The Michael Knowles Show: "The Epstein Files: Benny Johnson Vs Michael Knowles | FACE OFF"

Date: February 21, 2026
Host: The Daily Wire (with Michael Knowles, Benny Johnson, and moderator)

Episode Overview

This lively Face Off episode turns the infamous Jeffrey Epstein files into a pop culture quiz show, pitting Michael Knowles against Benny Johnson in a battle of wits, wit, and the weirdest factoids from the Epstein case. With dark humor and rapid-fire questions, they unpack both the absurd and sinister elements surrounding Epstein’s life, legacy, and the ongoing internet conspiracy culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Tone: "Are you in the files?"

• Opening Banter (00:00–01:06):
  • Both Michael Knowles and Benny Johnson joke about their names "technically" appearing in Epstein-related files, poking fun at internet conspiracy and government documentation.
  • Michael: “I have to break this to your audience. I’m in the files. I’m in it.” (00:03)

2. Quiz Format and Dark Humor (01:07–03:26)

• The host introduces the Face Off quiz format, testing who knows more about Epstein.
• Early camaraderie, and a running joke about whose name appears in the files.

3. Iconic Artifacts: Clinton Painting & Other Relics

• Oil Painting in Epstein’s Mansion (02:23–04:09):
  • Both correctly identify Bill Clinton as depicted in a blue dress—a nod to the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
  • Memorable joke:
    • Michael: “There was plenty of glint on that dress. Okay. From the dry cleaner. It was covered. It splattered, actually, in glint.” (03:09)
  • Name of painting: “Parsing Bill” (04:01)
• Other Obsessions:
  • “Bride doll hanging from a chandelier.” (05:55)

4. Culture, Conspiracy, and Criticism

• On Clinton, Philanthropy, and Press Accountability (04:12–05:17):
  • Benny: “Bill Anthropathy… a little more about ill.”
  • Michael: “The fact that [Hillary Clinton] has not been asked… about Jeffrey Epstein… How’s that possible?” (04:50)

5. Eccentric Details: Gaming Bans, Jail Letters, and Prison Sounds

• Epstein Banned from Xbox Live in 2013 (06:51):
  • Michael gets the point; updates the “Fortnite” rumor.
• Prison Complaint Letter (07:45–08:29):
  • Epstein ends a complaint note with “Not fun!!”
  • Michael: “It sounded more like Epstein. I’ve read a lot of Epstein emails, so that sounded more like it: not fun.” (08:19)
  • Benny: “Not fun is the funniest one.” (07:45)
• Constant Sound in Prison (23:37):
  • “Reportedly, it was a constantly running broken toilet.” (23:41)
  • Benny (joking guess): “Nickelback.” (23:13)

6. Who Inherits Epstein’s Fortune & the Belarusian Dentist

• Quirky Will Details (11:24–12:04):
  • Both correctly answer: A Belarusian-born dentist (Kirian Schultzlich) was set to inherit most of Epstein’s fortune.
  • Diamond ring size: 32.73 carats. (12:36)

7. Conspiracy Dissections & Intelligence Connections

• Maxwell’s Release Odds & Her Father’s Spy Roots (13:08–15:34):
  • Discussion of Ghislaine Maxwell’s chances of being released and her father’s real-life intelligence connections.
• Theory – Body Double & Video Evidence (15:13–15:42):
  • Michael: “The most recent video of her and her deposition, like, doesn’t even… look like her. Different nose, different eyes, different ears, and they did the swap out mattress man…” (15:34)

8. Occult, Rituals, and Code Words

• Beef Jerky = Code for ‘Human Flesh’ or Worse (16:08–20:55):
  • Both quickly guess code word “beef jerky” refers to “human flesh” (16:31)
  • Serious pivot:
    • Michael: “Child and human sacrifice is obviously woven into occult practices since the dawn of time… If you assume that they’re occultists, which I do…” (17:26)
  • Benny: “Maybe I’m too naive… but some of this stuff where they’re eating babies or whatever, I just don’t buy it.” (16:51)
  • Extended discussion about the role of occult symbolism and the nature of evil in the case.

9. Epstein's Business: Middleman for the Powerful

• Facilitation of Power (18:25–19:52):
  • Michael: “The real business was like being a government facilitator between the public and the private space. That glue in between those spaces.” (18:58)
  • Benny: “He was like a shady dude who just kind of made stuff happen. And… moved between the darker spaces and the more public square…” (19:06)

10. The Quiz Showdown—Notable Questions & Answers

• Highlights:
  • Epstein’s nickname for Maxwell’s inheritance: The Belarusian dentist (12:02)
  • Odds for Maxwell’s release: 27% (13:37)
  • Epstein's gaming ban: Xbox Live (06:55)
  • Extravagant gift to Obama WH counsel: A Chanel purse—Kathryn Rummeler (30:35)
  • Woody Allen describes Epstein's dinners as “Dracula’s castle” (33:16)
  • Epstein's alma mater that accepted post-conviction cash: Harvard (35:29)
  • Name of ranch: Zorro Ranch (36:37)
  • Other island purchased: Great St. James (37:55)
  • Epstein’s net worth at death: $577 million (39:29)

11. Quotes & Banter

• On conspicuous cheapness:
  • Michael: “He was tipping like his DoorDash People, like, two bucks in the rain. And it’s like, you’re a billionaire, bro. You know, you could make someone’s day, tip him a thousand dollars or whatever.” (31:37)
• On conspiracy theory validation:
  • Michael: “They’re all just theories at this point. And the conspiracy theorists are up, like, a thousand to zero.” (15:34)
• On the occult in elite circles:
  • Michael: “When people sin a lot, they’re… dealing with very dark spiritual forces.” (19:52)
• On Whoopi Goldberg’s request:
  • Michael: “So Whoopi Goldberg gets down on our knees and begs Jeffrey Epstein for his jet… Epstein’s response is ‘no, thanks’—misspelled. … Whoopi Goldberg’s the only person that was too slimy and too repulsive for Jeffrey Epstein even to allow on the rape jet.” (09:49–10:30)

12. Final Banter and Endorsements (40:28–42:15)

• Benny’s 30-second ad for The Michael Knowles Show:
  • “No other show will put some of the most Secret Service protected children in the country at risk. It is Michael Knowles. And in the theme of the show that is of course, the greatest endorsement.” (40:28)
  • Anecdote about sneaking cigars at the Vice President’s house with Knowles.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Knowles (00:03): “I have to break this to your audience. I’m in the files. I’m in it.”
• Benny Johnson (03:04): “You were barely a glint in your father’s eye when the Lewinsky scandal happened.”
• Host (04:01): “The name of the painting is Parsing Bill.”
• Benny Johnson (04:44): “Bill Anthropathy is what I think it is.”
• Michael Knowles (04:50): “She’s just now getting asked on the record about Jeffrey Epstein.”
• Host (08:55): “The fun thing with the no fun email... it was, it was no fun. With two exclamation points.”
• Michael Knowles (09:07): “[Trump tweets] are a great example of the greater overall point, which is like, you read through these Epstein emails and you’re like, these people run the world. They can’t effing spell.”
• Benny Johnson (31:08): “He wore a fake Vacheron Constantin... a man with an island had a total knockoff [luxury] watch.”
• Michael Knowles (31:37): “He was tipping like his DoorDash People, like, two bucks in the rain. And it's like, you're a billionaire, bro.”

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:00–01:06 – Opening banter, "in the files" jokes.
• 02:23–04:09 – The famous Clinton blue dress painting and its sordid symbolism.
• 05:55 – The bizarre “bride doll” hanging from the chandelier.
• 06:51–07:02 – Epstein’s Xbox Live ban.
• 07:45–08:29 – The “Not fun!” jail letter.
• 09:49–10:30 – Whoopi Goldberg’s “rejected by Epstein” email.
• 13:08–15:42 – Ghislaine Maxwell, intelligence ties, and body double conspiracies.
• 16:08–20:55 – “Beef jerky,” code words, and theories about occult meaning.
• 23:41 – The broken prison toilet that tortured Epstein.
• 30:35 – The Obama counsel’s $9,000 Chanel purse.
• 33:16 – Woody Allen’s “Dracula’s castle” quip.
• 36:37 – "Zorro Ranch" and Epstein’s real estate.
• 39:29 – The final net worth question: $577 million.

Episode Tone

• Darkly comedic, skeptical, and conspiratorial—riffing on the notorious and the absurd, the hosts and guests blend internet meme humor with genuine incredulity at the institutional failures and glaring oddities surrounding the Epstein saga.

Summary Takeaways

• The Epstein Files remain a deeply weird, troubling, and at times darkly comedic archive, providing endless fodder for both ridicule and real criticism of elite power structures.
• Both Knowles and Johnson thread together serious analysis (on occult, intelligence, and elite enablers) with irreverent humor, capturing why the Epstein scandal persists in public consciousness and conspiracy cultures.
• The episode, while formatted as a game, critiques how much is still concealed, how the powerful avoid scrutiny, and how actual evil can hide behind banality—and sometimes, very poor spelling.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This Face Off is as much about gut-busting banter as about genuinely probing what the Epstein case reveals. Come for the internet jokes; stay for the uncomfortable truths beneath the laughter.