The Michael Knowles Show

Episode 1927 – "Muslims Try To BOMB Conservatives In New York"

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Overview

This episode centers on a recent incident in New York City where two Muslim individuals threw improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at a conservative protest. Michael Knowles uses this event to critique mainstream media coverage, discuss the increasing alliance between leftist and Islamist factions, and reflect on historical responses to political violence in America. The episode also covers the evolving situation in Iran following the selection of a new ayatollah, Israel’s military actions and the U.S. response, and a critical analysis of an article by David French in The New York Times. The show concludes with a discussion on political hypocrisy regarding war powers and brief updates on the Trump administration's foreign policy strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New York City IED Attack & Mainstream Media Coverage

Timestamps: 02:00–14:00

• Incident Overview:
  Two Muslims (Amir Balat and Ibrahim Kayoumi, both 19) threw IEDs into a crowd of conservatives outside the New York City mayor's official residence during a protest.
• Media Critique:
  Knowles dissects headlines and subheaders from NBC and ABC News, emphasizing their reluctance to mention the attackers’ religion or political alignment:
  • NBC headline: “Two people in custody after suspicious devices ignited outside New York City mayor’s official residence.”
  • ABC: Refers to the attackers as “two teenagers from Pennsylvania,” omitting their cultural background.
• Media Framing:
  • Knowles suggests the narrative is misleading, presenting conservatives as instigators and omitting key details about the attackers’ backgrounds and motives.
  • He asserts the mainstream press is deliberately misleading:

    "Their entire reporting is designed to give you an image of what happened that is contrary to what actually happened." (08:00)

• Historical Parallel:
  • Knowles draws a comparison with 1920s left-wing anarchist bombings in New York and the Palmer Raids, arguing for similarly aggressive legal action against political violence today.

2. Political Violence, Islamism, and the Left

Timestamps: 14:00–17:30

• Trend of Left-Wing Terror:
  • Knowles claims leftist and Islamist groups are increasingly cooperating or aligned due to a shared animosity for traditional American values.
  • Notable assertion:

    “The radical leftists, the anarchists, the Islamists—all kind of working together.” (15:50)

• Policy Prescription:
  • He calls for federal intervention, referencing historical deportations, as political violence escalates.

3. Iran: New Ayatollah, Israeli Strikes, U.S. Policy

Timestamps: 17:30–28:00

• Current Events:
  • Iran has a new ayatollah, oil prices are surging, and Israel is intensifying attacks, creating concern even among stalwart pro-Israel figures such as Lindsey Graham.
• Lindsey Graham’s Rebuke:
  • Knowles highlights Graham’s rare criticism of Israel for its aggressive tactics:

    "You know you've gone too far in your Middle East bombing campaign when Lindsey Graham tells you to cool your jets." (22:00)

  • Quote from Graham’s tweet:

    "Please be cautious about what targets you select… Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life." (23:00)

• U.S.-Israel Rift:
  • Reports indicate the U.S. was not expecting the scale of Israel’s recent strikes, leading to rare public disagreements.
• War Debates:
  • Knowles outlines three camps:
    • Pacifists (never war)
    • Neocon interventionists
    • Pragmatists (his and, he claims, Trump’s position):

      “If you could do it quickly and successfully, then it would be good to change the regime out. But if you can't, you shouldn't.” (25:45)

  • Stakes of the conflict:
    If successful, it could be Trump’s greatest foreign policy achievement; if not, a Bush-style failure.

4. David French, James Talarico, and the “Conservative Case for the Antichrist”

Timestamps: 28:00–32:30

• French’s NYT Column:
  • Knowles critiques David French's positive profile of Texas Democrat James Talarico, who claims Christian justification for abortion and radical gender ideology.
  • Knowles equates French’s argumentation with “the conservative case for the Antichrist,” mocking French repeatedly for elevating progressive values as “Christian kindness.”

    “What you don't understand, you hateful MAGA hypocrite Christian, is you can call for mass infanticide, mutilating little children, castrating them, and you can blaspheme God in the most egregious of ways. And as long as you do it with a smile and you oppose Donald Trump, that makes you a decent person. So argues David French.” (31:30)

  • Critical question posed:

    “Does Talarico sound more to you like Christ or like the Antichrist?” (32:05)

• Sociocultural Commentary:
  • Reiterates the dangers of watering down Christianity for the sake of leftist political harmony and social “kindness.”

5. Liberal Hypocrisy: Bill Maher vs. Adam Schiff

Timestamps: 32:30–36:00

• Bill Maher Interview Recap:
  • Maher challenges Adam Schiff on the legal basis for war powers, highlighting hypocrisy in Democratic positions.
    • Schiff calls a cited statement on bombing “too vague,” but is then revealed that it’s from Obama on Libya (not Trump on Iran).
    • Knowles accuses Schiff of dodging:

      “He did not respond to Bill Maher’s point.”

• Obama and War Powers:
  • Recounts that Obama’s seven-month military campaign in Libya far exceeded legal limits set by the War Powers Act, with little Democratic objection, compared to the immediate condemnation of Trump’s actions in Iran.

6. Foreign Policy – The Kurds and Iran

Timestamps: 40:08–41:45

• Trump Administration’s Position:
  • Clip: Trump rules out letting Kurdish forces enter the Iranian conflict, aiming to avoid further complications.

    “We don’t want the Kurds to go in. We don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is.” (40:24)

• Analysis:
  • Knowles interprets this as a sign of Trump’s intention to contain—not escalate—the war, keeping objectives limited to American strategic interests.

7. Grand Strategy in Iran

Timestamps: 41:46–44:30

• Rationale for War:
  • While justifications like terrorism and attempted Trump assassinations exist, Knowles argues the real motive is to maintain American hegemony and check China/Russia—not humanitarianism or “liberal” values export.

    “This is about the continuation of history… Trump's clear stated desire, the raison d'être of his entire political career, which is to make America great again.” (44:05)

• Summary:
  • Trump sees the current conflict as an opportunity to end a longstanding problem, not as an ideological or moral crusade typical of previous administrations.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On media manipulation of the NYC incident:

  “The phrase ‘two teenagers from Pennsylvania’ is designed to do the opposite of journalism.” (09:50)

• On leftist-Islamist alliance:

  “The left and the left has an alliance with the Islamists because they have a common enemy… regular Western men.” (15:08)

• On historical response to anarchist violence:

  “We rounded them all up and we deported them... There is historical precedent for this in the United States.” (12:50)

• On Lindsey Graham criticizing Israel:

  “You know you’ve gone too far in your Middle East bombing campaign when Lindsey Graham tells you to cool your jets.” (22:00)

• On David French's worldview:

  “We were always gonna get the conservative case for the Antichrist.” (31:40)

• On Democratic hypocrisy (Schiff vs. Obama/Libya):

  “Obama more than doubled that. Totally outside the confines of totally illegal. Let’s call it what it is.” (35:30)

• On Trump’s war aims:

  “This is about the continuation of history. This is about Trump’s clear stated desire... which is to make America great again.” (44:05)

Additional Memorable Moments

• On Talarico:

  “James Talarico is an X ray in the sense that prolonged exposure to him could be fatal...” (29:02)

• Satirical comment on “kindness” rhetoric:

  “Liberals, they love this kindness. They don’t actually love kindness, but they love that word kindness.” (30:00)

• On unpredictability of Trump foreign policy:

  “Sometimes Trump, he does nothing. Sometimes he drops the Moab, sometimes he kills your top general. And you don’t know who you’re getting that day.” (41:30)

Flow, Tone, and Language

• Tone: Direct, combative, often sarcastic, with pointed humor and rhetorical flourishes targeting left-wing ideology, mainstream media, and anti-Trump conservative intellectuals.
• Language: Blunt and informal, often using satire (e.g., "conservative case for the Antichrist") and evocative imagery (e.g., comparing Talarico to an “X-ray”).
• Structure: Moves briskly from current events through historical parallels to political commentary, using headline-driven analysis and frequent asides.

Important Segments & Timestamps

• NYC IED incident breakdown: 02:00–14:00
• Analysis of left-wing/Islamist violence: 14:00–17:30
• Iran and Israeli conflict updates: 17:30–28:00
• David French & progressive Christianity: 28:00–32:30
• Maher vs. Schiff on war powers: 32:30–36:00
• Kurds and Iran discussion: 40:08–41:45
• Trump’s grand strategy in Iran: 41:46–44:30

This summary covers all main topics, arguments, and rhetorical highlights of the episode, offering a thorough account for listeners who want to stay informed without investing the time for a full listen.