The Glenn Beck Program

Episode: Would You Rather: Vote for Cuomo or Drown in the Hudson River?
Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck with Stu Burguiere
Guest: Jack Brewer

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the decline of trust in traditional political institutions, the changing dynamics within the Democratic Party, and election anxieties in major cities like New York. Glenn Beck and co-host Stu dissect Donald Trump's 60 Minutes interview covering topics from China and Taiwan to border control and government shutdowns. They also delve into local elections—especially the New York City mayoral race pitting Andrew Cuomo against Zoran Mamdani—using these as a lens for broader trends in American and international politics. The episode features a segment with Jack Brewer reporting from post-hurricane Jamaica, as well as strong critiques of leftist political memoirs and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump on 60 Minutes: Analyzing the President’s Media Strategy

• Oversaturation: Both Beck and Stu note that presidential "big moments" on TV have lost their impact, attributing this to Trump’s constant media presence.
  • "He has overwhelmed the system with information. The guy is just genius. And he's disarmed... He’s on all the time." – Glenn Beck (05:33)
• On China/Taiwan: Ambiguity as Strategy
  • Trump refuses to outline a specific U.S. military response, asserting, “You'll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that.” (07:56)
  • "Why wouldn't you just say, Presidents never say that. Can you imagine what a stupid question that is?" – Glenn Beck (08:44)
• Negotiation with China: Beck lauds Trump’s approach, crediting him for rare earth mineral deals and economic concessions, painting him as a master negotiator.
  • "This was the equivalent of the American President putting his foot down on the neck of China and saying, you want up?... And China blinked because at this point they had no choice." (10:11–13:45)

Notable Quote:

"We have the best negotiator I think we've ever had." – Glenn Beck (13:45)

2. Immigration & Border Policy

• ICE Raids: Trump defends aggressive tactics, insisting they haven’t gone far enough given the criminality of some immigrants.
  • "I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the... liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama." – Donald Trump (14:34)
• Public Support: Beck asserts that 70% of Americans support ICE raids, despite the mainstream media's negative portrayal.
  • "70% of the American people agree with the ICE raids. 70%. No matter what the mainstream media makes it look. That's the latest poll." – Glenn Beck (15:51)
• Stu’s View: Notes that while controversial on the left and among independents, these policies are a core Trump strength; any dissatisfaction among “border hawks” is that enforcement isn’t tough enough.

Timestamps:

• [14:20] ICE Raids discussion
• [15:23] Popularity/Polls

3. Gov’t Shutdown & Healthcare

• Shutdown Blame: Trump blames Democrats for the government shutdown, painting Senate Democrats as “crazed lunatics.”
  • "They've lost their way. They become crazed lunatics and all they have to do, Nora, is say let's vote." – Donald Trump (19:54)
• Healthcare Perspective: Trump signals a centrist, deal-making approach to healthcare rather than a hard-right deregulatory position.
  • "I don't think the health care thing is [a passion]. I just don't think that that's central to his, you know, his belief structure." – Stu (21:41)

4. New York Mayoral Race – Cuomo vs. Mamdani

• Cuomo’s ‘Corrupt Upside’: Beck and Stu discuss how some might see Cuomo’s corruption as preferable to Mamdani’s ideology.
  • "He is so incredibly corrupt. Some of his corruption will align with good policy. That is the only thing you get out of Andrew Cuomo." – Stu (26:37)
• Mamdani’s Appeal: Mamdani’s outsider, far-left status is driving his support, not just among leftists, but also from Democrats tired of old-school corruption.
  • "The other Democrat is just so horrible... so traditional corrupt that they're tired of that." – Glenn Beck (27:22)
• Obama’s Endorsement and Legacy: They reflect on Obama’s fading influence among the party’s hard left.
  • "I think Barack Obama's legacy is not as solid as it would have been... I think he's going to age like Bill Clinton aged." – Glenn Beck (33:47)

Notable Segment:

• “Would you vote for Cuomo or drown in the Hudson River?”
  • Stu: "No, I could not personally cast a vote for Andrew Cuomo. I mean, the man I think is responsible for thousands of people dying." (54:09)
  • Beck: "It would kill me to vote for [Cuomo], but I just think that, Momdani, if he does the things that he's saying he's going to do, oh my gosh... Why live in New York? It's going to be an absolute hellscape." (55:02)

5. Broader Democratic Party Issues

• Michigan & Islamist Influence: Beck raises alarm over Michigan Democrats’ ties to the Arab American PAC (AAPAC) and individuals supportive of Hezbollah/Hamas.
  • "What are those causes that they're doing now? Well, you know, support for terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. That's a problem." (59:00)
  • Audio clip of Dearborn mayor labeling a resident an “Islamophobe” for objecting to pro-Hezbollah actions. (64:52)
• DEI & Political Memoirs: Scathing lampooning of Karine Jean-Pierre’s book and the notion of hollow identity-based promotions in politics.
  • "She is now widely view, in the words of a reporter who worked with her, as the most incompetent and irrelevant White House press secretary ever." – Beck, quoting review (76:27)

Notable Quote:

"Democrats should look to the Grammy Awards for inspiration because we all know how popular the Grammy Awards are." – Beck reading from Jean-Pierre’s memoir (78:50)

6. Canadian Culture Wars

• Euthanasia for Children: Beck warns of Canada’s move toward legalizing assisted suicide for minors.
  • "The group... recommends that minors be included into the program... even though the emphasis at common law is that capacity and maturity is not a chronological age. For this reason, we ask Parliament... to extend it to persons at least 12 years old..." (87:37)
• Supreme Court on Child Pornography Sentencing: Outrage over a Canadian Supreme Court decision reducing sentencing for child pornography possession/distribution.
  • "I’m sorry, Canada. Have you lost your flipping mind? 12 months is too much for a guy who had all of that?" – Glenn Beck (87:37–90:00)

7. Humanitarian Update: Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica (with Jack Brewer)

• Disaster Response: Jack Brewer describes dire post-hurricane conditions—no water, electricity, or cellphone service while government aid is absent.
  • “It was horrific... Homes completely leveled, I mean down to the foundation. The entire west side of Jamaica is without water, without electricity." – Jack Brewer (111:38)
  • “No aid organization had come... We're going on six days after the storm, and... these people don't have water. They don't have electricity.” (113:57)
• Calls for Assistance: Beck urges listeners to support Mercury One’s relief efforts.

8. Miscellaneous Memorable Moments

• Obama and Presidential Legacy Polling:
  • "Barack Obama is now at 58, 59%. You watch over the next 10 years he'll be in his... 40s. I think these guys are not aging well now." – Glenn Beck (42:11)
• Satirical banter about escaping New York due to political disaster.
  • Stu: “I would jump off the George Washington Bridge.” (53:58)
• Closing frustrations with the public’s embrace of grievance-laden political memoirs.
  • "I can't take it." – Glenn Beck, reacting to Michelle Obama’s statements on racism in the White House (126:31)

Segment Timestamps (Selected Key Points)

• [04:41] – 60 Minutes analysis
• [07:56] – Trump’s Taiwan/China answer
• [14:20] – ICE Raids discussion
• [19:54] – Trump on Government Shutdown
• [25:14] – New York mayoral race begins
• [41:13] – Obama’s approval/legacy segment
• [54:02] – “Would you rather” segment: Cuomo or Mamdani?
• [64:52] – Dearborn, MI controversy with Arab American PAC
• [73:22] – Scathing political memoirs
• [87:37] – Canada’s shift towards euthanasia for minors
• [111:31] – Jack Brewer’s Jamaica update

Tone and Style

• Candid, irreverent, and at times sarcastic—especially in lampooning mainstream media, leftist politicians, and political memoirs.
• Deep skepticism toward mainstream narratives, particularly regarding Democratic leadership and DEI culture.
• Occasional moments of gravity (Jamaica/Sudan relief, Canadian euthanasia laws).
• Political banter and “would you rather?” hypotheticals, often darkly humorous.

Notable Quotes

• On Trump's negotiation style:

  "We have the best negotiator I think we've ever had. I can't think of anybody who's better than that.”
  — Glenn Beck (13:45)

• On choosing between Cuomo and Mamdani:

  "No, I could not personally cast a vote for Andrew Cuomo. I mean, the man I think is responsible for thousands of people dying..."
  — Stu (54:09)

• On Michigan/Arab American PAC:

  "This thing is wildly, wildly Islamist, in my opinion. And I want to explain what is happening in Michigan..."
  — Glenn Beck (59:00)

• On DEI Political Memoirs:

  "She is now widely view... as the most incompetent and irrelevant White House press secretary ever."
  — Beck, quoting Free Beacon review (76:27) "She's just a vapid moron."
  — Stu (78:14)

• On Canada’s euthanasia policies:

  "In 2023, more than 15,000 people were killed via MAID. 15,000 people were euthanized by the government. Put that into perspective. That's almost 5% of everybody who died in Canada. One in 20 are now being euthanized in Canada. Does that sound like a society that's a culture of death or a culture of life?"
  — Glenn Beck (87:37)

• On Jamaica’s crisis (Jack Brewer):

  "It's horrific... homes completely leveled, I mean down to the foundation. The entire west side of Jamaica is without water, without electricity... No one has come."
  — Jack Brewer (111:38, 113:57)

Conclusion

Spanning national security, local elections, cultural and humanitarian crises, and the fallout of identity-driven politics, this Glenn Beck Program episode channels both alarm and dark humor. Through pointed commentary, interviews, and polling data, it highlights a sense of institutional decay in politics and society, arguing for individual action and awareness—whether that means voting for the lesser evil or helping disaster victims where governments fail. The blend of skepticism, wit, and urgency typifies Beck’s style, serving as both a warning and a call to engagement for listeners.