Best of the Program | Guests: Trent McCotter & Ryan Walters | 10/16/26

October 16, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Flying Cars, Bank Spying, and the Fight for Financial Freedom

On today's episode, Glenn Beck delivers an urgent update on government surveillance of bank accounts, celebrates Elon Musk's flying Roadster, and ends with a surprisingly philosophical debate about why liberal women find socialist men attractive. The through-line, however, is a single argument: the federal government has been using banks to punish political enemies without passing a single law, and while the Trump administration has stopped the practice for now, it can resume with the next election unless Congress makes the fix permanent.

The Reputational Risk Machine

The centerpiece of the episode is Beck's explanation of how the federal government weaponized the banking system against conservatives. The mechanism was simple: federal bank examiners would pressure banks to close accounts or deny loans based on "reputational risk"—a term with no fixed definition. As Beck puts it, "Reputation is whatever the person holding the clipboard says it is." An examiner would ask a banker with a mortgage and a boss, "Are you sure this customer is worth the risk to your reputation?" The banker knew exactly what that meant.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:11) **Banking Update: How the Government Targeted Conservatives** - Beck provides an update on the DOJ's revelation that banks were pressured to close accounts of conservative customers, and explains the "reputational risk" mechanism that enabled it.
2 (04:14) **Good News: The "Reputational Risk" Weapon Has Been Removed** - Beck explains that the federal government has officially removed the term "reputational risk" from banking regulation, admitting it was used to target constitutionally protected beliefs.
3 (08:40) **The ESG Motor: How Global Alliances Automated the Censorship** - Beck describes how ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) scores turned the subjective "reputational risk" lever into a systematic, spreadsheet-driven tool.
4 (10:35) **The Remaining Danger: Executive Orders vs. Permanent Law** - Beck explains why the current fix is fragile and what is needed to make it permanent.
5 (12:30) **What You Can Do Today: Know Where Your Money Sleeps** - Beck offers actionable advice for listeners to protect themselves without waiting for Washington.
6 (14:57) **Elon Musk's Flying Roadster: The American Dreamer Returns** - Beck reacts with astonishment to Tesla's flying car demonstration, praising Musk as the quintessential American inventor.
7 (20:58) **The Flying Car Demonstration: Jumping Over Cars and Trucks** - Beck plays and describes the video of the flying roadster performing stunts.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter joins to discuss why President Trump's DOJ is suing California over the number of noncitizens allegedly on California voter rolls. Teacher Freedom Alliance CEO Ryan Walters joins to discuss how teachers' unions often protect teachers accused of grooming and abusing their students. Glenn calls out members of his staff who happen to find certain socialist politicians attractive.

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