Tonight, Glenn Beck is set to air a special report on the militarization of the police called “Excessive Force” that aims to expose “the root” of the rise in the use of SWAT teams and military equipment by local police forces.

This program is apparently not sitting well with some of Beck’s fans, who are now lashing out at him for being “anti-police,” which forced Beck to spend his entire opening monologue on his program last night repeatedly assuring his audience that he loves and respects the police and is constantly approaching officers to tell them how much he appreciates them.

In fact, Beck said, he is the “best friend” that local police have because he is the only one willing to warn them that the militarization of their force is part of a nefarious progressive conspiracy to undermine their effectiveness by sowing fear among the general population that the police are out of control so that the federal government can then seize control of local police forces all over the nation.

Beck insisted last night that individual police officers and local police forces are not to blame for their own use or misuse of military-style equipment because they are all being set up by President Obama.

“You’re armed to the teeth so you look provocative, and yet they’re holding you back. Why do you think they’re doing that? Why?,” Beck asked. “They are causing the American people to lose trust in you. Nothing you’re doing is making the American people lose trust in you. This is orchestrated, and we must know what’s going on and what the end of the road is.”

“The president just said, ‘I’m taking some of this military equipment away.’ No, he’s not,” Beck continued. “He is creating the impression he says you’re out of control because remember, the police act stupidly, so he’s creating the impression that you’re out of control, that you have too much stuff, when, in reality, he’s not taking any of that stuff away. His people are holding you back while they are calling for the Justice Department to take over local policing. Don’t you see the game that is being played, and the cops are being set up? By God, man, I’m your best friend because no one else will talk about this”: