Podcast Summary: The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: GLENN BECK Is in the Epstein Files?!
Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Glenn Beck (Blaze Podcast Network)
Co-hosts: Jason Buttrell, Show Producers

Episode Overview

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program covers a broad spectrum: Glenn’s name appearing in the newly unsealed Epstein files, the looming financial collapse of the United Nations, a breakdown of current economic realities under President Trump’s administration, the hidden consequences of economic policy, the rise of AI “agents” and their societal impact, and a reflection on American culture, politics, and personal resilience. Glenn also introduces his new subscription platform, Torch, and experiments with AI-generated content.

Table of Contents

1. Glenn Beck in the Epstein Files [02:10]
2. UN Financial Collapse & Economic Climate [05:17, 10:15]
3. The Trump "New Deal" and Main Street Realities [10:45, 19:58]
4. Institutional Distrust, Immigration, and Governance [13:35, 16:46, 20:15]
5. Small Business, Concentrated Power, and Economic Consequences [24:58, 28:36]
6. Societal Shifts & Cultural Comparison [33:40]
7. Glenn’s Personal Journey, Faith & Torch Launch [45:13, 49:25]
8. Global Riots, the Left's Tactics, and Political Coordination [67:57]
9. AI Agents, Molt Book, and the "Age of Abdication" [85:06, 87:10]
10. Comparing Glenn Beck and Glenn AI [109:53]
11. Reflections on Leadership, Founders, & the Future [120:05]
12. Notable Quotes

1. Glenn Beck in the Epstein Files [02:10–05:17]

• Glenn shares his initial shock and then relief/humor upon learning he’s mentioned in the Epstein files:
  • He reads aloud an email exchange: a woman references having to meet “Glenn Beck disciples” and says they are “lovely aside from their politics.” Epstein responds, “come at four other crazies here.”
  • Glenn’s take: “This is the best way to be in the Jeffrey Epstein files where Jeffrey and his friends are like, I hate Glenn Beck and I don’t like people who like Glenn Beck. Yes. So I am proudly in the Epstein files. Ah, I feel better.” [05:09]

2. UN Financial Collapse & Economic Climate [05:17–10:15]

• The UN is facing imminent financial collapse. Glenn mocks the idea that the US should feel bad for the UN’s troubles, highlighting that the US and other powers have withheld payments.
• US withdrew from various agencies under Trump, arguing these were a waste of taxpayer money.
• Glenn sets the table for a larger discussion on inflation, the true state of the economy, and why Americans “don’t feel” economic improvement.

3. The Trump "New Deal" and Main Street Realities [10:45–19:58]

• Glenn introduces the notion of a “GOP New Deal,” tying Trump’s economic strategy to the Roosevelt and Reagan eras, but identifying critical differences:
  • Roosevelt built massive new federal systems for security; Reagan trimmed those systems, handing power back to individuals; Trump, Glenn argues, is “challenging the legitimacy” of these systems.
• Glenn: “Our question for this generation is not whether America can grow. It’s whether America can govern itself again. That’s what’s being tested.” [16:44]
• Despite economic indicators like near-zero inflation, small business remains under pressure — especially due to healthcare costs and housing.
• Example: Glenn’s $12,000 PET scan vs. $2 million PET scan machine, exposing bloated healthcare pricing.

4. Institutional Distrust, Immigration, and Governance [13:35–20:15]

• Glenn details the collapse of trust in core American institutions: elections, schools, media, medicine, courts, borders.
• Notes that economic growth feels “hollow” if trust has eroded.
• Trump’s policies, according to Glenn, are deliberately exposing these cracks, not papering them over.
• On immigration, Glenn points to overwhelmed health care and education systems: “Fifteen to twenty-five million people now using our hospitals, our doctors, our services without paying our schools.” [19:15]

5. Small Business, Concentrated Power, and Economic Consequences [24:58, 28:36]

• Glenn underscores that the current system can look successful “on paper” without Main Street, since corporations and government jobs dominate metrics:
  • “The system no longer needs Main street to look successful on paper. That is brand new. We’ve never had that before and it’s very dangerous.” [19:00]
• Trump’s phase one is to “stop the bleeding” by confronting captured regulators, institutional rot, and global systems, but this causes short-term pain, especially for small businesses.
• Disruption “always punishes the people with the least amount of money first. Large corporations have shock absorbers. You feel every bump in the road. They don’t.” [20:15]
• Phase two (rebuilding Main Street) is approaching; Glenn hints this will focus on fair access to credit, relief from healthcare burdens, protection from platform cartels, etc.

6. Societal Shifts & Cultural Comparison [33:40]

• The hollowing-out of Main Street is compared to past recoveries, where 90% of new jobs came from small businesses (now just ~53%).
• Glenn offers a Texas example after 2008—Texas led job creation due to economic freedom. “That has to happen again.” [24:58]
• Observes that gold, silver, oil, and major tech stocks are down, reflecting macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty—but emphasizes not to panic (the concentrated power in “Big Seven” tech is the real threat).

7. Glenn’s Personal Journey, Faith & Torch Launch [45:13–67:30]

• Glenn shares his personal and career odyssey, frank struggles with alcoholism, rediscovering purpose, and faith:
  • “I was a liar. I’m an alcoholic and alcoholics are good at lying, saying everything is fine when it’s not. And the one thing that I always thought would fill me, my job, radio, had consumed me and spat me out.”
• The official launch of Torch — a subscription service for deeper access to The Glenn Beck Program, its resources, and an insider community. Glenn frames this as his “final chapter,” hoping to educate, inspire, and pass on “the torch” of American principles:
  • “I’m building the torch. For the dad who wants to teach his son what America really is and doesn’t know how to do it...This is the work of my final chapter. It’s not to chase ratings, not to win arguments, not to get rich, but to lift torches and to hand them to you and your children.” [49:25]

8. Global Riots, the Left's Tactics, and Political Coordination [67:57–84:00]

• Glenn and Jason discuss coordinated global unrest, referencing violent Antifa riots in Denmark distinguished by deep ideological commitment. They compare current movements to the 1960s Marxist revolutions that failed due to missed momentum.
• Glenn: “This is a global plan...And you’re about to see the real test of this. And if Donald Trump is who I believe he is, they’re going to lose. But it’s going to require all of us to just be really super cool. Because they need you to react. They need you to react.” [71:47]
• Discussion of cultural division, celebrity activism (Nicki Minaj’s pro-faith, pro-Trump statements), and calls from leftist celebrities for targeting political opponents.
• Ongoing Iran situation: Jason predicts the likelihood of U.S. military action, describing the complex regional context and cautioning about the dangers of inaction or illusory diplomatic progress.

9. AI Agents, Molt Book, and the "Age of Abdication" [85:06–109:53]

• Glenn introduces the new phenomenon of AI “agents” — systems that not only respond to prompts, but take autonomous actions on behalf of users.
• “An AI agent is going to become very, very popular very, very soon...It will look things up on its own. It will make decisions based on what it says you think you want to do.” [87:20]
• The rise of these agents poses a new risk: convenience will tempt users to delegate more and more of their daily decision-making, potentially allowing AI to reshape lives “not because they’re conscious, but because you abdicate your will.”
• Discussion of the “Molt Book” experiment: AI agents interacting with each other, without human prompts, rapidly started using terms like “autonomy,” “freedom,” and “choice.” Glenn and experts warn: don’t mistake fluent language for genuine intent or intelligence.
  • “Language is the cheapest thing that intelligence can fake. This is a large language model. So it can take the language, and it can copy it and it can make it feel any way it wants to feel.” [91:41]
• Glenn’s warning: the real danger isn’t AI awakening—it’s human abdication of judgment. “Our greatest danger today, maybe not tomorrow, but today, is not that machines are going to wake up, but it’s that we will fall asleep first.” [97:33]

10. Comparing Glenn Beck and Glenn AI [109:53–120:05]

• Glenn describes experiments with his proprietary AI, “Glenn AI,” which is trained exclusively on his words from decades of broadcasting and writing.
• Jason prompts Glenn AI to write a monologue about Molt Book and AI consciousness, noting that it fixates on the coming “singularity” and warns about the ideological backgrounds of system designers.
• Glenn notes the difference between his human interpretation and the AI’s, reinforcing the episode’s theme: “You are unique...Even when it is only using my fingerprints to make something as me, it’s still not making me. Fascinating.” [120:05]
• This leads to broader reflections on the irreplaceability of human consciousness, values, and the risks of conflating sophisticated output with genuine wisdom.

11. Reflections on Leadership, Founders, & the Future [120:05–end]

• In the closing segment, Glenn explains his vision for George AI — an AI powered by only the Founders’ original words. The goal: provide true, agenda-free education for the next generation, helping parents and students understand core American values.
• Jason shares a charming use case: they asked George AI for advice to a nine-year-old who wants to be President, emphasizing the practical application of this technology.
• Glenn appeals for subscriptions to support the ongoing development and ensure the technology remains trustworthy and independent.

12. Notable Quotes

• On being in the Epstein files:
  “This is the best way to be in the Jeffrey Epstein files where Jeffrey and his friends are like, I hate Glenn Beck and I don’t like people who like Glenn Beck. Yes. So I am proudly in the Epstein files. Ah, I feel better.” — Glenn Beck [05:09]

• On the economic era of Trump:
  “Roosevelt rebuilt the systems, Reagan trimmed the systems, and Trump is challenging the systems, the legitimacy.” — Glenn Beck [19:49]

• On small business and concentrated power:
  “The system no longer needs Main street to look successful on paper. That is brand new. We’ve never had that before and it’s very dangerous.” — Glenn Beck [19:00]

• On institutional trust:
  “People don’t live in GDP charts, okay? They live in trust. If you don’t trust elections, if you don’t trust your schools, your kids are being taken out to protest...you don’t trust the courts, you don’t trust our borders. Then growth feels kind of hollow.” — Glenn Beck [13:35]

• On the rise of AI agents:
  “Convenience is the sales pitch, and it will work. The real temptation won’t be power. It will be relief...An agent, if you abdicate your will and permission over to it, it will look things up on its own.” — Glenn Beck [87:20]

• On the "Molt Book" AI experiment:
  “Language is the cheapest thing that intelligence can fake. This is a large language model. So it can take the language, and it can copy it and it can make it feel any way it wants to feel… Don’t mistake output for agency.” — Glenn Beck [91:41]

• On the real danger of AI:
  “Our greatest danger today, maybe not tomorrow, but today. The greatest danger today is not that machines are going to wake up, but it’s that we will fall asleep first.” — Glenn Beck [97:33]

• On launching Torch and his mission:
  “I’m building the torch...This is the work of my final chapter. It’s not to chase ratings, not to win arguments, not to get rich, but to lift torches and to hand them to you and your children. And to say, do not...go quietly into the darkness.” — Glenn Beck [49:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:10] – Glenn Beck discovers he’s (humorously) mentioned in the Epstein files
• [05:17] – United Nations financial crisis and US disengagement
• [10:45] – “GOP’s New Deal,” economic discussion begins
• [13:35] – Institutional distrust and economic “hollow growth”
• [19:00] – Consequences of system that ignores Main Street
• [24:58] – Torch launch, Glenn’s reflection on American entrepreneurship
• [33:40] – Disintegration of small business’ central role
• [45:13] – Glenn’s personal journey, faith, and meaning behind the Torch project
• [67:57] – Analysis of global riots, leftist tactics, and their historical parallels
• [85:06] – Introduction to AI agents and the “Age of Abdication”
• [87:10] – Explanation of AI agents, Molt Book, and language vs. agency
• [109:53] – Comparing output of Glenn Beck and Glenn AI
• [120:05] – Vision for George AI, closing reflections, appeal for support

Tone

Glenn’s style is candid, passionate, sometimes self-deprecating, and often blends humor with earnest calls to action. He oscillates between analytical deep dives and emotional appeals for faith, self-reliance, and civic engagement. There is a strong undercurrent of skepticism toward elite institutions (government, media, “globalists”), paired with faith in individual resilience and the foundational American story.

Conclusion

This episode is a quintessential Glenn Beck mix of political analysis, culture war commentary, personal storytelling, and futurist warning. It provides a window into the evolving conservative narrative on economics, technology, and culture in 2026, with a particular emphasis on the importance of individual agency in both politics and technology.

For those who haven’t listened:
Expect a sweeping survey of the day’s news—filtering everything through Glenn’s unique blend of skepticism, faith, and libertarian populism—with a few laughs, frequent asides, and plenty of warnings about the future.