
India and Pakistan are on the brink of nuclear war, a statue of an obese black woman is erected in Times Square, and Ben of "Ben & Jerry's" makes himself the pope. Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/4biDlri Ep.1731 - - - DailyWire+: Join us at https://dailywire.com/subscribe and become a part of the rebellion against the ridiculous. Normal is back. And this time, we’re keeping it. The hit podcast, Morning Wire, is now on Video! Watch Now and subscribe to their YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/42SxDJC Live Free & Smell Fancy with The Candle Club: https://thecandleclub.com/michael - - - Today's Sponsors: Birch Gold - Text KNOWLES to 989898 for your free information kit. NetSuite - Download the CFO’s FREE Guide to AI and Machine Learning at https://NetSuite.com/KNOWLES PureTalk - Switch to PureTalk and start saving today! Visit https://PureTalk.com/KNOWLES - - - Socials: Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3RwKpq6 Follow on Instagra...
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Michael Knowles
While everyone was busy guessing who the next Pope will be and worrying about deported gangsters and debating the proper use of the N word, India and Pakistan decided to go to war with each other. Now, countries go to war, especially countries that hate each other as much as India and Pakistan. But the countries that go to war are not usually developing nations armed to the hilt with enough nuclear weapons to kill 125 million people on the spot and plunge the world into nuclear winter. So let's get into it. I'm Michael Knowles. This is the Michael Knowles Show. A giant black lady has been erected in Times Square. Not a real lady, it's a giant statue of a random black lady that's now in Times Square because the creators of it hate America. That's actually the reason. And it's almost in their own words. I have much, much more to say. First though, you have to text knowles to 98. 98 98. This July there is a global summit of BRICS nations in Rio de Janeiro. The bloc of emerging superpowers including China, Russia, India and Iran are meeting with the goal of displacing the US Dollar as the global currency. They're calling this the Rio Reset. As BRICS nations push forward with their plans, global demand for US dollars will decrease, bringing down the value of the dollars in your savings. While this transition will not happen overnight, the Rio Reset in July marks a pivotal moment when BRICS objectives move decisively from theoretical possibility to toward reality. Learn if diversifying your savings into gold is right for you. Birch Gold Group can help you move your hard earned savings into a tax sheltered IRA and precious metals. Claim your free info kit on gold by texting my Name Knowles to 989-898 with an A rating with the Better Business Bureau. Tens of thousands of happy customers let birchgold arm you with a free no obligation info kit on owning gold before July in the Rio Reset. Texanol's Canada Wles to 98. 98. 98. Today, before we get to the giant black lady in Times Square, the Defense Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Asif says that nuclear war could break out at any time. So overnight. I mean I'm getting updates 30 seconds before this show starts today. Pakistan says that India sent drones last night and that Pakistan shot down the drones. India is claiming that Islamabad was sending missiles and drones. This after India launched a major military strike on what it calls terrorist targets in Pakistan. That couple weeks after Pakistan launched a major terror attack on India. A lot of it centers around Kashmir which is a disputed territory that both India and Pakistan claim in in full. Is this bluffing? Are they serious when they say nuclear war could break out at any time? How much should we worry? Well, I'll tell you exactly how much we should worry. Both India and Pakistan have about 170 to 180 nuclear warheads each. India's nuclear warheads are about 10 to 40 kilotons. Some of them. A handful of those weapons can go all the way up to 200 kilotons. Pakistan's are a little less powerful. They have warheads that are about 5 to 40 kilotons. Analysts and war experts estimate that a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan, not even one that totally depleted their nuclear arsenals, just a nuclear exchange that is entirely possible and maybe probable, could kill an estimated 125 million people in a week, almost instantly. 125 million people just vaporized. That does not count the fallout. That does not count radiation. That does not count their great grandchildren getting cancer a century down the road, just instantly, 125 million people gone. Because India is a really populous country. It's the most populous country on Earth. What that would mean for the rest of the world, Famine for millions of people, not just because of the region where the nukes were detonated, but because of the fallout, because of a decline in global temperatures, because of an increase in UV radiation. You'd have major agricultural problems. You would certainly have famine affecting millions of people, maybe affecting billions of people. So that would be bad. What's the good news? Is there any hopefulness? There is, which is that India and China, another one of its neighbors, India and China, were shooting at each other for like, three years, just about two or three years ago. People don't even really remember this anymore, but between 2020 and 2022, there were border skirmishes between India and China. India and China, the two most populous nations on Earth. Major emerging markets, China, China especially, really trying to become a superpower. But India on the track to be a really powerful country as well, and they were actually just shooting at each other for, like, three years that didn't turn into nuclear war. So maybe we'll be okay. That said, I feel a lot better when fully developed nations that don't historically hate each other for centuries and acutely since Partition, are the ones that are maybe going to war with each other because there's a little bit more restraint built in. In. In India and Pakistan. The situation seems to be spiraling totally out of control. So anyway, we'll see. I guess the question is, will we first get a new pope? Or will we first be plunged into nuclear winter? We don't know. We don't know. We don't predict the news, but we do not have a pope yet. There was black smoke that came out of the Sistine Chapel last night and this morning. I guess we still don't have a pope. In order to pick a pope, a papal candidate needs to attract 89 votes. The papal candidate needs to get a 2/3 majority of 133 cardinal electors. And that hasn't happened yet, according to the reporting and the odds books. Again, it's not all that useful because the cardinals are sworn under pain of excommunication to keep the proceedings secret. But the scuttlebutt around Rome is that the Vatican Secretary of State, Perelin, who is a kind of a liberal candidate and would probably continue the Pope Francis pontificate. Perelin was considered the front runner. Now reporting is saying his star has faded a little bit. According to the Wall street again, we don't know who they're talking to. You really have to take this with a grain of salt. It's like when you hear leaks out of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, the really serious proceedings are just justices in a room. The most junior justice has to go out and get coffee. There are not a lot of staff members. So if there is a leak coming, either it's because one of the justices has leaked it and so that person doesn't have a lot of credibility because that person's lied, or it's just totally made up. Well, all that, even more so with the cardinals because they're under pain, not just of bad press or, you know, partisans not liking them. They're under pain of excommunication. In any case, what the Journal says is interviews with cardinals and their confidants reveal a wide open race. Whatever support Parolin might have quietly amassed before Francis died has been severely tested as cardinals from around the world have converged in Rome for pre conclave deliberations. What does this mean? What's the 30,000 foot view? I think that the cardinal electors are recognizing that the Francis pontificate had a lot of problems, had a lot of problems. And I don't think they want to go there again. There's an old expression in Italian that a thin pope follows a fat pope and a fat pope follows a thin pope. That the way that the Church elects popes is you don't get the exact same kind of pope all the way in a row. Sometimes you want to flip it, you say, okay, we've gone a Little too much in this direction. We want to go in this direction now. And I think now that the period of mourning is over and when a person dies, we say de mortuis nil nisi bonum. We say nothing but good about the dead. But now that the period of mourning is over, we can be a little bit more clinical and critical of the Francis pontificate. It was chaotic, it was confusing, it was scandalous. In some ways, there were a lot of problems to it. Okay, so I think, not that the cardinal electors are listening to my podcast in the Sistine Chapel right now, but a candidate who is viewed as Francis 2.0 is not a candidate that we want. Not that you asked our opinion, but we don't want it. And I don't think the cardinals want it. I don't think we're gonna get a Francis 2.0. At least I hope not. Now, speaking of Christianity, Ben, not Shapiro, Ben of Ben and Jerry. So still a Jewish Ben, but a different Ben. A left wing Jewish Ben, not a right wing Jewish Ben, might be a Christian Ben of Ben and Jerry's was just on Tucker's show and he said, I love Jesus Christ. This really got my attention. I was very excited to see this. And then I heard the whole statement.
Ben Cohen
In terms of a spiritual belief. I mean, I, I don't practice a religion. I was born a Jew. I love Jesus Christ. I think the words that he said.
Michael Knowles
Are.
Ben Cohen
Wonderful, are, are amazing. And, you know, I'm, I'm kind of distressed that a lot of organized Christian religions are not really, I don't know, abiding by the words of Jesus Christ. I think if, if we could follow the words of Jesus Christ and, and take, you know, think about the Sermon on the Mount and, you know, take his word seriously, we wouldn't be doing the stuff we're currently doing.
Michael Knowles
Okay, I guess I gotta correct my story before because I said we don't have a Pope, but I guess we do. Ben of Ben and Jerry's has made himself the Pope. There you have it. He said. He goes, look, I don't practice religion. I don't really have to do anything. And I really hate organized religion and Christianity the way it's practiced. All these churches are so wrong. But I love Jesus. And I think if the churches would just follow my interpretation of scripture, then things would be great. You know, look, the Catholic Church, which has existed for 2000 years and has, you know, produced and been shaped by the great doctors and theologians, yeah, they're a bunch of dumb idiots. They don't know anything but me and an aging hippie with an ice cream company that I sold a few years ago. Let me tell you, I know exactly what Christianity is about. And those guys, they should follow me. Abemus papam. Abemus papam. Benjaminum. This drives me nuts. I really hope this guy is sincere. I wanna be as fair as I possibly can and as charitable about what he said on Tucker, but this drives me nuts. There is much, much more wisdom for you to just imbibe and let flow over you. But first you gotta go to netsuite.com knowles what does the future hold for business? Ask nine experts, you will get 10 answers. Bull market, Bear market. Inflation's up, inflation's down. Will someone invent a crystal ball? Probably not. Until then, over 41,000 businesses have found a way to future proof their operations with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP. Imagine having your accounting, financial management, inventory and HR all seamlessly integrated into one fluid platform. That's NetSuite. With this unified business management suite, you are not just juggling numbers, you are wielding a powerful tool that gives you the visibility and control to make quick, informed decisions. It's like having a map in a maze of market uncertainties. Real time insight and forecasting Check. It's like peering into the future with actionable data at your fingertips. Here's a game changer. You will be closing your books in days, not weeks. That means less time and paperwork, more time focusing on what matters, which is steering your business toward success. At Daily Wire, we're proud to partner with NetSuite because they're leading the way in future proofing operations for businesses around the world. Whether your company is earning millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars, NetSuite adapts to your needs, helps you respond to immediate challenges, and seize your biggest opportunity. So, speaking of opportunity, download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at netsuite.com knowles the guide is free to you netsuite.com knowles K N A W L E S netsuite.com knowles Ben of Ben and Jerry says, I don't practice religion. I hate organized religion. The Christian churches are wrong. But I love Jesus. I love the words of Jesus, okay? I hope he's sincere and he's really interested in becoming Christian and he pursues that. And I, I don't mean to mock his innocent or ignorant early stirrings of faith because he should follow that. That's a good thing to follow. But try to hear what you're saying. He says, I Love what Jesus said. I don't follow religion, but I love what Jesus said. What is religion? Religion is a habit of virtue that inclines the will to give to God what he deserves. What's one of the most famous things Christ ever said? He said that he's God. He said before Abraham was I am. He said, whoever's seen the Son has seen the Father. How do you square those two things? He says he's God. So how can you say you're not religious if you love what he says? You need to worship him. You need to believe in him. You need to serve him in this life and endeavor to enjoy him forever in eternity. If you really love Jesus. Words. What Ben of Ben and Jerry's is saying here is something akin to the old line that people don't quite believe in Jesus, but they think he was a great moral teacher. CS Lewis eviscerates this line of thinking in Mere Christianity. Because if Christ is not God, he's not a great moral teacher. If Christ is not God, he's a liar. He's a liar because he says he's God and lying is not moral. Liars are not great moral teachers. So what is it? Is he a great moral teacher? Okay, then he's God and you need to worship him and you need to take him seriously when you say, I don't really like organized religion. Well, you know who organized religion? Jesus. That's who. Because Jesus chose specific people, called the apostles, and led them in a public ministry. And then said, simon bar Jonah, you are now Peter, you are the rock. And on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven. What you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Receive ye the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven. Whose sins you retain are retained. Sounds pretty organized to me, doesn't it? And then the apostles organized themselves in the upper room after the crucifixion. And then Christ appeared to them again and worked many miracles in his sojourn on earth after the resurrection, before the Ascension. And then you know what the apostles did? They remained really organized. They went to all the ends of the earth and established churches. Our Lord gave us an organized church. So I don't mean to be too harsh on this guy, but in some ways, you know, he's a little old for this kind of nonsense. And it's never too late. It's never too late to convert. But we gotta speed things up a little bit here. Ben, if you really love Jesus and you really love what he says, then read what he says and believe what he says and then cut out the nonsense of, well, I don't need to be religious. I don't like religion. I don't like organization. I just, you know, I just kinda like the Sermon on the Mount, man. Do you? If you really like what he says, then follow it. Follow what he says, but don't. This picking and choosing and this preening and the pride. Can you imagine the pride to say I, a guy who have not even converted to Christianity? I just vaguely think I kind of like some things that Jesus said. I am going to judge the church. No half measures, buddy. Cause you know what else Jesus warned about? Being lukewarm. Being lukewarm is a big problem. So be hot or cold. Be a hardcore Vermont atheist hippie lib. Or be a Christian. I hope you're a Christian. I think it would be better for you to be a Christian. But don't do this scandalous middle ground. That's not gonna help you. It's not gonna help anyone. Speaking of worship and veneration, libs have erected a giant black lady in Times Square. There's this statue, I think it's a 12 foot tall statue, but when I say it's a statue of a giant black lady, it's not even any black lady in particular. It's just a black lady. It's not Monique, it's not Oprah. It's just a random generic black lady. The black lady statue stands in contrast to two other statues according to the Times Square Arts Group. Installed at ground level on a wide low base, the work invites engagement with the hundreds of thousands of people who traverse the plazas each day. The woman in Grounded in the Stars cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments. Both white, both men, which bookend Duffy Square while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur. Grandeur to the random black lady statue kind of standing with bad posture. I don't know about that. But who are those two current statues of? Who is. Is it just two random white men in the way that this is a random black lady? No, there are two specific white men. One is Father Francis Duffy in Duffy Square. He was a World War II military chaplain. He's the most highly decorated cleric in U.S. history. Really heroic guy who would charge into gunfire to help soldiers. And the other one is George M. Cohan, the guy who more or less invented Broadway. He's the guy who wrote it's a grand old flag It's a grand old flag It's a high flying flag and all these other great songs. Really, really important to popular entertainment, musical theater, all the rest of it. In Times Square, on Broadway. It makes sense for him to be there. Why is this random black lady statue there? They tell us it's to be a contrast to Father Duffy and George M. Cohan. It's to be a contrast to American symbols of heroism, American symbols of virtue, American symbols of entertainment and popular culture. It's supposed to be an antithesis to America. That's not me saying that. That's them saying that. They are saying the point of erecting the random black lady statue is to be an antithesis to whatever America is. That's the intention. So we gotta tear this stuff down. We have to stop. Not because it's a black lady. There are plenty of nice black ladies. Because the statue is, in fact, a rebuke of America as such. And we don't need that. We don't need that in our public square. You know, it's. The debate over the statues is kind of like the debate over free speech, where the libs wanna destroy a lot of things and the conservatives then are backed into a corner where they say we can't have any standards at all. So the libs tear down statues of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus. And we say. We conservatives say, you shouldn't tear down any statues. No, we should. Even though Washington owns slaves, Even though Jefferson owned slaves, certainly those Confederate guys, even though they did terrible things. We shouldn't tear down history. We need total. We can never take down a statue on the free speech debate. We need total free speech. That's not really the argument. The argument is, no, we're gonna keep up the Washington statue in part because we're not the Taliban. We don't just blow things up for the sake of it. But two, because Washington's the father of our country, we're gonna keep up statues of Thomas Jefferson because he played a really important role in the founding of our country. I don't even like everything he said and did, but that's why we're going to do it. We're going to keep up statues of the Confederates because that was a Civil War, ultimately, that became over the freeing of the slaves. It's an important moment in our history. And because Abraham Lincoln said, we will have malice toward none and charity for all, and we're going to come back together as a country. That's why we're going to do it. It's not because of some abstract idea that we can never limit any speech or never take down any statues, but because it is good to have statues of Confederate soldiers when we look with malice toward none and charity for all. It's because it is good to have Washington up. It's because Christopher Columbus is a good man who founded our country and was one of the great men of our civilization. That's why. Because Father Duffy was a good and heroic guy. Because George M. Cohan was a really, really important guy and a great figure of American entertainment. And random black lady intended to rebuke all the great men of history. That's not great. So we are gonna tear that one down. I'm not saying we gotta go full Taliban with the Buddha statues, but we gotta get rid of that statue and we gotta stop putting up statues like that. If you want to put up a black lady statue somewhere, make it a black lady statue. That is a monument to our country that is good for us, that conduces to the common good. Don't make a statue the explicit point of which is to tear us all down. We don't want. We're not going to tolerate that anymore, okay? Your Jedi mind tricks don't work on us anymore. The new Right has given up this obsession, this fetish of procedural norms and we're starting to consider seriously substantive goods. One moment. Just give me one moment before we get back to that beautiful and important point because you need to go to PureTalk.comKnowles as Doge continues to cut the fat from decades of bloated government spending and corruption. Pure Talk, the cell phone company I use for business every day is cutting the fat from the wireless industry. That's right. PeerTalk says I don't think so to $100 a month cell phone plans. That's wasteful. It's irresponsible. Instead, PureTalk is offering America's most dependable 5G network. Now hold on. I know that you heard. PureTalk is offering a great network. That's not what I said. I said PureTalk is offering America's most dependable 5G network full stop at America's most sensible prices. Think about this. Unlimited talk text, 15 gigs of data, which is an insane amount of data, plus mobile hotspot for just 35 bucks a month. Best part, right now, you will get a free one year membership to DailyWire. Plus that includes access to the entire library of Daily Wire. Plus movies and documentaries, uncensored ad, free daily shows, access to Daily Wire kids programming. As always, you Leftisteer's Tumblr with PureTalk's US customer service team. Switch hassle free. Do it in as little as 10 minutes. Right now just go to PureTalk.comKnowles could you use a little extra money in your budget? I think we all could right now. Allow PureTalk to help you do that. Go to PureTalk.comKnowles Get a year of Daily Wire plus for free with a qualifying plan, PureTalk Wireless by Americans for Americans. Folks, if you have not yet gotten the yes or no game, head on over right now to dailywire.com shop. This is the game to find out who knows you, your friends, your family best. You can learn a lot about a person through the yes or no game. Speaking of black people, there's been a lot of lot of racial focus this week, a lot of debating words and colors and things. Well, in any case, speaking of Black people, the 2027 NFL Draft will take place on the National Mall. So announces President Trump from the Oval Office.
Ben Cohen
And not only are these announcements great for the NFL, but they also advance the mission of making Washington D.C. safe and clean and beautiful. And we're working very closely with the mayor, you know, and we've made a lot of improvements in the last few months and it's getting to look really strong. Crime is way down and a lot of there's a good relationship we have going with Muriel. So I want to thank you very much.
Michael Knowles
Wow. So you see Muriel there she is the super lib mayor of D.C. but she's a pretty sly politician. So I'm actually not even sure how ideological she really is. I think she's kind of just a player and an operator. I've even heard from some conservatives she used to be a little more reasonable than during blm. She saw moments as she went with it. Well, in any case, now she's standing right behind Trump. Thank you, Muriel. Oh, yes, sir. And she's Nodding yes, sir, Mr. President. He's there with the NFL guys. Why a lot of people, I notice a lot of nerdy conservatives scratching their heads. Why this, why is the president bringing the NFL into the Oval Office to announce as a big initiative that the NFL draft is going to take place on the National Mall. Why the NFL went woke and supported taking a knee and BLM and why and even why do we care about all this sports ball and this is a distraction and we just need to focus on the politics and the economy and all the spreadsheets and the, you know, why Trump's doing it? Because he's not a dork that's why. And I love that. I love that about him. That's one of my favorite things about him. He's not a nerd, man. That's why he's doing the NFL draft on the National Mall. That's why he's making a big deal about it in the Oval Office. That's also why he won the popular vote and reshaped the Republican Party and attracted all sorts of constituencies that we have not been able to attract for decades. That's why. Cuz he's not a dork. And listen, man, I read a lot of books, okay? I read a lot of books. I own some bow ties, all right? I'm not sure I've ever watched an entire NFL football game in my life. So I'm not. I'm speaking a little bit from the outside here on what Trump is doing. But this is good and cool, actually. It's good for nations to have games. It's okay. It's good. The one sport I watch is baseball, and I really love it. And it's good. It's good to watch a sport. And all polities need some kind of games as a diversion, as a way to express athletic excellence, as a way to bring people together and have common culture. It's cool, man. It's all right to have a little bit of fun. It's all right to engage in things that are popular. Trump is bringing that in the NFL, which has gone so left in recent years. Trump has dragged them in to stand next to him in the Oval Office, and they are going to do the NFL draft, which I have never once in my entire life watched, but which a lot of people do watch. The NFL draft is gonna take place on his watch on the National Mall, bringing in effectively America's favorite pastime. I wish baseball were still America's favorite pastime, but it's probably football now. He's bringing that back and he's saying, all right, look, we got this problem that the NFL has gone super woke and they hate America and they kneel for the American flag, not in a respectful way, but in a disrespectful way. And that's the problem. So either you can be like a bunch of dorks on the right and whine and complain about it, or I'm just gonna bring them to heel. I'm like, hey, get over here, NFL. Get over here. You're part of me now. You're doing my thing. Now you can go stand by the American flag and we're gonna make you seem really cool. And prominent and important, but you're on my team. Okay? And you know what the NFL says? They say, yes, sir, follow the leader. This is really strong cultural leadership. I'm still not going to watch it, but I'm glad that he's doing it. Speaking of major Trump wins, the Supreme Court has just dealt Trump a major, major victory. That should really not even be newsworthy, but it is. President Trump can now ban trans identifying people from the military. For now, it's not even that he can permanently ban the trans identifying people from the military. It's that the Supreme Court says, all right, the Trump policy to kick the trans out of the military again can go into effect even while lower courts are hearing the cases as to why this should not go into effect, but this should just be common sense. So you got Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, the most left wing justices, they disagree with the rest of the court on this. But even moderates like Roberts, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Barrett, they go along with it here. They say, okay, that's fine, no big deal. Just to refresh your memory, I was on TMZ yesterday talking to the guys on there and they were saying, michael, this is crazy, isn't it? The banning transfer in the military. I said, guys, do you know when trans identifying people were first ever allowed to serve in the military? 2016. It was the tail end of the Obama second term. And then five seconds after that, Trump got rid of the policy and then they booted Trump out and Biden got into office somehow, and then he put the policy back in and then Trump pulled it out. But if this is such a big deal, this is such an important matter of human rights, how come Barack Obama, one of the most left wing politicians we've ever had as president, how come he didn't institute this policy until the very tail end of his administration? Because it's obviously insane. The trans identifying people who have sympathy from me have a severe mental illness that not only compromises troop readiness because of all the social problems that causes, you know, dudes in the women's bathroom. And now we have women in combat. So that's gonna create all sorts of problems at the same time that we're told that there is a rape and sexual assault problem in the military. You're gonna have a bunch of mentally ill men go into the women's bathroom and sleep in women's quarters. Are you out of your freaking mind? What's the matter with you? What is the matter with you? This is so insane that even Obama didn't do it for years. But beyond that, you've got these severely mentally ill men who cannot perceive reality in a way that is even close to functioning. But then you're going to take taxpayer money, inject them with a ton of hormones, cross sex hormones that don't belong in their body, and further diminish their physical fitness. Because we know we have multiple studies that are pretty substantial at this point that show that the trans procedures cause bone problems, cause all sorts of health problems, often shorten life, psychologically speaking. They don't cure anxiety and depression and suicide. On the psychological front, from the largest data set ever conducted on this topic, we know that all of those problems stay about the same and anxiety actually goes up. Furthermore, we know that people who identify as trans have a suicide rate an order of magnitude at least higher than the general population. So why on earth would you put these people into the military? Why on earth would you let these people hold a gun even as civilians? How does this serve physical fitness or lethality or battle readiness? How does this even help these people? Does not. So anyway, I'm happy to see the Supreme Court ruling. I'm really scandalized that three justices on the Supreme Court didn't understand this. The fact that this is a news story is such an indictment of our culture, something that would have been seen as completely absurd left of Lenin during Obama's second term is now a really controversial issue. Becoming a Daily Wire plus member is not just a subscription, it is a statement. It means you're joining millions of Americans who share your values, respect our history, and are committed to building a stronger future. Members get ad free uncensored access to our daily shows from the most trusted names in media in depth investigative journalism and entertainment that actually reflects what you believe. Movies, documentaries and series reshaping the culture in real time. Join now. Head on over to DailyWire.com subscribe My favorite comment yesterday is from Daniel Beringer, B5G, who says as a regular subscriber who watches your episodes daily for free, I've finally figured out the time between when you've filmed your episode and when us cheapos can watch it. Approximately two hours. And how did I figure it out? The Papal Conclave Getting started. Mmm, there it is. Yes, you're right. There is a When you are a member of the Chemdul Ham when you are joining the Daily Wire, then you get the show live. I go live. Who knows what could happen? I could knock over my delicious fruity seltzer right here. It would spill all over. You would see it no edits here. And then the show ends. We film a little extra stuff. We do the Membrum segmentum for the Daily Wire members and then we put the show out for the Hoi Polloi without the Membrum segmentum about two hours later. Well, these days you miss two hours. Who knows? We could have had a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan. God forbid we could have. Who knows, we could have a new pope. Maybe we have another new pope. Who knows? That's why you got to join. Don't be just a member of the Hoi Polloi. Speaking of changing social mores, New York magazine has a scary new report out that all college students are cheating and ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project. I was talking to sweet little Elisa about this the other day. Sweet little Lisa, PhD, someone in academia and some other friends. It's not just that, A.I. look, many of you, the college students and high school students who listen to this show, you know this already. I'm not telling you anything you don't know. It's not just that. AI is really starting to create new challenges for academia. It has instantly completely changed the way that education works in America because you can in about three seconds have a computer write a term paper for you and it's very difficult to prove that you cheated, that you didn't write it yourself. So if you are in high school even, or certainly in college, all those all nighters that I pulled, all those ways I even sometimes I tried to cut corners, sometimes I tried to skim the book and then I'd. Who knows? You're writing your paper, it's gotta be 10 pages and you increase the size of the period. Did any of you ever do this? You increase the size of the period from 12 font to like 13 font. So you're not increasing the size of the line spacing, but the period. But that kind of spreads it out. So you save yourself a few sentences, all these kind of tricks. Well now instead of doing that, you just say, hey chatgpt, write me an essay on war and peace in the style of Hilaire Belloc after four drinks and then translated into Taiwanese. Do the Taiwanese, do they have their own language expert is Chinese. Anyway, please do that chatgpt. And they'll just do it instantly. That fundamentally changes everything. And that's the headline here. Everyone's cheating their way through college. ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project. It's worth reading this because it's observing a real trend. I think it's the opposite, though, I think in many ways, ChatGPT is saving the entire academic project because we have had this march for years and decades now. That was accelerated by Covid to make college individual. Abstract. On your own time, on demand. We have decentralized the university, and it's not just been the left that's pushed for this. It's the right that's pushed for this, too. In fact, in many ways, it's the right that's pushed for it more than the left. The right has said you don't need to go to college. If you do, just do some online college. Just try to get your classes done, do it in your spare time, don't go and live in a dorm and forget about your stupid professors. And I get it. Part of the reason that conservatives have said that is because the colleges were captured by the radical left and they teach about a bunch of stupid stuff now. And so I get the hostility toward the colleges. I feel it myself. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater and let's not believe our own press releases and forget what university education really is. You are taught by teachers, okay? There are people who are autodidacts and they read a lot of books, but sometimes they'll go a little quirky and they'll go a little off and they'll miss the meaning of the book because information is conveyed to you by teachers. We are, to quote the great philosopher Kamala Harris, we did not fall out of a coconut tree. We are born into families. We are taught in our earliest lessons, in our earliest education by our parents and then by our extended family, then by our teachers in grade school and middle school and high school, then by our professors. Then that process of learning continues for the rest of our life. We're taught by our superiors at our employers. We are taught in apprenticeships. We are taught throughout our lives, and knowledge is conveyed from a person to another person. We have pastors in religion. Religion is not just a thing you do individually. You have pastors, you have shepherds to lead. We're social creatures. We have to be led. And in many ways, education is about, not just about cramming your head full of stuff, but about cultivating a love and an inclination toward cultivating a desire to learn. And we learn from people. So, anyway, that's a long, flowery way of saying, I. I'm glad that ChatGPT is destroying much online education. I'm glad that ChatGPT is Destroying the decentralized, do it on demand kind of education. I don't think everyone needs to go to college. I don't think everyone needs to get a liberal arts education. But if you're gonna do it, go to a place with a teacher and form real human relationships with teachers and classmates. That is how people actually learn. It's not all about books. It's not all just about cramming your head full of knowledge. That is in many ways a very left wing understanding of what education is. It's about human beings and relationships and love. Okay, now, speaking of well educated people, we got a little tea. I know I said I have fruity Millennial seltzer in here, but I got a little tea, too. This tea down for the Republican Party down in Florida because Ron DeSantis, the very effective and once very, very popular governor Ron DeSantis is facing an investigation of his wife's charity. So what is this about? Axios has a big story on this today. Inside DeSantis made for TV fall in Florida. Wait, what? DeSantis is falling? Who knew? What's that about? The story is about this charity that Casey DeSantis has, Hope Florida Foundation. And according to the reporting at question is whether the $10 million donation focusing on this one $10 million donation to the Hope Florida foundation was money from a settlement agreement involving the state's largest Medicaid contractor, Centene Corp. After Florida was overbilled for Medicaid. Okay, I think I'm following. So that 10 million bucks maybe came from a settlement from a Medicaid contractor. Cause Florida was being overcharged. And critics say a portion of that settlement, all of which was intended to be returned to state and federal coffers, was sent to the Hope Florida foundation and eventually ended up in the hands of political groups that campaigned against a ballot measure to legalize marijuana. All right, whatever. I'm lost. I'm lost. Don't care. Huh? Maybe $10 million went, instead of going to a governmental organization, went to an NGO that does some charitable stuff. But some of the people that work for the NGO don't like marijuana. Whatever. I don't care. What is this? I'll tell you what. This story is not about. Whatever this is for sure. No one cares about $10 million and the the people who oppose marijuana. No, the story is not that Casey DeSantis charity did anything wrong. I don't really see any evidence that KC Desanders charity did anything wrong. This story, the political story, is that Florida legislators would investigate Casey DeSantis charity in the first place. That's the political story. Ron DeSantis is supposed to be the man most effective governor in Florida. His reputation with Republicans was damaged a bit. Cause he went up against Trump in the Republican presidential primary. But the guy's done a great job as governor, and he had a total lock on that state. And he was super popular. And when he said jump, the Florida legislator said, how high? And now they're investigating his wife's charity. And coincidentally, they're investigating his wife's charity right around the time that his wife, Casey, is floating the idea of a run for governor herself. That's interesting timing at a time when another Florida politician, Byron Donalds, who is a favorite of Trump World, is also running for governor in Florida. Okay, now I think I'm starting to get it. This whole story about the investigation and the Florida legislators and the nonprofit in Florida and this, you know what it's really about? It's about the 2028 presidential race, and it's about the strength of the DeSantis political operation. It's about whether or not DeSantis will have been out of office too long to run for president. 2028, perhaps. If DeSantis wife is the governor in Florida, then maybe that'll give him enough political presence that he could launch a campaign. But other people want that governorship. And so even though DeSantis has been a phenomenal governor in Florida, maybe there's gonna. What this is about is a push and pull for the future of the gop. That's it. And they're all pretending that they're talking about some nonprofit in Florida. They're not. They're talking about who is the heir to Trump. They're talking about what is the future of maga. They're talking about what does the post Trump Republican Party look like now. We're talking about all sorts of who's the next president, who's the next pope. Today is Theology Thursday very fitting during a conclave. The rest of the show continues now. You do not want to miss it. Become a member. Use code knowleskander Wles at checkout for two months free on all annual plans.
Podcast Summary: The Michael Knowles Show - Ep. 1731
Title: BREAKING: India and Pakistan on the Brink of Nuclear War
Host: Michael Knowles
Release Date: May 8, 2025
Overview: Michael Knowles opens the episode by highlighting the alarming escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed nations with a longstanding rivalry centered around the disputed Kashmir region. The situation is critical, with both countries possessing substantial nuclear arsenals capable of devastating global consequences.
Key Points:
Nuclear Capabilities: Both India and Pakistan possess approximately 170 to 180 nuclear warheads each. India's bombs range from 10 to 200 kilotons, while Pakistan's range from 5 to 40 kilotons.
Potential Impact: A nuclear exchange between these countries could result in the immediate loss of 125 million lives, extensive fallout, and long-term environmental and agricultural disasters affecting billions worldwide.
Recent Military Actions: Pakistan's Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, warned of the imminent possibility of nuclear war, citing recent drone interceptions and missile exchanges following India's strikes on alleged terrorist targets in Pakistan.
Historical Context: Michael references past border skirmishes between India and China (2020-2022), noting that despite similar tensions, nuclear war was avoided, though he expresses concern that the India-Pakistan conflict may lack the same level of restraint.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles emphasizes the gravity of the situation, questioning whether diplomatic efforts can de-escalate the crisis or if the world is on the verge of catastrophic conflict. He underscores the necessity for global awareness and preventative measures to avert nuclear war.
Overview: Shifting focus, Michael delves into the ongoing Papal Conclave, discussing the uncertainty surrounding the election of a new Pope following the death of Pope Francis. He critiques the potential continuation of liberal influences within the Catholic Church and speculates on the direction the Church might take under new leadership.
Key Points:
Election Process: A new Pope requires 89 votes from 133 cardinal electors to achieve a two-thirds majority. The process remains secretive, with limited reliable information available.
Potential Candidates: The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Perelin, is mentioned as a front-runner whose support appears to be waning based on recent reports.
Knowles' Analysis: He suggests that the cardinals are seeking a shift from Pope Francis' pontificate, which he describes as "chaotic, confusing, and scandalous." Knowles hopes the Church will elect a more conservative leader who aligns with traditional Christian values.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles anticipates a pivotal moment for the Catholic Church, advocating for a leader who upholds orthodox Christian doctrines and restores stability and integrity to the institution.
Overview: The episode features a discussion on a recent appearance by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s, who made controversial remarks about Christianity. Knowles critiques Cohen’s stance, arguing that his selective appreciation of Jesus’ teachings without embracing organized religion is contradictory.
Key Points:
Cohen’s Statement: Ben Cohen expressed admiration for Jesus Christ and his teachings but simultaneously criticized organized religion and Christianity's institutional practices.
Knowles' Critique: He challenges Cohen’s assertion by emphasizing the inherent organized nature of Christianity, referencing biblical passages that establish the Church's structured hierarchy.
Theological Argument: Knowles leverages C.S. Lewis’s "Mere Christianity" to argue that denying Jesus’ divinity undermines his moral teachings, suggesting that true appreciation of Jesus necessitates recognizing and participating in organized Christianity.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles urges Ben Cohen, and listeners alike, to fully embrace the teachings and organized structure of Christianity to genuinely honor Jesus Christ, rejecting partial and inconsistent interpretations.
Overview: Michael addresses the installation of a large statue of a generic black lady in Times Square, critiquing it as a symbolic rebuke of American values and a departure from traditional monuments that honor national heroes.
Key Points:
Statue Description: A 12-foot-tall statue titled "Grounded in the Stars" contrasts with existing statues of Father Francis Duffy and George M. Cohan, representing American heroism and cultural legacy.
Intentional Contrast: The statue of the black lady is positioned as an antithesis to the glorified figures, intended to challenge and critique American ideals and history.
Cultural Debate: Knowles frames the debate around the removal and erection of statues as a microcosm of the larger cultural conflict, contrasting conservative views on preserving historical monuments with liberal efforts to reinterpret or remove them.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles condemns the statue as a divisive symbol that undermines national pride and historical reverence. He advocates for maintaining traditional monuments that honor America's foundational figures and values, rejecting efforts to introduce monuments that criticize or diminish national heritage.
Overview: The podcast covers President Donald Trump's recent announcement to host the 2027 NFL Draft on the National Mall, interpreting it as a strategic move to ally with the NFL and counteract perceived "woke" influences within the league.
Key Points:
Announcement Details: Trump declared the NFL Draft would take place on the National Mall, symbolizing a partnership between the administration and America's favorite pastime.
Political Implications: Knowles suggests that this move aims to solidify support among sports fans and rebrand the NFL away from "woke" stances, aligning the league with traditional American values.
Cultural Leadership: By integrating the NFL within the Oval Office's activities, Trump is portrayed as exerting cultural influence and asserting conservative leadership within popular culture.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles views Trump's collaboration with the NFL as a commendable effort to reclaim cultural institutions from progressive influences, strengthening the conservative foothold within mainstream American culture.
Overview: Michael discusses the recent Supreme Court decision that upholds President Trump's policy to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, highlighting it as a significant conservative victory.
Key Points:
Supreme Court Decision: The Court allowed the implementation of the transgender military ban pending further legal challenges, with conservative justices supporting the move.
Policy Implications: The ban is framed as a measure to maintain military readiness and effectiveness, addressing concerns over troop cohesion and physical standards.
Critique of Opponents: Knowles criticizes the opposition as lacking reason, questioning the rationale behind allowing transgender individuals to serve given purported impacts on military functionality.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles celebrates the Supreme Court's decision as a restoration of common sense and military integrity, advocating for policies that prioritize national security and military effectiveness over progressive social agendas.
Overview: The episode touches on the investigation into Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis’s charity, interpreting it as a politically motivated attack aimed at undermining DeSantis's prospective presidential ambitions.
Key Points:
Allegations: The Hope Florida Foundation, led by Casey DeSantis, is scrutinized for allegedly diverting funds from a Medicaid settlement to political campaigns against marijuana legalization.
Political Context: Knowles posits that the investigation is less about the charity's actions and more about gauging DeSantis's political strength and influence ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Implications for GOP: The scrutiny is seen as part of a broader battle within the Republican Party to define its future leadership and direction post-Trump.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles interprets the charity investigation as a strategic maneuver within GOP politics, reflecting internal tensions and the ongoing struggle to position DeSantis as a viable successor to Donald Trump for the presidential nomination.
Overview: Michael addresses concerns raised by a New York magazine report claiming that AI, particularly ChatGPT, is undermining academic integrity by facilitating widespread cheating among college students.
Key Points:
AI's Role: ChatGPT is criticized for making it easy for students to generate essays and assignments with minimal effort, challenging traditional educational models.
Knowles' Perspective: Contrary to the negative portrayal, Knowles argues that AI like ChatGPT could actually safeguard the academic project by reinforcing the importance of human-led education and relationships.
Educational Philosophy: He emphasizes that true education extends beyond mere information acquisition, focusing on mentorship, personal relationships, and the cultivation of a love for learning.
Notable Quotes:
Conclusion: Knowles advocates for a balanced approach to integrating AI in education, stressing the irreplaceable value of human interaction and mentorship in the learning process. He suggests that while AI presents challenges, it also offers opportunities to reaffirm the foundational principles of education.
Throughout the episode, Michael Knowles intertwines geopolitical analysis, cultural critiques, and political commentary, offering a conservative perspective on current events. His discussions underscore concerns about rising global conflicts, shifts within religious institutions, cultural symbolisms, political dynamics within the GOP, and the evolving landscape of education influenced by technology.
Overall Takeaway: Knowles urges listeners to remain vigilant and critical of developments that may threaten traditional values, national security, and societal cohesion. He emphasizes the importance of leadership, both in political and cultural arenas, to navigate and counteract perceived progressive overreaches.
Note: All timestamps are approximate and correspond to the provided transcript segments.