The Michael Knowles Show

Episode 1866: “Stranger Things Star DEFENDS The Child Sacrifice Of Her Sibling”
Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Overview

This episode tackles several current political and cultural controversies, centering on actress Maya Hawke’s viral remarks about her mother's abortion, broader societal responses to abortion, and the instinct of children to defend their parents. Michael Knowles also navigates university bias against Christian students, college students' declining math skills, the controversy over dual citizenship, benefits provided to undocumented immigrants, and recent revelations about COVID vaccine deaths among children.

The tone is irreverent, combative, and unapologetically conservative, featuring Knowles’ typical blend of satire, polemic, and direct critique of progressive norms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Maya Hawke, "Stranger Things," and the Abortion Debate

(Starts ~07:30)

• Background: Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, discussed on a late night show how she’s thankful her mother had an abortion before Maya was born, claiming it allowed her mother to pursue her career and eventually have Maya.

• Viral Reaction: Public backlash was intense, with many characterizing Maya’s comments as "celebrating the sacrifice of her sibling for her own existence."

• Knowles’ Analysis:

  • In Defense of Maya:

    • Knowles asserts Maya Hawke is not being malicious, but is “trying to defend her parents,” an instinct he says is natural and good in children (13:45).
    • Quote: “The good thing it's expressing is, she's trying to defend her parents... you see this a lot with the kids of divorced parents... they desperately try to defend the divorce.” (14:00)

  • Broader Cultural Parallels:

    • He draws parallels between children of divorce and children of same-sex couples, arguing that public justifications often differ from private, more conflicted feelings (15:30).
    • Says children naturally want to see their parents as blameless, even rationalizing hurtful actions.

  • Healthy Maturity:

    • The “mature” response, Knowles argues, is to love parents while naming their moral failings: "Growing up means you need to be able to do both… love your parents, and admit they’ve done things that are wrong… And abortion’s always wrong" (17:00).
    • Quote: "Winning an Oscar is not worth killing your kid. Nothing in this world is worth killing your kid." (19:45)
    • Connects this logic to the biblical principle: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but to lose his soul?” (20:55)

2. University Bias Against Christian Students

(Starts ~24:00)

• Case Study:

  • Samantha Fulnacki, University of Oklahoma student, received a zero on a paper graded by a transgender professor, Mel Curtis, after referencing the Bible in her critique of a gender identity article.
  • Knowles reads excerpts from Samantha’s essay, noting its clarity relative to typical college writing.

• Grading Rubric & Professor’s Response:

  • Paper requirements were simply to respond thoughtfully to an assigned article—no explicit ban on religious sources.
  • The professor’s comments chided her for "using personal ideology over empirical evidence," which Knowles mocks as hypocritical given the professor’s own “she/they” pronouns and ideological commitments (31:05).
  • Quote: “Personal ideology over empirical evidence. This is a dude who thinks he's a woman…” (31:10)

• Knowles’ Arguments:

  • Academic standards are declining, but the fault lies with faculty, not students (36:45).
  • The Bible provides better psychological insights than modern psychology.
  • Samantha should have received a perfect grade, and the "trans thing" professor should be fired.

3. Decline of Basic Math Skills in Higher Education

(Starts ~42:00)

• Wall Street Journal Report:

  • UC San Diego reports 1 in 8 freshmen lack high school math skills; only 39% could correctly round a number to the nearest hundred; students placed in remedial math often have a 5th-grade level.
  • Harvard also had to introduce remedial algebra.

• Systemic Causes:

  • Everyone is expected to attend college, leading to diluted standards.
  • Overreliance on calculators, smartphones, and now AI leads to underdeveloped skills.

• Philosophical Reflection:

  • The ultimate purpose of education isn’t job preparation, but to know and glorify God and to recognize truth, goodness, and beauty—a recurring Knowles theme (44:35).
  • Quote: “The purpose of education ultimately is to know and give glory to God... that is ultimately what it is about.” (44:55)

4. Tennessee Election as a Bellwether

(Starts ~51:20)

• Context:

  • Critical special election pits Republican Matt Van Epps against Democrat Afton Bain in TN-7 (Nashville area).
  • Polls show a dead heat, which Knowles finds alarming given the district’s GOP history.

• Implications:

  • If Democrats win, Knowles predicts a “bloodbath” for GOP in midterms, with possible wave of retirements among Republican members.

5. Debate Over Dual Citizenship

(Starts ~57:00)

• Proposal:

  • GOP Senator Bernie Moreno suggests ending dual citizenship, arguing American identity requires exclusive loyalty.

• Knowles’ Position:

  • Dual citizenship is a recent (post-1960s) phenomenon, incoherent in principle, and source of divided loyalties (58:50).
  • Quote: “You cannot simultaneously be loyal to two nations... Dual citizenship is absurd. It’s incoherent. It’s contrary to the nature of citizenship.” (59:40)

• Historical Context:

  • Cites past presidents and policies that opposed dual citizenship, noting shift began with Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s-1980s.

• Cultural Critique:

  • Compares modern “collecting” of citizenships with Pokemon cards—sees it as emblematic of declining national identity.

6. Undocumented Immigrants & Welfare Benefits

(Starts ~65:00)

• Viral Clip:

  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal inadvertently admits, during remarks at a food bank, that undocumented immigrants do receive federal benefits like SNAP (food stamps), contradicting prior Democratic assurances.

• Knowles’ Reaction:

  • Mocks Democratic denials; calls out "free government benefits, get hooked on welfare and be able to participate in American elections" (Stephen Miller, quoted at 68:20).

• Key Quote: “They’re gonna bring them over here, hook them onto the programs, get them onto the voter rolls, so that they can rig the elections.” (68:25)

7. FDA Admits COVID Vaccine-Linked Deaths in Children

(Starts ~70:45)

• News:

  • NBC & FDA memo: Internal review found at least 10 children died after receiving COVID vaccine (2021–2024). Actual numbers could be higher due to underreporting.

• Expert Reaction:

  • Knowles mocks "vaccine experts" cited by media as immediately trying to downplay and dispute FDA’s findings (72:50).

• Broader Reflection:

  • Asserts that skeptics of the "Fauci Ouchie" were right all along.
  • Critiques ever-shifting “expert” guidance during the pandemic.
  • Emphasizes need to remember institutional lies: “The experts, the liberal technocrat experts were wrong about everything.” (75:45)
  • Urges audience to push back against institutional overreach and to maintain confidence in truth.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Defending parents, even their wrongs:
  “Kids have a good instinct to defend their parents in everything… That’s a really good thing. Growing up means you need to be able to do both of those things… abortion’s always wrong.” (14:00–17:00)

• Why life, career, and sin don’t justify abortion:
  “Nothing in this world is worth killing your kid. Nothing in this world is worth committing a mortal sin.” (20:00)

• On college writing standards:
  “I strongly suspect that this girl had the best reaction post of anyone in her class. It is far above the average writing that you get out of universities…” (36:35)

• On education:
  “The purpose of education ultimately is to know and give glory to God... that is ultimately what it is about.” (44:55)

• On dual citizenship:
  “Dual citizenship is absurd. It’s incoherent. It’s contrary to the nature of citizenship.” (59:40)

• On immigrant welfare & elections:
  “They're gonna bring them over here, hook them onto the programs, get them onto the voter rolls, so that they can rig the elections.” (68:25)

• On COVID vaccine deaths:
  “The experts, the liberal technocrat experts were wrong about everything.” (75:45)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Maya Hawke/Stranger Things abortion remarks: 07:30–22:00
• University bias—Oklahoma Christian student v. trans professor: 24:00–38:00
• College students can’t do basic math: 42:00–51:00
• Tennessee congressional election as bellwether: 51:20–56:30
• Dual citizenship debate: 57:00–64:30
• Undocumented immigrants & welfare: 65:00–70:00
• FDA admits COVID vaccine-linked child deaths: 70:45–end

Episode Flow & Tone

The episode flows briskly through multiple stories united by Knowles’ framing of a moral and cultural crisis in America. His tone is assertive, sardonic, and often polemical, animated by a sense of missionary confidence in conservative principles, traditional morality, and skepticism of progressive experts and institutions. Frequent use of satire punctuates more serious warnings about the state of American education, politics, and public health policy.

For listeners seeking clarity about controversies on abortion, campus bias, citizenship, and pandemic fallout, this episode offers unapologetic conservative commentary with memorable analogies and biting critique of mainstream narratives.