The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: Joe Rogan & Glenn Agree: Conditions Are Ripe for Civil War
Guests: Gov. Greg Abbott & Sen. John Kennedy
Date: November 13, 2025
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network

Episode Overview

In this episode, Glenn Beck dives into current American political tensions and cultural shifts, focusing on topics ranging from the ongoing fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein files to the recent government shutdown, the growing polarization in U.S. society, and an honest conversation about the risks of civil conflict—highlighted by a discussion with Joe Rogan about "steps to civil war." Key interviews include Governor Greg Abbott on Texas property tax reform and Senator John Kennedy, who shares sharp, memorable commentary on politics, filibuster, and his latest book.

The episode mixes pointed analysis, satirical asides, and direct quotes from major players, encapsulating the sense of unease and division pervading the nation as 2025 nears its close.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epstein Files and Media Manipulation

• Timestamps: [04:35]–[11:28]
• Glenn and Stu analyze the recent media push around redacted Epstein emails, particularly allegations involving Donald Trump. Glenn argues that "new" information is being misleadingly framed as scandalous despite having been publicly addressed years prior.
• Quote — Glenn Beck [04:56]:
  “Let me, let me read what Jeffrey Epstein wrote. I want you to realize that the dog who hasn't barked is Trump. Victim. Redacted victim. Spent hours at my house with him. He has never once been mentioned…”
• They dissect how redacting well-known victim names (e.g., Virginia Giuffre) serves to suggest fresh scandal, calling out the media’s selective reporting.
• Glenn surmises if there were truly incriminating evidence against Trump, it would have surfaced during Democratic control of investigations:
  Quote — Glenn Beck [12:42]:
  “…if there was Anything about Donald Trump. You don't think that would have come up between 2020 and 2024? … It's like you're Wiley Coyote. This time we've got the Roadrunner. No, you're never going to catch him on this.”

2. Shutdown Politics & Government Dysfunction

• Timestamps: [13:00]–[22:36]
• Glenn recaps the latest (now-ended) government shutdown, sharply critiquing both parties but especially Democratic leadership for achieving nothing while causing real-world harm, such as economic disruption and delayed services.
• He commends honest brokers in politics—unexpectedly, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman—for calling out his own party’s nastiness: Quote — Fetterman via Kennedy [21:17]:
  “The most poisonous, the bitterest, is from the far left…”

3. Are We Approaching Civil War? Joe Rogan & Glenn Beck Discuss the Warning Signs

• Timestamps: [25:20]–[39:00]
• Inspired by a recent Joe Rogan segment, Glenn lays out a “Nine Steps to Civil War” framework—mapping each step to current U.S. events.
  • Steps include: Loss of civic trust, identity polarization, breakdown of gatekeepers (media, churches), parallel realities, loss of rule of law, normalization of violence, rise of militias, trigger event, and split in police/military loyalties.
• Glenn argues the U.S. is firmly into steps 5–7, with only a “spark” needed for disaster. Quote — Glenn Beck [38:16]:
  “If you chart America on the nine-step model of civil war, steps one through four completed. Step five happening. Step six happening. Step seven beginning. Step eight just waiting for it. And step nine avoidable only if step eight never happens…”

4. Governor Greg Abbott on Texas Property Tax Reform

• Timestamps: [48:38]–[59:13]
• Abbott outlines a five-point plan to curb skyrocketing property taxes in Texas, including local spending caps, requiring public votes for increases, rollback provisions, appraisal reforms, and a potential constitutional amendment to remove school-district property taxes on homesteads.
• Insightful exchanges clarify how state and local tax dynamics work, including the limitations of state power over local taxation.
• Quote — Gov. Abbott [54:13]:
  “If 15% of residents petition to put on the ballot a property tax rate rollback, they will get to vote on reducing their own property tax rates in that jurisdiction...”

5. “You Don’t Own Your House”: The Philosophy of Taxation

• Timestamps: [56:27]–[57:03]
• Glenn posits the philosophical argument against property tax: Quote — Glenn Beck [56:27]:
  “With a property tax, one never truly owns their land…you’re renting it from the local government…that is just not right.”

6. Senator John Kennedy: Wit, Washington, and His New Book

• Timestamps: [87:19]–[108:13]
• Senator Kennedy delivers classic quips on the stupidity of D.C. politics and the corrosive effects of the “Bolshevik wing” of the Democrats, referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
• Discusses his new book, How to Test Negative for Stupid, sharing humorous anecdotes from the Senate and his personal history.
• Quote — Sen. Kennedy [92:13]:
  “I think [Schumer’s] testicles are on back order from China…he just wanted them to love him. They don’t love him! …the Bolshevik wing is in control.”
• On Biden’s mental state:
  Quote — Sen. Kennedy [102:29]:
  “He’d reached the point in life where all he wants to do is sit around and talk about the old days and tell stories…when he gets tired, he just wants soup and an early bedtime…”

7. AI, Youth, and the Erosion of Human Agency

• Timestamps: [68:18]–[74:49] and [112:02]–[123:06]

• Discussion of AI-written music topping the Billboard charts, prompting existential questions about what it means to be human if creativity can be replicated by algorithms. Quote — Glenn Beck [74:06]:
  “If a machine can sing soulfully and not have a soul, what does that mean?... There’s something different about humans, and it is not about what we can do. It is everything about the divine spark…”

• Justin Haskins joins to discuss polling of young Americans: a staggering 41% would support powerful AI making most policy decisions, and 36% would back AI re-writing constitutional rights—revealing deep distrust of current systems and willingness to cede agency to machines. Quote — Justin Haskins [114:39]:
  “…41% of young people said yes. Put AI in charge of policymakers…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[04:56] Glenn Beck:
“Let me, let me read what Jeffrey Epstein wrote. I want you to realize that the dog who hasn't barked is Trump…”

[21:17] John Fetterman (via John Kennedy):
“…the most poisonous, the bitterest, is from the far left…”

[38:16] Glenn Beck:
“…If you chart America on the nine-step model of civil war, steps one through four completed…step nine avoidable only if step eight never happens…”

[54:13] Gov. Abbott (on Texas property tax):
“…If 15% of residents petition to put on the ballot a property tax rate rollback, they will get to vote on reducing their own property tax rates in that jurisdiction…”

[92:13] Sen. Kennedy:
“I think [Schumer’s] testicles are on back order from China…he just wanted them to love him. They don’t love him!”

[74:06] Glenn Beck:
“If a machine can sing soulfully and not have a soul, what does that mean? … It is everything about the divine spark…”

[114:39] Justin Haskins (on polling young voters):
“41% of young people said yes. Put AI in charge of policymakers…”

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [04:35–11:28] Deep dive into Epstein files/media misrepresentation
• [25:20–39:00] Joe Rogan/Glenn: Civil war “nine steps” analysis
• [48:38–59:13] Gov. Abbott on property tax reform
• [87:19–108:13] Sen. John Kennedy interview (shutdown, D.C. wisdom, his book)
• [68:18–74:49] & [112:02–123:06] The rise of AI, “what makes us human,” and young Americans’ attitudes toward AI governance

Tone & Style

• Candid, witty, conspiratorial — Glenn brings quick commentary, frequent asides, and sarcasm, especially regarding the media and politics.
• Mix of doom-and-gloom and defiant optimism — “Know where you are as a map… You do not have to die. You can stop smoking and drinking right now…”
• Folksy, story-driven — Especially during the interview with John Kennedy, who exemplifies homespun wisdom yoked to sharp political critique.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This Glenn Beck episode is a wide-ranging, entertaining yet sobering look at the current state of the American nation. Starting with media handling of the Epstein files and moving through government dysfunction, the advancing polarization reminiscent of civil war precursors, and the philosophical implications of AI replacing human creativity and even governance, the show is both a cautionary diagnosis and a call to clarity. Key voices such as Governor Abbott and Senator Kennedy offer substantive debate and comic relief, respectively, while the episode threads a consistent message: America stands at a crossroads, and the decisions—by people, not machines—matter more than ever.