Best of The Glenn Beck Program | 11/12/25

Podcast Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck (Blaze Podcast Network)
Episode Theme:
A listener-driven episode where Glenn takes calls from across America discussing American history, pop culture controversies, and topical politics, with recurring themes of critical thinking, truth in history, and the current state of American society and media.

Episode Overview

On this episode, Glenn Beck features a range of listener calls to explore what’s really on Americans’ minds—from the truth about George Washington, to the challenge of finding honest debate in today’s polarized climate, to the intersection of politics, censorship, the economy, and technology. The show moves seamlessly from historical insight to topical controversies and forward-looking concerns, all while maintaining Beck’s candid, sometimes humorous, and always questioning tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Paul on George Washington (02:36–10:56)

• Paul, a PhD student specializing in early American history, calls in to share insights from his dissertation on George Washington, prompted by a dream about calling the show.
• Authenticity in History — Paul and Glenn discuss the importance of distinguishing between legend and fact in the Washington narrative:
  • Paul notes many stories about Washington have early and authentic documentation, not just later myth-making.
  • Paul: “The more you look into it, you realize these things weren’t written about him after or during the Revolution to pump him up. These things [were] written minutes or weeks after it happened.” (03:59)
• Washington’s Character & Miracles — Glenn highlights the awe-inspiring near-mystical survival stories of Washington, suggesting these are underplayed in favor of trivial myths.
  • Glenn: “We lie about the cherry tree…When he is the most honest, forthright and heroic guy, I think, in all of American history.” (04:29)
  • Paul references miraculous episodes, like bullets passing through Washington’s coat but leaving him unharmed, and one possibly overlooked moment: a dream that apparently inspired Washington to free his slaves.
• Critical Source Analysis — Paul attributes the dream story to the book Imperfect God, while Glenn emphasizes verifying such claims with original sources.

Notable Quote

“It’s hard to find the dark when the light is so bright with him.” – Paul (06:13)

2. Truth, History, and “George AI” (10:56–15:50)

• Glenn segues into a meditation on how modern education strips away “awe” and authentic critical thought about the founders by favoring interpretation over original sources.
  • Glenn: “You’re trained to quote the interpreters of history, not understand the originators.” (08:27)
• George AI & 'The Torch' Project
  • Beck introduces his upcoming AI-driven resource aiming to make founders’ writings accessible and “bring the awe back” for learners, inviting listener input on questions they want answered.

3. Call from Anthony, a Self-Identified Democrat (15:50–24:38)

• Anthony, a Democrat from Georgia and long-time listener, calls to challenge Glenn’s handling of the “Jimmy Kimmel suspension” and political tribalism regarding censorship and free speech.
• Why Listen Across the Aisle?
  • Anthony values hearing conservative perspectives, even if frustrating:

    “I really like to get that perspective from you and just kind of see what you’re thinking…” (16:40)

• Censorship & Consistency
  • Anthony takes issue with conservatives not objecting strongly enough to perceived government threats against media figures like Kimmel.
  • Glenn’s Response: Even-handedly, Beck reiterates his opposition to cancel culture and FCC intervention, regardless of partisan targets:

    “We don’t cancel people. I don’t want to cancel people...I don’t want [the FCC] to be able to do that to me. So why would I want them to do that to Jimmy Kimmel?” (18:00)

• Parsing Trump’s Language
  • Glenn distinguishes between Trump’s performative statements and his actions, arguing for focusing on factual deeds over inflammatory rhetoric.
  • Anthony counters with a desire for a president who communicates directly, not requiring parsing or rationalizing.

Memorable Exchange

Anthony: “I would just like it if we had a president who didn’t make me have to try to parse through what he’s saying when he says something that blatant.” (24:12)
Glenn: “So would I. But I live in the world that is the world that it is, not the world that I wish it was.” (24:23)

4. Civil Debate & Internal Dissonance (25:01–26:51)

• Post-call, Glenn and co-host Stu express appreciation for rational, civil conversations with ideological opponents and admit ongoing disagreements with Trump-era policies on tariffs and COVID. Stu voices discomfort with presidents publicly attacking media companies, while recognizing the nuance between speech and action.

5. Freedom of Speech: The Alien and Sedition Act Parallel (26:51–29:10)

• Glenn references historical debates on government’s role as arbiter of truth. He draws a parallel to modern media, referencing the Federalist era’s acceptance that lies about government, while regrettable, are less dangerous than empowering state censorship.
  • Glenn: “The government cannot be the arbiter of truth. It cannot be.”

6. Economic Challenges: Tariff Checks, 50-Year Mortgages, and AI (29:18–36:13)

• Current Economic Proposals
  • Stu and Glenn debate the merits of $2,000 “tariff checks” vs 50-year mortgages, both skeptical of the government’s expanding redistribution role.
  • Concerns surface over the effectiveness of tariffs and “stimulus” in today’s sluggish economy.
• AI as Economic Saviour
  • Beck asserts that a national pivot toward leading in AI might be Trump’s intended solution for economic woes, but cautions against exuberant tech boosterism without infrastructure (power plants, server farms) or sustainable demand.

Notable Quote

“He’s been convinced that [AI] is the future. And if that works and we’re the leader in it, then we will grow our way out because of the taxes and the jobs and everything else.” – Glenn Beck (34:08)

7. Speculation & The Bubble: Lessons from 1929 (36:13–38:40)

• Recalling the 1929 market crash, Glenn warns that over-enthusiasm for new tech, like AI, can lead to speculative bubbles—citing server farms built without demand and the historic mistake of banks loaning for “stock gambling.”

8. Art, Capitalism & Cultural Contradictions (39:43–42:10)

• Beck highlights a Sotheby’s auction for a $10 million gold toilet, mocking anti-capitalist art that reaps huge profits:
  • Glenn: “The real statement isn’t in the art. I think the real statement is in us…The art world is a con.” (41:31)
• Stu jokes about “statements against capitalism” invariably benefiting those making them.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• 03:59 – Paul: “The more you look into it, you realize these things weren’t written about him after or during the Revolution to pump him up.”
• 04:29 – Glenn Beck: “We lie about the cherry tree…When he is the most honest, forthright and heroic guy, I think, in all of American history.”
• 06:13 – Paul: “It’s hard to find the dark when the light is so bright with him.”
• 08:27 – Glenn Beck: “You’re trained to quote the interpreters of history, not understand the originators.”
• 16:40 – Anthony: “I really like to get that perspective from you and just kind of see what you’re thinking.”
• 18:00 – Glenn Beck: “We don’t cancel people. I don’t want to cancel people…why would I want [the FCC] to do that to Jimmy Kimmel?”
• 22:54 – Glenn Beck: “I took Donald Trump’s words literally for a long time…oh, he doesn’t. That’s a show. And I hadn’t seen that before in a president.”
• 24:12 / 24:23 – Anthony / Glenn Beck Exchange: (see above Memorable Exchange)
• 34:08 – Glenn Beck: “He’s been convinced that [AI] is the future. And if that works and we’re the leader in it, then we will grow our way out…”
• 41:31 – Glenn Beck: “The real statement isn’t in the art. I think the real statement is in us…The art world is a con.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:36 – Paul, the PhD student, on George Washington
• 10:56 – Glenn on “George AI” and the importance of awe in history
• 15:50 – Anthony, Democrat caller, challenges Glenn on the Kimmel controversy
• 25:01 – Glenn and Stu post-call: the value of civil debate and reflections on Trump
• 29:18 – Discussion on economic policies: tariffs, mortgages, AI
• 36:13 – AI bubble, lessons from the 1929 crash
• 39:43 – Mocking anti-capitalist art and Sotheby's auction

Tone & Atmosphere

The tone shifts from earnest historical reverence to playful ribbing (especially with regular co-host Stu), punctuated by genuine engagement with critical callers. Glenn balances a self-deprecating skepticism with moments of impassioned defense for truth-seeking, civil dialogue, and the primacy of original sources—whether in the Founding era or in today’s media chaos.

For New Listeners

This episode exemplifies Beck’s appeal: a mix of deep dives into history, willingness to hash out disagreements across partisan lines, critiques of both left and right, and a drive to cut through “mainstream media nonsense.” If you’re interested in American culture, media, and politics, and appreciate candid, sometimes irreverent, but respectful debate, this is a representative snapshot.

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