The Brett Cooper Show, Episode 79
Title: My Thoughts on the Conservative Civil War
Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Brett Cooper

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper addresses the mounting friction within conservative circles following Matt Walsh’s call for unity on the right, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Drawing from personal experience and direct quotes, Brett dissects the post-assassination conservative landscape, the ensuing digital “civil war,” and the complex relationship between loyalty, public friendship, and principled opposition among conservative figures.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Matt Walsh's Call for Conservative Unity

(00:00–07:00)

• Matt Walsh faced significant backlash after urging conservatives to unite amid grief and threats from the left, specifically refusing to betray or “cancel” conservative friends.

• Brett notes that Walsh’s sentiment followed closely after the highly publicized assassination of Charlie Kirk, further intensifying divisions on the right.

• Matt’s post:

  “I cannot, quote, unite with the left because they want me dead. They will spit on my grave when I die and laugh in the faces of my wife and children. There can be no unity with such people, but I will unite with anyone on the right. I hereby discard any grudge or personal feud I may have had with anybody on my side. Maybe we will pick up those arguments sometime in the future. Now we have to stand together.”
  (Brett paraphrasing Matt Walsh, 01:19–01:49)

• The post garnered massive support (over 6 million views), but also sparked anger from those unwilling to associate with controversial right-wing figures (e.g., Nick Fuentes, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly).

2. James Lindsay vs. Matt Walsh: The Online Feud

(01:50–06:37)

• James Lindsay publicly dismissed Walsh’s olive branch, highlighting divisions and personal feuds:

  “Have fun with your new friends, Matt.”
  (Brett quoting James Lindsay, 02:27)

• Lindsay’s main objection was apparent distaste for being told to unite with far-right figures like Nick Fuentes:

  “If I take your olive branch, Matt Walsh, who and what do I have to stop? Crit, you’re glazing Fuentes. Is that an example of what I’ll be required to shut up about for unity now?”
  (Brett quoting Lindsay, 02:54)

• Brett and Walsh both counter that the point is unity against existential threats from the left, not an endorsement of all internal actors or ideas.

3. Walsh’s Articulation of Conservative Priorities

(05:06–06:37, Direct from Matt Walsh Audio Clip)

• Walsh, in his own words:

  “There should be unity on the right among conservatives. … We need to put the petty squabbles and the infighting and all that crap to the side. … Even after Charlie was assassinated, [James Lindsay is] still going after [the right] … not saying anything about the people who would actually be pissing on his grave if he were killed now. … If even now … you still have an appetite to spend your time punching right, then I have nothing else to say to you or about you.”
  (Matt Walsh, 05:06–06:36)

4. Media Distraction and False Equivalence

(07:40–11:24)

• Brett criticizes media focus on internal conservative drama, e.g., Politico’s coverage of a leaked Young Republicans group chat, as an attempt to distract from real left-wing calls for violence.
• Contrasts Democrats’ open rhetoric with private right-wing chats, highlighting what she calls media double standards.
• Shares examples from “no King” protests and inflammatory anti-conservative statements circulated after Kirk’s death.

5. Debate: Extremism on the Right vs. Left

(11:24–11:47, Daily Wire Livestream Excerpt)

• Matt Walsh pushes back against Ben Shapiro’s assertion that right-wing radicalism is as dangerous as left-wing radicalism:

  “When we talk about … radical elements of the right versus the radical elements of the left, these are not exactly the same thing. The radical element of the left denies basic biological reality. … That’s not happening on the right. There is no equivalent of that, of someone saying that men can have babies …”
  (Matt Walsh, 11:24–11:48)

6. Principles of Loyalty and Public Denouncements

(12:24–14:14)

• Seth Dillon (Babylon Bee) comments:

  “You should be willing to lose friends for the sake of what is good and true. And friends who can’t tolerate honest correction without treating you as a traitor aren’t really friends anyway.”

• Matt Walsh replies defending personal loyalty:

  “I consider loyalty to my friends to be one of my most important principles. … I don’t denounce my friends or join in dogpiles against them, ever. … In my case, I can say I have people screaming in my ear constantly demanding that I actively denounce and condemn friends. … I just won’t do it. … Loyalty matters.”
  (Matt Walsh, paraphrased and quoted across 13:00–13:50)

7. Megyn Kelly on Loyalty under Fire

(14:14–15:18)

• Megyn Kelly, responding to calls to not platform Tucker Carlson and to denounce Candace Owens:

  “Now, as for my decision to platform Tucker, too bad. Too fucking bad. I love him. We’re friends. I don’t think he’s an anti-Semite at all, but I don’t really care. … And now that people have made my attacking her the stakes of my relationship, … I’m going to have to say goodbye to that person. … It’s literally the same thing as the BLM folks trying to make you raise your fist. The answer is no.”
  (Megyn Kelly, 14:14–15:18)

8. Legacy of Charlie Kirk & His Approach to Friendship

(16:10–16:47, Charlie Kirk Audio Clip)

• Charlie Kirk’s principle before his death:

  “She’s a great friend … I don’t stop being friends with people just because people morally blackmail me. … What I don’t like is when people demand, you must stop being friends with somebody. Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s a left-wing tactic. Don’t do that. … We should never resort to that.”
  (Charlie Kirk, 16:10–16:47)

• Brett argues that Kirk’s loyalty and willingness to work with those he disagreed with was a defining trait, and part of why he was beloved.

9. Personal Reflections and Broader Lessons

(16:47–End)

• Brett shares her own approach: She refuses to end friendships or participate in public denouncements:

  “I will not stop being friends with Candace Owens, who has become like a big sister to me because the Internet demands it. … I just won’t do it. … If you have a problem with any of that, that’s fine. But I would urge you to consider something that Matt also posted about this … ‘One of my most cherished principles is loyalty to family and friends. It might not be yours, but it is mine.’ … It simply means that we have different values. And guess what? It is a free country. That is the beauty of America.”

• Emphasizes the complexity of public relationships and cautions against projecting one’s own principles onto others:

  “They haven’t even considered the possibility that perhaps I have different principles than they do. Those might be your principles, but they aren’t mine.”
  (Paraphrasing Matt Walsh)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:19] Matt Walsh Statement (as paraphrased by Brett):
  “I hereby discard any grudge or personal feud I may have had with anybody on my side. … Now we have to stand together.”

• [05:06] Matt Walsh (direct):
  “There should be unity on the right among conservatives. … We need to put the petty squabbles and the infighting and all that crap to the side.”

• [14:14] Megyn Kelly (direct):
  “As for my decision to platform Tucker, too bad. Too fucking bad. I love him. We’re friends. I don’t think he’s an anti-Semite at all, but I don’t really care.”

• [16:10] Charlie Kirk:
  “I don’t stop being friends with people just because people morally blackmail me. … That’s a left-wing tactic. Don’t do that.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:49: Origins of the controversy: Matt Walsh’s call for unity and the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination
• 02:27–02:54: James Lindsay’s public rebuke and online feud
• 05:06–06:37: Matt Walsh’s direct comments on unity and right-wing infighting
• 07:40–11:24: Media distractions, Young Republicans group chat, and double standards
• 11:24–11:48: Walsh’s comparative analysis of radicalism on the left and right
• 13:00–13:50: Loyalty vs. public denouncement debate (Matt Walsh and Seth Dillon)
• 14:14–15:18: Megyn Kelly on friendship under pressure
• 16:10–16:47: Charlie Kirk’s philosophy of friendship

Closing Note

Brett Cooper wraps up by stating that, for her and for the figures she’s discussed, loyalty to friends and allies matters more than engaging in public purges or denouncements—especially in the face of what they see as a much greater threat from the political left. She positions unity, resilience, and mutual respect as defining virtues, even amid disagreement, and calls for more principled, less performative engagement within the conservative movement.