RADIOFebruary 09, 2024

How YOU defeated the atrocious ‘border’ bill

In just 48 hours, conservatives around the country, including in Glenn’s audience, helped defeat the war bill that the Senate tried to pass off as a “border” bill. But while this win is massive on its own, it might pave the way for some other good news. The Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts joins Glenn to discuss how the bill was defeated and why it may signal that there is political “blood in the water” for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: “I believe sometime this year, there will be an announcement that he is retiring.” Roberts also reviews his biggest takeaways from his visit to Davos, where he made plenty of elites uncomfortable with a fiery speech: “They were shocked that I came on so strong.”

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Kevin, what a fantastic job, at the world heritage -- or the World Economic Forum. Can you tell me what the reaction was in the room?

KEVIN: You know, Glenn, great to be with you.

So it was, of course, such a lion's den. But from the stage, I'm looking out obviously, at the room.

And the best reaction at least from my vantage point. It was -- when I talked about the problem of China.

And I said, look, you know, you guys not only don't recognize the Chinese Communist Party is the number one adversary to free people on the planet, you actually gave them a platform.

You had CCT officials talking here. There was one guy in the front row, Glenn. European dude with skinny jeans. Just had a melt down. I mean, he literally almost fell out of his chair.

And so it was almost so distracting I lost my train of thought. But then, this is the second of two great reactions. I moved on to my point about climate change.

And how they -- how climate alarmism has become the number one cause for mental health crisis around the world. Which, by the way, I kind of made up on the spot.

GLENN: Oh, I think it's true.

KEVIN: And especially among younger people.

GLENN: Yeah.

KEVIN: And the back two-thirds of the room, every person in the seat, looked at me like I had landed from Mars.

And that's when I realized, oh, I'm doing what I told Glenn I would do, which is tell the truth.

GLENN: Yeah. It's amazing, that you got out of this. Good thing you weren't on any rooftop restaurants. But anyway -- when you were there, and this is something I thought of recently, that their goal was to rebuild trust.

And I think I'm seeing -- I'm seeing this differently. They don't care about our trust.

They care about the trust among the elites. Because some of the elites are starting to say. I don't know. Maybe we should start to slow down.

Maybe people are rising up against us. And it's a huge election year. Biggest in global history.

And they're saying, basically, I think, stick together, trust the plan, and it will all be fine.

Do you think that's out in space, or is that right?

KEVIN: No. I think you're entirely right. In fact, I wasn't exactly sure what they meant. Because I was going over there, about rebuilding trust, and knew what I was going to say. But after reflecting on it and having some conversations while on the ground, I realized, that's what they mean by rebuilding trust.

Trust the plan. And where that began to kind of crystallize in my mind. When Jamie Dimon did that interview on CNBC. And he said, look, we shouldn't talk so ill of MAGA people

And some people celebrated that. That's just part of the ruse, right?

It's an attempt to draw us in. And I know that that was their agenda in fighting me. Which was to say, you know, let's get this guy, who leads this conservative think tank, which is respected on the center right. Folks on the left, you know, don't like Heritage for good reason.

We disagree. Let's see if we can get him to come here. And say, let's work toward rebuilding trust.

Then they could twist that to say, Heritage is saying, let's trust the plan. Obviously, I succeeded this blowing that up. Let me go over that quick point.

GLENN: Yeah. I think you did.

KEVIN: They were -- they were shocked that I came on so strong. Because they expected me to sort of salute. Maybe make some mildly critical comments and move on.

GLENN: So yesterday we found out. Or a couple of days ago, we found out about the Amazon files. Where the White House was literally telling Amazon to ban books. And suppress books so people couldn't find them.

Today, the Post is reporting on a White House project, it's an AI project known as Track F.

And some of the emails that have now been exposed, it's scientists going back and forth on this project.

Funded by the White House. That say, Americans can't tell fact from fiction, online. And that conservatives and veterans are even more susceptible, to the public at large.

So I guess we know what this AI system will do, once it's developed by the White House. And then given to social media platforms.

KEVIN: Yeah. This is the mechanism to bring us fully into George Orwell's world, right?

You remember being in school and reading that book, 1984? And knowing my -- my teacher. I said, you know, this is laughable.

I mean, it's a good book. But this will never happen. Oh, my gosh, it's happening. It's even worse, actually. But to this point about AI.

It isn't just because I am a traditional conservative, and therefore, very not trusting of -- of new technological developments, that I've cautioned against AI. But particularly in the hands of government and especially in the hands of this administration.

We need to realize, this isn't some annoyance. This is something that is directly aimed at you and me and your audience.

Is we have to stop it in its tracks. Before it gets a wider implementation.

GLENN: Yeah. Why don't we wake more people up to this?

I mean, it is so clear.

If people would just look at the news, and divorce themselves from political parties.

It is so clear, what is coming our way.

Quickly.

How do we wake more people up?

KEVIN: Well, it sounds trite. Maybe even patronizing.

If we really include the importance of your show. But you know I mean that genuinely. Because I am just, you know, a working class dude who wears a suit in DC each day.

People listen to your show. Some of them follow Heritage.

There are many other great shows and organizations.

The point is, pointing to something that happened yesterday, we collectively. The big royal we, killed the border non-security part of that bill.

And what I have been saying for the last 24 hours, Glenn. To friends around the country. Is guys, this is an example of the good things that happen when we wake up. But what we have to avoid doing in this case, because it's so typical of conservatives. In rare times we get a policy win, we then pat ourselves on the back. But more importantly, we go back to important things to us like friends and family and business. We have to stay engaged.

GLENN: Yes.

KEVIN: And we have to have a great skepticism against this usage of AI by the government.

GLENN: Yes.

So we have a chance to get rid of McConnell. I don't know how you feel about McConnell, but I think he's got to go. And the power of the head of the Senate, to be able to have all the purse strings for G.O.P. senators is crazy.

But is there a chance that McConnell is gone because of this? And if so, who should replace him? Or who do you think will?

KEVIN: Yeah. There is a chance. And just so you and your audience know -- Mitch McConnell and I, I guess we're on professional speaking terms. But I've been saying publicly, it's time for him to go. I do wish him a long and health and relaxing retirement on the personal side. But politically, he's the icon of everything that's wrong in Washington. Because what's wrong in Washington.

And it's connected to the World Economic Forum, as you know.

Is that these people decide, just a handful of people. They will tell us what's best for us. And they'll demand that we eat it.

So I will tell you a quick story. A couple of Decembers ago, I was invited to the Senate steering lunch by our mutual friend, Senator Mike Lee.

And it was to explain why it was a bad idea, once again, to spend the people's money in one of these omnibus bills. Because there wasn't an accountability of the money. We're spending money that we don't have.

He gave me a death glare. After to his credit, he was willing to speak to me. He said, Kevin, I don't understand the disconnect between what we're trying to do and Heritage's opposition. And I said, Senator McConnell. It just shows -- I actually don't mean this as sarcastically this sounds, it just shows how much of a bubble you and your leadership live in. So I actually think this defeat yesterday of this bill shows that there is politically speaking, blood in the water.

That his leadership is really weakened.

And I believed some time this year, maybe sooner than later. There will be an announcement that he is retiring.

And thankfully, as you know, there are a number of good potential replacements that would fix the problem.

GLENN: It would be great. It would be great.

Let me -- let me talk to you, kind of in the same realm here of constantly come under attack.

You know, our freedom of speech. And everything else.

They have gone after this president.

And we've been saying, look, if they'll do it to the president. They'll do it to you. Then they go after Elon Musk.

I mean, they are bound and determined to get him out as well.

If they're doing it to the richest man in the world, they'll do it to you.

Now, yesterday, we were talking on the air about groups that were suing the effective attorneys general. All of them Republicans.

Filing ethics complaints against them. And then also, targeting any attorney that files anything to push back on this administration.

We are losing the -- the good attorneys, and I know I personally have lost the best firm on freedom of speech, because of who I am.

I had them for years. And now, no.

Because they have Google and everything else. And I think they received all kinds of heat.

We're losing the ability to have good attorneys. Is anyone thinking about -- a conservative firm, or a fund that we could fund to hire the best attorneys, that are free of the -- the WEF swamp kind of stuff.

KEVIN: Let me just underscore what a massive problem this is.

The example that you use, regarding yourself. The example of these people, attacking these effective attorneys general, because they're standing up to the administrative state. And we at Heritage encounter that same problem.

Especially, as we develop this presidential transition project we discuss. Project 2025.

On that point, we've had a difficult time, getting attorneys, to participate and also say that they can be named publicly.

So it speaks to the reality that there's been, not just a -- well, there's been a chilling effect on this.

But to the solution.

I would like to spend my time on the solution.

So there are a couple of newer boutique firms.

Smaller law firms, that are composed of conservatives. Here in DC.

Heritage and some other conservative groups are able to use them.

The key thing, Glenn. We also have to get control over at least a few of the law schools.

Because what concerns me, is not just the difficulty of the present situation. But the difficulty that the same kind of thing has happened in law schools. Where very bright objective, but conservatively minded law students have to remain silent.

And their ability to move up the ladder from law school to clerkships to professional work full-time is really endangered.

So like so many things in America, it goes back to institutions. We have to be able to either start or reclaim some of those law schools.

Otherwise, this is going to be a generation-long problem that only gets worse.

GLENN: Well, let us know, if you come across anything that can help. Because I think this audience understands what we're facing.

I mean, they are -- they are using the criminal -- whether they get a conviction or not, they're using the criminal justice system now.

And they are already using it against, the average -- the average person, if you're pro-life or whatever.

And if you can't get a good attorney, you're toast.

If you're -- God forbid, you're tried in the District of Columbia.

Or New York.

KEVIN: You're totally toast.

And I should have mentioned it here. This question, in addition to these problems we discussed. Sort of a legal defense fund, and we have started building that for people we have solicited to be a part of Project 2025. Because what we were hearing from them. To your point about lack of representation, is, Kevin, I'm willing to go into the next administration. Work in an area of competence. Professional competence.

But, you know, I'm likely to get sued. Including on the personal side. In addition to my professional duties. And so although it's in the preliminary stage. We've put this together, sometime in the near future.

I will send you a note, and let you know when we can share more details. I mentioned that today, even though it's preliminary, Glenn.

To give people hope, that the conservative movement isn't just asking people to pick up where they live for a couple years. Or four years, and come serve in the next administration. But we also have to remember, that we have to have one another's backs.

It's one of the big missing pieces of this movement. And I'm really gratified that smart people, you and I both know, are part of this effort to defend our friends.

GLENN: Kevin Roberts. Heritage Foundation. President.

Love to have you back to talk about project 2025. If we can help on that at all.

Because I think it's -- it's inspiring. It will give people hope. Thank you so much.

KEVIN: It should. God bless you, my friend.

Shocking train video: Passengers wait while woman bleeds out

Surveillance footage of the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, NC, reveals that the other passengers on the train took a long time to help her. Glenn, Stu, and Jason debate whether they were right or wrong to do so.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, I'm -- I'm torn on how I feel about the people on the train.

Because my first instinct is, they did nothing! They did nothing! Then my -- well, sit down and, you know -- you know, you're going to be judged. So be careful on judging others.

What would I have done? What would I want my wife to do in that situation?

STU: Yeah. Are those two different questions, by the way.

GLENN: Yeah, they are.

STU: I think they go far apart from each other. What would I want myself to do. I mean, it's tough to put yourself in a situation. It's very easy to watch a video on the internet and talk about your heroism. Everybody can do that very easily on Twitter. And everybody is.

You know, when you're in a vehicle that doesn't have an exit with a guy who just murdered somebody in front of you, and has a dripping blood off of a knife that's standing 10 feet away from you, 15 feet away from you.

There's probably a different standard there, that we should all kind of consider. And maybe give a little grace to what I saw at least was a woman, sitting across the -- the -- the aisle.

I think there is a difference there. But when you talk about that question. Those two questions are definitive.

You know, I know what I would want myself to do. I would hope I would act in a way that didn't completely embarrass myself afterward.

But I also think, when I'm thinking of my wife. My advice to my wife would not be to jump into the middle of that situation at all costs. She might do that anyway. She actually is a heck of a lot stronger than I am.

But she might do it anyway.

GLENN: How pathetic, but how true.

STU: Yes. But that would not be my advice to her.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: Now, maybe once the guy has certainly -- is out of the area. And you don't think the moment you step into that situation. He will turn around and kill you too. Then, of course, obviously. Anything you can do to step in.

Not that there was much anyone on the train could do.

I mean, I don't think there was an outcome change, no matter what anyone on that train did.

Unfortunately.

But would I want her to step in?

Of course. If she felt she was safe, yes.

Think about, you said, your wife. Think about your daughter. Your daughter is on that train, just watching someone else getting murdered like that. Would you advise your daughter to jump into a situation like that?

That girl sitting across the aisle was somebody's daughter. I don't know, man.

JASON: I would. You know, as a dad, would I advise.

Hmm. No.

As a human being, would I hope that my daughter or my wife or that I would get up and at least comfort that woman while she's dying on the floor of a train?

Yeah.

I would hope that my daughter, my son, that I would -- and, you know, I have more confidence in my son or daughter or my wife doing something courageous more than I would.

But, you know, I think I have a more realistic picture of myself than anybody else.

And I'm not sure that -- I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. I know what I would hope I would do. But I also know what I fear I would do. But I would have hoped that I would have gotten up and at least tried to help her. You know, help her up off the floor. At least be there with her, as she's seeing her life, you know, spill out in under a minute.

And that's it other thing we have to keep in mind. This all happened so rapidly.

A minute is -- will seem like a very long period of time in that situation. But it's a very short period of time in real life.

STU: Yeah. You watch the video, Glenn. You know, I don't need the video to -- to change my -- my position on this.

But at his seem like there was a -- someone who did get there, eventually, to help, right? I saw someone seemingly trying to put pressure on her neck.

GLENN: Yeah. And tried to give her CPR.

STU: You know, no hope at that point. How long of a time period would you say that was?

Do you know off the top of your head?

GLENN: I don't know. I don't know. I know that we watched the video that I saw. I haven't seen past 30 seconds after she --

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: -- is down. And, you know, for 30 seconds nothing is happening. You know, that is -- that is not a very long period of time.

STU: Right.

GLENN: In reality.

STU: And especially, I saw the pace he was walking. He certainly can't be -- you know, he may have left the actual train car by 30 seconds to a minute. But he wasn't that far away. Like he was still in visual.

He could still turn around and look and see what's going on at that point. So certainly still a threat is my point. He has not, like, left the area. This is not that type of situation.

You know, I -- look, as you point out, I think if I could be super duper sexist for a moment here, sort of my dividing line might just be men and women.

You know, I don't know if it's that a -- you're not supposed to say that, I suppose these days. But, like, there is a difference there. If I'm a man, you know, I would be -- I would want my son to jump in on that, I suppose. I don't know if he could do anything about it. But you would expect at least a grown man to be able to go in there and do something about it. A woman, you know, I don't know.

Maybe I'm -- I hope --

GLENN: Here's the thing I -- here's the thing that I -- that causes me to say, no. You should have jumped in.

And that is, you know, you've already killed one person on the train. So you've proven that you're a killer. And anybody who would have screamed and got up and was with her, she's dying. She's dying. Get him. Get him.

Then the whole train is responsible for stopping that guy. You know. And if you don't stop him, after he's killed one person, if you're not all as members of that train, if you're not stopping him, you know, the person at the side of that girl would be the least likely to be killed. It would be the ones that are standing you up and trying to stop him from getting back to your daughter or your wife or you.

JASON: There was a -- speaking of men and women and their roles in this. There was a video circling social media yesterday. In Sweden. There was a group of officials up on a stage. And one of the main. I think it was health official woman collapses on stage. Completely passes out.

All the men kind of look away. Or I don't know if they're looking away. Or pretending that they didn't know what was going on. There was another woman standing directly behind the woman passed out.

Immediately springs into action. Jumps on top. Grabs her pant leg. Grabs her shoulder. Spins her over and starts providing care.

What did she have that the other guys did not? Or women?

She was a sheepdog. There is a -- this is my issue. And I completely agree with Stu. I completely agree with you. There's some people that do not respond this way. My issue is the proportion of sheepdogs versus people that don't really know how to act. That is diminishing in western society. And American society.

We see it all the time in these critical actions. I mean, circumstances.

There are men and women, and it's actually a meme. That fantasize about hoards of people coming to attack their home and family. And they sit there and say, I've got it. You guys go. I'm staying behind, while I smoke my cigarette and wait for the hoards to come, because I will sacrifice myself. There are men and women that fantasize of block my highway. Go ahead. Block my highway. I'm going to do something about it. They fantasize about someone holding up -- not a liquor store. A convenience store or something. Because they will step in and do something. My issue now is that proportion of sheepdogs in society is disappearing. Just on statistical fact, there should be one within that train car, and there were none.

STU: Yeah. I mean --

JASON: They did not respond.

STU: We see what happens when they do, with Daniel Penny. Our society tries to vilify them and crush their existence. Now, there weren't that many people on that train. Right?

At least on that car. At least it's limited. I only saw three or four people there, there may have been more. I agree with you, though. Like, you see what happens when we actually do have a really recent example of someone doing exactly what Jason wants and what I would want a guy to do. Especially a marine to step up and stop this from happening. And the man was dragged by our legal system to a position where he nearly had to spend the rest of his life in prison.

I mean, I -- it's insanity. Thankfully, they came to their senses on that one.

GLENN: Well, the difference between that one and this one though is that the guy was threatening. This one, he killed somebody.

STU: Yeah. Right. Well, but -- I think -- but it's the opposite way. The debate with Penny, was should he have recognize that had this person might have just been crazy and not done anything?

Maybe. He hadn't actually acted yet. He was just saying things.

GLENN: Yeah. Well --

STU: He didn't wind up stabbing someone. This is a situation where these people have already seen what this man will do to you, even when you don't do anything to try to stop him. So if this woman, who is, again, looks to be an average American woman.

Across the aisle. Steps in and tries to do something. This guy could easily turn around and just make another pile of dead bodies next to the one that already exists.

And, you know, whether that is an optimal solution for our society, I don't know that that's helpful.

In that situation.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Max Lucado on Overcoming Grief in Dark Times | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 266

Disclaimer: This episode was filmed prior to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But Glenn believes Max's message is needed now more than ever.
The political world is divided, constantly at war with itself. In many ways, our own lives are not much different. Why do we constantly focus on the negative? Why are we in pain? Where is God amid our anxiety and fear? Why can’t we ever seem to change? Pastor Max Lucado has found the solution: Stop thinking like that! It may seem easier said than done, but Max joins Glenn Beck to unpack the three tools he describes in his new book, “Tame Your Thoughts,” that make it easy for us to reset the way we think back to God’s factory settings. In this much-needed conversation, Max and Glenn tackle everything from feeling doubt as a parent to facing unfair hardships to ... UFOs?! Plus, Max shares what he recently got tattooed on his arm.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Are Demonic Forces to Blame for Charlie Kirk, Minnesota & Charlotte Killings?

This week has seen some of the most heinous actions in recent memory. Glenn has been discussing the growth of evil in our society, and with the assassination of civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, the recent transgender shooter who took the lives of two children at a Catholic school, and the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, how can we make sense of all this evil? On today's Friday Exclusive, Glenn speaks with BlazeTV host of "Strange Encounters" Rick Burgess to discuss the demon-possessed transgender shooter and the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rick breaks down the reality of demon possession and how individuals wind up possessed. Rick and Glenn also discuss the dangers of the grotesque things we see online and in movies, TV shows, and video games on a daily basis. Rick warns that when we allow our minds to be altered by substances like drugs or alcohol, it opens a door for the enemy to take control. A supernatural war is waging in our society, and it’s a Christian’s job to fight this war. Glenn and Rick remind Christians of what their first citizenship is.