RADIOAugust 12, 2024

Did Kamala Harris ILLEGALLY Inherit Biden’s Campaign Money?

Federal Election Commission Chairman Sean Cooksey joins Glenn to weigh in on a major question about the 2024 election: Was it legal for Kamala Harris to inherit Joe Biden’s entire election campaign, including his multi-million-dollar war chest? While Cooksey can’t comment on any possible investigations, he calls the situation “completely unprecedented” and explains why he believes “It's something that is going to have to go through an FEC process, and maybe a court process too to get to the bottom of it.” Plus, Glenn asks Cooksey to weigh in on claims of illegal straw donor schemes revolving around the left-wing fundraising platform ActBlue.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Sean Cooksey is the Federal Election Commission chairperson. I really appreciate you coming on, Chairman, and helping us figure out exactly what is going on.

We want to start with this situation. How do you transfer money from one person to another? Legally? Can you do that?

SEAN: Well, thanks for having me on, Glenn. And you're right. We talked about that at the top.

Which is that it's a completely unprecedented situation. We haven't had anything like this happen for at least 50 years. To have a presidential nominee, drop out just a few weeks before the convention, before he's been formerly nominated and hand over his entire campaign operation, including millions of dollars, cash on hand, to a different candidate. To his vice presidential nominee, although she hasn't been formerly nominated yet.

It's really no surprise that this race is a lot of legal questions. Again, a completely novel situation.

Some experts have tried to argue, that this is permissible. But a lot of election experts have raised a lot of big questions about this. Some have said, it is unlawful. That you can't just switch the name on a committee and give it over to another person without that being an illegal transfer. It's something that is going to have to go through an FEC process, and maybe a court process too to get to the bottom of it.

GLENN: So I know, that for my charity, let's say. If I raise money, and it is designated for, let's say, hurricanes. I can only use that money to help people recover from the hurricane.

I cannot transfer it to another, and even if it's a bigger emergency, legally, I can't move that money. To any other place.

It's the same kind of thing with this, isn't it?

SEAN: I mean, it's a big question. What these donors were told. And what they thought they were given to. To your point. All these people were giving money, they thought to reelect Joe Biden as president. And now they're being told, no. Actually, this money is going to a completely different candidate. That you may or may not really approve of. One of the big questions that happens under the FEC guidance is whether donors in that kind of situation are entitled to a refund. Or to have the campaign be required to ask their permission, to redesignate it.

I think one of the big problems though, is really just the lack of time on the clock. Where a situation where, the election is less than 13 weeks away, at this point.

GLENN: Jeez.

SEAN: And the wheels of government move so slow. I'm concerned that really none of this is going to be resolved before Election Day.

GLENN: And it won't really matter, after Election Day, will it?

SEAN: I mean, I think for all intents and purposes, right.

Any fine or any unwinding that happens, after the fact. Israel will not really do anything to change the vote count on Election Day.

GLENN: So the money she got from the Biden/Harris campaign. They transfer it over. But is that really -- that's really not that important. Compared to what she's raising now.

I mean, she's raising money hand over fist.

Like I've never seen before.

SEAN: No. I think that's a fair point, about why maybe at the end of the day, this won't matter much.

I mean, reportedly both the Harris committee, and the Trump committee, right?

Are raising hundreds of millions of dollars every month. They have to report that to the FEC. Every month on the 20th. So, for example, in a little bit less than two weeks here.

We'll get the hard numbers on what they raised in July.

Harris Committee, I believe, reported over $300 million raised. So it may be the case, that whatever cash was left over from the Biden committee, doesn't make a big difference at the end of the take.

GLENN: We're talking to the Federal Election Commission chairperson. He's the guy who is at the SEC, that is -- or at the FEC, that is making sure all the money is on the up and up.

And everything is played by the rules.

His name is Sean Cooksey. And, Sean, to be fair to them, you could make the case, that when I gave money to Biden/Harris.

A lot of people would say, I was just giving it, because I didn't want Donald Trump.

And Harris was part of that team.

And if Joe Biden would have died.

Wouldn't the money have gone to her anyway?

VOICE: Well, I think the big problem with that possibility, is that this happened before the convention.

One of the big sorted of open questions is what happened, when she's on the paperwork. It's called, you know -- they call her the vice presidential nominee.

But she really hasn't gone through the role -- she hasn't been nominated by the convention yet.

In that case, you know, it would have also been possible for Joe Biden to switch vice presidential nominees. And things would be very different.

I think, again, it will have to go through some court process, ultimately, at the end of the day. To get that settled.

And I don't think that will happen before the election unfortunately.

GLENN: So I don't know if this is your purview.

Or if you can comment on this.

But this is the first time that I have seen in American history, where the democratic process didn't really happen.

I mean, it happened.

People went to vote. But they didn't vote for her, to be president.

And it was -- you know, really funky.

I think a lot of people on the democratic side.

Wanted a different candidate.

But the DNC shut it down.

And then at the last minute, they say this was a grassroots movement.

But it appeared to me, at least, a coup. You know, he's not going to leave. He's not going to leave. They give him a deadline of Sunday.

Deadline for what? He's already made his decision. Then Sunday, at the very last minute, he changes his mind. And then Barack Obama comes out and says, we will see how this Democratic process works, and there were no votes.

It was just going to the -- the electors, and the superdelegates. And that's just the party.

It -- I mean, it is -- there's -- is this totally funky?

Is this legal?

The way this has happened.

SEAN: I think you're right. It's absolutely not a grassroots nomination process. I think it's really the exact opposite of that.

Which is party leaders.

Party elders. Coming together.

To decide, you know, amongst a couple dozen of them. Who they want as their nominee.

In fact, it's really sort of a throw back to the way parties used to nominate presidential candidates.

Right?

Sort of in the proverbial smoke-filled rooms, where they would say, you know, primary be damned. We don't really care what the voters think. We are going to just make this election, as bosses, of who is going to be up for president.

And I think that's really kind of a good summation of what will happen here.

GLENN: And that's still legal to do that?

I mean, do parties get to make their own rules, right?

SEAN: Right. At the end of the day, the parties make their own rules. They chose several decades ago, to really go to primary voting processes. They don't have to do that.

Ultimately, the party decides how they want to select their nominees.

GLENN: Okay. So tonight, we have been following this -- this Act Blue. And all of these organizations, that are raising money for the Democrats.

And to me, and I'm not asking to you comment on this. Nor am I putting words in your mouth. This is me saying this. I've done enough research on the Tides foundation to know how this shell game works.

And they're raising all kinds of dark money through things like Act Blue. And they're setting up all these different organizations.

And I guess you can do that. That's fine. The one thing that is happening right now, is there are reports that they're doing something called smurfing. It's being called smurfing.

And that is, if someone makes a donation of let's say $100,000, all of a sudden, it will show up on the books that they made an 18,000-dollar donation, and they did it in ways that aren't even humanly possible.

And we looked into this, tonight -- I mean, when we show you this, America.

I think you're going to be. You're going to be flabbergasted. James O'Keefe did a recent report, where he highlighted donations to a Cindy Nowe. N-O-W-E of Maryland. She claimed to have not made the majority of the donations.

If you go to the FEC database, on Cindy Nowe of Maryland, the donations through Act Blue do seem suspicious. We're not saying that it's illegal.

We don't know yet. Coincidentally, through an accident, as we were double-checking the work. One of our researchers typed in Cindy Rowe, R-O-W-E, of Massachusetts. And you find the same exact donation pattern, on a Cindy Rowe instead of a Cindy Nowe.

So, yes, James O'Keefe was right about Cindy Nowe.

But the same pattern is there with Cindy Rowe. What makes it even more suspicious, is that the names are nearly identical. Only one difference.

Are you guys looking into these -- these irregularities here? Or these strange instances?

SEAN: Well, you know, as you said, as a matter of law and FEC policy, I can't comment on any investigation the FEC may or may not be doing.

But what I can say, at a general level, that the FEC takes misreporting and straw donor schemes, which is I think another name for what you called smurfing, we take those things extremely seriously.

Those are some of the most serious violations. That we have at the FEC. Where you are misreporting your identity on campaign reports.

Where you're giving someone else money, in order to make a political contribution for you. Those are serious violations. Many people have gone to prison for those kinds of things.

And I know this is an issue that reporters have been focused on. I know it's one that other government agencies are looking into.

The Virginia attorney general, I know, and the committee on how the administration in Congress are looking into this.

I think it's worth watching their work on that issue, and any results that come out of their investigations.

GLENN: And is that because the FEC is -- I mean, you may or may not be investigating it?
But you're so slow. Will it matter, if the FEC picks it up?

SEAN: Well, ultimately, we do move as fast as our resources allow on any enforcement matter. And there's opportunities for private parties to get involved. If we -- if we move too slow, under the statute. Whether something can come out --

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait.

What does that mean?

Private parties can get involved. What does that mean?

Under the statute of the FEC, when you file a complaint with the FEC, any private person can file a complaint with the FEC, alleging a violation of campaign finance law.

And under the statute, if the FEC does not act on that complaint. Doesn't give an up-or-down vote, whether this is something that we'll look into or not. Within 120 days, the person who filed the complaint, can then sue.

Saying, we are too slow.

We are not acting on their complaint fast enough.

And ultimately, if it's shown, we're not acting on that complaint fast enough. That person can then file a private lawsuit, to enforce the law themselves.

GLENN: Wow. Wow.

And the -- like the Virginia attorney general, I'm not sure, you know, if you can answer this. Or if you can -- if you even know the answer.

But the attorneys general, they can only look at the -- the potential fraud, that's happening in their state.

So Cindy Rowe in Massachusetts, would have to be the Massachusetts attorney general.

SEAN: I don't know the -- the specific limits on their authority. Certainly, attorneys general have really wide-ranging, you know, subpoena authority, and investigative authority, to launch their own inquiries into their own things.
To start demanding documents and witnesses and interviews.

Whether that could be limited to their own state. It might depend on their state. It might depend on where act blue is located. And sort of where their servers are and things like that, as a sort of jurisdictional perspective. But I think the one thing you do know, Congress has jurisdiction throughout the entire country. And they wouldn't be limited in that kind of way. One last question, and I believe we have to run. Because I have a network break.

But the -- they'll say that this is just all politics. This is just a smear campaign. I don't want to be involved in any of that.

I want to look for real things. Is there enough smoke here, to believe that this is worth questioning? No outcome.

But it is a legitimate line of inquiry.

SEAN: I mean, I think the action sort of speaks for themselves here. When you have multiple agencies. Members of Congress. Attorney general, who have been alerted. And are interested enough, to operationalize their offices.

To or the of get the machinery moving, to get the facts. I think that really speaks -- speaks for itself.

GLENN: This is the Federal Election Commission. The FEC chairman, Sean Cooksey. Sean, thank you so much. God bless.

SEAN: Thank you so much, Glenn.

For a Night, We Were Human | The Christmas Truce Music Video

In the frozen trenches of World War I along the Lys River in 1914, amidst the relentless thunder of artillery, a miraculous unofficial truce unfolded on Christmas Day. British and German soldiers, weary enemies, emerged from the mud and wire to share gifts, songs, and stories of home together in the ruins. Produced by Glenn Beck in collaboration with AI, this poignant music video and original song recapture the true story of the Christmas Truce, reminding us that even in the darkest times, a single brave act or small light can awaken our shared humanity, allowing soldiers to lay down their weapons and remember they are human... just for a night.

Stay tuned at GlennBeck.com for more musical storytelling inspired by Glenn’s artifacts next year on Torch.

The HIDDEN history behind Trump’s controversial Rob Reiner comments

President Trump recently received heat from his own party over his comments about the allegedly murdered actor Rob Reiner. Glenn Beck explains why he believes Trump’s comments were not a good move, but also tells of a meeting he had with Trump that he believes explains why Trump hates TDS so much…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, I don't -- I don't -- I don't want to get into -- into the mix with everybody and personalities. I like -- my goal is to make things about right and wrong, and not about personalities.

But I do want to spend just a second on President Trump's post yesterday about Rob Reiner. It made me sad. It made me really sad. Because I like the president.

And -- and he doesn't help himself when he does things like this. But I think I understand this in a different way.

You know, the President has said, you know, all kinds of things about me at times when I disagree with him. He'll say, "Oh, he's just a failing fat blob," or whatever. And that's just him. That's just the way -- when he's in a fight, he is a -- he's a knife fighter. And I get it. I don't like it. But I get it. This was different. This was different.
And this was -- you know, you can say a lot of stuff politically about Rob Reiner. But politics didn't matter yesterday. We weren't -- I mean, that's not -- it just didn't matter. It didn't matter.

But I think to the President, it does. I saw a change in the President -- I've seen two changes in the President. I've seen a change in him when they started going after him and his family. After 2020. And they really started going after his family. And we know this because we showed you the documents. What they -- they had a plan. Take him down.

Take his family down to stop MAGA at all costs. Put them in jail. I mean, those are their words.

And it's -- it was frightening to read.

And I talked to the president, I don't know. Maybe six months after, you know, we were in 2021. Maybe six months. Eight months.

And I said, how are you holding up?

And he had talked a little about how he felt. He had really let people down because he had things going in the right direction. And now, look at it, and look how screwed up things are going to get. And how the economy is going to be damn near impossible to fix. It will take us time. But we can't fix it. Pragmatism, but they've just destroyed it. And I said, how are you personally.

How are you holding up?

And this is the first change I saw. He -- his body changed. And he said, they're going after my damn children!

And it was this Dad. All of a sudden, he wasn't the president or former president, he wasn't Donald Trump. He was a Dad. And it was every Dad response in him. And he said, "You don't go after our children."

And I saw him really, truly mad for the very first time, and it was righteous indignation.

Then after he was shot, I saw another change. I saw him recognize that God existed. I mean, I know he believed that in God. I don't know that he believed that God was actually part of, you know, the story. The everyday story. You know, I don't know how he views God in that way.

But I know that he recognized that God was in his -- in the story of America now.

Firsthand, he witnessed it. The reason why I said this made me sad yesterday, is because -- I don't agree with what he said. I feel -- it was -- it was sad.

Because he is -- he has been kicked in the head over and over and over again by some of these people, that he -- Christmas is about the baby Jesus coming again.

And what he can do in your life. And the biggest thing that he taught was, love your enemies. Don't hate them. But that's really, really hard to do. And the President isn't there yet. On this. And it -- it made me sad. How did you feel about it, Stu?

STU: I didn't like it at all. I think maybe the same as you. You know, one of the things that bothered me about it.

Because you hit many of the points that I had on it without the personal insight that is illustrative of -- of -- of what he's going through. I think there is something to understand there. You know, obviously I --

GLENN: Big time.

STU: One of the things that is difficult about life in your attempt to master it is to try to act the right way, even when you're faced with circumstances like that. And, you know, I get it. I get why he's angry and doesn't like the guy. The man -- you used a phrase, I think in there, where you said, he's a knife fighter. This guy was actually just in a legitimate knife fight and was murdered. It was a -- it was -- this actually really happened.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

STU: And, look, my honest opinion is, it's indefensible. You know, I like President Trump. I think he does a lot of great things for the country. We've defended him on a lot of different things. A lot of times when he's being attacked, I think he deserves defense. In this case, you know, it is -- you know, it is what it is.

It is priced in to everyone's understanding of who Donald Trump is. And everything I heard about him in personal situations where he cares about the person. Is that he's very generous. He's very likable.

He's very -- he's one of those people that you like being around. You know, that is something that I've heard from tons of people. This part of him is really hard for me to square with what I've heard from -- from other -- from everybody that I've talked to, and has been on the inside with him.

And so I don't -- I don't have a defense for it. I think it's really bad. And I will say one more thing on this real quickly, Glenn.

I know a part of this that I think is difficult. In that, one of the things I took from the aftermath of that immediately was -- I don't know if pride is the right word. But like, I really liked the way conservatives responded to it.

We didn't do what they did, after Charlie Kirk.

We didn't do what they did after they shot the president. Right?

Like we -- they celebrated it. They -- they were horrible human beings, and I enjoyed the high ground, that we had there.

GLENN: Yeah. Me too.

STU: And it's difficult to make the argument that we have the high ground. When, you know, the President of the Republican Party. The Republican President of the United States, the most high profile person on, quote, unquote, our side, whatever that means these days, is a guy who, you know, kind of did some of the things that they did.

You know, so I don't -- I don't like that. I understand as part of Donald Trump. And I think if we're all adults here, we're able to kind of price that in and judge him on everything that he's doing. And when I mean pricing in. I think that's a negative part of him. Overall, you have to take everything into context.

GLENN: Right. And if we're all adults here, you know, we should be able to say, to those we love and respect, bad move. I didn't like that. Don't do that.

And I think, you know, I think because the left always says, well, you never take on your own.

Yes, we do. We take on our own, all the time. All the time. And I think it's important that we say, didn't like that. Thought that was a bad move. It didn't look good. It just wasn't right.

He's -- I wish -- and, again, though, I -- I'm not excusing it, but I am tempering it with none of us have gone through what he has gone through.

STU: So true.

GLENN: His family, somebody is shooting at him. He's being called fascist Hitler all the time. I mean, that wears on you and changes you.

And, you know, he's having a hard time forgiving that. And I kind of understand that. I wish he would take that on and take on the forgiveness, so he could be more a peacemaker in all of those things. But that is his own personal journey.

But --

STU: Yeah. And I think when we talk about like a terrible crime that's occurred.

GLENN: Sad.

STU: Like, I don't know. If there was -- think about some awful situation and at times you'll see -- he'll hear family members say the worst possible thing.

You know, if your kid is murdered. And by some -- somewhat of a particular area or group or whatever.

And they might react with just an awful thing about that group or area.

And you just. We all have a bit of understanding. Right?

A person going through a massively emotional thing.

And lashing out.

You want -- you know, the example you bring up all the time, Glenn.

Of the maybe -- the ultimate example of being able to have restraint was the Amish situation from years ago. Where, you know, you were talking about mass murder. And they were to the family's house that night, right?

And saying, we --

GLENN: Not that night. That afternoon.

I mean, within an hour. The kids were not even out of the schools yet. Their bodies were still laying in the school. And the Amish went, oh, my gosh. The killer is dead too.

He was a member of our community. His wife lives here.

What is she feeling? She's feeling completely alone. My gosh. What an example. I couldn't do that.

STU: Right. I don't even think I come close to that standard in that moment.

GLENN: No. But I would like to.

STU: That's the range. Some people act -- react really well. Some people react really poorly.

And I think we all understand the emotion and everything that takes over in a situation like that. And that has to be factored in, I think, to Trump. Of course, Rob Reiner wasn't responsible to the shooting. He was just a liberal who said bad things about Trump. And look, he's a very unique person. And a very unique situation, that I don't think anyone in the world has ever experienced.

You know, what happened with him over his life.

But may I just say, you still haven't forgiven RFK Jr for what he said about me.
(laughter)
Okay?

STU: As I said, I'm not Amish. You know, I like technology. I don't have any wagons. I didn't say I'm perfect.

GLENN: Right.

STU: No. I have -- I have -- I have absolutely forgiven RFK Jr for what he said. And if you didn't know, he accused Glenn of being a traitor. He said, he should be charged with treason. The penalty of which is death.

So, you know, I don't like that. And RFK Jr. I don't like for a lot of his policies. Some of them, by the way, I do really like. Some of them, I think are really positive. I could give you a list of some of the negative things he's done as well.

GLENN: I can too.

STU: That doesn't mean -- I certainly was find that to be an appropriate context, when the embrace of RFK Jr is occurring.

I think we need to understand what people are, and what they're doing. If he's apologetic about that, I do forgive him in that sense. Do I want him on the show and promoting all his books and his candidacy?

No. I did not -- I did not like that. But, you know, a lot of people do. I will say is, you're right, though.

We all have our hang-ups.

GLENN: I do. I certainly was.

STU: I will say this, though.

And, you know, again, all the context here. I know people are really defensive of Donald Trump, appropriately.

Because of the fact that he's targeted unfairly. I understand why people are defensive of him. I can tell you this. I really don't like RFK Jr.

He's one of my least favorite people in politics. I'm just not a fan. I could give you other names of people. Most of them revolve around Olivia Nuzzi, who whatever. I don't have feelings about her. But the story was packed with people.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: Cuomos for sure.
GLENN: Yeah.

STU: God forbid, one of these people that I really don't like, was murdered and his family and his spouse.

I can promise you. I can promise you, I will not be tweeting anything like what Donald Trump tweeted.

That is just a -- is a -- is a situation where I understand -- I understand the context around it, that we just discussed.

I don't think there's a defense to it. I think there's something, I really hope he has an awakening to at some point.

GLENN: I think that is enough to be said on that.

Now maybe we should examine ourselves, and say, where do we have that hardness in our heart that we should learn from and remove this holiday season?

Why America's "Surveillance State" Has Proven to be a TOTAL Failure

America is facing a shocking security breakdown—from a mass shooting at one of the most heavily surveilled campuses in the United States to a deadly ISIS attack in Syria that exposes the cracks in U.S. intelligence and foreign-policy strategy. As surveillance systems fail, former extremists gain power abroad, and radical Islamist networks globalize their reach, the West is confronting a threat both inside and outside its borders. This episode uncovers the uncomfortable truth behind Brown University’s unanswered questions, Syria’s escalating instability, and why the West may be running out of time to get its own house in order.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I wanted to bring Jason in -- I wanted to bring Jason in because the news that we talked about a minute ago in Australia, then Brown.

There's some weird stuff happening with the Brown shooting. And we -- we don't know much about that. And also, Syria. So let me start with Brown University, Jason. Why is this one weird, as our chief researcher, why is this one weird?

JASON: Well, there comes a point where, you know, as a society, we just end up getting used to the massive surveillance state we live in. And I think we're just like, okay. Fine.

We're never not going to be surveilled 24/7. Maybe there's some benefits to it.

Well, no!

It doesn't seem that way. Because the people were asking the people at Brown. Like, how is it that you have not fully identified the shooter yet? And that's a very good question. Because if you go back to around 2021, there were people writing about how Brown University was one of the most surveilled campuses of the United States.

GLENN: How is it we only have one picture of this guy from the back?

JASON: Right!

GLENN: Apparently the one thing that will help you get away with any crime is a hoodie.

JASON: Yeah. Wear something over your head and a coat.

Apparently, that foils the entire surveillance state. Also, we have nothing to worry about with surveillance. I don't know.

GLENN: Yeah. Right. Right.

JASON: And on top of that, Kash Patel, the FBI director said that they sprung into action. And they activated their cellular monitoring system to help identify the person that has now been let go. Again, that's another layer of this surveillance state that I think a lot of us have been worried about.

And that didn't do anything either. That helped give us the wrong suspect? What is all this stuff for?

It's not keeping us safe, that's for sure.

GLENN: Hmm. I don't want to jump to any conclusions on, you know, what we have, what we don't have. I'm assuming that they have more. They just haven't shown it.

I would like to -- you know, we could help. You show us some pictures.

I think it's odd.

What happened in Syria over the weekend with al-Qaeda.

JASON: Yeah. In Syria.

There's a ton of news, especially involving ISIS, who is very much active and still very much planning attacks.

GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait. Was this ISIS, or was this al-Qaeda?

JASON: This is ISIS. That's what they're saying. They're saying it's a lone ISIS perpetrator. The location was symbolic as well. The location as in or around Palmyra. Which, I don't know if you remember, that was a scene of a gruesome ISIS video back at the height of their caliphate, where they behead a lot of people in that area.

GLENN: Right. Right. Yes. That's where they lined them up in the orange jumpsuits. Remember everybody was kneeling down in the sand. And they started beheading people. Yes, I remember.

JASON: It was one of those UNESCO sites with ruins all around. And it was very crazy. Brutal video. But another brutal attack. I believe it was three US service members that were killed in this attack. There's a lot of speculation about to go, on if this person was working. I think he was actually at a time working with the security services that are in Syria right now, under the new president. He -- he could have been, you know, a sleeper in that organization. Who knows? But for -- the one thing I do know. And I don't understand the direction we're moving in Syria. I don't understand how a former al-Qaeda guy suddenly is an all right guy because he puts a suit on. And now he's the president of Syria. And he's our ally.

I don't understand that. The Trump administration, maybe they have more information, that I don't know.

I would love to get more of an explanation on this.

As of now, I don't see this going any direction other than a whole lot worse.

You look around that entire area. You have a former al-Qaeda guy now the president of Syria.

You have the rest of Syria, an absolute Dumpster fire. You have Iraq. I hesitate to call these countries.

They're so far down the sectarian, you know, spiral that this is.

But I don't see how this is going to go anywhere, but south, from here on out.

We're in an absolute war with these radical Islamists. And it's not just in the Middle East. It's globalize the intifada has landed on shores all over the world. And while there are politicians that will not denounce that. That is exactly what's happening. Sorry!

GLENN: So I think that's where -- I think that's what -- that explains Trump's thinking. That Trump does not want these everlasting wars to go on.

He does not want to be fighting in the Middle East. He doesn't want to really be fighting anywhere. He will, if he has to. But he's focused more on the American homeland. And the American hemisphere.

And so I think he is -- I think he's letting the Middle East take care of itself.

And as long as they can all get along with each other and Israel.

And recognize that, you know, Iran and the -- the -- the al-Qaeda, the, you know, Muslim Brotherhood. Et cetera, et cetera.

Trying to coax them all into. Hey. These are kind of your enemies here.

You know, ISIS is a big enemy to us and to peace.

And I think he's hoping that they will start to take care of themselves. Whether they will or not, I don't know. You know, it's never happened were. But it's worth trying. We've been playing this other game of us getting involved in everything for 100 years. We know that doesn't work.

So I'm guessing what Trump is thinking is, we know that doesn't work. We're not going to do that. Let's try to give peace a chance, and help them stomp this out, because it will be prosperous for all of them and plant those seeds as deeply as you can to see what happens. But we're not getting involved in any of that. I have a feeling, but there will be a military response to this, I'm sure. Won't you agree?

JASON: Oh, one hundred percent, and to tack on to what you're saying, I would hope that the President would go with his gut on this.

Because the previous ways this has been handled with Islamists, especially in this area. They've screwed it up.

They don't know what they're doing. Although, they think they know what they're doing. I'll go back to history. The Iran and Iraq War. We supported both size on that. In a similar -- in a similar strategy. So we're like, okay. We don't like either one of these groups. Sectarian groups to get too large. Let's fund this country at the same time we fund this country. We'll arm them. They'll fight each other, and they'll be fine. We do that all the time.

So now, the only thing I can think of is that's what they're thinking with the Syria president, this former al-Qaeda guy. Okay. Well, fine. They'll be anti-Iran, so they can counter Iran.

It's literally the same exact strategy, that they're going for. And I get it. That means that we don't have to get involved. I guess in the initial point.

But we always end up having to get involved after the fire erupts and --

GLENN: We know -- look, I think he's trying to buy time, quite honestly. Get us out of that.

Let us recover, and hopefully not go back to it. Try to buy hopefully some real peace.

But we all know how this will end. It's never going to work in the long-term. Because we as the West have to concentrate on our own homelands. You're seeing that with what happened in Australia. We have let the barbarian into the gates. And we've got to focus on that. We've got to get this cancer, cut out of our own societies. Because it's not good.

'Life is FAR Bigger Than Politics' - Glenn Beck's Spot-On Reaction to Rob Reiner's Death

Hollywood is mourning after the shocking and heartbreaking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife—an iconic creative force whose films shaped generations. Glenn Beck reflects on Reiner’s extraordinary legacy, the tragedy surrounding his final moments, and the humanity he showed even toward those he disagreed with politically. This emotional tribute explores Reiner’s impact, the devastating circumstances of his passing, and why his work—and his character—left a mark far beyond Hollywood.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: it's so sad that Rob Reiner thing is so sad.

I mean, I don't -- I think -- Stu, correct me if I'm wrong. If he hadn't have done This Is Spinal Tap -- A Mighty Wind, Best of Show, for your consideration, any of those would have been able to have even been made. Because this is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner directed, but it was still Christopher Guest. I think it was Harry Shearer that wrote it.

STU: And Michael McKean, yeah. Yeah, so theoretically, those movies could have been made, but I don't think any of them get made without Spinal Tap. And I don't think Spinal Tap gets made without Rob Reiner. Because they needed somebody attached to it that would be able to bring that to life.

GLENN: I mean, what a legacy he and his father brought to television.

I mean, think, Carl Reiner did your show of shows, which was Mel Brooks and Woody Allen with Carl Reiner writing that. Imagine That. Then he bought the Dick Van Dyke show and a million -- a million other TV shows and movies he was responsible for. And then his son starts with All In the family, and brings us all these classic movies, and the way they died this weekend, is just horribly, horribly tragic. Horribly tragic.

STU: Yeah. And it's not just Spinal Tap, which is a big one. Princes Bride.

GLENN: Oh, I know.

STU: Some of the movies --

GLENN: Harry Met Sally. Gosh, so good. So good.
STU: So many things.
GLENN: Stand By Me. One of my favorite movies.
STU: Oh, yeah. Jeez.
GLENN: Just great moves. Just great movies.

GLENN: So Rob Reiner met his wife in 1989. They have been together ever since. They live in Brentwood, which is a suburb of Los Angeles. It's -- their house is 2 miles away from where Nicole Simpson Brown was -- was discovered and killed.

Officers were called to Brentwood, to their home. All they said at first was, a man and a woman found with stab wounds. That's what came out over the radio. They were dead. And then friends started to show up. Billy Crystal was there. He came into the house. Reporters say he left looking horribly shaken. Larry David, who is a neighbor, he came in. Same story. It was confirmed that Rob Reiner and his wife were killed and brutally murdered: stab wounds.

We knew early this morning that the guy who might have done it is their 32-year-old son. His name is Nick Reiner. He's a screenwriter and also -- he's a guy who has battled drugs and alcohol and homelessness. He said at one point, I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street, and it wasn't fun. That's what he said to People magazine in 2016. I don't know the latest on him.

But he has been just arrested for the murder of his mother and father. Just horrible!

Just horrible. I mean, Rob Reiner was one of those guys that I was always sad that, you know, we disagreed. And -- I'll be kind to him here.

Neither of us could ever find our way to talk to one another.

Because I really admired him.

I really liked him.

I didn't like him politically.

That's such a small part of life. I mean, gosh. He did When Harry Met Sally. He did the Princess Bride. This is Spinal Tap. He did A Few Good Men.

Stu, look up -- look up his work. He's responsible for some of the best movies ever. His father was a genius. It is so sad that Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, and then now that is broken by the third generation. The son!

And it ends this way. He brought so much joy -- to just me. I'll speak for me. His movies have brought me so much joy, just the Princess Bride alone. But so sad. So incredibly sad.

And to be killed by your -- it's one thing I guess to be killed by your stranger, and that's bad. But to be killed by your own son. Oh!

STU: Glenn, listen to this -- late '80s. Early '90s. Quickly.

1984, this is Spinal Tap. '85, The Sure Thing. '86, Stand By Me. '87, The Princess Bride. '89, When Harry Met Sally. 1990, Misery. 1992, A Few Good Men. I mean, that is -- that is a run!

GLENN: Wow! Wow! Just -- just brilliant, brilliant guy from a brilliant family.

I'm glad his father isn't here. I mean, his father just died, what?

A year ago. Two years ago.

Mel Brooks is still alive, which this has just got to kill Mel Brooks.

Gosh, poor Mel Brooks. The tragedy.
By the way, I want to show you how Rob Reiner for as politically different as we were, and we were extraordinarily politically different. I want you to listen to how he handled the death of Charlie Kirk.

VOICE: When you first heard about the murder of Charlie Kirk, what was your immediate gut reaction to it?

VOICE: Well, horror, absolute horror.

And I unfortunately saw the video of it. And it's -- it's -- it's beyond belief. The -- what happened to him, and that should never happen to anybody.

I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable! That's not a solution to solving problems. And I felt like what his wife said at the service -- at the memorial they had. Was exactly right.

And totally, I believe, you know, I'm Jewish. But I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I believe in do unto others. And I believe in forgiveness. And what she said was beautiful. And absolutely -- she -- she forgave his -- his assassin.
And I think that -- that is admirable.

GLENN: I mean, how many -- how many other people did that? Especially for as vehemently as he disagrees with the right.

He was a human being. And I think that's why his -- I think that's why his films lasted and connected with us. You know, I mean, in a lot of ways, his films were a little like John Hughes' movies.

John Hughes was -- I mean, he was lightning in a bottle.

And there was something. And I think that something in many ways, was John Candy.

But there was something about the John Hughes movie, that connected to us on a basic level.

You know. That -- that spoke to us, deeper than just a movie! Or a script.

You know, it -- it came from a place that was real.

And I -- I think of Peter fall. And

What's his name?

I can't remember. He used to be in the wonder years. It was the little kid on Princess Bride, that -- that just those scenes alone -- just those scenes alone were so real! So real. When Peter Falk turns around and says, as you wish. It -- by the end of the movie, you felt that deeply.