The Glenn Beck Program

Best of the Program | 11/11/25
November 11, 2025 | Blaze Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode centers around the aftermath of the government shutdown, unrest on college campuses, the importance of true heroism in turbulent times, an in-depth critique of healthcare politics, and a heartfelt tribute to Veterans for Veterans Day. Glenn Beck weaves cultural observation, political analysis, and personal reflection in his signature candid and passionate style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Root Causes and Politics

• Shutdown Ends—But Only for Now:
  The "long national nightmare is over... until about January," Beck warns, as a temporary deal reopens the government with the expectation that another shutdown is on the horizon (00:41).
• Democrat Strategy and ACA Subsidies:
  Beck dissects a New York Times op-ed explaining the Democrats' push for expanded ACA subsidies (enhanced during COVID). He points out that these were temporary measures becoming entrenched, funded by "money borrowed from the Chinese from the future to hide the failures of the present" (48:00).
• Political Cynicism:
  Glen reads and reacts to the Times’ analysis that, paradoxically, Democrats retaining subsidies might actually be aiding Republicans politically in 2026; if Republicans drop them, Democrats get a powerful talking point. He’s incredulous at how openly this is admitted:

  “This is unbelievable. I mean, they’re saying that. They're saying it out loud. You know what I mean?” (54:30).

• Healthcare as the True Battlefield:
  Beck asserts the real crisis is not the shutdown, but the country’s "addiction to government medicine" and that "the battlefield is healthcare" (01:00:00).
• Call for Radical Reform:
  He argues only figures like Trump and RFK Jr. could break the "bureaucratic glacier" and advocates free-market reforms, competition, and deregulation in healthcare.

2. Campus Protests & Shifting Cultural Atmosphere

• UC Berkeley Protests:
  Beck discusses anti–Turning Point USA protests at UC Berkeley and plays a sound clip of demonstrators:
  • “Do I need to say what they're saying about your dead, homie? Wow.” (12:30).
• A Changed Social Climate:
  He compares the nation’s current atmosphere to a sudden weather shift:

  “It’s not a gentle slide from fall into winter. It’s... a front ripping across the plains. That’s what’s happening.” (15:10).

• Newton’s Third Law as Metaphor:
  Beck uses "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" to explain recent social turbulence and spiritual awakenings as reactions to high-profile tragedies (notably the death of Charlie Kirk).

3. Heroism, Fear, and Ordinary Courage

• Call to Everyday Heroism:
  Inspired by troubling times, Beck urges listeners to choose courageous, selfless action in daily life:

  “Heroism is built from really small choices made every single day. Courage is a muscle that you have to exercise...” (27:00).

• The Importance of Sacrifice:
  He differentiates true sacrifice from mere loss, framing it as investment in others and the future.
• A Personal Challenge:
  Emphasizes that while change often feels overwhelming and most people’s efforts seem small, these everyday actions together comprise real heroism.

4. Ilhan Omar, Citizenship & Loyalty

• Commentary on Rep. Ilhan Omar:
  Becky plays and reacts to Rep. Omar’s statements on citizenship and potential deportation, critiquing her lack of overt patriotism and questioning the logic of her stance on ICE and immigration:

  “It doesn’t sound like she’s proud to be an American. ‘I could just live wherever I want.’” (04:30).

5. The “Main Event”: Spiritual Warfare in Culture

• An Escalating Battle:
  Beck presents ongoing cultural and political conflict as a larger, near-cosmic struggle between good and evil:

  “The main event has now begun... the pushback... is something older, something that has always hated awakenings wherever it appears.” (21:40).

6. Veterans Day: A Tribute to Service

• A Solemn Thank You:
  Beck devotes a segment to a respectful address to all veterans, highlighting the spiritual and historical weight of their oath, their sacrifices, and the often-overlooked debt owed by civilians:

  “You, the one who raised a hand and swore an oath that didn’t end when your enlistment did. It was an oath that was older than your commanding officer, older than the branch you served in, older even than the nation itself, because what you swore to defend was not a government.” (01:13:05)

• Gratitude Extended:
  Beck offers deep thanks not just to servicemembers, but to their families as well, and laments how American society sometimes neglects those who serve once they’ve returned home.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Shutdown & Healthcare

• On Subsidies:
  "Here's what subsidies are, gang—money borrowed from the Chinese from the future to hide the failures of the present on decisions that were made in the past."
  — Glenn Beck (59:35)

• On Healthcare Reform:
  “The greatest political opportunity of our lifetime now is healthcare reform. Real, actual reform… Not a band aid over a bullet wound.”
  — Glenn Beck (01:06:00)

Campus Unrest & Cultural Change

• On the Changed Atmosphere:
  “I have been carrying this feeling around, you know, like the weather has changed and nobody has bothered to check the forecast… That's what's happening.”
  — Glenn Beck (15:10)

Courage & Heroism

• On Everyday Choices:
  “Heroism is built from really small choices made every single day. Courage is a muscle that you have to exercise.”
  — Glenn Beck (27:00)

• On Sticking With the Fight:
  “You do it anyway because it does make a difference. Your job makes a difference… that's where we can be a hero and that's where we make all the difference in the world.”
  — Glenn Beck (35:30)

Veterans Day Tribute

• On the Oath of Service:
  “What you swore to defend was not a government... you swore an oath to an idea.”
  — Glenn Beck (01:13:16)

• Words to Veterans:
  “Your country remembers you. Your country needs you. And your country is grateful in a way language will never quite capture. Thank you.”
  — Glenn Beck (01:18:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:41 — Shutdown’s End, Introduction to Major Topics
• 04:30 — Ilhan Omar’s citizenship comments
• 12:30 — UC Berkeley/Turning Point USA protests
• 15:10 — Cultural “weather change” metaphor
• 21:40 — The “main event”: Good vs. Evil framing
• 27:00 — On everyday heroism and courage
• 35:30 — Small actions (and personal struggles with making a difference)
• 48:00 — Deep dive on government shutdown politics and ACA subsidies
• 54:30 — Media spin and Democrats’ political calculations
• 59:35 — What subsidies really are
• 01:00:00 — “The crisis is addiction to government medicine”
• 01:06:00 — Healthcare reform as pivotal opportunity
• 01:13:05 — Veterans Day tribute begins
• 01:18:00 — Closing words to veterans

Summary Tone & Takeaway

Glenn Beck’s tone traverses from critical and alarmed (discussing health politics and cultural shifts) to reflective and earnest (on heroism and service). He urges listeners to recognize the magnitude of America’s crossroads—politically, socially, and spiritually—while also insisting that the smallest individual actions, driven by courage and decency, are what truly shape the future. The episode closes with one of the most solemn and direct thank-yous to veterans Beck has delivered, cementing the day’s theme of service, sacrifice, and the preservation of American ideals.