Glenn gives his account of the devastation and resilience in Oklahoma

May 21, 2013

Writer

Donate to the Mercury One Midwest Tornado Relief Fund HERE.

"Yesterday I completed my television show at 5:00 and I... I walked off the air, and the head of Mercury One said to me, 'Glenn, just a devastating tornado in Oklahoma in a little town called Moore, Oklahoma'," Glenn said on radio this morning.

"Joe came to me and he said 'Devastation'. I said, 'Well, I think we should get there as soon as we can.'"

"So last night I tweeted: Does anybody, anybody have a couple of tractor‑trailers we can borrow for the night? And about 9:30 last night my team was packed and ready to go and the tractor‑trailers that had been supplied really by a local church were already at the gates of a place called Operation Blessing. It's an organization that we have helped fill the pantries of and they have helped deliver food for different things whenever there's been a crisis. We couldn't use their trucks this time because they were all on the East Coast and it would be a couple of days. We knew that here in this little teeny town in Oklahoma, there were people that needed food and water and just whatever it is that we need to run our life every day. They needed it not in a couple of days but last night, early this morning. So we loaded up the trucks, two eighteen‑wheelers and four SUVs hit the road last night about 11:00. We arrived here about 4:00 a.m."

"And so we pull up to the place that is kind of the Epicenter for anybody who is hungry, anybody who is in need, anybody who needs a bed, anybody who needs someplace to gather together as a family because they've lost everything. It's the First Baptist Church here in Moore. And we pulled up, I don't know, about 4:00 or 5:00 this morning. They just finished unloading the second truck about 20 minutes ago," Glenn continued.

"As I went to see the devastation early this morning before the sun was up, it was raining again and lightning was streaking across the sky, and a woman came up to me. Surprising how many people are just wearing flip‑flops, wearing pajamas, wearing anything that they happened to have on. And she came up to me in her flip‑flops and her T‑shirt and she said, is this where we can get food? Is there going to be breakfast served here? And I said, "Yes, ma'am. I don't know all the details, but I think it's right on the other side of the church building is where you can get a hot meal."

"We drove past all of the places that were reporters. All the reporters are kind of outside a specific zone. Some of them have been allowed into this hospital here I'll tell you about here in a second. But most of them are sitting outside of the zone. Police have stopped all of them from coming in. I can understand why. Like vultures they circled this building last night. Like vultures they circled this building this morning wanting to get an interview with one of the family members who had lost a child last night. People from the police and fire and sheriffs, churches, the volunteers sickened by them," Glenn said.

"We went through the barricades and we did a different group of interviews this morning. I think if you need a sobbing parent to tell you what it was like to lose their child within a couple of hours after losing their child, I think there's something wrong with you. Instead while everybody else is here in their battle fatigues trying to look like "We're really important and we're going to tell you exactly what happened," we quietly went around with our cameras and our microphones and I just talked to the people that were coming from different states, people who had come in from their churches, people who had come in from their firehouses, people who heard about it and just called somebody and said 'We've got to go and help.'"

"I went and I talked to the district manager of the Home Depot because there in the midst of the devastation, on one side of the street is a strip mall that has just been devastation, cause blown through the windows, nothing on the roof, trees stripped of their bark. And on the other side is the Home Depot."

"Home Depot opened their doors, kept them open for the First Responders and anybody that needed anything. You need a shovel, you need a flashlight, you need some plywood? What do you need? The cash registers were locked. The cash registers were turned off."

"You see, I found something interesting this morning. I found that the State was here. I found that the local was here, found the sheriff's department, the police departments, I found the fire departments from several different states. One national organization that I did recognize. I noticed that the Salvation Army was here. They were feeding the First Responders. I didn't see FEMA. I saw the National Guard, but that's under the direction of the governor. I didn't see the FEMA trucks yet. Perhaps they're here. But what I did see are the churches, the pastors, the priests, the people of faith.

"I ran into a guy from Dallas, Texas. What was the name of that, the Minutemen. The Minutemen from Dallas, Texas. They said they went up to help the people at the last hurricane. They said they learned a lot. And the thing they learned about, the thing they really realized is here are men that are supposed to be good Christian men who sat in their pews. They sat in their pews and they didn't really do a lot. They read the scriptures and they said their prayers and they took care of their families and they ran their businesses, but they weren't really involved. And then Joplin happened."

"And when Joplin happened, they decided, 'We have to go help,' and they did. And when they were there, they realized, 'We're not fast enough. We're not prepared enough.' And so this group of businessmen, this group of Christian men got together and started something called the Minutemen. You'll meet them tonight on television. An amazing idea."

"I told them we would sit down and talk because they are exactly the kind of people that Mercury One wants to find and help fund. They're exactly the kind of people that you need to hear the story because there should be Minutemen all around the country."

"I got a lot of heat on Twitter last night for saying that we're the First Responders. 'Who does Glenn Beck think he is?' I don't know. An American citizen. That's who I think I am. I don't know. A Christian. You're right, I'm not FEMA. I actually wear that as a badge of honor and I think everybody here should wear that as a badge of honor as well. We're here because we love each other. We're here because we're an American. We're here because, don't you want to feel for your fellow man?"

"I'm sitting in an upper room at this church now, this conference room with big glass windows and I'm looking at the gray sky of Oklahoma, the traffic that is stuck on the interstate, and I'm seeing a big water tank that says "Moore, Home of Toby Keith." Even though I know Toby, even though I know Toby listens, even though I have pictured him listening, writing his songs in his head while he's driving that tractor, I still won't think of Moore as the home of Toby Keith. I'll think of Moore as one incredible town that knows what America is supposed to be like. That knows you don't give up, you don't pack it in, you don't walk away, you don't wait, you don't make a sign that says "help." You help each other. You help yourself. Makes you stronger. Moore isn't the home of Toby Keith. Moore is just one great town in Oklahoma where a country singer happens to live."

"Last night I'm proud to say that our audience is so amazing. Last night on Twitter and Facebook, I suggested that if you knew of somebody that could provide a truck or two, we sure would like their help. And that you could donate. 100% of the proceeds if you donate to MercuryOne.org now, you click on the tornado disaster relief. Every dollar raised will go, 100% will go to Moore and that's one of the reasons why we're on the ground now, to see where that money should go. Who needs it? Who's not going to waist your money? Who's going to make the most of that dollar? I would urge you to go to MercuryOne.org now and donate. I'm proud to say it's now up to $121,000 and we haven't even mentioned it on the air yet."

'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

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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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