The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1845 – Democrats Flee From My Senate Testimony
Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (Daily Wire)
Special Guest: Senator Eric Schmitt

Episode Overview

This episode is centered on Michael Knowles’ recent testimony at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, focusing on political violence in the United States. The episode explores the partisan divide on recognizing and addressing political violence, reactions (or lack thereof) from Democratic Senators, and broader narratives in current politics, including climate change rhetoric and cultural controversies in New York’s mayoral race. A notable interview with Senator Eric Schmitt, who chaired the hearing, digs deeper into the theme of left-wing political violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Senate Testimony and Democratic Absence

• Knowles’ Recap of the Hearing (04:55 – 09:29)

  • Michael shares his experience testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, focusing on the increase in political violence.
  • Highlights that most Democrat senators were absent, with only a few (Peter Welch, Dick Durbin, Cory Booker) present at the hearing.
  • Knowles criticizes Senator Booker for using his time on self-reflection rhetoric but then disappearing when challenged on his own endorsements.

  "Adam Schiff has been crying for four years straight over January 6, supposedly the worst attack in our nation's history. Adam Schiff couldn't be bothered to show up..."
  (05:41 – Michael Knowles)

  "Cory Booker used up his five minutes, had this to say..." (06:15)

• Senator Cory Booker’s Speech

  • Booker calls for “courageous leaders in both parties” to “extend grace and self-introspection.”

    “The only thing that’s gonna get us out of this condition is … for courageous leaders … to start standing up and extending grace and self-introspection.”
    (06:25 – Cory Booker)

• Knowles Calls Out Booker’s Endorsement

  • Highlights Booker’s endorsement of a candidate alleged to have called for violence.
  • Booker leaves before Knowles can challenge him directly.

  “So Cory Booker used up his five minutes… Surely you wanna withdraw your endorsement, right? Surely you don’t want this man to be the top law enforcement official in Virginia. There’s a Cory Booker-shaped hole in the wall…”
  (07:25 – Michael Knowles)

2. Interview with Senator Eric Schmitt

(09:29 – 18:16)

• Purpose and Key Takeaways of the Hearing

  • Focus on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the culture of “assassination” that’s allegedly being “celebrated” on the left.
  • Political violence traced historically to left-wing movements (e.g., Weather Underground).

  "There’s a deeply rooted ideology that’s being celebrated right now—sort of assassination culture on the left."
  (10:14 – Senator Schmitt)

• Polling Disparities Highlighted

  • “25% of those who describe themselves as very liberal were willing to tell a pollster that political violence is justified… Over half... believe it’s at least somewhat justifiable to kill President Trump... 3% for conservatives.”
    (11:42)

• Disputing the Narrative: “Both Sides”

  • Schmitt and Knowles reject the equivalence of left and right violence.
  • Critique “junk science” studies that ignore BLM/Antifa incidents.
  • Call for DOJ to conduct an unbiased study.

• Weaponization of Justice and Antifa

  • Discuss how January 6th has been used to justify prosecution of conservatives.
  • Argue Antifa is “not just an idea” but a well-funded, well-organized terror cell.

  “...You have this political violence now that’s taken hold too. … We’re never going to solve it if we just say that this is a both-sides thing in this moment, because it is not. The facts do not bear that out.”
  (15:20 – Senator Schmitt)

3. Mainstream Rhetoric & The Trump–Hitler Comparison

(20:22 – 23:45)

• JB Pritzker and Nicole Wallace Deny Trump-Hitler Comparisons

  • Pritzker claims no Democrat has compared Trump to Hitler, to which Knowles responds with incredulity and notes decades of left-wing Nazi comparisons.

  "These people have spent a decade comparing Trump to Hitler… What’s interesting is they’re trying to run away from it now."
  (21:40 – Michael Knowles)

• Connection Between Rhetoric and Violence

  • Knowles argues calling Republicans Nazis becomes a rhetorical justification for violence against them.

  “To call someone Hitler is to justify that person’s assassination. And they know, they see all the numbers, they see that they have a big political violence problem.”
  (22:54 – Michael Knowles)

4. Bill Gates’ “Three Tough Truths About Climate” Letter

(29:40 – 34:16)

• Bill Gates Walks Back Climate Doomsday

  • Gates publishes a letter stating climate change won't lead to humanity's demise, marking a major rhetorical retreat from past narrative.
  • Knowles mocks the long-standing "doomsday" view and claims this revision is “tactical pivoting” because apocalyptic deadlines have passed.

  “What Bill Gates is doing here… is they have to recalibrate the issue of climate change… Climate change only works if it is dialed in perfectly, such that disaster Armageddon is just, just perfectly on the horizon. Not too close, not too far.”
  (32:59 – Michael Knowles)

5. NYC Mayoral Race and “Antigate”

(34:16 – 42:29)

• Zoran Mamdani’s 9/11 Anecdote Under Scrutiny

  • Mamdani claims his “aunt” stopped riding the subway after 9/11 due to Islamophobia, but fact-checkers allege the story is fabricated—the supposed “aunt” neither wore a hijab nor lived in NYC.
  • Mamdani revises his claim, saying “aunt” refers to his father’s cousin, causing further ridicule.

  “You lied… Now you’re just repeating this phrase, Zarafuwi, like you’re putting us into a trance. … Deny till you die... That’s the most New Yorker thing...”
  (41:07 – Michael Knowles)

6. Trans Rabbis and Identity Politics in NYC

(42:30 – 43:40)

• Transgender Rabbis Endorse Mamdani

  • A coalition of self-described trans rabbis publicly supports Mamdani’s campaign.
  • Knowles jokes that in traditional Judaism, only (biological) men can be rabbis, noting the internal contradictions of identity politics.

  “The only one of those four people who might plausibly be an actual rabbi is the transsexual. Ladies can't be rabbis.”
  (43:26 – Michael Knowles)

7. Immigration and National Identity in the UK – Nigel Farage Clip

(45:14 – 49:42)

• Farage Urges Hardline Measures on Channel Crossings

  • Calls for treating illegal immigration as a national security emergency.
  • Knowles analyzes the “radical shift” in British conservative rhetoric, now openly stating that preserving English identity means restricting non-English immigration.

  “…You need to severely restrict immigration into England of non-English people because they are not English. And there’s nothing wrong with that… it’s okay for people to have their own country and their own culture.”
  (46:46 – Michael Knowles)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Senate Democrats’ Absence:

  “Adam Schiff couldn't be bothered to show up to a committee hearing on political violence. Tells you a lot about him.”
  (05:41 – Knowles)

• On Cory Booker's Endorsement:

  “You endorsed a guy who's calling for the murder of Republicans and our kids and says he's gonna urinate on the graves of Republicans. Surely you wanna withdraw your endorsement, right?"
  (07:21 – Knowles)

• Booker’s Response to Political Violence:

  “The only thing that's gonna get us out of this condition is for courageous leaders in both parties to start standing up and extending grace and self introspection.”
  (06:25 – Booker)

• On Bill Gates’ Climate Pivot:

  “Climate change only works if it is dialed in perfectly, such that disaster Armageddon is just, just perfectly on the horizon. Not too close, not too far. That's what allows these systems of control.”
  (32:59 – Knowles)

• On Mamdani’s “Aunt”:

  “A lady is not your aunt simply because you call her that. Look, I'm Italian. We call people uncle and aunt pretty loosely, but we don't actually believe it.”
  (40:26 – Knowles)

• On Farage and Immigration:

  “It's not that these people are bad, intrinsically or morally evil. It's just they're not English and we want England to be English. Is that so much to ask for? That's a radical shift.”
  (47:38 – Knowles)

Important Timestamps

• 04:55 – Knowles begins discussing Senate hearing and absence of Democrats
• 06:25 – Cory Booker’s five-minute speech captured in full
• 09:29 – Senator Schmitt joins the show
• 11:42 – Schmitt cites polling on left vs. right political violence
• 21:40 – Knowles on the routine Nazi comparisons from Democrats
• 29:40 – Bill Gates’ letter on climate change introduced
• 34:16 – Zoran Mamdani’s 9/11 narrative and “Antigate” explained
• 42:30 – Trans rabbis endorse Mamdani
• 45:14 – Nigel Farage calls for action on immigration in Parliament

Tone & Style

• Highly partisan, confrontational, and unapologetically conservative tone
• Frequent use of sarcasm, hyperbole, and rhetorical barbs aimed at Democrats, media, and left-wing activists
• Interwoven humor, personal anecdotes, and mockery of political/cultural opponents
• Pop culture asides (e.g., references to Norm MacDonald, The Sopranos)

Summary for New Listeners

Michael Knowles uses his recent Senate testimony to make a larger point about the reluctance of Democratic leaders to address or even acknowledge political violence on the left. The episode moves from a detailed recounting of the Senate hearing—spotlighting Democrats’ absences, especially Cory Booker’s avoidance of accountability—to broader critiques of media rhetoric (re: Trump-Hitler comparisons), environmental doomsaying, and cultural-left controversies such as the NYC mayoral race and transgender “rabbis.” With Senator Schmitt’s interview anchoring the core theme, Knowles ties together American and British politics, warning listeners about trends in left-wing ideology, manipulation of narrative, and the erosion of cultural and national identity.