BLOGAugust 22, 2017

This Popular Band Eerily Predicted Today’s Politics and World Events in a Song From 2009

Between Brexit in England and Donald Trump’s victory in America, the world seems to be falling for populism. Did a song from 2009 predict it?

The band Muse released an album in 2009 called “Resistance,” which featured the song “United States of Eurasia.” On radio Tuesday, Glenn used the song to illustrate the frustration of the American people after being promised “massive change” by leaders.

“We don’t know or care who’s to blame/But we know that whoever holds the reins/Nothing will change,” the band wrote.

Media figures and politicians alike worldwide would benefit from reading these lyrics, Glenn asserted.

Especially in the context of President Donald Trump’s speech on Afghanistan Monday night, the lyrics on war are poignant: “And these wars they can’t be won/Does anyone know or care how they begun?/They just promise to go on and on and on.”

“I believe if the media and the politicians all across the world listened to the lyrics of Muse they would see their future,” Glenn said.

In his address, Trump said the U.S. military won’t be leaving Afghanistan in the near future, while still more troops will be deployed to America’s longest conflict. Trump didn’t specify how many more soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan. While he promised that “we will win,” he didn’t detail what a U.S. victory would look like.

GLENN: Last night, the president said that he wants to send another 4,000 troops into Afghanistan.

STU: Did he say that? I don't think he did say that, did he?

GLENN: Well, no. He didn't actually give the number, you're right. They're speculating that it will be another 4,000 troops that they're going to send into Afghanistan. It could be more.

I -- I mean, we had 100,000 troops in there. But what -- we didn't win. I don't know what winning even looks like.

PAT: How many did the Soviets have in there all through the 80s?

GLENN: It's the place where empires die. And, you know, the idea was, let's go in and get Osama bin Laden. We did.

And now we're still there. Children -- children that were born during this war, in 20-, what? -- -19, will be eligible to go fight in the same war.

PAT: Hmm.

GLENN: We are entering a time to where war is becoming meaningless for those in wealthy countries. Because we're not fighting them ourselves. And they're becoming more and more robotic. And our -- our drones are fighting, which are being flown here in the United States. It's a video game.

Is there some responsibility that we have as people to actually feel the pain of war? Is there some responsibility that we -- we actually know that human lives are being -- are being taken in our name?

I'm a huge fan of Muse. They're not a fan of mine. But I'm a huge fan of Muse and met Bellamy, who is just a brilliant, brilliant writer.

There was a -- a CD that came out called the resistance back in 2009. And I think it's my favorite muse collection. And it is -- the lyrics in 2009 I thought were spot-on.

But if you want to know why Brexit happened -- this is a -- this is a band that really is huge over in Europe. And you want to know what people are feeling, why Brexit is happening, all you have to do is read the lyrics of Muse. You see it.

If you want to know what people are feeling and why if Donald Trump begins to fall into line with all of the other presidents, that will make two presidents in a row that promised massive change.

Barack Obama delivered his massive change. He -- he went with health care. He got that done. He got a lot done.

This president does not have the support of the G.O.P. He's fighting the G.O.P. What a surprise.

So he's not going to be able to deliver on anything big. And when that happens, there's only two consequences: They turn on him, or he turns along with the people on Congress.

Both the G.O.P. and the Democrats. And a lot of people think that's good. It's not. We're not a country of revolution. We're not a country of Civil War.

The last time that happened, it almost killed us. We escaped by the skin of our teeth. And it was horrible -- scenes of death everywhere.

I want you to listen to the lyrics of -- of a song from Muse. It came out in 2009. And ever since I saw the president speak last night, I -- I kept hearing these lyrics over and over in my head: You and me, we are the same. We don't know or care who is to blame. But we know that whoever holds the reins, nothing will change. Our cause has gone insane. And these wars, they can't be won. And you want them to go on and on and on?

Why split these states when there can be only one. And must we do as we're told? You and me, fall in line, to be punished for unproven crimes. And we know that there's no one we can trust. Our ancient heroes, they're turning into dust. And these wars, they can't be won. Does anyone even know how they begun? They just promise to go on and on and on.

I believe that if the media and the politicians all across the world listen to the lyrics of Muse, they would see their future. People feel as though they're not being listened to. People feel as though they're being lied to. People feel like everybody's in on it, except them.

It doesn't make sense, to us. So what is it that they know that they're not telling us? Because there's no way you win these wars.

Who's profiting on these? Because it's our kids that we're sending off. It's our kids that are paying the price. And we don't even know why they're being fought.

And we are entering a place to where -- where Muse goes. And that is an uprising. And you don't want an uprising.

I don't think the average person wants an uprising. I don't think the average person has really thought it through, when they say, "Destroy the whole system." This system is -- is divine. It's just been so badly abused.

This system was designed to put you in power. For the first time in human history, to put you in power. And what happened?

It gave us so many riches. It gave us so many diversions. It gave us so many things that made us fat and happy and, honestly, blind and lazy, that we didn't keep our eye on the ball.

Go back today and listen to Eisenhower. I -- I truly believe it's the last time a president gave a really self-sacrificing speech.

Dwight Eisenhower was the allied commander of all of the forces. He was a general. He -- if there's anybody that knew what the military could do, it was him.

If there's anybody who had respect, the respect of the armed forces and the respect of all those who fought with him, it was Dwight Eisenhower.

He becomes president. And he talks about the military-industrial complex. Now, this is something that has become a conspiracy theorist's dream. It's a utopia for conspiracy theorists.

Oh, the military-industrial complex!

But he warned us, if you don't -- he said, for the very first time, we're going to have to have a standing army. We're going to have to have new technology. We're going to have to do things that we never thought possible because we could all be dead in 18 minutes.

But that's going to require you to stay vigilant, or the military-industrial complex, the people who are just making money on the growth of machines of death are going to control things.

And I don't want to say that the people that are making war machines are evil. It's just -- this is just the system we're living in. And they're making money, and nobody wants to see their money cut off. So they just keep going.

And I honestly don't think it's because of money or anything else. But I don't know what the reason is, we're still fighting these wars. Because if you wanted to fight to win, the United States has that capacity. It can fight to win. It can change the world, just with its military might.

And then come home.

I want to talk to you next hour about an answer to all of this, something I started talking about yesterday, that we all kind of have to do. It's time to take an inventory. It's time to find out what we really believe, what we really -- who we really are, and begin again with a blank sheet of paper.

What is the story we're going to write for our country? What is the story we're going to write for ourselves? We'll do that, next hour.

RADIO

Will DOGE’s “Fork in the Road” Strategy Save the Government BILLIONS?

Elon Musk’s DOGE has gotten to work. Glenn and Stu discuss the “fork in the road” email that some US federal workers recently received, which is very similar to the memo that Elon sent Twitter employees after he bought it. The email offers employees a choice: either resign now and get paid until September, or probably get fired at some point. So, will this save the government billions of dollars a year?

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Okay. Where should we begin, Stu? Should we start with the golden parachutes?

STU: Ah. Yes, the email.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: I mean, this is DOGE entering the chat. Right? DOGE has turned -- I don't know if it's a fully powered battle station yet, but it's definitely powering up.

GLENN: Yeah. I mean, it's -- I think we're not far away from a million voices crying out and then suddenly being silenced.

STU: Right. It's kind of one of those things.

This is straight out of the Twitter playbook from Elon Musk.

GLENN: Oh, my.

It starts the same way.

In fact, do we have the fork in the road tweet.

Okay. Let me show you, the fork in the road is -- is an art piece, that Elon Musk, I guess financed in the -- looks like it's in the middle of nowhere.

STU: I didn't know --

GLENN: A giant fork sticking out of it.

STU: I had no idea this part of it.

GLENN: This is real.

STU: I know the phrase. He put a fork this a road.

GLENN: He put a giant. He had a road built, where it goes off. And there's a gigantic fork sitting in the middle of it.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: So this is the thing with him.

STU: Kind of the fork in the fork.

GLENN: Right.

STU: Because the road forks by itself when it turns into the Y, but it's a fork in the fork.

You don't have to believe that, Stations.
I'm just saying that. It feels close to it, but you don't have to.

GLENN: Yeah. You use the F-word a lot.

STU: I do.

GLENN: So when he went to Twitter, he put a fork in the road memo out that said, hey. You might want to get out now.

Because it's going to be a different place here, so I'm giving you the opportunity to bail right now.

Just let me know. And he said, at the very beginning, it's a fork in the road. They have issued a memo that is almost exactly like it, except it's got a bunch of subsections. You know, 1CB.

STU: A little more legalistic.

GLENN: A little more legalistic.

But Trump is offering the people, the money to not be hit with a giant fork.

STU: Yeah. It's -- it's sort of two approaches.

One is anybody who wants to leave right now, will pay you to September.

So we'll give you --

GLENN: That's very generous.

STU: A nice eight, nine month ramp to get a gig.

If you don't work here. Please go. Of course, this combines with the hiring freeze. The idea is five, ten, 25 percent of people accept this deal, and you shrink the government employment.

And then you don't rehire those people.

This is the way you cut. This is the way he did it at Twitter. And then secondarily, it's sort of a carrot and stick approach. The carrot is, hey, we'll pay you to September for no work. It's great for you.

And then the stick is, by the way, if you stick around, we'll probably fire you anyway.

That's kind of what the tone of it is. Like, look, I'm sorry. If you stick around, we will really be cutting. So it might be you.

GLENN: This is what it actually says: During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the president required that employees return to in-person work.

Do you know what that number is?

How many federal employees actually show up for work, since the beginning of COVID-19?

STU: You know, I don't know the number. What is it?

GLENN: Take a guess.

STU: We're now many, many years past COVID-19, Glenn.

GLENN: Yeah. What is the number of federal workers that are actually showing up for work?

STU: I really -- I have to guess, it's very low.

But if I were just to guess, without any preknowledge, I would have to say, it's like 60. Right?

I don't know. 40 percent of people not showing up seems significant.

GLENN: The number of people not showing up to work is 94 percent.

Only 6 percent of federal workers are showing up.

STU: What? With the knowledge that it was going to be a low number, I'm shocked by that. 6 percent.

GLENN: Six. Six. It is 6 percent.

STU: No way. Is there certain categories? You go to the Pentagon right now, 94 percent empty?

That can't be true.

GLENN: I don't know about the Pentagon.

STU: Okay. Certain areas of the government.

GLENN: Well, I do know this also, that the mayor of Washington, DC, said all of our businesses are dying. And said this to Biden. You have got to get people to go back to those buildings. Or let those buildings loose.

And let's bring other businesses into Washington, DC.

STU: Because we're holding them empty, essentially.

GLENN: We're holding them empty, so there's no business on the street. Because nobody is coming in.

So restaurants are going out. Shops that aren't for tourists, are all going out.

STU: Now, complete economic destruction happened to Washington, DC, would you be able to tell the difference, I guess is the question.

We were just there.

GLENN: No. I think if there was a raging wildfire, I'm not sure I could tell the difference.

Among those directives, the president required employees to return to work in person. Restored accountability for employees, who have policy-making authority.

Let me hang on. I think I hear the knives sharpening here. Restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit.

As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant. Want out?

STU: Yeah, take your out now.

And like, just a couple of things.

GLENN: I would.

STU: It's interesting. He sent it to everyone.

Basically said, none of you are essential. Any one of you can be replaced. Which is a message you send.

Important message.

You're not too important, essentially. I know you've worked here for a few decades. You're a career employee and all that. It doesn't mean anything anymore.

That's one message it sends. If you put yourself in a position of, you're someone on the left. Who got into government. Because you have left-leaning ideas.

GLENN: Why else would you get into government?

STU: That's true.

GLENN: I can't think of a reason on the right, why they get into government, except to stop the people on the left.

STU: To stop it. And that is a real problem we have. Because it's the same thing with universities.

GLENN: Yeah, it is.

STU: We don't go in there. We don't mix it up in those areas, and then they take them over.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: But let's say, you're someone who leans left. You get in there, you think, you support all these big taxes and big government programs. And you're working on administrating them. And you realize, Trump is coming in. He will try to cut them anyway.

Do I really want to be here, supporting -- like cutting people, and not distributing this money I think is so important? Maybe I do just take it.

Just because I'm opposed, and I don't want to go through this agenda. I don't want to be responsible for these evil cuts.

So maybe I just take the money and leave.

GLENN: I think if you're a career politician or career, you know, government worker, if you've put in your time and they're going to give you, you know, really good exit package.

I don't know if you're -- if you've been there for 25 years. Do I get -- do I get my pension?

STU: Yeah. You probably do.

GLENN: So, you know, I would definitely look at it.

If I had been there for a long time. I would be like, I'm getting out now.

Because you just don't know.

You know, Vivek Ramaswamy said, we should just say, everybody with an odd Social Security number. And ends in an odd number, you're fired.

STU: What helps him here.

Because there are dumb protections built into some of these places for civil service types.

That makes it sometimes difficult to fire them.

And this is like sort of like the self-deportation option when it comes to the border.

GLENN: It is.

STU: You go. You take it. It's optional for you.

And if they do that, you not only will likely get rid of more people that will thwart your efforts. Because they typically will be able to take that deal. But you also get a portion of your cuts done, without having to make the cuts.

There are some legal questions to this.

Of course, it will get challenged. There is a clause, I think it's in the Homeland Security Act.

That allows the government to offer employees $25,000 to resign, essentially if they want to make cuts.

So that much of it is pretty much straightforward protected.

The -- when you say all the way to September, some of those numbers will go above $25,000.

And there, they might get legal challenges.

GLENN: That's amazing -- that people will challenge you.

STU: You're giving me too much money. You're giving me too much --

GLENN: That will never happen.

STU: In reality, of course, the left does not want these employees to go away.

They don't want the size of government to shrink, so they will find any legal loophole they can to challenge what he's doing.

GLENN: It will be fascinating to see the conversations of people right now in Washington, DC. That are those die-hards.

I mean, because he's doing exactly what he's doing on the border, for the government.

He's -- he is --

STU: It's the --

GLENN: We're coming for the bad guys.

And we will cut.

There is in more fooling around. There's a new sheriff in town.

He hopes, just like on the border. He will get the bad guys. But a lot of people, just like you said, will self-deport.

I don't want any part of it.

STU: Yeah. I don't want any part of it.

Not to mention, in nine months of pay. Combine that if you happen to be an entrepreneur type. Of leaving a job. Getting paid for nine months. Then getting paid for another job.

It could be great for your finances.

GLENN: If you had another job. If you knew you could get another job, you would be stupid not to.

STU: Yeah. To get paid 9 months for doing nothing.

Of course, it's taking it out of our pockets, which I'm not exactly thrilled about. But long-term, it's great!

GLENN: Yeah, if he gets enough people. It's like 100 -- 150, or $150 million a year is what they're expecting to get out of this. That's a lot of savings.

STU: Hmm. Hmm.

I mean, it's a drop in the bucket, unfortunately.

GLENN: No, I know it is. I know it is.

STU: $150 a year is a pretty small acceptance.

GLENN: A million or billion.

As I said that, you don't pay attention. Million, billion. It doesn't matter anymore.

STU: Just wait until the quadrillions hit. Then you'll know. Then you'll know.

GLENN: And million will seem like.

You know, it's like -- it used to be like, they're a millionaire. And then it became, they're worth like 100 million dollars. And then it became, they're a billionaire.

It's going to be soon. They're a trillionaire.

STU: You knew we would cross that line, when Bernie Sanders needed to take millionaires out of his speeches. Because he used to say millionaires and billionaires.

Now he says billionaires because he's a millionaire.

And it's like hilarious that Mr. Socialist, with his multiple houses, can't even criticize millionaires anymore.

GLENN: Right!

Because he's most likely a millionaire.

STU: He is, 100 percent.

GLENN: I mean, how does a socialist get that?

STU: I mean, he's making a decent six figure salary and has been forever. He has multiple houses.

Just the equity in those homes, I'm sure, makes him a millionaire.

You know, I mean, he's pretty -- he wants to spend everyone else's money. If he spends like that in his own life.

He doesn't seem to be all that -- he doesn't seem to take advantage with fancy cars or anything like that, that we know of.

But he has a couple nice houses. He saves on hair products, that's for sure.

RADIO

Trump Team Reveals the TRUTH About the New Jersey Drones

The Trump Team is handling the media amazingly, and Glenn and Stu have the highlights. They review the first press conference for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and her big revelation about the mysterious New Jersey drones: the government knew about and authorized them. So, why did the Biden administration not tell us that?! It’s time for the truth to be revealed about this and much more, Glenn says, including about who was running the government during the Biden administration and who forced Joe Biden out of the 2024 election.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Let's just first start with how I think how competent this administration is. All of the people that are being put into roles. How competent they are.

Let's start with an interview, with Stephen Miller.

With Jake Tapper. I mean, you can see the disgust in Jake Tapper's face. He's -- hmm, he's -- he's pretty transparent. Listen to this.

VOICE: How does President Trump make sure that the effort to deport people who are not in this country, legally, doesn't end up hurting Americans who want safe borders, absolutely. But also, don't want to see even more higher prices in groceries.

VOICE: Well, I'm sure it's not your position, Jake. Just asking the question. That we should supply America's food. With exploitative illegal labor. Obviously that's what you're applying. One percent of alien workers in the entire country work in agriculture. The top destination for illegal aliens are large cities like New York, like Los Angeles, and small industrial towns, of course all across the heartland, as we've seen with the Biden flights. None of those illegal aliens are doing farm works. Those 30,000 illegal aliens that Joe Biden dumped into Springfield --

VOICE: Yeah. I'm talking about the --

VOICE: No, no, no. But I'm explaining this to you. It's important to understand.

VOICE: No, you're kind of changing the subject.

GLENN: Is he changing the subject?

STU: Not really. Yeah.

VOICE: You and your audience.

VOICE: I'm talking about the ones that could -- that work in the agriculture industry.

I'm not talking about the ones in the city, I swear.

VOICE: I'll do the whole answer!

The illegal aliens that Joe Biden brought into our country are not, full-stop, doing farm work.

They are not!

The illegal aliens he brought in from Venezuela, from Haiti, from Nicaragua. They are not doing farm work. They are inner cities collecting welfare.

As for the farmers, there is a guest worker program that President Trump supports.

Over time, as well, you will transition into automation, so you will never have to have this conversation ever again.

But there's no universe in which --

GLENN: Look how disgusted his face is. Jake Tapper.

VOICE: -- to flood our nation with millions of illegal aliens, who just get to stay here.

GLENN: I think that is a totally reasonable answer.

And I really think that we should start asking people about farm labor and cheap labor, and they're using that as a defense.

Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were in the 1850s, again.

Okay. So you have no -- no problem with exploiting people, as long as they're out picking your food. Okay. I've got it. I just want to understand where you're coming from. Because that is what they are arguing.

STU: It's amazing too. The media really hates Donald Trump. I'm not breaking news with that.

But they may hate Stephen Miller more. They can't stand him!

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

STU: And I will say, you may not agree with Stephen Miller's opinion on these things.

He knows this stuff really well.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

STU: You're not going to -- he knows immigration issues. These are the issues that got him to the position that he's in.

And you're not going to get on there, and stump him on that stuff.

GLENN: And I think everyone needs to learn from what this administration is saying.

They've been saying for the last couple of days is: Are you okay -- I just want to be on the record with you.

Are you okay saying that we should exploit people for cheaper prices?

I just -- because it puts you -- it puts the Democrats where they have always been, since the 1800s. Yes.

It's going to affect our life, if we get rid of these slaves. Yes. It's going to affect my lawn care prices. It's going to affect my food prices. My orange prices.

Okay! That's fine.

I just want to make sure that I understand clearly, that that is where you stand. Because then we can take a conversation, honestly, now, and we can talk about two things.

Is that right for you to think that? Or does that kind of put you back into the old-timey days with slavery?

STU: Even if -- it's one of those things that even if it made the prices go up slightly.

It will be the type of thing that Americans will be okay with.

They didn't like the slavery thing. I think we're off that bandwagon.

GLENN: And it's different.

Because I have an Apple product. Okay. I have Apple products in my house. I know those are made by slaves. I hate that. But it's the best product. And how I justify it, in my head.

And this is exactly the thing they did in the 1800s, as well.

I justified in my head, well, I'll never be able to change China.

Not going to change China. And we are working to change China, in any way we can.

STU: Also -- context also matters there. A lot of the jobs that we -- again, slavery, it was a is specific thing. We compare a lot of things to slavery. To be clear, even illegal immigrants here, are not slaves. Typically. Some of them are. Some of them are, probably.

GLENN: But it's still exploitation of people for cheaper prices.

STU: And I will say, especially when you're talking about China, and products in other countries, you have to put context into it.

You know, the pay that they get there, if it were here, would be terrible! If it's there, lots of times, it's the best job in the area.

That's not always true. It's something that you have to consider.

GLENN: Yeah. So now let's go to the new press secretary.

Caroline Leavitt. She was I thought really, really good yesterday.

She did seem a little nervous.

When you're walking into a shark tank --

STU: To be expected, your first day. Right?

GLENN: Absolutely.

But I thought she did really well.

At first, she started the press conference with some breaking news about the drones. Cut three.

VOICE: And before I turn to questions, I do have news directly to the president of the United States. That was just shared with me in the Oval Office.

From President Trump directly.

An update on the New Jersey drones.

After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals, that enjoy flying drones. In the meantime -- in time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.

A statement from the president of the United States, to start his briefing with some news.

GLENN: How do you feel about that? That answer?

STU: I mean, you know me. I don't --

GLENN: That's where you were.

STU: That's kind of where I was. Kind of where I figured it would land. Now, those are words directly from President Trump's mouth. I don't know why he would lie about it.

GLENN: I don't think he would.

STU: I don't think he would. I'm not shocked where that lands.

GLENN: I'm not satisfied. And I know President Trump is not satisfied with these things either. That's a good opening statement. What I would like to see is the transparency of, here are the documents from the FAA approving these things. I don't need to know what they were testing. But here's what they said.

The -- the Biden administration decided to close that down, because -- or, you know, not tell you about this.

Not spread these to the American people.

I don't know why. Maybe it's they cause chaos.

But they were also very incompetent on a lot of things. So I don't know why it wasn't verified.

But I would like to see the documentation. It would help, because we don't trust anything anymore.

I do trust Donald Trump to tell us the truth. Because I do believe he -- he answers to us. I do believe that. He doesn't have an ulterior motive.

I think the -- I think the shooting, honestly, proved that out.

STU: For people -- I mean, you were -- I wouldn't say the biggest, you know, theorist of this.

But you were concerned and asked a lot of questions. There are people who are much, much more deeply into this, than you were.

What's the reaction from that side? Do they buy that?

GLENN: No.

STU: I mean, a lot of them like Trump.

GLENN: No. I think -- here's where I would go in my mind, is, well, Trump is saying that, because of national security.

STU: Okay.

GLENN: He can't say anything else. You know what I mean?

I think you've got to -- you will go down a road. And that's why I say, I would like to see the documentation. Just show me the documentation, so we can write these things off.

We're talking to comber next hour. And it's the same kind of thing.

I don't care if people are arrested anymore. I just want to know the truth. And I want to see it in documents. I want the proof of what was going on.

I want to know who was running the White House, and our country, in the last six months.

STU: I'm with you on that.

GLENN: I think that's really important.

STU: Huge one. We have these big things. We just kind of stop.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: You know, the -- there is some news on this that broke the other day.

But like, the lab leak, COVID situation. Like just -- China just gets away with this. Is that how this works?

Like we just -- you know, 25 million people died in the world. And we will just be like, oh, man.

Remember that whole story of the Pangolins? Like we will try to shrug our shoulders, and let that go on.

We all lost a year of our lives, and we will be like, you know. What's the big deal?

I mean, I don't know exactly how you punish them. I know Trump is obviously very focused on.

Not only punishment, but also getting answers on this stuff. But we can't just let that go.

GLENN: I don't think he is. With the stopping all funding on everything to make sure for 90 days. We want to make sure that this is all in line with the agenda of the United States.

But also, I think it was over the weekend.
He stopped any communication from NIH, CDC. Any of these organizations.

GLENN: Yeah.

You are not to change your website. You are not to make any statements on, hey, we just did a research study. Nothing. You do nothing, until we get a handle on what's really going on.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: I think that's really good.

STU: I'm not saying, that wasn't a Trump criticism.

GLENN: No. I know.

STU: It's a society criticism. We do tend to just move on from this stuff. China, especially here.

If the foundation of all of that chaos, was them letting this out of this lab. Which I believe it was, there has to be ramifications for that. Same thing with the last six months. Six months isn't long enough.

The last year, year and a half of the Biden administration.

Where we have multiple well-reported news stories, saying that at least six people, inside Joe Biden's inner circle, actively hid what he was doing behind the scenes, so that he could win that election.

That's not okay. We have -- something has to be done about what happened there.

We need to know. I want to know -- I want every single text, from those six people when they were planning that out.

GLENN: I want to know.

I want to know, not only who ran the government. But also, who actually forced him out?

STU: Uh-huh.

GLENN: Who was the one that actually. Was it Nancy Pelosi?

Was it Kamala?

Was it Barack Obama?

How did that actually come down?

STU: Oh, it will be incredible. Someone will actually write a book about it.

GLENN: I'm telling you, the corruption that has happened in the last four years, the American people may not understand it, but they've got a pretty good gut. They knew something is really wrong.

And it -- you know, I think Tulsi Gabbard, DNI position, if she -- I think she's going to be the one that has the hardest time getting through.

I think everything else, before this, was, you know, rookies. Compared to what they are going to do to her. And this vote is secret. Hmm.

I've got a problem with that. We'll get into that here in just a second.

But that DNI position is I believe, and Kash Patel's position at DOJ.

Those are two of the most important. Or FBI.

The two of the most important positions.

Because they will be. You will be able to see. And they can unlock doors.

And we have a chance at a church commission.

Which must happen!

RADIO

Is THIS the Answer to Trump's Cartel Problem?

How should President Trump handle the Mexican cartels? Glenn is “in love with” an idea that Sen. Mike Lee proposed: Hidden deep within the Constitution is a clause that allows the government to let private citizens basically act like pirates against hostile forces … MAGA pirates?! Sen. Lee joins Glenn to explain what “letters of marque and reprisal” are, why the government hasn’t used them in centuries, and whether Trump can issue them to stop the cartels.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Boy, there are no crazy ideas, right now. It is an interesting time to be alive, in America.

Senator Mike Lee is joining me now.

Yesterday, he proposed using letters of marque and reprisal to weaken the drug cartels.

And I -- I mean, I'm in love with this old timey constitutional idea. But it basically would make private citizens or companies. It would give them permission to kind of be like pirates.

Where they could just go and bust them up.

And take all their booty.

As long as they share it with the United States.

It would be great. It would be cheaper.

And we wouldn't have to put our military in harm's way. Mike Lee joins me now.

Mike, explain the letters of marque and reprisal.

MIKE: A letter of marque and reprisal amounts to a government-issued commission of sorts, authorizing private citizens, known as privateers, to perform acts that would otherwise be considered piracy, like attacking enemy ships during wartime.

And privateers are typically rewarded with a cut of whatever loot they will bring home.

But they're able to make it back to the United States, and bring home assets that can be sold, liquidated, reduced to an economic value, then the government sets up what's called a prize court, which decides who gets what.

And typically, the government keeps half of it. And then has -- has a system for giving the privateers involved in it. Each -- each -- their fair share, of the 50 percent.

GLENN: So -- so these guys.

Let's say Eric Prince -- Eric Prince loves this idea. He was like, I'm all in.

He would go down to the border, and he would, what?

Break up the cartels, by -- as they're shipping stuff across the border. Grab their cash. Their guns. Their cash. They're using boats, whatever.

And the drugs. And then give those to the government. And the government would say, okay. Eric, this part is yours.

MIKE: Yeah. Now to be clear, when you say the border, we're talking outside the United States.

I don't think this works for things found in the United States. But if outside the United States, they recover assets, typically, what we would be looking at are assets that could be liquidated by the government.

Gold, silver, cash, equipment.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

MIKE: If they can bring those things back into the United States, then they can be sold.

It also raises the question of the drugs. You notice, they won't allow those to be sold.

So you either will have exclude those, or the government would just have to go out of pocket to reward them for bringing that back in.

And that's one of the things that have to be discussed.

This is a tool that hasn't been used by the United States for a long time.

But it's a tool that harnesses, you know, self-interest. It harnesses what people could gain by this, in a way that could be really advantageous for the United States.

GLENN: Boy, I have to tell you, I love this idea.

Donald Trump Jr loves this idea.

But it does seem like something that Mexico would hate.
(laughter)

MIKE: Sure. Sure. It depends on who you are talking about with Mexico. Hard-working, independent, Mexican citizens who have lived under the tyranny of these cartels who have been affected by the violence, that is rampant throughout the country.

And sponsored by the cartels.

A lot of them would perhaps not have much an objection. If any objection at all.

Because they want to be free of this stuff.

But, yeah. I can imagine that the Mexican government might have feelings about it.

GLENN: Yeah.

MIKE: But this is different. This is different in the sense, that it's not the United States, undertaking any kind of effort to have a military presence in Mexico. Which would, of course, be unacceptable to Mexico.

This is about private citizens, going out and trying to seize assets, of these chair organizations.

Of this international criminal enterprise, bring it back to the United States. With the understanding, that they will be entitled to a cut of about half of it, once they get back.

GLENN: So one thing that I was thinking before this idea was, we're going to send in SEAL teams.

And they'll just be gone before the sun comes up, and you will never know who did it. And there will just be a lot of dead cartel members laying there in the sun, as it starts to rise.

And, you know, Mexico will hate that. But as long as we're gone in the morning, I mean, we've -- we've deemed them a terrorist organization. Don't we have the right to do that?

Well, once that happens, you can imagine, there might be circumstances in which that would occur.

But again, a letter of marque and reprisal allows to avoid doing that, that creates an additional set of difficulties for us, that we wouldn't face if we were sending -- if we were authoring privateers to do that. It matters to the degree, of course.

But it would be foolish for us to assume, that our only option involves sending in the Marines, so to speak.

US boots on the ground has a very different feel than privateers going in and doing something on their own.

And it's one of the reasons why I felt important enough, I put out a thread for my at base Mike Lee account, in which I explained a brief history of letters of marque and reprisal. How they function, and that they ought to be considered here.

GLENN: So, I mean, I really like it.

And I like the fact. I mean, I'm for anything constitutional.

Anything extra constitutional, I'm against. But this is literally in the Constitution, that you can do this.

But it seems old timey. You know, it does -- does anybody do this anymore?

MIKE: No. And the United States hasn't done it arguably.

GLENN: In over 100 years.

MIKE: In a couple hundred years.

GLENN: Yeah.

MIKE: But the focus of this, would be something that I think may well be perfectly suited for our time. And for this situation.

Focus on disrupting supply lines. Capturing high value targets.

Or seizing assets like boats, vehicles, cash, gold. Equipment used in criminal activities.

Because we all know, you know, private entities and individuals can operate with a degree of agility, that you can't replicate in government.

Allowing them to adapt quite quickly.

To the tactics of the cartels. And to max those.

GLENN: But what would other countries say?

Is anybody using this country anymore? It used to happen, when there were pirates. With the black flag. With the bones on it.

Does anybody use anything like this anymore? What would they say, if we started?

I don't really say, but what would they say?

GLENN: Not aware of any countries using them right now. And I'm sure there are countries where they say, this violates this or that principle of international law, either of some treaty, that we haven't ratified or of what they refer to as customary international law, which is a fancy way of saying, people don't do this anymore.
And so, therefore, it violates international law.

But all of that is beside the point. If it is within our authority to do this, and if we haven't forsworn the authority through some treaty that we have ratified, which I'm quite certain we have not.

So that's why this is a tool that we shouldn't take off the table. And it's -- they may have well come. We haven't used it in a long time.

But where has -- we have a different type of adversary, than we sometimes face in the past.

This is not the government of Mexico.

But these are criminal organizations, within Mexico, that have an international footprint. That affect the United States.

And that have taken actions that are hostile to the interests of the United States, and her citizens.

So with this circumstance, would it be irresponsible of us, not to consider it.

And I think we ought to explore this. And perhaps issue some letters of marque and reprisal.

The fact that it hasn't happened in a long time, likely since the 1800s, doesn't mean that the power does not exist. And certainly does not mean that we couldn't benefit from it.

GLENN: Right. Right. Mike, I love this idea.

I hope it gains some traction. Just because, it will make Mexico. You know, I was talking to my wife the other night about this.

She would say, what would Mexico say?

And I said, you know, just like you said, the people of Mexico will love this.

Because they're tired of this. You would know pretty quickly, who is under the thumb of the cartels. And who is not.

Just like we would with our government. If someone is coming in and saying, hey, you've got terrorist organizations. And we will take them out.

If we knew them to be terrorist organizations. I think, you know, we might say. Well, come on now. We can take care of that.

But if they could do it, for us. I'm all for that. I would be all for that.

The people who would be against are the ones really under the thumb of the cartels.

And the people of Mexico, should know who those people are. As if they don't already know.

Mike, one last went. How do you think RFK will fare in the Senate?

RON: Look, he faces a tough fight. Democrats are institutionally inclined to oppose anyone, who was at once part of their party. And has moved in the other direction.

Particularly with someone with as prominent a name as RFK Jr has. And particularly someone who has shown a degree of contempt for the Deep State. For the administrative state.

For things that have gone wrong.

And so we're going to have to -- rely on. My hope is that we can pick up some democratic votes.

GLENN: You're for him?

MIKE: We have to assume that we won't be able to do to. And we will need to produce enough Republicans to make sure he gets through. Just we did with Pete Hegseth.

It will be a tight vote there. I do think he can get through. But it's by no means certain, and that's why we have to line up behind him to support him.

GLENN: Wow. And you're for him?

MIKE: Oh, 100 percent. I had a great meeting with him the other day. And I think he brings to the table, an innovative approach with a fresh set of eyes that can see, that we've created a lot of problems through our own government.

The very department that he's been asked to head, as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Has been a big part of the problem.

He recognizes that. That's exactly why we need him in there.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

And our other nominees is -- is Kash Patel going to get through?

MIKE: Yeah. So similarly, to what we face with RFK, with Kash Patel and also with --

GLENN: Tulsi.

MIKE: Tulsi Gabbard.

We're going to have to confront both of those with the expectation, that we may not get a single democratic vote.

And so that's why Republicans are so important. Remember, it's unusual for an incoming president to not have his top level picks supported by pretty much every member of the president's own party in confirmation votes.

And we've -- we've got to remember that. So a lot of the same people, who are on the list of those who might oppose them. Are people who time and time again, voted to confirm democratic nominees.

Named by President Biden.

I hope they will give Republican nominees, nominated by President Trump, at least the same degree of deference, that they give to those nominated by President Biden.

Often, by the way, with the justification, that he is the elected president.

We -- we can't run the world as if our guy were president.

Well, if that's the case. It should be the case here.

GLENN: Well, that's a nice way of saying, what I believe, which is vote these weasels out, if they -- if they fail to support the president.

We have one shot at this.

And so far, Donald Trump and those who are supporting him, are doing amazing things in the first week.

Things that I never thought that I would see.

And I for one, am excited about it. Mike, appreciate it very much.

Senator Mike Lee.

RADIO

DeSantis Exposes Shady RINO Agenda to SABOTAGE Trump’s Deportations

Republicans in the Florida legislature are pushing back against Governor Ron DeSantis’ plan to support President Trump’s mass deportation plan. Instead, they’ve proposed the “TRUMP Act,” which DeSantis says is very misleadingly named: “They thought if they came in, gutted the enforcement of doing what we need to do, and just named it the “TRUMP Act,” that somehow, they would be able to get away with that.” Gov. DeSantis joins Glenn to argue that “RINOs” are trying to give immigration enforcement power to the Commissioner of Agriculture, who will do the bidding of companies that want to use illegal immigrants for cheap farm labor: “That’s like the fox guarding the henhouse! They don’t want to enforce it. Are you kidding me?! … I don’t want to house the illegals. I want to DEPORT the illegals.”

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: The first 100 days of the Trump administration have been breathtaking. A lot like the early days of Ron DeSantis in Florida.

And what he's doing in Florida, is trying to get the state to do everything they can to make sure, that Trump's policies are going through, especially on illegals.

There is a house with these unbelievable RINOs, that in a special session, they must want to come back.

Because they said, it's not an emergency. What are you talking about?

Ron DeSantis called for a special session, because he said, the president was just put in office. I want all of the tools on the table. To help him solve this problem.

The RINOs said no, and then they started to change everything that he wanted, and then have the balls to name it the Trump Act.

Really? The Trump Act. And Ron DeSantis, governor is with us now to tell us a little bit about the Trump Act.

Welcome to the program, Governor. How are you?

RON: I'm doing good.

A week ago, we were preparing for a historic snow storm, and our state record had been four inches.

We actually hit last week, 10 inches of snow in Northwest Florida. In Milton. You saw the beaches covered in snow. So it's kind of an interesting period for Florida. Where is the global warming when you need it, right?

GLENN: Yeah. Okay. So tell me about -- because what I've seen, what -- just what's happening with Wilton Simpson is an abomination. Tell me what --

RON: Yeah.

GLENN: Tell me who you're fighting. And what you're fighting against and for.

RON: Well, you hit it on the head. They didn't want it to do anything, on illegal immigration.

And after the election, I said, this is our chance. This is the number one issue, the president ran on.

And we need to get it right. And on there's no way, President Trump can fulfill his mandate, if the state and local governments and law enforcement are not actively supporting his deportation efforts. I mean, think about it. He's coming out of the gate strong. But they've done about probably 700, 800 arrests on average a day. Which is saying, well, let's just say a thousand.

Well, extrapolate that out. 365 days a year, times four.

Biden let in 10 million illegals on his own. Now, I do think the Trump administration will ramp up.

I think they will get better numbers as times goes on.

If you just had every red state. Saying all police departments. All red departments.

Have to participate maximally in the programs that the Trump administration is offering for immigration enforcement. You would increase those numbers dramatically, and that is what we have to do.

We have to be ready to go.

We have to work hand-in-glove.

Now, what you'll have in California and be in Chicago.

They will be trying to sabotage Trump's agenda. There will be sanctuary jurisdictions. Now, we don't allow that in Florida. But I think most states who are not sanctuary. They will just say, hey, it's the federal government's responsibility.

Yeah. We won't sabotage it. We won't be in that fight.

I don't think that's adequate. This is a historic moment for this country.

We've been talking about this issue for decades. Yes. Trump is absolutely right for going after the cartels. And designating them foreign terrorist organizations.

Obviously, we need to build the wall. And fortify the border.

But you have this massive problem of interior enforcement. And so that's what we're proposing, as well as other things that were important.

Legislature didn't want to do. I called a special session against their wishes. They said it was premature that they could wait. They got blowback from their constituents.

They thought, if they came in. Butted the enforcement of doing what we need to do.

And just name it the Trump act nap somehow, they would be able to get away with that. Obama named Obamacare, the affordable care act. Obviously, it wasn't affordable.

Biden named his spending boondoggle the Inflation Reduction Act. Obviously, that didn't work out.

So they're playing this game, where if they think, if they put Trump's name on a weak bill, that somehow people think it will be good.

And it's totally inadequate.

Here's the thing, Glenn. Before I became governor, Florida was very weak on immigration.

Part of it was they thought, that the Hispanic population. I proved that wrong, because I was the strongest governor, and I had a record Hispanic vote in 2022.

So that was wrong. But then you do have this desire for cheap, illegal alien labor in some of these industries. And I think that's what these guys are trying to preserve. I don't think they want to see immigration enforcement, the way you would need to, to fulfill President Trump's mandate. They made it sound like it's initially a difference of opinion on timing. But understand, what they're proposing, it's a difference of values.

The values that we all ran on, that Donald Trump got elected on. That all your listeners subscribed to.

Those are reflected in the proposals that I did. They are not reflected in what the Florida legislative leaders are doing.

And you mentioned the commissioner of agriculture. They're actually taking away immigration enforcement authority from the governor, and putting it in the commissioner of agriculture.

GLENN: Which is --

RON: That's like the fox voting the henhouse. Are you kidding me?

GLENN: It's crazy.

RON: Even stripping some of the stuff I have now, like E-Verify. They want to put it over there.

It's a really, really bad product.

Here's the thing. I think some of them are caught up.

We don't want the governor getting the win.

We're sick of him doing all this stuff.

I don't need pride of ownership stuff.

They can take 100 percent of the credit.

I just want to get the job done.

If they're not doing what they need to do, to get rid of this.

There will be some successes, don't get me wrong.

But we won't be able to deliver on the man date that people gave us.

Just the final point I'll make. Republicans all ran, for four years in Florida. On bashing Biden's border policy.

Saying we needed to get tough.

Supporting Trump's agenda in 2024.

They all ran on that. Not one Republican ran and said, you know what, we just need to give it all to the commissioner of agriculture. You know, state and local shouldn't be -- shouldn't be required to help the federal government.

They wouldn't do any of that!

And now they're bragging about, they're going to spend money on giving beds for illegals. I don't want to host illegals, I want to deport illegals.

GLENN: It is remarkable to me!

First of all, Wilton Simpson. He wants to be governor. When you're not governor, he is going to run in the next cycle.

He's compromised. He is the guy who supported giving in-state intuition to illegal aliens.

He gave the cutout to e-Verify, so agriculture didn't to have worry about it. Refused to provide law enforcement resources during the original border crisis.

This guy is -- is not a helper when it comes to doing the things that Americans have just said, they want to be done.

Who is -- who is also -- I mean, I'm just looking up you've got the Senate president. Ben Albritton. House Speaker, Daniel Perez.

They seem to be in the same boat, as Wilton Simpson. Who needs the pressure?

RON: Well, look, I think just all the legislators. They just need to hear from their constituents. And they're getting upset they can't be somehow, they're getting threatened.

Some of their constituents are telling them, that's not right.

They need to be held accountable for their actions. And what they did, what they're doing is consistent what they told the voters they're doing. They're not going to have any problem, right?

Glenn, I've been doing this for six years.

I've never seen our base react more negatively on an issue, than what the legislature is trying to pull right now. It is like 99 to one. In terms of opposition.

So I think sunlight is the it best disinfectant. People just have to make their voice heard.

We shouldn't let this slip through our fingertips. I think some of it is some inside baseball up there.

You know, Will Simpson was the Senate president.

A lot of the stuff -- tough immigration policies we did two years ago, I wasn't able to get through when he was Senate president.

Because he did block it. And he did support things like driver's licenses for illegals. When he was in the Florida Senate.

He really exercises a lot of influence over the Florida Senate.

So the fact that he was put into that bill, I don't think that that was an accident.

I think that was definitely something that they were trying to do. And does it even pass the last test.

That no state has been more active in fighting illegal immigration, over Biden's term than me. Than Florida and me.

We've had people at the border.

Martha's vineyard and other transport. We enacted mandatory E-Verify.

We did all these things. And then you want to take all these things away, and give it to the ag commissioner, and create some new, crazy bureaucracy.

GLENN: That they don't even have the infrastructure for in the first place. They would have to be rebuilt in the ag department. Am I right about that, or wrong?

RON: Exactly. And the way the bill is written, we think it's unconstitutional.

Because it actually takes away some of the core executive power, that is vested in the governor's office, under Florida's Constitution.

So it's constitutionally suspect. It's also, as a policy matter, it is not going to work.

And here's the thing: If their proposals were consistent with what they campaigned on. What actually worked.

And they had competing.

Hey. If it works, it works.

Their proposals will not work.

Think of even this issue.

It needs to be a crime for illegals to Trojan vote. We've been trying to do this for years.

That was in my proposals.

They're not including that. So illegals can register in Florida, under their proposals. And they're not requiring to sign an affidavit, that they're a US citizen.

Which our Constitution requires. And there's no penalty. Well, guess what, Glenn.

If you let them register. By the time they vote, even if you prosecutor them after the fact, the vote counts.

The time to stop it, is when they try to register in the first place.

And yet they're not doing anything about that.

We have, in our proposals, a rebuttable resumption that illegals that get brought up on criminal charges are detained and then turned over to ICE!

They watered that down so that judges are just going to release these guys back on the streets.

So it's a lack of seriousness about what it really takes to get this issue right. And I can tell you this.

When they propose their so-called Trump act, misnamed Trump Act, Democrats in the Florida Senate were high-fiving them.

Liberal media in Florida, have been singing their praises. The ACLU of Florida tweeted, thank you for what you're doing.

I can tell you this, Glenn. When we banned sanctuary cities. Democrats were not high-fiving anyone.

GLENN: Oh, yeah. Correct.

RON: When we eliminated DEI a couple years ago. No Democrats were high-fiving anyone. When we eliminated the woke.

When we did the stop the gender insanity. When we do all these things.

That Florida became famous for. No Democrats were high-fiving. No media was singing our praises.

The ACLU was not in our corner. If this was really a tough immigration proposal.

Then why were these people on the left embracing it?

GLENN: I have to tell you, Ron. This is the one went that has stopped me from moving to Florida. I promised my wife that some day we would live on the water. And the only option for me, really is Florida. Because it's a free state and it's a great state and you're the governor.

But I worry about you, when you leave, what are these stupid Republicans going to do.

And honestly, I just -- they -- if we don't get all of these weasels out, and get the people in that actually believe in what we're trying to do.

The state is going to go back to the same wishy-washy garbage. That makes it a garbage state as it always has.

You guys have led the way. And it's the reason why you're leading the United States right now!

Because you're doing what the people are asking for.

These guys who don't get it, man. They should be on notice.

I, like you, have never seen the Republican voters, as awake as they are right now.

They know what they want. They see what's happening in Washington.

They see what's happening in Florida. And if you are a voter in Florida, you need to get on the phone!

Because your state is going to go to trash, the minute this guy leaves. If you don't have people that understand what -- and -- and believe and will execute.

What you want to happen. You need to get on the phone, right now. And call your Florida representative.

By the way, we have Sheriff Wayne Ivey on with us, Governor, in just a few minutes.

I think he will got to be telling the story about what he's actually looking for. Isn't he?

RON: Yeah. Look, people like Wayne. They want to solve the problem. So they want to participate in these federal programs. Not everyone wants to do that. Which is why we have to make it an expectation that all police departments and sheriff's departments want to do it.

Just think about. Yes. We focus on criminal aliens. And that's important. I want to get these guys before they commit crimes.

I want to make sure our schools aren't overrun illegals. I want to make sure our health care system isn't overrun.

I want to make sure that illegals aren't getting into accidents. And you have insurance. And you're out of luck.

So there's so many ways that this problem impacts our society.

And unless we get it right on enforcement right now, under Donald Trump's leadership, we're never going to solve this problem.

And the quality of life is going to increase dramatically. And look, you talked about Florida. What's going to happen. I can tell you this.

I came in. I was bold. They told me, that was a mistake. Because it was a 50/50 state. We were bold. We delivered results. There was a sharp contrast between us and the left.

And we've had more political success in Florida, than Republicans have ever had. When you water down. When you do the corporatism, when you're not standing for working people, but you're worried about things like cheap labor. When you do that, you will lose political support. That's the lifeline.

I think the reasons the Democrats were high-fiving. Is because they see the leaders -- they're giving them a lifeline to regain relevance in Florida.

They're giving them a pathway, where they can return to power, in the future.

We have beat the left. We weren't trying to high five them.

We've beat them on issue after issue. That's why they've been rendered irrelevant.

And the formula is very clear. And even look at the national election. Donald Trump was bold. And he was rewarded.

GLENN: I have got to run. But so great to talk to you. Keep up the good fight.

Governor Ron DeSantis.

Glenn's Show Prep

This Popular Band Eerily Predicted Today’s Politics and World Events in a Song From 2009

Will DOGE’s “Fork in the Road” Strategy Save the Government BILLIONS?

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Trump Team Reveals the TRUTH About the New Jersey Drones

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Is THIS the Answer to Trump's Cartel Problem?

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DeSantis Exposes Shady RINO Agenda to SABOTAGE Trump’s Deportations

Transcript