The Michael Knowles Show – Ep. 1853: Are Dems Finally Ending The Longest Shutdown In History?
Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles
Podcast: The Daily Wire
Episode Overview
This episode centers on the imminent end of what Michael Knowles calls “the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.” Knowles analyzes the political maneuvering that led to its resolution, why it began, and what—if anything—the Democrats achieved. He further discusses broader topics including the politics of healthcare, judicial overreach, technology’s impact on ideology, and recent statements from public figures on culture and religion. Throughout, Knowles displays his characteristic blend of political analysis, cultural critique, and pointed humor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The End of the Government Shutdown
- Context & Timeline (00:32):
- After 41 days, the Senate is poised to pass a measure reopening the government.
- No significant deals or concessions were made; instead, eight Democrat senators sided with Republicans to break the stalemate.
- Key Takeaways:
- The shutdown, according to Knowles, was primarily a Democrat move, instigated for the sake of winning state elections in Virginia.
"Democrats instigated the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States for no reason other than to help them win an election in Virginia."
—Michael Knowles (00:32)
- Filibuster Threat (03:01):
- Republicans threatened to nuke the filibuster, leading to a surprise flip by several Democrats, enabling enough votes to proceed.
2. What Did Democrats Get?
- Healthcare Debate (05:14):
- Democrats framed the shutdown as a measure to resist Republican opposition to healthcare reforms.
- Knowles counters that Republicans offered a “clean continuing resolution”—the same budget Democrats themselves had previously approved.
- Final agreement only extends government funding through January 30th, includes full funding for SNAP (formerly food stamps), and ensures a future vote on Obamacare subsidies.
- Reaction Among Democrats (07:21):
- Prominent Democrats (Schumer, Warren, Rep. Greg Kzar, Rep. Richie Torres) lamented the compromise as a “betrayal” that fails on healthcare.
"It's an unconditional surrender that abandons the 24 million Americans whose healthcare premiums are about to double."
—Rep. Richie Torres, recounted by Knowles (08:57)
3. Tactical Outcomes & Political Spin
- Election Influence (09:34):
- Knowles asserts that the primary tactical gain for Democrats was mobilizing 300,000 federal workers (and their frustrations) ahead of Virginia elections, which resulted in solid Democrat victories.
- He contends the narrative moving forward isn’t about a “heroic Democrat stand,” but rather a nakedly political ploy.
"The story of the shutdown, when all is said and done, is going to be that the Democrats shut down the government to win an election in Virginia, which they did. Good for you. And it wreaked havoc in the country. It cost a lot of money. It didn't achieve anything."
—Michael Knowles (10:00)
- Media Reaction & Public Perception (11:14):
- Audio from MSNBC and a radio show host “Dean” is played, echoing Knowles’s view that Democrats “got nothing” from the shutdown.
"For 40 days you shut the government down, and now you're gonna open the government up. And what did you get in return? Nothing."
—Dean (11:45)
4. Healthcare as a Franchise Issue
- Democrats, Knowles says, banked on health care because it “approaches a relatively high priority” among their core issues (alongside abortion and environmentalism).
- He notes the irony of their position: any critique of the “broken system” is an indictment of their own (Obamacare) policies.
5. Bernie Sanders’ Stand & the Obamacare Paradox
- Bernie’s Speech (17:04):
- Sanders decries the coming vote as “making a horrific situation even worse,” referencing rising healthcare premiums.
- Knowles’s Critique (18:17):
- Asserts that this is just a recycled argument, noting Democrats are criticizing the very system—Obamacare—that they engineered.
"That speech could have been given in 2007. That's a Democrat speech from 2007. ... But now Bernie is unwittingly, I think, acknowledging defeat on the issue, not just tactical defeat on the shutdown like the eight senators did, admitting defeat on the issue. Our plan didn't work."
—Michael Knowles (18:17)
6. Supreme Court & Same-Sex Marriage
- Potential Reversal of Obergefell Decision (21:32):
- A Kentucky clerk’s case has prompted consideration of revisiting the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
- Knowles’s Analysis:
- Predicts overturning is inevitable, likening the process to Roe v. Wade, and argues that “support for same sex marriage is waning.”
"At some point, gay marriage ... is gonna go away. And it's gonna go away because it's contrary to nature ... You cannot maintain a political order that is contrary to reality."
—Michael Knowles (23:51)
7. Judicial Overreach and Trump
- Chad Mizell’s Data on Injunctions (27:46):
- Bush: 6 injunctions; Obama: 12; Trump: 64 in first term, over 100 total, with 90% from Democrat-appointed judges.
- Trump’s Supreme Court win rate is 92%.
- Knowles’s Point:
- These stats reveal judicial activism rather than presidential lawlessness.
"Since 1963, 75% of all nationwide injunctions have been against Trump. ... Except when they then appeal these decisions. The Trump administration has a 92% win rate at the Supreme Court ... At a certain point, the lower court should probably take note and stop issuing these injunctions."
—Michael Knowles (28:52)
8. Idolatry of Institutions & Infallibility
- George Bernard Shaw Quote (30:24):
- Knowles reads from Shaw, comparing “papal infallibility” to secular faith in the wisdom of judges, democracy, and technocracy.
"The famous dogma of papal infallibility is by far the most modest pretension of the kind in existence compared with our infallible democracies, our infallible medical councils, our infallible astronomers, our infallible judges, our infallible parliaments..."
—George Bernard Shaw, cited by Knowles (30:24)
9. Pope Leo XIV’s Statement on Internet Addictions
- Statement’s Content (35:19):
- The Pope warns of new forms of addiction: internet, gambling, porn, and the impact on mental health and societal values.
- Knowles’s Extension:
- Explores how technology shapes social and political realities (e.g., printing press, automobile, mechanical clock).
"Something the Pope is calling our attention to is how much we underestimate the effect of technology on political problems."
—Michael Knowles (37:25)
10. The Ideological Impact of Technology
- Examples:
- Printing press fueling the Protestant Reformation.
- Cars facilitating teen culture.
- Television (C-Span) changing congressional dynamics.
- Internet and screens fueling disconnected “identities” and contributing to phenomena like transgender ideology.
11. Cultural Moment: Religion as ‘Addiction’
- Jennifer Welch on ‘Religious Addicts’ (45:19):
- Welch characterizes devout Republicans as “religious addicts,” likening religious faith to pathological addiction.
- Knowles’s Response:
- While there is a “habit-forming” nature to both vices and virtues, equating addiction to gambling or drugs with religious practice is a false equivalence.
"The big error she's making here is this error of liberalism, which is to pretend it's all the same. ... That is obviously ridiculous equivalence we should recognize."
—Michael Knowles (47:10)
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On the actual point of the shutdown:
"They owned the shutdown. And then they came up with all these ex post facto arguments. They said, you need to fix healthcare. By the way, we're currently under a healthcare framework that the Democrats gave us called Obamacare."
—Michael Knowles (06:35) -
On media’s view of the Democratic "surrender":
"It doesn't feel like a gentleman's agreement. It feels like Lucy and the football. Yeah. It's like, oh, yeah, we promised this vote, right? Whoops, you know, the vote's gone."
—MSNBC Segment via Knowles (11:15) -
On the inevitability of reversing same-sex marriage:
"Even if they don't (overturn Obergefell) ... It will be overruled. It's just a matter of time. You cannot maintain a political order that is contrary to reality."
—Michael Knowles (24:50) -
Judicial activism against Trump:
"The Trump administration has a 92% win rate at the Supreme Court ... It's just ridiculous. At a certain point, the lower court should probably take note and stop issuing these injunctions."
—Michael Knowles (28:52) -
Cultural contrast—addiction and religion:
"Uncle Johnny, he destroyed his whole family. And his wife left him and he bankrupted the kids... and Aunt Sue, she prays a lot. She bakes pies for orphans. You know, addictions. Right. That is obviously ridiculous."
—Michael Knowles (48:31)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:32 – Government shutdown poised to end, political analysis.
- 05:14 – Healthcare showdown as a (shifting) justification.
- 09:34 – Electoral outcomes and shutdown's tactical effect.
- 11:14 – Media (MSNBC & Dean) echoing criticism of Democrats' strategy.
- 17:04 – Bernie Sanders' speech and the reality of "broken" Obamacare.
- 21:32 – Supreme Court weighing potential same-sex marriage reversal.
- 27:46 – Chad Mizell on lower courts’ injunctions and Trump.
- 35:19 – Pope Leo’s statement on internet porn and addiction.
- 37:25 – Technology’s role in political/cultural shifts.
- 45:19 – Jennifer Welch's "religious addicts" claim & Knowles's rebuttal.
Conclusion
Michael Knowles’s analysis in this episode underscores his view that the long shutdown was a failed gambit by Democrats, motivated by short-term electoral goals and ultimately exposing weaknesses in their legislative and rhetorical arsenals. He links present events to broader themes—judicial power, the place of religion amid moral confusion, and our relationship with technology—arguing that much of today's political malaise is self-inflicted and unsustainable. The episode concludes with the assertion that admitting uncomfortable truths, even accidentally (as “the libs” do), is the first step toward political renewal and victory.