Beck on "blowing up" Iran: "I say we nuke the bastards"

Summary: On the May 11 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, when asked for his views on "[b]lowing up Iran," CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck answered, "I say we nuke the bastards." Beck continued: "In fact, it doesn't have to be Iran, it can be everywhere, anyplace that disagrees with me."

On the May 11 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, when asked by executive producer Steve "Stu" Burguiere for his views on "[b]lowing up Iran," CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck answered, "I say we nuke the bastards." Beck continued: "In fact, it doesn't have to be Iran, it can be everywhere, anyplace that disagrees with me."

As Media Matters for America has noted, Beck has previously suggested "politically correct name[s]" for bunker-buster nuclear weapons that the Bush administration has reportedly considered using against Iran, in order to make their use more accepted. Furthermore, Media Matters has also noted that Beck has used his new CNN Headline News program to make the baseless suggestion that Iran might "already" possess nuclear weapons.

From the May 11 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: All right, stop the music. I've got to talk. Stu, give me a topic, some butch topic I can talk about for a second, will you?

BURGUIERE: Blowing up Iran.

BECK: Blowing up Iran. I say we nuke the bastards. In fact, it doesn't have to be Iran, it can be everywhere, anyplace that disagrees with me. Hang on just a second, is there any more [former "American Idol" contestant] Clay Aiken? Maybe we should just listen to them. We should listen to -- we should listen to the president of Iran. We should listen to President Tom [Beck's nickname for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]. And say what, what, what do you want? How can we be friends? Why can't we just all get along? Who was your favorite on American Idol, President Tom?

—L.F.