Knowledge Fight Episode #1073: Farewell, Sweet Ding-Dong
Release Date: September 3, 2025
Main Theme:
Dan and Jordan bid a snarky, analytical farewell to Infowars co-host Owen Shroyer as he departs from Alex Jones’ company. They dig into the circumstances around Owen’s abrupt exit, what it says about the larger Infowars operation, and Owen’s own delusions of post-Infowars grandeur. The episode is both a comedic autopsy and an insightful dissection of right-wing media’s inner workings.
Episode Overview
Dan and Jordan open with giddy disbelief at Owen Shroyer's sudden exit from Infowars—a monumental shakeup in the insular ecosystem of conspiracy broadcasting. The episode's goal is to unravel why Owen left (or was fired), analyze his long, rambling farewell livestream, and diagnose what (if anything) might be next for him.
They scrutinize Owen's final days on Infowars, his fraught relationship with Alex Jones, and his grandiose plans for a new "news network." As always, the hosts use Owen as an object lesson in right-wing media’s toxic dynamics, the futility of anchoring in that world, and the powerful sway of personality cults and financial collapse.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Owen’s Sudden Exit: Firing or Resignation?
- Date of Departure Announcement: September 1, 2025 (Labor Day)
- Owen claims he quit, but as Dan and Jordan analyze the details—including Owen walking off his show and not returning—it’s clear he was fired.
- Analysis:
- Owen walked out mid-show due to Alex's interference and didn’t return. He wanted a meeting to smooth things over, which Alex denied outright.
- Owen hoped for a “positive” wrap-up and a chance to announce his future to the Infowars audience; Alex refused.
- “If you walk out of a job and don’t come back, you’re quitting. If you then want to come back and your boss says not to, that’s being fired.” — Dan (69:41)
- Notable Quote:
- “He told me he didn't need me and good luck and that was that.” — Owen Schroyer ([72:23])
2. Owen’s Role at Infowars: An Unwanted Anchor
- Owen thought of himself as Alex’s heir apparent or “anchor,” but Dan and Jordan make the case that this role is out of place in Infowars’ chaos-driven, personality-focused media environment.
- Anchors are meant to provide credibility and stability, but in right-wing media, this comes off as inauthentic or even suspicious.
- Quote:
- “He’s an anchor in a media space that doesn’t need anchors.” — Dan ([12:00])
3. On-Air Tensions and Breakdown
- Owen describes constant micromanagement by Alex: being told what topics to cover, last-minute guest instructions (notably swapping Owen’s interview with Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio so Alex could pursue anti-trans shooter coverage with FBI guest Kyle Seraphin).
- Owen sees this as disrespectful. Dan points out that this is nothing new at Infowars; Owen simply cracked first when the work became both humiliating and legally perilous.
- Quote:
- “He wanted me to cover something, wanted me to get a guest on… I kind of just reached my point of no return and so I just walked off the studio.” — Owen ([64:01])
4. Creative Control & Workplace Dysfunction
- Owen insists he had “creative control,” yet admits Alex could override any topic or segment, generating an inconsistent, hostile work environment.
- Dan: “That's a hostile work environment. And that's the reason that I find this really interesting.” ([80:24])
- Insight: This is an indictment not just of Infowars, but of the chaotic, personality-driven nature of extremist right media companies.
5. Disagreements Over Trump, Israel, and Editorial Line
- Owen suggests his “negativity” on-air (i.e., occasionally acknowledging Trump’s lies or the police state tactics in DC) and his relatively direct criticism of Israel made Alex upset.
- Listeners to Owen’s livestream repeatedly try to get him to say he was fired for criticizing Israel, but Owen waffles, avoiding explicitly naming that as the reason.
- Owen: “I probably didn’t spend as much time on [Israel criticism]... I took into account that Alex… didn’t like all the Israel stuff.” ([181:05])
6. Owen’s Farewell Livestream: Delusional Plans and Radio Dreams
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Owen’s excruciating 5-hour Labor Day stream is the centerpiece of the episode, with Dan and Jordan reviewing its content and revealing a mixture of desperation, grandiosity, and a disconnect from reality.
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His post-Infowars Plan:
- Launch the “WIN Network: World Independent News Network”
- Create “The Owen Report,” a three-hour daily “news” program, “with no guests, just news” — plus music, roasts, and movie reviews
- Avoid permanent sales pitches; rely on traditional radio sponsors and segment sponsors (“the Rant,” “the Roast”)
- Aggressively promises show will “never be behind a paywall” — then immediately hedges for possible subscriber content
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Dan’s Analysis:
- Owen’s plans are both wildly grandiose (“I want to build the biggest political family and political movement since Rush Limbaugh”) and logistically incoherent.
- His concept is just a podcast with a webcam and hacky FM-radio bits, but he still wants four cameras and a backup studio.
- Owen rushes out branding, names, and logos (WIN Network is already a taken name/URL; Owen Report is a UK nuclear poisoning investigation), betraying lack of prep or forethought.
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Cutting Quotes:
- “It's sad in a delusional way, but it's also sad that even if you pull this off, you fail.” — Dan ([180:07])
7. Perpetual Identity Crisis & Unflattering Parallels
- Repeatedly, Dan and Jordan draw unflattering lines between Owen and Infowars’ history:
- He was never hired for his reporting, but for his ability to antagonize and “own the libs” on camera.
- As Infowars’ only “anchor,” he’s irrelevant in a format that rewards shrill, anchorless chaos.
- His attempts to be “America’s anchorman” are doomed: “He could have slept through large chunks of his show and it wouldn’t have mattered… He was only serviceable because nothing was expected of him.” — Dan ([125:45])
8. Listeners Call In — Trolls, Sympathizers, and Delusion
- Owen’s launch stream is punctuated by:
- Actual fans, including a deeply unsettling mother who says her 6- and 7-year-olds watch him daily.
- Multiple Knowledge Fight listeners (including someone named “Jordan Friesen”) trolling him about Sandy Hook depositions and Alex’s role.
- A meta moment: “Hey, I just actually had a question… Is this going to make a good episode of Knowledge Fight?” — “Dan Holmes,” to Owen ([170:06])
- Owen deflects but doesn’t deny damaging truths—he admits he ended up being the legal fall guy for stories Alex forced him to air.
9. Owen's Religious Delusions about "God's Plan"
- Owen claims he “gave it to God” and that being fired was a sign.
- Jordan and Dan lampoon this as post-hoc rationalization:
- “Owen is trying to say that he listens to God, but then he's describing making his own decisions repeatedly until the ability to make a decision has been taken away from him.” — Dan ([131:46])
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
On Losing His Job
- “I walked off the show… there was no family emergency. I walked off the show.” — Owen ([64:01])
- “My intention was to go back this week, and I made that intention perfectly clear… I wanted to meet with Alex in the office tomorrow.” — Owen ([68:55])
- “It's got a sting. Owen was offering to do free publicity for Alex… and Alex wasn't interested.” — Dan ([72:33])
- “All of those things are probably pretty accurate.” — Dan ([72:31])
On Infowars Work Environment
- “Imagine it's like somebody staring over your back 24/7...every single day I came back, it was either a guest that I was told to have on at the last minute, or...him coming into the studio...he wants me to cover that, or I have to host his show for him.” — Owen ([79:53])
- “That's a hostile work environment.” — Dan ([80:24])
On Alex’s Management
- “He’s on speakerphone, he's asked the crew to bring him… it's just a cluster fuck, it’s just a cluster bomb.” — Owen ([64:01])
- “Annoyance is a good reason for this breakdown…the problem is that Trump sucks.” — Dan ([78:00])
On Delusion and Plans
- “I want to be America’s anchorman. That's what I want to be.” — Owen ([125:05])
- “He walked away from—or was fired from—the only place he conceivably could do the thing he wants to do.” — Dan ([150:48])
- “If you break it down, what Owen is saying is that he wants to host a show that people aren’t embarrassed to listen to, which is what Infowars was.” — Dan ([125:13])
On Hypocrisy and Right-Wing Media
- “You're doing the thing that you've always said your enemies are going to do: make excuses for why expansion of police state powers are justified by scary circumstances.” — Dan ([50:47])
On Callers and Listener Trolling
- “Hey, I have a question, is this going to make a good episode of Knowledge Fight?” — “Dan Holmes” ([170:14])
- “Go ahead, man. Have it out. Have your fun.” — Owen ([170:30])
On Infowars as a Dead-End
- “He was another talent at a one talent business. He could have slept through large chunks of his show and it wouldn’t have mattered.” — Dan ([125:45])
- “If he tries to become a Nazi guy, he's not gonna be the best Nazi guy in that immediate space. If he tries to be the real Infowars guy, he's not gonna be great at that either.” — Dan ([13:34])
On Owen’s Fate
- “Words fail me in this moment of such real gravity.” — Dan ([192:13])
- “I've got advice straight from the Bible…the hot and cold. Right. Go hot or go cold. Go as hard as you've ever gone against Alex. Or go so cold that you just try and change your name and go to a radio station to do sports. Anything in between is a failure.” — Jordan ([193:57])
- “You didn't go there and start getting embarrassed. You were embarrassing and that's why they wanted you.” — Jordan ([128:20])
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:03–16:00] – Setting the stage: How and why Owen’s exit is a big deal, his dubious career path, and history at Infowars.
- [19:16–24:43] – Forensic look at Owen’s last days: analysis of his final broadcasts, on-air oddities, and cracks in the relationship.
- [39:40–45:16] – Owen and the “U.S. war zone” narrative; police state creep and contradictions in his ideology.
- [55:02–62:29] – Deconstruction of Owen's five-hour "farewell" livestream: intro, preamble, self-justification.
- [64:01–65:36] – Owen recounts walking off mid-show, Alex’s family-emergency cover story, and building humiliation.
- [96:45–104:00] – Owen explains his delusional “WIN Network” plans.
- [125:05–127:14] – Owen dreams of being “America’s anchorman” for “everyone” – analysis of why this will never work.
- [138:49–141:46] – Troll callers from Knowledge Fight target Owen with pointed questions about Sandy Hook, his role, and Knowledge Fight.
- [147:35–149:09] – Owen’s bizarre plans to make music/movie reviews a big part of his “all news” show.
- [184:55–186:44] – Multiple callers try to get Owen to admit he was fired for criticism of Israel; Owen waffles.
Closing Thoughts
Dan and Jordan wrap with a blend of amusement, exasperation, and a tinge of pity. Owen’s departure is framed as both a significant moment in the collapsing Infowars empire and a paradigmatic tale of misplaced confidence, wasted opportunity, and the toxic churn of the far-right media grind.
Final words: “Happy travels. See you in hell.”
— Jordan and Dan ([194:40])