The conservative movement, one year after the killing of Charlie Kirk

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

Michael Knowles (0:06)

Our political situation in the United States is simply worse because of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The right is less coherent. I think the left has become more radical. I think our politics has become much coarser.

Chris Bentley (0:20)

One year after his killing, conservatives mourn Charlie Kirk.

It is Thursday, September 10th and this is Here & Now Anytime from NPR and WBUR Boston. I'm Chris Bentley. Today on the show, Russian drones are buzzing into Eastern European airspace, and NATO is getting anxious. Is the risk growing for spillover from the war in Ukraine? Also, is Trump really going to give you five grand?

Mark McKinnon (0:58)

The biggest problem with this is that it just smells of desperation, because first of all, nobody believes that this is actually going to happen. I mean, this is sort of like Mexico is going to pay for the wall.

Chris Bentley (1:11)

But first, it's been one year since the conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. A memorial is scheduled tonight at Utah Valley University, where he was speaking when he was shot.

Michael Knowles will be there. He's a conservative podcaster and friend of Kirk's. We wanted to ask him about Kirk's legacy and the future of his conservative youth movement. Here is Michael Knowles' conversation with Robin Young.

Michael Knowles (1:37)

Tonight, I hope to do my level best impression of carrying on a message that Charlie would have agreed with and would have promoted when it comes to religion, when it comes to the personal way that we grieve, and also what that means for political action. I think we have to grapple with the reality that our political situation in the United States is simply worse because of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The right is less coherent. I think the left has become more radical. I think our politics has become much coarser, and I think it's because Charlie engaged in politics in a very gracious way. He genuinely wanted to persuade people on the other side, and his assassination in that arena of debate means that that open marketplace of ideas is going to become more dangerous, and it's going to become more closed.

Robin Young (2:27)

Well, and respectfully, especially on this day, I put forth that you know many people would disagree. Many people felt that it was Charlie Kirk's language that endangered their lives. Now, I'm going to rush to say, an assassination is horrific. This one particularly so witnessed by so many young people, no one should be killed for their opinion. It's just horrific in every way. It still turns my stomach. I can't look at the video.

But many feel that Charlie Kirk had views that were hateful, and here's a few.

He said, happening all the time in urban America, prowling blacks go around for fun to go target white people. That's a fact. He said that on the Charlie Kirk show. Also on his show, I'm dealing with somebody in customer service who's a moronic black woman. I wonder, is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because of affirmative action, of people who practice Islam? Islam is a sword the left is using to slit the throat of American Muslims. Feel threatened by that. Is there any sense of softening that language, apologizing for it?

Michael Knowles (3:35)

I don't think so. Of all the examples you cite, they're all provocative. Charlie was a great broadcaster. But I don't think that even the left would disagree with the theses. The first one is that there's violence in the black community. Nobody denies that.

Robin Young (3:48)

The second one is that there's- I have to correct you. I'm sorry. That's not what he said. He said, prowling blacks are going around for fun to go target white people.

Michael Knowles (3:56)

Your second point on DEI. Does the left really deny that there is a diversity, equity and inclusion push? That's their very policy.

Robin Young (4:04)

But does it result in a moronic black woman not being qualified for a job?

Michael Knowles (4:09)

I don't know in the particular case, but it certainly could.

Robin Young (4:11)

Do you don't see that this is hateful language?

Michael Knowles (4:14)

I don't really see that it's hateful language. It's certainly provocative, but the theses that he's advancing are all true. Then you suggested on the anniversary of his assassination by a leftist, you suggested that other people felt that he was endangering them.

I fail to see how that's even remotely possible.

Robin Young (4:29)

Well, let's take an example. Two DC area college instructors who are on a list that Turning Point put out, which allowed people to flag what they thought were radical left-wing professors, and two of them told NBC 4 in DC, that they received death threats. We heard that that list is ending, and that's my overarching question.