Best of the Program | Guests: AG Ken Paxton & Salena Zito | 4/9/25

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | Guests: AG Ken Paxton & Salena Zito | April 9, 2025

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Introduction

In the April 9, 2025 episode of The Glenn Beck Program, host Glenn Beck engages in a compelling discussion with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and renowned reporter Salena Zito. The conversation delves into pressing issues surrounding American politics, national security, economic policies, and the cultural landscape. Beck's incisive questions and the guests' candid responses offer listeners a deep dive into topics that shape contemporary American society.

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Reuse of Bagram Air Force Base

00:00 – 03:00

Glenn Beck initiates the episode by addressing the controversial reuse of Bagram Air Force Base. He raises critical questions about the nature of the deal with Afghanistan and its broader implications, particularly concerning China's increasing influence as the trade war intensifies.

Notable Quote:

• Glenn Beck [00:00]: "Have we made a deal with Afghanistan to be allowed to reuse Bagram Air Force Base? If so, what does that mean? What are we doing? And is it the Chinese?"

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Ken Paxton on Senate Candidacy and Stance Against John Cornyn

03:01 – 15:05

Ken Paxton discusses his Senate candidacy, positioning himself against incumbent Senator John Cornyn. He emphasizes his commitment to representing the people of Texas over Washington establishment interests. Paxton criticizes Cornyn's alignment with political elites and his efforts to impose gun restrictions, contrasting this with his own advocacy for Texas' autonomy and constitutional principles.

Key Points:

• Focus on Texas vs. Washington: Paxton asserts that Cornyn prioritizes D.C. interests over Texan constituents.
• Gun Legislation: He highlights his opposition to Cornyn's support for gun restrictions and his willingness to sue over legislative overreach.
• Electoral Challenges: Addressing potential conflicts of interest, Paxton mentions his attorney's representation of developers under investigation, indicating transparency concerns.

Notable Quotes:

• Ken Paxton [07:00]: "We are a free country. First Amendment, like clearly First Amendment. And you can believe whatever you want to believe in this country and still be free."
• Glenn Beck [10:08]: "For anybody who hasn't been paying attention for the last 400 years. Why? Why? What would be different between you and Cornyn?"
• Ken Paxton [10:08]: "He and I, his focus is in D.C., his focus is not on the people of Texas. My focus is on the people of Texas."

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Trade War with China and National Security Concerns

15:05 – 33:18

The conversation shifts to the escalating trade war with China, exploring its strategic and economic ramifications. Paxton and Beck discuss the broader implications for American industry and national security, particularly in relation to the strategic significance of Bagram Air Force Base and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Key Points:

• Strategic Importance of Bagram: Discussion on how China’s interest in Afghanistan ties into their global infrastructure projects.
• Economic Impact: Analysis of tariffs and their role in reshaping America's manufacturing and supply chains.
• National Security: Concerns over China's ability to leverage strategic locations like Bagram to advance their geopolitical objectives.

Notable Quotes:

• Glenn Beck [33:05]: "By the way, I think it's official, we are in a trade war. China just retaliated again a second time. What was it number this time? 54%."
• Ken Paxton [38:05]: "We need to make our supply chain be able to supply us. And if that makes me take a haircut, I'll take a haircut, because it's going to be better for my kids and my grandchildren."

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Salena Zito’s Insights on “Butler” and U.S. Steel

16:46 – 28:33

Journalist Salena Zito shares her experiences covering the declining U.S. steel industry for her upcoming book, "Butler." She provides an insider's view of the challenges faced by American steelworkers, the impact of unfavorable trade deals, and the cultural significance of the steel industry in American communities.

Key Points:

• Inside U.S. Steel Mills: Zito describes her firsthand experience visiting a steel mill, highlighting the hard work and patriotism of steelworkers.
• Trade Agreements and Tariffs: She discusses the resistance to deals perceived as detrimental to American industry and the importance of tariffs in protecting domestic manufacturing.
• Future of American Industry: Emphasis on transitioning to advanced technologies and AI to revitalize the steel sector and create sustainable jobs.

Notable Quotes:

• Salena Zito [17:47]: "What does it do? It makes your appliances, it makes your cars, it makes your roads, it makes your building everything."
• Salena Zito [24:58]: "We need to make more stuff here. We need to make more stuff here. And we haven't been able to because corporations see how cheaply it can be made in China, how cheaply it can be made in Mexico or wherever."

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Economic Policies and the Future of American Manufacturing

28:33 – 41:53

The discussion returns to economic strategies, focusing on the necessity of restructuring America's manufacturing landscape to reduce dependency on foreign nations. Zito and Paxton advocate for policies that support domestic production, technological advancement, and sustainable economic growth to secure the nation's future.

Key Points:

• AI and Modernization: Zito highlights the integration of AI in manufacturing as a pathway to creating high-tech jobs and revitalizing industries.
• Trade War as a Strategic Move: Beck and guests argue that the trade war is a long-term strategy to reclaim economic sovereignty, despite short-term pains.
• Public Perception: Emphasis on educating the American public about the broader goals behind economic policies beyond immediate economic metrics.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Buttrell [35:04]: "We have to stop them from doing that in this overall trade war. Looking down the road a decade, two."
• Glenn Beck [41:22]: "This is going to cause a lot of temporary pain. And I'm not sure that the American people even understand truly what's going on. They think it's just about the economy."

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National Security and Intelligence Operations

33:18 – 40:43

The episode delves into national security concerns related to the strategic positioning of U.S. military assets and intelligence operations. Beck and guest Jason Buttrell discuss the implications of reopening Bagram Air Force Base amidst rising tensions with China and the potential collaboration with the Taliban against common threats like ISIS-K.

Key Points:

• Strategic Reassessment of Bagram: Analysis of the base's role in counterterrorism and its potential use against Chinese expansion.
• Role of Intelligence and Military Assets: Speculation on possible covert operations and intelligence collaborations in Afghanistan.
• China’s Global Strategy: Examination of China's infrastructural ambitions and their impact on U.S. strategic interests.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Buttrell [34:35]: "The Taliban doesn't like them [ISIS-K]. I believe they've worked with them in the past, but now it's a completely different state of the game."
• Glenn Beck [37:48]: "What is the Chinese relationship with Afghanistan? Because they've got to. I mean, Chinese need Afghanistan, too."

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Conclusion and Future Outlook

41:53 – End

As the episode wraps up, Glenn Beck emphasizes the urgency of understanding and addressing the trade war's long-term implications. He hints at upcoming discussions with economic experts like Stephen Moore and Art Laffer to further dissect the ramifications of current policies. The episode closes with a reflection on the necessity of strategic patience and resilience in navigating America's path forward.

Notable Quotes:

• Glenn Beck [40:43]: "This is unsustainable. We are in bad shape and it's not sustainable."
• Glenn Beck [41:53]: "It's a hundred-year plan, longer than that now, being turned overnight. And it's, it's not going to it's going to cause some shocks along the way."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program offers a multifaceted exploration of pivotal issues facing the United States, from national security and economic policies to the resilience of American industries. Through incisive dialogue with Ken Paxton and Salena Zito, Beck provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and strategies essential for sustaining America's greatness.

For those interested in a deeper dive, the full podcast episode is available on BlazeTV and major podcast platforms.

Transcript

[Glenn Beck]

On today's podcast, have we made a deal with Afghanistan to be allowed to reuse Bagram Air Force Base? If so, what does that mean? What are we doing? And is it the Chinese? As the trade war begins to heat up, what's happening there? We try to explore that. Also. Ken Paxton, who is running for John Cordyn's seat, joins us to talk about a new community, an Islamic community that is being built or proposed to be built here in Texas. And the one and only. I love her. Selena Zito. I think she's one of the best reporters. She was with the president. President on the day he was. They tried to assassinate him. And she tells the story. She's got a new book coming out in I think the summer at some point now we just kind of were talking, got into it. Wait until you hear the story that she has to share in her new book, Butler. All right, here's the podcast. Let me talk to you about my Patriot supply. You know, what we should be doing, you know, waiting for the next crisis to take us by surprise. That seems like what we should do, you know, instead of like fire season, you know, it's getting longer, power are hitting harder, wind blows a little bit, grid goes down. Let's just forget about that and be surprised. Or we can do the opposite. I want you to go to my patriotsupply.com, go to their website, check out the new grid Dr. 3300 from my Patriot supply. The thing is a beast. It's a solar generator that comes with built in protection from EMP electromagnetic pulses. That could be a nuke. Hopefully never that, but it could be a solar flare. And is this powerful enough to run your fridge, your medical device, lights, charge your phone, laptop, whatever. Don't get caught off guard by emergencies anymore. Stay prepared with my Patriot supply. Quiet, fume free, safe for indoors or out, totally portable. In a world where the grid becomes less reliable by the day. Grid Dr. 3300 give you the peace of mind, practical use every single day. Get yours now. MyPatriotsupply.com that's MyPatriotsupply.com, america's trusted source for emergency preparedness. 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. Ken Paxton. Welcome to the program, sir. How are you doing?

[Ken Paxton]

Great. How are you?

[Glenn Beck]

I am, I'm great. I'm, I, I, I'm very excited to talk to you about your, your Senate candidacy.

[Ken Paxton]

Me too.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. But first let me, let me talk to you a little bit about what is happening here in the, the Dallas Fort Worth area with epic. EPIC is an Islamic center and community. And let me just play, play some of the video as we're talking about this. And now we embark on a new chapter, a vision of harmony. All right, so homes and hearts unite as a, you know, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I mean, you know, they crossed the mountains and started their own community in Salt Lake, but they don't have a Mormon separate law. You know what I mean? It's all based on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and it's not going against everything that the country was done. So I have no problem. You want to start any religious community, Not a problem. Is this that kind of community? Do we know enough about it yet?

[Ken Paxton]

So I don't. So we're in the middle of, we just started investigation. So I don't know the answer. And I do agree with you. We are a free country. First Amendment, like clearly First Amendment. And you can, you can, you can believe whatever you want to believe in this country and still be free. On the other hand, you're right. I mean, we have laws in this country and those laws matter. The Constitution matters. And if, if you're not following the laws of our country, then we're going to have some, some controversy and some contention. So in the end, you have your whatever religion you want and believe whatever you want, but you still have to follow our laws, our state laws and our federal laws and our Constitution.

[Glenn Beck]

So the development's attorney says that any investigation is just racial profiling. I'm so sick of that stuff because I don't think that it is racial profiling. I think we have reason to be concerned. Look what's happening over in Europe and we can't let that happen here in America, especially Texas.

[Ken Paxton]

Well, yeah, countries are being taken over and Sharia law is taking over whatever country they're in. And that certainly we can't let that happen here. I mean, the rule of law, our constitution, what our founders put together, is so beautiful and wonderful and given us freedom for so long. We're not going to sacrifice that for Sharia law. It's just not going to happen in Texas. And so we're going to be very focused on that and making sure they're following our laws. And at the same time, as you said, we want to be cognizant that people have a right to have their own religion. And we, and we respect that.

[Glenn Beck]

So where do you, how do you possibly. Because everybody involved is going to say, well, of course you're not going to have Sharia law. Of course this isn't going to be a no go zone. But that's what has been said now for a few decades over in Europe. And that's exactly what they become. How do you, if you can't find, you know, smoking gun with how to bring Sharia law into Texas, you know, you're not gonna find that pamphlet. How are you going to be able, what, what could you possibly find that would be solid enough to say no?

[Ken Paxton]

Well, so it's, it, what you say is different sometimes than what people actually do. So we're going to be looking at what people are actually doing out there. What are the developers, how are they implementing this? Are they, are they discriminating based on whether you're a part of a certain religion? Because that would create issues with, you know, fair housing laws. And so we're just going to be looking at what is the actual practice. Not, not, not. What are you saying? Not what is your promotional material, you know, laud. Although the promotional material may tell us something. So it's actually what is actually happening on the ground out there. And that's, that's our focus. What is, what is the truth?

[Glenn Beck]

So multiple state agencies are involved in this and are we talking about fines, injunctions, something bigger? Violations are found. What, What?

[Ken Paxton]

Yeah, so, so, you know, I can't issue fines, but I can certainly sue over it and get, you know, if there's a reason, get an injunction to stop it if it's doing imminent harm. Usually what you have to show, you have to show imminent harm and that you win on the merits. Otherwise, you know, we would sue them over some type of consumer law violation, or if the governor had other violations through some of the agencies that he's directing, we could represent those agencies in lawsuits. So there's all kinds of different ways to address this, depending on what we find in our investigation.

[Glenn Beck]

So when you were under investigation here in Texas, your attorney that represented you in the impeachment hearing, which was all cleared, is now representing the developers. Does that cause a conflict of interest with you at all?

[Ken Paxton]

Look, I certainly didn't know about that until recently, and I would say, obviously, a little concerning that. I wasn't made aware of that. And, you know, there definitely could be an argument that there's conflict because I'm still being represented by him and he's representing clients that we are investigating. So, yeah, little conflict to me.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. All right, let me. Let me switch to Corning. This makes Stu very, very happy. Makes me happy, too. I think when I found out we were together and I gave you. We hugged it out.

[Ken Paxton]

Yes, we did.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Anybody. Anybody who is standing against Cornyn?

[Ken Paxton]

I think. I think I told you in person.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, you did. You did. But. So we have Cornyn in. Have you heard anything? Have you talked to the President about this? Is he going to stand against Cornyn and stand with you? Do you have any idea yet?

[Ken Paxton]

So, I don't know. I mean, obviously, what I have noticed about President Trump is typically he waits till later, closer to the election. He likes to see how things are going, whether people are doing, doing what they said they were going to do and whether they're performing. So, I mean, I. Part of the reason I decided to get this over with, I think there was a big effort by John Thune and some of the swamp to get John an endorsement before I got in or somebody else got in. And I wanted to make sure I was in the game before, you know, all these things got done in Washington, in my opinion. One of the frustrations I have is it feels like sometimes that Washington wants to decide, oh, well, Ken, you can't run because we haven't picked you. I'm like, I don't care if you pick me. What I care about is the people of Texas. Right. It feels like they think that they get to decide, well, we picked John, so sorry, you can't run. Well, I'm just not into that decision making and never will be. So they don't understand. It should be the voters of Texas that decide, not John Thune and a bunch of Republican senators that think they should run the world.

[Glenn Beck]

So for anybody who hasn't been paying Attention for the last 400 years. Why? Why? What would be different between you and Cornyn?

[Ken Paxton]

Oh, my gosh. You know, it's so funny. I've had this discussion many times. Everything. I mean, he. He and I, his. His. His focus is in D.C. his focus is not on the people of Texas. My focus on the people of Texas. And that translates into him wanting to be happy and satisfied in D.C. so he fights to pass gun restrictions on Texans and all Americans. And he worked with Joe Biden, and Joe Biden said, hey, great job. President Trump, on the other hand, said, no, this. Your rhino. Don't. This is bad legislation. And so not only did John pass legislation that hurt. Hurt the rest of the country, but he also enabled the ATF to then have angles to try to expand their control over gun ownership. And I had to go sue them twice. So it's things like that. It seems like the amnesty that he suggested he's for, it's the fight. He fought building a wall. He fought Trump on that. He's been unsupportive and critical of Trump when he ran, both times, calling him an albatross. So, fundamentally, John and I are very different, and we believe very different. Our focus is on very different people. And he's part of the establishment. He was put by the Bushes, and he doesn't look out for the interest of individual Texans. He's thinking people in Washington are his people.

[Stu Burguiere]

Ken, part of the establishment in this particular case is, I would say, an understatement. And one of the benefits of being part of that establishment is you got a lot of friends who have a lot of power, a lot of money. They are going to come after you.

[Glenn Beck]

Really?

[Stu Burguiere]

Really. Oh, I mean, I can't even imagine.

[Ken Paxton]

They already told me. No, they've already told me. They told me that I should not run, that I was not picked, and that I should not run, and that they would spend, I was told, $120 million to make sure that they kept John Cornyn. And I said, hey, can you tell me why John Cornyn is running?

[Selena Zito]

Just. Just.

[Ken Paxton]

I just want to know that. And there was a quiet silence, and there was like, well, you know, we told him not to run. He's already been in there four terms. We told him not to run, and. But he's up. But he's our friend, so we're going to support him and we're going to spend the money to beat you. I said, so you're telling me you don't even know why John Corn's running? And you Can' Explain why he should be the center. And you do think he's already been there too long, but yet you're still going to support him. And the answer was yes. And we will spend a lot of money, make sure it's not you.

[Stu Burguiere]

$120 million that could go to defeating people on the left.

[Ken Paxton]

Yes. And look, I don't know what the real numbers that could. 120 million, their primary. I don't. I don't think that's the real number.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't you have the pockets to go against that?

[Ken Paxton]

I am. I'm. Right now, I'm doing quite well. I mean, I, you know, part of this has to be separate with super PACs, but I am anticipating that. I will be very competitive on the fundraising side. I already know I'm going to be competitive. Now. Will I have 120 million? I don't need 120 million. No, but, you know, 20 to 40 million, that's doable for me.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, money can't, Money can't buy this. You know, it's, it's going to be, whether it just getting your name out and making sure that people understand what John Cornyn has done. Who are your friends in the Senate? That would be your pack.

[Ken Paxton]

So I doubt, you know, the centers that most of them, they want. They all kind of stick together behind the scenes. They'll build. There are several telling me they hope I win. The only one that I think that, you know, openly support me is. Is Tommy Tipperville, who said, I'll support you. And I think he, he's obviously leaving to go run for governor, but he's, He's a rare breed up there, and that's fine. I don't need Washington to support me.

[Glenn Beck]

Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz won't do it.

[Ken Paxton]

I mean, I think, I think Ted, because he's, he's. I don't think he'll say anything. I don't think he'll endorse either way.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, he's got to work with. He's got to work with whoever wins, I guess. Is that the game we're playing?

[Ken Paxton]

That's the game we're playing.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Ken Paxton]

Okay, look, and I'm just happy if, you know, that's, That's a win for me if, If Ted just stays out of it. That's. That's the message. Right. I mean, I know he endorsed Cornyn last time. If he doesn't endorse him this time. Yeah, it's. It's helpful.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Well, and by the way, I'm a.

[Ken Paxton]

Benefit to Ted because I'll be supportive instead of disruptive to what he wants to do. Because I am a fan of Ted Cruz. I think he's the kind of center that Texas deserves and should have. And he's done a fantastic job and I've supported him ever, ever since he ran the first time.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes.

[Ken Paxton]

And John Cornyn is, in contrast is opposite. I mean, as you, I think I heard you say he, he'd be fine in Vermont if we had him as a Republican. We'd be happy to have him, but not in Texas.

[Glenn Beck]

This is the best of the Glenn Beck program. To hear the rest of this interview, check out the full podcast. More coming up. Have you ever noticed how one day pain just shows up like an uninvited guest and then just never leaves like family? You know what I mean? You're like, oh, hi there. Knee pain must have twisted something. Few days go by and you start realizing that pain really is overstayed. It's welcome. And next thing you know, it's just hanging around all the time. It's there when you wake up in the morning, hasn't left you. When you go to bed at night, it's time to kick that uninvited guest out, kick him to the curb. Best way I found to do that is relief factor. It's not a drug. It was developed by doctors and it goes right after the real enemy, inflammation in your body. It is the root of most of our pain. And when you get rid of that, your body actually has a shot of feeling normal again. You remember normal, right? Relief factor. Help me kick my pain out. Could help you. 1995, the trial pack. Three week quick start. Just try it. See if it works for you. It doesn't work for everybody. They're upfront and honest about that. 70% of the people that try it go on to order more month after month, just like me. 800 for relief. 800 the number for relief. It's relieffactor.com now back to the podcast. This is the best of the Glenn Beck program. The real Z Factor is Selena Zito. She is from the Washington examiner, national political reporter. I can't wait to talk to you, Selena, about Butler. We're going to get into that here in a second, but can we just talk about your, your story that you wrote a couple of days ago, what I learned about America first in Pennsylvania in a steel mill. Tell me about your experience.

[Selena Zito]

So thanks so much for having me on, Glenn.

[Glenn Beck]

You bet.

[Selena Zito]

So nice to talk to you. You're so great, you know, so this is. This is a special correspondence to the Washington Post. And they reached out to me after the election to do this kind of work. I really wanted to get in there and tell the people's story, in particular the steelworker story, not only about how they feel about this sale to Nippon, but also how they feel about the tariffs. And it is. Walking into that steel mill, I have to tell you, it was a thrill of my career. I have wanted to go inside that mill for 30 years and have always been turned down. And I think finally I just wore them down. And you just walk in there going, I don't know if you've ever been in one.

[Glenn Beck]

No, I haven't.

[Selena Zito]

But it is.

[Glenn Beck]

Is it like the pictures where the sparks are flying? Is it still like that?

[Selena Zito]

Yes, it is. So cool. I really, really enjoyed it. I had my hard hat on, earplugs. The sound, everything, like the sound, the smell, the visuals, everything about that place screams work, right? You just felt. And you felt like you were in a place that was part of something bigger than self. And that is how these men and women see what they do is. Is. It's bigger than them. And it. Because what does it do? It makes your appliances, it makes your cars, it makes your roads, it makes your building everything. Everything. And if we are ever threatened, it makes the vehicles and the instruments that protect us. So they are part of something bigger than sell. That is a very patriotic job. U.S. steel is America's first big company, once upon a time, the largest company, not just in the country, but in the world. That's the magnitude of U.S. steel. And what are some of the things that took it down? Tariffs, trade. Bad, bad trade deals. And these guys have been just hanging on by a thread trying to keep this very important thing still made and produced in America. Now, when the Whip Nippon deal first came out in December 2023, they, the union guys, the management, they were like, against it. And there's a historical reason. Most steelworkers are generational, right? Their grandfather, their great grandfather, they all worked in it. So the Images of the 70s where Japan was selling the deal, dumping the steel, but they're also, you know, they had grandfathers and fathers that fought in World War II against Japan.

[Glenn Beck]

They probably should let that one go.

[Selena Zito]

But yes, they should let that one go. But still there's this cultural thing, right? Right. Yeah. And so they were initially against it, but then as they realized that U.S. steel was never going to reinvest in their mill, if people take a look at the story, they can see the rolling mill in action. I put a 4 free link up in my, in my Twitter account, Zito Selena. But that rolling mill that you see there, which is like this awe inspiring, powerful thing, is 86 years old. It's really, really difficult to be competitive with any other company or country because of the age of that, of that mill. And it cost a billion dollars to, to make a new one. And Usdale said, yeah, well, we're not going to do that. We'll just, you know, go down south.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Selena Zito]

And, and so Nippon comes in and says, we're going to rebuild it. Not only are we going to rebuild it, we're going to invest in several other billion dollars into your company. And, and they, it took a lot of talks, a lot of understanding, a lot of getting more investment from Nippon. Where the steelworkers, by the way, they are, they are not aligned with the international. These are the local steel workers, the guys that show up every day, not the suits, the guys that show up every day. And they said, we're for the deal. It'll save my community, it'll save my local church, it'll save my schools, the tax base, and it won't turn my community into places like McKeesport or Aliquippa, which are now just shells of what they once were because the steel mills lived in those areas.

[Glenn Beck]

So I just said, Selina, this week that, you know, when Donald Trump talks about bringing jobs back, he's not talking about, and hear me carefully, not talking about going back into Pittsburgh and saying we're going to open up all the steel mills. He is talking about steel mills, but they will be smaller and different, closer to the needs, et cetera, et cetera. There are things, everything's going to change, but it's different kind of jobs and different kinds of things. We're not talking about this nostalgic rebuilding of Pittsburgh the way it was. Do they. And they understand that the workers.

[Selena Zito]

Right, Absolutely. Yeah. And the amount of technology that they use there would blow people's minds. There's so much stereotype of what you think happens in there that you often get from my profession. And then you watch in there and you're like, oh, okay. And here's the other thing. And to your point, this is a really important point. This is another story I covered last week. Two weeks ago, the Homer City coal fired power plant was leveled. It was very dramatic watching the highest smokestack in the country fall to the ground. But 10 days later, thanks to Trump, thanks to Bergamot, they are putting in its place and nobody knew this was going to happen. They're putting in its place the largest electrical gas power plant in its place that will not only provide electricity to Pennsylvania, but also parts of Maryland, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. And more importantly than that, they are going to build an AI data center next to that. Wow, it's really 10,000 jobs, 10,000 jobs, $10 billion investment and it's shovel ready. And there are places like that all over the industrial Midwest that you can retrofit these power, these coal fired power plants and make them power plants for AI. You know, Trump, both Trump and Bergam has said, you know, it used to be the arms race that we wanted to win.

[Glenn Beck]

Yep.

[Selena Zito]

Well, we need to win the AI race. Yes, it is, it is non negotiable. We have to win it and these are the places where we'll build them.

[Glenn Beck]

So what is your feeling now that the, the tariffs, you know, everybody in Wall street, everybody's freaking out and I think it's starting to freak people out, the average person, you know, because everybody is like screaming so hard about it. You know, it's like, you know, when the media doesn't talk about gas prices, nobody says anything about gas prices, even though the average person feels it. This is kind of like that the media is just freaking out about all of this and maybe they have good points here and there. I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but the last thing we need is to freak out about it. What are the people like you meet in those small towns, the working class people? What are they saying about the tariffs?

[Selena Zito]

Well, you know, Glenn, we have had this conversation so many times before. I feel like I straddled two different worlds. If I step on social media or if I put on the legacy news, it's a very, very different narrative than when I talk to people.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Selena Zito]

And you know, for so long the playing field has not been level for them. And I know that sounds like a cliche. However it is true and they, it's really interesting to me, to a person, they almost, they are willing to have a short term sacrifice for a long term betterment for the country. I was talking to Anthony, it's going to be in my upcoming story with my interview with Burgum. I was talking to Anthony, he is a PhD in chemistry, has traveled all over the world in the energy industry. And, and I said, so how do you, you know, feel about this? He, and he said, I think it's the best thing for the country. It's Going to make the country better for my children and for my grandchildren. And we need to start thinking in those terms. We have been thinking in terms of satisfying Wall Street. And I know, look, my. He goes, you know, I'm 10 years from retirement. I know what my 401k looks like right now. However, I also knew what it looked like in 2008 and 2020. America rolls back. That is what we need in this country. And he said, we should have learned this from COVID We need to make more stuff here. We need to make more stuff here. And we haven't been able to because corporations see how cheaply it can be made in China, how cheaply it can be made in Mexico or wherever. Name a country. Vietnam, Whatever country it is. And we need to be able to have our supply chain be able to supply us. And if that makes me take a haircut, I'll take a haircut, because it's going to be better for my kids and my grandchildren.

[Glenn Beck]

I've got about a minute before I have to break. I'm going to pursue something else. But do you think that the average person really understands that this is not about the economy today. This is about survival. This is the great reset not done by the elites. This is the great reset saying, no, we're going to put our faith back into America and to our principles. And it's not about racism. It's not about isolationism. It's just about what the elites have been doing is wrong and it's going to hurt. But we got to do this. Do you believe that they understand that?

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, to a person. And it's really interesting, because I don't lead into that question, right, to try to get them to say it. It's one of the first things that they say. In particular, ranchers, you know, talk to a rancher in Kansas and they will tell you, you know, we haven't had a level playing field at all. We have been on the short end of the stick for decades. And, you know, this is the first time that we have a chance to show what we have and show that we can compete so that our ranches for our kids and our grandkids are better, stronger, more viable, because they're not going to be if we don't.

[Glenn Beck]

Selena, it's always good to talk to you. You know, one of the things that. Let me just say this to anybody who's listening, one of the things I love about Selena, we've known each other for decades now, and I love. I love her because she does not drive the highways. She doesn't fly place to place. She drives the back roads. She stops at the coffee shops and the little stores in the gas station. And that's, that's why I think you have such a good handle on the heartbeat of the average person in America.

[Jason Buttrell]

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.

[Glenn Beck]

Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. I'm probably going to talk about this tomorrow. Stephen Moore is going to be on with me in about an hour from now, and we're going to touch on this. I just want you to know that if you are, you know, if you pay attention to what's happening in the markets, you'll see the, you'll see the Fed, the treasuries are going up. That's the opposite of what should be happening right now. And that is because of something called basis trade. And it's a very, very big deal if it's not turned around. The hedge funds playing fast and loose and now they got their foot caught in the door and it's almost a 2008 kind of thing. If it, if it doesn't get under control quickly, it's, it's really not a good thing. Not caused by the tariffs, but kind of pushed over the edge because of the terror. It's the unwinding of this thing that has been a problem for a long time. And, and I just want you to know we're aware of it and we're watching it for you. And I'll have more on that tomorrow. I might be able to get to some of it later on in the program today. Let me go to Jason Butrell. He is our, he's former Defense Department of Defense intelligence analyst and he is also our head writer and head of research here at the Glenn Beck Program. And Jason, there is something that I did not expect to read and maybe ever A, A C17 aircraft from ours took off in Doha on our military base and arrived at Bagram on Sunday. It was said to be carrying senior US intelligence officials, including the CIA deputy chief, military equipment, etc. Etc. Now there's rumors that the Taliban handed the base over to us, which I don't think that happened just because of the kindness of their hearts. And I have a feeling this, I don't know what kind of, if this is true. I don't know what kind of deal we had to make with the Taliban to get that base back, because that base is strategic, strategic like nobody's business if you're going into any kind of war with, with China. Jason, can you fill us in on this? What's true, what's not, what do you read from this?

[Jason Buttrell]

Yeah. So none of this is, is official. This news report came out because there's people on the ground that are watching flight trackers. They saw this flight take off, they saw it land. And then the rumors spread from, from there, from, you know, the whole thing about, you know, the Taliban handing over Bagram to us is probably a complete and total pipe dream at the moment. I don't know where it goes. Eventually it could, but of course the Taliban denied it. Like they can't be seen, you know, handing over facility in their, like that's what sparked off Al Qaeda, you know, in Saudi Arabia, having us, you know, at their military base.

[Glenn Beck]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Jason Buttrell]

They're not going to admit that.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Jason Buttrell]

But I, I do see we have to look at the state of the world and kind of think about during the Cold War. Can you imagine when, if during the Cold War the media landscape was how it is now, so that, I mean, who are these Contra people? Like, what are we dealing with? Or who are the Sandinistas? Like, this news would be everywhere, nonstop. And we're going to start seeing that with this trade war that's going on right now.

[Glenn Beck]

And by the way, by the way, I think it's important for us to say, I think it's official, we are in a trade war. China just retaliated again a second time. What was it number this time? 54%.

[Stu Burguiere]

They added another 50%. They're up to 84% now and we're up to 104.

[Glenn Beck]

So we're at a trade war. And then Europe as well.

[Stu Burguiere]

Europe just retaliated with 25% as well.

[Glenn Beck]

So this is not a good thing. You don't like trade wars? Trade wars are not a good thing. Stephen Moore, Art Laffer have been advising the President and Steven's going to be on with us here in about, about 45 minutes. Oh, not confirmed yet. Okay. He will. I. We've been chatting this morning on text all morning, since about 4am Both of us wide awake going, what's happening in the world? But anyway, we are at a trade war. So why does that play a role in with Bagram?

[Jason Buttrell]

Well, we're going to start seeing activity, not, I mean, beyond tariffs. Tariffs are the main lever, but you're going to see some clandestine activity and other moves from like our intelligence services, maybe even military movements in the middle of this because right now between the United States and China is a very, you know, big and competitive world and issue between the both of them. And I think this is squarely about China. I really think it does. That's what was so scary about handing over Bagram to begin with, because that's a major part of their Silk Road initiative. So one of their major trade objectives is to get to be able to have a land route through places like Afghanistan. So I think that there's, there's, there's a big issue that both us and the Taliban can agree on, if you can believe that, and that is the elimination of ISIS K in Afghanistan. That's their affiliate in Afghanistan. The Taliban doesn't like them. I believe they've worked with them in the past, but now it's a completely different state of the game for them between the two groups. So I can see them making concessions to allow us to, let's say, operate some intelligence assets out of there or use it in some way. I think we are seeing the beginnings of that negotiation right now with this. That's my opinion.

[Glenn Beck]

Do you believe after all those years at war with them, there's the possibility that we're going to need their help with China? I mean, that. That's insane. That's insane. And what. None of this would have happened had we not just handed them the base. That was the dumbest thing I've ever heard. We paid how many billions for that base?

[Jason Buttrell]

Oh, gosh. I mean, too many.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, too many billions of dollars in that base. And we just handed it to them. Just handed it to them. And we left all of our equipment there. Now, there's a couple of other region reasons that, you know, you can speculate on. Are we doing counterterrorism or intelligence operations in that area? Maybe not with just China or not against China, but also, you know, you've. This is a central place to be for Russia and China, for the United States. Make sure we have a foothold in that. What. What do you think we would have to. Do you think we would have to offer the Taliban to get this?

[Jason Buttrell]

Well, I think that I don't think we'd be giving them anything, but I do think that we would, you know, offer our services. Like I don't even call it offer our services, but show that we are. We both have the same enemy in ISIS K. And I don't think that we'd be sharing anything with them. But I mean, if you look at the, our relationship with Afghanistan, while the Taliban pre 2001 was in place. We didn't have a major foothold in Afghanistan. We had intelligence operatives if within the country, clandestinely and outside the country. That's how we managed the terror threat before. I think we're moving into a more aggressive phase where that is our stance in that area. We have some intelligence assets in the country. We have some intelligence assets in places like Pakistan and other places. Not a major military footprint. I don't think that's going to happen again. I really don't. I don't think Bagram will ever be fully turned over to us again. That's. I don't think that's going to happen. But I see. I could see some kind of accommodation to allow, let's say, and this is very dangerous, like a Allah Benghazi, like a compound or something like that that we do operate out of, like a handful of intelligence assets. Extremely dangerous. But I can see them moving in that direction. And so what does that give us, Glenn, that lets us attack terrorists, which is what we want to do. We don't want them to get larger groups within Afghanistan. That benefits the Taliban as well, but it also lets us keep an eye on who is using that air base. Also, are the Chinese there? Are the Russians there? More importantly, are the Chinese there? That's what I think is going on.

[Glenn Beck]

What is the Chinese relationship with Afghanistan? Because they've got to. I mean, Chinese need Afghanistan, too.

[Jason Buttrell]

Chinese, absolutely. The Afghanistan for Silk Road. And I mean, look what they've done in places like Africa. They move in and offer the world. We'll build this superhighway.

[Ken Paxton]

We'll.

[Jason Buttrell]

We'll build up this infrastructure. This infrastructure. This infrastructure. Eventually, the way they structure those deals, Afghanistan becomes a slave to China because then they're on the hook for a trillion dollars in infrastructure payback. That's how China exerts force. So that's what that's trying to stake in this game. And that's probably what they're maneuvering to do. We would want to stop them from doing that in this overall trade war. Looking down the road a decade, two.

[Glenn Beck]

Decades from now, you know, everybody I've talked to, everyone has said to me, glenn, in a trade war with China, if we get into a. If this doesn't back off, we're both in real trouble. China has got to have us, and we really have to have China for our medicines and everything else. And I said, so which, which, which, which, which, which, which one of us wins in the end? And it's like any war. You don't know whoever can stomach it the longest, I guess, is the answer your thoughts on what we're entering and how Europe is now responding.

[Jason Buttrell]

You know, history teaches us so much. And if you look at the world Post World War II, it was very similar to. Who was that Japanese geopolitics person or philosopher. I can't remember where he said that this was the end of history, but he was talking about, I think, war. Was he talking about World War I or 2? I can't remember. But he said this is the end of the history because the world is so interconnected. We're not going to want to go to war again. Well, that's complete bullcrap. You know, you look at, you know, books like the Clash of Civilizations that pointed out that, well, actually, you know, people are just going to move into their own, you know, racial or race. Race or identity, and that will be the new, you know, you know, spark for war going forward.

[Glenn Beck]

Sure.

[Jason Buttrell]

But this is. But the solution to that thinking that this is the end of history was to fully interconnect all these countries, the entire world, so that if we go to war or, you know, whatever, we all suffer for it. So we won't do it. So it's the end of history.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Jason Buttrell]

Well, that system that we built made it to where we are dependent on all these other countries. We're dependent on China for our, you know, our. All of our. Was it 75%, I believe, of our medicines. 75%. We depend on this country for all of these rare earth minerals would compare. You know, we're dependent everywhere. That is the system they built. They never thought it would turn around and bite people. Even though we saw in Covid that that was completely wrong. We are in bad shape and it's not sustainable.

[Glenn Beck]

You know, hang on just a second. That is the scariest thing, because when you. When you fully understand that, then you understand what the president is doing, and then you're looking at it going, geez. But that doesn't give us relief right away. This is gonna cause a lot of temporary pain. And maybe I don't know what temporary even means. It will be temporary, but it's gonna cause a lot of pain. And I'm not sure that the American people even understand truly what's going on. They think it's just about the economy. It's not. It's about changing everything.

[Jason Buttrell]

Yeah. And people rightly point out that change doesn't happen overnight. And that's exactly right. I mean, how many billions of dollars does it take for a company to set up a plant or manufacturing facility within the United States. It's billions of dollars. How long does it take to build those? What, three to five years once they finally pull the trigger. We're only in the negotiation stage.

[Glenn Beck]

I know.

[Jason Buttrell]

So we're talking about a long, far, you know, far off in the distance plan that we're just negotiating.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Jason Buttrell]

It has to be done. It's unsustainable.

[Glenn Beck]

And it's.

[Jason Buttrell]

But we are seeing the beginnings and the pain now.

[Glenn Beck]

And it's only going to get worse if we don't do anything. But we have to understand the pain may be maybe a long time. This is a hundred year plan, longer than that now, being turned overnight. And it's, it's not going to it's going to cause some shocks along the way. Thank you, Jason. I appreciate it.