Best of the Program | Guests: Sec. Scott Turner & Bayard Winthrop | 3/14/25

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Glenn Beck Program – Best of the Program | Guests: Sec. Scott Turner & Bayard Winthrop | March 14, 2025

Hosted by Blaze Podcast Network, "The Glenn Beck Program" offers storytelling, insight, and compelling perspectives on American culture and politics. In this special episode titled "Best of the Program," Glenn Beck engages with former Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and Bayard Winthrop, CEO of American Giant, to discuss pivotal issues ranging from economic policies to manufacturing resurgence in America.

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1. Opening Remarks and Setting the Tone

Timestamp: 00:01 – 02:55

The episode opens with Glenn Beck briefly mentioning the show’s dynamic nature, hinting at lighthearted segments juxtaposed with serious discussions. Beck introduces the guests, Scott Turner and Bayard Winthrop, setting the stage for an engaging discourse on current political and economic landscapes.

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2. Critique of Paul Krugman's Economic Views

Timestamp: 03:07 – 16:24

Glenn Beck passionately critiques economist Paul Krugman, labeling him "the dumbest SOB on the planet." He challenges Krugman’s stance on tariffs and economic policies, expressing frustration over what he perceives as Krugman's ignorance and certainty without understanding the practical implications.

Notable Quote:

“Paul Krugman truths. And I can't wait to share as much as, like as much of it as I can next hour.” (03:15)

Scott Turner echoes Beck’s sentiments, describing Krugman as someone entrenched in "ignorance and certainty," making his economic arguments both pervasive and dangerous.

Notable Quote:

“He's one of those people that lives in that intersection of ignorance and certainty.” (15:33)

Beck further emphasizes the impact of Krugman’s ideas on public policy, especially regarding manufacturing and tariffs, suggesting that mainstream economists have consistently erred in their assessments over the past four decades.

Notable Quote:

“Mainstream economists have been consistently wrong on this issue.” (41:09)

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3. Michelle Obama’s Podcast Launch and Media Strategies

Timestamp: 05:43 – 09:25

Beck shifts focus to the media landscape, discussing Michelle Obama’s newly launched podcast. He criticizes the marketing strategies employed, suggesting that despite substantial promotion, the podcast garnered minimal organic engagement, implying artificial inflation of view counts.

Notable Quote:

“Michelle Obama is launching a new podcast, and Gavin Newsom is launching a podcast. Both of these people just think people are going to clamor… People like Joe Rogan because he's Joe Rogan.” (06:00)

Scott Turner questions the authenticity of the viewership numbers, suspecting that purchased views might be artificially boosting the podcast’s popularity metrics.

Notable Quote:

“It seems like that's not a thing that occurs, huh?... it's a weird pattern.” (08:35)

The conversation underscores skepticism towards celebrity-driven media ventures and their genuine impact on audiences.

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4. Chuck Schumer and Government Shutdowns

Timestamp: 09:48 – 15:47

The discussion turns to political maneuvering, specifically addressing Senator Chuck Schumer’s stance on preventing government shutdowns. Beck criticizes Schumer’s statements, suggesting hypocrisy and ulterior motives behind his actions.

Notable Quote:

“There is nobody in the world, nobody, nobody who wants to shut the government.” (11:01)

Scott Turner responds by highlighting the necessity of certain government functions, countering Beck’s portrayal of shutdowns as purely negative.

Beck employs humor and sarcasm to belittle Schumer’s credibility, referring to an injected audio clip that seemingly undermines Schumer’s authority.

Notable Quote:

“Friday night conservative porn.” (14:26)

This segment illustrates Beck’s confrontational style when addressing political figures he opposes.

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5. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with Sec. Scott Turner

Timestamp: 16:36 – 35:59

Introduction and HUD’s Mission

Beck welcomes Scott Turner, the Secretary of HUD, commending him for surviving the confirmation hearings. Turner explains HUD’s ongoing efforts to reassess and streamline programs to better serve vulnerable populations, aligning with President Trump’s directives to eliminate inefficiencies.

Notable Quote:

“We are laser focused on the mission at HUD.” (22:00)

Disaster Recovery and Reducing Bureaucracy

Beck questions HUD’s role in disaster-stricken areas like California and North Carolina, criticizing local and state governments for excessive regulations that impede rebuilding efforts. Turner acknowledges these challenges, emphasizing HUD’s role in cutting red tape to facilitate community recovery.

Notable Quote:

“The government has to get out of the way.” (24:57)

DEI and Policy Changes

The conversation delves into the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) elements within HUD’s programs, in line with executive orders aimed at removing such initiatives from federal funding criteria.

Notable Quote:

“DEI is dead.” (24:58)

Addressing HUD’s Operations in New York City

Beck raises concerns about HUD’s reduced presence in New York City, citing a New York Daily News headline about staffing cuts. Turner refutes claims of service degradation, asserting that consolidation efforts have improved efficiency without compromising service delivery.

Notable Quote:

“We are serving people better.” (30:16)

Efficiency and Privatization

Beck criticizes the federal government’s inability to manage efficiently compared to the private sector, advocating for a business-like approach within HUD to eliminate unnecessary positions and improve performance.

Notable Quote:

“The government’s not the best at what they do. On anything. Anything.” (31:42)

Turner defends HUD’s restructuring as essential for fulfilling its mission more effectively, drawing parallels to sports and the need for continuous improvement.

Notable Quote:

“We are very clear here at HUD to be very deliberate and to be very specific and surgical about everything we do.” (34:35)

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6. Interview with Bayard Winthrop, CEO of American Giant

Timestamp: 35:59 – 49:44

Reinvigorating American Manufacturing

Glenn Beck introduces Bayard Winthrop, founder and CEO of American Giant, commending his efforts to revive American manufacturing. The discussion centers on the importance of bringing industries back to the U.S. to ensure economic stability and national security.

Notable Quote:

“If you think about the United States, you know, our citizens have put into place laws that we care about.” (47:11)

Economic and National Security Implications

Winthrop elaborates on the interconnectedness of industries like textiles with national security, highlighting vulnerabilities when manufacturing moves overseas. He emphasizes the need for domestic production to maintain control and reduce dependency on foreign entities.

Notable Quote:

“If you think about the United States... it's a national security conversation as well.” (41:09)

Success Story: American Giant and Walmart Partnership

Winthrop shares a success story where American Giant partnered with Walmart to produce $12 T-shirts made entirely in the U.S., showcasing the viability of American manufacturing with proper support and commitment from major retailers.

Notable Quote:

“Through their commitment to volume and a time commitment over time with us, allowed us to work with our industrial partners… for $12 at retail.” (44:55)

Beck and Winthrop discuss the role of tariffs in protecting domestic industries, arguing that tariffs create necessary market conditions for American companies to thrive against unfair international competition.

Notable Quote:

“Tariffs do that in some degree.” (44:04)

Ethical Manufacturing and Consumer Responsibility

The conversation touches on ethical considerations in manufacturing, criticizing low-cost imports produced under unethical conditions. Winthrop advocates for consumers to prioritize ethically made products, even if they come at a higher price point.

Notable Quote:

“If it's made by slaves, it's not good. We shouldn't be doing that.” (48:11)

Vision for a Robust Domestic Economy

Both hosts emphasize the need for a diversified and self-reliant economy, where multiple industries coexist and thrive alongside technological advancements, ensuring resilience against global economic shifts.

Notable Quote:

“We need a robust industry across every sector of our economy.” (49:21)

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7. Closing Remarks

Timestamp: 49:43 – End

Glenn Beck wraps up the episode by reiterating his support for American manufacturing and applauding Bayard Winthrop’s achievements with American Giant. He underscores the importance of shifting towards domestic production to safeguard economic and national interests.

Notable Quote:

“American-giant.com they are amazing. Truly amazing. Their clothing is really good. All made in America.” (49:21)

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Conclusion

In this episode, Glenn Beck navigates through a blend of political critique and constructive dialogue with key figures like Scott Turner and Bayard Winthrop. The discussions highlight significant themes such as economic nationalism, the revitalization of American manufacturing, reducing governmental inefficiencies, and the ethical implications of global trade. Through incisive questioning and passionate advocacy, Beck underscores the necessity of policy reforms and private sector initiatives to foster a resilient and self-sufficient American economy.

Transcript

[Glenn Beck]

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[Stu Burguiere]

Hmm.

[Glenn Beck]

I just might have to do more. Oh, okay. So the first room we're looking at is for guests. ShopBlinds.com now and save up to 45% site wide. Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply. It's Friday, and you know I don't like to waste your time, but I don't think the show today was a waste of anyone's time. Yes, it was a little frivolous, and I was in a there's a horse on the highway kind of mood. You don't want to miss it. Also, the HUD secretary, Scott Turner, was with us, and we talked about Mr. Krugman, the dumbest SOB on the planet. We take him on and what he said about tariffs and everything else. With Bayard Winthrop, he is the CEO of amazing American company making clothing. And now, because of his partnership with Walmart, his making quality American T shirts and selling them for 12 bucks couldn't have been done five years ago. Why is it happening now? Has a little something to do with actually restoring manufacturing in America. Important all on today's podcast. First, let me tell you about a single mom, four kids, one income. She is, you know, the protector of the house. Last week she was in this, you know, her creaking house that just feels too big at night, and she thought she saw a shadow moving outside of her window. All right, My wife immediately is, like, freaked out by stuff like that. And she has a choice. Do I grab my gun or do I grab my burner launcher? Well, she grabbed her burner launcher. She needed something, so she grabbed it because she was prepared for whatever might come her way. This time, thank God it was nothing. It was just a breeze blowing through the trees. But what about next time? The burner launcher is small enough to fit in your purse, but strong enough to drop an intruder with a pepper blast or a non lethal projectile or tear gas from 60ft away. No permits, no guilt. Just the kind of safety you don't get with other non lethal options. Some of them are bulky. They need reloading. Tricks you can't learn in a panic. Reloading. You know, with Burna, it's all simple. You pull the trigger, and the hard part of the job is done. It's not just A tool. It's a promise to your kids that mom's gonna keep them safe no matter what. Visit Burna B Y r n a.com glenn Get a 10% discount on your purchase at. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck Program. Hello, Stu.

[Scott Turner]

Glenn, how are you fired up today?

[Glenn Beck]

Well, I got up early this morning and I read Paul Krugman.

[Scott Turner]

Why would you do that?

[Glenn Beck]

Well, because he would say about, you know, his, his op ed on make Sweatshops great again. And I just had to see his ridiculous case. And then I just couldn't stop writing. I don't even know if I, if I started that monologue now. I don't even know if I get to the end of, by the end of the show, I kind of just vomited, you know, Paul Krugman truths. And I can't wait to share as much as, like as much of it as I can next hour. But I wanted to start with something that I, you know that Jessica Krause, do you know who she is? It's Friday, so I just, I want you to know I'm going off the rails just a little bit. But this is what she wrote on her sub stack. Back in January, I predicted a split. Too many divided sightings, too much distance. And Michelle Obama's absence at the inauguration was telling. From the outside, they appeared to be leading separate lives. But the bigger story was whispers of his affair. Don't get me started on the chef's drowning Right there. You have me hooked. I'm there, I'm there. Okay, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. The chef's drowning up in, up in Martha's Vineyard. Yeah, okay. Really, what happened with that one? For months, rumors of him and the actress weren't just idle gossip. Gossip. They came from well placed sources on both coast. The kind of people who would know. And if there's one thing Hollywood, Hollywood women can't do, it's keep a good scandal quiet. Trust me, I live through Depp versus heard. Today I got unexpected confirmation from a longtime friend connected to LA's elite circles. Oh, well, that's credibility for you there. I mean, but I'm not dismissing it. Please, please, please. I'm all on board on this one. I, I believe, I believe. Uh, anyway, she's never been one for gossip, but reached out unprompted. You were right. I didn't want to believe it, but it's true. And it's getting around the twist. Reportedly an open marriage arrangement which might help sidestep a messy Public split. But make no mistake, Jennifer Aniston with the good hair isn't just. Isn't just a passing fling. West coast ladies say she's embedded in Barack Obama's world.

[Scott Turner]

Wait, west coast ladies?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, west coast ladies.

[Scott Turner]

All of them. So all ladies on the West Coast.

[Glenn Beck]

I'm just reporting the news.

[Scott Turner]

Okay.

[Glenn Beck]

She embedded in Barack Obama's world. Too serious to be dismissed. Will they ever go public? I don't know. I don't know. Will they? Won't they? I don't know.

[Scott Turner]

Do you care?

[Glenn Beck]

I'm curious if you strangely do. Strangely do. First of all, it's. It's an affair with, you know, Jennifer Aniston, and she should know better because she's already made this movie. You know, it's called the Quiet, the Objection. I'm sorry, The Object of My Affection in that a. A story about a romantic fling with her gay best friend. I think that's what it was.

[Scott Turner]

So have you actually seen that movie? There's no way you've seen the Object of My Affection?

[Glenn Beck]

No. Somebody on the staff this morning said that, and I'm like, I'm stealing that line. I didn't even know what that movie was. They're like, what? No, it's. It's a Jennifer Aniston movie about how much she falls in love with her gay best friend. And I'm like, you're right.

[Scott Turner]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

This is that movie. Oh. Now, the other reason why I broke bring this up is because I don't think we spent enough time on this yesterday. Can we bring up the full screen of Michelle Obama? We have a picture. As of Wednesday night, one day after the launch, Michelle Obama's new podcast, which had a huge marketing push. In fact, look it up, Stu. See what it is now. Now that it's Friday, it only got 14,000 YouTube views in 15 hours on YouTube, I could fart for an hour, and we'd get more YouTube views than that. But anyway, so here she is launching a new podcast, and Gavin Newsom is launching a podcast. Both of these people just think people are going to clamor, you know? It's like, we need a new Joe Rogan. Well, good luck. What are you, Frankenstein? People like Joe Rogan because he's Joe Rogan. He's honest. He's coming to the plate with actually who he is. You people don't even know who you are. You have no idea. Oh, but there are some. There are some out there, Michelle, who know who you are. Big Mike. I'm just saying. I'm just Saying you want some YouTube views? Play into that. All right, I. I'm Michelle Obama, and I just want you to know I'm not going to tell you on the next episode that I'm Big Mike, but I'm not not going to tell you that, either. Million views without you even saying a word. Million views. I'm just here to help you out. Now, I guess they are up after two days. What is the. Last night was 157,000. What is it now?

[Scott Turner]

157, 535.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. All right. So 500 more people looked at it last night, which is great.

[Scott Turner]

But 157,000 views, it certainly follows the pattern of someone who's bought a bunch of views. I don't know if that happened, but, like, you don't have 14,000 over 12 hours. 157,000 all the way. You go all the way up to 157,000 in the next 24 hours, and then the next 12 hours get 500. That's. That's a weird pattern.

[Glenn Beck]

Are you saying it couldn't happen?

[Scott Turner]

I'm saying if those. If the numbers as reported are accurate.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Scott Turner]

Because I didn't see, you know, 157,000 last night, but if that's what it was, and now it's up to 157. 535.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Scott Turner]

It seems like that's not a thing that occurs, huh? Right. Like, usually, like, it gains momentum. People go crazy on it. Usually you don't just stop.

[Glenn Beck]

Maybe my numbers were wrong. Maybe. Maybe it wasn't 157.

[Scott Turner]

Just like it's possible that west coast ladies are wrong.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Ladies are never wrong.

[Scott Turner]

I thought that was my. I'm just trying to keep it. I'm trying to keep all of our options.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, right now, the most important west coast lady, Big Mike, is saying they're never wrong. They're never wrong. I know it. I know it. I can't say it yet, but is Michelle Obama here? I know it. I'm sorry, Big Mike. So we got that going for us.

[Scott Turner]

There you go.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Now, Chuck Schumer again, it's Friday, and this is kind of a big story, but I just really want to share it, because I don't know, by the end of the week, me being as nice as I possibly can all week, by Friday, I just kind of want to vent a little bit now. I did vent. Maybe on Wednesday.

[Scott Turner]

I was gonna say, you've been nice all week. That's what this is.

[Glenn Beck]

What this is how you mean all week? I Don't mean God's week.

[Scott Turner]

Okay, okay.

[Glenn Beck]

It's not like, you know, you're just.

[Scott Turner]

Redefining week like we redefined the genders.

[Glenn Beck]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Scott Turner]

The last few hours.

[Glenn Beck]

Stu knows, Glenn. Take it from Big Mike. Stu knows. So yesterday, do we have. Do we happen to have the audio of Schumer yesterday? Just saying. Yeah, we're okay. All right. I'm not going to shut down the government. Listen to this.

[Bayard Winthrop]

I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country to minimize the harms to the American people.

[Glenn Beck]

Therefore, I will vote to keep the.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Government open and not shut it down.

[Glenn Beck]

There is nobody in the world, nobody, nobody who wants to shut the government.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Down more than Donald Trump and more than Elon Musk. You should not give it to them. And make no mistake, Donald, Democrats will continue to fight what Donald Trump is doing.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay, let me just. Before I give you my commentary, let me just appropriately frame what he just said with this. It is, by the way, that cost, just. This costs a lot of money. We had to find like the only guy in America that had a kaleidoscope and could play it. So just a pretty appreciate. I just play this from time to time because it costs a lot of money. For no apparent reason. I said yes to that deal. So I'm getting my money's worth on this anyway.

[Scott Turner]

And you're being critical of the way the federal government spends its money.

[Glenn Beck]

No, it's my money.

[Scott Turner]

No, it's theirs. They own it. And they allow you to have some of it. Oh, that's how the government works.

[Glenn Beck]

Again, I'm telling you, it's Big Mike. He knows what he's talking about. Okay, thank you. So. So here he is saying that he's gonna keep the government open because there's nothing more that Donald Trump wants more than the shutdown of the government. Except Donald Trump was the one twisting everybody's arm and saying, I'm gonna run ag. I'm gonna campaign against Thomas Massie because he didn't vote for the continuing resolution. Somehow or another, there's nobody that wants it more, I'm telling you right now than Donald Trump. He wants to close it down now. Yes. He's been exerting all of his power. He's been making threats to anybody who says they wanna shut it down. But he really. What he really wants. Cuz he's usually so. He's usually so subtle, usually just doesn't come out and tell you what he really wants and what he's really gonna do. Okay. This guy believes, actually believes that or wants you to believe that he believes that.

[Scott Turner]

He doesn't believe that.

[Glenn Beck]

He doesn't believe anything. You don't believe anything.

[Scott Turner]

And not to mention the government could not have passed this without Republicans. Literally could not have occurred.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Scott Turner]

Only Republicans could have made it happen.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Scott Turner]

Now, I don't necessarily see that as a huge compliment, frankly. But that being said, there's no argument, no argument at all that could possibly be made that's coherent, that would allow for Chuck Schumer's opinion. Now, that is something you can kind of put on repeat and apply every.

[Glenn Beck]

Time he speaks back. Say it again. Hang on just a second. The appropriate music and it's not the kaleidoscope here. Oh, no. Oh, yeah. Turn down the lights on a Friday night.

[Scott Turner]

I don't. This is getting even creepier.

[Glenn Beck]

There's some conservative porn coming your way.

[Scott Turner]

I don't have any idea what I said before now. Something about Chuck Schumer that was bad. I don't know. Whatever it was.

[Glenn Beck]

And there it is. Friday night conservative porn. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Scott Turner]

This is the. Now, you really could have some pizza being ordered with that. Do we have a doorbell?

[Glenn Beck]

Well, we have pizza, we play the music, and then the doorbell. I think you go ahead. You talk about Chuck Schumer here for a second.

[Scott Turner]

Charles Schubert.

[Glenn Beck]

Delivery. Hello, lady. Pizza delivery.

[Scott Turner]

Wait, why?

[Glenn Beck]

Is he at puberty yet? He's in porn?

[Scott Turner]

This is really disturbing.

[Glenn Beck]

It's Hollywood. It's Hollywood.

[Scott Turner]

Is this the Jared Channel?

[Glenn Beck]

What is this? I'm concerned. It's Hollywood.

[Scott Turner]

Oh, okay.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, that's true, actually. Do that again. Play the music again. Actually, if it's Hollywood, it's more like pizza delivery.

[Scott Turner]

No.

[Glenn Beck]

How you doing, Stu?

[Scott Turner]

Great, Glenn. Great. Yes, it's been an interesting morning so far.

[Glenn Beck]

Wait until I get to Paul Krugman.

[Scott Turner]

Oh, I can't wait for that.

[Glenn Beck]

All started with Paul Krugman.

[Scott Turner]

He's one of the most annoying people on the planet. He's one of those people that lives in that intersection of ignorance and certainty.

[Glenn Beck]

A very dangerous intersection. Very dangerous.

[Scott Turner]

Do not cross.

[Glenn Beck]

No. No matter what the light tells you, don't cross. There should be a hospital on all four corners of that intersection.

[Scott Turner]

Yeah, that's true.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, right.

[Scott Turner]

Because you are going to get destroyed when you walk in there. And he does it all the time. You know, perhaps most famously, the Internet is never going to have more of an impact than the fax machine. And his body's still twitching in the middle of that intersection right now because of It.

[Glenn Beck]

I forgot about that.

[Scott Turner]

That's a good one.

[Glenn Beck]

It is. Say it again. Say it again.

[Scott Turner]

The Internet.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Scott Turner]

Is going to have only as much impact as the fax machine, which Paul Krugman.

[Glenn Beck]

I did. It kind of wrecked it there.

[Scott Turner]

Didn't you cross the streams with that stuff? You put Paul Krugman on with that.

[Glenn Beck]

I'm an out of the box thinker, okay. That's why you. Back in the box, lock the box.

[Scott Turner]

Throw the box into the ocean, Let it sink.

[Glenn Beck]

We have Scott Turner coming on in a minute.

[Scott Turner]

Oh, I'm sure he's proud of this appearance.

[Glenn Beck]

He's like, he's, he's right now listening, going, what the hell did you sign me up for today?

[Scott Turner]

How do I fake bronchitis?

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. Scott Turner is on with us, Department of Housing and Urban Development. He's the secretary of that. And my first question is, I don't even know what HUD really does. Is it necessary? I mean, let's just tear it apart here for a second. Housing. You mean the United States government, the wing that just decided to build all of these really wonderful 1960s housing projects that are all now crack houses that has everybody living in them going, I'm afraid I can't get out of this trap.

[Scott Turner]

I mean, houses is in the word crack houses.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I know. And they seem to somehow or another attract that.

[Scott Turner]

There you go.

[Glenn Beck]

And then urban development. Is it. Did we. I mean, this is from the LBJ area era.

[Scott Turner]

Of course it is.

[Glenn Beck]

Right? Of course it is. So did we not have urban development before lbj? Did we need. Did we need the government? Go, we want to start a Detroit before, everybody was just scattered around Michigan going, I don't know what to do. I were out here on a farm. There's no development in any urban area. We don't know what to do. Yeah.

[Scott Turner]

Shockingly, the urban areas seem to be the most developed long before each HUD came around.

[Glenn Beck]

Right. So I want to ask him, what the hell do you guys even do? And please tell me that you're thinking about shutting this one down, too. Cause I don't. I don't really get it.

[Scott Turner]

Too many agencies. We don't need all these agencies. This is what we're finding out with Doge. Right. And I don't know how much doging is going to happen at hud. Hopefully a lot.

[Glenn Beck]

Do you just. Do you hate housing?

[Scott Turner]

No.

[Glenn Beck]

Urban development?

[Scott Turner]

Any development? Even rural development?

[Glenn Beck]

Rural.

[Scott Turner]

I despise all development. I want to go. I'm like the, the left. I want to go back to where there's we turned. I'll write songs about complaining about turning fields into parking lots and act like that's a really brilliant observation for years and years and years.

[Glenn Beck]

It's 2am the phone won't stop ringing. It's your sister. She's panicked. Pharmacies out of everything. I can't. I can't do anything until tomorrow. And then when I do, I have to drive every. It's understandable that she's on the panicky side. Her son is sick. You're sympathetic, but you don't know what else to do. You're as helpless as she is. Or are you? Now your sister calls you. It's 2:00 in the morning, she's in a panic, you say, don't worry about it. I'm going to run over something. Some medicine from Jace Medical because I have the antibiotics and the, you know, from prescribed doctors. You know, the prescription by real doctors. It's right here in my drawer. I'll send it over. You can give it to your son and then get doctors on the phone tomorrow morning. I got it. Okay. Don't whisper. Oh, I wish I would have done that. When that fault come, that phone call comes in or you're the parent at 2 o'clock in the morning. Go to jace.com, enter the giveaway or purchase your own Jace case. You can enter promo code Beck at checkout for a discount on your order. It has everything in it that you need. You can even add different medications to it. It's promo code BECK. Jase.comJace.com now back to the podcast. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck. I just want you to know we're bringing jobs back to America. Hear this music. Strangely, nobody makes 70s porn music anymore that you can just, you know, grab. So we had to pay some people to make this for really no reason at all. We just. We're putting people back to work. Just like the calliope music I just played. Yeah. Had to find an expert who actually had access to a calliope to make that. We're bringing jobs back to America. America. So you should just know that we are. We're thrilled to have our HUD secretary on with us. And I've got a lot of questions. Scott Turner is with us. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Secretary Scott how are you, sir?

[Bayard Winthrop]

Glenn Beck. Great to be with you again, sir.

[Glenn Beck]

Thank you. It's good to have you. You, I mean you're pretty safe now because you've. You've gone through the Confirmation hearing. So now, I mean, usually being on this show is the kiss of death, but congratulations on, on getting through. Thank you, sir. So, Scott, I got a couple of questions. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Is this part of the. Hey, let's trim things down a bit. This is a Johnson era thing. And how can we fix it or get rid of it?

[Bayard Winthrop]

Well, you know, Glenn, that's a great question. We, first of all, HUD has failed in its most basic mission over the last several years, and that's to serve the most vulnerable population of our country, families and individuals, as it pertains to housing, as it pertains to homelessness and disaster recovery. And so we literally are in the middle of taking inventory, I bet you haven't heard that word in a long time, taking inventory of every program at HUD to make sure that the mission that we've been called to do, is this program helping us to fulfill this mission or is this program not helping us to fulfill this mission? And if it's not, then we need to get rid of it. And so we're taking a holistic view of every program, maximizing the budget, personnel, everything at HUD to make sure, man, that we are efficient, that we're effective, and according to President Trump's leadership, streamlining the processes so that we can best serve the American people. And so that's a great question, man. And we are right in the middle of that right now because we are laser focused on the mission at hud.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay, so let's talk about. Because you were just in California, I think North Carolina as well, on the ground. And I mean, I was, I was on the ground in North Carolina right after. And what I saw FEMA and everybody else doing was absolutely an abomination. The, the, the key seems to be to get government out of the way. How have the government just maybe take some red tape away and try to help people, you know, and there are things that the government can do and should do when the private sector can't do it. What are you seeing on the ground, let's say in California that you can help cut the red tape or actually do the right thing to bring some sanity and some help to the people who have lost their homes both in California and North Carolina.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Well, Glenn, you're exactly right. And first of all, thank you for you and your team and the work that you're doing when it comes to disaster recovery. We were in California, in Los Angeles, both in the Palisades and Altadena neighborhood. It's devastating, as you know. It's heartbreaking to see just what the wildfires did and people lost their homes, schools were lost, churches were lost. But we had an opportunity to meet with families, to meet with church leaders, to meet with community leaders and to hear their stories, to hear their testimony of what happened. And so a lot of that is burdensome regulations. People want to rebuild their lives, they want to restore their communities, but the government is in the way. The government has to get out of the way. The results that I have seen, both in LA and in Asheville, North Carolina, the people are doing the work. Faith based organizations are doing the work, nonprofits are doing the work, but the government stands in the way with so much red tape, as you alluded to, and bureaucracy.

[Glenn Beck]

So.

[Bayard Winthrop]

So we have to do a better job. Oh, sorry about that, Glenn. We have to do a better job as conveners in the government to bring people together and then let them do the work. And that's the key, both in LA and in Asheville.

[Glenn Beck]

So there's a couple of things. First of all, I don't think it's the federal government in California that's staying. It's California government that is just. Is insane. Can you do anything about that? And in Asheville, I know there was a DEI Asheville draft action plan that you guys just thank God, stopped. They were in the midst of completely redesigning that area and putting in all kinds of DEI stuff, ESG stuff, which would have transformed that community into something it never was and never wanted to be. Am I wrong?

[Bayard Winthrop]

Right, sir? No, sir, you're right. So I'll answer your second question first. We did, we were informed that the draft action plan in Asheville, North Carolina did have DEI elements in it. And DEI and the federal government, according to President Trump's executive order, DEI is open and here at hud, DEI is dead. And it's right. It was literally re engineering. And so we said, this is not acceptable, this is not appropriate. We will not fund the draft action plan as it is because it pertains dei. And so they have come back to us, they've been compliant to work with us so that they can renew their draft action plan. And for not just Asheville, North Carolina, but for everyone who wants HUD funded grants. We will not accept any DEI element of any kind, but they have thankfully been compliant with us. And so hopefully there are new draft action plan we can work with. And going back to California, in particular in la, I met with the leadership out there and I said, listen, we need to take inventory from a local and State perspective, what are you doing that is hindering the redevelopment and the rebuilding and revitalization of the communities? Because I have heard, heard from the people, they want to restore their families, they want to rebuild their businesses and rebuild their neighborhoods, but the government is in the way. And if you're seeing what I'm seeing, there's no way that you cannot go back to the drawing board and say, okay, what do we need to get rid of? What burdensome regulations do we need to cut so that our people can rebuild? And so hopefully that we can continue to firmly encourage that.

[Glenn Beck]

But is it government for federal government regulation that is the biggest problem? I mean, I, I'm glad we're cutting all the federal government red tape, you know, that we can, but it appears to me to be insane California government.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Yes.

[Glenn Beck]

And the federal government.

[Bayard Winthrop]

That's exactly right.

[Glenn Beck]

Can they do, can the federal government get involved in that? I mean, 10th Amendment.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Well, it is. It's local. It's the state, county, city, both in LA and in Asheville. You know, I've heard from the people there, it's the local and it's the state governments that are in the way and the county governments that are in the way. We can do what we can from a federal standpoint, but it's the local and state governments that really make the biggest difference.

[Glenn Beck]

There is a story from the New York Daily News, and I think we need the conservative porn music on this one just to read the headline. Here's a headline from New York Daily News. I'm sorry to do this, Secretary. I mean, you're a credible individual and I'm destroying it for you. This has nothing to do with him. HUD's New York City office left with just one management employee after the Trump cuts. Oh, yeah, okay. Is that a, Is that true? And what's, what's happening? And you know, I'm sure everybody is saying, oh, my gosh, the chaos is. Has there been any chaos with this in New York City?

[Bayard Winthrop]

Well, I mean, there's chaos everywhere. Not just for hud, you know, in New York.

[Glenn Beck]

No, no, no, but I mean, right, I mean, from these cuts. I mean, are people starving on the streets more than they were the day before?

[Bayard Winthrop]

No. And let me set the record straight. President Trump, his administration, our leadership here at hud, we want to streamline our programs. As I said before, we're taking inventory of every program. We want to make sure that we're being efficient and effective. We are laser focused on the mission that we have here. Glenn, at hud, the Critical functions that we have and that we're supposed to carry out, we continue to carry those out day by day. Consolidation does not mean that we're not able to serve the people, no matter their geography. And so if someone's not located in a specific area, it doesn't mean that the people that they're supposed to serve are not being served. So that's fake news. That's just the rumors are, well, we're cutting everything. We're not going to be able to serve the people that we're supposed to serve. Well, it's the exact opposite. We're serving people better. By the way, we're streamlining and making things more effective. Over the last four years, like I said before, HUD has not even fulfilled its basic obligations. But now with streamlining, with taking inventory, with consolidation, we'll actually be able to serve them in an even more efficient and effective manner.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, I mean, this is something that politicians don't usually know because usually politicians, you know, are either lawyers or they went right into politics, the professional politicians. And a lawyer has never built a business. They never have built a business. Lawyers are paid to say no to the people in business because they're there to protect. And they don't understand private industry at all. And, you know, the one thing that private industry understands is when the, when the company is going out of business, yeah, there might be a little chaos when somebody comes in and says, you know what, we're going to save the company and we can do things better and listen to our customer better, but we're going to have to cut all of the crap and all of the stuff that's not necessary and all the jobs of people that aren't, aren't needed anymore or not working anymore. We're going to have to do some rehiring after we fire, and there is that transition period. But if you've ever been in the free market and worked for an actual company, you've been through this before. You've been through it. Everybody has. But for some reason, the federal government just doesn't think they ever have to go through that. You know, we've had this, we've had this system going since the Johnson administration. We can't change anything. Everything has changed since the Johnson administration.

[Bayard Winthrop]

That's exactly right. And Glenn, you know, and you talk about the private sector, you talk about people that have come from a business background and a business mindset and that, you know, with President Trump's leadership, that's what's going on. We have people that have been involved in the private sector, people that have built businesses, worked in business, and transition is taking place, change is taking place. But, you know, when change comes, it's hard, it's uncomfortable. But when you go through an uncomfortable situation, that means there's growth. That means that you're not stagnated. That means that you're not complacent. Complacency literally has stifled our country. It stifled the growth in our country. It's stifled ingenuity and innovativeness. And so we're coming in under President Trump's leadership and said, hey, man, this is a time of change, and when you prune things, it hurts. But after pruning comes growth, comes fruition. And so that's what's going on in our country. You know what, when I was in the NFL, Glenn, you know, I was uncomfortable a lot. And, you know, they put the film on every Monday and it made you uncomfortable. But for those two hours that you watch film, you got to see, hey, where am I strong and where am I weak? What changes need to be made in my play so that I could be the best player I can for our team? And so that's what we're doing here at HUD and in this administration. We're watching film and we're identifying the weaknesses, we're identifying the strengths, and that's what's going on. And you know what? That's hard. But the American people voted 77 million Strong for Change and for transition, and so that's what we're carrying out.

[Glenn Beck]

You know, I was just talking to, I think it was Sage Steel this week I was talking to, and she said, you know, when somebody walks into, you know, the NFL and you're being cut, these big, huge, strong guys sometimes will just break down in tears and cry because that's what they've always wanted to do. And they know this is the place to be the very best. You want to play football, you have to be the very best. And not everybody, even though you might be a good football player, you're not the cream of the crop. And that's the way all of our businesses should be. That's the way that our government should be. You know, I'm sorry, you might be a really good person, but we have to be the most efficient. We have to be the best at what we do, or we shouldn't be doing it. And so, I'm sorry, you are going to have to watch the films. You are going to have to get better every single day. And we are cutting some of you I know that's going to make you cry, but it should also be. Should also tell you something. That's why you wanted to work here, because it was inspiring, because we were the best at what we do, and the government's not the best at what they do. On anything. Anything.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. You're right. You know, I've been cut before in the NFL, and it does hurt. And so you take inventory of yourself. You take inventory of yourself as an individual, as a player. And here at hud, we are specifically saying, how do we put the people, the best people, in the right place to do the best job to serve the American people? Not just for now, Glenn, but literally for generations to come for the posterity of our nation? We're making the hard, healthy decisions right now. And one thing I will say to you and to those, to your listeners, we are very clear here at HUD to be very deliberate and to be very specific and surgical about everything we do. We have a critical mission. HUD is like no other place. We serve the most vulnerable people of our nation, and we understand that. And so we're strategic in the moves that we make. We're surgical and precise in the decisions that we make on a daily basis so that we can carry out this mission in the most powerful effect, effective and efficient manner. And that starts with me and my team on a daily basis so people can rest assured. That's our heartbeat here.

[Glenn Beck]

Our Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner. Scott, thank you so much. Keep up the good work. Say hi to everybody that is doing this work as well. We're on your side. Thank you.

[Bayard Winthrop]

Thank you.

[Glenn Beck]

This is the best of the Glenn Beck podcast. I saw Paul Krugman make making sweatshops great again. His old man screaming at the sky rant. And Paul Krugman is wrong on. On almost everything. Almost everything. If Paul Krugman says, this is the way the world is going, go the opposite direction. Um, but anyway, it's just such a stupid rant. And he starts with, nobody wants to make things in America. You don't want to make sweatshirts and socks in America. Those days are over. Really? Are they? Uh, I know one guy, I called him up this morning. He's on the west coast, and I'm like, bayard, can you come on today? Cause you should. You should answer Krugman on nobody wants to make American clothing or anything here. Have you ever heard of American Giant? For a while, they were an advertiser. I. I don't know if they still are. I think they are, um, but american-giant.com I have fallen in love with this company. They make everything in America and they do it because they think it's important to bring these jobs back. And this Byard has been doing for, well, since I think 2010 or 11. And it is important and very, very hard to do. Bayard, welcome to the program. CEO and founder of American Giant Glenn.

[Stu Burguiere]

Thanks for having me on.

[Glenn Beck]

Why would anybody want to make clothing here in America? That's old timey, old fashioned stuff.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah. I gotta tell you, Glenn, this is such a classic example to me of an economist in a white tower that has never taken the time to get out and get on a factory floor and understand what's actually happening in an industry. I mean, he is just wrong on so many levels on this point. It's just, it's infuriating to me.

[Glenn Beck]

So explain to me why we would want those. Because he was making this case that Trump tariffs, he's thinking that he's going to bring underpants and socks back to America and that's not the technology we need. We need, we need chips, which we do, but we need all the industries make the case that what Trump is doing with the tariffs is good from your point of view and why your style of manufacturing is not something we should dismiss.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah, I mean, I'll sort of come at it from a few different angles, I think, to start with. And most basically, are we interested in having good paying, stable jobs for working Americans? Not everybody is going to be a Google engineer. And do we like those jobs? And do we like those jobs maybe even particularly for workers that choose not to go to college or that are first generation Americans? And I'm firmly in the camp of saying we need an economy that provides lots of jobs for every level of the economic sector, not just for people that are working in California. That's one point. The second point is, and you made this point earlier, industries are integrated and interrelated and if you knock out one key tent pole, the whole thing gets unstable. I'll just give you two quick examples of that. The textile industry is fundamentally involved in the military and supporting the military. And in case we forget PPE during the pandemic, for those of you and Glenn, I know you know this, but for those of you that maybe have forgotten, we had lost the ability to make gowns and masks. And in fact, our facility in North Carolina and a handful of other facilities that are still making things here had to retool our plants to make masks to get them onto Frontline workers that were trying to save people that were sick and that was taking a T shirt facility like mine and totally changing what we do every day. So we had basically effectively lost that capability and handed it over to China. And China was throttling the supply of those things to us. So it is not as simple as saying socks. The textile industry is a very dimensional, very broad industry that I think is actually quite fundamental to the viability of the country.

[Glenn Beck]

And Bayern, isn't it? As I look at this, there's only two ways to go. You just concentrate on one industry and one that is already putting more people out of work through AI than any other industry. And that is the tech sector. So you can concentrate on that and say that's the only one that matters. But if you let everything else fail, you have two choices. You have to fund because you can't afford to do it any other way. You have to fund the steel plants and everything else. So we have some way to make something in case there's an emergency, or you just encourage people to continue to make these things so when things do break down, and they always do, we have the ability to live. It's like if every farmer was so. And believe me, the government would like to say this to every farmer and rancher, we don't need you anymore because we can get that food cheaper someplace else. That is stupid. That is a death sentence to America.

[Stu Burguiere]

Well, and part of that conversation is about control. If industries move wholesale overseas, you lose control of those industries. So whether that's pharmaceuticals or textiles or ag, eventually, if the control and the capability shifts entirely overseas, you are at those countries mercy. So there is a fundamental, in my perspective, and I think this is broadly shared, it's a national security conversation as well. I'll say one other thing. On the tariff comment right now, what is happening in textiles and China is unconscionable. It is essentially being used slave labor, subsidized work to underpin our industry. And tariffs in part begin to mitigate that differential. So everyone thinks about this as a warping economic factor. And I actually think that that's, that's a mischaracterization of it, that we are asking our domestic facilities in textiles and outside, outside of textiles to compete on a completely uneven playing field. In some ways it's at its most dramatic in textiles and to level that back out again and put American factories and workers back into a position where they can compete. I think historically, whenever we've done that, we've out competed our international competitors. So it is in my mind a very necessary step towards rebalancing this and giving our industries a chance to get reinvigorated and restarted. And again, that we've essentially let go for the last 40 years. And by the way, mainstream economists have been consistently wrong on this issue. And Krugman nods at this in his article like I will concede that's the story here, that there's this, this postulating from some Hill until finally saying, oh, I've gotten this wrong and reeling it back little by little. But they have been wrong on this issue for 40 years. So it's nice to see finally an administration that's beginning to turn the cloth back a little bit on this.

[Glenn Beck]

So when you see the tariffs, cuz I'm not a tariff guy. However, what Trump is talking about with tariffs are a couple of things. One, if you're an enemy of our country China, there's no such thing as a level playing field. We'll do what we have to do because you're an enemy of ours or you're at least a unfair competitor of ours with Mexico and, and Canada tariffs that I'm really not happy the way they're being handled. But I understand what he's trying to do. Let's make sure that A, we return as much industry here as we can. But also you've got some very unfair trade with us. So we'll just mimic what you do. And I think what people really miss is Donald Trump knows the end of total globalism is over. It's just over. And he's trying to use the tariffs to incentivize people. Companies come back to America. We will make it worth your while and that has to be done. Where do you stand on the tariffs? And if you're seeing anything, for instance, in your field where they're working or that looks like they might work well.

[Stu Burguiere]

I hear you on tariffs being a blunt instrument. I want to make one point though, that is directly relevant to us. As you know, we were approached by Walmart about two years ago and they were trying to make some progress on making stuff in the United States, a piece of which was textiles. And they needed some help and guidance. That partnership ended up in us now having a line of T shirts in Walmart that are retailing for $12. I want to just stop on that for a second because what that means is you have American giant and Walmart coming together pretty unlikely partners. And through their commitment to volume and a time commitment over time with us, allowed us to work with our industrial partners through our supply chain to get a T shirt on the shelves for working Americans for $12 at retail. Made here in America, made entirely from US cotton all the way through the needle in the finished product, all made in the United States.

[Glenn Beck]

Wow.

[Stu Burguiere]

That is a window on maybe what tariffs can do. And your concerns about them notwithstanding, for a moment, it does provide a fence around industries that give them time, invest and amortize their investments. And in that regard, that really is a hopeful sign for me because I think in a lot of industries, we need a bit, a moment here to breathe, get retooled, to invest a little bit with some confidence that that marketplace is going to be viable for a bit to put us back on a more competitive footing. So I think it is a piece of the puzzle about this re industrialization effort that we need to engage in now.

[Glenn Beck]

So the other thing is you just brought up $12t shirts, which is fantastic. I'm so happy. I mean, and you know, when we first met, I was convinced, you're going to change, you're going to change the world, you're going to change the way manufacturing is done here in America with clothing. Just, I mean, you're so passionate about it. I'm so happy for you that you're getting this kind of movement and partners where you can offer a $12t shirt. That was impossible six years ago, five years ago impossible unless it was just absolute crap. Right?

[Stu Burguiere]

That's right. If you'd asked me whether that was possible, I would have said maybe we can get to 19 or $20. But what happened there, to be clear, is that that partner, Walmart stood up and said, we're going to commit to you for a long period of time and at a high volume. And that is what the marketplace has lacked in every industry because it's been cheaper and easier for all of these big corporations that are getting fantastically rich to just offshore. And so to have some mechanism to say, wait a second, there's an incentive to actually amazing things happen beyond even what I thought. You and I talked about this at some point off the air years ago about the structural challenges about textiles. And that's a big one, which is it needs a commitment of time and a commitment of volume. And tariffs do do that in some degree. And I think that's, you know, I think that is going to create some market turbulence for a bit here as we kind of rebalance the economy, but it is going to provide, I believe, in some measure a bit of that breathing room to allow industries like ours to stand up a bit and get going again. So it may not be the sole answer, but I'm grateful that there is some movement finally happening here.

[Glenn Beck]

I'm talking to Bayard Winthrop. He's a friend and also the founder and CEO of American Giant and American Clothing Company. The one last thing I want to cover. I am so sick and tired of all of these arguments coming back down about price and only because I understand that people can't afford things. I get it, it, but we're talking thousand dollar phones from Apple iPhone. Well, gee, I can't afford that thousand dollars phone. Well, if that thousand dollar phone is made unethically in what really is modern day slavery at a scale the west really never considered even possible 200 years ago, then it's wrong of us and everybody who is saying, well, we need cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap. If it's made by slaves, it's not good. We shouldn't be doing that. Does that play the moral side of this at all? Does that play with your head like it does mine?

[Stu Burguiere]

Bayern? Of course, Glenn. I mean, if you think about the United States, you know, our citizens have put into place laws that we care about that we fought hard over that we've debated publicly and landed on some measurement of OSHA standards to make factories safe and environmental standards. So we're not dumping textile dye into waters. And for us then to say, well, wait a second, second, we're going to apply that to our factories, but we're not going to apply it to some factory in Xinjiang, China, where we're going to allow some massive apparel organization to go over there and exploit that differential. Those two things are inconsistent and they drive me wild. They drive me wild. And by the way, 40 years ago, that wasn't the case. 40 years ago, 95% of the clothing we bought was made in the United States. And as far as I can remember, we could afford it back then. We could afford a T shirt and a sweatshirt and they were the envy of the world. And this trade policy that has opened the floodgates by a bunch of really smart economists sitting up at Harvard have gotten it wrong, have gotten it fundamentally wrong. And it has undermined in my mind the capability and the viability of the country. And we got to get back to some version where we've got a robust industry across every sector of our economy.

[Glenn Beck]

Bayard, I can't tell you how happy I am for you. The success of American Giant. I mean, I just love you guys and love you, Byard. Thank you. Thanks, Glenn. You bet. Byard Winthrop, American Giant. Find him at american-giant this is not a commercial. American-giant.com they are amazing. Truly amazing. Their clothing is really good. All made in America.

[Scott Turner]

Love their stuff. It's great.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, I love it. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.