The Charlie Kirk Show – "The Furry of it All?"

Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Charlie Kirk (joined by Andrew Colvitt, Blake Neff, Benny, and guest Kevin Hassett)

Episode Overview

In this culturally charged episode, the team delves into explosive revelations about the alleged attempted assassin of President Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks, focusing on his newly unearthed online presence, ideological shifts, and possible ties to "furry" and transgender subcultures. The discussion raises questions about ideological instability, social contagion, and links to extremist acts. Later, economic issues including inflation, homeownership, and marriage rates take center stage with guest economist Kevin Hassett, analyzing how Democratic and Republican policies have impacted America's financial and social well-being. The tone is urgent, combative, and characteristically skeptical of mainstream narratives, while calling for grassroots activism and conservative values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revelations on Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Online Presence

[01:09–10:06]

• Breaking News:

  • The New York Post and Tucker Carlson’s team have found online profiles linked to Crooks, contradicting original FBI statements claiming an “absence of digital footprint.”
  • Evidence on 19 internet profiles, mainly YouTube comments, show Crooks’ ideological flip from pro-Trump/anti-immigrant to anti-Trump, anti-government during the COVID era.
  • New detail: Crooks maintained a DeviantArt account with interests in "furry" subculture and gender identity, reportedly using "they/them" pronouns and engaging with-what are described as “disturbing” subgenres of artwork.

• Ideological Instability:

  • The team notes Crooks’ rapid, erratic shifts in beliefs:
    • July 2019 – Pro-Trump: “Trump is the literal definition of patriotism.”
    • Early 2020 – Anti-Trump: Called Trump “racist” and criticized his COVID response.
    • August 2020 – Advocated terrorism: “The only way to fight gov is with terrorism style attacks. Sneak a bomb into an essential building...Track down any important people...and try to assassinate them.” – Blake Neff [06:40]

• Concerns Over Omitted FBI Details:

  • The hosts are critical of FBI testimony that omitted Crooks’ back-and-forth ideological posts, allegedly leaving out the period where he became critical of Trump and government.

• Quote:

  • “He did an ideological backflip and went from rabidly pro-Trump to rapidly anti-Trump. And then he went dark, seemingly never to post again. Now that's a huge, huge question.” – Andrew Colvitt [05:24]

2. Linking Furries, Transgender Identity, and Violent Extremism

[10:06–16:07]

• Pattern Among Recent Attackers:

  • The discussion highlights that Crooks is not alone; several recent shooters or would-be assassins have identified as trans or had “furry” obsessions:
    • Nashville Christian shooter (Audrey Hale), Lakewood Church shooter, Colorado Springs shooter, Denver shooter, Aberdeen shooter, Iowa High School shooter, and Brett Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin (Sophie Raska) are all mentioned as examples.

• Ideological and Psychological Implications:

  • The team posits that certain “extreme” online subcultures, especially “gender confused” and “furry” communities, may foster ideological instability and susceptibility to radicalization.
  • Quote:
    • “The trans or gender confused community may be the most terrorist prone, terrorism prone community in the country...there's a lot of anecdotal evidence.” – Andrew Colvitt [10:06]

• Root Causes:

  • Social contagion, ideological unmooring, and affirmation in insular online groups are cited as contributors to violence:
    • “There's an entire sub community of people who are not mentally well...constantly feeding them...you, an unstable person, should think that this person is a genocidal Nazi.” – Blake Neff [14:05]

• Speculative Social Commentary:

  • The hosts argue that not accepting “God-given” traits can erode basic moral binaries and societal cohesion.

3. Data on LGBT Identification and Social Trends

[16:07–18:16]

• Demographics:

  • 7.2% of U.S. adults, but nearly 20% of Gen Z youth, identify as LGBT (Gallup data, 2022). Among 18–29-year-old liberal women, 38% identify as LGBT.

• Interpretation:

  • The hosts argue these numbers illustrate a "social contagion" driven by youth culture and liberal politics.

• Societal Impact:

  • Concerns are raised regarding shifts in young women's marital aspirations—a dramatic decline from 83% in 1993 to 61% in 2023 of women expressing a desire for marriage.
  • Hosts cite these shifts as evidence of “cultural breakdown” affecting core societal building blocks (marriage, homeownership, childbirth).

4. U.S. Economics: Inflation, Homeownership, and Policy Solutions

with Kevin Hassett, former Director of the National Economic Council
[18:16–36:54]

A. State of the Economy Under Biden vs. Trump

• Personal Finances:
  • Hassett: Purchasing power dropped by $3,000 under Biden; monthly groceries rose from ~$400 under Trump to $515 under Biden.
    • “If Joe Biden doubles your mortgage payment and then it goes down a little bit... getting inflation to slow is not the same as reversing the situation.” – Kevin Hassett [19:40]
  • Inflation under Biden averaged 5%/year at its peak; typical homeowner’s payment doubled due to high mortgage rates.

B. Housing and Marriage Trends

• Decline in Young Homeowners/Marriage:
  • Percentage of 30-year-olds who are married homeowners fell from over 50% (1960s–80s) to below 15% (2020s).
  • Hassett attributes this both to economic policies (interest rates and affordability) and cultural trends (declining marriage rates).

C. Critique of Democrat-led Policy (Obamacare, College Loans)

• Healthcare & College Costs:
  • Government subsidies are blamed for inflating costs in healthcare and higher education.
  • “Throwing government money at stuff and then having the people who get the money jacking up the price and giving a worse deal to the American citizen.” – Kevin Hassett [25:56]
  • Example: Hassett’s sons required to take Critical Race Theory at Columbia, questioning education's practical value.

D. The Need for Conservative Reform

• Charlie's “Social Compact”:

  • Deportations, ending the H1B “scam,” cutting legal immigration, building homes, “crushing the college cartel.”

• Supply-Side Solutions:

  • Advocates for “big beautiful bill” policies: accelerated depreciation for businesses, wage increases through tighter labor markets, cutting deficits to fight inflation.
  • On potential wage inflation: Positive “supply shock” should boost real income without causing deflation.

• Notable Quote:

  • “Stopping illegal [immigration] is one of the great accomplishments of any president ever and he really has pretty much stopped it in his tracks.” – Kevin Hassett [36:19]

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Crooks' flip:

  • “He did an ideological backflip...from rabidly pro-Trump to rapidly anti-Trump.” – Andrew Colvitt [05:24]

• On digital footprint findings:

  • “The main thing they just had was just YouTube comments, which is pretty low tier of Internet engagement.” – Blake Neff [03:55]

• On impact of affirming ideologies:

  • “When you become unmoored from your physical God given attributes... you become unmoored from morality, good and evil, right and wrong.” – Andrew Colvitt [12:33]

• On economic hardship:

  • “Getting inflation to slow is not the same as reversing the situation.” – Kevin Hassett [19:40]

• On shifting youth values:

  • “There was a massive problem between boys and girls...We want different things. We see the world different. Our timelines are different.” – Andrew Colvitt [27:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03–01:09: Charlie Kirk's opening monologue and call to conservative activism
• 01:09–07:53: Crooks’ online footprint, ideological history, and the FBI’s narrative
• 07:53–10:06: Deep dive on Crooks’ DeviantArt, gender identity, and “furry” connections
• 10:06–16:07: Patterns of violence, ideological instability, trans and furry links
• 16:07–18:16: Data on LGBT identification, social contagion, generational trends
• 18:16–36:54: Interview with Kevin Hassett—economics of inflation, homeownership, and critiques of progressive policies
• 27:26–29:27: Societal breakdown, marriage trends, panel’s personal observations
• 30:50–36:54: Further economic analysis, discussion of deflation risk, supply-side solutions
• 36:54–37:01: Wrap up and call to visit charliekirk.com for more news

Tone and Language

• Combative, skeptical, and deeply conservative
• Emphasizes data, anecdote, and culture war rhetoric
• Blunt language regarding ideological adversaries
• Frequent attributions to mainstream rivals and internal alarm

For New Listeners

This episode blends breaking news investigation with conservative social and economic critique. The first half focuses on the intersection of culture, identity, and violence, speculating on psychological and social causes. The latter half presents a vigorous argument for conservative economic reform, warning of the side effects of progressive governance, and ends with a call for personal and political engagement in the cultural struggle.