The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: America is a Country, Not An Economy

Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Andrew Colvett (Guest hosting for Charlie Kirk), with contributions from Charlie Kirk, Senator Eric Schmidt, John Levine, RFK Jr., Senator Elizabeth Warren
Main Theme: Defending American identity and sovereignty against institutional capture, mass immigration via H1B visas, and the decline of media trust—emphasizing that America is fundamentally a country with culture and heritage, not just an economy.

Episode Overview

This episode features guest host Andrew Colvett engaging with Senator Eric Schmidt (MO) and journalist John Levine (Washington Free Beacon). The discussions center on:

• Government and pharmaceutical industry entanglement (institutional capture), especially in public health policy post-COVID.
• Senator Schmidt's controversial NatCon speech (“America is a country, not an economy”) and criticism of the H1B visa program.
• The shifting landscape of media trust, highlighted by the acquisition of Barry Weiss’s Free Press by CBS/Paramount.
• The state of free speech in the UK and broader implications for the West.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Institutional Capture & Senate Fireworks (02:08–06:21)

Summary:

Andrew Colvett and Senator Eric Schmidt discuss the recent explosive Senate hearing with RFK Jr., the medical establishment’s loss of credibility, and the pushback against Big Pharma.

Key Points:

• The COVID pandemic revealed deep-rooted institutional capture in the medical establishment.
• RFK Jr. is seen as a disruptive force challenging the status quo in public health.
• Senator Schmidt recounts his legal battles against vaccine and mask mandates (“Last Line of Defense”), explaining how lawsuits exposed and curtailed government overreach.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Eric Schmidt (03:13):
  “What RFK Jr. is trying to do…is restore the credibility by telling the American people the truth, giving them information, letting them make their own decisions, actually run this agency how it should be run…The American people were lied to [about COVID vaccines].”
• Sen. Eric Schmidt (05:06):
  “Covid was an example where power doesn’t necessarily corrupt, but it does reveal. And what we saw during COVID was something I could have never imagined in this country.”

2. NatCon Speech, H1B Visas, and American Identity (06:21–12:25)

Summary:

Andrew Colvett addresses media backlash to Schmidt’s NatCon speech, accusing him of extremism. They delve into the impact of H1B visas on American workers and link these policies to broader cultural concerns.

Key Points:

• Schmidt criticizes the H1B visa program for replacing American workers and contributing to the outsourcing of U.S. industries.
• Asserts that both blue- and white-collar jobs are undermined by mass migration, harming wage growth and national identity.
• Reaffirms the importance of cherishing American heritage in the face of what he calls “neo Marxist, cultural Marxism.”

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Eric Schmidt (07:31):
  “The H1B visa…was sold as a way to keep America globally competitive. But that’s not how [it]…functioned. Instead, they’ve imported a vast new labor force from abroad…to undercut American wages, replace American workers, and transfer industries into the hands of foreign lobbies.”
• Sen. Eric Schmidt (09:03):
  “The reason why the left is going crazy over the speech is because we unapologetically proclaim that America is a great place and we’re not going to apologize for it anymore.”
• Sen. Eric Schmidt (12:25):
  “The elites have had it their way…The MAGA movement, America First, is about…standing up for Americans now.”

Host Sum-up:

• Andrew Colvett (12:54):
  “America is a country, not an economy…We have a heritage and a culture and it’s worth defending.”

3. COVID Vaccines, Big Pharma, and Explosive Senate Moments (15:09–20:51)

Summary:

Colvett plays clips from the Senate hearing: RFK Jr. clashes with Senator Elizabeth Warren on COVID vaccine policies, with recurring criticism of pharmaceutical industry influence.

Key Moments:

• Warren grills RFK Jr. about changes in COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy people under 65.
• RFK Jr. pushes back, stating the vaccine is available, but not recommended for all, spurring accusations of hypocrisy and pharma influence.
• A pointed confrontation exposes Warren’s campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry.

Notable Quotes:

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (15:24):
  “Will you tell America that all adults and all children over 6 months of age are eligible to get a COVID vaccine booster at their local pharmacy today?”
• RFK Jr. (15:52):
  “Anybody can get the booster. I’m sorry, anybody can get it.”
• RFK Jr. (19:03):
  “I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, Senator…You want me to indicate a product for which there is no clinical data, Senator?”

Colvett’s Commentary (19:36):

“RFK is not playing around today…he’s not putting up with this garbage. Because you’ve got like the Pfizer board questioning him why he’s not endorsing their products anymore.”

4. Changing Media Landscape: The Free Press Sale (21:53–32:49)

Summary:

Interview with John Levine on the meteoric rise and acquisition of Barry Weiss’s Free Press by Paramount/CBS, and what it signals about legacy media's decline and audience trust.

Key Points:

• Weiss left the New York Times after facing internal hostility for her moderate/opinion journalism; quickly built trust and a significant subscriber base with the Free Press.
• Paramount’s acquisition is seen as recognition of her unique brand and audience trust (“gap in the journalism marketplace”).
• Levine and Colvett discuss the imploding credibility and ratings of legacy outlets (CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post), and the hunger for alternative, trustworthy voices.
• Analysis of the 2020 Cotton op-ed fallout at the Times and the broader trajectory of legacy media vs. insurgent “center” outlets like the Free Press.

Notable Quotes:

• John Levine (23:02):
  “It was a terrible experience [for Weiss at the Times]…all her colleagues kind of ganged up on her and wouldn’t talk to her. It was very high school type stuff.”
• John Levine (25:58):
  “When CBS acquires the Free Press and puts her in charge of the newsroom, it gives the imperature of a major media organization on the work she does.”
• John Levine (28:23):
  “Nobody’s reading [mainstream publications], nobody’s watching them…And the people who are going strong and gaining audience are Fox, Real America’s Voice, Charlie Kirk, and these alternative spaces.”

5. Free Speech and Censorship in the UK (34:23–39:55)

Summary:

Colvett and Levine discuss the arrest of British comedian Graham Linehan over his anti-transgender tweets and the broader crisis of speech in Western democracies.

Key Points:

• Linehan detained for “transgressive” tweets—Levine draws stark contrast to US First Amendment protections.
• Coverage of grooming gangs and other UK controversies is hampered by government and institutional reluctance—journalistic resistance and whistleblowers still persist, but at great personal risk.
• Reflection on cultural differences: American tradition of local self-defense vs. British state overreach.

Notable Quotes:

• John Levine (35:45):
  “He went against the woke orthodoxies. He tweeted critically of trans. And he was met at the airport by 5 armed security guards who proceeded to take him into custody.”
• Andrew Colvett (38:54):
  “There is a point where culture has had enough and we the people must stand up…That is a uniquely American phenomenon, by the way.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |---|---|---| | 03:13 | "The American people were lied to…Let’s just take the COVID vaccine. First of all, it should never have been mandatory." | Sen. Eric Schmidt | | 09:03 | "We unapologetically proclaim that America is a great place and we’re not going to apologize for it anymore." | Sen. Eric Schmidt | | 12:54 | "America is a country, not an economy. We have a heritage and a culture and it’s worth defending." | Andrew Colvett | | 19:03 | "I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, Senator…You want me to indicate a product for which there is no clinical data, Senator?" | RFK Jr. | | 25:58 | "It gives the imperature of a major media organization on the work she [Barry Weiss] does." | John Levine | | 35:45 | "He was met at the airport by 5 armed security guards who proceeded to take him into custody." | John Levine |

Key Takeaways

• American identity is not reducible to economics: Defending jobs, culture, and national myths are seen as essential to American sovereignty and resilience.
• Skepticism toward government and corporate overreach: The episode is deeply critical of mandates, censorship, and pharmaceutical influence over public health.
• Distrust in legacy media—search for new voices: The Free Press’s sale is symbolic of broader disruption in media trust and the rise of alternative, truth-focused outlets.
• The importance of free speech: U.S. constitutional protections are contrasted starkly with the crackdown on dissenting opinions abroad, warning against complacency.

Noted Timelines

• 00:00–02:08 — Show and guests introduced, overview of topics (RFK Jr. hearing, Senate fireworks, NatCon speech).
• 02:08–06:21 — Institutional capture, COVID lawsuits, censorship battles (Sen. Schmidt).
• 06:21–12:25 — Media backlash to NatCon speech, H1B immigration issues, American identity debates.
• 15:09–20:51 — Senate hearing highlights: RFK Jr. vs. Warren on COVID policy and pharma influence.
• 21:53–32:49 — John Levine interview: Barry Weiss, Free Press, collapse of trust in legacy media.
• 34:23–39:55 — UK free speech crisis: Graham Linehan, British censorship, American contrast.

For Further Listening & Follow-Up

• Guest: Sen. Eric Schmidt
  Book: “Last Line of Defense: How to Beat the Left in Court”
• Guest: John Levine (Washington Free Beacon)
  X/Twitter: @LevineJonathan

End of summary.