The Glenn Beck Program: Best of the Program | 8/25/25

Date: August 25, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck (Blaze Podcast Network)
Main Guests/Co-hosts: Stu (co-host), Carl (caller), JD Vance (audio clip), Donald Trump (audio clip), Chicago Mayor (audio clip)
Theme: Examining gerrymandering reform, government intervention in industry, and law enforcement in America—through the lens of current culture and politics.

Episode Overview

Glenn Beck and co-host Stu tackle three major issues shaping American politics and society:

1. Gerrymandering and Political Redistricting: Exploring potential reforms, including a grassroots constitutional amendment and returning power to local districts.
2. Crime and Federal Power: Analyzing the constitutional and practical implications of Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in DC, and the debate over federal intervention in cities like Chicago.
3. Government Investment in Private Industry: Critically assessing the new federal approach of taking equity stakes in companies (e.g., Intel via the CHIPS Act), its economic rationale, and its risks.

Throughout, the hosts weigh pragmatic strategies against the country’s founding principles, emphasizing the tension between short-term gains and dangerous precedents.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Gerrymandering Reform: “Cut Everything in Squares”

Segment: [03:05–13:41]

Glenn Beck’s Proposal & the Debate ([03:05])

• Glenn floats a simple redistricting fix: create congressional districts as geometric “squares” based solely on population—eschewing traditional, often-manipulated borders.
• Quote: "Just cut everything in squares... when that square hits 101, you cut it in half... you just keep making new districts in those squares." (Glenn Beck, 03:39)

Stu on Pragmatism Versus Principle ([05:47])

• Stu argues that, while idealistic reforms are appealing, the current system incentivizes parties to engage in all-out “redistricting war.”
• Quote: "We can't sit here and just get rolled over. It's within the law. The Supreme Court has ruled on this. You can use politics to redistrict. It's within the rules of the game." (Stu, 11:04)

Analogy to Legal System ([09:28])

• Stu likens the partisan battle over redistricting to lawyers zealously defending clients—even obvious “murderers”—in the adversarial legal system. Both are ugly but arguably necessary to secure fairness under current rules.
• Glenn’s response: “I'm not sure that that would be the best thing for us to do because we're a little. A little shaky right now.” (Glenn, 10:46)

Caller Carl: “Ratify the Original First Amendment” ([11:40])

• Carl from North Carolina proposes finishing ratification of the original First Amendment—one House rep per 50,000 citizens, echoing the Founders’ concern for local representation.
• Quote: “Yes, over 1600… they'll live in our small districts rather than up in the district of corruption.” (Carl, 12:39)
• Glenn and Stu praise the local-focus idea, favoring remote work for representatives to weaken special interests and keep politicians close to their constituents.
• Quote: “You keep them at home, I really like that…you're not in the halls of Congress. You're closer to the people that, you know, voted for you.” (Glenn, 13:41)

2. Crime, Federal Authority, and the Trump Doctrine

Segment: [16:03–28:05]

JD Vance and Trump on “Law Enforcement Seriously” ([16:03])

• Vance: DC’s murder rates rivaled some of the world’s worst, but federal intervention and taking law enforcement “seriously” brought quick improvement.
• Quote: "We could have their streets back if their leadership is willing to put in the time and the resources." (JD Vance, 16:40)
• Trump: Vows to “straighten out” other cities, starting next with Chicago, framing intervention as a response to residents’ pleas.
• Quote: "Chicago will be our next… we're going to make our cities very, very safe." (Trump, 17:15)

Chicago Mayor’s Response ([18:41])

• The mayor invokes standing firm against “tyranny,” pledging legal action to stop federal overreach.
• Quote: "The people in this city are accustomed to rising up against tyranny... I believe that the people of Chicago will stand firm alongside of me as I work... to protect the people of this city." (Chicago Mayor, 18:54)

Glenn’s Constitutional Context ([19:01])

• Glenn warns listeners that while the federal government can control law enforcement in DC (because it's a federal district), it has no clear constitutional right to police states/cities like Chicago.
• He lays out the conditions under which the Insurrection Act and Posse Comitatus Act apply, referencing past uses in civil rights crises—not for urban crime.
• Quote: "The president does not have a clear constitutional path to federalized police in Chicago or any other city outside of Washington D.C. It just doesn't." (Glenn, 19:01)
• He cautions conservatives: “You might think it’s okay for Donald Trump… but what’s going to stop the next president… from doing something where you’re like, wait a minute, wait a minute?” (Glenn, 22:32)

What Does Work? Community Policing and Local Enforcement ([26:47])

• Glenn underscores that reducing crime requires enforcing existing laws, focusing on hotspot policing and targeting repeat offenders.
• The historical parallel: The Feds defeated Al Capone by prosecuting for tax evasion, not via military intervention.

3. Should the Government Own Parts of Private Companies? (CHIPS Act/Intel)

Segment: [28:10–41:47]

New Model: Federal Stock Ownership ([28:10])

• Glenn dissects the Trump administration’s move: using CHIPS Act funds to buy a 10% (non-voting) stake in Intel instead of offering a grant.
• Quote: "On paper, it's really good. It's clean, it's efficient, it's, it's savvy. Now, what is it that's bothering me? Well, it's not exactly the American system." (Glenn, 29:36)

The Precedent—and Its Dangers ([29:42])

• Glenn recounts how government intervention in GM led to political meddling in product decisions (cancellation of hydrogen car), warning that state capital ownership slides naturally toward “corporatism.”
• Quote: “Once the government becomes your partner in business, they're always your partner. Always.” (Glenn, 37:09 and again, 37:47)

The Slippery Slope

• Glenn and Stu raise concerns: If we normalize government stakes in private companies for strategic reasons, what stops future expansion (“Ford, Boeing, grocery stores, AI…”)?
• Quote: "Do you think that company wouldn't become beholden to the United States government? And who are they beholden to? The Defense Department? The Deep State? The President?" (Glenn, 34:49)

Pragmatic Upside vs. Principle ([35:10])

• Stu notes the original “sin” was the CHIPS Act itself—government intervention driven by fears of global competition and supply chain fragility.
• Even if taxpayers make a paper profit, he argues the only real impact comes if this model is scaled up, effectively merging state and economy.
• Quote: "The only way that this makes any impact... is if you do it at scale, if you start doing this in every single company... then you start getting to a place where the government is in bed with lots of businesses, and maybe you could make a financial impact. And if we accept this argument now. I'm afraid we accept it then too." (Stu, 38:15)

Is This Socialism—or Just Pragmatism?

• Glenn points out that the approach is explicitly championed by Bernie Sanders and “the left,” cautioning about blurring the line between prudent investment and the normalization of state ownership.
• Quote: "Who is cheering this on? Bernie Sanders...he's a socialist. So everything a socialist brings up, probably. Good bet." (Glenn, 39:32-39:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You just keep making new districts in those squares." — Glenn Beck on gerrymandering reform [03:39]
• "Can it be an improvement? I don't love it. It doesn't make me feel like...sing the Sour Spangled Banner and expect fireworks..." — Stu on the irony of redistricting “all-out war” [11:04]
• "We need 27 more state legislatures to finish ratifying what was originally supposed to be our first amendment...one rep for every 50,000 citizens." — Carl, caller [11:45]
• "We're going to make our country very safe. We're going to make our cities very, very safe." — Donald Trump [17:15]
• "At least on the surface, the president does not have a clear constitutional path to federalized police in Chicago or any other city outside of Washington, D.C." — Glenn Beck [19:01]
• "Once you give the president a precedence to send troops into one city for crime, where does it end?" — Glenn Beck [23:43]
• "On paper, it's really good... Now, what is it that's bothering me? Well, it's not exactly the American system." — Glenn Beck on government’s stock purchase in Intel [29:36]
• "Once the government becomes your partner in business, they're always your partner. Always." — Glenn Beck [37:09, 37:47]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:05: Gerrymandering reform—Glenn's “cut everything in squares” idea
• 05:47: Is “all-out war” on redistricting inevitable?
• 11:40: Caller Carl’s proposal: one rep for every 50,000 citizens
• 16:03: JD Vance and Trump on DC crime rates and law enforcement
• 18:41: Chicago mayor's response to federal intervention threat
• 19:01 – 26:47: Constitutional limits on federal policing and dangers of exception-making
• 28:10: New federal strategy—buying stock in Intel with CHIPS Act funds
• 29:36: Glenn’s nuanced critique of state capitalism
• 34:49: Precedents from GM bailout; the slide toward corporatism
• 35:10: Stu on original “sin” of CHIPS Act, and why this tactic is risky
• 37:09: “Government as business partner”—the enduring danger

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode melds Glenn’s signature blend of historical context, foundational principle, and skepticism toward power consolidation. His and Stu’s back-and-forth is both candid and wary, balancing respect for pragmatic tactics with strong warnings against abandoning constitutional constraints or founding ideals. The tone is conversational, witty, and serious—intended to raise awareness among listeners not just of “what works,” but of the stakes behind how we get there.

Final Message:

• Be alert to temporary policies that set permanent dangerous precedents, especially when the stakes feel urgent.
• Reforms—even well-intended—must always reconcile with core principles of liberty, localism, and the separation of powers.