Michael Ranks LIBS He Wants To Fight | Behind The Wire

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Michael Ranks LIBS He Wants To Fight

Podcast: The Michael Knowles Show
Episode: Michael Ranks LIBS He Wants To Fight | Behind The Wire
Date: November 9, 2025
Host: Michael Knowles
Co-host/Guests: Co-host (unnamed), Guest (unnamed)
Produced by: The Daily Wire

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Episode Overview

This light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek episode revolves around host Michael Knowles and his co-host blind-ranking a lineup of famous liberal figures (“libs”) on a scale from 1 to 10—based on who they’d most want to fight in a bar brawl. The segment is presented as a comedic bit with lively banter, jabs at pop culture, and an irreverent atmosphere. The discussion pokes fun at political and media personalities while also showcasing the hosts’ thoughts on how some of these figures have faded from relevance.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Premise: Blind Ranking Liberal Figures

• The hosts introduce the episode’s challenge: ranking well-known liberals—without knowing all the names in advance—on a list from 1 (most desirable to fight) to 10 (least), based on various subjective criteria.
  • [01:32] Co-host: “I'm gonna insult these libs…”
  • [01:39] Host: “I'll bring you up a series of photos and I want you to rank these 1 through 10 as you see them... Once you commit, it's set."

2. Spotlight on Selected Individuals

- David Hogg

• The hosts dismiss Hogg as an easy target because he’s considered no longer relevant.
  • [02:05] Co-host: “David Hogg. You know, the child stars rarely age well. He’s passe now. He’s not a thing. He’s 10.”
  • [02:14] Guest: "Wow."

- Mitt Romney

• Evaluated with a mix of irony and nostalgia, given his waning political relevance.
  • [02:26] Co-host: "He's one of my favorite liberals, actually... Six."
  • [02:39] Host: “That’s the highest anyone’s thought about Mitt in so many years.”

- Chenk Uygur

• The conversation notes his current status as moderate compared to the more radical elements on the left.
  • [03:10] Co-host: "...by the current standards of the left... he's like a moderate now, but yeah..."

- Jimmy Kimmel

• Referenced as a relic from the days of “The Man Show,” with some nostalgia.
  • [03:40] Host: “Jimmy since The Man Show...”

- Stacey Abrams

• Dismissed as irrelevant in the current cycle; compared to a "villainous cartoon."
  • [04:01] Co-host: “Stacey Abrams… does anyone remember the President of the Galactic Federation? Star Trek. Stacey Abrams. Nah, she’s… seven.”

- Bad Bunny

• Reference to the pop star’s SNL appearance and unique persona.
  • [05:50] Host: “This is your favorite Puerto Rican cross dressing musician.”
  • [06:05] Co-host: "He's going to be speaking that pagan dialect or whatever. So I don't. He gets five."

- David French

• Described as a former conservative now seen as firmly on the left.
  • [06:19] Co-host: "...used to be a joke is David French. Used to be on the right... now he just like literally is quite firmly on the left."

- Harry Sisson

• Noted as having fallen out of the news cycle, showing how quickly public attention shifts.
  • [07:22] Co-host: “Eight months ago? I would have said three. 11... If you marry the spirit of the age, you’ll find yourself a widow in the next.”

3. Reflections on Media Relevance and Political Fads

• The hosts repeatedly joke about how fleeting fame and attention are for political activists and media figures.
  • [07:23] Co-host: “How quickly the news cycle changes if you marry the spirit of the age, you’ll find yourself a widow in the next.”

4. Inside Jokes & Memorable Moments

• Sarcastic admiration for figures like Mitt Romney and Jimmy Kimmel.
• Self-awareness of how contrived or “laboratory constructed” some political personas seem.
• Playful banter about academic rivalry:
  • [08:12] Co-host: “He was my professor at my university, so... We had a professor off and I won. Yeah, you did.”

5. Final Thoughts and Behind-the-Scenes Banter

• The conclusion circling back to possibly inviting some of these ranked liberals onto the show.
  • [08:04] Guest: "AOC first."
  • [08:05] Co-host: "Yeah, yeah."
  • Reference to editorial and production behind “Behind the Wire.”

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• "You know, the child stars rarely age well. He's passe now. He's not a thing. He's 10." – Co-host on David Hogg [02:05]
• "That's the highest anyone's thought about Mitt in so many years. Number six for bar fight." – Host on Mitt Romney [02:39]
• "Eight months ago? I would have said three. 11... How quickly the news cycle changes if you marry the spirit of the age, you'll find yourself a widow in the next." – Co-host on Harry Sisson [07:22]
• "He was my professor at my university... We had a professor off and I won. Yeah, you did." – Co-host banter [08:12]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:32] - Introduction of the ranking game
• [02:05] - Ranking David Hogg and discussion on irrelevance
• [02:39] - Mitt Romney banter
• [03:10] - Chenk Uygur's changing political standing
• [04:01] - Stacey Abrams and pop culture references
• [05:50] - Ranking Bad Bunny
• [06:19] - David French, ideological drift
• [07:22] - Reflection on Harry Sisson and the fleeting nature of public attention
• [08:04] - Show wrap-up and inside production talk

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Overall Tone and Style

The tone of the episode is punchy, satirical, and irreverent. The hosts employ playful teasing, cultural jabs, and self-aware humor regarding the performative nature of political media. They openly embrace the bit, using the ranking as a vehicle for lively banter and commentary on the ever-shifting sands of political celebrity.

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Transcript

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[Host]

So I've got a list of potential libs and I want you to blind rank them 1 through 10 as we.

[Co-host]

On air right now. Like, I'm gonna insult these libs, so.

[Host]

I'll bring you up a series of photos and I want you to rank these 1 through 10 as you see them. Okay? Let's bring in the intense music first. We really make this a little a bit here.

[Co-host]

Do I get. Did you hear that? Do I get to move them around? No, no, it's set.

[Host]

Once you commit, it's set.

[Guest]

Okay.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

All right.

[Host]

And this is gonna. This is gonna be the whole show. All right, what do we got? Wow.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Number one. Number one. Done.

[Host]

Number one. Okay. All right, we'll see.

[Co-host]

David Hogg. You know, the child stars rarely age well. He's passe now. He's not a thing. He's 10.

[Guest]

Wow.

[Co-host]

He's not two years ago. Three, five years ago, maybe.

[Host]

But that'll be an easier reach out for us then. I mean, that's not gonna be hard to say no to aoc.

[Guest]

Should be pretty easy.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I don't know.

[Co-host]

He's one of my favorite liberals, actually, in the country. You know, legitimate.

[Guest]

Six.

[Co-host]

Six.

[Host]

All right.

[Co-host]

Because he's not in the Senate anymore. It's not yet, but he's definitely more than David Hogg.

[Host]

That's the highest anyone's thought about Mitt in so many years. Number six for bar fight.

[Guest]

Right?

[Host]

That's interesting.

[Co-host]

It'd be great and it'd be cool. Cause I remember he was on SNL and everything. This is another reminder. Siktransi Gloria Mundi. This guy was a US senator. I bet you at least 40% of the audience could not tell you what his name is.

[Host]

I agree.

[Co-host]

Yeah, I was. So he's eight.

[Host]

All right.

[Co-host]

Oh, yeah. He'd be fine though. These. By the current standards of the left, which, like his nephew, who wants the blood, literally wants the streets to soak in the blood of his enemies.

[Guest]

Us.

[Co-host]

He's like a moderate now, but yeah, a Chenk gets.

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Four. Three or four.

[Co-host]

I'm gonna say four. No, no, no. And I can't move. AO's.

[Guest]

No, you can't. I can't.

[Co-host]

Two. He gets two.

[Host]

All right, Jimmy. Anyone's laughed at Jimmy.

[Co-host]

Jimmy since the Man Show. Oh, you know, this is another one where she was constructed in a laboratory by the conservative movement to just be like this villainous cartoon, but no one remembers her. Does anyone remember the President of the Global. The Galactic Federation?

[Host]

Star Trek.

[Co-host]

Star Trek. Stacey Abrams. Nah, she's. She's, I don't know, like eight or something. Did I do eight already?

[Host]

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[Guest]

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[Co-host]

I don't even know who that is.

[Host]

Oh, see, this is.

[Co-host]

Oh, my God.

[Guest]

Who's that?

[Host]

You're not modern enough, Michael.

[Co-host]

I'm certainly not modern enough.

[Host]

No, this is your favorite Puerto Rican cross dressing musician.

[Co-host]

I thought he was buffer than that. No, I saw him on snl. I saw that clip. Oh, that's good. So we already did one and two.

[Guest]

Did we do three?

[Host]

Nope.

[Co-host]

Well, the problem with that is he's going to be speaking that pagan dialect or whatever. So I don't. He gets five.

[Guest]

He's five.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Host]

Bad buddy. Fine. All right. This is a Jacob's feather.

[Co-host]

It's like. It's like not even a. Used to be a joke is David French. Used to be on the right. And then he started to move a little bit and we used to joke he's on the left, but now he just like literally is quite firmly on the left. David has always been nice to me personally, so I'm gonna withhold most jokes. Nine. It doesn't do. It doesn't move. That debate was like 2016. It's over. I could set that up. Good. Thanks. Thank you, Jacob. He also those child stars, he kind of lost his luster with them. Them DMs, you know, them Snapchats. So remember that. I don't want to tell tales out of school, but it was weird, though. The big shock, you know the big shock. The DMs were to women. Oh, did you know that? I thought they were fake. You know, I know. It's obviously propaganda.

[Host]

You only have. There's actually one extra one, so it's actually through 11. So you have 11 left and three. Where would you put Harry Sasson.

[Co-host]

Eight months ago? I would have said three. 11. Because I bet you left a funny one for last. You know, though, actually I was gonna say no. It should have been number one. How quickly the news cycle changes if you marry the spirit of the age. You'll find yourself a widow in the next. I was in this man's like one man, Rockefeller Center Broadway show. You remember? He was, like, angry at all of us.

[Host]

Yep.

[Co-host]

No one cares anymore about that. That whole thing is over. But I'd still have him on the show. I have a number three.

[Host]

Number three.

[Guest]

Number three.

[Host]

That's a pretty good place for it.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

So, Mikaela, now you know what we need to do for the next couple weeks. Here's your list of guests.

[Guest]

AOC first.

[Co-host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

And Jacob's in with all those libs. Apparently you can get David French on the board. We can start getting Nickel.

[Co-host]

He was my professor at my university, so. And that's weird. Cause you're a professor.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I am a professor.

[Guest]

That's so strange.

[Co-host]

We had a professor off and I won. Yeah, you did.

[Host]

Hey, thanks so much for watching this clip from the new show behind the Wire, where you get to hang out behind the scenes of some of your favorite shows. Wanted to hear from an editor of how your favorite video came to life? Or a writer about the most shocking article you've ever read? Or even how hard it was to get Ben Shapiro to sit down and watch Barbie. Well, come watch behind the Wire every Friday at 5pm Eastern and find out for yourself on Daily Wire.

[Guest]

Plus.