The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: "Can Trump Ban Transgenders from Owning Firearms?"
Air Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Pat Gray & Jeff Fisher (in for Glenn Beck and Stu)
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode dives into a series of pressing issues at the intersection of culture and politics, focusing on Chinese student visas in the US, rampant data breaches, chronic disease in America, heated Senate hearings with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., vaccine policy controversies, proposals to restrict firearm ownership for transgender individuals, and recent maneuvers by the Trump administration. The panel’s signature wit, skepticism, and robust debate—often with biting sarcasm—are on full display as they examine executive actions, media narratives, and the erosion of civil liberties.

MAJOR THEMES & DISCUSSIONS

1. Chinese Data Breaches and the Student Visa Controversy

Timestamps: 00:00–13:00, 24:33–29:13

• China Hacking Every American:

  • The hosts discuss recent revelations about extensive Chinese hacking (“Salt Typhoon”), allegedly impacting nearly every American (06:20).
  • Quote (07:15, Pat Gray): “We’re finding out daily. Now, with this in particular—for sure. I mean, it’s out there, your information has been hacked.”
  • They mock the frequency and normalization of data breaches, referencing the TransUnion hack.

• Student Visa Policy Under Trump:

  • Widespread confusion and skepticism about Trump’s plan to allow up to 600,000 Chinese students in US universities.
  • Listeners are invited to explain the administration’s rationale, which the hosts find perplexing (09:03).
  • Quote (08:18, Pat Gray): “I don’t get it… they have already infiltrated corporations and universities and have spied.”
  • Criticism is directed at US politicians shown to have ties with Chinese spies, and at American universities’ dependence on foreign enrollment.
  • Later clarifications note that Trump’s “600,000” number refers to a two-year total (25:08), but confusion persists about replacement/overlap of visas.

2. Surge in Chronic Disease and the Healthcare System

Timestamps: 12:51–19:49

• RFK Jr. Testifies:
  • Citing new CDC statistics, RFK Jr. claims a dramatic rise in chronic diseases—from 3% in 1950 to 76.4% in 2025 (13:40).
    • Quote (14:00, RFK Jr.): “When my uncle was president, 11%. 1950, it was 3%. Today, it’s 76.4%.”
  • The escalation of chronic illness is called a “national security issue.”
  • Hosts debate possible causes: environmental factors, changes in food, preservatives, artificial dyes.
  • With tongue-in-cheek, Chinese hackers are even jokingly blamed for “hacking into our very bodies and downloading viruses” (16:20).

3. Senate Hearings: RFK Jr., Vaccines, and Government Accountability

Timestamps: 12:51–53:55

• Confrontations with Senators:

  • RFK Jr. is lauded for his combative style in Senate hearings, standing up to critical questioning from both Democrats and Republicans (13:16).
  • Quote (13:24, Pat Gray): “I love that he’s standing up like he is against some of these buffoons.”

• Critique of Vaccine Policy:

  • Senator Ron Wyden, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Senator Elizabeth Warren press RFK Jr. on vaccine recommendations and CDC guidelines.
  • Elizabeth Warren’s exchange with RFK Jr. (30:10–33:42):
    • Warren accuses Kennedy of breaking a promise to provide access to vaccines; Kennedy fires back, questioning the clinical basis for certain recommendations and calling out her pharmaceutical donations.
      • Quote (32:15, Pat Gray): “That is so great, that he calls her out on the money she’s received from pharmaceuticals…”
  • On CDC’s schedule: By age 18, children now receive 76 vaccine shots (“seems to be the same number [as] the percentage of people with chronic disease”) (21:30).
  • Hosts question the cumulative effect of so many vaccines and suggest adverse effects might be underexplored (55:04).

• Broader Questions on Health Freedom:

  • Discussion returns repeatedly to the right to refuse vaccines, government mandates, and the need for more transparency, especially about mRNA technology (22:02).

4. Firearms & Transgender Rights: Can Trump Issue a Ban?

Timestamps: 57:11–63:40

• DOJ Proposal:
  • The US Justice Department is considering moves to restrict transgender Americans from owning firearms, following a recent Minneapolis shooting.
  • There's speculation about classifying transgender identity as a mental illness for legal purposes; the hosts criticize the constitutionality and broadness of such a policy.
    • Quote (58:42, Pat Gray): “Doesn’t seem constitutional to me.”
    • Quote (58:44, Jeff Fisher): “Don’t bug me down with your little Constitution thing. We’re not worried about that right now.”
  • The hosts grapple with the difficulty of “blanket bans,” mental health criteria, and who decides firearm eligibility.
    • “Are you just a little trans, or are you all the way trans?” (61:57, Jeff Fisher)

5. National Guard & Law Enforcement Powers

Timestamps: 93:14–98:40

• D.C.’s Lawsuit Against Trump Over National Guard:
  • Lawsuit alleges Trump violated principles by deploying the National Guard; hosts discuss the Posse Comitatus Act and D.C. crime reduction attributed to the Guard's mere presence.
  • Discussion about effectiveness: National Guard hasn’t made any arrests but serves as a deterrent.
    • Quote (98:30, Pat Gray): “It’s just the presence that has made this incredible impression on people.”

6. Controversy Around Executive Orders and the Department of War

Timestamps: 121:54–124:21

• Trump’s Executive Order Renaming DOD:
  • Trump signs an executive order to change “Department of Defense” to “Department of War.”
    • Quote (122:08, Pat Gray): “I don’t really care. Do you?”
  • Hosts discuss possible messaging—the name signals America is now “on the forefront and taking, walking forward” (122:30)—but don’t see practical significance.

7. Commentary, Satire & Societal Critique

Recurring Throughout

• Sarcastic banter about politicians (e.g. Rep. Eric Swalwell, Tim Kaine, Kamala Harris name gaffe), big tech dinners at the White House, and the tendency to blame everything—from food coloring to foreign agents—for America’s troubles.
• The public’s pessimism is highlighted (Wall St. Journal poll: only 25% think they can improve their standard of living).

MEMORABLE QUOTES

• “If anybody has a good explanation for this, I’d love to hear it… We are very perplexed, absolutely perplexed.” – Pat Gray (09:10)
• “It’s a feel-good kind of [thing],” Pat says, about internet vigilantes fighting against scammers (05:31)
• “Why is it our responsibility to educate China’s people?” – Pat Gray (27:43)
• “We train them, make them faster, make them smarter, then send them back to compete against us in the Olympic Games.” – Pat Gray (27:57)
• “We’re not just gonna let you shout and scream and lie in our faces and play nice. We’re going to fight back.” – Jeff Fisher on RFK Jr.’s approach (13:02)
• “Are these vaccines affecting us adversely in the long run? I don’t know.” – Pat Gray (21:45)

TIMESTAMPED HIGHLIGHTS

| Segment | Timestamp | Notable Content | |--------------------------------------------|-------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | China Hack & Data Breaches | 02:14–08:04 | “China may have stolen data from every American.” | | Chinese Student Visa Debate | 08:05–13:13 | Hosts confused about Trump’s plan and university ties | | RFK Jr.’s Chronic Disease Testimony | 13:40–15:16 | “76.4% of Americans now have a chronic disease.” | | Food, Environment, and Chronic Illness | 18:13–19:51 | Speculation on food additives/preservatives | | RFK Jr. vs. Elizabeth Warren | 30:10–33:58 | Argument over access to COVID vaccines | | Proposal to Ban Transgenders from Firearms | 57:11–63:40 | Debate on constitutionality and mental health | | SCOTUS vs. Lower Courts | 86:26–92:28 | Judges push back on Supreme Court precedents | | National Guard Deployment in D.C. | 93:14–98:49 | Debating impact, legal and social implications | | Rebranding Department of Defense |121:54–124:21| Trump renames it “Department of War”—hosts not impressed|

TONE & LANGUAGE

• Skeptical, irreverent, sarcastic—especially toward establishment politicians, bureaucrats, and mainstream narratives.
• Frequent use of mockery and rhetorical questions to challenge policies or highlight perceived absurdities.
• Hosts oscillate between humor and genuine concern for issues like national security, health freedom, and constitutional rights.

USEFUL FOR

• Anyone seeking a sharp, critical, right-leaning perspective on week’s news.
• Listeners interested in the collision between executive power, individual rights, and public health policy.
• Those tracking intra-conservative debates: especially over the limits of executive actions, the role of government in education, and culture war flashpoints like trans rights and vaccines.