The Charlie Kirk Show — "The Catholic Cardinals and the Trump Administration"
Date: April 14, 2026
Host: Charlie Kirk (with Blake), various guests: Peachy Keenan, Kevin Bosovic, Jacob Siegel, Jeremy Karl
Episode Overview
This episode dives into current tensions within the Catholic Church, particularly the vocal criticism from prominent American cardinals regarding U.S. immigration enforcement—and the subsequent clash with the Trump administration. Charlie and co-host Blake discuss selective outrage within Church leadership, the Pope’s actions abroad, and parallels in political leadership and media manipulation. Topical shifts include breaking political news from California, unrest in Ireland linked to immigration and energy prices, Hungary’s electoral upheaval, and the broader "information state" overriding traditional democracy.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Catholic Cardinals' Criticism of Immigration Enforcement
- Context: Recent 60 Minutes interviews with U.S. cardinals criticizing ICE and U.S. immigration policies under the Trump administration.
- Blake: Expresses frustration at "bad moral leadership" and selective outrage among Catholic leaders:
- “There are unfortunately Christian leaders who have come along and...adopted this view that it's actually immoral for nations to have borders.” [03:45]
- Charlie: Points out the inconsistency of leaders vocally condemning U.S. enforcement but remaining quiet on Christian persecution in other nations visited by the Pope.
- “It’s the selective outrage that I find just the most troubling.” [06:23]
Notable Clip:
Cardinal Tobin's criticism:
“When they can actually violate other guarantees of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, well, I think somebody's got to call that out.” [05:30]
- Blake: Rebuts cardinal statements by emphasizing U.S. laws are not being enforced indiscriminately and criticizes Church leaders not addressing illegal behavior among congregations.
- “It is not indiscriminate. What it is, is enforcement of our country’s laws... it’s actively immoral enforcing laws only for some people and ignoring them for others.” [08:30]
2. Selective Focus in Church Leadership
- Discussion: Pope’s high-profile trip to Algeria (a majority-Muslim nation) versus no visit to Nigeria where thousands of Christians have been killed.
- Blake: Notes the power of what leaders choose to emphasize:
- “You create a narrative by what you choose to emphasize... ” [06:40]
- Christian persecution in Algeria: criminalization of evangelism, discrimination against minority Christians.
- Charlie & Blake: Argue that vocal activism on U.S. immigration but silence on foreign persecution reflects institutional biases.
3. Ireland Protests: Immigration, Energy, and Political Crisis
- Field Report from Kevin Bosovic, Dublin: Farmer-led protests triggered by escalating fuel prices, increased taxes (to accommodate immigrants), and economic inflation post-Iran war. Rising resentment towards government support for refugees and asylum seekers.
- “The farmers are protesting... taxes on top of taxes... protesting because that is unfair. And they’re already being attacked for all asylum seekers.” [10:05]
- Charlie: Draws parallels to populist movements elsewhere (Dutch, Canadian trucker protests).
4. Media and Political Double Standards
- Blake: Criticizes how right-wing protests are labeled as dangerous and lawless, while left-wing protests are ‘democratic’ by mainstream media.
- “The same tactics could be deployed from the right or the left, but the media will paint one as virtuous, the other as sinister.” [14:25]
- Selective outrage: Church and media focus heavily on some causes (immigration enforcement, law enforcement) while ignoring others (persecution of pro-life Catholics, Christians abroad).
5. California Politics: Eric Swalwell & Democratic Infighting
- Guest: Peachy Keenan
- Discusses the scandal and downfall of Eric Swalwell, hypocrisy within the Democratic party, and strategic timing of scandals.
- Notable quote: “It was so strategic... all had the same talking points. And now, unfortunately, as happy as I am to see Swalwell go down and hopefully he'll go to jail... now we're looking at Tom Steyer, which is like, worse than Newsom.” [19:37]
- California’s future: Discussion about the relentless leftward shift, demographic changes, Prop 13, and the near impossibility of reversing direction due to institutional and demographic realities.
- “The great replacement isn't a theory. It's over.” [28:34]
6. Back to Catholic Controversy: The Pope and the Cardinals
- Peachy Keenan’s Summary:
- Pope Leo criticized as “stock boomer lib.”
- Cardinals Tobin and McClary labeled as far-left, more aligned with Obama’s ideology than traditional Catholic positions, protégés of disgraced ex-Cardinal McCarrick.
- “The rise in organic converts this year was in spite of these guys, not because of them...People want tradition, and the church is still the only place you can really get that Latin and all the rest.” [34:33]
7. Information State & Censorship
- Guest: Jacob Siegel, Tablet magazine
- Explains “the information state:” a new regime of power ruled by digital control rather than law or constitution.
- History: Surveillance powers developed after 9/11 now redirected at domestic political dissent and narratives (e.g., COVID skepticism, Ukraine, climate).
- Notable explanation: “They started arguing about extremism online, terrorist activities online... and now we're seeing it turn around where the hunt for terrorists abroad has turned into this hunt for terrorists in the U.S.” [39:00]
- Describes how government outsources censorship through NGOs, creating a web of plausible deniability.
Key Example:
“…New York Post had its Twitter account blocked because they were publishing a true story [Hunter Biden laptop].” [45:01]
- Solutions suggested: Data ownership reform, regulatory/legislative rollback, and clearer online political boundaries.
8. Hungary Election: Orban’s Downfall and Western Reactions
- Guest: Jeremy Karl
- Recaps Viktor Orban’s 16-year run, his populist right leadership, and recent electoral defeat.
- Pressure from EU, media, and concerted outside efforts seen as decisive.
- “You can hold every election, win four in a row, and then finally lose one, and they'll just say, you're not a democracy…” [56:05]
- Blake: Warns about replacement of robust populist leadership with ‘safer’ alternatives who may capitulate to globalist pressure, despite campaign promises.
- “You have to be ready for these guys who are going to promise you I’m not going to change any of the big stuff...but you’re going to lose your country eventually.” [59:20]
- Contrast in U.S. Response: Republican leadership echoing leftist talking points on Hungary, revealing divisions in the American right.
9. DEI, Demographics, and Social Policy
- Blake & Jeremy Karl:
- White House report finds DEI policies reduce productivity by 2.5%; hosts call for honest language—labeling these programs as racial/gender discrimination rather than their euphemistic acronyms.
- “When you hire people who are less qualified based on the color of their skin… you're going to wind up with a less efficient, less powerful business. That is almost a tautology.” [66:55]
- Update on the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle DEI bureaucracy and the need for patience given the scale of required change.
Notable Quotes and Timestamps
-
“It is not indiscriminate. What it is, is enforcement of our country’s laws... it's actively immoral enforcing laws only for some people and ignoring them for others.”
— Blake [08:30] -
“You create a narrative by what you choose to emphasize the most, what you choose to talk about.”
— Blake [06:40] -
“Selective outrage…that is bad moral leadership from men. You’re in a senior position. You should know better.”
— Blake [08:30] -
“The great replacement isn't a theory. It's over.”
— Peachy Keenan [28:34] -
“They started arguing about extremism online... hunt for terrorists abroad has turned into this hunt for terrorists in the U.S.”
— Jacob Siegel [39:00] -
“You can hold every election, win four in a row, and then finally lose one, and they'll just say you're not democracy...doesn't mean holding elections; it means listening to Brussels or Davos.”
— Blake [56:05]
Important Timestamps
- [03:00] — Blake introduces the cardinal controversy and electoral update.
- [04:58] — Cardinal Tobin’s 60 Minutes clip on ICE.
- [06:40] — Blake’s commentary on narrative-setting.
- [09:56] — Kevin Bosovic live from Ireland on farmer protests.
- [19:37] — Peachy Keenan discusses Eric Swalwell and CA political landscape.
- [28:34] — Peachy Keenan on California’s demographic transformation.
- [34:33] — Peachy Keenan’s rapid verdict on Catholic controversy.
- [39:00-43:15] — Jacob Siegel explains the information state and censorship evolution.
- [45:01] — Hunter Biden laptop and suppression example.
- [53:49] — Jeremy Karl: How Viktor Orban lost Hungary.
- [66:55] — DEI programs “make us all poorer”—debate on social policy and discrimination.
Tone and Language
The episode uses a pointed, sometimes sarcastic, unapologetically confrontational conservative tone. Charlie and his co-host are unambiguous in their criticisms—especially of liberal leadership (political and religious), the media, and establishment Republicans.
Conclusion
This episode offers an incisive conservative critique of Catholic leadership's stance on immigration and their selective activism, connects developments in the Church to wider political power dynamics, and draws connections to similar patterns in media manipulation, government control, and global populist movements. Guest segments on California and Hungary provide context for these larger themes, all grounded in ongoing electoral, cultural, and religious battles.
For those interested in the intersection of faith, politics, and media power, this episode provides a thorough, if one-sided, guide to current conservative perspectives on these topics.