The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1832 – New Evidence: LA Fires May Have Been Left-Wing Terrorism

Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this politically charged episode, Michael Knowles examines explosive new claims that a major Los Angeles wildfire may have been intentionally started by a left-wing activist, challenging widespread narratives around climate, mismanagement, and political violence. From there, Knowles launches a broad critique of what he describes as a pattern of left-wing disorder, defending suppression of “evil ideologies” and discussing recent controversies involving Democratic politicians and media figures. He also explores media complicity, the normalization of political violence, and Democratic discomfort with journalistic scrutiny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. LA Fires: Accusations of Left-Wing Terrorism

• Breaking Narrative: Knowles opens with discussion of the Palisades Fire in LA, challenging prior narratives (climate change or state mismanagement) and presenting reports suggesting it was intentional arson by an individual linked to left-wing politics.
  • Details:
    • The fire burned 23,400 acres, destroyed 6,800 structures, and killed a dozen people.
    • Arrested suspect, Jonathan Rindernacht, had minimal income, donated $1 to Joe Biden, searched for fire-related content online, and generated AI images of burning cities ([05:15]).
  • Quote:

    “The FBI is upending both of those narratives and saying, no, no, no. The fires were started intentionally by an apparent left winger.”
    — Michael Knowles ([05:05])

• Emphasizes potential connection between leftist ideology and real-world violence, while acknowledging some uncertainty about motives:

  “Those two events might not be connected...But again, we're seeing left wing people introducing lots of disorder into society.”
  — Knowles ([07:40])

2. Broader Claim: The Left’s Link to Social Disorder

• Knowles argues that disruptions—whether in law, immigration, or sexual/gender norms—are closely tied to left-wing ideology or policy preferences:

  “Leftism is creating a lot of problems...and we need to stop treating it neutrally or with a laissez faire hand. We need to suppress certain aberrant behaviors...and certain evil ideologies like anarchism, like communism, the ideologies associated with Antifa.”
  — Knowles ([09:12])

• Critiques liberal tolerance, arguing for “circumscribing” and “suppressing” destructive ideologies.

3. Media and Politician Responses: Shifting Blame and Evasion

• Criticizes California Governor Gavin Newsom for labeling the fire suspect a “Florida resident” despite his apparent California roots, calling it a misleading partisan maneuver ([10:50]):

  “He's trying to make him look like a Florida resident because Newsom's foil has been Ron DeSantis in Florida...But that isn’t true. When the guy allegedly lit the fires, he was a Californian, he was one of Gavin Newsom's own constituents.”
  — Knowles ([11:12])

4. Left-Wing Influencers and Political Violence

• Hasan Piker Controversy:
  Knowles details viral backlash against leftist streamer Hasan Piker, accused of shocking his dog on stream ([12:32-15:00]).
  • Cites this as emblematic of what he sees as the left’s “callousness and hate for America.”
  • References past instances where Piker has spoken violently about Republicans:

    “He wanted the streets to run red and be soaked in the blood of capitalists. I think he would shock a dog? Yeah. I think if you want the wholesale slaughter of half the country... you would be willing to shock a little doggy.”
    — Knowles ([15:12])

• Cites studies and recent statements to assert the left is “overwhelmingly” more likely to support political violence than the right ([18:00]).

  “The left is overwhelmingly much, much more likely to support political violence than the right is. Shockingly so. Eight times more among very, very liberal people compared to very conservative people. Thirty percent almost of young liberals say political violence can be justified.”
  — Knowles ([18:45])

5. Suppression and Deplatforming Advocacy

• Argues for deplatforming extremist voices on the left, like Hasan Piker, and supports state action to “punish” those who promote political violence:

  “We need to put a political shock collar on the left or it's gonna get worse. It's gonna get a lot worse. And don't say you weren't warned, okay?”
  — Knowles ([21:28])

6. Katie Porter Meltdown: A Case Study in Liberal Entitlement

• Context: Katie Porter, California Democratic congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate, is interviewed by CBS and becomes visibly frustrated when pressed about appealing to Trump voters ([23:57–30:00]).

  • Exchange Highlights:
    • Journalist: "What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you'll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?" ([23:57])
    • Porter: "How would I need them in order to win?"... “In a general election, yes. If it is me versus a Republican, I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump." ([24:03–24:17])
    • Porter (later): "I don't want to keep doing this. I'm going to call it. Thank you." ([25:21])
    • She protests "seven follow ups to every question" and terminates the interview.

• Knowles’ Take:

  • Ridicules Porter’s inability to handle even mild pushback from a friendly news source, connecting this reaction to a broader Democratic expectation of media protection ([28:12]):

    “This is not a day at the spa, but she thinks it is. The entitlement from this woman is magnificent.”
    — Knowles ([28:22])

  • Draws unfavourable parallels to her behavior toward staff, citing an off-air video and court documents alleging abusive temper ([34:54]).

• “Pleasant experience” motif:

  "I want to have a pleasant, positive conversation."
  — Katie Porter ([28:17])
  "I don't want to have an unhappy experience with you."
  — Porter ([30:12])

7. Democratic Leadership: More PR Disasters

• Discusses other Democratic politicians implicated in extreme rhetoric or actions:
  • Jay Jones (Virginia AG candidate): Fantasized about violence against Republicans and their children ([32:20+]).
    • Tim Kaine and Nancy Pelosi are confronted about supporting Jones; both hedge or refuse to condemn.

      “Completely indefensible. I've known Jay Jones for 25 years and those comments are very much out of character for him. So if I put the comments which are clearly beyond the pale against knowing this guy for 25 years, I'm still a supporter of Jay Jones.”
      — Knowles summarizing Kaine ([40:57]) “He has apologized. Should he get out of the race? Well, that's up to the people, the leaders in Virginia.”
      — Pelosi ([41:41])

8. Defense of Antifa on CNN

• Critiques CNN’s Erin Burnett, who pushes back against characterizing Antifa as a major terror threat:

  “Antifa is far from a major sophisticated terror organization like Hezbollah, Hamas or ISIS… According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, compared to right wing extremists, Antifa-linked violence is rare and limited.”
  — Erin Burnett ([44:30])

  • Knowles' Rejoinder:

    “Antifa is a much greater danger to Americans than Hamas and Hezbollah and ISIS… Antifa threatens our whole political order… Antifa [is] here.”
    — Knowles ([44:55])

• Argues, using historical context, that left-wing political violence is a recurring fixture in American history (references 1919/1920 bombings, the '60s, etc.).

9. Call to Action: Suppress Political Violence through State Power

• Laments impossibility of civic discourse amid media and institutional defenses of “domestic terrorism,” and urges conservative use of state and institutional power to suppress “disordered” ideologies:

  “There’s no possibility your opponent has a say. And so there are two options: there’s more private violence, which is what the left is giving us and … is unjust. Or there's state violence. And the state violence is the civil authority coming in and arresting the bad guys and suppressing them, and in some cases, the … deplatforming people and circumscribing what can be said and argued in a just and prudent way.”
  — Knowles ([45:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Arson Suspect and Leftist Violence:

  “This weirdo firebug. ... if the facts ... are accurate, then the LA fire [was] started because of a disturbed leftist. And at a certain point you just have to ask how much more of this are we going to tolerate?”
  — Knowles ([08:58])

• On Free Speech & Extremism:

  “If you go out and you say, I want the streets to run red in the blood of conservatives... you need to be excluded from the free marketplace of ideas.”
  — Knowles ([21:15])

• On Katie Porter's Media Frustrations:

  “I want to have a pleasant experience. ... I'm running for governor because I want to have a pleasant time. Why won't you let me have a nice time?”
  — Knowles ([28:22])

• On Antifa's Danger:

  “Antifa is a much greater danger to Americans than Hamas and Hezbollah and ISIS. ... Antifa threatens our whole political order.”
  — Knowles ([44:55])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |--------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–03:00 | Introduction; Jean jacket banter, segue to LA arson claims | | 05:00–11:30 | Details of Palisades Fire, FBI reports, suspect's background | | 12:32–15:00 | Hasan Piker dog incident and general reflections on leftist violence | | 18:00–21:00 | Statistics about left vs right support for political violence | | 21:00–22:30 | Knowles calls for suppression/deplatforming of radicals | | 23:57–30:00 | Katie Porter CBS interview, Porter's responses and walk-out | | 30:12–35:15 | Porter's further pushback, video of mistreatment of staff, personal temperament stories | | 36:19–37:00 | Porter's remarks on pedophilia and Knowles’ critique on LGBT ideology| | 40:57–42:03 | Kaine and Pelosi address Jay Jones's violent rhetoric | | 44:00–45:10 | CNN's defense of Antifa and Knowles’ condemnation |

Summary & Flow

Michael Knowles’s episode builds a “case” against contemporary left-wing politics by interweaving breaking news (the LA fire arson suspect), cultural commentary (media reactions, influencer scandals), and political analysis (Porter, Jones, institutional responses). His tone is acerbic, at times satirical, unapologetically partisan, and notably focused on calls for using social and state power to “suppress” harmful ideologies. He frames recent incidents not as outliers but as representative of a deeper pattern—one he believes demands urgent, robust opposition.

“This is who they are. Katie Porter is who they are. We've seen that. We've seen that really clearly over the last three weeks.”

— Michael Knowles ([37:15])

Note: Ads, product plugs, and non-content banter have been excluded as per instructions.