Glenn Beck’s recent sit-down with Brandon Tseng should wake every patriotic American up: the future of warfare is no longer science fiction, it’s happening right now. Tseng, who joined Beck’s program on October 27, 2025, laid out in blunt terms how artificial intelligence and autonomous aircraft are changing the calculus of national defense.
Brandon Tseng isn’t just a talking head; he co-founded Shield AI and serves as its president, building battlefield tools from a Navy SEAL’s hard-earned experience. Shield AI started as a mission to protect troops and has rapidly grown into one of the most consequential defense tech companies in America, driven by veterans and private-sector grit rather than bloated government bureaucracy.
On the cutting edge is Shield’s new autonomous aircraft work — including the X-BAT — which Tseng described as a platform that can operate without runways and even without reliable communications, powered by the same Hivemind autonomy software that proved itself in combat testing. These systems aren’t toys; they’re designed to penetrate contested airspace, work as attritable wingmen, and keep American pilots out of needless risk.
That innovation builds on the battlefield credibility Shield already earned with its V-BAT vertical takeoff drones, which have been pushed into real-world operations and shown resilience in contested environments like Ukraine and maritime missions. The private sector’s ability to iterate and field practical tools fast should be celebrated, not hamstrung by academics or politicians who’d rather lecture than arm our troops.
When the topic turned to Putin’s vaunted nuclear-powered cruise missile, Tseng’s dismissive “it sounds dumb” line was more than snark — it was a sober technical assessment wrapped in conservative common sense. Yes, Moscow’s Burevestnik makes for scary headlines, but experts and reality both suggest it’s a risky, radioactive boondoggle rather than an unstoppable game-changer; we should scorn the theater while still preparing responsibly.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if America lets politics and woke priorities starve defense innovation, we’ll be the ones left scrambling when technology actually does decide the next fight. Conservatives should champion entrepreneurs like Tseng and companies like Shield AI — back them with procurement certainty, liability clarity, and the political will to out-innovate our adversaries instead of apologizing to them. No more paper promises and endless hearings; give our engineers the runway they need to keep America safe.
This is about protecting families, securing liberty, and making sure American boys and girls who wear the uniform have the best possible tools. We should be proud that private-sector patriots are answering the call, and angrier still at any politician who would undermine that work with ideology or indifference. Support strong defense, back bold innovation, and remember that freedom has always been defended by those who build, not by those who only debate.
