Best of the Program | Guest: President Donald Trump | 8/26/26
August 26, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readThe Dust Before the Boulevard
On the day Dolly Parton died, President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff for the first time in American history for an entertainer. She had turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom three times—once from Trump, once from Biden—and asked Tennessee to kill a bill putting her statue on the state capitol grounds. "Given all that's going on in the world," she said, "I don't think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate."
The episode's first half is a conversation with Trump covering the CIA director's trip to Russia, the war with Iran, affordability, Canadian trade, and the meat processing monopoly. The second half is a meditation on what Dolly Parton represented and a historical warning about what happens when a leader builds for the next century while citizens feel only the dust.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:04) **Episode Introduction & Context** - Beck frames the episode around a major interview with President Trump and a history lesson on long-term rebuilding vs. short-term relief.
- 2 (02:11) **Trump Administration Recap: Wins and Policy Moves** - Beck recites a series of recent Trump administration actions before the interview.
- 3 (04:06) **Interview: President Trump on Dolly Parton's Death and Flag Lowering** - Trump explains his unprecedented decision to lower flags for the entertainer.
- 4 (06:06) **Interview: CIA Director in Russia & Ukraine War** - Trump dismisses wild rumors and explains the real purpose of the meeting.
- 5 (07:40) **Interview: Iran War Status and the Ayatollah's Condition** - Trump provides a battlefield update and explains why the Iranian people aren't rising up.
- 6 (10:37) **Interview: The "Red-Green Alliance" and Affordability Crisis** - Trump addresses the alliance of Marxists and Islamists, and how the GOP should handle the cost-of-living crisis.
- 7 (14:36) **Interview: The Iran Nuclear Threat and Economic Detour** - Trump explains the strategic choice to confront Iran, which caused short-term economic pain.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Glenn brings on President Donald Trump to discuss a variety of issues, including the death of Dolly Parton, the CIA director flying to Russia, the potential death of the ayatollah, and the rise of Islam and what we can do to stop it in America. President Trump also discusses the affordability crisis hitting America, the lowering of beef prices, and the state of Israel under his presidency. Glenn shares how he and his wife reacted to Dolly Parton's death and why people like Dolly Parton are rare in today's society. Glenn goes through all the ways Dolly made the country better and highlights how she treated everybody with kindness and love. Younger generations argue that President Trump isn't doing enough to fix the economy, but Glenn lays out why he believes that view is inaccurate. Glenn gives the history lesson that he would share with the president.
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