The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | Guest: Nick Shirley | 1/14/26

Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Glenn Beck
Guest: Nick Shirley
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode centers around three main themes: the seismic anti-regime uprising in Iran, systemic welfare fraud exposed in Minnesota (with reporting from guest Nick Shirley), and Glenn Beck’s reflections on AI’s place in media and society, as well as the launch of an immersive American history storytelling project. The conversation is characterized by Beck’s direct, opinionated style, frequent references to current events, and a deep concern regarding political narratives and technological advancements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Iran’s Popular Uprising and Global Media Silence

• Iconic Protest: Beck highlights a photo of a protester hoisting the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag atop a statue of Ayatollah Khomeini—an act he frames as “a civilizational divorce” from clerical rule ([03:00]-[12:00]).
• Media Neglect: He sharply criticizes Western media for ignoring this story, contrasting their lack of coverage with how breathless U.S. headlines would be had it been a left-wing or Western protest.
• Political Narrative Threat: Beck argues that this uprising—explicit in its rejection of political Islam, enforced faith, and the so-called “Red-Green Alliance” (radical leftists + Islamists)—is threatening to Western leftist narratives.
• Historical Context: He references the trajectory since the 1979 revolution, noting the killing of Marxists by the clerics, and frames the current movement as a total rejection of both Islamic rule and imported leftist ideology.
• Consequences & Hope: Beck posits that if the Iranian regime falls, it could unravel global narratives supporting identity politics and undermine alliances between radical left and Islamist movements.

Notable Quotes:

• “This is not graffiti. It's not vandalism... It is a civilizational divorce. And the rest of the world is pretending not to see it because it doesn't fit their narrative.” — Glenn Beck ([04:51])
• “This is a rejection of political Islam itself, a rejection of clerical rule itself…” — Glenn Beck ([07:40])
• “If Islam isn't liberation, then what exactly have the pro Hamas protesters been cheering for? Hmm?” — Glenn Beck ([14:30])

2. Minnesota Welfare Fraud Exposé – Guest: Nick Shirley

• Exposé Impact: Nick Shirley discusses his viral investigations uncovering massive welfare fraud in Minnesota—especially around childcare, healthcare, and, newly, transportation companies, which serve as paper fronts for false claims ([18:02]-[28:00]).
• Transportation Fraud Mechanism: Fraudsters create fictitious service records using transportation companies, enabling them to channel welfare funds fraudulently.
• Local Cooperation: Shirley credits a local Minnesota collaborator, deeply familiar with the scam, whose research and persistence fortified the story ([19:41]-[21:00]).
• Pushback & Threats: Shirley describes receiving serious threats, including being blamed for hypothetical violence perpetrated by those exposed and having his efforts reframed as racism, underscoring the risks of targeting entrenched, well-defended corrupt systems ([21:23]-[22:15]).
• Broader Political Deflection: Beck connects this scandal to political maneuvers and protests in Minnesota, arguing that local leaders are amplifying other issues to distract from this massive internal fraud, and suggesting complicity or willful blindness across state structures.
• Law Enforcement & Financial Actors: Shirley details how law enforcement and banks are intertwined, particularly with massive sums ($700 million) allegedly being laundered and sent overseas, highlighting difficulty in tracing and prosecuting such fraud.
• Fraud Across America: Shirley notes reaching out from other states, especially California, suggesting these scams are widespread.

Notable Quotes:

• “What they do is... transportation companies to then act like they're taking a person to the location and then they fill out a form saying that they provide this service.” — Nick Shirley ([19:04])
• “Once you piss off the fraudsters, they can't defend themselves, so they deflect everything and they make it a race issue when it's not.” — Nick Shirley quoting collaborator David ([21:23])
• “People get killed for exposing things like this. I hope he is safe.” — Glenn Beck ([27:26])

3. The ‘American Story’: New Audio Series & Sound Design

• Beck celebrates the release of “The American Story,” an immersive audio storytelling project for the U.S. 250th anniversary, lauding his team's production abilities, particularly the use of binaural audio for realistic soundscapes ([28:07]-[32:00]).
• A clip dramatizing the Battle of Trenton is played, illustrating both technical prowess and narrative engagement.

Notable Quotes:

• “You can hear the bullets whiz by... especially if you're listening in your car. It's like the bullets are whizzing by your head.” — Glenn Beck ([29:30])
• “We wanted it to be really immersive so you could feel the angst that these people are going through in these battles.” — Nick Daly (producer) ([30:24])

4. Advancements & Ethics in AI: Media and Personal Use

• Rapid AI Progress: Beck recounts his early experiments (2017) with voice replication, marveling at how quickly the technology has advanced, especially with 11 Labs’ current voice models ([33:08]-[34:49]).
• Editorial Integrity: He stresses transparency—labeling his AI as "Glenn AI"—and insists it only draws from his original catalog, not outside sources ([34:49]).
• Audience Division: Acknowledges a polarized listener response to AI-voiced content: some reject AI entirely, while others embrace the convenience or novelty.
• Caution and Mastery: Beck urges listeners to master AI while recognizing its risks, comparing the failure to engage now to having missed out on earlier computer revolutions. He stresses AI is “the most dangerous thing man has ever invented, it is also the greatest”—depending wholly on how it's used ([35:18]-[36:37]).

Notable Quotes:

• “Do you understand? It's a tool. And I really—this really was brought home to me... He's not the tool. That's the tool. He's the one making all of the decisions.” — Glenn Beck ([36:00])
• “If you avoid it now, you’re going to regret it... because you'll be left in the dust and it's moving way fast. Way fast.” — Glenn Beck ([36:46])

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Iran & Protest:
  “That man on that statue... he's waving a flag that says, we existed before you and we're going to exist long after you are in the dustbin of history. And that should haunt every tyrant.” — Glenn Beck ([16:03])
• On Minnesota Fraud:
  “Ilhan Omar, she hasn't said a word about the fraud, but she's out there telling people they need to go against ICE. And so... they know they were caught red handed.” — Nick Shirley ([22:52])
• On Technical Production:
  “There were one or two episodes that probably approached 400 [audio] tracks.” — Nick Daly ([31:02])
• On the Future of AI:
  “It is the most dangerous thing man has ever invented. It is also the greatest thing man has ever invented.” — Glenn Beck ([35:30])

Major Timestamps & Segments

• 00:00-03:00 – Glenn’s opening: Iran photo, American uprising story, fraud exposé preview.
• 03:00-16:00 – Iran protest analysis; the global left, the “Red-Green Alliance,” media on Islam, implications for Western progressives.
• 18:02-28:00 – Guest Nick Shirley: deep dive into Minnesota welfare fraud, exposé methodology, personal risk, broader implications.
• 28:07-33:08 – Introducing “The American Story” audio series: production techniques, storytelling approach, sample clip.
• 33:08-36:46 – AI ethics and applications: personal experimentation, production challenges, evolving audience attitudes, argument for mastering AI.

Conclusion

This episode weaves political commentary, investigative journalism, and meta-reflection on media and technology. Beck’s commentary is sharp, urgent, and sometimes polemical. The Iran segment stands out as both a timely analysis and a challenge to mainstream narratives. Nick Shirley’s detailed account adds immediacy and real-world stakes to the saga of public corruption, while the AI and audio production segments showcase both the evolving craft of storytelling and its perils. Altogether, the episode urges listeners not to turn away from inconvenient truths—whether in geopolitics, social policy, or technological change.