The Adam Friedland Show Podcast

Episode: MICHAEL KNOWLES Talks Theater, Daily Wire, Conservative Media
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Adam Friedland
Guest: Michael Knowles

Overview

This episode features Adam Friedland in conversation with conservative commentator Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire. The discussion ranges from Knowles’ background in theater and politics to his controversial stances on LGBTQ+ issues, the inner workings of the Daily Wire, and the culture wars in contemporary American media. With Adam's irreverent style and Knowles’ combative charm, the episode oscillates between heated debate, playful banter, and incisive introspection into the motivations behind current conservative media strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Michael Knowles’ Background: Theater Kid to Media Pundit

• Early Life and Acting Aspirations

  • Knowles grew up in Westchester, NY, acted as a child, and later attended Yale.
  • His mother discouraged acting due to the dangers faced by child actors ([07:47]).
  • After moving through acting conservatories and low-budget films, Knowles’ political leanings became visible to colleagues during the 2016 election, leading to social tension ([07:45]–[08:27]).
  • “I really wanted to be an actor as a kid ... but she [my mom] really put the kibosh on it.” – Michael Knowles [07:50]

• Political Campaign Work

  • Knowles worked on various political campaigns from a young age ([28:39]–[30:03]).
  • He combined creativity (campaign parody songs) with political strategy, eventually shifting toward media after initially being drawn to the theatrical arts.

2. Inside the Daily Wire and Conservative Media

• Joining Daily Wire & Meeting Ben Shapiro

  • Knowles’ connection to Drew Clavin led to meeting Ben Shapiro ([18:50]–[19:30]).
  • He describes Daily Wire’s cast as diverse for conservatives, likening it to a “barstool sports roster” ([15:27]), and plays up his Italian heritage as their “diversity hire.”
  • “We do all disagree on a lot of things. ... Ben is a little more libertarian generally. I'm a little more traditionalist, for Catholic.” – Michael Knowles [25:00]

• Internal Hierarchy

  • Adam repeatedly asks if Knowles is “Conan to [Shapiro’s] Leno”—if he’s second banana at the network ([24:36]–[25:00]).
  • Knowles pushes back, insisting each host has their own style and area of focus.

• Daily Wire Culture

  • Discussion about relocating from LA to Nashville and how various personalities function together ([22:14]–[22:19]).

3. The Trump Era: Authenticity and New York Attitude

• Both discuss Trump’s unique authenticity and humor, linking it to New York Jewish grandmother archetypes ([09:01]–[10:44]).
• "He was an insult comic for the entire ‘16." – Michael Knowles [09:38]
• Adam draws parallels between Trump and Jewish matriarchal stereotypes for comedic effect.

4. Media Persona and Provocation

• Debating LGBTQ+ People: Intent and Impact

  • Adam humorously but pointedly notes many of Knowles’ videos center on “debating gay people” ([01:18], [39:30]–[41:08]).
  • Knowles insists, “They argue with me ... They usually come to me” [40:13, 42:14], yet Adam presses: “The objective is what? You want to convince them not to?” [42:08]
  • Knowles clarifies: “Because I gave ... [a speech] that we should eradicate transgenderism. ... I didn't say they should be eradicated, I said the idea.” [40:25–40:27]

• Showbiz or Belief?

  • Adam accuses Knowles of “doing numbers” with provocative topics: “Just admit it does numbers” [45:40, 58:58]
  • Knowles insists: “It's important to tell people the truth.” [59:00]
  • Both acknowledge that outrage and culture war topics such as “kids’ penises” get more audience engagement than traditional policy discussions ([44:07], [45:54], [46:04]).
  • “Pointing out visceral injustices ... arouses more passion than like budgetary measures.” – Michael Knowles [45:54]

5. Culture Wars and the Role of Debate

• Transgender Youth and Legislation

  • Knowles frames opposition to trans rights for children as protecting “the most vulnerable and innocent people” ([45:54]).
  • Adam presses for data: “How many kids are getting their penises chopped?” [45:04], challenging the scale and sincerity of conservative panic.

• “Being Nice” vs. “Being Good”

  • Knowles prioritizes being “a good guy” over being “a nice guy” ([42:58]).
  • Adam: “It's a little nosy.” Knowles: “It's not nosy when they demand that I lie, and I'm not gonna lie, you know?” [43:05]

• Libs on Defense

  • Adam notes the left continually loses the culture war narrative online, especially on trans issues: “The libs walk in on that every single time.” [43:25]
  • Knowles agrees the “trend is changing” as the left loses mainstream support on the transgender issue ([43:34]).

6. Theater, Masculinity, and Method Acting

• Discussion about studying acting at Stella Adler, the Stanislavsky system, and the tradition of men playing women onstage ([48:07]–[48:10]).
• Adam teases Knowles for playing gay roles in college, suggesting his activism is “embarrassed about the gay movies” ([47:12]–[47:40]).
• Knowles: “In acting … you pretend to be someone you’re not.” [47:41]

7. Notable Comic Digressions & Absurdities

• Top 10 Gay Guys from History ([03:03])

  • Adam lists Caravaggio, Elton John, Plato, Tim Cook, Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, George Michael, Tim Dillon, Wentworth Miller, and Nathan Lane, using humor to contrast his views with Knowles' conservativism.

• Jokes & Running Gags

  • Adam and Knowles riff on Jews, Italians, and the inner workings of conservative media (sometimes bordering on dark and offensive, consistent with the show’s edgy tone).
  • Extended bit where Adam attempts to get Knowles to call Ben Shapiro on air; Knowles demurs ([59:00]–[60:15]).

• The Ugandan Pastor Clip ([48:49]–[52:11])

  • Adam plays a notorious clip of Pastor Martin Sempa ranting about gay sex. Both hosts react with a mix of disbelief and gallows humor.

• Thought Experiment: The Two Gay Guys in Jordans ([60:19]–[64:16])

  • Adam puts Knowles through a farcical scenario: what would he do if caught between stopping a child from witnessing two gay men having sex in public? The exchange is comedically absurd and intentionally discomforting, exposing the limits of “culture war” hypotheticals.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Show starts / Gay debate videos: [01:18]
• Adam’s Top 10 gay guys from history: [03:03–05:05]
• Michael Knowles background & acting: [07:32–09:01]
• Trump & NY authenticity: [09:01–10:44]
• Yale, politics, and Daily Wire hiring: [18:50–21:30]
• Barstool sports analogy for Daily Wire: [15:20–15:39]
• Hierarchy at Daily Wire / Ben Shapiro: [24:36–25:20], [22:14–22:17]
• Campaign work & parody songs: [28:39–30:00]
• Debating LGBTQ+ and culture war strategy: [39:30–46:06]
• Is it showbiz? Numbers vs. truth: [45:54–46:11], [58:58]
• Theater theory & masculinity: [48:07–48:22]
• Pastor Sempa “eat the poo poo” clip: [48:49–52:30]
• “Call Ben Shapiro” running gag: [59:00–60:13]
• Absurd street corner gay sex thought experiment: [60:19–64:16]

Memorable Quotes

• Adam Friedland:

  • “A lot of your thing is you just debate gay people.” [01:18 | also 39:30]
  • “Just admit baby penis does more numbers than Social Security.” [45:46]
  • “You could have gone to finance. Why do you like…you went to Yale?” [07:41]

• Michael Knowles:

  • “They argue with me.” [01:41 | also 40:13, 42:14]
  • “Pointing out visceral injustices against the most vulnerable and innocent people … arouses more passion than like budgetary measures.” [45:54]
  • “It's important to tell people the truth.” [59:00]
  • “No, I don't care about being nice. I want to be a good guy.” [42:58]
  • “We do all disagree on a lot of things.” [25:00]

• On Trump:

  • “He was an insult comic for the entire ‘16.” – Knowles [09:38]
  • “He’s the first Jewish woman president.” – Friedland [10:13]

Tone and Language

• The tone is irreverent, sarcastic, and combative with a strong current of dark humor and meta-awareness.
• Adam often pushes Knowles into uncomfortable territory, exposing (and mocking) culture war talking points.
• Knowles maintains classical conservative composure, doubling down on his beliefs while showing stage performer playfulness.

Conclusion

This episode captures a lively clash between a left-leaning satirist and a right-wing culture warrior, peeling back the layers of conservative media—its motivations, tactics, and contradictions. For listeners, it’s both an expose of the mechanics of “debate” as entertainment and a window into the values war dominating today’s digital discourse.

Note: Ads, sponsor messages, and intros/outros have been omitted from this summary.