Former special agent explains why FBI kept Kirk shooter’s identity secret
President Donald Trump on Friday said that a suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination had been captured, ending a tense two-day manhunt after the FBI had circulated video and images of the suspect but withheld his name.
Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital that the strategy was intentional — designed to protect both the investigation and public safety — and it mirrored the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing probe.
Pack said withholding the suspect’s identity can help generate stronger public tips by focusing attention on confirmed images rather than unverified names.
“You need biometrics, records and independent confirmation before you hang a name on a suspect. That protects the public and the case,” Pack said. “Same playbook we used in Boston. Show the public what you are certain about to trigger quality tips and hold what is not yet courtroom-ready.”
ARREST MADE IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION AT UTAH UNIVERSITY EVENT
Pack said withholding a name is crucial until investigators have a positive ID that meets a prosecutable threshold and until all notification steps are handled.
The FBI also withheld names during the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, when the Tsarnaev brothers were first known through images, and in the 2020 Nashville Christmas Day bombing, when DNA testing was used to confirm the suspect’s identity before authorities made an announcement.
“In Nashville, we had the person’s ID and suspected who he was a couple of days before,” Pack said. “But we wanted to make sure through DNA and forensic testing that it was the person and not someone whose wallet had been stolen. So we had to wait for confirmation at least initially.”
Authorities said Kirk’s killer wore Converse sneakers, which drew widespread attention in surveillance footage.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
“Footwear alone does not define tradecraft,” Pack said. “Some offenders choose non-tactical shoes to blend on sidewalks, move quietly, or to misdirect. It could be comfort, availability, or deliberate disguise. Investigators will weigh gait, wear patterns and outsole marks against any scene impressions, not just the brand.”
A $100,000 reward for information on the killer was announced as law enforcement sought the public’s help.
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Pack explained that reward figures are not set according to a rigid formula — they are adjusted depending on the level of threat to the community, the urgency of the case and the funding available from law enforcement and partner agencies.
In this case, with a gunman at large after a high-profile political assassination, officials opted for a high figure up front to generate leads quickly, he said.
“There was a lot of pressure on law enforcement,” Pack said. “They wanted to get it right.”
Utah governor announcement reveals political motive in Charlie Kirk murder case
The rifle that federal investigators believe was used in the shooting that killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk contained ammunition inscribed with anti-fascist messaging, shedding light on the suspect’s motive.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed the messaging at a news conference Friday, saying investigators discovered inscriptions on casings found with a bolt-action rifle near the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk was killed during an event.
One used casing and three unused casings contained the writings, Cox said.
News of the ammunition inscriptions was first shared on social media Thursday morning in a preliminary bulletin attributed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
SECRET SERVICE UNDER PRESSURE: WHAT KIRK’S ASSASSINATION MEANS FOR TRUMP’S SECURITY
According to the bulletin, circulated on X by political commentator Steven Crowder, federal officials recovered a .30-05 caliber Mauser rifle in the woods that contained “engravings,” including messaging expressing anti-fascist ideology and other messages.
Fox News Digital confirmed the veracity of the ATF bulletin through talking to multiple sources, but the sources stressed on Thursday that the information was preliminary.
DEMS, GOP LAWMAKERS JOIN FORCES TO CONDEMN POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK SHOT
The information about the firearm surfaced nearly 24 hours after Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking engagement in Utah. Both his graphic death and the scant public information revealed in the early hours of the investigation into his killing left the nation reeling and revived heated debate about political violence in the U.S.
Law enforcement officials worked frantically in the aftermath of Kirk’s death to track down and arrest the gunman, who they announced Friday was Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah man.
Cox on Friday called the shooting a “political assassination.”
WHAT IS A BOLT ACTION RIFLE? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE GUN USED TO KILL CHARLIE KIRK
“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual,” Cox said. “It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment.”
FBI Director Kash Patel laid out the timeline of the investigation Friday, saying it took the FBI and Utah law enforcement 33 hours to make an arrest. Patel said authorities made “historic progress” in such a short duration of time.
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The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office released an image Thursday of a man they had said was a “person of interest” in Kirk’s death and asked the public for help identifying him. The bureau also announced it was offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Cox said a tip from a family friend of Robinson’s led to his arrest.
Timeline tracks suspected assassin’s steps before Charlie Kirk was killed in Utah
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday afternoon.
Kirk was speaking on campus when a single shot was fired from the roof of a nearby building, which killed the conservative icon. Authorities announced on Friday that a suspect had been arrested.
Here’s a timeline of events leading up to the assassination and arrest:
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT TYLER ROBINSON NAMED, MUGSHOTS RELEASED
Wednesday, Sept. 10
11:52 a.m. MT – Suspect arrives at Utah Valley University
Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said during a news conference on Thursday that the suspect arrived at Utah Valley University (UVU) at 11:52 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The suspect then went to the Losee Center on campus.
“Starting at 11:52 a.m. this subject arrived on campus. Shortly away from campus, we have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof across the roof to the shooting location,” Mason said.
CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN IDENTIFIED AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OF INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE VOICE IN UTAH
12 p.m. – Start of event
TPUSA’s event at UVU’s courtyard featuring Kirk kicked off. A massive crowd formed around a white tent with text reading “THE AMERICAN COMEBACK” and “PROVE ME WRONG.” An event organizer told Fox News Digital that around 1,400 people RSVP’d for the event.
12:20 p.m. – Shot fired
University spokeswoman Ellen Treanor told Fox News Digital that the shooting began at 12:20 p.m. and came from a building located around 200 yards from the speaker. Kirk was answering a question from an individual in the audience when a shot was fired, hitting him in the neck. Kirk was transported to a local hospital.
Students and people attending the event can be seen rushing to leave the area. The shooter jumped down a side of the building and went into a nearby neighborhood, officials said.
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: DISPATCH AUDIO REVEALS SUSPECT IN BLACK TACTICAL GEAR, CARRYING LONG GUN
12:22-12:30 p.m. – Campus is cleared
UVU said police went “building to building” escorting students and staff off campus grounds.
The campus was immediately evacuated and locked down. Classes were suspended through Sept. 14.
According to a school spokesperson, UVU Police, in conjunction with the Orem Police Department, Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI, started investigating the shooting.
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION WITNESSES DESCRIBE MINIMAL SECURITY, HORRIFYING SHOOTING
12:53 p.m. – FBI Director Kash Patel said agents responding
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents responded quickly to the scene.
“We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” Patel said. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
PHOTO GALLERY: CHARLIE KIRK THROUGH THE YEARS
Shortly after the shooting, UVU announced that a suspect was in custody, but did not publicly identify the suspect.
Shortly after the initial announcement, a UVU spokesperson told Fox News Digital the suspect who was initially in custody had since been released.
1:40 p.m. – President Donald Trump confirms Kirk is dead
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT EVADES MANHUNT AS INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE SECURITY FOOTAGE
4:21 p.m. – Patel announces another suspect in custody
“The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,” Patel wrote in an update on X. “Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with the FBI. We will provide updates when able.”
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
5:59 p.m. – Patel announces suspect released
“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” Patel wrote in a post on X.
Thursday, Sept. 11
7:15 a.m. MT – FBI, Utah police hold news conference on manhunt
Investigators said they had obtained security camera video from the UVU campus showing a suspect dressed in all black.
Robert Bohls, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office, spoke at the event alongside Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason.
“After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled, off of the campus and into a neighborhood,” Mason said.
VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE ASSASSINATION OF TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK
Authorities recover suspected murder weapon
Bohls said they recovered what they believe to be the gun used to assassinate Kirk.
The weapon “is a high-powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. So the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected footwear, the impression of a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis,” Bohls said.
“We are not sure how far he has gone,” Bohls added about the assassin.
Investigators added that they believe Kirk’s killer is “of college age.”
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9:48 a.m. – FBI releases photos of person of interest
“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City office wrote on X.
10:44 a.m. – FBI offers reward for help cracking case
The FBI said in a post on X that it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 “for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Friday, Sept. 12
8 a.m. ET – Trump announces suspect in custody
In a First on Fox announcement, Trump said that a suspect had been arrested.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.”
“Everyone did a great job. We worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job,” Trump added.
9:35 a.m. – Suspect identified
Sources told Fox News that the suspect had been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.
10:15 a.m. – Patel says suspect arrested in ‘historic’ time
At a news conference on Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel said Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time Thursday, less than 34 hours after the assassination.
“The suspect was apprehended in historic time period,” he said.
Patel said the first FBI agents arrived on the scene of the assassination 16 minutes after Kirk was shot and immediately launched “fixed-wing assets.”
“We utilize these assets to transport personnel, specialty technicians, hostage rescue teams,” he said. “We also utilize these assets to go back and forth from the East Coast, and here in Utah to transport forensic evidence and other evidence that will be analyzed and is being analyzed at our FBI laboratories in Quantico and other laboratories, including the ATF and my direction.
“The FBI released the first set of FBI photos of the suspect at 10 a.m. local time on 9/11. Then shortly thereafter, the FBI reward of $100,000 was released at 10:45 a.m. local. Myself and Deputy Director Bongino arrived on the scene at approximately 5:30 p.m. on 9/11. The governor led a press conference last night at approximately 8 p.m. The FBI released a never-before-seen video of the suspect. We also released new images to the public of the suspect. And just last night, the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time in less than 36 hours. 33, to be precise. Thanks to the full weight of the federal government and leading out with the partners here in the state of Utah and Gov. Cox.”
10:45 a.m. – Utah State University confirms connection
“Utah State University confirms that Tyler Robinson, the suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021,” the school said in a statement.
“We can also confirm that he was a pre-engineering major and took classes consistent with that major for his one semester,” the university added.
Former NFL player mocks Charlie Kirk after shooting in vulgar social media rant
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe made controversial comments on BlueSky this week following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Kluwe, who was fired from his job as a high school football coach earlier this year after calling the MAGA movement a “Nazi” movement, sent an expletive-ridden post praising Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for dismissing the idea that Democrat rhetoric led to the assassination.
“F—ing finally. Fight back against the bulls— framing that tries to make Dems responsible for everything. The GOP is choosing to create this kind of societal environment. They could stop it at any time. They have agency as well. They’re not f—ing children (except when, well, you know),” Kluwe wrote.
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Kluwe sent an earlier post suggesting Kirk created “the kind of society he currently lives in.”
“It is possible to hold both of these things true at the same time: 1) political violence is never an appropriate choice in a civilized society 2) Charlie Kirk’s dream is to create exactly the kind of society he currently lives in, as spoken from his own mouth,” Kluwe wrote.
Shortly after the shooting occurred, Kluwe sent a post seemingly mocking Kirk for getting shot.
Over a news article reporting Kirk had been shot, Kluwe wrote the caption, “<me sowing> ‘Hahaha yes! This rules!’ <me reaping> ‘what the f— <gets shot>.’”
Kluwe is currently running for California state assembly after his firing from coaching.
Back in February, Kluwe said he was fired from his job as a California high school football coach after a speech at a city council meeting in which he called MAGA a “Nazi movement.”
“Just got fired from being a freshman football coach, if you want to know what MAGA does to communities,” Kluwe wrote on BlueSky. “They don’t care about what helps people, because the school is certainly not going to find an ex-NFL player willing to coach there at that level, they only care about trying to hurt people.”
Kluwe later told CNN the school fired him because the incident was “getting too much attention.”
LIVE UPDATES: CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SPARKS MANHUNT AS SHOOTING SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE
Kluwe was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting that month when he was protesting Huntington Beach’s decision to display a plaque at a public library. The plaque used the words magical, alluring, galvanizing and adventurous, and their initials spelled MAGA.
A video from the meeting showed Kluwe criticizing the MAGA movement, calling it “a Nazi movement” and saying he would engage in civil disobedience. Kluwe later went to the front of the meeting, and police handcuffed him and led him out.
Days later, Kluwe made an appearance on CNN, and he did not back down from his stance.
“I believe we’re on the path that Nazi Germany went down under Hitler,” he said. “And I say that as a political science and history major, as someone who has studied history. And the parallels are very, very clear.”
Kluwe took issue with the Trump administration’s stance on transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports, among other issues.
“This administration is trying to put obedience over duty to the country. This administration is trying to thrust our country into turmoil in order to reap power for themselves. And I think regardless of political affiliation, all of us as Americans should be able to agree — no kings, no tyrants, not now, not ever,” Kluwe said.
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Kluwe punted for the Minnesota Vikings from 2005-12.
Conservative students fear for safety as peers ‘celebrate’ Kirk’s murder on campus
After the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a Utah campus event on Wednesday, conservative students at Boston University (BU) are calling on university leaders to protect them from violence or intimidation.
BU College Republicans Vice President Philip Wohltorf, who also works as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts State Senate, told Fox News Digital that Kirk’s death has left conservative students shaken.
“Universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas. If speakers or conservatives now have to worry about being shot or facing violence, then this marketplace closes,” Wohltorf said.
The group sent a letter Thursday to BU President Melissa Gilliam asking the university to hold accountable students promoting violence in the wake of the tragedy and provide “appropriate security” for upcoming College Republican events. The letter also accused the university of fostering a culture where conservative students felt intimidated to share their views.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY STAFF MEMBER MADE SOCIAL MEDIA POST SAYING DOGE EMPLOYEES ARE WANTED ‘DEAD OR ALIVE’
“At BU, conservative students have long been marginalized, silenced by fear of social intimidation, academic penalty or hostility,” the students wrote. “Rather than fostering intellectual diversity, the university has allowed a single ideological perspective to dominate, leaving students of differing opinions isolated.”
Wohltorf said he was dismayed to see comments from some students on social media forums like Reddit and Yik Yak celebrating Kirk’s death, calling the posts “disgusting.”
“We may disagree with one another, but at the end of the day, we should talk rather than shooting people or committing violent acts,” he said.
The club, which recently began publicizing its meeting times, now fears openness could make it a target.
“We want to make sure this stays a safe space for our members,” Wohltorf said, adding that some students have already asked for security at their next meeting.
CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE
Despite the fear, Wohltorf said the group feels compelled to carry on Kirk’s legacy of free speech and debate. In the past 24 hours, he said several new students have signed up for the College Republicans’ mailing list and pledged to attend their next meeting.
Wohltorf said his university reflects a broader “diversity of thought problem” in higher education. He pointed to a 2023 survey from the Harvard Crimson that found just under 3% of Harvard professors in the Arts and Sciences departments identified as conservative, while more than 75% identified as liberal. In the 2025 annual survey, the number of faculty who identified as conservative rose to 9%.
He said colleges should commit to hiring more conservative professors and encourage open dialogue between students of different views.
Attempts to spark that debate on campus have been met with silence, according to Wohltorf, who said he has repeatedly reached out to left-leaning student groups about hosting a debate but has been ignored.
FLASHBACK: CHARLIE KIRK WARNED OF LEFT-WING ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE’ MONTHS BEFORE HIS MURDER
Kirk was known for welcoming debate and challenging liberal orthodoxy on college campuses. He had just kicked off Turning Point USA’s “The America Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10 when he was fatally shot by a gunman.
Wohltorf said Kirk left a legacy for conservative students to follow.
“We feel obligated to continue Charlie Kirk’s mission and legacy because he stood for free speech, the First Amendment, and challenging one another on campus through debates and ideas,” Wohltorf said.
A spokesperson said Gilliam plans on addressing the letter and pointed to BU’s policy welcoming all students to express their political beliefs and have healthy dialogue.
“We work hard to foster civil discourse among the BU community. As you may know, we’ve had world leaders, controversial speakers, etc., at BU many times over the years, and we take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of our guests and the BU community. We’ll continue to do so with the assistance and coordination with appropriate local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. We condemn violence and our hearts go out to the Kirk family, his friends and supporters, and to every American,” the spokesperson added in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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Dem lawmaker calls murder victim a ‘random dead person’ during committee clash
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, referred to Kayla Hamilton, a young woman murdered by an MS-13 illegal immigrant, as a “random dead person” during a Wednesday House Judiciary Committee markup discussing a bill written in her name.
Kayla Hamilton, 20, was sexually assaulted, restrained, and strangled to death by Walter Javier Martinez, a 17-year-old migrant in the U.S. under Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) status. Martinez was sentenced to 70 years in prison in April.
“You take a situation, and then you exploit what has happened to not only that person, but you exploit those families, and you make it a game,” Crockett shouted during the committee debate. “Stop just throwing a random dead person’s name on something for your own political expediency.”
CROCKETT BLASTED FOR SAYING THE POINT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ‘ISN’T TO PREVENT CRIME’
Prior to her statement, Crockett argued that Republicans were ignoring the alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein, telling GOP members to “stop pretending like you care” about the individuals which certain pieces of legislation are named after.
“Y’all find one terrible situation that took place, and then you say that person’s name, and you wear it out, and you make it political,” Crockett added.
The committee was debating a bill by Congressman Russell Fry, R-S.C., the Kayla Hamilton Act, which would mandate the Department of Health and Human Services secretary to determine whether an illegal immigrant under the age of 18, or unaccompanied alien child, poses a danger to themselves or their community.
ICE ARRESTS SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER WHO WAS LIVING ‘JUST STEPS’ AWAY FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL
Fry responded to Crockett’s comments in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying for Crockett “to dismiss her life so callously is not only disgusting rhetoric, it’s shameful behavior.”
“Let me be clear: Kayla Hamilton was not just a random person,” Fry told Fox. “She was a young woman with a family and a future.”
“Sadly, this is what we’ve come to expect from Democrats, who will take any opportunity to downplay the tragedy of Americans killed by criminal illegal aliens,” Fry added. “I expect Mrs. Crockett to issue a full, public apology to Kayla’s family and to every American who has suffered because of her party’s reckless, open-borders agenda.”
RADICAL HOUSE DEM APPOINTED TO GOP-LED COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING JANUARY 6: ‘WE WILL EXPOSE THE LIES’
Fox News Digital spoke with Kayla Hamilton’s mother in July, who emphasized the positive impact that this legislation could have.
“The Kayla Hamilton Act is necessary to ensure background checks of unaccompanied alien children occur before they are released, Tammy Nobles, Kayla’s mother, told Fox. “If that had happened in the case of Kayla’s murderer, authorities would have known he was an MS-13 gang member.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office but did not receive a response.
New polls reveal which candidate has commanding lead in heated NYC mayoral race
With less than two months to go until Election Day, Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding lead over his rivals for New York City mayor, according to two new polls.
Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination, is sitting on 22-point margins over Cuomo and the rest of the field in the two new surveys.
Mamdani grabs 45% support among likely New York City voters in a Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday.
CUOMO SHAKES UP CAMPAIGN IN BID TO TAKE DOWN MAMDANI
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, stands at 23% support in the survey, which was conducted Sept. 4-8.
Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democrat-dominated city, stands at 15%. And embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent after deciding to skip the Democratic primary amid anemic polling, grabbed 12% support in the survey.
MAMDANI RIVALS DEFIANT AGAINST DROPPING OUT DESPITE FACING LONG ODDS IN NYC MAYOR BATTLE
Mamdani’s margin over Cuomo in the Quinnipiac poll was the same as his 46%-24% lead over the former governor in a New York Times/Siena College survey released on Tuesday.
“In a mayoral race that seems to grow more intense by the day, Zohran Mamdani has the wind at his back less than two months until Election Day,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Mary Snow said.
Both Sliwa and Adams have repeatedly committed to staying in the race in recent weeks amid multiple reports that President Donald Trump’s advisors floated administration roles for both mayoral hopefuls if they dropped out.
TRUMP SAYS CUOMO’S GOT A ‘GOOD SHOT’ OF BEATING MAMDANI IN NYC MAYOR ELECTION
Trump, a native New Yorker who now calls Florida home, has urged that the field narrow in order to defeat Mamdani, whom the president repeatedly claims is a communist.
“I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one on one. And I think that’s a race that could be won,” Trump said last week.
The Quinnipiac poll suggested that if Adams ended his re-election campaign, Mamdani would lead Cuomo 46%-30% with Sliwa at 17%.
But the New York Times/Siena survey, which was in the field Sept. 2-6, pointed to Mamdani edging Cuomo 48%-44% in a hypothetical two-candidate match-up.
The Quinnipiac poll suggests Mamdani backers are more enthusiastic (91%) about their candidate than Cuomo (75%), Adams (75%) or Sliwa (79%) supporters.
“Mamdani’s edge on enthusiasm among supporters is a plus,” Snow noted.
If he wins November’s general election, the Ugandan-born Mamdani would make history as the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of the nation’s most populous city.
Mamdani surged to the Democratic primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a grassroots army of supporters and backing from top national progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.
Among a list of nine issues offered, 30% of respondents in the poll said that crime was the most pressing matter, with 21% saying affordable housing and 13% naming inflation. No other issue cracked double digits.
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Just over two-thirds of likely voters questioned said they were dissatisfied with the way things are going in New York City. And two-thirds said they disapprove of the way Adams is handling his job as mayor.
A majority of those polled said they want the next mayor to stand up to Trump on immigration (60%) and on crime (56%), with less than four in ten saying they want the next mayor to do more to work with the president on both issues.
Former Biden spokesperson grilled by GOP after public falling out with Democrats
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is appearing before the House Oversight Committee on Friday for a high-profile interview on whether senior staffers worked to obscure signs of mental decline in then-President Joe Biden.
Jean-Pierre is one of the highest-profile figures so far to appear before the committee, having been the most public-facing spokesperson for Biden from May 2022 until the end of his term.
The longtime Democrat-turned-Independent did not speak to reporters on her way into her closed-door transcribed interview with House investigators, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and is likely to last into the afternoon.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether there was a cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical state in the White House, and whether any executive actions were approved via autopen without the then-president’s full awareness.
LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION
Comer told reporters on his way to the deposition, “We intentionally wanted Jean-Pierre to be one of the last people we bring in.” He noted that investigators were particularly interested in the contents of her new book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”
“This is a serious investigation about the legality of the use of the autopen, the excessive use of the autopen, and whether or not Joe Biden had any idea who was using the autopen and what the autopen was used to sign, with respect to legal documents,” Comer said.
Of particular interest to committee investigators are the myriad clemency orders Biden signed, including about 2,500 toward the end of his presidency that were executed via autopen.
Biden himself told The New York Times recently that he made every clemency decision on his own. His allies have also blasted the Republican-led probe as a partisan exercise.
Jean-Pierre was among those who publicly defended Biden in the wake of his disastrous June 2024 debate against then-candidate Donald Trump. She told reporters at a press briefing in early July that Biden was “as sharp as ever.”
But unlike other ex-Biden administration aides who have appeared ahead of her – many of whom still hold close ties and fierce loyalty to Biden – Jean-Pierre had a very public falling out with their world earlier this year.
In June, Jean-Pierre announced she was writing a book titled “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”
She also announced she was leaving the Democratic Party in a press release for that book, expected in October 2025.
A summary for her book suggests it is about “the three weeks that led to Biden’s abandonment of his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision.”
The announcement was reportedly met with scorn by others in Biden’s orbit.
“The hubris of thinking you can position yourself as an outsider when you not only have enjoyed the perks of extreme proximity to power — which…bestows the name recognition needed to sell books off your name — but have actively wielded it from the biggest pulpit there is, is as breathtaking as it is desperate,” one former official told Axios.
RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE
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Another person told the outlet she “was one of the most ineffectual and unprepared people I’ve ever worked with.”
Comer sent a letter to Jean-Pierre in late June asking her to appear for an interview, in which he pointed out she was “a trusted inner-circle confidante” and “near the president daily.”
“Your assertion, on multiple occasions, that President Biden’s decline was attributable to such tactics as ‘cheap fakes’ or ‘misinformation’ cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response,” Comer wrote.