The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: The Democrats' Terrible, Horrible, Unfathomably Awful New Fight Song
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Charlie Kirk
Notable Guests: Steve Hilton (California gubernatorial candidate), Mary Holland (Children’s Health Defense)

Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk delivers his signature conservative commentary on current events, with particular focus on the perceived failures of Democratic leadership in California, government overreach on redistricting, and the new Democratic Party "fight song," which he skewers as out-of-touch. Interviews with Steve Hilton and Mary Holland cover California's urban issues, election integrity, chronic illness in children, vaccines, and religious exemptions. The show wraps with a tongue-in-cheek mockery of the Democrats' new anthem.

Key Discussion Points

1. Gavin Newsom’s Leadership & California’s Social Decline

Guest: Steve Hilton
Segment Starts: 00:55

• California's Deterioration

  • Cites recent studies ranking several California cities among the dirtiest in the nation due to pollution, waste, poor infrastructure, and resident dissatisfaction.
  • Hilton: “We have the highest unemployment rate in America, we have the highest poverty rate … the most expensive housing, rent, you name it. We have the worst business climate in America 10 years in a row.” (02:34)
  • Criticizes Newsom’s priorities on national political ambitions over pressing state concerns, referencing persistent issues like homelessness, uncollected fire debris, and crime.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Hilton: “Gavin Newsom is a total failure and a total joke, Charlie… California is turning into a failed state. We can't let that happen.” (02:34)

• Homelessness & Cosmetic “Reforms”

  • Highlights unfulfilled pledges, like Newsom's "Marshall Plan" for Los Angeles post-fire, where debris still blocks sidewalks half a year later.
  • Hilton: “He said, Gavin Newsom said, we're going to have a, ‘quote, Marshall Plan’… Six months on, he can't even clear the sidewalk.” (06:39)

2. Redistricting in California: Alleged Democratic Power Grab

Segment Starts: 07:54

• Legislative Maneuvering
  • Hilton explains recent changes that, according to him, overpower California’s independent districting process and further marginalize Republican representation.
  • Claims Democrats have already “gerrymandered California in an obscene and grotesque way,” with 40% Republican votes yielding only 17% of Congressional seats.
  • New legislation could reduce Republican districts from 9 to 4 out of 52 total—approximately 6% representation for 40% of the vote share.
  • Hilton: “It is an outrageous power grab, totally corrupt, and we've got to fight it.” (08:33)
• Action Plan
  • Announces upcoming federal lawsuit to challenge the law on constitutional grounds.

3. Crime & Public Safety: A “Midtown Manhattan Moment”

Segment Starts: 11:06

• Urban Crime as a Political Flashpoint
  • Kirk asserts that crime is not a mysterious or intractable problem—argues for more policing and harsher penalties.
  • Cites an 84% drop in carjackings in D.C. following a police surge facilitated by Trump administration resources.
  • Kirk: “If Republicans want to win the future, we need to be harsh on crime. Harsh on crime. Not just hard. Harsh on crime.” (12:25)
• Ruling Class and ‘Luxury Beliefs’
  • Cites Rob Henderson’s theory—the elite support policies on crime from which they’re insulated, leaving working-class communities vulnerable.

4. Vaccine Policy, Autism, and Parental Rights

Guest: Mary Holland, President & General Counsel, Children’s Health Defense
Segment Starts: 18:28

• Organization Mission

  • Founded by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to address “toxic exposures” impacting child health, focusing on vaccines, electromagnetic radiation (EMR), and legal advocacy.

• Electromagnetic Radiation Concerns

  • Holland argues that laws passed prior to widespread wireless technology now leave communities powerless to object to placements of cell towers and antennas, which she says are linked to strokes, cancer, and more for some residents.
  • Initiative: "704, No More," challenging federal preemption of local government regarding radiation risks. (19:40)

• Autism, Vaccines & Rising Chronic Illness

  • Cites dramatic increase in autism prevalence (“1 in 31 kids, 1 in 12 and a half boys in California”) and argues the causes are environmental, not genetic.
  • Holland: “Definitely. Vaccines are not the only route to autism, but it’s the main driver to autism. But lots of things can cause it.” (23:55)
  • Refutes the idea that rising diagnoses are solely due to definitional changes or improved reporting.

• Vaccine Exemptions and Parental Choice

  • Advocates “a much smaller, safer vaccine schedule” and insists on preserving parental choice, opposing mandates.
  • “The government cannot mandate an injection that could kill a child, which is the reality that we live with right now.” (28:30)

5. Religious Exemptions: The GRACE Act

Segment Starts: 30:39

• Legislation to Protect Religious Vaccine Exemptions
  • Explained by Holland as a bill to guarantee religious freedom regarding childhood vaccinations, with federal education funding withheld from states lacking such exemptions.
  • “Free exercise of religion is right up there at the very top of what are our rights under the federal constitution… I think it’s long overdue.” (30:41)

6. Democrats' New "Fight Song"—A Viral Target

Segment Starts: 33:35

• The DNC's New Anthem
  • Kirk lampoons the just-released Democratic Party fight song, describing it as “something that would come up at a Democrat bingo hall.”
  • Reads the lyrics aloud and crowdsources the cringe, suggesting “it honestly sounds like an AI wrote it.”
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Do you know how you know it’s AI because of that little line. AI uses that line a lot more than humans do.” (35:24)
• Broader Cultural Critique
  • Kirk uses the segment to riff on Democrats’ loss of "cool" and their shift toward uninspired branding.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Steve Hilton:

  • “California is turning into a failed state. We can't let that happen. This is a serious job, taking on this corrupt elite.” (03:10)
  • “He said, Gavin Newsom said, we're going to have a, ‘quote, Marshall Plan’ to rebuild Los Angeles. Six months on, he can't even clear the sidewalk.” (06:39)

• Mary Holland:

  • “Vaccines are not the only route to autism, but it’s the main driver.” (23:55)
  • “The government cannot mandate an injection that could kill a child, which is the reality that we live with right now.” (28:30)
  • “I think it’s long overdue… there should be no medical mandates whatsoever.” (31:00)

• Charlie Kirk:

  • “If Republicans want to win the future, we need to be harsh on crime. Not just hard. Harsh on crime.” (12:25)
  • “Nothing is less cool than a Democrat activist right now.” (35:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• California’s Decline & Steve Hilton Interview: 00:55 – 10:59
• Redistricting Power Grab: 07:54 – 10:59
• Crime and Urban Policy: 11:06 – 18:28
• Mary Holland Interview (Children’s Health Defense): 18:28 – 33:35
• Democrats’ New Fight Song (Audio & Commentary): 33:35 – 37:45

Additional Resources

• Steve Hilton for Governor campaign: HollywoodForHilton.com
• Children’s Health Defense: childrenshealthdefense.org
• Charlie Kirk Show episode archive: members.charliekirk.com

This summary captures the hosts’ and guests’ perspectives, their exact phrasing, and provides a clear roadmap of the episode’s main themes and discussions for those who want to quickly grasp all the major content without listening in full.