A Conservative radio host who many accuse of helping Donald Trump’s cause by “mainstreaming a conspiratorial way of thinking” has warned the President-elect may end up being one of the most dangerous US leaders.
Glenn Beck, a former Fox News host, has long been heralded by supporters for his "straight-talking" style in defence of traditional American values. However, critics claim his conspiratorial rhetoric, that many believe has contributed to a rise of populism, is a cynical tactic to increase ratings.
Now, the right-wing pundit has admitted his role in paving Mr Trump’s way to the White House and warned supposed liberals: “Please be better than I was. Please learn from my mistakes.”
“I didn’t vote for him. If it’s going to get bad, [Donald Trump] could bring out the worst in us. I think he could be one of the most dangerous presidents to ever come into the Oval Office. We have to watch him carefully, but also focus on each other and make this work,” he told the New York Times.
“I see the conservative media sphere, in general, as having created a hothouse atmosphere, where there’s this idea that everyone is out to get us. I don’t think that’s fair," he said.
“The first time I ever really heard that kind of serious talk from anybody was about there being a vast right-wing conspiracy out to get us. We both play that game; we’ve done, on the right, the same thing that we accuse the left of doing. You have to know what’s true and what’s not, and quite honestly that’s where the media is supposed to come in and fill the gap.”
Mr Beck famously accused Mr Obama of being a racist with a “deep-seated hatred for white people” and claimed he was implementing a population-cleansing scheme.
Critics have also accused him of fabricating theories about hyperinflation, that he believed would cause inflation to go “through the roof” from 2008 onwards, in order to sell copies of his books on the subject.
One of his novels released in 2016 was titled: “Liars: How Progressives Exploit Our Fears for Power and Control.”
However, Mr Beck said he was modelling himself on former Daily Show host Jon Stewart and pushing controversial rhetoric to try to “encourage you to do your own homework.”
“I could excuse it, to some degree — I won’t — but I could excuse some of it by saying that I was trying to, in some ways, accomplish what Jon Stewart can accomplish: draw huge crowds, make points and then encourage you to do your own homework,” he said.
“I know I wouldn’t believe me if I heard myself apologizing, so I’m telling you now: Don’t take my word for it. Watch my actions. I don’t care what you think about me. All I care about is saying, Please, don’t make the mistake I made.”
Mr Beck is the current radio host of The Glenn Beck Show and owns right-leaning news site The Blaze.
