Podcast Summary:
The Glenn Beck Program
Episode: "EXPOSED: The Billionaire Kings Behind the No Kings Protests"
Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Glenn Beck, Stu Burguiere
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network
Overview
This episode focuses on the recent "No Kings" protests, which claimed to oppose powerful elites and advocate for democracy. Glenn Beck argues that these protests are not the grassroots uprisings they appear to be, but are financed and orchestrated by some of the very elites they claim to oppose—namely billionaires and powerful foundations. Through sharp critique, Beck breaks down the money trails, exposes the ideological paradoxes at the heart of the movement, and connects these events to a wider historical and cultural context, including discussions on fascism, dependency, the hypocrisy of activism, and the generational consequences of the 1960s counterculture.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The "No Kings" Protests: Manufactured or Spontaneous?
[05:13] Glenn Beck:
- Beck describes the protests as coordinated, not spontaneous.
- He emphasizes that the movement, which claims to be anti-billionaire and anti-corporate, is in fact funded by billionaires and powerful organizations.
- Key funders named include George Soros (Open Society), the Arabella Network, Bill Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Network, Tides Foundation, and the Singham network.
Quote:
“If this movement is truly against billionaires and the powerful, why is it funded by billionaires and the powerful?” — Glenn Beck [05:13]
- Beck brands these protests “Astroturf” (i.e., fake grassroots) and describes what Peter Schweizer calls "Riot Inc," a billionaire-backed "protest industrial complex."
2. The Logic of Elite Funding
[15:00] Glenn Beck:
- Presents key questions: Why would ultra-wealthy elites fund protests against themselves?
- Suggests the only logical explanation is a strategy to maintain and increase their own control and wealth:
- By controlling both the narrative and proposed solutions.
- Regulations and activism that claim to attack corporate power actually eliminate small business competitors, consolidating more power in the hands of the biggest players.
- Shifting societal blame away from themselves and towards their enemies.
Quote:
“This is not about dismantling power. This is about rearranging power.” — Glenn Beck [06:20]
- Beck cites COVID-era policy as an example of collusion where small businesses suffered, while mega-corporations thrived.
3. Protest Demographics and "Useful Idiots"
[21:00] Glenn Beck:
- Notes that many protesters were white baby boomers (retirees), not young radicals.
- Labels most attendees as "useful idiots" being manipulated by larger interests.
Quote:
“They have no idea what they're doing. ... They actually think this is about Donald Trump. Okay, it might be for you, but it's not for the billionaires. It's about the plan.” — Glenn Beck [20:55]
4. The Color Revolution Tactic
[10:00] Glenn Beck:
- Draws on US intelligence history—color revolutions run by flooding the public space with manipulated, “organic” protests to destabilize regimes.
- Asserts the same tools are now being used in the US.
Quote:
“What you’re seeing is a manufactured event. ... That’s how U.S. intelligence agencies have run regime change operations overseas for decades.” — Glenn Beck [10:06]
5. Contrasting Narratives and Grassroots Movements
[36:00] Glenn Beck:
-
Issues a challenge: Name a single time a grassroots movement funded by billionaires made the world genuinely fairer for average people.
-
Warns that most ordinary protesters have been caught up in an illusion, carrying banners for those tightening controls “around your neck.”
6. Protester Encounters and Street-Level Rhetoric
[26:10] Segment: Protester Audio
- Plays two clips illustrating the hyper-charged, emotional state—and sometimes dangerous rhetoric—of some protesters.
- One protester says he would kill someone labeled a Nazi.
- Another screams at a man supporting free speech.
- Beck uses these examples to question the movement’s supposed sincerity and principles.
Quotes:
“Who are you going to kill? Nazis.” — Protester [26:10]
“He’s a fascist because he is wearing a t-shirt that says ‘For Charlie’—he advocated for free speech—and then she just goes absolutely bananas on him.” — Glenn Beck [27:36]
7. Scriptural Reflection and Call for Virtue
[29:00] Glenn Beck:
- Beck reads from Romans, reflecting on how political life and protest discourse lack sincerity, love, and humility.
- Urges compassion and calm over anger, and stresses the importance of living these virtues, even in political engagement.
Quote:
“Love must be sincere ... Hate what is evil; cling to what is good ... Do not repay anyone evil for evil ... live at peace with everyone.” (Romans, paraphrased by Glenn Beck) [29:00]
8. The Hippie Generation: A Glenn Beck Rant
[69:13] Extended Monologue
- Beck launches an extended criticism of the boomer/hippie generation:
- Claims they failed to “pass the torch,” instead becoming the authoritarian establishment they once raged against.
- Accuses them of paradoxically enacting the very systems of control (corporate, governmental, cultural) they once protested.
- Connects this to ongoing support for (in his view) failed policies and activism that actually lead to greater bureaucratic control.
Quotes:
“You became the system. Now you’re the man—the CEO, the senator, the billionaire—and yet you still think you’re Che Guevara.” — Glenn Beck [69:30]
“Everything you stood for—the 20-something you—would hate the you you have become.” — Glenn Beck [70:50]
9. How to Think Critically About Protest and Activism
[46:59] Glenn Beck:
- Beck encourages listeners, before joining any movement, to ask themselves:
- Why am I here? Is it principle, or just anger/fear/crowd-following?
- Would I stand for this if no one knew I did?
- What is the real agenda and goal?
- Do the methods compromise core freedoms or principles?
- Would the “victory” of this movement make people more free, or more managed and dependent?
- Who benefits structurally if this movement succeeds?
Quote:
“If your side achieved everything they wanted ... would ordinary people become more self-governing and more free or more managed and more controlled? If the answer is the latter, do not join them.” — Glenn Beck [61:03]
10. Truth-Seeking and the Dangers of Sloganeering
[61:20] Glenn Beck:
- Beck argues that finding truth is hard, and requires humility and readiness to have your own beliefs challenged.
- Warns against living and marching by slogans; emphasizes doing personal research, reading original sources, and not just acting on headlines or social media.
11. Fascism and Political Definitions Reclaimed
[88:00] Glenn Beck:
- Beck provides his definition of fascism:
- The merger of corporate and state power into a centralized authority.
- Suppression of dissent and free speech.
- State-directed economy serving regime interests above private property.
Quotes:
“At its core, fascism is the merger of state and corporate power under a single centralized authority.” — Glenn Beck [89:24]
“When the economy is owned by the government ... those things are fascistic.” — Glenn Beck [91:10]
- He warns that both political sides risk drifting into authoritarianism when power centers collude or dissent is silenced.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- [05:13] “If this movement is truly against billionaires and the powerful, why is it funded by billionaires and the powerful?” — Glenn Beck
- [15:00] “This is not about dismantling power. This is about rearranging power.” — Glenn Beck
- [21:00] “They have no idea what they're doing. ... They actually think this is about Donald Trump. ... But it's not for the billionaires. It's about the plan.” — Glenn Beck
- [69:30] “Now you’re the man—the CEO, the senator, the billionaire—and yet you still think you’re Che Guevara.” — Glenn Beck
- [61:03] “If your side achieved everything they wanted ... would ordinary people become more self-governing and more free or more managed and more controlled? If the answer is the latter, do not join them.” — Glenn Beck
- [89:24] “At its core, fascism is the merger of state and corporate power under a single centralized authority.” — Glenn Beck
- [29:00] (Paraphrased Romans): “Love must be sincere ... Do not repay anyone evil for evil ... live at peace with everyone.”
Timeline of Important Segments & Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment/Discussion | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:13 | Introduction to "No Kings," money trail exposed | | 10:00 | Color revolution tactics and manufactured protest analogy | | 21:00 | Demographics of protest, "baby boomer rebellion" and useful idiots | | 26:10 | Protester audio: “Who are you going to kill? Nazis” — illustration of dangerous rhetoric | | 29:00 | Scripture (Romans) read, call for humility and peace | | 36:00 | The illusion of rebellion, call for hard questions about billionaire funding | | 46:59 | Critical thinking framework before joining a movement | | 61:20 | How to seek truth, warnings against slogans and manipulation | | 69:13 | Extended anti-hippie monologue; generational critique | | 89:00 | Discussion: Definition of fascism, warnings about authoritarian drift | | 104:37 | Speaker of the House audio: leftist coalition as new Democratic Party, critique of protest aims | | 111:02 | China political shake-up preview | | 114:37 | Government shutdown coverage and media hypocrisy | | 127:37 | "No Kings but Christ" merch and historic symbolism explanation |
Tone and Language
- Beck adopts a sarcastic, polemical tone throughout, often deploying humor, sharp cultural references, and biting satire (especially in the anti-hippie monologue).
- He invokes scripture and earnest appeals for self-reflection to contrast with the heated climate of protest rhetoric.
- Dialogue between Glenn and Stu is conversational, often peppered with pop-culture references, occasional self-mockery, and running jokes about generational divides.
Conclusion / Takeaways
- Beck's core thesis: Today's “No Kings” protests are less about liberating the masses than about redistributing elite power among oligarchs, using manipulated activism as camouflage.
- He urges listeners to question received narratives, avoid being swept along by crowd emotion or slogans, and reclaim principles of personal responsibility, self-governance, and real freedom.
- The episode closes with warnings about the dangers of blurred lines between state and corporate power, and the critical importance of defending constitutional liberties against both left- and right-wing authoritarianism.