Podcast Summary: The Michael Knowles Show – Ep. 1865

Episode Title: Why Do We Keep Importing Migrants To Murder Us?
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Overview

This episode explores the public and political response to recent violent acts committed by migrants and refugees in the United States, particularly focusing on the tragic shooting of two National Guards members by an Afghan refugee. Michael Knowles dissects mainstream media coverage, critiques liberal immigration policies, highlights notable political reactions, and uses both contemporary and historical references to question the wisdom and impact of mass immigration. The episode features critical commentary, provocative humor, and philosophical references, examining not just the events themselves but the underlying societal attitudes driving immigration policy.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The National Guard Shooting Case

[03:40–07:27]

• Incident Recap:
  Michael Knowles details the murder of 20-year-old National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom (and Andrew Wolfe, critically injured) by a 29-year-old Afghan refugee (unnamed due to pronunciation difficulties), who came to the U.S. under "Operation Allies Welcome" after working with the CIA.

  • Quote [04:25]: "An Afghan murdered two National Guardsmen... These are the allies that Biden brought in. The allies, the oppressed, the refugees. Our strength."

• Broader Pattern of Crimes:
  Knowles notes that this is not an isolated incident but one among multiple crimes and attempted terror attacks by recent Afghan refugees.

  • Quote [05:50]: "A litany of examples of this, which we’ll get to in a moment."

2. Media & Political Reactions

[07:27–10:00]

• Media Downplaying or Justifying Attack:
  Knowles criticizes MSNBC and PBS for their responses, including suggesting that concern is misplaced toward potential backlash against Muslim migrants rather than the dead American.

  • Quote – MSNBC simulation [07:27]:
    "There are some Americans that might object to [people] walking around with uniforms… so apparently this shooting has happened."
  • Quote – PBS headline [09:30]: "Refugee groups worry about backlash after National Guard shooting."

• Critique of Defensive Narratives:
  Knowles chides the liberal tendency to either excuse the crime or focus on hypothetical consequences for migrants, not victims.

  • Quote [10:15]: "I am more worried about the Americans that these supposed refugees are murdering."

3. Debate Over Vetting, Security, and the "Needle in a Haystack" Argument

[11:15–13:50]

• Senator J.D. Vance Clip:
  Knowles plays a (year-old) viral clip of Vance arguing that proper vetting is often a fantasy and is not reason enough to take risks with national security.
  • Quote – J.D. Vance [13:43]: "I don’t really care, Margaret. I don’t want that person in my country. And I think most Americans agree with me."
• Knowles’s Analysis:
  Even if crimes are rare, the risk is unacceptable because the government's duty is to protect Americans—not to accept migrants at any cost.

4. Left-Wing Political Commentary: Granting Deportation Premise

[18:21–19:49]

• Representative Jasmine Crockett’s on-air comments:
  Crockett argues that if Trump wants to deport Afghan refugees for crimes, he should also deport "white supremacists," suggesting they commit more crimes.

  • Quote – Crockett [18:56]: "If that’s the case, let’s talk about the white supremacists and how many of them need to be kicked out of this country..."

• Knowles’s Counter:
  He highlights the logical leap, noting that illegal immigrants, by definition, are criminal, and points out immigrants with hostile ideologies are more justifiable deportees than (largely already-imprisoned) American "white supremacists."

  • Quote [19:21]: "All illegal immigrants commit a crime. That’s why we call them illegal immigrants."

• Premise Conceded:
  Knowles thanks Crockett for revealing that mass deportations are legitimate in principle—now the debate is only over whom to deport.

5. Wajahat Ali’s “Brown People Diatribe” & Its Implications

[25:11–26:36]

• Ali’s Monologue:
  Ali sarcastically thanks America for letting "brown people" in since 1965, detailing demographic trends and claiming immigrant superiority in food, culture, and fertility, while disparaging white American culture.

  • Quote – Ali [25:18]: "You have lost. You lost. The mistake that you made is you let us in in the first place… We breed… Our parties have better food, better music, better looking women."

• Knowles’s Interpretation:
  Wajahat Ali, a second-generation, highly assimilated liberal, expresses what Knowles sees as deep-seated tribal antagonism toward America's majority. Knowles uses this as evidence that assimilation is incomplete and heritage is enduring.

  • Quote [26:36]: "Even in the best of circumstances, heritage is a part of identity that is enduring... and that cannot simply be waved away by passing a multiple-choice civics exam."

6. Philosophical & Historical Reflection on Immigration

[27:30–34:18]

• Aquinas & Aristotle:
  Citing St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle, Knowles argues that immigration should be tightly controlled, citizenship granted slowly, and some groups are more easily assimilated due to cultural or historical ties.
  • Quote [29:02]: "If foreigners were allowed to meddle with the affairs of a nation as soon as they settled down… many dangers might occur… since the foreigners… might attempt something hurtful to the people."
• American Immigration History:
  The modern open-border policy is a break from Founding-era and pre-1965 practice.
• Assimilation Is Not Instantaneous:
  Acculturation is complex and generational; cultural cohesion doesn't come from a quick civics exam.

7. Recent Scandals & Failures of Immigration Policy

[34:18–41:00]

• Minnesota Fraud Scandal:
  Under Democrat Governor Tim Walz (mocked by Trump as “retarded”), Somali immigrants fraudulently obtained welfare and funneled millions to the Al Shabaab terror group.

  • Quote [36:35]: "Tim Walz, under his leadership, allowed Somalis to defraud the welfare system… sending it to a terror group in Somalia."

• Purpose of Trump’s Offensive Language:
  Knowles says Trump's "retarded" slur is intentional, provocative language to draw attention to the underlying issue, not mere vulgarity.

• Question Raised:
  What are hard-to-assimilate groups like Somali refugees adding to America? Are they worth the trade-off in security and cultural disruption?

8. Catalog of Refugee Crimes (Afghan Example)

[41:00–44:10]

• Headline Cases:
  • Afghan in Montana charged with raping a teenage girl.
  • Multiple Afghan refugees in Oklahoma City plotted a terror attack on Election Day 2024, pledged allegiance to ISIS.
  • Afghan immigrant on U.S. terror watch list released into the country.
  • Fort McCoy evacuee charged with child sexual abuse.
• Knowles’s Summary Judgment:
  The virtue of inclusivity cannot replace prudence or the government’s obligation to protect citizens. Importing risk out of guilt is not compassionate—it's dangerous.
  • Quote [44:10]: "We did it because we feel guilty... and now they’re killing us and they’re raping people and they’re committing terror attacks. But we felt bad."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Risk of Refugee Crime
  Michael Knowles [13:48]:
  "If there is even a very, very minor chance that one or several of the Afghanis that we are importing en masse… is going to kill Americans or rape Americans or rob Americans… I don’t want them here."

• On Left-Wing Priorities in Media
  Michael Knowles [09:45]:
  "Refugee groups, the open borders groups, the pro Muslim groups… their first thought [after a National Guardswoman is murdered] is, ‘Gosh, the backlash against Afghanis is gonna be terrible.’"

• Wajahat Ali’s Rant (Paraphrased for Length) [25:11–26:00]:
  Wajahat Ali: "You have lost. The mistake that you made is you let us in in the first place… Brown people are everywhere. There will be a Patel motel or there will be a desi restaurant everywhere… you have lost. Your story is a shitty story filled with misery. It’s filled with bland chicken…"

• On the False Assumption of Instant Assimilation
  Michael Knowles [28:20]:
  "It just takes a little while… You gotta get it a little more in your bones. It’s not just something you inject into your head or upload to the cloud."

Key Timestamps

• 03:40 – Brutal Thanksgiving shooting by Afghan refugee; details on Operation Allies Welcome
• 07:27 – MSNBC & PBS media reactions; downplaying and reframing attack
• 12:34 – Viral J.D. Vance clip on refugee vetting (with transcript)
• 18:21 – Rep. Jasmine Crockett on deporting "white supremacists"
• 19:07 – Knowles’s rebuttal on crime and the legitimacy of mass deportations
• 25:11 – Wajahat Ali’s "brown people" monologue (+ Knowles reaction)
• 27:30 – Citing St. Thomas Aquinas & Aristotle on historical immigration approaches
• 34:18 – Somali welfare fraud/Terror funding scandal in Minnesota
• 41:00 – Specific recent refugee crimes by Afghans catalogued
• 44:10 – Knowles’s summary: Guilt and liberalism cannot substitute for prudent policy

Tone & Style

• Provocative, sarcastic, and combative: Knowles frequently uses dark humor, rhetorical exaggeration, and biting criticism.
• Philosophical/Intellectual references: Frequent citations to philosophers, Christian theology, and classical history.
• Populist and partisan: Strong anti-liberal, anti-media slant; unapologetic support for nationalism and immigration restriction.
• Conversational, rapid-fire cadence: Occasional asides, personal anecdotes, and reader/listener comments.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The episode conveys skepticism, even indignation, about America’s current immigration/refugee policy, especially under Biden.
• Knowles contends that mass migration from culturally distant, unstable regions is inherently risky and frequently justifies these warnings with recent criminal examples.
• Mainstream liberal media and politicians are sharply criticized for focusing on "backlash" or for granting leniency/coherence to identity-based arguments that undermine national unity and security.
• Public debate is reframed: if the left accepts the premise of deporting certain groups, the real question becomes which groups are justifiably deported.
• The episode closes with a call for prudence, hierarchy of virtues (especially prudence over misplaced guilt), and a reminder that charity should not mean abandoning the duty to maintain the safety and integrity of one's own country.