Podcast Summary:

The Charlie Kirk Show
Episode: COVID Thought Crimes from India, Iceland, and Israel
Air Date: August 18, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk

Episode Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk examines what he refers to as “COVID thought crimes,” questioning mainstream narratives around pandemic response, vaccines, and mask mandates. He focuses particularly on policy differences between states and countries, highlighting case studies from India, Iceland, and Israel where, according to his interpretation, high vaccination rates and strict measures have either failed to curb COVID-19 cases or have been overshadowed by overlooked alternative treatments like Ivermectin. Kirk challenges the response of both Democratic and Republican leadership, calling for more aggressive political action from conservative leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mask Mandate Battles in U.S. States

[03:50 - 12:45]

• Conflict Between State Governments and Local Districts:

  • Texas and Arizona governors signed laws or issued orders banning school mask mandates, but some school districts openly defy these measures.
  • In Texas, Bexar County enacted its own mandate, disregarding both Gov. Abbott’s ban and the Texas Supreme Court.
  • Arizona’s Scottsdale Unified School District similarly ignored state law, holding closed meetings and maintaining mandates.

• Differential Enforcement:

  • Kirk argues that Democrats enforce their policies swiftly and punitively (e.g., Illinois’ rapid removal of Timothy Christian School’s certification for even considering non-compliance).
  • Republicans, by contrast, “go to the courts” rather than using executive power (e.g., with school districts that defy the law), a disparity Kirk sees as a source of conservative weakness.

"Democrats are serious about destroying the country... JB Pritzker comes down like a fat French king, which he is, and removes the Timothy Christian certification immediately. This is the game that’s being played here." — Charlie Kirk [11:30]

• Call to Action:
  • Kirk repeatedly urges Republican leaders to use political force, such as withdrawing funds or accreditation from defiant school districts, emulating Democratic tactics.

2. International COVID Trends: Israel, Iceland, and Vaccine Effectiveness

[14:55 - 20:50]

• Israel:

  • Despite high vaccination rates (80% of adults, 60% of total population), Israel faces surges in cases and hospitalizations, reintroducing mask and quarantine mandates.
  • Kirk cites reports that “85–95% of all new Covid hospitalizations are among fully vaccinated” (attributed to Axios, though he does not independently verify these statistics).
  • Pfizer vaccine said to be "42% effective in July," prompting skepticism about its status as a vaccine rather than a “treatment” (per Axios, relayed by Kirk).

• Iceland & Massachusetts:

  • Iceland lifted restrictions after vaccinating 90% of adults; soon after, a new surge led to partial lockdowns.
  • U.S. example: In a Massachusetts outbreak, vaccinated individuals made up three-quarters of cases (citing the Washington Post).

"Is the vaccine helping or is it hurting?... That’s not a vaccine, that’s a treatment at best." — Charlie Kirk [18:20]

• Skepticism and Media Questions:
  • Kirk questions why media and policymakers are not scrutinizing vaccine limitations, boosters, or the possibility that strict measures are counterproductive.

3. Australia: Youth Vaccination and Parental Control

[23:10 - 24:12]

• Australian Example:
  • Kirk plays a clip from Australian officials explaining a mass vaccination event for 24,000 students in a stadium, parents excluded.

"Give your children to us. We’ll put them into a stadium, we’ll give them the vaccine and they’ll be well taken care of. That’s where we’re going." — Charlie Kirk [24:12]

• Warning:
  • He frames this as a possible vision of the future in the U.S., urging listeners to resist what he sees as “medical kidnapping.”

4. Hospitals and the Vaccinated: Anecdotal Evidence

[25:29 - 26:04]

• Nurse’s Testimonial:
  • Kirk plays a viral video of a nurse claiming a COVID-positive hospital floor is “completely full [of] fully vaccinated patients,” expressing demoralization with the current situation.

"COVID positive hospital floor completely full. All fully vaccinated patients. Vaccine doesn't work. I’m not getting it… Pray for your healthcare workers again." — Anonymous nurse [25:34]

• Kirk’s Commentary:
  • Acknowledges this is anecdotal evidence and preempts censorship by positioning this as simply sharing another’s opinion.

5. India and Ivermectin: Alternative Treatments

[26:30 - 31:40]

• Case Decline in India:
  • Major COVID outbreak in India during April–May 2021, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Kirk credits the introduction of Ivermectin and Budesonide into national protocols for dramatically reducing cases, citing the Desert Review and other secondary sources.
  • Compares U.S. and Uttar Pradesh COVID metrics to argue India's approach was more effective despite fewer resources.

"Uttar Pradesh contains 241 million people... On August 10th they saw 19 new cases and one death… over 1,000 times lower than the United States." — Charlie Kirk [29:20]

• Pharmaceutical Incentives:
  • Points out that Ivermectin is cheap (vs. expensive treatments like Remdesivir), and accuses pharmaceutical companies and health authorities of prioritizing profits over public well-being.

"Why does the New York Times not care about this? They said it’s a mystery. Why don’t they look into it? Now the reason why we are using remdesivir is it’s $3,100 per dose while the cost of Ivermectin is in the pennies." — Charlie Kirk [29:55]

• Media and Regulatory Critique:
  • Decries media silence, alleges censorship and suppression of effective, low-cost drugs.

6. Mask Mandates for Children and U.S. Leadership Critique

[32:30 - 41:00]

• Masking Children:

  • Insists that masking children is “child abuse,” referencing a Johns Hopkins study showing zero COVID deaths among healthy kids (citing 48,000 cases).
  • Questions why, in light of this data, mask mandates persist in schools.

• Governors and Republican Leadership:

  • Criticizes Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and other Republicans for not blocking school mask mandates.
  • Calls out what he perceives as their fear of political backlash or desire for post-political careers, dubbing them “gutless wonders.”

"Now we are implementing Taliban values. We put cloths over our face, we take over statues and we castrate our children. I don’t want to hear us lecture the Taliban anymore." — Charlie Kirk [39:55]

• Notable Praise:
  • Commends governors like Ron DeSantis (Florida), Kevin Stitt (Oklahoma), and Greg Gianforte (Montana) for resisting mandates and "trusting parents."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Democrats are serious about destroying the country… he [JB Pritzker] is at risk of COVID by the way. If I was JB Pritzker, I’d be very worried about COVID. Very worried. You want to talk about an at-risk guy? Whoo. Holy moly.” — Charlie Kirk [10:20]

• “This only stops when we start to use force against them. And no, I don’t mean force in the streets, I mean political force. Otherwise, we are going to live in their totalitarian dystopian experiment.” — Charlie Kirk [13:17]

• “The Pfizer vaccine was 42% effective in July. That’s not a vaccine, that’s a treatment, at best. That is Pfizer. That is Axios’s own data.” — Charlie Kirk [18:25]

• “If India, a poor country, can turn the corner so quickly in the delta variant, why can’t we?” — Charlie Kirk [31:05]

• “There is no evidence to show any of this does anything. In fact, there’s evidence to show it does the opposite. And there is evidence to show that it hurts child socially, emotionally. And yes, Governor Holcomb, you’re going to be responsible when all of a sudden suicide rates go up. That’ll be on you.” — Charlie Kirk [40:19]

Important Timestamps

• 03:50: Texas, Arizona, and Illinois—local vs. state/federal power struggles over mask mandates.
• 11:30: Speed and severity of Democratic enforcement vs. Republican deference.
• 14:55: International perspective—Israel’s COVID surge post-vaccination.
• 18:20: Questioning vaccine effectiveness.
• 23:10: Australian mass vaccination for youth without parental presence.
• 25:29: Nurse's viral video on vaccinated hospitalizations.
• 26:30: India's turn-around post-Ivermectin protocol.
• 29:20: Data comparison: U.S. vs. Uttar Pradesh (India).
• 32:30: Mask mandates as “child abuse,” analysis of effects on children.
• 39:55: Comparing U.S. mask mandates to Taliban values.
• 41:00: Commendation of select Republican governors.

Summary & Takeaway

Charlie Kirk uses this episode to critique both the mainstream pandemic response and the Republican establishment’s passivity, arguing for more aggressive, conservative use of political power. He holds up India’s reported success with Ivermectin, the waning effectiveness of vaccines in Israel and Iceland, and inconsistencies in mask mandate enforcement as evidence that much of the official narrative, in his view, should be challenged as “thought crimes.” The episode closes with a plea for parents and grassroots activists to push back against mask and vaccine mandates—especially for children—and for conservative leaders to back them with substantive political action.

For more details, visit charliekirk.com or email your thoughts to freedom@charliekirk.com