The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program

Guests: Max Lucado & John Solomon
Date: September 12, 2025

Overview

In this somber, post-assassination episode, Glenn Beck reflects on the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk—calling for both commemoration and introspection. He’s joined by investigative journalist John Solomon, who discusses the ongoing investigation, and pastor-author Max Lucado, who offers spiritual guidance for processing collective grief and avoiding cycles of hatred and overreaction. Together, they explore themes of civil rights, media influence, faith, and compassion—urging listeners to respond with both vigilance and empathy in the face of tragedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Honoring Charlie Kirk as a Civil Rights Leader

• Beck pushes for a reframing of Charlie Kirk:

  "It is time to call him what he really was because of what he died doing. Charlie Kirk is a civil rights icon... Charlie Kirk was a civil rights leader that was martyred standing up for civil rights." (Glenn Beck, 07:18)

• Criticizes the transactional nature of other modern “civil rights leaders” and insists Kirk’s work was principled and heroic.

2. The Human Side of Tragedy: Grief and Symbolism

• Moving descriptions of public mourning—Charlie’s wife escorted by Mrs. Vance (Vice President’s wife), J.D. Vance himself as a pallbearer.
  • "I've never seen an assassination of anyone in my life in America... I don't remember this from the history books. Having our vice president or our president involved at this level moving the body back home." (Beck, 05:29)
• ATC audio: "Welcome home, Charlie. You didn't deserve it. May God bless your family." (Air traffic control, quoted by John Solomon, 07:07)

3. Shooter Investigation & Societal Culprits

With John Solomon (09:35–19:41):

• Parents and possible clergy/minister (or LDS bishop) urged the surrender of the suspect.
  • Uncertainty about the minister’s identity, but emphasis on the family's cooperation.
• Urgent questions remain about:
  • Whether the shooter worked alone or was influenced/assisted by extremist groups (potential foreign connections).
    • "There was a tip from a foreign country about some operating entities in this area of Utah that might have been involved." (Solomon, 12:48)
  • FBI is combing through devices, social media, and known associates.
• Worry about the normalization and mainstreaming of hate.
  • "We've made [hatred] fashionable in certain circles of young people. It's almost shocking to me... we've allowed a culture of hatred and intolerance to literally boil over." (Solomon, 14:07)
• Academia and media called out for radicalizing or failing to properly condemn violence.
• Beck explicitly cautions against reactionary overreach (e.g., another "Patriot Act"):
  • "If you see anything brewing like that... you would alert me and alert America... We cannot go too far the other way." (Beck, 19:12)

4. Counsels Against Overreaction & Embracing Truth

With Max Lucado (21:14–29:23):

• Lucado identifies the dual feelings of sadness and fear—fear for the future of free speech.
  • "It's the fear that this fragile treasure that we call free speech is going to be taken away... We must be good curators of it." (Lucado, 22:47)
• Warns how "an untruth leads to a false narrative that always leads to an overreaction." (Lucado, 23:11)
  • The temptation to believe "our country is lost" is an untruth—he asserts hope and potential for positive change.
    • "We can rise above this. We can be better than this... We are privileged to live in the greatest country in the history of the world." (Lucado, 24:13)
• Calls for individuals to commit personally to the Golden Rule and to become better neighbors, using tragedy as motivation.
• Beck and Lucado discuss the return of public faith and "a revival coming."
  • "God is back in a big way for millions of Americans... I think there’s a revival coming." (Beck, 27:00)
• Lucado frames the crisis in Christian theological context (fallen world, necessity of reconciliation), noting that distance from God breeds violence.

5. The Call to Radical Empathy—Even for the Shooter’s Family

Beck's closing reflections (29:23+):

• Urges listeners to imagine the pain and isolation experienced by the shooter's family.
  • "Imagine being that family...the name that they all share is now cursed as their mailbox fills not with condolence, but with hatred...what did I do wrong as a parent, that my kid did this?" (Beck, 30:59)
• Stresses difficulty and moral necessity of loving enemies and showing compassion, especially in moments of extreme pressure.
  • "What sets us apart is the commandment from Christ to love our enemies. You know, character doesn't count when you're not under pressure. It doesn't count...True character comes out on who you really are." (Beck, 33:40)
• Shares the story of the Amish parents forgiving a shooter’s mother to illustrate radical forgiveness in action.
  • "They said, sister, you're not alone...We lost a child and you lost a child...You are not an outsider. You are one of us. We grieve together. That's breathtaking." (Beck, 36:27)
• The central lesson: Big societal change starts small—with each individual's act of compassion and commitment to higher principles.
  • "Think small, dream big. The greatest act of civil courage is not shouted in the streets. It's whispered in each of our hearts: 'Lord, heal them too. Let me be more compassionate, more empathetic. Let me be more like you.'" (Beck, 38:54)

Memorable Quotes by Timestamp

• 07:18 (Beck): "It's time to start calling him Charlie Kirk, the civil rights leader."
• 09:35 (Solomon): "Sounds like he comes from a good family... but in what circle was he walking, and where was he getting radicalized?"
• 14:07 (Solomon): "We've mainstreamed hatred. We've made it fashionable in certain circles of young people."
• 22:47 (Lucado): "It's the fear that this fragile treasure that we call free speech is going to be taken away."
• 24:13 (Lucado): "We can rise above this. We can be better than this. We are privileged to live in the greatest country in the history of the world."
• 30:59 (Beck): "Imagine being that family...the name that they all share is now cursed as their mailbox fills not with condolence, but with hatred."
• 36:27 (Beck): "They said, sister, you're not alone. We lost a child and you lost a child...you are now one of us."
• 38:54 (Beck): "Think small, dream big...The greatest act of civil courage is...whispered in each of our hearts: 'Lord, heal them too.'"

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• 04:32 – 07:18: Beck’s reflections on public mourning, the Vice President’s family role, and the ATC “Welcome home, Charlie.”
• 09:35 – 19:41: Interview with John Solomon on investigation details, foreign interference, the dangers of mainstreamed hate, and a call for community-based solutions.
• 21:14 – 29:23: Conversation with Max Lucado on processing tragedy, the risk of unhealthy narratives, personal resolve, public faith, and spiritual framing.
• 29:23 – 39:10: Beck’s exhortation toward empathy, the challenge of loving enemies, and the importance of ordinary acts of compassion in healing collective wounds.

Tone and Language

The tone is earnest, vulnerable, reflective, and sometimes combative, especially toward “dividers” and media. Beck and his guests use both personal and grand historical references, blending Christian scripture, American civic ideals, and cultural criticism. There are moments of raw emotion, with regular appeals to listeners’ conscience and faith.

Summary

This episode is both a lamentation and a call to moral courage. Beck, Solomon, and Lucado urge listeners to honor Charlie Kirk not only in memory but in imitation—by resisting reactionary anger, refusing both apathy and overreach, and practicing neighborly love, even for the families of perpetrators. In a divided, wounded America, they argue, healing and renewal begin not in grand gestures but in everyday acts of understanding, forgiveness, and principled resolve.