The Daily Signal - Glenn Beck Discusses Impeachment, the Future, and Our Founding Principles

Episode Date: January 28, 2020

Today we have an exclusive interview with Blaze Media's Glenn Beck on a range of topics including our national debt, the fate of America's Republic experiment, and tradition values. Plus: We talk about basketball great Kobe Bryant’s legacy. We also cover these stories: Ken Starr, a member of President Trump’s impeachment defense team, told senators that an obsession with impeachment has overtaken American politics. Trump tweets about the rumored allegations in John Bolton's forthcoming book. A government health official says at this time, the coronavirus is a low-risk disease for Americans. The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet,iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Rachel Dahl Judas. And I'm Kate Trinco. Today, we're going to share an exclusive interview Rachel did with Glenn Beck, where they discuss impeachment, the future, and America's founding principles. Plus, we'll talk about basketball great Kobe Bryant's legacy. Don't forget. If you do enjoy this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on Apple podcasts and encourage others to subscribe.

Now on to our top news. Ken Starr, a member of President Donald Trump's impeachment defense team, told Senators Monday that an obsession with impeachment has overtaken American politics. Here's what he had to say via One America News. And significantly in this particular juncture in America's history, the Senate is being called to sit as the High Court of Impeachment all too frequently. Indeed, we are living in what I think can aptly be described as the age of impeachment. In the House, resolution after resolution, month after month has called for the President's impeachment. How did we get here? With presidential impeachment invoked frequently, in its inherently destabilizing,

as well as acrimonious way. President Trump is fighting back after the New York Times reported that a forthcoming book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton says aid money was withheld from Ukraine in order to pressure Ukraine to open investigations into the Bidens and other Democrats. Trump tweeted, I never told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens.

In fact, he never comes to. complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book. With that being said, the transcripts of my calls with President Zelensky are all the proof that is needed, in addition to the fact that President Zelensky and the foreign minister of Ukraine said there was no pressure and no problems. Additionally, I met with President Zelensky at the United Nations, Democrats said I never met, and released the military aid to Ukraine without any conditions or investigations, and far ahead of schedule. The Supreme Court is allowing a new rule from the Trump administration to move forward.

The rule makes it harder for illegal immigrants who depend on public assistance to gain legal status. The Supreme Court's action removes a nationwide ban on the rule that was set in place by a federal judge in New York and backed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Per the Hill, under current regulations, the criteria for deciding if an immigrant will become a public charge is whether they are likely to rely on certain cash benefits. The new rule would expand that defining public charge as someone who relies on cash and non-cash benefits, like housing or food assistance for more than 12 months in a three-year period. A government health official is saying that at this time, the coronavirus is a low-risk disease for Americans. USA Today reported that Nancy Messeneer, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said there were possible cases of coronavirus in 26 states and among 110 people in the U.S. right now. Messonnier said, this is a rapidly changing situation, both here and abroad.

And, however, the immediate risk to the general U.S. public is low at this time. President Trump tweeted on Monday, We are in very close communication with China concerning the virus. Very few cases reported in USA, but strongly on watch. We have offered China and President Xi any help that is necessary. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Berman says Britain's Prince Andrew has not been cooperative in attempts to interview the prince about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, and alleged child sex trafficker who was found dead in his jail cell in August.

Per CNN, Prince Andrew had said in November that he was willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required, following an appearance on BBC, where he was asked about his involvement with Epstein and claims of sexual involvement with a girl who was a minor. According to Berman, however, Prince Andrew has not been helpful. It's fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment. Berman said on Monday during a news conference located outside of Epstein's Manhattan Mansion. To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation. Next up, we'll feature Rachel's interview with Glenn Beck. Do you have an opinion that you'd like to share? Leave us a voicemail at 202-608-6205 or email us at letters at dailysignal.com.

Yours can be featured on the Daily Signal podcast. We are joined today on the Daily Signal podcast by Glenn Beck. Most of not all of you know him very well. He is a leading American media personality, political commentator, author, and co-founder of Blaze Media, a multimedia platform and entertainment network available on TV, radio, and internet. Glenn, thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you. So you're a conservative legend, honestly, in media.

That is so weird to hear. Before we got started. I assume this is so cool because my parents would listen to you. group listening to you and now I get to interview you, which is really exciting. But can you just start off by telling us how you began working in media and how that led you to where you are today? I started working in media when I was 13. So it's been a long time.

And I really wanted to be more of an entertainer and really had no interest in politics at all. Hadn't really even thought. By the time I turned 30, I was done with radio. I wanted to change careers. And I realized I didn't know anything. I was not in recovery yet. I was an alcoholic and had destroyed everything in my life because nothing gave me satisfaction

because I was seeking fame and fortune. And I could afford all of the temporary things that make you happy. And on my 30th birthday, I remember watching the clock change. to midnight and having a distinct feeling your life is about to change. So I spent about 10 years sobering up, getting myself educated. I went to school. I read about 7,000 books in those 7 to 10 years and took everything out of me. And I would read everything I could and really think things through.

and then I go, okay, this is true. And then I'd put it back into me. But if I had something else that I had put back in and they didn't match, they didn't work together, one of them is wrong. And when you actually are not afraid of the answer, when you are so low, you realize you're a moron and you just can't live this way anymore.

And you do the hard work, it makes life so much easier when you're like, oh, yeah, I know that because I know this, this, and this. And so around the turn of the century of 2000, I got married and said, I want to give this talk radio thing a whirl. I did in 12 months, 15 months. I replaced Dr. Laura on the Premier Radio Networks,

and then I went to CNN, otherwise known as the Pit of Despair. Then I went to Fox and then started the blaze. What a world when it's been ever since. So you started your talk radio in 2001, and spanning the course of that time until now, you've seen a couple of presidents come and go. You've seen various fights in American politics. Looking back on when you started then, and then where we are today, what is your observation on the current political climate we're finding ourselves in right now? I'm just curious, I have to ask. It is, if we're not careful that we are witnessing the death of the republic, we are either going to be remembered as everybody, has ever been remembered at the end of a republic as just an amoral group of idiots. You know, if you read the Bible and you're like, wait, weren't you just destroyed 23 pages before?

I mean, how can you not recognize that? We're that group of people. Or we are going to be Americans and we're going to find our way back to each other and the principles that actually founded us and changed the world. world forever. Think about this. For thousands of years, men had fire. Then they came up with this crazy idea of the candle. Within a hundred years of freedom, we had electricity and light bulbs, and within a hundred years of that, we were on the moon. Now we are at the point of artificial life, the possibility of the body never dying, because we'll be able to grow parts. Next 10 years by

2030, if we don't screw this freedom thing up, we will see 80% of all disease eradicated. Mark my words. You will see an end to death, as we commonly would call it. People will live to be 150 years at least. The things that are right over the horizon are tremendous, but we are in a death spiral right now because we've forgotten who we are. And part of that does spiral. The big news before Christmas was that the House impeach President Donald Trump,

and now the Senate, they're in the midst of their impeachment trial. What is your take on what happened right before Christmas? And I'm just curious, where do you expect this to go? This is one of the big things. I have to tell you, I'm the guy who predicted the caliphate. I'm the guy who predicted in 99 that Osama would blow up buildings and bodies in the streets of New York. I'm the guy who predicted in 2004 and 6. that the 2008 collapse would happen,

I have no idea how this thing ends. This is one of the most insane chapters of American history I have ever seen. I don't know how people in Washington sleep at night. And then for them to get on television and say, oh, the lovely constitution that I prayed with last night was so gut-wrenching, sickening that I couldn't take it. I mean, here's a group of people who tell us every day, America sucks. America is nothing but a bad place.

There's no honor to the flag. There's nothing sacred about any of our documents. The Constitution is old and dusty. And then they impeach a president on the thinnest of margins making up a charge of obstruction of Congress. That's not even possible. It's not in there. If you've read the Constitution. it's not even possible.

And for them to say, oh my gosh, we just love the Constitution. And we have to do this because he has violated the Constitution by abusing his power and then, you know, going against Congress. What are you talking about? So instead of focusing on impeachment, it's no secret. I mean, it's a new year. And I'm sure that Congress in the media, they're not going to let up on this. Is there anything else Congress should be focused on other than impeachment? Oh, I don't know.

Everything. The debt, which is going to be the death of us. We are enslaving our children. We're enslaving them. You know, it's not the rest of the world is not like the United States. They're not going to go, oh, you know what? You tried to pay that off. We're just going to forgive you.

No, they're not going to forgive our debt. They're going to come and take our money. resources. They will take our land. Our children will be working for them for the debt that we owe. One of the most frightening things I ever heard come out of China was the last premier before this one, President Z. It was right after 2008, and they gave us all kinds of money. And he clearly said, we are loaning the American government this amount of money. We're buying these loans. But we warn you, Do not dishonor our investment. They're not going to be happy because we've kind of peed all over those investments.

As we start this new year, it's no secret that we're going to see many more attacks on the values we hold so dear. Some of those include traditional marriage, the unborn, religious liberty. The list goes on. If you could tell our listeners one thing about why it's so important to stay the course and finish the fight, what would you tell them? I would tell you that you cannot fight unless you know history. If you don't know who we are and how we got here, you cannot fight. You'll end up fighting on the wrong side because you'll get lost. Our mission statement is the greatest mission statement ever of any company, any country, any person, anything that anyone has ever uttered.

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by they're created with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And governments are instituted among men to protect those rights. Okay? If you don't know history and how we got there and how we got lost, you're lost already. Our history is not lost. It's been stolen from us. It has been intentionally distorted and kept from us. And we will lose who we are. So first thing, you have to restore history. The second, you know, Michelle Obama said it best in 2008. Barack knows if we're going to do all these things, we're going to have to change our. history. We're going to have to change our traditions. We're going to have to change the way we talk to one another, our language. Well, they're doing that right now. And that provides opportunity

for transformational change. So one thing we announced right before Christmas that I'm going to do, I used to do restoring events. I did restoring honor in Washington, D.C., and then I went to Jerusalem and did restoring courage, and we sold out Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and we did Restoring. And we did restoring love. This year, July 4th, I'm doing restoring the covenant. And it's a pilgrimage, really, that starts in Plymouth. And I will be taking for the week my radio audience and television audience and a few listeners, anybody wants to join from Plymouth, where we made the first covenant, to Boston, then to New York City at 28 Wall Street, where Washington held his hand up to a square and his hand on the Bible,

and made the covenant that we will be your people and you will be our God. The last time the covenant was made is 1863. In the middle of the Civil War, we're losing almost everything until Lincoln is driven to his knees and he realizes this isn't about saving the Republic. This is about freeing God's children.

And he totally changed, and he said, we must repent, we must recognize that we have abandoned God, and we must make a new covenant with him. We've made the same mistake. And so we're not only going to restore the covenant in a very ancient sort of way with religious leaders from all walks of life,

but also on July 4th, we're going to restore a little bit of our history. And you're going to learn history with artifacts and documents and music and fireworks like you've never seen. before and it's happening in Gettysburg and we would invite everybody to come. There's not a more appropriate place.

Glenn, thank you so much for being with us today on the Daily Single Podcast. Thank you. Are you looking for quick conservative policy solutions to current issues? Sign up for Heritage's weekly newsletter, The Agenda. In the agenda, you will learn what issues Heritage Scholars on Capitol Hill are working on, what position conservatives are taking, and links to our in-depth research. The agenda also provides information. on important events happening here at Heritage that you can watch online as well as media

interviews from our experts. Sign up for the agenda on heritage.org today. On Sunday, we found out the tragic news, the basketball star Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter, Gianna, had died in a helicopter crash. President Obama tweeted, Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. President Trump wrote, Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating. Joining us to discuss the basketball great's legacy is Mike Howell, Senior Advisor in Government Relations at the Heritage Foundation, and Scott Zappurl, an assistant in government. Remort Relations, also at the Heritage Foundation. Thanks for coming on.

Thanks for having us. Thanks, Katrina. Okay, so let's start with you, Mike. What is Kobe Bryant's legacy? Right. Well, I think his legacy is obviously and sadly going to be tied up and tragic and unexpected passing. But when it comes towards basketball legacy, I'll certainly be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time, probably a top 10 player. You know, with his five championships, longevity of a 20-year run.

and really being the face of one of the most storied franchises in sports history, if not the most storied franchise in the Lakers. I think a lot of people are going to remember him for his years with Shaq and kind of some of the drama that surrounded that, two of the best players of all time on the same team. And ultimately, you know, Kobe stayed with the Lakers and Shaq went away. Kobe proved that he could win without Shaq. I think a lot of hoop heads like me wonder, you know,

how many more championships I could have won it. they stayed together, but, you know, he was a fiercely individualistic player. I mean, that's his reputation. And he proved he could kind of make it on his own. And he, you know, scored a lot of points along the way. So, you know, very similar to Michael Jordan in the regard of just Uber competitive, highly competitive, you know, very sharp elbowed, very intense. And, you know, scored a lot of points, won a lot of games, made a lot of fans. Scott, what do you think is legacy LB?

Well, first I would like to say that Kobe, Gigi, the Bryant family, the Altebella family, and all the victims involved in this crash are in my prayers. I know that he is a man of God, follower of Christ, and I pray that he is judged graciously by the Lord. Because Kobe Bryant's influence goes way beyond the game of basketball, and his impact can't be measured by any sort of statistics. This man has inspired kids all around the world to be great. To do something great with their lives, Kobe was more than a ball player.

He was an entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist. Part of Kobe's impact actually lives here in D.C. with the Museum of African American History, where he gave over a million dollars to help build it. So you can see that the Mamba mentality spreads far beyond basketball. As a University of Alabama grad, I remember his conversation with Coach Sabin about excellence. He said that if you want to play at an excellent level and do something excellent, you have to be excellent all the time across the board. and it's not a clock in, clock out kind of deal. It's continuously forming exceptional habits so that they are ingrained into who we are.

That's an everyday grind. To me, that sounds like the process, and I'm a big, just the process guy. Finding every opportunity within every day to get better, the gifts we are given in life, take all of that and amplify it out to the world. That is exactly what Kobe Bryant did. He took all that he had, his mind, his athletic ability, his passion. He honed it into the truest sense of the craft to something excellent, as God will it to be, and gave it all back to hundreds of millions of people. And that's what we should all strive to do.

So to someone like me who doesn't follow basketball, I don't know what made Kobe Bryant so special. I know he was a celebrity. I know he was someone that people like you guys who follow basketball deeply cared about. What would you – is there a moment from his playing years that stands out to you that you remember? What made this player someone that people cared so much about? He got up to a really hot start coming into the league at only 17 years old. He was one of the first straight out of high school phenoms. So a lot of people, you know, like my age, I'm 32.

I was about, you know, seven or eight years old when he came into the league and just continued to sustain all-star level success, you know, throughout the years. But the high points definitely would be, you know, the early championships. He won with the Lakers and that kind of storied team. And then also later in his career, you know, he had a little. bit of a transition into a veteran guy who, you know, he changes number from eight to 24 and kind of remade himself into this mamba mentality and, you know, put up a lot of shots, caught a lot of flack for, you know, shooting a lot. Stupid question here. Scott also used the phrase mamba. What does that mean in relation to

Kobe Bryant? Go, Scott. So his nickname in the league was the black mamba. And so the mamba mentality, the absolute sheer competitiveness of the player, his mindset, that's kind of what encapsulates the Mamba mentality. He was a true competitor, and his work ethic was incredible. So that's essentially what the Mamba mentality is. It's another kind of trust the process mantra. Okay. So you have the Mamba mentality, and you just didn't know it this whole time.

I like that phrase. That kind of mentality in his career, he had a couple games where I think he put it once, 81 points. The all-time records 100. And then, you know, in his final game, 61 points, which is just insane for somebody of that age. Kobe Bryant also participated in the Olympics. Tell me about that. Kobe was on the storied 08 Olympic team coached by the greatest coach of all time. Of course, Coach K from Duke, which is, you know, an obvious thing there. Not to all of us. I think that team was, you know, pretty well known for just its over-the-top patriotism. This is some really just, USA, red white and blue in your face, slam dunk right over the other countries type behavior. And Kobe really took it to heart and had some great quotes from those years, basically, on American pride and, you know, representing your country and American exceptionalism, which I think was really awesome.

And unfortunately, you don't see so much of that today. It seems to be the opposite when you got, you know, the NBA kind of bound over to China in the summer and those types of deals. It was a nice point of patriotism for Kobe. and I think a lot of hoop heads really like that. Okay, Mike, Scott, thanks so much for being on. Thank you for having us. Thank you. And that'll do it for today's episode.

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