The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode Title: The Radical Left Wants Your House and Your Children's Minds
Date: January 9, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk addresses what he perceives as the radicalization of the political left, zeroing in on the appointment of Sia Weaver as New York City’s tenant director and the broader implications of left-wing housing policies. Drawing on a viral Twitter thread by guest Michelle Tandler, Kirk and his co-hosts explore Weaver’s controversial past statements and their connection with socialist approaches to property. In the second half, the show pivots to a discussion about higher education’s ideological drift, featuring an interview with Dr. Kent Engel, author of College Without Communism. The episode weaves together concerns about property rights, leftist ideology, educational reform, and the cultural direction of the United States—all from a strong conservative, Christian perspective.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sia Weaver’s Appointment and Left-Wing Housing Policies (01:09–17:51)

• Background of the Issue

  • Sia Weaver, a housing advocate with a record of radical statements, has been appointed as NYC's lead on tenant rights under Mayor Mamdani.
  • Michelle Tandler, guest and NYC-based commentator, went viral with a thread exposing Weaver’s deleted tweets and controversial views.

• Contentious Statements Attributed to Sia Weaver

  • Tandler highlights Weaver’s tweets advocating to “impoverish the white middle class” and declaring “home ownership is racist/failed public policy.” (05:08–05:19)

  • Weaver has publicly opposed both gentrification and suburban living, suggesting all should live in public housing, and supports expansive rent control and government intervention.

    Michelle Tandler (D), discussing a tweet:
    “There is no such thing as a good gentrifier, only people who are actively working on projects to dismantle white supremacy and capitalism and people who aren't.” (05:35)

  • Another tweet accuses the U.S. of building wealth “for white people through genocide, slavery, stolen land and labor,” which prompts the hosts to note the irony of Weaver’s privilege and her mother’s wealth. (06:56)

• Potential Powers and Influence in City Policy

  • Uncertain exact power, but Weaver is expected to focus on tenant organization, lawsuits against landlords, complaints, and strategies intending to reduce property values (08:02–08:53).

    Michelle Tandler:
    “What we want to do is... drive down the value of housing. So we want to have lawsuits against the landlords, we want to have organizing, we want to have complaints, we want to have rent control. Like she has sort of a list of weapons.” (08:02–08:49)

• Underlying Philosophy: Property as a Collective Good

  • Audio clip of Sia Weaver:

    Sia Weaver (E):
    “I think the reality is, is that for centuries we've really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good. And we are... transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity... It will mean that families, especially white families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.” (09:06–09:41)

  • Hosts interpret this as an intention to seize property, especially from white families, and frame it as anti-individualism and anti-American.

• Public and Political Reaction

  • Tandler notes the viral reaction to her thread, increased public anxiety among New Yorkers, and that Mamdani’s refusal to fire Weaver likely signals deep ideological alignment.
  • Mamdani’s own past anti-market statements are cited, calling for “decommodification” of housing and a model where the state guarantees all housing needs. (14:26)

• Critique of Leftist Motivations

  • Co-hosts argue that radical left positions stem from personal resentment and a “spiritual void.”

    Blake (B):
    “This is clearly a woman with just a giant ball of resentment... She's spent years posting depressive resentment against her neighborhood, her community, people who are white... She’s now manifesting all of her personal resentments as a political platform.” (12:23–14:01)

    Charlie Kirk (C):
    “The left oftentimes tries to replace God with some sort of mission here on earth to fill the gaping void in their hearts.” (14:01)

2. The State of Higher Education & "College Without Communism" (19:03–36:57)

• Interview with Dr. Kent Engel

  • Dr. Engel, president of Southeastern University, discusses his new book, College Without Communism, which critiques the ideological shift of American universities away from their Christian origins.

  • Engel advocates for a return to an education model focused on spiritual and moral development, pursuing truth, and cultivating character.

    Dr. Kent Engel (F):
    “The original intent of higher education is focused on spiritual and moral development... What's sad is we see so many universities... have drifted from this original understanding of how education started. It was all about formation, all about discipleship, all about the integration of truth, faith, and learning. And they have drifted. What they've done is they've traded truth for ideology, and they've traded wisdom for indoctrination.” (20:48–23:11)

• The Christian Roots of American Higher Education

  • Listing Ivy League schools’ religious foundations, the hosts lament their secularization.

  • Engel stresses the need to “reclaim truth” and avert indoctrination, explaining that the modern university often undermines students’ faith and values.

    Dr. Kent Engel:
    “I've seen these... strong, conservative students that go to a place like this and after just a short period of time, their faith, they start questioning their faith, they start questioning their values... And so they get this indoctrination and it starts to lead them away...” (35:18)

• Access and Affordability in Education

  • Engel highlights Southeastern University’s approach: partnerships with churches, local campuses, and dramatic reductions in tuition.
  • The goal is “education as stewardship” rather than a vehicle for debt and ideological capture.

• The Dangers of Communism & Socialism

  • Engel’s personal story of adopting children from post-communist Romania underpins his warning:

    “We went there and I was just shocked at what I saw. I saw a nation that was impoverished and oppressed and spiritually bankrupt... you add, socialism comes in promising... opportunity and equality. But what happens is the state takes control and you’re left with control and you’re left with an impoverished state.” (32:55–34:58)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Housing Policy Radicalization:

  Charlie Kirk:
  “She’s going to seize property from white families.” (09:41)

• On the Philosophy of Property:

  Sia Weaver:
  “For centuries we've really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good... we are going to [be] transitioning to treating it as a collective good...” (09:06–09:41)

  Blake:
  "This is clearly a woman with just a giant ball of resentment... She's now manifesting all of her personal resentments as a political platform." (12:23–14:01)

  Michelle Tandler:
  "People are nervous and scared... It's a belief system. It's anti-American. It's definitely anti the Constitution to say we want... the state to manage housing for everybody." (14:26)

• On Educational Drift:

  Dr. Kent Engel:
  “They have traded truth for ideology, and they've traded wisdom for indoctrination and for freedom of thought, to conformity.” (23:11)

  Dr. Engel (on the value of traditional campuses):
  "A traditional campus offers things that obviously other types of delivery models can't. And I think an in-person opportunity is to create community... There's something about being face to face... learn with each other... all aspects of life because it's about a holistic development." (28:23)

  Dr. Engel (on communism’s results):
  “What happens is the state takes control and you’re left with an impoverished state, stripped away from the very freedom that allows you to flourish and have hope.” (32:55–34:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:09] – Introduction of Sia Weaver controversy and Michelle Tandler’s viral thread
• [02:12] – Trump’s announcement on institutional investors and housing policy
• [05:08–05:19] – Reading Weaver’s “impoverish the white middle class” tweet
• [06:56] – Discussion of Weaver’s background and family wealth
• [08:02–08:49] – Debate over Weaver’s potential powers and intentions
• [09:06–09:41] – Sia Weaver’s clip about collective property
• [11:49–12:19] – Weaver on home ownership and rent control
• [14:26] – Tandler on NYC’s political climate and Mamdani's alignment
• [19:03] – Dr. Kent Engel joins to discuss educational reform
• [28:23] – The value of traditional, in-person college experience
• [32:55–34:58] – Engel’s Romania story as a cautionary tale about communism
• [35:18] – The dangers of progressive indoctrination in higher ed

Conclusion

This episode showcases Charlie Kirk’s claim that radical leftist ideology is not only threatening property rights but is taking hold in positions of power and cultural institutions, from city government to higher education. Through interviews and pointed critique, Kirk and guests argue that such trends are fundamentally un-American and warn their audience to remain vigilant and proactive in defending family, faith, and property.