This video features conservative commentators Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles from The Daily Wire discussing political philosophy, faith, and leadership at a Turning Point USA event. The speakers present a conservative worldview emphasizing that voting for Republicans is justified when Democrats are objectively worse, particularly on issues like war policy and family values. They argue that conservatives should focus on preserving institutions like marriage, family, and the sanctity of life, while Democrats actively seek to destroy these foundations. The discussion also explores theological perspectives on salvation, free will, and divine purpose, with speakers explaining that humans are intentional creations of God with specific purposes to fulfill. The speakers emphasize that prayer should be the first resort in political engagement, not the last, and that personal testimony and charity are essential tools for effective political discourse.
Deep Dive
Prerequisite Knowledge
- No data available.
Where to go next
- No data available.
Deep Dive
WHCD SHOOTING, ELON MUSK VS SAM ALTMAN TRIAL & NFL DRAMA | AFTER HOURS W/ ALEX STEINAdded:
out, but I'm sure you're great.
That's payback. That's payback. It's very painful. Payback is very painful.
Um I feel like a lot of what we've been talking about tonight is Republicans needing to stay united and voting red.
Um but my question is um if you could answer this, aside from the Democrats being objectively worse, why should we vote for Republicans when they are pushing a war in Iran that does not benefit the average American?
>> [applause] >> Well, and I agree with you about the war in in Iran, totally.
I I think I thought it was a mistake from the first moment. I said so.
Um I still think it's a mistake.
And uh I my question about it is was from the beginning and is still now, what are we getting out of this exactly? What what how does this benefit I'm a very simple-minded person. I admit that. And so, my first question when it comes to especially the geopolitics is, how does this benefit an Amer- the American family? An American family sitting around the dinner table in their home, how does it benefit them that we're going to war in Iran? And that's never been explained. I think it's because it doesn't benefit them. Um so then you ask the question, well then how do we justify uh voting for Republicans?
Is it just because the Democrats are worse? And my answer is yeah.
>> [laughter] >> Uh that that is my answer is that the Democrats are obviously objectively a lot worse. And um I I wish I could sit here and tell you that, well, vote for Republicans cuz the Republican Party has a long history of actively and passionately advancing our interests. Um but they don't. I'm not going to lie to you. Uh they certainly don't. I mean, even now uh the SAVE Act is the most important piece of legislation that's been uh deliberated about in Congress for for years, at least. And uh it's it's not going to pass. They're just not going to do it. Republicans could, but they're just not going to do it. And I think that's totally unacceptable. Uh but the other option, but we have to live in reality, and the only other option if not Republicans is to have Democrats in power, and it can't be them because and I I I again, simple person, so I have simple reasons. Why why can't it be Democrats? Well, because they want me dead. And they want you dead. I mean, that's that's actually what they want.
Um they they consider conservatives to be Nazis, to be you know, they they they they want to criminalize us, and they want us dead.
And uh on top of that while Republicans I think are not nearly good enough at conserving what they should be conserving.
What we should what should we be conserving as conservatives? We should be conserving um the institution of the family, marriage, the sanctity of life, you know, the our nation.
Um we should be conserving all of these things, our traditions, our heritage.
They're they're not nearly good enough at conserving those things. Democrats on the other hand are actively seeking to destroy and dismantle all of those things, and they'll tell you that. And so obviously the other option, if one option is let's dismantle and destroy Western civilization, I I'm going to take the the other option. And that's my argument for I would go a little further. I mean, I I agree with that. It is sufficient to just say we just can't let the Democrats be in power cuz they do mean us harm, and they're openly calling for our harm, and they have harmed us.
Uh you know, on the war in Iran, I I share many of your views because I did argue against the strikes before they happened, and I expressed my skepticism when they happened, and I remain rather concerned. There is a potential upside.
This this is one of the complexities of geopolitics. The potential upside is that Iran has been destabilizing that region for a long time. President Trump was able to do something incredible, which was to unify the Gulf states, pull them even further into our sphere of influence, have them make peace with the state of Israel, which has always been a sore spot in the region, and to take out the mullahs, who are a regime that is giving a a lot of advantage to our geopolitical adversaries like China and Russia. So, if you could have a pro-Western uh regime in Iran, that would be really really great. I'm skeptical of the uh reasonable reasonableness of success and proportionality cuz they're a very durable regime. But we have been trying to move Iran since the early 1950s. You know, it's Persia's been an important place going back to antiquity. So, you know, you're never going to totally get yourself out of that that issue. Beyond a war that is debatable, uh just I'll use one example.
Under Joe Biden, the Department of Justice was partnering with the SPLC to invade Catholic parishes, to spy on them, and to put pro-life grannies into prison because they were praying at abortion clinics. Today, just a year or two later, President Trump is sending the DOJ to prosecute the SPLC, the very people who were ordering the government to make enemy lists of all of us. That is a massive shift. We talked earlier about under Joe Biden 3 million illegals coming into the country every year, barely any deportations. Now we have none of those 3 million, and we have 2 million deportations. That's a that's a very serious net gain. Under Democrats, they are passing legislation to permit infanticide up until the moment of birth. Under President Trump, uh because Republicans won and thanks to Cocaine Mitch McConnell in part, too, we overturned Roe v. Wade, which is not the end of the pro-life fight, but it's a very big advancement. So, things can really happen. There can be material advancement, and they can happen very quickly. I'm reminded of a line from Cardinal Manning, who says, "There is a day to come that will reverse the confident judgments of men." And so, when we talk about issues like the family, maybe overturning Obergefell, when we talk about issues like encouraging uh childbirth, which which President Trump has done with his revolutionary Trump accounts, one of the best economic policies of my lifetime.
Uh when when we look at these kinds of things, we say, "This can have major effects, but it requires consistent winning again after again after again, even when the Republicans irritate you."
Because the Republicans are the worst political party in the United States other than the Democrats.
Thank you very much.
Oh, sorry.
Hey guys, thanks for coming.
Um >> [clears throat] >> yeah, I hope not to be up here very long.
Um I guess I'm pretty simple.
Uh so, Matt, you said that uh if not Republicans, then, you know, Democrats, which is as no good.
Uh and Michael, you said uh Uh what did you say?
Um It doesn't matter what he said. Yeah, hold on.
It was so emotionally moving. He was arrested by my words.
>> Yeah, I just have to pee. So, >> [laughter] >> Yeah, but Sorry, Dave. Thank you.
So, with I I'll just forget about it.
But both you guys as practicing Catholics, what there seems to be rising issues with the President of the United States with the blasphemous tweet or truth, uh the pushing of the nation to a war with Iran, which is not just war. I think you guys agree.
>> I I think it's up for debate. I'm a little skeptical because of the probability of success in regime change and proportionality, but I think there's a strong argument that it is a just war.
So, I think reasonable minds can disagree. All right.
Well, with other MAGA figures also taking up very strong anti-Catholic positions, it seems there's kind of like an evangelical capture.
And the war in Iran, especially if it takes a bad turn, I would say that the MAGA movement overall is at very high risk, and in my opinion, I think is dying.
Um and I know you said that we can't have if not Republicans, well, I guess my thesis to you guys is that we restart the Whig Party.
If if you're not Restart which party?
The Whigs. The Whig No, the the Whigs were kind of liberal, so you don't really want to restart the Tory Party.
You want to capture the join the yeah.
What, national banks, strong tariffs, not in staying out of wars.
Um Yeah, well, I think Uh sorry, go ahead.
Go ahead, finish. Yes, I have to pee.
Um I think myself and uh what do you say, like myself and other Whig uh Whig uh sorry, I don't know.
You sold me just for the pun. You sold me for the pun. I'm in. We got to start the new neo-Whig Party. We do >> [laughter] >> because the Whig Party captures, I think, everyone in this room. No new wars, good protectionism, tariffs.
So, myself and other I don't know what you would call Whig Whigs with attitude, I think, is what they call them. Yeah, this is a Whig. Yeah.
Uh but we would we would have to say Whig uh obviously. Yeah, so myself and other Whig uh believe that MAGA is dying. Yeah. So, we should be starting the Whig Party.
[laughter] It's a it's a very good question. And I think it it expressed, whether you want to be a Whig or not, it uh Whether all for all my Whigs in the room, I there are plenty of Whigs uh I know Whigs Maybe some Tories.
Yeah.
You know, I think Whigs, please.
Yeah.
It it expresses a consistent impulse, which is, man, the the political reality sucks, so can we start something totally brand new? And unfortunately, it's it's actually meaningful that you chose the the Whig Party here cuz the Whig history was traditionally the more progressive party. And it was usually the more left-wing party. Though though parties are really also products of their time, which is why some parties go away and new parties form and why we can't just go back in time. And so, deeply conservative impulse I think is that it's much easier to destroy than it is to preserve, than it is to build. And there's a temptation to say burn down the GOP, it sucks, I need a new party.
But one, it's very difficult to build a party. Two, people are not totally united on the points that you brought up. There's a strong argument for tariffs. But in certain cases, you know, and overwhelmingly most conservatives are more in favor of free trade or tariffs as a negotiating tool to to to bring us free trade. And so, weirdly enough, the two parties as they exist today, I think are actually relatively coherent. To your point on Catholics, you know, being kicked out of the GOP, I don't think we're at any risk of that. We currently have the first ever practicing Catholic vice president American history. That's pretty good. We have Catholics all over the administration. You mentioned that unfortunate social post from the president. Well, I'm very happy to say he took it down. And President Trump never takes anything down and he never admits that anything was even slightly inappropriate. So, the fact that he did that I thought was actually pretty meaningful. I don't see a big divide between the Catholics and the evangelicals. I am a mackerel-snapping papist, okay? I am rather Catholic. I come from a line of Puritans and Protestants all the way back to the Mayflower, which is an excellent cigar by the way, but they all Thank you very much. But it's very very I'm very very Catholic and I love arguing with my Protestant friends, including Charlie for that matter. We love talking about religion.
But the Catholics and the Protestants cannot divide in the GOP. I think that would be so short-sighted. We we should have our theological debates and I can't wait to bring you all to Latin mass, but we cannot divide. The evangelicals are a wonderful, reliable, conservative voting base. There is no Catholic-only party in America, just like there's no evangelical-only party in America. And guess what? The secular leftists want to kill all of us. They want to prosecute us. They want to persecute us. And yes, in many cases, they wish us violence.
So, I think look, it's it's it would be satisfying, it would be cathartic to just tear it down and start the Michael party where everybody believes exactly what Michael thinks. And I look, but we might get at least a few dozen people to join it. But unfortunately, politics does require compromise. It's the art of the possible, the art of the second best. We are winning now. We have had massive wins because of the people in this room and I'm not willing to give up on it yet.
Yeah, those are great points. [cheering] Those are great points.
I I guess I just like the idea of the Whig party cuz I think at least a more than a dozen people here would like to consider themselves uh Whig-ers.
>> Whig-ers. Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] No new wars. Like for real this time.
>> I I will I will say to to one of the points you made, you said you think MAGA is dead.
And I I I wouldn't I wouldn't say MAGA is dead. I wouldn't phrase it that way.
But I [clears throat] do think that and Trump has said this himself, that MAGA is Trump's movement. MAGA is the Trump movement. That's what it is.
And so, what that means is that, you know, he he is no longer going to be president in a couple of years. And so, that means that you know, he's going to he he is going to take the MAGA movement with him. I don't think that there's a MAGA movement uh in the post-Trump GOP. That doesn't mean that it died. It just means that it's it's moved on, just like Trump has, right? Um and so, that speaks to uh the the fight that we need to have in the Republican party about what is going to define. We know what's defined the Republican party for the last 10 years.
What's going to define it for the next 10 years? And now's the time to get into that fight. And if you start and you run off and you try to restart the Whig party or you go join one of the other dozen other, you know, independent parties that already exist, you've taken yourself out of that fight. Now is the perfect time to get in that fight and and and and get into the conversation about what the next 10 years of the Republican party is going to look like.
I'll go. Yeah. I'll I'll go. Amen. I'll just get to like one last thing and then I'll go. I don't want to take much time.
So, I think we've reached like a an agreement then. So, after Trump goes, I think the Whig party should come in.
Neo-Whig >> the name. You just like the uh No, I've been doing a lot of research.
>> we can have red doo-rags or something.
That would be that would replace the doo-rags.
But I think it can replace MAGA as the Republican powerhouse. That's my That's my thesis to you guys. That's all That's all I have to say.
All right. Thank you. All right.
Hope you guys are doing good. Um props to you for wearing suits. It's [ __ ] hot in here.
>> [laughter] >> It is hot. It is. It's a lot of body heat from all these people, you know, but which is good. We want the auditorium to be full. Oh, yeah. So, my my question revolves around the use of liberal for like Democrat party and left-leaning people, considering um they kind of go against the traditional sense of what a liberal is, you know, individual rights, limited government, free markets. They're kind of going away from that in its entirety. So, is it necessarily accurate to still call them liberals or should we find a different term? I know there are a lot of people on the right, especially libertarians, who say we shouldn't call That's me. Like yes. And they say we shouldn't call these leftists liberals because they're totalitarian and they oppose free markets and they So, I get it. I see that observation. I think the reason why it's fair and helpful actually is because uh socialism, communism, all of these uh other left-wing ideologies are derivatives of liberalism, even the classical kind of liberalism. Because the the problem with liberalism in all of its forms is that it it has a false view of human nature that that at risk of oversimplifying says that man is fundamentally an individual, that individual autonomy is the most important and maybe the exclusive political good, that therefore consent is the only moral consideration. And you you should just you do you and I'll do me and stop telling me what to do. That that is the origin of all of those left-wing ideologies. And I would say I I reject all of them.
But I'm not on the left and I'm not a liberal either. I'm a conservative. I don't think the fundamental unit of politics is the individual. I think it's the family. I don't think the point of life is autonomy. I think it's virtue and sanctity. I don't think that we just invent ourselves and define our own conception of goodness. I think God defines what is good and I think that we can understand a lot about what is good and true and beautiful using our own human reason. And I [cheering] think I think we live in community and we want flourishing communities. So, we don't want to be leftists, but we don't want to be liberals either. We want to be conservatives, which is a beautiful thing to be. I think we should also we should also remember that your average liberal, leftist, whatever, um is isn't worried about those distinctions and I think in many cases doesn't have very much of a coherent worldview or certainly political view.
I think we could do away with both labels and rather than leftist or liberal, we could just call them Satanists.
Because because that that is in fact what they are. Like that's what this thing is. And I don't mean that just as an insult, although it is.
But I also mean it in it's it's an appropriate label because Satanism is not the worship of Satan. Satanism is the worship of the self.
>> You know, to your point, Matt, in in Paradise Lost, which is about Satan, John Milton writes this, a classical liberal. And Satan is like the perfect classical liberal who says I just do whatever I want. It's better to reign in hell than to than to serve in heaven.
Yeah, and that's it's because Satan to be a Satanist is to worship not Satan, but to worship what Satan worships, which is the self.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and and that's what left, liberal, whatever words you want to use, that's what this thing is. It is It is It is the elevation of the self as supreme above all, which is one of the reasons why abortion is the the highest sacrament of liberalism because it's the ultimate statement of uh it it's it's the ultimate form of worshipping the self where you are literally sacrificing your own child on the altar of selfhood. And so, that that's what I think this the thing is.
Okay, so basically, we could rename anyone right of center common sense and excuse my French, but anyone left just [ __ ] delusional.
And satanic.
>> Yeah, I mean you also said satanic. I think being satanic and delusional kind of go hand in hand. Yeah.
>> [laughter] >> But yeah, that that that was my only question. I hope you guys have a wonderful night.
You too. I thought the questions were supposed to be 45 minutes each. That was the short That was very concise. We got to do 21 I want to give other people a turn, you know.
Very courteous.
Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, hello. My name is Nathan.
I am from Lib Town Seattle. Gross. I know, right? I know.
I don't like it there either, but um I spent a lot of time around very left-wing people and they are very stubborn and difficult to have conversations with.
Um the other day I was talking to someone about the immigration crisis and personally, I know that my grandma can't get a doctor's appointment because of all the Sudanese people in her neighborhood who have West Nile virus or something. So, my question is, how do I or in your experience, how do you break through like stubborn like left-wing arguments that people just refuse to you know, swing away from like I just I just smack them until they listen. That's what It's a joke. Don't don't do that. We say we don't do political violence. Yes. Um I you know, it's it's hard for me to claim that stubbornness is is unique to the left. I mean, I on occasion, I've been accused of being a bit stubborn.
Um So, yeah, I know. It's It's unbelievable.
I I do try to in spite of everything we've said about the left up here that they're delusional Satanist pedophiles.
Um in spite of that, I try to be generous to them. And >> [laughter] >> I I but I I do on on an individual on an individual level uh you have to understand that it's really hard for someone to admit they're wrong about something.
And we've all been even I've been wrong on occasion about something. It's hard to admit.
And and then to admit not just that you've been wrong about something, but that your entire worldview is fundamentally wrong. You've been fundamentally wrong in the entire way that you view the world and yourself is extremely difficult. It takes an immense amount of integrity and and courage, intellectual courage and moral courage to do that.
And so, that's why on an individual level if you're talking to somebody on the left, I think it's and provided that they're being somewhat reasonable in their interaction with you, it does call for for for patience.
Uh and that's that's the first thing.
And the second thing is you know, I I did a whole movie where we're just asking a basic question the entire time.
And uh I found that to be an an effective tool. I mean, especially the deeper someone is is in their sort of delusional state.
Just ask them questions. Well, we've already we've seen examples of that even tonight. If someone someone makes a statement, it's obviously not correct or they don't know exactly why they're saying it. It's like, why do you say that? Where are you getting that from?
And um I found that to be really effective especially on a on a personal level. It allows them to analyze their own position. And you know, you're It's It's It's very unlikely that in the midst of the conversation, they're going to say, "You know what?
I think you're right. I'm wrong about everything. I apologize." That's probably not going to happen. Ever. Now, ever ever, but there's at least a chance that if you ask them a question, a basic question they should be able to answer, not some gotcha trivia question, but something about their own beliefs that they can't explain. There's at least a chance that that will plant a seed in their mind. They'll go home and they'll think about it like, "Geez, why why couldn't I answer that? Why was that more difficult than it should have been?" And maybe that sprouts into something in the future. Most of the time it won't, but there's always a chance. Yeah, you know, your question, not to flatter you, it pains me, but the what is a woman question was a brilliant bit of politics because it's so innocent and it's very hard to answer if you're a lib. And so, it it did get [laughter] people thinking. Um today, Brandon Gill, a great superstar in Congress, freshman in Congress, he he did this brilliantly well grilling an abortion advocate. He said, "Well, what's your favorite kind of abortion?"
What's your And it's a brilliant question. He went into describe all the grizzly kinds with vacuums and razors and forceps and clamps. I mean, they're all grizzly. That's what abortion is.
It's killing a baby. But that question was brilliant. It was very much in the in the line of what is a woman because if you're an abortion advocate, surely you must have a favorite kind of abortion. You You advance abortion. You advocate for it. But but no one can answer Well, how dare you ask if I have a favorite kind of abortion? Well, why?
Why? What is so gross about that? What is so repellent about that idea? And it gets them to think. And in order to ask that question, look, you can be winsome, you can be nice, you can wink at them, you can be real cute. But fundamentally, what you have to do is is you need to establish for these people, and I hope it's sincere, that you want what is good for them. You actually have their good at heart. You know, when St. Paul says you can have all the virtues, but if you lack charity, you have nothing. He's He means it and he's he's right. So, charity is willing the good of the other person for his own sake. And if if when you're describing something to someone, when you're asking them a provocative question, if you can convey to them that you actually will their good, you know, even we were talking about the transgender thing and because of the our protester friends out there, when when you come out and you say, "Look, I want transgenderism to go away.
I want it to be eradicated from public life entirely for your good, for our good, but also for your good." If you can really convince them of that, at the very least they'll listen to you. And if you can ask them a provocative question, ala what is a woman, it might get at least a few of their remaining brain cells to start firing again. And and then you might change your mind.
Great. Thank you, gentlemen. Also, last thing, Matt, you should cut the chops, the mutton chops. I think that'd be a good look for you. Wow.
>> Wait, what? Get some mutton chops, man.
You got the got the big beard for it.
Just give it a try. You want me to what what You want me to cut? Yeah, get some mutton chops, man. Like World War I general.
>> to shave the beard.
Eh, it comes back.
>> Oh, well. Look vivacious. I was I was getting ready. I was I was like rearing up. I was very offended by your So, you're you're advocating for mutton not to shave entirely, but to do the mutton chops.
>> You've been You've been blessed, Matt Walsh, okay?
I appreciate [laughter] that. Try the chops. You won't look back, I promise. I I think I think my I I've actually I've broached the mutton chops conversation with my wife on a couple of occasions.
Shockingly, she's very against it. I've tried to show her like, "Look at Look at all these Civil War generals.
They look very dashing."
And I don't know. She's She's opposed.
So, We'll just think about it. Thank you, gentlemen. God bless. Thank you.
Hi, Matt and Michael.
My name is Nevaeh Souza. Firstly, I just want to say thank you so much for carrying on with these campus events and keeping the dialogue open. Um just earlier today, I went to talk to some of the girls that are protesting outside and I realized it's very hard to get people to accept that open dialogue. So, thank you. Um so, I'm the result of an unplanned out-of-wedlock pregnancy. 1/3 of Gen Z has been aborted and I'm on the other side of that where my mother did choose life.
And so, now 19 years later, So, 19 years later, her and I are partnering now on a pro-life children's book to counter the propaganda of the abortion industry and to try to advocate for the lives of the unborn. And I was just wondering what your advice is for Gen Z youth who is pro-life to go out and actually turn words into action and change minds and hopefully save some lives because when I went outside earlier today, I was talking to girls who were my age and I asked them just curiously, what is it that you're protesting against? And the only topic that came up was abortion. Well, you I love that you bring this personal testimony out because it's very important in politics. You know, sometimes we conservatives, we love our facts and logic, but politics is not only about facts and logic. It's about spirit. It's about credibility, ethos, and it's also about appealing to emotion. And so, it's very easy for someone to go on television, a pro-abortion lib, to go on television and say, "Listen, if a woman gets herself in trouble and you know, the the guy runs off and he's not going to marry her or pay child support, surely that woman needs the right to kill that kid." Yes. And when when someone like you comes out, very articulate, very nice, and says, "Hey, I'm that person. You know, I'm the product of of that. And what you have just called for is for me to be killed.
Do you think I should be killed? Would it be better if I were killed? Would the world be a better place if I were killed? Do you wish my death?"
>> Yes, the circumstances of my conception did not determine my value. That's right. And and I think that that personal touch, you know, the the pro-abortion movement, the pro-abortion movement thrives at this point explicitly and exclusively on euphemism. They cannot state what they're doing. They don't even really use the the word abortion much anymore, which itself is a euphemism. They'll say it's reproductive choice, it's women's health, it's whatever. You know, I call my granny. I say, "Hey, granny, how you doing?" She says, "Well, at least I can still have abortions." No, that's not what she means by health. She obviously health is something totally different.
And so, you have to cut through the euphemisms, which are just ways to cloud people's minds and and take over their thought. And the way to cut through a euphemism, to way to cut through those kinds of debates, is to say, "Hey, guys, it's me. Should I have been killed or not? Would you like me dead or not?" And that can be very very effective. And we shouldn't shy away from that. You know, we want our logic. We want our That's all on the pro-life side already. But we have to appeal to people in the heart as well. And I think you can do it beautifully. I would I would say two other things is that that you can do that we should all be doing is um first of all, to get as as you have been, get out get out there, get out on the street, uh support your local pregnancy centers, volunteer at them, support them.
Your pregnancy centers are all across the country. They're doing they're doing the God's work.
Some of the you know, I've um I've worked with a lot of pregnancy centers around the country and with fundraising and speaking at their events and that sort of thing. Some of the the best people I've ever met work in these in these environments. It's a thankless job. There's no money in it. And they do it just because they want to save babies and help women.
Uh so, do that. Show up to the clinics, you know, holding vigil outside of the clinics. 60% of abortions now, about 60%, are not even being done in the clinics. They're being done through the abortion pill, which is insidious and sinister in its own right, but still showing up to the clinics really matters. Uh so, that's really important to to to, you know, on the street street level activism pro-lifers conservatives in general have historically been really bad at that. Pro-lifers are the exception. Pro-lifers are great at it.
And it's why pro-lifers have um been notching win after win after win.
Uh and then the second part of it is you know, having families like getting getting married, having kids, showing that it's a wonderful beautiful thing to to have children. I think it's one of the most effective ways to fight back against the culture of death and the celebration of abortion. Like the there's just no way when you when you hear the way the left talks about the biological kind of euphemism, uh the way they talk about unborn children, yeah, using the word like fetus, which is just like Latin for offspring, which just means it's like it's it's not a child, it's an offspring.
Like yeah, okay.
Um or or clump of cells, you know, it's which and then when you have children, you see how absurd that characterization is. Clump this this this miraculous beautiful child you're calling just a clump of cells. Go to your local Walmart. There are a lot of people walking around far clumpier than your average infant, first of all. So, and I and I love Walmart. Walmart's great.
But uh you know, that that kind of language, if you're going to use that language, you could apply it to any any person. Um but when you when you have kids and you start a family, uh the to Michael's point about the emotional part of it, the spiritual part, there is a logical part, we know we have that, but it just becomes that the arguments for abortion become on their face just absurd and grotesque when you can look at your own family and your own children and compare it against that. You know, the other thing you have to do, we would be remiss if we didn't say it. The other thing you have to do is to pray. My my friend Father Benedict Kiely points out that prayer is not the last resort. Prayer is the first resort.
And uh you know, I This is something I know we're uh we're over time here, but this is something a lot of people uh when our our fearless leader was was killed, uh a lot of people wanted to purport to say what Charlie would have thought, what Charlie would have done, what Charlie would have wanted for this issue or that issue. And uh you know, I think I speak for Matt here, too, which is even if we have a a a view of what Charlie might have said about this or that, we're not that's not our place to say, you know, Charlie did his his point, and now, you know, we uh we pray for him. The what The one thing that I do know, though, is that the faith is the most important thing to Charlie.
It's what he most wanted to be remembered for. I I know with certainty that he would absolutely uh tell everyone to uh to continue to pray, to treat prayer as the first resort, to recognize that our our country will be one nation under God or we won't be a nation at all. And that is the beginning that is the source and summit of all of our national greatness and our personal greatness, and that is ultimately uh what is going to guide us not just to the terrestrial homes that we have on earth, but it will guide us to our our heavenly home, which is where we're all after as well. That this politics is is really a way uh for us to to get back to uh to where we all belong uh together.
Absolutely. And uh one one more thing I wanted to add was I don't know if you remember, but I've met you guys a couple times at the backstage at the Ryman, and we went to the Daily Wire studio, and Matt was actually on my parents' podcast. Um we are going on a book tour later this fall, and we'll be back in your studio. So, we have been We are wanting to get on Michael's show.
We were wondering. I'm in. That was the best pitch I've ever had. If you ever want to get on my show, show up to a room of 1,500 people and pitch it on air. You're in. You're in.
I'll bring the cigars.
Thank you so much.
>> [cheering] >> OKAY, I'M TOLD there are going to be two more questions, and then we're getting the the curtain. Awesome. Well, first off, thank you guys so much, Matt and Michael, for coming to Idaho. Isn't this awesome that we have this in Idaho? I feel like we don't have anything out here.
But thank you. And I I love that about you guys. I also love that you guys aren't afraid to talk about God. And I know that that was one of Charlie's big things. And that's just one of the things that I love to talk about, and one of the things that I'm most fired up about. So, I have a question for you two that I would love for you to pick your guys's brain on cuz I'm not sure if you guys responded, you you know, on this elsewhere.
But one of the most important questions that I think that we as people need to grapple with is do you know for sure where you will go when you die?
And I would like to see what you guys think about that question.
He is going to hell.
I hope not.
You would you ask if I know where he is going when he dies?
>> No, you. [clears throat] Oh, me personally? Yes. If you do you know for sure where you will go when you die? I don't. I trust and I have hope in uh our Lord. Uh I trust in Jesus, and I consider hope to be a theological virtue and a demand, not just uh a nice feeling, but a demand that goes along with faith and charity, without which uh without which we have nothing. Uh however, uh I I know that God respects my free will. And so, uh God saves me. I don't save myself. God saves me. His grace comes down the mountain and reaches out to me despite all of my failures. And then I I when I cooperate with his his grace, my life is really great. And then I screw it up.
And I screw it up again and again and again. But I know that God absolves me.
He gives me a way to be absolved. And he tells us this in the gospels. He tells to his apostles and to their successors.
He says, "I give you the Receive the Holy Spirit. You have the power to forgive sins. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained." He gives us a visible church and sacraments, and he allows us to take himself into us, the only food [laughter] that does not dissolve and become like us when we eat it, but it actually makes us into him. So, I I know all of that, and I have great confidence in that. And I know my own frailties, and I pray to God to preserve me from temptation as the Lord teaches us in in his prayer, in the Lord's Prayer. Uh but but I know that I have free will. I know that there are sins, uh all of which are unrighteous, as St. John tells us. But some sins are mortal. Some sins are deadly. They can sever uh that that saving grace. And so, I pray that I don't fall into temptation. When I do, I go I I say my act of contrition. I pray to God personally in my room, and then I run off to a box to tell a priest who I believe that God has appointed in his stead, and he says these words through the sacrament, a sacrament which is a visible connection of the metaphysical to the physical, of God to man, to say, "Ego te absolvo. I absolve you of your sins." And uh then I go back, and I cooperate with God's grace, and life makes Not only do I look forward to heaven, but life makes a lot more sense in that way, which is why when I say my act of contrition, I say, "I'm sorry for my sins because I dread the loss of heaven, and I dread the pains of hell.
But most of all because my my sins offend you, God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. And I recognize that sin it's [laughter] uh that that sin is always prowling for us.
But there are these guardrails that are not just uh you know, technicalities, but they are they're a way to preserve a relationship of grace, a pure relationship of grace that God offers to me, that God willing I will persevere in to the end of my life such that I can say, "I've kept the faith. I've finished the race." And I get to be with God forever.
>> [cheering] >> Yeah.
You got to let me go first before you give your fancy like Ivy League answer, and then I got to They don't believe that in the Ivy League. I promise you. I promise you that. Um No, I I all that well said, and I agree with all that. I I think that um And I I we're running up into a kind of a bit of a Catholic versus Protestant distinction here as well.
Um Scripture says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
And and uh and to me that that means humility.
And so, we have to have humility. You know, hope is a virtue, humility.
And humility means I I I look at it like this.
When you die and your you you've you've departed your mortal coil, and you're standing before the king of all creation, the king of the universe, are you going to kind of strut confidently into that meeting and say, "Hey, well, I'm here. I'm saved.
Let's get to it."
Um are are you going to the to to strut confidently up up up to God? Or cuz I I I think I I will be on my knees before the Lord in abject absolute humility, throwing myself at the mercy of God, who who knows everything. I I don't Do I Do I know for sure where I'm going to go when I die? No, because I'm not God, and I I don't know all. Only God knows that.
That's information that only God has.
That's a judgment that only God can make.
And so, in that in that meeting when it comes, it will be uh glorious and beautiful and beyond imagining, but also uh terrifying.
Terrifying.
And a moment for absolute and total humility, throwing yourself on the mercy mercy of God.
And thank you guys for your for your answers here. And one of the things that I love about this question is trying to getting down to it and also seeing, you know, people can say have a lot of different ideas and have a lot of different opinions on things. So, one of my perspectives is let's go straight to the word to get everything that we need to know about this question. And I liked how you mentioned, you know, are you going to strut into the presence of God and all the rest of that. Um but 1 John 2:28 tells us, "Beloved, abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence before him." And the Bible says you can have that confidence and 1 John 5:13 tells us that you can and that you need to know that you have eternal life. He says, "I've written these things to those who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." And this is one of those things that I think when you go to and maybe when we can set aside like listen, y'all tear down liberals all day long um for not having their facts grounded in the truth, right? So, we can all agree on that. And one of the things that I think is when we go to God's word as our ultimate standard and we go specifically to the one book of the Bible that's written specifically to tell people everything they need to know about how to get eternal life. That's the book of John. Purpose statement, John 20:30 and 31. It's telling them everything they need to know over and over again. The message is simply that you believe in Jesus for eternal life and you will never perish. You will never hunger, never thirst, never come into the judgment, never escape out of God's hand, you will never die. And the witness of scripture tells us, "Listen, there's nothing like knowing for sure that you will be with Jesus forever."
beautiful things. And if you are out here today and you don't know for sure, I just encourage us in planting those seeds that you go to the Gospel of John, that you read and just ask the Lord, "Lord, is it just as simple as I simply believe in you and you make me this promise?" Well, what about that?
Yeah, this is this is beautiful that you bring up the Gospel of John. And obviously all of these very long-standing centuries-old theological debates over whether or not we have free will, whether God respects our free will, whether we the the importance of sacrament. But since you bring up John, what about John chapter 6? In which our Lord tells us that if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, gnaw on the flesh of the Son of Man, you have no life in you because the flesh of the Son of Man is true food and the blood of the Son of Man is true drink. And this was so scandalous that the Jews went away and many disciples went away. And our Lord turns to St. Peter and says, "You do not go away."
And what does St. Peter say? He says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life." The phrase "This is a very hard saying" and it was always understood from the first century onward to to refer to a real sacrament. As as Justin Martyr tells us in the first apology along with many of the other fathers of the church that they're referring to the Eucharist, that the Eucharist is the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. So much so that when the the pagans don't understand it and that's as St. Paul then later tells us that if you do not discern the body of Christ in the Eucharist you're eating your own damnation. Something like this seems rather crucial. And furthermore, even beyond the point of Eucharistic theology, which interests me greatly and I hope everyone believes in, but but even beyond that point, it suggests that there is something that we must do. Not that we're earning our own salvation, but that God is calling us to do something and to cooperate with him in a real way in our bodies because we are in this suspended time of history and time and space and that there actually are stakes to this and that we we ought to make sure that we're always listening to the voice of God, that that our Lord as the second person of the Trinity is always listening, always receiving from the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, most perfectly perhaps, always listening to the Father, always trying to to do his will and to conform our will in our actions, our free will and the things that we actually do in the world, that we touch, the sacraments that we have with the will of the Father. This seems to me crucial as well so that we don't take anything for granted.
>> Can I and I'll add to that that you know, you're saying believe we have to believe in Christ and then we can be confident that we're saved. And so and it's true that these are these are theological debates that we're not going to solve Absolutely. in the next five five uh minutes.
But um it seems to me that the question really becomes what does it mean to believe?
And uh is belief merely an intellectual and emotional ascent to a proposition where I'm saying, "Yeah, sure. I I I believe that. Yeah. Uh Jesus is Lord. I I I believe that. I'll buy that." And is that is that all it means to believe? Or or if we think of Jesus as as in the for this analogy anyway as a bridge into eternal life uh do we only have to look at the bridge and say, "Sure, the bridge is there.
I got it." Or or is is is the belief also in the walking? It in in in the trusting Jesus and putting your full weight on the bridge over that great abyss.
Uh the the walking part of it. And I would say that that's that belief is in the walking. It's in it's in the doing, you know? And that's why I mean, you could point to the Gospel of of John in certain passages. I would point to you know, all of scripture. And certainly all the Gospels. Point to the the Sermon on the Mount. Um every every every passage in the Gospel it's just loaded with instruction on the way that we are supposed to live and the things that we're supposed to actively do because I think that that is that's what belief means. That's what it means to believe in Jesus Christ is to is to do the things that he says and live as someone who believes. And that's why ultimately I can't know for sure because I can know what I think. I can be really confident about that and I can know what I feel. But um can I be the ultimate judge of my own actions? No, only only God can. And uh and that's a judgment that that God will make.
Thank you guys so much. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Bryce. Uh I came here from Billings.
Uh I A 10-HOUR DRIVE.
UH I WANT TO BE A PRIEST when I grow up. I just uh wanted to ask what would [applause] your uh like advice be?
Don't be a Jesuit. That's No, I I don't need to discuss No, there were good Jesuits sometimes. And that's great news. How old are you? Uh 10.
This is like the biggest white pill.
Wha- why I mean, it's a wonderful thing.
Why do you why have you decided you want to be a priest?
Uh kind of just because God's calling me.
Awesome. Love it. Love it, man.
You know, just This is great. I can't This is so wonderful. I don't need to give you advice. I think you at 10 years old probably need to give me advice. This is really great.
Uh there are many moments when when you work in politics you feel jaded. You say all hope is lost. The culture is dying.
No one has the right ideas anymore. And then you meet a 10-year-old kid who says, "I want to serve God and be a priest." And you say, "Guys, we're going to make it. You know, we're just going to make it." I I >> [applause] >> And I I mean, in in the form of advice the only thing I would say is to continue doing what exactly what you're doing right now, which is that you are you're you're answering the right question which is what does God want for my life?
Uh now most people kids and adults, most adults um if you were to ask them how you know, you ask them what they do for a living or how they decided to live, what their lifestyle is and they'll tell you and you ask why and they'll say something along the lines of, "Well, it's it's what I want to do.
It's what I it's what I felt would be the the best for me." Or something like that. Um but the real answer, what we should all be doing, what we should all be trying to discern is not what we want to do, but it's what why has God put us here? I mean, God created all of us. Um we which is an amazing fact that we were all created.
We are all intentional creations of the Lord of the entire universe. Uh the the the the God that that made by hand tens of billions of entire galaxies also created all of us. And he did that for each of us for a specific reason to come into this world and do something. And that thing is going to be different for everybody.
Um and so our job first is to prayerfully discern what that thing is.
To ask God, "It's like I know what I want to do, but God, what do you want me to do?" And uh you're already asking that question, you're getting an answer.
Continue asking and continue being open to God's answer. You know, we have been here for almost 2 hours. And and you even Tell me your name again. Uh Bryce.
Bryce. We we have been here for almost 2 hours. And Bryce comes up with this beautiful statement and question. And then Matt, in typical curmudgeonly fashion, starts grilling him on it. He says, "Well, why? Why do you want to do it?" And at the end What is a priest? At the end of 2 hours he is a priest.
At the end of 2 hours, we get the most concise wisest answer of the entire night. I want to do this thing because God is calling me to do it out of the mouth of babes. This is exactly what TPUSA is about. This is this is exactly what Charlie was doing was inspiring [laughter] an entire generation. One of the most beautiful answers I've ever heard at any event.
Thank you so much Bryce. Thank you to all of you for being here. Wonderful to BE WITH YOU.
>> [cheering] [music] [music] >> TURNING POINT. This is the Turning Point at University of Idaho. Of course, our friend Michael Knowles, Matt Walsh, both from The Daily Wire there.
>> [snorts] >> Joe Bob [clears throat] opened this up.
And again, just showing how important these Turning Point events are.
Obviously, it's been tough for them to move on past Charlie, but they continue to put on these great events and getting great conservative speakers like their friends at The Daily Wire who have been more than supportive of Turning Point and obviously Charlie Kirk's memory and what he wanted to do. And again, these are these are important. They're going to try to push forward and continue out there and especially with the midterms this year, these guys you know, getting out there and talking about the issues. This organization's vital for the midterms, frankly. It it is one of the reasons Trump won. And I was just really happy to see the size of the crowd and the enthusiasm of the crowd. You know, these are these are big events, you know, the place was full, you know, it was packed. People were really into it and it was it was great to see that. So, you have to keep going though. Charlie is irreplaceable. He's an iconic iconic person and talent and losing him is a such an incredible loss for them, but they are forging forward. So, you give them credit where credit is due. They're persevering and and I appreciate that and I hope they continue to. Yeah, boys, any final thoughts here on the night?
>> Yeah, you got to you got to give them their props for you know, getting getting those crowds out. Like Vin said, the midterms are coming. This is an important important you know, voting block to make sure you reach out to these young younger voters and to keep that message moving forward. Yeah, Slickster? Yep, the great state of Iowa.
We love Iowa. Now, great great event as always. Idaho.
>> Oh, so it was Idaho. Okay. Idaho. Yeah, Idaho. I know, great show tonight.
Great, absolutely.
>> [laughter] >> Idaho, not Iowa. You do love the great state of Iowa.
>> I love Iowa. I love Idaho. I love you.
Get that out of your mind. Idaho, so. By the way, this is the last stop on the spring tour for this is the Turning Point. So, we press on. Obviously, the midterms coming up, so all of these kind of events will be important. There's a big one this weekend that some of the boys are going to be going to as well, Moms for Liberty. That's going to be important. So, all of these groups as we push towards the midterm continue to get the message out because God knows we need to do it because the Republicans in Congress, well, we know what the problems are there. So, anyways, great night, great to see the president and the king, great to see Turning Point USA and all of our friends there.
Gentlemen, thank you very much. Most of all, thanks you, the live from Studio 6B audience. It's a late night, but we'll return you to your regularly scheduled program right here on Real America's Voice and we will see you tomorrow night 8:00 right back here live from Studio 6B.
>> [music] [music] [music] >> Dumping D. And I have my own side that supports the gay community in all the unique ways that they do.
Um It's not an agency, it's a gay agency.
Yeah. All things LGBTQ plus I I plus, I'm sorry.
Okay.
>> It's just cuz you I was already going there and then you looked up and I'm all plus I with this I plus. Okay, cool.
Now, I didn't want to have to ask this, but it's fair. Are you gay?
No, sir. Okay.
See how easy that was?
>> And I've never experienced nobody getting licked with peanut butter either. I'm just that would get but that's for older people.
Okay, okay.
>> Older people do that. Would you consider 36 old? No, I'm thinking like just like 50, 55.
>> thing I'm 36, so I'm like Yeah, so I'm older than you.
Wow.
Um damn.
Um Not like that. I'm just saying.
I feel young.
>> [snorts] >> Hm.
Um yeah, and again, my apologies for the peanut butter stuff. It just was an analogy. Say less.
You just telling an experience.
It's not mine. Yeah, but you experienced someone. I saw it. Which is Mhm. still illegal. Peanut butter was there okay watching TV.
If you have a dog, hide them from Ray J because I know that he is not just randomly coming up with some sort of weird sexual fantasy where he's just going to put on peanut butter on somebody else's behind and just walk in on him randomly. Ray J is a freak. He's a guy that's probably been with thousands of women. He says 10,000 in this interview specifically and he's probably desensitized to normal sex, so he's so disgusting and dehumanized that he probably does put peanut butter on the crack of his derrière and lets his German Shepherd just go to town. I I hope that he was just spitballing and trying to come up with something crazy, but Cam Newton answered the question very easily. Are you gay? No. No, I'm not.
That's all you had to say, Ray J and all of a sudden [snorts] you went on a 5-minute monologue about putting peanut butter in your butt and on your feet and having a dog lick it off.
>> [screaming] >> I say it every episode, reality is stranger than fiction and even a Hollywood writer could not have written that script and had Ray J read it and it been as good or as real as that clip that we just watched right there. That's some really really good stuff, folks.
All right, [snorts] well, shout out to Ray J. Shout out to the Secret Service for stopping Cole Thomas Allen, taking him out even though I think he is still alive, but I guess he's in custody and charged with three crimes. So, hey, look, that's good. All right, I also want to give a shout out.
We got some more music from Real America's Music. We got the latest Like the Sun by Rachel Holt. Check it out.
>> [music] >> Real America's Music is introducing a new country voice taking the industry by storm. Rachel Holt, a proud patriot who loves God and country. She's bringing something real back to country music.
Her new single Like the Sun is out now and we're pushing it straight up the charts. Scan the QR code and download now. Let's show the industry you don't have to sell out to succeed. Stream Like the Sun now and make it your summer anthem. Turn it up, get outside and let Like the Sun take over your summer.
>> [music] [singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [snorts] >> Make sure to go hit that QR code. Go download Like the Sun by Rachel Holt.
Support Real America's Music because we're actually trying to create a new culture that's not all demonic and weird like these Hollywood music labels that are all trying to indoctrinate your children and turn them into homosexuals.
So, we're trying to turn them into God-fearing heterosexual men and women.
All right, also, we got a great event.
That's right, it's called Celebrate Freedom. Uh Memorial Day, it's right around the corner. Rav is going to be there. It's going to be fun. Check it out.
This Memorial Day weekend, it's more than an event. It's a celebration of the United States of America and the people who love her. Join Real America's Voice and Real America's Music for Celebrate Freedom, a one-of-a-kind live broadcast and concert experience at the iconic Marty [music] B's in Dallas, Texas from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. Patriots from across the country will come together for an unforgettable night honoring faith, freedom, and the spirit [music] that makes this nation strong. The entire event is live kicking off with a powerful hour of worship followed by a national broadcast hosted by Bo Davidson featuring voices you trust like Ben Bergquam >> [music] >> and building into a full concert experience with performances from Will Williams and RAM artist D Pope, Natasha Owens, Celeste Kellogg, and more. This is an American love fest and you are part of the show. Tickets are free, but you must register and they will go fast.
[music] Scan the QR code now to lock in your spot before they're gone. Celebrate Freedom presented by Patriot Mobile and Preborn. Let's celebrate America together.
>> [music] >> Now, that looks like a fun event.
Everybody go and celebrate freedom this Memorial Day with Rav. And guys, tomorrow night, Primetime Alex Stein is coming to you from the University of Missouri. That's right, Columbia, Missouri. Primetime verse the Mizzou Tigers tomorrow night. I'll see you guys there.
>> [music] >> Did you know that thousands of authors across the country have written books and published them with Page Publishing?
[music] If you The world doesn't slow down because you're tired.
Related Videos
BSA Goldstar - I gave up! And why animals beat humans!
thebingleywheeler
102 views•2026-05-31
The 'Islamic dilemma': Quran tells Christians to judge by the Gospel
canceledkings
1K views•2026-05-29
Seneca - Escape The Crowd, Find Your Inner Peace!
realfreewisdom
114 views•2026-05-29
Scholar Explains: WHAT IS A GNOSTIC?
fightbackpodcast
965 views•2026-05-31
Fulton Sheen: A Mente Tenta se Manter Jovem para não Sofrer com os Impactos do Tempo
SantoCotidiano-port
673 views•2026-05-29
Why Pure HEDONISM Is IRRATIONAL
qnaline
12K views•2026-05-31
When They Ignore You, Do This Instead | Stoicism
ZenithWisdom-e3k
615 views•2026-05-31
The fourth great humiliation. #jimmycarr #crowdwork #hecklers #standup
jimmycarr
576K views•2026-05-28











