Podcast Summary:

Podcast: The Michael Knowles Show
Episode: "Charlie Kirk Helped Me Find Jesus" Students Give Their Testimony | Cross The Line
Date: September 27, 2025
Host: Sam Spainer (guest-hosting for The Daily Wire) with student guests: Elizabeth Kleckner, Nathan McIntyre, Teva Feit

Episode Overview

This somber and powerful episode focuses on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, and the aftermath on college campuses. Sam Spainer hosts a roundtable discussion with three students—Elizabeth, Nathan, and Teva—whose personal and spiritual lives were deeply transformed by Kirk. The conversation examines Kirk’s impact on their faith, the state of debate and violence on American campuses, and what comes next for the conservative youth movement in an era of rising hostility. The tone is earnest, mournful, but defiant.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Shock and Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

• Tribute and National Trauma

  • The episode opens by recounting Kirk’s assassination on a university campus, framing it as a national trauma and a dire turning point for political violence in America.
  • "Charlie Kirk has been shot. Political assassination triggering a national trauma the likes of which we had not seen in decades." —Sam Spainer [00:18]

• Student and Organizational Response

  • Students and TPUSA vow to continue Kirk’s campus tour despite the threats and tragedy, with record-breaking attendance at the first event after his death (4,000 attendees for a 2,700-seat auditorium).
  • They describe a duty to "reassert order and re establish a healthy politics." —Sam Spainer [03:50].

2. Charlie Kirk’s Influence on Faith and Personal Growth

• Finding Faith through Kirk’s Example

  • Students credit Kirk’s lifestyle and his blending of faith and political engagement as pivotal to their own returns to Christianity.
  • "Charlie's impact, you know, he also made me a better Christian...just, like, impacted me more to be just super close to my faith." —Elizabeth Kleckner [00:00, 05:01]

• Living Faith, Not Empty Rhetoric

  • Kirk is remembered for "approach[ing] people with love" and authentically living his values, unlike many public figures.
  • "He wasn't just like some kind of talking head, but, like, actually lived and approached people with love." —Nathan McIntyre [00:06, 05:25]

• A Unique Combination of Public Figures

  • Kirk is described as “the embodiment of Rush Limbaugh and Billy Graham in the same person.” —Elizabeth Kleckner [05:50], a blend of political heft and evangelical fervor.

3. Kirk’s Political Effectiveness and His Opposition

• Changing Campus Norms

  • Kirk’s ability to shift youth culture and bring debates directly to hostile spaces is repeatedly stressed.
  • “...if I talk to them for 30 seconds, I can change their whole lives.” —Charlie Kirk, quoted by Nathan McIntyre [06:46]

• The Left’s Hostility and Cultural Pushback

  • The students and host analyze why Kirk was targeted, suggesting that his visible, uncompromising Christianity and effectiveness made him a threat.
  • Stories of campus disinterest—or even celebration—after Kirk’s murder are shared, standing in stark contrast to the grief felt by his followers.
  • “Every two voices I heard...were celebrating it. It's crazy.” —Elizabeth Kleckner [12:46]

4. The Climate of Threats and Political Violence

• Firsthand Accounts of Intimidation

  • Nathan recounts a threat on his life as a campus conservative at UMD. The administration failed to protect him, forcing him to switch schools.
  • “A student on campus threatened to shoot me...I didn't go to school for three weeks. The school didn't do anything.” —Nathan McIntyre [14:54]

• Contrast in Social Responses

  • The group highlights the double standard in responses to threats: threats against conservatives are mostly ignored, while even vague or false allegations against the left are amplified.
  • “If someone had accused you of a hate crime, it would be a statewide news story. But a direct threat to kill you passes by.” —Sam Spainer [15:59]

5. Defiance, Mobilization, and Faith in the Movement

• Rejection of Fear and Retreat

  • Despite real danger, the students express a refusal to be intimidated.
  • “That’s not gonna turn us down. We're gonna come back and live through him even more.” —Teva Feit [16:46]
  • “I literally dropped a class just to be here.” —Elizabeth Kleckner [16:57]

• Movement Growth and a New Revival

  • Post-assassination, chapters are swelling with new members—"from kind of moderate sides also go to the right side, which is awesome." —Elizabeth Kleckner [18:16]
  • The “hunger for truth and just normalcy and reality” is expected to drive more youth into conservative activism.

• Handling Hostility Civilly

  • Calls for nonviolent, faithful response to celebrators of political violence:
    • “To not fight violence with violence, we gotta do it through our Christian theology and God will handle the rest.” —Elizabeth Kleckner [20:31]
    • “There’s gonna be repercussions for this.” —Teva Feit [20:22]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 00:00 | Elizabeth Kleckner | “Charlie's impact, you know, he also made me a better Christian.” | | 00:06/05:25 | Nathan McIntyre | “He wasn't just like some kind of talking head, but, like, actually lived and approached people with love.” | | 05:50 | Elizabeth Kleckner | “People say he's the embodiment of Rush Limbaugh and Billy Graham in the same person.” | | 06:46 | Nathan McIntyre (quoting Charlie Kirk) | “The universities get these kids for four years, and they know that if I talk to them for 30 seconds, I can change their whole lives.” | | 12:46 | Elizabeth Kleckner | “Every two voices I heard...were celebrating it. It's crazy.” | | 14:54 | Nathan McIntyre | “A student on campus threatened to shoot me...The school didn't do anything.” | | 16:46 | Teva Feit | “That’s not gonna turn us down. We're gonna come back and live through him even more.” | | 17:10 | Nathan McIntyre | “You trust in the Lord, you say the truth. Whatever happens is God's will.” | | 18:16 | Elizabeth Kleckner | “Going back before Charlie's unfortunate, you know, killing, we had about 30 members at Duluth. Now we're up to, like, 70...So the impact's just everywhere, and we're trying to continue that.” | | 20:31 | Elizabeth Kleckner | “To not fight violence with violence, we gotta do it through our Christian theology and God will handle the rest.” |

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–01:15] Introduction and recounting Kirk's assassination, his legacy, and impact.
• [04:36–07:56] Student testimonies: discovering Kirk, his influence on their faith and activism.
• [08:58–10:18] Discussing the blending of faith and political action; “We have the numbers, we can do this.”
• [12:12–14:15] Campus climate post-murder and personal stories of indifference or hostile reactions.
• [14:54–16:00] Accounts of threats against conservatives on campus; lack of institutional protection.
• [16:46–18:36] Students’ refusal to be intimidated and the movement’s rapid growth post-assassination.
• [19:33–20:37] What to do about those who celebrate violence; calls for Christian civility and continued activism.

Conclusion

This episode offers an emotional chronicle of Charlie Kirk’s impact both as a public figure and as a personal inspiration, especially to young conservatives and Christians. The guests reflect on the pain and shock of political violence but respond with renewed commitment, hope, and an explicit sense of spiritual mission. Despite deep societal division, the students remain defiant in their pursuit of debate, truth, and revival, continuing Kirk’s work in his memory.