Does the world hate America under Trump, or are we gaining more respect? Glenn takes a look at the latest headlines: Trump and Putin have agreed to begin negotiations for the war in Ukraine, India wants to “make India great again,” Vice President JD Vance ripped into European elites over censorship, Trump has announced plans for reciprocal tariffs, and the United States absolutely pummeled Canada in a hockey game after Canadians booed the US National Anthem. But this game, which started with 3 fights, was more than just a victory. Glenn explains how it’s a defining moment of the “new era” we have entered and, much like the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”, it has helped revitalize the American spirit.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Well, does the world hate us, or are we gaining respect?
Let's look. Last week, Trump was busy with the world leaders. On Wednesday, Trump said he had a very lengthy phone call with Russia president Vladimir Putin in which they agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine. On Truth Social, Trump posted, good possibility of ending this horrible, very bloody war. They also discussed the Middle East, energy, and other issues. And agreed to make visits to each other's country. The president also spoke to the Australian Prime Minister. They discussed defense. Trade investment. Mineral supply chains. And concerns about China's aggressiveness.
Also, last week, the world came to the White House. King Abdullah of Jordan.
He was at the White House.
They discussed the situation in Gaza. And then late in the week, it was the turn of India's Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Modi. He visited the White House.
They talked about launching a new initiative on military partnership, commerce. And our countries are going to work together on semi conductors. And AI. In the end, the Prime Minister of India said, we're going to make India great again as well.
The 51st governor, the that one runs Canada is still not happy with Trump.
It played out this weekend, in a Canadian soul-crushing event. I'll get to that in just a minute. In Germany, over the weekend, they were listening to our new vice president. J.D. Vance. They were a little upset. Because he said, the control of thoughts and free speech has to end.
It actually made one of the leaders of the group, weep. Openly.
Saying, that it just showed how far apart Europe and America really are.
And, yes. As the Germans bust down doors for a -- for a retweet. I agree. On free speech, we're quite fire apart. Sixty minutes did a segment on it. That's our topic next hour. But the Germans are now claiming it was free speech that led to the Holocaust.
Excuse me. In Paris, European leaders huddled behind closed doors over the weekend, debating Ukraine's future. Official statements, spoke of unity. But is that the reality?
France and Germany, they're whispering peace talks while Poland in the Baltics brace for something much, much worse.
It's a war of words, at this point now. But history suggests that words don't end wars.
Back then, Washington in its own battlefield, this time over tariffs. The president announced last week, a simple plan. Whatever you charge us. We will charge you.
China was very upset.
Boohoo. Wall Street panicked. In the heartland, farmers remembered fair trade means fair play.
Over the weekend, storms rolled in, as well. They came in fast, and they came in hard. It was Kentucky. West Virginia. Tennessee, and Virginia. Four states that are now digging out from flash floods that swallowed roads and homes and lives.
But among the storm clouds, there was a little parting, some good news.
Small-town America doesn't wait for Washington. Neighbors showed up.
Churches opened doors.
And somewhere, a farmer with a backhoe is already clearing a neighbor's driveway. That's America.
Back in Washington this week, President Trump is delivered on his promises, while even attending the Super Bowl and NASCAR. He's done all kinds of things, including last week, a decisive 25 percent tariff on foreign steel and aluminum, aiming to protect American jobs and industries. Those jobs and industries here in America took a leap on the stock market. Critics are grumbling, but Main Street applauds, as finally a leader puts America first.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans are capturing a six-point agenda. This is all about the budget, and a looming shutdown. Budget resolutions and reconciliation bills aimed to bolster defense, secure our borders, all the way while keeping a keen eye on the deficit, it's a tough balance.
Democrats support the -- the -- the Democrats support is absolutely needed to keep the government from running post-March 14th bipartisan cooperation that is a necessity.
It seems, because we're going to lose some stupid RINOs.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department is undergoing transformation. Seven prosecutors have resigned after being corrected to drop corruption charges against New York City's mayor Eric Adams, acting deputy attorney -- attorney general, Emil Bove cites governance concerns for the dismissal.
Critics say, it's a political maneuver. It's Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre. We'll see, as Kash Patel should be confirmed early this week.
And as he is, if he is, on day one, you expect the Epstein client list to follow within hours of him arriving at the Hoover building.
The budget committee, back to them. They have approved in the Senate, approving a fiscal year 2025 budget. The plan emphasizes bolstering border security, military strength, independence, and an annual allocation of 85.5 billion, an offset by corresponding spending cuts, reflecting a commitment for fiscal responsibility.
House Republicans are navigating their internal debates over their budget approach. The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, advocates for comprehensive bill.
That combines Trump's tax cut agenda with increased funding for border security, military priorities.
Our friend and serious budget cutter, Chip Roy, is with the House package. We'll see if they can bring them both together.
Both chambers are working on this. Because funding expires on March 14th. Gee, have we ever heard that before?
We can't shut down the government! Really? I don't know.
Democrats are licking their chops. At a government shutdown as usual. But wouldn't it be them, that shut the government down? And, quite honestly, really? I've had enough of this game. Would anybody notice?
Maybe this time, the Republicans won't blow it. Trump sent the Pentagon a Valentine on Friday. That Valentine just pretty much said, be mine. He sent a -- he sent the DOGE team out to the Pentagon on Friday. Their mission is to cut the waste. Cut the crap at the Department of Defense. I think they're going to do that.
Last night, I don't know if Stu watched Hollywood.
They took the stage. Saturday Night Live. Celebrated 50 years of laughs, or depending on who you laugh. Fifty years of finishing returns.
The golden age was when Main Street was in on the joke.
Not the joke.
Tom Hanks is in trouble. He played a MAGA supporter. Oh. And the liberal laughs ensued.
Is it 2016 again?
And the hockey game. I don't know if you saw the hockey game between the US national team and Canada this week. Normally, I'm -- I'm not really into sports.
But sports sometimes, because it's part of culture, has a way of transcending and defining the era we live in.
Sometimes, it says out loud, what we're all thinking. And like the horns of Jericho, it announces our arrival and our future. So let's see if we can find any echoes in the past, that sound an awful lot like this weekend.
In 1980, the United States was in the same situation, we're in right now. And it was a hokey game that changed everything. By and large, the world had lost respect for us. Because just like now, we lost respect for ourselves. Our nation had gone through some of the intense movements in civil unrest, that we had ever seen.
The left seized on it, keeping us in a perpetual cycle of class, and societal warfare. Patriotism and trust, in the government was spiraling out of control.
Three years after Jimmy Carter accepted the Democratic nomination for president, he addressed these concerns in a televised speech.
It happened on July 15th, 1979. He said, there was a threat to the nation. And let me quote! The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It's a crisis of confidence.
It's a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national are.
We can see this crisis in confidence, in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives. And in the loss of unity and purpose for our nation.
Erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and political fabric of America. Wow, does that sound familiar!
And isn't it amazing how Carter could see what all of these policies were doing. He could deliver impassioned speeches on the dangerous results.
But then he would go back and double down on the policies that continued the spread of the virus.
The great inflation of the 1970s. It's what they used to call it. It hit a fever pitch by 1980. Interest rates spiked. They fell briefly. Then they flew up from there. Does any of this sound familiar? Banks stopped lending. Unemployment skyrocketed. The economy was clearly in a recession. The geopolitical landscape, pretty much the same.
We had lost respect for ourselves. So the world didn't respect us. Soviet Union appeared to be winning the war for global hearts and minds.
And then hockey!
Hockey came in to play. It was the battlefield of the Cold War. By 1980, the Soviet Union had taken home the gold in five of the six past Olympic Games. But then came the night of February 22nd, 1980.
The game had already happened. Hours earlier, due to a broadcast delay, Americans were expected to lose the mighty Soviet national hockey team.
But then we heard Al Michaels. Maybe the greatest sports call in modern history.
VOICE: You've got ten seconds to pass that ball. Five seconds left, and the game is over. I believe in miracles? Yes! Unbelievable.
(applauding)
GLENN: Do you believe in miracles? It was called the miracle on ice. Movies had been made about it. It was an announcement party was what it really was. It was the changing of the guard. It was the birth of the new era. Herb Brooks brought together a group that everyone said could not win, at a time, when America was convinced, it could not win.
And what it announced is: America is back. And we're not going to be pushed around anymore.
We will no longer be taken advantage of. We would no longer allow people just to laugh at us, or belittle us, because we were back!
Reagan, came in shortly after. Now, like 1980, we have just spent four years under a political ideology, as Carter put it. That strikes at the very heart and soul, and spirit of our national will.
Our young people, they don't care about America anymore.
They don't have pride or love for the country. Because we haven't raised them that way, in most cases. School is saying, there's no reason to be proud of your country. People take it for granted. They're ashamed of the accomplishments of America. Her history.
And the very ideology on which she stands. Now, before I get into this last part, I will say, I don't like the arguments between us and Canada right now. I don't like it.
We've always been friends. And it's a beautiful country. It's cold. I don't want to live there.
And I don't want it to be the 51st state. I actually think it's pretty funny that our president is calling the Prime Minister the governor. But the Canadian government, lead by their progressive Prime Minister, our Governor Justin Trudeau is an annoying mascot for everything that is wrong with global politics.
Well, he was at the hockey game on Saturday in Canada between the national Canadian team and the US national team. Rumor was, our boys were a little sick and tired of being booed, every time the national anthem is sung.
And they weren't going to take it. Why would they? Our country under the government leadership has been toothless and apologist for four years. We've been taught to be ashamed of our country. Why not boo the national anthem? And boo they did.
If you saw it, it made your head explode.
When the puck finally troped, at the start of the game, the American center, he barely looked at the puck. He didn't care about playing the game that the point. He immediately tore off his gloves. Dropped his stick. And clocked his opponent, taking him to the ground. When the referees pulled the American away, he skated with his head high, glaring at the hostile crowd. The message was clear. Screw Old Glory. To your peril! It was kind of awesome.
There were a total of three fights in the first nine seconds. Again, which I didn't like.
But the Americans were on a mission. The intensity through the game was brutal.
And the Americans delivered an old-fashioned American beat down. The US team delivered a message and won three to one. I don't know. Was it the miracle on ice of 1980?
Because that was more than a hockey game. And I couldn't help, but feel the same way on Saturday.
I think America is back. We're not ashamed. We're not going to be intimidated. Nor cower anymore.
But we don't hate our neighbors. We just love our country.
What she stands for.
And the birth of a new prosperous, and proud era, I think is upon us.
Congratulations, team USA.
