The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1862 - Somali Migrants CAUGHT Using Your Tax Dollars To Fund Terrorists
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)
Featured Guest: Lila Rose

Episode Overview

This episode centers on explosive reports that Somali migrant groups in Minnesota have perpetrated large-scale welfare fraud, funneled taxpayer money to terrorist organizations like Al Shabaab, and exploited American social systems with cunning and coordination. Michael Knowles breaks down the specifics of these fraud cases, explores the broader implications for American welfare policy, and offers commentary on the necessary social conditions for functional welfare states. Later, Knowles is joined by Lila Rose to discuss a bizarre "hate hoax" case involving a right-wing congressional aide and broader trends in female social behavior and self-obsession. The conversation rounds out with reflections on citizenship, misclassification of crime statistics, and listener Q&A on marriage, healthcare, and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Somali Migrant Welfare Fraud Scandal

[01:28–13:50]

• IQ Discourse and Fraud:
  Knowles begins by discussing perceptions of Somalis as unintelligent based on average IQ statistics, but argues that their ability to coordinate large-scale fraud against Minnesota taxpayers shows a distinct type of political intelligence:

  “As a matter of purely political intelligence, if the average Somali IQ really is 68, ours is in the single digits.” (03:30)

• The Report – Welfare Programs Exploited:

  • City Journal and Chris Rufo break the story:
    • Minnesota’s Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services Program:
      • Projected annual costs: ~$2.5 million
      • Actual first-year claims: $21+ million; subsequent years ballooning to $104 million
      • In 2025 alone, payouts look to top $122 million
    • Feeding Our Future Program:
      • $250 million fraud scheme, 77+ prosecuted, “massive community wide fraud”
    • Autism Therapy Fraud:
      • $14 million scheme in Minnesota's Early Intensive Developmental & Behavioral Intervention Program

• Money Flowing to Al Shabaab:
  Much of the stolen money is believed to have funded Al Shabaab, an Islamist terrorist organization:

  “A federal counterterrorism source concluded, quote, the largest funder of Al Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.” (03:05)

• Analysis of Their Success:
  Knowles attributes their effectiveness to a cohesive group identity, strong traditions, and political coordination:

  "They might be schemers and criminals … but as a matter of political intelligence, they have my respect for getting it done for their community at the expense of the American taxpayer.” (07:10)

• Time for Policy Action:
  Knowles’ blunt solution:

  “We gotta get these Somalis out. ... Most of them have to go, starting with Ilhan Omar.” (08:12)

• Wider Policy Ramifications:

  • Welfare systems are vulnerable to abuse in low-trust, non-homogenous societies.
  • Welfare works in high-trust, homogenous societies (e.g., Scandinavia).
  • The right was correct about fraud risk, the "new right" is correct about the need for a common good, but:

    "You cannot divorce economic policy from social policy." (11:10)

  • Modern welfare, when abused, “funds Al Shabaab. Like, enough with the welfare. Right?” (10:39)

Hate Hoax from the Right: Ex-GOP Aide Attacks Herself

[13:50–24:52]

• Story Recap:
  Knowles and Lila Rose dissect the case of an ex-GOP congressional aide who mutilated herself to stage a hate crime, carving "Trump whore" into her body and paying a fetish artist to inflict harm—initially blaming leftist attackers.

• Lila Rose on Female Social Crisis:

  “Girls today are not okay. That is an objective reality and this is an example of it. ... It's extreme attention seeking.” (15:51)

• Attention Economy & Narcissism:

  • Social media fosters constant comparisons and rewards self-harm for attention.
  • Even right-leaning young women now seek social status in victimhood:

    "Now it's actually popular to be on the right. ... But is this how we're going to use and abuse that opportunity?" – Lila Rose (16:53)

• Broader Cultural Insights:

  • Traditional self-harming for attention (teen girls) merges with new "conservative victim" narrative.
  • South Park’s mockery of the right now signals shifting cultural power.
  • Both host and guest see a “silver lining” in that being conservative has become mainstream enough to parody.

The Childfree TikTok Trend & Critique of Hyper-Individualism

[17:42–24:44]

• Segment Set-up:
  Knowles and Rose discuss a viral TikTok from a young woman proudly listing the perks of childless life (brunches, disposable income, peace, etc.)

• Lila Rose’s Counterview:

  “There's just … no comparison” to family, children, and deep relationships. (20:23)
  “When people are alone, the social data shows people get miserable. ... It's a serious spiritual sickness and crisis.” (23:16)

• Knowles on Self-Obsession:
  The core difference is not family status but the “self-obsession” of social-media-driven hedonism.

  “Brunch just doesn’t hit the same way it did 10 years ago.” (21:43)

• Key Point:
  A meaningful, joyful life (even for celibates or infertile couples) is found through “responsibility for other people, being loved by other people and loving them back.” (23:16)

Immigration, Citizenship, and Loyalty in Public Office

[26:22–29:37]

• Nayland Haley (Nikki Haley’s son) interview:

  • Argues naturalized citizens should not serve in public office.
  • Calls for limiting foreign students and ending dual citizenship.

    “You're either American or you're not. And everyone wants to make it so complicated. ... People should have their loyalty to America first.” – Nayland Haley (26:51)

• Knowles’ Commentary:

  • Citizenship and assimilation take generations, not the waving of a bureaucratic wand:

    “You don’t just come here ... and magically become as American as apple pie. ... Citizenship actually takes time.” (27:15)

  • Real loyalty and civic participation require deep immersion in culture, tradition, geography, and shared experience.

Misclassification of Crime Statistics by Race

[29:37–33:25]

• Viral Analysis of Crime Data:

  • New research exposes that 29% of Hispanic offenders are misclassified as “white” in correctional records, thus inflating white crime stats and underreporting Hispanic crime.

    “White criminal record rates decrease by 4 to 6%. Hispanic criminal record rates increase by 20 to 31%.” (30:55)

• Knowles on the Political Implications:

  • Misclassification is not accidental; it’s driven by the need to downplay uncomfortable demographic trends.
  • “If you actually love people and you want to help them ... the first thing you have to do is acknowledge reality.” (32:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Somali Welfare Fraud:

  “The largest funder of Al Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.” (Citing a federal source, 03:05)
  "You can call Somalia stupid all you want. They just tricked you supposedly genius American taxpayers into funding their terror group in Somalia." (04:35)

• Policy Integration:

  "You cannot divorce economic policy from social policy. ... You need social solidarity in order to have a more robust social safety net. This is why it works in homogenous countries like in Scandinavia." (11:10)

• On the Shift in Political Satire:

  "South Park always goes after the regime... Now the right kinda has political power... I guess that's a good thing actually." (18:42)

• Lila Rose on Modern Young Women:

  "The self obsession is at an all time high... It's very tough, but it's doable. We're going to win this, but it's going to take some time." (16:53; 17:39)

• On Citizenship:

  "You have to have your loyalty chiefly to one of those things. That's just how it works.” (28:53)

• On Truth and Crime Statistics:

  “If you want to help them, you have to acknowledge reality.” (32:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:28] Somali migrant welfare fraud in Minnesota; City Journal exposé
• [03:05] Taxpayer funds routed to Al Shabaab; federal source quote
• [07:10] Attributes of Somali group political coordination and fraud
• [11:10] Integration of economic and social policy
• [13:50] Ex-GOP aide self-mutilation hate hoax; Lila Rose joins
• [15:51] Lila Rose: "Girls today are not okay"—commentary on young women and social media
• [17:42] Viral childfree TikTok trend; critique of self-obsession
• [20:23] Lila Rose on the irreplaceable value of family and relationships
• [26:22] Nayland Haley (Nikki Haley’s son) on public office and loyalty
• [27:15] Knowles on assimilation and generational citizenship
• [29:37] Crime statistics misclassification; white vs. Hispanic rates
• [32:34] The necessity of acknowledging demographic reality

Listener Mailbag Highlights

[39:08–46:53]

• Prenups to prevent divorce:
  Private legal fixes (like anti-divorce prenups) often can’t override public law’s permissiveness toward divorce; only political/cultural change will affect marriage stability.
• Why healthcare quality is ignored in debate:
  Healthcare policy stuck between poor alternatives; current insurance regime incentivizes poorer care and the political will isn’t present to fix quality problems.
• Catholic confirmation name advice:
  Michael suggests Augustine (or Monica, for female alternative) as a name representing lost-and-found faith and the power of parental prayers.

Conclusion

Michael Knowles uses the Somali Minnesota welfare scandal as a launching point to critique the current American welfare state, arguing that multiculturalism and open borders undermine the social trust necessary for such systems to function. He and Lila Rose analyze trends in right-wing activism, female social malaise, and the dangers of narcissistic social media culture. They move fluidly through topics of citizenship, demography, and statistical manipulation—all with the show's characteristic polemic, sarcastic tone, and sharp right-wing critique.

For those who haven't listened: This episode is a wide-ranging investigation into the underbelly of American policy and culture, focused on the intersection of immigration, welfare, fraud, and social decline—punctuated by Sarah Rose's frank observations and lively banter.