The Glenn Beck Program: Best of the Program | Guest: Peter Navarro | 9/18/25
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck
Guest: Peter Navarro
Other Contributors: Stu
Location: Broadcast from KFYI in Phoenix, Arizona
Episode Overview
This episode of The Glenn Beck Program pivots around American free speech, media hypocrisy, government "weaponization," and escalating political violence. Glenn Beck and co-host Stu engage in animated commentary on current controversies—including network decisions not to carry Jimmy Kimmel’s show, the governmental regulation of speech, and the FBI’s political targeting. The episode then shifts to an in-depth, poignant conversation with Peter Navarro, who reflects on his imprisonment, political targeting of MAGA figures, and the future of conservative resistance following the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. The episode’s tone is fervent, urgent, and combative, with Beck and Navarro both warning of dire consequences if unchecked partisanship and institutional overreach continue.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Media Hypocrisy and Free Speech
- Kimmel Show Dropped by Networks (03:54–17:09):
- Glenn and Stu discuss the news that two companies have decided not to carry Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Beck expresses concern over government involvement but supports private company decisions.
- Stu: “The hypocrisy...I can't even. Twitter files. Twitter files. Twitter files.” (04:31)
- They dissect the difference between government censorship and private media choices, referencing the Twitter Files as evidence of past government pressure on social platforms to suppress conservative voices.
- Glenn: “This is what we call the weaponization of government. And if you don’t like it...we will stand with you shoulder to shoulder to defang these things.” (07:07)
- FCC and Government Overreach (10:06–11:56):
- Beck elaborates on his personal history with the FCC, voicing his contempt for licensing requirements and suggesting that both left and right value the power these agencies wield.
2. Weaponization of Government Agencies
- Political Targeting via FBI and DOJ (06:31–08:24):
- Beck highlights "Operation Arctic Frost," where the FBI allegedly targeted over 100 GOP groups, including the RNC and Trump political entities, exemplifying partisan investigations.
- The discussion threads through historical examples, including the IRS and FCC targeting conservatives.
- Legal Repercussions for Speech (08:24–09:45):
- Stu recounts the story of a man sentenced to prison for posting a Hillary Clinton meme, drawing contrasts between genuine government persecution and media figures facing commercial consequences.
3. Antifa Labeled as a Terrorist Group
- Definition and Tactics of Domestic Terrorism (18:10–25:22):
- Beck details the DHS definition of terrorism, concluding that Antifa’s methods match the criteria: “Ideology plus violence equals terrorism. Antifa checks every single box.” (22:03)
- He addresses counterarguments about Antifa’s decentralized structure by referencing the decentralized operations of past recognized terrorist organizations.
- Beck frames the government’s prior reluctance to designate Antifa as terrorism as narrative-driven.
- Personal Story Illustrating Political Violence (25:46–30:42):
- Beck narrates an incident in North Carolina where a Trump supporter is fired upon for defending his property after someone vandalized a Trump 2024 banner.
- He follows with another example from Florida: “All American conservatives will be systematically erased. Her oppressors will suffer by my hand. I promise.” (30:42)—citing this as evidence of left-wing political violence.
4. Interview with Peter Navarro
- Navarro’s Imprisonment and ‘Lawfare’ (32:14–38:59):
- Navarro describes his arrest by FBI agents, orchestrated by Walter Giardina (allegedly linked to anti-Trump operations and the Steele dossier).
- He decries the targeting, imprisonment, and professional ruin of Trump allies as “asymmetry” in law enforcement and political accountability: “They put me and Steve Bannon in prison. Everyone involved was a Democrat.” (35:09)
- Navarro’s new book, I Went to Prison So You Won’t Have To, is described as a chronicle and warning about weaponized government and left-wing aggression.
- Urgency for Accountability and Reform (38:59–42:49):
- Navarro urges that unless Democrats are held accountable, political targeting will continue if the left regains the House in 2026, vowing his legal fight isn’t over.
- Beck and Navarro both call for “defanging” agencies like the FCC and FBI, arguing that both parties have used institutional power to punish opponents but only the right seeks its abolition.
- Escalating Political Violence (42:49–45:05):
- Navarro links the internet’s coarsening effect on discourse to real-world violence: “I’m all for free speech, but...you can’t be calling...Maxine Waters and Jasmine Crockett should be charged as accessories before the fact in Charlie Kirk’s murder, because they incite this.” (41:14)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Media Hypocrisy
“The hypocrisy is enough to just choke you to death.”
—Glenn Beck (00:48) -
On Weaponization of Agencies
“If you don’t like it...we will stand with you shoulder to shoulder to defang these things.”
—Glenn Beck (07:07) -
On Navigating FCC Regulation
“I despise the FCC, but I know their rules and I abide by their rules because that’s the rule of law. You want to get rid of the fcc, I am with you.”—Glenn Beck (10:08) -
On Antifa and Domestic Terrorism
“Ideology plus violence equals terrorism. Antifa checks every single box.”
—Glenn Beck (22:03) -
On Social Escalation
“All American conservatives will be systematically erased. Her oppressors will suffer by my hand. I promise.”
—Michael Whitehead, recounted by Glenn Beck (30:42) -
On Partisan ‘Lawfare’
“They put me and Steve Bannon in prison. Everyone involved was a Democrat. They bankrupted my good friend Rudy Giuliani with their lawfare.”
—Peter Navarro (35:09) -
On Responsibility and Justice
“What they did to me is a wake up call for this country that we have to do one thing...the five stages of grief now have one additional, and that’s accountability.”
—Peter Navarro (37:07)
Important Timestamps
- 03:54 | Start of the Jimmy Kimmel/free speech debate
- 06:00–08:24 | FBI/DOJ use against GOP groups; “Operation Arctic Frost”
- 10:06 | Personal history with the FCC, government control of media
- 18:10–22:03 | Beck’s case: Antifa rightly classified as domestic terrorists
- 25:46 | North Carolina Trump banner shooting incident
- 30:42 | Florida man arrested for threats against conservatives
- 32:14 | Beginning of Peter Navarro interview
- 35:09 | Navarro on lawfare against MAGA movement figures
- 37:07 | Navarro’s call for accountability
- 39:41 | Can Trump “defang” government agencies?
- 42:49–45:05 | Navarro on coarsening internet discourse and incitement
Episode Flow & Tone
The conversation is urgent, emotionally charged, and informed by a sense of grievance and skepticism towards mainstream institutions. The hour moves from media affairs and free speech debates, into deep critiques of law enforcement and federal agencies, through impassioned arguments about the threat of left-wing violence, and ultimately into Navarro’s first-hand account of political persecution. Despite the heavy subject matter, Glenn and Stu maintain a sarcastic, sometimes darkly humorous tone, while Navarro delivers sobering, firsthand warnings from his experience.
Summary for Non-Listeners
This episode confronts current issues at the intersection of politics, law, and media. Beck and his guests argue that federal agencies have been systematically weaponized, that media and political double-standards endanger civil society, and that unchecked vitriol—online and in the streets—has real and tragic consequences. Peter Navarro’s appearance personalizes these themes, linking them to the loss of Charlie Kirk and his own prosecution. The episode closes with urgent calls for accountability, agency reform, and a return to civil—if heated—public debate.