The Glenn Beck Program — December 30, 2025

Host: Justin Barclay (filling in for Glenn Beck)
Podcast Network: Blaze Podcast Network
Main Focus: Breaking developments on the Trump Administration’s criminal investigation into welfare fraud in Minnesota, broader corruption of government aid programs, political/media reactions, the role of faith and family in American renewal, and the practical/ideological implications for upcoming elections.

Episode Overview

This episode, guest-hosted by Justin Barclay, is dominated by breaking news of a federal investigation into a massive welfare fraud scheme in Minnesota, allegedly involving Somali-run daycare centers and Democratic officials. Barclay dives deeply into the specifics of the fraud, the response from both local and national media, and the consequences for American politics as the 2026 midterms loom. Intertwined are broader discussions on the state of the country, faith, the role of youth in renewal, the risks of government corruption, and how these events are shaping the national mood.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Minnesota Welfare Fraud Investigation: Scope and Details

• [02:13–13:40]
  • The Trump administration announces a criminal probe; federal agents, including ICE and Homeland Security, are conducting "door-to-door" raids/checks in St. Paul and around Minnesota at businesses suspected of being fraudulent daycare/welfare fronts.
  • Somali immigrant networks alleged to be primary perpetrators, with money potentially linked to overseas activity.
  • Whistleblower Nick Shirley, a young citizen journalist, is credited for viral videos exposing empty or fake daycares receiving millions in taxpayer money.
  • Local Minnesota news and state agencies caught off-guard by the viral attention, offering conflicting statements on the status of “Quality Learning Center,” the main daycare in question.
  • Accusations that state and federal agencies, as well as mainstream media, ignored or downplayed the case for years.

"This type of thing doesn't happen if it's not for President Trump saying we're gonna clean this stuff up. And it certainly doesn’t see the light of day without X and without talk radio and programs like Glenn Beck obviously bringing you the stories that you just aren't gonna get."
— Justin Barclay, 06:02

"Everyone seems to be talking about the viral video by YouTuber Nick Shirley visiting Somali-run daycares in Minnesota that received millions in taxpayer money and showing a lack of kids present."
— Local Reporter (via Justin Barclay), 12:51

2. Media and Political Reaction: The Playbook

• [17:36–26:00]
  • Barclay highlights legacy media’s initial refusal to cover, then their attempts to reframe the fraud story as either “made up”, “racist”, or “xenophobic”.
  • Plays and mocks clips from MSNBC and others who claim the investigation is a move to scapegoat the Somali community, with some blaming Trump and the right for “politicizing” federal agencies.
  • Contrasts the media's response to this fraud with the aggressive coverage of the Mar-a-Lago raid, suggesting a double-standard.

"They didn’t just miss the story [...] they actively dismissed it as made up, racist, or xenophobic. Again, straight out of the playbook."
— Justin Barclay, 18:36

"Trump’s attempt to combat fraud is depicted by NBC as xenophobic. No mention of the multi-billion dollar scam..."
— Justin Barclay, 20:50

3. Fraud Elsewhere, Systemic Issues, and Need for Accountability

• [65:30–79:56]
  • Reporting expands to similar suspected fraud cases in Ohio, Maine, and major blue cities—fraudulent payments in rental assistance/HUD, and a 2nd Somali community in Columbus, OH with suspicious daycares.
  • HUD Secretary Turner announces $5 billion in potential housing assistance fraud.
  • Barclay argues fraud is endemic to government programs ("whatever you incentivize, you get more of") and only real arrests of high-level officials might deter future schemes.

"Government programs bring fraud. In fact, you may say we gotta fix it. I may say that’s exactly how the system is designed to work."
— Justin Barclay, 68:10

4. The Election Context & Political Stakes

• [28:20–34:58]
  • Barclay interviews Mike Rogers (ex-Congressman, Senate candidate), who frames the Minnesota scandal as part of a broader pattern potentially decisive for the 2026 midterms.
  • Rogers emphasizes the economic turnaround under Trump, declining crime, falling gas prices, and the need to retain political momentum to root out corruption.

"This next election is maybe the second most important of our lifetimes. [...] If it’s happening in Minnesota at that rate, $9 billion, this [...] Imagine what’s happening in California, New York, Illinois. This is just the tip of the iceberg."
— Mike Rogers, 29:02

5. Broader Moral and Spiritual Renewal

• [43:02–58:10] — Interview with Delano Squires, Heritage Foundation
  • Exploration of whether America’s problems are essentially political or spiritual/ethical—Squires asserts the latter: “Only God saves souls.”
  • Growth in Bible reading, church attendance, especially youth, is seen as encouraging—a sign of a possible “Third Great Awakening.”
  • Dangers of both left-wing and extreme right-wing ideologies undermining family/marriage.
  • The critical role of fatherhood, family structure, and digital discipline in national healing.

"My spidey sense starts to tingle whenever a politician claims they're going to save the soul of the nation. Only God saves souls."
— Delano Squires, 48:54

"The breakdown of the family is the biggest social issue facing the United States of America today. Without a doubt."
— Delano Squires, 61:22

6. Youth, Technology, and Manipulation

• [94:51–101:51] — Interview with Dr. Lance Wallnau
  • Wallnau discusses the explosion of youth searching for meaning—turning to faith, but also vulnerable to dangerous ideologies and media/A.I. manipulation.
  • Conservative resurgence driven by grassroots information flows; contrast with a public increasingly unable to trust traditional media.

"In this uncertainty and chaos of who do you trust? People are going to the Bible and saying, well, I've got to go back into something."
— Lance Wallnau, 87:31

7. The 2026 Elections: Focus, Unity, and Practical Action

• [102:38–112:41]
  • Wallnau and Barclay warn of complacency; contrast the left’s focus on regaining power with the right’s “100 abstract ideas.”
  • Importance of practical organizing, coalition-building, and not being distracted by infighting or negativity.
  • The need for a concerted, strategic effort—from fundraising to grassroots mobilization—to prevent Democratic gains in the House/Senate in 2026.

"Our side isn’t focused at all. And then it hit me [...] The left is chewing glass to get back in power. [...] What we’re thinking about is 100 different abstract ideas about where culture is at."
— Lance Wallnau, 108:53

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Minnesota fraud/Daycares:

  "They were using the kids on a list so that if any of this did pop up they'd be able to say, well no, look, here are the kids we're watching. [...] But there was never really a daycare happening."
  — Justin Barclay, 13:27

• On Media Response:

  "The criminals are being scapegoated, folks. That’s what Ms. DNC13 said—being scapegoated."
  — Justin Barclay, 25:54

• On systemic fraud:

  "It's not just Minnesota, it's happening in Ohio, we've already heard Maine as well [...] Until somebody like Tim Walz is arrested [...] or the former HUD secretary, or big fish get fried, I don't know if you're ever going to see a stop put to all the cause."
  — Justin Barclay, 68:10

• On Faith and National Renewal:

  "We want the same old status quo, same old, same old, where we continue down this path of corruption. We want to clean house and let President Trump get along with his agenda and get things back on track for Americans."
  — Justin Barclay, 28:25

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:13 | BREAKING: Feds Raid Minnesota Daycare Fraud Sites | | 06:01 | The role of Nick Shirley, citizen journalism | | 12:51 | Local news covers viral video on empty/closed daycare | | 17:36 | Media response: Dismissal, accusations of racism/xenophobia | | 21:52 | "Should be fully investigated"—media attempts to downplay | | 28:20 | Interview: Mike Rogers, importance of 2026 elections | | 48:54 | Delano Squires on spiritual, not just political, renewal | | 61:22 | Family breakdown as "biggest social issue" — Squires | | 68:10 | $5B HUD fraud, accountability, and government systems | | 79:56 | Small Business Administration halts payments to MN, PPP fraud | | 87:31 | Wallnau: Rise in youth Bible reading & faith | | 102:38 | Wallnau on political organizing and midterms | | 108:53 | Focus versus distraction: "chewing glass" for power | | 117:56 | Closing: Passionate warning about “accomplices by accident” |

Tone and Language

• Tone: Outraged but upbeat; alternately sarcastic and earnest; conspiracy-aware but not unhinged; appeals equally to reason, morality, and patriotism.
• Language:
  • Direct, informal (e.g., “the pirate jokes,” “mainstream media won’t cover this,” “Sopranos, the Somali Sopranos”),
  • Frequently refers to memes or viral news,
  • Moral urgency (“the root of all of this, the root of all of it, we gotta go back to and trace back to the core, which is evil and the corruption and all of it”),
  • Sarcastic asides and pop-culture references to highlight perceived absurdity.

Overall Summary

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program, hosted by Justin Barclay, provides a deep-dive into newly erupting welfare fraud scandals, especially in Minnesota, while seamlessly connecting them to broader issues of government accountability, media manipulation, the spiritual situation in America, and practical calls to political action ahead of the midterms. Barclay insists that the rot of corruption uncovered in Minnesota is just one symptom of a system that’s built to be exploited and that real accountability is desperately needed.

Throughout, the show features a mix of reporting, interviews (notably with Mike Rogers, Delano Squires, and Dr. Lance Wallnau), and listener engagement, maintaining the trademark Glenn Beck mix of wit, righteous anger, grassroots populism, and calls for moral/spiritual as well as political renewal. The episode closes on a powerful reminder that unless Americans demand accountability and re-commit to first principles—both in faith and in politics—corruption will continue to endanger the country and its children.