The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: "Insurrection Act Crash Course: Would the Founders STOP Minnesota's Violence?"
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Glenn Beck
Guests: Brad Meltzer & Carol Roth

Episode Overview

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program takes a deep dive into the constitutional, political, and cultural crisis unfolding in Minnesota, where violence and obstruction are challenging federal law enforcement. Glenn Beck leads a detailed, emotionally charged, yet intellectually rigorous discussion about the possible invocation of the Insurrection Act by President Trump, using both historical context and perspectives sourced from the Founders’ own writings. The episode also touches on the global reordering of power, emerging new world order alignments, and the economic implications of potential Supreme Court decisions on trade and tariffs.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Minnesota Crisis and the Insurrection Act (03:00–24:35)

• Backdrop: Violent resistance in Minnesota is directly impeding federal ICE operations, with local officials and police seemingly unwilling or unable to assist, raising questions of insurrection versus criminal violence.
• Local Leadership: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey are, at best, ambiguous in their support of federal law enforcement, some suggesting their rhetoric “ratchets up problems” (08:00–09:30).
  • Quote:
    “We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another. Amen. Why are we put in this position?”
    — Mayor Jacob Frey ([09:10])
• Incident: Recent violent attack on an ICE officer by illegal immigrants with local law enforcement NOT arresting the perpetrators, suggesting state obstruction.
• Constitutional Threshold: Beck outlines the constitutional line: peaceful protest vs. violent obstruction, and when the federal government is justified in intervening.
• For the Insurrection Act (Glenn’s framing):
  • Rule of law at risk; local obstruction meets criteria for presidential action (14:00+)
  • “If that isn’t the threshold to bring in the Insurrection Act ... I don’t know what is.” ([15:45])
• Against the Insurrection Act:
  • Is civil authority really collapsed, or is it merely conflict within the law?
  • Historical precedent: Insurrection Act intended for moments like the Civil War or Shays’ Rebellion, not incrementally violent unrest with functioning courts and police.
  • “Once you normalize this use, you don’t get to decide who uses it next or for what purpose.” ([17:40])
• Listener/Insider Reactions:
  • The audience splits: 62% support invoking the Act, 38% are wary about potential escalation into civil war ([39:36]).

2. What Would the Founders Do? Consult with George AI (31:00–39:30)

• Historical Parallel: Shays’ Rebellion (post-Revolution Massachusetts)—federal intervention was justified to restore civil order.
• Beck’s Summary: The Founders feared lawlessness as much as tyranny. They would have seen violent, organized obstruction as grounds for armed federal intervention, but only as a last resort, with gravity and restraint.
  • Quote:
    “Their biggest fear was not a king. It was lawlessness dressed up as liberty. And that’s exactly what we’re getting today.” ([33:06])
  • “He would have done it to restore the system of government that we have all voted on. This is the way it works.” ([34:00])
• Standard for Action: Not chest-beating or vengeance, but calm, constitutional necessity.

3. Beyond Minnesota — Color Revolutions and the Global Reset (24:58–44:00)

• Color Revolution: Beck theorizes that leftist politicians are fomenting chaos intentionally to elicit a federal crackdown, which can then be branded as fascism—part of a broader destabilization and “color revolution” playbook.
  • “This is a color revolution ... create such chaos so the government must make moves that appear to be fascistic.” ([24:58])
• Media Manipulation: The insult of calling January 6th an 'insurrection' is contrasted with the Minnesota situation; Beck claims the current unrest in Minnesota is a much clearer case.

4. Interview: Brad Meltzer – Secrets, Disappearances, and Witness Protection (66:23–80:42)

• Book Plug: “The Viper,” latest in Meltzer’s Escape Artist thriller series, centers on the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base and real-life secrets that can be hidden on a body.
• Mortuary Secrets: Meltzer shares a true anecdote about a secret note eaten by a 9/11 victim that survived the crash, discovered by morticians:
  • Quote:
    “They found a note that someone ate on 9/11 ... It was one of the most chilling, incredible stories from the firsthand person who did it.” — Brad Meltzer ([69:36])
• Witness Protection: Changing identity today is much harder—technology, digital footprints, and the emotional cost (“the call of home”) make true disappearance extremely difficult.
  • “The Marshal Service has never lost anyone in witness protection as long as they followed the rules … The hardest thing to leave behind is your life.” ([73:51])

5. Economic Earthquakes – Tariffs & the New World Order (87:40–122:24)

• Global Realignments: Canada announces a shift toward China as a key ally, Mark Carney and the “new world order,” and the implications for US sovereignty and economic influence ([44:00+]).
• Supreme Court and Tariffs: Beck explains that a potential Supreme Court ruling could strip the president’s ability to impose tariffs as a negotiating lever:
  • Tariffs are not just line items—they are “how the United States, without firing a bullet, forces negotiations … the world only respects strength backed by action.” ([87:40])
  • If that lever goes away, America’s global posture and economy will be transformed overnight; China and the EU will exploit this weakness ([90:00+]).
• Carol Roth’s Analysis:
  • If tariffs are struck down, chaos will ensue both administrative and global, but the administration is prepared with alternative strategies—other legal options exist for trade policy ([109:51]).
  • California’s wealth tax and warnings about innovation and capital flight—taxing innovation will spread economic stagnation to the rest of the country ([117:58]).
  • “Every bad economic proposal … is incubated in California and then it ends up spreading.” — Carol Roth ([118:38])
• Advice: Beck and Roth agree—trust, adaptability, and local communities will become the most important currencies in a turbulent, tech-driven world.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• Beck on the Constitution:
  “I am on Team Constitution. So what does the Constitution say?” ([04:59])
• Mayor Jacob Frey on Division in Law Enforcement:
  “We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another.” ([09:10])
• Beck on Precedent:
  “If we evoke the Insurrection Act before the collapse has occurred, then the greatest casualty will not be order, it will be precedent.” ([21:25])
• On Shays’ Rebellion & Founders’ Fears:
  “Their biggest fear was not a king. It was lawlessness dressed up as liberty.” ([33:06])
• Brad Meltzer:
  “If you secretly sew something into the lining of your suit and you hand that suit over to your local mortician, you have an ultimate untraceable hiding spot.” ([66:51])
• On Canada Embracing China:
  “America is becoming so totalitarian under Donald Trump … so we’re going to run to communist China?” ([50:20])
• Carol Roth on Wealth and Innovation:
  “We are in a race for our lives with tech...If we have a disruption in innovation, ... it rolls out to the rest of us and hurts the country overall.” ([118:38])
• On Trust in the Coming Order:
  “The most important commodity will be trust. In three years, you’re going to see a world that is so full of tech that you will never know what’s real. … Guard your credibility.” ([99:59])

Segment Timestamps

| Segment Topic | Start Time | |------------------------------------------------|------------| | Insurrection Act, Minnesota Violence | 03:00 | | Constitutional Pros/Cons of the Act | 15:45 | | Listener Poll & Audience Reaction | 24:35 | | Color Revolution & Media Narratives | 24:58 | | The Founders’ Historical Precedent | 31:00 | | Modern Global Realignment / New World Order | 44:00 | | Supreme Court, Tariffs, Economic Implications | 87:40 | | Capital Controls, Trust, Economic Survival | 99:59 | | Brad Meltzer Interview, Witness Protection | 66:23 | | Carol Roth on Economics, Wealth, Policy | 109:51 |

Tone and Closing Thoughts

Glenn Beck is candid, urgent, emotional but methodical—constantly urging listeners to rise above partisan gamesmanship in favor of constitutional clarity and historical wisdom. The episode combines historical storytelling, present-day analysis, and forward-looking warnings. Beck encourages constitutional loyalty, mutual respect in debate, personal preparedness, and prioritizing trustworthiness in an increasingly chaotic and manipulated information environment.

Summary Takeaways

• Minnesota’s violence is a true constitutional crisis; invoking the Insurrection Act carries immense precedent.
• The Founders radically disliked the use of federal force, but would deploy it to restore collapsing civil order—only as a sober last resort.
• America’s global leverage, through tariffs and constitutional consistency, is under threat by both judicial decision and internal division.
• Economic and political chaos is brewing, whether by external actors (China, WEF, shifting alliances) or self-inflicted wounds (capital controls, innovation flight).
• Trust, adaptability, factual debate, and constitutional principles will be vital in the storm ahead.

For those who want an unfiltered take on rapid-fire constitutional, economic, and cultural risks facing America in 2026—with both intelligence and passion—this episode is required listening (or reading).