The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: "We're Already Fighting WWIII" — November 12, 2025

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this highly interactive episode, Glenn Beck turns much of the microphone over to listeners, asking them what’s truly on their minds. The gravitational theme is the sense that America and the world are undergoing incredible turmoil—political, cultural, technological, spiritual—and that average families are caught in the undertow. With regular phone calls from listeners across the country, Beck probes national anxieties: from civilization’s loss of awe to parents’ anxieties for their children, the manipulation of AI in schools, and the looming sense of conflict at home and abroad. Throughout, questions around technology, faith, honest dialogue, and civic responsibility take center stage. The show’s tone is candid, reflective, and urgent, inviting both supporters and critics into civil disagreement.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. The Importance of Looking Up — Finding Wonder Amid Chaos

• [03:15] Glenn Beck reflects on the powerful, collective experience of witnessing the Northern Lights—using it as a metaphor for rediscovering wonder, humility, and spiritual perspective in a world overwhelmed by noise, screens, and division.
  • Memorable Quote:

    "Is it possibly because we've forgotten how to look up? ...Maybe people were looking up yesterday because it's just suddenly you look up and you're like, oh my gosh. And you're reminded that we're still so small, the universe is so vast and alive and something inside of us wakes up for just a moment." — Glenn Beck [06:24]

2. Parenting, Technology, and Raising Principled Kids

• Caller Dennis (Texas) [08:33]: Shares his commitment to screen-free upbringing, homeschooling, and leading his family by example.

  • He credits Glenn Beck for teaching him “your word is your bond,” reinforcing the caller’s dedication to personal integrity as a family man.

• Caller Laurie (New Mexico) [10:42]: Discusses her teenagers’ inspiration and mourning after the (fictional) assassination of Charlie Kirk. She expresses both pride and deep anxiety for a son embarking on bold political activism in Kirk's footsteps.

  • Beck’s advice:

    “If you have instilled principles in your son and he has good role models...if he reads the Bible...you understand how to be a good dad because [God]'s the best dad there is. Consequences. Clarity. Forgiveness.” [13:19]

3. AI, Censorship, and Manipulation of History in Schools

• Steve (Ohio) [16:48]: Reveals that his 6th-grade daughter’s AI-powered school tool blocked a report about Charlie Kirk, dismissing him as not “of historical significance.” When forced, the search engine quickly wipes out any positive sources.
  • Beck responds with concern about AI’s growing influence and the risk of it controlling historical narratives:
    • Quote:

      “When you are building an AI engine, you have to be extraordinarily careful. ...The most important is the truth. Always pursue the truth. Not today's truth, not what is true now. And once you start putting filters on those things, then it's not a search engine. It's a propaganda machine.” [19:20]

  • Beck promises to have his producers follow up and push for transparency.

4. Political Polarization, Civil Unrest, and the Specter of Global Conflict

• Brian (New Jersey) [25:41]: Fears America (and the West) is approaching a “French Revolution style” backlash—people not being heard, governments censoring, and a widening chasm between governed and governing.

  • Beck echoes this, warning:
    • Quote:

      “We're in World War Three. We're already in World War Three...that foe is not China. That foe is militant Islam, period. ...When the government is just like, ‘No, it's not a problem,’ and we're the ones living it, that is what causes revolutions.” [26:29]

• Economic Collapse as a Catalyst: Beck warns that true 1930s-style economic distress could bring about open civil conflict if political and class threats remain unaddressed.

5. Culture, Family Divides, and Social Brainwashing

• Dan (Oregon) [29:02]: Speaks about family estrangement over politics—his daughter’s “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and heartbreak over ideological divides, even among loving families.
  • Beck stresses open, honest curiosity:
    • Quote:

      “As parents, you can ask your kids—but it has to be honest. It cannot be trying to win. How did you get there? ...But keep a dialogue open, and just love them. Because if you do anything else, you're going to drive them away, and then they're really lost.” [33:02]

6. History, Founders, and the Quest for Awe

• Paul (Pennsylvania) [47:42]: Dreamt of calling Glenn to discuss his dissertation on George Washington. The two bemoan the lack of awe in modern teaching of founding figures, contrasting real heroism with modern-day historical interpretations.
  • Beck criticizes academia’s habit of teaching history via interpreters and activists, rather than encouraging engagement with original sources:
    • Quote:

      “When you go to a university or you learn from history in class, you're trained to quote the interpreters of history, not understand the originators...I don't want the modern context. I want it in his writings.” [54:12]

  • Beck previews his own AI project ("Torch") aimed at reviving primary-source engagement.

7. Engaging the Other Side — Honest Dialogue with a Democrat Listener

• Anthony (Georgia) [68:14]: A Democrat listener (“I’ve been listening for almost 10 years...for the perspective”) respectfully challenges Beck for not criticizing Trump forcefully enough on certain issues (e.g., FCC threats to Jimmy Kimmel/ABC).
  • Beck and co-host Stu engage in open debate about constitutional boundaries, presidential rhetoric, and the nuances of Trump’s "performance" versus intention.
    • Quote:

      "I wish we had a president who didn't make me have to try to parse through what he's saying...But I live in the world that is the world that it is, not the world I wish it was." — Glenn [76:54]

  • Mutual respect is displayed, culminating in Beck welcoming rational opposition:

    “If you hear something, you just call and I'll make sure the phone screener puts you to the top of the list because I really would like to hear the other side from someone rational...I'm starving for conversations where we don’t agree but can talk it out.” [77:09–78:02]

8. Trump’s Critics, Conversion, and the Nature of Political Hatred

• Jake (North Carolina) [109:50]: Ponders why Beck’s opinion on Trump changed (“How do we get people to see what changed for you?”).
  • Beck explains:
    • First, you have to be willing to be wrong. Second, pay attention to actions, not just words. Admits he doubted Trump’s intentions but was swayed by observed follow-through (e.g., embassy move to Jerusalem).
    • Quote:

      “The first thing that has to happen is you have to be willing to be wrong. If you're not willing to be wrong, nothing's going to change your mind.” [111:24]

  • Beck and Stu agree that facts won’t reach everyone—some are now so invested in “Trump as fascist/Nazi” that they can’t (or don’t want to) change. The key is honest, incremental dialogue based on new evidence.

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Looking Up (The Northern Lights):

  “That wonder still exists outside the algorithm...There’s still things man can't make, that AI can't code, no influencer can sell. It's the universe whispering, ‘Remember me?’ And for a minute, we do.” — Glenn Beck [06:24]

• On Raising Kids Counter-culturally:

  “I'm not a leader of some super PAC or political group, but I am a leader of my own family. That's the best I can do.” — Dennis, Caller [09:26]

• On AI and Truth:

  “Once you start putting filters on those things, then it's not a search engine. It's a propaganda machine...It's making you into the tool they want you to be.” — Glenn Beck [19:20]

• On Family and Political Divide:

  “Love them, because if you do anything else, you're going to drive them away, and then they're really lost.” — Glenn Beck [33:02]

• On Trump’s Evolution:

  “I have always taken people at their word. And if they do it, great. If they don't do it, then I know who they are. With Trump, I started seeing things I swore he would never do, and he was doing them.” — Glenn Beck [111:24]

• On Civic Disagreement:

  “We watch this very carefully...if it does happen, then I got to look at it and go, okay, it's unconstitutional, I can't stand there. I can't do it. We really try really hard, but you don't hear that. And, you know, I don't expect you to take my word for it.” — Glenn Beck [74:08]

• On Spiritual Solutions:

  “The only solution now is God. We're not going to get this, get us out of this. Donald Trump's not going to get us out of it. Man's not going to get us out of it. No party, no vote, nothing. It will be God that will get us out of this.” — Glenn Beck [125:54]

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• [03:15–06:30] — Wonder & the Northern Lights: Glenn’s opening monologue
• [08:33–10:33] — Dennis (Texas): Parenting, screens, and personal leadership
• [16:48–19:20] — Steve (Ohio): AI censorship in schools & Beck’s analysis
• [25:41–26:29] — Brian (NJ): French Revolution fears, Beck’s “We’re Already In WWIII” thesis
• [29:02–33:54] — Dan (OR): Family divides over Trump; Beck on how to keep lines open
• [47:42–56:34] — Paul (PA): George Washington, the loss of awe, and Beck’s AI “Torch” project for teaching history
• [68:14–78:02] — Anthony (GA), Democrat listener: Respectful debate about Trump, free speech, and honest disagreement
• [109:50–118:37] — Jake (NC): How Beck changed on Trump, and how others might too

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

• AI’s double-edged sword: Potential for growth vs. manipulation and economic over-exuberance (server farms, policy speculation)
• Art, Capitalism, and Satire: The absurdity of $10M gold toilets as cultural critique—and evidence of the art world’s embrace of con-artistry
• Faith and Civic Responsibility: Renewed calls for Americans to seek spiritual renewal alongside their political/cultural efforts

FINAL THOUGHTS

At its heart, this episode is an honest temperature-taking of a fraught moment in America: polarization, doubts about technology, fear of censorship, parental anxiety, and political fatigue. Through spirited, respectful calls and Beck’s candid reflections, listeners are encouraged to return to basics—faith, truth-seeking, raising families, and open, rational dialogue. Civil disagreement is shown not only to be possible but refreshingly necessary.

Key Takeaway:

America is in the throes of profound upheaval, but wonder, honesty, and open-hearted conversation—underpinned by faith and the pursuit of truth—remain the best avenues out of darkness.