Podcast Summary: Part Of The Problem - “Thoughts on Charlie Kirk”
Host: Dave Smith
Date: September 11, 2025
Episode Theme:
Dave Smith reacts candidly and emotionally to the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, reflecting on its cultural and personal impact, the societal and individual responses, and the dangers of political escalation and ideological extremism. The episode is an immediate, unscripted outpouring following the event.
Main Theme & Purpose
Dave pauses his usual programming to address the assassination of Charlie Kirk, someone he personally knew and recently spent time with. The central thread is Smith working through his own visceral response and encouraging listeners to resist destructive instincts — both conspiratorial and violent — that might arise in such moments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
A. Personal Reaction & The Human Dimension
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Emotional Shock:
- Dave describes being "rattled" and disturbed by witnessing the raw, violent end of someone he just saw:
"I'm really rattled by this. I mean, really. This really fucked me up." [02:02]
- He relates to how listeners may feel deep personal connection to public figures, having developed the same from his own experience as a fan and as someone familiar with Kirk.
- Dave describes being "rattled" and disturbed by witnessing the raw, violent end of someone he just saw:
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Recounting The Moment:
- He tells a personal anecdote about experiencing an unexplained dread just before learning the news, emphasizing the surreal and tragic nature of sudden death. [19:30]
- The impact of seeing traumatic footage — of both the assassination and other recent violent events — weighs on him, prompting a need for “soul cleansing.”
"I think I might just need a little break from just seeing soul-crushing, awful things." [26:50]
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On Charlie Kirk’s Character:
- Despite policy differences, to Dave, Kirk was always an “incredibly nice and genuine guy,” whose kindness far outweighed his politics.
"He just always came off as very genuine to me… kindness and manners mean so much more to me than politics.” [11:50]
- He notes the pain caused to Kirk’s family:
“He leaves behind a wife and two little kids, and that just… crushes my soul.” [15:04]
- Despite policy differences, to Dave, Kirk was always an “incredibly nice and genuine guy,” whose kindness far outweighed his politics.
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Processing The Permanence of Death:
- Dave touches on the difficulty of grappling with the sudden, permanent loss of someone familiar.
“It’s hard for us to grapple with the concept that someone's here and then they're just gone. And so it ends up feeling like kind of surreal.” [22:35]
- Dave touches on the difficulty of grappling with the sudden, permanent loss of someone familiar.
B. The Significance of the Event
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Cultural Impact:
- He stresses the magnitude — “a massive, massive event” — noting Kirk’s reach with “millions and millions of followers.” [28:05]
- Draws a comparison to attempts on higher-profile political figures like Trump, arguing that the cold-blooded killing of an activist, not even a front-line politician, has unique weight and symbolism.
“There's just something a little bit different when it's a presidential candidate… but this is just a guy… getting sniped for discussion and debate.” [32:50]
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The Free Speech Dimension:
- Smith highlights the chilling message the assassination sends:
“A guy doing free speech stuff gets assassinated for it—this is a profoundly disturbing snapshot of where we’re at as a society.” [36:20]
- He sees the act as a black-and-white issue of good vs. evil:
“The person who's going, ‘let's have a battle of ideas’ … is the good guy. And the person who murders the husband and father… is the bad piece of shit who needs to be taken care of.” [38:34]
- Smith highlights the chilling message the assassination sends:
C. Calls for Restraint & Warnings Against Escalation
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Danger of Escalation:
- Dave warns repeatedly against succumbing to anger or seeking retaliation:
"There's a real danger of escalation after this, man… you can't just do this and think that the other side is incapable of responding in kind.” [46:30]
- Dave warns repeatedly against succumbing to anger or seeking retaliation:
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Personal Experience With Tragedy:
- He relates to the temptation to fall into despair or rage by recalling his son's life-threatening medical emergency and the dark emotions it triggered.
"It's as easy as, like, if you didn't sleep for five nights... It's how easy it would be to fall asleep is like how easy it is to fall into that darkness." [55:50]
- Suggests that resisting this “dark force” and turning to mutual support is the better path.
- He relates to the temptation to fall into despair or rage by recalling his son's life-threatening medical emergency and the dark emotions it triggered.
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Appealing to Listeners:
- His advice: “Calm down, everybody, take a breath and don't do anything stupid… Don’t do something senseless and violent in response.” [47:45]
- He urges listeners to resist being drawn into “an all-consuming hatred” or dark thinking:
“I'm just like really pleading with you to not fall into… that dark force that in some way I think we all know is kind of always there with us in life.” [1:19:55]
D. Critique of Media and Online Reactions
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On Left-Wing Social Media Responses:
- Dave addresses those celebrating Kirk’s death online:
“None of you are happy. You're all incredibly sad. In fact, you're so goddamn sad… you can't even exist in this world with your emotions.” [1:03:30]
- Cautions large accounts about amplifying such toxic content, fearing it stokes more hate.
- Dave addresses those celebrating Kirk’s death online:
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Corporate Media (“Liberals”):
- He condemns their tendency to blame the victim or politicize tragedy:
“You can't even bring yourself to not attempt to politicize the horrible death of a husband and father.” [1:07:00]
- Asserts their inability to pass the “basic test” — showing appropriate human horror — as proof of their declining influence.
- He condemns their tendency to blame the victim or politicize tragedy:
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On Conspiracy Theories:
- Dave addresses speculation (including claims about Israeli involvement) and demands evidence rather than “sloppy, kooky theories.”
"If you got some evidence, bring it to me… You gotta have a case to make, a coherent narrative." [1:17:04]
- Dave addresses speculation (including claims about Israeli involvement) and demands evidence rather than “sloppy, kooky theories.”
E. The Temptation of Darkness vs. Choosing the Better Path
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Destructive Drives in Crisis:
- Smith consistently frames violent reprisal, wild theorizing, and rage as seductive but ultimately harmful.
“There's a temptation to get angry. And man, is it easy to get angry.” [1:00:03]
- Urges listeners not to amplify hate, to look for the good (“there's also the beauty in the world and there's also people kind of doing the right things.” [1:21:53]), and to uphold decent, humane standards.
- Smith consistently frames violent reprisal, wild theorizing, and rage as seductive but ultimately harmful.
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Basic Moral Test:
- Dave’s “test for decency”:
"When something like this happens, you're appropriately horrified… You don't start hate mongering… or jumping to wild theories and stating them as if they're fact.” [1:23:10]
- Praises people who passed that test — even those painted as extremists, like Nick Fuentes — for choosing restraint and decency. [1:25:06]
- Dave’s “test for decency”:
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On the moral clarity of the moment:
“Goddamn it, if you don’t have that level of moral clarity, then what the hell else are we ever talking about?” [38:49]
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On free speech and national identity:
“The foundational principle of the nation is free speech. He's exercising free speech and gets murdered for it. Maybe that could be a moment where everybody goes — whoa, hold on. No, that's not who we are.” [1:16:00]
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On media decline:
“Little podcasts a third of the size of mine move the needle more than any of your goddamn networks at this point.” [1:06:50]
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On conspiracy claims:
“There is absolutely no reason to even suspect [Israeli involvement], let alone to determine it's a fact.” [1:16:44]
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On summoning restraint:
“Just try to stay away from that bad force… there's the angel and the devil on your shoulder… all I'm saying is just try to stay away from that bad force.” [1:20:40]
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On decency in response:
“I was very happy to see Nick Fuentes really passed that test with flying colors... In this world we live in, it's like Nick Fuentes is the one in this moment who actually has the appropriate kind of adult reaction.” [1:25:06]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 00:00 – 03:00: Dave’s immediate, emotional reaction and why he felt compelled to record
- 10:00 – 17:00: Personal remembrances of Charlie Kirk and his character
- 19:15 – 28:00: Learning of the news, the surreal experience, and impact on Kirk’s family
- 32:20 – 40:00: Cultural meaning of the assassination and its symbolism for free speech
- 46:00 – 50:00: The message to listeners: calls for calm and warning against escalation
- 55:00 – 59:00: Dave’s story of overcoming tragic temptation — a metaphor for communal restraint
- 1:03:00 – 1:10:00: Criticism of the left-wing response, corporate media, and online hate
- 1:13:00 – 1:18:00: On conspiracy theorizing: skepticism and the need for evidence
- 1:19:00 – 1:22:00: Advocating for light over darkness, acknowledging positive reactions
- 1:25:00 – 1:28:00: The moral test, praise for those choosing dignity, and episode close
Conclusion
Dave Smith’s episode is a raw reflection on political violence, the complicated reactions it evokes, and the importance of resisting calls to hate and escalate. He urges listeners — and public figures — to process the tragedy with moral clarity, compassion, and emotional restraint, holding up decency above partisanship, theorizing, or vengeance.
Episode curated for those seeking both the facts and the deep emotional, moral, and cultural context behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as seen through the lens of Dave Smith.