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‘I thought about rolling out of the car at a high speed’ Gretchen Carlson opens up to Glenn

June 24, 2015
Staff

WRITER

Fox News host Gretchen Carlson joined Glenn today to talk about her book Getting Real

, which details some horrific past sexual abuses she suffered while in the workplace. In one instance she was so afraid she actually thought about jumping out of the car, and she was also stalked by a deranged individual for four years. How did she overcome it all? Check out the interview from radio today.

I want to welcome to the program Gretchen Carlson, she is part of Fox News, and she has a new book out called Getting Real. And Gretchen has been -- you know, she was Miss America. She seems like this happy-go-lucky person that nothing bad ever happened -- a lot of bad crap has happened to her in her life, and nobody ever talks about it. And in a country where we're battling, you know, a War on Women, you would think that she wouldn't have anything to talk about because she was Miss America, et cetera,, et cetera, but she's been in one of the slimiest industries, I believe, in the world. And that is the news media.

And in this book that she has, she talks about being sexually assaulted in the news media by people she worked for. Welcome to the program, Gretchen. How are you?

GRETCHEN: It's so great to be back with you. Thank you so much for having me.

GLENN: You're welcome. So can you just -- can you take us there? Because I find this remarkable, that these things went on. And I think they still go on.

GRETCHEN: Well, I'm hoping that some things have changed because some of my incidents happened more than 20 years ago. But I decided, Glenn, in Getting Real, that if I was actually going to write an inspirational memoir about my accomplishments and achievements, I was also going to tell everything else along the way as well and be extremely candid. And some of these stories are extremely painful, and I've never told them ever before.

You're alluding to the sexual harassment that I faced when I was Miss America at my first job in Virginia. And they are harrowing stories.

You know my mom used to put me to bed every night. And after saying prayers, say, you can be anything you want to be in this world. You have to work hard. Persevere and get through the pitfalls. She never told me that I was going to have these experiences with men, and not that she would have ever wanted me to have to go through something like that or warn me about it. But it was eye-opening to me when I was Miss America and it happened twice with two high-level executives, and both happened to be in cars.

You know, the details are pretty grisly. People can read about it in the book. And then on my first job in Virginia, it happened with a photographer who I worked with. And, you know, have you ever seen in movies where people roll out of cars because they're trying to get away from somebody who might hurt them in the car? That's actually what I went through. I thought about rolling out of the car at a high speed because I was so scared. This was before cell phones. You know, this is before --

GLENN: What was he doing?

GRETCHEN: You know, he had put a microphone on my blouse, which, you know, is close to certain body parts. And then when we got back in the car, he just started fantasizing about all of that and asking me how much I enjoyed it. And it went from there. You know, again, it's grisly. And I was -- I was fearing for my life, literally. We were in the middle of nowhere in Virginia, and I didn't know where this was going to go.

You add to that, Glenn, that for the first time ever in Getting Real, I talk about the fact that I endured a life-threatening stalker for four years. And the only reason I felt comfortable in telling this story in the book is because, in researching the book, I found out he's no longer with us. And I really wanted to help other women who have either gone through a similar situation like that or domestic violence even. Something very similar where they feel helpless.

GLENN: What did you do? What do you do during those fours years? How did you handle that?

GRETCHEN: Yeah. You know, he also stalked my parents, which was horrendous, because they got involved in the whole mix.

So he stalked me in Virginia. Then I moved to Cincinnati to my next job in TV, and he moved there. And the problem is that the laws don't really help the victims, you know. It was like nobody cared until the stalking victim was dead. And then they might pay attention to it. And I was basically terrorized on a 24/7 basis because when somebody is trying to find you, you are constantly looking over your shoulder. I mean I almost never really got started on a television career because the worst place to be was on TV when somebody was trying to find you.

So I finally got help from a detective in Cincinnati. I got this guy to trial. And guess what happened? He was convicted, and he got probation. After four years of absolute terror. And then he violated the probation. So he got one year in jail. That's it. He left me alone after that.

And as I just mentioned, in writing the book, I found out that he's passed away, so I felt safe enough to be able to tell this story for the first time. But, you know, these are just a series of stories that I share in Getting Real. That, sometimes as you alluded to, people look at radio or TV personalities and they think, wow, they've never had any issues, and everything just came easily. And I talk about a lot of other failures along the way.

I was a fat kid. I struggled with my self-identity. The message of the book is to build self-esteem especially for our young people today.

GLENN: How did you deal with -- how did you deal with that in television? I mean, I know what it's like for a guy in television.

PAT: You know what it's like to be a fat kid and a fat man.

GLENN: Thank you, Pat. And I know when I was over at CNN, they had issues with my size. And I know what it's like being at Fox. Just the unstated pressure of, better stay in shape. Better stay young-looking. But how did you deal with that?

GRETCHEN: Yeah, I don't know if it's just at Fox. Let's face it, television is a cosmetic industry.

GLENN: Yeah, I don't mean at just Fox. I mean, Fox is known for beautiful women. So I'm saying it's unstated. But I know I do, Gretchen. Television is horrible. Pat said this to me the other day too. You look in the mirror now and you start to see -- I'm a guy. I never even looked in the mirror ever. And you look in the mirror, and you start to see lines in your face. And you're like, oh, man, this looks horrible. And you just immediately know that that camera will be relentless.

GRETCHEN: Right.

GLENN: How did you deal with all of that?

GRETCHEN: The thing is, since I battled this as a child, I had to learn how to build my self-esteem in a different way. And through my music, you know, as a concert artist on the violin as a child -- so, you know, I think those are really great life lessons for anyone to note. But also for me, it's kind of like after turning 40, I don't really care anymore what people say about me or how they perceive me. You know, all the emails that come in, a lot of them are about my physical appearance still. And I just want to be clear, I still struggle with my weight. The only reason that I keep it somewhat in control is because I know how to deal with it now.

GLENN: You exercise all the time.

GRETCHEN: Well, I try to exercise. It's not like I wake up in the morning and eat a couple of Big Macs and just happen to look halfway decent on television. You know, I really -- I do struggle with my weight still today. And people can be relentless. But the thing is -- look, if you or I read all the emails or the tweets or Facebook posts that people say about us, we wouldn't get up in the morning.

The message and the reason why I talk about this in the book as well is that I do worry about our younger generations with a lot of this hate that goes on and with social media and so much focus on the exterior of people. So one of my great lessons in the book is to go back to building the self-esteem and self-confidence from the inside of our soul. And for me, you know, faith has a tremendous amount to do with that. So another huge theme is how faith has been my foundation in my life.

GLENN: Give me one more update. Tell me about your parents. I know when the Obama administration or Bush actually started it, he took over the General Motors. Then Obama came in and all of a sudden, all these Republicans lost their dealerships. Your family had owned a dealership forever.

GRETCHEN: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And lost the dealership because they were Republicans. Whatever happened to that?

GRETCHEN: Well, we never were able to prove exactly why they lost the dealership.

GLENN: Yes.

GRETCHEN: Thank you for having me on the show to talk about that extensively. Thank you for caring.

You know, my mom she said over my dead body is this thing going to go away. It's been in our family for over 100 years. And she fought back, Glenn. She became friends with every politician. She lobbied on Capitol Hill. And guess what, she got the dealership back.

GLENN: Holy cow.

PAT: Wow.

GRETCHEN: My mom is 74 years old, and she now runs the dealership. So I have an amazing role model, but we just built a whole new building. And they are coming back like wildfire. But it's a testament to another great lesson in my book about perseverance. Right?

I mean, I learned it from my parents and my grandfather who was a minister, who grew the church from 800 to 8,500 members. Hard work and perseverance, with some pitfalls along the way, build character in people. And my parents are shining examples of that.

GLENN: Name of the book is Getting Real. Gretchen Carlson is the author. And it's good to have you.

The Deep State's NEW plan to backstab Trump

Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

We cannot make the same mistake we made in 2016 — celebrating victory while the deep state plots its next move.

In 2016, Donald Trump shocked the world by defeating Hillary Clinton. Conservatives cheered, believing we’d taken back the reins of our country. But we missed the bigger battle. We failed to recognize the extent of the damage caused by eight years of Barack Obama and decades of progressive entrenchment. The real war isn’t won at the ballot box. It’s being waged against an insidious force embedded deep within our institutions: the administrative state, or the “deep state.”

This isn’t a new problem. America’s founders foresaw it, though they didn’t have a term for “deep state” back in the 1700s. James Madison, in Federalist 48, warned us that combining legislative, executive, and judicial powers in the same hands is “the very definition of tyranny.” Yet today, that’s exactly where we stand. Unelected bureaucrats in agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Justice hold more power than the officials we vote for. They control the levers of government with impunity, dictating policies and stifling change.

This is the fight for the soul of our nation. The founders’ vision of a constitutional republic is under siege.

We’ve felt the consequences of this growing tyranny firsthand. During COVID-19, so-called experts ran our lives, crushing civil liberties under the guise of public safety. Our intelligence agencies and justice system turned into weapons of political warfare, targeting a sitting president and his supporters. Meanwhile, actual criminals were given a pass, turning American cities into lawless war zones.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1816 that “the functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents.” Today, we see Jefferson’s prophecy fulfilled. The deep state exercises unchecked power over our freedoms, and information itself is controlled by the fourth branch of government: the legacy media.

Even when we win elections, the deep state doesn’t concede defeat. It switches to survival mode. Trump’s first term proved this. Despite a historic mandate to dismantle the bureaucracy, the deep state fought back with everything it had: leaks, investigations, court rulings, and obstruction at every turn. And now, with the possibility of Trump returning to office, the deep state is preparing to do it again.

Progressives are laying out their attack plan — and they’re not even hiding it.

U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) recently boasted about forming a “shadow cabinet” to govern alongside the deep state, regardless of who’s in the White House. Nickel called it “democracy’s insurance policy.” Let’s be clear: This isn’t insurance. It’s sabotage.

They’ll employ a “top down, bottom up, inside out” strategy to overwhelm and collapse any effort to reform the system. From the top, federal judges and shadow officials will block Trump’s every move. Governors in blue states like California and New York are gearing up to resist federal authority. During Trump’s first term, California filed over 100 lawsuits against his administration. Expect more of the same starting January 20.

From the bottom, progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union will flood the streets with protesters, much as they did to oppose Trump’s first-term immigration reforms. They’ve refined their tactics since 2016 and are prepared to unleash a wave of civil unrest. These aren’t spontaneous movements; they’re coordinated assaults designed to destabilize the administration.

Finally, from the inside, the deep state will continue its mission of self-preservation. Agencies will drag their feet, leak sensitive information, and undermine policies from within. Their goal is to make everything a chaotic mess, so the heart of their power — the bureaucratic core — remains untouched and grows stronger.

We cannot make the same mistake we made in 2016 — celebrating victory while the deep state plots its next move. Progressives never see themselves as losing. When they’re out of power, they simply shift tactics, pumping more blood into their bureaucratic heart. We may win elections, but the war against the deep state will only intensify. As George Washington warned in his Farewell Address, “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force; and force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”

This is the fight for the soul of our nation. The founders’ vision of a constitutional republic is under siege. The deep state has shown us its plan: to govern from the shadows, circumventing the will of the people. But now that the shadows have been exposed, we have a choice. Will we accept this silent tyranny, or will we demand accountability and reclaim our nation’s heart?

The battle is just beginning. We can’t afford to lose.

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

Drone mystery exposes GLARING government incompetence

Gary Hershorn / Contributor | Getty Images

The drone issue is getting way out of hand.

Earlier this month, Glenn first reported on the mysterious drones stalking the night sky over New Jersey, but the situation is increasingly concerning as the sightings have escalated. Not only have drones been seen across the Northeast Coast, including over New York City, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, but recently, they have been spotted over the night skies of San Diego and other parts of Southern California.

It doesn't take an expert to identify the potential dangers and risks that dozens of undetectable, unidentified six-foot or larger drones pose to national security. Yet, our government's response has been one of unimaginable incompetence, leaving us to speculate on the origin and intention of these drones and wonder in astonishment at the government's ineptitude. Here are three examples of the government's lackluster response to the mystery drones:

Iranian Mothership and Missing Nuclear Warheads

- / Stringer | Getty Images

After several weeks of hubbub, New Jersey Representative, Jeff Van Drew gave an interview on Fox News where he claimed that the drones originated from an Iranian "mothership" off the East Coast of the United States. This theory has since been disproven by satellite images, which show that all Iranian drone carriers are far from U.S. shores. Another theory suggests that drones may be equipped with sensors capable of detecting nuclear material and that they are looking for a nuclear warhead that recently went missing! With these apocalyptic theories gaining traction in the absence of any real answer from our government, one can't help but question the motive behind the silence.

Pentagon's Limp Wristed Response

Alex Wong / Staff | Getty Images

In a recent press conference, national security spokesman John Kirby responded to reporters demanding answers about the government's lack of transparency, which has caused increasing public anxiety. He insisted that the drones did not pose a threat and were not assets of a foreign power, such as from Iran or China--even though he is still uncertain about their identity and origin. He also claimed that many of the sightings were simply misidentifications of normal aircraft.

This lackluster answer has only further inflamed national anxieties and raised even more questions. If the government is unsure of the identity of the drones, how do they know if they are a threat or if they aren't foreign assets? If they aren't foreign, does that mean they are U.S. assets? If so, why not just say so?

The Pentagon has also stated that they are leaving it up to local law enforcement to spearhead the investigation after concluding that these drones pose no threat to any military installation. This has left many feeling like the federal government has turned a blind eye to a serious issue that many Americans are very concerned about.

Where's Pete Buttigieg?

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

We are in the closing weeks of the Biden administration, and with the finish line in sight, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg probably figured nothing else could go wrong on his watch—but boy was he wrong. As Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg is in charge of the FAA, the agency responsible for managing all air traffic across the nation. One would think that mysterious, 6-foot-long, seemingly intractable drones are invisible on radar and flying above major cities would pose a serious threat to the myriad of legal aircraft that traverse our skies. Yet, Buttigieg has been silent on the issue, adding another failure to his resume which includes: malfunctioning airplanes, the train derailment in Ohio, and the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, just to name a few.

Glenn: How Alvin Bragg turned hero Daniel Penny into a villain

Michael M. Santiago / Staff | Getty Images

We cannot allow corrupt institutions to punish those who act to protect life and liberty.

America no longer has a single, shared understanding of justice. Two Americas now exist, each applying justice differently depending on who you are and where you live. One America, ruled by common sense and individual courage, praises heroes who stand up to protect others. The other, driven by political agendas and corrupted institutions, punishes those same heroes for daring to act.

This stark division couldn’t be clearer than in the case of Daniel Penny, the Marine whose trial in New York City this week drew strong reactions from both sides across the divided line of justice.

If we let this slide, we accept a world in which heroes are treated as criminals and the law is a weapon for ideological warfare.

Penny was on a subway train last year when Jordan Neely — a man suffering from severe mental illness and reportedly high on drugs — began threatening passengers, saying, “I’m going to kill you all.” The fear on that subway car was palpable, but nobody moved. Nobody, that is, until Penny did what needed to be done. He took action to protect innocent lives.

In the America many of us used to believe in, Penny’s response would be heralded as heroic. His actions mirrored the courage of Todd Beamer on Flight 93, who, on September 11, 2001, rallied others with the words, “Let’s roll,” to prevent further tragedy. But in New York, courage doesn’t seem to count anymore. There, the system turns heroes into villains.

Penny subdued Neely using a chokehold, intending only to restrain him, not kill him. Tragically, Neely died. Penny, filled with remorse, told the police he never meant to hurt anyone. Yet, instead of being recognized for protecting others from a clear and present threat, Penny stood trial for criminally negligent homicide.

In Alvin Bragg’s New York, justice bends to ideology. The Manhattan district attorney has made a career of weaponizing the law, selectively prosecuting those who don’t fit his narrative. He’s the same prosecutor who twisted legal precedent to go after Donald Trump on business charges no one had ever faced before. Then, he turned his sights on Daniel Penny.

A jury may have acquitted Penny, but what happened in New York City this week isn’t justice. When the rule of law changes depending on the defendant’s identity or the prosecutor's political motives, we’re no longer living in a free country. We’re living in a state where justice is a game, and ordinary Americans are the pawns.

The system failed Jordan Neely

It’s worth asking: Where were activists like Alvin Bragg when Neely was suffering on the streets? Jordan Neely was a tragic figure — a man with a long history of mental illness and over 40 arrests, including violent assaults. The system failed him long before he stepped onto that subway train. Yet rather than confront that uncomfortable truth, Bragg’s office decided to target the man who stepped in to prevent a tragedy.

This isn’t about justice. It’s about power. It’s about advancing a narrative where race and identity matter more than truth and common sense.

It’s time to demand change

The Daniel Penny case — and others like it — is a wake-up call. We cannot allow corrupt institutions to punish those who act to protect life and liberty. Americans must demand an end to politically driven prosecutions, hold DAs like Alvin Bragg accountable, and stand up for the principle that true justice is blind, consistent, and fair.

If we let this slide, we accept a world in which heroes are treated as criminals and the law is a weapon for ideological warfare. It’s time to choose which America we want to live in.

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

CEO Brian Thompson's killer reveals COWARDICE of the far-left death cult

Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Early on the chilly morning of Wednesday, December 4th, Brian Thompson, CEO of health insurance giant, UnitedHealthcare, was walking through Midtown Manhattan on his way to a company conference. Suddenly, a masked and hooded figure silently allegedly stepped onto the sidewalk behind Thompson, drew a 3-D printed, silenced pistol, and without warning fired multiple shots into Thompson's back before fleeing the scene on an electric bicycle. After a multiple-day manhunt, a 26-year-old lead suspect was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania after being recognized by an employee.

This was not "vigilante justice." This was cold-blooded murder.

As horrific as the murder of a husband and father in broad daylight in the center of New York City is, the story only gets worse. Even before the murder suspect was arrested, left-wing extremists were already taking to X to call him a "hero" and a "vigilante" who "took matters into his own hands." Even the mainstream media joined in on the glorification, as Glenn pointed out on air recently, going out of the way to show how physically attractive the murder suspect was. This wave of revolting and nihilistic fanfare came in response to the findings of online investigators who surmised the murder suspect's motives to retaliate against healthcare companies for corruption and denied coverage. The murder suspect supposedly underwent a major back surgery that left him with back pain, and some of his internet fans apparently viewed his murder of Thompson as retribution for the mistreatment that he and many other Americans have suffered from healthcare companies.

The murder suspect and his lackeys don't seem to understand that, other than depriving two children of their father right before Christmas, he accomplished nothing.

The murder suspect failed to achieve his goal because he was too cowardly to try.

If the murder suspect's goals were truly to "right the wrongs" of the U.S. healthcare system, he had every tool available to him to do so in a constructive and meaningful manner. He came from a wealthy and prominent family in the Baltimore area, became the valedictorian at a prestigious all-boys prep school, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's in engineering. Clearly, the murder suspect was intelligent and capable, and if he had put his talent into creating solutions for the healthcare industry, who knows what he could have accomplished?

This is the kind of behavior the far-left idolizes, like communists on college campuses who wear shirts that celebrate the brutal Cuban warlord, Che Guevara. Merchandise celebrating the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect is already available, including shirts, hoodies, mugs, and even Christmas ornaments. Will they be sporting his face on their T-shirts too?

This macabre behavior does not breed creation, achievement, success, or life. It only brings death and risks more Americans falling into this dangerous paradigm. But we still have a chance to choose life. We just have to wake up and take it.