The Adam Carolla Show - Remembering Charlie Kirk (Carolla Classics)

Release Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Superfan Giovanni (Carolla Classics)
Co-Hosts & Guests (Featured Clips): Adam Carolla, Charlie Kirk, Gina Grad, Brian "Bald Bryan" Bishop, Dylan, Christy Canyon

Episode Overview

This Carolla Classics episode is a tribute to Charlie Kirk, recognized as a two-time guest from 2019 and 2020. Adam Carolla and his team revisit favorite discussions with the young conservative, highlighting Charlie's appearances on the show where he debated staff, discussed campus culture wars, and tackled hot-button political issues. The retrospective showcases lively cross-aisle banter, probing conversations on political polarization, and memorable moments that capture Kirk’s perspective at the time.

1. Remembering Charlie Kirk (00:15–02:23)

• Host Giovanni introduces the tribute, noting Charlie Kirk’s impact and popularity among fans and Adam himself.
• Explains that the episode re-airs two classic segments: a group debate with Charlie Kirk (2019) and a solo interview (2020).
• Sets the tone: “The ACS has a tradition of honoring past guests, a kind of in memoriam if you will...” (00:45-01:00, Giovanni)

2. The Generational Debate: Kirk vs. Dylan (2019 Clip, Start at 02:23)

Key Segment: Charlie Kirk in-studio with Gina Grad, Brian Bishop, Christy Canyon, and staffer Dylan—set up as a friendly debate between a young conservative (Kirk) and young liberal (Dylan).

Main Points & Insights

• Charlie’s Journey & Founding Turning Point USA

  • Did not attend college, started organization after failing to get into West Point.
  • “Getting denied [from West Point] ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.” (04:00, Charlie Kirk)
  • Turning Point USA active on 1400+ campuses.

• The Cultural Pendulum & Political Polarization

  • Adam and Charlie discuss how extreme ideas on the left fueled opportunities for young conservatives.
    • “I don't believe I'm saying anything that controversial... but it’s treated as such.” (05:37, Charlie Kirk)
    • Both use the “pendulum” metaphor for political culture swinging between extremes.
    • Overton window shifts—mainstream ideas suddenly branded radical.

• Campus Culture & Free Speech

  • Kirk criticizes campus intolerance, referencing the documentary “No Safe Spaces.”
  • Story of Evergreen State and Brett Weinstein: "That's the sharks biting each other..." (07:17, Adam Carolla)

• Group Identity & Illiberalism

  • Discussion of Ayanna Pressley's speech (“We don't need any more brown faces that don’t want to be a brown voice…” [25:04, Pressley clip])
  • Critique of racial essentialism: "What an unbelievably racist thing to say..." (25:47, Charlie Kirk)

Notable Exchanges

• On Boycotts & Cancel Culture:

  • Kirk: “People on the right, we don’t [boycott]; the left has become experts at product boycotts of anyone they disagree with.” (19:40)

• On Debate & Marketplace of Ideas:

  • “At every event, if you disagree, you go straight to the front of the line… The left, not liberals, but leftists, hate the idea that there are other ideas.” (14:55–15:47, Charlie Kirk)

3. Hot-Button Issues: Energy, Gun Control, Abortion (Selected Timestamps)

Energy Policy & Fossil Fuels (28:54–39:19)

• Dylan’s take: Push for rapid transition to renewables for jobs, national security, environment.
• Charlie Kirk’s stance:
  • Celebrates US as net exporter, supports market-driven energy policy.
  • “The experiment with wind and solar has had some successes and huge failures. Solyndra… $500 million of government subsidies, total and complete failure.” (30:21)
  • Advocates ending all subsidies for both fossil fuels and renewables. (38:31)
• Nuclear Energy:
  • Both see nuclear as important; Dylan cautious due to disasters, Kirk touts France as a nuclear success. (36:38, 36:55)

Gun Control & School Shootings (39:19–44:31)

• Universal Background Checks:

  • Dylan: “I do not understand why we cannot pass universal background checks...” (39:25)
  • Kirk supports some checks; “I don't find that much disagreement there… There are just some people who should not own firearms.” (40:43–41:22)

• Arming Teachers and Security:

  • Kirk: Supportive only where teachers want it; school resource officers preferred. (42:23)
  • Adam/Panel: Stresses numbers game in response time, not “preventing” shootings but limiting harm.

• Medication and Societal Factors:

  • Kirk suggests overmedicating children is a root factor in many shootings. (44:07)

Abortion: Societal and Personal Perspectives (44:35–60:22)

• Roe v. Wade & Life Beginnings:
  • Dylan: Frustrated by cyclical debate, supports legal abortion, seeks middle ground on fetal viability.
  • Kirk: “I could see myself compromising… that when a heartbeat exists, that is indeed a human life.” (47:57–48:17)
• Exceptions (rape, incest, life of mother):
  • Panel notes such cases are rare but dominate discourse. (48:57)
• Planned Parenthood & Federal Funding:
  • Debate over use of taxpayer funds; Kirk decries “subsidizing the abortion industry.” (50:25)
  • Dylan defends broader services provided; both agree on the Hyde Amendment's complexities. (51:08)
• Conservative Critique:
  • Dylan: "Right often opposes abortion but also safety nets—can't reconcile that." (52:53)
  • Kirk: “If you can’t protect those who can’t protect themselves, who are we as people?” (52:17)
• Common Ground: Both sides agree fewer abortions would be positive, though not on how to achieve it. (56:08, Adam Carolla: “Everyone should be against it in terms of… want to minimize it.”)

4. Celebrity, Culture, & Schools: “MAGA” vs. “Maga” and Beyond (2020 Clip, 79:32+)

Solo Interview: Adam Carolla with Charlie Kirk

• Meaning of “MAGA”

  • Playful riff on pronunciation, reflecting the show’s informal tone. (80:16)
  • "[Trump] said, it’s MAGA, like magazine.” (80:16, Gina Grad)

• Charlie’s Biography & Lessons from “Gap Year”

  • Details early failure (West Point), pivot to activism.
  • Kirk: “I highly encourage people to take a gap year... one of the best decisions I ever made.” (82:39)
  • Adam: “People go through life like they're at Disneyland. They get off the Matterhorn, run for Space Mountain...” (83:30)

• Trades vs. College, Dignity of Work

  • Charlie and Adam criticize overselling college, undervaluing skilled trades.
  • “We have hyper-educated individuals with no skills at all, taught to hate our country and very far in debt... makes a perfect socialist voter.” (87:34, Kirk)

• Policy Debates: Homelessness, Crime, Stop & Frisk

  • “If the ruling class even has a small smidgen of adjustment to their lifestyle... the entire political class will do whatever they can to address that problem.” (93:14, Kirk)
  • Lively breakdown of "goalpost moving” (e.g., redefining crimes to fudge crime rates).

• Stop-and-Frisk & Bloomberg

  • Kirk defends the policy on pragmatic grounds: “Who were they killing? Other black people…the crime rate dropped dramatically.” (99:51)
  • Argued Bloomberg not motivated by racism but by desire to save black lives, resisting oversimplified accusations.

• Media & Confirmation Bias

  • Critique of left-leaning media saturation: “Every airport you travel through in the country has CNN showing… 100% of the airports.” (114:02, Adam)
  • Social media creates echo chambers; conservatives hear opposing views more often. (113:44, Kirk)

• The Importance of Self-Deprecation and Humor

  • “What true tolerance is, is self-deprecation. If you’re not allowed to make a joke about yourself... that’s troubling.” (111:47, Kirk)
  • Lamenting the “death of comedy,” with references to Seinfeld.

Choice Quip:

• “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me… now names are hurting more people.” (127:26, Adam Carolla)

5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• Pendulum Metaphor: “The pendulum swings… when everything's in the middle, we don't need that swing to the right. When it gets too far out to the left... it turns guys like you and Shapiro into household names…” (04:32, Adam Carolla)
• On Racial Essentialism: “If you did that with white people, it would be considered insanely racist…” (25:53, Brian Bishop; 25:47, Kirk)
• Nuance in Policy: “I'm a huge fan of nuclear. France is the great success story... 70% of their energy grid is nuclear.” (36:38, Kirk)
• Media Critique: “There's only one side that's tolerant in this conversation.” (19:40, Kirk discussing boycotts)
• On Policy Motives: “What's in it for Bloomberg to just be generically racist? He doesn't profit… He's trying to decrease gun violence...” (101:15, Carolla)
• On Comedy: “Comedy is a very important release for a society... The death of comedy is a dangerous thing.” (128:25, Kirk)

6. Charlie Kirk’s Legacy on The Show

• Respected for being intellectually honest—even defending some moderate Democratic policies.
• Willing to debate openly with staff and field hard questions.
• Adam Carolla notes: “Charlie, you hang in because you’re an American.” (60:22)
• Final words from Adam post-interview: “Rest in peace.” (132:13, Adam Carolla)

7. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Approx. Timestamp | |------------------------------|------------------| | Giovanni’s intro about Kirk | 00:15–02:23 | | Group panel setup | 02:23–03:29 | | Kirk on campus culture | 06:37–09:12 | | Evergreen/Weinstein story | 11:08–14:04 | | Marketplace of ideas | 14:46–15:47 | | Ayanna Pressley clip | 25:04–25:47 | | Energy debate | 28:54–39:19 | | Gun control/school safety | 39:19–44:31 | | Abortion roundtable | 44:35–60:22 | | Solo Carolla/Kirk interview | 79:32–132:13 | | Trades, college, work ethic | 84:23–89:46 | | Stop and frisk/Bloomberg | 98:06–105:41 | | Media bias/social media | 113:44–115:40 | | Self-deprecation/comedy | 127:26–131:29 |

8. Episode Tone & Language

• Adam Carolla brings his trademark wit, irreverence, and analogies.
• Kirk is rational, earnest, and occasionally playful in debate.
• Panelists freely riff, joke, and challenge each other’s ideas with gusto.
• Open atmosphere; even controversial topics are handled with a blend of humor and seriousness.

9. Conclusion

"Remembering Charlie Kirk" is a showcase of cross-aisle dialogue, generational debate, and the value of good faith engagement on difficult issues. Whether discussing campus politics, policy nuance, or responding to accusations of intolerance, these conversations highlight Charlie Kirk’s willingness to engage in tough dialogue—and Adam Carolla’s commitment to airing a diversity of ideas with comedy and candor.

For listeners wanting to understand campus conservatism, the shifting political culture of the late 2010s, or Adam Carolla’s brand of uncensored commentary, this episode is essential—thoughtful, combative, and at times, unexpectedly conciliatory.