The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | Guest: Jason Whitlock | 09/30/25

Episode Overview

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program (Best of the Program) features a wide-ranging conversation between Glenn Beck, his executive producer Stu, and special guest Jason Whitlock. The central themes are:

• The government shutdown and its political/media implications
• Personal reflections on faith in the wake of anti-Mormon hostility
• Deep critiques of popular culture, focusing on the selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show
• The growing sense of cultural division and manipulation in American society
• Calls for critical thinking, personal integrity, and alternate responses to the mainstream

The tone is candid, sometimes combative, often introspective, and unapologetically conservative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reactions to Anti-Mormon Hostility & Reflections on Faith

Segment: 03:24–17:48

• Glenn Beck opens with concern about a viral post and recent chants of “f the Mormons” at CU Boulder, questioning why certain hatreds are allowable in public discourse.
• He addresses vitriol directed toward Mormons and reads a particularly inflammatory post attributing church violence to Old Testament-style divine judgment.
• Beck emphasizes the personal nature of his faith and attempts to clarify misconceptions:

  “I don’t really care what you label me. I really don’t. Whether you call me a Christian or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I know what I believe. I know who I follow. I believe in Jesus Christ.” (04:13)

• He discusses the difference between living as a “natural man” and striving for a supernatural, Christ-like transformation:

  “It is only possible because his teachings are supernatural. They are beyond nature … I need something supernatural, above nature that can transform me.” (10:44)

• He cautions against allowing provocative online posts or bots (possibly from foreign actors) to stoke division, stressing the importance of critical thinking and not surrendering dignity or truth.
• Cites an article about forgiving even those who commit heinous acts as an essential Christian tenet, referencing Erica Kirk's response after the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Memorable Quote:

“No lie, no fear, no crisis is going to rob me of truth or freedom. I can only give those things away. You cannot take my freedom away. You cannot take my dignity away. You cannot take truth away from me. I must surrender it. And I will not surrender those things.” (13:42)

2. Government Shutdown: Analysis & Media Treatment

Segment: 17:48–31:44

• The team pivots to discuss the day’s government shutdown, contrasting the current media treatment with previous shutdowns where Republicans were typically blamed and sob stories featured heavily in the lead-up.
• Discussion includes the strength of gold and bitcoin as indicators of lack of trust in government fiscal policy:

  Stu: “Bitcoin’s up 75%.”
  Glenn Beck: “And what do those both have in common, Stu? Why would both of those be going up?...It’s the constant printing of money...” (18:20–18:48)

• Breakdown of the politics behind the shutdown:
  • Republicans passed a "clean continuing resolution," but Democrats require a $1 trillion spending increase for items including Obamacare for undocumented immigrants.
  • The mechanics of the shutdown may allow permanent staff reductions unless Congress explicitly reauthorizes affected programs.

  “If the program is not paid for by mandatory spending … or if it's not in line with the government's the president's goals... they're to send pink slips out and they're permanent pink slips until Congress comes back and ... reauthorizes all of those programs.” (23:25)

  • Beck speculates that this time the Democrats and the left-wing media may struggle to pin blame on the GOP using the usual emotional narratives, noting the lack of sob stories ahead of the shutdown.
  • Stu asserts the media’s efforts are “to try to turn this into a situation where the Republicans will be blamed for it because this is their jobs.” (28:26)

Memorable Moment: Satirical Prediction

“I can't believe it's not going to—the shutdown is going to occur and then, of course, planes will fall out of the skies. Babies will no longer be able to sucker suckle on their mother’s teeth.” (29:41)

3. Culture Wars: Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Segment: 31:46–45:15

The Selection of Bad Bunny

• Introduced by Glenn Beck as something he doesn’t “claim to understand,” the choice of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime is interpreted by Jason Whitlock as a calculated move:

  “They’re trolling Donald Trump, obviously, they’re trolling ICE raids and the whole illegal immigration policy ... They want to make a statement about diversity and Spanish speaking people. They want to make a statement about transgenderism and sexual fluidity. And Bad Bunny checks all those boxes.” (32:51)

• Whitlock sees this as intentionally provocative and emblematic of the left's grip on popular culture, leveraging the NFL’s platform specifically to deliver cultural messages contrary to traditional/religious values.

Demonic & Occult Imagery in Entertainment

• Discussion of accusations that Bad Bunny’s shows and music employ overtly “demonic” imagery and themes—further considered evidence of the mainstreaming of occult practices in pop culture.
• Glenn plays an audio clip where fans report a "demonic presence" at a Bad Bunny concert. Whitlock traces occult symbolism back through rock and rap history:

  “The music industry clearly has a close association with the occult movement. This goes all the way back to the Beatles and probably before that.” (37:59)

• Jay Z's involvement in selecting recent halftime performers is called out, suggesting a deliberate infusion of progressive and occult influences.

Suggestions for Pushback & Alternative Responses

• Whitlock sees organized boycotts as ineffective but calls for Christians and conservatives to create and support alternative halftime events:

  “There’s no chance of me watching the Super Bowl this year... I will not watch the super bowl this year. I get skipping out on—I don’t think it’s the appropriate thing to skip out on the NFL and sports altogether ... but as it relates to the super bowl, no dice for me.”

• Beck and Whitlock agree that even changing the channel during halftime sends a message since “those ratings matter.” (43:51–44:31)
• Whitlock calls for churches and values-driven organizations to provide meaningful counterprogramming.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Whitlock:

  “All money isn’t good money. And that’s what globalism is teaching us, that we can throw away all of our Christian values, all of our American values in pursuit of global money. And then what are we left with? A drag show at halftime of the biggest platform we have to offer in American culture.” (34:39)

• Glenn Beck:

  “If everybody just said, I’m not watching this and turn to something else for the halftime show, that is a half step, but an important half step. Would you agree or disagree with that?”
  Whitlock: “I totally agree.” (44:31)

4. Closing: Personal Support and Resilience

Segment: 45:15–45:35

• Whitlock offers personal support for Beck after a tough weekend related to attacks on his faith.

  “Hey, I know this has been a tough weekend for you given the church deal. And so I appreciate you making the time for me today.” (45:26)

• Beck thanks Whitlock and encourages listeners to follow his work on The Blaze.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:24–17:48 — Beck’s reflections on faith, creed, and responses to bigotry
• 17:48–31:44 — Government shutdown: gold/bitcoin commentary, political machinations, media response
• 31:46–45:15 — Cultural conflict: Bad Bunny, Super Bowl halftime, occult symbolism in pop culture, and proposed alternatives
• 43:51–45:35 — Boycotts, counter-programming, and closing remarks

Notable Quotes & Speaker Attributions

• Glenn Beck:

  “I don’t really care what you label me... I know who I serve and worship.” (04:13)
  “No lie, no fear, no crisis is going to rob me of truth or freedom.” (13:42)

• Stu (Executive Producer):

  “It’s the constant printing of money that has gone on forever. No matter who the president is, no matter who’s in Congress. It’s just that’s the one thing we all seem to agree on. Printing more money non stop.” (18:34)

• Jason Whitlock:

  “They’re trolling Donald Trump... This is the poster boy for Trump hate. And this is the poster boy for sexual fluidity and redefining masculinity. These are things straight out of his own mouth.” (32:51, 34:39) “If your values align with Jesus Christ, you defend them and you deal with the consequences. That’s what I do. That’s what you do. That’s what Charlie Kirk did.” (41:39) “There’s no chance of me watching the super bowl this year... I feel like I would be spitting in the face of God.” (42:36)

Summary Takeaways

• Cultural polarization and attacks on faith remain a major concern; Beck advocates for kindness, forgiveness, and dignity, and warns against being manipulated by bots or inflammatory rhetoric online.
• Government shutdown politics are shifting—Beck and team argue this shutdown could hurt Democrats more due to internal political factors and the changing media narrative.
• Mainstream entertainment, especially the 2025 Super Bowl halftime with Bad Bunny, is critiqued as a deliberate effort to undermine traditional values; Whitlock urges meaningful counter-programming over traditional boycotts.
• Personal moral compass, integrity, and critical thinking are recurrent prescriptions from Beck and Whitlock to navigate today’s manipulated, polarized environment.

Listeners new to the program will find this episode emblematic of Beck's blend of earnest faith, cultural analysis, populist skepticism, and humor, alongside a call to actively engage with culture and politics instead of retreating from them.