The Charlie Kirk Show - Why Sticking to Your Morals Matters — Live at Dream City Church with Sage Steele

00:00:00.000 Hey everybody, happy Sunday.

00:00:01.000 It's my conversation with Sage Steele, live from Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona.

00:00:06.000 We also take questions from the audience.

00:00:08.000 It's a phenomenal back and forth.

00:00:10.000 I think you'll really enjoy it.

00:00:12.000 So also become a member today, members.charliekirk.com, and get involved with the most important organization in America at tpusa.com.

00:00:20.000 That is tpusa.com.

00:00:23.000 Thanks to Alan Jackson Ministries for your continued support.

00:00:26.000 Buckle up, everybody.

00:00:27.000 Here we go.

00:00:28.000 Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

00:00:29.000 Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

00:00:31.000 I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk.

00:00:35.000 Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

00:00:38.000 I want to thank Charlie.

00:00:39.000 He's an incredible guy.

00:00:40.000 His spirit, his love of this country.

00:00:42.000 He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point USA.

00:00:48.000 We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country.

00:00:57.000 That's why we are here.

00:01:01.000 Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of The Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals.

00:01:10.000 Learn how you can protect your wealth with Noble Gold Investments at noblegoldinvestments.com.

00:01:17.000 That is noblegoldinvestments.com.

00:01:19.000 It's where I buy all of my gold.

00:01:21.000 Go to noblegoldinvestments.com.

00:01:26.000 Thank you, everybody.

00:01:27.000 Thank you.

00:01:29.000 What a great crowd this is tonight.

00:01:31.000 We're going to have some fun.

00:01:32.000 And I'm going to just kind of really shorten my remarks at the beginning because I feel we never get to enough questions at the end.

00:01:39.000 But let me tell you, as you know, I visit college campuses so you don't have to.

00:01:44.000 That's right.

00:01:45.000 You know it.

00:01:46.000 And we are seeing something so special on these college campuses, everybody.

00:01:50.000 I'll tell you, we are traveling the country and there are thousands and thousands of young people attending.

00:01:58.000 We try to prove them wrong from Scripture, from the natural law, from reason, and from conservative values.

00:02:10.000 This last week, the tour has been going very well.

00:02:15.000 We went to University of California, San Diego, went to Long Beach State, and yesterday, we were at San Francisco State University.

00:02:23.000 And well over 1,700 students came out in the middle of the day in Nancy Pelosi's district.

00:02:31.000 And we proclaimed Jesus' name in San Francisco.

00:02:35.000 And I'll tell you what, I'm not like a huge believer in exorcisms, but we as evangelicals have got to get back into knowing what an exorcism is and how to call a demon out.

00:02:47.000 That would have been very helpful in downtown San Francisco.

00:02:52.000 What was amazing while being there and being on this campus tour is there is a legitimate move of God with younger Americans, and the data shows it.

00:03:01.000 In fact, according to The Economist, The Economist says that thanks to Gen Z, America's Christian fall is actually being reversed. 0.74

00:03:13.000 Younger people are coming back to church in record numbers, especially young men.

00:03:19.000 They are desiring the truth.

00:03:21.000 And if there's one thing you remember from me tonight, it's that when you encounter an 18, 19, or 20-year-old, especially a young man, they're looking for an excuse to have a relationship with Jesus.

00:03:34.000 Don't write off the nation's youth.

00:03:36.000 Not only are they our future, they are currently the driving force of America's religious and Christian revival.

00:03:43.000 And I know my very good friend Frank Turek is here tonight, who we had on a Freedom Night before.

00:03:49.000 Give it up for Frank.

00:03:51.000 Frank also goes to college campuses and he's seeing the same thing.

00:03:55.000 And when I go to these campuses, it almost always goes back to ultimate purposes.

00:04:00.000 And it goes back to third grade.

00:04:02.000 And it goes back to the very same questions.

00:04:05.000 Which is, why do I have to do that?

00:04:09.000 And who tells you that?

00:04:11.000 Who told you and why?

00:04:13.000 Those questions don't change for your entire life.

00:04:16.000 We might have like different trappings and more elevated ways.

00:04:20.000 To try and disguise that?

00:04:23.000 Who told you and why?

00:04:25.000 We know the answer to that as Christians.

00:04:28.000 And the entire university, despite the billions of dollars, and by the way, how great is it that President Trump is defunding Harvard?

00:04:34.000 Can we get an amen?

00:04:37.000 And what is so tragic about the Harvard story is that it once was America's greatest Christian college, our oldest college, and now it is our not-so-great anti-Christian college.

00:04:46.000 And despite all the money they get, They cannot answer those two questions.

00:04:51.000 Who tells you and why?

00:04:53.000 The answer is, well, I'm going to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it, and I'm going to do it because I want to do it, and that's just what I want.

00:04:58.000 It's an awful way to live.

00:04:59.000 It creates misery.

00:05:00.000 It creates despondency.

00:05:02.000 It creates disorder.

00:05:03.000 It creates disillusionment.

00:05:05.000 We are the wealthiest society ever, and as you know, we've repeated it many times, despite being the wealthiest society ever to exist, we have the most depression, the most suicide, the most anxiety, the most self-harm, and the most drug addiction.

00:05:16.000 Something is wrong, and it's not a lack of stuff.

00:05:18.000 It's not a lack of possessions in our garage.

00:05:21.000 It's not a lack of stuff around us.

00:05:23.000 You guys can get an all-you-can-eat buffet.

00:05:25.000 People used to die of starvation.

00:05:26.000 Now people are dying because they eat too much.

00:05:29.000 It's not material conditions that dictate somebody's happiness or their joy or their peace.

00:05:34.000 It's something different because we have decided to accumulate riches in the West, to have a bunch of plastic, to have a bunch of nonsense that we could put all around us, to have piles of garbage imported from China as if that was going to give us meaning. 0.86

00:05:47.000 But instead, we're actually unhappier than ever before because we increased our plastic dividend and we decreased how much we worship God.

00:05:53.000 As we've removed God from the West and we've increased the amount of stuff, we are seeing the result. 0.99

00:05:57.000 And Gen Z understands the consequences of this because they were raised in a hyper-materialistic society.

00:06:03.000 The very same people that told them to wear the mask while they shower and to take the ninth booster shot, and the same person...

00:06:09.000 That told them that COVID was going to kill them and all their friends, and because of that, they'd have prom and graduation taken away.

00:06:15.000 They said, I don't know what I believe, but it's certainly not that.

00:06:18.000 And I'm going to go find something else, and I'm going to go deep, and I'm going to go old.

00:06:22.000 I'm going to go ancient, in fact, to a group of people that professes to know the truth, and they are curious.

00:06:27.000 Every church, we have a lot of pastors here tonight, including this church, must configure itself to be ready for the greatest harvest awaiting us, which is the harvest of 18, 19, 20, and 21-year-olds.

00:06:37.000 It's happening earlier.

00:06:38.000 It's happening sooner.

00:06:39.000 If we seize on this opportunity, they do not want to water down gospel.

00:06:43.000 They do not want someone to tell them, hey, you know, we here do the...

00:06:47.000 Trans, lies, nonsense. 1.00

00:06:49.000 They don't want to see a gay pride flag. 0.98

00:06:50.000 They want to see something unchanging, something bold, something courageous.

00:06:53.000 They want you to be able to have the ability to defend it because everything around them is changing at all times.

00:06:58.000 It's disorienting.

00:07:00.000 But they want something that lasts.

00:07:02.000 And the love of God lasts above all the technological advancements.

00:07:05.000 Even when ChatGPT version 75 comes out, God's love for all of us will still be everlasting.

00:07:13.000 It's up for us to lean in to the greatest harvest waiting to happen, which is this next generation. 0.82

00:07:19.000 I'm so excited for our guest here tonight.

00:07:21.000 I grew up watching her on ESPN.

00:07:24.000 Who is with me?

00:07:25.000 Who watched her on ESPN? 0.99

00:07:26.000 A lot of hands are up.

00:07:27.000 And she is one of the most courageous truth tellers of a generation.

00:07:31.000 I'm going to force her to retell this story. 0.59

00:07:33.000 She doesn't like telling it, but it's such a good story.

00:07:35.000 She decided to turn down a high paying job with lots of publicity and her life's career because of one decision.

00:07:42.000 And it was a time for choosing.

00:07:44.000 And I hope this pricks somebody's heart here.

00:07:47.000 The Holy Spirit will speak to you.

00:07:48.000 Where something you know that is wrong that might come with a lot of money.

00:07:51.000 She was forced to take the COVID shot against her will.

00:07:55.000 And she'll tell you the rest of the story in just a second.

00:07:57.000 Join me in welcoming Sage Steele, everybody.

00:08:15.000 Oh my gosh.

00:08:17.000 Very rarely do people stand.

00:08:19.000 Usually they roll their eyes when I walk in.

00:08:21.000 So thank you.

00:08:22.000 Can you do that again?

00:08:23.000 No.

00:08:26.000 I'm kidding.

00:08:29.000 Sorry.

00:08:30.000 I was kidding.

00:08:31.000 Thank you.

00:08:32.000 Sage, you are amazing.

00:08:34.000 And I'm so excited for people to learn your story.

00:08:36.000 I know it's exhausting.

00:08:37.000 No.

00:08:38.000 But let's tell it again.

00:08:39.000 So you grew up in a military family, if I remember, right?

00:08:42.000 Yes, sir.

00:08:42.000 And a Christian family.

00:08:44.000 Goal was to be involved as a sports journalist.

00:08:47.000 Yep.

00:08:48.000 You reached that goal.

00:08:50.000 Tell us your story.

00:08:51.000 11 years old, watching the 1984 Olympics.

00:08:54.000 12, so you can do the math.

00:08:56.000 So when people say, I grew up watching her, I could slap you.

00:09:00.000 Because you're aging me completely, and that's okay.

00:09:02.000 Hair, dye, does wonders. 0.84

00:09:05.000 I was 11 years old when I said I want to be a sportscaster watching the 84 Olympics, knowing that I wouldn't play any sport past high school.

00:09:12.000 I thought the second best way would be to talk about it and to be around it.

00:09:16.000 And what I noticed at a young age, moving to different countries, by the time I was 11, I lived in four different countries.

00:09:23.000 Military brats? 0.94

00:09:24.000 Anyone else here?

00:09:24.000 Yes, you understand.

00:09:26.000 I thought that was normal to move around and have kids next door that were from Turkey here, Greece here, Norway there.

00:09:32.000 We didn't speak the same languages, but kids always figure it out.

00:09:35.000 But I realized living overseas and that sports is what brought people together.

00:09:41.000 On a football Sunday, for three hours, everybody's on the same team.

00:09:46.000 In your race, in your sex, in your socioeconomic status, in your politics, nothing matters.

00:09:51.000 You're just cheering for the same team, and I felt that.

00:09:54.000 And I wanted to be around more of that and to tell people's stories along the way.

00:09:58.000 So that was the why behind it, to tell stories and do true sports journalism.

00:10:03.000 The problem was I was like, I don't think you knew this, I was really shy.

00:10:07.000 Like, weirdo shy.

00:10:09.000 And my parents were like, okay, so you want to be on TV?

00:10:14.000 Probably need to talk a little bit more then.

00:10:17.000 So I had, I mean, I had to really push through that fear from a very, very young age.

00:10:23.000 Went to school for it at Indiana University.

00:10:26.000 Hoosiers. 0.99

00:10:27.000 Thank you.

00:10:28.000 Do you know that next, I think it's the 10th, so it's this weekend, right?

00:10:31.000 Yeah, Saturday is the 30-year anniversary of my graduation from Indiana University.

00:10:38.000 And the 30-year anniversary last time they had a good basketball team.

00:10:44.000 Wow.

00:10:45.000 Were you alive then?

00:10:47.000 One.

00:10:47.000 That was one.

00:10:48.000 He had diapers on.

00:10:50.000 This is great.

00:10:51.000 See?

00:10:51.000 Open mouth insert.

00:10:52.000 Whatever.

00:10:54.000 I'll just leave now if he's going to do that.

00:10:56.000 I'm kidding.

00:10:57.000 I'm kidding too.

00:10:58.000 I love it.

00:10:59.000 I take pride in it and you're absolutely right.

00:11:01.000 But I just knew, knew, knew from that young age and got into it and then local TV, regional TV and actually I don't think you know this story either.

00:11:11.000 2004.

00:11:12.000 I got the call I'd been waiting for from ESPN.

00:11:15.000 I was working in Washington, D.C. at Comcast Sportsnet covering the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Wizards and Maryland Terrapins and you name it.

00:11:23.000 And I got the call and went up to Bristol, Connecticut for the audition.

00:11:29.000 Scared to death, kind of, sort of, but I was really, really, really pregnant, like 12 months pregnant with my second kid.

00:11:36.000 By the way, my first is over here in the orange shirt.

00:11:38.000 Say hi, Quinn.

00:11:40.000 Sorry.

00:11:42.000 She graduated from college, High Point University on Saturday.

00:11:46.000 So one down, two to go.

00:11:48.000 And so she was like 19 months old at home when I was pregnant with Nicholas and Nicole.

00:11:53.000 And I'd been working for four or five years, sending my resume tape in.

00:11:56.000 Yes, VHS tapes, snail mail, not like a YouTube link that these little brats use now. 1.00

00:12:01.000 And so like sending the tapes in and they kept saying, yep, nope, you talk too fast, still do.

00:12:07.000 Your hair's weird, still is.

00:12:09.000 All the things.

00:12:10.000 It is what it is.

00:12:11.000 God gave me, I can't straighten it.

00:12:13.000 Go for it.

00:12:14.000 So I got the call and went up for the audition and I crushed it because I had more important things.

00:12:20.000 I had this baby bouncing on my bladder and so when they tried to like roll the wrong tape to see how I handle adversity, I'm like, guys, whatever, go for it.

00:12:27.000 Got the offer when I got back and I talked about it with her dad, with my parents, with my agent and I prayed about it and I knew I couldn't take the job.

00:12:40.000 So the dream job since I was 11 years old, I turned it down.

00:12:44.000 My agent said, you're crazy?

00:12:47.000 ESPN does not need you.

00:12:49.000 You need ESPN.

00:12:51.000 As that Army kid growing up around the world, all I saw was the example my parents set, that family comes first.

00:12:58.000 And I knew that I wanted at least one more kid.

00:13:01.000 I mean, I was about to have number two, and my dear friend, the late, great Stuart Scott, who took me under his wing before I even got to ESPN, Yeah, he was my best friend at ESPN.

00:13:13.000 Stuart believed in me a long time before I believed in myself.

00:13:17.000 And the human being that he was, I talked to him daily.

00:13:20.000 And he told me before I even got there, he said, don't come here until you're ready because you'll get eaten alive.

00:13:25.000 So that's what I was thinking when I turned down the job.

00:13:28.000 And they all said I was nuts and they're gonna blackball you and good luck, you're done, your career's done.

00:13:33.000 Had the baby, signed another contract for three years and just thought, If this is what's meant to be, what God wants me to do to get to ESPN and fulfill that dream, then that's what he'll make happen.

00:13:45.000 And three years later, I got another call.

00:13:46.000 And it happened to be a better offer this time, too.

00:13:49.000 Because I was better at my job.

00:13:51.000 I had worked on my craft.

00:13:52.000 But that was, in hindsight, Charlie, one of the first big tests.

00:13:56.000 Because I was scared to turn it down.

00:13:58.000 It was this big dream.

00:13:59.000 And back then, in 2004, I mean, there were many fewer women.

00:14:03.000 And certainly no one that...

00:14:05.000 Very few that look like me.

00:14:06.000 Robin Roberts was really the only one, and she was certainly my idol.

00:14:10.000 Absolutely the trailblazer.

00:14:11.000 So in 2007 went, and I've got to tell you, 16 and a half years at ESPN.

00:14:17.000 When I got there, my kids were 11 months old, 2 and 4. I don't remember much from those days.

00:14:23.000 I don't regret a thing.

00:14:25.000 I got to do things that I never dreamt of.

00:14:27.000 SportsCenter was that childhood dream, but it ended up being...

00:14:30.000 Hosting coverage pre-game halftime at the NBA Finals with 30 million viewers and Super Bowls and seven straight Masters tournaments and World Series.

00:14:39.000 I get emotional still thinking about what I got to do.

00:14:43.000 And despite how it ended, no regrets.

00:14:46.000 I loved it.

00:14:48.000 So then there was a time for choosing.

00:14:50.000 Yeah.

00:14:51.000 COVID happened.

00:14:52.000 Tell us about that.

00:14:53.000 Yeah.

00:14:53.000 What a fun time.

00:14:56.000 I had actually lived here from 2014 through 17. And so when I come back to Scottsdale, I cry because this is, oh gosh, right, Quinn?

00:15:04.000 We were landing today and I started crying.

00:15:06.000 I'm like, this was home.

00:15:07.000 I hope you appreciate where you live.

00:15:09.000 This is the best place.

00:15:11.000 It is the best.

00:15:12.000 It's the best state in the union.

00:15:13.000 It is.

00:15:14.000 I will be back.

00:15:15.000 Mark my words.

00:15:17.000 And I had to come back to Connecticut in 2017 when they were going through layoffs, said, we want to keep you, but you've got to come back.

00:15:24.000 So, smart, and I loved my job, and so you leave and you go back.

00:15:28.000 And I was watching how it was being handled here.

00:15:31.000 And it was a lot different than the Northeast, as you know, just like California.

00:15:35.000 And basically, long story short, I went on a podcast.

00:15:38.000 Anybody remember Jay Cutler?

00:15:40.000 Sports fans, former Bears quarterback.

00:15:42.000 I did a ton of terrible...

00:15:43.000 I'm a Bears fan.

00:15:44.000 He never brought us to Super Bowl.

00:15:46.000 I'm just going to say it.

00:15:47.000 Not even close.

00:15:48.000 I know.

00:15:50.000 He is a conservative, though.

00:15:52.000 He is, but he's really quiet about it and needs to speak up a little bit.

00:15:57.000 He's got to be more like Sage.

00:15:57.000 Come on, Cutler.

00:16:00.000 But he had just started his podcast and his publicist said, hey, he hasn't had a woman yet.

00:16:04.000 Would you mind?

00:16:05.000 I'm like, absolutely.

00:16:05.000 I actually had crushed him on his Bears highlights for years.

00:16:08.000 I'm like, let me go on the podcast and try to be nicer.

00:16:12.000 He did a great job.

00:16:13.000 His research team, they did a great job, and they looked up things that I had spoken about in the past, in particular on The View.

00:16:18.000 This is in 2014.

00:16:19.000 I know The View.

00:16:21.000 2014, when it was different.

00:16:23.000 Barbara Walters was still there when I was on, and so he brought up, that was one of the hot topics, was Barack Obama, and Barbara was upset that I didn't identify as a black woman because It was important to me to say what I am,

00:16:41.000 which is biracial.

00:16:43.000 I have a mother who's half Irish, half Italian.

00:16:45.000 When I say Italian, my grandmother's name was Philomena Lena DiPertola.

00:16:51.000 Yeah.

00:16:52.000 I know when you see me, you think Italian all the way.

00:16:55.000 And then my grandfather was William Edward O 'Neill.

00:16:58.000 So don't mess with Mona Steele. 0.61

00:17:00.000 My mother will cut you. 1.00

00:17:01.000 And then my black father.

00:17:04.000 So I'm...

00:17:05.000 You guys, isn't that the definition of diversity?

00:17:08.000 I'm so proud of my diverse background where my black family loved me as much as my white family.

00:17:14.000 And our family reunion pictures were all colors of the rainbow and as a beautiful thing.

00:17:18.000 And I didn't understand why Barbara Walters was so angry with me for saying I'm biracial.

00:17:25.000 And so she asked me on live TV on ABC, why don't you identify as black?

00:17:29.000 Our president does.

00:17:30.000 And I said, well, congratulations to the president.

00:17:33.000 I think it's fascinating because he was raised by his white mother.

00:17:38.000 And his white grandmother and his black father was nowhere to be found.

00:17:42.000 And he wrote a book about it.

00:17:44.000 This is not breaking news.

00:17:44.000 But you do you.

00:17:46.000 I choose to identify.

00:17:48.000 I said, I'm pretty sure my white mom was there the day I was born.

00:17:51.000 And why not celebrate all of me, not just part of me?

00:17:56.000 I think it's simple.

00:18:01.000 That hit different in 2021 than it did in 2014.

00:18:04.000 So that blew up.

00:18:04.000 I got in trouble for that.

00:18:06.000 I got in trouble for saying that women in locker rooms, we need to be professional and it does matter how we dress. 1.00

00:18:12.000 That's another story for another day.

00:18:14.000 And then finally, the COVID shot.

00:18:16.000 I will tell you, Charlie, I had just come from getting the shot.

00:18:20.000 We had until September 30th, 2021 to get it or we were fired.

00:18:24.000 I was devastated because I...

00:18:28.000 I'm not a scientist or a doctor, but I knew that it didn't feel right to be forced.

00:18:35.000 A simple Google search told me that it takes six to nine years on average for the FDA to approve a vaccine.

00:18:40.000 And this was how quick?

00:18:41.000 A couple of months.

00:18:42.000 So I just wanted to wait.

00:18:43.000 But I had three kids, and they had recently gone through a divorce.

00:18:51.000 Financial responsible for everybody.

00:18:53.000 And I felt at that moment I didn't have a choice.

00:18:55.000 And someone said, religious exemption.

00:18:57.000 And I'm like, But it has nothing to do with my religion.

00:18:59.000 So I didn't want to, I wanted to be honest about my why.

00:19:03.000 Get a medical exemption.

00:19:04.000 Well, it isn't, I don't have anything wrong that I know of.

00:19:07.000 This is just wrong and it's my body, my choice, correct?

00:19:10.000 Sometimes?

00:19:11.000 So...

00:19:12.000 Only if you want to get rid of another body.

00:19:14.000 Right, right.

00:19:16.000 So I fought it and fought it, and then at the end of the day, I ended up going, and I remember sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store that I had to go in and probably have someone off the street put a shot in my arm, and I just prayed and said, please, Lord, let this just go right through my body.

00:19:33.000 Let it be nothing, just water that she's putting in me.

00:19:36.000 And I remember sitting down, and I walked in and sat down, and she looked at me, and my eyes were red.

00:19:41.000 And she said, are you okay?

00:19:43.000 And I said, no.

00:19:45.000 I'm being forced to take this shot to keep my job.

00:19:48.000 And I just cried like a little baby.

00:19:51.000 And she looked at me and she said, this is so wrong and I'm so sorry.

00:19:57.000 And then she held my hand and with her other hand, I don't know how accurate it was, put the needle in my arm. 0.99

00:20:04.000 And I can honestly say, it gets me choked up to say it, something changed in me at that moment because I'd never been forced to do anything to my body.

00:20:16.000 And there was like a little, I think in hindsight, some rage in me.

00:20:21.000 And then it was over and I got in my car and I raced home because I had promised Jay Cutler to go on that podcast.

00:20:26.000 And I had forgotten that I had a Band-Aid on my shoulder because I was shaking and berating myself for caving.

00:20:34.000 I was embarrassed and I was ashamed.

00:20:37.000 And he brought it up on the podcast.

00:20:39.000 And I was like, yeah, I took it.

00:20:42.000 I said, I think it's sick.

00:20:44.000 And scary for any employer to force their employee to do anything to their body, but it is a global company.

00:20:51.000 We are owned by Walt Disney, the Walt Disney Company, and I understand.

00:20:56.000 Onward.

00:20:58.000 That's what I said.

00:21:00.000 I found out that it was not okay to say that, according to my employers, and I was called in within days of it dropping, well, within minutes of it dropping, days later, and basically pulled off the air.

00:21:13.000 Suspended off the air for 12 days, forced to publicly apologize, or they said I'd get fired.

00:21:18.000 My agent said that.

00:21:19.000 And when I say public apology, it's a very long statement that I spoke ill of the company.

00:21:26.000 And then, of course, they passed it on to the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune and every single web service to, you know, crush me, to embarrass me, and then followed it up with, while we believe in diversity of thought...

00:21:40.000 We're in a suspender.

00:21:42.000 So they didn't call it a suspension because I was paid.

00:21:45.000 Paid suspension happens in sports all the time.

00:21:47.000 I was taken off the air.

00:21:49.000 I was willing to let it go, Charlie, because I was scared.

00:21:53.000 And they scared me.

00:21:54.000 And that I wouldn't be able to feed my family and support my family.

00:21:57.000 So what do you do?

00:21:58.000 You do what it takes.

00:22:01.000 The problem is it didn't stop there.

00:22:03.000 And they kept taking assignments away.

00:22:04.000 And things I had worked on for years.

00:22:07.000 And hosting the...

00:22:09.000 Rose Parade in Pasadena and the New York City Marathon and they just kept taking things.

00:22:13.000 In the meantime, my peers were allowed to go on ESPN Airwaves, not on a podcast with an old former quarterback, on ESPN Airwaves and talk about their opinions, how devastated they were when Roe vs.

00:22:25.000 Wade was overturned, how angry they were about that and that girls, I guess, didn't have the right to kill their babies on a basketball show. 1.00

00:22:35.000 Their opinions on COVID.

00:22:36.000 The George Floyd stuff.

00:22:36.000 The George Floyd non-stop Black Lives Matter.

00:22:39.000 ESPN turned into MSNBC for 30 days.

00:22:41.000 Correct.

00:22:42.000 And I don't care what our beliefs are.

00:22:43.000 Even if they were aligned with many of what people here in this room believe, you aren't turning to ESPN for politics.

00:22:49.000 No, not at all.

00:22:53.000 We're honored to be partnering with the Alan Jackson Ministries, and today I want to point you to their podcast.

00:22:58.000 It's called Culture and Christianity, the Alan Jackson Podcast.

00:23:02.000 What makes it unique is Pastor Alan's biblical perspective.

00:23:05.000 He takes the truth from the Bible and applies it to issues that we're facing today.

00:23:08.000 Gender confusion, abortion, immigration, Doge, Trump, and the White House.

00:23:18.000 We can do to make a difference.

00:23:20.000 His guests have incredible expertise and powerful testimonies.

00:23:23.000 Each episode will make you recognize the power of your faith and how God can use your life to impact our world today.

00:23:30.000 The Culture and Christianity podcast is informative and encouraging.

00:23:33.000 You can find it on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:23:37.000 Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes.

00:23:40.000 Alan Jackson Ministries is working hard to get biblical truth back into our culture.

00:23:44.000 You can find out more about Pastor Alan and the ministry at alanjackson.com.

00:23:48.000 That is alanjackson.com.

00:23:50.000 Again, that is alanjackson.com.

00:23:54.000 This is why I don't watch ESPN anymore.

00:23:57.000 I don't either.

00:23:58.000 Unless that is a college football game I like.

00:24:00.000 That's the only reason.

00:24:00.000 The only reason they're still alive in my mind is because of the programming.

00:24:05.000 They've done a great job.

00:24:06.000 It's not the daytime stuff.

00:24:07.000 No.

00:24:08.000 And also, for news breaking, we have our phones.

00:24:10.000 You go to X, you go somewhere else.

00:24:12.000 It's not must-see TV anymore.

00:24:13.000 It's the exclusive rights they have.

00:24:15.000 Correct.

00:24:15.000 And they've done a great job with that, and that is why they're still standing.

00:24:18.000 But the problem is, I told my bosses for years, long before things went crazy in 2020 with COVID and George Floyd, please keep it separate.

00:24:26.000 Diversity of thought.

00:24:27.000 Diversity of thought.

00:24:28.000 And we were told not to tweet or talk about politics, unless they agreed with what you were saying, if it was...

00:24:36.000 Anything on the left, basically wokeism.

00:24:38.000 So that's when I said enough is enough.

00:24:40.000 And if you're going to allow all of my peers to talk about their politics because they align with Disney on ESPN Airwaves, and I can't go on a day off on a separate podcast separating myself from ESPN to not just talk about my opinions but my experiences as a biracial woman,

00:24:57.000 a proud biracial woman, as a mother who...

00:25:01.000 Just wanted to protect myself and my kids from these mandates.

00:25:04.000 I can have an opinion, especially if I'm complying with your rules and I comply.

00:25:08.000 So that's when I hired an attorney, the same attorney, by the way, who helped and represented Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson right now as we speak.

00:25:18.000 If you get in trouble in the media, Brian Friedman's your guy, let me tell you.

00:25:22.000 It was devastating to have to file that lawsuit.

00:25:25.000 It broke me.

00:25:26.000 That was my dream job, and I was so proud of it.

00:25:28.000 But for 16 months, from the moment the lawsuit was filed to the moment we settled, who sues their employer while they're still working there and on their airwaves every day?

00:25:38.000 I would go in shaking, feeling sick every day, and I'll shut up after this.

00:25:42.000 I would pull into the parking lot and call my mom and dad.

00:25:47.000 I'm 52 years old.

00:25:48.000 I call my parents three times a day still.

00:25:49.000 You're never too old for mom and dad.

00:25:51.000 And I'd call my parents, and we would pray.

00:25:54.000 Right before I walked into those doors to go on TV and represent my company and try to represent the fans out there.

00:26:01.000 And for those of you Catholics and others, the prayer is St. Michael the Archangel.

00:26:07.000 Protect us from the wickedness and snares of the devil.

00:26:09.000 Rebuke him, we humbly pray.

00:26:11.000 And that prayer every day is the reason I could walk in and put the fear back here to go do my job.

00:26:21.000 And I felt like I had this bubble around me, a bubble of protection.

00:26:26.000 And I look back, I did my best work during my scariest time.

00:26:31.000 And I know that is because God was with me every step of the way.

00:26:37.000 I love that.

00:26:38.000 And what has, obviously based on what you just said, it has strengthened your faith.

00:26:45.000 But then you decided to level up the ante even more.

00:26:48.000 You left ESPN.

00:26:50.000 You started speaking out about your experiences, but oh, no, no.

00:26:53.000 Then all of a sudden, Sage decided to endorse Donald Trump and go on the road to advocate for Donald Trump.

00:27:02.000 So, why did you do that?

00:27:06.000 And thank you, by the way.

00:27:08.000 And why did you do that?

00:27:10.000 That's a great question.

00:27:11.000 Why?

00:27:15.000 When Laura Trump called and offered me to wear those cute pink jackets, Women for Trump, I'm like, I'm in.

00:27:21.000 Really hot pink.

00:27:24.000 It was gradual, Charlie, and I look back on it, and I'm just almost laughing that I went from saying, no, no, no, separate, because I believe it should be separate from our jobs, our politics, to this.

00:27:37.000 I think I'm like millions of other Americans who had just been pushed a little bit too far.

00:27:44.000 When I had people telling me how racist I am...

00:27:47.000 White people. 0.69

00:27:50.000 I guess it's that white mom that they did want me to acknowledge at that point.

00:27:53.000 I don't know.

00:27:55.000 Racist, sexist, all of those things.

00:27:57.000 And at the end of the day, I can separate who I want to win based on what?

00:28:03.000 Policies.

00:28:04.000 It's very simple.

00:28:05.000 I lived here.

00:28:07.000 I live in Florida now.

00:28:08.000 I live in Tennessee part-time as well, and I lived in the Northeast.

00:28:11.000 And when you can experience those different cultures, as I call them, you see the difference.

00:28:17.000 And I didn't feel safer.

00:28:20.000 I felt less safe.

00:28:22.000 I also talked to my younger daughter when she was a sophomore, and she came home talking about the litter box sitting outside of the math class because there was a girl who identified as the girl on Wednesday, a boy on Thursday, and a cat on Friday.

00:28:38.000 We're fine with that.

00:28:39.000 This is very real.

00:28:40.000 Hundreds of schools have this, by the way.

00:28:41.000 If you don't know about this, you guys are not informed.

00:28:43.000 I'm just going to be honest.

00:28:44.000 It's real.

00:28:45.000 It's not a joke.

00:28:45.000 They identify as cats, so they have to have litter boxes throughout all these schools.

00:28:49.000 They're furries.

00:28:50.000 In Arizona, they have them, too.

00:28:51.000 They're furries.

00:28:51.000 Furries.

00:28:52.000 In Scottsdale Unified School District, they have this.

00:28:55.000 So when you see the craziness, and you're living it, and then you're trying to teach your children to stand up for what they believe in, what I realized was that if I stayed quiet, If I settled and did all the things and trying to build a new career from scratch,

00:29:13.000 from nothing after being...

00:29:15.000 Canceled 86 times.

00:29:17.000 And then I still stay silent.

00:29:18.000 I fought on the First Amendment.

00:29:20.000 On my right for free speech, too.

00:29:23.000 If you're going to let my coworkers say it because you agree with them but not me, that is in violation.

00:29:27.000 So if I stood up for free speech, but then I go silent with the most obvious things, then I'm a hypocrite.

00:29:33.000 Not just to myself and whichever viewers may watch me or follow me, but to my three kids.

00:29:38.000 When we're telling our girls and boys to stand up and be strong and not take it, and then we're silent, We are complicit.

00:29:46.000 So I realized, for me, I had to do it.

00:29:50.000 And then the best part about getting canceled so many times is then you realize it's okay.

00:29:57.000 Like, I don't care.

00:29:59.000 I think that was the biggest thing I learned through this whole process.

00:30:02.000 As a firstborn pleaser my whole life, that goody two-shoes girl trying to make sure everybody, my mom, my dad, my brothers, my uncles, my neighbors, the people who don't know me, everybody likes me.

00:30:13.000 And the most powerful thing was to be okay being disliked.

00:30:18.000 And to let go of that fear of being disliked.

00:30:21.000 And if I can teach that by showing this to my kids, then this is worth it.

00:30:27.000 And I'll say this, the day before the lawsuit dropped.

00:30:31.000 I went to each one of my kids.

00:30:32.000 Quinn was a freshman at High Point.

00:30:34.000 Nicholas was a senior in high school, and Evan was a sophomore in high school.

00:30:37.000 And each kid, I said, guys, I'm sorry this lawsuit's about to drop.

00:30:40.000 It's going to affect you.

00:30:41.000 In the past, when speaking up, people had threatened my kids, threatened to rape my daughters, saying the worst things because of their mother's opinion.

00:30:51.000 And so I said, guys, I'm sorry for what's coming at you.

00:30:54.000 Don't ever defend me.

00:30:55.000 Don't ever feel the need to defend me.

00:30:57.000 Just remind people.

00:30:59.000 Especially those who preach diversity and tolerance and equity, that diversity of thought is where it all begins.

00:31:06.000 So my mom has a right to her opinion.

00:31:08.000 You don't have to agree, but she has that right.

00:31:09.000 But don't feel the need to defend me.

00:31:11.000 And I went to my son, who I always say, he's my saint, in between my two, not psycho, but kind of crazy daughters.

00:31:20.000 Psycho.

00:31:23.000 He is definitely going to heaven.

00:31:26.000 I said to him, I'm so sorry for what's about to come.

00:31:30.000 And he looked at me and he goes, Mom, it's about time you stood up for yourself.

00:31:37.000 But what's the lesson?

00:31:39.000 What's the lesson?

00:31:40.000 We're staying silent to protect those around us so they don't go through pain, so they don't fear things.

00:31:45.000 And what was I doing?

00:31:46.000 I was a hypocrite.

00:31:48.000 I was showing him the opposite of what I wanted him to do.

00:31:51.000 So I knew at that moment, and Quinn said too, she was proud of me.

00:31:56.000 She was scared, but she was proud of me.

00:31:57.000 And I knew at that moment that even if Disney crushed me, which financially they came pretty close to doing in about four minutes, right?

00:32:04.000 Disney versus me.

00:32:06.000 Even if I lost, I actually won because my kids saw that their mom no longer lived in fear, and that's been the biggest blessing to come from it.

00:32:21.000 Last question here, then I want to do some Q&A.

00:32:25.000 Did you know this whole world existed?

00:32:27.000 I want you to talk about it.

00:32:29.000 I heard you say this briefly.

00:32:30.000 I thought it was so interesting.

00:32:32.000 It was at our Believers Summit.

00:32:33.000 It was kind of like a one-off thing.

00:32:35.000 So here you were...

00:32:37.000 The guiding force of commentary at the NBA Finals, the Masters, every major sporting event.

00:32:44.000 So you think you kind of had a good pulse on America, like how people gather and how they think.

00:32:50.000 And yet you've been introduced to this entire world.

00:32:53.000 Tell us about that as someone who didn't even know it existed.

00:32:58.000 Social media, especially, frankly, before Elon Musk took over.

00:33:03.000 Thank you, Elon.

00:33:06.000 It was an ugly place.

00:33:08.000 And the algorithms made sure that if you had an alternative slash middle to right viewpoint, that you were ostracized and vilified and attacked.

00:33:21.000 And so I thought that was the real world.

00:33:24.000 And I began to, I remember when I lived here and I was on the road back and forth with NBA and I was at Sky Harbor and I was afraid to make eye contact with people.

00:33:35.000 Because I thought, and then because of my comments about my mother and diversity of thought and biracial and all that, I thought, oh gosh, now black people aren't going to like me and the white people already don't.

00:33:46.000 I remember just living in fear like I couldn't please anybody and I wouldn't make eye contact with people, Charlie, because I was told on social media that I was the worst and I believed it.

00:33:59.000 So to then come through all that and stand up and Especially when I was still at ESPN fighting to tell the story.

00:34:09.000 Why are we not reporting on what Riley Gaines is doing?

00:34:12.000 And talking about this massive story in sports and ignoring it, I began to get rumbles and whispers from people like, thank you.

00:34:21.000 Keep going.

00:34:22.000 And I went, oh my gosh.

00:34:23.000 There's so many other people like me out there.

00:34:26.000 But if you listen to that...

00:34:27.000 They want you to think you're alone.

00:34:30.000 And that's why we stay silent.

00:34:31.000 And I got out in this crazy world and I realized there's a lot more normal people than they want us to think.

00:34:37.000 Common sense.

00:34:39.000 But now what happens?

00:34:41.000 I can't tell you how many times I have gotten emotional and cried and hugged strangers in airports across the country because they'll come up to me.

00:34:49.000 It happened twice on the plane this morning.

00:34:51.000 And I was like, oh gosh, I have a hat on and no makeup.

00:34:54.000 How the heck do you?

00:34:55.000 They're like, I'm like, I know.

00:34:57.000 If I just changed this, I'd totally blend in.

00:34:59.000 But I have been in tears when real grown men will walk up to me, emotional, saying, I'm afraid to speak up for my daughter because I'm going to lose my job.

00:35:11.000 Please don't get silent.

00:35:12.000 So when you realize this isn't even about me.

00:35:16.000 This is so much bigger.

00:35:18.000 It's about, my girls are, I mean, their competitive sports days are long gone. 0.99

00:35:22.000 I have no horse in this race.

00:35:24.000 But if God has given me this platform, even if it's over tomorrow, if I waste it, what a shame.

00:35:30.000 And I finally realized that I'm not alone.

00:35:33.000 And that's why I have to keep, even if he's going to make me keep telling that ESPN story, because...

00:35:39.000 If I don't, what a shame.

00:35:41.000 What a waste.

00:35:42.000 Because if I can help others realize that they're not alone, because you do feel lonely, then that's a win.

00:35:49.000 And I say this to these young girls.

00:35:50.000 It should not be up to these young girls now to stand up with this sports trans ridiculousness. 1.00

00:35:55.000 Where are the adults in the room?

00:35:56.000 We have to continue to encourage the adults.

00:36:00.000 Silence is compliance.

00:36:02.000 Yeah, and I do want to get to questions.

00:36:04.000 I have to follow up on this, though.

00:36:05.000 It is one of the biggest stories happening in the country.

00:36:09.000 890 women in the last couple of years that we know of have had championships, awards, and medals stolen from them by biological men.

00:36:19.000 Commit that number to memory.

00:36:21.000 890 women.

00:36:23.000 We're told, oh, this never happens.

00:36:25.000 There's no. 890 women that we know of. 1.00

00:36:27.000 And a lot of this goes unreported, by the way.

00:36:30.000 A little middle school thing in Kentucky or high school thing in Ohio that doesn't even make it.

00:36:34.000 So 890 that we know of.

00:36:38.000 And this actually, the Democrats and the left, and I hate politicizing stuff with this stuff, guys, but it's just the truth.

00:36:45.000 They are digging down, they're doubling down and digging in on this.

00:36:48.000 They're going all in on biological men stealing awards and trophies from women.

00:36:54.000 You are a sportscaster, you're a former sportscaster, you understand this so well.

00:36:58.000 What is your analysis as someone new to the political world on this issue of obvious theft, of obvious Cheating.

00:37:07.000 And that's what this is.

00:37:08.000 This is cheating.

00:37:10.000 It is.

00:37:12.000 First of all, they're all cowards in my mind.

00:37:15.000 Sorry.

00:37:15.000 I also work with so many men.

00:37:17.000 We were talking about this earlier.

00:37:18.000 So many men.

00:37:20.000 I mean, former NFL players and NBA players.

00:37:24.000 There is no way they agree with this.

00:37:27.000 The problem.

00:37:28.000 I mean, and they have daughters.

00:37:29.000 Who are playing these sports now?

00:37:31.000 Like Shaq. 0.91

00:37:31.000 I mean, it would be nice to have him speak out. 0.91

00:37:33.000 It would be great to have any one of them.

00:37:35.000 Charles Barkley has a daughter that played basketball near here, actually, in Scottsdale.

00:37:40.000 Yes.

00:37:40.000 Right?

00:37:40.000 Yes.

00:37:42.000 I try to be really nice about this and watch my words.

00:37:48.000 You don't have to be nice.

00:37:50.000 Jesus was not nice.

00:37:52.000 He wasn't.

00:37:53.000 He was loving and truthful, but he was not nice.

00:37:56.000 Okay, forgive me, but these...

00:37:58.000 Men need to grow a pair. 0.99

00:38:02.000 And I'm sorry.

00:38:04.000 I'm sorry.

00:38:05.000 How else do you say that?

00:38:07.000 How else do you say that?

00:38:09.000 Stop being cowards.

00:38:11.000 Stop being quiet.

00:38:13.000 I was talking about my co-workers at ESPN because they've got millions and millions of dollars.

00:38:18.000 They have the security.

00:38:19.000 They don't have to worry.

00:38:21.000 And they still choose to be silent when, again, If one spoke up, what happens?

00:38:27.000 You see it with these young women now, and slowly but surely, these girls are giving up their lifelong training to stand up.

00:38:33.000 The fencer over a couple of weeks ago who took a knee, God bless her, and how scary for her that she could be throwing her career away.

00:38:40.000 We're not gonna let that happen, right?

00:38:42.000 There's so many good people now who are uplifting women who have that courage, but for the men out there and the fathers, it is real.

00:38:49.000 The fear is real for cancellation, et cetera.

00:38:52.000 However, if you band together, And again, you're reminded that you're not alone.

00:38:57.000 There is power in that, and we cannot stop with this issue, because that's the 890 that are reported.

00:39:02.000 But you're not talking about the girl, if you're placing one through eight, and there's a boy in third, number nine, then doesn't even get a shot.

00:39:11.000 Didn't make All-American.

00:39:12.000 Correct.

00:39:12.000 In the Riley Gaines story, the man who all of a sudden parachuted in, there were girls that their whole life goal was not to win the national championship, was to be called an All-American.

00:39:23.000 And they got displaced from number 8 to number 9. And so that one doesn't get reported, but then they lose being All-American status by one slot.

00:39:31.000 Their whole goal was to make that 8th spot.

00:39:34.000 And a man then displaced them.

00:39:36.000 So we're talking about tens of thousands of women that have been displaced by... 0.64

00:39:41.000 Some of them are perverts, let's just be honest.

00:39:44.000 They just are.

00:39:45.000 But they're all cheaters, okay?

00:39:47.000 And I know the legislative solution.

00:39:52.000 But I still, I don't understand, and it's just a failure for me to get this, because I'm a father of a daughter, why dads are putting up with this.

00:40:01.000 I don't get it, and I get nothing but excuses like, oh, I'm going to lose my job.

00:40:06.000 Okay, well, you're going to allow your daughter to be publicly humiliated like this?

00:40:11.000 Right.

00:40:12.000 Do something.

00:40:13.000 Organize a group.

00:40:14.000 Have a protest.

00:40:15.000 I will say this, and the men of the, I've said this before publicly, I got in a lot of trouble.

00:40:22.000 So I'll say it again.

00:40:24.000 The men of the 1950s would have put up with this for like three seconds, and they would have handled it the way the men of the 1950s handled stuff.

00:40:40.000 Thank you.

00:40:42.000 I do think every one of those Democrats, they know.

00:40:48.000 We might disagree, but they're not stupid.

00:40:50.000 They know.

00:40:51.000 I truly believe it's deeper than that, and God forbid you agree with something that the center-right believes in.

00:40:58.000 It's so tribal. 0.87

00:40:58.000 It is, but it's actually evil. 0.87

00:41:01.000 A hundred percent.

00:41:02.000 And this is, I mean, look, we have huge pressing issues, but if we as a country can't agree that men should not be in female private spaces and in female sports, I have nothing in common with you. 0.57

00:41:14.000 I'm sorry.

00:41:15.000 I don't have common ground.

00:41:16.000 I don't seek to remedy that.

00:41:19.000 That is an existential dividing line between the two factions and camps in this country.

00:41:27.000 Private student loan debt.

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00:42:34.000 Let's do some questions.

00:42:35.000 Let's start lining up.

00:42:36.000 Sage, please plug your podcast, ways that people can support you, all that stuff, as people start lining up for questions.

00:42:41.000 Thank you.

00:42:42.000 I never thought I'd be doing this.

00:42:45.000 By the way, The Charlie Kirk.

00:42:48.000 This man, I know, you're the worst at accepting compliments.

00:42:51.000 I'm just telling you that I don't believe this election would have gone the way it did without you and without your voice.

00:42:57.000 I don't.

00:42:58.000 I don't.

00:42:59.000 And I, my daughter, my daughter, again, you hear this all the time.

00:43:04.000 My daughter's like, no offense, Mom, I don't listen to you. 0.97

00:43:06.000 I listen to Charlie.

00:43:07.000 This is long before I met Charlie.

00:43:08.000 So thank you, thank you, thank you.

00:43:10.000 And in general, I feel smarter.

00:43:13.000 Well, I get to sit next to him.

00:43:15.000 Can you rub off a little?

00:43:16.000 But like when I watch your stuff and I feel smarter and it does take courage to repeatedly go into the lion's den like you were this week with Riley at the University of Washington.

00:43:25.000 It was great.

00:43:26.000 You're crazy.

00:43:27.000 But I'm so grateful for that.

00:43:30.000 And I love talking to people like Charlie.

00:43:32.000 For AmFest, which is incredible here, I was able...

00:43:36.000 I was able to talk to you for like 12 minutes on my podcast because we're doing a short one.

00:43:40.000 So it's the Sage Steel Show YouTube.

00:43:41.000 I didn't understand that you needed subscribers.

00:43:44.000 Like I didn't know anything.

00:43:45.000 I worked at a TV network.

00:43:45.000 You just tune in and that's how I get paid.

00:43:48.000 Like I get a salary and a paycheck.

00:43:50.000 It's a contract.

00:43:51.000 That's not what this world is.

00:43:52.000 So if you would subscribe, Sage Steel Podcast.

00:43:55.000 Everyone should subscribe to the Sage Steel Podcast.

00:43:58.000 Do it now.

00:43:58.000 But it's about conversations.

00:43:59.000 It's about conversations even with people you don't agree with.

00:44:02.000 And here's the thing.

00:44:03.000 I think that we...

00:44:04.000 Remember, Sage Steele did this for a living for a while.

00:44:06.000 She asks great questions.

00:44:07.000 She's a phenomenal interviewer. 0.63

00:44:09.000 My parents were my guests last week, and it was the most important show I've ever done.

00:44:13.000 It was my mom and dad.

00:44:15.000 Phenomenal.

00:44:16.000 Let's start here.

00:44:16.000 On this side, everybody, if you want to start lining up for questions here, don't be shy.

00:44:20.000 Yes, sir.

00:44:22.000 How are you doing?

00:44:23.000 First of all, actually, before I saw you at Carolyn Levitt...

00:44:29.000 At the White House, being introduced there, I've actually never heard of you.

00:44:33.000 I like that.

00:44:34.000 That's nice.

00:44:34.000 Yeah, I'm an engineer, okay?

00:44:35.000 So how did that feel, displacing a lot of the other, let's say, big networks like ABC, MSNBC, that kind of thing?

00:44:45.000 So you're talking about the new media seat that Caroline Levitt has done with the White House press room? 1.00

00:44:50.000 Yes, the Steve Bannon's, the Newsweek, yeah, the Newsmax, yeah.

00:44:54.000 Oh, I have never been more nervous for anything in my life.

00:44:57.000 In the White House, The Brady Press Briefing Room, I was scared to death.

00:45:02.000 It was such an honor.

00:45:04.000 I was the third one.

00:45:05.000 And they brought me there the day that Donald Trump signed the executive order to keep men out of women's sports.

00:45:12.000 So it applied for me to be there.

00:45:15.000 The key with that question, which again, I was so nervous.

00:45:19.000 I've talked to Michael Jordan and LeBron James and Stephen Curry and all the best top athletes in the world.

00:45:24.000 And I interviewed a sitting president, Joe Biden, in March of 2021.

00:45:29.000 I did.

00:45:30.000 It was not live on SportsCenter because it had to be taped.

00:45:34.000 Just in case.

00:45:35.000 That's a story for another day.

00:45:36.000 Read the book, guys.

00:45:37.000 It's coming.

00:45:40.000 Oh, the question.

00:45:41.000 It was...

00:45:43.000 I really wanted to make sure and push that point further.

00:45:47.000 So the president is signing this, but what we need to do is to make sure that if another crazy administration comes back and tries to blow Title IX up like the last administration did, what does Donald Trump and company need to do to make sure that never happens again?

00:46:01.000 And that was my question.

00:46:03.000 But that takes understanding government and all the things that must happen in order for that to take place.

00:46:09.000 And right now, by the way, there are still loopholes that the NCAA has taken advantage of because men are still allowed in women's spaces.

00:46:18.000 College campuses and sports.

00:46:21.000 And they can still take scholarships away from women. 1.00

00:46:24.000 So those are the things that the president is continuing to work on.

00:46:28.000 We are so grateful for the EO that he signed that day.

00:46:31.000 And it was honestly the biggest honor to be there.

00:46:35.000 I never aspired to do politics.

00:46:37.000 I ran the opposite direction.

00:46:38.000 I was like, oh heck no, you are not getting me into this thing.

00:46:40.000 And there I was sitting in the press briefing room talking to Caroline Levitt.

00:46:43.000 What an honor.

00:46:44.000 And it was really a moment.

00:46:47.000 I don't know that anything can really top it because of the importance of it for young women.

00:46:55.000 Thank you.

00:46:57.000 And I have to say, you are the first Freedom Night guest to have ever interviewed Joe Biden.

00:47:02.000 So congratulations.

00:47:06.000 It was a struggle.

00:47:08.000 Oh, I want to hear all about this.

00:47:10.000 I'll just say this.

00:47:11.000 It was April 2021, so he was just in office.

00:47:15.000 He was like a spring chicken then.

00:47:19.000 Here's the problem.

00:47:20.000 Before we started, we had a little technical issue.

00:47:23.000 And so I had to make chit-chat with him.

00:47:27.000 Remote?

00:47:27.000 Remote.

00:47:28.000 And still kind of COVID at that point.

00:47:30.000 And so there was a camera of him.

00:47:34.000 The camera was pointing at him, but there was a black tarp covering it.

00:47:38.000 And they didn't let me see him until that moment.

00:47:40.000 So I had to make small talk.

00:47:42.000 And he started talking about...

00:47:44.000 What a great football player he was at Delaware and how he was a receiver and he had great hands.

00:47:48.000 It was probably all made up.

00:47:49.000 The whole thing was...

00:47:50.000 No, but when he said he was a receiver and he had great hands, I was like, okay, can we start this interview now?

00:47:57.000 It was, you know what?

00:47:59.000 Listen, Charlie, it was still an honor.

00:48:01.000 For a sitting president.

00:48:01.000 This is at the beginning.

00:48:03.000 100%.

00:48:03.000 I don't fault you in the slightest.

00:48:05.000 It's the office of the presidency that deserves honor.

00:48:07.000 Correct.

00:48:08.000 Not the occupant.

00:48:09.000 Regardless of it, I totally agree.

00:48:11.000 And that is exactly right, Sage.

00:48:12.000 Regardless of who the president is, you honor the office.

00:48:15.000 That is always right.

00:48:16.000 I still had...

00:48:17.000 The questions, I'll just say, were very scripted and non-negotiable.

00:48:22.000 So they gave you the questions.

00:48:23.000 I don't know if they did and went to ESPN or ESPN went to them.

00:48:28.000 I know that there was no diverting away from what was given to me.

00:48:32.000 You think that's how they interview Trump?

00:48:34.000 You know, here's the questions.

00:48:36.000 Are you okay with them?

00:48:37.000 Oh, great.

00:48:38.000 Yeah.

00:48:40.000 All right.

00:48:40.000 Yes.

00:48:41.000 How we doing, man?

00:48:43.000 I was wondering, this is a question for both of you.

00:48:46.000 How did you feel about the security, the death threats, like going from college to college or going to different places and all those people attacking you?

00:48:59.000 Because I want to stand out too.

00:49:03.000 I don't want to sit back and see all this happen.

00:49:06.000 But if I have a family, I don't want to get killed in the process.

00:49:10.000 So I want to know.

00:49:14.000 I don't know.

00:49:15.000 I feel like it's a fair question, and it speaks to the fear that so many people have.

00:49:21.000 I was watching the videos of you this week at University of San Francisco and University of Washington, and I'm so glad that you posted it because people need to realize it is still there and encouraged.

00:49:34.000 And look, I love the question, but...

00:49:37.000 I don't want to play the victim.

00:49:39.000 Look, we get death threats every day.

00:49:40.000 People want to murder us.

00:49:41.000 They're going to try to take me out.

00:49:41.000 Okay.

00:49:42.000 But honestly, police officers have dangerous jobs, too.

00:49:45.000 Firefighters have dangerous jobs, okay?

00:49:46.000 People in our military have dangerous jobs.

00:49:48.000 Like, I'm not unique.

00:49:49.000 I just have a differently type of dangerous job.

00:49:51.000 And yeah, some deranged liberal might try to take me out at some point, cover us in prayer at all times.

00:49:57.000 But honestly, if people are unwilling to do dangerous jobs, then we don't have Western civilization and we don't have America, right?

00:50:03.000 I mean, so that's the way I think about it.

00:50:06.000 And you don't have to be reckless about it.

00:50:08.000 We have great security.

00:50:09.000 You know, we got...

00:50:10.000 It really helps now that I can text the FBI director.

00:50:13.000 That is very helpful.

00:50:16.000 And it's a lot different.

00:50:18.000 It's a lot different.

00:50:20.000 Hey Cash, here's a social media post.

00:50:22.000 They say they want to murder me.

00:50:23.000 On it.

00:50:25.000 So cool.

00:50:27.000 It's a lot different.

00:50:29.000 Elections matter, everybody.

00:50:30.000 Elections matter a lot.

00:50:32.000 And again, it's nothing improper.

00:50:34.000 It's me just sending him little death threats.

00:50:36.000 And, you know, meanwhile, the old FBI, I mean, I don't know what they were doing.

00:50:39.000 They were trying to infiltrate Turning Point USA, right?

00:50:41.000 Why are you applying for a job?

00:50:43.000 They were sending all these people in.

00:50:44.000 But look, I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for me.

00:50:47.000 Because I'm so struck by police officers who are literally in the line of fire every day.

00:50:51.000 They're not asking you to feel sorry for them, right?

00:50:54.000 And so I'm just in another higher hazard job.

00:50:57.000 That requires a little more security, a little more layering, a little more covering and protection.

00:51:02.000 But the more important question is that there should be no, there should be, as an ideal, no compromising of your security just because you have different opinions.

00:51:12.000 That is something that's worthy of actually talking about.

00:51:15.000 The fact that it's dangerous is just factual.

00:51:19.000 It shouldn't be, though.

00:51:20.000 You should not have to walk around with security for your entire family and for myself.

00:51:26.000 Just because you support a politician or political candidate or certain values.

00:51:31.000 That is a deeply sick trend that has happened in this country.

00:51:36.000 And look, the radical left, when I say they want us dead, I mean it literally.

00:51:42.000 I experience it.

00:51:43.000 I see it.

00:51:44.000 And we're not going to let that slow us down.

00:51:47.000 In fact, it makes me only want to fight even harder and win even more because that shows the wretchedness of what we are fighting against.

00:51:54.000 And I really hope again encouraging people to do the same in their own way.

00:52:01.000 You don't have to go be Charlie Kirk, but maybe it is that school board meeting.

00:52:05.000 Maybe it's just a conversation with your neighbor who gave you a hard time back in 2008 for having a John McCain sign in my yard.

00:52:10.000 Like, those little things.

00:52:12.000 Have the conversations.

00:52:13.000 That, I think, qualifies as standing up, too.

00:52:16.000 With kindness, we can do it with kindness and with class.

00:52:18.000 That's the difference.

00:52:19.000 Totally, yeah.

00:52:20.000 And so, just, again, so thankful for you guys that pray for us and cover us.

00:52:25.000 Because, look, we go on these college campuses.

00:52:27.000 It's me, verse 3,000.

00:52:28.000 We have great security, but...

00:52:37.000 Scott Jackson.

00:52:39.000 Growing up, I learned at a young age that everything was cyclical, whether it was the economy and recessions or politics went left, they went right.

00:52:47.000 I think we're in a period where clearly that has changed for a longer period of time.

00:52:52.000 The cycles have extended, whether it was COVID or the crazy election.

00:52:58.000 I'm wondering, because I can't extrapolate out into the future with journalism.

00:53:03.000 Is journalism going, is it dead?

00:53:06.000 Is it going towards podcasts completely and ABC News and 60 Minutes and all that is going to, they're going to go out of business?

00:53:14.000 I'm sure you guys have thought about it, so the question is really for both of you.

00:53:17.000 Where do you think journalism, since journalism is basically dead now, will integrity revive?

00:53:24.000 Thankfully, Charlie, in your 15-year plan, I think that will have a lot to do with it, so thank you very much, Charlie.

00:53:30.000 But both of you, where do you think it's going?

00:53:32.000 Can you speak to that?

00:53:34.000 I think it's going to take a very, very long time to regain the trust of the American people.

00:53:39.000 And it should, because it's been abused.

00:53:42.000 And they took us, and I consider myself a consumer as well as a journalist.

00:53:47.000 Am I a journalist now?

00:53:48.000 Am I an opinionist?

00:53:49.000 Like, I don't know what I am.

00:53:50.000 Truth teller.

00:53:52.000 Thank you.

00:53:53.000 Truth teller.

00:53:54.000 And again, just trying to ask the questions that I hope others would want to hear from whoever I'm speaking with.

00:53:59.000 It's going to take, for me, I don't know.

00:54:02.000 I don't think it's coming.

00:54:03.000 Not with the mainstream media.

00:54:05.000 Not with traditional TV news and ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, as far as those four networks.

00:54:11.000 And frankly, it doesn't matter which cable news network you watch either, even if you agree with them.

00:54:15.000 It is biased.

00:54:17.000 And so to me, it's really, really difficult.

00:54:19.000 It is inherent.

00:54:21.000 We all have to make an effort and go dig and research and not just have an opinion but know why and be able to discuss it.

00:54:31.000 Now, I know who I listen to and I know my why behind it.

00:54:35.000 And most importantly, when you have that information, understand they have a right to their opinion too.

00:54:41.000 I say this to my kids.

00:54:42.000 I say this to anybody who will listen.

00:54:44.000 Just because you disagree with somebody doesn't mean...

00:54:48.000 They're wrong.

00:54:49.000 Because at the end of the day, I don't know your why.

00:54:52.000 I don't know what you went through.

00:54:54.000 Every single opinion is based on someone's experience.

00:54:58.000 So when we judge, I don't think it's the right way to handle it.

00:55:03.000 So go dig, go do your research, know your why, and respect other people's why.

00:55:09.000 But I think mainstream media is dead.

00:55:11.000 Yeah, I agree with that.

00:55:13.000 And it's for the better.

00:55:17.000 What I call a ruling class reporter.

00:55:19.000 I won't tell you who.

00:55:20.000 It was all off the record.

00:55:21.000 You'd all recognize him, and he's on TV a lot.

00:55:24.000 And he's like, well, what can I do to regain the trust of my audience?

00:55:27.000 Because they're actually self-aware at this point.

00:55:29.000 That was what was so interesting, is that he's like, all my colleagues, I know that people do not trust us anymore.

00:55:35.000 And I was like, number one, how about a little contrition?

00:55:38.000 Can you apologize and just mention that you got a lot of stuff wrong?

00:55:42.000 That you got COVID wrong.

00:55:44.000 You told us that masks worked.

00:55:45.000 You told us six feet to slow the spread.

00:55:47.000 You told us to get nine booster shots.

00:55:49.000 You told us to close down the schools.

00:55:51.000 You told us that the virus came from a wet market in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

00:55:56.000 Not the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

00:55:58.000 How about just some contrition that you misled the entire civilization and then called us names and then smeared us for years on end?

00:56:07.000 And then the other part...

00:56:15.000 You need to apologize for what you didn't cover.

00:56:19.000 The lack of coverage and intentional conspiracy, and I use that word conspiracy to not cover Joe Biden's mental decline, is one of the greatest acts of journalistic malpractice in the history of the spoken and written world.

00:56:35.000 Period.

00:56:36.000 I want you to think about what they really did.

00:56:39.000 President Donald Trump, if he orders...

00:56:41.000 Two Diet Cokes we know at the New York Times within 90 minutes.

00:56:45.000 Most transparent president ever, but I mean, they're covering every breath of this White House, right?

00:56:52.000 Joe Biden was legitimately incapacitated, unaware of who he was and where he was.

00:56:59.000 Not a joke, not something that I'm just saying is comedic.

00:57:02.000 And the media then did not just cover it, they said those of us that were noticing it...

00:57:09.000 We're right-wing conspiracy extremists.

00:57:12.000 So they actively covered up for it.

00:57:15.000 That's even worse.

00:57:17.000 So they didn't cover the story, they covered it up.

00:57:21.000 And then we can see with our own lying eyes, like, wow, he's not well.

00:57:26.000 And President Trump, in all of his infinite wisdom, and I believe the hand of God is on President Trump, because even the media says he's very lucky.

00:57:33.000 No, no, this guy is blessed.

00:57:34.000 I was, and I was wrong, because you just never doubt Donald Trump's instincts, honestly.

00:57:40.000 It was this whole debate of whether or not he should do the summer debate against Joe Biden.

00:57:44.000 Whether or not he should do that summer debate.

00:57:47.000 And the consensus was, don't do it.

00:57:50.000 You're winning in the polls.

00:57:51.000 It's an only way for him to resurrect his chances.

00:57:54.000 It's too high risk.

00:57:55.000 And if he does bad, they'll pull him and get another candidate.

00:57:57.000 And he's like, no, no, no, I want to do it.

00:58:00.000 And forget the political strategy.

00:58:02.000 He won, so it doesn't really matter.

00:58:04.000 But on full display, I think at that moment, we will look back at 100 million people realizing the media is completely fraudulent.

00:58:13.000 Because there was no filter.

00:58:15.000 There was no ability to interrupt.

00:58:17.000 There was no we're going to cut to commercial break.

00:58:19.000 That full mental implosion of Joe Biden in that one moment where, oh, you know, COVID.

00:58:26.000 You remember that?

00:58:28.000 Donald Trump's instincts to put that on full display.

00:58:33.000 Was the death of the power center of the mainstream media.

00:58:36.000 And I don't say this with a lot of delight, and I don't want to take too much time on this.

00:58:39.000 We actually do need good media.

00:58:41.000 You need people that look after stories.

00:58:43.000 You need journalists.

00:58:44.000 We need it, absolutely.

00:58:46.000 But at that moment, yes.

00:58:47.000 And also, kudos to Donald Trump in that moment for complete self-control.

00:58:52.000 And he just got quiet and let him fry.

00:58:54.000 Let him do it to himself.

00:58:56.000 Sorry.

00:58:56.000 And that's not easy.

00:58:59.000 But that was a newer version of Donald Trump, right?

00:59:02.000 And by the way...

00:59:03.000 It was artful.

00:59:03.000 It was tasteful.

00:59:04.000 It was beautiful.

00:59:05.000 I remember, like, I was watching an NBA game.

00:59:07.000 I'm like...

00:59:07.000 It was chef's kiss.

00:59:09.000 Yeah, but real quick, I love that you said that.

00:59:11.000 There's zero accountability.

00:59:13.000 That matters.

00:59:14.000 That's the retired Army colonel, my father.

00:59:17.000 Accountability is everything.

00:59:18.000 And it wasn't just the most obvious, most important thing to cover up with Joe Biden.

00:59:22.000 It was what happened in Nashville, the school shooting there, and how they completely made that go away.

00:59:27.000 Even with Butler, Pennsylvania.

00:59:29.000 The border.

00:59:30.000 We don't know what happened.

00:59:31.000 So then people finally went, oh my gosh, they have been intentionally lying to us.

00:59:38.000 This whole time.

00:59:39.000 I do believe it's a blessing in disguise.

00:59:42.000 All of the lies.

00:59:43.000 All of these things.

00:59:44.000 Because without that, I don't think the American people would have believed how bad it was.

00:59:50.000 And because of that, that's why November 5th went the way it did.

00:59:56.000 If you want to make sense of the change and the chaos happening around us, you're going to need God's help.

01:00:01.000 That's why Alan Jackson Ministries, a friend of mine, created the Culture and Christianity Podcast, the Culture and Christianity Conference, and their weeknight news show, Alan Jackson Now.

01:00:13.000 Millions of people also listen to Pastor Alan Jackson's powerful sermons each week, I do, on radio, television, satellite, and online.

01:00:20.000 In today's world, there's desperate need for truth, and Alan Jackson Ministries feels a sense of urgency to deliver God's truth and a biblical perspective to anyone who will listen.

01:00:33.000 We can't afford to be complacent.

01:00:35.000 Their mission is to help people become more fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, which is the most important thing, giving your life to the Lord, including here on The Charlie Kirk Show.

01:00:44.000 Go to alanjackson.com slash Charlie.

01:00:48.000 That is alanjackson.com slash charlie to find recent podcasts, shows, and sermons.

01:00:53.000 Be informed.

01:00:54.000 Find encouragement.

01:00:56.000 Hear the truth delivered in a way that just makes sense.

01:00:59.000 You'll also find books, studies, prayers, and other tools to help you grow in your faith.

01:01:04.000 Again, that's alanjackson.com slash charlie.

01:01:06.000 alanjackson.com slash charlie.

01:01:08.000 This is our time to make a difference.

01:01:09.000 Check it out right now.

01:01:13.000 Yeah, and again, so here's the good news.

01:01:15.000 Find podcasters and information sources that are decentralized.

01:01:19.000 Here are some things, again, I would love that you listen to my show, listen to Sage Steele, whatever.

01:01:23.000 If you want to listen to me, it's great.

01:01:24.000 Number one, they have to earn your trust.

01:01:26.000 Don't give it immediately.

01:01:28.000 Watch them over periods of time and see how they cover stories and make them earn it.

01:01:31.000 Number two, watch or listen to people that engage with their audience.

01:01:36.000 They read the emails from their audience.

01:01:38.000 They have an opportunity for the audience to call in.

01:01:40.000 They have an opportunity for the audience to communicate.

01:01:42.000 If you look at the worst of the journalists, they do not communicate with the common folk.

01:01:48.000 That's something that Rush Limbaugh did better than anybody else.

01:01:51.000 Open line Friday.

01:01:52.000 Show me what you...

01:01:53.000 And you think about it.

01:01:55.000 It's a check and balance.

01:01:56.000 Hey Rush, I think you were wrong about this.

01:01:58.000 Hey Rush, he would read his emails all the time.

01:02:01.000 Remember that?

01:02:01.000 Rush, he had the big screen of all the emails.

01:02:03.000 It's a reason why he had a pulse of the country.

01:02:05.000 Because he knew what people were thinking.

01:02:07.000 Not just what was on a teleprompter screen.

01:02:09.000 And finally...

01:02:10.000 Listen to people that pursue stories the mainstream media ignores.

01:02:15.000 Story selection is incredibly important.

01:02:17.000 The number one point of media malpractice is the things they don't talk about.

01:02:21.000 The stuff they decide not to cover.

01:02:23.000 For example, the trans athlete thing picked up huge speed at the Olympics when a biological man beat that Italian woman to a pulp and they couldn't hide it. 0.94

01:02:33.000 So those are the three characteristics.

01:02:34.000 Yes ma 'am, your question.

01:02:36.000 My question is more of curiosity.

01:02:39.000 You raised the point of furries and having litter boxes in schools.

01:02:47.000 So my question is, how far does this mental illness really go?

01:02:54.000 Teenagers, because I work at a high school, a Christian high school, and I'm well aware of the psyche of a teenager.

01:03:01.000 Have teenagers actually pulled down their pants, squatted over a litter box, and pooped?

01:03:08.000 Yes.

01:03:09.000 Really?

01:03:10.000 Yes, and teachers support it.

01:03:11.000 And then they use their hand to cover it up?

01:03:14.000 No, they have the tools like if it was a cat.

01:03:16.000 Oh, and then I was like, do they lick their hands afterwards like a kitty cat?

01:03:19.000 I mean, I'm not sure.

01:03:20.000 How bad is it?

01:03:20.000 It's bad.

01:03:21.000 Oh, that's...

01:03:22.000 I'm sorry.

01:03:24.000 I'm surprised, too.

01:03:25.000 I'm surprised you're shocked.

01:03:26.000 No, you shouldn't be surprised.

01:03:27.000 And again, you're shocked, and I'm going to be very honest.

01:03:29.000 And it's appalling.

01:03:30.000 It means that you have to consume non-mainstream media.

01:03:32.000 Because this is very well known, right, Sage?

01:03:34.000 Unfortunately, it is.

01:03:35.000 For those of us, if you guys do not know this is happening, I encourage you to re-evaluate where you get your news from.

01:03:40.000 This is all across the country.

01:03:42.000 Furries are a thing in almost every school district in America.

01:03:46.000 With accommodating litter boxes.

01:03:47.000 Hinsdale High School.

01:03:49.000 Hinsdale South.

01:03:50.000 We have Donners Grove North.

01:03:52.000 We have all across...

01:03:53.000 The country this is happening.

01:03:55.000 And if you don't know it, I'm not trying to criticize to make you feel bad, but you are in an information cycle that is not rooted in reality.

01:04:04.000 Thank you.

01:04:05.000 It's uncomfortable.

01:04:06.000 It's very uncomfortable.

01:04:06.000 And this is why people say they don't watch news or pay attention because it's depressing.

01:04:10.000 Yes, it is.

01:04:10.000 But then look what's happened.

01:04:13.000 Look what we've allowed to happen.

01:04:14.000 Again, cable news might not talk about it.

01:04:16.000 Well, you should get to know it.

01:04:17.000 Yes.

01:04:18.000 As parents, do we have resources out there?

01:04:22.000 I know the leftists are quick to respond to anything, but like you were talking about with the high schools, I'd like to have a lawyer look into the high school that my son is going to that I'd like to change their mascot name.

01:04:41.000 It's called The Demons.

01:04:43.000 It's Greenway High School, just like ASU has demons.

01:04:46.000 And I'm just wondering, do we have resources available to us?

01:04:54.000 Is there anything out there that we can take action?

01:04:57.000 I mean, we talk about it, but what are we willing to do?

01:05:00.000 Are we willing to walk and act on it?

01:05:03.000 But the resources are not there as far as I'm...

01:05:05.000 I don't know any of them there.

01:05:08.000 Yeah, you mean like legal resources or...?

01:05:11.000 Just...

01:05:12.000 To start the ball going?

01:05:14.000 Illegal?

01:05:15.000 You know, anything.

01:05:16.000 I mean, the left is so organized.

01:05:18.000 They have, at every level, if they're attacked, they know how to, they have everything to back them up.

01:05:25.000 But we as believers, you know, where do we start?

01:05:30.000 I mean, there's Alliance Defending Freedom, which is headquartered here in Arizona.

01:05:33.000 They do a really good job, obviously a turning point.

01:05:35.000 But you bring a good point.

01:05:37.000 I would have a difficulty as a young person, you know.

01:05:40.000 Playing for a team that said demons on it, that would be tough for me, I'll be honest.

01:05:43.000 But we'd be happy to refer you to our team and help you out.

01:05:46.000 Thank you.

01:05:46.000 And by the way, I will say the big picture, which might seem like, you know, really far away because it is logistically Washington, D.C., but what Linda McMahon...

01:05:56.000 Well said.

01:06:25.000 Really quick, yes.

01:06:26.000 Hey, how are y 'all?

01:06:28.000 Thank you for coming.

01:06:29.000 My name's Aaron, and I go to the college at this church.

01:06:33.000 Personally, you know, I had a question, you know, for like chasing your dreams, because ESPN was like your dream, and if you had any pointers, I'd appreciate it.

01:06:43.000 About chasing your dream.

01:06:44.000 What's your dream?

01:06:46.000 Music and preaching the gospel.

01:06:49.000 You know, I feel like that's a God-given dream, and like, you know, I grew up watching Billy Graham.

01:06:54.000 So, and just putting those two together probably.

01:06:58.000 No, I love you.

01:07:02.000 Isn't it refreshing?

01:07:04.000 How old are you?

01:07:05.000 I'm 24. Right?

01:07:08.000 We have so much hope in this country with young men like this.

01:07:11.000 The fact that you're going to school here, I think, says a lot.

01:07:15.000 You're going to get no's along the way.

01:07:17.000 You're going to get other people.

01:07:18.000 Everything is, I mean, it's a beautiful goal, and you're within the church and God and Jesus, and it's competitive.

01:07:25.000 And there's a business aspect to it.

01:07:27.000 And so what happens when they tell you no?

01:07:30.000 That, I don't know, maybe they don't like your draw.

01:07:32.000 I think it's great.

01:07:34.000 Depends where you are, right?

01:07:35.000 Depends on who's making the decisions.

01:07:36.000 So at the end of the day, I cannot tell you how many times I was told no.

01:07:41.000 And then when I would get my foot in the door, how many times I fell on my face in front of millions a couple of times.

01:07:48.000 And so the question is, what do you do with that when you get back up?

01:07:52.000 And it does take a long time.

01:07:54.000 What I always say to my kids, and I think, Quinn, you said this earlier to somebody, when you see what someone else is going through, learn from it.

01:08:03.000 Like, watch us screw up and take it and do more with it and push through with that dream.

01:08:10.000 But most importantly, what's your why?

01:08:13.000 Know your why.

01:08:14.000 I told you my why earlier with journalism to tell the stories and to help unify because that's what sports did for me.

01:08:20.000 So know your why.

01:08:21.000 And I think for you and for everybody, that makes it easier to keep pushing when there is fear, when you're not making any money, when people tell you you're crazy.

01:08:29.000 It's not up to them.

01:08:31.000 It's up to you.

01:08:34.000 These will be the final two questions here.

01:08:37.000 Hi.

01:08:38.000 Thank you both for coming tonight.

01:08:39.000 I appreciate you not only being here, but also standing up for truth.

01:08:44.000 My question more revolves around the Jay Cutlers of sports in general.

01:08:51.000 I would assume you know a lot of athletes, and Charlie, I would see that you would know a lot of athletes.

01:08:57.000 And from what it seems like, they have enough to pay for security, they have all the fame they can ever need, and money to last them a lifetime.

01:09:05.000 Why don't they stand up and actually say something on a conservative point of view?

01:09:11.000 Why are they sitting back and watching this happen, not unifying around truth?

01:09:20.000 I mean, it's not just athletes though, it's a lot of people with power and money.

01:09:26.000 Stay silent.

01:09:28.000 I mean, let's take a good example.

01:09:31.000 Harrison Butker is an amazing example of an athlete that had a lot to lose, and he still spoke out.

01:09:38.000 And it didn't even speak out that forcefully.

01:09:40.000 He just said that some women should stay at home and raise their kids if they want to. 0.95

01:09:45.000 And he received the whirlwind.

01:09:49.000 I have a lot of respect for Harrison Butker because...

01:09:54.000 He's in a very high-pressure job, which is being a kicker for an NFL football team, and which even the slightest distraction could throw you off.

01:10:03.000 And so any athlete that says, well, I don't want the distraction, I'd be like, look, Harrison Butker only gets like four chances to perform a game, if that.

01:10:11.000 And the entire game is around whether he moves his toe by like a quarter of an inch.

01:10:18.000 Right?

01:10:18.000 So don't give me that excuse that you don't want the distraction.

01:10:21.000 This guy...

01:10:23.000 Spoke out for what was moral and what was good.

01:10:26.000 And he's the highest pressure thing in all of sports with, again, 30 million people watching on Sunday night.

01:10:32.000 Are the Chiefs going to make the final field goal?

01:10:34.000 I think it's pretty admirable.

01:10:35.000 But look, I don't want to call these people cowards, but they're part of an entire cultural organization for their whole life where the incentive structure is to remain quiet and to remain silent.

01:10:47.000 What I don't get, current players I can sort of understand, But I fall short of understanding.

01:10:53.000 What I really don't understand is those that are retired, that have all the money in the world, that have everything imaginable, and they're the ones privately messaging me.

01:11:04.000 I'm like, what's the big deal?

01:11:06.000 You're not going to want to go on CBS or Fox.

01:11:10.000 I mean, Peyton Manning is very conservative.

01:11:13.000 He does not speak out on this stuff.

01:11:15.000 Eli Manning is very conservative.

01:11:16.000 And I like these guys.

01:11:17.000 I grew up watching them.

01:11:18.000 But imagine the combined power if like Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and Dan Marino and Drew Brees and every major NFL quarterback of a generation came together in harmony and said, here's our five non-negotiables and we're going to vote this way.

01:11:35.000 That could have a profound impact on culture.

01:11:38.000 Instead, they kind of tap dance around it.

01:11:41.000 And what's so disappointing is that those on the left...

01:11:45.000 They're not afraid of speaking their political beliefs.

01:11:49.000 LeBron James is talking about Kamala Harris all the time.

01:11:53.000 And again, it doesn't make any difference on there, but I think it would make a difference on the right.

01:11:57.000 I think if there was a mass consolidation of...

01:12:02.000 Absolutely.

01:12:05.000 And look at what happened last week with the Philadelphia Eagles going to the White House.

01:12:09.000 And Saquon Barkley got crushed for golfing with President Trump.

01:12:13.000 But it's fine to play basketball or golf with President Obama, right?

01:12:16.000 So he called them out on that double standard, and I love him for that.

01:12:19.000 Good for Saquon.

01:12:20.000 He deserves a lot of recognition.

01:12:21.000 Absolutely.

01:12:22.000 He's a Christian, too.

01:12:23.000 He is.

01:12:24.000 He's such a good guy.

01:12:25.000 And Jalen Hurts, who I believe is also a very good guy, chose not to go.

01:12:28.000 Very good.

01:12:30.000 That is his right, and we have to respect that as well.

01:12:33.000 A couple of things.

01:12:34.000 I do think you can look back at Aaron Rodgers, for instance, who took so much heat for what he said in 2020.

01:12:42.000 He got canceled for the first time about a month after I did.

01:12:45.000 And so I'd known him for years, through ESPN stuff, and we were texting, and I'm like, I mean, I was like, oh good, Aaron's getting canceled too.

01:12:53.000 And not that I'm on his level, but it was like, again, you feel like you're alone.

01:12:58.000 What he was saying, and I won't, you know, reveal all of it, but it was comical to see how many people, peers of his, some of the biggest names, texting him to say, yeah, you're right, good job, got your back.

01:13:13.000 Do they?

01:13:14.000 Not one other one stood up and said, why are we being forced to do this?

01:13:18.000 They let him get just crushed, right?

01:13:22.000 And he still does.

01:13:23.000 Some of it is self-inflicted with other things.

01:13:26.000 Point being, he was right about that.

01:13:28.000 And again, there's no attrition.

01:13:30.000 There's no accountability to come back to that.

01:13:31.000 I do think, finally, we do have to remember, and I have to remind myself a lot, that as much as they are rich and famous and all those things, they're still human.

01:13:42.000 They have fears.

01:13:44.000 A lot of them are just like me.

01:13:46.000 Or at least how I was, where I really, really cared about what people think.

01:13:51.000 Oh, that's true.

01:13:52.000 They're hypersensitive to criticism.

01:13:53.000 Very, very sensitive.

01:13:55.000 And despite having the power to do so, they choose otherwise.

01:13:58.000 So do I say grow a marriage?

01:13:59.000 Yes, I do say those things and believe it.

01:14:01.000 But I also have to remind myself that just because I did doesn't mean you're ready to do it.

01:14:07.000 The problem is, if you don't, I don't want to hear it.

01:14:12.000 Don't complain.

01:14:13.000 Unless you choose to stand up.

01:14:17.000 And a final wrinkle, then we've got to get to the last question.

01:14:19.000 You know who's the one that's actually pushing these quarterbacks and their wives? 1.00

01:14:24.000 Like, Brittany Mahomes is actually pushing Patrick Mahomes.

01:14:29.000 And first of all, they're raising the kids.

01:14:31.000 They're seeing the woke stuff.

01:14:32.000 They're on social media.

01:14:33.000 They also see that, like, the world is against anybody with success.

01:14:37.000 And, you know, they earn a fair amount of money.

01:14:40.000 And, like, Brittany Mahomes, like, God bless her for speaking out in favor of President Trump during the election. 0.78

01:14:45.000 And instead of it being welcomed, it was, like, suppressed.

01:14:48.000 Like, no, no, no, we don't really mean that.

01:14:50.000 I think that's wrong.

01:14:52.000 And then remember the camera saying, oh my gosh, are Brittany and Taylor Swift still friends now?

01:14:55.000 I mean, this is what people are focusing on.

01:14:58.000 I will say this, though, that a lot of NFL wives are getting radicalized by the Charlie Kirk show, and I'm sure they're bugging their husbands to speak out. 0.99

01:15:09.000 Thank you.

01:15:09.000 Last question.

01:15:10.000 I know that.

01:15:12.000 Hey, Charlie.

01:15:13.000 Thank you both for being here.

01:15:15.000 I just wanted to ask a question in regard to something that was asked earlier.

01:15:20.000 While I believe the government and media are filled with useful idiots, why should we believe the mainstream media is dead and isn't just taking on a new form with new faces?

01:15:30.000 I worry that this is because the left plays dumb so we underestimate them.

01:15:35.000 This way they can get to us in conservative media to misreport false news created by them to discredit us.

01:15:41.000 For example, some of the details surrounding the murderer Carmelo Anthony.

01:15:45.000 Okay, yeah, I mean, I do agree with your premise that we shouldn't declare victory preemptively.

01:15:51.000 I mean, the left is always going to readjust.

01:15:53.000 They're going to recalibrate.

01:15:56.000 But I will say, I mean, it is an objective fact.

01:15:59.000 Subscribers of the New York Times and the Washington Post are down.

01:16:02.000 Viewership of CNN and CBS and ABC.

01:16:05.000 And NBC is down.

01:16:06.000 They're going to struggle.

01:16:08.000 They're going to try to reinvent themselves.

01:16:10.000 But they're going to struggle.

01:16:13.000 And I think they're going to struggle because decentralized long-form podcasting lends itself towards one thing.

01:16:21.000 The pursuit of truth.

01:16:23.000 If you're in long-form decentralized podcasting and you're not pursuing truth, you will not have an audience.

01:16:29.000 People will not go out of their way to listen to you while they're walking or cooking dinner.

01:16:33.000 Or while they're working out, if they feel as if you're leading them towards a lie.

01:16:38.000 And so it's almost, long-form podcasting is like incompatible with left-wing values because of this very fact.

01:16:45.000 Sage, do you have a thought on this?

01:16:46.000 I just think overall, we're a lot smarter, aren't we?

01:16:51.000 It took us a long time.

01:16:53.000 It took us getting...

01:16:54.000 Beaten down and beaten down to the point where we said, wait a minute, enough is enough.

01:16:59.000 And I've said this a hundred times.

01:17:00.000 I truly believe we were on the brink of disaster on November 5th.

01:17:05.000 And it took the last four years for everybody to say, you know what?

01:17:10.000 Push me a little bit too far.

01:17:12.000 And now we've had enough.

01:17:14.000 Amen.

01:17:15.000 And we've got to save this country and truly practice what we preach with diversity of thought and all those things.

01:17:21.000 So I feel like...

01:17:23.000 Our jobs, if we have a platform, is to, number one, continue to, yes, push the truth and the facts, and point out when others are not.

01:17:33.000 Not to get clicks and not to crush them, but if you do it and you back it up with facts, like last weekend, two weeks ago, whenever that was the NFL draft with Shooter Sanders, football fans watching him slide, slide, slide.

01:17:46.000 I think it was hilarious, honestly.

01:17:47.000 I was loving every moment.

01:17:48.000 I know, I know, and I go way back.

01:17:50.000 I know his father, Dion, quite well, so it's like, oh my gosh, you see the human part of it.

01:17:53.000 He needs more humility.

01:17:55.000 They all do.

01:17:55.000 I could not agree more.

01:17:57.000 I totally, totally agree.

01:17:59.000 But the point is, when people are trying to make that about race, I'm like, okay, okay, here we go again.

01:18:05.000 That's just such low-hanging fruit, so lazy.

01:18:08.000 So I went and gave some numbers and how 26 of the 32 first-round picks were black.

01:18:14.000 The first overall pick is black.

01:18:15.000 Does that mean that every single GM in the National Football League that is of color, and there I think were 10 last year, and then the black head coaches for not picking the black guys?

01:18:25.000 So are they racist too?

01:18:26.000 Like, stop.

01:18:26.000 So when you go at them, and that was just an example with facts, not just my opinion, But facts.

01:18:33.000 It's tougher for them to call us idiots in all the names that they did for so many years.

01:18:38.000 So to me, it's the easiest, safest way is to come back with facts.

01:18:41.000 And the only thing I will take from Michelle Obama, only, is that what?

01:18:48.000 When they go low, we go high.

01:18:51.000 And the way that we do this really, really matters.

01:18:55.000 Sage Steele, everybody.

01:18:56.000 God bless you guys.

01:18:57.000 Give it up for Sage.

01:18:59.000 Thanks so much for listening, everybody.

01:19:00.000 Email us, as always, freedom at charliekirk.com.

01:19:03.000 Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

The Charlie Kirk Show - May 18, 2025

Why Sticking to Your Morals Matters — Live at Dream City Church with Sage Steele

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