Glenn on the US Conflict With North Korea: 'Neither Side Can Back Down'

July 05, 2017

WRITER

What’s happening with North Korea, and how should the U.S. respond? Glenn Beck talked about the latest missile test from Kim Jong Un on Wednesday’s “The Glenn Beck Radio Program,” saying, “This is far more grave than anything I have seen in my lifetime.”

North Korea appears to be prioritizing testing their missile technology over testing nuclear weapons. Glenn wondered if the reason is because their nuclear weapons are ready to go. Because North Korea is technologically inferior and works underground, we would have to place people physically in the country to spy and find out what’s happening.

Russia and China immediately responded to the tests yesterday to tell the U.S. and South Korea to stop testing in exchange for North Korea supposedly stopping their nuclear program. But since North Korea already has nuclear weapons, shuttering the program would be a meaningless gesture.

“Neither side can back down, and the world is now preparing for what comes next,” Glenn said.

President Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning about trade between China and North Korea growing, saying, “So much for China working with us --- but we had to give it a try!”

“If you read between the lines, this tweet looks like a justification,” Glenn said. The tweet appeared to indicate to the world that the U.S. has exhausted diplomatic measures and needs to use military force to respond to North Korea.

To see more from Glenn, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “The Glenn Beck Radio Program” with Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere and Jeffy Fisher weekdays 9 a.m.–noon ET on TheBlaze Radio Network.

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

GLENN: All right. So North Korea appears to be prioritizing testing their missile technology over the actual nuclear tests.

We're wondering if that is because they've got the nukes all ready to go. We're not sure. This is the question that President Trump is now facing --

PAT: How can we be so unsure? With the technology we have --

GLENN: Zero.

PAT: Supposedly we can see a license plate from space and read what's in somebody's pocket from there.

GLENN: This is all underground --

PAT: We can't figure out --

GLENN: This is all underground. And they're so technologically inferior to us, that it's like -- you have to go on the ground, to be able to find it. We don't have the human assets anymore. We don't spy that way anymore. We do everything digitally. So everything being underground and no human assets on the ground, I mean, how do we --

PAT: Maybe that's the problem. Why don't we -- we should maybe have some human assets on the ground. Right?

GLENN: Yeah. I would think so.

PAT: The United States of America --

JEFFY: Other than Dennis Rodman.

PAT: Yeah, other than Dennis Rodman.

GLENN: So what has been the world's response? This is where it gets really dicey.

Russia and China immediately responded to the test yesterday with a call for South Korea and the US to halt all military exercises in return for North Korea's abandonment of their nuclear program.

Two problems with this: North Korea doesn't have a program anymore. They have nuclear weapons, and they're not going to give the weapons up to anyone.

Two, Russia and China see the writing on the wall now. They know what is about to happen. And they are now positioning themselves to portray United States as the aggressive warmonger that refused any diplomatic solution. They are setting up a diplomatic trap. And we know it.

So what's going to happen? Well, neither side can back down. And the world is now preparing for what comes next.

So what actually does come next? This was the case in the 1950s. This is what got us here, beginning in the 1950s. And China holds the key. The only thing that will make Kim Jong-un back down is heavy economic sanctions and a full-on oil embargo. If China says no trade, it's over for him. And only China can do it.

Unfortunately, the president just tweeted this at 4:00 a.m. this morning: Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 percent in the first quarter of this year. So much for China working with us. But we had to give it a try.

STU: Well, because he had tweeted the opposite just a couple weeks ago. Where he was saying they tried and it worked.

GLENN: Yep. And at the dinner, he said that we've made a lot of progress.

STU: Yeah, yeah.

GLENN: So let's assume there's some strategy here. What does saying something like that politically accomplish? If you read between the lines, this tweet looks like a justification. This tweet looks like the president telling the world, the United States has exhausted all non-military options. That the key to a peaceful solution ran through China. And China refused to play ball. He's setting them up to be the fall guy, while they are setting us up to be the fall guy.

All signs now point to a military resolution. South Korea and the United States responded to the ICBM test with a military exercise last night, firing surface-to-surface missiles into the ocean. It was a message to Kim Jong-un that a preemptive strike is now looming. If China decides to cooperate, the war can be stopped. If North Korea backs down, the war can be stopped. If the United States agrees to halt military cooperation with South Korea, the war can be stopped. But are any of these realistic?

PAT: No.

GLENN: It is beginning to look like war with North Korea is becoming more and more of a real option. And we are entering now the endgame stage with North Korea.

So you know, this is far more grave than anything I have seen in my lifetime. This is -- this is the possibility of being millions dead and a good possibility.

This is -- if it -- if it begins, thousands will be dead within hours. And if it drags on, millions will be dead. There is no winner in this, and it could drag the entire world into a third world war. And with Russia and China standing on the side of North Korea, that's disturbing.

STU: Yeah, because really the only thing, you know, that pops into mind, in recent -- relatively recent history is the Cold War, where that was really the thought all the time, where you could have millions and millions dead.

GLENN: And that stopped us.

STU: Yeah. I mean, I don't know what you do here, to be honest. Because, yeah, you can put more sanctions on them.

GLENN: Without China and Russia, it won't happen.

STU: At least they won't have roads and electricity anyway in the country. So I don't know -- they're already all starving. So...

GLENN: And the people -- the people blame us. I mean, the people have been raised, since the 1950s, that all of their problems are being caused by the United States. That their starvation is because of the United States. Their lack of medical care, if they even understand that, because they're so far in the Dark Ages on that, is caused by the United States. That the point of all suffering for their people is the United States of America.

And it is why Kim Jong-un has -- has distanced himself from his father, Kim Jong-il, and gone to his grandfather. Got the same haircut. Does the same stuff. Speaks the same way. Has the same photos taken. Does the same rituals. Everything. To image himself as his grandfather and not his father. Because his grandfather was the great hope of South Korea -- or, North Korea. And Kim Jong-un is trying to image himself as the new great hope that's going to take them through the next wave of hell and remain victorious on the other side like his grandfather.

It's -- it's -- now that they have nuclear weapons and an ICBM and we know they're not afraid to use it.

'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 critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

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 Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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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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