The impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination has been felt far wider and deeper than many expected. Tributes have sprung up around the globe — from the UK and Australia to South Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia. Yet much of the media first misinformed the public and then tried to push the “both sides are violent” narrative, while thousands of online leftists cheered his death and desecrated memorials. What does this say about the moral health of our institutions — and the people shaping public opinion?

Speaking of what’s wrong with our institutions: this week The Heartland Institute received a letter from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) clearly intended to bully. He’s demanding that by September 30 Heartland hand over any and all communications since Election Day 2024 discussing why the Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide should be rescinded — after reports that Heartland influenced the Trump administration’s decision to attempt that rescission. Heartland President James Taylor has a simple reply: pound sand.

Join Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, Chris Talgo, and James Taylor as they break down the media spin, the moral rot, and Sen. Whitehouse’s fishing expedition on Episode #511 of the In the Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join the live chat on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X.

Chapters: 
01:33 Intro
03:56 The Left Celebrates Another Killer: Luigi
13:06 The Left's reaction to Charlie's assassination 
27:05 A Dangerous Media Environment
44:54 Main topics: Senator Whitehouse ATTACKS the Heartland Institute

The impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination has been felt far wider and deeper than many expected. Tributes have sprung up around the globe — from the UK and Australia to South Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia. Yet much of the media first misinformed the public and then tried to push the “both sides are violent” narrative, while thousands of online leftists cheered his death and desecrated memorials. What does this say about the moral health of our institutions — and the people shaping public opinion?

Speaking of what’s wrong with our institutions: this week The Heartland Institute received a letter from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) clearly intended to bully. He’s demanding that by September 30 Heartland hand over any and all communications since Election Day 2024 discussing why the Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide should be rescinded — after reports that Heartland influenced the Trump administration’s decision to attempt that rescission. Heartland President James Taylor has a simple reply: pound sand.

Join Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, Chris Talgo, and James Taylor as they break down the media spin, the moral rot, and Sen. Whitehouse’s fishing expedition on Episode #511 of the In the Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join the live chat on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X.

Chapters:
01:33 Intro
03:56 The Left Celebrates Another Killer: Luigi
13:06 The Left's reaction to Charlie's assassination
27:05 A Dangerous Media Environment
44:54 Main topics: Senator Whitehouse ATTACKS the Heartland Institute

YouTube Video VVV6cDhRbFZkX2hETGZLMUxNTER1M2RRLmFLUGsxZzAxZHNB

What Is Wrong with These People? - In the Tank Podcast #511

The Heartland Institute views September 19, 2025 12:29 am

🎯 Alex Epstein: Common sense says we must weigh both benefits & side effects.

The Heartland Institute views September 18, 2025 9:28 am

Unspeakable horror struck on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah yesterday. Charlie Kirk, the founder of TurningPoint USA, was murdered by an assassin's rifle shot while he was speaking to a crowd of thousands. Charlie's talent, credibility, intelligence, authenticity, patience, and courage were on display for all to see to the very end of his life. He was a champion of liberty and a tireless patriot whose love of country was deep and heart-felt. More than that, Charlie was a devoted Christian and a loving father and husband. At the age of just 31, he left a legacy greater than many public figures twice his age.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was an act of evil. It was also undoubtedly a political act spawned out of the dark heart of modern leftism. We live in a country in which prominent media outlets suggested Charlie brought his public slaying upon himself. In today's media and political environment, anyone who vigorously differs from leftist ideology and Democratic Party talking points is painted as a fascist, a threat to democracy, a domestic terrorist -- or, as President Biden once put it -- a threat to "the very soul of this nation." This is the political environment in which the killing of Charlie Kirk occurred.

In just the past 13 months, radicals have attempted two assassinations on President Trump and killed one of his most-prominent and successful advocates. Earlier than that, an avowed Marxist gunned down a health insurance CEO and was celebrated for it by many on the left. Radical leftists got very close to pulling off assassinations of Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. And let's not forget the radical left Bernie Bro who tried to murder a baseball field full of Republicans just a few years ago.

This must stop. And it starts with the Democratic Party putting an end to its eliminationist rhetoric, expelling from its party and offices anyone who encourages or excuses violence, and leading the march back to respectful debate. For a start, they can do away with the "both sides" lie. And they can also stop saying that every election and policy debate they lose is not the dawn of fascism.

On Episode #510 of The Heartland Institute's In the Tank Podcast, we will talk about the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, mourn his loss together, and try to give each other hope that America's tolerance for this madness is soon coming to an end.

Chapters: 
6:59 Jim's Beautiful Scripture commemorating the Life of Charlie Kirk

Unspeakable horror struck on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah yesterday. Charlie Kirk, the founder of TurningPoint USA, was murdered by an assassin's rifle shot while he was speaking to a crowd of thousands. Charlie's talent, credibility, intelligence, authenticity, patience, and courage were on display for all to see to the very end of his life. He was a champion of liberty and a tireless patriot whose love of country was deep and heart-felt. More than that, Charlie was a devoted Christian and a loving father and husband. At the age of just 31, he left a legacy greater than many public figures twice his age.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was an act of evil. It was also undoubtedly a political act spawned out of the dark heart of modern leftism. We live in a country in which prominent media outlets suggested Charlie brought his public slaying upon himself. In today's media and political environment, anyone who vigorously differs from leftist ideology and Democratic Party talking points is painted as a fascist, a threat to democracy, a domestic terrorist -- or, as President Biden once put it -- a threat to "the very soul of this nation." This is the political environment in which the killing of Charlie Kirk occurred.

In just the past 13 months, radicals have attempted two assassinations on President Trump and killed one of his most-prominent and successful advocates. Earlier than that, an avowed Marxist gunned down a health insurance CEO and was celebrated for it by many on the left. Radical leftists got very close to pulling off assassinations of Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. And let's not forget the radical left Bernie Bro who tried to murder a baseball field full of Republicans just a few years ago.

This must stop. And it starts with the Democratic Party putting an end to its eliminationist rhetoric, expelling from its party and offices anyone who encourages or excuses violence, and leading the march back to respectful debate. For a start, they can do away with the "both sides" lie. And they can also stop saying that every election and policy debate they lose is not the dawn of fascism.

On Episode #510 of The Heartland Institute's In the Tank Podcast, we will talk about the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, mourn his loss together, and try to give each other hope that America's tolerance for this madness is soon coming to an end.

Chapters:
6:59 Jim's Beautiful Scripture commemorating the Life of Charlie Kirk

YouTube Video VVV6cDhRbFZkX2hETGZLMUxNTER1M2RRLkNXZGs2ak9pb19N

A Political Assassination in Utah: RIP, Charlie Kirk - In the Tank Podcast #

The Heartland Institute views September 11, 2025 12:55 pm

Did you know? In 1922, scientists warned the Arctic was melting and cities would soon be underwater!

The Heartland Institute views September 10, 2025 10:01 am

Imagine walking into a classroom where students are being taught that socialism "just hasn't been done properly yet." Now imagine those same students growing up in an economy where buying a home feels impossible, starting a business requires navigating endless regulations, and the American Dream seems reserved for previous generations. This is the reality behind the most startling polling data we've released in years.

The Heartland Institute's GROUNDBREAKING NEW POLL reveals a generation that's not just frustrated - they're ready to abandon free market principles entirely. The numbers paint a troubling picture of where America is headed:

• 52% of young voters actively want a socialist presidential candidate in 2028
• 76% support nationalizing major industries including healthcare, energy, and big tech
• 35% of Trump voters from 2024 now embrace socialist candidates
• 40% of young Republicans agree with government takeover of major industries
• Housing costs identified as the #1 driver pushing youth toward socialism

But here's what makes this crisis even more alarming: these young Americans have never experienced a true free market economy. They've grown up in a world of government bailouts, regulatory capture, and crony capitalism - then been told this IS capitalism. When Obamacare made healthcare more expensive, when zoning laws prevented new housing construction, when endless regulations killed small businesses during COVID while big corporations thrived, young people didn't see government failure - they saw capitalism failing them.

The educational system compounds this problem. Former teachers reveal shocking stories of mentor educators promoting Marxist ideology, presenting the Russian Revolution's "other side," and whitewashing socialism's deadly history. Students graduate believing government control equals fairness, never learning that the problems they want socialism to solve were actually created by government intervention in the first place.

What's driving this massive shift? The polling reveals it's not abstract ideology - it's concrete economic pain. Young Americans face housing costs that have skyrocketed due to government regulations, job markets distorted by endless interventions, and an education system that saddles them with crushing debt while teaching them to blame the wrong culprit for their struggles.

The solution isn't more government control - it's showing these Americans what actual free market solutions look like. But time is running out. Every day we delay addressing the root causes of their economic frustration, more young Americans conclude that socialism is their only hope.

Are we witnessing the end of free market America? Can we reverse this trend before it's too late? The data suggests we have a narrow window to act before this generation's political preferences reshape our nation permanently.

Read the full poll results here:
https://heartland.org/opinion/heartland-rasmussen-poll-53-of-young-voters-want-a-socialist-to-win-the-2028-presidential-election-76-want-government-to-nationalize-major-u-s-industries/

The In the Tank Podcast is sponsored by Advisor Metals:
https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

SUPPORT the work of The Heartland Institute with a tax-deductible donation: 
https://heartland.org/donate/

Imagine walking into a classroom where students are being taught that socialism "just hasn't been done properly yet." Now imagine those same students growing up in an economy where buying a home feels impossible, starting a business requires navigating endless regulations, and the American Dream seems reserved for previous generations. This is the reality behind the most startling polling data we've released in years.

The Heartland Institute's GROUNDBREAKING NEW POLL reveals a generation that's not just frustrated - they're ready to abandon free market principles entirely. The numbers paint a troubling picture of where America is headed:

• 52% of young voters actively want a socialist presidential candidate in 2028
• 76% support nationalizing major industries including healthcare, energy, and big tech
• 35% of Trump voters from 2024 now embrace socialist candidates
• 40% of young Republicans agree with government takeover of major industries
• Housing costs identified as the #1 driver pushing youth toward socialism

But here's what makes this crisis even more alarming: these young Americans have never experienced a true free market economy. They've grown up in a world of government bailouts, regulatory capture, and crony capitalism - then been told this IS capitalism. When Obamacare made healthcare more expensive, when zoning laws prevented new housing construction, when endless regulations killed small businesses during COVID while big corporations thrived, young people didn't see government failure - they saw capitalism failing them.

The educational system compounds this problem. Former teachers reveal shocking stories of mentor educators promoting Marxist ideology, presenting the Russian Revolution's "other side," and whitewashing socialism's deadly history. Students graduate believing government control equals fairness, never learning that the problems they want socialism to solve were actually created by government intervention in the first place.

What's driving this massive shift? The polling reveals it's not abstract ideology - it's concrete economic pain. Young Americans face housing costs that have skyrocketed due to government regulations, job markets distorted by endless interventions, and an education system that saddles them with crushing debt while teaching them to blame the wrong culprit for their struggles.

The solution isn't more government control - it's showing these Americans what actual free market solutions look like. But time is running out. Every day we delay addressing the root causes of their economic frustration, more young Americans conclude that socialism is their only hope.

Are we witnessing the end of free market America? Can we reverse this trend before it's too late? The data suggests we have a narrow window to act before this generation's political preferences reshape our nation permanently.

Read the full poll results here:
https://heartland.org/opinion/heartland-rasmussen-poll-53-of-young-voters-want-a-socialist-to-win-the-2028-presidential-election-76-want-government-to-nationalize-major-u-s-industries/

The In the Tank Podcast is sponsored by Advisor Metals:
https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

SUPPORT the work of The Heartland Institute with a tax-deductible donation:
https://heartland.org/donate/

YouTube Video VVV6cDhRbFZkX2hETGZLMUxNTER1M2RRLnlURUVEYlpNWVVB

Young Americans Want Socialism? Here's What They REALLY Don't Understand

The Heartland Institute views September 8, 2025 1:46 pm