The Charlie Kirk Show
Episode: America’s Enemy Within with David Horowitz
Date: May 2, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guest: David Horowitz
Overview
In this intense and wide-ranging conversation, Charlie Kirk brings on David Horowitz—author, activist, and former leftist—to discuss the themes in Horowitz's then-new book, The Enemy Within: How a Totalitarian Movement is Destroying America. The episode examines the origins, motives, and tactics of what Horowitz deems a totalitarian movement within the American left, the dangers it poses, and how conservatives ought to respond. Drawing on his personal experience in the New Left, Horowitz provides a historical and insider’s perspective, calling for a more confrontational, organized conservative resistance.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Introduction and Book Overview
- Charlie introduces David Horowitz as a mentor and someone who foresaw the trends in American politics (00:49–01:32).
- “He has been predicting what's been happening in America for quite some time.” — Charlie (00:49)
- Horowitz’s main thesis: The American left isn’t seeking social justice or reform, but total control and the destruction of America's foundational institutions (01:52–02:11).
The Left’s Motivations and Tactics
- Horowitz argues that Democrats aim to dismantle constitutional safeguards like the Electoral College, Supreme Court, and voter ID laws (02:11–03:40).
- “They want to pack the Supreme Court, ... open our borders in the midst of a global pandemic, ... abolish the electoral College.” — Horowitz (02:11)
- The left uses accusations of racism and fascism as political weapons, often projecting those labels onto their opponents (03:40–06:20).
- “The only Republican I know who's called leftist fascist is Donald Trump.” — Horowitz (04:18)
- Horowitz’s personal journey: Raised by communists, founder of the New Left in the 1960s, and became a conservative after seeing the left's true motives (05:00–07:00).
- “I left the left when I realized … it's not an anti-war movement, it's a hate America movement.” — Horowitz (06:33)
Reality vs. Utopian Delusion
- Horowitz claims leftists are driven by a delusional belief in creating a utopia, with the end justifying any means (08:05–09:00).
- “Every leftist is guided by a delusion that there's going to be a world of social injustice [ended]. ... That is such an intoxicating illusion that reality ceases to matter.” — Horowitz (08:05)
- He cites examples like the police shooting in Ohio and the George Floyd case to argue the left distorts facts to fit a narrative (08:20–11:00).
- Asserts that under modern leftist movements, “every civil rights martyr now is a criminal,” contrasting with the innocence of figures like Emmett Till (11:30–12:30).
No Plans for Reconstruction
- Horowitz: The left is skilled at destruction, but offers no vision or plan for what comes after (13:09–14:40).
- “Leftists don't give two seconds of thought on each day to how to make a society work… Their entire day is spent thinking how they can destroy things.” — Horowitz (13:19)
- Critical of Democrat-led bills like the Equality Act and For the People Act as examples of destructive left-wing politics.
Rhetoric, Race, and the Erosion of Civil Discourse
- Horowitz suggests that the left overreaches—e.g., on issues of race, education policy, and police reform—creating backlash and exposing their goals (15:03–17:30).
- “Inside every progressive or liberal is a totalitarian screaming to get out. And the other is the left never knows when to stop.” — Horowitz (15:03)
- Rebuts claims of “systemic racism,” calling it a myth post-1964 and arguing current policies like affirmative action are themselves racist (17:31–20:20).
- “The only systemic racism in America today is affirmative action, which does systematically discriminate on the basis of race.” — Horowitz (20:08)
- Compares the January 6 Capitol riot to left-leaning riots and draws a controversial analogy to the Reichstag fire, claiming Democrats are weaponizing the event to suppress opposition (22:25–26:05).
Action Items for Conservatives
- The conservative response, according to Horowitz, must be mass organization and open confrontation rather than silence or politeness (26:21–28:30).
- “We have to have a mass movement that organizes at every level. ... Why isn't there a sit in at the headquarters of Twitter and Facebook? Calling them censors and fascists is what they are.” — Horowitz (26:21)
- Charlie notes the challenge: Many conservatives avoid confrontation, preferring to focus on family or fear repercussions after January 6 (28:30–28:59).
- Horowitz insists conservatives must push back against being labeled as racists, calling out Democratic bigotry directly (28:59–32:10).
- “Don't call them liberals. Why are Republicans calling these fascist liberals? They're bigots.” — Horowitz (31:02)
Aggressive Messaging and Turning the Tables
- Discusses how conservatives should treat the left’s attacks as fundamentally moral indictments and fight back on those terms instead of just policy arguments (32:36–34:56).
- “Everything a leftist or a Democrat says is a moral indictment… You have to turn that around.” — Horowitz (33:21)
- Highlights the shift in the conservative movement, praising the younger generation for its more aggressive and media-savvy approach (35:19–36:58).
Final Remarks and Book Plug
- Horowitz restates that high-profile Democrats, from Kamala Harris to Bernie Sanders, are “the enemy within,” citing accusations and attacks from Democratic leaders as precedent for stronger rhetoric from conservatives (37:03–38:41).
- “Here’s the enemy: Kamala, Nancy, Elizabeth, Ilhan, Schumer, AOC, and Bernie—the enemy within.” — Horowitz (37:13)
- He criticizes figures like John Kerry as traitors (37:41–38:41).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the left’s goal:
“It's not about Donald Trump, one candidate, it's not about one election, it's about creating a one party state. They're very close to doing. They're fascists.”
— Horowitz (03:32) - On leftist motivation:
“If you thought that you could transform the world so that there was no racism, no sexism, no poverty, no war, what lie would you not tell and tell yourself? And what crime would you not commit or support? That's where they are.”
— Horowitz (11:56) - On conservative strategy:
“Go for the jugular, though. Don't call them liberals... The only liberal people are conservatives. We believe in two sides of a conversation because we're going to win the argument. But they want to suppress, so it's being much more aggressive.”
— Horowitz (31:02) - On systemic racism:
“There aren't such suits because there is no systemic racism. The only systemic racism in America today is affirmative action, which does systematically discriminate on the basis of race.”
— Horowitz (20:08) - On historic parallel:
“This is what fascists do. This is like the Reichstag Fire. The way the Democrats have treated January 6. They called it an armed insurrection. There were no arms.”
— Horowitz (24:55) - On political confrontation:
“I call it fighting fire with fire. Everything a leftist or a Democrat says is a moral indictment. That's how they talk. They're indicting you. They use race as the indictment. You have to turn that around.”
— Horowitz (33:21)
Important Timestamps
- 00:49 – Introduction of David Horowitz and theme of the book
- 02:11 – Horowitz outlines the left’s aims (Supreme Court, borders, elections)
- 07:47 – The left’s utopian delusion and denial of reality
- 13:19 – No concrete vision for rebuilding society among the left
- 15:03 – Horowitz on totalitarianism and overreach in culture and education
- 20:08 – Systemic racism debate and affirmative action
- 22:25 – January 6th compared to historic political violence
- 26:21 – Action items: mass conservative organization, fighting censorship
- 31:02 – Strategy: confrontational, aggressive messaging
- 33:21 – Framing the debate on moral, not just policy, grounds
- 37:13 – Identifying the “enemy within” by name
- 38:41 – Criticism of John Kerry and strong language suggestion
Conclusion
This episode is a forceful, polemical critique of the American left from a deeply conservative perspective, colored by David Horowitz’s personal history and ideological transformation. Both Kirk and Horowitz call for a more assertive, mass-mobilized conservative movement, encouraging listeners to adopt confrontational activism and use the left’s own rhetoric against them. The conversation is candid, with repeated calls to reject what they see as politeness and passivity in the face of a “totalitarian” threat from within.