The Glenn Beck Program
Episode: Even Hillary Clinton Had to Admit Trump’s Peace Deal Is Historic
Date: October 13, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck, with Stu Burguiere
Guests: Governor Greg Abbott, Leland Vittert
Episode Overview
This episode of The Glenn Beck Program is centered on the historic Middle East peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump, culminating in the release of all living hostages from Gaza and what Beck calls a potential turning point in 4,000 years of conflict. The hosts analyze the deal’s origins, reactions (even from political rivals like Hillary Clinton), and its implications for the region and the world. Additional topics include Trump’s unique approach to diplomacy, the transformation of the State Department's strategies, Antifa’s structure, and compelling guest interviews with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and journalist Leland Vittert.
Table of Contents
- Trump’s Historic Middle East Peace Deal
- Significance and Reactions
- In-Depth: Trump’s “Deal-Maker” Diplomacy
- Insights from Guests
- Analysis: Risks, Criticisms, and Next Steps
- Media Narratives, Antifa, and Political Divides
- Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments (with Timestamps)
Trump’s Historic Middle East Peace Deal
Background and Context
- Beck frames the day as "historic," citing the release of all living hostages from Gaza and the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement involving Israel and the broader Arab world.
- He provides a deep historical context for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tracing it back millennia to the era of Canaan, the Philistines, and biblical figures like Samson (06:30–11:00).
“For the very first time, not in decades, but perhaps a millennia or two, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have signed something that might resemble more than just a ceasefire.”
— Glenn Beck (07:54)
Trump’s Approach vs. Previous Administrations
- Beck draws a sharp contrast between Trump’s tactics and those of past presidents, emphasizing Trump’s business mentality and willingness to discard traditional diplomatic shibboleths (15:40–16:26).
- Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, and fostered the Abraham Accords, which Beck credits as a blueprint for this wider peace.
“Donald Trump didn’t approach this as a professor of Middle East studies. He didn’t approach this with the hundred years of expertise from the State Department. He took a business approach.”
— Glenn Beck (16:09)
The Hostage Release and Scene in Tel Aviv
- Live reporting: jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv—Trump greeted with cheers, Netanyahu with boos; strong visual of Israelis in MAGA gear, carrying “Nobel Peace Prize” signs (03:20–04:30).
- All hostages alive have been returned; the dead are still being recovered (03:17).
Significance and Reactions
Global and Local Response
- Stu and Glenn remark on the emotional reactions of families, noting the tangible, miraculous aspect of the moment (20:50–22:01).
“The families are all over social media, hugging their relatives. That’s actually happening today, which is incredible.”
— Stu Burguiere (21:01)
Comparison to Historical Events
- The agreement is placed alongside the Camp David Accords and the Oslo Accords, with the hosts arguing this surpasses them in magnitude (11:50–12:30, 22:26–22:59).
- Glenn compares Trump’s achievement to Ronald Reagan’s Cold War success against communism, calling it “crazier, 4,000 years.”
Hillary Clinton’s and Biden’s Responses
- Beck highlights bipartisan recognition, quoting Hillary Clinton:
“I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders... The US took advantage of an opening that was available and we were able to be successful. That’s great. Good for her. Not what Biden said.” (37:56)
- In contrast, the Biden administration offered only perfunctory congratulations.
In-Depth: Trump’s “Deal-Maker” Diplomacy
Breaking the State Department Mold
- Beck recounts how Trump trusted “outsiders” and disbanded the entrenched diplomatic establishment, sending advisors like Jared Kushner instead (25:46–28:30).
- Describes how Trump forced both Israel and Arab states into difficult but pragmatic concessions (17:35–19:44).
Lessons from the Abraham Accords
- The Abraham Accords are presented as essential groundwork—proof that shared prosperity can override long-standing enmity.
Negotiating with Regional Powers
- Beck emphasizes Trump’s credibility with both Arab and Israeli leadership: forced Israel to apologize to Qatar, brokered the “everybody wins by avoiding Iran” coalition (17:45–18:50).
- Trump’s willingness to “tell Israel to knock it off” established him as more than a pro-Israel puppet.
Notable Quote
“He didn’t try to make them friends, he tried to make them partners. They all want prosperity.”
— Glenn Beck (19:23)
Insights from Guests
Governor Greg Abbott on the Peace Deal and U.S. National Guard
(48:42–62:40)
- Abbott calls the peace breakthrough “remarkable,” describing it as unprecedented in Middle Eastern history.
- He warns the next test will be whether Hamas will truly relinquish control over Gaza and whether international (not U.S.) forces will secure peace (48:58).
- Discusses legal disputes over National Guard deployment and the Texas Guard's elite status, readiness against both immigration chaos and cartel threats (50:31–62:40).
- On why Trump chose the Texas Guard: “President Trump knows that the Texas National Guard is the most elite National Guard that we have in the United States.” (55:10)
Leland Vittert on Shifting Middle East Dynamics and Rising Antisemitism
(90:03–97:58)
- Vittert, former Fox Jerusalem correspondent, calls Trump’s strategy “seismic,” reiterating the shift away from seeing “Israeli-Palestinian conflict” as the core problem and naming Iran as the regional destabilizer.
- Vittert: "For the first time…there is a realization of where the real evil in the Middle East is and a willingness by the United States to confront it honestly." (92:43)
- Raises concern about rising global and domestic antisemitism, noting “its not really a Palestinian movement. It was an anti-Jew movement.” (95:10)
- Urges "moral clarity" and calls out the right for sometimes being “Hamas-adjacent” or failing to distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
Analysis: Risks, Criticisms, and Next Steps
Concerns about Prisoner Swaps and Recidivism
(34:25–36:22)
- Stu and Glenn debate the perennial issue in all Israeli-Arab swaps: "always a ridiculous ratio" (e.g., 20 Israeli hostages for over 2,000 Palestinians).
- Many Palestinians released are “hardcore terrorists”—future risks discussed, but this is described as the “cost” for forging a broader alliance.
Hamas’ Future and Regional Stability
(64:57–67:56)
- Hamas has lost its leverage ("no hostages left"), and cannot reconstitute as a governing power in Gaza under the terms of the deal.
- Most Arab states will not harbor Hamas leaders—only Iran remains sympathetic.
“They’re not going to get cover anymore from members of the Middle East.”
— Glenn Beck (64:57)
Potential for Lasting Change
- Stu and Glenn admit that “the road ahead” is uncertain but stress that the unprecedented alignment of Arab states and Israel is “worth all of it” (36:22).
- Even a decade of peace would be historic, they argue, given the millennia of conflict.
Media Narratives, Antifa, and Political Divides
Shifts in Media Language
(43:32–45:45)
- CBS’ reporting on Gaza changed notably after new management, adding context and clarifying sources and civilian/militant distinctions.
Antifa’s Reality and the FBI
(77:44–86:04)
- Beck rebuts narratives that Antifa “doesn’t exist,” describing it as a decentralized but real network.
- Reveals the FBI approached him after a program tracing funding and tactics for Antifa—touting the seriousness of federal investigations under the Trump administration.
Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments (with Timestamps)
Historic Moment in Tel Aviv
“People were booing Benjamin Netanyahu and cheering Donald Trump. It was quite a scene in Israel now. The President is on his way. He just spoke to the Knesset…on his way to Egypt to sign this peace deal that includes the entire Middle East. What the President has done is nothing short of miraculous.”
— Glenn Beck (03:21)
Miracle of the Hostage Returns
“The families are all over social media, hugging their relatives. That's actually happening today, which is incredible.”
— Stu Burguiere (21:01)
Even Hillary Clinton Had to Admit…
“I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders... The US took advantage of an opening that was available and we were able to be successful.”
— Hillary Clinton, quoted by Glenn Beck (37:56)
The “Deal-Maker”
“He is so in his element…busting on the people in the Knesset…He is thrilled and deserves this moment of adulation and credit. It's because it's an incredible achievement. It's a wonderful day and we should be thankful.”
— Stu Burguiere (23:28)
On Peace vs. War
“You want to look at the way he has changed the world. We’re not out of the woods...but he is greatly changing the world. He is breaking everything that the State Department…has been building.”
— Glenn Beck (25:46)
On Palestine Hostage Swaps
“It's always 50, 100, 150 to 1. And you look at the guys who are coming back from Israel, and they're all healthy and well fed…then you look at the hostages coming back from Hamas and they just look horrible.”
— Glenn Beck (34:25)
On Antisemitism and “Moral Clarity”
“There is good and evil in the world…This sort of Hamas adjacent talking points…it’s no different than Mamdani…Once you start raping and pillaging and waging war against civilians, I don’t care what your grievances are. You must be destroyed.”
— Leland Vittert (94:09–94:49)
Conclusion
This episode meticulously chronicles a day of supposedly historic significance—a watershed in Middle East history, and perhaps, in American foreign policy. Glenn Beck and team extol Trump’s outside-the-box, business-driven diplomacy as the key factor in the surprise peace breakthrough. They confront skeptics (even on the right), highlight rare bipartisan acknowledgment, and encourage moral discernment amid shifting alliances and narratives.
Whether or not Trump is awarded a Nobel Peace Prize (a topic for much jocular reflection), the hosts argue that the scale and substance of this achievement mark a genuine epochal change. They close with the reminder that peace is not merely the absence of war but the “presence of righteousness”—and the heavy responsibility now lies with all sides to preserve and build on this remarkable, hard-won moment.
To listen to the entire discussion and these landmark first-hand reflections, find The Glenn Beck Program on BlazeTV or your favorite podcast app.