President Donald Trump’s second inauguration ceremony was moved indoors allegedly because of cold weather – the first time the ceremony hasn’t been held outside since Ronald Reagan’s 1985 inauguration. But Glenn believes there was another reason for the move. Glenn speaks with former Department of Defense intelligence analyst and security expert Jason Buttrill, who agrees that Trump’s staff was likely concerned about security. But the possible threat is likely not domestic. Jason explains why he believes it’s international. Plus, Glenn reveals what he was told by a “cabinet level” source about the Secret Service’s preparedness.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Just saw Marine One moving towards the White House. That would probably be for the departure later of Joe Biden? They're having tea at the White House now. What is this? We're not England. Stop with the tea.
And if -- you know what, if I'm sitting in the morning, and I have to sit there with Jill and Joe Biden, put some whisky in that tea. In fact, just hold the tea. Just whisky. It will be an interesting day. Jason Buttrill is with us now. He's our head researcher, and national security kind of guy. And we're glad to have you here. It's been an interesting weekend, to see security. They put up, what is it? 34 miles of fence?
And this isn't chain linked. This is like especially designed fence for the Capitol. It is -- it's quite amazing, this fencing. You noticed it?
JASON: Yeah. I have. And the other thing I noticed. Coming in like on Saturday, they were dismantling, a lot of the security fencing around the Capitol mall area.
And a lot of people are just kind of wandering around, wondering, well, what do we do?
What's going on?
GLENN: I haven't heard a single complaint from anybody who flew in from some part of the country. And wanted to watch it.
You know, they're all kind of wondering. What are we going to do?
I haven't seen. I haven't heard anybody, but say, if this is security, I am happy.
JASON: Oh, that's absolutely been the main perspective that I heard everyone talking about.
Let's protect the man, and also protect the people.
GLENN: Yeah. And this is not -- at least, I don't think, Jason, you would know better than I would. But from the signs of the kind of security that I'm seeing being implemented, this is not domestic terror they're worried about.
This is international terror.
JASON: From the moment we started seeing video of the president's motorcade, with an electronic devices on top of the vehicles.
I've seen them before. But, Glenn, only in war zones.
I've never seen that just rolling around American cities before.
And those are -- that's the kind of equipment you're using to disrupt IED signals.
GLENN: Right. Or drones. Or drones.
JASON: Or drones. And who has that capability?
Not your average --
GLENN: Well, space aliens. Space aliens, have it.
JASON: Obviously space aliens.
GLENN: They're worried about a space alien invasion at some point today, obviously.
To me, it's very clear, that one of two things happened. Now, I -- I don't want to say, who told me this.
I will just say, it came from cabinet level.
To me. But I -- I got word last night, that it's not only the threats that they have internationally. But also, the fact that the Secret Service appeared to be wildly unprepared. To secure the president, today.
That made them -- made the administration. The incoming administration say, enough is enough. We're moving inside.
JASON: Okay. And that is infuriating.
GLENN: Yes, it is.
JASON: Because the Biden administration has known for four years, that there was a credible Iranian threat.
Four years!
GLENN: Uh-huh. And it seemed like they refused to do anything to beef up his security, once the president declared he was running, and once he was running away in the polls.
It seemed like they were just -- I don't know what they were doing. But we've known about this threat for a long time. Yes. It is a credible threat. Yes, they have said they wanted to do something ever since the Trump administration took out Soleimani of the RJC. This is known. This does not surprise me. Now Trump as he's coming in.
His people are saying, guys, can we for once, he's been a target twice for assassination.
Can we for once take this seriously?
GLENN: I am also very concerned.
There's one place that was very tense, in 2016. And the Secret Service was beg him, please, please, please, don't do this, and I think they'll do it again today.
That is, in the middle of the parade. He is going to say, let me out of the car. And he will walk with Melania and maybe the family.
And I -- pray that doesn't happen. He does not -- likes to project strength. Without fear.
And I know, because he told me what was going through his mind, when he was shot.
Or shot at.
And shot at and hit.
When he went down on the stage.
All he could think of was, this is pathetic. Get up. You're not afraid. You're not somebody who cowers. Get up.
And you can hear that in the audio, if -- if you would go back and listen to it. You can hear him say, get up. I want to get up. I want to get up. Let me put my shoes on. I want to get up.
He was embarrassed by that. He likes to project who he really is. That's not something who you fake. That is who he is. He is not afraid of things. And keeping him in that car, I think is really important.
But I don't think he will stay. We'll see this afternoon on our live coverage on Blaze TV.
Blaze47.com. Save 47 bucks off of your Blaze TV plus subscription. Today is the day to become a member of TheBlaze.
It's going to be great.
So what else are you expecting?
What are the key moments you're looking for, today?
JASON: Well, can I just say, before I get into that?
Hearing you say that, does my heart so well.
Because how many times when I was on your security detail, where we have credible threats. Where you were like, I'm just going to go down there. And we were like, what are you doing? No!
GLENN: But I'm different.
JASON: Stay in the car, sir.
GLENN: He's the president, we can't lose him. You can lose me any time.
Nobody -- there will be no one that's in the car on the way to the grocery store, that hears the news. Glenn Beck has been shot, and they would be like, I'm still going to the grocery store. With him, it's a little different.
JASON: Yeah, I am. It's interesting to see a president now, how he is acting in this moment, versus what we've seen from the Biden administration.
He was an absentee landlord it felt like in four years. Did you see at the Capitol one center yesterday. The president came down in the middle of the crowd.
GLENN: I know.
JASON: Walked through the people. And it felt like, this is the people's president. We finally have a people's president back in the White House.
It's a nightmare for security. But it was just amazing to actually see that.
GLENN: He expects people to do their job.
JASON: Uh-huh. Yeah.
GLENN: You know what I mean?
And he -- he trusts, yet verifies, with the Secret Service.
I mean, he's hired an outside security firm.
What's the name of that firm, do you know?
JASON: No. I can look that up in a second.
GLENN: Yeah. Hang on just a second.
Mark, what's the name of that firm? Marcus.
And he has -- he has hired an outside firm.
And they are on top of it!
I mean, I don't know if you heard this. Because any of us traffic, a couple of times. When the motorcade was going by. And there were helicopters, right up above that motorcade. I mean, I've never seen security like this before.
For a president, in Washington, DC. Normally, the motorcade, they just stop across the streets. And the motorcade goes by.
This time, it was stopped for a long time. Before you saw any blue and red lights.
And then you saw them. And you heard the helicopters first. And there was at least two helicopters, over his motorcade.
JASON: Yeah. And it's going to be needed. Today, we're talking 200-plus-ish. Executive orders.
Many of them targeting not only things like cartels. Terrorist organizations.
But also the Deep State. So I -- and on top of that, maybe one of the largest deportation operations, what? Since Bill Clinton, I guess.
GLENN: He will be mighty unpopular with all of the -- with all of the right people in my book. You know what I mean?
All of the people that should sure afraid, are going to be afraid. And try to make him afraid.
And I have to tell you, they -- they -- and this is not going to happen. This is just not going to happen.
But if they ever really try to take him out, and take him out, I just think of the line from Star Wars. Go ahead.
You will make me stronger than you can imagine.
You know, I don't remember what that exact line was. But strike me down. And I'll be stronger.
And that's true. I mean, J.D. Vance would be the LBJ, and he would reverse all of that Great Society. All that FDR stuff. The American people would be united on, this is going to stop right now.
And so the worst thing they could possibly do is kill him. But that's not going to stop some people from trying, you felt.
JASON: Which is essentially what they did to him, after that last assassination attempt. Look how powerful that image became.
STU: Do you think he wins without the assassination attempt?
GLENN: I'm not sure. I don't think so. Maybe. Maybe. I don't think so.
STU: Yeah. It could have gone the other way, court of appeals enough.
GLENN: Well, remember, that's when Elon Musk got in. It was just a few minutes after the assassination, he was like, that's my guy.
STU: My gut tells me, he still wins. But I'm certainly, less sure of it.
I mean, I think he brought -- brought a lot of people on board because of what happened there.
CHRIS: Even sane liberals!
Going on cable news. And saying, okay. No, that's pretty awesome.
STU: Zuckerberg. Look, Zuckerberg.
GLENN: He was a guy who everybody said. And they're still saying it about him.
He only cares about his personal wealth and his fame.
You don't do that. You know, if it's all about money and fame, you don't do that. But he -- he knew. And Americans knew, that's a guy who is brave. We haven't seen courage, in a very long time.
Just for people to stand up and go, okay.
That's a dude in a dress, man. People don't have a courage to say that.
This guy took a bullet. He's bleeding from it, and he stands up and looks right.
Exposes himself. And says, fight, fight, fight.
That was a moment of courage.
STU: Incredible.
GLENN: That inspired the world.
STU: Should make everyone proud watching this. Even if you don't like him.
The fact that that is the way our country freaking responds.
You try to shoot somebody.
We will put him in office. And he will sign a million executive orders, and he will show that we don't get intimidated by that crap.
Like that is -- that is American, it really is.
It's legitimately inspiring.
And I feel like, I mean, feel like, if you get shot on stage, you automatically get the presidency.
If you're at a rally, you run for president, you get shot on stage. You should win.
GLENN: What's amazing is. What's amazing is. We must know that to be true, until Election Day. Where in any other race, that would have been the winning moment.
STU: Yeah. I mean, it's true!
And we all talk about, you know, resounding victory for Trump.
I can understand it.
There were seven states. He won all seven swing states.
He needed to win one of those three wall blue states. The biggest blowout of those three states was two points.
That's how close we were to freaking Kamala Harris in office today, instead of Donald Trump.
GLENN: Which makes you look at California. I talked to a lot of people in California, last night. Who are here. And I felt bad for them. I happened -- from California to Washington DC. I'm sorry. There is other non-prison territory in the United States.
But, you know, I talked to them about, how is the state faring?
What are they doing? And they all said to me the same thing, if they don't wake up this time, they're not going to. They're not going to.
And it was split half and half, from the people that I talked to, that live in California. Whose houses didn't burn town, but all of their friends and neighbor's houses burned down. They still said, I'm not sure. I'm not sure how this is going to shake out. That's a little terrifying.