The Wins of the Big Beautiful Bill

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show - "The Wins of the Big Beautiful Bill" (May 23, 2025)

In this compelling episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, host Charlie Kirk delves into the passage and implications of the recently enacted "Big Beautiful Bill." Joined by Senator Roger Marshall and James O’Keefe, the discussion navigates the bill's key components, the legislative process ahead, and broader socio-political issues impacting America today.

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1. Introduction and Context

The episode begins with Charlie Kirk introducing his guests, Senator Roger Marshall and James O’Keefe, setting the stage to dissect the "Big Beautiful Bill." Charlie emphasizes the significance of this legislative achievement and hints at the promising developments James O’Keefe has to share regarding investigative journalism.

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2. Deep Dive into the Big Beautiful Bill

Senator Roger Marshall provides an in-depth analysis of the bill's passage and its potential impact on American taxpayers and governance.

• Legislative Process and Reconciliation
  At [01:48], Senator Marshall highlights the collaborative effort behind the bill's success, stating, “President Trump is the best closer in the country,” acknowledging President Trump's and Speaker Mike Johnson's pivotal roles. He explains the Senate's role in refining the bill, aiming to enhance fiscal benefits and reduce taxpayer burden.

• Economic Benefits and Tax Reforms
  Discussing the bill’s economic implications, Senator Marshall notes, “This bill has the potential to save an American family $1,000 a month” ([02:45]). A significant focus is on reforming the State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions. Senator Marshall critiques the existing system, arguing that high-tax states unfairly benefit from deductions, costing taxpayers $300 billion over the next decade ([03:01], [03:37]).

• Key Elements of the Bill
  Charlie Kirk and Senator Marshall enumerate the bill’s major provisions:

  • No Tax on Tips and Overtime: Eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay provides direct financial relief to workers ([06:31]).
  • Enhanced Child Tax Credit: Increasing the child tax credit to $2,500 bolsters support for families ([06:31]).
  • Border Security Funding: The largest border funding bill in American history ensures sustained efforts in border enforcement ([06:31]).
  • Medicaid Reforms: Implementing work requirements and means testing aims to make Medicaid more efficient and sustainable ([06:31]).
  • Defunding Planned Parenthood: A contentious but pivotal inclusion aimed at curbing abortion services and related activities ([08:39]).

• Potential Savings and Fiscal Responsibility
  Senator Marshall emphasizes the bill’s fiscal prudence, “What else could we do with that $300 billion? We could deliver the President's golden dome,” suggesting alternative uses for funds if further savings are achieved ([03:37]).

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3. Political Dynamics and Challenges

As the bill moves to the Senate, Senator Marshall addresses potential obstacles:

• House and Senate Reconciliation: Any major changes in the Senate would necessitate sending the bill back to the House, risking legislative gridlock ([04:04]).
• Defunding Planned Parenthood: Highlighting the challenge, Marshalls mentions Susan Collins' opposition due to her pro-choice stance, acknowledging potential setbacks in securing unanimous support ([08:39], [08:55]).

4. Advocating for Pro-Life Measures

In the realm of social policy, the conversation shifts to pro-life advocacy:

• Planned Parenthood Defunding: Senator Marshall asserts the importance of including defunding measures for Planned Parenthood, despite anticipated opposition, stressing the moral imperative to reduce abortions ([08:39], [10:09]).
• Ongoing Pro-Life Efforts: He discusses the persistent issue of abortion pills and the need for stricter regulations to prevent misuse, reinforcing the bill's significance for pro-life advocates ([08:57], [10:09]).

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5. Addressing Violent Extremism and Social Issues

Charlie Kirk brings attention to recent acts of violence linked to extremist ideologies:

• Assassination of a Messianic Jewish Couple: Kirk recounts the tragic murder of Sarah Milgram and Yaren Leczynski, emphasizing that violent acts stem from individual agency rather than mere political rhetoric ([08:39], [10:09]).
• The Luigi Effect: He introduces the concept of individuals becoming martyrs for their causes, stressing personal responsibility and condemning the misattribution of violence to political discourse ([10:09], [26:06]).

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6. Interview with James O’Keefe: Project Veritas Under Scrutiny

A significant portion of the episode features an intense dialogue with James O’Keefe, shedding light on internal conflicts within Project Veritas.

• Revelations of Internal Betrayal: O’Keefe discusses the fallout from board members engaging in unethical business practices, undermining the organization’s integrity ([20:24], [24:15]).
• Struggle for Control: He outlines efforts to regain leadership of Project Veritas, potentially renaming it to the Citizen Journalism Foundation to realign its mission ([20:14], [26:31]).
• Sustainability of Investigative Journalism: O’Keefe reflects on the financial and ethical challenges faced by investigative entities, emphasizing the need for sustainable business models to continue their work ([22:07], [26:31]).

Notable Exchange:

• James O’Keefe at [24:15]: “This is a really remarkable film that actually takes you inside the boardroom at Project Veritas, where you get to hear these grievances.”
• Senator Marshall at [24:05]: “I never lived this lifestyle with black card,” critiquing personal integrity within organizational dynamics.

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7. Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

As the episode concludes, Charlie Kirk reiterates the importance of the Big Beautiful Bill, highlighting its successes and areas needing further improvement. He underscores the necessity of reducing the SALT deduction cap to prevent the unfair subsidization of high-tax states.

• Fiscal Conservatism and Future Legislation: Kirk praises Chip Roy for his fiscal conservatism and contributions to the bill, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to balance the federal budget and reduce deficits ([28:19]).
• Energy Independence and Military Funding: He touches upon the bill’s provisions for energy independence and enhanced military funding, aligning with broader conservative goals ([28:19], [33:31]).

Charlie closes with a call to action, encouraging listeners to support continued legislative progress and remain vigilant in defending conservative values.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show offers a thorough examination of the Big Beautiful Bill, providing listeners with valuable insights into its economic benefits, political challenges, and social implications. Through informed discussions with Senator Roger Marshall and James O’Keefe, Charlie Kirk underscores the bill's importance in shaping America's fiscal and social landscape, while addressing critical issues such as border security, tax reforms, and pro-life advocacy. The episode serves as a vital resource for understanding the ongoing cultural and political battles within the United States.

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Notable Quotes:

• Senator Roger Marshall [02:45]: “This bill has the potential to save an American family $1,000 a month.”
• James O’Keefe [24:15]: “This is a really remarkable film that actually takes you inside the boardroom at Project Veritas, where you get to hear these grievances.”
• Senator Roger Marshall [04:04]: “What else could we do with that $300 billion? We could deliver the President's golden dome.”
• Charlie Kirk [10:09]: “Private student loan debt. So many Americans feel stuck and helpless.”

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Timestamp Guide:

• [00:00] - Introduction of guests and episode overview
• [01:48] - Senator Marshall begins discussing the bill
• [02:45] - Economic benefits of the bill
• [03:01] - Explanation of SALT deductions
• [03:37] - Fiscal responsibility and potential savings
• [04:04] - Senate’s role in bill refinement
• [06:31] - Key elements of the bill
• [08:39] - Defunding Planned Parenthood and pro-life measures
• [10:09] - Addressing violent extremism and the Luigi effect
• [20:14] - James O’Keefe discusses Project Veritas issues
• [22:07] - Sustainability of investigative journalism
• [24:15] - Internal conflicts at Project Veritas
• [26:06] - Ongoing struggles and future plans for citizen journalism
• [28:19] - Closing remarks on the bill’s impact
• [33:31] - Final thoughts and sign-off

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This structured summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting crucial discussions, insights, and influential quotes, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the impact of the Big Beautiful Bill and the perspectives of key conservative figures.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio, Senator Roger Marshall and James O' Keefe. As we break down the latest of the big, beautiful bill, and James o' Keefe has some very promising, exciting news to share. Email us, as always, freedomarliekirk.com subscribe to our podcast, that is the Charlie Kirk show podcast page, and become a member. Today it's Members.CharlieKirk.com that is Members.CharlieKirk.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

I want you to know we are.

[Charlie Kirk]

Lucky to have Charlie Kirk.

[James O'Keefe]

Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

We will 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 [e-mail] that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com okay. Joining us now is Senator Roger Marshall. Senator, thank you so much for taking the time. So the big beautiful bill passed last evening, and now you guys gotta get to work. What are you expecting? What is the process? And then let's get down into the particulars, and I think our audience needs to learn that you guys can make changes to the bill and then there's a process of reconciliation between the two chambers. Is that correct? Senator, please walk us through it.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Yeah. Charlie, first of all, are you tired of winning? I mean, my gosh, that clip that's going viral there with you. President Trump, a big win last night, and just congratulations to him as well as Speaker Mike Johnson. President Trump is the best closer in the country. So Mike Johnson gave us the best bill that he could get passed over there. Think of the Senate as like a saucer and think of the House as a hot cup of coffee, and it's spilling over. The job of the Senate is to take that bill and make it better. I think for us over here, what I'm looking at is where can we save some more, more taxpayers dollars? Where are the Opportunities to cut some spending. What do we do with those salt taxes? So, so I think that's the big thrust over is here. How can we make this bill better? How can we deliver on President Trump's promises? No tax on tips, overtime, Social Security, make the Trump tax cuts permanent. This bill has the potential to save an American family $1,000 a month. So that's how important this bill is.

[Charlie Kirk]

So what is the again, I'm just catching, I'm getting cut off to speed here. What was the final result of salt out of the House? What did they finally vote on? And what do you think its future would be in this, in the Senate? And just give our audience a quick reminder of what state and local tax deductions are.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Right. So in these big blue states, they have high taxes and they're able to deduct that from their federal taxes. So this, what the House has done will still cost American taxpayers $300 billion over the next 10 years. So they're going to let people from these blue states write off up to $30,000 of their taxes, which will decrease revenue to the state. So this feels like from Kansas are subsidizing 100%.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'm right there with you. Sorry to interrupt you. Keep going. I think salt is a scam that punishes great states like Kansas. Please keep going.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

It is that simple, to the tune of $300 billion over 10 years. So what else could we do with that $300 billion? We could deliver the President's golden dome. That would be one simple thing. And more, we would take that money and make Medicaid and Medicare even better. There's just better ways to spend that money. We can use it to secure the border, to help our military out, to give our troops more wages, all those types. It's real money, $300 billion.

[Charlie Kirk]

And so, so then what is the. So here's where people get a little confused. How is it that a bill can pass the House and then change in the Senate? And is it possible to now bring maybe the salt deduction down to $10,000? That would actually help us close the deficit a little bit. And again, just to reinforce this, SALT is essentially saying, California, you can't run a good state. New York, you can't run a good state. Therefore, you have ridiculous pension problems and you have outrageous mass migration and the dumbest type of spending policies. And we're going to now subsidize that. Do you think we can maybe crawl it back to a $10,000 deduction which would save hundreds of billions of dollars.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

So it's at $10,000 now, as I recall. So stall stands for state and local taxes. So if your state and local taxes are high, the more motivated you are to try to write those off. You know, most Kansas wouldn't have $10,000 of state and local taxes to write off. But to answer your question, so the House passed a bill. We could pass their bill exactly as it is. And it's a good bill. It's probably got 80, 90% of what I'd like to see in it. But if the Senate makes any major changes, it'll have to go back to the House a second time. And that's where the tricky part is, Charlie, as much as, as you and I want to face this federal budget, we also got to pass it, and we don't want to lose the House. So there's a dozen House members, and I'm making that number up. I'm not sure how many House members are that are really, really from these purple districts with high property taxes that this, you know, they may not get reelected. They may not get reelected anyway. But I can sure tell you for damn sure, I can tell you that if we don't get some type of a good, big, beautiful bill out of here, none of us should get reelected.

[Charlie Kirk]

I totally agree. And so the other elements, let's just brag on some of the good stuff that people don't know about what's in the bill. We are taxing remittances for the first time ever, which is a financial penalty for illegal immigration into the United States of America. It's the largest border funding and border security bill in American history. We're getting illegals off Medicaid, which is major and it is massive. We are also seeing no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. I don't think we got no tax on Social Security, but hopefully, eventually we'll get that. We're doing work requirements and means testing. We are also seeing the Golden Dome investment. Please brag, Senator, on some of your favorite elements of this bill, because there's a lot more goodies in this bill than I think our audience even realizes at times.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Right. So what we did with Social Security, since. Since by the law, we cannot touch Social Security, but what we did is we're giving seniors a $4,000 tax credit in addition. So, so it essentially, we're not going to tax their tips, tax their Social Security, but doing it in a different way. We increased the child tax credit. Look, Republicans doubled the tax credit in 2017 with this bill. And now we increased it another $500. So we increased the, the tax deduction for, for having children to a $2,500 as well. That would be another answer. You know, a little second amendment we've slipped in there. There are some rules and regulations around. I would call a silencer a muffler on gun. So there are a whole lot of low hanging fruit in here. The golden dome is in here. President Trump's golden dome. The first down payment on some type of satellite system to help intercept nuclear warheads, that type of thing. Huge pay raises for our troops, for the border patrol officers, funding to help get those illegal aliens out of this country. We have 400,000 violent criminal aliens in this country. It is way more expensive, Charlie. It may cost $100,000 per person to escort them out of this country. Thank you Joe B. So, and that'll win and we'll take care of that for four years. We don't have to go back to the Democrats every year and say hey, we want money for the border, we want money for the military. So we have significant money in here to take care of the military for the most part for four years and the President's border security and the removal of illegal aliens.

[Charlie Kirk]

So I'm confident that this will pass. I know that you are a pro life warrior from Kansas and thank you for that. It did pass. In the current form of defunding of Planned Parenthood. I'm told that I could run into a little bit of a thicket in the U.S. senate. Susan Collins, who I really like, she actually has always said that she is pro choice and that this is a red line. Do you think that there is an opportunity to keep defunding a Planned Parenthood in there? I know that discussion is ongoing. And what is your message to pro life warriors that have been fighting so hard for this cause for years?

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Oh my gosh. So I assume that we're losing Susan Collins vote no matter what. So we still, we have to 50. I think we'll lose her on Medicaid. A few other. And I respect her. She is representing a Democrat state.

[Charlie Kirk]

I get it. I totally agree. She, she's, she's an R and a D state. You got to cut a lot of margin there. Please keep going.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

But nobody else has an excuse.

[Charlie Kirk]

I agree. Yes.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Has a damn excuse. And they need to get in here and play the game. And if you get 90% of what you want, we better pass this bill and move on. And I'm, I'm sick about what, where our federal deficit is now we could come back and do five shows on that. We spent an hour yesterday as a Republican caucus talking about the national debt and what's going on with selling our treasuries, that type of thing as well. But I do think we get there. My message, my pro life people, is this. You know, we did what we wanted to do. We sent most of the issues back to the state and now the states need to do their job as well. But we're still losing a million babies every year. A million. Most of them are from the, the, from this abortion pill. And we're doing, trying to do some things there to curve the edges around it. They're able to just, you call up and basically mail order this pill without having any idea how far along the patient is. So I'm working on that up here. But, but, but Planned Parent Parenthood is the number one source of not just the abortions, but this abortion pill as well. So we'll defund them. And this is probably the second biggest day for the pro life group after, after the Dobbs decision. I think if we get this across.

[Charlie Kirk]

The finish line really quick, thank you for that and I pray we can keep the defunding of Planned Parenthood in this bill. So fight hard for that. Senator, the base is really watching on. That Maha report is out. I know you're the chair of the Maha Commission. What can we expect or what is in it? Senator, about minute and a half remaining.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Look, I think number one, when I think about Make America Healthy, Great Again, healthy again is 60% of Americans have a chronic disease of some sort. Most of it is nutritionally related or related to toxins. So I expect this Maha report to talk about the importance of soil health and the nutrient quality that we're feeding to our, to our, especially our children. For whatever reason, I'm especially concerned about the children getting them off to the right foot as well. The toxins that they're being exposed to are probably in these ultra processed foods. So a big 70% of the calories Americans consume are an ultra processed food. So I think that they'll address that as well. I made a few, few notes. What else they gold standard science. I really as a doctor can't sit there and say what type of oil is best to cook supper in tonight? Is it soybean oil? Is it tallow? What, what is it? So we need gold standard research not influenced by commercial operations as well. Look, 50, 60% of Americans are on a prescription drug right now. And I think we want to look into what that's all about as well.

[Charlie Kirk]

Senator, keep up the great work and get your colleagues in the ring. Cut some slack for Susan Collins. The rest of them have no excuses. Pass it. Be bold, be courageous, be transparent, and let's deliver a win together. Thank you so much, Senator.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

Yeah, that's right. Let's make America great again.

[Charlie Kirk]

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Right now, go to charlieforhillsdale.com to enroll. There's no cost, and it's easy to get started. That's charlieforhillsdale.com the register. C h a r l I e for hillsdale.com okay, so a terrible thing happened last night. Awful. And last night, Sarah Milgram and Yaren Leczynski, a young couple who were messianic Jews. So they're Jews who gave their life to Jesus, were attending an event in Washington, D.C. at a Jewish cultural center. They leave the event and waiting for them is this evil lunatic who drove from Chicago, 30 years old, all the way to Washington, D.C. and assassinated both of them in cold blood in public eye. I'm not going to say the assassin's name because the assassin wants to be as well known as Luigi. And that's an incentive. That's a very big problem. Without getting into all the details of what this guy believed or where he got the information from, he did say free Palestine. So this is 100% a hit job against Jews. This is a hit job against people that support Israel. But I want to take another element, another wrinkle here. The Luigi effect is not going away. It's disturbing. It's scary. In fact, we saw another assassination attempt very similar to the Luigi one. You don't know the Luigi Maggione case, of course, he murdered the health care CEO in cold blood and then is a hero on the left. People love Luigi on the left, the far radical left. And this is going to continue to be a problem. The, the, the movie the Joker, I think shows the type of nihilism that is seeping into so much of this one off criminal activity. Some people on social media, and I'm just going to gently push against that, and I wrote a tweet again about this, are blaming people that have been critical of the war in Gaza as to say that's why this person got radicalized. Guys, I have to be very clear. It drives me crazy when a right wing person does violence and they try to blame me for it. I think that's very sloppy. I think it's very. Or they say, charlie, you're responsible for January 6th. I think we have to resist that temptation. I think we have to say it's just not true. That. And I wrote this in the tweet and I liked what I said. Just because an idea is provocative or even offensive does not make it violent. Every person is responsible for their own agency. And I would make an argument that that is a false. That that is a misleading target as to why this happened. It's less about the influences ideologically and more about, I think, how this person thinks the Luigi effect could benefit him. The Luigi effect is a serious issue where they believe that they can become a social media martyr for that cause, not just the action itself, but that you then can become the face of the resistance against your said struggle. This is a terrible story and one that I'm sure we're going to learn more as time proceeds. And it's a tragic and unspeakable another chapter in this ongoing national schism. This young couple was about to be engaged. They had their entire life ahead of them. They did nothing wrong except they held a political view about a foreign country that this lunatic did not share. This guy had just bought a ring. He had everything planned out to get married to her. And their punishment for supporting Israel ended up being an assassination in the middle of the street and in total cold blood. We got to. We got to. We got to dial this back. We got to dial this back, guys. Private student loan debt. So many Americans feel stuck and helpless. They are the sponsor of our campus tour. They are great people. You can finally take control of your student loan situation. @yrefi.com that is yrefy.com they provide you with a custom loan payment based on your ability to Pay Yrefi is not a debt settlement company and they work with each borrower individually tailoring each loan to each borrower's specific situation. You'll not be calling a faceless call center. Yrefi can reduce your monthly payment and guarantees interest rates under 6%. Why refi does not care what your credit score is? Go to yrefi.com that is yrefy.com so take a look at it right now at yrefi.com why refi refinances distress and defaulted private student loans which are different from federal loans. They offer a three minute rate check. So I want you to think right now, maybe you have private student loan debt, maybe your friend does, maybe your neighbor got to check it out. Yrefi.com, yrefy.com can you imagine being debt free and not burdened anymore? Go to yrefi.com may not be available in all 50 states. Yrefi.com joining us now is a great friend, a warrior, a fighter for liberty and truth, James o' Keefe. And I'm thrilled about what might be happening here after a bitter struggle of multiple years. James, my friend, great to see you. Please share with our audience this promising news.

[James O'Keefe]

Hey Charlie, great to be with you and great job in England.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you.

[James O'Keefe]

Very brave man. I'm surprised they didn't arrest you for saying what you said.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, I gotta be honest, I tried my best and I was disappointed that they didn't. I did not get into handcuffs. I would have loved to have become a political prisoner because I think Marco Rubio and President Trump would have made a couple phone calls. But I tried my best.

[James O'Keefe]

Well, they don't have the first amendment over there. So what you did was very brave and I thank you for that. I report to you all today that I people are asking what actually happened at Project Veritas, the organization I founded and I've released Charlie, a movie released yesterday on my website called the Truth Inside veritas. There's a 12 minute video we published online. Apparently in these depositions in the court case between me and my organization I founded, board members admitted that they were in business together, they had various entanglements and they were co investing in medical companies that quote could be sold to Pfizer. As you recall, I investigated Pfizer two years ago, did a huge story on the director of MRNA research and scientific planning. Just a week later I was fired. Now it turns out they had investments. You're looking at a federal deposition of George Skakel and he's admitting that he was in business with these other board members. Charlie. So this is kind of some breaking news here. And I am in talks to retain control, get back in control of Project Veritas, the nonprofit that I once founded.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, that is amazing, James. And just remind our audience the very difficult couple years you had to go through and what it would mean to now reassert control over Project Veritas.

[James O'Keefe]

Well, I mean, you and I have talked about this in Arizona and elsewhere. It's a lot of things. The story is this film, the truth behind Veritas is really a story about original sin. I think what we do, the investigative video journalism, getting sued all the time. By the way, I got sued last week by one of these deep state guys that we busted. I think people are put under pressure. They're put through a high powered lens. But when you run an organization, you have people who feel entitled, who sometimes get jealous or get envious, and that can turn very toxic. It can grow vindictive when people don't get what they want. But also when you're being raided by the feds, when you're being sued all the time, I think people are put under pressure. People tend to crack, people tend to break, people tend to betray you. So this is a really interesting saga, a really interesting documentary that we've produced about everything that's happened. It's an hour long film behind our paywall at OMG. But there's a 12 minute video online that takes you through some of the highlights. It's very, very difficult, Charlie. You know, I've talked about this extensively. It's very painful to go through that. And we've all been through it to some degree. If you've ever built anything. And I learned some lessons about who to surround myself and who not to surround myself with. And you got to have really strong people who are very virtuous, people who are willing to tell the truth and shame the devil. Not an easy thing to endure. But hopefully this will all get resolved very soon.

[Charlie Kirk]

What has this process taught you about yourself? Going from taking your, when they took your nonprofit from you to now two years later, where it looks like you might regain control? You had to build your own thing. What are the lessons that you learned about the conservative movement, about the state of media, about, and also some personal lessons?

[James O'Keefe]

Very good question. I think the number one lesson I've learned is, you know, I would say, Charlie, everyone can come into my inner circle. If you want to be involved, by all means. And I know that you get this, I get this Every day, hundreds of messages of people wanting to help. And it's one thing for them to help at the grassroots level, but I think letting them into your inner sanctum, I think, I think, and I hope you would agree with, you really do have to be careful with who you surround yourself with. You can't let everybody into your headquarters, you know, close to you. Because I think people will, they will betray you when the going gets tough. Not because you've done anything wrong, but because they're incentivized to. And I think one of the things I've struggled with is how to reconcile the instinct for self preservation with always doing the right thing. And if you're going to be a truth teller, and I mean if you're really going to be a truth teller, you, the preservation for, you know, self preservation and self interest come into conflict with that. So you have to find people who are almost messianic, who are mission driven, who are self sacrificial to a certain degree if you want to do this type of truth telling. So what I've learned is discernment. And perhaps I was slightly naive, but I also think, like I said, this is a story about original sin. You watch this film and it's, it's really remarkable the, the vindictiveness and the pettiness of people. And also, you know, sometimes it just comes down to money. It just comes down to money. And you heard Skakel say in the, in the movie he points at his house as you can't afford my house, o' Keefe. And that statement just said so much about, about who he is. And unfortunately you got some people here who probably, I probably shouldn't have hired.

[Charlie Kirk]

Let's play cut.377.

[James O'Keefe]

I shouldn't have trusted these guys, but I did trust these guys.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

A lot of people thought there was malfeasance. I would prefer to say ignorant of those events. I didn't want to know.

[James O'Keefe]

Non profit boards of directors can be very, very dangerous. Fortunately, I have recordings and documents to back up everything I'm about to tell you.

[Charlie Kirk]

Employees were starting to bundle up and talk. If we're about to paint James as a criminal, it better be good.

[James O'Keefe]

They sent a pic of me nailed to a cross. They used these kids, Matt used them to further his agenda.

[Charlie Kirk]

The reason why James was bad was morphing.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

I never lived this lifestyle with black card.

[James O'Keefe]

He's a mean boss.

[Charlie Kirk]

Not appropriate.

[James O'Keefe]

I don't know that Jameson has a private life.

[Charlie Kirk]

James took a pregnant woman sandwich. These are people that we thought were People with integrity. Who on the board is. What did we just see there, James? We have a podcast and radio audience. I mean, that is very dramatic and telling stuff.

[James O'Keefe]

Oh, yeah, it's very cinematic. For those listeners who are not seeing this. This is baroque paintings and images of me nailed to a crucifix. Employees accusing me of stealing pregnant ladies sandwiches. Bizarre, strange human envies and jealousies and pettiness. But this is an incredible. I mean, I'm not just saying this. It took us two months to make. Very well done, very artistic. You see courtroom deposition footage. These are public proceedings. People ask me, charlie, well, how can you air all this footage from a court case? Deposition footage is public proceeding. So this is a really remarkable film that actually takes you inside the boardroom at Project Veritas, where you get to hear these grievances. You actually hear a recording of the board meeting of the board members who fired me, the reasons for firing me, which are so bizarre, it almost seems fake, but it's real. And that's what you're watching here on the screen about what really happened Joe Rogan yesterday. Charlie Kirk. Joe Rogan on the air with Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers asking, whatever happened with James o' Keefe and Project Bear, why doesn't o' Keefe release the tapes? Well, ironically, literally, I did while he was saying that yesterday.

[Charlie Kirk]

And so I guess the final question I have, James, and by the way, I have your back 100%. I've had this entire process, and I'm thrilled to see that you're gonna be on the right side of this. And I know we talked about this a lot throughout the years, and I hope our audience is getting closure here. What is next, then? And what is what do you believe the grassroots are ready to continue this rise of citizen journalism?

[James O'Keefe]

Man, I think the type of journalism that we do is a little bit different than perhaps commentary journalism. And I'm not. I am creating business models as I speak to you about how to make this sustainable. I got sued last week by one of the guys I busted in the Pentagon. It's not cheap, and I think citizen journalism is not free. It costs money to do. And I built a nonprofit. Now we have Citizen Journalism Foundation. Hopefully, we acquire Project Veritas here and we change the name back to Project Veritas Foundation. But I don't know if the commercial imperative, Charlie, is fully compatible with investigative journalism. In other words, I don't know that it can be profitable. And therefore, I don't know how to make it sustainable. But I'm working on it. And we've done some big stories in Epstein the last couple weeks. We have more stories coming in our federal government exposing corruption. And I said this, and I mean this sincerely, the stuff that I have on video, particularly in Washington D.C. of these contractors, people should be going to jail. And if they don't go to jail, then I'm going to have serious questions about who our prosecutors are. But I'm trying to make journalism sustainable and I'm trying to create business models for it. But also, Charlie, reckoning with these aspects of human nature that make it difficult to do when you're telling the truth and when you're shaming the devil, these instincts for self preservation often come into conflict with what you're doing. And that's why I wanted to tell this story. And it's an ongoing story, but I wanted to tell the story.

[Charlie Kirk]

Keep fighting. James, we have your back. Hope to see you soon, my friend. Thank you so much.

[James O'Keefe]

Thank you. Bye bye.

[Charlie Kirk]

What does a mechanic and auto shop owner in Georgia, a taco restaurant operator in Arizona and a life saving medical innovator in Tennessee have in common? They're all small business owners and they're all thriving on TikTok. Across the US over 7.5 million businesses from family owned shops to entrepreneurs are using TikTok to compete and grow. We use TikTok all the time on the Charlie Kirk show. In fact, 74% of businesses on TikTok say TikTok has allowed them to scale their operations, increasing sales and expanding to new locations. And that growth means jobs. Today there's over 7.5 million US businesses on TikTok employing more than 28 million people. And that number keeps growing. Small businesses thrive on TikTok. Learn more about TikTok's contribution to the U.S. economy at TikTok economicimpact.com Email us freedomarliekirk.com I want to dance around here a little bit, but I do want to complete a very important point. We talked about the Big Beautiful Bill. There are a lot of details about the Big beautiful bill that are not necessarily getting coverage. Do I wish that it would cut more spending? Of course I do. However, it does cut some spending. Rolls back a lot of the Biden era Green Energy Inflation Reduction act nonsense. Does some good reforms to Medicaid. Doesn't do enough but does some good work requirements to Medicaid. The tax cuts are awesome. Chip Roy got some very important concessions. Chip Roy, he drove a really hard bargain fiscal conservative and I appreciate that from him. We need more fiscal conservatives back in the Republican Party because debts do matter and deficits do matter. Chip Roy got in the massive spending bill, up to $12 billion to reimburse states for border security during the Biden administration, which is terrific. So it's given $12 billion back to states to reimburse Texas and Arizona for all the border security that they've been doing. By the way, we got to get rid of Katie Hobbs. That's why we have fully endorsed Andy Biggs. By the way, can we get the Andy Biggs graphic up there? We have a big event we're doing for Andy Biggs. I want to make sure that we're promoting for all of you. We want to have a very, very big crowd there. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime. Major, major, major tax cuts across the board. We're going to be taxing remittances, which is very important. The border security here is probably the best takeaway. We now have border security funding that will live on beyond Donald Trump. That is what is important. We now have the border security funding for, for more deportations, more border force, which, by the way, that is one thing I think that we can take from the Brits. They call their border patrol border force. I'm sorry, that's way cooler than border Patrol. Like, way cooler. When you enter, they say, now check in with border force. I was like, man, I like that. We got it. That's some good branding. Chip Roy says he voted yes. It accelerates the Medicaid work requirements from three years from 2029 to 2026. Huge. Helped stave off further Obamacare expansion by aligning SDP's in Medicaid rates, froze the state provider taxes to ensure states don't grow their money laundering schemes, paid Texan understates back for the border security, and began to claw back the green new scam put on steroids by the Inflation Reduction act. Namely by putting in place a required construction start within 60 days of enactment and much earlier and all designed to limit the reach of these subsidies. So is it a perfect bill? Nothing's perfect, but it is a great bill. Are you kidding me? This thing's really good. There's a lot of good here. And by the way, we also get a chance to at the budget later this year. This is not the budget bill. This is just reconciliation. This unleashes energy. We're going to drill, baby, drill. By the way, remember that thing where I said we need to get it in the bill for that $1,000 Trump account for every new baby in America? That's in there. That's in there. It extends tax cuts. Also, breaking news. President Trump and the Trump administration has blocked Harvard's ability to enroll international students. No more jihadis or Chinese spies under the guise of education. I'm sure they're going to love that one at Harvard. It's going to be quite lively. A lot going on. We'll continue to dive into that story. All this to say the big beautiful bill is going to be signed if the Senate does its job. We got to crawl back the salt thing. The salt thing is a total scam. The salt thing. You can't subsidize Blue State. You can't subsidize J.B. pritzker and Gavin Newsom. You got to crawl back the salt thing. It's a disaster. All that to say it's a big win and President Trump is the closer. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us. As always, freedom. Charliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Senator Roger Marshall]

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