Best of the Program | Guest: Nathaniel Deen | 2/7/25

Summary

The Glenn Beck Program: Best of the Program | Guest: Nathaniel Dean | Released February 7, 2025

Hosted by Glenn Beck on the Blaze Podcast Network, this episode delves into pressing American cultural and political issues, featuring insightful discussions, candid opinions, and a special interview with Nathaniel Dean, the producer of the film "Brave the Dark." Below is a comprehensive summary capturing the key points, notable quotes, and engaging exchanges from the episode.

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1. Trump’s Executive Order on Transgender Athletes

[00:30 - 04:38]

Glenn Beck opens the discussion by addressing former President Donald Trump's recent executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. He criticizes the backlash from mainstream media, particularly CNN, highlighting what he perceives as a double standard and misrepresentation of the executive order's intent.

Notable Quote:

• Glenn Beck ([02:36]): "Donald Trump signed this week the no man and Women sports executive order."

Beck references J.K. Rowling's social media post, where she congratulates those on the left who campaigned against women and girls' rights, indirectly praising Trump for enforcing what he considers common sense policies.

[03:21 - 04:38]

Pat Gray, Beck's co-host, adds his interpretation, emphasizing Rowling's liberal stance and disapproval of leftist policies on women's issues. The conversation touches on broader themes of gender ideology and its impact on society, including freedom of speech and the rights of women and children.

---

2. NCAA’s Policy Reversal on Transgender Athletes

[05:01 - 07:47]

Beck critiques the NCAA's recent decision to back down from transgender athletic policies, aligning their new stance with Trump's executive order. He argues that financial motivations, particularly the loss of government funding, influenced this shift.

Notable Quote:

• Glenn Beck ([06:44]): "Why are they doing that, Pat? Why is the NCAA getting out of this?"

Pat Gray suggests that financial strains led the NCAA to abandon progressive policies, underlining the influence of government funding on organizational decisions.

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3. Critique of MLB and NFL Diversity Initiatives

[07:01 - 09:23]

The discussion shifts to Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL), where Beck criticizes their ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He points out the lack of transgender and female representation in these leagues, questioning the effectiveness and sincerity of these diversity efforts.

Notable Quote:

• Glenn Beck ([08:34]): "The NFL says we're just doing the right thing. We're doing the right thing. Are you?"

Pat Gray humorously counters by noting the existing diversity within the NFL, although Beck remains skeptical about the true intentions behind these initiatives.

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4. Samantha Power’s Departure from USAID

[11:07 - 14:01]

Beck discusses the ousting of Samantha Power from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) following the Trump administration's policy changes. He portrays her termination as part of a broader crackdown on progressive policies and accuses USAID of engaging in covert operations to influence foreign governments.

Notable Quote:

• Glenn Beck ([12:00]): "You have to rule. Not guilty. We were trying not to break the law. That's not a value, man."

A Producer interjects, highlighting the personal impact of sudden job losses, while Beck emphasizes the need for accountability and transparency within government agencies.

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5. Caller Debate: Defending vs. Criticizing USAID Spending

[32:00 - 42:27]

Beck invites Brian Bennett, a listener from Bittersweet Farm, New York, to defend the spending habits of USAID. The exchange becomes a heated debate over the efficacy and morality of USAID’s foreign aid programs.

Notable Quotes:

• Brian Bennett ([35:33]): "Sending the money to any of those programs is an investment in the future, in winning the hearts and minds."
• Glenn Beck ([32:00]): "I want your taxpayer dollars going for shadow ops from the CIA that are not run by the President or have any oversight whatsoever."

Beck challenges Brian on specific USAID expenditures, such as funding for rebuilding media ecosystems and promoting diversity in foreign societies. The conversation underscores deep ideological divides regarding government intervention, foreign policy, and the allocation of taxpayer funds.

Glenn Beck’s Rebuttal: Beck systematically dismantles Brian’s defenses by questioning the practical outcomes of USAID's programs, arguing that they often lead to corruption and do not effectively alleviate suffering.

---

6. Special Interview with Nathaniel Dean: "Brave the Dark"

[19:41 - 30:03]

In the latter half of the episode, Glenn Beck welcomes Nathaniel Dean, the producer of "Brave the Dark," a film inspired by Dean’s tumultuous childhood and his transformative relationship with a dedicated teacher. The interview delves into Dean's personal experiences, the making of the film, and its intended impact on audiences.

Notable Quotes:

• Glenn Beck ([28:06]): "I saw you betray him in a way towards the end and what was that like to relive for you?"
• Nathaniel Dean ([20:32]): "I had a pretty rough childhood filled with probably some of the worst childhood trauma that a child can experience."

Key Discussion Points:

• Dean’s Background: Raised in an orphanage, living in his car during high school, and the significant trauma he endured.
• The Role of Mr. Dean: A compassionate teacher who offered support and hope, serving as a pivotal figure in Dean’s life.
• Film’s Message: Emphasizes themes of resilience, the importance of mentorship, and the enduring impact of kindness.

Glenn Beck’s Reflection: Beck draws parallels between his own struggles and Dean’s story, highlighting the universal need for compassion and understanding. He praises the film for its authentic portrayal of overcoming adversity and the transformative power of empathetic relationships.

[29:54 - 30:03]

The episode concludes with Beck expressing his enthusiasm for Dean's film, urging listeners to watch "Brave the Dark" to fully grasp its emotional depth and inspirational message.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program offers a blend of political commentary and personal storytelling. Glenn Beck addresses contentious topics such as transgender policies in sports, government spending, and diversity initiatives, engaging in robust debates with callers. The highlight, however, is the heartfelt interview with Nathaniel Dean, providing listeners with a moving narrative of overcoming hardship through the support of a dedicated teacher. The episode exemplifies Beck’s commitment to blending political discourse with human-interest stories, maintaining an engaging and thought-provoking dialogue for his audience.

Transcript

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[Glenn Beck]

Trump has banned transgenders in women's sports. And big balls triggers cnn. Oh, this is a trip for a Friday. Also, I asked somebody to defend the spending of usaid. Somebody from the left or a rhino. Can you, can you defend the spending? Because I think everybody's happy with these cuts. Well, we talked to Brian from New York and he did his best to defend you see if you buy it. And the lead character, if you, not the guy who played him, but the actual guy that the story is about in the movie Brave the Dark joins me today. It is riveting. Don't miss it all on today's podcast. First, what if I told you the investment of, you know, a little time today, you could actually get it paid off significantly by paying significantly less for your phone service. But you'd also be dealing with a phone company that shares your values, not, you know, you know, they're not saying money to Planned Parenthood. I hate that. If you're with Verizon, why are you doing that? Why, why are you doing that yourself? Don't betray your own values. There's a choice. And you're going to save money and you're going to get exactly the same cell service. If you're on one of the three big networks, you're going to get the same cell service. You're going to get it for less. They're going to give you a free month of service. And it's, it's helping prop up the values that you care about. It's Patriot Mobile. I want you to go there now. Patriotmobile.com or call 972 Patriot. 972 Patriot. Get a free month of service with the promo code. Beck. Switch to the Patriot Mobile today. Defend freedom with every call and text you make. Visit patriotmobile.com Beck972 Patriot972 Patriot patriotmobile.com Beck.

[Producer]

You're listening to the Best of the Glenn Beck.

[Glenn Beck]

So Donald Trump signed this week the no man and Women sports executive order. And J.K. rowling just posted a picture of him holding up the executive order surrounded by the girls. And J.K. rowling wrote, Congratulations to every single person on the left who's been campaigning to destroy women and girls rights without you there'd be no images like this. And I think that's kind of a dig at Donald Trump, because she's not a fan of Donald Trump, but she's like, you know, thanks to you, now, Donald Trump is like doing the right thing and the common sense thing. I think that's what she's saying. Is that the way you read that?

[Pat Gray]

That's how I interpret it, yeah. Because she's pretty liberal. So, yeah, she hates how stupid the left has become on the women's issue.

[Glenn Beck]

And she's a woman who promotes witchcraft. I mean, how do you lose her?

[Pat Gray]

Right?

[Glenn Beck]

She said, this is why you care about a tiny fraction of the population. Gender ideology has undermined freedom of speech, scientific truth, gay rights, women and girls, safety, privacy and dignity. It's caused irreparable physical damage to vulnerable kids. Nobody voted for it. The vast majority of people disagree with it. Yet it has been imposed top down by politicians, health care bodies, academia, sections of the media, celebrities, and even the police. Its activists have threatened and enacted violence on those who dared oppose it. The actual victims in this mess have been women and children. This movement has impacted society in disastrous ways. And if you had any sense, you'd quietly be deleting every trace of activist mantras, ad hominem attacks, false equivalents and circular arguments from your ex feeds. Because the day is fast approaching when you'll want to pretend you always saw through the craziness and never believed it for a second. That is a powerful statement. Powerful statement from J.K. rowling, and it's true. I read a story in the Atlantic this morning that is hysterical. Pat, when you think of Nova Scotia, what do you think?

[Pat Gray]

What do you think of clubbing baby seals?

[Glenn Beck]

Okay, so.

[Pat Gray]

Okay, well, that's my. That's my vacation activity.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Pat Gray]

Because I go to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland to club baby seals.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Pat Gray]

On a regular basis.

[Glenn Beck]

All right.

[Pat Gray]

Yeah. All right.

[Glenn Beck]

Not exactly what I was looking for, but I think you're in the. I think you're in the same family. I immediately think cold. Okay.

[Pat Gray]

Yes, it is cold.

[Glenn Beck]

Cold, yes.

[Pat Gray]

Yes.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. That's why the baby seals are there. That you have.

[Pat Gray]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

Anyway, so. And you have to be on ice when you do it because then you get to see the blood stains on the ice.

[Pat Gray]

Exactly.

[Glenn Beck]

So I'm reading the Atlantic and there's a story about the people who actually move to Canada because of Donald Trump. Because. Jeez. And it's so funny. It is so funny. These people are so stupid. One lady was like, you know, I moved up to Nova Scotia. She's from California. I moved up to Nova Scotia. I just didn't realize how cold it would be. Wow. You did your homework. Wow. That's literally the first thing I think of when I think of Nova Scotia. I think is like, oh, it's cold.

[Pat Gray]

It's cold.

[Glenn Beck]

And my wife would not be happy there. No matter. They could have. The great Jesus could appear on Earth, but if he's in Nova Scotia, my wife is like, it's too cold. I'm not going. Okay, so now on the gender stuff, the NCAA has backed down. Now they've changed the transgender athletic policy. And they said, you know, it, look it, you can't compete unless you were assigned that sex at birth. Oh, you were assigned that. Oh, my gosh. From now on, women's only sports will be only for women. And they said the quote, president Trump's order provides a clear national standard. So now they're getting out of it. Now, why are they doing that, Pat? Why is the NCAA getting out of this?

[Pat Gray]

I think because that's the way the. The flow is going.

[Glenn Beck]

No money, money, Government money for the ncaa.

[Pat Gray]

Sales. Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

Their colleges will lose government. It's all about the money. Okay? So they don't really care. And you know that because of the. The other two that are not getting government money, which I find amazing. Major League Baseball, the values on diversity remain unchanged. Oh, that is great. Oh, I love the commissioner of Major League Baseball. You know, our values on diversity remain unchanged. But another valuable. That's another value that's pretty important to us is, well, we always try to comply with what the law is. That's a value that you always try. They try to obey the law. You try.

[Pat Gray]

You can't always succeed. But we're trying. Yeah, we've tried.

[Glenn Beck]

Can we? I mean, clearly, you have to rule. Not guilty. We were trying not to break the law. That's not a value, man. Not breaking the law. That's not a value. If it is, that's something like you say when you're in prison, you're like, you know what? When I get out, damn it, I'm going to try not to break the law this time. Okay, good. Good for you. Now, the other one that is a little disappointing is the NFL. They're continuing their diversity initiatives. All the DEI stuff, including forcing interviews with minority candidates. And the NFL says we're just doing the right thing. We're doing the right thing. Are you.

[Pat Gray]

Can you get any more diverse than the NFL already is? You're 75% black in the NFL. I mean, your diversity initiative would probably be to get more white people in the NFL, wouldn't it? Isn't that your diversity?

[Glenn Beck]

I don't see any transgender players.

[Pat Gray]

No, that's true. Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, I don't see any.

[Pat Gray]

Yeah, I don't see any. Not a lot of women.

[Glenn Beck]

And. And notice it. Not a lot of women. Not a lot of women. And. And I think that is. I mean, it's only fair when it's fair, Pat. And you know, the other thing that really kind of bothers me about the NFL is notice. You know, you say, can't you get more diverse? Well, not in the front office and not with the quarterbacks. Look how many white quarterbacks there are. Where are all the black quarterbacks?

[Pat Gray]

Have you. Have you turned on the NFL on Sunday lately? There might be quarterbacks.

[Glenn Beck]

You know. Gosh, what a. What a group of dopes. What a group of dopes. By the way, did you see. Do we have the Carl's Jr. Ad? Okay, we got to play this new ad for the super bowl this weekend. Or is it Carl's Jr. Let's be real.

[Carl's Jr. Ad Voice]

Everyone's gonna be a hot mess after the big game. Been there, done that. And I've got just what you need to cure that post party bug. The Carl's Jr. Hangover burger egg, double bacon. Yeah, you need that double bacon, charbroiled beef hash, rounds, cheese and sauce, just the way I. And guess what? It's free. The day after the big game. You just have to Download the Carl's Jr app and sign up for my rewards. So get your free hangover burger on Monday, February 10th.

[Glenn Beck]

Men are back.

[Pat Gray]

Yeah, you haven't seen an ad like that for a while.

[Glenn Beck]

No. Two years ago, Stu and I were on the air talking about the Carl's Juniors ad and saying how far we have come. Yeah, from. You know, from. In advertising, how that stuff just. You could not put the Carl's Jr. Ad on.

[Pat Gray]

No. Not years ago. No way.

[Glenn Beck]

No. And that's what we were talking about. And here we are, two years later, Donald Trump wins and Carl's jr's has the. Yeah, I'm going to say it. Cnn, the big balls to play it good. Congratulations. Common sense is coming back just a little bit. Let's see. Oh, Samantha Power is out at usaid.

[Pat Gray]

Oh, don't say that. Don't say that.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, that's.

[Pat Gray]

Oh, no, we lost her. We lost her.

[Glenn Beck]

We lost her.

[Pat Gray]

She's one of the, like, 9,700 employees that have lost their gig.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's one of them. She's gonna have to live on that teacher's salary. Her husband. No, you know, at. Yeah. They're heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking. She said it was jarring. Very jarring. Here she is, cut four.

[Producer]

Well, you can imagine when you suddenly in your inbox find a termination notice or a leave of absence notice that you didn't expect to get on a flawed predicate, that you're doing radical leftist insubordination.

[Pat Gray]

That's a flawed predicament.

[Producer]

It's pretty jarring. And because there's so many lies and falsehoods. Circul. Okay. And so many claims that people are sort of not with the program. I think people are just completely dislocated. There's no stable ground on which to.

[Glenn Beck]

To walk. Right.

[Producer]

Of course, most of them have been laid off, so they're worried about how they're going to pay the bills and how they're going to make rent.

[Pat Gray]

Oh, no, no, man, don't say, yeah, sweetheart.

[Glenn Beck]

That just hurts. That just hurts. She cut this. This. She was comp. Caught completely off guard, Pat, just out of the blue, Donald Trump.

[Pat Gray]

You know, I could see where on November 4th, she might not have had any inkling, but November 5th, about 10 o'clock at night, you should have had a pretty good idea of what was.

[Glenn Beck]

About saying, I think I should send out a resume. Yeah, I, I don't think he's going to keep me on. Wow. You know, that's. That is crazy. And look at, look at what she's saying. All the lies, all the misinformation. Again, phone lines are wide open. I'll take anybody, anybody that can defend what USAID was doing, what they were spending their money on. Go ahead, call me now. I'll give you. I'll give it. I will duct tape my mouth shut for you to try to make a case to the American people that these programs that we have exposed over the last five days were in our national interest. Go ahead, call me.

[Pat Gray]

And what do you call it?

[Glenn Beck]

727 Beck.

[Pat Gray]

She wouldn't, Samantha Powers wouldn't even come on the show to explain. To tell you what the lies are and what the information is that we're getting and we're spreading. No, tell me, tell me where, where's the mistake here? Okay? Other than, other than the fact that you were funding Politico to the extent where when you got shut down, it messed up the payroll. Other than that, where are the lies? Where is the misinformation? What do we have wrong here? Are you saying you didn't do any of these expenditures in these other countries for transgender plays and programs and to make LGBTQ people feel better about themselves?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Well, you know, where's the argument? Well, let me have cnn. I said that I was gonna, I threatened this. But here's cnn. They've, they've uncovered something horrible about these people on the right. Cut three.

[CNN Reporter]

So this is a 19 year old high school graduate who has used the unfortunate nickname Big Balls online. So that would be one way that we could refer to him. He is now working at Musk's behest inside Doge. And we looked into his background and so we found, you know, several notable things, Aaron. One of which is that this individual has founded multiple companies, including one with another unfortunate name, Tesla Sexy LLC, which he established in 2021. He would have been around 6 years old.

[Glenn Beck]

That's unfortunate.

[CNN Reporter]

Now this LLC controls dozens of web domains. I'm curious though, Kara, how well does even Musk know these young men, do you think?

[CNN Analyst]

I have no idea. I think there is no vetting whatsoever. As you can see, that's taking place. It took Katie and the really great team Wired has done an astonishing job.

[Pat Gray]

Astonishing. That was astonishing information.

[CNN Analyst]

Probably why he was hired for all this ridiculous nonsense and other nefarious things. But you know, there's an expression in other nefarious feature.

[Glenn Beck]

If they had other nefarious things, they would have led with that and not. He calls himself online Big Balls and started and started a company with this unfortunate name, Texa Tesla Dot Sexy. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Next we'll be airing Carl's jr's ads on the super bowl with women in them that are actually born women. Let me tell you about relief factor. If you have pain every day, I know what it's like. I used to wake up every day and think, I, I can't do it. I used to have so much respect for Pat. I don't anymore. But I used to have so much respect for Pat because he lives. Ever since I've known him, you know, 35 years, he's lived in just excruciating pain that nothing can touch, you know? And then I had my little baby pain and I was like, wow, I'm just like Pat and I really respect him. My wife didn't think that. She was like, stop the whining and try this. And so she gave me relief factor. And I tried it and it took my pain away. It's the only thing that I could take that would actually break the Back of this pain that I had. I went to doctors, everybody. Nobody could stop it. I don't know how this works. I mean, I know technically how relief factor works. It, you know, works with your body to fight inflammation is for all natural ingredients. Blah, blah, blah. You take it every day. But I don't know how it worked, what it did, but it broke the back of my pain. And I highly recommend you try it. Get the three week quick start. Just try it for three weeks. Take it exactly as directed. See if it doesn't work for you. 1995 less than a dollar a day. Get out of pain. 800 for relief 800 the number four relief. Relieffactor.com now back to the podcast. This is the best of the Glenn Beck program. I am so excited to talk to this guy because I saw a movie last week or the week before and I kind of saw it against my will. I gotta, I gotta be honest. My wife was like, oh, let's go see this movie. It looks really good. And there was that, the other movie that I just saw last week, which was the Wahlberg movie and the, the plane, you know, and they're. Anyway, I'm glad I saw this one first. My wife was right again. But anyway, I went and I saw Brave the Dark. And the reason why I kind of was like, I don't know is because, you know, it just looked like a feel good movie. And I am still so Pavlov with, with the reaction on, oh, it's a, it's a movie made with values. And you're like, okay, it's gonna be preachy. This was so good. So good. Great. I can't recommend this movie highly enough. It's called Brave the Dark and it, and one of my favorite actors is, is in it. Jared Harris, he was in Chernobyl. He played Queen Elizabeth's husband in the Crown. He was in Sherlock Holmes. He's really, really great. And this is a great job of acting on his part. And the guy who also was played the lead role of Nathaniel Dean, now the real Nathaniel Dean was the producer and he's on the phone with me now. And I, I want to be really careful because I don't want to, I don't want to tell the whole story because part of the brilliance of this movie is you don't know how it's going to end. You don't know the full story. So Nathaniel, let's, let's be careful on how we tell the story. Thank you for coming on.

[Nathaniel Dean]

I appreciate you having me on, Glenn. I'M excited to share this movie and the story and the incredible impact I think going to have on audiences.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, my gosh. And the fact that it's true, not based on a true story, but it's true. This is your life. What an amazing turnaround on. On you as an individual and the impact that this has had for so many years on so many people. Talk to me a little bit about the guy who is. You took his name and now your father. You were given up for adoption. You grew up in a. An orphanage. And, you know, by the time you were in high school, you were living in your car, right?

[Nathaniel Dean]

Yeah, I had a pretty rough childhood filled with probably some of the worst childhood trauma that a child can experience. And so I grew up angry. I grew up very distrusting of adults. Went through the foster care system, too, and kind of at 16, I decided to run away. And sadly, no one came looking for me and ended up living in my car on the streets of small town in New Holland, Pennsylvania.

[Glenn Beck]

So can we. Can, can you tell I just said given up for adoption and because I. I don't know how to address this without giving anything away. Can. Do you want to go into that a little bit of what do we know at the beginning of the movie?

[Nathaniel Dean]

Yeah, I mean, you know that something very horrible happens to my mother, and I'm a witness to it. That's all I want to give away on that. There's so much more. There's so much more that happens that you don't find out until the end.

[Pat Gray]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

And can I ask you just without giving anything away, is that part of the movie true? Is that really how it happened?

[Nathaniel Dean]

To be honest with you, it actually happened a lot worse than what we portray.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, my.

[Nathaniel Dean]

We had, we actually had to soften it quite a bit. I think it was too much for people to take.

[Glenn Beck]

I. I mean, I'm. I'm surprised I'm even talking to you today, surviving what you went through. And so you're living in your car and the teachers, you know, nobody, everybody thinks, you know, you're not a good kid and, and you fall in with the wrong crowd and you do knock over, I don't know, a stereo store or something at the time. And now you're, now you're in juvie and away from school, but one teacher takes notice. Tell me about this.

[Nathaniel Dean]

Yep. Yeah. So I, you know, just to explain quickly, I still wanted to go to school, and so I lied to my teachers, my coaches, my girlfriends, my friends. They all just thought I was living at my uncle's house or, you know, somewhere else. But I basically ran track in the morning so I could get a shower every day. And that's how I was able to go to school, because I wanted to go, because I was on the track team, and it was very good. And one day, I hadn't eaten for three days, and I was really, really hungry. And I walked into this classroom of the teacher. His name was Mr. Dean. And he offers me something. I guess I can give it away.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, you can.

[Nathaniel Dean]

Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

He.

[Nathaniel Dean]

He offers me a candy bar because that's all he had. He had a giant Hershey's candy bar that he was going to eat later.

[Glenn Beck]

Did he know. Did he know you were. Hadn't eaten in three days? Because in the movie he didn't know.

[Nathaniel Dean]

No, he didn't know. But he saw me trying to get some money and shake the candy machine to get something to fall out. Plus, I was really skinny. I was super skinny. And we. We tried to portray that a couple times in the film as, you know, Nate takes his shirt off, he's in the shower, and you see how skinny this kid is. And, yeah, so he offers me this candy bar. And can I tell you, it was the best candy bar I ever ate. It was so good. And that is all planting of the seed of hope in my life. You know, I didn't know it at the time, but really, that was when I kind of knew, like, all right, this guy gave me something. He didn't want anything in return, you know, but sadly, I end up in juvenile a couple of days after that.

[Glenn Beck]

And why did he get involved?

[Nathaniel Dean]

I think he saw Stan loved the underdog. Stan loved the kid that sat in the back row and didn't talk, that the other teachers may not have paid attention to, called the bad kid. He just gravitated towards those that were hurting. And he could see that. He had empathy for people. He saw me in that classroom, sitting in the back, not talking, not participating, and he so badly wanted me to participate. And I think, you know, he loses his mother not too long before this, and so there's a void in his life. And I think it was just timing, too. I think it was like, he's in my classroom. We kind of bonded in the classroom, which I had never had with a teacher before, because every morning he said, you know, hey, good morning, Nate. And when he graded my papers, when I probably deserved a D or an F, he would give me a C and say, hey, keep trying. Keep trying. And so I saw that there was Something. And I think he saw that there was something in me. And then for him to come to the. To the. To. To the jail cell and to say, hey, I want to help you. Like, you need help. I'm here to help you. And that was probably one of the most incredible days of my life, really.

[Glenn Beck]

You know, as I'm watching the movie, and I'm sorry, if you're listening to us, I'm so sorry that I'm being cryptic on all of this, but I just. Just. This is such a good movie, and I don't want to wreck the experience, because the way I experienced it, it just all unfolds in front of you. Don't read anything about this movie. Just go see it. And so I'm sorry that you're not going to get the full experience of this. You come back and listen to this podcast after you've seen the movie. But I was so afraid as I was watching him in the teacher's lounge, and he was saying, this a good kid, you know, aren't we supposed. And all the teachers were turning on you. I thought to myself, God help me, which one of the teachers would I be? I. It would be so easy to be not him, you know, And I wondered. I wondered why he was like that. I mean, what was it? Just the way he was. Was it he was actually living his faith, or what was it about him that made him want to and couldn't go ahead.

[Nathaniel Dean]

No, sorry. Stan was a man of faith, and, you know, he always believed in helping others, and he got that from his mom. His mom was such an incredible woman, and she doted on him as a child. She told him all the time that she loved him, that she was proud of him. She heard all of the things that I think a child should hear growing up, even the discipline parts. Very giving, very unconditional love. Like, that was who he was. He wasn't just that way towards me. He loved his students. He loved teaching. He loved teaching so much that he didn't even get married because he knew that that would take away from teaching and directing plays, you know, at the school. So he was just very. That's just who he was. He was such a man of integrity and a man of faith and a man who lived, you know, the way I think we're supposed to live. Helping others.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Nathaniel Dean]

And he never wanted anything in return. And that's why he's the hero of the story. And I'm absolutely okay with that.

[Glenn Beck]

Can I. Can I ask you. I. I wrote a book years ago, Called the Christmas Sweater. And it was about my childhood. I didn't have your childhood, but my mom committed suicide when I was young and it, I spiraled out of control and you know, and so I write a book and it was, it was a fictionalized. It wasn't the true story, it was based on it. You know what I mean? But I fictionalized some of it. I don't think you fictionalized much of this. And I know when I went on tour and I did a one man play called the Christmas Sweater, I played all the roles and it was the hardest thing I've ever done because I had to relive some of my worst things that I had ever done. And when I'm seeing you betray him in a way towards the end and what was that like to relive for you?

[Nathaniel Dean]

Yeah, that was really hard. It's actually the hardest moment of the film isn't some of the hard childhood stuff. It's when I make a decision that really sets the movie forward in a very fast paced high energy like, oh my word, what's about to happen? You know, he. But he didn't give up on me. That's what's amazing. I kept making bad choices. It didn't mean that he had to give in to me, but I pushed his buttons as much as I could because I wanted to know if he cared for me. But again, I made bad decisions one after another and he just kept reminding me of who I was, that I could make better decisions. And I think that's hard for people. I think people just get frustrated with people very quickly and can leave a child behind very, very quickly.

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[Glenn Beck]

Yesterday I made the statement on air several times and several times today that no one, no one can in their right mind defend the things that USAID was spending money on. Some of these cuts, I mean, first of all, I'd like the defense of USAID that is a CIA operative that is overthrown government after government after government. They've overthrown the Ukrainian government twice in the last 20 years. You know, you want your tax dollars going for shadow ops from the CIA that are not run by the President or have any oversight whatsoever. Also, can you defend $1.5 million in rebuilding the Cuban media ecosystem? $1.3 million from USAID for Arab and Jewish photographers. 2.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary gender language. 4.5 million to stop disinformation in kakistan. 2.1 million to the BBC to teach them the value of diversity in Libyan society. Now, there is one brave gentleman who can defend these things and tell us, you know, why we should, you know, stop paying attention to it. I guess his name is Brian. To his credit, he was on a few minutes ago. He hopefully has. Will. Will stop with the name calling and everything else and just get to the facts because I would like to have a real understanding of somebody who says they can defend USAID and the way this spending has been going. Brian, you have the floor, sir.

[Brian Bennett]

Hi, my name is Brian Bennett. I'm calling from Bittersweet Farm in Hulton, New York. My wife and I have farmed together for over 40 years. I've seen a tremendous amount of graft and corruption in our government over those decades and more. The reason for my call is to attempt to defend the spending of money on things that I think are of value. Specifically, there was a quote that said something effect that. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Helping the least amongst us is not a horrible idea. I believe that mercy and compassion have a tremendous value. Long term. I'm not too keen on this idea of short term pain, suffering and deprivation and cruelty. So as a taxpayer, if I have the opportunity to have the first Trump administration spend $83 million with JBS, that's Jose Batista Savano and Sons out of Brazil, or to spend the figures you just listed, 1.9 million, 1.3 million in assisting in some other nation. My taxpayer dollars are better spent on assisting gay men in Africa. Like you said before, it's better spent on birth control, reproductive rights, women's rights. It's better spent on a lot of the things that USAID spends their money on, as opposed to spending the same amount or more money with Brazil, a BRICS nation. Correct. And Spain, which is not a BRICS nation. The money should be spent on investing in the future. The future is only going to be a future if it has humans and humanity. The more dangerous weapons we produce, the more money we spend on other things other than mercy and compassion. The more we're feeding into the end times, the more we're feeding into the violence, the more we're feeding into the pain, suffering and deprivation of billions of people. I believe the money spent at USAID has alleviated some pain, suffering and deprivation. I don't believe the money given by the Biden administration to Elon Musk or given to JBS by Donald Trump is in Any way, shape or form alleviating pain, suffering and deprivation for anyone who's already not a billionaire. So taxpayer dollars, if they're going to go to a billionaire or go to an impoverished country. Send my taxpayer dollars to an impoverished country. I'm not talking about CIA overthrows, FBI overthrows. We've known of that type of problem since well before 1776. We've seen it. We don't need to continue it. You want to eliminate spending, target the military industrial complex. Let's target the agricultural industrial complex, the pharmaceutical industrial complex. Let's not target those people who sometimes you say you want to win the hearts and minds of. Because you're not winning my heart or mind. Thank you.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, thank you, Brian. I appreciate that. That's not the question I asked because there are. I agree with you with jbs, jbs, the meat industry, the meatpacking companies. It's. It's a, it's a mafia. It's an absolute mafia. It's a, it's a, it's a gang of thugs and it needs to be broken up. So I'm not defending spending to jbs. I'm not aware of it, but I can look it up. And I would probably join you on that fight because I'm a rancher myself. I live in a town of about 400 people that are all farmers. I know what it's like to work hard, and I know what they're going through. And big pharmaceutical, big agriculture is destroying our health and our ability to feed ourselves. So I'm, I'm with you on that. That wasn't the question. The question is not would you rather spend it on this or that. I think we could all agree there are things that we would, we think would be really good to spend it on. And I'm, I'm with you on compassion. I'm not with you on government compassion. If you want to have a real intellectual conversation about that, we can, you know, about 40 cents of your dollar goes. If it goes to government, about 40 cents. If that goes to the actual need. Where if you are in a charity and you're under 80 cents a dollar, you don't get money anymore because people won't. You're required to show where that money is going. And if you're spending it on limousines and everything else, you're not going to get money. You're going to get a really bad rating. The government would have an F rating on charity. So we can talk about that. But that's not. Again, the question I asked. I Asked you to defend, not compare to defend all of these things you say we've. We've known about the CIA overthrowing. Yes, we have. But the Church Commission was supposed to stop that. And USAID for 10 years, as I have been exposing them, overturning in the Middle east, overturning in Ukraine, overturning in Europe, overturning governments in South. South America and spending money to overturn our government in a color revolution, as I've been saying that everyone has said. That's a conspiracy. That's not what USAID does. That is exactly what they do. And if you are comfortable with paying the BBC to somehow or another teach them the value of diversity in Libyan society, if you are truly okay with teaching Sri Lankan journalists to avoid binary gender language, I'd like to hear your defense of that. What you said about compassion is accurate. We're talking about government corruption in a fashion being exposed like we've never seen before. And you and I both know, Brian, this is just the beginning of it. And I, for one, as a taxpayer, want every effing Republican and Democrat and Independent that has been using this as a system, as a cash drawer for themselves, their friends, or their petty little interests. I want it to stop. And I'd like all of them to go to jail if they broke a law. Do you have a response now? On the actual. On the actual question that I wanted an answer for?

[Brian Bennett]

I'll do the best I can then, because I agree with you that every problem that has been created by the United States government needs to be resolved. What I believe is, yes, I would rather spend. Was it $1.9 billion? $1.9 million.

[Glenn Beck]

We already went through this. We already went through this. Please do not compare. We could do that all day. That's not the question. If you want to talk about those items, defend them.

[Brian Bennett]

Yes. Sending the money to any of those programs is an investment in the future, in winning the hearts and minds. The corrupt money that is.

[Glenn Beck]

Tell me. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Tell me what you know about Sri Lankan journalist and their use of binary gender language. Can you. Can you tell me about that and what. What this program is actually trying to accomplish?

[Brian Bennett]

No, I cannot.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. Okay. So you're just giving it a pass. And I want to. I want to know why. Why are you just giving it a pass?

[Brian Bennett]

The reason I'm giving it a pass is because I believe it to be. That type of aid is an investment in the future of life on this planet. Okay? The corrupt part, the people that steal the money along the way Real problem.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, right. Okay. Well, you keep saying that you believe in investing in life on the planet. I just want you to know, scientifically, if you start to deny there's a difference between men and women, and you are promoting sex with women and women and men and men, you are going to hurt the future of mankind because you won't have babies.

[Brian Bennett]

Wow. Well, that's insightful. That is enlightening. Glenn, I was not.

[Glenn Beck]

I know. You're a farmer. You're a farmer. I would think that you would know that when you buy a bull, if your bull was just having sex with another bull, would you sell that bull? Or would you say, for diversity sake, I want to keep feeding that bull?

[Brian Bennett]

I would say, for diversity sake, I'd keep feeding that bull and I'd put other cows in with the bull because my bulls have sex with bulls and my bulls have sex with cows. That's what I witnessed this morning.

[Glenn Beck]

What I'm asking is if one of your bulls was like, I'm only going to have sex. And. And. And, Brian, I want you to respect the fact that I'm only having sex with bulls. I'm. You could put me around women and cows, but I'm not interested in them. Why are you being so hateful? Why would you sell me? Why won't you just keep me alive? Why would you?

[Brian Bennett]

Why wouldn't I.

[Glenn Beck]

Why would you? Yeah, why wouldn't you? Why? Why would you, Brian? Why would you.

[Brian Bennett]

I do. I do.

[Glenn Beck]

You're telling me as a businessman. We're not talking about human beings here. We're talking about business. You as a businessman.

[Brian Bennett]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

You'd make that decision?

[Brian Bennett]

No, not as a businessman. I'm not a businessman.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh.

[Brian Bennett]

I'm a farmer.

[Glenn Beck]

You're a farmer.

[Brian Bennett]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes, I know, but you. To produce food, you have to make money. No, And I know in my.

[Brian Bennett]

Oh, you don't know what you think about this for a minute, Glenn. You don't have to make all sorts of money beyond your expenses. That's making money. Right?

[Glenn Beck]

Right. But if I'm keeping bulls that are not having sex and producing more cattle, then I'm losing money. And. And I know how razor thin it is as a rancher. I'll have a good year, and I'll have three bad years in a row. And if I didn't have another job, I wouldn't be able to keep my ranch. So I'm. I'm making sure I'm as efficient. Oh, is it another ball game?

[Brian Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, if you want to talk about food and food prices and the agricultural subsidies. If you want to talk about.

[Glenn Beck]

No.

[Brian Bennett]

Keeping up.

[Glenn Beck]

No, I'm. Because I'm. No. Yeah. I just want. I just want you to know. Oh, go ahead.

[Brian Bennett]

The reason that food is being produced is to feed people. That's the reason. Think it through.

[Glenn Beck]

And the reason. I know, I know. And that is great. And if we lived in a communist country, the country would support you and there would be no death and everybody would be eating socialism. What you have to do to feed people is actually make money so you can buy seed and fertilizer and everything else so you can produce more food. It is the way the world works, Brian. And also human kind works by procreation. And so I'm only bringing this up because that was such a big deal in your argument. You brought it up three or four times about. You care about the future of humanity. Well, you can't make that point as hard as you have and also deny that there is a difference between a man and a woman. Brian, I thank you for the conversation.