The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: Best of the Program | 2/9/26
Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Glenn Beck
Guest: Stephen Moore
Theme: Reflecting on American culture and politics, childhood nostalgia vs. today's complexities, Super Bowl cultural commentary, U.S. global influence, Trump-era economic policy, and the future of the Federal Reserve.

Episode Overview

This episode is a blend of storytelling, opinion, and analysis. Glenn Beck opens with a cultural reflection on the differences between childhood then and now, using the Super Bowl performance as a springboard to critique modern culture and technology's impact on youth and family life. The episode shifts to international relations—specifically U.S. dealings with Iran and the United Nations—before transitioning to an interview with economist Stephen Moore. Moore and Beck discuss Trump’s influence on global institutions, the Trump savings account plan, and the future direction of American monetary policy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Super Bowl, Culture, and Childhood Nostalgia

The State of American Culture

• Beck opens with a commentary on the Super Bowl halftime show (Bad Bunny), questioning when boundaries for appropriateness in popular culture vanished.
• Nostalgic comparison between childhood in the ’70s/’80s and the present: more unsupervised freedom, less technology, stronger community norms and boundaries.

Quote:
“The culture we all should be striving for is one that doesn't expose, you know, children to grinding and songs about, push it in, push it in, push it in. When did we stop saying, this is not appropriate?”
—Glenn Beck, [03:05]

Childhood “Then vs. Now”

• Memories of independence: walking or biking to school, neighbors trusting each other, kids organizing their own play.
• Simplicity and stability: Fewer material goods, but more real connection. Lack of constant adult management.
• Contrast with today: Kids now are anxious about global issues, under constant digital stimulation, and lack unstructured freedom.

Quote:
“I don't want to sound like an old guy, but I am an old guy. Things were simpler then. We didn't have phones with us all the time. We didn't have social media all the time. I mean, it sounds boring when you say it out loud, but we were never bored.”
—Glenn Beck, [08:50]

Technology's Impact

• Social media’s empty promises: Instead of bringing people closer, it has diluted the meaning of “friend” and undermined in-person connection.
• Beck laments the current culture of constant distraction and endorphin-driven phone habits.

Quote:
“We walk around with a phone that sounds like a casino in our hands... it's designed to keep you pulling the arm of the new slot machine.”
—Glenn Beck, [12:37]

Reflection on Memory and Lessons

• The importance of “remembering” as a way to gain perspective, not to retreat into the past but to preserve valuable aspects lost over time.
• Challenges in passing these lessons to kids—each generation needs to learn the value of simplicity and perspective themselves.

2. U.S. Foreign Policy: Iran and the UN

U.S. Military Posturing and Negotiation with Iran

• Movement of military assets in the Middle East (C17 planes); speculation about the U.S. intentions and negotiations with Iran.
• Trump’s approach: Restoring U.S. deterrence and sending signals through military build-up, leveraging diplomacy rather than direct intervention.

Quote:
“This is the longest I have seen him take on...you got to get out, you got to get out. We're building up, we're building up... and then what happened?”
—Glenn Beck, [18:00]

The U.S. and the United Nations

• The U.S. as the financial backbone of the UN, withholding payments until the institution makes reforms.
• “Saving” the UN at the last minute: Not a bailout, but a way to force restructuring and expose its dependence on the U.S.
• Beck frames Trump’s tactic as “leverage,” redefining global rules by making U.S. support contingent on actual change.

Quote:
“He stopped playing unconditionally, and look what happened. For the first time in 80 years, the UN has cut its own budget... This is the way Trump plays.”
—Glenn Beck, [25:35]

• Emphasizes the dangers of letting global institutions implode without a transition plan.

3. Interview with Stephen Moore: Economics, Financial Policy, and Trump’s Legacy

Trump's Youth Savings Account Proposal

• A new commercial touts pre-funded investment accounts for every American child—“millions will be pre-funded.”
• Moore praises the idea for democratizing wealth but laments it wasn’t done sooner (e.g., Bush’s 2004 Social Security investment proposal).

Quote:
“I like this idea of putting money into these accounts when a child is born... By the time someone is 22, 25 years old, you're going to have a million dollars.”
—Stephen Moore, [33:22]

U.S. Stock Market Success and Global Leadership

• Moore highlights the “most spectacular” era of wealth creation in U.S. history, crediting Reagan’s reforms and subsequent policies.
• 140 million Americans in the stock market; strong U.S. stock market relative to the rest of the world.

The Federal Reserve and Kevin Warsh

• Moore endorses Kevin Warsh as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, citing his commitment to monetary stability and free-market principles.
• Explains the fundamental role of a currency (store of value and means of exchange) and the global importance of the dollar as reserve currency.

Quote:
“The only person who would be better than him is me.”
—Stephen Moore, [35:33] (jokingly)

Debating Interest Rate Policy

• Trump favors lower rates (as a lifelong real estate developer), but Moore warns against using cheap money as a path to economic health.
• Lowering rates may not have the simple effect people expect—inflation risk is real, as shown by recent cycles.

Quote:
“I'm not against a rate cut, but it's not like people think that the Fed chairman is like the wizard of Oz behind the curtain... I think what we want is stable prices.”
—Stephen Moore, [39:08]

Global “Trumpian” Movement

• American economic vibrancy stands out amidst global stagnation; other countries may follow the U.S. populist, people-centered economic model.
• Praises movements and leaders (Argentina, Costa Rica, Nigel Farage in Britain) embracing similar approaches.

Quote:
“We could see this kind of power of the people Trumpian revolution all over because it's working in the United States and everybody's looking... ‘I'll have what she's having!’”
—Stephen Moore, [45:13]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On technology and nostalgia:
  “Silence wasn’t awkward. It was normal. And we didn’t send pictures of ourselves. We didn’t talk about sex the way kids talk about it now... Silence was part of being together.”
  —Glenn Beck, [09:48]

• On global order and U.S. leverage:
  “You don’t burn the building down if you’re still trying to decide who controls the land underneath it... When institutions like the UN collapse overnight, they don’t disappear; they metastasize.”
  —Glenn Beck, [24:12]

• On Trump as negotiator:
  “This is not a rescue. This is a containment of the UN. And for the very first time in a generation, the world is being told by an American president: adapt, shrink or you’re irrelevant.”
  —Glenn Beck, [28:38]

• Moore’s optimism:
  “Look, I’m super bullish right now. I really am. I think Trump is... for the most part, this is a Trump boom...”
  —Stephen Moore, [41:35]

Noteworthy Timestamps

• Culture and Super Bowl commentary: [02:44] – [15:00]
• Reflections on childhood and technology: [03:10] – [14:00]
• Iran and the UN discussion: [17:25] – [30:00]
• Trump savings account commercial and policy talk: [31:25] – [33:22]
• Stephen Moore interview: [32:11] – [45:28]
  • On Fed policy and economic growth: [35:25] – [43:21]
  • On international “Trumpian” movement: [43:56] – [45:21]

Summary

This episode delivers Glenn Beck's signature cultural nostalgia, skepticism toward modern technology’s impact on society, and sharp political commentary. The transition from Super Bowl talk to global affairs highlights Beck's worldview: America’s past offered clarity, and modern complexity—abroad and at home—requires firm, clear leadership exemplified by Trump’s policies. The conversation with Stephen Moore injects optimism about the American economy, reiterates the need for monetary stability, and frames the Trump administration as both a disruptor and a model for global populist revolutions.

For listeners, this episode is both a reflection on “lost clarity” and a rally for renewed American strength—culturally, economically, and diplomatically—with a humorous, sometimes sentimental, but always pointed tone.