The Glenn Beck Program: Best of the Program | Guest: Ann Bauer | 2/27/26

Date: February 27, 2026
Host: Glenn Beck
Guest: Ann Bauer (essayist, co-founder of Story Allies)
Theme: Storytelling, media bias, civility in discourse, contemporary American politics, and the origins and function of the Senate filibuster.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on two primary themes:

• The challenges of meaningful communication across political divides, illustrated by essayist Ann Bauer’s text exchange with a long-time friend regarding media bias and fraud in Minnesota’s government.
• A historical, impassioned explanation by Glenn Beck of the U.S. Senate filibuster—its origins, evolution, and the consequences of moving away from the demanding "talking filibuster" to the current "zombie filibuster."

Together, these discussions explore how narratives and policies are shaped and contested in modern America, highlighting both personal and institutional aspects.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ann Bauer’s Story: Civil Discourse Despite Divides

• Context: Ann recounts a text conversation with a longtime friend in Minneapolis, sparked by controversial Holocaust analogies made by politicians and media coverage surrounding state-level fraud.
  • Her friend responded graciously after Ann objected to inappropriate Holocaust comparisons in local political discourse.
    • Ann: “I was just gobsmacked. I was like, you know, what a gracious response.” (04:18)
  • The friend admitted being unaware of critical news due to limited news sources.
    • Ann: “...this very smart lady...had no idea. Thought that this was just a marvelous comparison to make.” (05:51)
  • Glenn and Ann analyze the insularity of local media and the challenges in breaking through such information bubbles.
    • Glenn: “Will they be articles from sources she will find credible?” (09:53)
    • Ann discusses the delicacy of sharing articles only from news outlets her friend would trust.
  • Despite civil exchange, Ann notes how rare these interactions are, lamenting lost social connections in polarized environments.
    • Ann: “She is the outlier. I have lost almost every contact I have in Minneapolis St. Paul.” (13:37)

Notable Quotes:

• “Oh, sweet Jesus.” – Ann Bauer’s texted reaction to her friend's unawareness of well-documented state fraud (08:43)
• “How do we spread that? ...How do you know? I mean, I talk to so many people, are like, I can't talk to anybody. ...It's just like talking to a wall.” – Glenn Beck (13:16)
• "She is the outlier. I have lost almost every contact I have in Minneapolis St. Paul." – Ann Bauer (13:37)

2. Media Bias and Political Accountability in Minnesota

• Voting behavior and public opinion are shaped by significant media filtering in Minnesota, with particular criticism of the Star Tribune for cozying up to the Governor.
  • Ann: “The Star Tribune is run by a publisher...who served as Commissioner...under Tim Waltz...is like an arm of the state administration.” (07:10)
• Fraud in Minnesota involved billions lost; local media and politicians painted a misleadingly rosy picture.
  • Ann details her attempts to find and share credible, non-paywalled, non-right-leaning news about fraud for her friend (09:53–11:51).

3. Presidential Politics & Media Hyperbole

• Glenn comments on divisive political rhetoric, focusing on contemporary analogies likening various Republicans to Nazis or "Hitler," culminating with Trump's critics, and the shift to demonizing new political figures like J.D. Vance.
  • Glenn satirizes Gavin Newsom's escalation: “You just said that guy was Hitler. And if that guy's Hitler, how...do you go scarier than Hitler?” (15:44).
• Brief discussion on potential U.S. military actions in Iran and how media and public should interpret political and military statements.
  • Jason: "That's probably one of the biggest things that we should worry about is asymmetrically what the Iranian regime is going to do." (19:51)
  • Glenn: “The one reason why I think JD Vance could possibly get away with saying that is because he knows possibly what we don't know. He knows what we used in Venezuela...” (21:04)

4. The Filibuster: History, Abuse, and Reform

• Glenn delivers a detailed historical account of the Senate filibuster, underscoring its original role as a last-resort tool for minority rights—requiring public, exhausting, and heroic acts of obstruction (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington reference).
  • Glenn: “This is the original filibuster. Not a trick, not a procedural ghost, not a backroom email...A man standing, speaking, burning daylight and paying a price.” (32:15)
• Outlines detrimental effects of the 1970s “two-track system,” converting filibusters from rare acts of conviction to routine, costless obstructions (“zombie filibuster”).
  • Glenn: “It turned the filibuster from a rare act of physical resistance into just a routine procedural veto.” (33:53)
  • “The zombie filibuster flips the entire Constitution on its head… You have institutionalized gridlock.” (36:30)
• Calls to return to the talking filibuster, demanding senators pay a real price to obstruct legislation, forcing public accountability.
  • “The talking filibuster disciplines both sides. The majority must listen. The minority must endure. That tension is healthy. It's constitutional muscle.” (37:52)
• Condemns the current system and challenges senators to stop “playing the game” with the rules, urging honesty and courage.
  • “Do what America is demanding on both sides in overwhelming numbers...Have the balls to stand up for something you actually believe in.” (38:58)

Notable Quotes:

• “The filibuster was not meant to be easy. It was meant to be costly because separates the serious from just the political. It’s costly in time, it’s costly in stamina, and it is costly in political capital.” (34:42)
• “…When obstruction no longer requires stamina, it no longer requires effort, it no longer even requires conviction. It only requires strategy. And strategy is always cheaper than sacrifice.” (35:41)
• “If you're willing to halt the nation's business, you should be willing to stand in the well of the Senate and explain...why you're shutting down the business of this government...to do something the people are against.” (36:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Media Echo Chambers:
  Ann Bauer: “No idea. Thought that this was just a marvelous comparison to make.” (05:51)
• On Lost Friendships:
  Ann Bauer: “She is the outlier. I have lost almost every contact I have in Minneapolis St. Paul.” (13:37)
• Satirical Media Hyperbole:
  Glenn Beck: “Wait a minute. You just said that guy was Hitler. And if that guy's Hitler, how…do you go scarier than Hitler? I mean, at least be creative.” (15:44)
• The Filibuster's Purpose and Problem:
  Glenn Beck: “The talking filibuster disciplines both sides. The majority must listen. The minority must endure. That tension is healthy. It's constitutional muscle.” (37:52)

Key Timestamps

• [03:32] – Start of conversation with Ann Bauer.
• [03:57–09:53] – Bauer’s Minneapolis story: media bias, friend’s gracious response, and local fraud.
• [13:16] – How do we encourage civil political conversations?
• [15:44–17:25] – Media hyperbole about political villains; shift to new targets like JD Vance.
• [17:25–21:04] – Trump, Iran tensions, and “fireworks” in international affairs (analysis by Jason and Glenn).
• [32:15–38:58] – Glenn’s filibuster history lesson and passionate argument for returning to the original, public-facing rules.

Conclusion

Through engaging storytelling, sharp historical analysis, and lively banter, this episode underscores the importance of both personal relationships and robust democratic processes in sustaining American civic life. The conversations with Ann Bauer reveal the difficulties of real dialogue across divides, while Glenn’s filibuster monologue connects issues of accountability and public engagement from the Senate floor to our living rooms.