Will the attacks on Trump propel him to the top of the GOP?

July 02, 2015

Writer

Progressives are jumping all over Donald Trump over comments he made about illegal immigrants during a presidential campaign event. Macy’s, Univision, and NBC Universal have all severed ties with the candidate and real estate mogul, and New York City officials have said they will review their contracts with The Donald. But amidst all the controversy, many polls are showing Trump near the top. Could all the negative attacks end up hurting him? Glenn has the story and reaction on radio.

Start listening about 6 minutes into today's podcast:

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

GLENN: Can I just tell you something? I have lost complete faith in the American people. Just today, I went to two websites. I open up the website. And, you know, I go to the internet, and I first click on Drudge Report. And the Drudge Report has, Donald Trump surging in polls.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: Okay. He's number one. Is he number one now in Ohio?

STU: No, he's number two, I think.

PAT: Two in Ohio.

GLENN: Behind Ben Carson? What I saw was a poll that said, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and -- and then -- who was it? Scott Walker.

STU: Let's see.

GLENN: That's what it was on the Drudge Report.

STU: Scott Walker leads the Republican field with 18 percent. Ben Carson tied with Trump for second.

GLENN: Okay. Where was that?

STU: That's Ohio.

GLENN: Okay. That's Ohio. Okay. So -- and I'm thinking to myself, Donald Trump -- Donald Trump? Then I click over to the HuffPo to see what they're saying. They're all on Bernie mania. And Bernie Sanders has the biggest crowds ever. And I'm thinking to myself --

PAT: Biggest ever for a socialist or just biggest ever, period?

GLENN: So if this country decides to look and say, you know what, I don't know, it's either Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, I am moving anywhere -- anywhere --

STU: I'm moving to North Korea if that's the case.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh, North Korea?

PAT: They have cool hotels.

GLENN: My gosh, what is wrong with us?

STU: I'm, by the way, opening this up to the entire audience. Willing to bet you any amount of money, any individual person, any amount of money that I can possibly afford, that Donald Trump will not be the Republican nominee and Bernie Sanders will not be the Democrat nominee.

PAT: He will not. We saw this last time.

STU: I'm open. @worldofStu, tweet me if you have an offer for a wager because I will accept all of them up to any amount I can afford. There is a 0 percent chance that Donald Trump is the nominee.

PAT: That is true. That is true. We need to keep this in perspective. Remember the time someone jumped in the race --

GLENN: Zero. This is what my wife said --

PAT: -- and they started making noise, and they went straight to the top.

GLENN: I know. But for the love of Pete, really? For the love of Pete.

PAT: Yeah, even Donald Trump. I know. I know. People are just grasping at straws.

GLENN: I actually think, because Paul Begala said, you know, this Donald Trump surge in the polls, it tells me that God is a Democrat, and he has a great sense of humor. And I thought to myself, that's the way I would view it too. Because that's the way I view Bernie Sanders. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Because Bernie Sanders is a full-fledged socialist.

He's going to push Hillary -- there's no way he's going to win. He's going to expose the Democrats for who they really, truly are. Socialists.

PAT: Yeah. Yeah.

GLENN: He's going to push Hillary Clinton -- not that she needs very much of a push, but he's going to push her left. So I look at that and say, that's ridiculous. Thank you, Lord. That's the way they're looking at Donald Trump. Thank you, Lord.

STU: I don't think it's the same way. What you're saying is true. Obviously, I think both sides -- I get a kick out of Bernie Sanders. But the reason why I think Bernie Sanders is different because Donald Trump is just a joke.

GLENN: Yes. Yes.

STU: He's half, I'm going to tax people's bank accounts and half I'm going to say crazy things about Mexicans and I'm going to be outspoken and make a lot of crazy statements. Bernie Sanders is just articulate what Democrats believe.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: He's just not afraid to say it.

GLENN: I agree. Bernie Sanders is not crazy. He's just a full-fledged socialist.

STU: Right. And so is Hillary Clinton. But she doesn't say it. You know, he's just being honest. Donald Trump is not being honest about what Republicans believe. I'm sorry, Republicans do not believe you should tax the wealth out of people's bank accounts.

GLENN: And Donald Trump does.

STU: And Donald Trump does. He has actually supported that policy. He supported all kind of crap. He's a protectionist. Is that what the Republican Party is? I don't think it is at all.

GLENN: I don't know what it is anymore.

PAT: It's not that. I mean, Donald Trump is -- he's a reality TV star, and he's a guy who knows how to get attention.

GLENN: He's as serious as I would be -- no, I contend I would be more serious running for president.

STU: You would be. You would be. The guy has half run for president 90 times because he likes the attention it brings. He's going down this road maybe for real this time. But there is, again, a 0 percent chance he wins this nomination. 0 percent. And we're going to play this back when he's the nominee and make me feel bad. But there's a 0 percent chance.

PAT: He's in trouble right now too. This is serious -- NBC already dropped him. Macy's just dropped his clothing line. The PGA is reviewing whether or not they're going to drop his golf courses from their tour.

STU: Wow.

PAT: New York City is reviewing whether they'll drop all their business relations with him. New York City and Donald Trump, they're practically one and the same. He has developments all over town.

GLENN: Yeah, but he's not the same anymore. Because they've just elected a socialist.

PAT: Yeah. I know. I know.

GLENN: So the socialists hate Donald Trump.

PAT: But can you imagine if New York City stops doing business with Donald Trump?

GLENN: Honestly I know this is a complete conspiracy theory and it's one that I'm just making up, and I want to make it clear, I'm just making this up. I'm thinking out loud here on crazy thoughts. But if I were the Democrats, I would have started the protest on Donald Trump because I would be like, you know what, if you start getting him thrown off of things, it will make him more popular with the right.

STU: It makes you want to defend him.

GLENN: Because it makes me want to say, you know what, Donald, I'm not for you, but I'm for you on that. What kind of world do we live in where you can't say anything? It's stupid what he said. I don't agree with what he said. But he has a right to say it and not be run out of so it society. What is wrong with us?

PAT: If he nuanced what he said just ever so slightly, there's no problem with what he said at all. He just said it inartfully. The excuse they always use, and he should have used it too. I spoke inartfully. I spoke inartfully when I said...

DONALD: When Mexico sends his people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you --

PAT: Does anybody argue, like is Carlos Slim coming across the US border illegally?

STU: Probably not.

GLENN: No.

PAT: The guy with $68 billion, is he coming across the US border? No. He's probably mostly right about that statement so far. The best in their society, the economically well off are not coming across the border illegally. We know that.

JEFFY: Our own reports show that they're expecting the gang members to be across the border.

PAT: Sure. And they are coming by thousands.

DONALD: They have lots of problems, and they're bringing their problems with them. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

PAT: Okay. If he would have just said, you know, there are some rapists, would he been in any trouble at all, instead of saying they're rapists?

GLENN: No. If he would have said, court records show that many of the people coming across are -- are undesirable in Mexico. They are people that raped over there and are raping over here. They have committed crimes over there and crimes over here. And that's well-documented. Now, sure there are good people coming across. This is -- this is just a bad way of saying what we all know to be true.

STU: There are obviously some people who come over who commit crimes. We know this to be true.

GLENN: We know it.

STU: That does not mean the vast majority of them are. But why should we be rooting for any? Right? We don't need additional crimes here. We're all set with our crimes. The people here commit enough crimes. We don't necessarily need some of Mexico's crimes too.

PAT: Exactly. That's the point. Because every time you mention the fact that an illegal alien has committed a felony. Well, Americans should -- right. And we have enough of that with our own citizens. We don't need other people's citizens doing the same thing here. We don't need that.

GLENN: So what do you think? So what happens to Donald Trump here?

STU: The thing I'm worried about is they're going to make this protest into a legitimate thing, and like New York City will cut off his business interests, which just entrenches him more in this campaign. I mean, if everything else goes away, this is all he'll have. And he'll sit here and just --

GLENN: Unless his advisers are saying, get out of this now.

STU: Well, I've always been on that bandwagon because eventually he has to turn over financial records, and I don't think he'll do that.

JEFFY: It's too late for him to get out now.

STU: You're right. He's getting to that point where he's entrenching himself.

GLENN: That's intense. That's intense. Because there will be a lot of people that will be for him, despite his progressive policies.

STU: Yeah, because at this point, they're seeing, guy who is outspoken. Not backing down. And that's it.

GLENN: And guy who is willing to say, you know, the president is Kenyan. You know what I mean?

STU: Right. Willing to say something incorrect. But still willing to say something that's controversial and not back down.

GLENN: Right. But there's a lot of people who believe that, many on the Democrat side, and nobody would say that. Well, because it was wrong, that's why. Because it was wrong.

STU: That's a minor part of the story.

GLENN: I know. But they don't believe anything anymore. People don't believe anything. So when somebody has the -- and then with everybody coming after him, they think, oh, see.

JEFFY: Yep.

GLENN: Oh, we're in trouble.

STU: It's just the climate we're in. It's weird. I was at the grocery store the other day and bought a delicious box of Triscuits. They were toasted coconut and sea salt Triscuits, which were delicious. And on the face, smiling back at me, was Martha Stewart. A woman who went to prison for an actual crime. She's the face of Triscuits. Okay?

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE

Murder is NOT debate: The line America cannot cross

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / Contributor | Getty Images

Celebrating murder is not speech. It is a revelation of the heart. America must distinguish between debate and the glorification of evil.

Over the weekend, the world mourned the murder of Charlie Kirk. In London, crowds filled the streets, chanting “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!” and holding up pictures of the fallen conservative giant. Protests in his honor spread as far away as South Korea. This wasn’t just admiration for one man; it was a global acknowledgment that courage and conviction — the kind embodied by Kirk during his lifetime — still matter. But it was also a warning. This is a test for our society, our morality, and our willingness to defend truth.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently delivered a speech that struck at the heart of this crisis. She praised Kirk as a man who welcomed debate, who smiled while defending his ideas, and who faced opposition with respect. That courage is frightening to those who have no arguments. When reason fails, the weapons left are insults, criminalization, and sometimes violence. We see it again today, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call.

Some professors and public intellectuals have written things that should chill every American soul. They argue that shooting a right-wing figure is somehow less serious than murdering others. They suggest it could be mitigated because of political disagreement. These aren’t careless words — they are a rationalization for murder.

Some will argue that holding such figures accountable is “cancel culture.” They will say that we are silencing debate. They are wrong. Accountability is not cancel culture. A critical difference lies between debating ideas and celebrating death. Debate challenges minds. Celebrating murder abandons humanity. Charlie Kirk’s death draws that line sharply.

History offers us lessons. In France, mobs cheered executions as the guillotine claimed the heads of their enemies — and their own heads soon rolled. Cicero begged his countrymen to reason, yet the mob chose blood over law, and liberty was lost. Charlie Kirk’s assassination reminds us that violence ensues when virtue is abandoned.

We must also distinguish between debates over policy and attacks on life itself. A teacher who argues that children should not undergo gender-transition procedures before adulthood participates in a policy debate. A person who says Charlie Kirk’s death is a victory rejoices in violence. That person has no place shaping minds or guiding children.

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

For liberty and virtue

Liberty without virtue is national suicide. The Constitution protects speech — even dangerous ideas — but it cannot shield those who glorify murder. Society has the right to demand virtue from its leaders, educators, and public figures. Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call. It is a call to defend our children, our communities, and the principles that make America free.

Cancel culture silences debate. But accountability preserves it. A society that distinguishes between debating ideas and celebrating death still has a moral compass. It still has hope. It still has us.

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn's Show Prep

Will the attacks on Trump propel him to the top of the GOP?

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

Murder is NOT debate: The line America cannot cross

Celebrating murder is not speech. It is a revelation of the heart. America must distinguish between debate and the glorification of evil.

Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call.

For liberty and virtue

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Taking up the torch

Start small and local