The Michael Knowles Show – Ep. 1916: “They Just Made Elmo Muslim”

Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Michael Knowles, The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

This episode of The Michael Knowles Show critically unpacks the intersection of culture, politics, and religion, focusing on contemporary controversies from assisted suicide policy in Canada, Democrats’ shifting stance on Christianity, “woke” religious claims, shifting pop culture allegiances, and commentary on aliens. From viral news stories to broader cultural analysis, Knowles combines pointed critique with dark humor and conservative Catholic commentary.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Canada’s Assisted Suicide Policy Critique

[05:50 – 16:45]

• Topic: Michael Knowles opens with a somber recounting of a Canadian family’s reaction to their son Keanu Vafeyan (blind, diabetic, suffering from seasonal depression) being euthanized with state approval through Canada’s MAID program.
• Slippery Slope Realized: Knowles traces how policies originally promoted for the terminally ill now target the young and mentally distressed.
  • “This is the slippery slope... What did the libs say? Oh, it’s only for people in extraordinary physical pain... All of a sudden you’re gonna get people who are much younger killing themselves and doing so with sanction and encouragement of the state.” (08:11)
• Expert Testimony: Knowles plays and comments on the viral parliamentary testimony of a Trudeau Fellow, who claims, “People who are getting MAID are actually very, very privileged. They're white, they're well off... It's a picture of privilege.” (13:57)
  • Knowles’s response: “It’s a confession by pointing out this group... that assisted suicide maybe isn't great. If you need to protect vulnerable communities from it then it’s not a great thing in the first place.” (15:25)
• Underlying Motives: He suggests socialist healthcare systems support euthanasia primarily to “control costs” by removing “nuisance” patients.

2. Democrats Attempt to Rebrand as “True Christians”

[24:00 – 32:59]

• Shifting Messaging: Knowles notes a narrative shift as Democratic politicians and media personalities try to present themselves as the “real” Christians, in contrast to “religious right” conservatism.
• Clip Highlight: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert):
  • “They convinced a lot of our fellow Christians that the most important issues were abortion and gay marriage, two issues that aren't mentioned in the Bible. Two issues that Jesus never talked about... It was all about how you treat other people.” (28:25)
• Knowles’s Counter:
  • “No, guys, no, Christianity is great, but we’re the real Christians. If you were really a Christian, Jesus never said you had to vote Republican. He said you had to vote Democrat. That’s the new message.” (29:03)
  • “Do you really believe that [Christianity is true]? I don’t think they do... It’s this smug, disingenuous nonsense that is the best descriptor of everything Talarico’s ever said.” (32:37)
• Historical/Biblical Arguments: Knowles references specific church teachings and early Christian texts condemning abortion and upholding traditional views on marriage, countering modern progressive readings.

3. Viral “Priestess” and the Sacredness of Abortion

[33:00 – 38:20]

• Viral Video: Knowles critiques a clip of a woman presenting herself as a “priestess” (with a Planned Parenthood stole), who describes both pregnancy and abortion as sacred—emphasizing her autonomy over divine order.
  • Quote from priestess: “I can affirm that I felt something sacred happening in my gestating body… I can attest I felt God’s presence… as I made the decision to end two pregnancies… and I felt no guilt, no shame, no sin.” (36:25)
• Knowles’s Take:
  • Applauds her for her honesty, “What she says is, I felt a divine thing happening when babies were being created in my womb, but I killed them anyway because my autonomy trumped even the spark of the divine.” (36:59)
  • Argues that this is the fulfillment of liberalism’s promise: “Nothing is more important than my autonomy... It’s all the more satanic because she admits... and I killed it.” (37:30)

4. “Elmo Goes Muslim for Lent”: Culture and Identity Politics in Pop Media

[41:00 – 46:50]

• Elmo Celebrates Ramadan:
  • Knowles highlights a tweet from Elmo wishing followers “Ramadan Mubarak,” which coincided with the beginning of Lent—but with no mention of Lent or Christian holidays.
  • “Why would Elmo choose to celebrate the Muslim thing and not the Christian thing?... Elmo is a product of civilization that succeeded Christendom. We call it the West.” (44:12)
• Broader Trend:
  • Asserts liberal pop culture celebrates obscure or anti-Western holidays while ignoring Christian ones.
  • “It’s really about Lent. He’s really celebrating about Lent… Liberalism is just perversion. It’s fighting against something… It’s a revolt against good manners, your dad, society, family, truth, justice, and ultimately against God.” (46:01)

5. Alien Disclosure and Trump/Obama Banter

[48:19 – 53:15]

• Trump/Obama on Aliens:
  • Trump comments on Obama’s claim that “aliens are real,” cryptically noting Obama gave out “classified information.”
  • Knowles debates the seriousness of these comments, ultimately declaring: “I am as convinced as a person can be that aliens are not real... Whatever it is, it’s not ET.” (52:38)
• Comic Relief: Frequent humor about “the only aliens we have to deal with are from Venezuela” punctuates this lighter segment.

6. Mailbag: Dating Advice, Transgender Ideology, Western Demographics

[53:50 – End]

• Dating as a Gen Z Man:
  • “What they [Zoomer women] want is for you to not smell. I’m not joking… Next, don’t be texting her all the time… Don’t be needy. Don’t be womanish.” (54:32 – 56:25)
  • “Dating is fun. Women are fun. They're pretty. It’s fun to chase them. Marriage is great. Kids are great.” (57:15)
• Transgenderism and Mental Illness:
  • “Transgenderism is obviously a mental illness... because they think they are the opposite sex… That’s the most basic definition of a mental illness there is.” (59:33)
• Demographic Collapse and Contraception:
  • “There is still time [to fix Western declining birthrates]. It's not an inevitable problem. Contraception only really became a problem in the '70s because of real political decisions... just as judges can make a decision to pervert the law, so too the judges can make a different decision. All hope is not lost.” (01:02:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Canadian Euthanasia Policy:

  • “What it really is is just a way for the socialist healthcare system in Canada to control costs and not have to deal with people who are a nuisance.” (16:17)

• On Democratic “Christianity”:

  • “Do you really believe that [Christianity is true]? I don’t think they do.” (32:37)

• On Liberal Definitions of the Sacred:

  • “My autonomy trumped even the spark of the divine. In other words, my autonomy trumps even God himself.” (37:03)

• On Pop Culture Celebrations:

  • “If I were a Muslim, I might actually be a little offended by Elmo’s celebration of Ramadan because it’s not about Ramadan. It’s about not celebrating Christianity.” (45:17)

• On Aliens:

  • “I am as convinced as a person can be that aliens are not real.” (52:36)

• On Dating:

  • “What they want is for you to not smell... Next, don’t text her all the time... Don’t be needy. Don’t be womanish.” (54:32 – 56:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Canada/Assisted Suicide Discussion: 05:50 – 16:45
• Democrats and Christianity on Colbert: 24:00 – 32:59
• Viral ‘Priestess’ and Abortion Rhetoric: 33:00 – 38:20
• Elmo “Goes Muslim for Lent” Segment: 41:00 – 46:50
• Aliens/Trump-Obama Banter: 48:19 – 53:15
• Mailbag: Dating/Transgenderism/Demographics: 53:50 – End

Episode Tone & Style

Michael Knowles’s style is unapologetically conservative, sardonic, and polemical, with dense references to Catholic tradition and Western philosophy. He laces serious social critique with biting humor, literary asides, and political provocations—both challenging and mocking prevailing progressive currents in religion, pop culture, and policy.

This summary covers all major discussion points and preserves the speaker’s tone and language, pairing insightful commentary with timestamped navigation for listeners or readers seeking specific topics.