The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode 35: “Republicans” Cave to Pelosi’s Sham “Insurrection Commission”
Date: May 21, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk

Episode Overview

Charlie Kirk delves into the controversy surrounding the bipartisan House vote to create a commission on the January 6 Capitol riot. He criticizes the move as a ploy by Democrats, specifically Nancy Pelosi, to target conservatives and former President Trump under the guise of a “9/11-style” investigation. Kirk calls out the 35 House Republicans who sided with Democrats, arguing they lack courage and are betraying their base. The episode also touches on local activism—particularly school board meetings concerning mask mandates and the fight against critical race theory—urging listeners to participate in these grassroots efforts.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pelosi’s January 6 Commission: Motives and Critique

• Democratic Strategy:
  • Kirk asserts that Nancy Pelosi intentionally delayed the commission to stretch it into the 2022 election year, aiming to hurt Republicans politically.
    “She wanted this to be a later authorized commission so it would go into the election year of 2022 and hurt Republicans.” [02:22]
• Redundancy of Commission:
  • He argues law enforcement agencies (DOJ, FBI, Capitol Police) are already investigating, making the commission unnecessary and purely political.
    “Why is this commission necessary? We got Department of Justice on this, we got the FBI on this. We got the Department of Homeland Security, we got Capitol Police doing their own internal review.” [04:00]
• Concerns About Abuse:
  • Claims the commission would function like the Mueller probe, with unchecked power to pursue conservatives: “This would be a Mueller style counsel that would be a roaming prosecutor with no limitations to go after anyone on the center right.” [03:12]
  • Raises issues not addressed by the commission, such as the unresolved case of pipe bombs at RNC/DNC and the killing of Ashley Babbitt.

2. Naming the 35 House Republicans Who Voted with Democrats

• Kirk proceeds to “name and shame” each Republican, expressing personal disappointment: “35 Republicans voted to authorize Nancy Pelosi's special prosecutor... Who they think they represent, what party they think they're part of, I don't know.” [06:53]
• He singles out certain members (Don Bacon, Dusty Johnson, Peter Meyer, etc.) and accuses them of betraying conservative values for media approval.

3. Moderation in the GOP — Clarity Over Agreement

• Kirk makes a distinction between honest moderates (like Susan Collins, who opposed the commission) and Republicans who campaign as Trump supporters but then work against conservative interests: “If you're gonna be a moderate Republican, be very clear. You're a moderate Republican. I love honesty. I prefer clarity over agreement.” [08:56]

4. GOP Responses — Pro and Con

• Rep. Peter Meijer’s Justification (Pro-Commission):
  • Quote: “We need accountability. We need an open, transparent investigation that will yield a public document that the people can reference... If we just try to whitewash, if we try to forget what happened that day, we're guaranteed to see a repeat and additional political violence.” [10:32]
• Rep. Andy Biggs’ Rebuttal (Anti-Commission):
  • Quote: “The Democrats want to have this commission so they can give unbridled power to agencies of this government, including the IRS, to investigate and go after people they suspect participating in coming into the Capitol on January 6th.” [11:22]

5. Call to Primary Action

• Kirk encourages listeners to participate in primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the commission: “Maybe you're going to be involved in primary campaigns. Maybe some of you should do whatever you possibly can to make sure that this new conservative movement is not weighed down by... lack of a moral compass.” [12:18]

6. School Board Activism — Masks and Critical Race Theory

• Feature of a 10-Year-Old Speaking Against Masks:
  • Quote (Young Girl): “God created us so we can be free people. And we're not being free here, all at public schools... I’m not wearing a mask right now. And I never will as much as I can.” [15:10]
  • Kirk uses this as a rallying cry for parents and conservatives to show up at school board meetings: “No more spectator conservatism. We need you in the arena.” [15:29]
• Critical Race Theory Segment:
  • Plays CNN audio of Kimberlé Crenshaw defending CRT.
  • Kirk strongly rejects CRT as antithetical to American values, focusing instead on character over race; cites Thomas Sowell’s views on disparities: “We believe that race does not matter... There are other inputs that might possibly contribute to the output of the black community having disparate or different outcomes. How about culture?” [17:16–18:33]

7. Data and Social Commentary

• Kirk references sociological factors affecting outcomes—such as fatherlessness, vocabulary exposure, geographic factors, and music culture—contextualizing them as causes of economic and educational disparities, rather than systemic racism: “If a child hears 5,000 words or less a day, they're much more likely to end up into a broken school, not graduate, or go to prison.” [17:41] “I am going. This is a hill I will definitely die on. That Mozart, Beethoven and Bach are infinitely better for a society than Jay-Z.” [19:56]

8. Local Engagement – Scottsdale, AZ School Board

• Kirk pledges to attend the next Scottsdale school board meeting to speak against mask mandates and promote parental involvement: “I pay property tax in Scottsdale... So June 22nd at 3pm, you're gonna have to hear from me, a taxpayer showing up and speaking, because I'm telling you, this school board thing is the front lines.” [29:45]

9. Political Opportunity Post-COVID

• Kirk responds to Kamala Harris’s comments on using the pandemic as an “opportunity”: Quote (Harris): “I believe that we have a unique opportunity now to shape our nation's future, to transform how we live, how we work, and how we vote.” [27:57]
  • Kirk encourages conservatives to use the same mentality for school reform and homeschooling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Republicans who voted for the commission:
  “Any Republican that voted for this has a very low IQ and no courage whatsoever.” [03:38]

• On FBI and law enforcement:
  “What are the federal law enforcement agencies doing exactly? You want to go give Nancy Pelosi another Bob Mueller?” [09:36]

• On culture and disparity:
  “Mozart, Beethoven and Bach are infinitely better for a society than Jay-Z... The music that built Western civilization is going to want to pursue higher levels of truth than listening to Jay-Z or Drake.” [19:56]

• Rally to Action:
  “No more spectator conservatism. We need you in the arena.” [15:29] “School boards are where we are going to say no more. And that's exactly what the founding fathers wanted.” [31:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Main Theme & Pelosi Commission Introduction: [01:02–05:00]
• Full List of GOP “Defectors”: [06:53–10:32]
• Peter Meijer Justifies Vote: [10:32–10:57]
• Andy Biggs Rebuts Commission: [11:22–11:50]
• School Board Activism/Masks: [14:53–15:29]
• Critical Race Theory & Thomas Sowell: [16:31–21:35]
• Scottsdale School Board Mobilization: [29:00–31:41]
• Kamala Harris “Opportunity” React & Conservative Counter: [27:57–29:30]

Conclusion

Charlie Kirk uses this episode to lambast House Republicans he sees as betraying conservative values, warn of the political weaponization of congressional commissions, and urge grassroots activism, particularly at the school board level. Utilizing notable examples, guest audio, and sociopolitical commentary, the episode is a blend of headline analysis and a call to civic action—all delivered in Kirk’s unapologetically combative, energetic style.