SiriusXM Suspends Its Carriage Of Glenn Beck Show Over Guest's Comments

Beck

SIRIUSXM has suspended its carriage of PREMIERE NETWORKS' GLENN BECK show over comments made by a guest on last WEDNESDAY's show.

The comment by author BRAD THOR asked if DONALD TRUMP is elected and becomes a dictator whom Congress cannot remove by impeachment, "what patriot would step up" and remove TRUMP "if he oversteps his mandate as president, his constitutional-granted authority, I should say"; BECK responded that he "would agree with you on that."  THOR's comment is being interpreted by some as calling for TRUMP's assassination, and a DRUDGE REPORT headline amplified that interpretation. 

BECK, on THURSDAY's show, said that he did not hear THOR's comment as a threat, saying that he imagined instead that THOR meant a JIMMY STEWART-like "Mr. Smith Goes To WASHINGTON" stand by a Senator. BECK called MATT DRUDGE a "scumbag" for posting the headline and ripped DRUDGE for using primarily BREITBART NEWS ("a wholly-owned subsidiary of TRUMP Industries") as a source, and noted that the comment by THOR was in the context of a novelist imagining a TRUMP presidency in the vein of South American dictators suspending the Constitution.

The satellite operator issued a statement saying that while it "encourages a diversity of discourse and opinion on our talk programs," the comments "in our judgment may be reasonably construed by some to have been advocating harm against an individual currently running for office, which we cannot and will not condone."  SIRIUSXM said that the show is being suspended this week and the service is "evaluating its place in our lineup going forward."

And a message from the show's GM DOM THEODORE, noting that BECK is on vacation, said that BECK "has never -- and will never -- advocate violence.... This viral hatchet job is based on 49 seconds out of a 15-minute interview that gives no context of the hypothetical posited from by BRAD THOR, a thriller writer. GLENN is on the record, repeatedly, expressing concern for all people, especially the President of the UNITED STATES. With every scandal at the Secret Service, GLENN has implored his audience to pray for the safety of the President and for the restoration of the Secret Service’s judgement and abilities. And to answer the question before it has been asked: No one from any governmental agency, Secret Service, police force, etc., has been in contact with our company about this story in any way, shape, or form.

"For the past several months, GLENN has warned his audience, and anyone else willing to listen, that the current political climate is worse than anything he has ever witnessed or studied in American history. We have been preparing for an assault on GLENN’s voice, and others like it, which only reaffirms the importance and value of independent platforms like THEBLAZE, platforms governed not only by ratings but also by principles and values. We are grateful to our partners at PREMIERE NETWORKS, our many local affiliates, and all of our extended partners who support and celebrate a diversity of opinion. We hope you will reach out to all of them and thank them for having the backbone and integrity to stand-up for all voices, even those with which they may disagree. We look forward to standing with our partners and affiliates to support a vibrant 'marketplace of ideas' and will continue to refuse to engage in the manipulative and bullying tactics of progressives."

THEODORE added that "(w)hat happens from here is between PREMIERE and SIRIUSXM. We have been told that GLENN will be back on the PATRIOT CHANNEL on MONDAY morning. Only time will tell. At MERCURY RADIO ARTS, we endeavor to take people at their word and will do so here. In the meantime, GLENN will continue to enjoy his vacation."

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