Best of the Program | Guest: Matt Van Swol | 7/29/25

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Glenn Beck Program | Guest: Matt Van Swol | July 29, 2025

Introduction

In this special "Best of the Program" episode of The Glenn Beck Program hosted by Blaze Podcast Network, Glenn Beck engages in critical discussions surrounding American media, immigration policies, and the impact of recent hurricanes. The episode features guest Matt Van Swol, a North Carolina hurricane victim, who shares his personal experiences and insights. Additionally, Glenn Beck delivers a poignant message addressing the youth of America, emphasizing the importance of historical awareness and responsible activism.

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1. Critique of CNN's Reporting on Alligator Alcatraz

Timestamp: 01:59 - 07:48

Glenn Beck opens the episode with a sharp critique of CNN's coverage of "Alligator Alcatraz," a newly constructed detention facility in Florida. He argues that CNN's portrayal is misleading and sensationalized, aiming to evoke sympathy rather than provide factual reporting.

• Glenn Beck (02:00): "We're just sitting there looking at CNN. They're showing these pictures of famine, famished children that, you know, they say they're not being fed. Well, show me the parents..."

Beck, along with co-host Pat Gray, dissect CNN's 3D modeling of the facility, questioning the authenticity and purpose behind such dramatizations. They highlight the overcrowded conditions, lack of basic amenities, and the deceptive narrative constructed by mainstream media.

• Pat Gray (04:21): "This clip is amazing. Sarah Gonzalez on her show was showing this to Pat and I yesterday and we were just flabbergasted by it."

The discussion emphasizes the discrepancy between CNN's reports and the reality on the ground, suggesting that the media is creating a biased narrative to push for gun control and stricter immigration policies.

• Glenn Beck (06:07): "Let me translate. Hopefully white."

Beck and Gray challenge the portrayal of detainees, arguing that the conditions at Alligator Alcatraz are not as dire as depicted and that the media is using fearmongering tactics to influence public opinion.

---

2. Interview with Hurricane Helene Victim Matt Van Swol

Timestamp: 15:05 - 25:30

Matt Van Swol joins Glenn Beck to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. He shares his frustration with the government's inadequate response and the lack of media coverage despite the evident devastation.

• Matt Van Swol (16:08): "We were pretty liberal during that time... I think I sent your producer some photos of my son in, like, a Black Lives Matter onesie."

Van Swol recounts his disillusionment with mainstream media outlets like CNN and MSNBC, which he felt ignored the severity of the hurricane's impact. He details his efforts to document the unfolding crisis through videos and drone footage, only to receive little to no attention from major news organizations.

• Matt Van Swol (17:30): "There were no homes delivered between September 27 and the middle of November, zero. And you think there are people sleeping in tents all over. And I thought, this would be on the news. This would be the news. And it just never was."

The conversation delves into the challenges Van Swol faced in seeking help from agencies like FEMA and the disappointment in how political interests overshadowed genuine disaster response efforts.

• Glenn Beck (19:14): "I get it. I was there. But that's not true."

Van Swol expresses gratitude towards Glenn Beck and his team for providing a platform to voice overlooked issues, highlighting the role of independent media in bringing hidden truths to light.

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3. Glenn Beck’s Message to the Youth of America

Timestamp: 25:39 - End

In a heartfelt monologue, Glenn Beck addresses the younger generation, urging them to be vigilant and informed to prevent history from repeating its darkest chapters. He draws parallels between past youth movements manipulated by authoritarian regimes and contemporary activism movements.

• Glenn Beck (30:00): "The Hitler Youth brainwashed millions of German children into Nazi ideology... They wanted to be involved in something bigger."

Beck warns against the dangers of allowing youthful idealism to be exploited for malicious purposes, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical contexts to foster responsible activism.

• Glenn Beck (35:00): "To the youth of America, I know you want to change the world. Just don't you want to make sure that you're on the right side of right and wrong?"

He encourages young listeners to pursue genuine change grounded in truth and reason, rather than being swayed by charismatic leaders who may have ulterior motives.

• Glenn Beck (45:00): "Because real change never comes from the odds. It comes from the people. And usually young people."

Beck concludes by expressing optimism for the future, believing that the youth possess the resilience and integrity needed to shape a brighter tomorrow, provided they remain informed and cautious.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program offers a blend of critical media analysis, personal narratives, and motivational discourse aimed at empowering listeners to seek truth and engage responsibly in societal issues. Through guest Matt Van Swol’s experiences and Beck’s reflective insights, the program underscores the significance of independent journalism and the crucial role of the younger generation in steering the nation towards a just and informed future.

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Notable Quotes:

• Glenn Beck (02:00): "We're just sitting there looking at CNN. They're showing these pictures of famine... show me the parents..."

• Matt Van Swol (17:30): "There were no homes delivered... I thought, this would be on the news."

• Glenn Beck (35:00): "To the youth of America, I know you want to change the world. Just don't you want to make sure that you're on the right side of right and wrong?"

• Glenn Beck (45:00): "Real change never comes from the odds. It comes from the people. And usually young people."

---

Final Thoughts

For listeners seeking a critical perspective on media narratives and the intersection of politics and personal experiences during crises, this episode provides a comprehensive exploration. Additionally, Glenn Beck’s impassioned appeal to the youth serves as a call to action for informed and conscientious participation in shaping the nation’s future.

Transcript

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[Glenn Beck]

See mintmobile.com well, CNN has done it again. They spent the time and money to put together a laughable coverage of Alligator Alcatraz. And laugh we will as Pat joins us. Also, a heartfelt message to the youth of the country. And Matt Van Swall with a thank you for your help on Hurricane Helene. That is a don't miss. A die hard liberal changes his heart. Hello, America. You know, we've been fighting every single day. We push back against the lies, the censorship, the nonsense of the mainstream media that they're trying to feed you. We work tirelessly to bring you the unfiltered truth because you deserve it. But to keep this fight going, we need you right now. Would you take a moment and rate and review the Glenn Beck podcast? Give us five stars and leave a comment. Because every single review helps us break through Big Tech's algorithm to reach more Americans who need and to hear the truth. This isn't a podcast. This is a movement. And you're part of it, a big part of it. So if you believe in what we're doing, you want more people to wake up, help us push this podcast to the top rate, review, share together, we'll make a difference. And thanks for standing with us. Now let's get to work.

[Matt Van Swall]

You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck Program.

[Glenn Beck]

This is, we're just sitting there looking at cnn. They're showing these pictures of these, you know, famine, famished children that, you know, they say they're not being fed. Well, show me the parents, you know, because what's happening is these children are having muscular dystrophy or other ailments. And it's now coming out that it's verified these are not starving children. If they are, show me. They're starving parents.

[Pat Gray]

Parents are just well fed.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Notice that. Have you noticed that? You'll see the parents holding the child. Children and they're well fed.

[Pat Gray]

How did that happen?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I Mean, I don't know about you, but I feed my children before I feed myself.

[Pat Gray]

Yeah, let's that personalize.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, but I'm talking about when I'm saying me, I mean the royal.

[Pat Gray]

Right, right, the royal.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. You know what I mean? Pat Gray joins us now. Hello, Pat.

[Unknown Guest]

Hello. Oh, great.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, so great. So great. So great. I want to play something from cnn. As they were describing the shooter yesterday. You know, right off of the heels of. Look at these, these starving children and their fat parents. They go right into the shooting and listen to this.

[Unknown Announcer]

Showing your hair to John's reporting that they do know the fit, what he looks like, male, possibly white mustache, sunglasses, in that building, isolated, they believe to various locations.

[Glenn Beck]

Possibly white.

[Pat Gray]

Possibly.

[Glenn Beck]

Let me translate. Hopefully white.

[Pat Gray]

Yes, that.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes, what it is.

[Unknown Guest]

Translate further. Not white. Well, very much not white. Impossibly white.

[Pat Gray]

Wait, and you're judging that by what, the photos?

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, by the photos of the guy of the actual shooter.

[Glenn Beck]

He's possibly white.

[Unknown Guest]

He's possibly.

[Pat Gray]

Can I possibly quibble with your analysis?

[Glenn Beck]

In another universe, if he had another parent, he could have been white. He's possibly white.

[Pat Gray]

I will say, though, to be fair to Aaron Burnett, what we see in the video is his face, which is clearly not white.

[Unknown Guest]

Right.

[Pat Gray]

However, the rest of his body is covered by clothing to 90% white.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, he could be. We don't know why.

[Pat Gray]

We don't know.

[Glenn Beck]

That is crazy.

[Unknown Guest]

I can't argue with that. See the rest of his.

[Glenn Beck]

Meanwhile, while this is going on in areas like we gotta have gun control, what's happening with a crime on our cities? Then they. The same network is going after Alligator Alley.

[Pat Gray]

Oh, Alligator Alcatraz.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes. Yeah. Yes, sorry. Alligator Alcatraz.

[Pat Gray]

This clip is amazing. Sarah Gonzalez on her show was showing this to Pat and I yesterday and we were, we were just flabbergasted by is a. Apparently supposed to be the, the design of the piece is to make you feel bad for people who go to Alligator Alcatraz.

[Glenn Beck]

Now let me, let me, let me just ask you, who goes to. To Alligator Alcatraz?

[Pat Gray]

Criminals. Criminals go to Alligator Alcatraz. People who have, number one, broken our immigration laws and likely have committed other more serious crimes, if you will. They go to Alligator Alcatraz. And it is not a permanent facility, is a temporary holding facility which is next to a Runway which has planes on it that take them to other countries where they're supposed to be.

[Glenn Beck]

But there's alligators.

[Unknown Guest]

There's surrounding it.

[Pat Gray]

There are alligators within miles of the facility. Yes. I mean, it is in an area where alligators may live.

[Glenn Beck]

I don't know if you've known this. I've lived in Florida. There. The whole place.

[Pat Gray]

The whole place is where alligators may live. Sometimes you look out your little cul de sac, there's an alligator crossing the street.

[Glenn Beck]

That's alligator. Okay.

[Pat Gray]

They don't. People don't say, this is my alligator house. No, they don't live inside of Alligator Alcatraz. They exist. I mean, in theory. If you escaped and tried to swim across the swamp, you may run into an alligator, like any swamp in the state.

[Matt Van Swall]

Okay.

[Glenn Beck]

Yep.

[Pat Gray]

It is not an act. Like, it's just a kitschy name for a place that makes it sound scarier than it is, frankly. It's just at an airport. It's a bunch of tents at an airport. That's what it is.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay, show this to me. Here's the video. I go to be.

[Unknown Caller]

I go the separate.

This is sad, sad, hopeless. It's a type of torture.

[Glenn Beck]

Torture.

[Unknown Announcer]

These are the stories of migrants held at Alligator Alcatraz.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, no.

[Unknown Announcer]

A new detention facility deep in the Florida Everglades.

[Glenn Beck]

Deep.

[Unknown Announcer]

Using a plan of design during President Trump's visit and photos from media tours and social media, CNN created a 3D model.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, my God.

[Unknown Guest]

Why? When you have the photos of it.

[Unknown Announcer]

Here are the giant tents where people report being crammed into cells.

[Pat Gray]

Stop for a second.

[Glenn Beck]

There's two in a cell there. Two bunk beds.

[Pat Gray]

Yes. What they've done here, as Pat points out, is take an actual photo of the inside of Alligator Alcatraz and then formed it into a 3D model of the same photo. So what you're seeing are a couple of beds and then There is a 3D model of a couple of beds. What is possibly the purpose of that?

[Unknown Guest]

I think it's to make it more mysterious.

[Pat Gray]

Yes.

[Unknown Guest]

It's like we can't even get a camera in there. Well, you just showed us the actual photo and now you're doing the 3D mock up.

[Glenn Beck]

Look at that. It is. It's superimposed. There's the photo and then it just fades into the 3D model. That's amazing.

[Unknown Guest]

Bizarre.

[Glenn Beck]

What? That's right. That's right.

[Pat Gray]

Imagine using resources on that. It's. It's a. Why would you need that? So they can rotate around the outside of the bed. That is legitimately what they use it for. But there's so much.

[Glenn Beck]

It's so much more impactful. This.

[Unknown Guest]

It is.

[Pat Gray]

Okay. Here.

[Unknown Announcer]

Into cells made of chain link fence packed with bunk beds. CNN spoke with detainees to hear firsthand accounts of what conditions are like on the inside. Some asked not to be named for fear of retribution.

[Unknown Caller]

Because of the way that we have been treated, it has been a very terrible experience.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, no.

[Pat Gray]

Guys.

[Unknown Guest]

You want it to be a nice experience, don't you?

[Glenn Beck]

Let me just go back to every torture place you've ever heard. How many times did we get the phone call from Dietrich Bonhoeffer?

[Unknown Guest]

Was it 12 times?

[Glenn Beck]

A really horrible. This is really horrible.

[Unknown Guest]

I don't like it here at all.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, you know, Ed, I mean, he's putting people in boxes. We never got the phone call from them. No, wait a minute, Edie. You might be torturing me and putting me in a hole, but wait a minute. I demand my phone call to the press.

[Pat Gray]

As they pointed out, it is true some of the people who did this did not want their names to be used. Some of them did. Now, how many times have you seen that from when a fascist dictator has imprisoned people and tortured them, they don't usually get to speak at all. But they certainly wouldn't be like, yeah, my name's Bob.

[Glenn Beck]

I'm in bunk 74. All right, go ahead.

[Unknown Announcer]

Detained by ICE when he showed up for a meeting with his probation officer.

[Unknown Guest]

Oh, no, pause it. He has a probation officer, which leads you to believe he might be on probation, which also leads to. He committed crimes. I love that.

[Glenn Beck]

All right.

[Unknown Caller]

32 people per cell or per cage.

[Glenn Beck]

Really?

[Unknown Caller]

Because this is a cage. It's a metal cage strapped in with zip ties.

[Unknown Announcer]

Three open toilets are shared by dozens of men who say there's no running water or sewage system. Roger Moreno was lit.

[Glenn Beck]

Stop. That is. That is. That is the same story for many mobile home parks in Florida surrounded by alligators. Very good point.

[Pat Gray]

It's also true of every concert festival I've ever been to.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Pat Gray]

They don't have running, but they do have a lot of people sharing the bathroom. It's not the prettiest situation.

[Glenn Beck]

And the chain link fence is held together by those. All ever defensive zip ties ties out of those.

[Pat Gray]

Do you remember all the reports from World War II when Hitler was saying we used zip ties on the cell? I don't also like, you know, it's such a. They use the word cages as if that's worse than cells. Like is it is a chain link cage, which would be a holding facility worse than a cell with steel bars.

[Glenn Beck]

No.

[Pat Gray]

And concrete walls like this would be anything would better. Yeah, but they use it in the opposite way to make it. It's well it's actually based on the.

[Glenn Beck]

Cage, and they say, you know, 87 people to the cage.

[Pat Gray]

Look at the size of the cage, right?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, look at the size.

[Pat Gray]

It's massive.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, they've got 87 bunk beds. I mean, you know, did you see the one in. Where was it, El Salvador, where there's like 60 people on a bunk, right? Like that. That's a different situation.

[Pat Gray]

Not at all.

[Glenn Beck]

All right, go ahead.

[Unknown Announcer]

Are shared by dozens of men who say there's no running water or sewage system. Roger Moreno, who has lived in the US for more than 30 years, told CNN the rain makes it worse.

[Glenn Beck]

The toilets, when it rains, they overflow, and the cells we're in fill up with sewage.

[Unknown Caller]

Every time a storm, the toilets clog up.

[Unknown Announcer]

Detainees told CNN the lights are kept on 24 hours a day.

[Unknown Caller]

I have to personally put a rag on top to at least try to take a nap because the lights are so bright. There's 24 LED lights in the roof, and it's, like, shining bright.

[Pat Gray]

Now, stop for a second. Now, I wasn't familiar with the right to nap when you're being held in.

[Glenn Beck]

A facility like this. I mean, you would want the lights to maybe go down unless you were afraid of a shiv. Let me go back to the next guy who also has a criminal record to tell us about how horrible this is.

[Pat Gray]

Go ahead.

[Unknown Announcer]

Juan Palma Martinez has lived in the US for more than 20 years and was also picked up by ICE at a routine meeting with his probation officer.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, wait, wait. What, Pat?

[Unknown Guest]

Another one picked up at a meeting with his probation officer.

[Pat Gray]

Now, what could possibly be the reason he would be visiting a probation? Maybe he just has he just friendly with them, you know?

[Unknown Guest]

I don't think so.

[Pat Gray]

Like, hey, my man. Hey, my probation officer. Maybe it's slang of some. Is there some slang being used?

[Unknown Guest]

I know of it. Usually indicative of committing crimes.

[Pat Gray]

Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

It was a visit.

[Unknown Guest]

It's a visit.

[Glenn Beck]

It wasn't an appointment. It was a visit.

[Pat Gray]

A visit. A little visit. There you go.

[Glenn Beck]

All right, go ahead.

[Unknown Caller]

No, when it's daytime or when it's nighttime, I don't sleep. It's affecting me mentally and physically.

[Unknown Announcer]

The tents aren't sealed.

[Pat Gray]

Okay, stop for a second. I just want to rewind what he just said here. Okay. Or just review. He said he can't tell if it's nighttime or daytime. That's a complaint. Now, you could say that could be like a problem, right? Like you. I mean, you know, it would be weird to not be able to detect that. Listen to the literal next complaint they have.

[Unknown Caller]

I no longer know when it's daytime or when it's nighttime. I don't sleep. It's affecting me mentally and physically.

[Unknown Announcer]

The tents aren't sealed. You can see cracks in this image.

[Pat Gray]

Okay, stop.

[Unknown Guest]

If the.

[Pat Gray]

If you can see cracks, that means you could see the outside and would be able to detect whether it's daytime or nighttime.

[Glenn Beck]

I love the fact. I love the fact that they have President Trump and Ron DeSantis. Or. I mean, that's not Ron. Yeah, that's Ron DeSantis standing there on a tour with the press of this facility.

[Unknown Guest]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

Like, they're not hiding it.

[Unknown Guest]

They did not need the 3D mockup.

[Glenn Beck]

No, no, it's. They've a 3D model with the 3D rendered Trump in that.

[Pat Gray]

This is what we believe the President looks like.

[Unknown Announcer]

In this image. And at the height of the hot Florida summer, that means the insects are relentless.

[Glenn Beck]

Yesterday the air conditioning went out. We had the whole morning without air conditioning. Lots of mosquitoes without it. Our air conditioning has gone down in our house, and I've had days without air conditioning in this very building.

[Unknown Guest]

The air conditioning has gone up month.

[Pat Gray]

For a month.

[Unknown Guest]

It took a month, and we suffered every day with it.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, awful.

[Pat Gray]

Not to mention the entire continent of Europe has no air conditioning.

[Glenn Beck]

Probably your home back from wherever you.

[Pat Gray]

Came from has no air conditioning, doesn't have air conditioner, and I would guess lots of bugs.

[Matt Van Swall]

Right?

[Pat Gray]

Lots of insects in tropical climates.

[Glenn Beck]

Thank you, Pat. Patgre unleashed. This is the best of the Glenn Beck program, and we really want to thank you for listening. Matt Van Swall is with us now. He is North Carolina hurricane victim and a guy who I shared his email on the air yesterday. Hi, Matt, how are you?

[Matt Van Swall]

Hey, Glenn. I'm good. How are you?

[Glenn Beck]

I'm good. I imagine you're kind of saying that with a smile on your face because you could not have ever imagined you'd be on the program with me.

[Matt Van Swall]

No chance.

[Pat Gray]

No.

[Matt Van Swall]

No chance at all.

[Glenn Beck]

I love that. So, Matt, quickly just recap your situation for who missed it yesterday.

[Matt Van Swall]

Yeah. So like you said, we live in western North Carolina, and after Hurricane Helene didn't hit our house super hard, but hit our neighbors very, very hard. And during that time period, we were trying to help a lot of people. We were pretty liberal during that time. I think I sent your producer some photos of my son in, like, a Black Lives Matter onesie. And I was wearing a mask that said, yeah, Trump slogan is Make America great Again. And I wore this red mask in 2020. That said, it hasn't been great.

[Glenn Beck]

Anyway, Wait, wait. Were you the kind of person that would not have. Would have. Would have exiled family members or friends if they said they were for Donald Trump?

[Matt Van Swall]

We. Oh, man, this is so embarrassing. But we made my wife's dad take off his Trump paraphernalia when he came to the house.

[Glenn Beck]

Wow.

[Unknown Caller]

We're.

[Matt Van Swall]

That. That level. Okay, so if he's right, he remembers.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. No, I. I mean, I know people, you know, on both sides. I know people. So anyway.

[Matt Van Swall]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

So back to the hurricane.

[Matt Van Swall]

Yeah, back to the hurricane. So we were just trying to help people, and it just seemed like the government was dropping the ball everywhere. I mean, it was unbelievable. And I did not feel like the news was getting out from how bad Hurricane Helene was. And it didn't. It wasn't making sense to me at all. Like, the. It felt. I always thought that the real news was the mainstream news. Like, the news I saw on CNN or MSNBC or reading the New York Times was just. That was the biggest news. And if a story was big enough and good enough, it would just make the news. But none of the insane stories that I was hearing from my neighbors and people on the ground was making the news at all, like, at all. And we were talking with people who were there, watched their homes get flooded, had applied to fema, and had been waiting for months. And FEMA would come out and do these press conferences and say, hey, you know, nobody's living in a tent. And I was like, I was just driving through Swannanoa and I just saw 12 tents. Like, what are you talking about? And so I would make these videos. I had a drone, and I would make these videos and say, hey, they're not telling you the truth because I live here, and I walk out my front door and I see devastation, and it's not being talked about at all. And it was crazy because I got a call during this time period from one of your reporters, Steve Baker.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Matt Van Swall]

And Steve called me because he wanted to talk about the FEMA camp that was just up the road from us and how they were not helping people. They were packing up and they were going home. And as soon as Steve messaged me and said he was a Blaze reporter, I was like, I don't trust this dude at all. Like, he's related to, you know, Glenn Beck. I, you know, honestly thought y' all were pretty, like, crazy, right? Radical, right wing. That's what I had heard.

[Glenn Beck]

I know. You know, I know what they've done. I Know what the media has done to me, man, I got it.

[Matt Van Swall]

Yeah. And so I. You know, I didn't even. Like, I remember vividly my wife and I in bed saying, like, should we talk to this reporter? Like, and we were like, okay, I guess we should do it, but we should have our guard way up. And so we talked to Steve, and Steve completely disarmed us both. It was. It was unlike a phone call I've ever had where I thought the person calling me was going to be one way. And they were completely like. I had this. I don't know, thought in my head that any reporter on the right wing was mean and not kind and just trying to push a narrative. And I talked to Steve, and I can't emphasize this enough. Steve let me speak. He asked questions, and he earned my trust. He disarmed me with his kindness. And it was one of the most shocking moments I've ever had because no one would talk to us. We had a direct. My wife works in film, and she had a direct line to cnn, and they ghosted her completely. They would not talk to her about what was going on in western North Carolina. And it was like we were alone in a situation that we thought would be on the news nonstop. And so to have Steve, like, listen to us say, yes, you're not crazy. This is actually happening, and it's even worse than you imagined. It's just unbelievable. I've. I've honestly never experienced anything like that. So I just want to say thank you to Steve.

[Glenn Beck]

So, Matt, so what was your. What was happening in your mind when your worldview was crumbling, but just about the news, when you were like, wait a minute, I thought cnn. I thought that, you know, and they're ghosting you. What was going through your mind and your. Honestly, your heart when you're like, oh, wait a minute, something's really wrong here.

[Matt Van Swall]

It just felt.

[Unknown Guest]

It.

[Matt Van Swall]

Honestly, it felt like I just described you. You would just think that the news is the news, and if the story is big enough, it makes the news no matter what. But I did not even imagine that because it was an election cycle and that the hurricane reflected poorly on the response of the current leadership, that they would just not talk about the story at all. I mean, there were. I posted tweets. I did not have a Twitter following at the time, and I posted tweets about what was going on in western North Carolina. And they would get millions of views because the stories were so insane, like FEMA promising 100 homes to people in western North Carolina by Thanksgiving, and then they only delivered 40. Or the fact that there were no homes delivered between September 27 and the middle of November, zero. And you think there are people sleeping in tents all over. And I thought, this would be on the news. This would be the news. And it just never was. And it blew my mind. And at that moment, I knew there's a bent to this media. Like, there is a bent, because it's not. It's not the economics. Because if it were the economics, these stories are getting millions of views on Twitter. Like, the stories are real and the stories are crazy. They're just choosing not to cover them. It's an act of choice to not cover the stories happening in western North Carolina. And that. That was the start for me where I thought, I. I don't think I can trust these guys anymore. That that worldview just kind of started crumbling for me, that the news maybe had an insane bent, and I just didn't realize it. Because one would think that if every news organization told you the same story, that that story in the bent to that story, there would be no bent, because news organizations would hold each other accountable. Like, the story you'd read on the New York Times is the same story you see on CNN is the same you see in the Washington Post. So you're like, oh, if all of these people are telling you the same thing, they're not all colluding, right. To tell you a story with a bet, Would they? And it just turns out, yeah, yeah, they are.

[Glenn Beck]

I will tell you. I feel for you. I've had. I've had maybe two or three of those moments where my worldview collapsed on me. Everything that I thought was real, I realized, oh, my gosh, it's not like that at all. And it's like, at least I did. I almost went through mourning in a way to where you. You're just losing such a big part of what you believed. And it was just. It's soul crushing. I don't know if you felt it that hard, but there's been a couple of things like that for me where it's just been soul crushing because you just. You just knew. And now. No, it's not that at all.

[Matt Van Swall]

And I just. I honestly, looking back, offloaded so much of my critical thinking to the news and just said, oh, okay, I read headline, therefore I know the truth. No more investigation is needed. And that's on me. I shouldn't have done that. And once you actually. Sometimes even when you read the whole article, you can actually get the truth of the story. It's shocking to me how many headlines are just virulently anti GOP Republican conservatives. But then you read the article and you're like, wait a minute, I should have just read this article. But it really, it kind of came crashing down for me at that point.

[Pat Gray]

You're listening to the Best of the Glenn Beck Podcast. Hear more of this interview and others with the full show podcast available wherever you get podcasts.

[Glenn Beck]

So Lucy Biggers is somebody who wrote an article U.S. politics, that says I woke up to the news last week that 33 year old Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani had beaten Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Charismatic, handsome and social media savvy, Mamdani amassed an enormous following of young New Yorkers and spurred more than 50,000 volunteers to get out in canvas for him. His promise of free bus rides, free childcare and government run grocery stores, and his vow to tax the rich reminded me of another young, good looking, charismatic Democrat who upset the heavily favored party nearly a decade ago, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. Back then, I was one of AOC's biggest supporters. In fact, it was not too much to say that I helped her win in the fall of 2017 when I was a video producer at the left winging millennial news company now this I found myself at a small meet and greet event hosted by ARENA Political Action Committee dedicated to backing those new Democratic candidates. The speakers that night were unknown candidates hoping to take back the House. One of the candidates was Alessa Lisa Slotkin, who has since become Michigan's junior US Senator. And there was aoc, an unknown bartender turned volunteer for Bernie Sanders. Out of all of the candidates, I hit it off with Alexandria. She was beautiful, humble, articulate and had a spark of charisma. You could tell this girl was going places. We're the same age and it was easy to talk about our frustration and fear of Donald Trump, our love of Bernie, and the need for real change. From universal health care to climate action to free college, we exchanged numbers. Two months later, I booked her for a video interview on the now this program. AOC arrived to our office and by the end of the hour we felt like old friends. My friend working behind the camera is also completely taken by AOC and her vision. We agreed that AOC had tapped into something real and it was going to be popular with the coming generation. I am now 35, a mother of two and a homeowner. Like so many other people before me, I've grown up and my eyes have my ideas have moderated. Much of the hyperbole being thrown at Mamdani and his followers goes too far. For example, that Mamdani is a 100% communist lunatic, as Trump says. I don't know if that's true, but I no longer think that giving the government more of our money to run free programs is the right way to do things. I spend time at the DMV and tell me if you want government run grocery stores like run like the dmv. We need less government in our lives, less regulation and lower taxes so individuals can flourish and create capital and prosperity. Hopefully these young New Yorkers don't have to live through the downturn of New York City to learn the hard way that socialism never works. So, woman who helped AOC get elected. I still have sympathy for the young people who see inequality and poverty and want to do something about it. Their hearts are in the right place. But sadly, the promises that charismatic people like Mamdani and AOC sell are not the solutions that young people are seeking. They have been mistakenly taught that our capitalist society is the source of all of their problems and the only way to fix it is with more government spending. Whether from the lack of life experience or just pure ignorance, they fail to realize that programs offering free everything have to be paid for and nothing is free. The politics and policies they promote will lead to a more centralized government with more power, higher taxes, and a higher cost of living. I think we should extend these people grace and realize that most of them don't have any idea that they're supporting horrible ideas that literally ruin civilizations. We should understand that they just want to make the world a better place. That is what Mom Donnie, with his charming demeanor and understanding of social media, is promising to do. He is still way ahead in New York. It's weird because I have always been an optimist. Yes, I'm an optimistic catastrophist. I know that. But I've always been an optimist. I've always believed in people. I believed in the country. I believe people can change. And the older I get, I see some of that wearing thin. You know what I mean? There are times I catch myself and I'm like, no, stop it. Stop it. You know the truth. You've just had 60 years of being beaten into the ground. Nothing's going to change. Nothing's going to change. And it's all a game. And that's where the gift of youth comes in. Because it is. It is the power to renew, to breathe life into the world. That, that frankly, has gone a little weary, has lost all of our hope. We're tired, we're cynical. And then you, the youth, show up and you renew us. And that's part of your job. You are the hope that this entire country is starving for right now. And soon enough, whether we like it or not, the world is yours to shape. And it doesn't have to be shaped the way we want it shaped. But let me just plea to those, give a plea to those who are young. You need to understand something very, very, very real. Your passion, your energy, your hunger to change the world. It is fantastic and it is not invisible. It's not going unnoticed. And there are those who see it and are excited by it, but there are those who see it and crave it. They would, they would gleefully take it, twist it, bend it, and weaponize it to their own ends. Because history repeats itself. History is not clean, it's not clear cut. Revolution, war, protest, all of these things, they're not fairy tales. They happened and they can happen again. And for every cause that was just, there was somebody lurking in the wings ready to hijack it. Let me show you how this works. They take you back to 1933. The Hitler Youth brainwashed millions of German children into Nazi ideology. Why? Because they knew the youth. They were optimistic, they were idealistic. They were looking for hope. They were looking for something bigger than themselves that they could be involved in. Well, they ended up spying on families, disrupting the church services. They helped lead the German military's aggressive style, and eventually all of that led to the Holocaust. And you know the rest of the story, unless you went to a public school in 1966. Who, who did Mao rely on? The Red Guards. What did the Red Guards do? They attacked the intellectuals, they destroyed artifacts, they led chaos and violence in the street. They, they pulled university professors out and stoned them, killed them, beat them and their families. They were responsible for so much of the loss of freedom in China. And who were the Red Guards? They were the student led youth groups. They were you, if you're in that age group, that's who and why. It wasn't them. They wanted to be a part of something bigger, to change the world. The Hitler Youth wanted to be involved in something bigger. And there was always somebody who was older who couldn't get it done themselves and needed the power of the youth to be able to take that and, and, and chain it and twist it to what he wanted. 1994. Genocide in Rwanda. 1 million deaths in a hundred days. They Used machetes to kill a hundred, a million people in a hundred days. Who was the main perpetrator of this? The youth militia. Misguided. Wanting to be a part of something for justice. Something to change the world. Used by leadership. 2020 BLM. Americans youth. Flood the streets. Hammers, fists, fire, mass destruction. Ended. Lives, dreams, opportunities. Remember, you have to have the black square for blm. Did you know that all of that money ended up, most of it at blm? I'm not making this up. Look it up. BLM Incorporated. That money was laundered. That money was lost. Useful idiot. That's what Stalin used to say. So to the youth of America, I know you want to change the world. I know. I do too. I'm more jaded because I just. I. We've tried to do it over and over and over again and that's the problem. The people of my age that are using you, they know they can't do it because they've tried. And so they're now co opting you and they're convincing you that this your idea. It's. That's exactly what. But they're not. They're not most times. Most times they are looking for their own greed and their own power. So I know you want to change the world. Just don't you want to make sure that you're on the right side of right and wrong? Don't you want to make sure you're. You're not on the popular side, not on the easy side, but on the truthful side? This is really hard because you want to believe. And the people my age no longer believe many cases. But I do. I believe in you. There are millions of us that believe that. You know, it's your turn, it's your turn. But don't be used. Don't become a tool of somebody who couldn't fix it themselves. Because if they could, they would have. They would have fixed it by now. But they didn't. And now they're looking to you. Not to lead, but to serve the power. We all have to learn what, what history is begging us to learn. Yeah. The odds are stacked against real change. But here's the good, good news. Real change never comes from the odds. It comes from the people. And usually young people. But that change is often very dangerous. If the young people don't know history. They want to choose to be more than just useful. You have to choose to be true because you have a light that is dimmed as life goes on. You are the balance between the people who still see the light, still believe in the light, but have worked their whole life to try to make that light become stronger. And in many cases, we have in many ways. But in others, it just seems like it's never going to end. It's never going to be a fight. We win. And that's the way power wants it. And so we look down to you, and we're like, they have the light. They believe in the light. And if that light is true, if it is based in thinking, in reason, in critical questioning, then it's true. It's an. It's a universal and eternal light. And it's your job to not just carry it, but to guard it and protect it and refine it in the truth. Because now is your turn. And I am so excited to see what you're about to build. Our job at my age is to protect them, to tell, To. To point out the weasels that may be duping them. Just like she did. She's like, look, I. I get it. I was there. But that's not true. If you. If you base your life in truth and you guard that light, you are going to do something remarkable. The future will be brighter than anything you dared to imagine it. It is. And the best part is, it will be yours. It will be your success, not somebody else who is going to take your success and mock it.