
President Trump takes Gaza, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offers to jail America's criminals, and Kanye is back on Twitter with the good stuff. Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/4biDlri Ep.1667 - - - DailyWire+: Now is the time to join the fight. Watch the hit movies, documentaries, and series reshaping our culture. Go to https://dailywire.com/subscribe today. "Identity Crisis" tells the stories the mainstream media won’t. Stream the full film now, only on DailyWire+: https://bit.ly/3C61qVU Order your Mayflower Cigars here: https://bit.ly/3Qwwxx2 (Must be 21+ to purchase. Exclusions may apply) - - - Today's Sponsors: ExpressVPN - Secure your online data TODAY by visiting https://ExpressVPN.com/knowles and you can get an extra four months FREE. Helix Sleep - Go to https://helixsleep.com/knowles to get an exclusive discount + 2 FREE Dream Pillows with any mattress purchase. Good Ranchers - Visit https://goodranchers.com and sub...
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Michael Knowles
After almost a year and a half of war between Israel and Hamas, after 77 years of regular war between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, President Trump might have just solved the question of who gets Gaza. Is it the Muslims? Is it the Jews? No, it's Trump.
Donald Trump
The US Will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out. Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job. Do something different. Just can't go back. If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.
Michael Knowles
This man has never set his eyes on a piece of real estate that he did not want to acquire. Even in ruined Gaza. Not the most lush real estate you've ever seen. The man sees opportunity. The Gaza Strip Mall Mag Gaza the Art of the Deal or is he actually trying to make a different deal entirely? Michael I'm Michael Knowles. This is the Michael Knowles Show. Welcome back to the show. As Elon Musk's Doge tears apart the federal government, Chuck Schumer is railing against it. The Democrats are spreading all sorts of lies and fake news. They're saying that Doge is illegal. We'll get to the real history of Doge and its predecessors. There's so much more to say. First though, go to expressvpn.com knowles There has been a lot of talk about how AI is going to make the world a better place. But the question is, better for whom? Better for politicians who will use it to sway your vote based on your online activity. Doesn't sound like a better world to me, which is why I protect myself with ExpressVPN. And I think you should too. ExpressVPN is an app that encrypts 100% of your online activity and reroutes it through secure servers so that no one can see what websites you visit or what apps you use. Not your Internet provider, not data brokers, not any artificial intelligence system. ExpressVPN is incredibly easy to use. Works on every device, phones, laptops, tablets and more. It's also extremely fast, so it won't slow down your streaming, gaming or learning. It comes with a risk free 30 day money back guarantee. No wonder top tech experts like CNET and The Verge Rate ExpressVPN the number one VPN on the market. Do not wait until it's too late. The time to protect your data from the future is now. Use my special Link to get four extra months of ExpressVPN's privacy protection for free. Go to expressvpn.com knowles e x p r E-S-S vpn.com knowles get four extra months for free Now. I think putting President Trump's proposal for Gaza aside, most fair minded people can acknowledge that when we're talking about who really has the right to the Gaza Strip, it is neither the Muslims nor the Jews. It is King Baldwin iii. I think most people with even a passing familiarity with history and the law, who have even a modicum of integrity and fairness, would recognize it belongs to King Baldwin and his successors. I also noticed someone pointed this out on X last night. King Baldwin bears a striking similarity, an odd resemblance to Baron Trump, Baron Octavian Augustus Trump, as I call him. So anyway, just food for thought. I'm just throwing that out there. What is Trump doing? What is he doing here? I don't know. Of all you say, hey, we're gonna get Greenland, I think. Oh, Greenland, that's beautiful. A lot of resources, strategic up in the Arctic. Okay, I get that. Hey, we're gonna take back the Panama Canal. Okay, that definitely very strategic. Very much in America's national security interest. I totally under. We never should have given it up in the first place during the Carter administration. Hey, we're going to maybe acquire Canada. Yeah, makes sense. It's just America's top hat. So maybe that, hey, we gotta get Gaza. Wait, Gaza? What? Huh? I don't know about Gaza. What is this? Some people are suggesting that this was just a deal that Bibi Netanyahu cooked up. Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, was at the White House with President Trump yesterday, and this is Trump just doing Netanyahu's bidding now. Great. Okay, Bibi breaks it and then Trump goes in and cleans it up and it's all good for Israel. That's what Israel. But I gotta tell you, the primary video footage of Trump's announcement has. Has the camera focused just on Trump. If you look at the other angle, Bibi Netanyahu's expression does not look like the expression of someone who is thrilled about this proposal. This does not look like the expression of someone who even expected this proposal. Just take a look. Here's Trump's announcement from Netanyahu's angle, the.
Donald Trump
US Will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.
Michael Knowles
See, look at Bibi and be responsible.
Donald Trump
For dismantling all of the damages.
Michael Knowles
The minute that Trump announces take over the Gaza Strip, he's got his eyebrow raised. He starts shifting uncomfortably. He looks out at the audience, kind of with an odd smirk, like, what is. What is this guy talking about? Looks back at Trump, shifting all over, looking down at his notes. You don't usually see Netanyahu this nervous. This is a man who's very much in command of his body. Keeps looking at, how am I supposed to react here?
Donald Trump
What be the beginning of a larger and more enduring peace that will end the.
Michael Knowles
What do I say now? Hey, look at this. The shifting of the weight.
Donald Trump
My administration has been moving quickly to restore trust.
Michael Knowles
I do not read this announcement as. As a secret deal that Trump and Netanyahu cooked up in the back room. Obviously, they're talking. They've been talking about this issue. But I read this announcement from Trump as a move. I read this announcement from Trump as a part of a much larger negotiation, not just a negotiation with the Palestinian Arabs or with Arab states, Muslim states in the region. I view this announcement as also part of a negotiation with the state of Israel. I don't know that Netanyahu really benefits from Trump coming in and saying, we own Gaza now. You own Gaza? Wait, what? In part, because if Trump claims Gaza, says, that's ours now, that means the war is over. And if the war is over, that's bad for Netanyahu. Netanyahu needs the war to continue. One, to maintain his domestic political popularity. But two, because Hamas has not been totally dismantled yet. That was the strategic objective of the war in Gaza. After October 7, Hamas leads this assault on Israel, Israeli civilians. And so Israel goes in, says, we can no longer accept the security threat on our border, so we have to dismantle Hamas. Nothing less will suffice in this war. The war's been going on almost a year and a half now. There's a ceasefire deal announced by Trump because when Trump got elected, he said, hey, Netanyahu, do whatever you want. Do whatever you want, while Biden's president just wrap this thing up by the time I'm inaugurated. And Trump seems to be following through on that. They announced the ceasefire deal. A lot of people in Israel are upset by the ceasefire deal because they wanted the war to continue and they wanted Hamas to be further obliterated. Now Trump comes in, he says, yeah, it's ours. We own it now. Well, if the United States owns Gaza, then the Israelis can't drop any more bombs. Is that maybe part of what's going on here now, a lot of people are saying, we don't wanna own Gaza. We don't wanna be nation building in the Middle East. It wasn't cool when George Bush did it. It's not cool when Donald Trump does it. I'm just not convinced that Trump's statements yesterday reflect his true strategic objectives. I think, and I think we got a lot of evidence behind this now, that Trump sometimes talks past the sale. To use the language of Scott Adams, I think sometimes Trump throws things out there so that he can walk certain proposals back later on and achieve a deal. I think the guy negotiates. You know, he's written multiple books about this. He doesn't exactly hide the ball on negotiating. So what's really going to happen in Gaza? I mean, look, maybe there's going to be a big International Trump golf course and hotel and casino in Khan Younis. Maybe I would be surprised by that, but that could happen. But nuts and bolts. What is the plan for Gaza? What about all of the displaced civilians there? Trump and Netanyahu discuss it in the Oval Office. Would Palestinians have the right to return to Gaza if they left while the rebuilding was happening?
Donald Trump
It would be my hope that we could do something really nice, really good where they wouldn't want to return. Why would they want to return? The place has been hell. It's been one of the meanest, one of the meanest, toughest places on earth. And right now it's. I've seen every picture from every angle better than if I were there. And nobody can live there. You can't live there. So if we can build, if we can build them through massive amounts of money supplied by other people, very rich nations, and they're willing to supply it, if we can build something for them in one of the countries, and it could be Jordan and it could be Egypt, it could be other countries, and you could build four or five or six areas. It doesn't have to be one area, but you take certain areas and you build really good quality housing, like a beautiful town, like someplace where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guarantee that they're going to end up dying. The same thing's going to happen again. It's happened over and over again. And it's going to happen again, as sure as you're standing there, Peter.
Michael Knowles
Okay, so the principle Trump's articulating at the end is the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting different results. So people who are saying that Trump's proposals Here, maybe his proposals are sincere, maybe they're just a negotiating tactic, maybe he's exaggerating, maybe it's some combination. But they're saying his proposals are insane. But Trump's response to that, his rejoinder is no, you know what's insane? Just trying the same thing over and over and over again that has led to the exact Same results for 77 years. But what's the upshot of all of this? You heard the question, I think from Peter Doocy, will the Palestinians be permitted to return to their homes, which don't exist anymore, but will they be permitted to return at least in principle? And Trump says no. And there Netanyahu does not look surprised. That looks like something they've been discussing. Trump says no, they're not gonna return. Egypt and Jordan are going to take them, which has been a big component of Israeli Palestinian negotiations for many decades now. Says they're gonna stay in Egypt or they're gonna stay in Jordan. We're gonna make nice places for them, big beautiful condominiums. It's gonna be great. Check out the window treatments, it's gonna be fabulous. But, but no, they're not going to return. Which you know how much I hate to say I told you so, but on this issue, I so totally told you so for years now. And I feel bad cuz it's an unpleasant situation, but I feel totally, totally vindicated. The strategic goal in Gaza is now and has always been ethnic cleansing. We'll get to what that means in just a moment cause a lot of people don't understand what that means. There's so much more to say. First though, go to helixsleep.com knowles I was under the weather for a few days with this bug that's going around the entire country and I did not sleep in my own bed. 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Helixsleep.com knowles I got in so much trouble a year and a half ago when I said, look, the Israelis goal in Gaza is obviously ethnic cleansing. I got in trouble because people said, michael, how dare you accuse the Israelis of genocide. I said, what are you talking about? I've never accused the Israelis of genocide. I said, the strategic goal is ethnic cleansing. Ethnic cleansing is different from genocide. Genocide is when you exterminate an entire population. Ethnic cleansing is when you displace an entire population. Genocide very clearly prohibited in international law. Ethnic cleansing actually not so clearly prohibited, not totally addressed in international law. It's a different thing, not pleasant, not something that one generally encourages. Ethnic cleansing, however, what was the alternative going to be? The stated goal of the Palestinian Arabs is now and has always been the ethnic cleansing of Jews in the State of Israel. And in fact in many cases has been the stated goal has been genocide of the Jews in the state of Israel. So that was their stated goal. What is Israel supposed to expect from this little area of land on its west side, this area of land that is constantly shooting rockets into it that on October 7th of 2023 invades and slaughters so many civilians? After October 7th, the Israeli state decided that Palestinians in Gaza were an unacceptable security risk. And so even if it wasn't the stated objective, the clear strategic objective was the ethnic cleansing, the displacement of the people in Gaza. Now there's really nowhere for them to live because the buildings have been leveled and one feels pity for the Arab Palestinians. But let's not forget the Palestinians stated goal. The goal actually that the Palestinian Arabs in Gaza voted for through the organization of Hamas was the ethnic cleansing of the Jews in the State of Israel. So the mutual goals of both belligerents here was the ethnic cleansing of the other. And Trump is just saying it out loud. That's what's going on here. So we can clutch our pearls, we can pretend to be shocked. Maybe some people really are shocked. If you've been paying attention to this for even five minutes, if you have even two brain cells to rub together and you've spent any time focusing on this, this was obviously going to be the conclusion. Now, one other notable statement came out of Trump's meeting with Netanyahu that the statement pertains to Iranian attempts to assassinate Trump. And here is Trump's response to the Iranians. It's Iran and their proxies who have threatened to retaliate against you and your team by killing you guys for taking out Solomon.
Donald Trump
Well, they haven't done that. And that would be a terrible thing for them to do. Not because of me. If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I've left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won't be anything left, and they shouldn't be able to do it. And Biden should have said that, but he never did. I don't know why. Lack of intelligence, personal perhaps, but he never said it. If that happens to a leader or close to a leader, frankly, if you had other people involved also, you would call for total obliteration of a state that did it. That would include Iran.
Michael Knowles
Total obliteration. This is a good threat. Because whatever you think about the threat from Iran on the United States, some people think that the threat against the United States is exaggerated from Iran. Whatever you think about it, Iran very much wants to assassinate Trump. That much seems clear. And John Bolton and Mike Pompeo and other people, because President Trump and all those other guys assassinated the top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani. So they've been trying to kill Trump for a long time. And it's a good question to ask what happens if they assassinate you? He says, I've left instructions. What a just vague but terrifying threat if you're one of the mullahs in Iran. I've left instructions. There won't be anything left of Iran if I'm assassinated. If I'm not assassinated, maybe we play nice with Iran. If I'm assassinated, if anyone even close to me is assassinated, there won't be anything left. I think Trump's comments on Gaza are not totally disconnected from those comments in response to assassination threats from Iran. Oh, you think I won't do it? I just claimed Gaza for myself. I said, I'm gonna build a hotel casino in Khan Younis, okay? And guess what? Denmark believes me when I'm making threats about Greenland. And Panama believes me when I'm making threats about the Canal. And Mexico and Canada both believe me when I'm making threats about tariffs. So, hey, Iran, do you really want to take the chance? It's Dirty Harry. I know what you're thinking. Did I fire six shots or only five? Well, to be honest, I don't remember myself. But do you feel lucky, punk? Do you? That's the point of the threat that Trump is making here against Iran. Now, it's a good threat. The only thing is, Trump now needs to make sure that neither Netanyahu nor Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia assassinate him and make it look like Iran. Because if you are Bibi or MBS in Saudi Arabia, you're thinking, hold on, wait, Trump's promising to completely obliterate my arch enemy Iran. That's not. But I don't think that'll happen. I think actually Trump gets along very well with Netanyahu. Netanyahu said Trump is the biggest friend of the state of Israel that Israel has ever had. Saudi Arabia has a very, very good relationship with the Trump White House in particular. So I think a lot of these threats, especially getting back to Gaza, are. He's making a huge claim here, a claim that he might follow through on. I don't mean to downplay that. Which will then trigger states like Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Egypt and Israel, people in the region to say, hold on, actually, no, we'll work out a deal. Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, you don't need to do that. Don't send in the Marines. We'll work out a deal. So I understand the legitimate concern from people, especially military families, who say, I don't want my boys going over there to build resorts in Gaza. That is not a good use of the military. I totally understand that. I agree with that. But I would just say to sound like a hip, cool zoomer, let him cook. The guy's got a good track record on these things. So I would just say, let him cook. He's cooking. Let him cook. Now, speaking of Trump and killing things, President Trump has announced, after weeks of speculation, that he will, in fact, end the Department of Education. And on the Education Department, why nominate Linda McMahon to be the Education Department.
Chuck Schumer
Secretary if you're going to get rid.
Michael Knowles
Of the Education Department?
Donald Trump
Because I told Linda, linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job. I want her to put herself out of a job. Education Department. So we're ranked number 40 out of 40 schools, right. We're ranked number one in cost per pupil. So we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world. World. And we're ranked at the bottom of the list. We're ranked very badly. And what I want to do is let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.
Michael Knowles
Do you think that's something you can do with an executive order or you're going to have Congress to do.
Donald Trump
I'd like to be able to look if I could give the schools back to Iowa and Idaho and Indiana and all these places that run properly. There's many of them.
Michael Knowles
There it is. Hold on. Is he gonna end the Department of Education? He said he ran on ending the Department of Education, but then he appointed Lyndon McMahon to be the Secretary of Education, which seems like he's gonna just change it or reform it or. Okay. But here's the answer. He is going to end it, just like Republicans have been promising to do for 45 years. This is another key to the Trump presidency. When people claim that Trump is radical. We've never seen anything like this before. He's extreme. He's an American original, no question. He speaks in a way that is jarring and maybe that we haven't experienced before. But in terms of what he is doing, you know what makes Trump unique, You know, what makes him a singular, distinctive figure? It's not that he's got the craziest ideas ever. It's that he is actually following through on the kinds of promises that Republicans have made for decades. That's it. We've been hearing that Republicans are going to end the Department of Education since Ronald Reagan. Every Republican president, presidential candidate promises to do it. None of them follow through. Just like getting back to the Middle east. We've been hearing for decades and decades that America's gonna move the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Every Republican president was promising that, but then none of them did it. Trump does it. That's the difference. You want to know? The big difference is Trump actually does the things that all the other Republicans say that they're going to do. The difference is actually integrity and follow through. How strange to say, given the popular portrayal of President Trump. There's so much more to say. First, though, go to goodranchers.com, use code KNOWLES. Do you know what I had for dinner two nights ago? Unfortunately, not last night, but two nights ago. I had beautiful, delicious, good ranchers ribeye. 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I want to hear from you in the mailbag. Mailbag's coming up on Friday, so you gotta get your mailbag questions in. The way you do it is you go to dailywire.com you click watch the Watch page, you click the Michael Knowles show. Then you click Submit a mailbag question. You can write it in. Keep it short though, guys, I don't need 10 paragraphs on your question. You know, really, three sentences is great. Or you can submit a voicemail back that means you go to your voice app. However, you record your voice and keep it to certainly under a minute, ideally 30 seconds. I can't air these five minute long questions. You put it in there, you attach it to the email, send it in. Then I will hear your beautiful dulcet, mellifluous tones. On Friday, the Washington Post is up in arms. Washington Post as the symbol and mouthpiece of the liberal establishment up in arms, Elon Musk's Doge Department of Government Efficiency is illegal. This is what Elon is doing at Trump's behest to cut departments and fat away from the federal government. It's illegal. So says WaPo. So say all these Democrat senators, all these Democrat talking heads, US Government officials. Now they're apparently quoting these secret US Trump officials that privately warned that Musk's blitz appears illegal. The billionaire's Doge team has launched an all out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous legal objections. Okay, I'd like to give a little hat tip here to a great Twitter account X account Suit Moose Esquire who made this point yesterday. Doge is not only not illegal, Doge isn't even original. The Department of Government Efficiency is not some new idea that Elon cooked up sitting in the Tesla headquarters playing video games. It's not some new idea that Trump cooked up on his own. We have had many examples of Doges in the history of the United States and in fact we've had doges. We've had government efficiency initiatives in the executive branch that have been implemented in pretty similar ways to the ways that this is being implemented. What is doge? Is it in the government? Is it outside the government? There seems to be a little confusion about that. DoGE is a temporary service nestled under the US Digital Service. DoGE is formally tasked with upgrading software, but it's really tasked with auditing the entire Executive branch. We have seen this before. This goes back at least 100 years, maybe more. As the great suit moose, Esquire on X points out, Woodrow Wilson created a Bureau of Efficiency via Executive Action. There was no law passed by Congress. He just created the Bureau of Efficiency. The purpose of the Bureau of Efficiency was essentially the purpose of doge. After Wilson, FDR created the Brownlow Commission. Brownlow Commission ended with the creation of the Executive Office of the President, which is all of those offices and staff members talking about. Now, what is it? Something like 1800 staff members nestled in the Executive Office of the President. Most of them work in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. That was created through an Executive commission. Pretty much like Doge. After fdr. President Truman created the Hoover Commission. The Hoover Commission was followed by another Reorganization Act. FDR got his changes through a Reorganization act. That was followed by another Reorganization Act. But the Hoover Commission was just something that President Truman cooked up to create efficiencies and a new order within the executive. Ronald Reagan, good old Saint Gipper, had the Grace Commission. He created the Grace Commission via Executive Order, just like Trump created doge. The purpose of the Grace Commission was to cut fat in the Executive Branch. And there was actually a campaign talking point that without the Grace Commission, the US national debt would have hit $13 trillion. But they cut away so much fat that it didn't hit $13 trillion. It actually took another decade or more, more than that, to hit $13 trillion. Not just St. Reagan, not just even those old timey Democrats, even real modern Democrats. Al Gore, when he was Vice President, created the National Partnership for Reinventing Government. Same purpose as Doge, to create efficiencies in the government. And same conclusions as Doge, really. The National Partnership for Reinventing Government eliminated over 100 government programs. Eliminated over a quarter million federal jobs. People are arguing now Trump doesn't have the right. Elon Musk certainly doesn't have the right to be just deleting all of these federal jobs. There's a formal process for this. No, actually, Al Gore did it. Quarter million federal jobs consolidated over 800 agencies. None of those commissions and bureaus and initiatives, none of them were created by Congress. None of them were created as a matter of law on Capitol Hill. They were all created in the executive in the exact same way that Donald Trump created Doge. Chuck Schumer on Capitol Hill apparently didn't get the memo.
Chuck Schumer
And the American people, mark my words, the American people will not stand for an unelected secret group to run rampant through the Executive branch. Being innovative is good, but Mr. Musk, this isn't a tech startup. These are public institutions that deal with things like Social Security and Medicare and national defense and provide for the well being of the American people. And the American people have a right to be part of that debate. Part of that debate. The elections occurred and one viewpoint got a few more votes than the other. But that doesn't mean we throw out democracy. That doesn't mean what's been done for centuries in this country should just go out the window and be substituted by a small group of people who think they know a lot more than the wisdom of the American people.
Michael Knowles
What's been done for a century in the United States is exactly what Trump is doing right now. Schumer, I guess, is just ignorant of his history or he's lying. But let's be nice to Chuck, let's be charitable, and let's say he's just ignorant. The aberration, the break with historical precedent would be to have this whole thing run out of Congress. That's not how this has worked. Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan, Al freaking Gore, all of them did it the way that Trump is doing it. None of them did it the way that you're proposing, Chuck. So as usual, this is just projection. Trump is acting lawlessly. His proposals are out of keeping with the American. What are you talking about? He's acting very much within the law and within historical precedent. And just because you won a few more votes. A few more votes. Hold on. It was an Electoral college landslide. It was a clear popular vote victory for a Republican for the first time in 20 years. Huge swathes of every demographic, even the ones that you Most rely on. 40% of women under 30, what are you talking? A little. Few more votes? Just because of that doesn't mean that democracy's thrown out the window. No, no, no, democracy's not thrown out the window. If Trump did not implement Doge, that would be throwing democracy out the window. Don't forget. This isn't some secret group of people I love. He says this is a secret group of people. Elon Musk is secret. He's one of the most public individuals on planet Earth. They haven't exactly hid the ball on this. Chuck Schumer Trump campaigned on putting Elon Musk in charge of efficiency in the government. This is my same argument as to why the Senate needs to confirm Tulsi Gabbard and Bobby Kennedy Jr. The argument for that is Trump campaigned on this. Maybe you like Tulsi, maybe you like Bobby, maybe you don't like either of them. You can't say that. The American people didn't know what they were getting. Trump brought them up on stage with him at Madison Square Garden and said, this is what I'm gonna do with these people. If you want that, vote for me. If you don't, don't vote for me. And they voted for him. Give the people what they want. And by the way, also at Madison Square Garden and at many other rallies, he pulls Elon Musk on stage. He says, I'm gonna put this guy in charge of creating efficiencies in the federal government. You want that vote for me? That's democracy in action. That's historical precedent. That's the American tradition. We don't need some secret group unaccountable to the people to be ruling us. Chuck, that's what you've been doing for the last four years. Does anybody, even if you think Biden got elected, does anybody think Biden's been running the show for four years? No, we have no idea who's been running the country for four years. Most people are clear at this point, it wasn't Joe Biden. Projection, projection, projection. Now, speaking of efficiencies, another great innovative proposal from overseas, or at least south of the border. My favorite Latin American head of state, Nayib Bukele, the leader of El Salvador has made a beautiful offer to Americans. He has offered to imprison America's criminals. You know, Trump flies criminal aliens down to Colombia. Colombia says, no, no, gracias, no, we don't want that. And then, you know, then Trump works out a deal. But Bukele says the opposite. He goes, oh, please don't. Not only should you bring us criminal El Salvadorans, not only should you bring us criminal illegal aliens, we'll take your criminal American citizens too. We got super jails over here. Manai Bukele, you wanna know if that guy's good at one thing? He's good at many things. But if you wanna know he's good at one thing, it is imprisoning very nasty criminals. That guy turned El Salvador from the most dangerous country on earth to the safest country in the Western hemisphere. And he did it by taking all the face tattooed, Satan worshipping gangsters and throwing in a hellish prison and then videotaping them running around like cockroaches and then broadcasting that to all the other face tattooed gangsters. And guess what? The crime rate went down. So what does Bukele say? He says, we've offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system. We are willing to take in only convicted criminals, including convicted U.S. citizens. I love this. Into our mega prison CECOT in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us making our entire prison system sustainable. This is the art of the deal. This is a really good deal. You think the libs are saying we need to end private prisons in America? I think Trump's outside the box thinking here can say, okay, great, we'll end private prisons in America. We're going to outsource them to El Salvador. How you like that? The libs won't arrest rapists and murderers and people who set subway cars on fire. They'll actually arrest the people who try to stop the bad guys. Okay, well, now we got a new sheriff in town and you know what we're gonna do? We're not only gonna arrest our criminals, we're gonna ship them off to Nayib Bukele. I think if anyone can reform him, it's gonna be that guy. How's that sound? Not a bad idea. It'd probably be a lot cheaper than imprisoning them in the United States. And I don't know. I don't know if people are gonna go for it, but I at least like that proposal as a starting point for criminal justice reform. We all want criminal justice, all right? That's my kind of criminal justice reform. No matter where you are watching or listening right now. Take a second. Hit the follow button. That could be on Spotify, that could be on Apple podcasts, that could be on YouTube, could be on MySpace, it could be on Zanga, it could be on LiveJournal, it could be on AOL, instant messenger. Wherever it is, you just click that follow button. Makes a huge difference in fighting back against algorithms that don't want to spread our show. If you want the full show uncensored, uninterrupted, unshackled, unburdened by what has been from our big tech overlords. You need to become a Daily Wire member. As a member, you get unlimited access to our entire library of premium entertainment, including the culture shaping documentary what is a woman in the hilariously offensive box office hit Amiracist. Go to DailyWire.com subscribe right now and join the fight. My favorite comment yesterday is from Laz Tavos, who says, if smoking marijuana causes short term memory loss, what does smoking marijuana do? It got me. I laughed when I read it and I laughed when I read it a second time. My speaking of. So, wow, maybe I had short term memory loss from that. Mary, what was Professor Jacobs smoking yesterday? I forget. Speaking of protecting Americans, Tulsi Gabbard has advanced out of committee. The Senate Intelligence Committee voted yesterday to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination. The vote was 9 to 8. It was a vote along party lines. Very, very good. I mean, to be expected, frankly. The fact that all the Republicans will vote for her, at least in committee, is a good sign because I expected plenty of Republicans to squish on Tulsi Gabbard. But this is what a mandate means. You know, I remember I was at that Madison Square Garden rally where Tulsi spoke and Bobby Kennedy spoke and Elon Musk spoke and a lot of people spoke. Dr. Phil spoke. There are a lot of people there. But I remember I was sitting with some friends sitting at Stage Steele and Dave Rubin and a number of other people, and I said, why is he doing this rally here? Why campaign a couple weeks before the election in New York City? He's not gonna win New York. And some friends of mine said he's going for the popular vote. In other words, he's going for a mandate. He thinks that he's got the Electoral College in the bag. So now he's putting all his chips on the table. He's buying leverage for when he is elected. In retrospect, that looks like what he was doing. Had Trump hid the ball, played it safe, run a campaign like Romney 2012, which is, we're not gonna talk about anything even remotely controversial. We're just gonna focus on the economy. You know, had Trump run one of these I'm just gonna fix inflation kind of campaigns, first of all, I don't think he would have won. I think that the wisdom of the Romney campaign, that could be my next blank book. The wisdom of the Romney campaign was just mistaken. But had he done that, and then he came into office and he started talking about all these wild things, we're gonna slap new tariffs, we're gonna have mass deportations, we're going to take back the Panama Canal, all this stuff, we're gonna control Gaza, whatever. All of this would have been so totally jarring and unpopular. He would have been restricted. However, if during the campaign Trump says Hey, when you elect me, you know what you're getting? Tulsi gabber. You're getting two Democrat presidential candidates. And we're gonna make America healthy again. And we're gonna have beef tallow basically sprayed down into the atmosphere. And we're gonna do this, and we're gonna do all. And we're gonna have a lot of tariffs and we're gonna do all this. We're gonna put Elon Musk in charge of some government office I haven't even invented yet. And because he ran on it, he's got a lot of Runway. People are familiar with that. And I think it's what gives him so much negotiating leverage. Now, speaking of advancing out of government, speaking of people just being advanced out of the government, an important story happened a couple days ago, but I want to get to it. The USDA Inspector General was escorted out of her office by security. Phyllis Fong is a 22 year veteran of the USDA, and she told her colleagues that she planned to stay at the White House or stay at USDA after the White House fired her. And her argument was that the White House did not follow the proper protocols to fire her. So she was gonna keep her job. Even though Trump said she was out, she was gonna keep her job, and that was that they could drag her out with security if they wanted to. Which is exactly what Trump did. She said, according to an email reviewed by Reuters, that the independent counsel of the inspectors general on integrity and efficiency, quote, has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective. And Trump said they'll be effective. I'm going to drag you out of your office kicking and screaming if I have to. And Trump did that to send the same kind of message he's been sending on all these fronts. He's not bluffing, except when he is, but he will follow through. The thing about bluffing is sometimes you gotta follow through. That's the only way you can have an effective bluff. Anyone who's played two games of poker in your entire life knows this. So sometimes you gotta follow through and he does, and that's gonna cause some chaos and consternation. Walter Kern made a good point on social media, which is that we hear a lot about the peaceful transfer of power. This the American tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, which President Trump so upended. Supposedly, in 2020, they forget about all the riots and the setting cars on fire and the shrieking and the denial of the election from top Democrats. In 2016. Forget about that. But Trump threaten the peaceful transfer of power for the first time ever. Well, Walter Kern made the point that there's a difference between the peaceful transfer of power and changing shifts at your job. That what we've called the peaceful transfer of power, the shift in power from, I don't know, Reagan to Clinton, Clinton to Bush, Bush to Obama, that that was less a transfer of power than it was just a shift change. Okay, that, yeah, there were different kind of policy desires, but the fundamental understanding of the political order really was the same in many ways. I actually forgot about George Bush the first. From Reagan to Bush to Bush to Clinton to Clinton to Bush to Bush to Obama, they all basically share the same underlying philosophy. Not so with Trump. Adrian Vermeule, the legal theorist at Harvard, pointed to the distinction between formal and material transfer of power. That you can have two guys, one wearing a red tie, one wearing a blue tie, and they have a formal transfer of power at the inauguration. But if they all agree on the basics, it's kind of just formal. But if you have one guy who's wearing a red tie and one guy who's wearing a jean jacket and a tank top, maybe that's not so much a formal transfer of power as a material transfer. You're actually gonna be getting something different in your government now. That's probably what's going on with Trump. And material transfers of power are not that peaceful. The 1860 election, not so peaceful. That transfer of power. The elections of, well, I don't know. Even Jackson's election, that was a little bit rowdy. The 1960s got pretty rowdy. 2016 got pretty rowdy. How many times have we really had the peaceful transfer of power? Unclear. Good point. Brought up by them to show that we are actually seeing a shift in the political order in the United States now. Speaking of a shift, there's one. It's a minor point, but it's a point that I do want to make. Kanye west is back on Twitter. Kanye west is back on Twitter. I said, oh, no, here we go. What's he going to be tweeting about? First tweet I saw. I speak in third person from now on. I speak. I first person speak in third person from now on. That's a funny tweet. That's a delightful little tweet. Kamala seems like a very nice human. I just want to say sorry to her kids. She doesn't have any kids. That's an odd, funny little tweet. F reading. And anyone who can do it, that's a great. He's suggesting, of course, that he cannot. But he wrote in language, so it's just a funny, delightful little. When I saw this. Now, I know Kanye then showed up to the Grammys and stripped his wife down to her skimmies. And I know, but I'm just talking about the Twitter, the return to Twitter. It wasn't a bunch of Jew stuff. It wasn't a bunch of porn. It wasn't a bunch of the disreputable stuff. It was just funny Kanye posts. Just a sense, even down to the tweets, that we're back. You know, we're back. Something is just a fog miasma has lifted off the country. We can breathe again. We're giddy, we're brimming with joy. To use a phrase from Kamala. I cannot get enough of it. Now, of course, our genius political scientists. So I should be clear about that. Not political scientists, like nerds with statistics, but scientists in lab coats who are actually very political. They tell us that the doomsday clock is closest to midnight, closer than it has ever been. So something to consider while we talk about building up new resort casinos in Gaza. They say that things have never been any worse. But I don't know, I look around, things seem to be improving. There is no member block today because I have to go on Piers Morgan's show. So very sorry to have to do that to you, but it's always a delight to go on Piers Morgan's show. So I thought you would forgive me. I will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, get your candles. Lent is coming up and we do have the smells and bells candle back. It's called Wise man and we sold out. You know, we had to make some changes a little bit, but it's fabulous. If you want to get it, get it right now. Thecandleclub.com and of course, go to mayflowersigors.com get your beautiful Mayflower Psycarlo. We might be sold out of these, actually, but if we're not sold out, you should get the remaining ones that exist 21 years or older. Some exclusions apply. Much more to talk about tomorrow. See you then.
Podcast Summary: The Michael Knowles Show – Ep. 1667: "Trump's Gaza Takeover EXPLAINED in 4 Minutes"
Release Date: February 5, 2025
In Episode 1667 of The Michael Knowles Show titled "Trump's Gaza Takeover EXPLAINED in 4 Minutes," host Michael Knowles delves into former President Donald Trump's recent proposal to assume control over the Gaza Strip. The episode provides a critical analysis of Trump's strategic moves in the Middle East, his interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, Knowles touches upon Trump's stance on Iran, the potential dissolution of the Department of Education, and historical parallels to past government efficiency initiatives.
Donald Trump's Announcement (00:19 - 00:54): Trump announced, "The US Will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings... Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area" (00:19).
Knowles' Commentary: Michael Knowles critiques Trump’s ambitious plan, noting, "This man has never set his eyes on a piece of real estate that he did not want to acquire. Even in ruined Gaza." (00:54). He questions whether Trump genuinely seeks transformation or merely another deal, emphasizing Trump's history of seizing opportunities.
Strategic Intentions (02:00 - 05:20): Knowles posits that Trump's announcement signifies a broader negotiation strategy rather than a straightforward acquisition. He suggests that Trump's move to claim Gaza could be a tactic to end the prolonged conflict without further destabilization. Knowles remarks, "If the United States owns Gaza, then the Israelis can't drop any more bombs. Is that maybe part of what's going on here?" (05:20).
Netanyahu's Reaction: Observing Netanyahu's demeanor during the announcement, Knowles notes a lack of enthusiasm, stating, "Netanyahu does not look surprised. That looks like something they've been discussing." (05:25). This suggests potential reservations from the Israeli leadership regarding Trump's proposal.
Defining Terms (09:27 - 10:35): Knowles differentiates between genocide and ethnic cleansing. He defines genocide as the extermination of an entire population, which is clearly prohibited under international law. In contrast, ethnic cleansing involves the displacement of a population, a practice not as explicitly addressed in international statutes. He asserts, "The strategic goal in Gaza is now and has always been ethnic cleansing." (09:27).
Strategic Objectives: He argues that both Israeli actions in Gaza and the Palestinian objectives are centered around the ethnic cleansing of the other, thereby perpetuating a cycle of displacement and insecurity on both sides.
Assassination Threats (16:24 - 17:04): Addressing Iranian threats to assassinate him, Trump responds, "They would be obliterated. That would be the end. I've left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated." (16:24). Knowles interprets this as a deterrent, linking it to Trump's assertive foreign policy stance.
Implications: Knowles connects Trump's firm position on Iran to his Gaza strategy, suggesting a consistent approach to Middle Eastern geopolitics aimed at asserting U.S. dominance and deterring adversaries.
Trump's Announcement (20:55 - 21:44): Trump declared his intention to end the Department of Education, stating, "I want to let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools and I want Linda to put herself out of a job." (20:55).
Knowles' Perspective: Knowles highlights this move as a fulfillment of long-standing Republican promises, contrasting Trump’s follow-through with previous administrations that failed to act on similar pledges. He states, "The difference is actually integrity and follow through." (21:31).
Comparative Analysis (22:00 - 30:28): Knowles draws parallels between Trump's creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and past government initiatives aimed at streamlining operations. He references:
Knowles emphasizes that Trump's Doge is part of a historical continuum rather than an unprecedented move, stating, "None of those commissions and bureaus and initiatives, none of them were created by Congress. None of them were created as a matter of law on Capitol Hill." (30:28).
Elon Musk’s Doge Department: The episode also touches on Elon Musk's involvement in government efficiency, portraying it as a continuation of Trump's leverage strategies. Knowles critiques Democratic opposition, particularly Chuck Schumer, for disregarding historical precedents and projecting biases onto Trump's actions.
Criminal Justice Reform: Knowles discusses international proposals, such as Nayib Bukele’s offer to take in American criminals, presenting it as innovative criminal justice reform. He praises Bukele’s success in reducing crime in El Salvador through stringent measures and suggests similar strategies could benefit the U.S.
Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination: The advancement of Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to the Senate Intelligence Committee is covered, with Knowles highlighting bipartisan support and its significance for Trump's leveraging power in the government.
Other Commentary: Knowles briefly addresses cultural topics, including Kanye West's return to Twitter, and touches on the global perception of the United States' political shifts.
In this episode, Michael Knowles provides a comprehensive analysis of Donald Trump's latest geopolitical and domestic initiatives, particularly focusing on the controversial proposal to take over the Gaza Strip. By drawing historical parallels and critiquing political opposition, Knowles frames Trump as a decisive leader fulfilling Republican promises and reshaping U.S. policies both internationally and domestically. The episode underscores the complexities of Trump's strategies and their potential long-term impacts on American politics and global relations.
Notable Quotes:
Donald Trump (00:19): "The US Will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too."
Michael Knowles (00:54): "This man has never set his eyes on a piece of real estate that he did not want to acquire."
Donald Trump (09:27): "It would be my hope that we could do something really nice... where they wouldn't want to return."
Michael Knowles (21:31): "None of those commissions and bureaus and initiatives, none of them were created by Congress."
This summary captures the essence of Episode 1667, providing listeners with a detailed and structured overview of the key discussions and insights presented by Michael Knowles.