The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program
Guests: Nick Shirley & Goldie Ghamari | January 6, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Glenn Beck dives into recent stories of large-scale fraud in Minnesota with activist Nick Shirley, then shifts to the ongoing civil unrest in Iran with insight from Goldie Ghamari. Beck examines how U.S. policy—particularly under Donald Trump—signals a new approach to global regime change, energy dominance, and the shifting geopolitical landscape. Beck’s trademark style—passionate, direct, and sharply critical of mainstream narratives—runs throughout.
Fraud & Corruption in Minnesota: Interview with Nick Shirley
Exposing the Daycare Fraud Scheme
- Nick Shirley describes the repercussions after exposing widespread daycare fraud in Minnesota, much of it allegedly connected to the Somali community:
"You wouldn't think by exposing fraud you would really get a lot of people to come after you... but then you see them all just turn it around and make it act like you're some sort of villain."
— Nick Shirley [02:08] - Shirley details how the issue, while strictly financial, was reframed by media and politicians as a racial or religious attack:
"It's just about money being stolen. And so now you're being called anti migrant, anti Islam... It just happens to be that 89% of the Somalian population is committing the fraud in Minnesota."
— Nick Shirley [02:35]
Investigative Tactics and Public Impact
- Shirley explains the difference in his approach:
"You could never physically see it with your eyes... Here in Minnesota, the fraud so obvious that you literally just go knock on the door of the daycare. And one, no one answers. Two, they do answer, there's no kids."
— Nick Shirley [03:33] - Glenn underscores bank and government complicity:
"I'm amazed at how this has happened. And people don't see that the government, and quite honestly, I think the banks... just turned a blind eye."
— Glenn Beck [04:12]
Fallout and Government Response
- Minnesota political figures are pressured; Governor Tim Walsh steps down amid scandal:
"Conspiracy theorists, right wing YouTubers breaking into our daycares... President of the United States demonizing our Somali neighbors..."
— Glenn Beck, quoting Tim Walsh [04:36] - The FBI increases involvement, responding to Shirley’s viral reports:
"I've never seen anything like that. Have you been working? Are you in contact with the FBI at all?"
— Glenn Beck [06:03] "No, I have not... I missed their call, and by the time I got out of the Uber, so many people had called me... I couldn't figure out which number it was."
— Nick Shirley [06:38]
Scale and Systematic Nature
- Shirley suggests corruption reaches into state government and beyond, with prominent figures allegedly complicit:
"She [Rep. Ilhan Omar] has photos of her outside of Quality Leering center with the owner of the restaurant, who also is in a video with the mayor of Minneapolis going to her next daycare. They're all in on it."
— Nick Shirley [09:37] - Beck drives home the magnitude:
"It's really not a racial issue. It's just a fact that people are stealing millions and billions of dollars from Americans."
— Glenn Beck [08:51]
Key Segment Timestamps:
- Context of threats to Nick Shirley: [01:56] – [02:28]
- Description of the fraud & Shirley’s methods: [03:33] – [04:12]
- Reaction of state authorities and involvement of federal law enforcement: [06:03] – [08:20]
- Discussion of systemic corruption and connections to politicians: [09:37] – [10:46]
Iran in Uprising: Interview with Goldie Ghamari
Nature of the Iranian Protests
- Ghamari, of Iranian descent, frames the current unrest as an existential struggle against four decades of religious dictatorship:
"People are rising up to overthrow the shackles of Islamic oppression that has held them hostage for the last 47 years... They're chanting, 'Death to the dictator.'... 'This is the final battle. Pahlavi will return.'"
— Goldie Ghamari [12:48] - Beck draws parallels with previous U.S. failures to support such revolts:
"That's the thing that Ronald Reagan did when the Berlin Wall came down... the missing piece. But the other part that at least Obama did was send money to the regime."
— Glenn Beck [16:33]
Economic Crisis as Catalyst
- Beck notes the catastrophic inflation, with bread reaching up to 500,000 rials per loaf:
"It's 1.47 million riyals to $1... Inflation has gone through the roof for them."
— Glenn Beck [17:07] - Ghamari acknowledges the economy as the spark, not the root cause:
"The economic crisis... has played a role in sparking the movement. But people out there right now, they're not protesting because of the collapse of the rial... It's about human rights. It's about torture."
— Goldie Ghamari [18:07]
Leadership in Exile and Visions for Transition
- Iranians, she claims, are calling for the return of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi:
"There's only one person that Iranians trust to transition the country from a brutal totalitarian dictatorship into a functioning, secular, democratic country, and that's His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Iran, who's in exile."
— Goldie Ghamari [12:48 & 14:30] "He wants there to... be basically a court of law, and anyone who is guilty of oppression... will have to face that court of law."
— Goldie Ghamari [20:24] - Ghamari insists the protestor side seeks a non-violent transition, while outside proxy fighters imported by the regime pose the real threat:
"We’re not Islamists. Prior to 1979, we were a modern, Western secularizing society."
— Goldie Ghamari [21:50] "One thing that gave Iranians a lot of hope is President Trump's statement... that actually gave Iranians so much hope."
— Goldie Ghamari [15:35]
Key Segment Timestamps:
- Uprising context and slogans: [12:48] – [14:12]
- Role of economic collapse: [17:07] – [18:42]
- Plans for non-violent justice and regime transition: [20:24] – [22:08]
- Potential for foreign interference: [22:08] – [23:26]
Geopolitics, Energy, and Regime Change: Beck’s Perspective
The Real Meaning of “Regime Change”
- Beck asserts U.S. and global systems are in crisis, with actors preparing different frameworks for power:
"We all know that the system has been torched... They're building framework to drop into when this thing falls apart."
— Glenn Beck [25:19] - He frames Trump’s approach as a calculated upper hand, aiming not to occupy, but to secure energy and resource supremacy within the Western hemisphere:
"There is a regime change coming, but it is a third way. It's America as the leader again put into place again... I believe we are in World War Three. You just don't know it yet."
— Glenn Beck [27:04]
Energy as the New Arsenal
- Beck highlights Trump’s moves to control oil and resources:
"Donald Trump is making sure the west has all of the assets it needs to fight and win a war with China. He is getting all of the oil, all of the energy. He is getting all the rare earth minerals."
— Glenn Beck [32:16] "He's doing it by building the arsenal of democracy. What was that, FDR? We're going to build tanks, we're going to build guns... What is today's arsenal? Oil, power, tech, rare earth minerals."
— Glenn Beck [34:35]
Hemispheric Independence
- Beck predicts U.S. pressure on Canada and other neighbors to ensure resources stay in the hemisphere and away from China:
"We control the oil in this hemisphere. It is not going to our enemies."
— Glenn Beck [30:35] "We're going to make sure this hemisphere stands. That's what's really happening."
— Glenn Beck [35:50]
Key Segment Timestamps:
- Beck’s thesis on regime change and frameworks: [25:19] – [27:04]
- Energy, banking, and rare earth minerals as strategic priorities: [32:16] – [34:35]
- Hemispheric resources and foreign policy teeth: [30:35] – [35:50]
Notable Quotes
- Nick Shirley:
"I need to say use the word allegedly because I don't want to get sued, but allegedly, all these people know about the fraud." [10:17]
- Goldie Ghamari:
"We're not Islamists. Prior to 1979, we were a modern, Western secularizing society. And anything and everything that happens will... be based on... laws and courts of justice." [21:50]
- Glenn Beck:
"When America is really strong, the rest of the world can be free. He's playing it so America has a completely... new century ahead." [34:00]
Summary Table: Key Segments
| Time | Topic/Quote | Speaker | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | 02:08 | Nick Shirley on backlash for exposing fraud | Nick Shirley | | 03:33 | Physical evidence of fraud in Minneapolis daycares | Nick Shirley | | 06:03 | FBI involvement in fraud investigation | Glenn/Nick | | 12:48 | Ghamari on Iranian uprising against the Islamic Republic | Goldie Ghamari | | 17:07 | Economic catalyst: hyperinflation & collapsing rial | Glenn Beck | | 20:24 | Crown Prince Pahlavi’s vision: Nuremberg-like trials, not violent purge | Goldie Ghamari | | 25:19 | "Frameworks" for regime change vs. old models | Glenn Beck | | 32:16 | Trump’s energy strategy: dominance in oil, rare minerals | Glenn Beck | | 34:35 | Parallels to FDR: Building the new “arsenal of democracy”—energy, tech, minerals | Glenn Beck |
Tone and Takeaways
- Investigative and Bold: Both Nick Shirley and Glenn Beck emphasize frustration with institutional inertia, complicity, or cover-up.
- Activism and Resolve: Goldie Ghamari’s commentary is fervent, expressing hope for nonviolent transition and faith in Iran’s future.
- Strategic and Critical: Glenn’s discussion of global politics adopts a “chessboard” view—asserting that America (and specifically Trump) is playing the long game for Western survival and renewed leadership.
This episode offers pointed insight into the intersections of local corruption, international revolution, and the high-stakes contest for control over energy and influence in the coming decade.