Podcast Summary: The Michael Knowles Show

Episode 1825: "New Lies About The LDS Church Shooting EXPOSED In 5 Mins"
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on deconstructing recent media narratives about the LDS (Mormon) Church shooting and alleged right-wing violence. Michael Knowles critiques national media coverage, contrasts reactions to left-wing and right-wing political violence, and discusses issues of transgender activism, the use of "fascist" as a political slur, the role of AI in culture, and challenges to American social cohesion.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Debunking Media Narratives about the LDS Church Shooting

• Key Claim: Liberal outlets (notably The Daily Beast) attempted to connect the LDS Church shooter to MAGA/Trump due to a sign found at the shooter's home.
  • Quote:
    “Stop the presses. The libs can't print this fast enough. Mormon church shooter had a Trump sign outside his house. That is from the Daily Beast.” — Knowles [07:03]
• Critical Distinction:
  • Media headlines highlight tenuous links but admit (often in subheaders) that no motive has been established.
  • Knowles contrasts this coverage with the murder of Charlie Kirk, where he says the left-wing assassin’s ideology was explicit.
  • Quote:
    “In the case of the LDS Church shooting, there is no indication whatsoever that his alleged reported Trump support had anything to do with the shooting. No evidence at all. Even the Daily Beast has admitted that's the difference.” — Knowles [09:16]
• Analysis of Reactions:
  • Knowles argues right-wing figures universally condemn such violence, while left-leaning public figures excused or celebrated Kirk’s murder.

2. Political Violence: Left vs. Right

• Host's Framing: Political violence is primarily a "left-wing phenomenon" currently.
• White House Statement:
  • Authorities believe the LDS shooter "hated people of the Mormon faith," currently investigating for more details.
  • Quote:
    “The shooter...hated Mormons, which is crazy to me just on its face. Of all the groups to hate, Mormons are some of the nicest people on earth.” — Knowles [13:39]
• No "Both Sides"-ism:
  • Host criticizes attempts to create moral equivalence, insisting that recent political violence overwhelmingly originates from the left.
  • Quote:
    “There are liberals who are desperately trying to suggest that political violence is a both sides issue...That just isn't the case. It is uniquely a left wing phenomenon right now.” — Knowles [20:28]

3. Transgender Violence & Ideology

• Recent Revelations:
  • A left-wing, would-be assassin of Justice Brett Kavanaugh now identified as transgender (“Nicholas” now “Sophie”).
  • Knowles connects this to broader claims about trans ideology and its association with violence and “monstrous ideology.”
  • Quote:
    “There is a reason that so many of the great horror thriller slasher movies ever have a transvestite transsexual as the monster. Because it's a monstrous ideology that turns the self against the self...” — Knowles [17:48]
• Next Steps:
  • Knowles announces a Harvard Law School speech on the roots of political violence.

4. Trans Issues and Military Readiness

• Capitol Hill Exchange:
  • Secretary of War Pete Hegseth debates pro-trans Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs regarding trans-identifying members in the military.
  • Hegseth asserts that “mental health issues” inherent to trans identification compromise readiness.
  • Quote:
    “On trans issues, what we've identified is that there's mental health issues in that belief system. ...That's the determination that we've made, and that we stand behind gender deformity.” — Hegseth [31:33]

5. Gavin Newsom & Political Rhetoric

• Newsom’s "Fascist" Tweet:
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press team tweets "Stephen Miller is a fascist," which Knowles interprets as dog-whistling for violence against conservatives in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
  • Quote:
    “What that phrase [‘fascist’] indicates is, I want to do you harm, or I want other people to do you harm. ...Gavin Newsom knows that.” — Knowles [43:40]
• Broader Accusations:
  • Left mainstreaming violent language and celebration of right-wing deaths as revealed in responses from prominent figures and media.

6. Jimmy Kimmel’s “Crocodile Tears”

• Charlamagne tha God’s Reaction:
  • Charlamagne calls out Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional apology as performative, especially given his prior mockery of Kirk’s assassination.
  • Quote:
    “You thought they were fake? ...Because he cried when he mentioned Charlie Kirk. ...He didn't cry two weeks ago or a week ago...” — Charlamagne [54:42]
• Knowles’s Agreement:
  • Echoes the sentiment, calling Kimmel “dead to me” as an entertainer, highlighting the lack of left-wing contrition.

7. Weaponizing “Fascist” as a Slur

• Viral TikTok Trends:
  • Knowles plays audio from a woman listing satirical “you know you’re a fascist when...” lines, arguing this normalization of labels is dangerous.
  • Host’s Thesis: Calling someone “fascist” or “Nazi” is about justifying violence, not rational debate.
  • Quote:
    “If you call someone a fascist or especially a Nazi...what it means is, hey, you can be killed, and it would be good if you were killed.” — Knowles [01:08:50]

8. AI in Hollywood: Tilly Norwood

• First AI Actress:
  • Knowles introduces Tilly Norwood, the first AI actress signed to a talent agency, as emblematic of Hollywood’s future: cheaper, easier, and less troublesome than humans.
  • Quote:
    “AI reduces the cost of making a film by an order of magnitude. ...So just to save money, they're going to be using this kind of AI. Also, actors are crazy.” — Knowles [01:19:25]
• On Culture:
  • Suggests AI will further fragment cultural unity by enabling endless personalized content, as opposed to shared social experiences.

9. Social Fragmentation and Loss of Common Good

• Case Study: Dearborn, Michigan
  • A resident complains about loud, early-morning mosque prayer broadcasts. Local government ignores the complaint, indicating shifting communal priorities.
  • Quote:
    “Those Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, they have a conception of the common good. ...They understand what community is. ...Americans broadly don't.” — Knowles [01:27:05]
• Main Argument:
  • U.S. lacks a contemporary sense of the “common good,” contributing to political division and loss of national cohesion.
  • Calls for a return to ordered liberty, community, and shared standards to resist ideological takeover.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Bias:
  “Be like saying he drove there in a Toyota Camry. Therefore, this is a Toyota related violence. There's no connection.” — Knowles [12:13]
• On Trans Activism & Violence:
  “There is a reason that so many of the great horror thriller slasher movies ever have a transvestite transsexual as the monster. Because it's a monstrous ideology...” — Knowles [17:48]
• On Political Slurs:
  “If you had the opportunity to stop Hitler, would you take it?...So that's what it means if you call someone a fascist or especially a Nazi.” — Knowles [01:09:33]
• On Social Fragmentation:
  “We don't respect the same taboos. We don't recognize the same moral system. ...We can't even agree that murder is bad.” — Knowles [01:22:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [07:03] Media pushes "MAGA" narrative for LDS shooter
• [13:39] White House, FBI: Motive was anti-Mormon hatred, not politics
• [17:48] Trans=monstrous ideology metaphor; Kavanaugh assassin update
• [20:28] Harvard speech announcement: “Left-wing political violence” thesis
• [31:33] Congressional hearing: Pete Hegseth vs. Rep. Sarah Jacobs on trans in military
• [43:40] Gavin Newsom’s “fascist” rhetoric post-Kirk shooting
• [54:42] Charlamagne critiques Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional apology
• [01:08:50] Analysis of “fascist” as justification for violence
• [01:19:25] Introduction of AI actress Tilly Norwood, implications for entertainment industry
• [01:27:05] Dearborn, Michigan: Mosque prayer call controversy and loss of “common good”

Tone and Language

Knowles’ tone is sarcastic, polemical, and unapologetically partisan. He employs humor, pointed analogies, and cultural references to reinforce his arguments, frequently delving into culture war rhetoric and employing rhetorical questions and exaggeration to highlight perceived media hypocrisy and what he views as dangerous social trends.

Summary

Michael Knowles’ episode offers a detailed critique of media double standards regarding political violence, underscores his belief in the uniquely left-wing character of such violence in the current era, argues for the dangers of transgender ideology in society and the military, and laments increasing social atomization and the erosion of American commonality. The episode closes on the need for renewed emphasis on ordered liberty and shared moral standards to preserve national solidarity.