The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | 8/20/25

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck (Blaze Podcast Network)
Co-hosts: Stu Burguiere, Jason
Theme: American Culture, Crime, Media Narratives, and International Threats

Overview of Main Theme

This episode centers on Glenn Beck’s analysis of current trends in American urban crime, the political narratives shaped by the mainstream media (notably The New York Times), and an in-depth segment on U.S. military movements near Venezuela. The episode weaves in historical perspectives—linking present-day controversies to well-known moments in U.S. sports history—to challenge how narratives around progress, race, and patriotism are constructed and weaponized.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Washington, D.C. Crime Crackdown and City Life

• Trump’s National Guard Action: Discussion begins with a critique and update on President Trump’s intervention in D.C. using the National Guard. Beck and Stu review statistics showing initial drops in major crimes: robbery, carjacking, and car theft all down significantly over seven days ([05:09]).
  • “Robbery now is down 46%...Carjacking down 83%...Violent crime down 22%...All crimes down 8%.” — Glenn Beck ([05:09])
• Normalization of Crime: Stu and Glenn reflect on how D.C. residents and people in other big cities become numb to crime and urban decay, describing it as a "quality of life thing" where disturbances become part of daily life ([07:11], [09:16]).
  • "You almost start to delete these terrible experiences from your mind. It’s the only way you can deal with them." — Stu ([09:16])
• Contrast with Small-town America: Glenn recounts moving his daughter into a crime-free college town and contrasts it with his childhood and the current state of major U.S. cities ([12:11]).
  • “This is what my childhood was like. This feels like ... late 1970s ... it was generally safe ... People respected one another.” — Glenn ([12:23])

2. Media Narratives and Political Tribalism

• Mainstream Media Misinformation: The hosts unpack how the media—specifically, The New York Times—frames stories about Trump (regarding the Smithsonian and slavery displays), arguing that reporting is often slanted to provoke audience outrage instead of honest debate ([35:27]).
  • “The New York Times is supposed to be the bastion of thought... What they just printed is not fit. Because it’s not news, that’s a lie.” — Glenn ([36:02])
• Call for Balance and Critical Thinking: They criticize the devolution of journalism and urge listeners to research and critically evaluate news instead of accepting partisan narratives ([39:14]).
  • "Don’t take it from us. I don’t want your trust. I’ll get it wrong...Verify everything else." — Glenn ([39:14])

3. South America: U.S. Battle Group off Venezuela

• Troop Movements & Context: Glenn highlights an underreported story: the deployment of a U.S. battle group (4000 Marines, warships) off the coast of Venezuela ([22:33]).
  • “We’re moving three Aegis destroyers and 4000 Marines … This is what you have when you have an invading force.” — Glenn ([22:33])
• Why Venezuela? Two main reasons:
  1. Drug trafficking—Fentanyl and cocaine laced and trafficked with ties to Maduro’s regime and organized crime reaching U.S. cities.
  2. Venezuela as a beachhead for U.S. adversaries (Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah) ([25:00] onwards).
• Historical Connections: Jason refers to congressional testimony on ties between Venezuelan regimes and terrorist organizations, underlining the seriousness of the threat ([23:55]).
  • “Hugo Chavez hosted something called the secret summit ... the supreme leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad all met there…” — Jason ([23:55])
• Comparison to Past U.S. Interventions: Glenn warns against creating a power vacuum in Venezuela as occurred in Libya and Iraq, stressing the need for careful strategy ([25:34]).
• American Responsibility: Glenn calls for self-accountability in America’s addiction crisis (comparing it to his own struggles), but insists on toughness against drug trafficking ([27:37]).

4. History, Heroes, and Public Memory: Smithsonian Controversy

• Trump & Smithsonian Slavery Debate: The episode closes revisiting headlines about Trump allegedly downplaying the horrors of slavery. Glenn clarifies Trump’s point as calling for contextual balance, not erasing history ([35:27]).
• Jesse Owens vs. Black Power Protesters: Glenn uses two Olympic moments to illustrate how different narratives are honored or forgotten:
  • Jesse Owens (1936): Celebrated for shattering Nazi myths, yet not initially honored in the U.S., later became a symbol of Black patriotism and progress ([34:23]–[37:00]).
    • “He goes over, he proves to the world that whites are not superior. And then he comes back and he’s rejected in his own country by his own president.” — Glenn ([37:00])
  • Tommie Smith & John Carlos (1968): Their Black Power salute is prominent in Smithsonian displays, yet their names are unfamiliar to most Americans. Glenn argues political protest—especially radical or divisive ones—are less powerful than patient, civic progress ([41:30]–[45:00]).
    • “I think you don’t know their name because they weren’t effective. Why? Because they were promoting Black Power, Black Panthers, terrorism. That’s not America.” — Glenn ([41:44])
  • Jesse Owens’ Advice: Glenn recounts how Owens counseled Smith and Carlos to work within the system and practice patience, contrasting revolutionary activism with incremental progress ([46:00]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On D.C. Crime Becoming ‘Normal’:

  • “I looked at Stu and I said, we have been here too long. We got to get out when that’s just normal. We’ve got to get out.” — Glenn ([08:33])

• Media Bias and Misinformation:

  • “It is really weird that a section of our country ... has been led by the New York Times. ... What they just printed is not fit because it’s not news. That’s a lie.” — Glenn ([36:02])

• American Accountability in the Drug Crisis:

  • “We have to start taking responsibility for some of our problems. It’s easy to say Venezuela is shipping all this fentanyl ... Americans are buying it.” — Glenn ([27:37])

• On Research and Critical Thinking:

  • “Don’t trust in men. Men will always let you down. Trust in God. Verify everything else. ... The only way you can fight for this truth is if you know it yourself.” — Glenn ([39:14])

• History and Progress:

  • “Jesse Owens was seen as a model of racial progress... He humiliated Adolf Hitler and the Aryan supremacy narrative in 1936. ... and he’s spreading the message that, yes, we did those things, but we’re getting better.” — Glenn ([46:00])

Important Timestamps

• [02:57] — Banter on crime and Brett Baer’s D.C. traffic stop
• [05:09] — Crime stats after National Guard intervention
• [08:33] — Rats in the subway: normalization of urban decay
• [12:23] — Glenn reminisces about small-town safety
• [22:33] — U.S. battle group deployed off Venezuela
• [23:55] — Testimony: Venezuela’s ties with terrorist organizations
• [25:00] — Discussion of Maduro’s regime, U.S. bounty, potential consequences
• [27:37] — Responsibility on the fentanyl crisis: U.S. buyers
• [35:27] — Media framing of Trump and the Smithsonian slavery debate
• [39:14] — Beck’s philosophy: verify, don’t trust, be curious
• [41:44] — The forgotten names of Black Power protesters
• [46:00] — Jesse Owens’s counsel: patience over protest

Conclusion

This episode intertwines personal anecdotes, historical analogies, and sharp media critique to challenge prevailing narratives about crime, race, and American progress. The hosts urge listeners to embrace critical thinking, hold both officials and themselves accountable, and recognize the complex interplay between U.S. domestic troubles and foreign policy threats—all while lamenting the loss of common sense and balanced perspective in both media and public life.