The Michael Knowles Show | Ep. 1918

Title: Gavin Newsom Claims He's Stupid Just Like Black People
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Michael Knowles, The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michael Knowles critiques a series of recent political and cultural developments, with a sharp (and often mocking) focus on the language and strategies of prominent Democrats. The main story centers on California Governor Gavin Newsom's controversial remarks perceived as patronizing toward black voters, which Knowles dissects and lampoons. He further discusses woke culture’s persistence through media like “Star Trek,” viral social media decadence, union activism in Florida, and strategic messaging around immigration policy. Throughout, Knowles uses a rhetorical and irreverent style aimed at dissecting leftist strategies, cultural trends, and mocking perceived Democratic gaffes.

Key Topics & Segment Timestamps

1. Gavin Newsom’s Controversial Appeal to Black Voters — [04:20–19:00]

Main Points

• Newsom’s Self-Deprecation: Knowles highlights Newsom's comments about being a “960 SAT guy” and “not all there,” delivered while speaking to a black man, suggesting the remarks are pandering and offensive.
• Mockery of Diction & Tone: Knowles imitates Newsom’s speech style, critiquing him for what he sees as insincere attempts at black vernacular.
• Comparison to Previous Gaffes: Analogizes this gaffe to Joe Biden’s infamous “poor kids are just as bright as white kids” remark.
• Political Fallout: Discusses Sean Hannity’s condemnation and Newsom’s vulgar, defensive response ("spare me your f—ing outrage, Sean”).
• Quote Highlight:

  • Michael Knowles (06:40):

    "If I were advising Newsom I would say maybe don’t try to win over black voters by telling them you’re just as stupid as they are."

  • Gavin Newsom (quoted by Knowles, 10:05):

    “You didn’t give an [expletive] about the President of the United States posting an ape video of Obama or calling African nations shitholes. But you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia? Spare me your f—ing outrage, Sean.”

Tone & Takeaways

• Knowles sees Newsom's comments as a disqualifying gaffe but notes such missteps haven’t prevented success in the past (cf. Biden).
• He urges conservatives to keep highlighting these moments (15:12):

  “Don’t let Newsom live that one down.”

2. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC) Taiwan Stumble — [19:00–25:14]

Main Points

• AOC’s Non-Answer at Munich: Plays AOC’s halting response to a direct foreign policy question about defending Taiwan, calling it “very embarrassing.”
• Delayed Response: Mocks her eventual explanation that pause was due to “thinking” (“She just blew up her presidential chances over this very simple question.”).
• Quote Highlight:
  • AOC (read aloud by Knowles, 24:03):

    “If you think that I don’t understand foreign policy because out of hours of discourse about international affairs, I paused to think about one of the most sensitive geopolitical issues...”

Tone & Takeaways

• Knowles laments AOC’s lack of extemporaneous skill, declaring her “not ready for primetime,” suggesting this boosts Newsom by reducing the competition.

3. Florida Education Association & Walkout Controversy — [25:14–32:30]

Main Points

• Activist Calls for Student Walkouts: Reports on an activist, at a Florida Education Association (FEA) event, urging students to walk out to protest ICE.
• FEA Denial: The association distances itself, claiming the activist isn’t affiliated, despite clear event branding.
• Call to Action: Knowles insists Republicans use opportunities to dismantle teachers’ union influence, arguing politics is about power, not mere debate.
• Quote Highlight:
  • Michael Knowles (31:50):

    “Politics is not debate club...the way you win in politics, you have to really win in a tangible way. And that involves suppressing your opponents’ infrastructure and organizations, suppressing their power and adding to your own.”

4. Woke Culture in Media: “Star Trek Goes Gay and Trans” — [32:30–39:00]

Main Points

• New Star Trek: Mocks a new “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” episode depicting gay and trans storylines, arguing woke messaging is far from dead.
• Resilience of Woke Ideology: Asserts that “woke” was only suppressed, not defeated, and could rebound if Democrats regain power.
• History Lesson Parallel: Compares defeating wokeism to post-WWII “reeducation” of Japan—stressing that real cultural change takes years and a series of political victories.
• Quote Highlight:
  • Michael Knowles (36:35):

    “Woke was not actually defeated…They chilled out a little bit. But they’re waiting to go all in on the trans again. They’re waiting to go all in if Trump loses the midterms...that stuff is coming back.”

5. Virality and Decadence: “Bonnie Blue’s Breeding Mission” — [39:00–49:30]

Main Points

• Viral Social Media Stunt: Discusses the phenomenon of “Bonnie Blue” going viral for a claimed “breeding mission” (sleeping with hundreds of men, now claiming pregnancy).

• Exposure of Staged Fakery: Dismisses the authenticity of her pregnancy claim, noting medical impossibilities and theatrical elements.

• Critique of Meta-Porn Culture: Argues that today’s culture has moved beyond outright porn, into a realm of “meta-porn” and performative perversion, likening it to St. Augustine’s commentary on seeking artificial emotions in theater.

• Quote Highlight:

  • Michael Knowles (47:20):

    "It’s like even porn doesn’t quite do it for our culture anymore. We’re so fried, our brains are so cooked...now what we need is this kind of weird soap opera reality show about the porn lady..."

  • St. Augustine (read by Knowles, 48:30):

    “I, wretched one, then loved to grieve and sought out what to grieve at…such was my life. But was it life, O my God?”

• Takeaway: Warns listeners to "just turn it off" and focus on family, virtue, and real community.

6. Immigration Messaging & Children Found by ICE — [49:30–56:40]

Main Points

• Tom Homan’s Announcement: Reports that ICE under Trump has located 145,000 of 300,000 children missing after crossing the border during the Biden administration.
• Strategy: Commends the messaging shift to highlighting found children, noting specific, sympathetic stories are the most persuasive.
• Contrast in Messaging: Draws parallels between Republican and Democratic narrative framing, urging specificity and emotional appeal.
• Quote Highlight:
  • Knowles (54:15):

    "You want to message in ways that are persuasive, that are true, ideally, and persuasive. And then you do the policy."

7. Canada’s Trans School Shooter — [56:40–End]

Main Points

• Absentee Father Connection: Reviews a report on a recent trans-identifying school shooter in Canada, highlighting that the shooter had an absent father, which Knowles suggests is a commonality in such cases.
• Commentary on Family Structure: Calls for restricting the mother’s right to unilaterally bar fathers from children’s lives except in rare cases.
• Quote Highlight:
  • Michael Knowles (58:50):

    "Dads are very, very important. Imagine your life without your dad...We should probably fix that one, right? Or more predictable things are going to happen.”

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Newsom’s Gaffe:
  “He’s appealing — he’s attempting to appeal to black people by claiming to be stupid. You could not — a conservative comedy show could not possibly script that any better.” — Knowles ([09:05])

• On AOC’s Response:
  “Why does she sound like that? And the answer is, because she's been scream-crying for the past week and a half 'cause she just blew up her presidential chances.” — Knowles ([21:50])

• On Woke Media:
  “That's a lower score even than Gavin Newsom got on the SAT.” — Knowles, on Star Trek’s IMDb rating ([34:10])

• On Parent-Child Relationships & Violence:
  “The idea that the mother can just decline the involvement of the father—crazy. Look, it's part and parcel of our broken culture.” — Knowles ([57:50])

Thematic Threads

• Political Communication: Dissects how politicians’ off-the-cuff remarks can reinforce or undermine their standing, especially when perceived as racially insensitive or condescending.
• Culture War & Media: Argues that woke ideology is alive, particularly in media, and that substantive moral and cultural change requires sustained political victory.
• Decadence & Desensitization: Uses viral social media stunts to comment on the state of morality, arguing that modern culture seeks artificial outrage and titillation rather than genuine connection or meaning.
• Family Structure & Social Stability: Suggests that broken family dynamics underlie many social problems, advocating for policies to keep fathers involved by default.

Summary Takeaway

Michael Knowles’ episode is a sharp-edged commentary laced with sarcasm and rhetorical flourish, addressing hot-button issues in politics, media, culture, and family. He mocks Democratic missteps as both ominous and darkly comedic, and draws connections between individual stories and broader cultural decline. Listeners are urged to remain vigilant, not just electorally but personally—turning away from cultural decadence, focusing on virtue and family, and pressing for structural change over rhetorical victories.