Michael Knowles (political commentator) explained

Michael Knowles
Birth Name:Michael John Knowles
Birth Date:18 March 1990
Birth Place:Bedford Hills, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Political commentator, media host, author
Education:Yale University (BA)
Movement:Conservatism
Notable Works:Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide
Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds
Children:3[1]
Website:michaeljknowles.com

Michael John Knowles (born March 18, 1990) is an American conservative political commentator, author, and media host. He has worked for The Daily Wire since 2016.

Early life and education

Knowles was born in Bedford Hills, New York, and graduated from Fox Lane High School. Descended from Italian, Sicilian and Irish immigrants.[2]

Knowles began training as an actor with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting,[3] as part of its Advanced Teen Conservatory. He graduated with a B.A. in history and Italian from Yale University, where he produced the first English rendering of Niccolò Machiavelli's play Andria in 2012. He was raised in the Catholic faith by his family but fell away during his adolescence; at Yale, he experienced a reconversion to the Church, spurred at first by ontological arguments.[4]

Career

Acting

Before graduating from Yale University, Knowles participated in two Web series, Never Do Business with Friends and Survive. Upon graduation, Knowles trained with Wynn Handman at his acting studio in New York City and appeared in various Web series, films, and television shows.[5] It was reported in March 2023 by The Daily Dot that Knowles appeared in the student film House of Shades (2012) as a queer man that seduces another man at a night club.[6]

After moving to Los Angeles, he acted in the television pilot of I'm Back and in the television movies Life Coach and Blend In. He also starred as Alejandro in the comedy feature film Hóllyweird.[7]

Political commentary

In 2016, Knowles was invited to join The Daily Wire, beginning as a regular guest and cultural correspondent for The Andrew Klavan Show podcast. He had worked with Andrew Klavan's son, Spencer, on theater productions while they were undergraduates at Yale.[8] [9]

In 2018, Knowles reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage and opposed attempts by some in the conservative movement to recognize such unions.

In April 2019, Knowles gave a speech at the University of Missouri–Kansas City titled "Men Are Not Women" during his YAF national college speaking tour. Student protesters disrupted his talk. One protester assaulted him and sprayed him with an unknown mixture, later determined to be lavender oil and other non-toxic household liquids. The protester was charged with assault and other violations.[10] [11] Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal praised the protestors and condemned Knowles, alleging that Knowles's "professed opinions do not align with our commitment to diversity and inclusion and our goal of providing a welcoming environment to all people."[12] Agrawal also acknowledged that how Knowles was treated "crossed a line". Many Missouri lawmakers were dissatisfied with Agrawal's response and threatened to cut the school's budget.[13]

In September 2019, Knowles called climate activist Greta Thunberg a "mentally ill Swedish child" on Fox News program The Story. The network apologized for Knowles's statement, saying his comment was "disgraceful — we apologize to Greta Thunberg and to our viewers." Knowles did not apologize and Fox stated they had "no plans" to have him on again in the future.[14] [15] However, the channel welcomed him back shortly thereafter for a segment with host Tucker Carlson.[16] Knowles later said, "Obviously, there is nothing shameful about living with autism or any other psychiatric condition. What is shameful is exploiting children for political purposes."[17]

In January 2020, while the first impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump were underway, Knowles and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz launched the podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz.[18] [19] On January 27, Cruz announced on Twitter that Verdict had secured the top spot on the podcast charts for that week.[20] [21] After the impeachment trial ended with Trump's acquittal, Cruz and Knowles began to interview Washington politicians such as U.S. Senators John Barrasso, Mike Lee, and Tim Scott, Trump administration officials including then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. They also interviewed actors Jon Voight and Isaiah Washington.

On November 13, 2020, Knowles was scheduled as the guest host of The Rush Limbaugh Show.[22] After this opportunity, The Daily Wire, in collaboration with Westwood One, announced that Knowles would be hosting his own daily radio show on WHLD.[23]

In February 2023, Knowles stated that those who identify as transgender are "laboring a delusion, and we need to correct that delusion". At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in March, he further stated that "there can be no middle way in dealing with transgenderism", and "if [transgenderism] is false, then for the good of society, and especially for the good of the poor people who have fallen prey to this confusion, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely – the whole preposterous ideology."[24] His comments were criticized by people including civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo, who interpreted them as "genocidal".[25] Knowles made legal threats to media outlets which reported that he was calling for the eradication of transgender people or the transgender community, stating that the outlets were being were libelous, and that he was referring to "transgenderism" as an ideology; critics did not recognise this distinction.[26] [27] [28]

Knowles defends and praises the successes of Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, the Pilgrims, and others he calls "our political ancestors." He also defends the Crusades and colonization as justified and noble.[29]

Publications

In 2017, Knowles released an empty book called Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide.[30] The book, which contained 266 empty pages and an extensive bibliography, became the top-selling book on Amazon.[31] Shortly after Knowles lauded President Trump on Fox & Friends, Trump called Knowles's book "a great book for your reading enjoyment".[30] That year, Knowles began his role as host of The Daily Wires third podcast, The Michael Knowles Show.

Knowles's second book, Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds,[32] became a number one bestseller for hardcover nonfiction according to Publishers Weekly,[33] [34] and a number two bestseller for nonfiction on Audible.[35]

Knowles wrote the introduction to the 70th anniversary edition of God and Man at Yale[36] by William F. Buckley Jr.

Personal life

Knowles is a practicing Catholic, and he attends the Traditional Latin Mass. He married Alissa Mahler in June 2018 and has three sons.[37]

Notes and References

  1. Knowles . Michael . michaeljknowles . 1803071425370034612 . June 18, 2024 . Thank you to everyone for all the prayers as we have awaited and now welcomed Baby Boy Knowles #3. . en . June 19, 2024.
  2. 973050353229824001. michaeljknowles. .@andrewklavan constantly complains that I don't pay for books. If not in library or on Project Gutenberg, I'll buy used on Amazon, sometimes Kindle or Audible. Among the many values my Italian family instilled in me is never to pay retail. https://t.co/GzD3yK4Imo. March 12, 2018. June 14, 2021. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20191020074024/https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/973050353229824001. October 20, 2019. live. Knowles. Michael.
  3. Web site: Michael J. Knowles. Michael J. Knowles. April 11, 2019. April 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190411185305/https://www.michaeljknowles.com/bio. live.
  4. Web site: An Interview with the Catholic of the Daily Wire. September 26, 2017. Those Catholic Men. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190708162320/https://thosecatholicmen.com/articles/an-interview-with-the-catholic-of-the-daily-wire/. live.
  5. News: March 7, 2014 . The Modern Renaissance Man: Michael Knowles on Art, Politics and Jimmy McMillan . Yale Daily News . August 28, 2019 . August 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190828225855/https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2014/03/07/the-modern-renaissance-man-michael-knowles-on-art-politics-and-jimmy-mcmillan/ . live .
  6. Web site: Activist calling for eradication of 'transgenderism' played queer character in film . The Independent . 23 March 2023 . en . 21 March 2023 . March 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230323201546/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/michael-knowles-transgender-cpac-queer-b2305323.html . live .
  7. Web site: Mann. Keith. September 25, 2019. Michael Knowles: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. live. October 2, 2021. Heavy. en-US. October 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211002101657/https://heavy.com/news/2019/09/michael-knowles-2/.
  8. Web site: Michael Knowles Yale College Arts. collegearts.yale.edu. September 24, 2019. September 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190924031731/https://collegearts.yale.edu/biography/michael-knowles. live.
  9. Web site: Spencer Klavan Yale College Arts. collegearts.yale.edu. September 24, 2019. September 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190924031713/https://collegearts.yale.edu/biography/spencer-klavan. live.
  10. Web site: Student charged over protest at anti-transgender speech. April 12, 2019. The Seattle Times. en-US. October 29, 2019. October 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191029004015/https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/conservative-speaker-michael-knowles-speech-disrupted/. live.
  11. News: Conservative speaker who was assaulted by protester: 'This was a warning shot to conservatives' . . . New York City . April 13, 2019 . June 6, 2019 . June 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190606054152/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/conservative-speaker-who-was-assaulted-by-protester-this-was-a-warning-shot-to-conservatives . live .
  12. Garry . Patrick M. . Patrick Garry . 2019 . When Legislatures Become the Ally of Academic Freedom: The First State Intellectual Diversity Statute and Its Effect on Academic Freedom . . en . 71 . 1 . 181 . 3715843 . June 15, 2022 . March 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230327140747/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3715843 . live .
  13. News: Thomas . Crystal . April 17, 2019 . UMKC chancellor response to conservative speaker attack faces backlash in Missouri Legislature . . June 15, 2022 . April 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410060559/https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article229345909.html . live .
  14. Web site: Fox News Apologized To Greta Thunberg After A Pundit Called Her "Mentally Ill". Koerner. Claudia. September 23, 2019. BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed. Los Angeles, California. en. September 24, 2019. September 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190924074702/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/fox-news-apologized-greta-thunberg-mentally-ill. live.
  15. Web site: Fox apologizes for 'disgraceful' comment about Thunberg. Bauder. David. September 24, 2019. WAVY.com. Associated Press. en-US. September 24, 2019. September 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190924230429/https://www.wavy.com/news/politics/fox-apologizes-for-disgraceful-comment-about-thunberg/. live.
  16. Web site: Fox News welcomes back guest it vowed to ban over nasty attack on Greta Thunberg. Bremner. Jade. July 8, 2021. news.yahoo.com. The Economist. en-US. October 12, 2021. October 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211027181523/https://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-welcomes-back-guest-133726065.html. live.
  17. Web site: Goldsmith. Liorah. September 27, 2019. Michael Knowles event met with student walkout. live. June 11, 2021. Annenberg Media. en. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210611210146/https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com//2019/09/28/michael-knowles-event-met-with-student-walkout/.
  18. Web site: Kastrenakes, Jacob (2020-01-22). "Ted Cruz Now Has an Impeachment Podcast, Too". Ted Cruz now has an impeachment podcast, too". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-02-26. . January 22, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227050849/https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/22/21077638/ted-cruz-senator-podcast-verdict-president-trump-impeachment-trial . live .
  19. Web site: Kearns, Madeleine (2020-02-06). "The Final Verdict?". National Review. Retrieved 2020-02-26 . . February 6, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . August 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200812135322/https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/the-final-verdict/ . live .
  20. Web site: Cobler, Paul (2020-01-28). "Ted Cruz's podcast on impeachment trial sits atop iTunes charts". Dallas News. Retrieved 2020-02-26. . January 28, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227050849/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/01/28/ted-cruzs-podcast-on-impeachment-trial-sits-atop-itunes-charts/ . live .
  21. News: Duehren, Andrew (2020-01-30). "Impeachment Trial Pushes Ted Cruz to Top of Podcast Charts". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2020-02-26. . Wall Street Journal . January 30, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . February 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227050848/https://www.wsj.com/articles/impeachment-pushes-ted-cruz-to-top-of-podcast-charts-11580396268 . live . Duehren . Andrew .
  22. Web site: Rush Limbaugh Show. November 13, 2020. April 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190411002518/https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/. live.
  23. Web site: Pergament. Alan. May 25, 2021. WHLD switches format to conservative talk hosts, led by Dan Bongino. live. June 11, 2021. The Buffalo News. en. June 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210603005020/https://buffalonews.com/entertainment/whld-switches-format-to-conservative-talk-hosts-led-by-dan-bongino/article_fcf81102-bd60-11eb-bb57-3f2395870f0c.html.
  24. News: Kilander . Gustaf . March 4, 2023 . CPAC speaker sparks alarm with call for trans people to be 'eradicated' . The Independent . live . March 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230304201901/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cpac-transgenderism-daily-wire-michael-knowles-b2294252.html . March 4, 2023. The full quote is from the video. The text of the article omits "and especially for the good of the poor people who have fallen prey to this confusion."
  25. News: Hawkinson . Katie . 2023-03-04 . Michael Knowles Says Transgenderism Must Be 'Eradicated' at CPAC . . live . 2023-03-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230305020321/https://www.thedailybeast.com/michael-knowles-calls-for-eradication-of-transgender-people-at-conservative-political-action-conference . March 5, 2023.
  26. Web site: McClure . Kelly . 2023-03-04 . CPAC speaker says, "Transgenderism must be eradicated," while claiming it doesn't exist . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230306034042/https://www.salon.com/2023/03/04/cpac-speaker-says-transgenderism-must-be-eradicated-while-claiming-it-doesnt-exist/ . March 6, 2023 . 2023-03-06 . Salon . en.
  27. Web site: CPAC Speaker Calls for Eradication of 'Transgenderism,' Crowd Goes Wild . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307201228/https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvjgnq/cpac-transgenderism-speaker-called-for-eradication . March 7, 2023 . 2023-03-07 . Vice . March 6, 2023 . en.
  28. Web site: 2023-03-06 . CPAC Speaker Michael Knowles Says "Transgenderism Must Be Eradicated" . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307201237/https://www.them.us/story/michael-knowles-transgenderism-cpac . March 7, 2023 . 2023-03-07 . Them . en-US.
  29. Web site: Suleiman . Alysa . 2023-12-06 . Vanderbilt Young Americans for Freedom host Michael Knowles speaker event, elicits mixed community response - The Vanderbilt Hustler . 2024-01-04.
  30. News: Peter. Holley. An author praised Trump on 'Fox & Friends.' Hours later, his book had a presidential endorsement.. The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. Washington DC. March 15, 2017. September 14, 2017. September 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170915023419/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/15/how-bad-are-things-for-democrats-a-blank-book-mocking-them-is-amazons-top-seller/. live.
  31. News: Concha . Joe . Amazon bestseller 'Reasons to Vote for Democrats' is a book of empty pages . . March 9, 2017 . September 14, 2017 . September 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170915024704/http://thehill.com/homenews/media/323253-amazon-bestseller-reasons-to-vote-for-democrats-is-a-book-of-empty-pages . live .
  32. Web site: Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lists. live. July 5, 2021. Publishers Weekly. en. March 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180303025420/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/nielsen/HardcoverNonfiction.html.
  33. Web site: Milliot. Jim. July 1, 2021. Fiction Sales Continue to Rise. live. July 5, 2021. Publishers Weekly. en. July 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210704131410/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/86800-fiction-sales-continue-to-rise.html.
  34. Web site: July 1, 2021. Publishers Weekly Best-Seller. live. July 5, 2021. Associated Press. en. July 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210701211833/https://apnews.com/article/books-best-sellers-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-f6aa56fb7003ed26dc202ece5e5ed1ae.
  35. Web site: June 29, 2021. The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com. live. July 5, 2021. Associated Press. en. June 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210630093506/https://apnews.com/article/books-best-sellers-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-78e8b0b18f7bb10935bc7a5fb977a05e.
  36. Book: God and Man at Yale 70th Anniversary edition Simon & Schuster. live. September 20, 2021. Simon and Schuster. September 7, 2021. 9781684512362. en. Buckley. William F.. Regnery Gateway . September 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210920213132/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/God-and-Man-at-Yale/William-F-Buckley/9781684512362.
  37. Web site: Roberts. Judy. June 1, 2021. Michael Knowles...what he's talking about. live. Legatus. September 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210929220946/https://legatus.org/news/michael-knowles-what-hes-talking-about.

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