The Glenn Beck Program - Best of the Program (2/20/26)

Guests: Representative Anna Paulina Luna & Axel Bouchon (Matter Neuroscience)
Airdate: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

Glenn Beck’s "Best of the Program" episode blends candid conversations on some of the week’s most compelling stories. The show examines the ongoing Epstein files revelations with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, dissects cultural anxieties sparked by sudden government transparency on UFOs, and showcases a science-meets-society experiment with neuroscientist Axel Bouchon. Throughout, Beck deploys his mix of skepticism, wit, and philosophical curiosity about the state of American unity, power, and discourse.

Epstein Files & the Fight for Justice

(Starts at 03:20)

Key Discussion Points

• Prince Andrew Arrested—But Not for Expected Crimes

  • Prince Andrew ("not even... he's Andrew now") arrested for trading English secrets with Epstein—not for sexual crimes. Beck and Luna both note the lack of significant prosecution regarding Epstein's known crimes.
    • "I don't understand how we can say that he was trafficking, you know, women underage, and yet... there's no johns going to jail." (Glenn Beck, 03:20)

• Women's Role as Co-Conspirators

  • Rep. Luna references FBI documents naming several women, including Susan Hamlin, as alleged co-conspirators—yet only Ghislaine Maxwell has been imprisoned.
  • Discusses questionable plea deals for female co-conspirators, their involvement in trafficking minors, and the possibility of re-examining these deals under human rights grounds.
    • "It appears that these women... did engage in what I would say is trafficking of, of, you know, 10, 11 year olds, minors for sure. And it's not okay because... the American people want names, they want justice." (Anna Paulina Luna, 07:32)

• Emails as Evidence & the Scope of Abuse

  • Luna details disturbing emails, including one referencing a young girl’s birth certificate in Russia coupled with pornographic intentions.
  • She points out that many emails assumed to be from men were actually from women.

• Obstacles to Full Justice

  • NDAs, out-of-court settlements, and statutory limitations are hindrances; urge for DOJ to revisit non-expired grounds for prosecution, like human rights violations.

Notable Quotes

• "The only one sitting in jail is Ghislaine Maxwell. I find it deeply disturbing... of the entire list of co-conspirators... they're all women."
  — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (12:20)

• "We all had access and we all saw they're all women. But... the only one sitting in jail is Ghislaine Maxwell."
  — Luna (12:35)

Timestamps

• Epstein segment begins: 03:20
• Luna’s detailed insights: 05:27–10:15
• Barriers to naming/charging others: 10:15–12:41

Trade Politics & Tariffs

(Starts at 12:41)

Key Discussion Points

• Supreme Court Overturns Trump Tariffs

  • Luna defends Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, noting their role in surplus creation and social programs.
    • "It gave us a massive negotiating tool, especially with dropping the cost of product... it's actually benefiting our country." (Anna Paulina Luna, 13:12)
  • Criticizes short-term, donor-driven mindset over long-term economic strategy; sees the court’s move as a return to “DC policy as normal.”

• Populist Economic Frustrations

  • Cites conservative organizations' complaints about Trump's policies as “socialist,” attributes this to pharmaceutical industry influence.

Notable Quotes

• "Some of my colleagues are controlled by their donors ... I said, you don't understand that this is actually also part of the trade negotiations and it's going to work out."
  — Luna (13:20)

• "You're going to see why people elected Trump as they didn't want any more of the DC policy as normal."
  — Luna (13:59)

War with Iran: Are We Close?

(Starts at 15:29)

Key Discussion Points

• Potential Conflict with Iran

  • Brief mention of "murmur" of possible conflict; Luna hopes for diplomacy and credits Trump’s seriousness for de-escalation.
    • "President Trump wants there to be a negotiation... and I think that they take President Trump very seriously. So I am hoping that we do not." (Luna, 15:36)

• Presidential War Powers

  • Query on whether Trump would seek a congressional act for military action; Luna indicates unique circumstances (e.g., assassination threats) could confer unilateral authority but urges caution.

UFO Disclosures: News or Distraction?

(Starts at 19:30)

Key Discussion Points

• Barack Obama’s UFO Comments & White House Moves

  • Obama claims aliens are real but hasn't seen them; President hints at declassifying all UFO files.
  • Beck notes Financial Times article warning Bank of England to prep for economic chaos post-alien disclosure.

• Disclosure & Economic Fallout

  • Jason discusses why disclosure could cause instability, referencing the allocation of alleged alien tech to corporations, raising issues of fairness, competition, and global financial markets.
    • "The biggest worry was that if they come out and confirm everything now was economic... what happens when a lot of these competing companies... found out that some of the technology was based off of recovered craft?" (Jason, 23:41)

• Public Response: Fear vs. Curiosity

  • Ricky voices classic anxieties about alien invasion (“AI makes you abnormal... I have nightmares about aliens invading Earth.” - 25:11). Beck counters with philosophical curiosity and faith-based resilience.
    • "My faith is not so fragile that if I find out that there's, you know, aliens, I'm gonna... lose my faith and stop going to church. That wouldn't make sense to me." (Beck, 23:04)

• Psyop or Legit?

  • Beck floats the idea that frequent UFO disclosures are a government distraction tactic, potentially overshadowing other scandals (“I think this is much more likely a psyop... what would be the one thing that would unite everybody on Earth? People in space coming to get you.” - 27:46).

Notable Quotes

• "It does seem very, very convenient that every time a major story is going on, we get a new disclosure hint."
  — Jason (27:27)

• "Every time the government wanted to distract you away from something, they would say, oh, look at the... evidence of aliens."
  — Jason (27:15)

Neuroscience, Political Division & The Payphone Experiment

(Starts at 31:56)

Key Discussion Points

• The Party Line Payphone Experiment

  • Axel Bouchon (Matter Neuroscience) details an experiment: two modified payphones, one in San Francisco ("Talk to a Republican"), one in Abilene, Texas ("Talk to a Democrat"), connecting callers for cross-partisan conversations.

• Outcomes: Surprising Civility

  • Nearly 250 conversations and 300+ voicemails recorded; almost none were negative or aggressive.
    • "Over 200, we have not found a single negative aggressive conversation." (Axel, 34:00)
  • All written messages—one exception—were more negative than spoken ones, reinforcing the importance of vocal connection over text.

• Biological Underpinnings

  • Discusses the neurochemical backdrop: social conversation increases dopamine and cannabinoids, lowers stress hormones (cortisol), promoting happiness; chronic negative media and lack of direct contact foster emotional stress.

• Emotional Fitness Club

  • Company is building a “mental gym”—a happiness/depression biomarker project—where participants become happier just through involvement.
    • "People who were in our studies actually became happier by just doing the study." (Axel, 32:47)
  • Advocacy for more real-life, cross-group dialogue—possibly payphones in senior homes and colleges to span generational divides.

Notable Quotes

• "Humans are far more similar than we are different. And while political discourse often causes stress, human to human friendly conversations reduce the stress in our brains..."
  — Producer/Announcer describing experiment (31:53)

• "Normal is weird. Now, I don't know if you know that everything is upside down."
  — Glenn Beck (38:38)

• "If you would all... come together and think about your absolute uniqueness and kind of building the craziest stuff ... that is what unites everything for me."
  — Axel (41:36)

• "There is something unique here. And that was the unum that used to hold us together... I'll defend with my life your right to say something that I disagree with."
  — Glenn Beck (42:30)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "It's crazy the only one sitting in jail is Ghislaine Maxwell."
  — Anna Paulina Luna (12:20)
• "If you want to... I may declassify..."
  — Glenn Beck (19:53) on presidential declassification powers regarding UFO files.
• "Are you talking about Nancy Pelosi?"
  — Ricky (26:15), joking about shapeshifting aliens.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:20 – Epstein Files, Royal Arrests, and Plea Deals
• 05:27 – Rep. Luna on FBI Co-Conspirators and Female Involvement
• 13:07 – Tariffs, the Supreme Court, and Economic Debate
• 15:29 – Iran: Are We Going to War?
• 19:30 – UFOs: Obama, POTUS, and Disclosure Fallout Discussed
• 23:15 – Impact on Economics, Pop Culture Reactions
• 27:10 – Psyop Theory and Government Distractions
• 31:56 – The Party Line Payphone Experiment and Neuroscience Insights
• 34:00 – Empirical Results: Civility Across Political Lines
• 41:33 – Emotional Unity and National Identity in the US

Episode Takeaways

• Glenn Beck’s skepticism about trending stories—Epstein files and UFOs—leads to a deeper conversation about accountability, distraction, and trust in institutions.
• Rep. Luna exposes legal and ethical loopholes in the prosecution of Epstein’s network, urging a re-examination beyond old plea deals.
• The Party Line experiment provides hopeful evidence that Americans, beyond the digital and media fray, are grounded in their common humanity.
• There’s a repeated call to reclaim the spirit of American unity—e pluribus unum—in an age of digital division and performative outrage.

For those who missed the episode:
Expect a wide-ranging, provocative discussion blending controversy with optimism, anchored in Glenn Beck’s irreverent but earnest style and enriched by unique voices—from Congress to neuroscience—exploring what divides and unites America today.