The Daily Wire host and conservative author Michael Knowles addressed a packed audience at the Iowa Memorial Union on Monday evening, delivering a lecture titled “We Are So Back: How the Libs Lost Everything.” 

The event was hosted by the University of Iowa’s Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF, chapter. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session with audience members.

Jasmyn Jordan, chairwoman of UI’s YAF chapter, said the name of the lecture, originally titled “In the Wake of the Election: Our Long National Nightmare,” was changed following President-elect Donald Trump securing the Electoral College last week.

“We got the title change as a result of what happened with the election,” Jordan said, explaining that Knowles’ team contacted YAF to update the name of the lecture.

YAF is a conservative student group with a presence on over 2,000 campuses nationwide. UI’s YAF chapter has previously hosted conservative speakers Matt Walsh and Chloe Cole on campus in 2023, each drawing protests outside of the IMU. 

Knowles is a conservative political commentator known for his controversial stances on topics including anti-transgender ideology, criticism of political correctness, and advocacy for traditional marriage.

By 6 p.m., an hour before the lecture began, approximately 150 attendees were already in line, many sporting Trump merchandise and eagerly awaiting Knowles’ appearance.

Across the street, around 50 protesters had gathered in Hubbard Park by 6:30 p.m., holding signs with messages like, “As a cis person, I love my trans brothers, sisters, and non-binary pals” and “Fascism isn’t the American ideal you think it is.”

Inside, attendees at the front of the line voiced support for the protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.

Andrew Marr, the first to arrive for the lecture more than three hours early, traveled from Garner, Iowa, to attend and said the protesters were within their rights as long as they were acting lawfully.

“I think everybody has the right to have their voice heard and protest,” Marr said. “I think it’s certainly one forum within our democracy.”

Caitlyn Neumann, a Cedar Rapids resident who was the second attendee in line, also did not oppose a protest to Knowles’ lecture.

“That’s what makes this country so great is that we have the freedom to have differing opinions,” Neumann said.

By the lecture’s 7 p.m. start, all 250 seats in the IMU International Ballroom were filled. At this point, the protesters moved to the corner of Madison and Jefferson Street, directly outside the IMU, with organizers urging participants to avoid blocking the building’s entrances and exits or obstructing roadways.

Protest leaders also advised participants to be aware of UI police presence and to cover any tattoos or identifying jewelry, claiming UI police unfairly target protesters.

As Knowles took the stage, protesters outside chanted, “We will not be silenced by transphobic violence” and “UIPD go away, trans people are here to stay.”

Jordan said she coordinated with UI Campus Safety and the threat assessment team ahead of the event due to the planned protest, noting these plans were also communicated to Knowles’ security team.

“We’ve had plenty of instances with protests,” Jordan said, referring to past YAF events. “We just want to make sure that our attendees feel safe attending the event.”

For safety purposes, attendees were not allowed to bring bags into the event and had to walk through a metal detector before entering. There were also law enforcement officers at the entrances to the IMU and inside the ballroom, as well as UI security guards. 

In an email to The Daily Iowan, Campus Safety Public Information Officer Hayley Bruce said the department was aware of planned protests and had protocols in place.

Knowles spoke for a half hour, sharply criticizing the mainstream media’s portrayal of issues around President-elect Trump, economic conditions, and national security, while denouncing what he described as the left’s dishonest promotion of “transgender ideology” and Marxist principles as attempts to divide society.

The next half hour featured audience questions, with Knowles inviting dissenting attendees to come forward first. He took eight questions, including a statement supporting trans rights that drew extended applause. Knowles reiterated his view that transgender identity disregards biology and defended traditional views on sexuality and marriage. 

When one attendee brought up Knowles’ portrayal of a queer character in a student film, Knowles responded that it was simply acting and contrasted his stance on homosexuality as a behavior with his belief that transgender ideology is a fundamental attack on truth.

When the lecture ended around 8 p.m., more people had joined the protest outside, amassing a crowd of about 75. As attendees left the IMU, the protesters stood on the Madison Street sidewalk outside the building repeatedly chanting, “F*** you fascists,” seemingly directed at the attendees leaving.

On the other side of Madison Street, some attendees lingered to observe the protesters, with some shouting back, “F*** your president.”

Owen Ransford, a first-year UI student among the crowd leaving the lecture, said he did not appreciate the rhetoric of the protesters.

RELATED: Hundreds protest, attend lecture of conservative commentator Matt Walsh at UI

“All we did was go to a talk,” Ransford said. “It’s not very nice of them to call us fascists.”

Ransford said he considered voting Democrat in last week’s election, but he feels isolated by left-wing rhetoric he described as hateful.

Around 8:30 p.m., about 10 lecture attendees, some wearing Trump merchandise, crossed the street and positioned themselves near the protesters, playing loud music on a stereo and displaying an iPad with an electoral map, sparking a shouting match as UI police officers observed nearby.

One protester, Brandon Dix, stepped forward and stood closely in front of a counter-protester with the stereo without engaging directly. After about 10 minutes, the counter-protesters left, saying they would “give” the block to the protesters for the night.

“I’m just here to make sure the kids get home safe,” Dix said. “These folks are out here supporting something, trying to support their community and to be for something.”

Dix said he did not like that the counter-protesters seemed to just instigate conflict.

“Hopefully, one day he’ll look back at himself and realize how stupid that is,” Dix said, referring to the counter-protester with the stereo.

Dix expressed his willingness to speak publicly, noting he had attended nearly every protest against YAF speakers on campus. He acknowledged that many student protesters present were hesitant to give statements due to concerns about being targeted by law enforcement.

“They can be anonymous, for sure, because they need to be,” Dix said.

By 9 p.m., most of the protesters and attendees had left.

Jordan said she was happy to see protesters outside the IMU and inside the lecture participating in the question and answer segment, noting that freedom of speech is one of YAF’s foundational values.