‘Etched in time’: Erika Kirk shares late husband’s powerful ‘Jordan photo’
Erika Kirk, the wife of murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk, spoke about her late husband’s love for sports and how the pair bonded over how he believed NBA legend Michael Jordan was the Greatest Of All Time.
She also shared a photo of her husband that she said was his “Jordan photo.” She said it was one of the last pictures taken of him alive.
“You loved witnessing excellence,” Erika Kirk wrote on Instagram. “It’s why you loved sports so much. You loved watching the best of the best perform at the level of greatness God intended for them.”
“When we first started dating, we went to the basketball court to shoot around. I loved seeing you in that element because time was irrelevant. It was just us, the sound of sneakers squeaking and jump shots. We bonded over how Jordan was the GOAT and you told me about your basketball days in high school and I told you about my basketball days in college. Just two athletes escaping the demands of the world for a minute,” she continued.
She also recalled a red bracelet on his wrist that he never removed.
“You never took it off, it said ‘work harder, be better.’ And everyday you did just that. Years later, one day after an event on campus a student asked you about your bracelet, and you gave it to them. I have no idea who that student was or where they are today, but I have no doubt they’re working harder and being better, because you set the tone,” she said.
Erika Kirk said the photo she shared “is one of the last photos taken of you before you were murdered.”
“I look at it and can’t help but see excellence,” she said. “You’re in your element. You’re in athlete mode. Training for this exact moment, mind, body, and soul. To me, this is your “Jordan” photo. Permanently etched in time, held in my heart, as I admire your greatness. Forever.”
“I pray you’ve had the most amazing week in Heaven @charliekirk1776 I love you,” she concluded.
Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination,
some colleges are addressing concerns about campus events and the safety of public speakers.
In a Friday post on X, Inez Feltscher Stepman, a senior policy and legal analyst for Independent Women’s Forum and Independent Women’s Law Center, said Kirk’s death could result in fewer events for conservatives on college campuses.
“This assassination will accomplish what the left has tried to do for so long: significantly shut down conservative speech on college campuses,” Stepman wrote.
“Not because of a lack of bravery, but because of logistics,” she added. “No more outdoor events, no more events without very serious security. And that costs big money that most orgs don’t have, and universities are only too happy to say they can’t manage. Already they were using ‘security’ concerns to punish [right-wing] orgs and prevent them from hosting speakers. Now there’s a real reason. The Assassin’s Veto.”
For example, University of Florida’s director of public affairs Cynthia Roldán Hernández told Fox News Digital that the school would not share security plans due to ensuring safety and security.
“However: As a world-class research institution, the University of Florida has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to free speech and civil discourse,” Roldán Hernández said. “UF will continue to ensure that individuals are able to express their ideas, free from bullying, violence, or any other type of disruptive behavior.” This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Rachel del Guidice.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy argued that Disney pulling ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” amid pressure from the Trump administration is not an example of cancel culture, which he describes as bringing up old social media posts in an attempt to have someone fired.
“With Kimmel getting canned I’m seeing lots of people talking about the hypocrisy of cancel culture,” Portnoy said on X. “To me Cancel culture is when people go out of their way to dig up old tweets, videos etc looking for dirt on somebody they don’t like in an effort to get them fired.”
“Like if Kimmel got canceled for s–t he did on the Man Show that would be cancel culture,” he continued. “But when a person says something that a ton of people find offensive, rude, dumb in real time and then that person is punished for it that’s not cancel culture. That is consequences for your actions.”
The Federal Communications Commission successfully pressured broadcasters to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show following comments he made about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video addressing rumors that his country was responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk
last week in Utah, calling it a “monstrous big lie” as he also argued that the slain conservative activist “loved Israel.”
“Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, said that the bigger the lie, the faster it will spread,” Netanyahu said in the clip. “Well, somebody has fabricated a monstrous big lie that Israel had something to do with Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder. This is insane. It is false. It is outrageous.”
“Charlie Kirk was a giant, a once-in-a-century talent who defended freedom, defended America, defended our common Judeo-Christian civilization,” he continued. “Charlie loved Israel. He loved the Jewish people. He told me so in a letter that he sent me just a few months ago.”
“‘One of my greatest joys as a Christian,’ he said, ‘is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews to protect Judeo-Christian civilization,'” the prime minister added. “He encouraged me to make the case directly to the American people about how vital Israel is to U.S. national security. He told me, ‘the Holy Land is so important to my life, it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.'”
Netanyahu said if Kirk disagreed sometimes with his policies or decisions, he “welcomed it.”
“This is the essence of Charlie. This is the essence of a free country. It’s exactly what Charlie stood for. And I knew that his suggestions always came from the heart, from his love for Israel and from his love for the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said.
“A few weeks before his death, I spoke to Charlie. I invited him to visit Israel again. And sadly, that won’t happen. Now, some are peddling these disgusting rumors, perhaps out of obsession, perhaps with Qatari funding. What I do know is this, Charlie Kirk was a great man, and a great man deserves honor, not lies. Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. May your memory be a blessing,” he continued.
Comedian Roseanne Barr responded to critics who took issue with the Trump administration pressuring broadcast networks to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” over the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk.
“Yeah imagine an administration putting pressure on a television channel to fire a comedian they didn’t like,” Barr replied on X to Atlantic writer David Frum, who initially suggested conservatives would have reacted differently if the Biden administration demanded conservative television hosts be fired for comments.
Barr was referring to her firing from ABC over racist social media posts in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term.
This comes after the Federal Communications Commission successfully pressured broadcasters to pull Kimmel’s show following comments he made about alleged Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said he expects broadcasters and programs with FCC licenses to “broadly serve the public interest,” after the agency’s pressure led to the suspension of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Carr made the comments during a Wednesday appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“They are now facing the consequences of the choices they have made to appeal to a very narrow audience. You can do that, you can start a podcast, but if you are going to have a license with the FCC, we expect you to broadly serve the public interest,” Carr said.
This comes after Disney’s move to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments Kimmel made about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
Nexstar and Sinclair each announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show on their ABC affiliates and would replace it with other programming over his remarks about Robinson. Sinclair is also set to air a one-hour tribute to Kirk on Friday across all of its ABC-affiliated TV stations in the time slot typically used for Kimmel’s show.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Monday.
SAG-AFTRA, a labor union that represents media professionals, condemned the move to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following his comments about Charlie Kirk’s killer.
“Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.
The group emphasized that democracy “thrives when diverse points of view are expressed.”
“The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms,” the group said.
“SAG-AFTRA stands with all media artists and defends their right to express their diverse points of view, and everyone’s right to hear them,” it added.
This comes after Disney’s move to pull ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments he made about alleged Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Monday.
Nexstar and Sinclair each announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show on their ABC affiliates and would replace it with other programming over his comments about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
Sinclair is set to air a one-hour tribute to Kirk on Friday across all of its ABC-affiliated TV stations in the time slot typically used for Kimmel’s show.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said the Trump administration is using political violence for its “political gain” by “attacking free speech” through its targeting of liberal groups and organizations.
Martin said the murder of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman in June and the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week were “tragedies.”
“But in the aftermath of last week, Donald Trump and his administration are using political violence for their political gain by attacking free speech,” he wrote on X.
“That’s not how we heal as a nation,” he added.
Utah Valley University students were seen on Wednesday mourning and paying respects at the American flag placed over the spot where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered last week.
This comes as classes resume for the first time on campus since Kirk was assassinated while speaking at an event at the university.
Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
Sinclair Broadcast Group
said it would air a one-hour tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday across all of its ABC-affiliated TV stations.
The program is set to air in the 11:35 p.m. time slot, which was typically used for “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
“Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during the Jimmy Kimmel Live! timeslot,” Sinclair wrote on X. “The special will also air across all Sinclair stations this weekend. In addition, Sinclair is offering the special to all ABC affiliates across the country.”
This comes after Disney’s move to pull ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments he made about alleged Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Monday.
The president of Utah Valley University said she feels a “tremendous amount of grief” when looking at the space where Charlie Kirk was assassinated last week.
“When I see the space behind me, I feel a tremendous amount of grief. In part, that’s because I understand loss,” Astrid Tuminez told Fox News’ Matt Finn. “So the pain, the hurt, the grief, it’s real. We are human. And I have been emphasizing here at UVU that we must elevate our human connection.
“It is really only in that sphere of human connection that we begin to heal and have more conversations with one another and have more patience, compassion, and understanding,” she added.
Tuminez spoke about trying to restore a sense community on campus as students return to class since Kirk’s was assassinated.
“What we’ve done this week as an administration is cancel most events with a few exceptions,” she said. “We will return to activities as normal and really secure our environment as effectively as possible.”
“We have asked all of our professors to be flexible with our students because as they are navigating this return, some of them need more time, whether they want to drop courses or need help with financial aid or help with extra time for homework and assignments,” she added. “So one of our core principles this week is really flexibility.”
Vice President JD Vance
said people who celebrate the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk are “evil,” emphasizing in a one-on-one interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters on Wednesday in Michigan that the “evil” is “in the public eye for all to see.”
“Well, one way you wrap your head around it is disgusting, evil,” Vance said. “What kind of person looks at a grieving young mother at two beautiful young kids and feels a certain sense of celebration? I don’t know if it’s a couple of people, I don’t know if it’s thousands of people, but I would ask if you were the kind of person who feels joy at the death of a grieving mother and grieving children, what bad decisions have led you to where you are today? And why don’t you get back on the right path?”
“I really believe that there are people who recognize that the joy that they’re feeling, the celebration they’re feeling at Charlie’s death is evidence of evil within them, and they have to extinguish that evil,” he continued. “I’ve even seen some social media posts where people have said, you know, ‘I was feeling kind of good about this guy dying and now I realized that there was something wrong in me.’ That’s another way, I think that God is speaking to people through Charlie’s death is these incredibly evil people celebrating it. We’re seeing it. We’re seeing that evil in the public eye for all to see.”
Vance added: “But I also think people are turning away from that evil because they recognize that it is so opposite of everything good and true and righteous in the world.”
President Donald Trump said Disney’s move to pull ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely is a “great move for America” and called on other networks to also end their late-night shows.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even [Stephen] Colbert, if that’s possible,” he continued. “That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
A Disney spokesperson said, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely.”
Nexstar Media Group, which owns hundreds of television stations, announced earlier it would preempt Kimmel’s show on its ABC affiliates starting Wednesday night “for the foreseeable future” and would replace it with other programming over his comments about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.
On Monday, Kimmel accused conservatives of reaching “new lows” in trying to pin a left-wing ideology on 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson, even though prosecutors reaffirmed those ties in Tuesday’s indictment.
We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Vice President JD Vance was the person who notified President Donald Trump that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been murdered, Vance said in a one-on-one interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters on Wednesday in Michigan.
“I was the person who walked into the Oval Office and said, ‘Mr. President, I’m sorry, but Charlie passed’ … Man, it was a bad, bad day,” Vance said.
“He went quiet. He shook his head and said ‘man he was a good guy we’re going to miss him,”‘ the vice president continued.
Vance added that he “wouldn’t be Vice President without Charlie Kirk.”
A group of Charlie Kirk supporters is petitioning Starbucks to honor the slain conservative activist by adding his signature tea order to menus nationwide.
The campaign, called “Get Charlie Kirk’s Starbucks Order On Every Starbucks Menu,” was launched on Change.org on Sept. 14.
In the petition description, the organizer wrote that Kirk’s murder has left “millions of people around the world … heartbroken, agonized and completely devastated.”
“To honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy … I and those who join me in signing this petition ask Starbucks to put Charlie Kirk’s order on their menus with the name ‘Kirk Special’ or ‘The Charlie Kirk’ or some other iteration containing his name,” the organizer added.
As of Sept. 17, the petition had accrued a modest 61 signatures and a handful of comments from supporters.
“I’m signing in honor of Charlie Kirk,” one comment read. “May his legacy of courage, conviction and love for this country continue to inspire others.”
Another person wrote, “I think this is important, to remember Charlie’s legacy.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis.
Disney is pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live
!” “indefinitely,” the company confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” the spokesperson said.
Liberal host Jimmy Kimmel ignited a firestorm over his comments about the alleged Charlie Kirk assassin.
Nexstar Media Group, which owns hundreds of television stations, announced earlier it would preempt Kimmel’s show starting Wednesday night “for the foreseeable future” and would replace it with other programming.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Nexstar’s broadcasting chief Andrew Alford said in a press release.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn.
The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines on Wednesday to table a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over comments about Charlie Kirk.
Four House Republicans voted with Democrats to table the legislation, effectively blocking it from receiving its own House-wide vote. A vote to table is a procedural mechanism allowing House members to vote against consideration of a bill without having to vote on the bill itself.
The measure was blocked in a narrow 214 to 213 vote. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Cory Mills, R-Fla.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., moved to force a vote on the resolution Tuesday by introducing it as “privileged,” a mechanism that requires House leaders to deal with a measure within two legislative days.
It’s part of the continued fallout from Omar’s remarks made days after Kirk’s assassination, which conservatives have accused of disparaging the conservative activist’s legacy.
She specifically faced backlash over an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, where she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She later accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, and she called Kirk’s death “mortifying.”
She previously told Zeteo days after Kirk’s assassination that he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind.
The House voted Wednesday to advance a resolution
honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, clearing the way for floor debate later this week.
Lawmakers voted in favor of advancing the measure and a bill to avert a government shutdown in a joint mechanism known as a “rule vote.”
The rule was adopted in a 216 to 210 vote along party lines. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is known to be opposing the federal funding bill, was the lone lawmaker from either side to vote “present.”
Massie explained to Fox News Digital that he vehemently supports the Kirk resolution, but opposed an unrelated provision in the rule that blocks Congress’ ability from weighing in on tariff policy.
“I’m a cosponsor of the Kirk resolution, and obviously I will vote for it, but shamefully they turned off Congress’s ability to vote on tariffs with this rule,” Massie said.
Rule votes are procedural hurdles that commonly tie together unrelated pieces of legislation that, if adopted, allow House lawmakers to debate each measure individually before respective votes.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind.
The roommate and lover of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin is in a “safe space very far away from St. George” Utah where the two were living together, authorities told Fox News’ Matt Finn.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby told Fox News that other law enforcement agencies aside from his are also talking to Lance Twiggs, who lived with Tyler Robinson.
On Wednesday, Brooksby said Robinson’s family should “lay low” for a while as the investigation continues into Kirk’s assassination.
More details have emerged about how alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson was turned over to police while the manhunt for a suspect ensued.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said at a news conference on Wednesday that he received a call from a law enforcement friend telling him Robinson, 22, was the shooter. Robinson reportedly had suicidal thoughts, but was convinced by his parents not to harm himself.
Brooksby said Robinson was afraid of a SWAT raid on his home and being shot by the police, which were also motives for willingly presenting himself to the sheriff’s office.
Robinson asked for a “peaceful, gentle” surrender, a condition to which the sheriff agreed in order to get him to turn himself in. He was described as “quiet and somber” upon apprehension.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca.
Tyler Robinson potentially had suicidal thoughts following the shooting of Charlie Kirk, but was convinced to turn himself in to authorities, officials said.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby was phoned by a retired law enforcement officer who knew Robinson’s family, who told him that they were trying to get the 22-year-old to voluntarily surrender to authorities, he said.
“During that phone call come information was provided about Tyler potentially having some suicidal ideations and was enroute to a remote area in Washington County,” Brooksby told reporters. “The parents convinced him not to do that and you know, conveyed that they would stand by him and help him, help him, surrender peacefully.”
Brooksby’s friend drove Robinson and his parents to the sheriff’s office within an hour of the phone call, he said.
“Tyler knew it was just inevitable with all the law enforcement pressure that he, his picture in the news, the gun, the gun on the news,” he said. “He knew it was inevitable., that he would be caught.”
“He was fearful of a SWAT team hit on his house, or he was fearful of being shot by law enforcement,” the sheriff added. “So part of the negotiation and getting him to bring himself in was that we would treat it as delicate and as soft as possible to make him feel comfortable to where he would show up at my office”
The family of suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson needs to stay out of the public eye for a while, authorities said, Wednesday.
“They need to lay low for a long time, unfortunately,” Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby told reporters during a news conference after being asked about the family of Tyler Robinson.
“So even, I’ll throw this out there. I have a second cousin with the last name Robinson, who happens to be an optometrist in town, and, he’s his office has been receiving threatening phone calls,” Brooksby added.
“Just give his last name. So. So to put somebody in that kind of, burden, it’s burdensome situation when they had nothing to do with it. No relation to the family. Just just think about how the actual individuals involved in this incident are feeling right now.”
Christian author Frank Turek, who was with Charlie Kirk when he was assassinated last week, detailed the conservative activist’s last moments.
Turek said Wednesday on his podcast that he was apart of a group of people who rushed in a car to get Kirk to a hospital after he was shot at Utah Valley University .
“Charlie’s so tall, we can’t close the doors. We drove four miles… all the way to the hospital with the door open,” he said.
At one point, Turek said he tried performing CPR on Kirk.
“Charlie wasn’t there. He eyes were fixed,” he said. “He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me right into eternity. He was with Jesus already. He was killed instantly.
Turek also relayed a message he said was from Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk.
“Now, here’s what Erika wants me to relate…,: he said. “He was looking past me right into eternity. He was with Jesus already. He was killed instantly and felt absolutely no pain.”
“If that’s any comfort at all, Charlie didn’t suffer,” he added.
Glenn Beck on Wednesday gave a emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk, placing Rush Limbaugh’s golden microphone in front of Kirk’s empty seat.
“I think it’s appropriate that it sits in front of Charlie’s microphone,” Beck said after placing mic on a desk during “The Charlie Kirk Show.”
“Charlie was a pastor and a priest and listening to way he could argue and think differently, he was a rabbi as well, and one of the best,” a visibly emotional Beck said. “He was a pollical organizer. He was a political think tank himself.”
Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said Charlie Kirk and the conservative movement he led was behind the election of President Trump.
Vance was speaking in Howell, Michigan when he thanked Kirk.
“Charlie Kirk created a movement and that movement made Donald J. Trump the President of United States,” he said. “And it made me the vice president of the United States.”
Vance later said Kirk was not only a political organizer in his eyes.
“And I’ll never forget it, Charlie, that I would not be here were it not for you,” he said. “He was a good guy. He was a good friend.”
FBI Director Kash Patel told House lawmakers Wednesday that this “is not a 1950s America anymore” and that “cyberspace needs to be tackled,” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Patel made the remark after being asked by Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, if he has noticed “a precipitous rise in political violence and other associated crimes that you have been investigating so far this year.”
“And if so, is this trend in motive, left wing or right wing violence?” Hunt asked Patel.
“I can always speak generally, sir. There’s too much political violence and it has been a precipitated rise on too many fronts,” Patel said.
“How do we solve this?” Hunt asked Patel.
“We solve this by giving the FBI
more authority to go into and work with the private sector. There are too many online platforms. There are too many social media platforms. There are too many gaming platforms,” Patel said. “There are too many places for people from America and around the world to get together without their parents knowing anything about it, without their schoolteachers knowing anything about it, and infesting the minds of our children and infecting them with radical ideology and that is the root cause of these problems, and we must tackle it.
“It is not a 1950s America anymore. In 2025, the cyberspace needs to be tackled,” Patel added.
The White House’s “Rapid Response” X account called Rep. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., a “disgrace” after he appeared to mix-up
Charlie Kirk’s name during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
The slip-up came after Nadler, citing an article from The New York Times, said, “President Trump and his allies have laid out a broad plan to target liberal groups, monitor speech, revoke visas and designate certain groups as domestic terrorists.”
“Politicizing the murder of Charlie King to go after free speech is not a legacy I believe Charlie King would have wanted,” Nadler declared.
“It’s Charlie KIRK, @RepJerryNadler, not ‘Charlie King,’” the White House Rapid Response X account said. “We didn’t think you could be a bigger disgrace, but here we are.”
OREM, Utah – While a large American flag drapes where conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Utah Valley University’s campus, students told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that campus feels “scary” and “somber.”
“This is somewhere that we go to further our lives, and it could also be the place where it ends our lives,” said James Whitney, a UVU student who told Fox News Digital that authorities “found the gun in my parents’ backyard.”
According to suspect Tyler Robinson’s
charging documents, investigators found a “bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel” in a wooded area on the northeast end of campus, but authorities have not confirmed the exact location.
One week after Kirk was shot while taking questions from UVU students, classes on the Orem campus resumed Wednesday. As students return to campus to pay their respects to Kirk and go back to class, many are still processing what they describe as an “extremely traumatic” incident.
Afton Miller, a UVU student who said she was 5 to 10 feet away from Kirk when he was shot, said to Fox News Digital as she was returning to the assassination site for the first time: “No one should ever be able to say I’ve witnessed a school shooting, let alone the assassination of one of your greatest heroes.”
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., pressed FBI Director Kash Patel Wednesday about how Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin Tyler Robinson allegedly “got up on the roof in the first place” when he opened fire a week ago at Utah Valley University.
“I think for members of Congress, especially after Butler in Pennsylvania, it’s just unimaginable that there could be some type of security breakdown prior to an event of that size where somebody could access a rooftop,” Fitzgerald said, referencing the attempted assassination last summer of Donald Trump, who was campaigning for president at the time.
“Not commenting on the case, but having gone to the crime scene and walked the steps that we believe were taken, the roof was actually readily accessible through an exterior stairwell so anyone could have gotten on it,” Patel said.
Fitzgerald also asked Patel if the shooter “may have had help in any way or assistance?”
“I can only speak to the FBI’s investigation, and our investigation is ongoing, and we are interviewing any of those individuals involved in that [Discord] chat and other individuals in the area.”
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday,
Patel revealed that the investigation into the assassination of Kirk expanded, with the bureau looking at numerous individuals who may have communicated with the suspect in online chats.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: A moderate House Democrat said he believes both Republicans and his own party have fallen short in their responses to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“I’m disappointed. I wish that there was more effort as a group, Democrats and Republicans, to express condolences for his family and for him, and to express the real sadness that it engenders,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital in an interview.
He warned later, “Punch, counter-punch is the natural reaction of most human beings. But we can’t just keep on doing this. It’s very destructive, and it’s a road to ruin.”
Suozzi said he believed leaders, in particular, on both sides of the aisle needed to do more.
“I don’t think there’s been enough of an effort to try and bring us together,” he said.
The New York lawmaker was one of a handful of Democrats who attended a memorial vigil in Kirk’s honor called by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
FBI Director Kash Patel vowed Wednesday that his agency is “following the money” when asked by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, about “radical organizations that are very specifically organized and targeting conservatives and ordinary Americans.”
“How about the organized effort to infiltrate our schools and advance transgender agenda and advance a radical agenda, perhaps one that we will see exposed further in the individual that actually shot Charlie Kirk?” Roy said.
“Here’s my question. Will you, as the director and are you, as the director, pursuing all legal channels to follow the truth, wherever it may lead on this organized effort? One. And two, do you agree that Congress should take all action necessary to expose this web of dollars that are flowing to undermine our way of life?” Roy asked Patel.
“Investigatively speaking, we are doing the following: We are following the money. We’re following the money and every organization and every person that is violating the federal code,” Patel responded. “And it doesn’t matter what your background or ideology is, we are following the money.”
“We are using legal process to following that money, issuing subpoenas to follow that money, using grand juries to follow that money. And when we have results to recommend for prosecution to the Department of Justice, we will do that,” Patel also said. “And we will continue to publicize documents through Congress, yes, when we make these findings.”
ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman apologized Thursday for angering some viewers by calling the correspondence between Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, and his transgender romantic partner “very touching.”
In an Instagram post, Gutman expressed regret over the remarks and condemned the shooting of the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder.
“Yesterday I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk – a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue – and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference,” he wrote. “I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear.”
While reporting from a press conference Wednesday where authorities announced murder charges against Robinson, Gutman commented on the emotion shown by the suspected assassin toward his transgender roommate in text messages related to the killing.
In texts between Robinson and his roommate, who law enforcement confirms has been in the process of transitioning, the suspect referred to the roommate as “my love” multiple times.
“I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem [sic] for a little while longer yet,” Robinson wrote in one exchange, according to the indictment. “Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
Gutman remarked on that part of the exchange.
“But, also, it was very touching in a way that many of us didn’t expect,” Gutman said. “A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love.'”
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday identified what it called dangerous political rhetoric targeting immigration enforcement in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, warning that such language is fueling violence against officers.
“This hateful rhetoric is contributing to political violence in our country and a more than 1,000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement,” the department told Fox News Digital.
“Following the evil act of political violence in the country and two brutal assaults on our brave ICE law enforcement last week, we are once again calling on the media and the far left to stop the hateful rhetoric directed at President Trump, those who support him, and our brave DHS law enforcement,” added Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said such “demonization” is inspiring violence nationwide:
“We have to turn down the temperature before someone else is killed,” she said.
In examples provided to Fox News Digital, DHS cited the “evil act of political violence witnessed… last week” when Kirk was murdered in Utah, plus two incidents during attempted capture of immigration suspects that led to severe injuries to officers.
“DHS is calling on the media, leftist groups, and sanctuary politicians to end their demonizing DHS law enforcement,” the department said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Wednesday the arrest of suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson took 33 hours to make, which was faster than tracking down UnitedHealth CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione and the Boston Marathon bombers.
“Let’s emphasize this — how many hours did it take from the assassination to the arrest of the assassin, Mr. Director?” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., asked Patel.
“Thirty-three,” he responded.
“That seems pretty swift. And it was because of the actual release of videos and photographs that you directed to be released, sir,” Biggs said.
“That’s correct. And to put it in perspective, the Boston bomber took five days and Luigi Mangione took five days,” Patel added.
FBI Director Kash Patel reiterated Wednesday that the family of Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson, “who has since been interrogated, specifically stated to FBI interrogators that because of the video that the FBI released at my direction, and because of the photographs that they released, they identified their son.
“They confronted their son when he swung by their home,” Patel said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the FBI. “And that’s what led to his apprehension.”
“We are still — the FBI — has that investigation ongoing, and it continues to be ongoing,” Patel also said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who is the Ranking Member of the committee, told Patel earlier, “When Charlie Kirk was assassinated while his killer was still on the loose, you decided you didn’t need to be at FBI headquarters in Washington to work with your team while the chaotic manhunt unfolded.
“You spent your evening dining in a swanky midtown Manhattan restaurant and tweeting out false information that the subject of the shooting was in custody, a statement you had to retract one hour later,” he continued. “Your performance was so disturbing that even the MAGA base was alarmed.”
“The FBI might be able to survive your delusions of grandeur and the explosively volatile temper that was on display yesterday in the Senate. But the intractable problem is that you are running the FBI not as a law enforcement agency charged with keeping the American people safe, but as a political enforcement agency working directly for the president’s vengeance campaign,” Raskin also said.
Those who dismiss celebrations of Charlie Kirk’s murder as harmless free speech may have forgotten that the Pentagon’s crackdown on extremism began in 2021 after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
That year, the then-Defense Department, which was renamed the Department of War under the Trump administration, rewrote its standards for “extremism” within the ranks, making clear that even liking or retweeting certain content could prompt discipline. At the time, the initiative largely targeted right-wing extremism.
Now, Pentagon leaders are once again scouring social media — this time suspending officers who appear to cheer on the political assassination that has shaken the country over the past six days.
“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it,” Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman and senior advisor, declared in a post on X.
“Hunting down and prosecuting service members for their individual political beliefs is dangerous and un-American,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger, warned on X in response to the directive.
Just hours before he was fatally shot on a college campus in Utah, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk delivered a message to hundreds of restaurant leaders gathered in Salt Lake City last week.
Wade Allen, president of Costa Vida, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain that started in Utah, was in the room when Kirk spoke at the annual Restaurantology summit, hosted by the Savory Fund, he told Fox News Digital.
He recalls Kirk’s words not as political, but as deeply personal.
“There was nothing political about the conversation [with Savory Fund co-founder and managing director Andrew K. Smith],” Allen said.
“In fact, the totality of the conversation was about entrepreneurship – the risks that you take being an entrepreneur and the hard work it takes and the dedication and the commitment.”
Kirk, known nationally
for his political activism, may have surprised those in the audience by instead focusing on the entrepreneurial journey.
Drawing from his own experiences, Kirk underscored the highs and lows that define life in both politics and business, Allen said.
Researchers are sounding the alarm about a rise in “assassination culture” — the same thing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk warned of months before a sniper’s bullet took his life as he spoke in front of a crowd of students on a Utah college campus last week.
The Network Contagion Research Institute and the Rutgers University Social Perception Lab teamed up in a recent intelligence report on the issue, warning that arsons targeting Tesla cars and the idea of “killing billionaires” has become a “meme aesthetic for political violence” — especially among the far-left.
“Political violence targeting Donald Trump and Elon Musk is becoming increasingly normalized,” researchers warned, citing the attempt on Trump’s life during a campaign rally last year. “Following the July 13, 2024, attempted assassination of President Trump, tolerance — and even advocacy — for political violence appears to have surged, especially among politically left-leaning segments of the population.”
The report found alarming support for assassinations in a survey, identified psychological red flags and warned that online platforms help spread “radical ideation.”
“The findings underscore the erosion of democratic norms and the growing acceptability of political violence in American discourse, particularly among ideologically extreme communities online,” researchers wrote.
Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were announced as featured speakers for his memorial event this weekend in Arizona.
The service will take place at State Farm Stadium – the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals – in Glendale, beginning at 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor are also scheduled to give remarks, with more speakers to be announced in the coming days.
“Charlie Kirk’s life was a testament to faith, courage, and conviction,” a website for the event said. “From his earliest days, he believed America was worth fighting for, and he dedicated every moment of his 31 years to that cause. He lived with eyes fixed on eternity, grounded in the truth of God’s Word, and driven by a calling bigger than himself.”
Pope Leo XIV told the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, that he is praying for conservative activist Charlie Kirk,
as well as his wife and children, following his murder last week in Utah, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
Leo also expressed concern about political violence and addressed the need “to refrain from rhetoric and exploitation that lead to polarization rather than dialogue,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, according to Vatican News.
The pope’s remarks came on Saturday, when he received the ambassador in an audience to receive his credentials, marking the first meeting between the two.
“The pope confirmed that he is praying for Charlie Kirk,” Bruni said.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition before he was later pronounced dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The House could vote as early as today to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for remarks she made about Charlie Kirk.
Omar reposted a video on X that called Kirk a “reprehensible human being.” She also has criticized GOP figures who have been attacking Democrats for their rhetoric following Kirk’s assassination.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., will compel the House to vote on the censure and strip Omar of her committee assignments on the House Education and Workforce Committee and the House Budget Committee.
Mace says the time to fight “is now” and argued that Republicans have been “too nice” when it comes to rhetoric from the left.
Bipartisan House leaders are not thrilled with Mace’s gambit — regardless of what Omar said or did — at a time they’re trying to lower the temperature on Capitol Hill following the Kirk assassination.
The Republican-led House has voted to censure four Democrats in the past two years for their conduct. Censure is one step below expulsion.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Tyler Robinson’s mother told investigators she had watched her son change dramatically in the year leading up to the Utah college shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Once a college scholarship recipient with a promising future, Robinson had “become more political,” leaning left and supporting “pro-gay and trans rights,” his mother said, according to court documents.
She also recounted heated arguments between Robinson and his father, who held sharply different views and regularly sparred over their competing ideologies.
At one point, she told police, her son dismissed Kirk’s Utah Valley University (UVU) event as a “stupid” venue and claimed Kirk “spreads too much hate.”
Prosecutors now argue that political hatred was at the core of Robinson’s alleged actions.
In court filings, they allege he intentionally targeted Kirk “because of his political expression” — and his parents recognized him from surveillance video after the shooting.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom reflected on the loss of Charlie Kirk with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen and urged people to resist fear and division in this moment of national grief.
“I started a podcast not too many months ago, and Charlie Kirk was my first guest,” Newsom said.
“He was gracious enough, to not only say yes, he flew out to do it in person. And I spent not just the hour plus, in a very civil conversation with Charlie, I spent time with him after, and we stayed in touch, including my team. Stayed in touch pretty consistently.”
Newsom went on to acknowledge the political divide between himself and Kirk before urging people to show gestures of “civility, one of grace and one of humanity. Common humanity.”
“The fact is, we had that opportunity to engage,” he also told Tyler Cohen.
“It’s absolutely essential that we, in the spirit of this moment, hold ourselves to a higher level of civility and accountability—accountability to the moment we’re in and the consequences of giving in to cynicism and anxiety and fear,” he said.
The chief of the Cleveland Division of Fire was placed on paid administrative leave after sharing an “insensitive” and “incendiary” social media post in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Mayor Justin Bibb announced Tuesday.
The since-deleted Facebook post by Anthony P. Luke referred to Kirk and featured a cartoon showing elephants worshiping a golden rifle with one elephant declaring, “Bring out the next sacrifice!!” according to Fox 8 News.
The post reportedly appeared on Luke’s personal Facebook page after Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was tragically killed at a college campus event in Utah Sept. 10.
Bibb said the post “crossed the line.”
“This post romanticizes gun violence, a matter far too serious in a city where we mourn too many families every week, too many lives cut short, and too many children denied safe sleep in their beds,” Bibb wrote.
“I firmly believe in free speech, and the First Amendment protects every individual’s right to express opinions — even those that are unpopular, provocative, or difficult to hear. But with rights come responsibilities, especially for those who hold positions of public trust and leadership. A public safety leader is not just another citizen: they are a standard-bearer for what the City of Cleveland stands for, what we teach our children, and how our neighbors should expect to be treated — and protected.
“Chief Luke’s post crossed the line. It was insensitive, it was incendiary, and it did not reflect the values of compassion, unity, and safety that I strive to stand for—and that every public safety leader in this city should embody. Therefore, I am, effective immediately, placing Chief Luke on paid administrative leave pending an investigation,” Bibb concluded.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Emma Bussey.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has commented further on the charges faced by Tyler Robinson who appeared in court today for the first time after his arrest.
On “Hannity” Tuesday night, Gray said the death penalty
is not always needed in all murder cases, but in this case he said Robinson had put others at risk of death, which is why it had been introduced.
When asked by Sean Hannity if more charges were on the horizon for Robinson, Gray responded it was “certainly possible” as his team continued to follow all the leads they had.
Gray’s comments came after he addressed similar questions at a press conference earlier when reporters pushed him on if additional charges would be filed against anyone else.
“Again, we don’t have any information at this point of additional, suspects, but I know that our law enforcement agencies are continuing to follow leads” Gray added.
While Gray confirmed he was “filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty,” he said the decision to do was was made “independently as county attorney, based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”
3 law enforcement officers killed, 2 others injured in Pennsylvania shooting
Five police officers were shot and three were killed in a shooting in York County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, authorities said.
The gunman, who has not yet been publicly identified, was killed by police, according to Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris.
He added authorities know “who they are and who they work for,” but did not comment on the motive.
The shooting took place as officers were following up on a “domestic-related” investigation that started Tuesday, Paris said.
FBI PITTSBURGH FIELD OFFICE TARGETED BY DRIVER IN ‘ACT OF TERROR,’ OFFICIAL SAYS
The two wounded officers were taken to a hospital and remain in critical but stable condition, according to officials.
WellSpan York Hospital told Fox News Digital enhanced security protocols are in place.
The scene, which Paris described as “large,” was still active as of Wednesday evening.
MAN SWIMMING ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA RIVER DROWNS NEAR FAMILY PICNIC AREA
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a news conference Wednesday he is continuing to pray for everyone involved.
“This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day for your county and for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “[We] grieve for the loss of life of the three precious souls who served this county, served this commonwealth and served this country. We continue to pray for the full recovery of those who are dealing with their wounds.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Pennsylvania State Police are assisting local authorities.
SHOOTING WOUNDS THREE OHIO POLICE OFFICERS, TWO IN SERIOUS CONDITION, AS SUSPECT DIES
The shooting came just a few months after another York County officer was killed in the line of duty.
Shapiro said Attorney General Pam Bondi reached out to him directly and said the state has the full support of the federal government.
Bondi condemned the violence in an X post, saying violence against law enforcement is “a scourge on our society and never acceptable.”
FBI Director Kash Patel added agents are on the ground, and sent prayers to the officers, their families, and the York County community.
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“Please send prayers to the officers and those involved in the shooting in York County. As we learn more, follow all guidance from police and stay away from the area,” Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis said in post on X Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia Mexican Consulate and Gov. Shapiro’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Judge orders deportation of activist over undisclosed affiliations
A federal immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil deported to either Algeria or Syria after ruling he hid information on his U.S. green card application.
Judge Jamee Comans issued the Sept. 12 decision in Louisiana and said that Khalil did not disclose his internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and ties with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an anti-Israel campus coalition.
Court filings unsealed Wednesday and published by the American Civil Liberties Union also show Coman cited the activism ties as central to her ruling.
NEWLY RELEASED MAHMOUD KHALIL SPOTTED BACK AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
She denied Khalil’s motion for relief, writing that the omissions were deliberate and constituted grounds for removal.
Federal authorities argue that Khalil’s misrepresentations involved politically sensitive affiliations, raising both national security and foreign policy concerns.
Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8 at his Manhattan apartment.
He spent more than three months in detention in Louisiana before being released in June, when U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public.
ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL POSTS $1 BOND AFTER FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN CAN’T DETAIN HIM
Farbiarz also temporarily blocked Khalil’s removal while reviewing his claim that the government’s actions amounted to retaliation for protected political speech.
Khalil’s legal team confirmed Wednesday that they plan to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They framed the case as a broader civil rights battle.
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“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said in a statement. “Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again.”
Trump announces plan to classify left-wing group as major terrorist organization
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he will designate antifa, a left-wing activist group, a “major terrorist organization.”
Trump described the group as “A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER” in a Truth Social announcement.
The president added he will be “strongly recommending” that those funding antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.
The announcement comes just days after Trump said he would “100%” consider the designation.
FBI’S TRUMP PROBE ‘ARCTIC FROST’ ALSO INVESTIGATED CHARLIE KIRK’S TPUSA, GRASSLEY REVEALS
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Monday, Trump accused antifa participants of being “professional agitators” in response to the administration’s recent crackdown on illegal immigration.
“Antifa is terrible,” the president said. “These aren’t protests, these are crimes that they’re doing. They’re throwing bricks at cars of the ICE and Border Patrol. … They’re professional agitators. … They should be put in jail. What they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
DAVID MARCUS: DEMOCRATS MUST STOP THEIR DEADLY ANTI-FASCISM COSPLAY
Antifa, which is short for “anti-fascist,” is a decentralized movement that does not have a designated leader, membership or structure.
The movement claims to oppose fascism, white supremacy and far-right extremism.
However, those who identify as part of Antifa — often wearing all black clothing and masks — have come under fire for their use of doxxing, violence and intimidation.
MEET THE RADICAL DC ACTIVIST MOBILIZING GANG MEMBERS, ‘HARDCORE MEN’ TO TARGET FEDERAL TAKEOVER: ‘REAL ENEMY’
In response to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, Trump linked alleged killer Tyler Robinson to “radical” far-left activism.
According to authorities, bullet casings found near the suspected murder weapon were engraved with “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “Bella ciao bella ciao ciao,” which stems from an anti-fascist song popularized by the Italian resistance during World War II.
“We have a radical left group of lunatics out there, just absolute lunatics, and we’re going to get that problem solved,” Trump told reporters before boarding Marine One on Sept. 11.
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Trump added he wanted people to respond to Kirk’s death in a non-violent manner, something Kirk advocated for throughout his career.
4 Republicans vote with Dems to block resolution censuring Omar for Kirk comments
The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines on Wednesday to table a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over comments about Charlie Kirk.
Four House Republicans voted with Democrats to table the legislation, effectively blocking it from receiving its own House-wide vote. A vote to table is a procedural mechanism allowing House members to vote against consideration of a bill without having to vote on the bill itself.
The measure was blocked in a narrow 214 to 213 vote. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Cory Mills, R-Fla.
ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’
McClintock told Fox News Digital that while he condemned Omar’s response to Kirk’s death, he voted against moving forward with the censure based on First Amendment grounds.
“Ilhan Omar’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk are vile and contemptible. They deserve the harshest criticism of every man and woman of good will. But this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment,” he said.
“Censure is formal punishment by the House and we have already gone too far down this road. Omar’s comments were not made in the House and even if they were, they broke no House rules. A free society depends on tolerating ALL speech — even hateful speech — confident that the best way to sort good from evil is to put the two side by side and trust the people to know the difference.”
Hurd responded similarly, “Ilhan Omar’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as well as her comments about those who supported Charlie, are ghoulish and evil. I condemn them completely.”
“But I voted against today’s censure because it tried to strip another Member of Congress from committees and to silence her for exercising the First Amendment right to free speech. The right response to reprehensible speech like this isn’t silencing: it’s more speech. That’s what Charlie Kirk believed and practiced, and I agree,” he told Fox News Digital.
Mills had been facing his own retaliatory censure led by House progressives, but that effort was dropped when Omar’s censure failed.
He cited First Amendment grounds on X when explaining his vote as well, however. “The 7 Articles and 27 Amendments of our Constitution are not followed only when it serves your purpose…We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their protected 1A Right,” Mills posted.
Flood told Fox News Digital that the proper recourse would be referring Omar to the House Ethics Committee before a censure.
“Ilhan Omar’s statements and social media posts are reprehensible and should be referred to the Ethics Committee. The appropriate time to consider a censure motion would be after ethics reviews her conduct,” Flood said.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., moved to force a vote on the resolution Tuesday by introducing it as “privileged,” a mechanism that requires House leaders to deal with a measure within two legislative days.
It’s part of the continued fallout from Omar’s remarks made days after Kirk’s assassination, which conservatives have accused of disparaging the conservative activist’s legacy.
SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING
She specifically faced backlash over an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, where she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She later accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, and she called Kirk’s death “mortifying.”
She previously told Zeteo days after Kirk’s assassination that he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”
“There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” the “Squad” member said. “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”
She later posted on X amid the backlash, “While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion. Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left to hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.”
Kirk was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah.
Mace introduced her resolution on the House floor Tuesday by reading it on the House floor.
“Charlie Kirk was a lifelong advocate for freedom of speech, civil political discourse and the political engagement of youth,” Mace read aloud. “One day after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Representative Ilhan Omar gave an interview on Zeteo’s town hall with Mehdi Hassan, in which she smeared Charlie Kirk and implied he was to blame for his own murder.”
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Mace also accused Omar of reposting a video that said, “Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single s— about Charlie Kirk. They’re just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.”
Other progressives leaped to Omar’s defense, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who posted on X, “Babe, those are not direct quotes from Ilhan Omar. According to the APA, if you use a direct quotation, it must sustain your claim. The quotes you used are not Ilhan’s words, they are not in context and do not prove your point. Read before you tweet.”
It’s one of several measures targeting Omar over her comments.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who is running for Senate, introduced his own measure to strip Omar of her committee assignments on Monday.
Princess of Wales stuns at Trump dinner with tribute to president’s mother
Kate Middleton stunned in a glittering tiara moment at Windsor Castle.
The Princess of Wales turned heads as she arrived alongside husband Prince William.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicked off their state visit to the U.K. Wednesday, when the Prince and Princess of Wales greeted them. The senior royals put on a united front this evening for a state banquet at Windsor Castle to welcome the couple.
KATE MIDDLETON TO PLAY ‘PIVOTAL ROLE’ AT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S HISTORIC STATE VISIT: EXPERT
For the evening, Kate wore her favorite showpiece, the Lover’s Knot Tiara. It was commissioned for Queen Mary in 1913 from Britain’s House of Garrard, Vogue.com reported. It features diamonds and 19 hanging drop-shaped pearls, all set in silver and gold.
“Her tiara is Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot, a tried and true piece of jewelry for Kate,” royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital. “It has connections to Princess Diana but has really become quintessential for Catherine’s profile as well. It completes the image of an elegant senior royal that Kate is projecting.”
The tiara was handed down to Queen Elizabeth, who eventually handed it down to her daughter-in-law, Princess Diana. It quickly became a known favorite for the late Princess of Wales. It has become Kate’s formal headwear of choice.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of “My Mother and I,” told Fox News Digital the royals love to showcase their jewels during state banquets.
“They drip in jewels,” said Seward. “They absolutely drip with jewels. It’s the one time they could really show off their jewelry.”
Kate also sported a couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley featuring a full-length, hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace evening coat.
The true centerpiece of the state visit was the banquet in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. The Waterloo Table — about half the length of a football field — can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which holds more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.
Men are expected to wear white ties and tailcoats, while women don designer gowns and jewels.
Chef Darren McGrady, a royal chef for 15 years who cooked for five U.S. presidents, told Fox News Digital that the menu gives a heartfelt nod to Queen Elizabeth II. One of the desserts that will be savored included a bombe glacée cardinal, a vanilla ice cream featuring Kentish raspberry sorbet and lightly poached Victoria plums.
“Bombes were served at maybe 70% of all state banquets,” he said. “It’s an ice cream where we use an old Victorian copper mold. The queen loved to have ice cream at state banquets, so we often served it. She also loved a bombe glacée royal, which is mint ice cream with chocolate. The queen loved chocolate.”
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The king’s mother isn’t the only matriarch being honored during the state dinner. The royal menu also showed that, after dinner, guests would be served a Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne from the president’s mother’s birth year.
In addition, a 1945 vintage port, closest to the year of the president’s birth year, will be served. It’s noted that ports are not made every year. Guests will also enjoy American red wine and English sparkling wine.
The king gave a speech in which he spoke of the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.
“The bond between our two nations is indeed a remarkable one,” said the monarch. “Forged in the fire of conflict, it has been fortified through our shared endeavors and burnished by the deep affection between our people. Tested time and again, it has borne the weight of our common purpose and raised our ambition for a better world.
“So, in renewing our bond tonight, we do so with unshakable trust in our friendship and in our shared commitment to independence and liberty,” the 76-year-old shared. “Therefore, as we celebrate this unparalleled partnership, allow me to propose a toast to President Trump and the first lady and to the health, prosperity and happiness of the people of the United States of America.”
In 2019, The New York Times reported one of Trump’s earliest memories, which he often shares, was seeing his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, enthralled by Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Before the feast, Trump said his second state visit was “one of the highest honors of my life.”
“It’s a singular privilege to be the first American president welcomed here and, if you think about it, it’s a lot of presidents and this was the second state visit, and that’s the first, and maybe that’s going to be the last time,” said Trump.
“But this is truly one of the highest honors of my life, such respect for you and such respect for your country.”
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital, “President Trump’s state banquet speech was eloquent, politically correct and immensely on point. His declaring it to be ‘one of the highest honors of my life’ was well received, no doubt by the royals.
“The genuinely warm rapport between President Trump and the royals was most evident. It was no accident he was greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales when he arrived at Windsor, as well as being seated next to Princess Catherine.”
Fordwich told Fox News Digital the menus were written in French, a tradition dating back to the 11th century.
“This practice symbolizes sophistication,” she shared.
Dishes such as organic Norfolk chicken ballotine and quail egg salad highlight locally grown ingredients from the royal family’s estate. A cocktail created for the occasion — the Transatlantic Whisky Sour — blends Johnnie Walker Black with citrus marmalade and is topped with a toasted marshmallow on a star-shaped biscuit.
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No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has ever had the honor of a second U.K. state visit, The Associated Press reported. The festivities involved 120 horses and 1,300 troops — including the largest guard of honor in living memory.
Fed ripped for crushing mortgage rates, hurting American housing dream
As the Federal Reserve revealed its latest rate decision Wednesday, a Trump administration senior counselor blasted the central bank for keeping the American Dream out of reach, as other experts reacted to the cut.
“We’re a hundred basis points, at least, over where we should be,” Trump senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro said on “Mornings with Maria” Wednesday. “That’s disequilibrium. It hurts our trade balance. It hurts everybody who’s trying to get a mortgage. It’s frozen up the housing market.”
“It should be 50 [basis points cut] today, and it should be another 50 at the next meeting. That’s where it should be,” he continued.
The Fed announced its first interest rate cut of the year Wednesday afternoon despite signs of tariffs pushing inflation higher amid rising concerns about the labor market. The 25 basis-point cut lowered the benchmark federal funds target range to 4% to 4.25%.
REAL ESTATE VETERAN WARNS ‘HOPELESSNESS’ IN HOUSING MARKET THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM
Markets had priced in a cut, with the CME FedWatch tool showing a 96% chance of a 25-basis-point cut and a 4% probability of a larger 50-basis-point cut.
At the same time, the Trump administration is reportedly weighing a declaration of a national housing emergency, which has been fueled by high rates, red tape and rising construction costs.
Other experts and politicians also called for a 50 basis point cut, like Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Miami-based Douglas Elliman agent and managing director Joe Azar.
“In the brokerage community, we would love to see a rate cut anywhere from a quarter to a half-point. Ideally, a half a point, and things have picked up over the last two weeks,” Azar told Fox News Digital. “I think you’ll see a jolt in the real estate market if we get a cut this afternoon.”
“If you get this cut today… for an end user, depending on the profile and the type of loan they’re taking, that is drastic because, overall, it’s going to help the buyer to save more money and their spending power,” Azar continued.
Buyers and sellers aren’t solely focused on rate cuts either, the Douglas Elliman broker argued: “A lot of my clients are also looking at the 10-year Treasury yield and also the five-year… what I think the Fed is trying to do is cut the short-term rates, which, what I will tell you, will affect the [adjustable-rate mortgage] loans.”
“I talked to [Fed Board governor Stephen Miran] about two really important things,” Sen. Scott said on a call with Fox News Digital. “The independence of the Fed, [and] sharing the president’s vision for what moves our economy forward.”
“The president has done such a good job of moving our country forward,” Scott added. “What else does he need? One big thing – I think a lower interest rate.”
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Navarro called the Fed’s trajectory under Chairman Jerome Powell “a disaster,” arguing that Powell and Democrats are making “partisan decisions.”
“People talk about [how] an attack on Powell’s an attack on Fed independence. It’s not, it’s Fed incompetence,” he said.
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Christian minister speaks on clash with ‘not welcome here’ Muslim mayor
Christian minister Edward “Ted” Barham says he will not respond with hate after Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told him he was “not welcome” during a heated city council exchange over a controversial honorary street sign naming that went viral.
In a new interview with Fox News Digital, Barham said the moment has only strengthened his resolve to speak out about freedom of speech and freedom of faith.
“I did not respond to the mayor with hate. I said, God bless you,” Barham said, adding that he takes seriously Jesus’ command to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you.” He said the incident was not isolated, pointing to earlier clashes with city officials over his public ministry.
Barham objected at the Sept. 9 council meeting to street signs honoring controversial Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani.
DEARBORN’S MUSLIM MAYOR TELLS CHRISTIAN HE’S ‘NOT WELCOME’ IN DEBATE ON HONORING PRO-TERROR ARAB LEADER
He read from a 2022 Siblani speech that declared, “We are the Arabs who are going to lift Palestinians all the way to victory whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Jenin. Believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others fight with planes, drones, and rockets.” Barham told council members, “It sounds like he could be inciting violence in Michigan.”
Siblani has a long record of controversial remarks. In 2003 he told the Washington Post, “Mr. Bush believes Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions are terrorists, but we believe they are freedom fighters.”
In 2006 he told the Chicago Tribune that “if the FBI wants to come after those who support the resistance done by Hezbollah, then they better bring a fleet of buses. I, for one, would be willing to go to jail.” At a Dearborn rally in September 2024, he praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “hero” as the crowd cheered.
WHITMER SILENT ON MUSLIM MAYOR TELLING RESIDENT HE’S ‘NOT WELCOME’ FOR SLAM ON TERRORIST SYMPATHIZER
Barham told Fox News Digital his own background gives him perspective. He was born in Africa, lived in Pakistan, Lebanon, and Israel, and ministered for years in England. He has produced Arabic-language Christian programming and holds graduate qualifications in biblical languages and theology from the University of Toronto, Oxford University, and other schools. “I do really enjoy living in this city,” Barham said of Dearborn, sharing that many of his friends are either Muslim or formerly Muslim.
“I think it is a wonderful thing that there are so many Muslim people in Western countries,” he said. “I would encourage American Christians to make the message of Christ and His love and His forgiveness and of loving His enemies very attractive to their Muslim friends and neighbors.”
Barham also pointed out a recent initiative in Dearborn where his group tested a Christian call to prayer in Arabic in public spaces to run alongside those broadcast by mosques, specifically quoting John 3:16.
He said the idea sprang from seeing how often the Islamic call to prayer is heard in neighborhoods and wanting Christian voices to have the same public presence. “One really inspiring thing about that for us is that we’re doing something here in Dearborn that our brothers and sisters and so many Muslim countries around the world are not allowed to do. And I do hand it to the city council and the mayor for allowing us to do that Christian call to prayer.”
At the same time, Barham said Muslim American leaders should use their influence to press for equal freedoms abroad. “My prayer is not just that we get more freedom here in Dearborn. My prayer is that people here in America, Muslim people, Muslim background people here in America will fight for the rights of oppressed Christian minorities in so many Muslim countries.”
He said he was shocked to hear Hammoud promise to “launch a parade” when he leaves town. “I mean, as you saw, the mayor treated me terribly last week, but I have actually, believe it or not, had some good personal interactions with him, not myself so much, but my family,” Barham added.
While Barham credited Hammoud with funding new playgrounds and recalled his son’s warm encounter with the mayor at a preschool visit, he argued there is a pattern of city leadership dismissing Christian speech. He pointed to a 2022 fight over a Christian film event where organizers were accused of “preying on children” simply for offering hot dogs and popcorn at a screening of the popular TV show “The Chosen” about the life of Jesus Christ.
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Barham says he will keep speaking anyway. “I want to stand up for a totally different message which is the message of love,” he said. “Disagreement is not hate. Faith can be expressed without fear.”
Barham’s ongoing Christian ministry in the Dearborn community can be followed on X at @DearbornDiscuss.
The Office of Mayor Abdullah Hammoud did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
VP JD Vance has a message for skeptics of Charlie Kirk murder motive
Vice President JD Vance issued scathing words to those questioning the motive of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s accused killer on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Wednesday.
After citing several sources involved in the investigation, the vice president blamed Kirk’s killing on “left-wing political radicalization.”
“My friend is dead because of left-wing political radicalization,” Vance argued. “And if you want to cut that sh– out, then be honest about it, and look yourself in the mirror.”
JD VANCE DECLARES THERE IS ‘NO UNITY’ WITH PEOPLE WHO CELEBRATE CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
According to court documents, the mother of Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s suspected assassin, said Robinson had “become more political,” leaning left and supporting “pro-gay and trans rights.”
On Tuesday, Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray read aloud Robinson’s alleged explanation in text messages to his transgender roommate for assassinating Kirk.
“I had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred,” Robinson wrote Sept. 10. “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and six other felonies by Utah prosecutors, who intend to seek the death penalty.
CHARLIE KIRK’S STRONG STANCE ON DEATH PENALTY RESURFACES AFTER UTAH ASSASSINATION
As the nation debates Robinson’s alleged motive for killing Kirk, Vance told Fox News host Jesse Watters the conservative activist’s death is not a “both sides problem.”
“You look at every ounce of evidence that we have, and it is clear,” Vance said. “This is a person who grew up in a pretty normal family, actually had a pretty good home life, who was radicalized by the far left, by the social networks of the far left, by the ideas of the far left, and got so far down the path of radicalization that he killed my friend.”
The Republican vice president also addressed whether the firings of those celebrating Kirk’s assassination is constitutional as employees lose their jobs and college students face expulsion for praising Kirk’s death.
JD VANCE PENS HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE KIRK AFTER ASSASSINATION: ‘YOU RAN A GOOD RACE, MY FRIEND’
“The First Amendment protects a lot of very ugly speech,” Vance explained. “But if you celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death, you should not be protected from being fired for being a disgusting person.”
When Watters asked Vance how he views the celebrations, Vance listed a couple of questions he would ask the “disgusting” people in question.
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“I would ask if you were the kind of person who feels joy at the death of a grieving mother and grieving children, what bad decisions have led you to where you are today?” Vance responded. “And why don’t you get back on the right path?”
On Monday, the vice president hosted an episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show” in honor of his late friend, saying he would not be in office without Kirk.
VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE ESCORTS CHARLIE KIRK’S CASKET BEFORE FLIGHT ON AIR FORCE TWO FROM UTAH TO ARIZONA
“Obviously, the president makes the final determination, but it takes a team effort, and Charlie was part of that team,” Vance said.
Vance also served as a pallbearer for Kirk when he carried his casket onto Air Force Two in Utah. The plane transported Kirk’s remains to Arizona Sept. 12.
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Turning Point USA will hold a memorial for its founder in Arizona Sunday at State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.