Glenn Beck's Trump Parody Will Make You Rethink Your Cheetos Cravings

Conservative activist and Ted Cruz ally Glenn Beck made headlines with a mocking gesture aimed at Republican front-runner Donald Trump. Back in 2016 during his radio show, The Glenn Beck Program, Beck humorously rubbed his face with crushed Cheetos to parody Trump’s appearance. Known for his provocative style, Beck explained the stunt by saying, “After seeing Donald Trump on television, we thought if you wore the swim goggles and stuck your face in crushed Cheetos, you would end up looking just like Donald Trump.”

In his broadcast, Beck crushed several Cheetos flavors, including Flamin’ Hot and Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeño, repeatedly asking if his appearance resembled Trump’s. His co-hosts joined in on the jest, with Pat Gray commenting, “You are almost a twin, a doppleganger if you will,” and Steve Burguiere adding, “You know, it does look like  Trump dips his face in Cheetos dust.” This mockery came as Beck was publicly critical of Trump in January, following his endorsement of Ted Cruz. At that time, Beck had emphasized the need for the Republican Party to choose a candidate with strong principles, contrasting his views with Trump’s association with strip clubs and casinos as per CNN.

In a similar incident, a drawing of an old pickup truck hung on one side of the main stage, captioned 'Edward Janssen Farms.' (Janssen was Glenn Beck's maternal grandfather; Beck's family sold a line of American-made clothing bearing the Janssen name.) Above the truck, in large type, was the word 'honor.' On the other side of the stage sat an old-fashioned radio and a comfy blue armchair. The scene exuded warmth and reassurance, except for the television offstage, which blared an advertisement for a year's worth of 'emergency survival food' to be consumed in case society unraveled according to The Atlantic.

Beck asked an audience member to lead a prayer, and then filming started. Someone asked, “How do we get people to come together?” Beck responded by citing a book called 'Pendulum', which argued that as a result of generational change, history shifts in 40-year cycles between 'me' eras and 'we' eras. In 2003, he explained, America entered a 'we' era, a time when individual identity weakens and group identity strengthens. 'We’ generations,' Beck declared, produced “genocidal monsters”: The past three 'we' generations coincided with the French and American revolutions, Karl Marx and the Civil War, and the Holocaust.

Americans could survive the coming 'onslaught,' Beck reassured his viewers, but doing so would require great character. He mentioned Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged for resisting the Nazis, and invoked Gandhi, who fasted in an effort to prevent India's Hindus and Muslims from murdering each other. Then Beck paused for a commercial break, during which he chatted amiably with his audience about the impending collapse of America’s banks. Prominent conservative talk-show hosts, known for fueling right-wing populism, exhibited varied yet supportive reactions during Trump's campaign. Sean Hannity made a notable appearance in one of Trump's campaign videos, while Laura Ingraham delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention. In March, Rush Limbaugh endorsed Trump, stating, “With the case of Trump, there’s a much bigger upside than downside.” By July, Hugh Hewitt unequivocally declared his support, writing, “Of course I am voting for Donald Trump.”