The Best of Mark Levin – 9/13/25

Podcast: Mark Levin Podcast
Episode: The Best Of Mark Levin - 9/13/25
Date: September 13, 2025
Host: Mark Levin (Cumulus Podcast Network)
Featuring: Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, Sean Hannity, Benjamin Netanyahu, Carolyn Leibitt, Hakeem Jeffries

Episode Overview

This "Best of Mark Levin" episode is centered on three interconnected themes:

1. America’s Founding Principles and the Legacy of Natural Rights: An in-depth, scholarly discussion of the origins of rights, especially the influence of John Locke on the Founders, in response to contemporary political debates.
2. Geopolitical Realities & Terrorism: Sharp criticism of Qatar and Turkey’s support for Hamas, and a passionate defense of Israel’s right to security in the face of terror attacks.
3. Crime, Law and Order, and a Culture of Political Violence: Reflection on recent tragic events, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, with segments on America’s violence crisis and the need to restore civility and justice.

The tone is urgent, emotional, and unflinchingly critical of progressive politics, weaving personal recollections with commentary on current events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America’s Founding, John Locke & Natural Rights

Timestamp: 00:19–14:25

• Trump’s Rebuke of Tim Kaine: Mark opens with a Trump speech lambasting Sen. Tim Kaine for expressing doubts about rights coming from a Creator. Trump frames Kaine’s stance as aligning with tyrants and totalitarianism (01:15).

  “It is tyrants who are denying our rights and the rights that come from God.”—Donald Trump [01:35]

• Mark Levin’s Scholarly Take: Levin references his book "Emeritopia" and explores John Locke’s influence on the American Founders, describing Locke as the most significant philosopher during America’s revolutionary era (02:15–06:28).

  “John Locke was the most important philosopher to the founders of this country during the Revolutionary period. There’s no question about it.”—Mark Levin [03:20]

• Natural Law & the Declaration: Locke’s notion that no government can violate inalienable rights, and that government’s only legitimate purpose is to preserve these rights. Levin and Kirk cite Locke directly and link his philosophy to the justification for revolution as found in the Declaration of Independence.

  “All men are blessed by God with inalienable rights... Government doesn’t give you those rights. It doesn’t create those rights. It’s its job to preserve those rights.”—Charlie Kirk [08:14]

• Criticism of the Modern Left: Levin frames current progressive ideology as a rejection of Locke’s individual-centered philosophy, equating it to a “fascistic Marxist Islamist overlaying philosophy” and accusing Democrats of dehumanizing the individual (13:44).

2. Qatar, Hamas, and U.S. Foreign Policy

Timestamp: 15:56–29:34

• Terror Attack in Jerusalem: Discussion of a terrorist shooting in Jerusalem claimed by Hamas, with Mark and Charlie highlighting the role of Hamas’s leadership based in Qatar and Turkey (16:11).
• Qatar’s Double Game: Levin provides a litany of Qatar’s alleged misdeeds—funding terrorism (notably Hamas and the Taliban), buying influence in the West, and providing sanctuary to terrorists. He accuses both Democratic and Republican administrations of being complicit (17:28–21:21).

  “Qatar is a terror state... Qatar has 9/11 blood on its hands. How quickly we dismiss what happened on 9/11.”—Mark Levin [24:49]

• The ‘Sovereign Ally’ Shield: Levin mocks the diplomatic argument that Qatar and Pakistan are “allies” or “sovereign,” referencing the U.S. operation to kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan as precedent for action against states that harbor terrorists (22:17).
• Demand for Accountability: He calls for no further defense arrangements with Qatar until it ceases terror support, and repeatedly asks if U.S. intelligence inadvertently helped tip off Hamas leaders to escape (26:37–28:44).

3. Crime, Law & Order, and Dehumanization

Timestamp: 30:16–42:35

• The Murder of Erna Zaruska: Mark spotlights the killing of a young Ukrainian woman in North Carolina by a repeat offender. He condemns Democrat “catch and release” justice, and frames this as emblematic of nationwide lawlessness (36:00–37:57).

  “All these people who are murdered have a story. The Democrats talk about statistics, the murder rates going down here or there, ... they dehumanize the situation.”—Mark Levin [32:28]

• Trump on Crime: In a video, Trump condemns “savage, bloodthirsty criminals” released in Democrat-run cities, promising to “make America safe again” (33:42).

  “We have to respond with force and strength. We have to be vicious just like they are. It’s the only thing they understand.”—Donald Trump [34:24]

• Political Evasion: Mark and Charlie play a press conference with Hakeem Jeffries, criticizing Democrats for sidestepping questions about accountability and crime in their own cities (39:22).

  “You haven’t been clear in your support for law enforcement... The fact of the matter is the rank and foul cops can’t stand you people and for good damn reason.”—Mark Levin [41:04]

4. The Assassination of Charlie Kirk & the Crisis of Political Violence

Timestamp: 43:20–69:59

• Remembering Charlie Kirk: Mark offers a moving eulogy, recalling personal moments, Kirk’s faith, activism, and friendship. He details Kirk’s commitment to liberty, youth engagement, and his global impact, especially for Israel (43:20–54:24).

  “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo Christian civilization.”—Benjamin Netanyahu [54:13]

• The Manhunt: Updates on the search for Kirk’s assassin. The killer used a high-powered rifle, left evidence linking the attack to radical ideologies, and the authorities are confident in their pursuit (54:36–59:02).
• Presidential and World Reactions: Trump expresses grief, pledges to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and salutes Kirk as a martyr for truth and freedom (59:02, 61:02). Netanyahu describes Kirk’s support for Judeo-Christian civilization and free speech (62:18).
• Media and Political Commentary: Mark and Sean Hannity harshly criticize efforts to “dehumanize” Kirk after his death.

  “I’m not going to allow them to dehumanize this man... He accomplished a great deal... Charlie’s going to be remembered because of ... the younger generation that he spawned to get involved in the liberty movement.”—Sean Hannity [64:25–65:18]

• Warning About Violent Political Culture: Both Levin and Kirk (in a prescient tweet) condemn a climate of escalating justification for violence in response to political frustrations:

  “Assassination culture spreading on the left. ... The left is being whipped up into a violent frenzy. Any setback — whether losing an election or losing a court case — justifies a maximally violent response.”—Charlie Kirk (April 7, 2025, quoted by Levin) [49:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mark Levin on Rights & Government:

  “No government, including one established by the consent of the governed, has authority to violate man's inalienable rights.” [03:45]

• Donald Trump at Museum of the Bible:

  “It is tyrants who are denying our rights and the rights that come from God.” [01:35]

• Mark Levin on Qatar:

  “Qatar has 9/11 blood on its hands. How quickly we dismiss what happened on 9/11.” [24:49]

• Benjamin Netanyahu on Charlie Kirk:

  “He fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo Christian civilization.” [54:13]

• Sean Hannity on Charlie Kirk:

  “He did more in 31 years than most people do in an entire lifetime. He lived life to the fullest. He enjoyed other people. He enjoyed debating people who strenuously disagree with him.” [64:20]

• Levin Closing Reflection:

  “What we have to get back to is being able to have a reasonable disagreement where violence is not an option.” [69:59]

Important Timestamps

• 00:19: Mark begins analysis of Trump’s speech on rights and Creator.
• 02:15: Levin explains Locke’s influence, natural law, and the Declaration.
• 15:56: News of Jerusalem terror attack and Hamas’s claim of responsibility.
• 17:28-22:12: Analysis of Qatar and Turkey as terrorism sponsors.
• 24:49: Levin: “Qatar has 9/11 blood on its hands.”
• 30:16: Mark describes the murder of Erna Zaruska; reflections on crime and individual loss.
• 33:42: Trump condemns lawlessness in American cities (video message).
• 39:22: Hakeem Jeffries refuses to answer crime accountability questions.
• 43:20: Mark’s tribute to Charlie Kirk.
• 54:13: Netanyahu’s statement on Kirk: “Lion hearted friend of Israel.”
• 59:02: President Trump announces posthumous Medal of Freedom for Kirk.
• 62:18: Netanyahu on Fox, further tribute to Kirk.
• 64:20: Hannity and Levin’s defense of Kirk’s legacy.
• 69:59: Levin’s closing call for a return to civil disagreement.

Summary & Closing Thoughts

The episode interweaves intellectual history, passionate advocacy, national security anxieties, personal grief, and an ominous warning about America’s political culture. Mark Levin, joined by figures like Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk (via previous conversations and posthumous tribute), Benjamin Netanyahu, and Sean Hannity, makes an urgent appeal:

1. Understand America’s first principles, especially the divine origin of rights and the dangers of discarding them.
2. Demand principled clarity in confronting terrorism, especially holding American allies like Qatar accountable.
3. Value individual lives over statistics, and resist the dehumanizing trends in media and politics.
4. Reject violence outright, and honor those—like Charlie Kirk—whose lives have been lost to it.

Mark closes with both sorrow and resolve, urging a return to robust but peaceful discourse, and memorializing Kirk as a model “quintessential American.”