Podcast Summary: "Hillary Clinton Is Back, And She's Going After Allie Beth Stuckey"

The Charlie Kirk Show | January 30, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, tackles two major storylines embroiled in America’s contemporary culture war: the media firestorm following Don Lemon’s high-profile arrest at a Minneapolis church protest, and Hillary Clinton’s public criticism of conservative Christian author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey. Kirk and co-host Blake dissect the narratives emerging from both events, arguing they reveal manipulative trends in progressive activism, the power of emotion-driven social media campaigns, and the ongoing “assassination culture” stoked by the political left. Allie Beth Stuckey joins the show to discuss her book, "Toxic Empathy," and responds to Hillary Clinton’s attacks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Don Lemon’s Arrest & The Media Backlash

Segment: 01:27 – 08:57

• Overview of the Arrest: Don Lemon, prominent journalist, is arrested in Minneapolis while participating in a left-wing church protest.
• Kirk reads a statement from Lemon’s lawyer, which claims Lemon’s First Amendment rights were violated and frames the arrest as an attack on press freedom.
  • Charlie Kirk (Host): “None of this is true. None of it is remotely true.” (02:01)
• Blake debunks the lawyer’s narrative, asserting Lemon was not simply reporting but actively collaborating with protesters by disrupting a house of worship.
  • Blake: “This guy went and joined a group of people who busted into a church during worship to harass a worship leader... That is helping a bunch of people harass someone.” (03:11)
  • Charlie Kirk: “He actually on video kissed the lead protester, said thank you for your service, cheered them on. There he is kissing the protester.” (03:50)
• They highlight what they see as routine media hypocrisy—comparing American law enforcement actions to Russia and China—by quoting media figures like Brian Stelter and Molly Jong-Fast.
  • Brian Stelter: “A disturbing escalation against reporting in America... this is something that some MAGA loyalists have been demanding.” (04:31)
  • Molly Jong-Fast: “Think about the countries where journalists are targeted... Russia, China, Turkey. They're not democracies.” (05:14)
• Kirk and Blake assert Lemon violated laws (18 US Code 241, 248) and is not above the law, mocking Lemon’s prior statements:
  • Don Lemon (2019, soundbite): “Nobody is above the law. Nobody’s above the law.” (07:06 & 07:18)
• They critique protesters’ claims of oppression, with Blake calling comparisons of being handcuffed to slavery “the closest she’s ever been to slavery,” and Kirk saying this just demonstrates her “privilege.” (08:22-08:51)

2. "Assassination Culture" & Leftist Martyr Narratives

Segment: 09:38 – 13:00

• Kirk paints a broader context, alleging a new culture in which people are willing to die (or kill) for ideological causes like immigration activism, equating it to martyrdom but for “illegal immigrants.”
• They discuss the Luigi Mangione case, noting media sympathy for left-wing violence while warning about “jury nullification” trends favoring leftist offenders.
  • Blake: “We've seen this with the attacks on [ICE] where the left will basically do jury nullification...” (11:00)
  • Charlie Kirk: “Let's hope that doesn't happen. But you're absolutely right to flag it as a concern.” (11:19)
• Kirk laments how the left has, in his view, hijacked patriotism, faith, and family to fuel these new movements, creating an “ideology” that turns empathy into a weapon for “assassination culture.” (12:34-16:19)

3. Social Media Manipulation & The Propaganda Machine

Segment: 16:19 – 18:56

• Kirk and Blake argue social media algorithms promote rage and divisiveness, even targeting conservative-Christian users with anti-ICE and anti-enforcement content.
  • Charlie Kirk: “What is she seeing? Even in her Instagram feed, she's seeing rage-bait, anti-ICE slop... it's leading to kamikaze Karens in the streets of Minneapolis...” (15:26)
  • Blake: “It's an extremely powerful emotional manipulation machine...” (16:19)
• They reference escalating activism and violence as being egged on by emotionally charged narratives that build up over years (George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, BLM), culminating in what Blake warns could be future attacks on law enforcement. (16:19-17:35)

4. Interview with Allie Beth Stuckey

Segment: 19:11 – 37:54

Introduction and Context:

• Clinton’s Critique: Hillary Clinton calls Stuckey the “Commissar of MAGA morality,” criticizing her book “Toxic Empathy” for allegedly warning evangelicals against compassion that leads to liberal policies.
  • Charlie Kirk: “She called you... the Commissar of MAGA morality, which goes so hard.” (19:52)
  • Stuckey: “I just appreciate that she gave me two blatant examples of toxic empathy...” (20:45)
• Stuckey’s Response:
  • Explains that real compassion doesn’t require supporting destructive policy—seeing the humanity in migrants or victims does not mean, for her, supporting open borders or abortion.
  • “That compassion should not lead us to affirm sin or support really destructive policy...” (21:08)

Manipulation of Outrage & Emotional Imagery:

• Kirk and Stuckey discuss the selective outrage illustrated by tributes (like a new Bruce Springsteen song) for left-wing martyrs, contrasting it with lack of attention for victims of illegal immigrant crime.
  • Charlie Kirk: “We have no songs for Lake and Riley. We have no songs for Rachel Moran...” (22:05)
  • Stuckey: “They now have victims that they can venerate as saints and as martyrs... They are going to leverage your natural compassion...to manipulate you...” (22:23)
• Stuckey traces this to Instagram “rage bait” and recounts the emotional, viral black square movement during BLM, emphasizing the challenge of competing against an emotionally compelling photo with facts or reason.
  • Stuckey: “Imagery is compelling...When that is decontextualized and a completely fabricated narrative is attached to it, it is really hard...to compete against an image with logic...” (29:01)

Addressing Propaganda and Solutions:

• Blake advocates “abolish all social media”—a tongue-in-cheek push for radical solutions—but Stuckey opts for careful, truth-based messaging and a revitalization of critical thinking.
  • Stuckey: “Sometimes it doesn’t matter what the facts are, I was told verbatim, multiple times... you just have to express your empathy. And that is where I was like, nope, that is leading us in a really, really bad direction...” (34:36)
• Stuckey finds hope in a “growing resistance” among Christian and conservative women who are now more skeptical of viral narratives and more willing to ask what’s true before joining social media campaigns.
  • “Now, in 2026 ... I see more people like me who have platforms who are willing to say, I'm not going to join in with that. At least I'm going to take some time to figure out what's really going on...” (34:36)

Concluding Calls for Moral Courage:

• The hosts and Stuckey warn listeners to cultivate “moral courage,” to “not allow their emotion to arrest their critical thinking,” and to push back against rage-bait narratives online.
  • Blake: “That flattening of virtue and morality is why empathy should not be your guide. Why moral truth has to be your guide... Allowing your compassion to be guided by what is true, what is logically, factually true, but also what is biblically true...” (37:21)
  • Charlie Kirk: “The truth is unchanging. Stay anchored to it.” (37:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Charlie Kirk (on narrative manipulation):
  “The left has managed to hijack traits of patriotism, faith and family, three things that they actively oppose. Yet they still understand the power that could be wielded by these ties.” (13:29)

• Blake (on media amnesia):
  “You could, like, even move on and change your views. And it's like total amnesia that it ever happened...” (28:10)

• Ali Beth Stuckey (on virtue signaling):
  “If you can't be fair, just be quiet.” (27:54)

• Charlie Kirk (on critical thinking):
  “We are losing our ability to think critically, and we have to call it out and hopefully see a revitalization of critical thinking skills and independent thinking.” (18:56)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Don Lemon’s lawyer reaction & arrest facts: 01:27 – 07:45
• Discussion of protest organizer’s “slavery” claims: 07:45 – 08:51
• Leftist martyrdom, assassination culture, and global trend: 09:38 – 13:00
• Social media rage-bait and manipulation: 15:26 – 17:35
• Pattern of emotional activism campaigns: 17:35 – 18:56
• Allie Beth Stuckey segment—Clinton’s attack, empathy debate: 19:11 – 21:26
• Selective outrage & legacy of viral image narratives: 22:05 – 29:01
• Propaganda cycles, solutions, hope for resistance: 29:01 – 37:54

Conclusion

The episode weaves together media criticism, culture war analysis, and a direct response to progressive critiques led by Hillary Clinton. By highlighting the dangers of emotion-driven activism, the hosts advocate for biblical moral grounding and critical thinking as antidotes to “toxic empathy” and social media manipulation. Allie Beth Stuckey’s interview grounds the discussion in practical strategies for resisting viral outrage, culminating in a call for moral clarity and courage in the digital age.