The Michael Knowles Show
Episode 1817 – GOOD RIDDANCE: Jimmy Kimmel FIRED Over Charlie Kirk Lies
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)
Overview
This episode centers on the recent firing of Jimmy Kimmel after he made controversial remarks and allegedly spread misinformation regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Michael Knowles analyzes the media’s and political figures’ reactions to Kirk's death, explores the wider cultural and political consequences, and argues for the necessity of order, truth, and moral fortitude in public discourse. The episode also addresses broader issues such as political violence, the regulation of media, wealth inequality, crime policy, and the shifting boundaries of American identity.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Jimmy Kimmel’s Firing: Background and Justification
- Main narrative:
- Jimmy Kimmel made a joke suggesting Charlie Kirk was murdered by a right-wing associate, contradicting available evidence.
- Kimmel's reaction, along with general media minimization or politicization of Kirk's assassination, draws Knowles’ ire.
- Kimmel is (as of the broadcast) indefinitely suspended, not yet permanently fired.
- Knowles’ argument:
- Defends ABC’s decision, stating: “You can't have a country with open debate and the free exchange of ideas when some people in that marketplace of ideas are actively trying to murder the other people. That doesn’t expand the marketplace of ideas. That actually restricts it.” [04:20]
- Argues Kimmel’s suspension is about spreading dangerous lies after a national trauma, not just a tasteless joke or government pressure.
2. The State’s Role: Media Regulation and FCC Intervention
- Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman) interview [07:33]:
- Warns broadcasters of potential sanctions for patterns of news distortion, praises ABC’s action, and implies regulatory consequences for tolerating deception.
- Knowles comments:
- Asserts it is the government’s duty to regulate the truthfulness of broadcasters:
“These news networks are not merely private corporations. These news networks are licensed broadcasters. They require licenses from the government … When those news broadcasters are contradicting the truth … the government has not only a right but a responsibility to hold them to account.” [08:48]
- Asserts it is the government’s duty to regulate the truthfulness of broadcasters:
3. Reactions to Kirk’s Assassination: A National Turning Point
- Knowles reflects on the two-fold trauma: the murder itself and the subsequent minimization/celebration from some elites and media figures.
- Memorable quote:
- “The reaction to Charlie’s murder, the minimization of it, and in some cases the celebration of it, marks, pardon the phrase, a turning point.” [09:39]
- Advocates re-establishing order through “suppressing the people who are undermining the whole system… who celebrate the murder of an innocent man.”
4. Free Market vs. Active Justice
- Libertarian critique addressed:
- Knowles rejects the laissez-faire suggestion that market forces would have eventually taken Kimmel off the air due to declining ratings.
- Insists that action must be taken for justice and societal order, warning against the “idol of the invisible hand.”
- Quote:
- “Your invisible hand, your providence for atheists is not always going to save you. That’s magical thinking with very, very little evidence. We have to have the moral courage to do stuff.” [14:52]
5. Combatting Domestic Political Violence
- Trump declares Antifa a terrorist organization (as per his Truth Social post read aloud):
- Knowles supports the move and lists legal avenues: investigating funding, RICO charges, revoking nonprofit statuses, infiltration/prosecution via conspiracy charges.
- Quote:
- “Antifa has tried to blow me up before… We’re not talking about some nerds reading Das Kapital. We’re talking about terrorists, people who train and build bombs to murder conservatives and who sometimes succeed.” [18:46]
6. Broader Political and Cultural Trends
- Crime, law enforcement, and DC policy:
- Knowles discusses Congressional efforts to charge 18–24-year-olds as adults for serious crimes and criticizes “principled” libertarian opposition (notably Rep. Thomas Massie).
- Emphasizes prudence over rigid ideology.
- Religion and class divides:
- Explores the complex interplay of “left” and “right” within Catholic doctrine (highlighting Pope Leo XIV and Trump’s populist agreement with concerns about wealth inequality).
- Trump quote:
- “I do say there’s a big gap. Don’t forget, I’m a popularist.” [31:50]
- Knowles: “The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy. … We need to have a political community … a sense of belonging.” [33:05]
7. Identity and Immigration Flashpoint: Dearborn, Michigan
- Incident detailed:
- Dearborn’s mayor (Abdullah Hammoud) reportedly tells a resident objecting to a street being named after a Hezbollah fighter that he’s "not welcome" in the city.
- Knowles argues this event will increase American nativism and calls for a “recognition of America’s fundamentally Christian identity,” including more immigration restriction.
- Quote:
- “Whatever we did to get to this point, we gotta undo it. That’s what any ordinary person would conclude.” [41:12]
8. On Political Boomerangs and Cultural Backlash
- Comparisons drawn to the “Give us Barabbas” moment, LGBT movement, and societal overreach:
- Predicts that excesses in progressive policy (e.g., on gender, immigration, religion) generate opposing momentum that cannot easily be stopped.
- “They assassinated Charlie Kirk. They celebrated his murder. Something has gone wrong, and we need to take concrete actions very quickly to remedy the many errors that led to that moment.” [44:02]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Kimmel and the media:
- “The weak punchline is not really the problem here. The problem is that first part … The shooter engraved far left-wing messages on the bullets… It was a lie that Jimmy told his audience.” — Michael Knowles [01:16]
- On FCC and state media regulation:
- “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. … We are running the possibility of fines or license revocations from the FCC if we continue to run content that ends up being a pattern of news distortion.” — Brendan Carr, FCC [07:33]
- On the marketplace of ideas:
- “You can’t have a country with open debate … when some people … are actively trying to murder the other people. … It undermines the whole thing.” — Michael Knowles [04:20]
- On order and liberty:
- “Liberty requires order. And order in this case means suppressing the people who are undermining the whole system.” — Michael Knowles [12:56]
- On Antifa:
- “They are, as President Trump says, terrorists. … The way you have to do is a little bit different though.” — Michael Knowles [18:46]
- On wealth inequality:
- “The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy. … We need to have a political community.” — Michael Knowles [33:05]
- On Dearborn controversy:
- “If you don’t support Hezbollah, you’re not welcome here. I think the nativism is going to increase, too.” — Michael Knowles [41:12]
- On cultural momentum:
- “Once you realize that the final conclusion is absurd, then you start going back in the other direction … we need to correct those.” — Michael Knowles [42:42]
Timestamps for Key Topics
| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Intro: Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks and Knowles’ initial reaction | | 01:16 | “The shooter engraved far left wing messages on the bullets…” | | 04:20 | “You can't have a country with open debate…” | | 07:33 | FCC Chairman Brendan Carr – regulatory warning and rationale | | 08:48 | Role of licensed broadcasters, state responsibility | | 12:56 | “Liberty requires order. … suppressing the people who are undermining the whole system.” | | 14:52 | Critique of laissez-faire/free-market approach to public discourse | | 18:46 | Antifa as a terror organization and policy options for suppression | | 31:50 | Trump’s “I’m a popularist” remark on wealth inequality | | 33:05 | “The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy.” | | 41:12 | Dearborn mayor to resident: “You’re not welcome here” over Hezbollah street naming controversy | | 42:42 | “Once you realize that the final conclusion is absurd…” (cultural reversals) | | 44:02 | “They assassinated Charlie Kirk. … We need to take concrete actions … to remedy… ” |
Tone and Language
- Knowles’ tone is direct, combative, and moralistic, combining passionate calls for order and justice with sharp dismissals of opposing, especially libertarian, arguments.
- Frequent use of rhetorical questions, analogies, and references to Catholic thought (e.g., encyclicals, biblical analogies).
- Mix of sarcasm and sincerity: e.g., mocking the idea of “the invisible hand,” comparing current moments to biblical and historical events, ridiculing political opponents and those he sees as feckless.
Summary
In this episode, Michael Knowles uses the firing of Jimmy Kimmel as a springboard to argue for a more assertive, truth-centered, and ordered approach to cultural and political conflict. He criticizes the left’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination and insists that societal order and moral courage are necessary preconditions for liberty, dismissing libertarian and laissez-faire arguments as insufficient for combating the current stakes. The discussion extends to broader themes such as regulating media lies, confronting domestic political extremism, reevaluating criminal justice policy, addressing wealth inequality within a framework of political responsibility, and reaffirming America’s core identity in the face of divisive trends in politics and culture.