, and my jaw hit the floor. And I --

GLENN: You looked it up too, didn't you? You didn't believe me.

CALLER: I did. And I finished that book in three days. It was the most -- it was the most amazing book I've ever read. And I said, "I've got to do more research on this, and I've got to find out who this Glenn Beck guy is." So I went to YouTube.

GLENN: Oh, boy.

CALLER: And I searched your name and I found a video that you did on TheBlaze. I don't know how long it was. But you spoke to a guy that was an alcoholic, and you talked to him about some -- I forget who said it. It was to Peter Carr.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CALLER: And the statement was, "Set reason firmly in her seat, and question with boldness the very existence of God. For if there is a God, he must rather honest questioning over blind-folded fear." I will never forget that statement. Because that statement brought me to Christ. I was an atheist before that.

GLENN: Holy cow.

CALLER: And I will never, ever, ever --

GLENN: So you were a communist, an atheist?

CALLER: Yeah.

PAT: And how long ago was this, Josh?

GLENN: He said August.

CALLER: I got that book on August 15th of this year.

PAT: Of this year? Wow. That's --

CALLER: Yes. I voted for Barack Obama twice. I'm sorry, but I did.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Holy cow.

CALLER: And I would have voted for Hillary Clinton with vigor. However, I -- I pulled the lever for Evan McMullin this year.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: You didn't even go --

CALLER: And I have never ever, ever --

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

CALLER: I'm telling you -- I want to be as serious as I can with you, Glenn, because this is a dream of mine, to speak to you, since August. I have never, ever realized the difference -- I thought all conservatives hated me. I thought conservatism was complete hate, until I listened to you. Because I read that book, and I did research and I found out what the Blaze was. I don't go anywhere else for my news. I listen to TheBlaze every morning. I found out who Doc Thompson is. I listen to Doc Thompson.

PAT: That's great.

CALLER: I listen to you every single day. I got a subscription on TheBlaze now. I turned my life around because of your book.

GLENN: Wow. Josh. Josh, I want you to hang on for just a second.

JEFFY: That's fantastic.

PAT: Yeah, that's awesome.

GLENN: Wow. Thank you so much.

May I say one thing: Do not use TheBlaze as your only news source. Read everything you can. Question with boldness, even what we tell you.

[break]

GLENN: I've asked Josh in North Carolina to hold on because I think this is a fascinating story. A friend gave him a copy of my book that came out this year called Liars, which I think is a very, very powerful book to share with progressives. Because it's -- it's all history, and it takes you through and shows you the progressive movement, really at least some of the supplemental stuff that you can find online. It goes all the way back to Martin Luther. I mean --

PAT: And josh said he was progressive. He was an atheist. And this helped turn him around --

GLENN: Yeah, voted.

PAT: First of all, the open-mindedness to go from that to where he is now is just amazing. That's astounding.

GLENN: Amazing. Amazing. A lot of people won't do that --

PAT: No.

GLENN: -- because they guard what they believe.

PAT: Well, think about it, is there anything that could turn you to a progressive? I mean, I can't think of...

GLENN: If I lost my faith.

PAT: Yeah. Yes.

GLENN: So I would have to lose my faith -- because my faith teaches me that all men are created and are endowed by a creator with certain inalienable rights to live their life. I'd have to lose my faith.

PAT: Yes. They have agency. Yes.

GLENN: That everyone has a right to their agency and a right to screw their life up.

PAT: You'd really have to believe in force, right?

GLENN: Yes. You'd have to believe -- you'd, A, have to believe that rights don't come from God.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And then you'd have to believe that global warming or, you know, people are so stupid that they're going to destroy everything.

PAT: So we have to fix this.

GLENN: So we have to fix this. We have a right to take away somebody else's right to fix that. That would change me.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: That's a tall hurdle.

PAT: That's a tall order.

GLENN: Yeah.

Josh.

CALLER: Yes, sir.

GLENN: So I'm curious. You read that one chapter. Then you went back and then you read the whole book, right?

CALLER: Yes, sir.

GLENN: And what was it that was challenging you? What was it that opened your eyes or made you say, "Wait a minute, if this is wrong, then maybe everything else I believe is wrong?" How did this happen?

CALLER: Well, first, it was the fact that -- I had always heard the statement of, I believe it was Stalin, that said, "In order to make an omelet, you got to crack a couple eggs."

GLENN: Yes.

CALLER: And I never really took that to heart, until I read your book.

And I realized that it was true that by hook or by crook, a progressive will get whatever they have to get done, done. And no matter what weight stands behind them or who stands in front of me, it doesn't matter.

And what you were talking about just a second ago, if I may -- I don't want to veer too far off.

But what you were talking about a second ago, about, you know, what would make you a progressive in your faith, the first question that came to my mind -- because I -- you know, when I read that book, I was awe-struck. And I said -- like, none of this fits without something making it so.

What I mean by that is, you can't have these rights if they didn't come from anywhere.

PAT: Uh-huh.

CALLER: So I read -- I said, "There's got to be somewhere to start." So I went and I got a pocket copy of the Constitution. And I said, "Let's start from the beginning."

GLENN: Jeez, Josh, do you realize how remarkable you are?

PAT: And rare.

GLENN: I mean, you are just so rare to, A, have the open mind, to, B, be willing to challenge the things that you hold dear. To see -- and then go do the actual work is remarkable.

CALLER: But see, the thing is, Glenn, communists don't hold those things dear. That that's the problem. That they don't know what to believe in. So they believe in nothing but the state. That's what I was. That's where I was. I had nothing to believe in, Glenn.

And then I said, "Okay. These rights come from a creator." And when I watched your video, I said, "I have to find that creator. I have to find where this all began."

And I went, and I grabbed my -- my uncle's Bible, went over to his house, and I said, "I want to read this." So I started in the beginning. And I challenged myself every day to read a chapter. And I couldn't stop.

PAT: Wow.

CALLER: And I've read all the way through the Old Testament. And I'm almost all the way through the Gospels. And I can't stop.

GLENN: Wow.

CALLER: And I can't stop. I now know that the state is not the Almighty. And I have something now that I can believe in, that's not going to -- that's not going to tax me into oblivion.

GLENN: Josh, I want to meet you some day. I want you to hold on. I want to get your name and address and everything else.

A, I'm going to send you an autographed copy of the book. I might send you some other books too, that are not necessarily mine, but that you should read. But I'm really impressed with you. Really impressed with you, Josh.

Congratulations.

CALLER: Thank you. Can I say one more thing, Glenn?

GLENN: Yes, sir.

CALLER: I appreciate all the time, thank you so much.

But there's one book that I read after all these books that has done the most for me, and it's kind of obscure. Not probably -- most people -- a lot of people have read it. Most probably haven't. It's Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

STU: A lot of reading, man.

JEFFY: No kidding.

GLENN: You went to Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged.

PAT: You've done some serious homework, wow.

GLENN: Do you have a life? Do you have a job?

CALLER: Yes. I have --

GLENN: How did you get through Atlas Shrugged --

PAT: The Bible.

GLENN: -- and the Bible?

PAT: Liars. Since August?

JEFFY: To be fair --

CALLER: I'm not all the way through the Bible.

JEFFY: Yeah, to be fair, he's not finished with the Bible yet.

PAT: That's true.

GLENN: Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Just the Old Testament and most of the Gospel. Oh.

CALLER: Well, because -- and the reason is, is because I don't sleep.

GLENN: Right.

CALLER: But when I start something, there's a drive, a challenge to finish it.

GLENN: Holy cow, Josh, you and I are so much alike.

You remember, Pat, this is the way I was?

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Once I got onto it, I couldn't stop. I just couldn't stop.

You're right on Atlas Shrugged too. However, do yourself a favor, Josh, read Anthem. You are going to love Anthem, I will bet, until the very end. And when you read the last couple of pages, then try to put together what you're telling me about the rights coming from God and then Anthem. Because she's an atheist, and she has a very, very different point of view.

And I -- Anthem is one of my favorite stories. It's easy. It's not Atlas Shrugged. It's easy. It's a quick read. You could read it in a day. But it throws me every single time on the last -- the last page. And it's good mental gymnastics to do.

Josh, thank you very much. Hold on. I want to get your name and address and a way to contact you. I appreciate it.

PAT: Wow. That's a lot of work.

JEFFY: You aren't kidding.

PAT: In a few months. That's amazing.

GLENN: That gives me a lot of hope.

PAT: Yeah. That's great.

GLENN: That gives me a lot of hope.

Featured Image: The Glenn Beck Program

Legal warfare strikes France's conservative hope

Sam Tarling / Stringer | Getty Images

An all-too-familiar story unfolded in France this week: the is law being weaponized against a "far-right" candidate. Does that ring a bell?

Glenn was taken aback earlier this week when he learned that Marine Le Pen, a popular French conservative, had been banned from the 2027 election following a controversial conviction. The ruling shocked French conservatives and foreign politicians alike, many of whom saw Le Pen as France’s best conservative hope. President Trump called it a "very big deal," a view shared by French commentators who fear this marks the end of Le Pen’s political career.

But this isn’t just about France—it’s a symptom of a larger threat looming over the West.

A double standard?

Fmr. President Sarkozy (left) and Fmr. Prime Minister Fillon (right)

BERTRAND GUAY / Contributor, Chesnot / Contributor | Getty Images

As of Sunday, March 30, 2025, Marine Le Pen led the polls with a commanding edge over her rivals, offering French conservatives their strongest shot at the presidency in years. Hours later, that hope crumbled. Found guilty of embezzling EU funds, Le Pen was sentenced to two years of house arrest, fined €100,000 ($108,200), and banned from public office for five years, effective immediately.

Glenn quickly highlighted an apparent double standard. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy and former Prime Minister François Fillon faced similar—or worse—corruption charges, yet neither was barred from office during their political runs. So why Le Pen, and why now? Similar to Trump’s "hush money" trial, legal troubles this late in the election cycle reek of interference. The decision should belong to voters—France’s largest jury—not a courtroom. This appears to be a grave injustice to the French electorate and another crack in democracy’s foundation.

This is NOT about France

Andrei Pungovschi / Stringer | Getty Images

This pattern stretches far beyond France; it’s a tactic we’ve seen before.

In early 2025, Bucharest’s streets erupted in protest after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the first round of its presidential election. Călin Georgescu, a rising conservative, had clinched an unexpected victory, only to have it stripped away amid baseless claims of Russian interference. His supporters raged against the decision, seeing it as a theft of their voice.

Both Georgescu and Le Pen echo the legal barrage President Trump endured before his 2024 win. The Left hurled every weapon imaginable at him, unleashing unprecedented lawfare. In America, the Constitution held, and the people’s will prevailed.

Now, with Tesla vandalism targeting Elon Musk’s free-speech stance, a coordinated pushback against freedom is clear—spanning France, Romania, the U.S., and beyond.

The war on free will

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

Trump’s 2024 victory doesn’t mean lawfare is dead; Europe shows it’s thriving.

France and Romania prove its effectiveness, sidelining candidates through courts rather than ballots. Glenn warned us about this years ago—when the powerful can’t win at the polls, they turn to the gavel. It’s a chilling trend of stripping voters of their choice and silencing dissent, all the while pawning it off as justice. The playbook is polished and ready, and America’s turn could come sooner than we think.

How Melania Trump is inspiring the next generation of fashion

Aaron P. Bernstein / Stringer | Getty Images

First Lady Melania Trump’s impeccable style has long captivated admirers across the globe, but for one young woman, it sparked a creative revolution.

Lorelai, a young Glenn Beck fan who requested a degree of anonymity, first met Glenn while attending America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona with her grandmother. An aspiring fashion designer and illustrator, Lorelai shared with Glenn some of her sketches of characters from Glenn’s latest book, Chasing Embers. She also explained how Melania Trump became the cornerstone of her artistic journey, inspiring her to craft modest yet beautiful clothing that redefines modern fashion.

Melania Trump’s elegance—stunning, powerful, and undeniably feminine—first captured Lorelai’s attention during the First Lady’s time in the White House. Unlike the casual, often immodest trends dominating her peers’ wardrobes, Melania’s wardrobe exuded grace and sophistication. From tailored coats to flowing gowns, her choices were a masterclass in balancing boldness with dignity, a philosophy that resonated deeply with Lorelai. This admiration grew into inspiration as Lorelai began designing apparel specifically with Melania in mind, aspiring to design pieces that could match the First Lady’s grace. She strove to reflect Melania’s breathtaking style in her sketches in an effort to demonstrate how modesty can be beautiful.

The First Lady’s poised and graceful presence has redefined modesty for the modern era. To Lorelai, the First Lady’s style proves that more fabric offers boundless room for imagination, allowing personality to shine without sacrificing dignity. Melania embodies this perfectly—her fashion commands attention with stunning, memorable elegance. Inspired by this, Lorelai’s mission is to craft clothing for her generation that mirrors Melania’s influence, blending contemporary flair with classic beauty.

After her meeting with Glenn at America Fest, Lorelai’s passion and resolve have only deepened. Through fashion and art, Lorelai hopes to inspire others with the same grace that Melania Trump exemplifies. Below are some of Lorelai's sketches she was eager to share with Glenn.

Melania Trump: First Lady

I really adore First Lady Melania Trump’s grace and timeless beauty. She is extremely intelligent and brave but also strong and poised. Her fashion style displays these traits. I was inspired to create these outfits for our First Lady in hopes that she would see these drawings. -Lorelai

Melania Trump: Lady Liberty

We, as a country, will be celebrating next year our 250th anniversary of independence. The designs that inspired this patriotic gown came from Lady Liberty and Lady Columbia art. I also love our American flag, and this design is a combination of all three. -Lorelai

Chasing Embers Character Art (Ember)

I chose to draw the characters Sky, Azaz and Ember from Glenn Beck and Mikayla G. Hedrick’s Chasing Embers series. -Lorelai

Chasing Embers Concept Art (Ember)

I was inspired to draw a younger and teen version for Sky and Ember. -Lorelai

Chasing Embers Character Art (Sky)

Chasing Embers Concept Art (Azaz)

I also gave multiple outfits designs for Sky and Azaz. I loved that their personalities and character development meant in my mind a wardrobe development too. -Lorelai

Glenn: Government workers bought luxury cars with YOUR tax dollars

Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images

The deep state isn’t a conspiracy theory — it’s a reality. And the corrupt, free-spending Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is just one example of how Washington insiders enrich themselves.

A little-known agency in Washington perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with our bloated, corrupt government: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. It should be the poster child of everything that Elon Musk is exposing.

The agency was established in 1947 under the Labor Management Relations Act to serve as an independent agency mediating disputes between unions and businesses — a noble mission, perhaps. But like so many government institutions, it has rotted into something far removed from its original purpose.

The FMCS goes beyond mismanagement into blatant corruption and theft.

What was once a mechanism for labor stability has morphed into an unchecked slush fund — an exclusive playground for bureaucrats living high on taxpayer dollars.

The FMCS is a textbook case of government waste, an agency that no one was watching, where employees didn’t even bother showing up for work — some hadn’t for years. And yet they still collected paychecks and spent government money — our money — on their personal luxuries.

Luxury cars and cell phone bills

The Department of Government Efficiency discovered how FMCS employees used government credit cards — intended for official business — to lease luxury cars, cover personal cell phone bills, and even subscribe to USA Today. The agency’s information technology director, James Donnan, apparently billed taxpayers his wife’s cell phone bill, cable TV subscriptions in multiple homes, and personal subscriptions.

FMCS officials commissioned portraits of themselves and hung them in their offices, and you footed the bill. They took exotic vacations and hired their friends and relatives to keep the gravy train rolling.

The FMCS goes beyond mismanagement into blatant corruption and theft — and it went on for decades, unnoticed and unchallenged.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to abolish the FMCS — a necessary and long-overdue move. But the FMCS is just one of many agencies within the federal government burning through billions of taxpayer dollars. How many more slush funds exist in the shadows, funneling money into the pockets of bureaucrats who produce nothing? How many government-funded NGOs operate in direct opposition to American interests?

Perhaps the most disturbing question is why Americans tolerate such corruption. Why do so many Americans tolerate this? Why is the left — supposedly the party of the people — defending the very institutions that rob working-class Americans blind?

Corruption beyond bureaucracy

The recent rallies led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and their socialist acolytes claim to be a grassroots uprising against corruption and greed. But GPS data from these rallies tells a different story. The majority of attendees aren’t ordinary citizens fed up with the status quo. They’re professional activists — serial agitators who bounce from protest to protest.

Roughly 84% of devices tracked at these rallies were present at multiple Kamala Harris events. A staggering 31% appeared at over 20 separate demonstrations, tied to Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and pro-Palestinian causes.

Many of these organizations receive federal grant money — our tax dollars — and they’re using those funds to protest the very policies that threaten to cut off their financial lifeline.

This isn’t democracy in action. This is political theater — astroturfing perfected. And the American taxpayer is funding it.

Rooting out corruption

Trump was a battering ram against this corrupt system. Elon Musk is a surgeon, meticulously exposing the infection that has festered for decades — and that’s why the leftists hate him even more than they hate Trump. Musk threatens to dismantle the financial web that sustains their entire operation.

When we allow the government to grow unchecked and our leaders to prioritize their own wealth and power over the good of the nation, figures like Trump and Musk are necessary. Rome didn’t fall because of an external invasion but rather due to internal decay that looked an awful lot like what we see today.

We must demand better. We must refuse to tolerate this corruption any longer. The FMCS may be gone, but the fight to root out this deep-seated corruption is far from over.

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

Did the CIA hide the real truth behind JFK's assassination?

Bettmann / Contributor, NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Many were disappointed by the recent release of the JFK files, frustrated by the apparent lack of answers to decades-old questions. The problem? They’re asking the wrong question.

Everyone wants a "who"—a smoking gun, someone to blame. It’s understandable; Americans crave justice for a slain president, to hold the culprits of one of the 20th century’s greatest crimes accountable. But the real answer isn’t a "who"—it’s a "what." That "what" is the CIA and proof of their nefarious dealings since the 1960s.

In his most recent TV special, Glenn delves into the JFK files, where he found the crucial information that everyone else seemed to miss. Be sure to watch the TV special here.

The CIA's Dirty Fingerprints

While the recent JFK files don’t explicitly pin the assassination on the CIA, the evidence between the lines is compelling.

If you follow Glenn on X, you’ve seen his newest artifact: an exact replica of Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle. Glenn tested it at the range, attempting to replicate the notoriously difficult shot Oswald allegedly made that fateful day in Dallas. While Glenn shares more takeaways in his TV special, one thing stood out immediately: the rifle’s abysmal quality, its shoddy scope, and the odd caliber of ammunition it uses.

Oswald’s rifle, a Mannlicher-Carcano, is chambered in 6.5mm—an unusual caliber. Much like today, the average gun store in the ‘60s didn’t stock 6.5mm rounds. The largest known supply was owned by the CIA, who had shipped the ammo from Greece after World War II. Suspiciously, there’s no record of where Oswald got his ammunition, but the JFK files confirm that the gun store where he bought the Mannlicher-Carcano had CIA connections.

It’s well-known that Oswald defected to the USSR and lived there before returning to the U.S. The JFK files reveal that from the moment he touched down stateside, the CIA tracked him like a hawk. They followed him across the country and even to Mexico City—but, conveniently, seemed to lose him in Dallas just as President Kennedy arrived. What a coincidence.

Whether by design or gross incompetence, the CIA greased Oswald’s path, letting him slip unhindered into that sixth-floor Book Depository window.

The Cover-Up

SAUL LOEB / Staff | Getty Images

If the JFK files aren’t the smoking gun many hoped for, why did the CIA fight so hard to keep them buried?

The answer is trust. Hard as it may be to imagine today, Americans in the ‘60s trusted their government—at least more than they do now. This cover-up preserved that trust longer than it might have lasted, allowing the CIA to pull off more scandals before the public caught on. From Benghaziand 9/11 to COVID-19 and January 6, the same dirty marks found in the JFK files stain these events. It’s about saving face. The files make the CIA look incompetent at best, complicit at worst.

This might feel like common knowledge today—especially to Glenn’s audience—but 40 or 50 years ago, saying such things could land you in the loony bin. It’s taken 60 years of growing suspicion to reach this point. Imagine if the JFK files had been available back then. Could we have stopped six decades of CIA shenanigans in their tracks?

The thought is chilling.

What Now?

Fotosearch / Stringer | Getty Images

The files don’t name a mastermind or explicitly confirm the darkest JFK assassination conspiracies that have swirled for decades—but they’re far from empty. They expose a disturbing truth: the CIA’s unchecked power in the ‘60s echoes into today.

In one of his most exciting TV specials yet, Glenn delves deep into the files, proving why we can’t ignore these revelations. Stop chasing a "who" and start demanding accountability for the "what." Only by confronting this can we hope to rein in the agency that’s dodged scrutiny for too long.