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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Charlie Kirk and Alex Marlow Break Down RFK Jr's Autism Promise and Trump's All-Star Cabinet
Charlie Kirk sits down with Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart News, to discuss the recent cabinet meeting that's making waves across America. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a stunning promise: by September, his team will identify what's causing the autism epidemic that has exploded from 1 in 10,000 children to 1 in 31. Marlow and Kirk explore RFK Jr's evidence-based approach to health policy, Trump's progress on campaign promises, the strategic reclaiming of the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, and why federal funding for universities is destroying American cities. The conversation reveals how this administration is tackling issues previous governments ignored, from chemicals in baby formula to cell phone addiction in schools, all while fighting back against the toxic university culture that's spreading harmful ideology across the nation.
Charlie Kirk opens the conversation highlighting one of the most significant moments from the recent cabinet meeting: Robert F. Kennedy Jr's declaration that by September, his team will identify the cause of the autism epidemic. The statistics are staggering and alarming. What was once 1 in 10,000 children diagnosed with autism has now become 1 in 31 children. Kirk emphasizes this isn't 31,000 but just 31, calling it a horrible statistic that demands immediate attention.
Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart News, explains why he's such a strong supporter of RFK Jr, and it's not necessarily for the reasons people might expect. Marlow describes Kennedy as "the most evidence-based" member of the cabinet, someone who wants to assess things that have been assumed to be true and acceptable without proper scrutiny. Some of these assessments may confirm current practices are fine, but others will answer questions that haven't been asked or have been answered with faulty assumptions.
Transforming American Health Policy
RFK Jr presented an extensive list of initiatives during the cabinet meeting that Marlow found particularly compelling. One of the first priorities is removing chemicals from baby formula. The fact that American babies consume chemical-laden formula that's simply assumed to be acceptable is being fundamentally reassessed under Kennedy's leadership.
Kennedy is also tackling what Marlow calls "one of the top issues of our time": cell phones in schools. Younger people have become completely addicted to these devices, failing to learn basic social behaviors, becoming more depressed, less athletic, and less social. The concern is that an entire generation will become automatons to Silicon Valley AI algorithms. This isn't the America that Kirk and Marlow grew up in, and they don't want it for young people.
The list of initiatives continues with EPA reforms, removing fluoride from water, and revolutionizing school lunches. Marlow points out that Americans finally have someone who understands nutrition in charge of school lunch programs, not a ceremonial figurehead like Michelle Obama was. Another priority is ensuring government money isn't used for junk food purchases. The fundamental principle behind Make America Healthy Again is simple: Americans eat too much, consume food with too many ingredients, and don't exercise enough. Kennedy is working to change that trajectory.
Defending Trump's Record After 75 Days
Kirk addresses criticism he occasionally encounters on campus from what he calls "pompous brats" who claim that after 75 days, Trump isn't fulfilling his promises. He calls this a ridiculous and ludicrous assertion from people who exist to be disagreeable. While well-intentioned feedback is welcome, claiming Trump isn't fulfilling promises is completely meritless.
Kirk emphasizes these criticisms come from the right, not the left. He points to concrete achievements: a secure border, massive tariffs, and a substantial deportation effort that he wants to see expanded even further. The administration is delivering on its commitments to the American people.
Marlow agrees the criticism is ludicrous and represents a minority view. However, he believes it's important to maintain encouragement for the administration to stay the course and remember why they're there and what they promised. As people who are very online, both Kirk and Marlow hear complaints from the extremely online crowd that not enough is getting done.
While Marlow always wants the administration to go harder, he's impressed by the numbers coming in regarding Doge cuts and ICE arrests. He does note some confusion when there's a discrepancy in reported data, such as when Senator Joni Ernst mentioned a quarter trillion in Doge cuts while Elon Musk reported 150 billion. These data gaps make it harder to understand exactly what's happening.
Overall, Marlow believes the deregulation efforts are being underreported, as are the cuts to campus funding. The efforts in Panama to counter China are huge, as is the Greenland initiative. The tariff battle represents an earthshaking event, and Trump is the only person on Earth with the guts to pursue it. Marlow describes the start as a "rip roaring" one and expresses significant satisfaction with the progress.
Reclaiming the Panama Canal from China
The conversation shifts to the geopolitical implications of the Panama Canal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a powerful statement clarifying that China did not build the canal, does not operate it, and will not weaponize it. Working with Panama in the lead, the United States will keep the canal secure and available for all nations through the deterrent power of the strongest, most effective, and most lethal fighting force in the world.
A lesser-reported development is that Panama has now allowed the US to deploy troops to the canal. A document signed by top security officials from both countries permits US military personnel to deploy to Panama-controlled facilities for training, exercises, and a range of other activities. Kirk credits Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio for doing a phenomenal job, noting that Panama is actually inviting the United States because they don't want the Chinese Communist Party controlling this critical thoroughfare and choke point.
Marlow confirms that the Panamanian government has been cooperative, and it's really the Chinese government that's infuriated, likely putting significant pressure on Panama behind the scenes. The Panamanian government has even filed criminal charges against the Hong Kong company that controls many of the key ports, which will further anger China.
China is trying to make it appear that Hegseth and America are going rogue, but this isn't true. The Panamanian government would prefer to see control handed to America or establish a partnership between Panama and America rather than have China control this strategic choke point. China's encroachments via Belt and Road and BRICS into the Western Hemisphere are unacceptable, and the fact that America built them a thoroughfare to do this is completely insane.
The Historical Significance of the Panama Canal
Kirk provides historical context that many Americans may not know. America built the Panama Canal and lost 5,600 workers in the process, primarily due to mosquito-borne diseases that afflicted American workers during construction. This death toll is approximately the same as those who died on September 11th and similar to the number who died in the Iraq War.
Some estimates suggest as many as 30,000 workers may have died by the time they returned home due to diseases contracted during the construction. The United States actually liberated Panama from Colombia specifically to build the canal. After all that sacrifice, President Jimmy Carter simply handed it back to Panama, and now it's under the influence of America's greatest enemy, the Chinese Communist Party.
Both Kirk and Marlow see the current administration's efforts to counter Chinese influence in Panama as exactly the kind of clear-eyed policy that outsiders like Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth bring to government. This is a direct confrontation with China, and that's a good thing for American interests.
Decoupling Federal Government from Higher Education
Kirk transitions to a topic Marlow is particularly passionate about: decoupling the federal government from higher education. Marlow expresses enthusiasm about the Department of Education winding down and believes the federal government shouldn't be invested in universities at all at this point.
Many universities are self-sustained by their endowments, which are essentially just hedge funds. They can operate without collecting tuition, much less receiving federal funds, yet they continue to receive government money. This creates what Marlow calls a toxic university culture that permeates throughout society.
Marlow presents a compelling argument about how universities damage American cities. These institutions set up shop in big cities, bring in left-wing people who vote terribly, and receive federal funds to sustain huge economic systems that drive university campuses. Parents save money and take out loans to send their kids to these schools, where the students absorb terrible values and then vote for politicians like George Gascon and other Soros-funded district attorneys.
This cycle is ruining not just people's minds but destroying American cities. Marlow argues it's an existential issue to eliminate their access to federal funds as quickly as possible. Cities have become incubators where left-wing thought gestates and then permeates out into the rest of culture. The suburbs are doing fine, rural America is doing amazing, but urban areas need help. Getting universities out of cities is one way to address this problem.
Replacing Degree Requirements with Merit-Based Assessment
Kirk advocates for the Trump administration to push companies to radically cut down the number of jobs requiring college degrees. These requirements should be replaced with standardized tests, practical exams, thorough in-person interviews, or internships. Much of this practical assessment went away because of DEI concerns that such tests were racist, while somehow requiring an expensive degree was not considered discriminatory.
The government essentially decided it was too racist to require a test to work somewhere but not racist to require a degree. Kirk believes DEI is the hidden regulation that has been strangling American business. He makes the bold claim that DEI could be responsible for reducing GDP growth by 1 to 2 percent over a couple of years if it continues. While this might sound extreme, DEI is definitionally an anti-growth initiative.
Marlow agrees completely, calling DEI an absolute cancer in society that must be eliminated. He compliments Kirk for always rejecting DEI in his hiring practices at Turning Point USA. Marlow shares an anecdote about blowing Dennis Prager's mind when asked if seeing Harvard on a resume helps when hiring at Breitbart. After thinking about it, Marlow had to admit it doesn't really help anymore. For someone like Prager, who was an academic 50 years ago, the thought that Harvard wouldn't add value to a resume in just half a century demonstrates how far these institutions have fallen. People should stop wasting money on these schools and focus on getting internships for their children instead.
The Salem Podcast Network and Breitbart News
Kirk asks Marlow to share information about his work with Salem and Breitbart News. Marlow explains that he and Kirk are now colleagues at Salem, as Marlow is on the Salem Podcast Network. His show is available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Rumble, and wherever people consume podcasts. The show is off to a fast start thanks to great friends like Kirk.
Breitbart.com is thriving under Marlow's leadership as editor-in-chief. He describes it as the paper of record for the Trump administration, committed to calling balls and strikes fairly. Readers will always find something entertaining and informative on Breitbart's pages every single day.
Kirk expresses his love for Breitbart.com, noting that he got his start at the outlet and will never forget that opportunity. The interview concludes with Kirk thanking Marlow for his sharp commentary and analysis.
