Best of the Program | Guest: Stephen Moore | 4/2/25

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | Guest: Stephen Moore
Release Date: April 2, 2025
Host/Author: Blaze Podcast Network
Guest: Stephen Moore

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Introduction

In this episode of The Glenn Beck Program aired on April 2, 2025, host Glenn Beck engages in a profound discussion with economist and commentator Stephen Moore. The conversation delves into critical issues surrounding American politics, economic policies, and international relations, particularly focusing on the health of President Joe Biden, the implications of tariffs, and the ongoing crisis of fentanyl. Beck intertwines these discussions with poignant reflections on collective responsibility and moral accountability.

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Segment 1: Biden's Health and White House Preparations

Timestamp [00:00 – 06:19]

Glenn Beck opens the episode by addressing alarming revelations about the White House's preparations for President Joe Biden's potential death, activities that allegedly began as early as 2023. He references the book Fight Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House by Amy Parness and Jonathan Allen, highlighting concerns about Biden's health and cognitive capabilities.

• Key Points:

  • Health Concerns: Biden's public portrayal of robust health contrasted with reports of cognitive decline, including reliance on makeup to mask his condition ([04:10]).
  • Preparation for Succession: Discussion about the unspoken measures within the White House, such as fluorescent tape to guide Biden's movements and a "death pool roster" outlining possible successors ([02:45]).
  • Lack of Transparency: Critique of the administration's secrecy and the media's dismissal of these issues as conspiracy theories ([05:30]).
  • Constitutional Subversion: Examination of how internal power struggles led to Biden stepping down as the Democratic nominee, orchestrated by figures like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi ([03:50]).

• Notable Quote:

  • "The president and the presidency are even more important. That's why... I respect the office because the office is more important than any man." – Glenn Beck ([04:50])

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Segment 2: Tariffs and Trade Policies with Stephen Moore

Timestamp [17:48 – 31:59]

Stephen Moore joins the program to discuss the complexities of tariffs and their impact on the American economy. The conversation centers around former President Donald Trump's trade policies, the rationale behind tariffs, and the broader implications for American manufacturing and agriculture.

• Key Points:

  • Rationale Behind Tariffs: Moore explains that tariffs are a response to unfair trading practices, aiming to level the playing field for American manufacturers and farmers ([19:00]).
  • Impact on Consumers: Acknowledgment that tariffs may lead to short-term price increases for goods like cars, but are intended for long-term economic gains ([18:30]).
  • Trump's Negotiation Skills: Moore praises Trump's ability to negotiate favorable terms and expresses confidence in his capacity to prevail in ongoing trade disputes ([20:15]).
  • Deregulation and Tax Cuts: Emphasis on the necessity of deregulating the economy and implementing tax cuts alongside tariffs to enhance competitiveness and reduce costs for American businesses ([21:50]).
  • Energy Policies: Contrast between Biden's restrictive energy policies and Trump's initiatives to reopen energy infrastructure, promoting oil, gas, and mineral extraction ([30:35]).

• Notable Quotes:

  • "Trump is the single best negotiator I've ever met in my life. And I think in the end, he will prevail." – Stephen Moore ([19:31])
  • "Regulations. Regulations. Regulations." – Glenn Beck ([31:47])

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Segment 3: Fentanyl Crisis and China's Role

Timestamp [31:59 – End]

Returning to his monologue, Glenn Beck shifts focus to the fentanyl crisis, drawing parallels between historical events like the Opium Wars and current Chinese policies. He criticizes the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for their role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic in the United States and highlights ongoing human rights abuses.

• Key Points:

  • Fentanyl as the New Opium: Beck equates the synthetic opioid crisis to the historical opium trade, accusing China of deliberately poisoning the American population for strategic gain ([32:30]).
  • Human Rights Abuses: Detailed accounts of the CCP's atrocities, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims, forced labor, and reeducation camps, linking these actions to the production of goods consumed in the West ([34:00]).
  • Moral Accountability: A deep reflection on the collective responsibility of Americans for perpetuating these issues through consumer choices and complicity ([35:20]).
  • Call to Action: Beck urges listeners to take personal responsibility, change buying habits, and actively resist the moral and economic degradation wrought by foreign policies and domestic complacency ([37:10]).
  • Historical Parallels: Drawing lessons from history to emphasize the importance of recognizing and acting against systemic evil rather than ignoring repeating patterns ([38:45]).

• Notable Quotes:

  • "Fentanyl is the new opium. And the Chinese Communist Party is the new merchant cartel. And America, we're the addict." – Glenn Beck ([33:15])
  • "We are swimming in complicity. Why, here's what I tell myself... How could we let that have happened? How did we not see we're doing the same thing?" – Glenn Beck ([36:30])

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

1. Glenn Beck: "The president and the presidency are even more important. That's why... I respect the office because the office is more important than any man."
   [04:50]

2. Stephen Moore: "Trump is the single best negotiator I've ever met in my life. And I think in the end, he will prevail."
   [19:31]

3. Glenn Beck: "Regulations. Regulations. Regulations."
   [31:47]

4. Glenn Beck: "Fentanyl is the new opium. And the Chinese Communist Party is the new merchant cartel. And America, we're the addict."
   [33:15]

5. Glenn Beck: "We are swimming in complicity. Why, here's what I tell myself... How could we let that have happened? How did we not see we're doing the same thing?"
   [36:30]

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Insights and Conclusions

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program presents a critical examination of current American political dynamics, economic policies, and international relations. Glenn Beck and Stephen Moore collaboratively dissect the underlying issues threatening the fabric of American society, from presidential health and administrative secrecy to aggressive trade policies and international human rights violations.

Key Insights:

• Transparency and Accountability: The discussion underscores the necessity for transparency within the highest levels of government, especially concerning the health and capabilities of the President.

• Economic Nationalism: Emphasizing the importance of protecting American industries through strategic tariffs and deregulation to foster a self-sufficient and robust economy.

• Moral Responsibility: Beck's poignant reflections call for individual accountability in combating systemic moral failings, urging listeners to make conscientious choices that counteract collective complicity.

• Historical Awareness: Drawing lessons from past events like the Opium Wars, the podcast highlights the recurring patterns of exploitation and the critical need for vigilance and proactive resistance against manipulation.

Concluding Thoughts:

The Glenn Beck Program delivers a compelling narrative that intertwines political discourse with deep philosophical musings on morality and responsibility. It challenges listeners to critically assess the actions of their leaders, the integrity of their economic systems, and their personal role in upholding the nation's values. The episode serves as both an informative analysis of pressing issues and a rallying cry for individual and collective action to steer the country toward a more transparent, just, and self-reliant future.

Transcript

[Glenn Beck]

Some groundbreaking revelations about White House staffers preparing for the death of Joe Biden as far back as 2023. Anybody care? Anybody gonna pay a price? Also, Stephen Moore on all of the things that the tariffs might mean. Good, bad, ugly. We'll find out. And the worst songs of all time. At least the ones I'm still singing. I'll explain on today's podcast. There. There are a lot of real estate agents out there, and you can swing a dead cat around without hitting. You know, there seem to be everywhere a lot of cases. The dead cat would probably make a better real estate agent than the person on the sign there that hit. But I want to introduce you to the people that I trust that are different. My company is realestate agentsitrust.com we vet these people like, honestly, like they're planning to marry my daughter. You know, we sit there cleaning a shotgun while we're interviewing. So let me tell you. Where are you taking my couple? I just sent you. Where are you going? What kind of houses are you taking it? You've been listening to them. Okay. Don't actually sit there with a shotgun or. So I lead you to believe. Real estate agents I trust dot com. We find the agents that are the best in your area that meet all the qualifications that we are looking for. People who will listen to you and actually help you find the right house. Buying or selling a house is a really big deal. Get some people that you can trust on your site. Real estate agents I trust dot com. The name says it all. Real estate agents I trust trust dot com. 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. 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 from the heart of the home of the free Dallas Texas at the Mer Mercury Studios. Welcome. It's the Glenn Beck program. I don't know if you saw the news yesterday. This is a little frustrating. Predictable, but frustrating. By 2023, Joe Biden's allies were quietly preparing for the unthinkable. We find out yesterday his death in office by 2023. I mean, I'm glad he made it. I am too. However, it wasn't unthinkable. No, I know, I know, I know. Gotta say. Well, it was because he kept saying that he was in perfect health and he was never healthier than anybody else. There's a new book out called Fight Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House by Amy Parness and Jonathan Allen. Hey, thanks for the update. Now, guys, we had no idea. I mean, you did if you paid attention and you just, you realized that you weren't being told the truth and you just watched. Um, but what we were never shown were the, you know, the, the fluorescent tape marking his path at public events to keep him from wandering off. Did you know that the death pool roster that the White House had that Kamala Harris's team drew up listing the federal judges who might swear her in if his heart stops? Uh, did you know this was happening? Did you know? I mean, his health and his, his brain activity was so bad that they had a resident makeup artist on hand all the time. Not just to make him up, to enhance his appearance in case he goes on television, but to mask the shell that he had become. Um, Stephen Miller said they were literally Michael Jacksoning him, a reference to the late pop star owned cosmetic coverups, while dismissing skeptics as conspiracy theorists. In some days, Biden would endear, endure the makeup ritual, only then to cancel all of his briefings entirely and call it a day. What? Uh huh. So I want to know who sanctioned all of this? Who? Because the aides knew it all. The leaders, leadership in the White House knew it. The people that applied the makeup knew it. The schedulers who cleared his calendar knew it. I mean, why wouldn't they say. Were they protecting the president? Because you're supposed to protect the presidency. The president and the presidency. And the presidency is even more important. That's why if Barack Obama, and we talked about this years ago, Barack Obama would have invited me to the White House. I would have absolutely gone like Bill Maher did. I would have been polite. I would have, you know, shaken his hand. I would be, I would respect him, respect the office. Because I respect the office. I don't have to like the man. I respect the office, because the office is more important than any man. Then came the moments we're finding out in this new book of the cognitive unraveling. It was there in plain sight. But if you said anything about it, remember, you were a conspiracy theory, a theorist. So Swalwell, Eric Swalwell, the congressman, he comes to the White House and he's supposed to meet with the president. They meet, and Biden doesn't even know who he is, has no idea who Congressman Swalwell is. Swalwell had to say, remember me? I'm a congressman. I worked on this with you. And this. And he was like, oh, yeah, yeah, that's right. I remember. Holy cow. How did we make it through that? Only God could have put us got us through that.

[Stephen Moore]

I swear.

[Glenn Beck]

How did we not know? Why were no cameras allowed to capture it? Why didn't anyone say anything? Why didn't. Why were there no leaks on this? This. You are committing an act of treason, I believe, to the country. If you sworn an oath to the country, to the Constitution, why are you not warning on this? Who's making the decisions? Why did no one sound the alarm? Shouldn't. Shouldn't Swalwell do it himself? Of course. Of course. Then everything comes crashing down. In 2024, Biden steps down as the Democratic nominee. It was forced on him by Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. And then what we didn't see was the backstage backstabbing that was going on. Harris, remember when this happened? Biden came out and said, I'm stepping down. No endorsement. And then, like 30 minutes later, this endorsement for. For Kamala comes out. Right? Well, now we know what happened. Kamala calls and says, hey, you've got to endorse me, or they're going to go for an open. You know, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, they want an open primary. You gotta endorse me. And so he does. He endorses just to screw Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. Nobody's talking about the screwing of the system. He's painted as a hero for doing something brave when he intentionally screwed the system because he wanted to screw Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. Okay? Nobody says anything about it. Just the noble farewell to him. He's just great. Nobody heard about the power plays. Nobody heard about the back stamic. Nobody heard about the subversion of the Constitution here. Okay, great. And again, nobody says anything. Nobody says anything, huh? Why. Why weren't we allowed to see? And how deep did this actually run? Who was responsible? Who was giving the orders? Who is telling everybody to shut up as they. Michael Jackson. Him who? Why did no one say, I've got a real problem. We have to put little fluorescent stickies on the floor so he knows where to walk. Isn't that a prob. Problem? Well, there was nobody that said, by the way, we're just, we're just trying to line up the right justice to swear her in. Cause we want that, that photo op, we want that to look really good. We want the correct justice. Holy cow. What else don't we know? What about the, the memos? Any memos? Buried. How about the doctors? Remember when the doctors were going there like. No, he's fine, he's fine. He just. You know what? I had a problem. I had some toenail fungus and I asked him to look at my feet. Cuz he is so fine that he's almost a doctor right now. He's so sharp. What happened in those. Remember those meetings and the doctors came out and they were like, wait a minute. Aren't you a guy that specializes in dementia? No. Why, why weren't we told this? These are the questions that you must ask because no one else will. Who else knew? Cabinet members, obviously. The First Lady. And I'm going to stop calling them the press corps because they really are. They're dead to me. They're the press corpse. They really are. Let's pronounce that as it. As it's spelled. Pronounce it incorrectly because they are the press corpse. They're just there as useful as dead people. Why? Why were they so eager to debunk anybody as cheap fakes? Why wouldn't they dig into any of these? Why weren't we trusted with the truth? What medical reports were suppressed? Who gave the orders to keep this going? And what's gonna happen to the media? All those that knew? Here's what's gonna happen. Nothing. Believe me, nothing. They all knew. At best, they all just convinced themselves that it wasn't true. They allowed their own mob to convince them that, you know, nobody really knows what the truth is and it's better for America to hide it. That's what they've convinced themselves of. But that's not their decision. It's not their job. It's our decision. Their job is to tell American America the truth of what's really going on and let us decide. Because this is all of our country. This is not just the Democrats or the Republicans and certainly not the elites in Washington. It's we the people. Not we the press. Not we the educated. Not we the Elite. But we, the people, all of us, we're paying a price for all of this. Will they pay a price? Will anyone who still watches them stand up and say, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. I mean, I just read the New York Times and you're now covering all of the things you told us were conspiracy theories on Ukraine. In fact, it's worse than what the conspiracy theorists were saying about what we were doing in Ukraine. You, you told us that we weren't funding color revolutions with usaid, but now it comes out, yes, we were. The great reset conspiracy theory. Nope, it's real, Covid. Nope, didn't tell us the truth. Masks, vaccines, our kids being kept outta school, Russia gate, on and on and on. All of the lies. Will they pay with the price of the price they should pay embarrassment and shame for what they've done just for power? No, they won't pay. And you know why? Because the tale that we are reading or expected to read in this new book out the Tell all book about how bad it really was and nobody knew, except everybody knew. The real story there of Biden's decline is a mirror. And it's not reflecting one man's fall, but it reflects our, our willingness to look away until it's too late. That has to change. And until it does, it goes right back to the opening monologue in today's broadcast. Donald Trump is at least telling us we have to do these things if we want to be competitive. That's the closest we've gotten to a doctor that actually one that will tell you the truth. The country has cancer and it's got to stop. We have to cut it out. So here's the chemotherapy. It's these trade barriers. You may not like them, but you hired me to cure the patient. And I think chemotherapy is the only way. And it's going to hurt a lot. When's the last time you heard a president tell you the truth on anything? When's the last time you heard the press tell you the truth? And here's the truth. Everything we're facing right now is a little scary. And you know why? Because we haven't faced it when it wasn't scary, when it was just a choice. We made all of the easy choices. You know this with your kids, you're like, why just put a little extra work into it and your choice, all these doors will open up. But the more you don't do, the more you avoid, the more doors that close for you. And at the end, you're not going to like the doors that are left because they're going to be so few. And you're going to, you're being like, okay, I guess I'm going to be that guy for the rest of my life. Well, that's what we're doing as a nation. The same thing that we bitch about with our kids. Just, just do the right thing. And all of these options are in front of you. But every day you choose not to do the right thing. Those doors close more and more every single day. Let's open those doors back up. But that requires all of us. And I don't know if you're going to get those people. I'm going to talk about it if I have time today. I don't know if you're going to get those people that have been sucked into this system. I mean, here's another example they're just showing you. They lied to you, they lied to you over and over again. Are you ever going to be able to convince those people that are still watching the people that lied to them? You ever going to get them to wake up? I don't know. I honestly think that the left is creating a new Palestinian state. They are creating the same thing that honestly they created over the last 70 years. This bogus story about Palestinians. This is their land and the Jews had nothing to do with it. And whipping these people up into a frenzy to where they have no other options other than kill the other side. They won't listen to reason anymore. They can't even see it because they've been trained almost since birth to hate the other side. And if you think that's hyperbole, just look at who is supporting the Palestinians and all of the lies. Look who is saying on October 8th. Well, that's okay. The Israelis deserved it. What, the same people who are the author of these lies about our country. Let's pray for our neighbors and our friends and our family that haven't woken up yet. You never know what's going to happen. The future is completely open ended. Every day you have to climb out of bed knowing that pretty much anything could happen. Given that, why wouldn't you do everything you can to make sure you're least prepared for the things that you see as possible? You know, there's things that are just, you know, highly, highly unlikely, but so such a bad impact. Like, you know, fire insurance. You got to have fire insurance, right, because it's catastrophic if it happens, but it's unlikely to happen. Well, one thing that's not unlikely to happen is Somebody in the family gets sick while you're on vacation. Now let's, let's increase the odds of not happening. Let's say you, it happens in the middle of the night and you're in some place, you don't have a doctor there, you don't, the pharmacies are closed, whatever that could also happen. Probable Jace Medical is there. They offer 28 additional medical add ons including things like ivermectin or epipens and the five most important antibiotics in case somebody comes down with something in the middle of the night. It's jace.com enter their giveaway. You can purchase your own case as well. Just enter the promo code BECK at checkout for a discount on your order at jace j a s e.com promo code beck now back to the podcast. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck program. Stephen Moore, my good friend. How are you, sir?

[Stephen Moore]

Good morning.

[Glenn Beck]

How are you, man?

[Stephen Moore]

Hi. Glad and great to be with you.

[Glenn Beck]

Thank you very much. Today is liberation day. How you feeling?

[Stephen Moore]

Well, you know, I think it's a liberation day, but I'm feeling a little maybe trepidation day as well. We'll see what that announcement is. I'll be out there at the rose Garden at 4. So I don't know exactly the details. I don't think anybody does except Donald Trump at this point. Look, I'm a free trade guy. I understand that the, you know, the benefits of countries trading with each other benefits both countries. But I would say on the other hand, because this really is a debate where I could go on, you know, either side of it. Yeah, Trump does have a very important point, Glenn, which is that we do. A lot of people don't understand that. You've got a wise listenership, but a lot of Americans don't understand that we are the lowest tariff country in the world right now among all the major trading partners. And what Trump is simply saying is it's not a level playing field. It's not fair. These other countries are not playing by the rules and they need to trade with the United States. So they better get their act together, they better start treating us fairly or he's going to hit them with these terrorists. Now there is going to be some. I've been listening to you for the last 10, 15 minutes. You're right, Glenn. There will be some costs to Americans in terms of buying cars and we might see a little rise in prices of things. Trump describes this as, you know, short term pain for long term gain. And I think it's for every American to kind of figure out where they stand on this. Right now I'm a little bit worried about it. But I will say this. Trump is the single best negotiator I've ever met in my life. And I think in the end he will prevail.

[Glenn Beck]

So is he going for just a, a strange level playing field? I mean, you can't say it's a, you know, and a free market because there are tariffs involved. But if our tariffs are only reflecting everybody's, everybody else's, then it is a free market, if you will, just trying to bring everything level up to the, you know, the place where everybody else is. Is that the goal here, which would lead me to believe there might be some short term effects because we could turn the negotiating power on pretty. Or is he trying to bring manufacturing back, which is, I mean, I think he's calling it Liberation Day because it harkens back to World War II. And he's liberating us from almost everything that we set up at right after World War II. He's saying effectively with almost in almost every category, all of that stuff is broken and we can't do that anymore. So is he saying we're not going to be part of this global thing anymore, we're going to bring manufacturing back here and that's going to be tough. But it's the only way to really, truly grow our economy by building things here. Which is it? Or is it both?

[Stephen Moore]

Stephen, these are complicated questions, you know, and I can't get in Donald Trump's mind. You know, look, let's start with why he won this election. He won the election by winning blue collar, you know, middle class voters into the Republican Party, many of whom, you know, had voted Democratic but realized that Trump was the one who really stood behind them. I believe, Glenn, you know, the answer to your question about how do we make America number one in manufacturing and you know, obviously technology and other industries that are so important. I believe many of the other things that Trump is doing, for example, an article, lead article in the Wall Street Journal this weekend didn't get a lot of attention on the front page, was that, you know, that Trump is deregulating our economy is going to reduce costs for American companies by as much as a trillion dollars, just make us very competitive.

[Glenn Beck]

I was just talking, hang on just a second. I was just talking about, I'm not seeing enough about cutting the regulation and also cutting of tax cuts because if you don't have those to go along with the tariffs, this isn't going to work. It's just not going to work.

[Stephen Moore]

Yeah, no. Great minds think alike. And that's exactly what I was going to say. And it was almost like we were saying the same thing. So, you know, you look at the tax plan that we put, and, you know, Larry Kudlow and I put the very first version of that plan together for Trump back, what, eight or nine years ago, and it was a huge success. Huge success, Glenn. One of my frustrations right now with the Trump administration, with the president. I love this guy. I mean, I would, you know, I would go through a burning building for him and he would do the same for the country. Have you heard him talk a lot about the tax cut in the last month? No, no. Have you heard him talk about deregulation last month?

[Glenn Beck]

No.

[Stephen Moore]

It's all been about tariffs.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Stephen Moore]

And you know, that's the medicine. But people want to see the good stuff. The one, there are issues that unify the Republican Party, like lowering tax rates, deregulating economy, pro America energy policy, those kinds of things. Frankly, the tariff issue is an issue that kind of divides us. I mean, some of my best friends are in favor of it. I'm kind of on the fence on it. Others are strongly against it. So I want to see Trump talking a little bit more about all of the benefits of these other things that he's doing. I mean, the fact I've waited 40 years, Glenn, for a president to say we're going to dismantle the U.S. department of Education because it's totally useless and it probably does more damage to our schools. Well, he did it.

[Glenn Beck]

I know he did.

[Stephen Moore]

I mean, I was there when he signed that executive order that was amazing. He's doing incredible things for our country. But a lot of that gets overshadowed because all he's talking about right now is tariffs.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, he's got to bring a lot of people to the table. So what do you think is going to happen at 4? I mean, he obviously picked 4:00 because the stock market is closed, right?

[Stephen Moore]

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I probably may very well be right. I think it's going to be, you know, I don't. Nobody knows exactly what he's going to say, but I think he's going to call for 10 to 20% across the board, terrorists on just about anything that comes into the U.S. now that's going to raise prices. I mean, if you put a tax on things that come in, to some extent, you know, consumers will pay the cost of that. And then I think he's going to go after certain countries that are the worst abusers, like China. And I'm, by the way, I'm all in favor of going after China. I think China is a menace. Or you do too. You were one of the first people who started talking about this, Glenn, 25 years ago. So, you know, China is the enemy. One thing I don't get, and I say this with all due respect because I do love this president, I don't understand why we've had so much discussion about Canada. Canada is one of our most important allies. And why aren't we talking about China and some of these other countries that, that are, you know, dangerous to our economic and national security?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I've been questioning that. So let me ask you, best case scenario, what happens, what do we look like in a year from now that.

[Stephen Moore]

Other countries dramatically bring down their terrorists? It's not just terrorists, by the way, Glenn, and Trump's made an important point here. It's also what are called non tariff barriers. The fact that many of these countries have various rules that close the markets to American products. And I'm not just talking about manufacturing products. You know, we're the breadbasket of the world. We have the greatest, most productive farmers in the world. We produce more food and agricultural products than any other country. And yet many countries lock out our wheat and our corn and our barley and our meat, our dairy products. So I think if this works out, and I would never bet against this president, I think you're going to see other countries having to open up their markets to American manufacturers and American farmers and American technology, by the way, the tech, our technology companies are completely discriminated against by the Europeans in these other countries. So there is a lot to be angry about.

[Glenn Beck]

Brussels said, I think yesterday or early this morning, we got war plans, you know, economic war plans. You go ahead, you launch these. We're, we're relaunching our own attack, you know, tomorrow. Bluster or real?

[Stephen Moore]

I'm sorry, who, who said that?

[Glenn Beck]

Brussels. Yeah, eu.

[Stephen Moore]

Oh, the eu, yeah. Right. Okay, well, let me address that because first of all, I'm so sick and tired of these sanctimonious Europeans.

[Glenn Beck]

We don't hang out enough. Stephen, I just love you. Go ahead.

[Stephen Moore]

Okay. I mean, you know, oh my gosh, how dare Donald Trump do this? You know, he's starting a trade war. And I know what Donald Trump would say if he was on your show right now. Yeah, he would say, what are they talking about? Our terrorists are one third as high as theirs are.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Stephen Moore]

They've got a lot of nerve to say Trump is causing a trade war. I mean, you know, it's like if I, if I came up to you, Glenn, and punched you in the nose, and then you tried to, you know, fight back. And I said, how dare you start a fight with me?

[Glenn Beck]

Right?

[Stephen Moore]

I mean, so Trump has the moral high ground here because we do open up our markets in the other country. By the way, there was a very famous incident that happened. I wasn't there, but my buddy Larry Kudlow was there at one of the G20 meetings. I think it was in Ottawa. And the Europeans were sitting there, you know, complaining and grousing about. Trump was talking about terrorists. And, you know, I don't know if you're aware of this, but Trump, it's on the record. People were there, said it. Trump said, okay, you know what? Why don't we all go to zero on terror? The Europeans ran for the door as quickly as they could.

[Glenn Beck]

I know, I know, I know. So now tell me what, Tell me what you think is. Is. Is a likely scenario if things don't go exactly the way. You know. I just bring this up because Paul Krugman, you know, in the New York Times, he said, you know, when by. Don't dismiss the careful work of our statistical agencies because you're feeling angry on the checkout line. I don't want to say that about tariffs. I don't want. I mean, it's going to make things harder to buy what you need, and we shouldn't downplay that. The president's not even downplaying that. He says it's going to be a little painful for a while. Right. But people are on the edge financially, and no amount of political theory helps people pay for the groceries or makes it feel better when you're paying for the groceries. So I don't want to be in that camp. What should people mentally prepare for that is a likely scenario, even if it turns out that it was the right thing, what's coming our way?

[Stephen Moore]

So I think that Trump has made a mistake here in the sense that we should have done this tax bill first.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I agree.

[Stephen Moore]

And that would have been a huge victory. Everybody understands. I hope your listeners understand if we don't get this thing done, that we're talking about a $3,000 per family tax increase January 1st. And by the way, every single Democrat in the Congress voted for that, a $3,000 per family tax increase. So we should. I hope as he's talking about these tariffs, he links that to the fact that he's talking about, you know, a major growth enhancing tax reduction. You know, I like his idea, for example, Glenn, where he said, look, if you're going to bring something into the country, you're going to pay a 15% tariff on it. But if it's made in America where you're only going to pay a 15% tax, I love that idea. Let's do it. Let's implement that right now. I know what you're doing is giving a little bit of a favoritism to stuff that's made in Michigan and Ohio and Maine and Vermont.

[Glenn Beck]

My guess is he would have done that if he could count on the Republicans. There's two groups of people, I know there's two groups of people that worry me, Congress and quite honestly, the Justice Department. I don't know where Pam Bondi is, but that's a different story. But Congress needs to do their job right.

[Stephen Moore]

And you know, I think that you're right. What are we, day 80, 90? I can't keep track, but it's amazing what Trump has done already. I know, but why is it, I mean, Trump should have that tax bill on his desk. He should popular. He's got the voter mandate. Why is the Senate been sitting on this for five weeks?

[Glenn Beck]

Can't tell you.

[Stephen Moore]

I can't even tell you.

[Glenn Beck]

So tell me about the, tell me about the regulations that you're seeing. Is the regulation because tariffs, tax cuts, regulations. Tell me about the regulations that you're seeing. Is it significant, the regulation slicing enormously.

[Stephen Moore]

So remember, do you remember, Glenn, what was the first thing that Joe Biden did when he became president?

[Glenn Beck]

Energy.

[Stephen Moore]

Yeah, he killed all our energy infrastructure projects. That's something one of our enemies would have done to us. He shut down the pipelines. He put incredible, incredibly onerous climate change taxes on our oil and gas and coal industry shut down. Remember Hillary Clinton saying, well, that's okay, the coal miners can become computer programmers or something.

[Glenn Beck]

That's working out.

[Stephen Moore]

Exactly. So, you know, Trump is opening up our energy. We have more oil, gas and minerals. By the way, you know, this new Secretary of Interior, Governor Doug Bergen, Burgum Bergam, he's doing an amazing job. You know, we have $10 trillion of mineable critical minerals in the country in the mountains of Utah and Dakotas and da, da, da. We could do that. We can do. You know, he's the so.

[Glenn Beck]

But what I want to ask you.

[Stephen Moore]

We'Re going to allow more mergers and acquisitions so our companies can be more effective. It's all over the board. It's on transportation policy, and that's going to cut costs dramatically for American consumers. And that's a really positive thing. In fact, when I give talks to small businesses, you give a lot more talks than I do. I always ask the men and women. Run. I said, but which is worse for you, the tax burden or the regulation?

[Glenn Beck]

Regulation.

[Stephen Moore]

You know what they say.

[Glenn Beck]

Regulations.

[Stephen Moore]

Regulations.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, regulations. Every time you're streaming the Best of Glenn Beck.

[Stephen Moore]

To hear more of this interview and others, download the full show podcasts wherever you get podcasts.

[Glenn Beck]

So I remember when I first started warning about China's role in the fentanyl crisis. This is years before we started talking about sanctions and sanctions today coming out. You can't have sanctions on China high enough for my taste. But every time I talked about China and their role in the fentanyl crisis, called an alarmist and conspiracy theorists. You know, you're just so eager to paint felons with a broad brush. I can't get a broad enough brush for villains, quite frankly. That was, I don't even know, eight, nine years ago. And now it's in the headlines again. Did you notice yesterday, Congress confirmed it. Experts have testified to it. The truth is finally a little bit mainstream. The Chinese Communist Party, or at least, at the very least, elements within it, have enabled, subsidized and promise and profited off of the flow of synthetic opioids. Fentanyl, okay. And they profited off of all of it coming into the United States. And they knew what they were doing, what they were doing. And I wish I felt vindicated today, but I don't. The truth that was once dismissed is too dark to be real, is really only being proven to be darker. We have watched families bury their children. We've watched our communities unravel. We've read the reports and seen the data, and still the scale of it is overwhelming. But doesn't it all feel familiar? Because we've been here before. We have only the last time. The. The roles were reversed. Back in the 1830s, the British Empire had a problem. China had things the British wanted. Tea, silk, porcelain. But the Chinese didn't want what Britain was offering. So they had to come up with something else. And they found a solution. It was something that was grown in India. Opium. And the British started trafficking it into China. And the result? Mass addiction, social collapse, and eventually war. Isn't that great? The Chinese emperor tried to shut it down, tried to protect his people. And for that, Britain just sent in gunboats. They were called the Opium wars, and they weren't just about trade. They were all about power, about profit, about poisoning a population that had to gain the upper hand. It was evil then and it's evil now. And it's happening. This is exactly what I told you was happening. And now we've just confirmed it. What Britain did to China, China is now doing to America. And we are watching the replay of one of the worst songs ever in history. Except it's just new instruments. Some of them are digital, different players, same melody, same song. And yet, like the empires of old, we pretend we don't even hear. What song? I don't. What are you talking about? Fentanyl is the new opium. And the Chinese Communist Party is the new merchant cartel. And America, we're the attic. We're hooked. We're hollowed out, we're held hostage. But this isn't just about fentanyl at all. That would be bad enough, but it's not. It's. It's. It's worse than that. Who's doing this to us? China. A country that is committing genocide. Forced labor, Slave camps is what we would have called them at one point. The full spectrum of state engineered suffering and death. In China, over a million Uyghur Muslims have been swept into reeducation centers, prison camps. They've been beaten, they've been brainwashed, they've been sterilized, they've been separated from their families. Many of them are just put to work. If they survive that, you can sew some clothes, you can assemble some electronics, and they're making the goods that we buy every day. And here's what's horrible. We know it. We know it. It's not a secret. It's not even controversial anymore. The US government formally declared it's genocide. Human rights organizations all around the world have documented the abuses. Survivors have testified. Investigators have traced the products made in those camps all the way to the shelves in our stores. And yet we just keep shopping. I do it too. I'm not lecturing you. This is monologue. I'm far too egotistical. This monologue really is about me. Because we wanted our iPhones, we wanted things to be convenient. We want our cheap shirts, we want our tech toys, we want our solar panels and smart devices. And if they're made by slaves, I don't. I don't know. I mean, I don't know if that's even true. Even though we do. But we say we're against slavery, just not that kind of slavery, you know, not the kind that makes our stuff more affordable. Not the Kind that, you know, happens behind a closed border that we can't actually verify. I mean, really not the kind that might raise the price of our lifestyle or cost us convenience in any way. You know, like when Americans were against slavery before, unless it meant that, you know, you had to go out and work in the field and pay more for your cotton or do the things that others should do, you know, for free, because I own them. It's the same thing. The secret is we all like to consider ourselves moral, but we like our morality abstract, clean, neat. You know what I mean? In a little box. I would have stood up back then. Uh huh. Really? I would have spoken out against slavery in the 1800s, I would have marched against fascism in the 1930s. I would have said something really, you know, half the nation right now couldn't give you a correct definition of fascism. And yet it is the most overused word in the English language, at least in America right now, that insists gender fascism is everywhere. Define it. We'll fight against it, I mean, unless it benefits us politically. And remember, poll after poll, pro poll, shows growing number of us. We don't really have an opinion. We're kind of undecided. How are you undecided on all of this stuff? Well, it's not clear. I haven't paid enough attention to it. I've been busy. It's complicated. And anyway, what could I do? You know, I've said all of those things. As I was reading this story about fentanyl, I just. It was like just this giant finger pointing at me. I've spoken out, but I've thought those things. I've said those things to myself. As, as I was making notes for this monologue last night, I was typing them out on an iPad, you know, in part built by those people who may not have had the actual option to go. I don't want to build that iPad. I've sat here in this throne calling you to action, and yet kind of making peace with my own compromises. And I don't know where it's. I don't know where to stop. I don't. I just know this. I can't lie to myself about that anymore. Because the truth is collective sin, I think, may be the most common sin among us, among me, my circle, my friends, my family, me. We claim to know better. We do. I will come on here and I will preach about the power of the individual to make a difference. We are swimming in complicity. Why, here's what I tell myself. I'm tired, I'm Tired. I'm too entertained to get out of the water, quite honestly. We look back at history and shake our heads. How could they let that have happened? How did they not see we're doing the same thing? We are repeating almost everything from history at the same time right now. How could the world ignore the signs of genocide? How could Americans tolerate slavery? How could so many good people do nothing while evil marched forward? But here we are. Millions of people are still enslaved today, in fact, more than ever before. Genocide, not in the past tense. It's happening right now. How about child sex slavery? Don't want to talk about that. We're ignoring it because it's inconvenient. It costs too much to care. It's too hard, I think, really, because history's worst songs have a beat we find easy to dance to. You look around today and you see all the old songs playing on repeat. Economic slavery, propaganda dressed up as patriotism, the exploitation of the vulnerable, the weaponization of addiction, moral blindness passed off as just a nuisance printing of money as the clowns of the printing press, you know, giving us all kinds of cakes and circuses, all the while telling us no, it really. It's different this time. And above it all, the lie we keep telling ourselves. Well, in the past, I would have done the right thing. Would we? Would I? I can't speak for you. Would I? Am I? Fentanyl crisis is just. It's not a natural disaster, it's not an accident. It is a deliberate poisoning of our population. The US government has now admitted that China's regime has directed or at least enabled the flow of these drugs for strateg strategic gain. Destruction is not a side effect. That's the point. And what have we done about it? Boy, these tariffs on China can't come fast enough for me. And at worst we. We enable it on the border. Our government in the last administration, they partnered with it. We've wagged a few fingers, we've issued a few sanctions, we sign a bill here or there, but we haven't changed. We haven't sacrificed anything. Who's buying the drugs? We don't even wanna talk about that. Who are the child porn marketers selling the children to? We don't wanna think about that. We don't even wanna think about the question because we know the answer. It has to be us. Maybe one of our friends, family, neighbors. We just don't want to believe that to be true. But for this problem to be this big, it has to be true. And I've kept telling Myself that, you know, my job is to make you aware of things. But is that enough? Because we're not just ignoring, you know, the worst songs of history. We're humming along. We're humming along. I found myself last night thinking. I believe in the power of the individual more than anything else. I believe that one person can make a difference. I say it over and over again. I believe it is one of my core beliefs, to the center of my being. And then I find myself at times going, yeah, but what does it matter? I've excused myself because I'm tired. I've already done so much. Oh, my gosh. Boy, am I going to pay for that one. I'm tired. Somebody else should carry this for a while. And nobody else is coming. It's just. What are we gonna do, honey? What are we gonna do? Well, nobody else is coming. Oh. In the end, I just want to remind myself it's just gonna be me at the judgment seat. Me. Not the whole crowd. Me. There is no collective salvation, no collective judgment, except from historians. But there is collective sin, and the individual is still the only one that can break the cycle. I don't. I don't. I don't want to be another comfortable coward in a line of them stretching back through time. I really want my grandchildren to be able to tell the story that I stood up for what was right. I wrote about it. I talk about it. Did I care enough to actually change my buying habits? Holy cow. How can I come to you every day and preach a message of individual salvation of Christ when I'm living and I don't know, in my own life, living and building a world of collective excuses. I can't say it more plainly than that. What England did to China during the Opium Wars. Evil. They flooded a nation with drugs for profit, crippled its society, called it trade, and now China's doing the same to us. What China is doing now, enslaving people, destroying culture, erasing faith, evil. And it is. It rivals some of the darkest chapters of the 20th century. And we're. We're funding it. What we buy matters. What we ignore matters. What we excuse matters. And we're running out of excuses. Shame on me. Shame on me for knowing it and then not realizing. What I was saying is, I'm writing something to lecture you about it, and I look down and I'm looking at my iPad. Shame on me. I can preach as long as I continue to partake. It's okay. I don't want to be a hypocrite. I don't think anybody wants to be a hypocrite, do you? I really want to be changed. And if anything in this monologue has stirred you, maybe you feel like I do. And I don't know what this all means. I don't know. But let's do something. Let's stop pretending history is behind us, because it's not. We're making history every day. And I'd like to start making history in a different direction. You know? I'd like to stop singing the same worst songs. Maybe we write something new. Because the world doesn't need more outrage, more. It needs more courage. It needs more people that are willing to be torchbearers. Let others see the light. They can join us or not join us. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. But here's what does matter. What we do in our own private lives, that matters. Every minute that we have, that we live, matters. Every day, every moment. I can't speak for you. I'm going to double my efforts every moment. Just do the next right thing.