The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: "What Did Biden Know and When Did He Know It?"

Date: August 18, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with an intense focus on President Joe Biden’s handling of the situation, particularly regarding the safety of American citizens left in the country. Charlie Kirk explores whether the debacle was due to “incompetence or malevolence,” arguing it is one of the worst foreign policy embarrassments in U.S. history. The episode weaves in criticism of administration officials, media coverage, immigration policy, and political ramifications, also addressing attacks on Kirk from Joy Reid and Ilhan Omar.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Afghanistan Withdrawal: Chaos and Responsibility

• Is it incompetence or malevolence?
  • Kirk questions if the Biden administration’s failure is just incompetence or intentional malfeasance.
  • “It's easy to say that Joe Biden and his administration are clowns. They are buffoons.” (03:30)
• Hostage Situation and Historical Comparison
  • Kirk warns of a “potentially massive hostage situation,” comparing it unfavorably to Saigon and the Iran hostage crisis.
  • “Estimates are anywhere between 6 and 10,000 American citizens… not American allies, not Afghan interpreters—American citizens are still in Kabul.” (05:56)
• Ignoring Intelligence & Military Advice
  • Cites NYT reporting: U.S. intelligence warned of rapid Afghan military collapse.
  • “Intelligence was telling us weeks and months ahead of time that Americans could be put into jeopardy... This was not a surprise. This was not a shock.” (09:12)

2. Biden Administration’s Public Statements vs. Reality

• Denial from Biden:
  • “There’s gonna be no circumstance where you see people lifted off the roof of the embassy of the United States from Afghanistan.” (Biden, Jul 8, 2021, played at 08:22)
• Missed Warnings from Advisors:
  • Biden “ignored Mark Milley’s request to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.”
  • “This would be a disaster for Biden if he got every American out of the country perfectly and then the Taliban took over. This is even worse because the Taliban took over and we still have Americans.” (09:40)

3. Government Communication and Accountability

• Unclear Numbers, Unclear Plans
  • John Kirby (Pentagon spokesperson): “We think there are certainly thousands of Americans [in Afghanistan]… best guess between 5 and 10,000.” (13:19)
  • Kirk ridicules the lack of precision: “Could you imagine if the Trump administration oversaw the fall of Kabul and they had someone come out and say, ‘we don’t really know how many American citizens there are?’” (13:32)
• No Plan for Safe Passage to Airport
  • John Kirby: “Our focus is at the airport… Security and stability at the airport…” (20:01)
  • Kirk: “The Biden administration… has abandoned, betrayed your fellow countrymen that are in Afghanistan right now.” (15:40)

4. Weaponry Left Behind

• Failure to Destroy U.S. Equipment
  • No plan or actions to prevent equipment from falling into Taliban hands.
  • “[The U.S.] spent tens of billions of dollars for weapons we never use to go leave on the side of roads so people that hate your guts can take those weapons…” (25:00)
  • Quote from Pentagon (Cut 30): “No US actions being taken to prevent equipment from falling into the hands of the Taliban by destroying it or anything else.” (25:08)

5. Media Coverage & International Perspective

• Media Downplaying the Crisis
  • Kirk critiques CNN’s coverage and describes the mainstream media as suppressing the true scale of the problem.
  • CNN field report: “They’re just chanting ‘death to America,’ but they seem friendly at the same time.” (17:25)
• Global Embarrassment
  • Australian Press: “Can’t even string a bloody sentence together. Biden is utterly unfit to be the President of the United States, and it blows my mind...” (Cut 63, 34:50)

6. Biden’s Poll Numbers & Political Fallout

• Plummeting Approval:
  • Kirk points to major slippage in Biden’s approval rating: “Joe Biden’s approval rating is below 50% for the first time… and it’s going to go down from there.” (29:05, 61:56)
• Special election wins for Republicans as indicators of Democrat trouble.

7. Debate Over Refugee Policy & U.S. Immigration

• Criticism of Afghan Refugee Influx
  • Kirk draws a sharp line: “America does not need more people like Ilhan Omar that are ingrates, that are in leadership on committees overseeing our foreign policy.” (36:00)
• Differential Treatment: Cuban vs. Afghan Refugees
  • Contrasts the administration’s refusal to take in Cuban refugees with openness to Afghan arrivals, suggesting political motives:
    • “Mayorkas said, allow me to be clear, if you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States.” (Cut 69, 42:55)
  • Claims: “Afghans are more likely to be loyal Democrat voters. Let’s get that clip from Mayorkas…” (39:30)

8. Attacks from Joy Reid and Ilhan Omar

• Kirk addresses being called out:
  • Joy Reid: “Charlie Kirk, radio show host, says he doesn’t want more people like you in the country. What do you have to say about that?”
  • Ilhan Omar: “Cry more, dear. Because we are going to be an open country, just as we. The Statue of Liberty ain't going nowhere.” (Cut 68, 38:55)
• Kirk’s retort: “Your Exhibit A as to why a refugee policy can destroy the country…” (40:20)

9. Trump’s Perspective & U.S. Power

• Interview with President Trump on Hannity (50:35–56:45)
  • Trump: “I don’t think in all the years our country has ever been so humiliated...”
  • Trump on Taliban negotiations: “If anything bad happens to Americans or anybody else... we will hit you with a force that no country has ever been hit with before. A force so great that you won’t even believe it.” (52:47)
  • Trump: “The fact is [Afghan soldiers] were among the highest paid soldiers in the world. They were doing it for a paycheck… So we were sort of bribing them to fight.” (54:29)
  • On risk of American hostages: “We have 40,000 potential hostages, a minimum of 11,000, but it could be as many as 40. No, they have no idea how many. Nobody knows how many.” (56:05)

10. Domestic Priorities: American First

• Kirk insists: “We are not lifting a finger to help homeless American veterans… When Donald Trump ran on Putting America first, this is what he meant.” (45:10)
• Prioritizes American citizens and critiques the prioritization of refugees and immigration over homegrown issues.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On government responsibility:
  • “There is a basic promise and contract between the government and the citizens… we’re not going to make decisions intentionally that will put you in harm’s way.” (20:50)
• Condemning administration figures:
  • “John Kirby… What’s his job? He’s the Pentagon spokesperson. This guy’s a buffoon.” (13:32)
• Media satire:
  • “[CNN is] just chanting ‘death to America,’ but they seem friendly at the same time. It’s utterly bizarre.” (17:25)
• On weapon abandonment:
  • “It’s not like our job to make sure that the enemy doesn’t get armed.” (25:19)
• Political analysis:
  • “This is going to go down as one of the worst foreign policy failures in American history.” (61:56)
• Trump on the debacle:
  • “I don’t think in all of the years our country has ever been so humiliated… There’s never been anything like what’s happened here.” (50:35)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote Summary | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:30 | Kirk questions if “incompetence or malevolence” is at play | | 05:56 | Kirk states 6k–10k Americans potentially stranded in Kabul | | 08:22 | Biden audio: “There’s gonna be no circumstance…” | | 09:40 | “This would be a disaster for Biden if…” | | 13:19 | Kirby: “We think there are certainly thousands…” | | 17:25 | CNN field report: “chanting ‘death to America,’ but they seem friendly” | | 20:01 | Kirby: Plan focused only on the airport | | 25:08 | Pentagon: No plans to destroy weapons left in Afghanistan | | 34:50 | Australian Press: “Can’t even string a bloody sentence together…” | | 36:00 | Kirk: “America does not need more people like Ilhan Omar…” | | 38:55 | Joy Reid & Ilhan Omar attack Kirk (Cut 68) | | 42:55 | Mayorkas: “If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States” | | 50:35 | Trump: “our country has ever been so humiliated…” (on Hannity) | | 52:47 | Trump: “If anything bad happens… a force so great…” | | 54:29 | Trump: “The fact is they were among the highest paid soldiers” | | 56:05 | Trump: “We have 40,000 potential hostages…” | | 61:56 | Kirk: “This is going to go down as one of the worst foreign policy failures…”|

Tone and Style Notes

• Tone: Unapologetically conservative, urgent, and at times mocking or sarcastic; characterized by direct attacks on Biden administration officials, mainstream media, and progressive figures.
• Style: Rhetorical, combative, and often blends news analysis with pointed editorializing and humor.
• Language: Casual, colloquial, sometimes hyperbolic for effect ("clowns," "buffoons," etc.).

Concluding Summary

Charlie Kirk’s episode provides a scathing conservative critique of the Biden administration’s Afghan withdrawal, contending the actions led to “an open air hostage situation” and asserting historical incompetence or, possibly, intentional malice. He highlights conflicting administration messaging, lack of preparation for evacuations, governmental lack of accountability, and what he frames as a manufactured crisis being exploited for political gain—including shifting immigration policy to favor likely future Democratic voters.

Kirk punctuates the disarray with dark humor, broad policy critiques, and populist calls to put “Americans first.” He includes perspectives from Trump and other conservative commentators, and directly addresses media criticism and political attacks, using those segments to bolster his arguments on immigration and national cohesion.

For listeners, this episode paints a picture of disarray, betrayal, and dysfunction at the highest levels of the U.S. government—and urges political action in response to the administration’s perceived failures.