The Michael Knowles Show — Ep. 1863: President Trump Makes Mamdani SQUIRM During White House Faceoff

Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michael Knowles dissects a remarkable Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Zoran Mamdani, the Muslim communist mayor-elect of New York City. Knowles unpacks Trump’s unorthodox yet masterful approach to political communication, explores Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation from Congress, and delves into the recent revelations about foreign actors manipulating U.S. social media discourse. He rounds out the show with commentary on illegal immigration, mass migration policy, and the misrepresentation of Christianity by self-proclaimed progressive clergy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump & Mamdani: Oval Office Power Play

[04:26 – 13:30]

• Michael frames the meeting as a showcase of Trump’s unparalleled political instincts, highlighting how Trump subverted expectations by responding to Mamdani’s past criticisms (calling Trump a "fascist") with surprising warmth and humor.
• Notable Exchange:
  • When questioned in front of Trump about his past "fascist" accusation, Mamdani squirms, but Trump diffuses it jovially.
    Trump (paraphrased): “Hey buddy, it’s okay you called me a fascist, right? Don’t worry about it. Water under the bridge.”
    [04:37]
• Knowles breaks down the unexpected “chumminess” between Trump and Mamdani, noting Trump’s strategic friendliness puts Mamdani in a lose-lose situation: he can’t escalate, and Trump makes him seem secretly complicit or aligned.
• Layered Analysis:
  • Trump’s display is both "common sense" and sophisticated political theater.
    • Quote: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar… That’s just common sense. And it’s the kind of common sense that a guy who's ever worked in business understands, that a person who’s ever cut a deal understands, and that politicians really don’t understand because they get too far into the weeds.” [10:13]
  • Trump publicly claims he would feel comfortable living in Mamdani’s NYC after their meeting, subtly undermining past Republican attacks on Mamdani and suggesting unexpected private agreement.
• Impact:
  • Mamdani, initially seen as the ascendant star of progressive politics, leaves the meeting diminished; by contrast, Trump, declared “lame duck” after recent GOP losses, is repositioned as the dominant player, stealing back the political spotlight.
  • Quote: “Trump brings Mamdani to the Oval Office and he makes it all about Trump again. It’s all about Trump again. And now Mamdani, he’s Trump’s little pizza boy… He made himself the star again.” [12:33]

2. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation & Trump’s Influence

[16:37 – 20:25]

• Knowles analyzes Greene’s statement and resignation from Congress, triggered by Trump’s threat to support a primary challenger in her district.
• Greene’s reasoning:
  • Feels betrayed by Trump, unwilling to subject her district to a “hurtful and hateful primary."
  • Quote (Marjorie Taylor Greene): “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.” [17:10]
• Knowles’ takeaway:
  • Sees this as proof that Trump is still “calling the shots” in the GOP.
    • Quote: “Trump just personally destroyed Marjorie Taylor Greene’s political career… The top takeaway is that Trump is still calling the shots. Trump is still the head of the Republican Party.” [19:09]
  • Observes that even in a "second term" scenario where most presidents lose power, Trump demonstrates continued, outsized influence within the Republican ranks.

3. Foreign Influence & Shifts in American Political Discourse

[21:25 – 26:44]

• Knowles discusses Elon Musk's new feature on X (Twitter), disclosing the origin of user accounts, which reveals that many so-called pro-America accounts are actually run by foreigners.
• Examples:
  • The “Merican” account based in South Asia, “Times of Gaza” with connections to East Asia and North Africa, and others using stock photos and AI slop for influence.
  • Quote: “It’s not even a good picture of converting to Islam. Then you find out that this account, Dmartin… is based in West Asia. Not Los Angeles, not the US. Verified since last month. Two name changes. Connected via West Asia.” [24:55]
• Key Insight:
  • While foreign actors DO attempt to manipulate online debate, Knowles stresses they "exploit existing tensions" rather than invent opinions out of nothing.
  • Quote: “Why do information wars work? …It’s to exacerbate existing tensions. …The information war has worked because of the underlying tensions.” [26:00]
• Warns both establishment and anti-establishment camps against dismissing real ideological divides as mere foreign “ops.”

4. Illegal Immigration, Social Security Fraud, & Media Narratives

[31:28 – 36:54]

• Knowles references a recent discussion on his show “Bar Fight” about illegal immigrants stealing Social Security numbers to work.
• Notable Example:
  • New York Times article “Two men, one identity. They both paid the price.” allegedly depicts a native-born American whose identity is stolen by an illegal immigrant, yet the NYT frames their suffering as morally equivalent.
  • Knowles’ Commentary: “And the illegal alien stole that identity. And now they both pay the price. …And the most fair that the New York Times will be is to say that they’re basically equal.” [35:33]
• Critiques elite media for downplaying criminality and shifting accountability, linking this pattern to elite attitudes toward ordinary Americans.

5. State Department & Mass Migration as a Global Crisis

[39:37 – 44:22]

• Announces major policy shift: U.S. State Department now frames “mass migration” as a humanitarian and public safety crisis.
• Quote: “Mass migration poses an existential threat to Western civilization and undermines the stability of key American allies. Today the State Department instructed US embassies to report on the human rights implications and public safety impacts of mass migration.” [40:14]
• Details cases of migrant-linked crime in UK, Sweden, Germany as symptomatic of broader societal cracks, and criticizes lenient or inverted justice (victims penalized more harshly than perpetrators).
• Policy Commentary:
  • Praises the Trump administration for pursuing “net negative migration” for the first time in decades, framing this as core to a new, necessary conservative coalition.
  • Quote: “We need drastically less migration overall. …Trump is the first guy to actually get this done in half a century.” [43:46]

6. Authority in Catholicism & Progressive 'Priestesses'

[44:39 – 48:30]

• Responds to a viral video of a woman in clerical garb identifying as a Catholic priestess, advocating for social-justice causes and open borders.
  • Quote (Priestess): “My faith demands that I advocate for the marginalized… This clerical collar does not allow me to worry about rules more than people.” [44:39]
• Knowles clarifies that Catholicism does not—and cannot—ordain women to the priesthood, no matter popular demand or confusion.
  • Quote: “The Catholic Church does not ordain women and cannot ordain women. … Authority, period. As far as I’m concerned, every single lay Catholic in the world could desire and choose to recognize so-called women priests. That woman still would not be a priest.” [46:02]
• Explains the concept of papal infallibility and institutional continuity, contrasting with Protestant or democratic forms of ecclesial authority.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump defuses criticism:
  • “Hey buddy, it’s okay you called me a fascist, right? Don’t worry about it. Water under the bridge.”
    — President Trump (mimicked by Knowles), [04:37]
• Knowles on political theater:
  • “He did the one thing you didn’t expect him to do, which is just as a general rule, the thing politicians should do.”
    — Michael Knowles, [13:23]
• On Greene’s resignation:
  • “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.”
    — Marjorie Taylor Greene, [17:10]
• On foreign influence:
  • “Why do information wars work? …It’s to exacerbate existing tensions.”
    — Michael Knowles, [26:00]
• On media bias:
  • “…the most fair that the New York Times will be is to say that they’re basically equal.”
    — Michael Knowles, [35:33]
• On migration and conservatism:
  • “We need drastically less migration overall. … Trump is the first guy to actually get this done in half a century.”
    — Michael Knowles, [43:46]
• On Catholic authority:
  • “The Catholic Church does not ordain women and cannot ordain women. …That woman still would not be a priest because it’s not up to them. Because the Catholic Church is not a democracy…”
    — Michael Knowles, [46:02]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Trump & Mamdani White House encounter: [04:26 – 13:30]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene resignation: [16:37 – 20:25]
• Foreign actors on social media: [21:25 – 26:44]
• NYT & illegal immigration: [31:28 – 36:54]
• State Department & mass migration: [39:37 – 44:22]
• Catholic authority & progressive clergy: [44:39 – 48:30]

Summary Takeaways

• Trump remains the center of gravity in national politics, able to reframe narratives and exert dominance even in seeming defeat.
• GOP’s internal conflicts and purges (e.g., Marjorie Taylor Greene’s exit) reinforce Trump’s authority rather than diminish it.
• Information wars are real but work only because of real, pre-existing divides; blaming everything on foreign “ops” is naïve.
• Elite media often diminish the victims of illegal activity and equate their suffering with the perpetrators for ideological reasons.
• US policy is shifting to recognize mass migration as a primary crisis rather than a solution, reflecting changing grassroots conservative priorities.
• Catholic doctrine and church governance are misrepresented by progressives, and authority does not rest with popular opinion or self-identification.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary recaps the essential discussions, notable exchanges, and key moments in Michael Knowles’ trademark sharp, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, commentary style.