BLOGAugust 21, 2017

Stu: Why Does This Early Progressive President Get a Pass on Racism?

If Americans are supposed to be honest about racism in their history, why does Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt get a pass?

Around the country, Confederate memorials and statues are being taken down, while the names of schools, roads and other public resources are being called into question if they’re named after a historical figure now seen as racist. Even in New York, which has very few reminders of the Confederacy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for streets named after Confederate generals to be renamed.

On radio Friday, Stu and Pat talked about the debate over renaming everything as well as the progressive double standard on historical figures.

Stu pointed out that FDR is consistently included in lists of the top presidents in American history despite his failings, which included putting Americans in prison camps during World War II based on their race and waiting a long time to address the Nazi threat.

“It took him thousands of days to respond to Nazis,” he said. “It’s pretty well known that it took him a really long time to respond to Nazis.”

STU: Yeah. Daily Caller has the story about how James Stewart, then Duke of York, is the person that New York was named after. And he was a horrific slave trader. Transported between 90,000 and 100,000 African slaves to the American clones in the 1600s. Now, that's --

PAT: The name can't stand.

STU: So what should we rename it? Like New Fancy Town.

PAT: New Happy Land.

STU: Happyville might be a way to go.

PAT: Uh-huh.

STU: I don't know what we should name New York. But it certainly shouldn't be named that.

PAT: The Pit of Despair, you could call it that, pretty accurately.

STU: It is kind of in an armpit position there on the coast.

PAT: Uh-huh. Sort of.

STU: You could kind of go with that.

You could go down this -- and this is the point that I think the president was trying to make, as we mentioned earlier, it's an inaccurate point. This slippery slope thing is real in circumstances like this.

Because you can go back to history and find even the abolitionists of the 1700s were white supremacists by today's view.

You know, there's a lot of that that went on. Even a lot of them who were fighting for the abolition of slavery also were making arguments. Now, obviously they're not equal. But they should have some freedoms. That was kind of the moment of the day. You got to judge these things in historical context. But that was kind of what they were saying back then.

PAT: Yeah. Some people were. A lot of people who didn't know them. You know, they had limited involvement with them. They didn't understand. The slaves certainly weren't being educated. So they didn't know a lot about them.

STU: And, again, look at this in context. The -- the Founding Fathers took a world that was filled with slavery and racism. And continued it, some of them for some time.

But gave built-in structures that would eventually lead to its end. And there were great ablistings. Ben Franklin is one of my favorites. Who fought against it viscerally, against the entire grain of society. Woodrow Wilson did the exact opposite. We were going the correct direction in making people more equal. And he brought back the KKK. Out of the doldrums and brought them back to prominence in his presidency.

For that, he is awarded a top ten president of all time by the left and academia. And he has his name on every kid's school in the country. It seems like Woodrow Wilson elementary school is as popular or more popular than some of the greatest presidents of all time.

And he's awarded and admired -- some idiot leftist tweeted the other day, it didn't take FDR3 days to respond to Nazis. That's because he was a real president. It took him thousands of days to respond to Nazis.

PAT: Yes, he did.

STU: He didn't respond fast to Nazis at all. He's -- it's pretty well-known that he took a really long time to respond to Nazis.

PAT: Who tweeted that?

STU: Oh, some moron.

PAT: I mean, that is unbelievable.

STU: Yeah, I don't remember who it was. But some leftist.

PAT: That is unbelievable.

STU: But how -- what a horrible point. And they look at FDR, and FDR is consistently named number one, number two, number three greatest presidents of all time. His response to the Nazis in that war of that time was to imprison essentially and put in camps German Americans and Asian-Americans. Not even just Japanese-Americans. Asian-Americans generally. And this is a praised activity.

So the -- none of this makes sense. And we get to this point where we just fall into these arguments that feel good at the moment. You know what, I have no love for the confederacy. They were the enemies of this country. If you want to find a very strict definition of traitors, they left the country and got into a war with it. It was not about state's rights. It was about slavery, largely. They emblemed it into the Confederate constitution. And they required everyone in the -- everyone in the Confederacy and anyone who would ever come into the Confederacy, to make sure that slavery was institutionalized. There was no option for a state to say no, making the state's rights argument ridiculous.

PAT: In fact -- you know, I read this a couple of days ago. And I think the words inperpetuity HEP are in the Constitution. And as it applies to slavery, they wanted it to continue forever.

STU: Forever.

PAT: Had it been up to the South, to the Confederacy, it would have continued forever.

STU: Yeah. And this is not an argument to say the Confederacy was good or right or something that we want to lionize. But not every statue is about lionizing. You know, maybe at the time it was. But, you know, it's important I think that we look at this as history. And when we start just removing things from history with today's lens -- just if you even go back to the wording of what people used, the words today are different than what they used in -- in history. And you can find people saying all sorts of terrible things, with words that we're not comfortable using today.

And you're going to wind up throwing out every historical figure.

PAT: You know, the Stone Mountain thing, I think you have a legitimate point, with that being started by the KKK, to carve those figures into that mountain of Lee and Stonewall Jackson and I forget the other person who was carved into the mountain.

But Jefferson Davis. Right. The president of the Confederacy. So started by the KKK.

I mean, that one is tough to get around. That's tough to get around.

STU: Guys, they left Auschwitz up.

PAT: Yeah, they did.

STU: And what do we do with it? We go there and have the most profound moments potentially in our entire lives, learning about the horrors of that place. And that stands. And it stands for a reason. If these things are wrong, you know, that is a great teaching tool.

Did you see the column by Ray -- I think it was Ray HEP Allen, former Celtics, Bucks shooting guard, who went to Auschwitz, and talked about it. The profound feeling he felt going there and learning about that and being in those moments.

You've heard Glenn talk about it on this show. That was basically, I would say, life-changing for Glenn, that trip.

And, you know, that is the -- arguably the worst place on earth. You know, it really -- it's hard to think of what could be a worse place than that. I mean, it is the most horrific things humans have ever done to other humans, happened in that place.

And what is it today? It's a great lesson to remember to not do it again. And, you know, a lot of these things should be kept up as the most profound and vivid way to teach these lessons of history.

PAT: You're right. You don't have to consider them glorifying these characters. It's a reminder that we never want to go down that path again.

RADIO

EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Kirk Returns from Greenland & Explains Trump’s Plan

Amid Donald Trump’s talk about buying Greenland, Turning Point USA founder ‪@RealCharlieKirk‬ traveled with Donald Trump Jr. to Nuuk, Greenland, to have a look around. After returning home, Charlie joins Glenn for an exclusive interview about what he saw and what President Trump’s plans actually are. Is this just a negotiation tactic, or is he serious about buying Greenland? Charlie tells Glenn that one thing was made very clear when he visited Nuuk: The people of Greenland are tired of Denmark and love America! Charlie also touches on Trump’s plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, to annex Canada, and to regain control of the Panama Canal.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, one of the best things about growing older is, you're able to watch people grow and come into the business and witness the mistakes and how they pick themselves back up. And how they do things, and what they really turn into as they grow. Charlie Kirk is a guy who I've been watching for a very long time. And is really remarkable. Has his head on right. Is playing a very big role, and none of it is going to his head. At least that I have seen. And that is extraordinarily difficult, when you are as young as he is and up against so much power and fame all around you. Charlie Kirk was in Greenland yesterday. He joins me now. Hello, Charlie.

CHARLIE: Hey, Glenn. An honor to be here. I've got to tell you, that is an introduction I never thought I'd get in my life. Charlie Kirk was in Greenland yesterday, so honored to be here.

GLENN: Yeah, it doesn't usually happen unless like your plane is having an emergency, you know.

CHARLIE: No, that's right. It's not always a destination. Glenn, you're a friend and a teacher and a mentor and honored by those words, thank you.

GLENN: Yeah, so how did this come about?

Did you just get a call from Don Jr like, hey, let's go to Greenland?

CHARLIE: Yeah, you know, it was in the news cycle.

And Don is a big outdoorsman, and I'm very close friends with him.

And he said, hey, you know, before the new administration comes in, he said, why don't I just do a trip to Greenland? And get to know the culture.

And get to see what is going on there. And one thing led to another.

And I was invited on this. And it took Trump Force One in the middle of the night. Flew all the way up to Nook.

You can only land within their little window of daylight there. The sun rises at 11:00 a.m. And it sets at 3:30. So for all of you listening right now in Minneapolis or Chicago, you think you have it bad.

You have no idea. It gets even worse. But I have to say, Glenn. I was blown away at the worldwide movement that -- that MAGA has created. We were met by hundreds of people. People in MAGA hats in the streets of Nook. People that love America. That want to be part of America.

And Don wanted to go. And I wanted to go also, just to learn, what is Greenland's place in the world? You know, what does it have to offer?

First of all, striking butte. There's only one state that I think compares, and that would be Alaska. I mean, it's breathtaking, Glenn. You would love it.

I mean, the pictures don't do it justice. I'm talking about untouched, serene beauty. That's number one.

Number two, incredible natural resources that the current Danish government who controls Greenland does not allow locals to exploit or use or take advantage of. I'm talking about resources we might not be aware of. They have gold, they have rubies, they have oil, natural gas. Just remarkable. And number three --

GLENN: Rare earth minerals.

CHARLIE: Oh, big time.

GLENN: It is wildly. But the problem is, Denmark won't let them do anything. Well, America won't let Alaska do anything either. I mean, we're taking advantage of some of it.

I think this is the best investment America could make in my lifetime. I think this would be a great investment.

But it would take a Donald Trump to let us actually use it responsibly too.

CHARLIE: Totally. And, I mean, thankfully, President Trump will get Anwar back and Alaska.

But what I saw also that the people of Greenland, they can't stand Denmark. They think the Danes mistreat them, take advantage of them. And they want to be part of America.

And if this deal were to be brokered, which just looking as a tourist coming there and back, I think it's totally possible, especially with President Trump coming in.

This would be such a net benefit for the United States, for national security reasons.

The Arctic is becoming an increasing hot center with China and Russia. We're seeing --

GLENN: Oh, yeah. And Canada has let Russia just walk all over the Arctic Circle.

CHARLIE: That's right. Exactly. Exactly. The people are wonderful. We also went to a cultural center, Glenn, their local museum.

And they had drawings and pictures of people, 600 years ago, before any heating, obviously, existed.

That were able to survive in these winters. I mean, they're a very active people that have been through a lot.

There's a largely forgotten island, and now it's one of the costs of the world. And I think that's just really exciting.

And I think if -- it's, again, if the deal were to be brokered, only President Trump could do it.

And Denmark is not utilizing it, instead, they're actually I think harming the great people of Nook, and Greenland. And, hey, one day we may have lots of non-stop flights from New York to Chicago to Nook. And I would love to watch the people of Greenland and the United States of America.

GLENN: You know, it would be interesting, because the real obstacle here is Denmark.

They have -- you know, we've tried to buy Greenland several times, you know, back in the 1800s, it began.

And Denmark is, no, no, no, no, no, no.
But, you know, a trillion dollars. We've given a trillion dollars away to the banks. This would be the best expenditure of a trillion to -- a trillion and a half dollars, that America could -- could make.

That's a real investment. But do you think the Danes would be interested at all?

CHARLIE: Well, again, it's The Art of the Deal. Right?

Kind of thinking out loud here. Number one, how much of a say do the Danes actually have?

We pay for all of their military defense basically for NATO. We're the ones keeping Putin at bay. We're the ones continuing to fund all these military bases throughout Europe.

It's time we flex a little bit of that muscle, and use a little be of that leverage of all these blank checks that we've been writing all throughout Europe. That's number one.

Number two though, is that Denmark is not even using the natural resources that are at their disposal to be able to guess what, make Europe no longer dependents on Russian oil.

To make Europe no longer dependent on Middle Eastern oil.

So what you have is this incredible reservoir of oil and natural gas, that is much closer in approximation to Europe than any of the other places that you get oil from.

And finally, I think you make this astute point. Denmark is nowhere near as wealthy a country as America. And the people -- this is the final kicker, the people of Greenland do not like their current rulers. If it was held to a vote, they would vote to leave Denmark. In fact, you saw the Greenland I can Prime Minister in the news saying besides we want our independence. We no longer want to be a part of this.

We want to be our own sovereign nation.

That's a great first step. That means they want to break free of the shackles of the -- government, who mistreat them.

And, Glenn, you would really appreciate this.

There are young people of Nook. I'm talking 18, 19 years old that follow us on TikTok. And they're fans. They said, when we put Copenhagen.

We are mistreated. We're called racists. They're racists. They don't like us.

They say, get out of Copenhagen. Go back to your home with Nook. But when we need Americans, we are treated like human beings that have opportunity. And isn't that the American story?

We don't care about where you're from. We care about your potential. And they finally said this. They said, the nicest people that ever come to Greenland on the planet are always Americans. They said, they always come, they're so warm.

They said, the Europeans, they don't want anything to do with us. So there's a lot here, Glenn. It's not just that these people are thrilled with their current relationship with Denmark, and I think this deal could be brokered.

GLENN: Yeah. I know.

CHARLIE: And it would exponentially benefit the United States of America.

GLENN: So, you know, the things that Donald Trump is talking about now, Greenland. He is absolutely serious about that. And he should be.

I think it would be a tremendous -- I mean, that's a moon shot. That's a --

CHARLIE: Correct.

GLENN: That's a president looking to the future. And the same with Panama Canal. Panama Canal is in the hands of China right now.

CHARLIE: Correct.

GLENN: And this is a Cuban missile crisis kind of scenario. That I haven't heard anybody talk about until Donald Trump.

It is true national security.

Canada, I think he's just trolling Canada.

And negotiating.

You know, he's serious about the border. But what a great way to say, instead of saying, I am going to rake your people over the coals with all kinds of tariffs, if you don't stop what's happening on the border.

Instead, saying, you know, trolling Trudeau, at the same time saying, hey, why don't you join the family, man?

We love you. We already love you. Let's just come together. Brilliant strategy, I think.

CHARLIE: Right. And, look, the Canadian thing, to be honest as an American, Glenn, I don't know if I want Canada.

GLENN: I don't either. If they want to buy Minnesota, I'll sell it to them for a cup of coffee and maybe half a sandwich.

CHARLIE: Exactly. I think we could trade Alberta for Minnesota.

GLENN: That would be great. Calgary.

CHARLIE: I love the people of Minnesota, but Minneapolis is not great.

Edmonton is great too, by the way. Tons of natural resources and wonderful people. But, look, the Panama Canal, we can talk extensively about that. The president is serious as sin on that one.

That is the choke point right now. We built it. America -- a lot of Americans died building it.

We never should have given away control of it, it's what connects two hemispheres together. And, look, the Chinese are trying to build another canal right now.

In a neighboring country. Because, you know, they're afraid that America may actually take back control of the Panama Canal.

Greenland plus Panama would strengthen the northern hemisphere. The western hemisphere. Would strengthen it in a way for generations to come, especially as we're seeing the rise of the belligerent Chinese Communist Party.

GLENN: I haven't been able to get a hold of Mr. Rand or McNally. Can the president just say, it's going to be the Gulf of America?

CHARLIE: You know, that's a really interesting question.

The answer is yes.

So there's these boards and commissions that barely get any attention. You might remember, Obama went through one of those boards and commissions and renamed Mount McKinley to Denali.

So it's just a naming commission. And the president's full authority of who sits on them.

So the president will probably put five or six loyalties there, and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

GLENN: I love that. I love that.

CHARLIE: Our coastline is there. Why is it that we named it the Gulf of Mexico?

So out of all the ones, it will be the Gulf of America.

GLENN: I love that.

CHARLIE: And President Trump wanted that as his legacy.

GLENN: So, Charlie, what is your role? Are you part of the transition committee? Or are you just kind of -- just, you know, there from time to time?

CHARLIE: My title is friend of the president, friend of the president.

No. I'm just here to be helpful. I'm still running Turning Point. Still doing the show. And I'm just blown away, Glenn, at the opportunities I'm being given.

GLENN: I bet.

CHARLIE: I have to pinch myself. I'm humbled by it.

GLENN: I'm so excited by everything that Trump is doing. I become more optimistic every single day in watching him and seeing where we're going.

Can I ask you something really self-serving?

CHARLIE: Yes.

GLENN: The pause. Oh, God. Yes.

I would like to see how powerful you are.

I want to be on the 250th anniversary committee, that is putting together the -- the anniversary of our country in '26. And I've got a lot I can bring to the table. Who do I talk to, Charlie?

CHARLIE: I think you would be spectacular, and there is going to be a special commission for that.

By the way, it's not the bicentennial. It has a very long name. I can't remember.

GLENN: I know. I know. I keep calling it the 250th.

CHARLIE: No, no, that's right. Just to educate the audience, though. Coming up next July, not this July. Next July, July '26 is our 250th birthday, and the president wants to do something spectacular and bold.

GLENN: Oh, it should be.

CHARLIE: It will be amazing.

GLENN: Hey, real quick. I have 40 seconds. Any update on Dennis Prager?

CHARLIE: You know, it's funny. Dennis went to Greenland this past summer. So I called him from Greenland, and he was just thrilled to hear from me. He's in a very serious condition right now. He's fighting every day. I'm not at liberty to talk about all the medical details. But everybody in your audience, please, pray and fast for Dennis Prager. We need that extraordinary mind, back behind the microphone and finishing his tour.

GLENN: I love it.

CHARLIE: But I'm communicating with him and his family on a daily basis. So please pray for Dennis Prager.

GLENN: Charlie, great to talk to you. So proud of you. And so happy for your success. God bless.

CHARLIE: Thank you, bye.

RADIO

Is This the Real Reason Facebook Got a "Conservative" Makeover?

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a surprising 180-degree turnaround for Facebook and Instagram. The companies will no longer use third-party fact-checkers to censor users. Instead, they will switch to a community notes system, much like Elon Musk’s X uses. Zuckerberg also lamented the political bias of elitist fact checkers and added Trump supporter Dana White to Meta’s Board of Directors. But can we trust this “conservative” Big Tech makeover? Glenn explains what he believes is REALLY driving Zuckerberg to seemingly embrace free speech once again.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I want to talk to you, did you see what just happened with Facebook, Stu? And Mark Zuckerberg?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: Uh-huh. Fascinating.

GLENN: Uh-huh. Yeah. It is.

And I'm wondering what is happening here.

You know, beyond the -- beyond the headline.

Here it is, just so you know.

Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday morning, that content moderation. And other restrictions on speech will be lifted across Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, as Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Huh. Now, wait. Hold on just a second.

What?

So you know, all traffic decline has been as high as 85 to 90 percent across all Blaze media pages. So when I've said. I mean, we've had -- and, Stu, you can -- you probably know the numbers better than I do.

We're having more success and a bigger platform, bigger voice, than any time in my career.

In the last three years.

The show and everything is just on fire!

And yet, our traffic on social media, has declined by 85 to 90 percent?

It's just not possible! Okay? There's no way, other than, we've been severely contained, if you will.

And, you know, I would like to ask Mark Zuckerberg, where do I go to get my audience back?

Where do I -- you know, you've kind of -- people have kind of fallen out of the habit. If you get all of your news from Facebook, God forbid.

Or Instagram.

We've been so suppressed, all of a sudden, are we going to pop back up?

It would be interesting to see. By the way, this is why your direct support to Blaze TV, means so much.

We wouldn't have been able to survive everything, if we hadn't had built TheBlaze. And built it the way we did. So thank you for your subscription. If you haven't subscribed, please do today.

So he's ending all of the -- the content moderation.

Now, what he did before, was to go to places, that, you know, they're absolute experts.

You know, like the Southern Poverty Law Center. They know what's going on. Poynter Institute they know what's true.

And they've decided, that they are going to go back to their roots, I'm quoting.

And focus on reducing mistakes.

Simplifying our policies. And restoring free expression on our platforms. More specifically, we're going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes, similar to X!

Now, hmm.

Hang on just a second.

Wasn't X the most dangerous platform in the world?

Weren't those community notes just not enough?

The company's third party fact-checking program was put into place, following Trump's first election to manage content and misinformation on its platforms, which executives conceded was a result of political pressure.

But now they say, they've just gone too far.

We went to independent, third party fact-checkers says the global chief of affairs officer at Meta. It's become clear, there's too much political bias in what they choose to fact-check.

Because basically, they get to fact-check whatever they see on the platform.

STU: No!

It can't be true!

No!

Too much bias for the fact-checkers.

But they're just checking facts, Glenn.

GLENN: Yes. I know. I know.

Isn't that weird?

Now, listen to this.

I mean, today, I think today's show is kind of -- kind of based on, no!

Really? You know. The things that are happening now. Wait until next hour.

I'm going to tell you a story, that is -- is just jaw, dropping in how the world works, between you and the elites.

Here's a case, in this hour. We're talking about Facebook.

How does it work between you and the elites?

Well, they didn't listen to you. They wanted to shut you up.

They went to the elites, who were on the winning side last time. And said, okay.

What do we need to do?

What do we need to do, to make sure that, you know, we're on your side? And we can get all that government money.

And nobody will hassle us.

What do we need to do?

So they did it. And they went to the elite's selection of fact-checkers.

Now that the world has changed, at least here in America.

Now, they're still not listening to you.

This isn't because you said something. This is because Donald Trump has changed America.

And now they see the writing on the walls. And so, again, it's not you.

It's power! And it's disgusting. The company is ending their fact-checkers, completely.

And it will instead, rely on the platform users to false flag -- or, yeah. Flag false or misleading content.

Instead of going to some so-called. This is Facebook saying this.

Instead of going to some so-called expert, it will rely on the community.

And the people on the platform, to provide their own commentary.

To -- to something that they've read.

This is what freedom of speech is!

There's no -- there's no expert that sits around in your -- you know -- in your -- in your town, that checks everything somebody says. And then says, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

That's untrue.

And they have a political bias?

It just doesn't happen in real life. But, again, let's remember that social media, is not real life.

But at least it's starting -- maybe, it will start reflecting it a little bit more. Where you have the freedom to say, what you think.

STU: But -- for one quick second.

Because Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have like a rivalry.

Remember, they were going to have a fight? Like, a cage match, a year or two ago. There's a rivalry here.

For him to come out, and say this, he said this on video, Zuckerberg.

Saying, that they would go to -- not just go to community notes. Not just get rid of their fact-checkers. But go to their community notes. As he said, similar to the way X does it.

He actually admitted that basically, we tried something. They tried something. Theirs is better. We're going with theirs.

It's like a tech bro, you know, federalism.

That's -- that's a good thing. And I think a tough admission for a guy like Mark Zuckerberg.

I mean, I -- I am with you, in that, I think they've run this so poorly.

And they have taken companies and content companies. And given them this impression.

That they could advertise to people. Gain followers, and then get their content distributed. And then pull the rug out from underneath them, years ago. And destroyed to any and dozens of websites.

And companies, because of it.

That being said, this does kind of seem like a good change. I don't know if it's just, Glenn, them kissing Trump's butt.

And realizing, if Trump comes in, he's going to be a different kind of president. And in a different environment. And they better change, or they will get hammered.

Or if it's a real change. But either way, I think it's a positive one.

GLENN: Well, you know me. I always look for the best in people. Honestly.

STU: You do.

GLENN: I am kind of a poor judge of character, because of that. Because I -- I see people for who I think they could be. Maybe. At times.

And I kind of look at it like, I think that's who they really are going to be. And they usually disappoint. Because people don't become the people they could be, most times. Instead, they settle for what they allow, or what they've allowed themselves to become. Because they don't have a true center of truth. They don't know who they are. And how they relate to all of eternal truths.

And so they get lost really easily. But when I sat with Zuckerberg, this is more in line with the Zuckerberg that I sat with.

However, you know, I -- can I was -- I think I was -- what did we decide, Stu?

Greatly conned with Zuckerberg.

STU: Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, we went back and forth on it, I think.

GLENN: Yeah. We did.

STU: Because I do think there's a part of him, that would like to be clear of all of this.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: I think he has other, you know, large goals in his -- in his life, other than navigate every political thing that pops up.

GLENN: So I am so glad, you said that.

What are his big goals?

What does he really want to do? Do you know?

STU: I --

GLENN: What is he focusing on?

STU: Hmm. I mean, I -- he has gone through several faces, right.

The company started going towards the metaverse. That changed the company to meta.

A couple years ago.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: That -- that was --

GLENN: That tells you everything you need to know.

Tells you everything to know.

Meta is all about virtual reality, correct.

So virtual reality.

Guess who has invested billions of dollars in VR?

The United States Army, Navy, and Air Force.

All going to virtual reality.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Okay?

Meta has lost about $50 billion in its Reality Labs division and the Meta verse. So what -- so what? What's happening here?

I think what this is, partially. I mean, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. To some free.

But I think partially, what this is about, is making sure that the government contracts don't stop with Meta.

Make sure, that they are able to get some of that money, from the United States, in the use of VR. Because that's where he really -- where his heart is.

That's what he really wants to do.

Now, they lost $50 billion in their reality labs. However, if you look at Facebook's revenue, they're subsidizing all of this stuff.

Facebook, the revenue was expected to go up to $100 billion in 2024.

Facebook's advertising revenue is now expected to grow over $127 billion by 2027. So that's the cash cow. But where his heart is, is VR.

And AR. He wants to make sure that he gets -- he's not off the government teat. Otherwise, his -- his real passion is gone.

I think that's what's happening.

Speculation, but I think that's what's happening.

STU: It's got to be part of it, right? It's got to be part of it.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

STU: I wonder and hope that it is more than that.

Because I had the same reaction to Elon Musk, when he started having this transition of real skepticism. I didn't buy it.

The guy has been the biggest climate activist in America. Why would we believe all of a sudden, he's coming around to these sorts of ideas?

It does seem now, that that's pretty legitimate from Elon Musk. Could it be legitimate from Zuckerberg?

Remember, he's done some of this stuff before the election.

He did signal this stuff.

He did testimony.

He outed some of the government intrusions, before the election happened. He called Trump a badass after the assassination attempt.

GLENN: Correct.

He said, that was his turning point. Was the assassination attempt.

He said, that's when he realized, oh, this guy is really a badass. This guy is actually -- you know, what he says he is. To some degree, at least. According to Mark Zuckerberg.

But there's something else that Mark Zuckerberg has done to Facebook, that is very important and interesting.

So guess who else is joining Meta now?

In another announcement, they've decided, that Meta is going to have three new members on its board of directors, one of which is Dana White. What do you think of that one, Stu?

STU: I mean, it's fascinating. It's a huge Trump ally.

Big Trump supporter. Spoke at the convention. On Trump's behalf.

Now, you know, Zuckerberg is into the sort of UFC stuff.

Right? That's part of his world.

But, I mean, it's -- think of the change. Think of the people being kicked off Facebook. Think of where we were, not that long ago. With Facebook.

GLENN: Four years ago. We were just -- we knew we were walking into a bloodbath. We're walking into a buzz saw.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: And now look at what we're walking into.

STU: Glenn, I was thinking back into the book, the history of the future. By Blake Harris.

We had him on a bunch of times. It was a story of Palmer Lucky. The guy who invented the Oculus Rift and became Meta Quest. He developed that device in his trailer.

And he eventually got bought out by Zuckerberg, for, you know, a billion dollars. Eventually was fired because he gave $10,000 to a group that was putting up an anti-Hillary Clinton billboard.

GLENN: Right. That's right.

STU: They -- they tried to destroy this guy, completely.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: Now, in the interim, built a 14 billion-dollar other separate company.

GLENN: Yeah. So he's --
(laughter)

STU: He -- you know, Palmer Lucky.

GLENN: I wonder if we can even get him on the phone now.

Because we had him on the show when he was destroyed.

STU: Yeah. We had the offer --

GLENN: Oh, you're right. Yeah, that's right.

STU: But the story was like, painted a picture of Zuckerberg, of like this guy. You know, it struck me like he was some Huffington Post blogger, running Facebook and Instagram.

This person, who we have seen here in the last 24 hours and over the past few months, seems like a totally different guy.

Whether that's just self-preservation or it's real, it's better.

GLENN: Self-preservation. I think.

RADIO

Why the Bourbon Street Massacre Is Part of a GLOBAL Pattern

How did a Texas-born Army veteran become a radicalized ISIS supporter who killed at least 14 people and injured dozens more in New Orleans? Glenn reviews the latest on the Bourbon Street massacre on New Year’s Day: What happened during the killer’s recent trip to Egypt? Should the FBI have had enough information to apprehend him earlier? Was this truly a “lone wolf” attack or is it part of a growing pattern that has plagued Europe for years? How many radical Islamists like him have crossed the border illegally over the past few years? This was more than just a tragedy, Glenn says. It should serve as a warning for our government: we have major cracks in our system that are widening.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: On New Year's Eve, we were all gathered together, ringing in 2025, joy and celebration.

But if you were in New Orleans, a nightmare was unfolding.

14 people were killed. Thirty-five were injured. And America was reminded of an uncomfortable truth. Terrorism knows no borders.

The perpetrator, was not a stranger from foreign land. But a Texas-born army veteran, radicalized and driven by hate.

Now, I want to talk about this, because I think perspective is so important. Do you know these stories. Hopefully, maybe not.

But you know these stories, but I want to give you the important perspective. And the theme of today's show really is truth above all things.

Ask the uncomfortable questions.

Now, we have to retrace his steps a bit. It's not a story about this guy, that, you know, going into radicalism.

It's how we as a nation have allowed our vulnerabilities to grow unchecked.

And if we don't change right now, more tragedies are going to follow.

So most of this guy's life, unremarkable. Born and raised in Houston, Texas.

Joined the army in 2007.

He served as a human resource specialist. Later as an IT specialist.

He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 and 2010. It was administrative. He was far from the battlefield. But his access gave him, you know, a look into the military world, and perhaps a view of America's enemies, that would later feed his radicalization.

By 2023, he was no longer a friend to his family and his friends.

He traveled to Egypt, at some point that year. He joined ISIS. He -- there's a chilling video of him. A message to his family.

Where he pledged allegiance to the terror group. And expressed his desire to kill his family.

He ultimately chose not to harm his loved ones. But he was consumed by hatred and this ideology.

This so the first lesson here is, it doesn't happen overnight. Second lesson is, how did this guy get back into the country?

This is a slow burn, but it's often in plain sight. Vigilance is what we need.

Not just from law enforcement, but from family, friends, and community.

Because if we can understand how people like Jabbar can fall into darkness. We may be able to stop the next tragedy before it begins.

So in October of 2024, just last October. He visited New Orleans. He was scouting.

He used meta smart glasses, cutting-edge technology, designed for everyday convenience.

He used those to map out the French Quarter and be plan his attack with meticulous precision.

Side note, just an asterisk here.

I want you to remember for what I'm going to talk to you about next hour. This is technology meant to improve our lives, turned into a tool of terror. All right.

Fast forward. New Year's Eve. He rents a house in New Orleans. Packs his truck with an ISIS flag, drives into the heart of the city.

He had two ways of destruction. He first will mow over people. And then he was going to set off an explosive device, extraordinarily rare explosive compound. One that's never been used in the US or in Europe. We don't know where he got it. How did it get here?

We don't even know what it is. The government does. The bombs were hidden in coolers. And rigged with a transmitter, that were placed on Bourbon Street.

Thankfully, they didn't detonate. Either he didn't trigger the bomb. Or police killed him, before he could.

Around 3:00 a.m. He carried out his primary attack.

He was driving a rented Ford F-150. Plowed through the crowd.

Leaving death and chaos in his wake. Fourteen lives were lost. Thirty-five others, forever changed.

And we had another terrorist attack, the first of 2025. Now, the FBI said, this isn't a terrorist attack. The lady with the nose ring, go away.

You have no credibility. This so-called lone wolf is part of a growing pattern. German Christmas, market attack. The London bridge stabbings.

It's now here on American soil. But let's not ignore the bigger picture.

While he may -- may have acted alone, in execution, everything leading up to it, was not an isolated process.

His story also raises uncomfortable questions about our preparedness for terrorism in 2025.

How did a Texas-born army veteran become radicalized under the noses of everybody in his community?

How did he acquire the knowledge to build a sophisticated bomb?

How many more are like him? How many are homegrown? How many have we imported over our border?

So let's start with the border security. Something that we must demand is taken seriously by Congress.

Critics of current immigration policies argue that porous borders could allow terrorists to slip into the country undetected.

Right. But he was a citizen. Terror groups do not care about borders. And neither should we, when it comes to national security.

We need a system that welcomes people who seek a better life, while stopping, jailing, or killing, if we have to, the ones who want to exploit our goodwill, and blow us up.

There's another question: Technology. The smart glasses from Meta.

He used those to plan his attack, but he also used social media to pledge his allegiance to ISIS.

So how do we balance this innovation with security?

The reason why I wanted to bring this up today, is it's more than just a tragic event.

It's a warning. It reveals the cracks in our systems. The complacency that allows those cracks to widen.

Our borders. Our political correctness.

This story is important, because it forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about our safety, our priorities, and our policies.

You might think, oh, well, it's New Orleans. It's not my town.

The reality is, terror doesn't discriminate. It could happen anywhere. A Christmas parade in Wisconsin. A concert in Las Vegas. A marathon in Boston.

The first thing our Congress and our new president must address is the corruption that has happened in our Department of Justice.

How could this FBI agent, with the nose ring, come out and say, immediately, this wasn't a terrorist attack.

The guy had an ISIS flag in his truck. How could that happen?

It's a new kind of policing.

She's obviously, a part of this new DEI bullcrap. That has been passed on. All of the political correctness now down to that level.

The special agent in charge, in New Orleans.

That has to be stopped. We have to stop being politically incorrect in saying that, you know, oh, Islam is fine. No. No. Islamists are not fine.

And you will find Islamists in many of the groups of Islam.

It doesn't make Islam the problem.

It makes people who say, I take the Koran, word-for-word, and it needs to be law, in every country.

No!

Those are the ones causing the problems.

No. We cannot allow our country to become like Europe.

Europe, gang, it's a matter of time.

If they don't change course, radically, in this year. You will not recognize Europe anymore.

This year has to be a year of total and complete change. And right on cue, total and complete change is coming.

RADIO

The Most INSANE Claim from the Las Vegas Cybertruck Bomber’s Manifesto

The man who blew up explosives and fireworks in his Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Las Vegas Trump International Hotel made some very odd claims in a manifesto. So, was he crazy or a government whistleblower? Glenn reviews the claims, including that the U.S. and China have silent, undetectable aircraft that defy gravity and that China is operating these devices off our eastern coast. If true, these claims could explain the New Jersey drone sightings. But was this man – who set off a car bomb – telling the truth, or just insane? Glenn argues that we may soon know once Trump takes office.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So there's a lot that has happened in the last couple of weeks since I've been gone. And I want to start with the terror attacks.

But I want you to know, there is a theme to today's show. January 6th.

The theme is: You've been lied to, and it is time for us now to sort through everything, and you find out what's true and what isn't true.

So let's dive into something that we begin with. It sounds like science fiction. In fact, the next two hours, are going to sound like science fiction to you.

But even if a fraction of this is true, it's not only real. But it's also deeply alarming. It's about power.

It's about secrecy. And those in the know.

That have kept the truth hidden from us. Not just from you and me. But from the very people sworn to protect our way of life.

So let me start with the source of what I'm going to till about. It's a manifesto that comes from the guy, who was claiming to be a whistle-blower. He claimed to be a man on the run. Hunted by his own government, he said.

He blew himself up, apparently, in a Tesla. Near the front door of the Trump hotel in Vegas.

Now, why would he do that?

He said because the government has been lying to us. I'm not going to give you the guy's name. Because I don't want to make him famous. And I hate -- we usually don't read manifestos on the air. And I'm going to give you the summary of it.

But if any of this is true, it needs to be released. We need to stand and up say, we need to know the truth on this.

Because if what he is saying is accurate, it changes everything. Now, if you read the manifesto, he talks about gravitic propulsion systems. What is that?

It's not your average stealth fighter or next gen drone.

We're talking about this about aircraft, that allegedly manipulate gravity itself.

Gravity. It manipulates it to achieve flight. It's a concept that defies all current physics.

But it's not without precedent in speculative science. Now, what this means is: No combustion engine. No jet fuel. No sound barrier.

Just seamless, silent motion at unimaginable speeds.

The kind of technology that makes radar, heat signatures, and even conventional missile defense systems completely obsolete.

Now, I know this sounds crazy. But there was a very little known announcement, kind of, that happened over the weekend.

That no one is talking about!

And it is the biggest news story of possibly all human history.

So hear me out on this.

Now, according to the manifesto, the aircraft are actively being deployed both in the United States and China.

And not just prototypes in some secret desert lab, but operationally.

Apparently, he alluded to the fact that this is what we're seeing with the drones. The whistle-blower claimed that China has been launching these systems from submarines stationed in the Atlantic right off our east coast.

Now, he let that sink in a minute, if this is true, silent, undetectable aircraft, capable of carrying massive payloads launched from submarines, that can -- can remain undetected just miles from our shores, or even up above the White House and no one would know.

Now, he claimed that he had direct knowledge of these programs.

He says, they have been used in China, for years. Conducting intelligence. Surveillance. Reconnaissance operations.

It goes along with our spy balloon.

Do you remember the spy balloon.

He says these gravitic systems are integrated with that same network.

And they form a system of surveillance, that is so advanced, he says, it makes our current intelligence look like carrier pigeons.

So he says, that these are the greatest national security threats in history.

And if we do have gravitic aircraft, or China does, he is absolutely right.

Because it would -- it would bypass every single defense system that we have. Imagine an aircraft, with an unlimited payload capacity.
A floating fortress. Invisible.

Undetectable. Capable of delivering weapons or conducting surveillance. Parked over our Capitol in DC.

That would be checkmate if it was true. That's the reality that this whistle-blower says is there.

But it also, in the manifesto, he dives into the past, in what he says, is a dark chapter of the US military history.

He alleges involvement in war crimes, during airstrikes in Nimruz province in Afghanistan, in 2016.

According to him, 125 buildings were targeted.

Sixty-five struck, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths in a single day.

Now, he says, that the strikes continued even after civilians were spotted, knowingly, and deliberately. He calls it a cover-up.

However, we do know that the United Nations invested -- this did happen. And an investigation happened with the United Nations. He says it's all a cover-up, implicating the Department of Defense, the DEA, the CIA, and even high-ranking generals.

So he's not just talking about our national security being challenged by advanced technology.

He is also discussing the moral rot, that comes from operating in secrecy.

Even if -- let's just say none of this is true. This is allowed to take root, because everyone has kept too much secret.

And our government has lied to us. Now, he went on to say, he was -- he believed he was being hunted. Not just followed. But actively pursued by his own government.

Tracked by Homeland Security.

The FBI. Or some other federal agency.

Is that true? I don't know!

Could it be?

Tulsi Gabbard was on the no-fly list. Now, think of the insanity, or the desperation that would lead somebody to a point to where he prepared, you know, an IED in a vehicle.

Insane, right?

So who is he?

Does he have any credibility? Or he just some conspiracy theorist in the basement. Or a deeply disturbed military guy.

Well, he claims to have worked with high-ranking officials. Including General Miller's staff.

He even named specific operations and personnel. Those are easily verified.

Now, if he's lying, it's a pretty detailed lie. If he's not, well, then, are we in serious trouble.

Now, my guess is, he has multiple valor awards.

So he was a special operations guy. If you have that many valor awards, you probably have TBI.

You don't have to. But you probably had some traumatic brain injuries.

We also don't still understand what Biden's disastrous Afghanistan screwup has done mentally to our frontline war heroes.

Many of them have been possibly permanently screwed up over all of this.

He was being treated for PTSD. So we know that he had a mental issue, of PTSD. That doesn't mean edgers have credibility. I know a lot of people who have PTSD.

Here's the one thing we can take from this. That we know for sure.

Don't trust the government or the feds. Listen to the Founding Fathers. They didn't want you to trust the government or the feds.

They wanted you to hold them accountable. Look what they've done to us.

Our war fighters are hurting. In this particular case.

If you know one, reach out to them.

But let's return here just for a second to the gravitic propulsion technology.

If it's real, and China is actively using it, we're not talking about a military advantage.

We're talking about a shift in the balance of power, so profound, that it will destabilize the entire world.

Remember the Cold War? Mutually assured destruction?

That's the balance. Very delicate that kept the world from annihilating itself. This technology in the wrong hands, or even the right hands. Obliterates the balance. Unless we have it as well.

It introduces a new kind of stealth, warfare, where speed, stealth, and payload capacity make any conventional deterrence, absolutely worthless.

Now, if China has this technology, should we have been told? Why haven't we been informed?

Well, the whistle-blower said that it's because the US government has its own gravitic system, and it doesn't want to admit it.

So what was his message?

His plea, which I don't ever go into manifests and -- and uphold somebody. And I'm not upholding him and his message. And saying that his message is true. Except for this part: He was calling for transparency. Demanding that the American people be told the truth, about all of these programs, and their implications.

He said, that secrecy only increases the risk of catastrophic conflict.

One that could escalate into global war.

I heard another one, this weekend. Did you -- did you see that we were already sending war machinery over to Ukraine? Before Ukraine was invaded by Russia?

Why didn't we know that? What was the real intent? What is the real intent there?

So where does this leave us?

Well, sunlight is the best disinfectant, and sunlight is coming with Donald Trump.

If these technologies exist, if they're being deployed over our cities, we need to know it.

Secrecy breeds corruption. Corruption leads to decisions that harm us all.

This is nothing more than a wake-up call. It's a warning about the unchecked power. The risks of advanced technology. The moral cost of operating in the shadows.

Whether you believe any of it, or none of it, the core truth remains: We must demand accountability. Transparency.

And a return to the principles that made this country great. The stakes couldn't be higher.

God intervened. I really, truly believe this in the last election.

Now it's up to us. What are we going to do with the time that we have been given?

This is the time to turn the corner, and ask the hard questions and hold our leaders accountable.

Let's pray that the whistle-blower was wrong. But let's prepare to help this new Trump administration keep its promises.

He's going need to us. Very vocal to demand answers.

You want answers to this? You have to be vocal. You have to be serious. And we have to be heard.

You want the truth on January 6th? The COVID virus? Its cover-up. Fauci. The pharmaceutical companies. The food companies.

You want trials and people who did criminal things, to be tried fairly and if they're found guilty, go to jail?

How about the sex crime industry? The Diddy parties, Epstein.

Do you want answers on that?

These people are powerful! They are the most powerful people perhaps in the history of all mankind. They're not going to go silently into the dark.

They are not going to give up without a fight. We must all resolve today. On January 6th, '25. That transparency is number one.

Remember, Trump said, they weren't trying to kill him, because they were afraid of him.

He told us, over and over again.

He was just in the way of them getting to us. They are afraid of us!

That is the way the Founders intended it to be.

So now, beginning January 20th. It is our time to hold them accountable.

Those we think are doing our bidding. They must know, we will hold them accountable. And we demand answers.

Glenn's Show Prep

Stu: Why Does This Early Progressive President Get a Pass on Racism?

EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Kirk Returns from Greenland & Explains Trump’s Plan

Transcript

Is This the Real Reason Facebook Got a "Conservative" Makeover?

Transcript

Why the Bourbon Street Massacre Is Part of a GLOBAL Pattern

Transcript

The Most INSANE Claim from the Las Vegas Cybertruck Bomber’s Manifesto

Transcript