The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: Where Is God When Evil Happens? Reacting to the Minneapolis Tragedy
Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guests: Michael Knowles, Alex Marlowe, Robby Starbuck

Overview

In response to breaking news of a tragic shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Charlie Kirk assembles guests Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire) and Alex Marlowe (Breitbart), later joined by Robby Starbuck, for a raw, live discussion on evil, faith, mental health, and the state of American culture. The episode probes the perennial “problem of evil,” reactions from the media and politicians, the implications for Christianity and American society, and how communities can meaningfully respond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Immediate Reaction to the Minneapolis Shooting

(01:05 – 04:17)

• Charlie Kirk provides on-air updates about a violent attack targeting a Catholic school during Mass; early reports identify the shooter as transgender, raising debates over broader cultural and policy implications.
• Michael Knowles reacts spiritually and sociopolitically, calling the attack “demonic,” and highlighting the specific targeting of Christian children in worship.

“If this is not demonic, I don't know what is.”
– Michael Knowles (03:30)

• The hosts discuss the recurring pattern of attacks against Christians, linking these to spiritual warfare.

2. The Problem of Evil & The Role of Prayer

(04:17 – 11:00)

• The episode addresses public skepticism and ridicule directed at prayer following tragedy, notably from Democrat leaders and social media influencers.

“Praying is the problem here, not the solution. People use prayer instead of action. If prayer worked, a house of prayer wouldn't have just experienced this tragedy.”
– Bryan Krassenstein, cited by Charlie Kirk (06:55)

• Knowles defends prayer’s role, connects liberal secularism’s “impotent anger” to a lack of moral humility, and critiques policies that ignore original sin.

“You're not going to create a utopia here on Earth because we're fallen and we have concupiscence, and evil just exists.”
– Michael Knowles (09:12)

• Charlie reiterates prayer as an act of worship, not a magical shield, emphasizing that tragedy does not nullify faith or God’s sovereignty.

3. Martyrdom & the Resilience of Christian Faith

(10:55 – 12:39)

• Knowles urges that the young victims be remembered as martyrs, slain for their faith—a theme with deep roots in Christian tradition.

"To be a martyr is to die because someone hates the faith ... The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
– Michael Knowles (11:00)

• He notes a pattern: attacks on the church often coincide with its periods of growth and societal return to religion.

4. Minneapolis & American Political Faultlines

(14:32 – 15:17)

• Kirk and Knowles preview their campus tour; they remark on Minnesota’s central role in current cultural and political controversies.

“Minnesota just used to be a boring, normal place and now it's turned into something different.”
– Charlie Kirk (14:44)

5. Return to Religion, Especially Catholicism

(15:17 – 18:56)

• Discussion pivots to why young Americans are returning to church—especially the Catholic Church.
• Knowles traces the decline of New Atheism and links rising secular unhappiness to a renewed pursuit of faith.

“The atheism ran out of steam ... all of this secularism and atheism was advancing. What did you also see? ... declining happiness ... increased depression ... If this is progress, show me regress.”
– Michael Knowles (16:13)

• Cites Alexis de Tocqueville’s prediction that Americans would eventually gravitate toward either atheism or Catholicism due to America's democratic nature.

6. Unpacking the Shooter’s Motives, Mental Health, and Media Reactions

(19:04 – 29:11)

• As details emerge, Kirk and Marlowe analyze the shooter’s background: a likely deranged individual, possibly transgender, expressing virulent anti-Christian and anti-Semitic hate in a manifesto video.
• Discussion criticizes the media and politicians (e.g., Amy Klobuchar) for immediately focusing on gun control rather than the targeting of Christians or underlying causes.

“It's targeted hate crime against Christian children who are innocent ... For [Amy Klobuchar] to go and talk about firearms, that is ... disgusting. That's truly disgusting.”
– Alex Marlowe (26:13)

• The problem of deinstitutionalization is raised—guests argue for the return of mental health asylums to prevent tragedies by isolating clearly unstable individuals.

“We need a national agreement to bring back insane asylums. I mean it.”
– Charlie Kirk (29:11)

7. The "Problem of Evil" (Theodicy)

(48:32 – 51:00)

• Kirk addresses listener questions: How can one believe in God after such evil?
• He reframes the classic philosophical dilemma: the existence of evil signals a transcendent standard of goodness.

“We only know that something is evil and wrong because we have a transcendent standard to compare it to ... If you do not believe in God, it is not right and wrong. It's nothing more than preferences.”
– Charlie Kirk (51:00)

• The Cross as the Christian Answer to Evil: Christianity, Kirk argues, takes evil seriously and centers redemption on Christ’s sacrifice.

“The cross is God's answer to evil. And this is why Christianity matters. ... Atheists have no answer to evil. We have an answer to evil.”
– Charlie Kirk (53:48)

8. Broader Cultural Critique: Online Influence & "God Substitutes"

(31:35 – 34:47)

• Marlowe observes the shooter appeared “extremely online,” parroting dark memes and internet slogans—suggesting a generation has swapped God for smartphones and digital media, with damaging effects.

“A lot of Americans have replaced God with the smartphone and with the apps, and I think that that is a dark thing that we've been kind of talking around for a long time.”
– Alex Marlowe (32:37)

9. Gun Control & Policy Debates

(34:10 – 36:03)

• Hosts anticipate a political pivot to gun control but maintain that failed mental health infrastructure and spiritual emptiness are driving forces behind such violence.

“We need insane asylums and we need gender dysphoric individuals not to be able to own guns.”
– Charlie Kirk (36:03)

10. Segment on Corporate America, Culture Wars, and Consumer Power

(37:29 – 47:55)

• Robby Starbuck joins to discuss culture battles with corporations, naming Cracker Barrel and the NFL as entities susceptible to ideological capture. He advocates for consumer boycotts and pressure campaigns to defend traditional values within corporate America.
• The segment highlights the left's use of business as tools for cultural evangelization, and the emerging pushback from a more conservative, younger generation.

“You create an environment where every other company is afraid ... that the right at any given time is so culturally dominant that if we turn the switch, we can get your company to fold.”
– Robby Starbuck (41:45)

Memorable Quotes

• “If this is not demonic, I don't know what is.”
  – Michael Knowles (03:30)

• “Prayer is not a guarantee of a covering. Prayer is first and foremost an act of worship and an act of contrition to an almighty God that is the author of life.”
  – Charlie Kirk (07:10)

• “To be a martyr is to die because someone hates the faith ... The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
  – Michael Knowles (11:00)

• “A lot of Americans have replaced God with the smartphone and with the apps ... we've taken God out of our lives the same time we've gotten this blatant addiction to these phones and these devices.”
  – Alex Marlowe (32:37)

• “We only know that something is evil and wrong because we have a transcendent standard to compare it to ... If you do not believe in God, it is not right and wrong. It's nothing more than preferences.”
  – Charlie Kirk (51:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Immediate Reaction / Spiritual Context: 01:05 – 04:17
• The Problem of Evil & Prayer: 04:17 – 11:00
• Martyrdom and Christian Perseverance: 10:55 – 12:39
• Why Americans Are Returning to Church: 15:17 – 18:56
• Shooter’s Motives & Institutional Failure: 19:04 – 29:11
• Theodicy / Philosophy of Evil: 48:32 – 53:48
• Cultural Critique & Social Media’s Role: 31:35 – 34:47
• Corporate America, DEI, and Boycotts: 37:29 – 47:55

Notable Moments and Tone

• The conversation is raw, urgent, and openly polemical—reflective of the hosts’ unapologetic conservative and Christian perspective.
• There is a consistent emphasis on wrestling with difficult questions rather than providing easy answers.
• The guests consistently critique mainstream political and media narratives, seeking to reframe national conversation around spiritual and cultural renewal, not mere policy fixes.

For Listeners Seeking More

• The episode digs deeply into the intersection of tragedy, faith, politics, and culture.
• If you want a conservative and faith-centered take on the tragedy and its broader implications—the role of evil, meaning of prayer, why religion matters, and how the culture war manifests in corporate America—this episode provides a detailed, passionate exploration.