Glenn: Why is the Confederate Flag our #1 priority?

June 23, 2015

WRITER

Many are calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from grounds of the South Carolina state capitol in the wake of the church shooting in Charleston. Yesterday, Glenn made it clear that he doesn’t think it should be flown at the capitol, but he also knows that as a resident of Texas he doesn’t have much say in the matter. But he did see a deeper issue with the story - with everything in the country we should be upset about, why are we making the Confederate flag the top priority? Glenn delivered an epic response to everyone worried about a flag in South Carolina while ignoring some very scary problems in the U.S. and abroad.

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

GLENN: Nikki Haley. I want to start here. Nikki Haley called for the removal of the Confederate flag. Cut 176.

NIKKI: We respect freedom for expression. And that for those who wish to show their respect for the flag, on their private property, no one will stand in your way.

But the statehouse is different. And the events of this past week call upon us to look at this in a different way. Fifteen years ago after much contentious debate, South Carolina came together in a bipartisan way to move the flag from atop the capitol dome. Today, we're here in a moment of unity in our state, without ill will, to say it's time to move the flag from the capitol grounds.

[applauding]

GLENN: Okay. I'm not going to get involved in this debate. I made my feelings clear on the Confederate flag yesterday. I don't see a reason for it. A lot of people do. That's up to the state. They don't fly it here in Texas. So I as a citizen of Texas, have nothing to say about it. If you want to fly something yourself, you can fly the Nazi flag for all I care. I -- I actually like to know -- you know, like the guy who is a Nazi -- and I'm not comparing the Confederacy with the Nazis. But you have to a right to do what you do in your own life and on your own property. That's what you have.

Yesterday when we talked about the Nazi wearing the Nazi armband in Seattle. Said, what do you do about that? There's nothing you can do about that. You have a right to wear the Nazi armband. I wish everyone would wear an armband. I know that goes towards the Nazi rule. But you at least know who this guy is. You at least know who this guy is.

So the worst thing I can think of is the Nazis. You can fly that flag if you want. I know exactly who you are then. Done.

So we're not even talking about the Nazi flag. We're talking about the Confederate flag. I don't agree with it. But I didn't grow up in the South. If you want to fly that put it on your truck, you can put that on your truck. Whatever. I don't like in a state like South Carolina where they are flying it on the grounds. I don't think it should be flown on the grounds. But I don't live in South Carolina. That's up to you. Now, with that being said, could I ask a question?

This is the biggest thing we have going on in our country? Because if this is the biggest thing going on in our country, we have a sweet, sweet life

PAT: Well, it caused the shooting in South Carolina. You have to take it down so it doesn't cause anymore.

GLENN: No, it didn't cause the shooting in South Carolina.

We have $18 trillion in debt. We have the latest on Jonathan Gruber in the White House. And play the audio for you in a little while. We have the press not even willing to say the president lied. Here's yet another lie, and nobody is willing to say the president lied. Obamacare is in collapse. Your insurance rates for your children is skyrocketing. Kids in fourth grade, they can read as well as a kindergartener. Mutual fund managers all around the world is saying, you better have cash on hand. You better have cash on hand.

Our fed has lied to us, said they would never print money. They did. And we taught the rest of the world how to print money. Now the central banks all over the world are printing money. That's not going to end well. Our wars are still going. And they're not going well. ISIS is still beheading people, throwing homosexuals off the roof. Killing Christians because they won't comply. Muslims who aren't Muslim enough are enslaved. There was a new contest on the Koran with ISIS. The winners got women to be used as sex slaves.

Yesterday, the parliament of Iran met. They talked about the president's proposal. And they rejected any -- any inspections of their nuke sites. Oh, and then the parliament got together and, you know -- I don't understand parliamentary rules, but they got together and they chanted, death to America. But we're still going forward on a -- on a pact with Iran.

Baltimore is still on fire and hasn't been solved. Ferguson is still on fire and hasn't been solved. Debt for student loans is higher than ever. People don't even know how they'll pay these debts off.

Jihad. The threat against jihad. Our government came out and told us it is the highest threat level we've ever had. And we're talking about the Confederate flag? Are you kidding me?

This is the biggest thing we've got? The Confederate flag is the thing that America has got to stop and talk about and solve right now?

We have -- we are living in an Alice in Wonderland world. We have stepped threw the looking glass, and we're having tea parties with the Mad freaking Hatter. Don't say the N-word! Whatever you do! Yet Cornel West can say the N-word on television, and nobody seems to care. The network doesn't come out. They don't apologize. They don't say, oh, my gosh, we're so sorry. We apologize for him using that word. We're still concerned that Sarah Palin might use the word "targeting."

Meanwhile, the president has a podcast. And on his podcast, he's asked a question, and he uses the N-word without hesitation. The president of the United States uses the N-word, but that's not really the big deal.

I mean, after all, he was on a podcast called WTF. I'd tell you what WTF means, if you didn't know, but I'm on a federally licensed radio station, and so I can't tell you.

But let's spend the day talked about the Confederate flag. Because once we get that settled, everything will be fixed.

PAT: When you lay it out that way, I mean, it doesn't sound as important.

[laughter]

GLENN: You think? You think?

PAT: Wow. That's --

GLENN: What are we doing? We're insane. We're insane.

Look, I care about the Confederate flag. It's a part of history. I wish it would stay in the history books. I don't think that it is something that people should fly over the state. If you want to fly it because your family fought in the Confederacy and they weren't for slavery -- and I know all of the rigamarole. I've lived in the South long enough. I know it. I know the argument. That's great.

I don't think it should be flown on state property. I don't think that it is something that should be flown there. If you do and you live in a state where they're flying it, that's for you to decide. Here's my evil Libertarian plan: To slowly take over the world and then leave everyone alone. Yes! I've said it out loud.

That's for you to decide.

Maybe we should decide together the things that affect all of us. $18 trillion in debt. How are we going to pay for that?

Are we okay with someone who said, okay, so a couple of guys go walking down the street at night and decide to kill some Americans, what difference does that make? And we know that's a lie. We know that's a lie. Someone who erases their own hard drives and lies about it. Are we cool with that person being president of the United States? Apparently yes. The Confederate flag, God forbid!

We're being lectured about how we're supposed to live our lives and how we're supposed to be better people by a guy who uses the N-word, while telling us to never use the N-word. While telling us that we are supposed to watch our language in every step of the way, has made us so afraid of saying anything, that we could lose our job for calling a -- a homosexual couple a homosexual couple or is it a gay couple -- I'm not sure which one is politically correct anymore.

We are so skittish on probably 100 words right now. One hundred words. It's gone from, hey, it's not very nice to call people handicapped. Wouldn't it be better if we call them handicapable. To, you use that word, I'm going to boycott your company. And yet, the president uses it without hesitation.

Meanwhile, while he's doing that, he is telling us, you can keep your health care if you like your health care, when he knows it's a lie. And how do we know it's a lie? Because Jonathan Gruber told us that they sold that because they looked at us as stupid people. That we were nothing, but sheep. That the American people were so stupid, they would buy anything. That's Jonathan Gruber. That's what he said. But then the president came out and immediately said, he's a know-nothing. I don't even know who this guy is. He didn't work on health care. He had nothing to do with it. We finally find out yesterday, finally, it is confirmed -- something that everybody knew -- finally it was confirmed that, yes, indeed, he was one of the main architects of universal health care. He was one of the main guys in the White House with Obamacare.

So the president has lied again! Do we care? Get the flag down!

Watch the other hand. Watch the other hand.

They talk to us about women's rights and a War on Women, really? A War on Women?

ISIS has already committed countless unspeakable acts on Christian and Yazidi girls and women in Iraq. But the terrorist army may have now reached a new low with a twisted new contest in which female slaves captured in war are given away as prizes to fighters who show they have mastered the holy book of the Koran.

The shocking practice, giving away human beings as prizes called Sivia (phonetic) was organized by the Dawah and the mosque's department at Al-Barkara (phonetic) Province in Syria, in honor of the beginning of the new holy month of Ramadan.

So for their highest holy month of Ramadan, which, by the way, we moved Fourth of July to the third of June as to not upset any Muslims because we didn't want to say to them that our Fourth of July, our Independence Day, would interfere in any way with their holy month of Ramadan. Which, by the way, to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan, they're now giving away women and children, slaves that have been captured in war. They're giving them away as prizes, if you've mastered the holy book, which God forbid, we ever say a word about, the holy book! If you've mastered that, then you know you can capture slaves. You know you can give them away as prizes. You know you can have sex with them any time you want, against their will, because it's the holy book, and you have mastered it. And God forbid, as the president said, I will not live in a world where someone can blaspheme the prophet or the holy book.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is getting ready to decide what they're going to do with Christians and Christian churches. Tax-exempt status will probably be attacked nationwide. Christian colleges and schools, their accreditation will be attacked. Faith-based adoption and foster care providers will be attacked. Federal contractors and grantees including those with loans at religious schools will be attacked. They already are. Religious staffing at faith-based organizations will be attacked. Those in military who don't follow the agenda are already being attacked.

But I will not live in a country that blasphemes the prophet, peace be upon him.

Stop it. Stand up. Raise your hand. Be counted. Don't be shop! Be counted. For once in your life, do something. You're about to do something great.

Be counted. You are not born just to exist. You weren't born just to take up space. You weren't born to do the stupid job that I'm doing now or you're doing now. That's not what you were here for. You were meant to make a difference. Stand up, right now. Raise your hand and say, enough is enough! Yes, the Confederate flag is important. That's not the priority! How about we save some lives? How about we stop the madness? How about we stand for honor and truth and real justice, not social justice, equal justice?

Then maybe we can take care of the flag.

'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 America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

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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