Podcast Summary: The Rubin Report

Episode: "Charlie Kirk’s Murder Has Officially Backfired"

Host: Dave Rubin
Guests: Sage Steele, Russell Brand
Release Date: September 24, 2025

Overview

In this emotionally charged episode, Dave Rubin, joined by Sage Steele and Russell Brand, delves into the shocking assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk. The trio reflects on Kirk’s profound personal and political impact, how his death is reverberating across the country, and what it reveals about free speech, faith, ideological polarization, and the changing landscape of media and activism.

The discussion is raw and vulnerable—touching on grief, the exploitation of tragedy, generational divides, faith in the face of evil, and the duty to speak out. It’s both a processing of personal loss and a critical look at the social, cultural, and political implications of Kirk’s murder.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Processing Grief and the Shock of Charlie Kirk’s Murder

• Personal Connection and Raw Emotion
  Each panelist shares a personal connection to Kirk, making the discussion deeply emotional. Sage describes hearing the news while on her honeymoon, which immediately shifted her focus from celebration to mourning and activism.

  "I think if we don't show some semblance of emotion over this, even if we didn't know Charlie and all of us here did, there's something lacking in you as a human being, in your soul, is just my personal opinion." – Sage Steele [03:23]

• Struggling to Narrate Shared Tragedy
  Dave expresses the unique challenge of being both commentator and participant in such an era-defining moment:

  "It's almost like we're narrating the end of the world that we're all part of. It's something like that. And it's been really challenging for me." – Dave Rubin [01:43]

2. The Unprecedented Impact and “Stickiness” of Kirk’s Assassination

• A Tipping Point for America
  The murder feels fundamentally different from other tragedies—capable of inspiring lasting political and cultural change.

  "This thing feels like it's going to stick and ... fundamentally change the country." – Dave Rubin [04:57]
  "I've spoken to numerous people who didn't know who Charlie Kirk was prior to his death that are now trying to understand why this is so significant. Of course, it's the first political murder of its type..." – Russell Brand [06:04]

3. Faith in Public Life: Grief, Religion, and “Turning Point”

• Surge in References to Faith
  Sage notes an unprecedented public turn to God and spirituality in reaction to Kirk’s death, likening it to the post–9/11 period:

  "I've never seen privately or publicly, so many people refer to God and their faith after something so tragic." – Sage Steele [12:16]

• Personal Faith Journeys
  Russell Brand discusses his own evolution towards Christianity, framing faith as the only sustainable compass amidst tragedy and chaos. The group reflects on how Kirk’s influence has deepened their own religious commitments.

  "I don't know where else you would go, actually, other than Christ, where one can turn. Not just because of the extent of the tragedy..." – Russell Brand [15:12]

• Notable Quote about Kirk's impact on Jewish tradition:

  "Charlie, over the last couple of years, he was also starting to celebrate Shabbat...I’ve committed to myself...that we will now keep that in my house going forward. That’s something I can do. It’s for Charlie in some sense, but...it's something that we all could do." – Dave Rubin [18:19]

4. The Political Narrative—Exploitation, Denial, and Media Bias

• Media's Attempt to Depoliticize the Murder
  The hosts critique mainstream efforts, especially from left-leaning figures, to obscure the apparent ideological motive behind Kirk’s murder, pointing toward documented evidence.

  "There is an effort...on the left to try to make this guy sound like he was a conservative. That failed...the evidence has now come out. He was motivated by hate...by left wing radicalism." – Dave Rubin [21:50]

• Refuting “Both Sides” Arguments
  The conversation grows heated over false equivalency:

  "...somehow both sides are equally guilty, which just as like a notion is nonsense. Things are not equal. Right and left are not equal...it's like the most low resolution thinking you could possibly come up with." – Dave Rubin [25:09]

  Sage echoes the frustration with journalistic apologism:

  "Journalism we know has been dead now for a long time, and the mainstream media...continue to cement that, unfortunately." – Sage Steele [25:48]

5. Silence and Self-Censorship: The Role of Parents and Influencers

• Regrets over Staying Silent
  Sage confesses to former self-censorship, warning that silence has empowered one-sided ideological indoctrination on platforms like TikTok.

  "When everyone else stays quiet just because it's scary and it's easier and you're trying to be more peaceful...then the other possibilities, the other opinions are never heard." – Sage Steele [28:54]

• The Chasm Between Generations
  Panelists reflect on the “global laboratory” created by COVID, technology, and media manipulation, and how it has left younger generations vulnerable and alienated.

  "There's no way to actually analyze the psychological condition of an 18 year old kid who by all accounts came from a decent family...ends up in this ideology, this, this queer trans ideology or whatever, and then murders someone for it." – Dave Rubin [29:00]

  "What was created was a global laboratory where people were subject to unprecedented conditions." – Russell Brand [30:23]

• Parental Challenges & Hope
  Sage gives a moving account of her own kids’ navigation of the digital media minefield, expressing guilt, hope, and the necessity of ongoing parental guidance.

  "I felt like I had failed in many ways because I almost had to give up and allow my kids to go on their devices more because that was the only social interaction they were allowed to have." – Sage Steele [32:45]

6. Media Evolution, Decentralization, and Global Implications

• Media Power and Loss of Control
  Russell Brand analyzes how the decentralization of media (podcasts, X, etc.) has irrevocably shifted power away from elite gatekeepers and poses new threats to centralized authority.

  "If the medium is the message...Charlie Kirk is perhaps a martyr not just for Christianity or Republicanism or conservatism, but for this new form of media where everybody can have a voice." – Russell Brand [37:51]

• UK Parallels: Brexit, Nationalist Movements, and the Musk/Robinson Alliance
  The group explores the Tommy Robinson/Elon Musk-led marches in Britain, using them as a lens to discuss media manipulation, grassroots energy, and the populist right’s global resurgence.

  "That's the first time I've seen anything out of the UK in the last 10 years that gave me any hope for your country." – Dave Rubin [43:09]

7. Renewal, Duty, & Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

• Call to Courage and Authenticity
  All three stress the necessity for those with platforms to keep speaking out, invoking their own exhaustion and fear, and finding renewed purpose in the example of Kirk’s selfless activism.

  "To whatever extent we all play a role in it, it's like you can't really hide from it. And especially...then we've just acquiesced the room to make the world worse for our kids, and I simply won't do that." – Dave Rubin [53:48]

• Charlie Kirk’s Unique Influence
  The panel pays tribute to Kirk's capacity to connect with the next generation, his resilience, and his role in shifting the youth vote and emboldening faith in political life.

  "Charlie Kirk is the reason why [my kids] began to care and dig a little deeper and try to understand what's going on in this country. Because he encouraged thought and then came with facts..." – Sage Steele [55:26]
  "I think now to your point earlier, there is such a renewal in this country that is going to be both spiritual and political and cultural and all of those things. And of course there'll be the counter movements to all of that. But I think he has woken something up amongst the people." – Dave Rubin [58:27]

  Russell likens the conservative reaction to Kirk’s death to a “Diana moment”—a spontaneous, transformative surge revealing previously obscured unity, emotion, and impact.

  "I said it's like the death of Diana for the conservative right...the grief is...so for a Christian and for a father..." – Russell Brand [61:32]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Narrating the End of the World:
  "It's almost like we're narrating the end of the world that we're all part of." – Dave Rubin [01:43]

• On the Immediate Impact:
  "It feels to me...has like a stickiness that most things don't have anymore." – Dave Rubin [04:57]

• On Public Turn to Faith:
  "I've never seen privately or publicly, so many people refer to God and their faith after something so tragic." – Sage Steele [12:16]

• On Free Speech vs. Hate Speech:
  "So when you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out in hell. Call their employer. We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility." – Dave Rubin [16:02]

• On Parental Responsibility:
  "It is incumbent upon the parents. It's not too late for some...But as parents, we have to continue to make sure that they are not getting everything from just one source." – Sage Steele [32:45]

• On Media Manipulation:
  "If mass media is controlled by a few individuals, the messaging you're receiving likely is the agenda of those few individuals." – Russell Brand [37:51]

• On Charlie Kirk’s Impact:
  "Charlie Kirk is the reason why they began to care and dig a little deeper...Because he encouraged thought and then came with facts..." – Sage Steele [55:26]

• On Duty to Continue Speaking:
  "To whatever extent we all play a role in it, it's like you can't really hide from it. And especially, we're all parents now...then we've just acquiesced the room to make the world worse for our kids, and I simply won't do that." – Dave Rubin [53:48]

Timeline of Key Segments

• [01:43] Opening reflections, emotion, and the challenge of commentary during tragedy
• [03:23] Sage’s personal reaction and embracing hope amidst horror
• [04:57] The scope and “stickiness” of Kirk’s murder
• [06:04] Russell’s analysis: a new type of political violence and its meaning
• [12:16] Faith, God, and the unique spiritual awakening post-tragedy
• [21:50] Critique of media bias in reporting Kirk’s murder
• [25:48] The dangers of silence and the “both sides” narrative
• [29:00] The generational divide—COVID, social media, isolation, and psychological repercussions
• [32:45] Sage’s raw perspective as a mother navigating digital influence
• [37:51] Decentralized media, Tommy Robinson, and new forms of populist protest
• [43:09] The UK’s political crossroads, hope from large-scale peaceful protest
• [49:25] Personal exhaustion, the call to keep speaking, and the duty of those with platforms
• [55:26] The enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk
• [61:32] Russell’s "Diana for the right" analogy—measuring Kirk’s impact by the reaction to his loss

Tone & Closing Thoughts

The episode is raw, confessional, and at times somber, but ultimately rallying—a call to integrate grief into a renewed commitment to free speech, faith, and honest public dialogue. The speakers warn against political and media manipulation while urging listeners, parents, and influencers to shed fear, break silence, and seek deeper truths in community, history, and spiritual resilience.

Listeners are left not only with a portrait of Charlie Kirk’s profound influence but also with a mandate: to carry the torch of principled debate, to speak honestly, and to never underestimate the power of a single voice—especially in the face of tragedy.