BLOGSeptember 05, 2017

Will Harvey’s Impact on the Oil Industry Increase Tensions With Russia?

Tropical Storm Harvey continues to douse Texas with rain, and flooding from the storm has halted production at the biggest oil refinery in the country. If the U.S. isn’t purchasing oil because there’s no way to refine it, the price of oil could crash worldwide, affecting relations with Russia, Glenn asserted on radio Thursday.

Besides displacing tens of thousands of people whose homes were flooded, Harvey could have international ramifications if the price of oil drops and hurts the Russian economy.

“If that happens, that makes Vladimir Putin a caged animal,” Glenn said.

Author Brad Thor joined Thursday’s show to talk about how Tropical Storm Harvey could affect international tensions and what we need to watch for when it comes to Russia and Putin.

“[Oil] is where Putin does make a good amount of his money,” Thor agreed.

His larger concern is that Russia will take advantage of the coming fall and winter to strong-arm nearby countries by cutting off their fuel supplies.

“If Putin is going to try to expand, this fall, this winter, is when he’s going to do that,” Thor said.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: Brad Thor, who is one of my favorite authors has a new book out called Use of Force. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to. But I have a question about it all the way through. And if I'm right, he has just saluted one of the greatest men that the world does not know even exists. And I want to talk to him a little bit about that.

Also, if you are anywhere in -- well, probably in the United States. I mean, it's happening in New York. But it's really bad here in Texas now. We're trying to get gas today. You might see the gas prices have gone up 30, 50 cents a gallon. This in Texas is taking root as gas stations are just closing down. They have no gas. Four gas stations on the way in. My son-in-law just wrote to me, and he said, "Dad, every gas station I go to, the pumps are all closed." That's because 90 percent of all gas comes out of the Houston area for this part of the country.

We talked to Ken Paxton, our attorney general, he said those lines of -- lines of supply lines are being rerouted. But it could make for a rough weekend.

More importantly, Brad is here. And I want to talk to him about, what does this mean for Russia and the instability of the world?

We go there with Brad Thor, right now.

(music)

GLENN: Before we get to Brad Thor, let me just give you an update: Yesterday, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for donating to this, from all over the country and indeed the world. We had some guy in Jerusalem say, I can't make an international donation. I don't know why we can't do that. But somebody was trying to help the victims in Houston from Israel yesterday.

And we so appreciate everybody who is trying to help. And if you're using our portal through Mercury One, every dollar that is raised for these causes goes to the cause. Every single dollar.

We're working with six disaster-related partners right now. These are the main ones we're working for. I want to give you an update: Operation Barbecue, Houston. They serve 12,000 meals to those affected. And first responders, just yesterday. Sixty volunteers showed up to help them do it.

By tomorrow, they're going to be serving 25,000 hot barbecue complete meals. They're supporting the US Coast Guard. We have team Rubicon out. A couple more updates.

The boats are coming in. And they're present today in Beaumont or will be tonight, I think. They plan to be part of the search-and-rescue efforts until they're no longer needed. Until the water goes down. Team Rubicon is continuing the operations with the cleanup. Also, City Impact -- these are church partners that we have from Corpus Christi, you know, all the way up to Baytown.

We have deployed now, I don't even know, ten tractor-trailers with water and everything else. They are also delivering a huge donation of survival food to victims who have lost their house from My Patriot Supply.

They are also -- My Patriot Supply is so amazing. They're also delivering 2500 water filtration systems. This -- and I'm not kidding you. We've done it. I haven't done it. But we did it when we were in New York. When they first did this water filtration system, they said it's the best in the world. They said, look. Come out with us. We were in New York. Come to this muddy pothole in New York Street. In the streets. Would you ever -- I don't even want to touch that water. It will kill you.

STU: Right.

GLENN: Drank water from that pothole. And they're still walking today.

PAT: After it had been filtered through their system, of course.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: They didn't just do it for fun.

PAT: It was pure.

GLENN: Yeah, it's amazing.

STU: That's the Alexapure Pro. Right?

GLENN: Yes. And 2500 of those are being delivered. Somebody Cares: Also, these are people that are helping in cleanup the mud out, putting tarps on the roof, et cetera, et cetera.

There's Gleaning For the World: They're doing the baby products and the water. Also, Provisions Project. This one is really important. These guys are funding -- we're providing the funding so they can provide the fuel for the search-and-rescue vehicles, the equipment and the meals. And they are in not only Houston, but they're also up in Louisiana, one of the parishes up there that was hard hit by Katrina. Thank you for donating. Mercuryone.org.

We go to Brad Thor now, who has written use of force. And, Brad, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about the hurricane and the unforeseen consequences at least by the people in the media that will never look into these things. With the price of gas going up because 20 percent of our fuel is not being refined now -- the 20 percent of that, means that we're not buying oil, which could make the price of oil globally crash. Which, if that happens, that makes Vladimir Putin a caged animal.

Are you seeing any ramifications from Harvey that I might be missing?

BRAD: Well, that's probably one of the biggest ones you've got to be careful with there. Because that is where Putin does make a good amount of his money, is with -- with that.

You know, I have to tell you, I'm concerned, and it is something I'm watching. But part of a larger play which involves basically no sanctions for him taking the peninsula in Crimea. I'm very concerned for some of those Baltic states, particularly as we go into the winter. And will he cut off fuel supplies, natural gas, as he does to Ukraine? But will he make a move on Lithuania or Estonia or something like that, with Trump so wobbly on the Article V of the NATO treaty?

If Putin is going to try to expand, this fall, this winter is when he's got to do it. And that's what I'm really concerned about.

GLENN: So am I alone in feeling that this -- we're approaching the most dangerous fall that I think we've approached since possibly 2001. Just something doesn't feel right. This is a dangerous fall. Feels like the season has changed. Do you feel that at all?

BRAD: It's almost like -- we joke around about Star Wars a lot on the show. But it's almost like you sense that disturbance in the force.

GLENN: Exactly right.

BRAD: Particularly with the North Koreans kicking things up, with launching that missile.

And, by the way, one of the things the media got wrong about the recent launch that they did over Japan was that the North Koreans were very tactical about this.

They sent the missile up so high, over that Japanese Island, that technically, they didn't violate their airspace or their sovereignty. And where it came down was nowhere near Guam. So they're being very tactical. But make no mistake, it was a big middle finger, held up towards Donald Trump.

GLENN: You know what, they can -- they can hold up middle fingers to Donald Trump and to us all they want. Let's do the right thing and not get our egos involved. This is a dangerous situation.

BRAD: Well, and they're going to keep going and doing it. Because winter is coming.

It's like Game of Thrones: They're going to need heating oil, and they're going to need food. Those are two of the biggest things they are going to be lobbying for. So you're going to see things get more dangerous.

But it only takes one mistake in these provocations to lead us to war. And the big thing that I'm looking for -- and it will be a big kind of trigger point for me is if the United States government gives an order to evacuate military families and nonessential diplomatic personnel from South Korea and Japan. If that happens, we know it's game on. And that's what I'm watching for in that part of the world.

STU: Brad, just to let you know, for the rest of the interview. You've already done Star Wars and Game of Thrones. I will need a pop culture reference for each point that you make.

GLENN: Now, back to the interview.

(laughter)

So -- so try to find one here: Afghanistan, two weeks ago seems like 100 years ago.

PAT: Rambo. It's like Rambo.

(laughter)

GLENN: Seems like 100 years ago that the president said, "Hey, by the way, we're ramping up troops," something he was dead set against, which really put a chill down my spine. Because it reminded me of what George Bush said to me in the Oval, which was, don't worry about it. Whoever gets into the Oval Office, when they sit behind this desk, they're going to do exactly what I've done because they'll see that the president really has no more options left.

BRAD: Yeah. That is totally correct. And I know a lot of people have been upset with Erik Prince putting forward this idea that maybe we ought to have a greater private military corporation presence in Afghanistan.

I will tell you this: I'm good friends with a gay named Sean Parnell. And Sean Parnell wrote a fabulous book about his experience in Afghanistan called Outlaw Platoon. I highly recommend it.

And Parnell had -- his team, they had one of the longest combat deployments on the war on terror: 485 days in Afghanistan. They actually said that as painful as it was being away from home, that that length of time was excellent because the villagers got to know them, they knew the terrain better than the bad guys. They knew where the bad guys were.

So this idea that putting people in for longer stretches, who can get to know the villagers, can work on some of that counterinsurgency stuff, may not be a bad thing. I'm a big believer. And I love the Defense Department, but they still buy 600-dollar hammers.

I'm also in favor of considering options that allow the private sector, when held accountable, to try to do things better, cheaper, faster, stronger than the United States government. So I think it's worth looking at.

GLENN: Have you read the news -- this is not covered by anyone going to Iran.

The head of the Supreme Council came out about four weeks ago and said to the people, "I just want you to know that the Twelfth Imam is here. He is among us. And he is walking among us now. And he will come forth soon."

Is that disturbing to you at all?

BRAD: It is disturbing when you know as much about this as you do and your audience does. I mean, Ahmadinejad had all of the avenues in Tehran widened so that they could celebrate and do a big parade for the Mahdi when he came. So this is a disturbing thing. If they are ramping up that apocalyptic rhetoric.

Why else would they be doing it? Why would they be ginning their people up, unless they needed a faith-based reason to prepare them to go through some real, serious bad stuff, and that's what this sounds like.

GLENN: Last on the world events -- we're seeing people ginning things up in North Korea. They're building the giant bridge. I don't know if you saw the bridge that Russia is building now in Crimea. It's like 12 miles long. First land bridge to that area from Russia.

People are starting to really lay claim to things. And here in the United States, we have Antifa and the Nazis. And, you know, the -- the -- the right is being told, you've got to stand against the communists. And kind of just, you know, look the other way about the Nazis. And the left is saying, you've got to fight against the Nazis. And many on the left are saying, "And you've got to join the communists." What do you make of this?

BRAD: Well, so it's funny I was actually reading back on some of your old articles on GlennBeck.com.

GLENN: You have no life. You really have no life.

(laughter)

BRAD: You know, it's like Groundhog Day. I read the same thing over and over and over.

GLENN: Okay. Good.

BRAD: You actually, Glenn, were saying in the spring of 2016, that you thought that summer was going to be like '68. And I think you were a year too early. I think we are seeing it now. I think the stuff that you thought was coming in '16 actually hit this summer with Charlottesville. And I think it's only going to get worse.

GLENN: Yeah.

BRAD: But -- but I am heartened by the fact that even the Washington Post, even though they kind of softened at the end of the op-ed is willing to go after Antifa.

If you've got to put a mask on to show up and practice your free speech rights, you're doing it wrong, if you've got to wear the mask. So these are bad guys. The Nazis are bad people. I hate the Nazis. I hate the alt-right.

But we're in a very dangerous time in our country, where we're not supporting free speech. We're telling people, you've got to pick sides. And, you know what, I stand on the side of liberty. And I want the truth. And I want people to be able to discuss differences of opinions and ideas, without worrying about getting their heads caved in.

GLENN: Yeah, this is really -- this is where your -- here's where the rubber meets the road: Charlie Hebdo, I don't know if you've seen this, the latest cover of Charlie Hebdo, which, you know, we rallied for and stood with them.

I am Charlie. When they were being told to sit down and shut up in the strongest of terms by the Islamic extremist community, we stood up for them. The world did. We have to do it today. But here's where it's really hard: The cover of Charlie Hebdo is now a cartoon of Americans giving a Nazi salute with just their arms coming out of the water. And the headline says, what, Pat?

PAT: God exists. He drowned all the neo-Nazis in Texas. Something to that effect.

GLENN: Right. So the original reaction -- the immediate reaction to people is, "Oh, my gosh. How dare them. That's just wrong."

Yeah, it is wrong. I hate that. But they have a right to say it. We just have a right not to buy it and not to spread it.

BRAD: Well, and this is what I've always said, when I had the Islamic extremists that didn't like my thrillers: I've got a First Amendment right to write whatever I want, and it's equaled by a right just as powerful, the right not to read it.

So, listen, this is bad when America is viewed this way, internationally. And I think, had Trump handled Charlottesville better, that this wouldn't have happened.

But this is where we are now. What you hear from Donald Trump on Twitter and at the rallies is the real Trump.

When he's off-prompter, that's the real Trump. He is not very adept. He's not good at handling this stuff. And his instincts are not good. He's a pugnacious reality TV star, that that does not lend itself towards effective leadership.

And so you end up seeing this craziness. Listen, it's the French, right? We'll go back to having freedom fries instead of french fries, if they want to pull this BS when it comes down to Texas.

But anybody who is trying to score political points or to do fundraising like that insane woman Linda Sarsour, on the backs of the tragedy happening in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, you're a bad person. You're a bad person if you cannot put your politics aside and see that there are black, brown, white, yellow, red, blue, polka dot people that are suffering. Politics don't matter right now. This is about human beings, and we need to do all we can to be helping those folks down in Texas, instead of trying to score cheap political points.

GLENN: There it is. You let the man talk, and he always hangs himself. Did you hear that? Now he's claiming there are polka dot people. You heard it here. You heard it here from Brad Thor.

STU: Similar to Episode 7, Season 2, of Caroline In the City, which I think we're all thinking about.

GLENN: Back in a second with Brad Thor. One more question for him. And it regards a hero in your book that I've been reading your book. And I'm like, I got to ask Brad Thor this.

And I think I'm right. And if I am, you need to tell -- you need to -- you need to tell the story, when we come back.

GLENN: Brad Thor, the odds are probably slim, but I have to know. I'm reading your book. One of the heroes named Haney. Is that the way you're pronouncing it in the book?

BRAD: Correct, yep.

GLENN: Did you name it after a guy who I don't think anybody in the country really knows who he is and I believe one of the greatest heroes of our generation, Phil Haney?

BRAD: So -- no.

GLENN: It's not?

BRAD: It's not -- it's not. There's actually a real-life Mike Haney, and that's who it's named after.

The real-life hero in the book is the (inaudible) boss, Reid Carlton. I dedicated Use of Force to Dewey Clarridge, who was a huge CIA spymaster, fantastic American. And the Reid Carlton character, nobody knew it until this book came out, was always based upon Dewey Clarridge, who set up the counterterrorism center at the CIA. But I know who Phil Haney is. Good guy.

GLENN: Unbelievable man. Unbelievable man. Maybe we'll get into it next week and just on this program explain who Phil Haney is. But he's a guy that I think every American should know. He's remarkable. And that's what I love about your books, and that's why I thought it might be Phil. But I love -- I love your books because I learn so much from them. You don't right fiction, you write faction. And I love that.

Brad, thank you so much. We'll talk to you again, my friend.

BRAD: Thank you, my friend.

RADIO

Biden FLOODED the Government With DEI, But Trump Has ONE Way to Win

With just weeks left in office, President Biden (or whoever’s actually calling the shots) has decided to hire 1,200 DEI officials. Is this part of a plot to undermine Donald Trump’s plans and make it harder for him to rid the government of woke Deep State bureaucrats? Glenn and fellow BlazeTV host ‪@lizwheeler‬ discuss how other Democrats have recently proposed things like this, including a UK-style “shadow cabinet” that would oppose Trump. Liz also gives her advice to Trump on how to deal with these new DEI officials, who will be paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to focus on things like “health equity” …

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Okay. Where were we, Liz?

LIZ: The Biden administration. Although, not Biden. Because he can't tell the difference between a nickel and a dime, trying to sabotage the Trump administration.

GLENN: Yeah. So the latest on this is now Biden is hiring 1200. Biden is not doing it.

But he's hiring 1200 DEI officials, and putting them just under the appointed official. So there will be 1200.

Some of these people make almost $400,000 a year. $400,000 a year! That's your tax dollar!

Will you -- in your -- in your life, your average person, I don't know if you'll ever even -- if you'll ever even pay $400,000 in taxes?

So you could be working your whole life, for that one hire.

And he's hired 1200 of them.

And all he's trying to do is make sure the DEI positions just can't get cut.

I've got news for you.

Donald Trump is going to cut those positions.

He's going to. And it's going to get ugly.

I mean, the ACLU was all over this, saying, oh, we've got plans. We're going to -- we're going to -- this is obscene.

This is absolutely obscene. What the Democrats are trying to do. By thwarting the president.

And honestly, thwarting the will of the American people. Remember the speech that was given by I don't know, some boob from -- well, one of the Carolinas.

I don't want to besmirch the other one for electing a boob. But he was -- he was giving a speech in the well of the Senate. And he said, we need a shadow government. What?

Hold it. You mean a Deep State. Because we already have one of those. And he said. This is a quote.

One of the most obscene things I've ever heard from an elected representative. We failed to make our case. That our policies are better.

Now, in my world, growing up in America, the next sentence is: We need to sit down and talk and find out why we're out of step, with the American people.

His was, but we know we're right. So we need a shadow government, to make sure we put our policies in, anyway.

There's nothing more un-American than that.

By the way, Ted Cruz also said, he thinks there's criminal charges that could be lodged against Biden and his administration for the selling of the steel and the walls for the border.

I think so too. I think so too. He'll probably end up blanketing or pardoning everybody that has either lived by a Biden. Or a Democrat.

Worked for the administration. Everybody will get a pardon at the end.

Honestly, it's like, hey. Everybody, Oprah is here.

Look under your seats.

Because you've got a pardon. You've got a pardon. And you've got a pardon.

Ugh!

Now...

PAT: The Department of Health and Human Services on November 15th. This is posted immediately after President Trump has been reelected.

They advertised for the following position. A deputy assistant secretary for Minority Health. With a salary of up to 221 thousand dollars. This is the goal of this position.

Or this is the purpose of this position.

To, quote, promote health equity.

To promote health equity.

What does that mean?

It means racial criminalization in health care.

It means, if you are seeking, I don't know.

Think about during the pandemic. When there was limited resources. Limited beds in the emergency room.

Limited amounts of drugs and therapeutics, that people could access, in order to treat COVID when it's at its worse.

Well, now you will be screened based on the color of your skin.

That's what health equity is. Health equity is a word used to disguise the reality, that it's just -- it's socialism.

It's discrimination.

It requires, a government official to look at you, and make a decision about whether or not you are going to have access to health care that you might need, based on what you look like.

Not based on the severity of your illness. Not based on your ability to pay. Not based on your request for care. But based on the color of your skin. That's not only wrong and immoral and completely absurd, that a bureaucratic in that position would make over $221,000. That's evil. The left likes to pretend, that you're a racist. Or I'm a racist. Just for voting for Donald Trump. This is evil racism. This is the kind of stuff that we eradicated from our country.

And Biden is trying to plant the Trump administration. With these evil little minions before he leaves.

GLENN: I mean, why are we -- why are we surprised?

How many anti-slavery amendments do we have, to the Constitution.

I mean, it's amazing to me. With very few exception, after ten, most of these seem to be like, oh.

Yeah. Okay.

You're so stupid, you don't understand.

Slaves need to be free. Okay.

Then the next amendment is like, okay. All right.

Let me limp up to explain this once more.

That means, they're Americans, and can vote!

How many amendments are -- are just one after another, especially on slavery.

And, by the way, who was it that didn't understand that slaves should be freed? The Democratic Party.

It -- I swear to you, these amendments are just, God, we didn't think you would be this stupid.

It's already covered!

But let's lay it out clearly, for you.

You cannot discriminate by color! By race! By religion.

We thought that had already been covered, but apparently, not.

LIZ: What I would do if I were the Trump transition team. This is obviously a deliberate effort by the Biden administration. Because within the first ten days after the election, 33 of these jobs were posted on government websites.

So this was -- they were like, okay. Trump is coming in. Let's start ceding the deep state with these races. What I would do if I were Trump transition is I would say, we take racial equality, very seriously. We take civil rights very seriously.

In the administration, of the 47th president of the United States, and anybody who engages, especially a government official who engages in racial discrimination will be prosecuted. And prevent these people from even accepting these jobs. Because they will be threatened with legal action if they do.

GLENN: You can make a legal case. A solid, legal case, that that is exactly right. And that's what should be done.

They would be doing that to us, if we were -- if we were discriminating on race. If we were like, you know what, we're only going to hire white people.

We would go to jail.

Oh, you know what. We're just going to shuffle the deck here.

We're going to look at everybody.

But we lean towards white people.

Did you have Wheaties for breakfast?

If you had Wheaties as a childhood, you're in a different category. Okay?

I mean, we would go to jail. We would be shut down.

It's the same thing.

But don't expect the Democrats to get it.

Did you see the new -- or the DNC chair front runner?

The one they're thinking should be the head of the DNC?

He said, the problem with the election is, the convention should have featured pro-Hamas activists.

LIZ: I totally agree. That absolutely should have --
GLENN: At least they would have been honest.
LIZ: Think about how many Democrat voters, and really prominent people too.

I'm talking about Joe Rogan. I'm talking about Elon Musk. I'm talking about RFK Jr. These were fairly hard-core Democrats, who not only converted to being like, okay. We'll tolerate a Republican. Because it's not Joe Biden.

It's not Kamala Harris.

These people are the biggest supporters of President Trump right now, because of that kind of garbage. So DNC, if you are going to be radical, please be honest and tell us.

Thank you. It's just ushering new Republican voters right into our arms.

GLENN: I respect you, more than I respect people like Mike Johnson.

Mike Johnson doesn't tell me what -- he doesn't tell me what he really is.

What he really believes.

He tells me what I want to hear. I don't believe it. Then he's elected. Then he gets in.

And then he rapes you.

You know, I have much more respect for -- for people who are like, yeah. I'm pro-Hamas.

And you should elect me.

Well, I don't think I'm going to do it.

But thank you for telling me who you really are.

LIZ: Yeah. Great. Let's take all of the Democrat members of Congress. And let's Jamaal Bowman them, let's Cori Bush them.

Because as soon as they were honest about being pro-Hamas, voters were like, actually, we're good.

GLENN: Yep. Yep.

By the way, Hochul has come out. And she has now tried to stir up support to end the electoral college.

Because no offense, Wyoming, according to her words, New York voted for Kamala Harris.

You know, it is so dishonest. And this would -- this would have no space, if -- if we were actually teaching you students, what the electoral college is for.

You want to talk about fairness. Here's fairness: Should New York City dictate what all of New York does?

No!

They have representation. Of all the small towns.

All the farming towns.

Everything else.

New York City, should not be the one that tells everyone else, exactly how to live!

I think there should be electoral colleges in states now.

Because the cities are just devouring, all of the communities outside of those mega cities.

The electoral college is to make sure, that New York, California, and let me say, Texas, doesn't run over all of the other states!

And force how they're living in those cities, and those big states. In Wyoming!

Or Idaho!

Or Alabama!

Yeah. I don't have to live like you do in New York City.

I don't want to live like you do in New York City.

And we have completely different values than you do.

We should have a say, and an even, equal seat at the table.

That's why we have the electoral college. And we have the popular vote.

So you can see. And it's usually pretty close.

This time, however, Hochul, you lost the popular vote!

So you don't really have a case here, on the electoral college.

But you don't have a case.

If you're an American, you don't have a case on the electoral college anyway.

LIZ: Wait a second. Have we war gamed the scenario that you just proposed.

If there was an electoral college on the state level in California or on the state level in New York, what would the -- have we actually looked at a map here. If anybody has done this. Tag me on social media.

Because I am fascinated by this idea. I've not thought of this before. But I -- would we actually swing those states Republicans, if there was a state level?

STU: I bet we would. I bet we would.

You know, every time. Look at Wyoming.

Jackson Hole now controls Wyoming. Just controls it.

Who is -- who is so close to controlling Texas?

All the big cities.

You know, you don't have a chance. When these cities grow so large, they tip everything.

That's why we have an electoral college.

And it didn't used to be this way.

But our cities are becoming mega cities.

Almost states in and among themselves.

You -- you have to balance. Otherwise, the farmer and everybody else, that makes your life possible, in a city, gets screwed.

GLENN: And also think about cheating for a second. If you have a popular vote across the whole country, versus an electoral college system, it's a lot easier to impact the outcome of the entire presidential election because you can have one county somewhere with corrupt election officials.

And if they cheat by 10,000 votes, that could change the outcome of the election.

But if you're an electoral college, it doesn't necessarily.

RADIO

3 INFURIATING Reasons to REJECT the New Spending Bill

Republican leadership in the House of Representatives is trying to push through a “continuing resolution” bill right before Christmas. But this CR bill has grown so bloated that it’s practically an omnibus, which Speaker Mike Johnson promised he wouldn’t back. Yet here we are again … Glenn and fellow BlazeTV host‪@lizwheeler‬ review 3 of the worst things included in this bill – but just ONE of them should be enough to make every TRUE conservative in Congress vote AGAINST it. First, it includes a 1-year renewal of the Global Engagement Center, which is a State Department sub-agency that has become “the nexus of the censorship-industrial complex” against Americans. Then, there’s an expansion of the “Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Response Act”, which would give the government the power to conduct gain-of-function research in the case of a national emergency. And lastly, it holds hurricane relief hostage. "Does that sound like you’re negotiating with honest people?" Glenn says. Maybe we should just let the government shutdown happen. Turn it off and back on again.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: So Liz Wheeler is joining me. The Liz Wheeler show. You can watch it on YouTube or on Blaze TV.

She is fabulous. And really, really smart. And actually, a conservative. I know, because early this morning, we talked about the spending bill from Mike Johnson.

It -- what part of that do you like the most, Liz?

LIZ: I like the fact that in order to print all of those pages, we had to have American workers chopping down some trees. Which helps our industry.

There is nothing else positive about this bill.

Here what I would say to Republicans in the United States Congress. Who are there, of course. To represent us.

You don't have to post on X, telling us that you spent the whole night reading this.

Don't even bother. There is one thing in this bill that should an immediate disqualifier. You don't have to read another word after you realize that included, in this 1,547-page monstrosity, there is a one-year renewal of what's called the global engagement center. It's such -- it's such a vanilla sounding name, isn't it?

GLENN: Oh, yeah, and it's not! It is not. We talked about the global engagement center on this program, over and over again.

But I'll bet you most people, even in this audience. I'll bet, don't know how dangerous that is.

And the Republicans are giving it another year's worth of funding. What to do!

LIZ: It's unacceptable. It's unacceptable. The global engagement center is a subagency of the state department. And the purpose or the stated purpose, it was conceived in 2014, 2015, 2016. That's when it kind of came into being.

Was to combat disinformation. It's a narrative setting body. It's supposed to be a fact-checking organization for hostile foreign adversaries.

That's what they told us! Which is funny, Glenn. Because right at the time that they were saying, that they -- that they conceived of this global engagement centered to combat foreign disinformation. Not here in America, they said, just abroad.

Suddenly, everything that you and I say, has been labeled as, oh, that sounds an awful lot like Russian propaganda.

That sounds an awful lot like, you know, someone being a patsy for a foreign government.

And suddenly this global government agency was aimed at us.

It is the nexus of the censorship industrial complex. Which has obviously been used against President Trump.

But think of the Hunter Biden laptop story being censor odd Facebook and on Twitter of old. This global engagement center is behind that.

And the fact that any Republican in the United States Congress could look at this bill, see a one-year renewal for the global engagement center and think, oh, I should read the rest of this bill.

Mind-blown.

GLENN: You need to say no to this bill.

LIZ: Yeah.

GLENN: You need to call your House of Representatives and say, no, no, no.

That's not what we just voted for. No.

And we will primary every single one, that votes yes.

What are they going to do? They are going to shut the government down? First of all, they will not shut the welfare system down. They're not going to shut the military down.

No. Nothing that is critical, is going to be shut down. They should shut the government off.

With everything that we have learned and known. What good are they going to be up to, while we're all thinking about Christmas and New Year's?

Shut it off!

You know what, here's -- here's where I start with DOGE.

This is my beginning place.

Hey. Can you give me a list of everybody who raised their hand and said they were an essential employee for the government.

And has been showing up to work, all through the pandemic.

And beyond. Okay? Good. Give me that list.

Everyone else, you're nonessential, by your own definition, or your boss' definition, you're fired.

That's what it should be. You're not in an essential worker?

Than what the hell are you doing? What are you doing?

Why do we need you?

This government is so bloated. It is so rife with corruption. The best thing -- here -- I've said this for years.

Can we try unplugging it. And plugging it back in?

Reset to factory settings.

If we have these non-stop continuing resolutions. You know what that means?

It means, there is no budget.

LIZ: Right.

GLENN: They're not discussing the budget. They're not saying where you're going to spend -- none of that -- none of that happens.

They just keep saying, you know the budget we had?

I believe in 2008, was the last one we passed. Do you know, Liz?

LIZ: No. It's also a betrayal, by the way.

When you talk about the budget process, it's a betrayal on the part of Speaker Johnson.

Because he specifically promised not to do this. This happens every year. We get to Christmas.

Congress knows that we're busy, taking care of our families, enjoying the holiday.

And going to church.

And they try to cram all this poison through.

Speaker Johnson, you promised not to do this. You're betraying, not only your constituents.

But the entire American public. Give us one good reason, why we should not have a vote to vacate your chair?

Why should we not do that to you? Because you have betrayed everything you've promised.

GLENN: We will probably hear that from Chip Roy in about an hour. And Thomas Massie is just blood shooting from his eyes today.

This is everything Thomas Massie said would happen. Everything we have seen over and over again.

And I want to go back to the budget.

We haven't had a passed budget, since 2008.

What's happened to our deficit since 2008?

Why is it, your family has to live on a budget? Because if you got to the end of the year and went, you know what, I don't have money for taxes.

Oh, well.

I'll just get some from the Federal Reserve.

And I'll write them an IOU.

That wouldn't happen.

That only happens in the Biden family.

Okay. Doesn't happen to you.

You have to have a budget. Your company has to have a budget.

Here's the world's largest corporation, if you will.

Employs more people than any other thing in the entire world. The history of the world!

And we don't have a budget?

How is that possible?

LIZ: Modern monetary theory.

GLENN: Yep!

LIZ: From the Obama administration.

It's the chicken -- I mean, it's coming home to roost. This is what we said would happen. If you stop. If you stop acting like your money has value.

And instead, you just printed at will, you don't have to have any -- government officials.

Congress members, specifically, don't have to have any accountability to their voters.

Because they never have to answer for the question that voters would pose to them and say, well, you passed this bill, and you're spending my money in order to fund whatever your project is. Justify that to me.

But if the Congress members aren't appropriating money, via taxes. They're just printing it. There's no accountability. It is a blank check, for their pet projects.

GLENN: You keep asking, as an individual American.

Because I know, this is the way I feel. What -- where is -- where is Joe Biden finding -- oh, I will send another $900 million to Ukraine.

A week later. I'm going to send another $500 million. Where is the debate on that?

Because if that had to go through Congress, we wouldn't be approving all of those.

He's pulling from all kinds of different budgets. He's just pooling the money. Pull from here. Pull from here. Pull from here. And he's giving it, without any debate. No congressional approval. No budget ramifications.

No one is even saying anything about it. No one is saying, the president is out of control.

They're not even saying, he can't control his bladder or his bowels, anymore.

Let alone, control himself with spending.

And live within the definition of the presidency.

LIZ: Well, here's the thing. Here's the thing. It's a hostage situation happening right now.

Joe Biden can't tell the difference between a nickel and a dime. He's not in control of what's going on. I think you know that.

GLENN: You think?

Hang on. Hang on. Hang on.

You think, or you know?

LIZ: We know. Imagine a situation. Holding up a nickel and a dime. Joe, can you tell the difference?

I don't think so. Maybe he would be like, vote for ice cream, please.

GLENN: Yeah. And also, he's not the president. He's not making these decisions.

If he is -- this is the Wilson administration!

They are -- Wilson had a stroke. He was completely incapable of running anything the last year in office.

His wife was shoving the orders underneath his hand.

Putting her hand on top of his. And then signing his name. That's what's happening here. That's what's happening. There's -- he might be able to sign his own name. But I can guarantee you, he didn't -- he didn't approve 9,000 people. Who did?

Who approved all of those pardons? Who did?

Not him. Not him.

LIZ: We're going to look at those, the signature later. When someone gets a chance to scrutinize it, and we're going to find that it's signed by Corn Pop.

All right. Let me tell you something else that's in this bill.

GLENN: Okay.

LIZ: There's an expansion of the pandemic and all hazards, preparedness with and be response act.

GLENN: Oh.

LIZ: This act. Problematic from the name itself, perhaps.

We can anticipate what's in it.

It allows the government to declare a national emergency.

You know, in the case of another COVID-19-like virus.

Enforce vaccines on us. Vaccine passports on us.

Masking. All the COVID tyranny.

This expands it, and actually gives the government power to do it.

Again, there's a lot wrong with this bill.

If this isn't a deal breaker.

Why even call yourself a Republican?

GLENN: And I do want to remind you, this is a Republican bill. This is not the Democrats -- this is the House. This is the House's bill.

It only gets worse when it goes over to the Senate.

And they're putting it -- what additional powers on -- on declaring a national emergency does our president and government need?

Haven't they --

LIZ: Well, according to this bill, it would give them additional power to conduct gain of function research, of course, just defensively.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait.

I'm sorry. I've got so much blood in my eyes right now. What did you just say?

LIZ: The pandemic and all hazards, preparedness and response act, if expanded, would give the government, in the case of the president declared an emergency, if there is another COVID-19. It would give them the power to conduct gain-of-function research.

GLENN: I -- I -- I wish this wasn't FCC regulated radio. I can't think of anything that's not obscene to say after that.

GLENN: You don't usually, like at this point, Christmas music will cheer me up.

But as a dad, I'm practically vomiting blood. My daughter is on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. I was on the airplane, and just going true my music. And I started listening to Patsy Cline. I loved Patsy Cline. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, she's going to be standing on the same stage that Patsy Cline sang these songs from.

And that's happening tonight.

So tomorrow, I will be much more relaxed. And less scattered than I am today.

But that happens tonight. By the way, name of her album is Home for Christmas. You can there it wherever you get your music.

And thank you so much. Tonight, she's on with for King & Country.

She's doing a couple of songs before they come out. And for King & Country, if you've never seen them in concert. You need to see them.

They are fantastic!

Okay. So Chip Roy, just read something from Chip Roy. He said, we get this negotiated crap, and we're forced to eat this crap switch.

Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner. It's the same dang thing every year.

Legislate by crisis! Legislate by calendar! Not legislate, because it's the right thing to do. I love Chip Roy.

I do. I do.

LIZ: He's my favorite member.

GLENN: Is he? I think he's mine too. Massie is pretty great.

LIZ: He is.

He predicted this, by the way, I think it was from -- it was early in September, Massey said, I will tell you exactly what the Republicans are going to do. This is before we even knew who was going to control the House. He predicted this to a T.

GLENN: Yeah. They always do this. They always do this.

And we always give in. Because they scare us.

Stop being scared by what the government is saying!

You should be afraid of the government, on what they're not telling you.

What they're doing behind the scenes.

When they say shut down the government, you really think our missiles won't fly if North Korea, you know, pushes the button.

Do you really think we can't scramble our jets.

Do you really think, that our budget -- that this little game that we play, every time people are going to starve?

No!

It's not going to happen. This -- what happens every single time, is they scare people. And they're like, well, we can't shut down the government.

We can't shut down -- yes, we can.

You will be surprised at how much we can take care of by ourself. How sweet ass your life becomes, when the government ain't showing up!

They're holding the -- the hurricane relief hostage in this bill.

Now, does that sound like you're negotiating with honest people?

With good people?

With people that actually care about you?

They're holding hurricane relief hostage?

Hmm. Congress, don't -- do not bitch at me.

Do not bitch at me.

Oh, we can't even read -- you don't have to.

Reject this bill. There's -- there's -- we just gave you three things in the bill.

You should be like, oh, well, that's ridiculous.

By the way, very few mentions of the border in this.

Okay?

Call your Congressmen.

Hey, we're not around the tree yet.

Tube this bill!

RADIO

“for King + Country” REVEALS Mission Behind “A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE" Tour & Movie

Christian band ‪@ForKingAndCountry‬ is now synonymous with the Christmas song "Little Drummer Boy." But it's hard to bring their incredible Christmas concert experience to everyone in America - let alone the world - when the Christmas season is so short. So this year, they've decided to create a virtual tour, called "A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE | The Cinematic Concert Experience". Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone join Glenn Beck to explain how the idea came about, how they pulled it off, and why Joel's wife described it to him as "better than your actual live show." Plus, they share the story of how they once worked for Glenn many years ago ...

"A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE" is in select theaters through December 19th and is also available on DVD at https://www.ForKingAndCountry.com/

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Luke and Joel Smallbone, brothers, from the Smallbone family are with me by now.

Guys, how are you?

VOICE: Well, well, well, from the bowels of an arena in Kansas City, a month or so ago, to -- to your show today, and I want to give a spoiler to the listeners, but to the Grand Ole Opry in a couple of weeks.

GLENN: Yeah. I know. That's crazy. That's crazy.

I can't thank you guys enough for that.

It's nuts. Do you have any -- well, we'll get into it some other time on the air. Or off the air.

Tell me about the -- the film, that you guys have, out in -- in -- what do they call it?

It's not --

VOICE: Yeah, it's actually -- well, first of all, thanks for having us, and loved our time together.

GLENN: Yeah.

VOICE: It's in 1600 theaters across America. So here's the back story, Glenn. We love Christmas. We love Christmas.

It actually will become a hallmark of Luke and my band, for King & Country, particularly this song, the Little Drummer Boy.

We did sort of a very obvious version of it, with Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra never thought of. And that is, we put loaded drums on a song, about a boy playing a drum.

And, I mean, all the TSA agents will come to me. And be like, we -- they would be like, you're part of King & Country. They would be like, you're the drummer boy, right? You know you've made it when an American TSA agent calls it. And but the trouble is, when we do these Christmas tours. You know, it's so short.

So we only did ten or 12 tours every year. So we end that when we announce it. Three-quarters of America and the rest of the world are all just really upset about it, because we can't get to them.

And so this was our attempt, you know, in a holiday, that I feel like we need to be reminded of these great hallmarks of what it means to be human joy and love and peace.

And the redemption that comes through God. We needed to be reminded of this.

So we put a film. We put it in a Toyota center, last year. And captured a cinematic experience for the whole family of our live show.

And my wife literally, Glenn. Turned to me. And he she was like, Joel, I think this is better than your actual live show.

So I was encouraged and insulted all at the same time.

GLENN: Right. I have to tell you, who is -- who is the artistic director of -- of the show?

VOICE: Well, this is Luke here. Well, this is one of the privileges of being able to do work. And I have brothers from the same mother. From the same father. And I have a privilege of working together. Is actually being able to, you know, being able to create these things together.

Our brother Daniel is actually the show designer.

We obviously, we work on this altogether.

So when it comes down to the set lists.

The visuals. The technology.

Yeah. We're involved with all of it.

Because we've actually done this since we were very young boys.

Rebecca saint James. We went on the road with her.

I think I was a lighting director at 14 or 15.

Joel was --

VOICE: That's a nice summary.

VOICE: So, you know, you throw this all together, and you create these shows.

And that's one of the things I love about what we get to do. We get to do it together.

GLENN: I have to tell you, it was -- it was awesome. It's one of the best shows I've seen. You know, I haven't seen the Christmas one, yet. I've heard, you know, the music.

I haven't seen the actual show.

But the -- the -- your music and the staging was -- I mean, I sat there with my wife.

And we were with a bunch of friends.

And I said, this is incredible!

And if you aren't a Christian, you would walk in here, and you would have really not necessarily any idea, if you hadn't really listened to the lyrics.

But you would feel what you're feeling. And it just is such a great experience.

VOICE: That's kind, man. Look, in our interpretation at least, the idea of being a Christian, of being a Jesus follower. It's an invitation, right?

And it's also a pretty enormous claim, that we are in touch with the creator of the universe.

That we're in touch with the creator of creativity. The creator of art. The creator of Sistine chapels. And so on.

And so often, in the modern context, our art feels like second fiddle to pop culture. And yet, you know this, as bit of a historian yourself.

Throughout history, the religious arts have led the way. And so, man, we take it so seriously.

Not for the sake of ego.

You know, at least -- not for the sake of -- not for the sake of self-aggrandizing. But for the sake of people looking at this and going, my goodness.

What a great God, that they must be in touch with, to put on, and to be inspired to do these types of things.

GLENN: So have you guys been tempted at all, to, you know. In the old days.

When you would go to a Christian concert, they would kind of preach at you. And, you know, try to convert.

And what I loved about it, is it was all there. But it was not in your face. It wasn't -- you weren't -- you weren't overtly saying, hey, come to Christ.

And so you -- nobody was. Nobody could possibly be offended. It was just such a great way to present the message.

And have people go, what makes them different. Have you been tempted to do -- be more obvious?

VOICE: Be more obvious. That's an interesting way of putting it. Look, I'm a big, well, I try to be a big historian.

And st. Francis at the CC, was the guy many, many years ago. He had a quote that as a young boy, really affected me.

And he says, preach the gospel. And if necessary, use word.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

VOICE: And look, I think that that statement should poke at a lot of us, as Christians.

Because our lives should be so unbelievably joyful.

Our work should be unbelievable good.

That sometimes, yeah. Sometimes words are required.

But I think that most of the time, they're not.

It's the presence that you bring, that oftentimes, people are left talking about.

So I think for us, man. We tried to take that -- take that statement literally.

You know, hopefully, you feel it.

GLENN: You do. You do.

VOICE: And you kind of know what's going on. That's our hope.

GLENN: So when I saw you in Kansas City.

I had forgotten that we -- I mean, I -- I know the name small bone, obviously.

I know your brother. He worked -- on one of my early book tours.

I've seen your movie of your family and everything else.

But I had forgotten that at one point, you two worked for me. You did a -- I have -- and you reminded me of that. And I'm like, what?

VOICE: What did you do, Luke? You were --

VOICE: Yeah. No. I'm a film director as well.

And I guess somehow we were working together, Glenn, because your team or somebody said, hey, why don't we do a day in the life of Glenn Beck?

And so we started at your house. And we like filmed you walking out. And then we filmed you, as you went to work that day.

But the funny part was, I was there to be like the sound and the audio guy. And before you came out of the door.

The loud mic, that was meant to go on to you. I dropped.

And literally broke it.

And so the rest of the day, I mean, for those of you who are listening. You see those guys are holding those massive mics above people's heads.

You get good audio.

Usually, that's the backup mic.

Well, that day, I made a mistake. So I am having to chase Glenn around all day with this massive mic.

Because I had broken the loud mic. So yes. We worked together, many, many years ago.

It's a small wall, but a crazy story.

GLENN: A crazy story, to look at where you are now. I mean, you're massive worldwide.

Congratulations.

VOICE: Thanks, man. You know this better than anyone. It's a team sport, right? This whole idea of being human. We're never meant to be an individual concept. We were meant to do this together.

And I think that's what King & Country represents, what these live shows represent.

It's collaboration. It's compromise.

It's, you know, creatively putting our minds together. And that's what the Christmas Live, you know, it really represents.

Is we took the same film crew from our movie, unsung heroes. It was released. Basically our parents' story. Our dad in the film, which I dubbed as a very expensive therapy session.

But we put the same -- we put them in that to capture this -- so what I love about this, this concert film.

And what we've gotten to do live, but also what we're getting to do cinematically now.

Is that we're getting to invite people, not only in America. But this film is going up to Canada.

It's going across to the UK. We're playing a few shows at the UK.

It's going down to Australia. It's going to New Zealand

This is the beauty. We know this with radio. Radio?

We're talking right now. There are thousands and thousands of people listening to this.

This is when art and technology come together. You're able to do something really cool.

GLENN: So we're talking to for King & Country. Their Drummer Boy Christmas live, will be available in select theaters, December 5th.

What day is it? Is that today? That's yesterday.

VOICE: Right now. Right now.

GLENN: Wow, through the 19th.

And if you've never seen them, I cannot explain how good they are.

They are really, really great. You want to get into the Christmas mood. I can guarantee, a good time. How do you get tickets?

VOICE: I think if you -- still, we can go to the local theater.

Phantom of -- kind of got all of the theaters. You know, I think if you use the ZIP code.

It would be able to direct you to the place, to kind of go see -- at your local theater.

GLENN: Great. For King&Country.com.

And you can follow them on Twitter. Four. The number four. King & Country.

God bless you, guys, we'll see you soon.
Thank you. Goodbye.

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“for King + Country” REVEALS Mission Behind “A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE" Tour & Movie

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