Best of the Program | Guest: Salena Zito | 7/8/25

Summary

The Glenn Beck Program – July 8, 2025 Episode: Best of the Program | Guest: Salena Zito

---

1. Introduction to Salena Zito and Her Book "Butler"

The episode kicks off with host Glenn Beck introducing today's guest, Salena Zito, a renowned author from the Blaze Podcast Network. Salena has recently published her book, "Butler," which delves into the attempted assassination of the President in Butler, Pennsylvania. Glenn commends Salena's storytelling prowess and the depth of her insights into American politics and culture.

Glenn Beck [07:58]: "Salena, congratulations on your book. It is so good... The writing of this is the best explanation on who Trump supporters are that I think I've ever read from anybody."

Salena Zito responds by highlighting her long-standing relationship with American politics and her observations on the evolving conservative populist coalition.

Salena Zito [21:10]: "American politics has always had movements that have been just outside of a party or slightly within a party that galvanize and broaden the coalition... It was independents, it was Democrats... that movement is what I see today."

---

2. Insights from "Butler" – The Assassination Attempt

Salena provides an in-depth look into the events detailed in her book, "Butler," recounting the tense moments surrounding the assassination attempt. She emphasizes the profound impact the incident had on the President, shaping his resolve and purpose.

Salena Zito [28:26]: "He was struggling and he needed to just talk... God was in that moment."

The discussion touches upon President Trump's immediate reaction post-attack, where he coined the famous rallying cry, "Fight, fight, fight," to project strength and resilience.

Salena Zito [27:09]: "He was thinking, my country, symbolically on the ground. I need to get up, and I need to show that my country is strong, that our country is resolute."

Salena also draws parallels between historical figures like Reagan and the President's unwavering stance during crises, underscoring the symbolic nature of leadership in American politics.

Salena Zito [29:14]: "Reagan probably would have thought that. He was someone who deeply believed in American exceptionalism."

---

3. The Epstein Video Controversy and Media Critique

A significant portion of the episode delves into the recent release of a controversial video related to Jeffrey Epstein's death. Glenn Beck, along with co-hosts Stu Burguiere and Jason, critically examines the video's credibility, highlighting perceived incompetence and potential cover-ups.

Glenn Beck [05:32]: "This is incompetence."

Stu and Jason discuss the technical aspects of the video, pointing out discrepancies such as a missing minute and malfunctioning security cameras that allegedly failed to capture crucial moments.

Jason [10:06]: "It's convenient."

Stu Burguiere [11:07]: "If the camera's up on a ceiling... you can't see Epstein's cell at all."

Salena Zito reinforces these points by referencing an OIG report that details the security lapses during the time of Epstein's death.

Salena Zito [08:12]: "The camera doesn't even have eyes on Epstein's cell at all."

The hosts argue that the video fails to conclusively prove Epstein's suicide, suggesting it instead raises more questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Jason [35:17]: "This video does not prove that Epstein was killed. It doesn't make it impossible for that to have occurred."

---

4. Political Dynamics and Media Responsibility

The conversation shifts to broader political themes, with discussions about the role of movements like the Tea Party in shaping modern conservatism and the media's influence on public perception.

Stu Burguiere [22:08]: "Donald Trump is a result of the Tea Party... a lot of the people that were with the right were with Donald Trump are the people that were with the Tea Party."

Pam Bondi, another guest on the episode, elaborates on the synergy between grassroots movements and the Republican Party, emphasizing how such coalitions have evolved without fragmenting into new parties.

Pam Bondi [22:49]: "The Tea Party didn't go away. It strengthened and broadened the Republican Party because these weren't just Republicans... it was independents, it was Democrats."

The hosts critique the mainstream media for allegedly prioritizing narratives over nuanced reporting, arguing that this approach has fueled political polarization and mistrust.

Pam Bondi [24:03]: "Nuance is dead in American journalism... reporters were so anxious to write what they believed happened as opposed to what happened."

---

5. Personal Reflections and Experiences

Salena Zito shares personal anecdotes about her interactions with President Trump, revealing the introspective and spiritual conversations that followed the assassination attempt. She underscores the President's reliance on faith and purpose during trying times.

Salena Zito [30:20]: "He was struggling and he needed to just talk... God was in that moment."

Glenn Beck and Stu Burguiere engage in a candid discussion about leadership under pressure, drawing comparisons to historical leaders and debating the authenticity of political figures' responses to crises.

Stu Burguiere [27:39]: "He was thinking, my country, symbolically on the ground. I need to get up, and I need to show that my country is strong."

---

6. Concluding Thoughts and Final Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Glenn Beck praises Salena Zito for her compelling storytelling and insightful analysis, reiterating the importance of understanding the dynamics within conservative movements and the challenges posed by media narratives.

Glenn Beck [34:27]: "This is the best of the Glenn Beck Program. Selena, congratulations on your book. It is so good."

The hosts emphasize the continued relevance of Salena's work in shedding light on pivotal moments in American politics and the enduring strength of leadership rooted in resilience and purpose.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Glenn Beck [07:58]: "The writing of this is the best explanation on who Trump supporters are that I think I've ever read from anybody."
• Salena Zito [21:10]: "American politics has always had movements that have been just outside of a party... that movement is what I see today."
• Glenn Beck [05:32]: "This is incompetence."
• Jason [10:06]: "It's convenient."
• Stu Burguiere [22:08]: "Donald Trump is a result of the Tea Party...a lot of the people that were with the right were with Donald Trump are the people that were with the Tea Party."
• Pam Bondi [24:03]: "Nuance is dead in American journalism...reporters were so anxious to write what they believed happened as opposed to what happened."
• Salena Zito [30:20]: "He was struggling and he needed to just talk...God was in that moment."

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program offers a deep dive into critical political events and media narratives shaping American discourse. With Salena Zito's expert insights and the hosts' incisive commentary, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities within conservative movements, leadership under pressure, and the ongoing challenges posed by media portrayals.

For those interested in the intersection of politics, media, and personal leadership journeys, this episode provides a compelling and thought-provoking exploration.

Transcript

[Glenn Beck]

Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along.

[Stu Burguiere]

Which is why you should try ZipRecruiter.

[Glenn Beck]

For free at ZipRecruiter.com Zip ZipRecruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. Its powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job. You get qualified candidates fast. So while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, ZipRecruiter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the Haystack.

[Stu Burguiere]

See why 4 out of 5 employers who post a job on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. ZipRecruiter the smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try ZipRecruiter for free. That's right, free. [e-mail] Zip that. Ziprecruiter.com Zip ziprecruiter.com Zip hey, Selena Zito joins me today. She's written a book about the attempt on the life of our president in Butler, Pennsylvania. It's a fascinating book. It's out today. It's called Butler. We talked to her today about some of the setup of the president, what he went through and how it changed him. Tomorrow we're gonna do some more and we're gonna talk about the based on the book Butler that is out today. Also, we spent a lot of time on really two stories. The Epstein video, which is just falling apart like crazy, and the fact that Democrats now are telling the press that they are afraid of their own supporters because their own supporters are now starting to say, maybe it's best if you get shot. Maybe it's best if there's blood. So it'll get the attention of the American people. Meanwhile, you have the left starting to shed blood on our streets. Let me remind you about Minneapolis or yesterday. There was a yesterday or day before, there was a big attempt to kill ICE agents in a. In an ambush. Where are we headed? America. We tell you on today's podcast, the grocery store shelves, if they go empty tomorrow, and we've seen it happen, and it could happen. I mean, you hit any of these major bumps in the road, and we're in trouble. And this is why I would suggest you do what I do and have a my Patriot supply food supply in your home. Their new Independence Day bundle, still available now, includes a full year of Emergency supply meals you can actually eat and want to eat. And for a limited time, they're throwing in over twelve hundred dollars in free sur survival gear. That's water filtration. Have you even thought of that? Because I didn't for a long time. Solar backup power, even tools to help you say stay safe and prepared. So no matter what comes, you're prepared. Everything is American made ships fast and free, has a 25 year shelf life and it's a great deal. It's also peace of mind in a world that doesn't give you a lot of peace of mind. So I want you to go to my patriotsupply.com right now. Check out the bundle, my patriotsupply.com Glenn. That's my patriotsupply.com glenn. 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 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. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck Program. Okay, I want Pam Bondi. Fire. It's escalated quickly. Yeah, well, no, and here's why. Here's why. Do you release a tape that is supposed to be the evidence. Do you release a tape and then let the public find out for themselves that there's an edit in the tape?

[Jason]

That's a inexcusable mistake. I mean, I don't know that she did it, right? I guess.

[Stu Burguiere]

And you know what? It could have been just a digital jump in the tape. It's a minute lost. Okay, so let's just say, let's just give them every benefit of the doubt and say it was just a digital jump in the tape. Okay? Do you not put an intern on it just to say watch the clock and make sure there's no jumps or edit in the tape? Because we know everyone's gonna watch 300 million people are gonna be watching it, and somebody's gonna take the time to watch the clock. So watch the clock. Is every minute accounted for? You didn't do that. You didn't do that.

[Jason]

I think you could pretty easily say that if you wanted to. Right. And your goal was you wanted to edit out a minute. It would be very easy to edit in a minute of footage.

[Stu Burguiere]

Correct.

[Jason]

That no one would notice. Just make the clock continuous. Correct. It would be clear if you were trying to cover that, it would be easy to cover.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah. However, incompetence. This is incompetence.

[Jason]

Highlighting your point to incompetence. At the very least, if you have.

[Stu Burguiere]

A jump, you admit it.

[Jason]

You say at the beginning, there is a. There is an error at this point. This is. We know this is there.

[Stu Burguiere]

We.

[Jason]

You know, the fact that you release it as proof without acknowledging that minute is. I just don't understand how you could make a mistake like that when your goal here is supposedly to put everyone's mind at ease. Right? I don't know. I don't know. But there's more to it than that.

[Stu Burguiere]

You know, but hang on just a sec. Let me just go back before we leave. Just this one. Remember when I said yesterday, your wife finds receipts for you buying presents at Tiffany's that she never got, that, you know, you were at a hotel that she's never been to. You were. You were not coming home for dinner. You had long weekends and everything else. It doesn't mean you were cheating.

[Jason]

You could be a traveling jewelry investor.

[Stu Burguiere]

Right, but she was. But she. She should demand the evidence because it. You don't want that hanging there on your relationship. It will just fester. Now, you give her the evidence, but then she finds out that, oh, well, it's the wrong receipt. It was a. It was a receipt, you know, that you explained away. But what you. What you used as proof was not the same receipt. You were like, no, see, honey, this is when we went to the hotel together, and you're. She looks at it and she's like, oh, okay. And then she has it for a while, and she looks at it and she's like, wait a minute. The date is different on this one. This is not the same receipt. That's a problem. That's a problem. And it doesn't mean that he was cheating on you. It just means, what the hell is going on? Are you this stupid?

[Jason]

And it certainly would make you have legitimate questions.

[Stu Burguiere]

It just makes you question things more. Now, if it wasn't for the jump in the tape. And I'm gonna call. I'm not even gonna call it an edit, because I don't think it was an edit. I think it was a jump in the tape is if the jump in the tape wasn't incompetent enough for you. Listen to this one. Jason is here with us. Hi, Jason.

[Selena Zito]

Hi, Glenn. What a morning.

[Stu Burguiere]

Wow. What a morning it is. Okay, so, Jason, what else have you found?

[Selena Zito]

Okay, so the more and more we looked at this tape, I started looking. It was just weird because it looked like a janitor's closet.

[Stu Burguiere]

So Dorset janitor's closet.

[Selena Zito]

And you were like, shut up. This is not a janitor's closet.

[Stu Burguiere]

I don't know what this is.

[Selena Zito]

Well, I was like, I can tell you there's a woman that looks like a janitor that comes out of supposedly the person. There's this cell that they're saying is his cell, which they're not, by the way. This was like, people on social media were saying this was. The cell is coming out with a trash can. So I looked around to see if there was any confirmation on what this cell was, and I found an OIG report from the Justice Department two years ago that shows the camera angle and the one camera that was actually working. So you can see the diagram, and I think we actually have it. If you're watching this right now, there's a diagram that shows where this camera is. It shows where Epstein's cell is. And the big thing that. That stands out, Glenn, is this camera doesn't even have eyes on Epstein's cell at all. Like, not at all. There's incredible. Four different wings here. There is a service wing, and that's what we're looking at with that door 46. That's like a service entrance or staff entrance. Now, you can't see on the lower level, Epstein cell at all. So this, what makes it look even crazier for that one minute that's missing. And I will say that. Okay, let me just say it this way. I've spent years and years and years looking at surveillance and security camera footage. As you know, in my previous job, I've never seen an over one minute jump right at a time. That would be very, very. I don't know, just convenient. I've never seen that before. And while you're looking at these things.

[Jason]

There'S no reason why. Why do you say that minute would be convenient? You're just saying that one minute being gone is convenient. You're not saying that particular minute.

[Selena Zito]

It's convenient.

[Jason]

We Don't.

[Selena Zito]

In this entire time frame based off of this camera angle. So it's convenient. Like, let's say 60 seconds would be great for someone walking across that lower level. 60 seconds would be perfect for. If you wanted to, like, conceal the fact that someone walked across that area. That's why I would.

[Stu Burguiere]

Here's why could. Here's why I didn't buy into this at first. Okay. 60 seconds to get in and open the door and then kill him and then leave. Okay, but look at the diagram. If you look at the diagram, where the camera is, there is just maybe a foot space where the camera is not able to see where there is a door from the staff area. Okay.

[Jason]

Are you looking at. Because I think it's hard to tell from this. Are we looking. Is this diagram the top floor or the bottom floor? Jason, do you have any idea?

[Selena Zito]

So the. It looks like Epstein. So I think Epstein sells on the same floor.

[Pam Bondi]

Yeah.

[Jason]

So the stairs, the upper floors. Right.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay. So I'm looking. I'm looking at where the staff area is. Okay. See the yellow triangle?

[Jason]

Yes.

[Stu Burguiere]

And the red box where it's his cell. Okay. So there is one way out of the staff area and is right below.

[Jason]

The camera, like, underneath the floor, essentially, of where the camera is.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah. On the floor. If the camera's up on a ceiling. Is that what you're saying?

[Jason]

Yeah, the camera's like. Yeah, the camera is. The camera is. Is from above, from the second floor, shooting down. And you can. What The. The evidence that they're basically proclaiming here. And this is true. You know, what Jason's saying is true, that you can't see the door of the Epstein cell. What you can see is a common area that, in theory, you would need to cross to get to the cell. What you're saying, Glenn, is the camera doesn't actually show 100% of the potential paths to get there. Right. Like, you could come cross. If you cross right in front of the banister here on the bottom floor, there's no way you.

[Stu Burguiere]

There's no way you're going to see.

[Jason]

Right.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay, so wait a minute. I just want to make sure we are talking about the same thing. If you look at the videotape, it's the white room downstairs. Right. So it's. It's where the garbage can is down there below. So Epstein's room would be below the garbage can?

[Jason]

No, the Epstein's room. If you look out. If you. The area that you can see. And I apologize for radio listeners here that aren't seeing this visual. But I want to make sure we get this right. There's an open area where the banister is like the. And it shows the common area behind it. Right.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay.

[Jason]

If you go to the right side of the common area, from our view, outside of the view to the right, is where the entrance to the cell is. The stairs up to the cell.

[Stu Burguiere]

So all you have to do. You don't have to cross the floor. Why do you have to cross the floor?

[Jason]

You could stay close to that wall.

[Stu Burguiere]

You can go through the door. You can go through the door and see and just stay against the wall.

[Jason]

Yeah, I mean, I guess maybe. And Jason, maybe you know this. If they. Maybe it's explained somewhere else in the report, but, like, is it possible that they're saying all the other entrances, like, to get to that area have cameras and so they didn't see anybody walking into those areas? If that were true, of course you.

[Stu Burguiere]

Should, then why would you show the other. This is. You know, this is not proof that anybody did anything. No, this is proof. They are apps. Pam Bondi needs to be fired. Who is rolling this out? The Little Rascals. Pinky, look, I got some videotape. What are you doing? This is ridiculous. This is such absolute incompetence. Incompetence.

[Jason]

It's incredible the fact that, like, they would release that. Because I think everyone had the same assumption. I think even Jason, as a super duper skeptic on this, even you had the assumption that what they were saying was the green doors were the cells, or at least to the cell area.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's what I thought.

[Jason]

That's what everyone, I think, thought when they saw it. Now, to be clear, like the report, as you point out, Jason previously had stated and shown this diagram that shows that they're talking about the common area. So that's not like it's. But like, they a. Should have been very clear about that. What we're talking about is the common area. Or they should have put that in the announcement.

[Stu Burguiere]

We are going upstairs. We're going upstairs today.

[Jason]

Okay.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay. To my house. And, you know, I have that balcony upstairs by the fireplace. You haven't really seen the house you came in. Stu arrived here, like, at midnight last night because it's like a day's journey from anywhere. Right. But we're gonna go upstairs, and you put a camera. Okay. Down into the great room.

[Jason]

You want to recreate the Epstein video in your house?

[Stu Burguiere]

I do, and I want to show you I can get to places in the room. Is. Is. Is because there's a whole floor. The balcony shows part, but it doesn't show the door. I could wait until I got to prove that we're going to do this live on YouTube or something on, on maybe on X today as soon as we get off the air. Because I. This is ridiculous.

[Jason]

It's, it's unbelievable. Again, it doesn't prove that this, you know, he was killed. However, it is the fact that they're releasing a video that has this many holes in it to a passing. Again, the person you're trying to make feel better about all of this is someone very interested in the detail of it. Right. It's not someone who has a passing interest. You're not releasing this to some person who kind of knows who Jeffrey Epstein is. This is intentionally designed to try to push down some. What you're arguing is a conspiracy theory.

[Stu Burguiere]

You're, you're also, also. And you know what? I'm not arguing anything. I'm arguing this is incompetence. Yes. I'm not arguing that he killed himself or he didn't kill. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But this isn't helping. You know, not only are you saying, you know, that these people have some interest in it. Well, you know, these people are, you know, interested in the details. No, you're releasing it to a bunch of people who, many of them have the details, but many of them are hostile to what you're saying. So you better have a buttoned up case. You better not have anything that they find out later. Wait, wait a minute. What?

[Jason]

Right, and it could be, you know, you could make the couple of arguments that you probably could make here. One, they don't actually care about this and they're annoyed. They have to deal with it, so they just threw it out there. Terrible incompetence. And if that's the truth, it's just inexcusable. The other thing they might argue, and this could be part of it, part of the rollout. There were reports at least, that this got leaked, that this came out essentially earlier than they wanted it to come out. And so their rollout was not as well planned as they thought it was going to be. Axios reported this exclusively. Now, it's possible, right, that they leaked it to Axios, but it's not exactly a typical location of a Trump leak.

[Stu Burguiere]

Who, the Justice Department or the FBI? That's what I want to know. First of all, this administration has no leaks. We just bombed Iran without any leaks.

[Jason]

Yeah, different, you know, different wing of the government. Still. I get what you're saying.

[Stu Burguiere]

They've been right.

[Jason]

A lot of this has been tight. But there is that. There does seem to be, you know, there's a lot of big personalities, there's always reported squabbling going on. Who knows how this was released and who did it? I mean, and that it may be true that part of the rollout was hurt. Right. Because it was released before they were ready or something. That might be true. It still doesn't really explain. I mean, the video is the video. They definitely posted it. Yeah, they posted it like that. They posted it. They had a memo that explained what the video was and did not mention any of that. That any of the issues we're talking about.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's all you had to do. Hey, there's a one minute jump. Here's why it's there.

[Jason]

But again, like, even with that explanation, which would make me happier, right, that.

[Stu Burguiere]

They were at least available, you're not.

[Jason]

It still wouldn't make you a person who believes in this theory.

[Stu Burguiere]

I can tell you, I can tell you for a fact, nothing is going to satisfy everyone.

[Jason]

Right.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay. But you at least have to try to make the easy things go away. Let me tell you about preborn. It's one thing to hear about something, to read a statistic, to imagine what it might be, but when you see it with your own eyes, that's when things usually get really real. You know, we have a. We have an abortion room setup, including the suction. And we put this in the museum and we had it running for a while. And I had a woman come up to me just in tears, and she's like, please, please turn that machine off. She said, I hear that in my nightmares. She said, I had an abortion and I can't take it. And what I was trying to do was make it real for people. And I didn't realize how real it really was. When you see something or hear something, it changes everything. And that happens on a good end. With moms, when they see the ultrasound of their baby, they have a. They have. They double the chances, at least double the chances at life when mom sees and hears the heartbeat. So please, you know, 20 bucks, I think it is, 29 bucks covers an ultrasound. Okay. If you're doing well this year, could you do more? All gifts are tax deductible and will reach into eternity. It saves two lives, the child and the mothers. To donate, just dial £250. Say the keyword baby. That's £250. Keyword baby. Or visit preborn.com beck that's preborn.com beck Sponsored by Preborn. Now back to the podcast. This is the best of the Glenn Beck Program. Selena, congratulations on your book. It is so good. Just started reading it or listening to it last night and I wish you would have read it. But you know, the lady you have reading it is very good. But I just enjoy the way you tell stories. The writing of this is the best explanation on who Trump supporters are that I think I've ever read from anybody. It's really good. And the description of your experience there at the edge of the stage with Donald Trump is pretty remarkable as well. Welcome to the program.

[Pam Bondi]

Thank you, Glenn. Thank you so much for having me. You know, I was thinking about this as I was waiting to come on, and you and I have been along for this ride together for what, since 2006, 2005, like 20 years. Right. And, and, and I've been chronicling the American people for probably 10 more years before that. And it is really remarkable to me as watching how this coalition has grown. Right. And watching how people have become more aspirational. And that is what the conservative populist coalition is. Right. It is the aspirations of many, but the celebration of the individual and chronicling them. Yeah. Has been, has been a great honor.

[Stu Burguiere]

You know, I was thinking about this yesterday when, when Elon Musk said he was starting an another party and somebody asked me, well, isn't he doing what the Tea Party tried to do? And no, the Tea Party wasn't going to start a new party. It was to, you know, it was to coerce and convince the Republican Party to do the right thing. And it worked in many ways. It didn't accomplish what we hoped, but it did accomplish a lot of things. Donald Trump is a result of the Tea Party. I truly believe that. And a lot of the people that were with the right were with Donald Trump are the people that were with the Tea Party.

[Pam Bondi]

That's absolutely right. So that was the inception. So American politics has always had movements that have been just outside of a party or slightly within a party that galvanize and broaden the coalition. Right. They don't take away and walk away and become another party. If anything, if there is a third party out there, it's almost the Republican Party because it has changed in so many viable and meaningful ways. And the Tea Party didn't go away. It strengthened and broadened the Republican Party because these weren't just Republicans that became part of this party. It was independents, it was Democrats. And unhappy with establishment Republicans and unhappy with Democrats. And that movement is what I see today, what I see every day. What I see I saw that day in Butler when I showed up at that rally, as I do so many rallies throughout my career. And that one was riveting and changed everything.

[Stu Burguiere]

You made a great case. In the opening chapter, you talk about how things were going for Donald Trump and how this moment really did change everything for Donald Trump, changed the trajectory, changed the mood. I mean, Elon Musk was not on the Trump train until this moment. What do you.

[Pam Bondi]

What.

[Stu Burguiere]

What. What changed?

[Ed]

How.

[Stu Burguiere]

How did that work? And. And I. I contend that it. We would have had much more profound change had the media actually done their job and reported this the way it really was.

[Pam Bondi]

You know, and people will find this in the book. I'm laying on the ground with an agent on top of me. I'm four feet away from the president, and there's notices coming up on my phone saying he was hit by broken glass. And to this day, that remains part of this subculture in American politics because reporters were so anxious to write what they believed happened as opposed to what happened. And it's been a continual frustration of mine as a reporter who is on the ground all the time. Now. I'll tell you what changed in that moment. And it's a nuance, and I believe nuance is dead in American journalism, but it was a nuance, and it was a powerful conversation that I had with President Trump the next day. He called me the next morning. But it's also a powerful conversation I had with him just two weeks ago when he made the decision to say, fight, fight, fight. People have put in their heads why they think he said it, but he told me why he said that. And he said, selena, in that moment, I was not Donald Trump, the man. I was a former president. I was quite possibly going to be president again. And I had an obligation to the country and to the office that I have served in to project strength, to project resolve, to project that we will not be defeated. And it's sort of like that symbolic eagle that is always, you know, that symbol that we look at when we think about our country. He said, that's why I said that I didn't want the people behind me panicking. I didn't want the people watching it panicking. I had to show strength. And it's that nuance that. That I think people really picked up on and galvanized people.

[Stu Burguiere]

So he told me when he was laying down on the stage, and you can Hear him? Let me get up. I gotta get up. Let me get up. Let me get up. He told me as he was laying on the stage. I asked him, I said, what. What were you thinking? What was going through your head? Now, Selena, I don't know about you, but with me, it'd be like, how do I get off the stage? You know, that would. My first. First is survival. Okay.

[Pam Bondi]

Yeah.

[Stu Burguiere]

He said what was going through his mind was, you're not pathetic. This is pathetic. You're not afraid. Get up. Get up. And so is that what informed his Fight, Fight, Fight of. By the time he's standing up, he's thinking, I'm a symbol. Or do you think he was thinking, I'm a symbol? This looks pathetic. It makes you look weak. Stand up. How do you think that actually happened?

[Pam Bondi]

He thinks. And we. He and I just talked about this two weeks ago. He. You know, he's. And this is something he's really thought about. Right. You know, and he's gone over and over and also purpose and God. Right. These are things that have. Have. Have lingered with him. You know, he. He thought. Yes, he did think it was pathetic that he was on the ground, but he wasn't thinking about Donald Trump. It's pathetic. He's thinking, my country, symbolically on the ground. I need to get up, and I need to show that my country is strong, that our country is resolute, and I need people to see that we can't go on looking like pathetic. Right. And I think that goes to that image of Biden.

[Stu Burguiere]

You have been with so many presidents. How many presidents do you think that you've personally been with would have thought that and reacted that way?

[Pam Bondi]

Probably any. Reagan. Reagan would have. Reagan probably would have thought that. And if you remember how he was out, like, standing outside, waving out the window right after he was shot, Right at the hospital. Right. Had he had not been knocked out, like, you know, unconscious, he probably would have done the same thing because he was also someone who deeply believed in American exceptionalism and American exceptionalism. And the symbol does not delay on the ground. Yeah, that symbol.

[Stu Burguiere]

The symbol of the presidency.

[Pam Bondi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think that affects him today.

[Stu Burguiere]

So let me go back to God, because you talked to him the next day, and you're. Your book butler. He calls you up. I love the fact that your parents would have been ashamed of you on what you said to him, the language you used there. You just have to read the book to hear. This is a great part. But he calls you the next morning and wants to know if you're okay. And you then start talking to him about God. And I was thinking about this as I was listening to it. Lincoln said I wasn't a Christian, even though he was. I wasn't a Christian when I was elected. I wasn't a Christian when my son died. I became a Christian at Gettysburg. I mean, I believe Donald Trump has always believed in God, etc. Etc. But do you think there was a real profound change at Butler with him?

[Pam Bondi]

Absolutely. You know, he called me seven times that day. Seven times the day seven. Talked about. And I think he was looking for someone that he knew that was there and could try to sort it out. Right. And I let him do most of the talking. I didn't pressure him at all. I believed that he was having, you know, he was struggling and he needed to just talk. And I believed my purpose was to listen. Right. I know other reporters would have handled it differently, and that's okay. That's not the kind of reporter I am. And, And. And I myself was having my own, like, what. Why. Why didn't I die? Right? Because it went right over my head. And. And. And so I let him. He led the conversation about God. I mean, he was also funny. He's like, I thought it was the biggest mosquito in the world that hit me. But he talks profoundly about purpose and God and how God was in that moment.

[Stu Burguiere]

I love the way you. In the book, I love the way you said that. As he's kind of working it out in his own head, he was like, you know, I always knew that there was some sort of, you know, that God was present. He said, but now that this has happened, I look back at all of the trials, all of the tribulations, literally the trials, all of the things that have happened, and he's like, I realize God was there the whole time.

[Pam Bondi]

Yeah, he does. And it's. It's fascinating to have been that witness to history, to have those conversations with him. Because I'm telling you, and y' all know I can talk. I didn't say much of anything. I just really felt that was my purpose in that moment, to give him that space, to work it out. I'm someone that is, you know, believes in God. I'm Catholic. I follow my faith. And. And so I thought, well, this is why God put me here, right? And. And to. To have that. To. To hear him talk about purpose, to hear him say, selina, why did I turn my head? Why did I put a chart down? I'm like, I don't know, Sarah, I thought you were Ross Perot there for a second, because he never has a chart. And he laughed. And then he said, why did I put that chart down? Why did I turn my head? I never turn my head away from people at a rally. And that's true. That relationship is very transactional. They feed off of each other. It's a very emotive moment when you attend a rally, because he has a way of talking at a rally that you believe that you are seen. And he said, and I never turn my head away. I never turn my head away. Why did I turn my head away? I don't remember consciously thinking about turn my head away. And then he says to me, goes, lena, that was God, wasn't it? I guess, sir, it was. It was God. He said, and that's. That's why I have a new purpose. And so, Glenn, I think it's important when you look at the breadth of what has happened since he was sworn in, you see that purpose every day. He doesn't let up. He continues going. And it brings back to the beginning of the book where you find out that there was another president that was shot at in Butler and that was George Washington and how different the country would have been had he died in that moment. And now think about how different the country would be had President Trump died in that moment.

[Jason]

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.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay, Stu has put together a schematic of the cells. I mean, you didn't put it together, but you did a little.

[Jason]

I did one squiggly red line.

[Stu Burguiere]

Right, right, right. And I think it's important to look because I think. Can we put the video up of what they released first? The video, what you're seeing are these two green doors. Most people think, oh, well, that one of those or the one off to the side by the phone, that must be his cell. It's not. It's not. If you have to look down the stairs and through the guardrail into the next room, that's the common area. But they're right next to the second green door right by the edge. You see? And I don't even know if you can see it. It looks like you can see maybe the beginning of the stairs on the other side.

[Jason]

That would lead. Those stairs would lead up to Epstein's cell block.

[Stu Burguiere]

So you're not seeing anything. And when you really understand what you are looking at this video, you don't have to edit this videotape. You don't have to edit it because there's no. I mean, there's a million ways to avoid the camera. If you know that that's the one camera that's on. It's so easy to avoid it. And let me show you the schematic that Stu put together.

[Jason]

I love that I'm getting credit for a schematic. This is a schematic from the OIG report.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jason]

And I drew one red squiggly line.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay, so you need to see the upper tiers. The upper tiers are on the left hand side in kind of the orange.

[Pam Bondi]

And.

[Stu Burguiere]

And you will see where Epstein's cell is. It's way away from any camera. Completely away from any camera.

[Jason]

Well, to be clear, there are cameras. Just none of them are recording anything.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah, there's 1, 2, 3, 4. Four cameras.

[Jason]

Four cameras that would see every important area. All of them are not working. The one that doesn't see the area is working fine.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's working fine.

[Jason]

Again, it's a lot.

[Stu Burguiere]

All right.

[Jason]

Lot to handle.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay, so now let me look at the blue section. Because this is the downstairs in the common area. This is what you're looking at through the, you know, through the guardrail. You're seeing down. You're seeing a part of this common area. So take us through this, dude, because this is incredible.

[Jason]

So basically, you're seeing a good chunk of the common area. Their argument would be to get to Epstein cell block, you must cross through this common area, which is true. You would need to go through that. If these schematics are as accurate as we understand them to be, you would not be able to get there from any other angle. However, there is if you look in the. I'm explaining this to the radio audience as well. Did you post this on Twitter as well?

[Stu Burguiere]

Yes, on Twitter. Go to my Twitter.

[Jason]

You can see this coming out of Epstein's cell block. Staying close to the wall where his cell block is. Staying close to the wall that comes under where the camera is, you are essentially taken. You can exit the entire cell block without being seen by that camera relatively easily. If you knew what to do, right? Like if you just stumbled through the middle of there, you would be seen. But if you were someone who, let's say, had a reason to kill a very famous pedophile, you could easily enter and exit without being seen by that camera at all. At least by my view. I don't see, and I don't think that there's A mistake there. Now, this, of course, doesn't address the idea of potentially another inmate being let out in his cell block, which you can't see at all. That could easily be another explanation for someone killing Epstein and not being seen on this video. To be clear, this video does not prove that Epstein was killed. It doesn't. What it does not achieve, in my mind quite clearly, is to make it impossible for that to have occurred. Right. Like you can. Absolutely. There's a path out of a door that comes directly below where the one working camera is. Staying close to the wall as you exit that door. And you would avoid the camera entirely. You'd be able to go up those stairs. You might have to stay on the right side of the stairs, but that's about it. And then you walk up there and you're there, and you can do the same thing on the way back and exit the cell block, really, with no problems. I mean, like, you could recreate this, Glen, if you wanted to be. If you were Nathan Fielder and had a giant HBO budget and wanted to do a rehearsal of the situation and very easily get there and back without being seen by that camera. So I think it, you know, it just doesn't do the thing it's attempting to do. The only reason to release this video is to persuade people who are very much on the bandwagon that Epstein did not kill himself. And there's no way this video would achieve that goal. So there's really no point.

[Stu Burguiere]

Dan Bongino is a friend. Dan Bongino is somebody I trust. Dan Bongino does not lie. He's not part of Deep State. I need to know from Dan, what is it about this video that you saw? If this is the video he was talking about, it has to be, right? Because no other cameras were working.

[Jason]

I would assume so. Now, if you look at this, the schematic actually shows which cameras are working which aren't. Glen, I don't know if you noticed that on there, on the schematic I put together. And you see there's a bunch of cameras, 1, 2, 3, 4, in the cell block on both floors that have red boxes around them. Those are the ones that aren't working. All of them would have seen the area not covered by the one camera that is working. All of them would have seen it, which is incredible. I mean, really. And now if in one other interesting detail is if you look on the lower floor schematic that I created and you walk this path out, there is one other camera in the non cell block. Area. The area where the guards would. Would do things which is working, however, would not catch a person walking out to the one exit door.

[Stu Burguiere]

It is.

[Jason]

It is fascinating. Now, I guess someone would be somewhere there's a camera. I don't know if it's the parking lot or something. I'm sure there's some camera, but I don't know that you'd be able to determine who the person was. If you want to believe this conspiracy, and I don't mean even a conspiracy in a demeaning way, but a conspiracy in that someone was working together to get this done.

[Stu Burguiere]

And this is such a red herring because. Yes, it's important to know if he killed himself or somebody killed him. Okay.

[Jason]

Yeah, it's important. It's not at the top of my priority list right now.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's not. You know, none of the Epstein stuff is at the top of my priority list. This is just a symptom when you're not seeing other people go to jail for you watch them with your own eyes, commit perjury. And there's not. They're not even trying to put them in jail, it seems. There doesn't seem to be anything from the DOJ moving. Pam Bondi's office is not issuing anything. Congress is doing their part to turning everything over. And then what happens?

[Selena Zito]

Jason, I. Yeah, I think we can all agree that this video doesn't show anything, but can I just to throw another coal in the fire. I'm just trying to rationalize what the FBI or DOJ are relying on. So if it's not the video, perhaps it's the prison guards. Maybe it's the prison guards. Maybe they had a very detailed report. Well, if I may read another portion of the OIG report, this is talking about multiple different prison guards that were assigned that night during this. When this happened, it said during their shift, they each created and submitted falsified official Bureau of Prison forms documenting inmate counts, often referred to as count slips, and completed and signed more than 75 separate entries on an official BOP form documenting 30 minute rounds, often referred to as round sheets, falsely stating that they had conducted rounds, when in fact they had not. So we have people lying, we have cameras not working falsified reports, and a video that doesn't really show us what they said it shows. Maybe the curious mind would want to look into that. Possibly.

[Jason]

There's also a sign that was posted. It's in the report as well.

[Stu Burguiere]

Camera up here is on. Make sure you skirt this wall.

[Jason]

No, it says, says mandatory rounds must be conducted every 30 minutes on Epstein, as per God, the sign says. So they were supposed to go see him every 30 minutes. I guess they.

[Stu Burguiere]

And they falsified those.

[Jason]

Yep. They falsified him and. Or slept through them.

[Stu Burguiere]

All right, let me go to Ed in New York. Hello, Ed, line eight.

[Ed]

Hi. Yeah, hi.

[Stu Burguiere]

Hi.

[Ed]

Look, we can all agree that the Epstein sting operation was to get a number of top officials to do what Deep State wanted them to do. So if I'm trolling, I don't think we can.

[Stu Burguiere]

We can't all say that we. We suspect that, but I don't think that that's not. That's what we're trying to prove.

[Ed]

A lot of people.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yes.

[Pam Bondi]

Yeah.

[Ed]

I mean, there's a lot of people that suspect a lot of things. And it's definitely a possibility.

[Stu Burguiere]

Oh, yeah, it is. It's a very good possibility. But.

[Ed]

Yeah, because otherwise, you look at. Epstein had ties to the CIA. They're not a whole lot of other reasons for doing some. An operation this big and having president.

[Stu Burguiere]

So I'm not arguing with. I'm not arguing with your conclusion, Ed. I'm arguing with. Let's not start conversations with. We all know. We all suspect. We all believe. Or many of us do, but we do not know. And that's the problem. We must have the evidence. And why are they holding it back? It only makes our. We all feel. We all know. You know, it only makes that stronger. So I'm just trying to make sure that we are not adding fuel to the fire on this. We have to guard our credibility.

[Ed]

I listen to your show a lot, but this schematic thing. Okay, let me. Let me finish my thought here.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay. All right, go ahead.

[Ed]

I was Trump. If I was Trump, and yet I had all the names of all of these people. Why release them when I can call these people on the phone and say, I have you on the Epstein list and now you're going to do what I want.

[Stu Burguiere]

Wow. You would do that, Ed?

[Ed]

Yeah, of course. You guys, I love you. I really do. I listen to you almost every day. But guess what? This is hardball. This is hardball.

[Stu Burguiere]

I don't. So, Ed, I don't believe ends justify the means ever. And it is hardball. That's why I have your name. I call you up. I have your name, I have all the evidence, and I am putting your ass in prison for the rest of your life. That is. That is what justice is. When you take a wrong and you then do something else that is wrong, and you let, in this case, a Child molester, get away with it? Because I can get him to do what I want. That's blackmail. That's. I mean, you've become what you're trying to destroy.

[Ed]

No, but people listen. This goes on. Law enforcement uses junkies all the time to catch bigger junkies. Okay?

[Stu Burguiere]

Right.

[Ed]

And everybody knows that if you want to make an omelet, you got to break a few eggs.

[Stu Burguiere]

Said by Stalin or Mao.

[Ed]

They have crucified this guy, crucified him. 31 convictions, all of that stuff. And if I was Trump, I Look at, I. Do you believe that Trump's agenda is. Is a just agenda and that he has.

[Stu Burguiere]

You know, I can't. I can't. I can't even go down this road with you. I mean, you use the word, they crucified him. Jesus didn't compromise, and he was literally crucified. There are. There are roads, and see, this is where we get into trouble. There are things when you start to say, you know what? The ends justify the means. The country is at stake. So we will blackmail people. No, I want no part of that. Now, you might, but I don't. And so I can't. I can't go down with that road. Um, I. I think we agree on a lot of stuff, just not that, you know, that kind of thinking is exactly what the Democrats are warning about their own people. Now. Their own people are saying, you're not doing enough. There has to be blood in the streets. Well, look at what they're doing. Look what happened. You know that. That's their excuse on us. Look at. Donald Trump is a fascist, and we all know it. No, you don't know it. You think it, but where's your proof? Okay, gosh, I'm sorry. I know. I know a lot of the audience is going to disagree, but I am who I am, and this is my opinion. And if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I hope that you continue to listen, but I have to say what I believe is true.