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- [00:00]
Charlie Kirk
Hey everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio. Some breaking Epstein news from President Trump. Very positive, very encouraging. We say thank you, President Trump. And then the push for amnesty is on. Maria El Valle Salazar is pushing it and we talk about that. And then Mike Rowe joins the program. One of my favorite people about something we've been talking about for quite some time. Email us. As always, freedomarliekirk.com, subscribe to the Charlie Kirk show podcast page and become a member today. Members.charlie kirk.com and get involved with Turning Point USA@tpusa.com that is tpusa.com Buckle up everybody. Here we go.
- [00:38]
Mike Rowe
Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.
- [00:40]
Maria Elvira Salazar
Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.
- [00:42]
Mike Rowe
I want you to know we are.
- [00:43]
Charlie Kirk
Lucky to have Charlie Kirk.
- [00:45]
Mike Rowe
Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.
- [00:49]
Charlie Kirk
I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country.
- [00:52]
Mike Rowe
He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created.
- [00:58]
Charlie Kirk
Turning Point usa 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@noblegoldinvestments.com that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com Happy Friday, everybody. Breaking last night, the Wall Street Journal attempted a terrible drive by. As the great Rush Limbaugh would say it as I'm wearing my Rush was right T shirt of our phenomenal president. I mean this. As soon as I read the story, I said, this is the dumbest, obviously fakest thing. I don't believe it. Apparently it was some sort of like a pseudo love letter. The bombshell story was some kind of birthday card album assembled for Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. There's no photo of the letter in question or the birthday card supposedly sent by other people. It only described by the Wall Street Journal, which also cites people familiar with them. So they clearly didn't see the whole thing. The card is some sort of a hand drawn illustration of a naked woman done in marker and then Donald Trump's signature over her midsection to apparently imitate pubic hair. It's just like so for Epstein's 50th birthday. The implication is that Trump might have made this illustration himself, which just sounds so bizarre. When has he ever done anything like this? Look, I have several handwritten notes from President Trump. He's not a doodler, he's not a draw. I mean, this is, this is nothing like him at all. I mean, these are. Yeah, so there's a typed up third person conversation between Trump and Epstein where the lines attributed to Trump don't sound like him at all. Like this, quote, enigmas never age. Okay, let me just say this. I know the president. You guys know the president. You have watched him for over a decade do MAGA rallies ever since he went down the Golden Escalator. Does, quote, enigmas never age, quote, may every day be a wonderful secret. Does that sound like President Donald Trump? Trump never said. Trump says this was all a hoax and says as far as he's concerned, it sounds like it. Nothing sounds remotely like Trump, like he would write up on his own. And so the Wall Street Journal releases this last night. Now, I quickly, and we quickly came to the President's defense because this thing was obviously a hit job, obviously a drive by shooting, trying to go after President Trump, trying to tie some of the Epstein news to President Trump to try to bring down his approval ratings and try to weaken him. Right after that, though, was a like literally. Within an hour, President Donald Trump announced a bombshell development, massive, where President Donald Trump announced that he is authorizing Pam Bondi to move to unseal the grand jury testimony in the Ghislaine Maxwell case. We discussed this a couple times throughout the week. This is a massive development. This is something that needs to be focused on. For any of you that care about the Epstein story, what's likely to be in the transcripts? Well, testimony of Epstein and Maxwell victims and witnesses, in particular, their actions, their associations, locations and timelines. Discussions of physical and documentary evidence is likely to be in there. Maxwell's phone wiretap records, logbooks, private island and photographic evidence. We don't know for sure if that's going to be in there. But any references to any of that stuff very well might be in the grand jury documents. However, certain experts note that these transcripts may be limited in scope. They will focus on on Epstein and Maxwell, not on the broader allegations among other high profile individuals. But still, this is a phenomenal development. And thank you, President Trump, and thank you to this Trump administration. So the team decided to play, you know, I get along with the help of my friends is a little bit kind of a as a lighthearted joke and a little bit of a wink and a nod. You see, I went viral this week because I said, look, a lot of people that I know in the administration, my friends in the White House staff and throughout the government, they were working on this. That your voices were heard over the weekend at the Student Action Summit, and people were mocking me. They say, oh, Charlie, do you trust the government? I said, look, okay, I'm not saying I trust the government. I say, my friends are working on this. Well, it turns out it's. Well, it looks like they were. And they deserve great credit for it. For all the White House staff, for everyone that was involved in this, and especially, of course, the president, this is a massive move and one that is met with celebration and. And one that is met with gratitude and one that honestly shows that President Trump is moving in a transparent way that Joe Biden never moved. Joe Biden very well could have moved to unseal the grand jury documents. Many of these things have been in the works, and I didn't know how long any of this was going to take, obviously. And look, this show is full of, at times, little Easter eggs and tidbits. And instead of assuming the worst, perhaps I want everyone to see things more clearly. And again, has President Trump not earned our trust at this time? That's what I was trying to say back on Monday. And maybe I said it a little imprecisely after a sleepless weekend and a high adrenaline event. What I was trying to get at is after the tariffs, after the Iran, after the Iran situation, after all the successes, President Donald Trump is worthy of our confidence. We should have a full confidence vote in President Donald Trump. And throughout the entire week, I know that there was a lot of question of, hey, what's going on here? What's going on here? And now here we are on Friday, number one, he gets attacked just relentlessly by the Wall Street Journal in such an uncalled for way. And we have his back 100% against the smearing and the slandering. And then, number two, President Donald Trump has authorized Pam Bondi in a historic way to show a commitment to transparency and. And what he has said this entire week, and he has always had an ace in the hole to play. Boom. Last night, President Donald Trump drops this massive news, and President Donald Trump has been alluding to that all week. I want the credible information out. You know, if it's credible, we should get out. And the grand jury documentation largely is credible and should be received as such. And also, let's Just be honest, everybody. We do not want what has happened this last week to slow down the momentum of this great administration. We're not going to let that happen on this program. That is why we're gonna cover this in just one segment. We have Mike Rowe later this week, later this hour, and then I'm gonna talk about amnesty, the next segment. This is very important and the President deserves thanks. So for any of you in the audience that were a little uneasy, that are a little anxious, I think it's morally incumbent on you to say, thank you, President Trump, thank you for stepping up and for doing this. Thank you, President Trump, for fulfilling what you said you were going to do. Cuz he does deserve credit and the entire White House administration deserves credit because they've been dealing with 900 different things. And I know that patience in the time of social media is a virtue that is lost. It's very difficult for a lot of us. I'm one of the most impatient people imaginable. My entire team will tell you where's it going, what's happening in real time. Mikey will attest to this. I'm the most, one of the most impatient people ever created on God's green earth. But President Donald Trump, we should take a step back. He's doing a phenomenal job. The border's secure, the economy is doing much better. He's ending wars all over the world. That he has earned. One of my favorite words in the English language. He has earned our confidence. He has earned it. And I think we should say at this particular time, this is a massive move. It is a major move that is deserving of gratitude and of thanks with all the other stuff that he's working on. But also, it was very fun to see. Nothing unites MAGA like fake news. And it was also so interesting because the DOJ news became second. It was very telling when to see who actually came to the President's defense. When this Wall Street Journal piece was dropped, it was very telling. A lot of people were coming to the President's defense after the Pam Bondi news. But it was very telling that a lot of people did not defend the president there. I mean, this is so ridiculous. Someone said what? This is like the picture of Donald Trump, that Donald Trump did this. It's such a joke that, you know, he's like some sort of doodler. And now he's some, you know, he's, he's Robert Frost or something. As a poet. It doesn't read like him. It doesn't sound like him. I Don't believe it. I will say, though, the Wall Street Journal story does not pass the smell test. Why didn't Democrats use this story years ago? It's a good question. Nothing unites MAGA quite like fake news. Last night was a big night. We say, thank you, President Trump. And now it's in the hands of the courts. It's in the hands of the Department of Justice, and we'll see what happens. Look, the headlines are getting darker by the day. Escalating global conflicts, shaky supply chains, and an unstable power grid. It feels like we're one crisis away from total chaos. That's why I finally took a step I've been meaning to take for years. I've got my three month emergency food kit for from my Patriot Supply. This is a company I personally trust. The three month kit is their best seller for a reason. Over 2,000 calories a day for three full months with meals that last up to 25 years. Right now, my Patriot Supply is offering an exclusive deal on this kit just for our listeners. But it will not last long. So don't wait until the next crisis hits and the shelves are bare. Shop my patriotsupply.com Kirk. That's my patriotsupply.comKirk. and grab your three month emergency food kit today. With lightning fast free shipping, it could be at your door in just two to three days. So head to mypatriotsupply.com Kirk for the peace of mind your family deserves, we are going to keep our eyes closely on the move to unseal the documents and all Epstein news as it develops. And we are not done with it by any means necessary. But Andrew had all the fun yesterday. I want to get in on the action. You know, I took a day to kind of enjoy the beauty in the undisclosed location. So I want to get on the fun here. There will be time next week. We're going to cover all the Epstein stuff. But I got to get in on amnesty. That's fun. I want to get in on that. Andrew had a whole show on amnesty and people are texting me and said, charlie, Andrew's crushing it. I said, oh, hold on. Andrew did great, but I want to get. He gets all the amnesty fund. The one day I take off, he gets a whole hour on amnesty. I said, I want to. I want to jump into that because let's be honest, everybody, no, amnesty is a core, core, core promise. Andrew did a whole. Okay, he did a half an hour on amnesty. And so I saw this clip and I know her. I know Maria Elvira Salazar. We actually campaigned for her once. She's in a very Cuban district, which is unusual. Why she's so pro amnesty, being from a Cuban Venezuelan district, because there's not a lot of illegals in the Cuban demographic. Many of them have come here legally or they came under legitimate asylum or refugee status. So it doesn't make a lot of sense. It'd make a lot more sense if she was a representative from a border town in Texas. But remember, we warned about this a couple weeks ago. I heard whispers of this yesterday. A US Senator who I really respect, text me Charlie. Real chats for amnesty on the Hill. In fact, let me read you the text from this US Senator. Here it is. He said. He said, we got to kill this amnesty push right now. I'm so grateful for your post on this. We really need to go hard on this. I said, is there really a big amnesty push question? He said, there is, yes, unless we kill this quickly. So what's happening on Congress? The President doesn't want amnesty, but Congress is going to try to frame this in a manipulative and deceitful way. Again, President Donald Trump, he has been resolute and stalwart in this. So let's play this. This is Maria Alvarez Salazar, Chief Amnesty Czar of the US Congress. The Dignity Act. What is the one that I want to play, though? Oh, yeah, play cut 402. This is Ms. Amnesty. Oh, no, no, no. It's not amnesty, but it's amnesty. If you ever say it's not amnesty, but it's 100% amnesty, this is low calorie amnesty. I'm sorry, it's still Amnesty. Play cut 402.
- [13:30]
Maria Elvira Salazar
They did break the law. They are illegals or undocumented, but they have been here for more than five years. They contributing to the economy. Those people, someone gave them a job. And they are needed because we need hands in order to continue being the number one economy in the world. So why don't we do something Solomonic and let's break the baby into two. No path to citizenship in my law. No amnesty, no path ever. Just bring them out of the shadows, make them pay a fine for seven years. That is billions of dollars to the Treasury. Make them give us 1% of their salary over seven years. No federal programs, no health insurance. And then they can go back home for Christmas. They can come back, continue working, buying homes, paying taxes and contributing to the economy.
- [14:18]
Charlie Kirk
Okay, first of all, she says, why don't we split something Solomonic and split the baby in two. I don't know if she was being metaphorical in First Kings 3, you guys can read it. That's not actually what happened anyway. That's a whole separate. Whole separate biblical issue. First of all, Maria Elvira Salazar, let me tell you exactly how this is going to work. If you pass this ridiculous dignity act, this is what will happen. Every illegal will claim that they have been here for more than five years, thus ending all deportation in real time. You see, Maria, she's lying to you. Maria is deceiving you. Congresswoman Elvira Salazar is a snake on this topic. I just got to be honest. She's like, you know, we're going to have some dignity. No, no, no. This is not the dignity act. This is the Stop deportation act of 2025. So imagine if you've been here for three years to say you've been here for five years. That's an easy fib. That is an easy lie. All of a sudden, a deportation officer knocks on your door and they have removal orders. And our record keeping is a joke. It is a fraud. And all of a sudden, someone says, no, no, no, no. Cinco, cinco. Cinco anos. Cinco anos. Cinco anos. That's all they have to say. Cinco anos. Cinco anos. And all of a sudden, boom. The deportation officer has to go put them through a whole other rigmarole. Our record keeping is a joke because we have intentionally sabotaged it. We intentionally let people lie. I'm not even getting to the merits of how bad her idea is. I'm getting down to the technical enforcement problem of what Maria Alvarez Salazar, the amnesty czar of Congress, is saying. What she is saying here, basically, is that all of a sudden, we go get hands on someone that has been here for two years under the threshold what she considers to be there. And all they have to do, they have to say the magic words. Remember, the hocus pocus words to get into America under Biden was asylum. Asylum, asylum, asylum. Those were the hocus pocus words to be able to get to your Travel agent from Expedia.com, which Border was. Now, the average words is all they have to say is two things in Spanish. Cinco anos. Cinco anos. Cinco anos. If they say that it's the secret password to stop all deportation. Oh, but it's no pathway to citizenship. Oh, but it's worse than amnesty. It grinds mass portions that you voted for to a halt. Okay, so look, I know Maria Virus Salazar. I'm sure she votes for us. On certain stuff. But she is obsessed with this amnesty topic. And for once, can we get actually what we voted for? Maria Salazar, she's only in the House majority because we voted for mass deportations. She says, well, no pathway to citizenship. So it's not amnesty. Yes, again, it's worse than amnesty. It grinds all the mass deportations that you voted for and remain massively popular to a halt. But of course, that is the whole point and that is the kicker. Everybody, don't look at the thing they're presenting to you. Look at the actual thing that is being presented. It is a head fake. It is a smokescreen operation. And she's trying to prey on the best intentions of maga because a lot of MAGA says, yeah, I guess if you've been here for seven years, it's not about the seven years or, or eight years. Even though that's wrong and they should all go, it's about what it will do. Practically, it's about what it will do. So let me get this straight, Maria Elvira Salazar. We passed this standing amazing allocation of $100 billion for ICE and we have all these ICE agents who effectively will now be able to deport like a couple thousand people a year. Because all that they have to do and get how stupid this is, all someone has to do now is wait for their five year mark. They just have to avoid law enforcement till five years. So they just have to bounce around the country to sanctuary city to sanctuary city until they hit five years and then they're fine. This is madness. This is a congressionally created corporate driven loophole. Say, I'm going to split the baby. Sit down, Maria Elvira. We didn't vote for this. I don't know who you are, what you think you're doing. I campaigned for you once. This is a joke. This is a fraud. And if you want to go run with the Democrats to go push amnesty, it's 100% amnesty. Because what it would do, it will not give them citizenship. It will end all of what we voted for. We did not have the rallies and millions of people vote in first time numbers so we could have the ICE agents who are getting doxed and having their lives put in danger not be able to do their job. I want to just play one more piece of tape here from Maria Her Valleza. Let's go. Oh, it's not in English. Fitting. Play cut. 428.
- [19:03]
Maria Elvira Salazar
Senor Presidente, yo se que usted puedes para immigracion lo que lincom fue parales clavituti Regan par el comunismo.
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Charlie Kirk
Okay, so if you didn't understand that, it's fine. I'm reading the subtitles. I don't speak Spanish. Brian speaks Spanish. So you understand that she said be for dignity. The same way that Lincoln was against slavery and Reagan was against communism. I mean that's just gross. I'm sorry that it's disgusting. That is repulsive to kind of like morally blackmail maga as if this is like the new fight for the abolitionist slavery. How about this, Maria, Go home. Not you, but to the people that you're trying to protect. Go home. Stop trying to guilt trip us. Stop the moral blackmail. We have no record keeping of any of this stuff. You broke into America, you get to via con dios. Go with God. You've been in America. Hasta la vista. Enjoy your voyage back to la casa. Gentlemen, let's get real for a second. Are you frustrated with today's woke dating apps? The apps, the games, the endless swiping. It's a waste of time. Finding a woman who shares your values, faith, family and patriotism feels nearly impossible. But it doesn't have to be. Selective Search, America's leading matchmaking firm, is changing the game. They connect strong, successful men like you. Men who love God, love America, and want a family with incredible women who share your values. These are intelligent, faith driven women who put family first and still believe in traditional values. Imagine that if you're a single conservative man in the late 30s to early 50s in Southern California. Listen up. Selective Search has an exclusive network of women ready for the real thing. Here's the best part. Their candidate program is 100% free and confidential. Some of my closest friends have used Selective search and let me tell you, they're meeting incredible women. This is your chance. This is not an app. It's your answer. The perfect conservative woman is out there waiting for you. Visit selectivesearch.com california today. Let the professionals introduce you to women already looking for someone like you in Southern California. Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take action now. Go to selectivesearch.com California and start building the future you deserve. Joining us now is the legendary Mike Rowe. Mike, thank you so much for taking the time. I want to start with cut 444 and we'll take it from there. Playcut 444.
- [21:24]
Mike Rowe
We've been telling kids for 15 years to code, learn to code. We said, yeah, well, AI is coming for the coders. They're not coming for the welders. They're not coming for the plumbers. They're not coming for the steam fitters or the pipe fitters or the H Vac fact. They're not coming for the electricians. You know that ideas festival I was telling you about in Aspen? I, I sat there and, and listened to Larry Fink say we need 500,000 electricians in the next couple of years. Not hyperbole, it's, this is me being the alarmist again.
- [22:01]
Charlie Kirk
Mike, that clip went so viral. Thank you for saying that. Tell us more about where you said it and the significance of, of your push to rebuild blue collar America. Mike.
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Mike Rowe
Ro, thanks Charlie. Yeah, one of the craziest events I've ever attended simply because of its import and I think the lack of coverage that it's gotten. This was the Energy and AI Summit convened in Pittsburgh a couple days ago by both sitting senators of that state. The, this was primarily David McCormick's event. He's the Republican, but John Fetterman was there, the Democrat, along with hundreds of people and 30 or 40 of the CEOs of the biggest companies in the country. And the President was there. I was on the stage with the President and 30 CEOs as they pledged 92 billion billion to create a bunch of jobs in the energy sector, specifically in Pennsylvania for the purposes of building data centers, which are basically AI factories as we know. And this was a big deal. And I mean everybody was there. And I think I got invited to sort of remind the crowd that creating jobs is different than creating enthusiasm for jobs. And you know, I'm kind of a Debbie Downer in a situation like that because I think a lot of people still cling to this idea that the way to get people back to work is to create jobs or create more opportunity. But that kind of collapses under its own weight when you look at 7.6 million open jobs at the moment, including 500,000 open jobs in manufacturing. So in general, Charlie, my, my message was, look, I was rooting for Obama in 2009 when he promised 3 million shovel ready jobs in his Highway Infrastructure Act. But I said at the time, very publicly, you're going to have a tough time selling 3 million shovel ready jobs to a country that is not all that enthused about picking up a shovel. And I, I worry too today with this president, if he succeeds and I'm rooting for him too, I want to see reshoring, I want to see this re industrialization in this country, this manufacturing renaissance. But he's going to create a couple million jobs if he pulls this off. And we're living in a world and in a moment where we got 500,000 jobs in manufacturing right now that we can't fill. So that's kind of why I was there. And the only suit and tie that I actually own, testifying.
- [24:56]
Charlie Kirk
I was shocked to see you dressed like a banker, Mike Rowe. I wasn't even sure what to think of it. I said, what is he doing? Some sort of like merger acquisition deal. It was incredible. But Mike, look at that. Mike Rowe as a banker. I said, this is new.
- [25:14]
Mike Rowe
The president, the president looked at me and said, mike Rowe, I didn't recognize you in that get up. I said, well, Mr. President, you know, all my other suits are rubber. If it makes you feel any better, I love it.
- [25:24]
Charlie Kirk
So I want to dive into this for a second. And Mike, you deserve such credit and I cite you all the time. As you know, I am a outspoken critic of the current college model. I didn't go to college. I represent a lot of blue collar workers who are fans of our show because I try to give a voice to that portion of the country and. But part of the problem, and we call them the muscular class on the show, as you know, Mike, part of the problem are parents around the country would rather have their kid go into debt to study sociology at, you know, Wellesley than to go work construction. Can you speak to that? Part of that needs to be a cultural change for specifically suburban America. If their son says, mom, I want to be an electrician, they should applaud that. They should celebrate it, they should encourage it because they actually might have better character, a better financial balance sheet, less debt and greater job opportunities than studying communications at University of Illinois. Mike Rowe.
- [26:24]
Mike Rowe
Well, to be charitable about it, I'm sympathetic to parents who are desperately trying not to screw their kids up. There's no playbook for this, of course, and parents want to offer good advice. They, they, they don't want to mess it up. They're desperate for a, for an instruction manual. But we fall into the, this cookie cutter world where, you know, politicians in particular, but lots of other people do speak very broadly and paint with a real broad brush. And so a lot of parents who really don't know any better have been told from the get go that the best path for the most people is the most expensive path and that their kids are screwed if they don't take that path. Therefore, surprise, surprise, universities have been able to charge whatever they want, essentially because the feds have opened up a bottomless pile of free money and we have collectively encouraged A whole generation to borrow whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams. So it's, it's not one person doing a really foolish thing. It's a lot of people standing by watching a lot of dumb things happen, including, and perhaps especially the removal of shop class from high school. That really put us, that put us on a road, Charlie, a bad road. And, you know, it didn't just impact the widening skills gap. It, it removed from view any optical proof that a regular kid could have that these muscular jobs exist. Walking from English to math class and sticking your head in the metal shop and seeing that image right there, at least you could get a look at something that resembled work. But we took it all out. We just arbitraged it right out of the whole process. And so parents were left with this idea that there was really only one path for their kid. And if their kid couldn't take that path, everything else, including that guy welding two pipes together, was some sort of vocational consolation prize. Well, the chickens have come home to roost. AI, as I said in that clip, is coming for the coders. It's not coming for that guy. That guy's job is secure and he's making mid six figures. And that's the message to shout.
- [28:50]
Charlie Kirk
So, so, yes, I love that. So I want to, I want to zero in on that because that's so important. So, so number one, I could speak from personal experience. I've never really big into been into crafts or shop, just not my, my focus or emphasis. But I went to school at Wheeling High School in the suburbs of Chicago, and we had a huge automotives and shop class. However, it was always treated as if those were kind of like the, the secondary kids. Like, those are the kids that were not, they're not in the AP classes and they're not the ones that are going to be getting the good jobs. And it was kind of looked down upon. Again, it wasn't said, you know, as audibly, but it was a vibe. It was definitely the perspective that we were given that, come on, you're going to, you're going to shop class. What are you kind of like beneath the surface? So that we need to change that, But I want to just in the three and a half minutes we have in this segment, because it's the most important thing, we could talk about the vibes and the cultural stuff forever. Can you go through the numbers, Mike Rowe? How many of these muscular jobs are going to be necessary? How many AI jobs are going to be lost, and how many job openings are there right now, in America that pay a decent wage, that require a little bit of skill, a little bit of training and a lot of hard work. What is the current economic number showing us?
- [30:06]
Mike Rowe
I can tell you what I know. I don't have a crystal ball, obviously, so I'm not sure exactly how this is going to play out. But in real time, right now we have 7.6 million open jobs, the vast majority of which do not require a four year degree. They require training. Within that cohort, we've got another 482,000 jobs that are open in manufacturing right now. I can't tell you definitively what they pay and what kind of path you're going to get on if you jump into that end of the pool. Because state by state, it varies. This is the thing, Charlie, it's a trap. You know, we, we want to be able to say this is what a welder makes. Well, you know, I've trained 2,500 welders. Many of them are making well into the six figures. I just talked to a guy the other day who came back from the Gulf of oman underwater welding. 300 grand a year, tax free. Okay. Now there are also welders in this country making 55, $60,000 in Louisiana and Ohio. So it's difficult, right? But here's what gets lost and here's what I'll leave you with because I know you got to go to a break. People talk about welders and electricians and steam fitters and pipe fitters as workers, period. The vast majority of small businesses we have in this country were formed by men and women, but mostly men who mastered a skill that was in demand and then went on to buy a couple of vans and hire their buddy, maybe a plumber, maybe a couple H Vac guys, maybe some electricians. And now they have a mechanical contracting company and they're doing a few million bucks a year. Those stories need to be told as well, because even though that event I was just at, that was all about the macro economy, that was macro works. I'm microworks, right? And I, I don't want to lose sight of the individual. I don't want to lose sight of the, the fact that mastering a skill that's in demand is, can still take the right person with a modicum of entrepreneurial spirit and a little bit of ambition. It'll put that person on a road and that road leads to some, some place that looks an awful lot like prosperity.
- [32:29]
Charlie Kirk
Microworks.org that is mikerow works.org and thank you, Mike, for Celebrating and dare I say, giving the dignity that so many of these people deserve. They are looked to down upon so often and they're the ones that make the entire economy work. And as you say, Larry Fink says we need 500,000 new electricians. He's not saying that we need 500,000 new sociologists.
- [32:53]
Mike Rowe
No, he's not.
- [32:54]
Charlie Kirk
That's, that's not the contention.
- [32:55]
Mike Rowe
Right, right.
- [32:56]
Charlie Kirk
So, so hold that thought. I could see you want to chime in there because. Let's talk about that. Because there is like this, there's this beacon being sent out by corporate America. Hey, we need 500,000 electricians. We need 250,000 pipe fitters. We need, you know, carpenters, we need welders. No one is begging you for more sociologists. That demand does not exist. The credential might exist in your, in the community you come from, but the economy is not asking for more of it. Private student loan debt in America totals about $300 billion. Why refi refinances private student loan debt and they do not care what your credit score is. Many clients aren't even able to make the minimum monthly payment on their private student loans when they first contact yrefi. Go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com you don't have to ignore that mountain of student loan statements on your kitchen table anymore. So go to yrefi.com do you have a co borrower? Well, why Refi can get them released from the loan and you can give mom or dad a break. Go to yrefi.com can you imagine being debt free and not living under this burden anymore? So go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com and let's face it, if you have distress or defaulted private student loans, there's no better place to go than what they provide you with. A custom loan payment based on your ability to pay. They're not a debt settlement company so check it out right now@yrefi.com may not be available in all 50 states. Go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com I want to point your attention to microworks.org that is mikerow works.org you guys can find out a ton of information on how you can also get a career in a high quality job. Look, what I love is that he's very real. He's real that this is tough gritty work. And his show Dirty Jobs was just one of my favorite job shows growing up. Mike, sorry I cut you off. You wanted to chime in about we don't need more sociology degrees.
- [34:45]
Mike Rowe
Well, I want to agree with you, but make one other point vis a vis macro and micro. On a macro works level, you're 100% right. The country is not reeling or freaking out over a lack of sociologists or philosophers, but the individual message is and always will be a bit more nuanced. And you just reminded me of that, that line from Marco Rubio when he was running for Office back in 2015, I guess it was. And he said our country needs more welders and fewer philosophers. And of course he's right, but he's not correct. What we need, I believe on an individual level are more welders who can talk intelligently about Nietzsche and Descartes. Right? I mean, you didn't go to college, but you're, but you're educated, Charlie, and you're curious and you've got a better liberal arts background than really most liberal arts students that I've, that I've ever met. But it's equally true as well that we'd be better off as a people with more philosophers who could run an even bead and have an, have a conversation. Right. About the muscular trades. So I don't want to be the guy who paints with too broad a brush. But I certainly agree with you when you talk. When, when you hear from a billionaire like Larry Fink freaking out over 500,000 empty slots and electricians, you start to get it. And if you're me, not a week goes by where I don't hear from the American industrial base or the maritime base. They need 140,000 welders for our submarines and the automotive industry. Who needs 80,000 people in collision repair and energy? Who's 6, 700,000. So yeah, a memo has gone out. The C suite are paying attention and that's good news.
- [36:39]
Charlie Kirk
So in closing here, Mike, I know that you're doing a great job of this. How do the biggest impediment is the cultural one. How then do we overcome this kind of cultural gap where so many are still not? I know I asked the question previously, but let me rephrase it and reiterate it because it's very important. I'm going to ask you plainly, how then do we make parents comfortable with their kids entering into these traits? How do we make it socially and culturally acceptable?
- [37:08]
Mike Rowe
A, it will take time. B, it's a multi front war. There are a couple of things that I've seen work. Actually, I take that back. There's only one Thing I've seen that actually moves the needle. Both with parents, guidance counselors, which are also important, and of course, the kids themselves, which is the most important cohort. And that is honest, authentic conversations with people who look like them and talk like them and who have mastered a skill that's in demand and who are prospering as a result. At Microworks, I spend most of my time now trying to find people that we assisted five, six years ago and then zoom with them, just like we're doing right now, or meet with them in person and get their stories. What I said to the crowd in Pittsburgh was, look, guys, you just committed $92 billion with a B. I was in the room. I see what you're doing. For the love of God, carve off a fraction of a percentage of that and allocate it to tell the stories of the people in the industries you hope to reinvigorate. I will help you if I can. You know, we're modest by foundation levels, but I'll give away $5 million next month in work ethic scholarships. Give me some money so I can tell those stories from sea to shining sea, and the needle will move. So that's the short answer. The evidence demands a verdict. That's a terrific book. You would love. Josh McDowell wrote it years ago, but it applies now. The evidence is on our side. The proof is in the pudding. We simply have to tell it. And then parents will get it. But it will take time. I wish I could flip a switch. I can't.
- [39:03]
Charlie Kirk
Microworks.org Mike, come back anytime. You are doing phenomenal work.
- [39:08]
Mike Rowe
And Charlie, you too.
- [39:08]
Charlie Kirk
I think I'll get over seeing you in a suit. I think I'll get over it. But we'll see what happens.
- [39:13]
Mike Rowe
I don't know, man. It's seared into my retina. I don't even know how to. You wouldn't believe. I've got 200 emails from people who think I've. I don't know, gone over to the dark side or something. It's funny.
- [39:23]
Charlie Kirk
Don't worry. He's not working for. For private equity, everybody. Don't worry. Mike, thank you so much.
- [39:28]
Mike Rowe
You're welcome.
- [39:29]
Charlie Kirk
Email us. Freedom Charlie. He's the greatest. Freedom Charlie. Kirk.com. he has been so consistent for. For my entire life on this theme. And I really think that he is made for this moment. I really do. I think his voice is more important than ever. There are millions of young people, primarily young men, that are looking for purpose, and they don't know what to do. Other than just go get good grades. Go get good grades and then they end up becoming, you know, a lawyer consultant, and then maybe AI takes their job away. We're gonna figure this out. Micro is a big piece of it. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us. As always, freedomart. Charliekirk. Com. Thanks so much for listening and God bless. For more on many of these stories and news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.