Charlie Kirk and Brandon Tatum on China's Global Threat, Male Responsibility in Abortion Debate, and Conservative Leadership
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Charlie Kirk and Brandon Tatum on China's Global Threat, Male Responsibility in Abortion Debate, and Conservative Leadership
Charlie Kirk joins Jesse Kelly and Brandon Tatum on The News and Why It Matters to discuss China as America's greatest threat, the tariff strategy, and the often-ignored male perspective on abortion. Kirk argues for intensifying pressure on China while the economy is strong, calling it a matter of courage over political convenience. Tatum shares his personal story of nearly losing his son to abortion and challenges men to take responsibility. The conversation addresses economic risks, Hollywood's Chinese influence, and why the left has made abortion their defining issue.
Charlie Kirk opens the discussion by identifying China as the greatest enemy to the United States and Western civilization. He praises President Trump's approach to holding China accountable through trade policy after years of unchecked expansion. According to Kirk, China has been stealing intellectual property, hacking cyber infrastructure, building islands in the South China Sea, and purchasing influence across sub-saharan Africa and South America.
Kirk emphasizes that he supports free markets but argues that the tariff conversation needs reframing. He suggests he would rather see a five percent tariff on China paired with lower income taxes than continue the current arrangement. For Kirk, this is not just about economics but about confronting a nation that has total contempt for American values, including religious freedom and individual liberty.
The Courage of Trump's Tariff Strategy
Jesse Kelly weighs in, calling Trump's tariff implementation one of the bravest things he has seen a sitting president do. With the economy booming heading into reelection, the politically safe move would be to coast. Instead, Trump chose to confront China on an issue he has championed for decades, demonstrating his commitment regardless of political cost.
Kelly clarifies that hammering tariffs on China is not anti-free trade but rather renegotiating a contract to get better terms. He points out that China needs the United States more than America needs China, making this the right time to apply pressure.
Brandon Tatum agrees, noting that as someone who has done business globally, Trump understands how processes work and is a master negotiator. Tatum appreciates that the president is doing what he believes is right for America rather than what is politically advantageous.
China's Influence on American Culture
The panel discusses how China is already buying influence in Hollywood. Because major studios market their movies to Chinese audiences, it has become nearly impossible to produce a pro-America, anti-China film. This cultural influence extends beyond entertainment into how Americans perceive the threat China poses.
Kirk criticizes Joe Biden for discounting the Chinese threat, noting that Biden's son has financial connections to China through his fund. Biden has called the Chinese "great people," which Kirk finds despicable given that China has imprisoned ten million Muslims, instituted a social credit score for citizens, and maintains no religious freedom. Kirk points out that atheism is the number one religious viewpoint in China, where Christians face persecution.
Economic Risks and Political Courage
When asked about recession risks before the election, Kirk acknowledges that tariffs could create economic discomfort and that markets may react adversely. However, he argues this demonstrates the president's courage. No other president would pick a fight with China before a reelection campaign. Trump is willing to pay a political price if necessary because he believes it is what is best for the country.
Kirk reflects on American consumer habits, noting that he personally has purchased excessive amounts of products made in China that he does not even use. He suggests he would be willing to have half as much and pay a little more if items were manufactured in America, rather than funding the rise of America's greatest enemy.
The panel notes that both Bush administrations, Clinton, and Obama all ignored China, allowing it to become a powerful force. Trump represents a departure from that pattern, choosing confrontation over accommodation.
Male Responsibility in the Abortion Debate
Brandon Tatum shifts the conversation to abortion, specifically addressing the male perspective that is often missing from the debate. He argues that abortion prevents men from holding up their end of the obligation, allowing young men to have sex with women without taking responsibility. Instead of expecting women to handle the situation alone or terminate the pregnancy, Tatum believes young men should be responsible for their children from cradle to grave.
Tatum shares his personal story of nearly losing his son to abortion. When his son's mother became pregnant, they went to Planned Parenthood, which Tatum thought was a women's health program. At the front door, she told him she was having an abortion, not just finding out how far along she was. Tatum sat in the lobby and prayed, and ultimately she was unable to go through with the procedure. His son is now eight years old and looks just like him.
Tatum emphasizes that abortion affects not just the character and behavior of women but also the character and behavior of men. It takes two people to create a pregnancy, and men cannot simply walk away hoping for an abortion. Some women have abortions because they were put in that position by men who refused to stay and take care of their children.
The Misrepresentation of Abortion
Charlie Kirk comments on the media's misrepresentation of abortion statistics. He notes that in Florida, approximately 92 percent of all abortions are for selective reasons, not for rape, incest, or life-threatening situations. The entire conversation has been based on exceptions rather than the rule, with abortion becoming a form of birth control when it was originally sold to the American people as safe, legal, and rare.
Kirk highlights a striking statistic from New York City: a black woman who is pregnant has a higher likelihood of getting an abortion than having the baby. The abortion rate is higher than the birth rate, meaning if you see a pregnant black woman in New York City, there is a higher percentage chance she will go to Planned Parenthood than the delivery room.
Kirk questions how society has accepted that the black community's birth rate has stagnated for 50 years. He reflects on the countless lives, dreams, and potential contributions that have disappeared. These are individuals who could have done incredible things, but their lives were ended for reasons he finds unacceptable.
Personal Stories and Exceptions
Brandon Tatum shares another personal story about his grandmother, who was raped at 12 years old and had his mother. Tatum reflects that if abortion had been available and chosen in that case, neither he nor his mother nor his brother would exist. His grandparents eventually forgave his grandfather for what he did. Tatum argues that society needs to return to the standard that it is not the child's fault if their father is a scumbag who raped the mother. The child deserves life.
Tatum points to Dr. Ben Carson as an example. Carson's mother could not even read and was not ready for a child, but she pushed through and gave life to one of the most brilliant neurosurgeons in history. The next person who could cure a disease or change the world might be among those whose lives are ended by abortion.
Tatum argues that society must come to a conclusion: is abortion murder or not? If it is not murder, then there is no need for it to be rare and people can have as many as they want. But if it is murder, which Tatum believes it is, then society should not be participating in it ever.
The Left's Radical Turn on Abortion
Jesse Kelly observes that the left has gone completely radical on abortion, even refusing to condemn infanticide. He predicts this will eventually blow up in their face, though it will take time. Kelly argues that leftists have never valued the individual, whether at birth, in old age, or in the prime of life. Everyone exists to serve the state rather than to live.
This is why atheism is so prevalent in China and other state-run places, and why atheism is common in communist societies. Instead of looking at an individual as a unique life breathed by God—whether they cure cancer or lay bricks for a living—leftists view people only in terms of their service to the state. If you do not have value to the state, you do not matter.
Charlie Kirk adds that people accuse him of being anti-woman for his pro-life stance, but he asks what about the women who were aborted? If on average half of pregnancies result in female babies, that means approximately 30 million women have been aborted.
Men Must Lead on Life
Jesse Kelly argues that abortion and feminism represent a failure of men, not women. It is a failure of men to lead. The more the left and feminism have gained a foothold in the country, the more abortions have occurred. This is not an accident. Men should be leading on the issue instead of being intimidated into silence. Men do have a say because that life, whether in a woman's body or not, is partly theirs. As men, it is their job to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Kelly observes that abortion drives the left more than any other issue. While they get angry about many topics, abortion is unique. There is no dialogue, no willingness to discuss, just anger. The issue has become their religion.
Young Women's Leadership Summit
The conversation takes place at the Young Women's Leadership Summit in Dallas, Texas, hosted by Turning Point USA. Charlie Kirk notes that this is the largest Young Women's Leadership Summit for conservatives ever in the history of the country, with 1,300 young women in attendance and standing room only. Brandon Tatum delivered a speech earlier that day that brought down the house. Kirk encourages anyone in the Dallas area to attend the remaining days of programming by visiting the Turning Point USA website.
