The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: Can Trump Legally Send Troops to Chicago? | 8/25/25
Date: August 25, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network

Episode Overview

In this episode, Glenn Beck explores the constitutional and political issues surrounding President Donald Trump’s recent comments about sending federal troops into crime-ridden cities like Chicago. The discussion delves into the legal limits of presidential power, the historic precedents for federal intervention, and the broader trade-offs between security and constitutional principles. The episode also addresses gerrymandering, government investment in private industry via the CHIPS Act, and the latest news regarding the California high-speed rail debacle, with insights on the deep state and shifts in media narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can Trump Legally Send Troops to Chicago?

[06:28–21:30]

• Glenn unpacks whether President Trump has the constitutional authority to send troops to Chicago to address crime, referencing Trump’s own comments and the reaction from Chicago's mayor.
• Washington, D.C. Exception:
  – D.C. is a federal district, not a state, so the president can directly send law enforcement/military for 30 days (needs congressional approval for longer). – Trump’s intervention in D.C. reportedly led to no murders in 10 days:
  "In 10 days, there hasn't been a single murder in Washington, D.C. that's almost a parting of the red seas." — Glenn Beck, [10:30]
• Constitutional Boundaries:
  – Law enforcement is a state power (10th Amendment). – The Insurrection Act (1807) allows intervention only in cases of insurrection or widespread rights violations. Historically invoked for extraordinary events (civil rights crises, riots), not urban crime. – Posse Comitatus Act (1878) restricts use of federal troops as domestic police. – Glenn warns:
  "Once you give the President a precedence to send troops into one city for crime, where does it end?" — [15:50]
• Slippery Slope and Tyranny:
  – Precedents set for “good guys” might be later abused. – "This is what tyranny is, and this is a slope to tyranny. That doesn't mean Trump is a tyrant. It means these are the tools that allow tyrants to grab hold." — Glenn, [16:45]
• What Actually Works?
  – Focused policing (targeting repeat offenders, hotspot policing, genuine sentencing) is effective. – Glenn references historical federal intervention in Chicago (Al Capone era): The feds went after tax evasion and federal crimes, not local policing. – "The President's duty is to protect and preserve and defend the Constitution... Not to bend it because a city is in crisis." — Glenn, [20:00]

2. Gerrymandering — Historic Problem, Modern Crisis

[25:43–77:46]

• Outlines how partisan map making ("gerrymandering") has warped political representation.
• Current Examples:
  – In states like Illinois and Maryland, significant minority populations get little or no representation due to district maps. – "Massachusetts: one-third of voters choose a Republican, but not one of nine House seats goes Republican." — Glenn, [49:00]
• The Arms Race:
  – Both parties now aggressively gerrymander. Democrats historically did more, now Republicans are responding in kind. – Stu’s poll: 93.8% of their audience supports "max out all red states" in response. [26:40] – "Safe seats do not create better leaders. They create unaccountable leaders." — Glenn, [54:55]
• Fixes & Proposals:
  – Independent map commissions are suggested, but even citizen-led reforms (as in CA) can be overridden for political gain. – Glenn’s “square tent” solution: Congressional districts should be fixed-size, regularly subdivided, with no snaking lines—encouraging local accountability. – Caller suggests returning to Washington-era guideline: one representative per 50,000 people, keeping politicians home (remote Congress), dismantling the culture of DC.
  • "1600 representatives for 330 million people doesn’t seem too many—especially if they stay home." — Glenn, [79:47]
• If No Reform:
  – Without grassroots pressure or a constitutional amendment, the only viable response is for each side to "go nuclear."

3. EPA Reform & Deep State Resistance

[29:36–39:01]

• Glenn spotlights the work of Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator), who claims to have trimmed the EPA workforce, axed regulations, and is streamlining agency operations for both economic growth and environmental protection.
• Resistance Inside Agencies:
  – Public letters from career staff opposed to reforms: "You can’t, as an employee…always insist that the ideology of the furthest left president is etched in stone" — Lee Zeldin, [31:03]
• The EPA example illustrates the persistent power struggle inside federal agencies, and the challenge of lasting reform.

4. CHIPS Act & The Perils of State Capitalism

[86:54–104:02]

• President Trump’s administration is using CHIPS Act funds to buy a 10% stake in Intel (non-voting shares) instead of issuing pure grants:
  – Ostensibly, this prevents corporate handouts and gives taxpayers a share in profits. – However, Glenn warns this is a form of "state capitalism" (akin to China):
  "The government was never supposed to use taxpayer dollars to be a shareholder in private enterprise... that's actually the model of state capitalism in China." — [92:55]
• Potential consequences:
  – Slippery slope—what’s next: Ford, Boeing, grocery stores?
  – Corporate decision-making would be subject to political pressure (“once the government becomes your partner... they're always your partner” — [99:32]). – While this step seems tempting and logical, it changes the relationship between government and the private sector in potentially dangerous ways:
  "It’s a road we should really, really be careful going down. I would argue we shouldn’t." — Stu, [102:04]
• Glenn: He likes the intention but not the precedent and warns about the normalization of public-private partnerships.

5. California's High-Speed Rail & Government Dysfunction

[110:42–122:18]

• Glenn and Stu ridicule the doomed California high-speed rail, a project started in 2008, still not complete, whose scope and cost have ballooned.
• Key jokes:
  – "By 2040 to 2046, you’ll be able to go from Merced to Bakersfield... That’s a dream come true for many people in California!" — Glenn, [115:03]
• Contrasts with the speedy construction of the Golden Gate Bridge (completed in four years, under budget) and Empire State Building (about a year).
• French rail company SNCF left the project for North Africa, finding California’s political system less functional than Morocco’s.
  "They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional." — Stu quoting NYT, [116:27]
• Takeaway: Direct democracy, lack of accountability, and government inefficiency lead to endless, wasteful infrastructure projects.

6. Shifts in the Media, Deep State, and Elite Accountability

[123:07–end]

• Notable, surprising stories in the mainstream media (CNN and Washington Post): – CNN connected Ghislaine Maxwell with elite circles, including the Clinton Foundation. – WaPo revealed new evidence that Reagan sought to eliminate nuclear missiles, but was thwarted by the “deep state.”
• Glenn sees these as early signs that the mainstream media may be breaking ranks with its usual political protective narratives: "CNN having the balls to turn against the Clintons…Washington Post revealing the deep state. Is that a change or a one-off?" — Glenn, [124:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Once you give the President a precedence to send troops into one city for crime, where does it end?"
  — Glenn Beck, [15:50]

• "The reason we have laws is not for the exception of the good guy. We have it for all the bad guys that will follow."
  — Glenn Beck, [16:12]

• "Safe seats do not create better leaders. They create unaccountable leaders."
  — Glenn Beck, [54:55]

• "The government was never supposed to use our taxpayer dollars to be a shareholder in private enterprise…that’s actually the model of state capitalism in China."
  — Glenn Beck, [92:55]

• "SNCF was very angry. They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional."
  — Stu, quoting the NYT, [116:27]

• "It’s a road we should really, really be careful going down. I would argue we shouldn’t go down it because it leads to bad things…"
  — Stu, [102:04]

• "Sometimes the Constitution sucks, doesn't it? Sometimes it really sucks because it stops you from doing the right thing."
  — Glenn Beck, [21:25]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 06:28–21:30| Trump, troops, Chicago, Constitutional issues | | 25:43–77:46| Gerrymandering, representation, reform proposals | | 29:36–39:01| Lee Zeldin, EPA, Deep State challenges | | 86:54–104:02| CHIPS Act, government in private industry | | 110:42–122:18| California High Speed Rail debacle | | 123:07–end | Shifts in media, deep state, notable news stories |

Tone & Style

Engaging, passionate, humorous, and provocative, with Glenn Beck’s trademark candor and willingness to question both sides of the political aisle. The episode blends storytelling, historical examples, legal analysis, and moments of wry or self-deprecating humor.

Useful For

• Those following debates on federal power, states’ rights, and urban crime policy.
• Listeners interested in the mechanics—and consequences—of political redistricting.
• Policy-watchers concerned about government-business entanglement.
• Anyone who enjoys thoughtful, principle-driven political commentary with a storytelling twist.

For more details, stories, and Glenn’s daily newsletter:
glennbeck.com