Ted Cruz Feeling Peaceful, Encouraged and Inspired in Iowa

How is Ted Cruz feeling on Iowa Caucus day? The senator called in to The Glenn Beck Program to let listeners know.

"I'm feeling very good. I'm feeling at peace. I'm feeling encouraged. And I'm feeling inspired," Senator Cruz said. "I mean, the energy, you and I, as we crisscrossed the state of Iowa yesterday, you saw the energy and passion on the ground. People are hungry. They're hungry to turn the country around."

Glenn spent the weekend in Iowa, speaking at several rallies on behalf of Senator Cruz and his constitutional conservatism. On Monday, he asked the senator what it was like to work so hard and so long for one day like this.

"Well, I'll tell you, on Election Day, my approach is to just become more and more calm. You know, we'll travel around. Actually, today we're going to hit our 99th county," Cruz said. 'We will have been to every county in Iowa, done events all across the state."

The senator will spend the evening visiting several of the larger caucuses, pouring everything he can into winning Iowa.

Cruz has a solid chance of winning in Iowa, but regardless, his time in the Hawkeye state has been well spent --- win or lose he'll keep fighting the good fight.

Trump, who is polling about five points ahead of Cruz feels differently.

"Just yesterday, he said, 'If he doesn't win Iowa, then everything here was a big, fat, and very expensive waste of time.' You know, I got to admit, I have a very different view," Cruz said. "Regardless of the outcome, it has been an unbelievable privilege to spend so much time with so many wonderful people here in Iowa, people who have welcomed us into their homes, churches that have welcomed my father to preach. I mean, the hospitality, the passion, the hard work. You know, last night, Glenn, we had our closing rally in Des Moines. And there was a young lady. Thirteen years old, a girl from Lubbock, Texas, who was at the rally. She yesterday made 833 calls for us."

If Cruz wins anything less than 100 percent in Iowa, however, the press will likely pounce.

"I'll go ahead and concede we won't win 100 percent of the votes tonight --- [and] the press will spin it as a stunning defeat for Cruz," the senator admitted.

But that won't stop him from pushing forward.

"We have from day one run been running a national campaign. We've got an incredible team here in Iowa," Cruz said. "But we have an amazing team on the ground in New Hampshire. We have an amazing team in South Carolina. We have an amazing team in Nevada. We're all-in in each of the first four states. And then ten days after South Carolina is Super Tuesday, the so-called SECC states: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas."

Cruz's ground campaign has been noted as impressive and strong. Results from the Iowa Caucus should come rolling in around 8:00 or 9:00 PM CT.

Listen to this segment from :The Glenn Beck Program

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

GLENN: Oh, I didn't see him up on the board. Let's go to Ted. Hi, Ted.

TED: Good morning. How are you doing?

GLENN: Very good. How are things? How are you feeling today?

TED: I'm feeling very good. I'm feeling at peace. I'm feeling encouraged. And I'm feeling inspired. I mean, the energy, you and I, as we crisscrossed the state of Iowa yesterday, you saw the energy and passion on the ground. People are hungry. They're hungry to turn the country around.

GLENN: Yeah, it was an amazing thing. It was so -- first of all, it was an honor to be with you this weekend. It was a surreal experience, and it was a weird experience for my kids. They -- you know, my son played fuse ball with the next president of the United States. It was bizarre.

TED: I got to say, Raphe is a good little fuse ball player.

GLENN: Yeah.

TED: Although Pat could hustle fuse ball professionals.

STU: And he said.

GLENN: I said to him, I said, "You're playing fuse ball with the guy who might be the next president of the United States --

PAT: Next president and the boss' son.

GLENN: Right.

PAT: And yet still a crushing defeat. That's integrity right there. That's integrity.

TED: You know, I have to say, Pat, the victory dance on Raphe was probably a bit much. You probably pressed it there.

PAT: That was maybe too far? Okay.

GLENN: Yeah. When he threw him down to the ground, "I crushed you!"

PAT: I might rethink that next time.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

Ted, how does it feel to be -- you've worked so hard and so long. All the candidates have. Your life is -- that picture of you guys playing fuse ball last night, that's kind of like the only fun you have, and that was while somebody else was -- well, me -- I was giving a speech that you had heard four or five times. And that's like your only outlet of having any personal time is just a little bit of time in between. And it's over today and you move on to another state. What does it feel like today, to be in your position or any candidates' position?

TED: Well, I'll tell you, on Election Day, my approach is to just become more and more calm. You know, we'll travel around. Actually, today we're going to hit our 99th county. So we'll complete the full Grassley this afternoon. We will have been to every county in Iowa, done events all across the state. And we'll do that at I think 1 o'clock this afternoon.

And then we'll visit several of the larger caucuses in the evening. And, you know, my approach to a campaign, you pour everything you can into it. We've been working 16, 18 hours a day for six to seven days a week for the past year. And when you pour everything you can into it, when you try to do it right, when you do it with integrity and character, which is how we set out to do it at the beginning, that we were going to take the high road, that we would not go down into the mud. That if others insulted us, we would not respond in kind, but we would keep the campaign focused on issues, focused on substance, focused on record.

You know, when you've put everything within your ability into it and you've done your very best, there's a peace that comes with -- as you're waiting for election returns, at some point, it's out of your hands. It's out of your hands. And it's in the people's hands. And it's in God's hands. And that peace is very much where I am now. I'm hopeful. I believe we'll have a good night. But the voters of Iowa are going to let us know later this evening.

GLENN: Two questions: First, there are scenarios where Donald Trump comes in even third, but if he comes in second, how long is it going to take him -- this is kind of like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, but how many minutes does it take before he turns on the voters of Iowa?

(laughter)

TED: Well, you know, that's an easy one to predict because he has already. You know, in the course of the campaign, he already bellowed, "How stupid are the people of Iowa," and that's while he was asking for their votes.

PAT: And that was just over a poll.

TED: Yeah. And yesterday -- well, he was mad that some people liked Ben Carson. That made him angry, and that's why he yelled how stupid are they.

PAT: Yeah.

TED: Just yesterday, he said, "If he doesn't win Iowa, then everything here was a big, fat, and very expensive waste of time." You know, I got to admit, I have a very different view. Regardless of the outcome, it has been an unbelievable privilege to spend so much time with so many wonderful people here in Iowa, people who have welcomed us into their homes, churches that have welcomed my father to preach. I mean, the hospitality, the passion, the hard work. You know, last night, Glenn, we had our closing rally in Des Moines. And there was a young lady. Thirteen years old, a girl from Lubbock, Texas, who was at the rally. She yesterday made 833 calls for us.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Wow.

TED: Sat in the headquarters just calling and calling and calling. That's inspiring.

GLENN: I met two doctors. Because I went to your phone center. And that was impressive. But I went to the phone center, and I met two doctors that have walked away from their practice since the beginning of December to make phone calls for you. Just moved. Just left the state. I think they're from Nebraska. Just left. Went to Iowa and started making phone calls. I mean, the sacrifice that these people have made because they believe in you and the ground game that you have -- the people -- the number of people that you have on the ground that are volunteers dwarfs anything else that anybody has. It's impressive.

TED: Go ahead.

GLENN: I'm up against a break here. I only have about three minutes, so I want to get to one question. Because if you come in second or, God forbid, third tonight, they're going to -- the press -- if you win, the press is going to say, "Of course, you won, the evangelicals."

TED: Right.

GLENN: "This was made for him. Of course, he won. He had to win."

If you come in second or third tonight, they're going to count him out and say, "See, he's just unelectable. People don't like him." And blah, blah. So there's no way for you to win in the press. Let's just play this scenario out.

TED: Yeah.

GLENN: You come in and you do as the polls show or a little less than what the polls show.

TED: Right.

GLENN: Donald Trump wins. Is there a path to you winning or anybody winning if Donald Trump wins?

TED: Oh, of course, there is.

Listen, the press -- if we win anything less than 100 percent of the votes tonight, which I'll go ahead and concede we won't win 100 percent of the votes tonight -- the press will spin it as a stunning defeat for Cruz. That's where the reporters are.

But we have from day one run been running a national campaign. We've got an incredible team here in Iowa. But we have an amazing team on the ground in New Hampshire. We have an amazing team in South Carolina. We have an amazing team in Nevada. We're all-in in each of the first four states. And then ten days after South Carolina is Super Tuesday, the so-called SECC states: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas.

Our team across the Super Tuesday states is stronger by a factor of three or four or five than anybody else's team. And the reports just came out publicly that on the money front, that we ended last year with nearly $20 million in the bank, which is roughly as much as Rubio, Bush, Christie, and Kasich combined. So we've got the resources to go the distance. If Donald pulls out a win tonight, I will happily congratulate him. And then we will see this two-man race continue to go nationally, and we've got the resources and the grassroots.

And it will be a choice for the voters. Do Republicans want to nominate a candidate, who like Donald Trump, agrees with Hillary that we should adopt full-on socialized medicine, we should expand Obamacare to make it socialized medicine? The Republicans want to nominate a candidate like Donald Trump and like Marco Rubio, who agrees with Hillary Clinton that the 12 million people here illegally should be given a path to citizenship. Donald would send them home first, but then let them come back as citizens. I don't think the American people agree with that.

But we can have those debates on issues and substance. And the most important thing right now, Glenn, is for every one of your listeners in Iowa, if you want to turn this country around, if you want to get back to the Constitution, if you want to believe again in the promise of America, then I ask you to come out tonight, 7:00 p.m. and caucus. But don't just come. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Get on the phone this afternoon. If you know anybody in Iowa, come out and caucus. If conservatives show up tonight, we will win. And we're seeing that old Reagan coalition coming together. We're seeing conservatives and evangelicals and Libertarians and Reagan Democrats. And it's all about turnout right now

GLENN: Great. Thank you very much, Ted.

PAT: TedCruz.org.

GLENN: Thank you very much. We'll talk to you again, and we'll be watching tonight. Ted Cruz.

Featured Image: Screen shot from The Glenn Beck Program

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.