The Glenn Beck Program - Best of the Program | Guests: Cheyenne Grace & Derek Hinckley | 12/19/25

Episode Date: December 19, 2025

Glenn plays a clip from CNN showing that congressional Democrats are not only at a net-negative approval level but also have the lowest approval rating Democrats have ever had. Is the government shutdown the leading cause of the negative approval? Glenn has a Christmas message for fathers who struggle to make the holiday memorable for their children. Glenn goes through the four lies that men tell themselves at Christmas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have some of the news of the day on the podcast. We talked a lot about the shooter. They finally found the guy, and it was tied to both universities. Still can't figure out the motive on it, but we talked about that quite a bit. Also, what happened at TPP USA, and I'm going to be at TPSA this weekend. I'm going to give my speech on the final day right before Erica Kirk and I think J.D. Vance, as things wrap up in Phoenix, Arizona, huge, huge event. A lot of things happen.

And also, what your family really needs from you this Christmas. It's not a gift. And there's a couple of things that I really wanted to share as a man and as a father to you. And that one is an important one. Also, you know, the lies that men tell ourselves, you know, at Christmas that we really should remember are lies. And not do them anymore because the main rule on Christmas for dads is don't wreck it. Don't wreck it for everybody. Don't.

Shh. Don't say that. Whatever it is. All of this and so much more on today's podcast. Hello, America. You know we've been fighting every single day. We push back against the lies, the censorship, the nonsense of the mainstream media that they're trying to feed you.

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Good Ranchers.com. Let's get back to the table. We were putting up our gate one time. We had just moved from New York and we were putting up these big log, you know, gates. And the guy who we had hired to do it, local guy, he's just great. And Matt was putting these long, you know, screws through the three posts. And we leave and we come back hours later. and he's still working on that same post,

except now his whole head is bandaged. And we stop and we're like, Matt, what happened? And he's like, oh, it's nothing. I just got to get this done. I'm like, no, what happened to the head? Your head? Why is it all bandaged? Ah, you know, the drill slipped and I lost control and it came back and it,

it just sliced my head, you know, straight across in the forehead. and he said, I had to get, you know, I don't remember what it was, 25, 35 stitches. And I said, should you be here now? And he said, oh, no, it's fine. I said, did the doctor say it was okay for you to come back to work? He said, doctor, I didn't go to the doctor. I said, I thought you got 35 stitches. He said, I just went to the vet.

Vets can do it. I'm like, Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. I don't know where we are. I just went to the vet. Ah, he can stitch me up. Okay. Okay. Well, I'm going to go into the house now and try to make sense of my whole life and where I'm at.

Anyway, welcome to the program. It is the last broadcast before the holiday, the last broadcast of the year. And there's a lot going on. There is an awful lot going on. I don't even know where to be. You know what? Let's start here. Let's start with let's look into our stockings and see what Santa has put into our stockings

because we've been good little boys and girls. Listen to this. What about Democrats on Democrats? Democrats, net approval rating of congressional Democrats. I want you to keep in mind. They had never rated Democrats negatively until this year. And right now what are we talking about? We're talking about a net approval rating from Democrats.

Democrats. This is Democrats on Democrats. Their approval rating is actually lower, lower than the disapproval rating. And that is quite the drop from October. I think during the shutdown, there was a bit of a boost for Democrats, right? There was a rallying around the flag effect going on. But Democrats did not like how that shutdown turned out. They have returned against Democrats in Congress. And you mentioned Dan Goldman in that intro. One of the reasons that Dan Goldman is in trouble right now in a potential primary against Brad Ladner is because at this point the Democratic base is so. upset with Democrats. Do you see that? Kids, look at your stocking. Go in and pull that back out. They've never rated Democrats negatively. Democrats on Democrats. Now, negative six points.

Mighty unpopular boys and girls. And that might be something worth, you know, just enjoying over the holiday season. That maybe, maybe, no matter how badly we screw things up, they're doing a worse job. And so maybe there is hope, Virginia, that yes, we might have a good midterm. Might. We're a long way away from that.

Do you have any idea still looking at the polls, how bad the Republicans are doing? And if it's worse than six points, negative six points, they just don't tell me. I don't know the exact number. I feel like we've been minus 80 on the Republicans forever. But I was like to see the Democrats join our side I'm not liking our own politicians.

But I don't know that exact number. I will say that you look at the... You could find information, I think, on both sides to see optimism in November and also some real pessimism. Of course, you're just going from an uphill starting point. I was looking at some of these markets, and it's like, I think, 75% chance

for the Democrats to retake the House in November. So, you know, but that's just... Turn his mic off. No, it just reflects history. It doesn't reflect anything else. It's really not a negative sentiment, you know, for me. I'm not, that reflects history, right? When you have a Republican president, like typically Democrats take the House in the first

election, same thing the opposite way. So I think that's just reflecting generalized history, lots of work to be done still. You know, what he just said gives you really no information. Thank you. Because they were up 22 points. They were up 22 points. And now they're down six. He said they were up because there was.

are rallying around the flag, but they didn't like the way that worked out. So do the people who are now, the Democrats who are now saying they're useless, is it because they're not socialist and, you know, grinchy enough? Or are they, are people saying, you know what, they just don't make any sense anymore? Because that's the way I would interpret it, but I'm not a Democrat, so I don't know. Yeah. I think it's the Democrats thinking. I think you're right. I think it's them, the Democrats generally speaking, feeling like they took this big step, this big risk, right, to go out there and shut the government down and got nothing out of it. So I think that is a our side sucks. Our side's not doing enough. I think that's what the sentiment is. And again, when you see a

number like that from plus 22 to minus six, it's almost hard to take it seriously. Right. Like, what do they do in one month that would go from a plus 22 to a minus six? It's more emotional. Turn his mic off, please. No, I mean, minus six might be the more real thing is what I'm saying. I don't think they were plus 22 on the show. They were in. in that moment, they had a little bit of a sugar high because they were like, yeah, we're taking Trump on. And when they realize when you take Trump on in these situations, he's going to slap you down and you get zilch out of it, that's the other side. But here's the good news. If you're a Democrat, here's the good news for you.

Santa is going to put something in your stocking. It's called the GOP. And the GOP is going to give you everything you wanted in that shutdown. But they're just going to do it during Christmas time. And so no one will, they think no one will notice. But we will. Okay, shut his mic off, please. Okay, shut his mic off.

Okay. Let me talk to you a little bit about what happened at TPSA yesterday. By the way, we're going to get to the Brown University shooting because that thing is, that's a mess. We'll talk about that in a second. The TPSA yesterday, they started their biggest event, what it was called Freedom Fest. The biggest one they've ever done. It is packed. Tucker was there yesterday.

Ben Shapiro was there in a steel cage match. face to face going on it head to head. And they both gave, they both gave speeches. And Ben was very, very clear on things. Tucker, his speech yesterday pretty much said there's not a, there's not a civil war going on. I think there is a civil war going on. But, and I don't like it, but there is a civil war going on.

And Ben was very, very, I think very clear. He pointed out that, you know, we have to stand for the truth. We have to show the facts and we have to have solutions. And I tend to agree with them. Now, my speech is on Sunday. I'm flying out tomorrow to Arizona to be there. I'm going to speak before Erica and J.D. Vance on Sunday. I have a few things to say.

I have an opinion on the whole Candace Tucker, Ben Shapiro, Megan Kelly thing. And I'm going to put it all together and hopefully put it to rest on Sunday, at least in my head. I mean, it might not be good for everybody. else, but I'm going to say it. And I'm bringing a surprise guest with me. I cannot wait until this individual walks on stage with me. I think everybody's going to love it. Yes, yes, I defrosted Walt Disney, who surprisingly enough, I didn't know, was laying

right next to Ronald Reagan. So that's happening at TPSA on Sunday. Now, there was also another Christmas miracle that happened, I thought. and Erica talked about it. Here's what Erica Kirk said on what's happened since Charlie's death. Listen to this. Off this paper, I'm not going to wing at this one because I want all of you guys to absorb the magnitude of these numbers. The number of student requests to get involved since 9-10,

140,000 plus get-involved request have been submitted since 9-10. 140,000. Total number of students involved, this is involved with Attorney Point USA. One million plus students involved in Turning Point USA. Current chapter numbers as of December 18th, 2025, 3,082 Club America chapters, 1,432 college chapters. you don't have enough connections. You're not going to do it as of today. And we are starting 50 chapters per day at Turning Point USA. It was quite amazing.

And the reason why this is so important is because of 2026 and 2028, which I thought was really interesting. She came out yesterday and she said, we're going to get J.D. Vance elected president in the United States. So I guess Turning Point has just decided, yep, that's who's going to be the president of United States. But, you know, I'd like to see the whole, you know, process work itself out. I know because I talked to J.D. about it. And I talked to Marco Rubio and J.D. We were standing someplace together. And I said, so, it's going to be interesting, right? And they both were like, yeah,

they're just going to let's get through the administration. Let's let's concentrate on the job we're doing now. That's a long way away. But it's going to be interesting. And I think we have lots of good options in front of us. The best of the Glenn Beck program. Ever take a look at your phone bill and think, wait, wait, wait, wait. Why am I paying these people so much money? Because you're paying through the nose. You're also sponsoring leftist activism. And once you figure that out, you're like, wait a minute, hold on.

It's like we're in ordering a burger, including, you know, you find out that they included a mandatory ideological donation with that burger. You wouldn't go there again. But we do with our phones. They do it because they know people don't like changing phone companies. And they'll never do it. I'm urging you, do it, do it. They are dismantling our country with some of the things there.

You want to provide more abortions in the country? Okay, well, if you do, Verizon's your one because Verizon makes donations to plan parenthood. With your money, congratulations. Switch. Switch. America's only Christian conservative mobile phone company is Patriot Mobile. They provide great coverage on all three major networks. So you're getting the same or better coverage.

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You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck program. As your kids move away and start their own life, you've got tons of time on your hand. to critique, to wonder what I do wrong. What did I do? I didn't do enough of this. I should have done more of that. This was important.

I thought at the time, and it's meaningless at the time. And it's been a really difficult, I don't know, 18 months for me as my kids moved out of the house. I mean, it's the hardest, emotionally, the hardest time of my life. and I thought I had pretty, you know, emotionally difficult periods of my life. This has just torn me apart in so many ways and you have to put it all back together and kind of make sense of all of it. And I think I'm close to doing that. But as you, as you now have holidays where some of the kids are not there because they don't have to be, they have other

priorities, whatever, you pine for the days when we're all together and you were thinking when you were in bed, you were thinking, oh, don't come in. No one's allowed to come into the room until eight o'clock. See, that's an eight. When that little hand is on the eight and that little hand is on the 12th, then you can come into the bedroom and wake up mom and dad. And nobody goes downstairs until we go downstairs first and plug in the tree. You just try to get through those. You just try to get through days at times because you're so tired, but you pine for those. The most empty. I can't, I don't know if I can tell you the best Christmas. Yeah, I think it would happen actually during COVID, but the best Christmas, it's hard because there's a few of them. The worst Christmas

I can tell you right now is, I remember I was broke, dead broke, stew. He was like 18 years. old and he's living in an apartment. He's got a nicer apartment than I did. We lived in the same complex. I was like 35 or 40 and I just, it was completely broke. He was like a king in a palace compared to me. And I remember this Christmas so broke. And I was with my daughter and we were in a CVS and she was there by the cash register and there was this little ornament of, I don't remember if it was, you know, Herbie the elf or Rudolph, but it was from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and it was a little teeny tree ornament.

And she's like, oh, that is so nice. She was a little, little. And I thought, oh. And I just, she didn't see me, but it just broke my heart because all I can think of is, I can't even afford that. I'm such a loser as a dad. That was not my worst Christmas.

My worst Christmas was the first time I had real success. and I decided I'm going to buy everything I ever have ever wanted for my kids. And literally the boxes were almost up to my waist. I mean, I had all the kids and all the present and everything you could possibly want. And it was so empty. That was my worst Christmas. And my kids never talk about that Christmas. Never.

There's something that happens especially to men, I think, that we come at this. time of year and we feel like a failure if we can't afford things. And this feeling shows up and most of us as guys, we don't talk about it because we don't want to talk about these feelings. And I think we should because I think we all feel the same way at times. And when the house is quiet and the lights are all out and you're staring at numbers that just don't add up and you're wondering how am I going to explain to my kids why things aren't underneath the tree because why you want to give that. That's the way you show love perhaps. And you want to give that. And part of it is because it's the things you didn't have growing up and you knew how you might

have felt. And so that fear says, I'm a failure. I'm coming up short as a dad. Not because you don't love them, not because you didn't try, but because you tried, you do love them. And it didn't happen. And the world is expensive and pride is heavy. And Christmas or birthdays now just has a price tag on everything. But there are moments that were never meant to be bought, ever. Somewhere along the line, we let that lie creep in and we bought into it. The lie, that says, what I give is what you're worth. That lie is absolute poison, and it's absolutely not true. Because if it were true, then the men who built this country and that had to raise their own barns, the one-room houses, if that's true, then all of those guys were failures, and they

weren't failures. If it were true, then dads who come home with empty hands after a lost job but a full heart after a hard day are somehow less than, and they're not. They're better then. And so are you. You think that your kids are counting boxes. And crying honestly, teenage years, they might be. They might be. But they grow out of those.

You just put up with the teenage years. They're coming. They suck. They go away. They're not counting boxes. They're not looking at labels. Here's what I believe they remember. You.

They're counting on you. Not for the... I grew up in a house that we would consider poor today. I didn't think of us as poor. We just were. It's just the way we lived. Your kids are watching you. How you carry disappointment.

How you carry in handle frustration. How you speak. when you think it doesn't matter or you think nobody's listening. They're learning from you what a man does when life just doesn't cooperate. And they'll never learn it from something that you tell them. You know, kids, when life doesn't cooperate, they don't learn it that way. Trust me. I don't think my kids could quote a damn thing I've ever said.

Because there have been a lot of things that I said. because I remember my dad used to, you know, we can survive anything as a family, but we cannot tolerate lies because we'll never survive. I remember that all the time. I am that I am is the most important thing a man that can ever say. Be careful how you follow that. I don't think my kids can. And I said it all the time, but I don't think my kids can quote me.

But my wife said, yes, they can. And yes, they will. Believe me, the things that we do, the man that we are, whether you know it or not is far more valuable than anything that can be wrapped into paper. I know you want to give them everything because I did. Every dad does. I still do. But everything isn't stuff.

Everything is teaching them now that their value is not measured by what they can buy or show off. That's what you have to make everything. Teach them. It's who they are, who they become when things get hard. And life may be hard for you now. And you're not going to sit down and you're not going to look into the eyes of your child and say, you know, mom and dad couldn't afford Christmas because of X, Y, Z. They don't want to hear that.

They won't relate. They'll never remember that except that creepy time that dad took me aside and was like explaining adult things to me about, you know, how the economy works. They're going to be watching you on how you react to everything. Some of the strongest, some of the kindest, some of the most resilient people you and I both know did not grow up with abundance. They grew up with stability. They grew up with laughter in the kitchen. They grew up watching their mom and dad hug. Say a kind word to each other. Apologize to one another. They grew up with a father who was dead tired, but showed up anyway. I can guarantee you, your kids are not going to remember

the things they didn't get. They will remember in the end the things that made them feel safe. They will remember the sound of your voice. They will remember that even when you were worried, you were the one that stood between them and fear. That's not failure. That's fatherhood. And it's the most important thing. Feel you because I have been there. You are not broken. You are not behind. You are not less than.

You're not a failure. Take courage. You're laying the foundation that cannot be purchased, cannot be stolen, cannot be replaced. No gift you can wrap will ever replace that. long after the toys are gone and the batteries and the trends have changed, your children are going to stand on what you built and your children will call it home. This is the best of the Glenn Beck program,

and we really want to thank you for listening. You know, there is this myth that men don't prepare for Christmas. And I want you to know that's not true. We do prepare for Christmas. Christmas. We just don't prepare out loud. We don't prepare properly. Um, and I think it's like, we kind of prepare the way you would prepare for a hostage negotiation that you don't remember agreeing to, you know, uh, and this day, every year this day comes, I start vacation right after the show. And, and I'm very excited for it, very excited for vacation. But it also comes with,

Oh, crap, now the responsibility is there. Okay. Because, you know, Christmas arrives on December 25th. And as a man, you really started thinking about it, maybe that evening, you know. I mean, that's not fair because it actually starts. The first time Christmas really arrives and you're reminded is the first time somebody, usually your wife says, so what do you think your mom would want? And that's the moment you realize, oh, crap, there's a checklist. No one gave me a checklist.

I'm already behind because she's already on the checklist. And so then you just, it's weird because you, at least I do. I prepare in phases, you know, and the first phase is really simple. It's early. There's plenty of time. Online shopping exists. Oh, I got this one covered. I'll be able to do that quickly. Now, these are not thoughts. These are lies we tell to ourselves so we can remain upright. At least that's the way I feel. Because I have, there are thoughts, but they're, they are lies. Because I know I'm not going to do any of those things. Okay. I promise myself at the time, this year it's going to be different. I'm going to do it. I'm, you know what? I'm going to get ahead. Never, never happens. Never happens. And then you're standing there,

on Christmas Eve and you're like, I didn't do any of those things. Last year, I think it was last year, maybe the year before, I actually looked for presents under the tree that I thought I had purchased and somehow or another were, you know, that wrapped themselves and found their way under the tree. I, I swore I bought those presents. No, nope, I had a thought some point and maybe November thinking I'm way ahead of the game. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to do that. And I might even got online, looked at it, and then not completed the purchase, because I'm going to get, I'm going to get back to that. And then I don't. And then, I think it was last year. I actually thought, no, I bought those gifts. My wife went, I look at the, I look at the MX every month, honey. You,

you didn't buy those gifts. Really? Because I swear I didn't. No. So the second phase that we have is surveillance because I don't know about you, but I have no idea what to get anyone. I have no idea. None. Zero. So you begin to, you begin to listen for clues, kind of like your decoding enemy transmissions, you know, when somebody says, oh, that's pretty, goes into the same dumpster in your mind where you were just doing, I'm going to buy this. Oh, I got this handled. Oh, it's early. There's that goes into that same file. Oh, that's pretty. Gotta remember that.

She liked that. Oh, you know what she really likes? She really likes. Okay. I mean, I got the clue. You just told me I'm going to make a mental note of it, but it's not going to survive the drive home. It will be gone.

It will be gone. And then again, on Christmas Eve, you're like, what was it? She said she liked? It's horrible. Maybe this is just me. It could very well be because I'm not good at this. I'm not good at this.

Actually, I'm really good at this. In my head, phase three, the spreadsheet, it doesn't exist. The spreadsheet really, it just, it lives only in fear, you know, because you don't write anything down. That would be a big help. Write it down. But then I'm always thinking, I'll, get into my pants and then I'll throw my pants in the washer and she'll say, I found your list in my pants.

So don't write it down. I mean to write it down. By the way, the pants thing is a really good excuse. Another lie, men tell themselves. But I don't write it down. I mean to, but writing down all the stuff you have to do, then it becomes real. And if it's real, then you're going to fail. Okay.

Because once it's real, once, you know, when it happened, you, you blow it again this year. And then the final phase is phase four, and that is the panic purchase. This happens somewhere between now and Christmas. And it happens at the point when shipping changes from arrives by Christmas to good luck with that. Because all week, I've been saying, remember, honey, I'm just going to tell you now, you're not getting in the pajamas. She wanted pajamas from cozy earth. Had every intention every day. I'm going to do that.

I read the spot every day and said, I'm going to buy her pajamas. I didn't buy the pajamas because then I get off the air and I completely forget about it because I didn't write it down. So, honey, I know it's not going to be a disappointment. You know you aren't going to get the pajamas. You're going to get an emergency. Oh, holy crap. What can I get by Christmas? That's what you get.

And you buy something expensive enough that it looks intentional. You tell yourself, this communicates love. It doesn't. It doesn't. It communicates urgency. This was the thing that I got. I spent extra money on it because I didn't want you to think that it was just an emergency. But she knows.

She knows. So today I have to put the checklist together. And it's all going to live on my head. So here's the real checklist that every man should have. Okay. The real checklist. Pretend wrapping paper doesn't matter. Okay?

Just pretend. Next on the list. Discover it matters deeply. Next on the list. Pretend cards don't matter. Next one on the list. Discover they matter deeply. That one, I still don't understand that one.

I blow that every single year, every year. Where's the card? I didn't get a card and write stuff in it. I'm sorry. I didn't do it. Wasn't on my checklist. I meant to at one point in the last month, I did think I should get a card

and I'm going to get a really good card this year. And then I don't get a card. Next on the checklist, rewrap the same box three times because you're never going to get it right. And then convince yourself, that dad wrapping adds charm. Know that it doesn't, but convince yourself of that.

Then there's the all-important social checklist, and I still don't have these down. Remember the names of all the relatives that you've known for decades that you cannot remember their names. Remember their names this year, because they're coming. And you're going to be like, oh my gosh, it's aunt. I love you.

you. And I don't, I don't really remember. I mean, I remember you, but I don't remember your name. And it's very, very awkward now because you know, I don't know your name. Remember the names. Act surprised by gifts you absolutely knew we're coming. Say, oh, wow, in different tones. So it sounds sincere and not like the same, oh, wow. Really important one, don't buy any clothes for your daughters. Nope. Nope. Don't do it. They'll never wear them. They don't like them. Dad, my dad bought this for me. Don't. Just don't do it. As hard as I try. I have pretty good taste. I think I have pretty good taste. Nope. None of my daughters have my taste. None of them. And so that either means that we're just all wildly different or I don't have good taste. One of those two. I'm not sure. Then you get to the

emotional checklist and this is the most important one. And if you're a new father, please understand, you must get these down quickly. Okay. When a gift is given to your daughter, she's growing up, don't say, wow, that's a little short, isn't it? Don't do it. Don't do it. I mean, my daughter could come dressed in a full-length gown. And I'd be like, it's a little short, isn't it? I don't know. When it's your daughter, you know, there's something that happens with your daughter. Burkas don't actually sound bad for your daughter during high school years.

I'm just saying, I'm just saying, you know why? Because you know exactly how guys think. No, they don't. Yes, they do. No, they don't, dad. You don't know. Yes, I do. at dinner don't say

did we forget the sweet potatoes you had nothing to do with it the adding of we she knows she's already gone I forgot the sweet potato you're not making things better don't ask how much did that cost

don't do it in fact forget that last one here's what you need to do don't say anything that's what you have to do As a dad during the holidays, just don't say anything. Just keep it to yourself. Got a question?

Don't answer it. Don't ask it. You have a comment to make? Don't make it. Don't make it. Okay? Don't. Under any circumstances, don't say things like next year.

I think we should simplify. Nope. Nobody's going to go for that. Keep that one to yourself. Basically, forget everything on the checklist. Just this, this is the only thing you need to remember. Dad, just don't. Don't ruin Christmas.

That's all you need to know. Done. Oh, and cards and writing crap in them is really, really, really important.