Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "California or Canada: What's Worse?"

Episode Information:

• Title: California or Canada: What's Worse?
• Host: Charlie Kirk
• Release Date: March 13, 2025
• Guests: Ezra Levant (Canadian Journalist, Rebel News) and Steve Hilton (Political Commentator)

Introduction and Guest Overview

In the episode titled "California or Canada: What's Worse?", Charlie Kirk delves into the political and economic challenges facing both California and Canada. Joining him are Ezra Levant, a prominent Canadian journalist from Rebel News, and Steve Hilton, a seasoned political commentator. The discussion aims to uncover the underlying issues in these two regions and explore potential solutions from a conservative standpoint.

California's Political and Economic Issues

California’s Political Landscape: Charlie Kirk initiates the conversation by highlighting his viral appearance on California Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast, which sparked nationwide discussions about the state's governance. Steve Hilton praises Kirk's performance, comparing it to Margaret Thatcher's formidable presence during Prime Minister's Questions, stating:

"You totally dominated him. And he just came across to me as just utterly weak. Weak, feeble, pathetic. It was a total revelation."
[01:48]

Economic Challenges: The discussion progresses to California’s economic woes, emphasizing high taxes, overregulation, skyrocketing housing costs, homelessness, and poverty. Steve Hilton provides a detailed critique of Governor Newsom's policies, asserting that California ranks near the bottom in various economic metrics:

"We have the highest income tax burden in the country, the highest income tax rates on corporate tax, I mean, you name it, it's just a disaster."
[10:18]

He further debunks Newsom's claims about California's tax situation:

"It's just a total lie. I mean, I'm just looking it up now because there's, there's, you know that Wallet Hub published all the data, so he's completely lying."
[12:05]

Social Policies: Kirk touches upon the state's social policies, such as the transgender kidnapping bill, criticizing Newsom for ineffective governance and slippery rhetoric.

Governing California: Possible Republican Solutions

Reversing Bureaucratic Policies: Steve Hilton outlines actionable steps a Republican governor could take to rectify California's issues, even with a legislature dominated by the opposing party:

1. Control Over Bureaucratic Agencies:

   • Appoint members to key boards like the State Board of Education and the California Air Resources Board to reverse overregulation.

2. Vetoing Legislation:

   • Utilize veto power to block unnecessary or harmful bills, acknowledging the legislative backlog with over 2,000 bills.

3. Streamlining Regulations:

   • Reduce housing costs by eliminating overregulation and updating building codes to make housing more affordable.

"The key is to control the bureaucracy that you directly hold influence over and make substantial changes from the executive branch."
[14:15]

Hilton emphasizes that these measures could significantly improve California's economic and social landscape without needing legislative approval.

U.S.-Canada Relations and Trade

Current State of Relations: The conversation shifts to the strained U.S.-Canada relationship, exacerbated by political tensions and differing economic policies. Ezra Levant criticizes the Canadian Liberal Party's anti-American stance and the appointment of Mark Carney, whom he describes as a "globalist."

Proposed Trade Solutions: Ezra Levant introduces a comprehensive plan to enhance U.S.-Canada trade relations, focusing on leveraging Canada’s vast oil sands to reduce U.S. dependence on OPEC and other foreign oil sources:

"Instead of pushing away the oil sands, pull it close, don't tariff it, buy it all. 170 billion barrels of oil, even if Alberta doubled the production, that's enough oil to take care of all of America's import needs for the next fifty years."
[26:00]

He advocates for revitalizing the Keystone XL pipeline to facilitate this massive oil deal, which he believes would be mutually beneficial and bolster U.S. energy independence.

Canadian Politics and the Impact of U.S. Policies

Internal Canadian Conflict: Levant discusses the internal turmoil within Canadian politics, highlighting how the Liberal Party's focus on antagonizing the U.S. has backfired, weakening the party and strengthening the Conservative movement led by Pierre Poilievre.

Unintended Consequences: He warns that aggressive U.S. policies could inadvertently empower the Liberal Party by causing division and backlash among ordinary Canadians:

"If you actually did this deal of a century with Canada, it's a 13 trillion dollar, 50 year deal... Let's say, say yes to the oil sands. Don't be the Trudeau and Carney hate the oil sands."
[29:50]

Levant suggests that fostering positive economic ties through energy deals could mitigate political tensions and promote a more cooperative relationship.

Ezra Levant's Plan for Rebalancing Trade

Detailed Trade Strategy: Ezra Levant proposes a strategic trade partnership where the U.S. purchases Canadian oil without tariffs, effectively securing a long-term energy supply while simultaneously pressuring Canada to address other bilateral issues such as military investment and border security.

"President Trump could demand... remove some of your tariffs on dairy and poultry and eggs. We want these basic, you know, bilateral fairnesses."
[30:50]

He envisions the deal as a win-win scenario that would not only enhance U.S. energy security but also stimulate Canadian economic growth, all while keeping adversarial influences like China at bay.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Charlie Kirk expressing support for Ezra Levant’s trade proposal and reaffirming his commitment to addressing California’s systemic issues through conservative principles. Kirk encourages listeners to engage with Turning Point USA and remain active in promoting freedom and limited government.

"Ezra, you're great. I love the plan. I will do that. God bless you my friend."
[36:00]

Charlie Kirk emphasizes the importance of tackling these challenges head-on to foster prosperity and security both within the U.S. and its international relations.

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Hilton on Kirk’s Performance:
  "You totally dominated him... It was a total revelation."
  [01:48]

• Steve Hilton on California’s Tax Burden:
  "We have the highest income tax burden in the country..."
  [10:18]

• Ezra Levant’s Oil Deal Proposal:
  "Instead of pushing away the oil sands, pull it close, don't tariff it, buy it all."
  [26:00]

• Conclusion Affirmation:
  "Ezra, you're great. I love the plan. I will do that."
  [36:00]

Final Thoughts: This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show provides a comprehensive analysis of the socio-political and economic issues plaguing California and Canada from a conservative viewpoint. With expert insights from Ezra Levant and Steve Hilton, Kirk offers actionable solutions aimed at fostering economic growth, reducing regulatory burdens, and strengthening international trade relations. The discussion underscores the necessity of strategic policymaking to combat overregulation and promote prosperity.