Defunding the Globalist American Empire + The Fall of Bud Light

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – “Defunding the Globalist American Empire + The Fall of Bud Light”

Host and Context

In the February 5, 2025 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, host Charlie Kirk delves into two pivotal topics shaping contemporary American socio-political and economic landscapes: the alleged defunding of the “Globalist American Empire” through USAID’s questionable funding practices, and the dramatic fall of Bud Light amidst controversial corporate social initiatives. The episode features insightful discussions with Jonathan Kieperman, founder of Passage Press (also known as Lomaz), and Anson Fredricks, former president of Anheuser-Busch, alongside a guest appearance by Jack Posobiec.

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I. Defunding the Globalist American Empire

A. USAID’s Role and Misallocation of Funds

Charlie Kirk opens the discussion by criticizing USAID, labeling it as “the ATM machine of the Central Intelligence Agency” and a pivotal funding mechanism for what he describes as the “Deep State.” He enumerates various expenditures that, in his view, promote divisive social agendas rather than genuine American interests:

• [02:00] “We spent $1.5 million to promote DEI in Serbia, $70,000 for a DEI musical production in Ireland… $20 million to produce Sesame Street in Iraq to promote an LGBT gay agenda.”

• [03:15] Jonathan Kieperman echoes Kirk’s sentiment, asserting, “USAID really is a kind of perfect microcosm of both the stupidity and the malice of the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats who run our State Department.”

B. Jonathan Kieperman’s Insights on USAID

Kieperman provides a critical analysis of USAID’s operations, emphasizing the misalignment between USAID’s initiatives and the interests of the American populace:

• [04:30] “We spent $32,000 on a transgender comic in Peru. This is the tip of the iceberg.”

• [06:05] He delves into the historical context, linking USAID’s current trajectory to the “global American empire” ideology stemming from neoconservative policies post-Iraq War. Kieperman states, “We raise a pride flag and we call it peace,” drawing parallels to ancient imperialism.

C. The Globalist Agenda and Cultural Imposition

The conversation highlights how USAID’s funding is used to propagate specific social ideologies globally, often at the expense of local needs:

• [08:13] Charlie Kirk sarcastically remarks, “We raise a pride flag and we call it peace,” critiquing the use of symbolic gestures to mask imperialistic motives.

• [09:27] Kieperman contrasts globalist policies with the emerging “nationalist American first foreign policy,” advocating for the reallocation of funds to benefit American citizens directly.

D. Call to Action

Kieperman encourages listeners to scrutinize USAID’s activities using resources like Data Republican, urging transparency and accountability in governmental funding.

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II. The Fall of Bud Light

A. Anson Fredricks on Corporate Missteps

Anson Fredricks, the former president of Anheuser-Busch, provides an insider’s perspective on how Bud Light’s foray into controversial social partnerships precipitated its decline:

• [19:59] “When Bud Light did the sponsorship with Dylan Mulvaney, I think that was a red pill moment for most of America.”

• [22:22] Fredricks attributes a near 20% decline in Bud Light’s stock over the past year and a half directly to its DEI initiatives: “Bud Light, which was the biggest beer brand in America, had lost 30% of their sales… Their stock down 20, 30%, broader stock market up 40%.”

B. Internal Dynamics and Strategic Shifts

Fredricks explains the internal factors leading to Bud Light’s strategic pivot towards DEI and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) policies:

• [24:36] “Anheuser Busch was uniquely susceptible. The company was bought by a European company called InBev about 10 years ago. This European company allowed them to switch the ideology away from American values.”

• [26:48] The shift from a customer-centric, universally appealing brand to one embroiled in divisive social issues: “Bud Light was supposed to be easy to drink, easy to enjoy. It was the most popular beer in America because it was enjoyed by people across the political spectrum.”

C. Consequences of DEI and ESG Policies

The adoption of DEI and ESG policies alienated Bud Light’s traditional customer base, leading to significant financial repercussions:

• [27:16] Fredricks contrasts Bud Light’s decline with companies like Walmart, which ditched divisive policies and saw their stock soar: “Walmart’s stock has doubled over that same time period.”

• [28:53] He emphasizes that without recognition and apology for these missteps, Bud Light cannot regain customer trust: “If this company's ever going to be redeemed in their customers, really the path to redemption goes through forgiveness.”

D. Broader Implications for Corporate America

Fredricks’ analysis serves as a cautionary tale for corporations regarding the balance between social initiatives and core business values, suggesting that customer loyalty should take precedence over divisive socio-political engagements.

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III. Guest Segment: Jack Posobiec on Media Strategy and Political Movements

A. Salem Radio Network and Strategic Overlaps

Charlie Kirk introduces Jack Posobiec, who discusses his integration into the Salem Radio Network and the strategic advantages it offers:

• [31:21] Posobiec highlights the synergy between his show and Salem’s platform: “We were able to have a few conversations with the Salem team and having them understand that I'm not only all about what their values are but in many ways…”

B. Media Strategy and the Trump Administration’s Tactics

Posobiec elaborates on the Trump administration’s media strategy, emphasizing rapid information dissemination to outpace traditional media:

• [32:42] “President Trump has this ability with this all-star team that he's put together to go through and be firing down on multiple avenues… The media hasn't even been able to pick up on any of this yet because it's all moving way faster.”

• [34:55] He discusses upcoming political battles and the importance of grassroots mobilization: “We have some senators out there… who might need a little bit of our attention… to confirm the President's cabinet.”

C. The Role of Social Media and Alternative Platforms

Posobiec underscores the role of platforms like X (formerly Twitter) in democratizing information and bypassing traditional media filters:

• [33:10] “X democratizes information. You can go right on there, you can post anything. Boom. You can see what's going on in any one of these verticals.”

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IV. Concluding Remarks

Charlie Kirk wraps up the episode by reinforcing the themes discussed and encouraging listener engagement:

• [35:58] “For more on many of these stories and news you can trust, go to charliekirk.com.”

The episode serves as a critical examination of governmental and corporate practices perceived to undermine American interests through the promotion of globalist and divisive social agendas. Concurrently, it highlights the tangible repercussions of such policies on American businesses, exemplified by Bud Light’s downturn. The guest segments further elucidate strategies employed by conservative voices to counteract mainstream media narratives and advocate for a return to nationalist policies.

Notable Quotes:

• Jonathan Kieperman [03:15]: “USAID really is a kind of perfect microcosm of both the stupidity and the malice of the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats who run our State Department.”

• Anson Fredricks [22:22]: “Bud Light, which was the biggest beer brand in America, had lost 30% of their sales… Their stock down 20, 30%, broader stock market up 40%.”

• Jack Posobiec [32:51]: “President Trump has this ability with this all-star team that he's put together to go through and be firing down on multiple avenues… The media hasn't even been able to pick up on any of this yet because it's all moving way faster.”

This comprehensive discussion encapsulates the episode’s exploration of perceived systemic issues within USAID and corporate America, advocating for transparency, accountability, and a refocusing on American-centric policies and values.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey, everybody. It's on the Charlie Kirk Show. Lomas joins the program as young kids get doxxed who are trying to help the government. We also have the latest on usaid. Jack Posobic joins the program. What happened with Bud Light? We recap the decline Bud Light stock and why it has happened. Email us. As always, freedomarliekirk.com get involved with TurningPoint USA pusa. Com, that is tpusa. Com. Start a high school or college chapter today at tpusa.com Become a member today at members.charliekirk.com that is members.charliekirk dot com Again. Check it out right now, members.charliekirk.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go.

[Anson Fredricks]

Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

[Charlie Kirk]

Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk.

[Anson Fredricks]

Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

[Charlie Kirk]

I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

He's done an amazing job building one.

[Charlie Kirk]

Of the most powerful youth organizations ever.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

Created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold investments@noblegold investments.com that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com USAID is the ATM machine of the Central Intelligence Agency. It is the funding mechanism of the Deep State. Do you know that we spent $1.5 million to promote DEI in Serbia, $70,000 for a DEI musical production in Ireland. We spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia. $32,000 on a transgender comic in Peru. $20 million to produce Sesame street in Iraq to promote a LGBT gay agenda. $2 million for sex reassignment surgery in Guatemala. $27 million for gift bags for deportees in Central America. Hundreds of millions of dollars for irrigation and agriculture in Afghanistan that were ultimately used to increase opium supply. $1.1 billion to build a port and a power plant in Haiti. And after the 2010 earthquake, a project promoted by Bill Clinton, but nothing was actually built. $74 million evaporated in 2006 under the title of promoting democracy in Cuba. And that is just the tip of the Iceberg. Joining us now is Jonathan Kieperman, founder of Passage Press, also known as Lomaz. Great to see you again. What is your take on USAID and should it continue to exist?

[Jonathan Kieperman]

Charlie, the easy answer there is no, at least not in its current form. It's great to be here, by the way. But, you know, this question of USAID and what we've seen over the last week since Marco Rubio at the State Department has taken control and tried to make transparent some of the funding schemes going on there has really got me, and I think a lot of people really heated because it's very clear that what USAID is doing is the exact opposite of what is in the interest of United States and the American people. And USAID really is a kind of perfect microcosm of both the stupidity and the malice of the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats who run our State Department and use our tax dollars. The money that we make and that should be helping our people and, and supporting our interests, instead goes to spreading this international ideology, what we might just call international wokeism, for the benefit of their own pockets and of their own interests, which, again, are entirely divorced from the interests of the American people. So I'm really glad that this is now out there, that this is a discussion we're having. And what was previously so opaque about some of this funding and this waste is now open for everyone to see. I want to thank, by the way, Data Republican, a great account on Twitter, also put together a [e-mail] where you can go and search this stuff for yourself. So I encourage you to go to datarepublican.com, type in USAID to the grant search tool, and see what comes up. I just did this. Okay. And here's just one small sample of something I found. $30 million going to an organization called Creative Associates International. What does Creative Associates International do? They fund women in the Guatemalan highland to stitch their own ponchos. They also fund vague community organizing efforts in Burkina Faso. I dare anyone listening this to explain to me why that money being spent on ponchos in the Guatemalan highland is more appropriate than spending that money to fix up, let's say, the floods in North Carolina or the fires that just devastated our people in California.

[Charlie Kirk]

And there's also some nefarious activity here as well, in addition to the extraordinary talk about how this money is also used in parallel with some of the nefarious goals of our intel agencies.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

Yeah. So this is right And I think, you know, this. This requires a kind of deep dive into the history of the State Department and some of our globalist policies. What some people, like our friend Darren Beatty, who's now at the Department of State, has called the global American Empire, which is really an offshoot of the neocons going back to the Iraq war, in this idea that we could spread democracy across the world and we would do that by force initially. It turns out that you can't just march an army into a place like Iraq or Afghanistan and turn it into a liberal democracy. So over the last decade, that strategy has transmogrified now, and we use a kind of soft power, and we use this kind of ideology of wokeness to. To impose the interests of this global American empire on the rest of the world. A lot of this is represented in things like LGBTQI plus initiatives, things like environmental justice. You see words like Latinx politics popping up all over the place when you search for this stuff. Our friend Josh Howerton, he's a great account on Twitter. He mentioned, for example, he found that a lot of Christian organizations and religious organizations around the world, this money is dangled over their head, and they only get access to it so long as they allow for and accept the leftist activist views on things like lg, TB issues and trans issues. Otherwise, this money disappears. So it's a way to sort of force this ideology onto the rest of the world. A quick history lesson here. Okay. I'm reminded of Tacitus, who, writing about the Roman Empire and quoting a leader of the Britons, describing the wrath and devastation of the Roman Imperial army, had the quote, they make a desert and they call it peace. And you might say something like this about the global American empire, which is, we raise a pride flag and we call it peace.

[Charlie Kirk]

Otherwise known as the gay. The Gae.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

Yeah, that's right. Gae. The global American empire.

[Charlie Kirk]

Just by coincidence. But you make a really astute point, which is that when we're told, for example, at USAID by their defenders, well, we're sending American values abroad. So we think we're sending, like, pocket constitutions to aboriginal tribes in Australia. Like, wow, like, you're trying to tell me that the poor people of Sudan are gonna learn about Thomas Jefferson. No, no, no. When they say, we're sending American values, we are sending gender transition clinics to Sri Lanka. Like, we're sending the worst, lower, the lowest aspects of the radical trans agenda. We're sending gay pride flags to Thailand. We are. We're trying to convert the part of the world that might not believe that there are 242 genders. And part of this is the evangelistic component of the great American modern empire, the religion, the state run religion is lgbtq. Diversity is our strength. Lomas.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

So, you know, the divide here is very simple. There is the ideology of the global American empire. This is what we call globalist, broadly speaking. And then the other foreign policy option that we have is a nationalist American first foreign policy. U.S. uSAID has been operating on the globalist foreign policy ideology for the last several decades. Donald Trump, Marco Rubio are patriots now in charge of our government are reasserting a foreign policy that prefers and supports the interests of the American people over the rest of the world. And part of this now is going to be revising how we spend our money and returning that money to the American people.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Jonathan Kieperman]

Yeah, I mean, this is typical of what we see from the left now. So first of all, these, these kids are the perfect embodiment of what we talk about when we talk about meritocracy. They are the best. These are the people we want running our systems and running our government. We don't want to scare away these people from public service. We need them if we're going to fix this country. We need these kids. We need their brain power, we need their talents. And so the left, why are they so angry about this one is they're out of ideas, okay? They can't argue against the kinds of things these kids are doing. They know there's waste, but they don't want to admit to it. And so what do they do? They threaten, they ostracize. They are like cornered animals gnashing their teeth. And, you know, frankly, I think it's largely impotent. Although they do want to do damage. They want to prevent these kids from being able to get jobs in the future, et cetera. And so we have to make sure, as you know, if we're on the right here, that we protect these people. We make sure when they get out of government that they have a place to land on their feet. So that's number one. The other thing too here that's going on is for a long time, I think the left has felt entitled to this kind of young talent. The left has always assumed that young, bright people are going to join their side. But there's been a vibe shift, okay? This is palpable here. And we see it with kids like this. They don't want to join the left. They don't want to engage in this woke ideology that frankly has probably made them suffer quite a bit over the course of their young lives. And now they are on the right and they are doing what we want them to do. And so this is something that the left is very afraid of, that there's going to be this massive shift. Well, it's too late. It's already happened. The other thing here is what these kids are doing is sorting through all the waste in our government and getting rid of it. The left also feels entitled to that money. Suddenly these whiz kids come along and they are going to turn off that spigot. So, you know, they're angry for a lot of reasons. And now they're impotently lashing out at this kid, at these Kids, frankly, I think it's beautiful what these kids are doing. I am so happy to see them. And we need to support them at all costs.

[Charlie Kirk]

And just look at across the board here. And this is very important. We have this mass movement where we have Caroline Levitt, 27. We have these 19, 20, 23 year olds. I mean, this is a generational takeover. You have this incredible senior staff, Sergio gore. You got JD who have the VP who's young. You got Stephen Miller who's in his 30s. This is the untold story of this administration because they're so that the media just doesn't cover anything. This is a Gen Z millennial takeover of the federal government. And we always thought it would be coming from the left, but this is the geriatric, the kind of nursing home regime that has been glide pathing the country into oblivion. No, the young guns are taking over the country for the better. Defending the President, issuing executive orders. Well, the president's issuing them, but putting them on the desk and authoring them. It is a generational shift. Lomez, you're great. Come back anytime. The kids are all right and the government is getting back in the hands of the people. Are you tired of scrolling through shows on TV and finding nothing but the same mind numbing content? Don't waste your time on that nonsense. Instead, use that time to learn something new and inspiring. Hillsdale College offers more than 40 free online courses. Learn about the works of C.S. lewis, the meaning of the U.S. constitution, the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, or the history of the ancient Christian church with Hillsdale College's free online courses. Consider the Constitution 101 course. In it, you'll explore the design and purpose of the Constitution, the challenge it faced during the Civil War, and how it has been undermined for more than a century by progressivism and liberalism. Our country needs more Americans who can understand the Constitution and can defend the freedom of the American people against the encroachments of an increasingly large and unaccountable government. Start the Constitution 101 course today. Right now. Go to charlieforhillsdale.com to enroll. There's no cost and it's easy to get started. That's charlieforhillsdale.com the register. Charlieforhillsdale.com do you guys remember that bizarre moment? That was almost like the cultural bottom. It was like the cultural canon. The bottom of the bottom where we hit the valley when that freak Dylan Mulvaney was paid to promote Bud Light. Seems as if that was the low point of the kind of cultural four years. Well, joining us now is Anson Fredricks or Freirex, author of Last Call for Bud Light. Anson, welcome to the program. Thank you for being here. You are a former president of Anheuser Busch, so I know you have a lot to share. How on earth did that all happen? And take us back in time? The floor is yours.

[Anson Fredricks]

Yeah, no, Charlie, thank you so much for having me today. And you're absolutely right. I mean, this really was sort of the tipping point. And when Bud Light did the sponsorship with Dylan Mulvaney, I think that was a red pill moment for most of America when they said, we've just had enough of corporations getting involved in political issues. We saw when the NFL got involved with having half their players kneel and accepted it. We saw companies like Disney, who all of a sudden were promoting, all of a sudden parental rights in Florida, issues that were going on. And then when Bud Light, I mean, the most American of brands, the American of beers, all of a sudden starts doing this controversial partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, this is really when people had enough. And this is when you actually saw customers left in droves. They lost millions of customers. The company lost billions of dollars of shareholder value. Their profits plunged by $2 billion as well. And this is when all of a sudden you actually saw more companies take a step back and look at some of the really controversial, divisive DEI and ESG policies that have been implemented across corporate America by sort of the Biden administration, by asset managers like BlackRock, State Street Vanguard, by a bunch of consultants like McKinsey. And this is when all of a sudden corporations actually took a step back and said, you know, maybe we don't need all this. Maybe this isn't good for business. Maybe we need to sort of reevaluate where we are as a company. And all the pendulum is starting to swing back. This is still very relevant. You've seen certain companies like McDonald's, like Walmart and like Tractor Supply Co. Kind of step back. But other companies are really leaning in this. Just this week you have Costco, JP Morgan have doubled down on their DI policies. And then now there's been a lawsuit that's been filed by a of DEI officers at companies that are trying to undo some of Trump's recent legislative agenda. So this is very much still a topic that is alive. And I think we're gonna not be seeing the end of the DEI movement anytime soon.

[Charlie Kirk]

So it's just amazing to me. So I wanna get into the details here of your book and your experience. But In April of 2023, if my timeline is correct, they decided to make Dylan Mulvaney one of the faces of Bud Light and kind of do this whole thing. And the stock price was at $65.52 a share. Now it's at $48.75 a share. You're a former president of Anheuser Busch. Do you believe that this decision and the backlash has contributed in this nearly 20% decline in their stock over the last year and a half?

[Anson Fredricks]

Absolutely it has, Charlie. I mean, you've just seen that Bud Light, which was the biggest beer brand in America, had lost 30% of their sales, 30% of their customers. Other brands that they have, Budweiser plunged as deeply and then even took growth brands. They have Michelob Ultra and Bush Light. All of a sudden those started plunging also. So it's had a huge effect on the stock price. At the same time, the broader stock market has been up almost 40%. So Bud Light down 20, 30%, broader stock market up 40%. So it's had a massive effect. And it's not just at Bud Light. Companies like Target, very similar when Target two years ago got involved in Pride Month and they were having the tuck friendly bathing suits, as you might recall, their stock is down double digits over that time period where their biggest competitor, Walmart, who Walmart, has taken this big step back. Walmart ditched their divisive DEI policies. They were more focused on the customer. Walmart stock has doubled over that same time period. So I think it's very clear that you're starting to see this really diversion happen. Companies that are leading into controversial DEI ESG agendas, they continue to shed customers, whereas ones that are kind of sticking up for their customers just focus focused on providing great products and services, sticking to their mission. Those businesses are going to thrive, especially I think, in the, the coming years. And I think those businesses are going to add a ton of value to their share price. And then also I think they're going to add a lot of value to just our broader sort of American environment. You know, the private sector and companies used to be an area where people could come together, whether you were black, white, gay, straight, Democrat, Republican, who cares, and just work on the mission of a company, be united around that. And then all of a sudden the workplace became a very fragmented environment over the last couple years with companies taking very controversial stance on defund the police initiatives, on overturning election integrity laws, Roe v. Wade. And there was no reason for this. I think that further inflamed a lot of the division in this country. Some companies have learned their lesson, I think, other companies have not. And that sort of message is, I think, still being written and will continue to be written over the next couple of years and we'll see, really, some companies separate themselves and others continue to fall behind based off who's gonna get involved in political issues moving forward.

[Charlie Kirk]

So, Anson, help me understand. Tell us the internal story. How did this come to pass? How did we go from Clydesdale's to trannies with beer?

[Anson Fredricks]

Yeah, there's a short story and a long story. So the short story is that the company really, they adopted really divisive ESG and DEI policies. Now, a lot of corporate America was doing this at the exact same time. They adopted these policies because a lot of people that own Anheuser Busch tend to be these large asset managers like BlackRock, State Street Vanguard, that get a lot of their money from progressive institutions like the State of California, State of New York, European sovereign wealth funds. And there was a big push by these organizations, especially when Trump was first elected and pulled out of global organizations like the Paris Climate Accord, UN Human Rights Coalition, World Health Organization, that all of these large progressive institutions said if now Trump and government is not going to solve these so called existential crises of climate change, of systemic racism, of police brutality, then all of a sudden we need corporations to do this. And for large, mostly New York and East coast based institutions like BlackRock, State Street Vanguard that manage $20 trillion worth of capital, those were the ones that all of a sudden were the single largest shareholders in companies like Anheuser Busch, Target, Disney. And they started telling these companies that we need you to start solving all these problems. And the companies really, unfortunately didn't have much of an opportunity to push back because these companies, they vote for shareholder proposals every single year at companies. They put companies in ESG index funds, which is our funds that you invest money into, hoping that the companies are going to return capital. And they were threatened to be not put in these funds or to not have the support of these large asset managers that were using other people's money to foist these policies on them. And so unfortunately, Anheuser Busch was uniquely susceptible. The company was bought by a European company called InBev about 10 years ago. This European company allowed them to unfortunately switch the ideology away from sort of American values and just focus on the bottom line, focusing on shareholders more towards this European model of being beholden to your stakeholders, being involved in programs like ESG and dei. So the Company all of sudden switch their focus from Clydesdale's winning the Super Bowl Ad Meter Award every single year.

[Charlie Kirk]

Totally. The greatest ads there were. Yes, greatest, greatest.

[Anson Fredricks]

This was by far the company that was the best in terms of winning Super Bowl Ad Meter. They've won more of them than any other company, but haven't won1 since 2011.

[Charlie Kirk]

And that was one of the reasons why. That was one of the reasons why everyone got so upset is that this wasn't Patagonia, which was well known as like a left wing environmental company. This is heartland St. Louis. As good as it gets, right?

[Anson Fredricks]

The people, beer drinking, just great American.

[Charlie Kirk]

Consumers, they too are kind of bending the knees. So were they just like trying to be trend followers? Did people inside the company warn them? What was the process that actually went about?

[Anson Fredricks]

These guys were trend followers. They were not leaders. This used to be a company that was leaders in America leaders in terms of setting culture leaders about humor. And to your point, they had a clear mission. Historically that Bud Light was supposed to be easy to drink, easy to enjoy. It was the most popular beer in America because it was enjoyed by people across the political spectrum. Everybody loved Bud Light. It was about humor, it was about football, it was about bringing people together. It was authentic. It was not Ben and Jerry's. Ben and Jerry's, the brand that tells you that we use ice cream to advance a socially progressive mission. So great, if you're eating Ben and Jerry's, it's free market, you know, go eat it. You know that you're going to be supporting defund the police causes and giving land back to Native Americans and all types of things Ben and Jerry's does. But if you drink Bud Light, you were just about. I mean, this is using the VP of Bud Light at the marketing. It was kind of a fratty beer. That's what it was. And it was a fun beer. It was kind of the life of the party. And that's what they really lost when they started develop, when they, when they, when they tried to switch the company more from just one folks on submission, easy drink, easy to enjoy to one that was about a more socially progressive beer. And that's where they really got caught, Charlie. When all of a sudden they do this partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, it blows up in their face. You have Kid Rock that's using the AR15 to be able to take out a bunch of Bud Light cases. And now the company all of a sudden, because they had adopted an ESG DEI policy, they couldn't apologize to their loyal customer base. But they couldn't also go and say that we're kind of more about the Ben and Jerry's type of brand because they're going to lose even more sales.

[Charlie Kirk]

Really quick. I want you to plug your book and answer this question. Do you think they've learned their lesson?

[Anson Fredricks]

So in the, in the book, last Call for Bud Light, I don't think they've learned their lesson because here's the deal. If this company's ever going to be redeemed in their customers, really the path to redemption, it goes through forgiveness. But to be forgiven, you have to admit that there was a mistake. So I think this book, it talks about not only the mistake of broader corporate America getting involved in ESG DEI programs that didn't deliver any shareholder value and were more divisive, but it really uses the story of Bud Light and uses the story of this company to tell that story, to really make it, make it easy to understand for folks, because Bud Light was the biggest brand. So we'd love you to read Last Call for Bud Light to learn more about what went wrong in corporate America and to learn what Bud Light needs to do to move forward and get its customer base back.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you, Anson. Really appreciate it. Talk to you soon.

[Anson Fredricks]

Thanks, Charlie.

[Charlie Kirk]

Appreciate it. Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here with New Year's resolutions. Many of us will vow to eat healthier, and that's a good thing. But what about your beloved pets and their nutrition? Naturopathic doctor Dennis Black is on a mission to provide better nutrition for cats and dogs. Because truthfully, it's not what you are feeding your pet, it's what you are not. Which is why he created rough greens and meow greens in the first place. Bring their dead food back to life with live vitamins, minerals, probiotics, enzymes, omega oils, antioxidants, and so much more, all in their tasty formula your dog or cat will love. Improve your pet's coat digestion and energy and have less vet bills. Let 2025 bring a new year and a new pet. Try it. Get a Jumpstart trial bag, normally $20 free with promo code Charlie. Just cover shipping. Resolve to provide what your pet's food has been missing with R U F F Greens. To get your free Jumpstart trial bag, go to ruffgreens.com use promo code Charlie. So good your pet will ask for it by name. Ruffgreens.com Charlie I want to thank my great friend Jack Posovic for stepping in for me for our third hour. He's a great addition to the Salem Radio Network. And Jack is here. Jack, welcome to the program.

[Jack Posobiec]

Charlie, just want to say thanks so much, by the way, Salem Network, incredible network that they've done. I was a longtime listener to Bill Bennett in the mornings. So it's incredible to be there at 9:90am in Philadelphia.

[Charlie Kirk]

So, Jack, talk about it. You're going to be doing your show. It'll also be simulcasted on Salem Radio Network. Tell us about it.

[Jack Posobiec]

Well, that's right. So it's, it's really just kind of a happy accident in many ways. Or perhaps, you know, you could say we planned it that way, given that it was a Charlie Kirk idea. It was probably planned out in advance that way. But so it's, you know, you had the 12 to 3, but then my show was always sort of 2 to 3. And so the idea being that we were up on Real America's Voice at that time, but then you were covering down 2 to 3 on both. And so we were sort of simultaneous, simultaneously overlapping each other. So it turned out to be that when we were looking at this third hour, said, okay, what could we do with it? That, hey, I was already doing a show in that hour to begin with. And so it just sort of made sense to say, well, why don't we just put that show out? And being able to have a few conversations with the Salem team and having them understand that I'm not only all about what their values are, but in many ways I was able to learn the values of the conservative movement and actually learn what it means to be in a conservative in America by just listening to Salem. And in fact, for people who, for people who don't even know the deeper backstory, human events.com was actually under Salem at one point and it later went independent. But now I kind of feel like it's, it's almost like human events and Salem are rekindling that great partnership. And so it's an incredible place to be with everything that's going on in our country.

[Charlie Kirk]

So, Jack, this is a total blitzkrieg right now that we're seeing from President Trump. Talk about the media strategy of flooding the zone and overwhelming the system. Do you think it's working?

[Jack Posobiec]

Well, Charlie, it's absolutely working. Look, I talk to journalists a lot, frequently, a lot more frequently than in the past. They used to have this more antagonistic relationship, but suddenly they realized that, oh, if they want to actually know what's going on, we might have to talk to people like Jack Bock or a Charlie Kirk. And they're all telling me we can't keep up. What you guys are doing is so fast. And they don't realize how many years people in this movement have spent studying these issues and understanding these nodes. So you've got Mike Benz on usaid. That's just one spot. If you think that was big, wait till you see what comes next when it comes to Tulsi Gabbard and the intelligence community, RFK with the Maha movement, with the FDA and the ftc, even a little bit in a number of these places. And so they didn't realize that President Trump had this ability with this all star team that he's put together to go through and be firing down on multiple avenues, multiple verticals at the same time in a place where they don't even know where to put their resources. Because look at the corporate media. They've actually been downsizing over the past couple of years. Why? Because people are checking out of corporate media. And then Elon comes in with X. And what does X do? X democratizes information. You can go right on there, you can post anything. Boom. You can see what's going on in any one of these verticals. And there's no censorship. So you don't have anyone telling you what you need to think. You can actually go. You can watch this program, you could watch a hearing, you can see what's happening, you can look up research. You've got Grok, you've got all these different features. It is fantastic. And so what President Trump has done is utilize this and his team, the comms team, with Stephen Chung, with Caroline Levitt as the press secretary, They've understood that the way to get ahead of the media is to literally drive fast. Caroline Levitt just a couple of minutes ago announced that these illegal alien flights are already beginning down to Guantanamo Bay. The media hasn't even been able to pick up on any of this yet because it's all moving way faster than, and I'm sorry, guys, you're going to have to start working or you're going to be left in our dust.

[Charlie Kirk]

That is right, Jack, in the one minute remaining, what is on the horizon that you're looking at right now? Big fights where the MAGA faithful need to be aware and manning the ramparts.

[Jack Posobiec]

Well, look, we know Tulsi Gabbard. That's going to come up in a couple of minutes. I feel good about this vote right here. Of course, all of this goes down to the floor, though. So you got Bobby Kennedy, Cash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard. It still has to go down to a floor vote. A lot of people think the committee vote is the floor vote. I get it. It's wonky. It's the system. We have to work with what we have. But understand, none of these people have been confirmed until they're confirmed by the United States Senate. And there's some, there's some senators out there, Charlie, who I think might need a little bit of our attention, maybe just to hold their hand as we walk them down the aisle so that they can go and make sure to confirm the President's cabinet.

[Charlie Kirk]

Very good, Jack. Good luck. You have a program in about 20 seconds, so get ready for that. Jack, thanks so much. We'll be all right.

[Jack Posobiec]

Charlie, thanks, man.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us, as always, freedom at charliekirk. Com. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Jonathan Kieperman]

For more on many of these stories and news you can trust, go to charliekirk.

[Charlie Kirk]

Com.